And so it begins. I didn't watch as much as I wanted to this week, but that's only because my computer decided to spaz on me and I've been dealing with the aftermath. But at least it's a start, and hopefully my viewing input will increase in future weeks.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 S2 ep 1 - 3
First, I have to say I was thoroughly impressed and entertained by Season 1. Gundam 00 has restored my faith in the franchise, after losing interest in Wing (it's so painful to watch now that I'm older and I've seen far better anime), not at all liking the atrocious freak show that is G Gundam (gag me), staying far away from the nightmare fuel of SD Gundam, and losing interest in Gundam SEED mainly due to idiotic characters. The only series I still liked was 08th MS Team.
But 00 is different: interesting politics (that aren't too confusing), outstanding characters that you can't help but get attached to, and some pretty awesome Gundams. If someone tells me they've never seen a Gundam series before, I would not hesitate in telling them to go watch Gundam 00.
And now on to Season 2. Looks like the world isn't any better off than it was four years before, more like worse with A-Laws running the show, pretty much resorting to Nazi tactics to suppress dissent. When the attack drones appeared and started rolling about, the first thing out of my mouth was "Tachikomas!" Unintentionally amusing... I enjoyed Exia's brief battle; it may have been a chop job, but it was nice to see it in action one more time. I have to wonder though, how did Setsuna manage to salvage and repair it? Did he do it all on his own, or did he have help? Little plot hole there. I'm in two minds about the Seravee; I like how it packs more firepower than Virtue did, but the face on it's back seems... I don't know, a weird design feature. Obviously it'll have something to do with it's ability to transform into another unit, but it just seems out of place right now. And then there's Louise Halvey... You'd think A-Laws would have some psych-evaluation process before letting people into their ranks. When it comes to Gundams, she has a few loose screws.
Moving on, I'm not sure what to think about the new Lockon Stratos. I think his allegiance to Katharon and covert contact with them could become a liability for Celestial Being. He's got his brother's air of confidence, but in a slightly different way that isn't as endearing as it was in Neil. However, he got me to laugh out loud for a good few minutes when he called Tieria "my adorable Mr. Instructor."
And finally it came time to rescue Allelujah! It wasn't pleasant, seeing him bound and gagged, as if they thought he was some kind of dangerous wild animal. But at least he's back now, and not too worse for wear it seems. Now that Celestial Being's Gundam Meister compliment is back up to full strength, I foresee some major action in the near future...
Plus, I really dig the new themes, especially the OP.

Princess Nine ep 1 - 2
I've never been a sports fan, so I haven't seen any anime in this genre. However, I made an exception in Princess Nine after seeing this AMV several years ago. Sadly, ADV stopped producing this title some time ago, but I was fortunate enough to recently run across a torrent of the English dub, which includes a few of my favorite voice actors.
The story centers on 15-year-old Ryo Hayakawa (Hilary Haag), the daughter of famous baseball pitcher Hidehiko Hayakawa (deceased since Ryo was a child). She inherited her father's amazing pitching ability and plays on the side as the relief pitcher for the local sandlot team, the Wildcats. Ryo is about to graduate from junior high, but has no plans to continue her education, more concerned about helping her mother run the family Oden shop. However, unbeknown to Ryo, she is being scouted by Keiko Himuro, President of Kisaragi High School, who has a bold plan to create a baseball team for the girls' school.
The first couple of episodes pretty much act to establish the premise and several major characters, including Ryo and Izumi Himuro (Monica Rial), Keiko's daughter and star tennis player of the school. In Episode 2, as part of Keiko's scouting strategy, Ryo gets challenged by a couple of loudmouth players, and also meets the other star player of Kisaragi, Hiroki Takasugi (Vic Mignogna). Hiroki tries to flirt with Ryo, though she gets annoyed at his antics and advances, as well as his nicknaming her "Tofu Girl". Another key player is Shinsaku Kido, ostensibly just a scruffy drunk who happened to be present to umpire the unofficial challenge to Ryo, but who actually has a connection to Keiko and Ryo's father.
The series aired back in 1998, and the animation is nothing to write home about: not at all flashy and not terribly impressive, but not terrible. The focus is entirely on the story and characters. I like the way Hilary Haag plays Ryo, she gives her some spunk but also does well in the more thoughtful scenes, also giving her a nice edge whenever she's annoyed.
The men on the school's board of directors are a bunch of sexist twerps, poo-pooing Keiko's plan to create a girls' baseball team, since the school is meant to produce "young ladies." Hopefully these chauvinistic farts will eat their words later in the series.
I'm still not a sports fan, but I'm sufficiently pleased with these first couple of episodes. I've waited a long time to see this show, and I'm definitely going to keep at it.