12 Days of Anime (2015) – Day 12 – Watching “Uncensored” Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works

**Warning: spoilers below**

Although I wasn’t able to spend much time at this year’s Sakura-Con, I am grateful that I was able to attend the Pacific Northwest’s largest anime convention for my fourth consecutive year. One of my lasting memories from this convention, as well as for 2015 as a whole, was watching the first three episodes of the second half of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (TV) before it even premiered in Japan. How awesome is that, getting to watch three episodes of one of the best anime of the year before anyone else? But… that’s not exactly the point of this post. Instead, one scene in particular from the fifteenth episode of FSN: UBW really stunned me… and it stunned me again when I realized it was omitted from TV broadcasts in Japan three weeks later. In fact, the event that’s reserved for the beginning of my 12 Days of Anime for 2015 is a rather strange tale of censorship, and of how the most emotional scene, to me, in all of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works went unseen to a majority of its anime fans.

Spring 2015 – Week 3 Anime Review

This week: concerns over the content and direction of Plastic Memories, determining a time and place for Arslan Senki, censorship in Fate/stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, and the wonderful return of Kakyoin in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders – Egypt Arc.

Winter 2015 – Week 2 Anime Review

This week: analyzing the delicate balance between entertainment and realism in Shirobako, questioning the subjectivity of evidence and judgments in Death Parade, justifying what makes the setting so successful and vibrant in Durarara!!x2 Shou, and gushing about the unique personality in The Rolling Girls.

Autumn 2014 – First Impressions (Part 1)

This post reviews: Terra Formars, Gundam Reconguista in G, Denki-Gai no Honya-san, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, Madan no Ou to Vanadis, and World Trigger.

Summer 2014 – Week 3 Anime Review

Last week: why the third episode of Space Dandy Season 2 might be my favorite of the year, an analysis on the diversity of rural settings and how the specifics of this are impacting Barakamon, some egregious contradictions with the mecha in Aldnoah.Zero, and some serious questions about the structure and purpose of Night Raid in Akame ga Kill!

Winter 2014 – Week 5 Anime Review

A couple weeks ago: wondering which side to root for in KILL la KILL, examining the biggest problem in Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta, curious decisions made about Kumin in Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren, and enjoying Hoozuki no Reitetsu for its aesthetics.

Softenni – 8

Softenni seems to consistently do one thing right.  And that would be the comedy.  With the tennis scenes suddenly absent, the ecchi scenes unpredictably censored, and the romance scenes somehow still included (really?), the comedy has continued to remain delightful and satisfying.