I was gonna write a few reviews on a bunch of anime I watched, but since I’ve been watching quite a few, here are some thoughts on the ones I have watched this term:
Baka to Test to Shokanjuu: High school comedy in which testing is administered much like an RPG. Every student has their own “character” and their stats are determined by how well they do in school. Students are grouped into classes A through F, where A has the highest grades and the nicest classroom, while F has the lowest grades and the shabbiest classroom. Very light-hearted, generally likeable characters. Not a masterpiece by any means, but good entertainment value.
Kore wa Zombie desu ka: Ecchi Harem which mixes together some of the wackiest characters in science fiction/fantasy (zombie/magical girl, anyone?) into one show. The story follows a zombie who was brought back to life by a necromancer and his daily adventures as he meets a magical girl (whose powers get absorbed by the zombie) and a vampire ninja who hates his guts. Tons of laughs to be had during this show; although most moments that are almost serious (such as the ending) get bulldozed by a gag, which can be funny or unfortunate.
Hourou Musuko: a serious slice of life story about a boy who wishes to be a girl and a girl who wishes to be a boy. Refreshing story on cross-dressing, a concept normally used for comedy has now been looked at as a serious issue in regards to gender identity. Characters seem to act old for their age (they’re in middle school, but don’t really act it), but still an interesting (but melancholy) tale.
Shiryaku! Ika Musume: A squid girl who comes from the ocean to invade earth and rule humanity because they are polluting the oceans. Unfortunately, she puts a hole through a beach cafe’s wall, and ends up having to work there instead. Episodic form anime with some hilarious moments and some very touching stories as well (Mini-Ika Musume chapter). One of the better moe animes out there.
Yumekui Merry: A story about a girl from the “Dream world” who finds herself in reality. Meets up with a boy named Yumeji and together they try and get her back to the Dream world. However, the appearance of dreams in the real world living inside human hosts and the many cases of people who have completely given up their hopes and dreams originate from a more sinister character. Had a great concept, but was pretty disappointing by the end. Many plot points and characters they introduced that I would have liked to have seen explored further weren’t, the story became pretty typical shounen after around the halfway point.
