Number 1: Shakugan no Shana.

Shana started off strongly, but disappointingly tapered off towards the ending of the series, resulting in the show being written off as mediocre, a disappointment given that J.C. Staff is known for their quality. However, Shana-chan herself remains strong in the fandom scene and the antics of the tsundere, melonpan-addict loli still garners a lot of fandom around, with the “Urusai! Urusai! Urusai!” trademark line of hers and also the unquestionably funny Shana-tan DVD specials, even managing to fight her way up to the Quarterfinals of the Saimoe’06.

Number 2: Fate/Stay Night

Ahh.. Fate/Stay Night… how awesome it could have been. Alas however, Studio DEEN failed us all, especially on the infamous “mana-replenishment” scene, which got toned down, for the fear of parental objection when the show is inevitably licensed to North America, and replaced with a cheesy dragon. Still, the show had it’s saving graces, mostly in the form of dynamite tsundere, Rin Tohsaka, and her ass-kicking servant, GAR.. Archer. C’mon, HE coined the term GAR.

Number 3: Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora

Given it’s 6 episode run, it’s more fitting that it should’ve been given a full run instead. Yet, this bittersweet romance story between a sick girl and a sick boy, who met in a hospital, did a lot more than what it could’ve done in 6 episodes. It’s an admirably well-done story, and the ED still manages to evoke a tear to my eye when I listen to it.

Number 4: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.

Emo facial contortion anyone? Probably one of the most shocking and horror thriller shows in anime in recent times, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni unfortunately also fell in to a steady decline after the shocking first two arcs of the show. Nevertheless, the mystery of Hinamizawa remains a compelling watch, if just to find out the truth in the end, with all the weird theories being thrown out, especially in the final two arcs.

Number 5: Black Lagoon

Unarguably one of the best action anime of recent times, and undoubtedly this year, Black Lagoon was an all-out fun ride of guns, pirates and gangster wars. While the budget undeniably went in to the choreography, the plot was there too and written quite well, whether when it dealt with some serious issues or just as a cause for more guns to be fired and things to be blown up. Black Lagoon is definitely a show well enjoyed by going along with the ride.

Number 6: Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru.

Fittingly, after popularizing the phenomenon of traps, Otoboku is definitely one of the influential shows of 2006. The sordid premise of a guy, forced by his grandparents will, to play dress-up and attend an all-girls school, did particularly well for focusing on the characters that surrounded Mizuho-chan, and while the ending might have been a disappointment to many, I found it a very good one instead, since it didn’t ended on a “forced” note to pair up Mizuho with any of the girls that surrounded him. The performance of Yui Horie as Mizuho will be one of her notable roles in the future, undeniably.

Number 7: NHK ni Youkoso.

A title that deals with a subject matter that strikes close to the heart of many otakus (this blogger included), hikikomorism, the anime adaptation has long been awaited. Initial concerns were raised when it was discovered that Gonzo would be handling it, given their reputation in recent times, but I’m pleased to say that my hopes were not dashed. Of course, the production quality of the show bombed many times throughout it’s run, but thankfully, the story remained solidly one foot in the ground, tackling a lot of social malaise’s that have struck Japan in the aggressive rush to the future, and in the center of it all, Tatsuhiro Satou, a very human character that personified the many negative sides of a human, but yet in the end, still manages to stand back up and face the challenges, slowly but surely. I would also give kudos to the performance of seiyuu Yui Makino as Nakahara Misaki, and I’m looking forward to her future career up ahead.

Number 8: Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu

If I had to name a show that represented 2006, no doubt SHnY will be the first name I come out with. There was absolutely no fanfare about the title at all, up to the week it aired, except for a few that noticed it was being done by the gods, Kyoto Animation. And true to their reputation, KyoAni literally created a “Big Bang” in the otaku scene, with the story of an eccentric girl, bored of the world, in search of otherworldly beings to literally bring excitement to the world. She might not have managed to create the excitement she originally aimed for in her own dimension, but in ours, she has definitely spiced up the lives of countless fans, and now rightly claims to be the most marketable brand name in the industry, perhaps only eclipsed by more, commercially focused shows, such as Bleach.

Number 9: Zegapain

Initially neglected by the torrent that was Suzumiya Haruhi, I’m glad to have discovered this little gem by Sunrise, who have, in many ways, disappointed it’s own fans recently. Zegapain, however, shows that Sunrise still possesses a considerable amount of talent at it’s disposable, just don’t let them near the marketing executives. The story and setting of Zegapain is undeniably compelling and exuded an exceedingly melancholic feel, while the clincher of the show lies in it’s main characters, from the spunky Kyo Sogoro, the enigmatic Misaki Shizuno (the best role of Ayako Kawasumi, to date) and the cute and innocent Ryoko Kaminagi (wonderfully done by newcomer Kana Hanazawa). The exceedingly awesome accompaniying OP and ED songs also made Zegapain, all in all, an extremely awesome package to watch.

Number 10: Simoun.

While Suzumiya Haruhi might have been the representative title of 2006, by no means it’s the best show of the year, rightfully belonging to Simoun instead. Sadly promoted as a “yuri fanservice” title, which till now still sticks in the minds of many, Simoun quickly showed a depth rarely seen in anime titles nowadays. The cast was purely all female-voiced, the setting of the series was done wonderfully well, the battle instruments are most probably the most unique ever seen in recent times, and the way the show was presented was absolutely top-notch. Combining the evergreen themes of human suffering in times of conflict and the uncertainty of stepping in to adulthood from youth, Simoun told a very complex story, but yet a very compelling one, once it is understood.

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Awesome.

Source: 痛いニュース(ﾉ∀`)

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Yep. The major event this week was the end of Fate/Stay Night. So far, F/SN was a rollercoaster ride, with it’s Archer-gar UBW highs and the lack-of-Rin lows, but it was a good ride to the end.

The past few episodes built up nicely to allow Fate/Stay Night to have it’s glorious ending(not really all to glorious actually, but meh) and the ending is a very nice closure to the anime, even with it’s flaws. But I am still troubled over the Bedivere character (voiced by Noto Mamiko!), who seems to look like the spoofs in 4chan. That is some ugly character design. Thank god it only appeared in the last 5 mins.

The ending itself is probably the 2nd best episode of the series (with Archer vs Berserker being 1st. You can’t beat the guy who lost the battle but gained a whole legion of fans). Being more of a Rin fan, the parting between Saber and Shitrou didn’t affected me much, but I still felt the emotion from those two. It was also good to see Taiga and Ilya providing comedic fun for the last 5 minutes and I have to pity poor Sakura. Rin… well, she had her tsundere-ness in full measure for her 1 minute, leaving me a satisfied (BUT not happy) man.

Next up. I would love to request that Heaven’s Feel be animated, with the NORMAL ending. Oh, and Planetarian should be made into a movie of some sorts.

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Finally a good episode of F/SN for a change. I’ve realised now what the main problem of F/SN was. It was the lack of character development past the first few episodes. After setting up pretty much the roles of Shirou as clueless justice guy and Saber as the quiet aloof girl, the whole show has been concentrating too much on the action, rather than the character development, making it especially boring (except for Archer) as there was a lack of empathy I felt towards the characters. It does make a bloody difference IF Saber was fighting for her lion doll rather than some powerful, ambigious artifact, ya know.

So well, the gist of the story this time round, is Shirou inviting Saber on a date, presumably because he’s fallen in love with her. I especially loved Rin’s reaction when she LMAO’ed on Shitrou when he told her that. After Rin decides to help out by planning their date (loved how clueless Saber was when Shitrou invited her to the date) and also taking out Ilya(main obstruction), Saber and Shitrou go out and have a fun, normal date. At the end of the date, Shirou has a heart-to-heart talk to Saber about asking her to live with him forever and they start to argue. Admitedly speaking, both of them argued each other quite well, with both hitting on each other’s weak spots. Shirou storms off after telling Saber to do what she wants.

Later that night, Rin wakes Shirou from his nap, asking where did Saber went, and a worried Shirou finds Saber back at the spot they argued. I felt pretty sad for Saber when she answered that she was thinking about what to do, but she had no idea, making me really appreciate Ayako’s voicing of Saber. Shirou drags her home, but midway, they get interrupted by Gilgamesh. BTW, doesn’t he look very very similar to Archer?

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Anyways, the highlight of the show was definitely Dark Sakura. Damn… I have admire Caster’s (I assume that she dressed her up… unless Kuzuki is a closet cosplay freak) dress sense. Those tights… ahhh… damn it… those tights….

Still… Fate/Stay Night is really Fate/Snore Night. No thanks to Shirou, who still remains uncool, even with the fact that he can summon swords, blablabla and etc… Heck… even Rin has lost her charisma _|-|0”’… might be because of Haruhiism though.

Archer.. your loss will greatly be remembered….

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I can already hear the screams of a million (perverted) Fate/Stay Night fanboys due to the infamous “mana replenishment” scene being edited to some lame CG dragon eating Shirou. But at least, being a Rin fanboy, I did get to enjoy this episode, especially for Rin flirting with Saber :P.

Anyways, Shirou continues to bore me on as usual, and Saber seems to be in the *dere-dere* phase already, after her “mana replenishment” scene. Archer!!! I want you back!!!!!

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This is as close to man love as I can get….

Damn… Archer was freaking cool this episode. Not only was he the Servant of my most favourite character in Fate/Stay Night, his backstory, if you’ve been spoiled to it, is very, very romantic, in my own personal opinion. The way that they put in the new ED sequence this episode as a somewhat of a commemoration to Archer gets 10/10 in my book to me.

The only thing I find that’s too bad was that he didn’t really get much action in the series. I’m actually hoping for some *deus ex machina* to happen and bring him back :P. ARCHER DESERVES MORE!!!

Let us all join together in tribute to Archer.

“I don’t mind buying time, but it wouldn’t be a problem if I defeated him, would it?”
-Archer-

P.S. : Fanboys will love the next episode. Don’t forget about Archer though.

©2009 Kurogane's Anime Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Fanservice episode this time, although more focused on Shirou and Saber, so it was kinda too bad for me, being a Rin fanboy and all. Rin did win the show with her sleepyheadedness in the beginning….. *moeeee~~~~!!!!!*

Ok, now let’s see what this episode brought us. First off, we had Saber fanservice, no doubt a lot of fanboys have been waiting for that. Then, we have Shirou awakening his inner roripedofin with Ilya. Next up, we have…… oh, that’s all?

Well, so you can see, even for a fanservice episode, Fate is still getting more and more boring. Plus the fact that Rin was absent for most part makes it even more boring…. God… what happened to all the action and fights that were promised in the Curtain Raiser…. haizz…. where’s the plot development dude? Shirou *is* no Rin, we don’t want to see him for the wuss he is, we already know that.

Sigh… they could’ve just put in Rin for an extra 3-4 minutes or more and I wouldn’t be complaining that much…. I seem to be watching F/SN now just because of her. Dang… she’s really the (forgive my abuse of language) *moe*-est *tsunderekko* I’ve seen to date :P. I want a Rin *dakimakura*~~~.

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The next day begins with Saber asking Shirou why he didn’t summon her when he was attacked by Rider, to which Shirou has a hard time answering.Saber decides to follow him to school and begins to chow down a large amount of food, to the despair of Taiga-nee (^^;;). Later, Shirou and Sakura are setting off for school, with Saber in tow, when they’re greeted by Rin. Shirou manages to persuade Saber to stay home as Rin’s with him, but Sakura storms off to school first, misunderstanding the situation.

Reaching school, Shirou and Rin are confronted by Issei, shocked to see them together. He tries hard to “save” his friend Shirou from the clutches of Rin, but to no avail. During lunch later, Shirou skips his appointment with Rin on the rooftop to chase after Sakura and explain to her what happened. Sakura gladly accepts the explanation and goes off, relieving Shirou until he turns around to see none other than Rin.

Rin and Shirou then head for the rooftop to discuss about the *kekkai* and she explains that to break the *kekkai*, they need to destroy points known as *jikoku* to slow it down and weaken it.Shirou instantly points to a spot near him, saying that he feels something there, which Rin initially disbelieves but after checking it out, finds out it’s really a *jikoku*. Surprised at his talent, they both set out to detect and destroy the various *jikoku* around the school.

After a productive day, both of them head home after a cup of coffee and conversation on the rooftop. Rin warns him to be careful and return home quickly and sets off. However, Shirou suddenly detects a ominous presence and decides to check it out himself. He follows it to the archery *dojo* and enters it to find a big casting circle on the wall and Rider. Rider’s master appears and it’s none other than Matou Shinji, his friend, confirming his suspicions from earlier on. Shinji then invites him to play at his place >:).

A more laidback episode after the events of the last one, with more of comedy involving Shirou and his harem, succintly put by Garten as him playing Harem Master.

I tremendously enjoyed the episode for the presence of Her Gracefulness Rin, who seems to be having a lot of fun with Shirou. I’m finding myself increasingly liking her more and more with each episode now.

Shirou was less annoying this episode as he did play an important role in it. His talents in magic seems to be more towards passive abilities rather than active ones, so his partnership with Rin is quite successful, with him detecting and Rin destroying.

Other than that, it was a pretty bland episode, and TBH, I do feel that F/SN is slowly losing it’s steam for now. But it’s rumoured (?) to be more than 13 episodes so I guess it’ll be better towards the end and the production crew would just like to set-up the intricate and complicated world that is Fate/Stay Night for now and also the development of characters too. They better make the second half real good here :).

Next episode is a drama one, judging from the previews with Saber, Rin and Sakura. Personally, I don’t mind more of this episodes, only that I hope they won’t waste too much time with talks and explanations. We need more Rin-Shirou tag :P.

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Shirou takes on Rin, but they’re interrupted by a girl’s scream. It seems that she’s had her life force taken and Rin proceeds to try and heal her, but Emiya senses a killing presence and blocks a hit meant for Rin. Leaving Rin to heal the girl, he runs out to confront Rider. He puts up a valiant fight but still loses and Rin comes to bail him out.

Seeing him hurt, Rin brings her back home and reveals that there’s another Master in the school, who has been kidnapping and taking life force from the students in the school and proposes a temporary ceasefire for both of them to find the mystery Master, which Shirou gladly agrees. When it’s time to go back, Rin orders Archer to escort Shirou home, and Archer takes the chance to question in Emiya’s beliefs, leaving him flustered. Back home, he finds Saber in the *futon* but she’s not asleep yet, asking Shirou why he’s late. He assures Saber it’s alright and then sits by the walkway, looking up at the moon.

Frankly, a kinda boring episode, with more development and drama. I was expecting more action and more Rider too, but we don’t really get to take a good look at her :P.She was on screen for around maybe 5 minutes or so, and she was spending an awful lot of it in the trees. Saber didn’t have much screentime here, but Rin did get quite a lot, as this episode kinda focuses on her too.

Still it was a pretty good episode and further reinforces my desire to get my hands on the OST and also the ED song.Next episode seems to be a breather episode and there seems to be quite some service.

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