THAT Animeblog

Long has Patrick dreamed of this day…

Fellow Earth Federation citizens! I appeal to you all. Celestial Being is exhausted! It is low on troops! Low on ships, weapons, and even ammunition! Why then should we surrender? Dear fellow citizens, our true enemy is no longer Celestial Being but our own weak leaders. Hiding behind some notion of “absolute democracy”, they are reduced to absolute indecision. Why should we the survivors of this horrible war, entrust them with the power to make decisions for us!?

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With the Spring season rapidly approaching, here are a few updates to our massive Spring 2009 Preview.

Cross Game: Website, Airdate, Seiyuu, Studio
Fullmetal Alchemist: New PV
Hayate no Gotoku!!: Trailers 1&2 (click the link for “Special”)
Saki: Trailer 2
Sengoku Basara: Trailers (2 TV commercials and 2 PVs), Airdate
Senjou no Valkyria -Gallian Chronicles-: Trailer, Airdate
Shangri-La: Airdate, Seiyuu
Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica Crimson S: Trailer 1, Airdate
Souten Kouro: Website, Seiyuu

New Anime Added (without commentary): Slap Up Party -Arad Senki-
Airdates Only: Asura Cryin, Basquash, Chi’s Sweet Home, K-ON, Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-Hen

A Zeon worth fighting for.

Well now that work is out of the way and I am currently waiting for orders during Spring Break I am finally able to fully address IKnight’s “War Sucks!” post in a fuller manner. IKnight raises an important distinction between the war sucks theme and the prevalent misnomer that it essentially means that such a work is by nature anti-war. For the most part Gundam is anything but anti-war and with exception to a few animated works such as Waltz with Bashir and Grave of the Fireflies there aren’t many animated works that are at their core anti-war. For the most part Gundam is not anti-war since all mecha is a glorification of violence on some level and not an out right rejection of violence as a means to an end. In most cases those who do writing probably have never fought a war nor have ever served in uniform, even then there is a great deal of difference between a conscript and a volunteer. The only widely read writer that I can think of (note there are many more that may or may not have seen combat) who actually fought in a modern war was George Orwell, given that anime is done almost exclusively by Japanese writers and given that they hardly talk of the full scope of the last war that they fought it is unlikely that they are capable of fully understanding the great big mess that is war. IKinght is largely correct in deducing that opposition to one war does not automatically mean that such a person is anti-war, the notion that there can be a just war is proof enough that there are few true pacifists.

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Yes, they really were BOTH laughing in that daydream.  Just like a certain stripping senior…

Once again, as seems to be par for the course, Minami-ke Okaeri manages to lurch along from amusing to ho-hum all within the same episode.  The twist this time is that we get an episode that focuses more on Riko for the first few skits, including a daydream which seems to have been stolen from Hosaka’s inventory of Haruka-induced delusions.

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Unfortunately this brings us to the penultimate episode of Maria+Holic. On the other hand it was blessedly hilarious and somewhat insulting to Catholic priests (something I don’t really have a problem with~). Of course it shouldn’t be too unusual that a Catholic priest would go for an underage male right?! Hohohoho.

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Now that Prince Ali is in Future Century otherwise known as Valhalla, he decided to enter the Gundam Fight…

In the first place, I deny everything but what I have all along admitted, the design on my part to free the slaves… The word of God teaches me that all things whatsoever I would that men should do to me, I should do even so to them. It teaches me, further, to “remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them.”… I believe that to have interfered as I have done as I have always freely admitted I have done in behalf of His despised poor, was not wrong, but right. Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of Azadistani “justice,” and mingle my blood further with the blood of my comrades and with the blood of millions in that slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments by the Azadistani occupier, I submit; so let it be done! Let me say, also, a word in regard to the statements made by some of those connected with me. I hear it has been stated by some of them that I have induced them to join me. But the contrary is true… There is not one of them but joined me of his own accord, and the greater part of them at their own expense… Now I have done. I, Prince Ali, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty world can never be purged away but with blood. You may dispose of me very easily. I am nearly disposed of now. But this question is still to be settled, this slavery question, I mean; the end of that is not yet. – Prince Ali to the Trial System, in the aftermath of the GN Burst

Don’t make a mess of it – shoot straight, you retard. – Last words of Prince Ali

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First to fight for the right,
And to build up women’s might,
And Miss Rina Goes Rolling Along
Proud of all she has done,
Fighting till the battle’s won,
And Miss Rina Goes Rolling Along.

So with the end of finals and the agonizing wait for final grades White Album was much more enjoyable this time. No Rina’s M-16 guitar was not the crowing achievement despite what omo and Kabitzin might think, rather it was the funniest episode to date as Touya wept like the pansy he is. Oh it was music to my ears. While decent people like usagijen have called it quits I think she cut and run all too soon. I find it strange that there are those who are quite close to cutting and running too but I suspected that all along the drama was going to get stupid quick if only because only Rina has a brain and Touya is a Shinji Ikari with “problems.” No comrades this is no drama this is the tale of a bunch of losers from 1986 who created faux problems in their still booming 1986 economy.

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