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Einstein was misquoted when defining insanity. I now believe what he originally said was “Insanity: watching Redline over and over again and expecting it to make sense”. But then Redline doesn’t have to make sense, or be smart, or even be amazingly animated for that matter. It needs to be awesome, and on that requirement, Redline fulfils in bucketloads.

The story isn’t much: an illegal road race where only the bravest can compete, opposed by a corrupt leadership, and surrounded by gambling and drugs. The story of a racer and his ambition to win the world’s greatest competition isn’t new, but Redline is this concept at ... its best – fabulously over the top, and always maintaining its high pace. Given the 100 minutes running time, I unexpectedly found myself appreciating not only the racing, but how well every mini-story is tied together. Redline provides a large cast of both the story-driving characters and the fun ones that bring fun and life into the hectic action. JP is our classic good guy in a bad situation, with a talent for racing but surrounded by a history of race-fixing. He’s the loveable underdog who’s easy to root for, simple and good with the ladies. It’s cheesy and clichéd in the best sense of the words. The focus is not just on JP though, and we have a wonderful supporting cast with their own distinct styles and eccentricities – most notably Sonoshee, JP’s instant love-interest and a talented racer with an endearing backstory of her own. In truth, each member of the Redline race is given the screen-time to be a character in their own right, and the only aspect of the plot and pacing I would criticise in Redline is that given the film’s length, arguably too much time is spent focusing on the side characters. As a result though, each character manages to have a distinct flavouring to them, such that, when your gaze is thrust on the side characters, it’s a cause to celebrate and revel in each character’s individual wackiness. Wacky really is the best way to describe every character.

Whether you like the actual over the top art style is a matter of personal opinion (JP’s hair is undeniably a thing of beauty though). On the animation side however, it cannot be said Redline does not look sublime, and the greatest benefit of the film’s limited running time is that every scene manages looks amazing. The slum-like conditions and environments are drawn with an attention to detail that entirely justifies Redline’s five-year development hell. Nothing could be act as a better debut for the talents of Takeshi Koike, whom I’m hoping to see much more of in the future.

Musically Redline is never invasive, but there are tracks that stick out during the races. The best thing to say about the soundtrack is that it’s incredibly easy to enjoy when you just want to take in the awesome music, and when you want to enjoy the action, the music is there to kick start the adrenaline rush, but never to flood out the neverending chorus of explosions.

Redline is familiar without feeling overly so. Most of all though, it embraces the concept of sensory overload and expresses this style down to the smallest details. It’s ridiculous, but wonderfully enjoyable, and I think the best way to summarise Redline is by enjoying the experience of plunging your head into a washing machine infested with fresh cheese for 1 hour and 42 minutes.

Take the Death Note concept and execute it a bit less well, take the high school comedy genre and execute it as well as the genre really allows (that is to say, clichéd beyond saving), make the critical addition of hot mecha action, and you have Code Geass. Except that doesn’t do it justice, because what makes Code Geass enjoyable and unique is exactly this awkward smorgasbord. Geass is a shounen that mostly doesn’t take itself seriously, accomplishing a satisfying balance between the darker political mindgames and the light-hearted school life. That is all the producers set out to accomplish in season 1 (of 2) ... and to this regard they have succeeded heroically.

While Code Geass is only the starting block for the larger scale events of Code Geass R2, it certainly does not hold back, delivering from the get go the twists and turns that a political drama demands. It appears at first to be nothing more than a classic mecha/highschool anime with a few ideas of its own thrown in, but I found myself engrossed when, at times, it twisted the light-hearted and over the top theme of the show completely on its head. When it needs to, Geass delivers a genuinely intriguing and shocking battle of wits between our anti-hero Zero, the secret identity of Lelouch, and the might of the British Empire. Yes you read that right by the way, the British Empire has taken over Japan in Code Geass, which is impossible and awesome in equal measures.

There is a very important feature to Code Geass that stands out: That of Lelouch’s power, Geass, which guarantees him absolute obedience of anyone he should wish to use it on. The exact nature of this power though is kept purposefully vague in the first season, playing a more significant part in R2. This has its benefit and disadvantages in my mind, but suffice to say that the context surrounding this Geass power is certainly not forgotten in season 1, and is addressed sufficiently well enough for the audience to appreciate its strengths and weaknesses.

The first and last few minutes of each episode are where Geass stumbles the most. Colors is one of the best ops ever, plain fact. It is truly unfortunate then that one of anime’s best ops stands next to the gold award winner for one the worst op I have subjected my ears to. Further to this, the second op makes the unfortunate compromise of reusing a significant portion of clips from the first op video. I recommend just playing the first op over the video of the second op – you won’t be able to tell the difference, and your ears will thank you for it.

There is a general both-good-and-bad theme going on in this review, and this extends right down to the animation quality. Character models are blown vastly out of proportion, and although I got used to it, it still stuck out as a sore thumb. Otherwise though, the animation is pleasant and colourful for a 2006 anime, a stark contrast to the black and white palette of Death Note (which curiously aired the same year as Geass. That would have been a fun year to watch anime). Mecha fights are enjoyable if uninspired, but then I would never expect a mecha fight to be anything more than clichéd. The ultra-powerful Lancelot mech is the saving light to Geass’ fights, with the help of Suzaku in the Lancelot’s cockpit, who is both Lelouch’s best friend and most hated enemy, this one man army card is played as well as it could be. The contrast between Suzaku’s innate mecha ability and Lelouch’s careful planning is the heart and soul of any scene with a mech in it.

I think I sound as though I’m damning the show, but that is certainly not the message I want to be getting across. Code Geass is a fun and inventive take on the psychological mecha genre best exemplified by shows like Evangelion, although in contrast to Eva, Code Geass took the initiative to place a much larger focus on the high-school side of things, too large a focus for me. Lelouch though is a genuinely fantastic protagonist throughout, on par or superior to the likes of Yagami Light, and Code Geass does not hide the fact that its protagonist is not really the hero we expect him to be. By the end of season 1, what started as the story of a simple high school student given a strange power has become a battle for the future of a nation, with the same school boy at the centre of it all. It saddens me a bit to admit it, but it would be impossible to picture Code Geass without the light-hearted moments to counter the moments of exciting high-stakes drama.

Recommendations: Death Note. Both shows thrive of the confrontation between friends who are unknowingly each other’s enemies. Geass has Lelouch and Suzaku, and Death Note was at its best during the direct confrontations between Kira/Light and L.

Firstly, I will assume anyone reading this review will have seen the first season of Black Butler, although this review will only contain minor spoilers for the first season.

Black Butler II is a clear divergence from the overall attitude of the first season, being fairly dark and twisted, and is certainly a risky departure from what made the first season so appealing to me. What it does have however is the plot and villains the first season needed to be great – characters that are truly evil and can truly pose a competition to the Sebastian and Ciel.

Alois is possibly the perfect villain for Ciel. ... Both are two children who have gone through the same harrowing experience and emerging both twisted, but very different in their overall attitude to the people that surround them. While not necessarily the best bad guy ever written, he certainly stands head and shoulders above the underwhelming angelic villains of the first season, and Alois’ backstory is expanded upon so as to provide a convincing justification for the conflict between himself and Ciel, who has not lost his loveable but merciless spark from the first season thankfully. Despite being much less suave, Alois’ butler Claude also acts as the perfect contrast to Sebastian, who like Ciel has not lost any of his mysterious and cheeky personality from season 1. Seeing our main characters being put in an uncomfortable new season is exactly what I would have asked for from the second season. Sebastian in particular is pushed to his limit, and watching him fighting at his best is a very welcome change to the incredibly overpowered position he held in season 1.

Plotwise, the frustrating cliffhanger ending to Black Butler 1 is tied up very nicely indeed, and the plot overall is pretty great, with an abundance of twists and turns that does not fail to maintain your interest throughout – the one-off story episodes that were the strength of the first season persist to a degree in the second season, but are now satisfyingly tied into the overarching storyline. It is important to take into account though that this season is much, MUCH darker and noticeably more violent than season 1 – definitely a good or a bad thing depending on your perspective, although I think it was much more fitting for the supernatural theme of the show. If you found yourself enjoying the later episodes of the first season, which took a gradually darker turn than the first half did, you should be giving season 2 a try.

This season’s darker tone however means that the first season’s abundance of comic relief is conspicuously absent. While the comedy was placed very well in season 1, it would not have been welcome at all in the shorter and more focused plot of season 2. As a result, perhaps the greatest strength of this season is that it is 12 episodes long compared to 25, reducing the requirement for filler episodes of the first season (curry competition arc anyone?). That is not to say though that this season has no sense of humour at all, far from it. The comedy of the show remains strong when it is included, and at the start the show nearly breaks the fourth wall in some of its more teasing and light-hearted moments - all very enjoyable stuff, and an opportunity to bring back the fun characters from season 1. The ridiculous romance of the master-butler relationships portrayed in the anime forms its own form of comedy as well, if you don’t take it too seriously.

Animation for season 2 is, as you would expect, improved, particularly in the fight scenes, which are now beautifully choreographed (thanks largely to the addition of another butler on Sebastian’s level for him to compete with). Sebastian no longer glides through the air repetitively, he weaves and dodges and is pushed to a degree he never was in season 1, making fight scenes a joy rather than a chore to watch. The bloodiness of some fights certainly caught me off guard, season 2 definitely makes the best of its boosted age rating.

By contrast with the improved animation, this season’s music is perhaps slightly weaker, largely down simply to the excellent music the first season had. Despite being half the length, the series does has one op and two eds, just as Black Butler did. By no means did I desperately feel the need to skip them, but at the same time they never hyped me up in the same way season 1’s soundtrack did. The use of two different opening animations to indicate whether the episode focuses on Ciel or Alois was a very nice touch though, extra effort that wasn’t necessary but does well to set the theme of an episode.

Before I end this review, I want to point out how accompanying the violence, the fan service side has been noticeably toned up as well, in both the yaoi sense Black Butler is known for, and surprisingly the more traditional sense designed to appeal to male viewers. Some of this is easily ignored if not your sort of thing, although it does detract from the plot (there is still a strange insistence on lines such as: ‘I will pierce your soul with my needle’. See this as you see fit…). If anything, some of the ‘fanservice’ doesn’t really deserve the title of fanservice. It’s more vulgar than that, and is often used as a case to put on display just how twisted and exploitative Alois is, reinforcing his position as the antithesis to Ciel’s more refined character.

Overall, the show is a much more mature take on the overall Black Butler concept, an attitude which the writers hinted at but overall decided to avoid in the first season of Black Butler (both have their strengths and weakness in this way). This I understand disappointed some fans immensely, including myself at first. However, this take on Black Butler definitely holds its own ground and for that reason I feel it’s fair to give an equal score to this season as I did the last season. Black Butler II uses the themes and characters introduced in season 1, but puts them in a different situation. The enjoyment to be gained out of this season is watching the characters we know and love adapting to the challenges of their new environment, and they perform an admirable job in doing so.

Stop here if you don’t want mild spoilers about the ending…
As an aside, Black Butler’s ending was certainly not entirely satisfying, I see it though as inevitable that the ending to a story about the relationship between a demon and his prey wouldn’t be very uplifting. If you have seen Madoka Magica’s ending, it’s the same bittersweet disappointment that leaves you not wholly satisfied, but feeling that this was the way the story was meant to end.

The major draw of Black Butler is without a doubt the relationship between the wonderfully overpowered Sebastian and hopeless Ciel being. This dynamic remains strong no matter the myriad of situations our two main characters find themselves in, be it the darker ones the show sometimes revels in, or the more lighthearted moments that bring out the best of the show’s fun and absurdness. Black Butler presents itself with a confidence that knows exactly who this show is intended for, but definitely does not restrict itself to a very specific section of potential viewers, if like me that was what you were worried about going ... into the show.

Black Butlers strongest point is not only Seb and Ciel’s relationship, but how their relationship manages to evolve over the whole 24 episodes. Starting as little more than a master-servant relationship, it becomes obvious how Sebastian cares little for success if Ciel is harmed in the process. Most episodes, in the first half especially, are one-off stories, and often the excitement in the episodes can arise as a result of the conflicting objectives between Seb and Ciel – Ciel wants the job done, and Seb will only follow Ciel’s orders if there is no possible end result where Ciel is killed. It really serves to tone down how obviously powerful Sebastian is, and how easily he is able to deal with Ciel’s obstacles. Over the course of the anime however, Sebastian’s devilishness becomes more pronounced and Ciel seemingly becomes more and more human and caring as a result – much to Sebastian’s chagrin. This strong ying-yang nature of the relationship between the two main characters gives them fantastic depth, without a doubt being the most enjoyable aspect of the show.

Countering this unfortunately, the majority of the remaining characters receive very little character development, often existing as a means of comedy delivery. Whilst in certain shows this is not necessarily a bad thing (anime like Gintama do these comedy characters very well) it is when these characters then become crucial to the plot of the shows that their lack of actual character becomes painfully obvious. Black Butler is at its best when it is Seb and Ciel vs this episode’s Big Bad. I would have appreciated fewer of the occasional 2 episodes arcs which try to bring in surrounding characters I have no emotions for, other than anger for stealing the wonderful Ciel x Sebastian screen time. Even the show’s antagonist, without going into too much detail, receives disappointingly little explanation for the motivations behind their actions. Acting only as a threat really to Ciel’s safety (and an excuse for an epic final battle) the antagonist reinforces the impression that the side characters exist as a means to in some way affect the relationship between Seb and Ciel, without really standing on their own two legs.

This issue I forgive however when some of the aforementioned characters are given the chance to do what they were created for: creating comedic scenarios. When it wants to be, the show can be very funny, especially in comparison with other shounen anime. Sebastian’s teasing personality and sometimes deadpan wit is great fun to watch, and the fact I enjoyed the show a lot is largely down to the comic scenes interspersed between the show’s more serious attempts at plot. Even the antagonist is given the opportunity to have a little fun, delivering classic lines such as: ‘As a man I will become a ray of light to penetrate you to your core’. If that doesn’t make your nose bleed I don’t know what will.

The comedy is noticeably toned down in darker the second half of the series. While this causes the middle of the second half to suffer, the end, as any shounen series with any attempts at a plot should, has a suitably epic conclusion that justifies the weaker middle. For Gen Urobuchi fans out there, when I mean dark, I actually mean pretty bloody dark – even in the first half, Ciel is taking no prisoners.

The show’s animation is not bad by any means but simply mediocre. Fight scenes suffer as Sebastian seems content to spend his time flying through the air mostly - although it does help to emphasise the overwhelming battle advantage he has, it does make for repetitive viewing. All this I am willing to forgive however in simple appreciation for the obvious effort that went into replicating the 19th century London (writing as a Londoner of course). This attention to detail in the landscape extends to points such as the Tower Bridge depicted as half-finished during the late Victorian era presented in the show, or sentences from English news articles actually being grammatically correct (!). These little details definitely help to make my impression of the show that much better.

The OP and ED serve their roles as well, my favourite being the second ED by kalafina, also responsible for the Madoka Magica ED. The use of Kalafina music, as was the case with Madoka Magica, does well to indicate the more plot-driven darker direction of the second half of series. The show’s only op is pretty good as well, but unfortunately does not change much over the course of the 24 episodes. On a side note, the animation quality and repeated op give me the impression that the animation studio either didn’t have much money to start with, or spent all their money conducting visits to London for ‘research purposes’…

Black Butler tries to be something more than a standard shounen (apart from appealing to fangirls the world over) and while being suitably dark and brooding, it ultimately falls short. I do not think this is necessarily a large stain to the show, as the entertaining finale and good comedy of the show overall still make it one of the better shows the genre has to offer. If shota is without a doubt not the thing for you, you should probably look away now, but for anyone else, Black Butler definitely isn’t just some Boku no Pico with plot.

Recommendation:
K-On for the sheer amount of tea being drunk in both shows…
Jk, Code Geass actually for the similar sometimes serious, sometimes dark storyline with some epic battles, and main characters both with a strange power bestowed upon them.

Gintama is one of those rare epic anime where our lead is not an immature boy who is naïve and interested in doing everything for laughs. No, instead it is an epic where our lead is an immature man who is the gold standard of cheap laughs. There is no style of humour Gintama does not touch, and does not excel in, and despite the fact I have not finished the show, the comedy paired with both insightful social commentary and emotional character development cements the show’s place as one of the most complete packages anime has to offer.

At this stage, I should clarify I ... have completed the first season (50 episodes) out of a total 6. As such, I don’t expect I will have encountered all the characters the show has to offer, or watched some of the extended storylines from the manga the show is based upon, however what I have encountered has been a wide variety of different themes being tackled, at a surprisingly fast pace. It consistently amazes me given the length of the show that it is almost entirely episodic, with no overarching plot, à la Naruto or One Piece. Further distinguishing Gintama from the norm for these extended shows is that these one off episodes are nearly always based around comedy. In this sense, Gintama might appear closer to something like the Simpsons than to other longer running anime out there, especially given the penchant it can occasionally display for social commentary, addressing issues such as the perception of the LGBT community and racial profiling in Japan, although always with a positive and comic tone to it.

I am happy to say though that Gintama still looks to traditional manga and anime for its lovable character tropes, and it is the three members of the Odd Jobs Gin-chan business who entertain for the bulk of the screen time, in their ceaseless attempts to avoid poverty. The eponymous Gin-chan, or Sakata Gintoki, is what could be referred to as a more grown-up version of the classic shounen heroes, an ex-samurai who is wiser and more intelligent (at a stretch) than his companions and oftentimes more interested in protecting his own skin than upholding his ideals – in the most endearing way though. This show would truly not be what it is without the considerate but generally laid-back approach Gintoki takes to everyone and everything (except of course where Shounen JUMP is concerned– never get between Gin-chan and his JUMP).

Supporting him we have our superhuman-strength-very-nearly-loli female lead Kagura, an alien girl who settles down on Earth (did I mention the show was set in the near future and has aliens? Pretty cool), in order to establish her position as our token moe of the show. Thankfully though, in addition to being rather cute (and being voiced wonderfully by Queen of Tsundere Rie Kugimiya, of Aisaka Taiga from Toradora fame), as a character she is soon expanded upon, no doubt due to eating too much pickled seaweed. In a rather tragic mini arc her motives for leaving home are explored, giving Gintoki a chance to stretch his very capable father-figure wings.

Finally, we have our straight-man Shimura Shinpachi, Chief of the Otsu-chan idol fan club. Shinpachi is our slightly cynical otaku who in all honesty is the least interesting, but still an entertaining, member of our ceaselessly penniless troupe. This is however just another case of Gintama’s self-referential humour, as he is probably the one every guy watching identifies themselves with – Gintama is good enough to parody its own viewers, even to the point that one of the side characters is a middle-aged, rather ugly version of the cat-eared moe characters many of the viewers will know and love (including myself occasionally – long live Feyris Nyan Nyan!).

Other side characters are similarly over the top with comedy in mind, from the demonic flower salesman to the incompetent (but very well dressed I must say) Shinsengumi police force, sort of the bad guys and good guys at the same time, and a whole lot of fun. The members of the Shinsengumi themselves receive enough character development to easily merit their own spin off.

These characters are just the beginning of Gintama’s comedy. From witty one-liners to moments where the characters find themselves reflecting on their own status as anime characters, Gintama caters to all tastes. Many of the characters exist to solely support the comedy, with an emphasis on tying different branches of humour together, creating a sort of super-saiyan comedy. Particularly entertaining is the self-referential humour of the show. Take for example an episode Gintoki, having been given “ghost paralysis”, berates the animators for simply creating an excuse to do less work – the writers have laid claim to a fun and inventive style of comedy that I have encountered very rarely in the world of anime.

Gintama’s self-created comedy could stand on its own, but as a parody show as well, there is no end to the number of references the show very thinly veils to both other anime and Japanese affairs. Think of it if you like as the ultimate test of Japanese culture awareness! Looking to Death Note, Gintama at one point takes the L and Kira battle to the next level - the obvious step up clearly being a battle of wits over who could take all the meat from the hot pot! Little ideas like this can go a long way with the skill of the Gintama writers, entire episodes being dedicated to premises like Gintoki needing to buy a new fan, the plot going in utterly unexpected and hilarious places.

Talking quickly about the animation and sound now, it is going to be unfair comparing the anime to a more action heavy show, with a larger budget one would think. Although there are scenes of action in the show, they are largely passable, with the bulk of the screen time being spent with Gintama on the couch with his trusty strawberry milk and Shounen JUMP. I am of the opinion that, while a nice feature that can benefit a comedy-themed anime (take Non Non Biyori for example), the quality of comedy anime tends to be distinct from the quality of the animation, and never is this truer than in Gintama’s case. The music however is of vital importance, helping to pump me up for the next episode, and Gintama so far has performed admirably in this regard. The first op remains my favourite theme song for the show, but after getting used to a new OP or ED, I often found myself enjoying them all the same, and I would expect nothing more or less. The EDs especially change very quickly for an anime of Gintama’s length, something I commend the animation studio for.

Gintama is one of the best comedy anime out there and, at its length, you won’t soon find yourself in that post great anime void if you do decide to start watching it. Providing both hilarious and tragic moments, it truly is the all-in-one package as far as I am concerned, in which, the more you know about the world of anime and Japan, the more you will be getting out of it.

“There is more shounen ai in this anime, Horatio, than is dreamt of in your philosophy” - Definitely not Shakespeare

A light hearted review of Blast of Tempest (my first, so suggestions welcome)

Blast of Tempest (Tempest for short) is, for some inexplicable reason, a love letter to two of Shakespeare’s most enduring plays: The Tempest and Hamlet. A strange concept it is indeed, and this anime is, without a doubt, one of the most pretentious I have seen as a result. I admire the writer for being self-absorbed enough to take two classic pieces of literature, and squeeze them into the context of a ... high-schooler mystery action anime. Surprisingly though, it is exactly this confidence that the show exudes that makes the mixture click beautifully.

Our main characters, Fuwa Mahiro and Takigawa Yoshino, are thrust almost immediately into a world where everyone is turning into stone, Mahiro’s found a doll allowing him to speak to Kusaribe Hakaze (a half-naked magician/tsundere stuck on an island) with Yoshino just following along looking generally photogenic. Standard fare then, for a shounen series. The real standout feature for the series presents itself rather abruptly with the fixation on referencing Shakespeare, particularly when Fuwa Aika (Mahiro’s recently murdered sister) enters the stage. The story and characters aren’t just inspired by Shakespeare, they’re going to make sure you know the sole reason they have for their existence is to be going around quoting Shakespeare.

So it is unsurprising, given the plays this anime is inspired by, that this is a tale of revenge primarily for both the main characters. For Mahiro, it is a chance to use his newfound magic capabilities thanks to Hakaze in order to track down his sister’s killer (for whom he has a very obvious, entirely unrequited, love). Yoshino meanwhile is determined to gain peace of mind for the death of Aika, who until her death was secretly dating Yoshino under her brother’s nose. Yoshino tries to make it seem that he tags along however so as not to see the killer punished by Mahiro, to uphold his position as our inevitable token idealistic anime character (in the very best of ways though).

Anyone familiar with the stories of The Tempest or Hamlet will quickly notice the similarities between Blast of Tempest’s two main characters and the protagonists of The Tempest and Hamlet. Mahiro in his hell-bent devotion to revenge, calls Hamlet to mind, whereas in his more optimistic but rational moments, Yoshino is a transparent reference to The Tempest’s Prospero. While not necessary, as the anime does a reasonable job of explaining to the audience the overall themes behind The Tempest and Hamlet, anyone with even a passing knowledge of the stories and in particular the characters of both these Shakespeare plays will no doubt leaving the anime more satisfied. The ties to Shakespeare the story and characters the anime holds become more and more elegant as it progresses, and are certainly one of the most enjoyable features of the anime. That is, if you can handle the sacrilege that is an anime so arrogantly ripping of the works of the one true playwright (note: sarcasm)

Secondary characters in the show are largely passable, especially after the change in personality much of the characters have in the second half of the anime, which adopts a far more shounen tone than its first half. What you make of this is very much dependent on your overall opinion of typical shounen anime. If anyone had to animate this show though, I am glad it was studio Bones; the light-dark tones of the second half of Tempest are reminiscent of the comedy tones Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood had going for it when it wasn’t being a horribly dark I see you’ve just turned that poor girl into a monster you heartless bastards sort of show.

Blast of Tempest’s animation is what I would expect coming from Bones, not up there but definitely pleasant to the eye. I think Bones knew however that they wouldn’t need exquisitely animated backgrounds, because it surely isn’t just me who can’t get over those character designs? The power of photogenicity is definitely strong in these ones. And respect to Bones for making a show where some of the characters do occasionally find themselves wearing different clothing. If you’re not a fan of shounen ai, stay very much clear – this show is like the gateway drug to watching Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club.

The music as well ranks very highly for this show – particular props to Fuwa Aika’s seiyuu, Hanazawa Kana (also known for Kuroneko in OreImo and Mayuri in Steins;Gate), who apart from playing the ultimate ice queen as Aika, can lay claim to one of the more pleasant ending songs I have listened to. Spirit Inspiration, the first op, is great fun as well, if utterly, entirely devoid of actual meaning. Wholly deserving of my best use of engrish 2013 award.

Bones no doubt took a bit of a gamble with this show – the story is so far up its own behind it probably put many people off without giving it time to settle down and, worse still, it isn’t set in a high school. I am so glad however that they did. This 25 episode anime has an incredibly satisfying sense of progression, taking time to slow itself down before each crescendo, with the first half in particular being one of my favourite arcs in anime. If logic and rational progression in a shounen story aren’t your thing, you will probably leave Blast of Tempest feeling underwhelmed, as my favourite episodes of the series, episodes 9-12, are spent almost entirely stationary by the main characters, engaging in a good old fashioned debate. However, if you appreciate more logical progression in a storyline with a good sense of pacing, and less fanservice-based, more intelligently designed characters, you should definitely give Blast of Tempest a look. If the entire concept sounds mad but cool to you, that’s exactly what it is, and it’s brilliant for it.

Recommendation: Psycho Pass for a similarly pretentious and yet oddly satisfying storyline, filled with photogenic characters galore (and a penchant for quoting various well-known authors). Funnily enough, the band responsible for Tempest’s first op also has a (rather good) op in Psycho Pass. Note that Psycho Pass is a work of Gen Urobuchi, so by definition almost is darker than FMA and Blast of Tempest combined, with room to spare for a Madoka Magica sequel.