anime: Allison to Lillia eps 1-13

Based on a series of light novels by Sigsawa Keiichi, the author of the Kino no Tabi light novels that the anime of the same name is based on, the series is actually split into two parts, with the second half (eps 14-26) being about the children of the protagonists in the first half.

The story is set in a world where a continent is split by a mountain range that divides the people into two countries-Roxche and Sou Beil-who have been at war for over a century, though it’s apparently become worse in the last few decades-Allison and Wil are childhood friends who grew up together in an orphanage, but haven’t seen each other since Allison left to be a pilot in the army. When she returns, she immediately gets the more subdued Wil (Allison wears the pants and Wil is fine with that, though he misses the significance) involved in a series of adventures, kicking them off with “borrowing” (she even leaves a note) a plane to go rescue an elderly acquaintance they’ve just met.

The technology and society are largely analogous of the 1930’s, and while there’s romance (not only between Allison and Will, but also with their playboy friend and a secret princess) it’s largely an adventure series with awesome characters. The ending is on the bittersweet side, but makes sense for a country just coming out of over a century of war. I did, though, have one issue with the ending [spoiler] I like that Wil and Lillia were able to be a part of each other’s lives, even if he’s “dating” Allison as an ambassador as part of his deep-cover spy role, instead of able to return as her husband, but I don’t like that Lillia doesn’t know that her mother’s boyfriend is also her father. Hopefully, Lillia’s part of the series will address that.

I look forward to the rest of the series, which appears to also follow the “childhood friends have adventures and eventually realize they’re in love” (with bonus awesome parents) path, but hope they don’t follow it the same way. I’m sad that this one doesn’t appear to ever be getting a US release.

An AMV made from an aerial battle in the first storyarc, which is basically “Allison is a really awesome pilot.”

Being Human: uncut spoilers for 1.2

I've started watching the BBC series Being Human, which is about a ghost, a vampire, and a roommate as housemates. So far (2 episodes) I enjoy it, though it isn't quite amazingly brilliant or anything. Shockingly, I like the angsty vampire. (Literally "shockingly," if you know me and most vampires.) Less shockingly, I also like the ghost. I am annoyed by the werewolf, who does far too much angst wallowing for my taste. Also, I don't need to be seeing his nekkid butt this much.

Speaking of the werewolf, have a scenario: You are a guy. You are (presumably platonic) roommates with a guy and another girl. You bond with a houseguest who is charming, despite being rather bad at manners when it comes to cohabitation. While you and your male roommate are out, your guest attempts to sexually assault your female roommate, which your roommates later confront you and your guest about.

Poll #3638

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 5

View Respondents

Do you...

View Answers

Throw your guest out and tell him never to come back?
1 (20.0%)

Punch your guest in the face, since the victim is only quasi-corporeal and so may have a little difficulty doing so herself.
4 (80.0%)

Apologize to your friend after getting out of the way of your other roommate, who looks like he wants to beat people up.
0 (0.0%)

Yell "She probably loved it!" and announce that your guest is staying.
0 (0.0%)

If you picked the last option, you win!

In the spirit of providing visual aids, this is the character who was almost assaulted:




This is the assaulter:



And this is the guy defending the assaulter:



This is the other roommate stopping himself from ripping heads off over it, which did endear him to me, while simultaneously making me sigh sadly over other parts of it:



Can Annie actually be physically assaulted? Probably not. As near as I can tell, she's only corporeal when she wants to be, and even that's limited. (Which is why I don't actually have a problem with the attempted assault itself, just with this part. That and the "sexist come ons are cute if you're socially awkward, and the woman you were sexist to should apologize to you for calling you on it" from earlier in the episode.) And it was clearly regarded as an awful thing to say. But the writers still thought that this was an acceptable thing to have one of your main protagonists say, with the expectation that the audience would still like him and find it forgivable, and did not feel the need to have the character actually apologize for saying it. The proper term for that is "rape culture."