Steins;Gate – 22

Episode 22 –

Right off the bat, I’ll get it out of the way and state the obvious; this episode was very, very cheesy. The music certainly added to the over-the-top cheesiness here but, quite frankly, I still think this episode was awesome. I guess this episode is just a testament to just how much I’ve come to love the characters to this series, as well as their quirky interactions. Even with the saddening conclusion to the Makise dilemma, the characters maintained their charm till the very end, and that is something I definitely appreciate. That being said, the episode itself was very much focused on showcasing the relationship between Makise and Okabe. Throughout all these time leaping arcs, the story did an excellent job at pushing forward the character development for Makise and Okabe, resulting in this very believable and intense climactic episode. It’s somewhat tough to believe that this is still technically only a buildup episode.

As I’ve already mentioned, this series has done a tremendous job at developing it’s cast. The initial few episodes to this show were a bit quirky and slow, but this slow progression turned out to produce some strong returns later on in the series. This turned out to be especially true for Makise and Okabe, where they both got the most thorough and comprehensive development out of the whole cast. What made their development special compared to most anime, though, is how it was pushed forward through simple little quirky interactions, and how they gradually gained trust in each other. The gradual buildup to their relationship is what allowed for such an awesome climactic moment in this episode, and for that I do have to give White Fox (the studio) some kudos for staying patient. Their relationship is refreshing in light of most romances in other anime in recent times, where the realistic buildup has worked wonders.

The one thing that has bugged me a bit about this series, though, is how it’s climactic moments always turn out much more interesting than the actual conclusions to the arcs. This episode was a bundle of powerful emotions, but what somewhat kills the mood is how there seems to be the chance that the events of this episode might be negated. The general flaw to the recent arcs of this series is how they were extremely predictable, where Okabe would time leap and undo each D-mail, resulting in the misfortune of the heroine in question. The predictability factor still remains here in a sense, though much less visible in comparison to the other D-mail arcs. The predictability factor lies in the hints that Makise might not actually die (or at least, come back to life), which becomes especially pronounced after Suzuha calls up Okabe concerning the prevention of an impending World War III. The key thing to be on the lookout for would be how this series plans to go about such a plot twist, which quite frankly, I’m really curious to see. Convenient plot devices or not, I would like to see a happy end for Okabe and Makise.

In the end, this was a very evocative and powerful episode that really plucked upon the heartstrings, as well as did an excellent job at portraying the final farewell between Okabe and Makise. Heck, this entire episode was just a huge farewell between Okabe and Makise. Okabe’s relief at a conclusion might be shortlived though, where there are little details here that perk my suspicions about this new Beta timeline. My first big question is the return of Suzuha herself, or more importantly, how she obtained the means to travel to the past. Considering how Okabe got rid of the IBN and the phone microwave, any chance of a time machine being created should’ve virtually ceased to exist (or at least, disappeared for a while). Yet Suzuha’s return hints that Daru and Okabe might have dusted off some old material in the future, and built the time machine. Why was there a need to rebuild the time machine after abandoning the technology? And why in the world did Suzuha travel all the way back over 20 or so years in the first place? Do the roots of World War III really trace all the way back to Okabe in the year 2011?

Well, there is definitely one thing for sure: something big is afoot that came as a consequence of Okabe’s reentry into the Beta timeline, and it will definitely have a profound effect on events from here on out. As to how this relates back to the prologue of the beginning and the end, I’m starting to get a vague idea of what could possibly happen in the final two episodes to this series. The wait for new episodes is definitely going to kill me though =__=;

Overall Enjoyment: 4.4/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Kamisama Dolls – 8 + 9

Episode 8 + 9 –

After all the ruckus died down with the visit to the village, it seems that we’re once again in buildup-mode, where the series is gradually building up to another confrontation between the clans of the village. To complicate matters even further, we have the two opposition forces trying to make some amends with each other as they try to avoid conflict. The situation just keeps on devolving further and further into a complex and messy web of relationships, especially with the introduction of the new girl this episode (named Mahiru). As usual, this series just keeps on bringing up more and more questions, with no answers in sight. I’m hoping the creators are keeping the looming end to this series in mind, and maintaining this slower pace on purpose.

The one thing that is confounding me when it comes to this series is the sheer number of variables involved in the conflict. There’s the Hyuuga and the Kuga families, and while they are playing the most prominent role in the conflict here, these two clans are subdivided into a ton of individual identities. There’s Utao, Kyouhei, Koushiro, Kirio, Mahiru, Kyouhei’s parents, the Hyuuga head, Moyako, and Chihaya. And this isn’t even including the people that aren’t directly affiliated with the village, such as Hibino, Aki, Kuuko, and Kuuko’s nosy detective father. Each one of these individuals have their own motivations for getting involved here, which makes it tough to discern just how things might progress. On the plus side, Kamisama Dolls has done an excellent job at developing the motivations for each of these characters, of course except for the newly introduced Mahiru. The motivations are all personal, yet they all fit into this larger plot that is unfolding around this mysterious village and it’s inhabitants, and allows for the plot to unfold in a more chaotic, yet realistically unpredictable manner.

All of these variable factors make it really difficult to discern any sort of larger picture, where maybe we can get a hint to what the Hyuuga clan is up to. The only real hints we have at this point are three things. One, what was that “Amaterasu” kakashi doll that the Hyuuga had in their posession? Two, why is it that Kyouhei was the only one who could utilize Kukuri’s left hand, and why was Utao able to use it as well? And also important to note, three, what is the reason behind the Hyuuga frantically chasing after Aki? Is it simply because he escaped, or is there perhaps a deeper motive to their chase after him?

While I don’t mind all this build up, we still have barely made any progress towards figuring out the mysterious motives of the Hyuuga clan. We’re just getting more and more questions, all with very few answers (and it’s starting to irk me a bit). On the plus side, all the info about Aki’s past proved to be quite enlightening. Now if only the series would delve into Kyouhei’s darker past; it’s quite obvious the story is holding out on us and not revealing the full reason why Kyouhei gave up Kukuri, and I get the feeling this single piece of information will probably be the most significant and important clue in figuring out what is exactly going on here.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.4/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

P.S. Sorry, forgot to take screenshots for ep 8, so I only have screenies for ep 9.

Natsume Yuujinchou San – 09

Episode 09 –

Natsume Yuujinchou this week took a much more quiet and low-key approach, though I guess that isn’t really new for this particular series. What made this episode so great though was how it did an excellent job showing the fruits of Natsume’s character development since the very beginning of this series (and when I say beginning, I mean ep 1 of season 1). The focus here is on Natsume’s group of friends and youkai that lend support to him, which is very different from the very antisocial Natsume we met in the early episodes of this series.

What I really appreciate about this episode is how it really pushed the notion of Natsume being dependent on others. We all know Natsume is gifted with some abnormally strong supernatural abilities, but this episode does well in exposing his weaknesses; that he relies on others around him for help because he can’t properly use his abilities. The most prominent little detail with regards to this would be the temporary loss of Nyanko-sensei’s aid throughout the episode. The old saying “you don’t know what you’ve got until you lose it” fits perfectly here, where Natsume comes to have more appreciation for the companionship of Nyanko-sensei.

What was also nice here is how the episode did not only focus on Natsume’s youkai companions, but also his human friends. The nature of Natsume’s relationships with the two different types of beings reflects upon his very pacifist nature, and really proves how he has come a long way from the very beginning of this series. After all, at the beginning he had no human friends and absolutely despised youkai.

While Natsume has made a lot of friends, it is also extremely important to note that there is a darker caveat to all of this. Natsume’s need to hide stuff about youkai from his friends, as well as fight against evil youkai, are all part of the balance where “with the good comes the bad”. This does remind me of Natori’s comments over whether Natsume will choose youkai or humans, and does reflect upon a more subtle, darker tension in this series.

A cultural festival, as cliche of an anime event as it may be, actually did quite a good job at portraying a balanced perspective of Natsume and his friends. Natsume’s growing network of friends is great to see, but this episode does also remind us that there is also a darker side to all of this, which will probably become a central issue if Matoba is ever reintroduced to the story.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.8/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Ikoku Meiro no Croisee – 09

Episode 09 –

This episode delved further into the Claude x Camile debacle, and it turns out it’s just as deep-rooted as I had come to expect. At this point, this series is working to flesh out the relationship between the two to get a conflict going, and thankfully it’s quite the well-developed conflict. Unlike the usual focus on the cultural differences between Japan and France, this episode is going through the social tensions within each respective culture, which in my opinion makes for a much better story. I do believe this is a 12 episode series, so seeing proper development like this is really nice to see.

What I do appreciate is the story’s continued development of Claude and Camille. Just based on the past few episodes, there is quite a long history between the two, and it adds a sense of heft and seriousness to the conflict at hand. There does seem to be a strange dynamic here where the two both blame each other to some extent for the current situation, and their interactions reflect this in a rather intriguing manner. They don’t seem to have a comprehensive understanding of each other’s perspectives, which is causing a tremendous level of anxiety. Funny how Yune, a completely unrelated girl, ended up being the catalyst for this entire affair.

Interestingly enough, the creators also decided to briefly throw in Yune’s sister into the mix. Based on Yune’s seemingly melancholy yet happy memories of her sister, it feels as if Yune is in a situation somewhat related to what’s going on here, and the hints thrown in this episode do make me wonder more about her past. One interesting little thing a friend pointed out to me earlier is how in episode 4.5, Yune’s sister has bluish eyes, which is a rather strong contrast to the dark-greenish eyes that Yune has. Quite the odd little detail.

Either ways, this episode turned out as a pretty decent buildup episode, and the series in general has done an excellent job with exploring the feelings of Claude and Camile. Strangely enough, while Yune was the catalyst for this conflict, I get the feeling she will somehow wrap up this conflict as well. As to what role she will be playing from here on, maybe she’ll be kind of like a beacon to guide the way. I can’t really say anything for certain, but she is definitely the factor that is inducing change and pushing the story forward.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.7/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Quick Impressions – Yuruyuri – 09

Episode 09-

I never really did quite understand why there is always an association with Summertime and scary stories in Japan, nor do these scary stories really appeal to me. As a result, the jokes this episode weren’t really quite funny in my opinion. I guess the introduction of the student council president added some flair to this otherwise very normal episode, but a lot more of the jokes for this series is being reused.

But this show really is random isn’t it? It somehow goes from summer heat to scary stories to super powers to tying back hair to mad scientists causing explosions. Talk about all over the place (o_o).

On the plus side, this series has been leveraging it’s more recent developments to create more pretty amusing scenes. I find it kind of funny every time that Chinatsu relies on Yui, especially after all the fangirlish delusions Chinatsu has had. The one joke that never gets old for me is the constant poking fun at Akari’s “lack of presence”, which made the ghost joke about her at the end pretty funny. I haven’t been getting any gut-wrenching humor out of this series, but it’s a solid way to get a few chuckles here and there.

Quick Impressions: 3.2/5

Hanasaku Iroha – 22

Episode 22 –

This episode was rather quiet in some ways, with the marriage ceremony between Enishi and Takako finishing up without any major issues or drama. What I’m really seeing here, though, is a buildup episode leading into the final few episodes. The series is starting to bring some closure to the rather large cast of characters, with Enishi and Takako being the first of the side characters getting a solid conclusion. The Minko x Tohru drama is wrapped up this episode, and there are even subtle little hints at Tomoe getting together with Renji. Of course, this entire episode did lead into the surprise announcement by the manager, which in itself speaks volumes about what to expect from here on.

As I already mentioned, this episode has started to bring about some closure to all the relationships in this series. The most obvious bit of closure would be for Enishi and Takako, but this also surprisingly wraps up the entire Ohana x Tohru x Minko love triangle. There was no real excessive drama involved in wrapping up the love triangle, but rather, a simple and short bit of conversation to wrap up any dangling issues. It’s not exactly how I expected the love triangle to wrap up, but kudos to PA works for keeping things more down to earth. This episode also brought to a close the involvement of Beanman and the maybe the manager, and I felt that it was done in a very fitting manner.

As for what was actually important in this episode, it would be the clues at Ohana’s return to Tokyo. Based on the OP theme, I had always suspected that Ohana would be eventually returning to Tokyo, but I never quite anticipated that the manager was going to shut down Kissuiso for good. Unless I’m misinterpreting her message, the manager seems to feel that it’s time for everybody to move on from the inn. It was quite the bombshell of an announcement, but I had suspected something big would happen to Kissuiso after that cliffhanger from last week. Now, I can’t imagine Ohana letting Kissuiso close without a fight, but I highly doubt she’d be able to stop the closure.

With that being said, the reintroduction of Kou-chan and Satsuki into the story here makes perfect sense; now that Kissuiso is coming to a close, Ohana would obviously be returning to Tokyo. Back when we last saw Kou-chan, Ohana still hadn’t fully sorted out her feelings. Now that she seems to have more resolve, maybe we’ll finally see some closure to the Ohana x Kou relationship.I do have doubts on how “one sided” Ohana’s love is for Kou-chan (I mean, he did confess to her in the first episode… =_=), but maybe Ohana is just that dense when it comes to love. The series is definitely drawing to a close, and it seems that PA works has started to shift gears and prepare for the final arc or two. I do have a feeling the finale might not be a “happily ever after” ending, but I do sincerely hope there will be some proper closure for Kou-chan and Ohana.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.6/5

P.S. Yuina and Nako this episode were pretty fun to watch, though it looks like we might not see much more of them in the next few episodes. 😦

Screenshots are later in the post.

Kamisama no Memo chou – 08

Episode 08 –

The one thing that has really stood out with this arc is the characterization of the main cast. Everybody involved, from Narumi to Alice, to Souichiro and Renji, this arc did an amazing job pushing forward their rather peculiar relationships bit by bit. The chemistry amongst the cast was just great, and on top of that, the music did an excellent job at setting the mood. Narumi does come off as a bit too over-invested in the Renji-Souichiro issue, but aside from that, this episode had some genuine character development. What’s surprised me is how solid the dialogue has become. As for the story itself, the mystery wasn’t exactly the best one out there, but the focus here is really the character interactions that resulted from the mysteries.

Like I already said, the story itself wasn’t anything too special; I actually had guessed most of what had happened by this point. The part where Hison was alive was the only real surprise here, because while I had suspected the possibility that the shopkeeper was her, I would’ve never made the association because of the differing genders. Anyways, what is important here is not the story, but the character interactions that the story pushed forward. The dialogue is surprisingly good at cutting straight to the chase, with some moments of insight that were eye-openers.

What’s really notable here is the chemistry between the cast, mainly Narumi, Alice, Renji, and Souichiro. This episode pretty much solidified the close, and the somewhat quirky, relationship between Narumi and Alice. Throughout this entire ordeal Narumi and Alice relied on each other, and has brought them closer together than before. I guess you can finally call them a real tag-team, where they now hold absolute faith in each other. As for Renji and Souichiro, I’ve come to appreciate the links that bind the two together, Hison and Narumi. Through those two connections Renji and Souichiro fought their own inner battles, as well as questioned their faith in each other. The resolution was quite fitting for the most part, leaving a slightly bittersweet taste behind.

In terms of developing characters, this arc has done a tremendous job with the main culprits involved. It added a layer of complexity to the cast, and will probably continue to have such an effect in the near future. What strikes me as a bit odd, though, is how next week’s episode seems to be a filler episode about baseball. With only three or four more episodes until this series finishes up, the idea of a filler episode feels sorely out of place.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.2/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Dantalian no Shoka – 07

Episode 07 –

The one thing I’m definitely growing to appreciate about Dantalian no Shoka is how subtle it goes about developing it’s themes. As random as all the episodic stories in Dantalian seem to be, this series has done a wonderful job at developing characters, especially Dalian (albeit at a very slow pace). The only problem I really see is that sometimes this show is just too roundabout in how it develops it’s main themes, resulting in some seemingly completely random and unrelated stories (this episode is no exception). The creators really don’t dumb things down at all, and really try to make you see things with a bit more perspective and critical thinking. If you carefully overlook the key moments and questions, there are noticeable little details and hints that have do well in fleshing out the cast.

The main theme here, plain and simple, would be the nature of happiness itself. What is happiness? How can we precisely define it, and how does the perspective of the onlooker change the definition of happiness? These are all questions with rather ambiguous answers, and this episode pretty much goes into detail exploring this idea. One thing I’d like to mention is the strange girl inside the mystical library, and how she has been playing a rather interesting role in the series so far. She seems to be the reflection of Dalian’s inner thoughts and feelings (or at least, that’s my guess), so every scene with her involved usually touches upon something rather personal for Dalian.

In this case, it would be Dalian’s perspective on happiness itself. It’s a bit easy to forget that Dalian is an immortal being. For a girl like her, who’s time is always stagnant and is stuck as the neverchanging observer of humankind, happiness is probably defined in a completely different manner than to regular humans with limited lifespans. Any sort of “happiness” for Dalian must be extremely brief and short considering how she lives to see her loved ones pass away, and become a stranger to society itself. In that context, the tale with the perfume girl was quite the good way to bring some character development for Dalian.

What instantly struck me as odd is how Dalian seemed to grow to care deeply for the perfume girl, which is rare considering Dalian’s normal behavior. This is just conjecture on my part, but I believe Dalian admires those who can pursue a happiness that she herself can never achieve, which is why she became so invested in the perfume girl. If you think about it in that context, the story is actually much more tragic than it appears to be on the surface; Dalian places her hopes on others achieving the happiness that she can never have, only for to see them die while pursuing it.

This episode does also briefly delve into the happiness of others, where happiness in itself is a maze of complexity with no proper or correct definition. The nature of happiness is truly a fickle thing, differing from individual to individual.

This series, on the surface, appears to be a bunch of randomly thrown together episodic stories. But while it is tough to see, the creators have actually put some careful thought into each of these seemingly disconnected episodes, with each episode slowly adding layers of complexity to the character we know as Dalian. I actually didn’t really notice this until an episode or two ago, but in retrospect, Dantalian no Shoka has been doing a rather admirable job at focusing in on Dalian’s unique status as the immortal keeper of a mystical library. I guess the show isn’t named after her for no reason 😛

Overall Enjoyment: 3.9/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

No.6 – 08

Episode 08 –

It looks like No.6 is starting to delve in supernatural occurrences, which hasn’t really happened much until now. Now that I think about it though, supernatural stuff is much more in-style for Bones as a studio. Anyways, aside from that, this episode was pretty much a buildup episode, with a ton of explanation and dialogue to help flesh out the situation at hand. The introduction of the old white haired man certainly expediated the explanation process by quite a bit, and at this point we’re left waiting for Sion and Nezumi to actually take action.

The background info itself previously has only been vaguely hinted at, but it certainly does answer some questions (as well as pose entirely new ones). We now know the history behind No.6, and why Nezumi hates it so much.

The mysterious being mentioned here, Elyurias, does seem to be the one at the root of all the conflicts to this series. From Nezumi’s hatred, to the actions of the bureaucracy of No.6, to Safu being kidnapped, and the parasitic bees. All seems to tie back to Elyurias, which makes me wonder exactly what it is. At least one thing is for sure; considering how only forest people seem to be able to hear Elyurias’ song, there are strong implications that Safu is also a survivor of the forest people. That would also explain why Safu and Nezumi seem to have some sort of mental/psychic connection to each other.

As I already said, this episode was pretty much just a explanatory episode, and by nature it was extremely dialogue heavy. The heavy release of information about the conflict does clarify what exactly is going on with the story, as well as sets up the stage for the final climax coming up soon. While all the exposition wasn’t exactly fun/enjoyable, it was definitely necessary for the upcoming confrontations between the main cast and No.6. There are still some daunting questions left though, such as what in the word is happening to Safu, and if this rescue operation has a chance of succeeding. With only 3 episodes left to the series, it looks like we’ll find out soon enough.

Overall Enjoyment: 3.7/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

Quick Impressions – Idolm@ster – 08

Episode 08 –

Bwahahaha, while normally I have never really cared for the humor in this series, this episode was surprisingly entertaining from start to finish. The creators took something as ordinary as a photoshoot, and turned it into a creative showcase for the airheaded attitude of Azusa. And quite frankly, it was tons of fun. Miki and Makoto both played some really fun roles too, and made this entire episode much more of an experience.

Surprisingly enough, I’m actually glad that this episode didn’t try and throw in some sort of serious plot twist, because it would’ve ruined the otherwise festive atmosphere. A light hearted story really suits Azusa rather well (and I should mention, fits Miki’s personality as well). As the first Azusa focused episode, this did a fine job of emphasizing her goofy personality. She does reek of moe stereotypes, but is still an entertaining character nonetheless. The parts with Miki also showcased her can-do personality quite well, and the bits with Makoto did well in highlighting her tomboyish nature.

There was that little sub-plot with the marriage between the oil baron and stuff, and I guess it was cute. But it’s really the wild interactions of the cast that made this an enjoyable watch.

Quick Impressions: 3.6/5