In participation with Kiddtic’s 2011 ACAA, here are my picks for the past year. I probably had the most difficulty narrowing down my choices for the current fall season since there are quite a few that vied for my second and third choices. I’m also going to include an additional Licensor Award since I think it’s a great idea for supporting our local licensing of a medium we all love and hopefully want to share with others.
Tag: 2011 Winter
Kimi ni Todoke, Season 2 – Impressions after 1-4
If you saw the first season, you have a good idea of what to expect with this second season. Kimi no Todoke 2 (From Me to You, Season 2) starts off exactly where the first season ended, picking up with the start of Kuronuma Sawako’s 2nd year of high school. For me, this anime represents everything that is young innocence, insecurity in love and its reciprocation, friendship and fitting in, and girlhood blossoming into womanhood. Everything about Kimi ni Todoke blurs soft in color and lines, from the characters, to the art, to the music, and even to the connections that bind this story together.
If you’re unfamiliar with Kimi ni Todoke, then I suggest you try out the first season if you like shoujo story lines. Kuronuma Sawako is slightly different than your average high school girl though, as she holds a reputation equal to Sadako, the antagonist of Ringu (The Ring) by appearance and aura alone. Due to her awkward shyness and complete inability to convey her friendly intentions to others, she comes across as creepy. The long, straight black hair, pale skin, and strained facial expression lend her a nickname to equal the name of the movie character, “Sadako.” In truth, she is anything but evil; she’s like most any typical shy girl looking for acceptance and friendship.
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Level E – First Impression
I was persuaded to try the first episode of Level E after watching miscanime’s preliminary review of the 2011 Winter season. As it’s pretty much the only show this season for which he showed a positive response, I went into the episode with high expectations. While it doesn’t oust my forerunner favorite, Fractale, it definitely does not disappoint.
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Fractale’s Northern American Simulcast Halted
IS: Infinite Stratos – First Impression
I’m not a harem kinda gal, not even a reverse harem, but given the right circumstances–good humor, intriguing story, likable characters–I’ll overlook the serious flaws that encumber these kinds of shows. IS: Infinite Stratos does nothing new, but it does so in an average, yet good, mindless fun way. Read More »
Fractale – First Impression
I picked up this show on pure whim after reading the winter 2011 expectations of some well-respected peers on AnimeSuki, and man, am I glad I did! This show jumped from low-mid to the top of my list this season.
The scene opens up onto some very pretty scenery art, reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki’s Castle in the Sky, or Howl’s Moving Castle. I think of an early, Utopian Europe. The very first character we see, the protagonist Clain, goes along with this assumption, as he’s blonde, blue/green eyed, and drinking milk in a charming little cottage on a cliff by the sea. Read More »
Anime B&B 