Anime off the Beaten Track

Phew! Been a while since I’ve managed to post here – life sort of got in the way. I’m actually jealous of those people who have the time and ability to blog everyday. Still, hopefully my avid reader(s) who’ve been patient (sorry, Mum!), will understand that it’s quality, not quantity that counts (er… hopefully this fills one of the criteria) and they should realize by now that I’m not going to blather on about currently running series (well, maybe occasionally… Kaiba is one that’s due a ramble, so I’ll mention that now, before I’m called a lyin’ filth again) – there’s enough bloggers out there doing that as I speak.

So, what’s on the menu this time round? Well, I thought I’d have a look at some of the more unusual productions I’ve managed to pick up during my trawls through animedom. They’re strange, somewhat rare – having escaped the attentions of the legions of fanboys and -girls out there, and generally very, very good. They also seem to straddle several genres, or none at all, which is probably another reason why they’ve flown under the radar – Western reviewers do like to compartmentalise their anime so.

I’d also like to think that one day, if I’m ever asked “Why do you still watch anime?” I can reply in all honesty, “Because of these…”

Impressions: The Diary of Tortov Roddle

I’ll be the first to admit that (especially once you reach my age) you have to wade through an awful lot of cr@p in animedom to find what’s good – and even then people’s ideas of what’s good or not can differ (some friends still raise an eyebrow at what I consider good… well, watchable anyway, but that’s a seifuko thing – there, I said it.)

However, every now and again, the world of anime throws up a gem. Strangely these often tend to be obscure and little-known outside (and sometimes even inside) Japan – probably because they haven’t appealed to the thousands of fanboys and -girls out there, like other more mainstream (and dare I say brainless) shows.

Such a gem is The Diary of Tortov Roddle…