Jul 5, 2009 11:40 AM
On Negima
When I watched the first Negima anime, I can't say I was blown away. I was much more impressed by the SHAFT follow-up with its goofy sense of humor and stylish animation (I love most all the comedies they animate). But I could never have guessed that both series are pretty poor adaptations of the manga - the former being to short to get to the really good stuff and the latter not drawing much more than its characters and setting from the source material. Anyway, yeah, I absolutely love the manga, and ran rather short on sleep while reading it. Now it's up there near the top of my list of manga I'd like to see a proper and full adaptation of, accompanying Berserk and Fairy Tail and the like.
Outside of Negima, I've also been reading a fair bit of other manga:
Shina Dark: The anime's entry on this site caught my eye, but when I realized it was just for a music video I figured I'd check out the manga instead. It's nothing special, but pretty entertaining.
Omamori Himari: This is a fairly typical fluff series - ecchi/harem comedy with a side of supernatural action and a touch of serious drama. The formula is pretty overdone, but it's enjoyable still and the heroine has more personality than most.
Oniichan Control and Oniichan no Koto Nanka Zenzen Suki ja Nai n da kara ne: Both of these are pretty similar, and I like them both about the same. Still feels kinda wrong to laugh at some of the jokes though.
Nana to Kaoru: I was pretty surprised by this one - a romantic comedy centering around softcore S&M sounds like the perfect opportunity for relying on nothing but fanservice, but the characters are surprisingly developed and interesting and the humor is great too. What's more, it's damn sexy without trying too hard or going overboard in that department. I love it... though I'm a touch worried to find out what that says about me.
Tsubasa Chronicle and xxxHOLiC: I caught up on Tsubasa Chronicle and was reminded of why I love the series so much, so I figured I'd watch the new xxxHOLiC OVA and start into the manga in order to delve further into how the two stories connect (though xxxHOLiC is certainly awesome on its own as well). Not sure if I want to read through what I've already seen in the animes though, so I'm pondering skipping ahead.
Sundome: I'm really not sure what to make of this manga - it's just plain weird. And yet it manages to keep my attention and has me wondering just what's going on in its characters' minds. And that's always a good thing, ne?
Inumimi: Just as I expected - it was short, comedy fanservice fluff. There isn't much to really set it apart from the pack, but I enjoyed it.
Marugoto Anjyu Gakuen: This pretty well reminds me of Rosario+Vampire, but not as obnoxious. The basic premise is about exactly the same, and there isn't much that makes it memorable, but it's short enough that it doesn't wear out its welcome, so to speak. I really didn't care for the "ending" though.
M to N no Shouzou: I was expecting this to be pretty interesting, but the writing was just bad and the characters didn't have the personality and charm I thought they would. I ended up stopping after a volume or so.
Kagetora: It seems kinda typical and a bit old in style, but I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it gets more interesting.
Dengeki Daisy: I've only read nine chapters so far, but I'm completely hooked. The story is getting interesting, and the characters are great - the heroine won me over with personality where that role in many manga and anime is often filled with overstated sex appeal. And the disparity between the mystery friend "Daisy" and the everyday persona he dons to hide his true feelings and such makes for entertaining drama and comedy both. I can't wait for more.
Beast Master: As with Dengeki Daisy, this one features an unusual male lead and a heroine whose charming point is her great personality. I can't say it's as engrossing as the other so far, but it's still a good read.
Koukou Debut: Yet another romantic comedy with great and unusual leading characters. So far it doesn't feel cliche in the least and I'm quite enjoying it. I'm surprised to see them already forging a relationship so soon into the series though - it makes me wonder what's in store for the future since it's so rare to see the main characters in a romantic comedy get together so early on.
Kimi wa Girlfriend: An amusing short about two people whose odd personalities make them lonely and easily misunderstood. It's an interesting look at insecurity and carries a strong theme of accepting people despite their quirks.
I've also watched a bit of anime too.
Inukami: This was a hit - it was hilarious and enjoyable and had a decent plot to boot. It's so rare to find a show of this sort where the females aren't the ones who always end up exposing themselves, and that really sets it apart - the heroine in particular has a penchant for transporting her gutter-minded counterpart into public places sans clothing when he gets under her skin.
Tales of Phantasia: I would've liked to see a lot more detail, but unlike Tales of Symphonia this installment at least felt complete. I definitely enjoyed it... I just wish they'd take their time when making these series.
Tonagura: After the first episode, I have to say it isn't as exciting or different as I was hoping for. It's at least good enough to keep watching for a while, but I don't know how long that''ll last.
Seto no Hanayome OVA: As usual, I laughed my ass off. Still can't get the bits about ol' "Bunta Willis" out of my head. Good times, good times.
Pani Poni Dash OVA: My memory of the original is rusty, but definitely positive, and it was nice to see an OVA that does a decent job living up to my expectations for quality and such.
Ah! My Goddess: Tatakau Tsubasa: I meant to watch this earlier, but I just found some fansub. It's definitely a good addition to the series.
Mai-Otome Zero: I'd forgotten a fair bit about the prior installments in the series, so it took a while to figure out just how people were connected and such, but once I did I really enjoyed it. Even moreso than the other OVA they made.
Outside of Negima, I've also been reading a fair bit of other manga:
Shina Dark: The anime's entry on this site caught my eye, but when I realized it was just for a music video I figured I'd check out the manga instead. It's nothing special, but pretty entertaining.
Omamori Himari: This is a fairly typical fluff series - ecchi/harem comedy with a side of supernatural action and a touch of serious drama. The formula is pretty overdone, but it's enjoyable still and the heroine has more personality than most.
Oniichan Control and Oniichan no Koto Nanka Zenzen Suki ja Nai n da kara ne: Both of these are pretty similar, and I like them both about the same. Still feels kinda wrong to laugh at some of the jokes though.
Nana to Kaoru: I was pretty surprised by this one - a romantic comedy centering around softcore S&M sounds like the perfect opportunity for relying on nothing but fanservice, but the characters are surprisingly developed and interesting and the humor is great too. What's more, it's damn sexy without trying too hard or going overboard in that department. I love it... though I'm a touch worried to find out what that says about me.
Tsubasa Chronicle and xxxHOLiC: I caught up on Tsubasa Chronicle and was reminded of why I love the series so much, so I figured I'd watch the new xxxHOLiC OVA and start into the manga in order to delve further into how the two stories connect (though xxxHOLiC is certainly awesome on its own as well). Not sure if I want to read through what I've already seen in the animes though, so I'm pondering skipping ahead.
Sundome: I'm really not sure what to make of this manga - it's just plain weird. And yet it manages to keep my attention and has me wondering just what's going on in its characters' minds. And that's always a good thing, ne?
Inumimi: Just as I expected - it was short, comedy fanservice fluff. There isn't much to really set it apart from the pack, but I enjoyed it.
Marugoto Anjyu Gakuen: This pretty well reminds me of Rosario+Vampire, but not as obnoxious. The basic premise is about exactly the same, and there isn't much that makes it memorable, but it's short enough that it doesn't wear out its welcome, so to speak. I really didn't care for the "ending" though.
M to N no Shouzou: I was expecting this to be pretty interesting, but the writing was just bad and the characters didn't have the personality and charm I thought they would. I ended up stopping after a volume or so.
Kagetora: It seems kinda typical and a bit old in style, but I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it gets more interesting.
Dengeki Daisy: I've only read nine chapters so far, but I'm completely hooked. The story is getting interesting, and the characters are great - the heroine won me over with personality where that role in many manga and anime is often filled with overstated sex appeal. And the disparity between the mystery friend "Daisy" and the everyday persona he dons to hide his true feelings and such makes for entertaining drama and comedy both. I can't wait for more.
Beast Master: As with Dengeki Daisy, this one features an unusual male lead and a heroine whose charming point is her great personality. I can't say it's as engrossing as the other so far, but it's still a good read.
Koukou Debut: Yet another romantic comedy with great and unusual leading characters. So far it doesn't feel cliche in the least and I'm quite enjoying it. I'm surprised to see them already forging a relationship so soon into the series though - it makes me wonder what's in store for the future since it's so rare to see the main characters in a romantic comedy get together so early on.
Kimi wa Girlfriend: An amusing short about two people whose odd personalities make them lonely and easily misunderstood. It's an interesting look at insecurity and carries a strong theme of accepting people despite their quirks.
I've also watched a bit of anime too.
Inukami: This was a hit - it was hilarious and enjoyable and had a decent plot to boot. It's so rare to find a show of this sort where the females aren't the ones who always end up exposing themselves, and that really sets it apart - the heroine in particular has a penchant for transporting her gutter-minded counterpart into public places sans clothing when he gets under her skin.
Tales of Phantasia: I would've liked to see a lot more detail, but unlike Tales of Symphonia this installment at least felt complete. I definitely enjoyed it... I just wish they'd take their time when making these series.
Tonagura: After the first episode, I have to say it isn't as exciting or different as I was hoping for. It's at least good enough to keep watching for a while, but I don't know how long that''ll last.
Seto no Hanayome OVA: As usual, I laughed my ass off. Still can't get the bits about ol' "Bunta Willis" out of my head. Good times, good times.
Pani Poni Dash OVA: My memory of the original is rusty, but definitely positive, and it was nice to see an OVA that does a decent job living up to my expectations for quality and such.
Ah! My Goddess: Tatakau Tsubasa: I meant to watch this earlier, but I just found some fansub. It's definitely a good addition to the series.
Mai-Otome Zero: I'd forgotten a fair bit about the prior installments in the series, so it took a while to figure out just how people were connected and such, but once I did I really enjoyed it. Even moreso than the other OVA they made.
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Krelian
| Jul 5, 2009 11:40 AM |
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