Hayate no Gotoku Episode 12 kept Hinagiku's rendition of Cruel Angel's Thesis from the manga (though without the censoring)~! I think this may be favorite rendition of the song, though I suppose it's mostly due to Hina > the Evangelion cast for me.
Edit: Oops, found one with the video from the episode ... sort of. The shots without Hina are removed and it's just looping her singing scene >> Still~
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNLaED76RII&feature=related[/youtube]
[spoiler]Here's just the audio:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cZ0S-TdDoA[/youtube][/spoiler]
<3 Hinagiku.
[spoiler]Oh dear, so tsundere...[/spoiler]
Edit: Episode 13 = Birthday arc resolution =
____
Anyway, some of the Summer '09 serieses have started so ... here we go.
Canaan Synopsis: ... I have no idea, to be honest. From AniDB: "Anime adaptation of Chunsoft’s visual novel mystery game 428 ~Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de~. "
...yeah, that's not a lot of help. Incidentally, I think Type-Moon has a hand in the scenario for this. From what I've gathered, it's a mystery thriller set in modern day Shibuya (god damn do the Japanese hate Shibuya?).
OP: I think they really liked Revy since the female cast here, at least the two mains, seem to be at her level of killing people from the OP. Anyway, the song ([mind as Judgement] - Faylan) is rather upbeat and catchy, despite the lyrics. I quite like it, to be honest.
[spoiler]DOES SHE SLIT SOMEONE'S THROAT WITH A GUN?! I guess it's more reasonable that she shot him but the timing is weird so it looks like she cut him, especially from the blood spaltter.[/spoiler]
ED: A slow song ([My Heaven] - Annabel) but it's rather pretty. Not much imagery though.
OP + ED Video
[spoiler]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGdMWXPEoKE[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhmSaazRTaM[/youtube][/spoiler]
Episode: All the main badasses seem to be female. And, at least from what they've shown of Canaan, completely fucking broken overpowered. Like whoa.
[spoiler]...you know, there's just something when the show starts with a chick SNIPING ... wait, balloons? Oh dear, never mind, jesus christ at that shot, assuming it was her that shot him (which I think was the point of showing that a bullet HIT THE FUCKING DOLL).
And wtf at the kids playing in blood.
"Strange Event - A Town's Residents All Disappeared Overnight ... retarded, they're all so retarded!" ... rewatching Higurashi made me laugh at this, even if it wasn't about it at all. Only confusing bit is the series starts off in ... Shanghai. Kind of weird, but I guess it'll move to Japan relatively fast.
I wish they'd throw names out more with faces so I can get used to people. I know Canaan (...duh) and I assume the other assassin they show in the intro is Alphard (weird name for a female).
A lot of intrigue but that's about it so far. I kind of wish they gave some thought towards, you know, fleshing some people out but I suppose the basics are obvious (Canaan and Alphard are soldiers that ... I guess work as assassins when not captured by the CIA, Minoru and Maria are journalists, Hakko and some guy are ... researchers, I think?). Some supernatural-esque stuff introduced already (Synesthesia, but that does exist, just not in the way they're making it sound) though
What confuses me are the guys wearing a mask of some sort ... dying when it was removed. I suppose that's the plot, something about a virus and the cat mascot thing. Who the fuck knows. [s]Hinamizawa[/s] CANAAN Syndrome I suppose.
AND ABOVE ALL ... THEY DON'T ALL SPEAK JAPANESE THANK GOD.
The Next Episode preview is cryptic, has an old man with an SMG, and a Chinese girl with ridiculously large breasts. Did I mention cryptic? "A cruel game" indeed.[/spoiler]
Umi Monogatar ~Anata Ga Ite Kureta Koto~ Synopsis: This is based on a PACHINKO GAME? What the fuck kind of games are they playing. What the fuck.
From AniDB (which got it from ANN): The "transforming magical girl action" story centers on Marin and Urin, two "pure" sisters who live alongside the fish in the sea, but yearn to be in the world beyond the water and above ground. One day, a beautiful ring falls in the middle of the sea, and Marin and Urin retrieve it. The two decide to leave their waterbound world for the first time to deliver the ring. After an arduous journey, they come across an isolated island where a high school girl named Kanon lives. The encounter between Marin and Kanon — the maiden of the sea and the maiden of the skies — awakens a hidden power as the world is threatened by an enveloping darkness.
OP: Same as the trailer from awhile back. Slow but pretty song ([violet] - marble). Also, it has a TURTLE WITH A MOUSTACHE AND COOL HAT so it cannot fail. I'm assuming this'll end up being a harem somewhere along the way (or some form of romance) so the intro fits.
ED: Another sweet slow song ([透明な祈り] - Masumi Itou) filled with romance imagery.
OP + ED Video:
[spoiler][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQOo0WwYXvw[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPpsMbvQoio[/youtube][/spoiler]
Episode: Returning a ring = start of epic journey = wow this moved out of the water fast as fuck. Also, really, Marin and Urin ... and some guy named Sam? Someone got lazy with naming the side characters you'll never see again (hell, the other girl didn't even get a name).
[spoiler]Skimpy outfits galore on the three ... ah ... mermaids? I dunno, they look normal, no tails or anything. All the more apparent on the outfits because two of them are well endowed (Marin and ... unknown ... Urin is token loli).
I now have to take back my normal romance subplot since Kanon is a girl and no guys seem to be introduced yet (outside of her useless ex boyfriend). I guess it's a yuri plotline? Or no romance, in which case my interest is pretty much nil.
Kanon = tsundere (and/or evil + loli). Marin = airhead (+ stacked). Urin = headstrong-but-childish-on-the-inside (+loli) Me = /wrist (+ skeptical).
To be more serious, the first episode is boring as fuck. I think it's an excuse for "innocent" fanservice a lot at times it seems (what with Marin being 80% naked anyway). Plot hasn't started yet so it's really just introducing Marin and Kanon I suppose before EPIC JOURNEY
into lesbianism
So in short: not as interesting as I originally thought without a guy (not really into yuri romance plots). That and the THANK GOD THE RING LANDED NEXT TO THE EVIL BEING SEALED FOREVER plot device.
Moral of the Episode: Curious loli = end of the world by ominous black mist.[/spoiler]
Edit: Needless. Uh ... it's ... uh ... uh ... over the top? I can't tell whether or not to take this seriously or not. I have no further comments.
[spoiler]Well, one other. Oh dear god tits.[/spoiler]
Edit: Oh god, the ED has so much school girl nudity and passionate HAPPYFUNTIME (really just them kissing, fondling, and otherwise confusing me) that I have to wonder if this is even the SAME FUCKING SHOW ANYMORE. Also, I feel like a pedophile for watching that.
[spoiler][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1kRMf33kKo[/youtube][/spoiler]