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Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren is the sequel to the successful Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! that aired in late 2012. However, calling it a sequel, or a second season, or really anything but a superfluous spinoff doesn't feel accurate.

The first season of Chuunibyou started off under the impression of being yet another quirky moe-infused romantic slice of life highschool comedy shoveled off the festering pile that is the anime industry's recent lapse in creativity. What it turned out to be was a delightfully zany romantic comedy with some refreshingly mature themes, which were handled in a refreshingly unique way. It ... changed up the stale moe-infused SoL formula of cute-girls-doing-cute-things-in-a-cute-way by adding equal parts fun and imagination, giving us cute-girls-doing-fun-things-in-an-imaginative-way (or delusional way, if you prefer).

The second season— excuse me, I mean the substance-devoid spinoff— attempts to capture the success of the first season without bothering with the things that made it good to those of us who aren't satisfied just watching cuteness for the sake of cuteness. The problem lies in the fact the first season of Chuunibyou demo koi ga Shitai was largely inspired by the light novel Aura: Maryuuinkouga Saigo no Tatakai, from which it borrows its more serious themes. The second season, on the other hand, is inspired entirely by the desire to make money. Not only did they shelve the mature themes of the first season, but also the romance, and they veritably backpedaled over everything that came before in order to adhere to a trite formula of nonsensical whimsy.

The romance between Yuuta and Rikka is reduced to something even less substantial than the first season, as we are led to believe that in all the time they've been dating, they haven't kissed or even held hands. Their "romance" is lost so deeply in the friend-zone that any attempt at developing it is, to the viewer, like watching a quadriplegic sprinter at the Special Olympics. They did this so it would seem like they still have somewhere to go with the relationship, but the show tries so hard not to develop anything, and to always end each episode on the same note it started, that we are left with nothing but aimless zaniness. Sadly, that zaniness gets stale after a while, as it's just a repetition of things we've already seen over a dozen times in the first season.

There is a recurring theme of characters embracing and accepting their adolescent delusions, rather than just broiling in shame and rolling on the floor in classic Chuunibyou fashion, but considering this is nothing that wasn't handled with the end of the first season, it's as unnecessary as everything else in this season.

There is the hint of a potential conflict with the introduction of Yuuta's childhood friend Satone, but the show tries so hard not to present any serious conflict to get in the way of the meandering cuteness that she is reduced to an occasional gimmick of making Rikka jealous. This conflict is always quickly resolved— as in, immediately—so that nobody has to suffer the discomfort of any aspect of the show changing. And that refusal to change is how the entire second of season of Chuunibyou can be summed up... because nothing really happens.

And that refusal to change can probably be blamed as much on the audience as the producers. Prior to the show's airing, it became public knowledge that a certain character, Nibutani, underwent a makeover, altering her appearance. Backlash was so strong that after the pilot episode, they immediately altered her back and acted as though nothing ever happened. They treated it like their own 8th grade delusion: an embarrassment to be forgotten. The problem with this is, that first episode made it clear the change was not simply a random aesthetic one; characters noted it, she retained her original appearance in the opening and in a delusional fight scene, and the change was obviously intended to contribute to Nibutani's story in some way, as part of her campaign for student council president. The arc was probably planned to revolve around her superficial concern with how she appears to other people, as that would fit well with her image conscious character. How's that for irony? But otaku don't like change, especially when it affects hair color and skirt length, so everything was made the way it had been in the previous season, and nobody had to fear any changes after that. Because nothing happened. Thus we get a cute show about cute girls doing fun things in a delusional way. And that's it. No mature themes, no conflict, no development. Just an adorable orgy of moe.

These complaints are addressed, in part, toward the end of the series, when the conflict hinted at in the synopsis is finally develops a little, but it's both too late and too little. No serious threat is posed to the relationship between Yuuta and Rikka anymore than any substantial development transpires in the relationship between Yuuta and Rikka. We get a little bit of emotional conflict for a new character, which leaves zero emotional impact on an old viewer.

For those who enjoy the genre just for what it is, and just want to watch cute girls being adorable and occasionally going into delusional super battles, slide tackling each other, and rolling on the floor, Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren still delivers. The animation is high quality and the bevy of adorable characters are hard not to love even for stony-hearted old goats. The music is fitting, though nothing that stands out from the genre, and the upbeat OP does an excellent job setting the mood for the ride you're about to take. But a brief fun ride is all you're going to get, so if you're looking for an actual sequel or extension to the first season, with the same depth and impact, this isn't it, and you will be disappointed.

Jikuu Tenshou Nazca is a unique show which manages to use an even more outlandish plot element than your standard anime.
Reincarnated Incan warriors.
. . .
In Japan.

During a kendo match, the protagonist Kyoji's sensei Tate awakens to his past life memories, setting in motion the renewal of his apocalyptic past-life designs. He goes about awakening other reincarnated spirits--including our hero--even though half these people worked -against- him the last time.
Maybe he thought they'd be more dissatisfied with modern Japan then they were with ancient Peru?
What makes this absolutely silly is just how many reincarnated Incan warriors can be found in the ... same social circle of a Japanese high school. At one point, a newly introduced character who gets caught up in events, declared to be expendable by the villains, also spontaneously awakens as a reincarnated Incan priest. In all honesty, if they'd started turning characters' grandparents and random passersby on the street into reawakened warrior priests, I wouldn't have been surprised. In fact, had they just turned all of Japan into reawakened Incans for a massive apocalyptic battle, it would have made for a more exciting climax.
What's more, you'd expect the characters and their renewed struggle to be tied up in Peru, and thus lead them there. Well, blessedly, it does. . . for like a single episode. Then they go back to Japan. . . because it's anime, and anime can ONLY take place in Japan. Viracocha forbid somebody think outside the island box.
In the show's defense, they -do- make a weak explanation later in the show, but it really doesn't cut it.

Those (extremely cogent) arguments aside, the writing in general wasn't as silly or hairbrained as you'd expect, and I found myself enjoying the battles and story's forward progression. I've seen plenty of popular shows that hit you with goofy scenario after goofy scenario. Comparatively, I'm sure plenty of people can excuse implausible reincarnations.

Animation is very well done. Characters are well designed and animated; I was especially impressed by the quality of character's faces, and was pleased with the stylistic presentation of everything set in present day Japan. People looked and dressed normally, which I consider a plus.
The problem is introduced in the flashbacks.
While the animation is still good quality, the design is horrible. Instead of traditional Incan garments, they wear skin-tight one pieces with tribal accessories. I get the impression the artist's investigation into ancient South American clothing only got as far as Mexican Wrestling. Even where the story was interesting, I found myself distracted and annoyed by just how goofy the villain looked in what I can only imagine to be primitive spandex.

As for the characters: they didn't really leave any strong impressions. There were a couple I liked enough to care when they were in peril--Daimon was likable for being one of the few dynamic characters, who actually faced the ethical dillema of which side he thought was right, and I liked Yuka, who seemed more to me like the story's protagonist than Bilka/Kyoji.
. . .But most of the development was presented disjointedy through past-life flashbacks, and it all felt rather hollow.
The interpersonal relationships didn't feel very deep, the villains seemed to have the most fleshed out motivations, and I found myself mostly indifferent toward the lot of them.

Despite its shortcomings, there is one area in which Nacza not only does well, but excels. Rather than the generic J-Pop or J-Rock that the medium is saturated with, the music is remixed Bach, which works incredibly well.
The OST was reminiscent of Hironobu Sakaguchi, and seems more like something you'd find in a classic RPG than an anime.
That's a good thing.
It gives a grand and serious tone to events which are really too silly to be taken as grand and serious without it. The music managed to draw me into events which probably would have bored me otherwise, and without it I'd probably rate the show lower.

In summation, Nazca is an. . .interesting. . . anime. It does some things well, and a lot of things mediocre, but the final blend was something palatable if not savory. Despite my various complaints, I was, admittedly, never bored.
Viewers who can suspend their disbelief and enjoy things in spite of absurdities will be able to tolerate or even enjoy the show.
But those who like to nitpick over every small implausibility and unliklihood should keep far, -far- away.

Dragoon, not to be confused with the easier to find Panzer Dragoon, is an anime spin-off of the Japanese Playstation/PC-98 RPG Ryuuki Denshou: Dragoon. As such, this three episode OVA features all the trappings and familiar cliches you'd expect from both a JRPG and a nineties fantasy anime.

The story follows Sadie, a young swordsman who finds a naked girl unconscious in the woods. In a completely original twist for the genre, she suffers from amnesia, remembering only her name, Miu, and is therefore completely clueless as to why she's being pursued by an evil empire. Blessedly, Sadie's the strong-willed, chivalrous variety ... of protagonist (I find the classical genre alternative of strong-willed but dimwitted protagonist to be annoying) so he doesn't hesitate to protect Miu and aid his newfound (and newly clothed) ward in escaping the clutches of their malevolent--and generically faceless--pursuers.

The young duo's flight from the Garubado Empire leads them on an exciting journey in which they encounter all the classic genre trademarks of betrayal, imprisonment and escape, ambush, and fighting overwhelming opponents with old family grudges. Along the way they find likeminded allies in the form of a healer, a mage (who doubles as a thief), and a prince, forming the kind of well rounded party you would need for such an epic adventure.
Despite the seemingly generic predictability of the show's structure, the character archetypes work for it. I found the interplay between the cast to be charming, and the growing relationship between Miu and Sadie gave it depth, especially as Miu comes to question whether it's really in her best interest to regain her memories.

The show bears the mark of its era, as well. As one would expect from a 90s OVA, there's a decent share of needless nudity to set it apart from children's cartoons. Not too much, but enough that some would consider it ecchi by modern standards--every female heroine has at least one scene in the buff.
The enigmatic scenes of villains speaking cryptically about their plans really showcase old fantasy trends: evil empires use pauldrons to denote evil like the Catholic Church uses hats to denote holiness--I suspect the reason nefarious villains always know teleportation magic isn't to make them seem enigmatic and omnipresent, but because trying to fit through doorways would be too embarrassing for somebody wider than he is tall.
The animation style, likewise, is reminiscent of the times, and really adds a nostalgia factor for those partial to the generation.

In fact, while the list of cliches may make this sound like an unfavorable review, the truth is that, as any JRPG fan knows, some cliches are common because they work for the fanbase. All these elements came together to make an enjoyable experience for me, and in the end, while Dragoon certainly isn't on par with Berserk, I quite liked it, and found it a good deal more enjoyable than Record of Lodoss War. . .

Except for a single, fatal, flaw.
The show is unfinished.
The script is not a three episode OVA worth of story; it's a normal length series worth of story of which only three episodes were made. It doesn't even feature an open ended ending, but rather the third episode ends as though fully anticipating more. . . which don't exist.
I don't know if this was done to publicize the game, or simply generate a little extra revenue by franchising it, but it will leave viewers unsatisfied with mysteries unanswered, and a quest which is only beginning rather than being brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
For those who know the language, I'm sure this serves the intended purpose--I am now even more eager to play the game--but those who can't continue the story elsewhere and want resolution from the anime itself will find themselves even more annoyed, or even angry, the more they enjoy it.

In summation: if you like the fantasy genre and nineties anime, Dragoon is a hidden gem. But you must go in knowing beforehand that you -will- be left hanging.

Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai is a difficult piece to score, namely because it's hard to decide whether to score it as an anime or as a documentary. My review will explain the discrepancies in a bit more detail, cutting a sharp contrast from my score, but for those simply looking for something enjoyable to watch to pass the time, I give it a seven.
It's quirky, stylistically unique, and manages to be (slightly) informative without being boring. If you just want to pass the time with an idle amusement, it meets the role if you can handle the quirk factor and occasional ... divergences from the documentary's thesis (despite its brevity, there's an entire tangent on the history of equestrian warfare).


As a documentary. . . a three.
As a longtime fan of both Mamoru Oshii and the historical figure of Miyamoto Musashi, I couldn't help but wonder if this was meant as satire. Indeed, it bears none of the classic marks associated with Oshii; it actually bears marks quite contrary to what you'd expect from him. The quirky and light-hearted presentation is a polar contrast from his usual dark and grandiose style.

But, beyond stylistic directorial anomalies, what actually ruins this documentary, making it an utter disgrace to the personage it aims to (or claims to) homage, is the fact that it fails so horribly as a documentary. Despite the early claim that the viewer will be presented with a true look at Miyomoto Musashi, that peers through the legends and tall-tales that have sprung up over the centuries, historically documented events of great import in the life of Japan's most well-known swordsman are glossed over or ignored altogether. What is presented in the place of historic fact?

Tendentious propaganda.

The documentary seeks to assail the viewer, repeatedly, with the completely groundless presupposition that Miyomoto Musashi was tortured and driven entirely by a burning ambition to attain rank and command in battle, and to become a "Great Man." The documentary even ends on this note. The reasonings for this theory (which would be acceptable if it was presented as a theory and not as a cold, hard assertion of uncontested fact) are vague and slight, relying on things so miniscule as Musashi's writing in the Gorin no Sho (his treatise on martial arts, and bible to modern practitioners of the budo) that small battles can be compared to large battles, and an insistence that his (evidently) preferred stance (contrary to his writings) was most effective against mounted opponents. . . evidently proof that Musashi harbored an obsession with horses and horse warriors.

The problem with this is that the documentary doesn't even tell us where it acquired this "preferred" stance in order to scrutinize its efficacy; whether it was taken from extant scrolls passed down in the Niten Ichi Ryu, (the school of swordsmanship Musashi founded) written generations after his death, or (most likely) from popular fiction, movies with fight choreography aimed at flashy visuals rather than historical accuracy.

It completely neglects to mention that Musashi preferred independence and freedom to the point that he even (tried to) refuse the honor of being brought into a daimyo's castle while dying, preferring to remain in the cave that he made his home in his last years, or that in the Dokkodo, his 21 precepts on the way of the warrior, he shunned personal ambition. In fact, Musashi: the Dream of the Last Samurai goes so far as to call him a hypocrite by insisting so profusely that he did not personally hold to his own teachings in heart. But then, despite taking vaguely based assumptions as fact, it does go so far as to question the authenticity of his writings altogether (if not directly).

Also, another grating factor: there is a point where it is stressed that the common belief that Musashi was a practitioner of zen meditation is completely false (despite some possible zen allusions in his personally documented fighting style), insisting that because Musashi's writing style is direct and unpoetic, he could not possibly have had any zen influence, because zen is associated with paradoxical koans. While it cannot be proven one way or the other whether Musashi was a zazen practitioner, this absurd logic just shows us that the writer knew as little about zen as he did about Miyamoto Musashi, as he doesn't bother mentioning that the application of the popular style now associated with zen wasn't applied to the transmission of Japanese swordsmanship ("your sword must be the water reflecting the moon while gazing at the mountain over a field filled with poppies on a clear winter night" nonsense) until a few generations later, after the actual need for swordplay had completely died out, making it more aesthetic than practical.

So, in conclusion, this so-called "documentary" neglects everything of import about Miyamoto Musashi, blatantly ignoring or glossing over a lifetime given to the "mastery of all things," stressing with utmost assertion that a man who traveled extensively, trained diligently, sculpted, painted, kept the personal company of high ranking geisha and fellow men of great repute, assisted in the architectural design of castle-towns, won over sixty duels and founded a sword school, being remembered centuries later as a "Great Man," was, in truth, just compensating for the fact he never got to fight on a horse.
If you are interested in Miyamoto Musashi, William Scott Wilson's The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi is probably the best English resource I've come across. Musashi: The Dream of The Last Samurai is the worst.