watched stuff

So when I've not been at work or doing epic battle with the snow this week I've mainly been watching and reading stuff.

The main thing I've been watching is the second series of 30 Rock. I really like this show. I think it's very well written and pretty damn funny, but for some reason it's not generally very popular.

It's surprisingly actually because it's not hugely popular in America, and yet it's not been cancelled. Stuff get cancelled pretty quickly in America if it's not popular, or its popularity fades. I think what might be helping 30 Rock stay on air is something hinted at in the extras - NBC wasn't expecting it to be popular.

As such, because its rating seen to have stayed pretty stable and in some cases gone up, they may be pretty happy with it. Plus it apparently tests well in certain demographics. It's also a critical darling and has won a clutch of awards, including Emmys, which are some of the big ones.

I dunno - it's one of those odd things about American TV where it's all a bit random as to what's renewed and cancelled.

I'll be doing a proper review of it at some point, but I've got a lot of reviews to write and prepare after Christmas, so it might be a while before it appears.

I've also sampled a couple of anime shows:


Kampfer

This is a gender-swap comedy. It's got quite a lot of fan-service and the plot is quite predictable. There's lots of elements I've seen in other shows.

So it's not really innovative or original. Plus the animation rarely bobs above the 'basic' threshold. Also, the soundtrack is slightly odd, flipping into heavy metal when there's an action sequence, which really doesn't shit the bright, colourful visuals of the show.

But do you know what? I kinda enjoyed it.

I was rather surprised by this, and tried o pin down what it was that made me like it, but I really can't figure it out.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying it's amazing or ground-breaking or anything, just that I kinda enjoyed it.

Maybe it's just that I've been out of the anime loop too long?


The Sacred Blacksmith

The other show I sampled had much higher production values. The animation was much generally smoother, and the soundtrack fit the show better.

I must admit, though I was a bit torn over it. There was stuff I quite liked - the characters were quite interesting, for example. But then there were quite a few things I didn't like.

The background/setting is another one of those weirdly random anime things. Part standard fantasy, part mumbo-jumbo mystical stuff and part odd take on Christianity.

Also, the show is sort of about a Blacksmith, which I thought might be interesting, but it didn't really show much of that in the first few episodes. What it did show a bit of was the 'sacred' part and I didn't really like it.

It came across a bit like magically making the sword, and I dunno it just left me really cold. There's a big difference between the sweat and toil of making a sword (especially a samurai sword with all that folding) and just going all mystical mumbo-jumbo and conjuring one up.


Plans for the weekend are basically pretty dull.

My main aim, as mentioned yesterday, is to get a big shop in and to buy some electricity for the meter. Apart from that, I need to clean my flat.

Otherwise, it's sleeping and relaxing watching a bit of telly, I think. This week has really left me shattered.