Higurashi Kai: The End

I have to say, after the previous arc, the only thing anybody is still interested is not the end result of the last arc, but the process of reaching it. Because everybody knows how the last arc going to end.

Even though I've been expecting everything coming miles away, there are still some twists and turns that took me by surprise. It is a solid ending for a (two) solid series.

One thing I have to say, though, is the scenes after the ending credit confused me a little bit. Did they just not get on the bus or something?

Drama: 5 (It is what we're here to watch)

Comedy: 3.8 (Some, but not nearly as much as in the first series)

Action: 3.5 (It's not an action oriented series, good overall action, but some cheesy parts do exist)

Art/Animation: 4.5 (Bit simplified art style, but cute)

Sound/Music: 4.5 (I liked the openning theme song better than the first one)

Character: 5 (Definitely a character heavy story)

Plot: 5 (Still got some good surprises)

Re-watch value: 3 (You may want to watch again to catch some omitted details, definitely not to learn the story again, without the surprise factor, it's just not worth it)

Overall (not average): 4.7 (Definitely a solid series)

Recommendation: You need watch this to complete whatever left over the first series. For those who haven't seen the first series, give yourself a good slap and go watch it. It's an order.

Rental Magica: Snowball Effect

Currently finished: Episode 11

The plot build up of Rental Magica is a typical example of a snowball build-up, where the series is made of mostly independent subplots; but almost each and every one of these independent subplots is a factor that contributes to the subplot occurs immediately after which is mostly unrelated to the previous subplot.

In this type of plot, we got to witness the domino effect of all previous plots along the way in constrast to the ones that throw anchors throughout the series but you don't get to witness the effects of the anchor until the very end.

New rating (out of 5): 4.0 (net gain: +0.8) Snowball effect

Ef ~ A Tale of Memories: Happy Ending or Tragedy?

Currently finished: Episode 11

With only one episode left to go, it is still not clear whether it's going to end happly or tragically. Well, I meant the unresolved half of the plot, because we have witnessed the resolution of one half of the plot in episode 11.

Personally, I like tragedies, and I'm hoping it to end in some creative tragedies. As it is right now, it could. But we won't find out for sure until the next episode comes out.

New rating: 4.2 (net gain: +0.4) Emotional

Bamboo Blades: LOL

Currently finished: Episode 12

I guess the comedy in Bamboo Blade is just too good that the light heartedness makes me keep forgetting to write follow-up reviews about it.

It's not quite the drop dead laughing like Honey and Clover or Lovely Complex is, but close enough. Along with perfect timing and diverse personalities, making this one a must-watch comedy for October 2007 release. It is not quite the same type of comedy as the winner of current season's best comedy - Clannad largely because of the personalities of the characters. Clannad creates comedy through the use of moe; Bamboo Blade just does it through "brutal force" of the light heartedness of all the characters.

New rating (out of 5): 4.6 (net gain: +0.1) Just keep getting funnier and funnier

New OVA: Strait Jacket (Shouldn't it be Straitjacket?)

Link: (official) http://www.straitjacket.jp/ (English sub available only through http://www.baka-updates.com/)

Genres: Drama/Action/Supernatural/Magic

I've watched: 1 episode

Art style: Common

Recommended to: People don't mind a little blood

Recommendation level: Somewhat

Summary: Story occurs in a world where magic is discovered and being treated as another branch of science. However useful they are, they pose a danger. People exposed to magic are harmed like being exposed to radiation, except the effect is much much worse: when somebody is contaminate with enough magic, they turn into daemons. Therefore, new technologies are researched to shield people from harmful effects, new government branches are created to govern magic use, and the new threats from magic contamination are met by a new force: Straitjackets - armored suits that blocks out magic effects for the wearer to combat the daemons.

Richard's rating (of 5) - first impression: 4

Personal comments: It's definitely an interesting concept. It also seems to have some deeper plot as well as a hint of comedy (well, less than 0.1%, after the ending credit). It definitely has potential. This might actually be an acceptable one for the random slot for aggime.

Januray 2008: What to Expect

Sisters of Wellber Zwei

It's been quite popular among anime producers to use German words name the anime or things in it (Fafner, My Otome Zwei). At the end of the first season of Sisters of Wellber, it did say "End of Series 1". So it is somewhat expected for it to make a comback within a year. The first season of Sisters of Wellber was way to straight forward. I hope something changes in the second season.

H2O ~ Footprints in the Sand

I've briefly scanned throught several chapters of its Manga before. It's a romantic story about a blind guy and a girl. It somehow feels similar to Ef ~ A Tale of Memory.

Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino

Er....it reminds me that the original Gunslinger Girl is still among my backlogs. Need to finish it quick...

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Dainiki

Er....I don't know what to expect for this one. I have mixed feeling towards the first series, more bad than good. I just hope the second season is better.

True Tears

Don't know much about the title. But it's from game developer Circus (Da Capo series, Gift ~ Eternal Rainbow). So, it's probably be ok.

Da Capo II: Will Become Unfinished Business

Currently finished: Episode 12

It's the end of episode 12, and what I expect to happen had not happened. Too many things are left unexplained, too many loose ends need to be tied up. It is impossible to do them all in the only one episode left in this series. So, I hope it's not the end of the series. For heaven sake the original Da Capo lasted not only a long season, but also a second series which is also a long season. Da Capo II can't just end with only one short season. They ought to have a follow up series after a season break. (This format has been getting pretty popular lately: Girls Bravo, Honey and Clover, Story of Saiunkoku)

One biggest thing it needs to answer is that why Yoshiyuki's last name - Sakurai, is different than Otome and Yume's last name - Asakura (the last name of Jun'ichi, the main character of the original Da Capo), and yet both Otome and Yume call him brother and they (and everybody else around them) act as they are related with blood.

Without making this point clear, Da Capo II is not complete. This question has to be answerd.

Myself; Yourself: It's not over just yet

Currently finished: Episode 11

I love tragedies. It's not because I like to see the people suffer, it's because it sparks hatred. I love anything that could make me hate, whether it's the unfortunate fate of the character, or the character itself, or even the director and writer that created the story.

It is easy to make people love something, but only a true work of art could make people hate it. A true masterpiece would make you hate so much that you fall in love with it.

This is the path Myself; Yourself is walking, and I love it.

I predicted in the last post that something bad is going to happen in Myself; Yourself. Well, something bad did happen, but it's not quite what I was expecting. On top of that, something else had also sparked more hatred.

Also, I believe the bad thing I was thinking of is still going to happen, and that is going to be the grand finale. The bad things is not over just yet.

New rating (out of 5): 4.75 (net gain: +0.5) Hate

Moyashimon: Noitamina...

Currently finished: Episode 10

Noitamina's sense of humor sometime make me spray water out of my nose, but some other times just make my jaw drop and become speechless. Moyashimon is no exception. Their thoughts are just way way out there.

Goshuushou-sama Ninomiya-kun: Succubus vs. Succubus

Currently finished: Episode 11

Just exactly how many succubus are there in this anime? At the beginning of the anime, succubus seems to be a somewhat rare thing. But now...there's succubus everywhere. It's getting a bit rediculus. On top of that, this so called "main plot" seem to be pieced together in a rush. Like I said in earlier posts, the average contribution to the "main plot" is about 5 second per episode before episode 10. Now, it just turned to another direction for no reason.

Denno Coil: Best of 2007

Finally, the last piece of the puzzle fell into its place, the picture is complete. The whole picture itself is so much different then the one I perceived by looking at the individual puzzle pieces that I did not see it coming at all. The plot line of clouds itself intentionally so that you don't see the real picture until the very end. Maybe I was caught by its deception, or maybe I'm just not smart enough to see it, either way, the ending did somewhat surprised me.

After finishing the whole series, you'll realize that it has been placing anchors ever since the first episode. Slowly, you noticed them, but, you weren't able to place all of them into its proper place, until the last two episode - everything, I mean everything, including the episodes looked like fillers, comes together and completes the final picture. It's one of the best plot development I've ever seen.

Drama: 5 (As dramatic as it could get)
Comedy: 5 (Some wicked humor, perfect placement)
Action: 5 (A lot more action than you'd expect from a computer scifi series)
Art/Animation: 5 (I didn't quite like it to begin with, but grew out of it)
Sound/Music: 5 (You don't really notice it, but it is used many places to create atmosphere)
Character: 5 (Very very well developed characters)
Plot: 5+ (One of the best I've seen)

Re-watch value: 4 (You might want to go through it again to catch the details you missed first time through)

Overall (not average): 5+ More than Perfect

Recommendation: This would be my #1 recommendation of the year. You need to watch it.

I thought nothing could be able to surpass Baccano! for the overall Best of the year, I was wrong: after seen the end of Denno Coil, in my opinion, it beats Baccano! hands down, therefore, Denno Coil replaces Baccano! to become the:

Richard's Pick: Best Anime of 2007

and not to forget, it also holds:

Richard's Pick: Best SciFi of 2007

Clannad: Miracle

Currently finished: Episode 9

Key/VisualArts is definitely one of the best, if not the best, on creating the atmosphere for the tear dropping moments. Even though Clannad is still in Key/VisualArts standard format, even though I can see the it coming miles away, when the moment does come I still couldn't prepare myself enough to not shed tears.

Unfortunately, I can not say anything about what's happening without spoiling the plot. The best I can do is to give you one word - "Miracle". You just have to see it yourself.

With the new emotion stir, Clannad is stepping closer and closer towards the perfect rating on my score card.

New rating (out of 5): 4.9 (net gain: +0.2) Fantastic