Still waiting for the OST it’s getting frustrating. I want to listen to Eye of the Storm, happily ever after, and other such songs. Still, I’m pretty glad Gainax are keeping us happy with this character CD. Not to mention the cover art, I mean Yoko? With GLASSES? Completely drool worthy. 

 It’s got 6 tracks, each different versions of 2 songs, BREAK THROUGH THE DREAM and Trust. Both songs are charcater specific songs and (as far as I can tell haven’t actually been heard in the series so far). You get 3 versions of each song, the original, the karaoke version, and the remixed version. 

 Trust is Yoko’s character song, and honestly, I can’t say it’s brilliant. It’s decent but just doesn’t have the flair that songs like Sorairo Days and Minna No Peace has. Still it’s decent, and pretty good once in a while. Of course it’s completely eclipsed by the embodiment of pure awesomeness that is BREAK THROUGH THE DREAM.

 BREAK THROUGH THE DREAM is Simon and Kamina’s character song. It’s a duet done by the VAs (I believe) and is absolutely amazing, one of the best anime related songs I’ve ever heard, if not the best. The best part is the sound clip in the song where you can hear Kamina and Simon shotuing to each other, ending with what I believe is “Who do you – All of you – THINK WE ARE!?”. Seriously, it’s truly epic stuff.

 Anyway… With this seasons anime all having started, some reaching their end (Code Geass) some still pretty early (Potemayo, Umisho, School Days)  and some only reaching past the half way point (Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann) it’s now nearly August, meaning only a few months until a series I’ve been waiting for for months starts.

Yep, Shakugan No Shana season 2 is starting this September/October. The first season is definitely a must-see anime, and the recent movie trailer had one of my favourite characters ever (WIlhelmina) telling us about this new season 2.

 Of course, I said 2 awesome seasons didn’t I? Well, as most of you will have heard, there’s a new season of Haruhi in he works set for ‘Fall’ of this year. I’d say the earliest we’d see it is half way through this season of Shana, so it’ll be an absolutely amazing few months, that’s for sure.

 (Oh, and here’s the little rumour I mentioned. Those watching Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann may want to know that a guy on 2ch, who has been a reliable source or information in the past (And also got us some interesting storyboards from unreleased episodes) has told everyone, and remember this MAY be wrong, that “40% of the original budget for Gurren-Lagann has gone into making the final 5 episodes”. I don’t think there are words awesome enough, other than… well, it’ll be like 5 more episode 15′s, which is REALLY saying something.)

 Well, Noble Phantasms first ever review of a game, and a truly deserving game at that. For those not in the know Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, (Japanese, translates to; Go! Fight! Cheer Sqaud) is a Rhythm/Beat Action game that tells the story of 3 men in a cheer squad, called the Ouendan, going round, and cheering people on in times when they’re struggling. This ranges from, a college student with a noisy family, a teacher who caqn’t control his class to an asteroid heading toward Earth, with the only way to stop it, being to lead the entire world in one massive cheer.

 Weird sounding, and a VERY weird game. In a good way. As with most Rhythm/Beat Action games, it has several different modes of difficulty, from Easy to Very Hard mode. Easy is ridiculously way too easy, and I really recommend you skip it, and head straight for Normal, which is the toughest option you can choose when you first get the game. Easy has about 1 beat every 5 seconds, which is just boring in the first song. Normal has at least more beats, which is great.

 The game itself, is brilliant, with tonnes of brilliant stories, some that’ll have you not actually being able to play the game for laughter. Seriously, sometimes I lose a song because I’m laughing too much. How can you not laugh when you see this kind of stuff. Well, there is one level that is rather touching. The music is great, while contrasting the rest of the game, and the sound effects have been changed/quietened for that song too.

 There is one level that beats them all, and that’s the last. I won’t describeit, as I just can’t. But what I can say, is that, if the fact you want to finish the game doesn’t keep you trying over and over, the adrenaline rush will. I’ve never had such an adrenaline rush from a game before, much less a handheld game.

Verdict

Visuals: 8/10

Awesome looking 3D Ouendan in the background, with animations on the top screen that you won’t even see because you focus on the bottom screen. With the awesome art style, and the attention to detail, this is a high scorer.

Sound: 9/10

Err… it’s a music game, so the sound and music is bound to get a high score, but this games music is exceptionally good. Much better than the EBA versions music.

 Lifespan: 9/10

Very few games have this level of a ‘one-more-time’ feel. If you fail a song, you keep trying until you’ve beaten it just once, then you do exactly the same with the next song. It’s pretty addictive, in a brilliant sort of freaking awesome way. I’ll be playing this well into 2008.

Value: 9/10

Since it’s an import game, it’s proabably gonna be available for about £25, which is not only cheaper than your average DS game, but makes this even better value. The games 15 songs are great, so are well worth the money just for the choice in music, along with the incredibly long lifespan, it’s definitely great value for money.

Final Verdict: 35/40

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Oh and, for those wondering about the games playability due to the Japanese language, the only problems you’ll have are with the menus, during the first few minutes you have the game. Once you’re used to the menus, you’ll be totally forgetting that the text is japanese, or even, it adds to the gameplay.

 Introducing some more characters such as the entire village of Ritona, most importantly Lon, or Leeron (or even… Beautiful Quenn… ughh…), who happens to be the person who taught Yoko everything she knows about the surface… and also the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.  I DON’T WANNA KNOW WHAT YOUR FINGERS CAN DO TO KAMINA! (Hell, see the fifth screenshot below for just one case of… creepiness). Mind, that is what makes him such an amazingly funny character.

 Later on in the episode we have the village that Simon and Kamina are now staying in with Yoko, Ritona, being attacked by another bunch of Ganmen. When an extremely massive one comes along, and seems to easily be able to knock anyone out, Kamina decides he’s going to steal it. Simon meanwhile, realises that the earthquakes caused by Ganmen are what killed his parents. Kamina doesn’t even know how to drive a Gamen but when he gets in it, thanks to some help from Simon, just as he said, he’d use his willpower to work the Ganmen.

Then when Kamina finally gets into the fight, with the 2 Ganmen that are left, and with a little help from Simon manages to defeat them (and since when was the Lagann  able to turn into a spiked cannonball?, seriously, does Kamina just wing this or what?).

 The episode has a pretty good ending and is as awesome as the first episode. Looking forward too reviewing episode 3 for you guys. Oh, and it seems we’ll be getting a visit from a new character too.

 Today they finally start discussing more normal stuff, and actually start talking about manga a little more too. Not to mention some of the references to other animes they put in, they you should spot in this episode, and some of the screenshots (And in future episodes, obviously). For those who can’t be bothered searching/can’t remember, here’s what I can remember off the top of my head:

• Sgt. Frog plushies in the ”Yoofu Machine”, as Konata put it.
• Hare Hare Yukai on a DDR machine in the same arcade.
• Several times the Comptiq gets mentioned by Konata.
• Sia from Shuffle! appears on a fabric poster at one point.

 I’m sure there were more that I’ve forgotten. (Oh, and while not really a reference to another anime, look out for Akira’s assistant from Lucky Channel during the episode.)

 Since the references to other anime are picking up a little, it’s definitely getting funnier, but faster becoming a “You won’t get this unless you’ve seen the anime we’re making fun off” parody. Never heard of Sgt. Frog? You won’t recognize him? Never heard Hare Hare Yukai? You’ll not realize how awesome it is to hear it on a DDR machine on this. Never seen Shuffle!? You won’t notice Sia…. Well, these you will, but that’s because this subber mentioned them in the subs, just don’t expect that in later episodes.

 Of course, Akira spends the entire time in Lucky Channel pointing out her assistants flaws in acting, and basically just getting angry as usual. Her second best moment in the series so far happens in this episode too, when she hears her assistant say his line, and just drops the book and says “What is this?”. Freaking hilarious. It’s just the goddamn look on her face.

I’m looking forward to reviewing more episodes for you guys, as I really love watching this anime. The only other anime that uses Parody as the main idea of comedy that’s this good is Excel Saga. And that is REALLY saying something. KyoAni have got another special on their hands here.

Being made by Gainax, the guys behind FLCL and Neon Genesis Evangelion, I already knew, despite my lack of mecha-anime knowledge, that it would be decent. The music score is absolutely epic, while not being one of my favourites, I still love the opening to bits due to the brilliant opening video.

After that, the first episode opens with a guy on a massive spachship that’s being attacked, without knowing who this is, we see him boast and shout about the strength of them, then finally, the scene ends with one of the most awesome zoom outs ever, zooming across miles of metal onto the massive face of a huge robot.

 Continuing from there, we see Simon, a kid who’s job it is to dig, and dig, to make his underground village bigger, and bigger. He doesn’t dig for any special reason other than that he’s told to. When he stumbles upon a little treasure, he stops digging, and walks off, running into his ‘bro’, Camena. Camena tells Simon that they’ll now be trying to dig there way to thew surface, something that Camena said he’s seen when he was younger, but the Mayor keeps saying it doesn’t exist.

After a failed attempt, Camena is sent to jail, but, when during one of SImons late night digs, he comes across a huge metal face, he breaks Camena out. During the break out, they’re caught, and while the mayor is lecturing them, a huge crack appears in the cieling of the village. When a HUGE robot comes down, breaking apart the ceiling showing a beautiful sky, they’re all stunned. When it starts rampaging, it’s followed by a woman with a massive gun, who Camena starts flirting with.

When Simon finally gets Camena and the girl to the big face he found earlier, she tells them it’s the same as the big thing attacking them, though, Camena says it’s probably a god one. With it, they manag to defeat the massive robot, and finally shoot off onto the surface.

Seriously. I hated mecha-anime with a vengeance, but this has COMPLETELY restored my faith. I really can’t wai to see more. The only thing I don’t like is the ending theme, to be completely honest, and with this episodes ending, I really wanna know what happens next.

Episode 1 – Veoh

The main characters so far are; The blue-haired, anime-obsessed MMORPG playing Konata, the pink haired, super-moe, Miyuki, the short-purple-haired innocent sister, Tsukasa and the long-purple-haired more aggressive sister, Kagami

But on with the actual show, and what this anime is about. Well, from what I got from this episode, they pretty much just discussed Konata’s obsession with Anime and MMORPGs, and how they eat certain food. I have no idea, don’t even try to ask me what the hell was going in.

It was all pretty pointless. In a good way.

From discussing how Konata hates the baseball season because if it goes over time it stops some prime-time anime, to whether you flip a green onion burger or not, it did seem to have a pretty good flair to it, I have to admit. The pointlessness gets annoying, and when they talk about the same thing for minutes on end, it is extremely annoying, but, you gotta let it off because its good points majorly outweigh the bad.

But then comes my favourite part, which actually has nothing to do with the main show. LUCKY CHANNELLLLL! Probably the cutest girl ever presents it, and she’s so cute what with the screaming and everything…. For a while at least. She ends up getting extremely angry for some random reason, and in this case, someone asking her how much she gets paid, leading onto her snapping from super-cute, to tired woman who wants her goddamn money.

Oh, and the ending music? They finish it by karaoke-ing other anime theme tunes. How epic is that? Episode 1s ending was the opening theme of Space Ironmen Kyodain.

Episode 1 – Veoh

Back to some basic laughs rather than romance at the moment. Some intimate moments at the beach, obviously, but mostly for comedic reasons. The return of Haitani and Shirai is great, having not seen them in quite a few volumes, and them actually being great characters, as well as, a lot more Haruka, which I’m not complaing about. Some great jokes, seriously, and this is one of my favourite volumes of the series so far.

Translation

There’s fewer mistakes in placement of text and spelling than the rest of the volumes, which makes the translation near perfect. I have to seriously say, the translation of this manga is very high quality. I think the language being used is getting better too.

Verdict

It’s a great volume no doubt, but I’m guessing it’s been funny, rather than romantic to put some space bwteen the introductions of Seta and Mutsumi, and the actual ending of this story arc? I’m guessing that anyway. Still, despite that, the volume’s increased rate of Haruka, and the return of Haitani and Shirai as previously stated make this one great rather than just a lame filler.

Finally, some delving into Naru’s history. Now that the gang are back from there trip to verious places around Japan, it seems Keitaro wants to get a job, which leads  to a whole bunch of unimaginable coincidences. And one of the best characters of this manga is here now, Seta. I loved him in the anime, and he’s just as awesome in the manga.

Translation

Great as usual, and the amount of times the text veers out of the speech bubbles has lowered which is great. The amoutn of times Keitaro is confused, or falls, and starts spurting out random letters has added a bit… I don’t know if that’s good or not really… it can be funny, but a tad hard to read sometimes. Still great though.

Verdict

Now that Seta and Mutsumi have been introduced properly, I think it’s meeting the climax of the bit I’ve been waiting for the last 2 volumes. I really can’t wait for this, especially considering what Naru (nearly) said to Keitaro near the end of this volume.

Continuing from volume 2 and increasing the pace of Keitaro’s and Naru’s relationship the story seems to be charging forward as fast as possible, with most of this volume focusing on the fact that for certain reasons, they’re alone together. Of course, complicated when the new character, Mutsumi Otohime, seems to mix things up between them.

Translation

As usual, the translation is fine, text is nice, pace is good, language fits and everything. The only problem I can think of is that the text can some times be shooting off to the side. Like, the word may be too far left and not be entirely in the speech bubble, weirdly.

Verdict

It’s not too fats anymore, so I have absolutely no major gripes now, I love the characters the jokes and the story. I’m quite happy with the introduction of Tama-chan too. Myuh!