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[A quick note: There will be some minor spoilers here, but the source material for this show is 25+ years old so go figure. The narrative is by no means original or groundbreaking but I will avoid mentioning anything overly significant.]

So, Parasyte has finally come to a close and the adaption turned out to be simultaneously good and bad at the same time. You know, like most anime. If you haven’t heard about this show yet, it’s the one everyone is talking about with the main character who has a weird alien growing out of his hand and struggles with the implications of how this ... will affect his chronic masturbation habit, amongst other things. Or was that Midori Hibi…

On the plus side, the pacing was done pretty well (until the final arc, where Shinici lives in a small village community for a number of days as represented by mere minutes of screen-time). Parasyte did manage to sell suspense to the audience well enough as the story unfolded. However there were a few patchy parts and some of the climatic parts were often hurt by censorship.

Nonetheless, we got to see Shinichi change massively as a character – from bumbling self-conscious nerd to an existentially challenged hybrid parasyte murderer over the course of 24 episodes. And for the most part he was likable. It was interesting to watch him attempt to understand his relationship with Migi (the creature that has morphed into his hand) and the implications of playing host to such an intelligent yet wildly unpredictable and bizarrely foreign entity.

Conversely, Murano managed to single-handedly cripple the show in ways that are impossible to overlook. She is a very old-school love interest: she’s totally gorgeous, possesses the brain of a goldfish and the personality of a particularly unremarkable rock. Not even the voice talent of the omnipresent Kana Hanazawa could save such a poorly written character.

Murano is constantly at Shinichi’s side throughout the show like a sad puppy, hoping to understand his erratic behaviour despite the fact he keeps everything secret from her. I can’t count the number of times she said “Are you really Shinichi-kun?”. It was fucking mind-numbing. If she had a personality or some ambition then maybe I could connect with her but she has nothing. She simply just is. For the sake of it.

Fortunately there are a bunch of more interesting side-characters, and the relationship between Migi and Shinichi was cool.

Unfortunately, the OST was unremarkable and the action scenes were hit and miss. World-building was handled well enough but the narrative was plagued by a couple of significant hiccups, relying on Muranos selective memory (did I mention she was stupid and forgetful?) and possibly even stupider police decision-making to advance the plot. These flaws were particularly difficult for me to overlook.

An additional sin made by Parasyte came in the form of an epilogue. Shinichi treats us to a pseudo-intillectual and complentative monologue that touches on how humans are actually kind of greedy creatures themselves and, get ready for this bombshell: parasitic in nature, and that we should be nicer to each other and our environment.

In essence, Parasyte was not a bad show. Although it likes to think it’s a lot smarter than it actually is.

This will be a quick one. I'll assume you've already seen Girls und Panzer and are wondering whether the OVA is worth checking out. If you haven't watched the show yet, it's best to watch it first but you could probably still enjoy this title on its own if you really wanted to. Although you will find a lot more to like about it if you're familiar with the original tv series.

The story takes place during the battle against Anzio, a "Japanese-themed Italian school". Be prepared for a lot of deliciously animated pasta.

Just about all the elements you loved about the show are here. The ... characters are up to their usual antics - Mako sleeping on the job, Saori being an air-head, and of course Miho whipping up moments of tactical brilliance when it matters most. Technically the outcome of the battle is already known to begin with, but this doesn't really take away from the watching experience.

Anchovy brings a (highly tongue-in-cheek) Italian flair to the mix, and there is plenty of humor to be found throughout the 40 minutes of screen-time. One of her generals is even called Pepperoni... Feel like a pizza yet?

The lead-up to the battle is plenty of fun and Yukari's recon mission is a highlight. However, the OVA really shines when it's time for the main event.

The battle is shown from multiple perspectives, and there's a plethora of strategy and mind-games going on as usual. This is the real magic of the Girls Und Panzer franchise: It's written in a way that balances comedy and action like almost no other. The viewer gets treated to a comprehensive view of the battle, and the quality of animation is even better than it was during the original series. The time and effort taken into making this OVA look and feel beautiful very noticeable and rewarding, particularly during the more intense moments of the battle. It must be difficult to balance such a vibrant colour palette with gritty tank warfare but somehow it all works.

As usual, tank otakus will probably relish the more intricate details to be found over the course of the OVA. There's also a fairly good balance of screen time for the main girls, so your favourite character will almost certainly get the time and attention that only you know she needs.

In short: This OVA is a treat. Side-effects may include a heightened enthusiasm for Italian cuisine, but it all goes away after you eat a good pizza. Panzer Vor!

SuperSonico: The Animation started off well enough but quickly became a drag with very few redeeming factors. Unfortuately, Sonico was not fleshed-out nearly enough to sustain the show on her own, and an emphasis on fanservice rather than characterization really cheapened the whole experience.

There are a loud group of anime fans who will tell you that Super Sonico The Animation is nothing more than a blatant Nitro+ publicity campaign designed to lure in the Otaku with a disproportionately sexy mascot. These people are not far from the truth. However, this a slight exaggeration because the show was not totally bereft of substance. Don’t get your ... hopes up too high though.

For a start – the OST was easily one of the best this season. Many scenes felt particularly magical thanks to an inspiring musical backdrop. Sonico’s band, First Astronomical Velocity, also provided plenty of ear-candy along the way. Think K-On! but a little more grown up. The OP was also neat, and a number of EDs (I love it when shows do this) were a bonus each time. It’s fair to say that the anime lacked in a few critical areas, but the music was spot-on every time.

However… Besides the arguably decent animation quality, it’s all downhill from here.

Sonico might be super-cute, but she’s also super-bland without a guitar in her hands. There was not a single piece of memorable dialogue over the course of the show, and the comedy was weak. I did find it consistently hilarious when Sonico would introduce herself as “…S-Super Sonico desu” to people (who would respond totally normally, as if this was a common female Japanese name) but that was about as funny as the show got. Being a total klutz at all times, Sonico would often find herself in a bunch of awkward jams – but the delivery was way too contrived and unnatural to get a laugh from me.

Sonico’s band-mates were also disappointingly generic. Besides the musical aspect, neither of them had any real impact on the show. Furi-chan's VA was particularly irritating. There was more than ample time to develop them but by the end it had all been wasted on cheap fanservice and boring dialogue. While there is an emphasis on music, Super Sonico: The Animation is a slice-of-life anime first, and slice-of-life is nothing without a quality cast of characters.

Again – the strength of Super Sonico: The Animation is in the music. Nothing else really managed to capitalize.

Final verdict: Skip show, aquire OST.

3/10

Side Note:-

While the show was mostly trash – episode 7 was entirely different. A surprisingly modest inclusion, it followed Sonico on a very personal journey of self-discovery and introspection. The pacing was perfect and everything just worked for once. Part of this was due to a lack of fanservice (besides a brief hot-springs scene, but it was pretty tame) but the episode stood up on its own. Call it a diamond in the rough.

Death Billiards should be applauded for its ambition to convey a well executed and thoughtful short story in only 25 minutes. The premise is dark - two men (with a few decades between them) are basically forced to compete in a game of pool... with their lives on the line. What starts off as a cruel premise evolves into something even darker as the two men deal with the severe trauma of being forced into such a grim scenario.

As the game begins we learn about the two unrelated main characters through some brief flashbacks. The challenge of getting an audience to care about them in ... such a short time frame is handled very well, and as the story unfolds it's hard not to empathise with both of them. Other characters include a mysterious man and woman who act as 'hosts' for the event although we learn little about them. The tension in Death Billiards begins early on and builds steadily thanks to careful pacing, making for quite a gripping experience. You will find yourself invested with this story, and you will want to find out the fate of its protagonists.

The atmosphere on-screen is very well crafted thanks to slick animation and a stirring soundtrack that ebbs and flows with the visuals. The main setting is a large room in what appears to be a bar of some sort, although there are no customers to be seen, and an air of mystery permeates the ambience. Not everything here is quite as it seems. A dark colour palate is used tastefully for the interior although there are some gentle hints of brighter colours to be found inside the bar too. The sounds and sights in Death Billiards are of high quality and gel nicely creating a bleak setting - cleverly matching the plight of its main characters.

There is really not much to complain about in Death Billiards. The story evolves steadily and even delves into the theme of human mortality - yet it is careful not to overstep its margins due to time constraint. Animation and background music are very fitting. Perhaps the only gripe I have with Death Billiards is that I'd like to know more about its setting and see its characters fleshed out a little more, but these complaints are very minor. Be sure to check out Death Billiards if you feel even remotely curious. It's not very long and you'll probably enjoy it.

8/10

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko (English: Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl) is an excellent series that can be counted as a unique and hidden gem among more popular titles. The story follows the daily life of high schooler Niwa Makoto who has recently transferred to a new school and a new neighbourhood. Makoto is a fairly normal guy, but the characters that soon surround him are an eccentric bunch to say the least. He quickly finds out he is one of the few people in this new town who does not belive in aliens, is a fan of dressing up as an eggplant (among other ... ridiculous things) or openly declares themself as an otherwordly being. Its hard not to empathise with Makoto’s confusion, and its an extremely fun ride to watch as he discovers more about his new friends and family. In particular – the most intriguing cast member has to be his cousin Erio – a young girl almost as gorgeous as she is mysterious who has a penchant for wrapping herself in a futon and not coming out.

Makoto’s new home belongs to his Aunt (Meme), who lives alone with the enigmatic and bizarre Erio. The dynamic of the 3 works to great success. Meme loves nothing less than to tease Makoto in particularly hilarious, manipulative and inventive ways which makes for a number of great moments. Throw Erio into the mix and the show presents a highly entertaining and unpredictable household as we watch Makoto struggle to live a normal life amidst all the weirdness. We soon discover that Erio has a fascination with aliens and the supernatural – she’s incredibly shy so it’s very rewarding to find out more about her personality as the story unfolds. But the strangness does not end at home. At school Makoto befriends the bright and bubbly Ryuuko, along with the very tall, mysterious Maekawa. This pair also have distinctly odd characteristics and stand up as interesting and well fleshed-out characters by the conclusion of the series. To summarize, the underlying plot comes as a secondary device to the character comedy but toward the last few episodes the sci-fi theme kicks in a little more and the many mysteries of the show get a closer look. The balance of narrative and comedy is well paced and works to great effect.

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko’s clever writing and character design are matched with equally brilliant visuals and a charming OST. The background tracks are dreamy yet catchy. Both the OP + ED are top quality and the latter comes with some great lyrics in reference to Erio -”I’ll catch a cold, I’ll catch a cold, It’s cold without my futon”. Art and sound combine to make Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko a unique viewing experience.

I can guarantee that you will not once get bored watching this show, and that you will miss Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko by the time it wraps up. You will miss the hilarity, the atmosphere, and most of all the bizarre characters that call it’s equally bizarre universe home. Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko is fresh, inventive, smart and often hilarious. I strongly urge you to pick it up and find out for yourself.