Decidedly, the word is that 2007 is not as exciting as 2006. We did not have Haruhi, we did not have Simoun, we did not have Black Lagoon. In fact, I'm going to talk about shows I didn't see in 2007 (and some that I did, but not like Haruhi, Simoun and Black Lagoon).
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'Rooting for the underdog' is something that a lot of people can sympathize with. There's something enchanting about watching a scrappy little fighter defy all the odds to come out on top - no one likes a winner, winning.This is highly applicable to anime as well - take a look at the premise to nearly any shonen action anime out there. One boy sets out to be the Master of X. But he's just a kid, how possibly could he defeat the established professionals at whatever creature phenonema / children's card game / etc. has enraptured the world? The answer, of course, is through many, many episodes.Or in harem anime, the same concept pops up. Quite often the fans will rally behind the girls who seem to be 'losing' - the girl who gathers the largest fanbase is often the one who doesn't get the guy at the end.If you've been here a while, it should be no surprise that I subscribe to this theory as well. I enjoy fighting for the shows I think are underrated, for the characters I think are underloved. Are they? Maybe not. When great amounts of like-minded people like me come together you end up with something resembling Sacchin's (Tsukihime) fanbase. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if her arc ever actually gets released.Still, there are quite a few characters out there who truly have gotten the shaft in their anime, and today I hope to bring to light some of the characters with a lot of potential and not half as much screentime, or development, as they deserved.(Spoilers: Myself;Yourself, sola, Da Capo, Code-E, Tokimeki Memorial...kind of)Kiri Komori (Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei)Kicking off with a character I ranted about well enough yesterday in the Facepalm List. Kiri the hikikomori appeals to me for the same reason that Konata of Lucky Star hit it big - no, not because she's a loli - because of that fleeting, ever-so-pathetically-adorable "hey look, it's something like me, except cute" sensation of seeing a fellow geek-type in anime.Kiri had a strong start in SZS episode 2, with an entertaining segment, a quick obsession developed with Itoshiki-sensei, and lots of random pop-up "Sen-sei~" cameos. Unfortunately, SZS populated its main cast with other crazy characters, such as the OCD perfectionist Chiri or the flamer Meru. And so Kiri got left mostly to the shadows from which she arose from, popping up only to cue a random fanservice transition - a demeaning job for any character.Itsuki / Mayumi - Shuffle!This comic duo wasn't incredibly neglected, making many side-character appearances over the span of Shuffle!, but this is one of those instances where one could almost imagine them deserving a spin-off show of their own. Simply put, their manic personalities solo combine to form a side-splitting pair with a relationship that's almost Calvin-and-Susie in nature.What really inspired this pair's nomination is the unearthing of a few insights into Mayumi's path from Shuffle! On The Stage (the PS2 port), which hinted that the two of them go way back; certainly the energetic manner in which they tease each other could hint at more than a hint of affection, although neither of them will live up to it. This element just enhances their already comedic, exaggerated antics together, and it's something that I'd want to see more of.Aoi - Myself;YourselfThis one, I'm tentative about. From the raw data readout, Aoi is one of the most appealing characters to ever be penned, at least from my perspective. I just don't think it's possible to go wrong with a glasses girl who likes to read and is very clumsy; perhaps because I'm more than a bit of that myself.Still, when such a character remains static and two-dimensional while the rest of her friends get gripping, epically dramatic stories, it's kind of dissapointing that Aoi never really played much of a role in anything.I really wish she had seen a more central role to the plot, but there's a little voice in the back of my head saying otherwise; given all the uberdrama that characters like Asami and the Wakatsukis had, maybe it's a good thing that Aoi wasn't expounded on.Still, I'd rather take the chance.Moe - Da CapoActually, whenever a character gets relegated to Random Fanservice Girl, it's kind of dissapointing for me. Both the Mizukoshis get the short end of the stick in Da Capo - Mako's affections go more unsaid than that of any other character - but Moe set the bar the lowest in terms of plot, since she didn't really have any to speak of.A quick Wikipedia perusual does confirm that Moe does have a story behind her and she does have a reason she's so sleepy-sounding all the time, but if you were just a viewer of the anime, you'd never know, since all she really does is jiggle around a lot.Mikuru - HaruhiForgive me if I'm behind on the novels a bit, as I haven't read them in a while, but it certainly feels like Mikuru's getting a bit left out in the rain, especially compared to the other Haruhi characters.Haruhi speaks for herself, we know her, her fears, and her uber-hax powers far too well. Nagato, although she doesn't express herself that much, has had a book and probably more devoted to her. Even the inner workings of Kyon have been pretty exposed. Most of the characters in Haruhi have very developed personalities and inner conflicts, but the SOS Brigade's mascot doesn't have much other than a lot of costumes.Maybe it's the fault of her being a time-traveler (Kyon figuring out anything about her might paradox us into the ground), but certainly it's a shame that the series's most developed character is also one of the least developed.There's Itsuki as well, but who really likes him? ...Even when he's not getting into pseudoyaoi relationships with Kyon?Hanepin - TsukihimeY'know, I look at the last four characters and I think I'm onto something here. There is something about characters with a large rack not having much character development. Is this the power of mascot fanservice characters at work?To be fair the lack of Hanepin is mainly because she's a side character in a side story in Kagetsu Tohya, though. Side characters are often a lost cause, but fools like me rally behind them; perhaps it's easier to proclaim a victory for the cause of one of these characters, where even a small appearance or bit of fanart means something. It's similar to why Nagato is so widely adorable (and awesome).That said, Hanepin's an adorable and underutilized character not because of Tsukihime Fun Fact #49: she beats Arcueid in chest size but because she's kind of an Osaka beta-version, being a very kind and spacey person.Miyuki / Minami - Lucky StarTwo different characters here, but I'll lump them together since they're part of the same series.Miyuki pretty much echoes everything I said about Aoi above; glasses, brains, classy, and a bit clumsy, I don't really see where she could go wrong. Unfortunately, she got excluded from the main group pretty quick, with the show preferring to focus on either Konata and the Hiiragis or some of the many other numerous side characters. The show could almost make a spin-off out of the second group - it's probably the only way that all the characters, even the ones not mentioned, could get justice.Minami was cool because she was the stereotypical 'quiet cool girl', but she got shoved down the DFC track pretty quick. There's probably something hypocritical about being mad that a character is one cliche instead of another, but I enjoy the strong and silent characters, so there you have it. I thought Konata had a much better 'flat chest is a status symbol!' act anyway.The Spies - Code-EI've lost track of how many times I've said it by now (and how many times I've opened a segment like that), but - Code-E needs more everything. The twin German spies took on a variety of roles, some comical, and some serious, and it was never really revealed who they were or what their purpose was.Additionally, the female one was randomly crushed under a collapsing building at the end of the season, a strange shift from their mostly lighthearted antics, and something that the show never got back to. Here's to hoping that we can find out more about them (among other people) in the second season.Mo-chan - TokiMemoRooting for Mina to win over Riku was a heartwarming if not mostly futile fight; but luckily, with the depth of TokiMemo's side cast, there were plenty of alternative relationships to look out for as well. That between Mina's friend, Mo-chan (whose full name, if it exists, I can't recall) and the class delinquent Inukai was another battle, that, ironically, was almost as difficult as Mina's.Mo-chan got shot down time and time again by the far-too-cool-for-love Inukai, and got up every single time, always ready to offer a helping hand to Mina in her fight as well. I certainly hoped that he was just being stubborn, the typical cold-exterior soft-interior character, but right down to the very end he didn't change, leaving Mo-chan out in the cold with her friend Mina. I think, more than any other character in TokiMemo, she was the one that deserved to get her guy. And she didn't~Mana - solaIt would be hard to say that Mana didn't get a lot of attention over the span of sola, since she even gets the last scene and line of the show (pre-credits, anyway), but somehow it still feels like she didn't get as much storyline love as she deserved.Maybe it makes sense from a story perspective to have Mana be the character out of the loop, but she's up there with Mo-chan in the 'it makes sense how it is but I still want more!' department. I think I have a weakness for characters who don't even make it to something resembling the confession stage.After all, her tearful forgetting of Yorito circa episode ten or so seemed like something that the show would come back to before the end, but instead she ended up moving on, remembering Yorito more in his beliefs than in his person itself. It's something that, like the ending of AIR, probably is the 'better' ending in the long run, but still is kind of sad to a simple mind like mine.-CCY
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"I have no idea if Hisui is saying anything relevant, but she looks angry...and hey, it's Hisui."Now that the last fifteen days have convinced you that that the last year in anime has been nothing but pure awesome, let me bring some concepts slightly closer to Earth.On the whole I'm still pretty optomistic about anime as a whole, for sure, but there never fail to be moments where I just wonder...what were they thinking?And so, I've picked out a few of the moments over the course of the last year that deserved a nice hearty facepalm. Thankfully, it was a bit harder than coming up with enough moments to fill the twelve-best list.Let me note that these moments of annoyance don't often reflect on an anime as a whole; as always, the greatest dissapointments come from the things you expect the most from, and as such many of these moments come from shows that are otherwise fantastic...except for one little pet peeve that gets to me every time.(Spoilers: Tsukihime, School Days, Code-E, Tokimeki - oh, who I am I kidding - Memorial)Lunar Legend TsukihimeNrvnsqrnasndflkahgodmykeyboard Fight (Or lack thereof)Bad spelling aside, Nero's 'fight scene' in Tsukihime, the anime, was probably one of the first major signs that something was funny with the adaptation. There were other minor aspects that the anime got wrong, naturally, but the fact that they took a dramatic, drawn-out fight and condensed it into three minutes really got me.I kept looking at the clock as the Nero fight started at the end of episode three (four?). Thinking, "OK, they'll cliffhang it here. No...here. Here. They can't possibly fit it all into the ending of one episode!?"Well, they did, and all without animated a single attack by Shiki. I can almost understand WHY they did this, to show the raw power of Nanaya Shiki in belittleing a seemingly major villain, but, come on. We had plenty of proof with him going to town on Arcueid anyway. Nero deserves a bigger send-off.Sayonara Zetsubou SenseiRandom Kiri x Chii yuriKiri Komori was looking to be a pretty promising character. Maybe it's the geek's natural disposition towards others of their kind, but Kiri the beautiful hikikomori (shut-in), when introduced in episode two, looked to be an entertaining and interesting character.But gradually, through the course of the show, her role faded out, to random cameo appearances, popping up in random places with that delightful "Sen-sei~". Eventually, she didn't even get that.Along with Chii, the vaguely sane counselor, Kiri got demoted to 'random fanservice girl', breaking up other, apparently more important, scenes with spontaneous yuri action. It's demeaning to see such a good character go to waste.Shugo Chara"DO YOU HAAAAAAEEET ENGLIIIIISSHHHH?"Yes, random X Egg character, yes I do. When you use it and draw it out like that, especially.Engrish is probably one of the things that grates upon any English-speaking anime viewer (like how I imagine a Japanese speaker would react if they saw some of our fanbase talking), and Shugo Chara's monster-of-the-week fight with an X Egg centered around a personified fear of English takes the cake for most egregious abuse of English in recent memory.Actually, the English isn't incredibly bad, but the squeaky, high-pitched voice that draws out each syllable to incredible length gets really grating, really fast. Luckily, it's a one-time deal.School DaysMakoto knocks another one upSomehow I have a feeling this one was done on purpose to make us gag, or at the least, roll our eyes...with contempt!As I've probably said too many times, those of us who came into School Days with even the slightest hope that something would go right, were proven horribly, even hilariously, wrong again and again.Perhaps most of us saw the progression from a pure romance to a complicated love-triangle; perhaps Setsuna joining the fight was acceptable. But near the end of the show, the writers just began to throw girls at Makoto left and right. There was Otome, the random childhood friend. Hikari, the one who seemed all for Taisuke at the beginning. Otome's wicked followers, all three of them at once!It all seems rather tailored to put a final condeming note on Makoto, to make the audience go "gee, anyone who has sex this much MUST be a bad character" (if not out of pure disgust, maybe a little of jealousy as well), and for once, I'm happy to agree with the path the writers have put us down. School Days was ridiculous down to the last drop of black oil wrung from the characters, and I don't think it would work any other way.Da Capo Second SeasonAisia will fix it with MAGIC!Sure, Aisia, you tell yourself that. Da Capo seems to be a formula that has been fixed far too many times over the years - and it was never really broken in the first place.The first season was outstanding - maybe not the best visual novel adaptation out there, but very solid in character development, conflict, and drama, enough to put it on par, or close to. with second-tier shows like Shuffle! and Myself;Yourself.The second season featured more of the same, except with a bunch of new characters added in a futile attempt to mix up the show (imagine any recent corporation that tried to look 'kool' or 'x-treme' to capture the youth crowd). And the sequel, Da Capo II takes the whole thing and chucks it out the window.But the fact is, the central conflict between Nemu, Kotori, and Sakura, three strong, well-rounded characters, has always been what has made Da Capo good, and Aisia, on the other hand, is one of the things that really threw the second season for a loop in the wrong direction.A character doesn't have to be intensely dislikable at first to develop into an appealing character at the end; while it's true that Aisia got more palatable as the show went on, that's no excuse for her annoyingly dense mindset at the beginning of the show.(Suddenly, I had a flash that I could change a few names and make this a rant about the Sonic games, and no one could tell the difference. But that's another story.)Code-EWhat, that's it?Code-E really did nothing wrong. It was just the equivalent of a student's poorly-planned essay on a timed test. The intro was intriguing, the first body paragraph were well-developed, and right halfway through the second when things start getting explain, time runs out. So they rush to write a half-baked conclusion, and we're left with a piece of work that has incredible promise, but never gets around to acting on it.Likewise, the ending to Code-E leaves more questions than it answers. Pretty much everything except the main relationship between Chinami and Kotaro is left unresolved, from the origin/purpose of the German spies, to the intentions behind Evil Pocketwatch Man, who I'm pretty sure never got a name, to even a fulfilling conclusion to the third side of the love triangle with Sonomi.The saving grace of this is that there is a second season of the anime planned for Code-E - a drastic change from the original announcement of 'we're all done here, go read the manga', and thankfully so.Shakugan no Shana IIIt's always the green haired lolis that mess things upThe character that singlehandly killed thousand of viewers.If I had one romance trope to get rid of, it would be the one that results in all the proclamations of "Oh look, some possessive girl has come onto my object of undying affection, time to call it quits". Because, honestly, it's really frustrating, when Shana and Kazumi had been fighting over Yuuji for a whole season, and one random girl who is not a plot object At All comes in and pretty much knocks them both for a loop? The least they could do it tag-team Konoe into the ground.Konoe's character as a whole, actually, is kind of annoying, if only because really dense characters tend to grate on my nerves (except in comedy situations, usually).To be fair, I never saw the first season of Shana outside of summary, and the second season is steadily improving, but the faulty start that Shana II had seems to have done quite a number on its fanbase.Tokimeki Memorial ~only love~Y'know I really have no idea that Sayuri has the hots for me, no, none at allDid I say if I had one romance trope to get rid of? Scratch that, make that two.An equally frustrating cliche used to drag out shows is "I'm entirely blind to the fact that the girl of my dreams is all over me". Riku actually manages to wield both this one and the above cliche from Shana II (oh no, some other guy is TALKING to Sayuri! I'm a loser tee-underscore-tee) to attempt to inject some drama into his relationship with the school idol, Sayuri.This does have the positive benefit of giving Tsukasa and Mina an almost infintesimal chance of winning (which, as fans know, is more than enough chance to give an excuse to root for them), but...seriously, Riku, get a clue. As many shy, uncertain teenagers as you may attract to your side by being wishy-washy and unsure of yourself, it's just not very interesting to watch the same train of thought over and over, especially when love doesn't get more drop-dead connect-the-dots obvious than this.KimiKissThe frogsOh God, the frogs. You'd think the personification of some psuedo yuri relationship between two loli-looking (or at the least, imouto-style) girls would have people jumping all over them, but Romeo and Juliet aren't doing much better than their Shakespearean counterparts in earning lots of disdain (from the characters in the story of R&J, anyway).It probably falls under the same category as the Shugo Chara! complaint in that the girls and their frogs are very loud and very squeaky, not to mention shoved in our faces all the time. KimiKiss likes to draw the viewer's focus in a blunt manner, as it does with the girl's lips all the time, something that's also kind of awkward, but given that two stuffed amphibians don't have a fraction of the appeal of Eriko Futami, it's obvious who the award has to go to here.Also, the way in which 'oh my God the frogs are kissing and/or acting otherwise in a romantic manner' never fails to unsettle Kazuki and Kouichi is equally frustrating, in that 'oh so romantically tense' cliche manner.Shuffle! MemoriesUpon realizing it's all recapI think this one speaks far, far too much for itself.-CCY(Episode 12 was totally worth it for Yandere II: Boxcutter Boogaloo and Mayumi's Haruhi parody, though.)
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My 2007 Anime ReviewThese are my personal opinion and only on those anime that I watched. :)My Anime of the YearCode Geass, Tokimeki Memorial Only Love, Zero no Tsukaima II, La Corda D'Oro ~primo passoMy Manga of the YearSuzuka, Tsubasa Chronicles, ARIA, Prince of TennisMy Soundtrack Album of the YearTokimeki Memorial Only Love OST 1La Corda D'Oro ~primo passo OSTAMG Fighting Wings OP ED SingleKanon OSTMy Theme of the Year祈り～You Raise Me Up ~Romeo x Juliet [OP]予感~Tokimeki memorial [OP ]奇跡のかけら~Tokimeki memorial [ED]明日、夕暮れまで~ARIA Arietta [ED]愛の星~AMG Fighting Wings [OP]ハナムケのメロディー ~AMG Fighting Wings [ED]だんご大家族~Clannad [ED]I decided to rate the anime with my expectation and enjoyment, rather than the quality or the anime as a whole, which is often disputable and differ with people's interest.Enjoyment: Enjoyable: Anime which is enjoyable to watch Fair/Content: Anime which is average or content to watch Disappointed: Anime which is disappointing to watchExpectation: Above Expectation: Anime which exceed expectation or impression As Expected: Anime which match expectation or impression Below Expectation: Anime which fall short expectation or impression Exceptional: Anime worth watching and enjoyable. Terrible: Anime which is terrible. Not recommended Ah! My Goddess Fighting Wings I was so excited when AMG Fighting Wings was announced. At last, the Rind arc was animated. The two episodes featured Rind and her twin angels, the angel-eating monster, Belldandy and Blue Lance. I had hoped that the second season would deliver the arc but they didn't. I'm glad that they decide to produce this arc for the 20th anniversary because it's one of the more interesting arc in the whole series. The captivating OP and rythmic ED are fabulous. Clannad Ithought that Clannad was supposed to be a movie rather than a TV series. I do think that the series is more interesting than Kanon but it didn't motivate me to watch it every week. The first arc was a bit like Makoto arc in Kanon. Nevertheless, the animation, settings and background music are excellent. My mind is hooked to the ED, Dango....Dango... Dango... Code Geass Code Geass, the black horse of 2006 and 2007. I didn't pick up Code Geass until a few episode has lapsed. But it turned out to be a hit. I would think it deserved the fame much more than Suzumiya no Haruhi. My favourite heroine would be CC and Milly. I don't like Suzaku as he's the stereotype character. Lelouch is interesting to watch. Can't wait for the second season as the first season end with a cliff-hanger.Detective Conan Movie 11 Jolly Roger in the Deep Azure, Detective Conan 11th movie, was average in my opinion. The animation is excellent and the story is enjoying but I expect more from the movie. Most of the time, I tend to find the ending a bit weak for several of the movies. I liked the 9th movie which has twists to the ending. The 11th movie featured the Conan gang on the Island of Koumi. situated in the Pacific Ocean. The theme of the movie is the treasure of 2 female pirates, Anne Bonnie and Mary Reed. I'm anticipating the coming 12th movie in 2008, Full score of fear. The movie has theme of music and concert which captured my interest. Hope the music will be excellent! Gundam00 Gundam00, in my opinion, is just average at the moment. I dont like the heroes, if I need to choose one, I think Stratos is the best out of the four. The heroines didn't make much impression until they were featured in their casual wears which showed a lot of large fruits. The Gundam designs were average initially with Exia being my favourite because of its versatility and dynamic. I don't fancy Virtue but it was interesting be surprised with the appearance of Nadleeh. I don't like Kyrious and the pilot. is a lot more beautiful compared to sniper Gundam, Buster in the GS and Stargazer. I think the worst rest of the mechas look terrible, in particular the pink one by soma. Even a Zaku looks a lot better. Anway, I figured that there'll be more wars and politics as well as new Gundam in near future. Don't expect much but hope for the better. Ikkitousen Dragon Destiny I had not watch Ikkitousen prior to Ikkitousen Dragon Destiny. I like the concept of Three Kingdom story but it has too much violence and exposure. Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed the series, maybe because of the fighting and animation. I did find the fanservice too much, like loli in Moetan. Anyway, it was fun to watch and the battle was quite well choreographed.Kanon I like the background setting and the music very much. The story was well animated with proper development to each character even though there were Nayuki, Ayu, Shiori, Mai and Makoto. I like Shiori and Mai arc best but Makoto the least. The Nayuki arc wasn’t clear and was bit confusing when it was blend with Ayu in final few chapters. It was good that Ayu recovered from her condition and the anime has a happy ending. My favourite characters would be Kaori, seeing how she turn from cold-hearted to a caring sister. Mai would be second followed by Shiori. The only drawback was the ambience produced in the anime. I literally has no motivation to continue watching after Shiori arc, interrupted after Aunt Akiko had an accident. I managed to continue after two weeks and glad that I finished it. Overall, it’s a good anime with many excellent attributes such as consistent and substantial animation quality, well-developed story plot, appropriate ambient music and colour setting. It’s not recommended for people who cannot commit themselves to tranquility. Nevertheless, it’s a lot easier to comprehend compared to AIR. I watch AIR thrice and still think it’s too abstract to understand the whole story plot.Kimikiss Pure Rouge Kimikiss, lose the interest after a few episode. It has almost the same genre as Tokimeki Memorial but i do find Tokimeki a lot more attractive and appealing to watch. So if you liked Tokimeki Memorial ~Only Love, you might like this but I find it subpar to Tokimeki. La Corda D'Oro ~primo passo Finally, an anime dedicated to musical instruments. Primo Passo has decent animation and excellent background music. I like Lili the fairy especially the seed of knowledge at the end of each series. Kahoko has been interesting and appealing heroine. The series was different from the usual harem where many girls were attracted to a guy. I don't fancy any of the heroes but the one I hated most is Yunoki. Flute was my passion but to have been potrayed in a guy like him was annoying. The series is quite enjoying and the ending was sastifactory, though it's less appealing near ending but the finale changed it.Mai Otome Zwei I didn't really anticipate much from Mai Otome Zwei but it was great. However, they should exclude the fanservice DVD and concentrate more on the story plot. The last episode was filled with too much story plot but it was interesting. The animation was excellent as usual and it's interesting to watch. Moetan Moetan was quite interesting to watch as an anime but I'd stronly prefer that the loli fanservice was removed. Though I knew that if removed, Moetan would lose its appeal but it's too much as one episode was removed from broadcasting. I like the character design especially Pastel Ink, Ah Kun and Ka Kun. My favourite character is Alice. It was suprising to see that Ka Kun was of a handsome and built guy while Dandy was the emperor. The SEED mode in episode 7 was hilarious. I think GSD has a lot of influence on other animes. Ah Kun loli liking joke was funny at times but sometimes too much. Nevertheless, he looks funny with his saliva drooling. I enjoyed watching the duel between Ah Kun and Ka Kun. The Moetan corner at the end is quite useless in my opinion. It's a funny and enjoying anime but you'd have to forgive that it's wrapped by loli fanservice. Robotwars Terrible mistake of the season. I dropped it halfway. But my cousin want to watch so I continue with it. The CG was good but the animation was terrible and storyline was crap. Even the boring Gunparade orchestra had better animation and storyline. Worst mecha anime that I have seen. It try to copy from GSD. There’s a lot of parody from GSD such as dragoon system at the end, combination, battle ship, female captain and lots more. Even the three mecha combination at the end looks terrible. The ending was terrible as well. I would throw this to the rubbish bin. Romeo X Juliet Initially I found Romeo X Juliet very interesting and intriguing. However, I started to lose interest once Romeo was sent to the mine. However, I was pleased with how the story was animated. There were many beautiful and romantic scenes of Romeo and Juliet. In addition, the song Raise me Up was so enchanting for the anime and the Iris flowers setting was also very appealing. Shining Tears X Wind I was so happy when it was announced that Shining Tears x Wind will be animated. Though not much promotion was done, most people knew about the character designs by Tony Taka. It was also good that they combined the Tears part and the Wind part. I was a bit disappointed that Kureha didn’t give any chance to Souma. But the ending of Souma to join Weissritter is unexpected but wonderful. But I couldn’t really accept the fact that Mao has attraction for Souma. Xecty did play a very important role and she was the favourite for many fans. I did find the Wind team has less characteristic than the Tears team. My favourite on this anime was not the character design but to see each soul blade appearing. Tokimeki Memorial~Only Love One of the most anticipated anime of the season for me. The animation was consistently good and background music match well with the anime. They have repetition such as the chick fight, student chasing after Riku, the three heroines yearning for Riku. I don’t like Riku, he has less characteristic even compared to Manaka from Ichigo 100% and Ichitaka from I”s. My favourite heroine is definitely Sayuri. Her character is common for a harem anime but more distinct compared to Tsukasa and Mina. Tsukasa is the average persistent and immature girl while Mina is the quiet and shy type. It was good that the anime ended with Sayuri confessing and both exchange their likings for each other but didn’t end together immediately. I was hoping for more development in other female characters such as Hiromi (The captain of the school's female volleyball team), Haruka the home room teacher (One episode was dedicated to her), Yuko the home economics teacher and Onesan the shop lady. There are a lot of redundant characters such as the belldandy-alike-purple-afro goddess, the vice-principal, the gym, literature and computer science teacher, Inukai and Riku childhood friend Yukari, and of course the baseball and track captains. My favourite character has to be Hiyokokko, the chick. It didn’t look very appealing but it has the character and style. Favourite scenes included Sayuri legends in the past, Yusuke, Itta and Dojima gang and Hiyokko fights. Least favourite Inukai and also Tsukasa. Tsubasa Chronicle OVA ~Tokyo Revelation There's only one episode in 2007 but it has gained my interest back again. I was terribly disappointed with the second season. I didn't have much expectation despite knowing that the production team wasn't similar to the second season. I was so happy when they managed to deliver "Tokyo Revelation" especially the animation of the true Syaoran. It's going to be a long wait in 2008 but it's worth the wait. Zero no Tsukaima Futatsuki no Kishi Season one was fabulous but I expected more than just 13 episodes. I found both sister underused. They was part of the promotion for second season but they didn’t play a big part especially . The scene that Saito and Louise on a boat was hilarious. Another thing I wished they have more variety in ending each episode instead of just explosion. The last episode was both touching and romantic, Saito decided to fight for Loiuse. Just the fact that he was saved by an elf with substantial asset cause another explosion ending. Anyway, season III will be airing in 2008 and the elf will make her appearance. Anticipating the coming season!My Anime Review 2006
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To all anime & manga lovers, Merry Christmas! Enjoy the Christmas with your family and friends.Seasons greetings from Sayuri (Tokimeki Memorial~Only Love)So how do you celebrate the Christmas this year???Being asked to dress like Santa Claus, eventhough you're not old and fat? (Yotsunoha)Having a Christmas party with foods and musics? (Ragnarok Online)Spending sweet time with your family and children? (Pastel Ink of Moetan)Having a date with girls or girlfriends? (Maburaho)Maybe watching anime or console gaming on a PS, Wii or Xbox?Having a crazy time and end up with a hang-over the next day? (Lucky Star)Carolling or sharing wishes to people around you? (Lucky Star)Throwing a party and end up with lots of gifts as well as tonnes of rubbish? (Code Geass)Hoping to receive a gift from the one you love? (Shakugan no shana)Having a Christmas feast and end up 5kg heavier the next few days?? (Shakugan no shana)Exchanging gifts and getting at least a gift (ef a tale of memories )Or planning to spend it quietly and peacefully (monochromatic)Anyway, live up the spirit of Christmas. Don't be like Conan.2006 Christmas post
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You've heard it before - two days ago to be exact - but a moment doesn't need to be serious to be brilliant.Sometimes it just has to bring that 'awesome factor' to the table, that feeling that you wouldn't be able to experience this anywhere else.It's that moment where it just clicks, where you realize why you've been watching a show all along and that you've been loving it the whole way. It might be a ridiculous moment or a funny one, but it's one that really sums up the feeling of the anime as a whole, condensed into one top-notch scene.Quite often these moments come in the closing periods of a show, when the side characters, the side stories, the plot all comes together for one final hurrah, one last great burst of enthusiasm before drawing the story to a close.And what better show to emphasize the side characters, to give them a fitting send-off, then Tokimeki Memorial in its final episode.12 Moments of Anime 2007#8 Tokimeki Memorial ~only love~ - 25"Bread Girl's Last Stand"In a world in which harem anime is becoming increasingly dramatic, one anime stands between the fandom and... wait, wrong script.But in all seriousness, light harem shows are getting increasingly ditched in favor of tension-filled visual-novel adaptations; perhaps School Days and Myself;Yourself isn't enough to mark a trend, but certainly there are very few anime out there now which step lightly on the drama scale.Or at least, there are very few that don't go off the deep end of fanservice.Tokimeki Memorial is one of those shows in the middle, offering both mild plot and mild fanservice for a easily-digestible watch that some might describe as a touch tepid. Certainly if you're looking for something that's going to excite your senses (one way or the other), the slow-paced, easily-choreographed TokiMemo won't be incredibly attractive.But there's something to be said about a truly light-hearted harem/romance these days, and TokiMemo is a great example of an anime that one can watch for fun and entertainment, above all else.It's a show that never really takes itself seriously. Even some of the most dramatic moments have been aborted by a running joke, or sudden comedy; something that may be a bit jarring to some, but once you get used to the style of the show it's not that horrible.Since, to be honest, you don't watch TokiMemo for the romance.You'd be rather dissapointed, because you could tune in to the show for about 5 minutes, figure out that Sayuri's, the mostly boring school idol, was going to win the heart of Riku, the mostly boring male lead, and cross another show off the 'finished' list.The secondary main characters were mildly more interesting. Tsukasa and Mina were both equally enamored with Riku, but had entertaining twists on their personality archetypes. Tsukasa was the genki girl with a touch of pensiveness. Mina was the shy girl with a touch of courage.They were both very good characters to root for, but eventually one remembers that the two of them have Nayuki Club stamped all over them. There's only so much fun in rooting for the minor victory, the battle won with the war inevitably lost.However, the side characters, to be honest, are what make TokiMemo shine, what make it a truly enjoyable anime. TokiMemo, more than any school anime in recent memory, really feels like a fully-fleshed out school. As opposed to the infamous One Teacher Schools of many anime, there is more than just one classmate, one principal, and so on.There's a full class set of teachers, from the typically pleasant homeroom teacher, to the sickly classical lit teacher, to the mad scientist, and a wide range of faculty.The clubs all have charismatic leaders; the narcissistic track runner, the energetic volleyball captain, and the oh-I-wish-I-weren't-so-endowed swimming star.The classroom is full of personalities, from Sayuri's gently goading friend, to the obligatory Hopeless Friends (plus the macho variant), the soft-hearted delinquent, the meganekko, the unforgettable chick (literally) Piyoko, and all the other assist-characters for the main heroines / hero.A lot of these had one, if not many, sub-plots devoted to them as well. Mi-chan's (Mina's friend) quest to snag the heart of delinquent Inukai, the homeroom teacher's online adventures, something involving that one afro-sporting goddess; some might pass this off as filler, but in the largely aimless domain known as Tokimeki Memorial, it's just more of a broad focus than anything else.It's the full package, a smorgasboard of characters that, even if they didn't have distinct story, showed up often enough and had actual speaking roles often enough to prove that, yes, they existed, and really contributed to making this show.The infamous Bread Lady is one of the characters that symbolizes this attitude of TokiMemo. No one knows her name (perhaps Kohaku?), but everyone by the end knows her reputation as the vengeful person who never drops that almost mischievous smile.Throughout the course of the show she sets fireworks under the stage of a school event, drops an entire room full of jocks, and tricks more than her share of gullible students. It all caps off in the final episode (yeah, there's a moment in her somewhere) where, together with Riku's loyal if not inept friends, she vows to hold off the hordes of Amamiya fanboys...with weapons straight from the military.I'm pretty sure an automatic weapon wielded by two students and a bread lady would be the last thing I'd see in a harem/romance, but in a show with a light-hearted, zany demeanor such as TokiMemo, it just works.It's so ridiculous, so over-the-top, so - fitting - that I consider it completely brilliant. It's one of those moments that really confirms why I watched TokiMemo; for the reality-mocking, no-holds-barred, wild sense of humor it has, with a dash or two of simple-style romance. TokiMemo is what I consider THE year's example of side characters done right.Sanae Furukawa, here's what you have to live up to.-CCY
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The new season is coming up fast. The first new show, Ayakashi, has already begun, and the season gets fully under way exactly two weeks from today. As with most winter seasons, there are not a huge number of new shows. The Spring and Fall 2007 seasons had almost 40 new shows each. This winter season has around 20. I don't see anything potentially classic here, but you never know.I myself am looking forward to the new show from the director of Simoun, Nishimura Junji. True Tears looks like a standard harem romance, but his presence, along with that of writer Okada Mari, who wrote many episodes of Simoun, gives me hope for something a bit special. Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Koshinryou) is based on an award-winning novel about a young travelling merchant and a wolf-goddess, who are played in the anime by Fukuyama Jun and Koshimizu Ami. The wolf-goddess's character is entrancing: playful and bold. I keep wanting Ami to get better roles, and I think this might be a big one for her.Even though it is too long for my taste (52 episodes) Porfy no Nagai Tabi could be interesting, made as it is by Mochizuki Tomomi, who did both Zettai Shounen and YKK. Rosario+Vampire has an amazing cast, headed by Mizuki Nana, and an intriguing vampire+school life plot. And the "second helping" of the enjoyable Minami-ke will be interesting, since it is made by a completely new staff (but with the same cast). H2O～Footprints in the Sand～ is another harem romance, but it has Koshimizu Ami in it and was written by Hanada Jukki, who wrote sola. A new season of ARIA, a new season of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, a new season of Gunslinger Girl.The list below is in the order the new shows will air. English titles link to a show's Anime News Network encyclopedia page, which has more staff/cast info. Japanese titles link to official sites. Clicking "forum" will take you to the AnimeSuki forum for each show, where people post even more info about the show. Times are in Japanese TV-listing style: 26:30 Monday means 2:30 am Tuesday (midnight is 24:00, plus 2:30 makes 26:30).The list includes only series. I'll cover OVAs separately, time permitting. A couple of big OVAs are actually coming this Friday, 21 December, with the first episode of a four-ep Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien OVA and the first episode of Amuri in Star Ocean, starring Makino Yui, Noto Mamiko, Saitou Momoko, Kaneda Tomoko, and Aizawa Michiru (Furoe in Simoun).Ayakashi. アヤカシ. "Adapted from an adult superhuman battle action visual novel. Ayakashi is a parasitic force that gives superpowers to its host, taking in return the host's entire life force. Kusaka Yuu is a student that lost his will to live after the death of a dear childhood friend, until the day a mysterious girl appears. Hunted by Ayakashi and their hosts, the power within Yuu awakens and a never-ending battle begins." (ANN) Director and writer Takada Jun and Kouno Takemitsu did the totally different show Lamune. Stars Mizuki Nana, Kishio Daisuke, Matsuki Miyu, Sugita Tomokazu, Yukino Satsuki, et al. Preview broadcast of eps 1-2 on 8 Dec 07. Starts 11:00 wed dec12. forum. Sisters of Wellber 2. ウエルベールの物語 第二部. Three episodes of the first series was all I could take. I think it was the talking tank that got me. The cast is great: Takahashi Mikako, Takeuchi Junko (Naruto), Sendai Eri, Namikawa Daisuke, Sugita Tomokazu. And the basic set-up is good: a princess flees arrest for murder, under the protection of a female thief. Time to take another look? Director Hamana Takayuki did Prince of Tennis. Production I.G., TransArts. Starts 26:30 tue jan01. forum.Rosario to Vampire. ロザリオとバンパイア. One of the more anticipated shows of the season, with an outstanding cast: Mizuki Nana, Chiba Saeko, Kugimiya Rie, Inoue Kikuko, Fukuen Misato, Kishio Daisuke, Seki Tomokazu, Koyasu Takehito. "Tsukune Aono (Kishio Daisuke) is not a good student. The only school he can get into turns out to be a school attended by youkai ("monsters"), disguised as humans. Fearing for his life, he attempts to escape. But he meets Moka Akashiya (Mizuki Nana), a beautiful girl who just happens to be a vampire. He decides to stay at the academy, hiding his human nature from students and teachers. But Tsukune discovers that when the rosary around Moka's neck is removed, her true vampire nature emerges." (Anime News Network)Director Inagaki Takayuki directed Sunabouzu, Marginal Prince, and Koharu Biyori. Lead writer Yamaguchi Hiroshi did Argento Soma, Comic Party, Sunabouzu, and ToHeart2. Could become just a moe monster-of-the-week anime, but has promise. Gonzo. 13eps. Starts 23:30 thu jan03. forumH2O ～Footprints in the Sand～. H2O ～FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND～. Koshimizu Ami in yet another harem romance. Adapted from an ero-game. People say the game is slow and makes poor use of some good ideas. But the anime adaptation is written by Hanada Jukki (Rozen Maiden, sola). Perhaps he can make better use of the material. Starts 25:20 thu jan03. forum.Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de. 君が主で執事が俺で. Although it's being broadcast at 6:30 Friday evenings, this appears to be a full-on harem show with tsunderes. It has a fantastic cast: Seki Tomokazu, Itou Shizuka, Tanaka Rie, Gotou Yuuko, Hiyama Nobuyuki. "...in the game, the player’s character is a butler who must serve a demanding wealthy heiress. The Kuonji family is a very old and very rich one with three daughters (Itou and Gotou play two of them), each of whom has her own staff. It’s a Kuonji family tradition for the staff to swear absolute loyalty to their masters, so when teenage runaway Ren Uesugi (Seki Tomokazu) and his sister Mihato (hitomi) are desperate for the money, they agree to make the pledge." (jcdranzer, AnimeSuki) A.C.G.T. Starts 18:30 fri jan04. forum Hatenkou Yuugi. 破天荒遊戯. Kobayashi Sanae, Sakurai Takahiro, and Miki Shinichirou are an excellent main cast. A young girl named Rahzel is booted out of her house one day by her father with the instructions to 'see the world.' And so her journey begins. However, she won’t be doing it alone. She befriends a stoic young man named Alzeido seeking revenge for his father's murder. Alzeido and Rahzel are like oil and water, but they feel strangely drawn to one another. This could be either the result of an underlying attraction — or their shared powers with magic... (Baka-updates) The outstanding Kobayashi Sanae (Maya in Glass Mask) means I have to watch at least one episode. Miki Shinichirou and Sakurai Takahiro are more reasons to watch. Studio Deen. Starts 26:30 fri jan04. forum. Zenryoku Usagi. 全力ウサギ. "Full-power Bunnies." Saturday-morning anime featuring construction-worker rabbits. When an official site doesn’t give the names of the staff, I worry about quality. TMS Entertainment. Starts 08:30 sat jan05. MAJOR 4th season. MAJOR 4th season. The fourth season of the perennially popular baseball anime. Director Kasai Kenichi has branched off from here to do Honey & Clover 2 and KimiKiss ~pure rouge~. Starts 18:00 sat jan05. forum. PERSONA -trinity soul-. PERSONA -trinity soul-. Set in another futuristic city ten years after the events of Persona 3, the anime revolves around the undead known as "reverse," who disguise themselves as humans. It will be a supernatural story like the Persona series and will involve 3 brothers. Not my thing, but the preview has a quality look about it. Director Matsumoto Jun is new, but lead writer Muto Yasutuki wrote many episodes of Chevalier D'Eon. Cast includes Okamoto Nobuhiko (Yorito in sola), Koyasu Takehito, Sawashiro Miyuki, Asumi Kana, and Nakahara Mai. A-1 Pictures (Ookiku Furikabutte). Starts 22:30 sat jan05. forum. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei season 2. 俗・さよなら絶望先生. After the comparatively poor ratings for Negima, director Shinbou Akiyuki only got 13 episodes for Zetsubou Sensei. But the success of the first season got him a second season. A unique show with a terrific cast. Kamiya Hiroshi is great as the sensei, and he is surrounded with fine performances: Nonaka Ai, Sawashiro Miyuki, Matsuki Miyu, Gotou Yuuko, Shintani Ryouko, Sanada Asami, etc., etc. 13eps. Starts 24:30 sat jan05. forum true tears. true tears. Looks on the surface like a standard harem anime, but the preview has a very nice feel. A cast starring Nazuka Kaori, Iguchi Yuka, and Takagaki Ayahi is promising. Add Nishimura Junji, the director of Simoun, and Okada Mari, who wrote many episodes of that show, and you've got my attention for sure. P.A.Works. 13eps. Starts 25:00 sat jan05. forum.Shigofumi. シゴフミ. "A story about a miracle, involving Fumika, a quiet but hard working girl who wears a uniform that of a mail carrier, and her talkative staff and partner Mayama. The Shigofumi is a posthumous letter, the last resort of relaying a deceased person's last message to his/her loved ones: family, friends, and significant other." (Dengeki Bunko newsletter, via eggplant on AnimeSuki.) Directed by Satou Tatsuo (Stellvia) and starring Ueda Kana and Matsuoka Yuki. JCStaff. 12eps. Starts 25:35 sat jan05. forum. Porfy no Nagai Tabi. ポルフィの長い旅. A Sunday prime-time family show slated for 52 episodes. Stars Kaida Yuki, Fujimura Ayumi (Ayano in Kaze no Stigma), Inoue Kazuhiko (Gorou in Moonlight Mile), and Shimamoto Sumi (Kyoko in Maison Ikkoku, Kanata in Lucky Star). The story revolves around a Greek boy who loses touch with his sister after an earthquake and travels around Europe looking for her. Directed by Mochizuki Tomomi, who did the excellent Zettai Shounen and YKK. Nippon Animation. 52eps. Starts 19:30 sun jan06. Minami-ke O-kawari. みなみけ～おかわり（仮）. Another helping of Minami-ke, but from a different set of cooks: the same cast for ingredients, but a different studio and staff to prepare the meal, including the director of Shuffle!, Hosoda Naoto. Satou Rina, Inoue Marina, and Chihara Minori have all been good in the first helping, so I'm looking forward to seeing this new version. Reminds me of Futakoi and Futakoi Alternative. asread. Starts 25:30 sun jan06. Aria The Origination. Aria The Origination. Third season of the show that defines "slice of life." No details yet available, but I expect to hear the same great cast, including Hazuki Erino, Ohara Sayaka, Hirohashi Ryou, Saitou Chiwa, Kawakami Tomoko, Minagawa Junko, Mizuhashi Kaori, and Watanabe Akeno. Hal Filmmaker. Starts 26:00 mon jan07. forum. Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino-. GUNSLINGER GIRL -IL TEATRINO-. When the Social Welfare Agency investigates the disappearance of an operative, their inquiry leads them right into the lair of their rival, the Five Republics. The assassin Triela infiltrates the hostile organization, but her search is cut short when she finds herself staring down the barrel of a gun... (ANN) Many changes in the voice cast from the first series. The new series features Mizuno Risa, Shiono Anri, Enomoto Atsuko, Hanazawa Kana, Koyasu Takehito, Kishio Daisuke, and Shiraishi Minoru. And it has a new director: Mano Rei, the woman who directed Ghost Hunt. Artland. Starts 27:00 mon jan07. forum. Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Koshinryou). 狼と香辛料. From a prize-winning novel set in a fictional version of medieval Europe. The main character is a 25-year-old traveling merchant, Lawrence. He meets Horo, a pretty but unpredictable centuries-old wolf and harvest-goddess. She has left the village she's supposed to watch over because she believes the people there have forsaken her. She wants to go north, back to her homeland, and also to travel and see the world, which she knows has changed since she came to the village. (with info from Tangowr, AnimeSuki) Stars Koshimizu Ami, Fukuyama Jun, Kaori Nazuka, Nakahara Mai. I think this role could be a great one for the talented Koshimizu Ami. Unfortunately, the staff makes me worry: director Takahashi Takeo and lead writer Arakawa Naruhisa made the ecchi comedy Cosmoplitan Prayers together. IMAGIN. Starts 25:30 tue jan08. forum. Noramimi. のらみみ. Seinen comedy. Cast includes Katou Nanae, who played Princess Tutu, as well as rising star Kitamura Eri, and Shiraishi Minoru in what appears to be a minor role. TMS Entertainment. Starts 25:45 wed jan09. forum Hakaba Kitarou. 墓場鬼太郎. "Graveyard Kitarou." Spin-off from Gegege no Kitarou. Director Chioka Kimitoshi did a good job with Kamisama Kazoku. Toei. Starts 24:45 thu jan10. Yatterman 2008. ヤッターマン 新シリーズ. Revives a successful 1970s kids/family franchise. Starring Yoshino Hiroyuki (Zed in Kiba), Itou Shizuka, Takahashi Chiaki, Yamadera Kouichi. Directed by original directior Sasagawa Hiroshi, written by Takahashi Natsuko, who did Blue Drop, Moyashimon, and Gakuen Heaven. Tatsunoko. 70eps. Starts 19:00 mon jan14.Yes! Precure 5 Go Go! Yes！プリキュア5 GoGo! The new Precure 5 series will be directed by the director of the previous Precure 5 series. Cast details are not yet available, but I expect to hear the wonderful Sanpei Yuuko back as Cure Dream, along with Ise mariya, Maeda Ai, Nagano Ai, and Takeuchi Junko. Starts 08:30 sun feb02.Mnemosyne. Mnemosyne -ムネモシュネの娘たち-. This won't start until sometime in February, but it should be worth waiting for. "In this sexy, hardboiled science fiction action anime, Tanaka Rie voices Yamanobe Sayara, head of Aoyama Pharmaceutical Company's Sayama Laboratory. The haughty, quite sadistic Sayara conducts illegal experiments at the laboratory." (Siegel Clyne, AnimeSuki) Add Noto Mamiko, Kugimiya Rie, and Ohara Sayaka and we may really have something here. If we can take it. The preview video includes nudity and violence. Director Ueda Shigeru did Elemental Gelade and episodes of FMA and Lain.There will also be a couple of very short shows notable mainly for their stars. Tanaka Rie will star as on-chan, Hokkaido TV's popular mascot character, in a weekly six-minute show called on-chan onちゃん. Also in the show will be Konno Hiromi, who was Akira on Lucky Channel, and Kaneda Tomoko. Fridays at 19:54, starting fri 18jan.And Hirano Aya will star in Moegaku 5 もえがく★5, a daily 15-minute show that has both a live-action and an animated part. She will be the host of the live-action part and will voice a charcter in the anime. The show teaches languages, one language for each day of the week (English, Korean, Spanish, Chinese and French, Monday through Friday). The animation is by the director and the writer of Tokimeki Memorial, Takamoto Nobuhiro and Watanabe Akira. Starts 17:00 mon jan14.
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9. Tokimeki Memorial Only Love The Tokimeki Memorial franchise has a storied history. The original game and its sequels are often considered the quintessential dating sim. The franchise is also unique for its lack of adult content; porn sells bishoujo games, obviously, but Tokimeki Memorial has always managed to get by without. [...]
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A day early but tommorow's off-schedule so the Thanksgiving post is today; it's a bit of a break from the normal Shiori fanboying metaposts in order to give profuse thanks and a bit of recognition to everyone who makes being an anime fan possible.And that's a lot of people.I suppose I should start with the fansub groups, the most critical to 'illiterates' like me who can't speak nor write Japanese. Without them we'd have to settle for using the tried-and-true "Mystery Science Theater" method combined with the raws. And as funny as it may be (try it with a Chinese drama sometime) it's not much for actual understanding.And so, hats off to you, translators.To a.f.k., the popular group that, despite living up to their name scarily often now, continues to bring us high-quality translations of high-quality anime. I know that their brand name, so to speak, has drawn me to such entertaining slice-of-lives as Lucky Star and Zetsubou Sensei.To m.3.3.w fansubs, for subbing an equally interesting variety of harem anime with lightning speed and top-notch quality for speedsubs.To (the) Triad, for subbing all the manly shows that people claim to be 'too pointy' for them. No moe != no fun.To HG-F, for picking up the slack in subbing Wangan Midnight, and allowing us car-show fanatics to get our vroom on.To SS-Eclipse, for being just as high-quality as any of the groups out there and twice as willing to sub shows in 4:3 definition (aka yay Clannad fix) and shows that get horribly melon-panned, deserved or not.To C1, for staying dedicated and subbing Tokimeki Memorial all the way to the end. They go to show that just because subs are slow doesn't mean that they are dead.To all the anonymous subbers out there for swooping in in the dead of the night and finishing translation for lesser-known or dead series that otherwise might fade into the mist.A shout-out to nyoro~n fansubs as well; as much criticism as they've taken (valid or not), they deserve a hand for shaping up and continuing on subbing instead of folding under fire like a house of cards.And of course all the other groups that I can't mention because they sub a different genre of show.No English Type-Moon fan could go without noting the great efforts put forth by mirror moon and Revolve Translations as well. Collectively these two have translated already nearly everything there is to see in the official Tsukihime universe (from Tsukihime to Kagetsu Tohya to even the Plus-Disc), and I think work is being done on Fate/Stay Night and Melty Blood as we speak. Where would we be today in a world that does not know sad Sacchin or moe Hisui?And for the Key fans who can't just be satisfied with KyoAni productions, I'd like to thank the people who translated ONE, the first Key-style novel from some of their members, as well as Non-Directional Translations in advance for presumably releasing Kanon before I die. I'll be watching warmly for that. (Yeah, they did a Touhou game too, not to mention the name reference)Then in the anime blogging universe, there's Maestro for providing a great dedicated, free hosting service - not to mention, an antenna for blogs all over the world - for budding anime bloggers everywhere.Naturally, the original animators themselves (no studio in particular, either), and the local companies in America who officially bring things stateside are deserving of thanks as well, since they make it all possible for people like us.Speaking of, ready to get tacky? Each one of you deserves a bit of kudos for keeping the faith up in some way. Whether it be writing or reading a blog, the fan community is always one of the driving factors behind any passion, and the anime one is always one that's very spirited.Yeah, people don't get along at times, and yeah, sometimes it hurts to read some of the less coherent opinions, but there still are a lot of very interesting bloggers out there, whether it be one who can deliver a strong argumentative essay or one who can write a side-splitting post.Don't ever forget that Your Voice Counts; just because no one comments on your posts, just because you're not mentioned in every blogroll, doesn't mean that your opinion doesn't matter. It'd be wrong to be deluded the other way either, to think that you have the right to strike it big, the right to be heard by everyone, but rather it's a simple fact that, while you may not get out to a wide range of people, someone out there is probably reading your work. And with the 'ripple in a pond' effect that the blogging community often has, all it takes is time and a little dedication.And while I'm riding the wave of Shugo Chara-level "you can"-ism, thanks for all the readers of this blog (at least I hope it's a few and not just one person refreshing 100 times) for amusing yourself with the rants and writing practice of an anime fanboy.So yeah, be thankful for something this weekend; we know you're already thankful for your family, for your job, for your friends, for your great country (political debate about administration notwithstanding) and for everything life has given you; it's the things that seem less 'deserving of thanks' at times that need the most recgonition.And so if there was one slightly biased message I'd convey with this post, aside from the above, it'd be: give your thanks with your wallet too this holiday season. For some, anime isn't just afree passion.Merry Thanksgiving to all, and to all a good dinner. (Wait...)-CCY
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This show is starting to remind me of my days blogging Tokimeki Memorial but let’s move on to this week’s episode: Yes! At least we didn’t have frogs this week and the episode was fairly enjoyable when Kazuki grew some balls and invited Miss Elitist Bitch to eat some ramen.
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