3161

The second episode of Maken-Ki puts the first to shame, like how Mirai Nikki escalates into the awesomeness of the third, except it doesn’t have rampant Eiken boobage.

3162

I don’t know if anyone is still watching anime, but I just got around to finishing Steins;gate and it was amazing. Easily one of the best in the year.

3163

Congrats Murbella! One of the best series of the year, and I am not talking about anime.

Right now I am watching the new HxH anime (I am a big fan of the manga), the end of Mawaru Penguin and Chihayafuru. Nothing that is great, being honest.

3164

Certainly am, though still looking for something good to grip me. Welcome to the NHK kind of went off the rails around episode 7 or 8 and I ran out of steam about four from the end.

Sort of abandoned Mawaru Penguin after about 10 episodes. Episode 9 sort of put my teeth on edge and I didn’t feel the need to go back.

Rewatched Code Geass in some marathon sessions and while it has many flaws it’s still a hell of a ride.

Trying Higurashi no Naku Koro ni at the moment. This is some weird shit and the middle section is dragging, but I hear answers are on the way.

Steins;Gate is the best anime (series) I’ve seen yet and definitely one of the best things I’ve seen this year.

3165

The first season was quite entertaining (especially one of the later arcs), but I really feel the second falls flat on its face, unfortunately.

3166

Man, I’ve begun a rewatch of Martian Successor Nadesico after who knows how many years and it’s just as great as I remembered. The aspect ratio leaves something to be desired, though.

3167

From what I’ve read isn’t the second season simply the last two answer arcs from the VN, while the first season is the four question arcs and first two answer arcs? (actually it seems there’s a new question arc as well in the second season)

There are three seasons, I assume you mean Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai when you refer to the second season?

3168

The second season (Higurashi Kai, as you said) is the complete resolution of the main Higurashi storyline, and I was driven absolutely crazy over the resolution. I’m hesitant to taint it for you any more than I might have done so already, especially since I know my opinion is not a majority one, but I feel it squandered a lot of potential that had been built up over the first season.

3169

Isn’t it true though that an awesome mystery is almost always best left unanswered?

3170

You will get absolutely no argument from me in this particular case, though it’s admittedly not much of a mystery by the time they get to the specific parts I’m referring to near the end. It’s the closure they provide within that I take issue with.

3171

No, it is not.

3172

Yeah, I disagree, too.

A proper mystery in any form of fiction or entertainment must be solved, answered, or explained. If it’s not, it’s almost always just bad writing (yeah, there are exceptions.)

If you as the reader or audience find the eventual answer or solution to be dissatisfying or anticlimactic, again, it’s bad writing. So if you as the creator can’t pay off a big mystery in a satisfying way, don’t build it up so much, or answer it early on, and let the ramifications of the answer or subsequent mysteries carry the rest of the work.

3173

I’m certainly watching but definately not too excited about this season’s crop of anime.

I’m only watching Fate Zero and cube3, can’t really stand any of the others and these 2 are more habit than anything. Rewatching Inuyasha and struggling to figure out why I ever liked it.

Steins Gate was one of my favourite shows, including normal tv, this year.

3174

I am mostly watching shit that no one else here would give a fuck about. I am enjoying Penguin Drum, because it actually does eventually start resolving plot threads and explaining itself before moving on to even more weirdness. The whole thing actually makes some sense now.

3175

Penguin Drum is probably my favorite of this season’s crop of shows.

3176

This is my point. A lot of writers come up with good mysteries, very few of them are any good at writing answers better than the questions raised by the mystery. Anime is especially terrible at this and has a nasty tendency to even explain things which never really needed an explanation in the first place and ruin them in the process.

3177

I feel it’s a very good series judging the episodes individually, the direction, the art, the use of music, the execution of the character’s drama… but the general story is being a stunted mess with wild swings with not clear direction or focus.

3178

I’m watching Persona 4, the new HxH, Fate Zero, the new Last Exile, and Gundam AGE. I’m actually surprised how much better Gundam AGE has gotten, and it really has a lot to do with the AGE system; evolving the Gundam and now the Diva makes for some interesting stuff, and it helps that the characters are likable and not at all angsty.

3179

Aw shit, I forgot about Persona 4. Damnit, how am I supposed to play SWTOR and keep up to date on all these shows?

For the record, I am also watching Chihayafuru and gay manga editors in love and Gintama.

3180

This is a really funny assessment of a show that’s following the plot of its novel adaptation in lockstep.