Ender on November 2, 2006 · in Progress Sheets

This month I pretty much agree with Kabitzin on which series are rockin’. Code Geass mixes elite schools, mechs, and Shinn/Kira rivalry in one sweet package, while Otoboku hits the spot for shameless harem action. Hataraki Man scores points with its unique subject matter and botox injected lips, and Chevalier continues to dish out period-piece action while looking good in gothic. Meanwhile, the Patriots dominated the Vikings 31-7 in a rather lopsided game. I actually haven’t watched Ayakashi yet, so I’ll have to pass judgement on that one.

Aside from these heavy hitters, there’s been a slew of new series that haven’t secured tenure yet, but have at least snagged my interest.

Top Three Fringe Series:

1. Bartender: The title makes me laugh, but the actual show was quite sober (ahem). Like Hataraki Man, Bartender probes an unusual and unfulfilled niche in anime. Initally I was worried that the series would include special bartender powers and flashy limit break mixed drinks, but the quiet grace and slice-of-life pacing quickly laid these concerns to rest. In the back of my mind though, I secretly wish that the show’s opening theme would include a hearty pirate yelling “Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrtender!!!!”
2. La Corda D’Oro: The first thought that hit me was that the character designs were soooooooooooooooooo generic. I mean, they look decent and all, but still…they’re taken right out the the shoujo playbook. You can even apply the Renge method of bishoujo classification and come out with good correlation coefficients. Plus, any time fairies are involved, I automatically reach for the stop button. Unless you’re talking about Bottle Fairies, in which case all bets are off. In spite of all this, I still stuck around till the end because the music-school genre is nearly nonexistent, and being a former violinist myself, I’m interested in how anime portrays classical musicians. And then there’s the whole “ganbatte” theme, which I’m a total sucker for. One quibble though; Kaho totally got duped by that fairy. Doesn’t she know that conjured items disappear 15 minutes after she logs out?
3. Sumomo Mo Momomo: I cannot believe I actually watched this. It’s got to be THE dumbest and most offensive show this season (don’t let your feminist friends get a whiff of this one), but it made me laugh. “Not the corner!” Gotta give the show props though; it plays up the cheese factor nicely. Animation and art are questionable at best, and what’s up with Momoko having no eyebrows?

Falling:

• All Those Crappy Shounen Series: Busou Renkin looks decent but doesn’t seem that interesting. D. Grayman has a nice setup but looks like a homeless bum. Both of them put me to sleep. Shades of Tokyo Underground!