Good lord, I wrote a friggin' novel this week, so I won't waste much time with a needless introduction.
EDIT: I totally forgot about Hyakko, haha. Very quick, basic thoughts are edited in now.
Anime discussed: Asu no Yoichi!, Clannad ~After Story~, Code Geass R2, Full Metal Panic, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Hyakko, Kare Kano, Kurokami, Lovely Complex, Maria Holic, Minami-ke Okaeri, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 s1 + s2, Munto (TV), Rideback, Tales of the Abyss, To Aru Majutsu no Index, Toradora!, White Album, Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
-- Asu no Yoichi! ep2: Decent episode with Yoichi being introduced to school. I like the skirmishes between him and Washizu; their fight is the most fun part of the episode. Ayame is totally going through the tsundere motions (including a haphazard attempt at cooking a meal for Yoichi), but she's cute, so hey.
-- Clannad ~After Story~ ep14: First off, Akio is amazing here. MC Akio is possibly his greatest creation -- everything from the Kamina-esque sunglasses to the horrible rapper impression is just spot-on gold. Also, there are HUGE leaps made in the story -- I mean, my gosh, Nagisa is pregnant!! It's such a weird thing to think about because the most physical interaction we have seen from them is hugging and holding hands. Not that I expected to SEE anything, mind, but they haven't even kissed onscreen. I wonder if there is any sort of reason for that ... ? At any rate, I am frightened to death regarding Nagisa's well-being now. Her "weak body" has been brought up numerous times in the past few episodes, and if there is anything fiction has taught us, it's that weak bodies + pregnancy = DO NOT WANT. If Nagisa dies in childbirth, then man, that will be heartbreaking.
-- Code Geass R2 ep8: lol, Suzaku is an idiot. That is all I need to say.
-- Full Metal Panic! eps 1-24: Pretty good series. To answer a question Ryo threw to me when I started the series, I have to say I preferred the comedy to the action, which I suppose means Fumoffu will be my favorite entry in the FMP! trilogy when I eventually watch it. I did generally enjoy the action parts, though; I liked Sousuke MUCH more than I thought I would at the beginning of the series, and he is a hero I could really get behind. Gauron never quite made the leap to epic villain status for me, though, which is sort of disappointing. (To be fair, he IS awesomely crazy in the final arc.) And, uh, Weber is pretty damn awesome. Shinichiro Miki ftw.
-- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex eps 8-15: I like how this series throws out the strangest things around which to center episodes, and then it totally makes them work. Take ep15, for instance, which (I think) brings to a close the story about the Tachikomas expanding intelligence and self-awareness. It's so weird to see them all huddled around each other discussing things like kids (unless I am misinterpreting things, they definitely see Batou and the Major as parental figures, too). Batou's reaction to this is amusing ("You guys really ARE getting weird.), but the Major's reaction is really interesting. I guess she believes that the more the Tachikomas become like humans, the less useful they will be as weapons, since their self-awareness could cause them to question their roles. (It already put a wrench into their relationship -- they were all jealous of that one Tachikoma they believed was closest to Batou.) It's just random things like the series gets you to think about, which is fun. And then there are really awesome stories like ep11 where Togusa infiltrates the facility with all the kids in it and unwittingly meets one who is the strongest candidate to be the actual Laughing Man that I have seen in the series thus far. The end to that one, with the focus on the kid's glove, is really good.
-- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni eps 1-26: Even I didn't end up liking this series, I think I'd have to at least respect it for inspiring so many different reactions from me. The violence, especially, is something I went back and forth on throughout the show. At times it helps create a tense, horrific atmosphere that makes the stories that much better. At other times, though, it is just WAY TOO MUCH and takes me out of the story. Nothing exemplifies that better than Shion's arc, where she takes revenge on all those she believes destroyed Satoshi's life. Shion, like just about everyone else, is an angry, crazy child, so her vengeance is obviously not going to be pretty. That's fine. At its best, the violence is a reflection of how twisted Shion's soul has become because the love of her life has been taken from her -- the monster inside her being unleashed. However, sometimes the violence is so over the top and gruesome that the focus is shifted onto the brutality of the violence itself rather than the brutality of Shion's revenge. I can stomach a LOT of fictional violence, believe me, but I don't want to watch grotesque torture just for the sake of grotesqueness. Even with me, there IS such a thing as going too far, haha. I did like the series overall, despite its faults, and I'll be seeking out the sequel eventually, if only because I would like to know what the hell is going on. :P
-- Hyakko eps 11-13: Like Kannagi, this show went through a strange "anime is srs bizness" phase at the end. I do like Torako, though, and the way it is executed is not bad, so it isn't entirely unwelcome. In the end, though, the series is just decent.
-- Kare Kano eps 1-3: I've been warned repeatedly about the Gainax Ending, but until then I will enjoy the ride, because the show has been quite awesome so far. Yukino is already an infinitely amusing character, and her chemistry with Arima is quite natural and leads to a great relationship between them. I also loved Arima's development in the third episode, where he pushes Yukino away because she so easily unwraps the layers of identity with which he covered himself.
-- Kurokami ep2: The action is still very good, but I am becoming wary about where the story is heading. I'm not sure what it is that's causing warnings to go off in the back of my mind; however, something is telling me I might want to get out while the getting is good at the first sign of trouble.
-- Lovely Complex eps 5-6: lol, epic traps are epic. This is an especially well done trap, because, really, who the hell could actually see it COMING? It's almost unfair, actually, but that is the way of the trap. Aside from that amusing development, the series rolls right along being hilarious and fun. I like that Risa has acknowledged her feelings for Otani relatively early in the series; her bungled attempts at courtship are hilarious, as is Otani's amazing thickheadedness.
-- Marimite 4th ep2: Frankly, I hated most of this episode, and it's definitely because of Kanako. I just don't like her -- never have since she first appeared, and I doubt I ever will unless something drastic happens with her character. And by "drastic" I do not mean "absolutely batcrap insane" like what happened in this episode. (Her dad courted a girl who is just a couple of years older than Kanako at most, and they had a BABY?? I mean WTF A BABY?!?!?! All this is revealed in the space of 30 seconds or so btw. I am still trying to reconcile this in my mind.) Thank God Touko saved the day by being her usual awesome self. And the series is now getting to Yumi's choice of petite souer, which should not even BE a choice because, again, Kanako sucks and Touko rules.
-- Maria Holic eps 2-3: This is such a bizarre series -- it's taking Marimite's stranger focuses of drama (in the case of ep3, a desperate search for a lost rosary) and injecting it with comedy steroids. Ep2 is a fun introduction to some of the other students. With ep3, I would have liked more of Mariya. The show is at its best when he is tormenting Kanako (side note Maria Holic Kanako > Marimite Kanako), and that is relegated to the beginning of the episode. At least Ishima swooped in the save the day at the end and is apparently going to do battle with some weird plant creature. OK!
-- Minami-ke Okaeri eps 2-3: Hosaka is pretty epic in ep2. His attempts to make friends with Haruka's pals are hilariously frightening, and his song at the end is nothing short of brilliant (and it's a fantasy, too! Yay!). Even Chiaki sang along to it! Ep3 is just very strange, with both Minami families fighting over pudding, and then gorging on donated apples. (Haruka's fried apples must pack quite a punch if they put Touma down for the count like that.) Kana, in particular, is very creepy while tempting Uchida to open the box of apples and then promising a punishment for her.
-- Mobile Suit Gundam 00 eps 17-18: God, the Trinities suck. At least I can take solace in the fact that the next four episodes essentially consist of the Trinities getting their asses handed to them by various characters. My boy Graham got things rolling earlier, and now Setsuna is taking the reins. Just you wait until ep19, 'Gome -- you will be quite pleased. :)
-- Mobile Suit Gundam 00 s2 ep11: Celestial Being is really getting hit hard now, with Kati conducting an attack that probably would have crippled them had the 00 Raiser not been completed (c'mon, there was no way that wasn't happening). The ending is really good, with Saji and Louise apparently realizing that they are on opposite sides of the conflict; I wonder how that will turn out? I'd also like to give Tieria a pat on the back for revealing the existence of the Innovators to Celestial Being, although I am a bit wary of the stray concerns that are still troubling him about Celestial Being's role in Aeolia Schenberg's plan.
-- Munto (TV) ep1: Apparently this is basically the first Munto OVA with sharper, better colors and in widescreen. If this weren't developed by Kyoto Animation, I would probably drop it right now; the story is not at all the type of thing that normally interests me. However, because KyoAni is so wonderful, I will at least wait until the series delves into new content before making that decision (the second Munto OVA will also be used as an episode, I believe). I owe KyoAni that much for all the wonderful shows it's developed.
-- Ride Back ep2: It still looks good, which is nice, although the vibe from the first two episodes is weird. I keep expecting this club to tie into the battle against the oppressive government, and that may come to a head at the race Tamayo wants Rin to attend. For the life of me, though, I cannot think of a way for that to develop that is not totally goofy. Ride Back, I am keeping a close eye on you.
-- Tales of the Abyss ep16: Solid episode. The sacrifice by Class M and Class I is fairly moving, and the stuff with Ion and Sync later in the episode also struck a chord with me. (Despite being a douche, I felt sorry for Sync since he was dealt such a rotten life.) Thankfully, Van's motivation isn't overly simplistic, either, so that takes care of that worry. I assume there is a crapload of crazy stuff yet to come, though, because there are 10 episodes remaining lol.
-- To Aru Majutsu no Index ep15: Holy hell, this episode is hilarious. It starts out innocently enough, with Touma and Index taking a beach trip so that Touma can get away from the city, but then it develops into a strange alternate reality where Mikoto takes the form of Touma's cousin, Index takes the form of Touma's mom and, horrifingly enough, Touma's friend whose name I can't remember taking the form of Index. The best part, though, is Kuroko as the president of the United States, using Barack Obama's, "Yes we can!" catchphrase. I just about died with laughter there. Then there's another curveball with another of Touma's friends being a member of Necessarius all along. When Kaori showed up, I was scared to death that would lead to another massive info dump, but thankfully that never took place. I'm interested in where this is going; the No. 1 suspect in all this has to be Touma's dad -- after all, does Touma REALLY know that's his dad? Of course not.
-- Toradora! ep16: How can you be so good, Toradora!? How?! Yet another brilliant ending to a great, emotional story arc. As expected, Kitamura has a thing for Kanou, and he freaked out because she is studying abroad. He said it seems a silly thing about which to flip out, but I can understand where he's coming from, especially since Kanou is the one who inspired him to join the student council and has been a big part of his life throughout high school. (BTW, Kanou looks so awesome during the scene in the past where she tells Kitamura to join the council.) But the REAL highlight is Taiga throwing down with Kanou near the end of the episode. Just ... wow. A hell of a fight and a truly emotional scene. To me, a big part of Toradora! is all these characters learning to shed the layers of false identities they've built for themselves and to embrace communicating on an open, honest level. Taiga has learned it. Ryuuji has learned it. Minorin I expect will truly learn it soon (btw, the scene with Ami and Minorin near the end is intriguing as hell). And now Kanou has learned it; she didn't need to play the tough, proud woman to help Kitamura through a rough time. She just needed to be honest. Toradora! please enjoy your stay back at the top of the list of shows currently airing right now. :)
-- White Album ep3: This show has become really good in a very sneaky way; it actually might be my favorite of the winter season so far. I especially love how Yuki and Touya's relationship has developed. They showed more overt affection for each other this week, but there are still little cracks in the wall of their relationship that could deepen and cause everything to collapse at any time. (The way they each lied to each other on the phone; the way their memories of their first meeting differed; Touya's slowly deepening fixation on Rina; and so on.)
-- Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei eps 5-7: Nothing much for me to say other than the show is as amazing and cracktastic as I remember. (Everything beyond this point is new to me, though, so I'll have more to say next week, haha.) The best part in this bunch is the seiyuu switch-up in ep6. Tomokazu Sugita as Kaere is epically funny.
