I’m not really able to comment meaningfully on the above hypothesis with reference to ToraDora! or Shana2 because I haven’t seen the manga or light novels respectively and I didn’t even watch ZnT 2 or 3. But two thoughts do come to mind.

First, are we fair to consider J.C. Staff to be monolithic? Stripey’s post on the series composition process strongly suggests that animation studio credit may not be the sole or even most important determinant in the quality and enjoyment level of an anime series. Is it possible to isolate a sub-studio-level centre of gravity that is the cause of much woe and teeth-gashing, like a specific individual or group that does areas mostly like to touch on ‘original’ parts such as script writers, screenplay writers, story boarders, directors?

Secondly, there could be exceptions that prove the rule but it also suggests that J.C. Staff orginal does not always equal suck. I really enjoyed Episode 19: One Spring Night in Azumanga Daioh. Having checked my four volumes of the Azumanga manga, I’m pretty sure most of the material in this episode is anime-original. And it was, for me, the most touching episode; it proceeded on two parallel tracks that charts the students’ and teachers’ sakura flower viewing, it was a lovely glimpse into the teachers’ world.

There was an intriguing tension between how Nyamo, in particular, was an adult figure to the students and yet she herself didn’t feel fully adult in comparison to her peer, Eiko, who had a better paying job and/or who had ‘gotten herself a man’ (as Yukari put it with her usual tact and finesse), neither was she really recognized as actually being fully ‘adult’ by her mother.

I wouldn’t have thought that these themes could be best explored in the context of Azumanga’s world. But it fit perfectly in the episode, contrasting with Chiyo and Kagura’s conversation about their dreams for the future, as well as the overall direction of the series which was moving towards graduation and beyond the here.

But, outside this single dissonant case, has J.C. Staff, in general, snatched the mark of original sin from GONZO?

©2012 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.

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.

Preparation for HRM100 (Introduction to the Harem Genre) seminar presentation (700 words maximum): Attendees should consider the following questions but are not limited to them.

1. What is the key assumption underlying Gakuencho Stripey’s criteria for a successful harem anime?
2. What are the charateristics that a credible male harem lead should have?
3. Is the very concept of a credible male harem lead plausible?

The presentation should comparatively cite empirical examples from at least three harem animes, one which should be airing in this current season. Individual graduate teaching assistants may suggest other readings or particular case studies and they will inform their respective seminar groups.

Preliminary reading list (not exhaustive):

• Stripey (2005a), "SHUFFLE! 03-04", (2005b) "SHUFFLE! 02" regarding the concept of ‘basis of attraction’
• Miao, J. (2005a): "Harem Genre Primer (featuring Mahoraba)", (2006a) "Utawarerumono Harem Power Rankings", (2006b) "Zero no Tsukaima Harem Power Rankings"
• Carlstrom, A. (2006): "Harems – A Love-Hate Relationship" for a female perspective

©2012 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.

Bought Azumanga Daioh DVD Vol.1-6 over Christmas and first week of the new year from Forbidden Planet London and Amazon.co.uk. Absolutely lovely series though some of my friends whom I lent my non-DVD copy to commented that there were too many Japanese puns in the series for their liking (presaged by the untranslatable title) or that “nothing happens!” Bah, philistines! And due to Erica’s reviews at Okazu, I got the complete set of GONZO’s Bakuretsu Tenshi manga via the Yuricon shop‘s convenient links to Amazon.co.jp. Shipping cost was more than the manga themselves though. T_T

I think GENCO and J.C. Staff have done a wonderful job of preserving the spirit of Azuma-sensei’s four panel format manga. I always laugh out loud in the first episode (no matter how many times I’ve seen it) when Chihiro is still sobbing following the scene transition after her fessin’ up to being tutored by Chiyo-chan.

But I also appreciated the addition of more adult-themes in the TV series especially the episode where Yukari and Nyamo talk about singlehood, dating and marriage. Particularly enjoyed Houko Kawashima‘s performance of Kagura (my favourite character) which was spirited and had that lovely tomboyish drawl. Also upon reflection, I now think Nyamo is the more interesting of the two teachers. While Yukari plays an excellent Unconventional Teacher act, she is a largely consistent character while Minamo Kurosawa has two sides which are in tension with each other – the usual friendly, reliable, conformist, conventional Kurosawa-sensei and the love(less)-sick, sentimental, sometimes deeply unhappy Nyamo-chan that Yukari knows and can provoke so well. And though both teachers are hetero, just like Miyuki and Natsumi in You’re Under Arrest! (esp in Ep 4 of the OVA), there are occassional tingles of a coupley sorta vibe between them.

No real complaints about ADV’s treatment of it. I never bother with the dubs but I do appreciate their necessity to reach out to a wider (and more parochial) audience. Just three nitpicks. It would have been better if I could have gotten a thinpak boxed set here in the UK as well as if the last DVD (with only three eps!) could have included the preview Very Short Movie. Given the otherwise excellent sub-titles in the anime and supporting notes in the DVD booklet, I’m disappointed that they chickened out on translating “chinsuko” (dick) and “ukoncha” (shyte tea) during the Okinawa episode in Vol.4. Are English-speaking audiences really so fragile? Maybe one day the executives of these companies, or the male ones at least, will rediscover something wonderful.

About the Bakuten manga, I’ll probably be doing ruthlessly short chapter summaries and photo highlights so suffice to say for now that it was an excellent mix of action, humour and sweet sweeeet yurilicious moments between Jo and Meg – such a lovely and loving yuri couple. I was feeling apprehensive as my (non-)confidence in GONZO has sunk lower and lower – I gave up on the Bakuten anime after four and a half eps. But happily the three manga volumes have been yet another excellent Okazu-recommended buy!

©2012 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.