Winter 2013 – Week 9 Anime Review

This week: thoughts on why the antagonists of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure are so brilliant, why the arrival of Juju has significantly improved Sasami-san@Ganbaranai, rationalizing that the Dark Faction in Senran Kagura is more kindhearted than the good guys, and the balanced use of success and failure in Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo.

Winter 2013 – Week 4 Anime Review

This week: Shiori’s social anxiety in Tamako Market, the non-existent character development in Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, how the Sibyl System has changed perception in Psycho-Pass, and questioning Hibito’s actions in Space Brothers.

Autumn 2012 – Week 4 Anime Review

This week: comments on the mature visual styles of Shin Sekai Yori, a phenomenal display of emotions in Jormungand: Perfect Order, a return to familiarity in Medaka Box Abnormal and thoughts on a possible and awesome ending for Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai!

Jormungand – 11

Within Koko’s team of bodyguards, interpersonal communication is a rarity.  Often minimal and infrequent or limited to the mission at hand, we hardly ever see the bodyguards converse with each other even during their times of peace and relaxation.  Rather, they fragment themselves to be alone or thereabouts and remain that way until they’re required to assimilate again for their next objective.  But when Koko is communicating with any of her bodyguards, they stand attentive and respond diligently.  The use of communication in Jormungand certainly reveals an interesting dynamic given the structure of Koko’s team and how they associate with each other.

Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam – 19

The patchwork military commonly referred to as the Allied Forces has a common goal among its diverse membership: to end Luscinia’s relentless onslaught and bring peace to the world.  That aim has been quite clear since the alliance began only a few episodes ago.  But what they share in a common objective, they all do not share the same vision on how to accomplish it.  The lack of faith and familiarity between factions, most visible between the surviving Glacies soldiers and the insensitive traitors of Ades, prevents the cohesion of a formidable and singular military that can match the Luscinia’s forces and achieve their goal.  The reason for the lack of companionship and trust between each side is that there is no unifying leader for this army.  Each faction (Ades, Glacies, Turan, and the sky pirates) follows their own and is a reason why this military will never be successful in its current state (or at least current state as of this episode).

Guilty Crown – 5

I hope Gai is evil.  I want Gai to be evil.  I really do.   Maybe not ‘mastermind behind the release of the Apocalyspe Virus’ which devastated Japan but I don’t want him to be the hero when this anime is over.  I want his morals and actions to be questioned by both the characters and the audience.  And I want it to be done in a way that changes everyone around him.

Softenni – 12 (Finale)

Thinking back to before the season began, I thought Softenni was just gonna be another worthless ecchi anime, probably because the camera couldn’t focus on anything besides everyone’s panties in the PV.  Thinking back to the start of the season, I was unimpressed with the anime for its bland comedy and clichéd characters, not to mention the pitiful excuses so that they could add in unnecessary fanservice.  I picked it up though, since I thought it would be a challenge to blog this anime for an entire season when I otherwise would’ve dropped it, especially after that uneventful first episode.  But the series began to evolve, most noticeably when they had the practice tennis match (episode 6), with more authentic comedy, a decline in pointless fanservice, and an definite shift of focus toward tennis and the characters having fun together.  The latter half of Softenni really grew on me once these transformations occurred and I began to enjoy the series as a whole.  Now that it’s over and I look back on Softenni, I can say I have no regrets watching and blogging this anime.