Annotated Anime: Winter 2012 Week 9

11:12 PM on 02.29.2012   |   Josh Tolentino

...now, can you show me, on this doll, where else you put a lobster? No? What would you rather do then? Recap anime? Well, alright, we can do that.

Welcome to Annotated Anime, your favorite leap-year-leap-day anime recap! We've got a full slate for you this week, with recaps of Shana, Zero no Tsukaima, Moretsu Pirates, Persona 4, Gundam AGE, Another, Guilty Crown, Symphogear, Phi Brain, Ano Natsu, Prince of Tennis, High School DxD, Bakuman, Natsume, Amagami SS+, Inu x Boku, and Nisemonogatari.

...now, can you show me, on this doll, where he brushed your teeth? 

Chris Walden

Phi Brain Episode 21

Cubic makes a reappearance this episode, in which he boasts about his Kaito stalking network to the only minor character that cares. Obviously concerned about the levels of obsession he's just seen, apple juice man helps Cubic complete a set of puzzles in order to help him overcome the initial rejection, and come to terms with his one-sided love.

Kaito is on the brink of suicide, and would have welcomed the fools puzzle Rook sets up for him, if it weren't for the involvement of the mincer at the end of the conveyor belt. See, Kaito is in fact a strict vegan, claiming this is where he attains his puzzling prowess, and he does not wish to end up in a similar state to the meat products he so dearly loathes. Strangely enough, the armband of Orpheus and his top notch puzzle solving abilities went unused, as his unique gift of speaking orca finally pays off when he hears the all-too-familiar sound of biosonar.

However, the reminder that the family of orca that taught him such an ability were mindlessly slaughtered causes him to go berserk, with the treadmill he's standing on slowly moving him towards the anti-vegan machine at the end. Fortunately for him, he'd remembered to check-in to the warehouse with Facebook, allowing Nonoha to save him from certain death. She reminds him that his unnecessary death will cause the orca language to become extinct, and that he needs to live on, for the sake of the pod. At the end, we see a brief glimpse of Ana, having successfully recovered from the operation she so desperately sought. Expect a tearful story next episode.

[You can catch Phi Brain fever on The Anime Network!]

Amagami SS+ Episode 8

The stunning conclusion of the Kaoru arc is upon us, and just like the original season, we are reminded time and time again just how good they are at being bad friends. Nothing like a relationship rife with arguments, am I right? I'm still a tad confused as to how everyone at the travel stop they were at disappeared, but all is fine, they have a truck! I'm pretty confident the scenario would have turned into a horror had that happened in the UK, but the Japanese are too nice for... truck murder? I don't know any more. 

Hot springs time! Well, there's this whole scary inn segment involved too, but lets be honest, it's only in the episode to explain the hot spring scene. Juniichi acts like sane human male and busts in on the womens bath, much to a bashful Kaoru's surprise. But this is Amagami, so he isn't going anywhere after that. There's some blushing, water and a bra-stealing monkey involved, but don't let me spoil the surprise. 

After more arguing, more rain and more making up for being total idiots, they are eventually rescued from their crazy situation by none other than the sushi chef himself. Kaoru later recreates a beach scene that would have been impossible for her to see without Juniichi getting with another lady, so perhaps something happened after the jump cut. More lap grinding ensues, and I'm more than ready for episode nine. 

[Head over to The Anime Network if you want some Amagami SS+ in your life!]

Natsume Yuujinchou Shi Episode 9

Finally, a youkai cosplay episode! Okay, it's not quite like that, but I'm going to pretend it is for my own enjoyment. Due to some rather long-winded explanation about a festival and two gods fighting for fun, Natsume is roped into trying to save a mountain from turning into a wasteland for ten years. All he has to do is dress like a missing god, then battle the other god. Simple, really. 

The crazy lizard-man Natori makes a return appearance, who is tasked with finding the missing god, and sealing the other should he not find him in time. He bumps into Natsume while he's masquerading as this god, and they attempt to work together to ensure the festival doesn't end up causing a ten year disaster. With me still? Probably not!

It's a darn good episode though, mainly because we get to see the relationship between Natsume and Hiiragi grow some more. That Hiiragi would go out of her way to draw a protective mark on Natsume shows a great deal, especially when most youkai want nothing to do with humans. More importantly, the fact that Natsume returns the favour shows what an innocent guy he is. Little things like this are what make this series great! Then they get crushed by rocks and the episode ends. Darn. 

[Show some spirit by watching this on Crunchyroll!]

Bakuman Season 2 Episode 20 and 21

All of the drama! These last two episodes sure didn't hold back on the stuff, and it's great to see the series still going full throttle when the end of the second season is approaching. The most significant part would be Ashirogi ending Tanto, claiming that it just isn't something they can compete with Eiji over. Yeah, more important than the wedding I didn't get an invite to. It was probably rubbish anyway.

As a condition for ending the series, Ashirogi must get serialised in the space of six months. If they can't do this, then they won't ever me allowed to work in Jack/Jump ever again. Miura gets the ball rolling with an expanded version of Money and Intelligence, which is rejected at the first of the three meetings they can submit to. This puts Ashirogi down in the dumps somewhat, as they'd been pretty confident about it. 

The second attempt is spent on a fantasy manga, much to the surprise of Ashirogi. Miura is pretty adamant that they do it, and even though they were confident in that too, it doesn't even make it to the second review meeting. This is when Miura and Hattori reveal that they've been conspiring, and that they'd more or less planned for this to happen. Everything is riding on their final attempt, and it's all getting pretty exciting. 

Oh, while I remember. Kaya, honestly, don't complain that Takagi isn't enjoying his honeymoon then promptly switch the TV on! I'm sure there are more important... things you should be... doing. 

Michelle Rodanes

Prince of Tennis II - Episode 8

Congratulations, Prince of Tennis II! you've reached the point where you are utterly unwatchable.

In episode 8 of Prince of Tennis II, coach Mifune orders Echizen plus two random kids to break into U-17 headquarters to steal booze, soap bars, and tennis balls. The two most athletic kids volunteer to navigate an intricate maze of motion-activated traps set in the hall before the room containing the loot. Of course, the third kid --an inexplicably morbidly-obese tennis player that has been making cameo appearances from time to time-, accidentally sets off the alarms as he attempts to get his hands on an unattended sandwich. Oh ho ho ho!

Echizen and his buddy somehow manage to grab the goods before security guards enter the hall. All three kids escape unharmed and return to their coach. And what do they get in return? Nothing. Echizen attempts to get even with Mifune by slipping some laxatives into his drink, but his plan fails miserably. Mifune's alcoholism is so severe that his entrails are capable of withstanding just about anything.

This was my face during the entirety of this episode. 

Josh Totman

High School DxD Episode 8

A dream intro.  Always a good way to start a 'what if' scenario or plant the seed for things to come.  We find Issei in a tux at a wedding chapel.  His two high school buds in tow, pissed off that he gets to have a woman.  Then here comes the bride.  The Prez.  Right before he gets to kiss his bride he wakes up.  Hmmm.....wonder what all that means?  Well we are going to find out by the end of the episode now aren't we?

What it means is that a new challenger appears.  From hell itself.  A full blooded demon.  And the Prez's fiancee.  Fiancee?!  Yup it looks like this was arranged between the two factions already.  Of course no one points this out till now.  The two bicker for a bit and the demon summons all of his pieces.  A fifteen girl harem!  Issei, enraged with jealousy, can not stand that he is all over the prez like that and also have fifteen other woman!  So to settle all this, they come to the conclusion of a ranked game.  What that entails we should find out in the next episode.  All I know is that its his pieces verses hers.

Also boobs.

[Head over to Funimation to watch]

Bob Muir

Nisemonogatari Episode 8

That was the most erotic toothbrushing I've ever seen a brother give to his sister.

[Nisemonogatari streams on Crunchyroll]

Jeff Chuang

Inu x Boku SS Episode 7

There's all this straight-up shipping service between Soushi and Ririchiyo, as the emergency spirit barrier came down inside the apartment when some random monster invaded the building. It's like an episode where different groups of people gets locked in an enclosed space, and at the end nothing much happens. 

That's my biggest problem: nothing much happened. Ririchiyo is still struggling to express her heartfelt gratitude, and while the two of them may have gotten closer during the ordeal, nothing seems to be moving. On the side, we see Karuta busts a move with a lobster in her mouth. Do you know how hard it is to put a lobster whole in your mouth? I suppose it could've been a tiny one.

On the conventional fanservice side of thing, it is the snow woman teasing the cute maid korobokuro in an all-night-long board game session. There was large breasts and bouncing and what have you; hearing it from the same seiyuu pair as K-ON's Mio and Yui made the whole thing even more weird because it's like a personality reversal. I like it more when Mio gets teased, rather than Mio doing the teasing.

Well, it was somewhat entertaining of an episode, but let's get going, Inu x Boku Secret Service. You are wearing my patience thin!

[Catch it on Crunchyroll!]

Hiroko Yamamura

Guilty Crown Episode 18

I get a strong feeling this show is going to get absolutely batsh*t over the next few episodes as the season draws to a close. First off Kaworu, I mean Gai… sorry, is the end all be all of power. Who are the other new players on the government side?

What the hell was up with Super Inori? I really didn't see that one coming. It strangely reminded me of the end battle in Occult Academy, and thats not a good thing. What are they? What is Shu? Quit spinning my brain around! When she busted out the new look I actually spit out the Coke I was drinking!

Since when could Inori not fight off attackers? Wasn't she some super soldier in the first episode? Any guesses on what Shu's new super arm might look like?

[Watch Shu freak out over at Hulu]

Another Episode 8

I am smiling ear to ear after this last episode of Another. The whole thing was basically one long beautiful prologue to the slaughter. 

I love how the show creates rules that create a sense of comfort, and the proceeds to totally sh*t on them. I think my favorite scene was when Koichi's aunt was being passed by the semi truck. Tension! You start to look at the smallest details in the show, and how they might kill you!

The humanizing aspects of Misaki was great this episode. The animation looked fanatic. The character development is surprisingly good, you begin to care about even the minor characters in a real short span of time.

This episode's death was fantastic, and actually caught me by surprise. What was left in the school?

[Creepy over to Crunchyroll from the newest episode of Another]

Salvador G-Rodiles

Ano Natsu de Matteru Episode 8

Oh Ano Natsu, you just know how to please my simple minded amusement. I never expected you to make a reference to tokusatsu and kaiju films in one segment. But that was only a small distraction from the true story that is about to unfold. 

Funny that the film had to be a reference to the two mediums mentioned earlier, since Remon makes the cut as a villain that could appear in those kind of films and shows. Her mischievous skills know no bounds, and her schemes will continue to influence the story even more. 

More surprises enter the scene with elements that haven't been touched on in a while. Almost as if all of this was set in stone from the very beginning. Ano Natsu is leading up towards taking a new direction with the story, and the fate of a certain character is going to be put to the test. No matter what route the series is going to take, I have faith that the characters will continue to retain the entertaining roles that we have come to love.

[You can uncover the truth behind Ano Natsu de Matteru at Crunchyroll]

Pedro Cortes

Persona 4 Episode 20

Post-school fair, it's time for the gang to relax at Amagi's inn! This leads to some pretty amusing, if fairly predictable school boy antics. It was pretty funny how the night just kept getting worse of the guys until it culminated in going into the wrong room and facing the terrifying cougar and the toad-like school girl. Next week looks to return to the mystery, likely leading to the wrap up of the show in four to six episodes.

[Catch Persona 4 on Crunchyroll!]

Mobile Suit Gundam AGE Episode 20

As always, every Gundam needs to have the "reality check" episode. This is definitely Asemu's, as he gets his ass handed to him by Zeheart and his new Zeydra. What's interesting is that Asemu isn't showing X-Rounder abilities, despite his father's propensity to pull that ability out when he needs it. It'll be interesting to see if Asemu can keep up with Zeheart later, as the episode preview shows the AGE-2 getting shot to hell.

I'm also intrigued that they're finally showing more stuff with the Vegan. I know the last arc had the Vegan being all mysterious-like and that required the viewer to not get any insight on them, but it would've been nice to see a bit more. Now we see the odd society that leads a teenager to become a commander over the more experienced. Then again, Zeheart is noted to be an extremely skilled X-Rounder, so that probably has something to do with it. Oh, and the little punk ass Desil comes back, looking like a David Bowie knockoff. I hate that guy, ugh. Hope he gets a blast to the face sometime soon.

Elliot Gay

Shakugan no Shana Final Episode 20

The all out battle to determine the fate of both the Crimson Denizens and the humans continues this week, as Shana and Yuji exchange blows. Wilhelmina is left feeling worthless, standing by and watching her loved ones fight on. With no reason to fight, she finds herself slipping into what can only be described as depression. Fortunately Margery Daw arrives to save the day! Our sassy blonde haired badass shares a moment with Wilhelmina, reminding her that at one point she too was in the same position. With Shana's help, the battle maid manages to pull herself together and the three of them continue their assault.

I'm still not entirely clear on what happened after this. Things involving other Gods and relaying messages/telling the future are spoken about and the show kind of lost me. One of the only problems I have with Shakugan no Shana nowadays is an issue that's been around since the very beginning. The show tends to lose me when characters start spouting made up terms and words for things. I respect that the series (and novels) are building a complete mythology, but sometimes too much is too much.

Fortunately the episode ends on a high note, with Shana overpowering Yuji and managing to get in a game changing shot at the gate above the battleground. Whether or not this will actually destroy the thing is pretty unclear. Anybody have an idea of how many episodes this is supposed to run? I've got no clue as to when I should be expecting the final episode.

[Catch Shakugan no Shana Final at Funimation and Nico Nico]

Josh Tolentino

Black Rock Shooter episode 4

Well, things are getting kind of ugly now. Not in the animation, though, I mean in the emotional bits. Teens are naturally melodramatic, and filtered through the inherent exaggeration of the medium, even more so, but even with that in mind Black Rock Shooter's tone appears a tiny bit out of hand, especially now that links between 2D World and Metaphor World are becoming more concrete.

Actually, it's not that it's unwarranted. Yomi, being a fragile young thing with clear issues, is perfectly within her right to start freaking out and getting all needy and such (protip: That game of Monopoly is symbolic, too), but as a side effect of attempting to connect Metaphor World with Real World are straining the ability of the show to do so elegantly. Like I said back on day one, Ordet seem to be doing a decent enough job with what little they have, but this week strikes me a bit as too heavy on the drama and too light on the sweet CG.

If nothing else, we finally see Dead Master in full form, with bone scythe and undead army. But what does the coffee lady have to do with all this?

As a speculative note, it seems like having Black Rock Shooter behead your metaphorical self is doing more harm than good. Beheading Chariot/Kagari results in Kagari getting a clear head about how messed-up her relationship with Yomi was, and beheading the basketball captain results in her not remembering the boy she liked. Is this how these Metaphor People "help you bear the pain" of being a teen? Not the most holistic way to adjust, I'd reckon.

Moretsu Pirates episode 8

What do you do when a galactic princess stows away aboard your pirate ship? Invite her to join your school, of course! It's the space pirate way! I have to say I'm quite relieved that the princess didn't turn out to be the key to saving the world or somesuch, at least not yet. Pirates seems like more grounded show than that, and while revealing that her concerns are more local than universal saps some of the potential momentum from the plot (such as it is), one must note that snowballing isn't the only way for a story to roll.

Next week, Chiaki's back!

[Catch it on Crunchyroll]

Zero no Tsukaima F episodes 7 and 8

Well, there went the Tiffa subplot. And in true, *ahem* "familiar" fashion, Saito is now familiar to two girls, one flat and one chesty. Also the elves seem to have some pretty hardcore tech going. And a jet fighter in a lake! I knew Saito would have to upgrade from his propeller plane eventually. Damn, I just want the bastard to find, like, a gatling gun or something out in the elven desert. DO IT, J.C. STAFF. 

[DO IT on Crunchyroll]

Symphogear episodes 7 and 8

All things considered, I'm glad I did stick with Symphogear. Where Black Rock Shooter is trying too heard and Zero no Tsukaima's not trying at all (and Moretsu Pirates not even playing the same game), Symphogear is giving its all in terms of casting itself as my "guilty pleasure" show of the season (Nisemonogatari is more sleazy than guilty, IMO).

The third valkyrie is revealed as Chris, the crazy one, and she's got some "hard rock" singing style and lots of guns. Hibiki still opts to punch the sh*t out of stuff, and still no one has explained anything about what's going on.

Also, if Mr. Karate Man commander can punch the ground and kick down buildings without even breaking a sweat, it makes having these underage girls don skimpy armor and blow themselves up feel a little perverse, don't you think?