It’s been a slow month for fansubs (understandably), but what has come out has been largely good. No Hataraki Man releases, but I took Enders advice to try Soukou no Strain and really enjoyed it. I am starting to feel the pull for more straight-up shounen series, as sometimes I want to put my brain on cruise control and just watch some sweet ass-kicking and rapid powerups. On another note, I’ve been considering giving Asatte no Houkou a chance, but I haven’t yet heard anything that makes me eager to actually sit down and watch it. Anyway, this month’s list is coming out a bit early since I’ll be out of town for the next week or so, and there may not be many updates during that time.
Top Five This Month:
- Sumomomo Momomo: I don’t know… Sanae’s Uma Kamen outfit is just so horrendous (the gag pushes it just ahead of Ringo’s horrible purse-head outfit in Air Gear), but I can’t help loving her character. Who wants macho when you can have badly drawn sparkly shoujo?!
- Soukou no Strain: This is likely what would have happened if Asuka Shinn’s sister Mayu had survived and watched him develop into such an annoying prick. Nii-san… why?!
- CODE Geass: I feel a real affinity with Lelouch after watching him battle with his guild <Black Knights> so late into the night that he can barely stay awake in class. A very good sleeping stance allows him to look like he is merely spacing out, rather than completely asleep. Increased Karen screen time and power was a plus this month. C.C. is also a great addition to the regular cast.
- Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru: Mizuho was craftier than usual this month, but it’s just not the same without him dunking and leaping over crowds. I’m also disturbed that Takako’s political skills are so unbelievably low.
- Mai Otome Zwei: With no Hataraki Man this month, I let a little Otome slip in. The first episode was amusing, and the limited 4-episode format should prevent the storyline from spiraling out of control the way Mai Otome did. I was impressed at how ineffectual the majority of the Otome was and how craptastic the Surrogate backup system was.
Rising:
- Shikamaru: Even though his glorified snare Shadow Jutsu totally sucks, I love all the Shikamaru battles. The latest Naruto manga chapters continue to pit Shikamaru’s impressive tactical skill against the random powerups of the Akatsuki. Apparently having strong backup plans and being able to think quickly can defeat even the strongest of shounen villains. Oh nooooes, TeamKill!!!
Falling:
- None: Not because I’m feeling nice during the holiday season, but because I haven’t been watching that much anime overall.
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This post was written by...
Kabitzin – who has written 1970 posts on Sea Slugs! Anime Blog.
One of the founders of Sea Slugs, I handle most of the blog admin tasks while wearing my I AM BOSS shirt. I like my action series well choreographed, and my romance series extra trashy. I also have a soft spot for puns.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Yeah I like the way Shikamaru is using his thinking ability to its fullest extent.