Horizon Zero

Clearing the Queue

My AC has been operating in an un-optimal fashion the last few days, so I've spent most of my at-home time camped out in a fan created bubble of cool air centered on my living room couch.

Which has been an opportune time to start thinning out the clutter in my Netflix queue.

I've been focusing on series - watching the first two or three episodes to decide whether I want to commit. To be honest, I've been getting more chaff than wheat. My judgments so far:

Birdy the Mighty - Didn't make it past the first episode. Felt too derivative.

Black Butler - Watched up to Episode Six. Interesting enough premise but I'm guessing the show doesn't end with the demon butler eating the kid's soul...

Eden of the East - I've posted about this before, but just now finished the series. Enjoyed it, but felt the story was rushed at the end. Have yet to see the movie.

Fruits Basket -  Watched the first two episodes. Undecided.

Gurren Lagen - Watched the first three episodes. I know it has a cult following, but couldn't get into it.

Kaze No Stigma - Watched the first two episodes. Sufficiently intrigued for now, but will probably get shuffled to the back of the stack.

Rin - Watched the first three episodes. So, it's Highlander, right? With some Norse and Christian symbolism thrown in for good measure?

Sekirei - Didn't make it through the first episode.

Shuffle! - Yay, harem anime! It's not Tenchi, but it'll do.

Speed Grapher - No. No. Gods, no.

I should probably throw in Trigun, here as well. It's a classic of the genre, I know, but I didn't get to finish it before it was yanked off of the rotation.

Comic-Con Bingo

Comedy Central provides this great line waiting aid for SDCC attendees.

One of the comments from the site where I found it:

"I think Kevin Smith should take two adjacent squares. You know, just like in real life."

Ouch, man.

Why Can't I Quit You, Evangelion?

As the title might imply, I picked up the Blu-ray version of Evangelion 2:22 - You Can (Not) Advance this weekend. This is part of the "Rebuild of Evangelion" series of movies - which also as implied is a reworking of the Neon Genesis Evangelion story, tightening up the narrative some, moving pieces and motivations around a bit, and throwing in some nifty new CGI and HD animation. So far, the story makes as much sense as it ever did, which is both a compliment and a curse, depending on how you look at it.

If you've never seen Evangelion, this is a good way to get your feet wet. (Start with the first Rebuild volume, You Are (Not) Alone.) It ends on a cliffhanger, and volume 3 hasn't been completed yet, so there will be a long wait. Make sure you watch through the end credits.

I also watched the first two episodes of the Xenosaga animation, which was an odd experience since it's essentially all of the cut scenes from the PS2 Xenosaga Episode One game. I'm interested in finding out if they managed to make more than one season, since I never got around to finishing Xenosaga Episodes Two or Three and am not inclined to go back and try. (Episode Two's battle system annoys. A lot.)