Shameful Otaku Secret!

Is there proof in Gonzo’s pudding?

The experiment that animation studio Gonzo underwent in realtime, worldwide distribution of quick-subbed anime along with their channels — YouTube, Bost TV, and CrunchyRoll — was innovative, timely and all around a great idea. Maybe it’s not totally about “beating” the modern fansubbers, but it certainly didn’t hurt to take advantage of their primary tools (digital formats and online distribution) to basically make history. Thing is, the experiment is doomed to fail if you’re missing one key part: the show.

So was Druaga the right choice?

Background & Story

The Tower of Druaga is an old-as-the-hills RPG video game that I’ve never played, but that had to be a strike against the anime to begin with. I can’t think of a good fantasy-RPG-turned-anime, although there probably is one out there somewhere. Anyone? In the story, every year a bunch of treasure-seekers form parties in order to climb to the top of the titular Tower and stop a horde of monsters from plaguing humanity. Nothing too revolutionary.

So the story ingredients — focus on small-fry would-be hero, develop a rag-tag party, and defeat the big bad guy while beating smaller bad guys along the way — form more of a white bread than tasty cake. Pepper it with a romantic subtext (if not really a romantic sub plot), some familial issues, and a couple twists, you’ve got the makings for a potentially fun but not exactly engrossing series. Fortunately, Gonzo and co. didn’t stop there.

Despite being based on a typical foundation, Druaga seemed to refuse to be normal. The first episode was a total joke, more about parodying its genre of games than establishing a story (although it did get that done too). The joke was a little weird and out-of-context to start a series with, and it wasn’t 100% funny either. But if you stuck with it you got the chance to see more and more game reference and other weird parodiess: 8-bit sequences, cryptic joystick movements (back back left right left right), and hint books.

While the overall story arc may not be anything special, the way the writers weave seriousness, cute charm, and all-out parody with one another is, with few exceptions, consistently entertaining. A problem with consistency is one of the calling cards of any good Gonzo-bashing, so ease off. Besides, Gonzo bashing isn’t even cool anymore. It’s been cool for quite a while now to act indignant while defending Gonzo, haven’t you heard? I can’t really feel strongly enough to get indignant though, sorry.

I’m not sure I was totally prepared for the end. I guess that’s another bump for the skillful writing. Nothing about the end came out of the blue, as we got plenty of foreshadowing and hinting, but there was a real strength in execution that put viewers in the place of the dumbfounded characters. Not to mention, a small part of the OP that I called the best of the season finally made its way into story, but turned completely on its head. I don’t want to spoil, but suffice to say: the end is not really the end. A second series is promoted as coming in 2009, and that won’t come soon enough.

Animation & Music

Like I said, the OP was one of the best of the season for its fun-turning-to-dramatic tune, mysterious alternate-reality premise, and really clever way of displaying the credits. Incidental music is a little more typical of the genre though it’s sprinkled with game sounds. It’s nothing to write home about but enhances the show well enough and never gets in the way.

Some character designs are a little samey for my tastes, but they’re appealing. The main characters all have decent personality in their designs, especially cute female lead Kaaya and disgraced aristocrat magician Melt, with his perpetual stubble and pre-morning-coffee attitude. Just like the writing, the animation was very consistent. Then again, a 12-episode series really shouldn’t have any consistency problems. The one unfortunate thing is the computer-animated big boss monster in the final few episodes. Boy is it awful. The other show in Gonzo’s experiment, Blassreiter, suffers from the same wretched CG. It’s just terrible. I don’t know if I can say enough bad stuff about it. For a company that made some decent early forays into CG, Gonzo has not progressed much since. But overall, this is highly capable work from the studio, on par with some of their better stuff like Full Metal Panic!

The verdict

I actually plan on writing a whole post about the Druaga experience, so I don’t want to get into the Crunchyroll nonsense yet, I just want to talk about the show — because like I said, the experience and thus the experiment don’t matter for shit unless the show is decent. I’d have to say I’m impressed. For a series that started with a joke, it ended with real maturity (and a whopping cliffhanger). Gonzo haters looking for stuff to pick on will find it, I’m sure. Look no further than the CG. But Druaga stands on its own very well, and capably next to the studio’s successes like FMP! and Speed Grapher. Besides, if you take the YouTube route, you really have nothing to lose by checking it out. That goes for non-fans of fantasy, as well.

Bottom line, The Tower of Druaga will never be top-shelf anime, but it’s entertaining enough to recommend with few reservations.

Quickening of Peril

Biff! Bang! Pow! Holy atonement, Batman. I’m not sure that 3 or 4 episodes can make up for a series whose sin was Gluttony of Filler, but Shana’s crew is trying their best to gain my forgiveness. It’s been shaping up ever since Sabrac appeared, but now things are just exploding.

Recap

When we left Yuji, he was probably attempting to slide his way out of the Kazumi-vs-Shana ultimatum when Hecate the Supreme Throne up and stole the Reiji Maigo from him.

Now, as Shana and the other Flame Haze look on unable to penetrate Bal Masqué’s crazy dome, she whisks the Reiji Maigo into the giant suit of armor’s (Taimei Shihen) chest. Misaki City’s clock tower warps into a twisted maze of vine-like nonsense. Seems that Hecate, Bel-Peol, and the Seeking Rearcher have been planning something big for a while — since last season, in fact.

Satou finds a way through the big bubble, and Marjorie Daw creates a spell to drill right through. But waiting, as expected, at the other end of the gap is Sydonay, and he jacks Marjorie right up. The Interpreter of Condolence apparently purposely acted as a shield, and it looks like she’s paid a pretty big price. But will Satou just let that go?

And Yuji’s not going to sit back and wait for help either. He’s going to take his surplus of Existence and chuck fireballs at the Seeking Researcher’s robots until he finds the Reiji Maigo and gets it back — or disappears trying.

In true mad scientist form, the Fucked-up Professor lays it all out: The fountain of existence that spilled forth soul power at the Serei-Den last season’s climax provides the power. The emotions and thoughts collected by Hecate when she came to earth as Konoe provide the brains. And for the heart: the Reiji Maigo, of course.

The result? The Statue of Pride, a giant shambling Tomogara made from the clock tower.

What We’ve Learned

Shana looks kinda cute in a big pink coat. I said it.

But that’s not gonna make up for killing my favorite TV drunk since Norm from Cheers, so everyone pull for Marjorie, will yas.

Everything is tying together better than I would have expected this show to do. Shana’s first season gave us a bitching run of episodes between about 17 and 20, but fell off during the climax in my opinion. This season looks like it might just make up for that — all my complaints about the pacing fell by the wayside as the show just blasted along this week. Now I can’t wait for the conclusion, although signs still point to another season.

Christmas Eve

[and my xmas present to you, the Shana Info Page]

My foray into Extreme Work Travel as a contact sport threw me off a lot of shows; but there’s not much to say for Shana 21, basically the gang defeated Sabrac. However…

Recap

The beginning of episode 22 drops the bad news — Sabrac’s still around. However, Bel Peol seems to think that he accomplished what she hired him to do, so she’s releasing him from service for now.

Satou’s trying to work up the nerve to call his pappy, I guess to tell him he’s going to go do research for Outlaw, by the way pops, I’ve been working for a supernatural lush and she’s living in the house.

Poor Ike-kun (remember him?) is pining after Kazumi again, dear lord can’t he just have her so they can live anemically ever after?

The big news, though: Yuji’s dad is back again, and reveals that our favorite mystes is going to be a big brother! Not only that, apparently he’s already a younger brother — unfortunately the first boy that the old man and Chigusa had, before they were married, didn’t make it.

All this talk about babies has got Shana interested. Unfortunately, out of all the real-world things she’s learned over two seasons, she somehow managed to get through a year of high school without figuring out how babies are made. Good thing she wasn’t dropped into School Days instead or someone would’ve been gutted by now. Kazumi has to explain to her in a roundabout way that it’s just not something you ask.

Rather than explain to Shana how to make babies, Kazumi agrees to another lukewarm battle of love: this time it’s love letters, specifying a meeting place for each of them. Whichever meeting place Yuji chooses, that’s the girl he’s picked. Voiceovers give us the gist of each letter, and Shana’s is actually pretty amusing. “Yuji, Follow these orders as written.”

Wilhelmina is initially furious about Shana’s desire to confess to Yuji, but she warms up after stabbing her toast and yelling for a while.

The climactic convergence of Ike, Kazumi, Shana, and Yuji can only end with at least one person’s heart broken, but all of a sudden, terrible terrible perspective pays a visit in the form of Hecate, who promptly rips the Reiji Maigo right out of Yuji’s chest.

What We’ve Learned

Sabrac apparently loosened that gewgaw inside Yuji during the fight, so Yuji now stands pretty much defenseless in the face of Bal Masque.

We’re probably going to get another season. I’ll continue watching. I’ve put far too much time into it now. And the whole tepid love-triangle (whose central figure seems to care very little about) is probably not going to be solved anytime soon.

Thoughts

This should be where it gets really good. I’ve been disappointed with this season’s pacing, although some people disagree with me. But the appearance of Bal Masque in person should be the harbinger of ass-kicking.