FUNimationed. (By the way, why does he have to attach a picture of himeself to the letter?)

Summary:

Makina and friends are running around the city trying to track down a rogue shikabane that seems to be targeting women. However, they always get there too late and the culprit always disappears before either her or Minari can get there. Meanwhile, Ouri gets sick and one night ends up infront of a doctor’s office. When he wakes up, Makina is there too. Apparently the doctor and a baby he is taking care of are the suspects. Makina tries to make a run with the baby, but is stopped by the baby’s mother. She and Ouri are captured, and the doctor injects her with some shikabane cells. However, these cells have no effect on Makina for she is already dead. Instead, Makina breaks free and kills the shikabane (with her Uzis!). Just as she was about to kill the doctor, Keisei arrives and stops her. Unfortunately, the doctor is murdered, later on, in a hospital.

Thoughts:

What we learned this episode:
Makina is already dead oh wait I knew that already
Makina’s family was killed in a fire
There’s some organization pulling the strings behind the scene … oooh big surprise /sarcasm

I’m a bit worried about the show moving along at snails pace right now, and honestly it’s not fairing so well against other shows this fall. I think my review yesterday pretty much covers what I want to say about this series so far;

Shikabanehime Aka – This ones a toss up. You must remember, just cause a show is below my expectation doesn’t mean it sucks (except for Kameko DX). Maybe I expected too much, being the Gainax fanboy that I am. I totally forgot my favourite Gainax works were all original works. Either way, I was expecting alot more action, and some actual storyline. I’m not getting alot of either in the first three episodes (score: D for double Uzis)

Well the show hasn’t hit danger zone yet… but its getting there.

Ooooh purple blood! Strange… but better than black blood.

So Ouri doesnt find it wierd that the telepathic cat can go through windows? Then again, he did bring a girl back to life.

Oh hey she got captured again.

My thoughts exactly.

I must of rewound and rewatched this part 5 times. I don’t get it. So she moved her hand, and this doctor just drops the syringe and accidentally pulls the trigger?? I mean its not his first time doing it (as at least 5 others have been implanted with shikabane cells). Argh. Logic fails me.

Edit: oops left out some screenshots

Summary:

The episode begins with the death of four kids in a traffic accident, one of them being Hikari, a friend of some kids at the orphanage where Ouri grew up.
At her own funeral, Hikari suddenly resurrects as a shikabane. In comes Miakina, and in the ensuing battle, she is run through by shikabane Hikari’s tail. Hikari then transforms into her human form when Ouri shows up and Hikari begs him to save her, leaving the injured Makina behind.

Ouri is lured to a park, where apparently two of the other kids have also become shikabane. Just as the three get ready to attack him, Makina shows up (apparently healed) to save his gullible ass (ok fine Ouri helped too… alittle).

Thoughts:
We learn that each shikabane has a human partner – or as they call them, a contractor. We also get to meet two other shikabane/contractor pairs this episode.

The OP was also shown this episode, the song fits the overall fell of the series, and for some odd reason, I just get the feeling Kiseki will die. I can’t quite explain why…

What has annoyed me about many shounen shows is that characters spend a lot of time talking and analyzing in the middle of battle. I mean WTF. If I was in a fight, I wouldn’t stand ther listen to my opponent ramble on. Makina is definitely a talker, screwing up not once, but twice because she was too busy talking.

I facepalmed orz

yeah I’m ready, are you?

oh guess not

This leads me to believe she’s relatively new to her job because we don’t really see Minari making those mistakes.

1, 2, 3 strikes you’re out!

Either way, a good episode, but definitely being outshone by the other supernatural/demon killing show this season, Gai-Rei Zero. God that show is made of wtf-win.

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