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(Rakuen kara no Tsuibousha)
"An Exile From Paradise"
As suspected, any sort of potential suspense or shock from Lamia's sacrifice was short-lived, after it was revealed she survived the Ash to Ash self-destruct. Taking its place wasn't a decisive battle between Kyousuke and Axel however, and instead an explanation on Shadow-Mirror's origin care of one Gilliam Yeager, a.k.a. Helios Olympus.
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(Suzumiya Haruhi no Shshitsu)
"The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya"
At this point in time, the Haruhi series needs no introduction. Unless you're an extremely casual viewer, or have a streak of uncanny avoidances, you probably know who or what Haruhi is. You may not know that fans have been waiting for this movie for a long time, and you may not know that this is not a stand alone movie. If you have not seen the prior two seasons of Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu, and you wish to enjoy this movie, please do so now. For everyone else, these impressions are written with the expectation that you have seen the movie beforehand, so if you have not had the pleasure to do so, well what are you waiting for?
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(Koi Suru Akai Ken)
"The Loving Red Sword"
Either hairstyles and colors don't stand out as much as they seem or some characters just don't bother to take notice, as the secret "Kiraboshi" greeting often leaves me both amused and dumbfounded by the surprised reactions. Take Benio for example: "Oh, so you're Ivrogne." Me: "... (lol)"
Note: The STAR DRIVER broadcast is on break next week. Episode 14 airs on January 9th.
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Time is counting down to the new year and I still have the year-end Reader's Choice poll to put up soon, so here's the seasonal one first. I've decided to stick with the five-vote maximum used this past fall, since it allows for a more diverse range of results. While some people may not think so, I actually find this upcoming season rather interesting, offering twenty-two new titles with a fair bit of variety. At the moment, I'm not even sure what to make of some despite their potential, whereas others I'm eagerly looking forward to because I have a good idea what I'm in store for. What that translates to is a good season to start, with the possibility of turning out to even better if one or two hidden gems are discovered. Anyway, if you haven't already, please refer to the Winter 2011 Preview for detailed information on each of the shows listed. As always, comments are welcome if there's anything you want to add about a particular show or the winter season in general. Let the anticipation begin!
Note: The same poll will also be available on the sidebar. It will automatically close on January 3rd at 4:00 PM GMT to coincide with the start of the new season.
All it took was one sloppy fight together for these two to work out all the kinks as partners.
(Benihi-iro no Senritsu)
"Deep Crimson Melody"
After all that talk about wanting to see Aria back in active service, my visions of a cool beauty taking out Gaichuu with ease were quickly shattered when she turned out to be a complete klutz. I would've never known given how strict and diligent she is back at the Bee Hive, so this other side of her was like a completely different character.
Note: The Tegami Bachi REVERSE broadcast is on break next week. Episode 14 airs on January 8th.
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(Tenmondai (Beruvedeeru))
"Astronomical Observatory (Belvedere)"
There was a fair bit of build-up in this episode towards about the Croce di Pietro, which Touma and Tsuchimikado had a fairly long talk about, so hopefully it won't be simply brushed aside with a new development as well. After the Stab Sword turned out to be a "plot feint", I'm starting to become a bit wary of these twists that don't really feel like one.
Note: The To Aru Majutsu no Index II broadcast is on break next week. Episode 13 airs on January 7th.
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Stairway to Heaven
When Angel Beats finished airing six months ago, the December release of the last DVD/BD volume containing this bonus episode felt like an eternity. Well now the wait is finally over, we can have a final taste of the series that is undoubtedly one of best this year. As a completely comedic extra akin to the rocket chairs seen in episode five, the more relevant bonus actually came in the form of a short alternate epilogue.
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(Shitsui no Hate Ni ~ Kudou ~)
"The Limits Of Despair ~ Eternity ~"
In a surprising turn of events, just about nothing is revealed this week. Instead, my mind was pretty blown away after watching Gotou get shot. But besides watching one of my favorite characters go down pretty hard, I thought it was pretty crazy watching Yakumos father try to actually take over Yakumo's body.
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(Kamizaki Risa-hen - Shinjitsu)
"Kamizaki Risa Chapter - Truth"
I probably should have held off on the poll until this first of two bonus chapters, but I'm almost certain I would've felt bad for Rihoko if I did. With just a single episode to her name, Risa would've easily surpassed her and probably some of the other girls too. As Junichi's stalker since elementary school, she's not nearly as bad nor plain as she makes herself out to be.
