Wrapping up the 2011 Summer Season Pt.1

Hi. I’m back. I bet you thought I was dead, right? Nope, just slow…really slow.

On Loving the Idea of a Character or Show More Than the Reality

The subject of today’s post: getting into the bones of why I like Nekogami Yaoyorozu—a currently-airing show that isn’t very good. You don’t have to watch the show to read this post, and there are no spoilers.

Before I get to Nekogami, let’s talk about one of my favorite anime characters, Tsukuyomi Komoe. Komoe-sensei is a minor character from the To Aru Majutsu/Kagaku no Index/Railgun franchise who scarcely exists beyond her base character traits. The things you need to know about her are as follows:

The Summer Season Three Episode Test

I don’t give three episode tests. The concept is that either A. one gives every show they watch a three-episode chance to impress them, or B. they give the shows they’re unsure about three episodes before deciding to drop. This revolves around a system of watching that tries its hardest not to drop anything. I drop shows the precise moment they cease to be interesting to me, which could be halfway through the first episode or nine episodes into an eleven-episode show (Fractale).

First Impressions: Nekogami Yaoyorozu

Since Nekogami Yaoyorozu is the only show that I had expectations for this season and met those (moderately high) expectations, I’m very excited about it. I came for a fake Touhou anime, and that’s what I got—lazy immortal gods grappling with poverty, awesome character designs, yuri hijinks, and a very “yukkuri shiteite ne” vibe of comedy—but also well thought-out classifications and fighting systems for the occasional lighthearted battle. This is exactly how I imagine a Touhou anime would be.