Tenjho Tenge and The Twelve Kingdoms

I’ve recently started watching Tenjho Tenge. I’ve watched 13 of the 26 episodes. Let me see if I can explain this one. . .

It is set in a high school that dedicates itself on training Japan’s next generation of martial artists. The story thus far seems to revolve around the conflict between the executive council president Mitsuomi and the Juuken club captain Maya, their past relationship, and Maya’s deceased brother Shin. Shin was killed by Mitsuomi, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing because apparently Shin was insane possibility driven so by a cursed sword called the Reiki.

To start things off two new students Bob and Sōichirō arrive determined to rule this school. It seems they travel from school to school defeating the top fighters at each one as they go. They run into Maya and Masataka (Mitsuomi’s estranged younger brother) who trains under Maya. Maya defeats Sōichirō and in the process knocks him out a window and through a roof into the girls’ shower where he lands on Maya’s younger sister Aya. Aya becomes instantly infatuated with Sōichirō (because wouldn’t you).

All this attracts the attention of the executive council which decides to make an example of Bob and Sōichirō. Bob’s motorcycle is destroyed, Bob’s girlfriend is assaulted, and Bob and Sōichirō are beaten up all by one member of the executive council. Bob and Sōichirō decide they need to get stronger so they join the Juuken club to train under Maya.

This leads to very big fight at a bowling alley between members of the executive council and the Juuken club. In the aftermath of the battle (I’d say it ended in a draw, with the Juuken club possibly having won a slight tactical victory) they start in on flash backs where the history of Maya, her odd relationship with her brother Shin, and their relationship with Mitsuomi is revealed.

My first thought after I finished the first four episodes was that show has a very catchy opening theme song. My second thought was wow that was a lot of fan service and panty shots (but not as much as in Agent Aika). After finishing 13 episodes my first thought was well this is starting to get confusing. We’ll see were it goes from here.

As an aside I've made a mental note to look into picking up the Tenjho Tenge soundtrack. I find myself thinking more and more about anime soundtracks. I guess that isn’t a surprising development, many would argue the path of an anime fanboy is fairly predictable (if you follow the link I’d put myself firmly in stage four).

The other anime I’ve recently started watching is The Twelve Kingdoms. I’ve only watched five episodes of this one. I’ve heard some good things about this one, however thus far I haven’t found the characters to be very likable. On the other hand I find the story to be quite interesting.

I don’t have too much more to say about this one. Thus far school girl Nakajima Yōko and two of her classmates have been transported to another world. Unlike many girl transported to another world anime many the people Yōko and her classmates meet treat them badly (either out of fear and ignorance, or because they are trying to exploit them). It would seem that Yōko is destined to be Queen of one of the kingdoms, but the King of another kingdom seems to be taking exception to that.

That’s about all that is new on the anime front.