Synopsis: In the future, mankind has destroyed the Earth’s ecosystem and is forced to move into space colonies. After countless years, man has even lost its history and can only piece together their past with pictures and video files excavated in the massive computer archives. At first this effort is met with great enthusiasm and hope, but overtime interest fades as people realize that they can never get back all they have lost. Ura, an employee of the Bureau of Record Excavation, is one of the last people to continue uncovering the fragments of humanity’s past.

The Highlights
Visuals: Beautifully rendered.
Subject Matter: Really has no appeal to anyone but is interesting because it is so uncommon.

When I first watched this anime, I disliked it for its unengaging plot and emotionally dead characters, and then wrote it off with little thought. Upon second viewing, the plot was still unengaging and the characters were still emotionally flat, but I had a certain appreciation of how unusually empty the world was. Unlike most anime, Pale Cocoon did not portray the post-apocalyptic future as a dystopia, full of hatred, despair and wanton violence. It showed a world where people had effectively given up - where dreams met up with reality and then shriveled up and died.

The 23 minute OVA is not as depressing as it is devoid of emotion. The protagonst Ura has not lost his enthusiasm for his work unlike his colleagues, but he does not bring hope or enthusiasm with him. For him, uncovering the knowledge of the archives is an obsession. He is a perfectly functional human being with a job and a girlfriend, but he has found his own meaning in something society has realized is worthless. Ura is not a character one can really cheer for; what redeems him is the fact that he is the right character for the slow paced, highly restrained atmosphere of Pale Cocoon.

There have been people who have compared this work to those of Shinkai Makoto. Though I believe such comparisons are largely exaggerated, I admit that there is a certain brilliance behind what we see given the OVAs highly limited format. To visually represent the world, director Yoshiura Yasuhiro paints the barren setting in large strokes of gray and black with bright computer monitors being the only real source of light. Much of everything in the background looks photorealistic and what very little character animation that exists looks quite good. Also, the music is fairly understated until the very end and works with the visuals.

If you are wondering what you can get out of the experience. I’ll provide the short answer and say “almost nothing.” The anime is not entertaining, emotionally impacting or intellectually enlightening, but it is a glance into a well thought out narrative featuring obsession unmarked by any common stereotypes. The protagonist pursues his obsession, and the OVA makes no mention of whether this choice was good or not. Was what Ura found worth everything he lost? There is a certain beauty to his ambition as well as his sense of emptiness. So long as you can accept this, Pale Cocoon will be a worthwhile experience.

The Rating: 6

Reviewed by: Shadowmage

Synopsis: In the future, robots have become an everyday household item that takes care of the much of the menial daily chores. Though much of society has yet to realize it, these robots have started evolving code that mimics human emotions. To conform with the desires of their masters and society at large, the robots act like normal machines in everyday situations, but when they travel to a mysterious cafe known as “Eve no Jikan” everything changes, and no one can tell the difference between robots and humans.

The Highlights
Art and Animation: There is little movement but what is shown is stunning.
Premise: Unoriginal and could have used a more believable context.
Drama: Too understated.
Characters: Boring.

Eve no Jikan is the second production from director/script writer Yoshiura Yasuhiro that I’ve seen, and like Pale Cocoon(1,2) before it, it is a title I appreciate but absolutely could not get into. The anime questions what would happen when society sees the advent of humanoid artificial intelligence and fails to recognize it, followed by what can be done to change those perceptions. Though the anime has some decent stories to tell, the tepidness of its characters and the absurdity of its premise makes the series a pleasant but ineffectual drama about the complex interplay of thoughts, beliefs, and actions that must be displayed before people can accept strings of data as having true human emotions.

There are many live-action movies and books that explore the ideas and themes presented in Eve no Jikan, but I admit, none of them do it in a relaxed cafe setting with a faint aroma of coffee floating in the air. The problem is that the show asks its audience to give empathy to two rather boring high school students and then ascribe human-like emotion to robots which honestly should not have such parameters.

The idea that robots can unintentionally develop human emotions is absurd. I give blockbuster movies like the Terminator, The Matrix and I, Robot a pass largely because the primary focus of these movies is action. On the other hand, Eve no Jikan is interested in the drama that ensues when robots learn to be human. When I dissect drama, I try to understand both the logic and emotions that compel the characters, and I cannot really do the latter with AI. I am willing to accept that robots with emotions can exist if such programming was intentional, but I don’t understand how computer code can randomly generate something remotely close to human emotion.

Even if I were to accept that a society can unknowingly create human-like artificial intelligence, what kills the show for me is the general dullness of the entire cast. The characters are portrayed as typical people found in the real world and as a result they are not interesting to watch. Though this shift towards realism is a breath of fresh air from the typical cliches found in anime, the characters in the anime do not have unusual personalities, espouse interesting philosophies or carry any kind of compelling emotional baggage. Furthermore, the conflicts the characters face are largely fueled by misgivings and misunderstandings which are what I consider some of the weakest sources of drama.

Eve no Jikan does have some interesting stories to tell, but they are so contingent on the acceptance of robots feeling emotions that I could not empathize with any one of them. The realism of the show certainly isn’t a bad direction for the medium, but I hope that a better topic of interest is chosen next time.

The Rating: 6

Reviewed by: Shadowmage

Synopsis: The exceptionally wealthy Kinzo Ushiromiya calls his eight heirs to his private island to decide how his fortune will be divided upon his death. As discussions take place, a mysterious letter arrives claiming to be from a witch named Beatrice. At first, the letter is not taken seriously, but soon as dead bodies turn up one by one in depraved and seemingly impossible situations, the survivors begin to believe that Beatrice is real.

The Highlights
Animation and music: Nothing memorable but decent nonetheless.
Plot progression: Happens across numerous parallel universes with observers sipping tea and shouting “objection!”
Mystery: Creates a thousand questions and answers none.

It may be pretentious of me to pass any kind of judgment on a piece that is woefully unfinished and that I do not completely understand, but having seen the piece in its convoluted and confusing entirety, it’s well within my right, and considering the thorough mental sodomy I endured while watching it, I have less than kind words to describe what I happen to understand. Though Umineko no Naku Koro ni is not an absolutely horrible anime, it lacks the visceral drama, brooding atmosphere and genuine impact of its predecessor Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.

Back in 2006, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni made waves through its unconventional narrative structure and its shocking juxtaposition of innocence and violence. The series tells stories that pan across several alternate universes, each telling its own tale of murder, but all feeding into the same questions and the same overarching mystery. Umineko no Naku Koro ni follows a similar structure but it adds spectators, Battler and Beatrice, who observe the progress of an alternate universe and then use logical arguments to try to makes sense of what occurred. I do not know how this dynamic played out in the source material, but for the television anime, it drove a massive stake through the heart of the series.

The main problem with the Battler vs Beatrice game is that it displaces the focus of the series from the drama generated by the mystery to the far less interesting dynamic between Battler and Beatrice. The strength of Higurashi is its ability to reconnect the audience to the core characters in every single alternate universe. Umineko doesn’t do this and instead jumps to where the murders begin, letting most of the drama come from Beatrice relishing in Battler’s feeble attempts to crack her puzzle. This makes all the horrific mutilations, the twisted mind games and the overbearing atmosphere of fear playing out in the game feel oddly pedestrian. The drama between Battler and Beatrice is not enough to make people care about the true gem of the series: the mystery itself.

Effectively, the final nail to the show’s coffin is its decision to make certain scenes in the anime intentional misdirections. It is strongly implied that a significant number of scenes in the anime are completely fabricated by Beatrice, so the viewer can sit through some dramatic turn of events and not be sure it even happened. I suppose the best approach would be to discount everything supernatural that happens within the game as fiction, but there is the odd quirk that these seemingly fictitious events have an actual impact on the players themselves. Of course, this is nothing compared to the final stretch of the series where the show makes the “brilliant” decision to double the number of characters and show what appears to be magic outside the context of Beatrice’s game.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni is best described as an exercise in one’s patience when approached intellectually, but its histrionics are actually compelling enough to enjoy when one’s brain is shut off. Given that even the convoluted Higurashi no Naku Koro ni has a reasonable explanation to its secrets, I do not doubt that there is some sort of answer to this series, but unlike Umineko, Higurashi functioned even without the answers at hand. Watch this show if a good adaptation of the answers arc ever materializes because without it much of what has been built up is simply indecipherable.

The Rating: 5

Reviewed by: Shadowmage

Synopsis: Itoshiki Nozomu has had it. Enough with the psychopathic students and obsessive stalkers. Enough with the socially unacceptable and the socially criminal. With a body double at hand, he is prepared to enter a world of hidden faces and willful ignorance. But, will his students let him get away with this?

The Highlights
Relative value: Finds itself behind previous seasons.
Standalone value: Hilarious in its own right.
Novelty: This camel has probably reached its maximum straw load.

How do you write a Zetsubou Sensei review when it’s already been done three times before on this site alone? The formula is no different, the jokes are in the same style, and character development means as little to this series as the laws of physics. The unfortunate thing about sequels is that their entertainment value has more to do with the illusion of freshness, rather than the freshness itself. And as far as Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is concerned, you better ask yourself how many times you can watch the same gag before noticing its redundancy. And that alone will determine whether this sequel is as worthy as the previous ones.

Chances are, if you’d made it to this rendition, the formula is bound to be a little placid at this point. With two previous seasons and an OVA, Zan can only be so satirical before its jokes become obvious cut and pastes from preceding works. For every button-pressing gag, love dodecahedron, or marketing scam, there are plenty of puns, pop-culture references, and in-class training sessions to remind you how old this series is getting. It’s like watching a recent episode of The Simpsons, funny in its own right, but lacks the same flair a similar joke may have had ten years ago.

As an individual series, however, things are a little different. As per usual, the saturation of humor is to a level where even if you only catch half of the jokes, you can still expect several hard laughs per episode. And considering the audience of this anime, that’s a pretty modest minimum. The entire cast may lack a third dimension (and sometimes even a second). But the sheer diversity of stock characters still offers countless possibilities.

As for Zan’s more unique elements, most of them come down to two elements. The first is short story arcs, which admittedly lead to some of the series’ funniest of moments: the runaway Zetsubou Sensei being the highlight of these. And then there are the recurring gags, which grow as stale as they would in any other anime. From my own experience, turning Draw Zetsubou Sensei into an interactive game kept it funnier much longer than it really should have. There are times when the chaos of a moment will have to be adequate in place of satire. Which hopefully for some people will suffice.

While this review may sound like it’s saying, “lower your expectations,” it’s more important to go into Zan knowing that this may possibly be the last time Zetsubou Sensei will ever be funny. It’s almost as if the team knew that and threw whatever they could in hopes of what might be one last hurrah. The endless character quirks, the self-hating nature, the almost sarcastic patriotism, the occasion jab at Inoue Kikuko… This anime is pulling on strings in hopes of holding itself up over a pit of lava. But together those strings form a strong rope good enough to climb up in a moment of triumph. More so than the other incarnations, Zan will try the audience’s expectations. But that doesn’t make it nonetheless funny.

The Rating: 7

Reviewed by: Kavik Ryx

2009 was a strange year for anime, which is a polite way of saying it was a dour year. Arguably, the two most influential anime of the year owe quite a bit to what I’d say was the most influential anime of the latter part of the decade: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya(1,2). The first of these two series was K-On!, revered and reviled in equal measures, KyoAni’s latest popular hit is the logical conclusion of the moe phenomenon. The second was Bakemonogatari, which also divides audiences (though not as strongly), a creative and playful series from master director Shinbo Akiyuki. Ironically, Suzumiya Haruhi saw its own sequel this year, an ambitious and modernistic experiment that unfortunately fizzled… despite its massive stir, it won’t be remembered or talked about for nearly as long as its predecessor was. Suzumiya Haruhi S2 was one of many of this year’s disappointments, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a variety of interesting and/or important anime on offer.
Introduction by: Sorrow-kun

Ascaloth on: Toradora!
A J.C. Staff school romance comedy, featuring Kugimiya Rie in her signature role as a tsundere loli? Sounds just like every other of its predecessors from the same studio featuring KugiRie tsunderelolis… except for the fact that it actually features a solid story, great comedy, and interesting multi-faceted characters. Indeed, despite its cliched origins, Toradora is anything but, and proves to be one of the most solid offerings in the genre to date. Despite appearing to conform to the kind of stereotypes that have flooded the anime medium at first glance, the characters quickly prove themselves to be fleshed-out personalities with their own personal quirks, and though romantic drama is a given in such a series, it is understated and relatively true to life, at least as far as a school-based comedy setting goes. If I had to recommend a J.C. Staff KugiRie-loli show, this would be my pick.

Sorrow-kun on: Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th Season
A return to form for Marimite (although only its harshest critics would imply it ever lost it), Marimite 4th recalls a sense of focus that was sorely missing from the Marimite OVAs. The pacing of this outing is lightning quick compared with previous seasons, but the story it weaves is still impressively detailed, multi-layered and absorbing despite this. Yumi and Sachiko’s bond has grown, but the attention has shifted onto a new pairing, and the development of Yumi and Touko’s relationship is littered with drama. My only major complaint about this series is the animation, which is a step backwards compared with previous seasons.

TypicalIdiotFan on: Clannad ~After Story~
Despite the subtitle that would lead one to believe it is an epilogue, Clannad’s second season is actually a continuation from where we left off. Sure, Tomoya and Nagisa are together, but that’s only the beginning to their story. Life, after all, does go on. In the years that follow, our hero and heroine experience the struggles of finding one’s place in society, starting a family, dealing with loss, and finding a way to reconcile deep wounds. It is here where Clannad ~After Story~ completely surpasses the first season and raises the bar by which all “slice of life” dramas must be compared. ~After Story~’s only weakness is the first half, which finishes up some of the less interesting character story arcs that weren’t given time in the first season. The strength lies in the second half, and episode 18 in particular will test the resolve of even the most hardened of hearts.

AC on: Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou
This is the sequel to Natsume Yuujinchou, with a few differences. ZNY takes place in the winter season this time, subtly breathing fresh air into the mood of the series, and it has more light-hearted undertones. What hasn’t changed in ZNY is the subdued sentimental tone that perfectly complements the soft animation, an aspect which made the prequel memorable. Ultimately, Zoku reuses the formula that worked well in the prequel, and adds new aspects to make it something refreshing yet nostalgic. As a last note, you’ll be mesmerized by the soothing tune of the ending song, Kourin’s “Aishiteru”.

Sorrow-kun on: Kemono no Souja Erin
Kemono no Souja Erin is reminiscent of Dennou Coil, in that it’s aimed at children, but it’s as smart and aware as most anime you could find. It chronicles the hard life of a young inquisitive girl, fascinated by animals and the natural world around her. The source is written by the same author as Seirei no Moribito’s and the fantasy world is similarly vast and filled with detail, life, culture and intrigue. Along with the growth of the lead character, Erin, one of the most impressive things about this anime is its penchant for experimentation for understanding wildlife and its deep respect for nature as a whole.

TypicalIdiotFan on: Cross Game
Adachi Mitsuru, renowned for his Touch and H2 manga, spins another yarn of youth in bloom with the sport of baseball as the plot device. Told from the perspectives of present events and timely flashbacks, the viewer gets to see just how important Wakaba was to everybody she knew, and just how much she can still influence their worlds long after she’s gone. Crisp dialogue and interactions highlight a character driven slice of life show without any need for forcing drama. Fans of baseball will also appreciate Adachi’s realistic approach to the game.

zzeroparticle on: Kara no Kyoukai – The Garden of Sinners
There are so many ways in which one can enjoy Kara no Kyoukai. There is mystery that’s worth unraveling, philosophical arguments that one can spend hours contemplating over, and symbols that one can look into and interpret. And if you’re not into that kind of thing, you can always sit back and enjoy the action, backed by superb animation, or be drawn in by the dark, suspenseful atmosphere, backed by the artwork and Kajiura’s haunting score. The seven-movie format might be an unorthodox approach, but it all manages to come together to create an engrossing experience, making this the most enjoyable Type-Moon work to date.

Ascaloth on: Eden of the East
Production I.G. and Kamiyama Kenji have a reputation for producing quality anime over the years, and their latest offering, Eden of the East, continues that tradition by being one of the most engrossing works within the mystery genre in recent times. The lush audiovisuals that have been a trademark of the studio, are merely the icing on the cake of an excellently-written mystery story filled with exceptional plot twists and highly apt sociopolitical commentary. And in the form of the main character Takizawa Akira, the story reflects humanity’s collective desire for an inspirational Messiah, in a nihilistic modern-day world where the only choices are conformity or being outcasts. The best part of this already excellent work? The mystery isn’t over yet; there’s more to come.

AC on: Aoi Hana
Aoi Hana is not a lesbian story; it is a slice-of-life story about young love and growing up, that happens to involve lesbian issues. Homosexuality in general is a touchy subject and it’s very difficult for a series to deal with it in a mature way. Aoi Hana does it with graceful subtlety and maturity not commonly seen in other titles. Lesbianism here is merely a facade; it is the factors that lay beneath it that are important such as admiration, rejection and selfishness. Poignancy is not shoved down the viewers’ throats; each character’s emotions narrate the story and create the ambiance to portray the different sides of innocent love naturally. Toradora may be the more popular J.C. Staff title for the year but personally, the studio has done way better with this beautiful series.

zzeroparticle on: Summer Wars
Summer Wars is compelling, not because of an engaging conflict, which it arguably does not have, but because of the events incidental to it. Through adversity, we see how each member of a family comes together to form a united entity, and in the process, rallying others to selflessly provide the aid needed to triumph in the end. Furthermore, the depiction of the movie’s virtual world inspired by the works of Murakami Takashi are wondrous to behold. In the end though, we’ll remember this film for its heartfelt depiction of all three generations of the Shindohara family because if there is any place in which this movie excels, it would be in nailing down the concept of family exquisitely.

Fuu on: Eve no Jikan
Yoshiura Yasuhiro is slowly but surely making himself known in the anime industry. Known for defying conventions and tackling various social plagues, his latest project, Eve no Jikan is arguably his best. With dazzling visuals, an innovative take on robots (a theme done to death in other sci-fi anime) and sure-handed directing, it is nothing short of brilliant. What truly makes Eve no Jikan a standout is Yoshiura’s ability to fuse slice-of-life with sci-fi elements into one polished package. As a result, it manages to cross boundaries whilst still appealing to a large portion of the anime-watching populace. I highly recommend Eve no Jikan to one and all.

Shadowmage on: Evangelion 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance
What if Shinji grew a pair, confronted his father and took the reins of his own life? Evangelion 2.0 shows us. Though Shinji is just as flawed as he was in the original television series, the movie’s incarnation does not respond with defeated inaction but with small flares of anger and genuine passion. Avid critics may argue that 2.0 is a high budget fanfiction, but for fans of the original series, the movie is fresh, sweeping and altogether epic. Evangelion 1.0 was a condensed version of the first seven episodes; Evangelion 2.0 is the true rebuild.

Akira on: Bakemonogatari
Shinbo’s done it again, except bigger and better this time. After enjoying great success this decade with works such as Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei and Mariaholic, Shinbo ends this decade with a bang of his own - Bakemonogatari. Arguably one of the best anime produced this decade, Bakemonogatari combines a riveting plot driven by supernatural mysteries and five heroines, all with their own dark secrets. The banter in this series is top-notch, and quick one-liners and witty dialogue keep this series rolling along. At times a hilarious comedy romp, and at other times a dark, twisted horror story, the world of Bakemonogatari (and its characters) are all fresh and utterly unique, certainly making this show one of the most unforgettable in recent memory.

Fuu on: Taishou Yakyuu Musume
Many have conjectured that the last decade of anime has seen the rise of moe to mainstream status. Whilst too many have relied of the aforementioned as a driving force behind its appeal, (see: K-On!) Taishou Baseball Girls takes the liberty not to be ensnared into this stunted approach. Instead, it uses moe as a secondary element that complements the major themes of resilience and determination, taking note not to usurp any attention from them. Taishou Baseball Girls never really tries to be original, but with a likeable cast of characters and an earnest plot, it is cute, charming and ever so entertaining.

Akira on: Aoi Bungaku
To evaluate Aoi Bungaku as one series is slightly unfair. Unlike most anime, Aoi Bungaku is not comprised of one story. Rather, it is an anthology of Japanese literature. Paying tribute to some of the greatest writers of the last century, Aoi Bungaku features works by the likes of Natsume Souseki and Osamu Dazai. This inherently gives it a distinct advantage over other anime, as its plot is undoubtedly stronger and better crafted. The production values of the anime are superb, with Madhouse providing artistic direction and Obata Takeshi (of Death Note fame) designing characters. If you’re looking for something darker, more artistic and more serious than your standard anime fare, then Aoi Bungaku is an absolute must.

Shadowmage on: Trapeze
Throwing cocaine on the eyes of viewers has long been the calling card of both Mind Game’s Yuasa Masaaki and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei’s Shinbo Akiyuki; with Kūchū Buranko, yet another follower has joined the party. This is a visual experiment about the world’s oddest psychiatrist, Japan’s sexiest nurse and patients with equally unusual ailments. As a brainchild of the people who worked on Mononoke, don’t expect the usual narrative style found in any television show, movie or book; Kūchū Buranko writes its own rules with highlighters, spray paint and crayons.

TypicalIdiotFan: There are so many worthy titles that have come out this year that it is very hard to choose only one. Eden of the East and Bakemonogatari completely blew my mind by being fresh, provocative, and thoroughly entertaining. But when I look back on the year, I can only see Clannad ~After Story~ as the cream of the crop. By the end of episode 18, I was as much a weeping fool as Tomoya was on screen. For that to happen, I have to be completely enthralled by the scenes created for me by the director. I can safely say that they did a damned good job.

Sorrow-kun: I rue to give my choice for anime of the year to an ongoing series, but the excellence of the likes of Bakemonogatari, Kemono no Souja Erin and Cross Game makes this incredibly hard to resist. But there were still some great anime that finished during 2009. Clannad After Story was dramatic while Toradora, rough around the edges, was both delightful and absorbing. This year I’m choosing Eden of the East. Kamiyama’s mystery is completely fascinating and filled with intrigue and enigmatic characters, and while people might disagree, I think it’s his best series yet.

Ascaloth: For a year which failed at the end due to recent trends, 2009 still manages to unearth several gems even as the medium seems to be losing its former lustre. While acclaimed titles such as Bakemonogatari, Toradora! and Eden of the East offers some hope, however slim, that anime still retains that unique spark which have made fans of so many, the one title that helps me keep faith in the future of anime, is also my pick for Best of 2009; Clannad ~After Story~ has shaken souls like nothing else I’ve ever seen, a story to remember into the next decade and beyond.

AC: This has been a very lackluster year for anime and personally, only Clannad ~After Story~ and Eden of the East illustrate how the industry still has that spark of brilliance in an otherwise barren year. ~After Story~ reaches out to the viewers’ hearts with its moving tale about miracles and having a family. Eden of the East cleverly uses social commentary in a futuristic story that oozes originality. Between the two, I pick ~After Story~ as the Best of 2009 because of its poignant story and an unforgettable father-daughter scene that made viewers weep with sheer pathos. Bravo, Kyoto Animation.

Fuu: 2009 has not been a particularly noteworthy year of anime. Nevertheless, there have been two gems that have caught my attention; Bakemonogatari and Eve no Jikan. Both have engaging ideas and good execution, but at the end of the day, my pick is Bakemonogatari. With crisp animation, rapid fire wit and great character interactions, it is a metaphysical assault on the senses and quite possibly, Shinbo Akiyuki’s best work yet.

Shadowmage: Considering that 2009 has not been strong as previous years, it was probably a good time to have a massive burn out from the medium. The last twelve months has seen a healthy library of good anime but very few great ones. Casshern SINS, Eden of the East, Evangelion 2.0, Aoi Bungaku are the better titles of the year, but the best one is Kara no Kyoukai. This is the only title that had moments that truly blew my mind.

Akira: Though 2009 was, overall, a weak year, there was still a respectable amount of decent titles out there. Shows like Toradora!, Eden of the East and Clannad ~After Story~ were all fresh, interesting shows which we could indulge in. Personally, however, I found that Bakemonogatari’s unique and innovative concept, as well as its artistic style and sharp writing, made it superior to every other show produced this year. Even though it remains unfinished as of now, Bakemongatari may just be my favorite anime ever. There’s just nothing I don’t love about it.

zzeroparticle: The new year will hopefully bring positive changes since there isn’t much to cheer for in 2009. While there were some decent shows, I’m not comfortable enough to declare unfinished stories like Eden of the East or Cross Game to be the best this year has to offer. And yet, I have no problems in giving my nod to Bakemonogatari. Even if the TV portion was all it had, it still managed to be dazzling both in its aesthetics and its characters, whose smart dialogue kept me hanging on to every word in every episode.

It seems that as the years go by, anime becomes more and more a dead art form. Innovation this year certainly hit an all-time low, as more shows jumped on the moe bandwagon. Yet, given that there was still a great deal of good, quality stuff being produced, it’s way too early to sound the death-knell for the industry. In a year in which scandals over Haruhi and rage over K-On! dominated the minds of otaku, the industry shows that it can still innovate under pressure. In a few years’ time, when we look back on 2009, maybe only a handful of titles will come to mind: Clannad ~After Story~, Eden of the East, Bakemonogatari, Aoi Hana - but that is sufficient. What 2009 lacked in quantity, it made up for in quality. Even though most of the shows produced during the year were admittedly weak, the good shows were really good, and ended the decade on a somewhat optimistic note.
Conclusion by: Akira