Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple ep 1 - 4
I've long been an Agatha Christi fan, and when I learned about this series I knew I just had to give it a try. It adapts several of Christie's novels and short stories featuring both her most famous detectives, Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple.
The series centers around the original character Maybelle West, created as the daughter of Miss Marple's mystery-writer nephew Raymond West (and therefor Marple's great-niece). Maybelle is angry over her father making unilateral decisions about her future and wants to travel her own path, aspiring to become Poirot's assistant after she helps him during the case of the jewel robbery at the Grand Metropolitan hotel. At first Poirot refuses to hire her, but eventually takes her on due to her tenacity and earnest desire to help. As a concession, her father asks that she visit her great-aunt every now and then.
It's quite interesting to see two literary characters I'm very familiar with portrayed in an anime. There are some similarities and also some differences. They capture Miss Marple's personality perfectly: her tenancy to sound like a rambling old lady masks her sharp intellect and her keen grasp of human nature from years living in the village of St. Mary Mead.
Poirot's appearance looks good although I think he's a bit on the big side (perhaps owing more to his portrayal by Peter Ustinov). Poirot's friend and partner Hastings seems to be drawn a bit too young to me, but then I'm basing this on live performances from other actors, I'm not sure what his actual age was meant to be during this time period in Poirot's career. They also refer to him as Mr. Hastings rather than Captain Hastings (due to his military rank). Poirot's secretary Miss Lemon and her cool and efficient personality are also well-portrayed. One major difference is the name-change of Inspector Japp to "Sharpe", but this may also be due to Japanese pronunciation; he's also called "Captain", rather than Chief Inspector as he is in the original stories.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of this and seeing how they adapt the stories I'm most familiar with.
Maria-sama ga Miteru ~Haru~ ep 1 - 2
The second season opens with Yumi reflecting on her New Year's trip to Sachiko's home. I feel sorry for Sachiko, about her father and grandfather openly having mistresses and going off to spend time with them. What kind of man does that sort of thing? It's disgraceful and insulting to anyone with real dignity.
The next episode turns into a giant soap opera. Yumi's shutterbug friend Tsutako just can't mind her own business again and snaps pictures of Eriko apparently out on dates with a different man every night. Of course newspaper club president Minako has to splash the story all over the school paper, and as usual the situation isn't as it seems. It was an interesting twist to find out these men were her father and brothers.
Maria-sama ga Miteru DVD Special 1 - 7 (Complete)
This is the group of omake that go along with Season 1. Most were mildly amusing, but # 5 is the best, as Shimako and Sachiko fall prey to alcoholic chocolate bonbons, and Rei breaks the stairs.
Slayers ep 1 - 2
One of the more famous sword and sorcery anime, following the adventures of the infamous sorceress Lina Inverse. She reminds me quite a bit of Elle Ragu from Shadow Skill: both have fiery red hair and tend to leave destruction in their wake, although Lina is definitely cuter.
Shadow Skill ep 18 - 21
After receiving a beating, Gau manages to defeat G, whom we learn was kept alive by evil talismans. Just before he dies, G launches voices regrets for the choices he made, congratulates Gau, etc. There's a lot of that going on in this show, lots of philosophizing about what it is to be a warrior: do you tempt madness and follow the path of a ravenous beast or fight for something more noble? It's par for the course in this sort of fighting shows, but it can be tiresome after you've already heard it so many times.
Elle has her own troubles when she duels Sai Oh, one of the Four Divas who wants to avenge the death of his master. Sai is mortally wounded by someone else on the sidelines (Len Fuma, the same man who set Kuruda on fire), but Elle finishes him off, which means she's broken the Four Divas Law of Destruction. This will mean trouble down th road. Len is also attacking the other countries using Kuruda fighting techniques, advancing the plan to destroy Ashliana. The big question is who is the man in the shadows pulling the strings?
Scarface continues his schemes to make Gau stronger by having him face Darkness. Gau takes a serious beating, forcing Diaz to intervene and fight Darkness at the cost of his own life. I'm really confused about Darkness. He's supposed to be some immortal spirit being and tends to observe rather than participate in events, but no explanation is given as to his origin or relation to Ashliana, although he seems to either be on the side of the good guys or at the very least neutral.
Toradora! ep 25 (Complete)
I had no idea when I start this show that I would fall in love with it as much as I have. This final episode is a nice wrap-up. I'm glad Ryuji and Taiga decided not to run away after all.
As much as Ryuji complains about getting his looks from his father, I have to say he looks a lot like his grandfather. I could easily see his grandparents as older versions of him and Taiga. I only wish we could see the rest of their journey together.
And Inko-chan finally said his name! I cracked up.
Yami no Matsuei ep 7 - 9
In The King of Swords arc, Tsuzuki and Hisoka investigate reports of mising persons, connected to a luxurious ocean liner, but their investigation takes a bizarre turn when a murder goes on a killing spree.
I like this arc the most out of the series so far, probably because it's got elements of a classic murder mystery, which I'm a sucker for. Muraki is back and he gets more and more touchy with Tsuzuki. Hands off the hero, buddy...
Shadow Skill ep 22 - 26 (Complete)
The series tries to end in epic fashion - an invading army, an intense fight between Gau and Len Fuma, and even a giant chuck of rock about to flatten the whole city - although the constant speeches about power distract from the enjoyment. At this point, it's gotten old. Not to mention that cliche of characters losing gallons of blood with no apparent ill effect. The character design also seems to change slightly in Ep 25. You can see it mainly around the eyes, everyone's features get sharpened. Perhaps this was done to reflect the serious nature of the finale.
I'll give the show credit that despite it's flaws, it still manages to entertain. I think it helps that it's only 26 episodes. It doesn't wear out it's welcome quickly like other shows that have ridiculously long fights. Unfortunately, the question of who plotted to destroy Ashliana is never answered, which also strikes off some points.
Yami no Matsuei ep 10 - 13 (Complete)
The series concludes with these four episodes, The Kyoto File. We get important back story on both Muraki and Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki was once a patient at Muraki's grandfather's hospital in the 1920s, and discovering this led Muraki to become fascinated with him. Muaki's plan, however, is definitely bizarre: he wants to use Tsuzuki's body for a transplanet with the preserved head of his step-brother, in order to bring him back to life so he can kill him again... This makes Muraki definitely one of the more demented villains I've seen in anime.
Tsuzuki's own emotional struggle over his past and his life is what makes this a good arc, even better than the previous one. He's grown closer to Hisoka over the course of the series, and now they switch roles, with Hisoka becoming the one who wants to protect Tsuzuki.
I wish the series had been a bit longer, but it ended in a good way, although it leaves it open for more.
R.O.D. TV ep 1 - 3
Since I love the Read Or Die OVA, I've wanted to see this series for a long time, and now the opportunity has finally come.
These episodes serve to establish the new cast and their personalities. There's the Paper Sisters - Michelle, the oldest and the leader, though she comes off a ditsy and has a love of books that rivals that of Yomiko Readman; Maggie, who is both very tall and shy; and Anita, the youngest who, unlike her sisters, hates books - and Nenene Sumiregawa, a famous author and friend of Yomiko, who went missing four years prior to the start of the series. Although the Sisters save Nenene from two assassination attempts, she finds them very irritating when they're hired to be her permanent bodyguards and end up moving in with her.
It's interesting to revisit a familiar universe but with entirely new characters, but they're all quickly well-established. The only connection with the OVA for now is the occasional picture of Yomiko and a visit to her building made by Nenene and Anita.
