Lately I find that I’m more partial to stockpiling episodes instead of watching them, hoping for a rewarding marathon payout at the end. Consequently, I’m becoming better at cleaning out my hard drive. Maybe I should just splurge and get yet another one. Without further ado, here are my slim pickings amongst the series I am actually watching:

The Orange Roughies::

1. Welcome to the NHK!: This is the first show of the new season to really grab me from the get-go. The odd topic (a twisted look at otaku subculture) and attention to detail help distinguish it from the masses, and the sheer trippiness of the presentation garners extra brownie points. I can’t believe that vaguely creepy eroge theme song is stuck in my head now; I was incredibly tickled when Satou started unconsciously singing along with it That reminds me of my freshman year in college, when my dorm neighbor would play the American Pokemon theme song at full blast in a continuous loop throughout the entire day. Was he trying to drive me insane? Who knows.
2. Zero no Tsukaima: I actually was fairly annoyed by the first episode, in which Saito acts like a stereotypical harem lead. His unrealistic reaction to being teleported into an unknown world also irritated me some, but seeing as how the whole setup is silliness incarnate, I cut him some slack. However, after he developed some balls in episode 2, I instantly warmed up to this series. After all, how many other shounen swordsmen can win a girl’s heart after pointing out her “zero” bust? That’s right, ZERO.
3. Utawarerumono: The Shikerpetim arc was somewhat of a letdown for me due to the hero units’ overwhelming powers (I never felt that Hakuoro’s army was ever in danger of losing). However, the new arc has rejuvinated my interest. The drunk Oboro scene casts doubt once again on the gender of the archer twins. Will this ever be resolved?

The Tilapias:

• Chevalier: The first episode was superbly composed, though it moved a bit too quickly imho. The Parisian setting and dark gothic overtones offer a welcome breather from the usual anime offerings. Secret conspiracies and supernatural forces? Count me in.
• Ouran High School Host Club: Suffered a bit of a slump, but angstiness once again saves the day. I find that Ouran is most interesting when it probes the mentalities of the host members and their perception of the world.

The Catfish:

• Zegapain: Is it just me, or is this show seriously lacking a heartbeat? Don’t get me wrong, the animation is absolutely gorgeous, and the production values are sky high, but…I can’t shake the “been-there-done-that” feeling. It’s a bad sign that the real meat of the show (i.e. the giant robots and futuristic combat action) is far less interesting than the minimal slice-of-life aspects (i.e. the high school activities). If only we could have this level of visual quality applied to a high school SoL…

• Coyote Ragtime Show: I was really looking forward to this, but CRS hasn’t been particularly compelling. It’s visually appealing and flashy to the point of being nonsensical, and the lack of a strong plotline has severly hampered its potential. The space western genre is in a serious slump, and CRS isn’t really helping at the moment. There’s still hope though, since it’s relatively early in the season.

The Freezer:

• Stuff that I’ve been saving up include Ergo Proxy, Honey and Clover II, Higurashi 8+, The Third, and xXxHolic.

Related posts:

1. Kabitzin’s May 2006 List
2. Ender’s May 2006 Honor Roll
3. Ender’s April 2006 Big Board