Based on the PS3 of the same name from Sega, the anime adaptation will follow two characters in a war torn country. Set in an alternative 1930’s Europe, two forces are currently fighting a war over a new source of energy. Called Ragnite, the new material will provide a great source of power for the force that is able to gain control of it. In the small country of Gallia, Ragnite is available in abundance making it a primary focus point.
More importantly to the audience however are two characters who live in that country; Welkin Gunther and Alicia Melchiott. Neither one of them has any real interest in the war and just want to live their lives, as with many things in life though it seems that they no longer have a choice in the matter.
Artwork
Produced by the same studio that brought audiences amazing visual treats such as Kannagi and Kuroshitsuji, the animation in this series already looks great. Even looking at the TAF promo video you can already tell that the artwork is going to be the least of this series concerns. Early character artwork got fans excited and this promo did nothing to quell that anticipation. What I am concerned about is the action in the series; the action is gun based but with fights over a new power source one can imagine that there will be more than a few interesting weapons thrown in along the way. Will fans be as pleased with the action in the series as they were with the battles from the game? Probably.
Early Impressions
This is another series that I find myself excited to watch. With a solid base behind it, the series is getting a strong push this season and seems very likely to find an audience without much effort. The lead roles are being reprised by Marina Inoue (Gurren Lagann’s Yoko, Maria Holic’s Matsurika, Kiryuu in Akane-Iro) and Susumu Chiba (who will be in two other series this season as Castor in 07-Ghost and Raymond McGuire in Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~) while Yasutaka Yamamoto will be making his directorial debut.
While it’s not going to be sitting at the top of my priority list upon its release, this is certainly going to be a series that fans will want to check out upon its premiere. Anyone who is expecting big things from this series likely has little to fear; this one is a no brainer.
Well, the winter season is well underway which means that it’s time to take a look at this season’s winners and losers. Out of the twenty three premieres this season, thirteen series weren’t sequels and I was able to check out eight of them to varying degrees. Watching those eight series however, I remembered one important lesson… not all anime is created equal. So without further ado…
Maria Holic - Ep 3 Studio: SHAFT Air Date: 1/18/09 Genre: Yuri Comedy
The Story
In the third episode of ‘Maria Holic’, it’s going to be a very busy day for Kanako. It’s time for her to learn how to say her prayers properly but she doesn’t have a rosary. Maria, being as generous as he is, loans her a very valuable rosary just to see her stress about taking care of it but also gives her a brand new bag that seems to have something living inside of it. Not sure what it is but according to Maria: it’s slimy, can eat an elephant whole, can be considered cute once you got used to it and may not be from this world. Meanwhile, Haruka’s fans are still bullying Kanako for stealing her away from them.
Maria Holic – Episode 2 Studio: SHAFT Air Date: 1/11/09
Genre: Comedy
A long string of character introductions make for a fast paced, hilarious second episode of ‘Maria Holic’.
The Story
In the second episode of ‘Maria Holic’, Kanako is dealing with her new situation: she’s a new student at a private school and is being forced to share her room with a boy who has everyone fooled into thinking he’s a girl. The new school year is starting though and Kanako is determined to make the best of it. Along the way she’ll meet her new homeroom teacher and a host of new classmates.
Maria Holic - Episode 1 Studio: SHAFT Premiere Date: 1/5/09
The first episode of ‘Maria Holic’ has a story but get comfortable anyway, this is gonna take awhile.
The Story
In this first episode of ‘Maria Holic’, the audience will be introduced to a number of characters and situations. Within the first few moments of the series, the heroine of the series makes her appearance, a second year high school student named Kanako Miyamae. Entering the same private all girls high school where her parents met (and no, no one bothers to mention the creepy teacher student relationship), she wants to meet her own yuri lifetime companion.
Upon entering the grounds, Miyamae will meet a number of new people and be put into the worst of all situations. First she’ll meet a maid named Matsurika and the one she serves, the granddaughter of the ex-chairman Maria. After entering the dorms she’ll meet the cat eared dorm leader who doesn’t really have a name besides ‘god’ and her first roommate Ryouken.
In the final act of the episode though, the conflict of the series is waiting. Taking her up on her offer of getting a tour of the school, Miyamae will learn Maria’s big secret and be forced to accept a situation that she never could have foreseen before arriving.
