2008 Year-Ender Anime Rankings

I forgot to mention that on the 7th of December, Animeshoon officially turned a year older! (cue: fireworks ~) But I'm not a sentimental person and stuff like a blog's birthday usually flies over my head, so that (aside from occasional bouts of amnesia) explains the silence. Still, to celebrate my coming back to life after the Christmas and New Year hiatus, I've decided to compile a year-ender report for 2008. Mind you, I'm not good at this so please excuse the suckage.

Before I begin though, I would like to say outright that my blogging list does not necessarily reflect my watchlist. Weird, huh? But that's me. That said, on to the list ~ ♥

Top 5 Highly Anticipated Series

1. Blade of the Immortal - I thoroughly enjoyed the manga series so I thought the anime might prove to be a great experience as well
   
2. Ghost Hound - the darkly psychological themes interested me but it was the art that got me first
   
3. Spice and Wolf - I was intrigued by the concept of fantasyslashtrade&economics
   
4. Kurozuka - I thought it was a love epic with vampires in it and the time-leaps piqued my interest
   
5. Shikabane-Hime - Aka - the promo said that the main character is an undead and I have a thing for the undead -- zombies specifically
   

Top 5 Series with the Best First Episode

1. Ga-Rei - Zero - because nothing beats killing all your characters in the first episode
   
2. Xam'd: Lost Memories - the series' best assets -- great OP and ED themes, excellent pacing, interesting cast of characters, and a simply brilliant storyline -- can be readily seen from the first episode
   
3. Ghost Hound - the focus on sound distortion and the dark, mangly themes gave me goosebumps; production value was tops as well
   
4. Blade of the Immortal - the series's first episode does a good job juggling character revelation and an ass-kicking, bloody fight scene
   
5. Kure-nai - the first episode implies a lot of heavy stuff and yet has just enough quirkiness to keep you coming back for more

Top 5 Series with the Best Finale

1. Ghost Hound - I seriously did not want the series to end
   
2. Kure-nai - yes, it was corny and ridiculous, but people got beat up and wise words were spoken, and overall it gave a satisfying feeling
   
3. Real Drive - after muddling a lot of the episodes, the neat and tidy ending is refreshing
   
4. Mnemosyne: Mnemosyne no Musumetachi - ohmygod, there was SECKS and then more SECKS and then lots of people die, it was just WOW
   
5. World Destruction - a spectacular ending to a rather bland show; it surprised me
   

Top 5 Random-picked Series that Turned Out Great

1. Natsume Yuujin-chou - something about the slice-of-life approach to a gentle storyline riddled with fantasy reminds me of Mushi-shi
   
2. Xam'd: Lost Memories - a mecha series that I actually enjoy because it's mecha
   
3. Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~ Natsu no Sora - another slice-of-life series that surprised me with its subtle depth
   
4. Eve no Jikan - the two-month wait is so worth 15 minutes of pure genius
   
5. Kure-nai - I like it mainly for its quirkiness
   

Top 5 Favorite Titles

1. Eve no Jikan - yes, only three episodes are out but every single one of them has been nothing short of excellent, leaving me with no doubt that the next trio are going to be just as spectacular
   
2. Ghost Hound - a coming-of-age story that manages to delve deep into parapsychology, science and the supernatural at the same time
   
3. Xam'd: Lost Memories - the excellent pacing gives plenty of room for character development and boy what development!
   
4. Real Drive - a series that suffered from its slice-of-life approach but still managed to deliver in the end
   
5. Kurozuka - it knows it has nothing going for it other than pure, unadulterated violence in a simple plot that is unabashedly too straightforward for a mystery
   

Top 3 Favorite Female Characters

1. Yayoi (Kure-nai) - I like her mainly because she is the only serious (not to mention capable) character in a series that does not take itself, let alone its characters, seriously
   
2. Otono-Tachibana Makie (Blade of the Immortal) - Hyakurin will likely steal her place but until the series actually gets to that point in the manga, Makie remains on the top 3
   
3. Isayama Yomi (Ga-Rei - Zero) - because she's badass
   

Top 3 Favorite Male Characters

1. Manji (Blade of the Immortal) - he's tough, he's rude, he's freakin' immortal!
   
2. Takehara Akiyuki (Xam'd: Lost Memories) - a main character that I don't find annoying, what are the chances?
   
3. Kuro (Kurozuka) - strange how a one-dimensional, flat, stereotypical character managed to make it to this list but Kuro manages to be all that and still maintains a semblance of respectability (meaning: you can't laugh at the poor vampire boy - HE WILL CUT YOUR HEAD)
   

Top 3 Funniest Characters

1. Michael Kohaku (Ga-Rei - Zero) - his crazy outfit did it
   
2. Toppi (World Destruction) - who didn't like the bear?
   
3. Makoto / Mako-chan (Minami-ke Okawari) - cross-dressing boys is one thing, a cross-dressing boy who actually secretly likes to cross-dress is another
   

Top 3 Favorite Villains

1. Otono-Tachibana Makie (Blade of the Immortal) - the reluctant murderer, the hesitant prostitute, the very thing that makes her feel conflicted is what makes her character fascinating; Anotsu Kagehisa, however, is a close runner-up if the fan-subs were any faster
   
2. Isayama Yomi (Ga-Rei - Zero) - because she's badass
3. Furuichi (Xam'd: Lost Memories) - nothing like a psychotic villain to make my day; and his Xam'd form is fugly as hell
   

Top 3 Favorite Couples

1. Sora and Gouta (Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~ Natsu no Sora) - heart-warming, then heart-wrenching, then heart-warming
   
2. Aoi Souta and Holon (Real Drive) - seeing the two of them together makes me feel all giddy inside; I especially like that their little romance isn't shoved in front of your face but remains on the side the whole time
   
3. Takehara Ryuzo and Takehara Fusa (Xam'd: Lost Memories) - sure, Akiyuki and Haru are sweet but Ryuzo and Fusa are married, for god's sake! and they still manage to light up the sparks with their love-hate interactions
   

Favorite Crack Couple

Benikawa Ishuu and Tsunomata Raigyo (Xam'd: Lost Memories) - if only because they are both HAWT

(NOTE: Ryouko and Izumida (Ryouko's Case Files) shared lots of sexy passive-aggressive moments on-screen but surprisingly they're not as smoldering hot as Ishuu and Raigyo and the bath conversation)

Favorite Slash Couple

Asogi Rin and Laura (Mnemosyne: Mnemosyne no Musumetachi) - let's get one thing straight: they're not a couple, but wouldn't it be fun though? with Laura constantly trying to BLOW UP Rin and Rin constantly trying to kill the living daylights out of Laura, such romance will never be boring

(NOTE: Mikhail and Alto (Macross Frontier) almost made it to the top but I can't say the two shared a moment together on screen quite like Rin and Laura did)

Part 2, with my list of "best" 2008 animes is up next....

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On Shikabane Hime

FUNimation Entertainment has licensed the series. Read about it here and fansub distribution has stopped, which means I won't be able follow this series as it releases in Japan. But this does not mean I am going to stop watching this series because it's seriously good. So I'll still be watching Shikabane Hime, just won't be blogging it anymore.

In sum, Shikabane Hime is dropped.

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Shikabane Hime - Aka 03: Baby!

IN A NUTSHELL: Several young women mysteriously die after hearing the sound of crying at night. Keisei, Makina and the gang trace the incidents to a local clinic. In order to find the shikabane responsible for the deaths, Makina has to pose as a pregnant teen who wants to get an abortion.
EPISODE 03: Voice of the Night
A young couple are walking together in a dark alley when they suddenly hear an eerie sound. When they look back, what they see is so horrifying they start running for their lives. At that moment, Makina, with Keisei not far behind, arrives. However, they are too late as all they find is the dead body of a young woman on the ground.


too dark to see

The next day, Ouri gets the colds so his friends accompany him back home where they order him to rest. After they are gone, however, Ouri sees the cat and once again, the cat tries to lead him somewhere.
cat needs a name

Meanwhile, Minai and Makina are hot on the trail of a suspected shikabane. But unfortunately, the monster once again manages to escape, leaving only its victim lying dead on the ground. Later, after regrouping at the temple, Keisei and the monks discuss the type of shikabane they are dealing with. So far, they do not even know what the shikabane looks like upclose. They also do not have any idea as to the past identity of the shikabane.


teamwork

The other monks are getting impatient, but Keisei remains calm. He points out that the shikabane only attacks young women. What's more, these women are all recent patients of a local clinic. With this for starters, Keisei sends out Makina to do undercover work.
the cat that started it all

Meanwhile, back with Ouri and the cat, they find themselves outside the clinic. Ouri's colds gets the better of him and he passes out. Fortunately for him, the doctor spots him and brings in for treatment.


you know there's something wrong with your manhood when you start dreaming in pink

Ouri has a dream with his brother in it fighting unknown creatures. He then wakes up to find himself inside the clinic. To his surprise, he also finds Makina there, talking with the doctor. What's even more surprising is that Makina seems to be crying and begging the doctor to perform an abortion.
makina in moe mood

The doctor buys her act and agrees to do the job. While he goes to make the necessary preparations, Makina turns on Ouri and demands to know what he is doing there. Before Ouri could, however, make an appropriate response, Makina loses interest and proceeds to look around the place.


baby!
Soon, she finds herself in a nursery, empty but for a single baby. When Makina purposely heads for the child, Ouri tries to block her path. This forces Makina to push him away. In retaliation, Ouri grabs her collar but stops immediately as soon as he sees the scars on her body.
hmm, this baby needs a diaper change

Later, Makina examines the baby to see if it is indeed a shikabane. The doctor appears just then and informs her that it is just a normal baby. Even so, Makina tries to run out of there with the baby in tow. But, unfortunately, the doctor has already released the real shikabane and it catches Makina off-guard, rendering her unconscious.


surprise!
Ouri, who is too busy watching the whole thing, does not notice the doctor come up behind him. He passes out after being hit on the head.
it's a bit drafty for that, don't you think?

Meanwhile, Keisei is busy with his own investigations. With the help of a colleague, he finds out that the doctor has been conducting experiments, combining human DNA with shikabane flesh. But since shikabane notoriously do not obey humans, he figures out that the doctor must be using something to bend the shikabane to his will -- namely, the child in his care.


mad scientist

The shikabane was originally a patient who died while giving birth to her child. She became shikabane because of her attachment to said child. All the other victims that Keisei and the others saw were not actually killed by the shikabane. The truth is they are all test subjects of the doctor. When the test fails, they revert back to their human forms.
she's pissed

Meanwhile, back to the clinic, the doctor administers the serum on Makina. But little does he know that such a thing would not have an effect on one who is already a shikabane. Makina frees herself from her bonds and grabs her gun.


all's well that ends well

Upon seeing her free, the shikabane starts attacking her. But with the shikabane still restrained by chains, it's no match against Makina's furious bullets this time. After killing the shikabane, Makina comes to stand before the kneeling doctor. Ouri shouts for her to stop, reminding her of her duty as a shikabane hime. Makina shouts back that the doctor is worse than even a corpse. In the midst of their argument, Keisei then arrives, just as Ouri loses consciousness.
sad, sad scene

The next day, Keisei pretends that the thing at the clinic never happened. He lies, saying that the police told him where to pick him up. Later, Keisei goes to visit the doctor and his wife. Apparently, the doctor's wife is ailing from an incurable disease. In his desperation, the doctor believed that his experiments with the shikabane flesh would help him find a cure for his wife's disease. Keisei wants to know how the doctor knows so much about shikabane. But, just then, he discovers that all this time, he has been talking to a dead guy. Someone has placed a knife right on the doctor's heart. Outside, a mysterious person licks blood dripping form his hands.

COMMENTS:

Still monster-of-the-week episodic approach but things are slowly unfolding. The mysterious guy is definitely up to no good.

I want to know the names of all the other shikabane hime and their monk guardians.

Makina's intonation -- or lack thereof -- bothers me. I understand that she's supposed to be an undead so she has to sound like someone dead would probably sound like. But it's still weird though. I haven't gotten used to it even after three episodes.

The mysterious spirit cat is also another interesting point. Just what is it? A spirit? A familiar? A hallucination? And why does it seem as if only Ouri sees it? Why does it only talk to Ouri? Why does it keep leading Ouri to supernatural incidents? Why does it keep leading Ouri to where Makina is?

Which brings me to another question -- just what is Ouri's role in this series? Because he's not a very likeable character. He needs to have at least one redeeming aspect.

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