Thoughts of Summer 2010 Anime Titles

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.

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

Agreed. This episode only re-confirmed why I like Saeko as a character. However...

What the hell, Komuro? was that some kind of 'boob-grope of courage' thing going on? I don't remember that being in the manga...

MP5 wrote:

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

Agreed. This episode only re-confirmed why I like Saeko as a character. However...

What the hell, Komuro? was that some kind of 'boob-grope of courage' thing going on? I don't remember that being in the manga...

The Scott Pilgrim Effect is being felt everywhere.

MP5 wrote:I don't remember that being in the manga...

The anime is obviously taking it's own liberties on the source material.

It was in the manga, but wasn't as... er, pronounced as in episode 9.

Weekly update (aside from Asobi, which I commented on earlier).

Amagami SS (Episode 10): There are pros and cons to this dating sim adaptation's approach to storytelling. Having a bunch of alternate reality arcs allows the show to properly explore each girl's character without having everyone fighting over the male lead all the time the way they would in a harem show. However, this method of storytelling also means that the success of each arc depends heavily on the character of the girl being focused on for that particular arc. In the case of an incredibly entertaining girl like the one from the first arc, this method works exceptionally well. However, the girl who is the focal point for this arc is not the girl who was the focal point for the first arc. Her extreme shyness kind of causes some problems. Some of the male lead's interactions with this arc's girl make him look like a creep, which wasn't so much the case with the older and more confident girls in the first two arcs. There are hints that this arc's girl may be taking a bit leap forward in terms of her confidence though, so I guess there's still hope for things to improve.
Oh, also, am I the only person who finds it weird that the lead's little sister seemed to disapprove of his relationships with the girls in the first two arcs, but seems to be trying to hook him and her best friend up this time around? I wouldn't think most girls that age would want their best friend and their older brother to be dating.
Occult Academy (Episode 9): In my opinion, one of this show's biggest strengths is it's versatility. It does comedy well, but it also does more serious stuff well, and it's capable of packing an emotional punch at times too. I am wondering how they're going to wrap up the main plot though. This current arc with the ghost girl should take at least another episode to resolve, which doesn't leave many episodes with which to resolve the main plot.
Ookami-san (Episode 10): Another more serious episode, unfortunately. This show really is best when it's doing comedy, there are things that bother me about it when it tries to be serious.
Strike Witches 2 (Episode 9): Perrine has been one of my least favorite members of the Witches because the show always seems to focus on some not overly positive parts of her character. So I think it was good that this episode focused on her and highlighted some other parts of her character, even if it didn't really add huge amounts of extra depth. That being said, this episode got kind of... WTF... at times. Oh, and apparently Major Sakamoto is a total lightweight when it comes to alcohol. She should definitely not be allowed to drink. Or maybe she should be, considering how crazy she gets when she's drunk. If that's what she gets up to with a little bit of wine, I wonder what would happen if someone gave her something really strong...

Kiskaloo wrote:

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.

i know its unlikely in a Japanese anime, but at some point someones got to bring out a nuke and throw it at the Neuroi !

Awinnell wrote:

Kiskaloo wrote:

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.

i know its unlikely in a Japanese anime, but at some point someones got to bring out a nuke and throw it at the Neuroi !

Actually, nuking Tokyo was a very popular theme in 1980's anime.

I really liked the eyecatch for SW9:



Kind of surprised to see them defending the Forth Bridge at the start of the episode. It clearly wasn't a flashback to the first season when they were stationed in the UK (Britannia).

I'm also surprised Eila and Sanya did not burst into flames after spending all day sitting in the sun.

And, as always, Francesca Lucchini for the win.

Episode 9 of HotD was great and Saeko was amazing. However the whole chest grope thing was odd and that she got aroused by killing the zombies in the end was odd... to say the least...

Drunk Mio is hilarious.

Saeko Busujima's "Nureru/I'm getting wet" one liner is now officially a meme:

(probably not NSFW, only thing really sexual is the text ( and that isn't a problem unless your boss is fluent in Japanese), though some of the others in the gallery I found it definitely were.)

Spoiler:

Since this week's Asobi was late (and I've had some things I've been doing) I'm bundling my thoughts on this week's episode with my thoughts on this week's episodes for the other show's I've been following.

Amagami SS (Episode 11): I’ve been kind of critical of this latest arc of this show, but this particular episode was actually very good aside from some stuff during the bit with the hero show at the amusement park which seemed overly far fetched. Although I do have to wonder a bit about how a girl as shy as the one in this arc managed to pass a job interview and deal with a serving job. Also why the series lead only had problems with the suggestion that she and him go on the Ferris Wheel first when they got to the amusement park. If he’s afraid of heights to the point where a Ferris Wheel is a problem, he ought to be disturbed by the fact that they’re going to an amusement park to begin with!
Asobi ni Ikuyo (Episode 9): Episode 9 was a bit of an unusual one for Asobi, as it didn’t have much of the series usual straight up comedy. Considering that Asobi isn’t the sort of show you’d expect to do a “what measure is an artificial being” plotline, this episode actually worked pretty well, it was a bit sad, yet not entirely so. On the other hand though I can’t say I entirely agree with the perspective the show expressed on the issue. For all that this worked surprisingly well Asobi really isn’t cut out to deal with ethical dilemmas. Also, for some reason I’m starting to worry about whether we’ll really get a proper wrap up to this series –normally I actually don’t feel it’s a big problem for series to have open endings that allow for continuations. In this case however, I’ve actually been feeling there’s some things I’d like to see the show deal with, like Aoi’s past and Manami’s feelings. And I’m also hoping for some more craziness before the end. Maybe the relative seriousness of this last little bit of the show has something to do with those feelings?
Occult Academy (Episode 10): The early part of this episode actually had me thinking that criticisms about the series’ lack of consistency (it mixes a lot of different elements) do have a degree of legitimacy. Then I got to the later parts of the episode, and well… I’m impressed. It’s not easy for an anime to muster that level of emotional impact. Those two big emotional scenes weren’t perfect, the second one didn’t work quite as well as the first, but they still worked pretty darn well.
Ookami-san (Episode 11): If you’ve been paying attention to my thoughts on this show, you may be aware of the fact that I think this show works best when it’s not being too serious. The last episode ended with the cast in a seemingly very dire situation, but this episode -despite picking up where the other left off- was fairly comedic and entertaining. In general I’m enjoying this show despite my mixed feelings on it, and I doubt that’ll change too much with the season finale next week. (I wonder why this show is so eager to get finished up. Some of the other shows have a good three episodes left to air.)
Strike Witches (Episode 9): I’d seen some fan art of Hanna once, and one of the comments made on it was about someone hoping she’d show up and teach Lucchini some manners as she apparently does in some of the non anime material. Well, I don’t know how much her character differs between different versions of the material, but I don’t really think she’s in any position to teach basically anyone manners. That girl has [understatement]an attitude problem[/understatement]. Wow. Just… wow.
Also, looks like Mio is really starting to reach the limits of how far she can push it.

Strike Witches was interesting. Hanna wore a skirt, which is unusual and I will ignore, because A) it's so short that it's completely pointless, and B) No other young female character wears anything over their panties. I don't recall her getting a single panty shot, though.

She's also kind of a bitch. But it was nice seeing Erica do more stuff.

Five_X wrote:Strike Witches was interesting. Hanna wore a skirt, which is unusual and I will ignore, because A) it's so short that it's completely pointless, and B) No other young female character wears anything over their panties. I don't recall her getting a single panty shot, though.

She's also kind of a bitch. But it was nice seeing Erica do more stuff.

I believe that one of the Strike Witches from the original novels, Tomoko, wears a skirt because her uniform is sort of based on a miko outfit:
http://moe.imouto.org/post/show/70148/anabuki_tomoko-animal_ears-miyafuji_yoshika-pantsu

As a little side note, unlike a lot of people I've been keeping up with Seitokai Yakuindomo and I'm actually finding I'm enjoying it a lot more as it goes. Maybe it's just the initial shock factor of some of the gags has worn off? I remember liking Strike Witches more once the initial "BUT THEY DON'T WEAR PANTS" factor wore off too.

0utf0xZer0 wrote:As a little side note, unlike a lot of people I've been keeping up with Seitokai Yakuindomo and I'm actually finding I'm enjoying it a lot more as it goes.

For me it wasn't a "shock" factor so much as a "groan" factor - as in I just didn't find it overly funny.

I felt it would end up as a pale shadow of Seitokai no Ichizon, just as Mayoi Neko Overrun! became compared to Nyan Koi!, so I decided to spare myself the disappointment and drop it after Episode 2.

If it ends up being epic, I can always download the fan-subs of the Blu-rays.

Personally, I tend to find B Gata H Kei a better comparison than Seitokai no Ichizon, but otherwise I had a similar reaction. B Gata H Kei's first episode was genuinely funny, Seitokai Yakuindomo's first episode was trying to be funny and failed pretty badly.

I've actually found SY to be surprisingly watchable. While its stock in trade is "[insert reference to plumbing here]" and it perhaps wears its 4koma origins a little too obviously, there's some variety to the jokes, the quickfire delivery keeps things pacy, it looks lovely, moves well, and has a pretty good soundtrack to boot. It's an unobtrusive and undemanding backdrop of an anime - it's not a show that I'd go back to time and time again, but while you watch it it's quietly pleasant.

Am I the only person who is amused by the fact that the last three people to post in this thread (including me) pretty much just repeated what we said a couple months back when the show in question first aired?

We have entered an endless recursion of time.

Robert Frazer wrote:I've actually found SY to be surprisingly watchable. While its stock in trade is "[insert reference to plumbing here]" and it perhaps wears its 4koma origins a little too obviously, there's some variety to the jokes, the quickfire delivery keeps things pacy, it looks lovely, moves well, and has a pretty good soundtrack to boot. It's an unobtrusive and undemanding backdrop of an anime - it's not a show that I'd go back to time and time again, but while you watch it it's quietly pleasant.

I think you've actually nailed a lot of what I like about it. And I've actually heard a few people say the anime improves on the manga - the manga has the good delivery, but the anime has actually expanded on the manga somewhat. And I really do feel that it's a show that start so-so and has got better... which actually means I'm liking it a lot more than a lot of shows that seem to start strong and then simply implode after a few episodes.

That said, I will admit that the trend towards mainly 4koma adaptations is bugging me a little despite the fact I end up watching many of them in full (I guess if this holds true for the Japanese fanbase and it encourages DVD sales, then it explains why they keep getting made). I like moe, but my favourite moe shows are things like EF and Ga-rei Zero that have both moe characters and a storyline with some real meat to it.

Five_X wrote:We have entered an endless recursion of time.

Shit, I hated 'Endless Eight'...

Endless Eight wasn't that bad. Not nearly as bad as the internet makes it seem.

I didn't bother watching more than one episode of it, but wasn't it basically just the same episode done eight times over with slight changes and different animations?

I think the Japanese fans should have held back on purchasing DVDs in protest.

Piero wrote:I didn't bother watching more than one episode of it, but wasn't it basically just the same episode done eight times over with slight changes and different animations?

I think the Japanese fans should have held back on purchasing DVDs in protest.

yes,and the whole thing was resolved much faster in the manga version

Five_X wrote:Strike Witches was interesting. Hanna wore a skirt, which is unusual and I will ignore, because A) it's so short that it's completely pointless, and B) No other young female character wears anything over their panties. I don't recall her getting a single panty shot, though.

If you cannot see her panties or the bottom of her bathing suit (since that seems to be what the Fuso Navy witches wear under their uniform tops), she is not a real Strike Witch.

I mean it's like peanut butter without jelly. Or macaroni without cheese.

That being said, we get to see her panties as she is falling from the Ju-52 during her entrance, so she's official.

It was cool to see one of the I-400 class submarines and also seeing Bismarck and HMS King George V in the Combined Fleet with Yamato.

Piero wrote:I think the Japanese fans should have held back on purchasing DVDs in protest.

Agreed, but we all know just as well as the publishers that those hardcore Japanese fans will buy anything. In many cases they'll buy it 10-20 times just so they can flaunt their otaku power.

K-On!! 24 [Final]

I still think that going from 13 to 24 episodes was probably a mistake as this series had much more filler episodes, but it was still worth watching.

The song they played for Azu-nyan was really catchy - can't wait for the CD.

And I happen to agree with the folks over at CoalGuys - if HTT were real, they'd have been ZONE - one of the greatest all-girl bands to ever take the stage.

I was at ZONE's final concert in the Budokan and may HTT's performance be as epic when they play there:

Debating on whether to wait on Frostii before watching episode 24, since I've been doing that for most of the episodes these past few months.

My opinion on season 2 is quite different from Kiska's though... I really feel that the show was in its element this season in a way season 1 wasn't, and I feel the fact that we got to know the characters over 24 episodes (plus season 1) is going to give the ending much more impact.

Piero wrote:I didn't bother watching more than one episode of it, but wasn't it basically just the same episode done eight times over with slight changes and different animations?

I think the Japanese fans should have held back on purchasing DVDs in protest.

Haruhi season 1 averaged 41K copies per volume on the Japanese market. Season 2 averaged less than 19K.

Now, to be fair, sequels seldom sell as well as their predecessors and 2009 wasn't exactly a hot year for anime sales, but still, I think it's safe to say that a good chunk of the fanbase did hold back.

Kiskaloo wrote:I still think that going from 13 to 24 episodes was probably a mistake as this series had much more filler episodes, but it was still worth watching.

Ok,i'm about to marathon episode 6-24 (couldn't watch anime this summer) and this statement intrigues me,what do you mean by filler?

Considering that I expect this to be a slice of life show,I basicly expect every episode to be "filler" since I'm definatly not gonna watch this for the plot.That's already how I viewed the first season.

I just felt there were too many slices and I ended up slightly stuffed at the end.

So it's more "cake of life" then? Sounds tasty.

This week's Seitokai Yakuindomo was actually really funny - I laughed aloud at several points during it, although chiefly at the knowing remarks about "sorry, you're not getting anything on the DVD" gags.

For some queer reason I can't get enough of the "School Rules" segments that play before the OP, either , in any episode - something about that whistle just calls me to attention!

Robert Frazer wrote:This week's Seitokai Yakuindomo was actually really funny - I laughed aloud at several points during it, although chiefly at the knowing remarks about "sorry, you're not getting anything on the DVD" gags.

coalgirls is starting to release the Blu-rays, which are uncensored, so I suppose I'll start downloading them.

Asobi ni Ikuyo (Episode 10): The situation faced by the heroes in this cliffhanger is far more dire than I normally expect from this series, nevertheless this episode still managed to be funny at times. I’d like to see more of how this particular story arc plays out before I say too much about it.

Amagami SS (Episode 12): Looks like the ultra shy girl’s arc is now over. It was actually okay in the end, but some of the stuff in it stretched credibility a bit. It’s also kind of telling that some of the more memorable moments from the recent episodes involved scenes where the crazy girl from the first arc was involved as a secondary character. Next arc looks like it’s going to focus on a rather fierce girl who is probably a tsundere. Might seem somewhat typical, but this series has had a tendency to do some unusual things, so I’m hoping for a crazy ride more in the vein of the arcs for the first two girls.
Oh, and this episode contained some surprisingly good English. I’m aware that there are some actual English speaking actors in Japan who are available to the anime industry, but I’m a little surprised that they hired one for a bit part in a series like this.

Occult Academy (Episode 11): What… the… hell... Okay, this was actually a pretty entertaining episode in many respects, but I’m not sure that I should be giving too much praise to a show that suddenly reveals that the nature of several characters is completely different from how they’ve been portrayed all along without giving practically any hints about that fact in advance. Also, I think there was arguably some wasted opportunity here with this episode’s “death.” But ah well… with luck the finale will still be pretty entertaining.

Ookami-san (Episode 12 -Finale): There are things with this show that I have issues with, but at it’s best it’s pretty good light entertainment. The show is also a good example of how what else is airing in a season can affect my attitude towards a show. Had this aired during the last season it would probably have come across fairly well. At the very least, I think this is a better show than the inconsistent mess that was Angel Beats. This season though? I've enjoyed it enough to keep watching, but it's basically the weakest of the five shows I've chosen to follow.

Kiskaloo wrote:I just felt there were too many slices and I ended up slightly stuffed at the end.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

rusty-spring wrote:

Kiskaloo wrote:I just felt there were too many slices and I ended up slightly stuffed at the end.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

x3

Besides that, I really enjoyed the insert song the girls sang for Azusa.

Piero wrote:Asobi ni Ikuyo (Episode 10): The situation faced by the heroes in this cliffhanger is far more dire than I normally expect from this series, nevertheless this episode still managed to be funny at times. I’d like to see more of how this particular story arc plays out before I say too much about it.

The show is a comedy, so it can't be that dire. I imagine Kio will use his new powersuit to save the day and prove he's a man. Much as I expect Strike Witches 11 exists only to set-up Miyafuji to take possession of Mio's Reppuzan and perform the "perfect Reppumaru" to destroy the Neuroi nest and save Romagna.


And speaking of Kio, while I'm fond of Aoi, I'm starting to wish Manami would win him. She reminds me of Nyan Koi's Kanako - a tsundere with a heart of 100% 24-karat gold who if she'd only learn to control her violent tendencies would probably be an amazing companion/girlfriend. I'm sure Kio and Eris will end up together, however (*yawn*).

Kiskaloo wrote: And speaking of Kio, while I'm fond of Aoi, I'm starting to wish Manami would win him. She reminds me of Nyan Koi's Kanako - a tsundere with a heart of 100% 24-karat gold who if she'd only learn to control her violent tendencies would probably be an amazing companion/girlfriend. I'm sure Kio and Eris will end up together, however (*yawn*).

I think you're starting to get why I like some of these kind of characters so much (although I actually think Manami's "tsun" side has been played a little strong). I'll make a tsundere fanboy out of you yet!

Actually, I think a big part of the reason I like those kinds of characters is that they're nice, but they're not so nice I feel like they're perfect or boring. Plus, real people don't always act the same way, they have multiple moods and I think a well written tsundere reflects this. The key here being the "well written" part. While it's an exaggeration, I'm rather fond of saying that "There is not character better than a well written tsundere, and no character worse than a poorly written one."

Piero wrote:Actually, I think a big part of the reason I like those kinds of characters is that they're nice, but they're not so nice I feel like they're perfect or boring. Plus, real people don't always act the same way, they have multiple moods and I think a well written tsundere reflects this. The key here being the "well written" part. While it's an exaggeration, I'm rather fond of saying that "There is not character better than a well written tsundere, and no character worse than a poorly written one."

Pretty much. Kanako and Manami strike me tsunderes who have to work to show their "hard" side, while others have to work to show their "soft" side.

Highschool of the Dead episode 12 was simply epic, they'd better make a second season. I'm assuming they will, considering the last scene was of the mall that appears in the manga.

Asobi ni Ikuyo (Episode 11): Heh, they went even more deux ex machina than I expected...

SPARTAN 119 wrote:Highschool of the Dead episode 12 was simply epic, they'd better make a second season. I'm assuming they will, considering the last scene was of the mall that appears in the manga.

Up to which manga volume are they?Did they follow the manga close enough so that I can just pick up where the anime left off or should I just start in the begining?

Totoum wrote:Up to which manga volume are they?Did they follow the manga close enough so that I can just pick up where the anime left off or should I just start in the begining?

It keeps pretty true to the manga. Also, the anime gets to about Vol. 5.

Strike Witches (Episode 12): Called it.

Still think the original was better, but I'll be buying the R1 release of this one (I think it is licensed).

Totoum: it was a pretty close adaptation. A couple of small subplots have been snipped - for instance, the spotter for Rika the airport sniper gets killed off in the manga but it's omitted in the anime - and the overt political asides have been cut, too. I was a little disappointed at that, actually... most zombie films tend to have a bit of a lefty subtext, anti-consumerist and anti-authority (Dawn of the Dead with its mall, 28 Days Later where the Army are the baddies), whereas Highschool is completely the opposite. I mean, of the main cast, you have the wealthy daughter of a nationalist noble, a traditionalist heir-to-the-dojo, a gun nut trained by a Blackwater mercenary who'd bring tears of joy to Charlton Heston's eyes, the daughter of a policeman (and by extension The Man), and a nurse who loves designer labels. Museli-eating sandal-wearers they are not! I thought it put a neat new spin on the usual zombie tropes to keep it fresh, although I can understand why producers might have wanted to tone it down for television.

Anyway, the only real substantive change the anime adaptation made was accelerating the Saeko-Takeshi-Rin love triangle. In the manga, Saeko and Takeshi's excursion to the temple (and I loved the way they handled that episode, incidentally) actually occurs after the mansion arc. In the manga, the Hum-Vee is fried by the EMP and they take the ATV from the mansion's garage instead of a bike shop - the highway scene, when the final anime episode goes to the credits, is where the group splits up: Saeko and Takeshi go off to make some noise and distract a zombie mob blocking the road, and rendezvous with the others later at the mall. It's still essentially the same content, just that the order has been swapped around a little, but I prefer the anime's adjustments as certainly more dramatic. The mansion is designed a lot more interestingly in the anime, too.

Robert Frazer wrote: Saeko-Takeshi-Rin love triangle.

This would make the second accidental Fate/Stay Night Crossover on this thread:

Five_X wrote:You mean Eila, right, Piero?

Although, that's not to say Rin isn't prepared for the zombie apocalypse:

She also has Archer.

Five_X wrote:She also has Archer.

Speaking of which, isn't the guy who did Takashi's voice the same guy who was the voice of Archer. So, who knows, maybe the crossover pairing as per above makes sense...

*goes off the that destined 2D waifu thing*

Nope:

Takashi Komuro is destined to marry Yui (AngelBeats) on October 10, 2013

Also:
Kouta Hirano x Kazari Uiharu (although is that the destiny of the mangaka or the gun otaku?)
Saya Takagi x Mikoto Suou
Rei Miyamoto x Tsukasa Hiiragi
Saeko Busujima x Nanoha Takamachi (wonder how that would turn out?)
Shizuka Marikawa x Miyuki Takara
Rika Minami x Eri Sawachika

Two more of the shows I've been watching have wrapped up...

Amagami SS (Episode 13): While the other shows I’ve been watching are all wrapping up or close to it, this one is continuing next season, so this episode is more notable for being the beginning of a new arc than being an ending. Anyhow, this wasn’t a bad episode although I don’t think I’ve got a particularly good read on the new girl yet. Probably because she’s kind of quiet so far (but not shy like the girl in the last arc). There was also a bit that seemed a little off with the way she was portrayed. There were some definite funny moments this episode though. I particularly liked the bit where the male lead is being bugged by his little sister while he tries to read something. She tries to get him to do something “For the sake of your cute sister.” He agrees that she’s cute, but later adds “You’re even cuter when you keep your mouth shut though” which doesn’t go over so well.
Asobi ni Ikuyo (Episodes 11 and Finale): This is probably my favorite show of the season, but it’s largely because of the early episodes. Like so many of the other shows I’ve liked, this one seems to have started off strong then lost a lot of its thunder along the way. In particular I felt a lot of the show’s characters were underdeveloped and or underutilized, notably Kio’s uncle, the teacher, the main villain, and especially that one girl with those magic paper things who felt like she never even got a proper introduction.
As far as the final episodes themselves went, there were things I liked and things I didn’t. The elevator and Kio’s transformation were both pretty awesome. On the other hand though if felt like some of the characters showed questionable judgement with regards to choosing when to try to deal with the series’ main love quadrangle. Things also got kind of out there at times, particularly during that space battle. The way that Eris, Aoi and Minami fought in that scene was rather bizarre, although I wonder if it’s a shout out to some old sci fi series I’m not very familiar with.
Overall not really a bad series, but not as good as it could have been I think.
Occult Academy (Episode 12): It may be a bit strange to say this about a show dealing with the occult, but this episode was weird. I think part of the problem is that starting last episode things have changed so abruptly without much advance warning. On the other hand… it’s still lots of fun. I particularly like the reason Bunmei was able to resist and keep reciting the sealing spell.
Strike Witches 2 (Finale): I’m not really surprised that we didn’t get an explanation for all the unexplained crap like Miyafuji’s dad or some of the stuff with the Neuroi, I am surprised that the writers decided to give the ending such a sense of finality without resolving those issues however (although I kind of question whether it’s really over for good. Mio’s situation is problematic, but with Miyafuji they could just use what happened as an excuse to return her to a more reasonable power level). Overall, this wasn’t a bad episode in many ways although there was some drama early on involving Mio that didn’t work overly well. Oh, and it was a little weird that the girls were celebrating the way they did right after what happened to the Yamato, considering that I think that ship still had crew aboard.

Piero wrote:Oh, and it was a little weird that the girls were celebrating the way they did right after what happened to the Yamato, considering that I think that ship still had crew aboard.

The ship was unmanned.


Asobi ni Ikuyo (Finale): I view the series like Nyan Koi! - well-animated and enjoyable, even buyable, but one I'll likely not watch again, at least anytime soon. I do agree they had way too many cast members, resulting in most of them just making cameos.