The second ‘short and crappy’ review needed to get me back on track.

Nankyoku Sakura, aka ‘Penguin’, is a super-rich cosplay-obsessed otaku- and with a combination like that, it’s no surprise that her life is often eventful. From equally rich rivals to time travel, Penguin is always at the heart of one crazy adventure on another, with her long suffering allies Kujira (a martial artist who only recently realised she was female), Cha Chi (Kujira’s misguided fiancée) and the eternally unflappable shrine maiden Nene always dragged along for the ride.

A perfect example of ‘only in anime’ craziness, Penguin Musume Heart is one of those series that offers madcap light entertainment without ever trying to achieve anything more. A blend of parody, humour and school comedy, the series never takes itself too seriously, and is unafraid to mix all kinds of craziness, from a main character who can take on the powers of anyone she cosplays as to a togh maid that shows a surprisingly sensitive side via text messages. It’s all complete silliness, but if you give it a chance then you’ll find it much more enjoyable than many series with lofty aspirations who ultimately fail to deliver.

At the heart of the series is Penguin herself, a crazy yet good-hearted otaku whose boundless love of cosplay and anime provide much of the humour of the series, but the other character prove just as memorable and outlandish. All of Penguin’s friends and rivals come with their own quirks, ensuring an eclectic and hilarious mix of characters that you’d be hard pressed to put together in any other series.

Visually, Penguin Musume Heart isn’t overburdened with a massive animation budget, but nonetheless the character designs are cute and there is no end of cosplay and explosions to look forward to. Music is typical upbeat fare.

Final Thoughts

It may not be complex or grandiose, but Penguin Musume Heart is unashamed good fun, and in that regard, it stands apart from series who tried to achieve much more and ended up delivering far less. If you’re in the mood for some old-fashioned crazy anime fun, you won’t go far wrong with this one.

Tier: Bronze

With several profitable negotiations under their belt, Lawrence and Horo have proven to be an effective team- but should they classify themselves as friends, business partners or something more? One thing’s for sure- the bond between them will be tested to the limit in their next few negotiations. Will Lawrence ever realise his dream of opening a shop? Can Horo really find clues about her distant home? And will one person’s dream involve another’s sacrifice?

Although not without its flaws, the original series of Spice and Wolf nonetheless managed to be a captivating and memorable experience, and with plenty more content available from later novels, a second season of the anime could only be a good thing. Once again, however, the series was a mixed bag- imperfect when examined up close, but entirely enjoyable if you chose to sit back and go with the flow.

Although trading and negotiation continue to play an important role in the series, this season takes the opportunity to put the relationship between the main characters under the microscope. Once again, Horo cannot help but take the spotlight; at once wise and naïve, egotistical yet insecure, her changes in mood can sometimes happen too quickly to follow- both for the audience and for the long-suffering Lawrence. Along the way, however, he inevitably comes to realise what she means to him; fear not, however, for far from marking a rut for this particular character dynamic, there is much life in it yet.

With Horo and Lawrence dominating the show, there isn’t a chance to develop much in the way of a supporting cast, with recurring characters taking highly plot motivated roles rather than being developed in their own right. Still, the world of Spice & Wolf hangs together well in its own right, although don’t expect following the twists and turns of the logic and economics of the series to become any easier. A world where a loss can apparently equate to a huge profit may be good news for politicians trying to deal with the current economic situation, but it’s unlikely to make any sense to the rest of us!

Despite some staff changes on the animation side, Spice and Wolf retains its characteristic bucolic look and feel for this season. Production values are consistent overall over both seasons, with few chances to complain.

Final Thoughts

A worthy successor to the first season, Spice and Wolf may not be perfect, but it always proves interesting and entertaining. Here’s to many more adventures with Lawrence and Horo- be they in animated, manga or novel form.

Tier: Silver+

The first in a handful of ‘short and crappy’ reviews I will put out just because I want to clear the backlog of things I said I’d review.

Akiyuki Takehara leads a peaceful, normal life on Sentan Island, blissfully unaware of the issues that plague the wider world- at least, until the day a bus explosion changes everything. Transformed into a creature known only as Xam’D after a mysterious gem embeds itself in his arm, Akiyuki’s only hope of controlling this power lies with a mysterious girl named Nakiami, but her insistence that he joins her on the postal ship Zanbani will catapult him out of his backwater and thrust both him and his closest friends into events that will shape their entire world.

Time and again, Studio Bones has proven to us that they can make slick, stylish and consistently enjoyable series, and with Xam’D, it seemed as if they were gearing up to make the spiritual successor to the captivating Eureka Seven.

Unfortunately, at only half the length of its sister series, Xam’D didn’t have as much to explore its world and inhabitants as much as much as would have been optimal, but nonetheless, it manages to pack a lot into its 26 episode run. Starting at the remote Sentan Island where everything kicks off, the series soon expands its scope, somehow fitting in the adventures of Akiyuki, his friends, the members of the postal ship, Nakiami and her people and even the members of the military. Even though the series is thus forced to proceed at a brisk pace overall, it manages to capture all of the action in assured strokes, fitting in plenty of memorable moments that bring all of the characters and the events that befall them to life.

Unsurprisingly, when it comes to the visuals, Xam’D sports the typical Studio Bones style, with clean lines and an effortless blending of the prosaic and the fantastic. Background music comprises of a solid selection of tracks, with a typically catchy opening theme.

Final Thoughts

Even though it’s been a while since I watched it (hence the rushed and inferior quality of the review), Xam’D proves its strength and staying power with a series of evocative and powerful scenes that remain in my memory even now. Studio Bones have struck gold again with a series that combines epic storylines with surprising character depth and development. Long may they continue to deliver series of such quality.

Tier: Gold-

“I just kept selecting the villain option at every dialogue screen!”

A drug den is uncovered.

The Yamada family can no longer imagine life without their adorable kitten Chi, but there’s still one major problem- their apartment doesn’t allow pets! Realising that things cannot continue as they are, the Yamadas move down the street to an apartment complex where animals are permitted. Now, Chi must adjust to her new surroundings and make friends amongst the local feline population.

Way back when I reviewed Chi’s Sweet Home, I mentioned that another 104 episodes of our favourite kitten wouldn’t go amiss, and happily, my wish was granted in the form of Chi’s New Address, the continuing and equally cute adventures of Chi and the Yamada family.

Much as I loved the first season, my one nagging annoyance about the whole thing was that Chi was being kept in an apartment where cats weren’t allowed- a story twist that was amusing at first, but clearly had a finite lifetime. Fortunately, this issue is addressed right at the beginning of this season, with a fortuitous ‘it could only happen on TV’ house moving. From then on, the series settles back into its customary level of entertaining cuteness, whilst throwing in enough originality to ensure that the format doesn’t feel tired even after another 104 episodes.

One key feature of the new series is that it features a much larger cast- not so much in terms of people (although there are some recurring human characters), but in the form of new animal friends for Chi. Her new apartment complex boasts a wealth of animals, including a fussy Persian cat, an overenthusiastic dog and a somewhat creepy rabbit, with several episodes given over simply to introducing them all. In the outside world, Chi also finds herself interacting a lot more with other cats, including Tama, a streetwise female cat who thinks Chi reminds her of her sister and Fuji-san, a venerable elder feline who speaks in riddles that all other cats interpret as great wisdom. In general it’s amusing and entertaining mix, although as in season one the capacity for the odd poignant moment is still very much in evidence.

As far as music and visuals go, Chi’s New Address is much the same as the first series- which is to say that it’s cute, low key and appropriate to the series.

Final Thoughts

Having already got the formula just right in the first series, there was no real need to change anything here, and indeed, Chi’s New Address delivers more of the same without feeling old or tired. Maybe it’s just the cat lover in me, but if anything, it felt like it ended too soon.

Tier: Gold

In a world where gods and demons have come to live alongside us, seventeen year old Tsuchimi Rin lives a normal life in the home of his childhood friend Kaede. Everything changes, however, when the kings of the gods and demons move in either side- since both have beautiful teenage daughters who believe that Rin promised to marry them many years ago! As Rin struggles to cope with his new, vastly more eventful life, he must unravel the secrets of the past and search deep within his heart to discover which of the girls he truly loves.

The archetype of the harem series, Shuffle brings us everything we would expect from the genre, starting with an unremarkable and perennially indecisive male lead surrounded by girls who all adore him for reasons that are largely unclear. Within that framework, we have the usual line-up of the childhood friend, the shy girl, the forward girl, the peppy yet secretly ill girl and of course the mysterious loli. By now, few anime fans will be unfamiliar with this setup, but even so, Shuffle remains an enjoyable series in its own right.

Taken one episode at a time, there is much to like about Shuffle; the lead may be ordinary, but unlike so many others, he isn’t dislikeable, whilst each of the girls has their own dynamic to add to the series. There’s humour, character development, fantasy elements and dark pasts to uncover, all woven into one story.

That being said, all is not well when we consider the story as a whole. In an attempt to load each girl’s story with poignancy and tragedy, a degree of repetitiveness is introduced to the story, making it impossible to care as much as one is supposed to. Also questionable is Rin’s final choice of girl, which, without giving too much away, is not only unexpected, but also extremely unsatisfactory.

As with all harem series, Shuffle has quite an extensive cast of characters, all of whom are likeable in spite of their somewhat predictable personalities. The core characters all receive development in their own mini-arcs, although, as mentioned above, it does get a bit much when everyone has a similarly tragic past. Supporting characters are obviously less developed, but help to add some variety to proceedings.

Visually, Shuffle is showing its age a bit, but the basic character designs remain aesthetically pleasing enough to be memorable even amongst the modern competition. Background music is largely forgettable, although it serves its purpose.

Final Thoughts

If you can accept its flaws and brace yourself for Rin’s disappointing final choice, there is much to enjoy about Shuffle. Take it episode by episode and it stands as an entertaining example of how to properly implement the standard features of the harem genre.

Tier: Bronze+

Seventeen-year-old Komugi Nakahara works for talent agency Kiri Pro- a job that involves dressing up in ridiculous costumes, arguing about chest sizes with her rival, and lusting over pop idol Kyousuke Date. What most people don’t know, however, is that she also pulls double-time as Nurse-Witch Komugi-chan, thwarting the plans of Magical Maid Koyori and her army of evil viruses. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!

Magical girl shows are hardly thin on the ground, and, over time, magical girl parodies have become equally prevalent- to the point where something like Nurse-Witch Komugi-chan is just another title in an already crowded market. With that in mind, although the series proves to be a mildly entertaining diversion, it can hardly be said to be particularly clever or ground-breaking.

As expected, all the usual magical girl tropes are in play- the monsters of the week, the perverted animal sidekick, and of course the best friend who is unwittingly working as the enemy magical girl. Unfortunately, it’s not really sharp enough to stand out from the crowd of either magical girl shows or magical girl parodies, but it’s energetic and brightly coloured enough to be entertaining- and at only five episodes in length (six if you include special episode 2.5), it doesn’t continue long enough to outstay its welcome. Of course, neither is anything properly resolved, but that’s infinitely preferable to a more contrived ending.

As far as characters go, Komugi-chan borrows its cast from Soul Taker and casts them in less serious roles- which would be amusing thing to see, if anyone had actually watched Soul Taker in the first place.

As an OVA, Komugi-chan has plenty of money to spend on visuals, and it puts it to good use, making for brightly coloured character designs and lots of onscreen mayhem. Background music is largely forgettable.

Final Thoughts

Although it makes for a fairly entertaining diversion when you’ve nothing better to do, Nurse-Witch Komugi-chan has nothing to offer that would make it stand out from the crowd. By all means watch it if you need something that makes no demands on the brain, but don’t go in expecting anything more than a little short-term fun.

Tier: White+

The battle against the Ghoul in Divergence Eve has resonated through time and space, leaving Earth in a state of temporal flux that separates it from the rest of the universe. Suspecting that the AWOL Misaki might be the cause of the problems, Lyar and her team must travel into Earth’s past and try to set things right.

Despite being filled with fanservice and ridiculous breast sizes, the first season of Divergence Eve proved to be an enjoyable sci-fi story; as always, however, there remained the lurking fear that the second season would not live up to what had come before. Fortunately, although different from its predecessor, Misaki Chronicles proves to be well worth watching.

With all the background in place from the first series, Misaki Chronicles is able to focus more on the characters, exploring the doubts, fears and difficulties of trying to correct time and space itself. The technobabble is still very much in evidence, of course (as are the impossible bosoms), but now we have the chance to look not only into Misaki’s past, but to flesh out supporting characters such as Lyar, all the while tying up loose ends from the first series as best as possible. It can get a little confusing at times- especially if it’s been a while since you saw the first season- but overall it’s another dose of solid science-fiction.

Visually, Misaki Chronicles is much the same as the first series, with attractive female characters and unfortunately ugly CG vehicles. With several of the episodes now set in various periods of Earth’s history, the ambience of the series has changed a bit, with the enclosed, technological feel of Watcher’s Nest less prevalent than before.

Final Thoughts

Although somewhat different in tone to the first season, Misaki Chronicles is a worthy follow-up to the original Divergence Eve. If you like your sci-fi, there is no reason not to give this one a chance.

Tier: Bronze+

Risky is an apprentice shinigami tasked with sending doomed and depressed souls to the afterlife. Her opposite number, apprentice angel Safety, works hard to save those souls. Obviously, they’re both competing for the same market, but to make matters worse- they’ve also ended up sharing the same body! Now, they’ve both ended up interfering in the life of Moe Katsuragi, a young girl who believes that the boy she likes doesn’t reciprocate her feelings. Will Risky prey on her depression, or can Safety show her that things always work out for the best?

A series of short twelve minute episodes centred on the adventures of an angel and a shinigami on a time-share in the same body, Risky Safety combines Risky and Safety’s mishaps in everyday life with flights of fancy that take place across time and space. It’s light entertainment in every sense- often comical, sometimes a little too over the top, and occasionally touching.

The Flonne and Etna of the anime world, Risky and Safety steal the show at every turn with their angel/devil repartee. As you would expect, Safety is well-meaning, moralistic and somewhat clumsy, whilst Risky is more devilish and self-serving. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before in many guises, but nonetheless this diminutive odd couple are cute enough to make their antics more enjoyable than tiresome.

Rounding out the cast are a number of recurring and one-off characters, most of whom serve to motivate Risky and Safety and precipitate their latest adventure. Most of them are bland and inoffensive, although Moe, the girl who inadvertently summons the duo in the first place, is likable enough. Also worthy of note is Lani, a dog who ends up infatuated with Risky and Safety thanks to a misfired love arrow- a pedestrian joke perhaps, but still mildly entertaining.

Visually, Risky Safety is solid if not outstanding- most characters are well drawn if somewhat generic, with only Risky and Safety’s designs standing out for colourful cuteness. Background music is large forgettable, but suits the tone of the series well.

Final Thoughts

A fun little throwaway series, Risky Safety isn’t poised to win any awards for originality, but its tried-and-tested humour generally hits the spot. If you’re in the mood for some cute easy viewing, then it will make for a good time-filler.

Tier: Bronze+

Ever since Nyanko-sensei came into his life, Natsume Takashi has slowly learned that being able to see spirits doesn’t mean he has to distance himself from other people. But even as he juggles the responsibilities of human friendships and the Book of Friends, new challenges will arise that test his powers and make him consider his place in between everyday life and the world of the supernatural.

In its first season, Natsume Yuujinchou quickly grew on me and established itself as one of the better supernatural series out there- and with a fresh batch of manga stories to draw from, it seemed only sensible to expect the second season to keep on delivering quality material. Fortunately, not only did this season live up to expectations, it went a long way towards strengthening Natsume Yuujinchou’s already worthy reputation.

Continuing in the vein of the first season, Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou brings us more episodic tales of the supernatural, offering its usual mix of the amusing and the thoughtful to bring each story to life. From a delightful tale in which a black version of Nyanko-sensei mysteriously shows up to hideous monster intent on devouring its victim, each episode is always a treat to watch, and certainly the highlight of any viewing schedule.

In the first season of Natsume Yuujinchou, we saw our hero grow beyond his enforced isolation, and Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou continues the process. Once again, we see our hero slowly opening up to the people in his life, maintaining old friendships, establishing new ones, and even slowly breaking down the barriers he erected between himself and his foster parents. Not that Natsume is the only character on display, of course, for as well as bringing back the always solid supporting cast, this second season throws a few new faces into the mix, most notably Taki Tooru, an onmyouji and new ally who can see spirits who pass through her magic circles. Also of interest are some further insights into the character of Natsume’s capricious grandmother Reiko, whilst the delightful Nyanko-sensei remains a consistent scene-stealer.

Visually, Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou brings us more of the same subdued pastel visuals; it will never be the flashiest series out there, but it still looks attractive. Nyanko-sensei seems to be fatter than ever, but other than that the series is on a par with the first season. Similarly, background music continues to serve its purpose without particularly standing out.

Final Thoughts

After a strong first season, Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou brings us a slightly tweaked and improved formula that delivers even more goodness than ever before. Watching it is a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable experience- more of the same, please.

Tier: Gold

Yumi is nearing the end of her second year at Lillian, and there is much to be done before her beloved onee-sama Sachiko can graduate and leave her to take over the role of Rosa Chinensis. Of course, the most pressing matter is finding a petite soeur, and whilst Yoshino is pressured by Rei and Eriko to pick one, Yumi must finally make a decision. Is Touko the one she wants to give her rosary to, or is there someone better out there to join the Red Rose ‘family’?

A series infamous for its HARD YURI undertones, MariMite nonetheless managed to bring us two enjoyable seasons, before blowing it somewhat on a ridiculously over the top OVA filled with bizarre sports festivals and all kinds of love rivalry. In the space of five episodes, the OVA had destroyed most of my goodwill towards the series- could a brand new TV series bring it back?

Fortunately, with all the festivals out of the way, the series proved to be back on track, bringing us a more acceptable level of HARD YURI angst. The main focus of the season, of course, was Yumi’s attempts to find the right soeur for her (dominant or submissive? Sachiko replacement or something new?), and even though most of us must have known how it would turn out eventually, the journey was still entertaining. And fortunately, there are also a number of side stories to keep us entertained, most notably Yoshino’s own attempts to find a petite soeur.

Although there is one notable new addition to the cast this season, for the most part the focus is on the core characters we’ve come to know and love. Whilst both Yumi and Yoshino are forced to grow up a little this time around, Touko is finally becoming more likable- yes, she’s still a stroppy, contrary little princess, but every so often a more human and vulnerable side to her personality starts to show through.

As always, MariMite isn’t working with the highest budget when it comes to animation, although it still manages to look decent enough (certainly flashy effects aren’t needed for this sort of series)- and in fact overall it seems a bit more polished than the surprisingly poor-looking OVA. Similarly, the background music is the same old elevator fare we’ve come to expect.

Final Thoughts

Obviously, those brand new to the franchise aren’t going to start with this season, and those who’ve made it this far will watch it regardless, but if you’re poised on the threshold after the disappointing OVA, rest assured that MariMite is back on form for its fourth season, delivering all the angst and HARD YURI undertones we’ve come to expect from the series. Watch and enjoy it for what it is.

Tier: Bronze+