This is a pretty straightforward Aesop’s Fables kind of story – a wealthy man learns to walk in the shoes of the less fortunate and sees the world in a whole new way. The premise is just that simple. It’s also a satisfying story that appeals to people across cultures and generations.

Kou Ichinomiya is a young man who has been groomed his whole life as the heir of a large corporation and even larger fortune. He has an entire philosophy and ambition wrapped around the belief that “made men” make themselves, never relying on anyone for anything. When he finds himself beholden to a homeless girl living under a bridge, he feels indebted and feels compelled to repay the favor by granting her request of living with her as a companion and lover. Whereupon, he learns that money doesn’t buy love. Yes, it’s such a simple and clichéd story, with a simple and clichéd protagonist.

However, about halfway through the second episode, I realized why this series is still so engaging and fun. Every single homeless person living under the bridge is a stereotypical character often seen in anime! There is the little girl with epic fighting skills (similar to any of the girls featured in Gunslinger Girl type shows), there is a mysterious girl of quiet virtue and understated sexiness (similar to Belldandy), there is a femme fatale women with crazy colored hair and a figure reminiscent of a Barbie doll (what anime doesn’t have one of that??), a weird looking “creature” passing at a normal human (again, how many time has anime fans scratched their head at that?), and even the main protagonist that is the “typical Japanese male thrust into a crazy situations” stereotype (Haruhi Suzumiya, anyone?).

The idea of mixing a regular guy with crazy characters is definitely not new in anime, it’s about as original as the overall premise. An easy prediction would be that he learns about the error in his ways and becomes a sage wise person through his journey with these characters. However, this journey isn’t boring as long as this particular series has a creative reimagining. In the case of Arakawa, there is definitely something unique. Let’s be honest, we’ve all wondered from time to time if some of these anime stereotypes could even function in the real world, and have wondered what it would be like if these characters really existed. Apparently, we now have at least one possible answer… all these characters would wind up homeless in Arakawa, living under a bridge, teaching life lessons to the “real” people.

-S.G.

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Steelbound here …

One of the growing disconnects between general American anime fans and the more hardcore American anime fans/Japanese anime fans is  an exposure to and appreciation of Akiyuki Shinbou, the animation studio Shaft and the types of series that they do.  I knew, therefore, that I had to pick something of his for my sister, S.G., to watch. I wanted to choose an anime that was easier to pick up – not Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei – featuring a more toned down Shaft-being-Shaft feel to it – once again not Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei but something that she’d like – Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei might have worked but it already had two strikes.

I’m hoping she likes the rest of series (if I can convince her to finish watching it) because there’s several series of Shinbou/Shaft that I want to spring on her. 

Filed under: anime, first impressions

This is a pretty straightforward Aesop’s Fables kind of story – a wealthy man learns to walk in the shoes of the less fortunate and sees the world in a whole new way. The premise is just that simple. It’s also a satisfying story that appeals to people across cultures and generations.

Kou Ichinomiya is a young man who has been groomed his whole life as the heir of a large corporation and even larger fortune. He has an entire philosophy and ambition wrapped around the belief that “made men” make themselves, never relying on anyone for anything. When he finds himself beholden to a homeless girl living under a bridge, he feels indebted and feels compelled to repay the favor by granting her request of living with her as a companion and lover. Whereupon, he learns that money doesn’t buy love. Yes, it’s such a simple and clichéd story, with a simple and clichéd protagonist.

However, about halfway through the second episode, I realized why this series is still so engaging and fun. Every single homeless person living under the bridge is a stereotypical character often seen in anime! There is the little girl with epic fighting skills (similar to any of the girls featured in Gunslinger Girl type shows), there is a mysterious girl of quiet virtue and understated sexiness (similar to Belldandy), there is a femme fatale women with crazy colored hair and a figure reminiscent of a Barbie doll (what anime doesn’t have one of that??), a weird looking “creature” passing at a normal human (again, how many time has anime fans scratched their head at that?), and even the main protagonist that is the “typical Japanese male thrust into a crazy situations” stereotype (Haruhi Suzumiya, anyone?).

The idea of mixing a regular guy with crazy characters is definitely not new in anime, it’s about as original as the overall premise. An easy prediction would be that he learns about the error in his ways and becomes a sage wise person through his journey with these characters. However, this journey isn’t boring as long as this particular series has a creative reimagining. In the case of Arakawa, there is definitely something unique. Let’s be honest, we’ve all wondered from time to time if some of these anime stereotypes could even function in the real world, and have wondered what it would be like if these characters really existed. Apparently, we now have at least one possible answer… all these characters would wind up homeless in Arakawa, living under a bridge, teaching life lessons to the “real” people.

-S.G.

————

Steelbound here …

One of the growing disconnects between general American anime fans and the more hardcore American anime fans/Japanese anime fans is  an exposure to and appreciation of Akiyuki Shinbou, the animation studio Shaft and the types of series that they do.  I knew, therefore, that I had to pick something of his for my sister, S.G., to watch. I wanted to choose an anime that was easier to pick up – not Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei – featuring a more toned down Shaft-being-Shaft feel to it – once again not Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei but something that she’d like – Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei might have worked but it already had two strikes.

I’m hoping she likes the rest of series (if I can convince her to finish watching it) because there’s several series of Shinbou/Shaft that I want to spring on her. 

Filed under: anime, first impressions

During the dreary times of year that is winter in NE Ohio, my one younger sister (henceforth to be known as S.G.) gets bored because she can’t kayak, hike and do other outside stuff. This last winter I had a brilliant idea – see if she’d write some guest posts for my anime blog. She was agreeable to doing so and to my idea for her writings; namely, as a more standard general American anime fan – dub-preferring, DVD-preferring and one who doesn’t read anime blogs or anime forums – what she would think of anime shows that don’t normally get licensed in America (or if they are, it’s an obscure treatment that dubless). I picked several anime that I thought she’d like and gave her four episodes to watch at first and the rest of the series if she wanted to finish.

Of course, right after this RL stuff came up and she was no longer bored and only finished a few pieces and the intro that’s below. I held onto these for the last couple of months waiting for the perfect time to publish them and also to see if she’d write some more. (After-all, one of my aims is to bring her to the dark side .)  I missed the “perfect” time which was when I recently was on vacation for a week and she’s probably too busy now to watch and write until next winter – unless, maybe, she gets lots of nice comments about her posts and gets inspired  . As mentioned, below is an introduction that I asked her to write about herself and I plan to have her first impressions post up within the day.

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Guest Writer: S.G.

S.G. is an anime fan with a background in literature. Unlike the standard anime blog writer, S.G.’s anime history is only moderately long (approximately 8 years) and is comprised solely of a dubbed American-released anime, both modern and classic. Instead, S.G.’s point of review focuses around academic concepts of storytelling and writing. She’s done extensive research and writing on graphic novels as literature, and is particularly interested in how visual media impacts storytelling.

Her favorite anime includes: Rurouni Kenshin, Cowboy Bebop, Berserk, Samurai 7, Azumanga Daioh, and Fullmetal Alchemist (original and Brotherhood). Outside of anime, her favorite works of writing are “Beowulf”, the “Sin City” series by Frank Miller, and “On Walden Pond” by Henry David Thoreau. Favorite movies range from Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, and Dark Knight to guilty pleasures such as Transformers.

S.G. is looking forward to watch non-imported anime to learn more about Japanese pop culture and modern society. She can be contacted for comments or suggestions at sagartland@yahoo.com.

Filed under: anime, general anime interst, meta/office keeping

Completed a second route to Flyable Heart, this time following Sakurako’s story. Sakurako is the gentle and sickly type of character who is also a bit of an airhead. I wasn’t really aiming for her but things just led that way. I follow the story without reloading and choosing a different option should I not [...]

Every idea/plan that comes out of her mouth is complete rubbish and they all seem like they’ll backfire in some way, which would lower Kisuisou’s reputation. Why does that damn Enishi keeps calling her for advice!? Oh yeah, he wants to hit that. Idiot. But I will give a small itsy tiny bit of credit [...]

Oh, I see.

This past week has been another whirlwind of activity.  I had my final two finals, followed by my commencement ceremony on Saturday.  Pending a final review, I graduate summa cum laude (with highest praise) from university.  I also started work at my first real job, which has been going well.  Making the transition to a 40-hour+ work week isn’t the easiest thing in the world.  Fortunately, I’ve still had time for anime.  This week, I want to share highlights from Nichijou, Deadman Wonderland, and Sket Dance.

Nichijou – He Wrestled a WHAT!?

If you read any of the synopses at the beginning of the year, you might have noticed Nichijou made a few promises.  We’ve already seen the robot hiding a rollcake in her arm, thanks to Nano.  We still hadn’t seen the principal wrestling any deer though.  Well, Yuuko got front row seats to the big event, thanks to her penchant for never finishing her homework.

You could use this to make some statement about animal cruelty, but it would only make you a prude.  Let’s just face the facts.  The deer was an honorable opponent.  The principle of this school is a freaking beast.  The German suplex was beautiful.  Microsoft Word doesn’t think the word suplex exists.  Finally, Yuuko reporting all this as normal says an awful lot about the school and their tolerance for the bizarre.  It was a pretty satisfying sequence if I say so myself.

Deadman Wonderland – Tag!

It’s still hasn’t surpassed Mnemosyne, but Deadman Wonderland is a solid second for most brutal anime I’ve ever watched.  Yes, I have little tolerance for brutality, and I haven’t succeeded at watching an entire episode yet.  I hadn’t seen anything memorable in a “good” way, though, until this week’s episode.  Little Ganta really doesn’t want to die, and you know what they say about cornered cats…

He bled himself out pretty well just utilizing his power, and Senji’s furious assault leaves him broken.  His opponent shows a bit of mercy, but Ganta wants to win.  He drags himself up off the floor and switches things up with an indirect assault.  Senji quickly defends himself against the falling microphone, but the small gap is enough.  The kid quickly closes the distance and unleashes a focused attack at point-blank range.  He even targets the same area he injured the previous day.  With that, Ganta wins the award for tactic of the week.  In the end, Senji rather gruesomely loses an eye, but it means he can come back with a cool eye-patch!

Sket Dance – You Gotta Have Friends

I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but I love delinquent characters.  It gives the writers a lot of latitude to play with the character.  Sket Dance has been a rocky series up to this point.  Sometimes it presses all the right buttons, but other times I really wonder why I’m still watching the show.  Well, Momoka’s puppet show fell solidly in within the first group.

Many times, we view bullies as some sort of monster.  How dare they harm our friends or family!?  Some probably do it just for the sake of doing it.  On the other hand, you can’t forget they have feelings too.  When people shun you all the time, you can easily start to lash out at them.  Pushing people away is easier than bringing them close, after all.  The more you lash out, the more you increase that reputation.  Turning the tide around might seem like an impossible task.  I’m not saying bullies shouldn’t be punished.  I’m saying, rather than jump straight to the conclusion, maybe we should try to learn why they act they way they do.  I’m sure Momoka and her posse are glad they finally have a group of friends who accept them.  Their performance was glorious in my opinion.

Well, that about wraps it up for another week.  If you have any highlights you’d like to share, please feel free to do so in the comments or in a post of your own!

After stalling for who knows how long, I finally sat down and cleared Amane’s route. I started reading Flyable Heart a really long time ago, but stopped because of a stupid plot point that I hated to hell. Even now I’m not sure if it was worth continuing with her route. But I had to [...]

This series has spent the last two episodes building up a lot of important plot points, including the revelation that losing in the Financial District can change this world’s reality. However, the real interesting plot point from the past two episodes has been the expanded explanation regarding the activities of the Guild. While it certainly seems possible for Mikuni to control the financial district and save Japan’s economy at the same time on paper, in practice it seems as though it is only a matter time before his house of cards come tumbling down.

The whole concept of winning only by a small margin for the greater good certainly is does bring to mind the specter of Communism. Opinions on Communism aside, most people are generally happy as long as their piece of the pie isn’t affected, and that seems to be the case at the moment with the Guild members in the Financial District. Further, by entering the Guild, entres are entering into an agreement that reduces their risk of going bankrupt, though the rewards are also tempered (though that is something real financial analysts theoretically strive for).

Unfortunately, it seems like the status quo cannot be maintained, since, if I remembering correctly, the size of a Financial District is based on the strength of country’s economy. At this point, it seems like one of two things could lead one world to “destroy” the other. First, the whole basis of Mikuni’s plan is to get as many people to get join the Guild as possible and then control it. Assuming that Mikuni eventually does gain control over most of Japan’s Financial District, what would happen if Japan’s economy suddenly collapsed. It would seem that the amount of resources available to the members of the Guild would then decrease, and Mikuni would no longer be able to assure everyone of their security. This lack of faith in the future of the Guild, and more importantly the strength of the Financial District, would likely set off a chain reaction in which everybody started working for themselves.

However, the more likely scenario is that someone in the Financial District, and likely in the Guild, is going to get a bit too greedy. Five episodes in, and I don’t really know what to make of Mikuni. I mean, on face, he seems like a good guy saving Japan and all, but where does he get all that money if everyone is only winning by only slim margins. There were some hints in this episode that there are some sort of membership dues or fees to belong to the Guild, but I get the feeling that Mikuni is only using a large swath of the Guild for his own personal gain. Now should he be found out, or some other person screw over the system, Mikuni’s source of funds that have been propping Japan up would disappear, and the aforementioned scenario would likely play out.

Regardless, I don’t think we know enough about the Financial District to make any concrete predictions for sure, and as always, my predictions are just something to mull over. At any rate, this show certainly does provide for some interesting social commentary. Obviously, people’s pasts being erased as well as their impact on the real world certainly makes you think about Japan’s lost generation (God, I watch so much anime that I know about their economic past in this much detail makes me sick). I’d hope that the show stays on this track with its observations on Japan’s finance and the economic shenanigans of much of the world, instead of becoming too preachy, which I fear that it might.

In Japan, they keep their changing booths very clean:

In Japan, their cows are alien creatures:

In Japan, they take the saying “Eyes are the window of the soul,” literally:

In Japan, shark beats paper, rock, and scissors:

In Japan, they learn a version of English known as Engrish. Seldom correct, it’s still more coherent then Charlie Sheen:

In Japan, they expect physics to apply in their cartoons:

In Japan, all young girls are geniuses and can build robots that can pass the Turing Test:

In Japan, they still like Snoopy:

And finally, in Japan, they believe less skin equals more win. (Not that I really blame them in this case.) :

Filed under: anime, anime rants/views, general anime interst

lololololololol man this scene was freaking hilarious! Busted a gut from all the laughing!

You know, I had several highlights lined up to talk about this week.  However, at this time I’m going to get a bit personal with you and focus on one scene.  I’ve never written a post for the Diary of an Anime Lived project, so this is my first crack at an entry.  I feel like Moshidora failed in several respects, but it did one thing remarkably well.  You could say it even knocked it out of the park.  You can see this particular scene coming from a mile away, but if you really wish to avoid spoilers, then I suggest you finish episode 9 of Moshidora before continuing.

Before we get to it, you need to know a bit of backstory.  In the middle of 2008, round abouts August, my father was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.  The surgery succeeded.  Yet, it was too late.  The next scan showed what we feared most.  The cancer metastasized and spread to his liver.  The last few years have been a rollercoaster of emotional stresses.  He had chemotherapy treatments over a span of two years’ time.  They left him physically exhausted and emotionally drained.  He would often recover enough of his strength just in time for another round of chemicals to invade his body.  After his third surgery, we were hoping they had excised it completely.  About two weeks ago, he had his fourth surgery.  No such luck, I suppose.

Yuuki’s last moments will easily reside in the top emotional scenes of the entire year for me.  Yes, the scene is meant to pull on your heartstrings, but I don’t think you can fully appreciate it until you’ve been there yourself.  You have to sit there and watch someone struggle for his life for years on end.  Every time you go to the doctor’s office you hope for a clean bill of health.  Sometimes, you’ll get it, and you breathe a sigh of relief.  Other times… there might be preparations for yet another surgery.

It’s a hard life.  There’s a lot of pain and misery and tears.  Perhaps I’m fortunate.  So far, my father has survived.  But in the back of my mind, I know there’s a chance.  A chance that no matter what happens, it just won’t be enough.  The specter of death is ever looming.  If the cancer ever shows up in his lungs, it will be terminal.  He might live a year, he might live ten, but it will kill him eventually.

Yuuki fought her fate fiercely.  She survived a whole nine months past the doctor’s predictions.  She still fell short.  Was it worth the struggle?  All you have to do is watch the scene.  Every member of the squad stands at her deathbed, and they all grieve in their own way.  Some have streams of tears rushing down their cheeks.  Others try to keep up a strong front, but you can still read their emotions through the sniffling and shaking.  She certainly touched the lives of the team she loved.

Perhaps more importantly, Yuuki guided Minami toward becoming a stronger person.  Minami became a manager because of her friend, and a damn good one.  She strengthened the entire school with the baseball team as a central point.  By the end, Minami has also rekindled of her love for the game.  Yuuki was a fictional character, but she accomplished more in a year than many people in the real world might do in a lifetime.  She lived vicariously from her hospital bed, and in the process affected hundreds of people.  Watching the series culminate to this point reminded me of a particular scripture:

I have fought the fine fight, I have run the course to the finish, I have observed the faith. – 2 Tim 4:7 NWT

Without a doubt, Yuuki fought a fine fight.  She could die satisfied.  I cried like a fucking baby.  I’m crying as I write this post.  Judge it how you will.  I have a good idea of how Minami felt.  How Yuuki’s mother felt.  How the team felt.  I know the difficulties they must have gone through, even though they may not have shown those moments from years past.

Take away at least one lesson from it.  Life is fleeting.  Live a good life.  Make things happen.  You never know what lives you’ll touch until you try.  You never know what a difference it might make, for yourself or for others, even after you’re gone.  My father has similarly left a good life.  He’s well-respected by those who know him.  Even when he’s weak, he still goes out of his way to help others.  He gives even when he has nothing to give.  I know he’ll be dearly missed, should it ever come to that point.  I honestly don’t know how he manages to keep it together as well as he does.  I envy that ability.

But if you want to be ambitious and learn two things, the second is as follows.  Look at your family history.  If there’s a history of colon cancer and you have the means to do it, get yourself checked.  The cancer in my family is hereditary.  After observing my father’s siblings, the doctors have classified it as aggressive.  I’m supposed to be checked when I turn 25.  The procedure might sound a bit embarrassing, but the physicians are trained to do it.  It might save your life.  Don’t put yourself or your loved ones through what I and my family have suffered.  Please.  Get checked.

Looking at both halves of this countdown/first impressions list I noticed two interesting features that I hope become trends. The first is that there’s only a very small handful of sequels this season. Which is a good thing since a high level of sequels can signal timidness (and an aversion to risk) by those that pay to create anime and the truly great anime are the first victim of overly timid producers. Having a low amount of sequels also allows viewers to watch a greater number of series and it also quiets – a bit – those that whine about “the end of anime”. (Sorry zzeroparticle, Kaiji happens to be one series that I missed the first time around and didn’t watch this season.)

The second feature is the high number of oddball series this season. Oddball probably isn’t the best term because they aren’t actually strange but seem to signal either the further diversification of what anime “is” or the decision to attract non-traditional viewers of anime to anime. If this continues, this is bad news for those people (including R1 anime executives) that like to watch and license the same shows year-in and year-out; but, for everyone else, it’s great news. I’m ready to welcome the oddness be it tea-sipping feudal lords, pizza-eating aliens, management book-reading baseball managers or pantsu-less ice princesses.

(15) – X-Men

Rating for episodes 1 to 4 – 6/12  B-

The adaptation of X-Men by Madhouse marks the third time in three seasons that they’re working on an anime version of an American comic franchise. I didn’t watch the first one because the reviews of Iron Man were just too brutal but I decided to give the second series, Wolverine, a shot. I reasoned that it’s exceedingly difficult to muddle a show built around someone uncomplicated like Wolverine and it turned out that I was basically right. The animation quality was on the very low-end for what Madhouse can do but it was a decent anime overall. So, for X-Men, I hoped Madhouse could, at a minimum, repeat. Four episodes in and I’m glad to see a much better effort with the animation but I’m not quite won over with the story (and plotting) yet. On the plus side the Japanese mutant that is introduced in this series appears to already be a character in the “X-Men universe” so there’s a better chance she won’t get killed off in the end like what happened in Wolverine but, on the negative side, the show’s been a little too talky and not enough actiony. There’s still plenty of time for this anime to get even better and I’m definitely going to keep watching.

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(14) – Fireball Charming

Rating for episodes 1 to 3 – 6/12  B-

A micro-series from Disney (!!, seriously it’s from Disney) about a robotic princess and her adventures as a princess; Fireball Charming is a fun little series that I wish would run longer than it’s 2 minutes episodes. In fact, really the only reason it’s ranked so low is because it’s format makes it problematic to accurately rank and grade it.

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(13) – A Channel

Rating for episodes 1 to 4 – 6/12  B-

A Channel is like the made-for-TV version of a blockbuster movie that gets made after the fact with about a tenth of the budget, a tenth of the acting, a tenth of the writing, and a tenth of the quality. On paper the two might be very similar but no one will actually remember the made-for-TV version a couple of years later and the blockbuster movie becomes everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure for years-and-years to come. The only thing that saves A Channel from falling any further into complete mediocrity is Aoi Yuuki’s excellent vocal work (much like how she makes watching Gosick worth it).

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(12) – Tiger and Bunny

Rating for episodes 1 to 5 – 7/12  B

Initially, I was very impressed with Tiger and Bunny. I like how the main character, Tiger, is an over-the-hill superhero that still actually believes in what he does even though it’s so cynically commercialized. I like the idea about how superheroes are being manipulated for commercial reasons. I like how the show seems to take place in an alternative Manhattan. I initially liked what Sunrise was doing with the story but with a few more episodes watched I’m no longer that keen on what they’re doing. It’s pretty much a given that a show like Tiger and Bunny will see Tiger and Bunny overcome their differences, become an awesome hero duo and both of them will get what they most need or want: Tiger gets the admiration of his daughter/the respect of the public and Bunny finds a family to belong to/learns the meaning of friendship. This type of story has been done to death so the execution needs to be stellar to make the show great and it hasn’t. Which is what separates it from That Really Long-titled Flower Anime. Everyone knows how that’s going to end but everyone is still enchanted by it.

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(11) – Maria+Holic Alive

Rating for episodes 1 to 4 – 7/12  B

Maria+Holic is one of the weaker Shaft/Shinbou anime offerings and one of most disappointing series that they’ve done. (The set-up was perfect for Shaft/Shinbou; it should have been a home run but it was a big miss.) So, while, I’d prefer one of their better series like Arakawa Under the Bridge or Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru, that are in more of a need of a sequel, to be getting a sequel now; I am willing to try any anime from the joyfully demented minds at Shaft. So far, I am pleasantly surprised with Maria+Holic Alive. In the two years since the first season of Maria+Holic, it’s apparent that Shaft/Shinbou has become better at making anime. The show’s biggest liability – Kanako, the main character – has significantly less screen time in the sequel and the two best characters – Maria, the abrasive cross-dressing boy who attends an all-girl school, and Maria’s maid get a corresponding boost in screen time. It’s still far from perfect but it’s now a pretty decent anime.

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(10) – Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera

Rating for episodes 1 to 4 – 7/12  B

Brains Base takes the animation quality and polish of a modern anime and applies it to a 40 year-old manga in Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera. The result was about what I expected; it looked good but the content felt completely different then everything else that I’ve watched in recent memory. I imagine what I felt was akin to an anime fan that’s only watched Naruto or Bleach before, watching Bakemonogatari for the first time. I wasn’t scared off, partially because I like and respect Brains Base; but, before the fourth episode I wasn’t sure what to really think about this anime. Then episode 4 arrived and suddenly something clicked in my brain and Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera became a fun series to watch. It’s got this energetic vibe to it that leaves little time for character development so far but that’s okay. Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera  has been too busy with demon attacks, absurd situations, fan service and making the viewers laugh to explain the sad back-story (because it always has to be sad) of the kappa that helps capture demons or fleshed out the talking, flying hat beyond him/it being a bit lecherous. I see this anime getting stronger as time passes and getting included among the top series of the season. Next I demand a modern reboot of the Lupin the Third franchise.

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(9) – Moshidora

Rating for episodes 1 to 4 – 8/12  B+

I realize at this point that most of Moshidora has aired due to it’s unique release schedule but I wanted to include it here so I stopped watching it after the fourth episode until I finish writing this post. The rest of the long-winded title of Moshidora encapsulates the premise of the show; namely, what would happen if a baseball manager read one of the classic books about business management theory and applied it to baseball. I’m not much of a fan for sports anime when the focus is on the sport itself but when anime, like Bamboo Blade and Cross Game, make the sport secondary – I’m willing to give the show a chance. Moshidora turns out to be, much like Bamboo Blade and Cross Game, not really about the sport. Now, it’s not quite as good as either Bamboo Blade or Cross Game (both anime I highly recommend) but it’s still pretty good and better than a good portion of the anime this season. Definitely worth a look for people looking for something slightly different.

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(8) – The World God Only Knows II

Rating for episodes 1 to 4 – 8/12  B+

I have to credit Manglobe for doing their absolute best with TWGOK2. The result has been better than the first season and an all-around pretty entertaining show. I still don’t think it’s ever going to compete for a spot among the best anime of the season; though, the introduction of a second spirit-catching demon seems to signal that the show will begin moving away from merely focusing on the main characters capturing spirits and developing a deeper story. So, maybe it’s still possible.

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(7) – Steins;Gate

Rating for episodes 1 to 5 – 8/12  B+

After the ending to Chaos;Head burned me a couple of years ago, I approached Steins;Gate (from the same people) with a fair amount of trepidation. I didn’t want to get burned again. The first episode was really cool; cool enough that I started thinking maybe this time will be different. Then episodes 2-4 aired, and it started feeling like the show was going to just wander around and not make good on it’s promises. I gave Steins;Gate one more episode to re-interest me and, wouldn’t you know-it, episode 5 got me hooked again. So, that’s where it stands; I love conspiracies, time-travel, people with secrets and shadow organizations and when this anime delivers that, it’s wonderful. Depending on how the ending, this could still make it’s way further up the list or it could crash-and-burn. Time will tell.

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(6) – Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san

Rating for episodes 1 to 4 – 9/12  A-

I’m not a fan of 15 minute shows when it crimps the overall quality of the show and that’s the case with Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san. From Production I.G., the story revolves around a young woman who has become the assistant to a private detective that makes pacts with devils to accomplish tasks that clients need done like stopping a cheating husband from cheating or stopping a stalker of an idol. The third and fourth episodes really showcase how well-done and funny Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san is. It got bonus points for casting Yuu Kobayashi as a mermaid demon that personifies jealousy and uses this jealousy to drive her magic. She’s fabulously perfect for the role and it’s nice to see someone other than Shinbou/Shaft understanding how to use her (her special talents were completely wasted playing Clain in Fractale).

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(5) – Hyouge Mono

Rating for episodes 1 to 3 – 9/12  A-

The lack of buzz around this anime is truly criminal. Set in Japan’s Warring States era (think Sengoku Basara), the main character is a feudal lord under Oda Nobunaga (yeah, that guy though not quite as cool here) and lives his life pursuing the beautiful things of the world which includes tea and tea ceremonies. It’s not a comedy, per say, but more like a historical drama with a healthy dose of comedy, mainly centered around the main character’s lack of restraint around all things tea. Perspective viewers should note that Hyouge Mono is set to run 39 episodes so the pacing is a bit slower than a typical one season series. This is definitely one of this season’s gems and I hope more people will give Hyouge Mono a chance.

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(4) – Hanasaku Iroha

Rating for episodes 1 to 5 – 9/12  A-

I’ve already wrote a first impressions post for this and I don’t really have that much to add now.

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(3) – Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko

Rating for episodes 1 to 4 – 10.5/12  Strong A

The second Shinbou/Shaft series of the season and the best way to sum Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko up is by saying it’s a typical Shinbou/Shaft anime. There’s the head tilts, the strange girl claiming something fanciful which might be true but probably is just covering over a tragic past, the clueless guy that falls for the strange girl, the awesome backgrounds and the best done night sky scenes, the dialoguing that fills so much of the episode up yet still is so insanely interesting and the little things that tell the viewer that once again Shinbou/Shaft is trying to do too much with too little time. In short, another winner for Shaft/Shinbou. The most notable thing about this anime, in comparison to past Shaft works, is the character designs are probably the most visually appealing of any Shaft series that I can remember. After last season, I’m glad I can get my Shinbou/Shaft fix and not have to worry about the heat death of the universe.

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(2) – Nichijou

Rating for episodes 1 to 5 – 11/12  A+

Between it’s placement and it’s rating, I, obviously, happen to really like Kyoto Animation’s latest series – Nichijou. Truthfully, I’m scratching my head after reading the vast majority of other posts about this show. I think it’s great that people are forming their own opinions about this anime but I’ve started wondering if I’m watching the same show as everyone else. Episode 5 made me laugh so hard that I was like an asthmatic fish flopping around at the bottom of a fishing boat trying to breathe after watching it. Nichijou is just so effortlessly funny and well put together all-the-while having this season’s best animation quality. Luckily for my sanity, I’m watching this with my younger sister and she’s loving Nichijou as much as I am so my chance of just being insane falls significantly.

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(1) – Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai

Rating for episodes 1 to 4 – 11.5/12  Near Perfect

Whereas, I’m almost assured not to catch any flak over picking this as the early top anime of the season. Nor, are there many people who have not heard of this anime at this point. After making Railgun vastly superior to Index, I’ve been wondering and impatiently waiting for when Tatsuyuki Nagai would show up again. I’m glad the wait is over but I’m surprised it’s not with another J.C. Staff series. Having him helm this anime and the resulting awesomeness goes a long way to proving, in my mind, the idea that A-1 Pictures is really only as good as the director is. (Which is why their last great work was the second season of Birdy the Mighty Encode.)

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Wow, that was way more writing then what I was planning to do. I hope you enjoyed this double post.

Filed under: anime, first impressions

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