anime with supernatural elements: May 2008 Archives

What in tarnation is wrong with anime nowadays? Not only is there a whole bunch of harem anime that are pointless and stupid, there seems to be more than enough pretentious shows polluting the airwaves.

I started out with such high hopes for "Ghost Hound" then as the series progressed I became more disappointed. I have no complaints with the quality of the animation which is high but the plot is just too convoluted and cloaked in way too much psychobabble. Like a middle school student can just talk about a psych theory at the drop of a hat let alone understand such yappings about the id and the nature of
memory.

Plus the droning on and on about this and that theory was enough to make me scream. The show drags when this happens and it occurs every episode.

The show tries to end with a big flourish by focusing on a cult religion and how the spirits of the mountain and of the faux organic beings created in the locally-based lab team up to help quash these nutjobs - literally. It was too late for me at that point. I didn't much care if Taro or his friends succeeded in saving the elementary school girl who gets possessed by an ancient God. Don't ask.

Avoid this pretentious yawnfest if you can.

The second season of Clamp's otherworldly series, "xxxHolic" started airing in Japan last month. I've seen four episodes of it so far.

"xxxHolic: Kei" picks up where the first season left off. Our hapless hero, Kimihiro Watanuki, is still the housekeeper/cook/sake buyer for the time witch Yuko Ichihara who grants wishes for a price.

Also back is Shizuka Doumeki, a classmate who can fire spiritual arrows that saves Watanuki from the spirits, ghosts and goblins intent on devouring him. Watanuki nags and yells at Doumeki who turns a deaf ear to the insults and just demands lunch from the excitable orphan.

Viewers get to know in the first few episodes why Doumeki never sees Yuuko's shop but only an overgrown field and a rotting fence. The shop is only visible to those who need it.

The first three episodes cover the story arc where Watanuki learns a hard lesson about life and friendship. He loses his right eye but gains half an eye from Doumeki and a better understanding of how others perceive him.

The manga is drawn in this stylized manner where figures are lean and elongated. It did not translate well in the anime version during the first season. It still looks ugly in the second season.

But I forgive the show it's poor animation because it captures the essence of the manga which can be deep at times and sometimes just silly. Watch the first three episodes and see for yourself.

The first season is already available in the North American market. I don't know if "xxxHolic Kei" has been licensed.