Good God, has it seriously been 20 weeks? Should I have a party in recognition of this?
EDIT: I went through and added the "anime week" tag to all these posts, so if you're ever interested in my thoughts on shows I have watched since about mid-November, there is an easy way to find 'em all.
Anime discussed: Asu no Yoichi!, Axis Powers Hetalia, Clannad ~After Story~, Code Geass R2, ef - a tale of melodies., Goku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Kurenai, Kurokami, Lovely Complex, Maria Holic, The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 s2, Nyoro~n Churuya-san, Shugo Chara! Doki, To Aru Majutsu no Index, Toradora!, White Album
-- Asu no Yoichi! ep10: Ah, the ol' hot spring episode. To my great surprise, Asu no Yoichi! actually evaded all the usual hot springs shenanigans. Color me shocked! The plan in this episode could be seen from a mile away (and again, I am notoriously dumb with these things, so it really IS that obvious), so this episode is not that interesting to me. I watch this show more for the (admittedly clichéd) comedy than the plot. I'm interested to see Washizu's reaction to Ibuki losing her memory, though. (Unless she regains it and he doesn't show up, in which case I will annoyed, because he is my favorite character.)
-- Axis Powers Hetalia ep8: LOL, this is the funniest episode so far. Italy getting kidnapped by all the Allies is a great running gag, as is the Allies getting frustrated with him each time and mailing him back to Germany. Hahaha. Germany getting ever more frustrated and trying not to show it is also hilarious. lol @ Italy hating England's food. "I'd rather eat Germany's squishy potatoes than this stuff!" xD
-- Clannad ~After Story~ ep22: What can I say? The episode is a tad vague (although reading various people's thoughts on it helped me understand it much more) and there's a (long foreshadowed) deus ex machina, but aside from that (or maybe even partly because of it), watching this episode is one of the most emotional experiences I have had with anime in quite a while. (Maybe the closest, most recent experience would be watching those final few episodes of Eureka Seven.) For me, it is undeniably fulfilling and true to the spirit of every major theme Clannad has explored from the beginning -- the utter strength of familial bonds, the importance of parent/child relationships, the battle to achieve happiness in life and so on and so forth. Damn it, I got choked up in the beginning, teared up a bit during "Toki wo Kizamu Uta" (I absolutely cannot hear that song anymore without feeling an intense stirring in my heart) and could not stop as the episode went on. It just all seemed ... right. Normally with a deus ex machina, at least for me, there's the feeling that I have been manipulated a bit and that it's all too convenient. But considering all the hardships Tomoya, Nagisa and Ushio endured, the only thing I could think was, "How do they not deserve this?" Nagisa waking up after Tomoya thinks she has slipped into death is a perfect moment, period. Shit, I'll take 5,000 deus ex machinas to experience emotion like that again.
The Illusionary World is still partly a mystery to me, but as I understand it, Ushio (or at least someone who represents her) is the deity of sorts in this world, and perhaps of Tomoya's world. She is the embodiment of the city. I've read theories that compare the physical state of the city (how much it changed) with the progression of Nagisa and Ushio's sickness, and I don't know that I disagree with them. Anyway, I am not totally certain on this, but I think the hardships Tomoya endured were put there by Ushio to erase the doubt that plagues Tomoya throughout Clannad. He moves forward and works hard to improve himself as a person, but he constantly doubts his own abilities -- his worth as a student, as a worker, as a husband and as a father. The choice Tomoya must make about whether to live everything again, potentially reliving the bad along with the good, after Nagisa and Ushio die is the most important choice in Clannad. He absolutely cannot give in to his doubt and run away from his duty to be a loving husband and father. And when Nagisa walks past Tomoya in his dream, and Tomoya feels the potential of a life without Nagisa in his heart, he realizes it is the thing he wants least in the world. Even if he has to endure the pain of losing Nagisa again, he cannot live without knowing her and loving her. That is what Ushio wants; that is what erases all doubt from Tomoya's heart. She gives Tomoya, Nagisa and her earthly self the world they have earned with the strength of their spirit.
And after that, it is all fun, emotional montages and random Fuuko interaction. And, hell, I love it to death. Watching Ushio grow up again, this time with both parents to cherish and love her, is a wonderful experience and makes me want to be a father right this second, even though my current self could never handle the responsibility in a million years. The montage with all Tomoya and Nagisa's friends is a total cliché, and yet I still love the hell out of it. How could any Clannad fan not enjoy it? You get Kyou teaching children, Ryou working as a nurse, Kotomi looking incredibly badass and (presumably) roaring down the streets of America, Tomoyo looking breathtakingly gorgeous, Sunohara either failing a driving test (?!?!) or being the worst taxi driver ever, Misae continuing to take care of the dorms, an older Mei (!!!), Akio and Sanae up to their old tricks and Yoshino rocking out like the good old days. Incredibly awesome. I was also totally strung along with the absurd, and perfect, dialogue between Fuuko and Kouko; I hung on to Fuuko's every word, waiting for the eventual reveal of Ushio. They're gonna be best friends!! Yay!!
Man. I love everything about this episode, and the entire winter season Clannad thrilled me like few shows have before. It would take a hell of a lot for any show to top this, but I welcome them to try (Toradora! and Gundam 00 are the closest to doing this).
-- Code Geass R2 eps 16-25: Yeah, I got annoyed with another Code Geass hiatus, so I decided to run through the rest of the series in one late night marathon. What I mainly heard about the final episodes is that they are a mess and a train wreck -- that is true, at least to an extent. A while ago, I believe Fasterisk wrote that it was as if the creators had expected all along that they would get a third season, and were told a month before the end that they weren't getting it, so they went, "Oh shit, we gotta wrap this up!!" and wildly improvised a finish. That is certainly the vibe the final third gives off. If I were to guess, I'd say ep21, with the revelation of Charles and Marianne's plan and Lelouch and Suzaku coming together to defeat them, was meant to be the finale of R2, with all the Emperor Lelouch stuff comprising the third season. However, despite the hastiness of the ending, I really cannot deny that Geass ended as entertainingly as it began. Betrayals upon betrayals, twists upon twists and loads of epic battles are what make up these episodes, and I had a hell of a time watching them. More than ever before the show abandons any sense of coherency and and subtlety to deliver the craziest, most entertaining plot. And, damn it, it worked on me. I wavered back and forth on Suzaku -- not that I ever liked him, but I was torn because I think he is actually badass as Lelouch's main knight. I hated Rolo because he really did not deserve the somewhat redemptive ending he received. I was annoyed with Nunally because she tried to become a female Lelouch, except with big, creepy eyes. I was confused with Charles and Marianne's plan, which I guess is shades of Evangelion with the whole "humanity as one" dealie. But, above all, I thrilled each time Lelouch slithered away from another sticky situation, because, as much of a bastard as he is, he's a damn entertaining bastard. Hell, I kind of want to rewatch the first season now, just so I can better compare the two.
-- ef - a tale of melodies eps 4-12: Man, I really wish I had watched this in the fall when it aired, haha. It's just as beautiful, thrilling and touching as ef - a tale of memories. Even just watching the normal TV version, which is obviously nowhere near as gorgeous as the Blu Ray rips, the visuals leap off the screen and burrow their way into my heart. Seriously, if you are an art nut, and you haven't watched a tale of memories and a tale of melodies, you really need to get on that. Even if you don't like the story, it's more than worth it for the art alone. The middle part of the story is sort of weird, at first, because Akira Amamiya is much more of an outright villainous figure than anyone from a tale of memories -- not that it's a bad thing, mind, just a different sort of drama. (He definitely delivers the creepiest, most evil "Welcome back" I've heard in anime.) Of the two stories, I was more into Yuuko/Himura than Mizuki/Kuze (although they are both very good). The sheer weight of the tragedy and everything they have to fight through to be together struck me just a bit more; of course, it's not as though Mizuki and Kuze have a walk in the park, haha. But, above all, I really love the connections between the two stories, especially where it concerns Kuze going through some of the same things Himura went through years earlier. (Trying to distance himself so that he doesn't hurt others and himself, wondering about the nature of things, and so on and so forth.) I enjoyed all the peeks into the lives of the characters from a tale of memories, too. Like, every time one of them showed up, I would be like, "OMG, it's Chihiro!!" or "Yay, it's Hiro!!" lol, I am such a dork.
-- Goku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei ep2: Wow, I can see why typesetting and translating this must have been a nightmare, haha. Pretty damn good episode here. The first couple of skits are equally good, I think. The first, with Nozomu explaining how people go through the motions, is a riot. (I totally would not have pissed off Chiri by spurning her in the beginning, though. Good lord she is a creepy kid.) One joke that really made me laugh is the, "People study really hard to get into college, but once they're in college they only watch anime" joke, because it was the complete opposite for me, haha. Maria talking about being loved because she is developing into a woman, and losing love when she is a fully developed woman is just ... yeah. haha The second skit, with everyone doing things they wouldn't normally do because a killer earthquake is coming, is just as funny. That Clannad reference in the middle of it slayed me. Fuuko~ And Nami and her iPhone ... lol. So very normal. And, of course, who can forget "My crotch is going crazy!"? The final skit, with Kino competing with Kudou to rename books, is funny but my least favorite of the skits, overall. I did enjoy the renaming process, though. The delivery of the title "Wine Kiss" cracks me up every time. So damn funny.
-- Kurenai eps 9-10: Man, I barely said anything in Anime Club when Kurenai was on because the story had me wrapped around its finger. Watching the Kuhouins take Murasaki away from Shinkurou's apartment is so terrifying, even if the animation gets a bit wonky during the fight scenes. I thought the Kuhouin women had it bad enough before this episode ... but after Benika told Shinkurou the true meaning of being a Kuhouin woman, it was difficult to keep my jaw from dropping. Soooooooo messed up. It's a complete denail of existence, physically, mentally and spiritually. Just horrible. Ryuuji is also creepy as hell. Good lord. So damned eager to continue the Kuhouin tradition. Ick. The way he makes Murasaki say that she wants to go back of her own will is horribly evil. I really hope he gets his in the end. I like some of the glimpses into other characters we get in ep10 while everyone is kicking Shinkurou in the ass so that he won't give up on Murasaki. The quick peek into Yayoi's past is especially jarring. Yikes. It definitely shows why she is as serious as she is, but I think she has also gained a better understanding of Shinkurou. She sees that his caring personality was the perfect type for this job, even if it didn't end as well as they would have liked. Can't wait to see her and Shinkurou team up to help free Murasaki from her fate.
-- Kurokami ep9: Things are starting to converge in Okinawa now -- Reishin is heading there to raise some hell, and Hiyou is already there, with Kuro all nice and kidnapped. The behind the scenes workings with the Keita doppeliner whose name I can never remember and Raiga are somewhat interesting -- the Keita doppeliner seems to be working against Reishin, but then Raiga beat the hell out of the twins. Hm. Keita is pretty dumb letting his mom's doppeliner approach him like that. Should have known it wasn't a coincidence that she stumbled upon him. He is lucky his ring has all that power. Best part of this episode is Steiner kicking some ass. Love that guy.
-- Lovely Complex eps 21-22: Ep21 is pretty good -- I really liked the focus on Nobuko and Nakao's issues, and how their troubles reflected upon Risa and Ootani's problems. That's the sort of thing I wish Lovely Complex did a bit more often with its minor characters. The story with Nobuko and Nakao is solid and emotional, and it also advances the main story with Risa and Ootani. As fun as the mains are, the focus is so heavy on them that the other characters can get lost in the mix at times. Ep22 I enjoyed until the end, which comes off as slightly forced to me. Yes, Risa made a dumb mistake, and I am assuming the stress from tests and studying has affected Ootani's mood and reactions more than he would like to admit (along with, perhaps, an intense fear of actually losing Risa to Kohori). But the one-strike break up is an overreaction, especially if Ootani actually cares about Risa, which he does. Not that I expect him to be the picture of calm in that situation, but still, I am being cautious about this story, especially since Des has said that Lovely Complex goes a bit astray at the end.
-- Maria Holic ep10: lol, another solid episode. The beginning with Kanako fretting over passing the supplementary test is amusing. I like the running joke of Kiri repeating that she sucks at science and math. Mariya being shocked at Kanako doing well on certain parts of the test is funny, but the best part is Matsurika half-assing helping Kanako out and changing Kanako's personality for a short time. I'd be afraid to see what God did to Kanako as punishment for failing the tests the first time, haha. The second part with the love letter to Kiri is fun. lol @ Kanako "What kind of girl gave it to you?!" and then the awkward silence afterward. Also funny is Kanako alternately comparing herself to the "lolicon" and insulting him. And Matsurika once again comes up in the clutch with a rejected stamp on the lolicons resume to get him to stop hounding Kiri. Woo!
-- The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan eps 9-10: Lots of funny stuff this week. I like Haruhi going for dramas next on her hit list. She is quite excited about everyone's ideas, haha. The eventual combination -- because of course Haruhi has to combine every idea into one overblown show -- is great. For me, the funniest part is the continued suggestion that Haruhi ships Kyon x Itsuki. That really cracks me up for some reason. The second episode is not as funny but is still amusing. I enjoy seeing Yuki become more like a regular high schooler, staying up all night to play games and not wanting to wake up in the morning.
-- Mobile Suit Gundam 00 s2 ep23: Whoa DAMN. Now THIS how you march toward a series finale. Any reservations I had about Gundam 00 not ending on a suitably epic, sweeping note are just about kaput. So much happens this week that it is almost difficult to keep up! Obvious twist that Ribbons isn't dead, though sadness @ Regene going out like a G. It's funny because TC, Ryo and I were wondering when Ali Al-Saachez was going to show up again, haha. The battles in this show keep getting exponentially more insane. This week it's Ribbons FIRIN' HIS GN LAZOR (AND ALMOST KILLING KATI, THAT MOTHERFUCKER) and then unleashing his horde of Bring clones, which all went into Trans-Am mode at one time and rammed the holy hell out of the Ptolemy. Sure it would have (probably) been more economical to use regular Trans-Am missiles, but Ribbons is crazy and immoral and he just don't give a fuck. Sad face @ Patrick giving his life for Kati. Guess the AEU's ace isn't immortal, after all. :( WTF @ Ribbons being a crazy madman and filling his damn superstation with clone!Gundams and Automatons. Good lord. Extra WTF @ EVERYONE HAVING TRANS-AM now. Revive and Hilling, you both suck. GTFO. Louise is awesome, though. She can stay. The Ali/Lyle fight is going to kick so much ass. Yesssss. I get the feeling Ali is going to beat the fuck out of Lyle for a bit, and then Setsuna will show up, rough up Ali a bit and then let Lyle have the final blow, because Setsuna is above that revenge shit now. Just give me more of Keiji Fujiwara being evil and crazy, and I will be happy. Billy is a god damn retard; I will be pissed if he kills Sumeragi. Don't think he will, though. As Ryo says, Billy is just pissed because he didn't get laid. Tieria is a FUCKING AWESOME NINJA. Eat that shit, Revive and Hilling. Didja see that one coming, Ribbons, you fuck? Actually, he probably did, which makes me frightened for Tieria's well being. (Damn you for putting this idea in my head, Ryo!) One last thing: LOL @ the 0 Gundam being totally useless, at least for now. Even Lasse is like, "OMG I HATE THIS PIECE OF CRAP ARGH" He's the only one who DIDN'T have Trans-Am this week, poor devil. I'm convinced it has some hidden power we haven't seen yet, though. Ribbons would never stand for riding in a weak ass machine like that.
These last two episodes are going to rule. People I think are going to bite it: Ribbons (duh), either Allelujah or Soma, Ali, those other stupid Innovators, maybe Tieria (I hope not, though), maybe Lasse, maybe Billy and Graham (I think he is going to get an awesome, epic, heroic death where he charges into battle and Yuichi Nakamura gets to shout amazing, incoherent babble at over 9000 decibels, and it is the greatest thing ever because Nakamura is one GAR motherfucker -- I am hoping it puts Graham's season one finale battle with Setsuna to shame). Graham is the best weeaboo ever. THE MAN HAD A BUSHIDO MASTER AND TRAINED UNDER A WATERFALL. That is every weeaboo's dream.
-- Nyoron Churuya-san ep5: lol, the funniest part of this episode is mini Asakura confessing to Kyon, and Kyon replying, "You will die." So cold, and yet so hilarious. Poor Asakura. This show is also WAY too cute. My gosh.
-- Shugo Chara! Doki ep22: Solid episode. I like that the girl in this episode still needs to do some real hard work to accomplish her goal; it's a bit different from the norm where the characters are pretty good at what they want to do but just need that little push to accomplish their dreams. Having Ran, Miki and Su fight amongst themselves is kind of fun, too. Just one of those days for them, I suppose. Led to some funny moments where Kiseki, Kusukusu and Pepe teamed up to make Amu's charas feel better. ("If you'd just told a funny story like I said ...") It appears as though the plot will push forward on a couple of fronts -- Ikuto and the reasons why Easter's experiments are sapping his strength, and Nagihiko's wish to have his charas come to life. Looking forward to it!
-- To Aru Majutsu no Index ep23: Not a bad episode, but this arc definitely isn't as exciting as some of the others. Cromwell hasn't really been developed enough to be that interesting a villain, although her plan could be intriguing if it extends into next season (which I suspect it will). But, for now, it is sort of random and strange. I actually enjoyed Index's fight against the golem more than Touma's fight. She thought up a decently clever way to counter its abilities to compensate for her lack of magical ability. I am still slightly confused on the nature of Hyouka's existence, though. She was unable to interact with the "real" world (I am guessing all the stuff about her changing people's lives and such is imaginative and not meant to be taken literally), due to her physical makeup, until she came into contact with Index. I wonder what power Index has that would make that happen? Hm. Hopefully the next episode will be a good ending to the arc and allow the season to go out with a bang.
-- Toradora! ep24: Well, well, it has happened -- Ryuuji and Taiga confessed to each other. An interesting development, and one that totally fits Toradora!, because the ending will be about their growth rather than recognition of feelings. That really is the payoff, isn't it? Not that they recognize that they love each other, but that it will truly lead to each other's happiness. And there is definitely growth still to be made lol. At least Ryuuji can see that he is still a child, and that becoming 18 and marrying Taiga will not magically make him an adult. The things he said to his mother were quite mean and hurtful. Most of all, I was shocked that someone like Ryuuji would actually say those things. I can understand his frustration, because he wants to be his own man and walk his own path in life, but ripping apart his mother is not cool. The ending, to me, signifies that she is much more of an adult than Ryuuji realizes. Yasuo is able to reach down within herself and forgive Ryuuji; she even helps him in his journey by providing him with family and a place to stay, where he and Taiga can be supported while they figure things out. I am glad Yasuo is able to provide that help, because like everyone else, I was quite skeptical of Ryuuji and Taiga's plan. Right now you can chalk it up to their youth and not being in the right frame of mind to think about better options. I did like the support they received from Minorin, Kitamura and Ami, though. It felt real to me, you know? "I think this is a dumb idea, and I don't support it, but I'll support you." They're good friends. Minorin seriously almost drove me to tears with every appearance lol. I feel bad for her, because while she knows there is more than one path to happiness for her, letting go of Ryuuji really does hurt. Ami being able to be at peace with herself a bit more is nice, too. Finally hearing Ryuuji's confession probably hurt her, too, but she seems like the type to be able to put things aside and move on when she really needs to. But, yeah, lots of strong scenes in this episode -- the opening, the bridge, Ami's home, Kitamura saying Ryuuji and Taiga have a "fever" (haha) -- that will lead to a great finale next week, hopefully. Toradora! has been a special show from the start, and I hope it can go out with a bang.
-- White Album ep11: God, Touya is such a fucking loser. He cries about not knowing Yuki's feelings, and why she didn't tell him about her concert, but Jesus, can he even see that a lot of that is on him? He's put a huge amount of distance between himself and Yuki -- what the hell was he expecting? Touya has let every barrier between him and Yuki stop him without much of a fight at all. The guy barely acts as if he really wants to be with Yuki. What a dork. Yayoi is extra creepy in this episode, licking away Touya's tear and then plunging her tongue into his mouth. I could have done without that image, thanks. The parts with Mana and Haruka are the most entertaining in this episode. Can we please dump Touya dumb ass and make the show about them? Please?
