Summer 2011 Final Thoughts (a.k.a. How the heck did I manage to watch all of these?)

So I’m late crossing the finish line, but at least I finished, right? There were a ton of series to make it through this season, and I wasn’t sure if I’d make it through writing this entry.  But, here we are, and I’m now wading through a rush of newly airing fall anime.

Final thoughts include: Bunny Drop, Tiger & Bunny, NO.6, Sacred Seven, Ikoku Meiro no Croisee, Kamisama no Memochou, Hanasaku Iroha, Natsume Yuujinchou San, Blood-C, Dantalian no Shoka, Ao no Exorcist, Kamisama Dolls, Nekogami Yaoyorozu, Uta no Prince-sama, Baka to Test 2, and Nichijou.  These thoughts are fairly brief, given the large number of anime covered in this season review, and are usually about two paragraphs long.  If I like the show enough, I’ll most likely return to it sometime for a re-watch and write a more detailed review!

Initial Impressions: Sacred Seven, Natsume Yuujinchou San, Kamisama Dolls, YuruYuri

Sacred Seven: Currently watching
Oh dear lord.  I’m not even sure where to begin with this, but to say that this show was ridiculous, but ridiculous in upfront and nicely executed ways.  I was already pleased with Sunrise when I got into watching Tiger & Bunny, so I expected an action-packed animation here as well.  They not only fulfilled those expectations, but upped the level; I can only hope that the quality remains high throughout the rest of the show. Main character, Tandoji Arma, is introduced as a highly-feared delinquent of his high school, who most people avoid.  His reputation of violence alienates everyone except for a persistent high school girl named Itou Wakana, who thinks the rumors are rumors only, and wants him to join her rock collection club.  She’s not the only one interested in him, however, as the lead of Sacred Seven, Aiba Ruri, also attempts to recruit him in the fight against Darkstones and those associated with them.  Through a predictable series of events, Arma fights the rampaging Darkstone by giving into his own powers, but loses control of himself in the process.  Only through Ruri’s intervention and subsequent release of his full potential is he able to regain his senses and maintain command of his power.  As fun as this show is, I hope that it doesn’t dissolve into a pure battle anime, but gives us something in the form of a plot worth following.