Needless – Chapter 114 (Finale)

And so, with this final chapter, the first half of Needless comes to a close.

As with any finale, Needless 114 is and will be met with a variety of emotions and reactions among its fans, especially since the manga is ending quite abruptly after 10 years of serialization.  For some, the response might be simple and straightforward, but for many, it will be complicated and conflicting, particularly for those still asking those unanswered questions or wanting just the slightest bit more.  For me, being in the latter group, the Needless finale does leave me with mixed emotions.  On one hand, the developments in these final chapters answered numerous questions, connected many loose story points together, gave the series a conclusion that truly unified the manga, its concepts and its story, and presented it in a way that’s ready to launch Needless into its continuation, Needless 2.  On the other hand, there’s just that lingering sensation of feeling unsatisfied with this culmination, that these final chapters were rushed and that the manga didn’t end the way that it wanted.  Or that it deserved.

Magi – 6

Though side characters are routinely neglected or minimally developed as characters, they are often essential to the growth and progression of those around them.  In the case of this episode, the minor characters, merchants Leila and Sahsa, were able to assist Morgiana in her expedition to return home to the Dark Continent.  During their time together as a trading trio, we were able to see Morgiana unveil her true character largely due to the sincerity and benevolence expressed through Leila and Sahsa.  Without them, it’s debatable that these preceding details and positive growth would have been omitted from Morgiana’s character, especially if she were making this journey alone.

Needless – Chapter 106

Needless is innovative and creative, especially in its storytelling.  Throughout the manga, there have been countless examples of where character development or story progression have been told or shown in a way that directly generates interest, creates suspense and surprise or is just unanticipated fun and amusement (for example: Kuchinashi).  And of all the methods utilized, the most innovative might be how Needless has unveiled its past.  Rather than relying solely on flashbacks or lengthy exposition, Needless has decided to show us its past through a variety of diverse means and styles.  And rather than reveal everything about the past together, it’s been fragmented into various segments, allowing the manga to answer the immediate concerns while raising other questions to create further intrigue and mystery.  And with another new style presented in this chapter, it’s time we recognize a few of the brilliant storytelling techniques employed in Needless.

Summer 2012 – Week 9 Anime Review

During one of those previous weeks, I forget which one exactly: presenting effective yet limited character relationships in Sengoku Collection, questionable abandonment of the Voxes in Rinne no Lagrange, continuing the character problems in Tari Tari, and curious about Chitanda’s curiosity in Hyouka.

Guilty Crown – 20

Episodes like these always provide a ton of information for the viewer.  Not only did we start from the beginning of the story with the discovery of the Apocalypse Virus and the events that initiated Lost Christmas and the current setting of the series but we also learned more about prominent characters, their relationships, and they are the way they are now.  But it doesn’t stop there.  The knowledge gained from episodes like these, ones that are primarily flashbacks brimming with facts and developments, is that we can apply this information to areas there weren’t covered to answer questions the anime never directly answered.  Episodes like these are always some of my favorites since they’re intently focused on doing what’s right in storytelling.

Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam – 12

Okay, so I was only joking in my previous post when I said I should call these ‘Late Exile’ but this is ridiculous.  Hell, late isn’t even appropriate anymore, I should just dub these ‘Last Week’s Exile’ but even that’s starting to feel like it’s not enough.  Geez, this is getting bad.  Real bad.  So let’s take a quick flashback to last week’s episode which was a flashback to the fated meeting of the entire cast of Last Exile ten years prior to the present timeline of Last Exile (which was last week but now this week).

Softenni – 12 (Finale)

Thinking back to before the season began, I thought Softenni was just gonna be another worthless ecchi anime, probably because the camera couldn’t focus on anything besides everyone’s panties in the PV.  Thinking back to the start of the season, I was unimpressed with the anime for its bland comedy and clichéd characters, not to mention the pitiful excuses so that they could add in unnecessary fanservice.  I picked it up though, since I thought it would be a challenge to blog this anime for an entire season when I otherwise would’ve dropped it, especially after that uneventful first episode.  But the series began to evolve, most noticeably when they had the practice tennis match (episode 6), with more authentic comedy, a decline in pointless fanservice, and an definite shift of focus toward tennis and the characters having fun together.  The latter half of Softenni really grew on me once these transformations occurred and I began to enjoy the series as a whole.  Now that it’s over and I look back on Softenni, I can say I have no regrets watching and blogging this anime.