Fefifofum's Fuwa Fuwa Anime Forum

June 2011 Anime Rankings

2011-06-13T21:17:00.003-04:00

Probably the last rankings before quite a few of these end and the Summer anime season begins. Thought I would try and find something uniquely good to say about every series this month.

#1 Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko

Gets the number one spot for having the most attractive character designs and the best OP of this season. The characters are all likeable. I would like to get more of any of them. Plus, the dialog is fun!!! FUN!!

#2 Anohana

Let's see. This is the best drama of the season. Plus, it has the best OP/ED combo of the year.

#3 Stein's Gate

Most interesting concept of the season. Plus, Okabe is the best chara of the year.

#4 Nichijou TV

Stellar laughs from the best 4-panel style anime adaptation of the season. Yoshino is the most under-utilized character of the season.

#5 Gosick

The whole Kujo running to find to Victorique is getting old and is criminally overused but this is still the best non-modern setting for a series out there.

#6 Hen Zemi

You really have to give it to the Hen Zemi characters for being so unapologetically perverted. They have really broken down their perversions to a scientific and philosophical level that would impress Sigmund Freud. Best cool with itself series of the year.

#7 Tiger & Bunny

It feels like the pace is slowing down, to its detriment. Still, I like this show for having an older style. It feels like new-retro. Best use of advertizing. Go Nex! Pespi Nex!

#8 A Channel

I can't shake the impression that the creepy teacher is just a less original/interesting/ownage version of Kimura-sensei from Azumanga Daioh. Actually, a lot of themes from this show seem to be borrowed from AD. Well, it did kind of reinvent the genre so I guess it couldn't be helped to a certain extent. I'll give this one a "show that is ripping off the best series" award for this season.

#9 The World God Only Knows II

You've got to give some credit to Katsuragi. For someone that everyone considers to be leading his life in an unfruitful manner, he remains very confident in the path he follows. This gets the award for most focused character.

#10 Tono to Issho

This is basically a single OVA that, because of the way it is formatted, was able to be cut into 3 minute episodes. Still, I'll give it the best short award, which was basically a two-horse race with the next entry.

#11 Honto ni Atta! Reibai-Sensei*

This is short episode formatted series about a teacher who's an expert in the occult. I'm totally in love with the ED, I listen to it multiple times every time I watch an episode. So catchy. Best ED award, even though it's not the standard size.

#12 Hidan no Aria

This has turned out to be a not very good series. Lots of "baka!" gets thrown around. Very standard tsundere theme. Just not very original. I'll give it some props for not going batshit crazy with the whole "superpowers awakened by perverted thoughts" thing the Kinji has. They've been restrained in that regard. It'll have to settle for the "compulsory hot miko" award(pretty much making these up by now).

#13 C

I've been watching this for a fair bit but it better be getting somewhere soon. It feels like the show doesn't even know what it is, so how are we supposed to? This gets the "most nonsensical premise" award.

#14 kaiji 2

It's getting difficult to follow this. I like the premise and the content but the slow pacing is getting unbearable, not unlike it's predecessor. This easily wins the "most narrated character's thoughts" award. There's actually more of it then there is dialogue, which worked for Death Note so maybe they're onto something.

#15 Ao no Exorcist

Series that have as little depth and quality content as this only work if they throw the plot/action at you at full speed. Instead, they choose to develop shallow characters. Way to take a page from the Naruto playbook. Massive failz. You get the "I can't stop staring at the brother's moles" award. Not the most sought-after one.

#16 Deadman Wonderland

Somehow, I'm still watching this lameness despite myself. It could have won the nonsensical premise award from earlier but instead it's getting the dual "participant" and "watched despite itself" awards. Thanks for playing.

Another month is behind us. Many of these are ending later this month so July should have a fair number of reviews. Observations for this ranking:
-The top three are pretty much in a league of their own. They are the ones (along with Gintama) that I watch as soon as they're available. The rest I just watch when I'm in the mood. I've got some non-anime reviews that I'm working on (music...and maybe gaming if I feel like it). Also, I never got around to reviewing Moshidora (which aired completely during a two-week period in May), so I'll put a short assessment of that at some point. That's it for now. Bye-Bee!~

May 2011 Anime Rankings

2011-05-06T00:27:00.003-04:00

Red Shows are trending up significantly.

Blue Shows are trending down significantly.

Green Shows have not been watched since the last ranking and are at risk of being dropped from the ranking.
*means this series is making its debut in the rankings.

#1 Anohana*(short for "Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai XP):

Childhood friends reunite to finally come to terms with the death of one of their members, which initially drove them apart.

Justification: I've been so starved of quality dramas in recent years that this one is pretty much the oasis in the desert that isn't a mirage. I'm loving it!

#2 Stein's Gate*:

A group of rejects/pseudo-scientists attempts to uncover an Internation timetravel-related conspiracy.

Justification: This season's best new character is Okabe Rintaro, a paranoid, self-described mad scientist who leads his unlikely band of followers. This guy is pure win.

#3 Gosick*:

A Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson loosely-inspired mystery series that takes place in a fictional European country in between both world wars.

Justification: My only holdover from last season, it was one of the two best shows of the winter (the other being Kore wa Zombie Desuka).

#4 Nichijou TV*(pictured above):

An anime adaptation of a 4-panel gag manga about school life. In the mold of Pani Poni Dash!

Justification: It has fared reasonably well after a homerun of a first episode. It's striking the right balance in key gag criteria such as timing and delivery. It has really great lines, as is demonstrated above. Instantly quoteable.

#5 Tiger and Bunny*:

Superheroes in a futuristic world have to deal with the realities of 24-hour news network that rank their exploits in a point system and the hardships of pleasing their corporate sponsors.

Justification: I'm loving the artstyle and setting. The heroes have an old-time feel to them. Go Origami Cyclone! lol

#6 Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko*:

A high school student moves to a new town to live in his aunt's house. There he meets his futon-wrapped cousin, who claims she is an alien.

Justification: Great characters and art style. Possibly the best character designs of the new season.

#7 Hen Zemi*:

12 minute long episodes of a college clubs for the perverted.

Justification: Pretty much the case of one or two "normal" characters who play the straight man role to the shocking behavior of everyone else in the club. Still, it's hilarious.

#8 Tono to Issho 2*:

2 minute segments of an OVA of a gag manga about the heros of Sengoku era Japan.

Justification: Pretty much more of the first season. Its way to short to be annoying. Not much of a commitment. Basically, the time-investment price is right.

#9 Hidan no Aria*:

Two students of a fictional kind of school for military/police/intelligence careers try to hunt down the individual who's been killing their classmates.

Justification: Its pretty watchable but the character's seem kind of stale. The main hero appears to have powers that get awakened when he's aroused but this mechanic has only been used in the first episode so far so it hasn't been cheaply exploited yet. Hard to get a read on this one.

#10 A Channel*:

Another adaptation of a 4-panel gag manga about high school girls.

Justification: Not feeling this one nearly as much as Nichijou. I find the jokes are more stale and predictable and they're relying on a "cute reaction" for their effect. A little bit more like K-ON!(minus the band premise), whose second season I couldn't even be bothered to watch.

#11 C*:

Wow, this one is hard to explain. Selected people have access to an alternate reality where they use money to power the attacks of their partner so they can win duels, which earns them money in the real world.

Justification: I really don't know about this one. Its just not believable in the slightest. Still, it is at least original enough to stay in the middle of the pack.

#12 Kaiji 2*:

Kaiji, after failing to win the original "game" in the first season, is sent to a secret prison camp to work off his debt. There he must use all his tricks and logic to gamble his way out of hell.

Justification: I really have a soft spot for these gambling/puzzle series(Kaiji, Akagi). I like how you can follow the logical train of thought of the characters as they work out the situations in their head. Sadly, the incredibly slow pace so far makes this pretty much unwatchable to non-fans.

#13 A0 no Exorcist*:

Orphan kid who finds out he is the son of satan decides to train as an exorcist to fight off demons.

Justification: This series suffers from slow pacing and dumbed down drama. I just hate it when the main character is surprised at everything that's happening. Unlovable idiot. Follow the Monkey D. Luffy model of being an idiot. Be dumb, but nonchalant about developments. Then you can be cool.

#14 The World God Only Know 2*:

Our VN-killer hero returns for a second season after a short winter sebatical. Katsuragi continues to use his visual novel skills to free young women of the dark souls possessing them.

Justification: I was amused during the first season but the show seems to be getting stale. I like the parts where he's using his VN knowledge to anticipate heroine reactions. However, those parts seem to be getting surrounded by more and more filler. Still ok.

#15 Deadman Wonderland*:

Guy gets falsely accused of killing his entire class and is sent to a prison theme park. There he must compete in events in order to delay the execution he has been sentenced to.

Justification: The stinker of the new season. There are probably worse ones out there, I just haven't chosen to watch those. This series had a great opening where the guy's class gets absolutely destroyed. Everything after that has been meh. I don't like any of the characters and the dialogue is stupid. I guess the setting is ok, but its not being used...or even explained. I'm predicting this will be dropped, how long from now remains to be seen.

That's it for this month. I have another series that I was gonna include (Honto ni Atta! Reibai-Sensei) but I forgot so you'll just have to wait until next month. I'll remind all of you that Gintama has started again. I won't be adding it to the rankings because it would always win and its one of those goes on forever series (a la One Piece) so I don't want to skew the rankings with it. If you're not familiar with Gintama, its the hands-down best gag anime of all time. Go watch it right now! You're so lucky, you've got over 200 episodes of unwatched glory to explore. Bastard!

Just to be clear. I've only included a blurb for each series because I'm introducing them to you. Don't expect this every month. Bye-Bee!

FuwaFuwaAnime version 2.0

2011-05-05T02:55:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone!~

After a hiatus of over 2 years, I've decided to pick up the pen again, figuratively speaking. I won't be attempting to cover all the anime that has happened in the last 2+ years, as that would just discourage me immediately and I would probably give up as soon as I started. Besides, I wasn't that reliable at covering all the anime that was happening even when I was active. I know myself well enough to know I won't achieve reasonably ambitious goals, let alone incredibly daunting ones. I may choose to review some material of the past, at my fancy. However, I'd like to stress that this is a fresh start.

For the record, this blog officially died 2 years ago. It's over. I considered starting a new one entirely but ultimately chose against that, purely for convenience sake. Besides, I will still be convering fansubbed anime so there's no reason to not take advantage of this already existent foundation. However, I will be giving version 2.0 a more general theme. It will also serve as my personal opinion blog. My views on music, films, books, television, video games and just about anything will be posted here. Still, I don't consider myself as much of an expert on those things so the main focus will remain anime. The monthly anime rankings will also be making a return! I'm especially excited to start that later today as I've been diligently following a considerable amount of the new spring season series. It's gonna be the bomb!~

Here's to hoping we have yet to see the best from this blog. Let's build this mother fucker to the moon!! Bye-Bee!~

More reviews!

2009-01-04T23:09:00.002-05:00

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki: While I complained about this show being annoying because it was trying to be wacky, crazy and creative, I think what annoyed me most KKN what the sappiness. While the setting and characters were pretty good and the writing had its moments, the sappy moments burdened too large a chunk of the demographic. Namely the not-clinically-retarded/not-Michael-Jackson demographic. I can't imagine a bunch of anime writers/producers spending their evenings hammering out the screenplay for the next episode and feeling that the sappy lines were pleasing to them. They probably just thought, "I hate this line but kids will probably like it". Next time, make an effort dipshits.
4.5/10

Allison to Lillia: A real treat! A series that goes against conventional trends in storyline, settings and animation style. Simple and wholesome, yet challenging and entertaining. The complete opposite of Kyouran Kazoku Nikki, which was complicated yet as challenging as blowing your nose, unless you're Michael Jackson. It's probably very challenging for him to blow his nose, or what's left of it. Can't really say he's not to blame for that problem though.
9.2/10

In case you're asking yourself "why the Michael Jackson references?", the answer is: I'm lazy.

Itazura na kiss: An odd one for sure. It starts out as such an overused stereotype. Dumb,average girl falls for perfect guy except that he's a jerk to her and everyone. Somehow, girl moves into his house. More conflict ensues. Girl wins over guy with GUTS!!! Pretty conventional right? But it doesn't stop there. They get married while going through college. They enter the jobforce together. Eventually they have a child. The series just never quit. It goes over years and years. Despite its best efforts to break some somewhat new ground, this is still a pretty boring romance series. I watched it through because I can tolerate pretty lame productions of the genre. It must be my achille's heel. Still, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
5.5/10

Natsume Yuujinchou: I was initially hoping this would become a Mushishi-esque production. It didn't close. Still, I would still call this series a success. It has a good mix of supernatural elements and storytelling, like Mushishi. It just feels a tad dumbed-down and more conventional. All that being said, its still way above-average fare. Check it out.
8.5/10

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: Closet-otaku perfect girl falls for ordinary, yet kind guy, when he discovers her secret anime obsession. Pretty regular high school romance/harem fare. It's a winner though because the character designs are to die for. Haruka is a totally adorable yet hot babe. Definitely in the top 3 character designs of the year.
8.0/10

I've got the rest of the spring reviews and some fall reviews still to do but they'll have to wait until next time. Bye-bee!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T22:52:00.003-05:00

For two years now I've held a groundless position that 2009 would be the money year, whatever that means. Now that we're here, I find myself...doubting?...no that's not it. I guess I just never knew what I meant by that, "the money year". I'm quasi-certain it doesn't mean I'm going to somehow fall into money. In fact, if I had to guess, I would predict that I will be WORSE off financially by the end of 2009. I guess I just meant that it would be a noteworthy year in my life because I expect (or at least hope) that some serious changes will lift me from my worryingly stagnant lifestyle. I feel I've fallen into a routine that falls way below of what I expect of me. I feel that if I don't start dancing now, I may never attain what I truly desire. And like the sheepman says in Murakami's "Dance Dance Dance":

"Dance, you gotta dance. As long as the music plays, you gotta dance. Don't even think why. Start to think, your feet stop. Your feet stop, we get stuck. We get stuck, we're restuck. So don't pay any mind, no matter how dumb. You gotta keep the step. You gotta limber up. You got to loosen what you bolted down. You gotta use all you got. We know you're tired, tired and scared. Happens to everyone, okay? Just don't let your feet stop. Dancing is everything. Dance in tiptop form. Dance so it all keeps spinning. You gotta dance. As long as the music plays"

A motivating cry to move if I ever heard one! Happy 2009 everyone.

I'm alive and so is this blog! (for now at least) - Review Session

2008-12-06T23:28:00.002-05:00

Well, I guess it's safe to say I couldn't be bothered to do some posting for the last 3 months. That's all you're getting in the way of an explanation. Ok, I'll also add that the hockey season has been taking up some of my time as I've been blogging about hockey a lot on another website. Go Habs Go!!

xxxholic kei: More of the same in terms of content. The returning characters make it pretty important that you've seen the first season. The ending was conclusive but not necessarily fulfilling. Still, pretty interesting as a whole.
8.2/10

To Love-Ru: Really nice character designs save this from being unwatchable. Rito has the love of the two main girls and he has a crush on ONE of them but it somehow still remains a love triangle through the whole series. Still Haruna is the hottest character of the season!
6.0/10

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: I have to admit that I wasn't as enamored with this as most of my anime brethren. The execution was near flawless but the core remained a humanity vs. alien and humans can win against all odds with GUTS!!! Think of a perfectly executed, nicely animated version of the Power Rangers. Thats Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, especially in the second half. Actually, the series starts off like a masterpiece but after Kariya dies, the series never reaches the same level again. Still worth a watch though because for better or for worse, its the most significant anime series in the last 3 years in terms cult appeal and you'll feel left in the dark with all the parodies, references and comparisons you're sure to see in the future.
8.2/10

Code Geass R2: Absolute masterpiece. If you haven't seen the first season, don't you dare start watching this until you do. Actually, even if you HAVE seen the first season, watch it again before you watch the second. The combination is the best anime series since Mushishi. The ending was predictable, I actually had it figured out for weeks before it aired. It was the only way Lelouch could be redeemed in the eyes of his sister and the viewers. In the end, he was able to remain the hero of the series. I've made some Code Geass comparisons to Death Note in the past, mostly because of the similarity between the protaganists, Yagami Light and Lelouch. Both use a keen intellect and an unshakable sense of justice and lets them determine their actions. They both accept the fallout of their actions as their price to pay for the ability to make a difference. Both are giving a supernatural power to help them create their revolution. The allure of their demise reflects their main difference. Light kept furthering his plans until he was defeated, an eventuality without a doubt. His plans never had a scheduled ending. He was going to continue indefinitely. Lelouch, on the other hand, made his plan, ended it with his own sacrifice and could take honor in his accomplishement. He had one thing Light did not have: attachement to a person. Light used his father to further his plans. He cared for nobody. Lelouch's more selfish but less egotistic motives of improvement to his sister's future helped him set more definite goals. Anyways, I have debated LOTS of aspects code geass so I could go on forever but I'll stop because these are supposed to be abbrieviated reviews. I have some soft criticisms of Code Geass too, and you'll probably hear about them if you spend enough time with me but I'll leave them for now because they are, for the most part artistic choices and should in no way discourage you from watching this.Even if you're a casual anime viewer, you're making a grave mistake by not following Code Geass.
9.8/10

More reviews to come but for now I'm worn out.

Monthly Anime Ranking - August '08

2008-08-27T21:41:00.002-04:00

1. Code Geass R2
2. Allison to Lillia
3. Natsume Yuujinchou*
4. Macross Frontier
5. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu*
6. Sekirei*
7. Soul Eater
8. Golgo 13
9. Itazura Na Kiss
10. Kyoran Kazoku Nikki
11. To Love-ru
12. Koihime Musou*

Graduations:

-xxxHolic Kei (Review Coming Soon)

Stalled projects:

-Wagaya no Oinari-sama
-Nabari no Ou
-Vampire Knight
-Real Drive

I've started a stalled section for series that have been inactive for two months. I see myself dropping 2 and picking up 2 of them sometime in the future. For now however, they're sitting in limbo. I've added 4 new series this month so let's get straight to them.

Natsume Yuujinchou: Really nice series about a high school student who can see spirits. Reminds me a bit of Mushishi but on a lower level and not as serious or epic. I would like to see a bit more of a continuous plotline since its been mostly episodic stories so far. Still Natsume remains a very well-produced and entertaining series, the best of the summer series so far.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: A cute story about an accomplished female student who befriends a male student who knows her double identity as a closet anime fan. The show is a very tame introduction into otaku culture with visits to Akihabara district and Comiket. The character designs are really nice too, especially Haruka.

Sekirei: A pretty decent harem/magical-girl series. The genre is limited in its appeal and the concept is not very original. The male lead is your typical ordinary, bordering on pathetic, student who somehow becomes the "master" of an impressive group of female "sekirei". Aside from that the story moves along quite nicely and the character designs are simply AWESOME. I would watch it for the character designs alone.

Koihime Musou: A crappy version of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms with a full female recast based on a Japanese game. For some reason, there is no Liu Bei. I wouldn't be surprised if I don't watch another episode of this ever again.

Code Geass R2: Code Geass is at its best right now, preparing us for the season (and it looking like the series) finale. Important characters are dying left and right, plot twists and developments are numerous every episode and always ending on a cliffhanger. If you can only watch one show right now, make it Code Geass. If you can watch two, watch it twice.

Macross Frontier: Frontier has been labouring a bit these last few weeks. The pace has been a bit stagnant, some more unlikeable characters have taken some prominence and some of the main characters have been less featured. I feel that the series probably turned a corner during the last episode and I expect it to get back on track as we approach the ending.

I'm sorry I've been a bit distant these last few weeks but its the summer so get a life. I've been picking up some extra shifts at work and as you all know, this blog is always the first thing to go when I'm shorter on time, waaaaay before I stop watching anime. I'll try doing the xxxholic review in the near future. If you're waiting for my review to make up your mind on whether you are going to watch it, go ahead and watch it. It's a good series.

Monthly Anime Ranking - July '08

2008-07-24T00:07:00.002-04:00

1. Code Geass R2
2. Macross Frontier
3. Allison to Lillia
4. xxxHOLIC kei
5. Soul Eater
6. Real Drive
7. Golgo 13
8. Wagaya no Oinari-sama
9. Nabari no Ou
10. Vampire Knight
11. To Love-Ru
12. Kyoran Kazoku Nikki
13. Itazura na Kiss

Graduations:
-Kurenai (9.0/10)
-Library Wars (7.3/10)
-Kanokon (8.4/10)

The first thing that becomes noticeable is that a number of series haven't been updated. All of these are affected by the fact that the fansub group I was following have not released any recent episodes. To be fair, I could have easily switched to another group but the fact that they aren't that great of shows didn't make it urgent. I would say these shows are at a crossroads for both the viewer and the fansub groups that initially starting subbing them. Most probably many groups will drop some of these projects but they each have enough appeal for them to be picked up by another one. For myself, I probably will stop watching themfor a while and most likely stop watching a couple and start watching a couple again. For now, I'll just let them sit in the rankings since I haven't made up my mind yet.

Allison to Lillia keeps impressing me with how enjoyable it is to watch. The series is at a halfway point, switching from Allison and Wilhelm to her daughter Lillia and some guy called Treize (french for thirteen by the way, so it's a pretty crappy name). It'll be interesting to see if the cast change is smooth enough to keep me interested. I'm guessing it will be. Allison to Lillia has an old-school feel to it that has disappeared in recent years. It's definitely refreshing to get a wholesome yet challenging show.

Soul Eater is the biggest loser this week, mostly because I haven't watched a lot of the lesser shows and the other better shows are doing well. Soul Eater had some filler-like episodes (i.e. Excalicur) and that's why it's in the red. It's still an entertaining show and I have no doubts it will rebound fairly quickly.

Other Observations:
-For some reason, I'm enjoying Golgo 13 despite (or maybe because of) its lame macho-ness. I guess that kind of show is ok in low doses.

-Macross has been great, but things are getting a little crazy in terms of plot development so we'll soon see if it lands on it's feet. All signs say it will.

See you next month when we add some new shows to the rankings. Bye-bee!

Kanokon - Completed Review

2008-07-23T23:11:00.003-04:00

What is it?

Two spirit girls have the hots for the most average boy in the world.

What's good about it?

Really attractive character designs. I mentionned there are two girls but really, this show is all about Chizuru. The whole show is her endless quest to get into Kouta's pants with various people conveniently (or inconveniently) getting in their (really her) way. She's hot and she uses a lot of creative and funny come-ons.

What's bad about it?

This isn't really deep at all. It's a shamelessly fanservice-oriented series. Story and plot are non-existant and the character development is not that rewarding anyways. And I don't find it cool when she merges into Kouta to become an all-powerful form. Kouta is not cool and giving him ears and superpowers can't possibly fix that. Oh, and using fox spirits is about as original as doing a butler show.

Final Verdict

I honestly really enjoyed Kanokon. I fell for Chizuru despite the fact she was aiming for a pathetically helpless stunt-growth. The show was not deep but it wasn't putting on airs either. As long as it doesn't try to do more than it should and keeps me entertained, I can live with (and actually enjoy) lighter fare. I probably won't watch this again, but then again, I rarely rewatch series. The true test is answering if I would watch a sequel, and in this case, I pretty sure I would.

8.4/10

FYI- I'll probably do something else tonight but here's what's on tap:

-July anime rankings

I'll also start a new feature for reviewing ongoing shows that I have no idea when they will ever end. I will provide you with snapshots of a few good series that I can't review because they just won't end. I'm actually considering reviewing their individual arcs as they progress. This will apply to really old shows like One Piece and Bleach, and more recent ones like Gintama and d. gray-man.

Library Wars - Completed Review

2008-07-13T01:36:00.003-04:00

What is it?

The Japanese Government has passed censorship laws giving the power to a conservative arm to make library inspections and decide what books are suitable to the public. After a library's staff is massacred by a right-wing group, a new law is passed giving libraries the authority to arm themselves. Kasahara is an idealist and enthusiastic new recruit to the library Corps' armed division and she hopes to defend her ideals and find her childhood hero.

What's good about it?

Entertaining plot. Good action. A decent mix of unique characters.

What's bad about it?

While the setting makes for entertaining drama, I just couldn't buy into the it because it was too implausible. The logic just wasn't there. I just can't see where the public support for the bad guys(Media Enhancement Commitee) is coming from. The story informs us that even the MEC's soldiers are really just hired guns who don't really care about the ideals of the group, yet the Library Corps are constantly being attacked by the public and the media for not giving into them. The library Corps are basically defending free speech, yet they are usually blamed for the attacks on the libraries. I just don't understand why the public are so wishy-washy on such an obvious choice of policy. I also can't conceive of any government who's solution to censorship concerns is to allow two independent groups to wage battles against each other in the middle of their cities. That's endorsing a policy that's barely an improvement on mob rule.

Final Verdict

Besides the setting, library wars is a pretty entertaining series. The dialogue is a little weak at times, but the story moves fast enough and there's a decent amount of action. I just can't overload the implausibility of the whole situation however, and for that the rating must suffer. This is playing itself as a pseudo-realistic drama, so I have to be able to understand the reasoning behind things.

7.3/10

FYI- I should have my Kanokon review and my July anime ranking up within the week. I'm still working on my summer pickups but I've got some additions I can confirm as of now:

-Mugen no Juunin
-School rumble third term
-Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu
-Natsume Yuujinchou
-Sekirei

and possibly:

-Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo
-World Destruction
-Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora
-Koihime Musou

It's actually shaping up as a potentially great summer lineup, which would be welcome after a sub-par spring. (I'm especially giddy in anticipation of the new school rumble season. Yakumo!) In fact, if there are a lot of interesting series coming out, I may consider dropping some of the lesser spring ones I've been covering up until now. More details to follow. That's all for now. Bye-bee!

RANDOM PIC

2008-07-09T14:44:00.001-04:00

Can you guess where this is from?

Kurenai - Completed Review

2008-06-25T22:41:00.003-04:00

What is it?

Kurenai Shinkuro is a high school student who works as a part-time mediator. In most cases, this involves him resolving issues by physical means. One day, his boss puts a 7 year old girl in his care. The girl, Kuhouin Murasaki, has led a sheltered life and must adjust to living a more modest lifestyle, an opportunity she soon relishes. While she discovers the joys of everyday life, their life together is threatened by the Kuhouin family, for Murasaki is the key to a dark secret of her family, going back generations.

What's good about it?

Great setting and story. Awesome animation with good action scenes. Character designs are voice acting are appropriate and likeable. The dialogue and episode themes are, for the most part, creative and entertaining, especially when it concerns Murasaki, Shinkuro and his roommates. The better character development also involves these characters.

What's bad about it?

Shinkuro falls into the most-used mold of the indecisive and naive hero. Until the last few episodes, he suffers from self-esteem issues and must often get a confidence boost from those around him, like his boss, Benika. The producers may have been a little too eager to demonstrate the depth of their versatility. You get an musical episode, some slice of life drama, some modern social observational discourse, some science-fiction abilities and some martial arts fighting. While most of it is very well done, I can't help but feel the series would have profited from more plot focus, especially since there are only 12 episodes and the initial theme and setting promised a more compelling series. I also wasn't satisfied with the ending. The outcome and dialogue at the end seems irrational and unauthentic.

Final Verdict

Despite its irksome shortcoming, Kurenai remains a hit that was one of the most entertaining and worthy series of the spring anime season. Plot development was thin until the end, with the first three quarters of the series focusing on character development. Since it was equally interesting however, the effect of the lack of pacing is diminished. Kurenai makes a lot of its shortcomings seem lesser by producing worthy alternatives. You can't make a bad series if your mistakes are still above-average.

9.0/10

FYI- The summer season is starting in the next few weeks with some new series debuting, most exciting of which is the third installement of School Rumble!, one of my all-time favorites. If you haven't watched the previous two seasons of School Rumble, nows a perfect time to make yourself familiar with the series before the third season starts. You won't regret it!

I've also got the review for Library Wars and the July anime ranking coming in the next few weeks.

Bye-bee!

Monthly Anime Ranking - June '08

2008-06-08T21:22:00.002-04:00

1. Code Geass R2
2. Macross Frontier*
3. Soul Eater
4. xxxHOLIC kei
5. Allison to Lillia
6. Kurenai
7. Real Drive
8. Wagaya no Oinari-sama
9. Kanokon
10. Nabari no Ou
11. Library Wars
12. Vampire Knight
13. Golgo 13*
14. Kyoran Kazoku Nikki
15. To Love-Ru
16. Itazura na Kiss

A couple of new additions this month:
Macross Frontier: Awesome. To be honest, I only loosely watched previous macross series but this one is the revelation of the season for me. Good mix of mecha fights and love triangle coupled with great character development and story setting. Yoko Kanno returns to supply us with another must-have anime soundtrack, much of which figures prominently in the actual plot. This is the model Gundam series should be trying to follow.

Golgo 13: Golgo 13 is an assassin who always gets his man. I would swear he was a robot if not for his apparent need to create needlessly complicated plots at times to drive the investigators mad. Character development is non-existent since Golgo 13 never says anything unnecessary or emotional (he doesn't have emotions). So much so that we usually see the story from the point of view of the client or target, since they at least can usually considered human. This show is one of those "man who is impressed by how manly another man is" and should be avoided if you can't see the humor in how over-the-top it is.

Since I can't say any series has noticeably improved since last month, I'm withholding the biggest winner award. Most shows at the top of the list have held steady this week while those in the bottom half have mostly worsened, which is to be expected after the novelty of the first few episodes wears off.

Kurenai and Kyouran Kazoku Nikki are my biggest losers for this month. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki, which started off decent enough, has become plain irritating. It's trying to be crazy and creative and wacky but the episodes are very similar and it's not funny. At all.

Kurenai is still a very good show but it just can't seem to meet it's potential. What started off as a dark fighting/slice-of-life series became a light hearted slice-of-life series until recently. Though it still gets high marks for creativity, especially for an ambitious musical episode, I can't help but feel the series is underachieving. Some of that is probably because I don't like how pathetic Shintarou can be at time. He suffers from bouts of depression and self-doubt fairly regularly. There are signs in the last few episodes that that trend may be changing. I hope so because I still really enjoy this series and still think it can develop into something great. All the pieces are there.

Here are other observations for the month:
-After a grandiose and successful opening arc, I was fairly certain Allison to Lillia would suffer a letdown in the following arc. However, Allison held steady with a decent effort in the second arc and I expect a similarly good arc to follow it.

-Library Wars appears to be missing some direction. The initial setting was intriguing enough but library wars seems undecided on where it wants to take it plot-wise. It needs to make a move because character interactions are stagnating and repeating themselves.

That's all for now. I don't really have any reviews on deck so I might not post anything till next month. Maybe I'll write a retro review for something next week. Enjoy your summer ~Mina!~ Bye-bee!

Baccano! - Completed Review

2008-06-04T21:07:00.003-04:00

What is it?

A hodgepodge of inter-connecting events and characters weave a tale that mostly spans the years 1930 to 1932 in depression era Chicago. The story mixes fantastic elements like immortality and folk legends with the historical setting of mafia families during the prohibition.

What's good about it?

Baccano! gets an "A" for effort. The first episode delivers some of the ending elements from the start and the story begins to be told mostly in order from there. Still, during the whole series the story shift between events spanning the three years during which the story takes place. I love this kind of creative mapping. The ensemble cast of characters is quite diverse and interesting. The story and setting are great. Great soundtrack.

What's bad about it?

Short at thirteen episodes, a lot of the characters are vastly underdevelopped. The story begins without much explanation which leads to confusion at the start.

Final Verdict

During the opening credits we are reminded of the names of the cast which goes a decent way towards adjusting to the starting pace. After the first few episodes, the pace does slow down to a more conventional pace though this isn't as obvious due to the continuous event shifting. All that being said, Baccano! still gets high marks for creativity and entertainment value. I'm certainly glad I ended up seeing this because there was so little buzz about this series which is quite odd for such a unique product.

9.1/10

FYI- Expect the June anime ranking in the coming week. I've picked up a couple of more shows so look forward to my first impressions on those. They are:

-Macross Frontier

-Golgo 13

Bamboo Blade - Completed Review

2008-05-28T18:45:00.002-04:00

What is it?

A high school kendo club, inspired by the arrival of a talented freshman, aims at tournament glory. This is one of those typical "let's sweat our youth away together in a sports club" themed series.

What's good about it?

Good characters and character designs. Well-plotted with good pacing. Animation is above-average. All in all a good production.

What's bad about it?

The whole series was a little too vanilla for me. The jokes were nothing much, the problems they faced were either not that impressive or never really amounted to anything important and the subject matter as a whole didn't really push the enveloppe in terms of intellectual content. By the first couple episodes I was already sick of the whole "DAN-KUN!!" and "MIYA-MIYA!!" thing.

Final Verdict

All the cute characters and decent entertainment value probably won't stop me from forgetting about Bamboo Blade a few years from now. It just doesn't have any really strong points to focus on. Despite that, Bamboo Blade remains a good watch and a decent all-around series.

7.9/10

Monthly Anime Ranking - May '08

2008-05-10T23:24:00.002-04:00

1. Code Geass R2
2. Kurenai
3. Soul Eater
4. xxxHOLIC kei
5. Allison to Lillia
6. Real Drive
7. Kanokon
8. Library Wars
9. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki
10. Nabari no Ou
11. Wagaya no Oinari-sama
12. Vampire Knight
13. To Love-Ru
14. Itazura na Kiss

The purpose of the monthly rankings is more to denote trends in terms of quality during the life of a series. It won't necessarily reflect the rating of the completed review. Some shows start or end strongly but I try and look at it as a whole when making the completed review. The monthly review will reflect how the series is faring at the moment. I'll name a biggest winner and biggest loser for the month. This will be determined by my opinion and not necessarily in the number of ranking spots changes. Lastly, I'll make observations about how trends are developing in some series.

FYI- If I have failed to see any(or not enough) episodes for a series since the last month - be it because of a failure to release episodes by fansubbing group or a personal choice on my part- the series will be highlighted in green and it will not change in ranking opinion for that month (it may be passed or pass another in ranking position if I determined a series I did watch has surpassed it during that month or vice versa).

First Impressions - Spring Anime Season (Part 2)

2008-05-09T20:16:00.002-04:00

I'm very proud of myself. I've watched at least 3 episodes of every single show on my spring anime list. I usually fall quite short of that. I'll put it down to good show scouting on my part. Oh, and since I'll be premiering my monthly anime ranking soon, I won't bother writing these in any particular order.

Vampire Knight: Vampires and humans attend the same school(unknowingly for the humans), though at different times of the day, in an experiment of unity between the two groups. Anyways, at lot of vampire stuff happens with a bunch of vampire related flashbacks and intrigue surrounding, you guessed it, the vampires!
Early Impressions: Not very entertaining(as of yet) angst-filled vampire tale.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki: A newly-formed family that includes, among others- a lion, a cyborg, an octopus, a god and an effeminate yakuza- attempt at living a normal family life together. Over-the-top in both story setting and pacing, KKN is shaping up as a good comedy.
Early Impressions: Crazy cast of characters try being normal. Ok so far.

Allison to Lillia: A great action/adventure series starring a pair of childhood friends. One being a rash, decisive pilot and the other being a talented student with a thirst for knowledge. So far it's been a fast paced ride with an old school type production. Good character development too.
Early Impressions: A strong adventure series.

Kurenai: A high school student/professional mediator is given the task of guarding a little girl who was previously leading a sheltered life in a wealthy family. This is probably one of the strongest series of the new season. It has a great setting with interesting and likeable characters. There's also some great action scenes spread in there.
Early Impressions: Great start to a potentially great show.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama: A carefree guardian spirit (a fox spirit again!?!!) to two young brothers protects them from spirits who wish to eat them. A lot of the comedy is that the fox (and the priestess also protecting them) are unfamiliar with regular modern life (the fox having the excuse of having been sealed away for many years). Elemental-themed battles versus spirits take place every episode. Not the strongest series so far. Characters are kind of dull so far.
Early Impressions: An average fantasy/comedy/slice of life show.

Soul eater: A fun series about Death God's minions, who are trying to catch souls in order to become his weapon. The characters are diverse and funny. The artwork is strange and intriguing. The fighting is entertaining and creative. One of the stronger efforts so far.
Early Impressions: An amusing fighting-comedy type series.

Real Drive: A futuristic setting where people use their consciousness to dive into the virtual world. The story is interesting but the pacing is a little slow. The characters are likeable but simplistic. This series reminds me a bit of Ghost in the Shell in that it should be great but is tiresome to watch at times.
Early Impressions: Good futuristic/fantasy show with pacing issues.

Library Wars: Libraries have armed themselves in an effort to fight the risen tide of government and private censorship efforts. Good characters with heavy development. Really more of an urban military type setting then of a librarians with guns versus terrorists type (I wish!). Slow pacing at times. Repetitive plotlines hurt. For example, the main character is taken lightly and force to prove herself and be recognized, only to be taken lightly again the next week and forced to prove herself all over again.
Early Impressions: Decent military/action type series.

Nabari No Ou: A modern-day ninja series revolving around a boy carrying a special power sought after by the big bad ninja clan. The good guy ninjas swarm around him and try to protect him and free him from his fate. The early great comedic success by the main character totally disappears after the first few episodes when the plot turned suddenly more serious. Its hard to say if that's temporary or not. It could go a long way in my enjoyement since I'm so sick of ninjas(samurai are cooler!).
Early Impressions: More ninja fighting.

Well that's it! Man I'm bushed. I feel like the quality of my writing really took a nosedive after the first few reviews but I'm too tired to care about that now. I'll write up the rankings tomorrow.

They Are My Noble Masters - Completed Review

2008-05-07T22:59:00.003-04:00

What is it?

Incredibly, it's ANOTHER butler themed anime. This time with a brother-sister duo serving a group of 3 "noble" sisters.

What's good about it?

Some really nice character designs. (I've noticed I start a lot of reviews with character designs. It may not seem that important but in these types of shows, that is the harem-comedy genre, a lot of the draw and the comedic impact depends on how likeable the characters are, and the designs have a sizeable impact on that. In fact, I believe I would have been less annoyed with the pink-haired sister(the only one I didn't like) if her design wasn't so lame and unoriginal. Anyways, I digress.) Decent character development for a 13 episode show with more than 13 characters.

What's bad about it?

Besides the amazingly over-used butler theme and the annoyingly long title, TAMNM (forced to anagram) doesn't have many glaring weaknesses. The flipside however, is that it has almost nothing original or creative to offer.

Final Verdict

If your not a hardcore student of anime like myself who feels he has to see most significant series that comes out, you can go without seeing They Are My Noble Masters. It is an ok series with little originality in both concept and material. If you really like the specific genre, that being the butler themed series(there must be some fans since they make so many of them), it might be worth your time.

7.4/10

Clannad - Completed Review

2008-05-07T00:38:00.004-04:00

What is it?

A bitter delinquent with a heart of gold decides to put his entire energy into building up a complete stranger's dream, the theater club, and along the way they are constantly distracted by other strangers in need and stop everything to help these newcomers. After their "arc" is completed, that person throws their lot in with the theatre club's efforts.

What's good about it?

High production values coupled with, at times, witty dialogue and funny comic gags. Secondary characters offer a strong showing.

What's bad about it?

I don't care at all for the character designs. The plot is incredibly formulaic and the outcomes are quite predictable. The comedy bits are winners, but the series remains a drama at heart and those parts can be excrutiating. The attempts at romance were so pitiful it was laughable. The two main characters only start going out in the very last episode and they blush and freeze up at the thought of holding hands or even calling their boyfriend/girlfriend by their first name. Grow a spine. No one is like that these days (or have ever been like that).

Final Verdict

Alas, the parents of the main female character can't save this series (I loved the bit about the mother's breadmaking skills) because like the other successful characters, they only have side-roles unlike their daughter who is quasi-unbearably lame. That is more proof of the show failure at drama than of miscasting. Characters unattached to the plot are more likely to be there for comic support, which is where the show does ok. The main characters are forced to get serious to advance the storyline, which leads you to want to strangle them. (It's ok to feel that way). There are better series out there. Don't bother with this one.

7.3/10

FYI- Here's what on tap for the rest of the week:

They are my noble masters! - Completed review

Bamboo Blade - Completed Review

First Impressions - Spring anime Season (Part 2)

Monthly anime ranking - May 2008 *(new segment)

I hope to have at least 3/4 of those done by next week. Stay tuned.

First Impressions - Spring Anime Season (part 1)

2008-04-23T15:34:00.003-04:00

It's been a week and I've started watching a handful of the spring season lineup additions. Keep in mind that my computer has had a meltdown and my backup is an older model that can't play files encoded with the H264 codec. To put that in layman's terms, shows that are being released strictly in HD will not be reviewed (or watched) for an indefinite period. Now moving on, let's jump right into the early impressions (which is all these are so let's not read too much into them).

Code Geass: ...wow! Easily the best show of the season. I'll eat my hat if this ends up not being the best show of the year (and I love my hat!). I can't remember ever anticipating the next episode of a series week after week like I do with Geass. I'll leave all the spoilers for the formal review in the fall but I'll say that Geass does a fabulous job reconciling the incredibly high-tension cliffhanger ending of last season and starting off the new season at a fabulous pace. The adjustment is done very cleverly using flashbacks to fill in the gaps left over from last season without slowing down the action. The Code Geass franchise is shaping itself up as the series of the decade and if there's only one series you can watch, make it this one!
Early Impressions: GOD STATUS

xxxHOLIC kei: A decent start to a very good show. I just noticed I've never written a formal review of the original xxxHOLIC so I'll give you a quick impression of that since this season is shaping up very similarly. Holic is an entertaining show with nice characters and good stories but with very little to no character development and plot development. After a mystery is solved or a curse is removed, the characters come back the next week and take on their next challenge. We don't learn a lot about the characters and many plot lines go undeveloped like romantic interests or supernatural abilities. xxxHOLIC is a great show that is unwilling to take risks to elevate its product, a common flaw in CLAMP works.
Early Impressions: Great but flawed and unambitious.

Kanokon: A surprisingly good harem that is unapologetic about it's genre. Kanokon features insanely over-the-top amounts of ecchi and fan service. In fact, it's practically all that happens. The character design for our lead female is attrative and fresh. Add in a dash of funny material like the thoughrougly abused onii-chan, the Yuki Nagato-like(from Haruhi Suzumiya) rival character's deadpan deliveries and the classroom comments from the sideline cast and you've got an enjoyable show.
Early Impressions: Rare decent harem series.

To Love-Ru: A definitely lesser ecchi series. It feels like the material is more recycled, the character designs are a knotch lower and the comedy attempts are more hit and miss. To love-ru will need to go more outrageous and do less switching between funny and heartfelt moments.
Early Impressions: A more common, lesser example of the harem/ecchi genre.

Itazura na Kiss: This kind of series irritates me to no end. Girl confesses to jerk-guy. Jerk rejects her. Girl forced to move in with jerk's family. Girl doesn't give up on jerk and uses extorsion, confrontation and tenacity in an attempt to bag the guy. Sound like fun?
This is a romantic comedy that is unfunny with two unlikeable characters. The animation and character designs reek of low-budget and the setting is the furthest from unique. I will probably struggle to make it through this series if I do at all.
Early Impressions: Bad romantic comedy.

I've only watched the first 3 episodes of these series so my judgement is reserved only to them. That's it for now. I'll watch some more and get back to you with more early impressions and reviews for Clannad and Bamboo Blade in the coming weeks. Bye-bee!

~Early~ Spring Anime Season lineup

2008-04-16T23:46:00.003-04:00

This is an early list that is likely to be significantly altered once all the series have begun and have been picked up by fansubbing groups.

-Code Geass R2
-xxxHOLIC kei
-Vampire Knight
-Kyouran Kazoku Nikki???(The only reason I'm considering it is because it has been picked up by the excellent joint fansub group SS-Eclipse)
-To Love-Ru(same reason but picked up by moetaku which did a great job on True Tears
-Allison to Lillia
-Itazura na Kiss
-Kurenai
-Wagaya no Oinari-sama
-Soul Eater
-Real Drive
-Library Wars
-Kanokon

A lot of these are liable to be dropped for personal reasons (i.e. they suck or are boring me or both) or for production reasons (i.e. no fansub group is releasing it to my satisfaction) or logistic issues (i.e. I have too much on my plate).

I'm hoping my premature feelings are wrong since I haven't watched any of these yet but so far the number of good series this season seems to be alarmingly on the low side. I'm hoping there are quite a few pleasant surprises here and that my ominous impressions are unfounded. If they are bad though, you can expect funny, insulting reviews that are sure to entertain you even if the series don't.

Gundam 00 (Season 1)- Completed Review

2008-04-16T23:08:00.004-04:00

What is it?

Come on, you're kidding right? This is a Gundam series.

What's good about it?

Epic storytelling involving the whole world. Big cast of characters. Above-par gundam mecha designs. Well animated. Exciting battle scenes.

What's bad about it?

A lot of the story seems unnecessary and most of the major plot turns happen in the first handful episodes. Some characters (I'm talking about you, Saji and Louise) contribute nothing to the series except context as ordinary people and others are barely developed and if they happen to die, there is no real feeling of impact because of their blandness. When comparing it to the last Gundam series (Seed [Destiny]), the story seems less enthralling and the characters less likeable or memorable. I've just finished watching 00, yet I'm sure I can name more Seed characters off the top of my head.

Final Verdict

I always seem to find Gundam series are bad, yet I continue to watch them, year after year. Even against the gundam standard however, Gundam 00 is not very good. I believe that a major problem is that the focus is more on organisations then the individuals. Despite everything, the series ended on a strong note and there is hope for the second season. Still, I wouldn't go so far as to recommend it. Gundam is a niche series anyways so those likely to watch it aren't going to let this review sway them from watching it. Since it's been split into two seasons, the jury is still out on this one but it's so far shaping up as a forgettable gundam series, which is unfortunate since they certainly are due for a good one.

7.3/10

FYI- I'm sick of writing reviews for the moment so you'll have to wait a week for my Bamboo Blade review.

Hayate no Gotoku! - Completed Review

2008-04-16T17:15:00.003-04:00

What is it?

Comedy about a teenage boy who works off a ridiculous debt left to him by his parents by working as a butler for an even more ridiculously wealthy little girl.

What's good about it?

Great comedy packed full of diverse and likeable characters. Many episodes revolve around creative themes and settings. Packed full of clever references to other anime, manga and other copyrighted material. Makes a point of shamelessly providing service shots to fans. Light fare without many continuous plot stories.

What's bad about it?

Nothing really. It's 52 episodes long - absurdly long for solid, thin-plotted successful comedy- so it's understandable that some of the jokes and character reactions get somewhat predictable and repetitive but for the most part Hayate rises above that trap. Admittedly, some weeks were slower and less creative than others, which is always the challenge when your stories are episodic in length and you don't really follow a continuous plot.

Final Verdict

The butler/maid setting has been used to a ridiculously obsurd degree in comedies in the last few years. However, I only hold that against series which are bad. If you're going to make a bad comedy, at least make it different so as to at least have novelty on your side. Hayate no Gotoku! was one of the most-watched series of 2007 and with that success will undoubtably come a whole new slew of maid/butler series in the coming anime seasons. However, I won't hold that against it because Hayate is a funny, accessible and pleasurable watch that I recommend for anyone looking for light-fare comedy. As always in these types of series, general knowledge of modern anime series is a plus for enjoyement purposes but not critical.

9.0/10

FYI- I've got a couple more reviews in my plate( Gundam 00 Season 1 & Bamboo Blade) for the upcoming week and I'm still in the process of picking my spring season lineup.

Kekkaishi - Completed Review

2008-04-14T22:48:00.005-04:00

What is it?

The teenage successors to two clans of technique-wielders called "Kekkaishi" spend their nights exterminating demons ("Ayakashi") from the sacred land upon which their school is built on.

What's good about it?

I'll start off by saying I haven't read the Kekkaishi manga so I can't compare the anime production to the original. I tend to think anime series should be based on their own merits anyways so it shouldn't really matter for this review.

The plot is basically one story arc that goes full circle, providing us with a conclusive ending. For the fighting shounen genre this is nothing less than a tour de force. Most of these series feature one of these problems: many arcs of the hero going up after the ultimate vilain, only to have to face an even stronger vilain afterwards(Samurai X, Bleach) or the heroes fight the ultimate vilain over and over again, only to have him survive somehow and return to fight them, sometimes in a different or evolved form(Inuyasha, Dragon Ball). To be fair, those series were all considerably longer than Kekkaishi, but the effect is refreshing nonetheless.

Kekkaishi also has a nice, large cast of characters. The main characters do a fairly good job of rising above the stereotypic mold of characters that is quite common to the genre and offer some surprising depth.

What's bad about it?

Many of the Ayakashi are of the minion variety, quite undistiguishable the ones from the other. The first dozen episodes or so are peppered with filler stories, mostly revolving around other students at their school or friendly ghosts (lame!). I'm not too excited about the whole kekkai technique in general. It seems a bit too defensive to be exciting, though this aspect improves as the series progresses and the characters get better at wielding their powers. The main characters fall into the stereotype trap at times. I've grown weary of the simplistic "I want to protect everyone important to me" and "I don't want to see anyone get hurt" statements.

Final Verdict

Kekkaishi isn't breaking any molds or stepping out of the box. However, those accomplishments aren't the goal of shounen series. Shounen series are about exciting confrontations between likeable heroes and sinister vilains. These series are considered a success if they can provide you with that without containing serious flaws, and under that criteria, Kekkaishi makes the cut. At 52 episodes, Kekkaishi isn't the commitment of other epic shounen series and leaves you relatively satisfied.

8.5/10

FYI- In the coming days I intend to give you the basic outline of my exciting fall lineup. Also, my next review will be the excellent comedy, Hayate no Gotoku!

True Tears - Completed Review

2008-04-08T23:22:00.002-04:00

What is it?

A number of love triangles come together. While the 3 guys each like a different girl, all 3 girls like the same guy.

What's good about it?

Plenty of delicious teenage angst. Well written plot turns and scenarios. Interesting and unique characters coupled to attractive character designs.

What's bad about it?

The pace seemed to slow dramatically in the second half of the series. My biggest gripe is the metaphoric language that seems to used quite a bit. I find this to be a common trend in all Japanese television and movies, but it just seemed forced and not like something these characters would ever say in real life. In case you don't understand what I'm alluding to, it's lines like: "you can fly", "I can't fly", "I want your tears". ****SPOILER WARNING**** Also, I still don't understand how Ando and Shintaro's friend got back together after she dumped him and admitted she never liked him and had a crush on his best friend. That plot branch thinned into nothingness towards the end. They were always secondary characters anyways. At least they can deal with fact that nobody cares about them with each others help. Just a sidenote; Ando was my favorite character design. Hot! ****End of spoiler*****

Wow, I really went off on a tangent there. Let's call it bonus commentary!

Final Verdict

True tears was probably one of the best series in this sparingly quantity-thin winter anime season. The first half of the series was crazy addictive and enjoyable while it sputtered a bit towards the end. Nevertheless, true tears is a great romance series overall and well worth the watch.

9.1/10

Rosario to Vampire - Completed Review

2008-04-03T23:05:00.003-04:00

What is it?

School harem anime with a twist. The guy is a human in a school for monsters.

What's good about it?

The character designs for the girls are unique and attractive(though the loli character didn't do anything for me). The animation is nice. The school-for-monsters setting was ok.

What's bad about it?

The formula for every episode is very repetitive. The male protaganist is the kind of lead character I hate. Whiny, weak, deceivable and bland. Definitely a notch in the "against" column when analyzing this series. There was some recycled animation for the vampire transformations. How shows still get away with recycled animation in this day and age baffles me.

Final Verdict

The problem with Rosario is that beyond some cute character designs, it has nothing interesting to offer. These harem-schoolife series are a dime a dozen and the setting wasn't enough of a sell to differentiate it from the competition. I predict that 3 years from now Rosario to Vampire will completely be erased from my life, as my brain judges it to be useless.

With all that being said, Rosario's faults aren't that deep and the series remains quite watchable. With a shortage of new winter series, I was comfortable freeing up 20 minutes a week for a few months to a series that isn't breaking any barriers. It's junkfood for an anime addict. The casual fan has better material they haven't seen yet.

7.0/10

FYI...

The spring anime season is beginning as we speak. While I'm devoting most of my resources to ending series and prospecting future ones, I've already settled on a couple of anticipated sequels and a promising(maybe) new series I'm certain will be covered here in the future.

-XXXholic: Kei (Awesome!)

-Kure-Nai

-Code Geass Season 2 (I can't wait!)

I've also got a few reviews in the works, the next being of True Tears, which was a pleasant surprise.

Cowboy Bebop - ReTrO ReViEw

2008-03-19T23:16:00.003-04:00

I'm not going to go with my normal review format for a reason I will make clear shortly. I'll come out and say it straight from the start: Cowboy Bebop is my favorite anime series of all time. Cowboy Bebop is the greatest anime series of all time. No anime series will ever top Cowboy Bebop (in my mind). Since simply naming it's strong points would be useless since I would just name every category, I'll just highlight why it is so strong in some of those categories.

Characters: The crew of bounty-hunters on the ship Bebop consists of 4 members (and a dog). They all get a couple of episodes that heavily develop their characters and offer us a glimpse into their past and into their soul. Each of these characters (maybe not Ed) could easily star in an entertaining series revolving around their pre-bebop lives. That's how interesting they are. Amazingly, the same can be said for the characters that only appear in the single episode stories. The series as a whole easily has 30 rainmaker characters. Imagine if every character in a Gundam series were unique, likeable and interesting. Wouldn't that make a huge difference.

The main protagonist, Spike Spiegel, is developed a bit differently. Even though he gets a few more episodes revolving around himself and the characters from his past than the others, information about his past is given in snippets. We are teased with hints and implications and some answers are never fully given, leaving you to fill in the blanks. This only adds to Cowboy Bebop's charm, giving it a Casablanca-like quality in the way Spike, Vicious and Julia can refer and act in accordance with a complicated and heavy past without letting the viewers in on all the details. Not surprisingly, these episodes are also the best and most dramatic episodes of the series.

Music: From the first episode, the quality of the selection of music peppered throughout the drama hits you like a ton of bricks. Yoko Kanno, already an established soundtrack veteran from series like Macross and Escaflowne, supplies Bebop with her best work yet. Though jazz and blues-heavy, the soundtrack runs the gamut from heavy-metal to bubblegum pop. Great collaborations from artists like Mai Yamane(vocals on the OP-ED) contribute to making the anime pinnacle soundtrack. It's the only anime OST that I listen to a regular basis. More important than the quality of the music however, is its appropriateness. The OST works so well with the subject matter and is used so selectively well than you can feel it enhance the drama, and vice-versa. I think that effect is the true measure of its success.

Style: Not usually a criteria in a review, style is the most unique strength of Cowboy Bebop, and most difficult to explain :( More than the obvious cool and calm way most of the main characters act : their witty replies, their clutchness when the pressure is on, and their overall demure; Bebop is crammed full of pop-culture references and influences. You can see Bruce Lee/kung fu influence in the fight choreography, the 40's drama influence in the character interactions and conversations, the sci-fi influence in the dramatic space-action scenes, on top of all the music and writing influences sprinkled and reflected over and over again throughout the series. When I'm debating the virtues of Cowboy Bebop with someone, one of the arguments I like to use to describe it's success is the quality of the ending scene of every episode. The last 30 seconds or so of every episodes is almost always a memorable and fitting ending to the story. It can be a dramatic pause to a contemplating character, or an ironic and clever turn of fortune that leaves its victim bemused but that final scene bring the whole episode together perfectly. Though difficult to explain in words, the reaction is quite palpable when witnessing it for the first (or second, or third) time.

Final Verdict

Every 6 months or so I pick up my Cowboy Bebop DVDs and watch all the episodes over a period of a couple of days. Whenever I'm done, I never fail to have the urge to call up a friend or shoot them an email to pressure them into watching Cowboy Bebop, even to those friends with zero interest in anime (weirdos!). No other anime series has had such an effect on me and I know none other ever will.

10/10

Seto no Hanayome - Completed Review

2008-03-12T17:01:00.003-04:00

What is it?

Romantic Comedy about a high school student who is forced to marry the famous daughter of a mermaid mafia clan, much to the dislike of most of her clan.

What's good about it?

Fast-paced and action-packed comedy with mermaids. What's not to like? Funny and diverse characters, good one-liners and plot twists abound!

What's bad about it?

At times it gets annoying when everyone is screaming. There isn't a lot of character development on a whole. The jokes, especially the slapstick stuff, get repetitive and predictable at times.

Final Verdict

Despite it's shortcomings, Seto no Hanayome remains a highly entertaining series. It's hard to get bored when oneliners and action is thrown at you from every corner. A solid cast with some solid material make for a clearly above-average comedy. ~Masa-san~

8.8/10

Seirei no Moribito - Completed Review

2008-03-05T21:32:00.002-05:00

What is it?

The emperor's son is believed to be the host of a drought-causing spirit. Realizing her son's life is in danger, the empress entrusts the prince to a female bodyguard called Balsa. Balsa vows to protect him and discover the true nature of the spirit.

What's good about it?

Amazing animation, great characters, a solid storyline. The fight scenes are insanely good. A very solid title overall.

What's bad about it?

The pacing is on the slow side. The few filler episodes were hit-and-miss. The amazing fight scenes were far too few and almost all in the first half episodes.

Final Verdict

Seirei no Moribito was a great show. It's more story-heavy than action-heavy which is too bad since the handful of fight scenes are enthralling and the plot can move too slowly in parts. Nevertheless, the story is well plotted and the overall effort comes off as strong.

9.2/10

Genshiken 2 - Completed Review

2008-03-02T18:12:00.005-05:00

What is it?

Continuation of the first Genshiken. Read that review if you need info. Besides, I wouldn't suggest you watch this unless you've seen the first season anyways.

What's good about it?

Much of the same it had going in the first season. Likeable characters, lots of drama, interesting subject matter. Some characters take on a larger role now that some of the older members have moved on, notably Ogiue, who I like a lot.

What's bad about it?

Some of the characters that have moved on are those that are the most interesting. Conflict, humour and debating have been drastically reduced with the reduced presence of Madarame, Kusakabe and the old chairman. In what was a complete surprise move to me, Kuchiki is back for the second season and the decision to handover the ice-breaker, joking role to him was a complete mistake.

Final Verdict

In many ways the second season of is more ambitious than the first. It wasn't afraid of moving out of it's confort zone and making drastic changes to the content, the cast and the themes. Of course, when you make so many changes to an already great series the bulk of the changes end up being hit-and-miss, you're more likely to hurt the quality and that was the case here. Despite the increase in output from the more "vanilla" characters, Genshiken 2 remains a good series, if not a lesser one than its predecessor. Fans of the original won't need my endorsement to watch the second season but viewers unfamiliar to Genshiken should definitely watch the first season to decide if the second one will appeal to them.

8.4/10

Myself ;Yourself - Completed Review

2008-02-22T22:25:00.003-05:00

What is it?

Story of a high school student who moves back to his hometown, only to find his old friends have changed over the years.

What's good about it?

I have lots of bad to write so I'll just skip this part.

What's bad about it?

Warning- the following will be an unfiltered rant with lots of unconstructed points which will shamelessly toss spoilers around like it's nobody's business. You have been warned.

This thing is all over the place, with no idea what it wants to do. At times, you feel it's just a slice of life drama, especially at the beginning. Towards the end, you swear this is a totally different series, the most serious of mature dramas. I think the best way of describing how bizarre this thing is set is to give a spoiler-filled description of the character's.

Sana: Main character-somehow, this guy is able run from being totally oblivious when it comes to the feelings of others, leading to countless misunderstandings and his confusion when people get pissed at him- to the thoughtfull friend when it comes to guessing there are some letters written to him in a mailbox from 10 years ago and guessing that his friend just tried killing herself. Go figure.

Shuri and Shuusuke: Twins who elope together when they try to be seperated by their abusive, politian, father. When we see them 10 years later, now in their late 20s, they still are walking around holding hands. Creepy.

Hoshino: At first she serves as the third wheel in a love triangle. You know the character that is bringing about conflict between the eventual lovers though she is never a real threat to the two since they're obviously going to end up together. Well, she REALLY wasn't a threat since it turns out she is a not-so-closet lesbian who harbours a crush on a classmate. She also turns out to be a devious sociopath that spreads rumors about this girl because she is jealous of her relationship with her twin brother(that's right the crush is Shuri). After this is revealed, that character dissapears from the plot and that situation is never really resolved.

Aoi: Big-boobed neighbour with the most annoying voice in anime. Ever!

Nanaka: Main heroine-the epitome of a tsundere character.

For some reason there is also an eleven year girl who contributes nothing to the story and if anything, confuses us further about what kind of series this is.

Final Verdict

Despite all the bad stuff I've said about this series, I did find it watchable, especially in the second half. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone but it has a ton of angst and drama and there is a market for those kind of series.

7.2/10

Overdrive - Completed Review

2008-02-14T00:28:00.003-05:00

What is it?

The story of a loner, daydreaming, unambitious student who is dragged into the ultra-glamourous world of competitive cycling.

What's good about it?

Some nice supporting characters. An original starting point (Bicycle anime!). Lots of drama and suspense. Not unfunny at times.

What's bad about it?

I hate the main character Shinozaki. He's weak, weird and awkward. He says uncool stuff all the time(I want to ride my bicycle with everyone because everyone is great and I love riding my bicycle with everyone. Totally unappealing. Besides that, the pacing is slow after the race starts, the dialogue is lame when they talk serious and after the novelty of cycling wears off, you're left with the reason you never got into cycling in the first place, it's hella-boring.

Final Verdict

Overdrive never seems to be able to blend comedy and drama effectively, so much so that the jokes sometimes come off as inappropriate for the moment and the attemps at seriousness are just that, attempts. At the end of the day, this series is mundane sports anime that is unique only in it's choice of sports. There's better choices out there.

7.0/10

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei - Completed Review

2008-02-11T22:45:00.000-05:00

What is it?

The story of a pessimistic teacher with unusual viewpoints regarding society, politics, the economy, technology, art & entertainment, history and the human condition. Together with his equally unusual and unique students, Sensei debates a wide range of topics.

What's good about it?

The more you watch it, the more you realize Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is a creative work of genius. The topics and opinions discussed are truly insightful and are provided a productive twist of humor for our entertainment. These are driven by an almost entirely female cast of cleverly-named characters. The animation style is unique and the character designs are very endearing.

What's bad about it?

References. SZS bombards you with a non-stop array of references, some so obscure as to baffle the most well-read of Japanese pop-culture connaisseurs. Since I consider myself as knowledgeable as the most astute non-japanese anime-watcher and that most references flew over my head, I'm amazed at how exclusive the content was. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that some of these references are inside-jokes between the creative staff of SZS that only they could fully understand.

Final Verdict

Even when I don't get the references, I can feel that the joke was a funny one, adding to my frustration at not understanding it. Despite my limited comprehension, I was able to appreciate the creative way topics were broached and handled. Nevertheless, there were too many missed references for me to be able to consider SZS the pinnacle of greatness I would no doubt qualify it as if it were more accessible.

9.0/10

Minami-ke - Completed Review

2008-02-10T17:25:00.000-05:00

What is it?

Minami-ke is the story of the three Minami sisters who live alone. For some reason, we never know exactly why they live together, since their parents are never mentionned. Since they don't seem to mind though, there's no reason to let it bother us.

The Minami sisters each have their own unique personalities, which is what moves the story along.

What's good about it?

The main characters really drive this show, especially kana and Chiaki. A lot of the series is just the two of them going at it with each other. The style is very reminiscent to Lucky Star, minus all the otaku content. You can easily draw comparisons between Kana and Konata, though they do have their dissimilarities. Minami-ke beats Lucky Star hands down in the supportive cast category, both in terms quantity and quality. The emo-dillusional loverboy Hosaka, the cross-dressing, onee-san loving shota character, the popular athlete whose crush causes him misunderstandings and stress galore are all appreciated characters.

What's bad about it?

The only downside to 4-panel manga style of anime series is that the reactions, jokes, themes tend to become repetitive and somewhat predictable. However, I found Minami-ke evades this trap better than most in the genre by mostly staying fresh in regards to material.

Final Verdict

You all know I live for these kinds of anime series. When I'm watching series like Lucky Star, Pani Poni Dash, Cromartie High, School Rumble and Azumanga Daioh, I find myself quite willing to ignore minor flaws purely because of the enjoyment factor they provide, and Minami-ke is no exception to that. I was also impressed that Minami-ke made a notably better job that Lucky Star at staying fresh and avoiding repetitiveness(though I'm willing to concede that it being half as long in terms of episodes might help its cause). I'm very eager to see if this trend continues in Minami-ke Okawari, but for some reason I'm not worried it won't.

9.5/10

Anime Roundup - February '08

2008-02-06T23:44:00.000-05:00

Bonjour fellow anime-lovers,

I'm finally getting back into my anime watching routines. I'm back up to date with Gundam OO, Bamboo Blade, Clannad, Shion no Ou. Here are my impressions on where they stand up to now.

Gundam 00: No points for originality due to the too familiar setting, characters and themes but 00 is the most polished and decent Gundam series in recent memory(easily better than Seed destiny).

Bamboo Blade: Now that we've past the halfway point, I find Dan-kun/Miya-Miya have really lost their original freshness though the creators still insist on insisting on their disfunctionality. Luckily, the rest of the cast is great and this series is quite enjoyable. Tamaki exudes MOE!

Clannad: The arcs are hit and miss but this series is still a good production. It's from the same creator as Kanon and Sola, and it shows! So far I'd rate it between the two. (If you don't know what that means, dig through my archives for those reviews.)

Shion No Ou: I suppose this is as fun as a show about Shogi players can get. It's okay.

Also, I've finished a few series that you can expect reviews for in the near future. Those being Genshiken Season 2 and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. I've also selected the possible series I'll be watching from the Winter Anime Season. Keep in mind this is a short list since the winter and summer new series are traditionally not as significant as their fall in spring counterparts. They are generally 12 or 13 episodes long, taking up the slots of other 12/13 episode series from the fall/spring that have just ended. Here they are:

-Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
-Major Season 4
-They are my Noble Masters
-Rosario to Vampire

As you can notice these fall in to distinct categories. The first two being sequels, and the last two being light fare/harem/comedies.

If I'm bored I might pick up these two:

Spice and Wolf
Minami-ke Okawari (I'd have to watch Minami-ke first, which I've only begun downloading.)

That's all for now, keep watching your anime everyone! Bye-Bee!

Prince of Tennis - ReTrO ReVieW

2008-01-29T01:55:00.000-05:00

If you were wondering what I've been doing for the last month or so, here's your answer. I rewatched all 178 episodes of POT. For the record, this review is limited to the anime series. It does not include the National Championship OVAs as they are still not completed.

What is it?

Sports-themed anime following the trials and tribulations of a Japanese middle-school tennis club's quest towards qualifing for the National Championship.

What's good about it?

The diversity of characters is the strength of PuriTeni. The opponents are a mixed bag, which adds to the strategic battles that unfold.

What's bad about it?

The filler episodes are hell. There's a lot of recycled animation. The matches are too long. The moves are not realistic. In real life, having a strong backhand is more important that being able to perform the gimmicky moves that are on display.

Final Verdict

It's hard to say exactly what the appeal of Prince of Tennis is. There are a lot of obvious flaws and the good points are hard to put into words. Still, it remains an addictive experience. It must have something going for it to have me watch all 178 of its episodes...Twice!

7.8/10

FYI-If you're curious about the OVAs, I have watched the first part of it (13 episodes) and it is clearly superior to the regular episodes. All the matches last one episode and the action is more fast-paced.

Ef ~ A Tale of Memories - Completed Review

2008-01-29T01:17:00.000-05:00

I'm finally getting back into my backlog of overdue anime. My first move was to watch the final episodes of Ef-A Tale of Memories.

What is it?

It's kind of hard to pinpoint a genre. If I had to name it, I would call it a fantasy-drama romance with some philosophical tendencies. The story chronicles two separate stories. One about a young manga writer/high-school student who is caught in a love triangle with a childhood friend with a onii-chan complex and a qwirky delinquant with some deep-seeded issues. The second story revolves around a high-school student who falls for a girl that can't remember anything that happened 12 hours ago, and thus, kind of makes their coming together somewhat of a challenge. It kind of reminded of the premise of the mediocre romantic comedy 50 First Dates starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, except it wasn't funny. Oh wait...they are the same!

What's good about it?

My intro is a little misleading in that the story is not as formulaic as I make it seem. The characters are relatively deep and the plot is pretty engaging. The ending(last third of the series or so), so often a weak-point in anime, is the strength of this title. Despite it being a tad predictable, it was mostly satisfying, which is what's most important. Besides that, animation is great, the shooting is creative and the character designs are pleasant.

What's bad about it?

This anime isn't very original. It's a style very reminiscent of other series, like AIR. The philosophical parts, though short, were boring.

Final Verdict

If you can dismiss the fact that Ef isn't reinventing the wheel, it's viewing experience is generally quite enjoyable. It being somewhat forgettable doesn't mean you should skip over it. It remains a well-produced product that keeps you engaged until the end.

8.9/10

Anime Roundup - New Year's Edition

2008-01-16T21:05:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow anime-lovers, I'll take this opportunity to wish you all a happy new year. You may remember I said last year that 2007 would be a forgettable year, and I think it generally was. I further predict that 2008 will be more of a hit-and-miss year and stand by my earlier prediction that 2009 will be the money year. You heard it here first!

Enough with the joking. I honestly don't have much to report, even though I haven't reported in a while. I've pretty much taken a whole month off watching any anime, a few retro series aside. (I'll review those in the next few weeks BTW). I intend to get back in the game soon. The winter anime season has begun. I intend to pick up some series, though I have no idea which at the moment since I haven't researched them at all. The only one I can guarantee is the new season (the fourth?) of Major, the baseball themed franchise. I'll let you know about them as I pick them up.

In fansubbing news, it seems that Dattebayo, the biggest group out there, has restarted subbing their signature series, Bleach and Naruto. The cause of the stop was a protest against their releases being uploaded to sites like YouTube. It'll be interesting to see how big of a problem those streaming sites become for the future of anime fansubbing. In unrelated news, the very enjoyable One Piece filler arc has concluded and the newest arc has begun.

That's it for now, stay tuned! Bye-bee!

Doujin Works - Completed review

2007-12-11T00:52:00.000-05:00

What is it?

Inspired by her friend, a young woman decides she wants to make it big in the self-published doujinshi world. Besides the fact that she can't draw and that she knows nothing about otaku-culture, what can stop her?

What's good about it?

I found myself surprised at how much I enjoyed this! All the characters are likable, if not deep. The jokes come at you fast and often. The setting is the now-common, yet still enjoyable doujin publishing world. The comedic material is the now-common, yet still enjoyable otaku culture. There are 12 episodes, but since they're only 14 minutes long (including OP/ED), it feels like an OVA series and doesn't ask for much of a commitment.

What's bad about it?

The production values are below-average and the product looks unpolished at times. The story and characters are not plausible, though that doesn't necessarily hurt a comedy. The jokes are recycled to a certain extent.

Final Verdict

It took me a few episodes but I really got into this series. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it stays inside its confort zone. A large part of the comedy is sexual innuendos and misunderstandings, but that was funny and the series wasn't long enough for it to get old. In times like these where fansubbed light fare is hard to come by, it's so refreshing to get a great sample.

8.8/10

Lovely Complex - Completed Review

2007-12-05T00:38:00.000-05:00

I know this review was a long time coming, but better late then never.

What is it?

Two friends go through an extremely long series of events until they finally hook up.

What's good about it?

It's got its moments where its got a nice combo of comedy and tennage angst. It's a school romantic comedy anime, which almost guarantees I'll watch it (I know, I'm weak!). Most of the supporting characters range between good and adequate. I like the girl chasing the guy angle for a change.

What's bad about it?

Many times the main characters felt unlikable and brought their misery upon themselves. The guy tends to have this whining high voice when he gets angry which is quite annoying. Sometimes the jokes felt misplaced or recycled. The plot movement was a disaster. As do many of shows do, it creates challenges to the relationship that you don't really feel are credibly going to be dangerous. It took forever for them to finally start going out, during which you feel the show is just delaying the inevitable.

Final Verdict

As I often find in shoujo anime, the first episodes were the most enjoyable and the series progressively got worst, so much so that I put off the last three episodes for months (as those of you who were waiting on this review can attest). Still, it had its moments and I'm vulnerable to the genre.

7.3/10

Genshiken - ReTrO ReViEw

2007-11-19T21:29:00.000-05:00

I've recently tried watching the second season and I found I had no idea what was going on. My solution was to rewatch the first season + the 3 OVAs. While it's difficult to call a 3 year old series a retro series, since I had to rewatch it to remember the characters, and since this is my blog, I've decided it qualifies.

What is it?

The story of a University club, nicknamed Genshiken, who are devotees to all things related to otaku culture: anime, manga, doujinshi, H-games, fighting games, cosplay, figurines and Gundam models.

What's good about it?

A lot. The characters are all likeable(except the ones you're not suppose to like) and well developed(litterally for one). The series presents most sides of the otaku way, in a balanced and light manner, presenting the arguments and counter-arguments for many stances. While there are many comedic elements and despite the subject matter, the show is surprising mature and dramatic, a big boost to it's credibility.

What's bad about it?

In a show like this, the use of stereotypes is inevitable but still prevalent (though much of it is valid). One of the main draws is also it's weakest point: it's tediousness. To elaborate, obscure references and minute observations abound and while they are astute and well researched, they make following some of their conversations impossible to the casual observer, and sometimes burdensome to some who can be considered experts.

Final Verdict

An instant classic, Genshiken has become something of an anime icon. Memorable quotes and situations abound. All otakus can feel a certain attachement for Madarame, not for his flamboyant and shameless devotion to anime, but for his honest nature, his awkward social graces and his hopeless crush. Genshiken is favorite of any otaku and a must-see for any anime lover.

9.4/10

Code-E - Completed Review

2007-11-18T22:12:00.000-05:00

What is it?

Chinami is a student who emits electromagnetic waves which disrupts electronics around her. A classmate finds out this secret and begs her to let him study her condition. This somehow becomes a love triangle.

What's good about it?

I like the main character Ebihara Chinami. I think it's the glasses. The show is pleasant and all the main characters are good-natured.

What's bad about it?

The other characters are tired stereotypes. Kannagi is a clueless, incredibly bland character. The plot moved erratically. Most of the comedy comes from a couple of bumbling foreigners who are also terrible stereotypes.

Final Verdict

While I found the show easy to watch, there is nothing new here and there is no real reason to watch it. A forgettable, average series with no defining elements.

6.8/10

Gundam Wing - ReTrO ReViEw

2007-11-06T01:20:00.000-05:00

What is it?

Five young pilots of special mobile suits nicknamed Gundams are sent to earth to overthrow the military alliance oppressing their native space colonies and trigger a multitude of world-changing events.

What's good about it?

You get the standard Gundam setting, steeped heavily in political and military organisations. The show starts off with a decent amount of intrigue since the motives and identities of the young boys are mysterious unknown.

What's bad about it?

Where to begin? It seems the motive of almost every character is inconsistent, unbelievable and never really explained. In fact, many plot turns are never realistically explained. Things "just happen" or a character will do something totally out of character just to serve the plot. Worse than that, that lame goal isn't even achieved since the plot also seems to runoff in unreasonable directions. The character development is also hindered in that there is almost no explaining the past of the characters, which might go a long way in explaining their motives.

Final Verdict

For some reason (probably nostalgia), I remembered this as being better than it is. I was shocked at how bad it was upon rewatching again after 10 years or so. This makes Gundam Seed look like a masterpiece (for the record I feel Gundam Seed, like almost all Gundam series, is mediocre. Unless you're a hardcore Gundam or mecha fan, don't bother watching this. I can't believe I made it through the 49 episodes.... again.

5.5/10

Fall Season Pickups

2007-11-04T17:13:00.000-05:00

I've finally settled on a list of shows from the new fall seasons that I intend to start watching. Which ones of these I cover on this blog will depend on my mood after watching them.

--Clannad TV
--gundam 00
--Shakugan no Shana II
--myself; yourself
--Kaiji
--bamboo blade
--Genshiken 2
--Minami-ke
--Shion no Ou
--Kodomo no jikan
--Da Capo 2
--ef
--Kimikiss Pure Rouge
--Shigurui
--Sketchbook: full color's

Realistically, I'll probably drop a few of those after a few episodes if they are boring or rub me the wrong way. If I drop more than I expect to, I may consider giving these a shot:

--Goshuushou-sama Ninomiya-kun
--Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro

I may be absent for a stretch while I taste all of these series and I finish off a few I'm watching right now. Here are some upcoming reviews (probably):

-Code-e
-Lovely Complex
- Retro-review: Gundam Wing
-Ikkitousen

I guess that's all for now, fellow anime-watchers. Bye-bee!

Sumomo mo momo mo - Completed Review

2007-11-01T00:18:00.000-04:00

What is it?

Tale of a student who wants to be a lawyer who is the son of a martial artist who wants him to marry a fellow martial artist who is very motivated to bear his children. Meanwhile, other martial artists are after his head.

What's good about it?

hmmmmmmmmmm. I really should find something nice to say about this. Ok. I like the Voice actress' portrayal of Momoko. Her way of speaking is charming!

What's bad about it?

Everything else.

Final Verdict

It's so much easier to write a short review for such a bad series. To remember: Don't watch this!

4.0/10

Anime Roundup - Halloween Edition

2007-11-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone! Happy Halloween!

Don't let Halloween edition fool you, that greeting is it. Well I'm pretty proud of my review output this month, though I've still got some to get done (and I'd still like to make them briefer).

The fall anime season is well on it's way, though I haven't watched any of the new shows yet. I like to wait till a series is at least 6 episodes into the season and I'm still settling on which ones I'll be covering and those that I'm watching.

I'll update those shows that never end: One Piece, Bleach and Naruto.

Naruto is as lame as ever (though I still watch it).

One Piece has just started a filler arc, and I have to say, the first episode showed some promise.

Bleach is finally done with filler and the action has picked up. Ichigo, Chad and Megame(if you don't recognize that name, google it idiot! So I have my own nicknames for anime characters I watch. Sue me!) have broken into Hueco Mundo to recover Orihime and potentially have to fight a shitload of Espadas. Awesome!

Hayate no Gotoku! is still going strong. The show kind of seems like it has no direction but it's still plenty entertaining so no real complaints here. I'm kind of annoyed at all the censoring they do when they refer to other anime and manga characters and names.

You know what! I'm going to do another review right this minute but I'll strive to make it as short as possible. Bye-Bee!

Major (Season 3) - Completed Review

2007-10-31T23:20:00.000-04:00

What is it?

Shigeno Goro is now a senior high school student and he makes a fresh start a Seishu High. One problem: not only does Seishu not have a baseball club, it only has 10 or so guys attending it (since it was recently converted from an all-girl school). Shigeno takes this ragtag group of newbies and hidden talents, and this new team tries to make it all the way to Koshien, battling old rivals along the way.

What's good about it?

Oh the passion of youth! This is sports anime incarnate. You either hate it or love it. I'm in the love it category. Most characters from previous seasons make appearances, albeit much shorter ones. Full of willpowed drama.

What's bad about it?

This is probably the weakest of the 3 seasons so far. Shigeno (and the series) kind of starts over from scratch after leaving Kaido. He starts a NEW team with a full cast of NEW characters, but since the show has been about Shigeno's progress, this seems counter-intuitive and didn't sit well with me. The new characters are not great either. The season ended on a climatic note so I'm hoping there's another season left in the series. Major should've focused a little more on non-baseball matters. Namely, school and social interactions (get a girlfriend!).

Final Verdict

I'm a sports anime junkie so I'll never turn down a season of Major, but I know I won't be watching Major 3 a second time. In retrospect, season 3 will be remembered as the filler season in between Shigeno playing with Kaido and going to America to play (if there's a fourth season). Probably an above average sports series(mostly since most are not very good), though well below it's previous efforts.

7.6/10

Code Geass (season 1) - Completed

2007-10-28T23:51:00.000-04:00

What is it?

Story of a brilliant young student who is given the power to control people by a mysterious girl. He creates a double life and uses this power to create a revolution against the conquering power and have revenge for his sad past, all the while playing the part of the honest student. As the world changes around him, he struggles to keep control of various events, while fighting to remain true to his ideals.

What's good about it?

Great storytelling! The plot moves at breakneck speed and doesn't stop till the last episode. Though this has some Gundam elements (mostly the mechas and political feel), this feels a lot more like Death Note to me, almost oddly so.

What's bad about it?

It feels like all these characters are recycled from other series. Lelouch, the star of the series, shares many characteristics with Yagami Light from Death Note. Lelouch is different in that, unlike Light, he feels moments of self-doubt and is inherently good.

Final Verdict

One of the top shows of last year, Code Geass will get you keep you hooked till the last episode and leave waiting in torture for season 2. Unlike many such series, characters die, the plot unfolds and once events happen, you feel there is no going back. Since the final episode ends on the mother of all cliffhangers, I find myself struggling to rate a non-concluded series but I'm a reviewer so I'll just have to suck it up.

9.2/10

Lucky Star - Completed Review

2007-10-28T23:02:00.000-04:00

What is it?

Bunch of cute Japanese schoolgirls do a bunch of cute japanese schoolgirl things. A formula for success!

What's good about it?

Lucky star doesn't take this Moe-moment filled schoolgirl anime halfway. It shamelessly includes every character stereotype in the genre. The naive and innocent glasses-wearing beauty(pink-haired featured below), the indulgent and lazy girl(yellow-ribbon), her tsundere sister, the naive sickly little girl, her tall, silent, cool, insecure friend, the foreign exhange student who knows waaaay to much about otaku culture, the irresponsible teacher, the mangaka with a dirty mind. The star of the show is Konata(blue hair), a hardcore otaku, well-versed in manga, anime, collectible figurines and cards(among others), ero-games and MMORPGs. Charming!

What's bad about it?

As you may expect from stereotypic characters, many of the character interactions and jokes are kind of repetitive and predictable.

Final Verdict

Lucky Star is a must-see for any anime junkie. Your level of appreciation for many of the references and themes can be an important factor in how much you enjoy this series. Those that are clueless about otaku culture will repeatedly find themselves frustrated and are in danger of not "getting it". Luckily for you, if you're reading this blog, you know enough about these themes to guarantee a fun ride.

9.4/10

City Hunter - ReTrO ReViEw

2007-10-21T20:54:00.000-04:00

What is it?

The story of a talented man-for-hire who works in the underground world with his inexperienced partner.

What's good about it?

For a series that began 20 years ago, City Hunter remains quite watchable. Many of the story arcs are well written and most of the characters have their charm. City Hunter is a great indicator of the time it aired, both in its anime style and cultural referencing. The mood of urban Japan in the 80's is very well-represented.

What's bad about it?

Running 150 episodes long with half a dozen movies, most of the episodes are filler episodes. Character interactions are incredibly predictable and repetitive. The good guys (and the bad guys) always seem to make the same mistakes (especially Kaori). The story arcs range from 1 to 3 episodes in length and while the non-filler ones (the vast minority of the arcs) are quite worthwhile, the filler arcs are hit and miss with some very tedious ones in there.

Final Verdict

City Hunter could never air today as it stands. The filler hurts but the animation reflects its age and the formula is tired and has been replicated to nausea. Most of the emulation reflects the popularity of the show and it's characters at its conception. Like most retro anime series that were popular in their time, you can only enjoy City Hunter if you can appreciate the impact it had on the way anime is made today without holding it's faults against it.

8.0/10

Kaze no Stigma - Completed Review

2007-10-14T18:11:00.000-04:00

What is it?

Bunch of elemental-powered clans fight demons and each other.

What's good about it?

The powers they control are nice. Character designs and animation are above average.

What's bad about it?

No story arcs were as good as the first one. The final arc was the worst by far : lame dialogue, none of the vilains are defeated, unoriginal plot turns.

Final Verdict

Not a very good but still watchable series.

7.2/10

History's Greatest Disciple Kenichi - Review Revision

2007-10-08T13:47:00.000-04:00

I've previously reviewed this series, even though I had only watched around half of the series. At the time I believed I had seen enough to review it and gave a harsh enough review. Having placed much of my ire at the number of filler episodes which dominated the first half of the series I was then pleasantly surprised to find them to be completely eliminated form the second. By no stretch is this a "great" series, it sufficiently improved in the latter half to justify me changing its rating.

Previous rating 7.0 ----------------------> Revised review 7.7

I'm taking a break now but expect some more, briefer, reviews in the next 3 days. Here's a list of them so I don't forget.

-Lucky Star
-Kaze no Stigma
-City Hunter
-Code Geass (season 1)
-Sumomo momo momomo momomo momo momomomomomo
-Lovely Complex (whenever KissSub gets off their asses and sub the last episode)

After those reviews I'll be concentrating mostly on examing the batch of new shows of the fall anime season.

Death Note - Completed Review

2007-10-08T13:00:00.000-04:00

What is it?

The tale of a brilliant student, Yagami Light, who finds a Death God's notebook. By writing down a person's name in it, he can kill that person. He decides to enterprise his own brand of justice by killing of criminals in waves. It doesn't take long before the world notices this trend and before the hounds start circling in on his identity, in particular a prodigic world-renowned investigator going simply as "L".

What's good about it?

Plenty! The main characters, especially in the opening half of the series are extremely likable and impressive characters. Their analytical battle of wits really carry the plot and make for addictive watching with many episodes ending in cliffhangers. The animation style is very manga-adapted which is awesome.

What's bad about it?

Just a few points. L's succesor, Near, isn't nearly as engaging as L and the rivalry with Light suffers because of it. Also, the other character's besides the leads are not very perceptive as they seem to just watch and hardly know what's going on half the time. This is partially corrected towards the end as the amount of apparent coincidences becomes obvious, even to them. Though the ending is conclusive and, in most respects, appropriate, I felt there was a plot twist or two too little, definitely less than what we had gotten used to.

Final Verdict

Thoroughly enthralling series which remains high-paced from start to finish. A must-watch no matter what genre of anime you like watching. The criticisms I have are mostly generated by my adoration of the series (I would even bother trying to find faults in some lesser series) and personal tastes and should not be mistaken for fatal flaws. Though I, as I often do, wished to see the vilain win, I don't hold it against the series that he doesn't and neither should you!

9.6/10

Our Protaganist, Yagami Light

His brilliant counterpart, "L"

Anime Roundup - September '07

2007-09-13T01:21:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a while, has it not? Let's consider the last month and a half my vacation time and hopefully I can keep a more agreeable schedule from now on. Thankfully, I'm not that far behind since many fansubbing groups have also taken a late-summer vacation.

I'll keep it short since it's 1:28A.M. and I have work in the morning. This is more a blog update than an anime update. Many of the shows I'm following will be ending in the coming month or so, so I'll be keeping silent on them till their final review is done. I have many final reviews to do and that's my priority. With my backload and the coming boatload of reviews that will come shortly, I have waaaay to much on my plate. To accomodate this my next dozen reviews or so will be much shorter than the already short reviews I usually deliver. Put it down as laziness and me knowing the laziness I have. Here is a list of some of the reviews so that I don't forget:
-death note
-sumomo momo momomo (I know this isn't right but I don't feel like looking it up right now)
-code geass (season 1)
-.....wow that's all that comes to mind at the moment , I know there's plenty more I'm forgetting. I'll try to remember them.

If you're wondering if I took a break from watching anime since my last post, do not fret. I've been following all of my usual series (from the fansub groups that didn't take breaks) and a few of other series on the side. Mostly though, I've been watching old City Hunter episodes. For those of you who don't know of City Hunter, it was a very popular anime series from the late 80's to the early 90's. Anyways, I've rewatched the entire two first seasons (50 & 63 episodes respectively!) so that's kept me pretty busy. Maybe I'll start a ReTrO aNiMe section after I'm done watching the rest of the batch (two more much smaller seasons and half a dozen movies). No promises there though. Anyways it's getting pretty late so I'll call it a night. Rock on true believers! Bye-bee!

Nodame Cantabile - Completed Review

2007-08-06T14:10:00.000-04:00

What is it?

Nodame Cantabile is the story of two musicians. Chiaki is a uber-talented musician who wants to become a world famous conductor and study under his idol. Only problem is, he is afraid of flying (and boats :P) so he is stuck trying to form his own orchestra in Japan. Nodame (Noda Megumi) is a uber-talented yet untrained and unmotivated pianist. She quickly develops a crush on her neighbor (Chiaki). As the story moves along, both characters try to break away from their traumatic past and get lost in the world of classical music.

What's good about it?

Lots. First of all, the characters are great, especially the title character, Nodame. She is a lazy, pathetic, childish, hilarious character. While Chiaki is forced to play the straight man all the time, he is far from annoying. He has his own twisted sense of humor which he mostly keeps to himself. The animation and theme will remind many of Honey and Clover. However, this series is more than just Honey and Clover with music instead of art. While Nadame Cantabile does get serious at times, it is much better at keeping things light and not become a pity party(my biggest complaint with Honey and Clover). As to be expected, the music is fantastically chosen.

What's bad about it?

Not a whole lot. Sometimes the character interactions get somewhat predictable and the character development can be slow-moving.

Final Verdict

Great characters and easygoing plot made this series a slam dunk. It doesn't take enough chances to qualify as a legendary series but if you are looking for a drama that isn't angst-ridden, you can't go wrong with Nodame Cantabile. Thoroughly enjoyable lighter fare.

9.3/10

Mushishi - Completed Review

2007-07-29T21:56:00.000-04:00

What is it?

Mushishi chronicles the travels of Ginko, a mushi expert(or mushishi). Mushi are a fictional kingdom of living beings that come in many different shapes and sizes. Mushi are more basic and mysterious creatures than the living creatures we know. They are only visible to a small proportion of humans and since they live through many different ways, they can have many impacts when in contact with humans. While most mushi do not have actual bodies and do not influence other lifeforms, some can act as parasites or symbiotically with humans and cause various side affect. This is where our protaganist comes in. Ginko travels through villages in feudal times and addresses illnesses or calamities brought on by human interactions with mushi.

What's good about it?

Everything. Every episode is a complete gem of a tale. The characters are always interesting and endearing. The music and animation are top-notch and only serve to add to the ephereal experience the show provides. The show exudes a mysterious aura that keeps you intently fixated from the opening to the last second.

What's bad about it?

Nothing. Really.

Final Verdict

Honestly, this show has set the standard other shows will try to measure up to in the coming years. I consider it to be one of the best series I have ever watched and it is far and away the best show I have reviewed since starting this blog. This is must-see no matter how little anime you watch. The only reason it doesn't get a ten is that I don't give out tens. Ever.

I'd also like to note that I was fortunate enough to accidently download the french subbed version by Nerae and was suitably. I had yet to ever watch a series in french before since I don't enjoy hearing or writing in french, even though I am francophone. However, I found Nerae translations to be so enjoyable, I will be sure to remain open to French subs in the future, with Nerae being my first choice.

9.8/10

A Quick Announcement

2007-07-20T00:08:00.000-04:00

I'll be picking up some shows from the new anime season:
-Zero no Tsukaima (Season 2)
-School Days
-Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

I'll give you a general idea of what these are after I've watched a few more episodes and I can form an impression.

That is all.

Anime Roundup - July '07

2007-07-15T15:41:00.000-04:00

Hola fellow anime-enthusiasts. Well, let's jump right into it. Firstly, as I suspected would happen, One Piece has started putting out filler. The only thing worst than a filler arc is individual filler episodes, which is what the last two episodes have been. Here's to hoping the Water 7 episodes are nearly done.

We're halfway through a season of Lovely Complex and our protaganists don't seem any closer to getting together than before. Though the show is still funny, the flow has kind of stagnated of late and the character interactions have become repetitive. Hopefully, the pace will pick up in the coming episodes.

It looks like Kaze no Stigma is starting a similar trend. Let's hope the last couple of date episodes are blips and that the series doesn't try to do what it's not about.

Lucky Star has tried shaking things up by introducing some new characters and it has met with some partial success. The new characters are fun and add some novelty, but the whole material is largely the same. Still probably the best show airing at the moment though. I love it when Konata mentions Yutaka has a special appeal with a certain audience and Yutaka has no idea what she means. Priceless.

Hayate no Gotoku has also changed it's scenery by having Hayate go to the rich kid's school with Nagi. This will probably mean less Maria and more everyone else which is great(though I do like Maria). This series has stayed fresh since the beginning and I'm only enjoying it more as it goes on.

Now that Clare isn't the weakling she was until now, I'm banking on Claymore to get more exciting as the series progresses. It looks like she is up against two Awakened Beings right now so this is a perfect opportunity for her to kick some ass.

Well, that's all I care to go on about. I've got Mushishi, Death Note, Sumomo mo Momo mo(what a stupid title) and Nodame Cantabile reviews on the backburner so you can expect to see those in the coming weeks(expect three good reviews and one bad one. You can probably tell which is which by looking at the titles or if you've watched those series at all). Now, I'll leave you all with a screenshot of Yutaka's reaction after Yui tells her something that's not appropriate to say to your little sister. Bye-bee!

Sola - Completed Review

2007-07-11T00:30:00.000-04:00

What is it?

Sola is the story of a guy who meets a immortal being that he falls for. Meanwhile, his sister is in the hospital for unknown reasons. Anyways, this guy is a sky-enthusiast (if such a thing exists) taking pictures, painting and just about spending all his time admiring the sky. Ironically, his new friend can't watch a sunny sky because she burns when in contact of sunlight. What a bummer. Turns out Sis has a similar ailment and ...you know what, I'm gonna stop there. This show is a bitch to summarize.

What's good about it?

Comparisons between Sola and Kanon are often made for easy reasons. Both shows are made by the same people, the animation is identical and character designs are very similar. Both feature a similar supernatural plot and elements. Both are shows with one guy and plenty of girls surrounding him (though you shouldn't for the life of you put this down in the harem/ecchi genre). Both stories take place in small towns with landmarks important to the story. Being the great show that Kanon is, any comparisons to it should be a compliment to that series and in some ways it is.

What's bad about it?

Sola is no Kanon. The most obvious downside to Sola is that it fails to stand as tall as Kanon in almost every category besides animation. The dialogue is nowhere near as witty and funny. In fact the whole show was very serious throughout. Even when the characters were joking around, the delivery was poor and the effect was tangibly minimal. Which brings me to the characters. Though the characters were pretty well developed, none were particularly endearing or charming. Basically, everyone is boring and their motives are not very believable due to their predicaments. Which brings me to the story. The supernatural takes overwhelming precedent as the series progresses and leaves a taste of incredulity in my mouth and by the end, nothing is shocking or even really matters. Finally, the show ,being only 13 episodes long, feels condensed, especially since it has to rush to make up for a slow starting pace.

Final Verdict

After all that criticism, you would probably assume my rating for the series would be poor. You would be wrong. I've spent my review describing why it falls short to its predecessor, and it does. However, if you take it on its own, the series is pretty decent. The story is rich and leaves no loose ends. The big budget animation is among the best you'll get in a series and while you may feel the plot borrows a lot from Kanon, if you hadn't see Kanon, you would find the story creative and refreshing.

Sure Sola is a poor man's Kanon. But the comparisons could have been drawn to a lot worse

8.1/10

Sci-fi Harry - Completed Review

2007-06-25T19:11:00.000-04:00

What is it?

Harry is an unsocial, unpopular, awkward teenager who one day discovers that he has special psychic powers. Encouraged by his classmate, he tries developing his skills. When his powers are made public, various groups come after Harry for different motives and soon, the police realize his existence is part of a massive conspiracy.

What's good about it?

The strength of this show is its plot and character development. The character designs were kind of annoying at first, but I got to liking them towards the end. Still, they are not flattering and none of the characters looks really attractive. The animation is good, so is the soundtrack. The best part of the show is the unraveling of the conspiracy, which the plot is based on.

What's bad about it?

Though the character's are well developed, I didn't necessarily find a lot of them likeable. Besides Chinori and maybe the detective, I really didn't care for any of the other main characters (Harry, Catherine, John). Harry in particular was often frustrating. He is ALWAYS undeciding, nervous, scared and uncool, though this is partly corrected towards the end. Also, the series is set in America. That might give it an exotic feel for Japanese viewers, but I found the setting unconvincing as a Westerner.

Final Verdict

Overall, the series was still pretty good. At 20 episodes, the plot moved nicely throughout and there was no filler episodes. The ending was so-so, but it doesn't leave you hanging and everything pretty much gets resolved. Worth a watch.

7.8/10

A Quick Announcement

2007-06-19T21:30:00.000-04:00

I will be picking up Dennou Coil so look forward to my first impression shortly. Also, I've just finished watching Sci-fi Harry so you can expect a full review of that series too.

Seirei no Moribito - Initial Impressions

2007-06-19T16:00:00.000-04:00

Here is the general plot in a nutshell. A female spearwielding bodyguard is hired by the prince's mother to smuggle him to safety. He is being targeted by his father, the Emperor, because he is incubating a water spirit that will bring about a drought if he is allowed to hatch. Now, the prince must hide his royal upbringing and comingle with the commoner's while he continues to be searched for by his pursuers.

I've watched about 10 episodes of this. The first 5 or so of those featured some insane fighting scenes and political development. The show has since shifted however, and now we find the young prince trying to start a different life, of course this isn't nearly as entertaining. Probably, fighting will once again make some appearances, just not as frequently as in the beginning. Still, this show has a lot going for it. Firstly, the animation is some of the best I have ever seen for a series. The show features breathtaking landscape settings and great attention to detail. A+. Also, the character designs, which I found a little annoying at first, have really started to grow on me and now I appreciate them. Speaking of characters, Balsa (the female bodyguard) is a kickass one. She could make the show good on her own. I'm looking forward to some more of her in the episodes to come.

Anime Roundup - June '07

2007-06-19T15:33:00.000-04:00

I'd say I have a number of shows I am following very intently and not much else right now. Presently, I'm watching about as little anyway as I have in the last few years. Just can't bring myself for some reason. Anyways, the exceptions are currently: lucky star, hayate no Gotoku, seirei no moribito(I'll be reviewing it shortly), one piece (never get tired of it), lovely complex, death note(which is almost over), Major, Seto no Hanayome. I've also started watching Overdrive again this week thanks to Mendoi Fansubs picking up the series. There are more but I can't think of them at this moment.

The latest One Piece arc came to an ending in the last few episodes and is currently transitioning towards the next one. Of course, whenever an arc ends in one piece, there is a certain trepidation over whether the next arc will be a filler one or not. Right now, the manga isn't even halfway through (as far as I can tell) the zombie Island arc, so I wouldn't be surprised to see some filler before the anime starts that arc. The next few episodes are likely to be boring Cody reunion/flashback episodes so I'm not really looking forward to it.

Lucky Star, while still very entertaining, is not as fresh as it was during the first airings. It is somewhat repetitive material and the responses are fast becoming predictable. Still, the characters are still adorable and the subject matter is still up any otaku's alley so I'm not likely to stop watching, or enjoying, Lucky Star anytime soon.

Death Note is only a few episodes away from concluding. Since I haven't read the manga, the conclusion will come to a surprise to me. Since it's starting to look like Light will be caught, or killed soon, I'm hoping it won't come to that. Despite pretty much everyone knowing he's Kira, I'm still holding out on him once again rising up above everyone, especially since I don't like Mellow and Near. I really liked the L/Light rivalry throughout the first part of the show and since L died I haven't enjoyed the series as much though I'll still be satisfied if Light gets away in the end. I'm pulling for the bad guy.

Well I've got a few reviews to do, so I'll leave it at that for now.

This is a shot of Konata(Lucky Star) fanning herself during a hot day. Priceless.

Lovely Complex - Initial Impressions

2007-06-10T21:55:00.000-04:00

I've zoomed through the first 8 or 9 episodes of this school romance series and so far it has been quite enjoyable. The plot takes a while to lift off. First, the two leads try to help each at getting someone else. When that falls through, characters from both their pasts come along and create some tension between them, but they never feel like real threats to their budding romance so you kinda start to wonder when the writers will stop with the jabs and get going for real. Despite the fact that the writers seem to test the waters for the first part of the show, the wait is still very enjoyable and there is some definite character buildup. Frankly, I'm more comfortable with getting to know the situation and relationships before the sparks start flying.

The two lead characters are very much alike (despite the discrepency in stature) and are funny and both very much likeable protaganists. They are surrounded by 2 other couples so they are somewhat forced together a lot. They have been friends/rivals for a long time so their feelings are somewhat mixed about getting into a more serious relationship that could jeopardize their friendship. Of course, this leads to some delicious angst for all of us to feast on.

Many of you know I'm a sap for school romance animes so it might feel like I'm praising the genre more than the show itself. While that might be partly the case, Lovely Complex is shaping up as one of the better shows of the genre. Better than Bokura no Iga, which I reviewed last year ,though that started strong too. It also feels lighter in tone and has the fact that it's damn funny going for it to. I'm looking forward to the rest of it!

Review Overhaul

2007-05-30T00:02:00.000-04:00

I haven't been able to bring myself to keep updating the current shows I've been watching. In a few cases, I've stopped watching a show altogether (Heroic Age). Others, I have followed very closely (mostly lighter fare like Lucky Star, Seto no hanayome) but since these are mostly episodic by nature I don't feel inclined to review a plotless show. So what I will do is give you:
1- A first impression of different series (like those I have done so far)
2- A detailed review of the series once it ends (or the season ends). I mostly do this only for series I have watched but not talked about on this blog.
3-A weekly post of observations on the shows I follow that I wish to comment on.

The weekly post will cover plot development in story heavy series while commenting on trends I notice of the series I am watching.

Now the summer season has begun so I will be adding a few series to my plate:

Ookiku Furikabutte - looks to be a classic sports anime (in this case baseball)
Lovely Complex- school romance

Please look watch them - if that is what I instruct you upon having watched them myself.

Update: Reviews

2007-05-15T01:05:00.000-04:00

Well, I suppose it's been a little while since my last review but I should be adding a handful in the next few days. So far, I like how the new reviews are coming around. Still I feel there's so room for improvement. I've considered going back to my old method of releasing one post a week commenting on all the shows I'm following, since I feel this new method makes me write a summary each time before I can comment, which is what I LIKE doing. For now I'll just stick with this system and scale back on the summarizing.

Here's some non-anime news your way. Those of you who know me know I bore you all to tears with my intense, raving adoration for the late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Well a two-disk compilation of unreleased recording called NEW MOON was released by KILL ROCK STARS a week ago and it owns! Get it now!

Well, since I'm here I might as well review something. Hmmm...OK!

History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi:

What is it? Comedy about a weakling student who goes to train at a dojo of over-dedicated martial artists while being targeted by a notorious gang of martial artists.

What's good about it? Much of the supporting cast are funny character's like most of the Dojo lodgers, Kenichi's parents (who we don't see enough) and the busty blonde female lead, Myu.

What's bad about it? Kenichi is always whining about training or being a coward. Too many filler episodes- like going to the beach episode or worried teacher visits crazy dojo episode.

I don't have a really positive outlook on this series yet I'm still watching it at episode 20 so read into that what you will. The series isn't finished but I feel comfortable grading it at this point.

7.0/10

Seto No Hanayome 1-3

2007-05-03T19:38:00.000-04:00

Yes, since I feel I don't have enough on my plate I'm picking up another series. Let's see how long this bout of initiative lasts.

Nagasumi is swimming in the ocean while on summer vacation and gets a leg cramp and starts drowning. However, he is saved by a KAWAII mermaid just before he passes out. He then learns that since the mermaid revealed herself in order to save him. He must marry her or die. After a series of events, he decides to accept the proposal (DUH). There is one hitch however. San-chan (mermaid's name) is from a Yakuza family under the sea and practically none of her family approve of the match. So while, San ands Nagasumi try to better know each other, Nagasumi keeps trying to evade attempts on his life.

While the premise is a little out there, this series is actually quite funny. Many of the side characters (Nagasumi's parent's, Masa, Maki) really shine while some are tired stereotypes (mainly San's Dad). I also think it's funny how they can incorporate a shark in scenes where they are on land. Go figure. It seems the setting of the show is changing since summer vacation is over, so it will be interesting to see how well the transition is made and if the introduction of new characters that is sure to follow will be as interesting. Let's stay tuned.

Heroic Age 4-5

2007-05-03T19:15:00.000-04:00

AGE meets another Nodos and the two go at it. Meanwhile a huge battle takes place next to them. They fight to a standstill (the Nodos that is, the insects are destroyed by AGE) and everyone heads home.

Sorry for the less than enthusiastic summary there but I'm just not feeling this series right now. I can't put my finger on what's missing but I can't seem to get myself into it. The production values are there, so are the cool battles and mechas. Maybe it's the characters. I just don't care for any of the characters. The enemy nodos are boring, even the good guys aren't really interesting. Plus they fight insect minions that you never really feel are a threat. Maybe I don't care for the fact that the Nodos are just so insanely strong, like there's no parameters to follow. Maybe the whole mood is kinda dry and sterile and conversation is very empty. I'm just not feeling this right now. Oh well, maybe it'll get better.

Moonlight Mile 3-6

2007-04-30T00:27:00.000-04:00

After saving a coworker/buddy by relaying him a crazy rescue plan, Goro is selected as a crewmember of the first Japanese shuttle launch. His hopes are dashed however, when a test launch blows the engine. That launch being indefinitely delayed, Goro signs up for a Russian launch of a shuttle that has had problems in the past. Nevertheless, all goes according to plan and Goro is dropped off at the International Space Spation and becomes one of it's newest members. Still, he longs to be part of a voyage to the moon.

After surviving through a tough spell in the desert, Lostman is finally chosen to become a shuttle pilot in the ISA, though he finds himself frustrated with his slow progress. Still, he keeps impressing his superiors, while keeping tabs on Goro's progress.

I've really enjoyed this series so far. The side characters are all interesting and unique. Sure the show oozes of Testosterone, what with Goro and Lostman continously getting laid by various women and the huge amount of bravado stunts they pull, but that's part of the fun. The show is still pretty focused on Goro's path so far, having devoted only one episode to Lostman (along with brief appearances in the other episodes), so we get the idea that Goro will be our main protaganist throughout.

Goro(middle) at the ISS

Overdrive 1-3

2007-04-29T23:01:00.000-04:00

So far this show is pretty boring. It's the story of a student (forget his name) who has always had a crush on his classmate Fukazawa. She is a member of the cycling club so he decides to join, but since he doesn't even know how to ride a bike, she has to go through all the basics with him.

Character development is prominent so far, yet flawed in many ways. The main character (let's call him Goro) seems inconsistent in his actions, so its hard to decide what kind of person he is. I also don't get why Fukazawa is wasting her time with such an awkward, spineless bumbling spaz. From the opening scene in episode 1, it's clear Shinozaki (I just remembered his name) later goes on to lead the Tour de France. But right now, it's hard to see what his redeeming features are.

Hopefully, this anime will profit from a change of focus when they start concentrating on the bike racing instead of the character development, which is just not working for me.

Lucky Star 1-3

2007-04-26T01:32:00.000-04:00

Wow! Easily my favorite show of a great anime season. It starts out with possibly the best OP ever. The show is basically a bunch of high school girls chatting and playing games and stuff. Kinda like Azumanga Daioh, except edgier. Some of the jokes are hit and miss but the pace is so fast you are kept in the flow and never lose interest. What is also great is the subject matter: manga, anime, video games - much of it initiated by the star character Konata, female otoku. For example, in episode three, both Sakigake! Cromartie High and Pani Poni Dash are referenced and ED, a different karaoke song sung by one of the girls each episode, is a rendition of the ED from FMP ~Fumoffu~ by Konata-chan. Definitely a must see in my book, so watch it! NOW!!!

Claymore 1-4

2007-04-26T00:51:00.000-04:00

Claymore is your basic generic shounen anime except with a female lead, which is definitely a plus. Anyways, Claymores are half-demon, half-human mercenaries that kill full demons by request, oh and Claymores are all girls. They are still generally feared and hated by the public though. Anyways, this chronicles Clare & her cook/sidekick, Raki. Both characters aren't very endearing(Raki is downright annoying), but the animation is nice and the fight scenes are decent so this gets a passing grade from me.

By the end of episode four, Raki somehow stops Clare from becoming a Youma(btw Youma are demons), a fate that is inevitable to Claymores, thus removing the need for her to kill herself and make this a very short series. What was that all about? If they don't explain the phenomenon, or if the reason she was able to revert is because he opened her heart or some corny trash like that, I will feel extremely disguted and will quickly be reduced to moking this series on a weekly basis. For now though, I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt.

A scene where Clare almost chops Raki's head off

Moonlight Mile 1-2

2007-04-25T16:35:00.000-04:00

Two mountain climbers buddies, an American nicknamed "Lostman" and a Japanese guy named Goro, have conquered all the major mountains and have now decided to become astronauts. As luck would have it, a superpotent energy source has just been discovered on the moon so the space industry is in a boom. Lostman becomes a navy pilot in the hope of becoming a shuttle pilot while Goro joins a construction company that is subsequently awarded a contract on the moon. After showing off his skills in the company for a few years, Goro is given the spot on the moon construction mission. Meanwhile, countries in the middle-east, realizing their oil will soon be obsolete, prepare to launch a last-ditch war in the Persian Gulf, which is where Lostman's unit is presently located.

This series is much better than I expected. Character development is very well done and the supporting cast is interesting in itself. So far the story has been almost exclusively centered around Goro, so I'm wondering if, now that Goro has been selected to go to space, the focus is shifted to his American counterpart, or if the show will continue to follow Goro and leave Lostman's progress a mystery until later when they meet again. I'm looking forward to future episodes!

Gigantic Formula 1-3

2007-04-25T16:18:00.000-04:00

Different countries begin to duel each other in mechas. The losing countries must help the winner as they try to conquer the world. This is all done to appease the wrath of those mechas and prevent a second apocalypse incident. Anyways, our story follows the Japanese country's 13 year old mecha pilot and his translator (She conveys the will of the mecha. I think the mecha's name is Shusano). The anime starts off with the Chinese mecha attacking Japan. Japan nevertheless wins the duel and China is forced to join Japan. Episode 3 ends with Russia, intimidated by the Japan-China alliance, challenging Japan to a duel.

So far, this show has been pretty decent. The focus has been almost entirely on the politics and history of mecha duels so far, so hopefully the character development and actual action start to pick up in the next few episodes. Kinda wondering if the pilot has a thing for the translator(who appears to be slightly older than him) or if it was just an initial infatuation.

Nagasarete Airantou 1-3

2007-04-24T00:52:00.000-04:00

Classic Harem setting involving a guy getting stranded onto a isolated island populated a only women. Every woman on the island is interested in getting him to marry them, and since they are insanely strong, he is at the mercy of their whims. For some reason, the women all seem to be trained as ninjas. This is pretty brainless writing in terms of a story. I'll probably only include my observations as we go along because there is no story at all here to update.

This is it for tonight, I may add a few more reviews in the next few days. If not, see you next week.

Sola 1-3

2007-04-24T00:29:00.000-04:00

Sola is a slice of life anime that is eerily similar to Kanon (2006), a great show itself. So far the show revolves around a guy who likes to photograph the sky (lame). He meets a mysterious girl one day and eventually learns she is some kind of immortal nightwalking entity. He decides to hide her in his house (he has no parents) since some equally mysterious goatee guy is trying to kill her. Meanwhile, our lead male has a depressing little sister living in the hospital an a childhood friend who comes to cook his meals and walk to school with as the other mean characters in this show. So far, the show has been kind of disappointing. The story is moving very slowly and the characters have been kind of bland. Still, I'm expecting the show to pick up and predict it might be a must-see by the time it's over.

I'll take this opportunity to review Kanon (2006) which, for some reason, I neglected to do a month or so ago when I watched it.

Kanon (2006)- Slice of life drama. Features several story arcs featuring the lead male and different girls in a small winter town. Characters are interesting, features great dialogue and intriguing supernatural elements. A must see. 9.2/10

Scene from Kanon, featuring some of the main characters.

Heroic Age 1-3

2007-04-24T00:11:00.000-04:00

Heroic Age is a space mecha, though the story is a little out there. The universe is made up of different tribes, vying for universal supremecy. Unlike other shows like this, there isn't a "War is Hell" message behind the story. Every tribe is voluntarily participating in this contest of strength, answering the challenge of a superior golden tribe that has since left the galaxy. Anyway, our story follows the Human tribe which is considered the weakest of the main players. The tribe finds their God-warrior, one of the five remnants of the Hero tribe, which has the control over a mecha like creature. The other 4 heros are all part of the frontrunning silver tribe. The humans' hero, Age, has lived a life of solitude on an unoccupied planet and has no experience socializing with other humans. The first three episodes pretty much involve the crew of a human ship trying to tame his wild ways between him kicking the ass of enemy minions. By the end of episode 3, it is clear the other 4 heros are planning how to attack him so we can expect some hero vs. hero action in the coming weeks.

Well, it's been a week

2007-04-24T00:05:00.000-04:00

I can honestly say I've watched most episodes of all the series mentionned previously. After watching them, I've decided that instead of 1 blog a week updating you on every show, I would review a batch of episodes of a particular show. So every week I will review 3 episodes of 3 different shows in seperate posts. The next week, I would review 3 episodes of some other shows and so on. I put in 3 episodes per post but that figure is likely to be arbitrary based on story arcs and my mood, mostly my mood. Here goes nothing!

An uncharacteristicely ambitious plan

2007-04-16T23:57:00.000-04:00

Hello anime-lovers,

I've just decided I'll switch back to a more week by week review of ongoing shows I'll attempt to take on a very large number of new shows which include : Hayate no Gotoku!, Heroic Age, Hidamari Sketch!, Gigantic Formula, Lucky star, Manabi Straight!, Moonlight Mile, Nagarasete Airantou, Nodame Cantabile, Overdrive, Romeo x Juliet, Sola, Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpuchou Tou and the OVA Murder Princess.

Now I know what you're all thinking, "you can barely manage a post a month, you really expect us to believe you actually think you can manage a weekly review of over a dozen new shows. You must really think we're fucking guilible retards."

Well, while I'll admit straight up it will be hard for me to manage a consistent weekly post, my laziness concerning this blog should in no way be misinterpreted as a deficiency in the amount of anime I watch. I'll tell you right now, I watch more anime than you or anyone you know. There you go. Plus, some of those series are likely to be dropped or delayed by fansub groups or I might find some of those series unwatchable- which I would convey to you to hilarious results- and drop them myself. That should weed out a few of those titles and hopefully make this a manageable task.

I'll try watching some episodes of ALL those series this week and get back to you with some idea of how this project will look like next week.

'Til next time, this was Fefifofum, you fucking guilible retards.

Let's keep the reviews rolling...

2007-04-15T23:05:00.000-04:00

Erementar Gerad- A story about humans and power-possessing beings that merge with them to form contracts. Characters range from boring to annoying and the story is so bland a spider on the wall is more entertaining. 5.0/10

Ghost hunt - A band of supernatural investigators perform a gambit of missions which include battling ghosts and destroying curses. Characters include a shrine priestess, a buddhist monk, a catholic priest and a psychic but the protagonists are a high school girl and a narcissistic genius (appropriatly nicknamed "Naru"). Lots of fun with some interesting cases. One of the best shows of last season. 9.0/10

Ouran Host Club- Solid comedy about a club of high school hosts that fall for a female student that they force to cross-dress so that she can join their club. She learns about the difficulties of the elite while they learn about instant coffee. Great cast of characters. 8.5/10

Busou Renkin- Warriors imbued with the power of alchemy battle monsters also imbued with those same powers. An above-par fighting anime that was funnier than expected on the occasions it cared to attempt some humor. 7.5/10

There will be more next week as I try to ressurrect the Top Ten. Stay tuned!

P.S. For those of you that care, I like Detroit, Dallas, Anaheim, Nashville, Buffalo, Ottawa, Tampa Bay and New York's (Rangers) chances of advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. BTW, that's hockey, for those of you forming the ignorant masses.

Those of you who thought this blog was dead are only partly right

2007-04-04T14:48:00.000-04:00

Though I haven't given up on this blog yet, many may believe the amount of new posts I input do not warrant me calling this an active blog. To those people I say : you are absolutely right. So lets move on.

I'm so insanely far behind in my reviews that I'll forget about the top ten for now and give you one liner reviews with a 1 to 10 rating.

Pani Poni Dash- If Azumanga Daioh and Cromartie High had a love child, on acid, this would be it. Crazy random alien fueled schoolgirl comedy that is well worth the ride, even if you don't get three quarters of the japanese pop culture references (and you won't!). 9.0/10

The Mars Daybreak- Cool protaganist character in a futuristic underwater mecha adventure. Slightly annoying supporting characters but a decent story with a cop-out ending. 8.0/10

Major (Seasons 1 through 3)- MVP baseball prodigy chooses the road less traveled amd thus creates major challenges for himself. Classic sports themed anime, you either hate it or love it. I love it. 8.0/10

Black Blood Brothers- Vampire brothers travel to a tension-filled city and try to prevent a vampire terrorist attack. Features lots of flashbacks and backstory into a way too condensed 12 episode series. Wasn't any good anyways. 6.0/10

Texhnolyze- Futuristic grim setting, with a deranged artificial-limbs imbued antihero. Mafia ruled city is faced with warring factions and backroom brokers trying to take advantage of the situation. Cool at times, lame at others. 7.5/10

Vandread (Seasons one and two)- Incredibly annoying stereotypes battle evil in a spaceship with mecha fighters. Really lame and unnecessary. 4.5/10

I'll leave the rest till next time. Keep watching!

Top Ten Anime of All Time (Compromise)

2007-02-07T22:26:00.000-05:00

I know its been a while so I'll get straight to business. I had plans to make the Top Ten Anime a well researched and detailed process but I have nowhere near enough willpower to take on such a project and the longer I wait, the less I feel like doing it. So I'll give you ONE reason why you should watch, ONE reason why I loved it and ONE flaw I've found with the series and we'll see how many I can do in one sitting.

#10 FLCL: I loved it because: It was one of my first attempts at fansubbed anime and for that I will always cherish it.
You may be turned off by: The sometimes grainy and raw animation. The pace is sometimes too fast and it is short at 6 episodes.
You will love it because: It is an exciting, futuristic, creative, high-octane adventure on crack.

#9 Samurai Shamploo: I loved it because: It is a hip-hop infused edo-period samurai tale with interesting characters.
You may be turned off by: The fact that it doesn't compare to it's predecessor (cowboy bebop) and the female lead can be annoying at times.
You will love it because: It features kick-ass sword fights, kick-ass vilains and some pretty kick-ass cinematography. All around kick-ass series. Kick-ass.

Well I'm bushed right now so we'll leave the top ten at that for today. Since last couple of seasons have been below average fare, I've been watching some series from a couple of years back. Mainly I've watched Pani Poni Dash!, Texhnolyze, The Mars Daybreak, Vandread andThe Third. (Yes, my neglect of this blog does not mean I've neglected my anime). I'll start my reviews for those next time so stay tuned. Also, I've noticed I haven't made a post on my other blog in almost four months so I am dissolving it effective immediately. The only way this will affect this blog is that you will now be subject to any non-anime related post I may whimsically throw at you. Fear not, if my other blog is any indication, those are far and few between. Till next time,

Fefifofum

2007 already feels like a year to forget. I think 2009 will be the money year.

2007-01-03T00:50:00.000-05:00

Welcome back, laughably small group of loyal followers. If you feel it's been a while and that I must have been lazy (which would be right), keep in mind that fansub groups also tend to take it easy this time of the year, which would have left me with little material. That could be considered a copout though.

Anyways, lets start with the finale of what were my 2 favorite currently airing series (sob). Heading into the final stretch with our female lead on her way towards a breakdown. At their final session, Misaki tries to entice Satou into a relationship of convenience where they would promise to never leave each other. Satou is suitably freaked out and runs away, breaking off their relationship. When he gets back home, Satou finds out his parents are cutting him off and he eventually must drive himself to work to live, which he eventually does. Misaki, always the ardent observer, comes to the conclusion that even a loser hikokomori like Satou doesn't need her and she attempts suicide which she fails. This finally culminates to a dramatic cliffside final episode where the characters come to a mutual understanding, of sorts.

I personally loved the final arc. It featured a ton of philosophy about the human condition, God and society. It had tons of character development on both sides, especially Misaki, who had been partly veiled in mystery until now. It featured the kind of conclusion I love, where the future isn't spelt out but the characters cannot return to the condition they had until now live, because they have changed and too much has happened and been said to be able to return to formalities.
Though this may not be obvious since the show ends with the familiar scene of Misaki cooking Satou a meal, it cannot mean what it once did. Misaki can longer consider Satou as her patient and though no agreement is verbally reached, the relationship must be considered as one must less platonic as the former. All in all, a great series, with funny episodes and memorable characters. 10/10

Black Lagoon ended on what I consider an anticlimatic note. Though the final episode featured a showdown between Revy and the sword-totting mafioso, it left me wanting more. More of a confrontation with Balalaika, more relationship development between our main duo and more of a high paced, destruction filled killzone. Though, the series leaves the door wide open to a third season that could fulfill some of these elements that I found lacking, I won't be holding my breath since it seems, the writers are weary of messing with the current situation. Still a great series driven by its fun characters. 8.5/10 (Black Lagoon season 1 : 9.5/10)

Now that these series have ended, you would think I would pick up some new ones. However, that is not currently the case. I rarely follow a series when it first starts because I dislike following it on a week to week basis because I tend to forget some details from previous episodes, which makes attachment difficult. I will almost always wait till the series is at least halfway through before watching it. That way I can watch many episodes in sucession and make a better analysis of its characters and plot development.

One example of this Akagi, a series I downloaded in a batch and watched in its entirety during the holidays. Anyways, the series features a Mahjong playing genius who plays Yakuza Reps for money and a challenge. The series was ok, and I wont delve very much into it. The main character was too perfect for my taste, never making a wrong move and always being the tricking others, without ever losing his cool. Where's the suspence in that?

Well, I'm kind of tired so I'll leave it at that for now and update the other series next time. Expect additional posts soon.

The final stretch...

2006-12-10T21:21:00.000-05:00

A number of shows are nearing their conclusions, so let's focus in on them for the moment:

Welcome to the NHK is developing its final arc with a more narrowed look into Misaki. We get more insight into why she feels she needs to support Satou. Her necessity to feel useful is what is charging her tutelage of our protaganist. As she believes he no longer needs her, she is nearing a breakdown of sorts. Meanwhile, Satou feels the Kaoru departure and his high school sempai's nearing marriage is significantly isolating him and he worries that Misaki's tantrems are a sign his hikokomori lifestyle has caught back up with him. At this point, Misaki and Satou are the only two characters left dangling out there so a permanent relationship of sorts seems in the works. But I've been wrong before.

After a slow start to their season with average fare plotlines, the current Black Lagoon arc(and what seems like the last one) is shaping into possibly the best one so far, first season included. It is happening in Rock's homecountry of Japan and features just two of the crew members, the always entertaining Rock and Levy duet. Rock is hired as a translator by Rapongi's Russian Mob Queen Balalaika as she tries to cut into the Yakuza pie. As a mob war breaks out in Tokyo, Rock and his bodyguard, Revy, appear headed on a epic conflict with a sword wielding exterminator, loyal only to his clan's teenage heiress. This is averted, however, when our protaganists team up with the samurai to recover this clan leader. Now, an even more epic battle seems in the works between our heroes and the ruthless Balalaika. I'm drooling already.

Finally, Bokura ga ita is also in the final stretch. I have to admit, this series, which I was hooked on at first, has seen my patience wane with it's patheticly unchanging situations and lack of believability when it comes to perceived threats to the main couple's relationship. It appears that both our heroes are now facing their last trial with suitor's appearing for both Yano and his female counterpart. Apparently, Take is now serious about making a move. YAWN. I can already see him resigning himself to the good guy role yet again. 'nough said!

Inukami looks like it has set up Kaoru as the bad guy that the series will set on. Truckloads of angst and selfdoubt are certainties in the final stretch.

Elsewhere, I cant bring myself to watch Bleach lately so im not going to force it. I'll stockpile the episodes and watch them all in one sitting when I'm in the mood.

Oh, Tokimeki Memorial has taken a turn for the better, after discovering I hate the main female character, Amamiya, I find myself rooting for the clumsy, stubborn, volleyball player, though I'm not opposed to a push from the outside by timid, busty, swimming team member. Both of these characters are making their moves while Amamiya is obviously confused about how she felt about the accidental confession. God I hope she becomes a lesbian so she can leave this love triangle.

Well, that's it, see you next week...maybe,...I'll try...but dont hold your breath...I mean... Sigh

Yes, I am still alive

2006-12-06T00:13:00.000-05:00

Do not fret, I have not yet departed for the great unknown. I have, to put it bluntly, let this blog go to shit so I will at least do some minimal updating on the shows I usually cover weekly. First off One Piece episodes have officially restarted, if you have been following the adc-elites fansubs. They had a sudden resignation from their then sole translator and when they came back had to go through a flurry of flashback episodes. The plot is now at the heart of the arc where each crew member finds themselves facing off against their respective opponents. For those of you unfamiliar with one piece or have brushed it off as childish, you are missing out on a true gem. Closing in on their 300th episode, One Piece remains entertaining despite being a tad formulaic and a slow pace(which is still at a faster pace than the manga). Anyways go to anidb or animenfo for a description if you haven't heard of this(have you been living in a cave).

Welcome to the NHK is still going strong heading into its last throes. After Satou and Kaoru finish their bishoujo h-game to little fanfare and Karou suddenly departs to unwillingly take over the family farm, our hero finds himself wondering what's to become of his life and dreadingliy believing he will sooner or later go back to his hikokomori lifestyle. All the while, Misaki is secretely doubting herself and wondering if she can really make a difference for Satou. The series finale is lining up very nicely, hopefully a significant breakthrough in Satou's life (possibly in the Satou-Misaki relationship) changes the oft-selfdelusional Satou to someone we believe will have a path to changing his life around. When the series end, Satou should have changed in a way that that chapter of his life ends too.

Bokura ga ita episodes have been slow coming, so slow actually that i'll leave the update till I get to watch another episode.

I have a backload of bleach episodes and a BL and Tokimeki episode downloaded amd that I expect to watch tonight so I'll probably get to those in the next few hours. If I'm too tired afterwards, I'll put off the reviews to God knows when, since I've given up up on setting timetables that I end up breaking anyways. Which brings me to the Top Ten Anime. I know I promised #10 3 weeks ago but I have hit some unexpected speed bumps in the process of writing. I'll need to at least watch 1 episode of those few series in the top ten I have only watched once because I seem to have a hazy memory of them, mostly names and the like. Anyways, I may release it very soon or way in the future. I won't even make a prediction. Status is officially listed as STALLED for this project.

Top Ten Anime Format

2006-11-14T00:45:00.000-05:00

After sitting down and trying to picture how I would write this project, I soon realized that trying to release this as one post would be excrutiatingly time consuming since I want to present each series in some detail surrounding characters, plot and presentation. Instead of releasing it as one post I will countdown to #1 by posting them in increments. This way I can build drama, anticipation and rivalry about my eventual top dog. Here are the rules I am putting in to limit my choices:

------> I will not include series that are still in production. Exceptions may be made to series that have been going on forever since I probably already have an accurate picture of what they entail.

------> Since I never watch dubbed anime, due to the fact that I abhor it and find Japanese voice acting infinitely better and more pleasant, I will obviously not take into account how bad or good the english dub is on any of these series.

------> The quality of the subbing or of the fansub release may differ from series to series and fangroup to fangroup. In light of this, I will not take the quality of the fansub into consideration when establishing rank. However, the overall impression a series leaves on me can be affected by the quality of its release or even the mood I was in when I watched it. I apologize in advance for any series that may have soured on me thru no fault of their own.

------> The positioning I assign to series is not meant to objectively rate anime. They are my favorite series TONIGHT and THAT I CAN REMEMBER. After watching hundreds of series some have left less of an impression on me despite being probably better than some of my selections. I wrote a list tonight and I will be faithful to it for the rest of the countdown for the sake of boundaries. Having said all that, I can guarantee that all the featured series were immensely enjoyable and you cannot go wrong by watching any of them.

Ok, so that's the format. Expect #10 to be posted in the next 48 hours. Start placing your bets!

For the sake of updating

2006-11-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

I guess a post is in order since it's been over a week. I guess I'll start with a series that I don't believed I've mentionned yet (mostly because of its slow releases by the mendoi and shinsen joint team), INUKAMI, probably because it's not very good. Anyway, it has no real plot, so it's a episode by episode type filler series. The whole idea is that inukami's are guardian dog-god-people who serve their masters to defeat evil spirits and the like. Well, it's a ecchi-comedy series, which is the only reason I would watch something with the preceding plot. Anyway, the story centers on a womanizing master who couldn't get an inukami to serve him until he falls upon a powerful, yet disobedient inukami.

Ok, now that the introduction is out of the way, I will probably never review this anime again unless it starts developing a plot. Because reviewing filler episodes is an exercise in pointlessness. I only mentioned it because I watched an episode for the first time since I started the blog and I thought I would let you see that I don't watch simply good to great series, but that I filter out a lot of my weeklies before regurgitating them back at you.

Anyways back to the regular fare, Black Lagoon had an above-average release this week, one that probably showed the most Rock so far (though that's not saying lots). Anyways, the episode showed our party having their harbour offices sieged by the island's diverse and entertaining band of bountyhunters/freaks. Expect a marine rescue by Dutch in the next episode because the Rock and Levy team looked cooked at this point. Literally.

Bokura ga ita had a pretty boring episode. It's kinda obvious they milked the whole reconciliation by trying to stretch it into a whole episode. However, our protaganists are now officially back together so let's see how the series culminates. I found this whole breakup arc knocked the series down a few pegs and the whole love triangle was a wasted attempt since we never felt their getting back together was not an eventuality. Hopefully the series will finally get over Yano's late girlfriend and the show can finish with something fresh, possibly by introducing a new character to genuinely threaten the relationship, or at least eliminate the serie's stagnant feel by progressing the relationship.

Welcome to the NHK progressed on the pyramid triangle plotline to hilarious results. After realizing he was tricked, Satou and his friends confronted the class pres, only to get more deeply involved in the scheme. A second confrontation at the old classmate's home lets us discover she is working to support herself and her brother, who is a hikokomori that makes Satou pale in comparison.

There was no release for Tokimeki Memorial this week (probably for the best) so wait till next week for more news on that series. If you have stopped watching bleach because of its slow pace it might be worth your wild to watch the last few episodes since they featured conclusive fights between the lesser known shinegami and their enemies. Naruto is still all filler, with no sign of letting up soon, so stay far away from this series, at least until part two begins, whenever that is.

About the top ten anime list, I can't say I've put more then the occasional thought into it, but I've got a few days off coming up so I'm hopeful I can have it done by next week's reviews, no promises though. Till next time, this was fefifofum. (I promise I'll never sign off like that again)

Two more episode reviews

2006-11-04T22:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the NHK hits back with a hilarious episode that begins with Satou meeting his old class president. To make a long story short, she screws him into getting involved in some pyramid scheme and now an already cash-straped Satou finds himself burdened with a huge debt. I can't wait to see how (or if) he gets himself out of this one.

Bokura ga ita also faired better than it has as of late, highlighted by a partial reconciliation between our couple. This episode probably featured more character development of Yano than any other one so far, which is good because the female lead is kind of a bore. Especially interesting to learn !!!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!!!! was that Yano was the illigitimate son of his mother and a married man, which partly explains his distrust of women.

Two better than expected episodes, lets hope it's a trend the rest of the week will follow.

By the by, I'm presently working on my top ten all time anime series so look forward and expect it to feature a healthy dose of school life anime series since I am particularly weak for them. ( If you haven't already noticed. Also, I'll try to feature more screenshots, I know I've been kind of lazy in that regard as of late.

This week in anime!

2006-11-02T00:56:00.002-05:00

Well this was not a particurlarly exciting week in anime. Two of my favorite shows Black Lagoon and Welcome to the NHK!, featured bland episodes though they both ended on cliffhangers. BL looks like it setting up a battle royal between the island's eccentric headhunters, so hopefully next week's episode will be enthralling. One thing about the new season I find grating is the overexposure of sister Eda while we have barely seen any of the BL crew besides Levy. I wish they would go back to their exciting boat chases and smuggling jobs.

Welcome to the NHK! ended with a call to our protaganist from his estranged class president after an episode of Satou reaching new levels of patheticness. Overall, I thought the MMORPG arc unoriginal and the Kaoru/Mia double identity contrived. Hopefully this new character will freshen up a great show.

After a surprisingly good first couple of shows, Tokimeki Memorial finally lived up to its low expectations with a boring o-bento related episode. After a start that was mostly interesting because of its off-the-wallness, TM goes with the most overused and irrelevant school romance anime mould theme, a o-bento related episode. On top of that, next episode looks to even top this one in ennuie with the introduction of a uber-boring character. This is what I get for getting optimistic about this series. Here's to hoping this series can be resuccitated with the promising upcoming sports-fest which is hopefully in the works sooner rather than later. The void left a month ago with the finale of the 2nd season of School Rumble is really felt when you watch a show like this.

Other than the new One Piece episodes are still running clip shows so that's pretty unwatchable at the moment. Well, let's pack it up for the week and hope for better in the future.

Portayal of a pathetic lifestyle, seen on acid!

2006-10-27T00:27:00.000-04:00

My weekly fix of WELCOME TO THE NHK! has been a welcome relief since the show's debut some odd 4 months ago. Definitely the funniest thing running this side of Jupiter, NHK follows the life of Sato Tatsuhiro, a 22 year old, unemployed, paranoid, college drop-out recluse, who is making weak attempts at taking back his life. Helping him are his high school underclassman kaoru, a self-delusional otaku, and neighborhood resident self-taught psychoanalyst, Misaki, whose motives remain hidden. Though this anime may only be accessible to those familiar with otaku culture ( Bishoujo games, MMORPGs, anime, Doujinshi), or at least with some knowledge of the current Japanese social situation, it is already a classic of the genre, a-la-GENSHIKEN. Sato, already an experienced shut-in, is given his first taste of the otaku lifestyle and his obsessive nature leaves no room for moderation. MisakiKaoru Sato (Obviously!)

School Romance Anime (ahhhhhhhh!)

2006-10-24T21:58:00.000-04:00

Bokura ga ita is probably the best school romance anime currently airing anime. After a strong start, the series has languished somewhat with a very slow-moving handful of episodes while the relationship is in limbo after a jealousy quicky dump by the female lead Nana. The following episodes feature Yano, the male lead, making weak attempts at getting her back, alternating between playing the proud guy and being a pathetic clingy whiner. His best friend Take has also developed a crush on Nana but the likelyhood of a love triangle is slim since Nana is still Yano-obsessed. It appears the riff has been healed but we are probably in for a couple of flashback episodes, which I personally abhor. Still, this is pretty good by Shoujo anime standards so I'm likely to keep following it.

Tokimeki Memorial: Only love has so far been pleasently surprising. The first two episodes have been fast-paced and wacky which is always a plus. I honestly expected this to be a borefest a-la-to heart 2 but so far the show is light with glimpses of funny. So far the characters look like there might be more to them then appearances might indicate so I'll be keeping an optimistic eye on this one and keep you in the loop on changes in tempo.

Welcome Welcome

2006-10-24T19:08:00.000-04:00

Well lets not waste time on formalities and jump right into the currently airing shows.

The top fansubbed anime currently airing is Black Lagoon subbed by Shinsen. After a superb first season that featured what was the best anime episode of the year (episode 7 Calm down,two men), BL season 2 is off to a strong start with a pair of rampaging creepy goth twin lovers as the vilains. The characterization is strong and the interactions between Rock and Revy alone make this anime a must watch.

(Characters, from left to right: Benny, Rock, Revy, Dutch)

I've got a bunch of other shows I want to mention but I am currently pressed for time. Stay tuned for Bokura ga ita and gintama reviews shortly.