Summer 2009 Anime Review Thread: Post Your Opinion and Grade

[Sorrow-K]

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 (http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=81560).

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).

[felix]

Series & Rating,

Canaan / Producers: TYPE-MOON, P.A. Works
Rating: Balanced, Focused, Action, Some-Fanservice, Interesting (+9)
Fav. Character(s): Canaan, Maria
Episode count: 2


Bakemonogatari / Producers: Aniplex, SHAFT
Rating: Balanced, Episodic, Horror, Some-Fanservice, Entertaining (+5)
Fav. Character(s): Araragi, Hitagi
Episode count: 1


Umineko no Naku Koro ni / Producers: 07th Expansion, Frontier Works, Studio DEEN
Rating: Balanced, Linear, Horror, Some-Fanservice, Exciting (+4.5)
Fav. Character(s): Maria, Beatrice
Episode count: 1


Zan Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei / Producers: SHAFT
Rating: Random, Episodic, Comedy, Some-Fanservice, Fun (+3.5)
Fav. Character(s): Zetsubo-sensei
Episode count: 1


Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 / Producers: Bones, Kinema Citrus
Rating: Balanced, Linear, Drama, No-Fanservice, Entertaining (+1)
Fav. Character(s): -
Episode count: 1
__________________
So as to preserve objectivity,
Fixed rating sums:
Balanced(+1), Random(-1)
Linear(+0), Focused(+2), Episodic(+1)
Psychological(+1), Horror(+2), Comedy(+1.5), Action(+3), Drama(-2)
No-Fanservice(+1), Some-Fanservice(+0), Fanservice(-1), loli(-2)
Stale(-2), Fun(+2), Entertaining(+1), Exciting(1.5), Interesting(+3)

[MeoTwister5]

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:p).

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.

[Falkor]

Canaan
[...]


Umineko
interesting...


Spice and Wolf II
just waiting... patience is a virtue.


Bakemonogatari
haven't watched the first episode yet.


Needless
watched the ending out of curiosity; haven't watched the show otherwise.


Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
found the first episode boring... might want to see how the next two episodes fare in contrast to the first.


Element Hunters
had downloaded the first episode and had also attempted to watch it. My will only lasted 15 seconds... and I also skipped the OP altogether... might try to finish it at a later time.


Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
watched the first episode, but I might wait for a.f.k. to finish subbing the second season before continuing.


Princess Lover
waiting for a non-censored version... or I might check the first episode out of curiosity.


Taishou Yakyuu Musume
I'm slightly surprised of how much I have enjoyed the first two episodes. with plenty of funny situations present and an all-female cast, I have been more than happy watching this show. Also, there's one particular song/scene that caught me totally off-guard, which I had repeated no less than 10-20 times, just to my own amusement---it's simply too addictive! (youtube link::Tokyo Bushi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTHA_bxaxPA))


Umi no Monogatari
wasn't expecting too much at first, but it's quite a delightful little series. it reminded a bit of ARIA and Sketchbook ~full color's---not a surprise given that Junichi SATO is the director (ARIA, Princess Tutu, Kaleido Star) and Ken MURAMATSU is doing the music (Sketchbook, Kurenai). I've been yearning for another Slice-of-Life show and this is very close to what I've been looking for---conveying such a nice and soothing atmosphere in the two episodes I've so far watched, and even making the "mahou shoujo" more interesting and enjoyable.


GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class
having enjoyed the manga, I'm also enjoying this show. The seiyuus are all doing very interesting voices, if you consider their past roles and the kind of voice you would associate them with. don't have much to say, though... but I'm enthusiastically looking forward to the next episode.


Aoi Hana
I have a soft spot for yuri. ^_^
really loved the bits of drama so far shown and Fumi is such a great and interesting character. also loved the mood/atmosphere present in each scene and the tender feelings that have been conveyed through them.


Kanamemo
I have a bit of a mix feeling about this show. I did like and enjoy the first episode, but something didn't click on me... wonder why. there were bits of yuri here and there (which makes me very happy) and all characters have been quite entertaining. maybe it's the kind of show that slowly grows on you.


Sora no Manimani
this show made me laugh a bunch of times. The stargazing-obsessive girl is such a delightful and entertaining character, and she has an interesting interaction with the main character.



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. :heh:

[Sorrow-K]

First thoughts (http://behind-the.nihonreview.com/20090715/summer-2009-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.

[Echoes]

I finally got time to sample most of the shows this season had to offer. Here are some thoughts.

Let's get the bad out of the way first: Needless and Element Hunters. I dropped both of these after less than one episode. They were both way too childish shounen shows for my taste, I simply cannot muster up any interest for either.

Fight! Ippatsu! Juuden-Chan.
A girl who shocks depressed people with an enormous eletrical plug gets beat up by an extremely nasty-looking man enormous eyebrows. This results in her constantly urinating herself. The show is literally filled with potty-humor. Blink, and you'll miss one of the characters wetting themselves. I cannot even pretend to have any semblance of respect for this show; I loathe it.
Rating: Unwatchable; Dropped.

Umi Monogatari.
Outstanding music, very lovable characters and a setting that holds a lot of promise. I love their take of the magical girl genre, and I can't help but smile every time they mistake an everyday word or name for something related to the ocean. This one was a sleeper, and I've been very impressed with it so far.
Rating: Very good.

Bakemonogatari.
The aesthetics of this series really gets your attention, and it works very well. It's so artistic, but it's unusual to see this style used in a series that seems to have an actual plot. I'm torn over whether or not I like the development per episode two; I rather enjoyed seeing the female lead being aggressive and rude constantly. One thing's for certain, though, this show has enough going for it to keep me watching, and then some.
Rating: Good.

Aoi Hana.
This show feels very genuine. It doesn't use any cheap tricks, there's no fanservice, action or arguably moe. It might seem plain at first glance, but there's much enjoyment to be had in its simple presentation and everyday stories.
Rating: Good.

Canaan.
First off, it looks absolutely gorgeous. And I don't just mean the girls, though they must've certainly been drawn straight from the celestial plane themselves. This anime has everything I look for when I want to have a good time. The plot hasn't really come together yet, and if I were to level a complain against it, I'd say that I prefer a bit of buildup as opposed to being thrown right into the midst of things, but that's purely a personal preference. I sincerely look forward to what Type-Moons latest creation will bring us. I don't think it'll be a Kara no Kyoukai, but it looks fantastic still thus far.
Rating: Excellent.

GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class
Just insane. The entire episode was non-stop hyperactive insanity. It wasn't bad at all, actually. I like the art-school theme, and as we all know, it's worked great as a setting for anime in the past. I'm looking at you Hidamari Sketch. This will be a completely different take, though. Less to my liking, but still entertaining.
Rating: Average.

Princess Lover!
Just another stupid harem, moving along.
...... is what I'd like to say, but honestly, I enjoyed every second of this. Well, perhaps not every second, as it does have most of the harem cliches I've come to loathe, but it still comes across as immensely enjoyable for what it is. I dare say it has the potential to become the best harem I've seen since Shuffle. It has exceptionally hot girls. I can't really tell why I enjoy it so much, I just do.
Rating: Very good. (Did I really just write that? I feel shameless already. I swear I will make it up to my brain sooner or later.)

Sora no Manimani.
A fairly worn out concept by this point; some guy returns to a city he previously lived in and is reunited with his childhood friend. Nothing to see here, right? Well, not quite. The female lead is energetic and outgoing, it's a joy seeing her push everyone around. She reminds me of a certain other female club-leader in this regard... The series doesn't seem extraordinary, but I'd say it's worth following for the characters alone.
Rating: Good.

Spice and Wolf II
A sequel to an outstanding series. The dialogue is impeccable, the characters are as charming as ever (Horo, please have my hybrid babies) and the setting makes for some truly original story elements. Color me impressed, once again.
Rating:Excellent.

Taishou Yakyuu Musume.
A bunch of girls in the early 1900s want to play baseball. A male-dominated sport, in a male dominated society. I'm happy to see some early feminism in anime. The characters are very likable, I find myself sincerely hoping they succeed, which instantly makes the show so much more enjoyable. I couldn't care less about baseball, but this show is definitely worth seeing. The musical number at the beginning of the first episode should win even the most hard boiled skeptic over.
Rating: Very good.

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
Having seen only one episode, I find it hard to appraise this series. It had a very, very slow start, but it seems like the pace will be picked up soon enough. I'll just go with average for now. Seems like it has a lot of potential, though. A post-earthquake Tokyo could be very interesting.
Rating: Average.

Yokuwakaru Gendaimahou
Episode 00 was so much better than this. They're actually trying to make some sort of sense out of this, and feed us some boring, trite plot. I'm not impressed, and personally, I also prefer my lolis with their clothes on. The blue-haired girl is awfully cute, but I doubt that'll be enough to keep me interested in this uninspired series.
Rating: Bad.

Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
Still pretty sharp humor, though somewhat less hilarious than the first season by now. It might be losing its touch, or I might be starting to tire of the antics, but regardless, I still think it's good. Just not great.
Rating: Good.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni
I have no words. This is the closest anything comes to perfection. I was skeptical, since the show had so big shoes to fill, but thus far it's been awe-inspiring. I have not a bad word to say about this. Great setting, perfect horror-atmosphere and a plot that seems to be layers upon layers thick. I have not enjoyed anything this much in quite some time. One of the very rare animes that might end up with a perfect ten; a masterpiece. Strong opinion, but that's of course all it is; an opinion.
Rating: (Potential) Masterpiece.

[Deathkillz]

I actually took the time this season to review what I have been watching so far and damn it took wayyyy too long :heh:

Like Sorrow-k said, definitely a better season than the previous one.

Review. (http://animehistory.wordpress.com/2009/07/17/summer-2009-early-review-slice-of-life-beating-the-crap-out-of-you/)

[risingstar3110]

# 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

[KholdStare]

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.

[Theowne]

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.

[Slice of Life]

Chartfag (http://chartfag.wordpress.com/) 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". :uhoh: 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.

[Trans-Fat]

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 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_World_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.

[Demoned Away]

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.

[Guardian Enzo]

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.

[Westlo]

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.

But the dialogue has nothing to do with Shinbo, that's all NisiOisin. I wonder if Shinbo had played a straight bat and dropped his crazy antics that people would just consider this boring since at its core it's a dialogue driven show like Spice and Wolf. (just sub in Hitagi and Koyomi for Horo and Lawrence) I guess shows like this live or die in regards to engaging the viewer with dialogue and Shinbo's trying to keep things interesting for people who aren't.

[kuru moon]

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. :heh:

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.

[Guardian Enzo]

But the dialogue has nothing to do with Shinbo, that's all NisiOisin. I wonder if Shinbo had played a straight bat and dropped his crazy antics that people would just consider this boring since at its core it's a dialogue driven show like Spice and Wolf. (just sub in Hitagi and Koyomi for Horo and Lawrence) I guess shows like this live or die in regards to engaging the viewer with dialogue and Shinbo's trying to keep things interesting for people who aren't.

I'm very interested in dialogue - good dialogue, and this ep didn't have it for me. I enjoy Spice and Wolf very much, but I think the similarities between the two shows are almost non-existent. Clearaly many viewers disagree with my feelings on that episode, so that's fine - it is what it is. I enjoyed the first two quite a bit so I'm not bailing yet.

[-Sho-]

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 :)

[klare]

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 :)

[MeoTwister5]

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.:D

[Oppius]

Taishou Yakyuu Musume
Seen: 4 episodes
Grade: A-

Possibly the best show in this season. Yes, slightly better than Aoi Hana. Although it is a seinen show but surprisingly it portrayed the girls quite realistic, which is rare even in shoujo demographics. I wish this show were shoujo instead, like the forgotten Princess 9.

Aoi Hana
Seen: 4 episodes
Grade B+

Slow but peaceful, as I expected from a yuri show. Even though I'm not really impressed with its animation quality but I like the pastel-style coloring just like in Valkyria Chronicles. While it still a male-oriented yuri show but it has some straight romance which may also the backbone tho this show's plot, unlike some otaku-only no-males-allowed shows. Yes, I'm looking at you Strawberry Panic.

Kanamemo
Seen: 4 episodes
Grade B

While it may not as good as I hoped for but it is a mindless fun show. After seeing story-driven shows like Aoi Hana and such, I can relax and watch this character-driven show with no plot at all, just like most 4-koma adaptations. What I don't like about it that the yuri elements somewhat 'forced' but well-executed. I wish Kana get more air time while the drunk lesbian pedophile get less. Haruka may the coolest character in the show but creepy, much like Michael Jackson reincarnated as a sexy, young woman.

[Hs Vi Germania]

Bakemonogatari
Episodes: 4
Grade: A
I like the much special effects they use, mixing of pictures from the reality with anime design and its major idea. Very interesting, have never seen something like this.

Needless
Episodes: 2
Grade: E
Much worse could an anime not be. The effects are simple, often there are standing things like "bang" or "boom" so that they don't need to create anything spectaculare. It's really really simple. Story .... no comment. Bad anime.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni
Episodes: 4
Grade: B+
Very interesting. I look forward to the next epis. Reminds me much on Higurashi.

Canaan
Episodes: 4
Grade: A
It is sad and melancholic. The scenarios are very different and it is much fun wahtching it. What sould I want else?

[Marion]

Canaan
4 episodes watched thus far
Current rating: 7/10
Comments: Nice visuals and all, but I just don't really find much interest in our heroine. The visuals are nice, despite the fan service moments, but hopefully the story begins to actually catch me soon. If not I might just drop it.

Spice and Wolf 2
3 episodes watched thus far
Current rating: 8/10
Comments: Horo's seiyuu is fantastic, but the story is very dramatic. Sometimes it just goes too over the top. Though the funny moments are good. I like how I'm actually a bit more interested in characters other than Horo though - a clear difference from the first season.

NEEDLESS
3 episodes watched thus far
Current rating: 9/10
Comments: Nothing 'omg amazing' in visuals, but it's still a hilarious action show nonetheless. Eve is such a tsundere and Yanama is a cute shota boy :P Good show to watch when you're sad and need a pick-me-up.

Umineko no Naku koro Ni
5 episodes watched thus far
Current Rating: 7/10
Comments: Being a reader of the VN so far the anime isn't doing too bad. Visuals aren't jaw dropping, but still good. Facts from the original are there too, despite the very odd pacing so far. Can't wait to see how DEEN screws it up handles the show.

Bakemonogatari
5 episodes watched so far
Current Rating: 9/10
Comments: Okay so this show pretty much took away my virginity with the shots and what not but it's still going good. Not into vampires too much, but the show has gotten my interest since the pilot episode.

Aoi Hana
5 episodes watched so far
Current Rating: 7/10
Comments: Not really into Yuri stuff, but I decided to see this out of curiousity. The visuals are very nice and old-fashioned: the contrast between the background and the characters themselves looks odd at times but sometimes looks great. Fumi and Yasuko are so cute though XD

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
4 episodes watched so far
Current Rating: 6/10
Comments: "OH GOD I HATE LIFE SO MUCH, EVEN THOUGH I'M ONLY LIKE TEN OR SOMETHING, GOSH I WISH THE CITY WOULD BLOW UP" <--- Thought process of heroine. It would be a lot more believable if she was a bit older, but I doubt anyone thinks that way at 10. Good idea, bad execution so far. Hopefully Bones won't disappoint though.

[ChibiBear]

Umineko no Naku Koro Ni
Episodes Viewed: 10
Rating: A or 9/10
Comments: Reminds me of Higurashi. Ahh... Good times :D Even bigger headache inducer than Higurashi, amazingly confusing plot, very intriguing. The graphics are generally really good, and Maria 's faces are... well... :heh: Can't wait for the next episode! :D

[Foreshadow]

As of Right Now, I'm only following two no shows on a weekly basis.


Bakemonogatari
- 8 Episodes
Viewer Status: Still Watching
Rating: 9/10
Comments: The Beginning was a little slow, but the promise and unique dialogue of the show kept me in it. But the real gem of this show is the interactions between Araragi and Hitagi and their interactions with the world around them.

Canaan
- 13 Episodes
Viewer Status: COMPLETED
Rating: 7/10
Comments: At first my focus in this show was the action, it delivered somewhat but it was quite generic. Even the storyline was Generic. So I switched my focus to the relationships. That definitely did the trick. They do a fantastic job of covering interactions between one another character. Especially the 10th episode was a gem. That episode alone would bump my rating up 1 point. Oh, Wow what a huge change. (ep 11) Up to there the development is fantastic but the studio then ops to try something not too much to my liking. And some strange things. Retribution doesn't come I guess.


Needless
1/2 Episodes
Viewer Status: DROPPED
Rating: 2/10
Comments: Uhh... Wow.. I don't know where to start. I really didn't like anything about this show. The characters were over-the-top and the stupidity of them didn't help either. The Fan service was a little much too.


Princess Lover
- 8 Episodes
Viewer Status: DROPPED
Rating: 5/10
Comments: Showed promise from the beginning. I might have expected a little too much out of it because I counted on it to be my romance fix of the Summer. Anyway in short, I was disappointed in the result (read the PL! Thread if you want to see my opinion). The Fan service didn't help much either. Way, way, too much of it.


Sora no Manimani
- 5 Episodes
Viewer Status: Too Lazy, Will get Around
Rating: 7/10
Comments: Your average gag/school life/romance. Now that's bad either. Entertaining but certainly nothing new. A good show to watch when bored or want to pick up a show.

Spice and Wolf II
- 4 Episodes
Viewer Status: Too Lazy Will Get Around
Rating: 8/10
Comments: A Good Show. The way the story is presented is fantastic, but it's some times presented in an awkward light. Sometimes it's just frustrating to watch too.


Overall, a Below Average season from my interests. Looking forward to the Fall Season. Nothing really kept my attention for more then an episode.

[chikorita157]

Suzumiya Haruhi (2009) - (5.69/10, expecting to be a 5.94/10 which is still failing, F, 13 Episodes)
This season at first was expected to be just as good as the first season. However, what I have seen so far is very disappointing and mediocre. Things that bother me alot about Haruhi 2009 is the terrible sounding opening theme, art style inferior to the first season, repeating Endless 8 several times and a okay Sighs arc. From those listed reason, I cannot possibly give the so called Haruhi Second Season high marks since it have disappointed me alot. I seriously hope the next season, if there is one, does not end up this disappointing as Suzumiya Haruhi 2009.

[DidCart]

I think people saw Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 expecting a FULL-ACTION DISASTER ANIME and that's why they gave low grades.

Tokyo Mag. is my favorite anime of the season. I don't remember anything similar. Great anime with a really interesting concept.

[Theowne]

I think people saw Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 expecting a FULL-ACTION DISASTER ANIME and that's why they gave low grades.

I would have agreed with you back in early August. With the recent decent into cliche, I no longer think this is the case. A month ago I'd have given it a high rating but at this point I don't think there are really any memorable series this summer.

[MeoTwister5]

Well sort of halfway into the season for the 26 episode ones and almost over for the 11-13 ones...

Tokyo Magnitude: 6/10
I found it lame going in, it became really great for about 3 episodes down the middle, but nearing the end... well I won't drag that discussion here at least. Suffice to say that if they kept the momentum at the middle it would have become a great watch, but after the emotional copout that was the recent episodes (I won't call it jumping the shark just yet), the ending better be great to salvage what's left.

Umi Monogatari: 7/10
The same rating I gave it going in. This show doesn't really balance well: some episodes are great and some episodes just bore me. The slice-of-life aspect is very well done for most regards, the magical girl tends to be a bit sloppy at some points. As it stands the Sedna aspect is still a very abstract presence as far as the big bad evil is concerned, but recent developments are pushing the show towards the better.

Sora no Manimani: 8/10
Edogawa wins at life despite failing at it. He wins best sidekick of the year from me. The astronomy aspect, rather than being some gimmick of the plot that lesser stories would use is a very central and often powerful presence. Episode 9 so far is the best episode of the series to date, mostly due to an excellent parallelism using the story of Perseus. I'm hoping to a great ending to this series.

Taishou Yakyuu Musume: 9/10
Four episodes into the series and it had already succeeded where K-On had sadly failed. Koume is too adorable for words, and despite the hyperglycemia one can often get from this series it doesn't try to go over the top at the expense of it's premise and central themes. That is, it's still a story of cute girls playing baseball at the turn of the century, but it never forgets that it's still first and formost about said baseball at said turn of the century. Also, Koume.

Aoi Hana: 9/10 (Final) 11 episodes
The first lesbian-centric show that I ever loved to watch. More than simply a lesbian romance show it is also a coming-of-age story along the lines of an Adachi work like Cross Game and it shows almost the same level of writing and brilliance that is required of such a story. Aoi Hana has never ceased to impress me, and has never failed in the aforementioned regard. I thank those who dragged me into watching this show.:heh:

Umineko no Naku Koro Ni: 9/10
Yes it is still flawed compared to its source but once the story got it's bearings it started to shine like the original VN/SN. Some genuinely excellent adaptations of the source material does clash with the poorer ones. However with excellent voice acting, some genuinely mind-numbing scenes, relatively good pacing and the original plot that dragged me into importing the original by any means necessary, it gives me some sort of sadistic ecstacy watching the anime-only viewers react to what they are shown knowing that the real meaty gems of the plot has yet to appear.

Spice and Wolf: 9.5/10
I fucking hate economics and barely passed that subject in college, but this show made me anticipate beyond belief the fluctuation of pyrite prices weekly trying to see how Lawrence will be able to pull his ass out of the fire. Even more fantastically written banter between Horo and Lawrence in such wit and wisdom I have yet to see in any other anime and rarely seen in other mediums to date. Also, more Horo is always welcome. It's going to be freaking torture to see this series end this year and wait another damn year for my Horo fix.:upset:

[chikorita157]

Suzumiya Haruhi (2009) - (5.93/10, F, 14 Episodes) - Although Sighs arc have redeemed some of the mishaps of Endless Eight disaster, it still did not made a big enough impact to make second season of Haruhi be the best season or even up to par. As mentioned earlier, Endless Eight, terrible sounding opening theme and K-ONification (although the art style improved towards the end of the season) of Haruhi are the big negatives of this season. However, Kyoto Animation after messing up with Endless Eight seems to got Sighs, a not so interesting arc in the whole series to be interesting for once that most people enjoy so I give them credit for that... Otherwise, the whole season in my opinion is a big disappointment... Hope the third season, if there is one, does not end up like a disaster as this one.

Arcs of Suzumiya Haruhi Second Season Rating breakdown
Sighs Arc Overall Rating: 7.98/10, B-, 5 episodes
Endless Eight Arc: 4.275/10, F, 8 episodes
Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody: 8.9/10, B+, 1 episode

[Snickripep]

K-ON!
RATING: A-
EPISODES WATCHED: 1-10
Though I haven't completed the series (I began to slack off after episode 6) K-ON! is an anime I can honestly say I really enjoyed. The music was truly amazing (Fuwa Fuwa Time and Don't Say "Lazy" were my favorites), and I loved all the characters (even Sensei...:heh:). I give it a A- just because I felt like there was a little more to be desired, but overall... it was great! I really loved how they balanced out all the characters personalites so that they contrasted each other (Tsumugi= Sweet, Ritsu= ??? Spazzy and rambunctious, I guess?, Mio= Shy and cute, and Yui= ... Ditzy and hilarious~)
It almost felt like a music-oriented version of Lucky Star, so I really got into it.
(The K-ON! girls seem a lot like the Lucky Star girls, in my opinion.
Ritsu = Konata... kinda.
Mio= Kagami
Tsumugi= Miyuki
Yui= Tsukasa)
~

Umineko no Naku Koro ni
RATING: B
EPISODES WATCHED: 1-7
I wish I could say that I absolutely adore Umineko, but I was a little disappointed. I went into it trying to not be biased because I had seen most of the beginning of the visual novel, but I just couldn't help it. The pacing was very speedy compared to the visual novel. I was hoping I would love it as much as Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, but I really didn't. I didn't dislike it either, though. I love the characters, but something feels a little... off. As if they're not getting enough development before they drop like flies (*cough*).
I mean, at the end of episode 2 when some of the parents and Shannon were found in the shed with their faces torn off, I actually said, "Wait... who was that person again?" when they were talking about who (specifically) was murdered.
I hope when I watch more it will get better, but nevertheless, I am enjoying it (PLUS I <3 the OP and ED).
Don't let this review sway you away from this anime if you've never seen/heard it of it, because my judgement was affected a lot because of the visual novel walkthrough I had seen. I tried not to let it even enter my mind, but I couldn't help it. The pacing made everything seem rushed to me. I will definitely keep watching, though.
Ryukishi07 is fantastic.~ I don't want to miss out on another one of his beautiful, mind-bending, and enthralling stories just because of my problem with the pacing of the story/events in the anime version.

[kitten320]

The only anime that I have seen from 2009 release is Phantom: Requiem for the phantom, at least it was said in internet that it was released in 2009. Have seen 25 episodes and am waiting for the last one.
But DAMN! This is a really powerful thing 0_0 even though I didn't get some character actions, I think they could sort it differently and better, but even so show is aweasome. Have watched it on one breathe, it was quiet a long time since I was hooked so much.

I give it straight A+

[Archon_Wing]

Canaan (3 episodes, 7/10, B) - This anime started out pretty awesome, and the type-moon style characters easily drew me in, and I could expect some really cool action scenes. Well it delivered, but it somehow lost me after episode 3 and I stopped following. Plot got kinda muddled there, but I plan to finish it eventually.

Umineko No Naku Kori Ni (12 episodes, 7/10, B)- As Higurashi easily became my favorite series by far, I had to go watch it. It wasn't really quite what I expected, but that doesn't make it worse, as having a story identical to Higurashi would be pointless. I wasn't very impressed at the start, as there was just too much crap going on and I couldn't even remember the name of most of the cast, it meant that emotional involvement was pretty minimal. The series does have one of the most effective antagonists I've seen, and some parts are genuinely scary. Pacing issues have been fixed later on, though I really have no idea what is going on. Which is good and bad. But most importantly, it's keeping me watching.

Haruhi Suzumiya (2009 relaunch) (14 episodes, 6/10, C+) Approximately half the season time was used for an art experiment. Unfortunately, I didn't come to watch art, nor am I here to test experimental art so I didn't care for it. I didn't actually protest the length of the arc, unfortunately my reaction was that I should be watching something else, or this show should have told something else interesting or given a different angle. It can also be said that boredom was a desired effect, but that doesn't really change my reaction to it--- they caused me to not like it. Congrats, that wasn't hard. I wouldn't say that part was completely horrible, but it just draws a blank for me. However, the show does get on track at the end, once they started treating it like a show again. I thought the last arc was comparable to or even better than season 1. There were some really hillarous bits, and some thoughtful parts too. I'd almost recommend people to watch the first episode and skip around a bit til episode 10. Overall, not bad actually. If you liked the first season, give it a shot.

[jsieczkar]

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (10 ep watching) 9/10
Umineko no Naku Koro ni (7 episodes watching) 8/10
Spice and Wolf II (11 ep watching) 8/10
Aoi Hana (finished) 7/10
Canaan (10 eps, Watching) 7/10
Bakemonogatari (2 Eps Dropped)) 6/10
NEEDLESS (2 episodes dropped) 5/10
Taishou Yakyuu Musume (1 ep dropped) 5/10
Kuruneko (2 ep dropped) 5/10
Sora no Manimani (3 ep dropped) 5/10
Umi Monogatari: Anata ga Ite Kureta Koto (1 episode dropped) 4/10
Kanamemo (1 ep dropped) 4/10
GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class (1ep dropped) 4/10
Princess Lover! (1 ep dropped) 3/10
Elementhunters (1 Ep, dropped) 3/10
Fight Ippatsu! Juuden-chan!! (1 episode dropped) 1/10

Average season ranking 5.25

[Guardian Enzo]

In the end, for me summer turned out to be a rather weak season - not surprising but disappointing nonetheless. I started out loving TM8 and it completed jumped the shark. I ended up liking Needless a lot more than I expected, to the point where I find it's relentless energy and sick humor near-genius (though I tire of the endless battle scenes). Sora no Manimani ended up being the show I most looked forward to every week, without me ever quite realizing it. But there are no classics in this bunch.

[Proto]

On the contrary, this is the strongest anime seasons I can remember since... well, since the time I started watching series on a per release basis, I guess that would be since 2004. With gems like Bakemonogatari(A), Kanamemo(A), Umineko(B+), Aoi Hana(A), Taishou yakyuu Musume(A-), Spice and Wolf(A), Suzumiya Haruhi(B+) and others which have been ongoing since last seasons like Saki(A-), Kemono no Souja Erin(A+), or Cross Game(A++), I think it will be a long time till another season will top Summer 2009 for me.

[Guardian Enzo]

Your mileage may vary...

[Proto]

Well yeah, that's what makes life interesting. :heh:

[Guardian Enzo]

Well yeah, that's what makes life interesting. :heh:

Indeed - though I should point out that this is a "Summer 2009" thread and several of the series you referenced are actually spring series. I'd agree spring, while not stellar, was pretty decent - Cross Game, PH, NnA, etc. - but summer doesn't get to take credit for those.

As for the "best season since" debate, again, YMMV. For me, spring 2007 is likely the best anime season of all time. Among the entries:

TTGL
SnH
Claymore
Oh! Edo Rocket
Nagasarete Airontou
Romeo x Juliet
Sola
Seirei no Moribito
Lucky Star
Kaze no Stigma
OoFuri

[Proto]

Indeed - though I should point out that this is a "Summer 2009" thread and several of the series you referenced are actually spring series. I'd agree spring, while not stellar, was pretty decent - Cross Game, PH, NnA, etc. - but summer doesn't get to take credit for those.

I guess that depends on how you classify muti season series. Personally I consider those as a shared credit type of series.

[0utf0xZer0]

Spring 2007 had more shows that I enjoyed overall, I seem to remember (although Fall 2008 actually holds the record for this, I think I was consistantly watching like 12 shows). But only two were shows I would consider favourite list material: Gurren Lagann and Sola. Summer 2009 managed three: Bakemonogatari, Umineko, and Spice and Wolf II. And that's the most I've ever discovered in a single season on "first pass" - meaning I haven't gone and watched a lot of other people's recommendations yet.

Remember, your range depends on units of measurement too!

[kobejin]

TV series

Bakemonogatari (finished) - 9.5/10

Taisho Yakyuu Musume (finished) - 8.0/10

Spice and Wolf (finished) - 8.0/10

Aoi Hana (finished) - 7.5/10

GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class (finished) - 7.5/10

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (finished) - 7.5/10

Sora no Manimani (finished) - 7.0/10

Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (finished) - 7.0/10

CANAAN (finished) - 7.0/10

Haruhi Suzumiya (finished) - 6.5/10

Princess Lover! (finished) - 6.0/10

Umi Monogatari (finished) - 6.0/10

Kanamemo (5 ep dropped) - 4/10

Umineko no Naku Koro ni (11 ep dropped) - 3/10

Yoku Wakaru Gendai Mahou (3 ep dropped) - 3/10

NEEDLESS (3 ep dropped) - 2/10


Movie

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (theater) - 10/10

Summer Wars (theater)- 8.0/10

[klare]

Bakemonogatari (still on) - 8/10
- good story, likable characters, unexpected twists
- but the too many blank screen method is making me think are they too lazy to animate?
- my favourite character: Hitagi

CANAAN (finished) - 8.5/10
- the best show in summer for me
- but can be better if the story is smoother
- my favourite character: Canaan

Spice and Wolf (finished) - 7.5/10
- interesting characters especially their interactions
- but the story lacks excitement and Horo had no chance to show her true form
- my favourite character: Horo

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (finished) - 8/10
- realistic and fresh, good drama and emotional secenes
- but some episodes are too draggy especially the ones with "is he dead?"
- my favourite character: Mirai

Umi Monogatari (finished) - 6.5/10
- cute characters and touching story
- but the pace is too slow and the fighting very inconsistence
- my favourite character: Kanon

Umineko no Naku Koro ni (still on) - 7/10
- interesting story and twists
- but the characters are not likeable and the pace is a bit slow
- my favourite character: Kanon

overall, i feel summer is weaker than spring that has titles such as Phantom, Eden of the East, K-On, FMA, Saki, Tears to Tiara, Sengoku Basara etc

[Ricksterlau]

Canaan: 7.5/10 (finished)
+Fabulous animation, art style & action sequences
+Nice tempo to start the story
-Complicated relationships
-Not a very satisfying ending

Princess Lover: 6.5/10 (Finished)
+Gorgeous female characters
+Brilliant first episode
-Oversized breasts
-Story drys out in final third


Ahh, need to catch up fast...