On Sun, 2 Jan 2000, Pierre wrote:

> ------------------------------------------------
> 1. Saber Marionette J - Tape 1
> Overall rating: A+

Yes, I must say I really like this one... Cherry sort-of reminds me of
Belldandy when in relation to Otaru but she is quite a bit more immature
and somewhat conniving at times. 

Lime is cute, but she has the brains of a tree stump...

It does get really good toward the end.

And Kikuko Inoue is Panta, one of the *bad* guys! (girls?) 

> SMJ is good. Real good. The characters are charming and just off-the-wall
> enough to be interesting without being alien. I think AMG fans in particular
> would like it.

I second that.

> there are three magical girls.

Well, except that these girls aren't really magical... They're just
androids with emotion chips / "maiden circuits" (otome kairo).

> (And, like that other series, the third had not yet made her entrance as of
> the end of the first tape.)

Bloodberry is somewhat similar to Urd.  The difference in this, though, is
that all three marionettes are quite taken by Otaru, unlike one goddess of
the three with Keiichi.

> ALL the characters in SMJ are cool, each in their own way.

Even Hana-chan? ^_^

> ------------------------------------------------
> 4. Sorceror Hunters - Tape 1
> Overall Rating: D
> 
<snip>
> 
> Since the character designer is the same from the Slayers anime, I'll
> probably be avoiding that one too unless someone here makes a good plug for
> it. ^_^

Don't know about Sorceror Hunters, but Slayers is good.  Slayers Next is
better.  Haven't seen Try yet.  Lina is cute and dangerous at the same
time.  It's really hard to tell who the antagonists really are in Slayers
(from the perspective of the average Joe, not Lina & Co. - the bad guys
are always the ones against them, and sometimes they end up switching
sides in a way), and the main characters aren't all that noble themselves
(like Xellos).

As an aside... is the chara designer for D4 Princess the same?  The
designs do seem to bear a striking resemblence to Slayers...


           Matt Martin / buford@sdf.lonestar.org
Visit the University of Richmond Japanese Anime Club home page:
           http://www.student.richmond.edu/~anime
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for thou art crunchy and
good with ketchup.