Michael is Low on Hit Points
Final thoughts as Winter 2009 and lingering Fall 2008 series come to a close
- Posted March 30th, 2009 at 1:37 AM ET
- Subjects RideBack, Gundam 00, Linebarrels of Iron, Black God, Munto, Maria Holic, White Album, Soul Eater, A Certain Magical Index, Toradora, Clannad
- Tags impressions, final look
- Image sources
1- White Album [unknown] - Video searches
none
I had originally resigned myself to post on all of these series finales individually. Turns out I'm a lazy bastard, and going through with that plan surely would have me backlogged more than I already am. To make things a bit more interesting, I'll rank them. Everybody loves a numbered list, right?
ON HOLD) Rideback, Gundam 00, Linebarrels of Iron, and Black God
Rideback had potential, but I lost my sense of disbelief as the series progressed onwards. For instance, why did the GGP use torture to get a confession so openly? If you're going to circumvent the judicial process without care, why not just forge the confession? Oh, right. The government has to look eeeeeevil enough to get the viewer worked up.
Gundam 00 was never a favorite, and nothing season 2 has done has changed that for me. Plus, as of where I stopped (can't remember off the top of my head), I hadn't seen all that much of my 4 favorite characters: Graham, Ali, Patrick, and Nena. They need their own series as Gundam meisters.
Linebarrels of Iron and Black God were bad from the get go, and I couldn't stomach either of them for all that long.
I'm a completionist, so I'll finish all of these anime eventually. Maybe one of them will prove good in the end...
Nah.
7) Munto TV
Some series like to end on a bullshit and contrived deus ex machina. Munto takes things to a whole new level by making the entirety of the plot deus ex machina. Not one element of this series has any actual grounding or regulated basis.
Nothing made any sense. That's not to say the show was confusing. It was hardly so. It's just that nothing in this show was designed with any sense. There was never to be any logic to begin with. The whole exercise was damn near pointless. Just sit back and watch the pretty magical explosions, I guess.
6) Maria Holic
Solid. It was what it was, through and through. A rather fun ride, much to my surprise. The two leads, Kanako and Mariya, shine the entire way. Maybe I'm a bit base, but I could watch Kanako's perversions all day long. Mariya's wit and scheming made the show for many, as I understand.
I do find it ironic that a few bloggers lost interest with the series as it progressed. That's how I've felt about other schizophrenic comedies, like Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. But Maria Holic kept me hooked the entire way through.
5) White Album
Move aside "trainwreck," There's a new buzzword in town: "soap opera." That's the pejorative everyone seems to be hurling at White Album now. Of course, I'm sure there are plenty of people out there that would hardly take that as an insult to the show.
Whatever it is, I find this series to be engrossing. It's a bummer that I have to wait a while for season 2, as I'm sure I'll forget half of the what happened in season 1 by then.
I have to say one more thing: Touya really is a dipshit. I gave him plenty of wiggle room in the beginning. But as of late, he's been pretty in-defendable. But flawed protagonists often make for great subject matter. His fall has been fun to watch.
4) Soul Eater
I'm an idiot. Being a huge fan of Bones' adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist, I eagerly awaited the anime original ending. I don't think I made a huge fuss of this on my blog, but to friends I long vaunted how good an anime original ending for Soul Eater could be.
Oops.
As of late, Soul Eater would rank alongside the other dropped series on this list. The last couple of episodes have been particularly terrible. A walking Death City came in with the wrong tone at precisely the wrong time. Asura turning into some big, stupid, lumbering monster was lame. I could care less what happens in the last episode at this point.
Overall, the series was remarkable up until recent developments, so I still rank the series high. But there is a caveat, which is that Soul Eater will end in utter disappointment. I'll never really be able to sell the series to anyone with that kind of caveat, no matter how good it originally was.
3) A Certain Magical Index
I've already stated my case here. Index was my favorite show airing for quite a while, until two other series pulled ahead of it. That's no fault of Index, as it's kept the same consistent quality throughout. I can't wait for the spin off and then eventually season 2.
2) Toradora
Most improved. What started out merely ok, ended out on top. Some people thought it moved too fast towards the end, but I loved the accelerated pace. It was pretty much amazing scene after amazing scene in the last stretch of episodes. Plus it ended cleanly, without dragging on and wearing out its welcome.
Why couldn't JCStaff do this with Shana and Zero?
1) Clannad ~After Story
The series started off fine enough, wrapping up side characters' stories. But after that, Clannad went into territory rarely touched upon in anime. There are two episodes in particular -- the trip with Ushio -- that rise above even the all-time best episodes of anime.
I was quite literally on the cusp of naming this as the best anime ever made... and then came that ending. Quite possibly the all-time hardest 180 a series has ever pulled in my eyes.
I honestly can't rant enough about that final episode. I was stunned as I watched it. I couldn't believe it was actually happening. Quick Jason Miao moment: is this what old timer Red Sox fans felt when watching Pete Rose blow the World Series?
But after cooling off from that missed opportunity, I have to give props where they are due. Clannad ~After Story is still one of the better anime ever made. One episode can't possibly erase all the jaw-dropping moments that came before it, even if that's precisely what it did.
1 ghostlightning
I'm pretty satisfied with Toradora! myself ^^/
I had dropped all but one of the shows that started in winter and I'm not happy with it either: RideBack.
The main thing is that anything not involving Rin on a Ride Back is boring. The side characters may succeed at some level to be sympathetic but none of them are truly interesting to me.
The logical disaster in episode 10 did me in:
There was no reason for the glasses wearing Rin fangirl to get killed. The White Rides got very specific instructions to apprehend her (thinking she was Rin) on illegal Ride Back use, certainly not a crime meted by capital punishment on the spot.
The poor girl perhaps startled the White Ride soldier (supposedly elite) while taking on a hill. But there was no compelling trigger that prompted him to attack the rider and not the Ride Back. No sense for him to launch a lethal attack.
I understand the need to galvanize Rin into making a decision, but this was just a terrible job in doing so.
Re Michael is LoHP
@ ghostlightning
I stopped before episode 10, but that's exactly the sort of thing that got to me with RideBack. That's just some plain old bad writing. Toradora, on the other hand, ended with some fantastic writing. It surprised the hell out of me as the season progressed, too. RideBack's writing surprised me in the wrong way. So much for all that potential.
2 kadian1364
Overall, the past Fall, and especially Winter, anime seasons felt really weak. I only really liked the top two shows on the list, and besides Clannad's final segment and Toradora's finish, everything else was unremarkable, if not outright terrible (Minami-ke 3, I'm looking at you). The lull did let me catch shows I overlooked before, like Moyashimon and Monster, but I'm hoping the Spring season will bring more inspired series to bare.
3 Nazarielle
Phew, glad I dropped Rideback after the first episode. Well, I guess it was more a matter of not being bored enough to keep watching and then when I realized no one was talking about it anymore, I figured it was failing.
Regarding Munto,
"Just sit back and watch the pretty magical explosions, I guess."
I get the feeling that's all they really wanted you to do. It was complete and total pandering to the "Oooh!" factor. The story part wasn't any better, but I felt myself strangely caught up emotionally by Yumemi. Still haven't watched the final episode though.
Gundam 00 is mechaporn pure and simple. It was still kinda fun, and if you like seeing giant mecha fights, you'll at least get that out of Gundam 00. But the story is just plain lame. And I felt worse for the 'bad' guys than I did for the main characters toward whom we're supposed to feel sympathetic.
4 Glo the Legend
Was Black God really that bad? I haven't seen it but I was going to start Black God and Rideback tonight. Looks like I might be in for a rough time, but I'm still gonna try it.
I love the last three shows on the list, as I'm sure a lot of people would. They were easily the three best shows of the season, although I would have ordered them as Clannad, Index, Toradora though. I think Toradora was one of the best shows that I've seen in a long while. I was written really well. Clannad also had some great writing.
I'm also glad to see someone not knocking Maria + Holic. I'm still waiting for subs on the last episode though.
White Album never really interested me, so I haven't really checked it out. Everyone keeps saying it's good, so I might be forced to eventually. If I do, it will probably be before the next season begins.
Re Michael is LoHP
@ kadian1364
Loved Minami-ke 1. Skipped 2. Thought about watching 3. Sounds like I did well to miss out. I might give the sequels a spin someday, but I'm just not feeling them right now.
Monster is amazing. Great in the classical sense. Moyashimon is somewhere on my gigantic and ever-growing "must watch" list.
@ Nazarielle
RideBack was alright for a while, but the further I watched, the more it began to let me down. "Missed potential" is the key phrase here.
On Munto: that sounds about right. At 9 episodes in length, I guess if they really wanted to craft a story they would have made it a longer production. Yumemi and friends were fun to watch. But when the series moved the focus away from them and their world, the show dropped a couple of notches in my eyes.
And finally, I do love my mecha. But, the fights I saw in the first half of 00 season 2 weren't exactly the fights I wanted. I want to see Graham own the shit out of Setsuna. I want to see Ali and Nena tear shit up. And I want to see Patrick make a fool out of himself as usual. I guess I need to press further to see all that?
@ Glo the Legend
Black God is bad in the classical sense, but it has certain "charms," if you will. The main heroine fights like a kickboxer. None of the other fights I saw were anywhere as good as the one in episode 1, but they were all well animated up to where I stopped.
I had Toradora in the one spot for a while after getting pissed off at Clannad's finale. But looking back, the best parts of Clannad beat out the best parts of Toradora for me. So even though one ended better, I'm trying to look at the overall picture. That's why Soul Eater isn't all the way at the bottom.
I don't really get why people have all of a sudden started knocking Maria Holic. It's been the same show from start to finish. If you liked it at the beginning, where the hell did the series go wrong?
White Album is either a show you'll love right away or hate immediately. I don't think watching further into it will really change your initial perspective either way. So you should know where you stand not too far into episode 1.
5 Omisyth
I'm prepared top defend the anime original ending of Soul Eater just as you are preapred to defend the abundant amount explanations in To Aru Majutsu no Index. It has it's flaws, but that doesn't mean it's completely awful and an utter disappointment.
And lol, Clannad the best anime ever made up until the ending? :P
Re Michael is LoHP
@ Omisyth
Well, I feel as if they're rushing to fit everything into the end of Soul Eater. That and I wanted something a tad bit more serious for the last few episodes. Index has its flaws, but I don't feel they run anywhere as deep as the ones in the last few episodes of Soul Eater.
As far as Clannad, maybe I should have worded it as being "a contender for my all-time favorites list." I guess that sounds a little less extreme. I mean, it's still up there in my favorites, but I don't feel that overall it can compare to my all-time favorites after that collapse (personal opinion) towards the end.
6 Nazarielle
Well, there's maybe one episode with Graham tearing Setsuna up, but it doesn't last long. Nena hardly gets any time in the spotlight, and the same is true of Ali. After episode 15 or so, Ali doesn't show up until the bitter end, and then when he does, it's rather disappointing. Nena is really left in the dust, as she doesn't even get her old suit upgraded at all. And Patrick does get to come back near the end as well, but his screentime is very short lived.
Re Michael is LoHP
@ Nazarielle
Lame. Thanks for the forewarning though.
7 Omisyth
@Michael
Well, having just seen the actual finale for the show, I'm going to have to retract that statement. It really was just disappointing.
Re Michael is LoHP
@ Omisyth
Finally got around to that final episode of Soul Eater... wow, that was pretty bad. I mean, I wasn't expecting much... but damn. Oh well, there's always the manga.
8 Martin
Ride Back is turning out okay (currently waiting on the last ep) but yeah, there were some plot twists that felt really forced. There was a lot that felt illogical but Rin's still a great lead character so I'll be seeing it through to the end.
Munto seemed to be all about the prettiness and no logic whatsoever, so I dropped it. I must admit I was cautiously hopeful but the writer was either unbelievably lazy or was out of the office for most of the time.
I guess I was one of those who called White Album a soap opera, but I meant that in a good way because, for better or for worse, it was a little bit different. Portraying Touya as an unfaithful ass is either ballsy or foolish writing, depending on how you look at it (I lean towards the former and look forward to Yuki kicking his butt in the second season). 80s retro setting FTW!
Toradora! is shaping up well - it's not breaking the mould but the characters are so engaging I'm enjoying every minute of it.
Clannad ~AS~ is another one that's left me pleasantly surprised - when it entered its second half and 'grew up' I realised we have something a bit special here. Still, I've heard the latter episodes get REALLY teary so when all the widescreen episodes are subbed in full I'll set aside a full saturday afternoon for marathoning the rest in one T_T -filled sitting.
Re Michael is LoHP
@ Martin
I really liked Rin, too. I felt RideBack had plenty of potential, and I do intend to pick it back up and finish it eventually.
The only reason I kept up with Munto was the easy to finish nine episode count. As for the writing, I think that fact that it wasn't a whole, continuous work (two separate OVAs weaved into new plot) was what lead to the story being so weak.
Gotta love the unique (by anime standards) setting for White Album. Plus, Touya's dug himself a deep hole that will be fun watching him plummet down. Maybe that's too harsh, but he is kind of an ass.
Toradora gets really good in the later episodes, despite what people say about pacing.
When Clannad ~AS "grew up" is when it completely blew me away. That was simply solid story telling, especially when the more gut-wrenching things start to occur. So good that I gave up on widescreen to skip ahead. I never regretted it.
9 ETERNAL
I've been meaning to finish White Album for a while now, I get the feeling I wouldn't mind the melodrama. Besides, it's been ages since I watched KimiNozo, which it always seems to remind me of.
That said, you should probably finish Gundam 00. I have no real basis for saying that since I'm not even too familiar with the Gundam franchise or mecha genre, but it was a better series than I expected, and the ending was nice, if not a little...odd. Some of the mecha bloggers, if that's a term, have already talked about it in much more detail.
Re Michael is LoHP
@ ETERNAL
The one caveat to picking up White Album now is that it isn't finished, of course. The way I see it, there's no reason to rush into it if you're just going to have to wait till the end of the year anyways. Right before season 2 begins might be the best time to pick it up.
And I haven't seen Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, so I can't compare the two. But that reminds me that I need to see that anime!
And yes, I'll definitely get back on 00. It was never all that bad, it just wasn't a necessary view at the time it was airing. It's just a matter of finishing up some of the other finished series I'm marathoning to clear up some space in my schedule for it.