2009-07-12, 00:52
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Link #1 |
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Somehow I found out
Join Date: Feb 2006
Age: 40
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Summer 2009 Anime Review Thread: Post Your Opinion and Grade
Let's do this thing, shall we?
ITT, we list, rate and review any new anime title we've seen from the Summer 2009 season. For clarification, Summer 2009 refers to anime that have begun airing in the months July, August and September (as well as late June). This thread (and specifically the images in the first post) contains a fairly comprehensive list of the Summer line-up: Summer 2009: Your Expectations and Anticipated Series. This is an example of a format you might use: Title: Title of anime i.e. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 Rating: A+ - F scale, i.e. D+ or C or B- Episodes Viewed: Episodes you have seen. i.e. 1 - 3 (Mini-Review goes here. i.e. Insert your comment here).
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2009-07-12, 05:02
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Link #2 |
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sleepyhead
 Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: event horizon
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Series & Rating,
So as to preserve objectivity, Fixed rating sums:
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2009-07-12, 11:26
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Link #3 |
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Komrades of Kitamura Kou
Join Date: Jul 2004
Age: 39
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Well now that I've seen the first 1-2 episodes of what I planned to try, here's an assessment, with the best at the bottom:
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (1 episode) - N/A (can't rate it for some damn reason) I tried the first episode and I can't seem to make myself like it. I end up comparing it a previous human tragedy series I've seen before and I can't seem to like what the first episode has so far. I have a rather different and probably high standard for the leads of these types of shows, and so far considering that the first episode focuses almost solely on the lead female and the disaster doesn't even start until the end, I can't say I like her. I'll probably try it again at the end of the run but I won't be following it. Bakemonogatari (1 episode) - MY EYESSSS! THEY BURNNNN! Ok in all seriousness my eyes can take a fair beating, but this is almost ridiculous. I'm almost sure there's a good story in their somwhere but I can't see it if I have to turn away from the damn screen every 30 seconds. I mean I want to watch it, but I'm a medical student for gods sake, and I'd rather have my retinas and optic nerves properly functioning lest I can't get my license. That and I felt like the pacing was way all over the place, so maybe I'll try it again after it finishes its run. Umi Monogatari (2 episodes) - 7/10 The bastard child of slice-of-life and magical girl. It succeeds fairly well when you take each genre by itself, but when you take them together as 2 parts of a whole in this series they don't exactly mesh well together. I also have minor quibbles with the fanservice, which is part of the nature of the characters actually, but it wouldn't hurt for them to show less skin. It's probably more due to the nature of the genres than the series itself, but it's forgivable to an extent. Fantastic music though. I'll make my final decision whether to stick with this when I finally see episode 3, when subs come out. Sora no Manimani (1 episode) - 7/10 Sure the setting and the plot is generic, the lead girl is a crazy ditz and the male is a typical reluctant lead, but there's something to be said about the chemistry I'm detecing ever so slightly between them. The gags and the comedy for the first episode are kinda funny too. I'm seeing a bit of Risa and Ohtani from Lovely Complex, and that's a big enough reason itself to give this show a chance. Taishou Yakyuu Musume (2 episodes) - 8/10 Like K-On, a show about cute girls doing cute things. Unlike K-On, strikes a positive balance bwteen said cute girls and the cute thing they do, which is baseball. What I like so far of what I've seen is that they managed to showcase the individual personalities of each girl in a mere 2 episodes, and I can tell their dead serious at baseball and I'm almost sure this'll be the centerpiece of the show. Aoi Hana (2 episodes) - 8/10 Yuri that actually works for me! Never thought I'd see that I'd find a Yuri romance series that would catch my interest. Interesting characters, a very nice pacing of character interaction and great animation (from J.C. Staff no less!) makes this potential win. What makes it really nice is that they don't immediately dump us in the middle of "GirlxGirl" skirt chasing but rather show us two girls reconnecting after years apart, getting to know each other again, and the deepening romantic bond that will eventually form between them. Umineko no Naku Koro ni (2 episodes) - 8/10 As a VN player I can'y help but point out the many flaws the show has, but looking from a purely adaptation POV the first 2 episodes are pretty good for content that has yet to scratch 5% of the story. A bit of of the character interactions and character backgrounds were cut, however the show makes up for it by successfuly adapting the tension and the atmosphere of many key scenes. Fantastic voice work by a few of the VAs too. Expecting the series to get better as we dive into the mystery of Rokkenjima (a second for me  ).Spice and Wolf (1 episode) - 9/10 What can I say? Best opener for the season yet. What's fantastic about the episode is that it makes me feel like I didn't really wait a whole year to see these two again. It's like meeting an old friend you haven't seen in years as you travel down the road, and feel as if you only parted ways yesterday. Horo was being her awesome godly self as usual, and Lawrence again playing off of her was a joy to watch. Fantastic back and forth banter between the two of them as a potential 3rd wheel is introduced. This is the reason I wake up on Fridays. They could show a single static shot of Horo and Lawrence talking while the dialogue plays out and I'd never be bored.
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2009-07-12, 13:12
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Link #4 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
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oddly enough, I've enjoyed the shows I've been looking forward to before the summer season started. wonder if I'm going to enjoy them more than the Spring Season, though. 
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2009-07-15, 08:31
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Link #5 |
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Somehow I found out
Join Date: Feb 2006
Age: 40
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First thoughts.
So far, I'm definitely enjoying this season much more than the Spring 2009 season, which only had a handful of titles I ended up liking.
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2009-07-17, 02:15
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Link #7 |
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~ You're dead ^__^* ~
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: uk, England
Age: 34
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I actually took the time this season to review what I have been watching so far and damn it took wayyyy too long
Like Sorrow-k said, definitely a better season than the previous one. Review.
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2009-07-19, 07:33
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Link #8 |
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✘˵╹◡╹˶✘
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Australia
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# Canaan (5/5)
Each eps really interesting. I loves the character design, the storyline, the art, the animation, the timing, the humour ...everything this show provides. A great start in fact. Final comment :One of the best show this seasons in the "awesome" department.Great OP. Good ED # Umineko (5/5) So far it's pretty good even with flaw there and then. But it's very promising. No, based on the build up i am sure that later episode would totally exceed my highest expectation Final comment: Very promising. Excellent OP. Great ED # Taishou Yakyuu Musume (5/5) I also surprised of how much I have enjoyed all five episodes. This series are hilarious seriously. The song Koume sang in Ep 1 is very cute, caught me off guard as well. Even when it's a sport anime, it have the elements of "cute girls doing cute things", except unlike other moe shows, the "cute things" they did is what really made them all adorable. Surely the budget seems to be restricted due to lots of still scenes and recycling background animation, but even so it surprises me how much detail can they make with small animation here and there. Btw the anime is in 1925, and you really feel so, not like other historical series with "yeah, whatever they act just like modern high school girls" Final comment: So funny and adorable that (if it keeps up) will worth a whole year dose. Good OP. Good ED # Umi no Monogatari (3.5/5) Ep1 was really promising with nice animation, character design and plots. However the 2nd half of EP 2 is a bit disappointed cause i'm not a fan of "talking during battle" series. Many things seems so ridiculous that at some points it's funny (in a sad way). Final comment: Will check for more, but let hope it will improve. OK OP. Great ED # Kanamemo (4/5) A slice of life shows. Not really hilarious or touching when it needs to. But still it's enjoyable. Final comment: high entertainment value for me. OK OP. OK ED # Haruhi Suzumiya (15521/6) It's Endless Eight
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Last edited by risingstar3110; 2009-08-04 at 00:31. |
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2009-07-20, 02:07
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Link #9 |
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ISML Technical Staff
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Age: 35
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Sigh, last season was much more interesting than this. With K-ON! and Saki I enjoy each episode and look forward to the next one. With this season, I'm just bored to tears. But who knows? I've liked anime with bad first impressions before.
Bakemonogatari: 4/10 (2 eps) -What can I say? It was just boring. You have an arrogant know-it-all girl with an cliché bad past and some fantasy elements to it. I don't feel like I care what happens to her or the male lead. If there is some deep lesson to be learned, I'm not getting it. My first impression was that this series is somewhat like Mushishi, but I see now that it's just a bad presentation of something similar to the first two episodes of Shigofumi. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0: 5/10 (2 eps) -Lol what is this? The first episode was horrible. Nothing happens. It's equivalent to a boring slice of life, and that in itself says a lot. I didn't really care about this little girl and the family drama seems pretty cliché. The second episode, however, was pretty good. I guess that brought up the average. But I will expect more, and definitely I don't want a drama bomb to be dropped. The "reality" factor of this show doesn't suit me at all. I watch anime as an escape, to find something new and exciting, and not something that tries to be real. Canaan: 6/10 (1 ep) -So far this is a pretty good anime. I like Canaan and Maria a lot (of course), but I feel like I'm being thrown into something that I don't care about. The action would've probably been a bit more interesting if I knew what the hell was going on. I don't see the point for these type of opening episodes, since they are "novel" at the expense of clarity. At least, I'm interested at learning more about the characters, which is good. Needless: NA (dropped) -It's not that I hate this series, but it's just not my style, so I'm not going to put it down. The good thing is I don't regret watching the first episode because the ED was win. Umineko no Naku Koro ni: 7/10 (2 eps) -So far, it's interesting. It's not as interesting as, let's say, Higurashi first episode, but it's interesting and I'm looking forward to more. I think the worst thing about this series so far is the introduction of over 9000 characters in the first episode, which was overwhelming and distracting to the main story. The second episode, however, was incredibly exciting and suspenseful. It's quite ironic that I haven't really learned the names for the six in episode 2 yet. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 2: 6/10 (2 eps) -As with Bleach/Naruto, I decided to not count fillers when rating this anime. Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody was very good and had some familiarity of the first season. Endless Eight, whichever version I watch, was just okay. Bug catching and fanservice-y swimming activities aren't really exciting. If Endless Eight was one episode, I still would have found that episode boring. Still to watch: Spice and Wolf II, Kanamemo, Sora no Manimani, Taishou Yakyuu Musume As with last season, after 2-3 episodes I will have to drop all anime except for 4-5 of that season, which is why I'm being critical. Because of time constraints, I'm trying to find the 4-5 anime that will suit me best.
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2009-07-20, 02:39
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Link #10 |
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耳をすませば
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Toronto, Canada
Age: 34
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Tokyo Magnitude - 10/10
Warning: Do not watch if you read the description and expect fast paced disaster action. Otherwise, enjoy a very well done series, so far, at least. Sora no Manimani - 6/10 This is mostly just my own taste. I was expecting something a bit more gentler, calmer, perhaps a little deeper, but it's mostly, so far, a straight comedy. Nothing wrong with that of course, if you like that sort of thing. That said - it has potential, so I'll keep following it.
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2009-07-20, 10:22
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Link #11 |
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eyewitness
Join Date: Jan 2007
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Chartfag lists 23 TV series for the current season. 4 went off my list immediately, and whatever Ontama is, it hasn't aired yet. 18 shows remain. I try to sort them from bad to good. If not otherwise indicated I'm up to date with the fansubs.
18. Fight Ippatsu! Juuden-Chan!! Dropped after one episode. Pissing oneself is the new loli, it seems. Disgusting show. 17. Princess Lover Dropped after one episode. If you know me then you know I don't like harem. But this was bad even for a harem. I don't like the high society setting, the arranged marriage, the cocky male, the maid, the boing. Did I forget anything? 16. Weiß Survive Dropped after two episodes. 2:30 per episode and based on a card game! How can this NOT fail? I'm not giving grades but somewhere here is the line between really bad and just not good enough. 15. Needless Dropped after three episodes. Typical shounen anime can turn out quite differently so I had no real expectations. Unfortunately it turned out to be too slapsticky, gar, ecchi, and over the top. 14. Aoi Hana Dropped after three episodes. The typical yuri cliches of a mostly lesbian cast in a mostly male-free setting celebrating their ethereal love. No, thanks. Cry me a river, Fumi. 13. Element Hunters Dropped after two episodes. It might be a nice show for a Pokemon-age audience but severely lacking for older viewers. 12. Taishou Yakyuu Musume Maybe one more episode, maybe not. Could have been a nice period piece if it wasn't mostly about girls throwing balls. I'd wish they had done something else than baseball training in the same setting. 11. Yoku Wakaru Gendai Mahou Trying hard to drop this.  Is there a selling point except pans and pantsu? I don't think so ... Now the shows I've no intention to drop at the moment (might always change quickly). 10. GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class The first episode was ... educational. The jokes didn't really work however. Still, it's too early to mark that as a very likely drop candidate. 9. Umi Monogatari Perfectly average show. I wouldn't watch it if it had the typical mahou shoujo length though. 8. Kanamemo Despite being a first of all a moe factory this anime had some funny scenes nevertheless. I could do without that lesbian lolicon rapist-in-the-making though. :/ 7. Umineko no Naku Koro ni A solid successor of Higurashi with one flaw: the cast isn't one that makes you easily care for their fate. So what remains is only the mystery component. 6. Bakemonogatari Very SHAFTy, a bit too SHAFTy perhaps. And I don't like that tsunslutdere that much. But the show delivers some laughs. 5. Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei The better SHAFT show and as long as they let it rest for a year or so I will also watch the 4th season. 4. Canaan (ep 3 just came out, haven't watched it yet) Solid animation and fast paced. I don't expect the story's complexity to live up to the polished surface and thus it fails short of a favorite status. 3. Sora no Manimani I was enlighted by the comedy in the first episode and it held favorite status by then. The triangle routine in ep 2 reduced my enthusiasm somewhat and might reduce it even more. And now this season's favorites: 2. Ookami to Koushinryou 2nd Series The second season starts at the level of the best first season episodes. Wonderful setting, the Horo-Lawrence duo is stellar and even unimportant side characters manage to outshine whole casts of lesser anime. 1. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 I don't think something similar has been done yet in anime. Except if you count Violence Jack as "similar".  I loved disaster movies since when I was a teenager. And there are good arguments why an anime studio should be able to do better than Hollywood in this genre. All in all, I knew it was almost impossible to ram this into the ground and they delivered even much more than expected.
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2009-07-20, 18:23
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Link #12 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Tokyo Magnitude (2 episodes) - 8/10
Considering I live in earthquake land, just watching the trembles in episode 1 brought back some memories from 20 years ago -in a good way and bad- even though the measured magnitude was 6.9 and not 8.0. Good as it was also the year my home team won in one of the most memorable World Series; also known as the Earthquake Series. Perhaps this anime is telling me to get prepared for the next big one. Spice and Wolf (2 episodes) - 8/10 I loved the 1st season. So far nothing has really happened much, but I like the mood of the setting. Holo's cunningness is as cute as ever. It looks like something dark is approaching, and has me wanting more. Umineko (3 episodes) - 7/10 I haven't been too interested in these type of anime, but once my interest gets piqued, I want to know more. Canaan (1.5 episodes) - 6.5-7/10 I put 1.5 episodes because I fell asleep halfway thru the second episode after running 3 miles. I just haven't been able to finish that episode, nor am I going to drop it. Aoi Hana (3 episodes) - 6/10 Not my usual anime. Reminds me a lot of Asatte no Hokou. Bakemonotagari (3 episodes) - 7/10 I like how the anime is like Ef. It gives it a bit more mysterious feeling. However, I get confused at times. Sora no Manimani (2 episode) - 7/10 Thought it was going to be a generic school-life anime. However, after watching these episodes, it gives a light-hearted feeling. I have always been interested in Astronomy when I was a child (when Jupiter only had 11 discovered moons, 2nd most before Saturn; before black holes and quasars were discovered) so I would like to see how the series play out. Maybe I might start to get interested in astronomy again. |
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2009-07-20, 20:28
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Link #13 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Indiana
Age: 32
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Umineko no Naku Koro ni - 7/10 (3 episodes in)
I haven't played the games or read the manga so I'm a first timer to this series. I have very high expectations though. The one thing that I don't like so far is the pacing and character development. It's only episode 3 and they've killed off 8 people, 5-6 of which I don't know their names! I wouldn't mind if they spent more time introducing the characters. |
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2009-07-20, 23:38
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Link #14 |
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Seishu's Ace
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kobe, Japan
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Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 - A
Just brilliant, really. A class above anything else released so far in 2009. First ep was perfect and the second nearly so. Great disaster stories are mostly about people, and this is no exception. Sora no Manimami - B It's fun, and impossible not to like. Genki everywhere and that could get annoying, and it's light as a feather - but it's still solid. Spice and Wolf II - B I'm late to the party here, but I'm enjoying the character interaction and visual style. Bakemonogatari - C+ Started out with high hopes, but ep 3 really put me off. It's just too Shinbo at the moment, the bad Shinbo - the visual antics and clever dialogue have overpowered the story and characters. I give it a couple more eps to win me over in deference to the talent involved. Princess Lover - C Hanging on by a thread, but I laughed just often enough to give it another week or two. Needless - B The surprise of the season for me, so far. It's this season's entry into the hyper-silly GAR-driven world of TTGL and Basquash, but it has a slick and sinister sense of humor that lightens it to make it palatable.
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2009-07-22, 05:19
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Lets be reality
Join Date: May 2007
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Quote:
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2009-07-22, 06:54
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Link #16 |
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2 episodes) 8/10
- The best series in this season IMHO. The pace is a bit slow but full of character depth. The young protagonist are not that likeable, but seems real to me. Bakemonogatari (2 episodes) 8/10 - This serie can entertain you to the fullest by just seeing them talk, talk, and talk. Canaan (3 episodes) 6.5/10 - It was one of the most promising series in this season, but after watching it. I felt a bit disappointment because the series are too generic. I can't remember any good moment except their action scene, which some of them are appear out of nowhere. Needless (3 episodes) 7.0/10 - This serie offer you nothing than action, and comedy. The combination of Hotblood Hero, and GAR seiryu made this serie completed. Princess Lover (2 episodes) 7.0/10 - The harem show (check) - The Hero is not idiot (check) - good character design (check) - comedy (check) It was a good show to relax yourselves once in a week. |
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2009-07-23, 00:25
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Link #17 | |
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Seishu's Ace
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kobe, Japan
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2009-07-23, 17:24
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Link #18 |
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~Omedetô~
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Somewhere between heaven and hell !
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Well well well , this summer is a bit poor but still have some animes who is worth watching .
Bakemonogatari (Watched 4 episodes ) 9/10 Entertaining , i enjoy this anime  Love the concept !Canaan (Watched 3 episodes ) Dropped . 6/10 Well , good design , good characters , nice girls , many actions but not my anime's type . Princess Lover (Watched 3 episodes ) Dropped . 2/10 Nice girls . But typical rich romance are boring . Just the girls is worth watching . Suzumya Haruhi (Watched 6 episodes ) But DAMN . 5/10 Endless Eight shut it down ! Umineko no Naku Koro ni (Watched 3 episodes ) 8/10 Look forward for more developements Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (watch 3 episodes ) 8/10 Well , as the others seasons , i like this shows even if its hard to understand
Last edited by -Sho-; 2009-07-26 at 11:56. |
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2009-07-24, 04:08
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Link #19 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
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i will not grade until the series ends or reach half-way
i am watching and like them: Canaan, Bakemonogatari, Spice & Wolf, Tokyo Magnitude 8, Lost Canvas the ones i am watching but may drop: Umi Monogatari, Umineko, Aika Zero the ones already dropped: Needless, DOGS special case: will watch Suzumya Haruhi only after all eps realeased, i cant sort them out now the rest not even tried because they are not my taste so far i feel spring is much better, i will be back to grade when the summer ends
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2009-07-28, 10:39
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Link #20 |
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Komrades of Kitamura Kou
Join Date: Jul 2004
Age: 39
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3-5 episodes into the season and I must say that this season is sooooooooooo much better than a lot of the letdowns last season. Most of my current ratings need to be upgraded but I'll save that when we get to the halfway mark.
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