It takes me 2 1/2 to 3 hours just to do a post on a single episode since I typically have to watch it, then watch it again to take screenshots, then watch it a third time to actually write the post, and then include pausing and rewinding for both the 2nd and 3rd watching.

Also, as you may have seen, I’ve now added 3 more header images and I’m randomly rotating between them.  I plan to continually add more in the future.  If I get around to it, I’ll create a feature where you can either keep letting it go on random or allow you to choose one that you like that will be displayed for you all the time, but that’s still a little into the future.

However, with my enjoyment of other for-Otaku series like Haruhi Suzumiya and the currently-airing Lucky Star, and with releases often doing a decent job of trying to make the show relevant, even for those who may not quite get it naturally, I think Genshiken may be an interesting addition to the annals of shows that I have watched.

Update: Ok, I think the bulk of the layout transfer and upgrading is complete with the bugs worked out.  This is what I want to add to this layout, time permitting:

1) new designs that will cycle randomly each visit, and

2) A “random anime” type thing on the sidebar.  Not sure what I’ll include in it, but now that I’ve taken the list of anime off the front page and turned the list into a page, I was wanting some way to advertise my reviews on the home page still.

May 29, 2007
Bleach – Volume 4
Case Closed – Case 3 Volume 2
El Hazard: The Magnificent World (OVA) – Volume 1
Ergo Proxy – Volume 4
Gakuen Heaven – Volume 2 (sub)
Hikaru no Go – Volume 8
Karin – Volume 1
Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, The – Volume 1
Misaki Chronicles – Box Set
Moeyo Ken – Volume 3
Naruto – Volume 12 (dub)
Peach Girl – Volume 2
Rozen Maiden – Volume 1
Solty Rei – Volume 4
To Heart – Volume 2
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters – Season 5 Volume 2

Manga

May 29, 2007
Basilisk – Volume 5
E.S. – Volume 5
Mamotte! Lollipop – Volume 2
My Heavenly Hockey Club – Volume 1
Negima! Magister Negi Magi – Volume 14
Suzuka – Volume 4
Vagabond – Volume 25

May 30, 2007
Berserk – Volume 17
Gunsmith Cats Burst – Volume 2
Swan – Volume 10
Tanpenshu – Volume 2

May 31, 2007
Buddha – Volume 1
Cromartie High School – Volume 11
Her Majesty’s Dog – Volume 5
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days – Volume 5
Princess Resurrection – Volume 1

In any case, the basic jist of the story in Idolmaster Xenoglossia is that there are these mecha robots that are used to blow up asteroids before they come crashing to earth (most of them drop from a ring that orbits earth created when the moon went boom sometime in the past). In anycase, these machines appear to be alive (unique idea I know) and they only take to females (again, unique), and they seem to only work with certain operators they like (once again, unique).

In any case, the main character – Haruka – has always seemed to have a sort of admiration for the iDOL (thats what they call the mechas) that she operates (named Imber). Well, through 7 episodes one could probably explain it away by her just being interested in something that appears to be alive and “chose” her to be it’s pilot and all that.

Well, in episode 8, it gets a bit weirder. Basically it’s the obligatory beach episode all girl-filled anime are required to have. In any case, Haruka learns more about Imber (namely that he’s alien made) and what not. Well, they take a nighttime, er, flight together, and at the end, she blathers on about not knowing much about Imber. So she’s like “I’ll shore you more about me first then” and then flings her shirt open and shows Imber her bikini that she’s wearing (one that she refused to show anyone else, even on the beach). Meanwhile, after this Imber starts recording her and the stuff she says about herself afterwards after this semi-stripping moment.

Ok, so we have a double-dose of creepy here in a sense. The first one is that Haruka is basically teasing Imber like she would a boyfriend that she was two steps away from sleeping with. I was about ready for her to just get naked and start humping the thing somewhere.

The second creepy part is that the machine is like “oh! half-naked teenaged girl! RECORDER ON!” I mean, even if you could concede that a machine made by a certain species may be attracted to members of the species that created it, humans didn’t create Imber (or at least, I’m assuming they didn’t), so what is Imber getting all hot and bothered – or whatever happens to giant robots when they get horny – by seeing Haruka in a bikini.

I’m just waiting for them to somehow have hot, steaming teenaged girl-to-alien mecha sex or something in some episode. I mean, human-robot sex was basically implied in Chobits, and I’m sure in many other words inside and out of anime (hell, think Data from Star Trek), but at least they look like humans and have human, er, equipment.

Even though I was planning on watching all 4 series till the end anyway, I’m still curious how far they’ll take it. They rarely actually show – or even imply – sex in series like this, so in the end there may only be some way for Haruka and Imber to “be together” if thats where the show wants to go.