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ファイト／ステイナイト 
I'm sorry but I'd have to postpone Darker than Black 20 for a few more days. I've been wanting to do this for a while but never had the chance to do it before. However, with the new film coming out in September, I think there's no better time to do it. Evangelion was not the first anime that I watched so it wasn't something of a novelty to me in the first place. In fact, I remember being bored with the initial giant robot story. It's not until episode 4, The Hedgehog's Dilemma, that the show started to look interesting to me. Before I go further, here's the usual disclaimer: please do not go further unless you've seen the series. This includes the 26 episodes of the TV series and the 2 original movies (Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion). Spoiler after the cut, you've been warned.
For my long (well, it's been a week since I post anything) absence. It's partially the cough but it's also because I've been a bit lazy. At times I wonder if I am getting bored with anime but that's clearly not the case since I'm still excited to see the upcoming Evangelion movie in Japan. I think it's mostly because none of the series that's been aired in the past few seasons really motivate me to write anything. There's nothing that makes me want to write something as soon as possible like in the past with Honey and Clover, Suzumiya Haruhi, Ouran High School Host Club, and Rozen Maiden: Ouverture. As a result, lately I feel like I have no idea what to talk about. Well, until today that is thanks to the cool screenshots from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid game. If you want more of them and the larger version, check out Kotaku.
Having said that, I am not planning to retire anytime soon. I will cover the upcoming Evangelion movie since I'll be in Japan. I will even update Kongetsu again when I get there. Autumn anime series also look kind of interesting although just like other season this year, the numbers of the interesting series versus the mediocre one are quite imbalanced, with the mediocre winning. Maybe I should try writing more opinion pieces if I don't write episode reviews. That's something which I haven't done in a long time. I look back at my archive and notice that I used to talk a lot about characters and I don't do that much these days except in episode reviews. It's kind of hard to do that though when you're not as invested in the character. Anyway, that's the long drivel and I will come back tomorrow with Darker than Black 20. Yeah, I'm sure everyone is excited since it's been a week old since it was aired. I'm glad there's a one week break though.
Once again sorry for the late review. I am just not in the mood to write long summary lately. Much to my surprise, this episode is actually a lot more entertaining than I thought it would be. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much since the main subject deals with Huang, a character which I have little sympathy for. This episode, however, does a good job of fleshing out his character and giving him enough reason for his behaviour. In addition to this, I really like the atmosphere and the style that the episode decides to adopt. The black and white sequences really make the episode look more noir-ish. And the animation is unusually high quality, something which I hope will continue right down to the finale.
Ikimonogakari - Natsuzora Graffiti (30MB, for PSP/Quicktime) | YouTube version
I've been a fan of this group ever since I heard their first single, Sakura. This latest single is actually apart of two tracks single, Natsuzora Graffiti/Seishun Line. Seishun Line is pretty good as well but between the two, I prefer Natsuzora Graffiti mostly because it has more energy and the upbeat tune is pleasant to listen to. The PV is also pretty good even though it's not extraordinary. I always love PV which shows quiet beach/seaside area and this one has it in spade. The group also has undergone a slight transformation with the lead singer, Yoshioka Kiyoe, looking a lot more mature than her appearance in the group's other PV. Looking at the PV makes me want to just pack my travel bag and go to some secluded beach somewhere.
It looks like the opening isn't so misleading when it comes to Hei and Misaki's relationship. I am not sure if there will be a romance between the two but it seems they will develop some kind of bond due to their high-risk job. Unfortunately, despite the potential that this arc promised, there's no exploration about the nature of the dolls whatsoever. In the end, the doll and Kenji are nothing more than just characters of the week that Hei must save. I'm even surprised at the lack of Contractors in this episode. If dolls are well-known commodities even amongst normal people, then I wish the writers will start informing us how dolls are used by non-Contractors.
I still haven't fully recover from the nasty flu/cough combo so I'm afraid I'm just going to resort to bullet points for summary. I'm sorry about this but this is as much as I can come up with the remaining energy I have left at the moment. Anyway, I'm surprised at how a few mere months are all that it takes to decrease my interest in the series. I mentioned before how I can't feel that much attachment to any of the characters. This turned out to become a slight problem when I watched the finale. I mean, here we have the characters dropping left and right like flies and I can't seem to care at all. I think there's something wrong with a series where I can't seem to care if a character lives or dies. I am interested to know more about C.C's past but if she were to die as well, I don't think it will bother me at all.
