Cross Game – 24

So, after way too long a disappearance, Cross Game is finally back on UNMEI KAIHEN! Wish I had a good reason for not blogging the series for so long, but I don’t. At least I am writing about it again, though, right?

This episode is mainly set-up for Kitamura and company’s first taste of the Koshien. It will be interesting to see exactly how far Seishuu will go; I don’t think they will win this Koshien, because they have another year remaining, but the school could still make a strong splash in the tournament, so there is at least some suspense in wondering exactly when the team will lose. Even though the show is setting up this first opponent — and the player in particular that Azuma remembers — as really tough, I doubt Seishuu will eat it in the first round, but it could be a decent shocker if they do.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – 35

Anyone up for a frozen “Slothee”? Ha ha ha!

. . . Yeah, I won’t quit my day job.

Maybe a bit too much talking in this episode, but enough answers are doled out to take some of the sting away from that. I like that even knowing the truth behind their country, there is still a level of deception Ed and Al cannot see through. The talk between Marcoh and May heavily implies that even the very basis behind the alchemy used in Amestris every day is a complete lie. This is not very surprising to learn; given that Father is able to completely shut down alchemy in Amestris — and May Chang and Scar are still able to use their Eastern alchemy despite that — it makes sense that the accepted form of energy output for their brand of alchemy is complete bullshit.

Monster – 15-16

What is in a name?

Dr. Tenma meets Gen. Wolfe — the man in the photograph with a circa Kinderheim 511 Johan — and remarks that the Wolfe in front of him looks nothing like the Wolfe in the photo. Wolfe takes this a step further: He says people refer to him as “Wolfe”, and that he introduces himself as “Wolfe” to people who do not know him, but there is nothing real that proves he is Wolfe. For all anyone knows, Wolfe could be anyone else and it would not matter, because he is labeled to the world as “Wolfe”.

Sasameki Koto – 9

Agh, I’ve seen so lazy lately — should have put this post out a couple of days ago (and the Monster post should have gone up yesterday). Tsk tsk @ me.

Aoi really needs a reality check. I laughed a bit at her assumption that finishing her first novel is a step toward adulthood, because while that is a momentous occasion for sure, Aoi still has a lot of developing to do. She tends toward fantasy so much that her emotions seem to have developed a hypersensitivity — her memory is probably more than a bit biased (Aoi was likely turned down a bit less harshly than she remembers), and when Murasame cannot recall agreeing to help Aoi with the fanzine (because she was too busy doing frenzied sign language with Ushio to notice Aoi going on and on and on), Aoi takes it way too hard. Murasame doesn’t really come off to me like she is directly ditching Aoi; instead, she is more like, “Oh, wow, I agreed to help you? Talk to you later!” Not a completely clean response considering how Murasame was trying not to fall in too deeply with Aoi, but it’s ambiguous enough to not be a mean-spirited rebuke, too.

Kimi ni Todoke – 9

I think Production I.G slips shots like this into each episode so that the viewers know how Sawako feels when her heart goes aflutter when she is around Kazehaya.

Much of this episode centers around Kurumi moving in and becoming fast friends with Sawako, while the viewer is left to cogitate on whether Kurumi’s intentions are pure. One point that could potentially go in Kurumi’s favor is her stray thought that Sawako actually does look like a doll. She doesn’t really need to think this to herself to convince anyone she is trying to become Sawako’s friend for some nefarious purpose; rather, it is the type of thought a person randomly has about someone for no real reason other than it being a judgment we have of another person. But even this can be twisted to a degree — like Kurumi’s initial compliment (whether honest or calculated, the statement is meant to be taken the way Sawako takes it, I think) is just something Kurumi throws out to flatter Sawako, and it is only after Kurumi is leaving that she realizes Sawako actually does resemble a doll in her own way.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – 34

. . . Have I mentioned yet that I am a ridiculous fanboy?

This episode is mostly typical of Brotherhood for the past few weeks — some build-up, something awesome happening and then some teasing before the end. But watching Olivier and her army blow up Sloth in increasingly enormous and ridiculous ways is one of the more fun fights we’ve seen of late, even if it is barely a fight at all. Sloth is probably my least favorite of the Homunculi — even friggin’ Gluttony has a more interesting personality than this guy! — but he at least has a super strong defense going for him. Even if it is a drag to keep on truckin’.

Kimi ni Todoke – 8

Ack, I am starting to fall behind pretty badly with posts lately! Been having a few connection issues recently (in fact, I’ve been waiting roughly 50 minutes to post this because my connection shut down again), and of course work cuts into my time quite a bit, so this post is coming out a day later than I hoped it would. Here’s hoping I’m able to resolve my problems soon!

Like some of my fellow bloggers, I’m actually hoping Kurumi is not as horrible and manipulative as some little hints are showing her to be. My brain says she is a schemer underneath — she is the obvious choice as the master behind the rumors ordeal, her evil eye as Kazehaya catches an eyeful of Sawako kicking a rock around in the garden appears to be a not so subtle way of announcing “THIS GIRL IS CRAZY” and she actually is kind of manipulative with her friends, subtly pushing them to nominate her as a class rep for the sports festival so that she can be closer to Kazehaya. The cynical part of me thinks it must be nice to have an active pair of shippers as friends to help one out.

Monster – 13-14

I’m getting to this post way later than intended. Apologies — I’ve been sick all week, and these posts normally take a bit out of me even when I’m healthy, so there was no way I could do this kind of heavy thinking while under the influence of cold medicine. Still not completely over my illness, but I am well enough to give this post a good shot. Better late than never, right?

Ep14 is a favorite Monster episode of mine because it shows both Inspector Lunge and Eva really getting a kickstart to their dual obsessions with Dr. Tenma and the extent of the damage caused to them by their obsessions (though Lunge’s damage comes more from a general obsession with tracking down killers). Lunge’s half of the story is particularly interesting because while up to this point he is portrayed as an extremely intelligent, effective officer of the law, there is not too much indication that his dedication to his work may have a negative effect on his life (although he has an admittedly single-minded, intense personality), whereas the sparks of Eva’s obsession are shown in prior episodes (although, again, they are not fanned nearly as hard as they are in this episode).

Sasameki Koto – 8

There is sometimes a tenuous line between fantasy and reality. Some people dance completely across that line because fantasy is preferable to reality; however, there almost always comes a time when a person needs to be yanked back into reality for his or her sake. But what is the best way to do this?

Aoi Azusa is lost in her fantasy. She likes girls, but her idea of romance is the delicate, secretive type of romance expounded upon in the Maria-sama ga Miteru-esque books written by her favorite author, Orino Masaka (the pseudonym of Ushio’s brother). In Aoi’s mind, romance is best enjoyed when only the two people sharing it know about it — when she describes a fantasy of two lovers meeting on the outskirts of campus, the voices of the other students both close and faraway, it’s easy to see Aoi has quickly developed a crush on Murasame, and is probably casting Murasame headlong into one of her fantasies at that very moment. (Ironically enough, the scene Aoi conjures somewhat mirrors the first scene of the series, where Murasame and Ushio stumble upon Tomoe and Miyako kissing in the classroom.)

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – 33

Just a quick note before I begin — I’ve decided to drop Letter Bee. That choice is more a reflection on my lack of time than the quality of the series, though I am not certain I would have continued blogging it past this season, anyway (particularly with a surefire awesome show like Durarara on the horizon for winter). Plus, I want to catch up on Cross Game and finish up Kare Kano, both of which I have neglected for too long now. So, apologies to anyone who read and enjoyed my Letter Bee posts, but anyone who likes the series should be more than happy with Scamp’s posts at Bokutachi no Blog. Go read them!

Anyway, this episode is solid but not exactly amazing. (I just need to stop hyping things up altogether. Every time I do, I set up Epi for disappointment. I’m sorry, man! Not a word from me regarding anything in the future.)