Acchi Kocchi 4

For some, this might be the best episode of Acchi Kocchi yet, since Io practically massacred the whole female population in their school. The joke is starting to wear thin though. I felt Io's line in the cafe and what he said when he touched Tsumiki's lips to be more nosebleed-inducing. Oh-my-god-what-am-I-saying. I definitely do not have a crush on Io! *tsun tsun* Anyway, this episode we had the gang play catching in an empty school and Io and Sakaki appearing in the school's lunch time radio show. Large gallery of screens and a bonus gif after the jump!

Acchi Kocchi 3

Ahh~ Acchi Kocchi never fails to warm my cold heart every week. This week: Miniwa shows off her powers in a snowball fight and Io shows off his cooking skills in Home Economics class. My favourite moment? Tsumiki's stunned face as Io carries her away from a barrage of snowballs.

Acchi Kocchi 2

Acchi Kocchi continues with its winning formula to deliver another sugary (pun intended) episode. In this episode, we visit the cafe which Io and Sakaki work part-time at. Io is perfect for drawing girls to this cafe, as he demonstrates with deadly skill. The girls also prepare for Valentines day, each in their own unique ways: Tsumiki with her thoughtfulness, Hime with her girliness, and Mayoi with her weirdness. It all accumulates to some chocolate lipstick and another deathly blow from Io to Tsumiki. Ahh Io... all the guys in the world wants your power. Hit past the jump for the image gallery and a little bonus!

Sakamichi no Apollon 1

With solid music already in a lot of the other new shows this season (including Lupin which Watanabe Shinichiro worked on too), it's easy to forget we had this coming as well. Sakamichi no Apollon definitely doesn't disappoint, even with the huge expectations a lot of people already had for it.

Accel World, Fate/Zero, Tasogare Otome X Amnesia

I've finally burnt out after doing 5 posts in 5 days. There are a few more shows that I want to talk about, and then a bunch more in about a week when Hyouka and the Noitamina anime come out. But I can't see myself dedicating at least 30 minutes for each post, so I'll just do a short summary and a single screenshot. In this batch post, I'll cover Accel World, the second season of Fate/Zero, and Tasogare Otome X Amnesia. More to come!

Acchi Kocchi 1

Azu-nyan, you have some serious competition... Miniwa Tsumiki is here to steal your crown! (or nekomimi)

Sankarea 1

Alright, Zombie Moé is now the hot new trend. Based on a popular manga, Sankarea has lots of fans to answer to. For the most part it does well to meet those expectations. For those coming in cold, there are promises of enough dark twists and turns to keep you glued to your screen.

Lupin the Third: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna 1

So, the classic Lupin the third series returns after a 27-year absence. Old classics like these sometimes need a little re-invention to keep things fresh and update it for a new audience. Director Yamamoto Sayo retains most of the visual styling of this classic, but added her own flavour to it too.

Medaka Box 1

Medaka Box, written by Nisioisin (of Bakemonogatari fame) and animated by Gainax (of FLCL fame), so what could possibly go wrong? Turns out, not much. Pretty decent adaptation, bits of nice animation, and generally good voice acting.

Zetman 1

Zetman is a shounen series, simple as that. It covers the typical cliches but goes the extra mile to remain serious and dark.

Uchuu Kyoudai 1

Uchuu Kyoudai (Space Brothers) is a great season-opener. It's funny, sad, touching, and feel-good. Something for everyone except the most hardened action anime fans.

Highlights of Spring 2012

I will not attempt to do a full season preview. For that you can go to RandomC or Star Crossed Anime Blog. I simply do not have the skill or time to write something worth reading. I have, however, a few series that I'm really REALLY looking forward to, so I'm writing this post to share some of the stuff that might have otherwise been overlooked.