She [Karuta] isn’t just thinking…it’s something deeper.  She probably knows instinctively what’s right.  That’s it.  She’s like a jungle hero.  She’s like Tarzan.
-Watanuki Banri, of Inu x Boku SS

Cooking is about seeing the possibilities clearly.
-Roromiya Karuta

After the sixth episode of the currently airing show, Inu x Boku SS, Roromiya Karuta has vaulted over all other competitors to become my favorite.  As adorable as I find Ririchiyo, there’s just something irresistible about Karuta’s bottomless stomach and natural desire to help those in need.

Back up and look at her from a distance, however, and the view isn’t so pretty.  Descendent of a gashadokuro, Karuta is made of the stuff of nightmares.  Like her ancestors, she can transform into a gigantic skeleton, capable of teleporting (or moving impossibly fast?) and picking up her foes or friends with a single skeletal hand.  Her constant hunger for foods, namely sweets, is also reminiscent of the mythical spirit’s desire to bite human heads right off of their owners. This insatiability stems from their creation from the bones of people who have starved to death.  Thankfully, Karuta lacks any interest in human flesh, opting instead for a never ending supply of candy and snacks.  She’s the perfect representative for Anime B&B, earning herself a banner with just this episode! Even better is her skill in the kitchen, and her ability to adapt to the quality of her ingredients.  Compare this to Ririchiyo in her lab coat, who treats the food like some sort of chemistry experiment with precise measurements and dangerous penalties for straying from the recipe.  The scene where they cook curry together in home economics, coupled with the earlier one where Ririchiyo shares her lunch with Karuta, made me appreciate Karuta all the more for her heart and ability to perceive what others do not, or perhaps can not.

I have a special spot for girls like Karuta, the ones who see the world in a different light and aren’t afraid to live in it with their own set of rules.  Think Osaka of Azumanga Daioh, or Luna Lovegood of Harry Potter.  Karuta, as well as both of my two examples, gives off the appearance of an airhead–but, nothing could be more false.  As Watanuki argues, and Ririchiyo eventually discovers, she always acts within reason, and senses things about people that most others overlook.  Whether it be suffering scratches to save a cat in a tree, befriending a girl whose sharp tongue others avoid, or working as a SS agent to protect Shoukiin Kagerou, Karuta is very much aware of her surroundings and always acts accordingly.  I eagerly await to see where she will lead me next!

Favorite moment: When Karuta zooms in on an unsuspecting Ririchiyo for a hug of thankfulness and affection.

No, this isn’t actually a guide to losing fat in 10 days.  It is, however, a commentary on the highly unrealistic weight loss of one of Area no Kishi‘s soccer players, Ryuichi Araki.  I appreciated the miracle for contributing to the “WTF?!” factor of this sports show, but I also resented it a little for reminding me yet again of my own insecurities.  And the funny thing is, I’m not even that visibly overweight, but a salvageable 20 pounds over my build and height’s ideal weight.  The secret to Araki’s dramatic change in physique is nothing more or less than “…careful dieting and rigorous training.”

Source: http://www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk_factors/overweight/en/

Looking at the 2008 World Health Observatory Data Repository of mean body mass index trends on an international scale by an age-standardized estimate, the United States isn’t actually the top.  We’re also far from the bottom.  Males 20+ measure at 28.5, while females are surprisingly just a bit lower at 28.3.  Compare this to Japan, whose relative numbers are 23.5 and 21.9.  Even when considering the world map, it’s only 3rd world countries, like those in sub-Saharan Africa, that escape the global epidemic.

All this gibberish merely serves to remind us that losing fat is one tough goal to accomplish.  And even the most rigorous weight loss programs are usually only effective after a minimum of three weeks.  Araki’s 10-day drop in fat is not only unrealistic, but unhealthy.  No beneficial combination of exercise and diet could have accomplished what he did in such a short time.  Despite the laugh-worthy change in image, I do think that Coach Teppei made a good argument for why Araki needed to lose weight: to become his desired type of soccer player, Araki had to stop underestimating the importance of having both an ideal mind and body.  His best wishes and natural skill would only take him so far, before other players with lean muscle, greater endurance, and lightness of feet overtook him.

Still, I do believe that the professed methods of Araki’s weight loss are the best way to go about getting into shape.  Exercising and eating healthy daily are great for the body and soul, and I always feel a wonderful sense of vigor after a good day’s balance of the two.  This goes hand-in-hand with my struggles in time management–by striving to succeed in one just makes it that much easier to follow through on the other.  And don’t be fooled by the name of this blog or my passion for food; I take plenty of pleasure in healthy eating, too!

What’s your definition of healthy?

ARENA 01: [Anjō Naruko] Haruna Iwasawa Asami [Shinonome Hakase] Shiomiya Shiori Tachibana Kanade Yarizui Sen
ARENA 02: Gokō Ruri (Kuroneko) Haqua du Lot Herminium Horizon Ariadust (P-01s) Laura Bodewig [Oshimizu Nako] Tōwa Erio [Yamada Aoi]
ARENA 03: Amami Haruka Eucliwood Hellscythe Hakamada Hinata [Kaga Rin] Mikazuki Yozora [Sakura Kyōko] Ueno Kirika
ARENA 04: Amaha Miu Hotogi Shirayuki [Kaname Madoka] Sena Airi Suzutsuki Kanade [Uryū Minene] Yui
ARENA 05: Fear Kubrick [Hoshii Miki] Kasugano Sora [Nakamura Yuri] Reki Tomoe Mami Toshinō Kyōko
ARENA 06: Charlotte Dunois Himeji Mizuki [Honma Meiko] [Ika-Musume] Inui Sana Nanasaki Ai Shimada Minami
ARENA 07: Akiyama Mio Fate Testarossa [Hanekawa Tsubasa] Hyūga Hinata Illyasviel von Einzbern Sakurano Kurimu [Tainaka Ritsu]
ARENA 08: Alice Fujibayashi Kyō Hoshina Utau Kanzaki Kaori Maria [Sakagami Tomoyo] [Suzumiya Haruhi]
ARENA 09: Furukawa Nagisa Haibara Ai [Hiiragi Tsukasa] Kamio Misuzu Konjiki no Yami Kotegawa Yui [Senjōgahara Hitagi]
ARENA 10: C.C. [Furude Rika] Hinamori Amu Kinomoto Sakura Nymph Sengoku Nadeko [Suiseiseki]
ARENA 11: Ikaros Kawashima Ami Kuronuma Sawako Lucy Heartfilia Ryūgū Rena [Saber] [Tōsaka Rin]
ARENA 12: [Hirasawa Yui] [Ibuki Fūko] Ichinose Kotomi Kuchiki Rukia Lala Satalin Deviluke Last Order Uiharu Kazari

ARENA 01: Erza Scarlet [Hecate] Hyūga Hinata Index L. Prohibitorum [Misaka Mikoto] Suigintō Yūki Mikan

ARENA 02: [Hanekawa Tsubasa] Hoshina Utau Izumi Konata Kushieda Minori [Nagato Yuki] Saten Ruiko Shiina Mafuyu

ARENA 03: Fate Testarossa Kamio Misuzu Kanzaki Kaori [Kotobuki Tsumugi] [Nakano Azusa] Okazaki Ushio Oshino Shinobu

ARENA 04: Alice Haibara Ai [Hiiragi Kagami] [Hinamori Amu] Sakurano Kurimu Shana Shirai Kuroko

ARENA 05: [Aisaka Taiga] [Holo] Kotegawa Yui Kuronuma Sawako Maria Suiseiseki Tainaka Ritsu

ARENA 06: Fujibayashi Kyō Hiiragi Tsukasa Illyasviel von Einzbern Katsura Hinagiku [Kinomoto Sakura] Lala Satalin Deviluke [Ryūgū Rena]

ARENA 07: Astarotte Ygvar [Makise Kurisu] Miki Sayaka Nakagawa Kanon Shiina Mayuri [Shinonome Hakase] Victorique de Blois

ARENA 08: Akaza Akari [Anjō Naruko] Kanzaki H. Aria Kirishima Shōko Kōsaka Kirino Minato Tomoka [Oshimizu Nako]

ARENA 09: Amami Haruka [Dalian] Elucia de Lute Irma Hasegawa Kobato Horizon Ariadust (P-01s) Kuroi Mato [Yarizui Sen]

ARENA 10: Aragaki Ayase [Irisviel von Einzbern] Shiomiya Shiori Ueno Kirika Uryū Minene [Yamada Aoi] Yuzuriha Inori

ARENA 11: Amaha Miu Haruna [Hoshii Miki] [Kaga Rin] Kashiwazaki Sena Laura Bodewig Mine Riko

ARENA 12: [Akemi Homura] Hakamada Hinata Haqua du Lot Herminium [Iwasawa Asami] Nanasaki Ai Sena Airi Toshinō Kyōko

I’ll be working this Valentine’s Day, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pause and appreciate the the gestures of love bound to pop everywhere around the date.  I’m a sucker for shoujo anime/manga, and love me some romantic comedy films, so it stands to reason that I plan on snuggling up after work and watching some favorite ol’ lovey-dovey anime.

The following are some of what I consider to be the most suitable anime for this date, though there are plenty of other great pairs out there, like Kurisu and Okabe (Steins;Gate), and Makino and Domyoji (Hana Yori Dango).  Feel free to wach these with me, or to name some of your own favorites.

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Itazura na Kiss
One of the reasons that this romantic comedy stands above many others very similar to it is that it spans a pretty decent amount of time.  We get to see every step of the relationship, from  the first meeting, through the whole phase of butting heads, and into the mutual attraction.  Most shows stop there, with the two happily dating and looking to a bright future, but InK tackles the next step up: marriage and parenting.  There’s a real sense of depth in their feelings for one another, and the story is more relatable to me now that I’m in my mid-20s.

There are some serious flaws with the characters, who are, for the most part, flat.  Through relationship and real life hardships, they do learn some lessons, but their overall personalities don’t change much.  Kotoko is still a little girl at heart who daydreams about that happy ending, and Naoki still struggles to show any semblance of emotion in his otherwise emotionless voice and face.  One of my favorite arcs in the story is the medical school arc, after they are already married.  A love triangle forms, forcing Naoki to be more open and Kotoko to be more perceptive.

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Kimi ni Todoke, Seasons 1 and 2
If it’s fluttery, awkward love that you want, then you should give Kimi ni Todoke a try.  Of all the high school romances that I’ve seen and read about, it does the best job of portraying those agonizing feelings of inability.  Does he love me? Does he not? To stay friends? Or, to dare for more? Kuronuma Sawako, however, is far from your typical shoujo lead.  She scores the ‘A’ in “awkward”, and displays the most severe case of miscommunication that I’ve ever seen.  If agonizing is something you like to do, then the first season is a must-watch, as almost zero progress is made in their relationship.  It focuses more on character development, particularly that of Sawako.

The second season is by far my favorite of the two, as the lovebirds slowly climb over all the misunderstandings and start to really come together in a meeting of hearts and minds.  The constant dodging of confrontation makes way for confessions, and misconceptions are clarified so the two begin to really see each other for who they are.

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Toradora!
A J.C. Staff creation, I view Toradora! as  one of their best works (though Honey & Clover and Nodame Cantabile still trump it).  I also view lead Aisaka Taiga as the pinnacle of Kugimiya Rie’s tsundere roles.  This anime came a bit out of left field for me, since I completely did not expect such a heart-touching pair to come out of a production company who thrives in pumping out tsundere-lead, high school-set, romantic comedies.  Similar to the innocence of KnT, Toradora! feels genuinely sweet and naive.  Yet, it acknowledges the probable illusion of first love.  Unlike Sawako and Kazehaya, Taiga and Ryuuji become friends before feeling attraction to one another.  Through their mutual goals of wanting to date each others’ best friends, they help one another, growing closer and slowly re-evaluating their own ideas of love.  Their ideas of matchmaking too often go awry, resulting in some hilarious goof-ups.

The blend of romance, comedy, and drama are very well balanced, and my involvement in the main and side characters was considerably higher than with those of KnT and InK.  You will laugh, cry, and reminisce over Toradora! and its characters, and hopefully want to go back for repeats.

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CLANNAD: After Story (*SPOILER*)
I’m not actually that big a fan of the whole CLANNAD franchise, but I don’t doubt the powerful end to this continuation.  After Story is exactly as the title says, the story after the supposedly happy end of the first season.  Similar to InK, we get to see much further past the love confession and the seemingly “forever after” at which most love stories end.  It hurts seeing just how much Tomoya’s life mirrors that of his father’s, an irony you’ll only truly appreciate if you’ve seen both seasons.  Again, we witness a union and the problems that often come along with young marriages.  Financially and physically in dire straits, Tomoya and Nagisa navigate the rapids of life.  Unfortunately, a life is claimed just as another comes into being.  It’s here where I really became sucked into the welfare of our characters.  I desperately wanted Tomoya to step out of his father’s shadow and his grief and become the parental figure that he, himself, always desired.  Watching Ushio, who looks so much like her mother, grow up deprived of both her parents is heart breaking.

When father and daughter are forced to conflict, you’ll be thankful for sticking it out as long as you did.  I found the first season amusing, but cliche, and the second season desperate for drama; however, the Ushio arc made up for almost all my frustration with the characters and story.  I like depressing endings, as they seem more realistic to me.  If you like them, too, then stop watching at episode 21.  If you prefer the happy, magical ending, then keep on watching for one more episode.

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5 Centimeters Per Second
I’m a huge fan of Makoto Shinkai’s films, as filled as they are with similar protagonists, heavy moments of silence, and expectations of awe.  I find that the still segments serve to force the protagonists and audience into self-contemplation.  His works are visual treats (and he knows it) and I can’t get enough of the sky porn.  But his style may not please you if you’re not one to appreciate a slow pace and simple plot.  Some also complain of his use of nature in place of character development, with emotion sometimes hinging more on the landscapes than on the protagonists.  And considering Shinkai films from a distance, this isn’t actually my favorite (that being The Place Promised in Our Early Days).  But when it comes to love, 5 Centimeters undoubtedly has the most profound punch.

Tohno and Akari are the classic examples of love pulled apart by time and distance.  Despite the strength of their feelings, new environments and acquaintances make it increasingly difficult to keep in touch.  The forming and breaking of relationships–be it familial, romantic, friendly, or professional–is something we all have to get used to as we age.  Even though this film was made before the advent of communication like cell phones and instant messaging, I find the message still extremely relatable.  No matter how much I change, I can still look back and wonder over the possibilities.

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Whether or not you have a special someone, I hope you can still harbor hope and appreciation for the possible.  Happy Valentine’s Day, from Marina.  <3

This topic is a bit sore for me since I follow the non-schedule schedule.  There is no efficiency involved.  I can plan all I want for a healthy, structured day, but I almost never follow through on the idea.  That isn’t to say that I don’t want to control my life a bit more; I just let my hobbies and part-time job steamroll the things I really ought to be doing.

On average, five days a week, I work a part-time job in the evening.  This can last anywhere between four to six hours.  Despite the short hours, I make just enough to cover my rent, bills, and living expenses.  The problems in scheduling are the hours all around.  Too tired to even consider working on my Master’s thesis after work, I come home and inhale any and all food I can get my hands on, catching up on my anime and blogging until the very late hours of the morning (sometimes as late as 6 o’clock).  My nocturnal activities result in a very late wake up, no earlier than noon.  My grand plans to write are usually eclipsed by my greater desire to watch even more anime, all the way until the time that I have to get ready for work once more.  It’s an addictive and non-productive cycle.

Like anything, watching anime to excess can be quite destructive, as I’ve sadly discovered.  Currently, I find more joy in writing about anime than I do in my thesis topic.  This is a serious problem for someone who wants nothing more than to finish graduate school and move out of the state in which I’ve lived my whole life! So I’ll take this moment to set out some goals for myself:

1. Set a productive daily schedule!
   1. Wake up at 10:00 AM and have breakfast as soon as possible
   2. Go work out, mostly cardio, until noon
   3. Lunch and play with my pup
   4. Work on my thesis for 2-3 hours
   5. Part-time job
   6. Dinner+anime+blogging
   7. Get my butt to sleep no later than 2:00 AM
2. Finish my thesis in time for a spring defense and a May 2012 graduation
3. Work off some body weight by May, in time for my cousin’s wedding (aim: 130 lbs.)
4. Attend my very first con, Anime Expo, in June
5. Jump into the adult working life >.<

Yeah.  It’s a lot to focus on.  Right now, I’ll start with the very first and hopefully that will naturally result in the next two! Lend me your support, okay?

Check out these other participants:

• Kai’s Anime Time Management
• Time Management Ace Style
• Hoshiko’s Anime Time Management
• OG’s Anime Time Management (Pffft)
• Time Management: Between Reality and Anime
• Chronological Record #3 ~ Time Waits for No One
• Yerocha’s Anime Time Management
• hippiefreak’s Extremely Simplistic Time Management Post
• Craft of Balancing Time, An Aniblogger Testament

It’s a work like Thermae Romae that proves to me that anime still has so much to offer, despite the slew of look-a-likes out there.  If you are able to set aside your art style preferences, then I think you’ll find this to be one of the funniest bits of warped history and culture since, I don’t know, anything!

It’s the art that seems to turn people off when trying this anime out.  It’s a given that anime should include a specific type of appealing character design.  One of the other markers for well done art is the smoothness of the animation.  Thermae Romae challenges both notions, almost mocks them.  Instead of the pretty, moe facial features, we have a protagonist whose expressions range a very limited set of templates.  Everyone else’s expressions around him are as flat as their dimensions.  Likewise, the animation is restricted to the bare minimum of cardboard cut outs turning their heads from one direction to another and figures bouncing across the background.  These limitations effectively support the simple, yet gut-busting, humor that pervades every scene.  Thermae Romae does not depend on its art to charm the audience, and the jokes work even better when joined with the perfectly timed looks of shock and pleasure on Lucius’ face.

This short show consists of three episodes, whose “stories” are split in half, feeling more like a 6-episode anime.  The very first half episode introduces Lucius Modestus, a Roman architect struggling to survive amongst his competitors.  Combine a dated Roman bathhouse and a dangerous drain, and we have one of the most unique instances of time travel ever created.  So begins both Lucius’ and our journey to rediscovering the art of bathing through archaic Roman eyes and modern Japan.  Japanese settings include the bathhouse, a hot spring, a home owner’s bathroom, a toilet store, and an entire village dedicated to its natural hot springs.  Not only are we treated to various aspects of Japan’s bathing culture, we also get to see some famous locations and people of the Roman Empire, including Mount Vesuvius and Emperor Hadrian.

The most hilarious aspect is the clash between the two, one that Lucius acts out perfectly.  As over the top and ridiculous as the reactions and exclamations are, I was still able to relate to them due to my unfamiliarity with anything outside of the Westernized shower.  I’ve washed in a generic bathtub, soaked in a bubbling hot tub, and visited the local, man made hot springs,  but I’ve never experienced anything quite like the Japanese bath.  The process looks complicated, but the payout so worth it.  Although I stated that I have tried a hot spring before, it didn’t look nearly as clean and soothing as those of Japan.  While I enjoyed the temperature of the water, it was awkward since there were no actual places to sit.  I spent my time walking around up to my neck and going back up to the surrounding boulders only low enough to let you dabble your feet in the water.

Another feature of Thermae Romae that I absolutely love is that bathing and food go hand in hand.  Fruit milk, beer, red bean cakes, and ramen all serve to perfectly complete you from the inside as much as the bath did on the outside.  Anime B&B would utterly fail itself if it didn’t acknowledge the food and drink! I’m a die hard lover of strawberry milk, so the fruit milk is an obvious must.  I only hope when I drink some for the first time, that my pleasure in the ice cold sweet milk rivals that of Lucius.

Overall: A must see for any professed fan of cultual and intellectual humor.

It looks like Fam has taken a downward dip, once again, with a return to Fam’s idealistic plans for the future; however, the episode was saved from complete shallowness with Vasant’s anti-Luscinia movements in both Glacies and the Ades Federation.  If it wasn’t for Millia, I’d vote to focus solely on our side characters and the machinations of parties like the Federation and Anatoray-Disith.

Starting with the softer side of “Smothered Mate,” I actually thought that Millia would finally shed the veil of innocence that Fam devoutly touts and go through with her decision to eliminate her sister.  Granted, Liliana will most likely turn out to be acting out of the interest of the greater good (somehow?) and her death would transfer Turan’s Exile to Millia, but I still can’t help but want some type of repayment for the obliteration of two nations.  Luscinia obviously should bear the brunt of it, but no manner of excuse forgives Liliana for all the sacrifices that she has made in the name of peace.  Millia’s change of heart ends up being much too harsh for tender Fam, resulting in a very hockey-reminiscent vanship race.  That a simple race is enough to change Millia’s mind and bring her “back to the light” of bringing about happiness to all is simply laughable, but hey, that’s Fam for you.

Far more worthy of examination are the restless loyalties of a few choice Federation officers. The more surprising unrest is the scene between Ōrang and Sorūsh.  As two of the five Ades Federation generals, they are among the last I would imagine questioning Luscinia’s tactics.  They point out how Luscinia’s so-called justice has far exceeded the needs of any normal human being.  His vision of peace seems to mystify even those closely around him.

Vasant follows through on her earlier promise, satisfying my expectations for her eventual rebellion.  First, we see a curious scene between her and the last surviving Glacians, all that remains of the Winged Maidens, that hints at an alliance against the “true enemy”.  Their share a mutual loss of home, as they are both all that remains of Glacies and Keios (Chaos?).  Even more astounding is the later scene in which she appears to have convinced Queen Sārā Augusta of the unjust violence that has been dressed up by the war for peace.  I find Vasant’s actions far more in line with the previous Augusta’s vision than those enacted by Luscinia and Alauda.  I would be more confident in their seeming ceasefire, if not for the other still dormant Exiles.  Luscinia, too, seems to have plenty more up his sleeve, which I expect will result in an all out battle featuring the as of yet unseen nation of Anatoray-Disith.

I’m way behind on the episodic posts, but I’d rather still post about these past two episodes than skip them and just move on to the fourteenth episode.  I’m still sticking to the official episode numbering.

Ep. 12 “Blocked”
With the mystery of Glacies and its Wing Maidens, this episode felt like a breath of fresh air amidst all the Anatoray, Turan, and Ades Federation turmoil.  For just a moment, it was like I had stumbled into an oasis, one well shaded against the harshness of the outside world.  The ironic thing about this image though is that the reality of the environment and Glacies’ position in the war is far from sheltered.

The setting reminds me a lot of where I live–cold and filled with wide, open spaces.  The land is harsh, and its people have adapted to survive because of it.  Dian is our representative of Glacies, and despite having to put on a brave and almost forbidding personality, our main girls were able to draw out her soft side.  I really enjoyed getting to know Dian more, and getting an idea of the pressure she shoulders as a Wing Maiden.  It’s no surprise that she’s had to grow an armor of sorts to keep up the hopes of her people and fellow Maidens.  It was inspirational and scary seeing how the humble inhabitants of her country were so eager to greet her and help her out.  The last thing she wants to do is let them down as a protector of Glacies.

One of the moments where I really felt for Dian was seeing how she couldn’t even tell her fellow Maidens about housing the Turan princess and sky pirates.  While on one hand there’s a closeness in the mutual responsibility as Wing Maidens, on the other hand, there’s the truth of their country’s mentality towards outsiders.  They trust no one, and I can’t even blame them for the lack of desire to help others.  This is a stark contrast to happy-go-lucky Fam Fan Fan, who Dian openly views as naive (and I agree!).  The one place where they really understood one another, however, was at the end when they took Dian up for a flight so she could feel the wind and understand the feelings of the sky pirates.  Despite my frustration with Fam’s stubborn views, I do think it’s important to never let go of that ideal, even if you have to set it aside sometimes.

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Ep. 13 “Bad Move”
If the previous episode was an oasis, then this episode is our desert storm.  It’s almost a happy accident that I have these two episodes posted together here like this, since they work so well for comparison.

Our two powerhouses go head to head, with Ades Federation roping in their allied vanguard to go against largely mysterious Glacies.  In addition, both sides have their own Exiles as that last weapon/defense.  I was riveted to my seat for this entire episode, but I was also distracted by its title and kept trying to pinpoint exactly whose move was considered the “bad” one.  For Ades Federation’s part, their calculated loss of their entire vanguard fleets may not have been bad in their eyes, but I was unpleasantly reminded of some medieval battle where the frontline is comprised of the lower class, the replaceable.  As much as I want to like the Wing Maidens, I really pitied the vanguard, whose leaders we got to know a little bit in their familial relationship with Vasant.

Then there’s a repeat of the previous ambush on the sky pirates, with the Ades Federation’s anti-vanship weaponry.  Despite Fam’s warning, the Wing Maidens don’t really have much of an alternative to executing their orders with their present resources.  The Glacies pilots who we’ve come to feel a fondness for have their numbers significantly cut down.  Was the bad move theirs, then?

And then there’s Glacies’ Exile, which turns out to be in the most inconvenient of locations for the Ades Federation forces.  I’m not sure exactly how they were able to get the Exile into the ground like that, but I loved the notion of building their entire main populace right smack dab on top of it.  Perhaps this won’t turn out to be the best positioning for protecting Glacies; however, the visual is both powerful and heart-pumping exciting.  But, we mustn’t forget that Ades Federation has an Exile of their very own.  Maybe Glacies revealing their own hidden weapon was the mistake, as it may have triggered an annihilation that would not have been so complete minus the Exile.

Who am I kidding? These are all bad moves! But boy, oh, boy, do I hope to see more moves like these in the following episodes.

Although I haven’t been as pleased with Area no Kishi as I would have expected, I am still enjoying it well enough to keep with it.  I’m fond of the sport and I was hopeful about seeing some real character clashes between the brothers and “Seven”.  Unfortunately, the end of episode two threw in a fatal vehicle/pedestrian accident.  Episode three then opens up on Kakeru waking up with his older brother’s heart beating in his chest.

Shocker? Definitely.  As soon as I first heard about Suguru’s downgrade to vegetable status, I thought Area no Kishi was going to give us a miraculous recovery at the very end along with Kakeru’s victorious return to soccer.  Instead, the character who has been raised up as some type of soccer god and perfect son and brother is handily wiped from the storyboard, living on in a heart transplant to save Kakeru’s life.

And here’s where the story turns supernatural.

Others around Kakeru begin to notice an uncanny resemblance to Suguru, one that they had not noticed before the accident.  It is as if Suguru has somehow given a part of his soul to Kakeru.  I was reminded here of some interesting articles I had read a good while back concerning organ transplants and spirituality.  They discussed several odd occurrences tracing new behaviors in organ recipients to their donor counterparts, also referred to as body memory, or cellular memory.  This thought claims that memories can be held not only by the brain, but by firstly, various organs of the body, or secondly, by all the cells of the human body.  In some cases, transplant recipients experience drastic changes in personality or preferences, or even fall in love with his or her donor’s widow(er).  There isn’t any hard science backing these theories, but there are plenty of testimonials given by organ recipients to strengthen these notions.

Due to the skepticism aimed at the validity of body memory, I was surprised to see it show up so blatantly in this anime.  The first hint of it was properly subtle, with Kakeru’s strangely quick recovery.  Not only has he regained his prior stamina, but he seems to have even more drive than before.  The second comparison came a bit stronger, but still understated enough, with Kakeru’s eye contact and tone of voice mirroring that of Suguru’s.  This is where I wish the anime had ended–uncanny, but compelling.  Unfortunately, the episode closed with an over the top scene where Kakeru blasts a ball through a group of kids without hitting a single one of them and miraculously smacks the driver of a car who swerves and misses a little girl chasing her dog into the street.  Whew.  Yes, it was that long winded and cheesy.  To top it off, Mishima then has to state the obvious by questionably calling Kakeru by his brother’s name.

Despite the forced close to the third episode, I am still very intrigued by the anime’s use of the heart transplant and want to see how far they’ll take it.  I would prefer more delicate inclusions into Kakeru’s personal growth, instead of some ridiculous soccer move that doesn’t reflect himself at all.