I’m not even going to talk about the decade. I wouldn’t even know where to start. Six or seven paragraphs of Aria love, I guess. Let’s not go there.

My Ten Favorite Anime Series of 2009

1. Aoi Hana - Not so much a yuri show as it is a lovely story of friendship and how love exists in so many different forms, to be expressed in so many different ways. And, like everything Shichiro Kobayashi touches, it’s oh so pretty.
2. Clannad After Story - A fitting finale to the most genuinely touching and engaging of the Visual Art’s/Key adaptations. Tomoya and Ushio in a field of safflowers still makes me cry, no matter how many times I watch it.
3. K-ON! - A much more charming slice of life series and much better organized 4-koma adaptation than the “too cool for school” crowd would have you believe. The music angle, even if not the ultimate point of the show, makes for tasty seasoning if you’re as into that sort of thing as I am.
4. Toradora - As a romantic drama, it shines, even despite its hard on for existential philosophizing (a common disease of many light novel adaptations, it seems). Still, the anime series is a well conceived and carefully constructed piece of work that leaves me even more convinced that Tatsuyuki Nagai is truly one of the industry’s brightest new stars.
5. Hatsukoi Limited - Ah, the innocence of adolescent romance. I’m with Omo. Enomoto x Kusuda get the award for the year’s best couple, rivaled only by Chikura x myself.
6. Hayate no Gotoku!! - I’ll admit that it took a few episodes before I made peace with the change in tone from the first season, but a plot focused, late-night time slot romcom Hayate no Gotoku is fine, too, you know. If I had a pile of anime to watch on any given night, this always came first.
7. Kanamemo - I kind of like to think of this show as a low-rent Mahoraba, just with a little less heart-warming and a little more goofiness. And more lesbians. And singing. And hilarious broadcast censorship.
8. Sora no Manimani - I want to join an astronomy club, too.
9. Nyan Koi - A perfect example of how a romantic comedy can still do the romance right even when the comedy borders on the absolutely absurd. I’d like to think the production team had as much fun making this show as I did watching it. Seemed like they did, at least. I anxiously await the promised second season.
10. White Album - I could never really decide if I was laughing with, or at this show. Such was its charm. So utterly fascinating, yet so utterly ridiculous. Touya may have been a gutless douchebag, but he sure did get laid a lot. RESPECT.
11. Fact of the matter is, I watched a lot of anime this year. A LOT OF ANIME. There are plenty of other shows that deserve praise, like Seitokai no Ichizon, Sasameki no Koto and To Aru Kagaku no Railgun. Then, there are the theatrical releases, like Summer Wars and Kara no Kyoukai. Oh, and oddities like the Candy Boy ONA and Hidamari Sketch specials. And the fourth season of Maria-sama ga Miteru, which I haven’t watched yet (waiting on the R1 DVD release) but will no doubt love once I do.
12. No, I didn’t watch Bakemonogatari. Or, to be more precise, I didn’t watch more than three episodes. Didn’t do much for me. Sorry.
13. OMG DON’T GET OFF ON THIS FLOOR.
14. I already did my homework.
15. I already did my homework.
16. I already did my homework.
17. I already did my homework.
18. I already did my homework.
19. I already did my homework.
20. I already did my homework.
21. ASK ME HOW I CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR HOMEWORK.
22. We’re doing this again next year, right?
23. Just so you know, I flunked Calculus my freshman year in college. Fuck you, 1996.
24. Happy New Year!

Since I was bumming around Japan when the current anime season first began, I’m a little behind the curve. However, I’m making an effort to catch up with what’s currently airing now that we’re entering the cold and dark part of the year and I have nothing better to do. Might as well watch some anime! Note that I still need to check out Sasameki Koto and To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, so no comment on those two shows as of yet.

Anyway, you know the drill…

Nyan Koi - Easily my favorite show of the season thus far, despite my initial low expectations. It plays the harem card effectively without getting too bogged down in harem conventions - almost to the extent I feel like I’m mischaracterizing the show by mentioning the “H” word in the first place. The show’s true charm, however, is its humor, which gets surprisingly wild at times. Some of the recent episodes have had me roaring with laughter.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu - Purezza - I enjoyed the first season more than I should probably admit (there’s a podcast out there with record of that, so I guess I’m screwed as is), but I’m having a difficult time with this second season. Some episodes have been fairly enjoyable - the opener and the Hayate no Gotoku homage, for example - but others, such as the Christmas episode, have been tough to stomach. Not only have the two leads misplaced the better parts of their personalities, but the show as a whole has misplaced the plot. Hello, writers? See the show’s title? Perhaps you should try doing something with that. It worked last time, you know.

Kimi no Todoke - This show feels an awful lot like the second coming of Bokura ga Ita both in presentation and premise. I really enjoyed that show, so it stands to reason I should enjoy this one as well. And I do… for the most part. Sasaki Nozomi for teh Mamiko is a fair enough trade (both voices make me think dirty thoughts, I admit) and the lighter tone is a nice counter to Bokura ga Ita’s propensity to wallow. On the other hand, a lot of the drama in the initial episodes has felt manufactured enough that I can’t help but feel uneasy. Good shoujo can go sour in an instant.

White Album - More of the same, but with twice the budget! Or three times, maybe. Kind of difficult to multiply by zero, I guess. I half wonder if Seven Arcs kept production going full steam during the show’s six month intermission in an effort to stay ahead of schedule. Anyway, it’s more of the same silly soap opera drama and opaque writing that has no business being as enjoyable as it is. Touya is still every bit a spectacular douchebag. Legendary, really.

Kobato - So, I found this time machine in the coat closet the other day, and I thought, “what the hell,” and punched in 1998, and when I got there, I was totally in Japan (a bonus feature, I guess), and Cardcaptor Sakura was totally on TV, and so I totally watched it, and then I woke up, and I was back in 2009, and I got to feeling sad, because Sakura was surely some old lady by now, and the only decent CLAMP anime adaptation in the past ten years had been fucking Chobits (of all things), but then this Kobato show totally came on TV, and the birds started singing and the clouds started dancing and then I started thinking I shouldn’t have eaten those brownies after all.

Seitokai no Ichizon - I almost gave up on this show after the second episode, but I’m glad I stuck with it. There’s a certain low budget, taking-a-piss charm to the entire production, and the humor, while unbalanced, leans more to the “funny” side than the “not-so-funny” side. And, for a show that relies heavily on referential inside jokes, it doesn’t pull any punches. None of this, “we can only make fun of our own properties,” crap (I’m looking at you, Lucky Star).

So, I’m sitting here watching the snow pile up outside.

It’s been snowing like mad for two days straight now. Two feet worth. For now, I can’t help but think it’s the coolest thing. When it’s still snowing six months from now, I’m sure I’ll feel otherwise. But, for the time being, let it snow!

When I was younger, I used to always go outside and watch as thunderstorms rolled in. And the more I watched, the more curious I got about what I was watching. So, I started reading. And I started learning. And the more I read and the more I learned, the more curious I got. Some twenty years later, and I know more about the weather than most people should ever really need to know. And when a big storm like the one I’m watching outside at this very moment approaches, I start digging into the computer models and the upper air data and whatever else I can get my hands on and pretend I’m the meteorologist I always wanted to be instead of the everything else I actually became.

As much as I love doing all that, there’s always a little voice in the back of my head, saying, “This is a waste of time. Stop being such a nerd. Go do something useful.” I’m always reluctant to discuss the weather with people, since I don’t want to be “that guy”, rambling on about computer models and upper air data and whatever else I got my hands on when they’re more interested in what the pretty blonde on TV said or just looking to kill time before the next conference call. I’ve gotten awfully good at pretending not to be passionate about anything, that’s for sure.

I don’t love doing that, though. Not at all.

I’ve been blogging now in some capacity since the beginning of time, and I’ve never really come out and said it, so here goes: I don’t find blogging all that interesting a hobby. So, why is it I wasted so many years blogging about Japanese cartoons? Well, you might be surprised to learn that I do find Japanese cartoons an interesting hobby. Don’t tell anyone, though. It’s a secret.

And I suppose that’s why I had such a good run here. I’m ashamed to admit I knew that a long time ago, but I’m a stubborn idiot, so…

… looks like the snow stopped.

Anyway, how ’bout that Endless Eight?

I don’t want to get anyone spun up, so I’ll keep this short and sweet: from here on out, I’ll be regularly blogging over here.

Now, this doesn’t mean I’m closing up shop here at Hop Step Jump. Not yet, at least. It just means I’m doing what feels right. I think this is still the proper place for long-winded editorials and reviews, but in case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t been doing much of that lately. It’s not really something I have enough time or mental energy to continue doing on a regular basis. I’m very, very tired.

But, I might as well try to make the best of it, right?

Hence, the change of scenery. I can’t go falling off the face of the earth at this point.

Is it already that time of year? It’s been warm lately - I’m sitting outside, enjoying it at this very moment - but the leaves are nonetheless changing color and the nights are growing cooler. The cold and snow is just around the corner.

I don’t know how much value there is in doing these season previews, as I often change things up a few weeks in, but who am I to argue with tradition? Here’s what I’m looking forward to…

Clannad: After Story - That’s it for the laughs. We will now proceed to mope. Seriously, though, from what I’ve heard from people who have played the original game, the After Story arc is quite the tear-jerker. I’ll have the tissues ready. I’m happy that the second season is a two cour show, as it suggests the pacing will be “just right”. When all is said and done, Clannad will be (at least) a 49 episode show. Crazy.

ef - a tale of melodies - I’m still ruminating on whether I should watch this as it airs or wait and marathon it at a later date. I’m leaning toward the former. I could go for some “arthouse” anime right about now.

Hyakko - This looks an awful lot like slice of life comedy, which is clearly my favorite genre of anime nowadays. I have a feeling this might be the surprise hit of the season - for me, at least. My fingers are crossed.

Kannagi - I’ve been excited about this show ever since it was first announced. This, despite the fact I know jack all about the original manga. I think it’s the character designs - I love that style of “simple” moe. Also, it’s good to have Yamakan back. I look forward to his quirky direction.

Nodame Cantabile: Paris Chapter - The final episode of the first season left me a bit conflicted, as I felt it was a great place to stop, but at the same time, I wanted more (and then some). Cue second season. Problem solved.

Toradora - You know, I think Nagai Tatsuyuki has a bright future as a director. His work on the second season of Honey & Clover was really solid (I recently rewatched it, so it’s fresh on my mind). Same with Idolmaster XENOGLOSSIA - although I recognize that I’m in the small minority of people who actually have a positive opinion of said show. Either way, it’s Nagai’s involvement alone that has me interested in Toradora. I guess I’m a fan.

Yozakura Quartet - This is another instance of a show’s staff attracting my attention more than anything else. On it’s face, the premise makes the show sound like something I wouldn’t necessarily dig, but my gut is telling me to check it out. Who am I to argue?

Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka - This one goes in the “maybe” category. I’ve been hungry for a good eroge adaptation as of late, and since I’ve heard so many good things about the original game from people who have played it, it’d be silly not to at least give it a try. These shows can be a lot of fun every now and then.

Shugo Chara!! Doki - I’m way behind on the first season, but I’ll get to this eventually. It might just take awhile. Still, I feel I should list it, lest you guys think I gave up on what is probably the best mahou shoujo show to come out of Japan in years.

Skip Beat - Speaking of shoujo… why on earth did it take so long for this to get an anime adaptation? I feel like I’ve been hearing about Skip Beat for ages. Anyway, “aspiring idol” shoujo is one of my favorite types of shoujo (yes, it’s a genre almost all its own), so I’m really looking forward to this. Tis my hidden pleasure.

When watched in proper order, the Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi plays out like a short OAV series followed by a bunch of omake episodes. Suddenly, the jumbled broadcast makes sense.

Not to say, of course, that the show isn’t satisfying when the episodes are viewed in chronological order. It definitely held my attention better. However, I was surprised by how little “happens” in the show; it’s so much more evident when the primary story arc is stuck up front. Beyond that, it’s little more than a slice of life show, and as a whole, it’s clearly a brief introduction to something bigger, deeper and more complex. At this point, I’m just as anxious for a second season as anyone else.

The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi is one of a handful of shows I’ve watched in short bursts lately. I’ve already made note of Clannad and ef - a tale of memories, of course, but I’ve also rewatched Kimikiss - Pure Rouge in recent weeks. It was just as good the second time around, if not better. I also finished it off in a single weekend, which was a bit unexpected given the show’s age and length. Then again, I guess it was the same story with Clannad.

I’m gradually coming to the realization that this is the way in which I prefer to watch anime: one show at a time, all at once. Since early this year, I seem to have lost all ability to keep up with new series on a weekly basis, save the odd favorite here and there. And, even then, it’s tough. On the surface, I chalk it up to being busy; I spend far more time thinking about work (and matters of similar weight) when at home than ever before, and I’ve been making an honest attempt to add some flavor and variety to my plate of hobbies and interests. Suddenly, I’m not so much in the mood to keep up with shows like Itazura na Kiss and Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu week after week. But catching up with them in single evening when the mood strikes? That’s simple enough. And a lot more fun.

Which is how it’s supposed to be, of course. I’ve long been one of those weirdos who doesn’t watch television. I haven’t had cable or satellite service in ages. I don’t even own a pair of rabbit ears. Outside of anime, I have little experience “keeping up” with television shows - or any other form of entertainment, for that matter. It must be in my nature to be overly protective of my free time. You won’t find me on IRC all that often, I don’t do instant messaging, and I don’t have text or e-mail service on my cell phone. I don’t do much recreational web browsing. I don’t read many blogs.

Considering my age, interests, and comfort with technology, you’d be surprised how disconnected I am from it all. And the distance only increases with age. I figure I’m only five years away from spending my weekends in a forest alone, penning haiku on old napkins…

I’m exaggerating, of course, but the message is clear: I’m not really all that suited to keeping up with much of anything day after day, week after week. Unless it’s of particular importance, that is (I’ve only taken five days of vacation in the past year, after all). So, my falling off the weekly anime watching and regular blogging wagon in recent months was to be expected. I expected as much, at least.

But, you know, there are a lot of passionate anime fans outside of Japan who don’t do the weekly anime watching song and dance. Prior to the age of digisubs and raws on demand, it was normal to watch what was available when time allowed and the mood struck. If you think about it, this whole, “oh noes, my backlog is out of control because I can’t keep up with all thirty-six shows that are airing this season,” nonsense is very much a new paradigm of anime consumption. It’s something a lot of anime fans fret about. It’s something I used to fret about.

To hell with all that.

You might have noticed some performance issues around here this past week. Unfortunately, I never managed to isolate the problem.

This morning, I got tired of scratching my head and settled on the scorched earth option. I backed up the database, wiped the directory, did a new Wordpress install, imported all of my existing content into a new database (on a new server), and started rebuilding the site. I’m still in the process of putting everything back together again, so if something looks funky or doesn’t work correctly, bear with me.

Thankfully, the site no longer takes a half minute to load.

Being a year behind the curve and all, I’m not sure there’s much I can say about ef - a tale of memories that hasn’t already been said. But I’ll say it anyway.

Previously, I described the series as “fascinating, but absolutely boring”. I got part of it right, at least. The show is indeed fascinating, both from a presentation and material standpoint. I don’t think there’s any denying that. For some, it might have been a little too fascinating - the SHAFT style doesn’t tickle everyone’s fancy, obviously - but, it was something special and unique nonetheless. For that alone, it commands attention.

Was the show really all that boring, though? No, not really. Or, to take a more nuanced approach, I found it boring before I found it not boring. I voted against it before I voted for it. In other words, on my first attempt at watching the series when it first aired a year ago, I was indeed bored with. Upon my second attempt a year later, I was enthralled. What happened?

The simple answer, I think, is that, whereas I was stuck following the show on a weekly basis like most everyone else the first time around, I marathoned it over the course of only a few days the second. There’s an ebb and flow in the pace of the show that wasn’t particularly evident when I was watching it in half hour chunks once a week; this ebb and flow is painfully obvious, however, when the entirety of the show is watched in short order. A series of climaxes, breakdowns, and hairpin turns, it was a hell of a ride once I surrendered myself to the show’s pace. I’ve always felt that not all anime is meant to be watched in the same fashion, and my experience with ef - a tale of memories clearly supports that philosophy.

Mea culpa aside, what of the show’s content? All in all, the story (or stories, I suppose) isn’t all that original as far as visual novel adaptations go. There are some unique elements - Chihiro’s illness, for example - and those elements are treated more thoughtfully and carefully than one would expect, but as far as the core story goes, it’s been done before. The direction and production made all the difference in the world, however. It took what was, in many ways, a generic story and turned it into something remarkably compelling. The love triangle storyline, for example, was essentially every love triangle storyline I’ve seen before (I kept having flashbacks to Kiminozo at the most inopportune moments). And Chihiro’s storyline was little more than the typical “girl with a mystery” tragedy that are a dime a dozen in the medium.

Yet, the anime adaptation was remarkable. I’d be curious to know how the original game was received, given that it didn’t benefit from the same treatment as the anime series. It’s worth noting how anime fans often pan adaptations that stray too far from their original material. And with good reason. For example, much of the strength of the recent Key visual novel adaptations lies in Kyoto Animation’s reliance on and militant devotion to the original storylines and narratives. And the anime adaptations of popular manga series that most often get high marks are those that stick to the predetermined gameplan. Not all anime is cut from the same cloth, however, and there are indeed instances in which “different” is good. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of a different approach casting something in a pleasing light. Sometimes, it’s a matter of casting something in a better and more positive light. Sometimes, it’s a matter of saving something from itself.

I think ef - a tale of memories is the perfect example of each and every one of those outcomes. It could have been nothing special. Should of been. But, it wasn’t. Chalk one up for anime, eh?

Ever since giving up on the series way back when, I wrestled with the question of whether or not I gave it a raw deal. I always try to give any anime series that catches my eye a fair shake, and when something I’ve dropped turns out to impress people I know to have a similar eye for anime as I do, as was the case with ef - a tale of memories, I can’t help but try again. And with the second season of the series looming, the timing couldn’t have been any better. Of course, I now face a rather curious predicament: do I dive into the second season a month from now and risk tripping to a “fascinating, but absolutely boring” conclusion once again, or do I have patience and set aside a weekend in the future in which to down the series in one fell swoop?

Tough call. It’s a mighty fine predicament to be in, though.

Finishing Simoun for only a second time, I’m struck by how much more impact the ending has on me compared to my first viewing. Its ambiguous nature persists, but it’s nowhere near as vexing now that I’ve had ample opportunity to reflect on the story’s many interconnecting themes and the manner in which they were embodied in its characters. I feel silly for being so fond of the show despite my previous lack of understanding.

My mood upon finishing the show is far from ambiguous, however. I’m feeling blue. It’s actually a familiar feeling that arises every time I finish a show graced with an impressive ensemble cast. Nostalgia with a dash of loneliness, or something like that. It’s the feeling of graduations and farewell parties. Happy occasions or sad occasions, the end of an era is still the end of an era. I suppose this is the mark of any good anime series - or any good story, for that matter - but I truly think it’s the bidding farewell to such a group of beloved characters that makes it all the more bittersweet.

When contemplating on why I’m drawn to anime as I am, I come to the same basic conclusion time and time again: it’s the characterization, stupid. Characterization is something anime does exceptionally well. There are variations in quality, of course; the flat and simple characterization of a harem series has little in common with the detailed and elaborate characterization of a drama series. But an emphasis on characters over plot is something typical of anime. It wasn’t until I start watching anime that I even gave notice to the concept of “character study”.

Simoun is exactly that. A character study. Yes, there’s a fancy story to sweeten the pot - and I don’t mean to diminish the story, for the writing is every bit as impressive as you’ve heard - but it’s truly the priestesses of Chor Tempest who carry the show from first episode to last. That’s why the parting is such sweet sorrow.

It’s also why I’m already plotting my next viewing.

When I first started my vacation, I didn’t have any clear idea when I’d be coming back. So, I proposed two conditions: I’d start blogging again once either the post announcing my vacation slipped off the front page or I drafted a sincere “screw it, I’m outta here,” post, whichever came first. Well, if you scroll down, you’ll see that that the post announcing my vacation is hanging from the edge of a cliff. And I recently drafted that “screw it, I’m outta here,” post. So, I guess I don’t have much choice but to get back to work, now do I?

First, though, a few notes on what I’ve been up to this past month…

I’ve recently started catching up on all of the currently airing shows I’ve claimed to be following, but haven’t. Macross Frontier has matured into a fine show, evidenced by my devouring two months worth of episodes in a single evening this past week. Itazura na Kiss continues to meet expectations, as does Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu. Not so much the case for Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora, which has been a bit of a disappointment. Telepathy Shoujo Ran and Natsume Yuujin-Chou are on my list; I never got far enough in to feel like I’ve fallen behind, so there’s no reason to rush. No comment on the third season of Zero no Tsukaima. Seriously. Don’t ask.

Following up on last month’s release of the Clannad OAV episode, I chose to rewatch the first season in its entirety. I’m now firmly of the opinion that Clannad is the most well-rounded of the Key anime adaptations. It’s almost exceptional. No doubt, I’m excited about the second season - especially so, now that an October broadcast date has finally been set.

Another recent rewatch was Kare Kano, which is remarkable for being one of only a few shows I own on DVD and consider a favorite, yet have only watched from start to finish a single time. Until now, of course. Given how the show aimlessly meanders to an indefinite ending in its second half, rewatching it is kind of like backing away from the table only five bites into a gourmet meal, stomach growling. Perhaps that’s why I hadn’t bothered all these years. It was plenty enjoyable, however, and it reminded me of how talented (and tormented) a director Hideaki Anno was back in his prime. I should rewatch Evangelion or something.

Just last night, I started my second attempt at watching ef - a tale of memories. If you’ve been visiting for awhile, you know that my first attempt ended in failure. I’m still guarded, of course, but I can honestly say that I find the show far more engrossing now that I’m watching the episodes in batches. I still feel that SHAFT’s characteristic style is better suited to lighter fare like Hidamari Sketch and Tsukuyomi Moon Phase, though. Anyway, I’m fairly certain I’ll finish the show this time around, and if I have any thoughts upon its conclusion, I’ll be sure to share them.

And that’s pretty much it. My apologies for the dry writing. It looks like I’m out of practice. That, and I’ve been awake since before sunrise. COFFEE GET. Still, it’s good to be back.