Let’s Flamenco!

It’s no secret that I loved Samurai Flamenco. From the very beginning I adored the show and it just continued to surprise and escalate and be awesome.

And now…it’s over. *sob sob sob*

I can’t quite bring myself to remove it from my Crunchyroll queue.

With a show like this, a disappointing crash & burn ending is entirely possible or maybe even probable. Heck, I didn’t even know how I wanted it to end, I just knew I had really high expectations. After this wild ride, I really didn’t want to be let down.

And Samurai Flamenco delivered.

If you watched the series, I hope you loved it as much as I did (is that possible?) or at least found it enjoyable and unique. If you haven’t watched the series, you’re missing out on the fun and complexity that is…Samurai Flamenco!

 

3-23-2014

Everything is escalating as many series are coming to an end and that includes perhaps my favorite non-Kuroko episode of the week:

Samurai Flamenco Episode 21: I started this blog because, apparently, everything I need to know, I learned from anime. There are a lot of life lessons and inspiration…and also some cynical, not-so-inspirational lessons. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a funk or indecisive about something and I’ll watch an episode of anime or read manga and OMG IT’S LIKE IT’S SPEAKING JUST TO ME! HOW DID IT KNOW?! Perhaps I’m just mentally ill and projecting but I find a lot of answers through anime. I have no goal of being a hero, but oddly enough, this episode really resonated with me this week. Unlike…

Log Horizon Episode 25: This is the last episode of the season, I believe (?) but it’s already been announced that we’ll get a season two. A few episodes ago I couldn’t get enough Log Horizon, but by the end of Episode 25 I wasn’t sure I really cared about a season 2. I’m sure I’m just being moody and felt let down by the generic ending/stopping point, much like:

Inari Kon Kon Episode 10: Another final episode (right?) which bummed me out. Though I don’t know what I expected, I think I wanted more of this show and it pretty much ended exactly as I thought it would. I don’t know why I should feel let down by my prediction coming true–I mean, at least it wasn’t a horrible devastating ending. And I guess not every ending can be like:

Noragami Episode 12: I loved Noragami from the beginning and it just kept getting better and better. I suppose I’m a hypocrite because this ending could be considered pretty generic, but I actually felt pretty satisfied when it was all over. Now I’m really looking forward to the manga.

Hozuki no Reitetsu Episode 11: All I could think was, “I love this show. It’s so soothing. I’m going to be so sad when it’s over.” I can’t say that about:

World Conquest Zvezda Plot Episode 11: Not particularly excited about this show anymore. It still has some good one-liners and I hope the finale brings everything together and conquers us all! Unlike:

Witch Craft Works Episode 11: I am looking forward to the final episode…because I’m pretty tired of this show. I thought it had potential but at this point, where action and excitement should be at its peak, I just think, “I shouldn’t have picked this one up. But now I have to see how it ends.” I don’t mean to dis the anime as a whole–there are some people who still love it. Witch Craft Works and I just aren’t seeing eye-to-eye anymore, much like everyone in:

Nagi no Asukara Episode 24: I swear, this show should have just been titled “Feelings & Tears” or something similar. We are nearing the end, though (I think?) and things seem (jinx?) to be falling into place a bit. I actually really liked this episode, maybe because things are starting to come together somewhat. Which could also be said for:

Hamatora Episode 11: Call me sick, but one thing I’ve enjoyed about Hamatora is its ability to make me laugh out loud in surprise at sudden blood splatter explosions. And Moral is simply a wonderful villain. I loved his over-coffee exchange with Nice in this episode. Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and philosophical and get some shit done! Which you won’t find in:

Nobunaga the Fool Episode 11: I saw a tweet today about how purely DUMB this show is. At this point…I can’t really argue. But I enjoy it anyway. It has kind of devolved into an incoherent mess (okay, okay, maybe it was always an incoherent mess) but they say trainwrecks are fun to watch, too, right? At least it doesn’t resort to tentacles like:

Nobunagun Episode 12: Yes, I know this is my second week of transitioning from Nobunaga the Fool to Nobunagun by talking about tentacles. But if the tentacles weren’t bad enough, why the blushing?! Wouldn’t an appalled, creeped-out face be more appropriate? Yeah, okay, you have a giant squid monster, but I think NOT resorting to tentacle probing would be the edgier thing to do. My dislike of tentacles aside, this episode was actually pretty exciting (NOT BECAUSE OF THE TENTACLES!). And who would have ever thought I’d say something like, “Aw, that Jack the Ripper is such a sweet guy.” Hey, didn’t Nobunagun originate with an incident in Taiwan? Because that’s where our new character is from in:

Ace of the Diamond Episode 24: Holy crap, I can’t believe it’s been 24 episodes already! I hope it goes on forever. We get a look at another team’s ace–a precision, errrr, “clockwork” pitcher from Taiwan. At first he seems like a frigid asshole, but thanks to a bit of backstory, we realize not only does he look hot in glasses, but he’s actually a caring person who is just PASSIONATE ABOUT BASEBALL. And we all know that being passionate about sports makes *the best* anime…why, yes, we see this in:

Kuroko’s Basketball Episode 49: Sigh. I. Love. This. Show. Dai suki. Once again, I sat there thinking, “This show is amazing.” I can’t remember if I cried this episode or not, but I do remember laughing out loud at that brilliant scene between Himuro and Murasakibara. What a shit Murasakibara is, he is such a fantastic character. And I love “Zone eyes.” I love Aomine’s jacket. I love Teppei saying unintentionally heart-catching things. I love it all. And I love how a simple thing like Murasakibara asking for a hair tie signals the intense shit that’s about to come…next episode, of course. Oh shit, I got so worked up thinking about Kuroko’s Basketball that I forgot to mention:

Silver Spoon Episode 10: This is such a solid anime. This episode wasn’t as painful as the previous couple (thank goodness) and finally, we get to see a bit more of Mikage and she’s more likeable as a result. I also really liked how her relationship with Hachiken is progressing so–a friend of mine would use the word “organically”, which makes me giggle since this is an anime about farming. So yes, their relationship is progressing “organically” and it’s endearing while still maintaining sufficient tension.

What I Watched 3-16-2014

Samurai Flamenco Episode 20: Masayoshi is Little Slugger?! Jokes aside, that fight with Goto-san was incredibly hard to watch. I felt absolutely heartbroken, so I continued on to:

Silver Spoon Episode 9: …where I was then heartbroken for Komaba. This was also a hard episode to watch as I felt it hit close to home. No, I’m not dealing with bankruptcy, but being a business owner and part of a family business I could relate to Komaba (and Mikage). And unfortunately I can relate to Hachiken, though I don’t want to reveal any more than that.

Noragami Episode 11: Absolutely amazing, one of the best episodes so far. I can’t wait to read the manga now. Though when Hiyori started crying for a reason she couldn’t explain, I thought of…

Kuroko’s Basketball Episode 48: Because this is also one of the BEST episodes so far AND when Teppei started crying and didn’t understand why, I started crying too. I really need to quit crying at Kuroko’s Basketball pretty much every episode >_<

Nagi no Asukara Episode 23: …was also full of tears, though none of mine. I think the current dilemma is very interesting, though my personal preference is to just leave Manaka like she is. I realize I’m in the unpopular camp with that though. Haha. Or maybe Manaka’s heart will return for…Akira? That way no pair is truly happy but at least that way no one gets left out..? I think my solution of being heartless is much easier. And speaking of heartless, in:

Hamatora Episode 10: Moral delivered another villainous speech that made a little too much sense. I kept thinking, “No, this is the bad guy, don’t agree with him!” But shit is hitting the fan and the series is escalating, much like:

Nobunagun Episode 11: This was the most action-packed (to me) and therefore my favorite episode so far. I’ve never particularly looked forward to Nobunagun since starting it, but I really enjoyed this episode. Though I had to laugh at the end when we’re faced with a girl’s worst enemy–tentacles! Though we learn in:

Nobunaga the Fool Episode 10: …that perhaps a girl’s worst enemy is her boobs? I mean, seriously, Ranmaru–why bother wrapping them anymore? That aside, I loved the highlighting of Hideyoshi this episode. I realize that this series only ties to history when it’s convenient, but *knowing* the (actual) history between Hideyoshi and Nobunaga I was glad to finally get a closer look at their interaction in the anime.

Roundup 3-1-2014

Log Horizon Episode 22: I cannot believe it’s Episode 22 already! It doesn’t feel like it to me; I want more!

Hamatora Episode 7-8: Episode 7 was one of those “OMG!” episodes and so then episode 8…was just silly. I enjoyed them both. This series continues to impress me.

Samurai Flamenco Episode 18: Speaking of impress…I love Samurai Flamenco! This series is one of my favorites right now and I wish everyone watched it. I can’t help it; I love Goto-san…and, y’know, everything else about the show.

Nagi no Asukara Episode 21: This show is driving me crazy but I have to see how it ends!

Yowapeda Episode 20: This episode focused almost entirely on another team but I kind of enjoy that. One of the things that makes a great sports anime (and Kuroko’s Basketball does this very well also) is giving depth to the other teams and fleshing out the characters. Caring about/learning about the opponents just makes everything better.

Ace of the Diamond Episode 21: OMG SPORTS ANIME IS SO GREAT! It’s funny because I don’t particularly look forward to Ace of the Diamond every week but by the end of each episode, I think, “This is so good!”

Inari Kon Kon Episode 7: Really loving this series and episode seven was great. I hope more people give it a try…after episode 1 I wasn’t so sure this would be a keeper but it continues to improve.

Kuroko’s Basketball Episode 46: I love this show so much.

 

What I Watched…Lately 2-2-14

Space Dandy Episode 5: So we went from pure goofy last week to sweet this week. It was so unexpectedly sweet that it actually made me kind of uncomfortable, but I suppose that’s a good thing.

Nobunagun Episode 5: What the heck is this anime? Nothing like a little inexplicable random french-kissing.

Samurai Flamenco Episode 15: I can’t help but fall for weird stereotypes and Mister Justice is hilarious. This series is amazing and there’s something about the style that I never get tired of just looking at it.

Log Horizon Episode 18: Honestly I thought this series would start to get boring but it continues to up the ante. I had to laugh out loud at the reception of Lenessia’s speech; it was a reminder that the Adventurers are really still just MMORPGers at heart, looking for a quest from a beautiful princess.

Kuroko’s Basketball Episode 42: I love this show so much. For the first half I was so excited I thought I might actually puke and by the end of the episode I had tears in my eyes. …Why don’t we have this in English JUMP again?

Nagi no Asukara Episode 17: Oh, the drama! The more I watch, the more I realize this really isn’t my kind of show; the angst is almost overwhelming. But it’s enjoyable in its own way and I have to see it through and find out how it all ends. Something else that occurred to me this episode–it’s been a little too nice not having Manaka around. I think Sayu is my favorite character.

Yowapeda Episodes 15 & 16: I like to watch Yowamushi Pedal while on the exercise bike but due to recent events that never happened so I had an extra episode to watch. There is something (so far) pure and wonderful about this series and it makes me feel somewhat refreshed and hopeful after watching it. I’m really enjoying the character development.

Ace of the Diamond Episode 17: Gah, this show is so good! Though this episode made me feel like I should have been a much better catcher back in my sports days >_< Every time I watch, I can’t get over how great the characters are.

Silver Spoon Episode 4: Gotta love delusional princess-types with ringlets! Having been on (and then off) horses many times, this episode was a little hard to watch; I was too worried someone was going to get hurt. I keep cheering for Hachiken, though, to gain some confidence.

Witch Craft Works Episode 4: Unfortunately I felt this episode was a bit predictable and not all that exciting. But hey, unless you’re Space Dandy or something, not every episode is gonna be great. Whatever happened to those girls’ pet llama, anyway?

World Conquest Zvezda Plot Episode 4: Continuing a trend I’ve been seeing this season (ignore what I just said about Witch Craft Works) of Episode 4 being THE episode where a lot of series are opening up, this Episode 4 gives us some character history and fleshes things out a bit. I was glad to see Natasha become a more interesting character, though I don’t think it was explained why she doesn’t wear more clothes…

Hozuki no Reitetsu Episode 4: I really love this anime. There’s something so relaxing and satisfying about it. Plus I laugh out loud at least once per episode. To me, it just has the feeling of something very well-constructed.

Magical Warfare Episode 4: Okay, so, I didn’t really pay attention to episodes 1-3 and so now I don’t have a firm idea of what is going on. But that said, I still enjoyed episode four and think the show has potential. I don’t expect anything deep or mind-blowing so I just think it’ll be fun to watch. Plus I love Glasses Guy’s voice…perhaps he’s just the adult version of Imayoshi from Kuroko’s Basketball?

Hamatora Episode 4: I’m really starting to love this show! By keeping my expectations relatively low, I get happily surprised every episode. And I love the bad guy; he is soooo bad and that makes him so good! He is just such a great “bad guy”…right now, he is what makes the show truly intriguing.

Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha Episode 3: This episode really kicked it up a notch for me…maybe because I’m fascinated by the brother? (Well, both brothers now, but for different reasons.) Inari is actually the least-interesting character as far as I’m concerned but I’m starting to think there’s a lot to love about this anime–such as a goddess who plays otome games.

What I Watched Today 1-25-2014

Hamatora Episode 3: I was excited about the potential of the series after watching episode 1 but skeptical that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. However, episode 3 was GREAT. I’m daring to get excited again that Hamatora could really be something fantastic. This episode reveals a bit more about the world and the place Minimum Holders have in it. As the client was talking about the school for Minimum Holders, I couldn’t help but think of X-Men and how this situation was the opposite. Rather than be reviled and regulated like mutants in X-Men, the Minimum Holders are actually given preferential treatment in society. But I think the highlight of the episode for me was the makes-sense-but-doesn’t-totally-socially-unacceptable rant by the shark-toothed antagonist. What can I say, people with shark teeth tend to be bad news…with the exception of Rin Matsuoka, of course.

Samurai Flamenco Episode 14: This just keeps getting better and more insane. This episode actually gave me goosebumps. It may sound like I’m just gushing week after week but I can’t say enough about how good and fun this series is. Let’s Flamenco!

Kuroko’s Basketball Episode 41: OMG this show!! So either you’re a) already watching Kuroko’s Basketball and know how amazing it is, in which case you don’t need me to tell you or b) you’re not watching it, what the hell are you waiting for, quit reading this and go watch it right now!