On second thought, I might just like the detective girls because they’re so much lewder than an unedited old-school yarn. Joan Aiken (who never really appealed to me) was also sorely lacking in fanservice.

coburns last blog post..a Double Arts manga overview (with extra added genre-blather)

@Peter S: Chiko really is the main strength of the series - a lead character with a quick mind is the most fun and rewarding type to watch. I have a gut feeling she’ll have a particularly difficult decision to make in the final episodes, but I’m confident she’ll make it wisely.

@Sasa: the series seems to be tripping up the little details rather than more serious ones so while it’s fun to pick them out I wouldn’t say they ruin it entirely. There is a bit of a slow middle section though, but I think it’s over that now.

@Wildcard: I wasn’t too keen on episode #15 either, but #16 pretty much makes up for that. The pacing isn’t bad, but it seems to jump ahead then take an episode or two to collect its thoughts before another twist. It would probably have more focus if there were one discernable villain (even a shadowy one that merely makes his or her presence felt), beyond the rather abstract concept of the war’s aftermath.

@senile_seinen: the fact that it’s aimed at a shoujo demographic explains a lot actually. The Detective Girls subplot for instance doesn’t do a great deal for me but I can imagine it’s the kind of thing young female readers/viewers will appreciate. As for the nostalgia thing, thanks for pointing that out too. The ‘retro’ art style of SZS is one of the things I loved about it so much.

@otou-san: the story behind Rampo is fascinating! It explains the anti-war sentiment (changed from WW1 to WW2 in this case though), the echoes of Doyle and even Poe’s darker themes (I quite like Poe’s stuff BTW, although it can be a bit heavy-going on occasion…almost too dark at times). Interesting that one of his influences according to that Wiki entry, Maurice LeBlanc, was the creator of the original Arsene Lupin. I guess this show has quite a rich pedigree, albeit indirectly. What’s even more interesting is that Rampo’s depiction of Akechi (who I think is a little under-used in this series) more accurately describes Twenty Faces himself… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kogoro_Akechi

The past few episodes started to make me curious about 20 Faces’ past, as I guess they were supposed to. But now that we’re faced with the prospect of actually learning something, I find I don’t care that much anymore.

The worst offense in my mind of the series in general has been its tendency to wobble between super-entertaining and just plain blah. The good episodes are good enough they make the boring ones seem that much worse. And I agree — the villains suck.

otou-sans last blog post..More GonzoXCrunchy love

I think it’s important to remember that this is from a shoujo manga. Since neither of us is even close to being a 12-16 year old Japanese schoolgirl, it’s unlikely that we’d find even a great story always compelling - different markets, different tastes. As it is, the characters (particularly Chizuko) are strong enough to pull us through the slow bits.

There’s a definite nostalgia trend at work in Japan now, particularly in content oriented toward those too young to have lived through any of Showa. This and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei are two good examples.

senile_seinens last blog post..ha ha only serious

(SPOILER)
Weirdly, I found myself thinking quite the opposite with the villians - they all died way quicker than I thought they would. Particularly the ‘doll woman’, she appeared to be in for the long haul - but in the end she died quite suddenly, hardly a comparable to Gaurons 24 episode survival (and beyond..)

I agree with you on all the flaws which are present and on the general outdated feel to the show, but it still isn’t enough to cripple it for me. A lot hinges on how it concludes, so for now I’ll keep watching before I assume too much.

Martin: “Sadly it involves another crazy-eyed androgynous gymnast antagonist with superhuman strength but with any luck we won’t see much of him/her in future either.” Sigh, I fear we’ll be seeing much more of this as the series winds down. They already had one, and here’s another. Maybe a squadron later. What a disappointment!

But you’re absolutely right on what makes me keep watching this show. It has strengths and, lately, a lot of weaknesses, but I keep watching because of Chiko. When confronted by thugs on the steps I kept muttering “Think, Chiko, think!” knowing she would.

When the final crisis appears, I pray that it involves Chiko thinking, then acting. Any other climax ruins the series.

Having read some of the manga, I think the anime is not failing so much as doing too good a job of giving us the manga, which also has less emotional impact that the plot suggests it should. Really, I am watching this for Hirano Aya, who seems to me to be doing an excellent job. Disclaimer: I do like Aaya’s work, but not well enough to watch Zettai Karen Children.

hashihimes last blog post..46 New Fall Anime — full previews (story, trailer, staff, cast, etc.)