2006 (glaring typo!) would be the Year of the Tanuki with the airing of AIR TV and movie (pun unintended, it’s the Kabitzin Geass, I swear!), Nanoha A’s, Zero no Tsukaima, Canvas2 and SHUFFLE! Though ToHeart2 and D.C.S.S. were, particularly the latter, sources of disappointment and unsatisfaction respectively.
On the other hand, this Zaku discovered the charms of Tama-nee, particularly from the OVA which also started me on the road towards Mentar’s Shizuka Itou Doctrine. Both of us were in agreement though in our RAWR RAWR YUKI LOVE that remains strong even though our Haruhi mania has subsided, with the tanuki even contending that Yuki represents the next higher stage of Rei Ayanami evolution.
The Hit-or-miss nature of some big BIG series also hung over us. Fate/Stay Night was good with respect to bishoujos especially Loveably Stupid Saber but failed to integrate the rich multiple story threads of the source material into a coherent whole (’Type Moon adaptation syndrome‘) and, for this Zaku, committed the heinous sin of nerfing Rin x Saber goodness. What a waste! Especially after getting Ueda Kana, Queen of Ambiguously Bisexual Chara Voice and owner of a Cat of Pure Evil, to voice the former. The first season of Shana was rather mweh though my love for Wilhelmina (another chara voiced by Shizuka Itou) and the Shana-tan omake series will always burn strong and bright de arimasu.
Megami headlines 2007 with Lucky Star and StrikerS, two series over which the Hontou Ni team are strongly divided over. I enjoyed both series very much while Stripey managed to finish watching neither of them. Let loose accusations of ‘You’re a Sucker for Anything with even just a Hint of Yuri!’ against counter-accusations of ‘You Don’t Love Fate Anymore Because She’s No Longer Loli!’ LOL
But we also had a similar schism over School Days which I thought was brilliant in terms of overcoming Type Moon adaptation syndrome (i.e. bringing together all the different paths/ends in a smooth and coherent, if bloody, conclusion) and thoroughly enjoyed its subsequent tongue-in-cheek OVAs. In contrast, the tanuki found that the dynamic interaction of the three leads’ dysfunctionalities resulted in End of Evangelion syndrome: I Feel Sick. And an early case of PTSD too?
Having initially given Hayate no Gotoku a miss, I was lured by the charm of Katsura Hinagiku. Initially piqued by Wirhelmina and roused by Tama-nee, Hinagiku confirmed my YES! YOUR HIGHNESS! adherence to the Shizuka Itou Doctrine (i.e. any series that has a chara voiced by her is worth watching for the parts where she appears). Since then, my ears have pricked up in El Cazador de la Bruja, KimiAru, xxxHOLIC (especially the Himawari arc of Kei), Wagaya no Oinarisama and, yes, even GONZO’s BLASSREITER.
2008 has probably been more significant for what I’ve *not* been watching. Out of Megami’s list for this year, I’ve not seen Spice and Wolf, Rosario + Vampire, Kanokon, ToLoveRu etc etc. Given how much I disliked Louise after ZnT’s first season, I didn’t watch ZnT2, much less it’s third season; I’m sorry but when Louise goes into ‘inu’ mode, I don’t find it cute at all. At least in School Days, the back-and-forth emotional abuse culminates in a no-holds-barred Really Bad End rather than to try and excuse it with a lame ‘She/he actually really does love him/her.’
Nonetheless I did manage to enjoy Code Geass right to its stabby end and enjoying all the SUNRISE bishoujos. Kamen no Maid Guy was largely entertaining largely on the strengths of Kogarashi-san and Fubuki-san but I’ve been dissatisfied by how the premise (threats to Naeka’s life because of the inheritance) has hardly even figured in the first 12 episodes of this cour. And I was really surprised that I enjoyed D.C.II.S.S. - but, rest assured, my fellow Oneesama fanboys, I have not given into the Dark Side of Imotou Love for D.C.II.S.S. brought forth the charm of Oto-nee really well.
For the current season of 2008, so far the only series that has made my candidate list is Toradora! I was quite pumped up by the happiness of totali but have decided to adopt a Wait and See policy after the Kabitzin Strategic Warning System sounded an ‘inu’ alert. Nagi’s bark is, indeed, worse than her bite!
The Shizuka Itou Doctrine?
We~ell, whoever includes that policy in his/her campaign will have my vote.