ExecutiveOtaku’s Intro: Honey and Clover is a series that has been written about fairly extensively in the anime blogging community. It’s also a favorite of many. So when, as a brand new blogger, I found out that Scamp from Bokutachi no Blog was currently working his way through the series, I proposed that once he was done that we make a post comparing how two different people viewed the series. Having just recently finished it, he and I ended up having fairly different opinions on it. From my viewpoint as a huge fan of Honey and Clover, and he as someone more mixed in his opinion, we have collaborated to bring you this post displaying and contrasting our opinions on such a widely well regarded show. While the series ended three years ago now, I feel that it is rich enough to be worth a (semi) retro-editorial especially given our different opinions on it. I’ve also just always wanted to write more about it despite joining the blogging community a few years late, heh. We both hope you’ll enjoy this inter-blog, international collaboration between Scamp and myself and our differing opinions. We also invite your own comments and opinions in the comments section whether they agree with one of us, with neither of us, or with both of us (somehow…).

Just a word: it should go without saying that this will contain some amount of spoilers.

Overall impressions

The growth and experiences of the characters as they go through this time in their lives is so well done that someone who is also at that point in their life can identify with all of the characters at different moments. Sometimes Takemoto’s feeling of emptiness is something you experience, other times you’re in Yamada’s shoes, or at a particular moment you might feel more like Mayama trying to pursue your dreams but still confused or clumsy in doing so. Maybe you know a Morita (or are one), or are under pressure like Hagu, or stuck between trying to be cool and trying to be genuine as Nomiya was. At different times you are, or you know people who are, all of these characters. And even with so much else to love about this series, this ability to identify with the genuine emotions being conveyed through the screen is the true strength of the series.

Analysis

Conclusion

Now, after much anticipation, the subs are out for the final episode of the season of Sora no Manimani. While there is a DVD episode coming out (and Koharubi has stated that they will sub and release it), this is likely the last episode for actual narrative scenes since the DVD special is about events that happened before episode 10.This last episode also marks the first series I’ve blogged from start to finish, as well as the first series I ever posted about in general. Last episode Hime was recovered from the snowstorm, and now the club members are waking up and preparing for the day with an obligatory onsen scene…

Astronomy hangover.

Hime dual wielding showerheads.

Don’t worry Hime, how could they hold it against you with that face?

Oh my…

I’m surprised they didn’t scream and try to cover themselves.

As the club members are getting ready for their night of stargazing up on the mountain, Roma is sitting under an oppressive fog of exhaustion from studying for his college entrance exams when Oumi finds him. She offers him some gum to put a little sugar into his bloodstream and then suggests that they hang out. After first stopping at a book store for study guides she grabs his arm and asks to keep hanging out, taking him to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. Apparently she’s already known there from her family’s many visits, and after the meal she takes Roma up to the terrace. There, despite the city lights some bright stars are still visible, made clearer when she hands Roma her (coordinated to match her outfit) binoculars. Then, Oumi wants to BE FRIENDLY but stops a moment short when Roma is still clueless, though at least they get a cute picture together.

I’m glad I don’t live in a country where standardized tests determine your fate. SATs and GREs weren’t nearly this bad.

Oumi worries for her love’s sanity.

Wearing a Chinese-style shirt, Oumi has indeed planned this well in advance. I like that.

It’s those eyes! And speaking of, it’s a rare sighting of Roma’s eyes.

Roma, you’re only excused this one time due to test-induced stress.

They’re really going! The 40, the 30!

The 20! This is incredible!

Ooooh, Roma trips and he’s down! Well at least he’s set up with the first down near the endzone.

Nightfall on the mountain brings out the club members who begin setting up their astronomy and photography equipment. Edogawa has managed to use his connections with the Photography Club to bring enough cameras for everyone, and the girls school astronomy club has already found the Pleiades (M45). They’ve also already started freaking out about how moe the constellations and their mythology are, clearly making them equal opportunity fujoshi.

Ready to go in cute hats!

It’s not going to work, but you’re taking a step in a better direction. It’s easy to improve when your previous attempts included stalker photography and covering your nearly naked self in rose petals.

I love those two.

Orion was going for the harem end.

“If you only knew the power of the moe side.”

Then as the others are setting up the big catadioptric telescope Mihoshi reveals what her secret package was. Although her father’s telescope was destroyed in the accident, she was able to salvage his set of eyepieces and has brought them along. Evidently of a high quality, she gives them to the group to use for the night’s observations. After taking a moment to look up at the winter constellations and stars, Saku and Mihoshi head to the scope, where Saku is allowed to line up the scope with Saturn. While small and blurred from time to time by the wind, the planet becomes more detailed with focusing.

It wouldn’t be something of Mihoshi’s if it didn’t have drawings and stickers on it.

Bringing up the old memories one last time for the last episode.

A nice thematic touch, mentioning how the constellations from one year ago have come full circle around again.

:3

No wonder he’s having trouble, starting off with a 10mm eyepiece (larger number = less magnification but wider field of view. I usually start off with my 32mm then go up in magnification after centering an object.)

Wait, you’ve paid for that huge Vixen catadioptric and you didn’t buy a motorized mount?

I like how the show doesn’t sugarcoat how things can look and give viewers unrealistic expectations. Saturn and Jupiter are about this small, though you can get more detail in real life.

As an end of season thing we get a fairly long montage of everyone from the show, whether they are there on the mountain, at home, or on vacation. Mihoshi pauses it in the middle to tell Saku how her dream has been passed down from others who have shown her the stars and nurtured her interest, and how she plans to continue showing people the night sky. The other school’s club talks briefly about the seniors graduating, and Ann finds some more confidence to lead the club when her time comes to be president.

All has happened according to Mihoshi’s design.

“If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.“

The club will be in good hands. Ann has found the confidence to be an Heir to the Stars.

Under the same sky.

And our Queen Fumie deservedly gets Her own scene, not merely a quick shot and a line! All hail the Queen of Souei High, who in Her benevolence and compassion has brought Her Literature Club to a hot springs to aid them in their writing. While making sure that Her followers have actually done some work on their vacation, She mistakenly talks to the bamboo pipe in the corner on account of not wearing Her glasses in the bath. And then one of Her followers looks up to see a shooting star and the three look up at the same sky that ties all the characters together.

Everyone gets some parting screentime.

Ah, my Queen. “President of the Student Council, President of the Literature Club, President…of your heart.”

Poor Fumie without Her glasses.

I especially like the framing on the second shot.

Once the new school year starts the Astronomy Club mounts its campaign to recruit new members and maintain their minimum club size now that Roma has graduated and has gone to be all rabu-rabu with Oumi in college. Mihoshi’s star suit certainly gets attention, but doesn’t work very well for her surprise Saku hugs. Hime then gets a little end of season scene too. Now separated from Saku in their new classes, she’s worried about not being able to see him. While she still has the Astronomy Club, she’s still worried until she asks Saku if she can peek in on his class from time to time. Re-energized with fighting spirit, Hime takes to the love battlefield once more. She’ll keep fighting! And she’ll win!

Falling star.

I loved Saku’s instant, deadpan reply of “No.”

OTP accomplished!

These are the adventures of the Souei Astronomy Club. Its continuing mission: to bring us new astronomy info and new mythology, to seek out new characters and new love polygons, to boldly do better concepts that other series have done before!

Edogawa might have an outside chance if she were to ever give up on Saku.

This picture might be redundant, but it’s too cute. Go Hime!

Stay strong Hime.

The credits begin to roll as we get one last scene. Saku has written up a flyer to advertise for the Astronomy Club and he and the other members begin passing it out to the new students. And as he’s doing so Her Highness returns to the fray! Taking a flier, she looks it over while Saku congratulates her on being reelected as Student Council President. While She sees Saku’s writing skills as going to waste in service to the Astronomy Club, She compliments it and clearly blushes even more while Her underlings tease Her. Then, as at the start of the series, Mihoshi has climbed to the top of the school, throwing little foil stars and calling out for new members.

YES! She’s back in the fight. Sorry Scamp and other Hime shippers, my joining your ship was predicated on Fumie being out of the fight. Though the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so I declare that I will take no offensive action against Hime until such time as our common enemy is defeated.

While Fumie could easily rule by right and competence, She even allows the plebs to have a vote. As if they would pick anyone else.

“Join me Saku, and together we can rule Souei as tsundere and tsunderella.”

All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again.

And I’m really, really, really looking for another season!

Yes please!

Final Thoughts: – Oh why did they have to leave so much unresolved? I need moar!

- Oumi X Roma FTW. I’m sure that missed opportunity on the restaurant roof was only a minor bump on the road to happiness.

- Fumie getting back into the fray was very pleasing to this blogger. I really didn’t expect that they’d bring her back as an interested party after almost a whole episode walking her off stage.

- I’ve had a lot of fun blogging this series. It’s the first one that I’ve ever blogged, and the first one to blog until completion. I’ll definitely blog a second season if one comes out, and I’ll certainly make a post about the DVD special.

- The show was also the spark that got me back into astronomy and even getting more organized about it, buying a telescope and taking notes while I’m out there.

- I’d like to thank the readers and commenters for being part of the experience. You guys make it all worth doing and just that much more fun.

- Special thanks to my shipping rivals Scamp and RabbitPoets for the dueling blog entries. Isn’t it odd that we all instantly took to different characters, that there was no overlap? It worked out perfectly.

- IRL Sora Mani: After about two weeks of really crappy weather I’ve had two decent nights to get out and stargaze. Since getting the new set of eyepieces and filters I’ve been able to see a lot more clearly too. I’ve also tried out that light cannon thing, and it doesn’t work. I’ll try holding a flashlight to the eyepiece tonight, but I really doubt it works. As fall has come along I’m starting to see different constellations, even the winter ones if you stay out late enough. Below are a few from recent outings. Some were taken with the camera mount, some without, and some without the telescope. Full resolution here.

Taken through a 32mm eyepiece with a #23A light red filter. Kind of evil looking.

The Pleiades star cluster (Messier 45) taken through my starter 25mm eyepiece. The blue glow from the surrounding nebula shows in my newer, better eyepieces, unfortunately the ones I took last night came out really blurry. Hopefully I’ll have better pictures in time for the DVD episode post.

Perseus in the upper right, taken with my camera without telescope on 15 second exposure. Added the sepia tone in Paint.net to bring out the contrast. Easier to see more stars at full resolution.

MASSIVE Image Spam of Best Moments and Fumie Love (in case there just weren’t enough images in this post.)

Our Queen, showing her many sides as competent leader, tsundere sweetheart, strict enforcer, quiet intellectual, and touchingly sweet love interest.

Members of the club that made it so entertaining, and Mihoshi’s relentless pursuit of Saku.

Our fluffy princess. Long has she stood against insurmountable odds!

The relentless, inexhaustible, master of chibi faces: Mihoshi.

Saku, who went from wanting to read peacefully to fully embracing astronomy. Plus his very entertaining mother.

Ah, a couple that did happen (even if we didn’t get the on screen kiss we should have.) Club president couple! Roma, whose health could never match his enthusiasm, and Oumi, the one with the mysterious, deep eyes.

Edogawa: Comic relief done right.

And let’s not forget the supporting cast. Sayo never really got much development, but she was fun to have around. Plus the mythology fujoshi from the all girls school and Haruka, mistress of the planetarium.

See you space cowboy.

a blogger called Jaalin confessed his confusion. He links to other people.

But the thing is.

I am Jason Mraz. [here's my entire life story condensed into a single image, since it's basically worth over nine thousand words]

I have a huge fetish for K-ON. I even tried to write down a lot of the music. Well, the music kind of sucked, but it has a lot of moe, so you can see why I like it.

I wanted to incorporate the sounds of K-ON in my new single to try and bring out a new evolution in western indie music! That would be a lot of fun, right? While the music in K-ON sucks, my music is good, so it balances out. Not only that, but the strange asian music that thinks that it is western brings an exotic blend to my music. I wish to share to all of you otakus my new music that blends east and west, better and less better, my music, and K-ON’s music.

While there are many damsels in distress there are few damsels like Alphard. However any lass can become an ojou-sama from a distinguished family that has been continued for a thousand years, skilled in both literary and military arts,  with wit and beauty, the intensity of summer, the grace of autumn, the pride of winter, and the gentleness of spring…all it takes is effort. (Thanks to Kabitzin for letting me use his photoshops)

So since Hinano raged once again about lasses who could not save themselves I thought it was time to write the manual to help young otome everywhere learn how to look out for themselves. Certainly these days males have increasingly taken the hippie path and cower in fear at the mere thought of being drafted, some go as far as draft dodging before a draft begins, so as the not all males are men, as men do no cower and have a sense of duty to some one or something other than their own personal safety. I suppose with this hippie path that male pissants increasingly take, that it is time to make up for the shortfall and make comrades out of those women who have no desire to be coddled or held back by male puss cakes. While there is much talk of love being the highest relationship between human beings nothing could be further from the truth as comrades are in every way superior to boyfriends or girlfriends (who are by all accounts prone to treachery). The bond between two comrades can only be forged in the fires of battle, sealed through mutual bloodshed, and is guarded by the souls of the dead. Perish the fool who would dare betray such a bond!

The first thing that every lass who wants to be bad ass needs to do is take a bit of advice from the Jackal who once stated that, “You can’t break a man the way you break a dog or a horse. The harder you beat a man the taller he stands. To break a man’s will, to break his spirit, you have to break his mind. You see boys have this idea that we can fight with dignity. That there is a proper way to kill someone, it’s absurd it’s an aesthetic. We need to endure the bloody horror of murder? You must destroy this idea, show them what messy terrible thing it is to kill a man, and show them that you relish in it. Shoot to wound and then execute the wounded, burn them. Take them in close combat, destroy their preconceptions of what a man is and you become their personal monster. When they fear you, you become stronger, you become better, but let’s never forget that it’s just a display, a posture like a lion’s roar or a gorilla thumping at it’s chest. If you lose yourself in the display, if you succumb to the horror you become the monster. You become reduced not more than a man but less and it can be fatal.” If you can accept this much then it is well worth taking notes from the Great Prince Alphard who is pretty much the Queen of Summer as she has no equal. Unlike Hinano I do not discriminate and welcome any lass that is strong with the yuri to become bad ass and beautiful at the same time, only such people can be esteemed comrades.

You don’t have to be a damsel in distress to get BEST END, it’s less about finding some poncy prince than demonstrating your superiority long enough for other people to realize how great you are.

It is indeed a sad state of affairs that the damsel in distress has become so annoyingly common, but until Japanese women decide that enough is enough and they ditch their inferior men it seems that they will continue to fantasize about getting rescued. In truth such people will wait in vain and never know of the proper way of getting a partner. The problem is not only damsels in distress but also the low quality of boys that pass themselves off as men. It is sad that there are so many jack asses in anime and only a few like Patrick. While poor Patrick isn’t the smartest guy out there, only the AEU no Ace happened upon true love. His contemporaries however were very much a Japanese sort in that in order to remain manly they opted to make their women more oppressed to make up for their sissy girly man ways:  Saji downgraded Louise, Anew chose death rather than be with Lyle, and Haptism banished Soma to get his little play thing. If only more guys were like Patrick, who could respect the fact that marrying above them was a good thing, and admit that because they aren’t good at everything they need to find a woman who will make up for their short comings. At least God made it clear that Patrick got it right when poor Patrick got the BEST END and married the only woman of quality left in the series. Not that Kati got the short end of the deal either as she was in the enviable position of having a brave, if a bit dumb, man for a husband, whose loyalty is absolute and has no problem deferring to her judgment. Patrick also treats her like a queen and no matter what she did to him he always loves her and forgives just about everything. So in a sense after having spent most of her time on her illustrious career (Making Brigadier General is no small feat) she got BEST END too as her rival Sumeragi wasted her time chasing boys and got strapped with he stalker Billy. So at least there are instances of women finding guys without having to call out for rescue every five minutes, strangely though it happened in Gundam of all places instead of shoujo.

Never get caught in an alley without a pistol.

To be sure girls needing rescue is a persistent problem, in reality and in fiction, and the same solution comes up every time…weaponry. First thing every lass needs is a pistol, it’s the great equalizer and with proper training and enough range time, accuracy can make up for the small size of the round. Even a big man can be felled with a single accurate shot. However, I advise against simply settling for head shot (because that is just showing off), no instead use the three round rule, one in the head, and two in the heart. It is highly advisable that any aspiring bad ass lass should take a page from the reigning Queen of the Summer Season, Alphard onee-sama. Alphard has excellent choice in weaponry as she started out with the FN P-90 and eventually settled on the FN Five-Seven, every girl who wants to kick ass and take names should take note. Not only did Alphard go with a good reputable manufacturer but in choosing the 5.7×28mm rounds she selected a round with high muzzle velocity and low recoil, which is perfect for her desire to kill her target and have bad ass aim at the same time. The 5.7×28mm was also designed to punch through body armor so if Alphard ever has to fight an armored target at least she has a better chance than if she simply chose a 9mm. Given that the average girl who wants to be bad ass but not be built like a house, a .45 might give a bit too much recoil and Desert Eagle, while great for intimidation, is simply over kill and will probably destroy your accuracy if your intention is to get off as many rounds in the shortest span of time. Those who would do a woman harm often underestimate their targets if you have chosen your weapon well and have diligently gone to the tactical range as often as possible, you can make this their first and last mistake…

While understandably not all women who wish to be bad ass have access to legal weapons, but that is all the more reason to support one’s rights to bear arms. Even if an assailant were to have a weapon of his own so long as you have superior training and more lethal aim and killer intent you will be victorious as little boys often forget to take care of their weapons and usually have shit taste in guns. In any case lack of fire arms is no excuse for defeat, as tazers, pepper spray, Gerber knives, and your fists are usually legal unless your country just flat out sucks that much, in which case you ought to consider moving to a place where you can have an arsenal that can put the fear in any would be attacker.

While the FN Five-Seven is Alphard’s weapon of choice all those 5.7×28mm rounds she has work perfectly well with her FN P-90 when she needs to kill lots of poncy princes on horses.

I’ll be honest women have it hard, if you want to have that nice figure you are going to have to work your ass off in aerobics class. However looking gorgeous, delicious, and deculture, while being able to kick ass are not inherently incompatible. If you are of the opinion that you cannot look good and kick ass at the same time, you have self esteem issues and are fucking lazy and worthless to me and everyone else. In short such people are unwilling to be any comrade of mine and as a result will be dragged off to some loser’s bed in the event of war. No you can look good and kick losers into traffic by simply adding a few things to your daily workout. More likely than not you weren’t born pretty, you had to work for your waist line and as such you are probably more fit than most boys your age, in fact if you are a dancer you are by default more athletic than most people, only American Football players come anywhere near close in overall fitness. In line with this Alphard does have her own womanly charm, but despite her seemingly light build she has a lot of muscle mass behind it. Just like Bruce Lee it is not about how much brute force you can put out, but how good you are at economy of force. Like Alphard Bruce Lee was not built like a house, but he used his knowledge of human physiology to get the most out of every physical action. To be sure if you are capable of two finger push ups and the dreaded one inch punch you are a force to reckoned with, but more than likely you have yet to have such lethal skills, but nevertheless economy of force is important as one smart blow to the right weak point can have catastrophic effects on an opponent. Even in cases of disparity in strength redirection techniques like the ones you see in Aikido should suitably frustrate a single attacker until you can land the final blow. Always remember that Muhammad Ali did not simply say fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee for shits and giggles, even in boxing it’s about economy of force and not wasting your power attacks fruitlessly.

Just because Alphard was ambushed while wearing a dress didn’t mean that she was going to surrender meekly, that is why she is Damsel Dealing Death and not a Damsel in Distress.

Lastly there is the issue of what noble steed you should have. Certainly it seems that losers on horses are a dime a dozen, but fundamentally a horse is just as logistically troublesome as a tank. So instead of having a horse that is to be frank very fragile, it is far better to go with a tank or if technology allows mecha. At no point in time did a horse ever trump a big bad mecha, only in the case of Fuunsaiki, though admittedly the lose of being a horse was negated by being a horse that piloted a horse mecha. Nevertheless a guy on a horse with a lance is not going to do much against anything save for ill-disciplined infantry or unarmed people. Thus one should take up archery not only to look more like a lady, but to also be able to shoot out the horse from under the douche bag that calls himself a prince, that way you can possibly hear the clean snap of his neck as he tumbles to his doom While aesthetically archery seems much more refined and cultured do no skimp on sniper skills either as even a Barrett M82 is only deadly when it actually hits a target and no living animal on land can survive a direct hit with a .50 calibre round for very long. Even if death is not instantaneous you can enjoy watching the would be prince bleed out slowly as he calls for his mommy.

While Alphard has a petite build she has very little body fat and can thus deliver blows with more force than her small frame would suggest as one can see from the state of Canaan’s face.

While your martial prowess can far exceed that of any would be assailant never forget that such people will resort to dirty tricks to incapacitate you, so always have a battle buddy that you can count on when going out, keep positive control of your drink, and if that annoying guy asks one too many times break a few of his fingers as a warning. Remember you are the first line of defense in rescuing yourself, and to be sure if you will not do all you can to save yourself you probably aren’t worth saving and deserve to be a slave to some poncy prince. Never forget that a damsel in distress is probably a damsel deserving of death.

Sometimes life can imitate art retroactively….this is the sea story of one such incident.

Well seeing as at the time of writing I have been in ordered into a short exile by my employer I might as well rant about all the bullshit I had to endure at AX from asinine panels to the underwhelming Masquerade since internet is slow here. After doing paper work and pretty much getting some military paper work done, though I need to put an APB on Impz and (I finally burned him out…) Haesslich for one little thing that will bring them great benefit for their rooms (all are at the time of writing frustratingly MIA), I have simply run out of things to do. Still I suppose it is probably best time to get the Morning Musume panel and concert out of the way. To be honest I went into AX ready to hold them in utter contempt since their handler, hence forth known as the Mouth of Sauron, was tossing her weight around the press junket and decided who it was that would get the “honor” of holding an interview with Morning Musume. Being a gaijin barbarian I had severely underestimated them…

Morning Musume when exposed to light…

Morning Musume at night…

For those who don’t know Morning Musume is basically the Menudo of Japan, only instead of boys they recruit girls who are under 23 (though age is not always the reason for “graduating”). The only thing I really knew before being exposed to their black magic was that most were born around 1989, in which case their ascension were heralded by an earthquake that struck San Francisco and split the Berlin Wall asunder. I probably should have read up on them before hand as they were the originators of the theme for AX that year. Perhaps then I would have come across this:

“Those who used the Nine Microphones became mighty in their day, bards, sorcerers, and warriors of old. They obtained glory and great wealth, yet it turned to their undoing. They had, as it seemed, unending life, yet life became unendurable to them. They could walk, if they would, unseen by all eyes in this world beneath the sun, and they could see things in worlds invisible to mortal men; but too often they beheld only the phantoms and delusions of Tsunku (a.k.a. Sauron). And one by one, sooner or later, according to their native strength and to the good or evil of their wills in the beginning, they fell under the thraldom of the microphone that they bore and of the domination of the One which was Sauron’s. And they became forever invisible save to him that bore the Ruling Microphone, and they entered into the realm of shadows. The Nazgûl were they, Morning Musume, the Ulairi, the Enemy’s most terrible servants; darkness went with them, and they cried with the voices of death.” –Record of the Lodoss War

Morning Musume’s Translator/Handler at AX’09

Their Fanclub HQ…

At the panel the Mouth of Sauron was pwning the noobs who dared to ask questions as not straight answer was given that the ignorance of their orc armies was evident as some did not know that a few of them has been voice actors for some anime series. Still if nothing else the host of Minas Morgul were certainly loud and numerous. Even if I think the Mouth of Sauron was all high and mighty she did have enough skill to shut people up and outright change their questions. Still after the Nine name dropped Pink’s Hotdogs I assume there might have been an even longer line there for some time. Well except Sunday since the Nine were summoned back to Barad-dur.

In any case while they roamed about Los Angeles they did address their infernal host of glow stick wielding Uruk-hai at a concert that I actually got a fairly decent seat for, even if I had to banish a few Mordor trolls to claim it. Like Earnur, 33rd King of Gondor, I was a fool for trying to challenge the Nine and for my impudence I was struck by Koharu “the Shadow of the East” Kusumi, Commander of Dol Guldur, with a Black Dart. It is true that their powers are greatly increased by the darkness, and that their Black Breath is indeed no joke, as I would discover to my utter horror. The only moment the faltered was when they hissed something about global warming, but even then their lethality was scarcely reduced. Such was my horror and subsequent stupor that I forgot to put the rest of my music onto my iPhone and only had their infernal shrieks from which I hoped to gain forbidden knowledge on the mics of power from which to mock them as having no talent. Coupled with the effects of their fell sorcery and my exile to Virginia with agonizingly slow internet meant I would have nothing else to listen to.

Already I can feel the weariness overtake me as their catchy songs become increasingly pleasant. Soon I will become a dwimmerliak in service of the dread captain of Dol Guldur as punishment for my insolence. It was as if I had been cursed by Glaurung himself as the one who bested me was a tall and fair lass of less than 20 winters and was the one who once donned the guise of Kirari from Kirarin Revolution. Oh unhappy fate for me to have been beguiled by a shojo heroine. Forever more, I shall love her and despair…

Kawamori was Right

It was as it were the perfect analogy…

He did it to me again…

I think it was ghostlightning who once mentioned in passing that Macross is full of fanciful BS, a song ending a war after all is rather fantastic. In any case I went into the concert as a man on a mission of malice out of pure fucking meaness, and I was expecting to loathe them (and write a post to incite a huge flood of hits from their white knighting hordes of fans, sadly some one already did something similar and successfully), but I really should have known better as a Macross Lifer. The power of song is certainly not to be underestimated and even if I didn’t understand much of it, their songs were catchy enough that I enjoyed myself. They probably can’t write a much of a song on their own, but still as a soldier who knows how brutal military drill can be (I was in color guard and drum corps when the world was young) I can respect them for working hard enough to do it for years at a time. Given that they never chose to be in the same group and were drafted to work together in a sense their dance routines seem all the more impressive for it since they all have to share the spotlight. I was ready and eager to call them the IRL Sakura-dan of White Album infamy. I was even prepared to go as far as mocking Jun Jun, as having been originally named Chun Li but was so backward they had to change it. Indeed my malice was quite excessive and my haterd unfounded. Nevertheless considering how rigorous their generational drafts (auditions) are and how the producer even went as far as taking no one at all in one audition, they are less like bard conscripts and more like bard commandoes.

I suppose I should have taken more heed of the bards of the Macross Universe. Even if Sheryl was irritating at first she became endearing because she worked hard to get where she was, even if Grace was the undisputed master of propaganda. I do think it was my respect for the great Sheryl-sama that I didn’t dismiss their efforts out of hand and operate under the assumption that their job was easy. Given that the media gives more of shit about them fucking up than me; I suppose not being under an electron microscope makes my job easier in that I can fuck up and not get in too much trouble supposing there is no body count of consequence. In the case of Minmay, she might have been a deplorable woman but she did have talent and the power of song. I suppose it was simply a case of life imitating art as the Zentradi were also laid low by an underage idol. In that sense I probably got what I deserved for walking into one of their concerts with an axe to grind before I even listened to their songs.

Bards like her do exist.

Life is funny, as at the time I just simply went to help cover the event, only to walk out a fan and picking out the 16, now 17, year old (I assumed that since they got graduated at their mid twenties that they ranged 17-22.) as the cutest since she was comparatively tall (which I assumed to be an indicator of age), hardly broke a sweat (Which I assumed was the result of years of strength and endurance training. After all dancers are among the fittest people in the world in terms of overall muscle strength, like a gymnast), and had a pony tail (a fatal weakness of mine in this case). My full horror only came about after reading the wiki article on them (truly ignorance would have been bliss). Ah well even if I can no longer give Char crap about choosing Lala Sune anymore, at least it was a young lass who is living the shojo heroine dream that robbed me of the moral high ground. At least I can give Char crap for having shit taste…

In the end I can see how they managed to sell so many CDs and have a fandom that counts significant numbers outside of Japan.

Her song ended a war.

Her song ended my string of Char likes jailbait jokes…

The Black Captain of the Nine. Do not pursue her! Far off yet is her doom, and not by the hand of man will she fall.

Ai Takahashi, Lord of Carn Dûm, is capable of taking out whole kingdoms as Arthedain, Rhudaur, and Cardolan found to their cost…

Their like I had long assumed was confined to 2D…

Little did I know that such was shojo heroine power that they were capable of becoming 3D; as such IN THE NAME OF THE MOON she punished me.

It was pretty much like having underestimated GARby, the consequences were quite drastic.

Kawamori then sent me this post card with a message, “MERRY CHRISTMAS ZENTRADI SCUM. LISTEN TO THEIR SONG! LOL newfag.”

It seems that Ritsu got the best plot thread this time around.

So it’s finally over and it seems this time the atmosphere was suitably muted, though not much music was made, but instead I suppose that they did gel a bit more as friends. Yui being Yui was pretty standard with her antics and wanting weird food for a hot pot. Mugi-chan got a job, Azu-nyan baby sat a kitten, and Mio went off to write another song, but it seems that Ritsu was the special one this time around who thought that she had a love letter on her hands…though it turns out that they were “lyrics” sent to Ritsu by Mio. As Ritsu is not he sharpest knife in the drawer I suppose she did not pick up on how she was the one Mio was writing about. It was odd seeing another side of Ristu that haddn’t really come out before, this time she was actually concious of how she looked and we meet one member of her family, the only thing is I am not sure why this was the time to do all that. Mugi-chan might not be the best cashier in the world I respect that she is willing to work a day in her life, if not longer. Azu-nayn was woefully unprepared to take care of a kitten, and should have at least asked for food, and the number for the veterinarian. Still having seen college girls buy a puppy as a single unit I suppose the logistics involved with a pet was not much of a consideration. I did feel that Sawa-chan was sorely missing from this episode as she should have been dateless and still looking to harass her charges…

Seriously a dog is better.

Overall it wasn’t the best series EVAR, but it was enjoyable even if the music did not feature as prominently as I had initially hoped. I suppose as a slice of life thing it works as a tale of a club of four and later five girls and their very talented Teacher Advisor. To be sure there was lots of moe fodder to be had, but in the end it was kind of the point even if it got excessive at times. In the end I can only really recommend it for yuri subtext, moe, and some moments of comedy. On that level it does succeed, but it is hardly ground breaking.

Giving you mouth to mouth…

I see Mugi-chan’s habbits are starting to rub off on the rest as well…

I guess Ritsu also gets maidenly feelings too.

Some nothing…

Mugi-chan could sense that Ritsu might fall…

Mio should have confessed at this point.

Oh look a job!

Like I said cats suck.

She works hard for the money…

Kind of scary but I do like those twin tails…

Wow so there is someone who can do worse than British cuisine…

I can see why Ritsu would rather have Ui…

If only she changed up her hair every now and then…

For once I agree with Yui.

It’s so fun to watch.

It’s good to be the center of attention, yes?

If only the adoring public could verify that…

If only I could reach into the screen.

I bet she is…

That sounds pretty damn intimate.

I can see where she drew her insipiration from…

Mio must be curious then…

I think Mio meant from a different aspect probably from the vertical…

“Lyrics” must be code for yuri confession, duly noted.

Well what say you?

It was even hand written…as they say, it is written.

Ah memories…

Well about two months ago back in April I should have marked my 2nd blog anniversary but things have not really been normal to say the least. Well I suppose that this post will at least mark the start of my terrible twos in which case quality will plummet as will output (Mwahahahaha). I started the year off by getting my apartment broken into and making E-5. Now that my academic career is at an end it basically fell upon me to make good on my newfound responsibilities at work, which meant having a whacked out schedule of extended hyperactivity every now in then. In July it will be a brutal month as I get to fly to Virginia twice in the same month to the same place, knowing what I know now it basically means four or more red eye flights unless the paper work goes over well. Still I do get to make the traditional after graduation road trip, and hopefully that will be a bit more interesting than the usual. While summer looks to be a hit or a miss at least there is the promise of the Macross Movie (Which will be Gorgeous Delicious DECULCHA!). So here goes the mandatory late as hell rant I am supposed to do at the end of every blog year, which is conversely an opportunity to muse aimlessly in a futile effort to put together a post.

Oh Mazinger Z how I lament that your tale is shrouded in obscurity.

While Impz might have gone from gun monkey to desk jockey in the Singaporean Corps of Conscripts, I haven’t earned the right to chain myself to a desk just yet, to be perfectly honest I am finding just how magical a time being an E-5 is. I get the headaches of an E-6, and the physical exhaustion of being an E-4, but at least I do get a little extra here and there and most importantly I am still low enough on the great totem pole to evade responsibility. I also just lost my other half (partner in crime/co-worker) so I get to have twice the work load until I finish training the E-4, but at least she’s a good learner and I don’t have to baby sit an E-3 with “issues.” All in all I am edging towards the point that I might end up as exhausted as Zeon. I suppose this comes with the territory as I suspect that most bloggers are students rather than overworked soldaten, certainly there will probably come a point where the number of posts per week simply declines.

Also now that college is over and done with I actually got back into my other hobbies, and oddly enough while I have some issues with Valkyria the anime I still love the game to pieces to the point I actually want to do my Imperial Guard in Gallain colors and find some local saint who does resin casting for female Cadians/Kasrkin because I must have a model to represent Jane “Kill ‘em All” Turner (hey if anyone knows one drop a line). It also saddens me that there is very little enthusiasm for Shin Mazinger Z, but I suppose it might be time to bring out the reserves of stuff I have been meaning to watch but haven’t, Guin Saga, Eden of the East, etc. I still need to settle for a format on doing VOTOMS since condensing it into one post per arc would make it tl;dr, not that I think too many people are interested in going back in time to see what mecha was before yaoi, cowards, harem, and idiot soapbox preaching started taking hold.

I suppose it has been good going for the last two years plus some, but it has been a long time since I actually watched a shoujo series since Skip Beat! ended, though I am hoping there will be a point where the anime starts up again. Still the manga is still running along smoothly so it partially makes up for it. I suppose I am growing old if it’s becoming more fun to reminisce about the old days. If nothing else at least when Gundam 00 aired I could placate myself with the additional activity of praising the Immortal Colasour and his marrying above him. Well so far it’s been a good run even if productivity has slackened as of late. I hope that there will be a series that I will genuinely love to pieces that I can put into words come summer. As much as I like Shin Mazinger Z it’s pretty simple and I suppose very niche these days as it lacks modern aspects of mecha. Valkyria is turning out to be a re-interpretation of the game storyline that I don’t find terribly agreeable but it was always meant to be a festival of mediocrity that only fans of the game would stick with to the bitter end. Ah well with a Gundam Unicorn Movie due out within my life time and the promise of a Macross Frontier Movie with 70% redone animation I guess there is much to look forward to. So as a extremely premature celebration of a Macross Frontier largely free of QUALITY animation IMAGE DUMP GO!

There is a correlation…

Ui is indeed bold…but is she daring?

Well it seems that there is one last hurrah for the K-ON group, and at least there was a good concert for once though I was hoping Sawa-chan would also grab a costume to fit in for the first song. Still Ui did put on a convincing front while cosplaying as Yui, it was a masterful deception, but she was undone by her over politeness and Sawa-chan’s accurate assessment of bust size. I guess this is yet more proof that Sawa-chan is more interested in girls. I also very much liked the Mugi-chan fashion show which was simply awesome, in fact it even overawed the normally taciturn Mio, who was possessed by the yuri. I would have gone with he qipao or bunny girl outfits but I guess the modified yukata was good enough. I am still surprised that Yui is getting far more love than Ui who has demonstrated what great waifu material that she is. The only question I really have left at this point is what did Nodoka do will a bath tub full of crayfish, certainly that would have made for some good eating. Ah well it will all be over for reals soon, I wonder what they will come up with next. One last note, Yui has some weird dreams. Still I highly approve of Yui attempting to kiss Azu-nyan, and as far as I am concerned they connected.

Ah the fruits of Sawa-chan’s labors.

Combat Waitress?

This one is my favorite.

I was hoping for Hell’s Bunny but this is fine too.

Indeed Mugi-chan is smexy.

A most convincing disguise…

Yeah was Yui ever this good?

Ui has many talents…

Though her ability to excel will be her undoing…

Mio you might have to do a strip search to confirm identity.

Oh Ui you were just too perfect…

…and too polite.

Yeah Ricchan sounds better.

Mugi-chan sounds more proper if you ask me…

Ui proves her superiority once again…

Fret not Ui the myth of Yui’s murderous intent was all a fabrication, from one disgruntled denizen that was sent to a former penal colony…

Indeed it seems drafting Ui would solve all of your problems…

Damn I wish I could trade places with Yui right about now…

Loli Nodoaka just doesn’t feel right without her glasses…

Oh can I glomp Azu-nyan too?

:3

It happened I tell you!

Ah the Legendary Weapon of Sawa-chan.

Insert cherry popped joke here.

Get use to the feeling, Mugi-chan your tea making was not in vain.

You’re late.

I wanted her to go WILD.

I still have trouble considering Yui as the succesor to Sawa-chan.

Damn right, now these kids have taste.

At least you get to sing this time.

They have yet to exceed your greatest feats though Sawa-chan.

Thank you for providing the politcal muscle Nodoka.

Great minds think alike Yuri Party! Encore!

One of the most memorable daytos of the year.

I just finished my mandatory two weeks a year and got my ersatz degree, which was actually a brochure for the alumni association as the real thing will be mailed in a few months time… In any case after slaving away for Uncle Sam it is time to slave away for Impz who is in turn slaving away on his dissertation. The beach episode felt very familiar though the addition of Azu-nyan changed things a bit though I was more fixated on Ui and Azu-nyan going on dates. I suppose that since Azu-nyan was a later addition that the integration had to happen fairly quickly and certainly it is a plus that Azu-nyan likes to get hugged. I am glad that Mugi-chan was able to have another sleep over and spa time with her friends…I am sure that she found it very eventful. Nevertheless I did enjoy Sawa-chan who actually did a forced march through the night to catch up with her lovely charges, and Azu-nyan and Mio certainly too notice, and I must commend Sawa-chan for devising a fool proof way of identifying them in under conditions of poor visibility. I did disagree with Mugi-chan for calling off the NICE BOAT for a bit of fun on the sea, but I suppose that in a few years that there will be time for that. Still a small hint of what might have been was delightful.

So would every one…

Certainly it seems that the bully Mio trend has gotten into full swing as Sawa-chan did devise a most interesting rite of initiation, even better she decided to start with the best part. Now that Azu-nyan is also ruined for marriage she too will have no where else to go but K-ON. The spat between Ritsu and Mio was most unfortunate as it seems that Ritsu holds a special place in her heart for Mio. I don’t hold any one party to be guilty certainly the end did justify the temporary ill will as Nodoka is now part of K-on whether she knows it or not. After all a band that begs together, stays together. While Mugi-chan was unable to diffuse the fight, it is good to see that Azu-nyan realized that she had a secret weapon in her arsenal that might very well bring peace on earth. In the end I hope Ritsu and Mio are not more closely bound to one another that their destinies will be as intertwined as their corporeal bodies. While I suspect Ritsu is fairly low on the popularity rankings there is no denying that she is probably number one in Mio’s heart as Ritsu knows the sound of Mio’s footsteps and that their minds are one, which can only mean one thing…that they have spent many a night together, though doing precisely what is a matter of debate… Still congratulations to Nodoka in joining Sawa-chan’s garden of otome, I hope she takes well to her initiation which I hope will come with much pomp and ceremony with Sawa-chan’s inventive outfits.

Next time there better be a good concert…

Wouldn’t we all…

Ritsu likes having a little sister like Azu-nyan…

Some girls have all the luck…

Well get in there Ritsu, you are family after all…

Et tu, Mugi?

Ah paradise…

Oh Ritsu even in other people’s fantasies you are always copping a feel.

Yes it seems we are invading Normandy again, it won’t be the last time this year either…

I like it when Mugi-chan is all flustered.

You now Mio you should do the Mugi dance too…

It seems Ritsu-nee also knows how to push Azu-nyan’s buttons too…

Yes time for the two of you to have some alone time, yes…

Well you should help your little sister…

Next year it will be the Palace of Versailles.

Why not…

I like a lass who likes explosives.

You require more firepower.

How about adding more fuel?

A happy Mugi-chan is a lovely Mugi-chan.

I cannot help but be moved to pity for poor Sawa-chan.

Optimal postion…

How alike these two are…

What? That change in skin tone is hardly permenant or distinguishing.

I cannot help but wonder what could have possibly taken her down at this point.

This one is for the ages.

At least it was not a sex tape…

Spinal Tap?

How about “The Temptations”?

Good luck to her future husband, assuming Ui some how loses out…

I thought Gitah was a boy…

Ritsu is the master.

Is that so…

Weep not for Mugi-oujo has made some changes in inventory.

No but Mugi-chan is…

Hehe that’s funny.

I think actually might help.

I suppose every couple gets into a fight at least once if not more…

Listen to her!

Because she is an eager young rookie with everything to prove.

I see Sawa-chan has taught you well.

I told you Ritsu had her uses.

I do believe that penance must be exacted, I am sure Ritsu will be creative.

I hope then Ritsu will take the rest with her as they go WILD!

Lady Mugi hath spoken!

Ritsu can feel Mio no matter the distance…

Because she thinks you should all share a bed.

Yes I did dawww too.

Welcome to the family Nodoka…

Sawa-chan is the decider…

The name is irrelevant, only synergy matters.

Alright checking out the fresh meat new recruits…

Well to get back on track it seems that the recruitment drive for K-ON went pretty well since most musical bands have now nominated aspirants seeking to throw themselves upon their mercy in the vain hope that they may deem them worthy to join their ranks. Those who play bubble gum pop still cling to their own processes by which perhaps one in a hundred neophytes may survive to become a band member. The methods Sawa-chan has developed over the last few weeks are far more stringent, for K-ON must be pure in their musical mastery and hard of heart, body and soul. Fewer than one in every thousand survive, and I do believe Sawa-chan strives each day to lengthen these odds still further…thus leaving us with one aspirant, Azusa. I was rather disappointed that the concerts were not as godly as I had hoped but granted that Sawa-chan’s motivational speech was not even close to Patton’s to his Third Army and given that K-ON 2.0 is still getting the hang of things I suppose it’s too much to ask for them to start giving us Macross class concerts. Still with interesting songs like “Light and Fluffy Time”, “Curry after Rice”, “My Love is a Stapler”, and “Brush and Ballpoint Pen” I sense that Mio may have some song writing talent of worth as some are in the tradition of the Kyun Kyun tradition. Despite Sawa-chan’s initial miss I suppose the maid thing was dead on and I HIGHLY approve of Sawa-chan scoping out Ui’s size. Now that the classes have been formed I think that Mio’s initial lonliness and her coming on to Nodoka clearly indicate how broken Ritsu has made Mio, at the very least we know Nodoka can give Mio the tender love and care that she so desperately needs since Ritsu seems willing to latch on to just about any one. Even if Ritsu isn’t the smartest of the bunch I think she has a waide variety of skills, from finding a new victim super friend in Mugi-chan, to supplicating herself to Nodoka when the latter made a PRESIDENTIAL ORDER to get Ritsu to submit the proper paper work.  Ritsu even came up with the idea to capture Ui, though in the end since it had been come years since she last played Pokemon, Ritsu did capture Azusa, by leaping lovingly upon her. Such was Ritsu’s caress that there would be no escape for our new twin tailed aspirant. Sadly Mio is still shy as ever though at least now Mugi-chan seems to picking up on the bully Mio past time that Ritsu started. Still I wonder when Mio will figure out that in the case of Yui that she can toss shiny things onto the floor as a defensive and evasive maneuver in addition to a barrel roll. I do like how Yui was honest about her castanet gambit, should have gone with a cowbell though.

Hell yeah threesome in 2-2!

Azusa certainly went through a trial by fire of sort and I did enjoy the heaps of abuse that the 2-2 clique dished out. In fact I am quite tempted to declare Azu-nyan Mini-Mio simply because she is a stand in for all the attention that was once Mio’s. I suppose that in the end the yuri is so strong that other bands can’t compete. Still this aversion to traditional K-ON ritual is utterly abhorrent in the extreme, clearly Azu-nyan is not cut out for the life of a seadog, hell she wouldn’t survive band camp if this flaw remains uncorrected. I do hope for Azu-nayn’s sake that she will be less adverse to the mysterious ways and rituals of the yuri when camp starts. The longer this goes on I suspect that the 2-2 clique is starting to pick up on each others habit, laziness being one of the big ones. Since Ritsu was reaching for the blackmail card early and eagerly I think Ritsu is starting to get ridiculously good at holding things together through fair means or foul. I think that it was Rommel who once said that the lazy and the smart are fit for the highest command, if so I think Ritsu is starting to show a great deal of cunning in addition to judicious amounts of laziness. Other than death I suspect that there is no escaping from her grasp. I was looking forward to Sawa-chan’s cosplay party, but I think it’s fair to say we were all cheated out of seeing the whole thing. Still now that Azu-nyan has been drafted I think good times are inbound.

Nevertheless do come over to “play”…

But trust me comrade they certainly know who you are…

I approve of Nodoka coming to Mio’s rescue.

Why yes Nodoka will marry you…

All that matters is that Mugi-chan is rip roaring and ready to do this…

I guess there are instances where Yui actually excells…

I like where this is going…

I see why that one washed out…lack of enthusiasm.

Please note your consent is not required…

Next time I expect a better duet, preferably a more intimate one…

I like how Ritsu thinks.

A twin-tails has a appeared…

Screw pokeballs, fully body contact capture, ALL THE WAY.

Couple more questions. What is the capital of Assyria? What is your favorite color? What are your three sizes?

Ah the old Yui toss.

All your base belong to Ritsu…

I approve of this cross training.

Holy shit that’s my standard tea.

I see Mugi-chan is savoring this moment of affection.

I share Mugi-chan’s horror at this suggestion of putting an end to tea time.

She came from behind…

AND HOW!

Oh that was sneaky Mugi-chan…keep it up.

Alright chow time!

Sawa-chan will not take NO for an answer.

There are plenty more as befits this renowned club…

I wanted a close up of that…

How good was it really?

…

Once you join the Yuri side…forever will it rule your destiny.

Now try the maid outfit…

Sorry Mio it seems that Ritsu is smarter than you give her credit…

Cosplay, cosplay, cosplay party…

Next time Sawa-chan pull off her shirt with more enthusiasm…

Maybe you should change to coffee then?

Who needs a boyfriend? This is a cosplay opportunity…

I see someone feels a bit inadequate…

Ui is smooth…

I like how they have upped the Yuri levels in this show as of late, though it might simply be a case of seeing things that aren’t really there. Still it is good to know that the efforts of Ui do not go unsung, and if the local curs that pass for men in their town are found wanting Ritsu has expressed interest in marrying Ui, given how much dirt Ritsu seems to have on Mio I am sure Ritsu can bully Mio into a…favorable arrangement. I think I am being slowly won over by Ritsu as she bullies Mio. Even if Ritsu is boke, at least she has some cunning and pictures of a compromising nature. If poor Sawa-chan stays single much longer I cannot help but begin to question her actual interest in men, after all Sawa-chan does have a particular fondness for getting girls to wear her hand made out fits and judging by her infiltration to the party I suspect that she has stolen into the homes of other young girls before… I highly approve of Mugi-chan’s hopes for more girl on girl bonding. Although I was mildly disappointed that Mugi-chan didn’t break out Twister, I did enjoy her barely hidden pleasure at watching Sawa-chan force Mio to conform to her will and don Sawa-chan’s latest hand made outfit. I have to hand it to Ritsu for effortlessly getting Mio all dressed up with a mere implication. Nice to know that poor Mio and Mugi-chan actauly put effort in maintiaining fitness standards, it seems that these two lasses were not born outstanding; they actually worked on it through many years of blood, sweat, toil, and tears. Next time it seems Sawa-chan brought out more handmade outfits, I can only hope Mio shows her appreciation for such skill by wearing it with her friends.

That’s okay I am sure you wanted to host the party, it would have been an all nighter…

Ritsu would know she tore them off Mio herself.

Indeed Ritsu usually targets all of Mio’s garments during her visits…

Oh don’t pretend you don’t know…

That’s just the cover sheet…

But wait there is more…

Call now and Ristu will show you the videos of said events.

I see we have a taker…

I am only disappointed that they did not got to Oktoberfest first…

I am beginning to see why Rommel felt that there was no use for the dumb and industrious.

Just look at that expression of anticipation.

Pfft we all know she snuck in through the vents in skin tight octo-camo.

Sheryl…Sheryl Nome.

I cannot help but wonder if she made clothes for her band mates back in the day.

Actually that is a good question…

I am not sure going strapless would have helped…

Yui knows no fear, nor shame.

Target Acquired…

Mugi-chan was overjoyed with this development.

This isn’t what you think…

…

…

Sawa-chan just had to know if Mio color coordinated.

And no Pants!

I like how Mugi just swooped into to give Mio a shoulder to cry on after with holding aid during the Sawako assualt, how deliciously underhanded.

I see no reason to disagree.

No it’s not a mini boyfriend.

Now Mugi-chan can cosplay as a Latin lover…

You’ll just have to get use to your death metal loving club advisor and all of her gifts.

It will be scorching hawt yes?

Look at least there wasn’t a pole.

Sawa-chan is having too much fun.

I take it she doesn’t share Yui’s metabolism.

Should have just gone with teeth picking.

She went wild.

Don’t worry Nodoka Sawa-chan has plans for you too…

Yeah some how after this I think we know which way Ritsu always leaned.

Trust me she pays for it in other ways…

I think these two have gotten along famously.

To be honest I don’t think it matters much in your case.

You have no idea…

I think Sawa-chan is beginning to discover the local boys are simply disgusting.

…

M&M (Mio&Mugi, see they did meet through providence) will not tolerate your gluttony.

Look God has already answered Mugi-chan’s prayers!

Raise your hand if you wanted to trade places with Yui.

It’s been a rather brutal month as of late, I am glad I found work of sorts but that combined with a new exercise routine and Valkyria Chronicles is starting to take a toll, I have to manage my time better and hope fully this mass upload thing will cut down on time. That said I am really enjoying K-on. At least Yui is capable of having proficiency in a single task, though her skill at multi-tasking is wanting. I like how Mugi-chan found the ultimate motivator for Yui who seems to be a slow starter. It’s kind of funny how Ritsu started the ball rolling on all this and it is not Mio who is the band leader with Mugi-chan as the stalwart second in command. I am not sure if I am the only one who thought of gang signs when Yui started to use her chord hand posture. Still it’s kind of sad that Ui and Ritsu are still in the PS2 era. If nothing else I like seeing the excellent camaraderie of this four girl fire team, it is something that is sorely lacking these days. I hope next time Ritsu plans on making a dynamic entry that she brings an H&K MP5 to the party.

That won’t work on your teacher Yui…

Mio needs to learn a thing or two about training camp, if she wants to train then she has to pick a better venue that is essentially in the middle of no where there isn’t anything to do but train. Still I was a bit disappointed that there was a lack of three a day practices and up downs. I suppose though as a team building exercise it was successful though I fail to see the financial benefit of having a maid café for the school festivals since there seems to be a lack of high school boys who would line up like a bunch of suckers but I won’t deny it is a great idea in principle. I can understand Mio being squeamish about blood and gore, but barnacles? It must have been some trauma. I like Mugi-chan for striving for perfection in everything including sandcastles. I think Yui has stage presence though I am really hoping that at some point we will see them playing together as a band.

Ah yes Algebra the bane of Freshman everywhere…

…Let’s keep her away from the knives.

It seems Ritsu had a superior grasp of her schedule.

Siblings aren’t usually this similar, in fact differences can be vast and violent.

Poor Ui has to live in Yui’s shadow…

They want an imouto like Ui.

DO NOT EVER LET RITSU NEAR THE SHINY RED BUTTON.

Motivation in a box…

Amen to that Mio.

Mastery of one task at a time is all fine and good, now to teach this one something called multi-tasking…

We must make it second nature then…

Three a day practices I like that.

Ritsu…welcome to Mio’s Hour of Power, you will play drums until you are not linger tired and thirsty.

I like Jello too.

Cue kanjite-knight…BURN IT UP MUGI-CHAN!

Poor Mio is being compelled through peer pressure…

Well at least it wasn’t something really dangerous or criminal.

Look at it this way at least no one else knows of how Mio proved her superiority over you once again…

At least they are being mature about this.

We will be perfect in every aspect of our lives. We will change the way we eat. We will change the way we play. We will change the way we make sand castles.

You know Mio those are probably already dead…

I love Mugi-chan’s hair.

We don’t need to be told that we we do that anyways…

Ritsu fantasy GET!

Yui likes pyro…

Mugi-chan sees it…

Could this be…love perhaps?

Whew Yui didn’t smash her guitar.

Death Metal not your thing?

Mio doubles as the groups mascot.

We’ll have work on Mio being Oberst and leading her troops.

Though this might be a leadership technique to compell compliance. to Mio’s will.

This was supposed to be training, not R&R…

Now I want to see Mugi-chan’s…you know for comparison…

You and every one else…

Well since Lelangir did a post about the first ep I thought that I’d do a follow up as part of Spring Recon. I confess I find Yui to be irritatingly clumsy though understandable her in that her whole bout of unadulterated adoration of her new property was not unlike that I felt when I first got my body armor and all my battle rattle. Still I thought that Ritsu was mildly lovable in a Kana like manner in that she’s dragging along the rest to go wither her plans, though as a pair Ritsu and Mio were fairly funny, though the previous cameo by Krauser II has yet to be matched. My favorite though it Mugi-chan who used her Jedi Mindtricks to get a huge discount for Yui though it could have just been due to the clerks being weak minded. Now that Yui has an instrument I hope we can get to some of that music the OP and ED I thought were fairly catchy and I approve highly of Ritsu’s drum set. While not all of us can be rockstars, at least there is Rock Band and Guitar Hero. I have trouble articulating what was so great but I did enjoy the camaraderie and Mugi-chan just oozing rich oujo without attracting too much undue attention. Seriously though the best way to raise money was to have a bake sale, at an all boys school…but I suppose  this was as good a way as any to show how Mugi-chan can bargain.

Clearly Mio is frontman material, all she needs is a bit of confidence, if Negishi can do it so can Mio.

I love Mugi-chan because she’s likes TEA in her animu.

The Green is symbolic of her love for money.

What ever happened to getting in and getting out? Ah well I am a sucker for free samples at Costco too.

Jabba no bargain?!

Ritsu will now kill your Rancor…

:3

This isn’t the price your charging…

You don’t need to see my identification…

…

You will accept 50,000.

It’s the guitar…we’ll have to work on your fashion sense.

Let’s put some fear into them Mio…

Kyoko of the Dark Moon Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of Shotaro-hating people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the Shotaro propaganda machine, the elimination of Visual Kei tyranny over the oppressed peoples of the world, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and concert hardened. He will fight savagely. But this is the year 2009! Much has happened since the Shotaro triumphs of a few months ago. The Love Me Section has inflicted upon the Shotaro great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our commercial offensive has seriously reduced his strength on the air waves and his capacity to hold concerts on the ground. Lori has given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of stardom, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory! I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

The Earth it self has been moved to pity at your sincerity!

FIGHT!

There is nothing to fear but Tsuruga himself.

In the end Impz ran away to some dude’s basement leaving me to finish what he started. Ah well this should at least answer usagijen’s calls for more Skip Beat posts though at this juncture I am just doing mop up of all the stuff I didn’t finish before now that I am in the real world facing this terrible job market. So in the end Old Mio was forced to surrender unconditionally to Kyoko after Mio the younger shocked and awed the cast and crew with Mio 2.0. Momose definitely fears Kyoko though she predicts accurately that Tsuruga was about to hit a wall. While Kyoko assumed that she was going to get chewed out for her behavior, in the end Tsugura spared her as her Mio was three kinds of win and awesome, had Kyoko failed to meet expectations he would have made Kyoko cry for two years. I applaud Kyoko’s discretion in not combating the demon lord, where Shotaro has foolish and idiot pride in his scant talents, Kyoko is humble. Speaking of the pretender Shotaro it seems that Kyoko and Tsuruga starring in the same production really eats at him, as well as it should for his legendary stupidity is about to be paid in full. Nevertheless all is not well in Tsuruga’s world as dreams of being Corn no Yousei was but a brief respite from his inability to play the role of Katsuki 2.0.

Uh oh…

At least he’s honest…

Ren’s eyes shoot lazors…

So to drown his troubles Tsuruga tries to drown it all down with booze, as Shotaro pretends to be number one… Too bad the dumb bastard will never be number one and like the little prick that he is starts throwing a hissy once he realizes the inevitability of fate, though Tsugura is working on the romantic overtone. Kyoko cosplays as Tsuruga to maximum effect and it was delightful to watch her try and act fresh. So as undercover chicken Kyoko gets Tsuruga to spill the beans on all of his problems, sadly Kyoko can’t seem to connect the points and gets in a fight instead. Surprise, surprise it seems Tsuruga has his sights set on a 16 year old high school kid, but all Kyoko cares about is that this solves the issue of Katsuki rather neatly…of course Tsuruga resists and thinks that Bo is trying to scam him into seizing Kyoko, only the truth is that she was plotting her own capture, I commend her for being ruthless and efficient.

In the end we only get a lame old cliff hanger though and it does make me pissed off but at least there is hope for some more down the line. I can’t say much about the last episode since it was right before the good part if you know what I mean…well at least now usagijen can complain a little less about the lack of Skip Beat! posts I for one blame Impz for running away although he has been more active as of late so I can’t deliver justice upon his head as he already repented I just hope it stays that way.

Who is this Corn?

Mio wants Momose for dinner…

You know what she means…

Mio will take that as a yes.

Getting fresh eh?

We are experiencing emotional difficulties…

Take her advice…she’ll love you for it.

Indeed the being a Sith is better.

Hi…

After all that trouble Kyoko went through too…

I’d be scared too…nothing is scarier than a dumbass in denial.

Oooo…shiny.

No need to thank him Moko-san it is his honor to serve you.

Kyoko has proved her superiority to Shotaro once again.

The results are in, and I’m sure you’ll be really surprised at who the #1 was. Let’s ignore the fact that the results are shown at all times on the sidebar while the poll is still up…

10. Sachi (16 votes): Poor Sachi, rounded out last place. I’m guessing that most viewers found her kind of annoying like I did. I’ve never been one to dig the bubbly girls. There’s a difference for me between energetic and bubbly (or sugary sweet, if that helps the visualization).

Crusader: Poor Sachi she did a lot of grunt work for the Yuri Republic and in a way I suppose being Kanako’s sword and shield meant that she was never going to steal the spotlight. She was obviously Kanako’s #1 fan and she was rich too boot, sadly it seems that because Sachi was sworn to secrecy that the truth over the capture and defense of Kiri and the taming of Yuzuru will never be known. I salute her hard work and selfless deeds for the greater good of Kanako’s rule.

9. Yuzuru (35 votes): Not many fans of the archer who wants to jump in Sachi’s pants. She had a lot of screentime, but mostly as just a person to react to something Kanako did. And the episode dedicated to her was probably the worst of the 12.

Crusader: Yeah it seems that Yuzuru’s PR campaign was a disaster at least she came around in the end…as Saxhi’s yuri servant, even if she did not appreciate Kanako the Great at least Yuzuru is opposed to Kanako being even mildly heterosexual.

8. Ayari (36 votes): This made me sad, as I love the well-endowed blonde with the drills. I also love student council president characters. I’ll comfort you angel…

Crusader: I like how Ayarin appointed Kanako as her year two heir apparent even if after getting ruined for marriage was not enough to garner much of a sympathy vote, still Kanako will not abandon her mentor and will do the right thing and take full responsibility for ruining her.

7. Ryuuken (41 votes): The prince character didn’t garner a whole lot of support either. I don’t blame them, I generally find these characters irritating. And her episode was rather dull.

Crusader: So much for being Kanako’s protector, but I suppose when a forthright person like Ryuuken-sama was faced with stiff competition from Sachi that we all knew who was the one giving her all for the Kanako’s defense.

6. Kiri (57 votes): Megane-chan made a decent showing, perhaps it was the fact that her focus was early on that she didn’t garner a lot of support.

Crusader: Oh Kiri-san if only you had made good on your confession, ah well Kanako forgives you even if you seem to garner the attention of devaint men.

5. Shizu (102 votes): Mariya’s twin gets up pretty high. She has all of the delicious beauty of Mariya, but sans the package and plus the tits. And as we saw in that last episode, they were pretty good ones…

Crusader: Poor Shizu was part of the collateral damage from Kanako’s offensive the thndered out from the pool, but at least it seems that as Shizu was ruined twice for marriage that there has been much more sympathy for her, may she eventually rule Ame no Kisaki as Kanako’s consort.

4. Matsurika (168 votes): The trash talking medio was one of my favorite characters for sure. Deadpan delivery of biting insults gets me every time, and her various hypnosis techniques such as “I hate school swimsuits, I love loincloths” were brilliant. I approve of this medio.

Crusader: If there is to be a second season then I cannot wait to seem more of her, still that loincloth thing was pretty damn mean, but I did enjoy her girlish giggle.

Kanako fanart for Great Justice.

3. Kanako (174 votes): Ah, the wonderful protagonist appears, a girl whose breasts are far from excessive. At the start of the show I was lukewarm on Kanako, while Crusader adored her from the start. She grew on me tremendously throughout the series, with her levels of woman love and perversion reaching heights I can admire. We share many of the same characteristics when it comes to that area, and I can sincerely identify with her. I’m also rather jealous because she goes to a school with such sexy bishoujos. You are one of us Kanako, we salute you.

Crusader: Despite the early criticism I knew Kanako was a winner, say what you will but this girl’s love for women and bishoujos is beyond question, even when assualted by that fell priest Kanako did not waver.  Her passionate fantasies might well exceed that of the formidable Hosaka though Kanako’s fantasies are so very realistic and are in every way preferable to reality. Kanako doesn’t know it yet but the Yuri is strong with her and no doubt in two years time she will level up to Chikane-class and rule Ame no Kisaki with iron fist, all will love her and tremble with anticipation of her delicate caress. I salute President Kanako of Year 2.

2. God (184 votes): I was very surprised by God’s popularity. I mean, I didn’t particularly care for the character, but I have to respect the voice of the people. I will admit I did enjoy her antics when it game to making the priest look like a fool and getting a plasma TV out of it.

Crusader: I am glad to see that there are many who fear the wrath of a most Vengeful God…

1. Mariya (507 votes): 38% of voters selected the traptastic beauty, and that included me. There was just no competition from the start, and I’m glad to see that a large plurality of our readers are just as broken as me. Now Mariya can be categorized as one of those traps that doesn’t look at all like a guy, the kind you don’t really see in real life. So if you look at it from the viewpoint of it being a girl with a chance of something naughty underneath it becomes taboo and tempting.

Well aside from the sexy trapiness of Mariya, his personality drove a huge portion of the great humor the show had to offer. The constant barrage of insults and jabs, the brainwashing, and general abuse of Kanako was masterful. He makes a great comedy duo with Kanako, especially when supported by the able meido Matsurika. Congratulations Mariya, the readers of THAT have spoken!

Crusader: Not very surprising considering how many hangers on Impz has, delightfully evil but ultimately needs to undergo gender reassignment to fully embrace Kanako. At least he has prowess that sort of makes up for being shorter than Kanako, but I suppose Mariya prefers it this way…

And enjoy the last two MH Megami scans I have in my collection.