Horizon 12: Where the one scarred by swords belongs

by dm00

Right here.

Horizon on the edge of endurance

by dm00

tl;dr: You can find in a work what you go looking for.  When I wrote off Horizon on the middle of nowhere as fanservice fluff, friends suggested that there was more there.  I went looking, and was surprised at what I found.

If you’ve found your way to this blog backwater, you’ve probably seen the Blinded by the Tits project*. When I first looked at Horizon on the middle of nowhere, I made the same mistake as the titterers — I assumed that with its character designs, the series was putting its sole asset up front, that there was no substance behind those designs. Like the titterers, I didn’t even bother with a single episode of the series.

Friends, whose taste I trust, told me the series was better than that.  So I set aside my prejudices and took a look at it. This led to Horizon becoming one of my favorite series of the past few years. I’ve found subtlety and creativity in the series that I think rivals shows like Kaiba, Tatami Galaxy, and Mawaru Penguindrum.

Horizon on the Border of Gensokyou

by dm00

All she needs is a frilly blue kimono, she’s already got the butterfly motif and the pink hair.

(I hope that image shows up as an animated gif.)

If Walsingham’s first attack in episode five of Horizon on the middle of nowhere II wasn’t evidence enough of Touhou influence, in episode six Kimi, Tomo, and the refugees arrive via Yukari-express:

Horizon on the border of Gensokyou

So many kinds of fan-service (billions and billions of fandoms served). So much action (has the sakuga brigade cottoned to Horizon yet?).

As a side note, much of the…. er, “scenery” and dialogue (especially Neito’s finishing move) seemed like a cocking of the snoot at the Horizon on tits project.

Not the bimbo I mistook her for — reconsidering Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere

by dm00

It’s not just the busts of (only half, please notice) the female cast that are exaggerated.

There are a handful of series that I think make the mistake of hiding their light under a bushel of breasts. Horizon on (in?) the middle of nowhere may be one of them. If you’re like me, and find character designs with exaggerated breasts repellant, all I can tell you is that (1) only half the female cast are doomed to a life of back problems (though maybe they have microgravity control along with all the other magical tech?); and (2) you’ll probably stop noticing halfway through the first episode since there’s so much else going on.

I’d originally shrugged off Horizon as fan-servicey otaku-bait, and was prepared to leave it at that. But a few people I trust said positive things about it, so I took a look. Now, I find I’m approaching the end of a second look.

We all know stories about brilliantly intelligent women who find people don’t take them seriously because they’re too pretty to be smart. There are anime series like that, too (though Horizon isn’t to be taken too seriously).