Spoiler: Higashi no Eden is fantastic. If you haven't watched the first episode yet, stop wasting time here and watch it. Now.
Anime discussed: 07-Ghost, Axis Powers Hetalia, Basquash!, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Hare+Guu Deluxe, Higashi no Eden, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, Ichigo Mashimaro, Kanon (2006), Kemono no Souja Erin, K-On!, Kurokami, Marimite 4th, The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan, Minami-ke Okaeri, Natsu no Arashi, Pandora Hearts, Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~, Sengoku Basara, Shugo Chara! Doki, Slayers NEXT, Tales of the Abyss, Valkyria Chronicles
-- 07-Ghost ep1: A bit better than I expected. The show doesn't look bad at all, and the fight scene against the giant is solid. Doubt I'll ever get tired of Sho Hayami playing creepy villains any time soon, either. Second half of the episode is by far the more interesting because they actually show Teito doing awesome things instead of talking about how he can do awesome things. :P Looking forward to see how the plot develops in the next episode. (I think it's a sure thing that, eventually, Teito and Mikage will meet on the battlefield.)
-- Axis Powers Hetalia ep11: D'awwwwwwww at the tragic split of Italy and the Holy Roman Empire. lol @ Italy wanting a hug from Germany. WTF @ England seeing weird pixies and forest creatures. ROFL @ France proposing to England (?!?!). What a strange series.
-- Basquash! ep1: I have barely any idea what this series is ultimately going to be about -- all I know is the moon will figure prominently in it at some point -- but hot damn, does it ever look pretty. With backing from Nike (does that ever sound ridiculous, or what?), Satelight has funding out the wazoo, so this series will at least be good for some amazing animation. Going in, I thought the idea of basketball playing mecha sounded goofy as hell (still do, really) and only watched this because I heard good things from various people ... but, damn, I have to admit they looked smooth as hell during the climactic scene. Made up for the ridiculous boob fanservice throughout the episode. (Even for manly men, there is such a thing as too much.) I'm sticking with this for the pretty, because I am somewhat curious about what the story will be and because Yuichi Nakamura's character looks badass, and his voice sounds nothing like any role he's done before. Amazing!
-- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood ep1: Damn, now that's how you begin a series! Well, now I wish I'd watched the original series, haha. (For the one or two of you who don't know, I've never read a page of the manga and have seen but one episode of the original anime. I do not know much about the series apart from the basics, so everything is a fresh and exciting experience for me. :O) Knew beforehand that the series mixed some comedy in with the action (how could I not with the subtitle of the FMA forum at OB?!), but even if I didn't, I would have enjoyed it because the comedy is used pretty well. I love Hughes so far (how could I not, with my boy Keiji Fujiwara voicing him?), and Armstrong got a HUGE laugh out of me at the end. Awesome. Everyone tweaking poor Edward about his height is funny, too.
But, damn, there's some kickass action in this episode, too. Waves of ice = awesome. I like the unique uses of Isaac's power, too, especially the blood lances. I'm interested to see where the story goes regarding Kimblee (evil Hiroyuki Yoshino ftw), potentially shady things in the government -- specifically with the Führer -- and also with how the general public views the army. (DAMN @ the de-limbing, btw.) As someone with no experience with FMA, I think this episode does a good job of easing the viewer into things while providing good action and laying the groundwork for future stories. But, for me, the most important part is hearing Kikuko Inoue as Lust. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING ME SOME OF THAT RIGHT AWAY, FMA. I'm guessing she's high up on the villainy food chain, right? Give me as much evil Kikuko Inoue as humanly possible, and I will be a happy camper.
-- Hare+Guu Deluxe eps 3-6: I remember the first two episodes being pretty good, and this last set of four just gets better and funnier. The bits that stick out most strongly in my mind both involve Dama -- first, the episode where she continues to hunt for her beloved "Grandpa" and attacks anyone with white hair. Thus, Hare and the crew conspire to lure her out by sporting a white wig and emotionally pleading with her to quit her hunt. Except Dama turns out to be like some evil alien from a horror movie and picks them off one-by-one until only Hare is remaining. The image of Dama crawling on all fours, her head spinning round and round, is both frightening and absolutely hysterical. Jeez. Then, in the final episode, Dama is a Super Saiyan of sorts in a very funny DBZ parody kind of thing, where she battles Tom, the criminal voiced by Keiji Fujiwara near the end of Hare+Guu's first season. You know, something that might get overlooked due to how funny the series is, is that Hare+Guu has some nice action. That always surprises me, for some reason. And I have just remembered another episode that left a deep impression on me -- Guu gets Hare drunk, and then he lets off all the frustrations and insanity that had built in him throughout the first season and the OVA[/spoiiler]. It is quite scary, actually. Clive won't forget about that any time soon, haha. I'll be onto Hare+Guu Fina, next, and will be sad that Hare+Guu will be over. :(
-- Higashi no Eden ep1: Aside from FMA, this is definitely my most anticipated series of the season. So far, it is living up to the hype -- I love the first episode. First of all, the production quality is outstanding. Everything looks great, the character designs are interesting and there are some cool shots. I literally mouthed, "Oh wow" when the camera pulls back from Saki in front of the Washington Monument to show a wider shot of Washington, D.C. The OP and ED sequences are equally wonderful -- good songs in both, and they are both creatively conceived. Of the two, I prefer the ED by a hair; the papermation shots of Akira blowing away pencil missiles are soooooooo cool.
As for the plot, it's definitely intriguing so far -- it has a Bourne Identity feel to it (the books/movies are even referenced during the episode), what with Akira being without a memory but having a lot of help scattered around D.C. (Another funny reference is when Akira poses in front of a mirror, after which I said, "Ha, Taxi Driver" and then immediately after, Akira mentions Taxi Driver. Just something else that makes me love this first episode even more. xD) And, of course, there are some peeks at the wider plot, with the reveal of the missile attack on Tokyo at the end. But there is some good comedy in this episode, too, mainly having to do with Akira's nakedness (Akira showing his "Johnny," as crude a joke as it is, had me snorting with laughter) and Saki's general reactions to Akira's easygoing personality. I really like Saki and Akira's interactions throughout the episode. Higashi no Eden does an excellent job of making them both into people rather than devices of a clever plot. Both their VAs -- Saori Hayami (Saki) and Ryohei Kimura (Akira) -- should be seiyuu to look out for in the future. I haven't heard much of either before this, but they sound very natural in their roles, and I hooked onto each character quickly because of that.
Best first episode of the season for me, without a doubt, even with FMA in the mix.
-- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai eps 1-11: Slowly, but surely, Higurashi Kai is meting out answers to the numerous questions raised throughout the first season. It's not especially surprising to know that Rika holds such an important role in the series; if I am understanding correctly, the repetition of her final days in Hinamizawa are because of Hanyuu (whom I am eager to learn more about) pulling some time travel tricks, which I guess work even if Rika has been killed. (Does Rika remember all her deaths? That would definitely tear up my mind eventually. Damn.) Based on what Hanyuu has said, Rika isn't the only person she has partnered up with over hundreds of years, correct? I gather that Hanyuu was the first of many who had to deal with the ramifications of the ancient disease, and she has been working to combat it ever since (although she has long since lost hope). Rika is steadily gaining hope, though, with her friends somehow recalling bits and pieces of past happenings in Hinamizawa and using that information to avoid tragic fates. I've especially enjoyed the role Keiichi has played in this, being generally firey and defending his friends at all costs. (I lol'd at him acting tough with Shion and Mion's crazy grandma.) Of course, with Takano going full on evil now (which is not really surprising, either; I've been suspicious of her ever since her first appearance, haha), this rendition of Hinamizawa is heading toward another tragic end, but I would not be surprised if Rika realizes Takano's evil and gains more resolve because of it.
-- Ichigo Mashimaro eps 3-4: Still enjoying the series, although more for the humor than the cuteness. (Though Ana is a cute lil' bugger.) Of the two episodes, I prefer ep4, although ep3 has a funny moment where Nobue clobbers Miu with a jump cut kick to the head. Those always get a laugh from me. But, yeah, ep4 has a good amount of funny moments, including the part where Miu shows Chika how difficult it is to hand out tissue paper on the street. The various ways Miu snubs Chika, all with hilariously smug looks on her face, are fantastic. Miu being an epic brat and causing tons of trouble at Nobue's part time job is great, as well. Huge test of Nobue's patience there, and I love how she totally sinks to Miu's level with her revenge. haha Her "whatever" attitude when she quits is also amusing. (How the hell did she NOT get fired, though?!)
-- Kanon (2006) eps 3-4: Agh, these brief glimpses of Mai are KILLING me! She seems as if she's going to be a really cool character, and the show is teasing the audience by putting her in at the end of each episode, haha. Argh. Kanon is really surprising me by having a relatively slow pace but moving quickly, if that makes sense. I dunno, I'm always surprised when the episodes are over. Story is still slowly developing and creating connections between people (there are a couple of intriguing moments during conversations that I am sure will be visited later), so it's mostly the interactions between Yuuichi and the rest of the cast that make the episodes worth watching. Best part is Yuuichi teasing Ayu in ep4. "Uguu~" Haha. Also lots of grumpy!Tomokazu Sugita this week. I greatly approve of this. If I cast him in a show, there would never be a moment where he wasn't angry or annoyed in some way. I hope Yuuichi's "feud" with Makoto continues. :D
-- Kemono no Souja Erin eps 7-8: Going into ep7, I completely expected Soyon to die (parents rarely last long in series where children go on grand adventures), but the way in which she goes out (saving Erin from sharing her fate, i.e. being eaten alive by a pack of wild Touda) is heartbreaking. RIP Soyon, you were an awesome mom. :( I REALLY hate that bastard who sentences Soyon to die that way, too. Even friggin' Wadan is like, "Damn, that's harsh" when that guy whips Soyon, and Wadan is a dick. But now Erin begins her journey proper, and with the brief appearance of Damiya at the beginning of ep7, it seems safe to say he will figure prominently in Erin's journey. (As will Nason, the Mist Person voiced by my boy, Daisuke Ono.) Ep8 is a good opportunity for Erin to get reoriented after the death of Soyon. I felt SO bad for her. :( She's such a strong girl, though, and she seems to be doing her best to move on, although she's not going to forget something horrible like that any time soon. (lol @ the bear guy, btw)
-- K-On! eps 1-2: Pretty much exactly how I pictured it: Nothing spectacular, but it's light, cute and fun. OP's not bad, and I quite like the ED. Not a ton of big laughs -- although I did enjoy the awkward silence after Ritsu says she is going to wait for people to sign up, as well as Ritsu's obvious sob story about her and Mio's promise, the club members bribing Yui with food and Yui being rather blunt about the band's skill -- but I smiled basically the entire episode, so I suppose that counts for something. Ritsu and Mio will probably be my favorites, while it will take me a while to warm up to Tsumugi. Her eyebrows seriously weird me out. But, yeah, not a bad first episode at all, and I think I will enjoy the rest of the series.
And, hey, ep2 conveniently comes out before I post! This is all about the Light Music Club members working to get Yui a guitar. Yui getting distracted by anything and everything is just too darn cute. Argh. She's also too darn cute when she is excited to be a guitarist. Tsumugi has also grown on me a lot more since the last episode. (lol @ me for thinking it would take a while for that to happen) I guess it is because she is so eager to be like everyone else. :P Kind of a convenient end that her family owns the music store, and thus can get Yui's beloved guitar at a discount, but hey. I'm really liking Yui's friend, Nodoka, as well. She has an amusingly maternal view of Yui. xD I'm going to enjoy watching this show week after week. K-On! is not the type of thing that will blow you away, but it will give you a big grin on your face while you watch it, and I like that. :D
-- Kurokami ep12: Agh. On the one hand, my favorite character, Steiner, is dead. Any time you take Jouji Nakata out of the picture, that's a serious blow. On the other hand, I am at least somewhat curious about the aftermath of the Holy Stone blowing up. So I guess I will continue watching for at least one or two more episodes, although if the show does not get more exciting, then I think I will drop it. There are just too many other good series in the spring that will also offer appealing action. never mind totally dropped lol
-- Marimite 4th eps 12-13: Oh damn, good end to the series. I think this pair of episodes pushed Marimite 4th over the top as the best series of the winter. (lol written before best of winter season post) Good to have that taken care of! Glad Touko wasn't too dramatic these last couple of episodes. Touko is put into her place rather quickly by Noriko when she looks for something that connects her and Yumi, and Noriko is all, "Um, Yumi totally would not do that." The cliffhanger dealie in ep12 is well done, with Touko rushing for Yumi's love~, and then ep13 is mostly backstory so that we can understand Touko's motivations, but I actually don't mind in this case because I like seeing Yumi and Touko slowly get closer throughout the episode. Plus, I love the suspense that is set up by Touko telling Yumi to hold off on her soeur decision until after the date. I like that Touko has mostly come to grips with her situation by the time she is explaining everything to Yumi; there's no unnecessary angsting about her situation. I especially enjoy the part where she's on the train with Yumi, and then it quickly shows Touko's reflection on the window and then the shadows on the wall. That sent a jolt through me, haha. As frustrating as Touko could be at times during the season, I'm glad she is finally able to capture her self-worth and become someone who is worthy of Yumi's love (and is worthy of loving Yumi in return). But it's not just the drama that is good -- there's some great comedy in these episodes, too! I died with laughter at Yumi "walking in" on Shimako and Noriko, and then again when Yumi dances around while thinking of Sachiko. She is too adorable.
-- Melancholy of Haruhi-chan eps 11-14: Haha, big fansub dump by Shamisen this week! The episodes are enjoyable, as usual. The girls banding together to make chocolates in ep11 is fun, and I love Yuki eating them all at the end. Yuki stuffing Achakura into a jack in the box is funny, too. Ep12 is hilarious once Kyon and Itsuki get their host suits and show off to Haruhi so that she will give them Valentine's Day candy; instead, they make Mikuru cry. I lol'd. I love Itsuki pretending not to know what Halloween is in ep13, and also Yuki being OCD about the eye sockets Mikuru carves into the pumpkin. Ep14 isn't as good as the others, but it's fun to see Haruhi and Kyon teaming up on something for once.
-- Minami-ke Okaeri eps 9-13: Excellent crop of episodes to end the season. Eps 10 and 11, in particular, are pure gold from start to finish. Natsuki Minami especially comes into his own as a hilarious character. I roared with laughter at Touma's flashback in which she's playing a fighting game with Natsuki and beats him, whereupon Natsuki breaks out the ACRADE CONTROLLER~! and mauls Touma in a frenzied battle of hilarity. The bit at the end of ep10 where he listens to Touma's advice about how to communicate with the Minami family is perhaps the funniest skit in the whole season. Natsuki snubbing Kana and growling at Chiaki like a rabid dog is ... wow. Just amazing. Another aspect I enjoy is the rivalry between Chiaki and Touma. I love that Chiaki is no as possessive of Fujioka as she is of Haruka, and the relationship Fujioka and Touma have is so, SO weird lol. ("Let me re-tune your body!") Put those together and Chiaki and Touma explode, haha. And, as always, Kana getting random ideas into her head is fun. Ep11 has a couple of good instances of that, with Kana the Hospitality Expert (wtf chili pepper bath?!) and Kana the Valentine's Expert (all just to swindle Chiaki out of chocolate). Probably my only complaint, and I do like to bring this up a lot, is a continued lack of Hosaka. Guy appears only once in the final five episodes, although it is a hilarious appearance where he dresses as Santa and gives out presents to adoring women so that he will impress Haruka. (By the way, isn't it weird that Hosaka and Natsuki are seemingly cool with each other? They both have a thing for Haruka, haha.)
-- Natsu no Arashi! ep1: Not bad, shows some promise. I like the art style and animation (as expected from SHAFT, of course) and the characters are kind of cool. I especially like Kaya (played by Miss A's beloved Kaori Nazuka :P) and Sayaka (played by my beloved Hitomi Nabatame xD). The first episode isn't quite as funny as something I'd expect from SHAFT, though it does have its moments. Best part is Kaya going nuts when her strawberry shortcake is missing and swearing vengeance upon the motherbastards who took it. That sets off a series of time traveling escapades with Kaya and Jun (played by Soul Eater's Chiaki Omigawa) on one end, with Arashi and Hajime -- the mains -- on the other, who are trying to make sure Kaya doesn't stumble upon a deadly hot strawberry Hajime created. The time travel plot device is used maybe a tad too much, though I do like the Back to the Future type thing it has going on, haha. Could be a nice, fun show once it gets into the swing of things.
-- Pandora Hearts ep1: It's an OK, albeit confusing, first episode. I suppose it's more of a prologue type of thing that sets up the main thrust of the story. We've got the magical watch that's connected with some sort of nightmare world where a murderous girl lives (who also has some connection to the main character, Oz?), the traditional mysterious cult that wants Oz for one reason or another and apparently has the ability to steal bodies, etc. The story could be interesting, but I spent so much time trying to discern what was going on in the first episode that I didn't have much time left to enjoy it, haha. It has to be the story that carries this show, too, because the art is not appealing to me much right now. The comedy is all right, too, but I can't see much more of that in the future.
-- Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ ep1: Haha, well I am sold so far! Very nice, stylish first episode here. Enjoyed the flashback to Zwei waking up like, "WTF?!" (and his natural instinct/senses are established well from the beginning) and then the creepy Inferno guy, who is not too happy being a lower guy on the totem pole, using Ein to test Zwei's survival ability. The physicality of Zwei's need to survive Ein's attacks, combined with the tempo and pacing of the scene, make for an exhilarating experience. Well done there. (Ein's assassin mask reminds me a lot of Hei's mask from Darker than Black. That got a chuckle out of me.) And the hit on that one mafia guy is your standard, "Awesome assassins assassinate in awesome ways" scene. I approve. So, yeah, show looks damn good so far, movies quickly and has impressive action. If the story develops well and is interesting, then Phantom will definitely be a winner. Looking forward to it!
-- Sengoku Basara ep1: This show is what you'd get if you ripped away any semblance of a serious plot from Kurozuka, and believe it or not, that is a compliment. Because I am not terribly familiar with this period of Japanese history, I have no idea why these people are warring with each other, but a serious examination of history is the last thing this show is trying to be, so it doesn't matter much. What matters instead is that there are a shitload of brutally pretty fight scenes, absurdly manly characters (Sanada and Takeda are like the ancient Japanese version of Simon and Kamina) and voice casting that makes me squee with delight. (Norio Wakamoto as a conqueror! Takehito Koyasu as a sarcastic ninja! Romi Paku as an androgynous clan leader! Sho Hayami as a sadistic psychopath!) This show is going to be nothing but pure, awesome, dumb bloodlust (did I mention Date has a horse with exhaust pipes?!?!?!), and frankly, I am going to enjoy every second of it.
-- Shugo Chara! Doki ep25: Interesting episode. Confirmed my suspicion that Easter now controls Ikuto via the violin. (Then again, that is a pretty obvious assumption to make, so no points for me.) Ikuto's new Chara Change looks pretty badass. That scythe is freakin' sweet. It'll be a pretty awesome battle once the whole crew faces off against him in that form. There's definitely more to Ikuto and Tadase's past than the flashbacks we have been shown in previous episodes, so I am eager to know what is up there. Funniest part of the episode is Amu going on a moe fest for Nagihiko when he "transforms" into Nadeshiko. Oh, Amu.
-- Slayers NEXT eps 15-18: These episodes take a break from the main plot and instead concentrate upon providing a massive dose of hilarity. I laughed so hard at eps 15 and 17. So ridiculously funny. Ep15 involves a search for a copy of the Claire Bible, where our intrepid adventurers climb a doll-infested tower to get their hands on the book. This also involves them dressing up as animals (the best is Gourry, who actually enjoys his jellyfish costume). As they go up the tower, everyone is turned into a doll, except for Lina, who makes it to the top. Lots of laughs all around. Ep17 finds the party looking for the Claire Bible in a town where men are not allowed -- so, of course, Gourry, Zelgadis and Xellos must dress as women the entire episode. Xellos can't get enough of it, Gourry is probably used to it by now and Zelgadis feels lower than ever (which is pretty bad, because NEXT goes out of its way to humiliate him every other episode). The biggest laugh is at the end, when it's revealed that the town is actually a town of traps. I think I laughed for five minutes straight at that. So friggin' funny. Ep16 is a lot of fun, too, with Lina and Martina facing off in a tennis tournament. Xellos refusing to provide Lina with the proper racket is awesome. He's such a prick, but he's a funny prick.
-- Tales of the Abyss ep26: Very glad the fight against Van actually feels like a substantial, final battle (even if Van does kind of look like a doofus in his weird outfit). It's not perfect, but it actually comes across like everyone actually had to work hard to defeat him instead of one character getting in a good spell and then boom! Fight over. The Van fight is rather exciting, and I like that everyone is able to get their hits in. Good conclusion, too, with Luke pulling the ol' Link/Ganondorf sword thrust and piercing Van straight through. I like the ending a lot, too. The show as a whole hasn't pierced my emotions quite as well as other series, but I will admit I could feel it when Luke finally reappears after two years and reunites with Tear. (Also, a question: Is he supposed to be some Luke/Asch hybrid now? Asch's arm twitches when all the crazy stuff is going down, so I take that to mean he is resurrected in some way -- I suppose within Luke.) Wrote my overall thoughts a couple of days ago, but this is a solid series all around. Glad I watched it.
-- Valkyria Chronicles ep1: I could see this becoming Tales of the Abyss' replacement in the anime world -- a solid video game adaptation with some good production values. It's good that this first episode doesn't spend a ton of time beating the viewer over the head with the story; for now, it's this small village against the Imperials, with the main characters caught up in a conflict. Speaking of the mains, I like them both so far. Alicia is well played by Marina Inoue, and the show does a good job of showing the naïveté she possesses despite her clear strength (and thus the growth she needs to make, although the poor girl is a baker right now, and not a warrior, so her personality is understandable) but also making her nonetheless likable. Welkin is amusingly daffy, haha. His interactions with Alicia are fun. The action at the end is not bad at all, and it shows that the series could provide some damn good battle scenes down the road. (In fact, the shot of the big tank at the end of this episode has me excited for the next one, haha.)
