Best Anime of 2009

Posted by Neko Kyou in Thoughts on December 31st, 2009

Yes, I’m still here 😛

This time instead of a top 10, there will actually be 12!

The reason is because I had such a hard time trying to decide which are the best in my opinion and I ended up with 12 great shows that I don’t have the heart to just kick any of them off the list anymore.

Only series that started this year (sequels included), or series that started late last year, with at least half the episodes aired in 2009 is considered. Of course, only series that I’ve watched are also considered. I can’t judge something I’ve not watched, after all.

Also, this list is based on my own preference. Everyone have their own tastes, you might not like the same shows as I do, but chances are there will be a few that you will agree with me.

#12

Cross Game

Never thought I would be watching a baseball anime. I’ve had absolutely no interest at all in the sport, and I still don’t. But the story itself is very well written and the animation top notch. The first episode left a pretty deep impression on me, which is what hooked me into continuously watching and enjoying Cross Game.

#11

Eden of the East

Yet another well written story, Eden of the East is destined for greatness. Why the low rank, though? Because the ending was hanging and it would be another year (estimated) before any of us outside Japan can get to see the first movie. And then there’s the 2nd movie…

Having to wait so long for the finale just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

#10

Kobato

CLAMP did it again with Kobato! And thankfully, this time it seems like they’ve gone back to a more straight-forward and less confusing story compared to Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle and xxxHolic. I didn’t want to read the manga yet since I’m still reading the former 2, but after watching this I probably will start reading the manga too.

And Ioryogi kinda reminds me of Meido Guy. He’s awesome XD

#9

Hetalia – Axis Powers

History has never been so fun. I wished they used this to teach World History back in school, I would have learned a lot more (and actually remember it, too!). The jokes can be really hit or miss, and sometimes it just doesn’t make sense at all, which is why Hetalia doesn’t rank any higher. But I always find myself looking forward to more Hetalia every week.

#8

Seitokai no Ichizon

The student council may not do anything at all with most of the show taking place in that same room, but in this case it’s not the settings but the characters that keeps the series floating. I only wish it was KyoAni who were doing this, they’re probably the most suited to do a show like this.

#7

Pandora Hearts

Possibly the best adaptation of Alice in Wonderland in an anime. Like Alice in Wonderland, Pandora Hearts features a cast of interesting and whacky characters such as Break with his Mad Hatter chain.

#6

Minami-ke Okaeri

While it may not be the same standard as the original Minami-ke (my top anime of 2007), Minami-ke Okaeri is leaps better than the previous season of Okawari. The OP and ED may be placed at annoyingly odd timing, but at the very least Minami-ke became watchable again, and more importantly – funny and interesting.

#5

Nyan-Koi

A romantic comedy with a cat curse, what more can I ask for!?

And you just gotta love Nyamsus <3

#4

Hayate no Gotoku Season 2

Hayate’s season 2 starts off a lot stronger than season 1, but ends rather abruptly. Season 2 puts a lot more focus on side characters, especially Hinagiku. More Hinagiku is never a bad thing – her dazzling performance of Cruel Angel Thesis was nothing short of remarkable.

#3

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

I’ve never been a fan of Full Metal Alchemist. But Brotherhood surprised me. After the first 10 or so episodes, it took a different turn than the original anime series, this time following the original manga storyline. I can finally see why FMA is so popular thanks to Brotherhood. All I can say is I’m glad I decided to stick with Brotherhood to see how the story would be different since it follows the manga. Olivier Mira Armstrong quickly overtook Mustang and Major Armstrong as my favourite character.

#2

Saki

Mahjong is a fun game. It takes both luck and skill to play and it feels like a strategic battle between 4 people. Throw in plenty of ridiculous moves and finishing hands, and you get Saki. The chances of performing any of the hands that so frequently appear in Saki is extremely low in a real life game. But even though you know they are coming, it still feels extremely intense to watch Saki do her thing. While the fanservice can be over the top sometimes, it’s only natural since it’s by Gonzo.

#1

*drumrolls…*

Presenting the 4 members…

On the drums…

On the guitar…

On the keyboard…

And finally the bass…

Oops.. sorry… wrong image.

Let’s try that again.. on the bass…

Yup, the winner this year is none other than the light music club, the K-ON club!

K-ON!

Animation quality may be lacking, even more so since this is coming out of KyoAni’s studio, but K-ON quickly grew into a huge sensation. Mio became the newest darling of anime fans worldwide overnight. It won’t be exactly wrong to say that Mio was what helped pushed K-ON to the top of the list and she is the main reason the majority continues to enjoy and loves the show.

The music and songs are also excellent to say the least. Don’t Say Lazy, Fuwa Fuwa Time, these are just 2 of the songs from K-ON that will live on for many, many years to come. A true masterpiece, if only KyoAni had done a better job at the animation quality, but I guess you can’t always have it all.

Happy 2010!!!


If you’ve enjoyed this post, you’ll probably enjoy my Top 10 Funniest Anime list. Please check it out here: Top 10 Funniest Anime

Saki
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What’s with “Tsundere Meaning”??

Posted by Neko Kyou in Random Fun on November 3rd, 2009

WTF happened on the 30th of last month?

Looks as if a whole bunch of people suddenly heard the term tsundere and googled to find out what it is o.o

Not that I’m complaining of course :)

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Hetalia: Truth Behind The Modern Olympics…

Posted by Neko Kyou in Random Fun on September 23rd, 2009

I will never look at the Olympics the same way ever again…

… ever, ever again…

So apparently France suggested that the first modern Olympic games be held. Now we know why…

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Saki Upgraded to Downright Scary…

Posted by Neko Kyou in Random Fun on August 10th, 2009

Saki is strong in Mahjong, no doubt about it. But she’s just upgraded herself to downright scary in the latest episode 19. I thought it would be hard to top what she did last week.

Saki pulled off another triple kang followed by rinshan kaihou, only this time it’s a flush as well and have to be paid fully by Koromo for discarding the tile that allowed the rinshan kaihou, making Saki the winner.

The scary part?

Looks like she just had an orgasm…

She was smiling all the time in a very creepy, even sadistic way. To top it off, she was telling Koromo how fun it was to pwn her play against her and that they should continue to enjoy it.

My poor Koromo :(

And she totally pwned Koromo right after that.

I seriously thought they were gonna kiss…

Like this…

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Eureka 7: Pocketful of Rainbows

Posted by Neko Kyou in Reviews on August 8th, 2009

Aww.. so cute.

I love Eureka 7.

It’s one of my favourite series of all times and is the only mecha anime I know that doesn’t really concentrate on who has the bigger, more badass mecha and instead on the journey and growth of each character. Of course Eureka 7 had some great looking and kickass mechs, like Nirvash typeZERO’s final form.

Immediately at the start of Eureka 7’s movie “Pocketful of Rainbows” you can tell that it takes place in an alternate universe. It could be good or bad depending on how it’s done.

Everything went on smoothly and rather entertaining during the first third of the movie. Renton and Eureka’s personalities were slightly altered, but I must say I liked it better that Renton wasn’t so annoying and Eureka was actually kinda moe~

And then there is Nirvash and theEND as faeries. They look so cute and cuddly XD

But that’s where things started to fall apart.

If looks could kill…

The crews of the Gekkostate were a bunch of insane and paranoid 17 year olds trapped in the bodies of middle aged men and women due to faster aging due to the “Agony of Doha” incident. Anemone is an old lady and lover of the late Dominic hiding under Vodarac and I’m still trying to figure out exactly what part does she play in the story.

That’s the biggest flaw with Pocketful of Rainbows.

A lot of things doesn’t make any or much sense at all. The most confusing part is – what exactly happened at the end?

White version of Gundam Providence?

What exactly did Eureka and Nirvash had planned to do and what actually happened when Nirvash broke the huge Image right before being hit by the Hammer of God. The movie made no effort to explain any of these.

The only thing that’s certain is that Nirvash has left (and god knows whatever happened to theEND) and Eureka now has long hair and can’t speak.

I was left wondering whether Eureka’s memory were wiped out since it seemed like her memory could somehow alter reality to save Renton but that might not have been the case – I really can’t tell at all and it’s frustrating the heck out of me since I have no idea what the ending was supposed to be after spending almost 2 hours watching the damn movie.

Maybe it was something I missed, so if you know the answer, PLEASE TELL ME!

It’s like something major happened that ended the whole story but no one seems to know or care what it is. Oh god I feel like banging my head on the wall right now.

Honestly, I somewhat wish I never laid eyes on the movie but at the same time it would have been a waste if I had missed it. It’s great on some parts with a few interesting and fresh twist in the story. There were some touching moments as well, but nowhere at the level of the series.

Peter Pan and Neverland does not, I repeat, does not fit in well here. And apparently so does most of everything else Bones threw into the pot, especially the ending. The movie would have been much more tolerable and enjoyable to some extent if they didn’t screw it up at the end!

Naked long haired Eureka <3


If you haven’t watched it yet but plan to, be prepared to enjoy the first third of the movie, be touched and confused by the remaining and be utterly lost at the end and walking away with a bad taste in your mouth, but at the same time if you skip it, you’re also missing out on all the great parts of the movie.

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