Robotics;Notes – 22 (Finale)

Robotics;Notes is an anime that progressed through a series of ups and downs.  During its ups, the anime was amusing and entertaining with an ominous mystery and a robotics theme that was both strong and appropriate.  During its downs, the series was a curious and confusing mess with a story that felt disjointed and incoherent that bounced between two very different sides in a ‘Robotics’ half and a ‘Notes’ half.  And though the series cycled between these high points and low points, the second half of the anime saw a general trend downward with its obvious peaks in the first half and its lowest valleys in the latter half.  Just what happened to Robotics;Notes to take it from a promising and entertaining anime to one with an unclear, directionless plot with highly questionable storytelling.

Dog Days’ (S2) – 13 (Finale)

The second season of Dog Days has concluded peacefully without any interruption or harm by any form of plot whatsoever.  The season was left to be carefree, directionless, and virtually an entire season of filler and character set-up that was never delivered nor resolved.  However, with several hints dropped during the finale, as well as embedded gracefully throughout the season, it appears that yet another sequel of Dog Days is within the minds of the creators and producers.  Should that be the case, then one can’t help but wonder what possibly could happen in a sequel to follow this season.  It feels like the series has already run out of ideas considering the lack of focus, structure, and planning that occurred in this season.  What can Dog Days do to make its next season worthwhile?

Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita – 12 (Finale)

Being alone is one thing; choosing to be alone is something else entirely.  But if it were up to Watashi, she’d be alone through any means possible, whether by default or by choice.  It wasn’t until a bit of maturity on Watashi’s behalf did she finally change her stance on solitude and reverse her antisocial behavior.  This occurred when Watashi learned the valuable and timeless lesson to accept others for who they are and not to exclude them for what you think they are.  And though she faced difficulties and challenges, Watashi overcame her fear of friendship and changed, nay, improved her life forever.

Moyashimon Returns – 11 (Finale)

What made the original season of Moyashimon a celebrated and beloved anime were its awkward and lively characters and the zany comedy that accompanied the lives of freshmen at a wacky agricultural university outside of Tokyo.  The second season, Moyashimon Returns, was doomed to mediocrity from straying from this effective recipe, instead opting to delve heavily into drama and introduce new characters who never assimilated to the golden standard of this anime.  However, this occurrence of a sequel failing in comparison to the original is not something exclusive to Moyashimon.  In fact, I’d be inclined to say that’s the norm for sequels in anime, a disheartening trend based on a number of critical factors.

Sakamichi no Apollon – 12 (Finale)

In an era where ambiguous and open-ended finales are the norm, an unspoken prayer for the chance of a fiscally-successful sequel in the unforeseen future, an anime receiving proper and satisfying closure has become an rare indulgence.  Conclusions such as these leave the audience with a sense of gratification and completeness, as we like to believe we just watched the tale of a beautiful story rather than 12 half-hour segments of some manga/light novel advertisement that cuts off at whatever rushed or broken point seemed to be the best in the pre-planning stages.  No, what Sakamichi no Apollon was able to do with its story, its characters, and its themes is truly refreshing and rewarding.  It’s a shame not every anime can end the way Apollon did.

Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam – 23 (Finale)

After an immeasurable amount of loss, destruction, pain, and death, Luscinia readily backs down at the simplest idea of a young girl having dreams of a better world.  And with that, the wars have ceased, peace is realized, and the world can forget about its problems and work toward the future that everyone wants.  Seriously, why is it that anytime ‘hopes’ or ‘dreams’ or ‘I believe in you’ or any of that bullshit enter in at the end of an anime, nothing makes sense anymore and the story goes from respectable to ‘why the hell should I care anymore?’  Seriously, this is the ending they were aiming for?

Guilty Crown – 22 (Finale)

Guilty Crown was a catastrophe.  From its clichéd and generic origins to its illogical, unsatisfying, and mismanaged conclusion, Guilty Crown was an anime without a structured plot, a direction in which to explore, or a team capable of saving it from its numerous faults.  What began as an uninspired and derivative work ended here in headache and disappointment.  That is Guilty Crown.  And yet, despite all that, I watched the entire anime.  Despite frequent storytelling confusion, irrational actions by its characters, poorly explained details, and countless other gaffes, I watched Guilty Crown in its entirely and actually enjoyed most of the series.  Rather than continue to berate the beleaguered anime in its last post, let’s recall for what reasons I watched this anime.