Let's Watch: Kemono no Souja Erin

[rocklobster]

I decided to start a Let's Watch thread! It's for this show: Kemono no Souja Erin (literally, Erin the Beast Player)

Cute little girl, isn't she. She's the main character. Here's the synopsis from Wikipedia:
Kemono no Souja (獣の奏者?, lit. "The Beast Player") is a Japanese novel series written by Nahoko Uehashi and published by Kodansha between 2006 and 2009. It focuses on a girl who can control the greatest of beasts as she gets involved in a war between two kingdoms.

The series has been adapted as a manga serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Sirius since October 25, 2008, and as an anime television series, called Kemono no Souja Erin (lit. "The Beast Player Erin") produced by Production I.G and Transarts that premiered in Japan on NHK on January 10, 2009.

The series is currently streaming on Crunchy Roll. Look for "Erin" in the index of shows here: http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime?cat=alpha
So, why do we want to watch this? Because it's made by the same writer and studio who did Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. It's a beautifully animated show with lots of imagination and is quite unique. It has great opening and ending themes that have folksy sounds to them, and that folksy feel continues throughout the show.
I am currently on ep. 5, which I will watch on Monday. So let's watch and discuss this great new show which could certainly use more love!

[Atria35]

^ Oooh. THis one has been out for a while, and I've been meaning to watch it *just like every other anime out there* ). I've heard it's pretty slow for the first 10 episodes, but really is a very solid show.

[rocklobster]

Well, no one said the shows in Let's Watch threads had to be new. So I thought it'd be all right. I watch it Mon-Thurs

[Atria35]

True dat. I was just a little surprised, because the longer a show's been out, the more people are likely to have seen it. But this is great, since I haven't seen it yet! XD I don't feel so out of the loop!

[rocklobster]

OK, here's the deal. Starting later today, I'll give you synopses of the show so far. (Wikipedia also gives episode summaries, so I'll post those.) Then I'll give you my thoughts on them, such as predictions on where the show is going (As I stated, this is my first viewing too. And I ignore spoilers on websites, so I have no idea what's going to happen. I like it that way )
And it's later. So here's summaries of the first 4 episodes. Beginning with Ep 5, I will provide thoughts and such.
1."Erin the Green-Eyed"
The first episode, introducing the heroine of the story; a 10-year-old girl named Erin and her mother Soh-yon, a beastinarian who cares for Tohda in the Tai Koh Region in the Village of Ake.
2 "Soh-Yon the Healer"
A Touda rider from a neighboring village comes to the Village of Ake seeking medicinal help for his Touda. Soh-Yon is called to the Touda and, with Erin's help, manages to revive the Touda.
3 "The Battling Beast"
Erin sees the fearsome side of the Tohda during an exhibition for the Duke.
4 "Secret in the Mist"
Erin hears that Shaju's older sister has been engaged. But while eating a rice cake, Soju, Shaju's sister, suddenly falls ill. Soh-yon diagnoses Soju's illness as "Mock milkweed poisoning" a poisonous plant that was mistaken as a plant used in the cakes. Soh-yon decides to ask her clan, the Mist People, for the medicine.

[rocklobster]

Episode 5: "Erin and the Egg Thief"
Erin encounters the comedic duo, Nuk and Mok as they attempt to steal a Tohda egg for money.
Pretty nice episode. I was glad to see Erin was able to get some sympathy for the Tohdas.

[rocklobster]

Episode 6: "Soh-Yon's Warmth"
[spoiler]On a rainy night, Soh-yon is summoned to the underground Tohda ponds. There, Soh-yon finds all the Kiba, the Duke's most prized Tohda, dead. Knowing what would happen next, Soh-yon decides to spend the entire day with Erin. But later that night, soldiers come to the house. It was only then that Erin learned that her mother was going to be sentenced to death. [/spoiler]
Note: I put spoiler tags up because this is a Wham episode.
[spoiler]I hate it when they introduce a character and kill it off quickly. I'm gonna miss Soh-yon. She was a great mother.[/spoiler]

[Cadence]

Episode 6: "Soh-Yon's Warmth"
[spoiler]On a rainy night, Soh-yon is summoned to the underground Tohda ponds. There, Soh-yon finds all the Kiba, the Duke's most prized Tohda, dead. Knowing what would happen next, Soh-yon decides to spend the entire day with Erin. But later that night, soldiers come to the house. It was only then that Erin learned that her mother was going to be sentenced to death. [/spoiler]
Note: I put spoiler tags up because this is a Wham episode.
[spoiler]I hate it when they introduce a character and kill it off quickly. I'm gonna miss Soh-yon. She was a great mother.[/spoiler]

I have to admit, I was really surprised when I watched this episode. After the first five episodes, I thought I had an idea what this show would be like and where it was headed, but episodes six and seven changed my opinion completely. I really don't know where it will go from here, though I'm looking forward to it. =)
[SPOILER]But I miss Soh-Yon already. [/SPOILER]

[rocklobster]

Since Cadence talked about ep 7 and it's a continuation of ep 6, I won't say anything more about it. Let's skip to ep 8:
"Joh-Oun the Beekeeper"
Joh-Oun, a beekeeper living in the Shin-Oh Region, finds the unconscious Erin floating in the river. He rescues her and nurses her to health, as she attempts to cope with the loss of her mother.
Thoughts: A nice breather episode that kept the plot moving. This was ok, but I could've done without the fart jokes. Fart jokes never work for me.

[mechana2015]

Wow...spoiler.

[Nate]

Fart jokes never work for me.

Try eating more beans and red meat.

[Atria35]

This was ok, but I could've done without the fart jokes. Fart jokes never work for me.

Well, as it is a show originally intended for kids, and kids like fart jokes, perhaps it shouldn't be that unexpected I've heard a lot of them in American cartoons, too.

[rocklobster]

OOps. I guess I should even consider filler episodes spoiler worthy.
Episode 9: "Honey and Erin"
[spoiler]While staying with the beekeeper Joh-Oun, Erin decides to have Joh-Oun teach her to be an animal breeder and live with him.
Thoughts: I'm beginning to like Joh-Oun. Erin's VA is also winning me over. I think she does a great job of showing us Erin's character in this episode. [/spoiler]

[Wyntre Rose]

Oooh! I've been meaning to look into this one. Count me in! Now to catch up...

[rocklobster]

Yes! We have another watcher! Maybe I'll start up one for Heroman on Saturday too!
Anyway, now for ep 10.
10: "Birds of Dawn"
[spoiler]Erin and Joh-Oun both go to the Capital to shop for supplies. There, Erin meets a man named Ia-lu, a Seh-zan, playing a lullaby "Dawn of the Bird" on the harp. Later, Erin meets Ia-lu again, who was about to kill Nuk and Mok, the two former egg thieves she met in Ake. While hearing a woman nearby singing "Dawn on the Bird," she manages to convince Ia-lu from killing them. Ia-lu gives Erin his harp and the two former egg thieves say that they will follow Erin to repay her for her kindness.
Thoughts: I had a feeling we'd meet the egg theives again. This was a very intriguing episode. I keep wondering why the kitten kept showing up. Is someone going to take care of it? Anyway, I think this was very good and I won't be surprised if we see Ia-lu again.[/spoiler]

[rocklobster]

Episode 11: Inside the Door
[spoiler]Joh-on decides to have the entire family move to his summer cottage in the mountains. While cleaning his regular home, Erin finds out that Joh-Oun used to be a teacher. But when Erin finds Nuk and Mok sick from eating some rotten food, Joh-Oun comes and helps Erin read a book about poisonous plants. He decides to teach Erin, Nuk and Mok about animal breeding and plants.
Thoughts: Joh-Oun is becoming a great character. I like his kindness toward Erin and I wonder if the more he learns about Erin's past will create difficulties as he seems to be reclusive. I found it interesting that the same flower that poisoned Nuk and Mok was also capable of reversing the effects. [/spoiler]

[Cadence]

Episode 11: Inside the Door
[spoiler]Joh-on decides to have the entire family move to his summer cottage in the mountains. While cleaning his regular home, Erin finds out that Joh-Oun used to be a teacher. But when Erin finds Nuk and Mok sick from eating some rotten food, Joh-Oun comes and helps Erin read a book about poisonous plants. He decides to teach Erin, Nuk and Mok about animal breeding and plants.
Thoughts: Joh-Oun is becoming a great character. I like his kindness toward Erin and I wonder if the more he learns about Erin's past will create difficulties as he seems to be reclusive. I found it interesting that the same flower that poisoned Nuk and Mok was also capable of reversing the effects. [/spoiler]

I liked this episode a lot, but my goodness, Erin is such a disobedient child! =)

[rocklobster]

Well, what do you expect? Telling a kid not to go into a room is an invitation for the exact opposite!
Episode 12: The Silver Feather
[spoiler]Erin finds a large, silver feather in a tree close to Joh-Oun's summer cabin high in the mountain. Joh-Oun tells Erin about the king of beasts, the Ohju, and Erin's interest in the Ohju begins to grow.
Thoughts: I really didn't like this episode. It was kind of boring and seemed unnecessary.[/spoiler]

[rocklobster]

Episode 13: The Valley of The Ohju
[spoiler]While walking in the woods, Joh-Oun slips and falls onto a ledge of a steep cliff. Erin goes out and finds the hurt Joh-on, and decides to stay with him until morning came. While on the ledge, Erin and Joh-Oun witness a wild Tohda about to eat a baby Ohju. All of a sudden, they see the mother Ohju fly into action to save her baby and eat the Tohda.
Thoughts: This one sure knocked me for a loop. The scary part with the Tohdas at the end was well done. I'm really beginning to like Erin and Joh-Oun's relationship. The music was really good in this episode too.[/spoiler]

[rocklobster]

Note, I'm skipping Ep 14 because it was a clip show. So, we're just moving on to ep 15.
Ep 15: The Two's Past
[spoiler]Joh-Oun's son comes and asks his father to become a teacher again. When his son learned that his dad had a young girl living with him, he offered to have her come live with them and have Erin marry-off. But Joh-Oun decides that he's happier with Erin and asks his son to deliver a letter to an old friend at an Ohju breeding school.
Thoughts: This episode hit me a little. I was kind of surprised at Erin's decision. I also like the animation on the Ohju in this ep and ep 13. They're pretty creatures. [/spoiler]

[rocklobster]

Ep. 16: Ia-lu the Seh-zan
[spoiler]While in town, Erin accidentally breaks the harp Ia-lu the Seh-zan gave to her when she was 10. She goes to a harp shop to have it fixed, where the carpenter Yantoku was Ia-lu's friend. Ia-lu coincidentally happened to be in the shop when Erin came and immediately recognized the green-eyed girl he met 4 years ago. But after she left, Ia-lu was ordered by his troop to kill his teacher, Hagaru, due to treason. He fixed the harp and went to kill Hagaru.
Thoughts: I had a feeling we'd see Ia-lu again! I really liked his first appearance and this episode does a great job of showing us his past. Ia-lu seems like he's going to be a very important character as the series progresses, and I'm already beginning to like him.
I liked the scene where the female merchant tried to get Erin to purchase something for marriage. Joh-Oun was very funny.[/spoiler]

[Atria35]

Well, after a lot of procrastination, I have caught up with KnSE up to episode 5. SOOOO ADORABLE! I don't know why I thought this would be too immature for me- it's rediculously mature for the age group it's aimed at, and I really appreciate the thought and art that's gone into it. Seriously, I can't say enough good things about it!

[rocklobster]

Then I'll keep posting. Maybe we'll be able to keep this thread alive, even if I am 12 eps ahead of you. BTW, what do you think of the voice cast and the music? I really enjoy it, especially Erin's voice.
Ep. 17: Shin-Oh In Danger
[spoiler]At a festival celebrating the Queen's birthday, Ia-lu the Seh-zan, along with a baby Ohju, are injured by an assassin's arrow during an attempt on the Queen's life.
Thoughts: Ia-lu is becoming a more interesting character. I wonder why the Queen was targeted.[/spoiler]

[Cadence]

I've fallen a bit behind, because the internet at my new place is really slow. I have to be on the campus Wifi to watch Crunchyroll videos...but anyway, episode 16 was pretty great. I'm starting to like Ia-Iu, even though he hasn't been in it much yet, and Joh-On just keeps growing on me. =)

Also, I've fallen in love with the ending song "After the Rain". It makes me so happy!

[Atria35]

I ended up marathoning all day after I finished 5 because I was ADDICTED! XD I'm up to episode 18 now (I won't spoil that one), and I still adore it!
[spoiler]My theory on why the Queen was targeted is that the person shooting wants the Duke to be the ruler. I'm also wondering what the Duke's son's relationship with the heir is going to be....[/spoiler]

[rocklobster]

Glad to see I got some people actually watching this show! And yes, I find the music very enjoyable. The opening theme has a great folk feel to it.
Ep 18: Master Esal
[spoiler]Erin passes the entrance exam with flying colors and becomes a Kazalm student. There, she meets the Reverend of Teachers at Kazalm, Esal, who is also an old friend of Joh-Oun. And from there, Joh-Oun and Erin say their tearful good-byes. Thoughts: Erin sure has matured a lot. I'm wondering what's going to happen now that she's passed.[/spoiler]

[rocklobster]

Ep: 19: Friends at Kazalm
[spoiler]Erin begins to feel like she needs to be more like other students, losing sleep, and comedically falling asleep during her welcoming party. Her new friend Yuuyan told her that she can just be herself.
Thoughts: Yay! More new characters! More possibilities for Erin's character development! (Note: I'm not being sarcastic here.) Erin falling asleep at the party was a CMOF. (Crowning Moment of Funny for those who've never visited TV tropes.) Yuuyan is a great new character and I really felt sorry for Erin. It's hard to be the new kid, especially when you're different from everyone else, and it was easy for me to identify with her in this episode.[/spoiler]

[rocklobster]

Ep 20: The Ohju named Lelang
[spoiler]Professor Esal decides to let Erin take care of the baby Ohju Lilan after talking and observing her in action. She says that Tomura, the person who is currently talking care of Lilan, is not ready to take care of her yet.
Thoughts: This was a good story and I'm wondering if Tomura is going to become a threat now.[/spoiler]
BTW, I was wondering, which creature do you folks like better: the Ohju or the Tohda? I like them both actually. The Ohju's wolf-like features make them look so neat, but that baby Tohda we saw at the beginning of the series kinda reminded me of Stitch from Lilo and Stitch.

[Atria35]

I'm a Tohda fan, myself. The amalgamations of animals they did for the Ohju just weren't as creative or well-done as the ones in Avatar, I think. And that wasn't even an anime!

I also really liked this episode. Definitely one of the best ones in the series, though they all are terrific.

[Cadence]

Episodes 17-20...finally caught up! After episode 20, I officially love this show. I can already see it ending up as one of my favorites, unless it seriously derails in the last half. =)

Episode 18:
[SPOILER]Goodbyes are so hard...I think I had as hard a time as Erin bidding farewell to Joh-On. I have a feeling that we have not seen the last of him, and I am hoping this is the case. I love the way this series lets me get attached to the characters so quickly. We only got to know Soh-Yon for what, like six episodes before she died? And Joh-On hasn't been around that long, either.[/SPOILER]
Episode 19:
[SPOILER]I agree that Erin's situation was easy to identify with in this episode. I think it it was great that they included this episode, just focusing on that aspect of change, Erin struggling to fit in and do things "the right way", and feeling like she was strange and a bit alone. This episode made up my mind that I need to recommend this show to my animal-loving little sister, who is going through something very similar to Erin right now. =)[/SPOILER]
Episode 20:
[SPOILER]I really like this headmistress lady...and I hope Tomura doesn't turn nasty on us...I quite like him.[/SPOILER]
As for the Ohju or Tohda question...hmm...I like the Ohju better, myself...probably just because I'm partial to furry things that fly. =)