The very last scene of Galilei Donna’s eleventh episode is the Earth with the word “Fine” hovering in view. Sure it’s Italian for “end”, but I can’t help feel like it was an exclamation from the production team along the lines of “Fine! Whatever! See if we care!” That’s certainly how the series comes across after such an unsatisfying ending and what feels like ten episodes of build-up - about the same sort of rate that a full twenty-four episode series would take - and a single episode of utter ridiculousness.
a pants-on-head stupid conclusion that ties off none of the ongoing storylines
The setup is nuts and bolts basic: little genius girl builds a futuristic aircraft and goes off on adventures with her sisters while being chased by a sinister energy conglomerate and sky pirates. Oh and they’re all descendants of Galileo Galilei which is only important because they’re hunting for MacGuffins that used to belong to him. Ostensibly because he created an energy source and that’s the thing that can break the evil energy corporations grip on the world except this is more or less forgotten about as soon as it’s introduced.
If the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when Mikoto launches the titular railgun for the first time, no further evidence will be needed to understand that Toaru Kagaku no Railgun is a breed apart. Even when a large part of it is peppy storyline is fruitless meandering, the climaxes of the two main narratives tickle all the right areas of the brain for those looking for something different from the magically imbued children genre. The series is funny without using fan-service, touching without being saccharine and poignant without being overbearing - a grab-bag of amusing antics with a smattering of potent character-lead drama and, contrary to the title, maintains a pleasant disregard towards science.
Fast, brutal and free of the pace-killing monologues which are so often interspersed, these fights are the crowning achievements
Set in the same modernist city as its predecessor, Toaru Majutusu no Index (A Certain Magical Index), Academy city's primary form of law enforcement is the volunteer service, "Judgement". A key member of the 7th District's branch is Kuroko Shirai, a skilled teleport user who also happens to be the room mate of Mikoto Misaka, one of only a few fifth level ability users in the city. When an urban legend of a method to artificially increase one's ability level turns into fact, the number of petty crimes within the city's multitude of districts increases; more worrying however is the torpid state users fall into after limited use. A lugubrious researcher could be involved with the dissemination of the "Level Upper", but it is only the tip of a larger plot though, one which could well tear apart Academy city and those who reside within it.
If part one of Murder Speculation was grisly, Remaining Sense of Pain is abjectly brutal. Rape, murder and torture all feature heavily in this pitch black story where a girl aggrieved slaughters her tormentors in a most barbaric fashion. Unflinching throughout, this entry in the Kara no Kyoukai series of movies explores the meaning of pain - both emotional and physical - and the nature of murder.
gone are the warm sunsets and delicately cold whites, replaced with streetlight ambers and frigid blues and greens
Mikiya is older now, Shiki has awoken from her coma and once again someone is murdering indiscriminately. After caring for a girl in pain he finds on the street, Mikiya is asked by an old school friend to track down a junior who has disappeared. Toko, after splashing out on an extravagant purchase, accepts an unsavoury job and assigns Shiki to track down the murderer. The two investigations converge when it becomes apparent the murderer, Fujino - a classmate of Mikiya's sister Azaka, is after Keita, the classmate Mikiya is tracking down. Regularly raped and beaten by Keita's gang of deviants, Fujino is massacring them one by one, but wracked by unfamiliar pain and hunted by Shiki, her power grows as her sanity slips.
Please note: the remainder of this post contains images and themes of an adult nature, if you are offended by these subjects or are otherwise restricted by laws or moral obligations within your municipality, please do not proceed.
Waking up after 0730, Matt recounted his short evening with the Germans at the CdlM after which we had a now standard breakfast and headed towards the beach. Slightly later than usual we were "forced" to catch a real taxi (read: one less likely to induce death e.g. coco-taxis) which turned out to be a modern, air-conditioned people carrier crossed with a tank. The ride to the beach was swift meaning we got to the dive hut in time to catch Leo. He impressed upon me that he would examining me during the morning dive and filling in the paperwork for the course I was apparently taking; this was probably also due to an inspection taking place of the dive hut and associated divers which made everyone involved slightly twitchy.
