Semi-Review: Weib Kreuz Gluhen

Yes, I finally saw Gluhen. I'd gotten the boxset on Boxing Day (how apropos) and finally set aside the time to watch all 3 discs (a day each, 325+ min is a bit long to sit/lay around). Visually, much better than the first series. Everything looked very clean, no problems w/ the art, characters stayed true to their design. Plotwise, it was much better, tighter scripting and events that tied together and made sense. So altogether a major step up from the first one. The story itself isn't really anything we hadn't seen before: clones, crazy school churning out soldier trying to take over the world. I've never been a Yohji fan, and it was a "agh! My eyes!" when he was in his swimsuit floating in the pool. (Omi, Aya, Ken in skivvies is perfectly ok w/ me). And when Yohji did a major betrayal (to spoil or not to spoil? It is over 3 yrs old now.... eh whateverl), I was cheering for Aya to kick his scrawny butt. Too bad about Kyo, he did have a lotta potential. And they really like picking on the young guys don't they? First Omi and then Sena.

Anyways, on to the more important thing. The lovely lovely seiyuus. Can you say squeal-fest?! Or it would have been except that would've drowned out their sex-shi voices, so it was really more a hold-breath fest. Didn't pass out b/c no one had long monologues or soliloquies. I wonder if it was Yuuki-san's voice that they digitized for Persia? They changed it so much, you can't even tell, so unless it's just the pacing for how he speaks...but when it was him, he was so cute. Such a difference between his Persia/Mamoru/Omi voices. Anyways, fine work as always from the rest of Weib, kinda surprised how late they brought in Ken and Yohji. However the major cause for rewind-hold breath-rewind was Seki Toshihiko as Knight. *sigh* When he did his sex-shi sex-shi voice playing chess with Queen... *drool* However some notables seiyuus and their other roles: Berger is Maxima from KOF, Sena is Ranma/Inu Yasha, Tsuji is Major Kusanagi from GITS, Bishop is Clavis from Angelique, Rook has a couple roles from Saiyuki Reload, Pawn is Neji from Naruto, and of course Schwarz members are all popular seiyuus w/ major notable roles. Anyways, I dunno if it was a matter of friends working on the show or just really sweet contracts, but Weib has major seiyuu power behind them, and it's not just the Weib members.

Oh and disc-wise, aside from the major annoyance of the box having a corner dented in, and when I took off the damn security tape (is taping on all 3 sides really necessary?!) b/c the cover wasn't placed properly, the tape was stuck to it, and I'd already majorly creased the paper trying to pull it down. So I had to rip the stupid tape off, and hence some of the cover on the edge. I really really hate that. But that's not MediaBlasters/AnimeWorks fault. What they could work on is: presenting the Japanese credits, having romanji for the opening/closing. C'mon, it's not that hard! Their subtitles are adequate, not great but does get the meaning across. The extras w/ the Weib Kreuz Radio was sugoi as usual. Poor Yuuki-san. He's just so formal and polite, and Koyasu-san and Seki-san seem to love to tease him. They seem to leave Shinichiro-san sorta alone, but then again, he's just quiet but can gutter-talk as well as those 2. Shinichiro-san and Seki-san are really good artists, but poor Yuuki-san! I like his tora though. It wasn't a great drawing, but it was cute. So I guess for extras, sheerly on the silliness and fun of them together, they weren't bad. I'm not sure if trailers should count as part of extras, but at least they play the Japanese themes, and there's no English narrator. I dunno, it just bugs me. Seems wrong. And yeah, if the English track were on the other side of the disc, I'd probably color on the English side so I don't accidentally put it in the wrong way. Although the outtakes were quite amusing. Too many uses of "bitch" though. It was funny the first 3 times.

Lovely thing to distract and support: King of Fighters:Another Day Go Iori!