After watching the anime more than 4 times, I thought I was able to figure out most of the stuff. On one hand, I'm kind of amazed that I got as much out of it as I have considering how fast it went. I guess the credit goes to the screenplay writer, Yokote Michiko.
Of course, there's a lot more to it than what's shown in the anime, and I'm glad I picked up the novels. I'm sure I still missed a lot of stuff due to my lack of Japanese language skills, but I still loved the book. And it gave me a new perspective for the anime as well. In fact, I rewatched the first two episodes again, and found some neat stuff, so I included a few screencaps from the DVD.
Did you know that Akiyama-sensei also wrote Kurogane Communication? I bet the original story is a lot more involved than the mostly light-hearted anime version. I would like to buy the novels, but seeing as how I still have three more volumes of this and Petopeto-san novels to read, I don't see how I could ever catch up. And the way I'm spending money, I'm not sure if I'll be able to retire early, either ^_^;;
Do you know why he's using both hands? As minor as it is, I liked how it's portrayed in the anime.
It flashes by so fast, I don't see how anyone who wasn't looking for it could see it!
I can really appreciate how ridiculous this looks after reading the novel. I don't mean the animation, of course, but the concept of braced position like that as a preparation for a war. It's pointless!
