Thoughts of Summer 2010 Anime Titles

I've got it downloaded already. I forget where I got it, though.

Asobi ni Iku Yo episode 5 was hilarious! A lot of completely oddball stuff, and plenty of action. The Chow Yun-fat reference was great. Characters other than the main cast has larger appearances than before, which was nice. Ah, poor Crysis-tan has to compete with an alien catgirl. And CIA-tan still is very tsun. I'm guessing that she will be getting an episode with her in a greater role soon. As usual, Asobi is still making me wonder where the plot will go next. It's definitely quite interesting. I do agree with Piero in that Kio's cool uncle needs more screen time.

Well it may be a tad late, but here's the picture Five_X and I agreed on for the "defining screenshot" for Episode Five of Asobi ni Ikuyo. It's a freeze frame of CIA-tan's custom modified assist-droid "Yun-Fat" during the attack on the Androlago.



There was another one I was considering as well, but I figured it might too weird to show to a bunch of people who haven't seen the show.

Going off on a tangent here, but over the last few days I've been introduced to Katanagatari, the OVA series being released over the course of this year, and it's cracking stuff. The atypical art style is lovely, and the character designs, particulalry with the animal-inspired outfits of the Maniwa Corps, have great variety, vivid colour and real appeal. The music is strong, and while the budding romance between the hero and heroine is a chaste one, for once that's not because the hero is a spineless weed as with too many other animes. It's very dialogue-heavy, and a case could be made for some of the talk being empty gab - but on the other hand, it's nice to see relationships develop in detail through characters' conversations rather than attraction or repulsion just being assumed with a couple of quick markers. Overall, it's simply a pleasant thing to watch.

I've tended to like Nisioisin's works. The Bakemonogatari anime was great, and I bought the first volume of the Zaregoto novels - that was more of a curate's egg... the scenario was incredibly contrived, the hero was your usual angsty teen and the ending was frankly bizarre; but at its heart it was an absorbing slice of Murder Most Horrid with suitable riffs off of And Then There Were None. His samurai quest in Katanagatari seems to be reaching up to another peak.

Robert Frazer wrote:Going off on a tangent here, but over the last few days I've been introduced to Katanagatari, the OVA series being released over the course of this year, and it's cracking stuff.

Isn't it? One of my favorites this year, hands-down.

Kara and Noël have both adopted "Cheerios!" as their fight exclamation.

If you have not yet watched Episode 6, when the narrator starts talking at the end, turn it off. She drops a massive spoiler for Episode 7.

As for Episode 7, let us only say "Shit just got real!". It is totally different in tone from the episodes that came before it.

Heh, thanks for the courtesy of the warning, Kiskaloo, but as I've binged the episodes over the last couple of days that's already been and gone! Episode 7 definitely did have a queerly surreal aspect to it - it's amazing how cutting away the shading and leaving the characters as flat colour has this disorienting effect. The same could be said for peppering an episode with videogame references (even with a paper-doll dialogue!) when it has what I suppose is meant to be one of the more meaningful deaths of the series - it's definitely odd but... it works. I'd say that that sense of dislocation, detachment and disorientation probably conveys what's going through Shichika's head a lot better than a scene bawling over a body.

I have my doubts that giving K-On!! 26 episodes was the right call, but I did find Episode 18 to be a gem.

I wasn't much impressed with the first episode of Katanagatari, but I keep hearing it gets way better, so maybe I should give it another try at some point.

Anyway, updates:

Occult Academy (Episode 6): This week's episode was really good. Bunmei got to redeem himself, and we also got to see Maya go majorly dere. Although I am reminded of one my thoughts about last week's episode (which this week's episode is a continuation of), and that's what sort of school is going to be willing to put a student -even a volunteer- in a freezing chamber so that they can study near death experiences? I know Japan is less sue-crazy than the US, but seriously... what sort of administration would be willing to touch something like that with a mile long pole?
Ookami-san (Episode 7): There are some things about this show I'm not entirely comfortable with at times, but at it's best it is highly amusing, and the show was at it's best for most of this week's episode. Very fun stuff. I'm thinking maybe I should nominate the lead girl for Five_X's tsundere tournament.
Strike Witches 2 (Episode 6): I've often felt that this second season is better than the first one was, and for much of it's length this episode was a good example of that. I had some issues with the later parts however. It's nice to see how strong a bond Eila and Sanya share, however I think it would have been better if it had been done in a way that didn't make them seem so immature, since I think that undermined things somewhat. Also, I realise Strike Witches is more of a "mildly military" show, but in all seriousness this episode took that a bit far. If I was Eila and Miyafuji's commanding officer, I would figuratively speaking skewer them, skin them, and then cook them alive for the stunt they pulled. Helping your friends work out personal problems is nice, but you don't seriously endanger the success of one of the most complex, dangerous, and important missions your unit has ever undertaken in order to do it.

You mean Eila, right, Piero?

Yes, and it appears I got her and Sanya mixed up too. Although frankly I don't think that Sanya was entirely blameless on that matter either.

Also, I often have mixed feelings on certain types of fan service, but I also find overly obvious and intrusive censoring kind of problematic. And some of the censoring in this episode was really obvious.

All I can say about episode 6 of Strike Witches is HNNNNGSanya.

Strike Witches #6 for the win. Perfect episode across the board. And that they used "Sweet Duet" from Strike Witches Hime Uta Collection 2 - my hands-down favorite character CD of the first series - for the battle was a touch that brought a tear of happiness to the eye.

If not for K-On!! putting in the performance of the series with Episode 18, it would have been demoted to #2 on my list of best Summer 2010 titles right then and there.

As for Ella's actions, remember that this is Strike Witches we're talking about - the entire show is based around the earnestness of the girls (especially Miyafuji). She had to replace Miyafuji at the end, and Miyafuji had to let her, otherwise it would not have been true to the show's form.

As for the censoring, otaku need a reason to buy the DVDs, remember.

Yeah, Strike Witches 2 is even better than the original. Honestly, Sanya and Eila are very, very sweet. They're definitely one of the best yuri couples in anime. Perhaps the best. Strike Witches shows how yuri should be done: with good fanservice, subtext that becomes text, realistic character relationships and, of course, honesty. Unfortunately the show doesn't focus on the yuri too much, though this episode is a great exception. Maybe in the future there will be a LynneXYoshika episode in the future.

Also, I really liked the dam buster reference.

Five_X wrote:Also, I really liked the dam buster reference.

That was awesome.

Kiskaloo wrote:

Five_X wrote:Also, I really liked the dam buster reference.

That was awesome.

and wrong,that bomb was detonated by a pressure fuse not an impact one,so it could only explode underwater !

But you see the pressure with the Neuroi nearby is dramatically increased because of its size and the ratio of Neuroi to water. With that in mind, the bomb, striking the Neuroi, would explode as if the conditions were appropriate to explode due to the Neuroi being there. Plus, the battleships giving fire support without the aid of Strike Witches made it so that the atmosphere was different than a usual battle, plus the size of the aircraft launching the bomb must also be taken into consideration. The air pressure is also important. Because of this, it could likely work. Of course, (a slight spoiler for the episode) it was revealed that...

Spoiler:

Triela wrote:Is (Asobi ni Iku Yo!) good? I watched the opening and I didn't look that appealing to me.

As a follow-up to my initial response to this question, I found the first episode to be okay, but the second was awesome and episodes 3 through 5 were solid - five bonus points for using an ekranoplan (looked like an A-90 Orlyonok) in Episode 05.

It looks to have a lot of the charm I enjoyed in Nyan Koi! (and was totally lacking in Mayoi Neko Overrun!). It also has the best OP of the season and the Episode 5 ED rocks, too.

And in addition to Claes (as Aoi Futaba), Laine is evidently a regular on the show, under the alias Janis Alectos Carotenas Karinato. I also thought having Snoopy reprise his role as The Red Baron was a nice touch - even if he is channelling Mutley..

thought i would share this cosplay of Miyafuji

Francesca Lucchini reporting for duty!


Cosplayer: lenfried

That's a damn nice Mio. Far cuter than the anime character. Any more of her?



Eila Llmatar Juutilainen




Lynette Bishop (cosplayer: Serika Kawasumi)

Here's the best Yoshika cosplay by far:

Man, I'm away from my computer for most of three days for a convention and I get WAAAY behind.

Kiskaloo wrote:As for Ella's actions, remember that this is Strike Witches we're talking about - the entire show is based around the earnestness of the girls (especially Miyafuji). She had to replace Miyafuji at the end, and Miyafuji had to let her, otherwise it would not have been true to the show's form.

I'm not really going to make a huge deal out of it seeing as how it's Strike Witches and it doesn't really pay to take it too seriously. But I think I might have liked to have seen the writers take a path that showed a stronger relationship. The method they chose did show a strong relationship in some ways but I think the clingyness undermined things somewhat. If you really care about someone, you should be able to entrust their safety to someone who is better able to ensure it when need be, a failure to be able to do so shows a lack of maturity. Hence I might have liked to have seen Eila show that sort of maturity.

Highschool of the Dead 7 - I can honestly say this was my favorite episode so far. It had awesome insert songs during fight scenes, Hirano shooting that SR-25 like a pro, Komuro being a Big Damn Hero, and introduced Alice - the most adorable member of the group.

I'm extremely pleased.

Asobi ni Ikuyo (Episode 6): I had some mixed feelings about this episode. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's bad -I still liked it- but I don't feel the episode was as good as some of it's predecessors. I also felt the sauna scene was pushing it a bit -Asobi has plenty of absurd fan service, but it's presence is usually better justified then it was in that scene. On the plus side it was nice to see Minami get some focus, and we also finally got to see another missing character reappear. Although for some reason Minami seemed to forget what trigger discipline was this episode. Also, lol at Aoi's cooking "skills." I wonder how she managed to get by before this. Lots of instant food?

Amagami SS (Episode 7): Bit late with this one, I saw it Thursday night, but with the local anime convention starting on Friday I didn't get around to reviewing it until today. Anyhow, this was definitely the most drama oriented episode of the series thus far. However it still had it's funny moments and the drama was low key and well done, so that didn't stop it from being really good (in fact I think the drama was partly why this episode was so good). In spite of their craziness the characters in this series just seem a lot more real than the ones I've seen in a lot of other romantic comedy anime. My main concern with this arc is now just how they're going to manage to resolve it. I think the next episode may be the last one for Kaoru's arc, and it seems to me that things are just getting started with her and Junichi. I'm hoping they don't try to cram in more stuff than they're capable of handling in one episode.

This week's Asobi ni Iku Yo was very good. It had quite a bit of character development, which I enjoyed. The fanservice at the beginning I honestly found more hilarious than over the top. Rather clever censoring methods. CIA-tan got a lot of attention, and since she's my favourite character, those parts were really awesome. Overall, a well done episode with much appreciated focus on the character I like most.

I'm already on record I like Asobi ni Iku Yo's music, so I picked up the CDs for OP and the two EDs, which both have sweet covers:

Kiskaloo wrote:I'm already on record I like Asobi ni Iku Yo's music, so I picked up the CDs for OP and the two EDs, which both have sweet covers:

I haven't noticed the EDs yet, but I really, really like the OP. And those are pretty nice covers, even if Episode Six makes me wonder how edible the food sitting next to Aoi in the first pic is.

Also, I forgot to point this out earlier, but I'm now convinced that Chaika (the white haired cat girl from the Cathean flagship) is evil.

Occult Academy 7 was definitely a highlight of the series so far. While it did have good funny parts, the bulk of the episode was a more dramatic style of the standard Occult Academy fare. It really developed the personalities of Maya and Ami as well, and Ami's dad is a cool addition to the show. They've got the character interactions down very well for this episode. I liked the very stereotypical occult stuff, too. Plus, Maya as a kid is surprisingly cute.

Strike Witches 7 was censor-tacular, but absolutely hilarious in the way only Strike Witches can pull off. Throughout the whole episode I was getting vibes of episode 7 of the first season, as well. And while the bug Neuroi could possibly be some metaphor for an STD, it could also very likely be another historical joke, about the original computer "bugs" that had to be removed form the old giant supercomputers. If you can handle the censoring and fanservice, of which there is a LOT, but is at least comedic in delivery, then you'll definitely like this episode.

And in the freaky CD cover category...

Kinda behind on my reviews here, but then I had the anime convention on the weekend and then came down with either stomach flu or food poisoning shortly thereafter (my digestive system is still not entirely back to normal) so...

Anyway, here's the latest batch of reviews. I'll read through what you guys have been saying recently after I post them (I kind of wanted to write down my own initial thoughts before I started reading what other people had to say).

Amagami SS (Episode 8): This series has now cleared the first two of its six arcs with flying colours. I continue to be very impressed with the writing for this particular show; it’s entertaining yet it also seems a lot more “real” than is typical of romantic comedy animes.
I do have to admit I’m a bit worried about the next arc though. The girl who is the focus of the next arc appears to be painfully shy, and part of what’s made the first two arcs so great is the fact that the girls they focused on were both on the batshit crazy side of the spectrum (albeit in somewhat different ways).
Occult Academy (Episode 7): This episode was pretty awesomely hilarious, right up until the end of the episode when things suddenly became rather emotionally charged in a decidedly un-humorous fashion. I’m wondering if we’re going to start seeing Maya defrost a bit in the next few episodes, because at this point her bitchiness is really straining some of her interpersonal relationships. And speaking of Maya, does she always buy the exact same set of clothes? The outfit she’s wearing in the flashbacks from when she was a little kid is basically exactly the same one as the one she wears in the series proper, just in a different size! WTH?
Strike Witches 2 (Episode 7): Well… I’ll admit to being highly amused. That being said, I take this episode as further proof that this series has pretty much no sense of shame whatsoever. I think about the only was it could be more shameless is if it indulged in outright pornography.
I do have to say that there was one thing that kind of annoyed me about this episode though, and that’s Eila’s acting tsun towards Sanya when she showed up in her room. Those two just had something pretty major happen between them last episode, but it feels kind of meaningless if Eila is just going to go back to acting the exact same way she used to the very next episode. She could have at least tucked Sanya in or something while she was putting on her annoyed act.
Now truth be told this particular incident was pretty minor, but I’ve seen other super popular stuff lately that seem to have a thing against character development, and I’m kind of hoping it’s not a sign of what we should be expecting from the industry in the future.

Piero wrote:Strike Witches 2 (Episode 7): Well… I’ll admit to being highly amused. That being said, I take this episode as further proof that this series has pretty much no sense of shame whatsoever. I think about the only was it could be more shameless is if it indulged in outright pornography.

That was the episode "Free and Breezy" from the first series.

rusty-spring wrote:Highschool of the Dead 7 - I can honestly say this was my favorite episode so far. It had awesome insert songs during fight scenes, Hirano shooting that SR-25 like a pro, Komuro being a Big Damn Hero, and introduced Alice - the most adorable member of the group.

I'm extremely pleased.

I would give my though's on the episode, but you just about nailed it. Also, does any one know where I can get a shotgun like the one in this episode (Triela would also like to know ). I mean, that thing was taking down ten zombies in one shot! I've heard a shotgun described as a reloadable claymore mine but damn!

SPARTAN 119 wrote:Also, does any one know where I can get a shotgun like the one in this episode (Triela would also like to know ). I mean, that thing was taking down ten zombies in one shot! I've heard a shotgun described as a reloadable claymore mine but damn!

Shotguns in media are usually a bit exaggerated. But if you're really interested in one, and live in the USA, you can find a quality shotgun in almost any sporting/hunting goods store that carries firearms. You can also purchase online if you're so inclined. As for outside of the USA, you'll have to turn elsewhere. I'm not well versed in foreign gun laws.

It's unlikely that all of those zombies were killed, though. However, it would be slightly plausible if the shotgun in question had larger magnum load shells, in which case the zombies, given their deadness, would be more easily knocked over. However, magnum loads have ridiculously heavy recoil, just a little less than a 10 gauge, though Hirano was firing from a well braced position.

SPARTAN 119 wrote:Also, does any one know where I can get a shotgun like the one in this episode (Triela would also like to know ). I mean, that thing was taking down ten zombies in one shot! I've heard a shotgun described as a reloadable claymore mine but damn!

I don't know about the power, but you could get the necessary spread by using a rifled barrel. Illegal, but they really make those pellets spread fast.

Five_X wrote:Hirano was firing from a well braced position.

Well braced indeed:
(possible NSFW depending on how much of a Puritan your boss is.)

Spoiler:

Five_X wrote:...though Hirano was firing from a well braced position.

Looks more like he had excellent shock absorption to soak up the recoil.

K-ON!! 20

It's time for the big concert so...

...they spend all the time on stage talking.



Okay, I know you want us to buy the CD's of the stage performances (and I have been), but come on...

High School of the Dead 8: First of all, the fight was fun to watch. Secondly, Saeko is friggin Neo with her bullet dodging and has Ryu Hayabusa ninja moves. Thirdly, they really overdid the slow motion jello boobs. Fanservice is one thing, but that was just awkward to watch.

Asobi ni Ikuyo (Episode Seven): Another quite entertaining episode. Somehow, the show is managing to survive and flourish despite it's cast getting seriously bloated. I suspect the fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously may be part of that. Or maybe it's the craziness, because for all that the show generally doesn't take itself very seriously, there was one particular scene this episode where it mustered a real emotional charge and then let it explode. Definitely not what I was expecting.

High School of the Dead 8: Boobs do not move that way.

Now, must get back to KiraKira, muahahahahaha.

Occult Academy 8: To be honest, the last episode left me kinda disinterested in the show, hence the late viewing. However, this latest episode was all around enjoyable, and I'm rather looking forward to the next. Hopefully it builds up more momentum as the season comes to a close.

Weekly update:

Amagami SS (Episode 9): Apparently the shy girl's name is Sae, and her arc is off to something of a slow start. There's still some life in the show, but this episode seemed lacking compared to some of the crazy ones that populated the preceding two arcs. Also, for some reason the show felt the need to use a narrator in this episode when it hadn't used one previously, which was a bit jarring. All that being said, the next episode preview looked pretty crazy, so hopefully it's just the first episode of this arc that's kind of a letdown.
Occult Academy (Episode 8): Bit less of a focus on Maya and Ami's past relationship than I expected. Also interesting to note the significance of the cattle -I though it was kind of strange that the people putting on the UFO hoax would have gone as far as to mutilate a cow, but it turns out [i]that[i] part was something else. Also, lot's of badassitude this episode, even Bunmei got in on the action (also, love how they just grabbed him off the street as they were passing by).
Ookami-san (Episode 9): I tend to prefer it when this show sticks to comedy, it's serious stuff tends to give me mixed feelings. It was nice to see Ringo get some backstory, but on the other hand I kind of feel like certain things blew over way too easily. Ringo's elder sister seems a bit too much of a doormat, you'd think she'd have at least some sort of negative feelings towards her situation.
Strike Witches 2 (Episode 8): A decent enough episode in many respects, although I kind of feel like they're hiking Miyafuji's power levels a bit too much. Also it seems a bit weird for a Striker based on something like the J7W1 to be more successful than one based on the Me 262 -in real life the Me 262 was built in much larger numbers and actually saw service while the J7W1 never made it past the prototype stage.
Also, at how useless any weaponry not employed by a Witch is. Even the Yamato's main battery apparently can't do jack against Neuroi. Makes you wonder how humanity managed to survive long enough to develop Striker units doesn't it?

Piero wrote:Asobi ni Ikuyo (Episode Seven): Another quite entertaining episode.

I liked the Kämpfer cameo at 4:48.

That's not actually the first Kampfer shout out in the series. There's also one near the beginning of Episode Three.

Just started watching High School of the Dead because an old con-buddy recommended it on lol-ecchi factor alone.

Truth be told though, is it just me or does this series seem to borrow heavily from the OneChanbara series?

Piero wrote:Strike Witches 2 (Episode 8): A decent enough episode in many respects, although I kind of feel like they're hiking Miyafuji's power levels a bit too much. Also it seems a bit weird for a Striker based on something like the J7W1 to be more successful than one based on the Me 262...

Miyafuji is Japanese so she has to have a Japanese striker unit, I imagine.

When it comes time for her to get a jet-powered striker unit, I imagine it will be a Kikka or a Ki-201.

Also, at how useless any weaponry not employed by a Witch is. Even the Yamato's main battery apparently can't do jack against Neuroi. Makes you wonder how humanity managed to survive long enough to develop Striker units doesn't it?

Well the Yamato did have shells that could penetrate the Neuroi's armor (might have been in the previous series). I suppose the Witches could have attacked on brooms before the Striker Units arrived - it's also clear the Neuroi have been adapting their tactics and equipment to reflect improvements in the capabilities of the Witches.

High School of the Dead episode 8 was really good, the fight at the end made me stress out because I could feel their peril... BUT... Being a girl myself I can honestly say my chest has NEVER moved like that. That TOO creepy and unrealistic for my taste... First Madhouse fail I have seen...

Triela wrote:High School of the Dead episode 8 was really good, the fight at the end made me stress out because I could feel their peril... BUT... Being a girl myself I can honestly say my chest has NEVER moved like that. That TOO creepy and unrealistic for my taste... First Madhouse fail I have seen...

LMAO!
I really enjoyed the fight scenes too. As for the boobs, I guess if you have DDs or higher they might, but I bet that has gotta hurt.

Is it just me, or did the Neuroi in the latest Strike Witches look like a giant A-bomb?

Five_X wrote:Is it just me, or did the Neuroi in the latest Strike Witches look like a giant A-bomb?

It did have a strong resemblance to Fat Man.

Personally it had me thinking of some kind of dirigible (or in other words, an airship).

Kiskaloo wrote:

Piero wrote:Strike Witches 2 (Episode 8): A decent enough episode in many respects, although I kind of feel like they're hiking Miyafuji's power levels a bit too much. Also it seems a bit weird for a Striker based on something like the J7W1 to be more successful than one based on the Me 262...

Miyafuji is Japanese so she has to have a Japanese striker unit, I imagine.

When it comes time for her to get a jet-powered striker unit, I imagine it will be a Kikka or a Ki-201.

Also, at how useless any weaponry not employed by a Witch is. Even the Yamato's main battery apparently can't do jack against Neuroi. Makes you wonder how humanity managed to survive long enough to develop Striker units doesn't it?

Well the Yamato did have shells that could penetrate the Neuroi's armor (might have been in the previous series). I suppose the Witches could have attacked on brooms before the Striker Units arrived - it's also clear the Neuroi have been adapting their tactics and equipment to reflect improvements in the capabilities of the Witches.

Hmmm.... So the Neuroi are not completely invulnerable to attacks made by those who actually wear pants.

High School of the Dead 9: This episode taught me what I already knew. Saeko is the best female cast member of the show.

Ditto. I like how she upgrades to a real sword.

Asobi ni Ikuyo (Episode 8): I still like this show a lot, but it is starting to show some weaknesses. Some of them may be due to it passing through the midsection of it's run, which is a point where a lot of shows lose some steam. Other problems however seem more like they're due to the writers trying to adapt too much material too quickly. The new character from last episode for instance doesn't seem like she's been properly introduced, she's just kind of... there. Also quality control for the series' artwork seems to have slipped a bit.
That being said, there's still a decent amount of stuff the show does well. With luck, it'll pick up again as it moves closer to its end point (and hopefully it will also give some neglected characters some screen time as it does so).
Also, I liked how they at least tried to make the laser sight on a sniper rifle thing make sense, although even with it being an infrared laser sight that isn't visible without special equipment it still doesn't make much sense.

Actually using an infrared targeting system makes a great deal of sense. With a visible light laser designator, your target can trace it back to you with plain eyesight. No such worries with an IR designator.

In my OC universe, the cyborgs can see in IR so they use IR designators and illuminators so as to not give their position away.


As to the show, it's not as charming as Nyan Koi!, but it is better than Mayoi Neko Overrun!

Also, Manami Kinjou would make a decent older Henrietta to compliment Aoi Futaba's Claes.

Kiskaloo wrote:Actually using an infrared targeting system makes a great deal of sense. With a visible light laser designator, your target can trace it back to you with plain eyesight. No such worries with an IR designator.

The problem is that there was very little practical reason for the sniper to be using an IR laser aiming device in the first place. She was using a sniper rifle at 300 meters. She clearly had a scope to look through, and that would have been a better choice for long range work anyway, since a laser can't compensate for bullet drop. Laser aiming devices for firearms are intended for close range work. About the only thing that even remotely makes sense might be if the spotter was using a laser rangefinder or something, and I question why a supposedly skilled sniper team would need a laser rangefinder to determine distance when they were that close to their targets.

Piero wrote:The problem is that there was very little practical reason for the sniper to be using an IR laser aiming device in the first place.

I haven't watched the episode in question, but a reason why some IR lasers are used as designators. So other soldiers or air support can see where the shooting is looking at. Like I said, that probably isn't the case in this instance, but there are reasons why a sniper would have such a device on their gun.