...what are you watching...

Fate/Zero S2 12/25! the end! *spoilers* Saber destroys the Grail (or at least what appears to be the Grail since we already know it survives), and much to Kiritsugu's horror, it destroys much of the town and its people. I had to laugh at the scene where Gilgamesh is sitting on a pile of rubble completely naked...even his hair gel disintegrated...I guess they had to throw in some sort of fanfic material at the end? Half of the episode is a flashforward which is bittersweet since it was just a reminder of how annoying the kids turn out to be, and how terrible Fate/Stay Night is. Every part of this episode was very good. With the amount of bloodshed he caused, Kiritsugu turns out to be the most terrible 'hero of justice' ever created. That and all the other characters' beliefs made for such great dialogue and action. ~10/10 rating~ This show is probably the best anime series since Hagaren. It is definitely this season's best.This is despite the fact it is a prequel and that some of its plotholes have to be filled in with the novel and/or game google searches. ufotable did a pretty brilliant job focusing on its characters, their stories, and the awesome animation sequences. I thought Saber was a pretty weak character, but you finally sympathize with her motives in this series. Plus, you kinda get why all the fanboys like her. Saber x motorcycle was pretty cool. Waver x Rider was also a very sweet highlight of the show.



Hunter x Hunter 2012 36 the conclusion of Hisoka and Gon's fight. Probably need to find some Carebears after viewing Hisoka's enthusiasm for Gon.

Kimi to Boku S2 11! was a fun episode featuring sports day at the beginning of a new school year. The boys notice that Mary doesn't seem to have any friends in her class...but then in this episode, she inadvertantly makes some friends.

Sakamichi no Apollon 10! cute, awkward confession.

Zetman 11! Should have quit this show after viewing the first episode. Kouga gets all but one girl killed. He then killed Hayami and the two random bad guys. Random other deaths...blah, blah. Terrible, but only 2 episodes left...I think.

Tsuritama 10! The Yuki and the others find Haru and vow to help him. The Duck suits are cute.

Jormungand 10! Part 2 of the something-something plot. The strength of the show is all the firearm action and decent production, but the weakness is that after 10 episodes, they haven't developed any of the characters. There's been little to no background story to Koko's gang.

Fate/Zero S2 11/24! Badass epic fighting! Ya! and ugh, Kiritsugu finding out that the Grail does not do miracles? Haha, excellent. His response to Kirei...so funny. Archer's speech was also pretty hilarious. There are some similarities to the Grail testing Kiritsugu to how Kouga is being tested in Zetman; saving humanity, being a hero, etc. There should have been more to the Lancelot fight, but Saber's close-up was nice...anyway, Shiro speaking at the end makes me sad that the series is almost over.

Hunter x Hunter 2012 35! Naked Hisoka! Turned-on Hisoka...Huncyclopedia...Gon, Killua, what are you doing?. Nice production on the fight.

Summer season starts already?



Kingdom 1-2! the most awkward CGI this season, but somewhat absorbing.

- CGI animation that you will either hate or get used to
- No eye-candy here
+ Hyper characters

Quick impression~ Two orphan slaves enthusiastically dream of joining the army, making a name for themselves, and not being slaves anymore. One day, a nobleman comes by and picks the 'pretty' one to take to serve at the palace; oddly enough, it didn't reek of pervertedness. The next day...or so, the boy returns being chased by some hunters along with rumors of dissention at the palace. He asks one thing of the not-pretty boy before dying. The not-pretty one goes off...and finds a boy who looks exactly like his bff. I was surprised that the evil-looking owners of the two boys were only slightly mean and fairly encouraging. Have to admit that the clunky CGI animation was distracting.

Hunter x Hunter 2012 34! Gon and Killua dispose of the annoying trio. No episode this and next week? weep, weep.

Kimi to Boku S2 10! graduation time for their sempai, Mary angst...zzz...

Zetman 10! Kouga falls into another trap. Haitani lets the players/Evol loose on the city. The manga-to-anime rewrite is pretty terrible.

Jormungand 9! Another arms deal which made me sleepy...more action pleez

Sakamichi no Apollon 9! almost thought Junichi would leave Yurika until the parents showed up at the station, and then the choice was obvious. Glad to see Ritsuko coming to terms with her feelings. Are they going to leave Sentaro all by his lonesome?

Fate/Zero S2 23! Disappointed how one-sided Rider and Archer's fight was. Berserker's identity was a nice twist. :)

Tsuritama 9! Haru and his sister try to attack the triangle, but Haru loses his sister in the process. The duck people try to protect the citizens being affected by the water.

Fate/Zero S2 9/22! Aw, Waver and Rider are sooo sweet. There's no way that they have a happy end....weeping already. Things are coming to a close as everyone heads towards Kirei Kotomine who has a nasty surprise for Kiritsugu.

Wild 7 jmovie! starring Eita and a bunch of other vaguely familiar actors. The Wild 7 is a secret organization made up of a bunch of death-row criminals who are hired by the government to clean up messes that the usual police, Japanese-type FBI, and similar organizations can't do. Basically, they shoot down the bad guys by any means necessary. One day, the government (one person) decides this group isn't needed anymore and puts them out as terrorists. They retaliate. There's a side story with 2 news people who suspect that Wild 7 are good guys and another side story with a female vigilante bent on revenge. There's a lot of gun fighting and speedy motorcyling. It's a decent movie which reminds me of the recent Mission Impossible movie without the Hollywood budget or glamour. ~7/10 rating~ not worth searching for, but if you are a fan of any of the actors, it's action-packed entertainment.

Fate/Zero S2 8/21! Saber + motorcycle = <3 Kariya is cruelly manipulated by Kirei.

Hunter x Hunter 2012 33! the newbie-hunters use Zushi to get Gon and Killua to agree to a fight.

Fate/Zero S2 6! covers Kiritsugu's time with Natalia. That conversation and send-off was sooo lovely. The way the episode was executed makes all other show this season seem so flawed. And that poll Which character to go out with?...Kiritsugu and Kirei? really? This show makes cold-blooded assassins and deranged clergy appear date-able, too?

Hunter x Hunter 2012 31! Castro vs Hisoka. Gon was eating anchovies to recover in the original, wasn't he?

Un-Go 0! ah ha, I knew the backstory would be interesting despite how ho-hum the actual series had been. Shinjurou was an orphan who grew up to be a good competitive swimmer (who knew?). He goes off into the world trying to help people; showing movies to children in war-torn areas. He meets a group of singers who are also trying to make a difference on the battlefield. Various things happen and Shinjurou makes an agreement with a demon, In-ga. All the other characters and Bettenou are also introduced in this episode which is both about where Shinjurou came from and his first 'case'. While the unusual story and characters weren't the best in the tv series, this flashback episode ties it all together rather nicely. ~8/10 rating~

Fate/Zero S2 5! Vampire zombies! Kiritsugu's past was sad, but I'm not quite teary-eyed...Zombies make me laugh. You can see how he takes after his father who pretty much had the same cold approach to his research as Kiritsugu has towards his goals.

Hunter x Hunter 2012 30! Gon gets beat up. Kurapika meets a random guy who will teach him Nen. The encounter was weirdly out-of-the-blue.

Sakamichi no Apollon 4! Christmas gig time. Kaoru learns more about his fanfic partner. The love rectangle gets another player; predictably Yurika likes Jun. Does Junichi really sing like Sinatra?

Tsuritama 4! More fishing. The series is generally pleasant to watch because of the bright colors and friendly episodic lessons. Hope that there is a jump in the story...fishing really isn't that interesting.

Jormungand 4! The Orchestra assassin duo wasn't very interesting.

Toaru Hikuushi e no Tsuioku anime movie! Quick review. Brilliant, but lower-class pilot flies a princess across dangerous air. They become friends. Princess becomes stronger. blah blah. Nice air battles, but little substance. ~6/10 rating~

Fate/Zero S2 4! Saber + motorcycle = cute. Well, Kirei and Tohsaka's relationship was leading up to this episode; the betrayal played out textbook style...graduated student, leaving his daughter in his care, a special knife....thud. The writers are taking special care to make each character's death perfect for that character.

Jormungand 2-3! Episode 2 informs us that Koko isn't totally insane and knows how to read wars. The next episode features an assasin duo after Koko. For the most part these episodes lacked the 'coolness' that the first episode had, but were mildly entertaining.

Tsuritama 3! Yuki's grandmother admits herself to the hospital. Yuki is depressed, but learns to cast his fishing pole properly with a bit of coaxing from Haru and Natsuki.

Sakamichi no Apollon 3! Unfortunately the BL overtones have gotten overshadowed by the shoujo love rectangle. Let's get back to the jazz.

Hunter x Hunter 2012 29! Gon and Killua learn Ten. Gon jumps right into his first fight on floor 200 with the spinning top guy.

Zetman 3-4! the more I watch of this show, the less interesting I find it. The writers are doing a pretty sloppy job of developing the characters and putting the episodes together. Jin cooperates with the Amagi corp and uses chewing gum to turn into Zet. Zzz...

Kimi to Boku S2 3-4! The guys run across their sensei and his childhood friend during Christmas Eve. And episode 4 was a refreshing episode that featured the twins. It was nice having an episode that didn't focus on the noisy Chizuru.

Hunter x Hunter 2012 28! Hisoka blocks Gon and Killua's path to the registration desk on floor 200. Wing agrees to teach them nen. I'm sad that in this version Gon and Killua don't harrass the elevator ladies.

Sakamichi no Apollon 2! Kaoru plays a impromptu session with Sentarou, Ritsuko's father and the older boy next door, Junichi. Kaoru asks Ritsuko out on a sort of date, but ends up playing with her and Sentaro at the beach; to fulfill the BL quota. Tis interesting that Kaoru finds Ritsuko and Sentarou's Christianity interesting.

Fate/Zero 2 3/16! Probably the crappiest end for Kayneth and Lancer that they could ever imagine. Both get a smidge of hope before dying. Kiritsugu is certainly trying to win this war by any means necessary. You understand why Saber says in Fate/Stay Night that she never understood him. It's kinda awesome that you know he'll win by this method...though he'll lose his tru luv in the process...which he already knows will happen.

Tsuritama 2! Haru and his sister are looking for a certain fish to save the world. The indian character with the duck transfers into Yuki's class. 

Sakamichi no Apollon 1! The fight music reminds me of the Code Geass: Akito the Exile PV...Yoko Kanno strikes again.

+++ BL factor (yes, i'm a dork)
+ Great production
+ Interesting characters

Quick impression~ Nishimi, a small geeky boy, transfers into a new school. He immediately gets picked on, but then befriends the class thug, Sentaro, through jazz, and befriends the class president, Ritsuko. Yoko Kanno and Shinichiro Watanabe can sell anything and I'll bite.

Tsuritama 1! The most colorful anime this season has to be this.

+ Happy-looking animation production
+ Interesting characters
+ Smattering of humor

Quick impression~ A young boy moves to the coast with his hipster grandmother. He is very awkward in front of his classmates since he moves quite a lot. Another boy who claims to be an alien transfers to his class the same day. His antics cut the tension. Both befriend a boy who is the prince of fishing. Weird, weird, weird premise, but so bright and colorful.


Jormungand 1! the stylish, cool anime this season

+ Solid production
+ Interesting characters
+ Interspersed humor

Quick impression~ a young male assassin, Jonah, is hired by an arms dealer, Koko. She's happy-go-lucky. He's mostly emotionless and while good at shooting, hates firearms. Plenty of action and style make for decent entertainment.

Hunter x Hunter 2012 26! flashback...zzz. 27! starts the training arc at Heaven's Arena. New op/ed visuals and songs. I still think Wing's untucked shirt makes him look like a pervert.

Kimi to Boku 2 2! Chizuru uses the old wet dog look to win 'Mary' over.

Fate/Zero S2 2! Why is this so good? Berserker and Caster fall in this episode. Not sure what Kotomine was doing to Kariya, but Kariya needs some lovin' after being burnt to a crisp.

Zetman 2! Didn't comment on the opening, but it's rather too laidback for this style of anime; one of those ear-gouging heavy metal bands seems more appropriate. In this episode, the kids are high school age now, Kouga and Jin both working for justice in their own way. There's a retro-feel to this anime which has to do in part with the quality of animation which has been downgraded, the character design and the over-the-top portrayal of the characters.