Category: Monthly Summaries

My opinion on this season? Awesome. It really is one of the best seasons we’ve had in years, and especially the series I’ve been blogging haven’t disappointed at all so far. This season is especially excels in characters: there are lots of series with excellent characterizations and that make use of lots of quiet moment in order to flesh out their cast. A lot of the series this season are slow paced, but there are also some roller-coaster rides among them and overall, I’m very satisfied. I’m not sure whether this correlates to an almost complete lack of series from the mecha-genre (apart from two shows, but those are either so delightfully different from all of the mecha-series that we’ve been seeing for the past years, and/or know that they’re not supposed to be taken 100% seriously).

Rankings, like last month are a bit strange again, I basically tried to generate the rankings for each show, compared to the others that are currently airing. Say, for example that Show A has a really good setting, and there are only a few other shows with a better setting, it’s going to rank higher than if there are many shows with excellent settings, and vice versa. I know that it’s a bit weird, but for some reason it does more accurately reflect my feelings about the shows this season.

#25 (31) – Higepiyo – (6,75/10) – I dropped this show after episode six or something. It’s a shame that the only gimmick this show really had was the moustache. Apart from that it’s just been reusing its jokes over and over again.
#24 (20) – Koukaku no Regios – (7,5/10) – Okay, so the finale has finally started. This is the point where everything is supposed to come together, and sure enough: the characters are developing quite nicely… If only the plot knew where it wanted to go. For some reason the filth monsters have suddenly become incredibly weak, characters are conveniently zapped from one place to the other without much explanation, there are lots of pacing issues and with all the build-up of the rest of the series, it still feels like things haven’t been built up and introduced well enough. I hope that the finale can prevent this series from becoming a true disappointment, but things aren’t looking good.
#23 (11) – Kurokami the Animation – (7/10) – Aah! Sunrise, what are you doing?! There was a lot of potential going for this series once it hit its second half, but this month completely raped any potential this series had left. The way Keita came back to life without any explanation whatsoever, combined with a truckload full of other badly planned Deus ex Machina completely destroyed all the credibility this series had going for it. The final nail in the coffin for this thing was Reishin’s comeback, including his complete loss of any kind of personality whatsoever. Reishin’s background and the explanation why he became the bad guy was also laughable at best.
#22 (25) – Saki – (7,75/10) – You know, this series would have been much better if the creators actually knew a DAMN THING about Mah-jong. Right now, the matches are all “ooh look at how incredibly strong she is!” and “wow she’s even stronger”. There’s too much moe, there’s too much fanservice, but I have yet to drop this series because the characters do remain charming.
#21 (18) – Valkyria Chronicles – (7,5/10) – I’m still looking for a reason to continue watching this series, because it’s getting duller and duller now that some sort of generic ancient civilization of the Valkyrians has been introduced. Seriously, Guin Saga is currently doing just about everything better than this series is.
#20 (13) – Sengoku Basara – (7,75/10) – I want to like this series, but something is stopping me from it. My impression is that it’s in a bit of an identity crisis: it keeps hopping back and forth between GAR and epic manliness and historical politically correct warfare, but it doesn’t succeed in bringing out the best in either of them and they seem to be working against each other, rather than complementing.This really isn’t the best GAR series this season, and for historical warfare in feudal Japan we have Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto which has done a much better job at that, so I’m running out of things to recommend this series for.
#19 (19) – Chi’s New Address – (8,25/10) – There’s a really big difference with the first season now that Chi no longer has to stay in the house, but it’s still a really funny comedy. Right now the creators are introducing all sorts of interesting characters (I especially loved the return of the pet shop saleswoman) and Chi really is as lovable as ever.
#18 (new) – Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya – (8/10) – Well, it’s pretty much what I remember it to be: whenever Haruhi opened her mouth I wanted to punch the screen, but as soon as that annoyance left and the focus returned back to Kyon, Mikuru and Yuki it suddenly got a lot more interesting. I’m glad to see that this show hasn’t lost its wit yet. Now if only the fan-base would get less annoying and overwhelming.
#17 (22) – Gintama – (8,25/10) – Now this is more like it! I’m not sure what exactly happened, but this month Gintama showed that it most definitely can continue on with its new director, and that the guy can actually be funny and compelling. While still nowhere as good as it once was, the past few episodes released on fansubs have been a large step into the right direction.
#16 (16) – Shin Mazinger Shougenki! Z-Hen – (8,5/10) – Now this is pure entertainment! I really have a weakness for that retro cheese, but the new Mazinger is shaping up to be a really enjoyable series that tries just about everything to make an as big spectacle as possible, without falling into the same pitfalls as the likes of Code Geass by sacrificing solid storytelling for entertainment. I especially like how the creators seem to realize that mecha-battles alone are boring, so they made sure that most of the action happens outside of Mazinger, while they still keep Mazinger central to the plot by simply making him god-like whenever he gets the chance (not often) to show his awesome powers.
#15 (10) – Hetalia Axis Powers – (8,5/10) – There really is just one word needed to describe this series: brilliant. I especially love it when this series starts messing with cultural differences (especially the “in heaven” and “in hell”-songs were priceless), and I still find it a bloody shame that the Netherlands isn’t a character that’s made fun of.
#14 (12) – Marie & Gali – (8,5/10) – Oh, this series doesn’t make one iota of sense, but I like it so much. Every episode, there’s just so much weirdness going on, and I absolutely love the huge amount of creativity that the creators have. I’m glad to see that this show doesn’t seem to be ending after only thirteen episodes, because that’s just too little in order to show everything about this very strange setting in which Marie Curie bakes radioactive cookies and Newton is in love with apples.
#13 (14) – 07-Ghost – (8,25/10) – 07-Ghost has been a very strange beast. Unlike some other shows this season, it doesn’t have something it stands out in particular. It’s not the most ambitious series, its setting is on purpose kept very small, fillers are used to flesh out the characters. But what it does, it does very well. The characters are very enjoyable to watch and especially the fights and battles are very well coordinated and written, with just enough dialogue and just enough action without any of the two getting in the other’s way.
#12 (21) – Full Metal Alchemist – Brotherhood – (8,5/10) – In eight episodes, this show did what the original series took more than 21. Still, I already like it much better than the original series: the comedy and action mix well, there’s always something going on and the characterization is just so much better. Now that the two series are finally about to diverge from each other, I’m interested to see where the creators can take this.
#11 (5) – Guin Saga – (8,5/10) – Now that this series has also included medieval warfare between large armies, it really has caught my attention. About the only downside to this show is the really inconsistent animation (which really needs to be top-notch with this kind of series), but the whole setting, Guin, the enemy Mongols. Everything is compelling to watch further, despite the slow pacing.

#10 (3) – Pandora Hearts – (8,5/10)

Not as good as the previous month, but still an excellent series with great chemistry between the three lead characters. It’s obviously building up right now, so I’m eagerly waiting what it’s planning to do with the rest of the series, considering the creativity that it has already shown us. I just hope that the bit of the cheese shown in a few episodes between Oz and Raven isn’t going to return.

#9 (8) – Basquash! – (8,5/10)

Ah, Basquash. I’m still amazed at how behind the childish characters, weird fanservice and weird plot, there’s a surprisingly deep story lying. The characters are very well written and enjoyable to watch, though the fanservice can become a bit too overwhelming at times.

#8 (7) – Ristorante Paradiso – (8,5/10)

It’s interesting how all of the characters seem to have their own issues in the past, and yet this remains such a charming and quiet slice of life series. At the moment, the characters are getting fleshed out really well, and it’s enough to just watch this series for the characters and their daily lives, spiced up with a bit of their pasts. I felt like I really got to know these people.

#7 (15) – Hajime no Ippo – (8,75/10)

Now this is more like it. The Brian Hawk-arc took a long while to build up, but it’s been SO intense so far. Especially after the fighting started, I just can’t wait until that next episode gets released.

#6 (6) – Natsu no Arashi – (8,75/10)

This show has really proven a great execution, with a very nice combination between comedy episodes and serious ones, which both deliver in their own way to the main storyline. The comedy-episodes are really hilarious (thanks to Jun), and really: at the beginning of the show, did anyone expect to see the characters standing amidst a sea of fire in the midst of World War II?

#5 (1) – Eden of the East – (8,75/10)

Well, so while this show isn’t the best of the season anymore, it still is rock-solid with believable and likable characters. This month was mostly used for building up, though my one gripe is that it’s going to be such a long wait until the movie is going to come with all of the answers.

#4 (17) – Shangri-La – (8,75/10)

At first sight it’s stupid, silly and very incoherent, but as it turns out Shangri-la has much, much more to offer than just that. It’s a clever, compelling and confronting series with a lot of creativity in the story-writing. Every one or two episodes, the mood, themes and atmosphere completely change when the focus falls on something different, while the series still remains strong as a whole. Definitely one of the dark horses of the season.

#3 (2) – Cross Game – (9/10)

Possibly the smartest series of the entire season. This series has wit, but more importantly it has such a lovable cast of characters. Everyone is simply compelling in their actions, antics and development, and this series is just a must-watch for any slice of life fans, even those who have nothing with baseball.

#2 (4) – Phantom – (9,25/10)

What a fantastically subtle characterization of the lead couple. This series without a doubt stands among the top of this season and is definitely recommended if you’re looking for deep and well developed characters (and it’s only been nine episodes so far). This has a really good chance of becoming Bee-Train’s best series after .Hack//Sign.

#1 (9) – Konnichiwa Anne – (9,25/10)

After the first two episodes, I never expected that right now this series would already have been as good as it has shown now. You’d expect that in these first few months, this series would be quiet and nothing much would happen, but instead EVERY SINGLE episode has been awesome this month, ranging from Elisa leaving the house to childbirth to Ben’s drinking problems. There’s always something to make something special out of this series. And what a bittersweet series it has turned into!

I think that this is the first time that this ever happened ever since I started including ratings in these summaries: none of the shows I’m watching has a rating of 9/10 or above. But that’s logical since the only awesome show that continued from the past month was Hajime no Ippo, and that one had a lesser month this time. In any case, this is really typical of this season: there are no instant classics yet, but there sure are a hell of a lot with the potential to become one.

Oh, and another thing: I ended up experimenting with the rankings again. The result is that some shows with higher ratings may be ranked lower than you’d expect and vice versa. This time, I basically tried to generate the rankings for each show, compared to the others that are currently airing. Say, for example that Show A has a really good setting, and there are only a few other shows with a better setting, it’s going to rank higher than if there are many shows with excellent settings, and vice versa. Please don’t ask me in what kind of mindset I was when I thought of this system.

#41 (new) – Gokujou!! Mecha Motte Iinchou – (2/10) – The honour of ‘worst show of the season’ goes to this… thing. Congrats. I never imagined that something would end up beating Queen’s Blade in this category. Dropped.
#40 (new) – Queen’s Blade – (3,25/10) – One thing I don’t get about these series: why aren’t they just turned into a hentai-series? I mean, you get a lot more nudity that way and the show doesn’t have to pretend to have a plot or anything. In any case, this one’s obviously dropped.
#39 (new) – Cookin’ Idol Ai! Mai! Main! – (3,75/10) – In this series, the impossible happened: Hiroshi Watanabe surpassed himself. The cabbage song combined with the utterly bad acting were already bizarre, but when I looked at the staff list, everything suddenly made sense. When I thought that he couldn’t sink any lower than Shining Tears X Wind, this guy proves me wrong once again. Dropped.
#38 (new) – Metal Fight Beyblade – (6,5/10) – Stupid shounen stuff of which I don’t even remember what it was about. Dropped obviously.
#37 (new) – Hanasakeru Seishonen – (6,75/10) – The best way to describe this show is a teenaged soap gone anime. Seriously, the incredible stupidity of the bits that I saw before dropping this show are nearly unbelievable. Characters have really dull and overemotional personalities. Dropped.
#36 (new) – Jewel Pets – (7/10) – Ever since Otogi Juushi Akazukin and Power Puff Z I’ve been looking for those really charming and childish kiddie shows. The only problem is that the good ones are really hard to find! I was hoping that Jewel Pets would finally return some spark to a genre that virtually burnt out now, but alas; it showed its true colours soon enough: all of the characters lose their personality completely after their introduction episodes and become mere paper bags. Dropped.
#35 (new) – Tayutama ~Kiss on my Deity~ – (7/10) – That first episode had its enjoyable moments, but there is no way that I’m going to continue with this series. It just feels too much like your standard average harem. Dropped.
#34 (new) – Slap Up Party ~Arad Senki~ – (7/10) – While I appreciate the idea of an international production between Japan and Korea, there’s no denial that the writing in this show sucks. While usually Gonzo’s game adaptations have some surprise in them, Slap Up Party only consists out of a bunch of clichés struck together, and the humour really quickly gets dull. Dropped.
#33 (new) – Dragonball Kai – (7,5/10) – I sat through 270 episodes one time already, and I don’t want to do the same, even though everything’s shortened. This really is the series for those who are new to the franchise. Dropped.
#32 (new) – Hatsukoi Limited – (7,5/10) – In the end, I figured that the lead girls seemed a little too much like copy-pasted moeblobs and I don’t feel like sitting through this series to find out whether I was wrong when there are many other better comedies this season.
#31 (new) – Higepiyo – (7,5/10) – Ooh, this isn’t looking good. While it had the nice premise and the first two episodes were hilarious, it’s quickly getting dull because the creators keep overusing the food jokes. Bring in some novelty, please!
#30 (new) – Charady no Joke na Mainichi – (7,5/10) – I tried to follow this for a while, but in the end it’s just not worth the trouble of having to sit through the episode, not knowing when a joke falls flat or becomes hilarious. Out of the first fourteen episodes I watched, only two really made me laugh, and there are much better comedies this season. Dropped
#29 (30) – Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica – (7,5/10) – I pretty much agree with the general consensus of this remake: it’s definitely better than the original, but still not really worth it to watch all the way through the end. Dropped.
#28 (new) – Asura Cryin’ – (7,5/10) – There is potential, but the characters are too annoying for me to want to check whether the show can realize it. Dropped.
#27 (new) – Tears to Tiara – (7,5/10) – I’m not that interested in the next Utawarerumono. There’s much better stuff this season, so I ended up dropping this series.
#26 (36) – Hayate no Gotoku – (7,75/10) – It’s unfortunate that I can’t watch every show that airs. I know that I never really gave this series a proper chance, but at the same time there are too many other shows this season that I also want to watch. Dropped.
#25 (new) – Saki – (7,75/10) – The big problem with Saki is that I’m not yet convinced of Saki’s talent. Take Shion no Ou, for example: even though the rules of Shougi were unclear to many, you could see that Shion was pwn. Saki instead is a character who could perform a Russian Roulette eighteen times and still come out alive. Still: the characters are enjoyable to watch and because of that I haven’t dropped this series yet. But seriously, there need to be less episodes of the kind of episode four. A bit of moe is of course fine, but that was really stretching it.
#24 (new) – Souten Kouro – (7,5/10) – Madhouse’s only new show this season, and quite frankly it’s a disappointment. I’ve never been interested in the whole romance of the three kingdoms setting, and this show again doesn’t seem to convince me otherwise. Dropped
#23 (new) – K-On – (7,75/10) – Obviously, this isn’t my kind of series. I still don’t understand why the heck everyone’s drooling over Mio. For me, the characters were just way too annoying. Dropped.
#22 (23) – Gintama – (7,75/10) – Granted, it still in no way lives up to the first 100 episodes, but the new director at least is competent when he gets to the serious parts, and I have to agree that episode 108 was pretty good.
#21 (new) – Full Metal Alchemist – Brotherhood – (7,75/10) – The new Full Metal Alchemist isn’t perfect. Especially its idea of cropping two chapters in one episode leads to rushed episodes. But on the bright side, Ed and Al are a hell of a lot more likable than in the original series, and that has definitely potential for the future of this series.
#20 (17) – Koukaku no Regios – (8/10) – I can’t really say that Regios is getting better, but neither is it getting worse. It still has nice characters with a competent plot in an interesting setting, but as usual, nothing really stands out.
#19 (18) – Chi’s New Address – (8,25/10) – The first four episodes were a bit too serious for their own good, but after that Chi’s Sweet Home really became just as good as the first season, if not better. Especially the rate of dull episodes seems much smaller now.
#18 (new) – Valkyria Chronicles – (7,75/10) – While this show is nothing special yet, there looks to be potential for its second half. The lighter moments, especially those involving Alicia, are a bit annoying, but once the tank combat starts the show gets much better. Now let’s see whether the creators can pull this show off.
#17 (new) – Shangri-La – (8/10) – The character animation is incredibly inconsistent, yeah. Thankfully the rest of the series has enough potential to make up for it. Shangri-La at the moment is nothing special yet, but I’m intrigued by the setting, the cast is likable and you can see that it’s really using the beginning episodes to build up for something. This show can really go anywhere, but for now I’ll remain positive.
#16 (new) – Shin Mazinger Shougenki! Z-Hen – (8,25/10) – You can really count on the creator of Giant Robo to make a remake of the Mazinger series awesome. And oh, the irony: all of the giant robots of the good guys have proven to be absolutely useless so far, and instead the best action happens between the spectators. A very nice touch if I say so myself. I’m definitely going to enjoy this series.
#15 (7) – Hajime no Ippo – (8,25/10) – Just about my only complaint of Hajime no Ippo is that it suffers from the Dragonball Z syndrome. With that, I don’t mean that it has the ability to stretch five minutes into five days, but rather that once formidable side-characters become absolutely useless as soon as the lead character level up much faster than them. This month was relatively weak for this series: it was still fun (with some hilarious facial expressions), but nowhere up to the level of the first half.
#14 (new) – 07-Ghost – (8/10) – This one has been quite the solid series so far. So yeah, there are some shounen ai undertones here and there, but it’s nothing that should really distract you from viewing unless you’re a complete and utter homophobe. The characters are quite likable and it’s got lots of potential for the future.
#13 (new) – Sengoku Basara – (8,25/10) – I know I talked down on this series in my first impressions, but it looks like I’m going to have to take back those comments. Sengoku Basara is GAR, manly, exciting and has some amazing action scenes. Once you start to get the back-story a bit, the whole thing suddenly becomes much more interesting.
#12 (new) – Marie & Gali – (8,25/10) – Call me crazy, but I’m enjoying this little show. It’s fun to see especially Marie’s antics, but also all of the weird stuff and cameos that goes on, along with this show’s unique style and episodes of only five minutes proved to be quite entertaining.
#11 (19) – Kurokami the Animation – (8,25/10) – Woo! I’m glad that my prediction with this series was right: during the past month, Kurokami became significantly better when compared to the rather lacklustre first half. Now that the storyline’s evolving there are lots of nice and juicy plot twists that are actually pretty interesting to watch. Now let’s hope that the show can keep this up.

#10 (14) – Hetalia Axis Powers – (8,5/10)

Episode 14 was absolutely brilliant. It’s a really good thing to see that this series is just getting better and better. The inclusion of the rest of the cast has really been good for this show. Although I do have to say that Hetalia is at its best when it makes fun of country stereotypes, and at its worst when it’s overusing gay jokes.

#9 (new) – Konnichiwa Anne – (8,25/10)

I was a bit fearful that this series might end up a bit too dramatic, but so far there turns out to be no reason for those worries. Anne is shaping up to be an awesome character, and she especially shines when she dives off into that own world of her.

#8 (new) – Basquash! – (8,25/10)

Some of the jokes used are… immature to say the least, and yet I still find myself enjoying this series quite a lot. It’s got a great sense of fun and the chemistry of the characters is working out surprisingly well.

#7 (new) – Ristorante Paradiso – (8,25/10)

Rispara has definitely been an interesting series so far, and I especially like the detailed and fleshed out characters that stood apart right from the beginning. David Production made a good debut with this show.

#6 (new) – Natsu no Arashi – (8,5/10)

The most underrated show this season. I may have dropped this show from blogging, but that in no way means that I don’t like it. It’s good to see Shinbo finally handling a series with actually good characters. This show has some wonderful slice of life scenes, and yet at the same time there’s this theme of past versus present that keeps everything together. Also, am I the only one who likes the male lead? Sure, he takes some time getting used to, but I find him quite enjoyable.

#5 (new) – Guin Saga – (8,5/10)

Classic fantasy, and for once it’s done absolutely right. The pacing is really slow, but it’s the type of show that really easily draws you in. Just about everything in this series is big, ranging from the locations, characters, the soundtrack or the setting.

#4 (new) – Phantom – (8,75/10)

It may not be that different from Bee-Train’s usual series, but I’m biased so I don’t care. Besides, with such an excellent source material, this series is promising to be one of the top Bee-Train series. Already after four episodes we can see the awesome characterization that certainly proves lots of great stuff for the future.

#3 (new) – Pandora Hearts – (8,75/10)

I really like this series so far. The whole atmosphere that seems like a modern-day fairy tale gone really dark continuously has something interesting to offer. As a big fan of mystery-series, I really like how it just keeps bringing in new questions after answering a few. The storytelling has been really solid so far, and I actually quite like the very distinct look of the graphics. Definitely something to look out for.

#2 (new) – Cross Game – (8,75/10)

Do not get fooled by the simple character-designs, because this show really stands out as one of the best of the season so far. Already after four episodes, the show has a cast of characters in which nearly all of them (including the tiny side characters) have presence. It’s got a very subtle sense of humour, combined with great slice of life and just the right amount of drama. Definitely one of my top picks of the season.

#1 (new) – Eden of the East – (8,75/10)

Yeah, this series is really good stuff. The production values are really high and the episodes thus far have been incredibly intriguing. I can’t wait to see the rest of this thing!

An interesting month this time. It featured a lot of very awesome finales, but also quite a few disappointing or lacking endings, unfortunately. What surprised me is that most of the shows whose endings went right are the ones who still have some sort of second season or OVA waiting, or at least whose storylines aren’t finished yet. In any case, though, the past half year has been a very strong half year for anime, which aired quite a few classics and great shows. I have no idea what the spring-season looks like, since I again tried to avoid all previews about it, but the standard it has to live up to has been set really high with the past Winter-season.

#24 (12) – Sora wo Miageru Shoujo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai – (7,25/10) – The ending was disappointing, to say the least. If only the creators went with a solid ending, I would have been at least content, but for some strange reason Yumemi and Munto started acting completely out of character in that final episode. What happened there?
#23 (20) – Gintama – (7,25/10) – I really wish I can just label episode 106 as a lesser episode in which the creators had a bad day or something, but the timing is just too coincidental with the arrival of the new director: characters suddenly act out of character, the jokes feel flat, the amount of penis-jokes increased fivefold and most importantly: the dialogue suddenly feels nowhere as creative as it once did in the first 100 episodes. Perhaps the new director needed some time to get used to this series, but please let him get in his element soon!
#22 (9) – White Album – (7,5/10) – The ending didn’t resolve anything at all, unfortunately. And yeah, I know that a second season is coming, but the creators should have at least brought in some kind of closure. This month of White Album was decent, I guess, but it’s just a shame that I completely lost my suspense of disbelief for this show.
#21 (21) – Mobile Suit Gundam 00 – (7,75/10) – The ending was too idealistic: bad guy dies and everyone is suddenly happy. Still, it sufficed in the action-department.Gundam 00 has been formulaic to say the least, but at least the action was solid.
#20 (11) – Druaga no Tou – (7,75/10) – The ending was cheesy and formulaic. It’s a shame, since the ending of the first season was so fresh and original, but this time… I think we could see what would happen from miles away.
#19 (23) – Kurokami the Animation – (7,75/10) – The show still is nothing special, but interestingly enough there is still potential for its second half, so I’m going to stick with this show for a little while longer. However, I really hope that the combat system stops being so arbitrary in this show’s second half.
#18 (new) – Chi’s New Address – (7,75/10) – Fun, fun, fun. There have only been two episodes released so far, so there’s not much that this series could have shown yet, but it’s nevertheless going to be interesting to see what a completely different setting can do for this series.
#17 (18) – Koukaku no Regios – (8/10) – With the first half over by now, the show’s really going to have to deliver at this point. While solid and decent, nothing has stood out yet, and I hope that I was right in sticking with this series.
#16 (15) – Tales of the Abyss – (8/10) – The ending was a bit underwhelming, especially with Luke rising from the dead again in the last minute (but hey, this is Sunrise after all), and the finale of this show felt a bit rushed. It would have benefited from one or two more episodes.
#15 (19) – Minami-Ke – (8/10) – The ending was perhaps a bit cheesy with the drama and all, but it was fun to watch just like the rest of this series. March again was a nice month for Minami-Ke to just sit back and watch, and that’s what the show has become good at.
#14 (22) – Hetalia: Axis Powers – (8,25/10) – The thing that stood out most this month was that very strange F-box. It’s so hilarious that nobody seemed to find it strange that it was there. Overall it’s still been an enjoyable little series and interestingly: it seems to be getting better.
#13 (16) – One outs – (8,25/10) – And this month was much of the same again, which is a good thing for this series. One Outs isn’t exactly going to become something memorable, but it’s definitely enjoyable.
#12 (13) – Natsume Yuujin-Chou – (8,25/10) – The ending was pretty good; it really brought together everything that the second season had been building up for, but it’s going to be a waste if there isn’t going to be some sort of third season in a few years.
#11 (10) – Tytania – (8,25/10) – The ending was surprisingly good, fun and solid, even though it only remains a question whether we’re going to get that second season. The finale took a looooong time to build up, but the end result was definitely rewarding.
#10 (2) – Clannad – (8,5/10)

The ending was a deus ex machina. While it makes sense when put in context with the game, it was badly introduced and came from nowhere. Apart from that, this month has been solid, though last month was much, much better.

#9 (14) – Skip Beat – (8,5/10)

The ending was really solid, but left the series with a HUGE cliff-hanger. It’s been a very fun month for Skip Beat, and the past few episodes really convinced me that this is an awesome series, rather than yet another average shoujo as Itazura na Kiss or Ouran High School Host Club.

#8 (8) – Genji Monogatari Sennenki – (8,5/10)

The ending was solid and one of the better ones I’ve seen this season. Again, Genji Monogatari has been a very consistent emotional journey, and I’m looking forward to whatever series Noitamina has to offer next.

#7 (6) – Hajime no Ippo – (8,75/10)

Hammer’s arc was yet again incredibly addictive. While not as good as the previous one, it still is an amazing series.

#6 (3) – Casshern Sins – (8,75/10)

The ending was rushed. It’s a shame that the creators couldn’t get themselves two or three more episodes, because if they did the ending would have absolutely rocked.

#5 (17) – Ride Back – (8,75/10)

The ending was very solid. The past month was definitely the best month of Ride Back for me, and it was awesome to see that everything did come together in the end.

#4 (5) – Shikabane Hime – (8,75/10)

The ending was a bit of a disappointment, considering the action-packed climax you’d be expecting. Nevertheless, apart from that it was a very exciting finale, and the height of the second season.

#3 (4) – Michiko e Hatchin – (9,25/10)

The ending was very realistic and I liked it, though it could have been better. The rest of the finale of this series, however, was an awesome one. Hatchin vs Satoshi rocked.

#2 (7) – Jigoku Shoujo – (9,25/10)

Seriously, what a fantastic month for Jigoku Shoujo! The finales of the different seasons always manage to push the series to new heights and the third season is no exception. The show might have had its issues in the beginning, but the finale really makes up for it!

#1 (1) – Birdy the Mighty Decode – (9,5/10)

The ending was without a doubt the best ending of the season. Birdy the Mighty has been really dominating the past Winter Season, and this month was no different. An utterly incredible finale that still manages to pay attention to those small details as the world that the characters live in, and the animation during the big action-scenes was simply fantastic.

A bit of a boring list this time perhaps, since it looks mostly the same as last month’s with perhaps a few small differences. Nevertheless, this was a very good month. The winter season has proven to be an excellent one, and quite a few series spent this month getting even better than they already were. Oh, and I dropped Kemono no Souja Erin for those who were wondering. Wake me up if it turns out to be more than just a World Masterpiece Wannabe.

#24 (new) – Fresh! Precure – (7,5/10) – … why am I still watching this thing!?
#23 (24) – Kurokami The Animation – (7,75/10) – I still can’t quite grasp where this series is going, but it’s still mostly building up and fleshing out the Mototsumita-setting. So far, it’s solid, though it hasn’t hit any heights yet. My highlight this month was the episode with the other Mototsumita who made a contract with a substitute.
#22 (33) – Hetalia: Axis Powers – (7,75/10) – Okay, so my attempt at blogging this series failed, but it’s still a pretty fun and random series with interesting historical references. I’m looking forward to see the other countries show up.
#21 (20) – Mobile Suit Gundam 00 – (8/10) – Oh, I just hope that the finale is going to be all right for this series. Some parts of the past months have been really good, but at the same time the action has been repetitive apart from the two episodes about the coup d’etat, and the Saji vs Louise storyline STILL hasn’t become better, even after nearly fifty episodes.
#20 (10) – Gintama – (8/10) – Ouch… This episode saw the subbed versions of the episodes that were jointly directed by the old and new directors of the series, and there’s one thing that immediately becomes clear: the jokes start feeling flat. It may just be me getting used to the new style, but the timing just felt off and most of the jokes missed their mark. Thank goodness the serious parts were still as awesome as ever, but I’m worried here. Let’s see what the new director can do when he’s alone in the director’s seat.
#19 (19) – Minami-Ke – (8/10) – I’m a bit behind on this series, but overall while it’s not proven to be something awesome it remains pretty enjoyable to see the different antics of the Minami sisters. There’s hardly anything annoying or flawed, so I’m glad to have picked up this series.
#18 (23) – Koukaku no Regios – (8/10) – This turned into a pretty sold series, and the stereotypes are getting less and less apparent and annoying. My only gripe is that horrible, horrible Engrish, but I’m interested to see where this series can go.
#17 (22) – Ride Back – (8/10) – I really have a hate/love relationship with this series. On one hand, it continues to tug on my suspense of disbelief (why out of all people did the younger brother get involved, and why was everyone shot down and brutally killed, while he managed to survive long enough or Rin to arrive), but on the other hand, the characters do remain excellent.
#16 (13) – One Outs – (8,25/10) – So in the end, this series didn’t turn out into a very deep or thought-provoking one, but instead one that’s just a lot of fun to watch. I’m getting more and more warmed up to the cast of characters.
#15 (7) – Tales of the Abyss – (8,25/10) – This month was mostly build-up for the big finale of this series, but it’s nevertheless been very solid. The development on the two characters who originally made me question where this series was going (the two little girls who rather felt out of place in a war between countries) was quite good and appreciated.
#14 (21) – Skip Beat – (8,25/10) – I have so many issues with this series that it’s going to have to need an entire review in order for me to be able to list them all. For now, let me just say that I may have chosen the wrong time to watch Glass Mask: the parts about acting in Skip Beat feel downright shallow and oversimplified when compared to that series. Still, I’m surprised that the different characters’ antics still remain hilarious.
#13 (8) – Natsume Yuujinchou – (8,25/10) – I’m still not exactly sure what I’m missing that the rest of the people do see with the second season. I still like this series a lot, but when compared to the stellar first season, there seems something missing, and my guess would be that the novelty of the premise is wearing out for me. Still, the soothing atmosphere is still there.
#12 (16) – Sora wo Miageru Shoujo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai – (8,5/10) – So, the glorified recap is finally over and this series can finally start filling in the huge holes that the original OVAs left behind. The pacing is still really fast, but I so hope that this series is going to last for 24 episodes.
#11 (17) – Druaga no Tou – (8,5/10) – This is really typical of Druaga no Tou. First you have episodes like the one with the shadows, which really were quite terrible and full of holes, and then when you’re about to give up on the series, it hits you with some really good and solid episodes that completely make up for the past screw-ups and silliness,and they fully explained what Neeba and Kaaya had been doing for the past six months.

#10 (14) – Tytania – (8,5/10)

A bit of a quiet month for Tytania with only two episodes aired, but there was some good stuff in it. This series sure took a long time to get fired up, but the end results are worth it.

#9 (12) – White Album – (8,75/10)

Ah, I’m so in love with the subtle execution of this series. It’s also proven to be quite a thought-provoking series: what does it mean to cheat on your girlfriend, and in what cases is it justified. There are lots of different opinions and ways to interpret this series, which I feel is yet another one of its strengths.

#8 (9) – Genji Monogatari Sennenki – (8,75/10)

Now this is what Noitamina should be. After seven episode,s this series is still going solid, with some beautiful eye candy along the way. Now let’s see if the creators can give this one a solid conclusion.

#7 (15) – Jigoku Shoujo – (8,75/10)

Muaha! It’s time for the real meat of the series to show up at last. I’m very excited to see what the creators have in store for the climax this time.

#6 (6) – Hajime no Ippo – (8,75/10)

Episode eight was pure slaughter, and yet this series is just getting better and better. If the original series was just as good as this, then I can understand why it became so popular.

#5 (11) – Shikabane Hime – (8,75/10)

Screw the shounen cliches, this series rocks! Especially the characters are excellent, thanks to all the build-up that the first season put into them, and there seems to be no end in sight for the character development of the second season.

#4 (3) – Michiko e Hatchin – (9/10)

As solid and fun as ever.Michiko to Hatchin continues its perfect balance between intelligence, action, fun, drama, romance, and a whole lot more things. Every episode this month has been a delight to watch.

#3 (2) – Casshern Sins – (9/10)

Everything is finally coming together for this series, and the results are awesome so far. The series is evolving, and yet the creators aren’t forgetting what made it so awesome in the first place.

#2 (4) – Clannad – (9,25/10)

Well, there you have it. The past few episodes have been nothing short of incredible. Ushio has pushed this series into a unique direction, going even further than Itazura na Kiss went.

#1 (1) – Birdy the Mighty Decode – (9,5/10)

I’m still amazed at how incredibly good and awesome this series has become. Nearly every episode so far has been utterly amazing, and I just have to love the animation style.

It’s definitely been an interesting Winter-season so far. I know that I’ve ranted pretty often about the lack of new concepts this series, but when you look at the big picture, then this is promising to become an excellent season. There are many quality sequels airing right now, and especially a lot of great shows that are entering their second halves. I’m looking forward to see what the rest of this season is going to offer.

#33 (new) – Hetalia Axis Powers – (1,5/10) – A full first impression will follow as soon as I find another bunch of new Series and OVAs, but the gist of it is pretty much that this series is discrimination and it deserves to have been cancelled from TV-broadcasts. Every single country is being made fun of… apart from the Netherlands!? What have we ever done to Japan to deserve this!?
#32 (new) – Akikan – (2,5/10) – No. Just… No.
#31 (new) – Asu no Yoichi – (5,75/10) – If I had to summarize this show with one word, it’d be “generic”. It’s not utter crap, but at this point I’ve totally forgotten what happened in that first episode, other than a totally out-of-place boob-joke. There are so many better series this season, so why would you go for this one?
#30 (new) – Maria Holic – (6,75/10) – I’m going to need a looong break from Shinbo. Especially after watching Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei and Tsukuyomi Moonphase.
#29 (new) – Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo – (7/10) – I know that this is a parody and all, but right now I’ve had enough of the Sunrise Trainwrecks.
#28 (25) – Slayers Evolution-R – (7/10) – The first season was lucky that it aired in a season where I had lots of free time and there weren’t that many good shows. The second season is less lucky, so I’ve dropped this one in favour of more interesting premises.
#27 (new) – Viper’s Creed – (7,5/10) – Even though there’s hardly any originality here whatsoever, I like this series. Its mature look at busting up bad guys is a refreshing change from all those action heroes and teenagers who are fighting for the powers of love, or something similar.
#26 (new) – Major 5th Season – (7,75/10) – One day. One day, I’m going to watch this series. Just… Not now.
#25 (new) – Maria-Sama ga Miteru – (7,75/10) – One day. One day, I’m going to watch this series. Just… Not now.
#24 (new) – Kurokami The Animation – (7,75/10) – Despite the interesting premise, the characters are dull and annoying, and yet I somehow end up caring about the two lead characters when they get their ass kicked for the umpth time.
#23 (new) – Koukaku no Regios – (7,75/10) – I keep getting surprised at how good this is. On the outside it’s a mindless shonen-series about people fighting each other, and yet there seems to be much more behind it. If it can only make its characters a bit more likable through the course of its 24 episodes, then I’m in.
#22 (new) – Ride Back – (8/10) – My problem with this show is that it keeps tugging on my suspense of disbelief. For example, one episode, a character violently crashes and ends up in a hospital. The next episode she’s just fine. Sure, a few months must have passed since then, but it breaks flow nonetheless. The characters are excellent, but this series desperately misses something.
#21 (11) – Skip Beat – (8,25/10) – The thing with Skip Beat is that it gets way too soppy when it turns on the drama-switch, and the soppiness only increases as the series goes on. The comedy still is hilarious, but there’s too little of it, and the bitchfights that originally made me like this series have been painfully absent this month.
#20 (14) – Mobile Suit Gundam 00 – (8,25/10) – This series isn’t as good as some of the other shows I’m watching this series, but nevertheless the plot is heading in the right direction, and especially the coup d’etat of the past episodes is promising a lot of great stuff for this series’ finale.
#19 (27) – Minami-Ke – (8,25/10) – Okay, so it’s taken me more than a year, but I’m finally sold on this series. The second and third episode were quite hilarious.
#18 (new) – Kemono no Souja Erin – (8,25/10) – Despite the fact that this thing is being produced by Trans Arts, the creators are actually doing a pretty good job on it so far. The only bad part is the use of CG, but apart from that the art looks really stylish. However, I first want to see what this series is going to do once the drama starts building up.
#17 (9) – Druaga no Tou – (8,25/10) – The royal guards have become pretty pathetic in the second season, but apart from that I like the balance between humour and seriousness in the second season so far.
#16 (new) – Sora wo Miageru Shoujo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai – (8,25/10) – Okay, so technically this show is cheating a bit, by using its animation from theOVAs, but that doesn’t prevent this series from looking totally sweet. Yumemi is a likable heroine with interesting friends. Right now, the creators need to spend time into developing the setting.
#15 (7) – Jigoku Shoujo – (8,25/10) – This month of Jigoku Shoujo has been charming, but there weren’t any highlights. Still, the series is getting more solid and consistent, and Yuzuki is also getting better and better, so there’s lots of potential left for this series in the future.
#14 (10) – Tytania – (8,5/10) – The characters are surprisingly fun to watch as they all try to outsmart each other. What I also really like about this series is how seemingly small actions continue to spiral out of control throughout the series.
#13 (16) – One Outs – (8,5/10) – The decline of this series was wonderfully prevented by the Coach’s big scene. It’s good to see that this series is focusing on character-development after all, but it’s going to have to put in some effort to prevent the final arc of this series from getting dull.
#12 (new) – White Album – (8,5/10) – Sure, we’ve seen it before: guy is surrounded by lots of girls. Still, I’m still surprised at how good the writing of White Album is. The creators really manage to nail the different feelings of the different characters. It’s going to be awesome if they can keep this up.
#11 (5) – Shikabane Hime – (8,5/10) – I’m not sure who exactly found it a good idea to increase the fanservice ten-fold in this series, but nonetheless, the characters really managed to save this series from its shounen roots. I feared that the character-development would come to a grinding halt with the arrival of the second season, but it’s still going strong.

#10 (15) – Gintama – (8,5/10)

This month’s best episode was without a doubt episode 99. Those were some of the best game parodies I’ve seen. Right now, the subs have reached the point where the show changed directors. Let’s see what the new director can do with this series, although it’s a shame to see the old director go. The guy was absolutely brilliant in the past 100 episodes.

#9 (new) – Genji Monogatari Sennenki – (8,5/10)

The visuals are downright gorgeous, and the creators are wasting no time to get on with the story. The romance in this show is pretty good, despite being a harem.

#8 (12) – Natsume Yuujinchou – (8,5/10)

The stories from Natsume Yuujinchou this month ranged from simply okay to downright adorable. It hasn’t been the best month for this series, but it’s good to see this series back again.

#7 (17) – Tales of the Abyss – (8,5/10)

This series really managed to capture the essence of a group of people growing closer and closer together which is really prevalent in all of the Tales-games. I’m still really liking where this show is going.

#6 (new) – Hajime no Ippo – (8,5/10)

It took me only three episodes to get hooked on this show, and realize how bloody addictive it is. The plot is most likely not going to go anywhere, but the sheer intensity of the boxing matches really kept me on the edge of my seat.

#5 (3) – Bonen no Xamdou – (8,75/10)

Overall, it’s a shame that this series didn’t get the proper amount of episodes that would have been necessary to get the best out of its story. The finale has been rushed a bit, yet nevertheless it’s been an awesome ride between climaxes, with some of the sweetest animation imaginable.

#4 (13) – Clannad – (8,75/10)

This definitely has been the best month for Clannad yet, and especially the birth-scene was for me the highlight of both the first and second season. Okay, sure Nagisa is pretty much an older rip-off of Air’s lead female, but nevertheless it was a wonderful scene.

#3 (4) – Michiko e Hatchin – (9/10)

I’ve become a huge fan of this show’s characters, from the downright lovable Hatchin to the excellent villain of Satoshi. This show has really proven to know what it’s doing in both the serious and fun scenes.

#2 (6) – Casshern Sins – (9/10)

We’re about to get to the real meat of the story, and I must say that it’s awesome to see the characters growing and the plot making more and more sense, while there still are plenty of questions left to be answered.

#1 (13) – Birdy the Mighty Decode – (9,5/10)

Talk about improvement! The second season is doing just about everything right, and has in four episodes already surpassed the entire first season in every single area. The new plot has become so much more interesting, and Natoru is such an awesome new character.

For December, I decided to write my summary a bit earlier than usual, so that I can gather a bit more time to work on my 2008 Summary, where I list my highlights of the past year. Overall, this has been a very straightforward month without many big surprises: the series that I expected to do well did well, and the ones I expected to disappoint disappointed indeed. Nevertheless, there quite a few series with very strong finishes, despite looking mediocre at first glance.

#24 (24) – Junjo Romantica – (7,5/10) – The story between Misaki and Usagi has been gobbling up way too much airtime, it’s even more extreme than in the first season. While I agree that Usami’s family ties are finally starting to make sense a bit, I still hardly care about these guys, and wish that the creators would have focused more on those other couples.
#23 (20) – ef ~ a tale of melodies – (7,75/10) – It’s a shame that this season turned out to be not as good as its prequel. The conclusion lacked impact, and it didn’t really make an impression on me, although Kuze’s storyline did have a satisfying conclusion.
#22 (23) – Kannagi – (7,75/10) – The climax so far has just been too forced. While I admit that it’s better than your average conclusion of such a series, it just feels out of place in this series.
#21 (10) – Chaos;Head – (8/10) – Well, so the ending sucked. This definitely was the worst month for Chaos Head, and it’s a shame that it didn’t have a strong finish. Still, I enjoyed the rest of the series a lot, so at least it delivered for most of its airtime.
#20 (19) – Telepathy Shoujo Ran – (8/10) – Well, so the final arc wasn’t among the best of the series, and the final episode was way too cheesy for its own good, but nonetheless it’s been a fun series to watch.
#19 (16) – Nodame Cantabile – (8,25/10) – Like the rest of the series, this month for Nodame Cantabile was good, but nowhere near as awesome as the first season. I also heard that the creators rushed some of the chapters of the manga for no reason, so the second season has definitely been a step back for this series.
#18 (14) – Kurozuka – (8,25/10) – The ending wasn’t the highlight of the series, my favourite parts were where Kuro had to go up against the turtle guy. Nevertheless it’s definitely been a fun series with lots of good action and horror.
#17 (8) – Tales of the Abyss – (8,25/10) – Mohs annoys me. He needs some development. Apart from that, this month Tales of the Abyss mostly spent building up for the real meat of the story. So far, so good.
#16 (13) – One Outs – (8,5/10) – What this series needs to pay attention to is that it needs to evolve in its second half. The mind games are fun and all, and I’m still really enjoying them, but can the series really remain fresh in the second half? Well, there’s only one way to find out!
#15 (22) – Gintama – (8,5/10) – Another hilarious month for Gintama this time. My favourite was the episode where the girls suddenly all needed to lose weight. Brilliant!
#14 (17) – Mobile Suit Gundam 00 – (8,5/10) – The good: a thickening plot, lots of development and no important character is forgotten. The bad: Saji and Louise. The ugly: some of the name of these Innovators… -_-
#13 (11) – Clannad – (8,5/10) – Ah, finally! The characters have left school, and finally this show really sets itself apart from all other visual novels for real. I’m getting really curious what this series can offer now that nearly all of the characters have left and/or grown up.
#12 (18) – Ga-Rei Zero – (8,5/10) – I love how everything did come together in the end for this series. I definitely had my doubts at times, but this series managed to deliver a solid climax, worthy of that first episode.
#11 (6) – Skip Beat – (8,5/10) – While the story with the director’s daughter may have been a bit too cheesy, I forgive this series completely because of the downright awesome chicken suit in the episodes that followed. I never knew that poultry could be this much fun.

#10 (21) – Tytania – (8,5/10)

Finally this show is getting good! It took a while, but I’m finally getting warmed up to the series and the show is getting better and better with every episode. This is exactly what I hoped for when I started watching this series, and especially episode 12 went into the right direction.

#9 (9) – Hyakko – (8,5/10)

I’m definitely going to miss this series. The finale actually turned out to be really good, despite being a comedy series. For once, such a finale doesn’t try to be as dramatic as possible, but instead it focuses on perfectly normal problems, and at the same time it also allowed the viewer to get to know the entire cast better. Another excellent series from Nippon Animation!

#8 (12) – Blade of the Immortal – (8,75/10)

Second Season Where?! Seriously, this show is just too good to end at this point. There’s buckets of potential lost if this isn’t somehow continued in some way.

#7 (15) – Jigoku Shoujo – (8,75/10)

Well, this month didn’t manage to convince me otherwise: this show is weird. Nevertheless, this month has shown some of the best episodes of the third season so far, so I don’t mind at all. ^^;

#6 (1) – Casshern Sins – (8,75/10)

Not as impressive as in November, but I’m still really enjoying this series with its very powerful sense of storytelling.

#5 (7) – Shikabane Hime – (8,75/10)

Ooh, that was a very solid ending, which exactly used what the rest of the series had been building up to. The climax of the series is definitely a worthy highlight of the first season, and I’m looking forward to what Kuro can offer.

#4 (2) – Michiko e Hatchin – (9/10)

Very eccentric broadcasting policy aside, this show has been pure gold, and especially the brutal storyline surrounding Michiko has been awesome. Hatchin’s storyline has managed to form a very strange contrast in comparison.

#3 (3) – Bonen no Xamdou – (9/10)

Now it’s finally the time for this series to show off what it’s been building up for, with some amazing results.

#2 (5) – Porfy no Nagai Tabi – (9/10)

It’s a shame that I have to write this before the big moment of this series, but nevertheless the conclusion of Porfy no Nagai Tabi has been excellent so far. Every episode just makes you want to see these people reunite again, and the creators know exactly how to keep the viewer hungry.

#1 (4) – Mouryou no Hako – (9,25/10)

And now it’s finally time for this series to show what all its building up has been good for, and as expected this series has become absolutely amazing. Even though it’s just a series about talking, some of the dialogues make a huge impact. A truimph in subtle storytelling.

I must say that the current Autumn-season has been a really good one so far. There are lots of promising and charming titles, with a wide variety of different styles.

#25 (32) – To Aru Majutsu no Index – (7,5/10) – I originally dropped this series, but after I found out that it was going to be 25 episodes, I figured that I may have quit it a bit too easily, so I gave it a second chance. Two episodes later and I dropped it again. This just isn’t a series for me, I just can’t get to like the fights. The animation is used in the wrong way: lots of flashy graphics, but when it comes to the people involved it’s very inaccurate (when a character receives a cut, he doesn’t even flinch), and characters blurt out their life stories at the slightest opportunity they get.
#24 (23) – Junjo Romantica – (7,5/10) – The story between Misaki and Usami is going really nowhere. What the heck is up with all these implausible love triangles? This should be a series about being in a relationship, not a male harem for Misaki. The other stories have been painfully absent so far, so I fear that the second season isn’t going to be as good as the first one.
#23 (24) – Kannagi – (7,75/10) – This series sometimes is brilliant, but at others it just drowns in its own fanbase. The series’ fandom is simply annoying (getting angry because a character may not be a virgin… these people need to go outside more often), and there’s just too much fanservice. I can understand how to a fan of the series, seeing Nagi into these poses is like ‘da bomb’, but I’m not a fan yet. I’m just trying to casually enjoy this series, and the creators sometimes make it rather hard for me to do that.
#22 (6) – Gintama – (7,75/10) – Lack of subs have left me in desp… wait, wrong show. In any case, it’s been so long since the last episode that I can’t really remember what it was about, hence the low score.
#21 (16) – Tytania – (8,25/10) – It’s nothing special yet, but still Tytania has been a solid series with some nice focus on politics.
#20 (12) – ef ~ a tale of melodies – (8,25/10) – I want to thank Coalguys for giving me another reason to avoid fansubs and go with raws instead. Anyway, it’s starting to look like melodies isn’t going to be as good as memories. Everything just feels too extreme, the subtlety is lost. Why didn’t anyone call the police in Yuuko’s story? Shaft seems to be trying too hard on this series, but it can still redeem itself in its final third.
#19 (17) – Telepathy Shoujo Ran – (8,25/10) – I don’t think that there are many series where the characters are actually developed during the filler-parts. In any case, in a way I’m glad that in this month, the creators seemed to have decided to forsake the original novels completely and just went with their own stories. The mystery-stories may be a bit less complex, but the banter is consistently hilarious.
#18 (20) – Ga-Rei Zero – (8,25/10) – Well, I can now understand why the creators decided to put the climax of this series in the first two episodes, because otherwise the start of this series would have been so dull so that nobody would have stuck with it. Right now, this series is shaping up a very solid storyline, so let’s hope that in its final third, it can make the promises that it’s made in these first two episodes true.
#17 (10) – Mobile Suit Gundam 00 – (8,25/10) – The only really annoying thing about this series is Saji. Apart from that, it’s building up pretty nicely with some nice action scenes. We’ll need to wait a bit longer to see whether it actually knows what it’s doing, but so far I remain positive.
#16 (9) – Nodame Cantabile – (8,5/10) – The second season is nice and all, but comparing it to its stellar predecessor is inevitable in this case. Right now, I feel that it’s missing the magic that made the first season so much fun to watch. It’s still an enjoyable series, but it doesn’t live up to the first 23 episodes.
#15 (2) – Jigoku Shoujo – (8,5/10) – Something tells me that the creators of this series are having loads of fun, trying to come up with all the different kinds of stories. The new series isn’t as varied as the older ones, but it’s a very entertaining and thought-provoking one nonetheless.
#14 (14) – Kurozuka – (8,5/10) – Kurozuka so far has been a very solid action series without any obvious flaws. So the story could have been a bit more complex, but the air of mystery and horror keeps the series going smoothly.
#13 (8) – One Outs – (8,5/10) – After Omo’s wise words I changed the way I looked at this series. One Outs is really perfect for baseball noobs, who don’t have the patience to sit through one entire game. The pacing is much faster than I expected. And to be honest, it’s not really the baseball that has sold me on this series. I’m happy enough to see Tokuchi pwn everyone in the entire series, regardless of the content.
#12 (5) – Blade of the Immortal – (8,5/10) – Not the best month for this series, but nevertheless the Makie-arc was a great one, and especially very nicely artistically directed.
#11 (21) – Clannad – (8,5/10) – I really hope Planetarian is going to be considerably different from Key’s other works (after all, with their lack of trying out new things, there is now way that Kyoani aren’t going to adopt it at some point), because my only criticism so far is that some of the stories here seem strangely familiar: sick girl, animal turned human, etc. Nevertheless the second season has been very well told and very enjoyable.

#10 (19) – Chaos;Head – (8,5/10)

My big fear of this series would be that the harem roots would take over too much. Well, as it turns out they did. Nevertheless I’m really enjoying this series and its paranoid aspects, and it’s good for those who are looking for some convolution in their anime.

#9 (13) – Hyakko – (8,5/10)

Call me a guy with a strange taste, but I’m really enjoying this series so far. Its sense of humour is hilarious, and at the same time the few serious moments haven’t felt dull so far. There are lots of characters in this series, and the creators made optimal use of this by really making an entire classroom come alive, rather than just a group of four or five friends.

#8 (22) – Tales of the Abyss – (8,5/10)

The storyline’s getting pretty interesting at this point, and I’m starting to see what people meant by Luke and his character-development. Let’s hope it can keep this up.

#7 (18) – Shikabane Hime – (8,75/10)

Shikabane Hime has been a really entertaining series so far, with lots of exciting fights and a male lead who somehow doesn’t suck. The series has a great sense of characterization and that makes it a very engaging anime.

#6 (3) – Skip Beat – (8,75/10)

The bitch-fights of the past few episodes were nothing short of awesome. The characters continue to develop, they’re deep and well defined. This could very well be the best shoujo series of the year.

#5 (7) – Porfy no Nagai Tabi – (9/10)

Okay, so I don’t think anyone could have predicted that huge twist in the plot and the focus of this series at the start of the finale. The realism’s gone now, but it’s promising to really take the best out of the characters so far. But the definite highlight of this month was obviously the awesome Alecia-episode.

#4 (1) – Mouryou no Hako – (9/10)

This series really took a unique turn in the past month, with two entire episodes dedicated to nothing but people sitting in one room and talking. Still, I like shows like this that decide to take a little risk like that, and the series still is really solid and very intriguing, and it’s remained one of my favourites of the Autumn Season.

#3 (11) – Bonen no Xamdou – (9/10)

The hiatus was most definitely annoying, but ever since this series returned, it’s been more solid than ever.

#2 (15) – Michiko e Hatchin – (9/10)

Ignoring the very strange broadcasting policy, this series is pure gold. Both Michiko and Hatchin are wonderful characters with their own past and problems, and the situations they end up in are nothing short of a delight to watch.

#1 (4) – Casshern Sins – (9,25/10)

Okay, so this isn’t a series for those who hate fillers with passion, but nevertheless it’s turned into one of my favourite series of the past series, simply due to the huge quality of the scriptwriters. They never waste a single second in an episode and the writing in every episode is simply amazing.

Okay, so since this list already is huge for this month, I decided to omit the OVAs in this list, along with series that have already finished and belong to the previous season, like Chi’s Sweet Home and Wagaya no Oinarisama, in an attempt to keep this list a bit overviewable (although I do want to say that RD’s ending was probably my favourite ending of 2008). Overall, Fall 2008 is without a doubt the season with the biggest amount of solid titles of 2008 for me. There are lots of series that are already amazing, and just about as much series with enough potential to become amazing later on. It’s especially a season with lots of horror and comedy.

#43 (new) – Bihada Ichizoku – (1,5/10) – Okay, so the first episode was so laughably bad that I’m pretty sure that it’s going to end up as the show with the worst first episode of 2008 and 2007. If you ever want to know how not to write a story, watch this. Else: AVOID.
#42 (30) – Rosario to Vampire – (3/10) – Dropped.
#41 (new) – Kurogane no Linebarrels – (4,5/10) – I really don’t want to sit through another Romeo x Juliet or Dragonaut. Kurogane no Linebarrels shows every sign of a bad Gonzo series. Dropped.
#40 (new) – Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka – (5/10) – What is it with these harem-series and their impossible hairstyles? I mean, it’s not even pretty. Dropped.
#39 (new) – Kemeko Deluxe – (6/10) – The problem with this series is that it tries to be random for the sake of being random. There’s hardly a joke that really feels inspired. Dropped.
#38 (new) – Tentai Senshi Sunred – (6/10) – The second episode was horribly dull, which indeed confirmed my fears about this series having no future at all. Dropped.
#37 (new) – Macademi Wasshoi – (6,25/10) – This series just isn’t funny enough, especially compared to the other comedies this season. Dropped.
#36 (new) – Kuroshitsuji – (6,25/10) – The fun in this series quickly ended, the characters turned into stereotypes and the individual stories so far have been simply boring. Dropped.
#35 (new) – Toradora – (6,75/10) – I’ve sat through one season of Shana, and that was more than enough. Dropped.
#34 (new) – Yozakura Quartet – (6,75/10) – The most interesting part of this series were the two minutes of back-story at the beginning of the first episode. That’s got to be a bad thing, right? Dropped.
#33 (new) – Inazuma 11 – (7/10) – So, this is one for the kids out there. I admit it’s better than your average series of the genre, but I see no reason why anyone over 12 years old would get excited over it. Dropped.
#32 (new) – To Aru Majutsu no Index – (7/10) – It’s a shame that this series had to air during a busy season like this. Otherwise, I would have wanted to give this one a chance, to see whether it’ll turn better over time, but right now there’s much better stuff airing. Dropped.
#31 (19) – Shugo Chara – (7/10) – You know, I could have enjoyed this series if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s just so damned long. Right now, the time needed to put into this series just isn’t worth the reward in the end. Dropped. Again.
#30 (new) – Hokuto no Ken Raoh Gaiden – (7,25/10) – It’s a manly series and all, but I just don’t see any potential in this one. Dropped.
#29 (24) – Vampire Knight – (7,25/10) – I sat through the first season, but I don’t think I have the will nor the patience to do the same with thirteen more episodes. Dropped.
#28 (23) – Noramimi – (7,5/10) – Noramimi is a decent enough show to watch one episode of, but after that there really isn’t much of a reason to continue watching it, especially in such a large season as this one. Dropped.
#27 (17) – Soul Eater – (7,5/10) – Well, I finally decided to drop this thing completely. The thing is that it would have fitted much better as a series with just 39 episodes. Right now, this series is just trying to stretch its airtime with pointless exposition that goes on for episodes at a time. That’s not what a fun-filled action-series is supposed to be.
#26 (new) – Stitch! – (7,5/10) – I originally wanted to keep watching this series, but this season is just too busy for that. It’s a nice children’s series, though. Dropped.
#25 (new) – Kyou no Go Ni – (7,5/10) – If the season wasn’t so busy already, I would have watched this, but this seasons has just too many comedies already. Dropped.
#24 (new) – Kannagi – (7,75/10) – For now, I’m going to continue with this series. Some of the jokes work and the characters are adorable if they really try. However, the animation is incredibly inconsistent: it ranges from incredibly good to incredibly bad. This series also tries too hard to become a harem, it would have been just fine to show the daily antics between the male and female lead. There’s enough material for that to fill up 12 episodes.
#23 (13) – Junjo Romantica – (7,75/10) – So far, nothing special yet, but then again the “hot passion” has yet to erupt. I’m not sure about the exact potential of the love-jealous brother yet, but with a bit of luck Usagi’s past will shed more light into that.
#22 (new) – Tales of the Abyss – (7,75/10) – So far, I’m not sure about the magic-system of this series, and why little girls that are barely ten years old seem to be masters in them. Luke and Tear do have a lot of potential, though, and I expect this series to show to get fired off as soon as its second half starts.
#21 (11) – Clannad – (8/10) – Clannad shines when it takes itself seriously. It falls when it doesn’t, and apart from the first episode, this formula hasn’t changed much in the second season: the comedy just wasn’t interesting, but the serious moments really made up for it.
#20 (new) – Ga-Rei Zero – (8/10) – The big problem with Ga-Rei Zero is that out of all the interesting characters they could have chosen, the producers decided to focus on the least interesting one. The girl is a whiny brat, and really brings down the awesome set-up of the first two episodes. I’m hoping right now that she’s going to develop properly, and doesn’t make this one of those series where the best episode is the first one.
#19 (new) – Chaos;Head – (8/10) – So far, the potential’s definitely there. The only really bad part is the stereotypical sister, but I do see her role in this series. It’s an interesting paranoid mystery-series.
#18 (new) – Shikabane Hime – (8/10) – Shikabane Hime has been pretty solid so far. It’s not the best of the season, but the potential’s definitely there. What stood out the most was the nice characterization and interesting fight-sequences.
#17 (11) – Telepathy Shoujo Ran – (8,25/10) – Much of the same, which is a good thing for this series. I do hope that the final parts of this series will at least include some character-development, because this series has been awfully dry on that part. A real shame with such enjoyable characters.
#16 (new) – Tytania – (8,25/10) – Okay, so it’s been mostly (if not all) building up this month, but you can already see that this is going to be a very interesting political thriller once all the pieces have been set right.
#15 (new) – Michiko e Hatchin – (8,25/10) – One of the few new series that’s not some sort of adaptation of something, and it shows. Detailed characterization, an incredibly original setting, and nice production-values to back it up. For now, it’s still a bit one-sided and it’s nothing amazing yet, but I can already see the characters grow into something memorable.
#14 (new) – Kurozuka – (8,25/10) – Kurozuka is basically one big horror-feast for the senses, with a pretty intriguing story to boot. The OP is also my number one for this season.
#13 (new) – Hyakko – (8,25/10) – I’m really surprised, from afar the characters look like a lot of stereotype, and yet the series has been consistently hilarious so far. This one can actually keep being funny through its entire run, provided that the creators aren’t going to stuff in some dramatic climax at the end.
#12 (11) – ef – a tale of melodies – (8,5/10) – Hmm, I think that this series was a bit too keen on getting to the meat of the series, but on the other hand it’s probably going to take six more episodes before we get to see the point that the creators are trying to make. Nevertheless, it’s a very solid series so far, and definitely an example of how a good visual-novel adaptation should be done.
#11 (3) – Bonen no Xamdou – (8,5/10) – It seems that this series is on a short break to let the Japanese broadcast version catch up to the English one, apparently. It should be back around half November, I think.

#10 (9) – Mobile Suit Gundam 00(8,5/10)

This series really can go anywhere from this point, but at least the second season stared off really nicely. Now let’s hope that the creators can keep up this pace.

#9 (25) – Nodame Cantabile – (8,5/10)

So far, it’s a hilarious start of the second season, but the question is of course whether the drama that’s going to pop up in the rest of the series is going to live up to the first season, and whether eleven episodes are enough for that.

#8 (new) – One Outs – (8,5/10)

I think Usagijen says it all. I’m really surprised that One Outs turned into the most underrated series of the season, considering Akagi and Kaiji’s fanbase. One Outs is intense, intelligent and exciting, and even though I don’t understand everything while watching raws, something tells me that I’m going to enjoy this series a lot more than I did with Kaiji, especially since I don’t have to write about it on a weekly basis.

#7 (5) – Porfy no Nagai Tabi – (8,75/10)

Woo! It’s finally time to get to the real meat of this series. This month, Porfy has still shown travel-arcs, but the storyline suddenly got much darker as Porfy arrived into France. I’m really curious to see whether this series can surpass the amazing Earthquake-arc.

#6 (2) – Gintama – (8,75/10)

Ehrem… I was eating some very spicy crisps during episode 87… Yeah… That was it….

#5 (10) – Blade of the Immortal – (8,75/10)

An excellent month for Blade of the Immortal, especially the growth of the characters is getting more interesting with every episode.

#4 (new) – Casshern Sins – (8,75/10)

Without a doubt the series with the best art-direction that’s currently airing. Everything about this series looks just amazing. The characters started out a bit dodgy, but I’ve found that the script is surprisingly intelligent and well written.

#3 (new) – Skip Beat – (8,75/10)

Skip Beat so far has been an hilarious shoujo-series, that also continues to develop its lead character, rather than keep with a bunch of bloody stereotypes.

#2 (9) – Jigoku Shoujo – (8,75/10)

This show’s crack! Really, the difference with the first seasons has been huge so far, and yet the third season is incredibly entertaining.

#1 (new) – Mouryou no Hako – (9/10)

Definitely my number one pick of the shows that started airing in the Autumn-Season. It’s got such a complex and mysterious story, the visual direction is awesome and there is so much expressivity in the characters.

Overall, I don’t think I’m ever going to label the past half year as the best that anime can give. Instead, the past season stood out with its large amount of series that at first sight don’t seem to stand a chance, and yet turn out to be surprisingly solid and enjoyable. My top 10 series for this month is also filled with randomness again, with some shows having very disappointing finales, while others managed to close off very strongly.

#26 (new) – Hakushaku to Yousei – (6,75/10) – The first show of the new season, and unfortunately I’m not impressed. Too many bishies, too little substance. The only good point is its concept of fairies, so let’s hope that the rest of the series goes in-depth to them, instead of the male characters that just look too much like each other.
#25 (25) – Slayers Revolution – (7/10) – This series ended less than a week ago, and I already have trouble to remember what it was about. It’s been a really generic month for Slayers Revolution, much like the rest of the series.
#24 (23) – Sekirei – (7,25/10) – Okay, so the ending was crap. I at least enjoyed the rest of this month, making it not an entire failure. Thankfully the characters remained charming until the end.
#23 (20) – Strike Witches – (7,5/10) – Not the best month for Strike Witches, but enjoyable enough nonetheless. It just feels that those final bad guys were a bit superficial, and strayed away from what made the series enjoyable.
#22 (15) – Macross Frontier – (7,5/10) – The more I think back, the less exciting the ending becomes, unfortunately. I’m especially unhappy about the way that the creators tried to deal with the love triangle. Sure, I can understand how they want to save that for the final movie, but that’s no excuse to increase the cheese-level and bring everything back to square one.
#21 (10) – Nijuu Mensou no Musume – (7,5/10) – The biggest disappointment this season. Everything went so well, but this series’ finale didn’t stand out anywhere. It was too predictable, formulaic and ridiculous. It’s a real shame, considering the potential that this series had.
#20 (26) – Code Geass – Lelouch of the Rebellion – (7,5/10) – Okay, granted. That final episode could have gone much worse, and it provided a fitting closure for the series. Was it just me, or did that finale give out strange Bee-Train vibes? During the final episodes of this series, the soundtrack suddenly played much more on the foreground, and suddenly choirs and flutes (which are very popular in Bee-Train series) popped up. If only the rest of the series was as calm as the final episode. Ah well, at least the series provided entertainment, but I’m so glad that it’s over now.
#19 (17) – Mission-E – (7,75/10) – Mission-E’s best episode was without a doubt episode 11, where the plot took a step back and instead put the focus back on the characters. The finale was decent: it could have gone better, but also worse.
#18 (21) – Detroit Metal City – (8/10) – Still a solid comedy-series. 12 episodes seems to be the perfect length for this series, but let’s hope that it doesn’t run out of jokes before that time comes.
#17 (22) – Soul Eater – (8/10) – I absolutely loved episode 23. Now THAT was an amazing fight. Unfortunately, the series quickly dulled in again afterwards. The ratio of awesome versus mundane episodes had better be a bit bigger for that second half.
#16 (19) – Chi’s Sweet Home – (8,25/10) – Ah of course, the ending is near so even Chi’s Sweet Home needs to work towards a climax. Still, so far the creators got away with it pretty nicely. The whole pet regulation in the apartments has lurked over the entire series, and now that it finally pops up for real, it becomes pretty charming.
#15 (9) – Antique Bakery – (8,5/10) – I’m probably one of the few in this, but I actually liked the ending of Antique Bakery a lot. It was all about moving on, instead of getting held back by your past. It was a bit rushed, but I really felt that it not solving the cake-mystery was the right choice of the creators.
#14 (24) – Itazura na Kiss – (8,5/10) – So, the college arc was pretty awful, but I’m really glad to see that the creators managed to crawl back up and delivered an excellent finale for this series. Especially episode 24 was everything it needed to be.
#13 (16) – Birdy the Mighty Decode – (8,5/10) – Senkawa did cause a bit of trouble here and there, but overall it was a very good finale for the first half of Birdy the Mighty Decode. Obviously it doesn’t live up to Noein or Escaflowne, but I think I’ve said that too many times now already.
#12 (1) – Natsume Yuujin-Chou – (8,5/10) – Overall, Natsume Yuujin-Chou wasn’t as good as in August. Nevertheless, It’s still a heart-warming series and I’m looking forward to that second season.
#11 (14) – Telepathy Shoujo Ran – (8,5/10) – A surprisingly genuine month for this series, and it’s been really enjoyable so far. I only hope that this remains through the second half.

#10 (2) – Blade of the Immortal – (8,5/10)

What I really like about this series is the way that Bee-Train presented everything. There’s always something interesting going on, and the climaxes of each episode really pack a punch.

#9 (7) – Ultraviolet: Code 044 – (8,5/10)

I don’t think anyone’s going to remember this series, but I enjoyed it until the last minute, and it landed an ending that ranks amongst my favourites of the past season. It did exactly what it was supposed to do, with a few extra twists added. Consider me an Osamu Dezaki-fan after this.

#8 (8) – Blassreiter – (8,5/10)

Overall, a very solid finale, with a number of excellent fight scenes. Many people died, but nearly all those deaths were satisfying.

#7 (18) – Wagaya no Oinarisama – (8,5/10)

Ooh, exciting: the two final episodes are going to be a standalone climax. I always like these sorts of endings. In any case, Wagaya no Oinarisama has been better than ever, both in its light-hearted and serious stories.

#6 (12) – RD Sennou Chousashitsu – (8,75/10)

Agh, it’s hard to judge the finale of RD Sennou Chousashitsu without having seen the final episode. For now, I’m not going to judge it until I actually see what it’s been building up for.

#5 (5) – Porfy no Nagai Tabi – (8,75/10)

This month: episodic travel arcs. They ranged from enjoyable to awesome. They were thought-provoking at times, and really varied. Excellent month for Porfy.

#4 (6) – Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~Natsu no Sora~ – (8,75/10)

Natsu no Sora ended with an excellent finale that really stood apart as the best parts of the series. Especially episode 10 was just heart-breaking, and the ending was wonderfully subtle.

#3 (4) – Bonen no Xamdou – (8,75/10)

I’m beginning to love this series more and more. Every single character here has his or her own identity and stands apart from the others. I’m really looking forward to see what it has in store for its second half.

#2 (11) – Gintama – (9/10)

I really thought that the best of Gintama this month came from the Yagyuu-arc: it was both incredibly hilarious and heart-warming. Then episode 83 came along, which most likely ranks amongst the funniest episodes of this series yet. Even for Gintama’s standards, that episode was extreme. The past September really has been one of the best months for Gintama yet!

#1 (3) – Himitsu ~The Revelation~ – (9,5/10)

It’s a pity that the final episode hasn’t aired yet, but basically Himitsu’s finale has been blowing away every other finale so far. This show indeed has its problems at times, but boy, the past number of episodes have been beyond awesome.

August has definitely been an interesting and at the same time strange month. I keep seeing everywhere that the past Summer Season has disappointed, but I just can’t agree with those statements. Sure, there’s no absolute masterpiece airing now that Kaiba ended, but there are actually lots and lots of smaller series that are well-written and have proven to be very enjoyable. The result of that is a very bizarre top-10 series for me this month, and I don’t think I’ve ever had to compile a stranger one than the one you see here. This season is full of series that, at first sight don’t seem to stand any chance for success, and yet turn out to be strangely memorable…

#28 (22) – Chocolate Underground – (3,25/10) – Okay, this has to go down as one of the worst endings ever. It’s not even the case where it’s so bad it’s good, this is just plain bad. You’ll understand once you see the bloody climax of this thing.
#27 (new) – Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel – (7/10) – An OVA that wasn’t bad, but it was so inoffensive that makes me wonder what the creators originally wanted to do with it.
#26 (23) – Code Geass – Lelouch of the Rebellion – (7,25/10) – Oh god. Episode 20 felt like the writers gave up completely. It’s a shame, it looked like the characters were finally (after nearly fifty episodes) getting some interesting development, only for that pathetic excuse of an episode to turn up. Anya’s twist came from bloody nowhere, and it felt like the creators suddenly remembered “oh, wait, she’s still there”. I also love how this guy pokes fun at the obvious holes in that episode.
#25 (22) – Slayers Revolution – (7,5/10) – Well, at least the plot became a bit more interesting, but after nine episodes I’m still not sold on Slayers yet. I also wonder, since so many people say that this series is exactly like the other seasons of Slayers: what exactly was it that the creators wanted to prove by making yet another one of them? If it’s going to be exactly the same, couldn’t they just have shown a rerun of the original Slayers instead?
#24 (24) – Itazura na Kiss – (7,5/10) – The best thing about Itazura na Kiss is really the character-development. Never in a shoujo series have we progressed so far into the lead characters’ life, and it’s really interesting to see how Kotoko and Irie have grown. On the other hand, the dramatic climaxes need a lot of work. They’re way too cheesy for their own good and move way too fast, which leaves you with a feeling of “wait, that’s it?!” A real shame.
#23 (25) – Sekirei – (7,75/10) – Well, what do you know? The plot is actually getting interesting. Never saw that one coming. Seriously though, I like Sekirei a whole lot more than I thought I would. Having said that, the fanservice still is there and annoying, and some of the characters (especially that water-Sekirei and Kuu) are really annoying, and don’t seem to have any real purpose in this series other than fanservice. It doesn’t help that their attempts at being funny just aren’t.
#22 (21) – Soul Eater – (8/10) – Ah, finally Soul Eater gets a bit better now that that main storyline has popped up. This just isn’t a series for episodic stories, because the past few months have shown me that it just can’t seem to be able to come up with interesting stories that only fill one or two episodes. The continuous storylines do pose another problem, though: battles get dragged on for too long. Thankfully, Krona’s climax wasn’t hurt under this, and at least I loved episode 21.
#21 (new) – Detroit Metal City – (8/10) – This series has been really over the top, but it’s worked so far. Now let’s hope that it won’t lose inspiration as it goes on.
#20 (18) – Strike Witches – (8/10) – It disturbs me to think that each of these girls only has one single pair of panties…I knew the setting was weird, but not this weird. But the thing that’s even stranger is this: when you do manage to pull this series out of the gutter, and away from its beloved fanservice, it’s actually pretty good! It’s got a really charming cast of characters. At least, when they’re not comparing boob-sizes of course.
#19 (16) – Chi’s Sweet Home – (8,25/10) – I never thought that I’d call Chi’s Sweet Home the biggest source of laughs from the past spring-season, but here you have it. Some episodes are okay, but others are absolutely priceless.
#18 (14) – Wagaya no Oinarisama – (8,25/10) – Byakki’s arc turned out to be a really solid one for this series. This has been a clever and enjoyable anime so far, even though it may not look like it at first sight.
#17 (13) – Mission-E – (8,25/10) – Still straightforward fun and characters from Mission-E. Maori has proven to be a very interesting character, even though she lacks the development that the other characters did have in Code-E.
#16 (19) – Birdy the Mighty Decode – (8,5/10) – Talk about improvement! The first parts of Birdy the Mighty goofed off a bit too much, but the progressions in the past few episodes have been really impressive so far. Okay, so it’s still nowhere near the quality of Noein and Escaflowne, but it’s a pleasant surprise nonetheless.
#15 (9) – Macross Frontier – (8,5/10) – The second half of this series has proven to be very solid entertainment. It’s nowhere near the best of the season, but it’s very enjoyable nonetheless.
#14 (6) – Telepathy Shoujo Ran – (8,5/10) – In this month, Telepathy Shoujo Ran has been mostly light-hearted, which worked out pretty well, with as highlight the ever-hilarious banter between Ran and Midori.
#13 (23) – Zombie Loan – (8,5/10) – It’s a real shame that this series has to end here while Vampire Knight gets a continuation in October, even though Zombie Loan outclasses VK in just about every aspect and the DVD-specials left with an EVEN BIGGER cliff-hanger than the original season did. Still, the characters were better than ever: I laughed a lot during these two episodes, and the serious parts also really worked.
#12 (2) – RD Sennou Chousashitsu – (8,5/10) – I’m not sure why, but RD disappointed a bit this month. It’s an outstanding series when it’s just building-up and having its characters interact, but I’ve yet to see a good climax out of it. Who knows, perhaps the creators have been saving it for the series’ finale?
#11 (10) – Gintama – (8,5/10) – The fansubbers were on steam this month. I originally didn’t have much hope for the maid-head arc, but I have to say that its climax was really well written, and the definite highlight for the series this month. Other than that, Katsura’s attempts at getting a drivers’ license were also awesome and the eyebrow episode was also hilarious.

#10 (3) – Nijuu Mensou no Musume – (8,5/10)

The past arc wasn’t as memorable as the doll-arc, but there’s still hope for this series in its final four episodes. Let’s hope that the creators can bring this series to a worthwhile conclusion.

#9 (20) – Antique Bakery – (8,5/10)

Seriously, why am I enjoying this series so much? It’s indeed cheesy at times, but it’s like everything seems to be fitting, from the Norio Wakamoto-voiced businessman with a love for sweets to the fatherly guy with sunglasses; from the interesting style of shading to the habit of the voice-actor to not want to make every syllable sound perfectly in their microphone. Who cares if some of the characters in this series are gay?

#8 (11) – Blassreiter – (8,5/10)

Blassreiter… has become quite the interesting series, with probably the best animated action of the season, along with Macross Frontier. The CG really allows for some awesome camera-angles and movement. I’m also getting used to the extreme drama in this series, and I do have to say that it works pretty well with the overall overblown tone of this series.

#7 (12) – Ultraviolet: Code 044 – (8,5/10)

Ah, so what if this series is just simple and straightforward action. This series knows what it is, and it does this really well, resulting in a series with hardly any weaknesses. The highlight of this month was Zakusa’s passionate personality.

#6 (17) – Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~ Natsu no Sora – (8,5/10)

This has been a really calm series this month. It got rid of the crashing truck-like plot twists, and the result is a very down-to-earth series that prefers subtle drama over the overblown one, and I really like the results. The graphics still look as good as ever.

#5 (15) – Porfy no Nagai Tabi – (8,75/10)

I have no idea what happened to that 34th episode, but ignoring that little issue, then it’s been an excellent month for Porfy after the lacklustre Sicily-arc. Especially the things that happened in Rome reminded me of why I love this series.

#4 (8) – Bonen no Xamdou – (8,75/10)

Well, Bonen no Xamdou has already shown that it’s downright excellent at building up. Its characters continue to grow, and I really like the pacing of things so far. Now this series just needs to correctly use everything it’s been building up for.

#3 (4) – Himitsu ~ The Revelation – (9/10)

My initial enthusiasm for this series is gone, but now that it’s nearly ending, I do have to say that even though it disappointed me a bit in the middle, this has been a very good and unpredictable series, and apart from Kaiba one of my top favourites, even though it was very unorthodox.

#2 (7) – Blade of the Immortal – (9/10)

Along with Natsume Yuujin-Chou, this is my favourite series of the summer-season, simply because it’s so much fun to watch the different action-scenes unfold (and yes, this is coming from Bee-Train). It’s just a shame that this only airs once every two weeks, but I’ve been craving for another great horror-show.

#1 (5) – Natsume Yuujin-Chou – (9/10)

Episode nine was simply amazing, and the rest of the episodes this month were also really heart-warming. Without a doubt one of the best series of the season to air this summer.