[Summer 2013] Swimming Anime

[KazeShiki]

In Monogatari news, Tsubasa Tiger is probably the best arc since the first season with a fantastic final episode.

Well it is considered one of the best books in the entire series for a reason. Arguably, Gahara-san's development trumped Hanekawa's but that was more of a us finally getting to see the results of the Hanekawa Rehabilitation Program than current arc progression. Also we finally see just how unreliable Nisio narrators (in this case, Araragi) can be. Or at least within this series lol. Kabuki is regarded almost as highly but for a completely different reason :3

[MangaRocks!]

Gatchaman Crowds episode 5:

Ah! So that's Rui's ultimate goal, and why he didn't want CROWDS to be used except as a last resort. I really, really like him now -- and also feel even worse for his entanglement with the baddie, who is basically driving him insane just for fun (as well as using him for its own destructive ends-- and possibly even trying to get the others to see him as a bad guy, on top of that).

Things also continue to get more and more dangerous, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: with that massive cave-in and subsequent explosion -- and the latter apparently inadvertently caused by poor Rui himself. Hajime has also reached new heights of respect, completely disregarding her own injuries (which looked like no joke ) and racing to help with a smile still on her face the entire time.

Also, it appears that Rui actually didn't know about the existence of other Gatchaman besides himself and the alien, so it should be interesting to see how that turns out. Nice cliffhanger, too.

I'm really enjoying this.

[GeneD]

Gatchaman Crowds episode 5:

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Also, it appears that Rui actually didn't know about the existence of other Gatchaman besides himself and the alien, so it should be interesting to see how that turns out.

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: If I remember correctly he says something somewhere about not believing that Gatchaman are real so you're right there. Also, and this is a point partly based on some comments I've read elsewhere, the show in general does a good job of discrediting, shall we say, the power or usefulness of the Gatchaman. I mean if you think about it they haven't really done that much. Before Hajime came along they were fighting things that weren't in actual fact a threat at all and so far the Crowds and Galaxy have been more reliable in an emergency. So I hope Hajime really shines next episode so that the two "sides" realise they aren't mutually exclusive. Also Rui is pretty moe, he just needs a hug.

The Eccentric Family ep 6: They addressed some of the concerns I voiced from last week so I was happy about that. Interestingly it seems that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the Friday Fellows, besides Benten, don't in fact know that Tanuki are not just animals. I'm guessing that when they asked about Yasaburo being a tanuki after his "magic show" they were just joking, given the legends about Tanuki, but I'd have to go watch that again. Some small part of me that's indulgent and selfish still wants someone to enact bloody revenge on them but oh well, this isn't that kind of show. I also found it funny that Benten was kidnapped by that old Tengu, that must be one of the worst backfires in the history of kidnapping.

[MangaRocks!]

The Eccentric Family ep 6: They addressed some of the concerns I voiced from last week so I was happy about that. Interestingly it seems that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the Friday Fellows, besides Benten, don't in fact know that Tanuki are not just animals. I'm guessing that when they asked about Yasaburo being a tanuki after his "magic show" they were just joking, given the legends about Tanuki, but I'd have to go watch that again. Some small part of me that's indulgent and selfish still wants someone to enact bloody revenge on them but oh well, this isn't that kind of show. I also found it funny that Benten was kidnapped by that old Tengu, that must be one of the worst backfires in the history of kidnapping.

This was a lovely ep., IMO-- the visuals, the atmosphere, the music; I loved it all. And yeah, it really gave me a different perspective on the previous episode, too. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Last week I had gotten the impression that the Friday Fellows all understood exactly what Tanuki were, and what they could do, and what the Fellows were really doing when they ate them (and the thought of that really gave me the chills )... but you're right-- now it actually appears that only Benten truly understands. According to the flashback in this ep., the professor-- who seemed to know the most about Tanuki out of the rest of the group-- actually didn't even know they could talk until Souichiro spoke to him, and even then he just kinda regarded it as more of a novelty (like: "Whoa, this animal just suddenly started talking to me, am I hallucinating? No? Oh well, just something I didn't know then" sort of thing) than of an indication of them actually being real *persons.* And, indeed, if someone doesn't understand that, then all they'll see is an animal. So now that finally makes sense. The professor also clearly didn't get that Yasaburo was indeed an actual Tanuki in this ep., so yeah, I'm also guessing that him asking Yasaburo if he was a Tanuki was just because he was totally drunk (and thinking Benten's affirmative answer was a joke), then. BTW, those were some interesting discussions with him, too-- weird and with strange logic, but interesting.

As for Benten: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: LOL, indeed. I hadn't expected the fact that she'd been kidnapped, but yeah, that certainly didn't work out quite as well as he'd hoped, there. (On another note, I didn't expect her crying at the end, either... )

Also, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Kaisei as a tsundere ladder, LOL -- now I'm curious as to just how much of the series she's really been around, just disguised as an inanimate object...?

[GeneD]

Also, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Kaisei as a tsundere ladder, LOL -- now I'm curious as to just how much of the series she's really been around, just disguised as an inanimate object...?

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Yeah, I'm thinking that maybe Kaisei always disguises herself so to stay off the human's radar as much as she can. I mean, if she's never seen as a takuki they can't eat her can they.

Between this show and Attack on Titan I will never view the phrase "you're so cute, I could just eat you up" in the same way ever again.

[MangaRocks!]

Between this show and Attack on Titan I will never view the phrase "you're so cute, I could just eat you up" in the same way ever again.

Gatchaman Crowds episode 6:

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Heh, Hajime just revealed to the entire world that Gatchaman do actually exist, *plus* her identity as one, all in one fell swoop! Though from both J.J.'s silence on the matter and her own explanation afterwards, she apparently did indeed have a good reason for it (as she always does-- I love how smart, observant, and intuitive she really is underneath her extremely bright exterior ). I also loved the fact that Utsutsu finally showed some real, strong emotion, wanting so desperately to save those people, even though the drain on her life force apparently might have killed her; and that Jou finally not only relented, but even helped her to do so by offering her the use of his own life force as well.

As for afterwards: LOL at the "knights" with baseball bats -- actually, that whole elaborate escape 'game' Rui set up for her via the GALAX users was both really cool and really fun! And that was quite an interesting meeting they had, too. Rui's otherwise-rather-good logic was missing a few crucial factors, though-- namely, that there are some things even a massive group of regular humans can't handle (like crazy, homicidal, shapeshifting aliens, for example...? ), and what would happen if the system ever went down or went bad, among other things. So yeah, I'd say Gatchaman are indeed still useful. Also, wow, Hajime's use of "-kun" and her "makeup" comments ... "what an amazing girl," indeed!

Really looking forward to seeing how this all turns out!

[GeneD]

Gatchaman ep 6: Interesting episode but I really, really wish SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Hajime and Rui had more of a conversation. I feel like a bunch of bad things that's going to possibly happen can be prevented by them having talked a bit more, but I guess that's a very hypothetical complaint.

Other people had mentioned before that GALAX is actually quite creepy and there's a lot of potential for it to be abused/go wrong, but this is the first episode that I really thought it's really a terrifying system. I know maybe it's not supposed to come across that way, but all those people acting together, it's like they have a serious sheep-mentality. Also Hajime... I still like her but she's starting to become too perfect and none of her actions have negative results except for panda-boss shouting at her a bit. Unless there's a plot reason for it that we just don't know yet, she needs to have some faults like a normal person.

Yay for the Utsutsu and Jou stuff in the tunnel though, that was good.

Servant x Service ep 7: Really entertaining episode. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: I'd like to see a bit more of Chihaya and Ichimiya's relationship when she's not mad and he's not nervous all the time. I think I'd be more convinced that they actually are in a relationship cause right now I'm not at all sure why they bother really. Miyoshi is seriously underused.

[blkmage]

You know what's funny, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Ilya might be in the running for best Fate anime adaptation.

[MangaRocks!]

Monogatari Second Season ep. 7:

Fantastic episode!

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Intriguing creepy-eyed new girl's last name is Oshino? Hmm...

Getting to see Ononoki again and learning more about her was a pleasant surprise, too.

Also (of course ), all of the discussions were *really* interesting... and then HOLY CRAP, THAT TIME TRAVEL. I was not expecting time travel at all in the first place (loved Araragi's questions about the types and paradoxes and how they'd get back and everything, too, BTW ), and then WHOA, that was one heck of a mistake on the timing of the landing!

Now, I basically grew up on science fiction, and dearly love it (in all its many sub-genres and forms) to this day; and I've enjoyed almost everything I've read and seen with time-travel in it, besides-- plus, I can't wait to see what happens in the past, how Araragi and Shinobu get out of that predicament, and the full versions of the scenes teased in the beginning-- so I am seriously excited for the rest of this arc!

[KazeShiki]

Monogatari Second Season ep. 7:

Fantastic episode!

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Intriguing creepy-eyed new girl's last name is Oshino? Hmm...

Getting to see Ononoki again and learning more about her was a pleasant surprise, too.

Also (of course ), all of the discussions were *really* interesting... and then HOLY CRAP, THAT TIME TRAVEL. I was not expecting time travel at all in the first place (loved Araragi's questions about the types and paradoxes and how they'd get back and everything, too, BTW ), and then WHOA, that was one heck of a mistake on the timing of the landing!

Now, I basically grew up on science fiction, and dearly love it (in all its many sub-genres and forms) to this day; and I've enjoyed almost everything I've read and seen with time-travel in it, besides-- plus, I can't wait to see what happens in the past, how Araragi and Shinobu get out of that predicament, and the full versions of the scenes teased in the beginning-- so I am seriously excited for the rest of this arc!

Monogatari ep7 SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Ougi's interesting but for now just a tease while our heroes are trapped in the past. First half was done pretty well.

I'm a little iffy on the pacing though. Since this book is largely aimless banter, and they've already started cutting that, I wonder if they'll continue to do so in favor of getting the arc over faster. Which of course just makes me further question the point of the recap last week if they're just going to cut all the good lines from this book.

[blkmage]

I just assume the point of every recap is 'uh oh we've screwed up scheduling so badly we need a breather for a week'.

[MangaRocks!]

The Eccentric Family episode 7:

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: "With all due respect..." (LOL!! )

Anyway, that opening scene with the leaves was beautiful. (Actually, all of the art was!) And I'd been wondering for a while about just how their father was caught-- and whoa. Now both that as well as Yajiro giving up on even being a Tanuki at all make perfect sense. Man, that was sad. (In fact, the brothers' voices breaking when they were talking about it just about made me tear up...)

This show is seriously good.

[GeneD]

Senyuu 2 ep 8 (21 on Crunchyroll): PLOT TWIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSTTTT! Goldy you need to go catch up!

I've been trying to catch up to TWGOK s3 and one of the things I really like, that isn't conveyed so well in the manga, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: is how Haqua tries to imitate Elsie's voice/speech patterns, it's priceless. Also they cut poor Fiore out completely, which was a bit of a surprise.

[goldenspines]

Senyuu 2 ep 8 (21 on Crunchyroll): PLOT TWIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSTTTT! Goldy you need to go catch up!

*flails* WHAT WHAAAAAAAT


Monogatari episode something but new arc with Mayoi/what Araragi was doing during the last arc, I think: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Yay, time travel!

Eccentric Family's most recent cliffhanger had my jaw dropping. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: This might explain why he's a frog in the well, though??? But man this anime has kept me guessing through every turn. I have no clue how it's going to end up.


The Chronicles of the Going Home Club wins this season for the most use of references popular culture and other anime (which include but is not limited to Star Wars, Giant Robo, and Saw(?)).

[skreyola]

I just assume the point of every recap is 'uh oh we've screwed up scheduling so badly we need a breather for a week'.

Chihayafuru had an awesome recap episode. Interspersed with the recap scenes, they animated some of the 4-panel extras that wouldn't have gotten in otherwise, and for the first time I can remember, I did not feel I had wasted the time I spent watching a recap.
Usually, though, yeah... recaps don't bear watching... especially since they often just replay scenes without doing any useful voiceover to make them a summary.

[MangaRocks!]

Gatchaman Crowds episode 7:

This ep. was intense!

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Man, there's so much I want to comment on, I'm not even sure where to start... I guess I'll just go roughly in order of the events in the episode.

First: I was surprised that Rui was going against Berg-Katze so soon, but proud of him, as well (though it was obvious he'd fail, unfortunately ). Whoa, though, that knife ... and the escalating, drawn-out tone of voice Berg had right at the end of the intro gave me chills. (Seriously, Miyano is a great seiyuu!)

Second: Aw, O.D.'s little scheme to continue forwarding Utsutsu's personal growth (and his good-natured checking on them afterward) was so cute. (And speaking of O.D., now I'm even more curious as to what the problem would be for him to fight...)

Third: Whoa, so *that's* what the CROWDS actually are...

Fourth: Pai-Pai transformed!! (And LOL, I literally laughed and said, "That is awesome!" right before Hajime did! ) I was really ticked off that he chickened out and ran away before getting there, though. Shame on him.

And finally: Holy crap-- when Berg got serious and transformed he went from 'playful' homicidal maniac to kinda downright terrifying. Those beatdowns were just plain brutal (both psychologically {poor Jou } as well as physically {poor Rui }). I was literally cringing as Rui was mercilessly hurled down concrete stairs and into poles/gashed and sliced all over/generally beat to a pulp (some of those wounds looked pretty nasty, too), and when Berg basically broke Jou's will and then literally tore his Note (soul!) right out of him while he was transformed, leaving him a near-dead bloody mess (and in fact I've no doubt that he would've died right there if not for Utsutsu)... *shudder*

In other words, the series had already been great so far (IMO), but I guess it's safe to say that now it just got real.

This was a fantastic episode, and I absolutely cannot wait for next week!

[KazeShiki]

I've been trying to catch up to TWGOK s3 and one of the things I really like, that isn't conveyed so well in the manga, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: is how Haqua tries to imitate Elsie's voice/speech patterns, it's priceless. Also they cut poor Fiore out completely, which was a bit of a surprise.

Hayamin #1

Finally caught up on Uchouten Kazoku...wow that ending to ep 7 was so well done o.o This could very well end up being the best thing P.A. works has ever produced.

[GeneD]

Silver Spoon 7:

Servant x Service ep 8: Considering I wasn't too impressed with this and didn't really have high expectations to begin with I am surprised by how much I've enjoyed the last few episodes. There are both laugh out loud moments and moments when I'm really rooting for the characters/can relate to them. In this ep, almost everyone had hilarious inner dialog, Hasabe was sneaky and awesome and there's a rivalry more intense than the one in Free, if you can believe it, which also makes last week's Free parody end card even more amusing.

Gatchaman ep 7: Intense episode. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Well does that mean the Crowds are out of the show for good now? Pai-pai redeemed himself somewhat by admitting he's a terrible leader and then undid it almost immediately by frickin' abandoning them ugh. What the heck, why is he even a Gatchaman?

I liked that Jou went to help Rui but man, did he ever move slowly. Never mind that everyone else was also wasting time, it really looked like he was just leisurely strolling to the fight while Rui was getting the everloving crap beaten out of him. I didn't want to see him get horribly beaten either though, so that was sad, I'm glad he's not dead. I don't think he can Go Bird anymore though...

Berg-Katze is really terrifying and a bit funny when he's making fun of/copying attack names and whatever else anyone is saying. I am really interested to see what his next move will be. And we can count on the Gatchaman to not handle it well.

Eccentric Family 8: I've been a little disconnected from this show for a while now but this episode was really moving, I loved the sense of family that came across at the end there. More Kaisei next week, I'm excited.

Silver spoon 7: I'll just mention a small point since there's a discussion thread for it and all, but Aki's grandfather and that one Friday Fellow from Eccentric Family totally need to get together for a chat about love and eating. XP

[MangaRocks!]

The Eccentric Family episode 8:

Pardon the internet slang here, but... GAH, MY FEELS!

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Now some more backstory on Yajiro was revealed, and he's a really sympathetic character. (Also, I was *not* expecting him to have been in love with Kaisei! ) Man, though, their entire family just loves each other so much, it was indeed really moving. I teared up several times in this one.

Best show of the season for me right now.

[KazeShiki]

Uchouten Kazoku 8 - soooooo good. This entire ep was done really well. I hope they can keep this up without ruining it. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: The line about their love for their mom holding them together...wow so perfect. I'm excited for Kasei next week. I've been most interested in her character since she was first mentioned.

Monogatari 8 - SPOILER: Highlight text to read: oh hi banter what's that time to cut? Pacing is definitely focusing on plot over lines but now for the fun stuff. Shinobu is so entertaining this arc.

Gatchaman 7 - SPOILER: Highlight text to read: From what I understand, Crowds is still usable. It's just that Rui had selected 100 people to use it (to prevent abuse, etc.). Assuming he still has access to its power, he just needs to allow others to use Crowds, though at the moment it doesn't seem to be very helpful against Katze lol. PaiPai hyped me up only to fail hard. I actually expected Jou to die but Utsutsu powers too strong. Hajime steals the show again with that conversation.

[GeneD]

Gatchaman 7 - SPOILER: Highlight text to read: From what I understand, Crowds is still usable. It's just that Rui had selected 100 people to use it (to prevent abuse, etc.). Assuming he still has access to its power, he just needs to allow others to use Crowds,

Ah that makes sense.

[MangaRocks!]

Gatchaman Crowds episode 8:

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Ah-- I've thought/known for a while now that O.D. was an alien, but here he revealed that he's actually half-human. Interesting.

Actually, there was a lot of focus on him this ep., some of it hilarious (the "Is he hot?" and 'touching' comments oh my gosh , and making sure everyone was being nice during the press thing , etc.), and some of it quite somber (his bittersweet-tinged happiness when noting how much the others have changed for the better, how he was making sure they would all be okay 'even if he wasn't there,' and even having a goodbye to Utsutsu pasted into his Note. Talk about death flags... ).

Also, man, poor Rui... did he really not think that might happen? (I mean, not like he could've done anything to prevent it anyway, but...) As awful as the situation was *without* Berg-Katze controlling GALAX and X, now it's even worse (and I can only imagine what he's planning on doing with the Neo Hundred... ).

Nice work once again by Hajime, though, using one event to accomplish many things all at once (rebuilding the team's morale; further confirming to the public that Gatchaman exist + providing a positive image of them, as well; warning everyone about Berg-Katze; contacting Rui; confirming/gaining some insights into Berg-Katze's character; etc.! ). Have I mentioned how much I like all the different layers of stuff going on with her that you have to figure out more by observation rather than by being specifically told it?

Also, as usual, nice cliffhanger!

The Eccentric Family may indeed be the best show of the season for me, but this one is easily right behind it!

[GeneD]

Servant x Service ep 9: DEVELOPMENTS. Although the misunderstanding thing was a little far fetched. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: I feel sorry for poor Hasabe, I'm sure there are guys out there who can relate to trying to woo a clueless girl.

Gatchaman ep 8: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Just speculation but maybe Katze was Pai-Pai's friend that he "lost", i.e. he just went crazy for some reason. Or at least, maybe he was from O.D.'s planet, which we know he destroyed. Maybe I'm just lumping them together unfairly because they're both so camp. Goodness knows it's entirely possible for two apparently gay alien/half aliens to be on Earth without them having anything to do with each other, apart from you know, hey you destroyed my planet thanks that was kinda a jerk move.

About the death flags, idk, I mean, Jou triggered a lot of those too and he ended up fine, mostly. Although we don't actually know if he can transform anymore after getting his note ripped out.

Yeah poor Rui, he's basically completely powerless now. At first I was totally confused by that scene at the end when he was speaking to the little girl, who said her dad was in the hospital, when we saw that guy who was unhappy with Rui talk to his daughter previously in the episode. Buuuuut then I went back and checked and it's not the same little girl.

Still no idea how they're going to defeat Katze, except it will probably include normal people helping the Gatchaman. I hope it's going to be clever.

This season has actually been really good in general.

[MangaRocks!]

This season has actually been really good in general.

^ Indeed it has!


Monogatari Second Season episodes 8-9:

(Last week's episode of The Eccentric Family was so powerful I actually completely forgot to post about episode 8 of Monogatari! So, thoughts on both that ep. and this week's:)

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: LOL at Shinobu's reaction to little Araragi ( + "I wonder who influenced her," bwahaha!). And ditto to his own reaction to little Hanekawa.

Also, yeah, I figured that date had to do with Hachikuji's death, since he had mentioned he was thinking about it as they went through the gate in the previous ep. I liked his logic (that even if her death was inevitable around that time, if she was able to see her mother, at least she wouldn't turn into an apparition); however, I wasn't expecting them to actually *succeed* (in fact, for a moment there I nearly thought he was going to end up *causing* it, instead ). Though, of course, once they *did* succeed, I knew it wouldn't end up being a good thing. Still, the sheer *scale* of it was a surprise in itself. In fact, episode 9 was full of excellent suspense, and I really enjoyed it.

Looking forward to the next episode!

[GeneD]

The Eccentric Family episode 9: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Kaisei! Oh my goodness she and Yasaburou are really cute together.

That was some really interesting info about Benten and their dad. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was caught not because he was drunk but because Benten was there and he couldn't trandform. Maybe she feels guilty about that and that's why she was crying at the well a few episodes ago. It also explains why he couldn't just transform into something tiny and escape the cage they had him in, she was in the room keeping him in tanuki form. Either that or Kaisei's family had something to do with it, since I'm sure there must've been something more to the reason he was caught.

Another wild theory: the preview for next week makes me think that the tanuki doing the voice over, I don't know who it was, Kaisei's dad maybe, is masquerading as a Friday Fellow... That would be pretty messed up. I may be over-thinking things.

[MangaRocks!]

The Eccentric Family episode 9:

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Yay, we finally get to actually see Kaisei (in a form other than an inanimate object, I mean)!

Also, Yasaburo's little sweet-talk to get Akadama-sensei to come to the meeting was awesome. (And that song, LOL. )

I also liked the detail about Souichiro not being able to transform when Benten's around; that took care of the question of why he didn't just transform and escape from the cage after he sobered up.

Starting to get very worried about the Ebisugawas' "plans," though (if they are what I'm thinking they are)...

[blkmage]

yep, Kaisei is my favourite, this sealed it

[MangaRocks!]

Gatchaman Crowds episode 9:

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: LOL, oh gosh, Sugane still didn't know that Rui's a guy? Well, he does now...

Anyway , I quite like the fact that Rui is actually really personable, as opposed to being a stereotypical loner or something-- in fact, even though I was already well aware that he's a sweet, well-meaning character, I wasn't really expecting him to be so comfortable with the group right away, so that was a nice little pleasant surprise. (I also really liked how Hajime dealt with-- and helped Rui deal with-- all that awful hate spam, haha. )

After that, though, yikes-- Berg-Katze giving CROWDS to tens of thousands of previously-rejected GALAXers to use as they please (igniting probable mass chaos before long) plus the Neo Hundred becoming terrorists and destroying buildings left and right and causing accidents and stuff...

...And then that really quick thinking again there by Hajime with that live show helped a lot, again accomplishing multiple goals at once. (Oh man though, some of the comments rolling across the screen during it-- "I'd totally buy the figures," LOL!! ) Also oh my gosh Berg singing. Mamoru Miyano's voice acting in this show has been amazing!

And at last there was a bit more explanation as to why O.D. shouldn't transform and fight-- because "everything would disappear." (So, basically some sort of high-level matter-destroying powers, then? Makes sense. I do still want to see him transformed, though... maybe they could somehow get Berg to fight him in space or something? )

Finally, whoa, I was not expecting Sugane to be the one to break things off with J.J. I mean, I did kinda figure that something like that might happen, given how Pai-Pai was always far too dependent on him to the point of not doing anything at all without J.J.'s say-so, and (as Hajime kept trying to explain) they really should be able to make decisions on things for themselves. But for some reason I wasn't expecting Sugane to be the one who finally decided to do it (although, now that I think about it, he's the only one that makes sense). It still felt kinda strange, though. (But LOL at the praise he got afterward... )

I can't believe there's only three more episodes. Looking forward to the next one!

[skreyola]

SxS 9: Interesting developments. I like the below-the-knee length, though not the style she held up. I think Hasebe-onee-chan SPOILER: Highlight text to read: likes Jyouji. The misunderstanding was a little odd. I had to back up to see if I'd missed a scene.

[MangaRocks!]

Monogatari Second Season episode 10:

This was excellent!

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Wow, Hachikuji as a grownup! Also, I loved that letter from Oshino. And every single other bit of dialogue. And the confrontation. And how it was resolved (...man, that was actually rather moving). And the hilarious 'attack' reversal at the end. And literally everything else!

This was one of my favorite arcs, for sure.