Anime of the Year 2012-II Spring - Jormungand

Jormungand happens to be my only favorite this season.

1. Hyouka 氷菓 [Kyoto Animation] (Finished 3/22) Tags: School Mystery, Slice of Life High school freshman Houtarou Oreki has but one goal: to lead a gray life while conserving as much energy as he can. Unfortunately, his peaceful days come to an end when his older sister, Tomoe, forces him to save the memberless Classics Club from disbandment. Luckily, Oreki's predicament seems to be over when he heads to the clubroom and discovers that his fellow first-year, Eru Chitanda, has already become a member. However, despite his obligation being fulfilled, Oreki finds himself entangled by Chitanda's curious and bubbly personality, soon joining the club of his own volition. Hyouka follows the four members of the Classics Club—including Oreki's friends Satoshi Fukube and Mayaka Ibara—as they, driven by Chitanda's insatiable curiosity, solve the trivial yet intriguing mysteries that permeate their daily lives. Never heard of this title even though it's in top 100 popular titles on MAL. And it seems to be the first anime with the real protagonist - phlegmatic sarcastic guy with primary aim to conserve energy - just like me, so there's the appeal from the start. If I have to do something, I'd rather do it fast - another important life motto. But of course I was not aware of it because of mystery genre. Just first two episodes have three already - the lock , the book, the secret club. And third episode has two more... that's a bit too much for me to handle as it's counter-realistic, hardly encountered any mystery in my entire life.   Overall Rating: 6/10

2. Kuroko no Basket Kuroko's Basketball 黒子のバスケ [Production I.G] (Finished 1/25) Tags: Shounen School, Team Sports For the last three years, Teikou Middle School has dominated the national basketball scene with its legendary lineup: the "Generation of Miracles." It consisted of five prodigies who excelled at the sport, but a "Phantom Sixth Man" lurked in the shadows and helped earn the team their revered status. Eventually, their monstrous growth jaded them from the sport they loved and made them go their separate ways in high school. In search of new members, the Seirin High School basketball team recruits Taiga Kagami and Tetsuya Kuroko, two freshmen who seem to have significant differences in abilities. Having returned recently from America, Kagami has both a natural aptitude and relentless love for the sport. Meanwhile, Kuroko lacks presence and exhibits no outstanding athletic talent. However, it is later revealed that he is Teikou's Phantom Sixth Man—the player once part of the Generation of Miracles. Kuroko wants to prove to the Seirin team that he is strong in his own way. Seeing his conviction, Kagami forms a dynamic partnership with Kuroko, the latter promising to support Kagami's "light" as his "shadow." Alongside their new Seirin teammates, they aim to conquer the upcoming Interhigh championship, but the reappearance of Kuroko's former teammates complicates their plan. The idea of supernatural powers in basketball is daunting... and bad...   Overall Rating: 6/10

3. Fate/Zero 2nd Season Fate/Zero Season 2 フェイト/ゼロ 2ndシーズン [ufotable] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Action, Fantasy, Supernatural  As the Fourth Holy Grail War rages on with no clear victor in sight, the remaining Servants and their Masters are called upon by Church supervisor Risei Kotomine, in order to band together and confront an impending threat that could unravel the Grail War and bring about the destruction of Fuyuki City. The uneasy truce soon collapses as Masters demonstrate that they will do anything in their power, no matter how despicable, to win. Seeds of doubt are sown between Kiritsugu Emiya and Saber, his Servant, as their conflicting ideologies on heroism and chivalry clash. Meanwhile, an ominous bond forms between Kirei Kotomine, who still seeks to find his purpose in life, and one of the remaining Servants. As the countdown to the end of the war reaches zero, the cost of winning begins to blur the line between victory and defeat. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

4. Accel World アクセル・ワールド [Sunrise] (Finished 3/24) Tags: School, Video Game Action, Romance, Sci-Fi Haruyuki Arita is an overweight, bullied middle schooler who finds solace in playing online games. But his life takes a drastic turn one day, when he finds that all his high scores have been topped by Kuroyukihime, the popular vice president of the student council. She then invites him to the student lounge and introduces him to "Brain Burst," a program which allows the users to accelerate their brain waves to the point where time seems to stop. Brain Burst also functions as an augmented reality fighting game, and in order to get more points to accelerate, users must win duels against other players. However, if a user loses all their points, they will also lose access to Brain Burst forever. Kuroyukihime explains that she chose to show Haruyuki the program because she needs his help. She wants to meet the creator of Brain Burst and uncover the reason of why it was created, but that's easier said than done; to do so, she must defeat the "Six Kings of Pure Color," powerful faction leaders within the game, and reach level 10, the highest level attainable. After the girl helps Haruyuki overcome the bullies that torment him, he vows to help her realize her goal, and so begins the duo's fight to reach the top. I remember that I really wanted to like it, but inevitably dropped it for having nothing of interest for me. Rules are vague, competition is bland, story is a joke, and without a good core other elements can't pull it out.   Overall Rating: 6/10

5. Sankarea Sankarea: Undying Love さんかれあ [Studio Deen] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Shounen Comedy, Horror, Romance, Supernatural, Ecchi Ever since he was a child, zombie-obsessed Chihiro Furuya has wanted an undead girlfriend. Soon enough, his love for all things zombie comes in handy when his cat Baabu gets run over, prompting Chihiro to try to make a resurrection potion and bring him back to life. During his endeavor, he sees a rich girl named Rea Sanka yelling into an old well every day about her oppressive life. After meeting and bonding with her, Chihiro is convinced by Rea to persevere in saving Baabu. Eventually, he succeeds with the help of the poisonous hydrangea flowers from Rea's family garden. Unaware of the potion's success and seeking to escape the burdens of her life, Rea drinks the resurrection potion, mistakenly thinking she will die. Though it doesn't kill her, the effects still linger and her death from a fatal accident causes her to be reborn as a zombie. With help from Chihiro, Rea strives to adjust to her new—albeit undead—life. For a boy wanting a zombie girlfriend, this situation would seem like a dream come true. But in Sankarea, Chihiro's life becomes stranger than usual as he deals with Rea's odd new cravings and the unforeseen consequences of her transformation. This kind of synopsis is one big facepalm. Anime is both offensive and frustrating. Trash and waste of time.   Overall Rating: 5/10

6. Tasogare Otome x Amnesia Dusk Maiden of Amnesia 黄昏乙女×アムネジア [SILVER LINK.] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Shounen School Horror, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Seikyou Private Academy, built on the intrigue of traditional occult myths, bears a dark past—for 60 years, it has been haunted by a ghost known as Yuuko, a young woman who mysteriously died in the basement of the old school building. With no memory of her life or death, Yuuko discreetly finds and heads the Paranormal Investigations Club in search of answers. A chance meeting leads Yuuko to cling to diligent freshman Teiichi Niiya, who can see the quirky ghost, they quickly grow close, and he decides to help her. Along with Kirie Kanoe, Yuuko's relative, and the oblivious second year Momoe Okonogi, they delve deep into the infamous Seven Mysteries of the storied school. Tasogare Otome x Amnesia tells a unique tale of students who work together to shed light on their school's paranormal happenings, all the while inching closer to the truth behind Yuuko's death. Supernatural mystery is the worst kind of mystery. Single episode is more than enough here for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10

7. Sakamichi no Apollon Kids on the Slope 坂道のアポロン [Tezuka Productions, MAPPA] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Josei Historical, Love Polygon, Music, School Drama, Romance Introverted classical pianist and top student Kaoru Nishimi has just arrived in Kyushu for his first year of high school. Having constantly moved from place to place since his childhood, he abandons all hope of fitting in, preparing himself for another lonely, meaningless year. That is, until he encounters the notorious delinquent Sentarou Kawabuchi. Sentarou's immeasurable love for jazz music inspires Kaoru to learn more about the genre, and as a result, he slowly starts to break out of his shell, making his very first friend. Kaoru begins playing the piano at after-school jazz sessions, located in the basement of fellow student Ritsuko Mukae's family-owned record shop. As he discovers the immense joy of using his musical talents to bring enjoyment to himself and others, Kaoru's summer might just crescendo into one that he will remember forever. Sakamichi no Apollon is a heartwarming story of friendship, music, and love that follows three unique individuals brought together by their mutual appreciation for jazz. Of course I dropped it before. Moreover, I've got a friend who is a fan of Shinichirou Watanabe and who likes almost everything from him... but not Sakamichi no Appollon. And of course I needed to watch it to the end now to poke that friend even more. And it only ended in countless screenshots of BL references that I had to go through with this horrible fujioshi anime. I just want it to be marked properly as BL.   Overall Rating: 5/10

8. Kore wa Zombie desu ka? of the Dead Is this A Zombie? of the Dead これはゾンビですか? OF THE DEAD [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/10) Tags: Harem Action, Comedy, Supernatural, Ecchi Aikawa Ayumu was revived as a zombie by the cute necromancer Eucliwood Hellscythe. After the zany, madcap adventures in the first season of Is This a Zombie? ended, Ayumu thought his life might finally get back to normal, or as normal as it can be for a zombie. However, destiny has other plans for him. Some guys just can't catch a break. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

9. Jormungand ヨルムンガンド [White Fox] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Seinen Organized Crime Action, Adventure Brought up in a conflict-ridden environment, child soldier Jonathan "Jonah" Mar hates weapons and those who deal them. But when Koko Hekmatyar, an international arms dealer, takes on Jonah as one of her bodyguards, he has little choice but to take up arms. Along with Koko's other bodyguards, composed mostly of former special-ops soldiers, Jonah is now tasked with protecting Koko and her overly idealistic goal of world peace from the countless dangers that come from her line of work. Jormungand follows Koko, Jonah, and the rest of crew as they travel the world selling weapons under the international shipping company HCLI. As Koko's work is illegal under international law, she is forced to constantly sidestep both local and international authorities while doing business with armies, private militaries, and militias. With the CIA always hot on her trail, and assassins around every corner, Jonah and the crew must guard Koko and her dream of world peace with their lives or die trying. I remember it well enough, and it definitely deserves a masterpiece, but it's more about action and less about story compared to Black Lagoon, so can't rate it too high.   Overall Rating: 7/10

10. Haiyore! Nyaruko-san Nyaruko: Crawling With Love! 這いよれ！ニャル子さん [Xebec] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Parody Comedy, Sci-Fi Mahiro Yasaka is just an ordinary high school student, until one day he is suddenly attacked by a dangerous monster. Just when everything seems to be lost, he is saved by a silver-haired girl named Nyaruko, who claims to be the shape-shifting deity Nyarlathotep from horror author H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, sent by the Space Defense Agency to Earth. She explains to Mahiro that the creature chasing him was an alien called Nightgaunt, who had planned on abducting and selling him as a slave. After rescuing him from the alien, the Lovecraftian deity falls madly in love with Mahiro and forces herself into his household, much to his chagrin. Moreover, they are soon joined by two others from the fictional universe: Cthuko, a girl obsessed with Nyaruko, and Hasuta, a young boy easily mistaken for a beautiful female. Together, the three eccentric aliens protect Mahiro from the various extraterrestrial dangers that threaten both his and Earth's well-being, all the while making his life a living hell. Not with this amount of absurd and nonsense.   Overall Rating: 6/10

11. Acchi Kocchi Place to Place あっちこっち [AIC] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Gag Humor, School Comedy, Romance Feelings may come and go, but true love always remains in the heart. Tsumiki Miniwa is in love with her best friend, Io Otonashi. For her, confessing is nearly impossible; but to her friends, they seem to be the perfect match. Cute and petite, Tsumiki comes off more as a friend, and Io's attitude toward her is friendlier than toward others. Despite the constant teasing and obvious hints that his friends have been dropping, Io always seems to miss the signs. Throughout her everyday school life, Tsumiki spends time with her friends and Io. Will she finally muster enough courage to confess her true feelings? Remember watching it, but with episodic humor and not outstanding characters dumping was inevitable.   Overall Rating: 6/10

12. Nazo no Kanojo X Mysterious Girlfriend X 謎の彼女X [Hoods Entertainment] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Seinen School Romance First encounters are always memorable because regardless of the outcome, new experiences are sure to happen. For Akira Tsubaki, a young boy who knows next to nothing about girls, and new transfer student Mikoto Urabe, a mysterious girl who wears a cold facade, their first encounter takes a turn for the romantic. Through a series of strange events, Tsubaki suddenly falls in love with Urabe, and together they develop a curious bond. Thus begins the romance and mystery of Urabe, a girl who seems to have a unique way of expressing her emotions. The start was shocking... and sort of disgusting. Anyway, not finding it appealing in any way. Overall Rating: 6/10

13. Medaka Box めだかボックス  [Gainax] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Shounen Martial Arts, School, Super Power Action, Comedy, Ecchi Medaka Kurokami is, in the truest sense of the word, perfect. Beautiful, intelligent, and athletic, Medaka's dream is to make others happy. So when she runs for Student Council President of the prestigious Hakoniwa Academy, winning the election with 98% of the votes is only to be expected. The very first thing the boisterous new president does is set up the "Medaka Box," a suggestion box allowing students to submit any kind of request for assistance. Together with the cynical Zenkichi Hitoyoshi, her childhood friend who has been strong-armed into helping, Medaka fulfills these requests at a ridiculous rate. For every job completed, she adds flowers to the student council room, with the aim of filling the entire school. However, the two are about to find out that helping others may be a lot harder than they think as they begin to uncover a devastating plan centering on the academy and even Medaka herself! Medaka is clearly lower quality version of Haruhi. More humor, more fanservice, more help to students, but less conceptual and varied and having less protagonists.   Overall Rating: 6/10

14. Uchuu Kyoudai 宇宙兄弟 [A-1 Pictures] (Finished 1/99) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Space, Workplace Comedy, Sci-Fi On a fateful summer night in 2006, Mutta Nanba and his younger brother Hibito witness what they believe to be a UFO flying toward the Moon. This impressing and unusual phenomenon leads both siblings vowing to become astronauts, with Hibito aiming for the Moon and Mutta, convinced that the eldest brother has to be one step ahead, for Mars. Now an adult, life hasn't turned out how Mutta had pictured it: he is diligently working in an automotive company, whereas Hibito is on his way to be the very first Japanese man to step on the Moon. However, after losing his job, Mutta is presented with an unexpected opportunity to catch up to his younger brother when the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, commonly known as JAXA, accepts his application to participate in the next astronaut selection. Despite self-doubts about his prospects, Mutta is unwilling to waste this chance of a lifetime, and thus embarks on an ambitious journey to fulfill the promise made 19 years ago. I consider space romanticism to just useless, but actually quite harmful, and the references also offensive, so this anime is definitely not for me. But also if anime lasts for 100 episodes it either means that it's super saturated with events or totally opposite - that show is lost any direction and just holds for characters doing whatever. And I see Uchuu Kyoudai as clearly the second type.   Overall Rating: 5/10

15. Tsuritama つり球 [A-1 Pictures] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Comedy, Sci-Fi  Saving the world... by fishing? Yuki Sanada has always felt like a fish out of water. Socially awkward and anxious, he struggles to fit in with his surroundings and moves from town to town with his grandma. As he and his grandma settle into the charming seaside town of Enoshima, Yuki hopes for a fresh start. However, his reputation at school is jeopardized by the arrival of fellow transfer student Haru. The eccentric Haru immediately makes a splash, wildly claiming to be an alien and declaring that Yuki is his friend. Pairing the reluctant Yuki with their classmate and fishing talent, Natsuki Usami, he tasks both of them with the absurd mission of saving the world from a mysterious threat in the ocean. Mischief and hijinks ensue, as these three embark on a whimsical adventure filled with laughs, heart, and self-discovery! Fishing? Seriously? Super niche bore.    Overall Rating: 5/10

16. Zetman ゼットマン [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Seinen Gore Action, Drama, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi, Supernatural The story starts off with a face-off between two rival heroes, ZET and ALPHAS, and then traces their origins - Jin Kanzaki, a young man with the ability to transform into a superhuman being known as ZET, and Kouga Amagi, a young man with a strong sense of justice who uses technology to fight as ALPHAS. The fates of these two men and those around them intertwine as they fight to protect mankind and destroy monstrous abominations known as Players. I'm not a fan of serious superheroes with superpowers. I'm not happy with how it starts at all... very cheap emotions and characters.   Overall Rating: 6/10

17. Eureka Seven AO エウレカセブンAO [Bones] (Finished 1/24) Tags: Mecha Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi The story is set on Okinawa's isolated island of Iwado, which has seen a growing movement advocating a return to an autonomous government. Ao Fukai, a 12-year-old boy with a missing father, lives on the island with an old doctor named Toshio and is about to enter middle school. Ao's mother was taken away a decade ago by unknown individuals. Naru Arata, Ao's 12-year-old childhood friend and the story's heroine, lives with her father, older sister, and grandmother. She has a "Yuta" power awakened within her due to an incident when she was young. A mysterious entity called "Secret" suddenly appears and launches an attack on the Scub Coral lifeform on the island. Ao launches a certain military FP called "Nirvash" aboard a Japanese military transport in his fervent desire to protect the island. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

18. Naruto SD: Rock Lee no Seishun Full-Power Ninden Naruto Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals ナルトSD ロック・リーの青春フルパワー忍伝 [Pierrot] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Shounen Parody Action, Comedy The competitive shinobi world has proven to be challenging for Rock Lee, who lacks the typically required abilities. To compensate for this handicap, the young ninja tenaciously endures severe training to hone his hand-to-hand combat skills. Whenever necessary, he also resorts to creative fighting techniques. With the constant support of his teammates Neji Hyuuga and Tenten, Lee readily embraces daring adventures as opportunities to advance on his path toward excellence. Crude unfunny mess.   Overall Rating: 5/10

19. Shirokuma Cafe Polar Bear Cafe しろくまカフェ [Pierrot] (Finished 1/50) Tags: Josei Anthropomorphic, Gag Humor, Iyashikei, Workplace Comedy, Slice of Life Situated near the local zoo and owned by the charismatic polar bear Shirokuma, Shirokuma Cafe is a popular spot for animals and humans alike, allowing them to sit back and relax after a hard day of work. Whether it's a cold beverage or the latest item on his menu, Shirokuma finds joy in being able to serve his customers, often striking up conversations about various subjects. Together with the sarcastic Penguin and the clumsy Panda, they form an odd trio who get themselves caught up in all sorts of misadventures with their other friends such as Grizzly, a bar owner, and Sasako, a human who works at the cafe. From dealing with unrequited love, outdoor camping trips, karaoke sessions, and even the secret to brewing delicious coffee, there's always something bound to be happening in Shirokuma Cafe! Episodic SOL with characters I don't like. Simple and entertaining to kill time, but time is too valuable to be killed.   Overall Rating: 6/10

20. Kimi to Boku. 2 You and Me 2 君と僕。2 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Shounen Iyashikei, School Comedy, Drama, Romance, Slice of Life "No matter how many years go by, I'm sure we'll still be laughing together." Twins Yuta and Yuki, Kaname, and Shun have been childhood friends since kindergarten. When transfer student Chizuru joins them, their five man school life becomes all the more lively. Through the changing seasons, the boys will find laughter, surprises, love, and new encounters waiting for them. The second season of the boys growing a little every day of their invaluable daily lives is about to begin! Sequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10

21. Lupin the Third: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine LUPIN the Third ～峰不二子という女～  [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Seinen Adult Cast, Samurai Action, Adventure, Award Winning, Comedy, Ecchi Many people are falling prey to a suspicious new religion. Lupin III infiltrates this group, hoping to steal the treasure their leader keeps hidden. There he lays eyes on the beautiful, bewitching woman who has the leader enthralled. This is the story of how fashionable female thief Fujiko Mine first met Lupin III, the greatest thief of his generation. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

22. AKB0048  [Satelight] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Idols (Female), Music Sci-Fi  After an interplanetary war at the beginning of the 21st century, planet Earth has been left in ruins, with much of its ecosystem completely destroyed. Because it was no longer possible to live a normal life on this planet, the inhabitants are forced to move on to other planets where life will, hopefully, be more comfortable. The Deep Galactic Trade Organization, a totalitarian government that affects many of the newly inhabited planets, has somehow come to the conclusion that music is a source of evil, and that it must be banned and destroyed for good. The talent group AKB0048 is soon formed, based on the original AKB48 members that once lived on Earth. Even though their music is now considered universally illegal, they make it their mission to bring their music back to life by travelling from one planet to another and holding as many concerts as they possibly can. They must undergo a whole new set of training methods in order to become the best that they can possibly be, while also avoiding the constant danger of being arrested because of their music. Join interplanetary popstars AKB0048 as they try to save the world－with music! First time seeing such a long advertisement. It's just primitive and with ridiculous forced conflict.   Overall Rating: 5/10

23. Inazuma Eleven Go: Chrono Stone イナズマイレブンGO クロノ・ストーン [OLM] (Finished 1/51)   Tags: Super Power, Team Sports, Time Travel Sports Inazuma Eleven Go: Chrono Stone is set after the Holy Road Soccer Tournament. The hero of of the moment, Tenma Matsukaze, traveled all over Japan to teach soccer to kids. He returns to Raimon Junior High School after completing his mission, but to his surprise, it's no longer the same Raimon Junior High that he remembers. The soccer club is non-existent, and the members of the champion team in the Holy Road Soccer Tournament have no recollection of taking part in the tournament. They neither remember Tenma nor the game of soccer they loved. As Tenma is baffled by this twist, Alpha, the leader of the Route Agents and captain of Protocol Omega team, suddenly appears before him. Alpha declares that he and his team are responsible for wiping out passion for soccer in Raimon along with the memories of the soccer club members: and Tenma himself is next. That's when a strange boy named Fei Rune appears just in time to save him. Just who is Fei, and why does Alpha want to eliminate soccer for good? Tenma knows that he needs to do everything in his power to emerge victorious. It's a battle that could seal the fate of soccer forever. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10

24. Saint Seiya Omega 聖闘士星矢Ω [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/97) Tags: Shounen Mythology Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi The god of war and guardian of his namesake planet, Mars, was once sealed away by Seiya, but time has passed and his revival is at hand. Meanwhile, Saori Kido (Athena) is raising the boy Kouga, whose life Seiya saved, and he's been training every day to become a Saint in order to prepare for the coming crisis... Unaware of his destiny, when Kouga awakens to the power of his Cosmo hidden inside him, the curtain will rise upon the legend of a new Saint. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 5/10

25. Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle - Orpheus Order-hen Phi-Brain ~ Puzzle of God: The Orpheus Order ファイ・ブレイン ～神のパズル オルペウス・オーダー編 [Sunrise] (Finished 1/25) Tags: High Stakes Game, Strategy Game Action, Mystery The puzzles get tougher and even more deadly as Kaito Daimon continues his battle against the power hungry Givers of the POG. And with one team member already switching sides, will Kaito have what it takes to keep solving the deadly puzzle traps put before him and reach the fabled Puzzle of God? More importantly, will he be able to solve the puzzles AND maintain his sanity? Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

26. Shining Hearts: Shiawase no Pan シャイニング・ハーツ 〜幸せのパン〜 [Production I.G] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Isekai, Workplace Action, Fantasy, Gourmet One day, a mysterious girl named Kaguya was washed ashore the island of Wyndaria after a great storm. She encounters Rick, a swordsman who wound up working at the island's bakery. Apparently, Kaguya is suffering from having lost her memories and emotions. In addition, the usually peaceful Wyndaria is now swarming with pirates who came seeking for the special spirit stone that is worn around Kaguya's neck. Knowing the situation, Rick and his co-workers, Nellis, Amyl, and Aerie decided to bring back peace to island and help Kaguya regain her lost memories and emotions. Both game and anime about bread in fantasy world are dead boring.   Overall Rating: 5/10

27. Natsu-iro Kiseki A Summer-Colored Miracle 夏色キセキ [Sunrise] (Finished 12/12) Tags: School Slice of Life, Supernatural  Throughout life, people come and go, eventually departing with a goodbye. For childhood friends Natsumi Aizawa, Yuka Hanaki, and Rinko Tamaki, they are confronted with this harsh reality when they are told their group's fourth member, Saki Mizukoshi, is moving away at the end of summer. With this news threatening their friendship, the four girls seek out a magic stone from local folklore—hoping to use its rumored wish-granting powers to keep them together. After following the steps of the supposed legend, they are surprised to discover that the magic is real. While the summer's end looms over the horizon, Natsumi and the others use the stone to ensure they have no lingering regrets until the end. But regardless of what the future might bring, these four friends will never forget the colorful miracles they experience during what could be their final summer together. Guess Sunrise wanted a lump of the sentimental drama that got quite some attention lately. I definitely watched it before, but, in contrast to other titles, this one was not memorable enough and story was not complex enough.   Overall Rating: 6/10

28. Queen's Blade: Rebellion クイーンズブレイド リベリオン [Arms] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Ecchi Power corrupts, and it when it appears that the once noble Queen Claudette's ways have turned to oppression and heretical persecution, it's up to a new generation of warriors to step up to the plate armor to bear arms and bare their naked fury in open rebellion! The odds may seem unfairly stacked in favor of the Amazonian ranks of the queen, doubly supported by her power of writ and assassins. But the incredible wits and assets of the dazzling array of daring damsels willing to risk their gorgeous skins and put their lithesome bodies on line against her, might just expose a few unexpected weaknesses in the queen's support! Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

29. Saki Achiga-hen: Episode of Side-A Saki Episode of Side A [Studio Gokumi] (Finished 1/12) Tags: School, Strategy Game Slice of Life The Achiga Girls' Academy in Nara once defeated regional mahjong powerhouse Bansei High School. It advanced into the national team semifinals but lost to the eventual champion, and the mahjong club was later disbanded. Six years later, elementary school student Shizuno Takakamo befriends transfer student Nodoka Haramura. The two eventually enter Achiga Girls', but Nodoka transfers out of the school in the second year. When Shizuno sees Nodoka on television the following year as the national middle school individual mahjong champion, she decides to revive Achiga's mahjong club. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

30. Ginga e Kickoff!! Victory Kickoff!! 銀河へキックオフ!! [TYO Animations] (Finished 1/39) Tags: Team Sports The story follows a boy who was in a soccer team, but it was disbanded due to not enough players. However, after the boy meets a female professional soccer player, he aims to bring his soccer team back. Another eternally long spokon, this time with comedy.   Overall Rating: 6/10

31. Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199 Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2199 宇宙戦艦ヤマト2199 [Xebec, AIC] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Adult Cast, Military, Space Action, Drama, Sci-Fi Earth's once green hills and rich blue oceans have been converted into a desolate wasteland by the relentless onslaught of planet bombs from the expansionist Gamilas Empire. By the year 2199, humankind has retreated to the depths of underground cities to escape the radiation. However, all hope is not lost, as the distant planet Iscandar offers Earth its final salvation: the Cosmo Reverse System, capable of restoring Earth's irradiated surface. In a desperate bid to retrieve this technology from Iscandar, the Earth Defense Force pours its remaining resources into the Yamato—an innovative, state-of-the-art battleship equipped with an infinite energy Wave Motion Engine. From young talent such as Tactical Officer Susumu Kodai to accomplished veterans like Captain Juuzou Okita, the Yamato's crew consists of many individuals, all varying in their experience on the battlefield. But despite their differences, one goal unifies them all: to complete their perilous 168,000 light-year voyage to Iscandar and save humanity from imminent doom. Can't deny that old version has dated looks, and character designs have changed for the better in the remake. I really don't want to watch it all anew, but I mostly like what I see in pilot episode except some details like singing suicide song etc.   Overall Rating: 6/10

32. Shinken Seminar Koukou Kouza 進研ゼミ高校講座 [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Shounen School Following their intense battle in the national tournament, Team Q4 disbands, with everyone returning to their regular lives. While paying a visit to Card Capital, Aichi Sendou notices an unfamiliar customer in the shop. After teaching the secretive boy about Cardfight Vanguard, he realizes that his usual deck has become entirely different. Although it contains a variety of units Aichi has never seen before, everyone insists that the cards are the same ones that he has always been using. Moreover, the strange boy disappears without a trace, leaving Aichi further puzzled. As Aichi gets accustomed to the new bizarre deck, he aims to unravel the mystery behind the incident and the peculiar boy. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10

33. Sengoku Collection 戦国コレクション  [Brain's Base] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Parody, Samurai Fantasy Sengoku Collection revolves around many samurai who are accidentally removed from a parallel universe inhabited by well-known historic characters. Unlike the historical war period known to us, all inhabitants in this unique world look like high school girls. Coming from the medieval era and finding themselves totally amazed by everything they encounter in modern day Tokyo, the girls become best friends through their adventures. Girlificated Sengoku has right to exist, but primary word here is Collection as its' separate stories about different characters, and thus of very little interest.   Overall Rating: 6/10

34. Ozma オズマ [Gonzo, LandQ studios] (Finished 6/6) Tags: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi  In the far future, the elevated irradiation from the sun has destroyed the environment of the earth and the birthrate of humans has drastically decreased. The government controls society with an army of cloned soldiers called "Ideal Children (IC)". Sam Coyne is a trader in a desert. One day, he saves a beautiful woman Maya, who has been chased by Theseus, a corps of IC. He shelters her in his trade ship, but the destroyers of Theseus surround Sam and Maya. Another blend of Harlock and Queen Emeraldas and even space battleship Yamato as all the same character designs are reused over and over, and no renaming helps at all.   Overall Rating: 6/10

35. Pretty Rhythm: Dear My Future プリティーリズム ディアマイフューチャー [Tatsunoko Production, Dongwoo A&E] (Finished 1/51) Tags: Shoujo Idols (Female), Music Sports It is three years after the legendary Prism Queen Cup, and Aira Harune, Rizumu Amamiya, and Mion Takamine have become famed Prism Stars, spreading the glamor and radiance of Prism Shows wherever they perform. However, they encounter an unexpected challenge from a passionate and lively girl, Mia Ageha, who has publicly declared her intent to defeat Aira and become the greatest Prism Star. Sensing her potential, the Prism Show agency Pretty Top recruits Mia alongside three other aspiring Prism Stars—Karin Shijimi, Reina Miyama, and Ayami Ooruri—to form an idol group, Prizmmy. But the road to stardom is not easy: Mia has to deal with an old friend's unexpected appearance, this time as her rival, as well as navigate her way through the alluring yet conniving world of Prism Shows. Nevertheless, with her friends and team by her side, Mia is all the more fired up to march forward and carve the future for herself. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

36. Momo e no Tegami A Letter to Momo ももへの手紙 [Production I.G] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Award Winning, Drama, Supernatural After the unexpected death of her father, 11-year-old Momo Miyaura leaves Tokyo with her mother and moves to an old remote island in Seto Inland Sea. The only memento she has from her father is an unfinished letter with only two words inside: "Dear Momo"—along with her heart's unrest from it. In the new and unfamiliar small town, Momo reluctantly tries to adjust to the outmoded wooden buildings, silent crop fields, and mysterious isolated shrines. One day, while exploring the attic of her new home, she finds a worn out picture book about youkai. Following this discovery, strange things begin to happen around town, and Momo is greeted by the arrival of three troublesome youkai. Momo e no Tegami tells the story of a young girl as she struggles to adapt to her bizarre new life and ultimately come to terms with her father's mysterious letter. Two hour silly youkai torture.   Overall Rating: 5/10

37. Jewelpet Kira☆Deco! ジュエルペットきら☆デコッ! [Studio Comet] (Finished 1/52) Tags: Anthropomorphic, Mahou Shoujo Fantasy  In the Legends of Jewel Land, the Jewelpets were born from the love and caring of their queen, Jewelina. However a strange meteor crashes into the Mirror Ball, destroying it into a million pieces and its fragments called "Deco Stones" were all scattered in Jewel Land. In the present time, Ruby, a dimwitted Rabbit Jewelpet and owner of the Kira Kira Shop, has a thing on sparkly decorations and loves to collect anything that sparkles and shines. However, when she and the others learn about the legend of the Mirror Ball and the Deco Stones, they all decided to go and search for them, until they all meet 5 strange individuals called the KiraDeco 5. The group also has the same goal on wanting to collect the Deco Stones and they befriended the Jewelpets, especially to one of their members: Pink Oomiya. Now, the group need to gather all the Deco Stones and stop the Eternal Darkness from taking over the human world. Sequel.   Overall Rating: 6/10

38. Crayon Shin-chan Movie 20: Arashi wo Yobu! Ora to Uchuu no Princess 映画 クレヨンしんちゃん 嵐を呼ぶ!オラと宇宙のプリンセス [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Seinen Comedy An action comedy set in the solar system, about a row over Himawari, Shinnosuke's younger sister, between the Nohara family and aliens. Shinnosuke has a fight with Himawari, because she ate his crème caramel. Suddenly, two mysterious men appear and Shinnosuke signs an agreement to leave her with them. They abduct the Nohara family to the Planet Himawari by UFO. On the Planet Himawari, Sunday Goronesky the Great says Himawari needs to be the princess of the planet in order to save the Earth and the Planet Himawari from the fateful crisis. Not found of Himawari and aliens, it's getting even more abstract than usually.   Overall Rating: 5/10

39. Upotte!! うぽって!! [Xebec] (Finished 3/10) Tags: Seinen Military Action, Comedy, Ecchi Kiss kiss, bang bang! The arms race takes on a startling new development when the arms come with heads, legs and very feminine bodies attached! Yes, at Seishou Academy every girl is literally a lethal weapon, and they're all gunning for the top shot at getting their own personal serviceman! Needless to say, it's going to be difficult for newly recruited human instructor Genkoku to adjust to working with a living arsenal of high caliber cuties with tricky names like FNC (Funko) M 16A4 (Ichiroku) L85A1 (Eru) and SG 550 (Shigu). Especially since many have hair triggers and there's no bulletproof vest that can stop a really determined coed! He'll have to rewrite the operator's manual on student/teacher relationships, and pray that his job description won't include having to field strip and reassemble one of his cadets in the dark. But unfortunately (for him) FNC's already thinking about becoming HIS personal weapon, and she usually gets what she aims for! Just girls with guns flashing and competing. There have been a lot better attempts of the same later.   Overall Rating: 6/10

40. Nijiiro Hotaru: Eien no Natsuyasumi Rainbow Fireflies 虹色ほたる~永遠の夏休み~ [Toei Animation] (Finished 1/1) Tags: Time Travel Fantasy, Romance, Slice of Life Yuuta was 12-year-old boy, who had lost his father in the traffic accident one year ago. In the summer vacation, he visited a deserted dam deep in the mountains, where he had a good time with his father before. Suddenly a thunder storm occurred and he slipped on the ground. He lost consciousness and woke up to find a girl and an unfamiliar village. He time-traveled 30 years and reached a village, which sank at the bottom of the dam. This is Yuuta's precious memory of "another" summer vacation. Visuals are crude, but tolerable. Contents is nothing unusual - going in time and inspiring some girl..   Overall Rating: 6/10

41. Chao Wa Zhanshi: Weiwu Jiaoguan AniMen: The Galactic Battle 超蛙战 威武教官 [Shanghai Hippo Animation] (Finished 0/1) Tags: Mecha, Military, Space Action, Sci-Fi Millennia ago, a ferocious nomadic tribe uncovered a forbidden lair of data crystals. These crystals gave the SWARM tribe advanced knowledge of warfare and genetic manipulation. Like wildfire, their vast empire soon spread across the galaxy, conquering and destroying everything in their path. The few survivors brave enough to fight back rose from the ashes. This is their story. Not found.   Overall Rating: 0/10

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