“Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit,” “Seirei no Moribito” – powerful story, amazing art – on Hulu and Cartoon Network
I just finished watching this series, which was beautifully done. It is based on fantasy novels by Nahoko Uehashi. She develops many characters that I respected and wanted to watch grow. Taking place in a fantasy world with many lands and races, the anime follows a bodyguard beauty, Balsa. She gets caught up in a royal incident that includes a prince, Chagum. She must protect the boy, who is fated to bear the egg bearer of a water spirit. It’s pretty epic.
“The Tatami Galaxy,” “Yojohan Shinwa Taikei” – stylized, stream of consciousness – on Hulu and noitaminA on Fuji TV
All I can say is, “Wow.” This show is unique and evocative. It utilizes a graphic style with and maintains a consistent palette to maintain fluidity, and it’s extremely fast paced. The story follows an unnamed college student trying to figure out where he fits and who to love. He becomes friends with an odd instigator, Ozu, who gets him in trouble often. The first episode focuses on a matchmaker god who loves ramen and is deciding which of the two men, either the college student or Ozu, will marry a girl, Akashi. Each episode is an alternate reality; Akashi is usually the girl the main character has feelings for, but everything changes in each show. The main character joins a different college club in each episode and, sometimes, a different woman will catch his eye. Even the characters’ personalities change slightly from reality to reality.
“Princess Jellyfish,” “Kuragehime” – otaku women, very cute and whimsical – on Hulu and noitaminA on Fuji TV
Absolutely loved this series. Great characters and a vision of otaku/NEET women that I couldn’t help but love. Each woman has her own obsession, whether it be jellyfish, trains, old men or collector’s kimono dolls. They take their hobbies seriously, spouting facts and sometimes transforming into super-Otaku. Tsukimi is the main character. She’s fixated on jellyfish because they remind her of her dead mother. She and all her roommates are scared of the “stylish” – that is people with great sense of fashion and perfect looks – which literally turns them to stone. Oh, and no men are allowed in their dormitory, as they pride themselves on being “amars,” or nuns.
“Fractale,” “Furakutaru”– futuristic, interesting sci-fi – on Hulu and noitaminA on Fuji TV
This one just fascinates me. It takes place in the distant future where there are “doppels,” AI holograms that stand in for people. People must pray to a star that uploads their data to Fractale everyday. However, not all are happy to perform this, and the main character Clain gets swept up with a Fractale-resistance group. This still is in the beginning of the series, but I am excited to see what happens next.
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