Okay, the only thing you really need to know about Code-E is that by the end of the series, every character STILL completely fails to have a nose.

As for Heroic Age…I still don’t have the first clue what actually happened. But it looked very pretty! Well, except for that one creature that kept spurting out planet-sized buckets of blood.

So I finally managed to lay my eyes on the final episode of School Days, and yes, I see why they elected not to air it at first.

The moral of the story, for those who won’t bother watching it, is: DON’T FUCK WITH WOMEN. Women can fight back. ♥

Warning: thar be spoilers here. Less for the actual plot than for random side stuff, but still, you have been warned.

Read the rest of this entry »

I just finished the last episode of Potemayo and I bawled like a baby.

…Well, not really. But it was a good ending.

If you haven’t already, I recommend watching the series. It’s short, and although the visual style could be cavity-inducing, the show itself is wacky and self-mocking enough to be really enjoyable. Definitely my second-favorite of the summer season. (I hardly need to tell you what comes first.)

Enough of that serious crap!

First off, Canned Dogs reports on a new take on the maid cafe: the maid casino. Yes, you can play blackjack or roulette with dealers dressed as maids. I guess if they’re dressed as maids, it takes the pain of losing all your money away. I can’t wait for there to be a real maid mafia– a yakuza group that uses all the typical tactics of intimidation and violence, but with all the caporegime dressed as maids. They’d be so cute you would hardly care that they were beating the crap out of you and taking all of your money and killing your family! (Hey, cool manga idea? STEAL IT AND DIE!)

Hashihime has an interesting comparison: the popularity of current anime in Japan versus in the US, based on 2ch threads for JP and on AnimeSuki posts for the US. Not the most scientific poll ever, but still kinda neat.

Nanoha tops both spring lists, with Lucky Star in second place for JP and third for the US. Japan’s third place is Gurren Lagann, and the US’s second is Claymore, which ranks only 9th in Japan– interesting.

For summer, Japan favors School Days, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, and Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei, while the US likes Higurashi, Zero no Tsukaima Futatsu no Kishi, and then School Days. (I declare the US to have BAD TASTE for not talking about SZS more.)

My personal favorites? For spring, Lucky Star, Gurren Lagann, and Darker than Black, probably. Summer, Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei definitely tops. Geass gets second place if you count it as a summer show at all, and third…gah, so many options! Probably Umisho or Potemayo. o_o; How about you folks?

The sixth episode of Moetan has been pulled from the TV lineup, according to Canned Dogs, to be repleaced with a recap episode, “#5.5.” Can’t be shown on TV? Now we KNOW it would be a good episode. And the good news is, you can still see it - it’ll be a DVD-only feature.

Still, it sounds kinda like what happened with Gurren Lagann’s episode 6, which took place in an onsen. The episode was originally just about Kamina and the guys trying to spy on the girls, but then Gainax remembered that their show airs on Sunday mornings when little kids are watching. But instead of saving the original episode 6 and making a generic recap episode, they…adjusted the original episode INTO a recap episode, which just led to confusion and a kind of lame (but very fanservicey) recap ep. Live and learn, Gainax. Live and learn.

That’s right, I still haven’t even really talked about Geass episodes 24 and 25, have I?

It kicked ass. I don’t care what anyone else says. Who really expected them to “wrap things up” all the way when there’s an entire second season to do? Which they found out about at the last second, no less?

Besides, I still think it’s silly to expect any real subtlety or depth in Geass - watch it for the batshit crazy characters and plot twists.

A few additional thoughts (with possible spoilers) after the jump, along with Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei Potemayo and Darker than Black. Read the rest of this entry »

Someone mentioned Code-E earlier, which reminded me that I have episode 2 and hadn’t watched it yet (I just found out Netflix has Law and Order: SVU seasons available for instant streaming, sorry ’bout that), so I thought I would, and then talk about it a bit.

Code-E is about a gal who has an unfortunate trait: she emits an electrical charge pretty much constantly, which is particularly heightened when she gets excited or nervous. And naturally, she’s a very nervous person. This girl - Chinami - has just moved to (yet another) new town to attend (yet another) new school and is trying to keep everyone from figuring out her little problem, which naturally means that someone does almost immediately.

The plot and characters of Code E are only so-so and the art is sometimes even sub-par, but the cool thing about the show is its juxtaposition of oldschool and newschool. It’s set sometime just slightly in the future, when technology has spread just a little wider (it’s absolutely amazing that Chinami has now cell phone; the gym teacher uses an electronic device that displays the court lines of whatever sport they play on the gym floor, etc).

And yet, Chinami herself is oldschool: she can’t use electronics, barely even able to use lights without getting into trouble. In the first two episodes she’s even wearing a classic sailor uniform-type outfit for her school uniform, because she hasn’t gotten her new uniform yet - the school’s uniform is a more modern style, with v-neck sweaters and skirts for the girls, blazers and slacks for the guys, button-downs and ties for all.

Contributing greatly to the old-school feel is the soundtrack, especially the OP theme, which definitely goes for a kind of old-school action flick feel. It’s fun stuff, but light; I think they’re hoping to be as awesome as Read or Die but I don’t think it’ll turn out THAT good.

Which leaves my only real complaint: why the fuck does NO ONE have a goddamn NOSE in this show?

That aside: Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is freakin’ awesome, and you should watch it if you aren’t already. See the jump for some caps from episode two. Read the rest of this entry »

Current Mood:  Approving

Kenko Zenrakei Suieibu Umisho episode 2: A Shaving Fetishist Appears. (Two, actually.)

Okay, I’m making it official now: I like Umisho. I was worried when the female lead wasn’t quite as cool as I’d hoped, but the show’s delivering pretty well. I mean, story-wise it’s just a generic over-the-top harem-ish romantic comedy…but so far they’ve come up with new twists and gags instead of relying on the same-ol’-same-ol’, so I’m down with it.

Spoilers: Read the rest of this entry »

Current Mood:  Creeped Out

Okay, folks, let’s talk a little bit about the summer ‘07 show Potemayo, which I just caught the first episode of.

First off? It’s about babies. Okay? Babies. Granted, they’re remarkably mobile and their thought processes are pretty sophisticated, but Potemayo is a freakin’ baby. At least, I sure HOPE all that poofing out is diapers - although since she apparently wet the bed they can’t be very good diapers. Ghetto diapers, I guess.

That said, it’s actually a pretty funny show. The “main character” (who has approximately five lines in the whole first episode) hardly bats an eye at his refrigerator giving birth to a bizarre baby.

THE ABOVE IS ALL TRUE. I love the green-haired girl’s character design. But then she opened her mouth, and her shrill screeching voice killed any potential affection at the get-go. Fortunately, the boring-looking brunette’s voice is smexy, and she even turns out to be a character of some significance. Groovy.

Now, some Kaze no Stigma.

The female lead does not appear to be being ironic when she says this. She actually goes on to compare her identical outfits. As a viewer, I felt insulted that the creators actually thought I might find it funny.

That said: even Ayano’s dad understands his obligation to try and get the main characters together. So to those of you who actually argued that the show isn’t heading that direction: HA.

I currently have School Days 1 and 2, Moetan 1, and Code-E 1 to watch, but I’m also running up against my deadline for a feature article, so my next Reckoning probably won’t be until sometime next week, FYI.