(L) Sekirei ~Pure Engagement~

[CrowKenobi]

At Anime Expo 2010, Funimation has announced that they've licensed Sekirei ~Pure Engagement~ for streaming and eventual DVD release.

[Midonin]

Simulcasting is convenient. Though I watched the first season without any subs at all...

Eh, what the hey. Viva the digital revolution!

[White Manju Bun]

Originally Posted by CrowKenobi

At Anime Expo 2010, Funimation has announced that they've licensed Sekirei ~Pure Engagement~ for streaming and eventual DVD release.

Oh this makes me happy~~

[KiNA]

5 more hours before the 1st episode aired .. Time to dust off my KeyholeTV and see if it still offers Tokyo MX channel.

[KiNA]

Just finished the episode .. I'm sure everyone have already watched it before so straight to the episode preview next week

Spoiler for preview next week:

A 2nd round rumble with Benitsubasa and Haihane for the anime original little arc to blend the 2 season with the manga storyline again.. I dont think Karasuba will get involves this time around tho

But rejoice.. Tsukiumi is back .. and soon, Saekoneesama will also come animated.

[Molenir]

Meh. Another season of this subpar story. Yeah, I know its popular, partially for its fanservice, partially for its typical nonsensical harem type storyline. So many issues, so many plotholes. Ah well, I'm sure the people who prefer that type of show will enjoy it. Myself, I'll skip this one. I learned my lesson after season 1.

[Bloodseeker]

So this is one of those franchises that I've always followed but never actually watched/read.

But I finally got around to watching season one past the first episode (watched through episode 6), and I've got to say... I hate this show.

I attribute it to two things:

1. Minato's unlikable harem.

I love the energetic girl archetype, but Musubi is dull as fuck, so much so that she has a tendency to suck the life out of jokes. I think its because they made her too polite and a little too airheaded.

Big-framed busty blonde Tsukiumi blows every other Sekirei character out of the water (pun not intended) in terms of looks (and is the only member of Minato's harem that I find attractive), but she's too tsuntsun and forceful. My initial thought was "I hope that she pulls a Cloche and mellows out after her introduction", but then I remembered that this was Sekirei that we were talking about and that this fits the show's sense of humor perfectly. I don't have much hope.

Matsu is an obnoxious conniving bitch. There were moments that made me think "maybe my first impression of her was a little harsh", but then she'd turn around and remind me why I disliked her so much to begin with. This kind of thing is a reoccurring theme with Sekirei, but I'll get back to that.

Spoiler for manga:

Homura hasn't directly done anything to make me dislike him, but with that boyish voice, slender bishounen frame, and polite yet somewhat anti-social attitude, there are moments where I can't help but see Kanon from Umineko in him. I hate Kanon.

Other chick doesn't look the kind of character that usually appeals to me. Older anime girl that's well acquainted with her sexuality and loves using it is almost always meh. Only exception that's coming to mind is Judith.

The only harem member that I'm not going to attack is Kuu-chan. She's adorable, possibly in my top 10 favorite loli characters ever. Pretty ironic, considering that I thought that I'd dislike her going in. Wish that they'd stop treating her as a competitor, though.

All of the cool people are side characters (Seo, twins, Uzume, can't decide with Yukari), and most of the attractive Sekirei belong to other Ashikabi. (Benitsubasa, Miya, blonde twintails, scythe, ribbons, leotard, etc.)


2. Harem antics.

There's a reason why I normally avoid this genre like the plague. The jealousy, the lead not making up his goddamn mind and just watching the drama unfold around him, having to tolerate watching the lead not commit himself to the best even though the best is all over him (are you crazy, Minato? Give in to Tsukiumi's demands and adopt Kuu; dull Musubi and obnoxious Matsu are not worthy competitors, and Tsukiumi will become a lot cooler once she knows that you belong to her; I should fucking strangle you), the fact that the best girl is almost never the lead/winner (1/5 chance of winning on average, so that's to be expected), etc.

All of this shit is inherent in the harem genre, and this show turns it up to eleven. The "I'M HIS WIFE" "NO, ME" joke didn't make me laugh the first time, it didn't make me laugh the second, and it probably won't make me laugh the third, fourth, fifth, or however many times they choose to use it, either. Jealousy and cock-blocking is shit-tier subject matter for jokes.

But you know what the worst part is? There's little bits and pieces of this show that make me think that it should be much better than it is. Sekirei gets good when it gets serious, and there's little runs where the jokes feel more laid back and enjoyable. Maybe if we somehow rearranged it so that Minato only had one love interest (even Musubi would be fine) and Minato's harem wasn't his harem... this would probably improve the cast on the whole, as well, since the jealousy and plotting would be nowhere to be seen.

tl;dr version:

Minato's harem sucks. Except for Kuu. Most of the characters that have anything worthwhile about them are either side characters or minor fodder.

Harem antics suck. The genre is inherently flawed and this show abuses its worst points like crazy.

[Mizuno]

Is the version out now censored?

[CrowKenobi]

In some places, yes, in others, no. In fact, it seems to be the reverse of the preview episode...

[KiNA]

Originally Posted by Mizuno

Is the version out now censored?

Its part censored, part not ...

For example, the bathing scene for Benitsubasa, Haihane and Karasuba is censored.. the mysterious steam is there, yet the Minato and Musubi bathing scene isnt.

[-Sho-]

So watched ep 1 .

Well , I didn't remember very well the first season .

So Matsu , Miya and Kazehana was in the 1st Generation (at the beginning) and Miya's husband too right ? (who is the guy at the beg too i guess)
Matsu and Kazehana didn't found their Akashibi yet until Minato .
Miya's akashibi is her husband .
And Kurasaba we don't know yet .

Do we know how many Sekirei are left ?

[Jarppa]

Not many, but you will see it soon enough if they follow manga even losely.

[Tri-ring]

Karasuba's ashikabi has already been introduced in season one.

[-Sho-]

Ow ok .

And why Miya don't want to fight ?

[KiNA]

Originally Posted by Tri-ring

Karasuba's ashikabi has already been introduced in season one.

And Its a goddamn awesome Lelouch!

And Miya is Miya.. No explaination needed on why she refused to fight You dare to ask her?

[-Sho-]

Originally Posted by KiNA

And Its a goddamn awesome Lelouch!

And Miya is Miya.. No explaination needed on why she refused to fight You dare to ask her?

Ow no punishment

Natsuo Ichinomi , i forgot about him .

[Uplifter]

As someone who is a fan of the manga and liked the first season, I'm looking forward to the rest of Pure Engagement. The opener was about average, but I guess it was just something to introduce the second season while bridging the first.

Hopefully, I'll see more of Uzume's story because hers is the most intriguing to me, not to mention she's my favorite Sekirei.

[White Manju Bun]

If Funi is streaming this how come I cant find it on their website? I can only find s1.

[Midonin]

They haven't put it up yet. There is a notice about a few series launching on their website this Thursday, but time will tell. Should be soonish, though.

[OkamiNoKaze]

Episode 1 was pretty good. seemed an ok transition from series one to this series, I imagine it was a great refresher for those who hadn't seen the first series since it aired.