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.

STILL RUNNING FROM 2006

Asatte no Houkou

The beginning of the year saw the end of Asatte no Houkou, a series that had started as a strong character drama and slice-of-life piece, but lost it somewhere with its slow pacing and plot contrivances. Ultimately, the series was a ‘curate’s egg’, good in parts but sorely lacking in others.
Final words: The series may have been called ‘The Direction of the Day After Tomorrow’, but sadly the plot sometimes lacked direction.

Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto

Last year, I labelled the emerging Iroha as a tentative pick of the year, but in retrospect, it was more silver than the gold tier it seemed at first. Despite remaining generally enjoyable throughout, the series got mired in a repetitive storyline, numerous historical cameos and an ending that defied sense and explanation.
Final words: Good for those who like action or historical series, but sadly not worthy of entering the hall of classics.

Busou Renkin

Ah, Busou Renkin, a series replete with cheesiness, ridiculous special abilities and Shounen Jump clichés- on the surface of it, hardly something worth writing home about, and yet an important series in its own right. A prime parody candidate, every week of Busou Renkin brought more hilarity than the creators had ever meant to include as Kazuki found himself torn between the worlds of HARD GAY, STRAIGHT and BI.
Final words: I wouldn’t actually watch the series ever again, but parodying it was a lot of fun- blogging hasn’t been the same since.

Le Chevalier d’Eon

At the end of last year, Chevalier was going strong, and it lost very little of its appeal as it moved into its closing episodes. Yes, the ending didn’t make a great deal of sense on close inspection, but with strong characters, worthy action scenes and an unfaltering sense of historical atmosphere, Chevalier remained enjoyable throughout.
Final words: Good enough to parody twice.

La Corda d’Oro

Last year, I had an optimistic view of Corda; this time around, the tale of a Neoromance reverse harem would surely have decent characters and some kind of a plot- or so I thought. Unfortunately, it was not to be- whilst our lead cheated her way through the music competition with a magical violin, the shallow supporting characters and slow pacing did nothing to disguise the general lack of substance.
Final words: Another game adaptation hardly worth writing home about.

Death Note

I enjoyed the Death Note manga, but in anime form, it wasn’t a series that could work for me- the long exposition scenes never seemed suited for an animated format, and attempts to bring the story to life only made Light seem overly theatrical under his red spotlight. After many episodes of thinking “well, the next arc will be better”, I decided to terminate my relationship with the series.
Final words: It didn’t flourish in animated format.

Kanon

As we must all know by now, after the first few episodes, Kanon failed to do much for me- Yuuichi was always too sarcastic and cruel to the girls, who were in turn too one-dimensional to do anything about it. Despite the series’ attempts to tug at the heartstrings, overall it failed to ignite for me, ending up as only another excuse for parody.
Final words: Sad girls in snow don’t make me cry.

Mai-Otome Zwei

Most trainwrecks have the grace to stop and let the rescue crew hunt for survivors, but not Mai-Otome- it just keeps rumbling on. Aside from one or two good action scenes, this whole OVA proved to be a waste of time, introducing a pointless enemy and filling every spare moment with character cameos and fanservice. There was no real reason to expect anything else, but why do I keep getting sucked into this franchise?
Final words: Why do I already know I’ll be watching the next sub-par Otome OVA?

Red Garden

Despite attempts to make its mark with a distinctive art style and a New York setting, Red Garden managed to utterly fail at either the horror or character drama it was presumably aiming for. With four angsty leads who spent most of their time whining or crying and a mystery that dragged on into a totally ridiculous conclusion, Red Garden was a largely dull experience that never rewarded the patience of those who dared to persevere with it.
Final words: Don’t bother with it. Really. It doesn’t get better later on.

Saiunkoku Monogatari

On the strength of its first season, SaiMono established itself as one of my favourites; far from the reverse harem series it first appeared, it actually proved to be an absorbing tale of intrigue, politics and character interaction as one woman chased her dream of becoming her country’s first female official. Of course, the attractive character designs don’t hurt, but to consider this series shallow just because of that would be to do it a great disservice.
Final words: I don’t see why anyone reading this blog wouldn’t have watched SaiMono yet, but if you haven’t, get to it now.

Shounen Onmyouji

A fairly generic tale of a young onymouji being sent to fight the strongest demons just because he happens to be the main character, Shounen Onmyouji was often pointless and rarely very good, but somehow managed to retain interest by having twelve spirit summons who were gradually introduced over the course of the series- and with many of them having little more than a basic appearance, the series even seemed to demand a second season in which to adapt more of the novels.
Final words: Large casts usually work against a series, but in this case it was a draw for an otherwise average series.

WINTER 2006/7
Winter is traditionally a slow month for anime, but could the fledgling 2007 break the curse of the cold months? Sadly, with only a couple of worthy series that were worth following to the end, it seemed that it could not.

Deltora Quest
Despite numerous failures, I’ve always kept my eye out for decent fantasy series, but sadly, Deltora Quest was not one of them. Despite being so packed with cliché and unintentional hilarity that it could have made a good parody candidate, the fact that the series needed to resort to budget saving flashbacks and stills as early as episode four was far from a good sign, and when the next episode proved to be even more dull and uneventful (consisting as it did of answering riddles), the series was quickly shelved, never to be touched again.
Final words: Classic fantasy in anime needs drastic reinvention.

Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight
School comedies have always been hit or miss for me, and Manabi Straight struck right out in its first episode. With an energetic and clueless lead who somehow becomes school president, Manabi Straight didn’t do a great deal for me, and was quickly assigned to the Recycle Bin.
Final words: Not for me.

Ichigo Mashimaro OVA

Basically a continuation of the TV series, the Ichigo Mashimaro OVA offered three more episodes of Nobue and the girls’ everyday adventures. Despite dragging a little in the second episode, overall the OVA was as entertaining as the TV series, with apt observations and polished delivery and timing turning basic activities into a source of amusement and entertainment.
Final words: A nice coda for a strong TV series.

Les Miserables Shoujo Cosette
As an attempt to adapt the original novel to a fifty-episode series aimed at the younger audience, Cosette seemed determined to make life hard for itself, and the results were appropriately unspectacular. With its emphasis on the Cinderella-esque life of Cosette, the series dripped with twee sentiments and overused plotlines to the exclusion of the good parts of the story.
Final words: Almost painful in its execution.

Maria-sama ga Miteru OVA

Prior to this OVA, I liked MariMite- despite all the angst, it managed to deliver a worthy tale of school life with a sprinkling of HARD YURI. Unfortunately, it was not a format that could make the transition to fifty-minute OVA episodes with any grace- everything became terribly long, drawn out and dull, whilst the HARD YURI content took advantage of its newfound freedom to reach new and unforeseen heights.
Final words: I’ll still be trying season four, but this OVA was a major setback for the franchise.

Nodame Cantabile

The only real noteworthy TV series from the winter season (aside from Hidamari Sketch and Himawari!!, both of which I still need to start), Nodame Cantabile promised to be ‘Honey and Clover with music’, but instead became tantalisingly inconsistent. At times, its insights into its two leads- one a technical genius, the other an intuitive talent- made it compelling viewing, but all too often the off-kilter humour and wacky side characters ruined the mood, whilst an air of Shounen Jump “let’s level up and make the strongest orchestra!” always lurked in the background. Despite these flaws, however, Nodame was overall a worthwhile investment of time, and with the manga still ongoing, a second season would be welcomed.
Final words: Snatches of greatness kept the series appealing even as the wackier elements suggested switching off would be the way to go.

SPRING 2007
Spring is usually the best season for anime, and indeed there were lots of promising contenders right out of the gate. When it came to the long haul, however, which would make it to the finish line, and which would run out of steam?

Bokurano
As readers may know, I love, adore and worship the Bokurano manga, and so I was delighted to hear that it was going to be adapted into an anime…right up until the moment I heard Studio “adaptation trainwreck” Gonzo would be handling it. Nonetheless, I went into the series with an open mind, only to find disappointment with major story changes and a complete lack of tension in the pacing- worse yet, the director himself claimed that he didn’t even like the original! I took his advice and chose not to watch any more.
Final words: If someone tries to pretend this anime even existed, I shall stick my fingers in my ears and sing loudly.

Claymore

I’ve managed to upset many Claymore fans by not rating the manga very highly, but let’s face it- faults aside, I’m still reading after seventy-four chapters and I do want to know how it’s all going to turn out. The same could not be said for the anime, which bucked me off like a recalcitrant horse after a mere eleven episodes thanks to uninspiring characters, dull fight scenes and a washed out colour scheme.
Final words: Give me Berserk any day.

Darker than Black

During its early episodes, I had the highest of hopes for Darker than Black- it seemed slick, well directed and packed with the perfect mix of exposition, mystery and action. Unfortunately, despite such a strong start, the series soon began to flounder, adopting a pacing more suited to a fifty-episode series as it introduced minor characters, packed in last minute explanations and generally failed to live up to those early days. Even Yoko Kanno’s work on the music didn’t seem up to her usual high standard, ensuring that no aspect of the series really lived up to its potential.
Final words: Darker than Black it may be, but it wasn’t better than good.

Dennou Coil

Ah, Dennou Coil, how much more can I praise you? I accept that this series wasn’t perfect, but if you’ll excuse the lapse into informality, it was damn close. Never before has a series so deserved to be lavished with internet praise along the lines of 1337, awesome and w1n, all thanks to an intriguing setting and story, combined with memorable and well developed characters. Mere words alone are not enough to praise this series, which was surely the best offering of 2007.
Final words: I worship at the shrine of Dennou Coil, and encourage others to join.

El Cazador de la Bruja

Better known as “El Caza-bore”, this third instalment in Bee Train’s girls-with-guns series did indeed contain girls and guns, but not in any combination that produced action. Instead, what we got was the most dreary road trip through a version of Latin America that contained only cacti, roadside diners and various other dusty clichés. Just watching all twenty-six episodes was an effort in itself, and one I only pursued for the sake of creating a superior parody version of events.
Final words: You haven’t experienced boredom until you’ve watched El Cazador.

Heroic Age
A series about a character named Age rather than an age of heroes, Heroic Age tried to create an epic setting involving space battles, legendary tribes and the like, but somewhere along the line it all became a dull universe populated by rejects from other Xebec series. With even the cameraman opting to stay well back from the action, there seemed little reason for anyone else to try to examine it closely.
Final words: Another average offering from Xebec.

Hitohira
A series about a shy girl who gets so nervous that she can’t speak (yet somehow gets into the drama club due to her occasional ability to shout), Hitohira was something I stuck with for a mere two episodes, before deciding that it wasn’t going to bring me anything particularly worthy. With forgettable characters and hints of HARD YURI, Hitohira seemed to patch together elements of other series like Tsuyokiss and Gokujou Seitokai- hardly a recommendation.
Final words: Like its lead, Hitohira remained quiet and unnoticed.

Koutetsu Sangokushi

As a fan of the Three Kingdoms era, I was looking forward to a series that would surely present it better than the forgettable 1990s effort- but sadly, despite superior production values, Koutetsu Sangokushi was not to be that series. Although Koutetsu should be praised for focusing on the kingdom of Wu, it loses points for its extreme levels of ridiculousness, from a super-HARD GAY gender-confused cast to the inclusion of special sentai powers for the main characters- somehow I just don’t remember these things happening in the original novel.
Final words: As far as historical adaptations go, this one is just laughably ridiculous.

Lucky Star

A series that attracted both hate and adoration in adoration, Lucky Star did very little for me; I didn’t despise it, but for me it just did very little- episodes would pass by and I would sit in front of them, almost completely indifferent to them. Occasionally I would laugh, but much of the series was just white noise.
Final words: Ichigo Mashimaro and Minami-ke make everyday life amusing, but Lucky Star just rambles on and on.

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS
The first two seasons of Nanoha weren’t great, but they won me over with their attractive character designs and worthy action scenes; sadly, the first thing StrikerS did was to introduce new characters to an already bloated cast and throw out actual battle in favour of training against robots. Whilst the leads were forced to wear limiters to remove their God Modes, everything was left in the hands of the newbies, whilst what had once been a simple world of magical girls fighting evil became tied up in pointless bureaucracy. It may have improved later on, but after six episodes, I bailed out.
Final words: No more Nanoha for me.

Murder Princess
An OVA from Bee Train, Murder Princess told the tale of a princess and a bounty hunter who rather randomly end up swapping bodies, but unfortunately, what looked like it would at least be a mildly entertaining fantasy series was ruined by ridiculous elements such as a mad scientist and his two loli androids. In the end, even a mere six episodes of this seemed like too much.
Final words: Nice character designs, shame about the rest.

Oh! Edo Rocket

With its low profile and childish-looking character designs, Oh! Edo Rocket initially didn’t seem like something worth watching- but how wrong I was. After some positive recommendations, I reversed my position and took the plunge, and it was eminently worth it. A series so crazy that you cannot help but love it, Oh! Edo Rocket is nominally about a fireworks maker trying to create a rocket that can go to the moon, but there is much more packed into it- from secret ‘Men in Black’ with special powers to aliens, monsters and a metric ton of pop culture references. It’s crazy, hilarious, sometimes a little dark, and a cut above pretty much every other anime that relies so heavily on humour and parody.
Final words: If Dennou Coil is the best series of the year, then this one must deserve the silver medal.

Romeo X Juliet

Adaptations come from many sources, but could anime really make something out of a Shakespeare play? Whether or not it could, Gonzo was determined to try, and in their usual fashion, they glanced at the original, threw it out of the window, and created a version that involved magical trees, flying horses and an aerial city that just happened to be named Neo Verona. Despite the general lack of similarity to the original, the series started well enough, and seemed as if it would go down as inoffensive light entertainment; unfortunately, as it progressed, the plot became ever more lacking and ridiculous, whilst the leads hardly inspired one to care for their plight. In the end, it found its greatest worth in the parody arena.
Final words: Romeo X Juliet? More like Ridiculous X Joke.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II

After such a strong first series, was it any surprise that I wanted more SaiMono? Unfortunately, with subs having dried up, I had to go it alone into the domain of raws, which for such a dialogue-heavy series meant relying on Impz and usagijen to help me through. Unfortunately, this approach distances me a little from the action, so that whilst I still enjoy the series and think it is good, it just doesn’t hook me in as it did before. Is it the complex web of storyline that I can’t follow in raw, the introduction of a few too many new characters, or the decision to slow down the pacing a bit to accommodate the fact that the series is catching up with the novels?
Final words: I love it, but I want to spend more time exploring the main characters- maybe a full immersion in the world of the series is what is needed.

Sakura Taisen New York
Having enjoyed the first two Sakura Wars OVAs and the TV series, I felt it was high time to branch out into the later OVAs- only to discover that with New York, I had chosen a poor place to start. With a brand new lead and his harem of shallow girls, this failed attempt to recapture the original Sakura Taisen magic completely and utterly fell flat, forcing me to abandon it by its second episode.
Final words: The original cast cannot be bettered.

Seirei no Moribito

It had the most beautiful of settings, but after a strong early start, that ultimately seemed to be all Seirei no Moribito could offer. Although its slow and tranquil pacing satisfied some, for me it was a case of being a series where not only did nothing ever happen, but it took a long time about not happening. There were a few worthy action scenes, but the rest of the series was drenched in sitting and talking- and so many episodes of static conversation can grow stale.
Final words: Instead of making anime, let’s just sit and talk about it.

Shining Tears X Wind
RPG adaptations are renowned for not being up to much, and when the source material is reputedly “the worst RPG ever” (and its sequel), you can’t really expect much. Even so, Shining Tears somehow managed to achieve new levels of awfulness, with its pointless and forgettable leads, incongruous elements (tanks and lasers in a fantasy kingdom) and general lack of anything that can be praised. I once considered Disgaea to be the worst anime ever, but this series has taken that spot.
Final words: It was a pile of Shining Tears X Wind.

Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica

Despite having encountered disappointment with the likes of YoakeNa, I still found myself drawn to eroge and visual novel-based series with worthy character designs- hence my brief relationship with Polyphonica. Unfortunately, even the lovely Corticarte could not disguise the fact that Polyphonica was pretty much entirely pointless filler- and when a beach episode appeared as early as episode three, I knew it was time to bail out.
Final words: Have I learned my lesson this time? I hope so.

SKULLMAN
Skullman, Skullman, does whatever a skull can…sits motionless, on a shelf- well, you get the idea. Based on a retro manga and series, SKULLMAN was not a series well-adapted for life in the twenty-first century, and by its first episode it was already floundering. With spoilers on wikipedia recounting a miserable background and fate for the eponymous anti-hero, it hardly seemed watching any more.
Final words: He’s a man… with a skull for a head! Bet you couldn’t guess that from the title, eh?

Victorian Romance Emma Second Act

The first season of Emma was highly enjoyable, but the fact that it only covered two volumes of the manga left the story hanging. With that in mind, a second season seemed a true blessing, although ultimately it was not one that was handled as well as it could have been. Despite having a further five volumes to cover and only twelve more episodes to do it in, Second Act began with a filler episode, before proceeding to cut out large chunks of the story (although admittedly the manga storyline of Emma being kidnapped and taken to America had seemed a little farfetched at the time). All in all, it was still a highly worthy series, just not as good as it could have been.
Final words: You can’t go wrong with Emma, but this still didn’t quite live up to its potential.

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~

The tale of a thief and a princess trying to flee one country and make it to another before a deadline, Wellber was another of those series that didn’t seem to bring anything original to the table, but nonetheless appeared entertaining enough to watch. Unfortunately, elements such as predictable storylines and a talking tank conspired against it, but overall it just managed to pull through as a piece of light entertainment- not least because of the unintentional hilarity that cropped up in most episodes.
Final words: Mildly entertaining.

SUMMER 2007
In principle, summer is when everyone is enjoying themselves in the great outdoors- and so why bother to air much in the way of good anime? Still, given the poor showings of summer 2005-6, 2007 might just have the edge over them with its single digit selection.

Baccano!

With a wealth of named characters and a timeline that jumped back and forth through early 1930s America, Baccano was never the easiest series to follow, and indeed, even now I cannot say I had much of a clue what was going on throughout large chunks of it. Even so, the sheer enthusiasm and attack which the series brought to our screens was so infectious that one could not help but enjoy it- whether it was a tense shootout or just Isaac and Miria getting up to their usual antics, Baccano was always entertaining- and with many more novels left to adapt, hopes for a second season are high.
Final words: Every season needs a good historical series, and this was the summer’s candidate.

Doujin Work

A short series focusing on a young woman who believes she can make her fortune drawing doujinshi, Doujin Work was never going to be anything very special, but despite the budget animation and predictable jokes, it was somehow entertaining. And with the actual episodes running at only fourteen minutes (the rest of the time slot was taken up with a live action guide to making doujinshi), it isn’t a huge investment in time either.
Final words: Light entertainment done right.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

After the first season, Higurashi had generally failed to impress, but having embarked upon the franchise, I felt I had to carry it through- a feeling that eroded with every week of watching Kai. Everything just felt so drawn out and over the top, especially Satoko’s situation (I would applaud the series for at least having a go at tackling the difficult subject of child abuse, but then again, is that something I really want to watch for entertainment?). Even the introduction of Hanyu to the mix couldn’t save the plot, and in the end I decided to leave the citizens of Hinamizawa to their miserable fate.
Final words: It fails in the execution.

Mononoke

Having been largely bored by Ayakashi, I approached its spin-off with caution- what if it was more of the same excruciatingly slow pacing? Nonetheless, having watched and enjoyed Requiem from the Darkness right before it started to air, I decided to take the plunge, and although Mononoke did indeed have its weak points, it turned out the be the right decision. With an intriguing lead character, unique art style and slicker direction than its predecessor, Mononoke managed to hit all the right notes for supernatural fantasy. A second season would not go amiss.
Final words: It succeeded because it didn’t have ‘Ayakashi’ in the title.

Mushi-Uta

Call me shallow, but the whole reason I wanted to watch Mushi-Uta was because the title seemed to label it as the bastard son of Mushishi and Utawarerumono. In fact, aside from a masked character who resembled Hakuoro, it bore very little resemblance to either, but after a shaky start, Mushi-Uta finally came up with the goods. Although the mixture of giant bug battles and high school life was often confusing, and in spite of the fact that I could barely get a grip on the characters’ names, the story slowly drew me in, to the extent that I even cared about the fate of a minor character. As with several other series this year, it needs a second season.
Final words: Sometimes randomly picked choices can work out well after all.

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei

Since the blogworld once had its own Hopeless Sensei, this anime seemed almost destined to be watched, and happily it was a series well suited to SHAFT’s randomness. A classroom comedy with a twist of bleak despair, Sensei was much like any other comedy- funny when it hit the mark, but somewhat random and a little tedious when it didn’t. Coupled with a distinctive high contrast art style, it made the series memorable and unique, but not always for the right reasons.
Final words: Somewhat inconsistent, but with some highly worthy moments.

Tetsuko no Tabi
It’s hard for me to really appraise Tetsuko no Tabi since out of thirteen episodes I’ve only seen a badly subbed version of the first one, but nonetheless I’ll include it for completeness. A series based on actual train journeys, Tetsuko no Tabi had an interesting enough first episode, but without more material to work with, I can’t really form a proper opinion on this.
Final words: Won’t anyone sub this?

Zombie-Loan
DearS never looked promising, and Peach-Pit had already disappointed me with Rozen Maiden, but nonetheless for some reason I just had to try Zombie-Loan. Unfortunately, the series proved to lack much in the way of appeal, coming across only as an inferior version of xxxHOLiC and Tokyo Babylon.
Final words: CLAMP already did it better.

AUTUMN 2007
Like the spring, the autumn is meant to be replete with series worth watching, but let’s face it- Autumn 2007 was a big fat disappointment. Yes, there were some good series, but somehow the preponderance of mediocrity combined with circumstances in the outside world ensured that anime enthusiasm reached new and previously unexplored lows.

Aria the OVA ~Arietta~
For those of us who needed more Aria to keep us going, this brief OVA would have to make do between the long-finished second and upcoming third seasons. There’s not much to say about it, really, other than that it was another gentle and tranquil half-hour of life in Neo-Venezia, and in fact proved to be so worthy that I sat and watched it without even wanting to disturb my concentration by taking screencaps.
Final words: Punyu!

Clannad

I enjoyed Air and disliked Kanon, so it seemed likely that Clannad would fall somewhere in between, and indeed, so far it has. With a more likable lead than Kanon, it immediately scores over its predecessor, but unfortunately there seems to be a limit to the number of “sad girls” stories one person can swallow before becoming a little blasé about the whole thing.
Final words: It’s not bad, but I just can’t fangirl over it.

ef- a tale of memories
Whilst Owen and the others raved over it in their multi-post extravaganza, ef for me was a title that needed to be put on hiatus after episode three- the idea of someone being unable to retain their memories for more than thirteen hours was intriguing, but watching ef felt like following three different series, of which only one was worth following. I shall one day go back and watch the rest of the season in one go, but it wasn’t something where I wanted to put the effort of watching weekly.
Final words: I’ll get back to it…later.

Genshiken II
I enjoyed the first season of Genshiken, and so it seemed a foregone conclusion that the second would strike gold as well- after all, it had the rest of the original manga to work with. And indeed, Genshiken 2 quickly launched back into familiar territory, with familiar situations, character development and the sad realisation that many of our favourite personalities were graduating and moving on.
Final words: Now onwards to the manga.

Gundam 00
After Seed Destiny, my relationship with the Gundam franchise hit something of a rocky patch, so much so that it would take something far better than the usual Sunrise fare to repair it. Sadly, Gundam 00 wasn’t about to do that for me, and after a few episodes of pointless factions and a group who planned to enforce world peace by instigating wars, I decided to put the whole series on the heating element behind the normal back-burner.
Final words: Watching it can wait until 2008.

Hero Tales
With a name like ‘Hero Tales’, it was pretty obvious that this series wasn’t going to be up to much- even the FMA mangaka couldn’t really weave a good story about a boy with a destined sword. After watching an episode to assess its parody potential, I decided that even the gods of parody couldn’t expect me to watch something so boring in aid of a few laughs, and so it was put aside.
Final words: As original as its title.

Kaiji

Series dripping with GAR MANLINESS aren’t usually my thing, but having enjoyed Akagi so much, it seemed only logical to see what Madhouse could make of one of the mangaka’s other works- ‘Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji’. Whilst Kaiji is more emotional and less cold than Akagi, the twists and turns of his story are still worthy viewing- although one cannot help feeling a little sorry for poor Kaiji as his mammoth efforts in trying to win games dreamt up by sadistic yakuza only seem to result in him getting ever more in debt. I fear that twenty-six episodes won’t be enough for this series.
Final words: This series should be shown to everyone who finds themselves in danger of incurring debt.

Minami-ke

Keen for an extra dose of Ichigo Mashimaro, I went forth into Minami-ke, a similar tale about the everyday lives of three sisters. Despite trepidation that it would turn into another Lucky Star, Minami-ke had the required wit and delivery to make it entertaining rather than dull, and already a second season (albeit a retelling rather than a sequel) is set to air this January.
Final words: Forget choco cornets, melon pan and taiyaki, this year’s in-food is cream stew.

Mokke

Ever since enjoying Shrine of the Morning Mist, I’ve been on the lookout for the next entertaining silver/bronze tier supernatural series, and Mokke seems to be it. It may not be anything special, but the episodic tales of a pair of sisters- one who can see spirits, the other who gets possessed by them- has largely proven to make for enjoyable viewing, and the addition of a cat with special powers is just the icing on the cake.
Final words: Bronze tier entertainment.

Moyashimon

As the latest series to air in the vaunted noitaminA block (I know it’s ‘Animation’ spelt backwards, but it still sounds like some kind of vitamin or mineral to me), Moyashimon had a lot to live up to, but fortunately, all it needed was its uniqueness to make it a hit. Unappealing as a series about microbes may sound, when you take into account the fact that to our lead these microbes look rather cute, the whole thing takes on a new dimension; in fact, you wouldn’t go far wrong if you were to watch the series for this novelty alone. Fortunately, the rest of the content is solid enough, even if the characters are a little wacky.
Final words: I never once thought I’d say that I wanted a plushie of Aspergillus oryzae, but I want one.

Rental Magica
Where the search for supernatural light entertainment brought some successes in 2007, it also racked up a few failures, and Rental Magica was one of them. Populated by rejects from other series, Rental Magica seemed sure to at least mildly interest with its episodic tales of a company of magic users solving problems, but apart from a master of cat shikigami, there was little to engage the viewer.
Final words: Something to go back to when you have absolutely nothing else to watch.

Shakugan no Shana II

Even though I enjoyed it at the time, in retrospect the original Shakugan no Shana had a lot wrong with it- not least of which were the pointless and uninspiring villains. Even so, a second season would surely forge ahead into interesting and unknown parts of the novel series- or maybe not. For instead, Shana II decided to diverge into an uninteresting game-based tale that seemed determined to shake off all but the most devout of fans. With last season’s confession revoked and the love polygon once again taking hold, it seemed as if this was one series worth bailing out of.
Final words: There’s completion, and then there’s masochism- watching Shana II was surely the latter.

Sketchbook ~full color’S~

Every year needs a good slice-of-life series, and whilst Sketchbook was not to be in the Aria/YKK class, it was still an enjoyable series, not least because of the high volume of cats and fat chickens contained therein. Although it times it seemed as if it was trying too hard to capture a calm atmosphere that should just come naturally, Sketchbook was still worth watching, and after initially thinking little of the shy and quiet lead, after a while I began to identify with her- all too often I end up thinking a lot more than I actually end up saying (but no more! Now I shall never shut up!).
Final words: Full of cats.

And so, 2007 has shown us both good and bad (much like every year, really) and all we can do is await 2008 and the offerings it shall bring us. See you next year!

Disgaea 3…for PS3
First it was Laharl, then Adell- but now Disgaea fans can look forward a whole new adventure with the announcement of the third instalment in Nippon Ichi’s popular SRPG series. The only blot on the horizon for some of us is that the new game is coming out on a new console- the Playstation 3. Given that the series will be maintaining the same graphical style as the first two, there hardly seems any point putting it on a console whose processing power it doesn’t even need, but no matter how it pans out, I must play this game no matter what measures need to be taken (here’s at least hoping for a PSP version). For those who like their announcements official, here’s Nippon Ichi’s pdf on the matter; just don’t ask me what Prism Red is doing as a homeroom teacher.
Laharl says: A-hahahahaha! They’d give me a cameo in this series- or better yet, make all the new characters my vassals!

Maria-sama is still watching you…
Fans of Lillian Girls’ School, rejoice- once the current OVA series finishes its run, a fourth season will be making its way to you. Currently it is unknown as to whether this will be another OVA or a TV series, but it seems like the animated adaptation of the series is determined to cover as many of the 20+ original novels as it can. Whilst I found the two TV series to be enjoyable, this latest OVA and its fifty-minute HARD YURI episodes about strange school events hasn’t really done much for me, but even so, I feel like I must stick with the series just to see where the characters end up (and of course to find out who gets to be Yumi’s petite soeur).
Laharl says: Girls in love with other girls- boring! They need some demons there to liven things up a bit, a-hahahahaha!

ADV chooses MANLINESS, thievery and chibi-HiME
Or, to put it less cryptically, ADV have announced licenses for testosterone-filled space series Moonlight Mile, alongside Venus Versus Virus and the King of Bandit Jing OVA. Despite the lacklustre nature of the Jing TV series, I was actually planning to watch the OVA one day, although it’s certainly more of a rent once than buy title. Moonlight Mile, meanwhile, is something I stopped at the first episode with- not because I hated it, but because the projected MANLINESS and Zhuge Liangs scared me.
Laharl says: Nothing here worth waking up from a two-year nap from.

FUNimation licenses Ouran
Meanwhile, FUNiMation has its own licenses to announce, with popular high school comedy Ouran High School Host Club topping the list, alongside Tenchi spin-off Sasami Mahou Shoujo Club and Baldr Force EXE Resolution. Whilst the latter two titles hold no interest for me, I did enjoy Ouran, and will probably pick it up after I’ve caught up with everything else I’d eventually like to buy.
Laharl says: Call that flowery gender-bender series comedy? The real comedy starts in the Netherworld!

Bandai supports Pizza Hut
Bandai too have some licenses to announce, in the form of Code Geass, Mai-Otome Zwei, Ayakashi Ayashi and Toward the Terra. The former two are no surprise, but overall this line-up holds little interest for me (then again, I’ve yet to try Terra, so if I’m not too put off by the Towards the Eighties feel, I may enjoy it).
Laharl says: I don’t know why, but when people mention Code Geass to me, I start fancying that Pizza Shack Teriyaki Pizza that Gordon’s always going on about. Hey Etna, go and get me some pizza!

And finally…one for the Polyphonica fans
Ever since I first saw her character design, I knew I wanted a Corti figure, but sadly this wasn’t quite what I had in mind. Aside from the hair colour, nothing from this figure really grabs me, but hopefully a captivating figure of her adult form will appear someday soon.
Laharl: Adult form!? Are you kidding me!? I hate sexy bodies!

• Kureha: despite the unfortunate association with Shining Wind, I cannot help but want this.
• Himawari: I didn’t want this at first and it’s not normally the style of figure I like, but she’s just so brightly coloured, cute and energetic.
• Shenhua: the big ears are distracting but I love the costume and pose.
• Fasalina: Okay, so the boobs are totally unrealistic but I must have it- nothing shall come between me and getting this figure.

Emma parody dub: extracts

With the news that Emma has been licensed and will be released in sub only boxsets, it becomes clear that there is room for something else on the DVDs- a parody dub. Let’s take a look at what those crazy US companies might just include.

William: Yo, what’s up, Emma my girl?

Emma: Yo Bill, not much. Wanna hang out down at Crystal Palace later?

William: Sure thing, honey.

Hakim: Discount sale at Kwik-E-Mart!

Eleanor: This is such a bummer- my Bill has eyes for some maid!

Annie: Let’s teach her a lesson, boss.

Eleanor: Right on!

Bokurano alternate universe spin-offs

Welcome to a new moneymaking scheme designed to milk as much out of Bokurano as possible! In each spin-off, we focus on what might have happened in the lives of the characters if they had never become Zearth pilots.

• Waku: experience the thrills and spills as he hones his soccer skills in a desperate attempt to get into the major leagues. Will he ever play in the World Cup?
• Kodama: Now several years older, Kodama is the ruthless owner of his father’s company. Can his cruel streak ever be softened by his beautiful secretary?
• Daichi: Join him as he struggles to support his siblings through an increasingly intense schedule of assorted part-time jobs, all the while trying to get an education.
• Nakama: Can she get her fledgling needlework business off the ground, or will it all end in disaster?
• Kako: Now an adult, Kako is a lackey for the Yakuza- can he break out of the criminal underworld, or is this his ultimate fate?
• Chizu: Also an adult, Chizu must struggle with bringing up her child as a single mother whilst working in a police department designed to help women who have been the victim of rape.
• Moji: Explore the love triangle between him and his childhood friends as the trio grow up and find themselves at the same high school.
• Maki: Experience her adventures as she and her little brother get into all sorts of scrapes and mischief.
• Kirie: In the future, Kirie has put his past behind him and reinvented himself as a suave and successful playboy, but will the truth of his school days catch up with him?
• Komo: Join her as she attends music college and gives it her all in an increasingly difficult set of competitions.
• Anko: Anko has finally managed to become an idol, but is the life she dreamed of all it is cut out to be?

Shining Tears X Wind 7

Souma arranges a schedule for TANK.

“Ah, this is the life- two women to service me and I don’t even need to stir from my oversized chair.”

Somehow, Souma has earned his own office.

He’s even up to the level of mediating disputes.

Even so, it pays to have a backup job, such as playing Naruto’s understudy.

Who fancies some giant Cannon?

“This Sword is absolutely not here to compensate for any Ezo I may or may not have.”

“Oh, okay, maybe it is.”

Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica 2

“If you won’t join us for group Pleasure, I’ll give you a painful hand job!”

Random Thoughts: Akidzuki

This week we get up close and personal with Akidzuki from Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto! Akidzuki, did you ever feel that you were short-changed as the main character due to a general lack of dialogue and development?

Of course I do, although I was lucky enough to earn myself some fangirls anyway, so even though my part in the series wasn’t much of a stretch beyond the action scenes, it wasn’t a total loss in terms of raising my profile. Now that the series is over, I might as well admit that scriptwriter Soutetsu did offer me a bigger role, but only if I promised to give him BI- which of course I wasn’t prepared to do.

We know that much of the series saw you looking for a HARD GAY partner- why didn’t you give in to BI more easily?

I did have BI a couple of times over the course of the series, but it always seemed to end in disaster. In the end, I think it’s best to stick to your principles; even if it means you have to go without in the short term, it’s better in the long run.

How can you justify the ridiculousness of the series finale?

Soutetsu was always one to leave turning in the next episode’s script until the last minute, and in the end I think he was just casting about for ideas that would fill a few pages, regardless of how much sense they made. I just showed up and played the part I was given to get paid- you’ll have to talk to Soutetsu if you want to know more.

What are your plans now that you’ve set sail for Europe?

To get as much HARD GAY as possible, of course- and maybe star in another historical series if I can.

And finally, what do you think of plans to create IrohaWarriors and Iroha Tactics games in RPG Maker?

I’m in favour of it, although I hope I get a decent role.

This Week in Anime

Bank of Scotland becomes moneylender of choice for the modern anime character.

Domino’s Pizza launches counterattack against Pizza Hut.

How about a lovely cup of tea?

Apples make their move against humanity.

Persimmons patiently await their turn in the spotlight.

Anime World Tour: Angelic Layer/Chobits

Welcome to the world of Angelic Layer, the near future with a twist. Buy your own angel and accessories and compete in Angelic Layer tournaments, then let your imagination set the limits as you telepathically control in a fight for victory! Feel the intense pride and honour of beating 4-11 year olds at a children’s game! You know you want to!

Alternatively, travel a little further into the future to avoid the Angelic Layer craze and pick up on even more advanced technology in the form of the persocom. She looks like a girl, but she’s packed with high end operating systems- you’ll never have to choose between laptops and women again!

OST spotlight: Victorian Romance Emma Second Act- Memories

If you liked the first Emma OST, then this one is a must, offering as it does more of the same. With its range of melodic piano and beautiful folk and Celtic style themes, Emma is always easy on the ears, and even the tendency to remix the main themes cannot detract from its quality.

Memorable tracks: Silhouette of a Breeze (Celtic version), Curiosity, Rondo of Lilybell (Harpsichord version), Molders, Rondo of Lilybell

Mini-editorial: Are paid for download services ever going to catch on?

Services such as iTunes may have revolutionised the legal music downloading scene, but when it comes to anime, can it do the same? Will we one day eschew the humble DVD and its successors for hard drives filled with anime, all obtained legitimately- or is that just never going to happen?

For the more hardcore of anime fans, the prospect of paying to download must surely jar with the knowledge that if they look hard enough, they can probably get much the same thing for free, and probably several months earlier at that. Aside from those motivated by conscience, curiosity, or fans who remain blissfully unaware of the shadier side of “acquisition”, there may well be little genuine, long-term interest in such services.

Even those of us who are willing and able to buy legitimate copies of our favourite series may simply not be satisfied with just having copies of the file sitting on our computers. If you’re going to hand over money, there’s a desire to be given something tangible in return, which is where DVDs come in. Even now, I prefer to have an actual CD than a mere downloaded album, and the same goes for DVDs- if I’m paying for it, I want something I can hold in my hand, preferably with some nice cover art and an insert booklet to go with it. Yes, there are issues of storage once the collection gets too massive, but that’s something that can be dealt with one way or another.

Harem of the week: Isurugi (801 TTS Airbats)

His secret shame was that he was an otaku, but when he got transferred to an all-girl squadron, none of the lovely ladies seemed to care.

Harem

Miyuki Haneda: One of the two main rivals, tries to act like a demure lead girl but can easily roused to argue or compete with Mitaka.

Arisa Mitaka: The hot-head and second of the two main rivals, not afraid to say her piece.

Yoko: The young and slightly eccentric one.

Sakura: The older woman and calmest of the group.

Fashion Police: Maru

Apologies for the small, low-resolution picture, but give the state of Maru’s dress, the Fashion Police simply could not spend any more time looking for better photographic evidence of his crimes. A prince of a distant land who somehow ends up living in a forest, Maru may own the opposition when it comes to his archery skills, but his dress leaves a lot to be desired. Aside from the fact that he is effectively half-naked, the baggy shorts are most unflattering, and the mask he occasionally wears should have been throw away when Halloween was over. The item bags aren’t exactly high fashion either, but at least it explains where he puts his items, a change from most RPG characters.

Fashion sense: F

Amusing Search Terms

bishounen troll: beauty and the beast in one package

ＡＺＵＲＥ Coherent: A coherent wave of azure light.

final fantasy 7 yuffie materia annoying: Isn’t it just?

gender bender doujin: Always with the doujins.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms Oil Painti: You can’t move for oil paintings on this blog.

saiga rifle performance: His rifle performance is pretty solid.

“keep me hanging on” cicada: Cicadas can now be trained to chirp out songs.

final fantasy 7 hi res npc: high resolution NPCs? Shouldn’t you be more concerned with the main characters first?

mai otome yuri scene: “Shizuru bent down and lightly nipped Natsuki’s ear. ‘Stop working already,’ she huskily whispered into her lover’s ear, ‘and come and show me a good time, hot stuff.’”

novastorm historical setting: Join the Novastorm blog as it goes back in time on an exciting adventure!

spiky character Shonen Onmyoji red hair: Suzaku?

Rumble fight hacks: er, yes…

jouya kanou: ???

gay azure: Azure is a colour, I don’t know if it can be gay. “Sorry, red, but I’m attracted to other shades of blue.”

gay chibi: There are chibis for everything.

BeyBlade Friendship between Tokyo &: There is no Tokyo! Only America.

mai otome doujins: I’m only interested in the fat cat ones.

ANIME GAY TV: A whole channel devoted to HARD GAY.

lesbian yuri: What other kind of yuri is there?

beyblades season 3 kai: You write one article about Beyblade, and suddenly everyone thinks you’re an expert on it.

what busou renkin character are you?: Generic Bystander #3.

spoiler for episode 26 of vampire prince: If you mean Vampire Princess Miyu, then [XXXX] turns out to be the villain.

This week in anime, action takes a backseat to sitting and talking, or in the more daring of cases, standing and talking. At least we have the combined excellence of SaiMono, Dennou Coil and Emma to wash away the pain, especially during the wait for non-HD Darker than Black (not that the new computer can’t play them, but the old instincts remain).

Reviewed this week: Cazador 10, Claymore 11, Dennou Coil 4, Koutetsu 8, Love GetChu 7, ROTK 45, RxJ 9, SaiMono II 10, Seirei 9, Polyphonica 2, Emma II 7

…and in manga: Gunslinger Girl 28-30, Tsubasa 156

ANIME

El Cazador de la Bruja 10: Each week I say that El Cazador cannot possibly get any more boring, but somehow, each week it proves me wrong. This time around, our heroines stop off at an Amigo Tacos diner to help a generic man with a shady past that is about to catch up to him- really, it’s getting harder and harder to even pay attention, let alone begin to think about caring. Is there ever going to be any hint of a plot? Why am I even asking?

*HIATUS* Claymore 11: After barely paying attention to this episode, I have decided to put Claymore on hiatus until I come to parody it- it just isn’t engaging me enough to continue with. In this episode, Clare and the others realise that they were assigned to the team because they are the problem children of the ‘organisation’ (so shady and evil that it should be called an Organisation); cue twenty-five minutes of necessary exposition before the group splits up and goes their separate ways for the next arc; likewise, Claymore and I shall go our separate ways for a while.

Dennou Coil 4: I never thought it could happen, but Dennou Coil 4 is so good that it makes the first episode look merely average in comparison. Having introduced herself as a second Yuko, Yuko-Isako’s (Isako becomes her nickname) cold attitude in school soon earns her the ire of Daichi and his gang, who soon plan a series of pranks. What makes the episode so great is seeing Isako effortlessly foil their plots with her advanced techniques, offering yet more insights into the workings of these glasses, and raising yet more questions. Is the fact that Yasako and Isako have the same full names more than coincidence (possibly not, since the kanji are different)? Did the teacher notice or care about the pranks in class, or are her glasses just normal lenses? To what extent does a person’s self exist in the data world instead of the real one? When can I see episode 5?

Koutetsu Sangokushi 8: The HARD GAY continues in this episode, as Wu is forced to decide whether to ally with Wei or go to war with them (let’s just check the history books whilst we’re waiting shall we?) and Zhuge Liang promises to come up with an effective plan that will enable Wu to go on the offence without endangering its people. Nothing much happens in this episode, but it still proves fertile ground for parody with such lines as the transvestite Liu Bei telling Sun Quan he looks girlish.

Love GetChu! 7: I know I keep promising to watch the rest of the series raw, but in the time I haven’t been bothered to get around to it, this series from last Spring has finally had another episode subbed. It’s Yurika’s turn in the round of character development episodes we seem to be having, and with her childhood friend Atari having made his animation debut, she is more desperate than ever to become a voice actress- so much so that she ends up leaving Lambda Eight to join another company. Of course, it doesn’t take much brainpower to predict how it all pans out, but I wasn’t expecting Yurika to also be interested in the male lead, setting up a potential love triangle. Meanwhile, in the next episode we’ll finally get to Amane.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms 45: Thanks to the lengthy delays, ROTK has lost what little appeal it once had, but now that we’re so close to the end, it hardly seems worth dropping it. In this episode, we finally reach the sequence where Pang Tong ‘joins’ Wei and convinces Cao Cao to chain all his ships together so that the Wu fire attack can spread more easily. It’s hard to believe that it’s taken us so long to get to this point, leaving only two episodes for the actual fire attack at Chi Bi to occur.

Romeo X Juliet 9: The Capulet resistance has properly come together, but Francisco speaks for Gonzo when he says that it is best not to move the plot too quickly- instead we must move slowly, with plenty of angst as Montague disapproves of Romeo and Juliet tries to be more useful than her low swordsmanship skills can allow. It’s not the best episode of the series so far, but it is at least solid enough, with parody potential still high.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 10: After the excellence of episode nine, ten struggles to live up to it, as Shuurei deals with the responsibility of overseeing the doctors and coping with the fact that she is being blamed for the disease. Fortunately, she has Ensei by her side, a character who has really come into his own over the course of the series (even if it is at the expense of Seiran’s screen time). Other scenes of note include Doctor You “shaking his booty”, and a Kourin scene in which nothing more than her appearance and bearing indicates how resolute and mature she has become.

Touching back on last episode, does Yougetsu’s coming out shorten Eigetsu’s life simply because Eigetsu isn’t in control at that point, or does it actually deplete his life at a faster life (for example, if Eigetsu had had the original twenty years and Yougetsu came out for ten, would that be Eigetsu ten, Yougetsu ten, or something like Yougetsu ten, Eigetsu eight?). Also, when Yougetsu said he would only come out when Eigetsu drank alcohol, was that a conscious choice of trigger that he chose to obey, or did he become bound to obey it, even when it isn’t in Eigetsu’s best interests for him to come out?

Seirei no Moribito 9: Whilst Balsa sends Chagum out to play with some generic children so that she can sit and talk with Tanda, in the palace, Shuga spends his time sitting and talking with people, Prince Sagum included. Sadly, any hint of action has long since departed, with even the Eight Evil Men taking a short holiday in Ireland, leaving only bland dialogue as the plot gets stuck in a stagnant whirlpool. Did it all go wrong because I prematurely labelled the series a ‘hit’ on my Production IG review?

Here we see two entries in the beard competition- the long, thing version for stroking, and the overkill five-point Dumbledore deluxe.

Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica 2: As feared, Polyphonica is already starting to go downhill in this episode, in which the team investigates a house where a pervert spirit may be spying on the owner whenever she undresses. Although I am compelled to keep watching by virtue of the character designs, the series is already beginning to resemble Yoake in content, a clear indication that light entertainment is about to become dull fluff- especially as we already have a beach episode next time.

Victorian Romance Emma Second Act 7: Provoked by his unexpected yet brief reunion with Emma, William decides to break off the engagement with Eleanor, provoking rumours from all corners ever before the announcement is made official. More so than in the manga, I cannot help but feel sorry for poor Eleanor, hurt as much by William’s indecision and inconsistency as by the fact that her love for him will never truly be returned. Then again, that is what makes this series so good- the fact that it can make you care about the characters in this way.

MANGA

Gunslinger Girl 28-30: The sixth volume of Gunslinger Girl gets off to a flying start in this chapter, which delves into the back story of Jean and Giuseppe before heading off on a new arc about the second generation of cyborg children. Unlike Henrietta and her peers, this group will have lighter conditioning and a complete change of appearance, and it is left to prospective handler Alessandro to pick the girl who will become the prototype for this new generation. As I said in my review of volumes 1-5, the manga continues to show no signs of slowing down, and I simply cannot get enough of it.

Tsubasa Chronicle 156: Thanks to the brevity of each chapter, I have only the vaguest idea of what Tsubasa is trying to convey in the latest chapters, in which we learn about the back story of the ‘cursed twins’ Fye and Yuuhi as they endure abandonment in a cruel empire that blames them for its adverse circumstances. Did young Fye try to kill his brother (or vice versa)? Is the Fye we know now really his brother? I have to admit that I’m more than a little confused on these points.

Is it me, or is it the ‘first wave’ of most anticipated series that you plan to watch in any given season usually the ones that disappoint most, whilst the overlooked ones that hardly anyone blogs about end up being the hidden gems? In general, anyway, everyone knows these rules are made up to have exceptions.

Oh, and for anyone who’s ever wanted to press the big red button, here it is.

Reviewed this week: Cazador 8, Claymore 9, Darker than Black 7, Dennou Coil 1-2, Koutetsu 7, Nodame 18, SaiMono II 7-8, Seirei 7-8, Polyphonica 1, Emma II 5, Wellber 2-3

…and in manga: SaiMono vol 2 omake, Tsubasa 153-4, Yotsuba& 46

ANIME

El Cazador de la Bruja 8: El Cazador sinks further into the realms of the dull and unremarkable in this episode, in which LA is captured for some naked ‘re-education’, whilst Nadie and Ellis get embroiled in the issues of mafia member Sanchez in an unfriendly town. Does this involve tense shootouts and other excitement? If you’re even prepared to entertain that possibility, have you actually watched the series at all? If this was Noir, people might have actually died (albeit bloodlessly), but in El-Cazador world, the only deaths are so dull and inconsequential that they are less memorable than a villain getting covered in tomato juice.

Claymore 9: I’ve tried my best to give Claymore a chance, but the odd appeal that lured me in at the beginning has all but evaporated now, and returning to the present party of Clare and Raki does little to help the situation. Despite being the weakest of all the Claymores (all heroes have to work their way up), Clare manages to get promoted to a four woman team sent to deal with Awakened Beings (or as they publicly known, Voracious Eaters). Naturally her team mates are annoyed that such a low ranking Claymore is the main character, and that they will be forced to share the leftover screen time between them. I can’t help feeling that I’m chasing a point on the distant horizon when the series supposedly get better, only to find that like the end of a rainbow, I will never actually reach it.

“…a Zhuge Liang!”

Darker than Black 7: Although I was slightly worried about the prospect of a lighter-hearted arc, I should have known that Darker than Black would never steer me wrong. Although it switches focus to follow a middle-aged detective as he searches for a widow’s lost cat, not only is the series as absorbingly well presented as ever, but it keeps darker threads running in the background as Li/Hei and Mao pursue a Contractor with the ability to possess the bodies of others.

*NEW* Dennou Coil 1-2: When I hear that a series is like .hack, I have to be cautious- do they mean the intriguing mysteries of the original World, or the crushing boredom of r2? Even so, Dennou Coil seemed worth trying, and indeed it proved to be set in an intriguing city that blends the real and virtual worlds to such an extent that it is hard to see where one ends and the other begins. With the aid of special glasses, our leads can see into the virtual world, but when a cyberpet wanders into ‘obsolete space’ and becomes infected with a mysterious virus, it becomes clear that virtual reality isn’t all fun and games. With this fascinating start, this sadly overlooked series has immediately drawn me in- look past the bland character designs and something potentially excellent is bubbling just under the surface. I need more as soon as can be managed.

Koutetsu Sangokushi 7: There’s a slight feeling of just wishing the series would get on with it in this episode of Koutetsu, in which Gan Ning wanders around, Zhou Yu fails to think of any good strategies and Lu Xun is reunited with his beloved master, Zhuge Liang. The parody potential is still high, but after building momentum in the last few episodes the series has lost steam somewhat, although a potentially interesting Wei arc seems just around the corner (could it even be based on the battle of Chi Bi?).

Nodame Cantabile 18: Having been named the Rising Star Orchestra by Mine and his father, The Strongest Orchestra prepares to give its first public performance- with some rather high profile musicians in the audience. Unfortunately, this is a rather dull episode that doesn’t really bring much to the series- it may not offend, but it doesn’t entice either.

Saiunkoku Monogatari II 7-8: With the raws having dried up, I’ve turned to the Chinese subs in order to watch SaiMono, although when it comes to dialogue heavy (even by SaiMono standards) episodes like these, it’s the summaries and scripts from usagijen and the LJ community that give me any clue whatsoever as to what is going on. Anyway, these two episodes see Shuurei manipulate the merchants and the government officials (albeit with Ryuuki’s help for the latter) into providing the necessary assistance for curing the illness that has struck Sa Province- which is now treatable thanks to Ka Shin’s book. Although the long exchanges can be a bit tiring when you can’t follow them, there are also some nice character moments, from Reishin visiting a sleeping Shuurei only to jump out of the window when she wakes up, to the revelation that Yougetsu gave half of the life he granted Eigetsu to save Doushu.

Seirei no Moribito 7-8: With everyone now believing Balsa and Chagum to be dead, the pair are able to relax and take stock before moving into an old water mill which is set to serve as their new home. Despite the lack of action, seven still a worthy episode in which Chagum is exposed to the importance of money in the everyday life of the commoner, a familiar storyline which is made that much better by Chagum being a likeable character instead of a spoilt prince. Unfortunately, it is followed up by eight, a lengthy ‘sitting and talking’ episode in which the men of evil talk to a blacksmith whilst Balsa hides in the next room. Seirei has undoubtedly drawn me in so far, but the increasing realisation that the plot is incredibly thin (to the extent that I wouldn’t give much thought as to what was meant to happen next if it was cancelled tomorrow) and that a lot of the series is sitting and talking makes me wonder if it wouldn’t have been better as a shorter series or even a two hour movie.

Balsa is no stranger to watching BI.

*NEW* Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica 1: I hadn’t initially meant to pick this up, but after seeing some cat-filled and generally appealing screencaps, as well as learning that it was only twelve episodes long, it started to look more attractive. Set in a world where Dantists (players of ‘divine songs’ on such devices as a motorcycle that turns into a keyboard and drum kit) make contracts with magical spirits and direct them through music, Polyphonica has the quality character designs and harem overtones that speak of an eroge adaptation (if it is indeed such), but despite a lack of anything remarkable, it seems good for light entertainment. Of course, I’ve said that many times before prior to dropping a series on its fifth episode, but I have a good feeling about this one.

I like Corti’s character design so much that I’ve named my archer in Phantom Brave after her.

Victorian Romance Emma Second Act 5: Emma maintains its ‘can do no wrong’ status in this episode, which sees our eponymous heroine chosen to dress as a lady and accompany William’s mother to a party- which naturally happens to be a celebration of William’s engagement to Eleanor. This is a beautifully crafted section of the story which will surely tug at the heartstrings of any viewer, evoking sentiment without ever seeming overblown or cheesy.

Hans is mesmerised by a Zhuge Liang.

Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~ 2-3: Like Polyphonica, Wellber is turning out to be one of those series which doesn’t offer anything terribly ground-breaking or original, but which still manages to prove entertaining. Unlike the sheer boredom of El-Cazador’s endless journey through the desert, Wellber is much more enjoyable, despite the echoes of Pumpkin Scissors in the setting and talking tank.

MANGA

Saiunkoku Monogatari vol 2 sidestory: SaiMono takes an unexpected turn in this side story, which sees some of the male characters entering a cross dressing contest in order to win Shuurei the prize of 100 sacks of rice- it may sound insipid, but in SaiMono’s hands, it becomes entirely worthy and entertaining.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 153-4: After everyone makes the payment for the journey to Celes (said payment conveniently being the prize money from the chess tournament), Syaoran-real and his party are sent to the castle where Fye once lived- only to find Ashura and the tortured child/alterna!Fye/whatever it is waiting for them. The fact that we’re finally having a Celes arc seems to indicate that the series may be striving towards some sort of conclusion (however distant), but the current pace, story convolutions (since when could Syaoran-real use magic?) and confusing dialogue stretches all serve to make it less enjoyable.

Yotsuba& 46: It’s been a long two months without fresh Yotsuba, but a new chapter has finally reached us, and it’s plain that the series is far from running out of steam. In this episode, Yotsuba volunteers to go down to the convenience store by herself for the first time, resulting in the usual brand of hilarious results. With an upcoming trip to the farm and the possibility of Yotsuba attending school next academic year, there is so much more to be mined from the world of Yotsuba, and hopefully all of it will be pure gold.

Anything in red probably won’t be touched, blue will be watched for at least a few weeks, and black is indifferent/undecided. Edit: the blue got messed up when I pasted from Word so it may not be entirely correct.

• Keitai Shoujo: Five girls, one average 17 year old high school student, a mission to get a girlfriend…haven’t we been here before? It sounds like the most contrived harem ever.
• Doujin Work: It’s based on a 4-koma comedy about a girl who starts drawing doujins, so it could either be amusing in an Azumanga-esque way, or more likely, completely dull and random.
• Burst Angel OVA: I’d like to forget that I ever watched Burst Angel, but a small particle of curiosity suggests that I might like to watch this OVA. At least Meg isn’t exposing as much flesh this time, although her fashion sense is still questionable.
• Hitohira: A shy girl who gets so nervous that she can’t even speak gets recruited into the drama club- I get the feeling it’s going to be a painful procession of the main character messing up, angsting about it and occasionally getting it right when the plot allows. My ‘pain sense’ indicates that this will be about as enjoyable as a Tsuyokiss and Gokujou Seitokai marathon.
• Murder Princess: It’s a Bee Train OVA, and I should know better by now, but it won’t be the first time I’ve watched something just because I liked the promo artwork. Apparently a bounty hunter ends up in the body of a princess and takes over her role, which probably means the whole thing is just stills of her sitting in the castle.
• Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann: It has mecha, cheerfully generic looking characters, and since it’s from Gainax, there’ll probably be some blatant advertising references to Evangelion as well. I may watch the first episode out of curiosity, but I don’t see my relationship with this show being a lengthy one.
• Hayate the Combat Butler: A boy gets sold to the yakuza, and then becomes a butler; I can’t say it interests me in itself, but when a title gets mentioned a lot prior to its release I tend to end up checking it out just to see what all the fuss is about.
• Gegege no Kitaro: A remake/continuation of a series that started 14 years before I was born…I don’t think I’ll bother.
• Seto no Hanayome: Man is forced to marry mermaid, his family tries to break up the relationship whilst remaining unaware that she even is a mermaid…even if they aren’t really alike, I can’t help thinking of Urusei Yatsura, and even that vague hint of similarity is enough to keep me away.
• Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS: The lolis are all grown up, but they’re back for another 26 episodes- if it’s anything like its predecessors or that dull manga that came out a while back, the story won’t be much to write home about, but somehow when the animation is this good, I don’t mind.
• Heroic Age: An age of heroes that look an awful lot like every other hero designed by Hisashi Hirai, with Eiji “KirAthruShinn” as the Destined Lead. It just sounds too generic too be worthy.
• Touka Gettan: It seems to be a spin-off of an adult OVA from 2001, and that’s about all I know. The artwork looks nice, though.
• El Cazador: It’s Bee Train’s latest girls with guns series, and even after getting burned with Madlax and to a lesser extent Avenger (not to mention the general dullness of Tsubasa season 2 and .hack//Roots), I know I’m going to end up watching it.
• Idol Master Xenoglossia: Take one game in which you turn one of ten girls into an idol, and change the story so that they are now mecha pilots. The fact that it’s produced by Sunrise makes me wary that it’s going to be another Otome/Destiny/Code Geass but I quite like the character designs, and may just be persuaded to watch the first episode.
• Saint Beast – Kouin Jojishi Tenshi Tan: When I first saw all the bishies I thought it was going to be something like Angelique, but it actually looks to be a prequel to a series about good angels fighting evil angels who escaped their seal. I’m guessing it will be all bishies and not much substance.
• Wellber no Monogatari- Sisters of Wellber: A princess stabs her groom in protest at an arranged marriage and goes off to have HARD YURI with her bodyguard. Just reading the synopsis of this made me fall asleep, so I don’t anticipate it being anything special.
• Ohedo Rocket: I’m not entirely sure, but this seems to be about fireworks makers in the Edo era; perhaps it should be applauded for originality, but the character designs look fairly childish and it generally lacks appeal.
• Sakura Taisen- New York: I know it isn’t great, but I have a certain fondness for what I’ve seen of the Sakura Taisen franchise, so I may as well give this OVA a go.
• Kiss Dum- Engage Planet: A destined hero fights against invading aliens and a female scientist finds a mysterious book- it’s like a cut and paste of ideas we’ve seen many times before. Even the character designs seem generic.
• Shining Tears X: I already said that no good can come of RPG adaptations, and apparently Shining Tears has been called the “worst RPG ever”. I must try to resist the lure of those character designs.
• Claymore: Last year I read a review of Claymore, and I have to admit it didn’t sound great- if it’s just going to be girls with swords having HARD YURI I’m not too interested, but if it turns out to be female Berserk, maybe it will be worthy.
• Kono Aozora ni Yakusoku wo: By the looks of it, this eroge adaptation is the season’s answer to YoakeNa, although hopefully not quite as awful as that. Still, I’ve learned my lesson about this kind of light entertainment (for the time being, anyway).
• Shinkyouku Soukai Polyphonica: Based on the title, I thought this was going to be about collecting polyphonic ringtones (gotta download ‘em all) but it actually seems to be a love story set in a world where fairies live on music. I may have to watch the beginning out of curiosity, but it sounds a little too sickly sweet for me.
• OverDrive: All I know is that it’s a sports anime and the lead looks like Kazuki from Busou Renkin, but since I’ve never been a fan of straight-up sports anime, I won’t be starting on this one.
• Romeo X Juliet: It may look like Romeo x Firiel from Good Witch on the promo image, but sheer curiosity drives me to try this anime adaptation of the one Shakespeare play everyone knows inside out. I have to admit that my expectations are not particularly high, however.
• Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula: Not, as you might imagine, one of New Wang’s signature products, but a series in which teenagers pilot giant robots in a post apocalyptic world in order to establish a new world order. Couldn’t they have found a less clichéd way to do it- even having chickens pecking each other would be more exciting.
• Kotetsushin Jeeg: This appears to be a spin-off of a retro robo series from 1975- shouldn’t the franchise have long been laid to rest by now?
• Nagasarete Airantou: A boy gets stranded on a tropical island with only girls- could this be the ultimate evolution of the harem genre? The character designs alone give an indication of just how many times we’ve seen this set of characters before, and there’s no real need to see them again.
• Koutetsu Sangokushi: I’m almost finished with ROTK, so maybe this should be my next stop for Three Kingdoms related material…only apart from the fact that it has Liu Bei et al in it (dammit ANN, give their Chinese names, I can’t work with the Japanese ones), I have no clue what it’s about.
• Kamichama Karin: I never did get around to reading the manga, but I have the feeling it may be almost unbearably sugary for my tastes- however the character designs look nice, and the cat may be a descendant of Mikoto. Since I periodically have to satisfy odd cravings for this kind of magical girl/romance series, I may have to give it a try.
• Darker than Black – Kuro no Keiyakusha: Hell’s Gate appears, and people gain evil powers- hopefully in the hands of Studio Bones this can be turned into something compelling instead of laughably brooding and angsty.
• Saiunkoku Monogatari series 2:Yes, this has already started airing, and yes, I haven’t even finished the first season yet, but more SaiMono can only be a good thing. If one of my favourites from 2006 can continue for even longer, all the better.
• Lovely Complex: Tall girl and short guy- are just good friends or will they develop into something more? Since I recently got my fix of generic shoujo with Tenshi Nanka Janai, I don’t think I really need to bother with this since it just looks like something along the same lines.
• Furusato Japan: A movie set in a Tokyo elementary school in 1956; I can’t say I’ll ever get round to watching it but it sounds like it might be quite charming in a Whisper of the Heart sort of way.
• Seirei no Moribito: A prince is chosen to guard a magical egg, an older woman becomes his bodyguard to protect him- nothing about the story really screams “watch me” so I’ll probably just let it fade into obscurity.
• Terra E…: A remake of an 1980 series that was itself based on a classic manga, this is classic sci-fi as we all know and love it (or not, as the case may be), complete with powerful computer systems and psychic children. The character designs are a little simplistic for my tastes, but the sci-fi fan in me wants to watch this anyway.
• Blue Dragon: Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe this is a game adaptation with character designs by Akira Toriyama- whatever the case, it looks a little too childish for my tastes.
• Kaze no Shoujo Emily: A novel based series about a typical free-spirited girl who ends up living with her strict aunt- why do I get the feeling it’s going to be as painfully predictable as the anime version of Les Miserables?
• Kiddy Grade Ignition: And so the Kiddy Grade movies begin…character designs aside, I didn’t have much in the way of good things to say about the series, so I’ll probably let this one slip by.
• Eikoku Koi Monogatari Emma- Molders Hen: Also known as Victorian Romance Emma Season Two, this is something I’ve been looking forward to ever since I first heard about it. Emma is an excellent series, and provided second season syndrome doesn’t strike, this should be the continuation we’ve all been waiting for.
• sola: Apparently it’s about a boy who likes the sky- and that’s all I know. The character designs seem to have been ripped off from several other series but that in itself is an invitation to watch, for with its undefined plot and Engrish title, it surely has to be laughably bad if nothing else.
• Bokurano: In manga form, Bokurano is one of my favourites, and so I was overjoyed when I heard it was getting an anime- right up until I learned that Gonzo were in charge. I’m fervently praying that they don’t mess up this adaptation, although with the manga still unfinished I can see it diverging at some point anyway.
• Lucky Star: Another 4-koma based series, seemingly based on the little things that make up our day to day lives. Here’s hoping for the next Azumanga.
• Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Here it is, the show we’ve all been waiting for- Bakugan Battle Brawlers! Join generic shounen hero and his friends as they persuade you to buy cheap plastic toys by battling with them! Yes, it’s the spiritual successor to Beyblade and B-Daman, yet a part of me wants to watch and have a good laugh at how hilariously bad it will inevitably turn out to be.
• Kaibutsu Oujo: A demon princess resurrects the main character and the resulting bond means he has to fight monsters on her behalf- I’m not entirely convinced this can bring us anything we haven’t seen before but I may try it out if early impressions are favourable.
• Kaze no Stigma: Could this be the next Shana? Is that even a good thing? The character designs look quite appealing but I sense a generic story lurking behind them.
• Ookiku Furikabutte: Another sports series, this one about a baseball team. I think I can live quite happily without ever touching it.
• Kino no Tabi the Beautiful World Country of Illness -For You: It’s been a while, but at last we’re getting another Kino movie. I’m wholeheartedly looking forward to it.
• Shakugan no Shana Movie: Perhaps this movie will help impart some point to the Balle Masque organisation, but even if it’s just “heroes band together to fight powerful but previously unmentioned evil”, I’ll probably watch it just for the sake of completeness.
• AIKa R-16- Virgin Mission: An OVA about a female salvager, some high school girls…and a pair of large breasts. It looks a lot like the ocean-based version of Stratos 4 (sans fat cat), and so it can probably be passed over without loss.
• Skullman: “Skullman, Skullman, does whatever a Skull can…” Self-indulgence aside, I can’t help but laugh every time I see a picture of Skullman, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to see this, or hoping that it will turn out to be worthy.