…and receive a 9 for their well-earned efforts!

It’s rare to see works that are damn near impeccable, but today, we present two shows that reach such heights.  The first, Cross Game, is a flawless execution of the sports genre which succeeds through an engrossing story complete with a likable cast.  The other is Last Exile, which somehow avoids Gonzo’s tendency towards misstepping to deliver excellent visuals on top of the action that it brings to bear.

Today, our newest reviewer MK has gone right back to the beginning of the last decade to review I My Me! Strawberry Eggs, an anime that he expected the worst from, but was pleasantly surprised.  Shadowmage also looked at the sequel of an anime that appeared prominently on our Decade Review lists earlier this year, Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino-.  Does it hold a candle to the masterful first season?  Not even close, unfortunately.

…become a societal outcast!

At least, that’s what the protagonists of our shows, Arakawa Under the Bridge and House of Five Leaves, chose to do. Both shows follow the adventures and mishaps of men who were forced to abandon pedestrian life for a variety of reasons beyond their own control. While I found Arakawa‘s light atmosphere and absurdist comedy fulfilling, kadian1364 was not impressed by House of Five Leaves‘ botched directing and haphazard narrative, though he did enjoy the scenery quite a bit.

Okay, so the title’s pretty cliche. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s nice to see some recent anime being done well. Our first review this update is Sorrow-kun’s take on the surprisingly refreshing show Working!, and how it differs from the standard slice-of-life moe comedy. Akira provides us with the second review, elaborating on his reasons for enjoying the show which has its DVDs being sold in just every shop in Akihabara at the moment: Bakemonogatari.

Hype keeps life interesting.  It’s a credulous and exceptionally optimistic view on something that doesn’t even exist yet.  If the object of one’s affection lives up to expectations then it becomes all the sweeter to be part of cheering team in the onset, but if it fails then the late nights spent analyzing every second of previews and religiously checking for up-to-date information on news sites are all for naught.

Sadly, the latter is my experience with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and to a lesser extent, Black★Rock Shooter.