Canvas2 ~Niji iro no sketch 24 (Final)

I couldn't wait for the subs, not after reading enigmatic comments in the previous post left by kind visitors who didn't want to spoil it for me. With a trembling cursor and much anticipation, I downloaded Canvas2 raws 23/24 and proceeded to devour ravenously the remainder of the series. Boy am I pleased with its finale.

Warning: Long waffly rambling and spoilers for Canvas2 ending - Pls proceed at own risk!

Canvas 2 ~niji iro no sketch 03

Wheeeee! Loliiiiii powarrrrr!!!! (No worries, I've not gone over to the Dark Side yet.)

Woah what a thoroughly enjoyable ep! A very well balanced episode where there is a good measure of harem fun, a small dose of sweet love and plenty of character development to go around despite a Hagino-centric premise. Kudos to ZEXCS for a very refreshing execution of the old 'date-stalking' plot device.

I finally realised why I see so much of Da Capo (Season 1) in Canvas2... both are produced by the very anointed ZEXCS! Canvas2 03 is representative of what I like of Da Capo. Even though DC and Canvas2 may have girl-of-the-week episodes, these eps would somehow still contribute to the overarching story either via subtle plot movements or parallel character developments. The DC comparison also comes very strongly since Elis reminds me too much of Nemu (woot to siscon jealousy) and Hagino, Sakura (both were resident lolitas who flip-flopped between wilful childlikeness and a deep maturity beyond their age).

I like Hagino. She's really kawaii... but I have an issue with rendering teenaged girls to look like pre-teens (Another example would be Hagumi of Honey and Clover). I'm not sure why it feels wrong. It's kind of ironical since I'm somewhat against the anti-thesis which is over-sexualising very young girls as well. But I suspect it boils down to the same things. Be it a 17 yr old with the feminine endowments of a 8 yr old or an 8 yr old with 17 yr old's womanly assets, both pander to the lolicon albeit in different ways. It's probably worse for the former since she IS of legal age to enjoy 'certain' freedoms and would be sought-after among special interest groups.

Ah well, I guess sometimes ignorance is bliss. I should just continue to enjoy Hagino's kawaii innocence without dwelling too much the implications of the Dark side.

Canvas 2 ~ niji iro no sketch 02

I don't know about Japan but if one was found bedding his beautiful 16-yr-old cousin in my country, he would likely be disowned, castrated and whipped by parents, uncle/aunt and authorities respectively (in no particular order though).

I'm not sure what's going through Hiroki's mind. It seems cruel to me that he's not responding to Elis' advances. Very possibly he still see Elis as a child and dismisses her fierce affections for him as a sister would have for a brother (although I don't think sisters generally try to 'chu' their sleeping brothers). Well, maybe someone should remind him that his 'baby' cousin is now a hormonal reactor near meltdown and very very capable of childbearing. Even if we are to assume they have the willpower to overcome their primal physical urges, Hiroki should take early measures if he doesn't want to emotionally bankrupt Elis with his eventual rejection.

As for Elis' competition, Kiri is evidence that Canvas would likely not be a stereotypical harem series. Where most series of such genre usually feature childhood friends returning to reclaim their previous promises of love/marriage, Kiri returns as a reject from the past. We also don't often see a older girl pitted against a much younger one in love triangles (Think something to the effect of Mitsuki/Haruka vs Akane in Kiminozo... man I would LOVE to see that!) Although I must say the plot device of parents dying in car accidents is a tad over used (Nemu, Kaede, Kotori?) It appears to be the price to pay for being the school idol or siscon these days in romantic anime series.

Rooting for Elis...

Canvas 2 ~niji iro no sketch 01

Having siscon in a harem anime is like eating all the cockles in your char kway tiao (CKT). It's likely to kill you faster in addition to the lard from the CKT. I don't eat cockles. But I never order my char kway tiao w/o them nowadays because their mystical union with the dark sauced kway tiao gives birth to that unique flavour which sends my palate to paradise. (Though it inches my heart to cholesterol-hell.) And having not tasted a good 'cockle-flavoured' anime of recent times, I was pleasantly surprised to hear 'Onii-chan' used in "the right context" 5 min into Canvas 2's pilot.

Granted, Elis is actually Hiroki's cousin and she doesn't go "Nii-san" (a potent indicator of severe sis-con elements) but there is definitely the fragrance of romance wafting from their sibling-seque relationship.

I have to admit I like Elis already. Possibly because she reminds me so much of Nemu; twin ribbons, culinary skills from hell and that slight wilfully/childlike behaviour. My only concern is the potential depth of her character since much has already been revealed of her tragic backstory in ep 1.

Canvas doesn't reek of a sub-standard "girls-mindlessly-throwing-themselves-at-boy" harem series. With a underlying plot of Hiroki's lost mojo for sketching and a lovable Elis anchoring the series, I forsee this to be an excellent addition to my current meagre anime diet.

Ah, I can smell the aroma of cockles already.....