A nerdy aside

So I'm writing this entry in a blogging client I just installed, called LogJam, on my netbook, which as of Monday night runs the Xfce version of CrunchBang Linux. Until a few months ago my nerdy tendencies and know-how had been declining for many years; I'd wanted to be a programmer when I was much younger but ended up focusing on writing music, photography, an arts degree, all sorts of other things. I always used computers heavily but they became simply a tool to me.

It's now a few years since I dropped out of my arts degree, and I'm thinking of going back to uni to study something more technical, so late last year I tried Linux on one of my own computers for the first time (Ubuntu Netbook Edition). It was okay. A lot of things didn't work, and it was slower than Windows XP, but I really liked the customisable user interface and it was a good way to start forcing myself to learn Unix terminal stuff. It didn't take long before I grew tired of Ubuntu and wanted something faster, leaner, more customisable and... well, 'more geeky'. Something that I would really enjoy getting my hands dirty with, trying to optimise and improve it, and thus getting back into really tinkering with computers along the way.

I had picked Ubuntu because it is the most visible choice for user-friendly Linux, and I think it was a good pair of training wheels, but having gotten past that stage, CrunchBang just somehow looked like 'the one for me'. Kind of like when I picked out my guitar in the shop years ago... it was the first one that caught my eye after walking in and even after looking at others, I knew it was mine. I've spent the last few nights working out the kinks, plenty of time in the terminal interface, getting the touchpad to work correctly, fiddling with Unix/Linux/Debian/Xfce configuration stuff; tonight I tried out an alternate kernel version. It's been a good learning experience and now that the setup nerdiness is mostly done, I have a great OS environment to use day-to-day on my netbook that is way more responsive than Windows or Ubuntu was; even videos play back more smoothly. Xfce is frankly marvellous.

The one thing that isn't great (also goes for Ubuntu and all other Linuxes as far as I know) is that I have no control over colour output in the video drivers - in Windows I adjusted the gamma/brightness curves for each colour channel independently to compensate for my netbook screen's rather washed-out blue-tinged response. In Linux all I can adjust is the gamma factor with a command-line utility, which doesn't really cut it. So I just have to live with it, but it's only a minor drawback. Maybe, in time, I will have the expertise to craft a solution myself!

Last Exile

I saw this show mentioned in passing online; like Index it just happened to look like something I'd enjoy – in this case, a steampunk setting and large airships duking it out.

Claus and Lavie are two orphans from Norkia, part of the kingdom of Anatoray which is engaged in a perpetual war of attrition with neighbouring Disith, largely consisting of gigantic air battles. Overseeing the war is a mysterious, highly advanced group called the Guild, who also maintain the 'Claudia units' that enable flight for registered ships and can revoke these units at will. Claus and Lavie are, respectively, the pilot and navigator of a vanship, a small aeroplane-like flying vehicle they use to carry out errands for the townspeople.

As they are competing in a vanship race, another pilot is killed nearby by the Guild while transporting a young girl to an unregistered ship named the Silvana, revered as the 'unsinkable battleship'. The teenagers complete this mission and decide to stay on the Silvana to make sure the girl is okay; they quickly become caught up in the mission of the Silvana's captain, Alex Row, to defeat the Guild. This takes them further and further from home, but closer to their long-time dream of piloting a vanship through the Grand Stream – a notorious, turbulent section of sky that separates Anatoray from Disith.

The visual design is great. Understated colouring lends an old-timey feel which complements the steampunk designs nicely. Locations, ships and characters are detailed and refined. The extensive use of CGI imagery for exterior shots doesn't clash at all with the cel animation, and in fact gives the ships and air battles a realistic sense of bulk and fluidity. The sound design is also of a high standard, again quite realistic and effective, often sounding more like a big-budget American sci-fi series than an anime. If there is a weak point in the whole aesthetic package, one might point to the soundtrack, which certainly has great moments of fanfare and excitement but isn't particularly memorable. If anything, in quieter scenes the lack of music is probably an advantage for the show's atmosphere, given the overall style.

Last Exile is one of those shows that feels like it could easily be condensed into a longish movie without really sacrificing much of the story. Considering its 26-episode length, it's absolutely something that should be watched in a relatively short period of time. It's quite slow-paced; battles can last for a couple of episodes at a time, and there are plenty of supporting characters that get a fair amount of development. But it's far from boring – it's a patient, well-structured show that sets up plenty of mysteries as its protagonists encounter the wider skies around their homeland, and answers them at just the right pace up until the finale. The protagonists' unfamiliar situations are never used as an excuse to spoonfeed background on characters or politics to the viewer, so we do learn everything along with them. Other than the two leads perhaps spending a little too much time in emo mode, said characters are likeable and interesting enough, especially the two Guild members who allow themselves to be captured and eventually befriend Claus and Lavie.

I will say that the ending is a little loopy, and more overblown than I was expecting; it reminded me somewhat of a certain [edited out due to potential spoileriness] movie. Certainly satisfying, and appropriate to the show's epic story, though I might have preferred something a little more restrained and realistic, perhaps focusing more on individual characters and their stories. I was happy to learn that there is a second series on the way, with all new characters in the same world. Until then, I heartily recommend Last Exile. It's a unique breath of fresh anime air.

A Certain Magical Index / A Certain Scientific Railgun

(Toaru Majutsu no Index & Toaru Kagaku no Railgun)
Although I have a long list of acclaimed anime from the last decade or two that I intend to plow through, lately I find myself more often just watching new shows put out by fansub groups that I follow. I am not a big fan of having to watch things week to week; normally I start watching when a series has just finished or, as in the case of Magical Index, when a season is at least in its second half. I hadn't heard anything about this one from anyone, nor had there been any mention from my favourite reviewers, but the premise looked vaguely like my kind of thing – something like Heroes or X-Men in a high-school anime setting, adapted from a series of light novels.

The bulk of these two shows takes place in Academy City, a district of Tokyo inhabited by two million esper students - people with special abilities that are scientifically classified and rated. One of these students, Touma, a Level 0 who has no visible powers so far, encounters a strange girl named Index, who turns out to be a member of a branch of the Church of England called Necessarius – a shady group with the responsibility of using ordinarily prohibited magic to protect the world from evildoers. She's on the run from mysterious attackers and Touma, getting caught up in her predicament, discovers that his right hand is the "Imagine Breaker", with the power to completely dispel supernatural forces and abilities on contact, be they magical or scientific in nature. Naturally, being a selfless do-gooder protagonist, he ends up involved in several international plots and city-threatening incidents, meeting members of different (usually oddly violent) Christian sects and other nasty organisations on the way.

He also comes across Misaka Mikoto, another high-schooler who is somewhat famous for being one of the few Level 5 espers in the city. She has the power to control electricity and can use this to fire small metallic objects (usually coins) rather like a railgun. Misaka gets her own spinoff novels and show, which some folks seem to prefer over the main series. It's a lot more light-hearted; even when things get serious in the show it seems to be handled in a more easygoing way than in Index, which is quite dark and heavy at times.

From what I understand, both shows follow the novels pretty closely, and are comprised of arcs that last for several episodes at a time. Most of the characters are likeable and engaging, with the exception of Index, who is possibly the most annoying titular character I have ever seen. By the end of the second season of Magical Index she is relegated to background comic relief and has almost nothing to do with the plotlines at all, for which I am thankful, although it is a mite silly considering the show's title. The visuals are great; lots of sparkly special effects, nice animation and art style, interesting character designs. Soundtracks are good too, including some excellent theme music.

I really enjoyed both Index and Railgun, but Index really lost a lot of its charm for me towards the end of the second season. Not sure why; probably has a lot to do with me catching up to the weekly broadcasts at that point. The plots became quite complex and not that fun to follow over a long period of time – these shows definitely benefit from being watched several episodes at a time, e.g. one novel's worth in one go. Or perhaps after 72 episodes (across both shows) it was just a bit much. Who knows; I'd still recommend. It's a well-done adolescent action sci-fi timekiller that delivers just what it promises; no more and no less.

Seriously though: worst ending ever on the second season of Index. Seems like it was just halfway through one of the books or something. No development, no closure or big climax, threads left weirdly unresolved. Disappoint. At least there's more coming.

Arakawa Under The Bridge

It seems the shows I end up enjoying the most are often the ones I know the least about when going into them. I heard about this one on a reviewer's list of their favourite anime opening sequences from 2010, but not much was said other than something along the lines of it being quirky and charming, which is usually up my alley. It's an adaptation of a fairly long-running manga, and spans two seasons of 13 episodes each, both produced last year.

Young, successful business heir Kou walks along a bridge over Tokyo's Arakawa River one day and is set upon by a gang of 'eccentric' (says the fansub) youths, who somehow leave his pants attached to a column far above his head. While attempting to rescue them, Kou falls into the river and is himself rescued by Nino, a strange blonde who was fishing from the edge of the bridge. Kou's family motto says never to rely on anyone else, so he insists that she make a request of him in return - and she asks him to be her lover. In bewilderment, he agrees, and begins living on the riverbank under the bridge along with Nino and the other assorted nutcases that are her friends. The first of these that we meet is the chief or mayor of the area, who claims to be a 600-year-old mythical creature (a Kappa) despite obviously being a man in a costume, and who must give Kou a new name ('Recruit', or 'Ric' for short) before he is allowed to stay. Nino, for her part, claims to be a Venusian, and is named for the text on the front of her tracksuit (2-3, 'ni-no-san' in Japanese).

I really like this show, but I have a pretty hard time trying to define why, which I suppose is standard for me. Some of the characters are hilarious and lovable: in particular, Nino, who is forgetful, unhinged from reality, and disturbingly naïve for her age, and Star, a talentless musician in a yellow star mask who resents Kou/Ric for his relationship with Nino. The animation is fairly standard, certainly well-done but nothing unique, and is pretty much a straight adaptation of the manga's visual style, right down to Nino's peculiar, dead eyes. Ric's exasperation with almost everything the locals say and do is the source of much amusement, although a few of the characters are pretty stock-standard in this regard; e.g. P-ko, the river's fruit and vegetable farmer who fits the stereotype of 'cute and clumsy' and according to Ric is 'a walking catastrophe'.

I suppose the main thing that sucked me in is partly what I had heard about the show beforehand - that it is quirky and charming - and partly that it is damn funny. I really grew attached to the main characters and was eager to see further developments and new situations. There are some small story arcs, such as Ric's frustrating but endearing attempts to further the relationship with his 'lover', a planned commercial development on the riverbank in season 1 and a quest to fly everyone to Venus in season 2, but these arcs take a backseat to the day-to-day shenanigans. Most irritating, Season 2 comes to an abrupt end on pretty much a non-note, resolving nearly none of the tantalising suggestions of plot (including some hints of Nino's true past). Presumably the manga continues these threads, and I've sought it out and plan to read it. I have never actively read a manga before, but that's how much I want to know what happens. Hopefully there will be a third season of the show too.

Shiki

MasakoX and his Anifile review series are responsible for my watching this, and I am grateful. I suppose it falls into the 'horror' category, although it did not frighten me at all (that reaction seems to be limited to live-action stuff like Paranormal Activity or The Ring). However, it was definitely enjoyable.

I shall say right off despite it not being revealed until some way into the series: this is a show about vampires, which is always a plus in my book. I have a very guilty appreciation for vampires and their ilk - I read the first 11 Anita Blake books and part of the 12th before I realised I had just read a hundred pages of supernatural sexual tension and decided I'd had enough, and I do love True Blood. So if vamps are your thing, give this show a go. Like any good vampire story, it puts its own spin on the established mythology, keeping it fresh and exploring some interesting themes and ideas that I hadn't seen done with vampires before. The setting of an isolated village (at least they call it a village, but it's fairly large) is a nice change too, and is very relevant to the plot and many of the characters' attitudes and motivations.

The art style is really nice. Most of the characters have very unique designs (and ridiculous hairstyles), which definitely helps considering there are so many of them - I say most, because two of the main characters look nearly identical, and I didn't realise they were different people at first (mega 'Ooohhhh' moment). Everything is fittingly dark in tone and of course much of the show takes place at night, lit by supernatural auras or raging fires. The music is melancholy and haunting, and at random times I had some of the background themes floating through my head without knowing where they were from at first.

I can think of two downsides to this show. One is that the first half of the series is excruciatingly slow-paced; I can't imagine having to watch that part week to week. Perhaps this was necessary to build up the tension; I couldn't say for sure, but thankfully things pick up a lot in the second half, which I did largely watch weekly as it aired in Japan. The second flaw was that I just didn't feel connected to the characters. Everything felt pretty distant, and it took a while before I realised I was supposed to be already emotionally invested in what was happening rather than taking in some kind of setup or prologue. This could be because there is no real protagonist - the two characters who come closest to filling this role, in terms of being introduced to what is going on at the same time as the viewer, are both private characters who have plans and objectives that we don't always see. Other characters that discover things along with the audience are too annoying or minor to form a connection with.

Still, despite the above, I'd recommend this show. It has a unique, lamenting tone, and the plot and pace really do kick up a notch halfway through. At 22 episodes it's not too short to be shallow and forgettable, but not so long that it starts to drag and outstay its welcome. Worth watching for any vampire fans. (Twilight fans need not apply; these nasties are the real deal.)

Two short anime series, 2011.01

Midori Days

I'd heard about this one quite some time ago from an ex but never really thought about watching it, until I was given a Minotaur gift voucher and found that it was one of the very few things on the shelf that a) came well-recommended and b) I hadn't already seen. This is a show about a high school delinquent who never has any success with girls but wakes up one morning to find that his right hand has been replaced by one - in fact, it is a girl that has had a crush on him for a long time but of whom he is completely unaware.

Not really a great deal I can say about this show. It's not bad. It's funny, and cute, never sinks to the obvious joke, and is over soon enough. The romance, such as it is, feels pretty contrived and unbelievable, but perhaps that's just because Midori is not my type. I found myself rooting for the other girl, who stood no chance from the beginning. Never a good sign. I'd recommend Midori Days as an easygoing time-killer if it sounds like your thing.

Seitokai no Ichizon (The Student Council's Discretion)

Started watching this one with absolutely no clue what to expect; it just happened to be on a fansub group's RSS feed. Turns out it's another high school club/council comedy nonsense thing. My initial thought was that it was a retarded version of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and not worth my time, but the show echoed that very thought in dialogue ten seconds later, which somehow convinced me to keep watching. So I suppose it's a parody of sorts - of other shows of its kind and of otaku life/culture in general - but only inasmuch as the fact that it is adapted from an actual manga would allow.

This is the first anime of the 'moe' variety that I have seen and will probably be the last. I'm pretty sure I could literally feel my brain rotting while watching. Being a self-aware reflection of tropes in manga and anime does not forgive unoriginality and being utterly boring. I suppose this show had its funny moments, and occasionally came close to engaging my interest in a couple of the characters, but overall... not worth the time.

Black Swan

Just got back from finally seeing Black Swan. This is possibly the best film I've seen since Inception, but I'm going to have a hard time working out why. I guess my personal measure of movie greatness is how much of a reaction it left me with, and this one certainly had an impact.

Other than a single dissenter whose opinions usually diametrically oppose my own, the group I saw it with unanimously agreed that Black Swan is amazing. I think we were all a little shaky when leaving the cinema. A couple said 'I can't talk about this... I just have to go home.' One thing that everyone else said was that it was very scary and freaked them out. It didn't have this effect on me, perhaps because I've watched one too many freaky animes or because I'm just twisted, but it did have my pulse pounding from beginning to end. I was going to catch the Night Rider bus home but ended up getting a cab, because I just kinda wanted to be alone with my reaction.

I found myself thinking halfway through that I'd never seen a film with this particular tone before - frenetic, disturbed and unrelenting, giving a real sense of being unable to escape what is happening. I think the editing and sound design were mainly responsible for this. Normally I'm not a fan of loud, unsubtle musical scores and atmospheric sound, but here it really worked. Every single relief of tension in the film was a little less relief and a little more ominous than the previous, right up to the finale, by which point I was completely seduced and owned by the movie. Natalie Portman's excellent performance doesn't hurt either.

I've seen Black Swan compared to Perfect Blue, but I don't think this is very accurate. I see the similarities, but they are shared by quite a few films, and Black Swan pulls it off very differently and much better. It ends on a perfect note. I don't want to say anything about the plot of the film; I think it's better enjoyed knowing as little as possible. Since it's been out in the US for quite some time now, hints about the content and plot directions were well and truly hitting my ears by the time I saw it, and I wish they hadn't. Still, no big deal.

So yeah, drop everything and go see Black Swan, preferably late at night and in a nearly empty cinema. That is, unless you don't do well with slightly disturbing imagery and a dollop of body horror, because this film delivers on both counts.