Rating: 7.3/10

Impressions:

An unsuspected powerhouse—Ishtar, eh? I would’ve liked to think it would be Sussano, but this at least creates a third major power, that could probably throw the entire assumed story off balance. There aren’t many episodes left, so the pacing should really be speeding up now, especially as there are only four players left in this war. I can’t tell yet, but I’m having doubts that Gigantic Formula will properly finalise the problems presented by the erosion, which not only places characters’ lives at stake, but also generates a large amount of negative emotions. A prime example would be Kana—are they (the show) even going to do anything about her?

Rating: 7.5/10

Impressions:

So they go back to resonant sympathy, and automatically, my enjoyment of the show goes down. Sigh…At least these resonant sympathy sessions are proving to drive Suwa’s mental growth. And it’s also necessary to progress the overall story and weed out the weaker Gigantics, setting the stage for the final arc, which I assume will involve Japan vs. America. Of course, they’ll have to resolve all the characters’ qualms and sentiments. I doubt anything will happen between Suwa and Mana, though it would be nice if they seriously started to get closer to each other. The fact that nothing’s happened between them so far makes them seem like clueless children.

Rating: 8.5/10

Impressions:

This episode is surprisingly very good. The sheer level of explanations and revelations given is astounding, when compared to previous, action-laden episodes that don’t achieve much. But after watching this episode (and knowing that there are few episodes left), I’m highly interested in seeing how everything comes together in the end. The isolated chambers and life-sustaining pods in the lower levels are a nice and blunt way of showing how serious the erosion is. However, it seems that Suwa is a lot less affected, and Mana’s initial (but baseless) deduction of him being special may turn out to be true (well, he IS the protagonist after all).

Rating: 7.5/10

Impressions:

Though this is probably how viewers are supposed to feel, I find the American pilot extremely aggravating. Sigh…and I was hoping for the loli-shota combo to set them in their place. It seems like their Gigantic is unstoppable, but it is likely that the apparent must-be-wary-of enemy that the pilot speaks of is indeed Susano, it would indicate the USA might be the main antagonist in the show. And revealing this would also signify a turning point in the show, where a goal is created for the protagonists. I just hope that this actually lasts, and any build up caused by this episode won’t simply dissipate in the next episode.

Rating: 7.5/10

Impressions:

Heh, more lolis and shotas! While this show already has plenty of young kids, a story involving a little boy trying to be wise, and a girl whose role must either be to makes fans fawn or to make them cry, makes for a nice break from whatever was happening before. Ok, I say that because I seriously can’t remember much from the previous mini-stories. Anyway though, hopefully there will be some serious plot progression soon, now that we know a fair bit about the war and the Gigantics through resonant sympathy. Ahh…how convenient! And I was hoping for a new OP…

Rating: 7.5/10

Impressions:

Hmm, doesn’t look like Lunar is subbing this series very timely, which is quite a worry as I’ve grown pretty fond of this anime. I never had a problem with the face designs, so it’s really just been a matter of the character constructions and plot developments that have gradually built up my interest in it. It’s a shame that Lunar’s taking so long. I hope they haven’t dropped the show. As for the actual episode, a few new questions arise—both concerning Suwa. What exactly is happening to Suwa, and why does Mana persist in mentioning sacrificing him. Ahh, things are pretty confusing at the moment, though at least the plot isn’t hectic.

Rating: 7/10

Impressions:

I like the initial school setting that this episode uses, as it is a refreshing change from the HQ type scenery we’ve been seeing until now. It’s also fun to see the characters in a more normal environment than piloting Gigantics and engaging in resonant sympathy. This episode also tells us a bit more about Mana, who’s background information has been highly needed. It also makes me wonder who or what Mana really is…And who the person who visits Masahito after Mana is. This episode is part recap as well, but at least it gets the plot going somewhere, which is certainly a good sign.

Rating: 7.8/10

Impressions:

Nice, the quality has gone up again. And the character develop continues to flow—I’m wonder now whether Mana’s attraction to Suwa is love or friendship. Or perhaps she’s just using Suwa as a replacement for her old company. Anyway, I’m beginning to think that the UN have more control over the Gigantic battles than previously believed. In fact, with their speedy broadcasts, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are the ones behind a massive conspiracy involving all the nations and their Gigantics…but without their knowledge of course. That would be pretty interesting if it’s expanded upon.

Rating: 7.8/10

Impressions:

The quality dropped quite a bit this episode, resulting in surprisingly distorted faces that look pretty bad. But if you watch this show, it’s probably not because of the character design, so I doubt that would have been too off-putting. Still, I think they animated body movements better, since Mana’s fleetingness seems to really stand out this episode. This episode has little dialogue as well, which I find a plus in this case. A lot of shows that have less dialogue and tell stories using music and visuals alone are usually more engaging and fast paced. This is often used to show a fast pass in time, which Gigantic Formula uses a lot.

We learn about something called ‘mental corrosion’, which even though is quite a mystery, is probably quite easy to figure out with the abundance of mecha/sci-fi anime out there. Obviously, mental corrosion literally means the slow degradation of the mind, which is probably what’s happening to Suwa as he pilots more. I wonder why Mana isn’t being affected by this though; perhaps translators aren’t affected. I also wonder about the guy who Mana used to protect, and what exactly happens to him. Did he suffer this mental corrosion as well? Or perhaps his final time to shine was destroyed more dramatically and suddenly.

Rating: 8/10

Impressions:

I found this episode to be more interesting than the previous, mostly due to the fact that I like young people better since I find that they have more entertaining personalities, and their inexperience in life makes for excellent watches. Between this story and the one told in the last episode, I’d have to say the last story made me feel for the pilot and translator more, so I had wanted them to win in the battle. However, it’s hard not to support the side which is being focused on, so I’m glad it ends up being a draw with no one dead. It being a tie does draw out a new question, regarding the ‘third party’ which interferes.

Things are getting more complicated now, and with the idea of a third faction and corruption in the United Nations, hopefully the plot can be twisted into something much better than the almost non-existent one at the moment. The short stories will probably continue, though an interesting and unexpected plot would be easily woven into such an episodic series. I don’t think I understand these giant mechas very well in the first place, so I can’t make any assumptions or hypothesis relating to the notion of a third party. In any case, I hope it won’t just be a plot change alone—it needs to affect the characters as well somehow.

If there’s one thing I like about the episodic nature of this show, it would have to be being able to see each of the 12 mechas in action; seeing their signature moves and such. I can’t say I have a favourite or anything, due to the number of mechas and the briefness of their on-screen time. I wonder if there will be a ’round 2′ of duels between the victorious countries, and if it will be as straightforward as something like a tournament with the last one standing being the winner. I highly doubt it will be as bland as that, but I do wonder if the resonant sympathy usage will continue in the future.