Honey and Clover II ep 5 - 12
With a heavy dose of backstory, I understand Morita a lot more now, why he is the way he is and why he's motivated to make money. But I can see he's also not happy that his brother has spent so many years dedicated to getting revenge on the man who stole their father's company. Morita doesn't often show any side other than his insanity, so this was a nice change.
The second season really stays heavy on the drama, especially after Hagu's accident, although some lighter moments slip through to keep it from falling completely into depression.I didn't expect the outcome of Hanamoto-sensei being in love with Hagu, but looking back through both seasons I can see instances where his feelings displayed more than just protectiveness toward her. At least Morita didn't get her; if it has been strictly between him and Takemoto, I would have preferred for Takemoto to end up with Hagu. I did enjoy their fight in Ep 11; it's nice to see Takemoto able to take Morita on equally now, rather than being at his mercy like he was in the beginning.
The ending is bittersweet. I wish these characters could go on forever together, but in the end the show reflects that way real life is: people grow together, but then comes a time when they have to drift apart and go on their own paths. I definitely put Honey and Clover at the top of the drama/comedy/romance genre.
Strawberry Panic ep 8 - 11
The show shifts back into slice-of-life, or what I term "fluff" episodes. First Nagisa lends her umbrella to another student and it goes on a little journey until returned at the end. Next, Tamao investigates "The Girl in the Hallway", one of the Seven Mysteries of the Strawberry dorms. Then Shizuma tutors Nagisa in French so she can pass her exams and join her friends on vacation.
The one odd bit is that they constantly refer to their vacation as "Summer School", and while it is a class trip, it has nothing to do with what I would usually consider summer school. Ah well, terminology concerns aside, while these episodes don't advance any overall plot, they do show a deepening of the feelings between Nagisa and Shizuma.
Clannad ~After Story~ ep 1 - 4
Finally getting started on this (I finished the first season like... two weeks ago).
I enjoyed the first episode with the baseball game, especially when Kotomi turned the whole thing into an equation. I also like any excuse to see Tomoyo in action, and the Sunohara-abuse is always funny.
And speaking of our favorite blond whipping boy, it was nice to see the next few episodes focused on the relationship between him and his sister, Mei. Mei can be too cute for her own good; that pouting and calling Tomoya "onii-chan". If I had a cute little sister like her, I'd be putty in her hands too. Speaking of cute, Sanae in a school uniform... Words fail me.
The there was the soccer team. No wonder Sunohara quit, I would have too. Those guys are all major league jerks. I would be ashamed if my school had a team like that. At least Tomoya and Sunohara were able to beat some of the crap out of them.
K-ON! ep 9
There are so many little funny moments in this episode, like Yui's ecstasy at being called "senpai" and her failed attempt to play the guitar because she needed some cake for energy. Actually, it seems most of the funniest moments revolve around Yui. And now the club has an even better guitarist (was that Led Zeppelin they showed during Azusa's solo?). Now if they could just get their act together and PRACTICE! Yes, the goofing off is funny, but the show is quickly ticking down to the end and I'd like to see them perform some more. Hopefully I'll get my wish since the next episode will have them going through another practice camp.
Ouran High Schol Host Club ep 3 - 5
Normally I watch anime on my own, but I've started watching Ouran with Raina, since she also has the series (Chinese subbed though); it's quite fun to watch the same show with someone and joke about it as you're watching.
This show is just such crack... I'm enjoying it more as I continue to watch. Hard to believe that just a couple of years ago, I swore I wasn't a fan of anime comedy. But this year I've really opened up to it, so I can be entertained by a show like this.
At times I feel sorry for Haruhi, stuck in the middle of all those weird rich boys. And then I felt sorry for all of them when the psychotic Renge fell upon them. That girl was scary.
