Shelf Life

Jars of Claymore

Elsewhere in the country, the temperature is already starting to drop. Just last weekend, at NYAF, I got to feel the glorious rain on my face again. This means that in a very short time, much of the country will be covered in snow, and once again, little prepubescent girls can sit under a tree, twiddle with their mittens, and cry until their earmuffs fall off. To prepare for this annual gathering of sad girls in the snow, Funimation has released the final volume of Kanon, finshing ADV's labor of love with the most freaking ridiculous character story arc yet.

To date, I have compiled a short list of ways that a girl could tragically appear and disappear from a man's life, and still have it be super moe: She could be dying of a terminal illness. She could get hit by a truck. She could actually be a genetic engineering experiment that leaves her body wracked with powers. She could be a fox that's somehow turned itself into a human. She could be a physical manifestation of a girl who's actually in a coma somewhere. She could be a crazy psychopath who stabs people.

These are all valid ways in which a cute little girl could introduce herself into a man's life. Which one of those makes me want to hug her the most? All of them.

Well, the last volume of Kanon does not disappoint on that front. It pulls out one of the more ridiculous story lines yet, but it comes with a happy ending, so presumably all is okay. These last few episodes deal with ayu, whose traits include saying, “Uguu” when she's upset, carrying a backpack with wings on it, and looking like she's a small child. Incidentally, these all play a role in the story that unfolds, but it doesn't make it more okay for Yuichi to make out with her in the previous volume. Still, my prejudices aside, I secretly really like Kanon. I liked Kanon the entire way through, because it's so ridiculous. Storylines like this don't happen in America, unless it's the X-Files or Touched By An Angel. And in a sick way, it's kind of charming. You have these girls who are so madly in love with a boy that they'll overcome nature to meet up with a boy. It's cute, but demented.

I knew I was in for a good one when one of the classroom scenes showed the teacher talking about Schrödinger's Cat. It didn't exactly apply to the story that followed, but I guess it was close enough to qualify as adequate foreshadowing. Either way, Kanon has been a fun ride, and while I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, it's a cute show for those with extremely open minds. I don't know that I'd ever watch it again, but I'll likely never forget it, either.[TOP]

After finishing up with Kanon, I made a somewhat crude transition to the third volume of Lucky Star, whose girls were on the opposite end of the personality spectrum. I actually really dig this show. It's fast-paced, it's completely random, and it has a twisted sense of humor. Seriously, props to the writers for the scene in which one of the girls proposes that all children should learn martial arts in order to protect themselves from predators. Another girl responded, “But wouldn't that just lead to a generation of even stronger adults?” I died laughing, then resurrected just to laugh some more.

This volume, like the previous two, didn't really have a point. An entire episode could be devoted entirely to doing homework and playing gal games, and nothing important would be said. There were plenty of shout-outs to the fandom, though—with one of the highlights being a trip to Winter Comiket, and watching employees at Animate fighting over customers. Everything else was just a stream of nonsequitur comments and endless shots of the girls eating cake. Nothing ever comes out of it, but it's insanely fun, because it's just like sitting around and shooting the bull with your own friends.

Now, some would say, “But why wouldn't I just go outside and talk with my real friends?” Valid point, but this is good for all those days in which you want to be a total hermit, but still want some strand of contact with the human world. It's like freeze-dried instant friends, and that's enough to make me keep watching this show. I really don't know how anyone could be sad while watching this show, so if you want some easy, no-brainer chuckles, then check this show out.[TOP]