Well this is an update from me, the goreous and lovely Riven.....I really feel like a bum. So It seems that I haven't been here in a long while, due to university and a bunch of other things so anime watching had been put on hold. Now that I can kinda watch again I picked up KHR and if I don't become a lazy lazy bum again I guess I can start working on that. Otherwise I'll just put my two cents in and be done with it......or not. I don't even know anymore.
Next Topic of Business:
ANIME NORTH! Of course I'm going to be there. It was a scare with me going on a whole Carribean Cruise in may and all, but we found out that we will back before North so I will see you SeedFreedom, and who ever actually reads this blog, which I highly doubt anyone really does, there!
Read more!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2009 Year in Review
Labels:
awards,
blog stuff
Its that time of year again, the best of the anime world for 2009.
I'm also finding it difficult to pick series when some span multiple years, and i don't like giving awards multiple times. If i continue this next year, expect the vetting process to change a bit.
For those of you who want to compare, here are my awards for 2008.
As a side note, Random Curiosity's Divine and Omni have released their 2009 awards. Looking at their list, i think I'm adding Bakemonogatari to my watch list.
Best Comedy: Seitokai no Ichizon
HM(Honorable Mentions): Toradora, Hayate no Gotoku!!
Here is the definition of pure comedy. The story of a boy who outright announces his goal is to turn his high school student council into his harem is the stuff of legend. However, this often gets criticized for being low-brow, no substance, with bad animation, and only doing shout-outs unrelated to the plot. However hiding beneath the surface are some well developed characters with some deep issues and even a nice plot that slowly starts to form. The comedy hooked me in immediately so luckily i stuck by to see it pass from the parody phase into the story phase. And while yes, the animation quality may slip from time to time, it certainly makes up for it in laughs.
So where did Hayate (which i praise at every turn) and Toradora fall short? well for one Hayate certainly set itself up more this season into the romance more than the comedy. That's no to say it wasn't there, it just wasn't quite tops.
Best Romance: Clannad After Story
HM: Toradora
Clannad came a bit short last year, but takes the cake this year. Great, touching story about love, life, family, and faith. For those of you who didn't watch Clannad, this series picks up where the first season left off. Tomoya and Nagisa are now dating and begin there next step in life after high school. When their friends around town turn to them for help, Tomoya learns a much deeper legend linked to the town and wishes. However tragedy strikes when Nagisa's illness returns. I'm not going to go too much more into this because it is such a great story, but check it out if you haven't. You really feel for what some of the characters go through. And even if you disagree with some of their choices, you get to see that none of these are easy choices at all, and you can understand why them choose to make them.
So what about my honorable mention Toradora? Well, personally i felt the story kinda collapses near the end. But even so Clannad is just a wonderfully crafted work of literary art even if the ending was better, it probably would have still lost.
Best Action: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.
HM: Gundam 00
Fullmetal alchemist, or FMA, gets its remake in the form of Fullmetal alchemist Brotherhood. The story is about two brothers, Ed and Al Elric, who try to use forbidden human transmutation to revive their mother. Their mistake cost them Al's body and Ed's arm and leg. Brotherhood is the remake which follows the manga plotline to a tee. It seems the original manga artist didn't give the makers of the first anime permission to follow the manga plot so that it could have a conclusion, and the manga could continue. However the general public wanted to see an anime that was more faithful to the original story, hence Brotherhood. The characters are nicely set up and the plot is nice.
So why does gundam fall short? Well for one it had a weak ending in my opinion. The second is that gundam 00 already won this award in 2008. I feel it belonged in that year more than this one, and brotherhood defiantly grabs the opportunity.
Most WTF: 11 eyes
HM:
I feel this award is almost moot, because unlike previous years there really isn't much of a WTF anime this year. 11 eyes tries to emulate that feel, but its nothing special.
Best Mecha: Gundam 00
HM:
For the second year in a row gundam 00 will take the prize for top mecha anime. However to be fair it went quite unopposed.
Best Soundtrack: K-ON
HM: FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood
If you read any of the K-ON episode summarys i posted, you know i loved their songs. "Don't say lazy" has become one of my favorite japanese songs. While its true the anime only gave us one OP, one ED and two insert songs, they were all fantastic and enjoyable. I still look foreword to more work from newcomer Yoko Hikasa "Mio". Her singing voice is just fantastic and her acting voice brings a distinct character that i feel would be hard to be replicated by another VA. I also got a chance to listen to some of their B stuff that didn't make the show. While not as good as what they kept, the other songs were also enjoyable.
Fullmetal alchemist did product some nice OP and EDs, but overall K-ON was the hands down best.
Best Fanservice: Kampfer
HM: Asu no Youichi, Princess Lover
Year 2009 was a light year in general, so my list of fanservice anime is very small this year. Between the three, Kampfer seemed to show the most promise of a story line. have an all female cast with the only guy turning into a girl the other all want doesn't hurt. It throws in action and comedy into the mix and the first few episodes were quite enjoyable. i do admit i didn't get to finish any of these series, but of the three Kampfer seemed the best.
Asu no Youichi plays the chivalrous pervert role nicely, but the girls didn't seem interesting and the plot was dull. Princess lover seemed unrealistic and more interested in increasing boob size than plot or character development. To its credit it had some funny skits and jokes, but so did Kampfer.
Best Visual: Clannad After Story.
HM:
Clannad wins again. The sequel continues to impress with its beautiful scenes, wonder character with big round eyes and the Imaginary World is as detailed as it has been from the first episode. Really no contest here at all. While most of the anime this year had nice visual, none quite stood out like Clannad.
Best Male: Tomoya Okazaki
HM: Ed Elric
Tomoya from Clannad takes the prize for best male this year. Instead of which character showed the most super powered colorful beam spam/super power, Tomoya shows us he's truly human, with vices, faults, and guilts. He doesn't always do the right thing, but he always seems to do what he thinks is best. He's a broken man and it shows. This makes him much more real and easier to imagine happening to one of us. It's hard to love him at first, but it becomes really hard to hate him by mid season. His change truly is a story about redemption, and finding whats important in life.
Edward in the new FMA shows us courage, and hope. The type of character we all root for, but in the end its the same old shonen, running around with super powers.
Best Female: Mio (AKA Moe Moe Kuyn) from K-ON
HM: Hinagiku (HNG), Misaka (To Aru no Kagaku no Railgun)
Mio from K-ON is winner of the best female this year. She's smart, cute, easily scared, and willing to put up with Ritsu and i just love her. But i think what really sold me on her character is the VA. Its a bit deeper than most anime girls, but still sweet. Its a hard voice to use properly, but as it shows when placed in the right character, and properly used it can be a weapon of mass Moe. Her singing voice is absolutely fantastic and i really hope to see her in the future. The second season got a green light so its nice to know she, and the rest of the k-on cast should be on my list next year as well.
Hinagiku doesn't win this solely because she won last year. If anything Hina got more and more adorable and lovable, but Mio is right behind her and with a newbie VA slightly edges her out. Misaka also puts in a strong showing, if only she showed her dere-dere side more. Makes me feel guilty for not watching Index.
Best Villian: Father (Fullmetal Alchemist)
HM:Kiyama, Harumi (to aru Kagaku no Railgun)
Father was missing from the first season of FMA, and now that i have seen what hes all about, he is sorely missed. Father is the leader and creator of the Homunculus, who themselves are said to be neigh invincible. Therefore it is no surprise he is quite the tough customer himself. But given he has the ability to stop alchemy, basically the only real weapon they have (guns are useless in this world), and is even more invincible than the Homunculus, he certainly sets up for a great baddie. He gives off the sense that he is toying with our protagonist, and seems to be able to back that up. The only homunculus they did manage to kill was revived in seconds. Basically a reverse superman. We'll just have to wait and see if he has his own kryptonite.
Kiyama is also a great baddie, with a generally good heart, but also some impressive powers. She seems much more stoppable than Father though so the prize is his.
Worse Character: Ryuuji (Toradora)
HM: Everyone from Gundam 00 i didn't like last year
Before people get uppity at me, remember my definition of "worst character" is one who is either terribly annoying and poorly written. Well Ryuuji may not have been truly annoying, he was, in my opinion, terribly written. The guy started out pretty normal, even until the end of the series he was alright. What doesn't make sense to me is his 180 backflip he does in the second last episode. In the span of half an episode hes mad at his mom for running his life, and abandons Minori for Taiga. While yes he showed bits and pieces of being interested in her, Ami was pretty correct in saying he treated her more like a daughter than a crush. Not to mention he was still in full force chasing Minori just half an episode before! With Taiga we saw a full out partial confession in the second episode, a full out dropping of Kitamura, and then, and only then, interest in Ryuuji. A transition. Is that so hard?
BEST ANIME OF 2008: Clannad After Story
Really, is this a surprise? Clannad was a perfect mix of story, visuals, emotion, excitement, and even some life lessons thrown in. If there is a small blemish on the otherwise perfect series is that the soundtrack is a bit weak. Neither the OP or ED really captured me. I would have also liked to see more Tomoyo this season, but that's personal preference. Overall no doubt the best series of 2009. a great ending and follow up to a great start. I'm sure all those dissatisfied by the ending of Clannad with enjoy After Story. Speaking of the ending, I'm not going to spoil it, but i know some people are very disappointed in the ending. All i will say is, that the ending is written like that for a reason. It sums up the series and all the hints alluded to from the beginning of the first season are used to set up this ending, and i truly loved it. My advice, watch it if you haven't, and watch it again if you have.
Read more!
I'm also finding it difficult to pick series when some span multiple years, and i don't like giving awards multiple times. If i continue this next year, expect the vetting process to change a bit.
For those of you who want to compare, here are my awards for 2008.
As a side note, Random Curiosity's Divine and Omni have released their 2009 awards. Looking at their list, i think I'm adding Bakemonogatari to my watch list.
Best Comedy: Seitokai no Ichizon
HM(Honorable Mentions): Toradora, Hayate no Gotoku!!
Here is the definition of pure comedy. The story of a boy who outright announces his goal is to turn his high school student council into his harem is the stuff of legend. However, this often gets criticized for being low-brow, no substance, with bad animation, and only doing shout-outs unrelated to the plot. However hiding beneath the surface are some well developed characters with some deep issues and even a nice plot that slowly starts to form. The comedy hooked me in immediately so luckily i stuck by to see it pass from the parody phase into the story phase. And while yes, the animation quality may slip from time to time, it certainly makes up for it in laughs.
So where did Hayate (which i praise at every turn) and Toradora fall short? well for one Hayate certainly set itself up more this season into the romance more than the comedy. That's no to say it wasn't there, it just wasn't quite tops.
Best Romance: Clannad After Story
HM: Toradora
Clannad came a bit short last year, but takes the cake this year. Great, touching story about love, life, family, and faith. For those of you who didn't watch Clannad, this series picks up where the first season left off. Tomoya and Nagisa are now dating and begin there next step in life after high school. When their friends around town turn to them for help, Tomoya learns a much deeper legend linked to the town and wishes. However tragedy strikes when Nagisa's illness returns. I'm not going to go too much more into this because it is such a great story, but check it out if you haven't. You really feel for what some of the characters go through. And even if you disagree with some of their choices, you get to see that none of these are easy choices at all, and you can understand why them choose to make them.
So what about my honorable mention Toradora? Well, personally i felt the story kinda collapses near the end. But even so Clannad is just a wonderfully crafted work of literary art even if the ending was better, it probably would have still lost.
Best Action: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.
HM: Gundam 00
Fullmetal alchemist, or FMA, gets its remake in the form of Fullmetal alchemist Brotherhood. The story is about two brothers, Ed and Al Elric, who try to use forbidden human transmutation to revive their mother. Their mistake cost them Al's body and Ed's arm and leg. Brotherhood is the remake which follows the manga plotline to a tee. It seems the original manga artist didn't give the makers of the first anime permission to follow the manga plot so that it could have a conclusion, and the manga could continue. However the general public wanted to see an anime that was more faithful to the original story, hence Brotherhood. The characters are nicely set up and the plot is nice.
So why does gundam fall short? Well for one it had a weak ending in my opinion. The second is that gundam 00 already won this award in 2008. I feel it belonged in that year more than this one, and brotherhood defiantly grabs the opportunity.
Most WTF: 11 eyes
HM:
I feel this award is almost moot, because unlike previous years there really isn't much of a WTF anime this year. 11 eyes tries to emulate that feel, but its nothing special.
Best Mecha: Gundam 00
HM:
For the second year in a row gundam 00 will take the prize for top mecha anime. However to be fair it went quite unopposed.
Best Soundtrack: K-ON
HM: FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood
If you read any of the K-ON episode summarys i posted, you know i loved their songs. "Don't say lazy" has become one of my favorite japanese songs. While its true the anime only gave us one OP, one ED and two insert songs, they were all fantastic and enjoyable. I still look foreword to more work from newcomer Yoko Hikasa "Mio". Her singing voice is just fantastic and her acting voice brings a distinct character that i feel would be hard to be replicated by another VA. I also got a chance to listen to some of their B stuff that didn't make the show. While not as good as what they kept, the other songs were also enjoyable.
Fullmetal alchemist did product some nice OP and EDs, but overall K-ON was the hands down best.
Best Fanservice: Kampfer
HM: Asu no Youichi, Princess Lover
Year 2009 was a light year in general, so my list of fanservice anime is very small this year. Between the three, Kampfer seemed to show the most promise of a story line. have an all female cast with the only guy turning into a girl the other all want doesn't hurt. It throws in action and comedy into the mix and the first few episodes were quite enjoyable. i do admit i didn't get to finish any of these series, but of the three Kampfer seemed the best.
Asu no Youichi plays the chivalrous pervert role nicely, but the girls didn't seem interesting and the plot was dull. Princess lover seemed unrealistic and more interested in increasing boob size than plot or character development. To its credit it had some funny skits and jokes, but so did Kampfer.
Best Visual: Clannad After Story.
HM:
Clannad wins again. The sequel continues to impress with its beautiful scenes, wonder character with big round eyes and the Imaginary World is as detailed as it has been from the first episode. Really no contest here at all. While most of the anime this year had nice visual, none quite stood out like Clannad.
Best Male: Tomoya Okazaki
HM: Ed Elric
Tomoya from Clannad takes the prize for best male this year. Instead of which character showed the most super powered colorful beam spam/super power, Tomoya shows us he's truly human, with vices, faults, and guilts. He doesn't always do the right thing, but he always seems to do what he thinks is best. He's a broken man and it shows. This makes him much more real and easier to imagine happening to one of us. It's hard to love him at first, but it becomes really hard to hate him by mid season. His change truly is a story about redemption, and finding whats important in life.
Edward in the new FMA shows us courage, and hope. The type of character we all root for, but in the end its the same old shonen, running around with super powers.
Best Female: Mio (AKA Moe Moe Kuyn) from K-ON
HM: Hinagiku (HNG), Misaka (To Aru no Kagaku no Railgun)
Mio from K-ON is winner of the best female this year. She's smart, cute, easily scared, and willing to put up with Ritsu and i just love her. But i think what really sold me on her character is the VA. Its a bit deeper than most anime girls, but still sweet. Its a hard voice to use properly, but as it shows when placed in the right character, and properly used it can be a weapon of mass Moe. Her singing voice is absolutely fantastic and i really hope to see her in the future. The second season got a green light so its nice to know she, and the rest of the k-on cast should be on my list next year as well.
Hinagiku doesn't win this solely because she won last year. If anything Hina got more and more adorable and lovable, but Mio is right behind her and with a newbie VA slightly edges her out. Misaka also puts in a strong showing, if only she showed her dere-dere side more. Makes me feel guilty for not watching Index.
Best Villian: Father (Fullmetal Alchemist)
HM:Kiyama, Harumi (to aru Kagaku no Railgun)
Father was missing from the first season of FMA, and now that i have seen what hes all about, he is sorely missed. Father is the leader and creator of the Homunculus, who themselves are said to be neigh invincible. Therefore it is no surprise he is quite the tough customer himself. But given he has the ability to stop alchemy, basically the only real weapon they have (guns are useless in this world), and is even more invincible than the Homunculus, he certainly sets up for a great baddie. He gives off the sense that he is toying with our protagonist, and seems to be able to back that up. The only homunculus they did manage to kill was revived in seconds. Basically a reverse superman. We'll just have to wait and see if he has his own kryptonite.
Kiyama is also a great baddie, with a generally good heart, but also some impressive powers. She seems much more stoppable than Father though so the prize is his.
Worse Character: Ryuuji (Toradora)
HM: Everyone from Gundam 00 i didn't like last year
Before people get uppity at me, remember my definition of "worst character" is one who is either terribly annoying and poorly written. Well Ryuuji may not have been truly annoying, he was, in my opinion, terribly written. The guy started out pretty normal, even until the end of the series he was alright. What doesn't make sense to me is his 180 backflip he does in the second last episode. In the span of half an episode hes mad at his mom for running his life, and abandons Minori for Taiga. While yes he showed bits and pieces of being interested in her, Ami was pretty correct in saying he treated her more like a daughter than a crush. Not to mention he was still in full force chasing Minori just half an episode before! With Taiga we saw a full out partial confession in the second episode, a full out dropping of Kitamura, and then, and only then, interest in Ryuuji. A transition. Is that so hard?
BEST ANIME OF 2008: Clannad After Story
Really, is this a surprise? Clannad was a perfect mix of story, visuals, emotion, excitement, and even some life lessons thrown in. If there is a small blemish on the otherwise perfect series is that the soundtrack is a bit weak. Neither the OP or ED really captured me. I would have also liked to see more Tomoyo this season, but that's personal preference. Overall no doubt the best series of 2009. a great ending and follow up to a great start. I'm sure all those dissatisfied by the ending of Clannad with enjoy After Story. Speaking of the ending, I'm not going to spoil it, but i know some people are very disappointed in the ending. All i will say is, that the ending is written like that for a reason. It sums up the series and all the hints alluded to from the beginning of the first season are used to set up this ending, and i truly loved it. My advice, watch it if you haven't, and watch it again if you have.
Read more!
2009 year in review comming soon!!!!
Labels:
blog stuff
Sorry, been really swamped so this will be a bit late. I'll write it after my new years party.
Also look foreword to the 2010 winter preview list!
(as a side note, i have recently found xxxHolic and Witch Hunter Robin. I'm hoping to finish xxxHolic so i can move onto tsubasa, and finish Chobits. I likely wont continue with WHR due to time constraints) Read more!
Also look foreword to the 2010 winter preview list!
(as a side note, i have recently found xxxHolic and Witch Hunter Robin. I'm hoping to finish xxxHolic so i can move onto tsubasa, and finish Chobits. I likely wont continue with WHR due to time constraints) Read more!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Fall 2009 Inital Review
Labels:
blog stuff,
random series
Well university seems to be draining all my time so it is unlikely i will fully blog anything for a while. Meanwhile the first couple of episodes of the new season are out so i thought i'd post my initial opinions.
Shows this season: 11eyes, Kampfer, Seiken no Blacksmith, Seitokai no Ichizon, Toaru Kagaku no Railgun
11 Eyes:
Eps watched: 2
Well, this one looks promising. A rather fantasy-like anime, but based off a H-game. first thing i noticed is how similar the feel of this is to Night Wizard, and unfortunately it feels like it suffers the same problems. Being a one cour show doesn't really give it much time to flesh out the plot with seven baddies expected. Speaking of the seven baddies, the are apparently named after the latin form of the seven deadly sins. Now where have i heard that before... However the art and the plot do sound interesting, it just doesn't yet feel like it will live up to its potential
Kampfer:
Eps watched: 1
Heres a generic harem girls fighting for a unknown prize in a vauge tornament. Only changes? the main "girl" is actually a guy transformed into a girl and their gardians are stuffed animals with their guts hanging out. The first episode really didn't wow me, but its reviews are too horrible. This is likely to be my guilty pleasure of the season, lots of fanservice, little substance. However this also means its pretty low on my watch list.
Seiken no Blacksmith:
Eps watched: 3
The story is about a hapless young newbie female knight trying to protect the city. she runs into a blacksmith with great fighting abilities and the ability to forge Katanas mid-battle. She is also tasked to protect a legendary deamon sword in the form of a girl. Sounds interesting, nice voice cast, and good production. Only downside is again the 1 cour is going to be very limiting. The bood armor doesn't bother me as much as other people, so this is kinda love it or hate it anime. I do have to say i am VERY annoyed by the way overuse of Katanas are better, just because i have a personal liking to broadswords, but its nice to see that a rapier will be used more later on.
Seitokai no Ichizon:
Eps watched: 3
A fluffly high school comedy. This will be my replacement for Hayate this season. Tons of comedy and loaded with gags and anime references. However the story does seem to start getting deeper into episode three. Its really hard to write about this because the gags make the show, so watch a ep or two for yourself and see if you like it.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun:
Eps watched: 4
This one was a bit of a risk for me. I jumped into railgun without watching index. I was pleasently surprised at how i was able to pick it up so fast. This is a much lighter and hourmous expansion on the original show so those looking for serious action and drama might be disapointed. One of my favorites this season for sure.
Read more!
Shows this season: 11eyes, Kampfer, Seiken no Blacksmith, Seitokai no Ichizon, Toaru Kagaku no Railgun
11 Eyes:
Eps watched: 2
Well, this one looks promising. A rather fantasy-like anime, but based off a H-game. first thing i noticed is how similar the feel of this is to Night Wizard, and unfortunately it feels like it suffers the same problems. Being a one cour show doesn't really give it much time to flesh out the plot with seven baddies expected. Speaking of the seven baddies, the are apparently named after the latin form of the seven deadly sins. Now where have i heard that before... However the art and the plot do sound interesting, it just doesn't yet feel like it will live up to its potential
Kampfer:
Eps watched: 1
Heres a generic harem girls fighting for a unknown prize in a vauge tornament. Only changes? the main "girl" is actually a guy transformed into a girl and their gardians are stuffed animals with their guts hanging out. The first episode really didn't wow me, but its reviews are too horrible. This is likely to be my guilty pleasure of the season, lots of fanservice, little substance. However this also means its pretty low on my watch list.
Seiken no Blacksmith:
Eps watched: 3
The story is about a hapless young newbie female knight trying to protect the city. she runs into a blacksmith with great fighting abilities and the ability to forge Katanas mid-battle. She is also tasked to protect a legendary deamon sword in the form of a girl. Sounds interesting, nice voice cast, and good production. Only downside is again the 1 cour is going to be very limiting. The bood armor doesn't bother me as much as other people, so this is kinda love it or hate it anime. I do have to say i am VERY annoyed by the way overuse of Katanas are better, just because i have a personal liking to broadswords, but its nice to see that a rapier will be used more later on.
Seitokai no Ichizon:
Eps watched: 3
A fluffly high school comedy. This will be my replacement for Hayate this season. Tons of comedy and loaded with gags and anime references. However the story does seem to start getting deeper into episode three. Its really hard to write about this because the gags make the show, so watch a ep or two for yourself and see if you like it.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun:
Eps watched: 4
This one was a bit of a risk for me. I jumped into railgun without watching index. I was pleasently surprised at how i was able to pick it up so fast. This is a much lighter and hourmous expansion on the original show so those looking for serious action and drama might be disapointed. One of my favorites this season for sure.
Read more!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Hayate no Gotoku!! Season 2 Overall Review
Labels:
Hayate no gotoku
Well well another season of Hayate has finished and it did not disappoint. First of all, it is important to point out that this second season was created by a new Sstudio, so a whole new set of priorities took place. As well this was simulcasted by Crunchyroll with a one week delay for free members. But enough background, lets get down to the review
Start of Season:
For the start of the season, we went all the way back to only a month after Hayate was hired my Nagi. We move through the festival arc where Hayate actually gets fired by Klaus and has to prove himself through a series of challenges to return to work. Right off the bat something is evident, this is a whole new Hayate and a whole new studio. They second season goes all the way back to where the first season deviated from the manga and even went so far as to basically call the last half of the first season non-existent. We're in for a real ride if the story turns out to be as good as everyone brags it was.
One thing i do have to mention is how far this deviated from the first season. The first season was loaded with gags and jokes and pop culture otaku references which made it great. A lot of that was missing from the season. Did it make it worse? no, but i think the first season works really well to set up character and build the fanbase for a slower, more written season season. Seeing as how the two cons i went to this summer featured zero HnG cosplays, i'd say it needs all the fans it can get. However i really like the season as a chance to develop all the characters, except Nagi. She still somehow seems to get on my nerves.
Ending:
The ending was very strong and very well done. We wrap things up with Sakuya's birthday party, in where sakuya starts to warm up to, and dare i say, like Hayate. New competition? Most likely not, but still fun. More importantly we wrap with Hina and Ayumu on the Farris Wheel where Hina admits she betrayed their friendship by falling in love with Hayate after promising to support her, to a very calm and accepting Ayumu. A big point where we see a lot of emotions come out. The problem? It wasn't over! With one episode left were they going to ruin all the hard built mood? Well yes and no. It was kind of a cheesy way to do a last episode by squeezing in all the character to have their last lines, but it worked. It was funny and entertaining. And it was a pretty over the top episode similar to what we would expect from the first season. However, i gotta agree with a certain nostalgia critic when i say these studios should stop ending seasons on cliff hangers to try and force another season. But with its popularity (apparently) and so much good manga story left untold, i think it will get it.
Art/Songs/Extra:
For the art, it goes into... well its a hard to describe style. More kid-ish, rougher around the edges type animation. Frankly i prefer the first season animation style, but with a staff dedicated to being true to the manga, it is very similar to the art style of the manga.
For songs, the frist ending was obviously my favorite (cough HINA cough). Was giving Hina her own ED overkill? Yes and no. While it does seem to state a personal favorite among the producers, and is also partially fanservice, I can accept it when you look at the fact a clearly secondary character beats out both protagonist to be constatly the most popular character in the show. I also like Hina a lot as i have mentioned above. I cant say i liked the first opening, but the second opening was just... bad, just bad. the second ending i have to admit personal bias due to not liking Nagi, but the song itself wasn't horrible
OVERALL:
So how did this season do? Very good. A little lighter on the laughs, but much heavier on the plot and characters. 9/10 from me.
Read more!
Only picture that can represent this season
Start of Season:
For the start of the season, we went all the way back to only a month after Hayate was hired my Nagi. We move through the festival arc where Hayate actually gets fired by Klaus and has to prove himself through a series of challenges to return to work. Right off the bat something is evident, this is a whole new Hayate and a whole new studio. They second season goes all the way back to where the first season deviated from the manga and even went so far as to basically call the last half of the first season non-existent. We're in for a real ride if the story turns out to be as good as everyone brags it was.
Series Plotline:
The story definitely didn't disappoint. First point, loads and loads of Hina. We have Hina helping Ayumu gain the strength to ask out Hayate on Valentines day, slowly shift to her birthday, and then to her admitting she loves him as well. I can see why so many Hina fans were so anxious for her birthday arc (which was replaced by a rather poor substitute in hindsight, but loved when it aired). Hina really shines and is even more moe in this season then i ever dreamed. If you've read any of my other episode posts or my post on Animesuki, you know she's one of my favorite characters ever. But the fans i really feel for is Ayumu. She turned out to be a rather lovable cute character and it was really nice to see her not be shafted. Some of the newer, minor characters didn't impress me much (Samson the ghost, that nun girl) but very entertaining nonetheless.One thing i do have to mention is how far this deviated from the first season. The first season was loaded with gags and jokes and pop culture otaku references which made it great. A lot of that was missing from the season. Did it make it worse? no, but i think the first season works really well to set up character and build the fanbase for a slower, more written season season. Seeing as how the two cons i went to this summer featured zero HnG cosplays, i'd say it needs all the fans it can get. However i really like the season as a chance to develop all the characters, except Nagi. She still somehow seems to get on my nerves.
Ending:
The ending was very strong and very well done. We wrap things up with Sakuya's birthday party, in where sakuya starts to warm up to, and dare i say, like Hayate. New competition? Most likely not, but still fun. More importantly we wrap with Hina and Ayumu on the Farris Wheel where Hina admits she betrayed their friendship by falling in love with Hayate after promising to support her, to a very calm and accepting Ayumu. A big point where we see a lot of emotions come out. The problem? It wasn't over! With one episode left were they going to ruin all the hard built mood? Well yes and no. It was kind of a cheesy way to do a last episode by squeezing in all the character to have their last lines, but it worked. It was funny and entertaining. And it was a pretty over the top episode similar to what we would expect from the first season. However, i gotta agree with a certain nostalgia critic when i say these studios should stop ending seasons on cliff hangers to try and force another season. But with its popularity (apparently) and so much good manga story left untold, i think it will get it.
Art/Songs/Extra:
For the art, it goes into... well its a hard to describe style. More kid-ish, rougher around the edges type animation. Frankly i prefer the first season animation style, but with a staff dedicated to being true to the manga, it is very similar to the art style of the manga.
For songs, the frist ending was obviously my favorite (cough HINA cough). Was giving Hina her own ED overkill? Yes and no. While it does seem to state a personal favorite among the producers, and is also partially fanservice, I can accept it when you look at the fact a clearly secondary character beats out both protagonist to be constatly the most popular character in the show. I also like Hina a lot as i have mentioned above. I cant say i liked the first opening, but the second opening was just... bad, just bad. the second ending i have to admit personal bias due to not liking Nagi, but the song itself wasn't horrible
OVERALL:
So how did this season do? Very good. A little lighter on the laughs, but much heavier on the plot and characters. 9/10 from me.
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Sunday, September 13, 2009
Full Metal Alchemist - 10
Labels:
Full Metal Alchemist
Yes, i haven't posted since ep 4 and yes i am unbelievably behind, but i still wanted to put down my thoughts on this ep, because it is so important.
Summary (Quick):
We start with Ed still recovering from his wounds in the hospital, but he is just about ready to leave. He discusses the findings on the philosopher stone with Armstrong and Hughes. The fuhrer walks in and discovers what Ed has been up to. He tells them to stop and forbid them from speaking about it. Ed and Al decide to head out to see their old teacher again to refocus themselves. Winry convinces them to take her to a mecca of sorts for automail mechanics. Meanwhile Hughes continues to look for more information in the library, but is ambushed by Lust. He manages to escape, but injured. Outside he is again ambushed by Envy, using his wife's appearance to stop him. After the funeral, Mustang looks for clues as to who did it. Through careful hints, Armstrong tells him someone high up is trying to stop them from researching the philosopher stone.
Reaction:
I know most of my post on the second season is just comparing it to the original, so i'll try to tune it down this time and actually talk about the episode. But i gotta get out how i hate they made CSI Mustang go around looking for clues after Hughes death. They should have just had it end when hes crying at the grave and save the detective work for the next episode. Im also overall dissapointed that they set up his death so early in this series. 10 eps is not enough time for us to really get attached to him. Although the actual funeral scene was done just as well as before. I have to say its interesting that the Fuhrer is trying to stop Ed and Al. Also knowing who he is, its interesting that he got teary at Hughes funeral. Besides the acutal death, there were quite a few funny moments, which seems to happen a lot this season. im gonna have to get used to expecting death after a funny episode. Read more!
Summary (Quick):
We start with Ed still recovering from his wounds in the hospital, but he is just about ready to leave. He discusses the findings on the philosopher stone with Armstrong and Hughes. The fuhrer walks in and discovers what Ed has been up to. He tells them to stop and forbid them from speaking about it. Ed and Al decide to head out to see their old teacher again to refocus themselves. Winry convinces them to take her to a mecca of sorts for automail mechanics. Meanwhile Hughes continues to look for more information in the library, but is ambushed by Lust. He manages to escape, but injured. Outside he is again ambushed by Envy, using his wife's appearance to stop him. After the funeral, Mustang looks for clues as to who did it. Through careful hints, Armstrong tells him someone high up is trying to stop them from researching the philosopher stone.
Reaction:
I know most of my post on the second season is just comparing it to the original, so i'll try to tune it down this time and actually talk about the episode. But i gotta get out how i hate they made CSI Mustang go around looking for clues after Hughes death. They should have just had it end when hes crying at the grave and save the detective work for the next episode. Im also overall dissapointed that they set up his death so early in this series. 10 eps is not enough time for us to really get attached to him. Although the actual funeral scene was done just as well as before. I have to say its interesting that the Fuhrer is trying to stop Ed and Al. Also knowing who he is, its interesting that he got teary at Hughes funeral. Besides the acutal death, there were quite a few funny moments, which seems to happen a lot this season. im gonna have to get used to expecting death after a funny episode. Read more!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The new OP and ED for Hayate arrived... and boy do they suck
Labels:
Hayate no gotoku
Still stuck on ep 15, but i jumped ahead to check out the new OP and ED. I am not a fan of either. (Edit: Sorry for the incredibly small video size. Uploading it again will take forever)
First off lets take a look at the ED. Replacing Hina is a big strike no matter how good the actual song is. Second, im not the biggest fan of Nagi, and her singing didn't help. Seriously, after Shana, Kugimiya Rie has really lost her charm for me. Hayate's VA actually has a decent singing voice, but its too hard matching her feminine voice to Hayate. However gotta give them major points for using a counterpoint melody. As much as i hate it, they are building up the pair of Nagi x Hayate pretty well.
For the OP, didn't like it very much. The song is half decent and some scenes, like Hayate's fight and the final scene are well done, but the over the top fanservice and returning to the synthesizer for there main chorus tune just kills it. Wonder Wind wasn't something spectacular, however i find myself not skipping it when im watching. As well Wonder Wind actually has melodies and decent lyrics.
Overall very disapointed in you J.C. Staff. You can do much better. Read more!
First off lets take a look at the ED. Replacing Hina is a big strike no matter how good the actual song is. Second, im not the biggest fan of Nagi, and her singing didn't help. Seriously, after Shana, Kugimiya Rie has really lost her charm for me. Hayate's VA actually has a decent singing voice, but its too hard matching her feminine voice to Hayate. However gotta give them major points for using a counterpoint melody. As much as i hate it, they are building up the pair of Nagi x Hayate pretty well.
For the OP, didn't like it very much. The song is half decent and some scenes, like Hayate's fight and the final scene are well done, but the over the top fanservice and returning to the synthesizer for there main chorus tune just kills it. Wonder Wind wasn't something spectacular, however i find myself not skipping it when im watching. As well Wonder Wind actually has melodies and decent lyrics.
Overall very disapointed in you J.C. Staff. You can do much better. Read more!
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