Hello again. Well, 2012 is winding down, and I have one more recap I want to do before the year ends. I have decided what I want to do it on. While you are waiting, I will do another list of anime that I'm currently watching.
Arakawa Under the Bridge
This is definitely one of the strangest series I've seen; and with good reason. I've been completely mesmerized by the first three episodes of it. The series is about a young adult named Ko Ichiyoma; a child of privilege attending Tokyo University. His family's credo is "never be in debt to anyone." One day, a mugger takes his pants and hangs them from a bridge above the Arakawa river. Attempting to retrieve them, a beam breaks and he falls in. He is then saved by a mysterious girl named Nino, who may or may not be an alien from Venus. Ko then decides to start dating Nino in order to repay the debt.
Along with Nino, the bed of the Arakawa river hosts many strange folks, which include a kappa, a crossdressing nun, and a rock star that's a real star. As in, the ones in the sky at night. The animation is also well-done; and the writing is full of wonderful nuances about the universe. I recommend this anime.
Claymore
A dark medieval fantasy anime; which is about mysterious beasts known as Youma that terrorize the world. The people who fight them are known as "Claymores", women with large swords and silver eyes that specialize in dealing with them. One such Claymore, Clare, is tasked with protecting a village from them. There is also a danger of the energy known as "Youki", which powers both the Youma and the Claymores. If the Claymore's Youki goes uncontrolled, they become "Super-Youki."I must warn you, this series is not for the faint of heart. It is one of the most violent series you will find; with the Youma being killed in some of the most graphic ways you can imagine. Still, it is a very good series that I think you will enjoy.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Well, it finally happened. I finally decided to watch this series. It is considered to be a huge cultural phenomenon among anime fans, to the point where the eponymous woman's mug is in every bookstore's graphic novel/manga section; is the mascot of most anime websites; and is revered to the point of idol worship. Having watched four episodes of it so far, I am tremendously underwhelmed. While I admit the idea of her only wanting to hang out with time travelers, espers, and other strange individuals is interesting; I personally find the character herself to be manipulative and not all that likable (one of the first things she does is fake an assault on side character Mikuru so she can blackmail the computer club into giving her a computer). The character of Yuki Nagato seems dull and forgettable. I feel Itsuki Koizumi's constant over-optimism to be off-putting; as I'm used to people conveying other emotions in most anime I watch. Currently, Kyon is my favorite character, since he represents how I feel about the series (that he seems confused by Haruhi's antics, but takes them in stride). My second favorite would have to be Ryoko, largely because she resembles Kaname of Full Metal Panic (Kyoto Animation's previous work, which I like better). Even though people suggested I watch the series in broadcast order, I opted to watch it in chronological order since that's easier for me to comprehend. I was also informed of an infamous string of episodes known as the "Endless 8" in the second season, which is essentially a repetition of the same episode over and over (kind of like the movie "Groundhog Day"); and a film entitled "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya." I was told the Endless 8 are boring and the film is good; but I have had a very different reaction to Haruhi than most that watched it. Part of the reason I'm having a hard time getting into it is because I've gotten used to gritty anime like Deadman Wonderland and Casshern Sins; and seeing such a happy series is unusual. We shall see.
So, that is all for now. I'm going to get started on the next recap. See you space cowboy.
Friday I started watching Cromartie High School, and let me just say it's the most consistently funny series I have ever seen. Every episode that I have seen so far has made me bust-my-gut laugh; it's that enjoyable. The twist is that it's the dub I've been watching, which is ironic considering that I don't really care for dubs that much. Given that it's done by ADV, which is now unfortunately defunct, it's nice to see they put effort into getting the right tone for all of its VAs to work with and make the dub hilarious and memorable. So thanks for recommending it, bro.
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