hontou ni
7Apr/075

Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru 13

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Even though this episode needed more Mariya, I still enjoyed it immensely and screamed with laughter almost every other minute. The Super Deformed mode was sustained really well and this episode firmly establishes this type of SD-mode as OtoBoku's calling card. Favourite parts included the title of 'Tsunderella', Takako getting struck by lightning, the pixellated Takako-tentacled scene, every scene with Shion in it (like her hair capture, unga-unga dance, magical battle with Kei and Michiko and not least that really HAWT WTF nekkid fan service scene - see Omni's post - she'd give Mariya and Takako a run for their money anytime!), the forest full of flying Kanacopters and the giant cats. While I would have liked to see the Mariya vs Takako rivalry develop, this episode was thoroughly enjoyable silliness. Looking forward to the next season!

Filed under: OtoBoku 5 Comments
29Dec/0612

Hontou Ni anime skirmishes 2006

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Stripey and I often have quite different anime diets, it's not unusual for one to have never seen a series that the other considers a favourite. But as we like to discuss anime, over bowls of minced pork noodles or ramen when I'm back in Singapore or via Skype when I'm not, there are constant battles to influence each other to watch this or that anime series. 2006 has been no exception. Looking back, it seems that Stripey patiently practises an attritional strategy while I prefer to strike hard at his weakest points to secure swift and decisive victory.

Filed under: Black Lagoon, Kanon, Nanoha, OtoBoku Continue reading
28Dec/0615

Otome wa boku ni koishiteru ~ A lovely end

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Not the end Zyl had hoped for

Just a couple of posts back, I voiced my emphatic support for Mariya and would accept nothing except a Mariya X Mizuho end. That very night, FEEL came along with ep 12 and corrected my tunnel vision. Otoboku was never about the love rivalry between Takako/Mariya in a generic harem setting. It is a beautiful tale of self-discovery and maturing shoujo hearts as Mizuho nurtures all around while growing himself.

Filed under: OtoBoku Continue reading
27Nov/0615

In Praise of Yuko Goto

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Aya Hirano has many fans and it's well deserved. She's young, pretty and the way she transitions from her normal squeaky voice to 'Damesho, Hamada-san' is just ooooh-la-la.

However, this post is to sing the praises of Yuko Goto who voiced Mikuru Asahina alongside Aya Hirano in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. While Mikuru isn't my favourite character of the series (coming after Yuki in first place, followed by Haruhi and then Kyon), Goto does a magnificient job in conveying Mikuru's oh-so-bullyable bimbo haplessness and her gentle kindness. I've mentioned before how I was in total awe at how she could sing so badly with such deliberateness despite being able to sing well. [Oh, and somehow she makes Mikuru's voice so voluptuous too. Ya know, the way Mai Nakahara makes Mai Tokiha sound DD in a way that she doesn't do when she voiced Nagisa Aoi.] Mikuru's character is absolutely inseparable from Goto's performance. I still smirk with evil amusement whenever I hear her "Nooo~~~!!" when Haruhi forced her to change into the nurse costume in Someday in the Rain. [I also constantly replayed the horror movie "uguu"s in Kanon 6 and Makoto's Akiko Jam "auuu"s in Kanon 7 so that I could laugh at the respective girls' misery.] The perfect victim!

Speaking of victims, I demand a version of this NSFW Wawawa comic where Churuya-san walks in on Haruhi rogering Mikuru with a strap-on and goes "nyoro~n" :3

Filed under: Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, OtoBoku, SHUFFLE! Continue reading
5Nov/0613

The Male Harem Lead as the Key Variable

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Note on the poster: ▼ Show

Speaking of pervy teachers, our esteemed Academy Director Stripey made a strong claim that the male harem lead was the key variable in determining the success of a harem anime during the most recent Hontou Ni Staff Conference. This excerpt (skypecast, 1:22 min, 1.26 MB) was part of a discussion about Mizuho's role as the harem lead for OtoBoku. Stripey posited that a clearly unworthy harem lead would impact unfavourably on the desirability of the harem females; a lousy male harem lead would overwhelm other variables such as basis of attraction, character design, quality of animation, voice acting and so on.

Filed under: OtoBoku, Random Rants Continue reading
30Oct/069

Super Deformed to the rescue!

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I came pretty close to dropping OtoBoku as the first half of the first episode was so excruciatingly clichéd. My suspension of disbelief was stretched pretty thin too with how Mizuho was regarded as one of the school's beauties. I love Mariya but there's no way her makeup kit can be that powderful [sic - you'll get this pun only if you're fluent in Singlish]. It's not a far stretch of the imagination for a pretty girl to look like a pretty boy (think Ouran's Haruhi) but it takes a very very pretty boy to make a decently pretty girl, much less the school idol. While I do think of the catgirls, I just couldn't let it slide. Until the super deformed (SD) mode kicked in. With the show not taking itself seriously at all, it was hard for me to continue being pedantic.

OtoBoku is probably the most recent example where SD is an important and successful part of the animation. In other cases,

Filed under: Hellsing Ultimate, OtoBoku Continue reading

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