Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood ep 3
Once again, enjoyable and entertaining, only marred by the fact that the pace is much too quick. I really preferred the pace of the first series, the way it took it's time to develop the story. There were a few differences this time around between this episode and it counterparts, mainly Edward not being captured and thrown in a dungeon, and then Cornello transforming into a Hulk. Where it lacked was the development of the claims that Cornello could bring back the dead; this is never shown at all, unlike in the first series when he revived a dead bird and was tricking Rose into believing that he was resurrecting her dead boyfriend.
So, while it's not bad, I still can't help making unfavorable comparisons between the two versions, and I expect this will continue.
R.O.D. TV ep 4 - 7
Anita begins going to school and manages to make a few friends, but even school isn't safe when a mysterious agent attacks a man looking for a special book in the library. Later on this agent, known as Junior, returns as a student in order to find the book by blending in, as well as trying to learn more about the Paper Sisters. I can sum up Junior in two simple words: Rei Ayanami. Seriously, take Rei from Evangelion, turn her into a short boy with long hair, and you get Junior.
The sisters also undertake a couple of missions for an organization called Dokusensha, a Chinese organization which is eager to collect rare books. Both of these episodes try to be creepy, the first taking place in a castle in Romania (with a mad count-type character as the villain), and the second taking place in a fake English village full of actors who pull the unwitting sisters into their drama. The motives of Dokusensha are vague and suspect, and they can be ruthless too, as shown when they blow up the entire village as punishment. Unfortunately at this time, the sisters don't realize they are just being used by the organization, and only Anita has reservations about working for them.
Joker and Wendy from the OVA also show up, and seem to be the ones controlling Junior. There's a lot going on behind the scenes, but as of now whatever plot is brewing has yet to be revealed.
Revolutionary Girl Utena ep 18 - 20
This time the Black Rose duelists are two of the most unlikely people: Nanami's grade-school "boyfriend" Tsuwabaki, and Utena's friend Wakaba. The one thing I wasn't expecting was the reappearance of Saionji, who became the vehicle for Mikage to manipulate Wakaba into becoming a duelist. I knew it would be bad news the minute he showed up. There was no way Saionji would have changed his ways and become a better person, he's too much of a bastard to ever do that.
Honey and Clover ep 8 - 10
Morita's antic continue to almost steal the show, but the most important plot shift here is the growing triangle between Takemoto, Hagu, and Morita. I'm rooting for Takemoto, but it doesn't seem likely right now since Hagu is noticing Morita more.
Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th Season ep 5 - 13 (Complete)
Unable to wait any longer to see the rest of the season, I decided to plow ahead right through to the end in one night. First, a couple of technical observations:
- LOL Pizza Hut promotions. Kind of funny but also kind of lame.
- As the end approached, I noticed that the subs were getting a bit sloppy. There were several grammatical errors, plus a glaring mistake during the Christmas party when Noriko introduced herself (you could hear her say Rosa Gigantea en bouton, but the subs read Rosa Foetida en bouton).
Getting to the story, there were a couple of small-scale conflicts. The first was between Yumi and Suguru over his closeness to Sachiko. I liked how he sought to reassure Yumi that while he cared for Sachiko, he didn't want to marry her, and that he even encouraged Yumi to beat him and "win" Sachiko. The second conflict was between Rei and Yoshino, with Rei deciding not to attend Lillian University, realizing that she couldn't play Yoshino's knight forever.
The major conflict through the whole season was between Yumi and Touko, and their relationship has gone through it's extremes of ups and downs since Yumi is so open and Touko always hides behind a mask of confidence and arrogance. Things became even more intense after Touko rejected Yumi's rosary, and even surprised everyone by trying to run for the student council, although in the end this was done more as a left-handed way of supporting the other candidates. I wasn't too keen on Touko when she first showed up back in Season 2, but over the course of this season they explore her character in ways that makes you begin to feel for her and hope that she can overcome the barriers she placed between herself and others. Fortunately everything ended well, with Touko winning the Valentine contest and a date with Yumi, pouring her heart out to Yumi, and finally accepting the offer to become Yumi's petite soeur.
The more I've watched Marimite, the more I've loved it. The story isn't over yet, and I can only hope we're treated to a 5th Season.
