It’s that time of year. That’s right, it’s the time of the year when the Anime blogs roll out their final reviews. It seems there are some early birds to this year end roll out, probably due to not wanting to be left behind or possibly some type of premature posting.

Anime bloggers have a tendency to get overly excited. They get caught up in the moment with all of the furious typing and banging on the keyboard, the letters screaming across the screen. Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap. . .tap. . . . .tap. . . . . . .tap. . . They loose track of what’s going on around them. Their in the heat of the moment with all the thoughts and emotions poured into their writing. Then at the final moment, right when every character, image, and thought coalesces into a coherent stream of consciousness; their computers reboot from overheating and they end up retying the whole thing from memory and slapping it up on the internet.

Since I didn’t want to be left out, I decided I should also write up some year end reviews. However, many of the other anime blogs have already covered episode-for-episode many of the series I’ve watched this year. Also, quite a few of the series I watched are quite old; being so, it does not suit a quality end of the year review post.

So, being me, I’m just going to make stuff up. . .

Kanon (re-make):

I had not seen the original Kanon so I wasn’t sure what this was going to be about. I kept seeing episode reviews on other blogs before I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Seriously, it’s hard to find an anime that is universally liked. It was like everyone loved this show. Imagine my surprise when I found out that this show was hardcore lolicon.

Yūichi Aizawa is a man without a past, but that doesn’t really matter because his only dream is to make it with anything and everything that walks on two legs. Seriously, from beginning to end this show is a literal parade of filth and debauchery. For gods sake, he even tries to sack Piro in one episode.

The climax of the series is a five part episode involving the relationship between Jun and Yūichi, a little yaoi for the female audience I guess.

Rating: 4 of 5

Jigoku Shoujo Futanari:

In hindsight I should have realized that the second season of Jigoku Shoujo was not going to be anything like the first season.

The name says it all.

Rating: 3 of 5

NANA:

This has to be one of the best Mecha anime I’ve ever seen. Seriously!

We meet our two heroines Naka and Nana Komatus as they are traveling on a space transport from Venus to Neptune. Unbeknownst to the rest of the passengers a very high ranking diplomat of the United Society of Combined Planetary and Stellar Objects – Union of Peoples with Different Hair Styles Conglomeration and Bob (or USoCPaSOUoPwDHSCaB for short) is secretly along for the ride. The rebel forces of Trapnest have somehow discovered this and decide to make a sneak attack and kidnap the diplomat.

They didn’t count on encountering the greatest mecha fighting team in the solar system though. Naka and Nana manage to save the day when they commandeer a couple of the attacking mobile armors and proceed to woop-ass on the rebels.

Through the course of events we learn that the rebels are actually the good guys–didn’t see that one–and Naka changes sides. However, Nana driven by a vow of loyalty and duty stays with USoCPaSOUoPwDHSCaB even though she has come to the realization that it is a corrupt and power hungry evil empire. The show ends in a beautifully rendered CG battle between Nana and Naka in which both perish, but their actions bring an end to a very long and bloody war between the USoCPaSOUoPwDHSCaB and the rebels.

I cried.

Rating: 5 of 5

Ouran High School Host Club

Haruhi is a bad-ass gangster who is, through circumstances outside her control, put into a rich prep school.

My favorite part of the series was the first episode. Haruhi is dropped off at the school wearing her usual attire, standard biker wear. She is outfitted in all black skin-tight leather with metal studs everywhere, a bull-nose ring, and really dark shades. All the students are scared at the sight of her.

However, the school has a strict dress code and the principle, who is not the least intimidated by her, makes her change. She pretties up nicely and all the students begin to like her. She still has a nasty habit of getting into trouble with authority and ends up spending a day in after school detention.

This is actually a type of breakfast club rip-off, but it’s done really nicely.

Rating: 3 of 5

The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi

If there was ever a polar opposite to Host Club, it would have to be The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. Seriously, this show was down right depressing. It’s basically the story of a girl name Suzumiya Haruhi who is totally sad all the time.

She has a few friends that attempt to cheer her up by going on ghost hunting adventures and doing rock&roll music concerts, but the girl is down right Melancholy all-the-time. She was a real downer.

The show is saved by the other characters. We have the peppy and outgoing Yuki Nagato. She is one of my favorite characters. Mikuru Asahina is a crazy girl who is a joy to watch. Itsuki is our token athlete who loves sports and hates board games.

Of course, my very favorite character is the Computer Research Society President who totally owned the SOS when they met in an online battle simulation game, and got to do all kinds of naughty things to Yuki.

Kyon is a loser.

Rating: 4 of 5

Black Lagoon:

This is the love story between Revy and Rock. I think what I liked about this one the most was that it was set as an opera with good music, song, and even some dance. It had a West Side Story meets Emma kind of feel to it.

Revy is a shy girl from a privileged family. Rock is a poor boy from a poor family, spared his life from the monstrosity of the rich. For Rock everything was easy come easy go. Then Revy came along. Rock pushed her away but she would not let him go. Rock is distant and wants her to let him go, but she will not let him go.

The scene goes like this::

Revy: “Bismillah! No – we will not let you go”
Rock: “let him go”
Revy: “Bismillah! We will not let you go”
Rock: “let him go”
Revy: “Bismillah! We will not let you go”
Rock: “let me go”
Revy: “Will not let you go”
Rock: “let me go”
Revy: “Never let you go”
Rock: “let me go”
. . .

Then the Devil shows up and things just get kinda’ weird.

Through Revy’s perseverance Rock eventually falls in love with her, but things drastically change when another man comes into the picture. Someone her family is trying to betroth her to. The strange thing is she actually starts to develop fillings for the other guy.

There are some rather heart wrenching emotional moments:

Rock: “So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye.”
Revy: “. . .”
Rock: “So you think you can love me and leave me to die.”
Revy: “. . .”
Rock: “Oh baby, can’t do this to me baby.”
Rock: “Just gotta’ get out, just gotta get right outta here.”

In the end, the differences between their two social classes are too much for the young love to endure and Rock leaves. He leaves in search of a new life and a way to forget about all the troubles that he has endured since the beginning of the series. Before he was a simple man that didn’t care too much about anything and he seemed to be willing to return to that life. The final scene was the best.

Revy: “where are you going. . .”
Rock: “Anyway the wind blows. . .”

Rating: 5 of 5
[you'll need some more info for this one]