Underdogs

I’m really starting to feel the trim with this month’s deliveries as I cut down on anime purchases. Although it feels strange not to get (a) package(s) per week, it is good to see money actually in my bank account for once. Anyway, this week’s purchases were Kanon LE 2 and Tokimeki Memorial ~Only Love~ LE 2.

The limited edition of volume two of Tokimeki OL include episodes 4-6, on-disc mini art gallery, a mini figure of Mina Yayoi, and episode four commentary by Mamoru Miyano (Riku Aoba), Yuki Makishima (Sayuri Amamiya), and Saki Fujita (Mina Yayoi). For the episodes themselves, any scene with Mina is an instant favorite so episode four rocked. Episode five, the school sports festival, wasn’t too bad but was a bit weak in terms of Riku and Sayuri plot. Six didn’t care for too much but showed Riku expanding his potential harem in the other direction, so yaoi fans must have been happy. The seiyuu commentary on episode four only listened to half of it before falling asleep, but it sounded like the usual fanfare as the group did a play-by-play as the episode went on with various comments to their own experience in high school, etc, etc. On the material extras, the box the DVD comes is pretty standard fare with the cover girl this time around being Mina with the back image being the image for the DVD cover itself. Inside the DVD case, just the normal DVD and small booklet that unfolds to be a mini-poster of sorts for “the girl of the month” (i.e. Mina). Overall not a bad release that is keeping up with the standards shown with the first volume.

Much like Tokimeki OL, volume two of Kanon follows in the same format as the prologue and first volume releases. A nice slip cover featuring Kaori and Nayuki (front and back) keeps the dust away. The same image can be found on the actual DVD case itself as well. Extras include the mini 4koma/bookmark, character card (Kaori in folk-ish clothes), and DVD. For the DVD itself, episodes 4-6 were included plus commentary on episode four by some of the staff at KyoAni (I think) and the continuation of behind-the-scenes at Kyoto Animation as they animate the series (storyboard work). On the episodes themselves, basically the start/continuation of Makoto’s arc, which I enjoyed but after seeing the other arcs (i.e. Mai’s) seems kind of weak to me now. Also doesn’t help that, if I remember correctly, Makoto’s arc felt like the longest out of the girls which really reduced Nayuki’s arc in my opinion (Okay, I’m a Mai/Nayuki fanboy so I’m a little annoyed that Nayuki’s arc seems to be getting shafted). Fanboyism aside, volume two of Kanon is another great release by the folks of Kyoto Animation and I can’t wait for the rest, especially when Mai’s arc starts!

In other news, Bandai decided to go the Japanese release route by charging an arm and a leg for the US special release of Haruhi, making the english reading fanboys and girls around the world cry in tears. Personally I’m still debating about which version I’ll buy considering it’ll be like buying all the R2s all over again. Most likely, I may either end up buying the collector’s edition of the first volume and wait until the rest of the normal edition goes cheap or simply wait for a thinpack/brick version in a year or so. It’s not like I don’t already own like 3/4 of the DVDs and extras Bandai will be selling in their release anyways.

And speaking of Haruhi, looks like I lucked out on getting the first run of the MaxFactory’s Haruhi PVC through HLJ… though it seems fellow AB.net forum member and figurine collector Vinn scored nicely through Hobby Search instead. He’s one lucky son of a…