+ | N o v a s t o r m | +

Rating: 8.3/10 & 8.3/10

Impressions:

Oh goddamn, four episodes went and got subbed without me even noticing.This whole series so far seems to be going through an orderly cycle every episode, consisting of a play, fight and some more background information given. With this though, it may seem a little repetitive and hectic, though hopefully there will now be variations in execution in later episodes as the story progresses. Akazuki is a little disappointing, as he is not nearly as skilled or strong as I envisioned him. He is meant to be the Eternal Assassin, though currently he seems nothing more than a mere samurai who is strongly drawn to the Lord’s Head. Surely he has some secret power or something. At least with the introduction of more characters and things starting to make sense now, the show can make a turn and stray from the cycle of predictable events. One thing that’s been lacking is character development between the protagonists, especially Akazuki and the girl…dammit I forgot her name!

Read more

Popularity: 11% [?]

A fellow blogger, Serenity, has decided to hold a signature contest to see who can make the best sig. This is the perfect chance to show off your awesome photoshoping skills or whatever graphics program you use, so hurry up and please visit her post here to see the full details of this competition. Entries close next tuesday, 2/1/2007.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Rating: 9.9/10

Impressions:

My god that was an insanely awesome episode! The first half, the battle, is spectacular, while the latter half, the flashbacks, is probably the most interesting thing I’ve seen in this series yet. First, the confrontation between the Order of the Black Knights and the Britannian army, with the Japanese Liberation Front joining coming into the fray as well. The battle is certainly very well executed, with the draw of an ending actually believable. We got a couple of interesting match-ups too; Cornelia vs Guren Nishiki and Lancelot vs Guren Nichiki, while Tougo made an appearance too. Cornelia proves that she is an excellent fighter by being able to wipe out masses of enemies with the little modified Frame that she uses. However, it just can’t stand up to a more advanced model with high capabilities, namely Karen’s Guren Nishiki. However, the true pairing would be the Lancelot and the Guren Nishiki, since they are both new and advanced models. At least with this, the sides are becoming even.

Read more

Popularity: 18% [?]

Rating: 9/10

Impressions:

Now that’s a rather big quality drop, but at least it isn’t in any of the aspects that actually count. There are still no flaws in the character animation and drawings, though you just have to notice the amount of simple smileys used for faces. I mean, the most noticeable would have to be Puchiko’s band members, who all had a retarded look. I was surprised that such little effort was put into the concert though, even though it’s still awesome (since I love concerts and performances in anime). This ending in my opinion is slightly too vague, as it doesn’t solve anything, but rather just gives the possibility of Dejiko getting back together with Takurou. And exactly how long must Dejiko and Puchiko return home for? I guess the ending leaves you to wonder about the possible outcomes; though all the happy ones will all end in the same way. It becomes pretty obvious that Aiko is Takurou’s sister by the end, as it can be expected that this guy, who has been portrayed as a nice guy, wouldn’t two-time so guiltlessly and chase after one while he’s with the other.

Read more

Popularity: 10% [?]

Rating: 8/10

Impressions:

Ok, I am still wondering why Mizuho is supposed to be a guy. Is there any point in this? Was making her ’supposedly’ a trap meant to attract more viewers? I mean, the show can still go one as usual even if she was declared 100% female. And love has nothing to do with this, as Maria-sama ga Miteru and Strawberry Panic show shoujo-ai is not such a strange genre. Talking about love, it seems that Takako is becoming more likely to be Mizuho’s love interest, or the other way around. She’s getting a lot more screen time, suggesting she will have an important roll soon enough. Anyway, this episode introduces the characters in their new black, winter uniform. But that’s not really important, as the ‘fight’ between Mizuho and Takako over Kana’s ribbon, as well as Mizuho’s lesson in life, clearly take precedence in this episode. I’m a little annoyed at the pointlessness of everything, since all this does is perhaps develop the characters more. Usually, for a school-based anime with no clear direction, the episodes to pass time are meant to be more meaningful and fun.

Read more

Popularity: 8% [?]

Rating: 8.8/10 & 8.6/10

Impressions:

These two episodes felt extremely lengthy to me, though it was probably due to how I usually watch one episode of a series before switching to another. However, these two episodes are meant to be watched back to back, and having done so gives you stronger feeling of the characters, as character development is extremely high. Yamazaki is out of the picture: he is now more financially secure than before, and his mental state has probably stabilised. Kashiwa, with the help of Satou, has seen the light of day again and has resolved to lead a happy life. And now the two remaining in the dumps are Satou and Misaki, the two who had started this show and the two who will end it. Everything should be about them now, and wow what two messed up people they are. Oh and before I go on, I’d like to point out how horrible the quality of episode 22 is in comparison to 21. It was rather shocking really. Both Misaki and Kashiwa look rather ugly, which is quite disturbing. And to think episode 21’s quality is actually fairly high. I was hoping that, as the end is near, the quality would remain at an acceptable level. I guess I was hoping for too much.

Read more

Popularity: 10% [?]

Rating: 8.8/10

Impressions:

Genres: Romance(?)
Episodes: 2
OP: “Forget-me-not�? by Hiromi Satou
ED: “Winter Garden�? by Asami Sanada
Studio: J.C. Staff
Official Site: http://www.broccoli.co.jp/dejiko/anime.html
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/wintergarden/

Winter Garden, the spinoff of Di Gi Charat, where ten years have passed and Deijiko and Puchiko are 20 and 15 respectively. It doesn’t look like there’s any connection between the two shows apart from the two characters with the same name. They don’t even look anything like the characters from Di Gi Charat. Well anyway, the quality is rather high, though with one very noticeable flaw; the shadowing. Hardly anything is shadowed, and this is obvious on the clothes and face. However, it does blend in well with the watercolour/washy background, so it’s not that bad. Apart from that though, the character design and animation is exceptional. Walking sequences now don’t just mean making heads bob up and down. The movement is fluid and obeys the laws of physics more closely than your average anime. It is also more biologically correct, since I don’t think any normal person walks without moving their shoulders. I love the character design too, and the character I instantly found as my favourite would have to be Puchiko!

Read more

Popularity: 11% [?]

–Original post– The poll has been changed for the category: Most ‘Manga is soo much better’ show. Quite a few shows that were nominated weren’t included in the finalised list, such as Bleach and Naruto, as well as Negima!? and D.Gray-man since they don’t end this year. However, shows that began airing last season though still hasn’t finished were accepted as the majority of the series have been shown. Anyway, the winner of the last poll is pretty obvious, but I wiped it anyway, and will be announcing the results some time next year when all the categories have been voted on. And so, PLEASE EVERYBODY VOTE NOW!! The nominees are as follows:

Air Gear
Black Cat
Jyu Oh Sei
Mai Otome
Mamotte Lollipop
Nana
NHK ni Youkoso
School Rumble 2nd Term
xxxHOLiC
Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge

The one which I nominated is School Rumble 2nd Term, which I am surprised no one else voted for. And as a reminder, you can still nominate for the rest of the categories!

3. Most rewatchable show -
4. Most unexpectedly good show -
5. Most ‘I wanna cosplay this’ show -
6. Most ‘Started well but turned out shit’ show -
7. Most ‘I wanna be in this anime’ show -
8. Most ‘I want a remake’ show -
9. Show with best character design style -
10. Show with best character personalities –

Popularity: 6% [?]