This is the best show that no one is watching this season. I picked up this show because SHAFT has become one of those studios whose output I will always check out because their work has entertained me consistently. Apparently this is based on a manga by the School Rumble guy.

The OP was very SHAFT with it’s obscure references and weird art style. Speaking of style, Natsu no Arashi looks very intentionally old school. The character designs and atmosphere makes you think it’s set twenty years earlier than it actually is.

I’m 100% sure that the first episode turned away about 95% of the people who gave of a shot. That’s unfortunate because the second episode was a proper introduction and not soon after that, we begin to get things like plot. Most people will be suprised to find that this isn’t a comedy all of the time like Maria+Holic was. Like someone mentioned, “it switches between bra jokes and BOMBING CIVILIANS”.

The comedy isn’t anything too spectacular. You can expect the same SHAFT weird humour. But where it unexpectedly shines is in the character development and suspense. And being about time travel, there is some discussion on its consequences and side effects. Near the end, some elements that seemed random and out of place somehow become relevant to the main story.

It’s an interesting show that everyone dropped because the first episode was frigging weird. That’s really too bad.

Fullmetal Alchemist

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t that excited for this remake. It could have been that I wanted Bones to make something else (Ouran 2?). It could have been that I didn’t want to see the first bit of the series again. Anyway, all of that was rendered moot once I started actually watching it. I really, really like YUI and I really like her new song, which happens to be the OP. And I was reminded that I really liked FMA.

Saki

I was expecting this to be pretty bad. I think I like it though. Unfortunately, the mahjong terminology is pretty impenetrable to people unfamiliar with it. I have a really cursory knowledge of mahjong, but I don’t even think that if I knew how to play that it’d help with whatever ruleset they’re playing in. I can’t say I like Rie Kugimiya’s taco-girl voice, but otherwise, the cast seems pretty solid. Also, that mahjong table they have is pretty pro. This is also the first time I’ve liked GONZO’s CG since Last Exile. It fits with the intense mahjong playing pretty well.

Natsu no Arashi

This is confusing and weird. And not even SHAFT weird, just normal weird. I’ve got to watch more of this because I am lost.