[Kaoru Chujo]

I think Kaiohsin has it when he says that Yoshino is just writing around whatever cool thing he wants to happen each week. The details of the story are just there to set up cool scenes. And I don't mind, since I find the scenes and the personalities cool.

I disagree as usual with the idea that these are "shallow" characters just because we aren't handed tons of info about their backstories, or a shallow story because it isn't fully fleshed out. And I feel the emotion without it having to be blared all over the place. Nor do I need artificial tension.

This is not a popcorn show at all. It would be a total failure as a popcorn show, obviously. I think the fact that it is noitaminA is something that has to be remembered. Whatever it is doing (and I'm still not sure, lol), it is not a conventional shounen or mecha show at all.

But much as I am enjoying the show, I still am not impressed with Yoshino Hiroyuki as a writer. Give me Okada Mari any time, lol. Yoshino did Mai-HiME and My-Otome, neither of which I liked. He was closely involved in Code Geass, which I didn't like. He did Sora no Woto, which failed its cast, for me. And he did Dance in the Vampire Bund, which I loved, but mainly for the things that were not Yoshino's department.

The two shows he did which I have no problem with were Macross F and Denpateki na Kanojo, which was good, especially the first episode, and especially for the work of the VAs.

The staff member here with whom I am happy is, Araki Tetsurou (Death Note).