Testing Grounds

Tamayura – 02

「水色のちっさな切符、なので」 (Mizu Iro no Chisana Kippu, Na no de)
“The tiny blue ticket”

Fuwa, Fuwa, Fuwa, Fuwa, Fuwa, Fuwa.

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October 6, 2010 at 11:41 am Comments (14)

Yosuga no Sora – 01

「ハルカナキオク」 (Haruka na Kioku)
“Distant Memories”

Well, it looks like my question surrounding whether or not this would be a fairly clean adaptation was answered this very first episode. feel studio isn’t being shy about playing the twin incest angle, even though it’s been portrayed as something that innocently developed during childhood.

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October 6, 2010 at 2:43 am Comments (86)

Hakuouki Hekketsuroku – 13

I’ve been wondering what’s up with the Western-style clothing. Hijikata gives the Shinsengumi these clothes as an alternative to Japanese ones. He cut his hair too!

「焔の如く」 (Homura no Gotoku)
“Like a Blaze”

As I’ve briefly mentioned, Hakuouki is now considered a Monday show in light of AT-X airing a double-header when every other station only aired the recap special. That kind of handcuffs me blogging-wise, but the struggles of the Shinsengumi in their losing fight against pro-Imperial forces has me excited about the direction of this sequel.

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October 6, 2010 at 12:03 am Comments (18)

Shinryaku! Ika Musume – 01

Ika Musume is here to subjugate mankind for polluting the ocean! Too bad nobody cares.

「侵略しなイカ?/同胞じゃなイカ?/最強じゃなイカ?」
(Shinryaku Shinai ka? / Douhou Janai ka? / Saikyou Janai ka?)
“Aren’t I Invading? / Aren’t You a Fellow Brethren? / Isn’t She the Most Powerful?”

The invasion of the squid girl is here! While I enjoyed the bit of the manga I read in preparation for this adaptation, it’s far better animated than even I was expecting. Diomedia’s animation is crisp and the lush colors have a lot of “pop”. Best of all, Ika Musume herself is absolutely adorable with the way Kanemoto Hisako plays her.

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October 5, 2010 at 6:18 pm Comments (42)

Shinrei Tantei Yakumo – 01

「File 01: 開かずの間」 (File 01: Akazu no Ma)
“The Forbidden Room”

I never read the manga for an anime I’m going to watch, since it usually builds unwanted expectations. When I learned that Yakumo blew through over 120 pages of material in just one episode, I couldn’t help but take a gander at the manga. And now I really, really regret that I do. I mean, imagine having to cover 120 pages of manga material, over 40 pages per chapter, in just one 30 minute episode. Can it be done?

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October 5, 2010 at 8:00 am Comments (52)

Hakuouki Hekketsuroku – Special

Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toshizou (Miki Shinichirou).

「特別編 京都回想録」 (Tokubetsu-hen – Kyouto Kaisouroku)
“Special Chapter – Memories of Kyoto”

Despite the “Hekketsuroku” addition to the title, this is a direct continuation of the series that aired back in spring, hence the episode number thirteen next time. Normally the numbering wouldn’t matter, but in the case of Hakuouki, they treated this as the midpoint of the series and used it to recap. What a way to premiere a sequel. With a recap… -_-;

* Note: I just realized the actual episode 13 aired right after on AT-X on Monday. I’ll cover it in the upcoming days. Consider this a season one primer.

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October 5, 2010 at 1:02 am Comments (20)

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 01

I don’t know if Kyousuke was looking at Kirino’s eyes or about 30cm below, but I know where I was. It was her eyes of course!

「俺が妹と恋をするわけがない」 (Ore ga Imouto to Koi wo Suru Wake ga Nai)
“There’s No Way I’m in Love with My Sister”

The model middle school student is secretly a younger sister-obsessed erotic game maniac! In actuality, it’s not quite that bad, but it sure sounds more interesting when I say she poses for pictures to earn money for feeding her addiction. It’s all about taking stuff out of context.

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October 3, 2010 at 10:45 pm Comments (120)

Tegami Bachi REVERSE – 01

Memories of how Gauche became Noir of the anti-government association Reverse.

As a direct continuation to the story that left off six months ago, the only thing that’s keeping this feeling like an actual sequel is the new title, REVERSE.

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October 3, 2010 at 10:08 pm Comments (30)

STAR DRIVER: Kagayaki no Takuto – 01

「銀河美少年」 (Ginga Bishōnen)
“Galactic Pretty Boy”

When I first heard that BONES, the studio responsible for producing masterpieces such as Eureka Seven, Xam’d: Lost Memories and Darker than BLACK, was making another original mecha series it went right to the top of my list of most anticipated anime of this fall, and so far this year’s dose of FABULOUS has not disappointed.

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October 3, 2010 at 8:03 pm Comments (114)

Bakuman. – 01

「夢と現実」 (Dreams and Reality)
From the writers of the Death Note manga, Ohba Tsugumi and Obata Takeshi, comes Bakuman, an anime about two students who try to hit it big as mangaka. Produced by J.C. Staff, Bakuman shines not in animation quality, but how the characters interact with each other and how the little things in life are emphasized.

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October 3, 2010 at 1:31 pm Comments (75)

Super Robot Wars OG: The Inspector – 01

「赤い衝撃」 (Akai Shougeki)
“Red Impact”

Having only really played through some of the Classic and Alpha SRW games, I had to do a fair bit of research into the Original Generations timeline to get a good grasp of what’s going on in this adaptation. It served as a good refresher to fully appreciate the story, which new viewers diving into this sequel will likely be overwhelmed by to start.

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October 2, 2010 at 7:53 pm Comments (79)

MM! – 01

「 直滑降ファーストラブっ!」 (Chokkakkō Fāsuto Rabu!)
“Down Hill First Love!”

As expected of the likes of XEBEC, the studio that has brought us such timeless classics as To LOVE-Ru, Kanokon, and Ladies versus Butlers!, we’re presented with another series of the suspect persuasion. With that said, it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into before watching this.

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October 2, 2010 at 4:34 pm Comments (85)

Iron Man – 01

「アイアンマン、来日」 (Welcome to Japan, Ironman)

SURPRISE! It’s Iron Man!

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October 2, 2010 at 12:10 am Comments (72)

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt – 01

「仁義なき排泄」 (Jingi Naki Haisetsu)
“Excretion Without Honor and Humanity”

Gainax’s Gurren Lagann team is back, and this time with a series completely out of the ordinary. In the decade that I’ve been watching anime, never have I seen something quite like Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt.

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October 1, 2010 at 8:02 pm Comments (100)

One Piece – 468

「激戦の連続! 能力者軍団VS能力者軍団」 (Gekisen no Renzoku! Nōryokusha Gundan VS Nōryokusha Gundan)”
Hard Battles, One After Another! Devil Fruit Eaters vs. Devil Fruit Eaters!”

So I start up OP 468, skip past the intro, and then the recap. Imagine my face when I noticed the recap was less than a minute long compared to last week’s almost 6 minutes.

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October 1, 2010 at 7:15 pm Comments (9)

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