Together, Kris and Erica bring you a new Geektastics special: Drunk reviews!

Warning: This post is very long and full of spoilers. Read at your own risk!

Kris:  for our first review we are watching ‘Serial Experiments Lain’ it’s a bit of a sad start as the director Ryutaro Nakamura passed away on July 24^th of complications from cancer.

Erica: I remember watching this for the first time in high school at your house. One of my first, I think. So in truth, it’s kind of your fault I’m an anime nerd…

Kris: I think this was one of my first as far as series go, I was always into Akira and the Ghost in the shell series (we should SO do one of those!!) also today we are drinking Redd’s Apple Ale, and Franzia Pink something something, cause we are broke and would rather drink that than the black box we had last week.

Erica: It’s a blush wine. Anyway, back to the anime. This show is so trippy. Lots of swirling colors, monotonous noises, and if I recall correctly, there is some drug usage later on.

Kris: I love her bear stuff, (hat, and PJs is what always stood out to me). The animation style in this is amazing, it’s not your normal over the top BIG eyed Kawaii anime that you normally find even in more adult shows, (think Sailor Moon, DBZ and whatnot), it’s more of a realistic style, and honestly I think it’s one of the best drawn series that I have ever seen.

Erica: The animation style of this and BoogiePop Phantom are extremely similar… Are they by the same guy?

Kris: quick googlefoo says that you are wrong!!! Heheh.. but you are right in their similarities.

Erica: Whaa? I never said they were the same, I asked if they were. Whatevs, episode one is over. Honestly, I have the hardest time following what the heck is going on in this series… Still cool though.

Kris: it’s easy, kids die in really tragic ways, girl (Lain) get’s sucked into the interwebs (The Wired) and she can see their ghosts, that to me pushes what I truly love about this series, it’s VERY Cyberpunk which as you know I is one of my true loves.

Erica: Yeah, it’s just hard to tell what’s real, what’s a hallucination, or is it all in the wired? It’s awesome, just confusing. Lots of jumping around and lost time.

Kris: do they ever explain when she becomes a DJ? Or why she’s suddenly famous? Because it goes from Lain in high school to Lain the DJ between the episode break.

Erica: I thought it wasn’t really her? Or a look-alike or something? Also, now she can type really fast in what I can only assume is meant to be code. Pretty good for someone that only just started using a computer for kids.

Kris: ah, the NAVI, I honestly think would be an amazing OS (breaking into my expertise now) that could have been made. Good voice control and a decent AI, all plugged into a full world AI powered interned called The Wired, the nerd in be get’s all excited about this but the Cyber punk in me knows that this is a BAD idea, still an awesome concept though.

Erica: God, this show is so trippy… Just now we had a creepy guy in the shadows, weird ghost-like things, and messed up faces. Hey, new computer!

Kris: at some point her room becomes so over run with electronics, it’s like my wet dream, and these systems are amazing, Desktops, phone, Tablet all synced to one system, I wish I had systems that could do that. Any way back to the show, I’ll probably split off more but whatever.

Erica: Uh-oh, there’s a guy with a light saber (?!) and a blood river! Oh wait, it’s a laser sight on a gun. No Lain, don’t go up to him!

Kris: Christ this girl is going to need counseling, I think this is the 3^rd person to either kill themselves or be killed in front of her. End of episode 2. Also THANKS Funimation for making your stuff super loud and the show super quiet, you’re going to blow out my speakers!! There’s a special place in hell for youtube videos that freeze!!

Erica: It’s ok, we figured out the secret! You have to wave your hand at the screen to make it go. Damn, Lain is traumatized now. Don’t her parents or sister disappear at this point?

Kris: I think so, but I think it’s more she gets fully sucked into The Wired. It almost sounds like internet addiction, but alas she actually becomes fully emerged into The Wired, MATRIX STYLE! Only less psycho robots or cool leather trench coats and gimp suits

Erica: Voices in her head! Hey, her parents are back. And her doodles are moving. She’s starting to lose her grip on reality. Also, her “friends” are jerks.

Kris: so I’m getting out of this (remember it’s been 13 years since I’ve seen this) the kids are killing them selves to go to the wired, and Lain is the only one that realizes that you don’t actually have to go that far.

Erica: I think so. Someone just said “dying feels so good”. Seems like Lain is starting to connect to the wired more. And she has a thingy someone gave her. Some kind of computer part…

Kris: it’s a Phsyce, apparently. Bunch of nerd kids acting like nerds, remind you of someone??

Erica: Nah, not at all . Once again, Lain’s alter-ego is making trouble for her. And these kids seem waaaaay to young to be going to clubs. And now there are men in black. It’s crazy how quickly Lain becomes a tech master. End of episode three.

Kris: I guess I still don’t understand why she’s naked at the end credits.

Erica: My guess is because she’s trying to cut down on static electricity. You know, because clothing causes a lot of static. And she’s lying in a pile of cables.

Kris: ah I just thought it was because the Japanese are screwed up in the head. Any way, episode 4, Lain is starting to be pulled further into The Wired, and dad seems a bit worried. I guess it would be a pretty short series if she didn’t

Erica: OH GOD IT’S A LITTLE GIRL! SHE’S TERRIFYING!

Kris: well she has no eyes, and a stuffed puppy!

Erica: Ok, yeah, that’s pretty scary. Lain’s personality is changing. She’s acting different at school, speaking and acting more like the other girls in class. But her friend can tell there’s something different. What’s her name again? Arisu?

Kris: the one that told her it was all her fault that the guy killed himself? I think so? This is where her room starts turning into my dream place, basically a Cyberpunk server room.

Erica: Damn, how many hard drives does she have now? Things are starting to get more confusing, now Lain’s appearing to people in the real world? And a guy’s stuck in low-res minecraft.

Kris: WTF? Imaginary gun? I think I forgot how confusing this show is.

Erica: I am either too sober or not sober enough to understand this anime.

Kris: her family must be rich, or she’s a klepto cause she has more systems than I can count, I guess she’s building a cluster. Ok this is where this show starts getting weird, yes it was weird before but this is where it goes to WTF!

Erica: And we’re only four episodes in! Nine to go…

Kris: episode 5 now!, and we have found God!

Erica: He’s a voice inside Lain’s head! Man, Lain’s sister is cold. She just walked out on a guy after sex without saying anything, and now she’s just walked away from a car accident. Is that a doll?

Kris: uhhh, yes?

Erica: Is her desk chair speaking to her? I’m so lost…

Kris: no, it’s a tiki mask, or something,

Erica: Well, that makes much more sense.

Kris: yeah not at all! So from now in I think every time we see Lain we are in the wired? Maybe? I think?

Erica: I have no idea. Maybe her subconscious is trapped in the wired and that’s why she’s having conversations with her toys and a floating version of her mother?

Kris: now what’s up with sister? Is she starting to get sucked in because Lain is in? Also next week on drunken anime reviews: ACID!!!

Erica: Her coffee is speaking to her. And no acid. It would just make the anime weirder…

Kris: don’t think that’s possible. End of episode 5! I’m so lost!!!

Erica: Last line was “Who is it today?” I’m confused…

Kris: Episode six. Also Lunchtime.

Erica: Mmm, pizza. I really don’t like these girls in Lain’s class. They’re so judgmental. Wait, Lain is appearing in the sky. Is she god now?

Kris: I’m pretty sure this is supposed to be Allen Turing, could be wrong though.

Erica: When did this become a psychic experiment?

Kris: Mobious.co.uk, website printed on a gauge in her coolant system, very strange!

Erica: On to episode 7! Seems like Lain is becoming more and more like a master of the wired. Think she’ll surpass god?

Kris: Can someone surpass god? She is slowly starting to hate the “real world” I feel like this is what happens to all of the suicides. They would rather fully immerse in the wired than live in the real world.

Erica: But how can they connect to the wired when they’re dead? Hey, the men in black are taking Lain!

Kris: That’s just it.. you can’t, but in your head you feel like being in the wired is the only way you can live.

Erica: I wonder if that’s how people addicted to World of Warcraft feel? Now Lain is helping the men in black, a guy who I can only assume is their boss… But who are the knights? I’m confused. Are they knights or not?

Kris: I’m assuming it’s more a Knights of the Templar thing, not Knights in shining armor, but possibly the creators of The Wired, or some internal Police force?

Erica: Now the men in black dude is raising some interesting questions. Are her parents her real parents? Is her sister real? Maybe Lain isn’t who she thinks she is…

Kris: Was she bore into the Wired? Does Lain actually exist? WTF are we watching??!! It’s honestly a wonder that this show didn’t entirely turn me from anime when we were kids, it’s pretty messed up. end of episode 6

Erica: Episode 7. For being halfway through the series, we’re pretty lost. I think 90’s anime had a tendency to be really heavy-handed with metaphors and psychology…

Kris: I think it’s more this one is just really REALLY weird. Besides the Milk dream from ‘Akira’ I don’t know of another one that has affected me like this one has.

Erica: Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some messed up anime, but 90’s anime likes to go way off and talk philosophically about life and where they’re supposed to be in life. I haven’t had enough to drink for this yet…

Kris: THIS PART!! THE HEADLESS MOUTHS!!! As a 16 year old this gave me nightmares!

Erica: Everybody’s staring! What did she say to make everyone think she’s a peeping tom? I hate this jumping around, I have no idea what’s going on right now.

Kris: I thin Lain has no idea either so don’t feel bad! Ohhh that’s what she did, ewww!!

Erica: Looks like she’s traveling the wired while she’s sleeping? And there’s another version of herself? And that version is spying on her classmates? This is getting very convoluted…

Kris: wait, I think I have it figured out.. the guy that wrote this was on a lot of drugs!

Erica: Of course! It’s so simple! End of 8, by the way.

Kris: you think it’ll ever make sense? I don’t! I think the first line of the theme song sums up how I feel right now! “And you don’t seem to understand”

Erica: No, I don’t understand! Lain has been replaced? There are still 4 episodes; maybe it’ll all make sense soon?

Kris: it’s the grey in the Freddie Kruger sweater!

Erica: Why are we getting a history lesson on the Roswell incident and the Manhattan project? And Native American narcotics… What does this have to do with Lain and the wired? I don’t know, this is getting really hard to follow.

Kris: I think it’s always been hard to follow. I’ve been half paying attention, and I know I’ve been drinking, but I don’t think I remember this being this weird!

Erica: I swear I watched the whole thing not too long ago, but I am so lost right now. I think the whole point is that you’re not supposed to know what’s real and what’s the wired.

Kris: END OF EPISODE 9!!  I still have no clue. 4 to go and maybe I’ll get it

Erica: I think the last episode was supposed to reveal something important… But with all the random information about Roswell and things like that, I didn’t catch it. And now she’s meeting god, who is really freaking creepy.

Kris: Finally a small explanation! It’s starting to show that Lain her self might be part of the wired, and not a real human after all.

Erica: I guess the men in black are going to arrest the Knights now… or kill them, apparently. Lain has a wire clipped to her lip, doesn’t that hurt?

Kris: end of episode 10, things are starting to get explained a bit better now, we are starting to learn the origins of lain herself.

Erica: Episode 11. By now, Lain is pretty much inhuman. She’s almost entirely consumed by the wired. Is this a recap episode?

Kris: If this entire episode is a crazy rock ‘n’ roll recap of the series that I just watched I’m going to be really pissed!

Erica: Does a series as short as this really need a recap episode? With how confused we are… maybe.

Kris: it didn’t help though; the recap was as convoluted as the rest of the series! Also Lain is now fully integrated in, almost as if she is her own computer, tabs and stickies all up on her face! And talking to GOD!?

Erica: God just told her she’s software. Poor Lain. Hey, it’s that chick that killed herself in the first episode! And the guy from the club. Looks like they’re on opposite sides when it comes to suicide, which is odd considering they both killed themselves.

Kris: um end of episode 11.  There was a bit of explanation, I still have not one clue! 2 left, come on Lain help me out!

Erica: I’m confused, Lain already altered the past once, now she has to do it again? And as an alien? Alliteration! Time for episode 12.

Kris: I bet if you watch this backwards you find out that Paul has been dead all along!

Erica: Well, someone’s not dead anyway. The men in black aren’t too happy. And one of them is convulsing? What the hell? And he’s dead. Well ok then.

Kris: so Arisu is going crazy because she is the only one who can remember everything, honestly I feel like I would be the same, if I became the only one who could remember things happening then I would wonder if I was just making them all up!

Erica: Lain just told Arisu that she’s a program designed to break down the barrier between the wired and the real world. And god is back. I don’t like him, he’s creepy.

Kris: God looks like a weird emo kid, not exactly what I thought the creator would look like, but I digress. Lain’s room is awesome now; she is fully integrated into the wired, seeing as though she is the main program that runs it. Okay, shit just got weird; like I guess weirder that it had before! End of episode 12. One to go, you have lots of ‘splainin’ to do Lain!

Erica: Last episode. Hopefully there’s some sort of grand finale that ties this all together… How does slapping someone make them bleed? I think Arisu’s finally lost it.

Kris: so I guess Lain just did a hard reset! What did I just send the last 5 hours watching!

Erica: So final thoughts: This is a really weird series. I’m not entirely sure what happened. I guess Lain was always a program written by “god”, given a body to… what? Experience human life? Change the course of humanity? Break down the barriers between the wired and the real world? But she never really did any of that, she just reset the world and everything went back to normal, like she was never there. I don’t know, I think there was supposed to be some big, overreaching theme that I’m just not getting.

Kris: I learned a few things from watching this show; I was much smarter as a teen when I felt like I actually got it, Yoshitoshi ABe is as an amazing artist, and Franzia boxes leak (especially when you have white carpet!). This Anime is very strange, I didn’t hate it, I will never hate it, it’s stuck in my memories as good as it was 13 years ago when I saw it for the first time.

Erica is a geek-girl and mini-blogger for the Geektastics community. She lives with her fiancee and their kitten, and plans their geeky wedding when there’s time. She grew up watching Startrek with her dad, and blames him for starting her on the path to geekiness.

We’re already eight episodes into this season, so now is a good time to catch up!

First up is Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin). The remnants of humanity are barely surviving, living in cities surrounded by massive walls. Those walls are all that stand between them and the monstrous titans that feed on humans. The only way to defeat the titans is with the 3-D Maneuver Gear that allows the army to “fly” around buildings and attack the titans’ weak spot.

So far I’m really into this one. The plot is really unique, and the art style is very different from other works. Also, the titans are just downright fun to look at.  Add this one to your queue, you won’t be disappointed.

Next up, Red Data Girl. Izumiko Suzuhara is a painfully shy 15 year old girl that can’t use computers without destroying them.  During a school trip to Tokyo, her true nature is revealed.

This one takes some warming up to. I like it, I like the art style, and it’s a decent story. It just takes a while to get going. Give it a chance,  it’s worth it.

Finally, we have The Devil is a Part-Timer. It’s about Satan. Working at McDonald’s.

Guys. Satan is working at McDonald’s. What more could you want?

Alright, so that’s what you should be watching. Go forth and be geeky!

Oh, also this:

Heh.

We’ll start with Tsundere. According to the wiki article, tsundere characters begin cold and even hostile towards a person before slowly showing a warmer side. Usually this character will vehemently deny any feelings of affection for the love interest, even when it’s obvious. A little grammatical breakdown for you:  The word is derived from the terms tsun tsun (ツンツン), meaning to turn away in disgust, and dere dere (デレデレ) meaning to become ‘lovey dovey’.

Some examples are Lum from Urusei Yatsura (though Rumiko Takahashi has tsundere characters in all her works)

And Naru from Love Hina

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Yandere. Yandere characters start out very loving, gentle, and caring towards their love interest, but their romantic devotion becomes mentally destructive, usually trough violence or brutality (again, thank you wikipedia). The term comes from  the words yanderu (病んでる) meaning a mental or emotional illness, and deredere (でれでれ)meaning to show affection. Yandere characters are portrayed as  mentally unstable, sometime downright deranged or insane,  often using extreme violence and/or brutality as an outlet for their emotions.

Examples of Yandere characters are Kotonoha Katsura from School Days

And our old friend, Gasai Yuno from Mirai Nikki

Well, that’s tsundere and yandere. All that’s left is, what’s your favorite?

Also known as My Little Monster, this series follows Mizutani Shizuku and Yoshida Haru, two very socially inept students, as they fall in love.

Haru hasn’t been to school since the first day, when he beat up some bullies. Since then, he spent his days with his guardian Mitsuyoshi at his batting cages. Due to Haru’s delinquent behavior, his classmates are afraid of him.

Shizuku is the top student in her class. All she seems to care about is studying, which is why she has no friends. She’s considered cold and unfeeling as she sees no point in wasting time on anything other than academics.

One day, Shizuku is called upon by her teacher to take some handouts to Haru. While she’s there, Shizuku stands up for Haru when his so-called friends take advantage of him. From that moment on, Haru is infatuated with Shizuku. However, the two main characters just can’t make up their minds about how they feel.

This series is really freaking cute. It’s silly and nonsensical at times, as evidenced by the “preview” that I found (above). There’s a pet chicken, for crying out loud.

I actually really liked this one. From some other reviews I’ve seen, there are some that don’t like the way Shizuku and Haru’s relationship progresses, but I think that’s part of it’s charm. This is not your typical slice-of-life romantic comedy, which I really like. There’s some of the same “Does he like me?” “Does she like me?” kind of drama, which is to be expected, but it’s done in a different way. It’s a little hard to explain…

Anyway, as someone who is not a huge fan of romcoms, I like this series. So far it’s only one season in, and I’m looking forward to season two, whenever that may be.

Final rating: 7.5 out of 10

Not far in the future, a revolutionary machine called the Manifestation Engine powers all electric devices in the world. The creator of the machine, Isshiki Kenjiro warns of a menace bent on destroying the engine, but no one believes him. Disgraced, he works in secret to prepare for the coming of the Alone.

Five years later, they attack. Kenjiro gives his granddaughter Akane a special key that allows her access to the Vivid System, which grants her special powers. Together with her friends Futaba Aoi, Saegusa Wakaba, and Shinomiya Himawari, they fight the Alone using the palette suits powered by the Vivid System. Akane also tries to make friends with the mysterious Kuroki Rei, who might have something to do with the Alone.

Aoi, Wakaba and Himawari can “dock” with Akane by kissing her forehead, which combines the two girls to create a new (?) fighting force. This is called Vividblue, Vividgreen, and Vividyellow operations, as seen below:

I really liked this one. It’s really freaking cute, and the story is original. I liked the character designs, especially the “docked” versions. Costume changes are always a plus in my book. The villain is mysterious and menacing, which is always nice. The ending was a little odd, but not too bad.

There’s just one thing that got to me…

So… much… fanservice…

And that’s just one episode! Not really, but it seems like it. Not that there’s anything wrong with fanservice, but damn guys, tone it down a bit?

Otherwise, I don’t have any problems with this series. Acting was good, story was good, artwork is top-notch. Highly recommended.

Oh, wait! There was one other thing I found really odd. When they’re in single-fighting mode (don’t know what else to call it?) the girls’ weapons all start with ‘naked’. Akane’s is ‘naked rang’ as in boomerang; Aoi has the ‘naked impact’, a giant hammer;  Wakaba’s is ‘naked blade’, obviously a sword; Himawari has the ‘naked collider’, which is apparently a system of drones that can perform functions like creating shields. Why they decided to use ‘naked’ as a weapon name, I’ll never understand.

Final rating: 8 out of 10.

What the hell did I just watch?

Oh god, my brain. I’m sorry I’ve done this to you, brain.

It looks so cute, right? Nope. Full of blood and nonsense. I’m having a pretty hard time describing this one because of the sheer stupidity of it all.

Ok, I’ll do my best to give a quick summary. Sakura is a second-year middle school student living with an angel from the future, called Dokuro-chan,  sent to keep him from creating a world that causes women to stop aging at 12. With me so far? No? Don’t worry, it gets better. Dokuro-chan constantly kills Sakura in various violent ways using her spiked club, Excalibolg, then brings him back to life. And that’s the show in a nutshell.

There are other minor characters to help move the show along, for all the good that does. There isn’t really any plot, other than “Kill Sakura using a spiked club as bloodily as possible”. I will say the opening song is kinda catchy. I’ll post that instead of the usual preview.

At least it’s short. I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to get a recommendation from reddit on a weird anime. Maybe I’ll never learn…

That’s a good three hours of my life I’ll never get back.

Final rating: 2 out of 10, and only because the opening song is damned catchy.

Well, Toonami is back, and not too long ago, they showed the first of three Evangelion movies retelling the original story from the ’90s with updated animation and a new ending. And holy crap, what a difference.

On the left, the original animation from the ’90s. On the right, the updated version.

What a difference. Now don’t get me wrong, the original series will always be a classic, and I always recommend the classics over remakes. However, there are some improvements that have been made. Obviously, the art style has vastly improved, but that’s a given considering the advancements made in the industry in the past 2 or so decades since the original.

I mean, come on:

Huge difference. But on top of that, the writing has tightened up a bit, making the story a little easier to follow, and Shinji is less of a whiny little brat. I’ve said it before, I am not a fan of whiny male protagonists. Gets on my nerves. I think I can blame Original Shinji for this in part because, for crying out loud, that guy would not stop complaining.

Now, in the movie version, Shinji is still whiny and complains. A lot. But it’s less irritating somehow. I think in part it has to do with the fact that his background is better defined, his contempt for his father is more pronounced, as is his longing for fatherly acceptance. All in all, Shinji is given a deeper character this time around, and it is a vast improvement.

I will say I felt like Rei could have been more… present in the movie. She plays like a background character, which is not true to the original at all. Yes, a lot of the key scenes were there, and she was there,  she just didn’t seem important somehow. Like she lost a dimension of herself somewhere in the transition from the original. Actually, I felt that with Misato a little as well. It seems like some of the characters lost some of their presence in this new version. I’m hoping the next movies will rectify that feeling.

So overall, I did enjoy the movie quite a lot. The update in the animation really helped the story, and the revised script was an improvement. While I still think everyone should watch the original, the rebuild has a lot going for it as well.

Final rating: 8 out of 10

And one more comparison, because I can.

Heh.

Mushi are creatures that live in a world outside of human perception. Usually small and harmless, the exist in harmony with the earth and the life forces running through the land. There are a few that can see them, the Mushi-Shi, or mushi masters. These masters have studied the mushi over many generations, and recorded their findings for future masters.

Ginko is a travelling mushi master. Because of a strange conditon that causes mushi to flock around him, he cannot stay in one place for too long. Roaming all over Japan, he helps those that have encountered troublesome mushi. Despite his solitary nature, Ginko is a friendly man with a warm personality. Surely there’s a story behind his silver hair, and that one green eye…

This series is absolutely beautiful. The animation is so beyond anything I’ve ever seen. The story concept is so unique, and one of the positive points for this anime is the way the episodes are set up. There isn’t really a story line, which makes it easy to jump into any episode without needing to know anything about the series.

Folks, this series is currently streaming on Netflix. If you haven’t seen it yet, go there now and add it to your queue. Seriously. I’ll wait.

… Done? Good.

Mushishi is a great anime because it’s a gateway to the genre. Any fans of good animation (anime or not) can appreciate the gorgeous scenery, the whimsical nature of the mushi, and the character of Ginko.

I honestly can’t think of another anime so deserving of this rating: 10/10

Mirai Nikki follows the ‘hero’ Amano Yukiteru, a second-year middle school student who is an antisocial recluse that spends most of his time writing a diary on his cell phone. He eases his loneliness by imagining a friend, the god of space and time Deus ex Machina. One day Deus gives Yukiteru a special diary that can see into the future.

Suddenly, everything Yuki does works out. He’s the top of his class, he can outsmart anyone, and everything seems to go his way. Then he catches the attention of a serial killer.

While trying to evade the killer, a girl, Gasai Yuno, corners him in an elevator, and kisses him. She helps him kill the murderer. Then Yuki learns about the future diaries, and the survival game Deus created to determine the next god of space and time. He must evade and kill the eleven other diary holders… including Yuno. But Yuno is only interested in him.

Yuno is… an interesting character, to say the least. Yeah, she’s crazy. Like, this crazy:

So if you can’t tell yet, I like the weirder anime. When I choose a series I want to watch, I usually end up with something scary or unusual. I tend to find them more entertaining, so Mirai Nikki was really enjoyable for me. It’s pretty bloody, as evidenced by the picture above. There’s a scene about six or so episodes in where one diary holder gets a dart to the eye, then another holder plucks her damaged eye out. That scene was pretty gruesome, even for me, but I have an irrational fear of something poking out my eye, so…

There were a few times when I hated Yuki because he did something stupid or pathetic that either endangered him or someone around him. I’ve noticed that a lot lately in more contemporary anime, where the main character is whiny or ineffectual. I guess it’s a trend? I don’t really see the allure, but I guess it’s a change from the uber-manly, super clever main characters that always win.

Overall, I enjoyed the series. There are some moments that were frustrating, but I liked the story and most of the characters.

Final rating: 7/10