The A List
1) Kage Kara Mamoru! - Out of nowhere. I almost didn't even watch the first episode. It's now moved into the pile of episodes that I watch twice, once in raw format and once after being subbed. Mamoru is likeable and amusing, each of his (rather large) harem is personable and funny.
2) Magikano - After my scarring experience with Amaenaideyo, I thought this would be a total miss for me, but surprisingly it seems to mix a lot of Pani Poni Dash type omega random plot points designed for maximum comedy. The interaction between the characters (particularly Maika, Ayumi and Yuri) is also particularly well played.
3) Canvas 2 - I'm hard pressed to point out what exactly about Canvas 2 I like. And, yet, I'm watching it avidly on raws. Frequently I watch it two or three times. I've already planned a marathon replay-all-of-the-episodes for two weekends from now (by which point the now-looking-to-be-pivotal Episode 21 should be subbed).
4) Shakugan no Shana - Yuuji's mom is the best mom ever, she's practically gift wrapping Shana for him. My mother, on the other hand, encouraged me to have lots of sex by simply being absent all the time. And Margery Daw is the best thing in a yukata since Matsumoto Rangiku.
2) Magikano - After my scarring experience with Amaenaideyo, I thought this would be a total miss for me, but surprisingly it seems to mix a lot of Pani Poni Dash type omega random plot points designed for maximum comedy. The interaction between the characters (particularly Maika, Ayumi and Yuri) is also particularly well played.
3) Canvas 2 - I'm hard pressed to point out what exactly about Canvas 2 I like. And, yet, I'm watching it avidly on raws. Frequently I watch it two or three times. I've already planned a marathon replay-all-of-the-episodes for two weekends from now (by which point the now-looking-to-be-pivotal Episode 21 should be subbed).
4) Shakugan no Shana - Yuuji's mom is the best mom ever, she's practically gift wrapping Shana for him. My mother, on the other hand, encouraged me to have lots of sex by simply being absent all the time. And Margery Daw is the best thing in a yukata since Matsumoto Rangiku.
The B List
1) Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora - Okay, this was pretty cute. Even better because it showed a non-standard happy ending. Rika is still dying young, she's just picked up a few years.
2)Kashimashi - The gender switching thing (especially the overt yuri-ness of it all) is not usually my cup of tea, but Kashimashi may be changing my mind about it (I've actually tried a little bit of Tenshi na Konamaiki since as well). Particularly amusing is how everyone EXCEPT Hazumu has a problem dealing with his new gender.
3)MAJOR 2nd season - Of all series on the list, this is the one that is most likely to make the jump to an A list series. I loved loved loved the first season of Major. I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up loving the second season as well, but I have to admit that it's started pretty slowly. And I'm not in love with the redesign of the characters either, but that's a pretty small quibble.
2)Kashimashi - The gender switching thing (especially the overt yuri-ness of it all) is not usually my cup of tea, but Kashimashi may be changing my mind about it (I've actually tried a little bit of Tenshi na Konamaiki since as well). Particularly amusing is how everyone EXCEPT Hazumu has a problem dealing with his new gender.
3)MAJOR 2nd season - Of all series on the list, this is the one that is most likely to make the jump to an A list series. I loved loved loved the first season of Major. I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up loving the second season as well, but I have to admit that it's started pretty slowly. And I'm not in love with the redesign of the characters either, but that's a pretty small quibble.
The C List
1) Binchou Tan- Cute and no plot usually means the C list for me. Interesting to watch (the charcoal references are too cute), but I'd probably never buy it until it was thinpacked. Since it's not the sort of thing that even gets licensed that often though, I have been keeping my eye out for Binchou-tan plushies.
2) REC - This could move up a notch to the B list. And it has tickled my interest in trying to hunt down the manga, but right now at least I think that's based more on the promise of the concept than the actual execution. For a series that only has a very few episodes, it seems to be moving at a glacial pace.
3) Karin - Karin started off as a B list show and has moved down to the C list with the introduction of Winner. It could still move back up, but frequently it doesn't seem like much is happening and it's not funny enough to overcome that. It is very cute though, and I would be totally onboard with a thinpak of it. It has also stimulated my interest in the manga (coming to the US by thanks of Tokyopop). I wonder if Tokyopop, Viz, Del Ray, et al realize how much fansubbing has cost me in domestic manga releases? I'm sure they much have some idea as the mangas seem suspiciously timed pretty closely to the release of anime series in Japan.
4) Mai Otome - Well, it's no Mai Hime. It was down with the D list, but then moved up in honor of it's train-wreck-ed-ness. I have to watch each week to see exactly how many times I can wish that Mai would come bouncing along and knock out Arika.
5) Bleach - Filler, and not very interesting filler at that. But I could be let down after the greatness of the Soul Society arc. Bleach seems to be progressing very quickly compared to the manga, but that's probably what I like best about it. The so-called "mindless shonen" genre doesn't do much for me if fights last more than about 10 or so minutes of screen time.
2) REC - This could move up a notch to the B list. And it has tickled my interest in trying to hunt down the manga, but right now at least I think that's based more on the promise of the concept than the actual execution. For a series that only has a very few episodes, it seems to be moving at a glacial pace.
3) Karin - Karin started off as a B list show and has moved down to the C list with the introduction of Winner. It could still move back up, but frequently it doesn't seem like much is happening and it's not funny enough to overcome that. It is very cute though, and I would be totally onboard with a thinpak of it. It has also stimulated my interest in the manga (coming to the US by thanks of Tokyopop). I wonder if Tokyopop, Viz, Del Ray, et al realize how much fansubbing has cost me in domestic manga releases? I'm sure they much have some idea as the mangas seem suspiciously timed pretty closely to the release of anime series in Japan.
4) Mai Otome - Well, it's no Mai Hime. It was down with the D list, but then moved up in honor of it's train-wreck-ed-ness. I have to watch each week to see exactly how many times I can wish that Mai would come bouncing along and knock out Arika.
5) Bleach - Filler, and not very interesting filler at that. But I could be let down after the greatness of the Soul Society arc. Bleach seems to be progressing very quickly compared to the manga, but that's probably what I like best about it. The so-called "mindless shonen" genre doesn't do much for me if fights last more than about 10 or so minutes of screen time.
The D List
1) Fate Stay Night - There's still time to get off the D list for Fate/Stay (I haven't given up yet). But it needs to have one of two things happen. Either actual servants need to get into battles to hike up my Bleach/R.O.D. the TV interest. Or else Sakura needs to go into all out hair-pulling Kaede mode on Rin. Luckily episode 8 showed that there could be a little bit of the latter coming up.
The E List
1) Kagihime Monogatari Eikyuu Alice Rinbukyoku - Yes, that's a mouthful. This series seems like a stock mahou shojo show. While I have no specific issues with it, it's not as funny as I would like. Nor does it seem possessed of a particularly interesting plot.
The F List
I haven't had an F yet (though I suspect when I finally get around to watching the first series in the below list, it'll rapidly make it's way there).
The Off List
1)Lemon Angel Project - I haven't started watching this yet, but I've been getting the episodes. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing that would appeal to me.
2) Blood+ - Little about this show excites me, but I've heard that it gets better later on, so I'm dutifully getting ready to watch it.
2) Blood+ - Little about this show excites me, but I've heard that it gets better later on, so I'm dutifully getting ready to watch it.
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