Akumu chan 悪夢ちゃん [series]

oh my gackt. riding off over a rainbow with keiko...

What on earth am I watching?? I just saw Gackt and Kitagawa Keiko ride off over a rainbow on a white flying steed. What the hell have I found here?

I saw Gackt, I obviously had to watch it. But what on earth have I stumbled on?

I had to start writing the first few paragraphs as I watch just to get some of the thoughts down first hand instead of forgetting and writing this after its (bound to be) epic ending.

As we ALL know by now, I have a huge girl crush on Kitagawa Keiko and she is  an awesomely textured character in Akumu-chan. She is all sweetness and light in class but at home she is a rumpled uncaring mess who couldn't give a flying fox about anything or anyone.

She doesn't care about people and - I have to interrupt. Gackt in a polo neck jumper with curly hair just opened the door and me and Keiko had the same facial expression frozen for about 8 seconds.

So, yes. Well anyway, There is a little girl who sees the future in her dreams. 

She says her dreams come from outside. Her grandpa and his assistant (Gackt) have been recording her dreams in video form through some fangled machine and his intentions seem to be a little less than honest due to the evil ass looks he throws everyone out of sight.

Ayami-sensei (Keiko) shows up in the girl's dream, and before they all met the assistant was the prince in Ayami-sensei's dream, 

and when they all finally meet and she gets eaten by a giant red alligator after stabbing her elementary school student with broken glass ...it all spirals out of control.

The little white floating dog is like some dream path weaver. This drama is crazy from start to finish. All these things in her dreams are of course symbols, but all related to things in her past.... we have to watch out for all the clues and piece it all together. Which is quite fun.

Keiko's hair is gorgeous. Her character is great - she is such a bitch and the facial expressions she pulls are fab. As the dream world and reality blend into one an other she becomes more and more animated, twisted and lost in all the versions of herself that she rifles through in order to find out who she really is. Such an unusual show.

Ayami-sensei has some dark secret in her past that made her shut off her heart - hence the 'psychopathic' unfeeling style in which she carries herself.

And her nickname Psycho-sensei which has a great ring to it. ^^ 

As she spends more time with Akumu-chan, and of course the assistant Shiki-sensei twisting things up as much as possible, it all starts to unravel. And MAN does he twist things up. 

...what the hell is that noise? There is a cat in my neighbourhood that sounds like a peacock. 

Little Jacks kitten, Snoops and I stood our ground earlier and fended off the bully cat. We are strong together! Kacchya!





Anyway, back to the drama. 

These kids are great. I don't know where they get these amazing kids from. And not only do they have some genius acting from them, we have some proper creepy glaring from Gackt, and worried faces from Keiko. Two of my favourite things.




It gets to the point where everyone starts to annoy me a little bit in the middle of the series. Everyone is so devious and I just want Akumu-chan to stand up for herself. 

She starts to do that just before it becomes too relelntless, and Ayami-sensei also realises that she has to take some responsibility just when it is most needed - even the nurse steps up and gets on side which I wanted her to do for like, the whole damn series. The timing is pretty good throughout. 

I love that it gets so 'dark side vs light side'. The baddies even have black versions of the dream recording machinery, its all superhero/villain type. 

But you never really know whose side anyone is really on. The dramatic music helps suggest Shiki-sensei is the bad guy though, or when things of a compostable nature may hit a certain spin air cooling device.

Sometimes I wonder what the hell I am talking about.

They are not only fighting tragic potential future happenings, but fighting crime and sporting some great evil glaring eyes under fake smiles and all manner of confusing awesome gorgeous knowing glances. Well, maybe that is just Gackt, but yeah.

So. Many. Screen shots. I cant seem to stop! there are so many things to take shots of. 

I thought I had better stop at like episode 6 or 7 so I didn't put any spoilers in with these images, but its hard to restrain.

The more crazy-Gackt-scientist-evil-eito-super-villain Shiki sensei becomes the more Ayami sensei has to step up and take her own past and everyone's future into her hands. 

The kid that plays Ayami as a child is so cute, she cries - so beware, but my god she is so cute. I think my uterus just had a fit, gave up and ran away.

And don't think I didn't notice Kuma doing a cameo as a hikikomori. Go Kuma! saved the day. He summoned some crazy gang of kamen rider style justice team. Go Kuma!

So, I have so much revision to do before my finals on Saturday, so much kanji to learn... but here I am finishing this whole damn series in two days. Its really good though. Weird as you like. 

Pretty as hell cast, unique story line, crimes of kidnapping, so many people pushed under trains, lots of hazy dreams, baffling speech that lost me completely, lonely children's orphanage memories, even a few evil nuns thrown in for god measure, the Men In Black complete with Tommy Lee, a cute little dream beast dog thing, Gackt as a mad scientist AND a flying prince, and of course Keiko's fabulous beautiful wavy lovely pretty gorgeous hair.

This drama really reminded me of Yokai Ningen Bem. It had a really similar fantasy alongside a harsh reality type feel to it. Without so much weird boy love verging on the edge of every corner. It is making me want to review Bem now. Gad damn it. 

Too much revision to do.

Let's just concentrate on Keiko's lovely hair.

Best ending ever. Absolute bastards. I knew it, I knew it! 


I'm glad I had ice cream for this. 

Daijoubu, kore yume da yo

~