Ninja by day, student by night

So I’ve been watching a few anime here and there, but I think I need to focus on what I really want to watch since regular tv is boring me.

My favorite way to choose anime is by looking at http://randomc.animeblogger.net/, because there is always a great list of new anime coming out and a short synopsis of each one. I’ve fallen behind a bit because there isn’t much time to watch, so I have to be picky, plus I don’t want to hog the bandwidth.

So here’s my picks, chosen from the Fall 2008 preview.

1. Toradora (finished), seriously best anime kiss scene EVER. It was sweet, it was loving, it was adorable.
2. Kuroshitsuji, butler anime with some supernatural/crime stories. Who doesn’t love an arrogant, condescending butler? I’ve been watching this off and on as I can.
3. Vampire Knight Guilty, I’ve been reading the manga, so I’ve neglected watching it, but I definitely need to catch up, I love the OP and ED of both seasons.
4. Kurozuka is a story about vampire lovers, so I think it sounds promising, with lots of violence, sex and good stuff. I haven’t started it though, although I’ve been meaning to check it out.
5. CHAOS;HEAD is one of those, ehhh? anime that I love because it includes some of my favorite elements, a) hikkikomori, b) violence, c) weird twists. It started out really good, but by the end, it ended up a little flat and repetitive. Maybe too much momentum, but it had to go back to the stereotypical styles, where the guy turns from a wimp to a WINNER! It just didn’t work in my opinion, but definitely check out the first few eps, they are pretty great.
6. Junjou Romantica, a yaoi anime on its second season. To be honest, if I’m going to watch something like that, it has to a) have sexy scenes and b) have a story that moves along a bit. The first season had plenty of both, but this season felt a little boring, mostly because there weren’t many sexy scenes and the storyline didn’t go anywhere. It would have been nice to see more relationship development and less draaaaaama.
7. Michiko to Hatchin, this one escaped my notice, but the review mentioned that this was done by the people who made Ergo Proxy and Samurai Champloo, so I might check out the first episode to see if I like it or not.

Winter 2008

1. Zoku Natsume Yuujin-chou is another supernatural anime that I’ve been slowly following during breaks. I adore slow, sweet, supernatural anime, and this one is great, just because the main character has such a lonely personality. Sounds weird huh? Plus his relationship with his “cat” guardian is fun to watch, so there are comedic elements to all the sadness or supernatural activity.
2. Minami-ke Okaeri, the third season and it seems to be going back to its roots from the first season. I love the art, and I like that the characters look like they did in the first season. Plus I adore Mako-chan and Kana, so I’ll definitely be finishing this one up as time permits.
3. Maria + Holic, cross-dressing trap? I’m in, at least for now. I’ve watched a few eps, and I’m getting a little tired of all the nosebleeds, but I’m still wondering what the story is really about. We’ll see if it’s worth something beyond watching on the treadmill.

Spring 2009

Okay, so I don’t know if I’m just being picky, but there haven’t been that many anime that are sticking out to me. I guess I’ll have to wait and see what the otaku have to say about things and maybe I’ll try something new.

1. Fullmetal Alchemist. An obvious choice since I’m a huge fangirl of the original series and I’ve been reading the manga. Since the art and some of the voice talent is the same, I hope I won’t be disappointed.

2. K-on, a musical anime along the lines of Beck (which I loved). I’m not sure about this one, I might try a few episodes to get a feel for it.

3. Eden of the East. Love the art, love the characters so far, although I’ve only seen one episode. It’s supposed to be a short run, so I’m sure I’ll stick with it.

4. Hatsukoi Limited seems a little like Kimikiss, but I still need to check it out. I love little short stories and slice of life is another favorite genre, especially when tied in with school.

5. Ristorante Paradiso sounds like a quiet slice of life, but I’m hoping that it will not go into emo themes or too much drama. Sometimes a quiet anime is nice.

6. Shangri-la. I love the title, although I’m not sure if it will keep my interest. The art looks pretty too. I guess we will see, more on this later.

Most of the stuff I watch streaming on animefuel.com, but I might download some subs if I decide I love a series.