Pretty much everything I tackled yesterday was trash; today we’ve got four keepers, more or less. These are all on my Current list, at least—your mileage may vary. After all, not everyone enjoys chaff as much as the good Dr. Elkay!

Yosuga no Sora (2010-10-04) Fall Series

Description

Having lost both parents, the Kazugano twins, Haruka and Sora, decided to move in and live with their grandfather of whom they are fond of. Other motives, however, contributed to their decision to reside at their grandfather. Kasugano Haruka and his sister Sora have lost both their parents in an accident, and with them all their support. They decide to move out of the city to the rural town where they once spent summers with their late grandfather. At first everything seems familiar and peaceful, but changes come as Haruka starts to remember things from his youth.

Genre: romance
Status: airing
Time: Mon 23:30+JST
Episodes: 12
Specials: 5
Duration: 24m

Links: Official ANN

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This pilot episode resists panty-shots for 20 minutes… only to shower us with tits and sex in the last six minutes. Uncensored nipples, a decently hot masturbation scene—and I’m like, I’m sooooooooooo confused!! But this is not a bad thing. Keep us guessing, Yosuga no Sora! Stay classy, and keep us guessing.

One thing I have to say I’m really digging here is the shamelessness of it all. It doesn’t pull punches. Male lead Haruka is unabashedly the sexiest thing ever to the point where people so much as lay their eyes on him and their panties dissolve in overflowing juices. Must have been a grizzled old man driving the rich bitch’s car, else we’d have seen one hell of a car crash.

I look forward to more of this, and will almost certainly go the distance. Awwww yeah.

(More substantive things will be said as I blog further episodes, beyond these survey posts.)

Psychic Detective Yakumo (2010-10-03) Series

Description

In order to help a friend possessed by a spirit, Ozawa Haruka knocks on the door of her university's movie research association. There she meets Saitou Yakumo, a rude, unkempt young man with a red left eye, who is said to have spiritual powers. At first Haruka is skeptical, but she comes to believe him when he conveys messages from her older sister, who died when she was a child. Together, they work to shed light on the terrifying events happening at their university. But this is only the prologue of what's to come...

Genre: mystery, supernatural
Length: 13
Status: airing
Time: Sun 23:00+JST
Duration: 25m

Links: Official ANN

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Let’s get another long pan on those eyes… no, that wasn’t long enough, let’s do it again!

(This really feels like Spiral and Avenger’s illegitimate child two decades down the line, when it is more mature than either of its parents were when they had it. Whether this unholy union will produce an angel or a devil remains to be seen. I’m holding out for the “just a 16 year old girl” option.)

Shinryaku! Ika Musume (2010-10-04) Fall Series

Description

Squid Girl has come to the land from the depths of the sea to conquer humanity for its pollution of the ocean. Unfortunately she ruins the first house she uses as an invasion base and has to work to pay for repairs. Of course, she can't overcome the Aizawa sisters who manage the house, so who knows whether she can subjugate humankind.

Genre: comedy, slice of life
Theme: Beach, Invaders
Status: airing
Time: Mon 26:00+JST
Length: 12
Duration: 24m

Links: Official Official Official ANN

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Refreshing sea-side comedy! Tentacles aplenty! Dumb verbal quirks! And somehow I am not turned off. We’ll see if the second episode wears out the series’ welcome and turns it into something that is annoying and nothing else, but for now I am entertained. Keep squirting that ink, Squid Girl!

Hyakka Ryouran (2010-10-03) Series

Description

The story takes place in Japan in the early 21st century, in an alternate reality where the Tokugawa Shogunate has remained in power. In this reality, student councils are tasked with oppressing schools. Yagyuu Muneakira is a high school student who rebels against his student council with the help of girls who've had the names of famous samurai heroes passed on to them.

Genre: action, romance
Theme: ecchi, samurai
Episodes: 12
Status: airing
Time: Sun 24:30+JST
Duration: 24m

Links: Official Official ANN

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The answer is epic win. If nothing else, this show is rocking the season (the year?!?!) with its distinctive art style. Mad props for that—it seriously puts Katanagatari to shame, and looks like it’ll be what Queen’s Blade always wanted to be in terms of how visually appealing its fanservice is. “T&A isn’t everything; it must be aesthetically satisfying,” quoth the #AnimeHipster.

(I actually watched this pilot a long time ago—when the pre-air version came out—but didn’t think to mention it here until now. But there it is! Fall 2010, epic samurai schoolgirl fanservice! Enjoy!)

Ciao.

That’s it for your third glance at the new season, notdotq’s Fall 2010 Grope Test. Tune in next time for… a Listen Test? A Watch Test?

Here’s what I watched today:

1. Queen’s Blade 12.

I wondered why this was so bad until I realized I was watching it at 1x instead of 2 or 3x as I usually do bad shows like these. Damn this was painful. Gotta love Nowa, though. Anyhoo, I’d celebrate the conclusion of another terrible series, but there’s gonna be another season! I’m a glutton for punishment, as one of my older brother’s coworkers said the other day.

2. Queen’s Blade Special 1.

I jizzed in my pants… for values of “jizz” equal to “vomit” and values of “in my pants” equal to “all over.”

3. Clannad: Another World, Kyou Chapter

Once again, Tomoya is made shallower such that he can hook up with a girl in the space of two minutes’ worth of montage. Once again, teenagers are melodramatic. Once again, there is a happy ending. Though this episode focused on Kyou, I’m sure Captain Miao is seething—her thighs didn’t feature much. All in all, a bit of a waste of time, though you gotta love Kyoto Animation’s signature stumbling rainy tears.

Apologies for the lack of screencaps. I deleted all three of the above abominations from my computer before I decided to blog them.

Briefly, on the topic of what I’ve been watching recently…

- I started both Touka Gettan and Haibane Renmei. I expect to enjoy both, in different ways. I’ll keep you all updated on how that goes.

- Eden of the East I’m at 5/11 on, and will finish once the opportunity arises (I’m waiting for SAKI to get some free time so we can watch it together).

- Sengoku Brosara is proving to be total shit, but it’s been fun to laugh at the ridiculousness. Unfortunately, starting with Azai’s death the fun factor all but disappeared. Kinda lame. I’ll finish this sometime but it’s not a huge priority…

- Haruhi Hog Summer is repulsive beyond belief. I already could barely stand episode two, stating that it was a worse waste of time than watching Queen’s Blade, and then lolikappa gave me the inside scoop on episode three. Seriously, Kyoto Animation? Go die. Now. Whores.

Eventually I’ll make some progress on the shows I’ve had on hold for a long time: Skip Beat, Mouryou no Hako, Michiko to Hatchin, Zettai Shounen, Kurozuka, Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora, and A Certain Magical Index. I’m also going to rewatch more Aria soon; you can expect some feedback on all of the above at some point, even if it’s not in much depth.

Things I’m not looking forward to: A Certain Scientific Railgun, Darker than Black 2. Both are abominations of the mind. Aberrations as it were. Do. Not. Want.

Finally, I’ve got my netbook, a sexy Dell Mini 10 that had some issues running Jaunty initially but is now puttering along just great with stellar battery life and an amazingly usable keyboard. If I get Ren’py onto the thing, I might be able to work on my VN on the go, which would greatly increase the chances of a v0.05 sometime this summer!

I was ready to Disappear into the Summer, but lelangir sucks at improv. Three simple letters—a “w,” a “u,” and a “t”—informed me that either my attempt at humor was, as drmchsr0 might say, a poor imitation of my past self, or that the ‘sphere just wasn’t ready for a Second Ascension.

But what really triggered me to end this sham was the following post from CCY: K-ON! Is a Lot Like a Little Sister. Not because it made me laugh nor because it made me cry, but because it was so goddamn stupid to the point of becoming an instant classic.

Really, Senpai-kun? Really?

In a world where there is so much strife, so much unwarranted competition, such rife capitalism, so much disease, so many religious faggerjacks, and so little money, you’re worrying about K-ON!’s quality?! My bad. He has stopped worrying about K-ON!’s quality.

Actually, I didn’t read the fucking post. Knowing CCY, and knowing his opinion of Lucky Star, I know that reading the post would send me into a frothing fit of fury.

But one thing in the introductory paragraph stood out to me:

Even though I would love to return to the spotlight at the same time as lolikitsune, acting as his most disturbing senpai, the words aren’t flowing yet.

Pictorial evidence, Exhibit A:

Apparently, the “L” in “LK” is the better half.

But now isn’t the time to poke fun of Senpai’s CSS. Who the fuck cares if his text floats all over the place? I sure as hell don’t. The “point” here, as Kero would say, is that CCY thinks I’m making a return to the spotlight. Am I? I don’t even know! But I’ll keep playing this idiotic game as long as you morons keep inflating my ego with your comments, your tweets, your blog posts, your prayers.

So I’m back now? Fuck if I know. I’ll hedge this one to the ends of the earth.

What did you just mouth, Jim? I need to post about anime in order to be back? Ffffffffff. Well, I guess I’ll make a token attempt in order to please Senpai.

Guin Saga: Plus: pretty backgrounds. Con: Lemus. Reminiscent of: Jyu Oh Sei x Shadow Warrior Chronicles. Dropped after one episode.

Hanasakeru Seishounen: Plus: pretty boys. Con: ugly girls. Reminiscent of: Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito (I think it was the big cat on a tropical island). Dropped after five minutes. I couldn’t even make it to the pretty boys =(

Valkyria Chronicles: Plus: short skirts. Con: idiotic characters. Reminiscent of: Violinist of Hamelin. Tentatively watching.

Sengoku Basara: OH MY GOD SHIT’S SO REAL!!

That’s about it for anime.

Oh, and while I’m alive, let’s clear something up for newcomer Mori. Jim, bring up the Twitter.

The good doctor, Moritheil, is none other than moi même: Dr. lolikitsune, with Ph.D. in lolikitean, trolling, and good taste.

In final news: my legendary PR guy is talking to me again?! I doubt I’ve done anything right, so I’m just writing him down as a mindless Watchmen fanboy.