Azure Flame Reloaded

A normal day at Azure Flame.

It’s been a year of ups and downs, of anime gems and utter disappointments- a year when I’ve alternated between craving more and feeling utterly fed up with the continuing deluge of episodes that take no account of the fact that people might have other things to do than stay in and watch all day. Nonetheless, in true years-end tradition, we must review all the new series in an Annual Round-Up, a project which I meant to periodically update through the year but ended up writing at the last minute again.

As always, red titles are those which were dropped, and blues are the picks of the year. Come back on Tuesday for the New Year Rumble, in which we take a look at the year in the life of Azure Flame.

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Reviewed this week: Clannad 2, ef 2, Genshiken 2 1-2, Gundam 00 2, Hero Tales 1, Higurashi Kai 14, Kaiji 2, Minami-ke 1-2, Mononoke 12, Moyashimon 1, Mushi-Uta 12, Rental Magica 2, SaiMono II 21, Seirei no Moribito 25-6, Shana II 2, Sketchbook 1

..and in manga: Elfen Lied 78, HxH 262, Tsubasa 169

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Ten years ago, the Mushi started appearing- mysterious bug-like creatures that give their hosts supernatural powers in exchange for slowly but steadily consuming their dreams. Fuelled by the power of the Mushi, different factions sprang up, each aggressively pursuing their own agenda- and often unaware that the people they fight with their Mushi are often the alter egos of their closest friends. Continue Reading »

Reviewed this week: Baccano! 7, El Cazador 24, Clannad 1, Darker than Black 24-5, Higurashi Kai 12-13, Mononoke 9, Mushi Uta 11, Oh! Edo Rocket 16-18, SaiMono II 20, Seirei no Moribito 24

…and in manga: Bartender 2, Chokotto Sister 45, Spiral Alive 8-10

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Reviewed this week: Baccano! 6, Dennou Coil 15-16, El Cazador 23, Mononoke 8, Mushi-Uta 10, RxJ 20-1, SaiMono II 19, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 7, Seirei no Moribito 23, Shounen Onmyouji 18, Sisters of Wellber 9

…and in manga: Chokotto Sister 42-4, Tsubasa 167 Continue Reading »

Reviewed this week: Aria OVA, Darker than Black 22-3, Dennou Coil 14, Higurashi Kai 10-11, Koutetsu Sangokushi 13, Mushi Uta 9, Oh! Edo Rocket 7-15, SaiMono II 18, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 6, Seirei no Moribito 22

…and in manga: Aria 26, REC 33, Shinigami no Ballad 3

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Hello and welcome to another edition of Sunday News Bites! Although it hardly feels like it, it’s now been three months since we started, and this week, we have a special guest to celebrate that fact- Ryuuki from Saiunkoku Monogatari. Read on to find out the Imperial opinion on this week’s breaking news.

Mushi-Uta second season
Fourteen novels, twelve anime episodes- it was always clear that a single season of Mushi-Uta wasn’t going to get very far with the story unless it rushed along at breakneck speed. Since the anime seemed to be doing the exact opposite with regards to pacing, it’s a relief to learn that there will be a second twelve episode season airing sometime after the first. I’ll admit that I didn’t take to Mushi-Uta straightaway, but now that I’m enjoying the series, I’m happy to have more of it forthcoming. Continue Reading »

Reviewed this week: Baccano! 4, Higurashi Kai 8, Koutetsu Sangokushi 12, Mononoke 5, Mushi-Uta 8, Oh! Edo Rocket 1, Romeo X Juliet 19, Sisters of Wellber 5-6

…and in manga: Spiral 49-50, Tsubasa 163-4

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I’ve been awfully negligent about these introductions lately, haven’t I? To make up for it, here are links to some amusing videos- Minesweeper the movie and Facebook Off. Trust me, they’re worth clicking on.

Reviewed this week: Baccano! 3, Darker than Black 20, El Cazador 20, Higurashi Kai 7, Koutetsu Sangokushi 11, Mai-Otome Zwei 4, Mononoke 4, Mushi-Uta 7, ROTK 47, RxJ 18, Seirei no Moribito 19, Sisters of Wellber 4

…and in manga: SaiMono 7, Spiral 48, Twin Spica 5+flashback

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Reviewed this week: Baccano! 2, El Cazador 19, Darker than Black 19, Dennou Coil 12-13, Doujin Work 5, Higurashi Kai 6, Koutetsu Sangokushi 9-10, Mononoke 3, Mushi-Uta 6, RxJ 17, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 5, Seirei no Moribito 18

…and in manga: Elfen Lied 77, Gunslinger Girl 32, Mozart Doesn’t Sing Lullabies 5-8, Spiral 46-7, Tennai 28, xxxHOLiC 10.6, 11.1-2

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