(L) Otogi Jushi Akazukin - Fairy Musketeers (TV)

[Sonhex]

lol, I'm sorely tempted to do one of the City Musicians of Bremen jamming next.

[PastPrime]

So, we find out that

Spoiler:

Souta's mother may not be dead.

And, judging from the picture at the end with everyone together, it looks like Trude will end up joining them eventually.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Sonhex

Right, I have a confession to make; this series is my guilty secret anime pleasure for saturdays...

Yes, well.... I try to resist, but resistance is futile. The show may be for kids, but it is just so well done: backgrounds, animation, color, stories, voice-acting.... Tamura Yukari, Kugimiya Rie (Shana, in a less tsundere role), Sawashiro Miyuki (Shinku)...to say nothing of appearances by Nojima Kenji, Yukana, Shiraishi Ryouko, Sugita Tomokazu, Kobayashi Akiko, Saitou Chiwa, et al. I started watching in order to hear Yahagi Sayuri (Karin) again, as Gretel, but she's the least of it, good as she is. Great fairy tale. I'll watch the wonderful Hataraki Man as a totally adult non-fairy-tale antidote.

[Sonhex]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Yes, well.... I try to resist, but resistance is futile. The show may be for kids, but it is just so well done: backgrounds, animation, color, stories, voice-acting.... Tamura Yukari, Kugimiya Rie (Shana, in a less tsundere role), Sawashiro Miyuki (Shinku)...to say nothing of appearances by Nojima Kenji, Yukana, Shiraishi Ryouko, Sugita Tomokazu, Kobayashi Akiko, Saitou Chiwa, et al. ...

Absolutely, the cast is great. It's clear the regulars are having so much fun the whole time. Guest stars are also fun to spot; Norio Wakamoto (Garkun) and Chiwa Saito (Lavi from Last Exile) as you mentioned amongst them. As for the design well I love the look of Fandavale. I think it captures the fairy tale world perfectly. Music (by Toshio Masuda) is also enjoyable.

As for ep 19...

Spoiler:

...returns to the darker theme with Baru getting injured, Akazukin being (unbelievably) emo and the freaky Trude scaring me silly. Jedo is back too. He poses the greatest danger to the Musketeers aside from Trude.

Most importantly Akazukin is actually defeated, or at least her power matched, for the first time by Jedo and her Grim Tailor gets broken. So that means next week - power boost and weapons upgrade (read:fricking huge sword).

Hopefully Hansel and Gretel, conspicious by their absence, will return soon.

[Kensuke]

After episode 15, I love this series! That episode was simply amazing, not just Akazukin-tachi always pwning as this new enemy was something entirely different compared to the previous enemies.

Trude was very powerful and scary. And my new favorite character, I really hope we see her more in the future.

The long "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?" at the very end of episode made me laugh. Plus new ending song is better than the first one.

[Sonhex]

Originally Posted by PastPrime

...
And, judging from the picture at the end with everyone together, it looks like Trude will end up joining them eventually.

Hmm...Trude isn't in that shot. Clockwise it's Souta, Ringo, Hamelyn, Ibara-hime, Baru, Kyupi, Akazukin, Fernando, Shirayuki-hime, Gretel, Hansel and Randagio in the middle.

[PastPrime]

Spoiler:

I wonder what connection Souta's mother has with Cendrillion since she was probably captured at about the same time as Cendrillion returned. Perhaps her being in Elda was what was keeping Cendrillion sealed. And Souta's father seems to know all about what is happening. They appear to be leaving things open for some real twists and surprises in the future.

[Sonhex]

Originally Posted by PastPrime

Spoiler:

I wonder what connection Souta's mother has with Cendrillion since she was probably captured at about the same time as Cendrillion returned. Perhaps her being in Elda was what was keeping Cendrillion sealed. And Souta's father seems to know all about what is happening. They appear to be leaving things open for some real twists and surprises in the future.

Spoiler:

It may be obvious but I still can't shift the notion that Cendrillon might be Souta's mother. If she is Cinderella she could be stuck in an evil nightmare which needs to be broken, either by Souta or by his father (who clearly knows more than he's letting on).

However we still don't know anything about Cendrillon apart from the mirrors that she uses and the power they contain as portals.

[Sister Princess]

OMFG

Spoiler for Episode 19:

HIGH DEFINITION CABBAGE!

[Sonhex]

Originally Posted by Sister Princess

OMFG

Spoiler for Episode 19:

HIGH DEFINITION CABBAGE!

Cabbage? I think you took a wrong turning, you want http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=34452

[PastPrime]

Originally Posted by Sonhex

Spoiler:

It may be obvious but I still can't shift the notion that Cendrillon might be Souta's mother.

However we still don't know anything about Cendrillon apart from the mirrors that she uses and the power they contain as portals.

I have been consideriing that possibility too.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Sonhex

Cabbage? I think you took a wrong turning, you want http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=34452

Please stop beating up on poor Yoake-mae yori Ruri-iro na ~Crescent Love~, which, spherical cabbage and some wrong turnings in the humor department aside, is a touching game-conversion romance that I am enjoying, particularly for Nabatame Hitomi's lovely voice as the Moon princess Feena.

But in the interests of full disclosure, here are caps of cabbage a la Otogijushi Akazukin episode 19 (from a lo-qual Chinese .rmvb fansub) and of cabbage from Yoakena's famous animation low point, episode three (click to enlarge):

[orion]

Well, one should never say "poor <insert title name here>" when defending a title imo. The defense is automatically doomed.

Akazukin's cabbage and other market produce look better imo.

Spoiler:

Has Cendrillon appeared outside of the mirrors in the same place as Hansel yet? Instead of Souta's mom being the lock for Cendrillon, what about Souta's mom being the previous key with the ability passing to Souta when he was born? That would also explain why she was telling him the story. The Nightmariens goofed and grabbed the previous key and not the current key. Souta's mom was displaying Elde's key-like reasoning skills in ep. 16.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by orion

Well, one should never say "poor <insert title name here>" when defending a title imo. The defense is automatically doomed. Akazukin's cabbage and other market produce look better imo.

Good point, lol. I only say "poor" because a lot of people -- on AnimeSuki and on 2channel in Japan -- are making fun of it, and I feel sorry for it having to take all the abuse. There were even posters of that cabbage in Tokyo anime stores. Its animation is admittedly not great, but is not all as bad as the cabbage. The episodes vary widely, fortunately or unfortunately. And the romance aspect of the show delights me. But of course Akazukin's cabbage is better: this is a wonderfully animated show, almost the other end of the scale from Yoakena.

[Sonhex]

Actually I'm surprised anyone would take offence over the 'vegetable-that-shall-not-be-named' comment. Sorry if it upset anyone

Originally Posted by orion

...

Spoiler:

Has Cendrillon appeared outside of the mirrors in the same place as Hansel yet? Instead of Souta's mom being the lock for Cendrillon, what about Souta's mom being the previous key with the ability passing to Souta when he was born? That would also explain why she was telling him the story. The Nightmariens goofed and grabbed the previous key and not the current key. Souta's mom was displaying Elde's key-like reasoning skills in ep. 16.

The following contains a minor spoiler for ep 17.

Spoiler for ep17:

Cendrillon has not appeared outside mirrors. Which suggests she, like that girl in ep 17, maybe trapped inside the mirrors. I mention the girl because she could actually be Cendrillon as she bares an uncanny resemblance to her but it's far from conclusive and pure speculation.

This suggests that Cendrillon is trapped inside the mirrors and needs the key not only to rule Fandavale but to escape the mirrors in the first place. Although I'm still wondering if Cendrillon is Souta's mother, by some cruel twist of fate...

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Sonhex

Actually I'm surprised anyone would take offence over the 'vegetable-that-shall-not-be-named' comment. Sorry if it upset anyone....[/spoiler]

Clearly, humor is not my forte. I was trying to joke. I do like Yoakena and feel people (in the Yoakena thread and on 2channel) are having too much fun at its expense, but that spherical cabbage is certainly amusing and I thought the comparison between super-well-drawn cabbage in Akazukin and the purely symbolic cabbage in Yoakena was too amusing not to post pictures of.

[ashefatal]

loli-shoujo ai! xD

[Sonhex]

^ Needs more Gretel.

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Clearly, humor is not my forte. I was trying to joke. I do like Yoakena and feel people (in the Yoakena thread and on 2channel) are having too much fun at its expense, but that spherical cabbage is certainly amusing and I thought the comparison between super-well-drawn cabbage in Akazukin and the purely symbolic cabbage in Yoakena was too amusing not to post pictures of.

Gah! Guess we misunderstood each other a tad there. Anyway, the important thing is we all agree that vegetable produce in Akazukin is far superior to other anime. Especially cabbages. Pumpkins also deserve a mention.

[Anacone]

Maybe I weren't sharp enough when I heard episode name of episode 20 in last preview or I just forgot it so in beginning I was like did I heard it right...

Spoiler for episode 20:

It comes clear that episode name "Princess Akazukin" comes from... where else than new "Princess mode" and what cute attack mode it is...

Spoiler for Princess Mode caps:

And i just can't stop smiling... Zukkyun~

[Sonhex]

You beat me to it

Loved the transformation and the build up. The animators clearly blew the budget on the whole sequence.

Spoiler:

I was impressed that she wiped out Rotou, Bura and Swartz with one swing of the new sword *bows down to Akazukin Hime*

Heck, even Trude fled fearing the awesomeness of Princess Mode.

Hopefully we'll get Shirayuki-hime and Ibara-hime versions too at some point.