|
|
||||||||||
| Episode Details | |
|---|---|
| 1893 | |
| Overall | Art | Animation | Character Design | Music | Series Story | Episode Story | Reviewer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent |
 Stretch
|
[series:2623#628] | ||||||
|
(All episodes watched): 'This looks like fun' was the first impression I got from Ixion. It's basically a comic parody of all the video gaming shows where modern-day people somehow find themselves trapped in virtual reality. The jokes are good (I got a serious laugh out of the unconventional tactic Kon used in a duel), the dialogue is witty ("And I'm not even sure where to start with all the shit that's wrong with this!"), and the characters are likeable. Kon is a borderline pervert but likeable nevertheless, as he gets warped out of shape by all the weird things that happen to him. The Princess is a tsundere character and probably the most level-headed member of the team; the hot chick has a surprise for us; and the beefy guy has some silly weak spots. How did Kon wind up here, will he ever get home, and who is the mysterious sexy woman who is trailing the Princess and her retinue? I wondered if an extensive, complex (but understandable) plot would develop, or if the series would just be a succession of jokes without any serious story to tell. Fortunately it soon became clear that the story was going somewhere, just slowly. I became frustrated at times with the lack of hints as to where the longterm plot was going. The general plot seems to bounce around a good deal in order to accomodate jokes, which makes it kind of confusing; or maybe the jokes play such a large part in this series that the viewer kind of loses track of what's going on.In addition to the slowly developing main plot, a number of amusing little subplots emerge, and are dealt with in the space of an episode. Poor Sir Eric has been taking a beating below the belt; normally this would be played in a crass, distasteful manner to garner some cheap laughs, but in episode four it plays a logical part in a genuinely funny story about an attempt to seduce and swindle him. The thought occurred to me that a show running in an episodic manner like this wouldn't be all that bad if every episode was as funny as number eight. Because his 'Alma power' has gotten overcharged, Kon literally glows, which causes people to mistake him for a God. After awhile, and a spate of lucky coincidences, he starts to believe it himself. He did 'descend from the heavens' in a manner, after all. I got a serious laugh out of the way this episode ended. Episode nine was even better, as Eric's four bishoujo assistants argue in a tavern over which one of them deserves the title of 'Eric's Right Hand Man', as they become steadily more drunk. Another good one was episode ten, in which Kon begins to crave the creature comforts of his previous world, modern-day Japan--stuff like TV, Video games, manga and junk food. The others do their best to duplicate them or find substitutes, and the results are a laugh out loud episode. This show has a definite wit to it, as it acts as a sort of parody of the usual fantasy fighting series. I think the reason I was confused by this show early on was that the funniest episodes were saved until near the end, so it wasn't clear that comedy had priority over drama, and instead I was looking for a long term plot to come together. Things get more serious (but not completely serious) in episode 11, as Eric and his men catch up to Kon and his companions. The mysterious woman who has been around since the start (I don't think we even know her name) seems to be taking Eric's side. Kon and the Princess go missing--they may be dead--and in episode twelve we get a clever tale of Eric's men trying to sort out what exactly has happened. This show seemed to be on a roll as it neared it's conclusion. Except it wasn't nearing it's conclusion at all, it was only halfway finished—I had assumed it was a one season show, since goofy premises like this tend not to go beyond twelve episodes or so. Episode 13 was rather disappointing, however, after the recent string of clever episodes. This one is about a seemingly cheerful but actually psychopathic girl who runs into Kon (yes, he's still alive). But that's about as clever as this episode got, and a lot of beatings administered to people weren't funny at all. Fortunately, this episode was the exception. The moment when Eric realizes that he may have found his new girlfriend was hilarious, for all the wrong reasons. In episode 21 things finally come together--we learn what the mysterious woman is after, who the true villain is, and who the flying squirrel creature that has accompanied the characters has been working for. One rule seems to hold true in anime: if the 'bad guys' (Eric's 'Incognito' team) have been portrayed as likeable characters, in the end they will join forces with the good guys to accomplish something important. The way they armed themselves for the coming showdown was amusing. So, no real surprises, but it's fun to see how things are coming together at last. The next episode takes a break from the main plotline as 'Variation', one of the Incognito officers, relates how the unit got started. Or maybe not; it seems like a parody of police TV shows. It was fun and the climax was bizarre. "We appreciate that there were a number of questionable elements in today's episode" is the comment made during the credits. Somehow the episodes about Incognito alone seem the most fun to me. Also fun was episode 23, in which the characters prepare for the highly dangerous climax. Kon must deal with local superstitions about little things which might be premonitions of a warrior's upcoming death in battle. The jokes in this episode just seemed to be funnier than usual, and instead of sinking back into average quality it just kept me laughing repeatedly. Begone! Ha! This show ended well. The screwball conclusion wrapped up pretty much every plot thread: defeating the Alma Religious Order's conspiracy, Kon getting home, Eric's embarrassing problem, etc. And the way things worked out made sense and left me smiling. The absurd names which the characters chose for their attack moves in the climactic battle had me LOLing. If only the joke at the very end about a second season hadn't been a joke at all. Ixion was a fun show with wacky characters who you are sorry to say goodbye to at the end. My favorite line: "How dare you retreat into alcohol's loving embrace and leave us out here to die?!" --Kon Last updated Monday, April 15 2013. Created Monday, October 08 2012. | ||||||||
