Super Gals! eps 16-26

Actually, I don't really have much to say that I haven't already said. Though that was a bit of an odd note to end the season on.

But, seriously, why can't more animes have relationships between girls like this? Or heroines like Ran? I love how, even though there are plenty of boys around, as friends, brothers, love interests and wanna-be love interests, they never factor into girls being friends, or being rivals. None of Ran's rivalries have squat to do with boys(ok, the kogals kinda with their crushing on Rei) but with their all wanting to be the alpha dog. In addition, the rivalries are also fairly clearly pride things covering odd friendships, especially with Mami. Plus, there's never a hint of any "liking the boy my friend likes, thus causing bitterness or rivalry or some such." Plus(yeah, 2 sentences starting with "plus" in a row...oh well) the best looking boy is never once set up as her love interest, but instead, as her shy and sweet friend's love interest. The second-best looking boy is all about her, but does she go for him? No, she goes for the crazy monkey boy(who is really a male, less materialistic version of Ran herself.) Now, personally, I'd go for Yuya. I like Katsukichi, but let's face it, Yuya is much less likely to drive you to drink. Of course, Ran probably drives people to drink, so maybe they cancel each other out. (Though, I'm not sure she fell for him so much as he was the one who asked her out first anyway...I suspect she likes both guys equally, and neither romantically.)

Really, though, why can't more things be about positive friendships and relationships between girls while still having a strong male presence? The only other thing I can think of is Skip-Beat.

I was going to link an MV, but the internet is being a pain. estara linked to it in my last post on the series, though, so go look.

Now to get season 2 and the manga...

Super Gals! eps 16-26

Actually, I don't really have much to say that I haven't already said. Though that was a bit of an odd note to end the season on.

But, seriously, why can't more animes have relationships between girls like this? Or heroines like Ran? I love how, even though there are plenty of boys around, as friends, brothers, love interests and wanna-be love interests, they never factor into girls being friends, or being rivals. None of Ran's rivalries have squat to do with boys(ok, the kogals kinda with their crushing on Rei) but with their all wanting to be the alpha dog. In addition, the rivalries are also fairly clearly pride things covering odd friendships, especially with Mami. Plus, there's never a hint of any "liking the boy my friend likes, thus causing bitterness or rivalry or some such." Plus(yeah, 2 sentences starting with "plus" in a row...oh well) the best looking boy is never once set up as her love interest, but instead, as her shy and sweet friend's love interest. The second-best looking boy is all about her, but does she go for him? No, she goes for the crazy monkey boy(who is really a male, less materialistic version of Ran herself.) Now, personally, I'd go for Yuya. I like Katsukichi, but let's face it, Yuya is much less likely to drive you to drink. Of course, Ran probably drives people to drink, so maybe they cancel each other out. (Though, I'm not sure she fell for him so much as he was the one who asked her out first anyway...I suspect she likes both guys equally, and neither romantically.)

Really, though, why can't more things be about positive friendships and relationships between girls while still having a strong male presence? The only other thing I can think of is Skip-Beat.

I was going to link an MV, but the internet is being a pain. estara linked to it in my last post on the series, though, so go look.

Now to get season 2 and the manga...

Yuyas, Tohrus, and Sakuras(and other tidbits)

This is more small boredom babble than anything else, forgive me.

Anyway, I have been mildly pondering, like (I think) most of the people on my f-list who would immediately think of a character from the names in the title, if I hear "Yuya" or "Tohru," I immediately think of the respective heroines of Samurai Deeper Kyo and Fruits Basket .  Every other time I've encountered either name though, it's been a boy's name.  I seem to remember an author's note in an early volume of Fruits Basket saying that Tohru was normally a boys name, is it the same with Yuya?  Are there any other well known(or even just major but obscure) female characters with boys' names?

And what about the reverse?  The only major male character I can think of with a girl's name is Sakura, the hero of Night of the Beasts, but it suits him(not because he's girly or wussy-the opposite, actually-but because of various spoilery themes with the character and book.)  Are there others?

And what about Ran and Aya?  What are they, traditionally?  I seem to see them getting about equal gender use.

Someday, I shall encounter a cheerful, open female character named Sasuke and die of shock.

Meanwhile, I sometimes think that lines like this are the real reason I read shonen manga(though, really, considering the typos and error in Vol 25 of Samurai Deeper Kyo, it's entirely possible the translator just pulled this out of his or her butt, but whatever.)

Prepare yourself, you sorry excuse for Kyo.  I'll pay you back for mimicking the master warrior.  You see, the power of the real Kyo is nothing like your unworthy impression.  And I shall carve that lesson into your impudent body.

So corny, so melodramatic, so shonen.  (If you consider people impersonating other people in SDK to be a spoiler, then clearly, you aren't very familiar with the series...it's an everyday thing there.)

Yuyas, Tohrus, and Sakuras(and other tidbits)

This is more small boredom babble than anything else, forgive me.

Anyway, I have been mildly pondering, like (I think) most of the people on my f-list who would immediately think of a character from the names in the title, if I hear "Yuya" or "Tohru," I immediately think of the respective heroines of Samurai Deeper Kyo and Fruits Basket .  Every other time I've encountered either name though, it's been a boy's name.  I seem to remember an author's note in an early volume of Fruits Basket saying that Tohru was normally a boys name, is it the same with Yuya?  Are there any other well known(or even just major but obscure) female characters with boys' names?

And what about the reverse?  The only major male character I can think of with a girl's name is Sakura, the hero of Night of the Beasts, but it suits him(not because he's girly or wussy-the opposite, actually-but because of various spoilery themes with the character and book.)  Are there others?

And what about Ran and Aya?  What are they, traditionally?  I seem to see them getting about equal gender use.

Someday, I shall encounter a cheerful, open female character named Sasuke and die of shock.

Meanwhile, I sometimes think that lines like this are the real reason I read shonen manga(though, really, considering the typos and error in Vol 25 of Samurai Deeper Kyo, it's entirely possible the translator just pulled this out of his or her butt, but whatever.)

Prepare yourself, you sorry excuse for Kyo.  I'll pay you back for mimicking the master warrior.  You see, the power of the real Kyo is nothing like your unworthy impression.  And I shall carve that lesson into your impudent body.

So corny, so melodramatic, so shonen.  (If you consider people impersonating other people in SDK to be a spoiler, then clearly, you aren't very familiar with the series...it's an everyday thing there.)

Claymore Vol 1-3

In another world, monsters known as yoma have prowled the land for decades, preying on humans.  In response, humans have found a way to combine the DNA with humans-women, specifically, as the procedure kills every man it's tried on-turning them into warriors capable of killing the mosters.  The women are known for their silver eyes, and are just as feared asthe yoma they kill.  Neither the organization nor the women have a name, but the people call them Claymores because of the large swords the women carry, which they are able to weild with only one hand.  The women travel the land on foot, going from town to town, killing yoma in the towns they are summoned to.  They do not take the money themselves, but tell the leader of the town to keep it until the yoma is dead.  If the woman dies, there is no need to pay.  If she succeeds, a man will come to collect the money after she leaves.  If a town ever fails to pay, the organization will never again send a warrior to aid them, no matter how desperate they are.

In one town, a warrior named Clare saves a young boy named Raki from the yoma who killed his family and impersonated his brother.  Later, the townspeople chase Raki out, fearing that someone who lived with a yoma may be a yoma himself.  With nothing else to do, Raki follows Clare, and she eventually takes him in, officially as her "cook," sometimes using him to help her with a cover.  In each town, she asks that Raki be provided for if she dies, and offers him the option of staying behind.  The first volume tells of how Clare and Raki meet, and has several one-shot stories setting up the world.  The second is a rather fun story of Clare and Raki investigating a yoma in a holy city while undercover and brother and sister.  When that wraps up midway through volume three, we switch to Clare's origin story, where she, as a child aboutr Raki's age, latched onto Teresa, the strongest of the warriors.  Teresa warms up to Clare far more slowly than Clare did to Raki(probably why) and seems to think that the organization sends the yoma to villages for their own purposes.

So far, I like it.  Like most shonen, there seems to be a largely(probably conspiracy) plot that we haven't gotten into yet.  Clare isn't just a super warrior, but is also extremely adaptable and intelligent, and has been trained to undertake any rask and impersonate any lifestyle.  She is, however, cursed, as in time, the yoma blood in them that gives them the ability to fight will eventually overtake the warriors, causign them to become yoma themselves.  When they begin to feel the monster inside take over, they send for another of their kind to kill them before they become a danger to people.  I also like the complete gender reversal for this type of story.  Generally, the hardened warrior/cute young sidekick setup comes in these formats:  female warrior/female sidekick, mae warrior/male sidekick, and male warrior/female sidekick...female warrior/male sidekick isn't one I've encountered before(and I seem to recall someone lamenting the lack of the young male with and older female mentor/guardian figure not long ago, but can't remember who it was.)  There's also Rubel, Clare's money collector, who wears glasses and a hat.  He seems to have an interest in Clare and Raki beyond pure professionalism, though I'm not sure what yet.

So far, I really have no use for Raki, though at least he isn't annoying, and is pretty sympathetic.  I do like Clare a lot, but worry she may have softened to Raki a little too quickly.  The story, though, is very interesting, and the world pretty complex, and I like having a "strong female warrior" lead who actually dresses sensibly(Clare has short hair  and armor, and is covered from head to toe) and is strong and independent, with no need of saving, without being relegated to secondary character.

Claymore Vol 1-3

In another world, monsters known as yoma have prowled the land for decades, preying on humans.  In response, humans have found a way to combine the DNA with humans-women, specifically, as the procedure kills every man it's tried on-turning them into warriors capable of killing the mosters.  The women are known for their silver eyes, and are just as feared asthe yoma they kill.  Neither the organization nor the women have a name, but the people call them Claymores because of the large swords the women carry, which they are able to weild with only one hand.  The women travel the land on foot, going from town to town, killing yoma in the towns they are summoned to.  They do not take the money themselves, but tell the leader of the town to keep it until the yoma is dead.  If the woman dies, there is no need to pay.  If she succeeds, a man will come to collect the money after she leaves.  If a town ever fails to pay, the organization will never again send a warrior to aid them, no matter how desperate they are.

In one town, a warrior named Clare saves a young boy named Raki from the yoma who killed his family and impersonated his brother.  Later, the townspeople chase Raki out, fearing that someone who lived with a yoma may be a yoma himself.  With nothing else to do, Raki follows Clare, and she eventually takes him in, officially as her "cook," sometimes using him to help her with a cover.  In each town, she asks that Raki be provided for if she dies, and offers him the option of staying behind.  The first volume tells of how Clare and Raki meet, and has several one-shot stories setting up the world.  The second is a rather fun story of Clare and Raki investigating a yoma in a holy city while undercover and brother and sister.  When that wraps up midway through volume three, we switch to Clare's origin story, where she, as a child aboutr Raki's age, latched onto Teresa, the strongest of the warriors.  Teresa warms up to Clare far more slowly than Clare did to Raki(probably why) and seems to think that the organization sends the yoma to villages for their own purposes.

So far, I like it.  Like most shonen, there seems to be a largely(probably conspiracy) plot that we haven't gotten into yet.  Clare isn't just a super warrior, but is also extremely adaptable and intelligent, and has been trained to undertake any rask and impersonate any lifestyle.  She is, however, cursed, as in time, the yoma blood in them that gives them the ability to fight will eventually overtake the warriors, causign them to become yoma themselves.  When they begin to feel the monster inside take over, they send for another of their kind to kill them before they become a danger to people.  I also like the complete gender reversal for this type of story.  Generally, the hardened warrior/cute young sidekick setup comes in these formats:  female warrior/female sidekick, mae warrior/male sidekick, and male warrior/female sidekick...female warrior/male sidekick isn't one I've encountered before(and I seem to recall someone lamenting the lack of the young male with and older female mentor/guardian figure not long ago, but can't remember who it was.)  There's also Rubel, Clare's money collector, who wears glasses and a hat.  He seems to have an interest in Clare and Raki beyond pure professionalism, though I'm not sure what yet.

So far, I really have no use for Raki, though at least he isn't annoying, and is pretty sympathetic.  I do like Clare a lot, but worry she may have softened to Raki a little too quickly.  The story, though, is very interesting, and the world pretty complex, and I like having a "strong female warrior" lead who actually dresses sensibly(Clare has short hair  and armor, and is covered from head to toe) and is strong and independent, with no need of saving, without being relegated to secondary character.

...

There is a manga called Fairy Zombie.  The little info I can find on it indicates that it involves a boy bringing home an old coffin and the 400 year old corpse turning into a cute girl.  I feel compelled to check it out just to see if it can live up to its name.

Meanwhile, the xXxHolic section of The Pit kinda calls to me..on the one hand, I want to say it's the kind of series that attracts good fic, but I know I'm probably being optimistic.  On the other...it's The Pit, and One Eyed Spoiler Boy has me super-paranoid about xXxHolic and Tsubasa spoilers.

...

There is a manga called Fairy Zombie.  The little info I can find on it indicates that it involves a boy bringing home an old coffin and the 400 year old corpse turning into a cute girl.  I feel compelled to check it out just to see if it can live up to its name.

Meanwhile, the xXxHolic section of The Pit kinda calls to me..on the one hand, I want to say it's the kind of series that attracts good fic, but I know I'm probably being optimistic.  On the other...it's The Pit, and One Eyed Spoiler Boy has me super-paranoid about xXxHolic and Tsubasa spoilers.