Oh! Edo Rocket, episode 2

There's just a little bit of everything in here. A cast of ridiculously wacky characters sporting designs from a spectrum of completely different anime live in the poor district in Edo, trying to scrape a living with their "frivolous" trades: dancers, doll-makers, entertainers, fireworks makers - they've all had their passion and livelihood either banned outright or heavily discouraged by a controlling state and overzealous magistrates. Into this mix jumps a gorgeous woman (Sora) who also seems to be some kind of supernatural beast. She wants to build fireworks that will fly all the way to the moon.

Oh! Edo Rocket is definitely a frenetic, crack comedy. The jokes come fast and furious, and the show is happy to shift setting, tone, and art style just as quickly. Computers and TVs are pulled out in ancient Japan for dramatic effect whenever it'll help with a punchline. Flashbacks are re-enacted in the present. Whatever it takes.

Oddly enough, though, the most intriguing part of the show are the "pokemon fights" between Sora in her beast form, some other supernatural monster and a collection of armored ninjas every bit as eccentric as the poor entertainers. There's some plot about the other monster killing people and Sora getting blamed for it and the ninjas hunting them down but it's still very vague. The fact that it's interesting, however, and not just an interruption in the constant comedy stream bodes well for it developing into something worthwhile, however.

Recommended for comedy fans and for anyone able to keep up with the pace and style. Those character designs in the screenshots aren't their chibi or SD forms - that's how they look all the time. I'm enjoying it so far. It's another one of those titles I've been meaning to catch up on for the longest time.

based on 2 episodes : ANN : Wikipedia : YouTube

Hakaba Kitarou, episode 6

Based on a classic old manga about an amoral and somewhat grotesque boy (Kitaro) who is the last remaining descendant of the "Ghost Tribe" of yokai (aside from the spiritual remains of his father, who is just an eyeball with a little body), Hakaba Kitaro does an impressive job of capturing the old-school look with a modern polished sheen. Somewhat episodic, it generally revolves around a hapless human encountering a yokai or monster and suffering horribly or it - usually while Kitaro watches on, not bothering to help anyone unless its to his own benefit.

Kitaro is indeed a callous little brat and he lack of interest in saving anyone around him, no matter how undeserving their persecution at the hands of one or another disfigured monster, was rather surprising, as I was under the impression that Kitaro was a classic character who had always fought for peace between humans and yokai, rising above his own tragic origins. Instead, he openly wonders why he should bother saving any human and only gets motivated when its to his own benefit. The basic formula of the show is to have some human stumble into a monster and get cursed or attacked, with Kitaro taking action only when it affects him. If the human is saved (which is rare) then it's purely coincidental. All the while, the monster child is more than happy to sponge off a hapless man whose fate got wrapped up in his own.

Sharing an art director and animation style with Mononoke, Hakaba Kitaro is certainly visually impressive. The papered texture and patterns, combined with the retro character designs, create a strong feeling of age, fitting the venerable source material. It makes for a very odd mix impressions, seeming both modern and dated at the same time. The designs may well put off some viewers.

The aimless predictability of the show makes it hard to really get behind. A lot is said about Kitaro needing to survive, as he's the last of the Ghost Tribe, but it has little effect on the story. It's also difficult to empathize with him or find justification for his behavior - he certainly has a tragic backstory but it's delivered with just enough humor to diffuse any real gravitas (as are the rest of the horrific incidents humans suffer). It's not consistently funny enough to be a comedy, but neither is it really serious enough to be effective horror, despite the dark subject matter. That's a very tough line to walk, and I don't think that Hakaba Kitaro will be able to pull that off.

based on 6 episodes : ANN : Wikipedia : YouTube

Seto no Hanayome, episode 6

Harem anime aren't known for pushing the envelope and trying new things - don't expect anything shocking here. Nagasumi (a run-of-the-mill, white-button-down-shirt-wearing, soon-to-be-pimpin' boy) is saved from drowning by a mermaid (San) - but any human who finds out about mermaids is killed, along with the mermaid. But wait! There's a loophole! If they get married (and join the mermaid family) then they're spared. What's more, the mermaid are all Yakuza thugs who rather liked the idea of eating a landlubbber. Cue the wackiness waiting in the wings.

Arranged-marriage hijinks are a prominent sub-strain of harem anime (despite generally focusing on one girl, they still remain in the family by keeping with the twin pillars of Nothing Ever Happens and There Are Always More Hot Girls, even if they're just toss-away) and Seto no Hanayome doesn't break any stereotypes, and it suffers from a core romance with little actual chemistry. There is hope, however, that Japan have finally realized how to revitalize the boring and indulgent genre: have a male lead the audience doesn't hate more than they envy.

Nagasumi a pretty nice guy and he does a stand-up job of acting like a dude a chick might actually care about, but more importantly he's also a complete nut and the animators go hog-wild with his reactions. He's constantly swinging from dopey lovey-dovey to scared-to-death to completely dead at the drop of a hat. He pinballs around the cast, bouncing off each character with increasingly colorful reactions, and the show follows suit with wildly divergent animation styles. The fact that his bride's family are all over-protective Yakuza more than ready to chew the shit out of the scenery provides Nagasumi more than enough to freak out about.

The humor and variety of animation keeps the show fresh and fun, even when you want to write it off. Recommended for anyone looking for an amusing and kinetic romance. Highly recommend for anyone with a soft-spot for cute girls speaking with a Yakuza snarl. Like me. Don't bother looking for deep thought or romance or anything beyond the basic "high school kid gets engaged to a Yakuza mermaid" joke.

based on 6 episodes : ANN : Wikipedia : YouTube

Nagasarete Airantou, episode 3

A straight-up harem anime, our hapless hero Ikuto runs away from home and ends up washing up on a island populated entirely by beautiful female ninjas (who all want a man, of course). Predictably, Ikuto can't just sit back and enjoy his new life in the world of porn film premises, but he's stranded there by the ring of whirlpools that surround the island. So he ends up loving/hating being the focus of every girl's attention and wackiness ensues.

Nothing ground-breaking going on there, but I have to admit that there's a certain appeal to the show that keeps me from just writing it off. It's become something of a guilty pleasure for me. Ikuto's obsession with proving that nothing is impossible makes him a bit more active than the standard harem hero - he's just standing there batting of beauties all the time. Having the island full of female ninjas also allows for lots of colorful, wacky characters with crazy habits and powers. The girlie he's going to obviously "end up" with (Suzu) also manages to walk that line of just brain-dead enough to be amusing, as opposed to deserving a good slapping. The character designs are be a bit bland, but nice an expressive in motion, especially for Ikuto.

This isn't really anything new, and neither is it really anything good, but it's a pleasantly amusing harem anime (more due to avoiding an annoying "hero" or women). Recommended if you like the pretty girlies and want to indulge in a bit of a harem fantasy. If you want something with really any substance, look for something else.

based on 3 episodes : ANN : Wikipedia : YouTube