Nagisa and Tomoya are finally together, but there are still many more obstacles for them to face. Whilst Nagisa continues to battle with her illness, Tomoya must grow up fast as he takes responsibility for supporting himself and his partner. Will they be able to overcome everything and live happily ever after, or is this one tale that must inevitably end in tragedy?

Since I spent the entirety of Clannad waiting for Tomoya and Nagisa to get together, I was optimistic that After Story would be more my cup of tea. Unfortunately, even though it was a solid enough series overall, it still had its ups and downs.

After some customary faffing around with baseball and the like, After Story seemed happy to get on with the process of furthering the story of Tomoya and Nagisa’s relationship- all to the good, you might think, except that it’s hard to really get ‘comfortable’ with the story. You know that Tomoya and Nagisa are supposed to have a deep and caring relationship, but it’s hard to see evidence of anything more than a superficial connection. Maybe it’s just a failing on my part, but I just couldn’t see it- especially as they both still looked about fifteen despite having graduated from high school.

Of course, even my hardened and cynical heart couldn’t help but be moved by the events of episode 17; thanks to spoilers, I had long known of these events, but somehow the emotion that was lacking from the earlier episodes was all packed into here, making for a genuinely touching and poignant moment.

With this turning point, the series jumps ahead several years, and, understandable as it is, we have to deal with Tomoya’s angst arc before he finally gets his act together. Although they never hit the heights of that fateful episode, the closing chapters of After Story are at least an improvement of the faltering start, despite a somewhat dubious ending.

Given that this series is basically “Tomoya and Nagisa: What Happened Next”, it should come as little surprise that the supporting characters now have more minor roles- naturally, for the sake of all the fanboys, everyone makes at least a token appearance, but overall the series is much more focused.

Visually, the series brings us more of the usual KyoAni eye candy- by now, we would be disappointed with anything less. Background music is of similar quality to the first series, mostly ‘visual novel’ easy listening with a couple of standout tracks and a somewhat catchy OP.

Final Thoughts

Although it has its own flaws to bring to the playing field, overall After Story proves to be an improvement over the first series, bringing us a more focused and driven narrative. Those who didn’t support the Tomoya X Nagisa path will no doubt be disappointed at the reduced role played by their favourite girl, but overall this is a second season that surpasses its predecessor.

Tier: Silver-

I must admit that around half of the series I’m watching at the moment are rather forgettable- if I’d know in advance how poor they would be, I would never have even started them in the first place. Of course, once you make headway into a series, it becomes very difficult to drop it, but in a few weeks’ time I should be released from the chaff in time to sample the best (and most likely the worst) of the autumn season.

Lucky Star OVA

Ah, I can hear the fanboys stirring over this one- as you know, personally I wasn’t too impressed by Lucky Star (Hidamari Sketch was far superior in presenting an amusing tale of everyday life), but I may watch this for completion.

Hakushaku to Yousei

Also known as “Count and Fairy”, this is actually the tale of a 19^th century count and fairy knight and doctor on a quest for a legendary sword. Despite the generic premise, I’m torn between expecting this to be a solid historical fantasy in the vein of Chevalier and fearing that it will actually be the next Allison to Lillia.

Akane-Iro ni Somaru Saka

Another eroge adaptation with nice character designs, this time about a new transfer student who happens to be the arranged husband of the girl he manages to piss off by kissing her (apparently to save her from danger, however that works). I can’t help thinking of Full Metal Panic, and to be honest, unless this can make itself into the next True Tears, it may as well be left alone.

Shikabane Hime: Aka

We’ve had Murder Princess, Sister Princess and so forth, but now the Corpse Princess has joined in the fun. Our undead heroine must hunt down 108 corpses if she wishes to go to heaven, seemingly a recipe for a near endless series. With Gainax at the helm, there’s bound to be some degree of hype, but even if you subscribe to the Eva and Gurren-Lagann fanclubs, please remember that they did bring us Koni Mini and Mahoromatic as well.

Toradora!

A kind-hearted guy with the looks of a delinquent becomes the personal servant of the ultimate tsundere and the two become allies in an attempt to share their respective crushes. I can’t help thinking of Midori no Hibi with a splash of Nogizaka Haruka, and if, like those series, this is only 12-13 episodes, I might indulge- but I don’t have the time or inclination to tackle anything longer.

Rosario to Vampire Capu2

As always, a second season I only mention for completeness, since I didn’t watch the first season and have no intention of doing so.

Hyakko

A series about four schoolgirls and the people they interact with, this series isn’t handled by SHAFT, but it sounds so much like Hidamari Sketch meets Pani Poni Dash that it really should be. This kind of series is usually good fun, so I may take a punt on this one.

Clannad After Story

The hyped KyoAni series of the season, the long awaited After Story begins with Tomoya X Nagisa getting together, and depending on which game path it follows, can either be miserable or utterly depressing. Still, as it’s focusing on the Clannad relationship that I like the best, I’m willing to follow it through (although I have a good idea of what could happen thanks to some of Hinano’s game spoilers).

Tales of the Abyss

Let’s not bother with the plot (something about a destined hero) and focus on just one thing here- this is an RPG adaptation, and I think I may have finally learned my lesson about their generally poor quality. With that in mind, and with Sunrise’s involvement not inspiring much in the way of confidence, I’m going to leave this well alone.

Hokuto no Ken Raoh Gaiden Ten no Haoh

You might have thought that Hokuto no Ken had had its day, but from out of nowhere this spin-off manga about Kenshiro’s brother Raoh has appeared. Bringing this sort of ultra-retro series into the 21^st century probably isn’t the best of ideas, and even if I felt tempted to watch this any time soon, I’d leave it until I’d watched the rest of the earlier series.

Kuro Shitsuji

The butler genre gets a new entry in the form of “Dark Butler”, the tale of a perfect servant and his twelve year old master. I’m not sure what to make of this, as it could either be amusing or entirely dull- perhaps it’s best to watch it based on the blogworld’s reaction to the first couple of episodes (go forth, my fellow bloggers, and sacrifice yourselves for my sake!).

Casshern Sins

My sole experience of this franchise comes from watching and reviewing the OVA “Casshan: Robot Hunter”, which I will always remember for having a DVD menu that loaded with the epic battlecry “I am- Casshan!” As a remake of a 70s series about a robot hunter fighting an evil empire of artificial lifeforms, surely even Studio Madhouse can’t elevate this beyond the level of retro cheese.

Yozakura Quartet

After acquiring some artwork from the original material, I became rather interested in watching this for shallow reasons, but in true Terry Pratchett fashion, my Second Thoughts told me that looking forward to it on such a flimsy basis could only be a recipe for disaster. The fact that the eponymous quartet consist of one normal boy and three girls with superpowers also has those alarm bells ringing- isn’t this just the dull Telepathy Shoujo Ran all over again? And yet, even with all that in mind, I feel that I must at least try it.

Kannagi

The tale of a sacred tree that turns into a girl and a guardian deity who wants to be an idol, this sounds like another light entertainment shrine maiden series in the vein of Shrine of the Morning Mist. I’m keeping my expectations grounded, but I’ll certainly give it a try.

Kurogane no Linebarrels

A typical shounen story about an underachiever who finds a giant robot and then has his life changed, this sounds like the kind of thing I can easily live without.

Tentai Senshi Sunred

At first glance, I would have passed over this as an out of place sentai series, but apparently it’s actually a spoof of all those retro Japanese clichés, and with that in mind, it could be quite amusing. Then again, I can spoof things quite happily on my own.

Jigoku Shoujo: Mitsuganae

Will the hellish trip through the excruciatingly dull world of Jigoku Shoujo ever end? One season was too much for me, but somehow they came up with a second, and now a third is on its way. Good luck to anyone still following this.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 2nd Season

Gundam 00 continues after a time skip of some four years, but since I gave up on the first season after three episodes, I’ll need to catch up if I ever want to be ready for this- and right now I don’t have the time or inclination for that.

Kemeko Deluxe!

How many times can a high school student meet a mysterious alien who claims to be his destined bride? Apparently, there’s still room for more, with Sanpeita meeting a mecha musume fiancée in her own mobile suit. It may be light entertainment and amusing, but it sounds like the sort of thing that should be watched after it has aired rather than be worried about catching it every week.

To Aru Majutsu no Index

Another light novel adaptation, this one takes place in a world where supherhuman powers and magic are just par for the course. Our protagonists are a boy with a hand that can negate magic and a nun with forbidden magical texts in her head- think Chrono Crusade meets Getbackers, Johnny Mnemonic, Rental Magica, Polyphonica and god only knows what else. In other words, whilst it may look appealing, I’m also concerned that it will be a generic, cookie-cutter experience.

Noramimi 2

Apparently the original Noramimi was very underrated, but until I have the opportunity to watch it, I won’t be indulging in this second season.

Inazuma Eleven

An RPG adaptation with childish character designs- strike this one off the list immediately.

Macademi Wasshoi!

Thanks to the success of one Harry Potter, magical academies will probably never go out of fashion, with this series showcasing yet another one. Our hero manages to summon up a girl who has the power to destroy an entire country- now only her loyalty to him can avert disaster. I can’t help thinking of Zero no Tsukaima added to Hibiki’s Magic, and to be honest I’m not terribly interested.

Ga-Rei: Zero

A boy, a girl and a ‘Ga-Rei’ team together to destroy evil spirits in something that looks and sounds pretty generic. I may watch it, but it depends on the rest of my viewing schedule.

Skip Beat!

Although I haven’t read it myself, this is one those manga series that is so all-pervasive that you expect it to have had an anime adaptation already. The series focuses on a girl who follows her singer boyfriend to Tokyo, only to discover that he thinks of her as little more than a convenient housekeeper. In an attempt at revenge, she decides to become more famous than him, but without the ability to love, she doesn’t quite have that ‘x-factor’ needed to succeed. This sounds like it could be a painful example of generic shoujo, but there’s always the chance that it might actually be worthy.

Kyou no Go no Ni

Although fifth graders indulging in sexual innuendo always sounded rather disturbing to me, I now have the OVA in my possession, and so I can sample that before the series begins to see if it’s my thing. Should it prove to be amusing, then I’ll take a chance on the TV series.

Vampire Knight Guilty

The bishies return for a second season of shallow shoujo antics; if you liked the first season you’ll no doubt go in for more of the same.

ef – a tale of melodies

Whilst my fellow bloggers may have waxed lyrical on the perceived complexity of ef’s first season, I put it on hold after three episodes and still haven’t felt like getting back to it. If the backburner has a backburner, then that’s where this one is going.

Mouryou no Hako

Apparently this series starts with a private investigator looking into a case involving dismembered schoolgirls- to be honest, from that alone, it sounds like it could be the next Kara no Kyoukai movie. I’m not sure whether the series will be about that one case or whether it has more tricks up its sleeve; either way, if it can pull off a decent horror story, it might be worth looking into, but if not, it’ll just be another Ryoko’s Case File.

Stitch!

I’m not sure how a minor Disney character got his own anime series, but here it is, although as I wasn’t a particular fan of the original movie and imagine this will be rather childish, it’s not going on my to-watch list.

One Outs

On first glance, an anime about baseball and gambling doesn’t sound terribly appealing, but you factor in the obvious MANLINESS and the fact that the same team who worked on Akagi and Kaiji will be handling this, it suddenly sounds like it might have a chance of being oddly compulsive. With that in mind, I must at least sample this- or get someone else to sample it for me.

Tytania

A space opera from the brains behind Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Tytania promises to be a complex epic that should please everyone who loved both the aforementioned and the ever popular Seikai series. This time around, count me in from the start!

Chaos;Head

A visual novel adaptation starring a boy who cannot tell reality from delusion yet believes he is being pursued by a murderer, this sounds a lot like this season’s answer to Higurashi. I must admit I’m tempted, but I’m also wary.

Nodame Cantabile: Paris-Hen

Nodame Cantabile may not be one of my favourites, but I did generally enjoy the manga and the first season of the anime, and so even though I’ve read the material that will be turned into this season, it’s been long enough that I can enjoy it again in animated form. A decent silver level series.

Kurozuka

A story of love and obsession that spans the generations, Kurozuka sounds somewhat reminiscent of Otogi Zoshi, although it’s hard to tell just where it’s going to fall in the quality spectrum. At only 12 episodes in length, however, it’s tempting to give it a try.

Junjou Romantica 2

Another second season of a series I haven’t seen- first season viewers only need apply.

Michiko to Hatchin

Move over all other anime partnerships, Michiko and Hatchin are here- a sexy diva and a little kid on the run from her foster parents. Exactly where their story will take them is a matter for debate, but I assume it will be some sort of Sisters of Wellber type affair. At any rate, I can live without seeing this one.

Goku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

Zetsubou shita! The fact that this is only a two episode OVA has left me in despair! Still, I’ll take what I can of Sensei’s bleak antics, and hopefully they will be as hilarious as ever.

Switch

A typical detective odd couple take to the streets as drug busters, up against a new super-addictive substance that has taken hold of the life of a popular actor. I’m not sure what to make of this one- it certainly sounds like something more suited to primetime TV, but can it work in animated form?

Zettai Shougeki: Platonic Heart

An OVA about eleven women chosen to search for a jewel that can grant any wish, this sounds highly generic. AniDB has also tagged it as ‘paper clothes’, which suggests that this will be Ikki Tousen’s spiritual successor.

Backlog catch-up is a myth.

Reviewed this week: Amatsuki 12-13, Antique Bakery 3-4, Blade of the Immortal 2, Chi’s Sweet Home 53-68, Detroit Metal City 1, Eve no Jikan 1, Himawari!! 6, Itazura na Kiss 17, Kaiba 11-12, Koihime Musou 4, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 12, Otome S.ifr 2, Nabari no Ou 17-18, Natsume Yuujinchou 4-5, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 4, Persona Trinity Soul 22-6, Real Drive 13, Ryoko’s Case File 4, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 4, Soul Eater 16-18, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 6-7, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 14-15, Xam’D 3

…and in manga: .hack//Link 3, Caramel Espresso 1-2, Clannad 6-8, Claymore 82, Elfen Lied 89-101, FMA 85, MariMite 25-7, Minami-ke 34-5, Nodame 121, Rose of Versailles 9-10, Sketchbook 13-16, Slayers Aqualord 1, Slayers Revolution 3, Tsubasa 194, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 1, xxxHOLiC 159-161, Yotsuba&! 55

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi plays
2. Kaiba (2) – who am I? <-complete!
3. Hidamari Sketch x365 (3) – 365 times the fun
4. Soul Eater (4) – symmetry
5. Xam’d- Lost Memories (5) – Bones does it again
6. Natsume Yuujinchou (6) – Nyanko-sensei forever!
7. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (7) – hot springs
8. Nabari no Ou (8) – change of side
9. Slayers Revolution (9) – Dragon Slave
10. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (14) – maid secrets
11. Persona Trinity Soul (11) – what did it all mean? <- complete!
12. Detroit Metal City (-) – I’m gonna f***ing raep you! <-new!
13. Koihime Musou (10) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard
14. Antique Bakery (15) – Young Master!
15. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (16) – fillerific
16. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (12) – open the safe
17. Ryoko’s Case File (18) – superintendant
18. Real Drive (13) – flashback
19. World Destruction (19) – tree
20. Himitsu (21) – faceless
21. Amatsuki (20) – inconclusive <-complete!
22. Allison and Lillia (23) – plane crash is the new train wreck
23. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (17) – and I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids!
24. Blade of the Immortal (22) – boring <-dropped!
25. Itazura na Kiss (24) – dislikeable cast
26. Chocolate Underground (25) – chocolate is forbidden

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Tetsuko no Tabi (1)- is this ever going to be subbed?
2. Love GetChu! (2)- light entertainment
3. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (3)- licensed
4. Himawari!! (4) – needs less plot

*COMPLETE* Amatsuki 12-13: At long last, the series so dull and unable to maintain a consistent plotline that I barely knew or cared what was going on has come to an end, although to call something as inconclusive as this an ending is stretching it a bit. In episode twelve, Toki manages to save Imayou from evil somehow and turn her into a cute fox once again, before episode thirteen sees Ginshu call down the Hand of God, everything turns a bit Matrix-esque and then it all ends with the announcement that Toki may have to become the next overseer of this world. I’ll go into more detail in its own specific review, but suffice to say that after a slightly promising start, Amatsuki was barely worth watching. If you haven’t tried it, don’t bother.

Antique Bakery 3-4: Two more episodes in, and the HARD GAY has gone off the scale as Tachibana’s childhood friend Chikage shows up. Chikage holds a candle for “Young Master” Tachibana, but when he takes off his sunglasses, he captures Ono’s heart leading to new extremes of lust, longing and a general HARD GAY atmosphere. At least it’s somewhat amusing.

*DROPPED* Blade of the Immortal 2: It’s been proven that I can sit through near endless amounts of mediocrity, but there inevitably comes a time when one of the worse series just goes a step too far, and this week, Blade of the Immortal has proven too dull to continue with. In this episode, we see a flashback of a generic wronged family, before we return to the present, where the one survivor has grown up and now wants to travel with our lead on the way to revenge. When you put it like that, it sounds fairly inoffensive, but there’s absolutely no reason to care about what’s going. Bee Train has really outdone themselves this time.

Chi’s Sweet Home 53-68: If the rash of average series that has infected us this season can be thought of as a kind of dull gruel, then Chi’s Sweet Home is the delicious chocolate chips in my viewing schedule, renewing my faith in the medium as a whole and refreshing my stamina for everything else. In this batch of episodes, Chi gets a return visit to the vet, plays in a storm, experiences the family getting ill, becomes addicted to snack treats and generally does all sorts of cute cat-like things. The most hilarious moment occurs when Chi gets into a net, secure in the knowledge that no one can catch her- right up until Youhei seals her in.

*NEW* Detroit Metal City 1: Negishi is a mild-mannered young man who came to Tokyo to make it big as a guitar player; but whilst he may play wholesome songs of peace and harmony by day, by night he becomes Krauzer, lead singer for Detroit Metal City, a death metal band who has built their reputation on explicit lyrics. The trouble is, Krauser has a tendency to emerge as and when he will, and as long as that happens, Negishi won’t get any girls. Thus begins a new OVA series based on the manga of the same name, and whilst this is certainly something you won’t want to watch in polite company (or perhaps any company whatsoever), there is something amusing to be found from the mismatch between the two personalities.

*NEW* Eve no Jikan 1: In a world where androids have become integrated into all walks of life (yes, another one), there is only one place where artificial intelligence and humans can be treated on the same level- a small café located in an obscure back street. Just like the café in Mizu no Kotoba (is it meant to be the same place?), humans and androids are treated equally here, as our protagonist discovers when he stumbles on it after checking his android’s movement logs. Although the overall premise may not be particularly original, this is a well animated and reasonably thought provoking piece that immediately stands out from most of the dross we’ve been subjected to lately.

Himawari!! 6: Hayato and the girls have been left alone, but whilst they try to figure out what’s going on, who should show up but Tsubaki- and this time she wants to duel Himawari to see who is worthy of Hayato-dono’s heart. As with the rest of the season, this is a pretty average episode, although at least the infamous birthmark is having some significance this time around.

Itazura na Kiss 17: Another week, another episode of Itazura na Kiss that gives us no reason to do anything but despise all of the characters. Kotoko has finally made it into nursing school (skipping straight to the second year for some reason) but in predictable fashion she is an incompetent klutz that I wouldn’t wish on any patient, whilst her new classmates are all obsessed with Naoki- first trailing him to find out the identity of his wife (since Kotoko gets into a situation where she can’t easily admit it) and the deciding that it will be easy to get Naoki to divorce her and go after them. Well, aside from the fact that he’s a complete and utter bastard, vowing to break up someone’s marriage is a bit much even when viewed in a ‘comedic’ light, whilst the one character who isn’t interested in Naoki seems likely to end up falling for Kotoko. Oh dear, what a tangle.

*COMPLETE* Kaiba 11-12: Episode eleven sees Popo ascend to the world above, but his victory is a pyrrhic one- Cheki, the one who he wanted to see his victory, no longer has any memories of their shared past, whilst a careless mistake sees his mother’s memory chip consigned to oblivion. Not that Popo’s achievements are to be long-lived, given the number of people ready and willing to snatch it all away from him- setting the stage for Kaiba-Warp to meet and battle the fake. Can Neiro and Hyo-Hyo (who contains Neiro’s original memories) help Kaiba-Warp to claim victory and defeat the plant, all without losing himself in the mass of memories he possesses? I can’t say that this series made complete sense to me, but it was still very good, and one of the few select series that deserves watching again.

Koihime Musou 4: When Cao Cao shows up in town, Ma Chao decides to take revenge for the death of her father, and when she lands in prison because of it, Guan Yu must offer her body to the ambitious warlord in return for her friend’s freedom. Although the deed doesn’t actually take place, this episode takes the ecchi levels up several notches (presumably they slept together in the original game) but if you discount those moments, the series is still mildly entertaining if you view it with rose-tinted glasses.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 12: Although I have occasionally complained about the family going overboard and ruining everything, what I didn’t count on was an episode in which they all but completely failed to appear. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what we get here, with a filler episode about a random college student who takes in a catgirl. The catgirl is rather cute, but the episode is hardly anything to write home about- unless you want to write home to explain how you just wasted twenty-five minutes of your life.

Mai-Otome 0 S.ifr 2: Since I completely forgot to watch this raw, I ended up catching my first subbed episode of Mai-Otome since the original series, as the prequel tale of Sifr, Bruce and Rena continues. Whilst Schwarz try to convince Sifr that their dodgy haircuts and generic minions are in no way any indication that they are, in fact, evil, Rena has an angst session with a bishie and his brother Reito in the desert, Elliot gets stripped naked for some reason and various other uninteresting things happen. But the true indicator that the franchise has gone downhill is that this episode is completely lacking in fat grey cats, or indeed any cats whatsoever. Bring back the cats!

Nabari no Ou 17-18: Although you wouldn’t expect it of a series purporting to contain ninjas and action, I’ve come to realise that the best way to enjoy Nabari no Ou is to adapt oneself to its tranquil pacing- if you do this, it somehow becomes more enjoyable. Anyway, episode seventeen sees Raimei lead Yukimi to the school in an attempt to keep him away from Thobari and everyone else, but as it turns out, Thobari is there shredding documents anyway. Perhaps it’s just as well, however, as Raimei’s character has degenerated into that of a pathetic female who can’t do anything, much to my disappointment. Then in episode eighteen Yoite enters Angst Mode after learning that he has a month to live, causing him to wander the wintry streets in his pyjamas, coughing up blood. Nice.

Natsume Yuujinchou 4-5: It’s time for Natsume Yuujinchou to show lesser series how it’s done in this double bill of episodes; first up, we have a test of courage that sees Natsume and his friends wander the school at night, only to discover that there may actually be a ghost, followed by an encounter with a none-too-bright demon at the station that leads to Natsume attempting to complete a reconciliation Reiko forgot to do anything about. It may not be mind-blowingly original, but the series has a perfect trump card in the form of Nyanko-sensei, who reveals that he can also transform into an attractive young woman alongside his fat cat and Okami forms.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 4: It’s time for another classic anime storyline this week on Haruka, as our intrepid main characters decide to trail Haruka’s maid in order to discover why she might have a life of her own outside the household. The entire script has basically been lifted out of the annals of anime history, and the fact that it is better than several other things I’ve watched this week is only an indictment on their low quality rather than endorsement of this.

*COMPLETE* Persona Trinity Soul 22-6: Well, the best that I can say about is that at least it’s over, because overall this last batch of episodes was as underwhelming as the rest of the series. Whilst people continue to sink into apathy, switch consciousness and all the rest, several main characters die (I must admit I felt sad for Kanaru, given her true nature) and Shin learns the hideous truth of his past before entering a persona-driven boss battle. Would I have got more out of this series if I’d played the game first? Perhaps, but I’m waiting it for reduce in price before I buy it.

Real Drive 13: Amidst all the boring and monotonous episodes to pass my eyes this week, one stands out above them all, and it is this- Real Drive’s own attempt at something even more fillerific than the average filler episode. In this episode, Haru and Minamo drag us along on their day off, in which they look at pictures and reminisce about Haru’s youth- complete with musical interludes in place of dialogue. In the annals of dull, this episode must surely deserve some sort of prize.

Ryoko’s Case File 4: The affable and none-too-bright Jun’ichiro accompanies Ryoko on another case in this episode (you don’t say!), in which they embark on a dialogue ridden investigation into a company researching the creation of artificial/genetically-engineered/whatever life forms. To cut to the chase, what they produced was a hideous green monster, but the woman who mothered it considers it her son and runs off with it in her arms. It’s a little disturbing, and I almost wish it would go back to the 90s where it belongs.

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 4: It’s Midorikawa’s turn in the spotlight this episode, as we learn of the predictably troubled past that made him into the moody teen he is- basically, after learning that her husband and son had mage potential, Midorikawa’s mother walked out on them, whilst his classmates rejected him. Now he must learn to face up to his situation, but in a rather unpleasant turn of events, one client wants to recapture the taste of a nostalgic drink- and the mages give her breast milk. Yes, that’s right- rather creepily, a glass full of breast milk appears out of nowhere and the woman drinks it. I guess if you want to get technical then it’s not much different to drinking something that’s come from a cow’s udder, but the thought of it is somehow far, far worse.

This isn’t Bartender, you know.

Soul Eater 16-18: Episode sixteen concludes Kid’s visit to Nidhogg and his duel with both the ship and Ragnarok (ending in an appropriately symmetric situation, of course), before we move onto the realms of complete filler with episode seventeen. Perhaps the worst episode of the series so far, seventeen sees minor character Oxford visit Excalibur and basically listen to him ramble on for twenty-five minutes. Fortunately, eighteen is quick to get things moving again, as Medusa’s plans come to fruition and it is left to the named characters to try to stop her. Hopefully this means plenty of action and lots of ‘coolness’ in the upcoming episodes.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran 6-7: Scooby-Doo meets the 21^st century in this duet of episodes, as our heroes set off to an inn which has been plagued by ghost sightings. Could it be the work of the evil man who wants to buy the inn from the family that manages it? Is water wet? Unfortunately, where episode six can be watched with a sense of smug superiority that you know what will take the protagonists a while to discover, episode seven is entirely dull as they slowly struggle to conclusions you no longer care about. I’m toying with dropping this series.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 14-15: It’s time for new characters and a new arc as Tohru gets a mysterious girl delivered to him by a large cat- but who is she, and why would the Oni go to such lengths as to capture Kuu-chan just to find out her whereabouts? Naturally, Kuu-chan isn’t without her tricks, even using Mubyou’s voice over a cell phone to break a sealing spell. It’s entertaining stuff, even if the conclusion of episode fifteen indicates that there might be a slightly tedious arc ahead.

World Destruction 4: World Destruction reaches new lows in this episode, as we visit a village where the frogman leader has cut down all of the sakura trees- except for one, which is purported to be cursed. What follows is a lot of running around from our leads in an attempt to maintain the illusion of the curse, resulting in so much mayhem that they really didn’t need to pretend at all. Drum this into your head once and for all- no good can come from RPG-based series.

Xam’d- Lost Memories 3: Akiyuki must adjust to his life on the ship in preparation for his Eureka Seven style adventures to come, but naturally he’s none too pleased to learn that not only is his old life over, but he’s going to have to work for a living from now on. As the obligatory “hero reluctantly settles into his new role” episode, this isn’t the best episode thus far, but I’m optimistic that it will all pay off in the future.

MANGA

.hack//Link 3: Whilst the villain group receives orders via magic CCTV (I wonder if they bought it from Yata and Pai), Tokio is demoted from hero to servant of fellow player Saika and given the mission of tracking down the Chrono Cores before the villains get them. The first Chrono Core is in the hands of familiar face Tsukasa, although given all the revisions of the World, it’s hard to know whether this has a connection to the real Tsukasa or if it’s just a data ghost. And let’s not even get into the use of the age old “collect all the special items before the enemy does” direction that the plot is taking.

*NEW* Caramel Espresso 1-2: Why do all the gay series have misleadingly intriguing names? Anyway, in this rather bizarre excuse for HARD GAY, Sayuu is a coffee shop worker and university student who wakes up one morning to find that he has suddenly become left-handed. Tracing back the origin of the switch to a customer at the café, he becomes acquainted with Aki, a quiet young man who has a HARD GAY dominant alter ego named Ao. Since Ao was produced from suppressing the painful memories of a troubled childhood and a need to hide his HARD GAY from homophobic adults, Aki seems to hope that having a relationship with Sayuu will help him to integrate his alter ego- and even though Sayuu is STRAIGHT, he finds himself oddly attracted to Aki (yeah, like we haven’t seen that happen before). It’s all a bit convoluted, but by the end of chapter two we’re already down to the sausage-fest.

Clannad 6-8: With all the excess of the other girls’ stories clipped out, the Clannad manga is moving at a fast pace down Nagisa’s track- which of course suits me just fine. First up we attend to the restoration of the drama club, which is easily achieved without resorting to baseball matches, before Tomoya’s situation with his father becomes so untenable that he moves in with Nagisa’s family. Yes, it’s familiar ground, but it’s nice to be covering it this quickly.

Claymore 82: Whilst Renee is captured by Riful and persuaded to cooperate with her in exchange for the chance to regenerate her legs, Claire’s team decide to resolve their personal issues in preparation for the final attack on North Crater the Abyssal Ones. For the lesser characters, this means visiting their hometowns, but for Claire, only tracking down Raki will be enough to set aside the last of her doubts. A fated meeting is no doubt in their future, but what will come of it? Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too many months to find out.

Elfen Lied 89-101: A bulk catch-up on Elfen Lied takes us almost to the end of the series, and it’s a far cry from the situation we once knew. Female Researcher has developed a vaccine that could cure the Diclonius virus, but it’s only with considerable outside help that she can get it past all the Diclonii that have broken out of the research facility. Meanwhile, Lucy’s powers have levelled up significantly, but will Kouta accept her, or turn her away for all the lives she’s taken? It’s to see some real plot development- after all, so close to the end, we can’t do without it.

Fullmetal Alchemist 85: The time has come for those who oppose Bradley to make their move, but when terrorists blow up his train, Father himself comes forward out of the shadows to take control. Meanwhile, Ed is reunited with his father, but when Al shows up, something seems amiss. It seems as if the plot isn’t afraid to march forward at this stage, but what will happen next? The anticipation for the next chapter is great.

Maria-sama ga Miteru 25-7: Since the order of arcs was switched round a little, it’s now time for the Rosa Canina arc, as the third years prepare to graduate and Shimako seems reluctant to run against new character Kanina Shizuka in the Yamayurikai elections. Again, it’s enjoyable to revisit this arc in a format where I can take it at my own pace, but with these chapters only covering about half of the story, it would be nice to have the rest to hand even though I know how it will turn out.

Minami-ke 34-5: After the girls try on each other’s uniforms, Kana becomes obsessed with the effect of appearances, even going so far as to borrow Keiko’s glasses in order to become more intellectual. These chapters aren’t the best examples of the series, but they’re entertaining enough.

Nodame Cantabile 121: After a quick catch-up with Streseman in New York (where a little boy wipes dog faeces on him), we return to Paris to see Chiaki, Rui and the orchestra continue their rehearsals and field an interview from Classic Life magazine, whilst in the background, Nodame practises some Debussy. Not a particularly eventful chapter, but one that seems to indicate the manga could go on forever.

Rose of Versailles 9-10: With the passing of Louis XV, Louis XVI takes the throne and Marie Antoinette becomes Queen of France, but hopes of a new age for France are quickly dashed when the beautiful young queen seems more interested in using the country’s finances to order finery for herself than for helping the people. Meanwhile, Jeanne carries out a plan to earn herself her benefactor’s title and money, whilst poor Rosalie hits rock bottom. Of course, we all know how this particular period in history turned out, but you can’t help urging Marie Antoinette to realise the error of her ways before the guillotine starts looming.

Sketchbook 13-16: I can’t express how much better this manga is than the anime as it continues onwards into volume two, complete with fresh humour, more moments of randomness and everything you could want from this sort of light-hearted comedy. There’s only so many different ways I can express these sentiments, but I’ll keep repeating them for as long it takes to complete this series.

*NEW* Slayers- Knight of Aqua Lord 1: Another Slayers series, Knight of Aqua Lord doesn’t fit into either novel or TV series canon as we see Lina and Gourry head off to a cursed island in an attempt to find enough treasure to pay off a gambling debt. Unfortunately, things go a little pear-shaped when the fearless duo is attacked by giant water dragons, with Lina waking up in a strange land where her magic doesn’t work! How will Lina fare without her trusty Fireball and Dragon Slave? Presumably we’ll find out in the next few chapters.

Slayers Revolution 3: Much of this chapter is just a retread of episode five, and since I only wrote about that last week, I won’t bother to recount it here. There are some slight additions, however, at the end, as Xellos and Waiser team up with the goal of arresting Lina (again), and the evil Marquess dispatches a mid-boss type assassin named Zuuma to be inevitably defeated at the hands of our heroes in the near future.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 194: If you thought very little had happened in the last few chapters, then even less happens here as Sakura has some sort of premonition of danger and Syaoran decides that he must accompany her during the ceremony- which will be occurring next chapter at the earliest. Could the pace be getting slower than even that of the infamous bus arc?

*NEW* Wagaya no Oinari-sama 1: The first chapter of the Wagaya manga is actually much the same as the first episode (albeit without covering the ending) so thus far there isn’t much to say, except to comment that Kuu-chan’s female form looks younger and cuter than her anime form. Personally, I prefer the sophisticated look of the latter.

xxxHOLiC 159-161: Whilst Watanuki realises that he can live without his memories as long as he’s the main character of the series, the bulk of these chapters seems to be affirming his HARD GAY relationship with Doumeki- with a visit to Early Chapters Fortune Teller and her new apprentice Kohane indicating that they are destined to be together. At the end of 161, however, a new customer comes to the shop- could this be the long-awaited start of a new story?

Yotsuba&! 55: Dad has plans to buy some clothes for the autumn, but Yotsuba being Yotsuba means that they inevitably get sidetracked when she decides that she needs to collect some acorns. Yes, it’s another delightfully whimsical chapter in the life of everyone’s favourite green-haired five-year-old; may it last for a good while yet.

Reviewed this week: Amatsuki 10-11, Clannad Tomoyo Edition, Itazura na Kiss 15, Koihime Musou 3, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 11, Mnemosyne 6, Nabari no Ou 15, Natsume Yuujinchou 3, Persona 18-20, Slayers Revolution 3, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 3, Soul Eater 15, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 5, World Destruction 2, xxxHOLiC Kei 12-13

…and in manga: too lazy to read any!

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi plays
2. Kaiba (2) – who am I?
3. Soul Eater (3) – best exam ep ever
4. Hidamari Sketch x365 (4) – 365 times the fun
5. Natsume Yuujinchou (6) – Book of Friends
6. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – not so bad <- complete!
7. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (8) – hot springs
8. Nabari no Ou (7) – change of side
9. Slayers Revolution (9) – Dragon Slave
10. Koihime Musou (11) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard
11. Persona Trinity Soul (10) – catch-up, start!
12. Real Drive (13) – chat program
13. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (14) – open the safe
14. Ryoko’s Case File (15) – superintendant
15. Antique Bakery (17) – super gay demon
16. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (22) – biological weapon
17. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (18) – predictable
18. World Destruction (12) – cats
19. Amatsuki (16) – Kuchiha
20. Himitsu (19) – faceless
21. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (20) – secret otaku
22. Blade of the Immortal (21) – immortal worms
23. Allison and Lillia (24) – Travas-ty (sorry, Hanners)
24. Itazura na Kiss (23) – dislikeable cast
25. Chocolate Underground (25) – chocolate is forbidden

Amatsuki 10-11: Although episode ten was so underwhelming that I can’t actually remember anything beyond the fact that I watched it, episode eleven is marginally more interesting, with Tsuyukusa and Imayou plotting some kind of vaguely directed revenge, whilst Kuchiha, Toki and Shamon all get locked in a cellar (and no, there’s no punch line to that). I’m not even sure why I started watching such a mediocre, dull and forgettable series, but with only two episodes left I may as well see it to its conclusion.

*SPECIAL* Clannad~ Tomoyo Edition: The long-awaited Clannad 24 is here, and it’s Tomoyo’s turn to step up to the plate as the other girls vanish to let her gain Tomoya’s heart (Tomoyo and Tomoya, isn’t that nice?). Unfortunately, dating a delinquent isn’t such a good thing when you’re running for school council president, and it seems that outside pressures could very tear their relationship apart. Unfortunately, whilst this isn’t a particularly bad instalment, my focus has always been on Tomoya X Nagisa and so other pairings just don’t interest. Plus it’s the old thing of giving up your dreams for love- being the kind of person who wants it all, I always hate to see that situation.

Itazura na Kiss 15: After the fastest nuptials in the history of man (barring celebrity weddings, which don’t really count), Kotoko and Naoki are off on their honeymoon, and naturally, trouble isn’t far behind in the form of another newlywed couple in which the wife wants nothing more than to get into Naoki’s pants. So here we have Kotoko worrying over a husband who she still addresses by his last name, Naoki completely brushing off his wife, a woman who married a man she doesn’t love and only wants an affair, and her husband, a weakling who takes charge by hitting his wife. Oh, and the Irie family somehow sneak to Hawaii to spy on the honeymoon- a rather idiotic and overused ‘joke’ if ever there was one. Are there women out there who really find this sort of storytelling romantic? Do they long to be dominated by despicable assholes of men? I hope not.

Koihime Musou 3: The good thing about this show is that unlike other bastions of mediocrity, I can slip on a pair of rose tinted glasses and enjoy it- just because there are beautiful girls with Three Kingdoms names. This week, Guan Yu and Zhao Yun end up working in a maid café (in ancient China) for cash, whilst Zhang Fei makes such a hash of it that she wanders off and ends up entering a tournament held by Yuan Shao. Also in the tournament is named character Ma Chao, with both girls naturally getting to the final, fighting to a draw and being invited to work for Yuan Shao. Meanwhile, Cao Cao also makes an appearance, only to take an unnatural interest in seeing if Guan Yu’s hair is just as black and lustrous ‘down there’. No, really.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 11: After a long stretch of disappointment, KKN finally improve slightly in this episode, a Hyouka-centric story about the biological weapon’s first love. It may be a predictable tale, but aside from Kyouka’s inevitable attempts to turn it into a tired frenzy situation, it’s actually a pretty solid one. And I must admit to being amused when Hyouka accidentally sucked in Yuuka.

*COMPLETE* Mnemosyne 6: Mnemosyne has finally ground to a conclusion, and I have to say that it apart from being a platform for gratuitous sex and violence, it didn’t make a great of sense. In this episode, a disappointingly pathetic Rin confronts Apos, meets the previously unmentioned Guardian of Yggdrasil, and various other things happen that I probably shouldn’t spoil. Suffice to say that this OVA has been a disappointment and would have better aired way back in the 90s.

Is it wrong to want to cosplay as Apos?

Nabari no Ou 15: The Kouga arc ends in this episode, and once again I find myself wishing that I could really care about and get into this series, because it just keeps sliding superficially past my indifferent eyes. Whilst Aizawa proves to have God Mode switched on, evil eyepatch teacher attempts to murder the headmaster, but as the old guy is dying anyway, he’s already made plans to pass on the kinjutsu scroll. Oh, and some minor characters have dialogue and emotional scenes, but since they were only introduced a couple of episodes ago, no one really cares.

Natsume Yuujinchou 3: Natsume Yuujinchou picks up a little in this episode as our eponymous hero heads off to help some youkai who are being exterminated by an unknown person- complete with some Flashback Modes about a chapter in his childhood. It may not be particularly outstanding, but amidst the mediocrity of the summer season, this is a real breath of fresh air.

Persona Trinity Soul 18-20: Although I intended to marathon five episodes of Persona this week, I was only able to make it through three before my brain demanded stimulation, leaving me with six episodes to clear before the series can be deemed complete. In a confusing turn of events, Jun’s spirit has some gone to be with Ryou, leaving Yuki in charge of their body, whilst around them various things happen such Yamazaki perfecting alternate hairstyles for good and evil forms. I presume some kind of final boss confrontation is coming, but along the way not a great deal of interest is occurring.

Slayers Revolution 3: In a rather tiresome turn of events, John Smith (yes, I know his name is Weiser, but he looks like a John Smith) is here to arrest Lina for yet another crime she didn’t commit, and yet again she must search for the real culprit in order to clear her name. With that rather dull start, it takes about half the episode for the series to rev up to the usual levels of Slayers entertainment- and if this is to be the format for most episodes, it will get tired very, very fast.

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 3: After picking up a little in episode two, Natsu no Sora backslides somewhat in this episode as our heroine takes on her first proper job- opening a safe. Of course, just opening it wouldn’t be all that exciting, so there’s more to the story than that, but ultimately it all falls flat to me- Sora’s interference may have helped the client, but at the same time it’s a bit like Captain Kirk destroying an alien paradise- you can’t help feeling they should have just let the situation be.

Soul Eater 15: It’s time for a Kid side story as he takes Patty and Liz to a ghost ship, and whilst Patty’s immaturity is becoming a little annoying, this is generally an entertaining episode. Much as I like Soul and Maka, I’m glad that all the protagonists get their chance to shine in the series- I think I’ll be happy to see this through to 51 episodes.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran 5: In case you hadn’t noticed already, something is amiss in the village, and as it turns out, it’s all tied to Evil-ish Former Teacher and a particular type of magical grass. From there, we have a conclusion to the story that just feels shallow and even stupid at points- for example, did the grass really have to go as far as ‘kill’ Midori just to make Ran summon the wind that would end its life? Couldn’t it have just asked for her to bring up a box of matches or something? How has this become even worse than the at least slightly interesting Mokke?

World Destruction 2: As I feared, World Destruction has rapidly gone downhill in this episode, as our three reluctant allies end up on a lawless ship where the Destruct Code promptly gets stolen. It’s basically the pirate ship level of the RPG, and after my hideous experience on the Zelbess in Chrono Cross, I’ve never been a fan of ships in RPG worlds. I fear I’ve taken on another lemon.

*COMPLETE* xxxHOLiC Kei 12-13: At long last, xxxHOLiC Kei can be crossed off the list, the series I never intended to watch but actually quite enjoyed. Episode twelve wraps up the Himawari arc with the hatching of her little bird, whilst episode thirteen is a coda to the series, first covering an earlier manga chapter in which Watanuki finds a thunder god in an electronics store before all the recurring characters come together for a party to

Get up, go to school, go home- day in, day out, this is the sum of Okazaki Tomoya’s existence, a dull routine broken only by the occasional practical joke. But when he meets Furukawa Nagisa, a senior who has to repeat a year due to illness, everything slowly changes. Despite the hurdles in her way, Nagisa is determined to revive the defunct Theatre Club, and despite his stated indifference to it all, Tomoya finds herself slowly drawn into her life and goals.

Take Kyoto Animation, have them adapt a Key visual novel, and you can be sure that hype and attention will follow. And, truth be told, even I let myself be caught up in it a little- I may not have got on well with Kanon, but after reading Hinano’s spoiler post for the game, it seemed as if there was plenty of good material to make this a hit. Unfortunately, what we got, whilst mildly enjoyable, was nowhere near as worthy as the likes of my beloved Air.

As with its predecessors, Clannad had several girls to get through throughout the course of the series, and it was in fulfilling this key need that the series faltered. After coming under criticism for treating each girl separately in Kanon, KyoAni tried to mesh together the various storylines, but what they ultimately ended up with a badly paced and even slightly messy mishmash of themes that turned off more viewers than it satisfied.

First up to receive attention was Fuuko, the obligatory underdeveloped high schooler who is committed to giving out wooden starfish as invites for her sister’s wedding. There’s just one problem- Fuuko has actually been unconscious in the hospital for the last two years, her sister has postponed the wedding, and the Fuuko we see is just a projection of her spirit. Sadly, even though I actually quite liked Fuuko when I started reading the manga, the anime took all that away- not only was her story too much like Ayu’s for me to care, but any poignancy it might have had was effectively erased by Fuuko’s ‘comic’ cameos after she was supposed to have disappeared forever.

Next on the harem list was Kotomi, a genius who spent most of her time in the library cutting up books and shying away from human contact. Naturally, Kotomi’s quiet façade and normal (for an anime character) behaviour concealed some darker secrets relating to her past. Several years previously, Kotomi’s parents discovered some kind of theory of everything which related to describing the world in terms of invisible, vibrating harps (I assume they were talking about atomic, nuclear or spin resonance as the whole “microscopic harp” theory of reality has yet to catch on in scientific circles), only to die in a plane crash, apparently taking the theory with them. From then on, Kotomi has lived in fear of a generic man who keeps coming after her for screentime, even going so far as to burn what she believed to be a copy of the theory that was left in her father’s study.

As it turns out, the burnt document was just a letter from her parents, and all generic evil man wanted to do was given Kotomi a teddy bear her parents had bought for her (rather sadly, she only asked for a teddy bear because she thought that’s what kids should want). As if that wasn’t enough tragic backstory, her one and only childhood friend was Tomoya, who once tried and failed to get anyone to come to her party- just stop it, I can’t take any more misery!

Having spent so many episodes on Fuuko and Kotomi’s respective plights, the series had no choice but to switch from one extreme to another in terms of pacing, with the next section of the series not being a particular girl’s arc, but more of a “miscellaneous others” section. Nagisa was sent away for an episode or so due to illness, whilst Tomoyo, Kyou and Ryou all have quick moments in spotlight- Tomoyo runs for student body president, Ryou gets ‘just good friends’ compatibility and Kyou bursts out crying because she hasn’t had enough screen time. As laboured and drawn out as the earlier episodes are, these events happen too quickly for us to really care.

Eventually, however, all other girls have been dealt with in one way or another, and the time has come to focus on the destined relationship- Tomoya X Nagisa. After many trials and tribulations, as well as a three-on-three baseball match, the Theatre Club is finally good to go, and the first order of business is to put on a play. Unfortunately, having waited so long to see some action between the one couple I was really supporting in the series, the actual specifics of the play weren’t of particular interest to me, and even tragic past revelations couldn’t do much (”oh no, we must hide our past from Nagisa so that she will be even more upset when she abruptly finds out we changed our careers to be with her”). What I really wanted was a developing relationship between the two lead, but what we got was rather watered down and tame- all the good (if most likely depressing) stuff has been saved for the After Story anime.

The girls aside, all too often it is the harem lead who can make or break a series, so what of Tomoya- is he a worthy Yukito, or a hated Yuuichi? As it turns out, despite being laid back, apathetic and something of a practical joker, Tomoya is actually far more likable than I expected, perhaps because his slightly evil sense of humour matches my own. The title of favourite characters, however, must surely go to Nagisa’s parents Akio and Sanae, who despite being one-joke personalities, always manage to bring a smile to the face with their sheer enthusiasm.

As expected from KyoAni, the animation is up to its usual high standard, with the distinctive ‘soft and detailed’ look given to all Key adaptations; there’s certainly plenty of eye candy for both character design and background image fans, even if the fans became irate at having to wait a couple of extra weeks after the initial airing for the proper widescreen versions of each episode. Music is the usual “easy on the ears but not really meant to be listened to on its own” visual novel style themes, with the OP becoming increasingly catchy as the series progresses, and the ED being reserved for dango enthusiasts only.

Final Thoughts

Although it was mildly entertaining and more appealing to me than Kanon, ultimately Clannad shot itself in the foot with its inconsistent pacing, uneven focus and generic back stories overfilled with sadness. Far from being the legendary series I once hoped it would be, it was merely another average series that only stands out from the crowd by virtue of having the names Key and KyoAni attached to it.

Tier: Bronze

Reviewed this week:

…and in manga: Chokotto Sister 51, Gunslinger Girl 33-50, Nodame 109-113, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 1, Tsubasa 186, Yotsuba&! 54

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (1) – Prima <-complete!
2. Kaiji (3) – ざわ, ざわ…
3. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (4) – I’m out of despair!
4. Shigofumi (5) – Fumi+Mika=Fumika <-complete!
5. Persona Trinity Soul (6)- Mushi-Uta’s successor
6. Shion no Ou (7) – Hani Meijin’s secret videos
7. Chi’s Sweet Home (-)- cute kitty <- new!
8. Clannad (8) – Mei <- complete!
9. Mokke (9)- GRANDMA!!!! <-complete
10. Minami-ke Okawari (10)- not quite the same <-complete!
11. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (11)- Marco

*COMPLETE* Aria the Origination 13: Oh noes, the end of Aria is here- I want to cry MANLY and UNMANLY tears because now it’s all over. Even worse, this episode sees Alicia retiring- why couldn’t she have stayed on just a little longer? Even though the ending was generally positive (and complete with a nice little anime-only addition), seeing Alicia go was just too sad. Still, I love and adore Aria beyond all measure- I think Origination may be my new favourite anime of all time.

*NEW* Chi’s Sweet Home 1-4: When it comes to kicking off a new season, what could be better than a daily dose of cute kitty antics? At three minutes per episode (including OP), Chi’s Sweet Home slowly tells the tale of Chi, a kitten who gets separated from her mother and ends up getting taken in by a family. Every episode offers a little vignette into Chi’s new life, from being given a bath to getting easily distracted despite her intentions to go home to mother.

*EXTRA* Clannad 23: In this extra episode, Mei comes to visit Sunohara, leading to various mildly entertaining antics and an amusing section in which Tomoya imagines Sunohara X Mei and Sunohara X Tomoya pairings.

Silence, nekophile!

Clannad- the movie: If KyoAni’s TV series didn’t sate your appetite, then you can find some additional nourishment from Toei’s “big eyes” movie. A retelling of the story, the movie fortunately focuses more on Nagisa without the distractions of the other girls, but whilst that and the continuation into the after story are refreshing, Tomoya seems less likable and Sunohara more extreme, ensuring that overall this is nothing special.

*COMPLETE* Mokke 24+Special: For various reasons that will become apparent as you read on, I’m actually going to talk about the special episode first, which takes place four years prior to the main series. It’s a rather uneventful episode even by Mokke standards, with Shizuru getting angry because Mizuki is so excited about a visit from their mother that she pays little attention to their sick grandmother.

Meanwhile, episode 24 is perhaps the most heartfelt episode of the series, featuring nothing less than Grandma’s death. There’s something about the death of a grandparent that really gets to me, so this was a bit of a tearjerker, in that a less stony-hearted person than I might have cried.

*COMPLETE* Shigofumi 12: Well, Shigofumi is over, and I can’t help feeling a little let down by it all. The series started well, but ultimately it ended with a fizzle rather than a bang as Fumi-chan mopes about in real life and Mika seemingly disappears, only to show up as a mail carrier at the end. If only the whole Fumi/Mika back story could have been covered in an OVA or movie, leaving this main series to focus on the more interesting one-off stories.

*MASOCHISTIC MADNESS* Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s 1: Yu-Gi-Oh is, like, awesome, people, I mean it’s totally rad! I love card games! Or, to be more accurate, I couldn’t possibly pass up the opportunity to watch something that could be more laughably ridiculous and awful than playing card games on motorcycles. Anyway, I have no idea how many episodes of this I’ll bother to watch, but let’s make it all worthwhile with a short parody of the episode.

Narrator: Welcome to the future, where an entire city is in ruins but everyone has time to come and watch kids on motorcycles play card games! We even have a “Duel King” Jack Atlus- I’d say he’s the one with the stupid hair, but everyone here has stupid hair.

The Duel King and various other players, including our Destined Lead, get on their motorcycles and play cards. Unfortunately, he loses and has to go home to his house of poverty, where various generic mechanics fix his motorcycle.

Lead: Why did I lose? I should have Destiny!

Little Girl: Here, I found this random computer chip that will go in your motorcycle and give you Destined Powers!

Lead: Thanks! I think I’ll go and get a job, er, I mean play card games!

Lead heads out, but he gets stopped by two security guards.

Security Guard: I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to pull you over for speeding.

Lead: You can’t do anything to me- I play card games!

Security Guard: What a surprise- I play card games too! Let’s settle this with a duel!

Security Guard #2: Uh, sir, shouldn’t we just take him down to the station or give him a fine?

Security Guard: Silence! Real men settle things with card games!

Lead and Security Guard get on their motorcycles and somehow create a virtual reality field to duel in.

Security Guard: I summon an ugly monster!

Lead: I summon a different ugly monster!

Security Guard: Fool- that monster is weaker than mine!

Lead: Yes, but it has a special effect that makes it stronger when it attacks”

Guard: Damn! But this monster also has a special effect- it can come back from the dead!

A couple more turns are played, and then…

Guard: Gwakaka! I summon a special dragon with 3000 attack points!

Lead: This looks bad, but I have destiny on my side! I summon some weird special power-up that creates my own powerful monster! And it has enough attack power to defeat your dragon!

Guard: Damn you! Who’d have thought I, a mere generic character of the week, would lose to the lead?

Lead: Who cares about you? I must defeat Jack!

To be continued…?

MANGA

Chokotto Sister 51: Volume seven begins with Choko going over to Yurika’s house for a sleepover, whilst Chitose continues to angst over her feelings with Haruma. With the series drawing towards its close, I suppose it might not be too much to ask for some sort of relationship to develop somewhere.

Gunslinger Girl 33-50: I’ll post a dedicated review for these few volumes of Gunslinger Girl in due course, but for now all I need to stress is how awesome these few volumes are. Although the focus is mainly on new characters Alessandro and Petrushka, it doesn’t feel like the usual “running out of material so we’d better introduce new faces” cop out, because their character dynamic reveals a new aspect of the handler-cyborg relationship. And even if they aren’t featuring as prominently before, there are some powerful scenes involving Angelica, Claes, Triela and Henrietta- even if Jose/Giuse/Giuseppe now looks like his Il Teatrino self.

Nodame Cantabile 109-113: Whilst Mine comes over to support Kiyora, she is busy preparing for her competition- as are Tanya and Yun Long. Is this the last chance for them to prove themselves in the world of music- and if they fail, what direction will they take? It’s actually a nice change to focus on supporting characters instead of Chiaki and Nodame for a little while, although it does seem like this series could go on forever.

*NEW* Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 1: A new Someday’s Dreamers series has begun, and from this first chapter, it seems like this will be another worthy outing. Sora is a young mage who is about to head off for her mage training, but before that, will she confess to the boy she likes- or will she hold back out of respect for her friend’s feelings for him? Will the romance aspect even have much effect when Sora is going away? Will she meet a new man in Tokyo? Keep reading to find out.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 186: It would have been perversely amusing if the Groundhog Day chapters had gone on forever, but now everyone in town is melting away thanks to the changes Syaoran and friends have introduced. And it seems that this time period is actually right before Sakura’s seventh birthday- will they be able to change anything by going to see her?

Yotsuba&! 54: A new arc begins in this chapter, as Yotsuba and friends go to a festival. This time around, Yotsuba gets to look around and play on the taiko drum, but there’s plenty more to fill the next few chapters. Of course, I’m still waiting for the Yotsuba at school arc to begin, because I have high hopes for it.

Rozen Maiden rises from the grave
Recall how various issues led to Rozen Maiden being abruptly wrapped up after eight volumes with the worst concluding chapter ever? Well, for those who kept the torch burning, their patience has been rewarded- come April 17^th, the manga will be resuming in Young Jump.
Entertainment correspondent Aria: Punyu. [Over here at Azure Flame, we once cared a lot about Rozen Maiden, but we steadily became disillusioned with it. Even so, enough vestiges of curiosity remain for us to want to pursue the manga continuation- once we read volumes five to eight.]

New Someday’s Dreamers
This summer, a new Someday’s Dreamers anime will be hitting our screens- Someday’s Dreamers ~Natsu no Sora~. Based on a new manga series that began serialisation in February, Natsu no Sora takes place in the same universe as the original series and its manga spin-off Spellbound, but this time around it focuses on new character Sora as she heads off to complete her mage internship.
Entertainment correspondent Aria: Punyu! [I was hoping Spellbound would get animated, but the first chapter of this manga was very good, so the anime is a must-see.]

Noramimi, Kodomo no Jikan get second seasons
Well, the title says it all, really- both Noramimi and Kodomo no Jikan have had second seasons greenlit for production. In the case of KnJ, a limited edition version of the fifth manga volume will include a preview DVD of the new season.
Entertainment correspondent Aria: Punyu. [Nothing much to say; I didn’t watch either of these series.]

Rocket Girls, Kiba licensed
Whilst Bandai have picked up Stratos 4’s spiritual successor Rocket Girls, ADV has chosen to license all 51 episodes of Kiba. So far, there has been no release date information for either series, whilst ADV has also failed to comment on the status of one of their other recently licensed series- Guren Lagann.
Licensing correspondent The Admiral: Kiba might appeal to some, but we only lasted six episodes before putting it aside. Rocket Girls is unlikely to command a huge fanbase, but there’s bound to be a small but dedicated group of people who want to get their hands on it. Of course, unless it has a fat cat it can’t be as worthy as my series.

Delays from Bandai Visual
Having promised to release them at an unprecedented rate, Bandai Visual has now announced that the release of Shigofumi and true tears (along with sola from last year) is to be delayed until after the summer. The company has also announced that they are planning to concentrate on expanding their Blu-ray catalogue.
Licensing correspondent The Admiral: It’s quite ironic that a company who plans to release 1-2 episodes per disc wants to use a high storage capacity format like Blu-ray.

Just so I can laugh some more…4Kids gets Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D
English-speaking viewers, do not despair- for Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D will be coming to you by way of 4Kids this autumn! Personally, of course, I don’t much care, but I just wanted an excuse to laugh a bit more- duelling motorcycles? Going out for a ride and then playing cards on the highway? Does it get any more ridiculous than this?
Licensing correspondent The Admiral: No comment.

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 12, Clannad 21-2, Darker than Black 26, Himawari!! 3, Kaiji 24, KgNE Next Season 2, Minami-ke Okawari 10-12, Mokke 19-23, Moyashimon Microbe Theatre Deluxe 1, Shigofumi 11, Spice and Wolf 13, Zoku SZS 6-7

…and in manga: Busou Renkin 39, HxH 274, Twin Spica vol 2 flashback 1

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (1) – Prima
2. Spice and Wolf (2) – wolves
3. Kaiji (3) – ざわ, ざわ…
4. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (5) – I’m out of despair!
5. Shigofumi (6) – Fumi+Mika=Fumika
6. Persona Trinity Soul (7)- Mushi-Uta’s successor
7. Shion no Ou (8) – Hani Meijin’s secret videos
8. Clannad (10) – Nagisa’s play
9. Mokke (12)- cats level up to bakeneko
10. Minami-ke Okawari (9)- not quite the same
11. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (11)- Marco

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Tetsuko no Tabi (1)- is this ever going to be subbed?
2. Himawari!! (2) – needs less plot
3. Love GetChu! (4)- light entertainment
4. Shounen Onmyouji (5)- end in sight?

Aria the Origination 12: I don’t care how much I’ve fangirled over Aria these past couple of months- this episode has increased my love for the series a hundredfold. When Aika shows up for practice one morning without her glove, it is plain that she has become a Prima- and upon hearing about it, Alicia decides that Akari should take the Prima exam the next day. I wasn’t actually expecting this part of the story to appear until next week, but even though I knew exactly how it would pan out from reading a manga summary, it was still wonderful to see it enacted on screen. This episode was everything anime should strive to be, and I wish to bask in its excellence forever whilst hugging a giant, squishy President Aria.

*COMPLETE-ish* Clannad 21-22: Well, the main story of Clannad is complete, at any rate- we still have the HARD GAY special episode 23 and DVD-only 24 to come, but let’s keep things simple here and call it the end. Anyway, after learning that her parents gave up their career dreams in order to raise her, Nagisa has one of those major anime crises of confidence right before she has to perform her play- can her nearest and dearest convince her not to fall at the final hurdle? It’s not a bad ending, but ultimately I’m left with mixed feelings about the series- I enjoyed it more than Kanon, but the pacing was all over the place and the story wasn’t as well executed as it could have been.

*SPECIAL* Darker than Black 26: The series has finished, but at long last the DVD only episode 26 is here, and as expected, it’s a mildly entertaining but largely pointless instalment. In this one-off story, the various factions are in pursuit of a password, but after a series of comic mishaps, everyone ends up losing their memory of the last few days- explaining why this episode has nothing to do with everything. At least there are some amusing cat shots.

Himawari!! 3: When a new teacher with a pleasing character design transfers to ninja school, she catches everyone’s eye- but could it be that she might be secretly evil? It’s another instalment of the monster of the week format that this season has adopted, but whilst the laughably stupid back story (our villainess has a hatred of okonomiyaki due to something Hayato once said to her when they were children), I’m not disliking this series as much as I expected to.

Kaiji 24: The time for Kaiji to challenge the chairman has arrived, and although IKnight has already written an excellent post about it, I too must weigh in with my thoughts. In order for our hero’s biggest gamble ever to pay off, everything must proceed as planned in episode twenty-three, but can Kaiji really succeed against a seasoned pro? Do we really want him to win via such a simple cheat when it will deprive us of any satisfaction if victory is claimed? Or would it just be better if he won, thus earning a significant sum of money and avoiding having four of his fingers sliced off? Stay tuned to find out.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Next season~ 2: When I was told that this OVA would cover the Haruka route, I was expecting, oh I don’t know, for it to focus on Haruka, mayhap? In fact, this rather boring mid-section of the OVA sees Mitsuki move in with an old acquaintance and then relate the long and monotonous tale of how she and Takayuki ended up breaking up- interspersed with equally uninteresting scenes of Takayuki and Shinji having a drink together. What a waste of time.

Minami-ke Okawari 10-12: Okawari descends to new depths with the incredibly monotonous episodes 10-11, two instalments so incredibly exciting that I have to admit I’ve already forgotten much of what happened in them (except that Kana faked a cold and then ended up with a real cold- further proof of how annoying and Miu-esque her character has become this season). Although hardly of any notable quality, episode 12 is a slight improvement, not least because the hated Fuyuki finally moves away. Just one episode to go and then this parade of mediocrity will be over (and I absolutely dread the restoration of the status quo that will probably occur after the angst of next episode).

HORSE before HARD GAY.

Mokke 19-23: Five more episodes of Mokke have been cleared, and once again they offer fairly average entertainment. First up, we have an instalment in which Mizuki breaks her arm by falling incorrectly in judo, leading her to spend her days with a spirit in a skull that promises to help her get better at resisting possession. Next, we switch to a minor character who becomes intrigued by Shizuru’s tale of a lightning creature known as a Raiju- a creature which he may have encountered once before in his past and hopes to meet again. Then, it’s back to Mizuki as she prepares to take her green belt test in judo, but victory leaves a sour taste in her mouth when her opponent lets her win. Next, we have a more cat-orientated episode as Mike the cat goes missing, leaving the two sisters to wonder why she left, and even risk asking a bakeneko to help find her. Finally, we have our first proper Shizuru episode in a while, as a sick friend forces her to consider whether her future lies with Granpda or in Tokyo. I must admit that I like the way that judo has become a recurring theme, as it adds more cohesion to the series as a whole, and of course cat episodes are nothing to be sniffed at, but overall this series has been mediocre- and it seems unlikely that the final episode will do anything to change that.

*NEW* Moyashimon Microbe Theatre Deluxe 1: If you liked the microbe sections at the end of each episode of Moyashimon, you’ll eat up Microbe Theatre Deluxe, which takes us inside the human intestine to introduce us to all the bacteria that dwell within. Yes, it might sound like a particularly unpleasant biology lesson, but remember that all these microbes have been given cute and appealing forms.

Shigofumi 11: In the hospital, Fumi-chan has just awakened, and as far as Mika is concerned, this is time to finish it- by having her other self shoot her and end her existence. Naturally, the supporting characters do not want this, but will they be able to prevent the determined mail carrier from ending her own existence? It seems fairly obvious that everything will pan out and tie up nicely in episode 12, which leaves me in two minds about the series as a whole- it had its moments, but in offering such greatness it built up my expectations for a series that was ultimately silver tier rather than the gold it once appeared.

Yes, I know episode 12 has been released and I’ve even acquired it- I just forgot about watching it until this minute.

*COMPLETE-ish* Spice and Wolf 13: Well, DVD-only episode 7 may have left a gaping cavity in the middle of the series, but Spice and Wolf is effectively complete, with this episode seeing Lawrence and Horo emerge triumphant over those who tried to betray them. I’ve enjoyed this series from start to finish, but it’s left me with a desperate hunger for more- could someone get the novels to me as soon as possible, followed by news of a second season?

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 6-7: To get two more episodes of despair must surely be considered a blessing, especially as season two seems to be going from strength to strength. In these episodes we once again flit from one source of amusement to the next, from a dream world where everyone has the opposite personality to a delightful magical girl/Lucky Star parody- and even a sequence involving a plethora of different animation styles. Much as I’d like to call out “Zetsubou shita!” just for the sake of it, I have to admit that watching these episodes leaves me in anything but despair.

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Busou Renkin 39: The battle against the Futakoi Alternative rejects continues in this episode, with Kazuki showing off the immense destined power of a main character with a black kakugane implanted in him (oops, by the manga timeline I’m not supposed to know that yet).

Hunter X Hunter 274: Gon has finally reached Pitou, but she has no interest in fighting him- instead she must use all of her energy to heal Komugi. Watching from the sidelines, Killua can see that Pitou means no harm, but will Gon be able to see past his anger? I must admit that seeing the main characters makes this chapter better than its predecessors, but nothing can recover the quality that was lost so long ago.

Twin Spica vol 2 flashback 1: In this volume’s flashback, we see Asumi’s teacher/Lion-san’s ex-fiancée lead her class out on a field trip even as she grapples with whether she is doing the right thing by sticking with a teaching career. I’ve seen all this in the anime already, so again there are no surprises, but these flashbacks are always good for fleshing out the characters.

Actually, this post has nothing to do with Easter- I was just too lazy to get it finished on Friday.

Reviewed this week: Aria the Origination 11, Clannad 20, Kaiji 23, Spice and Wolf 11-12, Tsubasa OVA 3, Zoku SZS 5

…and in manga: Hunter X Hunter 273, Minami-ke 22, Shion no Ou 13-16, Tsubasa 185

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Aria the Origination (1) – never give up
2. Spice and Wolf (2) – wolves
3. Kaiji (3) – ざわ, ざわ…
4. Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (5) – I’m out of despair!
5. Shigofumi (6) – Fumi+Mika=Fumika
6. Persona Trinity Soul (7)- Mushi-Uta’s successor
7. Shion no Ou (8) – Hani Meijin’s secret videos
8. Minami-ke Okawari (9)- not quite the same
9. Clannad (10) – drop kick
10. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (11)- Marco
11. Mokke (12)- rainy season

Aria the Origination 11: Dear Aria, let me worship you and bask in your excellence forevermore, for once again but a single twenty-five minute episode has captured my heart. This week’s episode covers two themes- looking at the one who was promoted ahead (Alice) and her friend who was left behind (Aika). Akira knows that Aika is nearly ready to become a Prima, but at the same time she can’t help worrying that her protégée will have become demoralised by Alice’s promotion- although in fact, Aika feels inspired and energised by the progress of the “genius girl” Alice. Meanwhile, Alice’s new busy schedule has taken her away from her friends, but she feels she can’t just call them up for no reason- will Athena notice her growing loneliness? There are so many emotions and undertones in this episode, reminding me not only why I love this series so much, but developing Akira’s character in a way it never has been before. I want to see the triumphant conclusion and bask in its inevitable excellence, but at the same time I wish it would never end.

Clannad 20: I know I’m getting behind on Clannad, but bear with me- it’ll all be over soon enough anyway. Anyway, this episode sees Tomoya and Nagisa try to identify the story that Nagisa wants to turn into a play, but when it comes uncomfortably close to uncovering a skeleton in the Furukawa family closet, Akio decides to let Tomoya in on a secret. There’s a reasonable mix of drama and humour in this episode, but as always, the highlights for me are Sanae and Akio- I just love their character dynamic.

Kaiji 23: It’s a rather slow week for Kaiji, for whilst the tissue box raffle has at least made it into this season, it isn’t going anywhere fast. This instalment is basically all about Kaiji demonstrating to his generic allies how he plans to cheat at the tissue box raffle, whilst they help him refine his plan by pointing out the flaws in it. There’s something anticlimactic about the whole plan depending on cheating from the start- I suppose there’s some interest in the strategy of cheating, but it’s more enjoyable when a character is pushed to cheat after the game has begun, if they must do so at all.

“That would be nice- is it like those scuba diving holidays?”

Spice and Wolf 11-12: According to Duncan Bannatyne, an entrepreneur in debt is also one that’s in business, but obviously no one wants to remain in debt forever, and so it is that Lawrence decides to go for the riskiest venture ever- smuggling gold in the stomachs of Nora’s sheep. Unfortunately, when you choose to embark on such an endeavour, problems are bound to follow, with everything from treachery to wolves threatening to derail the entire plan. Will Lawrence and Horo emerge victorious by the end of the series? Can we viewers possibly continue in a world where no new Spice and Wolf is airing? The answers will be revealed soon enough.

*COMPLETE* Tsubasa Chronicle Tokyo Revelations 3: The Tsubasa OVA is now complete, and whilst it wasn’t anything special, it was at least leagues better than the TV series that preceded it (and only really hampered in content by the original manga). This episode sees Fai become a vampire and Sakura go off for her FFX-2 adventure, the latter of which seems to have been spiced up from the basic “Antlion battle” of the manga. There are some oddities, such as the random appearance of Card Captor Sakura towards the end, but overall this has been a solid adaptation- even though the manga becomes near-nonsensical from this point onwards, I wouldn’t mind more OVAs to continue the story in animated form.

No, you don’t have to- honestly, why do criminals always make these excuses?

Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 5: The lack of new episodes has left me in despair, but no longer, for episode five has appeared at long last. In this episode, the randomness seems back down to season one levels as our despairing sensei and his pupils plan how to divide everything into science, liberal arts and athletics, before discussing leftovers and how people only do favours in order to look good. It’s a solid episode overall, and another chance to despair and laugh at human nature.

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Hunter X Hunter 273: What can I say this week that I haven’t said before? As always, the battles between minor characters creep ahead slowly, although at the end of this chapter Gon and Killua finally show up again. At this rate, Togashi may well pass on before this arc even finishes.

Minami-ke 22: Another short chapter, unsurprisingly, this time focusing on Kana trying to be nice to Chiaki in order to curb her violent responses. After the disappointment of Okawari, it’s nice to get back to the original source and experience the humour that made season one enjoyable.

Shion no Ou 13-16: Another four chapters of Shion no Ou bring us up to the start of the open tournament, and as before, it’s very much like the anime. If you’ve already watched these events, you probably won’t want to bother rereading them, unless of course you’re like me.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 185: Lest anyone take action too quickly, the team decides to experience another couple of cycles of their Groundhog Day-esque situation, complete with apples. It seems this isn’t even Groundhog Day but actually Groundhog Two Hours, with everyone falling asleep before the reset, and Kurogane complaining of pain in his artificial arm. Hopefully this is leading up to something.

Maria-sama ga Miteru licensed (no question mark this time)
Following speculation here and there, Maria-sama ga Miteru’s three seasons (two TV series and one OVA) have been licensed by Right Stuf. Each season will be released in a boxset complete with its corresponding DVD specials, with the first season due out in July for $49.99.
Entertainment correspondent Aria: Punyu. [This will please the devout fans of the series, but even though we liked the two TV series, we were turned off the whole franchise by the dull OVA. Even so, we will be watching season four.]

Clannad 24 to be DVD only
Clannad fans, your waiting time has been extended, for episode 24 is to be the latest of many DVD-only instalments, and won’t be hitting shelves until this July. In the meantime, episode 22 will be the official series ending, with episode 23 being billed as a summer special. Clear as mud, eh?
Financial correspondent Mr Tibbs: These sorts of DVD-only episodes may frustrate the fanbase, but it also makes them keen to lap up the new content when it comes. Then again, those who are less enthused about the series tend to just forget about it and not bother seeing the series through.

Slayers gets a new TV series
Slayers fans, rejoice- a fourth season has finally been confirmed. With an anime-original storyline, this new series will be aired across two separate thirteen-episode seasons, although no further details are known at this time.
Entertainment correspondent Aria: Punyu! [At last, something everyone here is looking forward to- bring it on!]

ADV titles back on track?
As you may or may not recall, a couple of months ago, ADV removed various titles from its website, leading to speculation that it was either dropping them or going under completely a la Geneon. As it turns out, the problem seems to arise from one of their investors and licensing partners, and fortunately, many of the series in question are back on track for release. The hope is that all titles can eventually be restored.
Licensing correspondent The Admiral: Hiccups this these can occur between any two companies, but hopefully here the consumers won’t miss out on their DVDs.

Macross Frontier cream puffs
In our continuing coverage of anime-related food, we could not resist reporting that Japan’s am/pm stores are to start selling Macross Frontier themed cream puffs at the end of March. The cream puffs will come in both “Lanka” (green tea) and “Sheryl” (custard) flavours.
Social correspondent The Cardinal: Mmm…tasty.

Nippon Ichi opts for DS remakes
As reported over at moetron, Nippon Ichi will be remaking three of their titles for DS- the first Disgaea game (already remade for PSP), puzzler Jigsaw World and early SRPG title Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure. The playing experience in Disgaea will once again be updated to incorporate the stylus and dual screen, whilst Jigsaw World will be gaining battle elements. Further details will be revealed as they become available.
Gaming correspondent Mikoto: I’m interested to see if NIS can improve on Rhapsody as the original was a bit lacking after a few hours’ play, but I wish they weren’t so hung up on repackaging Disgaea again and again.