Winter 2010 – Week 5
It’s sudden, but I’ve decided to bring the ‘Anime (spoilers)‘ category back to life.
Well, firstly, it’s kind of out of boredom. Today is sunday, don’t really feel like doing anything. Secondly, it’s out of inspiration, ’cause I wanted to find something to post while breaking the junk posts combo. And finally, it’s also out of frustration, cause I’ve been able to watch a decent amount of shows recently, so I sometimes feel like saying a word or two about some of them and spreading some <3s around.
I’ve been internetless for 2 years+ now, so following anime has been quite difficult, but since latest summer season I somewhat manage to watch most of them. Well, it’s also thanks to the fact that the number of shows per season has dropped dramatically (In 2006-2007 I was watching 4-5 episodes of differents animes each night, now I’m watching 2-3 eps once every two nights, lol). So far I’ve been quite reluctant to do anime posts, mostly because of the scary amount of anime blogs around, and also because the free internet connection I’m using is damn slow so it doesn’t really encourage me to post. But still, raising the number of posts on this shitty blog was one of my resolutions for 2010, if possible with higher variety in the content… not that these posts are meant to be interesting or anything though…
Anyway. Time for some random pics and talk about the episodes released this week. Since this is the first post of the season, you will find links to ANN for the summaries, because I won’t do it myself. Also, pics aren’t necessarily from the latest episode, but you’ll be able to tell, I guess.
Note that the ranking only takes the latest episode into account. That is not a overall ranking.
#1 〓 So-Ra-No-Wo-To (5)
The ‘all-girls yuriish iyashi-kei slice-of-life’ anime of the season. Which means, automatic first fav to me. Well at least, as long as it doesn’t turn into war anime with cute girls dying and all it will stay at first place… orz Seeing them training at the very begining of the episode scared me a bit, but thankfully the rest of the episode was the same heartwarming awesomeness as always, and this ep in particular was really great. I loved the part when they’re playing in the river very much~
It came out of nowhere, but cute twintail yuri tsundere Kureha-chan luvs deh GAR.
Screw Klaus-san, I want my Kanata x Kureha x Noel lililicious love triangle ! XD
#2 〓 Hanamaru Youchien (4)
Though Evangelion never really piqued my interest, I usually go blindly for every Gainax work, because their original shows are great and their choice of unknow manga to be adapted always successful. And that’s the case here yet again. Very nice iyashi-kei slice-of-life comedy show. And they had the good idea of choosing Erino Hazuki as the female lead (in the adult side that is), which makes the iyashi-kei feeling of the show even higher (second part of episode 3, with Yamamoto-sensei as the narrator, really sounded like an episode of Aria XD ). So this one is a very very close second. If it could turn into a harem anime, that would definitely make it my first fav though. XD I mean, look at all these cute teachers ! They’re all so hawt, particularly the meganekko Kawashiro-sensei that I fell in love with as soon as I heard her speak (seiyuu is Naomi Wakabayashi, Ritsuko in The iDOLM@STER). <3 <3 <3
On a side note, best OP and EDs of the season.
NEED MOAR KAWASHIRO-SENSEI
#3 ↑↑ Chu-Bra!! (5)
Blatent fanservice here, I wouldn’t suggest this one to anybody especially if you’re not ok when seeing middleschoolers in their underwears most of the time (and naked the rest of the time lol). Though, this show is definitely much deeper than at first look, surprisingly enough. It sure changes the way you see pantsu. I mean, never before, discussions about pantsu have been so moving. XD Another point I find interesting, is that it makes you ask yourself : “Does liking to wear sexy underwears necessarily make a girl a slut ?” “Can’t girls wear cute pantsu for their own pleasure and not for guys ?”. It really ends up being a nice and funny show about tolerance and makes change your way of thinking on a few things. This episode was particularly good, with nice humor and light drama… and even yuri XD
#4 ↑↑ Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu (5)
The first couple of episodes was boring like hell, but it’s progressively becoming better, mostly thanks to the fact that they put all the ‘Tactical-RPGish’ fights aside, which are stupid IMO. That, and the fact that episodes 3 and 4 focused a lot on Kaori Mizuhashi’s character. Episode 5 was clearly the best so far. It was really crazy, and the Akihisa-Yuuji-Hideyoshi trio was funny and it made a good combi, it’s one of the rare times during which I enjoyed following the adventures of male characters. Less fights, less gay megane-kun and less pervert with the camera I don’t even feel like remembering his name, and this show would be really better. Ah, and moar Kaori Mizuhashi and Hideyoshi (Emiri Katou) of course.
#5 ↑↑ Kaidan Restaurant (10)
Though this is supposed to be a scary show for kids, Kaidan Restaurant usually ends up being a rather moving show. That was the case here yet again, with three really nice stories. For a change, Reiko-chan got a nice amount of appearance this time. XD
#6 ↓↓ Ladies vs Butlers! (5)
Typical but very enjoyable highly servicey school-comedy. Mostly thanks to its good characters. Hino is far from being your habitual jerk and is rather a nice guy, Tomomi’s evil side is delightful, and Flameheart-san’s tsundere side is cute. It really makes the whole thing enjoyable and I quite like this show, it got 6th place only because the latest episodes of the other shows were greater this time. But next episode is about the reverse trap (seiyuu : Rie Kugimiya), can’t wait for it. XD On a side note : does she really need bandages for hiding her DFC ? lol~
#7 ↓↓ Kimi ni Todoke (17)
It’s always a great pleasure to follow the evolution of the uber cute Sawako-chan, but… The ‘Kurumizawa arc’ ended two episodes ago, and I sure grew a lot of love for her recently. New arc started, and just as I feared Kurumizawa suddenly became nowhere to be seen. :/
On a side note : Ryu is lulz~
#8 〓 Dance in the Vampire Bund (5)
Rather interesting show, when putting aside how Shizuka Itou’s character died in a fucked-up way in episode 3. What I like the most about it is of course the delicious Mina Tepes, and her relation with the main guy that I find touching. But overally I think that the animation and all the ‘special effects’ they’re using most of the time are ridiculous and exhausting to watch, making some dramatic moments rather laughable. Maa, it seems that SHAFT is liked by ‘elitist’ otacunts for that reason though… >_>
#9 〓 Omamori Himari (5)
Uber typical servicey show without a bit of originality, but ain’t it the reason why we’re watching it ? Himari is cute and HAWT, and this is enough of a reason for watching the show, not mentionning delicious loli Shizuku, everybody can find what they like. But this show has a huge flaw that makes it the one I like the least in this season : the main guy sucks so much that it hurts, his reactions are always terribly ridiculous, and his voice is SO FUKKIN ANNOYING that it makes some part of the show very painful to watch. And what a coincidence, his seiyuu, Daisuke Hirakawa, is also the seiyuu of Makoto from School Days, aka the worst male lead ever created in anime history ! :o JUST STOP GIVING JOB TO THIS GUY ALREADY, FOR ANIME’S SAKE !
# Out of rank, because the subs are far behind : Anyamal Tantei Kiruminzoo.
Kid show which is surprisingly enough rather entertaining. The show is overally pretty funny, and some parts really get great animation and art, like that random scene in episode 5 when they’re playing in the high grass, that was really cool and soothing. Another good point is that the voice cast gets Sakura Tange (Sakura in Card Captor Sakura), which is a rare thing. The latest released episode, episode 6, was particularly crazy and the funniest episode so far~. But latest aired episode is episode 17, hence the fact that I didn’t put it in the ranking.
As for Hidamari Sketch x☆☆☆, I’m not watching it cause I’m actually catching up by watching the second season. Same goes for To aru Kagaku no Railgun, I’m watching Index now. Yeah, I know that these shows are actually not related, but it’s just that I felt like doing things in order. As for the other shows… it’s just that I’m not watching them.
See ya next week… maybe.
:beer: