- Last OnlineJan 31, 2009 1:31 PM
- GenderMale
- BirthdayAug 20, 1991
- LocationWilton, Connecticut
- JoinedNov 26, 2008
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Dec 26, 2008
You know, for all the internet rage I've heard that this show is "Too much Otaku wish fulfillment", it failed to fulfill my wish of being entertained. ZONG! And now, ladies and germs, the actual review:
Actually, I wouldn't argue that the problem with this show is that it's a substance-less, extra generous heaping of Otaku wish fulfillment as some claim, because let's face it, KissxSis and Chocotto Sister REALLY have no critical quality to them, and instead only show me just what I want to see, and yet I'm still entertained by them. No, instead, I find that there are three major problems that
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cause Himitsu to fall short of it's potential.
The first is that for an Otaku-centric comedy, Himitsu feels as though it were written by a non-Otaku. While many of the stereotypes and experiences that we have all become accustomed to through real life and other shows are present, they lack the personality that shows such as Genshiken capitalize on. For example, in Hayate no Gotoku, there's an extremely short scene (Not but a single panel in the Manga) in which Nagi exits the room in order to watch an anime DVD boxset she purchased on a whim. Every fan can relate to the scenario of buying (Or downloading) anime which we have never heard of, simply for the sake of owning it, or because the cover art looked cool. You can also take Genshiken, and the strained relations between the Otaku characters and the "Normal" characters. Undoubtably each viewer has had an experience of their own with someone who was less than accepting of their hobby. Through these shared experiences, the watcher relates the characters, and connects to them. However all of Haruka's adventures feel as though they went through a game of Bohemian Telephone before they were scripted into the show. Oh sure, all the major hallmarks of an Otaku life are there (Comiket, cosplaying, Akihabara, figurine obsession), but the personality and small details have been lost in the process. This lack of a personal touch makes the series seem like a second hand story, as though the author had heard about such experiences from a friend.
The next aspect holding the show back was that the secondary characters are better developed than the main characters. Yuuto, for example, is a total blank slate. While I understand that often lead male characters in such series are made bland so that the watcher can impose their own personalities on the the character, Yuuto has absolutely no personality at all. The only noticeable aspect of his personality is that he seems to mildly care about Haruka. Haruka herself, claims to be an Otaku, but shows a forced interest in everything Otaku related. Her character is just an amalgamation of various "Moe" characteristics, without any new flavoring. At the same time, the trio of Haruka's little sister Mika, and the family maids provided more entertainment and laughs than the rest of the characters combined. They were fresh and original, and quite entertaining to watch. However, this trio was given far less airtime than they deserved, and instead the focus of the series lied with the blander characters. Obviously it would have been absurd if these bit characters became the focus of the series, however I just wish that the same amount of love and dedication went into formulating the other characters.
At the same time that this show tries to be an Otaku-centric comedy, it also plays up romantic elements, which I have no problem with. My troubles however, lie with the fact that neither party seems to make any real effort at making the other like them. This may be due in part to the fact that for half of the show Haruka shows a mild, dispassionate interest in Yuuto, while the other half of the time she seems totally unaware that there are two genders.
In closing, while this series did provide me with a little fun, at best it was disposable entertainment, not to be remembered after it's 8 month relevancy.
One more thing: For an Otaku-centric comedy, I only picked up on like three references (The blatant Shana one from the Hazuki episode, the Doujin that they buy at Comiket was drawn by the person who illustrated the original Light Novels, and the person who voice Gento voiced Gendou from Evangelion, if that even is a reference.). WTF is up with that? I mean in Pani Poni Dash, there was a heaping of thirty references per episode.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Dec 25, 2008
When I first started thinking about how I was going to review H2O ~Footprints In The Sand~, I thought of it like a cheap wine, with no "hints" of flavors to be found. Instead, one finds the usual tastes of Air, Shuffle!, and School Days washing over your tongue, bland in their imitated form. The characters are tired stereotypes, massive plot gaps pervade the entire story line, and the ending felt like a cheap attempt to bond the viewer to the characters with a simple pity technique. I then decided, however, on a better metaphor to describe this show. We all remember that one name
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from high school, the girl who emulated the popular girls in a desperate attempt to make easy and quick friends on the fly. She simply followed the trends others have set out in order to make the largest quantity of friends in the shortest amount of time. This series followed the same friend-mongering tactics, stealing traits and quirks from other series so as to establish a limited rapport with it's audience. I think I shall be soon forgetting this series, even beyond it's lack of memorable scenes, I shall probably soon confuse this series with the other shows it ripped off.
P.S. Do watch episode 8 however. It may have been totally inappropriate in it's placement in the series, but it was pretty hilarious.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Dec 25, 2008
Ahh Chaos;head, such a sour affair we've had. Of course, like any passionate fling, it would be unfair to say that we were set off with a spark. No, to be more accurate, I was seared alive by a Nazi-era flamethrower with a love for this show when it first began. The early episodes contained all the elements of my other favorite series. We had a Hikikomori on par with Tatsu of NHK ni Youkoso, we had psychotic murdering high school girls akin to the killer lolis of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, and all the intrigue of Monster combined with the polygamous romances found
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in nearly every anime over the last five years. I only grew more and more passionate about the series as Taku dove headlong into his delusions, and as the invisible horrors of the outside world pressed down harder upon his shipping containers doors. However, at episode seven, the enjoyment i found in the series threw itself full force against a wall of disbelief. Granted, nearly every anime "jumps the shark" sooner or later (just look at H2O ~Footprints In The Sand~ episode eight, it took a rocket-boosted double jump over said shark). However, when Chaos;Head began trying to wed a logical explanation to a concept that by it's nature defies common logic, it leaves the watcher in a tizzy. While the technological jargon invented to try and explain the vast loneliness of the human condition and the vast conspiracy to justify the illogical nature philosophy of the mind do offer an explanation, they offer no solutions. Right now at episode ten, I can't help but feel dismal depression as even if "the bad guys" are defeated in the show, Takumi will still be unable to prove any facet of existence. Frankly, at this point the series has nowhere to go. While I admit that I have two episodes to come, I view their eventual arrival with a weary heart, knowing that the show can never retract the new technobabble it's branched into, and return to it's murder mystery roots.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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