Anime of the Year 2009-III Summer - Bakemonogatari

Bakemonogatari is the only honorary masterpiece for me this season for the sheer impact and novelty of it. 

1. Bakemonogatari 化物語 [Shaft] (Finished 15/15) Tags: Vampire Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Koyomi Araragi, a third-year high school student, manages to survive a vampire attack with the help of Meme Oshino, a strange man residing in an abandoned building. Though being saved from vampirism and now a human again, several side effects such as superhuman healing abilities and enhanced vision still remain. Regardless, Araragi tries to live the life of a normal student, with the help of his friend and the class president, Tsubasa Hanekawa. When fellow classmate Hitagi Senjougahara falls down the stairs and is caught by Araragi, the boy realizes that the girl is unnaturally weightless. Despite Senjougahara's protests, Araragi insists he help her, deciding to enlist the aid of Oshino, the very man who had once helped him with his own predicament. Through several tales involving demons and gods, Bakemonogatari follows Araragi as he attempts to help those who suffer from supernatural maladies. I totally appreciate pace of speed and episodic masterful allusions of original season. Can't say the same about following seasons though, as it gets old and story starts to go in circles. Borderline masterpiece is just the right score for it, in my opinion.   Overall Rating: 7/10

2. Ookami to Koushinryou II Spice and Wolf II 狼と香辛料II [Brain's Base, Marvy Jack] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Adult Cast Adventure, Fantasy, Romance Traveling merchant Kraft Lawrence continues his northward journey with wolf goddess Holo, in search of her lost home of Yoitsu. Lawrence and his sharp-witted partner continue to make some small profits along the way, while slowly uncovering more information about Holo's hometown. However, the road to Yoitsu is a bumpy one filled with many troubles—Lawrence runs into a charming young fellow merchant who has his eyes set on the female wolf companion, and he begins to doubt if Holo will remain by his side; he and the goddess will also have to consider precarious and risky business deals as Lawrence strives to achieve his dream of becoming a shopowner. All the while, with his determination tested at every turn during his journey, Lawrence must question his relationship with Holo, take on business ventures, and ask himself whether it is time for him and Holo to go their separate ways. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

3. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 東京マグニチュード8.0 [Bones, Kinema Citrus] (Finished 11/11) Tags: Award Winning, Drama  Middle school student Mirai Onozawa is dissatisfied with her family circumstances and, in a moment of frustration, wishes to tear everything apart. Unfortunately, these destructive thoughts seem to come true in the form of a magnitude 8.0 earthquake just a few moments later. When summer vacation begins, Mirai reluctantly takes her younger brother Yuuki to Odaiba, where a robot exhibition that he wanted to go to is being held. However, while they are in the exhibition center, the fury of a major earthquake shakes the Kanto region; helpless, both kids witness the devastating power of this natural disaster as it brings the city to its knees. In its aftermath, they stumble upon Mari Kusakabe, a motorcyclist and single mother who decides to help the young siblings. Aiming to return to their homes and reunite with their families, the group sets off on a long and hard journey through the decimated city. Basically, I don't like it. As a catastrophe anime it loses to Barefoot Gen. As human relations anime, it's pretty horrible as personalities are rather sour. Watching all that foolish behavior is very irritating. Don't know how I watched to the end many years ago, but it's a drop material for me now.   Overall Rating: 6/10

4. Canaan [P.A. Works] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Seinen Super Power Action, Sci-Fi, Supernatural Oosawa Maria is a Japanese photographer currently working in Shanghai, China. Along with her partner Mino, she searches for potential newsworthy stories throughout the city. When strange events occur at a local festival, Maria and Mino immediately investigate. Quickly, the two are immersed in a battle between unknown masked men and a strange, white-haired woman. Just when Maria is about to be caught in the crossfire, an old friend by the name of Canaan appears and helps Maria escape. But a sinister plot over a deadly virus soon develops, and Canaan learns she must confront her past if she wants any chance at stopping the perpetrator and saving her friends. There are as many as three amnesiac girls in this bland story. The worst part is antagonists who don't have motivation behind their actions, because they're probably crazy, why even need to explain something.    Overall Rating: 6/10

5. Princess Lover! プリンセスラバー! [GoHands] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Harem, School Comedy, Ecchi Following an automobile accident that claims the life of his parents, Teppei Arima is taken in by his grandfather and introduced to the world of the rich and the elite. Compared to his humble upbringing, Isshin Arima's lavish lifestyle surprises and stuns the young teenager. In return for the gracious hospitality, Teppei is expected to continue the family business by replacing his grandfather as the head of Arima Financial Combine, and to prepare him for these responsibilities, he is enrolled into an esteemed high school. Along with his recently acquired celebrity status and affluence, Teppei is informed of an arranged marriage with the equally prosperous Sylvia van Hossen, thus, beginning the thrilling escapades of his new life! Garbage show that does not have real harem, comedy, ecchi or worthwhile personalities.   Overall Rating: 5/10

6. Umineko no Naku Koro ni Umineko: When They Cry うみねこのなく頃に [Studio Deen] (Finished 26/26) Tags: Gore, Psychological Horror, Mystery, Supernatural Considered as the third installment in the highly popular When They Cry series by 07th Expansion, Umineko no Naku Koro ni takes place on the island of Rokkenjima, owned by the immensely wealthy Ushiromiya family. As customary per year, the entire family is gathering on the island for a conference that discusses the current financial situations of each respective person. Because of the family head's poor health, this year involves the topic of the head of the family's inheritance and how it will be distributed. However, the family is unaware that the distribution of his wealth is the least of Ushiromiya Kinzou's (family head) concerns for this year's family conference. After being told that his end was approaching by his longtime friend and physician, Kinzou is desperate to meet his life's true love one last time: the Golden Witch, Beatrice. Having immersed himself in black magic for many of the later years in his life, Kinzou instigates a ceremony to revive his beloved upon his family's arrival on Rokkenjima. Soon after, a violent typhoon traps the family on the island and a string of mysterious murders commence, forcing the eighteen people on the island to fight for their lives in a deadly struggle between fantasy and reality. I never went past the first arc end because I can't really appreciate supernatural horror detective mystery going in cycles with everyone resurrecting each time. Having finished it now, can say that it's only slightly better than Higurashi, because the gist remains very close to that. Can't call it intellectual or even psychological - just antics on top of detective mind games. And impression was much better when I stopped just after first arc, because the amount of stupidity rises steeply from there.   Overall Rating: 6/10

7. Needless ニードレス [Madhouse] (Finished 5/24) Tags: Seinen Super Power Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi At the onset of World War III, nobody could have predicted the effect it would have on Japan. While it had officially ended fifty years ago in 2150, its battles still persist. Large, mysterious areas known as "Blackspots" appeared across the country, filled with the contaminated ruins of cities and countrysides. Those inside were trapped to halt the spread of contamination, and their powers began to mutate—be they shapeshifters, pyromancers, or controllers of gravity itself—they all became known as the Needless. Adam Blade is one such Needless, possessing remarkable regenerative abilities and incredible strength. In order to restore peace to a war-torn Japan, he and his allies must fight together to rise against a heinous research group by the name of Simeon. It reminds Gurren Lagann a lot to me, but very soon it becomes evident that story is not going far, so need to enjoy the flow and the comedy. And I can't get to like it.   Overall Rating: 6/10

8. Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei 懺・さよなら絶望先生 [Shaft] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Shounen Gag Humor, Parody, School Comedy Nozomu Itoshiki is still the bizarre teacher of the even stranger Class 2-F. He attempts to teach his students the negative aspects of the world and society, only to have each circumstance thrown at his face whenever he tries. With more students and friends than before, Zetsubo-sensei's life becomes harder and crazier than ever before. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

9. Aoi Hana Sweet Blue Flowers 青い花 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/11) Tags: School Drama, Girls Love, Romance Shy and soft-spoken Fumi Manjoume and upfront and caring Akira Okudaira were best friends in elementary school, but this changed when Fumi and her family moved away. Years later, Fumi moves back to her hometown after being accepted at Matsuoka Girls’ High School. She finally reunites with Akira, who is going to attend Fujigatani Girls’ Academy. Despite their reunion, their relationship isn't the same as it was years ago. As soon as Fumi starts attending school, popular senior Yasuko Sugimoto takes notice of her and flatters her more than any other underclassmen. After running to Akira for help so many times before, Fumi must figure out who she is as a person instead of standing in someone else’s shadow. However, that doesn’t stop Akira from wanting her friendship with Fumi to be as it once was. Will the girls be able to conquer the high school stage of growing up before it pulls them apart? It's a banal though realistic girls love. Everything feels familiar and expected here, so don't want to advance further.   Overall Rating: 6/10

10. Sora no Manimani At The Mercy of The Sky 宙のまにまに [Studio Comet] (Finished 2/12) Tags: Seinen School Comedy, Romance Saku Ooyagi returns to his hometown after seven years and is soon reacquainted with his childhood friend, Mihoshi Akeno. The reunion is far from merry since the last memory they have of each other is of her falling off a tree and him saving her. In any case, Mihoshi is determined to improve their relationship and forces Saku to join the astronomy club she founded. Astronomy club is one of the most boring school setups possible alongside rocket or robot building club for me... and I don't know a single masterpiece anime with that setup. It's lively enough and even slightly funny, but it was a lost cause from the start.   Overall Rating: 6/10

11. Kanamemo かなめも [feel.] (Finished 13/13) Tags: CGDCT Comedy, Girls Love, Slice of Life, Ecchi Middle schooler Kana Nakamachi's life drastically changes when her grandmother passes away. Leaving behind an empty house, Kana learns that no one can provide her lodging due to her young age. Eventually, she stumbles upon the Fuhshin Gazette, a local newspaper delivery business who is able to provide her with a place to stay if she works for them in return. The small store is staffed by several unique people: the sweets-loving Yume Kitaoka and her girlfriend Yuuki Minami; the frugal Hinata Azuma; the alcoholic Haruka Nishida; and the young but mature Saki Amano. It is not all fun and games at the Fuhshin Gazette, though, as Kana must deal with long working hours, energetic dogs guarding mailboxes, and confusing delivery routes. Add in a small rivalry with Mika Kujiin, a girl from a competing store, and Kana will have more than enough to keep her hands full! It loses to Yuru Yuri in every aspect, so is not memorable.   Overall Rating: 6/10

12. Fight Ippatsu! Juuden-chan!! Charger Girl Ju-den Chan ファイト一発！充電ちゃん！！ [Studio Hibari] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Seinen Comedy, Sci-Fi, Ecchi Meet Plug, an unusual girl from a parallel world. Plug is a "Juuden-chan," capable of "recharging" people down on their luck, spreading good cheer wherever she goes! Unusual, but not in a good way, ecchi something that for some reason is called comedy here.   Overall Rating: 5/10

13. Umi Monogatari: Anata ga Ite Kureta Koto Umi Monogatari うみものがたり　～あなたがいてくれたコト～ [Zexcs] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Drama, Fantasy, Romance  Marin and her younger sister Urin are seafolk who happen upon something quite strange: a beautiful silver ring lost beneath the waves. The kind-hearted Marin, intent on returning it to its owner, drags a reluctant Urin along with her to the sky world despite reminders of a turtle elder who left for the surface and never returned. After locating the ring's owner, Kanon Miyamori, they learn that Kanon had tossed it into the sea after her boyfriend dumped her earlier that day. Though Marin insists that such a lovely item should not be thrown away, Kanon discards it once again. As they search for the ring, Urin becomes separated from the other two and accidently breaks the seal on a stone coffin, releasing an evil being known as Sedna. Sensing Sedna's release, the formerly missing turtle elder, Matsumoto, reveals himself to Kanon and her companions, naming Marin as the Priestess of the Sea. Together with the Priestess of the Sky, she has the power to seal Sedna away again. And as luck would have it, during an encounter with one of Sedna's minions, Kanon discovers that she is the Priestess of the Sky. Though Kanon is hesitant, she and Marin decide to work together to save the world from the evil that threatens it. Mahou shoujo that tries to be more serious, but ends up really boring and with an ultimately void ending.   Overall Rating: 6/10

14. Yoku Wakaru Gendai Mahou よくわかる現代魔法 [Nomad] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Mahou Shoujo Comedy Life hasn't been fair to Koyomi Morishita. Even though she's in high school, she's so short that everyone assumes she's still in grade school. The boys and girls in her school tease her mercilessly, and she's not exactly graceful either. On the other hand, she's still better off than Yumiko, who has a magician trying to kill her. Or at least Koyomi was until their paths crossed! Fortunately, salvation arrives in the form of master mage and graduate student Misa Anehara, who agrees to take Koyomi under her wing in learning the new style of magic, which breaks enchantment down into sequences of code. That'll be quite a task, given that so far Koyomi's talent seems to consist of making washbasins randomly fall out of the sky. But if it was easy, it wouldn't be magic, would it? Another modern look at mahou shoujo, but all the elements are extremely weak.   Overall Rating: 6/10

15. Taishou Yakyuu Musume. Taisho Baseball Girls 大正野球娘。 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 2/12) Tags: Historical, School, Team Sports Comedy, Sports In 1925 (year 14 of the Taisho era) baseball is still quite unknown in Japan and there are only a few male teams. After being told by a baseball player that women should become housewives instead of going to school, 14-year-old Akiko invites her friend Koume to start a baseball team in order to prove him wrong. During this time, when even running was considered too vulgar for women, baseball is known as "what the boys do" and they face many difficulties when having to find enough members, to get permission from their parents and also when learning about the sport itself, which they soon discover to be more difficult than expected. Baseball in Taishou Era is even more painful than usual spokon...   Overall Rating: 6/10

16. GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class GA 芸術科アートデザインクラス [AIC PLUS+] (Finished 12/12) Tags: CGDCT, School, Visual Arts Comedy, Slice of Life The Ayanoi High School features the Geijutsuka Art Design Class (GA) that focuses on the arts. Five close friends — the energetic "hime"-prankster Noda Miki; the level-headed, cynical Nozaki Namiko; the intelligent, observant, and kind Oomichi Miyabi; the lively and mischievous tomboy Tomokane; and the curious, innocent, glasses-wearing Yamaguchi Kisaragi — attend this class with great enthusiasm, learning about the many art techniques. Every day seems to pose a new and interesting challenge, be it struggling with the latest assignment or when dealing with the daily strangeness of school life. Some moeblobs are just waste of time, like this one.   Overall Rating: 5/10

17. Element Hunters エレメントハンター [NHK] (Finished 4/39) Tags: Sci-Fi Heewon Entertainment, NHK Enterprises In 2029, a large scale ground sinkage occurred in the Mediterranean Sea. Chemical elements such as oxygen, carbon, gold, molybdenum, and cobalt disappeared from the earth's crust suddenly. The human population was decreased by 90% in sixty years. Researchers found out that the disappeared elements were drained into a planet "Nega Earth", located in another dimension. To save the Earth, a special team called the "Element Hunters" is organized. All of the members are under 13 years old, because young and flexible brains are needed to access "Nega Earth". It's episodic and partly envioronmental... and boring.   Overall Rating: 5/10

18. Summer Wars サマーウォーズ [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Award Winning, Comedy, Sci-Fi  OZ, a virtual world connected to the internet, has become extremely popular worldwide as a spot for people to engage in a large variety of activities, such as playing sports or shopping, through avatars created and customized by the user. OZ also possesses a near impenetrable security due to its strong encryption, ensuring that any personal data transmitted through the networks will be kept safe in order to protect those who use it. Because of its convenient applications, the majority of society has become highly dependent on the simulated reality, even going as far as entrusting the system with bringing back the unmanned asteroid explorer, Arawashi. Kenji Koiso is a 17-year-old math genius and part-time OZ moderator who is invited by his crush Natsuki Shinohara on a summer trip. But unbeknownst to him, this adventure requires him to act as her fiancé. Shortly after arriving at Natsuki's family's estate, which is preparing for her great-grandmother's 90th birthday, he receives a strange, coded message on his cell phone from an unknown sender who challenges him to solve it. Kenji is able to crack the code, but little does he know that his math expertise has just put Earth in great danger. Of course I watched it in the past, but it never impressed me. For me it's a childish VR story somewhere on the level of Ghibli works and also below masterpiece level.   Overall Rating: 6/10

19. Redline [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adult Cast, Racing Action, Sci-Fi Every five years, an exhilarating race called Redline is held, and the universe's most anticipated competition has only one rule: that there are none. Racers are pushed to their absolute limit—a feeling that daredevil driver JP knows all too well. Having just qualified to participate in Redline, he is eager to battle against the other highly skilled drivers, particularly the beautiful rising star and the only other human that qualified, Sonoshee McLaren. But this year's Redline may be far more dangerous than usual—it has been announced to take place on the planet Roboworld with its trigger-happy military and criminals who look to turn the race to their own advantage. However, the potential danger doesn't stop the racers; in fact, it only adds to the thrill. Relying solely on his vehicle's speed, JP prepares for the event to come, aiming to take first place in the biggest race of his life. Good looks, but not enough essence, so no harm to miss it.   Overall Rating: 6/10

20. Kara no Kyoukai Movie 7: Satsujin Kousatsu (Go) The Garden of Sinners Chapter 7: A Study in Murder - Part 2 劇場版 空の境界 the Garden of sinners 第七章『殺人考察（後）』 [ufotable] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural, Suspense  In February 1999, a string of murders has Shiki Ryougi and Mikiya Kokutou on edge. These crimes share a disturbing resemblance to a similar set of homicides from 1995, when Shiki and Mikiya first met, and awaken a dark, murderous desire that has laid dormant within Shiki's soul ever since then. With Shiki under suspicion due to her involvement in the past killings and supposed resemblance to the killer, she and Mikiya set out to find the true perpetrator. In the midst of their separate investigations, Mikiya grows increasingly concerned with Shiki's well-being and hurries to find the one responsible in order to protect Shiki from her own impulses. With the lead he receives from his cousin, police investigator Daisuke Akimi, Mikiya is led into the underbelly of Mifune City, as the salvation of Shiki's soul lies in his determination to prove her innocence once and for all. The usual drag, but with an awkward attempt to wrap things up and throw more links to previous works.   Overall Rating: 6/10

21. Cencoroll センコロール [Aniplex, Think Corporation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Action, Sci-Fi  When a gigantic, unearthly monster suddenly looms on the skyline of a Japanese city, the expected occurs—the Japan Self-Defense Forces roll out the tanks while the public panics. Nobody knows what it is or where it came from, but Yuki, a bold and inquisitive teenage girl, has a secret but might be a useful clue. Her friend Tetsu has been clandestinely caring for a bizarre creature called Cenco, which will soon prove itself to have some remarkable, even impossible characteristics. Another teenage boy, a stranger with some mysterious link to the monstrosity attacking the city, shows up, and his unwelcome interest in Tetsu's pet snuffs out any doubt of a connection—and lights the fuse for the coming battle. A memorable episode with transformation theme, but it's only 20 minute long, so there's nothing but impact.   Overall Rating: 6/10

22. Mai Mai Shinko to Sennen no Mahou Mai-Mai Miracle マイマイ新子と千年の魔法 [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Adventure, Award Winning, Drama  The story is set in 1955 in Kokuga, Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. One thousand years ago it was the site of the ancient capital, Suo no Kuni, and traces of the Heian Period (year 794-1185) are passed down to us in the form of ruins and historical place names. The protagonist is Shinko, a third grade elementary school student, who was born and raised in one of the town's venerable families. She is a little girl whose characteristic is a strange curl on her forehead (she calls it her "Mai Mai"), and her love for playing in the fields. On the other hand, her secret joy is to imagine and to daydream about the world of one thousand years ago. Her fantasies travel far into the days of the Heian Period... One day, a girl called Kiiko transfers from Tokyo and enters Shinko's class. This girl from the big city has difficulty feeling at home in this small town, but gradually her friendship with Shinko deepens. Before long, the two of them become engulfed in a strange incident of one thousand years earlier...?! Another work that looks up to Ghibli and that's done probably just to build portfolio and participate in thematic concourse. Most of it is familiar village SOL with rare references between present and past. A good heart-warming anime, but I can't enjoy it as adult.   Overall Rating: 6/10

23. Hottarake no Shima: Haruka to Mahou no Kagami ホッタラケの島　～遥と魔法の鏡～ [Production I.G, Polygon Pictures] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Fantasy  Your favourite teddy bear. That model kit that took so long to complete. The picture book you used to read over and over again. The shining stone you found that day in the park. Where do all your childhood's treasures go when you grow up? In this story, we meet fantastic creatures that gather all these little objects that fall into oblivion as they are forgotten by their owners when they step into adulthood. These creatures sneak into our world from a different dimension, and unseen by humans, they take all the ditched and forgotten "treasures" into their world. Here, they use their booty to build their own city, a fairy tale-like place called... Oblivion Island! Another short story about a schoolgirl getting to a different world, now CG edition and thus having even less impact.   Overall Rating: 6/10

24. Asylum Session The Asylum Session アジール・セッション [CoMix Wave Films] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Sci-Fi  The story takes place in the far future, when the civilization has declined. Hiyoko is a high school girl, who aims to enter an art university. She runs away from her home because her father tried to throw away her mother's keepsake drawings. She finds a slum located in a stadium and meets the leader of the street children, Akira. The police attempts to demolish the stadium for the beautification of the city. In order to resist the demolition, the people in the stadium plans to hold a street-art event "The Asylum Session". Hiroko takes the charge of a giant painting on the stadium. Crude graphics, wide CG usage and strange story about artist in dystopian future don't add appeal to this movie. The core is quite amusing, but it ends with pretty much nothing, so not recommended.   Overall Rating: 5/10

25. 8-gatsu no Symphony: Shibuya 2002-2003 Symphony in August 8月のシンフォニー ―渋谷 2002～2003 [WAO World] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Music  Based on the autobiography of the singer Kawashima Ai. The name of the book is "Saigo no Kotoba" ("The Last Words") and it follows Kawashima Ai's life after her mother's death. The story chronicles her journey to make her dream come true to be a singer and, among other things, how she used to perform for free on Tokyo's streets. Biography is not much different from any other idol except that gigs are much more reserved here. Nice songs that are not enka.   Overall Rating: 6/10

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