Anime of the Week (5/12 – 5/18)

Anime of the Week – Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S
	Nothing makes your heart stick in your throat more painfully than having a righteous cause, but finding yourself powerless in the face of your seemingly invincible adversary. But giving up never enters into Misaka’s mind and I can’t wait to see how she puts that fighting spirit to good use.

May 12	Leviathan Ep. 6 I’ve been wondering how these reluctant girls were going to get roped into saving the world… but who’s the kid?
	HenNeko Ep. 5 It’s a real treat to watch Yukari Tamura do her tsundere. And Azusa also shows how to turn things around when plans go awry.

May 13	Gargantia Ep. 6 It’s my theory that the Hidiaazu are not aliens, but are a species from the Earth that hitchhiked with humanity into space.
	Attack on Titan Ep. 6 Yes, yes. Backstory is important and we’ve established that Mikasa is badass. Now can we finally start moving forward?

May 15	Samurai Bride Ep. 6 Another second season that’s not living up to its predecessor because the writers just wander aimlessly without focus.
	Devil Survivor 2 Ep. 6 We’re missing a lot of the complexity the characters showed in the game through their relationships with Hibiki.

May 16

Yuyushiki Ep. 5 If anyone is interested in how my thought process works while I’m brainstorming, watch this anime. It’s about like that.

May 18	Date A Live Ep. 7 What this series was missing has arrived—a sense of foreboding and dread that has really ratcheted up the suspense.
	Crime Edge Ep. 7 We shouldn’t become overwhelmed by our jealousy of what others have, but instead pursue that desire in our own way.
	Railgun S Ep. 6 If we can draw a clear line between chemistry and biology, why is it so hard to draw the line between animal and human?
	Maou-sama Ep. 7 In the words of Elie Wiesel, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference,” which is why Emi still cares about Sado.
	Red Data Girl Ep. 9 I don’t get the impression a deific being would enjoy empty flattery, but it would be foolish to make her angry, too.
	Samurai Bride Ep. 7 With the plot finally starting to get rolling, it feels like the first half of this series was just wasting time.

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Anime of the Week (5/5 – 5/11)

Anime of the Week – Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S
	A terrific balance of comedy and philosophical quandaries juxtaposed by some sinister dealings to maximize the tension level, last week’s episode was a perfect example of why the Toaru franchise is brilliant.

May 5	Leviathan Ep. 5 Don’t you hate it when everyone goes fishing, you’re all using the same bait, but you’re the only one who can’t catch one?
	HenNeko Ep. 4 After Yokodera got his facade back so easily, I was worried the conflicts in this story weren’t resolving dramatically enough.
	Red Data Girl Ep. 4 What is going on here? There’s a lot of people with supernatural connections at this school, but who regulates it all?
	Red Data Girl Ep. 5 Why is it so viscerally satisfying to see an egotistical overachiever get brought down by an unexpected turn of events?
	Red Data Girl Ep. 6 If we learned anything from Totoro its when anime gets too deep into its own mythology it starts making its own rules.
	Red Data Girl Ep. 7 I always find it interesting to think about the various ways we apply morality differently to animals and humans.
	Yuyushiki Ep. 3 To anyone who decides to come to Japan from June to September: be prepared for hot, humid, energy-draining weather.
	Muromi-san Ep. 2 I wish I’d been able to made the connection between “leviathan” and “Levia-san” without having to get it explained.

May 6	Gargantia Ep. 5 So even Gargantia has a red-light district. They said it’s good for him, but talk about throwing Ledo into the deep end.
	Attack on Titan Ep. 5 Just what are these titans? The story is trying to explain them, but in doing so it may demystify them too much.

May 7

Yuyushiki Ep. 4 Unlike Yuzuko, I very much like wearing my glasses because it has the additional side-effect of making me look smart.

May 8

OreGairu Ep. 3 It’s said that discretion is the better part of valor, but sometimes the situation calls for standing up for what is right.

May 10	Crime Edge Ep. 6 Women are often accused of forcing men to be mind readers, but that doesn’t mean males can’t make their own feelings clear.
	Maou-sama Ep. 6 Ugh. As episodes that connect story arcs go, this was poor. I see where they’re coming from and going to far too clearly.

May 11	Date A Live Ep. 6 What happened? Was this episode concepted by the writer’s teenage son? Even as onsen episodes go, this is darned campy.
	Railgun S Ep. 5 It’s interesting to consider just how much of our personalities are determined by our upbringing and how much is DNA.
	Red Data Girl Ep. 8 It seems to be human nature to resist change at every opportunity. But we need to accept that change is inevitable.

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Anime of the Week (4/28 – 5/4)

Anime of the Week – Suisei no Gargantia
	No matter how much training and discipline the most hardened soldier may have, at the end of the day he’s still human and something humans never truly forget how to do is relax.

April 28	OreImo 2 Ep. 4 Ugh. The premises this second season keeps rolling out are getting more and more ridiculous. I expected better than this.
	Valvrave Ep. 2 I get it. Unrequited love is a common trope, but no half-assed confession has made me want to upturn my desk more than this.

April 29	HenNeko Ep. 3 Why does society accept that all men are perverts, but if a man wore his desires on his sleeve nobody would trust him?
	Yuyushiki Ep. 2 I always enjoy these natural-thought-process moe anime with wandering ideas that make you feel smarter for watching it.
	Gargantia Ep. 4 It’s a good thing that morality is a malleable concept that can be molded to fit whatever circumstances face humanity.

April 30

Attack on Titan Ep. 4 It’s important to develop the setting and characters, but there’s no reason it can’t be done while telling the story.

May 1	Leviathan Ep. 2 Sometimes complexity is overrated and this series is doing great keeping things simple yet still telling a fun story.
	Leviathan Ep. 3 Like the heroine, I also love barley tea, but using it to defeat monsters never occurred to me. This series has me hooked.

May 2

Leviathan Ep. 4 This series celebrates the unique traits that men and women possess and by working together we can make each other stronger.

May 3

Maou-sama Ep. 5 Even if it’s not intentional, once you’ve invested a considerable amount of time into something, it becomes more precious.

May 4	Date A Live Ep. 5 What has been seen cannot be unseen, but sometimes what has been done most certainly can be undone.
	Railgun S Ep. 4 I think we forget that if a clone of ourselves existed, it would almost certainly be a separate person and not a slave.
	Crime Edge Ep. 5 It’s still kind of sad, but it’s nice to see a role reversal where the girl is clueless about the guy in love with her.
	Samurai Bride Ep. 4 Women worry far too much about changing themselves when the man who will love them thinks they’re already perfect.
	Samurai Bride Ep. 5 The problem with unnecessary sequels—all the best ideas were in season one and season two is just a spectacle.
	Devil Survivor 2 Ep. 4 Everything is proceeding out of line with the game. Time will tell if that was the correct way to tell the story.
	Devil Survivor 2 Ep. 5 I’ve played the game, so I know the backstory and context and I’m still lost. Is there any hope for the uninitiated?

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Anime of the Week (4/21 – 4/27)

Anime of the Week – Suisei no Gargantia
	Although different civilizations the…universe…over may have different degrees of right and wrong, there are some basic rules of morality that all societies must adhere to in order to function. It would be difficult to imagine a successful world where everyone constantly stole from and killed one another. We can attain greater accomplishments by working together and building trust.

April 21	HenNeko Ep. 2 Though their actions are by no means delicate or sophisticated, there’s more to these characters than I’d initially expected.
	Date a Live Ep. 3 Is the moral of the story how if we all focused on loving each other instead of hurting, the world would be peaceful?

April 22

Gargantia Ep. 3 It’s good to know that telling the good guys from the bad guys by their social constructs transcends language and culture.

April 23	Attack on Titan Ep. 3 There’s no greater confidence booster than realizing you no longer need to rely on others to accomplish your dream.
	OreImo 2 Ep. 3 This is the kind of dull backstory for a side character I’d expect to see as a bonus episode in the BD extras.
	Devil Survivor 2 Ep. 3 The events aren’t adding up and I’m not sure if the anime is mixing stories from the game or making a new one.
	Crime Edge Ep. 2 Like in C^3, I find the concept of two curses which are individually harmful, but together balance out to be very poetic.

April 24	Crime Edge Ep. 3 To be so dependent on someone else’s existence that you couldn’t live without that person…isn’t love a kind of sickness?
	Muromi-san Ep. 1 Why Yukari Tamura, why? Why do you lend your wonderful vocal talents to weird anime and compel me to watch them?

April 25	Mushibugyo Ep. 1 Every anime season sees one or two new shonen action series for kids that I’m comfortable dismissing as, “not for me.”
	Leviathan Ep. 1 Anime with cat girls, bunny girls and every animal in between are per the norm, but rarely do I see one with dragon girls.

April 26

Samurai Bride Ep. 3 This series always had a harem bent, so I guess season two is just finishing up the roster. I can live with that.

April 27	Maou-sama Ep. 4 When we fail to understand others’ circumstances, we end up making unfounded assumptions to the detriment of all involved.
	Railgun S Ep. 3 I wish they weren’t telling the sisters story because we already know the ending from Index and that takes away suspense.
	Crime Edge Ep. 4 I love how there’s a poetic symmetry of relationships for every character—a black and a white like the keys of a piano.
	Date A Live Ep. 4 Stories that twist dating-sim logic into reality aren’t always silly. Sometimes they highlight what the games get right.

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Anime of the Week (4/14 – 4/20)

Anime of the Week – The “Hentai” Prince and the Stony Cat
	After a great opening week in which we saw the rest of the spring 2013 anime air their first episodes, week two had nothing really outstanding. So I’m choosing HenNeko because Yukari Tamura sings the opening theme and it’s so happy it makes me forget all my troubles.

April 15	HenNeko Ep. 1 Despite its overly forthcoming start that follows the uncomplicated title, the premise and characters have a definite charm.
	OreGairu Ep. 1 After OreShura finished last season, I’m surprised to see another story about a high school romance SNAFU I can relate to.

April 16	OreImo 2 Ep. 2 I guess the lesson all of us otaku need to take away from this is not to act like the characters in our favorite series.
	OreGairu Ep. 2 These people TOTALLY remind me of how I was in high school. I never tried to appease others and I always spoke my mind.
	Arata Ep. 1 While it looks interesting, all I see is a lineup of boss characters for our hero Arata to finish off before the season ends.
	Arata Ep. 2 There really is a missed opportunity for more focus on Arata’s culture shock instead of Hinohara’s confused and whiny demeanor.
	Attack on Titan Ep. 2 Ok, now that this tragic story summary is out of the way, it’s time for Eren to start working on his revenge.

April 17	Yuyushiki Ep. 1 What a curious way of drawing people. Compare the characters’ heads to any other anime and you’ll see they have no skulls.
	Red Data Girl Ep. 1 There’s just enough mystery in the setting and heroine plus disgust towards the antagonist to get me to keep watching.

April 18

Red Data Girl Ep. 2 What an underhanded catch-22. In trying to get away from Izumiko, Sagara has gotten involved in something over his head.

April 19

Crime Edge Ep. 1 At its start, this series is relying quite heavily on its weird premise, but it’s complimented by some good acting.

April 20	Railgun S Ep. 2 If there’s anything to be learned from Railgun’s first season, it’s that every petty crime is a small part of a bigger one.
	Valvrave Ep. 1 The concept of some random high schooler just hopping into a mecha and having no trouble piloting it is hard to swallow.
	Majestic Prince Ep. 1 Yech. Talk about a hard-to-swallow premise. A bunch of screw-ups get selected for a suicide mission and they succeed?
	Maou-sama Ep. 3 They say love and hate are opposite sides of the same coin, but I hope that’s not the case with Maou and Emi.
	Red Data Girl Ep. 3 Rather than actually telling a story, this series seems to be visiting all the usual set pieces associated with Shinto.

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Anime of the Week (4/7 – 4/13)

Anime of the Week – Attack on Titan & Suisei no Gargantia
	Right away this series is doing a great job delivering on the themes of freedom and avoiding living a life of complacency. But it’s hard to design a creepier enemy than a soulless, humanoid monster with an innocent baby face.
	I know an anime is onto something awesome when I can watch the first two episodes ten times over and over and still get goosebumps. There’s a unique kind of culture shock between Led and the people of the Gargantia fleet that comes about from the extreme differences in their levels of technology. This kind of disparity can get overexplained to a story’s detriment, but Gargantia weaves the exposition of the setting into the plot naturally and seamlessly.

April 7	OreImo 2 Ep. 1 I always thought this franchise needed a second season, but I hate it when sequels regress from where the series left off.
	Little Busters Ep. 26 I’ve not played the visual novel, but what I do know did not suggest to me that this series would have an after-story.

April 9

Date A Live Ep. 1 I’ve seen worse premises executed better, but I like the characters and there’s enough open-endedness to keep my interest.

April 10

Date A Live Ep. 2 Although cliché with its romantically clueless protagonist, the situations he gets into are hilariously ridiculous.

April 12	Karneval Ep. 1 Mystery…check. Secret government organization…check. Interesting and complex antagonist…check. Pretty boys…ehhh.
	Attack on Titan Ep. 1 I haven’t seen this kind of epic with grim, gritty, merciless violence and a fresh art style in quite some time.
	Devil Survivor 2 Ep. 2 Same route as P4: The Animation—loosely following the game plot and composing terrifically tone-setting op/ed themes.

April 13	Maou-sama Ep. 2 That moment when you realize the mortal enemy that you’ve demonized for your entire life is human, too.
	Railgun S Ep. 1 I’ve always loved Misaka’s character design. Maybe it’s because she’s an elite, but isn’t stuck up about her position.
	Samurai Bride Ep. 2 Sadly, this appears to be a rather lazy sequel. Even the fanservice and character tropes feel rather halfhearted.
	Gargantia Ep. 1 With battles on a grand scale, a complex setting and interesting characters, this is the mecha anime we’ve been waiting for.
	Gargantia Ep. 2 Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, and nothing makes war more impersonal than technology.

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Anime of the Week (3/31 – 4/6)

Anime of the Week – Girls und Panzer
	Usually I think I’d give the nod for anime of the week to two anime when one of the winners is out of season. But the other performers this week had such a poor showing compared to the cleverly orchestrated combat sequences full of passionate gusto and a show of terrific camaraderie of the ending for Girls und Panzer.

April 1	Maoyuu Ep. 12 Many others series this season did a great job wrapping up a story that in some ways felt ongoing. This one? Not so much.
	Vividred Ep. 12 While it turned out better than I initially expected, I didn’t foresee myself wanting a more deeply constructed setting.
	GJ-bu Ep. 12 This was one of those anime that created a distinct atmosphere about it that infused every second with pure awesomeness.
	OreShura Ep. 13 I suppose I can write it off as Eita just being a good guy, but even when he tries to take a strong stance it backfires.

April 2	Panzer Ep. 11 I forgot why these last two episodes couldn’t have aired along with the rest of the series, but the wait was worth it.
	Panzer Ep. 12 A brilliant underdog story that defied any notion of gender roles, with excellent, strategic battles and relatable characters.
	Little Busters Ep. 25 What is it that Riki suspects about the world? Could it be how everything always seems to work out too perfectly?

April 3

Kotoura Ep. 12 While the anime ended on a good note with Kotoura having found her nerve, because life goes on, I really wanted more.

April 5

Devil Survivor 2 Ep. 1 Already cutting corners in the for-TV version, this is an example of why I don’t like knowing the source material.

April 6	Samurai Bride Ep. 1 Another sequel that doesn’t need to exist, but I’ll be watching it to listen to some of my favorite voice actresses.
	Maou-sama Ep. 1 Every year seems to have a recurring theme among anime. Following Maoyuu, this time around it’s heroes and demon lords.
	Aku no Hana Ep. 1 Maybe it’s trying to make some artistic expression, but this ugly anime with no clearly defined story is just bleh.
	Photokano Ep. 1 The characters’ expressions don’t seem to match their words and the overflow of girls are showing shallow personalities.

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Anime of the Week (3/24 – 3/30)

Anime of the Week – From the New World
	Two wrongs don’t make a right taken to the extreme; answering one atrocity with another only breeds hate, even when circumstances would seem to justify such a vindictive response. True peace, true justice, true understanding only comes when everyone calmly and rationally makes evident their hopes and desires.

March 24	Shinsekai Ep. 25 “The power of imagination is what changes everything.” A beautiful end to a series swimming in deep, ethical conundrums.
	Little Busters Ep. 24 What sets this anime apart from other Key works is how much of the story is devoted to the team and not just one girl.

March 25

OreShura Ep. 12 I’ve never been in love, but I wonder…is there a moment when something clicks and you realize like has changed to love?

March 26

Sakurasou Ep. 24 Just because you failed doesn’t mean you have to give up. The end of one chapter is always the beginning of another.

March 29	Tamako Ep. 12 I don’t know what this series was trying to accomplish other than just telling a warm, lighthearted and really silly story.
	Zetsuen Ep. 24 I think everyone made the right choice. Put simply, peace at the price of freedom is tyranny and that’s no way to live.

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Anime of the Week (3/17 – 3/23)

Anime of the Week – Psycho-Pass
	The perfect society may not exist, but that doesn’t mean we should give up pursuing such an ideal. In a way, chasing that goal may in itself be the perfect system.

March 17	Mondaiji Ep. 10 Is it just me or does there seem to be a strangely high percentage of anime that want a second season but never get one?
	Shinsekai Ep. 24 Sometimes in our haste to have things our way, we may overlook an equally valid option where everyone can be happy.

March 18	OreShura Ep. 11 Most romantic comedies can’t wait to get to the swimsuit episode, so I’m glad the story is taking priority over fanservice.
	Little Busters Ep. 23 Besides Mio, this series has been rooted in reality, but now with Kud’s arc there’s some sparks of magic flying.
	Kotoura Ep. 10 Oh c’mon. The bait that Tsukino gave to Kotoura was WAY too obvious. You don’t need to be a mind reader to solve this crime.

March 19

Sakurasou Ep. 23 It’s no coincidence this episode falls on the same week as graduations all over Japan, which are generally quiet events.

March 21

Tamako Ep. 11 Tamako with glasses is so cute! But why is everyone so eager to get her out of the shopping district and marry into royalty?

March 22	Psycho-Pass Ep. 22 I usually cringe when a series I liked has such an open ending. But I think this may be one of those rare exceptions.
	GJ-bu Ep. 11 Valentine’s day in Japan is so different from how I remember it as an elementary student—the only time I’ve ever celebrated it.

March 23	Kotoura Ep. 11 All the pieces were there for a romantic comedy that also explored the kinds of honest feelings we keep to ourselves…*sigh*
	Zetsuen Ep. 23 The dichotomy of tragedy and comedy runs through this series and remains unknown which path it will take in the conclusion.
	Vividred Ep. 11 In an unexpectedly unexpected turn, the final boss appears and that means the girls have to pull out all the stops.
	Maoyuu Ep. 11 Despite all the complexities shaping this world, I worry the Hero and Demon King’s story won’t get the treatment it deserves.

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Anime of the Week (3/10 – 3/16)

Anime of the Week – The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
It’s not Sakurasou without Shiina.	The theme of this series runs straight to its core—caring for your friends and looking out for each other. And although it sort of beats us over the head with that recurring plot element, it’s presented so eloquently that it never fails to touch our hearts.

March 10	Tamako Ep. 9 As adorable as Anko with her young crush may be, is there anyone in this world who can remember even one person from preschool?
	Kotoura Ep. 9 Do those who possess unbelievable powers have an obligation to help others even if doing so will bring them trouble?
	Shinsekai Ep. 23 This anime is a great example of allowing world building to happen through natural discovery rather than via guidebook.

March 11	Mondaiji Ep. 9 Too many people undervalue a simple story with no nonsensical fanservice or complicated philosophical meanderings.
	OreShura Ep. 10 I thought the whole point of Eita and Natsukawa’s fake relationship was to help keep real romantic interests at a distance.
	Little Busters Ep. 22 All of Riki’s support for Kud to courageously live with no regrets feels empty after the preview for the next episode.

March 12

Sakurasou Ep. 22 The theme of friends hurting each other and making each other stronger is tried and true, but powerful if done right.

March 14

Tamako Ep. 10 I don’t get baton twirling. I guess it’s a kind of dance, but my male sensibilities tell me using a sword would be cooler.

March 15	Psycho-Pass Ep. 21 It’s heartbreaking, but Masaoka made the right choice. The proper order of life is for the child to outlive the parent.
	Zetsuen Ep. 22 More and more in this world of comforts, we find ourselves giving far too much of our freedom in exchange for security.

March 16	Vividred Ep. 10 I can see potential for this series to be its own unique magic girl anime if it starts trying a little harder.
	GJ-bu Ep. 10 Instead of taking others’ disagreeable observations of you as criticism, why not use it as an opportunity for self improvement?
	Maoyuu Ep. 10 The factors that lead up to war are complicated beyond the actions of one man, but we like to put the blame on an individual.

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