Manabi Straight DVD 7: static pictures FTW

(tags anime, Manabi Straight, DVD region 2)

The seventh and final DVD for the anime Manabi Straight (まなびストレート) is a nice 30 minute Summer vacation episode. Summer is good for swimsuits (but school mizugi? ugh.) and onsen yukata, thank you. It's chronologically out of order, which makes this episode's cliffhanger scene pretty wierd. There is a lot of static picture panning. As far as an anime is concerned that's pretty terrible, but I love the quality of the pictures anyway.

Check out that zettai ryouiki, yeah right. This anime really flirts with skirts around the fan-service/panty shot. There are low angle scenes but never even a glimpse. I think the anime is better for it without. Then again, I'm commenting about naked leg shots and puni puni moe. :-p I could have all the panty shots I want if I bought the Manabi figures (Manabi airboard, Manabi & Mika blue and white, Mutsuki & Manabi blue and red), but strangely enough, I didn't buy them exactly for that reason.

Manabi Straight marks the last DVD series (anime or otherwise) I have actually bought and paid for. Perhaps I realized that my "stack" of unwatched DVDs is sickenly high, or that writing out my budget/expenditures (kakeibo, 家計簿) makes me re-evaluate purchase values, or last weekend's cleaning reminds me of the weight of tons of discs. No matter, Manabi Straight was fun, optimistic, kawaii cute, and surprising critical. In short, a good purchase.

I don't know how far this work goes, but for me, there is still the DVD bundle games to play (cleared: 1, 2. to go: 3, 4, 5, 6), the anime CDs to rip, the manga to read, the PlayStation 2 game to play, the ending animation's figure pictures to post, the telephone cards to enumerate, ...

My jokes, let me show you them: Manabi Straight DVD 6

(tags anime, Manabi Straight, DVD region 2)

I was surprised that the main story ended on this disc. Exactly what am I buying on the last (seventh!) DVD disc?

I really like this picture, not just because Mei is in it, but because Mei and Momo are in it. Before this series started I thought I would be all moe for Momo (pictured in the middle) but her character barely shows through. This scene depicts some typical anime stylings, namely the perplexed "devil" finger gestures which I recall most Rumiko Takahashi manga and anime, and the zaibatsu princess (Momo).

One can try to repurpose this picture with a manzai gag. (I can hear Mei exclaim Nande ya nen!?! Oi!), but it's a stretch. Unfortunately, Mei's hand is at the wrong angle for it. This angle indicates she's explaning something.

Now with the series over, I can play the PS2 game.

Behind you

(tags anime, season 2007/04, Lovely Complex, Manabi Straight)

Today I bought Manabi Straight DVD 6 and watched episode 11. Well it was okay.

Then I watched episode 18 of Lovely Complex for a second time.

It's grand.

Tatari: Manabi Straight DVD 5

(tags anime, Manabi Straight, DVD region 2)

In the end, friendship and love win out over apathy. Wait a minute, there's still 2 more DVDs left, which means... 3 episodes? orz...

Mei looks pretty bad here. Maybe she just doesn't know how to smile?

A little bit Inagawa: Manabi Straight DVD 4

(tags anime, Manabi Straight, DVD region 2)

I've got the buying rhythm down. Manabi Straight (まなびストレート) comes out on Tuesday at Gamers.

The girls get seriously crazy here. Here's Mei-chan going crazy over the looming school festival.

Mei-chan also gets enhanced capabilities like face slapping and joke fan attack, ala Yuu Inagawa from Comic Party.

Manabi also goes straight to crazy as well. I love it.

Mei-chan check! Manabi Straight! DVD 3

(tags anime, Manabi Straight, DVD region 2)

Gamers had my Manabi Straight DVD 3 one day early. Lucky me! This time the two episodes are about friendship. Manabi is conspiciously absent, but Mikan-chan is the main character here.

So far, I'm a Mei fan, ha ha.

Downturn: Manabi Straight vol. 2

(tags anime, Manabi Straight, DVD region 2, season 2007/01)

Episodes 3 and 4 of Manabi Straight were a bit of a downer after the first two happy episodes. There were a lot of serious scenes. For example, Mei hiding from Manabi and friends because of her neurosis. She seeks refuge in a console RPG video game.

If this is gaming in the year 2035, its disappointing. Let's face it, this anime series isn't about real trends in future technology.

Still, the gaming in bed is my type of thing. But, if you have some holographic virtual screen thing going, couldn't you at least have the option to tilt it to fit your head angle?

I am enthralled with the attempt to address real-world problems about school apathy and problems. Yes, despite the puni-puni moe moe shape of these high schoolers, its a serious anime. But my mood is comedy right now.