we're finally notdotq anymore

Majime na Lolikit

And in the last week, I happen to have watched quite a bit of it.

Here’re some comments…

NHK ni Youkoso (episodes 5+6)
Eh, I’m really not a fan. Kind of like how Bleach fails at parody and Lucky Star fails at not failing, NHK ni Youkoso fails at not being what it depicts. Sure, it says bad things about hikikomori and NEETs and so on and so forth, but all the while it’s bombarding the viewer with stuff aimed at those in similar positions to Satou. The fanservice is pretty exceptional for a show the summary of which is not “girls blow eachother’s clothes off.” It’s enjoyable, I guess, but I’m not hurrying to finish the show.

Honey & Clover II (all)
For the longest time, I refused to download the first season, calling others “h&cfags” and writing this show off as overrated. And I continue to think that it’s overrated, even as I’ve seen both seasons. That is to say, I don’t think it’s the best show ever. It does amazing things most anime I’ve seen doesn’t, but—and perhaps this is just me—it fails to meet certain aesthetic criteria to be my favorite. That said, it’s fucking amazing. I almost cried at the honey sandwiches at the end, for all they symbolized and all, and it feels like that scene from season one where they searched for the clover has been burned into more pairs of eyes than the characters’ alone. I’m glad I finished this show after so long (almost a year since I was first told to love it).

Rozen Maiden Traumend (all) (because I can’t be assed to find the entity for umlauts)
The second best episode was episode one because it had the funny. The best episode was the last because it was the last episode. Every moment of Kanaria was agony; it was bad enough that she ruin countless minutes of the show’s airtime with her unfunny/unintelligent antics, and then she had to go get the best character killed? Also, I have problems with Souseiseki going down the way he did in episode 8. In season one, he was pretty meh. But in season two, he proved that not only was he an okay person (unlike, say, Jun or Kanaria) but that he was intelligent (unlike… everyone in the show) and that all went down the drain when he died. That actually managed to upset me, so I guess some of the series’ pathetic appeals worked despite Kanaria’s shittiness. Finally, the 10 seconds of fight between Shinku and Bara in which they used all the dolls’ powers were epic. It’s pretty distressing; if the producers can create an intelligent, well-paced fight, why don’t they do something similar for every fight preceeding it?

Mahoraba ~Heartful Days~ (episodes 3-6)
I like how Tamami is Suiseiseki. If you don’t get it, you aren’t worthy of anything good.

Binbou Shimai Monogatari (episodes 5-7)
Oh yes. I did in fact re-GET this, and am in fact attempting to slog through it. It’s really same old, same old, though. You know, cute fluffy happiness with superficial adversity and a hint at yuri undertones.

Galaxy Angel Z (all)
I cannot stress how awesome this show is :3
I was only disappointed by this season once or twice; hell, even season one threw me a few nasty surprises. Milfeuille’s unlucky day was awesome. As was the esper episode. And a number of others (pissed Nomad is piiiiiiiissed).

Sola, Strikers (episode 6)
Still watching these two shows and enjoying them as best I can. Anything I could say about Strikers I’ve said before (and countless others have, and countless times, at that) but I’ll say it again: season one is ult. As for Sola, I’m still waiting for it to burst into awesomeness. Episode 6 did a good job at combining some humor with some plot and not being too slow, and setting the show up for amazing. Also, moving origami and throat-slitting for the win.

When Konata burst into “solo-hunting deshou deshou” in LS ep 5, I noticed immediately.

Also, for whoever said it was funny hearing Hirano “try” to sing poorly during the credits this episode, you’re a fucking retard. The ogre doesn’t need to try.

Well, I’m off to watch the adventures of Ass-chan and her moneyless sister.
And maybe some Galaxy Angel Z.

But I’ve only watched 30 minutes of anime this week :)

Due to school, I’ve been too busy/exhausted to watch raws and blog anime the past couple days. I’ll probably be following the fansub schedule for Sola from now on, and am anticipating Strikers 3 with pro-yuri saliva dripping down my chin. Once lolikappa gets off his ass, a Strikers 2 post should be forthcoming.

By the by, I’m headed for a nearby sakura-matsuri in two days. If anything eventful happens there (such as me squandering a shitload of money) I’ll be sure to post about it.

Also, Lucky Star ep02 was downright awesome for two reasons.
I’ll let you guys guess them (or conclude that I’m lying out my ass).

Yeah.

It was good.

So, I beat Hinano. She went down to watching a whole seven minutes of this show; I successfully jacked out at two and a half. The moment Blue-tan started licking that… thing… I knew I wouldn’t be able to do this. Tell me I’m not win otaku, as tj han has, if you will, but if win otaku means being pleased by shit like this count me out.

This is so bad… it’s so bad, I won’t even blog it. It’s… Haruhi-level bad.

What’s so bad about it, you ask?

And what right do I have to talk, having only seen two and half minutes of a single episode of a newly started show?

Oh, we’ve seen this show before. We’ve all seen it before. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu is. Whoredom at its finest. We’ve seen it in Naruto; the single franchise that makes the most money with the least effort. We’ve seen it in Gonzo films that make relatively little money with a lot of effort, but please a lot of fans with “zomfg suteki~” animation. Before Lucky Star, there was this dancing anime.

And now, there’s this dancing anime.

And it’s multiplying.

As you all may or may not know, I’ve long hated the concept of “moe.” It objectifies a set of qualities (given, this set includes every single quality there is, according to Dr. Japes) and turns appreciation into a pretty damn formulaic thing. Instead of enjoying a character for the character as a character, “moe” aspects, traits, behavioral patterns, etc. take the foreground and become reason for a character’s acceptance. Instead of being intrigued by Tsukimiya Ayu’s lack of background, in watching Kanon, fans trouble themselves with “she’s so cute!”

And why’s she cute? Because she says “uguu.” And because she wears that coat, and those mittens, and that backpack, and acts like the little loli bitch she is. But who is she? Does anyone think to wonder?

Don’t you want to know who this girl is? Oh, we find out, after twenty-four episodes, eighteen of which were spent on other characters. There’s no development to Ayu’s character. Yuuichi is frighteningly detached from concern regarding this little girl who claims to know him… and who doesn’t have a family? Or a home? Or a school? Or any of the things she claims she has? All of a sudden, twenty episodes in, he kisses her… but we, the viewers, what motivation do we have for wanting the protagonist to kiss Ayu? Who is Ayu?

Some girl who says “uguu.” She likes taiyaki and dislikes scary things, including the dark.

/me snaps fingers

That’s not a character, and this degeneration of character development in favor of pandering to fetishes/aesthetics is the main reason I’m opposed to the concept of “moe.” “Moe” is whoredom, plain and simple. Yuki’s silence. Haruhi’s psycho bitchiness. Mikuru’s “lolimoe” helplessness. Tsuruya’s nyoro~n. Yes, even Itsuki’s homosexuality. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu’s saving grace has always been, in my opinion, Kyon’s narration, and that may well be because he has a solid character. Of course, it’s entirely possible that the author of the novels merely made him as bland and dry as possible in order to help readers connect to him. Maybe there isn’t anything, even to him.

So why do I rant against “moe” so vehemently?

Lucky Star is, in a word, “moe.” You only need about 4 seconds of the obnoxious OP to figure that out. Take a look at these responses to bj0rn’s post about the OP:

• Impz says: MOE ATTACK!!!!!! i am dying, i am dying and I want my lucky star now!!!! moeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~
• bakavic says: I just died. [...] The dancing is just too addictive…
• Aesir says: holy.. tat was.. just too awesome for words @@

And this explosion occurring as a result of Lucky Star’s entrance isn’t same old, same old. Look how willing these ghouls are; look how eagerly they embrace something knowing the meaning of “moe” and that they’re under some twisted genjutsu. The sos-dan.com site, formed some time last year in response to previous whore-show Haruhi, is scuttling with little bugs of people, the sad remains of people once unaffected by this “moe.” What was once a stupid book about some alien-loving girl has escalated to the level of epic reeducation.

I repeat, it’s multiplying.

I had respect for Kyoto Animation. I respected them for making AIR, the one show I’ve seen with the most compelling atmosphere. I respected them for making Fumoffu, the one show that’s made me laugh the most. I could deal with them making Haruhi; it’s business, after all. I cried more for the Haruhi fans than for myself when they made Kanon—what harm could it do to me? But this… this “Lucky Star” or what have you…

I quote Omni on the OP sequence, “It makes me think that they’re intentionally trying to create another Hare Hare Yukai style sensation.”

You think right, Omni.

They’ve descended from grace and are now fervently recycling everything of theirs that ever worked. Haruhi was passable and Kanon was a step back in the right direction. Lucky Star?

Kyoto Animation, you are whores.

You are whores and your show fucking sucks.