Fall 2011 Week Four – The Short Version

Short because after those first three weeks, there’s not much new to say—the shows are going to be consistently awesome/bad now, so no point in talking about every single episode unless something special happens. Also, I’m prepping for Nanowrimo 2011 so blogging isn’t at the top of my concerns right now. Here’s the short version:

Shows I dropped:

Last Exile – Ginyoku no Fam (ep 2): I find it ceaselessly ugly and boring. Hate to say it, but I don’t get what some people are finding to like about this show. Not even Toyosaki Aki is doing it for me here.

Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai! (ep 4): There’s little visually happening except fanservice that isn’t attractive. The dialog can be okay but eh—don’t care enough to continue. I feel like there’s nothing here I can’t get in the package that is Gintama.

Guilty Crown (ep 3): I had my fun but yeah, this show is as stupid as Fractale.

Shows I didn’t drop:

Ben-to (ep 3): Dialog and directing are constantly exciting and everything else falls into place with that.

Fate/Zero (ep 4): Omo mentioned “DBZ formula,” which is a good way of putting it. For that kind of fighting it’s of course top notch—but that kind of fighting is usually something I endure in anime, not look forward to. But I’m not ready to fault this show with anything yet.

Mashiro-iro Symphony (ep 4): It continues to feel like a harem show with the spirit of Hidamari Sketch living inside of it. Only problem is, what’s up with character personality whiplash? Reign that shit in.

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (ep 4): Rika is overpowered—she’s way too good for this show, and I suspect will dominate every scene she’s in. As an aside. Hanazawa Kana had just a couple of lines in this ep and all of those were amazing. But I’m surprised I even remember that after the GUNDAM X UNIT02 SEX SCENE.

Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (ep 3): Ghostlightning is certainly right that this episode proves the show good. I still won’t be into it until it moves along, which it’ll surely do now.

Working’!! (ep 4): Was I wrong that this season is something different? It’s seeming more and more like the same old Working, though at least it still hasn’t been about Inami and Takanashi’s relationship yet.

Un-Go (ep 3): This show is always straddling a line between totally fascinating and totally awkward/unapproachable. As a result I find myself saying “this show is so well-directed” and then in the next scene, “what the hell’s up with this directing?” I dunno but I’m still interested.

Fall 2011 Week Three (Never Exercise Extensive Triteness)

[W1] [Week Two (Next Episode: Enticing Tidbits]

Today, please welcome my new guest writer, who’ll be running her column in these weekly posts for as long as is necessary. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Remilia Scarlet’s Chopping Block!

Fall 2011 Week Two (Next Episode: Enticing Tidbits)

[Week One (Because NEET Stands For “Nothing Except Excessive Time”)]

One way to be sure this gets done: write it as the week goes along! Like last week, this week has been an emotional mood-whiplash rollercoaster, but through it all there’s always time for watching and blogging anime (and making music). Not sleeping helps! Worth mentioning: I finally got my driver’s license this week! Woohoo!

We’ll do the shows in the order that I enjoyed this week’s episode.

Fall 2011 Week One (Because NEET Stands For “Nothing Except Excessive Time”)

You may be aware of this, but I’m currently a NEET. I’ve kinda been one since May, but only now am I Not Employed, being Educated, nor in Training, nor plan to be in the near future. My “job” is to keep my house clean and, more importantly, to take care of my mom while she’s at home between hospital stays, which she is as of today (WOOHOO!!!). Being a NEET is all like…

And now I’ve been doing more Stuff than I ever thought probable. I finally understand how my friend watched thousands of anime and played shitloads of videogames in his years as a hikkikomori. Time just sort of prostrates itself before me, and I rape it with anime, writing about anime, writing in general, recording albums, performing in (a) live show(s), playing Dark Souls, and internet bullshittery.

What I hope this means is: perfect chance to keep up with an entire anime season! I actually did pretty well with the summer season: I think Usagi Drop and Nekogami Yaoyorozu get credit for the first shows that I’ve kept up with throughout their run, and watched the final episode within days of its arrival. Ever.

This season, I’m doing something I’ve never done before and giving shows a second chance. This won’t count for shows that I have no interest in watching; but shows that make me go “eeeeh” will be given several episodes to sway me. My excessive free time isn’t the only reason for this; the cause is Ro-Kyu-Bu, a show that I dropped after one episode last season, confident that I wasn’t missing anything as reinforced by everyone who finished it seeming to go “why did I watch this.” Then, I was slightly buzzed and Taka showed me this ridiculously adorable video, so I decided to watch ep 2 streamed just because drinking and watching bad anime sounded like a great idea. Turns out, episode two was quite good, and the next two episodes were still fun, and now I’ve actually downloaded the show. So, from now on, I’m gonna be a nice guy and watch a few eps before dropping.

Anyway, this is starting to read like a post on an ISSS, so I’ll get to the anime now.