Monthly Archive for February, 2005

Beck #17

Published on February 25, 2005 in BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad (complete). 4 Comments

The guys are finally going to get the opportunity to debut their album in America, but Ryuusuke warns them not to expect too much since they’re only starting out at the low-key Indies level. Despite their doubts, they’re still excited about going to America one day, and Chiba’s especially looking forward to hooking up with blonds. (Blonds are waaay overrated, Chiba. :???: ) Things are going quite well for Koyuki as well now that he has the Telecaster all to himself. He’s sounding better than ever on the new guitar, and he also has a new chick in his life to keep his mind off of Maho. She’s the one who worked next door to the restaurant at the doughnut shop and always ran into him in the alley. While waiting for her at the nurse’s office at school (she’s a klutz), he sings her name, Masuoka Hiromi, to the tune of “Face” and also offers to teach her to play the guitar “next time.” Although I like the idea of him and Maho being a couple, I don’t think it would really work out since she’ll always be friends with Yoshito, and he’ll always try to find ways to jeopardize her relationship with him. Think about what she just put him through the other night, even though she really didn’t have anything to do with it. The very fact that she’ll continue to communicate with Yoshito, even though it may hurt Koyuki, is enough to give caution to the both of them. Who knows, maybe he has good connections to powerful people. It’s just too bad that he’s nothing like the character he plays on television. He would benefit from having a little sympathy and compassion for other people.

Saitou-san’s his usual hilarious self again in this episode, and he whispers to Koyuki that although he has a better understanding of the sex industry than anyone else, he doesn’t have that of relationship with Momo-chan and merely gives her advice about her dilemma in regards to her job at the Ram club in her past.

While reading the newspaper, Ryuusuke sees a colorful advertisement for Belle Ame’s National Live Tour and immediately crumples up the newspaper. He even tries to get Beck to eat it, but he’s not that stupid. :) He also receives a call from Frank Alvin with what sounds like even more bad news, but it turns out to be the complete opposite. BECK’s albums are selling well in America, apparently, but he also warns them that Japanese albums don’t particularly sell very well on American soil, so they’re hoping that theirs will be the one to make it. Ryuusuke also explains the story of how Lucille was “acquired,” and it turns out that he stole it one evening along with Beck (the dog) due to boredom. Not surprisingly, the person he stole it from has been looking for both the guitar and Beck ever since.

More people are showing up for BECK’s live now that they’re getting more exposure, and it’s interesting to see Hiromi in the audience as well as Yoshito, although he’s only there to hear Koyuki’s singing. Much to his dismay, Koyuki does a wonderful job singing “Face,” and it’s even crowd-pleaser at that. After the concert, Koyuki tells Hiromi to show up to his other gigs as well, and Maho walks past them just in time to hear the entire conversation. She looks pissed as she walks away, but I think she’s finally getting a taste of her own medicine after what she put him through. Good episode, but I’m just wondering — where’s Hyoudou now that he and Koyuki are friends? Hopefully, we’ll get to see him later on in future episodes.

–

Sorry to disappoint all of you with my lack of posts. With my limited amount of time to myself, I can only devote so much time to one particular thing. I recently got myself suckered into playing WoW, and that’s what I’ve been devoting my time to. It’s definitely a fun world that I can escape to, and I know that there are at least a couple of you who are playing as well, so you can understand the fascination with the game. I may be ten episodes behind everyone else, but that’s okay. I’m going at my own pace, and that’s all I can do. Thank you to those of you who continue to visit. I’ll be around — just not as often.

Farewell…

Published on February 17, 2005 in General. 0 Comments

Your superb anime reviews will be missed by so many people, David. Take care of yourself, and I hope you’ll return one day. :)

As for Naruto, I’m saddened that it’s finally licensed, but not surprised. It’s just weird not seeing it listed on AnimeSuki anymore.

Ah! My Goddess #5(Ah! Under One Roof)

Published on February 16, 2005 in Ah! My Goddess Tv. 5 Comments

Ah! My Goddess #5(Ah! Under One Roof)

Being with the most beautiful girl in school has it’s pros and cons. Everyone knows
who you are but everyone wants you out of the way. Keiichi misplaces some material
for a class and Belldandy works up a quick spell to go back to their home and retrieve it.
In her absence he sits at a bench and tries to relax a bit but everyone comes by and
asks whether or not Belldandy and him got into a fight or if she left. The two Sempai(s)
even ask but Keiichi lets them know it isn’t true but he used the wrong words or
maybe miscommunication a bit and now they think Belldandy is pregnant so they want to
name the child to come. How can so much happen in just a few moments?

Enter Mishima-chan, she even notes that Belldandy isn’t with him and that it isn’t normal.
He informs her that he misplaced something and Belldandy went home to retrieve it. Keiichi
does not choose his words too carefully and lets on that he lives with Belldandy. Mishima
is in shock, and she has always considered Keiichi romantically inept. Belldandy must be at
the root of it. Morisato blurts it out that he and Belldandy don’t have “that” type of a
relationship. He goes on to say that he himself doesn’t quite understand the relationship.
Mishima-chan is a bit disappointed now. She tells Keiichi if that’s how it is then having
a girlfriend will be a distant dream and that he should atleast tell her how he feels.
Keiichi now is on a mission, to honestly express his feelings for Belldandy.

“It’s not like you’re elementary school students.” Mishima Sayoko

Belldandy brings back the class materials for Keiichi and now he is nervous and flustered.
They both attend the same class, but while the teacher discusses engine parts Keiichi is
focused on her and trying to pull himself together. Belldandy pulls on him and he reflects
on Mishima’s words and he decides to confess and let the chips fall wherever chips fall. =)
The teacher asks if he understands and he stands up and yells “Suki{ski}” meaning liking,
fondness, or love. The teacher replies with a curiosity, “Do you like cylinder heads that
much?”. Keiichi is totally humiliated replies with a heavy heart, “yes.”

“…I want to see that smile forever.” Morisato Keiichi

At home he shuts himself off in the room to think a while. He knows that he really likes
her but is very concerned about the contract and if it is even possible for her to feel anything
for him. He daydreams a bit about what could happen. Rejection or Acceptance, regardless of
what happens he loves her and must know the truth. He digs around in his room for one of
those relationship books and he finds a few things he could do. He scrounges around the
temple for candles to set the mood. The Sempai(s) had left behind some romantic music
when they dropped off his belongings from the dorm. Keiichi is apprehensive and Belldandy
notices that he is acting strange.

Belldandy fixes dinner for the two and he eats with her while he hatches his plot to win
her heart. First, he puts on the tape and sets the mood with some affectionate music. She is
starting to hum to the music and all is going well. He leads her outside to the candles that
he set to make a path of love. She loves that as well but there’s a problem. Keiichi is panicking
and acting feverishly. You can see the sweat pour from him as he tries his very best to confess
to her. He tells her that he needs to make something clear as he holds her hand. She notices that
his heart rate, temperature and blood pressure is raging up near dangerous levels. She pays no
attention what he is saying because she is worried so she levitates him quickly and moves him
to another room to rest. She holds him tightly and carries him to the room and begins to heal
him.

Keiichi pays no attention to his problems at the moment and tries to talk to her. She asks him
to relax but he fights with her a bit to have his say. Right before he collapses he confesses to
her, “I, not apart of the contract or anything, want you to go out with me as a woman as I am
a man.” He passes out from sheer exhaustion and she has a moment to reflect on his words.
She admits that she came only for him, and that she wasn’t lying about her feelings and that
she only wants him to be happy. That is her wish… He never had the chance to hear that from
her but the next day he thought to himself that she will be with him forever and there is no
need to rush things.

Kiba’s thoughts:

Gomen nasai, sorry about my late posting but I’ve recently gotten addicted to J-Drama’s
and Japanese variety shows :). I had to pull myself away just to write this. Anyways..

Ah! What a wonderful episode. All of us have been in the same situation but none of us have
ever dated a Goddess(I’ve had a couple that were close ;). Everyone wants to define their relationships. As Mishima said it was easier back in elementary school. You’d make one of
those box notes, mark yes here, no here and maybe here. The innocence of the main character and of Belldandy is what keeps me coming back to it. Storytelling these days just isn’t this
good. I may be wrong but everything I write is of course my most humble opinion.

Beck #16

Published on February 16, 2005 in BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad (complete). 0 Comments

The person who threatened Eddie with the cases of bullets pays him a visit in the hotel bathroom and demands to know where Lucille is. To make things worse, Eddie’s also had to cut out the scene of Koyuki performing on-stage with Dying Breed since it shows him playing Lucille in it. Things aren’t going too well for Koyuki, either. He has the boss from hell who’s constantly on his back for being too slow, and now he’s also getting complaints from customers as well. It turns out that the customer who’s always complaining about the soup is Saitou-san, a cheapskate who keeps hoping that he’ll get the soup for free one day if he complains enough. I usually like Saitou-san, but I don’t like his tactics in trying to get food for free. He obviously makes more money than the people working there, so he should really stop being cheap and pay up. During his break, Koyuki sees the same girl taking out the garbage in the alley again, and it looks like she’s getting the same crappy treatment in the doughnut shop as well.

At school, Koyuki finds out that Maho’s friend Yoshito plays a young boy in a wheelchair in “Geppachi,” a drama about a lonely husband who lives far away from his family. Unfortunately, fame has gotten to his head because he acts like a jerk when he and Maho pay a visit to Koyuki later that day at work. He’s completely rude to him from the get go, complaining about his dirty clothes and then complaining to Maho in English about inviting him to their friend Christine’s birthday party. This makes Koyuki feel bad about working at the restaurant as well as his inability to speak English, but for now there’s nothing he can do about his situation.
Continue reading ‘Beck #16′

Beck #15

Published on February 10, 2005 in BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad (complete). 0 Comments

Koyuki’s busy studying on his homework with the radio playing in the background, but he’s only half-heartedly listening to it until he hears the DJ announcing a song dedicated to him, Dying Breed’s “My World Down.” Not surprisingly, he stops working on his homework and jams on his guitar instead. The next day, Koyuki overhears Tanabe and the Three Stooges (the Hyoudou gang) talking about Momo-chan working at the Ram pub during her college days, and his imagination goes on overdrive as he fantasizes about her walking around the classroom in her bra and panties.

Hyoudou orders Koyuki to hit him as hard as he could, but he also gives him some sound advice from his dad — “It’s not good for people who are able to imagine things to not express their emotions properly…” Now that they’re friends, Hyoudou encourages Koyuki to express his feelings instead of keeping them inside. It also seems like Hyoudou feels better now that things are even between him and Koyuki. Now that they have a common interest (playing the guitar), their friendship may even grow even further in the coming months.
Continue reading ‘Beck #15′