Kämpfer – 12: The poor children.

This final episode for this already questionable anime was meant to be a xmas special; after the last episode where Shizuku and the others kicked ass (Natsuru does, naturally, bugger-all!) and Sakura and her merry women went disappearing off promising they’d be back, I suppose the show needed some kind of comic relief, and it delivered. Fans of the show will, of course, love this ep to death. But now I’m just glad it’s all over.

As the show is already full of gender-bender frivolity, what’s some more to finish the show off? This time around, total body-swap with the Entrails Animals; they decide to have fun in the human world, eat real food, go to theme parks, touch each other all over the place, even psychopath Sakura decides to join in with the fun before the Entrails Animals (in human form) fly off on a sleigh……oh, you think I’m making this up..

Oh yeah sure, for people who know the show they would simply look at this and not worry; I shouldn’t either. When I first saw it, it did look a bit OTT, on everything. Sex, violence, language, this was not an anime to show to kids. I personally didn’t like it, but I can very much appreciate how so many people can walk away and totally be mesmerised by it. So yeah, Kämpfer is like Marmite; you either love it or you hate it.

Strangely enough, I love Marmite.

Kimi ni Todoke – 09: Porcelain dolls.

After my last post on Kimi ni Todoke, where I was nearly putting down Kurumi entirely, I really ought to slap myself on the wrist. And I don’t even care if she’s found out to be an antagonist to Sawako and co or not; she’s just so damn cute!!!!

Instead of full-on Kurumi-ness, we’re back to Sawako, and she’s enjoying soccer it seems, all thanks to her new friends. And now Kurumi is making a mark on Sawako; positive or negative, who can say? In fact I will no longer criticise her. I may be a slightly vain person, as I find good qualities in both girls (haha, I’ll lose brownie points for writing that). Yes, it was the same in Sora no Manimani, where people who watched the show saw student council president Kotozuka as an evil war-mongerer and nothing else; I instead found a sweet girl who just wanted a friend in Saku-chan (the two had similar qualities after all).

Of course, like I say, I don’t know the ending; I only speculate. Drawing on possibilities and conclusions is the only thing us fans of the show (yeah, I admit it, I’ve come a fan, although I know for sure that the show will never ever reach the west) can do. Even comparing the show a little to Kare Kano might be seen as somewhat heretic, but then I enjoyed that. I personally think Kimi ni Todoke is far superior though.

Kimi ni Todoke – 08: I kick rocks!

I do worry about Sawako. A lot. In fact each episode I immediately start thinking that, since the bitching and back-stabbing drama from previous episodes, I’m worried that it might bounce back on her at the end or something. Being a victim of school bullying, I can see this from miles away, and I’m ashamed to say Sawako is bait for school bullies.

This week’s ep, though, didn’t focus on her; instead we are now properly introduced to Kurumi. Was she the one who started the rumors that put down Sawako, Chizu and Yano? Well, she does go love-sick over Kazehaya once more than often, so let’s just say she is now a ‘prime suspect’. Trying to warm up to as many she can is certainly working; she can turn on charm like a switch.

And watching Sawako kicking rocks from a distant window is not the best thing to do; it may well put more ideas in her head, plus it makes you look a bit nutty. Who really is Kurumi, and what is she capable of? I suppose we will find out soon enough. Meanwhile, Kurumi isn’t the only one now who is slowly falling for Kazehaya (ain’t he a charmer?); Sawako is starting to appreciate new friends. And while Kazehaya makes a plain complimentary remark about Sawako’s hair, she almost breaks down.

So what can be done? Everybody loves Kazehaya, but there’s only one place for his heart. Kurumi will certainly do what she can to get him, so that means if Sawako really wants him back, she needs to develop both some fighting spirit and some courage. Go get him, I say.

Sora no Manimani – 05: Saku-chan is mine! No, he’s mine! NO!! HE’S MINE!!

Poor Saku-chan, at the end of so many pretty girls in this show. First he has the permanently-on-acid Mihoshi. Then there’s cute-yet-crazed Hime, who immediately develops a crush on him right from the beginning (she only joins the Astronomy club just so she can see Saku-chan).

And I don’t exactly picture the other girl in the club, calm priestess Sayo, as someone who would lust over Saku-chan night and day, although I haven’t seen every single Sora no Manimani doujin around, however. Dont even get me started on the boys in the club though! XD Hell, I’d crush on him, but I’m not that much of a fanboy!!

So, with Mihoshi dying for attention, Hime with a constant dreamy-eyed look on her face, Sayo being a no-hoper, Masashi taking pictures of everything, and the club president just being enemic everywhere, there’s only one other option:

The student president, Fumie Kotozuka (played by Ami Koshimizu, most famous for playing Anemone in Eureka Seven, and Horo in Spice and Wolf); I mean her evil Kagami-like tsundere appearance just gives her away completely!

Note all the subtle hints she gives off throughout the entire show:

- “Haha, bow down to me, mortals!!! Err *cough* I mean, I really can be a nice girl once you get to know me…”
- “Your writing is great! Come to my wonderful Literature club; I think you’d be quite quite suited here than there!”
- “You stupid trouble-makers!!!…*hmph* *five minutes later* Can I join in the stargazing?”
- “Oh no, I’m really not interested in anyone. Honest. Honesthonesthonesthonest!”

Actually having student council power would put her at a serious advantage against Mihoshi and Hime; Kotozuka wouldn’t let those two anywhere near Saku-chan. Yeah, you can tell I like anime girls with level heads; girls with no brains do tend to piss me off.

And, of course, this may well end up in several fanfics. And having said that, there is an obvious pairing between this lucky boy and this unnecessarily angry girl. I mean, come on, Saku-chan really is one lucky lucky guy……it’s probably no wonder he finds such wonderful relief in a book. But, should he have swanned off to the Literature club anyway? Well, I’m actually still watching this show, so I don’t really know. But I don’t actually mind if he went either way.

White Album: 1980s late-night phone anime.

Yes, everyone’s on the phone. All at different times. I lost count too. You’d think this pitch idea would work as a visual novel, but it just does not.

As well as a poor plotline, the main characters make my head hurt. Hands down though for the only one in the group who had any sense: Rina Ogata (idol with brains; you wouldn’t think it!). Meanwhile airhead Yuki is in cloud-cuckoo land pretty much all the time, (including times when she gets bullied by other idols; “oh yeah, spill coffee on my nice new clothes and laugh those evil little witch-like laughs, I really don’t mind…”), the loner tomboy Haruka who was turning into super-stalk mode, and don’t get me started on the completely gay Akira (who I don’t think was gay anyway, and yes I am using that in a derogatory sense; he was just a plain dickhead)…oh snap, I’m losing track now.

Anyway, the goddess-like fellow idol and Yuki’s senpai, Rina Ogata…who took no time at all in stealing away the lead male (Forgotten his name already!).

GIMME YOUR NUMBER NOW!

I don’t even know what even happened at the end of the show and, to be honest, I couldn’t give two shits anymore. I suppose a pairing of lead male x Rina would have worked, and maybe a little pairing with Haruka, but noone else; please kill Yuki now, slowly! Oh no wait, kill Akira too while you’re there!

Yes, whatever your real name was, whenever in doubt, just yawn!