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ファイト／ステイナイト 
Well, this is a rather pleasant ending to Dr.Stein's mini arc. This is actually one of those occasions where I feel lucky that I haven't read the corresponding chapter. If you haven't either, then try not to read it until you watch the episode first because it's worth it. Unfortunately, the animation starts showing sign of degradation here. While it still looks good in general, it's not as clean and perfect as the past 4 weeks. As long as it doesn't degrade a lot more than it currently is, I think I'm going to be fine with it. Anyway, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the missing interrogation scene wasn't added in the late night version and we don't get to see it either in this one. Since Soul Eater is an evening show, I can understand BONES decision to excise the scene although it's a bit unfortunate as well because it's a funny scene more than anything else. This, however, makes me wonder about the purpose of the late night version. Is it just a way to increase ratings for the series instead of giving the ultimate version of the series?
The animation for this episode continues to be unbelievably good that it feels like BONES somehow obtains non-stop funding from Square Enix. The only issue that I have with this episode is the removal of a brief comedic scene from the episode. I was thinking that maybe it'll be screened on next week's episode but I am a bit doubtful now since the story has moved beyond that scene. I think this is unfortunate because the scene in question, while slightly juvenile, is actually quite funny. If I have to guess, the scene got cut out because it involves panty-flashing and may not be deemed appropriate for the time slot for this normal broadcast. It'll be interesting to see if the scene will be included in the late night broadcast because so far that other version has no added value whatsoever in comparison to the normal broadcast.
This is probably the most violent of the 3 prologue stories. While the first two episode showed the more playful side of the story, this one is pretty twisted. I certainly didn't expect the change of villain halfway through the episode. In fact, I thought the main villain they'll face in this one is the witch. Animation-wise, this episode is still as good as the first two. I guess having Square-Enix as one of your sponsors does help with the budget. Even mundane scene like Maka and Tsubaki wondering where their boys are look clean and well-designed. By the way, halfway through the episode, I was wondering why Kid sounds familiar to me and then it hit me that he sounds exactly like Light from Death Note. It looks like Miyano Mamoru uses his Light voice to voice Death and that voice is far easier to recognize than whatever voice he decides to use to voice Zero in Vampire Knight.
The second episode still boasts very impressive animation. It's really weird to see a shounen series like this getting such a high production value. Just take a look at the fight between Black Star and Mifune. Normally this would be one blurry mess but in this one, you can actually see each detail. Moreover, the whole thing looks stylish. It makes me wonder where the money comes from and how long can BONES keep up the quality of the series as it is now. The anime also makes an effort to connect Black Star/Tsubaki stories with Maka/Soul story from last week's episode by featuring the four characters in one scene. I am rather surprised to see the camaraderie between the four of them because I thought they'd be competing with each other. Instead, each one seems to have a good understanding of the other group even though they are basically competing for the same goal.
OP Theme: 「resonance」 by T.M.Revolution - AVI version (53MB) | PSP version (17.3MB)
This is quite an unusual treat for shounen series fans. It's quite unusual to see a shounen series with this kind of high-quality animation/character design devoted to it. The OP/ED themselves are quite a treat but much to my surprise, the animations within the episode itself are solid throughout. The only reservation I have so far is that the series is a bit cute for my liking although I have to admit that it's not too excessive. It's more along the lines of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas in its character/background design. I personally like the first episode but is a bit hesitant as well because I know that shounen series can be a bit repetitive as well. I also wonder if BONES can keep up the awesome animation quality that is shown in this episode later on. The story follows the life of 3 Shinigami scythe technicians and their humanoid weapons. In this first episode, we get to follow the 1st technician, Maka and her weapon, Soul Eater, who is also the name of the series. Anyway, let me know what you think about the series and if it stays interesting in the long run.
