D-1: The End of 2011

2011 marked the first year where I did not go a single day without anime whether it be one episode or an entire series. Despite it being my HSC year, I went from only having seen Yu-Gi-Oh, Sailor Moon, Beyblade, Vampire Knight and a few other series to closer to 100 series. 2011 also marks the year where I started following currently airing series. 2011 is the year where I really fell in love with anime. I became a lot more critical of it but I also enjoyed very much. While it was the year I started following anime, I didn't follow as much currently running anime as I would've liked to. I kind of inundated myself a little during the spring season so during the rest I watched a lot of older series to expose myself to the wide variety of anime that are available.

I started this blog in February with the intention of writing reviews and getting my opinion out there but I didnt' really have a lot of time throughout the year to put enough thought as I would like to into writing anything so I'm sorry for the lack of those. I know I will definitely have more time with the coming new year so expect more reviews coming out. I won't go down the track of covering anime weekly any time soon, however, as I honestly don't pay close enough attention each week to write about one episode in such great detail. There are already many blogs who cover anime that are much more established than I am around in any case.

I watched quite a bit of anime this year. Some were amazing and some were terrible, but I feel like I've only dipped my toes into the metaphorical ocean of anime that is out there. When I started this I honestly didn't think my interest in anime would survive long enough for me to keep writing but alas, it has. I know there are a lot of great and not-so-great series out there that I have yet to discover. So with that, see you on the other side in 2012~!

D-2: Top 10 Anime of 2011

I know I'm fairly limited in what I had to choose for this so consider this a 'best of what I've seen' rather than an absolute best of.  A list of what I've seen can be viewed here.

10. Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukanai

I picked this series up 5 episodes in because I noticed the art was similar to Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko and I was pleasantly surprised. It was refreshing for me. What I really loved about this series was the humour. It was awkward and hilarious and I really enjoyed it.

9. Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu Ni

Forget profound plot development and epic fight scenes, Baka to Test is just here for a good laugh. While I didn't enjoy it as much as the first season because of the lack of constant summon wars, I still loved the cast of interesting characters and their crazy antics.

8. Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto

Hands down the most fun I've had while following any series was during Star Driver. It's so over-the-top with the flashy fights, the colours, the Ginga Bishounen and everything but I've honestly never had so much fun watching anything in my life. It's not overly profound or anything but I really enjoyed waiting up on Sunday nights for the release even though I had school the next day.

7. UN-GO

UN-GO is officially the last series I completed before the end of 2011. What people said about it initially made me hesitant to pick it up but when I did I was hooked. Though purely as a detective anime, it isn't fantastic, there is something about the underlying themes that really had me interested.

6. Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail

Black Lagoon is my favourite series. Ever. I really enjoyed this except for the fact that there was too much of a gap in between the episodes and it was really just a blood bath most of the time. I really did enjoy it though.

5. Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko
4. GOSICK
3. Usagi Drop
2. Fate/Zero
1. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokuta wa Mada Shiranai

The top 5 I mentioned as the top series per genre and you can read what I said about them here.

D-3: Biggest Disappointments in Anime of 2011

Again simply my own opinion, as you are entitled to yours. Anime I watched can be viewed here.

1. A-Channel

It wasn't like I was expecting a masterpiece of anything but A-Channel wasn't even as close to as entertaining as I thought it would be. It wasn't even funny. It just felt like a Lucky Star wannabe to me. After a while I started getting really sick of the characters and the mediocre scenarios.

2. C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control

The premise was quite interesting and it was one of my most anticipated series of spring 2011. Sadly, felt like it became unnecessarily convoluted when it tried to be too much. Visually it's stunning but story-wise it just didn't cut it for me.

3. Steins;Gate

I haven't finished this. I don't know if I'm ever going to stay awake long enough while watching it to be able to. After all the hype that was going around for this series, I was expecting something awesome. However dumb this sounds, I feel like I should like it. The set up is great, the characters are great, but for some reason, I just find it extremely boring. In fact, it's so boring that I fall asleep not even half way into the episodes.

D-4: The Best Anime of 2011 「MISCELLANEOUS」

Not entirely sure I should label this as 'Best of' but anyway. Again just my personal opinion. List of anime I watched can be seen here.


Favourite Characters
Male - Kinji Tooyama

Purely for the endless laughter at 'Hysteria Mode'.

Female - Touwa Erio

She's interesting and completely adorable. What kind of normal 16 year old girl believes she's an alien and constantly wraps herself in a futon?

Other - Inga

Inga gets a separate category because I simply have no idea if Inga is male or female. "He" can change into a woman so I really have no clue. In any case, I really liked Inga's characters and it was one of the things I enjoyed while watching UN-GO.

More than I Expected - Infinite Stratos

It's really nothing more than harem and mecha but it really wasn't bad like I expected it to be. I was pleasantly surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed this series despite everyone always asking me why I would enjoy such a thing. I really liked the mecha...

Not What I Expected - Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai

I wasn't expecting much out of this series to be honest, but I definitely was expecting to understand what was going on. This is the show where at the end you go "WTF DID I JUST WATCH?" I kid you not. Everything was so convoluted I had no idea what I was watching most of the time. I did tie in together at the end though... somewhat.

Mediocre Show of the Year - Dantalian no Shoka

It wasn't bad by any means but it wasn't really good either. It was just average. Never more never less. I never really enjoyed what I was watching it but I didn't dislike it either.

Worst Show I Saw - Sekaiichi Hatsukoi

Well, I don't know if I was expecting to enjoy this. I think I was expecting more than a shallow top/bottom yaoi but I suppose I should've known. I'm fairly sure I'm in the target demographic of this series but I just found everything about the series so shallow. The characters, the romance, everything.

D-5: The Best Anime of 2011「GENRE」

Part 2 of the countdown to 2011 with the best anime of 2011 in each genre. Keep in mind that this was my HSC year so I am limited to the series that I was able to watch, which you can see here. I am excluding series that are running into 2012.

Action - Fate/Zero

Fate/Zero has truly moved into a class of it's own in all aspects of the anime. Ufotable seems to have left Studio DEEN's adaptation of Fate/stay-night in the dust with their adaptation of Fate/Zero. While the action sequences are great, Fate/Zero is also much more than simply flashy fight scenes with magical powers. It is a combination of good story telling, interesting characters, beautiful animation and an amazing soundtrack by Yuki Kajiura (who did Tsubasa Chronicles, one of my favourite soundtracks). Altogether, Fate/Zero is a real quality production that I won't be forgetting any time soon.

Other notable series: Roberta's Blood Trail (even though it's an OVA because if I had to pick a series that had truly ended, then I'd probably have a hard time choosing one that was really above the rest)

Comedy - Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko

While it's not purely comedy driven, Denpa Onna is still the best anime that falls under this category in my opinion. The first three episodes were a lot more than I expected and could've functioned alone as a separate series. I know quite a few people didn't enjoy it after it reverted to a standard slice-of-life kind of story but I surprisingly still found it extremely enjoyable. That probably had something to do with the amazing artwork and the interesting mix of characters that never failed to amuse me.

Other notable series: Baka to Test: Shoukanjuu Ni, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukanai

Drama - Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai

I was never meant to pick this series up during the spring season this year, so it ended up being the reason I was watching a lot more than I could handle. Surprisingly, AnoHana turned out to be a lot more than I expected, becoming on of my favourite series of the year, and of all-time so far. I'm not exaggerating at all when I say this series made me cry in every single episode. What can I say? I'm a sucker for sad dramas. I really, really loved the way this story was told.

Other notable series: Hanasaku Iroha

Mystery - GOSICK

Detective stories are never out of style but the difficult thing is making it interesting. I really liked the some of the cases they had to offer. While the story was fairly linear and somewhat episodic initially, I liked the darker turn it took at the mid-way point. The main characters were fairly standard with the odd detective and the sidekick, or the loli tsundere and the male lead that was made to show character development. The supporting characters really made up for that though. While everything seems standard in hindsight, it wasn't something I consciously thought about while watching. GOSICK was definitely a really good series that I enjoyed this year.

Other notable series: Un-Go

Slife-of-Life - Usagi Drop

Usagi Drop really could be a page out of the book of someone's life. It doesn't romanticise or exaggerate what would happen if a young girl were to suddenly become a part of a middle-aged man's life and what they would both have to go through. It's not overly dramatised and it is the kind of story that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I wasn't too keen on the series initially when it was recommended to me by a friend but I couldn't help but fall in love with all the characters. There is a real charm about the series that is really rare in anime nowadays.

I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't put anything under romance or sci-fi, especially since romance is one of my favourite genres, but there was really nothing that I could specifically put under each genre as a major focal point.

D-6: The Best Anime of 2011「PRODUCTION」

Kicking off the countdown to 2012 with the best of 2011 by production. Please keep in mind that these are purely my personal opinions and therefore are constrained to the 40 or so anime I was able to see this year. That being said, let's start.

VISUALS
Visuals are a huge part of why I watch anime. If it doesn't look 'pretty', the chances of me picking up the anime is reduced by 50%. If it looks nice, you can't guarantee I'll like it, but I'll definitely watch it. So here are my top 3 for 2011.

3. Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko

This series might not have any of those epic fight sequences the animation looked beautiful. I loved SHAFT's fancy camera angles and the scenery. I also adored Buriki's character designs. Definitely my favourite character designs for the year.

2. Shakugan no Shana III

Shakugan no Shana is one of my favourite series and I've always recognised it for it's impressive visuals. The finale definitely did not disappoint in that aspect.

1. Fate/Zero

Ufotable did an absolutely amazing job with this. It definitely doesn't look like a low budget production and I don't think I've ever seen so much work put into an OP in my entire life. Hands down one of the most beautifully animated series I've ever seen.

Other notable series: 
Hanasaku Iroha, Guilty Crown

STORY
While visuals are the part the gets me to start watching, the story is by far the more important factor that keeps me coming back.

3. Usagi Drop

The kind of story that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It didn't have the over the top melodrama that this kind of series generally has and I liked that.

2. Fate/Zero

Shaping up to be one of my favourite series of the fall season and perhaps of the year, Fate/Zero is full of clever dialogue and cliff-hangers that keep me coming back for more. I've also read that it's quite faithful to the original light novel but I haven't read that.

1. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai

A beautiful tear-jerker.

Other notable series: 
Gosick, Ao no Exorcist

SOUND
Where would a series be without the awesome background music to set the mood for the story?

BGM - Kore wa Zombie desu ka?
I don't feel as if I've heard any outstanding soundtracks but when I think of background music that I like this particular show comes to mind, especially with this track.




OP - LiSA - oath sign (Fate/Zero)




Other notable OPs: 
KOTOKO - Light My Fire (Shakugan no Shana III), Oogame Akua - Os-Uchuujin (Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko), Nakano Aiko - Camellia no Hitomi (Hidan no Aria)

ED - Komine Lisa - Unity (GOSICK)



Other notable EDs:
Aoi Eir - MEMORIA (Fate/Zero)

Insert Song - Tomatsu Haruka - Monochrome  ~version de l'apprivoiser~

Kill Me Baby「PREVIEW」

Title: Kill Me Baby
Type: TV Series
Episodes: Unknown
Producer: J.C. Staff
Genre: Comedy
Airing: January 6, 2012

Synopsis
The story follows the comedic life of a typical school girl Yasuna and her assassin classmate Sonya. Sonya’s attempt to fit in often fails when her natural assassin instincts kick in and Yasuna’s attempt to be more friendly with Sonya often gets her hurt or intimidated.

PV 


Thoughts:
I'm a huge fan of J.C. Staff for their work on Shakugan no Shana... not that that has anything to do with this. This looks really cute. The PV had me laughing out loud so if the entire series is funny, it would be a nice change of pace for me because I like to watch a lot of heavy drama all the time. Looking forward to some fun times unless the series drags on for too long. It won't be enjoyable anymore if it does.

Black★Rock Shooter 2012「PREVIEW」

Title: Black★Rock Shooter
Type: TV Series
Episodes: 8
Producer: Sanzigen, Ordet
Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy
Airing: January 2012

Synopsis:
Kuroi Mato just got into junior high school, and on the first day, someone catches her eye; her classmate Takanashi Yomi. The two meet.The innocent and naive Mato. The mature Yomi. Seemingly opposites, but the time they spend together only strengthens a growing friendship. But as they go into their second year at the school, they get placed in separate classes, and they begin to grow apart. But somewhere simultaneously… In another world, a young girl, blue fire residing in her eyes, Black Rock Shooter faces another young girl; this one holding a jet-black scythe, Dead Master, and a battle to the death begins to unfold.

PV


Thoughts:
I watched the 50 minute OVA back in February and frankly I had absolutely no idea what was going on. Obviously in a particularly moment I did but as a whole I didn't really understand how the events in the two worlds were connected. I'm not entirely sure if it's the quality of the video but the visuals in the OVA look better than the upcoming TV series. I'm hoping that this 8 episode series will not end with more questions than answers like the OVA. I also hope to see more of Black Rock Shooter's twin tails!

Brave 10 「PREVIEW」

Title: Brave 10
Type: TV Series
Epsiodes: 12
Producer: Studio Sakimakura
Genre: Action, Adventure, Historical
Airing: January 8, 2012

Synopsis:
A year before the battle of Sekigahara that ended the Sengoku Period, the ninja Saizou Kirigakure meets the miko Nami Isa as she's attacked by assassins. Her shrine was destroyed by Tokugawa Ieyasu for siding with Yukimura Sanada. Meanwhile, Sanada has been gathering ten warriors known as Sanada's Brave 10, who have the power to change history. As they gather one by one, Nami's own mysterious power awakens.

PV


Thoughts
In my opinion, there are two ways this could possibly go down: It could be totally epic or it'll be a completely lame failure. Of course I'm hoping for the epic possibility and from the looks of the teaser, the battles look pretty awesome. The plot doesn't sound half bad either but I suppose we'll see.

Mouretsu Pirates「PREVIEW」

Title: Mouretsu Pirates
Type: TV Series
Episodes: 26
Producer: Satelight
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space
Airing: January 8, 2012

Synopsis:
The story centers around a spirited high school girl named Marika. She keeps herself busy with the space yacht club and her part-time job at a high-class retro café. One day, two men suddenly appear and claim to be subordinates of her dead father. They demand that she assume command of the space pirate ship Benten Maru. A privateer ship's compact was made during a war of independence a century ago, and according to that compact, the ship must be inherited by the captain's next direct descendant. Marika finds herself embarking on a new life as a space pirate.

PV
The only one I could find was this one, filmed off a TV screen in a store...



Thoughts:
As usual,  it was the image that caught my attention and I was set on watching it before I even knew what it was about. The trailer looks fairly interesting but I don't know what to expect seeing as I've never seen a space opera (Macross, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star) before. I don't have much to say other than 'I want to watch it', so I guess we'll see.

Inu x Boku SS「PREVIEW」

Title: Inu x Boku SS
Type: TV Series
Episodes: Unknown
Producer: Aniplex, David Animation
Genre: Mystery, Supernatural
Airing: January 12, 2012

Synopsis:
The Shirakiin house's daughter, Shirakiin Riricho, who has a complex about being unable to live independently and unprotected, feels the need to move out and live on her own under the condition of residing in the mansion named "Ayakashi Kan." In this mansion, only those who have cleared a very strict examination could reside in it, and for each resident, they are accompanied with one agent of the Secret Service (S.S.). Although Riricho has rejected the company of the S.S., while residing in the mansion she finds out that the agent dedicated to protecting her is actually the Fox Spirit whom she previously rescued.

PV


Thoughts:
I wasn't planning on watching this at first. I didn't even really notice it but one day I was just looking at the chart and the picture was just screaming out to me. Not literally, of course. The art style reminds me of Kuroshitsuji, as does the pairing, but instead of a boy, we have a girl. To be honest, I'm watching for the visuals. The synopsis sounds kind of silly. But heck, why not? From the looks of it, there may be a lot of bishounen (well, there's definitely at least one) and who knows, having not read the manga, I may well be surprised.

Another「PREVIEW」

Title: Another
Type: TV Series
Episodes: 12
Producer: P.A. Works
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Airing: January 9, 2011

Synopsis:
26 years ago, in a third-year classroom of a middle school, there was a student named Misaki. As an honors student who was also good at sports, the charming girl was popular with her classmates. When she suddenly died, her classmates decided to carry on as if she was still alive until graduation. Then, in the spring of 1998, a boy named Sakakibara Kouichi transfers to that classroom, and he grows suspicious of the fearful atmosphere in that classroom. In particular, there is a beautiful, aloof girl named Mei Misaki who wears an eyepatch and is always alone drawing pictures.

PV


Thoughts:
I love this sort of horror. I get really scared while I watch it but I definitely enjoy watching it. I was really afraid while watching the PV and that was during the day. Hopefully it doesn't fall short on the predictability side of it and manages to remain suspenseful. It's being done by P.A. works who also did Hanasaku Iroha and Angel Beats so for sure it's going to look good. I haven't seen any good horror lately so hopefully this is it.

Kyousogiga「PREVIEW」

Title: Kyousogiga
Type: ONA
Episodes: 1
Producer: Toei Animation
Genre: Supernatural
Airing: Premium screenings on December 1st and 4th. Online streaming on December 10th.

About:
In a world where humans and spirits have been thrown together in chaos, three forces vie for power. Just what are the steadily increasing Reality Count and Collapse of Negentropy? Having escaped from the Labyrinth of the Jabberwock, the beautiful Koto pursues the shadow of the “Black Rabbit”. Set in a Kyoto where time stands still, the story of the various people who pursue the Black Rabbit unfolds.

Story:
It’s Kyoto, and yet it is not.
A microcosm of peculiar origins, “Mirror Kyoto”.
A small incident causes a young girl, Koto, to wander into this world.
She runs into a mysterious monk, gets chased around by a tech-obsessed girl, and heartily enjoys her chaotic and colorful new life, but meanwhile, out of sight, a certain plan is being set into motion…
In this mysterious city where spirits and humans have been thrown together, the festivities are about to begin!

Source; official site, evetaku

PV


Thoughts:
Honestly, I have no idea what to make of the 'about' or the 'story'. It doesn't really make sense and I've also read that people who have seen it said it was difficult to understand. It does look really pretty though and somewhat reminds me of Alice in Wonderland at some points in the PV. I don't really know what to say, I mean it's apparently less than 30 minutes long. Well... one of the characters does look a lot like Yuuko from xxxHoliC. It's also a collaboration between Toei and Banpresto if that means anything to anyone? It means absolutely nothing to me. I'm just interested in a pretty looking anime. Rie Kugimiya is the VA for the main girl, Koto. Make what you want of that. That's all.

Winter 2011-2012 Anime Chart

Click through for full image.

Source; neregate

What I'm watching:
☆ Kyousogiga (Apparently only 30 min long though)
☆ Another
☆ Inu x Boku SS
☆ Mouretsu Pirates
☆ Brave 10
☆ Black Rock Shooter
☆ Kill Me Baby

OVAs/Specials:
Infinite Stratos, Hidan no Aria, Holy Knight, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, Gyo, Usagi Drop

05/11/11 Weekly Wrap-Up

Wow, I haven't done this in forever.

This week in anime:
After a terribly long internal debate about whether I had enough space left on my hard drive to download more, I decided to pick up two more series. Following that debate, I had another one about which fansub group I should go with. I'm not too picky with the translation or awkward phrases because for the most part they convey a similar message, but I am picky with the visuals so I generally go with the nicer typesetting. I really am trying my best not to turn this into spring again where I picked up way too many shows.

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukani
It's giving me Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko vibes. I like it.

C³
Gore. Fighting. Lolis. Fanservice. To be quite honest, I really don't know what to say about this show. I'm really liking the gore, which is perhaps the only reason I keep coming back for more. I have no idea where this show is heading and I can't say there's anything remotely new or revolutionary about it at all. It's not even funny. Not even close to being a tiny bit funny.

Fate/Zero
Everything about this show is simply amazing. Perhaps a tad biased coming from a fan of the series but honestly, this tops Fate/stay-night by a mile. It makes me wonder if they were ever really part of the same series. Ufotable didn't disappoint with those impressive visuals either. The soundtrack is also a given considering it's Kajiura Yuki composing. If everything keeps up the way it's been going, the show is probably only going to get better from here.

Guilty Crown
I've never really been a huge fan of this kind of future post-apocalyptic war set up but this story isn't too bad. It still manages to retain my interest. What I really do love about this show are the stunning visuals and the soundtrack. That soundtrack is superb.

Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle
Mediocre series. Not bad but not amazing either. Frankly, it should be bad. The premise is stupid, for lack of a better term, but some how it didn't turn out to be a complete joke. It did kind of become more interesting after the recent episode so I guess we'll see where it goes from here.

Shakugan no Shana III (Final)
For one of my all-time favourites, it really didn't fail to deliver this season to the point where I'm constantly checking what day it is in anticipation for the next episode. It doesn't help when the subs are delayed.

Un-Go
Starting... really soon.

I recently finished Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen or Samurai X - Trust and Betrayal. Anime really doesn't come like this anymore. It kind of made everything I've been watching recently seem not so good. Now I have this onset of nostalgia and feel like watching every 90s anime in existence. Kidding. Gotta keep up with the times too, y'know?

I'm working on a few reviews and on my way to finishing off anime from the spring and summer seasons but alas, real life gets in the way so I haven't been able to finish anything.

Clannad: After Story「REVIEW」

Details:

Producer: Kyoto Animation

Season: Fall 2008

Episodes: 24

Genre: Slice of Life, Drama, Romance

Synopsis: Events in After Story take place immediately after the first season, following Tomoya's final semester of high school. After declaring his love to Nagisa, they begin to have a close relationship. Their life together will be faced with unexpected challenges, as the truth behind the Illusionary World and the city's legend come to light. (From MAL)

Surely by now, you've all heard how much of a tear-jerker Clannad and it's sequel are. After the disappointment that was Clannad, I wasn't expecting much from the sequel and found it difficult to get into. However, after much nagging from a friend, I gave it a try and it exceeded my expectations. I have never experienced something so monumentally heart-wrenching and beautiful as this. It is a huge step up from Clannad but the fairy-tale ending really didn't cut it for me, so this is by no means a masterpiece in any way, but it's definitely worth a watch.

What I loved about this story was that it goes beyond high school romance and tells us what happens after. It goes further than most anime dare to go and is more emotionally and content heavy than most anime ever dare to be. The premise isn't ground-breaking or original. It is simply the story of a boy just trying to do the right thing and protect what matters most to him. Nothing more; nothing less. However, it is this simplicity that makes this story so profound. There is no exaggerated drama or romance, no enemy to defeat, nor is there a need to save the world. While there are supernatural aspects in the story, for the most part it is exceptionally well written realism. The emotions I felt while watching this were absolutely indescribable. Unfortunately, a good story wasn't without its flaws in this case. The first few episodes felt reminiscent of Clannad and made me wonder whether After Story would be as good as it was made out to be. However, after the initial part of the series, it becomes and emotional roller-coaster through and through.

Although I was not a big fan of certain characters, they are easily one of the things that make After Story such a success. They are all so incredibly human and believable, and watching them - particularly Tomoya and Nagisa - grow from boys and girls to men and women, made it a little hard not to feel attached to them. The character development and the relationships between characters really went well with the overall family theme of the series. It was refreshing to see such a pure, innocent love rather than something with over-the-top drama or fanservice. On the downside, Nagisa's character was perhaps a little too perfect at times. While she epitomises quiet strength, she was a borderline Mary Sue. A little more and it would've made the entire series much less believable.

Visually, there isn't much to say. Honestly, visuals was initially the only reason I gave this a try. I'm a fan of Key's character designs and I am by no means an expert on animation but I didn't see anything odd so I guess KyoAni did a fine job with that. I absolutely loved all the background scenery, especially that of the Illusionary World. It was quite surreal and very beautiful.

The soundtrack was perhaps a little mediocre at times. The background music fit well with the situation at hand but there was nothing particularly riveting. There is, however, one aspect of the soundtrack that really didn't sit well with me at all, and that is the ending theme. As each episode tended to end on a sad note, the ED really just detracted from the emotional impact of the story. It's kind of awkward when you're sitting there in the zone with tears streaming down your face and suddenly you hear a poppy, cheerful song. It's a rather strange clash of emotions. I was always making sure of where I was up to so I could close the window before hearing the ED, in fear of an immense buzzkill.

All in all, it's not something I would watch again any time soon for fear of running out of tears but it did leave a great impression. I'm not entirely sure whether it's because After Story is such a huge step up from Clannad, or because it is simply a good story, but it is a great watch and I do highly recommend it.

Personally, I gave it a B(8) but that's rather meaningless as it depends on what you consider average.

I'm back~

I know I've been MIA for a long, long time now but I've now finished high school so I'm back! So here's a run down of what is coming as soon as I can get organised and clean the mess that is the aftermath of my HSC.

We're already a month into the fall season so I don't think I will do previews/first impressions because it's a bit late for that. I will for next season as soon as there's a little more info on it. Here is what I'm watching:

C³ - Lolis, gore and bad fanservice. It's a somewhat entertaining but far from good.
Fate/Zero - I'm a massive fan of the Fate series. I liked it enough to read the visual novel. I never read visual novels.
Guilty Crown - Supercell soundtrack. Enough said. Just kidding. I love the visuals.
Mirai Nikki - I've got the first three episodes on my hard drive and will commence watching later tonight as I've heard it's quite good.
Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle - High school genius versus dark grande organisation with run-of-the-mill characters. How original. I like the puzzles though.
Shakugan no Shana III (Final) - I've been waiting for this since I finished Shakugan no Shana S back in February. It's one of my favourite series.

Funny story: I dropped Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon after 5 minutes.

Reviews I owe:

• Clannad: After Story
• Moshidora
• Highschool of the Dead
• Chrno Crusade
• Astarotte no Omocha
• Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai
• Gosick
• Hidan no Aria
• Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko
• Ao no Exorcist
• Yumekui Merry
• Angel Beats
• Deadman Wonderland
• Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai
• Hanasaku Iroha
• Usagi Drop

That's a lot.... Hopefully I get time to update with reviews tonight with my mum trying to drag me everywhere. I'm on Twitter 24/7 if you want faster updates. 

Dantalian no Shoka Preview and First Impressions

Airing
June 16, 2011 @ 0123
Every Saturday.

Producer
Gainax

Genre
Fantasy, Supernatural

Synopsis
Hugh Anthony Disward inherits an old mansion and a personal library from his grandfather. In the basement of the mansion, he meets a mysterious girl, Dalian. She is a Dantalian and a gateway to "Dantalian's bookshelf", which stores the prohibited books of the demons.

"Gensho (Illusory Books)", the prohibited books, endanger the balance of the world, but people are fascinated by the taboo. Hugh and Dalian solve the cases involving Gensho with their ability to access the Dantalian bookshelf.

Pre-season Thoughts

"I see a gun, fire, and Victorian era style. Disregard everything because this is the most necessary thing to pick up this season." 

As you may or may not know, I choose anime by the art style first. The ones I pick are always usually not the best but I have a far better chance of being able to finish it. Plot wise it sounded pretty original. I'd never heard of anything like it before so I wouldn't be expecting much coming into this series, albeit it seems like the typical anime I'd watch.

Typical anime for me = tsundere girl + boy + some sort of magic + MacGuffin

Considering the prospects as a whole, I wasn't expecting a masterpiece. I was just looking for a bit of fun.

PV


First Impression
It started off nicely, clearly explaining the situation. It wasn't overly poetic or beautifully done or anything but it set the premise for the story so you kind of actually know where the story was heading. I guess that denotes predictability in a way, but hey, it's the first episode. In a way, I found it a little boring at the beginning. I mean, I knew what was going to happen but at least it didn't confuse me. The art was somewhat mediocre. It was a bit strange seeing how insanely pale Dalian was. What I wasn't expecting was that it was a little scary. (Maybe it's just because I watched it in the middle of the night. Who knows.) Yes, I was thoroughly creeped out. Not to mention that ED. How freaky is the girl in the ED? I was scared watching that during the day.

Overall, the first episode was a bit rushed. It did introduce the story but everything happened way too fast and too much  happened in a short time span. It didn't seem to flow very well. Hopefully this show won't become episodic. There are only 13 epiosdes.

And another thing. I've noticed a lot of people comparing this to GOSICK. I guess Hugh and Dalian are somewhat similar to Kujo and Victorique in that they're a male and a female. Oooh, what a striking resemblance. The leads are of the same gender. Wonderful. Seriously though, the only similarity I've noticed is the Victorian era style. Really.

Can't say I minded the start too much really. It's obviously not ever going to be the best anime in the world and I'm honestly not expecting much more out of it. I mean, if it did offer more, I wouldn't be complaining but I can enjoy it just the way it is.

Usagi Drop Preview + First Impression

Airing:
8th July 2011 (Yes, that was last week.) 0045

Producer:
Production IG

Genre:
Slife of Life

Synopsis:
Going home for his grandfather's funeral, thirty-year-old bachelor Daikichi is floored to discover that the old man had an illegitimate child with a younger lover! The rest of his family is equally shocked and embarrassed by this surprise development, and not one of them wants anything to do with the silent little girl, Rin. In a fit of angry spontaneity, Daikichi decides to take her in himself! But will living with this overgrown teenager of man help Rin come out of her shell? And hang on, won't this turn of events spell doom for Daikichi's love life?!

Fansub:
I do believe I'm watching Doki Fansubs. (Why is the fansub important? I've got no idea. In any case, anything is better than HorribleSubs ripped of Crunchyroll. To be honest though, after watching all these Korean shows, any Japanese fansub is way better.) 

Thoughts:
At first, I didn't really notice this show because the art really isn't too eye-catching. That's an understatement really. I had a look at the chart for the 100th time a few days before the season started and actually read all the synopses and thought it sounded really interesting and really felt like it was something I had to watch. So I ditched my plans of watching Blood-C (which I heard isn't too good) and went with this instead. 

PV:


First Impression:
Truly and completely honestly, my first thought was 'the art is weird'. The colours aren't that nice and it takes a bit to get used to. Well, for me it did. I didn't really like the way the scenery was done, but hey, each to their own. Story-wise, it was a good introduction episode. Nothing too extraordinary but it was nice. The story isn't extra special or different but I'm looking forward to a heartwarming series.

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée First Impression

This first episode completely defied my expectations. Having not read the manga, I was expecting a moe-fest but what I saw was quite different. The animation features the story of a young girl who travels to France to work. While it may seem slow to some, I find the story really nice and heartwarming. Yune is a really respectable character, portrayed as the ideal Japanese woman. She's really adorable, it's hard not to fall in love with her immediately. The character dynamic between Yune and Claude is really cute. I also really liked the classical background music.

Apparently, this show has Aria vibes. I haven't seen Aria yet so I wouldn't know. What I do know is this is a good show to enjoy after a long day or before bed. I don't like giving away plot in these things so that's all I'll say. The first episode was a nice start to the show and to the season for me. 

「PREVIEW」Ikoku Meiro no Croisée

Airing:
4th July 2011 0030

Producer:
Satelight (Fairy Tail, Macross Frontier, Shugo Chara)

Genre:
Slife of Life, Historical

Synopsis:
Based on manga by Hinada Takeda, who did the art for Gosick. Maybe that's why it caught my eye. 
The story takes place in the second half of the 19th century, as Japanese culture gains popularity in the West. A young Japanese girl, Yune, accompanies a French traveller, Oscar, on his journey back to France, and offers to help at the family's ironwork shop in Paris. Oscar's nephew and shop-owner Claude reluctantly accepts to take care of Yune, and we learn how those two, who have so little in common, get to understand each other and live together in the Paris of the 1800s.

Fansub:
According to fansubwiki, it's Interrobang. They're slow. My life is over. Just kidding. I'm just going to have to wait and see.  I should be thankful to those who sub these shows considering I don't understand much Japanese, especially conversational Japanese.

Thoughts:
This was the third series I decided to pick up this season with the firm decision that it was just something I had to watch. Oddly enough, it was the last series to catch my eye and I only saw it on about the 10th time I had a look at the chart. There's just something about the story that sits well with me. It really sounds like a beautiful story. I don't want to expect too much and see it fall flat but I'm hoping for something enjoyable. It doesn't have to be spectacular but I just has to be worth my time.

PV:

Hanasaku Iroha 12/26 Episode Edition

Quickly typing this off the top of my head because I like fulfilling 'personal stupid requests'. Here's my two-cents on the recent happenings in P.A. Works' on-going original anime.

The only reason I picked up this anime was because I was browsing through some anime blogs for others' first impressions and I saw a screencap with this amazing picture. The beginning was not so bad and I'd hoped it would improve. Sadly though, I feel as if it's turned into a generic romantic comedy. I guess there's not much you could expect from the slice of life genre. I mean how much do 'realistic' situations vary? To be quite honest, I don't think I've seen enough of this genre to call this generic. (I tend to go for shounen/seinen anime. Why? I'm not quite sure myself.)

Ohana's naivety is starting to get old now. It's almost midway and if what I think should happen actually happens, then she should've learnt something by now. However, she's still as childish as ever. It's not only her though. This show feels as if it’s lacking in character development which I feel is kind of an important aspect in this type of show. Otherwise you're just telling a pointless story. The only character in which I’ve seen some change is Minko. After 12 episodes, I think there are a few plot elements that take too long to resolve such as the issue between Ohana and Ko. The romance is also incredibly predictable. 

The melodrama is starting to feel repetitive and it doesn't have the same effect as it did at the beginning. In the foreseeable future, I don't see this show going anywhere but hey, I might be wrong. I seems like quite an average show with no lasting impact. There's still a long way to go though, so I guess we'll see.

28/05/11 Weekly Wrap-Up

Fear not. I haven't forgotten my blog. Just a really quick update this week. I really haven't had time for much anime lately. I haven't even watched the top 3 of the season this week yet. That's mainly because I have to watch them in a specific order and UTW subs are delayed. I'm probably going to drop A-Channel and Steins;Gate. They both bore me to tears.

I don't have much time due to a lot of assessments in the coming month, so don't expect any reviews anytime soon. They're coming. I promise. Trying to balance school, anime, manga, music and exercise (in the form of learning dances for fun), and various other things is really difficult, but I'm trying. I don't want to become the kind of person who does nothing but study all the time. Of course I want to excel in my studies, but what kind of self-development is there in hitting the books 24/7? You just become a somewhat mindless and boring person, who frankly doesn't know much at all.

This week, I did manage to get a few episodes of anime in towards the beginning of the week. I watched Astarotte no Omocha, Ao no Exorcist, Hanasaku Iroha, Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi and Gosick. Gosick was absolutely amazing. Hopefully these last few episodes don't disappoint, but hey, no expectations means no disappointment. I think I finally don't feel the need to watch a million episodes per day any more.

Truthfully though, I haven't really been doing much work despite not watching anime. I've been watching BEAST related videos like their MTV documentary. I think I've been in a constant high ever since I realised that k-pop isn't all boring like DBSK and BIGBANG or just bad... like all the girl groups. Yes, the revelation was a little overwhelming. Well, at the moment the only group I really love is BEAST. They're so good that their live performances sound recorded. I also like U-KISS and ZE:A but not enough to bother learning any of their names. I have a hard time remembering Korean names for some reason. My musical horizons are expanding but I'll save that story for another day.

For now, I'm out. Real commentary to come as soon as I get around to watching the episodes. Perhaps in the monthly wrap-up, although I have an important exam two days after that. We'll see.

Hooray. Hidan no Aria just got released. Time to watch. Laters.

21/05/11 Weekly Wrap-Up

Yes, it's worth that much. No, I didn't pay that much. I'll show you what I have someday...

This week went by so fast I felt like I had no time to do anything. I get a little scared every time someone reminds me of how little time I have left to prepare for the biggest exam of my life. I spoiled myself with another massive order from Book Depository. I do have a round of assessments coming in 2 weeks so blogging will be a little sparse... not that it isn't already. I promise I'm trying. This post is a day late too because I went to a birthday party yesterday. Nothing happened but it was fun anyway. I hadn't been to one in ages.

Pending Reviews: TOO MANY ..........

• Clannad: After Story
• Moshidora
• Highschool of the Dead
• Chrno Crusade
• The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross

I tried to do the Fortune Arterial one but I didn't remember much so that one won't be out any time soon.

Didn't start any anime this week.

Manga started this week: Kimi ni Todoke, Full Moon o Shigashite, Pandora Hearts, Hidan no Aria (Light novel), Dengeki Daisy (Delinquent school custodian...mmm)

Manga completed: I-O-N
It was really nice story and the art was pretty good for Arina Tanemura's first ever complete volume, even though she did short stories before that. In short, I really liked it.

Song of the week:
Well, I downloaded all of UVERworld's music and B2ST/Beast's new album. People seem to have this misconception that I've been 'converted' to kpop. Seriously, stuff you. I never was against it in the first place. I just don't like all the stuff you do. (Sigh) I never really found anything in Korean music that I liked before this album. I should listen to some music in English but I'm so lazy and it hasn't been that good as of late.



5. UVERworld - Rush
4. Kurosaki Maon - The Place of Hope (HotD ED)
3. B2ST - On Rainy Days/The Day the Rain Came : I'm trying to figure out the guitar for this.
2. Misato Aki - Spread Wings (Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai OP)
1. B2ST - Back to You (My favourite song on the album.)

The intro song was the beginning of B2ST - The Fact.

I've been learning May'n - Scarlet Ballet on piano. It's so fast. I finally finished learning Secondhand Serenade - Your Call on guitar. I just can't sing and play at the same time properly but singing is the only way I know when to play what.

SPRING ANIME RANKINGS v4
Some really good ones and some really bad ones this week. I may drop a few but I don't really like leaving things midway.

1. AnoHana +1 : Heartbreaking.
2. Hidan no Aria -1 : It lacked something this week. Just a little something that was there in all the other episodes.
3. Gosick = : So beautifully cryptic. Best episode yet.
4. Hanasaku Iroha = : Hilarious episode.
5. Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko = : I absolutely love the art. There were so many close ups of faces I nearly died.
6. Ao no Exorcist = : Best episode so far. I loved the back story. Dislike the love interest.
7. Deadman Wonderland +3 : Quite exciting.
8. Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai -1 : I don't know what to think. Only 5 episodes left. Will it make sense in the end?
9. SKET Dance = : Cute episode.
10. Astarotte no Omocha! -2 : Utter disappointment. It was really bad this week.
11. Dog Days = : A decent follow-up. Not too bad.
12. Steins;Gate = : I fell asleep.
13. C +1 : I'm a little lost. I don't understand it's popularity. It's like Yu-Gi-Oh! with credit cards, just not as good. I fell asleep.
14. Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL +1 : Well, I also fell asleep.
15. A-Channel -2 : And for the third time, I fell asleep.
16. Sekaiichi Hatsukoi +1 : This show is lame.
17. Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi -1 : This show.. remind me why I'm watching this?

Best of the week:
AnoHana again. The story is amazing. It really tugs are your heartstrings. I can't imagine what would happen if I decided to watch all the episodes in a row. Waterfall incoming?

Worst of the week:
Everything I fell asleep in along with Hoshizora and Sekaiichi. Really. No joke. It was a bad week.

Most memorable moment:
When the guy in Deadman Wonderland got his eye gouged out. (I don't want to post a picture so have a little of Kurosaki over there instead.) I'm not usually phased by any sort of gore but it was censored which made me imagine all this stuff about what it would be like. It was really graphic. Not to mention I was eating at the time. I didn't finish my food. I nearly spit it everywhere.

14/05/11 Weekly Wrap-Up

So this week wasn't a particularly eventful one. I went by the whole thing in an absolute daze. I was so sleep deprived due to the insane amount of English homework. I hardly remember what happened. I do, however, remember that my youtube account was terminated. I never liked youtube, but apparently, you only get your videos removed if someone reports you. Shame on that person for not allowing me to share the music I like! Also, I did receive 6 books in the mail, with 10 still on the way. That brightened up my week a lot. The amount of Shojo Beat manga I buy is crazy.

Pending Reviews

• Fortune Arterial: Red Promise (It's actually been a while since I watched this but I wanted to do a review because I actually liked this as opposed to the majority of people whose reviews I did read.)
• Clannad: After Story + Kyou Chapter OVA
• Moshidora
• Highschool of the DEAD + OVA
• The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross (Thought I'd try a manga review.)

Anime started this week: Bottle Fairy. It's terrible.

Manga started this week: Princess Ai

Anime completed this week: Highschool of the DEAD. I was actually following the dub, but I couldn't stand waiting any more, so I watched it all on Thursday.

Song of the week:

I actually download songs like a madwoman, so this week, I decided I would make a video of the top 5 songs I added to itunes this week! I uploaded it to megaupload which really decreased the quality a lot. It took me hours, and hours, because my editing skills are rather rusty. It took me ages to cut the songs and put them together properly so it would sound okay.

5. French Kiss - Kakko Warui I love you! (Sket Dance OP) - It's so catchy!
4. Kishida Kyoudan  & The Akeboshi Rockets - HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD (HotD OP)
3. momo - Daisuki da you (Moshidora ED) - I love the chorus.
2. UVERworld - CORE PRIDE (Ao no Exorcist OP) - Despite the fact that the ending theme is absolutely unbearable, I love the opening theme and have been listening to it over and over. I love the gang vocals.
1. Nakano Aiko - Camellia no Hitomi (Hidan no Aira ED) - I've been listening to this on repeat.

I do realise they're all songs from anime, but I haven't really had the chance to go look up some new English music. Some of the obscure music I like is not so easy to find.

SPRING ANIME RANKINGS v3
I revised my scoring system this week. I think it actually makes more sense now and the scores match my thoughts on the series'. The amount of 'fluff' in all the episodes this week was insane.

1. Hidan no Aria = : It doesn't fail to impress yet again. After I see something happen, I realise how predictable it was. What makes it good is I didn't know it was going to happen. Aria's character is also nice because she shows more of her deredere side.
2. AnoHana = : Emotional overload. It's absolutely beautiful. It's quite powerful in the way it makes the viewer able to empathise with all the characters.
3. Gosick : Adding this in this week since it's on going as well. The real story is unfolding. The ending was so touching.
4. Hanasaku Iroha = : More melodrama and amazing art.
5. Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko = : The show that you really like, but have no idea why you like it. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
6. Ao no Exorcist +1 : Really cheesy episode but I liked it. I hope this show continues to improve.
7. Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai +1 : Total mindfuck, but something is happening. I can just feel it underneath all the bad but funny fan service. The series is mid-way through now, and the way I see it is it'll either be absolutely mindblowing, or it will fail epically. 
8. Astarotte no Omocha +2 : This is turning out to be a lot more than it initially was. It's nice, and somehow manages to put a smile on my face.
9. SKET Dance +6 : Really a hit and miss kind of show. This weeks episode was really heartwarming.
10. Deadman Wonderland -4 : Conceptually, I like it but it's getting more and more boring by the week.
11. Dog Days +1 : That twist at the end. Shocking. 
12. Steins;Gate -3 : *Yawns* Need I say more? It's not confusing or anything, it's just really weird and extremely boring. The banana jokes aren't funny any more.
13. A-Channel +1 : This show is just bad. What happened?
14. C -3 : I'm so disappointed that this isn't as good as I thought it would be. Animation isn't good at all.
15. Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal -2 : It's like this show doesn't even try to be good.
16. Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi = : Don't even get me started on the fan service. There is also absolutely no plot whatsoever.
17. Sekaiichi Hatsukoi = : Just not feeling the emotion. It's so superficial. It's lame.

Best of the week: AnoHana episode 5. The emotional impact this show has is amazing. 

Worst of the week: Hoshizora and Sekaiichi. Wow. Never have I ever seen anything so bad.

Most memorable moment:

I really want to see Victorique meet her mother. This moment was one of those 'awwwww' ones.