Kiniro Mosaic - 12

With the end of the season being juxtaposed by the beginning of a new year, Kiniro Mosaic burned the fire of hope in my soul for a second season, despite there being no official announcement made for one. In all hindsight, it would be depressing to simply just leave off at the start of a new year, without any plans to recommence the series. Not only will there be many disappointed, crestfallen fans should the production of a second season never happen, but for all I care, they could've just ended the series at the end of the year, rather than giving a glimmer of false hope. Anyhow, read on. Alleviation from my bleak, pessimistic optimism comes in the form of my long delayed review!

PSA - The Return

We might have temporarily stopped functioning owing to a series of unfortunate coincidences which lead to a complete resignation regarding blogging. I apologise for not finding the indomitable will to start up again, but here you have it, I've returned. Unfortunately, finishing the unfinished coverage of the previous seasons will have to wait, but don't despair. Given a long enough amount of time, we'll have caught up on those, not to mention I'll be back blogging the new shows from this season (and resuming coverage of Bleach). Stay tuned for more!

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 21

Though the girls in Railgun are a tight-knit bunch, it is indisputable that some members of the group are closer than others. Needless to say, Kuroko serves as being the closest girl to Misaka, and what I really love about her is that she can detect any change in Misaka's vibe. Not only that, but she goes out of her way to cheer Misaka up, without necessarily pushing to know all the facts. She understands that sometimes, the best course of action to take is no action, but to patiently wait out. 

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 20

First of all, it would seem that our beloved, moeblob Febri-chan isn't exactly human... and while this remains to be discerned, a certain fact would be that she hold the secrets that supply the foundation for the entire arc. While this won't burgeon my opinions on Febri at all, Railgun S is beginning to veer towards yet another action-packed season, and I really hope JC Staff won't fall short of my expectations.

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 19

The temptation almost completely overwhelmed me: to make this review solely based around Febri-chan, our latest addition to the cast. While I have resisted outrightly doing so, I can't promise there won't be a heavy inclination in her direction. Other than that, I'm starting to grow really attached to the new OP theme, in spite of my initial distaste.

Kiniro Mosaic - 11

Generally, as a rule of thumb, animes should only make Christmas episodes at Christmas time, and if the anime isn't airing around Winter, then please just make a movie/OVA and release it around Christmas time. Since this episode aired in the middle of September, I just couldn't pick up on the festive vibes, or the traditional Christmas feelings. 

Not to mention my mood got ruined by Alice's phone call, in which she said 'Have a happy holiday, Mum'. No, No, NO! First of all, if it's Christmas, then you've got to make it so that the word actually makes it into the sentence, and the conventional manner of the seasonal greeting in England goes 'Merry Christmas'. In the Christmas Spirit of Forgiving, I suppose I'll let this tiny mistake drop. Anyhow, what actually happened in this episode?

Kiniro Mosaic - 10

Meet Sakura Karasuma, the nicest Middle School teacher in all of anime (not a hard achievement considering most are set in High School). Starting from this Kiniro Mosaic review, I'll be dividing the review into key sections that cover the most important aspects of the episode. Hope you'll enjoy it!

Kiniro Mosaic - 9

I'm not sure if you'll be shocked by this sudden epiphany I came upon... but I realized Alice is a full on, hardcore Weeaboo. Another realisation I came upon was... there are only 4 episodes left! NOOOOOOO! Well, Kiniro Mosaic is one of the anime, which should in my opinion just go and get another S2 as soon as possible (though I hope they don't do a Haruhi Suzumiya, or Recorder and Ransell). Already, this is probably one of my favourite Slice of Life's in all history, second only to the ever enthusiastic Minami-ke, which has four successful seasons up to date.

In reference to a Japanese Dictionary

Kiniro Mosaic - 8

I'll be quite honest, in all the School Festival related episodes I've watched, not ONE gives a proper explanation in how they're run, or prepared for. Not only is the matter thoroughly broken down, but it's extracted, analysed, and explored from every angle. Our girls went to visit the exhibition put on by other classes, giving us yet more of a taste as of what to expect from a school cultural festival. Normally, it's as if Aladdin's genie made it all happen in an instant, so this episode really came as a natural relief.

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S - 18

You know last time when I mentioned my concern over how they were going to fit the entirety of the next arc into the final few episodes? Well, that has now been answered, with a dreaded filler arc. They never intended to animate the Daihasei Festival Arc, making Shokuhou Misaki's prior introduction utterly useless. Consolation was delivered, with our less stellar replacement Mugino Shizuri taking the spotlight as the fellow Level 5 in this filler, not to mention Kongou-Sama seems to be retaining a fair proportion of involvement, making me excited for the upcoming future prospect. If anything, I truly believe this arc has potential to exceed that of the original material... a statement I'll revoke after careful consideration.

Free! - 6

Continuing on from the previous episode's drama, Makoto launches himself into the sea in order to save a drowning Rei, who happened to be swimming when a storm brewed up. However, Makoto is struck down by a personal trauma, which resurfaces during his rescue attempt, causing him to lose all resolve. Had it not been for Haruka hearing a voice before Makoto set off, both of them most probably would've drowned, meaning I'd have stopped watching 'Free!'. What counts is that they did survive, though we're left on a cliffhanger when a huge wave crashes down on Nagisa and Rei.

Gen'ei o Kakeru Taiyō - 7

An iron clad rule in this series is that the Tarot is almost never wrong, and is the universal principal holding all things together, so what should one make of it when it predicts an apocalypse? Usually, people would just simply sit down in exasperation, and wait for the end to wash over them, but not our Magica Quartet. With events being set in motion by the annihilation of the Tarot 'Lovers', readers, and everyone alike, prepare for any potential oncoming tragedy. It's bound to happen.

Kiniro Mosaic - 7

At first, when Alice and Karen burst out into a sparkling duet, I thoroughly believed this was going to be the new OP for Kiniro Mosaic, especially with all the picture animations going on. Not only did I think the singing was completely moe, I'd go so far as to agree with Shino's simple statement of 'Let's broadcast it across the nation'. If anime was widely broadcasted on TV, I wouldn't suffer from the abhorrent lack of Otakus either... Ok, maybe I was foolish for not noticing the lack of credits (not to mention HorribleSubs never sub an OP), but surely it's understandable how disappointed I felt? Being Kiniro Mosaic (aka Slice of Life Anime 2013), I couldn't stay that way for long. In fact, the OP did wonders to immediately lift my spirits. Slice of Life has one redeeming quality over most other genres in one aspect, that is to say it's usual to go in without too many expectations, and end up being completely bowled over.

The Ayaya

Danganronpa: Kibo no Gakuen to Zetsubo no Kokosei - 6

What a surprise, finally, something I was so sure I could predict didn't come to pass in Danganronpa. Instead of having one person die this time, two people were killed. Fujisaki is reincarnated, or symbolically so as a computer program aptly named 'Alter Ego'. Nope, he just programmed a software to respond like himself, and that is definitely a genius over here. A step has been formed in the right direction, for the remaining students to learn more about the killing game they are trapped in, since the laptop can decrypt all the hidden files on the school server, and what’s been revealed so far is surprisingly unexpected: an impossible photo of the deceased Fujisaki, Oowada and Leon together in what seems to be a normal classroom. A quintessential rule in mystery is that if something out of the ordinary suddenly appears, it won't be there for the sake of being there; it's there because there's something important about it.

The World God Only Knows: Goddesses Arc - 5

Though I might be late as ever, better late, than better never! Today, I present to you the review for Yui's mini-arc! Now, in the manga, Yui is probably my favourite goddess. This is due to the fact she comes across as such a suave, and appealing character, and not because she's a tomboy. I really enjoyed her gentle side, but her new aspect is like her awakened form. She was practically born for the purpose of being the assertive male in the relationship, and it's rare to see Katsuragi being the submissive one. Naturally, I love strong characters too, like my favourite character of all time, Haruhi Suzumiya. Unfortunately, this has changed in the anime, due to the inadvertent nature of the arc cutting, which served to lessen her prominence. As of now, my favourites are Kanon (Magical Star Kanon), and Shiori (how is it possible to dislike KanaHana?).

Free! - 5

Amid the pressure from the upcoming tournament, the Iwatobi Swim Club decide to take on nature in order to strengthen themselves; they've planned a training camp on a deserted island in the middle of an Ocean. Not bad, certainly not an initiative I'd see anywhere in England (hence our lack of Olympic Swimming Medallists, despite our proud seafaring tradition).

Manliness worthy of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

The World God Only Knows: Goddesses Arc - 4

Here, we begin to see the dire consequences skipping out the arcs of two goddesses impacts upon the anime adaption. This episode suffered from rushed pacing, mainly due to how the anime is desperately attempting to cram in all the Goddess Arc material into a 24 episode anime. Well, quite a brave tenure, and one that will pay off in the long run. However, waiting every week for a drawn out episode is still not brilliant. Nevertheless, that isn't to say I didn't enjoy it. No, in fact, Kaminomi is probably one of the series I'm enjoying the most, as I constantly anticipate the latest episode. But that won't be the end of any criticism...

If you ever see a girl like this in a library, run. She wants to kill you

Danganronpa: Kibo no Gakuen to Zetsubo no Kokosei - 5

When the first murder has happened, case is solved, and the situation cools down, any mystery begins to lose its appeal, and interest. What other way is better than rinse, and repeating the cycle? That's right, another murder has happened, though that isn't very surprising considering this is a murder mystery anime. Some people say the novelty is beginning to wear off, though I'd reply 'Seriously, what did you expect?'. Everything about this anime screams out a formulaic cycle, considering how similar to Phoenix Wright it is (Objection!). Firstly the fact it's based off a game (which will have fixed mechanics), then there's the murder mystery running throughout the show (there's going to be more than one murder). Looking up ahead, I admit I'm also expecting some great twist, since there must be some underlying reason why this game got animated over all the other ones out there. Well, enough ranting, and onto the review!

RIP Chirio Fujisaka, who was perfect, other than being a trap

The World God Only Knows: Goddesses Arc - 3

Despite many externalities affecting his plans, Keima still looks set to conquering all the Goddesses. The only question is whether he can do this before the deadline. Oh God of Conquests, only you can possibly save this world from utter ruin, and despair! Conventionally, Keima is a man with a plan, and his plan is to 5 time the Goddesses, and conquer them in the space of 1 week! Crazy, but this is the world of anime and manga;anything is possible!

'Nice Pose!' - Can't quite remember who said that...

Railgun S - No Episode 18 this week

In regards to this week: a special broadcast was shown. A preview (22 min preview, that is) of the Index movie was shown instead of a new Railgun episode, therefore, Railgun won't be reviewed this week. Thank you for reading this.