Tenchi Muyo!/Tenchi Universe

A long time ago, in the 1990s, there was a little harem anime called Tenchi Muyo!. It centered around the misadventures of young Tenchi Masaki, a typical high school student.  One day, he finds himself surrounded by alien women - somewhat terrifying alien women.  Suddenly, Tenchi's ordinary, boring life becomes a 24/7 carnival of weird, inter-space madness.

The Tenchi storylines are difficult to keep track of.  The creators apparently liked to tell the story over and over again with little twists in each "timeline", but the main idea is always the same: boy meets girl, girl, girl, girl.... you get the idea.  Also: space alien god-royalty bloodlines are Important and Mysterious.

Now, this particular incarnation of Tenchi Muyo is 26 episodes long, and you would think that this would give them enough time to build something resembling a plot.  You would be wrong.  The first six episodes are devoted to introducing each of Tenchi's potential girlfriends.  So, you have:

Ryoko - hot-headed sexy space pirate who likes booze, guns, and committing crimes.

Mihoshi - ditzy galaxy police officer who likes....well, pretty much anything, but especially karaoke and slacking off.

Ayeka - haughty space princess who wanted to take a vacation from the duties of being princess of the entire universe.

Sasami - Ayeka's adorable little sister, who came looking for Ayeka and got stranded on Earth

Washu - Mad scientist with a huge ego.

Kiyone - Mihoshi's long-suffering partner. All she wants is a normal life as far away from Mihoshi as possible.

Now, of the cast of potential girlfriends, only two of them actually express clear interest in Tenchi, the world's most bland and boring male protagonist.  I mean, entire episodes can go by where he barely makes an appearance.  I guess this is why the show's (and manga's) title was also called No Need for Tenchi.  Despite that, the whole reason for the girls to be on Earth in the first place is some tie to Tenchi.

After the introductory episodes, all of the characters have to start interacting, so they go on wa-ha-ha-cky space adventures until suddenly (Dun-dun-duuuuun) a Wild Plot Appears!

Apparently, Ayeka's royal family, the Jurai family, has some unresolved issues regarding succession to the throne.  In order to secure the order and restore normalcy to the royal family, and the universe, Ayeka had been sent to meet potential suitors when she decided that she was fed up with princessing and wanted to give loafing around a try.  In the mean time, one of the lost Emperors of Jurai decided to show up and declare the members of the AWOL royal family criminals, so everyone has to go to Jurai to clear Sasami and Ayeka's names and figure out who this usurper actually is.  More wacky space adventures ensue until finally, ta-da, they arrive to find out that Evil Usurper is actually Legitimate Heir to the Throne who Caught the Evil and is now hellbent on RULING THE KNOWN UNIVERSE.... unless his long-lost brother who was the only one who ever matched him in power makes a sudden reappearance.

What does this have to do with Tenchi, you  may find yourself asking? Well, (spoiler-alert) it turns out that our bland, boring hero is actually a direct descendant of the Long Lost Prince, and somehow, mysteriously has awakened his own ability to manipulate Jurai energy and must carry out a Fight To The Death against his Crazy Evil Uncle (Great Uncle? I'm not even really sure at this point).

Honestly, this show was a lot better when I was in middle school.  I mean, the plot is kind of...non-existent.  But, it does have some good elements.  I was particularly impressed with the space ships.  Jurai space ships are grown like trees, so they can crash land on an alien planet and still repair themselves by (eventually) growing a new sapling space ship.  Another space ship design is the Ryo-ohki space ship.  When not being used to fly through space, the space ship runs around in this cute meowing rabbit form that likes carrots.

The character designs were pretty distinct, too.  I loved Sasami and Ayeka's clothes, and if I had a better figure, I'd totally cosplay the bounty hunter Nagi.  This show had a lot of characters, so it was nice to be able to easily pick one out based on a silhouette or color palette.

I did enjoy some of the humor of the show, but mostly this was all about nostalgia for a simpler time.  I suppose exposure to this show did kick off the whole harem-anime craze in the States, whether current fans are aware of it or not.  It wasn't the first show to feature a boring male protagonist that pretty, somewhat odd women are mysteriously attracted to, but it was the first one to really gain a strong foothold in the States because it was broadcast on the Toonami block back in the 90's.

Unless you're totally into retro anime and have a high tolerance for fillers, I really can't recommend this anime to most people.  They really could have done a lot more with the pacing and world-building than they did, but I suppose they were trying to play up the fan service and fun of the series.  Tenchi Muyo can be a really fun series, but it doesn't handle plot/drama very well.

Sailor Moon Crystal

When I was in middle school, one big gateway anime was Sailor Moon.  This was back in the days of Geocities and Angelfire websites and dial-up internet connections, so streaming and widespread distribution wasn't really an option.  Anime was purchased on video tapes (either dub or sub) which had a maximum of four or five episodes on it.  Anything animated was still considered "for kids", so shows like Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura was pretty heavily edited to make it kid-friendly.  And let's not get started on the dubs...

Anyway, the point I'm making is this: I remember when Sailor Moon was first becoming popular in the U.S.  When the announcement came out that they were rebooting the series, like many Moonies, I got kind of excited. When it was also announced that the original series was going to get a full release in the U.S., including the final Stars season that had never been released in the U.S., it was like I had died and gone to nerd heaven.  So, like other Moonies worldwide, I eagerly counted down to the day of the new Sailor Moon Crystal premiere.

And... well, let me get this out of the way - the reboot was not everything I imagined it would be.  The episodes were clearly rushed through production, as several shots are off-model and sometimes even the wrong animation is used for specific attacks.  The computer animation used for the transformation sequences is pretty underwhelming compared to the original.  The characters don't get a lot of development time, either.

But for all of its flaws, Sailor Moon Crystal did hit a few high points for me.

First of all, we get to see Takeuchi's original character and costume designs in action.  The original series put all of the senshi in identical costumes to present a more unified front against evil, and it was probably easier to reuse the same design template for each character and change the colors a little bit.  But, each senshi's battle costume represents part of her personality and character, so it was nice to see those touches restored in this version.  You also get to see each small evolution of Sailor Moon's battle costume, including the small morphs her tiara undergoes as she comes one step closer to her full awakening.

Not only did they keep more of the original character designs and costumes, but more of Takeuchi's art style seems to have made it into the overall look of the show.   The characters are almost ethereal and goddess-like, hinting at their otherworldly origins.  The colors are muted and lines tend to be long and flowing.  Hair is luxurious and impossibly shiny and orderly (seriously, no one has bedhead).  Now, seeing those tall, willowy girls in action, especially seeing Barbie-doll-like Usagi trip and fall on her backside, is a little strange and unnatural, but when they're posing against the full moon, you have to admit that it looks really impressive.  And, of course, they are tailor made for the Art Nouveau inspired promotional art.

Finally, we get to see the original Sailor Moon story, almost shot-for-shot, as it was in the manga.  No filler, no side-quests, no "gotta find the rainbow crystals and sell more Sailor Moon toys" story arcs.  Just a straightforward story of "girl meets magical talking cat, girl becomes superhero, girl saves Tokyo (and possibly the world) and her boyfriend from the forces of evil".  Sure, the original story has some flaws, but it struck a chord with readers for a reason and it's great to see it adapted directly.

Overall, I have to say that Sailor Moon Crystal is a flawed gem, but a gem nonetheless.  I haven't seen the dvd releases yet, but I would hope that most of the animation flaws were fixed by the time they released them for home viewing.  If you were a fan of the manga, you'll definitely enjoy Crystal for its faithfulness to the source material in both plot and art style. However, if you were a fan of the original 90's anime, you probably won't enjoy this series as much because it lacks many of the visual gags and development that the original had.  Try to enjoy it for what it is.

Working!!/Wagnaria - Season one

Anime has the ability to make the most mundane thing seem interesting - even fun.  Sometimes, it's a little over the top (Yakitate!! Ja-pan springs to mind), and sometimes it manages to educate the audience about a hobby (G.A. Geijutsuka Art Design Class).  Sometimes, the focus is less on the setting and more on the people who do it (pretty much every High School Club comedy show).  In the latter category is where you'll find Working!!, also known as Wagnaria.

Anyone who has ever worked in food service knows that it's anything but fun.  The hours are long, the pay is low, and usually the management is pretty awful.  If you're lucky, you might have good coworkers.  The family-style restaurant Wagnaria (think Denny's without the night-blogging social media account) is sort of an idealized version of what working in food service would be like.  If every restaurant were like Wagnaria, I'm not sure that very much work would get done, but at least working there might be bearable.

The main character is a young man named Souta Takanashi.  He is your average high school student who loves small, adorable things (small children, stuffed animals, water fleas).  One day, he's approached by adorable, undersized upper-classman Popura, who convinces him to work at Wagnaria with  her.  It seems like a perfectly normal job for a high school student to do to earn some extra pocket money, but the staff of Wagnaria is anything but normal.  It's staffed by an information merchant, two former banchou gang members (juvenile delinquents), an androphobe who suckerpunches men on sight, and a girl who carries a katana around in her apron straps for no apparent reason (but it does keep the customers from misbehaving, so I guess it serves some purpose).  Compared to his coworkers, Souta's cuteness obsession is pretty normal.

This is one of those extremely popular "slice-of-life" shows that has no central plot.  It's basically just the staff of a restaurant getting into strange situations.  Occasionally, they will get together outside of work, but most of the story takes place either within Wagnaria or in Takanashi household.  It's difficult to really describe this series without it seeming rather boring and one-note.  I'll admit that most of the characters don't evolve much past their initial quirks in the first season with the exception of Inami, who is working hard to overcome her androphobia.  But, this isn't a show that you watch for plot and character development.  You watch it because it's funny and you don't have to think too much about it.

The animation is done by Studio Deen, who was responsible for at least the first few seasons of Axis Powers Hetalia.  It's easy to imagine the Hetalia crew working in Wagnaria, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a few galleries of crossover fanart.  Fans of Durarara will also be pleased to recognize the voices of Izaya and Shizuo working together in similar, though probably less destructive, roles.

Overall, Working!!/Wagnaria is a fun show.  It's not overly complicated to watch, the characters are pretty distinctive, and it's enjoyable to watch how they interact with one another.  Like I said, I can't imagine that a lot of actual work gets done there, but at least they seem to be enjoying themselves. It doesn't make me want to jump up and get a job as a waitress, but if there were a Wagnaria restaurant where I lived, I'd probably drop in for a meal.

If you're interested in catching this show, it's currently streaming for free on Crunchyroll.   

Slayers: The Ruby Eye - Hajime Kanzaka

Light novels are beginning to get a bit more attention in the Western market these days thanks to successful series like Durarara!! and Sword Art Online, but these titles aren't the first to make the jump from East to West.  Way back in the mid-90s, Tokyopop and a few other companies tried their hand at bringing light novels to the US, too.  They didn't catch on right away, in part I think because people didn't know how to categorize them, and also because the marketing for anime and manga was still pretty underground.

One of the novel series that was brought over was Slayers, which was the basis for the popular anime series of the same name.  The anime series did reasonably well in the U.S., and still has a pretty dedicated audience here as well.  There was recently a revival with two 13 episode seasons, Revolution and Evolution-R, that featured new animation and characters with some nods to previous seasons' characters.  If you are looking for some good old-fashioned sword-and-sorcery fun that maintains a fairly even balance of comedy and action, I highly recommend looking up the Slayers series.

But this post is about the books.  I would like to review each individually, so today I'm going to start with the first one: The Ruby Eye.  This book introduces the bombastic sorceress Lina Inverse and her loyal, but somewhat dopey, swordsman companion Gourry Gabriev.  Lina Inverse is travelling the world seeking adventure, fame, and maybe a little stolen treasure (although in her defense, she only steals from bandits).  After a certain item falls into her hands following a particularly successful raid on a bandit camp, she finds herself launched into an adventure whose repercussions would impact the rest of her life.  You see, the item in question is the key to reviving a fearsome Demon Lord, and the forces of evil would very much like to get their hands, mitts, paws, tentacles, and any other extremity on it for themselves.

Of course, Lina is no shrinking violet when it comes to defending herself or her treasures.  She's a powerful Black magic sorceress - she's even mastered one of the most powerful spells in the field: The Dragon Slave.  And if magic won't work, her companion Gourry Gabriev will make short work of any enemy with his elite swordsmanship and, if necessary, the power of the legendary Sword of Light.  Just don't ask him to do any heavy thinking - he's really more the brawn of the pair (though sometimes he surprises you with astute observations...).

If this book sounds a lot like a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, that's because Kanzaka himself is a fan of tabletop RPGs and conceived Slayers as a means of exploring some of his ideas about them.  In the author notes at the end of the book, it's mentioned that he's often asked himself questions about how different types of magic could be used in creative ways.

What I like most about this series is how much fun it is.  The story is narrated from Lina's point of view, and she has a lot of smart-mouthed commentary to add to the situation that's sure to get a chuckle out of the readers.  The illustrations sprinkled throughout the book also help to add to its charm.

Since this is the first book in the series, is does suffer a little from pacing issues.  Some adventures are glossed over a little too much, either because the author ran out of time to devote to specific fights or because he wanted to just skip closer to the Big Battle at the end.  Still, there's a lot of action squeezed into just about 200 pages, so I can't really complain too much about a few missing battles with hired goons.

It's also a little bit dated, but I don't think that this is a bad thing.  Lina's voice is a product of the time that this book was written and translated in, so if you hear a little bit of a Valley Girl voice in your head sometimes, just consider that part of its charm.

The other drawback about this series is that it is really hard to find.  It was put out by Tokyopop back in the 90s to early 00's, so it's long out of print.  I keep holding out hope that someone will rescue the license from purgatory and release ebook versions of the books, and maybe even continue where Tokyopop left off.  There are 8 volumes available in English, but the series ran on for 15 volumes in Japan, plus specials and manga.  Still, if you can get a hold of these books, grab them while you can.  They may not be worth much, but they're a fun read.

I'd recommend these books to anyone from teens to adults.  They're good, light reads that you can use to escape for an hour or two.  And, maybe if enough people read and demand more of them, we'll see that license rescue that I keep hoping for and we'll get the rest of the series (I can dream, can't I?).