Every show has aired its second episode by now, and some shows have even aired their third. As a result, if a plot still hasn’t emerged, you’re doing something wrong. As a reminder, I’m ranking shows by how much they interest me. I am not ranking these shows by their supposed quality.
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16. Hagure Yuusha no Estetica — Last week: 16
The lack of any plot whatsoever is exactly the problem for our piss-inducing hero. Last week, we had a bizarrely anticlimactic showdown between Ousawa and the student council president, but at least it was a showdown. This week’s episode ends with piss. I have no idea what to expect next week, but frankly, I don’t really care.
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15. Dakara Boku wa, H ga Dekinai — Last week: 15
The only thing H ga Dekinai did this week was multiply everything by two. Instead of one buxom babe undergoing a revealing transformation, we get two. Instead of the harem lead groping one set of breasts, he molests two. Unfortunately, the show decided against super-sizing the one thing that would’ve really helped: the story. Again, Lisara is searching for some singular man or whatever. And again, nothing really happens to get her closer to this goal.
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14. Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate — Last week: 6
So much for political commentary. The second episode spent its entire running length convincing the harem lead to run for student council president. This isn’t a bad premise per se, but Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate opts for the most meandering sort of narrative — the sort that gives the slice-of-life genre a bad name. In the end, what convinces the harem lead to run isn’t even all that profound or revelatory. Some classmate simply tells him that he’ll lose every election he doesn’t join. Gee, really?
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13. Oda Nobuna no Yabou — Last week: 12
The bizarre anachronisms in the show don’t even bother me, ’cause that’s obviously the point. I just don’t understand taking a famous militaristic warrior in Japan’s history, and rendering him into a pathetic tsunderekko. This trope always plays out in the same exact fashion: tough girl isn’t really that tough. She just needs a man to penetrate the stony exterior of her heart. 
I honestly can’t envision Oda Nobuna no Yabou staying on this list for much longer. Shame on you, Draggle.
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12. Arcana Famiglia — Last week: 9
From herding cats to herding children. Remember that fighting tournament where everyone was supposed to compete for Felicita’s hand in marriage? Yeah, I don’t either. At this point, I’m expecting next week’s episode to be a picnic at the beach. Hell, for a reverse harem, it’s not even all that “harem-y.” When is the heroine going to start taming all the bad boys around her? It’s not exactly what I want out of this show, but at least it’s a direction. At the moment, Arcana Famiglia has no direction whatsoever.
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11. Campione! — Last week: 8
As I went to write about this week’s episode, it suddenly struck me that I can barely remember anything about it. I recall the blonde girl following the harem lead to high school (of course), then they fight. Was the actual episode any more complex than that? Probably not. Go look up the word ‘perfunctory’ in the dictionary, and you’ll find Campione!‘s portrait sitting there, beaming with pride.
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10. Moyashimon Returns — Last week: 11
Wake me up when something exciting happens.
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9. Tari Tari — Last week: 7
On the bright side, the guys have finally gotten involved in the story. Unfortunately, I’ve already seen the whole “adult female acts like an unrepentant bitch to young people” schtick before. It’s just not compelling anymore. Tari Tari wants me to hate the assistant principal, but her actions are so predictable at this point, it’s kind of laughable. Take some cute girls and have them walk up to a potential female role model. Let them ask her for something reasonable, then imagine the meanest, most vindictive response possible. Congratulations! You’ve just written the script to yet another P.A Works hit series!
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8. Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse — Last week: 13
So much for last week’s momentum. While I wasn’t as high on the previous episode as other people seemed to be, Muv-Luv is right back to dull training sequences involving characters with incredibly grating personalities. It’s not even that complicated to make this show palatable: the less we see of the BETAs, the worse this anime will get. Still, if you want a little extra credit, please kill off the midget girl by next week’s episode. ‘Kay? Thanks. What explains Muv-Luv‘s bizarre rise in the rankings though? Just the simple fact that nearly everyone else stunk up the joint.
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7. Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita — Last week: 10
The opening definitely got my attention. So did the last few moments of the episode. As for everything in between? Holy crap, I would rather watch any of the Harem Hill contestants instead. The only reason why this show isn’t near the bottom of the list is because next week’s episode could actually be very interesting. Nevertheless, Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita‘s major flaw is that it wastes far too much time on the setup.
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6. Kokoro Connect — Last week: 3
Oh Kokoro Connect, the longer you dawdle, the less faith I have that you’ll deliver the goods. Plus, I have a question for anime in general. Why do you always portray lesbians as brazen individuals? Do you often see a heterosexual girl grab a guy in an anime and say, “Let’s make music with our bodies!” This might happen from time to time, but usually, heterosexual girls are shy or tsundere, which, I must add, is nothing but delayed shyness. Lesbians, on the other hand, are apparently down-to-fuck at the drop of a hat. Tch.
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5. Eureka Seven: AO — Last week: unranked
I’m dropping Joshiraku, which has totally lost me. I never expected to like it, and I don’t. Since I’ve finally caught up on Eureka Seven: AO, the show will take Joshiraku‘s place on the rankings. The best thing about the latest episode is that it actually ended on a cliffhanger. A commenter got me to realize something: if you compare Eureka Seven: AO to the original — an anathema to some people, I’m sure — the sequel just feels too episodic at times. As a result, conflicts aren’t as compelling because you expect them to be wrapped up by the end of the episode. I hope Eureka’s sudden appearance will mark a change in the show’s narrative execution.
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4. Binbou-gami ga! — Last week: 1
This week’s episode wasn’t as funny as the last, but it was still good. That’s all I can really say about it. The show’s ranking only slips because I’m not as excited as I was last week, but in my mind, Binbou-gami ga!‘s still the best anime of the season.
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3. Sword Art Online — Last week: 4
My interest in the show has now increased two-fold. As I’ve mentioned before, I want to see an anime portray an MMO. I’ve recently taken an interest, however, in the immense outrage across the fandom over the supposedly botched adaptation of the source material. Then I remembered, “Hey, didn’t A-1 Pictures also do Ao no Exorcist? Didn’t people get mad about that too?” Yes, yes they did. Time to get out the popcorn.
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2. Natsuyuki Rendezvous — Last week: 5
I thought the second episode was a huge improvement over the first, but getting people to discuss the show with me is like pulling teeth. Still, that is the show’s only possible downside at the moment. The most surprising thing about Natsuyuki Rendezvous is how the characters don’t shy away from sex. In a lot of anime series, it just feels as though this humanizing act never even crosses the characters’ minds. As a result, romantic passion in the medium can sometimes feel hollow and inauthentic. At the very least, Natsuyuki Rendezvous won’t be having that problem.
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1. Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imouto ga Iru! — Last week: 2
Imouto is like the opposite of Kokoro Connect. The latter has a great premise, but has failed to deliver for two weeks in a row. On paper, Imouto sounds like it can’t possibly be any good, but for two weeks in a row now, the anime is totally working the creepy sister angle. What I liked about this episode was how the story established the real threat of marrying one’s sister. Sure, sure, it’s icky and taboo, but oftentimes, this is the extent of the concern in shows with similar premises. Imouto links the whole issue right back to the very fact that this sort of scandal could ruin the financial group that the harem lead is set to take over. Anyway, will Imouto keep it up? My mind wants to say no, but another compelling week chips away at that cynicism.
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Your moment of zen:
Yep, piss is like the superglue of friendships. Next time you want to introduce two or more of your friends, you’ll know what to do.
Moe Sucks 
The writer of E7 Ao said on his Twitter that Episode 11 was the last of the “world-building” episodes, so I think it dropped the episodic stuff. The Evangelion-like nature of the show though…I think that’s staying.
I don’t really buy the world-building excuse. The original had to world-build too and to a much greater extent. Despite this, I don’t remember the narrative being as dry as it currently is in AO. Anyway, what is this Evangelion-like nature you speak of?
I never said the world-building was done well. Just that the episodic thing should mostly stop at this point (could be wrong). As for the Evangelion-like nature, it’s a semi-common theory/joke that the creators watched Evangelion after finishing E7, hence the fact that only children can pilot the LFOs, the trippy scenes, the background episodes that change your perception on a character, and just the complete mind-fuckery that Evangelion is famous for.
Secrets are like less original, easier to defeat Angels.
Not sure I remember those.
When Ao simultaneously sobs and jerks off to a pregnant Eureka, I might see the resemblance. But in all seriousness, I just don’t recall any mindfuck scenes in E7:AO.
It seems episode 15 and 16 will be very special. Aikawa was ordered to to them as a “final episode” https://twitter.com/nishi_ogi/status/228118636982857729
If Episode 3 can make you at least feel sympathetic, then I’d imagine the cries of outrage would be dulled,and quickly forgotten.
If you do feel it rushed, welcome to the club (= I don’t think the pace is going to slow until Episode 5 or 6, and if all final 12 Episodes of this adaptation devotes itself to the next arc… an opposite tune might be sung.
As for Imouto, I cannot recall the last time a harem anime threw the MC into a cast of potential Gold Diggers. If you could kindly point me to one, much appreciated (=. And it seems the creepy Imouto angle will consume much of the plot- either that, or the show disintegrates into a disjointed mess.
You’re implying that I would want to remember any of the harems I’ve watched.
I have to say, Natsuyuki and Binbougami are probably the only two shows I’m actually looking forward to week to week. SAO is, admittedly, better than expected so far, so I’ll probably stick with it for a while. Watching anything else is actually a conscious effort, though I suppose I haven’t given everything a shot yet.
You’re starting to make me think I should actually give the Imouto show a chance.
If you can stand it, I would advise you to pay extra attention to the background music. I think it is often more honest than the rest of the anime.
did you watch ebiten? it seems kinda trashy, but maybe better than some of the lower ones on the list, and since it started later, it seems like no one is talking about it.
Well, Ebiten just got subbed, right? So no, I haven’t had the chance to watch it.
Ebiten might just be able to be a serious contender out on the harem hill…. though granted, it doesn’t take itself the least bit seriously.
Bwah ha ha ha, you watched it!
I can’t really disagree with your analysis though. I think my “not that bad” has just deteriorated to a lower standard than yours :). If I were to rearrange the shows into my own list, Nobuna would just be #10 (I can’t stand Arcana or Imouto, and don’t find Binbougami funny).
I never said I wasn’t going to watch it. I just wasn’t going to be tricked by you into blogging the show!
If Eureka Seven AO is going to be 48 episodes like it says on wikipedia (but which I can’t find any definite confirmation of) then I’ll forgive some of the slowness of these first episodes. Eureka 7 took quite some time to set the stage as well, but let’s be fair: Ao is not as good as Psalm of the Planets. I think it’s fair to make some comparisons now that the show has been going for awhile and the first thing that rolls off the tongue is that the cast isn’t as colorful. In the early episodes the tone and feel of Gekkostate is set up well with episodes in which the whole cast gets in and season 1 had a large cast of very colorful people. Especially the side characters like Woz, Moondoggie, Jobs, Hap, the random old dude who turns out to be a Coralian, they all go a long way to making the Gekko-go feel like some kind of rebellious counter-culture commune. Ao just doesn’t have the same kind of cast that differentiates itself. Sure Elena seems to have some kind of interesting schizophrenic vibe going on but she doesn’t mesh well with Generation Blue as a whole. Of course to be fair Generation Blue is a whole heckuvalot more serious and mysterious than Gekkostate is. The tone for E7 AO is sort of permanently serious and no one really seems to have (or be interested in having) any fun. Which I can’t really dock it for if that’s the way they want to go with it. It does take some of the spirit out of the franchise though.
Another thing is the OST. Sato Naoki does the amazing orchestral arrangements in E7 and Koji Nakamura is not an orchestral composer. He tries hard though and I can understand why they picked him. Since his song “Storywriter” features heavily in the original series. I’m not sure if he was the person or it was the director or Naoki who picked all the insert songs in the original show but they also did a great job of setting the tone. E7 vanilla is one of my favorite unities of animation and music because in my mind every OP/ED theme is perfect as is every insert like Get it by Your Hands, Niji, and the aforementioned Storywriter. To carry on with the counterculture theme the show is also a celebration of electronica and trance music subcultures. It would be nice if AO picked some cool insert songs to get the blood pumping like the original.
This was only part one: My second comment is in regards to SAO, Ao no Exorcist, and A-1 Pictures relation. I still believe the complaints for Ao no Exorcist are legitimate because in all honesty that show should never have been adapted as early as it was. There were certain liberties taken earlier on that were nbd (like that weird squid episode) but they essentially ran out of material to adapt so they made lots of broad changes in order to wrap up the show, the final 13 episodes being entirely original. The manga couldn’t have even been finished with that first major arc they adapted when the show was greenlit. As it is the manga still hasn’t finished it’s second arc.
SAO on the other hand has tons of material to adapt. I went and read the light novel side story that this episode was based off of (yes the whole thing in one episode it was like 100 pages) and I actually thought they did a pretty decent job. Some stuff was lost but I thought they got the major points. I guess the big complaints are that you weren’t supposed to be sympathetic to the group leader who died. He was almost sort of the secret antagonist. I’m not entirely sure that would have worked out any better than the way they portrayed him in the show since again you get to know him and then he dies. The drama revolves around who gets to final kill-shot on the boss (or I guess loot drama but we’ve all been there). It’s not the most compelling drama. I feel the episode got the point that the certain casuals felt vindictive toward the Beta players and at the end what’s his name flaunts himself as being better than a Beta player essentially transferring the hate to himself rather than the group as a whole.
And this is what I did instead of my homework.
The end.
I honestly never understood this. So the longer a series, the more time it can spend on world-building? I merely judge AO with my gut feelings. Am I bored? It seems as though I am.
Maybe so, but the show can do a better job of making the drama compelling, regardless of whether it’s fun or not. Sometimes, I feel like fast-forwarding through some of the episodes.
I don’t really disagree with the rest of your comments.
It rather depends on the show I think. Like Space Brothers has some 58 episodes but it’s not the type of show that needs to do world building it’s a slow, plodding character drama and we like it that way. An adventure series with a definite start and end point that’s given the liberty of 48 episodes better spend at least some of that time on world building. Could it be integrated into the episodes better? Absolutely. My terms of forgiveness aren’t necessarily based on episode length, but on whether or not they capitalize on what they built so far in the world building episodes. After watching episode 12 and 13 I thought they look like they might be going in the right direction. Some shows spend all their time on world building or character growth while banking on getting a second season. If you know a show is going to be longer than 26 episodes there is a very good chance that the world building won’t be for naught. To me it’s getting a feel for the pace of a show and then estimating, given the number of episodes, whether that is enough time to tell the story at the pace that is being set. Eureka Seven AO set a pretty damn slow pace. Perhaps forgiveness is too strong a word. Maybe a reprieve from judgement is a more apt.
You’re too nice. I don’t think a show should ever be boring at any point even if it was trying to set things up.
Muv-luvs pace seems rapid, in less than 3 episodes it moves to 3 years later in anime time. The story also changes, the chick who once was a pilot becomes a secretary or whatever in the war room. Then suddenly new characters are introduced!? what do you think this anime is heading to?
Not sure, but the pace will probably slow down now that all the characters have been introduced.
Bro, how can you hate on Arcana Famiglia?!?!
I was actually trying to figure out why Arcana Famglia was faffing about so much, and then I went, “duh”, its just biding its time for a second season announcement. Which, by the way, isn’t me trying to defend its approach – I can see why some people would be bored with it, even if I’m primarily enjoying it (other than that idiotic tit-grabbing scene).
Your screenshot from Nobuna just reminded me yet again that she’s just a genderbent Edward Elric.
FMA is probably the most popular anime I’ve never seen.
FMA is definitely over-hyped, but it’s worth your time in my honest opinion. If you haven’t given it a shot at all, I recommend you at least try watching the first few episodes.
Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imouto ga Iru! at #1? :-0
I never realised what a twisted individual you are till you started doing these rankings :P
PS are you contributing to the Anime Power Rankings?
I have never heard of the Anime Power Rankings. So no, I’m not.
ahhh I thought your “summer power rankings” was perhaps a reference to it.
So you did put Imouto at #1. I admit my mind is blown
I keep saying that I’m ranking shows by how much interest I have in them, and yet people act all surprised….
Of course we’re surprised you show so much interest in such a crap show. It’s not even the so bad it’s entertaining type like Garzey’s Wing!
That’s why I wrote that post about “bad taste.” It’s okay to take an interest in something even if it’s a crap show. I just won’t take an interest in a boring show.
Japan has a perchant for mascot characters so making Nobuna a human little girl just took it 1cm further. If nothing else, it does put me in the mood to learn about the significance of the Sengoku Period so I can understand why they have been so pervasive in Japanese anime.
And I also believe that somewhere out there in Japan, someone has made it a challenge to see how many things they can turn into little girls before the end of this century.
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