Before you read this, I demand you all read this story by Nehszriah, which was inspired by The Books of Moe. Any story that displays everything that is so wonderful about Samuel L. Jackson is well worth reading. Also, it is funny as hell.
This past month or so has probably been the most active anime viewing period of my life. It would practically be superhuman if I did not have Des around to knock me back to Earth. :P
So, quick thoughts.
AIR: Loved this. First off, super beautiful series -- would not be at all surprised if I watched it again simply to admire the pure art of it. Also greatly enjoyed how quickly the series enabled me to become attached to the characters. I was actually a bit put off by Misuzu in the beginning -- she came off as artificial to me -- but within the space of a couple of episodes, her story cut right to my heart. Parent/child relationship stories also resonate strongly with me, so I loved the theme of maternal relationships throughout. (The end got to me strongly, obviously, but my heart was also ripped to shreds during the dinner with Tohno, her mother, Michiru and Yukito. It's so simple and so bittersweet. I am a huge sap, btw.)
Mnemosyne: Liked it so much that I don't have to look up the spelling anymore! Should I be ashamed that my initial interest in the series came from the main character, Rin, pushing just about every button I have, and even some I didn't even know I had? My god. But there are two main things I love about the series. 1) The sexuality, and how it is used to develop character. It ranges from sensual to loving to brutal and to downright disgusting and horrifying. And 2) How people and the world evolve throughout. Rin and her cohort, Mimi, are immortal, and Mnemosyne follows roughly 65 years of their existence. Characters come into their lives, grow and die, all while being replaced in Rin and Mimi's lives by descendants. I like how it is pulled off in this series.
Eureka Seven: Five episodes in and I am enjoying it greatly. Renton is a character I am actually liking quite a bit right now, because I can identify with the kid so much. (Well, identify with how I was at his age, anyway. ... Man, that sentence made me feel old.) Eureka is also quite different from how I imagined her, which is cool with me. Plus, there are air surfing mechas. How fucking cool is that?? Actually, it probably would have sounded ridiculous to me before I watched this, but now I totally want one. It seems the larger story is starting to emerge now, so I am looking forward to the coming episodes.
After Eureka Seven I am thinking about watching Black Lagoon (and probably Second Barrage if I like Black Lagoon, which I am sure I will, haha). After that is a mystery!
