This is a series that has been on my watch list for literally years, probably since I started watching anime 5 years ago or so.  However, I never really got around to watching it…until now.

Series: Now and Then, Here and There
Media: Netflix Online, Episodes 1 – 13

If you open the dictionary and look for “gut wrenching and depressing,” this show will probably be listed under it.  Now and Then, Here and There is truly a work of depression, desperation, and despair.  It puts the eternally optimistic Shu into the world of wanna-be ruler of the world King Hondo.  The rule under the despotic and paranoid King Hondo is brutal, even by historical standards, yet many of the characters there cling to some hope or another that helps them get through the hells of day-to-day life, and to rationalize the brutality they’re forced to inflict on others.

Now and Then, Here and There certainly can’t be criticized for not going “there,” wherever “there” is.  It doesn’t shy away from the unpleasantness of conflict, such as forcing children to fight, soldier’s raping of captured women (and resulting pregnancy of the victim), and the indiscriminate killing of children.  It is no surprise that even the ever-optimistic Shu finds himself becoming despondent in the face of such evil and brutality, especially when everyone is too afraid to stand up to it.

If any moral can be derived from the show, it’s that, while shit happens, and that life isn’t fair and the worst things can happen to the best people, one should try to live the best you can with what life dishes to you, even if it serves you a steaming pile shit served with a glass of vomit.  Of course, doing that is much more easily said than done, as Shu observes and even experiences for himself.

There were a few instances where I thought Shu’s outlook on life was counter-productive or over intrusive, however.  First, he absolutely refuses to kill anyone, even when they probably damn well deserve it, or when doing so might serve the greater good.  I realize the moral is that one should act to remain righteous, even in the worst of times,  but sometimes the moral thing to do is to eliminate an evil before it can do even more harm, even if means killing.  Shu’s absolute aversion to killing, or even resorting to violence at times, often extended the grief for everyone, just so he wouldn’t (literally) get blood on his hands.

The second instance that comes to mind is when he pleads with Sara not to abort her baby.  Now, the issue of abortion is clearly a very touchy topic, and granted, bashing a rock against one’s stomach isn’t exactly the recommended way to go about causing a miscarriage.  However, his actions regarding Sara’s pregnancy I found nearly borderline preachy, like something I would hear from people protesting outside an abortion clinic.  And while it’s not my business if someone decides to keep their baby after getting pregnant from being raped, I found Shu’s almost shaming Sara into keeping her baby, despite her wishes, to be rather overbearing.

In the end, I thought this was a pretty good series, story wise.  I thought it hung together well and told a good story while portraying the world that Shu found himself in.  I thought the animation quality might have been a tad dodgy for a series made as late as 1999 (not that I’ve seen many from that time, but shows that I have seen from then, or even a little earlier, seemed to be of a little better quality than NTHT).  However, it was still good enough to where I didn’t pay very much attention to it.  If you’re willing to stomach a series such as this, I would definitely recommend it.

I give thanks to THAT Anime Blog, from where I stole my screenshot

Meanwhile, this past weekend, Funimation announced several new acquisitions, including:

• Rosario + Vampire (both seasons)
• Chaos;HEAd
• Chrome Shelled Regios
• Rideback
• Heaven’s Lost Property (Sora no Otoshimono), and
• GUNxSWORD

GUNxSWORD and Regios will be released late in 2010, while everything else is slated for release sometime in 2011.

Edit: El Hazard is apparently a rescue from Geneon, not an entirely new acquisition.

A second season is scheduled to start airing in July.

Angel Beats – It’s an interesting synopsis, anyway.  And given that it’s based off of a Key visual novel (Air, Kanon, CLANNAD) makes this one even more promising.  Add to that the studio who did True Tears and CANAAN, and the fact that it has girls with guns, and it’s hard to see where this one can go wrong.  Judgment: Blogging

Arakawa Under the Bridge – The synopsis of this makes no sense.  If the pair hooked up, why would the rich guy go to live with the girl under a bridge and not vice versa? Who knows.  Judgment: Not Watching

B Gata H Kei – Oh for the love of all that is holy, who came up with this concept? No, No, and No! Judgment: Do I even need to say it? NOT WATCHING

Giant Killing – If I were into sports anime, this would sound interesting. But I’m not. Judgment: Not Watching

Hakuouki - That’s a lot of bishis. Judgment: Not Watching

Heroman – If I were into superhear stuff, this might sound interesting. But I’m not. Judgment: Not Watching

House of Five Leaves – I’m not really into samurai anime very much, but the synopsis part of this sounds really interesting. Judgment: Watching

Ichiban Ushiro no Dai Maou – This sounds like every anime ever done x 10. Judgment: Not Watching

Iron Man – Shouldn’t people be making movies from anime, not the other way around? And I haven’t even seen the movie. Judgment: Not Watching

Kaichou wa Maid Sama – Yet another “Perfect Proper Girl with a sexy/naughty/nerdy/dorky/magical/alien/other secret” show.  On the plus side, J.C. Staff is doing it, who I would probably hold as my highest regarded anime producer.  Even then, it seems like this theme has been run into the ground. Judgment: Not Watching

Kiss X Sis – Shows about incest (even if only step-siblings) only really work well as dramas.  Once they’re turned into comedies, they just get weird. Judgment: Not Watching

K-ON season 2 – Are things so bad this season that I may watch the could-have-been-much-better K-ON? Yes they are. Judgment: Watching

Mayoi Neko Overrun – It’s AIC. Enough said. Judgment: Not Watching

RAINBOW – Haven’t I seen this on preview lists 2 or 3 times already only to be pushed back? In any case, I’m not sure…sounds too depressing right off the bat. Judgment: Not Watching

Senko no Night Raid – I sometimes like shows like this one, but this one doesn’t quite…feel right. Judgment: Not Watching

Uragiri no Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru – This might sound interesting if the guy didn’t have such a lame ability. Judgment: Not Watching

Working – This one sounds like it might have some potential. Judgment: Watching

Yojo-han Shinwa Taikei - I’m trying to figure out the point of this show based on it’s synopsis.  Judgment: Not Watching

Blogging
Angel Beats

I decided I should pick something up, and this was easily the most appealing looking series to me to blog this season.

Watching
House of Five Leaves
K-ON season 2
Working

From the Fall Season, Kimi ni Todoke, Fullmetal Alchemist, Kobato, Railgun, and Letter Bee are all continuing, so I’m looking for 3 to 4 shows to replace the shows that have finished up.  Here are some quick thoughts on some of the series airing in the fall.  I’ll skip anything that looks too kiddie or which is a sequel to something I haven’t seen:

Chu-Bra!!

A show about a middle school student starting an “underwear club” to spread the merits of wearing sexy underwear.  Um, double triple quadruple super duper duper hell no.

Sora no Woto

So basically, this looks like it’s like K-ON!, except worse, because they’re in the middle of a war.

Ladies vs Butlers!

I’m not even sure what to think about this series.  It definitely looks like a harem, and it’s along the “girls go wild over young-looking-boys” type.  I guess that’s better than the young-looking-girls shows. Maybe.

Omamori Himari

Another orphaned-boy-taken-in-by-neighbor-girls-parents story.  Except this time the magical girl who pops up is a cat girl. And the boy is allergic to cats.  This at least sounds mildly interesting.  At least far more interesting than any of the shows so far.

Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu

This kind of sounds like Special A, except in reverse.  I’m not sure about the summoning creatures part of this show though.

Dance in the Vampire Bund

I’m not really one for Vampire shows, but this show actually looks (visually) interesting, and it’s done by SHAFT, which definitely helps it.

Durarara!!

Basically sounds like gangs looking for a mythical head of a headless motorcycle rider.  Mmmm…not the worst show I’ve seen this season but I still think there are better things to watch.

Ookami Kakushi

This is a show based off of a game made by the people who did Higurashi.  I’ve never seen any of those series, but I’ve been curious about them.

Seikon no Qwaser

A show about people who can manipulate iron and who draw power from breast milk fighting each other.  That sounds like there is too much that can go bad here.

Hanamaru Kindergarten

This is by GAINAX which, of course, means this show won’t have a proper ending.

Katanagatari

An actually somewhat decent looking Edo-era sword fighting show.  I’ll have to see if it ultimately makes my cut or not, though.

So, My Watch List Is…

I wasn’t planning on picking up another series to blog this season unless there was just something that looked fantastic, and there isn’t, so I’ll only add shows to watch.  I think this time, I’ll only add 3 shows.  I felt like I was going to add either 3 or 5, and I didn’t want 5 new shows, so I went with my top 3, and they are:

Dance in the Vampire Bund
Omamori Himari
Ookami Kakushi