Occult Academy: Episode 4

HELL YEAH! Now we're back on schedule! Sorry for the posting delays!

The first half of this episode had Fumiaki searching for Maya, the latter half having both Maya and Fumiaki trying to defeat the monster. Unfortunately, the beginning of this episode was horrible! While it did have a few funny jokes, the moment where Fumiaki and Mikaze are together are the worst parts of the show. Mikaze is just so... bland and boring, that it makes it nearly impossible to care whether the two get together or not.

Thankfully, everything takes a turn for the awesome when Mikaze and Fumiaki get seperated, and Maya comes into the picture. Not only does the rest of the episode develop the plot, but it also delivers a few twists that did not fail to interest me. I loved it how they finally explained what happened to #5 and Fumiaki's cowardly behavior, despite being sent to find Nostradamus's key.

Unfortunately, things don't go so well after they explain that Fumiaki was actually forced to find Nostradamus's key against his will. While this fact should make us sympathise with the main character, his cowardly behavior afterwards is taken way too far, as we see Fumiaki running around like a crazy person, screaming at the top of his lungs, and basically being turned into a useless comic relief character. While it's nice that they make Maya an independent and badass female lead, they didn't have to make Fumiaki so freakin' annoying. I will admit that the flashback that shows Fumiaki being forced to time travel was the best part of the episode though. I mean, sure he's really annoying, but you can't help but sympathise with him in the moments where he isn't freaking out. Plus the scene where he's crying in relief about how he survived the caves actually depressed me (and that's supposed to be a funny scene!). Hopefully he is a reforming character, and not a deteriorating one, as this guy needs to grow a pair.

Despite the comedic intent, this scene just depressed me.

Overall, this was a great episode compared to last one. While Fumiaki has become unbearably annoying, the flashback in this episode really did a lot to give him depth. Plus the plot unfolded rapidly, thus making me excited for the next episode. My only hope is that Mikaze will soon disappear, as the show was doing just fine until she showed up.

Please get her out of the show!

Rating: Great

Occult Academy: Episode 3

This episode was alright. While I usually enjoy cute romances, this one was neither cute nor interesting. The episode basically had Fumiaki trying to hook up with a girl named Mikaze. Besides the fact that this relationship has nothing to do with Nostradamus's key, it's also a plot device that is very boring due to Mikaze having no interesting character traits what-so-ever!

Anyways, I have to say that despite the boring relationship, this episode was quite funny. The best gag had to be when Chihiro tried hooking up with Fumiaki, only to be rejected after Fumiaki sees what their future will be like when he uses his cell phone to see the future in 2012. Plus that creepy landlord was freakin' hilarious! This is a huge improvement from the previous episodes, which had jokes that were stereotypical, and only mildly amusing at best.

The romance aspect had to be the worst aspect of the whole episode though. I mean, Mikaze isn't an unlikable character, it's just that her personality is severely underwhelming compared to everyone else. It also seems that this whole relationship was created as a way to slow down the discovery of Nostradamus's key. Maya seems to be doing most of the work here, thus creating the potential threat that Fumiaki could become a real annoying character if he doesn't do something to move on the plot.

Hopefully the next episode will be better, plus I do hope that this relationship between Mikaze and Fumiaki will disappear, as I really find Mikaze to be quite a dull love interest, making her screen time quite tedious. Other than that problem, it was a fair episode.

Rating: Fair

The Legend of the Legendary Heroes: Episode 4

Note: Sorry that I haven't been updating this blog regularly. A few little personal things have occurred, meaning that I didn't have the time to write anything. Plus I've been checking out Yen Press's new Yen Plus Online magazine. Expect a review on that soon.

This wasn't as good as last episode. Sure I did like the lighthearted mood of this episode, but I felt that in terms of plot development, it wasn't that interesting compared to last episode.

The first half of this episode has Ryner in prison, reading books, befriending the prison guard and actually enjoying his time there. I liked it that this episode made him seem likable and understanding, a contrast to the his personality in the second and third episode, which basically gave him the personality of a lazy smart ass. My only problem with the first half would have to be that it focused a little too much on the relationship between the prison guard and Ryner, as it seemed like a pointless relationship that won't have any long term effects on the story. In fact, the first half has only one scene which moves the plot forward, that scene not even moving it in any significant way.

The second half does develop the plot, but is also plagued with problems. For starters, it seems that the show won't go into any detail on how Sion became the king of Roland, which is unfortunate, as I wanted to see how he became the king. Other than that flaw, the fight scene between Ryner and Ferris was pretty good, even if I did find Ferris to be pretty uninteresting character due to her emotionless demeanor.

Overall, this was a good episode! Sure it did have its problems, but it successfully made the protagonist likable and gave us the backstory necessary to care about the main plot. Let's see if they can continue to make this interesting.
Rating: Great

The Legend of the Legendary Heroes: Episode 3

I never thought the show could get so good! The episode basically had Sion's group of military recruits getting brutally exterminated by fifty Estabul magic nights. The attack was bloody, violent and intense with lots of decapitations and dismembered remains. I wasn't really expecting this much people to die, as I believed that Ryner and Sion would be able to hold off the attackers, thus saving the remaining survivors of the first attack. However, even after using his Alpha Stigma powers, he is still incapacitated along with Sion, resulting in the death of everyone besides Ryner, Sion and Kiefer. It is only after he loses control of his Alpha Stigma is Ryner able to single-handedly defeat his opponents, the unfortunate side effect of his power being that he is consumed by a desire to destroy everyone including his allies. Sion then assists Ryner in regaining control of the Alpha Stigma, but not until Ryner gets jailed when the king of Roland discovers that he is an Alpha Stigma user, meaning that Ryner is labeled a monster despite saving Sion and Kiefer.

This was one thrilling episode! Never have I been this surprised, as the negative reviews that this show received and the poor pilot episode seemed to be an indication that this series was doomed for mediocrity. Thankfully this proved me wrong, as the surprising plot twists and the intense slaughter scenes really make this show stand out.

That isn't to say that it was flawless though, as a couple things pissed me off. For one thing, the voice for Ferris's sister, Iris, was very annoying. It seemed that he voice is way too high pitched, as I had feelings of joy and happiness when Ferris knocked her out. Plus I have to say that it was a little too convenient that Ryner suddenly gained the ability to use his powers after the majority of Sion's squad is killed. His excuse is that he had not used his powers in seven years, but that still doesn't explain why he didn't use them in the beginning of the fight, as the casualties and deaths could have been avoided if he used his powers.

Other than these problem, the episode was fantastic, as it may have a few plot holes, but it offered enough plot twists and intense action scenes to be a satisfying episode.

Rating: Excellent

Shiki: Episode 2

I'm going to love this show! The episode basically introduced the main characters of the show now that Megumi is dead! :D The leads include Natsuno, a student who hates Megumi (Meaning that he is going to be my favorite character!), Toshio, a doctor, and Seishin, a local priest. After more people start to die in the village, Toshio begins to suspect that there may be a connection between all the murders. He investigates each death, discovering that all of them had the exact same symptoms before their demises, thus concluding that everyone died of the same disease. He then joins forces with Seishin to solve this issue. Meanwhile, Natsuno begins to suspect that someone is stalking him.

What I loved about this episode had to be the characters. Natsuno is a much more likable main protagonist than Megumi was, even if he is still a douche. Plus the episode developed Toshio a lot, as we discover that despite his calm demeanor, he passionately cares about his town. Seishin isn't exactly that interesting though, but hopefully more backstory can be given in later episodes.

I also loved the pacing of this episode, as it seems the show will deliver small bits of information little by little. However, this could actually hurt the show later on, as it could actually cause small events to be elongated for way too long. Plus an episode could be terrible if they fail to deliver enough information or develop the characters. I don't think they'll fail though, as it seems that the show is very tightly written despite its slow pace.

Rating: Excellent

Occult Academy: Episode 2

This episode was fantastic. At first I thought the show would be episodic with random supernatural situations, but this proved me wrong, as the show will be following both Maya and Fumiaki (The naked time traveler) as they both try to stop Nostrodamus's prophecies from taking place. The whole episode introduced Fumiaki, a time traveler from 2012 who is trying to stop Nostrodamus's prophecies from occurring, an event which will result in aliens taking over Earth.

Fumiaki is a character that seems to be too much like the male leads of most harems. While that isn't a completely bad thing, as his nervous and hyperactive behavior is pretty damn funny, the moments where he is with Maya usually consist of him getting smashed in the face. This reoccurring gag is not funny, as we have seen this done in countless other harems, romances and comedies.

Another problem with the show is that it isn't scary. The scene where Maya was being attacked by the invisible... thing wasn't even creepy, as the show doesn't really seem to know how to execute horror scenes. For a show that has the name "occult" in its title, horror seems like something that will be necessary later on.

However, those flaws aside, the episode introduced plot developments that have hooked me to the show. The goal of finding the Nostrodamus key to stop the school from blowing up may seem like something that could be dragged out for 13 episodes, but hopefully the people making this will have the sense to make this tightly written with little filler episodes. (As the previous filler episode was pretty boring.)
Rating: Great

The Legend of the Legendary Heroes: Episodes 1 and 2

Note: Worst title ever!
Plot Summary: Our hero Ryner Lute, is searching for the relics of the "Legendary Heroes", an artifact that... does something important... I guess. Meanwhile his emperor, Sion Astal, is trying to get rid of the corruption in the country of Roland.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting this to be any good. This cynicism of mine was caused mostly by the problem I have with most titles in the fantasy genre, in that they all look the same. While The Legend of the Legendary Heroes isn't exactly anything unique or refreshing, it offers a solid story with an interesting main cast, thus making it something worthy of my attention.

The first episode of The Legend of the Legendary Heroes was pretty weak. While it did have a good concept for a story, many flaws would actually render it a poor rating, the biggest one being the fact that you had absolutely no idea what was going on. Thankfully, this is cleared up in the second episode, as it flashes back to earlier events, thus properly introducing the characters and clearing up any past confusions you had with the story earlier. It even goes to the extent of making a really engrossing plot, even if it does lack originality.

Another problem with the first episode would also have to be the fact they actually utilize numbers to measure the power level of their attacks. For example: we discover in the first few minutes of the episode that Ryner's attacks have a range of 20! (I'm not kidding!)

Really? REALLY?! DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO DO THIS!?

Thankfully for what I've seen, this only happens once. Other than those qualms, this series is decent enough for me to follow. While it may suffer from many cliches, an RPG system in the beginning and a very weak beginning, the plot and character are interesting enough to make this worth a try.

Episode 1 Rating: Poor

Episode 2 Rating: Great

Opening: Decent J-Rock, with a pretty standard use of visuals.

Ending: It's OK... for a slide show.  

Shiki: Episode One

Plot Summary: Our female lead, a dumb bitch named Megumi, hates her town, friends, etc... (She hates everything except a European style mansion and a purple haired guy named Naatsuno.) During her stay, three people mysteriously die for no apparent reason. Too hateful of the town and everyone in it to care, she visits the European style mansion alone, only to go missing for a day. She is then found suffering from anemia, and dies a few days later.

This episode has hooked me to the series! While I understand that I basically just ranted about how I hate the female lead of this episode, the plot itself seems very interesting. While very little information is given about the murders or events that are occurring, I have to say that the series still managed to hook me with what was their.

The best part of the show has to be the visuals though. While they don't exactly fit the horror mold, they are very colorful, with outstanding character models and very nice looking visuals. Plus you have to admit that the uniform that Megumi and Naatsuno wears is very nice.

Overall, this series shows much promise. Hopefully it will succeed at being a thrilling experience like Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. (Even if it probably won't surpass it.)
Rating: Great
Opening: Nice opening! Great song and an amazing use of visuals! It seems to resemble an acid trip though.
Ending: Nice ending! Nice use of visuals and a good song. It also seems to resemble an acid trip!

Occult Academy: Episode 1

Plot Summary: Our female lead, Maya Kumashiro, is the daughter of the former headmaster of a private academy dedicated to studying the occult. She visits the school in order to destroy the school due to the hardships it caused in her childhood.

Occult Academy is a show that I looked at with indifference when it was shown on the list of shows coming out this season. It was mostly due to the art style, which really wasn't that colorful and actually succeeded in depressing me. However, after watching, I can safely say that I will probably follow this show.

The episode follows our female lead Maya Kumashiro, the daughter of the headmaster of a private academy dedicated to the study of the occult. During the funeral, the father, accidentally recites a spell in a recorded message that results in the rise of an evil spirit that wreaks havoc in the school for the majority of the episode. The first half of this episode wasn't that interesting, as the scenes where Maya and a group of friends are trying to capture the evil spirit seemed very formulaic. However, the latter half of this episode was focused on developing Maya, thus resulting in the show to actually start garnering my attention. Hopefully, the other episodes will focus on developing the characters or at least presenting supernatural situations that are fresh and interesting (Such as the filler episode of Supernatural!), as this situation was pretty boring.

Personally, the humor seemed to fall flat. I don't know if this is my personal tastes, but it seems that the characters should focus more an delivering good drama and less on trying to deliver a joke. Overall, this was a fair episode. Thankfully, while the beginning did worry me, the ending was enough to keep me interested in the series.

Rating: Fair
Ending: Do they know what animation means? Why the fuck are they using live action footage? Acceptable song though...

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

I'm just astounded. After seeing the original anime series last year, I never expected it to ever be better surpassed by the upcoming remake titled Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. After seeing it... my expectations were blown out of the water. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood not only surpasses its predecessor, it's also the best series so far this year.

The series follows the journey of both Edward and Alphonse Elric, two brothers who lose their original bodies after trying resurrect their dead mother via alchemy. Both brothers decide to go in search of a mythical item known as the Philosopher's Stone, a venture that results in the uncovering of many controversial military crimes, the deaths of quite a few people, and the discovery of a plan that threatens everyone in their country.

From the plot description I have just given, many will realize that Brotherhood's plot summary isn't that different from the plot to the first anime series. Upon watching the first 13 episodes, you may even come to the incorrect conclusion that the stories are identical. That isn't the case however, as the plot severely diverges from the first anime series's plot at the 13 episode mark, plus a few details in the episodes before that indicate that the plot is not the same.

This leads me to the weakest aspect of Brotherhood, the first 13 episodes of the show. What makes this part of the show weak is mostly due to the series being tailored for those who have already watched the first anime series, meaning that they rush through the first 13 episodes. While the episodes aren't horrible, as they do at least get rid of all the filler episodes, the fast pace can sometimes undermine emotional moments and really end up screwing up quite a few scenes, resulting in a very sloppy beginning, a huge contrast to the beginning of the first anime series, which was slow, but executed most of the emotional scenes well. A great example would be the scene where an alchemist named Shou Tucker turns his daughter Nina into a chimera. The original anime series made this development occur slowly three episodes after they meet Shou Tucker, the perfect pacing resulting in quite a few haunting scenes. Brotherhood actually makes the mistake of rushing through this scene after we meet Shou Tucker that same scene, as the whole development occurs in one episode, resulting in it to be more laughable than creepy, completely undermining the experience.

Thankfully, it is after the thirteenth episode that the show completely surpasses the original in every way imaginable for the following reasons.

The first reason would be the story, as it is more tightly written than the first anime series. The first anime series had the feeling as if the brothers were just wandering around with no clear goal, making it very easy for pointless filler episodes to appear randomly. This one, the series has no filler what-so-ever, the brother's immediately moving to other places with a clear goal, resulting in a story that isn't dragged out by filler episodes. What I also find interesting about Brotherhood is that while it doesn't have any filler, it is actually 13 episodes longer than the first anime, giving me the clear indication that while it doesn't have any filler, it still has more content than its fluff filled predecessor. Another aspect of the story that makes it superior to the original would be the scale of the plot, as the story takes place in much more locations and has more characters than the first series, resulting in the experience to be quite epic in the later episodes.

The second reason that makes this remake superior to the first, would be the art and animation. While the art is certainly simpler, the animation is outstanding! The original series certainly had its share of awesome action scenes, but the remake presents action scenes that can only be described as insane! Plus, the remake is much more colorful than its predecessor, making for better looking blood, wounds, gun effects and character models.

Overall, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is the best shounen I have ever seen. The fast paced story, absence of filler episodes and interesting cast allows Brotherhood to surpass the original show and even every single shounen show I have seen so far. Definitely give this a show, but only after you have seen the first series, as the experience is meant for those who have watched the first anime series.

Opening 1: Nice song, great use of visuals. A solid opening by all means.
Ending 1: Did they animate this on Drawn to Life? Disappointing!
Opening 2: Much more energetic song! Plus, much more colorful than the last opening!
Ending 2: Again, very disappointing ending song! Better than the first, but still...
Opening 3: Nice use of visuals, but the song doesn't match up to the rest.
Ending 3: Nice song..., but it's a slide show.
Opening 4: HELL YEAH! PERFECT! EPIC SONG, FANTASTIC ACTION SCENES! BEST OPENING OF THE SHOW!
Ending 4: Wow! Fantastic! Great song, great use of visuals, also the best opening of the series.
Opening 5: Great song and nice use of visuals. But the somber mood is a bit emo. Otherwise, solid opening.
Ending 5: Good! Great song and nice visuals for a slide show!
Rating: Excellent

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: Episode 64

This episode of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood finally wraps up most of the loose plot threads of the series. While it does lag behind the previous episodes in terms of drama, as the main conflict has already ended, it provides a proper ending to the series (Conqueror of Shamballa was a very poor ending for the first anime series!).

The first half of the episode begins immediately after the conflict, with Roy getting ready to become Fuhrer despite his blindness. However, Dr. Marcoh visits him and offers to give him the Philosopher's Stone if he allows him to be part of the Ishbal restoration movement. He accepts, also using the Philosopher's Stone to restore Havoc's ability to use his legs. This was a nice touch, as I was surprised to see that the show didn't forget the side characters.

I also thought it was nice that Scar finally let go of his bigotry and joined forces with the military in order to restore Ishbal.This is much better than the ending to the first anime series, as Scar never actually turned into a good character and remained an enemy to the military and Edward Elric till the end. His death in the first anime also seemed to be contrived, as he died due to actions that were very out of character.

Meanwhile, Edward and Alphonse finally meet up with Winry, an event that I thought was a bit dragged out. I understand that this is a very emotional moment, but why the hell is this moment dragged out so long? Otherwise, it was a nice scene, even if I never really cared for Winry that much in the first place.

The second part of the episode was the best part of the episode, as it takes place two years after the events of the first half. I was surprised to see Edward settle down a bit, while Alphonse decided to learn more about Alkahestry and explore the Eastern nations. That said, Edward later leaves Resembol and decides to explore the West, meaning that while he may not be an alchemist, he still wants to explore the world and not stay at home all day.

Overall... this was a great episode! While I understand that it could have a few more things could have been wrapped up, it's nice to see that the series has finally ended.

Rating: Great
Note: Definitely going to review the FMA Brotherhood movie that was just green lit!!!!

Seitokai Yakuindomo: Episode 1

Update: I will not be reviewing Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi, as it is way too damn cliched! While I understand that Amagami SS is also pretty generic, the pacing of the relationships is enough to differentiate it from other titles.

Plot Synopsis: Our BORING protagonist, Takatoshi, goes to an all girls school that was recently turned into a co-ed school. After meeting the student council (Which coincidentally is made up of ONLY girls!), he is then (for inadequate reasons) made into the vice president of the student council. Thus beginning your typical harem.

Seitokai Yakuindomo is the worst show I've seen so far this season. Having seen that it was originally a four-panel comic strip, I realized that the whole show might just be an endless execution of random jokes. Unfortunately, I was right. The first half of this episode introduced all the characters, the second half then beginning with the formula that will most definitely be used throughout the whole show: the formula having each character performing a gag from its source material every second, thus making the possibilities for actual character development or a plot nonexistent. This shouldn't have been a bad thing, as shows such as Seitokai no Ichizon were able to use this formula to great effect, Working!! also being based on a four panel comic strip and actually being pretty damn funny. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case.

The main problem with Seitokai Yakuindomo is that, unlike Seitokai no Ichizon and Working!!, it isn't funny or fresh in any way. Sure Working!! and Seitokai no Ichizon weren't exactly unique, but they both made up for this with fresh elements (Such as the hilarious dialogue in Seitokai no Ichizon, and Working!! having a few unique characters.). Seitokai Yakuindomo doesn't do this. Instead, it has terrible writing, generic characters, a male lead with no personality and probably the worst execution for both jokes and simple character interactions (I'm serious!).

At the least, the art and animation is done well. It isn't anything mind blowing, but it looks appealing, character models looking nice and everything being very colorful.

Overall... this is something that I absolutely refuse to follow. No effort is put into this harem, as the formula of jokes being thrown at you constantly, is something that becomes unbearable when the jokes aren't executed well and are also very standard of most harems these says. My recommendation: STAY AWAY FROM THIS!

Opening: Annoying! But at least it's catchy and energetic.
Ending: They didn't even try...
Rating: Horrible

Amagami SS: Episode 1

This was a fair episode. While it does have a lot of flaws, the ending was enough of a reason to keep me invested in the show. The story of Amagami SS follows Tachibana Junichi, a second year in high school who was left heartbroken by a girl who didn't show up for a date on Christmas Eve two years earlier. After having a chance encounter with a third year student named Morishima Haruka, we then get to see the male protagonist get closer and friendlier with her, resulting in him falling in love with her. From what I can tell so far, the anime will be presented in omnibus form, meaning that each girl on the cover above will get to have their own story animated in separate arcs, meaning that each arc should be about four to five episodes long.

While I most definitely will follow this series, there are a few major issues that I think could harm the series later on. The biggest problem would be the male protagonist, who is probably the most bland character in this whole entire show. While he is by no means unlikable, it is pretty hard to care about a guy with no personality. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a normal protagonist, it is a huge problem when he has very little flaws or personality traits to define him. At the least, he is a nice guy.

Thankfully, this is made up by a great female cast, as while some characters may not have been given any backstory, it is nice that they at least give some personality to a show that has a male lead with the personality of a blank sheet of paper. A great example would be Haruka, as she is extroverted and charismatic, making her a fresh and very likable protagonist. 

What makes this show nice is that everything looks very realistic. The backgrounds look nice, with character models that are absolutely fantastic. The female character models are the best though, as they look realistic, meaning that they lack weird hairstyles and odd physical features, making them look very nice. The only downside is that there will be a few moments where you may actually get confused over some of the characters, as most characters either have black or brown hair. Thankfully, this isn't a problem that will stop people from understanding what's going on in the story!

This first half of this episode was a bit boring, as it had the main protagonist walking around the school meeting some of the other female leads. This wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that little to no information about these characters is disclosed, meaning that the experience can become tedious. Thankfully, the second half sort of makes up for this, as it has the main character confessing his love to the female lead of this arc, only to get immediately rejected due to his age. This displayed that the pacing of the show will be very quick, a huge leap from most romances that take seasons to have the male or female lead confess their love for someone.

Overall, this episode was OK. While the beginning was flat out boring, the latter half showed that the show will have relationship that develop fast and realistically, something that I'm really looking forward to later on in the series.

Opening: Pretty uneventful, with music that lacks energy.

Ending: Actually superior to the opening. Much better music and more colorful visuals (Albeit inferior animation.).

Rating: Fair

Durarara!

Durarara is probably one of the most overrated shows this season. While it is certainly the best (And is by all means fantastic!), I find that while it may have an engrossing plot and a very interesting cast of characters, a few big things could have been done to make it perfect (Like Baccano!)!

The story follows Mikado Ryugamine, a teenager who recently moved to Ikebukuro after being invited by a friend of his named Masaomi Kida. He is then introduced to rumors of invisible gangs, and a mysterious "Black Rider" who rides a jet black motorcycle around the city. After actually getting a chance to see the rider with his own two eyes, we then see Mikado beginning to actually like his life in the city. Unfortunately, supernatural events occur, resulting in quite a few conflicts among the various gangs in Ikebukuro that lead to Mikado getting involved himself.

Durarara's story is engrossing, continuing to get more complex and chaotic as it goes on, a trait that is also in Baccano's plot. The benefit of this trait is that it usually leads to a satisfying conclusion, the flaw being that the plot can get very confusing at times. This is a bit of a problem, as while the beginning isn't as confusing as Baccano's introduction, the middle has some really confusing moments that will require some viewers to rewatch episodes, something that really wasn't a problem in Baccano! (As the plot got easier to understand with each passing episode.). The first half of Durarara! moves in a non-linear structure, each episode seemingly focusing on a specific character, sometimes giving a different perspective of past events, leading to more depth being giving to each of those events and characters. This style of storytelling is brilliant, but is sadly non-existent in the second half, as the structure in the final arc is very linear and straightforward.

This may not seem like a problem, as the story is still engrossing, and the last arc still gives startling developments that will keep you hooked to the series. Unfortunately, this leads to my second problem with Durarara!, in that some characters are given lots of complexity and development. The reason I say some, is that about 60% of the characters in the second opening are given a substantial amount of screen time or depth. The other 40% are simply not in the show enough(Some actually appearing briefly in one episode), are given very little depth, or appear in the show a lot, but we are still given little to no back story about them. A perfect example of the latter being Semyon, as while he does the role as the voice of reason and wisdom in the show, he is given no back story what-so-ever. Another example would also be the motorcycle cop Kinnosuke, a character who only appears twice in the show, both appearances not being significant enough to warrant an appearance in the opening in the first place! The only major flaw with Durarara! is that while it does know how to create interesting characters, deliver a captivating plot and execute a complex plot, it has no friggin' idea how to balance out all the characters! Unlike Baccano, which was able to give depth and equal screen time to more than 80% of its cast in its opening with only 16 episodes (OVAs included), it still doesn't develop as much characters than Baccano does, something that is inexcusable due to Durarar having 24 episodes, eight more than Baccano had!

Thankfully, the show does everything excellently, as it (As I said earlier.) delivers a story that is very engrossing and interesting, has much better artistry than Baccano had, and even delivers quite a few captivating characters; the best one being Shizuo Heiwajima due to his badassery, unrealistic strength and invincibility. (Even though he probably wouldn't be able to take down Ladd Russo from Baccano!)

Overall, Durarara is the best show of the Spring season. It clearly has its moments where its quality even over shines Baccano and will be a favorite among many fans out their, making it an experience that should be watched. Unfortunately, that does not mean its perfect. For something that has a clear advantage over Baccano, it isn't actually better than it, as huge character development flaws stop from achieving perfection, thus making it inferior to its predecessor. If Durarara had kept utilizing its non-linear structure of storytelling, than perfection may have been achieved. Unfortunately we are introduced to a still fantastic product that could have been much better if it stuck with its original structure. Thankfully, it's still a show worth watching by all means! WATCH IT!

Opening 1: Great! Love the music, also very energetic. Sorta pisses me off that the character names are in Japanese though... (STILL AWESOME THOUGH!)

Ending 1: While it's basically a slide show, the visuals still look nice, with a great song to accompany it.

Opening 2: AMAZING! PERFECT! Absolutely love the song! Definitely one of my favorite openings!

Ending 2: Nice song, but lacking visuals! Definitely not as good as the first ending!

Rating: Excellent