Year of 2011 – Final Review

Before embarking on another year of anime and adventures, we need to give a proper close to 2011 and give the year of anime an appropriate review.  While the four seasonal reviews provide all my detailed thoughts in a timely fashion, the structure of this post is to give a ranking for the anime of this year, the characters of this year, and a few extra tidbits to recognize this wonderful year and show appreciation it for all it has done.

12 Days of Anime – Day 2 – Kyubey and Masakaki

If there’s one thing anime taught me this year, it’s that you should be weary of random strangers who are overly excited about making deals with you.  If there’s a small, white animal-friend who wants to make a contract with you to become a magical girl because it’s awesome, you stay away.  If there’s some white, Willy Wonka-esque character wanting to mortgage your future because you’re not using it today, you stay away.  Those are two invaluable lessons that I can thanks anime for teaching me.  But what I should really be thanking anime for are two iconic and unforgettable characters that defined their respective shows.  The characters Kyubey from Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Masakaki from C The Money of Soul and Possibility Control are two of the most memorable anime characters this year and deserving of the second of my 12 Days of Anime.

Spring 2011 – Season Review

With all the Spring finales having finished and the Summer anime season starting briskly right behind, it’s about time to recollect all that anime that aired during the past three months and see how they fared.  Yes, it’s time for the Spring 2011 Season Review for the 12+ series I watched.  Below will be some quick reviews and evaluations comparing some of the very best and most memorable to a series I just could not finish despite having lofty hopes for.

[C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control – 11 (Finale)

[C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control certainly saved the best for last.  That includes animation, action, story, character development, and, well, every aspect of the anime.

[C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control – 10

Despite all the seriousness, zeal, and intensity these final Deals are displaying, I can’t help but feel that the Deals still look way too silly.

[C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control – 9

So what exactly does the Midas Bank do with all these futures they receive in payment for their loans?  We’ve seen how energetic and overjoyed Masakaki gets over these gains but what does he do with them?  Does he just bunch them up in a pile and roll around in it like we imagine so many wealthy bankers doing when they return home after a rewarding day at the office?  Or are they a needed good for the tentacled villain that resides in the salient red sky of the Financial District?  We know how valuable these futures are but how are they used?

[C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control – 8

I can’t help but foresee a sorrowful or bittersweet ending for Msyu.  The worst thing she could do was develop a relationship with her Entre, Kimimaro, because there are only two possible endings between the two.  Either Kimimaro loses it all and is banished from the Financial District, never able to see or contact Msyu again, or the Financial District meets its end, like what we saw in the Southeast Asian Financial District, and Msyu evaporates into whatever material makes up these hells.  I hope there’s an uplifting and positive future for Msyu but the murky and troubling present give the impression that such a finale may be impossible.