Dec 26, 2013
Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova
(Anime)
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The premise of the oceans being blockaded by an alien force intrigued me enough to watch the series. Arpeggio can be described as a naval anime with a dash of harem thrown in. The characters and storyline are terribly undeveloped. The sentient AI are empty dolls and most of their conversations are abstract musings about free will, love, altruism, etc. Even the human characters are totally one-dimensional, including the protagonist captain. There are only a few rare scenes where the characters are allowed to be eccentric enough to be amusing or interesting; otherwise everyone is almost always emotionless. It doesn't help that the characters are
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Dec 25, 2013
Kimi ni Todoke 2nd Season
(Anime)
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Considering that it took 26 episodes in the first season for Sawako to finally hold the hand of the boy she liked, I was doubtful that a 13-episode second season could really make any progress if it held to the same pacing as the first season.
I was dismayed to see the route that was taken in the second season. After reaching a relative pinnacle of closeness in their relationship at the end of the first season, the second season seems intent on back-pedalling, stalling, and otherwise dismantling all the progress they've made up to that point. The inclusion of new characters and rivals was ... 
Dec 25, 2013
Kimi ni Todoke
(Anime)
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A sweet story of a lone (but not lonely) girl who slowly and clumsily finds friends and eventually love. As a shy, introverted person, the protagonist has difficulty connecting to and understanding other people. Her astounding naivete and lack of self-confidence make her gullible and susceptible to her more cunning classmates, which can be a bit frustrating for the viewer at times. It's a heartwarming show because despite her lack of obvious charms, her genuine kind and trusting personality somehow manages to carry her through the snares and pitfalls of learning to care for others. The super-deformed scenes that reveal her inner confusion or delight
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Dec 25, 2013
Gin no Saji
(Anime)
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Gin no Saji's strength is that it's a 'high school' anime that's almost wholly original. By taking place in an agricultural school, it abandons most of the run-of-the-mill high school storylines. The main character flees his home to this farflung school for reasons that are only vaguely outlined during the show. The secondary characters are amusing, but have limited depth to them, and his love interest is almost one-dimensional. As such, this show is not really character-driven. It's about the novel new burdens of life that the protagonist has to accept at this school. If anything, the protagonist's increased understanding and respect for the food
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Dec 25, 2013
Inu x Boku SS
(Anime)
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After watching the first episode I was expecting this series to turn into a bishonen harem show, but to my delight, I was mistaken. The closest similar anime I can think of is Fruits Basket, though Inu x Boku has more comedy and less heart-warming-ness (?) than FB. The slightly ecchi humor may not be for everyone, but I think it's a good balance for the more wholesome themes of love, friendship, and trust that make up the rest of the story. Watching as Ririchiyo slowly retracted her thorns and thawed her heart was sweet. (And her outfits are just TOO cute!)
For most of ... |
