LMT’s Best of 2012

I think they got some things reversed here.

After yesterday’s rather absurd end-of-year ranking based solely on week-to-week viewing, I thought it may be best to provide a real ranking of the series that finished in the year 2012. Rather than just settle for just a simple top 10, I went over the top and just went for all 37 I completed this year. The first 27 of these will just be short descriptions of why I did, or did not like a particular series. After that, there’s a bit more detail. I hope you enjoy this, and feel free to let me know how wrong/right I was about the anime that aired in 2012 in the comments.

12 Days of Something II: 12 Moments of Anime

So this 12 Days thing is running near a close, so I thought I would actually do something most people do with this sort of topic, actually write about 12 moments in anime that occurred this year. I know, really original, right? So I’ll try to avoid some stuff I’ve gone on-and-on about over the course of this series of posts and limit myself to one thing per month. Can I pull it off? Find out below.

A Milestone Amount of Time Has Passed and Therefore I Must Write About It #4

Speaking of train wrecks…

These posts are never easy, in fact, I believe the previous 3 iterations of these have been absolute train wrecks. So instead of worry about that, I thought I would do something a bit differently. After all, I can’t do top X lists of my favorites of all-time, properly reflect on changes in my life or even retire from this blog because I haven’t found a reason to do so yet.

Back in the first week of this experiment when there was no set topic for what I would even write on, I described myself as a failure of a fan, but that’s beside the point. It was the popular thing to talk about series that influenced one as a fan. So in grand style, I’ve decided to retread that particular story and talk about the shows that have influenced me most since then. Nothing special or depressing here I hope. I’d have to really be trying to wedge that in. So without any further delay here they are.

Amagami SS+ plus 13 – Prescription Strength Bath Salts

Miya is literally holding onto the theme of this episode

The final episode takes place at a newly opened bath house that was offering free usage to women. Junichi’s lustful desires offend Miya because they are not directed at her, which ultimately comes back to haunt the both of them at the end of the episode. In between, the cast pretty much stick to type as they go from bath to bath.

Amagami SS+ plus 12 – Mind-Blowing Overreaction

They didn't even have to wait to get out of high school to decide on marriage. You deserve better.

The conclusion of the Haruka arc brings with it the conclusion of Junichi’s involvement in the series. That said, he certainly goes out with a bang here. He spends an awkward night with Haruka at his house, but proceeds to do nothing. Before going to sleep she reveals she’s going back to England. Junichi, in typical fashion, overreacts believing he will lose her forever. With some deceit and help from others, he proposes on Haruka’s graduation day.

Amagami SS+ plus 11 – Catastrophic Middle Names

The character who really deserved her own arc.

The 1st half of the Haruka arc is really about planting an idea inside of Junichi’s head. That’s not exactly Inception-like in implementation, but rather his being casually led in the direction of proposing to Haruka on her graduation day from high school. To that end, he’s run through mock family formation with Haruka by Hibiki. Then, Haruka’s relative from England appears and strongly suggests to him that he make a move before she leaves to go sightseeing. He then goes ahead and confirms their relationship by actually talking to her.