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 Wondering what's worthwhile to be watching this season? Thinking about checking out a show but have no idea what it's about?? Just curious as to what other people think about the Fall 2010 lineup? Well, I've taken the courtesy of looking around at a couple different series out of this season's fresh new anime and have brought back a couple of reviews for your reading pleasure.

Panty and Stocking With Garterbelt (Episodes 1-3)
Star Rating (Out of 5) ***
P & S is...well...to say the least, different. For one thing, it is at first glance as far off from any Japanese anime as you could possibly think of. It's a stylistic aesthetic that is an instant hit-or-miss with fans. Simillarly, so is it's plot. At best, it can be described as a hilarious take on the usual adult-oriented American Cartoon similar to those we see on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. At worst, it's humor is obscenely vulgar and sloppy. Needless to say, this is NOT comedy that's going to make you think too long on it's subject matter. (Unless of course you are below the targeted age group, in which case you probably have no business watching a show whose titular characters are named for undergarments.)

Be warned though: episode 1 was not that impressive. Each episode is broken into two stories, and the pilot episode is broken into first, a giant monster ("ghost" by the show mythos) made entirely of...well, shit, and secondly, a literal and metaphorical speed demon. However, episode 2 and 3 definitely began to look up a little. Just finished Episode three, and I must say it is in my opinion the funniest yet, particularly the extended ejaculation metaphor of the latter half, to which I actually laughed aloud. And as for the animation/artistry approach: should you be able to stand the artistic style for long enough, Gainax never disappoints, especially not with it's quality standard in animation.


The World God Only Knows (Episodes 1-3)
Star Rating (Out of 5): ****Now, I love stories about geeky kids. Anybody can tell you that. The World God Only Knows revolves around a High-School Boy named Keima Katsuragi who is otherwise known as the God of Conquest. Now, he's not really a god or anything close to it: his name merely arises from his talent at unlocking the heroine paths in dating sim video games via his trusty PFP. At school, he's not particularly liked-- his blatantly otaku hobbies combined with the fact he wears glasses have earned him the unscrupulous nickname of otamegane (literally from "otaku megane"-- akin to calling someone a four-eyed-geek.) One day he is sent what appears to be a challenge offering him a heroine he's never before conquered. Not to be shamed, Keima accepts the challenge and -poof-! He's swept up into a real-life dating-sim style challenge where he's supposed to help a demon girl named Elsie capture the lost souls that have hidden themselves in the hearts of others-- and the only way to lure them out for capturing is for Keima to replace the space the soul is using with his own existence!

Now, this show has great, great promise. It's certainly entertaining enough to have me looking forward to watching new episodes, so at least it's got something. However, the only way to know for sure is to keep watching and see if it will fulfill our expectations to deliver. It is my hope and prayer that this does not turn out to be just another moe blob show, which it doesn't really seem like, but who knows? The production quality is lovely, animation and sound is very well done overall, adding to the appeal. The only real problem I express is: what the hell's up with the designs of their school uniforms? Must they all be fashion challenged? (Ha ha...)


Otome Youkai Zakuro (Episodes 1-3)
Star Rating (Out of 5): *****
Another favorite sub-genre of mine is ANYTHING, oh ANYTHING supernatural with a twist of traditional Japan. Here we have a fantastic mix of the two, blended with absolute grace. In an alternative universe during the Japanese Meiji Era, humans and younin spirits attempt to keep their two totally different worlds from being forever torn apart by the practice of Westernization. It seems humans have become less understanding of their demon and half-demon counterparts, causing harsh tensions to arise. It is to this effect that the military pairs up one of their units with several younin girls in a unique outfit for spirit affairs.

There are echoes of many series within Zakuro, and it all blends seamlessly. Not to mention the already-brewing romances are some of the most charming I've seen lately (With Toradora! being one of the better romantic comedies in recent years). The animation is gorgeous, as is the art. However, don't get it confused with a Shoujo series; Zakuro is a Seinen manga (Shonen manga, but targeted towards an older audience). Definitely my top recommendation for the year!!

Above series are available for legal simulcasting via Crunchyroll.

Hayakka Ryouran Samurai Girls (Episode 1)
Rating (Out of 5): **Now, I should have known basically what to expect out of Samurai Girls, but I wouldn't listen to myself. Being it that most of these characters are also loans to the Queen's Blade Franchise I should have expected the plot to be what it was. Wait, plot? Oh, I'm sorry; couldn't really find one through all the boobs and strategically placed ink splatters. Yes, there was potential for a story with this series, and I was actually kind of looking forward to this, but it turned out to be an utter disappointment. I mean, how can you take characters seriously when they're prancing around in almost nothing but seifuku/haori jackets with underwear and swimsuits? I was too distracted by the lack of clothes/ridiculous breast sizes on all the female leads that I couldn't follow what was actually supposedly going on. I will complement the series, however, on it's art style and animation, which were very stylistic and smoothly executed.

I will not reccomend Samurai Girls and still take myself seriously. However, if you're just looking for some nice oppai and some sword-fighting action, by all means check this out!

Samurai Girls is available for legal simulcasting via Anime Network.

 Hey guys, radiantdreamer.net just relaunched their blog after a migration period! And to celebrate their comeback to the wonderful world of the interwebs, they've launched a contest/giveaway. The prizes: Nendoroid Petit Bakemonogatari (Set 2). Contained in this lovely edition of the Bakemonogatari Nendoroid Petit run are the characters Hachikji Mayoi (Mayoi Snail Arc), Kanbaru Suruga (Suruga Monkey Arc), and Nadeko Sengoku (Nadeko Snake Arc).

'Lo all, I know I haven't updated in a great while (not that anybody reads this blog anyways). Thought I'd share some thoughts on something I watched last night. Now, I'm no fan of Vocaloids. They're cute and all, but I cannot stand the music. However, I must admit I'd been sort of looking forward to the Black Rock Shooter OVA that came out early this month.

(All concept art in this post is courtesy of DannyChoo.com, assuming you guys don't see the watermark winking you in the faec.)

So, to start off. Animation. Considering that this project was intended to be distributed for free, I'd say that the project went very well. The animation was smoother and better thought out than some of today's series. The voices fit, albeit slightly awkwardly. Then again, I wasn't acquainted with most of the Seiyuu, aside from that of Takanashi Yomi (Dead Master).


As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I'm not all that into Vocaloids. So, the fact that the music didn't really have that feel put me at ease. The whole time I was watching, I was half-expecting some of that grating electronic voice to come through in the BGM. Of course, I was just watching a fansubbed version, so the overall quality is sub-par to the actual DVD release, so visuals and sound were less than the actual animation.

Throughout the story, I felt a little bit confused as to how the average world of characters Mato and Yomi fit into the desecrated landscapes of the world of Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master. You don't actually learn in any way how the two are connected until the end; the only thing that I ascertained was that they were alternate personas of a sort. However, the seamless blend of Slice of Life/Action & Fantasy worked very well, and kept even audiences who don't feed into the "moe" aspect entertained. The ending of this OVA left me satisfied with the particular arc in question; however I am left wondering if there is/will be another installment in this anime, particularly after the hanging end clip after the ending credits.

So, I just spent 3+ hours cleaning my room today! ALL IN THE NAME OF THE ALL-SACRED EXTRA SHELF-SPACE...which I had to move my dresser and all of it's contents in order to make room for.  lol. Yes. I have notoriously little shelf space, as anybody who has borne witness to my room knows. And shelf-space, for one such as myself, is a necessity for life. (Need moar space for manga/games/DVDs/Artbooks, plz.) Finally got my PS2 working again as well. Need to obtain a new TV and possibly a PS3 sometime in the future.

Need to submit new room pics. So much new shit since I did loot inventory last (around 2007...I think?).

I have also decided to hang the Elfin Lied wall scroll I bought my boyfriend rather than let it stay rolled up in the corner gathering dust. XD I'm so sure I'll become attached to it now though. I'll need to secure a replacement before giving it to him. lol. Still waiting for my mum or dad to walk in and see it/ give me the "wtf why is she half-shirtless?" look.