Sunday, 23 December 2012

Kau membuatku kembali tersepona

Tibalah di waktu libur panjang setelah beberapa hari digepok tugas yang melelahkan. Saatnya sejenak meng-update postingan blog ini. Btw, kata "tersepona" pada judul di atas bukanlah typo tapi memang disengaja [ra penting].
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai akhirnya mencapai episode terakhirnya. Bisa dibilang tiga episode terakhir [10-11-12] sukses mempermainkan emosional penonton. Di episode terakhir saya hanya bisa berkata, "KyoAni, kau membuatku kembali tersepona."
Di eps 12, kekhawatiran Yuuta terjadi. Rikka pergi dan tak kembali. Di antara aura kegalauan tetap saja ada sisi ngelawak di awal-awal episode ini. Yakni saat Dekomori yang mencoba menjadi normal dan Kuumin menjadi pewaris Jaou Shingan. Setelah mengetahui bahwa Rikka benar-benar pergi, dan kemudian membaca surat dari Dark Flame Master, Yuuta pun berusaha "menjemput" kembali Rikka dengan menaiki sepeda pinjaman Isshiki. Di tengah jalan, Yuuta dicegat Kuumin yang memberitahu bahwa faktor utama yang membuat Rikka menjadi chuunibyou adalah Yuuta atau Dark Flame Master. Kuumin juga mengatakan bahwa Rikka adalah gadis yang diselamatkan oleh chuunibyou. 
Setelah itu, sesampainya di rumah mbahnya Rikka, Yuuta pun "menculik" Rikka untuk mengikat kontrak dengannya, dan membawanya pulang kembali. Berhasil "menculik", Yuuta dengan kekuatan Dark Flame Master menunjukkan Fukashi Kyoukaisen kepada Rikka. Di saat inilah, KyoAni menunjukkan kelasnya dengan tata visual yang menawan. Tata visual yang mengingatken karya-karya KyoAni sebelumnya seperti pada Clannad, Suzumiya Haruhi, Hyouka.
 
Kemudian, diakhiri dengan adegan Yuuta-Rikka yang kejar-kejaran dengan polisi. Diiringi dengan narasi yang pada intinya menyataken bahwa pada hakikatnya sepanjang hidupnya setiap orang adalah seorang chuunibyou.   
Overall, saya beri nilai antara 8.5-9.0 dari 10 poin untuk anime ini. Perubahan dan perkembangan cerita bisa disajikan dengan baik. Dari yang di awalnya tampaknya anime ini hanyalah tontonan yang cenderung ke lawak dengan adegan-adegan pertarungan "imajiner" yang lebay, kemudian perlahan aroma kegalauan mulai menyusup. Di tiga episode terakhir, perkembangan cerita menjadi menarik, dengan diperlihatkan adegan membahagiakan ketika akhirnya Yuuta dan Rikka saling nembak dan jadian. Namun, tak berlangsung lama, kita disuguhi kegalauan yang melampaui batas. Walaupun kegalauan itu tidak sampai membuat saya menangis terharu.

Sunday, 2 December 2012

Next season: Battle of Idols!!

Anime winter 2013, that will start from next month [January 2013], will present you Battle of Idols!! Why I say that? Because there're two idol-themed anime that will be aired from next month. Those two are AKB0048 Next Stage and Love Live! School Idol Project.
Well, it's a little bit surprising to know this two animes will be aired in the same season. I don't expect that Love Live! to be aired on winter 2013 [next month] because at first, as far as I know, it was announced that Love Live! will air on spring 2013. But then, suddenly last Friday [20121130] the official twitter of Love Live! announced the anime version will start on January 2013. That news surprised me but made me very excited. And thus, the words "Battle of Idols!!" suddenly appeared in my mind. A few weeks ago, AKB0048 has been already announced that its second season to be aired on 20130105. Short infos about these two animes to help refreshing your memory.
AKB0048 Next Stage is the second season, the continuation of AKB0048 [aired from April 2012 until July 2012]. It's an anime based on the biggest idol group in Japan [or world], AKB48. The story is about some girls struggling to become great idols and join AKB0048, in the era when entertainment is banned. After passed the audition, they eventually become trainees [kenkyuusei], aiming to succeed the name of the original members of present AKB48.  
Meanwhile, Love Live! actually is a what-you-can-call-two-dimensional idol group created by the collaboration of Sunrise x Lantis x Dengeki G's Magazine. The members are nine high school girls character and of course, because it's 2D idol group, there're voice actreess behind them. Just like other idol groups in Japan, Love Live! also releases single and as per know, five singles already released since 2010. So, based on this 2D idol group, Love Live! get anime adaptation starting next month. 
When I wrote this post, suddenly remembered that I ever compared Love Live! with AKB48 in this blog before. What I compared is Love Live!'s first PV, Bokura no Live Kimi to no LIFE with AKB48's PVs, Iiwake Maybe and Oogoe Diamond. You can click this link to read that comparison if you're curious [but I bet you're not]. By the way, that comparison post ever used as reference in Love Live! thread in a certain 48 fans local forum, lol.
In the end, as fan of both AKB48 and Love Live!, I can't wait for these two animes to be aired next month. Which one will gain more popularity? Which one will more successful? Well, let's wait and see the Battle of Idols: AKB0048 vs Love Live! next month.
PS: It's been a while I wrote a post in English and I think my writing skills in English is getting worse from time to time, orz.