Spring Anime ’09 Outlook #2 – Leopardmen and cats with cellphones in Italian restaurants

Part two of the Spring ’09 anime outlook now; with Eden of the East, Guin Saga, Chi’s New Address and Ristorante Paradiso.

” Eden of the East is a bit of a strange show. We get to see our main female protagonist Saki visiting the United States, as she later on encounter a naked man (later known as Akira) with no recollection of his past, with the exception of a really capable cell phone which can do whatever he asks for. Throw in an overall plot of him being part of a dozen of messiahs who are supposed to save a now-nuked Japan and the questions get frequent after watching every episode. The characters seem to be developing fairly well as we delve further into the plot, but a series like this is hard to judge without getting the entire picture in the end. Outside of that, the Chika Umino (Honey and Clover) designs are of her typical fare; while I find the opening theme by British band Oasis is rather solid and one of my favorite OPs of this season.

” Guin Saga is a large scale fantasy novel series which has finally been adapted into an anime series; and which explores the quest of Guin, the man with the apparent permanently affixed leopard head, tagged along by the twins Linda and Remus, whom lost their kingdom and family. The story seem to fit the fantasy action bill rather well; the action sequences and the elements are pretty good (with the exception of a strange outcome from a battle somewhere in episode 3) as is the score created by Nobou Uematsu of Final Fantasy fame. While I’d expect this to last for more than a regular 26 episodes, I’d hope it covers enough content which gives the novels justice and explores the character of Guin with his mysterious origin.

” Chi’s New Address is pretty much in the same vein of the 1st season, Chi’s Sweet Home, in delivering a 2 minute dose of the antics of Chi, a rather outgoing and always excited kitten and her life with her human family, the Yamadas. This season seems to introduce some sort of plot advancement (if you call that one), by letting the family move to a newer apartment and the introduction of several characters (and their pets) whom will likely bring in a more varied dimension in the series. If you’re ever tired of manly macho shows or angsty teenage drama, this might be one of the quickest series to just plain relax and smile when watching.

” What do you do when you take the usual series of a girl surrounded by bishounen such as Ouran or The Wallflower and age the guys up for about 40 years or so? You get Ristorante Paradiso, a slice of life series which explores the life of Nicoletta as she works in her step-father’s restaurant, surrounded by a staff of elderly men, each with their varied personalities. The series is no slouch when it comes to covering the Italian aspect of the series; from even the simple greetings to the atmosphere, to even the exquisite usage of the accordion for the soundtrack; which I think is one of the more stronger aspects of the show. In general, though, this is more or less a standard slice-of-life series through and through – and a rather change of pace from the norm.