Ah, a shorter week than usual in terms of episodes watched. Feels weird. Anyway, with the spring shows starting to leak out, the winter season has officially come to a close. Some time next week I will write my best of the winter season post, and then the day after that will come the best of the fall continuations post. I'll try to finish as much of winter as I can before writing -- still got two episodes of Marimite 4th to go, not to mention a whopping five episodes of Minami-ke Okaeri (damn you, Ayako!). I'll have to deal with that, though, because there's no way I'm going to friggin' Chihiro for my Minami-ke fix.
The winter post will be tricky to write, because I still haven't decided on an order for the top five or so. There wasn't really one show that stood out above the others and declared, "I'm the best, damn it!" The shows at the top are just a bunch of solid series that each have its own flaw that makes me wonder if it should truly be the best. (In case you're wondering, my top shows are Marimite 4th, Maria Holic, Minami-ke Okaeri, Rideback and Axis Powers Hetalia, in some order.) Ah well, I'll get it figured out soon enough.
Anime discussed: Asu no Yoichi!, Axis Powers Hetalia, Clannad ~After Story~, Ichigo Mashimaro, Kanon (2006), Kemono no Souja Erin, Maria Holic, Marimite 4th, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 s2, Rideback, Shugo Chara! Doki, Slayers NEXT, Tales of the Abyss, White Album
-- Asu no Yoichi! ep12: lol, a better ending than I thought it would be, mainly because there is comedy thrown in with the final battle. The best part is all the side characters -- my boy Washizu, my girl Angela, Tsubasa and Torigaya -- jumping in to help Yoichi and the Ikaruga sisters take down that army of bizarre butler clones. Chibi!Torigaya got a good laugh out of me. I was slightly weirded out by the loli, machine gun-carrying maids in the beginning of the episode, haha. The final fight between Yoichi and Ukyou is all right. Ibuki suddenly regaining her memories is random, but it's not as if I expected something good from that storyline. Ending is pretty open to allow for another season; I might watch were another to be made, although this show is just OK overall.
-- Axis Powers Hetalia ep10: lol @ France. I enjoy him despairing because he is butted out of the Axis meetings. He is also funny looking back at his fond memories of France at war, in which his only victories come when he jumps on the coattails of other countries. An oldie but a goodie. Also, lol @ Hungary making Italy into a colorful cross-dresser.
-- Clannad ~After Story~ ep24: Just a recap episode; the only new scene is with Tomoya, Ushio and Fuuko at the end. But I just want to say again that Clannad is friggin' awesome. That is all.
-- Ichigo Mashimaro eps 1-2: Cute series so far. The girls banding together to make Nobue an ashtray in the first episode is quite adorable. I lol'd at pretty much everything involving Miu. I'm guessing the quick shots of her flat on her face after being thrown onto the roof are going to be a running gag of sorts, which pleases me because it is funny every time it happens. The counter showing how many times each girl is hit with a fan is great, too. (Predictably, Miu is hit WAY more than the other girls.) The second episode is funnier than the first -- Ana is a great character, haha. Poor girl tries so hard to fit into the "foreigner" stereotype and just ends up looking weird lol. I feel so sorry for Sasazuka, too, haha. Poor little guy gets picked on by the teacher so much that he doesn't have to be told to stand outside. Also, I am thinking Hitomi Nabatame can do no wrong for me, because I love just about every character I have heard her play. Nobue. <3
-- Kanon (2006) eps 1-2: Relatively slow start so far, but I did not expect anything different, so I don't mind. Two episodes in and Yuuichi is up to his neck in crazy girls. The best parts are the shenanigans with Ayu, and the jam. (EAT JAM, GET DIZZY.) Ayu is my favorite so far, because Yui Horie is awesome, but Makoto seems like she'll be pretty cool, too. (I totally went "WTF MISUZU" when she first shows up, haha. I blame the animated sun.) Kitagawa also makes me laugh, since he is so damn whipped (it's like Sunohara from Clannad got a girlfriend), and Mai seems as if she could be interesting, as well. At any rate, I'm looking forward to Yuuichi unlocking all his memories and uncovering his connections to like every person in town.
-- Kemono no Souja Erin ep6: Ah, I wish [SS] were able to get episodes of this out quicker. Now it seems as if the main story is set to begin. I like the focus on the relationship between Erin and Soyon, and also on the darker side of what Soyon must do to raise the Touda. She feels much the same way Erin does, but she's had to sweep away those feelings for various reasons. And more information about the Mist People, yay! Apparently something did happen in their past -- they have a "mistake" that is passed down from generation to generation so that nobody will make it again. The nature of this mistake is such that humanity and wildlife would be wiped out if it were ever repeated, which I suppose would partly explain the rocky relationship between the Mist People and humans. Next episode should be really good. Poor Soyon is going to be punished for the Kiba dying, but Erin is going to try to save her. Go Erin!
-- Maria Holic ep12: A good episode, but it doesn't really feel like an ending. Then again, it blatantly sets up for a second season, although you never know with this series, haha. Ah well. I like the thread of Kanako desperately trying to stay healthy so that she can attending swimming practice and see the girls in their swimsuits. The beginning part is such an obvious dream that I feel dumb for not spotting it. (Should have been obvious when the rule was brought up. Also, why couldn't Kanako throw me a bone (lol) and dream of Ishima in a swimsuit?!) Also very glad to see the return of Father Kanae, even though he is not featured as prominently in this episode. I hope there is more of them if Maria Holic gets a second season. My favorite of the random skits in the middle of the episode is the return of Detective Kanako. It builds and builds and pays off with such a hilariously lame conclusion, haha. Poor Kanako being shut out of her dream by the rain is funny, too. And even I knew that it would be Shizu instead of Mariya, so I was just waiting for Kanako to bungle things up in the end lol.
-- Marimite 4th eps 10-11: Ooh, I really like ep10, even though not a whole lot happens. Maybe it's Yumi's calming presence that makes it work. Whatever Yumi has been thinking about since the election has definitely set her heart straight, though, and she is going to be patient with Touko. I like the way it builds to that decision and Yumi saying she loves Touko -- Noriko worries about Yumi because she doesn't know why Yumi won't directly pursue Touko, but when she speaks with Yumi later in the episode, she sees that Yumi loves Touko enough to have faith in her ability to resolve her situation in her own way.
Ep11, on the other hand, brings the show into drama overdrive. Some of Touko's motivations have become clearer: She wants to help Yumi, but she has an enormous inferiority complex, so she is doing it in ways that also hurt her. Touko also lashed out at Yumi because she mistakenly thought Yumi knew about Touko not being the real child of the Matsudairas (oh snap, plot twist). I am guessing there is going to be some twisty drama on that front in the final two episodes, especially as it relates to whatever the Matsudairas do, and whatever it is they wish Touko to inherit (although right now they are not pressuring her to do so). Kashiwagi is pretty slick in this episode, and it's obvious he cares a great deal for Touko -- man, he was pissed when he inferred that the rich chicks who had bullied Yumi in, I think, the Marimite OVA had also bullied Touko (presumably due to her heritage). That is the scariest I have ever seen him. Yikes. We've got another treasure hunt ready to end the season, so that should be fun.
-- Mobile Suit Gundam 00 s2 ep25: And the final AAA series around has come to an end. :( The fight between Setsuna and Ribbons is pretty damn good. Setsuna's victory is never in serious doubt, of course, but Gundam 00 does a solid job of enabling Ribbons to stand toe-to-toe with Setsuna and give him a good fight. This battle is way better than the Setsuna vs. Alejandro battle that concludes the first season. I even like the stripped down Gundam battle between Exia and the 0 Gundam -- it's as if Setsuna and Ribbons have only their origins remaining, and so the winner is simply whoever has the stronger will. Definitely an exciting conclusion to the conflict between Ribbons and Celestial Being. I agree with Ryo that, aside from Ribbons (and Revive during a few points in the series), the Innovators are disappointing villains, overall. None of 'em really have anything interesting going for them. That said, I cheered and lol'd when Allelujah owns Hilling and Lockon owns Revive. Awesome. The only disappointing thing about the battle is that Graham is nowhere to be seen. In fact, the poor guy appears in the finale for barely a second! Agh. It's just indicative of how much Graham got the shaft this season. His continued rivalry with Setsuna has a ton of potential that ultimately goes to waste. On the one hand, I can see why Sunrise wants Setsuna to defeat Ribbons on his own, but on the other hand, Graham aiding Setsuna in that battle would have solidified the theme of humans needing to understand each other to achieve true peace. (After all, who has a bigger beef with Setsuna than Graham?) For the most part, though, the endgame is exciting and well done.
I have mixed feelings about the prologue, however. On the good side, Kati x Patrick rocks. Daaaaaaaaamn, does Kati ever wear that wedding dress well. Patrick is the Lucky Colasour, indeed. It's good to see Saji and Louise get a nice end, too, and resolve to continue fighting for the sake of the world and not give in to ignorance. But, as Omni writes at Random Curiosity, while Celestial Being continuing to fight for the sake of the world is probably the most realistic ending (clearly the world would not change in an instant), it's not the most satisfying or conclusive to see onscreen. I'm also somewhat skeptical about where the movie can possibly go, but my thoughts on that are already in the news post for the Gundam 00 movie. Still have a lot to say about Gundam 00, but I think I will leave those thoughts for when I write about the continuing fall series next week.
-- Rideback ep12: Good end to the series. I think the government reform storyline is a bit simplistic overall, but that is really the only problem I have with the finale. Watching Rin rediscover the inner light and fire she thought she lost when she injured her foot before the beginning of the series has been one of the more wonderful experiences of the winter season. It's kind of refreshing that Rin is never really at the forefront of the battle against the GGP, either. She gets caught up in it due to her association with Okakura, and she becomes a symbol of sorts for the movement (the "Rideback girl"), but she is not the one battling the higher-ups. Rin is just a girl with natural talent who is bursting with the desire to use that talent and help her friends. There's just such a beautiful simplicity about her. (Not that I think she is a simplistic character; it's more that she is an honest and direct person.) The story with Romanov, Keifer and Okakura is interesting enough, but Rin is definitely the star of the show. Overall, I quite enjoyed Rideback -- definitely the most surprising anime of the season. Duck soapy garbage like White Album and cookie cutter comedy like Asu no Yoichi! (even though I love Washizu) and check out Rideback, people. It's somewhat flawed, but the awesome of Rin shines through.
-- Shugo Chara! Doki ep24: Good episode. Utau is AWESOME here. (She's also totally tsundere for Amu in this one, while Amu moes over Utau quite a bit. There have to be like a bajillion Amu x Utau fanfics on the interwebz.) I love the immediate switch from Amu going, "Damn, I'm glad Utau isn't here!" to Utau being Amu's house, haha. lol @ the ramen blogger kid, too. He cracks me up. "OMG Y U DRINK WATER B4 U EAT RAMEN" What a goofball. The hilarious ramen stuff is continued later when Kukai (who got totally ignored by Amu earlier in the episode, poor guy) challenges Utau to a ramen eating contest. *would have liked to have seen that* xD Great ending to all that, with Amu pwning the ramen kid with her AMU SPICE~! and Utau coming in for the kill. Then they teach him an important life lesson by letting him know it's OK to abandon ramen etiquette. Tadase is pretty badass in this episode, being totally upfront with his feelings and sending Amu into a moe frenzy by saying he'll tell her he loves her everyday. Amu = moe overload. More backstory for Ikuto's family = awesome. They have their claws deep in Easter (pun intended, stfu). Obviously Ikuto's dad did not leave the family for no reason -- I wonder what the grandpa dying set off? I think the final scene in the episode basically confirms Easter can control Ikuto through the violin. That's not going to be good, but apparently it's going to lead to a fight between Ikuto and Tadase, and those are always fun. Bring it on, I say.
-- Slayers NEXT eps 1-14: I'm really liking this season a lot so far. One thing that is really apparent is that Crispin Freeman really steps up his game here. When he starts as Zelgadis in ep18 of the first season, he is leagues ahead of the first VA but not 100 percent confident (at least, that is how it comes off to me). But now he completely owns the character of Zelgadis. He has the grumpiness and sarcasm down perfectly. Excellent work by Mr. Freeman in Slayers NEXT! I like that the plot feels more substantial this season, too. Everything connects together in clearer ways, and it all feels as if it is unfolding toward something big. Whereas I mainly wanted to see Lina and the gang kick some ass in the first season, I'm legitimately interested in the story this time around. Love the new characters, too. Xellos is hilariously playful and coy, and Martina and her unrequited romances are so damned silly. Speaking of new things, Lina's new spell is badass. "Power that can smash even the souls of the gods!" Badass incantation is badass. Right now Lina and the crew just finished owning a couple of strong monsters on the Floating Continent and are bumming around in the meantime. We'll see how much time searching for the Claire Bible takes before they jump back into the main story.
-- Tales of the Abyss ep25: FINALLY some good battles! (w00t for Legretta returning, albeit briefly. RIP. :() I enjoyed Legretta vs. Jade + Tear and Sync vs. Anise + Guy, with Natalia arrowing whomever needed to be arrowed at the time. Good action there, and the requisite sad conclusion when Legretta dies and expresses her love for Van. Sync's death is a bit less impactful than the first time he "dies," though. I also like the Luke vs. Asch fight. Some solid action there, with a good conclusion when Luke finally drills it into Asch's head that, despite the fact Luke is a replica of Asch, ultimately they are different entities. Asch responds by owning a bunch of soldiers before finally succumbing and dying. Guy was kind of a jerk, but hey. Looking forward to seeing what happens when the group finally confronts Van.
-- White Album ep13: Jeez, I go into the finale expecting something epically idiotic, and all I get is boring. Thanks, White Album. The concert scene is OK. Personally, from the looks of them, I would rather have been at Rina's concert than Yuki's. It looked kind of fun. Everything else is just there. Touya blocks Yayoi's Frenching like he should have done like half the series ago. Akira is somehow competing with Touya to become the biggest moron in this series. It doesn't take much to be better than Touya, and yet he's parading around like a jealous doofus. Mana is falling for Touya for lord knows what reason, and Haruka is already head over heels for the guy and is probably going crazier because of it. And Touya's dad has dropped dead, or something. I dunno. This finale makes me not want to see the next season at all.
