james_nicoll

I've watched Horizon. I've read detailed explanations of the back story. I still have no freakin' clue what's going on.

This isn’t an easily comprehended series, for sure. I had read somewhere that it was generally thought that the novels were too complex to be made into an anime. I’ve not read the novels myself. I think that reading Wikipedia in advance of the viewing (even though there are a fair number of spoilers – but there’s so much information, who is going to remember the reveals?) is a help. After viewing the series, one can read the more detailed Horizon Wiki for additional enlightenment.

I like series that are complex enough that subsequent viewings are provide new understandings. I’ve recently started my third pass through the series, and I love how seemingly throwaway lines or images are actually important details. In the second viewing, I got a lot of “Aha!”s. And there are still more on the third viewing. I think the anime is impressive in slipping in little details that don’t seem like anything during the first time through.

But even if the plot doesn’t make any sense, I’ve really enjoyed learning about each of the students at the academy. I think they’re all likable – and watching them in action against “the bad guys” is fun.

Worth warning that the first series of Hidamari Sketch is achronic, that is the episodes are shown out of time sequence. Each episode starts with the date and lasts, usually, one day from morning to night so it's not that difficult to keep up. It does drop you into the scenario right away though with no real introduction.

A fourth series has been announced, to be made and shown later this year.

Angel Beats - Guy wakes up on the lawn of a high school with no memory of who he is or how he got there. There's a girl next to him with a rifle sniping at another girl on the other side of campus. She explains that he's dead, this is the afterlife, she's the leader of an insurgency against God and the girl she's shooting at is an angel. Some major pacing problems, but overall enjoyable with a great soundtrack.

Another - J-horror about a cursed middle school class. Lots of Final Destination-style death scenes. (Who has an umbrella like that? Seriously.)

Bodacious Space Pirates - Reasonably accurate space opera about a girl who inherits her dad's pirate ship.

Croisee in a Foreign Labyrinth - 19th Century Japanese girl moves to France as a merchant's servant. Funny reverse exoticism ensues. The art department did enough research that you can figure out the year it takes place based upon landmarks.

Heaven's Memo Pad - An hikikomori girl who solves mysteries by directing her minions through cellphones. Yes, it's essentially Nero Wolfe as a teenage girl -- what did you expect from Japan? Fun fact: The girl takes her motto, "It's the only neat thing to do," from a James Tiptree, Jr. story and calls herself Alice.

Inu x Boku Secret Service - Really weird and mellow show about an apartment building filled with really weird and mellow half-human half-supernatural people who are protected by really weird and mellow bodyguards. Did I mention the weird and the mellow?

Kids on the Slope - The director and composer for Cowboy Bebop reteam for the story of a Japanese jazz band in the 1960s.

Listen to Me Girls, I'm Your Father - College student adopts his niece and her two half-sisters after his sister and brother-in-law die in a plane crash. The amount of thought he put into this can be seen by the fact that he didn't consider the problems inherent in sharing a one room apartment with three girls until it comes time for them to change clothes. For some reason the audience is supposed to find him noble. But the girls are interesting enough characters that you can almost overlook their moron guardian.

My gripe about Another is that (IMHO) the final episodes went off road and failed to satisfy most of the buildup from the earlier episodes. Without giving any spoilers, I’ll just say the word “stupid” came to my mind more often than it should have.

I got partway through Croisee in a Foreign Labyrinth and had to drop it due to time constraints. My interest never really ramped up for that one.

Kids on the Slope is fabulous. But if I read the indicators properly, it’s a direct stream with no subtitles or dubbing. So, yeah, I’d highly recommend this one if you understand Japanese.

Crunchyroll has Kids on the Slope streaming with subs. As far as I know, everything they have is available in Canada, so should work for James.