It’s week 3 of “Up to Snuff*”, and we have a new leader at the top of the rankings – though the same two series continue to dominate the rest of the field. These are the two top dogs in my pack too, though I think the order is wrong (spoiler: now you know what the top of my ballot looks like). We also have an interesting newcomer making its debutante entrance this time – and it’s a show that made quite a splash this week…

Results are below, along with this week’s bonus “Best OP/ED” poll and Zaiden’s Hidden Gem. Please enjoy and as always, we look forward to your comments.

Without further ado, let’s get to this week’s results:

* Name subject to change – how about “The Only Poll That Matters”?

Here’s an important question. Would you ever watch a Taiwanese puppet show? If your answer is no, OBJECTION! Think again, because I’m about to tell you about Thunderbolt Fantasy, a title that should be in contention for the greatest Japanese show in this calendar year. Long story short, Gen Urobuchi was in a slump and chanced upon Taiwanese Puppetry. It was love at first sight, with the brash directness of the medium suiting his penchant for ideological characterisations and the inherent conflicts between them. The unholy lovechild we receive from this bizarre liaison is a daring and phenomenal fantasy realm of evil cults and magical swords. Our plucky protagonists seek to prevent these two denominators from coinciding, because evil person with overpowered sword is a surefire recipe for disaster that should be avoided at all costs. This might sound corny as well as over the top (spoiler: it is), but if you give it a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised to find a compelling story that exceeds every bit of your wildest imagination. After all, despite all the flashy magic and sword clanging, it’s the journey and overall philosophy behind personal reasons and motivations which underpins what Thunderbolt Fantasy is truly about.