Another week, not quite as good as the last, but a few changeups in episodes this week, as we draw closer to the end of the season. As usual, in order of this week’s rankings:

You're... pushing me... off... the chair... and I might... like... that...

Hanasaku Iroha 10 depicts life without Ohana somewhat, as she came down with a cold from all of the shenanigans in the previous two episodes. Despite being told by everyone to take it easy and rest, she believes the inn needs her to run. However after being told everyone can handle it without her, for a moment, she starts to convince herself that she is not needed and starts to compose a message to Ko, only to be intercepted by Nako. Nako and Minko convince her she should stay, and this may be the first signs of the “Ice Queen” in Minko thawing.

Perhaps you misunderstood before, you DON'T fuck with Leo. Period.

Things start to heat up in Dog Days 10 as the demon turns out to be a spirit god who was ensnared by a demonic sword. Faced with the decision to kill it or save it, naturally Princess Millhi moves to save it, along with Cinque who with Eclair’s help made it to where she was. After a brief fanservice shot, both are blessed with the two holy swords and manage to defeat the demon, but before it could take over Cinque, Leo finishes the sword off with a well-placed arrow shot from a-far. It seems the day is saved, for now.

Well done Reading Steiner, you could have just.. you know.. explained the story before groping him/her?

Steins;Gate 10 dives into life in Akihabara without anime and moe subculture, as Okarin continues to struggle with the events that have unfolded due to his D-Mail experiments. Back at the lab, he apparently still thinks Ruka is a guy, and embarrassingly finds out otherwise, much to the others chagrin. Outside he chats with “Part-Time Warrior” Suzuha who tells him she may not be coming back if she does not find her father at a pre-determined meeting place. Okarin tells her to come back to the lab if she does not find him and join the team, and they will throw a party. But by the time it rolls around, she is nowhere to be found. He decides to send himself a D-Mail to the past to follow her and upon the world line shifting once more, she is there. As it turns out, she followed her to the same gathering Daru was supposed to go to, and that her father may be or is related to John Titor, the one he has been sending messages to. If you have not seen Chaos;Head, it really does not matter, I think Steins;Gate does the job so much better in so many ways, and considering both it and Hanairo will continue into the summer, it’s gonna be a close fight.

The things she does to prove a point.

GOSICK 21 wraps up a mystery in which several mysteries prior in the series links to, the murder of Coco Rose, the Queen of Sauville. It’s amazing she solved it the way she did, and it was probably the toughest case yet, but at the end, it doesn’t look like everyone was fully convinced of the outcome. Nevertheless, she was allowed to return to the Academy along with Kujo. 3 episodes remain, and I’m left to wonder if it will fully wrap up the grand mystery, or if it will link Cordellia and Victorique somehow in the conclusion. Hopefully they keep up the momentum, because it’s been a very good ending arc so far.

No, it's cool, we see things like this all the time out here. Nothing to worry about.

Baseball is the theme of this week’s Denpa Otoko 9 as Maekawa invites Makoto to play amateur baseball with the city folk versus the shopping district merchants. She herself of course does not play but is present in another cosplay outfit. Ryuuko shows up at some point to play basketball across the hill, and in the next game, they get Erio to join the play. Meanwhile Erio has been setting up her telescope to star gaze again with Makoto around to watch. Average episode, few good moments, but still fuzzy on how it’s going to end.

This is how kittens wake up people in the morning. No joke.

A Channel 10 jumped the charts a bit this week with a good episode revolving around the best character of the series, Tooru, as she find a abandoned white kitten. Unfortunately thanks to Run’s intervention, the kitten is named “Carbonation” but that does not stop the kitty moments from occurring to Tooru as she tries to acquire the things to take care of it, and still go about her daily life. Easily one of the best episodes in the series and will continue to reinforce her spot on the CharacterRanking chart at the end of the season.

Aw shit son, three-way catfight in progress...

So it seems now everyone is aware of Menma being there in some form in this week’s Anohana 9, but Major Asshole is still whiny about the fact that only Jintan can see her, and why not him? Outside of his selfishness, there is also the unresolved concerns of Anjou who confessed last week but got the cold shoulder. Nothing came from that, but in her sob-fest, Major Asshole came over to proclaim his fondness of her, like the asshole he is. Chiriko was not amused. The crew begins to build the firework to launch after getting approval from Menma’s father, in a last-ditch prostitution by Major Asshole, his only redeeming moments seem to be when he is on his knees begging.

Oh come on man, best character in the show, you're in a bed with her, and nothing?

It’s an episode focused mostly on Hina Sakai in this week’s Hoshizora 9 and I am totally okay with this… except at the end when the animators insisted we see not one but both brothers in crotch-wear and coats. Still, adorable Hina moments overshadow everything and was one of the better episodes in this series. I’m almost curious on how this series will end, because there is no real story, unless something bad happens soon.

Surprisingly detailed, right down to the yellow data screens

Random things happen, and Nichijou 10 does not disappoint, offering another mostly Professor Shinonome-centric episode, but with a short skit featuring NASA and a Space Shuttle launch. I’m not sure what the intended punch-line is exactly, but love the reference nonetheless. I mentioned on Twitter they should play the Nichijou theme for the Japanese astronaut that just went up with the next ISS crew, but having not heard any anime tunes on any of the previous Japanese astronauts aboard the station, I guess none of them grew up with even 80′s or 90′s anime tastes, or they hide their power levels.

Note that he had a clear view of her crotch and she didn't say anything. Never change, Aria.

Lupin the 4th is back in Hidan no Aria 9 and this time she aims to make Kinji’s Hysteria Mode a permanent feature, by doing anything she can to get him aroused at the most inopportune moments. Aria of course will not stand for it and butts heads with Riko when she can. Shirayuki, who refuses to lose to either girl, conceives her own plan to trap Kinji and get him to go down on her. She even pants like a dog and barks, and the fucker escapes out the window while she had her head down. Come on dude, she’s a goddamn Shrine Maiden who apparently doesn’t care if you do the deed with her, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Jesus. I’m not even that beta for this shit, I’d hit that in a heartbeat.

Blah blah blah, gonna rape this kid, blah blah, pulling down my pants.. blah blah...

Not gonna lie, at this point, I am finishing X-Men simply to see what happens, but so far I am very disappoint at how even 10 episodes in they went from a passable story with decent action to a horrid story with no action. I dunno, I am not an expert at the franchise, maybe it’s a story worthy of the X-Men name, but I just could not keep with it often in parts. I feel it was something that could have been accomplished without Hisako, without changing Moira to Sasaki Yui, and without Japan. I know what the animators intentions were, and really, that’s fine, but in the end, I’m not going to rate this highly because it did not grab me at all, even less than the second and third X-Men movies.

And that’s the week in review. Chart only next week as my work vacation starts, so I’ll be back the following week for the start of the final wrap-up of the season, along with previews for the upcoming season. I will however be posting reviews for Seikon no Qwaser, and possibly the first twenty episodes of Pocket Monsters: Best Wishes (Black & White) which I started after finding someone who subs the episodes. I initially was watching for Smugleaf, but found that the sub, even with the different names in Japanese, was quite passable to watch Pokemon in. Not that I mind the dub so much, but it does get annoying in places, being a mostly children’s show. Haters gonna hate, I’m old enough to remember when the original one started airing, as well as owning and playing the games.

She blinded me.

Another interesting week in paradise, and another pretty good week for airing shows. Aside from the usual suspects this week, I also gave Seikon no Qwaser II (and it’s predecessor) a watch, and while the fanservice is quite legendary, I probably will not include it in weekly ratings being this late in the game, but I’ll have a full review of the first one up at some point. Anyway, let’s get started:

GREAT SCOTT!!

As mentioned in the post earlier this week, Steins;Gate got epic this week, climbing to #1 on WatchRanking Week 9 and #4 overall, as Okarin’s latest D-Mail experiment turns up some potentially disastrous results. If it wasn’t for this show’s somewhat slow start, and my unfamiliarity with its source material, this show would’ve been battling for first on the chart a lot sooner, but it does not waste any time getting good while the getting. Fortunately they’re going to a full season, so this is going to be an awesome ride.

ForeverAlone.jpg

Hanasaku Iroha 9 wraps up the two-episode arc without “Madam Manager” and it ended pretty well, with Ohana finding Tohru in enough time to save the day, but at the expense of seeing Ko, who rode all the way out to see her, but ended up returning home as she was still on her way back with Tohru, and the inn was booked so he could not stay. This was a pretty good episode, and you can see a small layer of Minchi’s armor crack from Ohana’s will to bring Tohru back and save the day. No reaction from Madam Manager yet as they ended the episode as she got back, but we might see how Ohana performed in the next episode.

Good Watson, you're looking kinda cool...

GOSICK 20 doesn’t ease up on the final push into the end of the season, pitting Victorique against de Bloris as he puts forth a rather large mystery before her, into the circumstances behind Coco Rose’s death a decade earlier. The game however was changed when he announced if not solved, she would not return to the Academy. Kujo not willing to let him take her decides to put his own powers of deduction to the test and gather the missing pieces of the puzzle for her to solve the mystery, revolving around one of the dancers from a decade ago. He manages to succeed (I think) and the episode ends with her intention to find out the truth of this girl. I’m really not sure what they are planning for the final three episodes, but I hope they don’t slow down the pacing, it’s been pretty good and the best episodes of this series.

Battle Princess? Not your weak, whiny Toadstool.

Dog Days 9 starts to heat up as Millhi and Leon face off on the top of the castle, much to Leon’s dismay as she intended to face Cinque or Eclair instead, to break the prophecy she saw. Unfortunately it looks like for the moment, everything she has seen is coming true, as the clouds darken and a giant monster appears, halting the battle as the safety of the land’s protection weakens. Brioche and Yuki however sensed its presence before, and are no doubt going to appear in the next episode and hopefully avoid the prophecy. With only a few episodes left, hopefully this show keeps up the pace, and gets renewed for another half-season or full season in the future.

Not your Field of Dreams, is it Jinta?

Anohana 8 ratchets up the BAWWWWW moments a bit as Jinta starts to doubt his ability to get the rest of the group to follow in his pursuit to grant Menma’s wish, and instead focuses on doing it himself. Unfortunately Anjou complicates it a bit by pretty much fully confessing herself to him in a hysteric fit, for which he doesn’t acknowledge and leaves. At the end, as he gets man-handled by Yukiatsu again, Menma appears in the clubhouse and Jinta’s being aware of it furthers tensions, until she somehow writes an entry in her diary and “drops it” on the floor. Yukiatsu reads it and confirms it to be her handwriting, and the episode ends on everyone starting to believe she may really be there. Honestly, I would love if Yukiatsu got punched by Jinta just once, just for being a heartless dick. I know Yukiatsu has his reasons, and from any perspective, Jinta is being selfish, but even assuming Menma is still a hallucination, Yukiatsu is just being a dick and doesn’t care how Jinta feels. It’s annoying. Also, poor Anjou, it’s tough being second place in someone’s heart even after first place has been long gone for years. The least Jinta could do was reciprocate her feelings a little, dick.

You might wanna worry about being wrapped up in a futon first

Denpa Otoko 8 goes Meme this week, focusing on the events leading up to the bottle rocket launch from Meme’s perspective. Turning 40, it seems she wanted to fulfill something told to her once long ago on how to beat those “aliens in the sky” and alleviate some of her grandmother’s worries about mortality. She even got proposed to by an old friend, whom was building the rockets for who he thought was her daughter, but was actually Maekawa. The launch went well, and the episode ended. Not much happened this week and combined with other show’s events, Denpa slipped a little in this week’s chart, but remains a favorite.

Jeanne d'Arc? Seriously?

I thought “Holmes the 4th” versus “Lupin the 4th” was kinda interesting, but “Jeanne d’Arc the 30th”? Hidan no Aria 8 is making where I’m starting to get real confused where the story is going here, is it about gun-toting “Texas wishes it were in this anime” students, or ancestors of both fictional and non-fictional characters? Actually Jeanne d’Arc is the first non-fictional character introduced, so does that mean we’re getting more? At any rate, we see the true power of “The Scarlet Miko” who dispenses Jeanne with ease allowing Aria to arrest her. Afterwards it seems they become friends and cheerleaders, and what the hell, shooting weapons into the air? This school man, this school.

You know you want to give her some exteme contact.

Hoshizora 8 goes to the beach and does the usual beach shenanigans, including teaching Ibuki and Ayumu how to swim. Meanwhile Madoka blunt forces out the question to Ui about if she likes Kazuma or not. She gives a weak reply back, but saying he reminds her of her older brother. Sakai also tries to get her apology out, and does, but not to what she intended, pushing that back on the queue for another episode. Ui proves she can smell food from a mile away and whacks a watermelon. Typical beach fare indeed. Also, for you Kazuma x Ibuki shippers, it looks like her letting him call her by her first name caught Ui’s attention, prepare for a triangle fuck. (We can only hope.)

Strawberry Shortcake. Serious Business.

Pretty funny first skit in this week’s Nichijou 9 where we learn you don’t fuck with Mio’s cake. She fucks with you. I don’t remember what else was in this episode, something about teachers and poems, baseball and cats, and some other random hi-jinks. Nichijou is the show I watch to space the fuck out for a bit really. Some episodes though are funnier than others. It’s a grab-bag.

Allow me to show you my rape face. I am a telepath after all.

X-MEN 9 picked up a little this week as it turns out Mastermind was behind an infiltration into Sasaki Yui’s lab, and something is beyond the giant door, but not before we find out that he fucked with Cyclops’ mind and had him see Emma Frost near Jean Grey during the Phoenix fight, hoping her defection to the X-MEN later on would see her destroyed or driven away by Scott’s Amazing Powers of Emo. Honestly I am mixed about this series, I was hoping for some anime X-MEN, but I’m getting a lot of “Secondary Mutation” bullshit, and I don’t find it very interesting in any way, especially when it’s all “ALL GLORIOUS NIPPON” heavily in it’s overall theme. I know, I know, earthquake and all, Marvel trying to please elevens, but come on, do something a little more interesting than spend several episodes focusing on Beast’s shit, not even the 90′s cartoon did.

When in Rome...

A Channel 9 rounds out this week with a little bit on Halloween, and Tooru’s interesting choice in casual garments. This episode was pretty fun, even not turning to too much drivel during the requisite insert song. Don’t get me wrong, I like the show, and it started out well, but halfway in, it kinda stalled and spun while other shows that stalled in the beginning are picking up steam. I would’ve liked this one to not have stalled, because it is pretty good overall.

And that’s the week, back to watching tit-sucking and general lawls known as Seikon no Qwaser. Seriously, it’s pretty lulzy.