March Summary

+ Top 5 Funniest anime + #5: Kekkaishi Kekkaishi proved to be not only heart-warming, but also incredibly funny with Yoshimori’s quirks. It’s really one of the few shounen-series with an actually interesting male lead. And that has to say something. Toshimori also was very cute in the episode he got dedicated to him. #4: Power Puff Girls Z Power Puff Girls Z probably remains the strangest anime on my current watch-list. While Blossom’s love was boring when compared to Bubbles’, the disco-fever-episode cracked me up. #3: Master of Epic It’s sad to see that Master of Epic is gone now. When it aired, it’s always been a very good source of MMORPG-parodies. #2: Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge Yamato Nadeshiko keeps delving more and more into the absurd, but that’s probably why it keeps getting funnier and funnier. Especially the Valentine-episode was hilarious. #1: Gintama I agree with everyone else here: episode 20 was just classic. Apart from that, I just loved the witty humour that came from Gintama during this month. + Top 3 anime with 1 episode released + #3: Hitohira Hitohira: cute, some great characters, and some duller ones. Still the greater ones make this a potentially good series. Now let’s hope the rest of the series delivers. #2: Freedom An OVA that shines in its climaxes. The second instalment also was very interesting to see, and despite the main character who looks in every way like a shounen-hero, I actually liked him and his search for the girl, who happens to be from Earth. #1: Strange Dawn I’m not kidding when I say that I LOVE this series. In only two episodes, it accomplished what usual series only could dream of. It broke so many clichés, the characters are awesome. So far, it’s been a true masterpiece. I really hope for the rest of this series to arrive soon, as it deserves to be more known than it is now. + Top 10: + #10: Kekkaishi It seems that Kekkaishi went into another one of its hiatuses again, as after episode 19, I couldn’t find any more episodes of this. Still, the episodes that were released were some good stuff. I especially liked the Toshimori-episode. I’m not sure why, but the slice-of-life elements in a shounen-series like this are really worth watching. #9: Jigoku Shoujo Jigoku Shoujo has nearly finished, and it does show this with some very interesting episodes. While these episodes didn’t surpass my previous favourites like I hoped, there were some very strong ones among them. Now let’s hope it’ll finish off well. #8: Master of Epic Master of Epic avoided the pitfall of many comedy-anime: suddenly falling into cheesy drama for the final episodes. Instead, it just came with the regular funny sketches, and ended things off with a bang. ^^; #7: Death Note While the Yotsuba-arc got on my nerves a bit too much, episode 24 was one to remember. Especially that evil smirk of Light. #6: Saiunkoku Monogatari The Sakujun-arc ended magnificently. March has been as strong for Saiunkoku Monogatari as usual. #5: Les Miserables – Shoujo Cosette In march, the focus of Les Miserables was about equal for Jean and Cosette. Especially Cosette was better than ever. #4: Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto Bakumatsu has been extremely solid for its final few episodes. Okay, nothing amazing happened, but there were almost no weak or silent moments, which is something I appreciated. Combine this with some very interesting direction and I’m hooked. #3: Tenpou Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi You know, this would have been a very fine show to blog about. Unfortunately, I’m realizing this a bit late. The different arcs delve surprisingly deep into the different characters and their backgrounds, and because of the huge research the creators of this anime conducted, they’re able to provide a number of very interesting and intelligent cases. I’m definitely hoping that this show will set some kind of new standard for others, but it first needs to get a bit more acknowledgement for that. Definitely a neglected series which doesn’t deserve it. #2: Red Garden Red Garden showcased some beautiful final episodes. Especially the climax was heart-wrenching. So far, it showed that its deep character studies definitely worked. #1: Chevalier Seriously. The first half of this series was interesting, but the Russia-arc dragged horribly. But then episode sixteen blew me away. If I were to believe Wao, then episode eighteen is going to be even better. If this continues for the entire series, then we’ve got ourselves a gem here. It’s the same with Ayakashi Ayashi: it’s a shame I didn’t blog this when it first aired. It would have been perfect for that. + Biggest surprise + Saiunkoku Monogatari A strong contender with Chevalier here, but the plot twist of episode 35 was just too amazing. There are these kinds of moments that make watching an anime all worth it, and that was definitely one of them. + Disappointment of the month + Otogi Juushi Akazukin With shows as Code Geass, I already knew that they were bad. But Otogi Juushi Akazukin went from the most amazing episodes to some horribly cheesy ones. It’s just too bad. It’s been an outstanding series till the horrible episodes 36 and 37. + Newly Announced Anime + Kenko Zenrakei Suieibu Umisho Summary: Kaname Okimura, a student of Prefectoral Umineko Shougyou High (“Umisho” for short), joined the school’s swimming club in order to learn how to swim, but the club is filled with weirdoes, let alone teach him swimming. Then, a sunny, happy-go-lucky girl named Amuro Ninagawa who was transferred from Okinawa joined the club. Her extraordinary underwater speed and unorthodox swimming style (plus her personal habit of nude swimming — a powerful magnet to teenage boys) surprised every club member, especially Okimura, because she reminds him a mermaid-like creature he saw only once in his early childhood. – (taken from ANN) Thoughts: Okay, when the promo-art covers a nude girl right in the centre of it, you know that this one’s going to be bad. Bokusatsu Tenchi Dokuro-Chan Summary: Sakura, our main character, has an angel living with him. The only problem: she likes beating others to death and revive them afterwards. Thoughts: The problem with the first season was that the first episode was hilarious, only for the ret of the episodes to suck hugely. Are the creators really planning to continue this? Puchi Eva EVANGELION@SCHOOL Summary: A new project, Puchi Eva EVANGELION@SCHOOL has been announced. This SD series will initially launch in the form of figurines, designed by Hamamoto Ryuusuke and packaged by Yotsuba Stuidios, but the project is expected to accommodate conventional anime media as well. – (taken from Eggplant) Thoughts:Okay, this is just scary. Are these people really planning to milk the evangelion-cash-cow even more? Don’t get me wrong, I loved Evangelion, but I’d wish the creators would focus their attention at something that would equal and possibly even surpass the series. Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de Summary: H-game it may be, but female fans may also enjoy the premise: in the game, the player’s character is a butler who must serve a demanding wealthy heiress. The Kuonji family is a very old and very rich one with three daughters, each of whom has her own wait staff. It’s a Kuonji family tradition for the wait staff to swear absolute loyalty to their masters, so when teenage runaway Ren Uesugi and his sister Mihato are desperate for the job (and the money), they agree to make the pledge. Thoughts: Your usual harem-premise. Yawn. Zombie Loan Summary: When a human is marked to die, a faint grey line that is invisible to most appears around their neck. As time passes, that ring becomes darker and darker, until it is eventually black, and that person dies. Kita Michiru has an unusual gift, she posses “Shinigami eyes,” which allow her to see these rings. When Michiru notices that two of the boys in her Class, Akatsuki Chika and Tachibana Shito not only have rings, but that they’re jet black, they reveal to her that the were supposed to die in a tragic accident six months ago. With the help of the Zombie Loan loan office, they were given a second chance at life, should they be able to pay for their debt by doing the work of Shinigami and killing malicious zombies. They petition Michiru to assist them in their efforts, and she finds her everyday life changing dramatically. Thoughts: So far, I’m not impressed. This looks just like the 20 other anime in which a cute girl teams up with a bunch of guys so that they can slay monsters for no apparent reason. Clannad Summary: Tomoya Okazaki is a third year high school student who dislikes his life. Everything seems to be unchanging for his school life until he meets Nagisa, and Tomoya finds that his life is about to change. Tomoya’s mother died when he was young, leaving him to be raised by his father alone. After the accident, Tomoya’s father turned to alcohol and gambling, and they used to argue all the time. However, one day in a fight, his father slammed him against the wall, dislocating Tomoya’s shoulder. Ever since then, his father started treating Tomoya nicely, but distantly, as if Tomoya and he were strangers instead of family. This hurt Tomoya more than constantly fighting, and the awkwardness of returning home led to Tomoya’s constant desire to stay out all night. In addition, due to the injury, Tomoya couldn’t play in the basketball club anymore and quit his school activities. In this way, his delinquent life began. – (taken from Wikipedia) Thoughts: Okay, so this isn’t a hentai-game adaptation, it’s just a visual novel. Still, it does remain a harem. Is there a reason for all major side characters to be female, while the only male has to be the main character, apart from pleasing the moe-loving otaku? Of course not. Still, I have to hand it to this anime for featuring the first harem-lead with a bit of a background-story, which actually doesn’t centre around the girls he’s about to meet. Still, after watching the trailer, I’m afraid to say that the character-designs still look ugly. Dragonaut -The Resonance- Summary: ? Thoughts: Ah, Gonzo’s next victim. They seem to be going for another original story, as I couldn’t find anything about where they based it on. So far, we know that it’s going to be a science-fiction series. This worries me a bit, though. “Gonzo” and “standard” don’t go well together. Doujin Work Summary: Doujinwork is a story about the main character’s exposure and adventure into the world of doujinshi. We follow Osana Najimi, a high schooler tempted into becoming a doujin artist after seeing how much her friend can make at a convention. A sucker at drawing, Najimi soon learns that the road inside the doujin world is not paved with roses as she expected, but, as she attends more conventions and meets more people, manages to find a group of very interesting friends. – (taken from Cardcaptor’s blog) Thoughts: Ah, an anime about a group of doujin artists. It seems we’re talking about a comedy-series here. While it’s always tricky to see how a comedy-series will turn out in the end, I like the setting for it. I’m a bit afraid of the huge amount of fanservice-jokes that the manga this anime will be based on is supposed to have though. Hatenkou Yuugi Summary: A young girl named Rahzel is booted out of her house one day by her father with the instructions to ‘see the world.’ And so her journey begins, However, she won’t be doing it alone … for she befriends a stoic young man named Alzeido seeking revenge for his father’s murder. Alzeido and Rahzel are like oil and water … but even still, they feel strangely drawn to one another. This could be either the result of an underlying attraction — or their shared powers with magic. And so, the two reluctant allies travel from town to town, using their powers to help the helpless, while discovering their own respective places in the world. – (taken from Baka-updates) Thoughts: Ah, a light-hearted fantasy-series about two polar-opposites who travel together. Reminds me of Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran. That was a fun series, so it’ll be perfect for a light watch. I hope. Shigurui Summary: “Shigurui” is ostensibly based on the first chapter of Nanjo Norio’s novel “Suruga-jou Gozen Jiai”, but it’s been so expanded and re-written that most folks tend to agree that the manga has become something else entirely. The series starts in the 6th year of Kan’ei. Tired of the Suruga martial arts tournaments and eager to see some blood, Dainagon Tokugawa Tadanaka orders his men to host a sword dual to the death for his enjoyment. The lucky contestants turn out to be one-armed Fujiki Gennosuke and his blind opponent Irako Seigen. – (taken from Nomad Soul) Thoughts: Bloody, but bloody interesting as well. The manga it’s based on is supposed to have a very compelling and strong story. It’ll be worth it to at least check this one out. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Summary: The story revolves around Itoshiki Nozomu, a teacher who is beset by immense pessimism and paranoia. Starting off his first day at his new class attempting suicide via hanging, he is stopped by Fuura Kafuka, a super-optimistic student of his. Still alive, he goes to class and introduces himself, but much to his chagrin, Kafuka notices that his surname, when linked together to form a single kanji, gives him the title ‘Teacher Despair’. And so the story revolves around the weird, far-out stuff that Nozomu and the various students of his class do together. – (taken from Lolicontrol) Thoughts: You know what? I like this! There’s a possibility that it may be a bit too slice-of-lifey, but a desperate teacher can definitely be interesting to see. Rose Marie Summary: ? Thoughts: It’s near-impossible to search for this anime, as all English sites list all kinds of females, while the Japanese search results direct me to cooking-blogs. Still, I don’t know why, but I like this. Kara no Kyoukai Summary: I’ve been trying to find a good summary, but I failed Thoughts: At one point, I did read the summary of this though, and I have to say that I was impressed by it. It’ll probably take a loooong while before the movies will arrive in the English community, but it’ll be worth the wait. Shinryougari -GHOST HOUND- Summary: The main crew behind Ghost Hound includes director Ryutaro Nakamura (Serial Experiments Lain, Kino’s Travels), scriptwriter Chiaki J. Konaka (Serial Experiments Lain, The Big O) and character designer Mariko Oka (Jigoku Shojo, Jing: King of Bandits). The story will be co-developed by Crossroad. – (taken from Animation Magazine) Thoughts: The people behind Serial Experiments Lain, Kino’s Journey and Jigoku Shoujo? Haleluja! This will definitely be something to look forward to. Mononoke Summary: Bake Neko Spin-off Thoughts: Yes! Yes! Yes! I know I already talked about it, but this is just too awesome not to mention. + Top 5 Episodes + #5: Jigoku Shoujo – 49 Ah, great episode. Loved the twist at the end. #4: Red Garden – 22 That ending was, like mentioned above, heart-wrenching. Apart from that, this episode was very sad to watch. #3: Death Note – 24 Light was SO evil in this one. Great to see everyone who left back again. #2: Saiunkoku Monogatari – 35 My faith in Sakujun was immediately restored with this episode. Pure brilliance. #1: Chevalier – 16 You’ve got your episodes which feature some amazing event. But only rarely do you run into an entire episode that just blows you away. with me, that happened with this episode.]]>