Category Archives: 12 Moments of Anime

12 Moments of Anime Day 12 – The Tragic Life of Yuuko Amamiya

By | December 25, 2008 at 11:55 am | 3 comments

In a way, I hate to wrap up this project with this episode, especially with this post going out on Christmas Day (which itself is rather ironic if you know Yuuko’s story), but I found  episode 6 of ef – a tale of melodies to probably have the single most impactful moment in any anime series in 2008 that I’ve seen, and thus wanted to save it for last.

Yuuko's Broken Past

Watching the series, I knew for a while that Yuuko wasn’t telling Yuu something, and that something was probably up between Yuuko and her adoptive brother.  However, to have it plopped down like it was in such a bare and upfront manner just made a shocking story all that much more disturbing.  This episode probably single-handedly made ef – a tale of melodies the best series of the year, with many of the other excellent episodes being icing on top.

The shocking and disturbing nature of the scene and the overall writing and way it was presented, put into the show in the way that it was, makes the tale of the Tragic Life of Yuuko Amamiya my final, and top, of the 12 Moments of Anime in 2008.

The 12 Moments of Anime project is the brainchild of CCY.

12 Moments of Anime Day 11 – Hayami’s Shocking End

By | December 24, 2008 at 12:11 pm | 1 comment

I had a lot of problems with H2O: Footprints in the Sand, including the way that the main character, Takuma, got into his rather pathetic state by the end of the series in the first place.  However, the show resolves this story arc in a sudden and shocking fashion.

Don't smile like that just before you're going to be smashed by a train, damnit

Hayami getting killed by a train was tragic in many respects, including the fact that she had just been accepted by the town and that I don’t recall the story hinting anything like that was going to happen, making the viewer feel like things were becoming alright (except for Takuma’s condition)  before it occured, and the fact that Takuma realizes that the same thing happened to his mother.  It was a very bright spot in the writing for a series which was otherwise rather lackluster.

However, this event, which is a top contender for “most shocking event of the year” puts it on the list of 12 Moments of Anime, even if it isn’t a particularly happy moment.

The 12 Moments of Anime project is the brainchild of CCY.

12 Moments of Anime Day 10 – That’s a Ramiel We Can Believe In

By | December 23, 2008 at 12:31 pm | 2 comments

Yesterday, I said that the Wilhelmina vs. Sabrac fight was probably the best I saw all year.  However, there is one which would definitely give it a run for it’s money, and that is NERV’s battle against the angel Ramiel in the first reboot movie Evangelion 1.0: You are (not) Alone.

That's one sweet angel

They made sure to spare no expense on the special effects in the movie, especially on the climatic battle with Ramiel, where the creativity of Evangelion really shines through when they present us with the ultra-powerful and morphtastic angel.  This super battle between heavyweights earns Ramiel a spot in the list of 12 Moments of Anime

The 12 Moments of Anime project is the brainchild of CCY.

12 Moments of Anime Day 9 – Wilhelmina vs. Sabrac

By | December 22, 2008 at 12:16 pm | 4 comments

Perhaps the single best fight I watched this year was the one between Wilhelmina and Sabrac in episodes 20 and 21 of Shakugan no Shana II.  The fight may have been slightly long winded, but as they usually do, the writers of Shana find a way to make the whole thing interesting and entertaining, all while slowly and surely unraveling Sabrac’s secret.

Sabrac is probably the most bad-ass of all the bad-ass enemies in Shakugan no Shana so far – even the members of the Bal Masqué would be hard pressed to defeat him in one-on-one combat (OK, Wilhelmina’s fight wasn’t entirely one-on-one, but still…) – so this fight shows us just how powerful Wilhelmina is, as well as how resourceful Yuji is and how well the Flame Hazes work together by that point in the series.

Overall, the kick-ass fight of the year earns Shakugan no Shana II episodes 20 and 21 a place on the list of 12 Moments of Anime.

The 12 Moments of Anime project is the brainchild of CCY.

12 Moments of Anime Day 8 – Use the Druaga Beam!

By | December 21, 2008 at 11:59 am | 1 comment

Probably the best gimmick episode of 2008 – and perhaps one of the best ever – was the first episode of The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk.  Obviously this show was trying to grab attention right off the bat – as well as perhaps draw attention to Gonzo’s new found attempt to make their episodes available subbed online at air time.

Too bad the rest of the series wasn't this good

This episode was full of hilarity, making me “nearly [laugh] out loud from start to finish” as I wrote at the time.  This episode would definitely contend for a spot in one of the top 10 episodes of the year, I think.  Too bad the rest of the series couldn’t follow suit.  I guess that’s one problem with starting your series with such a great episode: it’s very hard for the rest of the series to live up to it.

In any case, making fun of fantasy anime and use of Druaga Beams earn Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk episode 1 a spot in the 12 Moments of Anime.

The 12 Moments of Anime project is the brainchild of CCY.

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