Anime Review: Seto no Hanayome

Everyone loves a good comedy. Sometimes the anime universe builds comedies upon some incredibly insane scenarios. This is certainly true of Seto no Hanayome (Bride of the Seto Inland Sea).

A Mermaid Yakuza Harem Comedy

The basic premise of the series is a long-standing anime tradition: the harem comedy. It’s the kind of story that preys upon the wildest dreams of teenage boys, virile young men, and lonely geeks of all colours: a boy with many girls to choose from.

The typical archetypes are there: the recently acquainted bride-to-be; her popular rival; the quiet one with glasses – who is unexpectedly beautiful; the childhood-friend tomboy; the rich male rival; and the mature, Mrs. Robinson-esque mother-in-law-to-be. None of these come as a surprise to anyone who has watched shows such as Love Hina or Ranma 1/2, but where SnH excels is in its added layer of bewilderingly craziness.

The fiancée, San, is a mermaid. Not just any mermaid; her father is the oyabun of the Setouchi-gumi - one of a number of yakuza families of mermen (and mermaids). He is also very protective of his daughter and cannot bear the thought of her marrying Nagasumi, a teenaged boy she rescued from drowning.

Nagasumi is pulled in many directions: by San’s devotion; her father’s constant attempts to have him killed; the need to protect San’s secret (she reverts to mermaid form if soaked); oh, and by that magical kiss-of-life he received from Masa, San’s father’s right-hand man.

Homage-a-go-go

SnH is a great anime for those who like anime, I might even say that it would be good entry drug for young adults who haven’t seen much or any anime in the past: it’s zany, distinctly Japanese in tone and style, and it is standalone – that is to say that you don’t need any understanding of prior series in order to get into.

What makes SnH exceptionally easy to recommend is its fantastic use of homage.

The most prominent motif comes from its yakuza references. Dramatic scenes are cut with a distinctly Fukasaku orchestral hit (most similar to that found in Battles without Honor or Humanity – Jingi naki Tatakai). San frequently draws from the strong female yakuza portrayed in the Roman Pinku movies of the 1970s, at times being accompanied by a blizzard of sakura and the doleful sound of enka, reminding me of Meiko Kaji, the vengeance flick goddess of the 1970s .

There is a distinctly Macross-like element to the series once we see the introduction of Runa (their names are transliterations of ‘Sun’ and ‘Lunar’). Runa, a rising talent in the pop world, bears a grudge against San and the two face off in a music spectacular. Like the buffing effects of the girls of Macross, the songs of these mermaids compel men into battle, a scene so gruesome it couldn’t even be displayed on screen.

There are other references for those that revel in joining the dots. If you’re interested in such things, take a look at SnH‘s TV Tropes entry, although I’d recommend watching the series first.  If you need a little more convincing, here is a clip depicting the Terminator homage centred on Runa’s father. Enjoy.

Review: 20th Century Boys Movie Trilogy

Japan’s wide-ranging stable of comics, known as manga, are often adapted into other mediums. Many will become anime, some will become TV shows, and a few will become movies. Given the long story arcs of some manga, some film adaptations span multiple releases. However, multiple releases, particularly trilogies, are hard to handle.

First, they are typically released over the span of a couple of years and thus must hold the audience’s interest for that period and re-immerse them into plot even though months have passed since they saw the last entry.

Second, they must be complete films in themselves, i.e. they must have a complete three-act structure. The first film cannot be an introduction alone without any climax, nor can the middle simply connect the other two. Typically, while most trilogies nail the first film, they struggle in the follow-ups:

• Star Wars – Classic first and second parts, but Return of the Jedi is clearly the weakest film of the three original movies (because of the Ewoks!).
• The Matrix - The first film was an instant classic, but unable to recapture the right balance of action, plot and style, and with the story becoming over-complex, the sequels disappointed everyone.
• Lord of the Rings – Unlike the others, this trilogy came from strong source material, but for me. Fellowship of the Ring was excellent, but The Two Towers and Return of the King seemed to lack the completeness as individual films that the first so successfully managed.
• Back to the Future – A great series of films using cliff-hangers to keep the audience wanting more, but the third film felt much weaker, to me, than the rest (although I believe that this might be the best trilogy listed here).20th Century Boys is one such example.

Finally, they must deal with the accumulating plotlines in a manner that satisfy an audience forced to wait months for a conclusion. The Matrix, for example, ended up so complicated that it became simply preposterous.

20th Century Boys grappled with these problems, but ultimately failed to rein them in. The first film was excellent. The plot escalated nicely and by the end, the viewer was itching for more. However, with each film, the focus changed. Set in the future, the second film’s lead character is the niece of the protagonist of the first film. The third film has no clear stand out characters, and ultimately lost my interest as a result.

The greatest thing about 20th Century Boys was its unravelling plot. Spanning 50 years or so, we are constantly looking back to the past for answers in the present. The plot twists are excellent and surprising right up until the end. Yet, even after the film’s big reveal, the identity of the evil masked mastermind, Tomodachi, remains unclear. A little research revealed that the manga and movies differ in their handling of the ending (which was supposedly very unexpected in the manga). The movie leaves unfulfilled questions as the credits roll; not unfulfilled in the Blade Runner sense, but rather unfulfilled in that they leave the viewer confused and frustrated.

Adding to my fury was the musical plot device. I cannot describe how jarring this terrible music is. In the film, it is the saviour of humanity, a rallying call to the masses to overthrow Tomodachi’s oppression. Yet the song, reminiscent of the Hindi chant (“Jai guru devra”) in Across the Universe by the Beatles, just does not live up to this billing. Especially in the absolutely idiotically handled ending in which this song plays a central role. As the credits roll and your blood boils, sit down and count to 60 (10 just won’t cut it) – the film isn’t over yet.

The epilogue of the film tries to reconcile the untied threads and bring completion to the main character, however, it doesn’t answer any questions that you want it to. Moreover, it is a fantasy setting and remains completely irrelevant as a result. While it was nice that it attempted to fill in the blanks, it should have occurred before you felt the urge to set fire to the screen.

I wanted to love this film, and I really enjoyed the first two parts, but ultimately the story asked too many questions and left them unanswered. The characters were well portrayed and the imagery was superb; I imagine fans of the manga would love it. However, having waited over a year for the resolution, I cannot help but feel disappointed that it ended so poorly. Rent it, try it, but don’t expect too much from Part III.

iPhone App Review: iKanji Touch

Full Disclosure: I am friends with the developer of this app, and he is a commenter here at this blog. I will nevertheless give you as fair a review as possible!

If you’ve ever tried to study Japanese, you’ll know that kanji are infuriatingly difficult to remember. These Chinese characters represent several readings, all of which you are incapable of knowing without a lot of study and a lot of memorising. They are an essential if you want to live in Japan, and the iPhone presents an excellent alternatives to pencil and paper. Among the many kanji learning apps, nothing can challenge iKanji Touch for its depth.

iKanji Touch filled the gap I was left with after studying with vocabulary learning tools like Smart.fm. It allows learners to focus on the readings of the kanji as well as their stroke order and appearance. As I can power through 20-40 on the train to work,  it’s helped solidify the basic kanji in my mind through its simple 3-stage testing and spaced-repetitive learning system.

Teach Me mode

The basic learning method provided by iKanji is the ‘Teach me ‘ mode. If you are unlucky or unprepared enough to fail in any of its three stages, you will progress to the next stage, but you won’t have completed that character. Instead you’ll be retested on that kanji at the end of the test, along with any other characters you failed on, until you eventually get it right.

The first stage of the testing concerns meaning. You are presented with kanji and have to choose the English meaning from four options. This section is pretty straight forward and there should be no surprises.

The second stage tests focuses on readings. You must select all the correct readings out of a set of ten, all presented in hiragana (kun’yomi) or katakana (on’yomi). To complete this stage of the test you must select all the correct answers and none of the incorrect ones.

Unfortunately, you’ll soon notice the unnecessary repetition. For instance, 一 (1) can be read as イツ, イチ, ひと- or ひと.つ. The latter two readings for the kanji are the same (ひと), the つ at the end of the last one denotes its usage, in this case: counting. (It’s worth noting that つい as in 一日 is not mentioned.) This is common to all the number kanji.

Similarly, 入 (enter/insert) can be read as い.る, -い.る, い.れる, はい.る, and ニュウ. In this case, the first three are all the same reading (い): the first is the plain form, the second is for use in compounds, and the last one is the potential form (i.e. can be entered). This is again a common feature to all verb kanji.

When faced with a set of readings like the ones on the screenshot above, it is pretty easy to guess three of them due to their similarity. The only one that really takes any effort is ロク, but that’s the easiest one. This repetition takes the challenge out of the test. The fault lies with the source data (EDICT), not the programmer (who I’ve discussed it at length with), but it’s a shame regardless.

The final stage showcases iKanji Touch’s most original feature. You are presented with a series of circles and faded lines, all you have to do is draw the lines in the correct stroke order from point to point. The current release has made the hit points easier to hit consistently and reduced the attrition caused by a jostling train or random hiccup. Now everything works incredibly smoothly.

It is comparable to the system from Kanji Kentei on the DS, a product designed for Japanese kanji learners (and rather inaccessible to low-level Japanese learners). Their system for testing your understanding of the stroke order is to ask you to number a given stroke. However, by comparison Kanji Kentei really fails to give the learner any practice in seeing the strokes unfold, or getting a feel for the kanji itself.

In this stage of iKanji Touch, it’s hard to some of the kanji being held up as examples of the ‘exemplary handwriting’ learners should strive for, and there is also no real distinction between the types of stroke endings. However, given the sheer amount of kanji offered (over 2000), and the limitations of the hardware, these minor details by no means impact the successful intuitiveness of the app’s writing system.

This whole stage is excellent and it is the reason I keep coming back to iKanji Touch after trying other apps. While tracing the kanji with your finger isn’t the same as writing it down with a pen, nor will it give you the ability to do so, it is nevertheless a very helpful aide-mémoire that beats simply looking at a character on the screen. If you don’t like it, or if you can’t do it, then there’s even a toggle to switch it off in the settings.

‘Teach me’ mode is designed to slowly build up your knowledge of the kanji. Each kanji entry is given a completion level depending on how many times you have completed the character in the ‘Teach me’ mode. You’ll feel a small sense of pride as your sets begin to fill up with green circles, and even more when you realise you’re being tested on some the kanji far less frequently as a result of mastering them.

Further Learning

In addition to ‘Teach me’ mode, there are other test modes. Although these have no bearing on your completion level, you can attempt any of the above stages individually, and you can also test yourself on each character’s appearance in compound words. Unfortunately this latter test doesn’t appear in the ‘Teach me’ mode, as it would be useful for solidifying the learner’s understanding, but I can also see why it’s left out: the compounds are often very difficult for lower-level learners (the app’s target market, I’d imagine) and they are vocabulary- (rather than character) specific.

To help you decide where to start, the kanji come ready-ordered. By default, you are given two different orderings: JLPT 1-4 (although I expect there’ll be an update once the new JLPT 1-5 system has settled in), and by the grade in which they would be taught at school (1-6). Which one you use will depend on your style and goals, but I would suggest a mixed approach (some very basic kanji are left out of the JLPT 4 set, for instance, but can be found in the Grade 1 set).

Each of these large groupings are divided into sets of 20 kanji, which is a decent size to concentrate on. There is no option to break these down into sets of 10 or 5, but that never really becomes necessary: if you can’t complete a test because there are too many kanji and you have to get off the train or run off to class, then you can stop the test or close the app without losing your completed progress (although you will have to take that last kanji again next time).

In addition to the basic groups, you can create your own practice sets by selecting individual kanji. A less tap-strenuous means would have been welcome, such as being able to select whole groups of kanji as well, but it really depends on what you want from the practice sets: while I’ve had no use for them, they are perfect for someone who wants to test themselves on a small variety of kanji. You can also add items from searches.

The final arrangement of kanji is the revision set. Here you will find kanji that you failed to answer correctly in the individual tests (that is, not the ‘Teach me’ mode). Again, this is something I never really used due to the intuitiveness and progression of the JLPT/school grade groupings, as well as the convenience of the ‘Teach me’ mode over the individual tests, although it would certainly be a valuable tool to anyone looking to nail down hard-to-remember characters.

In addition to the learning side of the app is the reference side. If you want to know more about any kanji you can search for it (through stroke count, meaning, or reading), or just browse for it. Clicking on a kanji entry will open its flashcard showing you the meanings, readings and completion of the individual kanji. It also shows you the radical of the kanji (useful when you progress into harder and harder characters). Tapping on the card will flip it over to show an animation demonstrating how to write the character, and at the bottom of both screens is a button to view further compounds. As a reference tool, however, other apps have iKanji Touch beat with a range of extra features (such as the amazingly detailed ‘Japanese’ by codefromtokyo).

If you’re a learner of Japanese, you really should buy this app. Unlike many other apps, it doesn’t rely on your honesty to decide whether you knew a word or not, it tests you honestly and fairly. It’s the most well-considered, joined up and original kanji learning tool that you can buy. It’s full of lots of nice touches: the excellent graphics, clear presentation and little mascot (Tsutsune) all add character to the app. With clear and intuitive beginner’s guide, it’s readily accessible to all levels of learners. Plus, at ¥1,200 ($9.99), it’s affordable too.

iPhone App Review: Tomena Sanner (トメナサンナー Touch)

“There’s this guy… He just runs along the screen.” The young designer quivered with the dribble of fear that comes from facing one’s boss.

The man at the head of the conference table coughed. “That’s not much of a game, Yamamoto-san.”

The lithe and oily-skinned games designer was now visibly pouring with sweat. “… He can jump too, if you press the screen, that is…”

Sensing the nervousness of their colleague, the rest of the design team piped up.

“There are astronauts too!”

“… and you can ride triceratopses.”

“Don’t forget the sumo wrestlers and the dancing, multiplying school girl!”

Yamamoto shuffled with discomfort as Konami’s Creative Manager stared at him. Seconds stretched into an eternity as the balding, black-suited man with a comb-over picked up his Lucky Strike cigarette from his pocket ashtray. He took a deep puff, exhaling slowly before a grin crept across his face.

“I like it, guys! Yamamoto-san, don’t screw this up!”

The design team bowed and left the room with a buzz. All except Yamamoto who vomited into the plastic potted plant in the secretary’s office.

“What’s wrong?” A concerned colleague inquired.

“What’s wrong?” Yamamoto cried. “What’s wrong?! … Now we have to make this crazy acid trip of a game!”

That’s what I imagine the design process behind Tomena Sanner was like. Released on the Wii and DS for download, it’s also available on the App Store for anyone who wants a simple, one-touch game.

A single press of the screen will see you leaping or interacting with the obstacles in your salaryman’s way: moonwalking past astronauts, punching the Pope, and getting attacked by furries. The design is distinctly Japanese in it’s wacky randomness and the humourous goings on will stay with you long after you press the Home button. However, the more you play, the more it becomes clear that the game harbours a disappointing flaw.

The end of every level features a dance stage in which you must touch the screen according to the guide on the screen. Doesn’t sound so bad, right? After all, it’s only a more simplified version of Tap Tap Revenge, right?

Wrong. In rhythm games such as Tap Tap, the button pressed are synchronised to the beat of the music. In Tomena Sanner, the music is entirely detached from the rhythm elements. Not just in the dance stage.

Konami, the developer, argues that,

Tomena Sanner is a high speed side-scrolling action game that features a unique timing based control system that is as challenging as it is fun. As you fly, jump, and dance over the many crazy obstacles you need perfect timing to keep your speed up and perform awesome tricks like flips or breakdance moves.

Tomena Sanner doesn’t have a suitably zoomed out perspective to make its obstacles avoidable in the fastest pace of the game. Whereas in Canabalt (another popular run ‘n’ avoid game) it is pretty clear that your character fell to his death because of your poor timing, getting kicked in the face by a guy in a giraffe costume in Tomena Sanner often feels unfair – the sweet spot of interaction with the obstacles are rather difficult to suss out. Whereas Canabalt promotes long-term play by recording the distance travelled on an endless track (think about all those times you batted that penguin across the land of Yeti Sports), Tomena Sanner breaks up the play into stages (even in Endless Mode).

With it’s defined end-goals and discrete levels Tomena Sanner instead feels like a simpler version of Rhythm De Go! (DS) with less variety and less replayability. Further deepening the contrast is the disconnection between the music and the gameplay. Whereas the fastest pace could be overcome in Rhythm De Go! by following the beat of the music; with no connection between the two in Tomena Sanner, the lack of audio cues worsens that already palpable cheapness. The inclusion of the dance after-stage simply reinforces my belief that there was supposed to be a rhythm element. I may be wrong, and maybe timing really is key and it’s just that my timing isn’t good enough to keep up with the game, but the game still feels like an unhappy medium between those two other excellent games.

Despite this major flaw in the feel of the gameplay, it ultimately remains fun for short bursts, succeeding as a mobile game (and in some sense benefiting from the ability to play in mute – even if it’s at the expense of its quality). At ¥230, it’s not too bad a price for a bit of fun, but how long it will last depends on how this control system sits with you. For me, Tomena Sanner didn’t sit very well.

A Meal to Remember

It is safe to say that I’m a pretty poor romantic. I’ve failed time and time again on occasions where it really counts (my proposal was so bad, we’re embarrassed to talk about it). It is thus no surprise that I have never really been able to take Keiko out for a fantastic meal. This Christmas I made it happen!

On a recommendation from @shinpuren, we made a reservation at Chef’s V, a restaurant on the 5th floor of Yokohama’s Landmark Tower. @shinpuren told us that the service was excellent, and that really is a deal-breaker for me. I frequently choose restaurants that look fancy but rarely do I come across one in which the staff actually make a memorable impression.

We were taken with a nice sounding course menu, but the next morning we received a call from the restaurant: on Christmas Day they would only be serving a ¥12,500 meal (£80). Keiko said that was okay and accepted the time and cost before telling me about it. Expensive or not, we were both a bit excited about what we would be eating.

It started with champagne with Christmas music in the background. Everyone’s reservation started from 18:20 and like one big party we were all served together. At around 18:30, just before the first course, the blinds opened to reveal Minato Mirai in all its light-up glory. It was a nice view and the invariably young couples on the side-by-side, snug window seats must have had a spectular time looking out.

The first course was foie gras flan. Foie gras, for those who aren’t aware, is the fatty liver of an extremely fat goose or duck. The flan, which I assume also contained cream and butter, had an extremely creamy, buttery taste and texture, but with a mild spicy after-taste. In small doses, on top of a bruschetta perhaps, I imagine I could have liked it; however, in this case, a single bruschetta was dipped into the flan making it more than a little like eating butter with a spoon.

Next up was the appetiser: creamed cauliflour, drenched in orange sauce, held up a bundle of crab meat topped with caviar, while at the back of the bowl sat a lobster-filled spring roll. The crab meat was delicious as was the crispy lobster spring roll, however, the orange sauce was difficult for me to stomach: its taste was overwhelming. Regrettably, because of this perhaps, I was unable to taste the caviar.

The third course was seafood: a very soft and palatable sea bream that melted in your mouth, in creamy risotto. This was outstandingly good. My only regret is that, like all the other courses, the serving was so small that I cleaned off my plate in only a few spoonfuls.

The final main course was meat, more specifically wa-gyu, Japanese beef. This was my first time to try the excessively expensive beef from famously pampered cows. It really didn’t disappoint. The marbled fat made it soft and creamy, completely unlike any other meat I had ever tried. On top were real slices of truffles. When we booked the meal, I had no idea that chocolate truffles were only named so because of their appearance. Having tasted the real thing, I can guarantee that real chocolate truffles would be disgusting. Truffles have a corky, woody taste that is impossible for me to like. This course, like the starters, was also slightly spoilt by the overpoweringly fruity sauce. Also, Keiko got double the amount of truffles I had (which I can let slide) and much more beef  (lots of which she slipped onto my plate, what a wife!).

Last up was the dessert which consisted of a fantastic cheesecake and a pistachio-flavoured truffito-style ice cream. It was a nice end to a really great meal. We had a thoroughly great time, and even if I didn’t like every course, it was an culinary experience for both of us.

The only downside, as I mentioned above, was the lack of balance in the food. The foie gras had the purest taste, I imagine, and the fish course was perfect, but the meat course and appetiser needed a little more work in my opinion. From my days watching Hell’s Kitchen, I am reminded of Gordon Ramsey berating chefs for using too much sauce to cover their poor food. I have no doubt that the food at Chef’s V was excellent, I just wish that the staff would have allowed that excellence to shine through a little more.

On a final note, the service was wonderful. From taking pictures of the guests (with extreme patience), to quick turnovers on bread, water and courses (although on the latter point, a little more time would have been welcome).

All in all, an excellent meal worth its price, and a start to a thoroughly good Christmas. Thanks Chef’s V, you can be sure we’ll drop by for a regular course sometime this year.