Third time's a charm...I've finally managed to get past the 3rd episode of Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai (アベノ橋魔法☆商店街) and I'm glad I have. Abeshou is yet another Gainax production, and fulfils all the criteria required. It's insane, weird and actually has a plot, which may well end in a way that no one would expect (I have three episodes left to go ^^).

However, the most interesting thing about the series is the multitude of other series 'take-offs'. Even with the amount of anime I've seen and manga I've read, I can't spot all that many (and homage is being paid to movies too, such as Game of Death, in the form of a very familiar looking yellow tracksuit...). Others I remember from earlier episodes include Evangelion (no surprises here, Eva is Gainax's most famous series - the music is the most obvious similarity through much of Abeshou, and it's composed by the same person, Sagisu Shiro), Power Rangers (*shudder*), probably a bit of Gundam and a few other mecha series which I just don't recognise, various RPG situations etc... Then the 9th episode brings the main characters to a Tokimeki Memorial Abeno Shoutengai which somehow incorporates Kanon, which makes me glad I actually saw that series...heh, this dating sim take-off was pretty amusing.

And my fav. episode so far, no. 10, takes off a bunch of CLAMP stuff (amongst others). The most obvious 'send-up' is Card Captor Sakura, right down to the staff and a Kansai-ben speaking Kero-chan lookalike (the transformation sequence is distinctly Sailor Moon though...*shudders again*). Incidently, Kero-chan's seiyuu, Hisakawa Aya, voices Munemune/Imamiya Mune in Abeshou - there are others, but I haven't really bothered to identify them all ^^ . And then...from X, Subaru's star shaped kekkai makes an appearance!! I hate to admit it, given that episode 3 irritates me to no end, but I'm thoroughly enjoying much of Abeshou.