Category Archives: Simoun

August 21, 2006

Succulent Simoun

By omo

Aeru, Aaeru, Aelle, Achoo, Aru?

Episode 21 leaves me breathless. This year is shaping up to be one of the most exhilarating year in anime for me! Three episodes floored me so far. Can’t wait how many more left just out of the 5 episodes of Simoun alone, not to even mention what’s down the pipe for the next 4 months.

Granted I think my extreme reaction is enhanced by my late buzzing streak on this topic, pent-up stress from school, and the fact that episode 21…has a bunch of things that pushed my button THE RIGHT WAY. Sigh. Only if it wasn’t so spoilerific, I’d just cream it all out there. Maybe I’ll see you (or you see me) at one of these people’s blogs instead?

4 comments | posted in Modern Visual Culture, Simoun

August 16, 2006

Trying to Beat Tempus Spatium at Izumi Pool, And Miscellany.

By omo

\o/

First, some housekeeping items:

  • Before I move on entirely in many ways, here’s a YouTube clip of Ayako Kawasumi’s performance during her panel, at least for a couple questions. You might want to watch your volume a bit. Also the local Baltimore paper has an Otakon aftermath piece you might want to check out, especially those of you who are interested in the, ahem, crossplays. Check out the video/pictures on the right side of the website.
  • As my vacation time winds down I’ll definitely be blogging less–maybe back to my 3-times-a-week schedule, if I can help it.
  • Watch Simoun. Or not.

I was googling and surfing and reading opinions about Simoun here and there today–Simoun is totally on my mind–but one thing that struck me is just how the various Simoun Sibyllae eventually will have to go to the Spring. It made an impact when I realized we could start a pool on this.

If this is any help, here’s a chart to keep you afloat with names and relationships. Keeping ourselves to Chor Tempest (as of episode 19, anyways. And by the way, if you have suggestions and/or corrections for that chart please let me know). I know I need it…

Aeru – 3 to 1. I think it’s just hard to imagine her taking a role that’s gender female; in as much as I think in the end, archetype character design rules would have her more in line with “indifferent” so Onashia could play the Wheel of Gender-Morality game with Aeru. The tomboy speaking pattern would suggest as much at the least.

Yun – 10 to 1. If her speaking pattern, again, is clue for anything, she talks like a very odd … guy. However I think her personality, once stripped of its gender context, is very much also a masculine stance. In some ways being a girl actually seems more befitting Yun’s behavior, so I think it’s just more fun if Yun ends up male. Ultimately, however, I don’t think it’ll make a difference like how it made a difference for Erif.

Dominura – 3 to 1. I can’t imagine exactly how Dominura could be a man, but the only possible way that I can tell is tied with how gender roles are cut within the Simulacrum Theocracy itself. If it is going to be locked up in the way that only men gets the top jobs, then Dominura would gladly make the sacrifice, knowing that it probably won’t make a difference. However, I don’t know if this is truly the case…even if there are some signs of it.

Floe – 1 to 10. She said so as much.

Lodoreamon & Mamiina – Even. I think Lodoreamon is going to be the big surprise for us. In as much as I think her personality and Mamiina’s personality are a match, their social position and upbringings are fairly drastic. As a result I think Mamiina is probably going to stay a girl and Lodoreamon a guy, or vice versa. It depends on which considers play a bigger role in this gender bending mess.

Alti – 2 to 1. Believe it or not, even if she’s having that Guld Bowman moment with Caimu, Alti is a very perceptive person when it comes to those who she cares for. And those who are really easy to read :) Probably a man, given how Alti is a dolt to those closest to her. I don’t think she’s stupid enough to bank the decision on Caimu though.

Caimu – 2 to 1. I think she is tied with Paraietta and depends on how that plays out, she would either be a man or woman depending on Onashia, or depending on Paraietta’s wishes. Given that I think by the end it’s more likely that Caimu gets enough of Paraietta (although in a positive way), there are just more alternatives for Caimu to turn into a man than not.

Rimone – 5 to 1. It’s hard to tell so early in her development, but at this rate I don’t think Rimone is going to care for her gender. In that way she’s like Dominura; she just want to take care of the business she’s here to take care of. Even more so, she has less attachment with her feminine side, I presume, than Dominura?

Morinas – Even. She’s also hard to tell, partly because we just haven’t gotten really deep into her development. Given that she does have that “fangirl vibe” she could easily turn out either way. But if her attachment to Simouns are of any meaning she probably would fall for Wapourif or replace Wapourif.

Paraietta – 7 to 1. Paraietta is already the most manly Sybilla in Chor Tempest, with maybe exception to Yun. The question is how she will play it out with Neviril? Presuming even if that factors into her decision, it’s way more unlikely that she goes male and Nev goes female. All other combinations leads to a male Paraietta.

Neviril – 2 to 1. Ultimately Neviril has been slowly going back and forth on the personality scale throughout the series, and while her design and her mannerism screams female, one strong factor remains: her status. In fact, as long as she continues to take her lead role amongst the Chors and kick ass and chew gum all at once, she’ll no doubt turn male by the end of it all. There’s still a wildcard factor in regards to Aeru, but that’s more likely to push her towards the female end.

Now that’s done, it’s time for some qualifiers and disclaimers. First of all, these conjectures are most likely going to miss completely in that the show isn’t likely to try to wrap up every one of them–either out of time constraints or poetic license. In some ways all I am doing here is to explore how gender and gender roles play in the coming-of-age themes in Simoun. It’s also a futile exercise in seeing how much realism Simoun adhere to, when it comes to constructing characters and constructing its universe. It is all very fascinating once you include factors as the characters’ upbringings, social status, and outlook in terms of their roles in life and social injustices they may have encountered. Choice over gender is a powerful thing…

3 comments | posted in Conventions and Concerts, English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture, Simoun

August 10, 2006

I Love Simoun

By omo

I spend a lot of my leisure time with people on IRC. It rubs off on me, that pattern of behavior, you know, the entire bit about conveying emotion through emoticons, capitalization, image macro links, and just very clever asshattery. Jaded and now gotten used to the usual tricks, it is amusing what can be salvaged for my tarnished mental innocence, left floating in the gutter that is known as the internet.

Perhaps that’s why every time when I tune in to the plight of the Chor Tempest, I am right there as if I am Guraghief! Ah, this is the essence of the Battle Miko fetish, is it not? Or better yet, the best spin on the children of war theme? A symbolic coming of age?

But like most rewarding things in life, it doesn’t come to you without effort. Simoun is totally a show that got the shaft from the fansubbers at the get-go, but the fault lies on Simoun itself for being the best internally-consistent, unconventional fantasy setting probably since Last Exile. On top of that, the massive cast, the steadfast pacing, and a confusing (yet important) beginning can leave viewers bored, confused, disinterested, or all three.

However it has rather solid production values. Simoun boasts a competent voice acting cast, and it is directed by the director of Ranma 1/2. Working what’s left from their Fate Stay Night splooge, Studio Deen does what they do best: gorgeous (animated) illustrations. They’re frameable paintings, for crying out loud. The 3d-CG Simoun aerial fights covers their still-frame butts this time around, and while that looks cheap and takes getting used to, it doesn’t bother me after a few episodes. The music is nothing to write home about, but it is good.

If you are curious, definitely give the Wikipedia entry a read, or refer to Hashihime’s Simoun pages for quick reference.

What really captivated me was the focus on character drama. While we can pun away all day and night about the “they’re not really girls!” thing, Simoun presents itself very similar to a shoujo version of Last Exile–in fact the whole Tatiana and Alestia angstfest is a glimpse of what we see in Simoun. As opposed to renegade mercs, Chor Tempest is a parade of priestesses, offering their usual, but deadly, prayer to their theological object of affection when they dance in the skies.

On the other hand, you can look at it not too differently than day soap–it’s full of surprise, innuendo of rape; illicit relationships; people empathizing each other, people manipulating each other, and people growing up. Falling in love, falling from faith; claiming success, losing prestige. The whole nine yards. It’s a lot more subtle than offerings you find from Strawberry Panic, so it’s a little less “exciting.” At the same time, it deals with something that is just much more fundamentally resounding in me that I have to take it seriously. I just can’t do that for a 3rd rate Marimite spoof.

And again, there’s the whole children of war aspect. It’s blatant that shrine maidens are not meant for war (at least outside of Touhou). The mixed expectations crossed with the sacrilege of turning tools of worship into weapon for destruction goes beyond merely the secrets hidden within the Spring of gender crossing or the Simouns machina themselves, but in the heart of the Simoun pilots, or Sibyllae. It’s being backgrounded over time as the series marched on, but with the interplay of its setting, the enemy states against the Simulacrum, and the variety of priestesses for the one and only Tempus Patium, there’s so much stuff there that a 26-ep run will not exhaust it all.

So go watch it already! At least you can enjoy all these gorgeous vectoring of the eyecatches while fully realizing just how awesome this cast of half-misfits really are.

13 comments | posted in Modern Visual Culture, Simoun

August 2, 2006

Howling for Indignation, A Pack of Coyotes

By omo

I have better things to do under a hot August day than this?

Straight from Danbooru

I mean, what the?

I’d just have left it on the Stock Exchange, except I hate those things that requires me to use a bug-me-not account, as to not going to bother with it at all. Furthermore I think his post merits commenting, so instead of working on the damn long blogging series or preparing to get my house in order before Otakon, let’s see what I can spare.

1. The truth is that Coyote Ragtime Show is pretty decent, yet it manages to take a very mainstream subject matter and turn it on its head for the sake of a particular group of people that has a perchant for this sort of shows. It’s not another Cowboy Bebop, that’s for sure. It isn’t even Samurai Champloo, although I think people who enjoys Coyote Ragtime Show will no doubt like both of them. It is the forging of a genre identity in the sense that UFOTable managed to take something essential to all those shows, and make a twist out of it. The result is that the new identity is only going to be appealing to those who liked those essential elements.

2. Badassery. Those of you who saw Futakoi Alternative may recall Niidaime’s father. He, really, is what Mister is. I agree that until Mister actually dishes out some whopping it would remain hard, for some people, to believe this old dude is capable of it. But a badass is a badass not because he can do badassery things–it’s because that’s who he is. I think this point is only strengthened by Franca’s relationship with Mister (and her father to some extent), in comparison with Rentarou and his. Just how much does badassery get in the way of a healthy relationship? In other words, to Rentarou, his father isn’t a badass; nor is to Franca, Mister. Yet Rentarou’s father is a total badass to everyone else. The difference here is that Rentarou’s dad is not a part of the viewer’s experience, OTOH here we’re looking at the “real side” of Mister along with Franca.

3. Obfuscated focus. We started the Coyote adventure with Angelica and Chelsea. They are wonderful characters by all means. But ultimately they are important only from a plot device perspective. Given how the audience are being told the story from the perspective of the Coyote crew, we already have that inside view. Maybe the narrative may pan out back to Angelica like how the show has been doing it so far once we get to another mysterious junction where Mister alone holds all the cards, but even then the rest of the Coyote crew have no clue what’s going on. Which is to say, what role will Angelica and Chelsea play? There really isn’t much left for them to do. The narrative, however, will pan back and forth–what are we to do? It lacks focus.

4. Popularity. Yes I’m fully aware people who like that kind of show are probably watching it already, thx gg. That’s that. But more people can watch and enjoy Simoun. Seriously. ;)

Simoun fans unite!
Soft subs!
Sqeeeee!
KEKEKE!

5 comments | posted in Coyote Ragtime Show, Modern Visual Culture, Simoun

July 23, 2006

May Tempus Patium Be with You, Always

By omo

No Trap-chan has been so valiant and stunningly beautiful as YUKANA’s performance in Simoun. Heck, few plain anime women were that good. In some ways her play with Mamiko Noto’s Limone was not even necessary, but it really helps to bring her into relevance.

And, yeah, it helps that her character design is also so stunning. May the girl with the best lips win? :)

Let this blog post dedicate itself to the power of her conviction and the beauty of her virtues, and may it bring peace to those living in a turbulent world.

1 comment | posted in Simoun