First Impressions / THE IDOLM@STER

THE IDOLM@STER – 05

「みんなとすごす夏休み」 (Minna to Sugosu Natsu Yasumi)
“A Summer Vacation Spent With Everyone”

It’s a beach episode and that means Mi… everyone in a swimsuit! Bah, who am I kidding? Between being the only idol to get hit on, stealing the Producer’s meat, and innocently seducing him in the bath, Miki was undoubtedly one of the highlights.

First Impressions / Mawaru Penguindrum

Mawaru Penguindrum – 05

「だから僕はそれをするのさ」 (Dakara Boku wa Sore wo Suru no sa)
“That’s Why I Do This”

“Seizon Senryaku” is back and everything in the Mawaru Penguindrum world feels right again. Well, about as right as it can be with Ringo getting dragged into this alternate dimension for the very first time and making her mark on it almost immediately.

First Impressions / Retrospective Look

Retrospective Look – July 2011

The first month of a new season is always one of the most interesting. It’s the perfect opportunity to get into a bunch of new shows, yet it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of them. Here’s what we have to say about all the ones we’re following, which will hopefully give you a better idea as to what’s worth watching.

* For your convenience, the header for a series now links to its post archive if it’s being covered. Simply mouseover the title to see if it’s clickable.

Changes since last month:

  • Prooof picked up Nichijou again.
  • Enzo takes part in his first Retrospective Look!
  • Divine put Kaiji Hakairoku-hen and Toriko on indefinite hold.

    • Note: Once again, please be considerate of others who may be interested in picking up a series after reading about it here by placing discussion of any major spoilers in <spoiler></spoiler> tags. There will be little to no tolerance for anyone intentionally spoiling the enjoyment of others.

    First Impressions / Kami-sama Dolls

    Kami-sama Dolls – 05

    「故郷へ・・・」 (Furusato e…)
    “Going Home…”

    Well then. Let’s just ignore what I said last time about Utao having no chance against Kirio. I was calling out from the sidelines for a Seki change after seeing Kukuri get electrocuted repeatedly by Takemikazuchi, but then an inexplicable reversal comes out of nowhere just to prove me wrong. This seems to be happening a lot lately.

    First Impressions / Yuruyuri

    Yuruyuri – 05

    「あかりとかミンミンゼミとかなく頃に」 (Akari toka Minminzemi toka Naku Koro ni)
    “When Akari and the Cicadas Cry”

    Gotta love the episode title spoof on Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, but well before Akari was sucked dry by Chinatsu, we had plenty of yuri moments care of my favorite pairing — Kyouko and Ayano. Total count of full-length screen captures this week: thirteen.