Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt: Review

Let me start by saying that I should have seen this show a while ago. A few friends were raving about shows during my fall out with Anime, saying that this was a great show and that I really should check it out. They said things like "It's unlike any show Gainax has done in the past" and "It's like Saturday Morning Cartoons, Sex, and Anime had a three way and some how no one wants to pay child support so it's on the street trying to hustle!" That second line was totally not said to me, but it would have helped me to go and see it when I started my anime rehab. So yeah, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt or PSG for the remainder of the review was something I decided to watch coming back to anime. It follows two angels cast out from heaven and in order to regain entry into the pearly gates, they're sent on missions from God delivered via lightning through their dog, Gi-- er, Chuck and they go around the city killing off goofy themed ghosts that give them heaven coins. Garterbelt acts as their guardian and Charlie a la Charlie's Angels as they go around doing stuff. Yeah, PSG in a nutshell.

The intro is catchy, like herpes

Why did I even listen? No, no, I assure you, this isn't going to be a bash session on the show, I mean after all I could and no one would care and it's not going to stop bad anime from being made, but I guess for me the show suffered from mistaken identity for a good chunk of the show. For starters, I'd like to state that I liked the action, I liked the sex hijinks, I liked the animation style, hell even the homages and subtle inside jokes were great, but like Tuna Fish Ice Cream, it's just not a great combo overall. For starters, the show doesn't take itself or the plot seriously, like any old fashioned Saturday morning cartoon did in the 90s. I mean, Double Dragon, Street Sharks, and Biker Mice from Mars didn't and they were just fine, especially if your nostalgia glasses were just cleaned last week. And there in lies my first problem with the show. It stops doing that. The plot comes back hard and sudden like a chikan's hand on a middle school girl in an overstuffed train. POKE! Story Line! GROPE! Sudden story and character development! FONDLE! Terrible plot twist ending.

You read that right. Ending.

They're just as confused as I am, and I don't blame them.

My second problem is that it actually goes through some sort of intermission type end. Wait...what? Why? Why did you end? Haven't you seen a Saturday morning cartoon? Aren't you trying to do that? You weren't? You sure? Because that episode with that Transform... You were only pulling my chain? I need to learn to take a joke?

Nah, f*** dat noize. That just doesn't make any sense. After all, in a three way, everyone is supposed to be pleased, not confused about what just happened.

At least there were sex jokes!

Right?

Right, about those jokes. They were hilarious and constantly in bad taste. I think for the most part, I really liked how tongue in cheek everything was, and I could see this show making it state-side. This is where PSG shined like fool's gold, consistently making a mismatch of elements watchable. Considering it's Gainax, Funi would have a field day trying to air all the unneeded F***s and F***ing Bitch comments that Panty randomly spurts out whenever she doesn't want to do something and sure, the animation dramatically changes styles for the transformations in way that would make a hooker nod in appreciation. That being said just isn't enough for me. Don't get me wrong, I love T&A in my anime, my Shunya Yamashita collection, my obsession with ecchi shows, and my joy of the occasional oppai joke reaffirms that I do and yet, it just wasn't enough for me to jump on board completely.

I have to admit, I love Gainax. I liked Daikon IV, and liked Evangelion the first time around (oh man the gripes I could type about versions...), TTGL is commendable though I disliked the ending (personal bias, folk) and well FLCL still sits well with me along with good memories of chillin' out listening to the Pillows. That being said, I don't think I wanna see the sequel for this show. I've been robbed so many times from anime that I get Vietnam style flashbacks of me wasting time watching something terrible move across my screen.

If you haven't seen it, it's safe to pass. Consider watching Usagi Drop (Bunny Drop) instead. If you have to see it, strap in and get ready for some confused disappointment.

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai: Review

     As you can tell from the title, Ano Hana is a title that you'd forget to catch. 5 years from now, you'll gloat to your mirror since you'll ensure that you'll have no friends that you were one of the few, the proud, the heartbroken who actually watched through this tale of a boy and his childhood friends filled with regret as they return to each other's lives to mourn a dear friend. No seriously, this is Ano Hana.

Remembering the past and working in the present.

     What makes this story somewhat bizarre is that the ghost (aka Menma or Meiko Honma for those otaku sticklers) can be seen by the main character, a young Hikikomori called Jinta Yadomi who becomes what I like to call the Whoopi Goldberg of the show, acting and speaking on her behalf as they recall childhood memories that really were quite terrible. As the show continues, the story continues to pull at your heartstrings as you're revealed the truth about the group and their feelings towards each other. I have to admit, at first I didn't know what to think. Sure, it's good looking...Thanks to Aniplex's A-1 Pictures and the tale written by Mari Okada  (Gosick, Fractale), a slice of life tale of tragedy goes down smooth like your favorite pie a la mode, the theme song and ending both catchy in their own right (Ano Hana's OP, Ano Hana's ED) will leave you feeling great after watching a lot of honest emotions on your screen, but really? Why? What makes this unlike any other title similar to it?

     Well, that's just it. I can't think of any show like it. When I started my Anime Rehab, I had to start by admitting to myself that anime wasn't dead. That generic shows existed, but that there were titles worth watching, worth writing about.

Will Menma's wish come true? 

     This show helped prove it and did it with grace, which is a feat my mirror and I will cherish. A great cast of characters all affected and still affected with a loss of a friend, a feeling of never standing up to a memory and love lost between what should have been rather strong couples. Ano Hana, is about fixing something that went wrong, and getting back with people who really mattered and really cared for each other. As the protagonist, Yadomi struggles with coming back into society, as he's forced into trying to fulfill Menma's forgotten wish. She prompts him through small pokes and prodding to find their old childhood friends, to help with the task of trying to remember what it is she wanted as a final wish. As the show continues it begins to sway as Yadomi then has to grapple with his feelings for Menma as well as possibly loosing her even though it really is the right thing to do. At first the friends don't believe, to the point where one cross dresses as Menma and revels his love and obsession over Menma, but eventually with some slight help from Menma herself, they come around and consider how to honor their friend. The ending will leave you in silent tears but glad and probably better off for seeing this.

At this time, Ano Hana isn't licensed in the United States, which means you'll have to find some way to see it, (streaming, downloading, blah blah blah) but honestly, it's really worth it and at 11 episodes, you really don't have anything to lose.

Please check it out, you won't regret it.

Welcome to my Anime Rehab

Hi, and welcome to my blog for Anime reviews. I'm sure there are a lot of questions, the main one being "Who are you and why should I care what you think about some show I'm probably going forget by 2012?" Very simple, I'm what you would call a jack of all trades for anime. Been in my local anime scene for a while, dealing with a ton of groups and people [AGA (Now defunct), SMAC, OrangeAnime.com] and rather recently I have been working with a lot of convention organizers that are helping to reshape and strengthen a rather sub par anime community in South Florida,well Florida in general. I've been watching anime for 10+ years and aside from a nice hiatus this past year, it's safe to say that streak went uninterrupted. I'll talk about the hiatus in another article called "Why I fell out of love with Anime", but for now, it's rehab time...

That's me, and they're hot pink.

So, here goes: My name is Chaosmeika, and I'm black....whoops. Wrong meeting. But seriously, my handle truly is Chaosmeika, and welcome to my blog where I review anime titles from today and yesterday. Hopefully in the future, you'll see me cover some classics which are near and dear to me, and no I don't mean the glorious US golden era of Toonami. Jeez, what a terrible time for anime....in general.

Still here? Good. Keep reading.