With Rise of Legends chomping down on my free time, I haven’t been exploring as many new series as I usual. However, now that I have given up trying to beat one Toughest AI with two human players, I have more time to devote to anime.
Top Five This Month:
- Nana: So frickin’ good – one of the few series this season that really sucks me in. Amazingly enough, its addictiveness isn’t reliant on cliffhangers at all; the show is just so well done, you’ll be naturally wanting more. Gotta keep it under control though, or the next thing you know I’ll be reading chick lit.
- RAY the Animation: Take the personality of HiME Natsuki and the wardrobe of Otome Natsuki, add in godly surgery skills and supernatural medical drama. Bake for 25 minutes. Voila! Awesome show ready to consume. This pseudo spinoff of Black Jack was a pleasant surprise, and prompted me to start watching the Black Jack remake series as well (though the art and sensibility are totally different). Now I just need to start watching Monster and I’ll be in hospital heaven.
- Utawarerumono: The series is so damn cute sometimes. Either that, or it features massive armies slaughtering each other. Yay.
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: Jarring episode order really isn’t helping the series’ watchability – all in the name of artistic license, I guess. Not as spectacular lately as some Harutards might proclaim, but still rock solid in general.
- Ouran Host Club: The master of standalone episodes continues its parade. Always a reliable watch, though like Jeff says, there’s no huge rush to see the next episode.
Rising:
- School Rumble 2nd Season: After a somewhat mediocre Yakitake spoof episode, the basketball team ep set things straight. The new characters are great – especially scrappy basketball girl Satsuki. And Imadori’s scene was a slam dunk, as usual. “I’m the one who steps on Jordan!”
Questionable:
- Himawari: Has great animation and visual quality, at least. But half the time it’s really, really stupid. Good for a brain drain after a rough day.
In Stasis:
- xxxHolic: In limbo for now.
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Ender – who has written 219 posts on Sea Slugs! Anime Blog.
One of the original founders, and the first to attempt a coups d'état.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
On first sight, I thought “Well, I’m no ender but how the hell do you perform a honor roll?”
Anyway, I must admit I’ve only watched the first two episodes of SR2 so far and I was a bit disappointed overall because it was nothing like the first season. I agree on Ouran and I like its OP just as much as that of TMHS. TMHS (Teenage Mutant Hero Suzumiya) is a bit disappointing lately. I mean it’s certainly “rock solid” but it’s not up to the bar it had raised for itself. I just hope the first 3 episodes weren’t the highlight of the series.
I think Haruhi has been going downhill because kyon couldnt work up the mojo to peek on haruhi
oh and himawari is the new kage kara mamorou (because I can’t think of naything old that’s quite as stupid with ninjas and a corny romance) gotta say I enjoy the idiocy and messed up character designs:D
and chocolate shurikens are too awesome:D
and ‘holic deserves less than limbo … I.G. got too lazy >.>
Chris – I believe it is a variation on the “rolling start.”
Teferi – As for Himawari, I’m just waiting for the spineless male lead to sudden regain his uber ninja skills, assuming the plot is as transparent as it seems.
I still don’t get why Nana is good.
It’s nice to see other people watching RAY. I should say that the art is not comparable with the other shows on offer this season but the story definitely is. It only needs to focus more on the plot of finding that secret organisation instead of focusing on side stories. That way you get an excellent coherent story. Well, the story gained momentum after episode 5 so we will see where it goes from here.
I have a feeling that Haruhi is going down the Zettai Shounen path. The premise is so similar to Zettai Shounen except the events are a bit more exciting and funny. If that is the case then Haruhi is definitely going downhill. Even the animation isn’t as good as they say it is.
School Rumble is the king of comedy and melodrama (^_^)
What, no Higurashi?
Whats wrong with you!?
Agreed with Fencedude. Cr@p like Himawari gets a mention in an honor roll, but “What, no Higurashi?” XD
As soon as they cleverly place some chick lit in a space setting, and make it really boring, I know you’ll be hooked and helpless =D.
I found Himawari kinda crappy, without any of Magikano’s redeeming features, but maybe it serves as a palate cleanser.
I agree, Higurashi is disturbingly absent. If you’re not watching it yet you should try it out, it’s at my top of the list this season.
Higurashi disturbs me so I won’t be watching that. Utawarerumono has been rising in my household for the reason that it shows the main character employing fundamentally sound and simple strategy to combat his enemies. Hakuoro’s plans are very simple, thus easily followed by his army, but is very efficient. Only way to combat someone like Hakuoro is to devise a very clever strategy of multiple deceptions to place Hakuoro’s army at somewhere it doesn’t want to be, but have to be. That means that it has to be very complex operation and more complicated a military vernture is, more likely it will fail. Of course, the other way of defeating him is simply to overwhelm him with superior number and quality, but that won’t make the game fun, would it?
I watch Higurashi *because* it disturbs me ^^
Nothing like some Psycho Killer Loli to start/end the day with.
I also don’t see what is so special about Nana =/
This is a bit OT but ever since the Mysteric Sign episode in Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, I just keep thinking of the SOS-Dan whenever I see the Sea Slugs! logo on blogsuki.
As such, I’ll take it that Kabitzin is Kyon since his forte is the witty/sarcastic narration and Kungfucius is Yuki. So is Ender Mikuru or Itsuki?
Haha, you wouldn’t believe how much data is stored in our favicon! I’d almost think that Ender would be Kyon, I would be Itsuki, and Kungfucius would be either Yuki or Mikuru. Not that those are super accurate descriptions =D.
Haha, not much of a selection there anyways. I’d go with Kung = Yuki though as well.
Nobody’s mentioned Simoun, the kick-ass new sci-fi drama. For shame! My pal Futaba-chan would be apoplectic!