Well, it’s that time where our intrepid team of bloggers adds our voices to the cacophony of season preview posts. I myself only followed six shows during the summer season, but this season seems to have a lot more bulk to it. I honestly don’t know what I’ll do with myself between school, work, and other obligations, as well as the series I’d like to watch. The Fall season finally sees Madhouse and Marvel’s collaboration come to its first fruition with the Ironman franchise. We also have another work directed by the man behind Durarara!! et al. Then there’s Shaft proving to us they can manage an incredibly short second season turn around time with another Arakawa. There’s a bunch of other things going on, but why read me talking here? You can just click past the break and read me talking with everyone else!
Star Driver Radiant Takuto
Rakuen: Hello, original project! Mecha is for sure, and while that’s not really my forte, I’m cool with it. All the girls with the main protagonist in the middle is kind of worrisome though. On the other other hand, the staff behind this is crazy awesome. Let’s see where this one goes.
Raph: I’m really not much of a mecha fan, but the staff here are pretty phenomenal and the art is fantastic too. And it’s Bones. I’m definitely going to check out the first episode of this; I’m not sure if the show will be my cup of tea, but I’m hopeful (and don’t want to miss out on a potential hit).
Nameless: As much as I love everything BONES animates, this show seems a little out there. The mecha designs seem interesting enough, so I’ll give this show a shot.
Ironman
Rakuen: Marvel is giving Madhouse the opportunity to animate Iron Man. Apparently, there’ll be more Marvel adaptations in the seasons to come. I would pay out the nose for Deadpool to be in there somewhere, but it doesn’t look like that will happen. For now, I think Iron Man is cool and I want to see where this project goes.
Raph: I was very much impressed by the trailer, but I feel this could go either way in terms of plot development. Will we get an engaging, complex story or will things stick closer to a villain of the week format? I’m hoping for the former, and I’d like to think there’s a good chance we’ll get this, what with the creative license Madhouse have been given with the story. I’m definitely going to check out at least the first episode of this.
Nameless: Why Marvel feels the need to have all of their properties become anime is beyond me, but I’ll give this a shot.
Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
Rakuen: Oh Gainax, you so crazy. I’m sure this has been pointed out enough already, but these are the characters’ names. I agree with Scamp, this seems a lot like the Powerpuff Girls to me. However, since I like Gainax, it at least deserves a try from me. I say this either works out crazy awesome, or so bad it’s good. I’m banking on the latter.
Raph: This will either be spectacular or spectacularly awful, and with not much a lot of material to judge from at this stage, it’s hard to make a call. The premise sounds fun, though. I’m definitely going to see how this goes; I think I’ll end up deciding what I think about Panty and Stocking within five minutes of it beginning.
Lvlln: Well, it’s GAINAX, so I feel obliged to give it a shot. But it also looks a hell of a lot like Powerpuff Girls, and I don’t mean it in a good way. Who knows, I was highly skeptical of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann at the beginning, but it ended up as one of my all time favorites. Then there was Evangelion 2.22 that exceeded my expectations in every way. GAINAX has earned my faith.
Psychic Detective Yakumo
Rakuen: So Yakumo can see spirits and wants to release them. Well that’s a pretty admirable goal. Here’s the deal. I like mysteries, but I don’t like horror mysteries, and that seems to be just about all Japan wants to turn out recently. I’ll wait to see how this series pans out, perhaps watching it after the season has ended.
Raph: I’m a huge fan of both supernatural and mystery series, so this is yet another series I’m going to look out for. I’ve read a couple of chapters each of the two manga versions of this (one is complete at 9 chapters, one is ongoing); I quite liked both, and I think an anime version will do good things for this. I’ll check this out.
Nameless: While I’ll definitely watch this show, I can’t help but wonder why every super power these days manifests itself in the eyes. Where are the super smelling and hearing shows?
Kuragehime
Rakuen: Okay, so what we have here is a trap in the fujoshi world. This premise sounds strangely intriguing to me. Something about the art style reminds me of Tatami Galaxy. It’s also on the Noitamina block. You know what? Let’s do this, why the hell not?
Raph: This is one of the series I’m most eagerly anticipating. Based on an award-winning josei manga with a genuinely interesting premise, animated by Brain’s Base, and airing in the noitaminA timeslot, this has so much potential to be brilliant. To top this all off, Takahiro Omori – who was behind Baccano!, Natsume Yuujinchou and Durarara!! – is directing. My expectations are high.
Nameless: While the cross dressing male in a female apartment complex certainly seems like an interesting premise, I’m not sure that it can carry a show for a whole season. Usually, shows seems to reserve these types of characters for supporting roles. I’ll watch it out of curiosity more than anything.
Bakuman
Rakuen: So this is the anime aiming to make writing AND art fun? A series about drawing manga just sounds like it could be a lot of good fun. Really, I feel like I need it right about now when school and work are beating the daylights out of me. Then it has the school setting on top of it. Definite watch for me.
Raph: I’ve read some of the manga and found it pretty absorbing – the storyline is good and the characters are strong. Kenichi Kasai, behind Honey and Clover and Kimikiss, is one of two directors and the very experienced Reiko Yoshida is doing series composition. With what seems to be a two-cour run, JC Staff will really have the opportunity to bring this to life. I’ll check this out.
Nameless: How a show about two guys trying to become manga artists is getting the most pre season buzz is beyond me. However, I have enjoyed other shows that have utilized this general premise as a part of its plot, so this seems like a good bet to me.
Togainu No Chi
Rakuen: Okay, so first of all this anime is based off an eroge, which in my opinion is a total crapshoot. Then, it’s based off a yaoi eroge. I’m not saying the series will suck, and the post-apocalyptic back drop might make a good setting for this series. It’s just way out of my range.
Raph: The fact that this is based on an adult BL game will probably turn a lot of people off, but in all likelihood, the anime will stick much closer to the manga adaptation of the series (which has almost zero yaoi content, aside from some undertones). Expect Street Fighter but with bishies and – I hope – a plot. I read a couple of chapters of the manga and it didn’t really grab me, but hopefully this will do a better job of that. I’ll give this a shot.
Nameless: After reading the show’s description I have to admit I was at first pretty intrigued. But then, I found out it was shounen-ai, and my interest faded immediately.
Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru
Rakuen: I tried watching a maid comedy before in Kaichou wa Maid-sama, but after a few weeks I ended up losing interest. But you know what? Clumsy is a pretty good tool for funny, so long as you don’t end up relying on the same jokes over and over again. The love triangle makes it a little more interesting too. I need humor, so I want to give this a shot.
Raph: This could go so many ways, but I’m excited about this series revolving around a wannabe-detective-maid-cafe-staffer (hooray!). It’s a slice of life comedy with none other than Shinbo at the helm, so I’m expecting something engaging and offbeat. I expect Shaft’s signature style to rear its head, and I’m also looking forward to seeing what they can do with a bigger budget after the success of Bakemonogatari. I’m certainly going to take a look at this.
Lvlln: I know very little about the source material, but being the Shinbo fanboy that I am, I’ll definitely be watching this. The whole cafe thing seems to be in vogue lately, with The President is a Maid! and Working!! from last season, and Shaft’s own excellent Natsu no Arashi!! series.
I’m happy to see Chiaki Omigawa get a starring role again, really her first since playing Maka in Soul Eater. Shinbo definitely seems to like her; up until this season’s Seitokai Yakuindomo, the only roles she had besides in Maka were in his works. I’m a fan, and I think her sweet, innocent voice will go well with the character Hotori Arishiyama. Opposite her will be Yuuki Aoi as Toshiko Tatsuno. Also, @wah__ posted something about the OP and soundtrack being done by Round Table featuring Nino (why Shaft chose them for THIS show when their other one would have made so much more sense, I’ll never know), a band of which I’m a moderate fan. I definitely want to blog one of the Shaft shows, and I’m leaning towards this one just because I already did the first season of Arakawa Under the Bridge.
Nameless: As much as I love almost everything that SHAFT does, I’m not really a fan of maids. While that wasn’t really a deal breaker, the old cross-dressing guy from the preview completely turned me off to this series. One SHAFT show is enough for me.
Shinryaku! Ika Musume
Rakuen: Again, things are getting silly in this season preview. This time, Squid Girl wants to punish humanity for polluting the ocean. There’s just one problem. She’s stuck working at a beach-house! This doesn’t sound like an anime, this sounds like the setup of a feel-good ABC comedy. Potentially adorable and funny.
Raph: I like the manga – it’s light, mildly quirky, and fun – so I was really pleased when I saw this was getting an anime adaptation. And then I saw the studio. Diomedea, previously known as Studio Barcelona, are most famous for Kodomo no Jikan and Nogizaka Haruka, and that worries me a little. On the other hand, the director – who has previously worked on xxxHolic, Ookiku Furikabutte and Genshiken - gives me hope that this will turn out alright. I’m going to proceed with cautious optimism.
Nameless: This reminds me of a cross between Excel Saga and Al Gore, and as much as I love Excel Saga this just looks too generic.
Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge
Rakuen: I’m sorry guys, I just fell off the Arakawa wagon about halfway into the series. I appreciated social commentary embedded in the humor. It just didn’t quite jive with me, especially with other series to watch. However, if there’s any sequel which might get me to watch the original material, it’s this one.
Lvlln: I blogged the first season to this in the spring. The last episode had been followed immediately by a season 2 announcement, but who would have known that it would come this soon?
I am very much looking forward to this one, because the first season felt incomplete. Though many people seem to have liked the off-the-wall comedy of this show, I always felt that that was the weaker portion it. Rather, I was interested in and impressed by the story of the growing romance between Nino and Riku, and that was left hanging at the final episode. I want to find out more about their future together. And more about Nino’s past. The first season did a beautiful job exploring Riku’s painful past. I hope that the second season does an equally good job doing Nino’s.
Plus, the addition of the Amazonian, played by Yuu Kobayashi at the end of the first season, yet another big name to an already star studded cast: Hiroshi Kamiya as Riku, Keiji Fujwara as the Chief, Sugita Tomokazu as Star, Takehito Koyasu as Sister, Miyuki Sawashiro as Maria, Chiwa Saito as Stella, Chiaki Omigawa as P-ko, all headed by the amazing Maaya Sakamoto as Nino. Not to mention the cameos by Rie Tanaka and Yuko Goto.
Nameless: I love Nino. I love SHAFT. I will be watching this.
Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls
Rakuen: Take Sengoku Basara, but replace the cast with girls. Now, add in D’Artagnan from the Three Musketeers. Season with a school setting and mix thoroughly. You’ve got this series. I have a lot of interest in the Sengoku period after watching Basara, but I can guarantee this is going to be more of a fanservice fest than a cool fighting series. This one is doubtful.
Raph: From the people who brought you Queen’s Blade comes… the exact same thing, but set in a world far closer to feudal Japan than Europe in the Middle Ages. I couldn’t get through more than three minutes of Queen’s Blade - no, really, the pre-OP milk-acid-spraying breasts were enough to get me to stop watching – and I don’t anticipate having much more luck here.
Lvlln: The first episode looked promising. Appropriately ridiculous, as I often say. It’s just something that can’t be taken seriously, in the same vein as High School of the Dead, which, incidentally, will continue through next season. Like that show, this has quite the cast, with Rie Kugimiya and Yuu Kobayashi being featured in the first episode. And the entrance of Yuuki Aoi’s character at the end was quite something.
I like the art style as well. There was an emphasis on thick lines on the character outlines, which gave it a distinctive look, very different from other anime. The elaborate backgrounds were pleasing to the eyes, and the animation impressed, though the first episode is never a good indicator of this for the rest of the show.
As a bonus, there’s the lesbian S & M relationship with the maid played by Saori Gouto, i.e. Apology-tan. Hope to see more of that type of fanservice in coming episodes and seeing if the show can keep up the pace of its pleasant craziness.
Nameless: I’ve been fooled too many times with shows like these thinking that they will exclusively focus on the fan service aspect of the show, when they end up spending too much time on the other aspects that no one cares about.
The World God Only Knows
Rakuen: Basically, we have the dating sim master having to apply his talents in the real world. Considering the disjoint in reality many of these games have, it will probably do a lot for the comedy. I’m usually not interested in harem shows, but I think I’ll keep my eye on this one. Because, you know, I actually liked Seitokai no Ichizon…
Raph: The manga version of this is loaded with fantastic art, and it’s both fun and pleasantly self-aware. Manglobe is at the helm of the anime, so I expect that all to translate to screen. On the other hand, though, I haven’t gotten far into the manga (I’ve stopped until I see the anime) and I worry that things could get repetitive quite quickly. Many of my friends in the community are big fans, though, so I have hope – I’ll probably check this out.
Lvlln: The PV was pretty cool, but every description of the show seems to peg it as generic harem. I’ll pass unless I start hearing really good things about it.
Nameless: The whole plot premise seems a bit too convoluted to me for it to actually work. I’ve heard good things though, so I’ll give it a chance.
Otome Youkai Zakuro
Rakuen: I have interest in the Sengoku Period. I have interest in the Three Kingdoms period, though that’s China. Strangely, I don’t have must interest in the Meiji Era beyond Rurouni Kenshin, which I haven’t even finished. If it could realistically talk about racial themes, it might be an interesting watch. I don’t have much hope for it happening. I’ll probably pass.
Raph: While I don’t normally go for historical series, the supernatural bent here has me interested. The premise is interesting and inventive, and is coupled with some lovely art, but the director is a mixed bag and I’m not particularly wowed by anything I’ve seen in previews or on the website. I’ll probably give this a go, though.
Nameless: If you are into forbidden furry relationship shows during times of conflict than I guess this show is for you. Personally, I’m not.
Yosuga No Sora
Rakuen: So I think I’ve got this straight. This is an anime based off a manga based off an eroge. What could possibly go wrong here? If this is your kind of thing, it looks like the solid series of the season for you. For everyone else, you’re probably better off watching Panty & Stocking or something.
Raph: The promo material for this has largely failed to grab me, but the promised mystery elements have piqued my interest somewhat. I may give the first episode a try on a whim, but otherwise I plan to wait and see what others think about this after a few episodes – this is one of those series where I don’t think I’ll mind jumping in later.
To Aru Majutsu No Index S2
Rakuen: I did eventually finish the first season, and I still enjoyed the experience. A protagonist fighting with a luck score of 0 is entertaining. Since I’ve actually watched this sequel’s source, I will probably pick it up. Besides, I want to see if anything else happens with all those Misaka clones.
Raph: I’ll spare you the crazed fanboying and get right down to it: I absolutely cannot wait for this. I loved both Index‘s first season, Railgun – and also love the manga incarnations of both – and the franchise is one of the few that can turn me into a blob of deliriously happy fanboy goop. Anyway, my hopes were already sky-high for this, and the trailer, which showed off gorgeous art and animation, (somehow) made me even more excited.
Lvlln: I watched the first season when I was about halfway done with A Certain Scientific Railgun (which I watched during airing), and I found both shows to be pretty mediocre. Mainly, I couldn’t find anything compelling about the story or the characters (except maybe Harumi Kiyama, the bad gal from the first half of Railgun). A crying shame, because when I was introduced to the unique universe in which these shows were set, I fell in love immediately. There was so much potential to explore interesting science fiction themes, but the stories themselves were just… ordinary.
The exception was the Accelerator/Last Order arc from Index. Accelerator, despite being an asshole, is a far more interesting and compelling protagonist than Touma. Thus it is for his story and just to see more stories take place in this fascinating world that I’ll be watching this second season. I’m not a masochist (not much of one, anyway), so I have no interest in blogging it, but I hope that if I shut my higher functions off, I’ll get some entertainment out of it. And I want more Accelerator. Seriously, I’m gay for him.
Nameless: This show bored me to no end when I recently got around to watching it. At least the graphics in the preview look good.
Motto To-Love-Ru
Rakuen: I have heard of this series before. I hear about doujins for this hitting at Comiket, and don’t hear much else. That pretty much tells me all I need to know.
Lvlln: I got a few episodes Into the first season before dropping it. I just can’t stand generic harem shows any more, which is exactly what it sounds like the rest of the first season was.
Still, my one regret is that I missed out on hearing Kana Hanazawa as Mikan. After initially hearing her with the exact same voice for every role – Nadeko from Bakemonogatari, Mato Kuroi from Black Rock Shooter, Anri from Durarara!! and Tenshi from Angel Beats! – then getting to hear a bit more variety in her acting in Seikimatsu Occult Academy, I’m genuinely curious as to how she played Mikan. At the very least, Mikan’s character design doesn’t seem fitting for her usual soft voice. So maybe I’ll download some episodes just to listen to some clips with Mikan talking.
I’ll probably listen for Satomi Arai is Lala’s sarcastic, cynical suit as well.
My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute
Rakuen: Because God knows this kind of little sister trope hasn’t been beaten to death, dragged around the square, and then lit into a massive bonfire. I wouldn’t hold my breath on this one…
Raph - Whether I’ll enjoy this show or not depends largely on how the premise is handled. If it’s merely a springboard for brocon/siscon jokes and fanservice, I’ll avoid this. But if some genuinely good humour eventuates, I’m more than happy to give this a try. The trailer showed off nice character designs and art, so I’ll happily check this out if others enjoy it.
Lvlln: I’ll have some fun watching this one. It hits somewhat close to home, because I have a little sister myself who is a bit of a weeaboo. Not as much as myself, of course, but enough of one that I can take her to a screening of Evangelion 1.11 and we can talk about it later. Though she’s more into yaoi than lolicon…
So not exactly like Kyousuke Kousaka’s little sister. This show has received a lot of hype, most likely due to the fact that it sounds like an otaku’s dream situation. The PV even makes it look like a harem. So I get the feeling that this show will just be more run of the mill stuff. Regardless, I’ll be checking it out for the hype alone. I’m guessing that I’ll drop it rather quickly.
Nameless: While I first thought this show would focus on incestuous relationships between brothers and sisters, reading the first volume of the manga has allayed me of those fears for now. Instead, this seems like a show focused on otaku sub culture and fitting in. That, along with the cute female lead, make this a must watch in my opinion.
MM!
Rakuen: Masochism? Well, I guess I have to give it credit for not being entirely derivative.
Raph: My response to this was going to be a solid no, but then I noticed this line in the MAL synopsis “… he finds Isurugi Mio, a girl who thinks she is a god…”. This may or may not get me to watch an episode or two on impulse. If I do so, I’ll proceed with caution.
Nameless: A lot of shows have used sex based themes to some success in the recent pass. Does this seem like one of them? Not really, but I’m still interested.
Fortune Arterial Red Promise
Rakuen: Harem with Vampires. Oh boy… It’s kind of funny they already have an OVA planned as well.
Raph: A remote island boarding school. A bishoujo vampire. A hapless male lead (in all likelihood). feel and ZEXCS working together. And the director behind such gems as kiss x sis and Nogizaka Haruka. Suffice to say, I really don’t expect much out of this, but I suppose I’m open to being surprised. If this is lauded, though I doubt it will be, I’ll give it a try.
Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
Rakuen: WHY? Why does the mystery series have to be a romance game adaptation? Do you hate me Japan? I thought we were cool. I mean, you do the anime thing, and then I watch your stuff for… oh, right. Maybe this is my punishment. *sigh* Whatever, maybe I’ll give it a try.
Raph: I’m nervous about this, and not just because of the title. The character designs are ridiculously saccharin, and the franchise seems to be more Shukufuku no Campanella than Sherlock Holmes (the latter of which I adore). And yet, the bizarre but lulzy and strangely mesmerising PV, and my love for mystery/detective series will most likely lead me to give this series a go. Hooray? (Also, something to note: the main seiyuu cast here are all newbies, with three of the five stars in their first roles and one doing her second, so those who keep a close eye on voice talent might want to give this a look.)
Looking over my scores this week; I realized something, we’re already halfway through the winter season. It won’t be long before spring is upon us, both in anime and in weather. In my neck of the woods, spring is getting ready to start: a few of our crocuses have already broken dormancy, I killed two spiders in the basement today, and my mom spotted a returning robin a couple of days ago.
The scores:
Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou, episode 7 – 12+/12
Hetalia Axis Powers, episode 4 – 10/12 A
Michiko to Hatchin, episode 16 – 12/12
Michiko to Hatchin, episode 17 – 12+/12
Michiko to Hatchin, episode 18 – 12+/12
Rideback, episode 6 – 12+/12
Minami-Ke: Okaeri, episode 7 – 11/12 A+
Sora o Kakeru Shoujo, episode 7 – 9/12 A-
Toradora!, episode 20 – 12+/12
Clannad S.2, episode 19 – 12++/12
Munto TV, episode 5 – 10/12 A
Maria+Holic, episode 7 – 9/12 A-
Asu no Yoichi, episode 7 – 9/12 A-
To Aru Majutsu no Index, episode 20 – 12/12
Chrome Shelled Regios, episode 6 – 10/12 A
Shikabane Hime: Kuro, episode 4 – 11/12 A+
Shikabane Hime: Kuro, episode 5 – 10/12 A
Which shows have momentum this week
Up – Michiko to Hatchin – The plot’s heating up now that we’re reaching the final episodes
Down – none
Thoughts and Highlights
I love how Michiko is constantly wearing different outfits.
There’s been many reasons to like Michiko to Hatchin so far but watching this batch of episodes made me realize that character development is yet another reason. It’s been slow and somewhat hidden by the action of the series but it’s been there and it’s felt natural. For example, when Hatchin goes to great lengths to cheer up Michiko in episode 18, it feels like something she’d do at this point for Michiko but as little as 5 or 6 episodes ago, I don’t think she’d do it. There’s still a bunch of things that still need to be revealed about the show included exactly why the guy keeps running away from Michiko and Hatchin and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.
Best episode of the week was episode 19 of Clannad. Once again there were many tear inducing scenes, though most of these were happy scenes this time, as well as happy scenes as Ushio and Tomoya settle into their new life together. I thought the baseball scene, at the beginning, was Akki’s way to symbolically hand over the responsibility of raising Ushio back to Tomoya. Also, thinking back to the last time we saw them play baseball together, I took the ease in which Tomoya hit Akki’s pitch as a statement of how mature Tomoya has gotten.
Speaking of Akki, he often is shown acting immature but the scene where he tells Sanae that it’s finally okay to cry over Nagisa showed that can he’s a good husband. I was of the opinion that Tomoya was a bad father for making Sanae and Akki raise Ushio for 5 years but thinking about it now, maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea. Tomoya lost his wife but Sanae and Akki lost their daughter and raising Ushio did help them get through the worst of the pain. I’m really anxious to see how the rest of the series will play out; I’m pretty sure that Tomoya gets a wish from the glowing orb and I wonder if Kyou’s return in the next episode will play into the wish.
What is it about reformed villains that I love so much? The last time I watched a show that had a villain become good was Gurren Lagann and the character Viral became my favorite of the show. This short arc in To Aru Majutsu no Index featured a villain from just a few episodes ago that became the hero and this was, by far and away, the best arc of the series so far. I hope he can come back soon. Looking at the preview and how it appears several new characters will be introduced seems to point to a second season in the future and thus no sort of plot resolution for this season.
Another good episode of Rideback. I was partially right with my guess several weeks ago that Rin’s rowdy brother will be the reason that gets her involved with the terrorists; he wasn’t the first reason but his actions will be the confirming reason that will get her involved. This episode is a good display of why it’s important to follow current events. The GGP run government needed some pretext to bring in Ridebacks for the purposes of security and a rampage by a group of Ridebacks would be the perfect thing. The idiot that was the leader should have realized no one would just give him 4 Ridebacks without a reason and the consequences of his group’s actions will be just what the GGP wanted him to do. I thought for a moment that Rin might be able to defy the military again and get her and her brother to safety but the GGP simply had too much at their disposal. I’m assuming some sort of prison break will happen next episode because I can’t imagine the government allowing either Rin or her brother to go free again.
And now a few short thoughts:
I was going to title the post ‘Touma is Dumb and must be Destroyed’ but I’ve come to the belated realization that I’ve been blaming Kamijyo Touma too much for my unhappiness with the Index anime. Too much crap comes out of his mouth but, hey, that’s the sad duty being the main chara. Even so I enjoyed hearing him being killed twice in the Index-tan DVD special. Go Kaori and Stiyl!
I was forced to concede that this was not just a problem of shounen jive in one chara but a systemic series/source fault when a voice in my head (Sohryu Asuka Langley via Tiffany Grant) went ‘This is ridiculous!’ during my beloved Biri Biri’s exchange with Touma on the Bridge of Angst. Salt was rubbed even more furiously into the gaping wound when I heard the voice of Eric Cartman go ‘You guys! Seriously!!’ during the Batting Practice ‘battle’ between Misha and Shizu-sama’s chara.
Just when I thought I should have just listened to Evirus, the next episode puts the focus back on Biri Biri again. Argh, I do love her chara (needs MOAR yuri i.e. Kuroko glomping) and Kaori’s enough to just barely hang on to the bitter end.
P.S. Oh and while I’m not the world’s biggest Index fan, I’ve been even feeling a bit sorry for her. She’s been so marginal that she hasn’t even played Damsel in Distress for a while. All she does is whine when she does appear and chomp on Touma at the end of an arc. What’s up with that? Couldn’t the series have done more interesting things with a living library of All The Magic In Za World and she the ultimate weapon in the wrong hands? At least she could have been outsourced all that live commentary during the ‘fights’ and let the fighting do, you know, the fighting.
P.P.S. The new OP like not I do. Oh yeah, brings back memories of GSD’s Wings of Words.
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©2009 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.
.Related posts:
Our lovable Corpse Princess as a baby.
And just like that, the book closes on the fall season and 2008.
Back at the start of the fall season, early October, the trees where just starting to change colors and it was still possible to walk around outside in shorts. Now at the end of the season, coats are required and the faded landscape speaks of many more months of cold. Hopefully at the end of the winter anime season, the early crocuses will be blooming and we’ll finally know when the second season of Haruhi is airing.
The scores:
To Aru Majutsu no Index, episode 12 – 9/12 A-
To Aru Majutsu no Index, episode 13 – 11/12 A+
Shikabane Hime: Aka, episode 9 – 11/12 A+
Shikabane Hime: Aka, episode 10 – 12/12
Shikabane Hime: Aka, episode 11 – 12+/12
Kannagi, episode 12 – 10/12 A
Kannagi, episode 13 – 12/12 (end)
Chaos;Head, episode 11 – 10/12 A
Chaos;Head, episode 12 – 11/12 A+ (end)
Kurozuka, episode 11 – 12/12
Kurozuka, episode 12 – 12+/12 (end)
Ga-Rei Zero, episode 11 – 12+/12
Ga-Rei Zero, episode 12 – 12+/12 (end)
Earl and Fairy, episode 11 – 11/12 A+
Xam’D: Lost Memories, episode 20 – 12/12
Xam’D: Lost Memories, episode 21 – 12+/12
Toradora!, episode 13 – 12++/12
Kemeko DX, episode 12 – 10/12 A (end)
Michiko to Hatchin, episode 10 – 12/12
Skip Beat, episode 11 – 11/12 A+
Skip Beat, episode 12 – 12/12
Yozakura Quartet, episode 12 – 10/12 A (end)
Which shows have momentum this week
Up – Shikabane Hime: Aka – If I had to graph this show’s momentum, it would look like an exponential growth curve.
Down – Chaos;Head – Technically, since this ended, it shouldn’t be here but this show definitely lost a lot of the momentum that it had built up earlier in the series.
Thoughts and Highlights
Shikabane Hime: Aka is the momentum gainer of the week again and came very close to having it’s episode 11 be the best episode of the bi-week. This show and Ga-Rei: Zero actually are very similar shows in that they’ve been season long examinations of a character. Ga-Rei: Zero was to show how a hero despairs, gets corrupted, and falls; whereas, Shikabane Hime: Aka was to show how a normal high school boy is called upon to become the hero. The difference between the two was that Ga-Rei told you by the end of episode 3 what it was doing but Shikabane Hime didn’t make it clear till much later.
Episode 11 of Shikabane Hime: Aka had a really awesome flashback sequence in it – very Millenium Actress-esque. This sequence would have wowed me no-matter-what; but, the fact that Gainax did it, wowed me even more because Gainax isn’t known for it’s subtleness and small moments.
Squeaking past for this bi-week’s best episode is Toradora’s episode 13. As epic as the race was, the moment that really stuck out in my mind was the comment Minorin made at the end when she was talking with Ryuuji. She said something to effect ‘I’m talking normal’. A simple sentence might seem insignificant but oftentimes it’s the small things that speak volumes. We were clued into the possibility that Minorin uses her hyper personality as a way to cope with her fears back in episode 3 and this single sentence seems to confirm this idea. What we also learn is that Kitamura seems to have a thing for the student council president and she doesn’t feel the same way about him. I can’t help but think that, because Taiga’s personality is similar to the student council president’s, Kitamura sees Taiga as a replacement for the president and that makes him a jerk.
The clones are fast becoming my favorite characters of Index.
Akiyuki's parents in the midst of making up.
I’ve already put up my thoughts to 3 of the show’s that have ended and will get to the other three – Kannagi, Kurozuka, and Chaos;Head – soon so I don’t have anything to say about those six shows right now. So, I’ll close with just a few more short thoughts.
Have I mentioned how the casting in Skip Beat has helped make the show so enjoyable. Marina Inoue infuses Kyoko’s character with the perfect edge that really makes the character feel real. Then there’s the smooth-as-butter Katsuyuki Konishi as Ren that makes Ren’s ability to make all women swoon over him so believable and makes Kyoko’s interest in him genuine.
And finally, Minorin's 7 - 10 split was pretty cool as well.
Now that we’ve had the Biri Biri arc that Railgun fans have been clamouring for, I’m left with the ever so slight but undeniable taste of disappointment. Keiri’s contention that the characters were diluted went some way to explain my funk.
Kuroko (aka ‘Desu-no chan’ LOL), in particular, felt incomplete, unwhole. Thinking back, it wasn’t so much that she was diluted but that a facet of her personality was very deliberately and surgically spliced off - the crazy yuri jealousy which was the source of so much merriment when I was reading A Certain Scientific Railgun. Manga Kuroko’s jealousy is definitely one of her charm points, she just isn’t the same without it.
At least we got some of her perviness back. Washi eloquently described how the Index poster in Megami 105 distilled all his favourite things about the Index anime. Another big reason why the aforementioned poster is Good, for me, is because who’s not there: Touma. Which is why I suppose I prefer the Railgun manga so much more -he’s just an occasional cameo supporting chara.
©2008 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.
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Theological finessing of doctrine is important. It’s been said that: ‘Theology is a device for helping agnostics to stay within the Church of England.’ Likewise for anime doctrines.
Evirus’ definition of the Ayako Doctrine has the virtue of being simple and clear:
Any anime featuring Kawasumi Ayako should be watched.
But, like any prudent person, he also introduced a few qualifications.
Note that the Ayako Doctrine does not claim every anime featuring Ayako Kawasumi will be good, nor does it dictate that these anime must be watched to completion. The Ayako Doctrine merely compels the viewer’s consideration, reasoning that her presence can only be positive.
This certainly applies to the Shizu-sama Doctrine too. Certainly not every anime with Shizuka Itou will be good. In some cases, like this season’s Index, she has only really had a decent number of lines in two episodes (5-6?); the frequency of her presence in Index was somewhat like Wirhelmina’s in the first Shana season de arimasu. Certainly ‘her presence can only be positive’ but sometimes it can’t compensate for a high number of negatives. But, at times, it can give buy a series just enough time for a viewer like myself to latch onto something else and, thus, continue to watch the series.
©2008 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.
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Paraphrasing Author, I can understand why some avoid manga while watching an anime based on it. In this specific instant, it was also a case of being poisoned by Mentar. :3
Index could certainly do with MOAR Biri Biri. Aroduc proposes: ‘Really, all that they need to do is give Mikoto more screen time.’ Kuroko too. And a manga-influenced 53RG10 seconds. But I’d probably be happier with either a spin-off thirteen episode series or a four ep OVA based on the Railgun manga.
I managed to order the first volume (Ch 1-7) from the local Kinokuniya at only SGD 10.89 but, for some mysterious reason, they couldn’t order the second so I spent JPY 3,000 (SGD 49.34) to get it from Amazon.jp Marketplace and another SGD 21.00 on Vpost shipping. Certainly an eye-popping amount for just one volume but it’s been ameliorated by the special Index poker set. And, most importantly, I’ve been really enjoying both volumes. Being an old-fashioned kind of person, I somehow find the physical sensation of reading a physical book more enjoyable than reading off a computer screen.
All hail Biri Biri!
©2008 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.
.In US politics, having the Big Mo’ (momentum) has sweep candidates to power. But the British have a saying: ‘A week is a long time in politics.’ Likewsie, for anime series, momentum can diminish, even disappear, over the span of a week or two.
To Aru no Majutsu no Index
My former hot favourite, it has been weighed down by extended dialogue, conversation, exposition. I’m moderating my expectations and buying into Aroduc’s forecast of ‘another episode or two of mediocrity before it gets good for 6-8 episodes and then finishes sort of awkwardly.’ And his proposed solution. But that’s for another post.
ToraDora
Though Stripey has abandoned this series, Evirus’s title hit the nail on the head WRT to how this series has made a strong comeback. Ami’s definitely the missing spice all this while, a catalyst that has speeded up and enriched the inter-chara dynamics. Loved her speech to her stalker that personality doesn’t matter if She’s Got The Look. But it’s precisely because of it’s the Power of her Dark Side that I’m looking forward to forthcoming episodes.
Kannagi
The lead-in and build-up have been pretty consistent. We’re introduced to the core relationship between Nagi and Jin first. The rest of the cast gets inducted at a reasonable pace and we’re starting to see the complete ensemble bounce off each other in credible and enjoyable ways.
Ga-rei Zero
Interesting use of the ’starting in the middle’ device for the first two episodes and then going back chronologically to lead back up to the climatic point at the end of the second episode. I’ll like how it’s been handled thus far; we know how where all this is going to lead to but we don’t know how. The details of everyday life and relationships become ominous signs for the coming avalanche.
The voice was struggling to articulate words that Maxi heard without realising they were a warning: they were foretelling the radical change that his life was about to undergo. It is normal he did not understand this, because these discreet signs that destiny sends us can only be read with the passage of time, when it is already too late for them to act as a proper warning…
Edgardo Cozarinsky, The Moldavian Pimp
And what a pumped up Minorin OP!
Mouryou no Hakou
This is very disorientating, there’s definitely strong momentum but it doesn’t seem to obey the normal laws of physics. And, the possibility of yuri aside, I seem to be drawn to it for the exact same reasons that Author is repelled by it.
Well, I did enjoy The King in Yellow precisely because it was macabre, dripping with peeling decay, the vanished echo of lost glory and the crying and laughter of mental illness. Certainly agree with Keiri that this is the dark gem of fall.
©2008 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.
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