‘The RONgasm’ really describes it all. One of those moments that’s funny (in almost a trainwreck fashion) with or without having knowledge of Akagi. But in context, it’s probably the climax of the Washizu arc, as Akagi completely takes to pieces the once-calculating genius geezer, defeating him at his own game.

It’s got all the relevant insanity, strategy, and emotion, which form together so often to make Akagi and Kaiji great.

The first is Tomoya’s original confession to Nagisa, the second is the end scene of the Tomoyo OVA, and the third is from Misae’s arc, when Generic Beaten-Upon Shota #2 does some cool romancey stuff (or perhaps it was when Misae realizes that one other guy didn’t like him). In all three, my heart melted. It melted so heard.

In the end, I’m probably as soft as the Pillsbury doughboy. Hee hee~

This is because Haibane Renmei is supposed to be this Amazing Great Awesome work, and for me, it just sort of passed by. I fell asleep during a lot of the early episodes.

And while I understand the masses can be wrong, I feel that I am more off the mark here, simply because of episodes like the last one, with a strange, almost Shinbo-esque artistic punch which worked really well to sock me in the gut. This is where Haibane Renmei really stood up for me.

Somehow I imagine Haibane Renmei is a bit Aria-esque in that I can’t try to beat it, as a round peg, into the square hole of my mind with a hammer. Rather, the mood has to be right, or something.

Maybe it deserves a rewatch … right after I finish Aria first.

As I summarize to my friends when trying to convince them on Higurashi, “they die pretty much every four episodes.” One almost gets a sense of sadistic glee every time you know the end of the arc is coming. Higurashi is intriguing with its balance between meticulous exposition and gratutious violence, two things that need to mix … more. I think.

Additionally, the fourth (fifth?) arc, starting with episode 16, is probably the most intense in all of Higurashi, being the answer arc to the second arc. It takes off quickly and keeps going, revealing more and more about Shion (although I need to rewatch to find how much is relevant to the final results) and just how wrong everything has went. It’s … impressive.

I like a lot of its ilk in some form – Kare Kano, Toshokan Sensou, Bokura ga Ita, this – but I’ve never really had the drive to finish a series from this genre. Maybe all the drama and the ZOMG SHINY BISHIES that are so common get to me after a while.

Still, ItaKiss 14 is a good reminder of how shoujo can simply just work sometimes, with touching confession scenes – the rain scene here, if I remember correctly – and intriguing developments you really don’t see in other anime. Where else do characters get married halfway through the show?

…Although I really couldn’t tell that the two were husband and spouse afterwards. Maybe the bar for Look We’re a Couple is higher in harem shows…

Well, they all explain unpredictability, at least. Episodes 14 and 15 are the hardcore side of the Brave Men Road arc, where there is a lot of 30-meter drops off skyscrapers (i.e. dying) and a lot of psychological action. Mostly overcoming fear, which leads to introspectives on the nature of men, and Kaiji x Sahara slashfics. This is mainly up here because, well, ISHIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…

Kaiji 20 features one quote that particularly resonated with me for no good reason, “This is the last of their voices from beyond the grave!”, whose accompanying monologue I like to quote whenever I feel the need to be badass. Additionally, the revelation that WHAT THE HELL HE CUT OFF HIS EAR was … uh … mindblowing.

And in the end, the outcome of Kaiji’s game versus Hyoudou is both unexpected and entirely sensible. It’s an ending to the series that fits in perfectly with the themes and morals, yet is not a ‘good’ ending. I like endings like this.

Especially when they lead to second seasons. Which get produced. Right? Right?

This should be the episode where Kazuki brings flowers to Eriko’s door, and she absolutely flips out in a moe fit of moeness that locks my brain at about the level of the Kyou storage room scene. Except I feel much less guilt.

Man, come to think of it I should have an obsessively irrational crush on Eriko instead, given her eccentric, genius, cold-hearted nature. I’ll get back to you on that.

In addition, I have more than a bit of guilt that Kure-nai didn’t show up anywhere else in the 12 Moments. It shares a spot with a few other anime in this list that I really wanted to heap love on more, but just couldn’t. Thankfully, other bloggers have.

Empowering quote number two. Are you listening, shy guys?

Yeah, Sakura’s arc was probably one of the high points of this show. A quote that sticks doesn’t hurt either.

And I haven’t even watched the second season, if there’s one show I need to get in the mood for, it’s this…

Nagehiko is probably the more developed character, thanks to a relatively unique backstory and killer episodes like this. Kairi just pushes more buttons, so he gets an easy ride.

Hmm, who knows, I wish it was a choice between these two instead of Tadase (boring) and Ikuto (flirty but otherwise unexciting)

In case you’re counting: 1) gibberish, 2) correct Japanese translation, 3) nonsense Japanese translation. I love you, SHAFT pretentious crack.

Probably just button-mashed the same Sappy Romantic buttons with a slightly different story and an annoying goat-beast-thing to create something that made me tear up a bit (although, spotting the date, I probably could blame my emotional state). Parallel storylines are always a plus too.

In the end, I can say at least this: it’s not bad, and it’s only two episodes, so why wouldn’t you watch it?

Quote number three. How many people can account for that feeling?

And the final scene, with Noe refusing to let her true tears out until the very end – if she did at all? cursed poor memory – was really sort of a sonic boom of emotion (I think I used this analogy before with the ending of Byousoku 5cm). Usually I get hammered pretty hard by stupid piano cues and anything regarding couplings, but it took me a while on true tears.

But then, it all came at once, right when the show was over, and I was rocked.

true tears, as you may expect, is with Kure-nai and Nodame on that list of things that were Exceptionally Awesome but not List-able this year. It makes me want to write more about all of them, but maybe I will settle for re-reading some of the posts I and others have written. It’s a good retrospective.