First Impressions #1 Natsu no Arashi and Shangri-la

Of Mary Sues', puberty and the female body

So the first episodes of the new season have arrived, and I am quite optimistic about the two series'.

Natsu no Arashi

This is a hodgepodge of magical girls, boys in raging puberty, boobs, uniforms and some comedy and sci-fi elements in it, but the way the first episode was executed was pretty tight. At first, I thought that this was just another failed experiment but the time travel stuff sewn the events together. Natsu no Arashi had one seriously funny episode, but I think that they must develop the story more, as this kind of humor is the one that grows old the fastest. If people aren't careful, it may turn into another Minami-ke. Basically, there are 2 things to avoid, 1) relying on comedy and 2) relying on boobs.

The character designs are messed up. The 13 year old looks like a kid while the girls look mature for their age. Yeah! boobs! but nevermind

Shangri-la

Ever wonder about this thing called global warming, and how those nations who fucked this planet up during the industrial revolution (and are continuing to do so today) are now washing their hands by singing the environmental song and demanding growing economies such as ours to back off the carbon use? Fuck 'em!, right? Well, the series is all about the politics of a global carbon tax (pegged on a who-knows-what currency irrespective of PPP), so let's watch.

Set in a country devastated by climate change. Shangri-la's hero is a cool Mary Sue in the mold of Rin Ogata minus her charisma. She's a carefree teenager like Rin, but lacks the charm to really attract the audience to her side. As of now, all I know is she's the presumed heir of some organization involved in the maipulation of the carbon market.

Anyway, the heroine herself is unimportant at this point, so let me elaborate more on the carbon issue. The series supposes a world where one's carbon emissions are paid for, and different factions profit from this. It must've sucked, eh? The very idea of paying for your emissions is bad enough, but for people to use it as a tool to profit, knowing well that only G7-esque nations are able to afford that cost is enraging (How about emerging economies?). Maybe Al Gore sheeple and Earth Hour nuthuggers like the idea, but I don't. This series might be opposed to it too, as indicated by the hero's actions. But one thing's for sure, ep2 will be covered!

Stay tuned.