Spring '08 Anime, Final Round!

[niko]

The season may be halfway over, but I've finally sampled all the series that caught my eye.

Chiko, Heiress of the Phantom Thief (aka The Daughter of 20 Faces) - 6 episodes
I love the series so far, but I'm not sure what to actually *say* about it, since everything through episode six was basically an extended prologue.  It's not a problem... the background we get for Chiko and her relationship with 20 Faces and the rest of his gang is absolutely awesome, and essential to the development of Chiko's character.  But now that the big turning point in episode six has cleared the slate, the future of where the series goes from here is completely open.  I'm excited to see which direction they choose.  This will definitely be a favorite for the season, unless they do something drastically stupid with the rest of the series.

Itazura na Kiss - 8 episodes
You pretty much know what to expect in this sort of shoujo story.  Girl (Kotoko) has crush on boy (Naoki).  Boy is a pompous prick who wants nothing to do with her.  Boy #2 is a nicer guy who actually *likes* girl a lot.  Boy #1 and girl end up living together.  Cue various mayhem and mishaps as girl and boy #1 gradually fall in <3, much to Boy #2's dismay.

Unfortunately, I'm not enjoying this one as much as I'd expected to.  The appeal of these shows is the chemistry and likeability of the main characters, but I'm not finding Kotoko, Naoki, or Kin-chan particularly likeable, and there's absolutely zero chemistry among any of them.  Kotoko and Kin-chan both pursue their respective crushes with stalker-ish zeal and a disconnect from reality that drives me absolutely *bonkers*.

My favorite part so far that demonstrates this is the big kiss in Ep. 7.   Naoki has done something really rotten, and Kotoko vows that she's finally seen the light and is going to forget about him.  Naoki says Oh, yeah? Try to forget *this* and kisses her.  He's clearly being a spiteful jerk, and yet Kotoko acts as if they've shared something special, as if it were a sign of his hidden love for her.  It bugs me that the author of this series apparently wants me to sympathize with this girl and be rooting for her, even though she's so dense as to not have a clue about the context of their kiss.  And the fact that she's going to be rewarded for her stalkerish behavior with "true love" is just really irritating.

Spring '08 Mid-Season Rundown

Top 5
1. Kure-nai
2. Kaiba
3. Chiko, Heiress of the Phantom Thief (The Daughter of 20 Faces)
4.  RD Sennou Chosashitsu (Real Drive)
5.  Macross Frontier

Worth Watching
1.  Crystal Blaze
2.  Tower of Druaga
3.  Nabari no Ou

Mediocre, but Mildly Enjoyable
1.  Toshokan Sensou (Library Wars)
2.  Monochrome Factor
3.  Neo-Angelique - Abyss

Disappointments
1.  Allison to Lillia
2.  Itazura na Kiss
3.  Himitsu - The Revelation
4.  Amatsuki

I'm not sure yet if I'll continue to watch the disappointments.  I want to give Himitsu and Amatsuki a bit longer, as I've only seen 4 episodes of those, but once I get up into the 7 or 8 episode range, as I am with Allison and Kiss, it starts to feel a bit futile to continue with a show that's not making me happy.