Shikabanehime:Aka 01
Tales of the Abyss has 10 groups subbing it, Shikabanehime:Aka has 1.
Let’s hope that the number of groups subbing is not highly correlated with how good of a show it is.
Summary:
Ouri Kagami, an orphan who grew up on the grounds of a Buddhist Temple and one night wanders around looking for his ‘brother’. He stumbles into a room where a young girl lies, dead. After secretly witnessing his brother revive the girl (and having a conversation with a cat) we get thrown into the present day – where Ouri is moving out of the orphanage.
This mysterious girl is a Shikabane, a living corpse, and she’s running around hunting down other Shikabane with two sub machine guns. She crosses paths with Ouri again, and this time it is Ouri who revives her – but even after being revived, her heart does not beat… for she is a corpse princess.
Thoughts:
It’s a little hard to judge how Shikabanehime:Aka will turn out from this episode alone, since it really depends on what Gainax wants do with it. Of course, I can understand why a lot of people aren’t jumping all over this – it wasn’t particularly exciting and it wasn’t particularly funny – but it was a solid introduction. To be honest, that’s completely fine with me, it’s not like Gurren Lagann had me drooling for more after first episode either, yet it turned out to be my favorite series of 2007.
Gainax sets the tone with a dark palate as opposed to their usual vivid colours they love to use and Shikabane looks like it will serve up some decent action, with a side dish of potential mind rape. And to the excitement of some (and annoyance of others) we get a glimpse of some trademark Gainax fight scenes reminiscent of FuriKuri and Mahoromatic.
And for the record, I love this art style
This is quite different from what Gainax have done before – even their darker and angstier shows were either cutesy and fluffy or fanservice-ridden in places, but this one seems to buck the trend in that sense. The humour isn’t overdone and there are plenty of beasties, blood spillages and explosions. Hell, we didn’t even get a pantsu flash when Makina leaps into action! TBH she’s sassy enough as it is, so I think a distinct absense of Gainax Bounce is appropriate here.
I’m still expecting this to be a cool, mindless action-fest but if we get some good old Gainax innovation and mindrape that won’t be such a bad thing. The art style is great though…hopefully the characters will grow on me in future episodes. It’s a keeper in any case, what with me being an unrepentant Gainax fanboy and all. ^_^
Quite right that this series cannot be judged from one episode. Wonder if it will have enough to keep going and make me watch the second season as well.
10 groups on one anime? Seems like an awful waste to me…They should hurry up with Tytania instead =p. If it’s, as Martin says, Gainax without all the Gainax, then it should be righteously awesome.
First episode seems pretty fail to me, but you maybe right, maybe the first episode isn’t a good indicator of how much I will enjoy a show. I’m not holding my breath though.
I was actually thinking.. the last screenshot kinda has a black lagoon feel to it too…
@panther : Well it’s a given i’ll watch the first season and no matter how it turns out I think i’d at least check out the second season too.. if only to see what Studio Feel will do.
@lelangir : yeah i think so too… -__-;
I rather liked this first episode. While not ground breaking, it provides some mindless fun to kill some time. I wonder though, does liking the main girl technically make me a necrophile?
I have this sitting around on my hard drive, but it doesn’t interest me enough yet. ): Hearing the words ‘corpse princess’ sounds pretty cool though, and it does make me curious.
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