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Opening Statements
Space Dandy (Aka Bebop on Crack) is a 13 episode sci-fi anime that has garnered a lot of attention even before it initially aired during the 2014 winter season. While part of this hype stems from the triumphant return of renounced anime director Siratou Watanabe, the man responsible for hit shows such as Cowboy Bebop, Kids on the Slope and of course Samurai Samploo, A majority of it stems from the fact that this the first anime ever to air on American TV before Japan which up until this point has only ever been a dream.

I think we can all agree that this ... is a craze that needs to catch on more as it would not only help in drawing in more fans to the medium but would also lead to the development of more western influenced shows and therefore, Dandy does hold some rather high expectations. It doesn't need to be the next Attack on Titan but it defiantly can't bomb. After all, if there's one thing that the Toonami revival proves it's that the internet hasn't completely destroyed TV just yet.

Space Dandy's story can be found within its namesake, It's about a Dandy guy name dandy who explores space with his trusty robot R2, I mean QT, and feline sidekick meow hunting for rare aliens in hopes of being able to place food on the table all the while being unknowingly hunted down under some pretense of Dandy being the secret of the universe. What follows are breasterants, galactic wars, races that break the sound barrier, and enough wacky animation that will make you feel like you just took a bottle full of acid.

Analysis + Witnesses
Now I will admit that Space Dandy is in no way as mature as Watanabe's other works but to be honest, I don't think that's the point. In fact, at times, you can even argue that the series acts as a spiritual successor to the other Space Westerns that comparatively reached the peak of their popularity on Toonami such as Bebop, Trigun and Outlaw star.

However, even with this considered, I can understand why most people would not being able to get into such a series initially due to its straight forward episodic format which prevents it from having any semblance of a serious overarching story. However, the interesting thing about Space Dandy is that unlike others, it not only seems to be self aware to its episodic nature but at times even manages to take full advantage of the creativity that such a nature offers.

After all, it might be considered a problem if the first episode ends with (Spoil Alert) our main characters dying in a planetary explosion. However, Space Dandy is able to sidestep this by giving each episode its own individual reset button, ignoring everything that might have follow or preceded it and continuing with a completely different adventure. Which was only made more humorous with a comedic intentional To be continued. This structure means that the vast number of writers who were brought in to work on this little experiment can essentially get away with anything as fears about effecting the overall continuity of the show are removed, allowing for the freedom necessary to create some interesting story lines as well as some rather clever parodies of other well known western settings such as episode 4 which can be seen as a deconstruction to the typical zombie apocalypse plot line by addressing how life would ironically go on even after everyone in the universe was turned was into a zombie who live off of their own life insurance.

However, like most episodic anime, there was a bit of inconsistency in story quality between each episode as some self contained stories did not follow the standard three act structure. However, this could be due to the fact that, as an experimental series, different writers were assigned throughout the series and to be fair the focus was never really taken away from where it needed to be, portraying just how ridiculous and likable our cast was when looking at how they dealt with the situations they found themselves in.

In fact, within the first season, each of our main characters have at least one episode dedicated to them. And I must say that they in particular were some of the most well paced, heartwarming stand alone episodes that I've seen in quite some time. They might not have been the most original with one episode in particularly acting as a through back to one of my favorite Pixar films while another seemed to take a stab at everyone's favorite franchise (I'm looking at you endless 8), but these stories just helped in adding so much more dimension to our characters that it didn't even matter.

(P.S. I find it a little bit funny that one of the better episodes in the show just happened to be written by the same person who wrote valvrave which I will refuse to make a definitive comment on considering I hadn't watched it yet )

Our star of this show, Dandy himself pretty much follows his namesake to a T. He is a very laid back individual who prefers to go at his own pace, can be very stubborn, pigheaded and, judging from the first line of dialogue the series gives us, can be extremely perverted. However despite these flaws he's never really painted to be unlikable and in fact can be quite capable when the story demands it. Meow shares many personality traits with Dandy albeit he is a bit more on the lazy, shut-in side, but still loves the idea of being out in space and exploring that which he never thought he could back on his home town while QT acts as sort of the level headed voice of reason as well as the passive aggressive dick within the group despite the fact that as a robot his needs and desires are much simpler compared to most.

Of course we also can't forget our hero's pursuers Dr. Gel and his assistant Be who seems to fill the role of the incompetent buffoons who not only constantly get done in by our heroes string of dumb luck but also don't even seem to have their presence known by them.

The rest of the cast is rather large when you consider all who are encountered throughout the shows individual stories with some even being presented differently depending on the episode. However, whether it was their comedic quirks, menacing atmospheres or touching back stories I was pleasantly surprised at just how memorable some of them were considering the amount of screen time they were given which can range from a whole episode to even just 5 minutes.

Art/Animation
The overall design of Space Dandy is defiantly one of its high points as Watanabe takes full advantage of this setting in order to give birth to something that can only be described as the love child of Redline and Star wars.

In fact, similarly to how certain episodes were met with different writers, each episode had its own specific art director which meant that some adventures had strikingly different styles compared to others. However, while the fluctuating story quality might be considered a determent to the show, the fluctuating art designs were defiantly more of a complement, as it did help in solidifying the idea that each adventure had its own unique atmosphere whether it was going for a fast paced or cereal one. Plus the crafted polish and bright color pallet helped in making the show feel that much more alive and fit its comedic nature.

In regards to the animation, there were very few instances of still frames with a variety of standout moments were movement became incredibly fast paced and fluid to the point where I felt like I was tripping on something very hard while I was watching them. Alot of people are saying that Space Dandy will help mark the return of animation Studio bones when they were in their prime, and I will admit that these scenes greatly support this statement from an animation. However, overall it might not be the most consistent animation quality as there were some noticeable instances where Bones was in fact cutting corners, what with the lack of detail and color quality in certain scenes. In fact while the different art designs were an interesting touch, you could also argue that they were used as a cover for any noticeable instances where the quality dropped. It might not be bone's best work but it's defiantly above average and a step in the right direction.

Sound/Music
Going back to Watanabe, his past works have shown that he has very distinct visions regarding the importance of the film scores and Space Dandy is no different. While often times the trumpet will be used in conjunction with the more upbeat moments, a majority of the ost is used the match the futuristic sci-fi feel of the show by using groovy techo and disco style music that felt very reminiscent of Daft Punks interstellar 555 which also air in the 90's. Then we have the slower, more emotional moments which were met with calming synthesized beats and even some beautifully crafted pieces of auto tune.

The dub for this series was handled by Funimation and it's interesting how, in terms of comedy, both versions have their own renditions' of humor with the dub having more western influenced jokes. In terms of the casting it was great to hear Alison Viktorin behind the mic of a main character (even if her voice was auto tuned) since her most memorable main role seems to be that of Conan from case closed. Joel McDonald did a solid job capturing the laid-back-ness of Meow and Ian Sinclair as Dandy was........just Dandy. In terms of the rest of casting I have little to no complaints, then again, what do you expect from a show that was specifically geared for the west.

The show also features a narrator who helps give exposition to whatever the show tends to leave out and while annoying at times, I will admit that it is rather humorous considering how much he doesn't seem to give a shit about his job at times, sort of like the narrator of The Big Lebowskii.

Closing Statements
Space Dandy, in and of itself, is a space adventure show at its purest, showing just how much fun, dangerous and unpredictable the Galaxy can be. Yes it's a little immature and its style of humor might not be for everybody, plus I really can't see anyone marathon this due to its structure. However, personally I think it's a great show to have on Toonami as well as one to just sit back and watch casual. The animation, for the most part, is above average, it's got some very likable characters and it really does help in capturing the essence of what anime is. It's stupid yet cleaver , perverted yet aware and wacky yet heartwarming. I had a lot of fun with this show and I can't wait for its next season.

If you're looking for a crazy space adventure story that you could watch at your leisure and have a Dandy good time then I see no reason why you shouldn't give this show a shot.

Love is probably the most difficult emotion for us as individuals to properly comprehend. Sometimes it can blossom out of friendship and bring people closer together while other times it can tear people apart. And it's because there are so many ways in which this emotion can be portrayed that romances are my favorite genre in the animated medium. Don't get me wrong, sometimes they can be done poorly to the point where I can't even find myself entertained (Cough* TWILIGHT *Cough). However, sometimes, much like right now, I stumble across something great completely by accident. Something that makes be board the feel train, only ... to get off with a void in my heart.

Case Open

Case Summary + Witnesses:
(Before you say anything, no you do not need to watch the first season to appreciate this one)

The story of WA2 focuses on the life of three students in their final year of high school. We have Haruki Kitahara, the male lead who is overly helpful when it comes to his friends (which is his greatest asset as well as greatest fault). We have Setsuna Ogiso, the shy and quite popular girl who learns to come out of her shell. And finally we have Kazusa Touma, the quite musical genius who never had anyone look after her before.

It is the relationship between these three that drives the story of WA2, coming together as the light music club in order to perform before their graduation. Music will be played, strong bonds will be formed, and friendships will be tested. However, even without a nice boat in sight, this series is far from a fluffy one.

Analysis:
WA2 is a story that sticks very close to your standard music anime formula and because of this, a good portion of the story was predictable. However, through careful pacing and well executed flashbacks, WA2 knows when to show us what needs to be shown and did an excellent job of building tension without treading to deeply into melodramatic territory.

The characters themselves might appear to be nothing more then the standard troupes that we have seen before in the past, but it was their interactions that lead to them to be so interesting. Throughout the story you feel how close the three were becoming whether it was out of respect or admiration. The chemistry and dynamics felt real which of course was essential in making such a love triangle work as the closer they becoming, the harder it was to maintain their friendship. There was no "bad guy" between them, no single character that caused problems for others. Rather the real enemy in the story was the love they all harbored. By the end of the story, choices needed to be made and if you're expecting a happy ending then you will be disappointed. For when it come to love and friendship, sometimes it's impossible to walk away completely intact.

Presentation:
Being produced by studio satellite, WA2 features very fluid and decently polished animation. This especially becomes apparent during the concert scenes which were some of the more pleasurable moments to remember. Character designs and backgrounds stick very close to the visual novel with my only complaint being that Haruki bears a disturbingly strong resemblance to that A-hole from school days. But I digress.

Saying that the series aesthetics just get the job done are an understatement to say the least as even the pallet stuck very close to the shows namesake. Soft colors were used with certain sheens and well placed lighting allowed everything to mesh together well without it looking bland or plain. The series gave off a very gentle, yet bittersweet atmosphere which reflected the seasons that were being portrayed to an exceptional degree.

But of course, being a music anime as well as a romance, WA2 delivers when it needs too with splendid combinations of vocals, piano and guitar that will hit you right in the Kokoro. While much of the music was taken from the original visual novel, it was still cleverly executed without sounding generic or overwhelming.

Closing Statements:
Overall, WA2 is a very emotional romance that will make you feel attached with its visuals, aesthetic and music while at the same time slowly reach within your chest, grab that blood pumping organ that you thought was incapable of feeling, and tug on it nice and slowly. You ever come across one of those shows that you think isn't going to be all that great but then becomes one of the best that season? No? Then maybe you should give this a try. Just tread with caution because, believe me, just like real love, it isn't always sunshine and rainbows.

DBZ, Yu Yu Hakusho, One Piece, Fairy Tale, Naruto, Bleach.......

What do all these great stories have in common? One simple word SHOUNEN.

While all stories are different, they are at their base the same. Introducing vast words and intricate powers that fill every fan boy out there with envy while at the same time introducing the idea of hard work and friendship.

Yet in this day and age, say something like ONE Piece is amazing or Naruto is overrated, whether it be online or in real life, and you pretty much going to get assaulted verbally , emotionally physically or some combination of the three. ...

Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of shounen and while I might have some nitpicks her and there with the series I mentioned before, I'd be lying if I didn't think they were ALL good in some way shape or form.

With that said, you’d think it would be rather difficult to come up with an original battle manga due to the fact that......well......THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS.

That’s where this series comes in.

Medaka box is a shounen manga that had been licensed in weekly shounen jump for just under 4 years with 192 chapters

The stories setting develops on a rather simple premise: The Medaka Box. The Medaka Box is a suggestion box established by the main character, Medaka Kurokami, who is the student council president of sandbox academy . She and the rest of the student council take the suggestions from this completely ordinary box, and try to help others with their problems etc, etc. Seems simple and cliché I know but keep watching.

After taking a few chapters to introduce the characters, I began realizing one of the main reasons why this manga seemed so different. That reason being that Medaka is probably the most annoying character I've ever had the displeasure of reading about EVER.

Sure there are a variety of different pain in the ass main character in other popular series that annoyed the ever living piss out of me. And i can easily go on a small petty rant about them. But I won't, because I'm to mature for that.

The point I'm trying to get at here is that the fact that Medaka is an annoying character is actually done on purpose. This series is not your standard shounen series whose main goal is to sway you with feeling of adventure and friendship. Nor is it there to draw you in with dark and often times repetitive themes. Medaka box my friends is a satire.

That means the sole purpose of this manga is to take the main elements of other shounen series, turn the dial all the way to eleven and watch the fireworks. Everything you can consider right or wrong with the entire shounen genre gets introduced in this series but the author presents it in such an over the top way that you can't help but laugh a little bit inside when you realize what going on. Take Medaka for example, she's beautiful, smart, knows how to give an inspirational speech about hard work and victory. She's OP as hell, never loses, is always right and claims to live for others. She's like Jesus Christ with breasts. Everyone looks week and powerless compared to her and that’s kind of the point.

Sure you could say there is a plot in this series but I'm not even going to try and describe it because that would be like trying to translate the disassociated ramblings of the special Olympics spelling bee. I mean one minute it's DBZ level child abuse and the next it's DBZ getting owned by some demonic loli. If you try to read this series for its plot than you are going to rage. A LOT.

This becomes more prevalent during the later few arcs of the series were overall plot consistency seems to catch on fire and jump out the window with the author introducing a variety of plot twists that despite being enjoyable, left me with this urge to flip a table. I swear there was one time were the author took 3/4 of a chapter to explain the mechanics of some awesome finishing move, only for it to MISS.

I mean honestly, if I were to meet this author in real life, I wouldn't know whether I should shake his hand or punch him in the face. You really need to keep an open mind while reading this series because literally anything can happen.

This series also shouldn't be noted for its action because while there are some fight scenes in the series, they are few and far in-between. After all, this series was written by NISIO ISIN, the same person who wrote the monogatari series which isn't exactly know for its action (insert toothbrush image here).

Rather, like the monogatari series, this manga shines in its dialogue and character development. As the series goes on, it's cast seems to get larger and larger. Introducing a variety of characters who have their own quirks and personalities. Sure some characters get far more development than others but I can guarantee that you'll find at least one character to fall in love with (*Cough* Kumagawa *Cough*).

Overall this series, while not perfect, was an enjoyable ride. Reading it made me feel a variety of different emotions including happiness, anger, confusion, sadness, anxiety, more confusion and that typical feeling we all get when we know the creator is just trying to fuck us over.

I'm looking at YOU Haruhi and Evangelion.

Despite all this, I can honestly say that I was never once bored reading each and every chapter of this series and even though it isn't licensed in the US, I almost feel tempted to order the Japanese volumes from overseas despite not being able to read or speak the language.

However, Medaka box is not a series for everyone and is definably more of an acquired taste than one that everyone will enjoy. But if you're in the mood to read something different, or just wanna read a series that intentionally pisses on itself and the whole shounen genre in general than defiantly give this series a try.

Just a warning though, this manga seems to take a page right out of Hitman Reborn and starts off rather slow before actually getting interesting. Just bear with the first 17 chapters and I promise you you’ll find it’s not like anything you’ve ever read before if I haven’t already made that point clear. =P

Ok, so I wanted to wait for the anime to finish before writing a review because I wanted to have all my facts straight. Let me be a bit frank here:

I am going to make a lot of people mad with this review

Please keep in mind that I rate a lot of anime highly on the premise of entertainment. If I enjoy something and finish it then I rate it highly. However, enjoying something and thinking that a series was well done can be two completely different things.

But, as someone who is a huge fan of romantic comedies, who hasn’t read the manga ... and has re-watched certain scenes, I feel the need to mention a few things regarding this anime: Both what’s great about it and what’s wrong with it.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (or The Monster seated Next to Me) tells the story of Shizuku Mizutani, a very serious student who only cares about her grades. One day, Shizuku is tasked with delivering class printouts to the home of a boy named Haru Yoshida, a delinquent who rarely attends school. Upon meeting Shizu, Haru immediately considers her his friend and a new relationship sparks between the two as they begin to experience things that neither of them have felt before such as friendship and love.

The series itself is very episodic and appears to be well paced. Every episode contains at least one moment that will make you laugh and at least one moment that will make you go “awwww, isn’t that cute”.

Brains Base did a great job with the animation for this show. Such amazing detail went not only into the main characters overall design, but even the side characters appeared to stand out. The backgrounds and lighting were also well done. Combine this with the animators bright color choices makes for the series to have an overall relaxing and cute atmosphere that most will enjoy.

Now at this point you’re probably saying “Well, this anime seems interesting so far, why would you make people angry with these positive remarks?”

Let me explain (spoilers). After the first episode of the series, the premise of the story was presented to us in a way that made us think that for once, the female lead would be the one being chased rather than the one doing the chasing. I, personally, as a fan of Shojo, was happy with this because Shizu, while being extremely stoic, seemed to be a rational thinker while Haru was presented as………well…….. a possessive delinquent. The fact that Shizu WOULDN’T be interested in Haru makes sense to us.

Then the third episode happened and this premise does a complete 180 with Shizu doing the chasing more or less out of nowhere.

This, I’m sorry to say is one of the main problems with this series. While the premise and characters seemed good at the beginning, as the series goes on, you begin to realize how scattered and poorly structured the overall series actually is. You expect for the characters to move the overall story in a slice of life romantic comedy which has such a simple setting. But here, stuff happens almost at random and the characters actions at times seem to completely contradict what their characters SHOULD be doing.

You could argue that the characters are growing and are trying to adjust to an environment that their not use to. After all, this series is about how two socially awkward people make friends and fall in love. But if that were the case, then we wouldn’t see them break out of character one moment, but then immediately regress to the way they were at the beginning. This makes everything done seem very forced and unnatural when there were maybe a dozen different ways the story could have been done right. By the end of the series, it’s really hard to claim that the main leads really changed between the first and last episode.

If this were like say School Rumble were the series revolves around randomness and contradictions for the sake of comedy, then this would all be ok. But the producers are making the characters do this for the sake of unnecessarily expanding a series, making it longer and more complicated than it needs to be.

“So if the series has such cookie cutter story progression like you claim, then why does this series get such unreal praise?”

Simple: Gimmicks and quirks sell more than story.

While one might THINK that the story is interesting and engaging, what’s REALLY interesting and engaging are the non-perverted comedic moments as well as the cute confessions which are done so well that I almost get a nose bleed from a cuteness overload. Who cares who confessed first, they’re cute together. Who cares if Haru’s not well put together, he looks adorable.

Again, I don’t think this is a bad anime at all. If you are a fan of Shojo and or romantic comedies then it’s defiantly worth a look at least till the third episode. But it is a little……..misguided and manipulative to not be a little upset by it.

Once upon a time, there was a really good friend of mine from middle school. Let’s call him Jim. One day Jim came to the brilliant conclusion that he was on the brink of something amazing: becoming a super sayin. Mesmerized by his words of stupidity, we all gathered around as Jim concentrated and let out this loud, flamboyant scream for what seemed like 10 minutes and in the end……………well………….let’s just say his parents had buy a new rug for the classroom.

Now you might be asking yourself, what does that stupid story have to do with Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!? Well everything actually because ... it turns out that Jim was a victim of what I now know as Chuunibyou, or 8th Grade Syndrome. Chuunibyou is a condition where, during a child’s adolescence, they will start to mix fantasy with reality and it’s this condition that the entire series revolves around.

Story:
Our main protagonist Yuta (someone who HAD Chuunibyou in middle school) hopes to start fresh when he enters high school because of his utter embarrassment at who he thought he was and what he could do. These plans get quickly smashed when he runs into Rikka (someone who still HAS Chuunibyou) who becomes attached to him only to serve as a constant, embarrassing reminder of who he once thought he was.

A friend of mine described this series as “that of a delusional loli and a normal boy who takes pity on her.” And I think,for the first 5 episodes, that’s pretty accurate.

As the series goes on, however, we discover more about Rikka and realize that her delusions aren’t that of someone who is confusing fantasy and reality, but rather someone who is using fantasy to escape from reality.

The show exemplifies good pacing as every episode will either leave you in suspense or satisfied. Being a slice of life, school setting anime, the series has its fair share of drama, romance and a wide variety of humor that makes you laugh and moments that will make you cry manly tears when its suppose to.

Characters:
Yuta seems as normal as they come but he’s not one of those typical, I’m bland, I can’t make up my mind type of normal characters. He gets annoyed, has delusions and gets a crush on the prettiest girl in school just like any other high school boy but he is in no way boring. Throughout the series, Yuta, as he learns more about Rika as well as himself, starts making decisions which can actually affect his development out of adolescence and into maturity. He is a character that grows, learns and makes mistakes. Plus, his over the top reactions to him being glorified as the “Dark Flame Master” (His Chuunibyou counterpart) are one of the main highlights of the series but that’s not his only role.

Then there’s Rika. This girl is so cute I think needs her own Moe archetype. Despite the fact that she acts like she’s some kind of supernatural being with the powers of darkness, there are also times were she acts like…well…a normally innocent, shy teenage girl and while the series is mainly done from Yutas normal point of view, every now and then we’ll see things from Rikas Chuunibyou perspective.

The fact that these two are the protagonists doesn’t make any part of the main cast less enjoyable or relatable for that matter. What’s great about the main cast in the series is that each of them seems to represent some different aspect of aging and maturity despite most of them being high schoolers. This in turn only makes the maturity Rikka and Yuta go through more apparent.

Shinka Nibutani – she represents adulthood (she can’t stand childish things and aside from being a total bitch, she is the most mature of the cast)

Sanae Dekomori – she, like Rikka, represents someone with Chuunibyou but in a more natural sense

Makoto Isshiki – he represents a typical high school who reminds me of someone from Clannad (cough Sunohara cough)

Kumin Tsuyuri – due to her constant nap taking and earnest attempts at understanding Rikka and Dekomori’s delusions, I can only assume that she represents the elderly

This array of cast members defiantly helps reinforce the whole them of maturity and growing up.


Art:
What can I say other than amazing. A great amount of detail was placed into not only the main cast but even the side characters showed a great amount of detail in their designs.

Kyoto Animation's, also did a magnificent job with the backgrounds and scenery to the point where, when the stories point of view was changed to that of Rikka or someone else with Chuunibyou, I actually forgot I was watching a slice of life. The design shown in exemplifying these made up powers surprisingly looked better then artwork that is most commonly found in most fantasy works you’d find today.

The pallet choice of color was also interesting. Kyoto Animation mostly incorporated dark colors like brown, purple and dark blue in most of the designs yet the series itself didn’t have a dark feel to it. This contrast, if anything, made the series more unique and refreshing.


Music:
The funny thing about the opening is that it actually gives you more fan service then the actual series (not that it’s that kind of show anyway but you get my point). The opening is very face paced and upbeat while the ending theme seems very dark and Goth; a good foreshadow of how the series starts off happy and funny but slowly gets serious.

Theme:
If I haven’t already stated it before, the main theme that this series tries to present is the idea of growing up and maturing. Everyone in life (some sooner than later) need to realize that sometimes the past must be left behind. Some of us miss our pasts, and some of us are embarrassed by them but for whatever the reason may be, excepting the fact that we must grow up and face reality, no matter how hard it may be, is something that we have to do. This is presented strongest through Rikka whose delusions can be considered as denial to her traumatic past. However, even though the past must be left behind, that doesn’t mean it must be warped or forgotten, it must be accepted so we can move.

So the question is: Is Chuunibyou really bad?

Naturally as we get older, we may realize how rediculous it is to act like a super sayin. Others may think that acting in such a way is better than acting.....well....normal. Cause lets face it, sometimes normal is boring and can suck. We wanna feel special, unique, like we're more important than other normal people.

This might sound silly, but think about it, no matter how old you get, dont we want to consider ourselves special and unique? Isnt that were individuality comes from?

In the end, even when we eventually grow out of our Chuunibyou faze, the feelings we had that sparked it, the feeling of coming out of our shells and becoming our own person, always remain.

Enjoyment:
Overall, this series is one of my favorite of the season. It’s fresh, colorful and original. To be honest, its almost like watching Toy Story as it lets me recal some moments from my own adolesence (for better, for worse). If you are a fan of slice of life, romance or school setting anime, then this is the perfect choice for you.

(Please Note: may contain light spoilers)
I personally have been looking forward to this season since the day it was announced. I’m sure I can’t say the same for those of you who poorly rated or just plain dropped this anime during its first season for reasons that include but are not limited to:
1) the Art
2) The gags that aren’t funny
4) The stereotypes
5) The setting
6) Your hatred of the main character

These are all fairly reasonable things that would turn off any hardcore anime lover who has watched such a series. However, for those of you who think that this season will be just as much ... a waste of time as the first season, let me just say this:

THIS IS WHERE SHIT GETS REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Story:
The story takes place at Hakoniwa Academy right after Medaka beat the ever-living shit out of Unzen of the disciplinary committee because of a freaking dress violation. Of course she gets called to the principal’s office not to get scolded for destroying half the school, but rather to take Unzens place in a little project known as the Flask Plan. Now what is the Flask Plan you may ask? It’s an experiment were the goal is to produce a potion that will turn anyone who drinks it into a genius.

In order to accomplish this goal, the principle has gathered 13 students who (aside from being fucking trolls) are overpowered super geniuses and is using them as the foundation of the plan. They are called the 13th Party. One problem though, once a formula is actually made, the students at the Academy will be used as test subjects and most likely won’t survive. Realizing this, Medaka takes it upon herself and the student council to investigate the plan and find out what is REALLY going on behind the scenes of their school.

This season is equivalent to the Water 7 arc in One Piece and the Mukuro arc in Hitman Reborn. It’s were the pace of the story picks up, suspense builds, tension rises, shocking truths are revealed and some of the most interesting battles take place.

Yes you read that last part right, this is where your cheesey, tasteless, annoying little school life story turns into what it truly was meant to be: One of the most engaging and original Shounen Battle series to be created.


Charaters:
One of the main problems with season 1 is that it only covered a small section of the manga. We were given the premise of the series but specific details regarding the characters and events of the past were only mention briefly in the last few episodes. This time, however, more details are given us regarding the main cast:
Medaka- We find out more about her family and abilities
Zenkichi- We discover how hard he’s worked in order to stay near Medaka since they were 2
Akune- We find out about how he was in middle school and why he’s so infatuated with Medaka
Mogana- We find out about what Medaka means to her as a friend

You could call the 13th Party the villains of this arc but as time goes on that line will just get more and more blurred because their back stories and past are revealed to us. Whether or not these students were born lucky or cursed is rather hard to say. They can do the seemingly impossible easily and it’s as though no matter what they do, they will succeed regardless of luck or skill (they can, for example, roll a bunch of dice and defy the laws of physics). But whether or not they are happy with what they are is one of the big questions that will get addressed here. I’ll try to summarize a few of these “students”:
- A psychic super saiyen
- A masked midget
- A black guy, with a Japanese name who speaks French
- A mass murderer
- A chick with a knife in her head
- And a cyborg
(Note: I am not kidding about ANY of these things but maybe now you can see why GAINEX decided to animate this series)


Music and Art:
The artwork is the same as first season so if that was an issue before then too bad. The opening and ending themes, however, sound a bit darker than the previous seasons. Overall I find them better than the first seasons.
P.S. If you’ve read the manga then you’ll know how badly GAINEX is trolling us with the opening. For those of you who haven’t read the manga then just pay CLOSE attention to the characters that are shown (especially the last one).


Theme:
This plot actually brings us back to the idea of perfection that was shown to us in the form of Medaka. Season 1 was all about revealing the characters and enforcing the idea that Medaka is perfect by comparing her to normal people. The fact that we’re suppose to hate the main character shows that we would rather have someone who works hard but falls flat on their face, then a hypocritical, perfectionist who always wins like Medaka.

This season, however, is about understanding that Medaka isn’t the only broken character in the series and that she didn’t ask to be how she is. There are a lot of things that we can’t help: what kind of parents gave birth to you, what era you were born into etc. But what this season tells us is that sometimes we can’t choose whether or not were born with talent and, if we are, will that automatically make us any happier than anyone who wasn’t? Will having a body that can make you move instantly on reflex make you happy? Will having the power to read minds make you happy? Will having the ability to master anything and everything you see make you happy? Or will it just make you feared and viewed as something abnormal?

Enjoyment:
I for one, as a fan of the manga, find this season pretty enjoyable. At the very least if you’ve watched the first season and/or read the manga then watch this season if only to find out what this anime is REALLY about.

*sniff sniff* I smell Harem!

Story:
Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne tells the story of how Akito and Akiko, two twins separated at birth, are finally reunited after 6 years. The two of them live together in an old dorm with three other females and the five of them make up the student council of their school. Now this seems all fine and dandy except for one problem though: while Akito seems pretty normal, his sister developed this very, VERY serious brother complex. Combine this with the fact that the other three girls are attracted to Akito in some way shape or form and ... you’ve got yourself a comedy.

Romantic Comedies (especially harems) are tricky due to idea of unoriginality and stereotypes. I’m not going to lie to you, ALL the characters are stereotypes. Despite that, I so far find the series enjoyable in how they execute their humor.

Characters:
Akito- The male protagonist and object of affection of the girls around him. Aside from being the landlord, he is also the student counsel's "vice-assistant of proxy of secretary". A pretty normal high schooler who wants to lead a peaceful life. (Note: something VERY interesting gets discovered about him at the beginning of episode 2)

Akiko- Akito's sister and the secretary of the student counsel. She is constantly (and i mean CONSTANTLY) trying to seduce her brother despite his refusals and obvious uninterest. She even comes up with all these cliché setups for her brother to follow since they live together. She doesn’t even try to hind it and is in fact proud of it.

Anastasia or Ana for short (youll get the joke after the first episode)- is the vice-president of the student council and the rich, stoic expression wearing stereotype. Because of her background, she can’t do chores like cleaning and cooking but she can say the most ridicules things with a straight face.

Ginbee- the accountant of the student counsel and Akito's childhood friend. She looks and sounds rather boyish and seems forever friend zoned by Akito

Arashi- the president of the student council. She has red hair, an eye patch, and caries around a wooden sword (nothing stereotypical about that). She seems like the cougar of the group

Art:
The artwork seems very bright and colorful to fit the upbeatness of the story. My only complaint is that everyones mouth looks like a triangle

OP-ED:
Although I didnt enjoy the music for the opening OR ending, it did seem catchy so it might grow on you. The VISUALS for the OP, however, could not make me stop laughing.

Enjoyment:
One stereotype the series DOESN'T follow is how the main character responds to the girls advances. In fact, it’s HOW he responds that attributes too much of the comedy in the series. While Akito seems as normal as they come, the way he flat out DENIES the advances of the girls around him develops a good dose of humor. If you enjoy a good comedy with a simple plot then give this show a try. If your turned off by incest, stereotypes, and harems, then look away.