Also: found this video of Nana Mizuki and Yukari Tamura performing the Nanoha OP and ED live.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwUPBiWAcfo

I like the "live" sound for Innocent Starter a lot, which isn't always the case for live versions of anisongs. I've had pretty good luck with the performances I've caught at cons though, some of which were by the original artists.

...I think Tokyo Ravens intends to get a lot more mileage out of the whole reverse trap thing than Infinite Stratos did.

Hmm, I'm surprised you didn't comment on this about LB Refrain episode 5

Something you may find interesting about Love Live: the Blurays apparently have had the longest tail (slow drop off in sales numbers week to week after initial release) of any TV anime blurays except for Bakemonogatari and K-On, IIRC.

BTW, did you try Non Non Biyori out at the beginning of the season?

This is turning out to be a tough season to keep up with all the stuff I like.

Did you see my second reply on the Tokyo Ravens thread? I'm hoping it gave you a bit of a better understanding of what sort of personality I think Natsume has.

And hot off the heels of my not quite being willing to drop Infinite Stratos 2, I can officially say that I love Unbreakable Machine Doll way too much. The characterization is awfully silly and over the top, it's incredibly open about being guilty pleasure material at best, yet I love it anyway.

And they think SDO is the best way to spice up the regular season? Not the way it is, as I see it.

I've made my post with the insight you've given me. Thanks again.

It's like I've said in the PMs, man. People don't care about content or writing anymore - it doesn't sell. It's stuff like what happens in IS2 that sells. It's sad because Charlotte had a point and some brilliant moments in S1. Hell, S1 was watchable at least...swear that the writer knew he could stretch it out SAO styles and just do whatever to make it last forever. Hell, the whole damn school will probably be his harem by the time the author ends it...It's the reverse of Nasu. Nasu is proof you can have some merchandise moments but have an utterly awesome work around them. You can pick the one person, you can make the audience make a choice. But, you know, most writers will take the easy way out and let everyone have the cake.

It is possible to write well as well as mix in merchandise moments. I get that merchandise moments are the point of anime now. But they shouldn't be the whole damn show. I can't say that any show this season - hell, almost any show this year - isn't anything but merchandise moments. You ask me what I'd want to remember from 2013? Chihayafuru S2. That's it.

*shrug* I'll just did what I did after 2011 - hope that 2012 was a better year. And it was. So time to hope 2014 will have a few shows to take away friom it. Not that I'll run out of old shows any time soon. But it'd be nice to actually like the current stuff to some extent.

PS. Hearthstone is awesome.