If you go by sleep-cycles....

Anyway.

So I did one thing today. All day.

I watched Sister Princess. I did not, as I had originally planned, touch Sky Gunner or SSX 3, or ... any of the other games vying to get out of my 'to- play' list and into the increasingly more exclusive 'been-played' list.

'Cause, see, I've beaten Dream Hearts, but not with 100% completion.

And then, I haven't even opened Warship Gunner, or....

You get the idea.

I think I'm going to stave off aquiring any new games for a bit. I'd like to get one good game for the PC, but I might end up waiting for Fallout 2. I'll let myself pick up another game or three for the GBA (sp).

But, really, beyond that, I've got enough on my plate. Especially since my little brother gave me a copy of Arc the Lad. Days after I sold my own copy for trade-in value.

Grr.

I think I like bowling.

Anyway. Scrapped Princess.

It was a fun anime that hit along the path of so many cliches, but only actually followed through on some of them. They also managed to completely exclude a character archetype or three. The lercherous (whatever) was notably absent. Nor was there any sign of the sulking bishonen who switches from the bad guys to the good guys just in time to turn the tables in the critical final battle. Exposition was given at a rate that made sense, and let you really feel for the characters.

Generally speaking, you know as much about the show as every character in it at a given moment. You suspect there's more, but rather than having the villanous asides filled with obscure references to the next plan, or the ultimate plan, or anything else, it's all spelled out. You know from episode one that the whole point is that the Scrapped Princess is supposedly going to destroy the world.

You don't know why, or how. But they don't give her an obscure mystical title, and only reveal her purpose in episode 16, so she can angst and wallow in self-pity until episode 17 (18 if you've got bishonen to add backstory), which is just in time for a fanservice episode (pre ep 20) before begining the final story arc, whereupon the tables are turned again.

The anime carries itself in such a way that what you don't know, no one in the show cares about. And neither do you, because it doesn't really matter, and if it does, you'll know. Well, thinking back, there are perhaps a few minor exceptions to this, which felt more in line as 'good storytelling' instead of 'cheap gimmick to create false dramatic tension'.

It takes itself seriously, in many senses. No Slayers-style comedy here (I liked Slayers, but this anime managed to establish itself as 'good' without needing to cash in on its style), actions have consequences. Come to think of it, you never even see exaggerated features, face-faults, or chibi-versions of anyone running around. Unless you count Soopy-kun. Which I don't.

It still has humor, it just tends to be on a level that maintains a degree of sophistication.

There's no slew of unexpected or gratuitous powerups (for the good guys).

There's nothing I can really point out that I'd like to improve or change, honestly. I don't think it was perfect, but at the same time, I can't point at any flaws. Maybe I'm sleepy.

Anyway, while it was not the best anime I ever saw, it was enjoyable. I had fun.

"I liked it. It was much better than 'Cats'. I am going to see it. Again and again."

Gotta wake up in five hours for work....