I don’t know about Naruto, since I never really had the time for it… but Saiyuki.
Here’s the thing about Saiyuki. First, I’m more then familiar worth the whole Journey to the West storyline, and the story seemed liked a postmodernist attempt at telling it. Secondly, I know its faults, and they;re glaring; plot gaps, lazy author who can’t be arsed to finish the damn thing (she moves so slow, and she keeps putting in filler in the manga, and the TV series catches up with her manga too fast so they put in even more filler), not to mention that it seems to be tailor-made for the fujoshi market (and I’m neither a girl nor am I gay)
BUT… I do like Saiyuki for Genjo Sanzo alone. Out of every other character I’ve seen, Genjo Sanzo was the closest to a presentation of Nietzsche’s Ubermensch. Well, there is Haruhi Suzumiya, but Sanzo’s interpretation is a unique one.
Sanzo is the epitome of Bertrand RUssell’s Buddha versus Nietzsche argument:
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/classes/cluster21/wiki/index.pl?NietzscheVsBuddhaByBertrandRussell
Sanzo, though an atheist, and an ethical egoist at that (but self-spiritual, like a Nietzschean as opposed to an objectivist), still has the Buddhistic theachings of compassion for others, which he feels in his bonding with his followers, especially with child-like SOn Goku.
Lastly, Sanzo’s continuous mantra" Kill the Buddha as you meet him’, is an obscure, but actual, Buddhist teaching; one may eventually have to overcome Buddha in order to attain Enlightenment.
Of course, that was a while back, but, if Minekura ever finishes Saiyuki in full, and if I have the time, I’m willing to go through the entire thing just to see the few golden moments where Sanzo shifts between strength and weakness.
~
There are exceptions, but they depend on when I saw them, their extended length, and how familair I am with them. Fushigi Yuugi is one, as it had a reverse harem (with sex, though its never really shown) and it’s relatively old, and, furthermore, it has only 52 episodes, with a limited number of OVA episodes (though I’m not keen on the OVA as, judging from a preview of it, it looks more like some fanfic)
Higurashi isd estined to become another, but, unless 7th expansions decides to be complete buggers and pull another 4 acrs on us, and DEEN decide to animate those as well, I can forsee a 52 limit for them, and Higurahsi wasn’t that bad either.
Another candidate is Kiddy Grade. Iw as kinda shocked when AYa Hirano mentioned theyw ere doing a second season, as Kiddy Grade already ended very well, but, Gonzo beign Gonzo, I have my faith in them.
~
All that being said, I personally wish more shows went out of their 13 episode rut, and were given an additional 13 episodes, with a proper ending. For instance, Hiabane Renmei deserved more episodes (I sre as hell would like to see more male Haibane, in their cool pseudo-ganster lifetsyle) Then there’s Elfen Lied, who everyone knows about that ending.
[ 12-14-2006, 11:44 AM: Message edited by: Phineas Lucis ]
) but my favourites are: