In all of these weeks spent writing up my thoughts on the anime I watch, I've noticed a pattern. Shows that have more subtext and mystery are easier to write about, because they provide opportunities to speculate about what's going on. On the other hand, shows that are simple, slice-of-life and without subtext are harder to write about, because all I end up doing is summarizing the events of the episodes, which I find boring and frustrating. They could be good shows, they just don't have a lot going on that really merits an in-depth analysis. I find it annoying to just say "this, this, and this happened" and nothing more.
Anyway, on with the post...
Ouran High School Host Club ep 25 - 26 (Complete)
I've enjoyed Ouran, but I have to say these last couple of episodes were the best. They had a sense of tension that wasn't present in the rest of the show, mainly due to the forces at work trying to tear Tamaki away from everyone. I particularly loved then last half of the last episode, with Mori and Honey beating the tar out of the Otori guards while Haruhi and the twins chased after Tamaki. I'm sure some fans weren't happy without any resolution to any of the various potential relationships, but it doesn't really bother me.
Revolutionary Girl Utena ep 27 - 29
Oh hell, not another Nanami episode. Why do I always seem to start on these? Although this one was a bit more amusing than the last few, particularly the part about Jury's bowling ball.
And speaking of Jury, I'm glad the next couple of episodes focused on her; it's been a while since she had some serious screen time. I've always thought that among the characters, her story is the most interesting. I get the sense that Shiori is probably aware of Jury's feelings and may just be terrified of them, which is why she seems so willing to hurt Jury. The introduction of Ruka was a nice break from the norm, having someone new come in as a duelist. I was pretty suspicious of him at first, but in the end it seems his motives were more altruistic. Too bad he was just a one-off character.
You're Under Arrest! OVA ep 1 - 4 (Complete)
A pretty decent OVA from the 90s centered around characters in a fictional police station, specifically female patrol officers Natsumi Tsujimoto and Miyuki Kobayakawa. After getting off to a rocky start, the two end up making a good team, with Miyuki's technical abilities and Natsumi's physical prowess and gung-ho attitude complementing each other. Other characters include motorcycle patrolman Ken Nakajima (who has a thing for Miyuki but completely fails at being able to express his feelings to her), dispatcher Yoriko Nikaido (the precinct's resident gossip), and the Chief.
In the OVA, Natsumi and Miyuki deal with a mysterious red Mini testing their new partnership, a reckless driver who comes out during a typhoon, and their partnership is tested when Natsumi is given the opportunity to become part of a new female motorcycle patrol unit.
While not the greatest in terms of animation due to it's age, the cast and their adventures and misadventures are fun to watch.
You're Under Arrest! S1 ep 1 - 5
The first TV season picks up where the OVA left off (in fact this first episode is designated "File 5"). The first major change is a new addition to the cast - Aoi Futaba, a male officer who once worked under cover as a woman to catch a rapist, and became transvestite in the process. Nobody's sure what to make of Aoi at first, but they eventually wind up thinking of him as female most of the time.
Other story lines include an inspection of the station and a rivalry between Yoriko and one of her former classmates at the police academy, a prissy snob who can't stand the fact that Yoriko graduated top of the class. The most interesting storyline involves the officers chasing after a vigilante, an over-the-top blowhard who goes by the name of Strike Man.
Clannad ~After Story~ ep 9 - 13
And so the story begins to shift as most of the cast graduates and Tomoya tries to deal with being an independent and responsible adult. It's nice to see how much he's changed since the start of the first series when he was uninterested in everything. On the flip side, it was sad to see Nagisa succumbing to her sickly body and having to repeat the school year again, this time more alone than she had been before. At least she and Tomoya finally got married; I was wondering how long that would take. Oh, and drunk Nagisa is very amusing.
ep 14
They're having a baby! Akio's horrified expression after Nagisa's declaration that she and Tomoya were having sex was absolutely priceless. And Akio totally fails at being "hip"... yo.
K-ON! ep 12
Once again, my expectations were subverted. I had thought that Ui would be drafted in to play in Yui's place, but that didn't happen, although it looked like it might when Ui tried to impersonate her sister. It wasn't hard to figure out that it was Ui, since Yui would not have gotten over her cold that quickly, and Ui couldn't act like her sister even if she tried. The show hasn't really gone anywhere, but I can forgive it for that for being just so fun and entertaining.
Also, Yui's fevered imagination turning Mugi's eyebrows into pickled radishes was a great joke. I know several people who have been bothered by Mugi's eyebrows.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya ep 1 - 3
I've been told several times in the past to watch this series, and at long last I've finally started it. Definitely interesting so far. If I were Kyon, I'd probably love being thrust into the middle of insanity like this, it would make life a lot more exciting. Looking forward to seeing what happens next.
DOGS: Bullets & Carnage ep 1 - 2
I'm not quite sure what this is all about, but it's pretty darn fun. Not quite on the same level as something like Black Lagoon, but close enough. Seems like each episode just spotlights a different character without too much follow-through with any major storyline. The one thing I'm confused about though is what happened to Mihai at the end of Ep 1. Who was that kid that stabbed him? Why did he do that? And I guess Mihai must have survived since he was also in Ep 2.
Baccano! ep 1 - 3
Another one that I'm long overdue to watch. The action is cool, the premise is fascinating, and the cast of characters is certainly colorful. It's like Highlander-meets-1930s-gangsters. The biggest hassle so far is the non-linear storytelling, and at this point I'm entirely lost as to what time frame each scene happens in. By Ep 3 it seems like everything is happening out of sequence without any handy "date card" (if you will) to say what year each one is set in. They did that with the first couple of episodes, why not keep it up through the whole thing? I just hope things start to make some semblance of sense soon. Fortunately my confusion only makes me want to watch more to find out what's going on.
