She: The Ultimate Weapon 2

With my last review I made the point that She... didn't really grab my attention for a number of reasons, but it did perk up toward the end. Guess what? Yup, it's returned to being whiney and annoying.

Perhaps I'm just missing some fundamental point to the series, but so far the plot could have been summed up in half the episodes She... has used up so far. In episode 5, Liar, we're subjected to 10 minutes of solid crying. First living weapon Chise cries, then Shuji cries, then they both cry... well, you get the idea.

There are some interesting ideas buried under the turgid dialogue and weepy wailing of the main cast, but after two episodes I sat thoroughly bored and, to be honest, quite grumpy.

The series' only effective idea so far is the change in Chise herself. At one point, desperate to go on a date with Shuji, she disobeys a direct order, and is threatened at gunpoint by the army officials sent to collect her. In a chilling sequence, her personality changes completely, and she explains, in a softly spoken voice that is not her own, that they would all die before the bullet left the barrel.

After this moment of brilliance, she gets to her rendezvous point and starts crying again. Jesus.

She... attempts to emulate the drama of both Gunslinger Girl and Evangelion, but fails drastically because the characters are so unsympathetic. It has none of Gunslinger Girl's humanity, and none of Eva's dramatic and urgent overtones. Frankly if you want a series that's going to churn your emotional centre, either of the above would be preferable to this.

Sadly, there's more of this series to come. Now, I think that's enough to make me cry like Chise.

Extras include interviews with two of the voice cast and a production gallery.