Uknighted Manganime Life is too short to watch bad anime

When we last left our empty headed heroes, Natsuki, trying to go against type and be useful for a change, tries to start an alliance against Nagi and his torrent of awful reality TV shows. Amongst them are: Artai Idol, Black Valley Survivor, Windbloom’s Big Brother, and Changing Rooms (the cruddy americanized version of BBC’s “Trading Spaces”.). With promises of more hitchhiking, allies are gathered and the offensive is going into high gear… in about another four episodes.

Back at the Black Valley, Mashiro and Antsy are planning a big surprise party for Midori’s team, the Fightin’ ‘Borgs. They’re on the road and at present, they’re on their way to the championship to defeat the reigning champions, the Carlteya Backstabbers. However, it seems that the Black Valley has become a rather popular tourist spot, because it seems that Artai, complete with an Unwelcome Wagon. Turns out Sergei is back and worse than ever, still at the beck and call of Nagi the Smirk. Back at Windbloom, Nagi assures Nina that with Aoi, conveiniently saved for this plot point, pretty much makes Antsy’s and Mashiro’s part in his plans irrelavent, since Nina’s probably the closest one that can actually sing.

In the woods, Midori and the borgs prepare the line of scrimmage. With Midori’s subtle plans, they can win the cup and emerge as the champions! So, make sure and get your Black Valley banners, caps, and foam “We’re #1″ hands.

Sergei, in his pastime of watching the clouds, imagining them as the several dozens of women that have proposed him, finds it’s not as fun as it used to be. Doubled by the fact that Antsy arrived without Mashiro to exchange, because it was part of the deal and all. Now, Sergei Wong has been known, and loved, by women the world over. However, not even his smoothness can easily repel and shoot down the Antsy, since he’s now type-cast as the ‘man torn between the love of his family and his leige’. In a fit of despiration, he pulls a gun on Antsy, hoping to cripple her and return the reigns of the show to Mai, he then relents and does his Wile E. Coyote impression.

When Antsy tries to find Sergei’s remains for her own, a bigger problem emerges in the form of four human sized Transformers. Turns out that Scourge the Tracker and his Huntsmen, the Sweeps, got a really good deal from Sunrise. Not only are they more mobile, they’ve become hot, though not legal, girls. Tomoe, honey, call me back in about five or six years.

Now, to the suprise of few and none, Tomoe reveals her deep-seated hatred of Arika for standing in the way of her stifling, obsessive, one sided love.

Meanwhile, Chie, being Sergei’s right-hand man, and personal lady of the mission, is searching for Mashiro, who finds her when you think how much purple stands out in front of tan and white. Better luck next time, Mashi, baby.

The fight is taken up a notch when Tomoe, against orders to the contrary, challenges Arika to several nonstop runs of Dance Dance Revolution. And being outnumbered four to one, Arika’s score doesn’t look too good. Does that mean we can change main characters? To our dismay, no. She is the Mary Sue, after all.

Meanwhile, back in Carlteya, turns out that Fia and her Master don’t do too when when it comes to sneak attacks by vastly superior fighters. Here’s a transcript of the fight:

Midori: ATTACK!
[Aswald attacks. Carlteya suffers 8396 points of Damage. Carlteya Otome Squads, Carlteya Royal Guards, Carlteya Foot Soliders are defeated.]
Fia: OMG! HaX0r!!
Midori: You had warnings, b****. Now you pay da piper!
[Fia Attacks]
Fia: Carlteya Ribbon Strike!
[Midori suffers 5830 points of Damage!]
Fia: Ha! Prepare to die!
Midori: You forget one thing.
Fia: What’s that?
Midori: This is a turn based battle!!
[Midori summons Gakutenoh!]
[Fia suffers 9999 points of damage]
[Fia is defeated]
[The King of Carlteya goes sparkly]
[Aswald is victorious]
[Aswald recieves 12050 Exp, 10000 gold, and Gem Research]

And just outside the capital, Natsuki and Nao, overhearing Midori singing ‘We Are the Champions’, decide to turn back, while taking an uninvited passanger with them in the form of a very familiar cat.

Back at the Dragon’s Graveyard, Tomoe, amid various acts of vandalism, reveals all her plotting and planning. But again, we are not surprised as to how she was able to control Miya of the Forehead so. So, when Arika refuses to submit, Tomoe decides to show Antsy her killer disco moves. The Dance of Valhalla. Only the most dedicated of Valkyries can master the subtle and sexy moves that can bring any teeny-bopper to their knees. When Arika’s about to meet her end, the Deus Ex Machina appears to not only swipe Mashiro away from Chie, but stop the Dance of Valhalla with The Twist. And, to no one’s surprise, the Deus Ex Machina is none other than Miyu, the Butt-Ugly Robo! Boo!

Miyu, with her expert hacking, breaks into the Matrix to give her stats much higher numbers than Tomoe and her group, who worked very hard to get where they were. Even worse, when Sergei attempts to rescue his teamate, Miyu forgets Asimov’s Laws of Robotics. When Sergei Wong is injured, women around the world wail in despair. If he does go down, then we’re going to have to say he was a victim of poor writing against an overpowered and uninteresting character.

Remember some episodes again when plot points come together at dangerous speeds? Well, just so happens we have a repeat as Nina, under Nagi’s orders, plays the Second Deus Ex Machina, the Harmonium. Who would of thought that the thing can do magic things like transport Nina to the fight zone, and turn her into a massive shadow of her former self.

Instead of going into the details, we have a simplified diagram(?) of what happens next.

Nina sees Sergei wounded.

Nina sees Miyu and Arika nearby.

Miyu injured Sergei.

Miyu has connections to Arika that Nina probably knows about. Therefore, Miyu = Arika.

So, if Miyu = Arika, then that means Arika injured Sergei, though indirectly.

The end result?

RAGE! NINA SMASH! Etc, etc, etc.

Miyu, continuing her illegal hacking, pulls out the Power of Greyskull to counter Nina’s Harmonium powered rage. The ensuing blast reduces the countryside to ashes and considering this is Sunrise, no one will perish. Wimps.

When Antsy comes to, she realizes that not only did she leave the iron on, but she comes face to face with a rather familiar face. And is also approached by another familiar face, and to that we say: It’s about time!!

As of today, I’ve seen episode 23 and I’m severely tempted to not bother with it since it makes me feel like I just watched the Architect scene of Matrix: Reloaded. I felt talked down to and my intelligence insulted. Not to mention that there’s too much Butt Ugly Miyu. We’ll see….