Somehow I've managed to see the first episodes of almost all the new anime. Here's what I thought of them. As usual, there are far too many watchable shows.Just for reference, my favorite recent shows are Simoun, Honey & Clover, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu, NANA, and Bokura ga Ita. But I've also enjoyed Kashimashi, Lemon Angel Project, NHK ni You Koso, Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora, Shinigami no Ballad, Saiunkoku Monogatari, and Noein, among others.Here is a trip through the week, day by day. Shows I like most get a screencap. Best show so far? For me, it's Asatte no Houkou. For others, it might be Kanon, Death Note, Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto, or Negima. I also have a calendar of the week, showing days and times the shows are on in Japan, and highlights of staff and cast.Sunday:Gin-iro no Cord ~Primo Passo~ -- Reverse-harem romance in a high school devoted to music. Takagi Reiko does a lovely job communicating the heroine's feelings. The music fairy who is the guardian of the school gives her a magic violin that enables her to compete with the best musicians in the school, most of whom are bishounen. I liked it. So sue me.Galaxy Angelune -- Crazy comic beautiful girls commit crazy violence in good causes. Despite Hirano Aya and Kobayashi Akiko (PuniPuni Poemi), this didn't do much for me.Marginal Prince -- An innocent Japanese boy becomes a student at a grand old school on an island in Europe, where the half-dozen students are all princely bishounen. Uh-oh: I enjoyed this simple, old-fashioned, somewhat cheesy and yaoi-ish bishounen show. Your mileage may vary.Monday:Tokimeki Memorial ~Only Love~ -- School comedy. Beautiful girls. Stupid humor. Some people apparently liked this ero-game conversion. Not me.Rabudoru ~Lovely Idol~ -- Another simple show I enjoyed a lot. Girls becoming idols. Decent music. A nice look. Great voice-acting: Nogawa Sakura, Sakai Kanako (REC), Nakahara Mai (Mai in Mai-HiME), Chihara Minori (Yuki in Suzumiya Haruhi), Gotou Yuuko (Mikuru in Suzumiya Haruhi), Momoi Haruko (Nurse Witch Komugi). (Second episode was not so enjoyable.)Pumpkin Scissors -- Well-made show set in a post-war purgatory of famine and disorder. Decent action. Characters with character, although kind of shallow, for me. Itou Shizuka in one of her two good roles this season (the other being in Asatte no Houkou). Ueda Kana as the humble secretary who knows everything.Tuesday:D. Gray Man -- Monster-of-the-week. Well-made but a bit limp. Set in London circa Jack the Ripper. Kobayashi Sanae (Maya in Glass Mask) is good as the (male) protagonist.Death Note -- Powerful, excellently animated and well-acted descent into megalomaniac madness. For many, this will be the show of the season. Great performance by Miyano Mamoru (Tamaki in Ouran, in a totally different role) as the top student who gets a shinigami's notebook, enabling him to kill whom he pleases. And Hirano Aya and Kudou Haruka will apparently show up in episode 2.Ghost Hunt -- Nicely-made female-oriented story of a girl who becomes part of a group of ghost-hunters led by a (sort of) bishounen. Good voice-acting by Nazuka Kaori (Yun in Simoun). Develops slowly.Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (Perfect Girl Evolution) -- Animation that's completely nuts of a manga that's completely nuts by a director who's completely nuts (Nabeshin, who made PuniPuni Poemi). Four bishounen are given free rent in a mansion if they can convert the owner's niece from a hikikomori, self-conscious, negative horror freak into a charming young lady. (Second episode was hilarious.)Shounen Onmyouji -- Great Heian setting for a monster-of-the-week anime featuring yin-yang magic. Love interest arrives in episode 2. Looks wonderful, has some nice features, including a terrific (and powerful) animal companion, but didn't do much for me. Screenplay by the man who did Wolf's Rain and Turn A Gundam, however, so things may improve. My problem is that monsters bore me.Black Lagoon ~Second Barrage~ (haven't seen it)Red Garden -- Fascinating supernatural mystery featuring amazing realistic animation and pre-recorded voices that really act. Set in New York, centered on four girls at the same school who discover they have all forgotten the evening when a classmate died, and are told that they are dead, too. (Second episode was outstanding.)Wednesday:Negima!? -- Wonderful comic animation directed by Shinbou Akiyuki (Tsukuyomi ~Moon Phase~, PaniPoni Dash!), with a cast that never stops: Kanda Akemi (Kazuki in Tonagura, etc.), Satou Rina (reprising her role as Negima), Nonaka Ai (Iriya, etc.), Kadowaki Mai, Noto Mamiko, Horie Yui, Inokuchi Yuka (Anju in Karin). (Second episode blew me away.)Busou Renkin -- Almost bearable monster show. And that's saying something, coming from me. Hirano Aya as a (platonically) loving imouto is worth the price of admission. Yahagi Sayuri (Karin) will show up soon. (Second episode bored me, descending into real monster-of-the-week. But Hirano Aya was still great.)Super Robot Taisen OG ~Divine Wars~ -- People who like this sort of thing seem to like it. Good mecha. Nice bright look. Takahashi Mikako in a b-role as the brave damsel in distress. For boys.Galaxy Railways ~The Junction Point to Eternity~ -- I find the whole concept of a train flying through space difficult to swallow, and don't like mecha that look as if they were designed in the 19th century. But even that aside, this first episode of the new series seemed pretty lame to me: logic seemed quite absent. I've never watched Galaxy Railways 999, which people say was a good show.Yoake Mae yori Ruriiro na Crescent Love -- Cute game-conversion comedy that I actually found funny. Nabatame Hitomi (Shizuma in Strawberry Panic, Nobue in Ichigo Mashimaro) is wonderful as the regal but romantic moon princess who comes to Earth for a homestay with the hero (his onee-san is chief spokesperson for the president of Earth). (Second episode has me hooked.)Souten no Ken -- Appears to be a stupid, cheap, ugly, fighting show. I couldn't stand to watch enough to really find out.Thursday:Sasami Mahou Shoujo Club 2 -- Kid stuff. The main seiyuu are all under 15 and sound like it. Charming, but of little interest to me.Pokemon Diamond & Pearl (haven't seen it)Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo! -- A big surprise. Funny and extreme. The superwoman (and I do mean Superwoman) school idol instantly falls in love with the weak little new boy. Hilarious schtick and well-done fanservice. Takahashi Mikako in a new kind of role.Kanon -- As good as advertised. Fabulous, deeply moving animation. Melancholy supernatural romance featuring sad girls in snow. The largest, most liquid eyes ever. Horie Yui, Tamura Yukari, Sugita Tomokazu, Seki Tomokazu, Kawakami Tomoko, Kawasumi Ayako. Directed by the director of Air, written by the writer of Full Metal Panic, animated by Kyoto Animation. Need I say more?009-1 -- Could become a camp classic. Voluptuous, invincible, cool female James Bond and voluptuous colleagues in a 1960s East Block-West Block cold war setting. Great character design. Well directed, if simple and old-fashioned. Enjoyable fighting and bionic weaponry. Based on a classic late-1960s manga by Shotaro Ishinomori. A sleeper. Feminist bishoujo?CODE GEASS - Lelouch of the Rebellion -- Entertaining enough, but not as gripping as I'd hoped. Area 11 (i.e., Japan) rebels against rule by the Britannia Empire. America/England bad, Japan good. The first of two anti-foreign shows from Sunrise. I want to see and hear more of the intriguing alien (?) played by Yukana.Gin-iro no Olynssis -- A misfire from Artland. Fairly silly, with some nice shots and the potential for a good silent beautiful alien. Second-rate monsters are even worse than first-rate monsters. So far this is a waste of the talents of Nazuka Kaori, Hisakawa Aya and Akemi Kanda.Asatte no Houkou -- The best first episode of the week. Beautifully directed and acted, with an intriguing premise involving a little girl who wants to grow up fast, and a young woman who wants to go back to being a child. We'll see where it goes. Ito Shizuka is marvellous.Happiness -- Made me happy. Appears to involve tension-free romance at a school for magicians. Lamune vibes.Sumomomo Momono -- Hilarious and outrageous. Unique character design. The daughter of one martial arts master is betrothed to the somewhat older son of another so that they can produce a worthy heir. She wants to be his bride (does she ever) and he just wants to become a lawyer. But be warned: the greatest amount of loli fanservice I have ever seen in one episode. Hirano Aya enters the fray starting with episode 2.Gift ~Eternal Rainbow~ -- People love the game, but the first episode didn't do much for me. I didn't like the protagonist, and the "plot" was pretty limp. But the VA cast is nice: Shimizu Ai, Miyazaki Ui, Shintani Ryouko, Koshimizu Ami, Tai Yuuki(Chevalier/D'Eon).Friday:Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto -- Animation at least as good as Kanon, if you can imagine it. So beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. Complex end-of-Edo-period plot involving swordsmanship and magic. Anti-foreign and maybe anti-Chinese vibes, but the animation is so good it doesn't matter.Kujibiki Unbalance -- It's going to take a while to get over the complete dissimilarity from the OVA eps in Genshiken, but I enjoyed it, up to a point. Moe voice-acting and reworked cliches to the max. Nonaka Ai was just fabulous as Tokino, and lots of others were good, too, including Koshimizu Ami as The Chairman and Gotou Yuuko at her most extreme kiddy-moe. The semi-unknown new recruits to the voice-acting cast stepped right up.Saturday:Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! (haven't seen it)Ayakashi Ayashi -- Another Edo swordsmanship and magic story, like Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto, with simpler (but still very nice) animation and a simpler (but to me more moving) plot. Fujiwara Keiji (Shuuji in Honey & Clover) and Niino Michi (Aaeru in Simoun).Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori -- Great new opening, at least for the first episode. If anything even more beautiful and tormenting that the first series, if this episode is any example. But still repetitive and unsatisfying.Otome wa Boku ni Koi Shiteru -- Kashimashi reborn. Following his grandfather's will, a very pretty boy dresses as a girl and goes to a girls' school, where everyone falls in love with him (I mean her). Lots of Strawberry Panic, too. Horie Yui, Matsuki Miyu (Simoun/Anguras, Strawberry Panic/Hikari), Kanda Akemi (Negima /Asuna, Tonagura /Kazuki), Asano Masumi, Gotou Yuuko, Nogawa Sakura. Plenty of yuri-esque fanservice.History's Strongest Disciple Ken'ichi (haven't seen it)
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Yesh, I grabbed them as soon as the subs were released. But nope, I will not go into the details of the episode or how bad the quality of the subs are. Until now, there are two groups releasing this anime series. First of all, Static-Subs collaborating with Eclipse and secondly, afk. I got Static's version because they were out earlier. Although so, when I have downloaded around 50% of Static's release, I found out that afk had also released theirs. I felt that afk's should be better (I have downloaded three anime series from the group namely Full Moon wo Sagashite, Karin and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya), but again, I have also thought about Static and Eclipse's Shakugan no Shana, as they also did a good job in subbing Shakugan no Shana. But now I do feel like regretting on getting Static+Eclipse's. I don't like the text font they're using. All I can hope is that afk won't repeat the same mistake they did when subbing Karin.Yuuichi looks a lot like Kyon in this angle!Now back on topic about the episode. Yuuchi is the main male character played by Tomokazu Sugita, better known for his role as Kyon from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. He had just returned from somewhere, and he has been waiting for 2 hours under the snow in the train station for his female cousin, Nayuki. Nayuki looks alot like Asakura Ryoko...scary!This female cousin of his has a long blue hair with a 'cat's ear' hair style and a pretty voice. Disturbingly, this reminds me of Asakura Ryoko from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Although so, she's the total opposite of Asakura Ryoko by being the captain of her school's track team. She claimed that she can run 100m in 7 seconds and break the world record. lol. If she is able to do so, then from today onwards, Kyon is the Secretary General of the United Nations.</sarcasm>Whoo... hot water!And yeah... it was so cold in winter in Japan that they had to use hot water to melt the snow on the lock of the gate so that they open it and leave the house."You'd better appologize for the taiyaki, as I'll be paying..."Then comes this little girl, Ayu, which resembles Misuzu from Air a lot. Instead of "Gao~", she repeats "Uguu~" over and over again. And... she has fetish on some fish shaped mooncakes, what was it called again, taiyaki, yeah, taiyaki, and she even bought a pack without paying. She's a total cry baby. Is she bullied? Is this a sibling fight?I was wondering, was this teknik plot imbas kembali (remembering the past plot technique) really popular among anime creators? Somehow, I have encountered with quite a number of anime series recalling their memories, like for example, Tonagura and Full Moon wo Sagashite. But that's what happened. Yuuchi recalled his memories he had with Ayu whe he was small. I'm expecting more.
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Here's a graphic calendar of the fall anime season. I find the format useful for keeping track of what days shows are broadcast in Japan, and therefore what days we can expect to see raws around.This season, the calendar includes more staff and cast names, and more links to info about them in the Anime News Network encyclopedia. I got carried away. But the links are useful for easily checking who has done what before.Random Curiosity has a good overall outline of the new shows. I'm not sure which shows I'll be watching. I'll give almost all of them one episode. But just based on staff and cast, here are some observations:MondayLovedol~Lovely Idol~ has a very interesting cast, including Nakahara Mai, Gotou Yuuko, Chihara Minori (Yuki in Suzumiya Haruhi), and Sakai Kanako (Aka in REC). But it has the same director and scriptwriter as Amenaideyo, so I'm worried.... It's a show about pretty girls working to become idols, from Navel.TuesdayDeath Note was written by the man who wrote FMA and Tenjo Tenghe, so it has possibilities. And it has Hirano Aya (Suzumiya Haruhi) and Kudou Haruka (Hagu in H&C, Haruka in Noein). Psychological/supernatural thriller.Nazuka Kaori stars in Ghost Hunt. After Yun in Simoun, I am realizing just how talented she is. Kugimiya Rie and JC Staff are also attractions. Kaorin is a schoolgirl who joins a group investigating supernatural mysteries.Perfect Girl Evolution (Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge) is directed by Nabeshin (Watanabe Shin'ichi, who did Excel Saga and Puni Puni Poemi), so I just don't know what to expect. But I'll be watching. I think he's brilliant. Sugita Tomokazu (Kyon) and Nakahara Mai don't hurt, either. Some bishounen are given the task of turning an antisocial wallflower into a charming young lady.Black Lagoon~Second Barrage~ may not be my kind of anime, but the addition of Kuwashima Houko and Kaneda Tomoko to the cast, which already included Toyoguchi Megumi and Namikawa Daisuke (Koyuki in Beck), adds to this show's attraction. Adventure.Red Garden is directed by Matsuo Kou, who did Rozen Maiden, and the screenplay is by Yamashita Tomohiro, who did the script of Gankutsuou. That's a good start, and the addition of Sawashiro Miyuki, Shintani Ryouko, Tanaka Rie and Gotou Saori (who in my opinion was outstanding in the otherwise forgettable Rakugo Tennyo Oyui) make this something to look at. Mystery/horror set in New York.WednesdayI found the first Negima quite lacking, except for the cast, but the staff making Negima!? is extremely intriguing. The director is Shinbou Akiyuki, who did PaniPoni Dash and Tsukuyomi Moon Phase. He can be relied on to bring a fresh approach and some visual invention. And with Kanda Akemi, Satou Rina, Nonaka Ai, Kadowaki Mai, Noto Mamiko, Horie Yui and Inokuchi Yuka, there will be a lot to listen to. School comedy with magic.Soukou no Strain has Kawasumi Ayako, and I'll always look at anything she is in. But it also has Nonaka Ai's sweet voice, as well as Kondo Takashi (Train from Black Cat), Matsuki Miyu (another sweet voice, Anguras in Simoun), Jouji Nakata and Rie Tanaka. And the weird but wonderful voice of Mugihito (Kouhei's grandfather in Tsukuyomi Moon Phase, and the alien commander in PaniPoni Dash). Mecha SF (plus moe?).I'll be looking at Yoake Mae yori Ruriiro na Crescent Love mainly for the sake of its star, Nabatame Hitomi. But I'm intrigued by the fact that its first-time director is someone who did episodes of Ichigo Mashimaro and Mai-HiME. The fact that the scriptwriter did Karin and He is My Master make me wonder how well the manga adaptation will be handled, but we'll see. Game conversion about a moon princess who comes to live with a guy on Earth.As an instant fan of young, unglamorous Yahagi Sayuri, I will definitely watch anything she's in, and that includes Busou Renkin, even though I am less than turned-on by the genre. Fukuyama Jun, Yuzuki Ryoka (Misagi in Air), Hirano Aya and Nabatame are also reasons to watch. Weapons alchemy and monsters.ThursdayTakahashi Mikako may well be my favorite seiyuu right now, for her work as Ayu in H&C and Rika in Hantsuki -- and she has now had some very strong scenes in Simoun, as well. So I will definitely look at Mamoru-kun ni Megami Shukufuku wo! Ono Daisuke (Yukito in Air), Noto Mamiko, Shimizu Ai and Inokuchi Yuka (Anju in Karin) are further attractions. The director of Canvas2 worries me, but at least he didn't do series composition on that eventual train wreck, which was generally a good show. Series composition is by Okada Mari, who wrote many episodes of Simoun, some of Rozen Maiden, and wrote the screenplay for Aria the Natural. Magic and romance.I like the premise of Hataraki Man -- travails of an OL (working woman) -- and I look forward to some chemistry between Tanaka Rie and Ueda Yuuji (Morita in Honey & Clover).Kanon, of course, goes without saying. The director of Air and SHnY? The scriptwriter of FMP? Horie Yui, Tamura Yukari, Sugita Tomokazu, Seki Tomokazu, Kawakami Tomoko and Kawasumi Ayako? Kyoto Animation? Twelve days to go....Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion also may not be my kind of show, but the staff and cast might make it one. The director did PlanetES and Infinite Ryvius. The screenwriter did the script of PlanetES and Turn A Gundam. And the character design is by Clamp. To that, add a cast that never stops: Fukuyama Jun, Sakurai Takahiro, Yukana (who was great in two roles in Simoun), Koshimizu Ami, Orikasa Fumiko, Nakata Jouji, Nazuka Kaori, Chiba Saeko, Ohara Sayaka and Arai Satomi (Kozue in Mahoraba). Mecha/SF adventure.Gin-iro no Olynssis is from Artland, and after Bokura ga Ita and Mushishi, I'll look at anything they show me. The scriptwriter, Nishizono Satoru, did script and series composition for Welcome to the NHK, as well as the scripts for Jigoku Shoujo and Keroro Gunso. The screenplay is by Takeda Yuichiro, who did the same for Banner of Stars and Infinite Ryvius. Add Nazuka Kaori, Hisakawa Aya and Akemi Kanda, and I'm all ears, as well as eyes. Mecha/SF romance.If you want to hear what Hino Satoshi sounds like when he's not paired with Kugimiya Rie (as he was in Shana and Zero), try Happiness. The story has a hook: the hero's little sister turns into an adult and his ex-girlfriend into a child. The director, Sakurabi Katsushi, directed Tsukihime. And there is Artland animation. Game-conversion harem romance.Sumomomo Momomo has two attractions: Hirano Aya in a supporting role, and Nakanishi Nobuaki, the director of Kashimashi. Martial arts plus moe romantic comedy.Gift~Eternal Rainbow~ does not have a famous staff or appear to have an original plot, but it does have Shimizu Ai and Koshimizu Ami, which may be enough, if they are at their best. I thought Amisuke was brilliant as Tenko in Kamisama Kazoku, and very strong in the completely opposite role of Paraietta in Simoun. And from Zettai Shounen to Okusama wa Mahou Shoujo to Strawberry Panic, I think Shimizu Ai has grown a lot in the past year. Moe magic romance.FridayHaving enjoyed Genshiken, I will certainly give Kujibiki Unbalance a long look. The fact that it stars Nonaka Ai is a further attraction, and the presence of Koshimizu Ami seals the deal. Amisuke has also grown this year, it seems to me. Yukana, who was so good as Eri and Dominura in Simoun, is also someone I'm now looking for. And the director of Dokuro-chan and xxxHolic, who also did some episodes of Genshiken?SaturdayThe only well-known seiyuu I can see in Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! is Tanaka Rie, playing a minor role. But the fact that the director and character designer both did work on Mushishi, and the director worked on Zettai Shounen and Bokura ga Ita as well, makes this show a bit intriguing. Comedy.Ayakashi Atashi is a big show, occupying the 6pm Saturday timeslot, and has the cast and staff to match. The main attraction for me is the presence of Niino Michi (Aaeru in Simoun) in her second-ever anime role. But Fujiwara Keiji (Shuuji in Honey & Clover) also stars, and Orikasa Fumiko is there in a supporting role, as is Ueda Yuuji (Morita in Honey & Clover). And the director previously did Azumanga Daioh, Angelic Layer and Melody of Oblivion; the series creator is Aikawa Shou (FMA, Twelve Kingdoms, possibly Simoun, under a pseudonym); and the animation is by Bones. Adventure, monsters, magic, Edo.Jigoku Shoujo Futamori is interesting for the look and for Noto Mamiko, but I really found the first series dragged, so I don't expect to spend much time with the new one.Otome wa Boku ni Koi Shiteru is another gender-bender, with a boy dressing as a girl and attending a girls' school. Or maybe it will just be ecchi. I'm not sure. But I am sure that the cast merits a long look: Horie Yui, Matsuki Miyu (Anguras in Simoun), Kanda Akemi (Hatsuki in Tonagura, Asuna in Negima), Asano Masumi, Gotou Yuuko, Nogawa Sakura.
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Well that ending sucked. It like totally ruined the series for me that I don’t ever wanna watch it again therefore it’s not a keeper I’m afraid! So anyway it turns out Yuuji really is moving and he’s moving to New York! Kazuki attemps to make up with him before he leaves but it [...]
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Impressions: While I think the episode is of less quality than previous episodes, the story takes a break from fun and cheery things to a more serious and sullen turn of events. Instead of Yuuji going after Kazuki as she changes or whatever, as he normally does, they have a pretty serious fight and end [...]
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I learned from this episode that men need to release their hornballness in order to survive. (But I think I knew that anyway.) Soo based on Kogoro-sensei’s advice, (and he’s like outta the picture for no apparent reason), Yuuji decides to quit being a pervert. Actually he just decides to quit being one in [...]
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Man I am never eating Ramen again…I feel so nauseated right now that if this summary sounds outta wack you know what to blame. The atmosphere between Yuuji and Kazuki is still pretty heavy. He tries appologizing to her but he’s all shy like that so he has difficulty doing so. It’s now time [...]
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And the dorama continues… but not without some goofy fanservice as usual. Ogorou sensei suggests that they all go to the beach to do a fun activity together. For some reason the class presidents come along too. The whole time throughout the episode Kogorou-sensei acts just like Yuuji, but Kazuki seems to be more [...]
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Title: Amaenaideyo!! / あまえないでよっ!!Anime Genre: Comedy, Ecchi, Harem, Romance, SupernaturalDate of Airing: 1st July 2005Date Concluded: 16th September 2005No. of Episodes: 12 + 1 DVD SpecialNo. of Episodes Watched: 12 + 1 DVD Special"Religious fanservice."Amaenaideyo!!...probably the only anime that lumps together 2 ingredients from opposite sides of the planet. A buddhist monk, and many amply chested, sexy babes. Okay, sexy priestesses/nuns (I'll go with nuns now...coz it's shorter), but no difference, just more perverted. =) If you have a fetish for very sexy, very young nuns, then stop reading this and do not hesitate to watch this anime, whatever my take on it. If not, read on. ^^Sakura.Real nuns are all this hot, honest.Satonaka Ikko is a 16 year old, talentless bloke who has been sent to the Saienji Temple by his parents to train as a monk. Upon arrival, he finds that the only other trainees at the temples are six pretty and sexy nuns (depending on what you like, lol), who will eventually subject him to all kinds of abuse like any other harem anime. The temple itself is run by Ikko's grandmother, Jotoku-ba, the Head Priestess of Saienji. Anyway, to cut to the chase, Ikko gains the incredible power of the deceased High Priest Saizen when he sees any of these nuns in whatever state of undress. Hence, begins their wonderful life together. ;)Haruka Neko-chan....meowww.These 2 are 'not supposed to be hot', lol.Anyway, the nuns in question are Nanbu Chitose, the fuchsia-haired, cute and innocent love interest for Ikko. Then there's Haruka, who's just the typical nice, carefree babe (much like Hatsune in Tonagura!), and Sumi, the brown skinned girl with a more than normal affinity for dogs. You'll get what I mean if you watch the show. ^^ Sakura and Hinata are sisters, Sakura is sadistic and power crazy, while Hinata is your silent-loli. Lastly, there's Yuko, who's more the fighting nun kind.As far as story goes, there really isn't much. Most of the plot for this first season of Amaenaideyo!! focuses on Ikko and his powers, but only in the most flippant fashion. Meaning all we get for the first 10 episodes is that Ikko becomes Superman when he sees the girls undressed. Nothing else. So, this concept is played out in all sorts of various situations, be it exorcising hordes of ghosts, or putting on a Masked Ranger stage show. There are quite a lot of religious sequences in the show, consisting of Buddhist terms, and also the chanting of the mantra. I do admit it's rather unsettling to hear religious chants 1 minute, then see a nun having her robes pulled off the next. =.=Masked Ranger Pretty!The anime is slightly like Love Hina in the sense that from the get-go, you KNOW there's only one girl for Ikko. Definitely not a plus for an already shallow anime striving to be genrified as 'Harem'. I like Chitose's innocent character, somewhat sheltered and totally lacking any sort of guile. She's from a small village somewhere (after 2 seasons, I still don't know), and it's really amusing listening to her talk about stuff like the small 2-storeyed hut that was all of supermarket, department store, and video shop. The girls reaction to her unknown past are also somewhat funny.An extra scarf is more than enough...despite the frozen steps. O.oThe most reliable way to exorcise ghosts.Near the end of the 12 TV episodes, we learn A LITTLE bit more about Ikko's latent powers and why he must learn to control it. Slightly more interesting here, but not by much. Anyway, the end leaves us with something of a cliffhanger for season 2, which I'll talk about sometime later. Here comes the meaty part. Episode 13. Loads of ecchi, loads of nudity. It was like watching some softcore hentai episode, lol. This doesn't do much to redeem the whole season, but if you've suffered through all 12 episodes then you'd be dumb if you didn't at least watch this one. =DBehind every man, is a woman...a naked one in Ikko's case.Aah..the creme de la creme.Animation is passable. Though I noticed there are a very large number of headshots. Just the heads of the characters, nothing else. Not good. Music is so-so. OP and ED are catchy, but aren't all anime songs? Too bad the series itself is nothing more than another excuse/setting for yet another harem anime and more ecchi. I feel there could have been something unique here, if it was done better. There should have been slightly more emphasis on the story, since they put in all these bits about Ikko's power and the girl's pasts. Right now, all it is to me is a jumble of unrealized ideas bereft of proper execution, topped with lots of fanservice. Good fun, but nothing more.*Out of 10*Animation (Quality of): 8Story (Depth, twists, and extras): 4Music (Songs, Suitability): 6Characters (Dynamism, Background): 5True to Genre?: 6OVERALL RATING: >>> AnimaniaTags: Animation, Anime, Japanese Animation, Manga, Amaenaideyo!!, Nanbu Chitose, Satonaka Ikko, Tenjou
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Impressions: Tonagura is actually pretty funny at times, though Marie using her bear gun is not one of them. In fact, I’m getting kind of sick of that. It happens too often. Yuuji’s behaviour is also quite exasperate. No guy can be that perverted or desperate. It’s just wrong. I’d have though by this episode, he [...]
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