Iron “rubber” ducks are the greatest thing ever

It’s made of iron plates or something and it FLOATS. That’s just awesome. Oh, and Baroqueheat is cool too, but whatever.

So I was a little coarse last Hatenkou Yuugi post (I think because I just didn’t like episode 3 as much and forgot a bit about episode 2 which was great) but 4 was great. Hantenkou Yuugi seems to be similar to Mushishi, in the sense that each episode is stand-alone and focuses on the experiences of one particular character. Of course, the similarities end there–Mushshi is a mellow, relaxing series, whereas Hatenkou Yuugi offers up a decidedly more conventionally entertaining dish. And that’s not to say that Hatenkou Yuugi is even as good as Mushishi was, but, then again, that’s a tall order for any anime to fill.

The real highlight of every episode is the style in which the somewhat by-the-book stories are pulled off–the stories are by-the-book, the characters aren’t. And that makes the series incredibly fun to watch, if a bit lacking in Serious Literary Merit, but a) Serious Literary Merit is incredibly nebulous and Hatenkou Yuugi could easily fit the bill for it, and b) not everything good has to have Serious Literary Merit. We’ve got a likeable, sassy female protagonist in Rahzel and two equally likeable and sassy comrades in Alzeid and Baroqueheat. Rahzel minces no words when she talks; she’s rather blunt and states quite clearly when she’s displeased with you.

And another thing: oftentimes, the characters show surprising depth. The side character for episode 4, Madeilia, took some unexpected moves. Like the scene with the log over the flowing river–she breaks down in front of the log, confessing that she’s afraid of water and drowning, but after talking it out with Rahzel ends up crossing the log confidently and firmly. I expected Rahzel to have to cajole her into crossing (which I guess she did, somewhat), but the desire of Madeiria to leave behind the feelings that her sister was more important than she was overcame all that for an unexpected twist in the story. Or, at least, to me. Your mileage may vary.

Also Rahzel can hold her breath for a long time, or else she redid the magic. Can’t go killing off protagonists so soon, can you, Imagawa?