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Shakugan no Shana II for those not in the know, is the second season of the Shakugan no Shana series based off of the novels of the same name. The general plot of the series follows Sakai Yuji, a torch (a replacement spirit of sorts for those who have already died) who possesses the rare Reiji Maigo (an item that replenishes Yuji's existence everyday so he doesn't burn out), and Shana, a Flame Haze (whose job is to keep the balance of existence from being blown out of proportions) as they discover evil plots devised by otherworldly invaders called Guze no Tomogara along with their ... human and Flame Haze allies.

Story: The second season of Shakugan no Shana focuses on what the Reiji Maigo really is and its origins as well as the mysterious Silver that Margery Daw (a Flame Haze ally of Shana's) is searching for. The villains of the first season, Bal Masque, return again in more devious plots to steal the Reiji Maigo.

The plot starts off extremely slow for the first 10 episodes or so. It focused more on useless fillers and character development until it hits around episode 12 or so, where the plot finally starts revealing some information that everybody has been asking. I was tempted to give this a lower score but seeing as how epic the story turned out in the second half, it stays high.

Art: The character designs are as expected from J.C. Staff and the effects are just simply amazing. From the revamped Fuzetsu to the spell insignias that Margery draws out, everything just looks superb in HD.

Sound: The soundtrack pretty much remains the same as the first season but it does include several new pieces. It fits the mood of each scenario very well as well a few insert songs here and there. The OP/ED are superb works from Mami Kawada and Kotoko. Although personally, I didn't like the OP/ED that Kotoko has provided for this season.

Character: Character development is most likely the show's strongest point here. From the main protagonist Yuji to the nearly non-existant Ike, everybody has their fair share of development, even if it's only a little. The love triangle of Yuji/Shana/Yoshida remains ever present and strong and they finally mature enough to get past their little squabbles. Keisaku and Eita also matures which also leads to confessions to other certain characters. Plenty of change going around so to speak.

Enjoyment/Overall: The first half of the show was just plain slow and boring. It definitely redeems itself for the second half when we finally get to see the motives of the villains and shocking revelations and twists. Excellent show for action and romance. Although the ending seemed a tad bit rushed, it is still worthy of a nice looking 9. Looks awesome on HD too.

Sousei no Aquarion is a mecha anime that is similar to Evagelion and RahXephon. Just another anime about humans fighting against a form of higher being, in this case, the Shadow Angels.

Story: The plot is pretty slow. It may seem the plot throws you right into action, which it does, but it does not move the plot much until the last few episodes. It follows a pretty generic line with very few twists here and there. The whole show seems pretty episodic save the finale.

Art: The art is unique in its own way. The characters have unique designs to them and the mecha are pretty ... unique as well. The backgrounds are nice but sometimes feel as if they were sloppily painted on. The character designs and mecha are pretty much the saving grace of the artwork.

Sound: The musical score is pretty much the highlight of the show. The music produced by Yoko Kanno, known for her works in Ghost in the Shell and Macross. The musical score makes good use of orchestrated works and the insert songs found throughout several episodes are good.

Characters: The characters have their own interesting personalities. You have Apollo, the homeless turned Daeva pilot who is short tempered to Silvia, who has a serious case of a brother complex. The characters have their own distinct way of doing things in the anime and it shows in their battles against the enemy.

Enjoyment/Overall: I was expecting more out of this anime but it reduces its plot to a drag. The battles are decent and the music is good. Other than though, it just seems like another Evagelion ripoff.

Zegapain is yet another mecha anime done by Sunrise. It, in no way, looks like any Gundam show though. Zegapain is not only a show full of plentiful mecha action, it has a romance side and a philosophical side to it as well.

Story: The story starts off a normal day for Sogoru Kyo but it quickly escalates as he is placed in the cockpit of a mecha called Zegapain Altair. The story progresses at a fairly decent pace and has several twists in the plot that'd question what you know from before. As said before, aside from the mecha action, you'll be witnessing a romance ... story between several of the characters. The romance isn't too heavy but it is nicely done in flow with the plot.

Art: The art of the anime is one of its highlights. The designs are well done and the CG scenes are smooth but there are certain episodes which seemed to have several QUALITY scenes. The CG and 2D mixes in smoothly together. The mecha and enemies all look unique and are original from other mecha like Gundams. The opening and ending are both beautiful pieces of animation even though it seems like it stands out from an action anime like Zegapain.

Sound: The music is well done and well placed throughout the show. The OP and ED however, are the highlights of soundtrack. Combined with the animation, it'll leave you with a certain sense of peace and at times it'll put you at edge when battle starts.

Characters: The characters are not your typical cliched types bar a few of them. They range from the ever cool and arrogant ones to the loud and clueless protagonist. Kyo is caught in a love triangle with two of his female companions and the romance ensues between a few other characters as well.

Enjoyment/Overall: I enjoyed the show since I am a mecha fan but it's not the best show out there. It's unique in its own way. The sci-fi is well done and delivers a very apocalyptic setting as you watch the show.

ef - a tale of memories is another brilliant work produced by Shaft, responsible for Negima!?, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, and Hidamari Sketch. Based on the visual novel of the same name, ef is split into two different storylines told simultaneously across 12 episodes. As it being a romance story, you can expect many cliches, but this is definitely one of those anime that molds all of that into a brilliant plot.

Story: The plot is split between two stories, both told simultaneously throughout the show. It follows through different scenes of melodrama, emotional distress, and many touching scenes. The plot is slightly slow for the first ... two or three episodes but picks up to an amazing finale.

Art: Shaft's presence is definitely noted in this show as well as their other works. The art designs are actually not at all that great but due to Shaft and their experimental style, it generates a beautiful environment and colorful characters. The colors are vibrant and ever changing, fitting in with the flow of mood changes throughout the show.

Sound: The music in this show is simply outstanding. The music is produced by Tenmon, also responsible for the music in Makoto Shinkai's movies (5 Centimeters per Second, etc). The music fits perfectly with the scene and changes at a dime's notice for even more well executed dramatic effect. The soundtrack is definitely one to be picked up.

Characters: The characters here are full of personality. At times you can feel you can connect to them in different ways and at other times, you'd might even hate them. The characters are not exactly the most original created, but they definitely fulfill their roles in an amazing way.

Enjoyment/Overall: I am personally not a big fan of serious romance drama so I gave it an 8 for Enjoyment. Even so, the story and style was extremely done well. The show just completely oozes of romance and it certainly delivers. A definite choice for a romance drama for those in search for one.