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Thematic Disconnect
by Panadero - June 17, 2013 5:02:10 PM MST
The four series included in today's update are so varied that I can't even come up with a clever theme with which to connect them. It really is a pretty diverse collection:
First we have The Big O, an amazing mech-oriented series from Bandai. Part Cowboy Bebop and part Batman: The Animated Series with a little Evangelion thrown in for good measure, it tells the story of a 'negotiator' and an android doing work in a city with collective amnesia. Great art direction, multilayered story, and Dorothy the painfully blunt android. This is one I'm kicking myself in the pants for, for missing out on owning a copy without having to resort to the insane secondhand market.
Next we have Gakuen Alice, a typically shoujo show about a school filled with students who have special abilities ranging from telekinesis to farting really badly. It was a middle-of-the-road, fun show with a lot of heart and friendship, but the real reason I enjoyed it was that it satisfied my fetish for characters who speak in Kansai-ben.
Next we have Record of Lodoss War, one of those series that is consistently spoken of in positive tones, and after seeing it, I heartily agree. The OAV is one of those works that both defines and is defined by its era: The art is lavish, the depth of the characters is only delved into enough to service the plot, and it's clearly just a window into the larger world of the source material - but it all feels grand and epic. The TV series lacks the consistent artistic splendor of the OAV but handles its plot and characters with real balance. Definitely recommended.
Lastly, we have the super fun Squid Girl, a situational comedy about an adorable anthropomorphic squid who intends to take over the surface world but is instead pressed into service at a beachside restaurant. While most of the secondary characters get predictably refined into single notes, they are still enjoyable single notes, and the development the primary characters get does what it's intended to do in comedies: It keeps things light and enjoyable and makes the audience want to spend time with them.
Ye gods, but I was long-winded today. I'll stop talking now, and you go vote for the 24 new characters!