{"id":4204,"date":"2010-02-03T05:00:48","date_gmt":"2010-02-03T13:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mikoto.wordpress.com\/?p=4204"},"modified":"2010-02-03T05:00:48","modified_gmt":"2010-02-03T13:00:48","slug":"what-i-watched-this-month-january-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/flomu.net\/blog\/2010\/02\/what-i-watched-this-month-january-2010\/","title":{"rendered":"What I watched this month: January 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Before I say anything else, I just want to say that I can’t see myself doing any more “The anime that I should have dropped forever” posts. \u00a0I hate series of posts like that. \u00a0I’m not dedicated enough to type more than one post on the same subject. \u00a0Likewise, although this post’s title seems to imply that I’m going to have a “What I watched this month: February 2010,” I doubt there will be.<\/p>\n

Yep.<\/p>\n

Oh, and this post is combining everything I’ve watched this month, not just airing shows and not just old shows.<\/p>\n

God Tier<\/span><\/h2>\n

Planetes<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I think this pretty much sums up what I have to say: http:\/\/twitter.com\/Mikotoism\/status\/7697544998<\/a><\/p>\n

Planetes is not a show to be marathoned – I couldn’t stand more than a few episodes at a time. \u00a0Yet it’s also not a show to be missed. \u00a0Best ending ever.<\/p>\n

Soul Eater<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I thought Gintama was one of a kind. \u00a0Soul Eater proved me wrong.<\/p>\n

This is an action\/comedy at its best. \u00a0While it may not be as comedic as Gintama, the action and comedy blends so well together that whatever crazy thing happens, it’s not surprising. \u00a0Add the surreal art and you’ve got one hell of a masterpiece.<\/p>\n

I’ve heard bad things about the ending of this show, but heck, I can’t see anything bad about it yet.<\/p>\n

Top Tier<\/span><\/h2>\n

Kara no Kyoukai 5<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Taking the “what does it mean to be human?” theme to the extreme (rhyme unintended) is this movie. \u00a0Easily the best of the incredibly overrated Kara no Kyoukai movies, Paradox Spiral had me on the edge of my seat for a whole two hours. \u00a0The pacing was great, the plot was intense, the themes were down to earth yet still unique, and (for once) Kokuto looked cool.<\/p>\n

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

With bias:\u00a0http:\/\/mikoto.wordpress.com\/2009\/12\/27\/the-greatest-anime-of-all-time-13\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Without bias: http:\/\/twitter.com\/Mikotoism\/status\/8440628992<\/a><\/p>\n

Sora no Woto<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

K-ON! + Valkyria Chronicles?<\/p>\n

More like (K-ON! + Valkyria Chronicles)^100.<\/p>\n

This show exceeded my expectations from Day One, and it just kept getting better. \u00a0A slice-of-life story in a post-apocalyptic world isn’t anything new (and indeed, there are series much better than this), but Sora no Woto has overcome the moe handicap it set for itself. \u00a0I hope to see even more serious themes masked with lighthearted moe\/slice-of-life in the future.<\/p>\n

High Tier<\/span><\/h2>\n

Black Lagoon<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Took the words right out of my mouth.<\/p><\/div>\n

Black Lagoon is a simple anime. \u00a0Hardcore action, minimal non-action, and quite a few very violent yet likable characters. \u00a0It does things directly, and it does things well.<\/p>\n

My only complaint would be that arcs start up too slowly. \u00a0Some arcs are slice-of-life for almost half an episode before anything worthwhile happens.<\/p>\n

Also, the twins were really creepy. \u00a0Holy shit.<\/p>\n

Chobits<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Chobits is even more simple than Black Lagoon, though in a different way.<\/p>\n

There is absolutely nothing new about this show (probably because it set the standard to begin with). \u00a0The theme has been done over and over and over again (heck, it’s in Kara no Kyoukai 5, as mentioned above). \u00a0The characters seem so generic (Chii – maybe not, but Hideki definitely<\/em> is), and the plot is pretty much moot, since the show’s nearly 100% slice-of-life for most of its 26 episodes.<\/p>\n

So why is it so good?<\/p>\n

Hanamaru Kindergarten<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This show is a quarter of what Yotsuba would be like in anime form. \u00a0Considering Yotsuba is just about the greatest manga ever made, that’s supposed to be a compliment.<\/p>\n

Anzu’s genki-ness, Koume’s ignorance, and Hiiragi’s “adult” personality combine to make one hell of a comedy. \u00a0Everything is just so damn cute, and the personalities of children really shine through here.<\/p>\n

Too bad it feels superficial, though. \u00a0Every laugh I get feels like it was forced out of me (whereas I can laugh my ass off at a volume of Yotsuba for hours on end).<\/p>\n

Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Speaking of forced comedy, here’s this season’s king of forced comedy. \u00a0Baka Test wasn’t the standard harem romantic comedy I thought it was, but instead a standard comedy. \u00a0Though, of course, it’s a really good standard comedy.<\/p>\n

Some shows flow with humor. \u00a0Others have to squeeze and wring for the humor to come out. \u00a0However, that doesn’t mean the comedy is any less good. \u00a0Baka Test, belonging to the latter category, puts out one gag after another, sacrificing just about everything to make the audience laugh. \u00a0And boy, do I laugh.<\/p>\n

That cow…<\/p>\n

Mid Tier<\/span><\/h2>\n

Durarara!!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

People, it’s not that good<\/strong>. \u00a0Sure, it’s innovative (arguably not, actually…), interesting, and [insert more adjectives here], but it pales in comparison to Baccano!.<\/p>\n

Durarara!! uses Baccano’s tried-and-true model, yet fails to copy the most important part and Baccano’s main appeal: the characters. \u00a0The plot setup<\/em> is as interesting as Baccano’s, since we are left to wonder how everything is connected. \u00a0However, by jumping around from character to character, DRRR!! gives us too long of a look at each character’s personality and story. \u00a0Baccano! heaved a huge cast of characters at us, letting us gradually connect with them over the course of 13 episodes. \u00a0DRRR!! is practically shoving information down our throats, forcing us to connect with one character\/group of characters at a time.<\/p>\n

DRRR!! also fails to take advantage of its jumping-around structure. \u00a0Whereas Baccano! started things off in the midst of the action, DRRR!! is still in exposition mode (there is no plot yet, hence the “setup<\/em>“). \u00a0I find this to be a waste of its unique structure. \u00a0Done right, DRRR!! could overcome that one-character-at-a-time deal… but it’s not going so well. \u00a0There is no overarching plot that connects the characters, just bits and pieces. \u00a0This both brings out the lack of plot and makes everything feel disjointed. \u00a0I’m sure that in the future, DRRR!! is going to develop this aforementioned all-encompassing plot, but to have four (probably more) episodes of boring<\/em> exposition is unforgivable.<\/p>\n

Not sure how clear that was, but I think I got the major points down. \u00a0(Don’t get me wrong, though. \u00a0DRRR!! is a good show, just not the great one everybody thinks it is.)<\/p>\n

Dance in the Vampire Bund<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is not a good show. \u00a0This is also not a bad show.<\/p>\n

The main reason why this show sucks is that it’s terribly incohesive. \u00a0The four episodes we’ve seen so far have been like four different shows with four different casts of characters. \u00a0If I marathoned this show, I would probably join the crowd and bash it to no end. \u00a0But thank god I have a week between episodes – this way, I can appreciate each great episode for what it is.<\/p>\n

Episode one, despite the complete pointlessness of the television show (who cares about what an actor, mangaka, etc. have to say?), was interesting. \u00a0Almost all series featuring vampires either have the creatures slinking around in the shadows of the normal world or have them in a separate world filled with other monsters. \u00a0Though you’d think it would be more common a theme, ‘revealing vampires (or monsters in general) to the general public’ is rarely seen in anime. \u00a0Or at least in the ones I’ve watched.<\/p>\n

I’m going to continue watching this series, if not only for its novelty.<\/p>\n

Seitokai no Ichizon<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This was last season’s king of forced comedy, arguably the all-time king of forced comedy. \u00a0Some references were so out of place that I laughed more at the fact that they fit so horribly than at the actual references. \u00a0Even worse was the sudden seriousness of some episodes (Mafuyu loves you… and then what? \u00a0Is that it? \u00a0what the hell is this).<\/p>\n

Credit must be given where credit is due, though. \u00a0Some parts of this series were laugh-out-loud funny, and despite the numerous drawbacks, it was a decent watch.<\/p>\n

Ouran High School Host Club<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

You know, if Haruhi were actually good looking<\/em>, I’d like this show a lot more. \u00a0The humor is okay, but I just can’t take looking at so many men. \u00a0And the only girl looks like neither a man or a woman.<\/p>\n

FMA:B<\/p>\n

All other Kara no Kyoukai<\/p>\n

Low Tier<\/span><\/h2>\n

Katanagatari<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

When I opened the file, my less-than-stellar computer lagged. \u00a0I should’ve taken it as an omen.<\/p>\n

This series was obligatory. \u00a0Everybody’s watching it, so I have to watch it too. \u00a0…or so I thought. \u00a0Now I have seen the errors of my ways, and will drop this bad show.<\/p>\n

The only vaguely entertaining thing about Katanagatari (besides the weird art) was the male lead. \u00a0He’s very… unique. \u00a0Everything else was terrible. \u00a0The action was practically non-existent, replaced instead by a lot of not-very-witty dialogue (though truth be told, that did help bring out the male lead’s personality).<\/p>\n

Honey and Clover<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Boring.<\/p>\n

Ookamikakushi<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

I can see this series getting good in the future, but for now the lack of disturbing scenes… well, it disturbs me. \u00a0I want to see more creepy Issei or overly cheerful classmates, not this slice-of-life bullcrap I’m getting.<\/p>\n

I could do without the moe scythe girl, too. \u00a0Why is she moe-fied? \u00a0What idiot thought that up?<\/p>\n

Revolutionary Girl Utena<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Boring.<\/p>\n

Bottom Tier<\/span><\/h2>\n

Bungaku Shoujo OVA<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

This is probably the single most forgettable episode of anime I’ve ever seen. \u00a0I saw it last week, and I didn’t realize I had watched it this month until two minutes ago, when I was looking through my MAL history.<\/span><\/p>\n

There was nothing – absolutely nothing – good about this episode. \u00a0I’m still pumped for the movie, but this OVA was some weird parody of the mystery show I was expecting.<\/span><\/p>\n

K-ON! OVA<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

copypasta image because this OVA doesn’t deserve anything better<\/span><\/p>\n

Omamori Himari<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

This exceeded my expectations. \u00a0I thought it was going to be a shitty harem romance comedy (insert more generic things here). \u00a0It turned out to be a really<\/em> shitty harem romance comedy (insert more generic things here), stuffing every stereotype in the world into twenty minutes of pure torture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shit Tier<\/span><\/h2>\n

Seikon no Qwaser<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is perhaps the best example of “characters in the wrong show.” \u00a0 I like most of the characters here, and they might have worked in a different show.<\/p>\n

However, the story and the censorship of this show is so terrible that none of that even matters. \u00a0I didn’t want to see ecchi crap, so I watched the censored version. \u00a0Too bad the censored version cut off 99% of the screen, to a point where I had no idea what was going on half the time. \u00a0I hate this show so much.<\/p>\n

Chu-Bra<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The very premise of Chu-Bra is horrendous. \u00a0How can anybody bear to watch this show?<\/p>\n

Apocalypse Zero<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

I have gone through hell. \u00a0This is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Apocalypse Zero was so bad that I wrote a review<\/a> of\u00a0it\u00a0on MAL (see Yxel).<\/span><\/p>\n

I spent three hours looking for subbed episodes and got 92.7% of the first episode torrented tier<\/span><\/h2>\n

Gundou Musashi<\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

I really, really want to watch this show, but it’s tough to find it on the internet (I think 5 episodes have been subbed, but I can’t even find those)… and it only aired in 2006!<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh, and I found something funny: http:\/\/dagobah.biz\/flash\/gundohharuhi.swf<\/a><\/p>\n

tl;dr I watch a ton of shows and a ton of shit<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2zM4X-15O","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/flomu.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/flomu.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/flomu.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/flomu.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/flomu.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/flomu.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4204\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/flomu.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/flomu.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/flomu.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}