Well the series really is taking off now, though kind of wish it hadn’t taken so long. Finally the mystery behind the “Fairy” has been revealed. While it wasn’t terribly surprising that she was a Magiclad Girl, the rest of her story was more surprising to say the least. I wonder how old people live to be in Haruna’s world with this young girl being Dai-Sensei’s teacher. Will say the biggest surprise was definitely that she was sealed in the form of that boring teacher that I had barely even noticed throughout the series. That is definitely one hell of a cruel curse. Bad enough being sealed away in a different gender, but a regular looking teacher of the opposite gender wouldn’t be fun. Can appreciate the irony that she went from a teacher of girls like Haruna to just regular school kids. I swear Dai-Sensei has to be connected to this since that kind of twisted punishment seems like something she’d be a part of.

It was kind of hard to take her attack on the students seriously until Ayumu got a chance to fight. I mean sure everyone was restrained, but she was being so comical that I couldn’t be too worried. Still this showed how crazy strong she is and how dangerous if she put her mind to it. Her powers were mostly shown in funny ways, but with scary applications. Teleporting Sera with ease, freezing movements, launching people into the air, able to block a powerful punch with a simple bottle and being able to send droplets of alcohol flying like bullets. Ayumu better hope she has no hostile intentions or else she’ll be tough to deal with. Of course it’d be boring if she had no hostile intentions so we can probably expect some trouble from her.

This episode had a ton of cute Eu moments. It was fun how these events freed up her ability to speak which proved how dangerous her moe value can be. Ayumu didn’t even need to think of fantasies with her just chatting with him. Of course he managed to come up with some nice ones regardless. Thought it was hilarious how she called him out on the fantasies he usually had of her.

Haruna did her best to force Ayumu to have a fantasy about her, but it didn’t go as she might have hoped. Just showed her being greedy and a bit insane about money. Glad they tackled by thoughts about the effects of Eu’s magic on Haruna. Having her be quiet and suppress her emotions was fun to watch if only because it is so hard for someone like Haruna to do. The sealing armor didn’t look bad on her, but it wasn’t all that amazing either.

Kind of sad how I spent that much time wondering about how the ring would affect Yuki and it only lasted under an episode. In the end the ring was as described by the scientist who gave it to Ayumu. We still don’t know why he delivered it, but it seems besides the point now. Now the ring really is more of a symbolic thing for Yuki. Having Chris steal the ring that Ayumu gave to her should have her fired up to go after this girl.

I had wondered how Kyouko might get involved in the series again and finally it seems like her time has come. It’s a bit surprising that she has information on Chris and is willing to share it. Though I suppose if it means getting freed or even sent out in the world again she’d be willing to cooperate. Still, if someone like Kyouko knows something about Chris then it has to be fairly important. This is the girl who went around killing people, so I doubt they were drinking buddies. Frankly the moral ambiguity of Dai-Sensei leaves me thinking that she would let Kyouko go if it meant getting something valuable in return.

I feel a bit bad for the fantasy Eu trio. They were completely out of the episode with Eu talking openly. Still things are bound to return to normal soon and then they can step up some more. For now Eu won’t be restricted in emotion or voice and that pretty much puts every girl interested in Ayumu at a disadvantage. I enjoyed this episode since it had some funny moments and a few serious events. Seems like things are going to get busier now.
Score: A

I think this episode was finally the turning point for this second season. Technically things didn’t get extremely serious, but it just felt like the series was moving in the right direction. Finally Mystletainn has come back and that opens a lot of possibilities. With the weapon returned Ayumu can fight again and also erase memories of his humiliating antics. Though it seems Gaia really hates him since it still forced him to crossdress in the episode and not because of magic. Haruna recovering her magic with Eu’s help makes her available for battle as well. Even Yuki received interesting development with that ring that seals the weapon inside of her.

Of course the episode focused on how everything balances out for Ayumu. He manages to erase the memories of him fighting while crossdressing, but instead they dress him up as Dracula’s Bride. That was probably done because he was a crossdresser when the planning for the school festival was being done. Even though the memories of why they would pick him would be erased the decision would still stand. I still say that Ayumu pays the highest price for a harem of any harem lead I’ve seen. How many have to humiliate themselves on a daily basis just to have all these girls around them?

Taeko had some nice focus in the episode. It was expected her role in the harem would increase from the ED and we finally got more scenes with her. The girl is pretty cute and certainly offers a very normal option for Ayumu instead of all the insanity he’s surrounded by. Yes, she is strangely attracted to his legs but there are worse things….Have to agree with Ayumu’s silly reactions that it felt like some idealized school life scene there. She really is a nice girl and so I’m kind of worried if she gets to close to Ayumu. This guy was murdered once after all so his luck isn’t exactly good.

I’m curious about Haruna’s condition at the end of the episode. She created a device that could siphon off some of Eu’s overwhelming magical power and use that to restore Haruna’s power. That sounds all fine until she is suffering from a painful headache at the end of the episode. Strangely enough headaches are a symptom for Eu when she uses her magic. It’s possible that Haruna has absorbed the effects of Eu’s magic on top of just receiving the power. I wonder if she might also suffer from the issue of her words having a serious effect on the world around her. For someone like Haruna who is….chatty that could be a disaster. Either way if she keeps fighting I’m worried about what the effect on her might be.

A more mysterious incident though occurred around Yuki. Someone just happened to send her a letter that lead to the weapon inside of her being activated. Then it just so happens someone comes along who has given Ayumu a ring that will seal that weapon. It seems this was an elaborate scheme to get that ring on to Yuki. Right now we have no idea who sent this ring to her and what their motives were. Was it to help her or does that ring have another function that we don’t even know about? It might be impossible for her to take that ring off which might leave her helpless in a situation where she actually needs that weapon. There are a lot of things wrong with that weapon, but having it not able to be activated is dangerous. Even more dangerous is that Yuki doesn’t even know it’s anything more than a ring. I’m worried that ring might be used even to control the weapon inside of her. This could all be a helpful act to avoid Yuki from going into a meltdown….but it’s just too suspicious to trust the motives of that strange blood puking guy.

But I’ll say good for Yuki that she had some good memories in this episode. The girl is just damn cute sometimes with how she reacts to things. The ring really put her over the edge, but just thinking about confessing really sent her brain into overdrive. She is just crazy in love with Ayumu and really he should take notice already.

Okay seriously that guy was beyond odd. Anyone would be dead if they threw up that much blood that often. Considering he happened to have a tool that could seal that weapon he’s likely from Haruna’s world. Now the question of course is whether he’s working with Dai-Sensei who is more than familiar with that weapon inside of Yuki or if he’s in league with someone else entirely. This whole situation is fishy and I’m sure Ayumu’s ‘Fairy’ is right in the middle of all this.

The episode wasn’t lacking in fanservice as usual. This time we got a peek at Eu and Sera in those bunny girl outfits and of course Yuki in that school swimsuit. Though maybe the winner this week was Dai-Sensei in the tub. I may have no idea what that person is thinking sometimes, but she does demand your attention. Suppose if you have a cast like that you should make the best use of it. Besides I suspect that is used to balance out the sometimes uncomfortable Ayumu ‘service’ that the series has in it.

Besides the serious questions the episode had plenty to laugh at. I think the series works best when the comedy and serious situations are used in balance. Had a good laugh with Mystletainn’s return. Nothing wrong with the classic Terminator “I’ll be back.” Though it was used a bit too much, I still had fun seeing it come out of that almost Terminator time portal. Good to have that chainsaw back. Also I have to question the intelligence of Haruna and Yuki in releasing that terrible CD. They can be pretty sharp characters in some areas, but in others they are idiots.

Another good scene from the Eu corner. Think they don’t really need that long of a chant for a transformation magic. Original Eu is probably right in that respect. This might be my favorite episode of this second season because I can get a sense of direction from it. That Fairy of Ayumu’s had a strange look when he talked about his happy times and at the end of the episode. Just what is that girl trying to get away from that is making her drink that much? Anyways I’m looking forward to next week and where things might go from here.
Score: A

I have to say despite hoping for some more action, I’ll take a Eu focused episode like this any day. While this episode had its share of comedy it focused on something serious which was the Ayumu and Eu relationship. Can’t forget about Haruna either who proved how much she does care and really appreciates being counted on.

In Haruna’s weakened state I’m sure it’s easy to feel a bit useless. Sure, she had a lot of confidence but still not being able to fight on her own has to bother her. All she can do is cook those egg dishes since nothing else works for her in cooking. This time around Seraphim counted on her and made her feel important. Eu being sick was a great chance for her to help out. Of course she had caught a cold herself, but she was still ready to push herself. I’m sure she knew that Ayumu already had his hands full and if she started looking sick then he’d be in a complete panic. Besides, she couldn’t just let go of a chance to be counted on and help Eu out when she was in a tough spot. While she might have been upset at the end for being treated like she was a younger sister she did deserve a bit of spoiling. The most selfish thing she did was push her way into the bed with Eu to share in some comfort.

While Eu spent most of the episode sick it was a good chance for her and Ayumu to spend some time together. We’ve had him going all over the place and despairing over his own situation, but this was a chance to relax a bit. Focusing on someone else is sometimes better than freaking out over what’s going on with oneself. It shows how reliant Eu is on Ayumu when it counts. She’s someone who really has had to isolate herself and restrict herself so nothing bad would happen because of her powers. But here she was willing to indulge in Ayumu’s care. Whether it was just having him nearby or going to sleep with him she’s really grown over the past series.

Besides Eu was just pretty cute this episode. When she was just asking to go to sleep with him she was definitely at her cutest there. I’ll give credit to another healthy dose of Ayumu’s imagination. He really went all out from the peeling oranges scene to him mixing Eu’s armor up with the fan…Suppose on that note we can also say that Ayumu’s imagination got him into quite a bit of trouble. No matter how much he tried to sell it the chance to change Eu’s clothes was something he didn’t have pure thoughts about. Though considering how important Eu is to him its not a surprise. She did revive him as a zombie and saved him from being permanently dead. I’m just glad that eventually he calmed down and just focused on being there for her when needed.

I’m really jumping on the talk the Vampire ninjas were hinting at about some threat. This season has been mostly comedy and few serious parts. If there is something big going to happen I’ll welcome it just for the change of pace. Curious to see what might happen. We haven’t seen from Kyouko for a while and now get this possible danger in the future. There is only so much information right now, but I’m sure Ayumu will be in danger relatively soon.

I’m glad after the violent end last time that original Eu made peace with the others. It did reflect how much Ayumu did for her this episode that she would cooperate in cooling down some food for his sake. Nothing like a little bit of peace between Eu’s to cheer you up XD. All in all this was a good episode.
Score: A

I have to say this was one of the series I was most looking forward to when it was announced. It was another case where I read some of the manga so I thought it would be a good series to keep an eye on. This series is truly a mixed bad in terms of the genres being used in the first few episodes. The series might focus more on romance, or horror, mystery, ecchi, and even some comedy. The focus is all on the main character of the series Yuuko. Teiichi is of course important as the male lead, but everything in the series just circles around Yuuko. While a ghost Yuuko is the driving force since she doesn’t hold a lot back.

There really is a lot of mystery behind Yuuko and her death. While they know where she died after finding her skeletal remains they really don’t know a lot about why she died. Her body hidden away in a cellar in an old part of the school that isn’t used anymore and if that wasn’t enough it was hidden behind a mirror. At the very least some effort was put into leaving her somewhere that no one would go looking. It’s possible she fell into that cellar and simply couldn’t get out, but that seems too simple. The fact that Yuuko’s leg was broken could mean she fell or someone else broke it. Having a creepy shrine in the same area of her body just takes away the ability to believe that this death was accidental. Either someone or a group of people wanted her dead for an unknown reason. Even more creepy is the possibility that this was connected to some kind of ritual. Really have to feel sorry for the Yuuko of that time since regardless of what happened she had to die in a place like that. At least Yuuko right now has amnesia so she can’t recall what happened, but those memories aren’t likely to be gone forever. The frustrating truth is that the person responsible is either old or already dead. Yuuko’s younger sister is the grandmother of one of the main characters.

But besides the mystery I just like Yuuko as a character. It’s just hilarious to see her so flustered about her bones being seen by Teiichi, but less so regarding her ghost ‘body’. Guess it’s all about priorities. Guess I’ll have to pass along to the museums of the world that the people running those places are perverts for looking at those skeletal remains. It’s easy to see though how much she cares about Teiichi. With how old her sister must be, it’s hard to imagine living alone like she has all these years. The fact that she doesn’t even sleep just makes those days even longer. Finally though she found someone who can see her for who she is and will touch that ghost body of hers. It’s an interesting way to approach having a ghost character. People’s perceptions of Yuuko will change depending on their thoughts. Teiichi seems to see Yuuko the way she perceives herself, but even his perception of Yuuko could be changed. Someone who thinks of Yuuko as some terrible monster will see just that. If it wasn’t for Yuuko saying so we couldn’t even be sure her appearance was what it seems.

All this and still not having any time to talk about Teiichi. There are a lot of times when Yuuko can just completely overwhelm him. She’s really not too careful about approaching him and even teasing him. It does say a lot though about how he does want to look into the mysteries of the school and learn more about Yuuko. He doesn’t just want to leave her memories as lost things, but figure out the truth. When he pretty forcefully told Yuuko that he would go and examine her skeletal remains I thought he really emerged as a lead character in the series. Besides anyone who can forcefully change their perception of Yuuko with a terrifying form right in front of them is pretty impressive. Besides he’s just a good guy. No doubt he’s just not as imposing as Yuuko, but he’s not some useless guy that does nothing.

The cast looks to be pretty solid. Of course have the two lead characters, but also a couple of other members of the club that Yuuko has created. Kirie is a relative of Yuuko who can also see her though, their relationship isn’t great. Can get pretty startled when on her own and initially just tried to ignore that Yuuko existed. They do have some similarities except for shorter hair on Kirie’s side and of course smaller breasts than Yuuko. She’s not a bad person since she tried to help Teiichi when she thought Yuuko was actually a dangerous threat. Okonogi is really more of a comical character that keeps things from getting too serious. The girl is pretty oblivious at times even when Yuuko tries to alert her to her presence. Still she is a pretty good source of information since she is really into the mysteries and wants to help Teiichi. That of course makes Yuuko jealous since Okonogi really does idolize Teiichi. Should be fun to see how this group gets along though Teiichi and Kirie try to keep Okonogi from realizing that someone else is in the club room with them.

The show really does enjoy using some stylized visuals. That has helped in making those scenes with Yuuko being perceived as something terrible as legitimacy unnerving. The show has just had fun with showing different points of view. At times you’ll see what the normal person would see which may be nothing or Yuuko as a terrifying force. On the other hand sometimes the series will show what’s really going on which can be more comical than anything else. Long as they avoid showing the same scene twice again in the series I should be able to enjoy that. The series also really likes to jump right into the faces of the characters so you can’t miss their expressions. Sometimes I just think the series really wants to look cool and has some stylized visuals for that purpose. Overall it’s a show that looks pretty good. I’m pretty curious to see what Yuuko will end up being perceived as by other characters that get involved.

OP [CHOIR JAIL] by Suzuki Konomi: (A+)

This has to be one of my favorite OPs of the spring season. The song just really has a lot of power to it and makes me want to keep listening. Think I’ve probably started up the episodes just to rewatch the OP. I like them trying to leave the impression that Yuuko herself is singing the songs even if it isn’t her VA doing it. It gives some focus on all of the main characters, but mostly stays locked in on Yuuko and Teiichi. The amount of time that Yuuko spends alone in the OP reminds me about how long she has been by herself before she met Teiichi. The lyrics makes me think about why Yuuko is so forward with Teiichi. With the amount of time she’s been suffering on her own it probably reminds her how important those moments are. Who knows what will happen when Teiichi graduates and leaves that school. Best to enjoy the moments as they come. The song just works and I like the visuals in the OP. The fallen leaves look good and do have some symbolic value. I’d probably check out the series just to see the OP.

ED [Calendrier] by Aki Okui: (A-)

Now this is a case where they really tried to sell Yuuko singing the song. Watching Yuuko sit in the window and just sing. The song didn’t quite jump out at me to the same degree as the OP, but it was still a good song. It’s a pretty melancholy song which is fitting since at the end of the day Yuuko is a ghost and no longer alive. It also works symbolically only showing her since when the school day ends and Teiichi goes home she is utterly alone in that school. The only things she really has available to her are her own thoughts and keeping herself amused. Not sure what would be worse, not being perceived by others during the day or when everyone goes home and you are alone. It’s not a bad ED and overall I like it.

I will delve into some bias and say that this is a show people should give a chance. It is hard to say what one will get in a given episode, but Yuuko is a pretty compelling character. Only reading part of the manga, so can honestly say I want to get to the bottom of her mystery in this series. Think it should be a fun series and certainly never boring with the group that is surrounding Yuuko. I want to know if Teiichi is right about someone twisting the rumors around Yuuko, perhaps to conceal the truth. I’m definitely not going to stop watching at this point and hope others give it a shot.

The spring season is clearly trying to prove that you can’t have enough zombie series. Besides “Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead” we have Sankarea which focuses more on zombies. Nothing like a show with a main character who has zombies on the brain and fantasizes about falling in love with one. While most people would simply like to destroy all zombies this guy actually creates a couple in the first few episodes. Though to be fair the only one that was intentional was his cat. Though equally important is the girl who’s name is the title. Sanka, Rea is a girl who has one heck of a tough life. Nothing like showing how being born into a rich family won’t protect you from disturbing things.

This is definitely a weird series that almost leaves me at a loss regarding what I should say about it. There really are some similarities between the zombie characters of Sankarea and Kore wa Zombie Desu ka. They are more characters than the kind of zombies you’d see in other series that would be trying to just kill you. A pretty crazy change of state going from at least being human to now joining the ranks of the undead.

Of course there is little sense of normal in the series. The main character is really into zombies and the main girl lived a life that would most certainly traumatize anyone. I’m rather surprised that Rea hadn’t been raped her father or something worse. I mean there is just way too much wrong with a father who takes pictures every year to record his daughters growth…..with her in the nude. This guy is just screwed up in the head. If that wasn’t bad enough he ruins every possible relationship with any person she gets in contact with. Fire maids, ruin the life of a friend she’s made, etc. Leaving her with nothing, but this disturbed father and a mother who resents her. The mother is a piece of work resenting the victim of her husband’s mentally disturbed actions. I’m not surprised that Rea tried to take that ‘drink’ in an attempt to kill herself. The self hatred she had to have must have been terrible. After all if she wasn’t around the lives her father messed up would have continued normally.

It’s kind of sad that becoming a zombie is the best thing that could have happened to Rea. Well long as she doesn’t start going around eating people it should be fine. The only way her life could really begin was by dying. It’s hard to say how things will proceed from here since there is so much we don’t know about that whole reviving people mixture Chihiro made. Can say that it will be part romance in regards to now there is the exact kind of girl that Chihiro has wanted to fall for. That will be interesting to see, but there is of course his cousin Ranko (who he at one point left to rot in a pipe…) who clearly likes him and won’t just stand around and lose to Rea. So right now have an interesting triangle coming together that could go completely off the rails depending on how things go for Rea.

Visually it’s a pretty simple series, but they do go for some interesting style choices at times. Certainly had some fun for the moment when Rea fell to her ‘death’ and became a zombie. I’m not going to expect anything fancy since the most fantastical part of the series has happened with someone going from living to zombie. The series isn’t visually bad, it’s just not going to blow anyone away.

OP [Esoragoto] by nano.RIPE: (A-)

I have to say the OP was pretty solid. It does a good job introducing a lot of the characters and giving some hints to their personalities. A good part of the fun though is when things go a bit more fantastical with Chihiro riding on a giant version of his cat Babu. It’s just a fun OP and the song works well with it. Has a nice energy to it and when it gets to its peak I just find myself really enjoying the song.

ED [Above your hand] by Annabel: (A-)

The ED really does focus on Rea and has a much quieter song. Really does highlight how before this all started how tragic her life was. A different kind of tragedy from what others might experience, but still tragic nonetheless. Chihiro and Babu being shown to bring light to her dark world and give her some hope. The song is a nice soft one that just works with the visuals. Don’t feel like the visuals have to do anything extra to work with the song.

Think this could be a good show for those looking for a slightly different zombie series. It has a solid mix of some horror (we do have a zombie after all), comedy, and a bit of romance. Did take the first three episodes to actually turn Rea into a zombie, but the series should only take off from there. Not that attached to the characters right now though. Just not sure how attached I’ll get to this zombie romance or seeing the consequences of Rea living as a zombie. Not a bad first few episodes though.

There’s no doubt that Nazo no Kanojo X (or just Mysterious Girlfriend X) is one of my favorites of the season. Can’t deny that after reading the manga for a while that I knew this would be a solid series. I’m sure the drool aspect to the show will turn away some people, but I do think this is a series that people really need to give a chance to before giving up on it.

The series really does have an old school feel to it. If someone missed the file type you might be able to convince some people this was an anime made back in the 90s. That doesn’t mean it looks bad, but it definitely has a different feel from most of the series that are airing this spring. I personally like the look since it’s done right and it just seems to fit. Despite the effects of the drool the series is very slice of life in the first three episodes. It doesn’t need to look like Eureka Seven AO to look good. You just get pulled into the style they are using for this series. The visuals are the first thing you are going to notice and so I’m glad it’s done right for this series.

Of course the biggest thing in the series is the drool. When you think about it rationally it shouldn’t be a big deal. Anyone who has kissed someone should think about it for a moment. It’s just that the series really points out the drool and makes it pretty thick and thus more noticeable. One thing that might throw everyone off is the big drool gush from Urabe at the end of the first episode. Can say that doesn’t happen in the next episodes nor do I remember seeing it happen again in the manga, so if people are afraid of that they shouldn’t be. In the end the question has to be if people can either not care about that, enjoy it for what it is, or simply endure it. There is a lot of things to like about this series and giving up on it because of drool would be a shame.

Urabe is definitely a mysterious girl there is no doubt about that. The fact that she can have bonds with people via drool exchange is odd to say the least. I’m going to ignore the kind of ‘message from someone’ she received that told her Tsubaki would be the first person to have sex with her, since that’s really out there. This girl doesn’t seem to want friends and does a good job isolating herself from others. For whatever reason Urabe just seems to struggle getting her message across without the drool. Not to mention the fact she carries scissors in her panties like some quick-draw gunner is beyond weird. She’s also pretty protective about her personal space since even her boyfriend can’t simply hug her without being in danger of getting panty-scissored. One thing I’m looking forward to with this series is just getting into her head a bit and trying to understand her. The weird ways she tests things or proves a point keeps the series entertaining since you just don’t know what she might do.

What’s one side of a relationship without the other? Tsubaki is a key part of this series as the more normal part of this pair. Of course this is a guy who has some pretty bizarre dreams and tasted a girl’s drool he saw on a desk. Still, compared to Urabe this guy is the definition of normal. He has a lot of normal urges and desires which of course don’t line up simply with the not so normal Urabe. I liked how he made his confession to Urabe and convinced her to go out with him. He’s a good guy and you just have to root for him in this relationship.

Nothing wrong with a series that gets a couple together in the first episode and makes the series about how their relationship progresses. Just getting to the relationship is only part of the journey after all. The series isn’t afraid to bluntly throw in topics like sex and dreams that would lead to sex. Of course we’re likely not to see anything like that happen, but they aren’t ignoring the topic. Instead it’s showing how there is much more to a relationship than that. In the first three episodes Tsubaki and Urabe haven’t even gotten to the point of a kiss. Things will proceed slowly if only because it’s not so easy for Tsubaki to make a move on Urabe. Everything has to happen at its own pace. A big help to the series is a comparison couple with Tsubaki’s best friend Ueno. He and his girlfriend Oka are bound to be a good measuring stick since they’ve been dating for some time now. It brings some normalcy to the series anyways since Oka is much easier to read than Urabe is.

Voices are solid for the series. I was uncertain about Urabe’s voice if only because it was unfamiliar. But over the first few episodes I think it was a great call. She can really bring out Urabe’s character and I’ll admit it works. Tsubaki is a familiar voice and really for a character who needs to be the normal person here it also fits just fine.

I just have to say nice job on Tsubaki’s dream world. It is even more fantastical than I would have imagined. Imagination is a wonderful thing and Tsubaki apparently has quite a bit of it. Think it captures how some things just don’t make sense if you’d be able to rationally look at a dream. Even better is how if that dream sticks with him having Urabe taste his drool will let her see what happened. Luckily Urabe isn’t the type to get upset at someone for what happens in a dream XD.

OP [Koi no Orchestra] by Ayako Yoshitani: (A-)

I thought the OP was pretty nice for this series. Of course if people don’t get what’s up with the lemons they might be more confused than anything while watching it. Searching around has come up with lemons being a symbol of “love and friendship” so that might be it. The OP definitely focuses on Tsubaki and Urabe. Though at times I wonder if it’s all just a dream of Tsubaki’s since Urabe is much more energetic in certain parts than she’s been in the series to this point. It’s a pretty simple OP visually, but throws in those visuals symbols like flowers, lemons, and of course the legendary scissors XD. It’s a pretty nice song too. Nothing overpowering, just something you can listen to and relax.

ED [Houkago no Yakusoku] by Yoshitan: (A-)

In terms of the ED, I suppose it depends on how you feel about the drool in the series. Since quite literally most of the main girls of the series are shown off and there is drool leaking from their mouths. Overall it’s a pretty simple ED with panning over some still images of the girls in various poses and never forgetting to focus on the mouth. Despite being simple the images are well drawn so it doesn’t feel like a weak ED. The song is nice and relaxing which works for an ED in my mind. With a nice song and solid images the ED is a nice way to end an episode.

It’s easy for me to recommend this series since I’ve enjoyed it so far. While the bond of drool is something pretty unusual, it’s still a good romantic series. Watching the bond between Urabe and Tsubaki as they develop as characters should be interesting. If people want to watch a series a couple and their relationship this has to be it. The big thing is if people can take the bond of drool or not. If they can this should be one of the better series of the spring. A series that has an old school look to it and is just nice to watch. I think people should at least check out a few episodes and not just pass it by.

In a sense Medaka Box hasn’t been a major surprise. If there was anything I heard more than the synopsis it was that the manga this is based on struggled early on and had to change to draw people in. I’m starting to see why some people would have had trouble staying that interested in this series. Three episodes in and I’m already struggling a bit to jump into the next episode to see what will happen.

Not thinking that the series has no potential, but there are things that seem to bring the series down. Think in the end it all comes down to Medaka who is the center of this series. Following a person so blessed with skill, talent, and being almost perfect can be pretty draining. Sure she might claim that geniuses don’t exist, but let’s look at reality here. You put two people who have the same drive in the same situation they aren’t going to end up the same. That might be a good excuse for people with a ton of talent, but less convincing for those without it. A way to have their own hard work not negated. Kind of jumping on a random topic here, but something about that just annoyed me. Really her only negative is being rather stupid about some things. There just seems to be nothing to root for in this character. Her biggest struggle is that animals can sense her overwhelming strength and are terrified. That’s hardly something I’m going to get really attached to.

The series does have its share of funny moments. The bulk personally comes from Shiranui who is a great source of information. The girl is pretty twisted looking forward to our male lead Zenkichi get mauled by a dog in one episode. But she’s pretty fun and so has kept me interested in seeing what she might do. Zenkichi is a pretty solid male lead. He’s a guy who has had to follow Medaka around and has built up some solid strength himself over time. A childhood friend who of course is in love with her and thus despite his complaints will stick around with her and be one of the rare people in the world who would worry for such an overwhelming person.

It’s not a fancy series visually, but it’s decent enough. Medaka’s crazy abilities look pretty good in action and that’s part of the battle. It’s just not going to be the best looking anime of the season. There’s enough fanservice on both sides really to leave those looking for that satisfied. There isn’t too much, but people will get panning of the female characters or some focus on Medaka’s breasts. The series isn’t going to turn away from those chances while at the same time telling its stories.

All the voices seem to fit from my point of view. From Zenkichi to Shiranui everyone seems appropriate to their roles including the side-characters that are the focus of whatever problem that Medaka has to solve.

OP [HAPPY CRAZY BOX] by Kuribayashi Minami: (B+)

It’s certainly an OP that visually fits with the level of the show itself. A pretty good OP that has the kind of quick tempo that fits with the series. At least a quick glance is given to those who are the main characters of the series. Of course Medaka proving that she is pretty much everywhere. A pretty solid OP all things considered.

ED [Ohanabatake ni Tsuretette] by Toyosaki Aki: (C+)

A pretty simple ED. Visually just the student council laying asleep in a pile with still images of people they will help passing above them. The song was pretty nice and had me enjoying that part of it. Though have to say it’s pretty tempting to just look at something else while the song plays. Think it works better as a song than an ED.

I think Medaka Box has some potential, but right now I wouldn’t say this is a series people have to check out. There are some laughs, but not like there aren’t other series in this season that can give those. At this point still looking for a way to be attached to the main character. Don’t want to drag in personal bias, but never been a huge fan of those super talented people who could literally do everything and won all the school awards XD. So having one above even that as a main character is…yeah. I’ll have to wait and see how the series develops, but right now it’s just something I’ll watch if I have the free time.

Now comes the violent series that is full of guns. Jormungand is definitely a show that will hold nothing back in terms of how messy the life of an arms dealer can be. An interesting experience to follow Koko Hekmatyar and her group around. They have already gotten into quite the series of messes with assassins, countries trying to make them or stop them from selling weapons, etc. There have been a lot of bullets used in the first few episodes and I doubt that is going to change as the show goes on. This isn’t a case where enemies are somehow going to limp away, people were literally being filled with bullets or simply blown up.

A series going to a more mature crowd since there is quite a bit of death involved and some tough questions being asked about people. Getting to see all of this through fresh eyes helps even if those eyes are of a child solider named Jonah. Have no idea what this kid has been through, but it likely was hell considering how skilled he is at shooting and killing despite his age. Getting involved with this group and dealing with Koko has been interesting to watch. He definitely doesn’t like what Koko does for a living, but he’s certainly grown protective of her. Her motives are still a mystery (I’m not going to put too much in the world peace line she gave in the first episode) and so I’m curious to find out just what has her involved in this kind of work.

I feel like this will be the kind of series where I should only get attached to the main characters. There are so many bullets flying that any characters that look to be only involved for an episode or two are probably going to end up dead. Though I have a good feeling that the main group should be alright since they are a pretty well oiled machine and look to cover each other. With a group like that don’t run the risks of not having the right people for the situation.

Of course despite all the explosions and bullets there is also a solid amount of comedy. When things aren’t in dire straights they can find the time for some laughs. Of course in some cases Koko manages to find a way to be humorous even when their lives are in danger. Maybe its the trust she has in the group that gives her the confidence to do that. Whether it’s just Valmet’s incredible affection for Koko or Johan laughing at a stuffed animal that falls into his hands there are lighter moments. The series may have a lot of violence and death in there, but it doesn’t mean that the show is all serious. There is room for some fun and that’s a good sign.

Though will say the series might not completely be up my alley. A bit tough to get that attached to Koko with her motivations fairly obscure. Though they’ve kept it to regions I wouldn’t think much about normally, hard to ignore the damage the career she’s involved with has on a lot of lives. It’s mostly a gut feeling that hasn’t had me getting really attached to the main group. The action is entertaining, but not sure if that alone will carry my interest.

OP [Borderland] by Mami Kawada: (A)

Now have to say the OP was pretty good. Koko’s group is pretty large so getting some shots of them and some of the major groups they run into is pretty handy. The music itself just sounded good and really worked well with the visuals. Besides with a series like this that kind of high tempo song really works. With a song like that can really look forward to what kind of trouble Koko and her group will get involved with.

ED [Ambivalentidea] by Nagi Yanagi: (C+)

Will say the ED wasn’t nearly as impressive. The entire thing focuses on this shell casing with an image projected onto it. That image seems to change from episode to episode, but otherwise the only visual change is that the screen tone goes gray towards the end. Simple is definitely the way to describe this. The song wasn’t too bad. A pretty quiet song that at least brings you down from a high tempo episode. I didn’t like or dislike it really. It could grow on me as time goes on though.

In the end Jormungand wasn’t too bad. Of course it really will depend on whether this is the kind of show you are interested in. If a person is up for some great gun action, some comedy, and some killing then they should enjoy this. I could see some comparisons to Black Lagoon, so if someone was a fan of that series they really might get into this one. Whether or not I’ll stick with it, not sure.

If there is any show from this season that is full of random moments and a ton of references it is Haiyore! Nyaruko-san. Sometimes it feels like this series or at least Nyarlko are running on pure sugar. The series is just full of energy and doesn’t spend much time relaxing. Can sympathize with the male lead Mahiro who actually is in the middle of these events and surrounded by these aliens.

Nyarlko really defines the series with her extreme energy and being incredibly cheerful. Whether she is hitting on Mahiro or massacring monsters she is pretty positive about the whole thing. Maybe one of the more disturbing things is seeing how she dispatches her opponents. Both she and Kuko use what they call Space CQC (close quarters combat) to pretty much kill everything in their path. Of course a lot of the things they use don’t relate to the common sense idea of close quarters combat. We’re talking flying funnels that shoot beams, grenades, crowbars, chainsaws and power suits. At least they explained it with a quote from some textbook they learned from that pretty much stated that anything one believes to be Space CQC is Space CQC no matter what someone else thinks. This series can just get pretty brutal when it comes to fights though. The first episode had Nyarlko punching through one of the monsters attacking Mahiro. After that came some pretty brutal attacks that are so one-sided that you’d think she was the villain of the series and not the heroine.

Of course the series really is about getting laughs out of people. Just watching Nyarlko make her advances on Mahiro is pretty entertaining since she really does go overboard. The same can be said when Kuko is making her yuri advances on Nyarlko. Mahiro usually manages to diffuse things before they go too far thanks to the power of stabbing Nyarlko with a fork. Suppose it shows how much she likes him to shrug off that kind of thing which probably doesn’t hurt someone like her much. Just good times like having Nyarlko hand a small box which will help save Mahiro but first calling it an engagement ring, leading to him stomp on it until she reveals its actual purpose. The series just enjoys going over the top whether it’s Mahiro’s reactions or just Nyarlko being Nyarlko.

The characters definitely drive the series. Of course Nyarlko takes on the heavy role of the series since she brings so much energy to it. She’s the one initiating the advances on Mahiro and taking charge whenever a fight turns up. Definitely willing to do whatever it takes for what she wants considering she took the mission to guard Mahrio because she felt he was in her strike zone XD. Mahiro is a pretty average presence since without Nyarlko to drive him up a wall he probably wouldn’t stand out too much. But thanks to her he can shine as more of a straight man to all the comedy. Though it’s not like he’s a rock since he’ll show a rare softer side when it is needed and watching Nyarlko massacre her opponents does drain the blood from his face. He’s probably only able to retain his sanity by pretending he can’t see or hear anything. Probably also has to ignore that Nyarlko could take on a much more terrifying form compared to a cute girl if she wanted to. Having her look normal just helps his sanity from being completely destroyed.

The series really does make a lot of references to various series and quotes. Probably the easiest to spot was the ones from One Piece. It works pretty well with the comedy, though I don’t pretend to catch a ton of the references that the series throws around. Long as I can pick up a few and get some laughs from them that’s just fine.

The series is solid enough visually. The characters look fine and they manage to have some fun with the action scenes as well. I liked the music well enough too especially what they use for the action scenes. Though sometimes I can forget about that with how brutal Nyarlko can be on her enemies.

OP [Taiyou Iwaku Moeyo Chaos] by Ushirokara Haiyoritai G: (B)

The OP is certainly as active as the series is. The vocals being handled by the main characters brings more of a connection to the series I think. It does a solid job at showing who the major characters are and giving a feel for their personalities. It doesn’t forget either to remind people that the series will have its share of action. It’s not an OP that blew me away or anything, but I think it was good enough.

ED [Zutto Be with you] by RAMM ni Haiyoru Nyaruko-san: (B+)

The ED is definitely a softer song that brings you down after a pretty crazy episode (which most of them are). It does reflect how much effort Nyarlko puts into trying to get Mahiro’s attention. Whether its just clinging to him or trying to appeal in different ways. The ED reflects how he isn’t unaffected by her advances, just not good at responding to them. He’s certainly going to blush seeing her in a swimsuit, just expect him to go a bit tsundere if she approaches him. The song was pretty good and I felt fit nicely with the pretty straight forward still images. A pretty nice ED that I like a bit more than the OP, but both are pretty decent in my mind.

Overall I think this is a pretty entertaining series. Of course how much people will enjoy would vary. If someone can’t pick out any of the references it might feel a bit too random and depends if the comedy works for them as well. Plus there is that odd clash between the laughs and seeing Nyarlko beat some monster to death with a rock…I plan to keep on watching though since it’s pretty entertaining to watch all the characters interact.

The next series in this barrage of first impressions is Eureka Seven AO. I was really uncertain where this series might go and how good it would be. As someone who watched and enjoyed the original series there is that nervousness about how they would handle this. Of course with the main character not being the same as the original and the series having an alternate universe feel this series really was one I found hard to predict. At the same time a lot of people they are going to be pulling in are those who watched the original Eureka Seven so you’d expect them to try and keep those fans happy.

It really does feel like a series that has similarities to the original but exists almost in an alternate universe or closer to our timeline. The countries and technology look closer to ours though clearly in the future. Battleships look like battleships and just doesn’t feel like the same point in time like the first series. At least personally I’ve chosen to look at it like its own series since it’d be harder to get into it while looking at it as a direct sequel.

So far Ao, has done a good job as the main character. He’s been pretty easy guy to understand. His mother gone for a long time and having to deal with a serious case of xenophobia from everyone on that island. Even though he was technically born there, the fact that his mother wasn’t from that island has lead to him being discriminated against. Of course it wasn’t just that, but also his mother being used as a scapegoat for an earlier Scub Burst disaster. I’m sure they were already discriminating against his mother and they just used anything they could as an excuse for hating on Ao as well. Having a kid go around and save the day would normally make him a hero, but with this island he was simply discriminated against even more. Even those who understood how pathetic they were for hating against a kid for no reason can’t stop themselves from hating.

Can really feel how tough things are for Ao. Even though he’s grown up there and loves the island himself, those living there hate and reject him. Besides his friend Naru and the Doctor who took him in there aren’t many people on that island who care about him. Never would have guessed that those three guys who were transporting things for the military would actually be the closest things outside of Naru and Ao’s grandfather to friends for him. If all that hate from the people on the island wasn’t enough Ao had to deal with the fact that his life has been in jeopardy for quite a while now. The first episode showed just what one Secret could pull off without leading to the worst case scenario and the third episode ended with almost a fleet of those things being launched. No doubt we are going to see some crazy action from the Nirvash, but it is also clear that Ao can’t handle this situation alone.

Naturally this is where Generation Blue comes in. Still think the most entertaining thing about them so far is how everyone pronounces “generation” XD. But really seems like quite the quirky group. Should be a pretty successful business when you are the only ones able to deal with such a major global threat. A pretty professional group really negotiating with governments and setting up payments for their services. The two pilots Fleur Blanc and Elena Peoples certainly fit in with that quirky group. Fleur seems like a nice enough girl who can sympathize with people as evidenced by helping the girl get her mother out of the rubble. Elena on the other hand is still pretty tough to read since we haven’t seen too much of her. If Ao does end up joining that group then things should be interesting and some good balance between the three units.

Visually I think the series has looked great. Of course with Bones behind them the series would have a hard time looking bad. The series has great potential to show off its visuals with the aerial battles coming up and just the Scub Corals themselves being pretty impressive. The quality may not stay at the top in every episode, but so far I see no reason to think we aren’t going to get one heck of a flashy series.

OP [Escape] by Hemenway: (A+)

I have to say the OP came out with a good song for this series. It’s a good upbeat song that gets you excited for the episode. Of course it has some more somber moments to reflect how it isn’t going to be all good times for Ao in this series. Still the OP made sure to keep the focus almost entirely on Ao with other characters popping into the OP at different times. It also did a pretty good job hinting at how important Naru will be to Ao in this show. In a sense she’ll probably be a grounding force for him as things go crazy. Though it also hints that his mother Eureka will make some appearance and Ao will be chasing after her.

I have no complaints about the job they did with this OP. It looks good with the visual action and effects. Combine that with a good song and giving a kind of guide as to the kind of series we’re getting into there is no problem with it in my mind.

ED [Stand By Me] by Stereopony: (B)

The ED wasn’t really bad. The song was pretty solid though I kind of wanted it to either pick up or maybe tone down a bit. Seemed to hover a bit in the middle of being upbeat and somber. Still it wasn’t a bad song really and worked alright with the visuals. This one was much more focused on just Ao and Naru. The early part just had Ao sitting around before it got a bit more fantastical with him jumping off a cliff and growing wings. Though we didn’t need more hints Naru being so prominent shows how important she should be to the story. In the end she managed to find Ao, following the lyrics of the song pretty well. Not sure if I’ll listen to the ED every week since it didn’t quite reach me, but it was solid enough.

This series should be pretty approachable for those who haven’t seen the original Eureka Seven. For fans of the first show they should stay around just for what the show is and perhaps the promise of seeing this series’ Eureka again. There is plenty to discover about this world and the threat facing it. Ao is a pretty solid main character though I’m sure things will get tougher for him. If people want a new mecha show to check out this has to be on their list. Visuals are nice and the story seems pretty good from the first three episodes. I can’t wait to see the next episode of this one.