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This is a serious downgrade from season 1, and is redeemed only by the last 4 episodes. If you're reading this to decide whether or not you should watch it, watch ONLY episodes 9-12 (maybe the last 4 minutes of episode 8 as well). The rest can be summed up as misunderstandings and melodrama.

1.) Kimi ni Todoke season 2 resets a lot of season 1's progress.

The red flags start flying immediately from episode 1, where the show starts throwing excuses why a lot of the character development--namely the relationship between Sawako and Shouta--is reset. Spoiler alert: none of the reasons are good. ... They're just excuses for why this show had to have a whole other cour to finish the story, when it could've been finished in season 1. The show even goes out of its way to point out how stupid and pointless the lack of progress is, but that doesn't excuse it. Especially considering how much screen time is wasted on talking about the lack of progress, instead of, you know... making progress. It's kind of meta in the worst kind of way.

Sawako regresses just to pretend that her new "development" was needed. This is perhaps the worst objective flaw with S2, since Sawako's character developed immensely in S1. The show made her go through some pretty rough shit, too, and I hate it for making me watch that happen. [SPOILERS] The case in point was when, after some kinda contrived nonsense, Sawako and Shouta end up confessing to each other at the midpoint of the series, but due to miscommunicating by thinking one another didn't mean they liked them the same way (i.e. romantically), both of them think they got rejected. And if that sounds fucking retarded to you, that's because it is. [/SPOILERS]

Which brings me to my next point.

2.) Cliches ahoy!

Remember how I said in my S1 review that it turned a lot of shoujo cliches on their heads? Well, unlike S1, S2 plays some of the worst shoujo cliches completely straight. The most cancerous offenders are times where Sawako just totally loses her ability to talk to Kazehaya like a normal person, which we established in S1 wasn't a problem despite her strong feelings, but is hand waived rather horribly. Also, some (bad) shoujo take simple miscommunications and failures to communicate and turn them into frustrating nonsensical farces, and season 2 falls into that very trap. I don't know why, when season 1 did such a good job NOT doing that.

The entirety of the "plot" of this season is driven by miscommunication. I don't know why, when the first season did a good job NOT having that happen, but here we are, and it's just as aneurysm-inducing as it always is in shoujo anime. Granted, there was some of this present in S1, but it was actually believable. Realistic. Not like S2. How many fucking times do the two leads need to yell "I love you!" at each other before it fucking sinks in?

3.) There's a new, pointless rival.

Kento Miura is another dumb shoujo cliche, and is forced in every way conceivable: from his sudden injection into the story, to his interest in Sawako, to his apparent omniscience about her thoughts and feelings, all the way to him being propped up as a serious rival against Shouta. He exists to sow dissent. The writers outright copied and pasted aspects of Kazehaya's character onto him to justify his interest in Sawako, but made him worse. Kento pushes Sawako out of her comfort zone in a similar way, but not even half as thoughtfully or tactfully as Kazehaya did. His presence is a blight on the anime. Nobody in their right mind would ever ship him with Sawako over Shouta, yet here he is to waste most of a season pretending he matters. He's just there to cock block Kazehaya, and thus, blue-ball the audience a little longer.

Part of what made Miura's interference possible was that Kazehaya's ability to take charge and act impulsively was removed. Remember in season 1 where Kurumi is trying to make him think Sawako and Ryu are together? How instead of believing her and sulking, he instead runs to Sawako and takes her hand and runs off with her? He doesn't do anything nearly that admirable and ballsy here. Let's face it: Kazehaya would've never allowed Miura to be a problem. Miura would've been shut down instantly. He only isn't because the writers decided they had no idea what they were doing this season.

4.) The show is carried by voice acting.

The voice acting is as fantastic as ever, with Mamiko Noto basically carrying this crippled corpse across the finish line. Even though her monologues make far less sense than the ones in S1, she delivers them with such conviction here that it almost made me forget how bad the monologue itself was. The music is solid, though mostly same old from the last season. The opening and ending themes are both inferior from the last season. The visuals are even lazier than last season because Production I.G. reused so much footage from S1. The facial expressions are still the highlight of the animation, but that's the biggest praise I can give the visuals.

5.) KnT season 2 isn't enjoyable (until the end of episode 8).

I don't know if I've made this obvious or not, but this season was fucking FRUSTRATING to trudge through. While I never once felt frustrated by what was happening on screen and was totally enthralled during season 1, the times I was invested and happy during season 2 were few and far between until the last several episodes. It's amazing how much screen time was wasted on stupid-ass horseshit. Episodes 1-8 have a few good moments sprinkled around, but they are few and far between, and certainly don't outweigh the frustration and anger they induce.

To top it all off, they don't even kiss by the end. Yeah. Blue balls abound.

When all is said and done, if you start watching this show at the last 4 minutes of episode 8, it's much closer to on par with season 1. But sadly, I can't just chop out everything else, hence my scores.

Here is my viewing guide for Kimi ni Todoke:
Season 1: Episodes 1-15, 17-25. (Episode 16 is a recap.)
Season 2: Last 4 minutes of episode 8, 9-12.

This show has no excuse to pretend the end of season 1 didn't happen. It's insulting that it does this when it flashes back to season 1 so much. And I'm salty. The good stuff from this season could've been squished into the end of season 1, or better yet, start this season directly following the end of season 1 (with S2 episodes 9-12, sans the dumb stuff), and allow the rest of the episodes to develop Sawako and Kazehaya's relationship further. AND MAKE THEM KISS.

"A Lull in the Sea," or as would make more sense, "Pining Away: The Anime."

I wish that I could say nicer things about this anime, because I somehow liked it despite how immensely flawed it was, but alas.

Spoiler warning.

1.) The Little Mermaid (TV show) did a better job realizing a society living underwater than Nagi no Asukara did.

I'm sure this can be attributed to simple laziness or lack of creativity, but the underwater society is basically no different than normal Japanese society. People would have no need for sidewalks and steps underwater, liquids wouldn't stay in bowls, and girls wearing skirts... wouldn't ... work. No matter how pretty you make it, the world just makes no sense. It also feels really small, because even though they mention with a throwaway line that there are 14 other sea villages around Japan, this is the only one we see anything about. Also this village itself feels tiny, as we only see the 4 main characters from Shioshishio coming to the middle school on land, even though Miuna's vision/imagination show a bunch of other students attending that school.

Far more could've been done with this concept, but the idea was wasted.

2.) Emotional manipulation runs rampant in this anime.

I challenge you to find a single episode where characters don't cry. Characters crying should be used sparingly to punch the audience in the gut at particularly intense moments. It shouldn't be used every 10 minutes, as it just ends up making them look like actual babies (which makes sense when it comes to Manaka).

The opening and ending themes and sequences are much better than this anime deserves. I rarely skipped them, and as is the goal with most anime, they made me think the show was better than it was while I was watching it. It was only after I took time to think about the show after finishing it that I could separate my love of those themes from the quality of the writing.

3.) Characters are defined almost entirely by who they're attracted to.

Seriously, I've never seen so much dialog wasted that quintessentially amounted to characters pining for their love interest. So much of it can be summed up as characters dialoging or monologing about how strong their feelings for someone else are. They do this instead of using this time to develop characters themselves or giving justification for why they love their interest in the first place. Once you realize this, it gets old really fast. There is absolutely no need to emphasize that character X likes character Y so strongly, so repeatedly, yet that's what most of the screen time, character motivation, and plot "development" stem from. It's what I blame the character and plot stagnation on.

Manaka is obviously intended to be the mascot moeblob of the show. Like, she has gills that look like wings?, while nobody else does? Also she acts more like she's 7--not 14. Hikari is characterized by his ability to shout while getting angry or overreacting and not much else. Chisaki and Kaname are largely doormats who just occasionally say something insightful while generally not affecting events much. Tsumugu is so painfully unemotive for no reason I can't take him seriously as a person, which sucks because he had potential with his background with his parents.

Miuna is probably the best character in the show, but unfortunately, is also reduced to who her love interest is in the second half. I somehow found myself rooting for her; why, I don't know, because this anime refuses to let people get together and be happy.

4.) The characters' ages are a problem.

Most of the characters are 14, so treating the characters' feelings with such intense import is farcical. I'm not going to pretend middle schoolers can't feel strong feelings for each other, but this is silly. Also, they act like their feelings are final and they can't change who they love later in life. A bigger problem is that there are 9-year-olds who quickly develop what is treated as serious romantic interest in the middle school cast, which quickly goes into squick territory (at least until the time skip bandaids this). Nine-year-olds feel nothing more than puppy love at that level of maturity, so expecting me to take seriously their holding onto feelings for 5 years is ridiculous. It would've made far more sense if they had started feeling something after the middle school cast woke up, with them now being middle-schoolers themselves.

Also, after the 5 year time skip, Chisaki is 19 and Hikari is still 14, yet she's still attracted to him, and 14-year-old Kaname is still attracted to Chisaki, and all this drama is played completely straight. Thankfully, nothing comes of this, but it's still concerning that it isn't seriously discussed as an issue.

5.) Did I mention the time skip is a problem?

There is a 5-year time skip in the middle of the series. Time skips aren't inherently bad. This time skip had a lot of potential to explore characters' psychology, development, coping with changes in the world, etc. However, this show more or less glosses over those things quickly so it can go back to the characters pining for their love interests again.

In fact, it's kind of amazing how little actually changed in those 5 years. Despite going to college, Chisaki and Tsumugu are still bumming around this little fishing town for whatever reason and haven't actually moved on in life. Why? Allegedly the fish people (which are called humans for some reason?) were going to be asleep for 50-100 years, but I guess everyone who mattered is still bumming around this nothing of a town.

Nagi no Asukara's characters emphasize how they haven't changed over these 5 years, but pointing that out doesn't solve the problem. Five years is a long time for a person to not change at all. The fish people who hibernated not changing makes sense, but not people who are conscious and go through many developmental changes aging from 14 to 19 years old.

6.) Almost nothing has changed by the end of the show.

Which is ironic after all the events in the world, but when you get to the end and really think about what the characters wanted and compare it to what they got, the truth jumps out at you: Almost nothing was resolved. The final episode is presented in a way that makes you think something happened, but it didn't. I just felt empty and unfulfilled, which is inexcusable considering how much time was wasted in the last half. Two couples were established, but we never see what happens after they're paired, since they're paired right at the end of the show. When you consider the eventual love polyhedron, this is kind of sad.

7.) This kind of writing didn't deserve amazing production values.

Nagi no Asukara is beautiful, but you don't need me to tell you that. I don't know of many other animation studios that could make water, fish, snow, and sunlight look so pretty. I was just hoping this would be the magnum opus for P.A. Works, where their beautiful animation matched with great writing, but this sadly wasn't to be.

The show was just interesting enough for me to finish it, but I didn't get any satisfaction from doing so. The amount of time wasted by ineffective pining makes this more of a frustrating slog than it should have ever been.

Would I recommend this anime? If you're just looking for something pretty to look at, sure. If you hate will they/won't they stories, though, no. It's laden with melodrama. It wastes a ton of time. And it's not fulfilling. The OP and ED are the best part of the anime.

I hate it when people write reviews for shows before a series ends as much as anyone (especially ones that dub a show godly after one episode), but the rating of this show in comparison to the ass-load of complete garbage airing right now (whose names I won't mention), combined with the average user's apparent misconceptions about it (comparing it to Symphogear? lolno), combined with its low popularity, made me decide that I have to say SOMETHING.

In short: I don't get it. I don't get why this is so lowly rated when, even after just the first episode, it's proven to be superior to ... the vast majority of the other shows airing this season. Maybe it's the idol/music genre? Maybe it's the atrocious CGI rendering of the idols during concert sequences? Maybe it's the character designs—with HEART outlines in the girls' eyes and, sometimes, hair?

Those are the only problems I can really think of.

I'll admit, none of those things thrilled me at first. But when you think about it, none of these complaints really hold water. First of all, the show may be centered around idols, but the show has SUBSTANCE to go with it (I'll talk more about this in a bit). Second, yeah, the CGI for the girls during concerts is bad, but you shouldn't let a simple fluke with visuals detract your experience of the rest of the show. And thirdly, I lol'd at the hearts at first, but then I used my brain, and considered the contrast between the characters and their surroundings.

It's obvious that the girls offer a massive contrast with the world around them: their bright, shiny, hopeful colors compared to the dull, dreary, depressing ones of the planets and interiors of ships. When you think about it, it's simple but brilliant: the hopes and dreams of naive, innocent girls thrown against the rocks of a cold, unforgiving universe where entertainment is banned on many planets.

The animation used to portray these differences is quite spectacular (sans the CGI idols, of course). There is a great level of detail in landscapes that creates a perfect atmosphere for the premise of the show to play on. This includes the bright and colorful cityscapes. Character motions are fluid, with a good number of frames. Facial expressions are done really well, too.

Characterization is surprisingly good—even in the first episode alone. Nagisa is, quite frankly, a great character: she has a level head on her shoulders; she isn't too idealistic, but not too down-to-earth either; she has spirit, but isn't too eager; she is hopeful, but not overly confident in her abilities. The dynamic between her and her father, who is an Entertainment Administration official on a planet where the entertainment ban is still in effect, paints the perfect picture of just how much the situation affects the lives of citizens. Conversely, her relationship with her mother shows how she still loves and cares for her parents, even though her desire to be in AKB0048 pits her against their authority from the get-go.

The show made me get all misty-eyed in the FIRST EPISODE—and the two following it. Do you know what's required for that to happen? A vested interest in the characters and their plights. If I don't care about the characters at all, I don't care period. I'm looking forward to seeing what becomes of Nagisa in future episodes.

Currently, the other girls mostly show their characterization in their actions, making it easy to figure out their basic personality traits. Some are getting developed and having back stories revealed bit by bit, with more undoubtedly on the way. It's cool easy to see how they're reacting to their situation in a variety of ways—having second thoughts, remaining hopeful, complaining, being afraid, showing resolve, etc. It's also interesting to see some varying reasons for wanting to take this path in the first place.

In the end, the great music is just icing, really.

This show is NOT Symphogear. (It also is NOT Macross Frontier, though it is more similar to AKB0048 than Symphogear is.) In this show, music is just music: something people listen to to help them get through life, to be entertained by, to be moved by. (That's what the premise of the show operates on.) It is NOT a plot device. It is not some super-mystical force that gives you superpowers or stops murderous aliens. There *is* fanservice, unfortunately, but it is mild; not to the degree of Symphogear—no stupid, revealing outfits; no watermelon-sized tits, tasteless cleavage, or shameful pantsu shoved in your face. Nothing is contrived. And the characters are actually good.

After the superb first three episodes, I became kind of scared that the quality might change in the future; and though that fear turned out to be correct, the "worst" episode this show has aired so far is still better than the majority of other crap episodes flooding this season that you could have wasted 24 minutes of your life on.

Many will look at my score and ask "You praise it so much, yet you only give it a 7?" Well, look at my mean score. 7 is great coming from me (especially so early on). I hope that it continues to deserve it; maybe it'll even get promoted in the future. Who can say? Let's watch and find out.

In short: Look past your trivial gripes and see that AKB0048 has heart (no pun intended), and it has *substance*—a crucial thing the current cesspool of shallow, soulless anime lacks.

What are you doing with your life? What are you working for? What will you accomplish during your time? How could that time be better served improving that of another?

All of these are questions you'll probably be asking yourself while watching "Kobato."

"Kobato" is one of those rarities that soothes the soul. It's hard not to find yourself smiling often, since there are many heartwarming moments throughout. The show regularly brought tears to the eye--not of sadness, but happiness. It's definitely something to consider checking out if you like happier anime, or need something to cheer you up.

The entire point ... of the series can be summarized with one word: empathy. It shows the heartwarming inspiration and greatness of what happens when someone abandons their own interests for the sake of helping others. When someone becomes selfless, the avenue is opened up for miraculous outcomes and beautiful changes in peoples' lives.

A pessimistic philosopher once said that there is no such thing as a truly selfless action, basing their argument on the premise that we're only doing it because seeing someone in need bothers us--because we ourselves would feel better and be at peace if they were happier. But what about people for whom this sense of relief is only a side effect? What about the people who truly don't care about themselves, and are willing to go above and beyond to lend a hand when someone needs it? "Kobato" shows how great your life can be when you realize that following your own dreams isn't the only source of fulfillment.

I was a little nervous at first becaue of how moe Kobato herself was, but I quickly learned just how great of a character she is. Her mission is to heal peoples' hearts so her wish can be granted, but it becomes obvious early on that she is far too concerned with the well-being of others to worry about filling the jar for herself. (Ioryogi constantly observes this and stresses over how she may not complete her task in time to have her wish granted.) She'll spend days--or longer--working towards an end, even with the knowledge that it won't get her any closer to her goal. She's great with kids and loves to help out at the local preschool, even though this too doesn't directly get her any closer to her goal. She loses sleep worrying about the problems of those around her: She relentlessly seeks solutions, no matter how poorly she may be treated or how ingrateful the person may be. She just wants everyone to be happy.

Kobato teaches us to take pleasure in little things as she carries out every task happily and with a smile--even ones we may not necessarily want to do. It's a combination of these things that leads to the creation of what is perhaps the best wife/mother material to ever grace the world of fiction.

If we had more characters (or better yet, people) like Kobato, the world would be a better place. It's disheartening that mindless fan service dolls are more popular than characters that are actually GOOD from shows with actual substance.

This show has more characterization and character development in a single episode than many anime contain over the span of their entire runtime. It's touching to see the characters change after their encounters with Kobato. The show deals with very real issues people go through and examines the power one person stepping outside of themselves can have, making all the difference in changing a life. Even the most stone-hearted aren't safe from her outgoing and caring nature: no wound can't be healed with the proper care.

"Kobato" has a pretty good idea of when it's time to stop with the comedic content when things are getting serious, which is really important in a dramedy. Once misplaced line can completely butcher the mood of a scene; "Kobato" knows what's appropriate and when, but is quick to throw in a crack once the storm has passed and the happy status quo has been restored, helping complete a smooth transition and elevating the viewer's spirits.

...I guess I gotta talk about art 'n' sound 'n' stuff, too. Character design is great; there are some pretty unique ones, the most unique and appealing being Kobato. Hair movement seems to have been given a particular attention, particularly in the case of it bouncing up and down and someone runs or as the wind blows through it--again, the most attention was given to Kobato. There is some pretty great imagery, like petals, or leaves falling from trees, or snow, and the surrounding greenary is always a pleasure. Warmer, brighter, and more vibrant colors are what dominate the visible spectrum, complementing the overall tone of the series.

Voice acting quality is excellent, with Hana Kanazawa completely bringing the show to life with her peppy, happy, excited Kobato. Hearing her sing was an extra special treat. The soundtrack contains some beautiful pieces--particularly those played during more dramatic or emotionally riveting scenes, although there are a number of more upbeat ones for the laid back/comedic scenes.

"Kobato" made me put my hands together and clap like an idiot because it made me so happy. The show renewed my faith in humanity; it gave me hope that there may still be good people out there with actual morals who care about their fellow man. It's wholesome, pure, innocent, and clean--all endangered, unappreciated, underrated qualities in this day and age. It made me take a step back and reexamine how I was living, and radically altered my outlook on life in general.

So... How might "Kobato" touch YOU?

When people partake in the enjoyment of various mediums of storytelling, it seems a lot of people tend to forget about what sits at the center of it: the story.

Dennou Coil's obvious appeal is in its story. The setup is outstandlingly creative; no synopsis can really do it justice. There are aspects and mysteries about just the cyberspace itself that have to be seen to be believed. There are more than enough questions to keep those junkies guessing. It may sound simple at first, but there is simply much, much more to everything than meets the eye.

The story takes a little ... while to get rolling, but once it does, it'll grab you and won't let go. My only major complaint is that there's essentially no initial setup for you in the beginning; instead, we are plunged headlong into some action with no time to settle in, whereas a simple, short exposition (by Yuko, the central character)--perhaps 30-60 seconds long--would've served that purpose plenty without sacrificing much screen time at all. We aren't told most of the simple rules regarding the glasses and cyberspace before much stickier and complicated matters are thrust at the viewer. We don't even get a picture of what SHOULD be before we see what shouldn't.

It takes a little while for the REAL plot going on underneath it all to unbury itself, but once it does, your eyes will be glued to the screen and your brain will be given a nice workout; it's great to get that "OH!" moment when things finally start clicking. It's for that reason that I don't recommend watching Dennou Coil while you're tired--or if you're stupid--because you really need to be able to follow if you're going to enjoy it to the fullest. Some things are pretty damn complicated, but if you can understand most of it, then you'll be in for an intense ride.

It's important to note the heavy usage of foreshadowing. Many objects, characters, events, and rules governing cyberspace have far more impact on the story than they first appear. Details are revealed bit by bit as the plot progresses, gradually piecing the whole picture together.

Serving as the fuel for the labyrinthine story is the cast. The main characters are children who are thrust into new and confusing situations and behave as you'd expect they should. They express uncertainty when faced with the unknown, doubt when faced with pain, and fear when faced with danger. This opens of plenty of avenues for character development--times for them to mature, take a deep breath, and be brave; opportunities for them to overcome lingering emotions and grow up. Realistic and compelling motivations are at the core of their actions, but they also make mistakes and suffer the consequences. When all is said and done, it's easy to look back and see how the character was in the beginning and how far they've come by the end.

They are the solid foundation grounding the viewer in reality in a world where things that aren't, are and things that are, should not. Their emotions--and the drama they stir up--are a relieving and powerful foil to the synthetic space they live in. It's not hard to find oneself identifying with their plights and problems.

The seiyuu do a great job portraying how an uncertain kid sounds, pausing to think about the words they're going to use next even in mid-sentence, or voice wavering when gripped with uneasiness or fear, or even just the simple notion of hope. Children aren't the smoothest talkers--frequently stuttering or verbally misstepping. Just the right amount of emotion is felt in delivery: not too much as to sound melodramatic, but not to little as to sound disconnected or robotic. Simply put, the characters sound realistic.

The aspect that needed the most work is the OST: many scenes simply would've had much more gravity had the music been better/more fitting. There are a few good tracks, but aside from those, the rest are quite disappointing. There are many silent scenes; sometimes, this is the best choice, but others could definitely have used some music in the background. One track in particular, a simplistic series of rapidly escalating notes played during many suspenseful or apprehensive scenes, is overused and frankly doesn't fit many it's employed in--especially the particularly darker ones. It puts a damper on the mood whereas a better, more serious (perhaps darker) track would've intensified it instead and imbued the scene with more emotional power. Some choral pieces would've been particularly good choices during certain scenes.

On a similar note, there's an obvious inherent imbalance in volume between dialogue, sound effects, and background music. The voices of the seiyuu always end up on the short end of the stick, frequently nearly drowned out by sound effects of what's happening on screen. Not only that, but the voices are far too quiet in general--even when they're the only thing going on audio-wise. The music is also in a competition with these effects, making it almost unnoticable at times (not like it's particularly important to hear).

The sound effects are pretty outstanding nonetheless, from the zap of a laser, to the projection and distortion of a hologram, to crumbling bricks, to even explosions. It's obvious that a lot of work was put into creating some truly unique effects.

Dennou Coil utilizes a pretty unique art style. Character designs are different and interesting while maintaining a more realistic depiction of people you'd normally see in Japan, but cuter. Animation in general is superb, with a high amount of attention to detail. Remember how I mentioned that the characters sounded and acted realistic? They also look realistic, and their motions are animated smoothly and realistically. Hair and clothes bounce and sway normally like they do in real life, wrinkling and stretching as the wearer's body moves and bends.

The most outstanding aspect of the animation is that of cyber objects: mysterious fog, particle effects, distortion and disruption of cyber space and objects, shadows, and passageways between obsolete space and the real world. Every aspect of the visuals is superb; even simple things like lighting at dusk or dawn are given a lot of attention.

Dennou Coil is a fun and enjoyable experience with plenty of mystery, suspense, and drama to keep you wanting to see what happens next. If you appreciate creative sci-fi scenarios and settings with compelling stories with layers of mysteries that keep you guessing, Dennou Coil is for you.

Just don't take the glasses off, or you might never come back.

That's right de geso! I have come to tie you in my tentacles and make you my undersquid de geso! Don't even THINK of trying to escape from my wrath DE GESO!

Shinryaku! Ika Musume is quite a refreshing retake of the slice-of-life comedy scene. It was really nice to finally get one that didn't cop out and take the way-too-overused (high) school setting. The premise is actually quite creative and leads for some equally creative little stories and jokes as well. (Who knew the idea of a squid girl could be so interesting?)

The series is really the only thing I've ... heard of to use tentacles so innocently. When most people think of tentacles, they obviously think of hentai, and all the various disturbing images that stirs up to go along with it. Well, this show is definitely PG-safe. Tentacles are used for USEFUL things--like serving half a dozen tables at once, or playing beach volleyball, or swatting your stalker away from you like a fly, or...

...Wait, what? Oh yeah. Slap stick. =D

On the note of PG-safeness, I'm happy to inform you that there is zero fan service, so you pedophiles lurking around looking for pervy loli-fests or mindless moeblobs should GTFO. Right now. Hell, if it weren't for a few instances of light profanity ("damn"), the show probably could garner a G rating. (I don't see what the point of even including any profanity at all was.)

When writers decide to incorporate moe into their works, they always have to be careful to observe the line between moe and moeblob--that is, if you overdo the moe, they lack any other definable traits--physically or character-wise. They become defined strictly as MOE. (Oh gawd K-On!) Well, I'm pleased to report that Ika Musume does not cross that line (although there are a few precarious instances when that line is flirted with far too intimately).

Ika is moe, yes, but moe mostly in terms of her personality. She is laughably curious about everyday things we don't think much of, like umbrellas, birthdays, and fireworks. She's afraid of inflatable killer whales and sharks, but thinks nothing of walking through cemetaries at night, nor is she even scared of ghosts. She came to "invade" the surface world, but her good nature keeps getting the better of her and pushing her goal farther away. She acts menacing, but it's obviously a bluff, as she obviously cares about the well-being of those around her. She even has a couple funny speech naunces to top it all off.

The show really IS all about Ika. She is, by far, the character with the most colorful personality, range of emotion, and variety of facial expression. The supporting cast isn't bad, though; some of them actually have some depth and undergo development, but equally as many are just flat in terms of personality. (This isn't to say they don't add anything or aren't entertaining, though; quite the contrary.)

Animation and art are quite crisp, clean, and clear: the show is quite pleasing to look at. Bright and vibrant colors make up the vast majority of the spectrum utilized, and scenes are mostly sunny and light-hearted. Animation is pretty well-done as well, with no real problems or corner-cutting I could see. Facial expressions--particularly those of Ika--are great. All in all, quite effective and above average.

The OP is alright, sung by Hisako Kanemoto (Ika's seiyuu) although it begins by chanting "Shinryaku!" over and over again, in the most annoying pitch possible, at a volume twice as loud as the rest of the show. (Don't get me wrong; I have no problem with her voice; that part is just really annoying.) And it starts as soon as the episode begins, so you'll have to be really fast to avoid getting your ears blasted. The ED is actually a pretty touching piece that I would call Ika's theme song, since the lyrics fit her so well. The voice acting is pretty great, but Kanemoto definitely steals the show: she acts the squidding INK out of her role. ;)

Shinryaku! Ika Musume is quite the enjoyable break from the hum drum stereotypical school comedy scene. It deserves a chance just for daring to be different and breaking from the mold. It even incorporates some pretty emotionally touching moments in there as well.

Now, I'm off to conquer the rest of this thing you humans call MAL de geso!

I guess the most natural response would be to call this show a train wreck, but that would imply
1. There would have to be a train in one piece.
2. It would have to be on a set of railroad tracks.
3. It would have to be capable of moving in some direction.

Durarara!! is more like starting off with all of the train cars scattered across the yard, then having an earthquake and expecting them to somehow find each other AND put themselves in the correct order. (Nevermind getting on a track AND traveling somewhere.)

To put it in layman's terms: DRRR is ... a mess. There is no logical flow or coherence or reason in events that happen throughout the course of the series. I wonder what "Durarara" actually means; if I were to venture a guess, I'd say "crazy shit happening why because it's cool does it make sense no but that's okay because it's cool." In the first two episodes alone, they introduce a number of characters not much less than two dozen. How many of them actually end up being significant? Well, not many. How many of them is it possible to care for? Not many. Then why the hell are we wasting so much screentime? No idea.

The pacing makes absolutely no sense. In the first 7-8 episodes, nothing of any real importance happens at all: just a bunch of tiny events that one would think COULD be setting the stage for much more important things later on, but really aren't. Basically, all they do is establish the fact that "this is our city and crazy shit happens sometimes." Well, ain't that wonderful. It took you that long? When things DO finally start happening, they come out of nowhere, get dropped and forgotten abruptly, picked up again just as abruptly, and end anticlimacticly in some aesop... er, cute little outro about how "things went back to normal" for them er... whatever. Yeah, in a city where crazy shit is supposed to be a regularity? Guess how long that lasts. These little expositions simply serve as bookends that define where one arc ends and another begins. They may as well just say, "Okay this arc is over now; time for the next one," and it would have the same effect.

The writers obviously have no clue about what the concepts of buildup and foreshadowing are. Granting for the sake of argument that there is in fact a complete train on the tracks and it is in fact in motion, the train is screeching and lurching and starting and stopping and running off the tracks then back ON the tracks and skipping stations randomly and... Well, you get the idea. Here's one example: Out of nowhere, it is revealed that some dude started a group called the Dollars. There is absolutely ZERO allusion that this may have been the case previously; ZERO hints dropped to get us thinking. Nope. They just throw the fact in your face when it becomes relevant and expect you to accept it. Why did he do it? BECAUSE HE WAS BORED.

That brings me to another problem: Characterization occurs as the plot demands. Suddenly, CRAZY SHIT HAPPENING OMG WTF WHY. What's that? It's all about some character who seemed completely insignificant until now? Uh-oh. Time for a flashback. --5 minutes later-- "And that's how he/she got to where they are today" or "this is the secret he/she has been hiding." Er... wut? 'Scuse you? Another example: Suddenly, the guy with superhuman strength is saying that he's always hated his powers. Wait, what? He's been using them liberally on people, in front of people the entire show, and hasn't seemed to care in the slightest. Okay... There also seems to be a character who they were occasionally, half-assedly trying to paint as some type of MASTER OF PUPPETS AND I PULL YOUR STRINGS, but it's honestly impossible to tell whether he had any REAL significant role in the matters at hand or not.

The more I think about it, the more DRRR reminds me of Guilty Crown--in that GC ALSO likes to throw a shitstorm at you and then try to explain it as though it made sense afterwards. (Oh gawd; drawing parallels to Guilty Crown; not a good sign.) At least DRRR doesn't do it to quite an extreme degree.

The only exception to this trend is the case of one person whom they actually do a half-decent job dropping hints about the possibilities of his past and connections. Why couldn't they do that for everyone else?

*sigh* Anyway, on to sound and art. The OPs and EDs leave a bad taste in my mouth; there's no other way to describe it. The OST is composed entirely of a bunch of slow, nonchalant, beep-boopidy xylophone tracks that sound pretty much the same--regardless of the events transpiring on screen. No, actually, I think it's the SAME EXACT SONG over and over again. (At least it sounds like it.) The animation is generally pretty nice, although some big corners are cut at points--usually action sequences. One time, a mob of generic, unimportant people (signified by the fact that they're completely gray) is attacking someone, and they all somehow morph together into one giant amorphous BLOB. Seriously, guys: they're all gray. At LEAST draw some lines in there so it looks like they haven't turned into some monster out of a '50s B-stock horror film.

So why the hell is DRRR's mean score so high? Your guess is honestly as good as mine. To its credit, it DOES have come pretty cool characters (Shizuo, Izaya, and Celty [rest are trash]), and there ARE some cool moments (almost always revolving around one of these 3 characters). (Again, seriously: why do we spend so much time looking at dumb/pointless characters? If they had just capitalized on the decent ones...) Crispin Freeman and Johnny Yong Bosch put on a great show as always. But that's it. Some cool points.

OH I ALMOST FORGOT. They seem to REALLY enjoy throwing the word "love" around in the show A LOT. No, I don't think you get it. They do it. A. LOOOOOOTTTT. There's this whole ordeal about a guy who "falls in love" with a head in a jar. His obsession is nothing less than what can be classified clinically as a mental illness. Love WHAT? And that's not even the HALF of that story. Seriously some of the most screwed up shit I've ever heard. If I recall correctly, there's exactly ONE situation where the word is used that isn't mind-bendingly perverse or nauseatingly messed up.

The series really isn't very memorable in any way. I've already forgotten most of what happened (except for the seemingly important stuff and cool doods). Hell, I've already forgotten most of what happened in the episodes I watched just LAST NIGHT. I think 17 episodes is more than enough to base an accurate review off of; if, after 17 episodes, it's still so physically painful to keep watching the show, then for the sake of my mental state, I refuse to keep going.

STAY AWAY.

There seem to be a lot of people looking for this, but trust me: You're not missing out. If you're a fan of Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom in search of more, you're looking in the wrong place. This shit is terrible. It will RUIN your image of the series. I almost stopped 2 minutes into the first one it was so bad.

"What? Shouldn't you watch it just because more is better?" Hell no. "Shouldn't it get points just because it's Phantom?" That's exactly why it's score is so low: I give it NEGATIVE ... points for characters and story.

Everyone acts completely opposite of how they do in the series. Scythe Master acts like a retarded clown and actually treats his minions like friends. DA FUQ? Ein acts like some sort of... nyan cat girl I don't even know. DA FUQ?! Zwei seems to be the only person to have retained some strand of his past mental stability.

щ (ﾟ ﾛﾟ щ)

They like to cut and paste lines from Requiem for the Phantom verbatim. Why? Why include serious, important, meaningful lines when you've been farting around the whole time? All it does is make them look bad.

The art isn't terrible, but there are seriously only 3-4 different frames in an entire 6-7 minute episode. I know this is called a picture drama, but seriously?

The only redeeming factor about it WOULD have been the music, which is exactly the same as in the series--but this also makes the songs look bad. I feel sorry for the actors being forced to do something so stupid.

I had to go and watch part of an episode of Requiem for the Phantom just to serve as a sort of brain bleach to get the vile poison out of my mind a bit. (But it's still there.) I'm not sure I'll ever really recover. This isn't even entertaining as a form of parody. It's just retarded.

All this after only one episode.

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

I'll say it again: STAY AWAY.

Forget everything you thought you knew about the magical girl genre, because Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (or MSMM as I'll call it from here on for simplicity) is here to turn the genre upside down.

At its core, MSMM is a--like its title says--mahou shoujo. But it's what the series does with the genre that makes it something truly marvelous; the magic is in the execution. In the beginning, it may seem like any other, set up to be generally innocent, light-hearted, nonchalant, and fun; but by the time ED begins at the end of episode 3, the monster will be revealed for what ... it truly is, and its true nature will be fully in the light.

I imagine MSMM's story like a tightly-woven rope kept perfectly taut: There are multiple sub-stories and issues going on at the same time, but they stay so close together that it may be difficult for one to discern them as individual pieces of the overall work. Unlike anime whose rope is loosely-woven or frayed (divided into clearly discernable arcs or things don't tie together well) or that curve or coil (ones that lose their way and stray from their path), MSMM stays concise, linear, and tight. Everything stays together, and it knows exactly where it's going; it's ultimately all the same story.

The pacing is consistent and fast; you will definitely be riveted to the edge of your seat. To some, it may be a tiny bit *too* fast, but I pose that this is because of the distinct lack of "fluff": everything is significant--nothing is pointless. The story is lean and completely free of excess fat. It picks its direction and chugs there headlong. It does a perfect job balancing the crucial elements of character development, plot progression, dialog, psychology, action, and emotional tension. Balancing this many aspects is no small feat, and MSMM is second to none at the job.

Equally as strong and as critical to the series is the cast--also free of excess fat. It is compact and devoid of unnecessary characters; all of them have a clearly defined role and bounds they do not overstep. The screen time is allotted appropriately between them. Each character has a distinct personality and already has depth to them before any development even needs to occur, and the personality that is set up beforehand helps the development they undergo stand out. Each of the magical girls are unique and go through their own trials and ordeals, which also affect each other; each plays integral roles in shaping other characters and progressing the story.

The tribulations the magical girls are subjected to is what MSMM is really all about. They--and you as the viewer--are revealed truths about what it means to be a magical girl that you never would've dreamed of. The psychological trauma they endure is painted on a dark and cynical canvas of reality for you to experience along with them; the joys and pains as the bonds of friendship are created and strengthened, strained and broken, will play with your heart strings. If you didn't know what it meant to be sympathetic before, consider this your crash course.

Complementing the anime is a beautiful and stunning OST composed by Yuki Kajiura. There is always the perfect track to accompany every scene--whether the mood be light-hearted, sad, ominous/foreboding, or exciting/thrilling, you can be guaranteed that the music will be there to help burn the feeling into your heart. The OP ("Connect") is great and serves as a constant reminder of the false sense of security constructed in the early episodes; the ED ("Magia") is phenomenal and much more accurately reflects MSMM's true nature (it's also used strategically during a couple scenes in the series, to great effect). There are some pretty intense sound effects utilized--particularly noteworthy are crashing noises and explosions. The seiyuu do a stunning job delivering their lines with the perfect levels of emotion and energy. They make their characters come to life so much so that one may think they've BECOME the character.

Some people may be slightly put off by the somewhat different character designs with their wider faces, but you'll get used to it easily. The animation in general is pretty spectacular, except for a few scenes where characters are shown coming "towards us" and end up looking like they're walking in place. Other than that, motions are fluid, and action flows wonderfully. The cinematography is definitely above average, with some pretty creative and interesting camera angles and close-ups. There is some particularly stunning artwork shown briefly, usually in transitioning from one scene to another--dank, cold alleys; bright blue and green neon bus stops; vibrant, warm, orange sunsets; the glow of lamp posts in the twilight; sprawling gray cityscapes under the shadow of a gathering storm. One thing I found particularly outstanding was the brilliant use of low-key and ambient lighting: The lighting harmonizes with the background music to create truly engrossing and vibrant scenes. Indeed, the manner in which the sound and visuals syngergize with each other creates an immersive and dark stage for events to play out upon.

In case you haven't caught the drift already, MSMM is an extremely enjoyable experience with substantial rewatch value. It's one of those rare works that get MORE enjoyable the more you watch it, unlike many whose flaws become more evident, or eventually get old. Genius incorporation of foreshadowing is so tactful and subtle that you might not even realize it was there until you watch it again. (Like I said, everything is significant.) I personally found the entire cast growing on me more and more each time through (except for Kyuubey, because he's a manipulative bastard, but still well-done nonetheless).

MSMM offers much: friendship, drama, psychology, action, story, character development, emotional involvement, and even music and animation--like I said, all working together and balanced beautifully, with no one aspect ever dominating the others: complete harmony. It's the only anime I'm able to honestly give perfect scores across the board for. But does that mean YOU will like it? As I've stated, it's mostly a dark and edgy series with characters enduring intense psychological strain and hardship, and there are times when happiness and hope seem impossible. The night is darkest just before the dawn, but if you don't think you can take the night, then MSMM probably isn't for you.

If you think you CAN handle it, though, by all means: WATCH THIS SERIES. It's a deep, exciting, shocking, and powerful ride from beginning to end, and I highly recommend it.

Ah... the final installment of Jigoku Shoujo. Sadly, all good things come to an end, but some ends are uglier than others.

*If you haven't seen Futakomori (season two), stop reading now and watch that first. If you haven't seen Jigoku Shoujo (season one), why are you even here?

Mitsuganae is like a monkey on a unicycle: At the beginning, it looks cool and interesting--until you realize it doesn't make much sense (plot holes and discontinuity issues). But then, the monkey starts throwing its poop at you. Then (starting at episode 13), it starts using its tail to try to clean the ... poop off your face. Finally (starting at episode 20 or so), the monkey takes you out to a 5-star restaurant to apologize. It gets better and better until you finish off with an amazing dessert.

If that analogy didn't make sense to you, try this simpler one: It's like Obama's bailout, except it actually works.

So I'm gonna mix things up and only talk about the first 12 episodes; I'll just call them "The 12" for simplicity's sake. ***BE WARNED: This is a wall of text, but it's a very important wall of text.*** To put it bluntly: They are terrible. The characters are SO retarded they seem to be participating in some unspoken contest to see who can collect the most drool in a bucket. I think they all played together in the same idiot ball pit as kids. "The 12" has the most instances of facepalm-tastic plot-induced stupidity I've ever witnessed. And that's saying a LOT. People seem to find the most retarded reasons imaginable to send someone to Hell. This isn't aided at all by the fact that characters regularly make the absolute dumbest decisions imaginable in any given situation, and tiny communication failures seem to have catastrophic consequences. There are times when it's impossible to tell who of the two at conflict is actually worse; both seem they could be worthy of going to Hell. There's a scene that gets repeated over and over again (that I won't spoil) that reminds me of the sequence from Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor (in concept, execution, and repetitive, redundant usage) where Suo's gun appears from her necklace. Well, if you've seen that, make it like 8 times longer, 10 times more disturbing, and a hundredth as meaningful, and you have what I'm talking about. In episode 12, when a target is being tormented, the scene is done entirely with real-life paper cutouts. I felt like I got trolled. Also in said episode are not one, but TWO nose bleads (you know what I'm talking about). The torture sequences are now nothing more than some ball-tripping sequence; nothing worse than some pothead would see. They are absolute jokes, and any suffering the victim seems to be going through is contrived BS. Most people would probably just be laughing and/or confused.

Episode 1 is important only for setting the stage. The rest of "The 12" are complete shit and I HIGHLY recommend you skip them. You'll be saving yourself time and, if you liked seasons one and two, tears. You won't miss anything at all. The only good parts are the occasional comical narcisstic moments from Ren and Wanyuudo. Episode 13 is where things actually start getting interesting. I swear they had some mentally unstable director during "The 12"; the series would be so much better if they just didn't exist.

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Now that that's over with, let's talk about the REST of the series, where things start to actually get good. (This portion IGNORES "The 12.")

Story: 9. Being forced to believe WITHOUT EXPLANATION that Ai is back to continue during her job, even after the events at the end of Futakomori, is pretty hard. But once you get over that, it's actually really interesting--although again, it isn't majorly developed until the end (the last 7 episodes this time). During these 7, it slowly escalates until it crescendos in an explosive conclusion, and it's INSANELY entertaining.

Art: 9. Mitsuganae improves upon the previous two installments yet again with quite crisp, clear, and fresh-looking visuals. But some scenes--which happened to coincide with critical plot development--were simply breath-taking. Motions are animated pretty well, bar a few exceptions.

Sound: 8. Still a great OST, just as before: some classic oldies, some remakes, and lots of good new stuff. However, the OP and ED tracks are pretty mediocre comparatively speeking. Voice acting is still good as always.

Character: 8. I really like Yuzuki and her back story, but at some points, she seems to function solely as a moe-blob (just tilting her head and making soft moe noises, like "eh?"). Some of the characters are pretty stupid sometimes. Pretty good character design overall, even though some of them look like familiar faces from the previous two seasons. We also get Yamawaro's back story (the newbie in Ai's gang).

Enjoyment: 9. Most of my enjoyment stemmed from the plot and character (Yuzuki and Ai) development this time. I was disappointed by the lack of torture sequences of people being sent to Hell, but sometimes, it was okay, because the person being sent sometimes didn't deserve it at all. (I think this was why.) I was disappointed at the inclusion of some unnecessary Yuri fan service scenes.

Overall: 8. See below.

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"The 12" made it automatically lose a point. It should've taken off more, but the final 7 episodes are REALLY f***in' good. (Is my bailout analogy starting to make sense now?) Basically, they try to fix the shit you'd been forced to eat so far at the end.

This series seriously had the potential to be a 10. Easy. It could've easily topped the last two seasons. But it was severly hampered by "The 12," major plotholes (that could've at least been hand waved with some explanation), and... well, lack of explanation--especially of plot-critical points.

All in all: If you liked the first two seasons, I recommend this BUT, skip episodes 2-12. If you choose not to... well, I warned you.

And now, the decision rests with you~