My first series review from spring season and I had to start with what I have to say was the WORST show of the season, Kanokon or what I have affectionately dubbed as the atrocity that is Kano-crap as that is literally what this show is. It’s pointless, mindless and at times uncomfortable rubbish that possesses no point besides to show tits, arse and a very underage boy almost get molested every week. Now I personally wanted to like this show or at least find some point to it, why else do you think I forced myself to watch all 12 episodes. Now I’m not someone to dislike fanservice ecchi show’s but wow this show was terrible (remember this is coming from someone who likes Ikkitousen).

I often found this show an uncomfortable watch and in all honestly I felt like every week they were just trying to see how far they could push it before this would be classed as soft core. The characters aren’t even likable and I think thats what was really missing from this show, they were all wooden, dull stereotypes, even the fox and wolf ears didn’t save it from the depths of, well boring. You can only watch so many pantsu and boob shots with no plot before you start yawning. The art work didn’t live up to much, originally it wasn’t too bad but there was no fluidity to the drawings the movements just seemed too ridged, possibly I’m too used to being spoilt by Kyoto Animation, but still this show just came to represent what is happening with anime currently, where both animation and even plot are sacrificed for overly ecchi scenes that in all reality even in that market don’t live up to much. This show in my eyes was only second to Moetan in making me feel very uncomfortable.

Avoid this show like the plague unless you like shows with no plot, no point and what can almost be classed as soft core. Only for those who like pointless moe fanservice and not much else.

Well it’s summer season already (strange I didn’t think Spring had actually finished yet) and we welcome back the series with the serious jiggle factor, Ikkitousen : Great Guardians or as the joke goes they’ve gone from a DD to a GG this time around. So it’s a short season of boobs, pantsu, fighting, school uniform shredding fun, oh yeah did I mention this is an ecchi series for anyone who has been asleep for the last few years and isn’t aware of the pretty infamous Ikkitousen.

We have a new season and apparently a new story line (It seems “The Romance of The Three Kingdoms” hash up is less apparent), as considering one of the characters this season was meant to be dead but magically appears I am slightly confused but you can’t complain too much about seeing Ryofu again right? This season we’re introduced to Hakufu’s little sister Goei who seems a stark contrast in personality to Hakufu, roll on the ‘little sister’ jokes we can all see them coming. Yes I did hear the screaming of ‘oneesama’ in episode 2 god help me it’s yuri camp-ness to the extreme.

Besides that finally we have another major yuri edge, unlike in Dragon Destiny, the usually reserved, cool, Amazonian like Kanu is positively drooling over Ryuubi. So much for the odd blush like before it seems Kan-san has suddenly become slightly too sexually frustrated and now MUST have Ryuubi. Either way it’s put a big smile on my face seeing the usual dignified (yes I did say dignified in an Ikkitousen review) Kanu having a jealous hissy fit because Ryuubi isn’t noticing quite how badly she wants her. Well it made me giggle anyway. With Ryofu appearing out of no where with apparent memory loss and the usual cast back for some very OTT fun this could be good ride, as long as you remember to leave your brain at the opening song and don’t forget to collect it on the way out.

The animation is the same affair as in Dragon Destiny not much has really changed there, the OP and ED credits are pleasing enough. Lets just say if you enjoyed the first two series you’ll like this overly camped up and seriously stupid 3rd season as well, if you didn’t well why are you reading this review?

Let the bouncing and jiggling begin…. FIGHT!!

S.A. or Special A is the new comedy/ drama series from Gonzo based on the original manga by Maki Minami. The opening theme is “Special Days” by Yuko Goto, sadly there was no opening animation on the first episode, the ending theme is “Hidamari no Gate” by Jun Fukuyama, Hiro Shimono, Tsubasa Yonaga & Kazuma Horie, I must say the ending animation was pretty bland and boring which is a shame as this is a pretty good episode otherwise.

Special A revolves around the rivalry between the main protagonist Hikari Hanazono and the guy she always comes second to Kei Takishima. Within their school (Hakusenkan Elite School) there is a special class only the top 7 elite students can attend called, yep you guessed it the S.A. class. Kei is ranked number 1 in the school, with Hikari always just trailing behind as number 2, which it is apparent she is infuriated by. Hikari spends her time coming up with challenges to finally beat Kei, but it seems unknown to only her Kei is in love with Hikari. She just appears to be too wrapped up in her frustration of being number 2 to actually notice but still she see’s Kei as a good friend and welcome rival. Will their rivalry every blossom into something more?

As a first episode this wasn’t a bad introduction, but I am yet to see what is so special about S.A., This currently seems pretty much a run of the mill high school comedy series. The Character designs are pleasing enough and considering this is based on a 12 volume manga they have a lot to work with. The two main characters are pretty likable and I can see this series being a lot of light hearted fun. Hopefully the plot will deepen slightly by the second episode, but not a bad little series and with 24 episodes it will either be great or become increasingly boring if they don’t work out as to where the plot is heading. Roll on next weeks rivalry competition.

Mnemosyne is a 6 episode supernatural Horror/Thriller series from Xebec. I will first say it is pretty graphic, with scenes of torture, experimentation, nudity and sexual content. You have been warned this isn’t a series for the faint of heart, if you are in any way squeamish don’t watch it. Mnemosyne is named after the mythological Greek titaness who was the personification of memory. As this is what this series is about discovering buried memories, of course these memories are often brutal, disturbing, gruesome and graphic.

The story revolves around Rin Asogi a mysterious woman who runs a private investigation agency. She takes on various cases which cause her to delve deeper into a dark, mysterious, action packed and often graphically violent world.

This is definitely a show to watch. The animation is top notch I really like the character designs and even though the show is dark it is still very compelling and interesting to watch. I must add that I was drawn to the show by the Yuri element which does seem to be quite apparent between Rin and her secretary Mimi, with additional scene’s that are strictly ‘business’ throughout, it‘s nice to see a yuir-ish show without school girls for once. This isn’t for everyone but if you can cope with copious amounts of blood, gore and nudity this could be a journey you wish to take, but remember this does at times make Elfen Lied look like a walk in the park. Highly recommended but I do think that 6 episodes will seem incredibly short and possibly will be the one major disappointment.

Spice+Wolf was yet another pleasant surprise this season, this Supernatural Historical Adventure series ticked all the right boxes in managing to stay compelling and entertaining throughout. The animation was well done with very pleasing character designs especially the cheeky Horo. I also like that this proved yet again that a series can be good without overuse of panty shots or jiggle movements. The only questionable fan service is that Horo does often appear naked but this is generally dealt with in a non sexual way, after all she is usually just about to transform into a giant angry wolf.

The story kept very much in the time period it was set and to an extent I would place this akin to a new style fairy tale/ folk story. What really worked in this series in my opinion was the connection between the two main characters and how well they interacted together. With Horo and Lawrence taking up most of the screen time with just conversation, the script worked extremely well in keeping the viewer both interested and enthralled. Lawrence was a nice enough and believable main male lead, who though not attractive in character design had a fun and amicable personality that make him extremely likable. The show was stolen by quite a long margin by Horo who’s cheeky banter, playful mannerisms and emotion filled jealous glares kept you entertained, I am huge fan of Horo’s cheeky smirk. The wolf animation was also well done and in my eyes hampered back to ‘Mononoke-Hime’ and how well the wolves were characterised in that, even down to the general use to telepathy so she could speak instead of her mouth moving was a nice touch.

A beautiful, well crafted and moving series that is definitely different from the rest. I eagerly await the episode 7 straight to DVD release with extreme curiousity. I am also living in hope there is a second series in the pipe line so we can eventually see Horo make it to her home land, or just another 13 episodes of playful banter would be enough. Spice+Wolf is like a good apple, crunchy and at times awkward to get into, but deep down it’s a sweet and at times juicy watch that through satisfying does leave you wanting more once you’ve finished it.

Kanokon or another anime of fox girls, bouncing boobs and Pantsu! from Xebec , The character designs are pleasing enough I do like big moe eyes. The intro song is “PHOSPHOR” by Ui Miyazaki and ending is “Koi no Honoo” by Yui Sakakibara, both are extremely lively and upbeat which fits quite well with this light hearted series I do particularly like the ending song.

Kouta Oyamada is a first year transfer student at Kunpo High School, on his first day he meets a beautiful second year named Chizuru Minamoto. Chizuru gives Kouta a note asking him to meet her in the music room after school. Here she reveals she is in fact a fox deity and that she loves Kouta, later we meet Nozomu who is a wolf deity, she also has a soft spot for Kouta, which deity will win Kouta’s heart?

Kouta looks terribly young compared to the girls who are all over him, almost like a reverse loli complex. I am yet to understand as to why Chizuru likes Kouta so much, as she looks about 4 years older than him. Maybe Chizuru know’s something about small guys that the rest of the world doesn’t know. Besides this being a pure fan service fest it was enjoyable enough, I do like the supernatural animal deity element and how the deities can combine with humans could be an interesting twist. I did find it hilarious when Kouta was reeling off the names of his family and goldfish when Chizuru was trying to seduce him. An easy watch and probably the one fan service show I will keep watching this season, but only because the fox girl is kawaii.

H20 ~Footprints in the Sand~ turned out to be an more interesting series than I originally predicted. The quality of the animation was pretty poor at least when compared to what else was on offer but the plot was interesting enough to keep it entertaining. What surprised me is the dark turn the series eventually took, there were enough hidden secrets, repressed memories, supernatural events and strange village elders to keep me watching for the full 12 episodes.

The animation thought not great was watch able enough, I don’t usually like series that are badly drawn or possibly just the character designs weren’t too my taste. I did particularly like the personalities of Hayami and Yui, then again I have always been a fan of tsundere girls. Hotaru and the male lead Hirose even managed to develop personalities of some depth towards the end of the series, instead of turning out just drippy and boring like I originally thought they would. The backgrounds were nice enough, the animation was nothing ground breaking artistically but the served it’s purpose of telling a story

Besides the incredibly random episode 8 which did completely throw me off, I did enjoy this series and thought not compulsive viewing it did make for interesting filler. I do think this series would have benefited from cutting out the fan service which often was unneeded and to be honest just made what would have been quite an emotionally driven series seem silly and completely ruined the mood for me on several occasions. An interesting enough series with a few decent plot twists, at least at only being 12 episodes it managed to stay relatively interesting throughout.

Chi an adorable little kitten is the star of Chi’s Sweet Home, an anime by Madhouse Studios which consists of eight very short episodes, each is only 5 minutes long.

Chi has been separated from his mother and is trying to find his way home, along the way a small boy finds him and a series of comical moments ensues. Satomi’s Koorogi’s voice is great as the lost but hilarious little kitten and at 5 minutes long how can you not watch these? I just love when he says ‘I’m going back home’ in every episode, The moments where he has a bath and when he stares at the shoe laces before deciding to play with them had me giggling.

Kyoto Animation’s CLANNAD was in my eyes the show that made Fall season. I don’t think I could sing the praises of this show higher, possibly with the exception of wanting the second series right now! Most people have already heard of CLANNAD by now, the supernatural, high school, comical drama that needs no introduction. After all having been made by Kyoto Animation I never doubted this show’s greatness, the initial worry was more would it live up to it’s predecessors which to me it did. Possibly not quite as moving as Kanon or Air and for once with a happy ending, for now anyway.

What shone in CLANNAD was the humour, some of the scenarios put together were on par with the best comedy shows. Whilst watching the same episode you could be falling of your chair with laughter one moment and then sobbing your heart out the next. This show represented what makes both Key and KyoAni the current masters of story telling they know just how to tweak human emotions. The animation is beautiful to behold, one thing that always amazes with KyoAni’s work is I can never spot filler drawings, everything is drawn with the same attention to detail, it is often truly astounding that they manage to keep this standard of work up with every series they produce.

The story arcs of each of the girls are each thought provoking and emotion filled. No girl is unlovable but each has a special charm and individual personality that makes you root for each one in turn to win over Tomoya, but also hope they find what they are each are searching for due to their tragic past’s. KyoAni did a great job linking KEY’s stories together, making each story arc transition flawlessly, every week I found you would welcome the girls and boys from CLANNAD into your life eagerly anticipating just what will happen next, as if you have previously seen KEY adaptations you will know anything can happen. My only disappointment was the short arcs of my favourite girls Tomoyo and Kyou, that said I am well aware that due to this being Nagisa’s show their arcs from the game would have caused confusion and contradicted the eventual route of the show.

The KyoAni heroine’s and stereotypes were out in force in this show, with each girl in CLANNAD representing the personality of a much loved girl from a previous show. Anyway this was my interpretation, I’m not sure who would agree - Nagisa (Misuzu), Fuko (Ayu), Kotomi (Sayuri), Tomoyo (Mai), Kyou (Haruhi/Kagami), Ryou (Shiori/Tsukasa), the twins also bore an amazing resemblace to the Lucky Star twins themselves. For the KyoAni fannatics amongst us there was a lot of symbolizum (almost like the hidden Mickey in Disney) to honour previous shows throughout. I recommend a second viewing to see if you can spot them all.

The only problem with CLANNAD is it is still unfinished and the ending felt very much like there was so much story left to be told thus this feels more like a mid season review. Thankfully with CLANNAD - After Story on the horizon the tale is not yet finished. Watch CLANNAD you won’t regret it, this is yet another jewel to add to KyoAni’s crown, lets just hope After Story finally completes CLANNAD successfully and makes it an even better series than Kanon, which currently is still slightly better due to feeling closer to completion. As a series CLANNAD definately delivers on almost every emotional level, humour, sadness and angst, this show is a pure joy to watch and all wrapped up with KyoAni’s beautiful animation could you honestly ask for much more besides another season?

Rosario+Vampire or the series of Vampires, Monsters and Pantsu! When it comes to fan service this series had it by the blood bank full. Now personally I’m not opposed to fan service after all every season needs some light relief and Rosario+Vampire just about managed to keep it within the very thin line of going overboard. I think the only reason I actually managed to watch the whole of this series is due to liking the manga so much, which for those who haven’t read it isn’t as much a pantsu fest as the series. The character designs are likable and the bright colours contrasted well with the more muted colour pallet of other series. The animation though not as pleasing as some was eye candy enough, or possibly that was just due to myself liking the design of Vampire Moka, who did liven up the series every time she appeared.

If you’re looking for a series where you don’t exactly need to concentrate hard, the plot line being incredibly repetitive ‘Ahhh look scary monster, pull off Moka’s rosary, Vampire kicks this weeks offending monster into next week in a shorter time period than the previous week’, this could be worth a look. The harem element was funny with the minor characters being very likable in their own way except by the end of the series the little witch was getting on my nerves. Tsukune was a nice enough lead male, not as drippy as he could have been which was a relief especially considering he was saved by a girl on a weekly basis. I did especially enjoy the chibi bats that keep appearing with strange commentary which often brought about a giggle from myself. Tsukune pretty much ended up with the girl you knew he would but I was disappointed that the series stopped at the point where the manga actually became interesting and less of a rehash of monster B movies. I’m guessing the season was left open ended just in case they do make a second series, but I do believe much more of this formula would become very boring. A series to watch if you want something light hearted, plot less and full of fan service with a girl kicking a monster with exceeding proficiency every week but in an entertaining way, a silly, fun but repetitive watch.