First off, happy holidays to all of you! I hope you’re all enjoying December and that you’ve got snow where you’re at (or at least not the muck and sludge that I get here from an overabundance of rain…). ^^


Anyway, having just finished finals, I’ve found myself with a bit of free time before my flight home tomorrow (or later today, really). I should be packing, but it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here, so I figured I’d just do a short update on various things.

I actually stopped watching anime for a while during the last two seasons, partly because I was sick of seeing certain types of shows (they weren’t bad, per se, just very stereotypical), partly because I was still recovering from my untimely visit to the hospital, and partly because I got caught up in gaming. The only shows that I watched in the last two seasons were Soul Eater and Kurenai (which was already well over and done with by the time I saw it).

All that aisde, I’ve quite happily made a return to the world of anime with a handful of shows:




Soul Eater

Still one of my favourite series, I’m waiting patiently for the day that Maka goes absolutely insane. Somehow, I don’t see it happening, but I still wish it would.

Anyway, it’s a zany sort of show with wacky, unique, and rather lovable characters. Incredible animation, solid music, good voice acting (though some will debate this, I think Maka’s voice actress fits her perfectly), and a steadfast adherance to the manga material has so far made this a fun show to watch.

An important note here, though, is that the show is rapidly catching up to the manga, so it may very well diverge towards the end of its 52-episode run and go for an alternate ending. Not so sure how well that’ll work out, but I’m hopeful that it’s well-executed.

In any case, it’s fun and I’d suggest watching it if you have a chance.


Bamboo Blade

Not a new show, no, but definitely a fun watch. I was iffy on watching this one for a while, because it seemed like nothing more than a new plot for yet another harem show, but I was quite happily wrong. It turns out to be a fairly well-paced show (for the most part) with solid characters and pretty good writing.

I actually decided to give it a shot after reading a few chapters in the Yen Press monthly magazine, so I guess there’s something to be said for manga magazines.


To Aru Majutsu no Index

A decently interesting series so far, I’m rather curious to see where it goes. It’s a bit borderline on my watch list right now, as it’s been doing fairly random things and giving lame, pointless reasons to back most of them up. The show can’t yet seem to figure out what it wants to do (and I’m assuming this is exactly how the light novels are, too), and if it doesn’t figure it out soon, I might not be able to keep watching it.

For the time being, though, it’s still interesting enough for me to keep watching.


Kannagi

This show seems to be this season’s star player, with an interesting story, fairly unique (but also occasionally adorable) characters, solid animation, and a daily-life approach to something that in many ways is bigger-than-life (a goddess living in your house while fighting off evil things?).

It’s been fairly well executed so far, though the number of references is actually beginning to become a tad annoying, and some parts of the latest episodes drag a little. I imagine this is because the pacing of the story is a little off, likely because the big plot twists or dramatic moments are being saved for strategic episodes, but we’ll see.

In any case, this is one series that I’d suggest you give a watch. It has yet to disappoint.


Toradora

Yet another school-life romance show, this time with the tsundere Taiga and misunderstood Ryuuji playing the main girl and boy roles, respectively.

Honestly, I’m watching the show for Minori, Ryuuji, Yasaku, and Ami. I could care less about Taiga, even though she’s the main character. Her voice actress can’t seem to shake the shadow of Shana and Louise, or is channeling them on purpose, but whatever the case, she sounds exactly the same in almost every show she voice acts, which is fairly annoying. I’d like to see a tsundere character who doesn’t sound exactly like every other popular tsundere character.

To be honest, I’d actually like to see that voice actress (Rie Kugimiya, for those of you who don’t know who I’m referring to) to VA a non-tsundere character in a popular show.

Anyway, the show is fairly fun, and if nothing else, Minori’s random comments and eccentric behavior are always fun to watch.


Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka

Oooh, what can I say about this series?

Though it’s a typical harem-styled anime based on an h-game (which is getting a non-h PS2 adaption that I might pick up), I’m enjoying it very much right now. This may be in part due to the fact that for most of the show, only Yuuhi is portrayed as having feelings for the main character, but I’m pretty sure that Minato (the other romantic rival, though she only becomes one in the last few episodes) is one of the largest reasons that I’m watching this show.

Other than the fact that Rie Kugimiya’s voice acting for the tsundere Yuuhi irritates me, this show is good. One of the latest episodes had a strange overabundance of chest bouncing that wasn’t in the previous episodes, but other than that, this show has been solid all the way through, and the random very short cuts to the James Bond-style operations being carried out by the main character’s parents are all entertaining.

I’m rooting for Minato, the kind, gentle younger sister of the male protaganist, especially since she reminds me of Nanoha. Worth noting is that while her voice actress does a fairly good job, her voice just seems a little off at times. It’s probably not something you’d notice that much, though, so it’s alright.

In any case, pick this series up if you want a cute, fun, and also somewhat dramatic romance series this season.


Tales of the Abyss

Not much to say here, I guess. It’s an animated adaptation of the video game, and having not played the game, this is the first time I’ve been exposed to these characters and this story.

First things first. The opening song is, to put quite frankly, awesome.

Anyway, I took a look at the opening to the game after watching the first couple episodes of the anime, and I must say that the anime characters seem a bit more chubby than the game’s version of them. Not necessarily bad, but I think I prefer the older designs.

The main character of this show is incredibly annoying, but he supposedly improves soon, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

I can’t really suggest this series as it is now, though. There’s just not that much going for it yet. Every good character (Jade, Anise, Ion, Guy) is counter-balanced by a fairly annoying character (Luke, Mieu, Van, half of the six god-generals). If you’re willing to stick it out, though, the story apparently makes a great turnaround at some point.

I’ll probably watch this one on and off when I remember or get bored.


Shikabane

This is a weird series that’s been very minimally fansubbed.

I watched the first two subbed episodes, then the raws up to episode 7 or so before finally dropping the series (due to language barriers, mostly). It seemed to have a somewhat interesting plot, though it, admitably, was just a rehashed boy-meets-girl type of plot in a new setting.

Animation quality wasn’t the best, but the voice actors all seemed pretty solid. The show itself was a weird sort of horror-action mixup, which might have worked better if not for the monks who lounge around with skimpily clad girls for some weird reason or another.

I might come back to this series if it gets fully subbed, but who knows if that’ll happen? I sure don’t.


Bounen no Xamdou

Fun watch, this one. Fairly well written, though it’s all a bit predictable after the first couple of episodes. It’s has a simple plot, but is executed well, and the characters are all believable (though I admit one of the main characters becomes something of an antagonist for the sake of advancing the plot).

I was scared it was going to be all about mecha and aliens, but it’s more about the characters, which is a nice change of pace.

If you have a chance, I’d give this show a whirl.


Nabari no Ou

One of the shows I watched this season that’s already over. I’m not quite done with the show yet, but I definitely am enjoying it. Enough so that I may well pick up the manga series for the alternate, continuing story (with hopes that Raimei and Miharu hook up!).

Fairly somber, good story. If you don’t like that sort of thing, stay away from this series, but otherwise, I definitely suggest you pick it up.

Oh, also, there’s a fairly heavy emphasis on the relationship between Miharu and Yoite. If you’re totally not a fan of brother-type relationships, stay back as well, but this show doesn’t do anything that even approaches yaoi. It’s very solidly in the bounds of brother/family relationships, which makes a lot of the scenes in the show that much more touching, in my opinion.


Macross Frontier

Fairly fun show to watch. Not the greatest, but definitely not the worst. Some parts could’ve been executed better, and the ending was a bit corny, but it sticks true to the Macross name and delivers impressive 3D space battles and a lot of flashy explosions.

Worth watching if you’re a fan of the genre, but if you’re not, don’t bother. The character development and overall story isn’t anything amazing.




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In any case, there you have it. That’s what I’m watching right now, along with my suggestions. Sorry about the lack of images, but I’m writing this up in one shot, and didn’t take screenshots of the shows while watching. I’ll have images for my episode reviews and whatnot, though.

In any case, I’ll try to post here more often, now. ^^


-Tari

Well, sort of…

Real life has gotten a little bit too busy lately. Work and school has taken most of my time away, and the rest of the time, if I’m not sleeping, I’m either watching anime or gaming. Blogging just hasn’t been that big of a priority for me lately. Having acquired a Xbox 360 and a PS2 since I last posted here didn’t really help either.

That being said, I still intend to write up What’s On for Fall 2008. Yeah, I know it’s already almost a month into that season. I’ll be changing the format of What’s On this time to show what I am currently watching. I had this great ambition a month ago of posting my preview before Omni of Random Curiosity posts his, but that dream is long gone, so I’ll settle with what I can salvage.

A little update on my partners in crime. Tari, as far as I know, is ultra busy with school at the moment. Even I haven’t interact with him much online lately. geartap is MIA, and if you want a better update of his status, you should ask Tari. Of course you would have to find him first.

I’ll post up “What’s On” for Fall 2008 when I feel like it. For now, I’m going back to playing Tales of Vesperia.

Yeah, yeah. I know I’m really late this time, not only compared to last time, but also to the start of the season. This season already started, and I’m only doing this now. Unfortunately, school, work, and prepping for my upcoming vacation (starting Tuesday) really took up the bulk of my time.

So without further ado, these are the series for this season. You’ll notice I added a new list called “Pending.” This list is for series that I haven’t watched the prequel of but wants to watch it before watching said series. Keep in mind that some series below do not have pictures with them not because I can’t find any, but because I’m too lazy to go and find them. Also, series listed down below are in no particular order.

To Watch

	Sekirei As taken from Anime News Network: Genres: action, comedy, romance Themes: Harem What else do I need to know?
	Hidamari Sketch x 365 Having watched the first series from SHAFT while they were busy with other series (one of which STILL haven’t finished being subbed. I’m looking at you, Mahora), I seriously felt like I got shafted (pun definitely intended). Hopefully they do a better job on this series, because I really like this series.
	Strike Witches Following the success of the OVA, the creator decided to make a TV series (much like how Sky Girls turned into a TV series after that one-episode OVA). About time too, I’d say. Been waiting for this since the OVA came out, and I could say the same for some people I know.
	Zero no Tsukaima: Princess no Rondo The first two series proved that this series works, and the fans of this series wanted more. So of course, this series is back with another arc from the novel. For me, it’s just nice to hear Kugimiya Rie back into the role of Louise, the loli S&M Queen. Just kidding, but how far from the truth am I?
	Batman: Gotham Knight The Japanese take on the classic comic book/movie character, much like how Afro Samurai is the American take on the classic Japanese samurai series. This is going to be a 6-episode OVA. I just hope this is not the Teen Titans fiasco all over again.
	World Destruction Step 1.) Make a Nintendo DS game. Step 2.) Get Sakamoto Maaya and Ono Daisuke voice some characters for the anime version. Step 3.) ??? Step 4.) Profit!
	Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu For anyone who is into light novels, this is THE most anticipate series of the new season. The main girl is a idol in her school, but her secret is that she is an otaku. Need I say more?
	School Rumble: San Gakki Being released as OVA episodes along with the Japanese release of the tankubon volume 21 and 22. Like the name implies, this series is about the third term for the kids of School Rumble. It’s too bad that it’s only a 2-episode OVA, because it could be so much more. I personally would think this series would be seriously rushed, but that’s not going to stop me from watching it.
	Mahou Sensei Negima!: Shiroki Tsubasa Ala Alba SHAFT + Negima = wtf no manga? Yeah, this is ANOTHER original story. I’m getting tired of seeing all these original stuff, but after the fiasco that is the first series, I don’t blame them. Although being original is what SHAFT does best, I guess.
	Detroit Metal City With the entire series being released straight to DVD (for obvious reason if you’ve read the manga), it will be a great buy for all the fans out there. Billed as having 24 episodes in 168 minutes. A quick calculation churns out that each episode is about 7 minutes long. Maybe a little short, but all I’ve gotta say is: fuck yeah!

3-Episode Test

	Koihime Musou “Koihime Musou re-imagines the classic Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms in action/love comedy form with a nearly all-female cast.” Yeah, that one line caught all my attention. Maybe I should read the manga too (yeah, there’s a manga coming out for it too). Original material? Eroge. Figures, eh?
	Ultraviolet: Code 044 AniDB says: “Main character “044″ is a female warrior who is genetically engineered with high combat skills and ordered by the government to annihilate a vampire army.” Add to the fact that the promotion picture shows the skyline of Hong Kong in the background, this series is warrant a look. Why do vampires and Hong Kong goes hand-in-hand?
	Slayers Revolution I have not watched the original Slayers series, but from what I’ve hear, I think I’m going to like this. Having SS-Eclipse sub this doesn’t hurt either.
	Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora Divine@Random Curiosity says it best: “backdrops near the level of Byousoku 5 Centimeter (a.k.a. 5 Centimeters per Second), in conjunction with high definition sharpness and fluidic animation on par with Dennou Coil.” Story doesn’t seem that bad either. I have a good feeling about watching this beyond the three episodes.

Pending

Mission-E I haven’t watched the original series yet (aptly named Code-E), so I’m watching this until I watched that. I’ve heard people say the original series is pretty bad, but since it has a “sequel”, it shouldn’t be that bad, right(I’m looking at you, R+V)?

Series I’m not planning to watch (for various reasons)

Scarecrowman
Seiyou Kottou Yougashiten: Antique
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode
Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo
Neo Angelique Abyss: Second Age
Natsume Yuujinchou
Mugen no Juunin
Gake no ue no Ponyo (It’s Ghibli, but it’s aimed for kids)

If there are any other series I missed, I will come back to this post and add them to one of the lists.

You heard it here third, people (first being ANN and second probably being some other blog)! There will be a new Mai-HiME project coming. Not much is known about this new series except for the “New Heroine Mao.” From the look of things, this new project might be more in line with the Mai-HiME universe than the Mai-OTOME universe. Whether this will be a new series of the Mai-HiME universe or a completely new storyline, we have no idea, but I’m hoping for the former (me being a big fan of Mai and nobody else from the Mai-franchise).

With the second OVA of Mai-OTOME S.ifr coming on July 25th, and the third not having a solid date yet, I guess it would be safe for me to say that this new series will not come until the new year. That’s one long wait. I guess other series will have to tide me over for now.

So, School Rumble San Gakki (Third Term) is finally official, ANN reports earlier today. If you head over to the series home page, there is a promotional video showing there.

Unlike the previous two seasons, San Gakki will be released as a series of OVAs. While I really didn’t want to see them do that, I can see the reasoning behind it (as in the manga for the series hasn’t ended yet). I guess this is the best way to quell the thirst of the fans of the series (myself included). The first two volumes of the OVA will be released with volume 21 and 22 of the manga on July 17 and September 17, respectively.

Now personally, I would think that this series will be as long as the previous series (26 episodes), partially because there are a lot of events in the third term, but mostly because of the precedent that has already been set (why upset the status quo, am I right?). Given the hot prediction streak that I’ve been on lately, I wouldn’t be surprised if it really does end up 26 episodes. That’s going to be a long wait, if that’s the case.

Either way, I look forward to July 17, or more precisely August 8, because I’ll be out of town from July 8 until then, and would probably not have the chance to watch it when I’m out of town (unless I get internet connection when I get to Hong Kong on July 29).

Hi, guys. I’m still here. Like the title says, I’m still sick from a few weeks ago. I’ve lost so many pounds that I thought I would never lose.

That’s it for now. Hopefully next time would not be as long as this time had been.

I have been fighting the flu for the past week. A really bad flu. So bad, I actually took sick leave from work. Being the workaholic that I am, It’s very rare that I take consecutive days off work, but I did it in the past week. I’m still fighting the last bit of it right now. Work was hell today because of that.

This also means I was in no shape to update my Spring 2008 post. For those of you that are actually waiting for it, I’m sorry.

I should be able to update it in the next few days. If not, next Friday, at the latest. I actually have a day off everything next Friday, so there’s no excuse for me not to update it on that day.

There isn’t much to update anyways. I just found a couple more series I might want to put to the 3-ET. Pending my schedule, of course, but that haven’t stopped me before.

I’ll be back when I update my Spring 2008 post.

Unfortunately, following my release from the hospital, we’ve switched routers in my home network, and have now run into issues with it.

-Tari

I was just looking around the interweb, and I’ve found some more information on some of the series that I previously knew nothing about. Given the new revelation (albeit a small one), I will be updating my list of what I’m watching in Spring 2008.

The list will be updated within a couple of days. I will make a new post when I update the list, so check back often.

Dedicated to Tari

I actually had the sketch done the same day I finished “Sick”. I also have one more from the same day which I will post another day.

I saw that it had been over a week since I last posted the first comics so I today I said I’ll start inking. Honestly I didn’t expect to finish the whole thing and have it posted. Three hours just flew by. D:

Anyway today’s comic wasn’t supposed to have any meaning but after Tari’s unexpected injury(we’ll call it), it is now a gift to Tari so he may get well soon. Enjoy

-Gear