In Progress: Air Gear, Kanon, My-Otome

I know I’ve said it myself, but every time I hear or read, “[this show] is not for everyone”, I wish for a new way to express that. Don’t mind me, I haven’t had my eight cups of coffee yet. Onto the anime I saw last week: Air Gear v3, Kanon v4, and My-Otome v6.

Air Gear volume 3

I guess it’s funny enough to keep renting it, but I find the anime unattractive compared with the manga. I know it’s a bit much to ask for the animators to replicate the hotness that Oh-Great! gets in his line work, but the character art in the anime just doesn’t grab me that way.

Air Gear works okay as a comedy, but I just feel like I’m missing something with the lack of hotness. Maybe Oh Great! designs don’t translate that well to anime, because I found that the Tenjo Tenge anime designs had a similar lack of heat.

Air Gear works better for me when viewed with other people. When I saw the first two volumes by myself I found I couldn’t get into it too much, but now that I have a couch monkey to watch things with, Air Gear was kind of amusing. So, I’ll continue to Netflix it, but I doubt I’ll get the collection unless the second half gets better.

Kanon volume 4

The first half of the dvd finishes Mai’s arc, which was amazing in every way I can see, story, art, human drama, and imagery. I’m finding Kanon to be so well put together that it gives moe a good name, especially when it gets to the core of its arcs. I loved Mai’s arc, her back story and Saiyuri’s, plus the imagery and the power of emotion. The fight with the school demons rocked too.

As much as I love this, I find having to watch it with somebody takes some of the intimacy of the story away. Like with Mikoto’s arc in volume three and her degeneration, if I were by myself I probably would have felt very sad, but instead I just thought about the sadness, like “oh, that’s so sad”, without feeling it too much. Some shows definitely work better when it’s just you and the story.

Still, I’m thinking this show is going to wind up as an all time favorite of mine. The cast in both languages is amazing. While Kanon is the sad girls in the snow series, it’s beautiful. Happy to be buying the single dvds as they come out.

My-Otome volume 6

I usually cram a new My-Otome disc into the dvd player as soon as I can, since I like almost everything about it, but Sergei, man that’s taking the dirty old man bit a bit too frickin far!

And yes! One of my favorite characters ever finally makes her entrance into the show. Speaking of Hime characters in Otome, one character I like a lot more in Otome vs. Hime is Nao — more wise-ass, less psycho-bitch.

I don’t think I’ve been bored watching any of the episodes. Each one moves at a fun stride, but as a whole I wish Otome had gotten to the dark portion of the show a little faster. While the tease was fun, it only feels like the heavy part has just begun. This leaves me sad to only have three more episodes. I want more! Okay, I know there’s more in Zwei, but still.

Edit: As if to answer my wish, I see via Moetron that there will be another Mai-HiME series. Thank you Sunrise.