Bdiah's Blog

Anime Relations: Seikai no Senki II

I recently began watching the third installment in the Stars Chronicles: Banner of the Stars II (Seikai no Senki II). I was surprised that after two episodes I was once again drawn into the show. So I began asking myself how this happened.

The Stars Chronicles have many flaws. They have utterly terrible animation for the time that they were produced, they sometimes go way to far into their own world at the expense of storytelling (even creating unique units for altitude, "daj"), they have a huge cast of underdeveloped characters, and they sometimes skip around between characters and storylines with little to no coherent thought or purpose.

Such flaws are generally damning to a show's quality and, indeed with this show, many viewers have been scared off by them. But there are two reasons in my mind why this series is passionately followed by a group of anime fans.
1. The Main Characters: Lafiel and Jinto are not particularly special in their personality. They are very amicable and likable characters, but what really makes them distinctive is their relationship with each other. From the first series in the chronicles, they have had a very subtle, mostly unspoken relationship with each other. Is it love? Is it enjoyment from suitable companionship? Is there a difference? By the third series, it is clear that both characters deeply care about each other, and they complement each other well. At no point though, is too much stress placed on the relationship. This kind of subtlety is almost unique between male and female in the last decade of anime.

2. The Story: This series does set up an epic story with interesting vignettes played out in stops along the way. The author clearly devoted himself to this world and it pays off in the execution of the story for the most part. As I mentioned before there are some annoying aspects to this (the language, the measuring system), but overall, his attention to detail in the setting allows intriguing storylines to develop that draw you into the world as well.

I will continue watching and see if my praise for this series holds true all the way through series finale, Banner of the Stars III.

Anime Relations: Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai

This episode wraps up the Shiori arc, involving a quiet, bookish, girl with severe social anxiety.

I did enjoy this episode, and the arc in general, it was cute and touching. Shiori is not a bad character at all, and hoped that Keima might reciprocate some feelings for her. This was not the case.

Despite my enjoyment, this episode did deepen my concerns about the overall quality of the series. Although each story is well written and wonderfully animated, they do nothing to help the main character. He has seemingly undergone no change whatsoever over the course of the series. He maintains the same stoic ambivalence about the real world, and the almost psychopathic fixation of applying a dating sim mentality to these girls. I recall that in the third arc, I was hopeful that he had expressed emotion at the dilemma that specific girl was placed in, but instead it was revealed that he was merely reacting to a new and expecting challenge placed in his path to romantic conquest.

I understand that this show has been picked up for another season and that if he fell for a girl, then the main plot could not continue, but this necessity does not require a completely static character. The writers could easily have avoided this show taking an episodic feel by simply showing Keima's mounting frustration with this job, with developing emotions for a girl only to forcibly purge them in order to move onto the next one, but it does not appear that they will employ this.

I will be watching avidly to see if the last episode of the season provides character depth to Keima, because the ability of this show to meet its potential and to rise from mediocrity has become entirely dependent on his growth (or lack there of).