May: In Retrospective

This month has been difficult, catching up has been a problem and so some shows have had to be dropped. I’ve not had time to watch either Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko or Hyouge Mono, but fully intend to continue with these shows.

16. Nichijou Rating: 3/10 Dropped

I’ve put up with the one long enough and it shows no signs of improving. Aside from slight adorable moments curtsey the professor segments, there is nothing remotely interesting going for it. One dimensional randomness for the sake of one dimensional randomness does not make an anime good or even funny, unfortunately Nichijou never cottoned on to this.

15. Maria Holic Alice Rating: 4/10 Dropped

There is no story, there is no point. Just mindless bullying of an obnoxious protagonist who is so annoying that is impossible to feel any sympathy for.

14. Hen Zemi Rating: 5/10 Dropped

I’ve reached the conclusion that the heroine is a moron. Why would anyone want to date her crush? Aside from the initial shock factor, Hen Zemi is rather flat. Its primary concern, to gross out the heroine/audience as much as possible, is predictable and tiresome.

13. A Channel Rating: 6.5/10

I didn’t think it possible but A Channel has really pushed itself this month. Considering that it doesn’t have a lot to work with, it’s almost impressive how A Channel has been able to pull of quaint drama without becoming stale.

12. Hana Saka Iroha Rating: 7/10

I’m really starting to struggle with this series. It has far too many ups and downs. The love triangle or square is a bit mundane. It feels like a source for more unnecessary conflict between Minko and Ohana. Minko is total bitch. This character just infuriates me. If and when Ohana has enough, I’ll start rooting for this show again. Until then, meh!

11. Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi Rating: 7/10

Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi had a weak opening, a problem with the format of the series, one similar to its predecessor, Junjo Romantica, is its sudden desire to feature unrelated characters in near identical dilemmas. It’s annoying that there doesn’t seem to be enough material for the main couple/cast, fortunately the latter two episodes brought the series back on track.

10. Gintama Rating: 7.5/10

Gintama wasn’t on form this month at all. I’m even more disappointed that the worse episodes featured my favourite character, Sa-chan and still felt lifeless. Through Gintama has a habit of breaking the fourth wall and reusing material, the following recap episode was the first time I took offence to this. It was lacklustre and lazy.

9. Ao No Exorcist Rating: 7.5/10

As one might expect from a tween series with a primary tween cast, the main environment becomes that of a school, so cue tweenage hijinks and dilemmas. While this does have several ups and downs, most notably downplaying the gravity of Rin’s heritance, it is still enjoyable regardless.

8. SKET Dance Rating: 8/10

Surprisingly SKET Dance has turned out to be a good series. So far there has not been one mediocre subplot, the main characters make good humour and are likable. However I wish the animation budget was a bit better, sometimes the cast look so basic, it’s a tad disappointing.

7. [C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control Rating: 8/10

Far from what I expected, C has really grown on me. It’s certainly imaginative, fast-paced and very intriguing, not to mention brimming over with potential. Please don’t fizzle out.

6. Gosick Rating: 8/10

Gosick has been floundering since the beginning, this month however something miraculous seems to have happened. The show pulled itself together and delivered, presumably because we are now entering the final stage, the big mystery surrounding Victorique. Let’s hope Gosick can end on a high.

5. X-Men Rating: 8.5

I’m still disappointed with the lack of Magneto but at least there has been a single reference to the Master of Magnetism. The storyline is a tad choppy for my tastes. It seems to fumble back and forth with no real direction. Again the series would have been much better as an episodic platform rather then dragging out this one plot for 12 episodes.

4. Deadman Wonderland Rating: 8.5/10

From a shaky start, Deadman Wonderland is going from strength to strength, in particular with the additional cast members. There is still a problematic formula nevertheless the series is doing its best to get around these minor discrepancies.

3. Tiger & Bunny Rating: 8.5/10

What is awesome about Tiger and Bunny is the heroes themselves. Each character is complex, rather then standard superman cookie cutter, each has ulterior motive for being a hero, whether it be to find their parents murderer or launch a pop career. Finally an actual villain seems to have grace the scene, but as with the heroes, our villain is no necessarily an all out bad guy. Still, it has me on the edge of my seat.

2. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shirana Rating: 9/10

AnoHana is unbelievably powerful. Of course it has a very sad undercurrent, it’s dealing with some pretty heavy themes, notably the death of a childhood friend, and yet it’s kinda uplifting at the same time. Still, I’m crossing my fingers that this is all a bad dream and Menma isn’t really a ghost girl. I doubt this anime will cut the viewer a break through, I have a feeling the ending is going to be a tear jerker for sure.

1.Steins; Gate Rating: 9/10

There has been a halt to Steins; Gate this month while I wait for anime-on-demand to catch up on episodes. I’d always prefer to watch anime from a legal site anyways. Nevertheless the two episodes I have watched have continued the shows rich subtly in plot and character development. Steins; Gate is really good at crafting context above anything else. Top notch sci-fic

April: In Retrospective

25. Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai [Dropped]

One of the worse openings I have ever seen. Aside from flashing girls panties left, right and centre the entire format seemed confused as to what direction it planned to take. Just plain dreadful. 0/10

24. Astarotte no Omocha! [Dropped]

I’m sorry you want a ten year old girl to suck what? This show could only appeal to paedophiles. 2/10

23. Sengoku Otome [Dropped]

If I ever find myself stranded in Japan during the Sengoku period the last person I would want to be with is a whiny, insipid high school girl too dumb to realise she is no longer in Kansas. Oh my! Feudal lord Oda Nobunaga doesn’t know what a mobile phone is, hilarious! Complete mind-numbing trash. 3/10

22. Maria Holic Alive Ep1-4

The sequel takes everything that was God awful with the first series and multiples it by a hundred. It’s especially hard to feel remote sympathy for the protagonist despite the fact that she is bullied mercilessly because half the time she is a victim of her own stupidity. 4/10

21. Nichijou Ep1-3

Nichijou attempts at humour are reserved to random for the sake of being random and nothing more. While nice and all, there is still nothing comical about random exploits that are just that, random. 5/10

20. Tono to Issho: Gantai no Yabou Ep1-3

I just wish these micro-episodes were longer. 5.5/10

19. Hen Zemi Ep1-3

Hen Zemi tackles perversions and fetishes with alarming ease. Yet its not nasty, sordid or filthy minded, through it does have a tendency to make you squirm. 5.5/10

18. SKET Dance Ep1-4

As previously foreseen, SKET Dance has taken its time pandering to the introduction of the SKET trio and their daily club activities. Nonetheless the trio are not as one dimensional as they first appear despite the obvious arche-typing, there is something appealing towards them and taken as a whole, towards the show. The humour is more or less right on the ball. 6/10

17. A Channel Ep1-4

Despite a relatively small cast and environment, A Channel is very endearing and light-hearted. It’s not particularly deep nor are the characters remotely shallow. There is a healthy balance that makes A Channel enjoyable without being too demanding. 6/10

16. Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko Ep1-3

Surprisingly not as half as annoying as I thought it was going to be despite the obligatory cute girls. Once you step away from the comedic element, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko has a very psychological undercurrent in that Erio is not simply an eccentric character, that there is some deep-rooted trauma in her past. Very intriguing, 6/10

15. Gosick Ep12-15

I badly want to like Gosick but this series goes up and down from week to week. A good episode is succeed by a bad episode, usually one in which the series tries to make the filler cast a bit more interesting. Since Victorique is the only character with any merit, this can be quite painful to watch. 6/10

14. Ao No Exorcist Ep1-2

The Blue Exorcist suffers from a slight case of high predictability. During the lowest moments, the cast are handed plot devices/decisions and warned not to use them. Almost like a red button that says do not press. Guess what happens? The button is pushed for no other reason then it will move the story along. While it might not be most innovative or well written show, there is still plenty of entertainment value. 6.5/10

13. [C] Money of Soul and Possibility Control Ep1-2

From the outset I had a sneaking suspicion that C was going to be applicable to the current economical climate, needless the overly moral protagonist content with working numerous part-time jobs rather then accept a handout, seems patronizing to say the least. All the same C has an enjoyable charm to its fantastical escapades, but it hasn’t quite hit the ball out of the park yet. 6.5/10

12. Hyouge Mono Ep1-3

With 39 episodes planned in all, it’s difficult to say how long my interest will last. While the premise isn’t bad, quite the opposite actually, the historical depiction of Japan is appealing, not to mention out of the ordinary, still unless something drastically happens, the storyline is just not my cup of tea. Get it? Furthermore finding a fan sub has been easier said than done. 7/10

11. Sekai Ichi Hatsuko Ep1-4

There is little difference between Sekai Ichi Hatsuko and most other yaoi’s with regards to fanservice. Through there does seem to be a general effort to hold back, especially when compared to its predecessor. Instead quite a lot of focus has been drawn to the work environment and the publishing of manga that is actually quite neat. 7.5/10

10. Hana Saku Iroha Ep1-4

Hanasaku Iroha would have ranked higher had it not shot itself in the foot with regards to episode three. The main problem is that when serious drama takes place the show doesn’t know how to handle itself and settles on making a big joke of the situation. As a direct result the characters start to act outside of their norms. A disappointing waste of potential. 7.5/10

9. Tiger & Bunny Ep1-4

Tiger and Bunny is easily one of the most fluid shows this season, managing to create a vivid and imaginative superhero mindset while not resorting to the cheese of its American counterparts. The only drawback is that it’s missing a super villain. 8/10

8. X-MEN Ep1-4

As a self confessed x-geek, this is the marvel/madhouse collaboration I was most looking forward to and so far I haven’t been disappointed. The anime renditions of the x-team have all been spot on. However the show hasn’t demonstrated its flexibility in terms of its cast. The x-universe is vast and I would expect to see a few more familiar faces as the half way mark approaches. As well as a decent villain *coughMagnetocough*. 8/10

7. Deadman Wonderland Ep1-2

Several things continue to nag at me, namely the sheer ludicrous arrest, conviction and imprisonment of Ganta. It screams inside job & that the general public are morons. Needless I’m woefully addicted and maintain that if someone wanted Ganta dead, they could have saved themselves the hassle of placing him on death row and simply killed him in the opening sequences. There has to be more to this story and that is what intrigues me. 8 /10

6. Gintama Ep1-4

After a year in hiatus Gintama returns with a marvellous warm-up saga, followed by a recap of its supporting cast and then a double Shinsengumi special. In essence this is the introduction phrase but it’s still typical Gintama, enough to please the average fan. 8.5/10

5. Ano Hi Mita no Namae wo Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai Ep1-2

Anohana conducts itself with a stroke of genuine brilliance, rooted in the slice of life/drama subtext while wistfully expanding into the realm of the supernatural with the presence of the little ghost girl. The emotional stability between episodes is set to vary as the characters begin to deal with the entangled themes of friendship and rivalry as well as the death of a close friend. 8.5/10

4. Level E [complete]

The finale brought the anime full circle with much loved opening characters making a welcomed return. Through the final arc did the show tremendous justice, it (nor any other episode) was on par with the original storyline. However Prince Baka is probably one of the most fantastic comedic characters ever dreamt up! 9/10

3. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica [complete]

The final two episodes saw the light of day this month and the roller coaster season reached its conclusion. Certainly not as good as I had surmised, the series did build itself into a corner, however I feel that overall it fitted the bleak mood and direction as well as remaining true to the Magical Girl sub-genre. More please! 9/10

2. Steins; Gate Ep1-4

Steins; Gate has enjoyed a concrete beginning, notably slow paced and highly technical. The eccentric male protagonist is perhaps the shows strongest point, since he is single-handedly keeping the audiences on their toes, to the point where we are still in the dark as to which direction this thriller is going to take. Nevertheless it would be nice to see greater character development all round rather then Okarin darting between girl A, girl B, girl C in order for the story to move forward. 9/10

1. Hourou Musuko [complete]

Even with one episode this month, Wandering Son tops my list. This is a remarkable series, progressive, passionate and painfully true to life. Hourou Musuko challenges sensitive and relevant issues primarily though a young, undeveloped cast in a highly mature fashion that really does hit home the prejudices of modern society. 9/10

March: In Retrospective

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka (Ep 7-11)

As part of a last ditch attempt to get into KoreZom, I held a mini-marathon. To no prevail. This show is too sloppily put together, the comedy is off (by a long-shot), the characters are genuinely unlikeable, and the story seems to have just given up on itself.

Dragon Crisis (Ep 9-12) [Complete] Rated 5/10

Forgettable. In a nutshell. The series set to achieve no more then it physically does, oping for moe over creativity, depth, concrete storytelling every time. Disappointing to say the least.

Gosick (Ep 9&10)

Through only two episodes of Gosick aired, they were perhaps the worse story arc in the series so far. Victorique is not a super genius, every other character is just below normal human intelligence.

5. (7) Kimi ni Todoke (Ep 8-10)

Finally Kimi ni Todoke is starting to demonstrate its worth. The relationship between the main couple is no longer will they/won't they, its a simple case of when and where. I'm banking on it being episode 12.

4. (6) Yumekui Merry (Ep 9-11)

Lately I've been noticing a reoccurring problem with this one, whenever the bad guy(s) have the heroes cornered, they inexplicably let them go. Why? Why wait until "next time"? Crush em now and be done with it! Just a minor detail :)

3. (2) Level E (Ep 9-12)

With one episode to go, I have a theory as to how Level E will end. Since this show has done its best to dispense with cliches, often deviously spinning them round on their heads. So, what ever I'm thinking, I know I'm probably wrong...

2. (3) Hourou Musuko (Ep 7-10)

Hourou Musuko refuses to be an ordinary young teenage/slice of life/school days program. It's breathtakingly refined and mature, just superb all the way.

1. (1) Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (Ep 9&10)

In light of the recent tragic events in Japan, only two episodes of Madoka Magica have aired, I'm not sure when the final two episodes will come to light but I eagerly await their broadcast. My favourite show this season.