A Notice

As you all have doubtless noticed, this blog has been essentially more or less dead for the past half year. I apologize profusely for the lack of activity, but life has made it so that I am unable to watch anime and as such post my impressions here, not to mention keeping up with news and whatnot. I do know with all too much awareness that I am behind by three seasons and beginning on a fourth.

I… do believe you deserve an explanation as to why I am so behind… Currently, my internet is absolute crap. It takes hours to download a single episode, whereas previously I could download and watch up to four or more episodes a day. So… that is putting a major cramp on absolutely everything. I just can’t keep up. Secondly, I am currently heavily involved with the other half of my life: writing. If any of you have been to the Facebook page I have linked to this blog or my Livejournal or my deviantART, you will know that I recently self-published my first novel, and I am in the process of the next one. Now, I know what you’re thinking– “Why can’t you do both at once?” And I know. It’s… a bit unreasonable. But the main problem is that my internet makes everything IMPOSSIBLE.

However.

I am working on catching up. Eventually. I’m starting with the season I stopped on–the Spring ’11 season (AnoHana, [C], Steins;Gate) and am finishing up the Summer ’11 season, which I actually watched some of. Naturally, due to the catching-up, there will be no impressions posted here. The current season (Winter ’12) and the one prior to this one (Fall ’11) poses a bit of a problem for me due to the upgrade from 8-bit encodes to 10-bit; normally this wouldn’t be an issue because all I’d have to do is upgrade my CCCP, but… I am actually at this moment not of my usual laptop, which is a Windows one, Windows Vista. I am on a Linux one, Ubuntu 10.10. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to update my codecs to handle 10-bit. Hence why I am catching up with the oldest stuff first in the hopes that by the time I do, the new 10-bit codecs will come in. (-_-;;) I am also very behind on manga, but… again. I will be attempting to catch up. I just need time and better internet, that latter of which will come with time.

So. Tl;dr version:

OMGUH Y U NO UPDATE!?!?!?

Answer: I am busy and my internet SUCKS. But I’m trying. Updates may not come for weeks or even months, but they will return. Eventually. Consider the blog under hiatus for now.

Thank you for your time,

~dragonarya

Ano Hana 2

When Jinta tells Poppo about his visions of Menma, he instantly believes him. Meanwhile, Anaru ends up encountering Tsuruko, though she soon breaks into tears when Menma is mentioned. It is revealed that Naruko blames herself for the circumstances leading to Menma’s death. Poppo suggests that the wish Menma might want granted was to have a rare Nokemon video game, which Jinta buys from the game shop Anaru works at. He spends the night playing it before Menma comes back. The next day, Poppo runs into Yukiatsu and mentions what Jinta told him about Menma. He later goes around Jinta’s house and mentions that they would have to trade with another Nokemon game to get the rare monster. As a result, they visit Anaru, who agrees to help them on the condition that Jinta starts attending school again. During this visit, Menma is happy to realize that Anaru still has an abundance of video games and manga, just like when they were kids. After spending the night gaming, they manage to get the rare monster, though it turns out not to be Menma’s wish. Nevertheless, they are positive that somehow Menma’s wish will be found out and fulfilled. Jinta, however, has found his own wish which is to apologize to Menma because of the incident.

This is great. All of the characters bear heavy scars over what happened, and they’re not just going to get over that. I like character-oriented shows, and this hits all the buttons. I’m also quite in love with the OP and ED. The animation’s simplicity is adding to the overall nice experience. I haven’t decided between Taka and UTW subs yet… I mean, Taka’s fine, but I’m pretty sure “Chou Heiwa Busters” is “Super Peace Busters” and not “The Great Peace Busters”… Hmm. Anyway, I’m really liking this show.

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko 2-3

2:

Makoto spends the night eating convenience store dinners with Erio. The next day, Makoto rides home from school with his strange classmate, Ryūko Mifune. The following day, he gets acquainted with another classmate, Maekawa, who gets dizzy if she holds her arms above her head for more than 10 seconds. Later that night, Makoto goes with Erio to the beach, where she randomly walks into the sea, claiming she can fly. On their way back, they run into Maekawa, who reveals that Erio was a former student in their school who disappeared for half a year. Meme later reveals that Erio has no memories of the half a year she was gone and had started to believe in aliens. She also mentions Erio broke her leg whilst trying to fly on her bike, which caused her to start wrapping in her futon.

Basically, if I were to summarize this show, it’s “everyone’s a weirdo.” But actually, it’s not too bad, if you don’t have anything else to watch. The story with Erio breaking her leg on an attempt to fly scores major points with me. I want to see someone who is insane actually acting insane and causing harm to themselves and those around them. I want to see the Pretty Freeloader story subverted. So I’ll watch one more episode before I decide whether to follow through. Also, the OP grates on my ears something awful. The ED though is very, very nice.

3:

Makoto goes on a day out with Ryūko, who explains her stance on mysteries. Makoto relays what Meme had told him to Erio, though she seems reluctant to respond. Later, Meme tells Makoto not to get involved with Erio. Though he still wants to help her, Makoto decides to dispel her belief in aliens as the first step. He attempts this by taking her on his bike and riding off a hill to disprove her ability to fly. The hill turns out to be a bit too steep, and they both go flying into the sea. Erio starts to come to terms with her being a simple Earthling and manages to introduce herself properly to Makoto.

Ehh… I don’t know what’s going to happen after this, but I think Erio got over her delusions too quickly? Like I said, I don’t really know if she did or not, so… This show is pretty entertaining though. Maybe she’ll have relapses? After all, there’s still nine episodes to go. Well, it managed to grab me. It’s not a bad show. Whether it’s above average is something that can only be judged after I finish it, but at the moment I want to see more.

The World God Only Knows II 2-3

2:

Kusunoki is embarrassed on her date with Keima but still continues it hoping it will draw her feminine side out. After failing to connect themselves in their date, Kusonoki and Keima decide to do the most romantic thing: eating an ice cream together. After overcoming their embarrassments and eating it, Kusunoki’s feminine side finally comes out where both Kusunoki and her feminine side fight for dominance. As both of them fight and explaining their reason with Kusunoki wanting to get rid of her femininity as it is a weakness in her martial arts and preventing her from inheriting her family dojo while Feminine Kusunoki wants to get rid of her martial arts as its preventing her from becoming a woman, Keima stops them and tells them they can just choose both and not sacrifice one for the other. Kusunoki protest at first but Feminine Kusunoki tells the former that Keima is correct since she did enjoyed her date with Keima despite her earlier denial. Feminine Kusunoki admits her defeat but makes Kusunoki promise not to forget her femininity. As her last act, Feminine Kusunoki takes control of Kusunoki’s body to kiss Keima as a remembrance which Kusunoki does so willingly a she realize she likes Keima and kisses him which release the spirit inside of her. Kusunoki still continues her martial arts and now accepts her femininity. Later, Elsie tries to explain to Keima the powers of the evil spirits only to get trapped inside a Spirit capturing bottle used by her friend and fellow Spirit hunter, Haqua.

The best part of the whole spirit-capturing process is that the girls always end up happier than they were before. It was very heartwarming how Kusunoki managed to accept her softer side. Also, first intro to Haqua! She’s one of my favorites, so I’m looking forward to her arc. I heard some people saying that she was Elsie’s sister or something, but having read this part of the manga I’ll tell you that she’s really not. Would’ve been interesting if she was though.

3:

In this episode we get an intro to the district chief, Haqua. She’s Elsie’s former classmate, the top of the class. The chief however warns them that a very powerful spirit has escaped and is in the area. Later we find out that it was Haqua who lost it. Keima, fully away of this, decides to team up with her just to get the whole thing over with. Haqua also explains that the loose souls aren’t human souls, but rather, demon souls. Hell was once ruled by these evil spirits, but the new demons sealed them away to create order. The loose souls are the old demons who managed to slip out, while Elsie and Haqua are the new demons who are tracking them down. Finally, the episode ends with Haqua’s confession to Keima that she actually hasn’t caught a single soul, despite bragging to Elsie that she’s caught ten, and the finding of the enormous soul.

I love Haqua’s character, I really do. This is one of my favorite arcs. She’s such an interesting character! At school she excelled at everything, she’s even the district chief, but somehow she can’t do anything. That, and her design is awesome. Gotta love her scythe. The story of hell is also quite interesting, how now it’s governed by order instead of chaos. Love it all.

Madoka Magica 11 & 12 (END)

11:

Kyubey reveals to Homura that the reason Madoka has the potential to become such a powerful witch is because of Homura’s constant trips through time. After Sayaka’s funeral, Kyubey shows Madoka the history of the Puella Magi, and how it has shaped civilization, causing Madoka to become extremely distressed. Meanwhile, Madoka’s mother, Junko, is concerned about Madoka, feeling she is hiding something from her. Later, Madoka goes to see Homura, who reassures her that she can handle the Walpurgisnacht, and finally reveals the truth about herself, begging Madoka to let her protect her. As a storm hits the city, and the citizens take shelter, Homura stands alone to face the Walpurgisnacht, throwing everything she has at it, but even so she is still overwhelmed and eventually is all but defeated. When Madoka hears from Kyubey that Homura may turn into a witch if she loses her hope of saving her, Madoka prepares to go and find her. Junko tries to stop her, but Madoka convinces her to let her go. As Homura begins to lose hope, and is on the verge of becoming a witch, Madoka and Kyubey arrive.

Ack. I have no words. Utterly heartbreaking. Homura, no matter what she does, can’t defeat Walpurgis. Not only that, but every time she repeats the cycle, Madoka’s fate gets worse and misfortune gathers around her, increasing her potential as a magical girl. Now, it looks like Madoka’s made the contract with Kyubey yet again. Oh boy. Doesn’t that essentially make everything we’ve watched Homura do over the course of the series meaningless? Well, Madoka knows all the secrets of being a magical girl, so maybe her wish would negate that…? But argh, this is so heartbreaking! Even with all the tons upon tons (literally!) of explosives Homura throws at Walpurgis, it just won’t die! …speaking of which, where does Walpurgis come from? If all witches are magical girls, then maybe Walpurgis is Madoka’s witch form from the future or something?

12:

Madoka makes the decision to become a Puella Magi, wishing to stop all witches from the past, present and future, to erase them before they are born by her own hand, a wish made possible due to the massive power inside her. As she makes the transformation, her conscious is greeted by Mami and Kyōko. Becoming a god-like Puella Magi, Madoka spreads herself across space and time, absorbing the misfortune from other Puella Magi to prevent them from becoming witches. The gigantic Soul Gem produced cracks into a giant mass of despair, but Madoka’s hope manages to quell it. As a result, Madoka becomes an omniscient being, of which there is no evidence of having existed on Earth. Madoka then says her goodbyes to Homura, leaving her with her ribbons so that she won’t forget her, before fading from existence, where she joins Sayaka. Homura returns to a world where Madoka doesn’t exist, and she, Mami and Kyōko are fighting together, though Homura still retains her memories of Madoka. With a different type of enemy that are born from curses, Homura continues to protect the world that Madoka loved.

You have got be kidding me. This was the last remaining path? That is one of the most bittersweet endings I’ve ever seen, with heavy emphasis on the bitter and a question mark on the sweet. I was crying before we got half-way through. Madoka’s essentially… what? Hope itself? A god? And Homura… it’s so sad, yet I can’t think of any other this could have ended. *sniff* *sniff sniff* I’m sorry, at the moment I can’t think of anything more to say. Beautiful. Simply beautiful. What a great show this was.

*sniffle* Now I understand this. Excuse me, I need some tissues. I have no comment on certain similarities of this either. This is an anime commentary blog and not anything else.

[C] 2

In this episode we get an introduction to Mashu (0r Msyu, if you like), Kimimaro’s “Asset,” the name of those strange creatures in the first episode, and they are the embodiment of an Entre’s future. They fight (along with the Entres) in battles known as “Deals,” in which an Entre can gain or lose money–Mashu says that the rule is that if you receive an attack, you lose money. Money is placed on an attack, so when it hits you get a return, hence the blades made out of cash.

Mashu.

Ao no Exorcist 1

Summary: Okumura Rin can’t seem to do anything right–he’s constantly getting into fights and can’t hold a job. One day he starts seeing demons, and when about to get branded by a demon-possessed punk, blue flames appear around him, signifying that he’s actually not the son of the exorcist, but of Satan.

 

Meh. What can I say? For most of this episode nothing happened, and the protagonist seems too generic. I’m actually interested the exorcist father more than Rin himself. It’s shonen, with all the usual tropes. I’m usually a sucker for supernatural, but this just doesn’t leave much of an impression on me. I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s just kind of generic. Not bad, but not outstanding either.

 

Rating: 2-3 (Meh-Alright)

 

Subs used: gg