X/1999, DVD 2

I am on an anime roll. For a while I was worried that I'd run through all the series I was going to like best, as nothing I'd tried was grabbing me, even after watching a minimum of four episodes. (For some reason a lot of anime doesn't really get going till episode four or even later. Do not give up on TRIGUN until you get to at least episode five.)

CHOBITS: cutesy and leering, a truly horrifying combination. KARE KANO: Extremely clever but I wasn't in the mood for anything quite that manic, and also I'm trying to learn Japanese and all the characters in that talk like they're in a screwball comedy on fast-forward. IRRESPONSIBLE CAPTAIN TYLOR: Wasn't in the right mood for it. ESCAFLOWNE: Well-made but for some reason I didn't get into it. Probably I didn't like the characters enough. VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU: Ditto. BIG O: Ditto. COWBOY BEBOP: Ditto.

Now I may have to go ahead and order the rest of X/1999 as well as SAIYUKI and UTENA and TRIGUN (I've already seen the complete TRIGUN, I just want to own it so I can watch it again and again.)

X/1999, DVD 2 (episodes 4, 5, and 6). The animation continues to be gorgeous, probably the best of any TV show I've seen so far. This is movie-caliber animation and it's impressive in every respect. The music is good too. Now the plot starts to kick in. There are two possible futures, two possible Kamuis, and two possible spirit swords (shinken). The future, despite what some characters say, is not completely pre-ordained, for Kamui is the wild card whose choice will determine all.

The Dragons of Heaven are the faction trying to save the earth, and the Dragons of Earth the one trying to destroy it. The Seven Seals (not sure if they're the same as the Dragons of Heaven, or their agents) are starting to get together in a fellowship. They're terrific characters who remind me a bit of FUSHIGI YUUGI's seven celestial warriors. I love fellowships of eccentric heroes.

There's a bit in one episode where the Sorata, the Osaka monk in the baseball cap, gets his first look at Arashi, the solemn schoolgirl with the sword, and says something like, "Hey, you're really pretty. Okay, I pick you." Though neither she nor I had any idea what that was about, something about the line reading and the music and the looks on everyone's faces made the moment resound with a heartbreaking bittersweetness. In the third episode you find out what he meant, and it's indeed heartbreaking and bittersweet. I'm still not sure how they got the earlier moment to work with no context whatsoever, but my hat goes off to the artistic team.

Sorata and Arashi are officially my favorite characters. So far. I don't think Subaru has been introduced yet.

Incidentally, I turned on the English track briefly and was surprised to find that it was pretty good. But I don't know why the dubs never ever seem to use an accent for characters who have one in Japanese. I think a Brooklyn accent might be the equivalent of an Osaka one-- it seems to indicate characters who are tough, forthright, unconcerned with social graces, and often have a heart of gold-- but I've yet to see a dub track try it.

Also incidentally and regarding accents, I think Chichiri from FUSHIGI YUUGI must have some sort of Kansai-ben accent, as both he and Sorata use "oira" to mean "I." (Must be a dialect form of "ore.") But Chichiri's doesn't sound like Osaka-ben to my admittedly totally American ear-- at least, it's really different from the way Tasuki talks, and I think that's what he's using. Does anyone here speak Japanese who can enlighten me?

Back to X/1999, my only complaint is that Kamui, that sullen whiny git, still bugs me. Unfortunately, he's the only character who _can't_ die until the very end. If then.

One more thing: knowing a teeny bit of Japanese gave me a nice little "I understood that" moment while watching the brief interview with the director. He was talking about one of the characters and what the subtitles translated as "her emotional trauma." But what he actually said was her "kokoro no kizu"-- the wound (or scar) on her heart. Much more poetic, I think.

X/1999, DVD 2

I am on an anime roll. For a while I was worried that I'd run through all the series I was going to like best, as nothing I'd tried was grabbing me, even after watching a minimum of four episodes. (For some reason a lot of anime doesn't really get going till episode four or even later. Do not give up on TRIGUN until you get to at least episode five.)

CHOBITS: cutesy and leering, a truly horrifying combination. KARE KANO: Extremely clever but I wasn't in the mood for anything quite that manic, and also I'm trying to learn Japanese and all the characters in that talk like they're in a screwball comedy on fast-forward. IRRESPONSIBLE CAPTAIN TYLOR: Wasn't in the right mood for it. ESCAFLOWNE: Well-made but for some reason I didn't get into it. Probably I didn't like the characters enough. VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU: Ditto. BIG O: Ditto. COWBOY BEBOP: Ditto.

Now I may have to go ahead and order the rest of X/1999 as well as SAIYUKI and UTENA and TRIGUN (I've already seen the complete TRIGUN, I just want to own it so I can watch it again and again.)

X/1999, DVD 2 (episodes 4, 5, and 6). The animation continues to be gorgeous, probably the best of any TV show I've seen so far. This is movie-caliber animation and it's impressive in every respect. The music is good too. Now the plot starts to kick in. There are two possible futures, two possible Kamuis, and two possible spirit swords (shinken). The future, despite what some characters say, is not completely pre-ordained, for Kamui is the wild card whose choice will determine all.

The Dragons of Heaven are the faction trying to save the earth, and the Dragons of Earth the one trying to destroy it. The Seven Seals (not sure if they're the same as the Dragons of Heaven, or their agents) are starting to get together in a fellowship. They're terrific characters who remind me a bit of FUSHIGI YUUGI's seven celestial warriors. I love fellowships of eccentric heroes.

There's a bit in one episode where the Sorata, the Osaka monk in the baseball cap, gets his first look at Arashi, the solemn schoolgirl with the sword, and says something like, "Hey, you're really pretty. Okay, I pick you." Though neither she nor I had any idea what that was about, something about the line reading and the music and the looks on everyone's faces made the moment resound with a heartbreaking bittersweetness. In the third episode you find out what he meant, and it's indeed heartbreaking and bittersweet. I'm still not sure how they got the earlier moment to work with no context whatsoever, but my hat goes off to the artistic team.

Sorata and Arashi are officially my favorite characters. So far. I don't think Subaru has been introduced yet.

Incidentally, I turned on the English track briefly and was surprised to find that it was pretty good. But I don't know why the dubs never ever seem to use an accent for characters who have one in Japanese. I think a Brooklyn accent might be the equivalent of an Osaka one-- it seems to indicate characters who are tough, forthright, unconcerned with social graces, and often have a heart of gold-- but I've yet to see a dub track try it.

Also incidentally and regarding accents, I think Chichiri from FUSHIGI YUUGI must have some sort of Kansai-ben accent, as both he and Sorata use "oira" to mean "I." (Must be a dialect form of "ore.") But Chichiri's doesn't sound like Osaka-ben to my admittedly totally American ear-- at least, it's really different from the way Tasuki talks, and I think that's what he's using. Does anyone here speak Japanese who can enlighten me?

Back to X/1999, my only complaint is that Kamui, that sullen whiny git, still bugs me. Unfortunately, he's the only character who _can't_ die until the very end. If then.

One more thing: knowing a teeny bit of Japanese gave me a nice little "I understood that" moment while watching the brief interview with the director. He was talking about one of the characters and what the subtitles translated as "her emotional trauma." But what he actually said was her "kokoro no kizu"-- the wound (or scar) on her heart. Much more poetic, I think.