Postby TheSubtleDoctor » Sat Sep 17, 2011 9:15 am
Michiko e Hatchin
There is a thread on here about under-appreciated or overlooked anime. The gist is that anime X is under-rated because it is good and not many people know about it. MeH is certainly overlooked, but not just because so many people haven't seen it/don't know about it, but because of how many people would absolutely love it.
Seriously, Michiko to Hatchin is the most accessible show that no anime fans have watched. It is the successor to Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, though Watanabe plays a consulting role rather than a directorial one. The series is done by Manglobe, studio of the aforementioned samurai hit. It's beautifully animated, masterfully directed and, whether doing gun fights or conversations, is never, ever dull. This series truly ought to be licensed and running on Adult Swim. That is the kind of broad appeal that I think it has.
Imagine if Cowboy Bebop was one, single plotline rather than the episodic series that it is, and that plotline focused on Vicious and the syndicate. And imagine it was located in Brazil. If you can grasp that, then you can start to have an idea of the feel of this series. Also, it has a car chase scene (episode 14) that rivals, if not outright surpasses, the one found in The Castle of Cagliostro.
MeH tells the story of two women, one young and one very young; one looking for a lover and one looking for a father; one with an open heart, one with a heart that wants to open. Both are bruised but very, very strong. They travel together in search of a man who could fill the void in their lives, yet over the course of their journey they discover how to be whole through their own relationship. The slow, organic growth of Michiko, Hana and the other supporting cast members is incredible to see. For instance, Michiko may be off-putting to some at first, but any fans of Balsa's character from Moribito will love Michiko by the end of this series.
For anyone who is a bit bored with anime, wants something fresh or desires to feel that special way they did when they first got into anime and saw its potential, this is the show for you.
Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini
If you go into this one with the right expectations, then you'll be fine. Do not expect to have any lingering questions from the first season resolved at the end of Ryuusei no Gemini. Do not expect any concrete details about what contractors are or anything concerning the Gate. Do not expect an explanation of what has taken place in the two year gap between the seasons. If you just take the show where it is coming from, then you can enjoy it.
I realize that this is very difficult and can be very frustrating. It is a lot to ask a viewer to ignore pressing questions and just focus on the story DtB2 wants to tell. Actually, the story it wants to tell is alright. I found it pretty enjoyable. They dropped the whole 13, 2 episode arcs, schitck and just told one, serialized story over 12 episodes. This worked for me. I cared about the new cast and dug the returning cast members. The action and the music (especially during the action scenes) was fantastic.
Truth be told, I actually liked this season better than season one, which is heresy to series fans. I just thought the serialized format worked better, and, to be honest, my expectations were not quite as high. I had given up on getting the answers I would normally demand from a series like this. Not a ringing endorsement, I know...but Mao is a flying squirrel in this one! That's cute, right?