The romance drama true tears has passed Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei to become the most popular new-season show on 2channel, the Japanese forum site.true tears is on its 88th thread, having passed 87,000 posts. Zetsubou Sensei is on its 85th thread (84,000+ posts).A little over a month ago, Zetsubou Sensei was 50 threads ahead, but true tears has captivated fans both on 2channel in Japan, and also on the international English forum site AnimeSuki, where it has 2417 posts and rising fast, just behind Spice & Wolf (2559).On 2channel, threads have sprung up with names like "true tears -- godly anime" and "Compared to true tears, Clannad is a Worthless Harem Anime." And there is now a special thread for spoilers and speculation, as there is on AnimeSuki.true tears is by far my own favorite show of the new season, too, with Spice & Wolf next. The voice-acting in both is superb. Comparative newcomer Takagaki Ayahi (Feldt Grace in Gundam00) as Noe is outstanding, as is Iguchi Yuka (Sakura in Tokimeki Memorial) as Ai. That Nazuka Kaori (Eureka in Eureka Seven, Cossette in Les Miserables) is excellent as Hiromi is no surprise. One other performance that steals the show for me is Takahashi Rieko (Neviril in Simoun) as the hero's mother.Here are the current numbers of threads for all the new shows in the top 100 most recently posted about shows on 2channel:true tears 88Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 85GUNSLINGER GIRL -IL TEATRINO- 28Spice and Wolf 27Yattaman 21Shigofumi 20Persona 17Rosario to Vampire 17Hakaba Kitaro 13KimiAru 12H2O～FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND～ 10Hakutenko Yuugi 10Major 5 5Noramimi 4Ayakashi 3Mnemosyne 2Porfy no Nagai Tabi 2Zenryoku Usagi 1And here are figures for shows continuing from last October:Minamike/Okawari 230 Shakugan no Shana II 167 Gundam00 150 CLANNAD 188 Kimikiss 136 Bamboo Blade 78 Gegege no Kitaro 37 Rental Magica 20 Nougami Neuro 18 Shion no Ou 9 Ghost Hound 7 Mokke 5 Some shows are missing because they were not among the last 100 shows posted about.
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Loli!
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Everyone’s insane! Summary: Yuu has a dream where he meets the “evil-man-we-keep-seeing”. The “evil-man-we-keep-seeing” asks Yuu for a favour but he wakes up, startled, before knowing what the request is. Yuu practices karate before school begins since Eimu won’t teach him how to use Ayakashi. He questions Kare’s identity but Eimu leaves [...]
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Nice rack you have there.
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I’m positive this is going to be a 13 (12?) episode series, which is a shame. I’d love to see more expansions on the the myths and legends of the Ayakashi, a grander scheme, and more character developments. Unfortunately, it really looks like none of these will happen. I’m not sure why so few people in [...]
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OK, now I fully regret giving this series a try and recommending it to others. My buddies who have played the eroge told me the title was a complete winner. With that in mind I approached the anime series. It did OK in the first two episodes, but now I’m on episode seven, and I [...]
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Is it because I have seen too many anime in my life that I haven’t been severely impressed with this one, even though for some reason I feel like I should have? The action sequences are nice. Nothing spectacular but nice. The characters are certainly all right, nobody particularly stands out except Sugita Tomokazu - that’s [...]
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After 2 or 3 episodes, the new season of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei seems to lead the pack, with true tears, Yattaman, and Shigofumi next, but far behind.Spice & Wolf, Persona, and Rosario to Vampire come next, with others strung out behind. It's hard to gauge how popular Minami-ke O-kawari is, since it is simply continuing the original series' threads (and is on its 96th).Here is a rough list showing which thread each show is currently on. Each completed thread represents about 1000 posts.Zoku Zetsubou Sensei 67 True Tears 17 Yattaman 13Shigofumi 11 Spice & Wolf 9 Persona 8 Rosario to Vampire 8 Hakaba Kitarou 7 KimiAru 7 ARIA the Origination 6 H2O 6 Hakuten Yuugi 3Major 4 3 Ayakashi 2Moegaku 5 1 true tears is getting the attention I think it deserves. Yattaman's popularity shows the effect of its long history. With all its faults, I enjoy Ayakashi more than 2channel does. Major and Hakuten Yuugi's low popularity are a further demonstration of 2channel's allergy to any anime that can be classed as shoujo.Moegaku 5 is more an educational variety show than an anime show, even though it has an anime element.A show or two may be missing since I included only the top 100 most recently posted-to threads.
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Based on one or two episodes, here are some first impressions:true tears -- After two episodes, this is the cream of the crop, for me. Beautifully directed, with interesting characters, and silences full of meaning. The animation is almost KyoAni-level. Takagaki Ayahi is outstanding as the electric Noe, and Nazuka Kaori equally outstanding as gentle, complex Hiromi. Nishimura Junji, the director of Simoun, and Okada Mari, one of its writers, have taken the original game and completely re-imagined it.Spice and Wolf -- I hoped that the "wise wolf" Horo would become a classic role for Koshimizu Ami, and episode one makes me think my wish just might come true. Horo is a powerful thousand-year-old wolf-goddess posing as a 15-year-old human, and her archaic speech and playful character really give Amisuke something to sink her teeth into. Horo's travels with the merchant Lawrence show promise. This may give the staff a chance to wipe out the memory of their previous show, Cosmopolitan Prayers. Best OP of the season.Porfy no Nagai Tabi -- This year's show in the World Masterpiece Theater series is directed by Mochizuki Tomomi (YKK, Zettai Shounen, Princess Nine) and got off to a good, but typically slow, start in the first two episodes. High-class family drama, involving a Greek boy who will lose his parents in an earthquake and travel around Europe trying to find his sister.Hatenkou Yuugi -- Reverse-harem shoujo adventure, with a fascinatingly unpredictable lead shoujo played by the great Kobayashi Sanae. Her bishounen henchmen are played by Sakurai Takahiro and Miki Shinichirou. Could degenerate into monster of the week, but not bad through two episodes.H2O Footsteps in the Sand -- I will probably have finished watching this show by the time I decide if it is worth watching. I enjoy it enough so far, with its mysteries and its determined lead guy. But it seems crudely constructed, somehow, like Myself;Yourself. And like that show it tries to shock us with unexpected violence.Persona Trinity Soul -- This much psychic angst and violence are too much for me, but it seems like a strong, well-made anime.Shigofumi -- This show is the love-child of Shinigami no Ballad and Jigoku Shoujo. The plot through the first two episodes seemed a bit clunky, but worked. Ueda Kana is beginning to display her vocal chops in ep2.Minami-ke O-kawari -- Another helping by another studio with the same VAs. It's okay, I guess. I was never as amused by the first version last fall as many others were, and they are not as happy with this version as with that one.Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei -- More more of the same. But this time it really is the same. Shinbou by Shinbou. Smart, beautiful, weird.ARIA the Origination -- Even more. It looks great and sounds great. Lovers of the franchise like it. I admire it, but I hardly ever seem to get through a whole episode. If you are an ARIA fan, however, then be sure to watch: this is probably the last ARIA anime, since the manga itself is drawing to a close.Hakaba no Kitarou -- I was going to pass on this one until I read the AnimeSuki thread. Wonderful animation and music and a charming (?) story, through ep1 at least -- as long as humorous, knowing urchins from beyond the grave are to your taste. I should have known that Noitamina would not bore us.Noramimi -- Well-made low-impact family comedy with Doraemon-like character design. Worth a look.Ayakashi -- Poorly made, but somehow quite entertaining. I could have said the same about this director's previous show, Lamune, which involved pure romance rather than supernatural violence and teens with special powers. Good cast includes Mizuki Nana, Kishio Daisuke, Matsuki Miyu, Shimizu Ai, Yukino Satsuki, Sugita Tomokazu.Gunslinger Girl - Il Teatrino -- I found the first episode quite lame, and so did lovers of the original series. They say this substitutes standard moe for the original impassive lolis. Bad move.They Are My Noble Masters -- A terrible waste of some great VA talent. At least Hayate is occasionally watchable. This is Hayate with very limp humor.Rosario to Vampire -- A real disappointment. Mizuki Nana is good as the lead girl, but the plot, animation, and personalities are deeply boring, through two episodes.Sisters of Wellber 2 -- It was lovely to hear the dulcet tones of Takahashi Mikako again, but this just feels poorly made and dull.
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I just laughed right here Oh my gah…I can’t take it anymore. Why was I such a fool. I am never going against my friends’ wills ever again. This was one of the worst 20 minutes of my life, as well as having to write a review about it. The animation was wretched, the voices sounded [...]
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