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Wednesday, 05 January 2005 12:24 |
 There's nothing quite as frustrating as a series that seems
to get stuck in a rut, which is exactly what seemed to happen to 2x2=Shinobuden.
It's doubly frustrating when that happens after a particularly good
start. Despite the promises in the OP sequence of high-action
combat scenes with a Dark Shinobu, the series goes out with pretty much
the same format it came in with...
11a - Sasukeden Begins
A day in the life of 3x3=Sasukeden, beginning with a scary look into
the harem of his dreams. Later, evil orcs Sodom & Gomorrah
threaten the Ninja Academy, so it's time for Sasuke to swing into
action - but are the orcs as evil as he thinks they are..?
11b - Ninja, Returning a Favour
New Year's Day, and Kaede's bored at home - until Shinobu, Onsokumaru
& the Sasuke turn up. Hard call whether that's better than
bordeom or not..! There's a reason for the visit, though - it's
almost time for the annual Ninja Academy play, and they want Kaede to
take part. Now, if only they got get the story straightened out...
12a - Onsokumaru's Secret
The Sasuke have been rewatching previous episodes of 2x2=Shinobuden, and
they've noticed there's a plot thread that's been left hanging.
Aware that that's something that only happens in really bad anime, they
confront Onsokumaru to find out what he plans to do about it...
12b - Farewell, 2x2=Shinobuden
Kaede's shocked to find out that Shinobu may be going to study abroad,
although she has to pass the entrance exam of the school she's
transferring to first. When the test comes around, all Shinobu
can think about is her friend - but after some persuasion from Kaede
she's ready to go through with the test. Being a ninja school,
fighting's involved - and her opponent is Onsokumaru...
 
I think I've figured out what the main problem with 2x2=Shinobuden has been - as with Bottle Fairy,
I've been watching too much of it in one go. If you watch one
segment at a time, the humour stays reasonably fresh & enjoyable -
overdo it, and the sameness of it starts to hit home & it really
does spoil the fun. After having overdosed while writing the last
review I did of the show, I took this final batch of episodes a lot
more slowly, and it certainly helped keep the enjoyment factor
up. It's a common problem with comedy, I suppose, but it's still
far from ideal.
The other complaint is the number of characters or events that were
shown in the OP that either didn't appear or didn't get much
screen-time when they did. I was left expecting things to happen,
and left disappointed when they didn't.
Putting all that aside, though, 2x2=Shinobuden has been
quite a fun little show, even with its failings. Between a number
of decidedly strange storylines and a particularly perverse sense of
humour, there's enough here to keep you smiling, as long as you don't
try to watch too much in one sitting. While I'll forever think
that Wonderfarm could have done a better job with it, it's still a show that's worth checking out.
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