Gen X Otaku 1971: the OG blog

Completed: Deltora Quest (via Crunchyroll)

I finally completed the rather lengthy series Deltora Quest (with Canadian English dub) via Crunchyroll.  It was definitely a fun ride.  It is aimed at children, so some of the violence is blunted and nerfed, but it is still an engaging story from start to finish.  Deltora Quest is originally a book series from children's fantasy author Emily Rodda.  It was adapted as an anime, specifically as a Japanese-Canadian co-production.

It is a High Fantasy adventure story with Knights and Magic and Dragons.  A young Blacksmith's son, Lief, is sent on a quest to retrieve the 7 sacred magic gemstones of the legendary Belt of Deltora, which is the only device capable of fighting back against the evil Shadow Lord who currently holds dominion over all the land.  He is joined in his quest by former royal guardsman Barda and later by the roguish heroine "wild girl", Jasmine.

Each arc of the story relates Lief's quest to obtain the next gem for the belt, one after the other, each of which is kept hidden away by a powerful guardian, each more terrible than the previous one.  The belt, once complete, must be turned over to the one true heir to the Kingdom, who can then use the belt to defeat the Shadow Lord and restore freedom to the lands of Deltora.  Each quest is an opportunity for Lief to learn and grow and become a better person.  His relationship and emotional bonds with Barda & Jasmine deepen as their quest continues.

I watched this series' entire English dub run on Crunchyroll (alas the original Japanese subtitled version is not available for streaming nor is it included in the physical release, which is a shame because it includes extra OVAs that continue the story beyond the original); I liked it so much I bought a copy of the box set to own.  The characters are very likeable and the visuals are compelling, as are the stories contained in the quests for each individual gemstone.   Jasmine is very independent minded and is never used to only be a damsel in distress nor as Lief's love interest.  Jasmine has her own agency and her own agenda.  I think she has feelings for Lief but she does not pursue a romantic relationship with him in the context of the story.

Emily Rodda teases us with the prospect of a Queen Jasmine but then throws in a twist that defaults back to the least surprising ending.  I think an actual surprise that delivered us a Queen Jasmine would've been a much more interesting tale, but I'm sure the more predictable ending is what Emily Rodda intended and the anime was constrained by the source material.  In any case, it's a fun fantasy yarn and definitely worth watching.

Completed: Strawberry Panic!

I first encountered Strawberry Panic! in the Hastings Books & Records anime rental section in Denton, TX; I didn't realize it was a sub only show until I got home and tried to watch it.  I returned it unfinished well before its actual due date.

Fast forward to 2016, it finally shows up unexpectedly on Hoopla Digital via my local public library, so I decide to give it a go.

This anime is perhaps a "classic" in the Yuri genre and should be watched mainly for historical interest.  It is all about the drama and emotions and peoples' inability to communicate their feelings; there's very little actual kissing or nudity/implied sex.  Shizuma is supposed to be this dark, brooding heroine...but she came off to me as kind of a creepy bully who is a little fuzzy on the notion of consent.  It's still gross & rape-y, even among lesbians.  

It's not a bad show, it's just that there are two other, more recent shows I can name that are so much better than this one, namely Sweet Blue Flowers and even Sakura Trick.  Sweet Blue Flowers actually delivers on everything Strawberry Panic! aspires to but fails to reach.  The characters of Sakura Trick have the same innocent appeal as Nagisa of this show, but there's more genuine warmth and emotion and their love feels more real and genuine than any of the relationships in Strawberry Panic!.

Also, in Strawberry Panic! there's a plot driven use of temporary amnesia that's completely ridiculous, targeting a very specific set of memories from blunt force trauma to the head...for which the character doesn't even go to the hospital (!) and which the show dialogue informs us later that doctors have said the effects are only temporary (but the show doesn't show that character actually being examined by any doctor!); Minor nitpick but I found it to be laughably bad writing.  Another character suffers from what I jokingly call "unspecified manga disease" that is of course fatal.  Strawberry Panic! suffers from a number of such cliches.  It's melodramatic and overwrought.  The only good love story is that of Hikari and Amane-senpai.

Amane-senpai is the champion horse rider of the school(s) and slightly reminiscent of Lady Oskar of The Rose of Versailles.

I might have appreciated the story more if I knew more about the French Catholic educational model, but the whole office of "Etoile" was vague and confusing.  It was intended to be a two-person leadership role, like President and Vice President, I think, but the story seems to imply that the Etoile pair should also be romantic partners??  Also, the main rivalry seems to be between the Schools of Miator and Spica, while Le Rim is content to sit out the conflict and not put up any candidates for the Etoile.  The Etoile is the titular head with authority over all student council presidents of the three schools, and has a whole host of administrative and ceremonial duties, as well as to serve as a shining example of excellence & grace.  Apart from the romance drama, the show is otherwise just "moe" slice of life, with cute girls doing cute things.  There are certainly worse shows out there, but Strawberry Panic! is definitely inferior to more contemporary Yuri shows.