don't be dull, be fannish

Black Lagoon is getting better and better. At least in my opinion. I know that there aren't many team-related episodes in this season and that it's mostly about Revy and Rock, but it's fantastic. And there is even some character development. I love the fact that Revy is starting to admit that she likes Rock. In the previous season, she considered Rock just a burden. But now, I liked that she was proud of Rock surviving so long without actually killing someone, even being a member of their mercenary company. I think that for her, he is this bright ray of light. He makes her believe that there really is innocence in the world.

And the latest arc. Wow! I love how they slowly build up the tension towards a grand finale. I think this one will last until the end of this season. Balalaika is really ruthless. And I like that about her. She kills anyone who gets in her way. And even though she likes Rock, she wouldn't even blink if she had to get rid of him. That's kinda cool - in a twisted way. Revy playing Rock's bodyguard and defending him, so sweet. But I have a bad feeling about how this arc will end. Either Rock kills the girl or the girl kills Rock - I think that was the darkness he talked about.

Fantastic stuff!

Black Lagoon is like no other anime that I've ever seen. It doesn't have your doe-eyed teenage girls or fanservice-y panty shots. It's about real adult men and women who drink and smoke and smuggle stuff and shoot and kill and have fun doing all those things. This anime tries to imitate American action movies/series and does a wonderful job and even surpasses them in some points.

The anime is about a group of mercenaries who cruise through the international waters on the speedy boat Black Lagoon. The captain is a black man called Dutch. Then there is the computer expert Benny. And the girl on the boat - Revy (or Levy if you want; I think it should be Levy because of the jeans she wears all the time but what do I know, right? XP). The first two are odd ducks, but Revy is your resident nutty. She is reckless, brash and loves to kill people. Her best friend is her gun and she never talks about her past and what she had to do to survive on the streets.

And in the first episode, a respectable Japanese white-collar joins this bunch of weirdos. Actually, they take him hostage but when he finds out that he has nowhere to return to, he stays with them. They nickname him Rock and he turns into a sort of liaison with the "normal" people. Because even though he joins this mercenary group, he still tries to live according to his principles... well, most of the time. Sure, they jump a ship and steal their cargo, but he asks them politely to surrender first (before Revy blows them up that is XD).

The whole anime is actually about the clash of characters of Rock and Revy. They fight and shout... well, Revy does. Oh, and she threatens Rock and pummels him into the ground. But slowly she starts to admit (very reluctantly though) that some of Rock's ideas aren't that bad (the story about the gun-smuggling nuns for example).

But of course, it's all about action in this story. There are gun fights, things go ka-boom, there are Nazis and South American guerrillas, the Chinese and Russian mafia (Balalaika is TEH woman, really!), simply everything you want. So, this anime really isn't for children, if you haven't notice it so far XD

And Black Lagoon has another major asset - the music. Especially the ending song is excellent and catchy and kinda reminds me of the OP of Twin Peaks

So, overall, I would give it 4,5 stars out of 5. Why 0,5 down? Well, some things were a bit overdone (the Nazis) and some things I was missing (I so wished to see some torture in the 12th ep!). But it's definitely worth watching even though it's not for light-hearted people. I'm impatiently waiting for the promised second season!

Black Lagoon has only 12 episodes? *sniff* Why do all the good anime have to have so few eps? *pouts*

I fell in love with Black Lagoon. Totally and completely. That's an anime for me! Action! Action! And more action! Things going boom! Gun-fights! Treasure hunting! It's like watching an action TV series in anime format. I love the fact that the main heroes are not children but adults. And the females! Levi and Balalaika rock *beams* But it's not for the faint-hearted since in every ep a lot of people die.

And what really surprised me - in the good kind of way - was Utawarerumono (The One Being Sung). I'm not sure why I put off watching that one but now I can't get enough. It's really cool. The premise is not that original: The village healer finds an injured man in the woods and she takes him home. The man wakes up but has no memories. But he has a mask on his face that won't come off no matter what. And since the man doesn't have anywhere to go, he stays in the village... It sounds pretty lame but there are fights, baddies, forest gods etc. etc. Not really an action anime but on the good side of the fantasy ones :)

Tried to watch Demonbane too... I'm not sure what to think of it. The mix of magic and mecha... nya... If it would be just Kuro, his magic and his detective agency, that would be perfect (a bit like the Dresden Files books) but the whole grimoire thingy... and the baddies are rather tongue-in-the-cheek-ish too... I will probably give it one or two more eps to see where it's going.

And I changed my layout again. What a surprise! :D

Oh my gosh! Next week, there will be a two-hours special? *can't wait*

And this week's ep... *dies* ( SPOILERS )

This is one of the greatest anime I've ever seen. And what I like best about it? How they've become such great friends. Ishida doesn't bristle in Ichigo's company anymore and Ichigo considers Ishida one of his best friends. To be honest, I'm not even looking for any pairings in this one. The gen!friends aspect is enough for me this time. How curious is that? :P

So, I'm dead on my feet but I finally caught up on Bleach! *excited*

Last night, I finished reading the first book in the "Ukiah Oregon Series" by Wen Spencer: "Alien Taste". That's one amazing book that catches you and refuses to let go until you finish it. The characters - the goodies of course - are so lovable and the plot so intriguing. I mean, would you have thought about something like letting the blood of the alien turn into mice when it leaves the body (like when they get shot or stabbed - and Ukiah goes through that quite often too, the poor thing)? Ukiah is an absolutely amazing character that doesn't do dumb things like the main characters of other books I've encountered in the past. The Pack is adorable too - especially when they call Ukiah "cub" :D And then there is Max, Ukiah's partner, an ex-SpecOps, ex-this and that with really cool gadgets and a Hummer too (gosh, I love that car! it's so macho :D). And Ukiah's lover, Indigo Zheng, the Lady of Steel as the Pack calls her because she has a brain and she knows what she wants and she is determined to get it too. And then there are Mom Jo and Mom Lara, Ukiah's lesbian mothers and they are so cool. Oh, and I mustn't forget Cally, Ukiah's little sister, and her GI Jane Barbie doll... :D Amazing, truly amazing and worth every penny. And the books is really cheap too - 7 bucks only! Go and buy! The author even received a price for the 4th book in this series and all the books are at least 4,5 stars! *excited*

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And then there is the other obsession of mine - namely Bleach. I have never seen an anime before that had so many interesting and well developed and distinct characters. And the relationships between them are so intriguing. Especially the relationship between Matsumoto and Ichimura. I mean, when Gin stops grinning like an idiot, he is a really handsome man, don't you think? I think that he has a soft spot for Matsumoto. And even after all what happened, I still don't think he is a bad guy. I have this weird feeling that his behavior has a really good explanation. You know, the Japanese baddies are not really bone deep bad, right?
You know what squad I like the best? The 11th. Zaraki Kenpachi and his group. And who do I like most from this bunch of guys? Ayasugawa Yumichika :D I mean, he is hilarious. When he fought with the 69 guy... he had such a "I just got laid" look the little hearts and dumb smile included... You just have to wonder, what his zanpaktou actually is... ;P

I love Bleach. And I love this filler. And I hate it that people seem to do nothing but whine about it being a filler and that it messes up the manga. Uh... they do realize that this is anime and the authors have no obligation to follow the manga closely, right? And I'm grateful for this filler because thanks to it we will get much more eps of Bleach then without it and... ISHIDA! Yes, I love Ishida. So, this one makes me rather bouncy...

And I'm reading a wonderful book at the moment: Wen Spencer's "A Brother's Price". It's a het fantasy and so great. It's set in a world dominated by women. There are only few men born and they are considered a commodity to be swapped for a husband or sold. The main hero is Jerin, a boy that comes of age and so is ready to be sold. Fortunately, the Princesses fall in love with him and... ;) This book is by far not for everyone but I love it to pieces because it's my kink when men are protected by strong women ;P

Cluster Edge: Wow, I haven't seen so many bishies at once since Meine Liebe. This series looks really interesting. And I hope that there will be a lot of yaoi written for it. The combination of Middle Age armors and High Tech is rather unusual and I can't wait to see more. Agata, Beryl, Chalce... Wowowow! I don't have the words to describe it! :D

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Blood+: Another WOW! What a beginning. Blood everywhere. I like Saya. She is not a frail flower but a female hero I could love - strong, self-confident... Like Kaname in Full Metal Panic or Kagome in Inuyasha. And I really hope to see some great het relationship between her and Kai. I'm kinda crossing my fingers here hoping that he doesn't get killed. That would be so sad. *sniff* Intriguing, action-driven... and the monsters! Ick!

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Off to watch Samurai Champloo...