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On one hand, these two episodes are the closing chapters in one of the craziest stories in anime production - and from the staff literally giving up on the show, these final episodes are cathartic, a message to the production staff themselves that they are truly the ones who can write their own happy ending.

And on the other hand, dear Lord this anime is terrible.

Who are these characters? What is this story? What is even happening? I want to rewatch the first 10 episodes to find out but I really don't want to go through that hell again and I have a suspicion that even ... if I did rewatch it I still wouldn't have the faintest clue what is going on. Something about their moms failing to seal this book-eating destroyer of worlds, and now its up to them? You know what show did that exact same plot-line super well? Toji no Miko. If you want to see an example of this kind of story but done well, go watch that.

Hey, the art is like, okay again. There are a few moments where derpy cuts still leak through, but for the most part you can almost believe that Kantoku was the original character designer (the poor soul). The OP by fhana is still a great song (Wow wow!) and deserves recognition.

The characters are extremely flat, with linear motivations and shallow personalities. Though I recall the Russian team being super fun, and its a shame that there's barely a minute's worth of screentime for them. I think if they tried to capture almost a Girls und Panzer-esque fun atmosphere with more of the teams the show would play out better. Instead we get to focus on abused evil American girl and some English chick that I don't remember having a speaking role in the first 10 episodes.

It's clear that I didn't enjoy it, and the ending is extremely forced, but you know what, if that's what it takes to put to rest a past demon and finally get to move on from this disaster of a project, then I say these two episodes were a resounding success. I sincerely wish that the animators, production staff, voice actors and actresses, and other related staff can move on from this with no hard feelings and look towards a brighter future in their careers.

How To Get The Most Out of Battle Girl High School:

1. Learn Japanese. About JLPT3-4 should be enough. All that matters is your listening ability.
2. Recognize voice actors. Hopefully you'll see a few popular ones in the cast (Sakura Ayane, Hayami Saori, Toyama Nao, Sugita Tomokazu) as well as liking a few of them (for me, Uchida Maaya and Itou Shizuka).
3. Play the anime during a time when you're not devoting 100% of your attention to it. You could be studying, working, doing research, or playing a game.

If you can do the above, you'll find that your enjoyment of the anime will actually be quite ... decent. Instead of playing the impossible game of getting to know the characters (you don't even see their faces!) you instead play the much more fun game of listening to your favorite famous seiyuus voicing all kinds of different scenarios: slice of life, comedy, fight scenes, (bad) drama, you name it. Seriously, that seiyuu lineup is stacked. Instead of being extremely bored of the story, you'll be trying to piece together the story from dialogue - which is a fun task, kinda like listening to an audio book.

In the end, you'll walk away from the show rather pleased that you got to listen to your favorite voice actor/actresses make nice sounds without having to pay much attention to a story that amounts to nothing.

I would never watch this show in my free time.

I think it's safe to say that Aria the Avvenire was truly a miracle of an anime.

First, some history. It's hard to appreciate this incredible ending to the Aria series without a bit of backstory. Aria began as a manga series in 2002 and enjoyed a very successful six-year run following the story of Mizunashi Akari and her dream of becoming a Prima Undine. It was adapted into a three-part anime series: Aria the Animation in 2005, Aria the Natural in 2006, and Aria the Origination in 2008, with both the anime and the manga ending at around the same time. And for seven long ... years, everyone thought that their magical journey through the waterways of Neo Venezia had finally come to an end.

That's when the miracle happened. Collaborating with the original author Kozue Amano, the entire staff of the Aria series decided to return for a special 10th anniversary story. A new studio, TYO Animations, was able to gather up the original producer, screenwriter, and all the voice actors once again - with the exception of Kawakami Tomoko, who passed away in 2011 (she still reprises her role in the OAV series in her honor). Kozue Amano even did the character designs for the new characters and wrote a special one-shot manga alongside Avvenire. Once again, the waters of Aqua were stirring.

Simply put, Avvenire rewards fans of the Aria series with the best combination of gifts: closure on unresolved storylines and a preview of the future of the girls we've come to admire as our tour guides of this series. The flashbacks were actually well-done, with glimpses of things during the series that were never fully explained or developed. I was thoroughly impressed they decided to go back and explain why Cait Sith, who played such a big role in Natural, was not even mentioned once in Origination. A common theme that Avvenire makes clear is that past and present are connected, and the flashbacks do a good job of relating the two together.

Aria the Avvenire picks up chronologically after the time skip at the end of Origination, with Aino Ai joining Akari at the Aria Company. Seeing Ai come from being Akari's first unofficial customer to her pupil, with them exchanging letters the whole series through is unbelievably satisfying. She meets Aika and Alice's new pupils (their names also start with A because combo) and they become close friends. I think the generational thing is cute, though by the third generation it's hard to have anything new: Anya and Azusa seem too similar to Aika and Alice and there was obviously no time to develop any sort of character whatsoever. Also, huge demerits for poorly written dialogue and spamming of the English word "miracle"; at least substitute "kiseki" in there occasionally.

The art direction in Avvenire is outstanding. There are so many golden moments, especially in the flashbacks. Cait Sith and Akari falling from the sky. Akari and Alicia enjoying the Neo Venezian evening with the night-light bell. They took the time to update decade-old art with modern standards while paying homage to the original style. All in all fantastic. I only wish they had more budget so they could redraw the flashback scenes from Origination in the third OVA.

Each OVA begins with a different OP from the original anime run: Undine, Euphoria, and Spirale, all by Makino Yui. Good choice, brings the nostalgia back and also themes each episode to correspond to a different season of the original anime.

Aria had a great ending with Origination and the original ending of the manga. But the effort that the author and the returning staff took to create something that both honored and continued that legacy can be clearly seen. I think Avvenire is an important piece to the landscape of Aqua that has been carefully pieced together for over a decade now. And with this, who knows what will come in the future? That's the miracle of hope that Avvenire leaves behind.

Five seasons of sunshine wrapped up in two little OVAs.

I was very surprised by the way they treated the OVAs. Watching the trailers, I was sure they were going to be heart-wrenching passionate episodes with tear-jerking music and "namida ga ippai" that would trigger an international waterworks show. Yet after watching these episodes, I couldn't help but feel...a bit warm inside. Sure, they were sad, and it leaves a sense of emptiness knowing that if this wonderful series is to continue, Sae and Hiro will no longer be main characters. But they also fill the emptiness with a sort of joy, a sense of satisfaction, ... of completeness, of unity.

Looks like the Hidamari Series was able to stay sunny till the end.

Story (8/10)
Art (8/10)
Sound (8/10)
Character (10/10)
Enjoyment (9/10)

The way they treated the two episodes was quite nice, one dedicated to the exams and results and the other dedicated to the graduation ceremony. I liked the lack of overlap, and the way the first prepared you mentally for the second.

The art is as per Hidamari style. Even though I started off hating it, it's really grown on me through the years. The music also, nothing special, just wonderful touching graduation goodness. Seriously, the Japanese get such amazing music for graduation while we Westerners are stuck with Pomp and Circumstance...

Oh, Miyako, how I love you and your amazing sense of wit! Was it just me, or did she ramp up her teasing of Hiro by like 10x? Otherwise, the characters are really maturing. Nori not so much, but Yuno and Nazuna are really growing up, and its obvious in the way they deal with their world. Cameos from all the characters, from the Landlord to Chika, and of course, the wonderful Principal, whose speech, by the way, was totally rad.

I don't think I've ever watched an episode of Hidamari Sketch with a frown on my face. Is it even possible?

Overall (8/10)

Hopefully, sometime in the future, we will be saying Hello once more to the residents of the Hidamari Apartments.

My faith in anime has been restored.

The anime industry is infamously known for doing two things: using extremely cliche story and character molds and pulling off the craziest and most gimmicky ideas that often fail because of bad execution. We as viewers often bemoan these two sins and postulate the dire future of anime. So if I said that this recent anime employed BOTH stock plot and characters as well as a ludicrous setting and theme, you would hardly believe me if I also added that the anime was amazingly well-done and great overall. Instead, you would probably dismiss me as some tasteless, uncultured blight ... to anime society as a whole.

I now kindly ask you to please set aside your prejudices as I introduce you to Girls und Panzer.

Girls und Panzer is quite possibly the strangest anime of the 2012-2013 season. It relies on a unique setting, a large cast of characters, and a 1:1 girls to explosions ratio to deliver a one-of-a-kind anime experience. While the anime is built on the classic and cliche nationals tournament plot template, Girls und Panzer correctly implements the story in a way that makes the competitions seem realistic despite the absurdity of the entire idea. While the anime doesn't stand out extraordinarily in any one aspect, the show in its entirety is such a complete package, delivering everything and lacking in none.

Above all, Girls und Panzer demonstrates that good execution can rectify the cliche story, bring to life the stock characters, and polish the wild and fantastic ideas that makes Japanese anime a joy to watch.

Story (6/10)
Art (8/10)
Sound (9/10)
Character (8/10)
Enjoyment (9/10)

The story of Girls und Panzer follows the Japanese nationals tournament plot template. Used by other anime such as Saki and Angelic Layer, the Japanese nationals plot template has many key distinguishable features that make the story unbelievably predictable. Let me list them off:

1. The protagonist of the story must be relatively inexperienced but have lots of talent or a hidden ability
2. The protagonist must be dragged into the competitive sport scene either unwittingly or against their own will
3. The reigning champion and/or final opponent of the said sport must have once had close relationships with the protagonist, but broke away because of various issues
4. The protagonist will assemble a ragtag team that, despite having potential, will always be seen as the underdogs (If it is a solo sport, then the protagonist will be the dark horse candidate)
5. The protagonist will win their first major match by luck or a handicap from the opposing side
6. The semifinals is always the hardest and most realistic match
7. The protagonist will meet his fated opponent in the finals and win through a comeback
8. The protagonist and fated rival will improve relationships ever so slightly, but if the anime has potential for a second season, no major gains will have been made
9. Despite being national champions, life returns to normal within a week

The only exception to this rule is Pokemon, but that's because the anime will never end.

Using the template like that with practically no changes would normally earn an anime a 4, but Girls und Panzer redeems itself partially with some impressive fight scenes. The strategies employed are not outrageous or unrealistic but model some actual WWI and WWII tactics. Ooarai high school wins not because of some stupendous miracle, but because they persevered, were slightly lucky, and pressed every advantage they had. I was genuinely impressed at the fight scenes. I think if the anime had 24 episodes to work with, they could have added content that bypassed the template limitations. For a 12 episode anime, they did a fantastic job.

Girls und Panzer's art is quite nice. The tanks are drawn with incredible detail, and the battlefield settings really come alive. The style of drawing the academy ships entering the port city was quite nostalgic of Miyasaki's style with his various movies like Howl's and Ponyo. Some of the character designs were also full of life and vibrancy.

Girls und Panzer astounded me with their OST. I'll begin by referring to a blog article written by Aftershok about the OST (http://blog.animeinstrumentality.net/2013/01/girls-und-panzer-original-soundtrack-review/). Not only is the OP another great song by Choucho, but the soundtrack itself is superb and amazing. I was blown away when I first heard the beat of the drums and the violins and trumpets playing...American marches? Not only that, but they actually included the US Army Anthem "The Army Goes Rolling Around". Incredible. The other highlight is "Katyusha", a Russian wartime song that is sung by the seiyuus of Pravda High. While the marches added a comedic feel to the tanks rolling across the battlefield, it allowed me tap into the lighthearted feel of the anime.

Of course. Girls and tanks. Lighthearted anime.

Speaking of girls, this anime uses literal armies of them through the course of the anime. By the end, the Ooarai high school Panzer force consisted of 5+4+4+3+6+3+4+3 = 32. That's a lot of girls. Eventually, they couldn't make each of them unique enough, so they had to step back and make duplicates. The Goose/Mallard team, for example, consists of three indentical-looking members of the Public Morals Committee, while all the girls in the Rabbit team were essentially copies of each other with different hairstyles and voices. Even after cutting all these corners, however, the cast remains unique and interesting. I personally love the Hippo team with their military getups and eccentricities.

Girls und Panzer is an obvious satire and parody of war, especially of WWII. This becomes extremely apparent with the introduction of the other schools. St. Gloriana represents Britain, Saunders America, Anzio (an Italian coast city) Italy, Pravda (a Russian communist newspaper) Soviet Russia, and Kuromorimine (Black Forest Peak) Germany. Ooarai represents Japan, which is super ironic considering the current state of the Japanese Self-Defense Force (given their constitution and eternal pledge to America, they're probably still using WWII tanks). Each high school demonstrates the cultural and even military tendencies of their respective countries: American is about mass numbers (but we still fight fairly!) while Russia uses a hit and retreat "scorched earth policy" on the taiga. The characters were well made, well designed, and very enjoyable.

What really made the characters a hit was the lack of blatant fanservice. Instead of flaunting overly sexual themes, Girls und Panzer strives to retain the delicateness and cuteness of girls. Compared to American media and the mecha anime of old which featured busty girls with much more sex appeal, this new approach feels fresh and clean. Instead of being forced to stare at their physical endowments, the audience is allowed to appreciate the girls's personalities and characters.

Girls und Panzer showed me that an anime has a lot more to give than the 300 x 427 picture and short synopsis on MAL. It proved to me that good anime can exist despite having an exceptionally obvious plot, just like how beautiful flowers can grow in the midst of weeds. I was thoroughly shocked and delighted by this anime, by this rare diamond in the rough.

Overall (8/10)

Panzer vor!

If I had to describe Toradora! in four words, it would probably be: Stereotypical anime done right.

The story of the romantic struggles and conflicts of a group of high school friends, Toradora! seems to barely stray away from the common cliches of high school romcom anime. From a plot perspective, there's hardly anything exciting about the anime with such a predictable turn of events. The main heroine is a tsundere. Whoa! Never saw that one before! And let's not forget the pivotal culture festival, Christmas, and Valentine's Day scenes that exists in EVERY SINGLE high school romance (looking at you, Shana).

What we as anime viewers ... may not be aware of is that all these common cliches are not signs of bad writing, or lack of creativity. In fact, it would be quite stupid not to include such climatic and exciting events of a school year if the anime was situated at school. A tsundere main always makes things more exciting and allows the anime to leverage a wide range of emotions. The reason why these aspects are often frowned upon is that anime creators have taken these ideas and concepts and treated them as cookie cutters instead of baking instructions. Rather than use these ideas as launching pads for their own styles, anime makers have simply plopped characters and stories into these molds without bothering to really make it theirs, uniquely theirs. Anime, instead of being an artistic creation like a song or a painting, is mass-produced like a model of a car or an industry-standard table.

Not Toradora.

Toradora! takes the basic plot of the romcom and breathes the breath of life into the characters, into the events, into the very atmosphere of the anime. Not afraid to be cliche, not afraid to be unique, Toradora! stands firm and resolute as its own unique story, its own special drawing, its own melodic song. It is a classic among anime.

Story (8/10)
Art (9/10)
Sound (8/10)
Character (10/10)
Enjoyment (9/10)

Toradora!'s story is ridiculously predictable. A girl likes a guy who is a friend of a guy who likes a friend of the girl's. The former girl and the latter guy team up to help each other find their loves. At this point, it should almost be a given that the two of them are going to fall for each other. Ryuuji and Taiga don't even try to hide it in the first episode, making weird smirks and grins at each other at school. Sure, Ami is introduced into the fray but is almost immediately dismissed as someone non-influential (from a romantic sense).

Everything goes according to an obvious plan. And that's what made the anime such an exciting watch.

When I first saw Ryuuji and Taiga, I thought they were made for each other...wait, that's true...Anyways, I wanted to see them get paired up since their pair dynamic was just simply awesome. But I then immediately recalled a few anime (COUGH COUGH MASHIROIRO SYMPHONY) where the main heroine actually doesn't become the chosen girl. I spent the entire anime praying that this would not be the case, and was overjoyed when Taiga confessed her love to Ryuuji.

In a way, the obvious predictability of the anime made me more aware of the possible divergences the anime could have taken that would have made it a total disaster. In the end, I gained a new appreciation for anime that doesn't try to stupidly make something original without giving a care for quality or consequence.

I loved the art. Taiga's character design is simply beautiful - the way her hair juxtaposes her figure, the way her eyes grace her pose. Her smile is simply enchanting. Ryuuji is one of the first protagonist designs that I airfisted for: finally, a main character with a notable characteristic! Those eyes are killer, and really make him seem like a "dragon" type character. The anime also has some very nice environment and object designs, like the shining Christmas tree.

Although, is it just me, or does did Taiga's getup at the Christmas party look really bad...?

The soundtrack was quite a grab bag. Pre-parade has a very weird and unique sound for a romcom anime. My Silky Heart seemed to be a better fit, although both were wonderfully done OPs. The winning ticket has to go to Orange, however, for best song in the series. The actual anime has some good music to back up the scenes - nothing extraordinary, however. Personally, I think the insert song could have also been better. The seiyuus are all wonderful, in particular Kugimiya Rie aka Ms. Tsundere, voice of Shana and Louise.

Now let's talk about where Toradora! trumps all other anime of similar genre: character.

Character design is where about 90% of the common romcom anime fail. They create the standard plot with the standard events and standard characters, and then do NOTHING ELSE with the characters, leaving them static for the entire anime.

In contrast, every main character in Toradora! is dynamic.

Let's start with Ryuuji. As typical for a protagonist, he has an urge to protect and support the girls around him, especially Taiga. He begins the anime as a kid with a mean glare but a very timid interior, lacking both resolve and confidence. Over the course of the anime and his relationship with Taiga, he slowly begins to be accepted with his looks as he changes his character from within. Clapping at the culture festival, dressing up as Santa Bear; all these are examples of Ryuuji's character changing positively because of Taiga. By the end of the anime, not only is he accepted by those who once rejected him, but he also has found a purpose in his life where he once had no goal.

Taiga, Taiga, Taiga. Ms. Tsundere, you have truly given life to another wonderful character. Taiga starts of the anime as a prototypical violent tsundere. I had little hope that this tiny girl would actually change her persona, but I was delighted to be completely wrong. Just as her namesake changes colors and appearance through the seasons, Taiga grows and matures (never physically, though!) and becomes a lovable character. When the anime hit winter, I was wondering if it was still the same girl I was watching. Even still, they kept her fighting tiger spirit alive until the very last headbutt.

Minori is an interesting side character. My initial prediction was that she actually liked Yuusaku, but that was quickly rebuffed. Her relationship with Taiga is a mystery but gives her a wonderful reason to become a dynamic side character. Her energy is a driving force in the anime, as are her tears. Minori feels similar to Taiga, but has the will and the drive to make herself happy by her own hands without necessarily relying on even another's love. A great supporting character and love rival, really refreshing to watch (vs. someone like Siesta).

Yuusaku basically steals the spotilght for a quarter of the episodes. With his own love issues and conflicts, Yuusaku shows that a side character can still get major attention in anime. He acts as the voice of reason for the group, as well as another source of energy like Minori. He also likes running around shirtless.

I had slightly different expectations for Ami, but in the end I'm not disappointed. More than anything, I expected her to put on more of a show, to give more of a fight. Instead, she naturally accepts things as they are and goes with the flow, which is...totally unprecedented with her given character mold. She's supposed to be the girl that potentially steals the protagonist, but she barely even steals his attention. However, her relationship with Taiga and the rest of the cast allows her to mature as a person, and ultimately allows her to accept herself as she is. She may resign herself from romance, but she ultimately discovers the precious gift called friendship which is enough to make her happy.

The rest of the cast plays important supporting roles. Even the teacher makes an important and meaningful speech at the end. The characters truly brought the anime alive in a way I never thought was possible.

Holistically, the anime was a complete package, wrapped with ribbons and all. The beginning of the anime was intriguing, captivating, and made you want to follow how Ryuuji and Taiga were going to get along despite knowing the obvious conclusion. This anime had the best kiss scene of any anime ever. Easily. The resolution was also perfect, wholly wrapping up the anime with no holes and leaving with a light and breezy feeling. A great anime ending that left me perfectly happy and at ease.

Overall (9/10)
Toradora! deserves to be part of the prestigious top 100 on MAL, and will undoubtedly be a classic anime for years to come. I hope other anime producers will see and be inspired by this anime, so that Toradora! will not be the last of its kind, of anime that both meets our expectations and exceeds our dreams.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and find a Sudohbucks mug.

Yappari wakaranai...Japanese humor

Anime fans out there. Have you noticed how many times the subtitle writer has had to put asterisks around the screen to explain some odd, weird, and convoluted Japanese joke or pun? Manga fans out there. How many times have you had to squint at the fine line between panels to read the direct translation from Japanese, and then sit back and wonder how that was actually funny?

Asian culture spins almost directly counterclockise to Western culture. Asians have different eating, sleeping, working, playing, and ultimately living styles. They have different values, different laws, different mindsets, different beliefs. Undoubtedly, they also find certain things ... funny that no American would ever dream of laughing at.

Japanese culture within other Asian cultures is like the taro in taro rice or the yam in yam porridge - it stands out. The Japanese, having isolated themselves on a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean for hundreds of years with limited cultural exchange with China and Korea, developed their own culture that was in part based on the preexisting cultures of Asia and in part their own unique flavors. Thus, even other Asians regarded Japanese culture as something quite foreign and strange, though it was also unusually attracting...

In short. True Japanese humor can only be understood by true Japanese.

Which is why this anime will blow your mind.

Joshiraku pays homage to one of the classic modes of entertainment in Japan: rakugo. Rakugo is the art of the stand-up comedian, only...kneeling down. By themselves, rakugo performers are required to spin yarns, tell single-sided jokes, make puns, act out scenes. Often times, rakugo performers will play multiple roles in a scene, distinguishing between each character only by a change in inflection and a slight tilt of the head.

Just so you know, this anime actually has as much to do with rakugo as Angel Beats has to do with actual angels.

This anime is not for the faint hearted. It is not for those who refuse to understand or at least try to comprehend Japanese culture. But for those of you brave enough (or foolish enough), Joshiraku can be one crazy joyride.

Story (7/10)
Art (8/10)
Sound (8/10)
Character (9/10)
Enjoyment (8/10)

For 4koma-esque anime and other slice of life anime, I change the "Story" criteria to "Content" to better fit the grading scheme. And the content receives a 7 because...its really exclusive content. As I spent an introduction saying, Japanese humor is a really elite type of humor. Some people won't get it. Most people don't find it funny. Just like Marii, they end up laughing at the wrong things (HAHAHA!! HIS TROUSERS ARE STRIPED!!!), though not a bad thing since people are laughing regardless. However, this definitely limits the possibility of a wide array of people from truly enjoying this anime. Fortunately, the anime makes it up with a strong cast of lovable characters. You may not understand the joke, but you end up enjoying seeing the characters engage in banter and saying some impossibly crazy things.

Some of the content is somewhat inappropriate, and other parts are downright creepy. The anime even starts off by breaking the 4th wall, which was completely astounding that left me totally bewildered. If you thought Nichijou was confusing, then you'll probably faint after a couple episodes of this.

Also, I was disappointed there wasn't any actual rakugo.

Good art, I especially loved the variety of outfits that the girls wear. They all look wonderful, and the artists really put time and effort into presenting them well.

MAL should have a Favorite OP and Favorite ED list. Because Nippon Egao Hyakkei is one of the most amazing songs of anime ED history. The beginning of the OP also set the mood of the anime really well. I found myself naturally getting hyped about watching each episode, despite knowing that I'd soon be eyebrows-twitching with a nervous smile on my face.

Character is where the anime really shines. Each character is living, bright, and vibrant. They have their own unique style, not fitting into any preconceived mold (tsundere, moe, loli, etc). And the way that they interact with each other brings the entire anime together.

I'd like to spend some time discussing each individual.

Marii is your typical tsukkomi. In English, this would be the "straight man", someone who is serious when others joke around. Marii plays a certain varient of the tsukkomi where the tsukkomi is actually no smarter or more serious than the others, but ends up being the butt (no pun intended) of the jokes or ends up reacting to them strongly. Yuuko from Nichijou plays a similar role in her relationship with Mai and the others. Marii is dumb, rash, red-headed (which, incidentally, means about the same in Japanese culture as it does in Western cultures), and a major klutz. Probably the most dull characterwise out of the troupe, but makes up for that with her fiery attitude. She's definitely the best at drawing out the facepalms.

Tetora is the angel. She's perfect in everything she does, and she's never on the negative receiving end. She plays the calm, quiet controller of the cast, sometimes leading them around by the nose. She does have quite a wild side, and she ends up showing quite a variable display of emotions and personalities.

Kukuru is the possessed spirit. The most unique character of them all, Kukuru is the polar opposite of Tetora - always unlucky, always unfortunate. I'm assuming Imagine Breaker is located on her forehead. Regardless, she's perfectly fine with being unlucky and often plays the role of the old, possessed hag. She's downright creepy, but really awesome in a creepy sort of way. A completely special and unique type of character I'd love to see more of. With regards to the cast, she completely stands out in a corner, surrounded by dark aura, but as the discussion heats up she's able to be an integral, albeit depressing, part of the conversation.

Kigurumi is the masked demon. On the outside she's cute, fluffy, innocent, and sweet. Behind that lies a swearing, angry, heavy metal-loving girl. Her switches between the two personalities are completely surreal, and seeing one side of her makes you almost forget about her other side. An interesting character in her own right, she's able to keep the viewer continually guessing about what her true opinions are.

Gankyou is not your typical glasses girl. On the contrary, she loves beating up Marii and isn't all that smart. Her personality is very cool, but she can equal Marii in terms of heat and passion. Her ideas are out of this world (I swear I'm not trying to make these puns) and are often backed immediately by the rest of the crew with the exception of Marii, which leads to collective teasing and torture of the poor redhead.

Basically, the cast is a wild bunch. Not only do they completely fly against everything that anime has shown up to now, but they also remain endearing and classic. Together, these girls become quite the unstoppable troupe of makeshift comedians.

To say that I didn't enjoy Joshiraku would be a lie. To say that I wasn't at times completely doubting my sanity in watching this show would also be a lie. Joshiraku is an anime that drives you to extremes, often at an extreme pace. I've never been so mindblown by a single anime.

Overall (8/10)
Yappari wakaranai...Joshiraku

Mod Edit: Review may contain spoilers.
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Kamisama no Memochou is more than just a detective anime featuring not-really-NEETs and a loli mastermind. It's an anime that really takes the time and effort to create a realistic yet fantastic world and populate it with some of the most endearing characters in all of anime. The plots of each mystery is engrossing and exciting; the characters are not at all static, growing and changing as the anime moves forward.

When it comes to good detective animes, this is about as close to perfection as you'll get.

Story (9/10)
Art (8/10)
Sound (9/10)
... Character (8/10)
Enjoyment (9/10)

The story of KamiMemo is both cliche as well as original. The first episode starts off pretty predictably: ordinary high school boy accidentally encounters strange people/event, gets curious and ends up being involved in some way shape or form. Don't let this banal opening discourage you! The rest of the anime picks up the slack and really shows off the depth of this series. The Angel Fix case is truly a climax and arguably one of the most well-done story arcs in anime history.

Even the filler episode is done with a planned beginning, middle, and end, as well as a key plot element that both initiates and resolves the conflict. If that's not good writing, then I don't know what is.

The anime demonstrates an exceptional grasp of the concept "detective anime". "Detective" implies that the plot must contain a great deal of mystery, of assumption and deduction that should engage the audience, while "anime" means that this is, above all else, a show meant to entertain and impart something valuable to us viewers. KamiMemo balances between these two aspects by focusing more on the "how" of the mystery rather than the who, what, when, or where. While the actual truth may not be all that surprising, the process and methods that Alice and her gang employ to uncover the truth gives the anime the atmosphere of being "on the case", which makes the anime that much more enjoyable.

KamiMemo doesn't have the best art I've seen, but then again I'm probably being spoiled by Oreimo. The art is very similar in style to TMoSH, which further deepens the similarity between the two anime (explanation in Characters section). Good artwork all around, no derpy, awkward angles, and characters are portrayed both distinctly and realistically. Emotions are very easy to read, and mood is well-portrayed through the colors.

I originally found this anime because Kakenukeru Anison Medley I ended with an extremely long excerpt of Kawaru Mirai. Which happens to be an amazing OP; Choucho sings some of the best OPs out there, along with Kawada and Lia. The rest of the OST is filled with solid music overall. Notable mentions include Teddy, the haunting song played whenever Alice explains the harsh truth.

I don't understand what the emphasis on NEETs where - Alice makes tons of cash from taking her cases. NEET detective is quite the awkward irony. Besides that point, the characters in KamiMemo are very well done - they immediately and easily reach beyond their given roles in the story. For example, Ayaka is supposed to be just a schoolfriend, but ultimately becomes such an integral part of the NEET squad that her tragic fall in the final arc really makes an impact on both the viewers and the characters.

One of the unique points of the anime is that the protagonist, Narumi, is given the Kyon effect. The Kyon effect is given to a high school boy, either in their first or second year, who is perfectly normal yet manages to attract around him an array of weird and bizarre characters, many of whom are quite gifted or have surreal abilities. Through these people around him, the Kyon-effected boy is given a chance to break out of his normalcy and become something more than what he was before by the merits of his character and the power of his will.

While it may sound overused (and it only does because Haruhi is ridiculously overreaching), the Kyon effect is in fact not commonly used because of its delicate nature and the mixed reactions that the community usually gives in return. Narumi plays the role perfectly, becoming a hero in his own right through the course of the anime. Instead of a pathetic character who only knows how to voice snark comments and play the tsukkomi, Narumi pushes himself to his own limits and does everything in his power to protect those he truly cares for.

tl;dr KamiMemo does some seriously incredible things with its characters. I won't even begin to mention just how perfectly amazing Alice is as a beautiful balance between a tsundere 12 year old and a calculated professional detective.

KamiMemo was one of those "love at first episode" animes for me. It immediately gained a spot on my Top-10 anime list, and Alice became my 5th favorite character in all of anime. I was honestly impressed by the dynamic nature of basically every character. Even Alice grows and matures through the course of the anime, though remaining true to her detective creed and ideals. Watching the anime was simply a blast.

Overall (9/10)
The first season of KamiMemo covers volumes 1-4 of the light novel series. With 4 more volumes still untouched, I sincerely hope that somewhere on Heaven's Memo Pad is an entry for a season 2.

I'm somewhat perplexed by the number of 6's and 7's this anime is receiving. I was initially reluctant to watch this anime because of the score, but I'm glad I committed in the end.

Ro-kyu-bu is a loli/sports anime with a barebones plot and relatively static characters. While some might consider this points to criticize the anime on, I would like to point to the genre of the piece and remind everyone why we are watching this anime. To learn more about basketball? I should hope not. Sports anime is almost always a terrible representation of the actual sport itself. I will smack anyone who dares ... to say that Prince of Tennis accurately portrays realistic tennis matches and strategies with my Wilson K-Blade Team. Ro-kyu-bu is all about the girls. Loli anime is meant to be plain and simple, focusing more on cute art and high-pitched voice acting to attract fans rather than any depth of content.

For a loli anime, Ro-kyu-bu sets a pretty high standard.

Story (7/10)
Art (8/10)
Sound (9/10)
Character (6/10)
Enjoyment (8/10)

The story revolves around Hasegawa Subaru, a 1st year (sophomore equivalent) high schooler who's also a basketball star. However, the high school basketball team/club gets disbanded because the team captain gets caught in a scandal with some elementary schoolgirls. So, what's the most obvious thing that Subaru can do?

I'm sure the author was aware of what irony is.

The driving force behind the initial plot is the Subaru's refusal of playing basketball once the team was disbanded. Which is stupid. What kind of basketball player gives up basketball just because a school team is disbanded? Out of all the possible motivations that the author could have used, this was quite a poor choice, one that ultimately makes the message of the anime (Don't give up on what you love) weak and frivolous.

The actual plotline with regards to the basketball team is, surprisingly, not bad. The girls don't win every single game they play, and success is compounded with failures. While some episodes introduce filler characters, each episode contributes to the plot or characters substantially.

Regardless, plot is merely secondary to art in a loli anime. Ro-kyu-bu has a unique art style that fits quite nicely with the overall feel of the anime. This art style focuses a lot on the eyes and hair - even Subaru's hair is done quite detailed. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about their faces. Some of the angled scenes in the anime result in awkwardly derpy faces, especially for the protagonist. Besides those rare moments, however, the art remains top-notch and well done.

How in the world did they get such an all-star voice crew? Hanazawa, Ogura, Itou, Iguchi, Hikasa - a seiyuu dream team. Needless to say, the girls sound amazing: Maho with fiery zest, Saki with icy tone, and Hinata with breezy pitch.

The OP and ED are nicely done. Usually, songs that are sung by all the main seiyuus of the anime end up with better quality. The OST of the anime is not particularly amazing, which hinders the perfect 10.

I mentioned static characters in the introduction. Besides Subaru, every character in the anime is static and fits quite neatly into stereotypical and preassigned roles. Maho is the loud prankster, Airi is the clumsy well-endowed, Saki is the glasses girl, etc. Natsuhi is the boy rival of Tomoka (meaning they will inevitably be paired together in some way shape or form), Aoi will be tsundere until S2E13, and Miho-sensei joins the ranks of multitudes of teachers who act and look just like students.

Character molds are not a completely negative thing. After all, dynamic characters take more time and effort to prepare, and are likely to be misinterpreted or distracting. However, it would be a nice touch to make at least one of the girls a dynamic character.

On a whole, this anime is freaking cute. And genius. That "small forward" segment has got to be one of the greatest scenes in all of loli anime. I honestly enjoyed watching the characters interact with each other in their various ways, their various personalities and characters complementing each other.

Overall (8/10)
Ro-kyu-bu is not supposed to be some great action story like SAO or have deep philosophical insight like Ergo Proxy or be filled with heartwrenching scenes like After Story or all of the above (Angel Beats). In fact, none of the anime I just mentioned comes even close to Ro-kyu-bu in terms of pure loli goodness. Whether you are a full-blown lolicon or just an average anime watcher, Ro-kyu-bu will satisfy your cute needs for quite a long time. At least until season 2 comes out.

For an anime with such an evocative title, Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko is actually a fairly...acceptably clean slice-of-life comedy with some really, really bizarre plot twists and characters. A harem-type anime, HenNeko tries to break the archetype by just being extremely weird, but still keeping comedy and romance at a harem-type best. While it may be a bit overly "fuwa fuwa" in both art and character design, Hentai Ouji delivers a compelling and hilarious story of a misunderstood high-school boy and his series of mishaps with the girls around him, all controlled by a mysterious cat statue. Definitely a good anime.

Story (8/10)
Art (9/10)
Sound (7/10)
Character ... (7/10)
Enjoyment (8/10)

The story is definitely Hentai Ouji's unique point. The Warawanai Neko acts as the wildcard of the anime, allowing the plot of the anime to justify extending infinitely in any direction. Basically, since the Warawanai Neko can grant any wish at a cost (think Tsubasa Chronicles), anything is game and the world can be destroyed at the whim of the characters. Of course, the foundation of the plot is still the whole "high-school-boy-with-a-bunch-of-girls-in-love-with-him", but that's what a harem-type anime is and, frankly, it never gets old. As long as there's enough variation and excitement to distinguish the story, which author Sou Sagara did admirably. Anime, manga, and light novel are all consistent with regards to storyline, which is fantastic. Only grievance? The plot gets pretty wild at times, so the story gets somewhat difficult to follow.

Round, chubby, cute and fluffy. Four words to describe this anime's art style. Just look at the OP - the artists were clearly trying to give people heart attacks. Naturally, not everyone likes this kind of art style. I will agree, sometimes an anime too based in this kind of cuteness becomes hard to watch (I'm sorry, K-On!). But the art is good - you can't deny that. It's really encouraging to see an anime where the artists were clearly given ample time to draw, design, and really give the characters life.

The music fits with the art style, but it takes the puffiness to another level. Lots of bells, tinkles, and chimes. Half of the OST seems to be played on the xylophone. Creates a great mood, but the theme limits the songs to be just "cute" pieces instead of timeless tunes.

The characters in Hentai Ouji are full of various controversies. They are...quite stereotypical. The perverted high schoolboy. The silent Nagato-type. The tsundere. The yandere. The little sister. Classic tried and true roles, yes, but almost no effort given to move the characters even a bit out of their roles. The perveted main character, especially, while not often used, is a difficult character role to pull of because of the divided mixed reactions it usually receives - either people love it or hate it. And its still a commonly-used mold. The only character that seems to be a bit unique is Ponta - it's been a while since a side-character's given up hedonism for world peace.

BUT.

They are so well developed, it's hard not to love them. Despite their actions being predictable, despite their words being overused, despite the fact that you could probably guess every next move in the entire anime, the characters are developed in such a way that you really appreciate them in all their cliche-ness. I particularly like the amount of work and detail they put into Asuna's character - she's beyond the normal tsundere and in a class of her own.

Whether laughing at Yokodera's antics or empathizing with Tsukiko's issues, the anime is quite able to bring the story alive and deliver it in an enjoyable package. The anime moves at a rapid pace - 4 episodes managed to knock out the entire first volume of the series. This change of pace is well-needed, and its refreshing to see Yokodera completing routes so quickly. The ending was one of the best conclusions to a 12-episode anime I have ever seen, nicely wrapping up the plotline while offering a sweet and memorable scene. Any ending that can make characters seem even cooler than they already were is a great ending in my book.

Overall (8/10)
All in all, HenNeko is a great anime to watch - funny, charming, and crazy. Would recommend this to anyone in need of some new anime to track in 2013.