Omamori Himari – 01
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「猫と少女とアレルギー」 (Neko to Shoujo to Arerugii)
“Cats, Girls, and Allergies”
What do you get when you put Holo from Spice and Wolf, Makoto from School Days, and Junpei’s cat allergies from Nyan Koi, all in a mystic setting? Omamori Himari… apparently!
Ookami Kakushi – 01
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「嫦娥町」 (Jougamachi)
“The Town of Jouga”
I wasn’t actively looking for signs that this PSP video game adaptation had Ryukishi07 working on it, but similarities to their popular Higurashi series became more apparent as the episode unfolded.
Letter Bee – 14
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「死骸博士」 (Shigai Hakase)
“The Corpse Doctor”
One week after the post-Christmas break, we have new opening and ending themes as expected. The story gets back on track about Gauche too, thanks to the highly misunderstood and misperceived doctor/biological specialist of the Bee-Hive, Dr. Thunderland Jr., a.k.a. the corpse doctor.
Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu – 01
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「バカとクラスと召喚戦争」 (Baka to Kurasu to Shoukan Sensou)
“Idiots, Classes, and the Summoning War”
Now why didn’t my school have a summoning war system? Not that I needed it as motivation, but if it entitled me to a high-tech facility, first-class treatment, and meant I could own everyone with a digital personification of myself, it sure as hell wouldn’t have hurt. If you’re looking for a comedy to watch this season that has everything from a “pervert ninja” to the ultimate trap, look no further than Baka Test!
Chu-Bra!! – 01
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「おとなパンツ！の女の子」 (Otona Pantsu! no Onna no Ko)
“The Girl with Adult Panties!”
So I hear shy girls like to choose bright and flashy underwear, or at least that’s what the OP/ED song titles have me believe. “Chu-Bra” -> “Choose Bright”. Yeah, I’m sure that’s what it’s short for… >_>
Ladies versus Butlers! – OP/ED
OP: 「LOVE x HEAVEN」 by 川澄綾子, 中原麻衣, 小清水亜美, 釘宮理恵 (Kawasumi Ayako, Nakahara Mai, Koshimizu Ami, Kugimiya Rie) |
ED: 「my starry boy」 by 中原麻衣 (Nakahara Mai) |
Missing from last week’s early broadcast premiere of Ladies versus Butlers! were the opening and ending sequences you see above. Also missing were the completely uncensored scenes on AT-X’s broadcast, nipples and all. Click on if you want a taste of what was censored out. I guess this is where I should add in the obligatory “WARNING! NUDITY AHEAD!”
Okay, I’m no longer accountable if you choose to proceed. =)
The Best of Anime 2009
Now that 2009 is over, here’s a look back at some of the best series the year had to offer. Due to the subjective nature of it all and the fact that we’re constrained to what we’ve seen, we won’t be trying to pick series that everyone finds agreeable this year. Instead, we’re here to convey our personal favorites for 2009, after which you’re more than welcome to chime in with your respective choices. To make things more interesting, we’ve increased the number of categories and separated them into corresponding areas — namely Production, Miscellaneous (fun stuff), Genre, and Notable Others. Also included at the end are the final results to the Reader’s Choice Poll.
New as well this year are my picks as a standalone opinion alongside Omni’s. Previously, I helped him pick a comedy series but the rest of the choices were solely his. This time around, you get both sides of the coin. Under each category, I’ve provided a brief description of what our criteria are. Immediately below that are Omni’s picks along with his comments followed by my own.
Disclaimer:
These are purely our personal opinions based on the shows that we’ve seen in the past year. For a show to even qualify for consideration, it had to have met the requirements outlined in the Reader’s Choice Poll. For OVAs/ONAs/movies, the additional requirement is that it’s been either released on DVD/Blu-ray or online so that viewers outside of Japan have had a chance to watch it. This means that series like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Summer Wars (not officially released) are not up for awards this year; they’ll be saved for 2010.
Sasameki Koto – 13 (END)
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「CALLING YOU」
“Calling You”
If this were any episode but the last, I would’ve been more okay with the long drawn-out scenes where Sumika is desperately trying to get in touch with Ushio. Likewise with the ones where Ushio’s eagerly awaiting Sumika’s phone call. The pacing was as usual, but this is the finale and I wanted to see something happen!
K-ON Second Season Greenlit!
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Who says there aren’t any surprises at the end of the year? At the conclusion of the K-ON “Let’s Go!” live concert in Yokohama yesterday, an announcement was made for a second season of the ever-so-popular light music anime. The official website has already been updated to confirm what attendees of the live event found out, along with an image of Yui looking inconspicuously over her shoulder. While the thought of a sequel in the near future never really crossed my mind, it was only a matter of time given the original’s popularity. It’s safe to say there’s already one series on my list that’s a guaranteed watch next year. I can already picture the new opening and ending themes (whatever they may be) taking the Internet air waves by storm. Speaking of which, I’d love to see what went down at that live concert. Anyone else looking forward to seeing more of Yui, Mio, Ritsu, Mugi, and Azusa in the new year? |