I'd like to hear a song put to the Eighteen Days of Christmas, especially with a random smorgasboard of themes like this.Unfortunately, like all features, this one has to eventually come to an end, especially with a growing list of harem (among other) shows begging to be put to the microscope.Oddly enough, blogging an average of 1,300 words a day for eighteen straight days has not been as incredibly exhausting as I imagined, partly because of the raw fanboy adrenaline that drives these posts. It's certainly been a fun experience to go over all the shows and moments of my first year of serious anime fandom, especially since I uncovered a few shows again that were beginning to fade into the mists of time. Hopefully it's been the same enjoyable, sentimental experience for the readers as well.And now it's time to point the fancannon towards the future, as we take a look at what next year has in store - at least from the perspective of a relatively new romance/harem fan. There are promising shows from the fall season, the winter season, and even beyond, with intriguing releases on both sides of the Pacific.No doubt, though, that some of the most interesting things to happen haven't been revealed yet - perhaps another random show will blindside its way to a top spot on the list, or maybe some exciting news involving an old favorite. You never know.And so, here are some of my resolutions for the year 2008 in anime...I resolve to figure out what the hell Byousoku 5cm, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Honey & Clover are, and why they are so awesome.I'm pretty sure this one is self-explanatory. These three shows are romance-types that have been praised to heaven and back a few times, that I've just missed the boat on thanks to licensing. Indeed, I downloaded the first episode of H&C, and didn't even get to watch it before the license was announced. Such is the way of fansub fandom.In any case, I don't plan on complaining about shelling out an extra hundred dollars or so blind for these shows combined if they turn out to be half as good as the hype. There's only one way to find out~I resolve to fall into a seven-year coma over the sheer beauty that only sad girls on DVD can impart. (Kanon R1)Kanon has, and will always be, my personal fanboy weak spot. I watched Kanon once streaming, watched it again on fansubs burned to DVD again, and now it looks like it's going to be the third time, except this time in real DVD quality on the big screen.Rewatching a show has never been my thing, with so much new content still available, but given that Kanon just looks better every time I watch it (if you follow the progression above), and that it will appease my guilt about cheaping out on anime, I don't think I'll mind that much. After all, I did say on a forum that I would buy "any box with a picture of Shiori" on it...(But they gave a cover to Kaori? Pfft.)I resolve to believe in the fanbase that believes in the Gurren Lagann.Similar to the triple threat above in the first resolution, Gurren Lagann has pierced the heavens with the praise heaped upon it by fans large and wide, and I figure with ADV going beyond the impossible and offering free streaming of the first few episodes, I should kick my reasoning to the curb and see what the hell Gurren Lagann thinks it is.I'm not a mecha person personally, but I have been pleasantly surprised before (look down one resolution), and, well, if it has this many quotable phrases, I'm sold on it.I resolve to figure out how to pronounce 'zawa zawa'. (Kaiji continues)Seriously...it's not computing, no matter how many times they say it in the show - which, considering the situation Kaiji is getting to, is quite a lot. Kaiji has been probably the one shock show of the year for me; something with one token-appearance girl over thirteen episodes, with really ugly art, and a mere 50-second opening song wasn't going to end up on my watch list by any means of my own resolve, but I'll have to thank the Kaiji fans out there (Orion, among others) for tuning me on to this show.It's mindgame central, with an anti-protagonist who alternates between incredibly stupid and ingenious fighting with a bunch of morally-ambigious characters in a yakuza-sanctioned last-chance 'gamble' for debtors. And from there, it only gets better, with an emotionally-intense rooftop tightwalking challenge that leaves everybody questioning themselves, and leaves the audience wondering and wanting more. It's a show with a real sense of danger and tension, and it's pretty intriguing to follow analytically as well too, at times. If you have even a hint of hair on your chest, or want some, drop whatever you're doing and watch Kaiji. Now. You won't regret it.I resolve to fanboy 200% more over any humanoid interface with purple hair, yellow eyes, and glasses. (Haruhi II)And now for the other end of the spectrum...the fourth book in the popular Haruhi Suzumiya light novel series, titled "The Dissaperance of Haruhi Suzumiya", is getting animated sometime in 2008 by Kyoto Animation. This book focuses on and develops the character of Yuki Nagato, a humanoid interface who shows little emotion on the inside but may harbor internal desires. Additionally, a mysteriously related girl, thought to be removed from the story, named Ryoko Asakura, returns, in a time-bending plot that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.Is that enough sanity for you? I really want to go to town with the potential of this anime. (Can you take me to...mo~e town?! Can you take me to...) Nagato's my favorite character in Haruhi by leaps and bounds, and the fourth book was intriguing in its plot and head-hurty time travel aspects...not to mention, talking, blushing Nagato! (plus cold, rational Nagato for maximum fanboyism) Plus, the many potential side-stories KyoAni could throw in leaves the imagination wondering of the possibilities. It's easily one of my most anticipated anime of 2008, and I don't care if that makes me a slavering fanboy.The only thing that worries me about this show is the stratospheric hype that people like me will pile on top of it. We'll see if KyoAni can clear the bar that has been set even higher than before.I resolve to actually pick one consistent Shuffle! girl to fanboy this time around.Well...first it was Nerine for a brief stint, then Mayumi, and now Sia resides in the spot of 'most adorably awesome Shuffle! character', but one thing's for sure...I'm looking forward to the R1 release of Shuffle.It was probably one of the ecchi-er shows I watched this year but it more than redeemed itself with a gripping second half, with Sia's, Asa's, and Kaede's stories all resonating on different levels and making for great dramatic stuff. It's been a while since I've seen it in full (considering I couldn't even make it through Shuffle! Memories), and so I'll see if it stands up to the test of time. I certainly hope so - Shuffle! has both a stunning cast and storyline, definitely a good mixture.I resolve to make the producers of Code-E's second season resolve to actually resolve the story this time.Easy enough to understand. I think I may be one of a dozen or so English fans actually anticipating the remainder of this show, considering even the first season went over lukewarm, but apparently someone in Japan likes this show...or is threatening the studio.It's kind of understandable why the first season of Code-E was so understated in terms of popularity - it was a very slow-paced, relaxed show, and didn't really offer a lot to grab viewers (not to mention the infamous lack of noses). But it was a slice-of-life with a fair amount of romance, and even a little bit of action and intrigue, and was a good show for kicking back - the pace was in-between Aria and KimiKiss, being relatively laid-back most of the time, but occasionally sitting up and doing something.In any case, I look forward to the second season, as with the recent revelation of NanaDrops and sola as some of Japan's top 10 anime of 2007, Code-E might be left as my only show I've liked that I can trumpet as 'something not a lot of people have seen, but probably should.'I resolve to figure out what the hell is with this whole 'dango' thing. (Clannad continues)It's Clannad! What am I going to do, drop it? Unsuprisingly, dango fever has overtaken a lot of English blogs, with some affected more than others, and it seems overall that the third Key anime to be produced is being recieved a lot more warmly than Kanon or AIR. Perhaps this is due to the larger emphasis on comedy, and the surprisingly strong female lead that Nagisa is turning out to be. She's a character who's weak in emotion but strong in resolve, and has the feeling of being mostly believable with just a dash of escapism attached. The way I like it.Kotomi's still a wildcard at this point as to how she's going to turn out, Tomoyo looks to be a lot of fun when her arc comes around, and Ryou and Kyou are comedic, awesome, and adorable all at once, and nearly threaten the Hisui and Kohaku deadlock on 'best twins in anime'. We'll see if Clannad can keep up this strong pace as it looks to head into some more of the supernatural, visual-novel-type stuff in its second half.I resolve to be in despair again. (Zetsubou II)Even though it lost a little steam (and a few fansubbers) near the end of its first season, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei was still a hilariously fresh comedy that was an entertaining blend of Monty Python, the anime reference database, and a couple thousand monkeys on typewriters.That is, black humor, random parodies, and random...random, put in a blender, and set to awesome. Oh yeah, and add a dash of Shaft for maximum head-churning - certainly, with all the blackboard scribblings and references, I could see why it takes so long to translate - after all, it usually takes 30 to 35 minutes for me just to get through a 25-minute episode!Although SZS did take a turn for the repetitive and fanservicey toward the final episodes of its first run, the characters are great twists on the norm, and I look forward to seeing Itoshiki and his anti-harem pull off some amusing antics again in winter 2007/8.I resolve to learn how to manipulate people to cross-dress. (Minami-ke II)Minami-ke is the second comedy sequel in the winter 2007/8 season, and it's also got my attention, with an equally vast and hilarious cast of characters, from the romantic stalkers, to the countless traps, to the scheming sisters behind the whole slice-of-life show. Certainly I was counting on only Chiaki being the manipulative one, but with the advent of Banchou Haruka and the revealing of Kana to be much brighter than she looks (when she chooses, anyway), it seems all the characters have a lot of potential for having 'fun' with the others, intentionally or not.The nature of this Minami-ke confuses me however, as I'm not sure whether it's a second season, a remake, an alternate retelling, or all of the above, but if it stays close to the adapted formula used in the anime, it should be plenty good.I resolve to get back in touch with my Dark (and Krad) side. (DNAngel manga continues)Some interesting news that nearly slipped by the radar near the end of this year was the quiet announcement that the DNAngel manga was to continue serialization soon. Having stalled out for few years, the hype for a popular fantasy-romance manga like this has probably subsided a bit, but it's enough for me to still raise at least one eyebrow.I enjoyed the DNAngel anime and what existed of the manga in my early years of anime watching, and although I've moved on to much bigger and better romances and adaptations, I still look forward to seeing this - hopefully - finish, or at least progress. An unfinished story is one of the things I detest the most, even more than a sloppily finished one.Which, incidentally, probably means I should finish watching To Heart 2 (nine months in the watchlist, and six episodes still to go) ... but it's not interesting enough at this point to deserve a resolution in itself.I resolve to continue watching shows targeted at an audience younger than the anime itself...and female. (Marmalade Boy)Marmalade Boy was another blast-from-the-past manga I re-encountered this year, in the form of a 4-DVD boxset in the public library. It's vintage 1994, and it shows in every form, from the different character design, to the purely animated (no CG) graphics, to the old-school music, to the lack of...well...moe.It's really a pure shoujo romance, right down to the sparkly pan shots of the blond-hair bishonen, and yet it's still not too bad. I can't determine whether it's the sentimental factor of the manga, of old anime in general, or just my tastes in romance overall, but it's still a fun watch, and one I'm hoping I'll get to stumble across more of in the next year. And hopefully soon - with roughly 50 episodes to go, there's a lot left...I resolve to say something interesting about KimiKiss, and why I'm going to keep watching it. KimiKiss is a tough show to crack funny about, if only because it is rather, almost plain at times - but you know what else is plain? Vanilla ice cream. You know what vanilla ice cream is? Awesome.KimiKiss is refreshing in its take on visual novel romance in many ways - the first, hinted at above, is that it's very down-to-earth, simple in a way compared to the other starfish-carving, memory-erasing, house-burning dramatic visual-novel anime featured recently. And secondly, there are three, maybe four threads going at the same time - it's not just everyone loves one guy, but rather, Kouichi and Kazuki, the main guys, have two potential characters each, Mao has Kai and maybe Kouichi, and even the third guy, the film club president, and High-Class Girl Voiced By Mamiko Noto (considering Kotomi and Konoe, that narrows it down, doesn't it?) might factor in. The ways in which the many independant threads of KimiKiss could intertwine, are certainly intriguing.I resolve to double my yandere view-count. (Higurashi R1)Higurashi is another anime that's somehow passed me by, and with Geneon in trouble, the window for me to watch this show without shelling out hundreds may be shrinking into the distance.Still, I hope someone manages to pick up this show, if only because I've heard many interesting things about this show; it's a visual novel adaptation and it's got cute girls that are apparently ALL yanderes, and that sounds like a good enough reason to keep me on the edge of my seat. Also, I've got the first ten seconds of the "Auau~" song stuck in my head.I resolve to say "Magical Beretta" with a straight face. (School Days OVA)Seriously, what the hell? That's all I can say about this.Apparently School Days is cashing in on its popularity just like Makoto seemed to have done within the show, with not one but two OVAs being produced in the near future for it, and with 0verflow's reaction to the end of the anime (here's a hint: they're selling "Nice Items" at Comiket) there's no bounds as to where these OVAs could end up going. Especially since this one's adapted from an essential April Fool's Joke. It's going to be - what's the word - interesting...I resolve to say something eye-catching about Shira Oka, a true English-produced school-life visual novel.I believe this is what they in the business call "name-dropping".This is something I've got an eye on with that enthusiasm that only an anime fan could have: I'm not sure if this visual novel will sell, or even avoid becoming vaporware, but with the powers of hope I look forward to this product, just to see what could become of the possibilities.Additionally, I have a vested interest in this company, Okashi Studios, because they're California-based, so there you go. Apaprently this game has been going around a while, making shows at some anime conventions, so we'll see what comes of it.I resolve to actually watch through Shugo Chara's transformation scenes, at least once.Shugo Chara was the show that made me wonder where I'd been without my magical girl fix. The answer was probably Nanatsuiro Drops, but these two shows really piqued my interest in the 'pure magical girl' genre again. They offer an interesting blend of slice-of-life and romance, and don't always devolve into the cutesy pink-fests that many believe this kind of shows to be.Rather, Shugo Chara has a large amount of intriguing characters for both genders; Amu herself is a character with realistic fears, hopes, and struggles, and Ikuto is an interesting flirt with that slight touch of rebellious character. The plot has promise of becoming something in-depth, instead of monster-of-the-week as well.One thing I have to say from the spoilers, though, is: Nadeshiko, say it's not so. I don't care what you take from me. My dignity, my pride, my sense of sanity, anything, just tell me this isn't true. It can't be, it won't be, it'll never be. I'll never accept it, never, ever! Never I tell you!I resolve to power through ef in a 15-hour span, lest I forget about it.I think that was how the plot went, in any case. Although I usually watch shows one-episode-per-night, I might have to step up the pace, since between all the other shows, the disjointed Shaft style of ef, combined with the dual plots, makes it very hard to watch.Which really bugs me, since everyone is heralding it as a true work of genius, and so far I can see why. I really like a lot of it, from the touching story of the main heroines, to the motto of the male leads wanting to be the 'knight in shining armor for someone', and I can't wait to see how it all ties together. I just hope I can make sense of it.I resolve to fall in love with Sakura and Syaoran falling in love all over again.This is something that's a long time coming. A Cardcaptor Sakura rewatch is something I've been meaning to do one of these days as a blog mini-special, with a little episode recap blurb, maybe a half, quarter size of a normal post, on each episode of Cardcaptor Sakura. Just because I want to see if my fanboyism for this show knows any bounds - and to see if it's still as gold as it first was.It may not happen the beginning of the year, it may not finish before 2009 - but I just have to find the drive, and the time. Rest assured, it WILL happen. Long live hanyaa~n.-CCYSacchin waves bye-bye to 2007.(Wow, I sound like an old crochety anime fan with all my ridiculous passion for old shows like Marmalade Boy, Cardcaptor Sakura, and DNAngel. Even my harping for Code-E, who knows.)(Oh my God, nearly 3300 words. This pips at the post by a dozen words or so the fall 2007 mid-season review post as the longest post ever on Eternity - yes, without this addendum. Hope you haven't fallen asleep during reading this. Happy New Year, and here's to another great year of anime~)
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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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Especially because my list will be so different from most others, I just can't stop myself from posting it. Happy New Year!1 Byousoku 5cm2 ef3 Blue Drop4 Lucky Star5 Touka Gettan6 Emily of New Moon7 Nodame Cantabile8 Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei9 KimiKiss10 Candy BoyAnd behind them come, in some order or other: Hitohira, Kyoushirou to Towa no Sora, Les Miserables ~Shoujo Cossette~, Manabi Straight, Hidamari Sketch, Claymore, Seirei no Moribito, Darker than Black, Saiunkoku Monogatari2, Emma2, Sky Girls, Mononoke, Potemayo, Genshiken2, Minami-ke, Ghost Hound, Clannad, Kodomo no Jikan (DVD version).What can I say? There are many well-made shows I just can't appreciate. I'm only including shows that started this year. For more discussion, see my earlier post reviewing the year. Thanks to alafista.com for stimulating me to come up with a top ten list.
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Today’s moment is brought to you by the Anime Blogging Collective and Makoto Shinkai’s wonderful film anthology, Byousoku 5 Cm, which is perhaps the apotheosis of Shinkai’s work and themes and–hopefully–a turning point in his career. Each of the three films are filled with wonderful moments to highlight, often for sheer visual beauty as well [...]
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You know, Makoto Shinkai made this short which debut on NHK this week about cats. Unlike his first known work, She and Her Cat, this colorful skit about cats is probably his first comedic work. Aside from the shared namesake of Chobi, anyways, there are not a whole lot in common. A Gathering of Cats [...]
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Another great year. Maybe not as great as 2006, which produced three classics: Simoun, NANA, and Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu. But 2007 was full of interesting shows.The top ones for me are one show from last spring -- Lucky Star -- and two from this fall -- ef ~a tale of memories~ and Blue Drop: Tenshitachi no Gikyoku.Lucky Star began by alienating much of its potential audience. The humor was so unemphatic, and the show had such spare drawing and animation that it was unrecognizable as KyoAni work. But although it may not have had many belly laughs in it, I found myself laughing quietly in my bones from start to finish.Hirano Aya really created something in Konata's comic burbling voice. The sly earthiness of that voice was the foundation of the whole show, it seemed to me, setting up the other voices to seem even more moe. And the script provided the kind of humane absurdity I love in a comedy. The un-KyoAni-like animation was KyoAni-like in two things: in its great consistency, and in the smooth animation of movement.ef ~a tale of memories~ was a complete surprise. The preview made me fear that the voice actors -- who came over from the game -- might not be up to the task. How wrong I was. This show is true art, made by Shinbou Akiyuki's protege Oonuma Shin from an ero-game by minori.Once again, many animephiles were put off by the show's style. Its visual complexity seemed pointless and confusing. In fact, every one of those odd angles and strange palettes has an emotional purpose. This show is great romantic melodrama, underpinned by powerful music from Tenmon, who does background music for Shinkai Makoto's work (e.g., Byousoku 5cm). The interwoven romances are fascinating, and the characters really have individual character.Blue Drop: Tenshitachi no Gikyoku expertly traces the emotional currents in a girls' school with a difference: the top girl in the school is actually the commander of a hidden alien warship, in disguise. And her new roommate is the only survivor of the annihilation of the population of an entire small island in Japan five years before. Humans don't realize that the disaster was caused by a malfunction in the hidden ship's propulsion system.The life of girls at the school is interwoven with the progress of an impending alien invasion of Earth, and with the progress of the relationship between the commander and the survivor. I guess the yuri undercurrents may have alienated a slice of potential viewership here. The leads are played by Yajima Akiko (Crayon Shin-chan) and Sawashiro Miyuki (Shinku in Rozen Maiden), both of whom seem to me to be at their best. Yajima-san's 40-year-old voice fills her character with youthfulness.It's a little early for final judgments, and Blue Drop and ef could yet end badly, but I have come to trust the people making them, and I don't think that will happen.My judgments are rooted in my personal taste, and there are other good shows that just didn't happen to suit me, or weren't in genres I appreciate. I couldn't watch more than a few episodes of Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann, for example. The pacing and the style of humor just didn't do anything for me. But I could recognize what a good show it was, in its way. Anyway, here are comments on some shows of note, by season:Winter 2007:Nodame Cantabile -- My enjoyment of this show was probably impaired by the fact that I knew the story too well, having already watched the TV drama version. But the music was wonderful, and so was Kawasumi Ayako. Her Nodame may have been the best seiyuu performance of the year. And Seki Tomokazu was her match as Chiaki. Real character development all round.Kyoushirou to Towa no Sora -- I took this strange show a lot more seriously than most people did. It won me by its bizarre storytelling and eroticism. Yahagi Sayuri and Matsuoka Yuki were both outstandingly moe.Manabi Straight -- Here's another show that I loved at first, but that seemed to dry up as it went along. The emotional bonding of Nonaka Ai and Hirano Aya's charcters in episode 4 made that one of the year's outstanding episodes for me. The animation was sharp, bright, and attractive.Hidamari Sketch -- This is one of those shows that I will praise, but that I haven't finished watching. In that, it resembles Negima!?, another show from Shinbou Akiyuki's group at Shaft. The animation was great, the voice-acting superb, the humor enjoyable. But I could get all I needed in a half-dozen episodes. I think that ef~a tale of memories~ takes Shinbou's style to the next level, both in the effectiveness of the images and in the strength of the story.Les Miserables ~Shoujo Cossette~ is a well-made and emotionally strong show that is just nearing the end of its 52-week run now, in December. Nazuka Kaori does a fine job in the title role, but it is Victor Hugo's classic story that gives the show its punch.Spring 2007:Emily of New Moon -- More or less completely ignored by animephiles, this show was one of the best of the year. Good animation and backgrounds, a solid story (by Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables), and excellent voice-acting, particularly from Kawakami Tomoko (Utena, Misuzu in AIR) in the title role. Beautifully evoked feelings.Hitohira -- The first half of the series was very strong, with complex relationships well portrayed. But it seemed as if they they were spinning their wheels by the end. Kawasumi Ayako, and particularly Yukino Satsuki, were brilliant in this show.Hayate the Combat Butler -- It has some funny episodes, and has clearly maintained its popularity, but it became very same very soon, for me.Claymore -- Outstanding voice-acting by Kuwashima Houko and Paku Romi. Hou-chan's performance is another candidate for best of the year. Loathing monster anime as I do, it was amazing how long this one held my attention. One of the best shows of the year, with some shocking drama and real style.Seirei no Moribito -- More outstanding voice-acting, particularly from actress Andou Mabuki. The animation, when it was at its best, was to die for. The story was interesting, but seemed to take a long time to play out.Touka Gettan -- Few people liked this show, but I loved it. It was a brilliant idea to have the story go in reverse order -- episode 1 was chronologically the last episode in the story. But like other shows directed by Yamaguchi Yuji (e.g., Yami to Boushi to Hon), it seemed more interested in playing with its world than in telling the story, and a lot of episodes seemed like filler, as far as the story was concerned.However, this show was one of the highlights of my own anime year. The performance of 15-year-old Hayami Saori as Momoka was wonderful, and her singing of the ED was even better. And one of the episodes written by seiyuu Noto Mamiko was very sharp, making me think she may have a second career awaiting. The sparkling animation and backgrounds were a never-ending source of delight. Carnelian's character designs were animated by Nishida Asako with her usual sensual flair.Saiunkoku Monogatari II -- It started well, but I have had trouble finding time to watch more. Perhaps the 39 episodes of season one were enough for me. Kuwashima Houka continues to help make Shuurei a great character, the first female official in a kingdom that is a fantasy version of ancient China.Darker than Black -- A story well told and well animated. The relations among the "contractors" -- friend and foe -- were fascinating. The voice-acting was terrific, particularly from Kiuchi Hidenobu as Hei. Directed by Okamura Tensai (Wolf's Rain).Dennou Coil -- Outstanding animation from Madhouse, and every so often an episode stands out, but in general I don't find the show very interesting.Emma 2 -- A good show that I am just finishing. Excellent voice work and writing, with some beautifully portrayed emotion. Kobayashi Sanae as the fiancée, Touma Yumi as Emma, and Touchi Hiroki as Hans are particularly effective, in my opinion. A Japanese sensibility understands so well these nuances of feeling and conflicts between love and society.Koutetsu Sangokushi -- I'm not going to call this show "good." But I mention it as the most bizarre adaptation of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms I have ever experienced. The yaoi undercurrents between Miyano Mamoru and Koyasu Takehito are wonderful.Summer 2007:Sky Girls -- This show seems to have slipped under everyone's radar, but is quietly and enjoyably proceeding toward 26 episodes, propelled by the wonderful voices of Kawasumi Ayako, Gotou Saori, and Itou Shizuka. The revealing outfits of the girl pilots promise more fanservice than the show actually delivers. Perhaps that turns off both people who like fanservice and people who don't. And the fact that the relationships in it are more important than the fighting probably turns off a big whack of fans. But the voices and the evolving friendship among the members of the team have brought me this far -- despite the silly monsters.Mononoke -- Fascinating animation. Good seiyuu performances (Sakurai Takahiro, Tanaka Rie, Kuwashima Houko, Yukana, Hayami Shou, Seki Tomokazu, Midorikawa Hikaru, Namikawa Daisuke). But perhaps my taste is not elevated enough for this. The stories I saw just didn't engage me.Mushiuta -- A weird story involving people being taken over by symbiotic insects. The story didn't grab me that much, but the way the seiyuus made the relationships work did. Nabatame Hitomi and Asanuma Shintarou were excellent. And in this show Hanazawa Kana established herself as one of the most moe voices in anime.Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei -- Dark comic brilliance from Shinbou Akiyuki and seiyuus including Kamiya Hiroshi, Nonaka Ai, and Sawashiro Miyuki.Potemayo -- A bizarre and funny little show. It's a comedy about a small toddler-like creature that the protagonist finds in his refrigerator beside the mayonnaise. Kitamura Eri as the male protagonist is excellent. Hanazawa Kana as Potemayo shows she can do hilarious grunts and squeaks as well as moe.School Days -- Of course, you can't talk about 2007 without talking about "nice boat." All I'm going to say is that the show was basically garbage, even before the violence started. But it did have an unexpected ending. And it did create anger and frustration in the viewer, so it was not without its emotional effects. For those who don't know, "nice boat" was a reaction posted in a Japanese forum when an episode of the show was suddenly taken off air because of the violence in it and replaced with images of what looks like a ferry in a Norwegian fjord.Autumn 2007:Genshiken2 -- It took me a while to start this show, but I've marathoned up to date, since I am enjoying it so much. Perhaps the romantic aspect has hooked me. Certainly the portrayal of the travails of the characters has. The voice-acting is excellent, particularly from Yukino Satsuki, Kawasumi Ayako, Hiyama Nobuyuki, and Mizuhashi Kaori.Sketchbook ~full Color'S~ -- I love some episodes of this gentle slice-of-life comedy, but sometimes a pall of sameness seems to descend. Being fairly calm already, perhaps I don't need further calming. However, Hanazawa Kana's moeness is off the scale at all times.Ghost Hound -- Production I.G.'s "20th anniversary production" seems unaccountably to be being generally ignored. The animation is good Production I.G. work, and the story and voices (Fukuyama Jun, Houshi Souichirou, Yajima Akiko) work very well for me. A show with atmosphere.Minami-ke -- I didn't really get the first episode. I thought it was too imitative of Ichigo Mashimaro, especially with Inoue Marina's wholesale theft of Orikasa Fumiko's Miu voice. But since then, the show has grown and grown. Inoue-san, Chihara Minori, and Satou Rina are doing very well. There are a couple of LOL moments in every episode. And now we have warm, humane, rather loony versions of both the trap and the reverse trap.Clannad -- Since I watch anime for emotion rather than animation, KyoAni's visual magic is enjoyable but not a deal-maker. In fact, I was lukewarm toward this show until the past two or three episodes, when my tears started to flow. Works for me. It's great to see KyoAni hire such big-name seiyuus as Nakahara Mai, Kuwashima Houko, Nonaka Ai, Noto Mamiko, Yukino Satsuki, and Inoue Kikuko.KimiKiss ~pure rouge~ -- Director Kasai Kenichi has given this ero-game story a maturity and complexity that remind me of his Honey & Clover2. Fine performances from Tanaka Rie and Koshimizu Ami, and particularly from Ikezawa Haruna (Yoshino in Marimite) as Mao-oneechan.Kodomo no Jikan -- I mention this show not for its quality, especially, but because it has the most obtrusive censorship I have ever seen in an anime. The version intended for broadcast clearly must have preserved much of the loli fanservice of the original manga, but then the distributors at the last minute decided it had to be censored. This was done with ugly animated squares, screens, and noises. The show is actually about the life situation that drives the third-grade protagonist to her "adult" acting-out, but the censorship makes even that aspect of things hard to follow.OVAs:ICE -- I'll just mention a couple of OVAs that might have escaped people's attention. ICE is a bizarre yuri sci-fi story with muddy animation and some amateur voices, but I enjoyed it a lot. I sometimes find amateur voices more emotionally believable than polished pros.O-kane ga Nai -- This show is for people who don't mind a little aurally graphic yaoi in their anime. Especially for those who want to hear Fukuyama Jun as a somewhat unwilling uke. I kid you not. But I found the story interesting through one episode, at least. Perhaps because it's the first yaoi anime I've ever seen.You'll notice the complete absence of anything like Gundam. Sorry, I still don't really get the appeal. Gundam00 seems fairly uninteresting to me, well-made as it may be. I enjoyed a number of episodes of Gigantic Formula, but for the relationships rather than the gundams. Dragonaut just seems poor to me. As for mainstream science fiction, I watched a few episodes each of Toward Terra... and Heroic Age but lost interest. They are both still on my "to watch" list.Finally, although I'm not really including films in this survey, I have to mention the greatest animation of this year -- and perhaps of any year: Byousoku 5cm, by Shinkai Makoto. This is more than just art, it is religious art. The filmmaker Ingmar Bergman said that all true art is art in praise of God. Byousoku is a Zen version of that. It is like a series of haiku moments showing us a world more real than reality.
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I don’t care for what reason you cry, as long as you have, it’s counted. I bring up this topic because people are laughing at MistaYoh (a famous local doujin artist) for crying during a public screening of Byousoku. HAHA LOSER! Ok I jest. But I cry a LOT during anime, and for the weirdest [...]
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So today marks the 5th day of Animation Nation 2007. I hurry myself down to catch the 1st screening of 秒速５センチメートル by Makoto Shinkai along with umehiko, Windbell, Zero and others. I’m was very eager to watched it in the big screens and once again, I got mesmerised by the stunning animation and terrific plot. Don’t [...]
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Animation Nation 2007, an annual event that features independent films, starts tomorrow! One of the main films I’ve gotten tickets for is none other than Makoto Shinkai’s ‘Byousoku 5cm’. Remember just a few months back I was hoping it would come onto the big screens, and the Gods of Anime must have heard me [...]
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ZOMFG, due to popular demand, the organizers have prepared another screening of Byousoku 5cm. This time, it’s held on the 1st of December at 12.30pm. I’m happy about them rescreening it, but of all the dates, WHY ON THE DAY THAT I HAVE TO WORK? THE PAIN. THE AGONY. THE HATRED. For those who want to [...]
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