Autumn 2013 Episode Rankings

Week 5! We're almost at the time of the season when I look at my watching list, drop the series that's impressing me the least, and replace it with one of the many other new anime that didn't make my initial list for whatever reason. The problem is, I like all of the 18 shows I picked up this time! So instead, I'll be adding a 19th series starting next week, and won't drop anything. I don't know which series it'll be yet, but I have at least 12 to choose from, so hopefully one of them will leave a better impression on me second time around.



For now though, here's my rankings for the usual 18 series. A week of mostly lacklustre episodes, in my opinion




They're useful for convenient censorship, though!1 -



2 - (10)



3 - (3)



4 - ( 1)



5 - (9)



6 - (2)



7 - (2)



8 - ( 1)



9 - (2)



10 -



11 - ( 7)



12 - ( 10)



13 -



14 - ( 9)



15 - (2)



16 - ( 1)



17 - (1)



18 - ( 2)Another eccentric character makes her debut in Hunter x Hunter



MOVING UP:



HUNTER X HUNTER returns to the Top 5, with an episode that was certainly busy, if nothing else. While Gon (shadowed by his new friend Meleoron) and the other hunters prepare to take out the King, Morel is trapped in some weird space by Cheetu. Supposedly he has to beat the speedy Chimera Ant in a game of tag in order to escape, but he doesn't seem in any hurry to play by the rules. Meanwhile, the King is playing a more standard game of Gungi against the World Champion, and for the first time, seems to be struggling to win. I'm looking forward to seeing how this arc progresses, and predict that Hunter x Hunter will stay in the green zone once the action really kicks off.



Plenty happened in KAKUMEIKI VALVRAVE S2, as well - Marie's death, as well as H-Neun's heavily hinted demise; the revelation that piloting a Valvrave for too long leads to loss of memory, then life, as these 'runes' are used by the machines as fuel (always thought that invulnerability, being able to possess other people AND having an awesome giant robot should come with SOME sort of downside!); and the fact that these 'runes' are also being harvested in great quantity by Magius for some sort of ceremony - likely a body-swap of some kind, judging by the comments of one Magius member, and the fact that the current Commander Cain doesn't seem to be the same one X-Eins idolised as a childThis series has plenty of twists, and every now and then they're actually good!



It has more on offer than most of the small shops around here



MOVING DOWN:



NON NON BIYORI is unlucky, more than anything. If it had aired last Winter, Spring or Summer, it would have probably avoided the red zone entirely most weeks. But in this season where everything I'm watching is good (even though nothing is particularly 'great'), it's the slowest-paced series that's inevitably going to suffer. While Non Non Biyori is cute and funny, so little happens in each episode that I can't justify rating it any higher, at least until another show has a genuinely bad episode.



COPPELION episode 5 was pretty close to being 'genuinely bad'. The show has been propped up in my rankings by its pretty animation and interesting setting until now, but this week featured a number of animation derps, and I'm not sure what to make of the plot anymore either. Okay, so sending genetically modified school girls into a radioactive wasteland to recover survivors isn't a realistic premise, but the show seemed to take itself seriously enough, so I could look past that. Then in episode 5, the Prime Minister throws a tantrum and refuses to send a rescue helicopter after getting into an argument with Ibaraand in order to ensure the Coppelion girls get the help they need, the 'vice-principal' bribes Mushanokoji with delicious sukiyaki in order to get the contact details for another unit. I don't know what to think anymore.



JASAcan't say I'm familiar with this agency.



GENERAL COMMENTS:



YOWAMUSHI PEDAL has managed to remain fairly high in my rankings since the start of the season, even entering the Top 5 a couple of times. Not bad for a fairly generic sport anime with average production values. I think the reason I'm enjoying it so much is the characters - it's one of the few new series that has an interesting and likeable cast, a feature that can make or break an anime for me. I expect the upcoming 'welcome race' between all the first year club members will make for good viewing!



The rivalry between these two should be fun!
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