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ファイト／ステイナイト 
I realise that this is a rather late review but there's not much I can do since life's been kind of hectic in the past few weeks. It's rather unfortunate since this is probably the best episode out of all six episodes. I think there are at least two twists within the episode, both of which are equally pleasant to see. In addition to this, the ending is not only bittersweet but also has that touch of realism given to it. Overall, I have to say that I'm rather pleased with this series. It may not have great animation or out of this world plot, but I really like its languid, almost lazy pace that makes some of the episodes feel like they are slice-of-life stories. And when one thinks about it, death is indeed a part of life, albeit one that marks the end of the life itself. Anyway, if I have to choose three favourite episodes out of six, I'll probably say that this one, episode 3, and episode 2 are the ones that I like the most.
Okay, it's done! After a rewatch, this episode is actually a lot more interesting than when I first saw it. The dialogue is a lot stronger and when you think about it, the meaning behind some of the words are quite powerful. This episode also marks the re-appearance of a character from a previous episode who ends up taking a rather important role here. I also think that the animation for some reason looks a lot better here. It's probably because there is only one more episode left so maybe the animators can spend more budget on the animation. Anyway, I wonder how the series will wrap itself up next week since there doesn't seem to be a single arc involving Momo or Daniel thus far. It will be weird if the last episode is just another story about some random character. Having said that, I think it'll be difficult to do a background story on Momo with just one episode left.
This particular episode offers a very low key story which is an exact opposite this week's Mai Otome. In general, this episode works in a similar manner to the episode that comes before it but unfortunately without a similar charm. I find the story to be a bit dry and uninspiring even if there is one emotional scene just like in last week's episode. It also doesn't help that the animation and background design are a bit plain this time around. They mostly involve interior shot of a house due to the nature of the story. I actually wonder if the animators will fix some of the animation and background in the DVD version of the series. I know there is a current trend of adding value to the DVD version by fixing some animated series lately. But since this is a relatively obscure title, I am not sure if the producer will even give the idea a consideration.
This episode made me realise that despite its title, Shinigami no Ballad seems to focus more on love rather than death. The type of love in question differs from one episode to another. But in general, the death in this series is simply used to highlight the love that a character has for another character. And much to my surprise, this episode is also quite different from the first two, so I doubt that anyone will find this one repetitive in comparison to the other two. I also find the dialogue in this episode to be touching and easy to relate to. I especially like the fact that this episode didn't go into a melodramatic mode. While some of the scenes are touching and romantic, in general, the mood of the episode has this bittersweet feel attached to it. With only 3 more episodes to go, I hope that the writers will be able to maintain this quality right to the end.
Woot! This is a pleasant surprise. Two episodes in and already the series take on an entirely different approach to the story. I personally am quite relieved to see this and believe that this show won't end up like the early episodes of Jigoku Shoujo, where each episode is similar to the ones that come before it. Having said that, I suspect some people will dislike the protagonist of this episode and his mindset. It is hard to understand why anyone will think like this but the truth is, there are many people in this world who suffers from the same problem as the protagonist. I personally feel sorry for him because I think it's not easy living with that kind of outlook on life. Anyway, as a side note I thought the VA for Fujishima is actually Takahashi Mikako but as it turned out, she's actually Kana Ueda, the voice of Rin from Fate/stay night.
Yes, I realised that I haven't even completed Hantsuki and I will review the last 2 episodes soon. But to be honest, I am kind of losing interest with that series. My main intention right from the start was only to follow Shinigami no Ballad. However, I stupidly thought there will be some sort of crossover between Hantsuki and this one and decided to follow Hantsuki as well. When I realised that there wouldn't be any, I ended up being disappointed. It was mostly my mistake but it also didn't help that I didn't like the characters from that series. Anyway, what's past is past and judging from the first episode, I think I would like the storyline and the characters on this one better than the ones on Hantsuki. If you're interested, Matthew has a comparison between the novel and the anime. It looks like several scenes were excluded from the anime.
Opening theme: No One by KoY (10.1MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
Ending theme: White Messenger by KoY (9.5MB, for PSP/Quicktime)
