Kowabon 3: Office Girl

EPISODE 3

An office girl works alone late. The lights flicker but she does not seem too bothered by it. A television set behind her turns on by itself. At that moment, her cellphone rings. A friend calls her to ask if she's still at the office. She answers that she'll be home soon. The friend asks what the noise is and she says that it's the television. After she ends the call, the TV suddenly clears, showing footage of the office hallway. She sees someone pass by. Paying no heed to it, she goes back to desk, but the computer monitors all around her turn on by themselves, freaking her out. The lights also gradually turn off until the office is engulfed in darkness. The office girl stares at the TV but turns as various dark shadows appear around her. She screams.

COMMENTS:

Okay. The scare factor here is the idea of working late and being alone in the office. I've done that several times and I've heard some scary stories about a black lady that lives on the floor just below our office. Freaky. Of course, I've never actually had any unusual encounter in all my late nights beating deadlines. So yeah. I enjoyed this.

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Final Thoughts: Kimi ni Todoke

New Year and the series ends with cuts of Kimi ni Todoke couples or likely couples: Kazehaya x Sawako, Chizu x Ryuu ♥ and....Ayane x Pin???? What in the world...

EPISODE 25: New Year
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Sawako and Kazehaya continue talking as they walk. Sawako declares that she'll try harder this year to make more people like her but Kazehaya interrupts her, saying they already do. Meanwhile, Ayane is still stuck with Jo while Chizu has to physically force Ryu to stay and not go off by himself drinking amakaze. While joining the long line of people in front of the shrine, they catch sight of Kazehaya and Sawako ahead of them. Ryu then tells Chizu that Tooru is coming to visit. When he doesn't say any more, Chizu accepts the implied invitation. Later, Kazehaya and Sawako both get their fortunes and Sawako is distressed to get "Bad Luck." To appease her, Kazehaya gives her his "Very Good Luck" slip. Sawako reads the part that says something about love and thinks this refers to Kazehaya, bringing a whole new light to her feelings for him. In another meanwhile, Ayane finally gets rid of Jo only to run into Pin, who unknowingly rescued her from a bunch of guys who were hitting on her. The two of them are equally flabbergasted at meeting like this and even more so when they find out that they have to walk together as they are both going the same way. The rest also make their way home. Kazehaya and Sawako take the path she usually takes to school and they stop at the spot where they first met. Sawako is surprised that Kazehaya remembers even as she is secretly thinking the same thing. The two of them stay there for a moment longer, reminiscing about the past and realizing their love for each other even as they decide not to act on it yet. They part in front of Sawako's house. Kazehaya has one last glimpse of her and then turns and walks away, with Sawako unable to take her eyes off him.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I"m so glad I picked Kimi ni Todoke for my rom-com fix in the Fall 2009 Season. I've never enjoyed or been satisfied with any other recent crop of rom-com anime since ToraDora!. Kimi ni Todoke is the exception. Interestingly, ToraDora! also came out in fall. Does it have anything to do with the season? I doubt it. :) 

Like its main female character Sawako, Kimi ni Todoke is undemanding, unobtrusive and always, always ready to make you feel good. Even the more dramatic moments are treated with such a deftness and lightness that the series never gets out of hand. Each scene just blends in into the next, seamlessly it seems. Of course, this means the series could easily fall into the trap of predictability and boredom. Like all rom-coms, the situations in Kimi ni Todoke are not the least bit original but you will find that even predictable can be entertaining when done right. And that's what Kimi ni Todoke does. It takes all the cliches and usual antics and somehow make them all work for the anime. 

Thinking this, I'm suddenly reminded of Kare Kano but not in the way that you think. No two stories could be more different. Kare Kano is in a league of its own, both in its romance, its humor, and its treatment of its characters. But there were times when even Kare Kano got a little too heavy-handed. I'm talking about Arima's dark background. It was a nice twist, sure, and it added an unusual dimension to an otherwise light fare story and made the developments in the character's relationship more intense. I don't know if the intensity was necessary but it made Kare Kano a compelling read. 

Compelling isn't a word you would use to describe Kimi ni Todoke. Unlike Kare Kano that went from fluffy, light fanfare to dark, intense eye-opener in the later volumes, Kimi ni Todoke is a show that maintains its lightness from beginning to end. What's impressive about it is that despite the lack of theatrics and dark underpinnings, the show still manages to deliver. And that's  really something for a show that does not demand a lot from its viewers.

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Final Thoughts: Armed Librarians - The Book of Bantorra

I watched only three shows from the Fall 2009 anime line-up and out of all those three, Armed Librarians - The Book of Bantorra surprised me the most. Here's why.

EPISODE 27: The Power of the World
More Screencaps from Armed Librarians: The Book of Bantorra 27

Hamyuts reveals that her true power is being able to force book eaters like Ruruta to eat any book she chooses. This special ability of hers enables her to enter Ruruta's world at will as well as summon anyone who has been turned into a book to her aid. Thus, Noloty, Casma, Vizac, Feekie, and Volken all appear to help Hamyuts complete her final mission and defeat Ninieu.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Ruruta tries to convince the telepathic Mirepoc to help him. But after everything that he has done to her comrades and the whole world, Mirepoc finds it hard to trust him. While she wavers in her resolve, Chacoly appears in Ruruta's world and sends her soul transference magic to Mirepoc, giving the latter the ability to move people. This, combined with Mirepoc's telepathy, helps Mirepoc break the sleeping spell that Ruruta has placed on the entire world and channel everyone's desire to save the world. This "power of the world" gather in the knife in Ruruta's hand -- the ultimate weapon to kill Ninieu.

Perhaps knowing that her doom is at hand, Ninieu renews her attack. While the armed librarians fight off the Beasts of the Final Chapter both in the real world and Ruruta's world, Hamyuts summons more of her fallen comrades. A suddenly young Ireia Kitty makes an appearance as well as the ant master, Mokkania. Then Ninieu casts another spell that would have caused a huge explosion and destroy a vital part of the world. However, Enlike uses his lightning magic to negate the spell. This small triumph leads both Matt and Hamyuts to realize that no matter the odds or their differences of opinions, in the end, one thing remains: they are all armed librarians.

With the power of the world upon him, Ruruta advances. The armed librarians provide cover for him while Hamyuts herself risks bleeding to death in order to break the protective barrier around Ninieu. As Hamyuts falls to her death, Ruruta makes it through the final stretch and stabs Ninieu, killing her and in the process ending the destruction of the world. In the next instant, Ruruta wakes up and finds Ninieu as she was before. She still says she cannot forgive him but adds that she will sing for him. While Ninieu's song fills both worlds, Hamyuts dies in Volken's arms, saying with characteristic irony that she is happy. In the real world, the remaining armed librarians celebrate their victory with tears and laughter as Matt muses that he would have wanted to hold Hamyuts in his arms one last time. Hamyuts and Ruruta's body both disappear. The fallen armed librarians in Ruruta's world also disappear.

Years pass and Mirepoc narrates that after the near-catastrophe caused by Ruruta, the armed librarians was disbanded and Bantorra Library was abandoned. All the armed librarians were tried but only one man was punished with the death penalty: Mattalast Ballory. But he disappeared before his sentence could be executed. He reappears many years later to tell an older Mirepoc that he is trying to make amends for all his past deeds by making sure that the stories of everyone whose books he helped destroy in the past become part of his own book.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I had a really bad first impression about Armed Librarians. In fact, I almost dropped it after the first six episodes or so and continued to harbor that feeling until I experienced a change of heart at around Episode 20.

The premise of the series is interesting enough but once you see it, it's hard to get into. It's not because the series pretends to be deep that it is inaccessible. On the contrary, the dominant themes of religion and nihilism are not thoroughly explored. It's inaccessible in that, while each episode is able to entertain to some extent, it's also frustrating because of the lackluster storytelling and slapdash character development. Add to that the generally poor production values, Armed Librarians does not have a lot to draw viewers in and keep them glued to the storyline. 

For a show that is basically a series of loosely connected standalone stories, Armed Librarians is an obvious loser in the continuity department. The way the whole story is told is a little like connecting the dots. In fact, I think that's basically what the writers did: drop hints all over the place and then, when they realize that the story has to end because the studio is running over the budget, they start randomly connecting these earlier hints, never mind if it felt a lot like pulling plot bunnies from a hat or a hammer from space. In short, it all feels like everything is constructed as an afterthought. Not that the story isn't compelling, especially in the later seven episodes, when the overarching plot finally takes shape, but by then people would have already dropped the show entirely, leaving only the most patient of viewers to see the whole thing through. I'll be honest and say that I'm glad I'm one of the latter. Armed Librarians has its good moments, majority of which are concentrated in the last few episodes.

That said, my real pet peeve about this anime is the names of the characters. They are difficult to recall, hard to pronounce and impossible to spell. Maybe the writer wanted to emphasize the foreignness of these characters, how they're all from different backgrounds and that they live in a world different from ours. But come on, names like Hamyuts and Mirepoc are just gratuitous and self-indulgent. Then again, in all fairness, I hate fantasy stories partly because of how regular names are purposely given radical spellings to make them seem more exotic.

As if the ridiculous names weren't enough, the series makes poor use of its large cast. While some get their background unreasonably fleshed out and others are suddenly thrown into the limelight for no reason other than to set them up to be killed, the rest are only shamelessly put there as fodder for the series' many subplots. In the end, I couldn't get emotionally invested in any of the characters, which in turn makes it hard for me to relate and actually care when characters die. Because character deaths are abound in Armed Librarians; that's the only thing the writers don't mince around with. I get the feeling though that they wanted us to feel something when these characters pass away. I say it's an unreasonable expectation on their part and I feel insulted, now that I think about it. I've said it before, the only character I actually care about is Hamyuts, whose kickass awesomeness I partly attribute to the talent of her voice actress, Romi Paku.

The music of Armed Librarians, while not bad, is not something to rave about either. Some tracks provide the correct tone for the more subtly dramatic moments but the rest are either jarring or completely inappropriate. The opening and ending themes are not exceptionally good.

IN SUM -- Armed Librarians is a sub-par anime that fails to meet its own expectations as well as the viewers'. But it does have its redeeming quality: it can be a very entertaining series when it is of the mind to be, which it is...most of the time.

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Armed Librarians 26: Hamyuts vs. Ruruta

She's alive. And she is pissed.

EPISODE 26: Redemption, Perplexity and the Book Within a Book
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Inside Ruruta's desert world, he enters a cave and finds Ninieu there. However, before he could reach her, the cave starts to fall apart. He makes it outside safely but encounters Hamyuts Meseta, who is just thrilled to face him once again. Hamyuts attacks, Ruruta deflects and kills her easily. But Hamyuts' wounds heal and she just comes back again and again, forcing Ruruta to kill her over and over. It is soon revealed that Makkia has literally reprogrammed Hamyuts to take pleasure in pain and to actively seek her own death. In so doing, Hamyuts' soul cannot die. Then Ruruta discovers the hard way how Makkia changed Hamyuts into a weapon designed to kill him (Ruruta): Hamyuts' stone pellets brings Ruruta the same kind of pleasure he experienced the night he spent with Ninieu. The weapon succeeds in virtually incapacitating Ruruta. More so when Hamyuts summons the souls of those whose books Ruruta consumed and kills them one by one. As more and more souls are killed, Ruruta's powers are diminished. However, Ruruta manages to break free from Hamyuts' attacks and transfers all his remaining magic to Ninieu, who then casts a nullification spell and releases the Beasts of the Final Chapter. A heavily wounded Hamyuts finds her resolve shaken but unlikely allies in the person of Alme and Charlotte appear to help her out just long enough for her to escape and meet Colio, who reminds her that no one, not even Hamyuts Meseta, is ever alone. Meanwhile, Ruruta discovers the true depths of Ninieu's despair so that not even she can forgive him. At the same time, Lascall Othello decides to take a more active part in the grand events unfolding and wakes up Mirepoc, but at the cost of her own life. The newly wakened Mirepoc discovers Hamyuts' impaled body and Volken's book and prepares a plan to set things right in the real world. Back in the desert, Colio finds Ruruta and gives him a knife, saying that he (Ruruta) knows what to do. At the same time, Hamyuts reappears to challenge Ninieu once more but this time, she's brought company with her.

THOUGHTS:

I know I said that I couldn't blog this episode but turns out there's been a slight change of plans, resulting in me seeing this episode and blogging it. Yay! Anyhoo, what an...episode. From the previews, I knew it was going to be exciting but I had no idea it was going to be this exciting. So that's why Hamyuts is a sadist. Makkia made her that way. What's more, he practically made her immortal by giving her a constant death wish. Ever heard of the adage that says the more you seek something, the more it eludes you? That's basically what Hamyuts is all about. Also, because she derives pleasure from dying, it seems that her soul just keeps returning for more.

It's brilliant that Hamyuts' stone pellets makes Ruruta feel soooo good (it's sexual pleasure, if the reference to Ruruta's night with Ninieu means anything) that he'd want it until he dies from it. I can see why Hamyuts' power works and Chacoly's didn't. Chacoly tried to make Ruruta fall in love with her which therefore pitted her against Ruruta's memory of Ninieu. She proved to be no match for that memory. On the other hand, Hamyuts doesn't try to match Ninieu or even remove her from Ruruta's memory. If anything, she makes Ruruta remember Ninieu more, which of course is what he wants. The only way to kill someone as powerful as Ruruta is to make him wish for his own death.

Now, for what Ninieu did to Hamyuts. She made her question her resolve to die. We already know that Hamyuts' "immortal" soul is anchored on the fact that she loves to die. This is possible because Hamyuts believes that she has no one and nothing to live for. But here, Ninieu argues that Hamyuts in fact has something to live for and that is love. Remember Mince's sacred eyes? Hamyuts' desire is love. Without knowing it, during her life, Hamyuts has not only witnessed love but has also experienced it through her subordinates and, of course, through Matt. Hamyuts was blind to this because of her death wish, and that makes her strong and hardcore. Now, by making her aware of it, Ninieu breaks away Hamyuts' shell to reveal the weak flesh inside. Hamyuts falters. She is no longer immortal. Then again, as some people say, it is when we are strong that we realize we are weak and it is when we are weak that we realize we are strong. In being weak, Hamyuts realizes her true strength: she is not alone. She has people on her side, people to live for, and therefore she cannot die. And so Hamyuts Meseta comes full circle and is all the more hardcore for it. :) 

BTW, I love Paku Romi. She's so awesome in those episode, even more so than the previous ones. Especially that line: "All those idiots who love me!" LOL

Mirepoc. I don't know what she can do at this point but I'm guessing her telepathy will come in handy in the finale. After all, Lascall personally chose her. It must be for a very good reason. I also don't know what Ruruta is going to do with the knife. But I was glad that Shiron appeared, if only as an apparition that exists inside Colio. heee

This was a surprisingly deep episode. Hence, the particularly lengthy exposition above. Now, I can hardly wait for the finale.

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Kimi ni Todoke 24: The Date

It's the night that Kazenoma shippers have all been waiting for! And guess what? They do nothing but mumble something cute and irrelevant, blush and send moony eyes at each other and it's all so freakin' awesome you can just die from the giddiness. Well, maybe not die, but you get the drift. :)

EPISODE 24: Birthday

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So despite having been ditched by their friends, Kazehaya and Sawako continue on to the shrine. It's a quiet walk. That is, until Sawako slips on the stone steps and nearly falls. Kazehaya saves her at the last instant but the forced intimacy brings our two lovebirds into heights of discomfort and embarrassment the likes of which we've never seen before (and that's something coming from a show about awkward teens in awkward love). Good thing they both have such supportive friends, who decide to tag along in secret by the way. The ever wise and relationship-savvy Ayane comments that it's like watching a turtle race with these two. lmao Chizu and Ryuu agree, so Ayane gets Chizu to call Kazehaya and do some damage. I mean, do some good. Chizu, of course, being moderately idiot, speaks so loudly that Kazehaya actually hears her from where the three of them are hiding. But Chizu somehow convinces him she's somewhere else and then tells him that Sawako did not know her friends were going to ditch her at the last minute and so Kazehaya must now take care of her. Kazehaya gets the drift and steps back so he can walk beside Sawako, instead of ahead of her. If you don't know, Japanese men usually walk ahead of the women. It's a culture thing. Of course, it's a bit outdated now, but I think it's still the standard in most quarters of that country. Ayane and Chizu celebrate this slight progress in their Project: Get Kazenoma Together (TM) while Ryuu only cares about amazake. But alas, their celebration is cut short when they notice an idiot among the New Year's crowd.

It's Joe! And he's with his family! And they look exactly like him! Which is creepy but also funny. Knowing that Joe would never leave Kazehaya alone, Ayane and Chizu swiftly go into action and try to get Joe's attention. Joe, however, misinterprets (again) and thinks that he might have a chance with Ayane after all, much to Ayane's barely concealed disgust. But then Kazenoma pass right by and Joe doesn't notice so again, their plan works.

The lovebirds buy some amazake and Kazehaya is all, "I've never tasted amazake this good" and Sawako's like, "Omigosh! I'm seeing Kazehaya having a first, it's awesome! I love him!" Kazehaya disagrees and says that Sawako right now is seeing him having many firsts, like his first time alone with someone on New Year's Eve, his first time buying a girl a cellphone strap and his first time wearing a stomach warmer. Sawako is touched and all but at this last point, it occurs to her that the hat was definitely a better gift idea. lolz

Speaking of cellphone straps, Kazehaya asks if Sawako has an email address and Sawako sends him a text, even though he's right there, thanking him for everything he's done for her this year. Kazehaya asks her when her birthday is and Sawako tells him that it's today so Kazehaya greets her. Then Kazehaya gets her to talk about Sawako's life, like literally from infancy to present, but Sawako indulges him. As expected, she had a really depressing childhood but it's okay because she's just the kind of person who can pretty much deal with anything that gets handed her way. She's awesome. Kazehaya thinks so, too.

And the episode ends with Sawako thinking that her entire life changed the year she met Kazehaya.

THOUGHTS:

So...cute. And also, kind of annoying. Ack! Like tell him already! Or tell her! My god, watching these two, I know exactly how Ayane feels.

And now, I'm really sorry but I can't see the next episode until next, next week because, well, if you're Catholic, you'd know. Holy Week. I ban myself from computers during that period, out of respect. I'll post again when I get back.This also means that I can't blog Armed Librarians 26. For shame. I was ever so looking forward to it. T_____T

BTW, you'll notice the Amazon product links below. Blogger has included this new monetizing widget with Amazon and I'm trying it out.

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Armed Librarians 25: Hamyuts is dead!

...or is she?
EPISODE 25: Serenity, Indolence, and the Tale of Despair
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Colio Tonis is walking in the desert and comes upon a strange arena with a huge screen in front. The screen shows the life story of Ruruta, the man with transparent hair, who is destined to save the world by defeating the Beasts of the Final Chapter, who are in turn sent by Orntorra, the god of the Future. However, before he can do that, Ruruta must first consume the books of 100,000 soldiers, absorbing not only their abilities in the process but also their despair. Niniiu, the last of a tribe of minstrels whose song can heal, senses Ruruta's despair and wants to help. After some difficulty, the two manage to meet. At first, Ruruta resists Niniiu's attempts to help him but with some persistence from Niniiu, Ruruta comes to admit that he is afraid of failing his people and of not being forgiven. To ease his pain, Niniiu sings her song of healing and then gives Ruruta what he craves the most: forgiveness.

Back to the present, Hamyuts faces Ruruta and tries to provoke him by reminding him of Chacoly and humming Niniiu's song. Meanwhile, Mattalast and Enlike finally make it out of the labyrinths. At the same moment, a root from the Heaven tree rises from the ground. On its tip is the mutilated body of Hamyuts Meseta, apparently dead. Matt collapses in defeat while Enlike tries to attack Ruruta, to no avail. Ruruta effortlessly blocks his power and puts him to sleep.

In the desert, Colio is joined by other fallen members of the Shideki Church: Charlot, Winkeny and Alme -- all of whom are riveted with the events of the past. On the screen, Ruruta attempts to consume more books but is greatly weakened by it. His chief retainer blames Niniiu. Before she came, Ruruta's conviction that his people would never forgive him if he failed was the source of his strength. To regain that strength, Ruruta tries to kill Niniiu but fails to do so because he has already fallen in love with her. Instead, he makes her his reason for fighting. As Ruruta gains enough strength to fight, his retainers serve him wine with Argax. The result is that Ruruta forgets all about Niniiu and ends up killing her in the great battle with the Beasts of the Final Chapter. Only after he reads her book does he remember and learns how Niniiu died at the hands of his own retainers. In the end, Niniiu has united with Orntorra, wanting only to destroy the world. This being Niniiu's last desire, Ruruta lives only to fulfill it.

In the arena, Colio realizes that the reason Ruruta made the Armed Librarians and the Shideki Church is so that he could consume more and more books. Kachua soon appears and cheers on Ruruta for destroying the world. A new character also arrives, making a grand entrance by killing Kachua on the spot. Winkeny picks up the murder weapon: a stone pellet.

In the present world, Ruruta senses a disruption in his system. He looks in the direction of Hamyuts' impaled body, thinking that he has yet to consume her book. At the same moment, Hamyuts' voice is heard, saying that she couldn't be killed.

THOUGHTS:

OMG, Colio! LOL, is this where you've been all this time? OMG, where is Shiron? Wasn't her book also given to Heaven? And who else did Heaven consume? Where the hell are they?

And OMG, Hamyuts! I totally thought she was dead, and my only reaction was: OMG, what? Nooooo! And then, Matt! OMG! And Enlike! Just like that. OMG!

Well, it's clear that Ruruta is a book-eater, like Zatoh, except that Ruruta is obviously more powerful since he has consumed 100,000 books. OMG, how in the heck is Hamyuts going to defeat the bastard?

Argh! I can't wait for the next episode. Crap. This anime is the shit. :)

Also, crap! Who wrote that spoilerific stuff on Wikipedia? No, don't check it if you don't want to be spoiled.

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Kimi ni Todoke 23: Pretty in Pink

Sawako's make-over...
EPISODE 23: Two People
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It's December 25 and Sawako is thrilled to find that the events of the past night had not been a dream and that her father really did buy her a cellphone. Meanwhile in school, Ayane overhears the guys talking abouthow Sawako showed up at the after-party the night before and wondering if she came with Kazehaya. Not wanting any bad rumors to spread about her two friends, Ayane tells them it was she who invited Sawako to the party and made Kazehaya wait for her as a penalty for losing a bet. On the way to the hall for the closing ceremony, Sawako catches a glimpse of Kurumi, who no longer bothers to hide her dislike for the other girl and sticks her tongue out. Afterwards, Sawako realizes that she will no longer see Kazehaya or any of her friends until the second semester. This thought makes her sad and she thinks that she wants to thank Kazehaya at least before they part ways. But Kazehaya leaves with the other boys before she can get a chance. Much later, Sawako goes out with Ayane and Chizu and Sawako proudly shows them her brand new cellphone. Chizu helps her set up an email account. The conversation soon turns and Sawako tells them that New Year's Day is also her birthday. With this revelation, Chizu and Ayane get an idea. As Sawako timidly invites the two of them to spend her birthday with her, Chizu pipes up that she always goes to a shrine with Ryuu on New Year's and invites Ayane and Sawako to come as well. Ayane adds that Sawako should invite Kazehaya, too. Although extremely nervous at the prospect, Sawako does call Kazehaya, botching her lines the whole way through. On December 31, Ayane and Chizu show up at Sawako's house on time but instead of setting out at once, they drag Sawako to her room for a quick make-over. It seems both girls remember how Sawako once said that she wanted to look pretty like Kurumi. After they are done, they show Sawako the mirror and greet her happy birthday. A very happy and incredibly touched Sawako starts to water up but finds that she has to hold it in, or the make-up would be ruined. Later, the three of them walk to the meeting point but before they could reach the place, Ayane and Chizu suddenly declare that they're leaving and that Ryuu isn't coming either, which means that Sawako has to go alone with Kazehaya -- their plan all along. Sawako is too shocked to make any serious protest. Then, after her friends are gone, she has no choice but to bravely face Kazehaya by herself. Upon seeing her, Kazehaya is speechless. Sawako is too nervous to notice her own effect and wonders if Kazehaya would leave her by herself. Instead, Kazehaya turns around and tells her, "Let's go." They both set out for the shrine.

THOUGHTS:

This was a very hilarious episode. And also sweet. I realize this is my general reaction to the series. Oh well, something new then: Sawako, Made-Over (TM) is pretty! In a crazy, sparkly pink sort of way. LOL at Kurumi's cameo. How many episodes does this series actually have? I thought it was 24. But I checked ANN again and it's 25?? I'm confused. Kimi ni Todoke isn't the only series I'm watching this season that's apparently confused with how many episodes to release.

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Armed Librarians 23-24: The Truth About Heaven

Was I so wrong about this anime? I really hate to admit it but I may have been wrong about this anime. Sure, the build-up was slow (and boring) but once the plot started taking off, it's woah!
EPISODE 23: Jailbreak, A Took, and the Violet of the Desert
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With the death of Kachua, Mince is appointed as the new Governor of Paradise. His first task is to scout for true men to rebuild the Shindeki Church and while on this mission, he finds the corpse of an old man, who turns out to be the former Acting Director (before Fhotona) Makkia. Meanwhile, the armed librarians have a celebration but the get-together turns into a meeting in which everyone voices their concern over Hamyuts' secretive behavior. Milepoch puts a strangely complacent Hamyuts in custody, but Hamyuts later escapes upon learning from Lascall Othello that the Violet of the Desert, Chacoly, is still alive. In Makkia's book, it is revealed that Heaven wants to destroy the world. When Makkia learns this, he defects from the Armed Librarians and goes to the desert where he erects a laboratory and subjects a young Hamyuts Meseta to torture. Back to the present, Mince and his assistant travel to this desert laboratory to investigate but are instead overtaken by Hamyuts. A flashback shows Hamyuts in that same laboratory on a mission under Fhotona and Kachua's orders to kill Chacoly. She does not kill Chacholy but leaves her in Makkia's care. Now, with Makkia gone, there is no one left in the world to take care of Chacoly and for this reason, Hamyuts intends to finish what she started to long ago. Before she can do so, however, Chacoly's abilities start to affect Mince. Somwhere far away, Enlike starts out with the resolve to destroy Heaven.


EPISODE 24: Truth, Love, and the Second Sealed Library
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Everyone in Bantorra Library is keeping a close eye on Mattalast as he is considered as Hamyuts' right-hand man. A flashback reveals Fhotona attempting to destroy Heaven but Matt, acting under Hamyuts' orders, stops and kills him. Before Fhotona dies, he accuses Matt of letting his feelings for Hamyuts get in the way. Back to the present, Mince is overtaken by Chacoly and attacks Hamyuts. She, however, sidesteps the assault and headbutts Mince back to clarity. She then explains to a confused Mince that Chacoly's power is soul transference, which is a superior kind of telepathy that allow Chacoly to completely take over a person's thoughts and make him act according to her wishes. Chacoly tries the technique on Hamyuts, too, but she resists and effortlessly snaps Chacoly's neck instead. Lascall Othello, who is then revealed to be Yor, appears to take Chacoly's book. After Hamyuts leaves with the book, Mince remarks that he once peered into the Acting Director's soul and saw that her dominant trait is self-loathing, her thoughts are void and her desire is love. In Chacoly's book, Chacoly parts on good terms from Hamyuts and goes off to fulfill her mission to infiltrate the Bantorra Library and destroy Ruruta. The mission fails and Chacoly loses her sanity as a result. Back in the library, Enlike finds Heaven but Matt is also there to stop him. But Heaven is no longer willing to wait, so it takes both Enlike and Matt captive, before it splits into two to reveal Ruruta inside. Outside the armed librarians are on heightened alarm as guardian beasts from the sealed libraries suddenly appear on the surface. Amid the chaos, Hamyuts makes a public announcement, finally revealing the biggest secret that all Acting Directors before her have kept: the Director is Heaven or Ruruta, who long ago deposed Bantorra, and took over the library. Ruruta then unleashes his power, the sleep of death, putting everyone to sleep in order to spare them the pain. Matt, however, refuses to die and purposely shoots himself to keep himself awake. Then, he escapes from his bonds and runs to find Hamyuts, keeping in mind his long-ago promise to be the only man to kill her.

THOUGHTS:

I really can't say anything except AWESOME! And here I thought that that episode focusing on Matt and Hamyuts' juicy past was irrelevant to the plot. Was I ever so wrong? Agh! And what's this? There are in fact 27 episodes? That's not a good sign but I am enjoying this arc so very much right now that I don't really care.

Poor Matt. I think he's going to die. Also, I'm thinking that Hamyuts will be the only one left standing when this series comes to a close. I just have a feeling. Plus, the opening clip kind of shows her, all bloody and beat up, standing alone, staring into the blazing sunset. Dead give-away.

Production values are hot! BGM is simultaneously haunting and simultaneously hot! David Production, did you get knocked on the head or something? Or was this your plan all along? To scrimp on all the previous, building-up episodes and kill us with amazement in the last four? Because if that is so, you are a ninja! XD

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Kimi ni Todoke 22: Stomach Warmer

I thought New Year already happened, and now we're celebrating Christmas? Timeline is confuzzling.EPISODE 22: Christmas
The class of D-1 plan to have an out-of-school party to celebrate Christmas. Everyone must come and that includes Sawako, who is more than thrilled to be finally invited to one of these gatherings. However, her family's -- especially her father's -- enthusiasm over their own family get-together to celebrate the occasion gets in the way, forcing Sawako to stay home. Kazehaya as well as Ayane and Chizu can barely hide their disappointment. On Christmas Eve, the girls give Sawako a call to greet her 'Merry Christmas' and then they pass the phone on to Kazehaya. Upon hearing his voice, Sawako gets tongue-tied and overcome with tears. Her mother notices and so takes the phone from her. While Sawako's mother speaks to Kazehaya, Sawako's dad, who is finally noticing Sawako's unhappiness, gives her the present he got her: a cellphone. Sawako then tells her dad that she wants to go to the party for just a little bit. He reluctantly lets her go. However, by the time Sawako makes it to the place, all her classmates are gone. Only Kazehaya is still there, waiting for her. He gives her a present: a cellphone thingamajig. In exchange, Sawako gives him a stomach warmer, which is supposed to be for her father but for a slight mishap earlier that day.

THOUGHTS:

I've decided to call this section 'thoughts' because I realize that people make the mistake that the "comments" are comments from visitors. Uhm, no. But anyway, yeah, so I think 'thoughts' would work.

Also, I've decided to change the schedule for this series to Saturday and Armed Librarians for Sunday. I know it's a bit late but I just noted that Horriblesubs release their episodes of the latter series Saturdays.

Back to the topic, this episode is cute. Stomach warmer. In case you don't know, stomach warmers are considered old-fashioned in Japan and are only ever worn by old people and some gang members. I know that little bit of information from Kimi wa Petto. :)

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Kimi ni Todoke 21: Neighborhood Girl

The conclusion of Chizuru's love profusion with the Sanada brothers...
EPISODE 21: First Snow
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It's almost spring and Chizuru shows up in school, looking cheerful again but still not talking to Ryuu. After classes, she invites the girls to a karaoke session where she completely hogs the mike. Later, as they are making their way home, Yano asks her what she would do if she meets Tooru again and Chizu cheerfully answers that she likes him but adds quickly that she's just joking. Then Tooru does show up for real and asks to speak with Chizu. Before Chizu leaves with Tooru, Sawako secretly reminds her that she's wearing a mini-skirt (their school uniform). Realizing this, Chizu tries to show off to Tooru only to have him tell her that he's used to seeing her legs from when they were children. They continue to walk together and all the while Tooru reminisces about many childhood memories with her. Chizu confesses that she likes Tooru, who surprisingly says that he likes her too, but only as a sister. After that, Tooru makes his way back home, intending to drive back to Sapporo immediately. Ryuu is waiting for him there to give him some bread from the other day when he had his fight with Chizu. Before he leaves, Tooru comments that both Ryuu and Chizu are not the clever type so maybe that's why they are much more suited to each other. However, Ryuu surprises him again by saying that he already knows this. Later, Ryuu goes to the docks where he knows Chizu would be since it is the last place that the three of them played before Tooru moved away. Chizu apologizes to Ryuu for her behavior and for being the only person who never greeted him on his birthday. Ryuu tells her that it's alright since Chizu is the only person who remembers his birthday. As they talk, Chizu discovers that it was in fact Ryuu who asked Tooru to come back that day. She tells herself that maybe her feelings for Tooru were really that of a little sister. Ryuu, however, says that he knows that her feelings were true. Because of this, Chizu asks him to comfort her as she cries and Ryuu embraces her.

COMMENTS:

This was a really charming and cute arc. I am totally sold on the Chizu x Ryuu pairing more than ever. SQUUEEEE ♥ ~ I especially like that the anime didn't try to ham-fist the whole thing, like get Chizu to suddenly like Ryuu after she gets rejected by Tooru. Too many shojou shows make that stupid mistake. I mean, Chizu didn't hold on to those feelings all those years only to have them suddenly disappear in one night. Chizu's reaction was very realistic. A real person would try to rationalize the whole thing, second-guess emotions, have doubts whether or not the feeling was just a little crush after all. And Ryuu is such a great friend for showing such deep understanding of Chizu even when she herself is confused. OMG I love these two!

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Armed Librarians 21-22: Of Conviction and Goodbyes

This series is actually starting to get good.
EPISODE 21: Enmity, Azure and the Lady of the Straw Rope
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Ismo Republic brings the war to the coastline of Bantorra Island, giving the armed librarians very little ground to fight back. In a last ditched effort to prevent the enemy from making land, Hamyuts and Iriea deploy themselves right in the middle of the battle. Meanwhile, Enlike discovers that Noloty died while out on a lone mission to hunt down and kill Arkit, said to be responsible for spreading the Cerulean disease. Arkit, however, turned out to be a kid and instead of killing him, Noloty decided to save him. Not only that, she also allowed him to lead her to the location of Kachua, the Governor of Paradise, despite knowing that he would kill them both for seeking him out. Back in Bantorra Library, Mince arrives to tell Milepoch that their enemies have all been infected with the Cerulean disease, leading them to hate the armed librarians. At that same moment, Ireia encounters a crowd of villagers, not knowing that they, too, have been infected with the disease. Their numbers overwhelm her and the old woman, the third strongest armed librarian, at last falls. With Iriea's death, Hamyuts really has no choice now but to use the one ace on left on her sleeve: Ylucklucu. The weapon creates a barrier around Bantorra Library, preventing any outside forces from getting in but it's only a matter of time before the barrier waits. Further away, Kachua watches the whole proceedings with quiet anticipation.


EPISODE 22: The Sky, a Conclusion and Her World
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With Ismo Republic's entire military power right at their doorstep and Ylucklucu's barrier about to run out, the remaining armed librarians look to their Acting Director for hope. Hamyuts has none to offer. Instead, she tells them they have no choice but to fight their way out. Meanwhile, Enlike finds out more about the events leading to Noloty's death: how Kachua came to see her and told her to kill Arkit. But again, Noloty chose to spare Arkit's life and in exchange Arkit knocked her unconscious. Later, Doltum, the same armed librarian who killed Vizac, found Noloty and brought her back to Arkit. But he did it only to kill her right in front of Arkit, thus, triggering the boy's deep hatred for all armed librarians. Back in Bantorra, a war-crazed Hamyuts takes down an entire battalion of tanks, but more are still coming. She takes a hit and falls but Matt saves her. He tells her to withdraw to no avail as he belatedly realizes that Hamyuts has wanted to die all along and become a book. Somewhere else, Enlike finds Kachua's hideout and prepares to take him out, only to find out that he is protected by Ylucklucu's barrier. He takes a lot of damage before he starts to use his magic abilities to create lightning inside the barrier by controlling the weather. He succeeds in killing Kachua and then he gives Arkit Noloty's book to show him that 'til the end Noloty never hated Arkit. Once Arkit sees this, his hatred disappears and the effects of the Cerulean disease disappears as well, leaving the formerly infected people dazed and confused while Lascall Othello watches over them from a distance.

COMMENTS:

I must admit that this series has really come together now. All the seemingly unconnected events of the past episodes have culminated in this one astounding climax. For a minute there, I really thought they were going to kill Hamyuts in Episode 22. Good thing they didn't. But with four more episodes left, I think there's more than enough time to kill a bunch more people. It should come as no surprise since this series has absolutely no qualms in killing major characters.

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Kimi ni Todoke 19: Oh Chi ~

Ryuu's bro ♥ ~
EPISODE 19: Dream
The girls decide to have a sleepover at Chizuru's in order to cheer up Ayane. In school, Ryuu tries to talk with Chizuru again but couldn't and so instead he tells her not to come to his house in the next couple of days. During the sleepover, this is all that Chizuru could think about. Ayane suggests that they all go to Ryuu's so Chizuru could apologize. Once there, however, the girls are surprised to find that the boys are also having their own sleepover in order to comfort another one of their classmates who got rejected by a girl. When they find themselves alone, Chizuru tries to apologize to Ryuu and then asks him what it was that he wanted to talk about. Before Ryuu could say it, however, someone arrives. It's Tohru, Ryuu's older brother and Chizuru's crush. But what should have been a happy reunion turns out to be awkward as Tohru has brought along his fiancee. Both Sawako and Ayane feel sorry for Chizuru but can't find the words to comfort her. The next day, Chizuru goes over to Ryuu's house in order to properly congratulate Tohru on his upcoming marriage but she hesitates at the door as she realizes that even though she is treated by the Sanadas like family, in the end, she is still just their neighbor.

COMMENTS:

Poor Chizu. Bugs, lol! Also, that was really awkward.

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Armed Librarians 20: Something feels familiar

Really awesome production values for this episode.
EPISODE 20: Funeral Bells, A Book and A Boy with A Death Wish
The scene opens with Enlike and Noloty sparring with each other. Enlike still has the upperhand but the whole time they are fighting, Enlike strives to understand Noloty's pro-life philosophy. She explains by saying that the world and everyone on it belongs to her. Next, we realize that all of that is contained in a book -- Noloty's book. On Bantorra island, Milepoch pauses as the funeral bell for Noloty is sounded. Meanwhile, Hamyuts has her hands full as Ismo Republic, the largest country in the world, almost equal in firepower to Bantorra, is mobilizing its forces against the armed librarians. Hamyuts, Matt and Milepoch all believe that the Shideki Church is behind the move. Specifically, they believe that the Governor of Paradise is orchestrating everything. What they don't know is why. Meanwhile, Lascall Othello gives Noloty's book to Enlike, saying that Noloty had one desire that had not been fulfilled. By reading Noloty's book, Enlike finds out that Noloty had tried to come after the Governor of Paradise while trying to help an enemy. The Governor of Paradise kills her as well as another comrade. Back in Bantorra Library, Hamyuts lets out a press release, invoking the armed librarians' alliance with Ismo but nothing happens. Matt advises Hamyuts to strike early in order to gain the upperhand. But before they could put the plan into motion, Ismo Republic declares an all-out war against them, forcing Hamyuts to order everyone back to base.

COMMENTS:

Suddenly, it all becomes very interesting. But another character dies and I still don't care about anyone else except Hamyuts.

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Kimi ni Todoke 17-18: Love is in the air

Pin's folly, Chizu's feelings...
EPISODE 17: Holiday
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Chizu (Yoshida) and Ayane (Yano) visit Sawako at her house during the holiday. Everybody is excited, but Sawako's dad is especially nervous. Chizu makes a bad first impression with her "yanki" looks, so does Ayane with her many piercings. But Sawako's mom saves the day by offering cake to the girls. Later, Sawako shows them her room and both girls are quite astonished by how much it does not reflect Sawako's personality. Sawako explains that she figures everything that isn't her would not scare people away. Ayane then shows Sawako the party photos, including the one with her asleep against Kazehaya's shoulder. Sawako is horrified by this discovery but after some prodding from her friends, she finally admits that she loves him. Ayane wonders when she is going to confess but for Sawako this is out of the question as she can't imagine going out with Kazehaya. So Ayane asks what Sawako would do if Kazehaya starts going out with another girl. Of course, Sawako wouldn't like it. Meanwhile, Kazehaya is walking Maru-chan (the dog) when he bumps into Ryuu. The two of them soon get a call from a very ill-sounding Pin, asking for Sawako. This gives Kazehaya the perfect excuse to call Chizu and talk to Sawako. After hearing the story, Sawako and the girls meet up with the boys and head for Pin's apartment. Once there, they are shocked to find the place in a mess and Pin down with the cold. They all go to work, cleaning up the place while Sawako and Kazehaya nurse Pin back to health. Soon, Pin recovers and he is so grateful for it that he offers to tell Sawako anything she wants to know about Kazehaya. Before they leave, Pin whispers something into Sawako's ears which Kazehaya finds suspicious. Ayane gets Kazehaya to walk Sawako home and as the two of them are walking with Maru-chan, Sawako suddenly grabs Kazehaya's sleeve and closes her eyes. A nervous Kazehaya attempts to give her a kiss but before he could, Sawako opens her eyes, surprising both of them. Sawako then explains that Pin told her to do it but she doesn't have any idea what would happen. An embarrassed Kazehaya warns that he wouldn't know what would happen if she does something like it again.

EPISODE 18: Chizu's Love
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It's back to school and Chizu is especially excited because, according to her, it's almost New Year's (even though it's only September). Kazehaya soon joins them and Sawako is rendered speechless at seeing him in a blazer. However, while the general atmosphere in class is cheerful, Ayane shows up complaining about boyfriend troubles. Ryuu soon follows and Chizu walks over to greet him. Seeing the two of them together, Sawako can't help but notice how compatible the two of them are. That evening, Chizu drops by the ramen shop again, greets Ryuu's father and heads straight for Ryuu's room. Ryuu is changing when she enters but they both don't mind. The two of them play computer games for a while but after Ryuu beats her, Chizu gives up. Then she asks what Ryuu wants for his birthday. He says anything but shoulder massage coupons. Chizu starts to ask Ryuu a question but gets too embarrassed to finish. After Chizu leaves, Ryuu realizes what the question was. The next day in class, Chizu asks the girls to go shopping with her but Ayane is busy, leaving only Sawako. Chizu buys a shirt that says "Baseball is for Idiots" for Ryuu's present. On their way out, Chizu's eyes get caught by store display of a frilly miniskirt. When Sawako asks if she wants to buy it, Chizu gets embarrassed and mumbles that there's nothing wrong with wanting to look different. Later, Sawako asks if Chizu likes someone and she answers yes. Sawako assumes that it's Ryuu and gets all excited because she knows Ryuu likes Chizu, too. However, Chizu dispels her of that notion as she reveals that the one she likes is Ryuu's older brother, who is coming home for the New Year's. The next day in class, Chizu browses for skirts in a magazine but is dismayed to find that she has no money to pay for it, having spent it all on Ryuu's present. Then she makes a slip, revealing that she wants to look good for Ryuu's brother. At that moment, Ayane shows up with a bruise on her cheek. When asked, she says that she finally broke it up with her boyfriend. While the girls try to comfort Ayane, Ryuu quietly slips out of the room and Kazehaya follows. Once outside, Kazehaya finds out that Ryuu has yet to tell Chizu about his feelings. At lunch, both Chizu and Sawako try to cheer Ayane up but the conversation ends up being about skirts. Ayane laughingly promises to give Chizu one as a present. That evening, Ryuu drops by Chizu's house and enters her room without knocking. Chizu takes issue with this but Ryuu remains unperturbed. He sits on her bed, close to her, and starts to tell her when Chizu stops him and dashes towards the edge of the bed. Unknown to Ryuu, she hides the present she bought for him just in time before he sees it. Not wanting him to find out, Chizu also tells him to leave. A confused Ryuu goes away even as it starts to rain.

COMMENTS:

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone ~ ♥

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Armed Librarians 18-19: Fool's Paradise

Volken's justice, Milepoch's heart.
EPISODE 18: A Propeller, Recollection and the Lead Human
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Volken and Olivia Litlet (fake Renas) make a run for it with Hamyuts hot on their heels. Also, Hamyuts sends out the one man that could knock some sense into Volken's head: Vizac. However, Volken has not wasted his time away from Bantorra island in complete idleness. He has become stronger, completely taking Vizac by surprise and defeating him in battle. Realizing that he can't match the younger man, Vizac gives up the fight and lets Volken and Olivia go. But it's not that easy. As soon as Volken and Olivia leave, a Shideki Church member appears behind Vizac and kills him. Now all the armed librarians think Volken killed his old teacher. Meanwhile, Milepoch tries to contact Volken through telepathy and suddenly recalls a little of her memory with him. But Mattalast and the others get her to set a trap for him by pretending to inform him that Hamyuts' plane is having engine troubles. Without suspecting foul play, Volken makes a detour in a ruined city where Olivia first met Vend Ruga. While there, she begins to regain some of her memories -- first as a human child kidnapped by the Shideki Church, then to a meat driven to do anything, use anyone to gain something but what she can't remember. At that moment, Hamyuts announces her presence.

EPISODE 19: A Fool, Empty Space and a Dancing Fairy
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Mattalast confronts Milepoch about her betrayal and warns her that Hamyuts won't stand for it. Meanwhile, Volken and Olivia are engaged in a plane chase but with Hamyuts' sniping ability, it is clear they are on the losing end. They hide in a forest but that proved to be a more dangerous move as the place is crawling with meats. Volken decides that he and Olivia should separate. To ensure that she would make it, he gives her a little of his magic powers. Then he goes out to meet Hamyuts head on. Olivia gains more and more of her memories, revealing that Vend Ruga had been both her protector and friend but after Hamyuts killed him, the now defenseless Olivia was captured and turned into a meat by the Shideki Church. She seduced the true man Charlot so that she could get away with using Ylucklucu in some magic ritual to revive Vend Ruga. But the ritual failed and she lost many of her meat friends as a result. Meanwhile, Volken's fight with Hamyuts is at full throttle, but even with his new strength, Volken is no match against the Acting Director of the Armed Librarians Corps. Once she has him right where she wants him, she delivers the real shocker: the Shideki Church is a creation of the Armed Librarians with the Governor of Paradise appointed by the Acting Director herself. More than the killing shot that Hamyuts' sends his way, her revelation destroys him completely. Rascall Othello appears just then and takes out Volken's book but before she could go away with it, Hamyuts takes it to prevent the others, especially Milepoch, from finding out. Next, she goes after Olivia but by then the latter has Ylucklucu in her possession. Her complete memories now restored, Olivia uses the artifact to restore the memories of the other meats as well. Back in Bantorra, Milepoch rings the bell that signals the fall of a comrade.

COMMENTS:

And he dies. I can't say I'm happy but I didn't care much for the character that's for sure. That goes for Olivia, too.

I think I know what this anime needs, other than a tighter plot and better production values: better characterization. Somehow, with all its colorful cast of characters, with admittedly interesting designs, it manages to be a show about dull characters doing otherwise exciting things. At the rate its going, the only character I really care about is the amoral Hamyuts Meseta. If that was the writers' intention all along, then okay, but it seems to me that they expect us to feel something for these other characters who get randomly killed off. It's like, oh, she died. Next please.

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Armed Librarians 17: Volken is back, is gone again

...and he's back. He's gone. Wait, what?
EPISODE 17: A Return Home, An Encounter, and Fiery Green
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Enlike is spending a lot of time with fake Renas Fluru, who is trying to remember the past. Meanwhile, the armed librarians receive a most unexpected house guest -- Volken, the traitor. Hamyuts aggravates the situation further by making a great show of welcoming Volken back into their fold. Only Mattalast knows she's planning something else.

It's been decided that a trial is going to be held against the traitor but Volken is confident that his former comrades would understand the reason for his actions. He has it in mind to topple Hamyuts off from power by exposing her wicked ways to everyone. However, without any hard evidence to prove his claims, no one is willing to take up his cause. Even Mirepoch, his closest friend, has forgotten about him. Or has she?

Meanwhile, an encounter with the fake Renas Fluru reveals the whereabouts of Olivia Litlet and of Vend Ruga, whom Hamyuts already tried to kill once. This prompts Volken to escape from Bantorra once more, bringing Renas with him. But with his former teacher, Vizac, hot on his tails, will Volken make it out safely this time?

COMMENTS:

I have to admit I'm a bit surprised by the way this series manages to connect seemingly insignificant events from previous episodes and reveal them later on as essential plot points in the grand scheme of things. I'm not saying it's well done. It's a little too convenient to be thoroughly convincing. It might impress some people. I say I've seen series with better execution than this. But the fact that the series is still trying to pull up one surprise after another like this gives it appeal. It's compelling in a way a lackluster magician still manages to pull out that rabbit out of his hat each time.

As for this episode, PLOT HOLES, my god! Volken comes back and is supposed to be held for trial and yet is allowed to roam the island, unguarded. No wonder he escaped! What's more, he escaped on the plane that he used to get into the island. OMG! Like, aren't the armed librarians supposed to be this elite group of fighters? How good are they if they can't even take care of security in their own effin' headquarters? The least they could have done was put Volken's plane on lockdown. Jesus.

Anyhoo, the series has a new opening and ending. The opening features new characters, including the blond one we saw earlier and little Hamyuts playing with this other kid. The ending features the Volken x Mirepoc and Noloty x Enlike pairings as well as Hamyuts in moe mode. I'm not extremely interested in this series now. All I'm interested about is how they're going to end this: Will they kill Hamyuts? Or Volken? I don't care either way.

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Kimi ni Todoke 15: Sunglasses

Kurumi ♥ ~ I think I like her better like this.
EPISODE 15: Rival
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Kurumi and Sawako are still in the same spot, alternately crying and arguing and talking about Kazehaya. Sawako wonders if it would have been possible for her to be friends with Kurumi had they liked different people, but quickly thinks that if that were so, then she wouldn't have understood her feelings for Kazehaya at all because there would be no Kurumi to help her. Kurumi asks Sawako if she and Kazehaya are now going out. Ever the naive one, Sawako doesn't even think that Kurumi knows Kazehaya likes her (Sawako). Their crying bit now over, Kurumi leaves but not without Sawako telling her to tell Kazehaya about the misunderstanding with Pin.

Later, Kurumi remembers how in middle school she thought she had many friends only to find out that they had only been using her popularity with the boys in order to get close to the ones they like. So when one of these boys confessed to Kurumi, they all grew cold towards her. Only Kazehaya seemed to notice that she's hurting and because of this she promised never to tell anyone that she likes him until after she confesses to him.

Much later, Kurumi runs into Kazehaya and, despite herself, finally confesses that it's him she likes, not Pin. Kazehaya apologizes and adds that he likes someone else. Even so, he admits to being happy that Kurumi likes him.

Meanwhile, Sawako finally tells her two bestfriends that she likes Kazehaya. Yoshida is genuinely surprised while Yano pretends not to already know, but both say that they're happy for her.

The next day, Kurumi shows up in school wearing sunglasses and a new personality (her real personality). Pin interrogates her about the accessory but upon closer look, realizes who she is. He then wonders if it's because she had been crying her eyes out the night before after he's rejection. A furious but resigned Kurumi let's him think whatever he wants until Pin eventually does say something of interest: he says that high school boys, whether they like her or not, will think about a girl all the time after confessing to him.

Kurumi meets Sawako later and declares that even if Sawako and Kazehaya start going out, she will never give them her blessings. Then she adds that she will hate any girl whom Kazehaya likes. Sawako asks if they would never be friends and Kurumi says that rather than friends, they are rivals.

The sports festival ends and Sawako's class unfortunately ends up only at 6th place, much to Yoshida and Pin's dismay. Even so, the after-party planned by the class is still on and Kazehaya tells everyone to be there. On her way to the after-party, Sawako looks up 'rival' in the dictionary and discovers that it means "a good enemy." Not surprisingly, she is thrilled at having her first rival.

During the party, Yano and Yoshida ask Sawako all sorts of questions about Kazehaya until the girl finally can't stand it and has to step out. Kazehaya soon follows and finds her sleeping on the stairs. Kazehaya sits beside her, then whispers her name. A half-asleep Sawako says 'hai' then moves to rest her head against his shoulder.

COMMENTS:

This was a funny and cute episode. Not much I can say about it other than that. Also, I've decided to start calling her Sawako, now. It's not right to call her 'Sadako' anymore when the girl has gone through so much and came out of it with her original true personality still intact.

I also like Kurumi now. Well, I've always liked her scheming, manipulative ways. But now that she's out, it's become much more interesting.

Now, can we please have some Ryuu x Yoshida moments? XD

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Armed Librarians 16: So about Mince

...

Where was I? Sorry. I can't think with these boobs in my face.
EPISODE 16: A Banned Book, A Coward, and the Sacred Eyes
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Mattalast is in a room alone, standing in front of a large tree. He muses about how 'it' might not like the book he's offering. The book disintegrates into specks of light which are then absorbed into the tree. He turns to leave and as he does, he reaches for his gun, but something stops him. Then he smiles and mutters that he must be exhausted. Meanwhile, Hamyuts sends Mince out on a mission to find out who is responsible for selling snuff books and asks two unlikely people to accompany him. Turns out the mission hits much closer to home for Mince as the man they are hunting for may well be an old friend of his.

COMMENTS:

Sorry. Still can't think. Too much fan service makes my brain stop. What was this episode about? All I can remember about it is that there was this girl in lingerie, a completely insignificant shower shot, and jokes that tell you, not for the first time, how many levels of male chauvinism can be explored in a 30-minute episode.

Also, something about a tree.

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Kimi ni Todoke 14: Left Out Kurumi

Kurumi's feelings....EPISODE 14: Kurumi
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With her secret now out, Kurumi finds herself in a tight spot. More so when she inadvertently admits to spreading some of the bad rumors about Yano, Yoshida and Sadako. However, instead of becoming angry, Sadako can only cry as she realizes that Kurumi just pretended to be her friend. Yoshida can't stand it so she gives Kurumi a piece of her mind, impressing Yano somewhat. But Kurumi remains remorseless, saying that there's nothing wrong with her using people because other people do it to her all the time, asking her for favors and then forgetting about her afterwards. Because of Kurumi's adamant attitude, Yano threatens to tell on her to Kazehaya but Kurumi calls her bluff and later Sadako herself begs Yano not to do it because she knows that Kurumi would not want the person she likes to see her in a bad light. So Yano and Yoshida decide to let it go with Yano apologizing to Sadako for making it too personal. Later, Sadako watches the volleyball game from the sidelines but finds herself thinking about Kurumi the whole time. Their class lose the game but Yoshida plans to make up for it in soccer. On their way to the field, they overhear some of Kurumi's classmates discussing her absence and saying that it was just as well because otherwise they would have lost the game. This makes Sadako realize that Kurumi was at least telling the truth when she said that people just forget about her when they don't need her to do them favors. So after the soccer game is over, which their class won thanks to Yoshida's energetic playing, she goes to look for Kurumi. Kazehaya arrives a little later, saying that he couldn't watch the game because Pin kept pestering him. Pin then reveals that he has "broken" Kurumi's heart and warns Yano and Yoshida not fall for him because he doesn't go for kids. The two react with disgust while other students who heard Pin's declaration could only wonder at Kurumi's taste. Meanwhile, Sadako finds Kurumi where they left her, sitting under a tree by herself. Kurumi wonders why she came back and Sadako tells her that she's in love with Kazehaya, adding that she wants to tell Kurumi of all people because she knows Kurumi understands. Rather than understand, Kurumi tells her she hates Sadako because Kazehaya likes her without any effort on her part. As she says this she starts to cry and Sadako realizes just how much Kurumi loves Kazehaya, too.

COMMENTS:

Kurumi is cute. Especially when she's crying. And there's no sarcasm there. She's really become quite sympathetic this episode. But if this episode made me see Kurumi in a better light, it's Sadako who deserves my admiration. What a smart, intuitive girl.

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Armed Librarians 15: Fighting Girls

There are so much, much more interesting series in the Winter Line-up than Armed Librarians that I'm seriously considering dropping it in favor of whatever flavor-of-the-season I end up with. But I suppose I'll apply the 3-episode rule again.EPISODE 14: The Setting Sun, A Storyteller and a Collection of Fables
More Screencaps from Armed Librarians: The Book of Bantorra 14
After her hair-raising close encounter with Alme in the previous episode, Milepoch figures out that the former may possess the same sensory powers as Hamyuts. Despite this, Milepoch stays with her mission. Meanwhile, Alme is doing her own search for Parney's book in order to find some clue as to Rascal Othello's whereabouts. She eventually finds the book and discovers Parney's murderers. Milepoch on the other hand makes her own discovery as the boy she has been looking for, Ruly Strait, turns up and tells her that his father is Rascal Othello. Believing that Ruly has been deceived, Milepoch nevertheless finds herself standing face to face with said Rascal Othello, who then kills Ruly right in front of her eyes. Rascal warns her that he will come after Alme next, then Milepoch and Mattalast. At that moment, Alme is waiting for Rascal to show up. The old man does not disappoint but before the two could begin, Milepoch crashes in and attacks Alme. While the two girls fight, Rascal withdraws to the background, waiting for the opportune moment. However, he miscalculates, never realizing that Milepoch and Alme would actually work together. Just as Rascal prepares to stab Alme in the back, Milepoch shoots him, the bullet hitting his heart. The reason for their temporary truce now over, the two girls pick up where they left off. Knowing that she can't defeat Alme with just her sword skills alone, Milepoch distracts the other girl with her telepathy, thereby allowing Matt to sneak behind Alme and put a bullet through her back. Alme dies. After Milepoch and Matt are gone, a young girl, carrying the Stone Sword of Spent Time, Yor, comes to take Alme's book, thus, revealing herself to be the real Rascal Othello. The next day, Milepoch finally leaves Fulbeck City without Matt, who at that moment, is meeting with the last member of the Shideki Church. It is revealed then that the Armed Librarians and the Shideki Church share one goal: to protect the secrets of Rascal Othello and Heaven.

COMMENTS:

Wow, I totally did not expect that one: the old guy was fake and the real Rascal Othello is a loli! Forgive me if I fall down in stitches but this is just hilarious. Just when I thought this show was getting more and more uninteresting, they went and pulled this trick out of their hats. How clever!

Plus, I was right! Well, partly. I thought that Hamyuts was working with the Shideki Church for some higher goal yet to be revealed. Turns out, it's the whole Armed Librarians outfit that's working with the Shideki Church, except that it's all so top secret that only those occupying the highest echelons of both organizations actually know.

Anyway, now that that's finally revealed, I can't imagine how the series can top that. Next episode appears to be about Mince. Not particularly fond of that character but we'll see. I guess they're saving Volken dying for the finale. lolz

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