Konichiwa Anne #14

First, I got the screencaps up for last week’s episode. I don’t know what was going on at the time:p

Second, this week’s episode is: Randolph’s Dream.

An antagonistic boy named Randolph eventually becomes Anne’s friend and gets his problems with his father solved. I suspect Randolph didn’t like Anne to start with because she is clearly smart while he struggles with school work. As for his father, Randolph would love to be a farmer or herder, but his father, who worked up from such a position, wants a better life for his son. The truth is I suspect the two are too much alike, as the Grandmother points out^^; However when Randolph says he wants to be a farmer because he admires how his father built everything up from next to nothing, this changes father’s perspective. The way father was yelling at someone who owed him earlier, you can see where Randolph learned it from. We see Anne’s temper again. I suspect Randolph teased Anne about her hair and about being poor. As for the teacher, I would say she shows a bit of favoritism to her best students except she did go out of her way to try and help Randolph with his father. Not the best episode but still alright. I do wonder where Sadi was this episode, though . . .

Cities of Gold #35

This week’s episode is: The Olmec Machine.

Many of the Olmec warriors have been killed by the Mayas. Gaspar and Gomez get the children and force them into the Olmec mountain. This causes Mendoza to worry when he returns and they aren’t by the golden condor. Unfortunately, they way in they found is blocked. So he and the others go to the entrance hidden by the waterfall. He has the Mayan warriors wait outside. Menator taunts Gaspar and Gomez. Gaspar and Gomez are eager to do anything for gold so they go along with him. Unfortunately, it is a trap. While Menator does need young cells from the children to revive his people, he also needs gold from the cities of gold. Unfortunately, it seems the power needed is the same one that destroyed the people of Hiva and the earlier Olmec empire. Mendoza arrives and helps take care of the Olmecs, but not before Menator gets Zia inside a huge machine with him. Threatening Zia, he gets Estaban to tell the location of the cities of gold. The machine then drills out of the Olmec mountain and starts flying off towards the city of gold. Our heroes and even Gaspar and Gomez manage to escape the now crumbling mountain, but I don’t think the doctor or Marinche are so lucky.

Tsubasa Manga #22

Kurogane wakes up back home in his country of Japan. I love how Fai punches Kurogane for the way he saved them bot^^; Well, there’s nothing left for Fai to hide anymore, Syaoran and Kurogane know everything now about his past. Syaoran talks with Watanuki in the dream world. When Syaoran wakes, he sees Sakura’s body. Fuma is there as well, with  a special delivery from Yuuko: a new mechanical arm for Kurogane, paid for by the rest of Fai’s magic. It also seems Tomoyo gave up her power as a dream seer to get our heroes to the country of Japan after Celese. Seishiro also appears. at first he attacks Fai, but then is more polite asking about the vampire twins. However, those two left the ruined country of Tokyo shortly after our heroes did so our heroes have no idea where Kamui and Subaru are. Seishiro is about to leave, when Syaoran confronts him, wanting the feather back that Seishiro took in the Outo/Eddonis. They fight, which creates a dimensional rift that Syaoran goes through, saying he’ll be back with Sakura’s soul. He does indeed find Sakura’s soul in the dream world, but then clone Syaoran appears . . .

Tsuasa #45 & #46

Sorry I missed yesterday. It got busy. So today  I have two episodes for your pleasure:)

The first episode is: The Second Hardship.

The next world our heroes visit is actually one they have already been to: Chu’nyang’s world. It seems the towns people are rather agitated: the witch’s people have been attacking humans and turning them into stones by taking their souls. Sorata is a chief rouser, but Chu’nyang thinks they shouldn’t fight. Fortunately, our heroes show up and keep anything from happening. Our heroes and Chu’nyang find the witch, who has been injured while trying to stop her own people. She changes into a small comb like shape to conserve energy while she heals. However, Arashi, who has care of those turned to stone, sees this. The next day Kurogane is fixing Chu’nyang’s roof again with Fai as manager while the others go into the village. However, few people seem to want much to do with Chu’nyang. Arashi talks with Chu’nyang, but she can’t deceive Mokona who senses her conflicted heart. Arashi then tells them to hurry home before the others go to destroy the witch. Fortunately, Fai and Kurogane are there. Unfortunately, other users of the secret arts are there with the mob. Chu’nyang and the others arrive, and before things escalate too far, the witch turns normal again and takes Syaoran, Kurogane, Chu’nyang, and Sorata with her into the world she is from.

The second episode is: The Secret Arts’ Main Point.

Mokona figures out Chu’nyang’s world is a mirror of the witch’s world. In the other world, the witch explains how after she had killed the lord and was going to kill the lord’s son, but then one of Sakura’s feathers appeared and the lord’s son used it to stop the witch. He then used the feather to gather the souls of humans which he used to control the witch’s people. Add talk about humans attacking, and it’s rather a wonder the witch survived. Kurogane and Syaoran go attack the castle, freeing those under the spell of the lord’s son. Sakura meanwhile uses Chu’nyang’s magic mirror with her own power to take herself, Mokona, and Fai to the witch’s world and she gives Chu’nyang back her mirror. Chu’nyang doesn’t use the secret arts but rather persuasion and a touch of recklessness to convince the witch’s people (who aren’t under the spell) that they are there to help. Syaoran finds the lord’s son a bit difficult to deal with, but in the end he is no match. Kurogane keeps him from escaping and all the witch’s people have now been freed from his spell. Sakura’s father is safely retrieved. Chu’nyang agrees to act as mediator between the two worlds, and Sorata is a convert, ready to tell everyone in his village how much like them the witch’s people are. Our heroes are off to another world:)

Sailor Moon R #1

This week’s episode is: Revival of Moon! A Mysterious Monster Appears.

It has been about two months and all the Scouts have been leading normal lives with no memories of what happened in their fight with the Dark Kingdom. This is complete with Usagi running late to school and getting into trouble with the teachers. One night something falls from outer space and leaves before people arrive at the crash site. Luna and Artimis are worried. They are right to be: the crash was caused by two aliens, Ann and Ail and their monster tree. The next day, two new students are at Usagi’s school: Seijuuro and Natsumi. In reality they are Ann and Ail. All the girls go wild over Ail including Usagi, but interestingly enough he is attracted to Usagi. Ann is berating Ail for this when they pass Mamoru and Ann falls for him. Ann collapses and Ail takes her back to their tree and she gets energy from it. Unfortunately, the tree which the two need to live is dying. Ann and Ail figure they need to get energy for the tree so they get a monster to collect energy. It attacks young women. Naru sees an attack and is in turn attacked. She was on the phone with Usagi, and Usagi thinking something must be wrong rushes over. Usagi wants to protect Naru but gets her energy drained as well. Artemis distracts the monster and leads it outside while Luna, with regret, makes Usagi remember everything about being Sailor Moon. Usagi becomes Sailor Moon and goes after the monster. With some help from Luna, the monster is destroyed. Ann and Ail introduce themselves and leave. Usagi is sad about remembering everything. In all fairness, you can hardly blame her and given this new attack I don’t think she would have it otherwise.

And so Sailor Moon is off for it’s second season:)

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles #44

Today’s episode is: Kero-chan and Mokona.

Our heroes arrive in a new world and there is no one around, although there is evidence of recent civilization there. The good news is Mokona can feel one of Sakura’s feathers. With no place near by, our heroes settle in to camp for the night. Fai is pretty good about getting out of chores, though he does cook the meal^^; Mokona seems a bit down. He considers who he will sleep with that night and decides he wants to sleep with everyone^^; Unfortunately, that is not possible, so he decides on Syaoran. Not able to sleep, Mokona chats with Yuko a bit. After he finally falls asleep, a strange light appears . . . The next day, Mokona wakes up and can’t find up. The others wake up and at first aren’t sure where they are. Then the know – on top of Mokona’s head! Our heros are now very, very miniature. Our heroes fall off Mokona’s head, but before he can step on them, someone shows up. This someone is Kero! Kero collects everyone and explains how a feather fell from the sky and made everyone small with a strange light from a now cursed mountain. Kero, as the guardian of this world, gathered them and put them in a small place. Someone must be using the feather to make everyone small (with the exception of magical creatures). Kero had a dream where someone would come and save everyone, and that someone is Mokona! Everyone else is too small to do anything anyway, so Kero and Mokona go to the mountain. Mokona swallows some rocks that fall on them, Kero keeps Mokona from falling asleep in the snow and opens the barrier surrounding the feather when they finally reach it. The culprit is a butterfly. The feather is retrieved. And now the rest of our heroes have learned a little about how Mokona usually feels and Mokona has made a new friend^^; Since the effects of the feather don’t wear off immediately, Mokona gets his wish fulfilled and sleeps with everyone, though I’m not so sure he liked the results come morning:) The next day, our heroes are off again.

Fruits Basket Manga #23

Finally, the last volume! I’m not sure whether to cheer or cry . . .

Well, there is one last banquet that most of the members of the Zodiac attend (Shigure is being himself and it is probably too much to ask Kureno to attend, and I don’t think he’s out of the hospital yet anyway). Akito makes the dissolving of the Zodiac official and reveals her true nature. We finally find out what Shigure has been after this whole time too. Seems he’s always had a thing for Akito but is rather jealous too. Anyway, just because the Zodiac is dissolved doesn’t mean various members won’t continue to be friends and see each other occasionally. They are just free to live their own lives. This isn’t the only change. Graduation has arrived. Everyone passed. It is time to think about the future. Yuki is going to college some distance away. Machi still has a year left of high school, but will join Yuki there. As for Kyo, he is also leaving to apprentice to a dojo instructor far a way. Tohru decides she will go with him. In the end, I think it is mostly happily ever after for everyone, though in some cases this may take some time. Rin, certainly, is going to need that time, though Hatsuharu will help I’m sure. And I feel bad for Momiji – he can have a normal life but I doubt his mother will ever remember him. Hopefully he can now have a relationship with his sister Momo at least. Well, Tohru and Kyo certainly seem to live happily ever after anyway:)

Well, all in all I’ve enjoyed this series. I can hardly wait to read it the whole way through, though this will have to wait  a bit. For those who have only seen the anime, the manga explores the darker undertones much more than the anime did (though in all fairness, the anime ends at about volume 8 . . .). There are lots of revelations, we meet more characters, including the rest of the Zodiac and Yuki’s fellow student counsel members and we get more of Tohru and Kyoko’s past. One nice thing, the dark parts are still interspersed with funny parts (ie the student counsel) and every day doings or not so usual but still common things like vacations. One fun bonus in the manga, first we get explanations of each of the Zodiac in detail, then we get fan art from a lot of different places and ages. If the anime is as dark as you can go, the manga may be too dark for you. Otherwise, if you loved the anime you will probably love the manga:)

Special A Manga #6

Who is it that intrudes on the cultural festival SA is helping out with? Aoi, loyal retainer of the Takashima family and companion of Kei. After a little observing, he determines that Kei’s current environment is not suitable for the “young master”. We also get some flashbacks and see how Aoi became so loyal and what he is really like. Well Hikari especially is not okay with Kei leaving and sets out to prove he should say with some interesting results. Among other things, she and Aoi end up forming the Takashima Kei fanclub (he’s president and she’s vice president^^;) and Hikari invites Kei and Aoi together for a meal made by her. Too bad she still can’t cook to save her life^^; Kei and Hikari end up going on a date and Hikari starts to realize her feelings for Kei. Only one problem. She feels that if she confesses her love in some way she will loose. So while Hikari is acting strangely, she drops to thirteenth in the school standings. The only way to make up for it is at the sports festival, but some of the other girls seem determined to get Hikari out of SA . . .

Akage no Anne #47

This week’s episode is: The Reaper Whose Name is Death.

Well, I knew it was coming but it’s still sad;_; Sob!

Things are normal at Green Gables with everyone doing chores. Martin goes into town for something and Matthew asks him to pick up a paper. However, shortly after Martin returns, Matthew faints. Martin goes for the doctor, stopping only long enough to inform Mrs. Lynde. However, there is nothing the doctor can do. Matthew died almost instantly from a great shock. The newspaper is the culprit – the bank the Cuthberts use has gone under. Many come to pay their respects and Anne and Marilla are kept busy with preparations for the funeral. However, Marilla, quiet as she is, is much more demonstrative of her grief than Anne is. Diana offers to spend the night, but Anne declines this offer. Finally Anne manages to cry and she and Marilla cry together.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles #43

Today’s episode is: The Fifth Oath.

Our heroes are now wanted people and the librarians are after them. Unfortunately, Mokona still feels sick and can’t take them to the next world. So our heroes decide to hide in the library. Hey, who’d think of finding them at the scene of the crime? Kurogane really sees more into Fai than Fai is comfortable with. When they see Syaoran going through books (well, they are in a library with time to kill and Syaoran does love books) Fai gets the idea of using a copy of the book of memories to find out Syaorans past since Kurogane is worried about Syaoran seeming to have two personalities. However, since the feather from the original book of memories is gone now and the copies get their power from the original, there is only one last chance to see his memories. However, Kurogane gets distracted by Sakura and opens the book so when Syaoran opens it he sees Kurogane’s memories again. This time he sees how Kurogane swears fealty to Princess Tomoyo with five oaths and in returns gets an exact copy of his fathers sword which was buried with his mother. Unfortunately, by this time the librarians have figured out our heroes are in the library. Fai has Kurogane move a bookshelf that activates some magic which hides them, but eventually our heroes are still found. However, by this time word has come that the troublesome feather has been destroyed so our heroes are no longer fugitives. Mokona is better so it is off to the next world.