tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186615552011-12-23T20:59:49.005-08:00Suguru's Dame-Dame Anime Blogsuguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.comBlogger2171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-72165681199769964652011-12-23T20:59:00.000-08:002011-12-23T20:59:49.020-08:00

Somewhere in my late 20s I reached the age where there really wasn't anything I wanted for Christmas.  Even for my birthday I asked for something for my two-year old daughter, because I couldn't think of anything for myself.  It's not that there's nothing I want - but asking for a pension, or for my daughter's 529 plan to fully fund itself, or to pay off the mortgage isn't something even Santa

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-58901509986955906382011-12-23T20:49:00.000-08:002011-12-23T20:50:08.030-08:00

The final episode of Idolmaster is over - not much to say about this one, it was pretty much the ending I expected, with the big concert for everyone at 765Pro, Producer-san sneaking out of the hospital to go, and then finally an epligoue of sorts when spring comes and the Producer's back at work.  It was nice to see Haruka was finally able to give Producer-san the present she wanted to give

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-40857795938914095612011-12-17T22:01:00.000-08:002011-12-17T22:01:27.803-08:00

I loved both Hayate no Gotoku anime series - although like a lot of long-running series, some episodes I'd say were worth a re-watch and some were better off forgotten.  When I heard there was a Hayate movie coming out, I was really looking forward to it since there's certainly potential for it to be epic - the relationship chart is like an explosion in a spaghetti factory, which means lots of

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-85916188953791381202011-12-16T14:30:00.000-08:002011-12-16T14:08:31.431-08:00

Overall, this was a good conclusion to Haruka's arc - they went with the theme of friendship among the 765Pro idol family, and that's fine.  As much as I wish they would have delved into a Haruka-Miki-Producer-san love triangle, that would have been a little out of place with the rest of the series anyway.  Instead we get Haruka having a breakdown as she feels all her friends at 765Pro are

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-75838305103342113302011-12-09T11:14:00.000-08:002011-12-09T11:22:43.974-08:00

This episode definitely surprised me at the end - the cynical side of me says the Producer ending up in the hospital is a cheap ploy to add drama, but hey, it worked. Most of the episode we see Haruka feeling down because her time with everyone else at 765Pro keeps slipping away, a victim of their busy schedules not allowing time to practice for the New Year's show, and their Sunday show where

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-41049318320621149942011-12-02T21:10:00.000-08:002011-12-02T21:38:07.555-08:00

I'll get the Producer a wallet for Christmas!But if I fill it with condoms first, would that be too forward of me?Just when I've completely given up hope that Idolmaster is going to go with the romance angle, we get a episode setting up a Haruka-Miki smackdown for the Producer. Maybe I'm just seeing what I want to see here, but if you were writing this and wanted to bring in a

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-43701025257904366742011-09-28T15:41:00.000-07:002011-09-28T15:56:21.313-07:00

Chitose likes summer...It's hard to believe the fall season is here already and summer is gone - and I never really did a proper writeup on the spring season, or winter before that for that matter. I should probably just pull a Yukiho, dig a hole and bury my blog in it, but since I have some time to play hooky at work, I might as well write up a few thoughts on the summer season, for what my two

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-38697899885294145612011-08-13T21:09:00.000-07:002011-08-13T21:13:02.594-07:00

I think episode 6 of Idolmaster dropped my respect for Kyoani half a notch - I think Ryuuguu Komachi's performance beat anything K-ON (either single or multiple exclamation point version) put together. I keep thinking about the Thelma and Louise wannabe music video from K-ON! and it's not a flattering comparison. A-1 Pictures did, to be fair, cut to reaction shots and a brief conversation

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-35716248302672129572011-07-15T21:54:00.000-07:002011-12-23T20:50:21.650-08:00

I'll start by saying I've never played the Idolmaster game, but I'm kind of a sucker for series about idols. I actually liked Lovely Idol, which puts me in a very, very small minority. I loved the Nakagawa Kanon arc of Kaminomi, even with the weird taser thing. And I liked, although maybe not loved, Idolmaster Xenoglossia - I've always liked the idea of taking a cast of bishoujo and putting

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-21589712177376202762011-05-14T21:38:00.000-07:002011-05-14T21:42:31.777-07:00

I was close to dropping Nichijou after the first epsiode - you could say it's Azumanga on crack, but I didn't like the cast nearly as much as Azumanga or Lucky Star's. But somehow, episode after episode, it manages to grow on me all the same - last week's principal doing a German suplex on a deer was one of the funniest scenes I've seen this season, and this week we get the epic wooden cube

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-367189448050171422011-05-06T14:23:00.000-07:002011-05-06T15:03:30.847-07:00

Part 2 of the spring midterms post - because it's Friday afternoon, and if you're trapped in a cubicle anyway, you might as well entertain yourself writing, I think...Denpa Onna to Seishun OtokoGood Points- Best cast I've seen this season. Erio is almost moe enough to make my laptop spontaneously combust, Ryuushi is pretty fun to watch, Maekawa's nasu outfit cracks me up, and Meme is like

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-19427738959054850272011-05-06T13:50:00.000-07:002011-05-06T14:20:33.423-07:00

I'll admit, it's been a long-ass time since I had a midterm. Let's just say, when I was in school, we used NCSA Mosaic to browse the inter-net. Instead of Web 2.0, we were talking Web 0.5. But since we're a third of the way through the spring season, might as well take some time and judge the anime that's aired so far, and that's midterm-like, right? Grades are too 20th century, though, so

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-63904686174188058782011-04-03T20:29:00.000-07:002011-04-03T20:33:42.166-07:00

After the first episode of Hanasaku, I think it's already safe to make some predictions about the plot. Some of these are close to 100% certainties, given the type of show I think it's going to be, but some are longer shots - anyway, I'll record them here for posterity's sake, in descending order of probability.- Ohana ends up befriending Nako (the girl who seems uncomfortable around her so far)

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-8392240544744535422011-04-03T14:43:00.001-07:002011-04-03T20:35:51.326-07:00

Hanasaku is one of the series I was looking forward the most this season, and so far it doesn't disappoint - good animation quality, an interesting cast of characters, some drama, and even a love confession in just the first episode.  It may be a two cour series, but it's off to a fast start already - makes me wonder how they're possibly going to keep up the pace (although maybe they just won't

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-71798804497619226472011-04-03T14:33:00.001-07:002011-04-03T20:36:08.687-07:00

I haven't watched the Nichijou OVA, so the first episode was my introduction to the series - I went into it with very low expectations, given the consensus in the blogosphere seemed to be that the OVA was about as exciting as watching paint dry.  However, probably helped by low expectations, to my surprise I didn't look at the clock once while watching the first episode - it was actually pretty

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-50004190626919904112011-01-02T13:50:00.000-08:002011-01-02T13:57:03.605-08:00

I think I fell for Haruhi when I first read about the plot in a post on AnimeSuki's forum, a couple weeks before the first season aired - somehow it just sounded like it would be fascinating to watch, and in the end it was, hitting a good combination of interesting characters, a unique world, fluid animation, and a plot where anything could happen. I'd probably rank Toradora higher if I was

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-50637676304014320502010-10-20T15:52:00.000-07:002010-10-20T15:55:57.670-07:00

Kirino says: don't fail copying and pasting URLs...American politicians of both stripes are experts at dumbing down political discourse to fourth-grade level half-truths, and apparently their staff aren't very good at linking either - Meg Whitman's campaign tweeted (twitted?) what was supposed to be a link to some political announcement, but the link actually went to a dude in a skirt performing

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-28075670147410906932010-10-05T12:51:00.000-07:002010-10-05T12:59:07.652-07:00

Damn, September flew by fast - I should probably just give up on blogging since in the free time I've had, generally I prioritze watching anime over writing about it. But since the fall season's here already, I might as well write up a few random thoughts on the season that just ended:Seitokai Yakuindomo - My favorite of the season, but I'm a sucker for comedy and comedy is completely subjective

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-31576176666367873342010-08-26T14:05:00.001-07:002010-08-26T14:06:24.096-07:00

Best. Scene. Ever.Through the first eight episodes, this might just be my favorite series of the season - although nothing's more subjective than comedy, so I'm sure plenty of people would disagree. I think what makes this work for me is above all a cast that's fun to watch - yeah, a lot of it is Shiho and/or Aria making some raunchy comment and Tsuda being the tsukkomi character, but I'm a

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-70731550242944327442010-08-20T15:38:00.000-07:002010-08-20T15:49:11.102-07:00

I've got to say I'm impressed - AstroNerdBoy is blogging all of Urusei Yatsura, and is all the way up to episode 138 no less. If I remember right there's 190+ episodes, plus six movies, and a ton of OVAs, so this is the anime blogger equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest. I haven't watched any of the classics in a while, makes me feel like going and finding my old UY DVDs. I have a soft spot for

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-78807912338316397592010-08-19T21:32:00.000-07:002010-08-19T22:01:44.685-07:00

So we come to the end of Kaoru's arc in Amagami SS - belly-button scene aside, this was a pretty solid arc, helped by Kaoru being a very likeable, down-to-Earth character. Although I can't help wondering how much better it could have been if they had a full 12-13 episodes to flesh out the story instead of cramming everything into four episodes.As Tsuki points out, the climax and all the drama

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-28563242138255879052010-08-17T21:33:00.000-07:002010-08-17T21:42:43.474-07:00

I finished the last arc of the first season of Index, and while at first I wasn't expecting much from Hyouka's story, in the end I give them props for taking what I thought was going to be just another generic meek/shy bishoujo, like an anti-Biri-Biri, and making her into a badass. They did a good job developing her character and building the friendship between her and Index - it's hard to throw

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-72053709042823975812010-08-16T11:03:00.000-07:002010-08-16T11:04:06.163-07:00

Continuing on with the Index sort-of marathon...the Angel Fall arc wasn't bad, with some pretty good fight scenes towards the end, although it's easily topped by the Biri-Biri centric episode 18. Mikoto should just admit she likes Touma already - she can't afford to not make a move, when her competition already lives in his apartment and apparently does the "sleep in only a white dress shirt"

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-60019051357513652542010-08-13T10:48:00.000-07:002010-08-13T10:52:26.251-07:00

Even in human form, Rikuo can be a badass when he needs to...I don't normally watch shonen action anime - I don't watch Bleach, Naruto, or DBZ, although I did watch Inuyasha for a while until the "monster of the week" thing finally made my head want to explode. But I tried out the first episode of Nurarihyon no Mago, and found myself getting hooked - it's an interesting premise, a normal-looking

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-36935990922313666342010-08-12T16:14:00.000-07:002010-08-12T16:16:24.042-07:00

You can argue popularity contests are a waste of time (although you can also argue that about most forms of entertainment), but I've voted in Best Moe, the Korean-based anime character popularity contest, for the last few years now and it's been an entertaining ride. There have been a few epic battles along the way, including one where Shana beat Nanoha by a single vote, 1010-1009, if I remember

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-43503604912014220352010-08-12T11:23:00.000-07:002010-08-12T11:31:04.423-07:00

The obligatory servicey pic to go along with the post...So he kills 10,031 bishoujo and all Accelerator gets is his ass kicked by Touma? I must be more vindictive than most, but seeing how he delighted in killing the Sisters, all of whom were significantly weaker than he was (at Level 3 instead of Level 5), I was hoping he'd be at least maimed, if not killed. Yeah, it was part of an "experiment

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-44063180300671564822010-08-11T15:56:00.000-07:002010-08-11T16:03:23.775-07:00

I'm starting to lose hope on Amagami - I guess I was hoping for another Kimikiss, but the weird fetish stuff is starting to give me the creeps. I mean, if you like kissing back of knees or bellybuttons that's no skin off my back, but somehow seeing it in anime makes me cringe, kind of like that scene in Swingers where the guy calls the girl and leaves a dozen rambling messages. It's a pity

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-277086970115582572010-08-10T10:47:00.000-07:002010-08-10T15:55:18.280-07:00

Too cute...which sets up the kick in the gut a couple minutes later...An entire season of anime has come and gone since I blogged last, and honestly real life makes it difficult to keep up with all the other anime blogs out there, of which 99% I'm pretty sure are much better than what I could write anyway. This creates a vicious spiral of not-blogging, but since I have some free time at work I

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-69901804971516101422010-03-04T10:47:00.000-08:002010-03-04T10:57:23.314-08:00

It never ceases to amaze me, over 20 years since the Urusei Yatsura anime ended, how it still shows up as a reference in other anime. This time the Shana-tan special that came with the Shana S second OVA has Yuuji paying homage to Ataru (specifically in UY episode "After You've Gone"), where Lum leaves Ataru (unknown to him, just temporarily to take care of some paperwork), but leaves a small

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-14194941663725556602010-02-15T13:58:00.000-08:002010-02-15T14:01:24.660-08:00

Wow....for anyone who gave up on Sora no Woto because you thought it was going to be just slice of life and happy, without delving into the horrors of war at all, episode 7 is here to change your mind.Going into this episode, Felicia was probably the biggest enigma of the cast to me - she's the mom-type character who watches over everyone else, but she didn't have a whole lot of depth. This

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-2808917595025413292010-01-08T13:54:00.001-08:002010-01-08T13:56:01.628-08:00

I can't say this is anything stellar, but it's exactly what you'd expect - boy gets harem, fanservice ensues, there's some fight-of-the-week as mystery bishoujo defends boy from monsters. Some will find this as more proof that anime is doomed because If It Has Panties It Must Suck, and some will be moderately entertained. I'll fall in the entertained category, if only because Himari says "nushi

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-6263935278477021182010-01-05T14:53:00.001-08:002010-01-05T14:59:30.260-08:00

I know, everyone else did "best of" countdowns about a month ago, but my posting rate in 2009 was a little on the glacial side. So even though it's late, here's a stab at my favorites of 2009, and a late Happy New Year to all of my fellow anime fans!WinterFavorite: ToradoraI can't say enough good about Toradora - it has an awesome cast, a great story, comedy, drama, everything. I started

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-85917736237814494172010-01-05T11:07:00.001-08:002010-01-05T11:17:10.078-08:00

After watching the trailer for Sora no Woto it vaulted to the top of the anime I was anticipating the most for winter - and through the first episode, it doesn't disappoint. The animation quality is good, the cast seems interesting, and while, no, it's not for fans of a lot of action, I think it's got a lot of potential. I think a lot of people saw girls with musical instruments plus K-On-like

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-22095316335551413802009-12-12T16:17:00.000-08:002009-12-12T16:23:17.480-08:00

How the hell did I miss Bakemonogatari? The main reason I passed it over, if I remember right, is there was blood in the first episode - as a general rule, if an anime series has comedy/romance I'll watch it, but if I see any kind of blood/gore I avoid it like the plague. I think seeing the stapler scene in the first episode on other blogs turned me off, but in Bakemonogatari's case I did

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-44899791362138868152009-09-09T14:59:00.000-07:002009-09-09T15:42:29.800-07:00

There's nothing more subjective than talking about which anime you like and which you hate, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun to do anyway. Just keep in mind my opinions are worth about what the electrons they're printed on cost, and that when I'm talking about a series being a 'loser' that's only in my book and your mileage will vary.Winner - Sora no ManimaniThe character designs somehow

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-64001488175794635192009-07-03T20:42:00.001-07:002009-09-09T15:43:21.902-07:00

Summer season is looking pretty strong so far, especially now that I've seen the first episode of Taishou Yakyuu Musume, based on a light novel about a girls' baseball team, set between the world wars in 1925 Japan (during the reign of the Taishou emperor). JC Staff is at the helm so at least I won't have to look forward to the same episode four times in a row, although there is a Broadway

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-11909453321986738832009-05-28T09:47:00.001-07:002009-05-28T09:47:31.277-07:00

Random thoughts from this week's anime watching (spoilers everywhere):- Poor Imo-chan...it's too bad navis can't *remote* control ships,then she could keep eating all the maruyaki she wants.- Why the hell is Nerval making pasta? As much as Sorakake can bekind of thought-provoking at times, other times it's 100% WTF. Atleast he didn't order Pizza Hut.- It's good to see with Tsutsuji, Lum's

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-69040760184621947322009-05-21T10:26:00.001-07:002009-05-21T10:26:21.609-07:00

Wow. Just....wow. Another season of Haruhi - strangely enough,looking outside, I don't see mushroom clouds or burning pitch fallingfrom the sky on the Damned, but I've got to think it's coming. Yes,there have been enough false starts that I was convinced the worldwould end before we'd see a second season of Haruhi, but apparentlyI'm wrong - as every anime blog on Earth is reporting, they

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-92003891038804847942009-04-10T12:46:00.001-07:002009-04-10T13:00:58.097-07:00

It's hard to believe that the winter season is over, and the secondweek of the spring season is here already - I haven't posted in awhile but since it's a slow Friday before Easter at work, might aswell Swiffer off this blog and throw two cents into the ether. K-on! is the series that's probably getting the most press right now,and while not everyone's enjoying it (Hinano and JP gave it the

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-21626395333290670642009-03-06T20:37:00.000-08:002009-03-06T20:39:07.245-08:00

God, this line cracked me up - go, Ami-chan!

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-59295991406891733572009-03-04T10:08:00.000-08:002009-03-04T10:11:29.561-08:00

Another doom-and-gloom article on the anime industry in the Japan Times today - although with the Dow below 7,000 and the world economy imploding, even if fansubs didn't exist I doubt DVD sales would be exactly booming. The article's mostly the same things we've heard before - animators in Japan make next to nothing, 90% of inbetweening is offshored now, eliminating the traditional entry-level

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-29896235751923485802009-02-07T19:30:00.001-08:002009-02-07T19:31:26.003-08:00

Not bawling crying, mind you, but this scene always manages to bring atear to my eyes (where Konata's dad explains to Konata, with hermother's ghost watching, that the one thing he was confident of wasthat he loved her mother more than anyone else could). A lot of the timewhen a series that's mainly comedy tries to pull off drama it doesn'twork very well, but whoever directed this scene I give

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-7857695298637860942009-01-18T14:09:00.000-08:002009-01-18T14:10:07.281-08:00

So no picture, since I'm without my laptop at the moment - I know, itseems like I'm violating a cardinal rule of anime blogging to writeabout something without a screencap, but here goes anyway...Asu no Yoichi is one of those series that I check out each seasonwithout really having any expectations for it, and so far it's seemedkind of average, delivering what looks like a typical

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-986882299452381382009-01-15T14:24:00.001-08:002009-01-15T14:24:42.952-08:00

The first episode of the third season of Minami-ke was good, but thesecond had a few really classic moments, especially Devil Chiaki andCurry Fairy Hosaka. For someone who has made absolutely zero progressin even speaking to Haruka, the object of his affections, Hosaka surespends a *lot* of time thinking about her and drifting off intodelusion-land.It's kind of hard to place why I like Minami-ke

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-30374987108321682122009-01-15T13:56:00.001-08:002009-01-15T13:56:42.952-08:00

I'm not usually a fan of anything with mecha (with a few exceptions)and I'm not a CG fan either, but...somehow the first episode ofRideback just sucked me in anyway. I guess I'm a sucker for uniquepremises, and you don't get much more unique than a ballerina tearinga ligament, quitting ballet, and ending up riding a sort-of humanoidmecha motorcycle, presumably to one day fight against an

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-7493875756559244882009-01-15T13:54:00.001-08:002009-01-15T13:54:38.913-08:00

So far, I like the character designs and the setting, the animationquality is solid too, and the characters have some potential...butit's not a Toradora-level cast that I really look forward to seeingagain each week. My biggest fear with this is when I hear peoplecomparing the male lead, Touya, to Takayuki from KGnE--based on that,it's hard for me not to think this has train wreck written all

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-36948125891281084442009-01-01T15:29:00.000-08:002009-01-01T15:34:10.506-08:00

Yes, this was the first episode I watched in 2009--Admiral Nagato for the win...Happy New Year to everyone out there in the Internets, hopefully those of you in college aren't fighting too bad of a hangover this morning. I spent midnight holding a bottle, but it was a bottle of infant formula, so no hangover for me, just a little sleep deprived as usual lately...I should start by saying thank

Briannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-13529122984564902002008-12-28T22:12:00.000-08:002008-12-28T22:34:17.275-08:00

Before the fall season started, Kannagi was probably my most-anticipated series--it's hard to believe, but it's over already, and while it wasn't perfect (for me, it comes in second to Toradora this season) it did manage to live up to the hype. It's biggest strength, to me anyway, was Nagi--she's one of the most unique and entertaining characters I've seen in a while, and I could probably watch

Briannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-35831119362033441712008-12-20T19:34:00.001-08:002008-12-20T21:05:05.000-08:00

A few days ago, Hinano posted about how the painfully long wait for the second Suzumiya Haruhi anime, not to mention the 10th novel, was making it seriously hard to care:I freaking LOVED this show. I cosplayed Haruhi, I drew a HaruKyon doujinshi. Hell it was one of the first shows that I “completed” when I first began blogging in 2006. I read all the currently released novels but now what?

Briannoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-76538973909668965662008-12-19T23:47:00.000-08:002008-12-20T00:00:44.611-08:00

I don't read a whole lot of manga--but the one volume I buy every few months without fail is Keroro Gunsou, which Tokyopop is cranking out in the US. It's the insanely addictive story of an inept band of invading frogs and their schemes to conquer the Earth, while living with the Hinata family and getting stuck doing their household chores as a form of rent, and every one of the sixteen volumes

Briannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-69565987551947196792008-12-12T17:41:00.000-08:002008-12-12T17:54:13.451-08:00

Three great moments from episode 11 of Toradora:First, the palmtop tiger losing traction on Aisaka's Chinese dress (in Ryuuji's imagination). I don't know why this cracked me up, maybe I'm a sucker for slapstick. Ryuuji's comment immediately afterwards that if they went with Chinese dresses for the Culture Festival he'd have to be sewing in breast pads again was funny too...poor Taiga...Second,

Briannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-52860047163185750632008-12-11T16:52:00.001-08:002008-12-12T00:23:58.185-08:00

I'm really starting to think my anime DVD collection is practically useless, except as a way to support the industry in lieu of a better digital distribution method. I have over 200 anime DVDs on my bookshelf upstairs, but I haven't touched one in the weeks since my daughter was born, while I have watched a couple things either fansubbed or legitsubbed (by legitsub I mean pay-to-download like

Briannoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-62659214849197110542008-12-09T20:31:00.000-08:002008-12-09T20:45:07.536-08:00

(Hosaka, because it's the closest anime picture I can think of to represent middle-of-night feedings)I realized I haven't posted *anything* here since June, which is kind of sad--I can't say that I'm completely retired, but I think it's pretty safe to say I'm on some kind of semi-hiatus. It's definitely nothing to do with my love of anime, which is still going strong, but although I can't

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-28945265561373133552008-06-15T15:22:00.000-07:002008-06-15T15:33:52.545-07:00

In a few weeks, the Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto sequel of sorts starts airing (although with a completely different cast) and that reminded me that I'd started watching the original series that aired in '03, only to drop it a couple episodes in. I don't remember why I dropped it, but on giving it a second chance I ended up marathoning it, and was pleasantly surprised that it was much better

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-90807057546701734562008-06-14T13:44:00.000-07:002008-06-14T13:47:14.101-07:00

I was thinking as I watched Yami's debut in Toloveru the other day that there are a lot of anime series that have really appealing side characters, but due to their side character status they end up suffering from a lack of screentime compared to the main heroine. The most recent example I can think of is Hinagiku, who in spite of winning the Best Moe tournament still found herself consigned to

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-74865611431681604732008-06-11T21:26:00.000-07:002008-06-11T21:29:33.718-07:00

How is Wakamoto Norio not designated a Living National Treasure? If you can't tell from the screenshot, I'm re-watching 2x2 Shinobuden now, and if there was an Oscar in the anime world for Best Male Seiyuu in a Series That Will Make You Soil Yourself in Laughter, he'd have to win it hands down.

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-67023683513283784162008-06-10T16:54:00.000-07:002008-06-10T16:59:22.762-07:00

The spring season is more than halfway over already, and I haven't really posted much about it--part of that is blogging falls in my "do if bored at work" category and work has been somewhat busy, but another reason is the spring season just seems kind of underwhelming for me compared to fall/winter. No more Kimikiss, no more Minami-shimai, no more Hayate, no more Spice and/or Wolf...it's kind

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-37172523824106566422008-05-21T18:24:00.000-07:002008-05-21T18:26:22.136-07:00

Finished watching Manabi Straight yet again, and 'chubby rori' character designs or no, I love this series. Although this time I noticed Mikan's wearing a different hair pin right before going off to Oregon...but then when she's back over the summer she's back to the normal one so maybe it doesn't mean anything.Also, on Ufotable's site they have a 'Ufotable cinema' image with Manabi at top left,

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-32692798766094810502008-05-19T00:12:00.000-07:002008-05-19T00:17:23.734-07:00

Toradora is a light novel series that's going to be an anime series at some point in the future--and unless the B team from Doumu gets a hold of it, I definitely sense a winner. The first four chapters have been translated at Baka-Tsuki, and in the interest of lowering productivity a little while back I went and read it at work, and it's amazingly good so far.The male lead of the story is Ryuji,

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-22851346713718521992008-05-18T23:10:00.000-07:002008-05-18T23:13:17.443-07:00

At first glance, Narue no Sekai ("World of Narue" in Region 1) looks like it's going to be a pretty typical anime romance/comedy series--there's your average otaku-ish male lead, Kazuto, and one day he encounters a half-alien girl, Narue, and falls for her. You'd expect that from here he'd dither about asking her out for 3/4 of the series' length, try to confess to her six or seven times but

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-63516332623493308922008-04-07T22:02:00.001-07:002008-04-07T22:10:01.984-07:00

This is possibly the only way Kyoani can top Hare Hare Yukai.Who knew Swedish dance music and anime was more addictive than crack? Mad props to whoever did this for even including Tsuruya and Asakura Ryoko...Itsuki is having WAY too much fun though.Apologies to Kawasumi Ayako, but Horo > impassable wall > Chizuru. Who knew tanuki went into heat?Yeah, just keep telling yourself that, chief...

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-44752882057041728802008-04-02T10:53:00.000-07:002008-04-07T22:11:06.335-07:00

I think the rest of the anime world discovered Caramelldansen about 600 years ago in internet time, but I'm a late arrival and damn this song is addictive. After dropping 99 cents on iTunes and having it on endless loop for an hour, I have a vision of an entire office standing up in their cubicles and busting out this dance until the men with white coats take them away.To make this at least

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-14907954512589780952008-03-26T15:53:00.001-07:002008-03-26T15:56:56.331-07:00

What the hell did people do on slow workdays before the internet? I guess they probably hung out by the water cooler and actually conversed with other people about the travails of hunting stegosaurus and such, but since my workplace is largely deserted today, I've been reading volume 9 of the Suzumiya Haruhi novels online instead. I'm waiting for the dark day when web filtering hits my

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-55086132856626635422008-03-24T16:36:00.001-07:002008-03-24T16:39:33.064-07:00

* heavy spoilers *So after 24 episodes, several kimis getting kissed, and probably the most complicated relationship chart ever for a bishoujo series, Kimikiss is over--Asuka and Yuumi fans will surely disagree, but I still think Kimikiss was one of the best anime series of its genre I've seen in a while. What made the series unique to me was the way it took the old "Everybody Loves Juinchi/

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-87678260079374203352008-02-14T22:15:00.001-08:002008-02-14T22:21:01.441-08:00

Ah, winter--a season where here on the Left Coast it's sunny and in the mid-70s. When the weather's like it was this weekend, watching Kanon felt like I was watching a madman's depiction of some alien, impossible world, a world where frozen water falls from the sky and piles up everywhere, and just for fun people build vaguely humanoid forms out of the stuff. I hear it's called "snow" and I

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-35412737033996496962008-02-11T12:25:00.001-08:002008-02-11T12:45:59.435-08:00

I don't read manga all that often, but for some reason (very possibly connected to the fact I had nothing to do at work Friday afternoon) when I saw this news brief on Anime News Network, I decided to check Kannagi out. After looking at the official website and the thread at AnimeSuki, I went to manganews.net to find scanlations and ended up reading the first eight chapters--it's possible I'm

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-20703314411554847052008-02-08T10:25:00.000-08:002008-02-08T10:40:01.636-08:00

The relationship chart for Kimikiss is still a mess, but things are getting a little clearer as episode 17 levels up the drama. As Stripey has pointed out it's hard to choose who to root for, knowing that either way a character you like will be heartbroken in the end. Other than the frogs, who I'd love to see boiled and served in some kind of reduction, I really like the whole cast, which makes

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-8171984146404181572008-01-28T15:59:00.000-08:002008-01-28T16:01:29.172-08:00

Nice Weeds.My apologies to Mystery Science Theater...Crow: Is he *weeding*? What the hell is going on here? Tomoya's doing freaking lawn work so Kotomi gets the hell over her parents dying ten years ago already? Is this a "very special episode brought to you by the Garden & Lawn department at Wal-Mart" or something?Joel: Well, if he recreates her backyard like it used to be, and has the

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-65442906389139881372008-01-18T00:27:00.001-08:002008-01-18T00:39:30.272-08:00

Wow--just watched Keroro movie 2, and the easiest way to describe it is to say it's 77 minutes of everything that makes Keroro Gunso awesome. Natsumi reaches truly epic levels of moe-ness, Giroro gets the "twirled around by the evil magistrate pulling on the obi of his kimono" treatment, there's action, drama, family, friendship, afros, even Moa-chan unleashing Armageddon twice. The only thing

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-9395083090381002142008-01-06T22:22:00.000-08:002008-01-06T22:41:06.363-08:00

Haruka-nee: No MercySo it's not subbed yet, but I was looking forward to this enough to watch the first episode raw. Trying to watch anime raw is something that always sounds like a good way to test my Japanese skills, but inevitably it just serves to remind me that no matter how many people you meet on vacation in Japan who say you're all jozu and shit because you can say 'koko...doko desu ka?

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-9927707388622264652007-12-28T20:34:00.001-08:002007-12-28T20:43:52.532-08:00

Night Wizard was possibly the biggest surprise for me this season, since it's one of those series that at a glance sounds like it should be just God-awful, and I had zero expectations going into it. First of all, it's based on an RPG, which many would argue is generally not a predictor of anime excellence (whatever that means). After the first episode, the plot seemed amazingly simplistic--a

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-13342328015993413732007-12-11T15:00:00.001-08:002007-12-11T15:06:19.392-08:00

Going into this season, I was expecting D.C. II and Clannad to vie for the title of favorite fall series, but surprisingly, through week 10 it's Kimikiss that I find myself looking forward to the most. Week after week I expect it to falter, but so far they're the New England Patriots of anime, and Kimikiss's writers haven't let me down yet. I didn't have high expectations for Kimikiss (or any

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-40583624335189013932007-11-13T16:54:00.001-08:002007-11-13T16:59:24.993-08:00

It's official--Da Capo II is trying to kill me. It's not a quick, speedy death either. It seemed like it had such potential for greatness, with appealing characters, and (based on what I'd read about the game) a solid, dramatic plot, but instead, like a fresh doughnut with a creamy ear wax filling, what looked good at a glance is rapidly turning into something really hard to keep down.There are

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-84884584601162660312007-11-05T10:47:00.000-08:002007-11-05T10:56:21.979-08:00

It's impossible to review comedy well, and since there's probably nothing more subjective than what's funny, reviews of comedy series are honestly pretty useless anyway. One blogger will say any given comedy is pure gold, the next will say they'd rather stick their face in a fan than watch it. Having said that, I can tell you I laughed out loud like an idiot at practically every episode of Seto

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-51967082910206740802007-10-24T21:45:00.001-07:002007-10-24T21:50:21.587-07:00

Manabi Straight is the series I was looking forward to the most last winter, and pre-season favorites have a way of either living up to the hype you burden them with, or being very disappointing and making you slam your own head in a door in frustration (Exhibit A: Yoakena's Cabbage of Doom). Fortunately, Manabi Straight not only lived up to my hopes for it, it even managed to surpass them, with

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-46280451740090493822007-10-11T08:42:00.001-07:002007-10-11T08:49:45.708-07:00

This has to be one of the strangest marketing tie-ins I've ever seen--vending machines that sell canned bread with Clannad characters on them (pictures here). The thought of canned bread is a little scary, but they really do sell anything and everything from vending machines over there...Also, Zyl weighs in on YUA: Full Throttle and found it more entertaining than I did--I should really give ep

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-4951645001544752322007-10-10T20:53:00.000-07:002007-10-10T21:00:27.138-07:00

KimikissWow...I thought Clannad had a big cast, but I can't remember two-thirds of the characters in Kimikiss's names. If I had to guess from the first episode, I'm guessing by the end we'll have at least two couples: Mao x Quiet, Delinquent-Looking Dude Sitting Next to Her, and Guy Who Showed Up First And Is Presumably the Male Lead x Shy Girl in His Class that He Blushes Looking At. But there

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-79635199491310634242007-10-07T20:58:00.000-07:002007-10-07T21:39:29.247-07:00

Fall is my favorite time of year--the momiji burst into brilliant color, the air starts to get that crisp, refreshing feeling...and, of course, there's a new season of anime. Actually, where we live we don't get the first two things at all, instead we get people's houses falling into the Abyss like it's Judgment Day or something...but at least so far the fall anime season is looking really good.

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-71729752472291622792007-09-30T17:10:00.000-07:002007-12-28T17:20:34.971-08:00

Episode 19: Inside the BattleSummaryShana has to protect her rival, Kazumi, and bring her to Khamsin to tune the city, while Professor Crazy and his sidekick, Lotus Domino, continue with their plan. Kazumi tells Yuuji in spite of everything she learned she still considers him human and he cries like a little girl, er, I mean, he cries Manly Tears. Khamsin blows up the Hindenberg that Professor

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-68456831470096575552007-09-30T17:05:00.000-07:002007-12-28T17:10:46.068-08:00

Episode 13: The Declaration of War Behind the School BuildingSummaryTiriel and her brother, the tonsil hockey-playing Denizen siblings, seem to have the upper hand, but with help from Yuuji and Margery they end up taken down by Shana. Sydoney, the third Denizen, runs away, after fighting Margery.ImpressionsSo Sydoney is supposedly nicknamed "Thousand Changes" and can assume any form he wants

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-2048967089722398592007-09-30T16:57:00.000-07:002007-12-28T17:05:14.361-08:00

Episode 7: The Two Flame HazesSummaryShana trains Yuuji by hitting him on the head with a stick. Margery chases after Lamies, intending to kill him since he's a Denizen, and we learn she's looking for a silver-flamed Denizen who's not going to show up this season. Shana and Yuuji hurry to try to protect Lamies, since if he's killed enough energy will be released to seriously mess up Misaki

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-49015008479956585272007-09-30T16:51:00.000-07:002007-12-28T16:57:52.509-08:00

Shakugan no Shana aired back in fall of '05, and quickly became popular with a combination of action, drama, comedy, romance, and of course, the sword-wielding, melon pan eating heroine, Shana. A J.C. Staff production, it was an fun series to watch over its 24 episode run, and I went ahead and bought it when it came out on region 1 DVD. Shana's character development over the course of the

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-22871123937136366102007-09-29T00:30:00.000-07:002007-09-29T00:48:54.577-07:00

A piece of news just came out that I'm sure will be blogged to death, but I might as well pile on too--apparently Funimation is sending Cease and Desist letters on behalf of Gonzo, specifically to demand Shinsen stop subbing Romeo x Juliet (which isn't licensed). It's very possible Gonzo will enlist Funi to send C&Ds and lawyers after other groups subbing their series as well. Since I'd rather

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-79534437378634832392007-09-28T18:00:00.001-07:002007-09-29T17:53:55.992-07:00

Thanks to jwthechamp on the AnimeSuki forums for posting the link to the short video for Da Capo II at Crunchyroll (you have to sign up for a free account to view it). I'm glad to see feel is using character designs that I really like, similar to D.C.S.S. and Otoboku's, and hopefully the animation quality will be top-notch.Da Capo II (or "D.C. II"--no relation to the city with "Taxation Without

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-60060404908215547162007-09-27T19:24:00.000-07:002007-09-27T19:37:41.902-07:00

Potemayo was definitely the surprise of the summer season for me--I had zero expectations for it and I don't think I'd even heard of it until subs started coming out, but I picked it up and instantly fell in love. I won't say it's the greatest anime ever, and I don't think I'd even recommend it to most people because they'd probably just look at it and ask questions like "did that baby just pee

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-69971697357195122612007-09-23T00:06:00.000-07:002007-09-23T00:10:47.563-07:00

Since I finished re-watching Shakugan no Shana, it made sense to watch the OVA that came out after the series too--while there's surprisingly few lines for everyone's favorite flame-haired, flame-eyed, flame-sword-wielding Flame Haze, it's still a pretty funny episode.Plot summaries always put me to sleep, but here goes: the story is set before episode 17, after the PDA-loving twins got taken

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-90045493579410529522007-09-19T09:21:00.001-07:002007-09-19T10:40:25.174-07:00

Every year, I've read comments about Saimoe, the Japanese ultimate moe tournament, when they take the heroines (and minor characters) from every recent anime and throw them into matches against each other to see who reigns supreme as the most popular character. Kurogane has been providing SportsCenter-like coverage of the event in posts with results of each matchup--but actually voting in it is

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-60354199569684741452007-09-18T16:18:00.000-07:002007-09-18T16:22:40.371-07:00

One of the great things about anime, especially for people with short attention spans like me, is that you never have to wait long for something new. There are very few anime series that get more than two cours (seasons), except for the ones that run on for eons like Detective Conan, and every three months you can look forward to a new crop of anime. The short length of most anime also helps lend

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-88605039794273698272007-09-17T14:45:00.001-07:002007-09-17T14:47:07.202-07:00

When I first heard Lucky Star was airing this spring, I had conflicting thoughts--on the one hand, I've liked almost every series Kyoto Animation has done, including oft-forgotten Munto, and that made me look forward to it. On the other hand, the fact Kyoani was working on Lucky Star meant I'd have to wait even longer for more Haruhi, and having read ahead in the novels I can't wait to see some

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-40828796177011364852007-09-13T15:37:00.000-07:002007-09-16T23:14:26.308-07:00

Normally, I don't write fanfiction since it's really not easy (and not all that fun, for me anyway) to write within the constraints of someone else's world. Hell, even real authors make continuity mistakes, even in a series like Harry Potter that you know has an army of editors and all the resources of a big publishing house behind it. But today I got stuck on a particularly long, boring

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-55422608513614197052007-08-22T19:02:00.000-07:002007-09-13T08:49:01.267-07:00

For anyone who bookmarked this site, I apologize for not mentioning this sooner--but since lately I've only been able to come up with enough coherent thoughts to post maybe once a month, from here on out I'll probably just be posting intermittently over at Otaku Community Blog. There are several different authors there, so even if I don't post for a while there should always be something new to

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-9456918989254190782007-07-11T21:06:00.000-07:002007-12-27T21:52:19.701-08:00

Episodes 11-12 (finale)SummarySo we start out with Tatsuya and Karen sneaking past all the Moon's defenses and breaking in to one of the domes with the help of Mia, who opened a dock for them. You could say it's unrealistic one fighter could get past all the defenses of the Kingdom of Sphere, primed for war, but there was that German guy who landed a Cessna in Red Square during the Cold War, so

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-36296958493597911472007-07-10T21:02:00.000-07:002007-12-27T21:03:58.643-08:00

Lyones catching Feena's mom, before he turned into a wuss.SummaryFeena gets an audience with the king, but he shoots her down, telling her it's too difficult, and that he doesn't want her to have to go through the same pain he did with Cephilia, Feena's mother. He tells her to think about things some more...then we get a flashback of a younger Lyones being encouraged by Tatsuya's father, Indiana

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-13514486991787118012007-07-09T20:59:00.000-07:002007-12-27T21:02:06.368-08:00

White Beret = +50 to moeSummaryTatsuya and Feena are all rabu-rabu, but back on the Moon things don't go well for Karen--"my father's most trusted subject" or not, Feena's father the King doesn't take the news Feena has fallen in love with an Earthling well, instead preferring to hand his daughter to Supreme Asshat Jurgen. Karen leaves but promises to try again--and promptly gets arrested on

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-72322166844428357872007-07-08T20:57:00.000-07:002007-12-27T20:59:47.596-08:00

Feena prepares to kick Tatsuya's ass for leaving the toilet seat up.SummaryFeena is moved by Tatsuya's confession, but can't reply right away, worried about the consequences--they go to Karen to get her to endorse their relationship, since Feena knows her father trusts Karen more than anyone else (or thinks he does anyway). Karen tells them their relationship could lead to serious issues between

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-24515137987104492162007-07-07T20:55:00.000-07:002007-12-27T20:57:32.967-08:00

Wait--why am I using a quill pen in the future, can't someone get me a freaking ThinkPad?SummaryFeena moves out of the Asagiri house to the Lunar Embassy, supposedly temporarily, so she can focus more on her official duties. For the next week, Feena and Tatsuya don't get to see each other, with Feena trying to focus on work but still thinking about Tatsuya, and Tatsuya feeling down and slipping

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-76220080772890888052007-07-06T20:51:00.000-07:002007-12-27T20:54:35.574-08:00

They have a kid already?SummarySummer vacation is over, and Feena and Tatsuya keep spending time together and getting closer, although neither of them seem to realize it. They're eating ice cream together in a park when Tatsuya accidentally dumps some on Wreathlit, the mystery loli who's been shadowing them--in her mind, we can hear Wreathlit talking to "Fiacca-sama", who warns Wreathlit that

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-72319229381437332772007-07-05T20:49:00.000-07:002007-12-27T20:51:39.462-08:00

Is it just me, or does it look like Natsuki's lost the bottom half of her bikini here?SummaryFeena and company go to the beach, which means it's swimsuit time! You'd think they'd have the A team animate the beach episode, but while most of it looked good, there were a few scenes in this episode that looked like something Konata mailed in on a postcard. Feena shows her l33t skills and perfectly

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-8694151912996327632007-07-04T20:46:00.000-07:002007-12-27T20:49:44.571-08:00

Not a good idea...SummaryTeam Cabbage seems to have taken a break and the animation's back to normal--which doesn't mean stellar, but it's much more watchable. Feena, Tatsuya, and Natsuki are walking home from school, when they see a dog drowning in the river--Feena promptly jumps in to save it, but since water is scarce on the Moon, she has no idea how to swim, and starts drowning herself.

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18661555.post-27281771700092619802007-07-03T20:40:00.000-07:002007-12-27T20:46:09.535-08:00

Brought to you by Mrs. Morimoto's 3rd grade Art class.Reaction to the HorrorWow. They say when people get in really bad accidents, a lot of the time they won't remember what happened, because the brain is protecting them from the traumatic memory. That's the only explanation I can think of for how the animation in this episode was even worse than I remembered. I've seen before-and-after shots

suguruhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06151082791847367939noreply@blogger.com0