I watched way less than I wanted to during the last half of the week since the majority of my time was spent trying to fix my computer. Since none of my efforts payed off, I'm going to drop it for now and focus on getting through more of my shows.

Toradora! ep 1 - 4
And so I embark on the first of several shows recommended to me by Shinmaru. I'm not very good at keeping up with the latest anime coming out, so when people make suggestions, I appreciate it.
First off, Toradora! is one of the shows that I wouldn't normally seek out on my own. It's rather outside my usual domain of scifi/action/fantasy/drama/horror. But I'd rather not be in a rut forever, so lately I've been exploring more shows that are outside of my typical genres.
I'm not normally a fan of anime comedies, since the humor tends to be miss rather than hit for me, but I have to say I'm really enjoying this and I find myself laughing a lot. I was freaked out by Taiga and her crazy rages at first, but I've found myself warming up to her. I feel sorry for Ryuuji, with everyone around him jumping to the conclusion that he's a bully simply due to the way he looks, and I'm glad Taiga manages to straighten everyone out for the most part about this. I also love how Ryuuji is not only self-sufficient, but also a borderline OCD clean freak (as exemplified by his rabid attack on the mold in the boys washroom). Minori is one of those eternally perky girls that would scare me if I knew her in real life, not that she doesn't already scare me in the show. And Kitamura... is he dense or something? Taiga stands there in Ep 2 confessing her feelings for him and it flies right over his head!
Overall, I'm enjoying this way more than I thought I would. Interesting characters, great humor... I can't wait to watch more.

Princess Nine ep 3 - 5
Ryo's on her way to Kisaragi, and she hasn't even been accepted before a rivalry begins between her and Izumi, fueled mostly by Izumi's own ego and desire to be the best (especially in the eyes of her mother). Hiroki continues to bother Ryo at every opportunity, constantly calling her Tofu. I really feel sorry for Ryo's childhood friend Seishiro; poor guy has a crush on her but she's completely oblivious.
The rest of the action in these episodes concerns the creation of the new girls' baseball team. The only confirmed players are the boisterous Hikaru Yoshimoto and the quiet Yuki Azuma, both former Junior High softball MVPs. Coach Kido goes on a mission to recruit the fiery Seira Morimura, a track and field star who wound up rebelling when her parents began a bitter divorce. Although Kido pretty much has to trick Seira onto the team, she nevertheless joins. Then it's Ryo's turn as she travels to a fishing village to convince powerful batter Koharu Hotta to join. Koharu refuses at first, but she finally gives in when she's beaten by Ryo's pitching.
The last character to be introduced in these episodes is Nene Mori. She is the embodiment of "flighty", talking in a very light and airy voice, and pretty much being a ditz.
It's nice to see the team start to come together, but they still have four more to go. Izumi's little band of cronies were typical of the stuck-up snob stereotype, calling Ryo a tramp and other names without even knowing anything about her. And with the baseball team being such a motley crew, it'll be interesting to see how they all get along.