What I'm Watching: Pumpkin Scissors
Jun. 7th, 2009 08:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
joiedecombatHave an anime recommendation post! This one's for Pumpkin Scissors.
Meet Imperial Army Intelligence Section 3, the "Pumpkin Scissors" war relief unit.
[Left to right: Sgt. Major Lili Stecchin - coffee maker, uniform mender, expert number-cruncher. Private First Class Mercury - messenger, troublemaker. 2nd Lt. Alice L. Malvin - field leader, certified badass. Cpt. Hunks - probably really good at chess. Warrant Officer Martis - resident smart guy, car-fu specialist. Warrant Officer Oreldo - skirt-chaser, street-fighter, expert potato peeler. Corporal Randel Oland - more about him in a bit.]
The rest of the Imperial Army thinks they're a joke, a "cheery little unit." Most of the public thinks they're a sham put together by the government to save face. But in the three years sincetotally not Germany the Empire ended its long and bloody war with the Republic of Frost, poverty, starvation, and disease are rampant, and former soldiers are living like bandits. Some kind of relief is desperately needed.
Section 3 is led by 2nd. Lt. Alice Lei "Lieutenant Blitz" Malvin, who is very motivated when it comes to the subject of war relief.
Alice is about three pints of gung-ho idealism poured into one pint-sized noblewoman:
Also, she can kick your ass.
Things really get interesting when Section 3 meets, and recruits, war veteran and gentle giant Corporal Randel Oland.
Randel used to be in the 901 ATT, an anti-tank division. How does Randel fight tanks?
Yeah.
There's a story to this, of course.
Section 3 has its work cut out for it. The military is rife with corruption, the nobility cheat and abuse the peasantry and extravagantly waste food and other resources, and the poor have become so desperate and jaded that they'll do whatever they think they have to in order to look out for themselves. But Alice and her men will stand up to anyone - commoners, the nobility, other branches of their own military, even the Emperor himself - whose actions aggravate the damages done by the war.
As for Alice's fiance, well, we're not really sure what his deal is.
But everyone should watch this series just for Alice, who is all-around fantastic and kicks about twelve kinds of ass. After Alice, I'm also enormously fond of Warrant Officer Oreldo, because apparently I have a weakness for weirdly compartmentalized guys who prefer to come off as lazy, shallow skirt-chasers rather than let on how savvy and competent they really are (but are still all too willing to become the Bad Guy and get the crap beat out of them to make things right for some girl they just met a couple days ago and don't have any special personal interest in beyond that she's cute).
(Seriously, Oreldo needs a hug.)
The only problem with the series is that it only begins to get into its own deeper plotline by its last episode, and is crying out for a second season to actually resolve itself. But everyone should watch it anyhow, particularly those people on my friendlist who I know love awesome ladies, because I really can't express how fantastic Alice is.
Next, I will probably watch Princess Tutu, and after that, either Nodame Cantabile or Saiunkoku Monogatari. Either way I'm sure you can all expect me to natter about them afterwards.
Meet Imperial Army Intelligence Section 3, the "Pumpkin Scissors" war relief unit.
[Left to right: Sgt. Major Lili Stecchin - coffee maker, uniform mender, expert number-cruncher. Private First Class Mercury - messenger, troublemaker. 2nd Lt. Alice L. Malvin - field leader, certified badass. Cpt. Hunks - probably really good at chess. Warrant Officer Martis - resident smart guy, car-fu specialist. Warrant Officer Oreldo - skirt-chaser, street-fighter, expert potato peeler. Corporal Randel Oland - more about him in a bit.]
The rest of the Imperial Army thinks they're a joke, a "cheery little unit." Most of the public thinks they're a sham put together by the government to save face. But in the three years since
Section 3 is led by 2nd. Lt. Alice Lei "Lieutenant Blitz" Malvin, who is very motivated when it comes to the subject of war relief.
Alice is about three pints of gung-ho idealism poured into one pint-sized noblewoman:
Also, she can kick your ass.
Things really get interesting when Section 3 meets, and recruits, war veteran and gentle giant Corporal Randel Oland.
Randel used to be in the 901 ATT, an anti-tank division. How does Randel fight tanks?
Yeah.
There's a story to this, of course.
Section 3 has its work cut out for it. The military is rife with corruption, the nobility cheat and abuse the peasantry and extravagantly waste food and other resources, and the poor have become so desperate and jaded that they'll do whatever they think they have to in order to look out for themselves. But Alice and her men will stand up to anyone - commoners, the nobility, other branches of their own military, even the Emperor himself - whose actions aggravate the damages done by the war.
As for Alice's fiance, well, we're not really sure what his deal is.
But everyone should watch this series just for Alice, who is all-around fantastic and kicks about twelve kinds of ass. After Alice, I'm also enormously fond of Warrant Officer Oreldo, because apparently I have a weakness for weirdly compartmentalized guys who prefer to come off as lazy, shallow skirt-chasers rather than let on how savvy and competent they really are (but are still all too willing to become the Bad Guy and get the crap beat out of them to make things right for some girl they just met a couple days ago and don't have any special personal interest in beyond that she's cute).
(Seriously, Oreldo needs a hug.)
The only problem with the series is that it only begins to get into its own deeper plotline by its last episode, and is crying out for a second season to actually resolve itself. But everyone should watch it anyhow, particularly those people on my friendlist who I know love awesome ladies, because I really can't express how fantastic Alice is.
Next, I will probably watch Princess Tutu, and after that, either Nodame Cantabile or Saiunkoku Monogatari. Either way I'm sure you can all expect me to natter about them afterwards.
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no subject
Date: 2009-06-09 02:36 am (UTC)Pa pa pa pan-pu-kin!
no subject
Date: 2009-06-09 04:47 am (UTC)But yes, you were so right, I do love it. Why is there not another season? Aaaaaagh. I'm going to have to, I don't know, read the manga or something, if only to find out WTF Lionel's damage is.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-09 05:37 am (UTC)If you can find manga that's been scanlated, PLS TELL ME. Even the licensed new stuff isn't available yet. I so very wish for a second season, since it's all turning into CRAZY POLITICAL INTRIGUE. I guess if it's modelled on Germany, s2 will be Alice beating up the New Order.
Princess Tutu = the plot is so freaking amazing, it floors me. It makes me jealous I didn't think of it first. However, the art style really puts me off. But the music is fantastic and I know you'll enjoy it a lot. The second season will BLOW YOU AWAY.
Nodame Cantabile = You'll fangirl Chiaki forever. THE END.