Sunday, November 05, 2006

Beach fun for everyone!


Maybe the Haruhi image will get my readership up. Everyone loves Nagato Yuki.

In light of the recent news that last week's Yoakena episode actually did not suck, and the show may be returning to its "hey, this is cool" status that it had in the first episode, I decided to celebrate. How? Well, it was a beach episode, so... why not list the most memorable beach episodes I've ever seen? And you can add your complaints about what I didn't include later. Because I know I've got to have missed something.

1: The first season of Galaxy Angel.

We've got Forte and Mint stranded on a deserted island. And not just any Mint, mind you, but the evil, conniving, sweetness-is-just-an-act anime version of Mint. Add an evil mastermind who's been intercepting their radio signals... who turns out not to be evil, but just really, really strange... and a pervert. And to those that might dispute: Swimsuits or not, there's a beach. It's a beach episode. Forte's outfit is enough fanservice for you anyway.

2: Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu.

The picture isn't just for the readership! 2-parters count, too, in this list of mine, and only the first was really a beach episode anyway. You think it'll be a fanservice-packed, cheaply animated episode in the preview, but... good animation! Murder mystery! Mikuru's awful swimsuit! Sorry, Mikuru fans, polka dots are blinding.

3: Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer.

I may complain about how the anime switched around the pairings, but on the other hand, it worked there. The sparkler scene was cute, the sunset scene was aww-inducing, the TamayoxKoutarou moments made you really feel sorry for her (Dere in the sand. That should have been my blog name. But there's no sand here. Snow, mostly.) and, well... Ogata torture. Always fun.

4: Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch- the Mermaid Contest episode.

Why did I specify the episode? If you ask this, you obviously haven't seen Pichi Pichi Pitch. Practically every episode has the beach in it. This one is sort of a classic "swimsuit episode"... except with Rina holding up placards of Hanon being eaten by a fish... okay, maybe not. If you've read this chapter in the manga, there are significant differences, and plenty of them: for one, it's not held concurrently with one of Kaito's surfing competitions, and the prize is instead a plasma TV (which Rina in the anime has an obsession with). Another is that Lucia doesn't flash the audience, and the prize goes to Caren. And Kaito has a cousin that... stalks Lucia in the change room? Well, technically he just wandered in there, but it makes for a more interesting episode description.

5: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon R

Sometimes, things stand out to you not because they're good, but because they're bad. This episode was so horrible, it didn't even show up on the "uncut" English box set. It's hot out, so everyone goes to Hikawa Jinja, never mind that it's on a hill and heat rises. Then Rei takes them to the beach, where horrible animation ensues, of course... so what's the plot? Well, Chibiusa meets a seafaring baby dinosaur. That should be enough to make the list on its own.

No comments: