First Impressions / Shinryaku! Ika Musume

Shinryaku! Ika Musume – 04

Well I’ll be damned. There’s tentacle rape going on but the clothes are staying on!

「買わなイカ？／乗りこまなイカ？／ニセモノじゃなイカ？」
(Kawanai ka? / Norikomanai ka? / Nisemono Janai ka?)
“Won’t You Buy It? / Won’t You Come In? / Isn’t That An Impostor?”

Compared to last week, this episode was a lot cuter than it was funny and had some slightly unsettling moments to boot. However, by the time the third skit rolled around (with gigantic mechanical Ika Musume heads and all), the laughs were aplenty again thanks to Ika’s tunnel vision perception of what her squid species’ looks like. i.e. A squid hat with blue tentacles. de geso!

PV

sphere – MOON SIGNAL PV (Otome Youkai Zakuro OP)

[flv:sphere_MOON_SIGNAL_PV.mp4 550 310]

I may not be covering the Otomoe Youkai Zakuro, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been watching the military/youkai mash-up series whenever I can make time for it. I mentioned back in the Fall 2010 Preview that the series came off a bit generic to me despite its all-star cast (both male and female); however, its shoujo-esque nature has made it a lot more entertaining to watch than I originally thought. An initial impression that hasn’t changed since then is the one I had about the opening theme, “MOON SIGNAL”, performed by seiyuu group sphere. The short clip of it featured in one of the fifteen second commercial message at the time had me looking forward to hearing more of their sixth single, which much like their previous ones, is very pop-like and well-suited for anime themes. It’s kind of hard to believe that the group was only formed back in April 2009 and has already had four of those six singles featured as opening themes (of which I’ve posted about two of the previous three), but it’s a welcome trend in my books since I tend to like their songs.

..More after the jump.

First Impressions / Shinrei Tantei Yakumo

Shinrei Tantei Yakumo – 04

「魂をつなぐもの～憑依～」 (Tamashii wo Tsunagu Mono ~ Hyoui ~)
“Connecting Spirits ~Possession~”

This week’s Yakumo is probably the best one so far. I think this show can finally hold the title Shinrei Tantei Yakumo. From the continuing murder spree on high school girls, malicious spirits trying to possess people for their own gain, to Yakumo finally exposing some of his past and opening himself up to others. Finally, there seems to be an over arcing plot that is bringing together what this anime is supposed to be about – detective work involving some kind of supernatural phenomenon.

First Impressions / Yosuga no Sora

Yosuga no Sora – 04

「ハルカズハート」 (Harukazu Haato)
“Haruka’s Heart”

It’s not quite the same as Amagami’s omnibus format where the story completely resets after every girl’s arc, but Yosuga no Sora employs something similar with a bit of episode overlap throughout. Using this approach, the writers seem intent on providing four four-episode arcs with only twelve episodes in total. Pretty clever.

First Impressions / Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai – 04

As bad as this looks, at least his right hand didn’t get up underneath her bra. We’ll just ignore the knee pressed up against her crotch.

「俺の妹が夏コミとか行くわけがない」 (Ore no Imouto ga Natsu Komi toka Iku Wake ga Nai)
“There’s No Way My Sister Would Go To Stuff Like the Summer Comiket”

There’s bipolar and then there’s Kirino-level bipolar. Given the instant switch back to the Kirino of old, I’m starting to wonder how I was ever suckered in by that face. Damn that face. I can’t help but wonder if Kyousuke ever asks himself why he has to be the better person, because I sure as hell would be in his shoes. “Did you just call me a pervert when you’re the one getting porn secretly delivered!?”

First Impressions / Tegami Bachi

Tegami Bachi REVERSE – 04

It has four eyes and it snatches children in their sleep!

「荒野幻灯台」 (Kouya Gentoudai)
“The Wild Phantom Lighthouse”

I’ve always described this series as “surreal” given the fantasy world it takes place in, but this is probably the first time that sentiment has extended to the supernatural realm. To that end, I just loved how this episode turned out to be absolutely nothing like I was expecting, beginning with Lag in the thick of things as a boy named Lugh living with his grandfather in a lighthouse.