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「形而下のネクローシス」 (Keijika no nekurōshisu)
“Physical Necrosis”
I’ve felt from the beginning is that this series has been exceptionally smart in the way it dishes out information. There’s always enough exposition every week to keep me from feeling completely at sea, but each bit of new information seems to raise two questions for every one it answers.
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「神は来たりて」 (Kami wa Kitarite)
“God Arrives”
The adaptation of Yamamura Hajime’s action fantasy manga may not have ranked very highly in the seasonal poll, but I was pretty sold on what I read in the early parts of the manga. The promo material left me with a good first impression, and Brain’s Base delivers impeccably with this premiere episode, quickly reminding me of all the potential that I saw.
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「妖しきものの名」 (Ayashiki Mono no Na)
“The Name of a Monster”
Years ago, Roger Ebert (from my hometown of Chicago) wrote the following review of the abysmal film “North”: “I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie.” Well, I love Natsume Yuujinchou. I love love love love love Natsume Yuujinchou.
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「日常１４」 (Nichijou 14)
“My Ordinary Life 14”
I never thought that Hyadain’s Kataomoi could be topped but I never considered that Hyadain might be able to top HIMSELF.
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「中学デビュー！」 (Chuugaku Debyuu!)
“Middle School Debut!”
I’m never opposed to a series about cute girls doing cute things, so I’m always up for a slightly different spin on it. To that end, we have a trio of trio of middle school girls, Akaza Akari (Mikami Shiori), Toshinou Kyouko (Ootsubo Yuka), and Funami Yui (Tsuda Minami), and the unofficial “Fun Club” they run in the ex-tea ceremony clubroom.
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「死神の肩越しに永遠をみる」 (Shinigami no Katagoshi ni Eien o Miru)
“Looking at Eternity over the Grim Reaper’s Shoulder”
This was a finale that played it straight. It quickly tied up all its remaining loose ends, set the stage for the timeskip, and ended it with the classic “and they lived happily ever after.” After a little thought, I think that’s satisfactory enough.
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「入口 “Entrée”」 (Iriguchi)
“Entrance”
To most viewers, this will undoubtedly be the slowest and most uneventful new series of the season, and be quickly written off as “boring” or “dull”, but for Aria fans such as myself, it’s one of my most anticipated adaptations of the season, featuring a heartwarming 19th century story about a young Japanese girl named Yune (Tooyama Nao, Kanon in Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai), who travels to Paris, France to work.
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「鬼事」 (Onigokko)
“Tag”
No other currently airing series does filler as well, but last week’s was pretty flimsy even by those standards, and it’s nice to get back to some plot-advancing development.
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「イシの目覚め」 (Ishi no Mezame)
“Awakening of the Stone”
It’s the battle of good versus evil using stones, and I don’t mean the rocks you pick up off the ground.
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「今年の夏はバスケと超能力と布団と天体観測と祭りと野球と女々たんと」 (Kotoshi no Natsu wa Basuke to Chōnōryoku to Futon to Tentai Kansoku to Matsuri to Yakyū to Meme-tan to)
“This Summer is about Basketball and Espers and Futons and Astronomical Observations and Festivals and Baseball and Meme and…”
I was expecting a more extravagant two-episode finale, which would include the festival that was supposed to come after the baseball game, but it didn’t happen. Instead, what gave the appearance of “closure” that finales typically ensemble was a focus on Niwa, our romantically indecisive protagonist.