There’s a reason video gamers never use Easy Mode. It’s because it’s boring. There’s so much more hardship and complexity left to be explored, and it would be otherwise wasted if only the easy paths were taken. The same can be said about life in general. Too often do the conveniences of the modern world lull people into tacitly following the course of least resistance, and too often is that course laden with mediocrity. Today, I’ll explore some anime that celebrate those who break from the norm and forge their own path in pursuit of adventure.
Shining Hearts
AKA Yakitate!! Japan
Rick has drifted to the isolated island of Windaria, which is inhabited by various races of humans, elves, dwarves, and beast-people. Despite suffering from amnesia Rick is rescued by three beautiful girls Airy, Amil, and Neris, who run a bakery in town. For two years, Rick and the girls get along fine, working hard to supply bread to everyone on the island. Yet it is only when a red moon rises and a terrible storm blows into the island that strange events begin to unfold.
Just watch out for yeast infections…
When it comes to Production I.G., the phrase “caveat inspector” also comes to mind. The studio has produced an extensive collection of outstanding series, yet it has also taken credit for some decidedly awful stories. In fact, most of I.G.’s awful series are adaptations of rpg’s, such as World Destruction. The same is true for Shining Hearts, a series that hints at interesting events by the end of episode 3, but alas only uses those hints as cheap incentive to watch for another 9 episodes. Shining Hearts was originally an rpg for the PSP in 2010. The player progresses through story missions and takes on side quests to help out villagers, including collecting materials for baking bread and forging weapons, and even going fishing. The worst aspect of the game is that characters randomly emit color-coded “hearts” throughout the game, which signal their emotional state. These “hearts” are collected via the (and I am completely serious) Mind Over Emotion, or MOE, system. With this in mind, it should be painfully apparent what viewers of the anime are in for. And in that regard, Shining Hearts doesn’t disappoint. It is as fluffy and hollow as the tasty bread Rick makes every day. The series is almost completely episodic, and the events of episode 3 are largely wasted as the show shifts most of its focus back on the characters and their bread. That’s unfortunate, because even the storyline tried to claw its way from its dull premise, and it unfortunately failed.
At least the viewers’ stay on Windaria is a pleasant one. The animation style is trademark Production I.G.: gorgeous landscapes, detailed backgrounds, and appealing character designs make the series somewhat bearable.
Indeed, the only reason anyone watched this was for Black Rock Miku.
The soundtrack also fits the series’ mood quite well. Shining Hearts is, at its core, a light-hearted series, and the sounds and songs reflect that. During the 2 whole scenes of tension, the soundtrack plays a strong supporting role, which rouses the apathetic viewer into a state of interest. Probably the best part of the show is the dramatic OP. Of course, artwork and music alone cannot save a series that is almost devoid of storyline. Alas, Shining Hearts is stale on arrival.
Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine
Stay classy.
Arsene Lupin III is the grandson of the master thief Arsene Lupin. With his cohorts Daisuke Jigen and Goemon Ishikawa XIII and his love interest Fujiko Mine, he pulls off the greatest heists of all time while always escaping the grasp of Inspector Koichi Zenigata. But before Lupin, Fujiko, Goemon, and Jigen were a team, the four walked their own paths, their own separate careers in crime. A chance meeting at a cult stronghold brings Lupin and Fujiko together, and the thief vows to make the grifter his. Yet Fujiko has her own troubled past to contend with, and as the men learn more about it and the sexy, enigmatic woman it belongs to, the group moves closer and closer to becoming the team we all know.
Lupin III is a special series to Japanese culture. Lupin III exemplifies the glorified world of high-stakes thievery one decade after the landmark American film, Ocean’s 11. First airing in Fall 1971, the show followed the daring exploits of master thief Lupin III, along with his merry band of equally masterful thieves, and the relentless Interpol Inspector Zenigata. However, this newest series tells the story of how they all met and what exactly has driven them to form the unstoppable team of yesteryear. While the original series held an almost constant comedic tone, this sobering modern re-imagining is told from the vantage point of one of anime’s most ruthless temptresses, and make no mistake, it is a lot grittier.
The series’ opening episodes introduce the viewer to the wide world of Lupin III: an exotic world filled with cults, crime lords, old-world kingdoms, and endless treasures waiting to be taken. It is here that we first encounter the master thief Lupin III, who follows in his illustrious grandfather’s footsteps. It is also where the viewer first witnesses the center character, Fujiko Mine. Both are intelligent, daring, and relentlessly pursuant of their goals. The difference is, Fujiko is willing to put her own body on the line, and she will even kill for what she wants. While this really doesn’t differ from the original series, the remake tells the story in a far seedier manner, and it really drives home the point that Fujiko only plays to win. From there, the episodes also reveal the shady former lives of the infamous mobster marksmen Jigen Daisuke and the last master swordsman/assassin Ishikawa Goemon XIII. While both of them are surprised by Fujiko’s (often topless) demeanor, only Lupin manages to stay on equal footing with her, or even a short step ahead. Even Inspector Zenigata makes an appearance, and as usual, he’s either a brief annoyance or a walking damage control, ever following in the wake of Lupin’s antics. Both Lupin and Fujiko develop very different relationships with the gunman and the samurai, with Fujiko and Goemon’s being particularly interesting. The first half of the series is mostly episodic, building the world and establishing the characters and their back(er?) stories. The latter 5 episodes take the story into the “main arc,” ending in a 2-part season finale which links up perfectly with the beginning of the original series. As the pieces begin to coalesce, it becomes quite clear that TMS Entertainment has taken great care to in no way sully the hard work of Studio Monkey Punch. Aside from a shorter story and a persistent plot (which the original series is often criticized for lacking), the biggest differentiation from the original is the almost constant mature content. This is a far cry from Lupin’s trademark tail chasing. Fujiko is half naked for most of the series, and sometimes she’s completely naked, and it’s always done with an agenda. Likewise, sex is frequent and implicit, but the animation style makes the viewer quite certain what’s going on. That said, the viewer is often pressured into viewing the characters through the lens of sex, which ironically makes the characters feel more exposed, and as such, more human. The characters of Lupin III have always been fascinating, and they could hardly be accused of being one-dimensional. That said, this darker prequel lets the viewer cut through the comedy to see them all under a black light, and the results are impressive.
TMS Entertainment has worked very hard on emulating the look and feel of Lupin III in this version, and the effort goes un-wasted. The classic art style returns, with all its clunky and otherwise misshapen splendor. While it is still a silly remnant of the 1970’s, it pays homage to a truly classic series. Once the viewer is accustomed to it, the style doesn’t detract from the story at all. However, the settings and scenes are often dripping with pencil lines, depicting a much more serious shadow world drained of its superficial glamor. The criminal underworld has always been viewed as one of darkness and secrets, and the animation plays upon this motif heavily to tell its story, often to memorable effect. Still, there’s no hiding all the nudity, and the animators certainly celebrate Fujiko’s beauty every chance they get. Yet the scenes with frontal nudity reveal the series’ artistic problem: the groin area on all of the characters is very malformed, as though partially removed, and certainly not for the sake of art. Indeed, the sexualized style reaches new heights during the show’s OP, whereby Fujiko has a weekly psychosexual montage, pausing to make out with herself and fondle her mirror image’s breasts. While certainly bizarre, this overt and fetishized sexuality does serve a legitimate purpose, albeit at the very end of the series. Yet in the meantime, it’s just unsettling every time the viewer sees it. The series soundtrack is also very well done, harkening back to the heady days of Lupin III in spirit, but with the new series’ trademark gritty tone. It never drives the story, just provides gentle accompaniment for the dialogue and the tales being told. Together with the new animation style and storyline, it’s easy to see the world of Lupin III through a pair of charcoal-tinted glasses.
While it may not strike the same timeless resonance of series like Cowboy Bepop, Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine does an admirable job of deciphering the femme fatale extraordinaire, while also showing how the life and crimes of anime’s greatest thieves came together. Old school and modern anime fans can agree on this one, Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine can certainly steal your heart away.
Saki Episode of Side A
AKA A Certain Scientific Railgun
One day, Ako and Shizuno come across a new transfer student named Nodoka Haramura. As it turns out, they all like to play mahjong. So, they invite Nodoka to join the local high school’s mahjong club. However, over time, the club instructor moves away, and the girls move on to other high schools with a more competitive mahjong program. However, after Shizuno sees Nodoka on television playing in a high school mahjong tournament, she inspires her old middle school friends to reform their school’s club so they can meet and play Nodoka in the National High School Mahjong Tournament.
And also wear as little clothing as legally possible.
Once upon a time, there was a mahjong manga called Saki. It was so decent, that it became a decent anime in Spring 2009. Saki Miyanaga was an incredibly talented and incredibly fortunate mahjong player who developed and perfected the +/- zero score, which is all but impossible. However, this is not her story, but the story of the other girls who played with her at the same middle school. Now, there are two primary issues with spin-off series. The first is that doing so often alienates viewers who haven’t seen the original series, so it has to be crafted in an inviting way while avoiding being generic. Secondly, spin-offs are almost always significantly worse than the original. As such, it makes little sense to create another separate series if the first did poorly or even if the original did very well, as the spin-off would surely drag down the franchise’s reputation. And indeed, while Saki is a decent series on its own, Saki Episode of Side A is as muddled as its title. It’s a bunch of side characters that were friends in middle school and coalesce back into decent mahjong playing friends in high school. While it is somewhat inspiring that even side characters have dreams beyond obscurity, there’s one glaring flaw. The main characters from the original series still exist, and they tower over these new ones. The story starts out with a steady enough plot, but then the mediocrity that is slice-of-life takes over. So the viewer is forced to wait for half the series while the noobs do moe things, until the final 3-4 episodes, where the epic boss fights kick in. The rapid transitions from steady to dull to insane are rather jarring and make the series overall feel that much more convoluted. And again, such meteoric rise from nothingness is ultimately wasted BECAUSE SAKI AND NODOKA ARE HERE. Unfortunately, making a decent attempt to surpass an already decent anime only yields subpar results.
The animation and sound are likewise middling. The character designs vary widely (each more moe than the last), and while the diversity is appreciable, said designs also pander to the vast majority of otaku. The backgrounds are also pretty lacking. There’s almost no detail to any of the rooms, and the extra characters (extra, extra characters in the overall scheme) are awkwardly placed and often distracting.
This Sleeper character is actually the strongest of them all.
The audio track is pretty uninspired for a series that tries putting side characters in the limelight. It’s mostly just used to make the characters seem cuter or overtly kind for sticking together throughout the years to pursue their forgotten passion. And that is the one redeemable quality about this show: the characters genuinely have fun playing mahjong, despite the crushing defeats they’ll be dealt. After all, it’s just a pastime. While Saki was an alright mahjong anime, Saki Episode of Side A is better left unseen. Just let it declare Riichi and save yourself some time.
Come back next time, as I grapple with Summer’s highs and lows.
Shining Hearts was a pretty boring anime. I mean, maybe it was a decent game (an RPG with emphasis on item crafting and character relations, I could get behind that) but it really didn’t need the anime. Games are fun because you play them. Animated, they just turn into shounen-SoL hybrids, which is just the worst of both worlds. I think the time and budget could have been put to better use.
Lupin III was badass. I never saw the original series, so I can’t say much for it, but the spin-off looked pretty damn classy, and was reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop (which is my favorite anime of all time). The animation and soundtrack were great, and the story is never afraid to dabble with mature themes. It also doesn’t get full of itself and wallow in tragedy and drama, which makes everything more believable. And finally, all of the characters are interesting, which is always the first thing I look for in anime. If I had more time, I would be all over this show, but as it is, I’ll probably have to put it off until winter break.
Eh…Saki. I have a strange, complicated relationship with this show. Objectively, it’s mediocre in literally every single aspect. The characters are shallow, the plot is skeleton, the pacing is erratic, the animation is just adequate, the voice acting is unremarkable, and the soundtrack is forgettable. Somehow, by some alien magic I don’t comprehend, I still find it incredibly entertaining. Maybe superpower mahjong is just fun to watch, I don’t know. But I found the original series unusually enjoyable, and I probably know more about the Sakiverse than about most shows I actually purportedly liked. That said, I found Achiga-hen pretty…unnecessary. I’m assuming the point of it is to show us the underdogs, the team of tryhards that make it through practice rather than lesbianism, but in doing so, it loses all of what made the original series fun to watch. Regular mahjong is boring. And because there’s not much to show, most of the matches go by as a series of montages, leaving them highly unsatisfying. Without high-octane lightning-throwing tidal-wave-inducing mahjon to support them, the Achiga cast is pretty dull and forgettable, even as the main cast. Even in the last few episodes, where the mahjong is actually fun to watch, the spotlight falls entirely on another character altogether – Onjouji Toki, from Senriyama High, who duos the final boss while Kuro of Achiga sits and cries. Literally. Toki was a great character, but she’s not on team Achiga. It’s obvious that the whole point of Saki is superpowered lesbian mahjong, and by taking that away, Achiga-hen was a pretty disappointing experience overall. Looks like I’m back to waiting for Season 2, which will probably come out in like 2020 or something. Great.
