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Mon 16 Jan 2012
Anime Power Rankings: Winter 2012 Week 2
Posted by kevo' under Anime, Anime Power Rankings
[9] Comments
| Rank | Anime | Studio | Episode | Change |
| 1 | Nisemonogatari | SHAFT | 2 | – |
| 2 | Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou | Sunrise | 1 | New |
| 3 | Chihayafuru | Madhouse | 14 |  1 |
| 4 | Natsume Yuujin-chou Shi | Brains Base | 2 |  1 |
| 5 | Persona 4: The Animation | AIC ASTA | 14 | 1 |
On the cusp: Mouretsu Uchuu Kaizoku, Ano Natsu de Matteru, Another, Tantei Opera Milky Holmes 2
Other premiers: Aquarion Evol (11th), Inu x Boku SS (20th)
Last week’s results, about the Anime Power Rankings
Hey everyone. I was travelling back from winter vacation all weekend, so I had no time to write this week’s Anime Power Rankings until today. Sorry it’s a day late!
The Anime Power Rankings constantly demonstrates to me how surprisingly good each season is. I wasn’t too pumped up about this season when I first saw previews, but they never do a good job of foreshadowing how a season turns out anyway. As expected, Nisemonogatari is carrying the team, but shows like Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou and Mouretsu Uchuu Kaizoku are surprisingly crowd-pleasing. More votes came in this week than ever before, and this week’s results were a lot closer than I thought they would be. I liked the new OP and much-anticipated ED of this week’s Nisemonogatari, and its formula of fanservice + dialogue is still working well. I’m eager to see how the “Karen Bee” story arc develops.
I was really startled by how good Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou turned out. I looked at the synopsis and thought to myself “no girls, do not want”, but the show is remarkably fresh and well-paced. It’s a true accomplishment of anime when I can be entertained without any fanservice whatsoever (outside of the crossdressing scene).
Dude Days. Nichibros. The Daily Lives of Highschool Boys [Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou]. Like a cross between Gintama and Azumanga, it will be the saviour of comedy anime. Through its clever satire, s’life anime will emerge reborn. Even its name derides the blatently straightforward titles of the likes of “Listen to me girls, I am your rapist”, mocking the very essense of the genre itself. Welcome to the dawn of a new era.
Scamp (The Cart Driver)
While I wouldn’t quite call it a genre deconstruction quite yet, I have noticed that trend of anime titles getting more and more obnoxiously long. Chihayafuru, an anime whose title is of a more responsible length, is packed with as much hardcore kurata action as ever.
Although it was an admittedly weaker episode this week, I still think it needs recognition. Faced with insurmountable odds, she sees a crack in her opponents defenses. Then she capitalizes it by trapping her with her best card, which her defensive opponent logically puts into the back. Given how many episodes are left, Chihaya is probably going to lose in the next episode, but this is still probably the most brilliant move Chihaya has done or will do for the rest of the season.
Rakuen (Borderline Hikikomori)
Natsume Yuujin-chou Shi is in the top 5 for the second week in a row.
What I always liked about Natsume Yuujin-chou was the ability to portray so many different kinds of stories. It’s not always heartwarming drama or tear jerkers – it can be anything in between, and that’s what makes it so fresh. What we got these last two weeks was a story focused on conflict between humans and youkai with Natsume in the middle. This has been done a few times before, of course, but usually Natsume was with someone more in control. This time he was directly opposed by Matoba, which made everything all the more intense and Natsume felt like he was in much greater danger. It’s good to know the series can still feel fresh and interesting, even in its fourth season.
Yerocha (Shades of Grey)
Finally, we have Persona 4, its first time on here since I can remember. I really love how playful the entire show is, as if the producers know that we’re indifferent about the lame combat scene and we just want to watch the characters dick around. After all, Persona 4 draws the bulk of its attractiveness from its cast. This episode is a microcosm of everything we love about Persona 4.
After the Adventures of Loveline last week, we get the other half from Narukami’s perspective. Where there was humor before, we get several crowning moments of heartwarming as our protagonist spends his summer helping people. As much as life can drag you down, you always have to keep your sights on what’s really important, whether that be your family, your friends, your goals, or your memories. This may well end up being my favorite episode of Persona 4, and one of the top for the entire season.
Rakuen (Borderline Hikikomori)
For the second week in a row, we have a bingo winner. This week’s bingo winner is another new voter, Yerocha (Shades of Grey). Like Caraniel last week, Yerocha voted for the exact five shows on this week’s power rankings (not in order).
Housekeeping
I have some major announcements coming up this week about the blog itself. The first big one is that Desu ex Machina will be blacked out Wednesday to protest SOPA and show solidarity with other blogs that are protesting. While my little shack hardly has the impact of reddit or Wikipedia, Desu ex Machina and the Aniblogosphere have everything to lose should SOPA get passed. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience on Wednesday.
Daily Lives of High School Boys is to Scamp as Redline is to the older crowd.
[Reply]
I’m curious what kind of voting numbers the 3 (now 4 I guess) robots/mecha/sci-fi shows are getting in these. There’s rather heated debate over Rinne no Lagrange, Mouretsu Pirates, and Symphogear. A lot of people seem to love two of these but not another, however it seems like the third choice varies quite a bit. Last week we had Mouretsu and Symphogear on the list, but I’ve seen arguments that Symphogear is the odd man out because it isn’t directed by Sato. On the flip side Rinne no Lagrange doesn’t appear to be making waves even though production-wise I think it grinds the other 2 into a pulp. I find comparing and contrasting not just the shows, but the reaction to the shows one of the more fascinating facets of the season (until one or more shows seriously falls down the drain).
[Reply]
kevo' Reply:
January 16th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Sure. To answer your inquiry about the robots anime. Space Pirates was 6th (by 1 point below Persona 4). Aquarion is 11th, Symphogear finished 18th, Rinne no Lagrange finished 22nd.
[Reply]
Wow, I actually got them all right. With series like Symphogear and Moretsu in the previous ranking, I thought there would be something here I missed.
Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou was really one of the bigger surprises this season, and I’m glad everyone else thinks so too.
[Reply]
kevo' Reply:
January 17th, 2012 at 11:22 pm
I just laugh so hard at the parts where the guys are stealing Tadakuni’s little sister’s underwear. The show is just so funny and fearless.
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I thought for certain my 13th place vote for Zero no Tsukaima would get in the post. I’ll have to do better next week.
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Nisemonogatari at the first place was something I was expecting… That Nadeko was just criminal…:D
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Hey now, I never used the word ‘deconstruction’. It’s a satire. Deconstruction implies some sense of reinvention of the genre, while satire just mocks it.
Or does deconstruction mean that…what the hell does that stupid word mean anyway?
[Reply]
Alterego Reply:
January 17th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Deconstruction means revealing a genre’s unreasonable elements, by demonstrating what would happen in a world without them.
Nichibros isn’t even close to that, since it still uses such enre conventions, it just mocks them by exaggerating them, not by leaving them out.
[Reply]