AOKANA: Four Rhythm Across The Blue Episode #3 Review

Hinata, could you play a match against me?

What They Say:

The Kunahama Institute is one of the first in the world to give out new anti-gravity footwear to its students. Not only does this invention change the way the basic world functions, with students now being able to shoot across the sky, but it also gives birth to a new sport -- The Flying Circus. Asuka Kurashina is a new transfer student at Kunahama who has never wanted anything more than the ability to fly. Suddenly mixed in with students who have already mastered the art of flight, Asuka must overcome physical and mental barriers as she adapts to a new environment filled with new people, all while trying to master a new way of life.

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

The time has come for the Kunahama flying circus team to strengthen their skills and take on a new challenge -- training camp. And while that idea doesn't sound particularly hard, it becomes a lot more frightening when they find out just who they will be training alongside. Reiko Satouin's own stomping ground, Takafuji High, decides (At the recommendation of Kagami-sensei) that it would be beneficial in some way or another to host the newbies of Kunahama Institute. Now, you'd think that just having to put up with Reiko would be enough the ruin this training getaway, but when Takafuji's captain (And reigning national champion), Shindou Kazunari, shows his face, things get a little more...complicated.

The first time we see Shindou is in the middle of the night while Masaya is sitting along the shoreline being the somber and slightly-angsty teen he is. It becomes evident that the two know each other after a few vocal exchanges and Shindou quickly hints at the real reasoning behind Takafuji and Kunahama getting together -- so that he could see Masaya again (In a totally non-Yaoi way). Apparently, Hinata Masaya used to be sort of a role model for Shindou. And all the time that the two were apart, Shindou practiced and honed his abilities in the hopes that he would, one day, get to play a match against his former role model/new rival. Obviously, though, Masaya has no more interest in playing flying circus and deflects the national champion's request for a game the following day. Instead, three sets of 1v1 games are formed: Asuka vs. Rika (That girl that Masaya keeps accidentally seeing naked who apparently goes to a school miles away from him despite living next door), Mashiro vs. Reiko, and finally Misaki vs. Shindou.

The first and third matches are the ones that we really get to see the most of, considering the second match is essentially just a brief moment of proof that Reiko Satouin is still too good at flying circus. Anyway, in match one, we finally get to see Rika in action -- and boy is she fast. Even with Masaya's help, Asuka has an incredibly hard time deciphering the currently-clothed Rika's aerial maneuvers (With weird names like "Low yo-yo"). But eventually, she gives her air kick turn another try and succeeds (Bringing her success rate to 66.7%) and scores a single point before the match timer runs out. The third match, though, is where things get intense. Misaki, being frustrated over Shindou's cocky, dismissive attitude toward her, gets herself fired up and ready to annihilate the overly-purple champion. However, he is still a champion and starts crushing her right off the bat to the point where he actually stops because it's just too unfair. But instead of just giving up the match, he challenges her to a "Dogfight," in which both players become strict fighters and divert all mental and physical resources on...well, attacking the other player. After a few twisty yellow/purple lines make their way across the sky and the intensity between the two players heightens, Misaki does actually land one attack on Shindou, ultimately making her the Asuka of the day. Apart from Asuka.

Apart from the pure action and more flying circus stuff, there is still a decent amount of semi-exposition present in this episode. It is now, even more, confirmed that Masaya was once a star flying circus player. Hell, he even has a rival now. Asuka, on the other hand, grows as a player too, seeing as she is seemingly able to air kick turn whenever she wants now. Rika even gets some slight profile growth this time around and isn't just used as a fanservice tool for Masaya anymore. Oh, and speaking of fanservice, there was a hot spring scene in this episode. Do I really have to say anymore?

In Summary:

Things seem to be picking up for AOKANA. We have a clear view of who "The bad guy" is for the time being, and the characters all have balanced screen time. In addition to this, the Kunahama seems to be getting a grip on its abilities at a surprisingly fast rate. The fanservice in this episode seems to outweigh that of the former two, but that can mostly be attributed to the hot spring scene. I still can't seem to bring myself to really enjoy the game of flying circus, though. More things keep being introduced to the sport that, in no way, really change it. There are just different methods of flying around and touching the opponent's back. Being a series centralized on a sport, AOKANA needs to rely heavily on the fact that the viewers will actually enjoy that sport. And as of right now, flying circus is the worst part of the series. Hey, maybe I'll become more interested in it as the show goes on, but right now, the only things that matter to me are the characters and the potential for drama.

Grade: B-

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

AOKANA: Four Rhythm Across The Blue Episode #2 Review

All right! Three new members in one day!

What They Say:

The Kunahama Institute is one of the first in the world to give out new anti-gravity footwear to its students. Not only does this invention change the way the basic world functions, with students now being able to shoot across the sky, but it also gives birth to a new sport -- The Flying Circus. Asuka Kurashina is a new transfer student at Kunahama who has never wanted anything more than the ability to fly. Suddenly mixed in with students who have already mastered the art of flight, Asuka must overcome physical and mental barriers as she adapts to a new environment filled with new people, all while trying to master a new way of life.

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Following what could be considered the upset of the century (To put it the way AOKANA's Madoka Aoyagi did), Asuka Kurashina has discovered a hidden love for the sport of Flying Circus. Even though she only beat the semi-professional Reiko Satouin by sheer beginner's luck, Asuka and the other girls believe that they might be on to something. And so, in an effort to renew Kunahama's flying circus team (Which had been reduced to a fan club considering it only had two members), Madoka recruits Asuka and the others with hopes of making it to the next seasonal competition. The problem is that not only does Asuka have no experience in flying circus, but none of the girls even have competition gear. Did someone say shopping spree? I distinctly heard a "Shopping spree" just now.

If you couldn't tell from the last two sentences, the new members of the flying circus team make their way to town to invest in some new competition gear. We learn a few more things about the different positions of the strange sport (Fighter, Speeder, and All-Rounder) and each of the three girls chooses which shoes they think best suit their playstyles. Asuka, being the newbie, goes with the all-rounder shoes, while Misaki and Mashiro both choose the fighter ones. Well, I mean, technically Mashiro chose the speeder shoes, but she had them programmed to be fighter shoes because that's what Misaki had. (Calling it early, but these two might be the best non-yuri yuri couple of the year. I ship it). 

After the girls go clothes shopping, the flying circus club begins their first practice. Things take off (No pun intended. Maybe) right away with Misaki immediately challenging Asuka to a match. And, of course, that match goes essentially the same way Asuka's last one did -- with her being absolutely dominated until a last minute attempt for a comeback. Just, this time, that comeback doesn't actually happen and Misaki wins 9-0. From this, I can deduce that Misaki is actually the best flying circus player in Japan and that it isn't Reiko Satouin at all. That's it, wrap it up, folks. Series over.

We also see our first signs of subplot/character development in that of the series' main male protagonist, Masaya Hinata. Through various vocal exchanges made between him and the teacher, Aoi Kagami (Who is easily the most attractive girl in the show), it is hinted that Masaya has had some experience with flying circus in the past. However, considering both him and the teacher are frowningly serious in these exchanges, it is safe to assume that whatever experience he did have with flying circus didn't really work out the way it was supposed to. I take this as a sign of big things to come in terms of that needed dramatic plot aspect I detailed in last week's review. Also, I'm all for any more serious conversations with Kagami-sensei (Whose name I can't say without having flashbacks of Denpa Kyoushi (The Ultimate Otaku Teacher). Man, they really should have given her a different last name.

In Summary:

Episode two of AOKANA serves as another outlet for exposition and details on how exactly flying circus works. The moments of fanservice are plentiful but extremely brief for the most part, and the comedy is that of the same caliber episode one possessed. Character development and dramatic subplots will most likely commence within the following episodes. But apart from some more flying circus information and some slight propelling of the coming story, this week's episode of AOKANA was a bit lackluster compared to the former. With that being said, I still expect great things to come in the following weeks.

Grade: C+

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

Beautiful Bones: Sakurako's Investigation Complete Series Anime Review

There are some things that have value because they're pointless, you know?

What They Say:

Sakurako Kujō is a genius beauty in her mid-twenties whose life is centered around one thing and one thing only: bones. With little tolerance for others, she would be completely isolated in her study full of skeletons if it weren’t for high school boy Shotaro—her new assistant and constant companion. Why exactly she has taken a shine to him remains a mystery, but one thing is clear: Whenever the two go out together, the chances are high that they will come across a human corpse.

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Everyone has that one show every season that they're super excited for. Whether it be a continuation to a former series, an all-new creation from a favorite studio, or even a show just has an extremely pretty girl on the promo poster, us anime fans get ourselves psyched up over basically anything. For me, the conductor of the primary hype-train for Fall 2015 was Beautiful Bones or A Corpse Is Buried Under Sakurako's Feet. 

This mystery light novel adaptation follows the unlikely crime-solving duo of Kujou Sakurako, a well-off osteologist from a wealthy background, and Shoutaro Tatewaki, who is basically just some high school kid. This directorial debut from Makoto Katou is equally as youthful in the animation department, being only the second series animated by studio TROYCA (Aldnoah.Zero). The light novel, which goes by the same title as the anime, began publication in 2013 and is currently still adding more volumes to its name. The author and artist, Shiori Ota and Tetsuo respectively, once again exemplify how fresh this series is when you take into account just how little they worked on. Hell, even the two main voice actors have never been in an anime before. With an entire staff of people who could be considered "freshmen" by some others in their field, Beautiful Bones busted onto the scene with the notion of proving that the new guys in town can be just as good as the old veterans.

The series follows the typical arc format that many other series, primarily mysteries, have been utilizing as of late -- meaning that each individual mystery could consume anywhere from one to four episodes. As these arcs progress, the underlying plot line does as well. Actually, I'm not sure if "Plot line" is the right term to use there. The biggest part of this entire series is watching how the two protagonists grow and develop in terms of their relationship. As Sakurako and Shoutarou solve these mysteries, which are occurring at a suspiciously alarming rate, their thoughts of each other progress, in the same way, that the cases do. Shoutarou sees Sakurako as this astoundingly beautiful, overly smart grown woman that he still needs to watch after due to her sometimes absentmindedness. Sakurako, however, seems to view Shoutarou as sort of a replacement to someone she may have known in the past.The two become rather codependent on each other, and watching them grow is honestly the most entertaining (And important) part of the series.

Each arc and each mystery you will encounter in Beautiful Bones is quite different than the next. Seeming, more often than not, like typical "Foul play" murder cases, each story has something buried deep down inside it that literally turns the case on its back. But, I mean, it wouldn't really be a mystery without that, right? More than half of the arcs wind up being exponentially darker than they seem at first which, depending on how you view the series, can be either incredibly entertaining and gripping or just flat out disturbing and uncalled for. My particular favorite (And I won't spoil it for you) is the final arc that details one of the strangest love triangles of all time. This arc actually goes on to introduce a bigger continuing plot that I'm sure the light novels make a huge deal of. However, considering this plot doesn't spring up until the last three or four episodes (And we only have 12), we don't get to see much of it. The plus side to this is that it leaves a metric ton of room for a second season if this one is received well enough.

This isn't a series where you're going to see Square Enix style, fashionably gorgeous characters, but instead characters that accentuate the realism of...well, reality. Each one seems more like someone you might encounter in town rather than an anime series -- which is awesome. This creates sort of a subconscious tie that viewers can create with particular characters that may remind us of some people we've actually met in real life before. Except Sakurako -- she's too perfect to be an emulation of an actual person. Along with character design, location and landscapes display a sense of realism that is both rejuvenating and nostalgic. Even the music shines in this series, spiraling into a chorus of enchanting violins when Sakurako activates detective mode. Beautiful Bones is well rounded in a multitude of ways, leaving only some rushed and confusing story aspects to drag it down.

The strangest thing about this series is how Sakurako is introduced. One of the first times we hear Shoutaro talk about her, he mentions that she is engaged to some guy somewhere or something. Then, we never see that guy, or even hear about him again. Hell, I don't think she even mentions him at all for the entire series. Maybe he shows up later in the light novels or something, but the way it seems to me is that this fiance guy was just thrown into the mixture to dispell feelings of intimacy between Sakurako and Shoutaro (Or, if you want to get weird, just make it more taboo). Not only is this weird and unnecessary as far as developing characters goes, it's just too safe of a decision for me. I mean, this is a series that highlight suicide, child abuse, more suicide, and a plethora of other things. But it draws the line at a relationship between an adult and kid who will be an adult in, what, two years? Personally, if you're going to weave a tale centered on co-dependency, I don't think you should throw random obstacles in the way. Any obstacle introduced should have a reason -- it shouldn't just be there for the sole purpose of complicating things.

In Summary:

Beautiful Bones boasts an "Impressive on all fronts" personality which only becomes bigger when you take into account how new every staff member is to the anime industry. Story arcs are deep and detailed with little self-censorship, which is essential for a mystery series. Character design is realistic while character personalities are relatable and intimate. Art design evokes a sense of nostalgia while still painting a beautiful portrait of an enchanting environment. The only thing that comes as a true hurdle to this series is some rushed conflict in terms of character relationships. As a whole, though, Beautiful Bones is a refreshing story of codependency between unlikely candidates that harkens back to stories like The Garden of Words. Room for a second season only makes it better.

Grade: B

Streamed By: Crunchyroll/Hulu