October Summary

Whoa… the summary this month is bigger than ever. This is mostly due to lots of series ending, lots of series starting and me, trying to check out series I missed over the course of the months. Believe me, that does add up. ^^;

+ Top 24 Anime with 1 episode released/watched +
Heh, normally, this list only has ten entries, though this time, it’s more than twice as big. But that is, indeed logical, as I was forced to drop a lot of shows after only one episode.

24: Yoake Mae Yori Ruri-iro na ~Crescent Love~

Sigh, a horrible concept horribly executed. A moon princess who comes to live at a guy’s place in order to learn about earth’s customs? Yeah right. Dropped

23: Mamoru-kun Megami no Shukifuki wo!

Another painful premise: we’ve got a tsundere, who beats up every person she runs into. She’s also the most popular girl in the school and nobody has managed to ask her out. Then she falls in love with a geek. Dropped -_-

22: Gin-Iro no Olynssis

Third-rate mecha anime who tries to get away with a couple of teenagers piloting mechas like full pros. Ugh… Dropped

21: Tokimeki Memorial

Transfer student, check. Loser male main character, check. Surrounded by beautiful girls, check. Evil president of student council, check. Basically, this anime is a huge collection of non-sensical clichés. Dropped

20: Super Robot Wars OG – Divine Wars

Good soundtrack, baaaad anime. Dropped.

19: Galaxy Ange-Lune

Tries to be funny, but isn’t. Also has way too much fanservice. Dropped

18: Shijou Saikyou no Denshi Kenichi

Needs to be a bit more realistic. The main character’s screaming like a little girl also didn’t help much. Dropped

17: Shounen Onmyouji

An anime about a fourteen year-old brat who hopes to become the best onmyouji ever. Say, where did I hear this before? Dropped

16: Katekyo Hitman Reborn

Nice premise, but tries too hard, making this comedy-anime an utter failure. Dropped

15: Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru

A harem in disguise. At least it tries to be original, though there was way too much emphasis on fanservice for me to even bother to continue. Dropped

14: _Summer

At least it experiments a bit. ^^;

13: 009-1

Nice action, but it’s just a female James Bond-clone. Dropped

12: Ginga Tesudo Monogatari

The premise is interesting, though the first episode was rather boring. I also feel like I missed a season. Dropped

11: Hataraki Man

An interesting series, but slice-of-life shows aren’t really my thing, unfortunately. Dropped

10: Oroshitate Nerima Daikon Brothers

*twitch*

9: Rakugou Tennyo Oyui

Although nothing special, I kindof enjoyed the first episode. Perhaps I’ll be watching the rest of this anime raw.

8: Koi Suru Suru Tenshi Angelique

Cheesy concept, good atmosphere. I’m planning to watch the rest of the series raw before the second season starts in January.

7: La Corda D’Oro

Okay, things don’t make sense, but this anime has some nice potential. 🙂

6: Bartender

A nice and quiet series, about cases which focus on adults. Should prove to be interesting once more episodes start coming out.

5: xxxHolic

The last episode was a very nice one, even though it was just a side-story. A good way to end such a great series.

4: Ghost Hunt

I like the concept, even though it seems so cliché at first sight. The different characters really helped to save this show.

3: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

The episode itself was very good as usual, though I refuse to believe that this is the final episode of Higurashi. I demand a second season.

2: Saiunkoku Monogatari

Even though I only got the chance of watching one episode, it was a great one. Saiunkoku Monogatari remains awesome. ^^

1: Mushishi

And it’s finally over, and Mushishi ends with an extremely strong story. It’s been so much fun watching this series.

+ Top 42 Anime with more than 1 episode released/watched +
Seriously. This month has been the hardest to rank thus far. Not really because of the huge amount of series, after all, there just was a bit of more junk than usual, but because there were so many awesome series, and furthermore, all awesome series were almost equally as awesome as each other. (To give a small indication, I loved Gintama, but still it only ended up at place seventeen). Sigh… this is what you get for having a broad taste. ^^;

42: Gift – Eternal Rainbow

I tried to watch the second episode because of the cases. Unfortunately, there was no case and the episode was a huge pain to watch. Dropped.

41: Sumomomo Momomo

I managed to survive up to episode two, but this anime is just waay too annoying for its own good. Momoko isn’t funny, she’s an annoying brat. Dropped.

40: Busou Renkin

Episode 2 was rather disappointing, as it didn’t feature the only thing I liked about the first episode: the pacing. Afterwards, I dropped this.

39: Happiness

I tried to watch more of this, though I failed. An annoying harem remains an annoying harem. Dropped

38: Love Dol: Lovely Idol

While it may be better than the majority of other harems, it still remains a boring show. Dropped

37: Kujibiki Unbalance

The second episode didn’t really give me motivation to watch more of this, and when I had to drop a few scenes because I’d be watching too much otherwise, this series became the victim.

36: D.Gray-Man

Same as with Kujibiki Unbalance. I had to drop a few series, or otherwise, I’d be watching too much. D.Gray-man may get better in a while, it didn’t really impress me, even after three episodes.

35: Pumpkin Scissors

Ugh, Pumpkin Scissors showed how fast good impressions can turn into bad impressions with its second episode. I praised this show for its realism. So, what does Gonzo do in the second episode? Right, they just couldn’t resist to throw in a couple of cute maids. And a guy who doesn’t even die after being hit by a bullet. I also got annoyed because of the fact that they claim to be an easy-going organization: mostly paperwork, with your occasional action-mission. If that’s the case, then show us some paperwork, instead of immediately ignoring this and throwing in lots of useless action. Thus when I had to drop some series, (see above) this one became target.

34: Shibawanko’s Spirit of Tradition

Nice, easy-going two-minute anime. The only problem: the OP.

33: Kanon

Okay, it is better than your average harem. But still, the character designs are ugly, the female characters are as stupid as a paper bag and the main character is a huge player. Not exactly the best cast out there, is it? So far, this anime has been mostly annoying with some occasional funny parts.

32: Kamisama Kazoku

The ending really came with a bang, turning everything extremely dramatical. Good for a few very interesting moments, and a few predictable ones.

31: Marginal Prince

A cheesy reverse harem. Still, it’s interesting to watch. It does focus on fleshing out the different characters. They’re pretty interesting, though there are two problems with this anime. The main character’s whining and the incredibly cheesy j-pop songs.

30: Utawarerumono

It ended quite interesting. The drama was nice, but predictable at the same time. I also feel that we missed some explanations as well. Where did the mechas and zombies come from in the first place?

29: Hanoka

Cute, very cute. This series is perfect for a light watch. Still, I’m fearing that three minutes may be a bit too short to fully develop the characters.

28: Power Puff Girls Z

Bubbles’ first love really was cute. I’m suspecting that we get to see more of him, later in the series. The Amoeba boys also were as funny as usual. and the camera guy looked rather scary.

27: Night Head Genesis

This turned into a fine mystery series. It’s a nice watch, but this month didn’t feature anything amazing.

26: Tenpou Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi

For the first two episodes, I had my doubts, but with the third episode, this show started to grow on me. I’m not sure what it is, but it was surprisingly good. Episode four also was fairly enjoyable.

25: Code Geass

This anime will be very exciting, but remember that Clamp was involved in this, making this series in a way similar to Tsubasa Chronicle. In order to fully enjoy it, don’t worry about the details. Sure, this anime makes no sense at all. But it’s definitely fun to watch.

24: Kekkaishi

Pretty good for a shounen-action series. There were actually some thoughts put behind it. Now, let’s see if this quality doesn’t just disappear after a few episodes.

23: Ayatsuri Sakon

A nice arc, though I’m feeling that the best of this series was in the first two arcs, unfortunately. Still, that doesn’t mean that the current mystery isn’t great.

22: Himawari

I managed to finish this series. It’s pretty good, the episodes either focused on one side-character or Himawari. Mendoi also seems to have picked up this series again. I’d like to see the episode with the disguises and the final episode subbed, as they were rather difficult to follow without subs.

21: Ergo Proxy

A good ending for Ergo Proxy, but the best of the series definitely was in the first two thirds of the show.

20: .Hack//Roots

It depends on how you look at it. The final two episodes were two great standalone episodes. But they’re horrible as an ending.

19: Popolocrois 2003

Episodes 15, 16 and 17 teased the hell out of me with some decent moments with one or two great moments, only for episode 18 to come and blow me down with a great episode. Are things going to be even better in the future episodes?

18: Gintama

I love all of the parodies and random moments in this anime. Gintama definitely is a successful comedy.

17: FLAG

Finally, things start happening. And due to the fact that episodes 1 till 3 spent a lot of time building things up, the episodes turned out great. I’m also getting more and more caught by the atmosphere, set by each episode. I also love the style of this anime. And not to mention the huge dose of realism.

16: Le Chevalier d’Eon

A well written story, great fighting scenes, terrific animation, what more could you wish for? I’m really liking the direction in which Chevalier is going.

15: Kemono no Zume

One thing I noticed about Kemono no Zume: each episode is different and alike at the same time. While the story, atmosphere and graphics remain the same, the contents of each of the episodes greatly differs from each other. One time, we have a hilarious comedy-episode, while the next episode focuses on fight and yet the next focuses on a naked guy, tied up on a chair with a bag over his head. In any case, I had my doubts during the first three episodes, but this anime turned out greatly.

14: NHK ni Youkoso

Finally, this anime is getting good! The suicide arc ended in a magnificent way. The MMORPG-arc started out in an incredibly annoying way. I noticed lots of flaws. Why does a random girl just come up and falls in love with Satou? Why is she dressed in such skimpy clothing? Why does she know a brother of Satou’s ex-classmate? Why does she have to act so friggin’ annoying?! At the end of the arc, however, I understood. I totally understood. That was SO mean of the creators. XD

13: Yoshinaga-chi no Gargoyle

One word: hilarious. No, really, give it a try. This show is really funny. ^_^

12: Tsubasa Chronicle

I just love the atmosphere in Tsubasa Chronicle. The episodes released this month have been ranging from good to excellent.

11: Death Note

I really like how much thought is put behind each of Light’s plans. You can really see that he’s the top of his class for a reason. This show also knows how to use the element of surprise very well.

10: Black Lagoon

Episode 13 and 14 were very interesting to see. The problem really was fleshed out, and I liked how this arc actually focused more on Balalaika than on the Black Lagoon company. Still, it felt like the arc missed something. Everything just was a bit too standard. Then, episode 15 appeared. Seriously, that was awesome. So many creative ideas were used. The Roberta Arc still was better, though the Hansel and Gretel-arc definitely deserves credit.

9: Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge

This anime is outright hilarious. It really shows that you can make a successful comedy-anime out of a low budget with the right direction. I also wasn’t surprised a bit when I found out that Nabeshin is directing this. This anime also makes a fairly good chance of the best soundtrack of the season-award, especially if you include the OP and ED. And with a season with series as Bakumatsu, this really has to say something.

8: Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto

This show has such incredible production values. The animation is excellent, and the soundtrack is gorgeous. The battles each episodes also are a feast for the eyes. This definitely will be an interesting watch.

7: Red Garden

I’ve been looking forward to this series, and really, it hasn’t disappointed at all. Seeing normal schoolgirls fight is so much better than to see the usual fighting-machines fight. The former really are scared, the latter just try to act as touch and cool as possible. Also, for one of the first times ever, the characters don’t suddenly appear to have the singing voice of a j-pop idol.

6: Otogi Juushi Akazukin

Otogi Juushi Akazukin really has been as amazing as ever, both with the darker episodes in which Turude appeared, as downright awesome episodes in which the City Musicians of Bremen appeared.

5: Jigoku Shoujo

I’m really glad Jigoku Shoujo is back now. ^^

4: Sasami Mahou Shoujo Club

Sasami Mahou Shoujo Club turned into an extremely touching anime. The first season focused on developing the girls, while the second season introduced a very intriguing plot. The different characters are awesome to see.

3: Asatte no Houkou

I already said this before, but I can’t believe how great this anime turned out. This anime knows what it is, and makes perfect use of this. It’s cute, touching, entertaining and downright awesome at the same time. A definite recommendation.

2: Eureka 7

Eureka 7’s final episodes were so incredibly emotionally strong. It definitely was an awesome watch. Too bad that the final episode ruined things a bit, but Eureka, Renton and all the others were so incredibly sad to see.

1: The Third

Yes, I’m still a huge fanboy of The Third. This really turned out to be one of my favourite series, due to the highly fleshed out characters. The current arc also was awesome to see, getting more interesting by the minute.

+ 10 Notable Future Anime +
Nagasarete Airantou

“Touhouin Ikuto runs away from home at the age of 14 and jumps onboard a ship. He falls off into the ocean and drifts for 5 days until he is swept up in a storm. He wakes up on Airantou, an isolated island inhabited, coincidentally, by girls roughly his age who have never seen a boy before. After being thwarted in his attempt to escape by the fierce whirlpools that surround the island, he decides to accept his fate and remain. One boy to an island of girls? Let the fighting — err, I mean fun, begin!” Seriously, it looks like the makers of the harem-anime are running out if ideas. I’ve seen a lot of garbage this season, but this premise can easily rival that of the worst ones among them. -_-

Getsumen To Heiki Mina

“An animated spin-off from the Densha Otoko (Trainman) tv drama. In the drama, actor Itoh Atsushi plays the otaku Yamada, who`s main love in life is the Mina anime, a cutesy busty heroine with floppy rabbit ears and carrots sticking out her rear. Mina itself is a character homage which triggers back to the Daicon Animation done by GAINAX where a similar nameless bunny girl appeared. Densha Otoko futher featured an opening with scenes which were appearing back in the Daicon Animation.” Gonzo and their strange ideas again. I guess that this’ll only appeal to those who saw Densha Otoko.

Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica

There was once a world where Spirits roamed free. And there were once brave men and women called “Dantists” who sought to make Contracts with those Spirits. Word of their miraculous deeds spread far and wide throughout the land, and all good men and women aspired to be like them. This is the story of the Dantist who would grow to become the most famous of them all. The concept sounds, interesting, except for the fact that this is another one of those harems, our main character will probably get powerful without any good reason at all, the character designs are trying to hard to appeal, achieving the opposite effect, and not to mention that they scream “fanservice”.

Giant Robo

When I looked at the title, I was fearing another one of those cheesy robot-shows who pop up once in a while (like Super Robot Wars did this season), but when I took a look at the site and the trailer, it seems that this anime isn’t that bad. The background art looks very nice, and it seems that a rather big budget went in the graphics. And guess what? For one of the first times ever, the main character isn’t a 14 or 16-year old brat. He’s actually 18. Okay, that’s still young, but a definite improvement.

Hidamari Sketch

“Yuno has just entered Yamabuki High School she’s longed for. She lest home and begins to live alone in Hidamari-so, a small apartment located just in front of the school. There, she meets a classmate, Miyako, and a senior student, Hiro. Because strange artists gather in Hidamari-so, she has troublesome days. Although she’s not accustomed to the new life, being with gentle friends, Yono’s new life slowly moves to realize her dream.” This is probably going to be a slice-of-life school-comedy featuring some cute girls. I’m a bit worried about this, as series from this genre never really work out. Still, it doesn’t look like a boy is among the main characters, which is a good thing. At least this show won’t focus around predictable love affairs.

Devil May Cry

“The game revolves around P.I. (Private Investigator) Dante and his one-man devil hunting agency “Devil May Cry”, which he runs in hopes of finding and killing the demons that killed his mother. Dante also has a twin brother named Vergil, whom we however learn little about during the course of this first game in the series. The story alludes to The Divine Comedy in the game’s areas (roughly resembling and representing inferno, purgatorio, and paradiso) as well as in some of the character names; however it is purely an aesthetic similarity, and indeed the game borrows from a very wide range of sources for inspiration. After a less than proper introduction, a woman named Trish, who bears a striking resemblance to Dante’s mother, convinces Dante to help her defeat Mundus, the Emperor of the Underworld, who is the leading antagonist of the game. The duo then sets off to Mallet Island, where Mundus’s resurrection is about to take place, and where the majority of the game plays out.” I’ve yet to play the games myself, though they seem to be immensely popular. Not that that’s a good thing, though. Still, I’ve got hope. The game is supposed to have a dark gothic undertone. If used well, such a tone can prove to be very interesting.

Catblue: Dynamite

Scheduled to be released at the end of the year. There is no summary yet, though they have released a trailer. And by the looks of it, this series will be all eye-candy. It’s another one of those experimental 3D-anime, and revolves around some kind of sword-gun-wielding cat-woman. I also could have sworn that cell-shading has been applied to this anime. Well, whatever the creators have done, it looks gorgeous. Now, let’s hope it has an interesting story.

Tokyo Majin Gakuen

I have no idea what this anime will be about. It looks like some sorts of supernatural events will happen around a school in Tokyo. It doesn’t look like a harem either, as there are actually more than one male characters, which is always a good sign.

Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora

“10 years have passed since the most serious crisis of human beings. The story takes place at the giant academic city, Academia, which is the symbol of the recovery. The main character Shiratori Ku is a high school girl who enjoys school life but she thinks her routine lives empty. She sometimes has the same dream, the dream in which a prince meets her. While all the students are preparing for the school festival, the prince whom she has met over and over in her dreams appears. This is not in a dream, but in a real life. The prince named Ayanokoji Koshiro asks her in the same way like in the dream, “Come with me…”” Say, does anyone know whether this anime has any connections with Kannadzuki no Miko? Seriously, I could have sworn I saw Chikane and Himeko among the list of characters. Anyway, I like the premise. It seems to be a mecha-show with a healthy dose of romance. Could become interesting.

Himawari, Second Season

One of winter-season-series I’m looking forward to. I mean, there has to be a reason for the promo-art to be this dark, hasn’t there? The first episode had some definite good points, with already fleshed out characters. The fact also remains that the first season ended with a huge [SPOILER] appearing from out of [SPOILER] with the guy who [SPOILER], saying that [SPOILER]. That has to mean something, doesn’t it?

+ Top 5 Episodes +
5: Death Note 02
This episode really showed how great the power of surprise can work out for Death Note. Some real thoughts were put behind the events, and I especially loved how Light was pwned by L.

4: Black Lagoon 15
I’m placing this here not only because the episode was awesome, but also because it’s one of the best saves from a standard storyline I’ve seen in a while. Also, the number of creative elements used in this episode was top notch. You really won’t be able to predict what’ll happen in this episode if you haven’t seen it.

3: Red Garden 02
Seeing normal schoolgirls like these struggle for their lives, be truly scared, and seeing how this affects their lives was awesome to see. Red Garden really can become a very interesting series.

2: Otogi Juushi Akazukin 18
An episode full of songs, songs and even more songs. Everyone played their part perfectly, not to mention Hameln’s performance.

1: Mushishi 26
Mushishi closed with an awesome story. There really isn’t a second season of some sort?