Tohru and Noboru Takagami may look like normal boys living with their father and trying to make ends meet, but as heirs to the mystical Mizuchi family, supernatural events are never far away. Fortunately, the boys have the protection of Tenko Kuugen (aka “Kuu-chan”), a capricious and powerful fox spirit who can’t even remember what gender s/he originally was. But whilst Kuu-chan is greedy, whimsical and a right pain in the backside at times, she isn’t someone you want to cross- as everyone who gets in her way soon discovers.

Wolfgirls, catgirls, foxgirls- add them to a series and all of a sudden it becomes that much more appealing. So it was that in the wake of the enjoyable Spice and Wolf I realised I needed to get my fix somewhere else- and at the time, it seemed that Wagaya no Oinari-sama would fit the bill. Appealing character designs, a fox who doesn’t remember its own gender, and a basis in the kind of light supernatural storytelling that usually makes for entertaining viewing- really, where could it all go wrong?

Unfortunately, despite its undeniable superficial appeal, under the surface, Wagaya no Oinari-sama was rather disappointing. Even when a story arc didn’t outstay its welcome by dragging on several episodes after everything seemed to have been resolved, it was never more than average, combining forgettable adversaries with a distinct lack of originality. Oh no, another minor demon is trying to assault Tohru! Whatever shall we do? I know, let’s mix things up with yet another hotsprings episode! With just a little more effort, it all could have been thoroughly entertaining, but as it stood, story-wise, the series was just another bland face in a generic crowd.

What saves Wagaya no Oinari-sama from complete mediocrity, however, is the fact that it does have some good characters to its name. Yes, there is the usual selection of shallow and barely memorable personalities, but fortunately a few names stand out from the crowd. Kuu-chan, of course, lives up to expectations with her bold and fearless manner, whilst other standouts include predictably stoic but still oddly appealing family guardian Kou, and Noboru’s classmate Sakura, whose inner monologues as she schemes to eliminate the competition and become his boyfriend are always highly entertaining. It’s just a shame that some characters, such as silver fox Gyokoyou, are introduced too late in the series to have anything more than an irritatingly rushed development.

Visually, Wagaya no Oinari-sama isn’t operating on the highest budget, but fortunately the character designs are so well drawn that they are pleasing on the eye even when the animation as a whole isn’t as polished as it could be. Background music is ultimately forgettable, but it does serve its purpose well enough.

Final Thoughts

Fox girls are always fun, but beneath the eye candy and a few memorable characters, Wagaya no Oinari-sama turned out to be disappointingly average. Ultimately, it’s one of those series that you value because of the hopes and expectations you had for it, even if it ultimately didn’t live up to them.

Tier: Bronze+

How embarrassing for him.

Real life keeps interfering with catch-up! How dare it?

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 16, Amuri in Star Ocean 2, Chocolate Underground 8, Detroit Metal City 4, Gunslinger Girl –Il Teatrino 9, Itazura na Kiss 22-3, Koihime Musou 10, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 19, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 10, Ryoko’s Case File 10, Slayers Revolution 10-11, Soul Eater 23, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 18, World Destruction 11

…and in manga: Doujin Work 23-5, FMA 87

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- cuteness overload
2. Hidamari Sketch x365 (2) – 365 times the fun
3. Soul Eater (3) – Krona
4. Xam’d- Lost Memories (4) – Humanform
5. Natsume Yuujinchou (5) – can a fat cat get too fat?
6. Detroit Metal City (6) – I’m gonna f***ing raep you!
7. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (7) – pure white oni
8. Nabari no Ou (8) – tranquil aid to meditation
9. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (9) – cliché
10. Slayers Revolution (10) – Dragon Slave
11. Koihime Musou (11) – Sun Shang Xiang
12. Antique Bakery (12) – father
13. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (13) – Fantastic Voyage
14. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (14) – magic can’t do everything
15. Ryoko’s Case File (15) – attack of the killer mangrove
16. Itazura na Kiss (16) – dislikeable cast
17. World Destruction (17) – some stuff happened

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Tetsuko no Tabi (1)- is this ever going to be subbed?
2. Love GetChu! (2)- voice acting isn’t easy
3. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (3)- Claes
4. Sisters of Wellber Zwei (4) – love triangle
5. Himawari!! (5) – needs less plot
6. Real Drive (6) – demoted to slow
7. Himitsu (7) – demoted to slow
8. Allison and Lillia (8) – seaplane
9. Chocolate Underground (-) – demoted to slow

Allison and Lillia 16: It’s been so long since we’ve had an episode of Allison and Lillia that I feared I’d forget the plot, but I’m not sure what I was worried about- not only is the plot completely nonsensical, but it all came flooding back within moments. Having survived the events of last episode by leaving several generics stranded, Lillia and Treize immediately board another plane whilst Wil Travas watches from afar and does very little to stop them. For some reason, this seaplane filled with orphans is a target for attackers who want to shoot it down (why? Are the orphans drug mules?), and when the cabin crew randomly decide to bail out, Lillia and Treize are left to pilot it. It doesn’t make any sense to me, but I love making fun of it, and reading blog posts like this.

Amuri in Star Ocean 2: Even though it hasn’t really improved in any discernible way, for some reason I enjoyed the second episode of this OVA a lot more. Now that Amuri can use her special powers, she is able to fend off the standard weaponry, but when an artificial life form made from her cells nullifies her ability, it falls to Suzu to find the courage to fight back. Meanwhile, Perrier (who will presumably be spotlighted in the third episode) must struggle with her own fears and the spectre of her sister.

Chocolate Underground 8: Thanks to last episode’s tip-off, the Chocolate Police raid Smudger and Huntly’s Chocolate Underground, but happily for all concerned, a special double basement layout allows them to pass themselves off as an innocent study group. Of course, the preview then reveals that in episode nine they will get discovered anyway, so apart from showing us some tasty chocolate, there’s not much here to recommend the series.

Detroit Metal City 4: DMC have been asked to do an interview with Tetrapod Melon Tea, putting Negishi in a dilemma when he learns that not only is TMT the kind of band he’d rather be in, but that it’s run by an underclassman who looks up to him. Unfortunately, in his Krauser persona, he can’t help but be rude and obnoxious- a joke that by all rights should be overplayed by now but somehow still works.

Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino 9: After a long drought, Il Teatrino seems to be arriving in a steady flow, with this episode proving to be one of the better entries in the series. Whilst Henrietta and Jose/Giuse/Giuseppe each contemplate their relationship with the other, Jose and Jean’s past and their deceased sister and other striking scenes such as Rico torturing a prisoner. Yes, we’ve seen it in the manga, but this is probably the best adaptation of the original material we’ve seen so far, and proof that very little effort is needed to make Gunslinger Girl good. What a shame Artland took nine episodes to realise this.

“Yes, but it’s more fun with two.”

Itazura na Kiss 22-3: Naoki seems to have become more human over the last couple of episodes, but it’s not really an endorsement of the series, given that everyone else is pretty unlikable. First up, we have an instalment in which Kotoko gets her first ever birthday gift from Naoki in the form of a night out- although of course everything goes wrong on the way there, causing her to be two hours later. With that episode ending with the revelation that Kotoko is pregnant, the next one sees her friends winding her up about Naoki being unfaithful, causing a wave of paranoia when she sees him hanging around with a young nurse. Meanwhile, domestic violence makes a return when Sudou decides that the only way to deal with Yuuko wanting to work through her illness is to give her a slap in the face- and she promptly softens towards him. To quote The Simpsons- “so it’s true- some cartoons do encourage violence”, not so much because of the hitting, but because of how angry and annoyed it makes me feel.

Koihime Musou 10: It’s Wu’s time to shine as Guan Yu and her party visit the court of Sun Ce- but after an attempt on the life of Wu’s ruler, our heroines are thrown under suspicion. The plot may be average (with the surprising revelation that Zhang Zhao is the one named Three Kingdoms character who is actually a man), but a visit to my favourite kingdom (now populated by beautiful women) is worth the price of admission.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 19: It’s time for the inevitable trip to the hotsprings this episode, and whilst the family get down to some serious R&R, they are unaware that they are being watched by Klutz Devil, a demon who is here to collect the soul of someone who is destined to die. Although there are some amusing moments, most of this episode passed under my radar- it was refreshingly free of uber-craziness, but at the same time there was no real hook that made me want to pay attention.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 10: When we saw Yuuto and Shiina in a compromising position on the floor last episode, we knew that there would be a completely innocent explanation, and indeed there was (a blackboard magically detached from the wall and fell on the floor, as often happens in day to day life). Nonetheless, Haruka has to go off and angst for the duration of the festival, until everything pans out and resolves itself. Despite the generally underwhelming nature of the episode, I’m happy to see that Yuuto and Haruka’s relationship is developing properly instead of just being left in limbo- but whatever happened to the school who hated otaku and didn’t want Yuuto going anywhere near Haruka?

Ryoko’s Case File 10: The appearance of Ryoko’s young lookalike last episode seemed set to propel the series into a more interesting storyline than anything we had seen thus far, but ultimately the mystery of young “Monami” (named so because Jun’ichiro has no grasp of what “mon ami” means in French- although why they were referring to a girl in the masculine sense escapes me) is not solved here. Instead, this is a rather slow-paced episode in which very little happens right up until the end; I don’t want to see Monami bonding with Jun’ichiro, I want to know who and what she is! Hopefully episode 11 will deliver the goods.

Slayers Revolution 10-11: The battle continues as Lina and Gourry fight Zuuma and Gioconda, whilst Pocota and Duclis indulge in some more Flashback Mode. The battle brings us some good, nostalgic stuff with Ragna Blade and the Sword of Light making an appearance, all the while setting the stage for the next boss battle. Although Lina doesn’t seem as invincible as she once did, this was one of the more action-packed episodes of the series.

Episode 11 opens with an attack on new boss monster Zanaffar, but in typical fashion he withdraws from battle after a few turns to go and wreak havoc on generic towns whilst the heroes decide how to defeat him. There was a definite feeling of Dragonball Z in this episode, what with people flying around, energy blasts that did nothing and a boss that’s going to take several episodes to defeat- why did I never notice the connection before?

“We meet again, Obi-Wan.”

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 7: After a slew of hard-to-please clients, Kuroda is beginning to think that maybe enough is enough- magic just isn’t as satisfying or enjoyable as he’d like. Of course, this is the cue for his friends to rally round and encourage him, but all the while I could barely care about an episode devoted to largely uninteresting supporting characters. This series isn’t really going anywhere, and worse yet, it doesn’t even do going nowhere well the way the first two seasons of Aria did.

Soul Eater 23: Whilst Stein and Medusa’s battle draws to a close (complete with bursts of action amidst lengthy discussion scenes), it falls to Kid to hold off the wolf guy whilst Black Star and Tsubaki stop frog witch from injecting the hideous Demon God skin sack with black blood. Of course, we’d feel cheated if the arc ended that easily, so the events of this episode lead into the next, with a rather disturbing final scene.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 18: Byakki has adopted Tohru as her ‘parent’, but he status as a life-force drainer and generally wanted commodity puts anyone with her in danger. The only solution seems to be to have her sealed away, which leads to a rather anticlimactic end to this arc in which our heroes sit around doing very little. There’s also the revelation that Kuu-chan and the silver fox are siblings, which seemed a bit of a lazy way to connect the only two foxes in the series.

World Destruction 11: With our heroes having gone to the lands of Spring, Summer and Autumn, the only place left is the obligatory Winter land, a place of those RPG staples of dragons and ice. Naturally, Lia becomes fearful for her homeland and pursues them with renewed vigor, but Evil Doctor and his robots are also on the scene, keen to pick up the Destruct Code in the ensuing chaos. The one thing that can be said about this episode is that at least it seems to be setting up a final boss, but other than that it’s as underwhelming as ever.

MANGA

Doujin Work 23-5: As we saw in the anime, the time has come for Najimi and Nidou to compete once again, and whilst Nidou becomes inspired by her mistaken belief that Hoshi is HARD GAY for Justice, both sides are eager to improve their drawing skills with the aid of their friends- no matter what it takes.

Fullmetal Alchemist 87: Whilst Father continues to sit in a chair and plot, the fight with Pride and Gluttony continues- and the moment the lights come back on, Pride can use his shadow travelling powers once more. Meanwhile, having discovered the truth about Selim Bradley, Mustang makes his move, but will any of our heroes be able to stand against the Homunculi? With some interesting plot developments and a good amount of action, this chapter doesn’t fail to disappoint, whetting the appetite for more.

“…and you brought me the Dragonballs too!“

Reviewed this week: Antique Bakery 6, Chocolate Underground 6, Itazura na Kiss 20, Koihime Musou 6-7, Natsume Yuujinchou 8, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 7, Ryoko’s Case File 7, Slayers Revolution 7, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 6, Soul Eater 20, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 9, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 16-17, World Destruction 7, Xam’d 6-7

…and in manga: None this week!

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- cuteness overload
2. Hidamari Sketch x365 (3) – 365 times the fun
3. Soul Eater (4) – Krona
4. Natsume Yuujinchou (6) – Nyanko-sensei forever!
5. Xam’d- Lost Memories (5) – Humanform
6. Detroit Metal City (12) – I’m gonna f***ing raep you!
7. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (7) – pure white oni
8. Nabari no Ou (8) – tranquil aid to meditation
9. Slayers Revolution (9) – Dragon Slave
10. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (10) – ridiculous
11. Koihime Musou (13) – Xu Chu
12. Antique Bakery (14) – domestic violence
13. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (15) – everything at or below this line is wasting my precious life!
14. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (16) – magic can’t do everything
15. Real Drive (18) – flashback
16. Himitsu (20) – faceless
17. Allison and Lillia (22) – plane crash is the new train wreck
18. Ryoko’s Case File (17) – attack of the killer mangrove
19. Itazura na Kiss (25) – dislikeable cast
20. World Destruction (19) – some stuff happened
21. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (23) – and I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids!
22. Chocolate Underground (26) – chocolate is forbidden

Antique Bakery 6: Ono’s Parisian HARD GAY master has arrived, but when the stereotypically named Jean Baptiste isn’t professing his love for Ono, he’s beating him up. The HARD GAY levels hardly needed any increasing, but somehow the series has managed it; however, the most disturbing aspect is Jean’s outbursts of violence, especially the way Ono accepts them- it’s a somewhat uncomfortable portrayal of domestic violence that feels out of place in a series like this.

Chocolate Underground 6: When the Chocolate Police take away fellow classmate Dave, Smudger and “that other guy” realise what a ridiculously oppressive regime they live in- but don’t worry, they’ll take their own sweet time in doing anything about. Given that this new healthy government makes China look like a particularly liberal democracy, it’s somewhat hard to even rate this series on the outside realms of believability.

Itazura na Kiss 20: Stupidity and strangely cold relationships continue to abound in Itazura na Kiss, starting with the nurses’ capping ceremony for Kotoko, with Irie acting his usual cold self until he turns up after the event acting like a normal human being for once (an event so rare that Kotoko is reduced to tears). After another bout of Trap wishing he was a woman and Naoki reading yet another newspaper, we suddenly jump ahead four years to a world where Kotoko is a qualified yet annoyingly incompetent nurse who still refers to her husband by his last name. In an attempt to enliven the proceedings, TV star Nobuhiro shows up at the hospital and greets Kotoko as a friend- but who is he? I’m assuming he’s that little boy who was in the hospital with Yuki, but to be honest I don’t care all that much.

Koihime Musou 6-7: There’s no reason why I couldn’t have watched episode 6 last week- except that I completely forgot I even had it. Anyway, this episodes sees Zhao Yun get lost in fog, whilst our other two heroines meets a loli version of Zhuge Liang, who is so cute and underaged that Rin Rin (aka Zhang Fei) begins to fear her position in the show will be jeopardised. Fortunately, there’s room for both a bookish loli and a strong loli, but a disgruntled Rin Rin runs off and enters an eating competition, only to team up with Ma Chao and Xu Chu for an episode. What follows is largely forgettable, although fortunately the ecchi content has been toned down for the moment, whilst the introduction of new Three Kingdoms girls is a welcome bonus.

This seems to be an early version of the She-Wee seen on Dragons’ Den.

Natsume Yuujinchou 8: Natsume once again gets involved in the lives of the otherworldly when he meets a female spirit who cares for a man who can no longer perceive her. As well as showing Natsume that there may come a time when he will no longer be able to see spirits (typically causing him to reflect that much as it can be trouble, his ability is an important part of who he is), this is a nice little bittersweet love story that is enjoyable without demanding too much from the viewer. Aside from the greatness of Nyanko-sensei, the draw for all these one-off tales is watching our lead grow, mature and reach out to others instead of remaining isolated and alone.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 7: At the end of last episode, it was plain that Haruka’s father had just found out about his daughter’s secret, and indeed, that was carried through here as he sends elite units to try to track her down. Unfortunately, what this meant was that the little ground the series had gained with me was quickly eroded, as anime-style overblown ridiculousness took hold. I always knew that this moment was coming, and sadly, it was as tiresome as I predicted, causing a wave of tiredness to overcome me that ensured I went to bed as soon as the episode was over (okay, it may not have been watching the episode that caused the exhaustion, but it certainly didn’t help with my efforts to stay awake).

Ryoko’s Case File 7: There was a time when I thought giant lizards and explosive cookery were deep in the realms of the absurd, but that was before I watched episode seven of Ryoko’s Case File. In a move as ridiculous as anything the Indiana Jones writers might come up with, this episode features a giant mangrove as its main protagonist, a fearsome plant capable of attacking with its seeds, spreading rapidly and even controlling generic security guards. I’m not sure whether to take this as an affront to my intelligence or laugh at the B-movie nature of each plot. I’m almost looking forward to the stupidity of the next episode.

Slayers Revolution 7: Our heroes are taking a boat ride to their next destination, but unfortunately, someone seems to be after them. What follows is the typical Slayers craziness: 2008 style- mildly entertaining but not really memorable. This season isn’t particularly bad, but was it really necessary in the first place?

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 6: Before this season, I never thought that anything with the Someday’s Dreamers name could be unworthy, but how wrong I was. In another turn of creepiness, this time around Sora and her friends meet a little girl who wants a baby because they’re fun to play with (get a doll! A pet! Anything!). What follows is little more than Sora and co chasing after this girl until they finally track her down, and once again one can’t help feeling that they should leave well enough alone- stop interfering in other people’s lives! We don’t care, so why should you?

Soul Eater 20: When it’s time for battle in a shounen series, you can be sure of one thing- blows will be traded in between lengthy dialogue exchanges. Thus proceed Maka’s battle against Krona, who is revealed to have the typical troubled past as Medusa’s tortured and abused child. Maka’s only chance of defeating the insane product of bad mothering is to use the power of the black blood that lurks within Soul, but is dipping a toe into the sea of insanity really a good idea? Only main character power and narrative convention can save her now.

One day dancing in anime will be properly animated!

Telepathy Shoujo Ran 9: I probably should drop this show, but for some reason I’ve kept struggling on, reaching an episode where Ran’s plan for a picnic date with Rui is ruined by Midori tagging along. What follows next is a pathetically syrupy story of reuniting two spirits who were once lovers- really, who cares anymore? The only high point was a cameo from Ran’s two cats, easily my favourite characters.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 16-17: The Byakki storyline continues to rumble on in this duet of episodes, in which the pure white oni sucks the vitality out of her fellows and returns to Tohru, who has been imprinted as a parent figure. Meanwhile, the other characters generally run around in deference to the gravity of the situation, resulting in a mildly entertaining but not particularly outstanding duet of episodes.

World Destruction 7: A group of even less memorable characters has starting going around impersonating the World Destruction Committee- all for the sake of a free meal. This, in its entirety, is the plot of the entire episode, with the addition of an ‘important’ point about Morte’s skirt being about to rip. If I didn’t know the depths Disgaea had plumbed, I would ask if anime has ever reached these depths before.

Xam’d- Lost Memories 6-7: After all the dross that collected on my viewing list, it was nice to have something decent for a change, in the form of two episodes of Xam’d (or whatever we’re calling it at the moment). On Sentan Island, Furuichi and Haru begin their training, only to find themselves confronted by a test-type Xam’d gone out of control- hardly a good start to their new careers. Meanwhile, Akiyuki takes a trip with Nakiami before deciding to keep a meeting with Haru- but out in the real world, more Humanforms await. From a strong start, Xam’d has continued to build on its success- I could watch 51 episodes of this and still remain satisfied (although I hear it’s only going to be a modest 26).

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.

Thanks, I’ll take two.

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 13, Antique Bakery 2, Blade of the Immortal 1, Hidamari Sketch x365 2, Itazura na Kiss 14, Koihime Musou 2, Natsume Yuujinchou 2, Persona 13-17, Ryoko’s Case File 1, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 2, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 4, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 12-13

…and in manga: Ayu and Mayu 1, Bartender 4-6, Claymore 81, Elfen Lied 86-8, Gunslinger Girl 51-6, Minami-ke 32-3, Nodame Cantabile 120, Sketchbook 8-12, Tsubasa Chronicle 193

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. xxxHOLiC Kei (6) – typhoid Himawari
6. Natsume Yuujinchou (5) – Book of Friends
7. Nabari no Ou (7) – change of side
8. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (8) – hot springs
9. Slayers Revolution (10) – Dragon Slave
10. Persona Trinity Soul (9) – catch-up, start!
11. Koihime Musou (11) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard
12. World Destruction (12) – cats
13. Real Drive (13) – chat program
14. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (15) – slooowww start
15. Ryoko’s Case File (-) – superintendant <-new!
16. Amatsuki (14) – Kuchiha
17. Antique Bakery (16) – super gay demon
18. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (17) – predictable
19. Himitsu (18) – faceless
20. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (-) – secret otaku
21. Blade of the Immortal (-) – immortal worms <- new!
22. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (19) – kyouran kaizoku
23. Itazura na Kiss (20) – dislikeable cast
24. Allison and Lillia (21) – Travas-ty (sorry, Hanners)
25. Chocolate Underground (22) – chocolate is forbidden

Allison and Lillia 13: Maybe I’m just getting old, but between this and Itazura na Kiss, romance and its recent depiction in anime has really angried up the blood. Hardly the bastion of worth at the best of times, the final episode of the Allison arc rejoins our protagonists now that they are living together- although aside from the wedding rings you’d be hard-pressed to realise they actually had a relationship. Still, Allison and Wil seem happy enough, until Major Stork (or whatever his name is this week) decides that Wil should join his intelligence agency, which will necessitate leaving Allison and changing his very identity. What’s a guy to do when a suspicious mass murderer with lax parenting values tells you to leave the love of your life? Apparently, you should go along with it- and worse yet, Allison supports Wil’s decision, even failing to tell him that she’s just found out she’s pregnant.

So, after saying “I love you” for the first time as he leaves on the train, we flash forward fifteen years, where Allison is now living with her daughter Lillia, and going out with one Major Travas- who happens to be Wil with different coloured hair. So, if he could be Allison’s boyfriend, why did he have to leave forever? Why couldn’t he have just said no and got an academic job at the university or something? It took Allison long enough to get Wil to go out with her, so why did he have to be taken away? Or was such an emotionally stunted man even worth it in the first place?

Antique Bakery 2: The strawberries of doom seem to have taken a backseat this week as former boxer Eiji joins the Antique team- but despite being hired as a receptionist, his love of cake sees him train under HARD GAY chef. Although not quite as parody-worthy as the opening instalment, there’s still potential amidst the banter, not to mention a scene in which our protagonists pipe cream into holes in choux pastry.

*NEW* Blade of the Immortal 1: Giving an action series to Bee Train is like asking a three-year-old to paint the Mona Lisa- you just know that what you’re going to end up with will be a mess that bears very little resemblance to what you asked for. Anyway, in this series we meet a man who has worms inside him that grant immortality (no guffawing, please), but due to his past as a killer, practically everyone is after him- forcing him to kill again and again. Unfortunately, since straightforward action might strain the animation team at Bee Train, everything has to take place either off screen between still shots, or in a darkened room so that a minimum of detail needs to be shown. It’s not terribly interesting, but the series is short enough that it shouldn’t become another El Cazador de la Roots.

Hidamari Sketch x365 2: After last episode’s prequel to season one, we jump ahead to the end of the school year, with Sae’s sister Chika taking entrance exams and everyone else reflecting on how much has happened since they first came to the Hidamari Apartments. It’s another worthy dose of slice-of-life, although I wonder whether we’ll be jumping back to familiar old territory next episode or seeing everyone moving up to the next school year.

Itazura na Kiss 14: And now to the second romance fiasco of the week- the legendary wedding episode of Itazura na Kiss, in which all the development that didn’t happen in the first half of the series is crammed into one episode. Despite having been a complete bastard who treated her like dirt for half a series, Naoki can’t bear the thought of Kotoko marrying Kin-chan (and who could, really), and so he takes it upon himself to propose to her- because despite a large body of evidence to the contrary, he actually does have feelings for her. I assume I’m supposed to sigh and say ‘how romantic’, but come on- shouldn’t they at least go out for a while before getting engaged?

As if that wasn’t enough, however, Naoki’s mother decides it’s too dangerous for them not to get hitched straightaway, and even though a wedding costs about £20-30,000 on average, it somehow all gets arranged within the space of a week. Unreality aside, what happened to “marry in haste, repent at leisure”? Shouldn’t people get married because they want to, rather than because their mother forced them into it before they changed their mind? How can we enjoy such a poorly paced relationship? Isn’t Naoki just a bastard no matter how you look at it?

Oh, for goodness sake- get over yourself.

Koihime Musou 2: The great thing about Koihime Musou is that even though nothing momentous is ever going to happen, I love the Three Kingdoms and the character designs, I can have a fun time spotting them. This week, our heroines link up with the slightly HARD YURI Zhao Yun and Gongsun Zan in order to bust yet another den of generic looking bandits. I get the feeling that this will be the pattern for the series, but if we get to see all the Three Kingdoms favourites as beautiful women, who cares?

Natsume Yuujinchou 2: The returning of contracts is going well enough until a tiny shrine gods shows up to ask for his back, only for Natsume to realise it is stuck to another page in the Book of Friends. Since ripping the pages apart would be damaging to the spirits named within, Natsume and Nyanko-sensei must instead track down the other spirit so that they can both be released at the same time. There’s still a feeling of ‘why does it have to be this way?’ about the whole series, since it seems there must be easier ways for Natsume and Nyanko-sensei to achieve their goals, but the episode is nonetheless a solid one that builds to a decent conclusion- and let’s face it, Nyanko-sensei in cat form is worth the price of admission any day.

*NEW* Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 1: Although it sounds a lot like Kare Kano, I was immediately drawn to the idea of a ‘perfect girl’ who is a secret otaku- is it something I can identify with (well, apart from the fact that I’m far from perfect and my love of anime isn’t a secret)? Unfortunately, this episode isn’t really as exciting as I hoped, featuring a male lead who cooks for his two slobbish female flatmates for some reason, and naturally ends up discovering the perfect Nogizaka Haruka’s secret. His first job as her ‘accomplice’ is to return a manga magazine to the library after hours- hardly a terribly interesting start.

Persona Trinity Soul 13-17: During the first half of the series, I was fully prepared to accept that Persona would improve later on, but now that I’ve made inroads into the later episodes, I can’t say I’m entirely convinced. Although I admit that there are little details that would probably stand out as foreshadowing were I to go back and watch earlier episodes again, apart from Ryou’s undisclosed fate, not a great deal has actually happened. It just all feels too bland to care about- I’m more interested in buying the original game than anything this anime can offer.

*NEW* Ryoko’s Case File 1: Meet the typical detective odd couple- the beautiful and near flawless woman with a harsh personality and her loyal, long-suffering male aide. Together, they solve supernatural cases, and although there’s a lot of visual style to their antics, so far there has been little substance. In fact, aside from a humorous exchange between Ryoko and her rival, this episode wasn’t terribly interesting in terms of content- it’s only the characters that’s going to keep me watching for now.

Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 2: I have to admit that this is an improvement on the treacle slow first episode, but even so, there’s a lot of padding in this new series of Someday’s Dreamers- let’s face it, I don’t need to look at Photoshopped landscapes and listen to insert songs. When it gets to the story, however, this season is decent enough, with Sora attending her first magic class and meeting the usual line-up of characters- seemingly uncaring young man who probably has an ill sister, dead parents or some other family tragedy; rival magic user who aims to be class rep and top of the class and of course the amiable best friend type. There’s nothing her we haven’t seen before, but if the series can provide actual content, it should be solid enough, if not a patch on the original.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran 4: I’m beginning to think about parodying this series, and only the fact that the queue already contains several other series is putting me off. This time around, our heroes go on holiday to a village where something seems amiss- indeed, they even comment that something doesn’t seem right after the villagers threaten them with pitchforks (you think?). Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of the suspicious village arc, so we’ll have to wait until next week to see the thrilling conclusion.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 12-13: It’s another double bill of predictability for Wagaya, starting with the obligatory hot springs episode in which everyone kicks back and relaxes, leaving poor Tohru to get menaced by a demon, and then proceeding to the equally obligatory culture festival. Fortunately, in the latter episode we do at least meet up with a new fox- a silver one nicknamed Tama-san who I’ve been waiting to see ever since I glimpsed them in the OP- whilst Sakura’s obsession with being the only woman for Noboru continues to be highly entertaining.

MANGA

*NEW* Ayu and Mayu 1: I think we all know by now that I pick up manga based on titles that have even the vaguest connection to things I’m familiar with, and indeed, this series was chosen because of Ayu and Mayu from Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (who have absolutely nothing to do with this manga, might I add). In fact, the series is more like Chokotto Sister II, featuring an older brother who tracks down two girls- one of whom is his long-lost little sister. Whilst he tries to figure out which is which, we’re treated to the usual rounds of fanservice and light entertainment, and whilst I can hardly call it good, this is a decent enough “brain lite” opening chapter.

Bartender 4-6: Although I feel I’m losing something through an imperfect translation, the Bartender manga continues to deliver what the anime couldn’t- tranquil enjoyment. First off, Ryu is asked to placate a foreign architect before he cancels an important job, but will even the promise of the oldest liquor in the world be enough after Ryu criticises the design of the bar? Next, Ryu’s friend decides to get close to the mysterious cabaret girl Akiko, but there is more to this strong and lonely young woman than meets the eye. Finally, a legendary bartender stops by Ryu’s bar, but will he be impressed with the young man’s talent? All of these chapters are calm, pleasant character pieces, with Ryu having far more personality than his more polished anime self did.

Claymore 81: Raki is back, and his newfound maturity has made him more likable, but why is he travelling with Priscilla? And what’s more, why has Priscilla forsaken eating humans to the point where her body has shrunk to that of a child, putting her at the very limits of hunger? Meanwhile, after encountering this strange pair, Claymore number six- Rene- heads off on her way, only to fall into a trap set by Awakened Beings. Thank goodness Claymore is improving all the time, whetting my appetite for more.

Elfen Lied 86-8: As volume ten ends and eleven begins, Nana is reunited with her Papa, but after Evil Scientist feels a rare moment of remorse and releases Barbara from his control, she turns on him and immediately heads off to dispatch both of them. Meanwhile, now that Main Villain has Lucy in his custody, he is free to do the obligatory explanation of his plans, telling her how the Diclonius are merely the resurgence of the powers his family once had- powers they lost and then attempted to regain by breeding near a radioactive lake where the mutation rate was high. He wants Lucy to bear his child and become the Eve of a new race, but all she wants is to go back and live with everyone. Now that the end is in sight, the pace is ramping up, but what will the outcome be? Whatever the case, there’s bound to be violence aplenty.

Gunslinger Girl 51-6: With Angelica gone, Triela knows that her time is running out- a fact that Hilshire is also well aware of. Desperate not to shorten her lifespan any longer, he takes on the next job alone, but when Triela finds out what she has done, she runs off into the night- and only the intervention of some old friends stop her from falling foul of the mafia. Now the time has come for Triela to finally learn of her connection to Hilshire’s past, but how will knowing the truth change their relationship? These are tragic times for one of my favourite characters, and it’s unlikely that there will be any sort of happy ending, but no matter how depressing it gets, Gunslinger Girl is still as excellent as ever.

Minami-ke 32-3: First up, we have the familiar segment in which Kana tries to get Chiaki to sleep in by making her stay up late, only to have them both babble for hours before falling asleep in the living room- it’s an amusing segment, but an uncomfortable reminder of how much I hate having my sleep interrupted. Next, Takeru comes over and manages to find all sorts of hidden items simply by dropping a pen in a straightforward yet utterly hilarious instalment. More of the same, please.

Nodame Cantabile 120: Whilst Chiaki spends his time practising with Rui for their upcoming performance, not being able to see him has hit Nodame hard- but at the same time, these feelings of despair might be just what she needs to bring out the best in her Beethoven. And with exams just around the corner, everyone’s going to have bring something special to their music if they want to stay in Paris- but who will succeed, and who will fail? Will this manga go on forever? Will I even mind if it does?

Sketchbook 8-12: Even though it doesn’t seem particularly long, these chapters complete the first volume of Sketchbook with more 4-koma goodness and plenty of cats; not only is this one of the most consistently funny 4-koma series I’ve read, but it also outmatches the anime by keeping things light and amusing instead of trying to inject some forced thoughtfulness. Here’s hoping for even more cats in the next volume.

Tsubasa Chronicle 193: It’s flashback extravaganza again this chapter, as Syaoran’s week with Sakura slowly draws to a close. What will happen when he goes back and Sakura finishes purification ceremony? Do we even care anymore?

There were times when we all felt that way about Busou Renkin.

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 12, Amatsuki 8-9, Amuri in Star Ocean 1, Antique Bakery 1, Aria DVD Special, Chi’s Sweet Home 47-52, Chocolate Underground 4, Hidamari Sketch x365 1, Itazura na Kiss 13, Kaiba 9, KgNE Next Season 3, Koihime Musou 1, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 10, Miyori no Mori, Nabari no Ou 13-14, Natsume Yuujinchou 1, Persona 12, Real Drive 11, Shion no Ou 22, Slayers Revolution 2, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 1, Soul Eater 13-14, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 3, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 11, World Destruction 1

…and in manga: Tsubasa Chronicle 192

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 (-) – 365 times the fun <-new!
5. Natsume Yuujinchou (-) – Book of Friends <- new!
6. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – typhoid Himawari
7. Nabari no Ou (6) – change of side
8. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (4) – part-time job
9. Persona Trinity Soul (7) – catch-up, start!
10. Slayers Revolution (8) – Dragon Slave
11. Koihime Musou (-) – Guan Yu has more breasts and less beard <-new!
12. World Destruction (-) – cats <-new!
13. Real Drive (9) – chat program
14. Amatsuki (11) – Kuchiha
15. Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ (-) – slooowww start <-new!
16. Antique Bakery (-) – super gay demon <-new!
17. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (10) – mind-reader
18. Himitsu (12) – faceless
19. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (13) – kyouran kaizoku
20. Itazura na Kiss (15) – dislikeable cast
21. Toshokan Sensou (14) – Dojo falls into the Lifestream <-complete!
22. Allison and Lillia (16) – Luke, I am your father
23. Chocolate Underground (17) – chocolate is forbidden

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shion no Ou (1) – oh and by the way, I did it <-complete!
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Love GetChu! (3)- light entertainment
4. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (4)- licensed
5. Himawari!! (5) – needs less plot

Allison and Lillia 12: Hello and welcome to another episode of such ridiculousness that even the lack of armour piercing pistols and super fast tanks can’t reduce the stupidity. You see, despite being a cold-blooded murderer and all-round suspicious sort, Major Stork is actually Allison’s long-lost father- and that makes everything all right. Never mind that he was a double agent who abandoned his own daughter and embarked upon a life of evil deeds- as long as he sends her a present on her next birthday, we can all play happy families again. Meanwhile, Benedict weds Fiona in a rather dodgy sham of a wedding ceremony, and Wil finally asks Allison to move in with him because it will save on living costs. How romantic.

Amatsuki 8-9: First up, it’s the obligatory flashback episode as we learn more of Kuchiha’s origins and how it ties in with various other supporting characters. Then it’s back to the present, where Toki and the others continue to take their quest at a measured pace (has no one told them that the series is ending soon?) and Heihachi gets a sound beating before learning about the past tragedy of a tree spirit and a fox demon. By this point it’s easy to see that the series’ main problem is that it doesn’t want to go anywhere fast- hardly a good move when the episode count is so low.

*NEW* Amuri in Star Ocean 1: Shallow as I am, I only acquired the first episode of this CG-animated OVA because it had ‘Star Ocean’ in the title, and perhaps I shouldn’t have bothered, given how little sense it all made. At some point in the future, solar radiation has caused the emergence of Adapters, humans with special abilities, and naturally the titular Amuri happens to be one of them. Thanks to her ‘Repulsion’ ability (she bounces off anything she touches, although the ability appears not be active 100% of the time as she can at least wear clothes), Amuri ends up in space with two other Adapter girls, where they somehow end up on the front lines of a stellar conflict- or so I just about gathered. Exactly what the point of it all might be is anyone’s guess.

*NEW* Antique Bakery 1: Through a mixture of hope that this would be like Bartender with cakes and desire to parody it, I decided to throw caution to the winds and see what a series about gay guys running a café would be like. In fact, very little happens in this first episode, which is mainly about introducing three of the four main characters; the (straight) proprietor of the Antique bakery/café who suffered trauma as a child when a burly man tried to force him to eat a strawberry cake of doom; the gay chef who got fired from all his other jobs because man of all sexual orientations can’t keep their hands off him and the boxer who learns he must quit his profession because of a detached retina (he learns this whilst eating a strawberry cake of doom). Expect parodies soon.

Aria the Origination DVD Special: Just when I thought that Aria had shown me all it had to offer in animated form, along came a special treat in the form of this DVD special. Billed as ‘episode 5.5’, the episode sees Akari take an afternoon off to wander round the places she doesn’t usually get to see in her work as an undine, and somehow Akatsuki ends up tailing her in hilarious fashion. This may only be a one-off extra episode, but one brief half-hour I was transported back to Neo Venezia, with all the wonders therein- humour mixed with poignant moments and just the right dash of magic.

Chocolate Underground 4: Four episodes in and our heroes finally get to the secret chocolate underground, a place of so many delectable treats that I could feel my mouth watering. Unfortunately, the preview tells us that the Chocolate Police are on the way to bust this modern-day speakeasy, which is something of a shame, but at least means the plot is going somewhere.

Chi’s Sweet Home 47-52: We’re halfway through Chi’s Sweet Home now and I never want it to end- whether she’s being left at home alone or going on an adventure with the big black cat (not that Chi thinks she’s a cat), Chi is so cute and lovable that I just want to pick her up and take her home.

*NEW* Hidamari Sketch x365 1: Having just finished the first season of Hidamari Sketch (plus the two special episodes), it hardly feels like x365 is new- it’s just a continuation of what I was watching a couple of weeks ago. That being said, anyone can jump in with this episode, which acts as a prequel to explain how Yuno came to attend Yamabuki High School and live in the Hidamari Apartments. As usual, there’s a good mix of slice-of-life and SHAFT craziness, so it’s all good fun.

Itazura na Kiss 13: You’d think that after half a series I might have warmed to the cast of Itazura na Kiss, but if anything, I hate them even more now that when I started. Whilst Kotoko contemplates marrying the annoying Kinnosuke through lack of other offers (wait a minute, girl, you’re only 19, there’s no need to rush), Naoki remains irritatingly silent about his true feelings, instead dating Christie through what seems to be a simple desire to ruffle everyone’s feathers. Will he finally come clean in the next episode? Even if he does marry Kotoko, as we know he must, do we really care anymore? How can everyone in this series be so shallow and annoying?

Kaiba 9: After what feels like an age of waiting, another episode of Kaiba has appeared to sate our appetites, not to mention deepen the mystery surrounding Popo, Neiro, Warp and ‘Kaiba’. For all his righteous talk, we already know that Popo is, to be frank, a bit of a bastard, but just how much has he manipulated Neiro’s memory? Quite a lot, it seems, and whether she can break through to the truth of her past will determine whether she’ll realise her feelings for Kaiba-Warp, or kill him in cold blood. One thing’s for sure- a series of this level of detail needs plenty of rewatching.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Next Season~ 3: Despite being labelled as the Haruka route, so far in this OVA we’ve had one episode about Haruka and another about Mitsuki, so it hardly seems surprising that the third instalment focuses on Akane. Torn between her feelings for Takayuki and her sister, Akane angsts her way through this half an hour, quietly suffering the awkward situation the two people closest to her have put her in. Unfortunately, even a cliff-hanger ending can’t really save this latest mediocre instalment in a mediocre OVA, and I’m becoming increasingly scared to go back to the TV series in case that too has lost its lustre.

*NEW* Koihime Musou 1: If Koutetsu Sangokushi was the HARD GAY retelling of the Three Kingdoms, then Koihime Musou must be the HARD YURI version, featuring as it does an all-female cast very loosely based on those famous historical figures. In this episode we meet the busty and beardless version of Guan Yu, who joins up with juvenile bandit Zhang Fei and shows her the error of her ways. Based on the ED, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang will be joining them too, whilst beautiful women will also be representing the forces of Wu and Wei. It’s shallow, I know, but I like the character designs, I like the Three Kingdoms, and I prefer this to Ikkitousen, so I’m good to go.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 10: Each episode of Kyouran Kazoku Nikki represents its own little endurance trial, and this episode of ‘pirate frenzy’ is no different, featuring as it does a tiresome rivalry between two pirates as they race to be first to uncover a particular horde of treasure. Naturally, the family muscle their way into the action, resulting in another lacklustre outing filled with random madness and general lack of coherence. Why did I once think this series could make crazy humour work?

*MOVIE* Miyori no Mori: A two hour movie (well, 1:47 to be precise), Miyori no Mori is a pleasant little family film about a girl named Miyori who becomes guardian of a forest as a baby- hence the title. Flash forward ten years and Miyori is a city kid who is none too happy about being dumped in the countryside to live with her grandparents. Naturally, her prickly personality rubs everyone up the wrong way, but as she begins to accept the presence of the mysterious spirits in the forest, she becomes determined to save the forest from the plans of an evil corporation who want to build a dam and flood the village. It’s a pretty standard “kids versus evil capitalist” story, but it’s nicely animated and reminiscent of a Ghibli work.

Nabari no Ou 13-14: It’s time for something to happen as both sides head to Kouga Village, better known in the real world as a prestigious private school where ninjas attend special classes and no one else is any the wiser. Unfortunately, the Kouga student council has its own plans, resulting in a battle that ends up as a bit of a free-for-all. Nonetheless, there are some good moments in episode fourteen particularly, with Rokujou realising his feelings for Yoite, Yoite admitting that he really does want to live, and Aizawa putting his life on the line. Is the only way to exist in the world of Nabari to kill?

*NEW* Natsume Yuujinchou 1: When I previewed this series, I billed it as a sort of reverse Card Captor Sakura, and after the first episode, that’s still my impression, with our lead having to free all the monsters that his grandmother made contracts with. Helping him is by far and away the best part of the show- Nyanko-sensei, an Okami-esque creature who usually takes the form of a fortune cat. The only oddity is that Nyanko-sensei, who wants the contracts in the ‘Book of Friends’ for himself is helping on the condition that he gets the book if Natsume dies- so why not just kill him and take the book before too many contracts are lost?

Persona Trinity Soul 12: In amongst everything else, I’ve managed to fit in another episode of Persona for parody purposes, with this one revealing more about Ryou (who has to take drugs to control his Persona) and various shady evil forces. I’m still waiting for the point where the pace picks up and I understand what’s going on, but maybe that will come later.

Real Drive 11: After a couple of episodes which at least tried to get back to the main concept (in spite of poor execution), Real Drive is floating in shallow territory once more this time around as Minamo attends a classical music concert and learns that Kurama was once a legendary violin prodigy. The entire episode is then spent trying to return a violin to him- and, well, that’s about it. No, I know the series isn’t meant to be about violins, but what can you do?

*COMPLETE* Shion no Ou 22: The end of the series is finally here, and it’s the one we were all expecting as Shion outmatches Hani-meijin in their final game, and the police close in to finally arrest him. To be honest, the poor guy is probably in need of psychiatric help, given that he murdered Shion’s family just to help her improve at shogi. Yes, Hani, just because you lost your family means that everyone has to be orphaned in order to improve at shogi! Call me old-fashioned, but I’d prefer to just practise and play strong opponents. Also, Shion suddenly being able to speak again was a bit farfetched, if not unexpected.

Slayers Revolution 2: Remember the old days when you could cause general mayhem and destroy villages with abandon just because you were a main character? Well, those days are over, because Lina’s reputation is no so notorious that she’s about to be arrested for destruction she didn’t commit- unless she can find Digimon wannabe Pokota and prove that he is the real culprit. Unfortunately, the somewhat annoying Pokota is a slippery guy, so even a whole barrage of spells isn’t enough to stop him. Aside from the general annoyingness of Pokota, the episode is generally entertaining, but the animation is looking worse than ever- dare I say I preferred it in the old days?

*NEW* Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 1: I love the gentle tranquillity and beautiful artwork of the Someday’s Dreamers franchise, but somewhere along the line, this new anime has lost its way. With bland character designs and extended landscape shots (which aren’t even particularly impressive landscape shots since they seem to be slightly edited photography), this episode manages to accomplish in twenty-five minutes what the manga did better in a single chapter, as our main character heads off to Tokyo to begin training as a mage. Where’s the tortured love triangle, the mistake of going to the wrong place and only then finding out she was supposed to be in Tokyo? Where is Kumichi Yoshizuki’s beautiful, beautiful artwork?

Soul Eater 13-14: It’s time for two more instalments of straight-up entertainment with Soul Eater; first an action-packed episode in which Soul must overcome his fear of the black blood within him in order to battle an immortal werewolf, followed by a lighter-hearted and thoroughly enjoyable episode in which our protagonists must prepare for their exams with a flurry of study, preparation and downright cheating. This must surely be the most entertaining exam episode in the history of anime, featuring everything you could possibly want from such a story, all nicely wrapped up into a twenty-five minute bundle.

Telepathy Shoujo Ran 3: There’s an odd feeling of déjà vu in this episode as the bland and dull Tate Rui is captured by the evil Shiho Masked Villain, forcing Mai Ran to convince Natsuki Midori of the power of HiME friendship (whilst the enemy stands and waits) so they can fight this oddly familiar enemy. To be honest, I was hoping that Rui would turn out to be responsible for all the evil, but instead the kids’ teacher is the culprit, and now that the first enemy has been seen off (“I would have got away with it too, if not for those meddling kids”), they can go off and have fun and games whilst solving mysteries on the way. I can’t wait.

Oh, and for a couple more interesting observations, note how the shape of Midori’s eyes changed once she replaced evil with friendship, and how Evil Teacher’s mask somehow masked the scent of her perfume. Was it sprayed with Febreze?

*COMPLETE* Toshokan Sensou 12: Yes, the library wars have finally come to an end, with Riuva summarising it best in a post far more hilarious and satisfying that the episode itself could ever be. Whilst Kasahara looks after the unresponsive Dojo, various other things happen as we patiently wait for the inevitable happy ending between the two. So many people seem to have loved this series, but I just didn’t get it; maybe I’m just emotionally starved or something.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 11: With the last arc finally done and dusted, the series is ready to move onto another adventure, although not an especially enticing one. What with all the breakages and house damage that she’s managed to cause, Kou decides she should really start making up for it by getting a part-time job, but guess what- she’s too much of a klutz to do more than rack up the destruction in the workplace as well. As the bills mount up, Kuu-chan decides to try working too, but even though she doesn’t do as badly as Kou, neither of them seem to be able to stay in work for very long, resulting in a painfully predictable instalment that returns everything to the status quo at the end. To be fair, even a couple of years ago I would have enjoyed this episode, but at this point it’s just annoyingly predictable.

*NEW* World Destruction 1: Although I wasn’t really intending to try this latest in a long line of RPG-based series, when Hanners showed me a screencap of Chocolat-esque cats, I knew I had to watch it. As it turns out (and these may be famous last words), the opening episode wasn’t too bad, introducing a world where humans are inferior to beastmen and one woman plots to destroy the world with a simple sphere. After our hero gets dragged along with her, action and craziness follow, and whilst it wasn’t anything special, it has at least proved entertaining for now. Here’s hoping it’s not going to degenerate in future episodes.

MANGA

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 192: I was expecting something a bit more spectacular after CLAMP went on hiatus between this chapter and the last, but all we get is a continuation of the Flashback Mode as Syaoran Jr reveals that he has both his father’s name and sword, and well, very little else happens. Who knows how it long it will be before we actually see any kind of plot development?

Reviewed this week: Amatsuki 7, Chi’s Sweet Home 45-6, Chocolate Underground 2-3, Himawari!! 5, Itazura na Kiss 12, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 9, Nabari no Ou 12, Real Drive 8-10, Shion no Ou 21, Slayers Revolution 1, Soul Eater 12, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 1-2, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 10

…and in manga: Slayers Revolution 1-2

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Chi’s Sweet Home (2)- Chi plays
2. Kaiba (3) – who am I?
3. Soul Eater (5) – black blood
4. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) – Mubyou
5. xxxHOLiC Kei (7) – typhoid Himawari
6. Nabari no Ou (4) – change of side
7. Persona Trinity Soul (8) – catch-up, start!
8. Slayers Revolution (-) – Dragon Slave <- new!
9. Real Drive (9) – chat program
10. Telepathy Shoujo Ran (-) – mind-reader <- new!
11. Amatsuki (11) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
12. Himitsu (12) – faceless
13. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (13) – those cat ears aren’t just for show
14. Toshokan Sensou (14) – library wars
15. Itazura na Kiss (10) – heart attack
16. Allison and Lillia (15) – yawn
17. Chocolate Underground (16) – chocolate is forbidden

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shion no Ou (1) – oh and by the way, I did it
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Love GetChu! (3)- light entertainment
4. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (4)- licensed
5. Himawari!! (6) – needs less plot

Amatsuki 7: With such long gaps between episodes, it’s hard to remember what’s going on or particularly care about the mediocre world of Amatsuki. Nonetheless, the story rumbles on, with Toki spending pretty much the entire episode getting ready to head off on a search for a way to break the cross-dressing princess’ curse, and various other characters wandering around aimlessly. How did I end up watching such an incredibly average series?

Chi’s Sweet Home 45-6: As all cats owners will know, our feline friends like attention- but only if it’s on their own terms. Unfortunately, the Yamadas have yet to grasp this fact, and so it’s up to Chi to teach them that cats need attention, but they hate too much attention.

Chocolate Underground 2-3: What I want from Chocolate Underground is secret factories producing tons of sweet confections- what we’ve got so far is our two leads finding a clue to the location of the hidden chocolate traders and a not-so-subtle warning as to the dangers of not voting. Then the next episode dithers around and wastes time as our leads try to follow up on the clue, but overall there’s a feeling that the series doesn’t really want to go anywhere- it’s just content to fill each five minute episode with whatever it can.

Himawari!! 5: It’s time for another outing in the world of ninja mediocrity as the main characters head off to rescue Azami from trouble after s/he sneaks into the place where the ninjas from the boys’ school are being held. To be fair, this is slightly better than the monster-of-the-week episodes, but I still miss the days when there weren’t any evil villains lurking in the background. Meanwhile, Hayato’s attempt to get a decent meal by turning up at a VIP party after his emergency bread turns out to have gone mouldy at least prove amusing.

Itazura na Kiss 12: With his father in the hospital, Naoki is in danger of being forced into the company through guilt, but first, he ends up being set up with the daughter of another rich CEO- something which makes Kotoko and Yuuko united in their desire to see off this new rival. To be honest, by this point in the series I couldn’t really care less about the characters, so there’s not much incentive to be bothered one way or the other about what happens.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 9: It’s a slightly better episode of Kyouran Kazoku Nikki this time around, as Ouka, Kyouka and Shinigami-sama fight against the mysterious Odessa Ei and learn a little about Kyouka’s past. Even the usual pointless craziness is very much in evidence, these character revelations and a lack of need to force every family member into every scene does make this episode stand out above most of the others, although it’s still not enough to properly redeem this series.

Nabari no Ou 12: It’s at this point that I have to admit that for all its potential, Nabari no Ou is seriously beginning to disappoint me. Kairoushuu has been the enemy up until this point, but in this episode Rokujou just walks into their base and has a friendly dinner with them- “never mind all that massacring of generics and trying to kill my friends, I must help my boyfriend Yoite”. Admittedly he could just be playing both sides in an attempt to save the friends that Yoite has held hostage, but having such an apathetic main character seems to have cast a pall over the whole series, in which only rare moments such as Raimei versus Raikou really bring out the emotion the series needs.

Apparently this is what all the British schoolboys are wearing this summer.

Real Drive 8-10: After the disappointment of episodes 5-7, episode 8 continues the trend with another unspectacular instalment, this one an excuse for a swimsuit episode as a ‘ghost’ is seen in the school. In fact, the true cause of the problems- a company using the spare CPU cycles in people’s cyberbrains- is an interesting concept, but again it’s somewhat shoved aside in favour of the less interesting aspects of the series.

Episode nine tries to take a tone more befitting to the series as we meet Minamo’s father and learn how just one small outage in the Metal could prove disastrous- but what is more important, people’s safety or the reputation of the system? Unfortunately, it loses something in the execution, becoming more dry and dull than outright interesting.

Finally for now, we have episode ten, in which Haru becomes linked to a chat program named Eliza, but when she proves adept in exploiting the weakness of anyone with a cyberbrain, it falls to Minamo to enter a diving bell and brave the Metal to save him. This isn’t a bad episode, but again the core idea of interest is glossed over- come on, let’s explore the meat of this unique future.

Shion no Ou 21: It’s time for the penultimate episode of the series (I’ll watch the finale before the end of next week), in which Hami-meijin becomes ever more ridiculous in his near admission of his guilt. As it turns out, he killed Shion’s family to help her reach her true potential in shogi, which I’m sure must make sense to someone out there, because personally I don’t see the connection.

*NEW* Slayers Revolution 1: It feels strange to have brand new Slayers so long after the previous Slayers series were produced (although it does give me hope for a second season of Lost Universe)- is 2008 too sophisticated for good old fashioned fantasy comedy? Well, the jury’s still out on that, because while the old jokes are still amusing, and the mix of decent and simplistic animation can be forgiven, what’s up with this brand new Digimon rip-off that can cast the Dragon Slave? There’ll be more on him in my manga coverage, but for now he’s the weak link in this new series.

Soul Eater 12: Whilst the black blood continues to endanger Soul’s future, even her fellow witches are getting tired of Medusa- but as we know, one shot characters have no hope of successfully defeating her. With that in mind, this is a predictable instalment, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want the Medusa arc to be over as soon as possible, but it’s still enjoyable enough.

*NEW* Telepathy Shoujo Ran 1-2: The first wave of summer series is with us, and appropriately enough it starts with mediocrity in the form of Telepathy Shoujo Ran, a series in which our protagonist discovers her telepathic powers after a run-in with an antagonistic transfer student with the same abilities. Now everyone except her beloved cardboard cut-out Rui thinks she’s a freak, but in the meantime there’s all sorts of mysteries lining up to be solved. I can see this becoming another Mokke, only with less interesting characters.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 10: The Reversed Circle story finally comes to an end in this episode (at least, we can hope it does), as the mystery of the two Mubyous is solved, and everyone becomes friends at the end. I’m actually a little sad at the loss of the cute doll puppets, but other than that, this was a mildly entertaining arc, nothing more.

MANGA

*NEW* Slayers Revolution 1-2: Accompanying the new anime we have a companion manga, with slightly off character designs and a near-identical story. The first chapter is much the same as the first episode of the anime (albeit with Pocota the Digimon using the Sword of Light), whilst the second chapter reveals that our newest Dragon Slave user is out to destroy all anti-magic tanks.

Ouch.

Reviewed this week: Chi’s Sweet Home 37-44, Himitsu 7, Itazura na Kiss 10-11, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 8, Nabari no Ou 11, Real Drive 7, Soul Eater 11, Toshokan Sensou 10, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 9, xxxHOLiC Kei 11

…and in manga: Chokotto Hime 1, Sketchbook 6-7, xxxHOLiC 158

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Kurenai (1) – just a mistake?
2. Chi’s Sweet Home (2)- Chi plays
3. Kaiba (3) – feelings and memories
4. Nabari no Ou (4) – clan massacre
5. Soul Eater (5) – Bones does shounen
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) – fox trap
7. xxxHOLiC Kei (7) – typhoid Himawari
8. Persona Trinity Soul (8) – catch-up, start!
9. Real Drive (9) – they’re dogs, and they’re on the internet!
10. Itazura na Kiss (12) – hospital
11. Amatsuki (11) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
12. Himitsu (10) – faceless
13. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (14) – shinigami
14. Toshokan Sensou (13) – library wars
15. Allison and Lillia (15) – yawn

Chi’s Sweet Home 37-44: What could be a better way to start the weekend than with a dose of Chi’s Sweet Home? In this set of episodes, Chi’s interest in the world around her intensifies, as she investigates all sorts of food, toys and even the dreaded bathroom. Then it’s time for the long-awaited black cat to show up, invade Chi’s territory and even eat her food. Ah, how I love this series- it’s all warm and fluffy and makes me want to hug things.

Himitsu 7: When the president of a company is burned to death, a whole new MRI investigation begins, with Aoki wondering if the fact that the victim had his face slashed open could possibly hint at murder (you think?). A delve into his mind reveals the notoriously antisocial man was actually unable to see faces, whilst the courts must decide if an MRI image of him writing a new will that leaves his estate to a woman he only met once is actually valid. It’s an interesting concept, but one that ultimately takes a back seat to the stupidity of this episode, which includes such conundrums as Maki somehow switching from sitting in a car observing the woman in question to dressing up as her to foil the murder suspect- when did they have time for the switch? Although I must admit that Maki looked quite good dressed as a woman- he should try it more often.

Forget Loveless, we’ve got Faceless!

Itazura na Kiss 10-11: Kotoko’s father has finally decided that they should move into their own home, robbing Kotoko of the one advantage she had over black-haired girl and of course making her the centre of all the rumours in college. ‘Fortunately’, on an impromptu stop in the Irie neighbourhood, Kotoko manages to save Yuuki when he collapses, and before you know it, she’s spending time with the family in the hospital, before ultimately moving back in. Perhaps I’m getting too old and cynical, but to move out and go back so quickly seems rather trite, whilst Kotoko’s need to phone Naoki just to find out that when someone’s sick you call an ambulance was a bit ridiculous. True, Naoki acts more like a decent human being in this episode, but I can’t really take his emotions as genuine when I know he’s such an inconsistent bastard deep down, whilst Kotoko’s friends seem to exist only to make life worse for her. To be honest, I actually like Yuuki better than Naoki- at least he’s softening up in a believable way.

In episode 11, the above events seem to have inspired Naoki to start studying to become a doctor- although initially he doesn’t want anyone to know about it. Flash forward six months, however, and for some reason the majority of the series’ named characters are taking a brief holiday away together, although naturally Kotoko’s attempts to be alone with Naoki are predictably thwarted. Overall, I felt merely indifferent to this episode, which ran along predictable lines from start to finish.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 8: It’s Ouka’s turn in the spotlight this episode when he sneaks off for a day out with a childhood friend turned shinigami- causing Kyouka to overreact in fear that another woman might be stealing her husband. With some rare development for Ouka, this episode actually wasn’t too bad at first, but it quickly degenerated into senseless insanity when Kyouka and the family showed up. Another disappointing entry in a largely disappointing series.

Nabari no Ou 11: The time has come to find out the truth about the past of the Shimizu clan, and it seems that back in the days when Raikou had normal coloured hair, there was a division between his mother and uncle that led to the destruction of the clan. In the ensuing battle, Raikou did indeed kill the uncle that the innocent Raimei loved so much, but the overall clan massacre wasn’t his fault- he just chose to take the blame for it. Now, the time has come for the loyal Gau to reveal that truth to Raimei, but what will come of it? Despite the fact that this aspect of the story is fairly standard, this was still a strong episode, although for a ninja series actual action scenes seem rather thin on the ground.

Real Drive 7: I’m going to start here by saying that episode seven of Real Drive is about dogs surfing the internet- no, really, it is. You see, dogs have their own cyberbrains that give them limited communications skill, and thus they can connect to their own canine Metal, which presumably fulfils their desire to eat kibble, drink from toilets and sniff other dogs’ backsides. So far, so ‘good’, but what really drives this episode over the edge is the fact that one particular dog owner is so into his pet that he actually wants to go into the Metal and merge with him- the normal master-servant relationship between humans and dogs no longer being enough for him. It’s all very bizarre and cutesy in a creeped out way, leaving me with the feeling that the writers should stop sniffing glue and perhaps get back to the main plot. I may not have been the biggest fan of Stand Alone Complex, but at least that series left you feeling satisfied- at the moment, Real Drive is just floundering around with pointless stories about online dogs, sunglasses and book reports.

Soul Eater 11: It’s time to wrap up Tsubaki’s side story in this episode, as she faces off against her brother and demonstrates to me just why she might be my favourite character in this series. There’s action, back story, and sheer coolness oozing out of this episode- I love this series!

Toshokan Sensou 10: Kasahara and the others are off to protect an exhibition near her hometown, but while staying in the female dorm, she ends up the target of some serious hazing from the girls of the Affairs Department. I really hate hazing stories, and this one is as painfully predictable as all the rest; the sooner this series is over, the better.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 9: Just as it seemed the Reversed Circle arc was over, along comes a new character claiming that it actually belongs to them! Having eaten the biscuits this mysterious owl person has brought, Kuu-chan has no choice but to help them look for Mubyou-chan, but who is the real owner of this powerful device? This episode is another dose of wholehearted fun, but with even this episode not wrapping things up, the Reversed Circle seems destined to cause at least one more episode’s worth of trouble.

xxxHOLiC Kei 11: With Kohane-chan out of the way, the time has come to concentrate on what the blogworld calls Typhoid Himawari, as Watanuki begins to learn the consequences of spending time with his beloved Himawari-chan. Compared to last episode’s lacklustre adaptation, this episode is at least in keeping with the manga for the most part, and this arc will presumably close out the series with Himawari being given her bird Tanpopo.

“Well, why didn’t you ask for it back? Or did you like being Faceless?”

MANGA

*NEW* Chokotto Hime 1: If you liked Chi’s Sweet Home and the Star of Cottonland, then this manga will also be to your tastes. A 4koma series about an abandoned kitten who gets adopted by a young man, Chokotto Hime depicts the cat alternately as a catgirl and a proper feline, offering cuteness aplenty. The first chapter doesn’t really take us very far into it, but I know I’m going to like this series.

Sketchbook 6-7: It’s been a while, but these two extra chapters of 4Koma fun are most welcome- in fact, with its skew more towards humour than pure standard slice-of-life, the manga has the edge over its anime adaptation. In these chapters, we see Sensei wondering why cats don’t seem to like her after she drops them, Asou trying to bend spoons and much more.

xxxHOLiC 158: Her story may be over in the anime, but manga-Kohane (who didn’t cut her hair) has now gone to live with fortune teller granny from an early chapter whilst she waits for her mother to return. She will

Crest/Banner of the Stars: the game

Can’t get enough of the Seikai universe? Then why not take control of it yourself, as the commander of the Abh Fleet? With Abh forces at your command, planets to conquer, resources to mine and the United Mankind to defeat, there’s plenty to do in this sci-fi tactical simulation. Go online and challenge other empires, or play against the computer and ensure peace in the galaxy. Commission the building of customised attack squadrons, keep planetary populations happy or just run roughshod over their wishes and risk rebellion- the power is in your hands!

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei: the lost chapters

Sensei: Class, I don’t have a lesson plan today, so I’m just going to improvise. Everyone, get out your text books and start studying.

Chiri: Wait, you can’t do that- everything has to be done just right. Start by calling the register, then have us get our textbooks out and read!

Sensei: But it’s improvisation! It doesn’t matter how I do it.

Chiri: Even improvisation needs to have rules or everything will end up in chaos!

Sensei: Zetsubou shita! The society that imposes rules on improvisation has left me in despair!

• Strict rules for improvisation in Indian music.
• Lessons required for ‘freestyle’ dancing.
• Ad-libbing actors still having to be aware of what they’re saying.
• Unable to use any old lie when making an excuse.
• Examiners still looking for specific things after allowing students to write about whatever they want.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 6

“…having HARD YURI.”

“Pretending to be a HARD YURI expert when I’m just as much of a beginner.”

“Are you trying to say she’s really a man?”

Yes, because we Westerners are known for just getting naked anywhere and everywhere.

What is this, Pokemon?

Toshokan Sensou 7

“Are you worthy of glimpsing my Zhuge Liang?”

Fruit sighted!

“I don’t know- get me to a bathroom quick!”

The Jintarou Kyle Show

Kyle: Hello and welcome to another edition of the Jintarou Kyle Show! This week’s topic is “Forced to pilot a giant robot…even though I’m only in junior high!” So let’s have our first guest on the show- Shinji Ikari!

Shinji emerges and sit down.

Kyle: Shinji, am I right in thinking that you were asked to pilot a giant robot at the age of only fourteen?

Shinji: That’s right- my dad asked me to do it.

Kyle: So, at an age where most boys are worrying about girls, sports and hanging out with their mates, your own father is pressuring you to get inside a giant robot and fight? That’s disgraceful!

Shinji: Well, I wanted my dad to notice me- I didn’t know how else to get his attention.

Kyle: That sounds like a cry for help to me- so let’s get Gendou Ikari on the show!

Gendou enters as the audience boos.

Kyle: Gendou, is it true that you made your own son go out and fight for the future of humanity?

Gendou: That’s right- I did it, and I’d do it again.

Kyle: Well, I think it’s disgraceful! You told our researchers that you didn’t even want to spend time with the boy- that you’d rather let him live alone than come and stay with you. This is a fourteen year old boy crying out for your love and attention, and you have just pushed him aside!

The audience claps and cheers.

Shinji: No, it’s really not all that bad- I have Misato…

Kyle: The poor boy is even too scared to confront you about it! Shall I tell you what he said to our researchers? He said that he feels too worthless and scared to even want to commit suicide!

Gendou: I-I had no idea. Son, you never told me this!

Kyle: This boy needs his father. I never said it was going to be easy to rebuild your relationship, but our show psychologist can help you work through your issues. Ladies and gentlemen- Shinji and Gendou!

Shinji and Gendou get up and leave the stage together.

Kyle: Next on the show we’ll be talking to Ayato Kamina, who was forced to leave the only life he’d ever known and live on a remote island as the pilot of the RahXephon. Stay tuned, because that’s coming after the break.

Anime Big Brother

The housemates have entered the Big Brother house, but how are they doing? Let’s check up on them.

Morning

Watanuki is the first up- he starts cooking everyone breakfast.

Doumeki: Don’t forget to make those spring rolls I like!

Watanuki: Shut up! I don’t do everything for you! Oh, if only Himawari-chan was here!

Everyone comes down for breakfast, but Horo and Kuu-chan start arguing over who gets the last apple.

Kuu-chan: Hands off that apple!

Horo: No fox is going to tell Horo the Wise what to do!

Lawrence: I have a business proposition- why don’t you split the apple 50-50?

Horo: You’re such a softie- can’t you see that with people like her you have to drive a hard bargain? I demand at least 70% of the apple!

Heat: If you guys don’t shut up, I’ll devour both of you!

(Lelouch: I could command them to shut up, but I must not waste my Geass on such a trivial thing.)

After the first day of ups and downs, our housemates are called in to talk to Big Brother.

Big Brother: So, Wil, how’s it going?

Wil: Well, things aren’t too bad, but I feel like Allison is trying to tell me something- this morning I found her in my bed with all her clothes stripped off! I don’t know what that’s all about.

Next, Big Brother has some sad news for Aoki.

Big Brother: Aoki, we have some sad news for you- your father has just died.

Aoki: Oh. Oh well, back to the house- I’m on dinner duty tonight.

Readers, you decide! Who should be evicted? Who should enter the house to take their place? Suggestions below.

This Week in Anime

Kogarashi presents new “Apple A Day” initiative.

I feel like I’m watching The Jewellery Channel. Oh, and did you know that amethyst is derived from the Greek word ‘amethystos’, meaning ‘not drunken’, because it was believed that wearing amethyst could stop you from getting drunk*? (*don’t try this at home).

Helth brand cigarettes, for a healthier cigarette.

“Such extremes of Hyper Self Pleasure!”

“Pears! Get your pears here!”

“Mmm, delicious!”

“Weaklings- can’t even hold their pears.”

“Damn, that guy is eyeing up my pears.”

“Gwakaka, he left his pears unguarded! Now’s my chance!”

If you didn’t fancy that amethyst earring, how about this oval cut loose sapphire?

I’m sorry, but of all filler weapons, this has to be one of the most stupid.

“We know that monkeys are traditionally regarded as banana lovers, but we have many other fruit to offer.”

Satoru pays for the latest session of phone sex.

The pears return- with apples on their side!

Flash Game Review: Lego Indiana Jones

Forget the disappointment of the film and try a demo of the best thing to come out of the Indy franchise- Lego Indiana Jones. This four level Flash game lets you control Indy for some side-scrolling action- hover the cursor over coins and treasure to pick them up, and click on flashing red hazards in time to dodge, jump over or otherwise avoid them. It sounds simple enough, but it actually requires decent reflexes and good timing- although luckily it’s addictive enough to make you want to complete trying until the level is mastered. After all, you have to clear levels 1-2 just to get the point where you can have Lego Indy ride on a cute Lego horse!

Harem of the week: Klein (Atelier Iris)

He may have seemed like a straightforward alchemist, but beneath it all, Klein had an eye for the ladies- after all, he could always wow them with his ‘staff’.

Harem

Lita: The female lead and main love interest- a strong-willed tsundere with a unique secret.

Norn: a youthful catgirl with a pure and innocent love for Klein.

Viola: apathetic proprietor of the local magic store- can Klein make her care about life again?

Blair: A proud young woman who opens a bakery after falling on hard times.

Hute and Villa: A pair of forward and outspoken sisters.

Arlin: A male party member who enjoys practising ‘swordplay’ with Klein.

“…because quite frankly, I’m too cheap to buy her anything.”

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 8, Amatsuki 6, Baccano! OVA 3, Chi’s Sweet Home 33-6, Himitsu 5-6, Kaiba 6-7, Kurenai 9, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 6, Nabari no Ou 8, Persona Trinity Soul 11, Shounen Onmyouji 25-6, Soul Eater 7-9, Spice and Wolf 7, Toshokan Sensou 8, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 7-8, xxxHOLiC Kei 7-9

…and in manga: Chi’s Sweet Home 42, Minami-ke 29, Spiral Alive 17-18, Tsubasa Chronicle 191

ANIME

CURRENT SERIES RANKINGS

1. Kurenai (2) – if I can’t do this much…
2. Chi’s Sweet Home (1)- Chi scratches
3. Kaiba (3) – feelings and memories
4. Nabari no Ou (4) – sayonara, Frosty-san
5. xxxHOLiC Kei (5) – Kohane-chan
6. Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6) – fox trap
7. Soul Eater (8) – Bones does shounen
8. Real Drive (7) – sunglasses
9. Persona Trinity Soul (9) – catch-up, start!
10. Himitsu (12) – everything at or below this line is poor
11. Amatsuki (14) – the new Shounen Onmyouji
12. Itazura na Kiss (13) – I hate Naoki
13. Toshokan Sensou (10) – library wars
14. Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (11) – senseless
15. Allison and Lillia (15) – yawn

SLOW RANKINGS

1. Shion no Ou (1) – final match
2. Tetsuko no Tabi (2)- is this ever going to be subbed?
3. Love GetChu! (3)- light entertainment
4. Gunslinger Girl- Il teatrino (5)- licensed
5. Shounen Onmyouji (6)- done and dusted after all these months <-complete!
6. Himawari!! (4) – needs less plot

Allison and Lillia 8: if the stupidity of an episode ever had to be seen to be believed, then it was in this case, for this arc-ending instalment has truly broken the boundaries of sense- so much so that I now know I would be derelict in my duty if I didn’t parody it. Anyway, with the help of an engraved medallion and a cufflink, Fiona manages to persuade the crowd (who seem to represent the country’s entire population, or at least the only ones whose opinions actually mean anything) that she is Princess Francesca, and that Nihito is the one who killed her family. Our villain of the arc then decides to make his escape by kidnapping Fiona, pulling some knives out of nowhere (courtesy of the JML Insta-Knife) and heading for the roof, where escape is waiting nothing is waiting except a dead end. Nonetheless, the wake from Allison and Wil’s hastily launched plane is somehow enough to blow him off the roof and to his doom, enabling Fiona to become Princess Francesca even though she is actually Francesca’s previously unmentioned twin sister (the royal family only being allowed to have one child for some reason). To be honest, it would be easier and quicker to list all the valid plot points than it would be to point out all the holes.

Amatsuki 6: Given all the disappointing episodes of anime that have appeared lately, this instalment of Amatsuki actually didn’t seem too bad in comparison, even if it can’t be said to be particularly good. After some exposition scenes about how being a weak person can actually be turned into a strength, Shinshu implores Toki to break the curse on the Princess, but since he can’t use his geass at will, he calls upon Bonten instead, breaking the shrine’s barrier in the process. Since Toki hasn’t yet agreed to go out with him, Bonten isn’t about to provide unconditional help, but he does offer a clue as to what to do next, thus ensuring that the plot won’t stagnate. Given the length of the series, I’m assuming the rest of it will be about breaking the curse and then going home to modern day Japan, which shouldn’t be too painful to watch.

*COMPLETE* Baccano! OVA 3: The Baccano! OVA is over, and it has brought with it as much fun and insanity as the series that preceded it. In this episode, we see the outcome of the great domino set-up (no, really, catch up with Rachel and Rail Tracer, and get back to the people who were wondering about the main character way back in the very first episode. It finally feels like everything’s come full circle, and it’s been an enjoyable ride indeed.

Chi’s Sweet Home 33-6: In this next batch of episodes, Chi takes an interest in sitting up at the window and looking outside- hardly desirable when the Yamadas live on the first floor and cats are forbidden. Having read this part in the manga, I knew what was coming, but nonetheless it’s an entertaining segment with an inspired solution.

Himitsu 5-6: After the laughable disappointment of episode four, my hopes weren’t high for the next arc of Himitsu, although as it turned out, it was at least better than its predecessor. In this arc, the team investigate the brain of a serial killer who has just died in prison, but as they delve deeper into his past, it seems that he may not have been the culprit after all. Cue a rather unpleasant series of revelations that could have come from any episode of CSI, and you have an arc that barely scrapes ‘solid enough’.

Kaiba 6-7: Kaiba is still travelling in Chroniko’s body, and when you’re a man in the body of a woman, your biological rhythm can get a bit messed up- something that Gel, a woman in the body of a man, knows all too well. Gel is immediately drawn to Kaiba, but is there more to their connection than either of them realises? And could Kaiba really be Warp, the cruel prince of this society? Whatever the case, when Kaiba and Vanilla are named as accomplices in a terrorist act, they have no choice but to go on the run on a water planet, but in the face of relentless pursuit, sacrifices will have to be made. Not only were these two episodes highly enjoyable (and thanks for the tip on rewatching episode one, Machi, I’ll give that a go this weekend), but they really added something not only to our protagonist, but to Vanilla, transforming him into something more than a hulking, intellectually challenged law enforcer.

Kurenai 9: Kurenai has always been good, but the intensity of this episode has moved it up a notch, and even secured it a place amongst my all-time favourites. The idyllic days are over, and Shinkurou and Murasaki have no choice but to leave the apartment behind, but the first the terrible truth behind Murasaki’s place in the Kuhouin family must be revealed. For reasons that could only be plausible in anime, the Kuhouins can only breed amongst themselves, and thus the women are sequestered in the Inner Sanctuary and forced to breed their relatives’ children from the age of thirteen, whilst the men take an ‘official wife’ to disguise the truth of their actions. Not only does this cast a whole new light on Murasaki’s own parentage, but it spells a terrible future for her, and one that her brother is determined to make sure she obeys. With that in mind, the tension is high in this episode as Shinkurou unwisely risks one last night at the apartment with Tamaki and Yamie, and surely than can be no one who isn’t desperate to see how things work out in the next few episodes.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 6: I should have known better than to think KKN was going to bring us an amusingly zany brand of humour, because in the vein of Kamisama Kazoku, Disgaea and all the rest before it, it has become disappointing, dull and downright juvenile (aagh, stop this alliteration!). This episode resolves Yuuka’s capture and the monkey situation by having Kyouka win them over with fine foods, leading up to the most ridiculous deus ex machina ever in the last two minutes (was that meant to be Gekka?). In the old days, I would have dropped the series at this point, but for some reason I feel chained by completion of late.

Crossdressing aside, I want a dress like that.

Nabari no Ou 8: The time has come to confront Mr Frosty and steal the technique of delicious ice lollies assassinate him, but does Thobari really have it in him to take another’s life, and what is Oda’s motivation for wanting to bring the Frost(y) Company down anyway? Although there was something slightly unrealistic about alternating between the brief bursts of action and standing around waiting for the next turn to come around, this was a strong episode overall, as well as a reminder that everyone has their own secrets and motivations that may well put them at odds by the end of the series.

Persona Trinity Soul 11: Unbeknownst to everyone else, Kanaru has become addicted to shadow-stripping/extraction, and now all her friends can do for her is try to help her break the habit. It’s nice to see Kanaru being given something to do other than hover around as a supporting character, although the addiction storyline is dealt with a little heavy-handedly, with lines such as “we just got her clean!” coming across as amusing rather than serious.

*COMPLETE* Shounen Onmyouji 25-6: Shounen Onmyouji is finally done, and as you might expect, these last two episodes wrap up the final confrontation and conclude the Chishiki no Guuji arc with the evil man defeated, Kazane dead and Guren/Mokkun left without memories. The final battle is amazingly (even refreshingly easy), and even the last three Shinshou get a couple of lines- their first contribution to the series. With only two arcs covered, I’m sure there’ll be a second season at some point, but until then we can put this mediocrity aside.

Soul Eater 7-9: Soul Eater takes a more sinister turn in episode 7-8, as Maka and Soul stumble upon a weapon who has been fused with his master, creating a being that could become a Demon God at any time- and what no one realises is that Shibusen’s Doctor Medusa is the one responsible. Whilst the end of this arc spells trouble in the future for Soul, however, in episode nine Kid and Black Star go off on a more light-hearted adventure to find the legendary sword Excalibur- only to discover just why even Stein couldn’t master it. I’m still enjoying the series at this point, which is a good sign for the future.

*SPECIAL* Spice and Wolf 7: Since this episode had too many apples for TV, it became a DVD-only release and an annoying gap in my schedule- until now. An enjoyable return to the world of Spice and Wolf, the episode sees Horo trying to eat a hundred apples, whilst Lawrence heads out to buy her some new clothes with a little trading on the side. I can’t say I understand how selling items at a loss can also be considered a massive profit (unless it’s something to do with groundwork for future transactions, or a knock-on effect on prices?).

Toshokan Sensou 8: Whilst Kasahara is whisked off for interrogation, some other things happen, but it’s hard for me to care anymore- the only thing of note is that our heroine finally discovers the identity of her Prince Charming, something we all saw coming about five minutes into the first episode. Other than that, this series has become incredibly pedestrian, but I’ll see it through since it should be ending soon.

Wagaya no Oinari-sama 7-8: Episode seven ups the cuteness factor by having two young foxes come to stay with the family for a while, whilst a clam monster targets Tohru. The next episode picks up the threads from that episode as the god of the neighbouring region shows up in search of the Reversed Circle, an item stolen by the clam- only to become convinced that it has somehow become lodged in Tohru’s head. Although nothing special, it’s entertaining stuff, and like Shrine of the Morning Mist, it seems that we aren’t meant to take the antagonists too seriously.

xxxHOLiC Kei 7-9: Episode seven sees Watanuki asked to fetch water from a well, but with a strange woman looking out of a nearby window, his constant worry is that he’ll get caught. In the manga, the water was for the X world of Tsubasa, but in order to erase any connection with its bastard cousin, here it’s to rescue a drowned kitten. Meanwhile, episode eight jumps ahead in the manga, leaving the “Himawari brings bad luck” story as we turn our attention first to a girl who wants her house to stop being scary, and then to poor Kohane-chan, who is receiving abuse and hate mail. Oddly, unlike in the manga where this happened after she disagreed with other psychics, this time people start hating her for no reason, and only then does she start disagreeing with the others. Still, it’s a decent enough adaptation and much better than season one, so I’ll go with it.

MANGA

Chi’s Sweet Home 42: When the landlady drops by unexpectedly, it seems that the Yamadas might finally be caught- can they hide away Chi in time? Although I do wish that somehow the rules about keeping cats would be relaxed so that the Yamadas don’t have to worry anymore, this was an entertaining chapter, if all too short.

Minami-ke 29: It’s time to meet Mako-chan in the manga, and although Okawari generally made me tired of that joke, here it’s fresh and new again. Hopefully the manga can continue to heal the damage caused by the anime’s second season.

Spiral Alive 17-18: Whilst the villain behind the incident with Amane’s family nine years ago makes a move and the Blade Children fend off an assault at their apartment, the time has come to wonder- has Kiyotaka made a rare error in judgement, or is her playing a game too complex for anyone else to grasp (oh come on, it has to be the latter). With the plot thickening like this, this is no time for chapters to come slowly- the mangaka must be made to work on it day and night so that we can know the truth.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 191: It’s another flashback to Sakura-hime and Syaoran Jr’s early days in this chapter, before the Tsubasa manga takes a break so that CLAMP can ‘collect data’ (that’s hastily make up new plot twists for you and me). In the meantime, Syaoran Jr only has seven days to spend in Clow Country before he has to go back, but what happened to get things to the stage they were in chapter one? And can it possibly ever make sense again?