Due to real life conflicts, Asuna and Kira will need to stop posting on this site for the next few weeks. We hope to pick things up around the the holiday season.  Right now there is just too much going on for the two of us to come up with stupid ideas for crappy posts about anime.  Thank you to all those who have kept visiting this site.  Hopefully this lay-off period will make us better writers.

We’re on vacation still.  So no new posts until November 17th.
See ya soon

Kira & Asuna

Miss me? Don’t cry my babies, your Baby-Faced Eros King of Love, Sunohara Youhei is back to answer all of your relationship, dating and sex questions. Over the past 4 weeks I’ve been flooded by your emails. 14 of you emailed me asking for my expert advice.  Listen - if you seen CLANNAD you know that I’m nothing if not lazy. So I’m gonna answer 2 questions, and then have my lackeys - Kira & Asuna respond back to the rest.

Hit the jump for advice from this guy

Hi Youhei-kun

Please, Please, Please answer my email, I need your help. In August the love of my life started college at a school that is 6 hours away. He wanted to go to local school to be close to me, but didn’t get accepted. And since I’m still a snr in High School I couldn’t exactly move with him now could I. We talk on the phone nearly every night, but I haven’t seen him in 2 months and miss him like crazy. Last week when I was posting on Facebook I noticed that a bunch of Sluty girls were posting messages asking him to hang / go out to parties with them. There are like a whole bunch of sluts who want to get with him. It’s driving me nuts, and i’m totally, insanely worried that he will cheat on me. I plan on attending same college as him next year. What can I do until then?

Rei

Hey Rei-chan

Come on baby, you had to have known this was going to happen. College is all about one thing for guys - Sex and lots of it. Classes are a way distance second. For all you ladies - college is a time to experiment by acting on your same sex (lesbian) desires. Well at least it is according to the hentai that I watch.

My advice is to let him get it out of his system this year and keep your fingers crossed that he doesn’t get a STD. That way when you met up with him next year he’ll have no issue being a one woman man - something I could never do mind you.

Remember to treat him “nicely” when he comes home for the holidays so that he knows what’s waiting for him when he comes back home. BTW - by “Nicely” I mean Sex-Him-Up. Otherwise it might end up like a DeepRadar’s situation below

Asuna’s Editors Note

Okay Rei, I’m going to be brutally truthful with you here. Most of the time a high school couple will split once both or one starts college. That’s just how it is. You tend to grow and mature as a person in college, so this means what you like in a bf also changes because what you find attractive or sexy also changes.

Now that is not a hard and fast rule, Kira and I for example hooked up when I was still in High School, and he was in college some 3 hours away. And hey we ended up married.

Now the second issue. There is no way you should be deciding which college to go to just based on which one your bf goes to. What happens if you go to the same school and 2 years from now you guys break up? You just based a big part of your future based on a relationship that doesn’t exist anymore.

I don’t mean to come across as harsh, but this is an important. But if you are going to attend this school because it’s what you want for other reasons, then here is my advice. Trust your boyfriend. If he loves you then he won’t cheat. He maybe be tempted by these Sluts, but he won’t cross the line. Look it’s a good test of your bf, if passes it, then you know he’s a keeper for life. I don’t doubt that there are lot of guys out there who do and would cheat under these scenarios, but someone who loves you wouldn’t. Tell him that you know he’s being hit on a lot, and that you trust him. Then try not to sweat the small stuff. You’ll see him during his breaks, and be with him in less than a year.

Hey Sunohara

Is it cool to be with 2 different girls if you’re not serious with either? Back in May I started dating a girl I worked with. We’ve been flirting since like 2 years back, so it’s really wicked.

In August I started my first year at UBC, which is like 4 hours from where I’m from. So every Friday I drive 4 hours to see my girl, and drive back 4 hours on Sunday nights. Two weeks back, I couldn’t make it back home to see her, cause I was studying for mid terms. And then last week when I came back and saw her, she got all wacked on me and said that I don’t make any effort to see her- totally whacked right? I F@*king drive 8 hours every damn weekend to see her. I’m so pissed, that I’m planning not to go back this weekend. I’m gonna hang out with the babe from my Lit class. Is splitting time cool?

DeepRadar

Yo DeepRadar

Hell yeah it’s cool to be with 2 different girls. Although my preference would be at the same time instead of separately. Listen, there is nothing wrong with having a girl at school and a girl back home. But bro - you gotta set the girl back home straight. Show her who’s in charge here. Let her know that you’ll come back when you feel like it, and that maybe she should put some effort in and drive the 4 hours to see. As an added benefit your one step closer to having them at the same time.

Listen after a couple of weeks without, she’ll be begging for you to come back home. And willing to do whatever you ask of her. You can thank me later.

(Kira’s Editors Note - Masterful advice as always Sunohara. But my take on this is a little different. Honestly dude, it sounds like you and your gf back home have come to the end of your relationship. Now this could be just a hiccup in your relationship - maybe she was just having a bad day two weeks ago and just took it out on you. And maybe it’s only because your mad at your gf that you find yourself attracted to this other girl. But what it sounds like to me is that she has taken your efforts for granted and your relationship is coming to end. Which is probably the reason you find yourself liking another girl.

Some people can’t handle long distance relationships, they need to have the other person close by. But one thing is for sure, its not cool to start dating another girl without breaking up with her first. She doesn’t deserve to be cheated on. So man up and deal with it, even if there is some drama, that is just part of relationships. It’s the only way to do it if you want to start clean with this new girl.)

That’s it for me this week my adoring fans. If you have a question for me email it to - Koibito.Anime[at]gmail.com.

Click here for past editions of Dear Sunohara

Hey there my sweet little imouto-chans, the Hottest Onii-chan in anime, I- sunohara Youhei has returned to give you my take on CLANNAD AS EP 4. But before we start let me say one thing… just go ahead and give me the awards now, the competition is over after EP 4 - wouldn’t you agree?  Be it best supporting character or Sexiest manly man, I’ve won them all.

Sunoahara Says: Mei is the cutest imouto in Anime

Best Moment of this Episode

How many of you loved it when I put the beat down on Tomoya? …. What do you mean he won? Fine, Fine - it was a draw. I got some good shots in didn’t I?  Plus all you owe me apology, the reason I didn’t go after Mei before was I knew Okazaki would take of her.  He’s my best buddy, I knew he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.   I want an apology from all of you who said nasty things about me.   Yes all 1,209 of you.

Looks close for some manly tears

I’m a Lover & a Fighter

How many manly points do I get for beating up the soccer team single handedly?  At least 14 right?  I gave all you doujinshi and fan-fic writers some new material now didn’t I?  I can see the fresh batch of doujinshi now…. me shirtless - play fighting with Tomoyo (who’s topless by the way) on my bed.  Instant classic.  Admit it, you think I’m cooler than Tomoya don’t you?  If that’s the case - email KyotoAni and tell them to give me my own spin-off series.  The show should be called the “Sexy adventures of Sexy Sunohara”.

Sunohara’s blown away by Okazaki’s desire to hug it out

Most Dramatic Moment…

Definitely the most dramatic moment of this episode was when I rescued Mei from the clutches of those pricks in the soccer club.  Don’t be mistaken - there was no way that Tomoya would have won.  What was the best part for you?  Did you find my rage filled aggression sexy?  I thought that the slo-mo almost messed up that intense moment.  But I bet you loved how I saved Mei at last moment, with a flying kick to the face of that douce-bag.  That will teach anyone who messes with Mei a lesson.  Don’t make my precious little Imouto cry, otherwise you’ll have to answer to her Sweaty, Sex-machine older brother.

Sunohara: Kung Fu fighting

Male Bonding Moment…

I know all you Sunohara X Tomoya fans loved seeing how close Tomoya and me actually are.  Sure we had a misunderstanding at the start but let me tell you something - you know your best buddies for life with someone when you can beat the crap out of each other and then laugh it off the next day.  Don’t worry about Okazaki and me, we’re BFF’s and going strong.  He’s got my back and I’ve got his.

This is what happens when Sunohara and Okazaki hug it out

Funniest Scene…

Fine, Fine go ahead and laugh at my expense. So Sanae-san ended up being Nagisa-chan’s mother and not older sister… and got my Ass handed to me on a spoon by Akiko-san. But how the hell was I supposed to know - Sanae-san is so so hot, that there is no way I could tell she was Nagisa’s mom?  Besides it was all Tomoya’s fault.  Trust me - I’ll get him back on this one. But even with this moment, I was still awesome in this episode.

That’s it for me this week babies… i’ll be using you later this week.

Anyone who has watched anime for any period of time knows there is one tried and true fact - nerdy guys will get massive nosebleeds when a hot girl shows even  a tiny bit of skin.  But what about the ladies?  They don’t get nosebleeds as much do they?  But when they do and it’s done well, a girl’s nosebleed is 7.2 times more awesome and 3.6 times as more hilarious as a guy’s nosebleed.

So today we are presenting the Random Anime Award for Best Nosebleed by a Girl.

What makes a Nosebleed effective you ask?  A couple of things, but the key being an element of surprise.  Nosebleed are such a old gag in anime that for it be effective nowadays and actually make you laugh, it needs to come completely out of nowhere.  Two - there is an added sense of win when the girl doing the nose bleeding is hot enough that anime guys would have one because of her.

And luckly our Award Winner meets both these criteria…. From Kannagi Episode 3 - Takako Kimura.

We’re guessing Takako is a huge fan of Yaoi manga, because when she sees her Too-Pure Pure boy in the midst of a male bonding moment with his idol, she loses all control. See for yourself.

BTW - we are totally lovin Kannagi.  We think it’s one of the best new shows of the Fall 2008 Anime season. If you’re not watching it, give it a shot.

Vote after the jump

Nagisa Furukawa

When talking about the girls of CLANNAD you gotta start with the lovely lady that stole the heart of one Tomoya Okazaki - Nagisa Furukawa.

Pluses

Nagisa like the other ladies of CLANNAD is very beautiful.  But there are a couple of traits that Nagisa posses that are different from the others in the show.  The first being that Nagisa is unbelievably cute and it’s in a non-loli kinda was (always a bonus).   Some of that cuteness comes from Nagisa’s voice which is soft and sweet.  It makes her so sound cute when says and does the little things - such as when she cheers for herself after finally getting on a hit during the baseball game in episode 1 of After Story.  The other reason she is so cute is because of her mannerisms, which can best described as timid yet strong.  Best example of this was how nervous Nagisa was to hold hands with Tomoya during final episode of last season.  Timid yet strong can also be used to describe her personality.  While she can feel timid at times, she has the strength to overcome situation - which we should see in spades as Season 2 progresses.

Minuses

The one minus Nagisa may have is that she maybe a little too timid and/or emotional when it comes to certain situations.  She seems to have improved in this aspect in season 2, but really did Sunohara’s story about him and Tomoyo being rivals really call for tears? Some people also find her voice to be too soft and wimpy, but not us - we think it is super cute.

These two are about to do something in public…..hold hands

Tomoyo Sakagami

The girl so popular they had to create a spin off game and OVA just to satisfy her numerous fans. So why is Tomoyo so popular?

Pluses

For one Tomoyo is stunning & sexy in a non-skanky kinda way.  She has stunning physical attributes that can’t be denied - beautiful hair, terrific physique and have you seen anyone else who looks cuter in a bear costume?

Next - she has a unique personality.  Tomoyo is a super serious girl that has a softer side that can come out on occasion. She takes everything literally and has a take no Bull Shit attitude. Due to her past she also has a sense of justice.  Now her soft side doesn’t really show up in the series, but OVA does showcase it.  Asuna for one was crying just as much as Tomoyo during the scene where she reconciles with Tomoya.

And the fact that Tomoyo can kick some serious ass is also a plus.  She is in our opinion the toughest person on CLANNAD.  And in any potential battles of Tomoyo vs. Kyou we say Tomoyo would win. Some of the funniest moments in the show happen when Tomoyo lays the beat down on Sunohara.  In addition to being super tough Tomoyo is also a wicked athlete.  So she gets bonus points for being a sporto.

Minuses

One of Tomoyo’s strengths is also her weakness. Because of her super serious personality Tomoyo has no sense of humor.  Not only that, but she hardly ever laughs or cracks open a can of the giggles. The girl has to loosen up a bit.

The cutest bear in anime? Yep - take that Kayne West’s bear!

Kyou Fujibayashi

A.K.A the cooler Fyubashi sister. Kyou couldn’t be more different than her sister Ryou. And in our opinion that is a good thing.

Pluses

Yep it goes without saying - Kyou is hot.  Simply beautiful. In fact we would estimate that Kyou only trails Tomoyo in CLANNAD hentai doujinsh, so a lot of guys must find her sexy.

You know when you think about it, Kyou shares a lot of Tomoyo’s traits, just to a less intense degree.  She can lay the beat done on Sunohara as well, but she is not some Kung Fu master like Tomoyo. Kyou like Tomoyo is a good at nearly all the sports she plays, but she’s not a superstar.

Kyou is a little firecracker in terms of personality.  She is short tempered, and hits first and asks questions later.  And don’t even think about messing with her little sister unless your okay with having your testicles kicked to oblivion. But Kyou also has a mischievous side and more of a sense of humor than Tomoyo.

Minuses

Honestly it’s hard to find a negative when it comes to Kyou.  It’s not as if she’s perfect, it’s more that she doesn’t have any major flaws.  The only criticism we have is that she could be more assertive when it comes to matters of the heart.

We’d watch baseball if Kyou played

Kotomi Ichinose

The fan favorite of the fans who prefer the ditzy yet brilliant girls, who by the way also have big breasts.

Pluses

But besides having big breasts and playing a mean violin, what are Kotomi’s other pluses?  You have to say her smarts, Kotomi has probability the highest intelligence out of all the cast.

Kind hearted and well intentioned can also be used to describe oitomi. But we also say that she is incredibly strong - not physically but emotionally. She did after all manage to overcome the death of her parents.  Anyone who is able to do that has great strength in our opinion.

When it comes to the minuses, the most obvious is her timid nature.  While she has made improvements in Season 2, she is still isn’t assertive enough of our liking. The other thing that annoys us personally about Kotomoi is her voice.  Why does she should like she’s sleep taking.

Ryou Fujibayashi

The younger sister of Kyou is a favorite of those fans who like their anime girls cute, nervous and timid.  She’s the complete opposite of Kyou - which is also why some find her appealing.

Fact: Ryou cries once in every 3 scenes

Sanae Furukawa

A.K.A.  The hottest mom in anime today.  Sanae’s so hot for a 30 something that she can still pull off being a high school girl.  She is so hot that one Sunohara Youhei things that she’s Nagisa’s older sister instead of mother. If you prefer your anime girls legal (like Kira) then she’s a favorite of yours.

Kinda looks like Naru (Love Hina) doesn’t she?

Mei Sunohara

The resident Loli-con on the show is also the favorite of fans with an imouto-complex.  No one can say “Onii-chan” cuter than Mei.   Mei really should be Okazaki’s sister though as she share so much of his traits (in addition to the two sharing the same hair color).  Just like Okazaki, she is mischevious and can mess with Sunohara like a pro.  So she certainly has the personality to match her cuteness.

Cutest imouto in anime today?

Poll: My Favorite CLANNAD Girl is…

• Nagisa
• Tomoyo
• Kyou
• Kotomi
• Ryou
• Sanae
• Mei

Status:

Also want to create a poll? Click here

Hey there people, it’s me the White-Suit wearing Sunohara Youhei… :-(  What’s with the subdued introduction you ask?  Well it’s because of all the angry emails I’ve gotten since CLANNAD After Story EP 3 aired.  Come on people, give me slack.  It’s not like I don’t love my imouto, it’s just Sanae-san is soo hot that lose sight of everything else.  Anyways wait until the next episode of CLANNAD before you judge me.

As always his the jump for my thoughts on EP 3.

Most Dramatic Scene…

Once again the most dramatic moment was a delivered by me during my showdown with Mei and Okazaki. That damn Okazaki… what is he up to?  I knew he was not really going out with my sister, but there is definitely something up here…. Maybe he and Nagisa are playing house and they want to take Mei from me.

This is also the scene that caused me to get all those angry emails. Everyone keeps giving me the business for not going after Mei. You see I had my reasons for doing it, besides Mei’s old enough now and can make her own decisions.

Sunohara Says: Can you feel the rage….i had a wedgie

Most Embarrassing Scene…

For the first time season, the most embarrassing moment didn’t come from me, it came from Okazaki.  When I saw this I dropped to the floor and started laughing my A__ off. The weak fool couldn’t stand hearing a cute little girl call him Onii-chan that he is started groping himself. Geez he’s so weak.  He had no idea how powerful the word Onii-chan is when it comes from your cute little sister.  I’ve had a little sister for 12 years now and even sacrum to the imouto-magic on occasion.

Sunohara Says: I’ve touched myself more than this in public

Biggest Change from Last Season…

Speaking of Okazaki, don’t you think he’s changed the most since last season?  Last season he was an emotional hermit, who had no motivation and if it wasn’t for me, wouldn’t have had any fiends.  And now in Season 2 he’s become the emotionally stable and dependent one.  I guess that’s power of being loved by beautiful girl.

And a now timeout from this post answer an Okazaki related email. Baby Starfish writes (koibito.anime[at]gmail.com) - “Hey Sunohara - when you and Okazaki spent all that time together in your room last season did you ever enter Boys Love territory?”

I don’t get why I’ve gotten so many questions about boys love after EP 2, but let me set the record straight. No - Okazaki and I do not acy out Boys Love scenes in my apartment.  But if you want to read some of the CLANNAD Yaoi Doujinshi out there, hey then be my guest.

Cute Couple Update….

Damn do these two ever leave each others side?  The answer is no.  What Nagisa see’s in Okazaki is a mystery to me.  I still say it’s all because he comes across as non threatening. Well big deal… a guy like me whose dripping in manly sexuality.  I bet if you google Manly Sexuality my picture comes up.  Besides  Okazaki become soft after hooking up with Nagisa, he’s always doting after her nowadays.  Man- if these two have a baby girl in the future, the kid is gonna have Okazaki wrapped around her finger.

Sunohara Says: Okazaki may get the girls, but i exude manly sex

What Happened to the Funny….

You see what happens when we leave the funny up to Okazaki.  Sure he had few funny moments, such as the whole onii-chan and crepe incident with Mei. But ultimately it was my impersentation of a toilet seat cover that delivered the  laughs in CLANNAD After Story EP 3.

Sunohara Says: I have the one ring…..toilet ring that is

That’s it for me my fans… get ready for a showdown in next week’s episode.

Hmm… seems like it’s been a while since the last His & Her Review doesn’t it?  A few months actually.  So why did it take us so long to do another his & her review? Well it’s really because Asuna & Kira are lazy… hey, don’t judge.

One of the 7 is missing from this picture.  Which one?… it doesn’t matter

The important thing is we’re back with another review, this time we’re taking on Special A. And this review comes from the point of view of two people who have never read the manga.

Plot / Story

Hikari Hanazono, the main character, has always been second to Kei Takishima. While Hikari considers Kei a rival and somewhat of a friend, Kei loves Hikari. Everyone knows this, but she is too dense to notice. Their wrestling loving fathers first introduced them to one another when they were 6 years old. Assuming that she was the best in wrestling, young Hikari challenged Kei to a wrestling match only to be thoroughly defeated by him. Ever since that fateful incident, Hikari swore to beat Kei in school grades, a sporting event - anything. To do this she has enrolled in the same school as Kei since elementary. Now she attends Hakusenkan, an ultra elite school, that costs her carpenter father a lot of money. Hikari and Kei are the top two students in the school, with Kei holding firmly to that number one position. (Via ANN)

He Said

The plot of Special A is basically that of a mediocre teen romantic comedy movie.  It’s highly predictable as everyone watching knows that the two leads are going to end up together.  Sure there are a few quirks thrown in along the way, but nothing really interesting or surprising happens.  In fact in some ways its worse than a teen rom-com, because there are no rivals for the affection of Hikari and Kei and no significant obstacles for the two to over come.

Even the ending twist of having Kei part ways with the group by moving to London feels tacked on and provides no real tension. I guess part of the issue I have with Special A is the pacing. You get from early on in the series that Kei loves Hikari and does many different things to show how much he cares, but Hikari is too emotional immature to recognize anything.  So what we end up with is 20+ episodes of the two playing this little game.

I honestly found the storyline involving Akira and Tadashi more enjoyable. It’s probably because Tadashi is such a likable character and Akira actually recognizes his feelings for her.  And also because Yahiro acts as an obstacle between the two, so watching the two of them develop a relationship was more interesting to me.  Too bad it only lasts a few episodes.

Besides the predictability of the story the other thing that annoyed me was the pacing of the plot. It tended to drag and drag. I would preferred for Hikari and Kei hookup around episode 18, and then have the last quarter of the season focus on their transition from friends and rivals to a couple. I think that would have been more interesting.

You think this would be emotional…. but it’s not

She Said

I totally agree with Kira here. Typical romantic comedy, but worse… In the an average rom-com there is usually more then one guy or girl gunning for the opposite sex. In Special A it’s not like that. There are 2 main charters Hikari and Kei who are going to end up with one another and that its very apparent even in the first episode. Sure there are a few funny elements , but this was not what I was expecting.

Now this who rival thing between Hikari and Kei got old really fast. If it was meant to be funny it wasn’t. Not even once, to me it was such a bore. Then the whole thing with Hikari being as dumb as a doorknob, by not noticing all the things Kei does to show he likes her..my god how much more obvious can he be. Its staring her right in the face and she doesn’t even see it.

Now some of the other characters had a few funny elements to the under story, but I don’t agree with Kira in this aspect. I really didn’t care for any of the story lines..sure the romance element with Akira and Tadashi was there and they each knew it, it still was very involved.. it only really started to take shape like the second to last episode in my opinion. Yes Yahiro was there too, as a rival for Akira, but there was this whole part where the story shifted to the romance that was between Akira and Yahiro where Tadashi wasn’t even angry or upset at a point until he found out what really happened… which wasn’t much at all.

Special A is basically the same old thing over and over again. Half way through I just wanted to stop watching. Like way watch an anime when the same thing happens in every episode. Sure the last few episodes were different, but to wait through other the same stuff to see the last few were totally not worth it.

Um… which one is the dude?

Characters

He Said

The cast of characters in Special A is large - 7 main and 3 secondary - so you figure there would be a some that you enjoy or connect, but for the most part I didn’t connect with the majority of them.

Hikari - too immature and over the top for my liking.

Kei - I’m sort of indifferent about him. He’s not annoying but nothing about him really stood out for me.

Tadashi -

I didn’t mind him.  He was slightly                                                                                                                                                                                                                               funny and seemed the most emotional stable of the group, even though he was often emasculated.

Akira - Slapping Tadashi around stopped being funny after the 2^nd time.  So all that was left was her puesdo les____ puppy love for Hikari.

Ryuu - I don’t like animals - so I didn’t get the obsession

Jun - probably the most annoying character for me, because of the whole Dark- Jun gimmick. So let me get this straight - he transorms when’s touched by another girl?  Man - life is gonna suck for him.

Megumi - really the plot could have existed without meg,  she didn’t add much to the show at all.

The other issue I had here was the character design.  Why does everyone have such long legs and arms?  Its especially weird on the female characters when combined with their lack of curves. If you can’t guess - I love curves.

She Said

Hikari– I hated her attitude and her being displayed as such an idiot. Very unlikeable character.

Kei– sure he is the typical cute guy and smart too, but he didn’t match up with Hikari in my opinion.. They could have made Hikari more suitable to him.. it was like he was way out of her league.

Tadashi– I really liked his character. He suited the anime and his personal made him quite humorous at the right times.

Akira - Her attachment to Hirkari really bugged me, but I find that she is really the only character that showed a soft and emotional side. There were times when we saw her hurt and emotional during the whole story line with Yahrio.

Ryuu– Not a very dominate character, and what’s with being allowed to bring his animals to school and the attachment to them..kinda on the creepy side.

Jun– Okay nothing happened with him , but so whacked out secret personality change that happened right in the middle of the anime that was so stupid, I swore I was gonna stop watching it all together there. But I proceeded along and was even more disappointed with his character progression.

Megumi - What’s with her character, her stupid voice gimmick.. come on couldn’t think of something better or just not have her in the anime, Jun didn’t really need a sister in my opinion.

Looking for hot anime kisses?…you’ve come to the wrong place.

Fun Factor

He Said

Honestly - Special A was not very special for me.  Everything about it was cookie cutter and generic.  I guess the whole premise of a separate sub school for the 7 smartest kids who also happen to be filthy rich really was too out there for me.  I couldn’t connect with or understand any of the issues and problems they faced. This disconnect or lack of emotional attachment was probably why I didn’t find Special A special in anyway.  Don’t get me wrong its not horrible, it’s just there is nothing interesting really about it - just like a cookie cutter teen rom-com movie from Hollywood.

So my recommendation is to go ahead a watch it if you have nothing better to do or watch.  And keep your expectations low so you won’t be disappointed.

You’ll either love this girl, or find her really really annoying

She Said

This was one of the worst designed and boring anime’s I have ever watched, even the ending for me sucked. Sure okay so everyone ended up happily ever after, but my god, so predictable and lame. I swear this is one the most uninteresting rom-coms that I have ever seen if not the most ever. So watch if you wanna waste your time. I do not recommend it though, it’s your choice your time.

Kira’s Score - 2 out 4 Potato Heads

(Watch it if you have nothing better to do)

Asuna’s Score - 1 out 4 Potato Heads

(Avoid it at all costs)

A new season means a new round of pudding fights to the death.  This season we are putting two romantic comedies up against each other - Toradora vs Akane-iro ni Somura Saka.  Lets hope we don’t get lazy or get fed up with one of these shows so we can continue this for the whole season.  Which by the way is what happened last season with Itazura na Kiss vs Special A - we got tired of Special A.  But hey at least we saw Code Geass R2 vs Macross Frontier to the end.

Round 1: Fight!

Story

When judging a series after only 2 episodes, what we look for in the story side of things is how well the overall plot has been setup and if the series has done enough to draw in and hook viewers.  Let’s see which series has done enough in this dept.

Toradora

Some people may be falling out of love with the Tsundre girls, be we can’t get enough of them.  Kira thinks that when done correctly (aka Haruhi) Tsundre girls make a show more interesting and hilarity can ensue. Asuna says that the Tsundre girls are more fun than ditzy bimbo’s.  And so while we don’t have a Loli-complex we do like what we see out of Toradora so far.  Taiga is a Tsundre girl on Steroids - and we love her.

We’ve been hooked in by the story so far - having not read the manga we find the setup really interesting.  We think that it will be Taiga x Ryuji in the end, but the fact that they like other people to begin with and one completely can kick the others ass has us hooked.  We are really looking forward to the rest of Toradora - it has the potential to become our 2^nd favorite rom-com of the season behind of course  CLANNAD S2.

More to come?

Akane-iro ni Somura Saka

Notice if you abbreviate the title Akane-iro ni Somura Saka it becomes ASS?  Lets hope this series doesn’t turn into ass.  But to be honest we have been less hooked by the setup and premise of Akane-iro. Reason?  We’ve seen it before.  For one the premise seems a little to similar to 90% of other harem anime.  Most noticeable being the original Da Capo.  Like Da Capo, Akane-iro is based off an adult dating sim pc game.

If this doesn’t scream generic harem anime, we don’t know what does

Now this doesn’t mean this will be complete garbage.  We actually liked the original Da Capo - but we aren’t fans of the two sequels. And while we have seen this setup before - guy living with girl who calls him Onii-chan even though they probably aren’t blood related - it’s not like there hasn’t been interesting moments so far.  Having the Junichi and Katagiri kiss in episode 1 was different - having her show up as the fiancé? Not so original there.  But early prediction here - Junichi will end up with Minato.

Winner:  Toradora!

Rom-Com Factor

Rom-com’s need both comedy and romance to work, but the two don’t need to be in equal doses.

Toradora

While Toradora has had a dash of romance so far, it has comedy by the truck loads. Taiga is so wacked out in a violent yet loli kinda way that even her normal mannerisms can be hilarious.  But we actually think the real comedic star of this show will be Minori.  Her incorrect assumptions have led to most of the shows laughs so far.  And we love her overtop delivery.  She’s not ditzy in our opinion, just way too energetic and overly dramtic - which beside the other straight characters really does work.

Minato = Hilarity

Akane-iro ni Somura Saka

Akane-iro on the other hand as done a decent job for setting up the romantic side of things.  After two episodes you already get a sense of how much Junichi and Minato care for each other.  And they also tried to push things a bit by having Junichi and Yuuhi lock lips in episode 1.  Of the comedic side, Akane-iro is certainly trying to bring out the laughs - but its missing something.  What it’s missing is a Sunohara or Hosaka type character.  Someone who can be counted on to bring the laughs on a consistent basis.  Toradora certainly has this type of character in Minori but Akane-iro doesn’t. The closest so far maybe the homeroom teacher.   Without this type of character - Akane-iro will have to rely on good writing and situational comedy to bring the funny.

Get ready for some hot Brother x Sister anime action…..Urrggh - we just threw up a little in our mouths

Winner:  Toradora!

Fun Factor

After two episodes of each series Toradora! has been a more fun watch for both Kira and Asuna.  Mind you the victory is not by a wide margin, so Akane-iro can still make a comeback.  It does have a lot of work to do though if it wants to be more than an average harem anime.

Winner: Toradora!

Winner of the Week: Toradora! EP 1 & 2

Sunohara Says: I want more Chuu

It’s About Time

I know you all have been asking for it, and finally it was a delivered.  An entire episode devoted to me - the sexy thing on CLANNAD. Admit it, it was your favorite CLANNAD episode wasn’t it?  What was your favorite part?  Mine was being hooked up with Sanae-san.

After thinking about what happened this episode, I have to say that I’m pretty damn good. Did you see how I acted like I’ve never been on a date before during my “practice” date with Sanae-san?  Hahaha… I was so good that I even convinced myself that I was a dating virgin.  Of course is reality I’ve been on 38 dates.  I’m a season pro when it comes to lovin’ the ladies.

Sunohara says:  This is not my first date… no really.

Most Dramatic Moment

It’s no surprise that the most dramatic moment of the episode occurred between me and Tomoyo-chan. The black & white scene with me drinking that girly pink juice box was a classic. It reveals how Tomoyo-chan really feels about me.  Geez that girl is so immature isn’t she.  She beats on me all the time like we’re in grade school.  Doesn’t she know that we older now?  If she likes me that much she should just come out and say it.   I’m still looking for a week-end girlfriend.

Why is this so funny…

I just don’t get it, here I am talking about my opinion on love and everyone just starts laughing hysterically at me.  You might have heard my thoughts - “This is the game in the name of love that all guys play.  In other words, it’s a boys love game.”  What? why are you laughing?

Notice Sunohara making a “L” sign for loser? Coincidence…we think not

Physical violence is part of my job…

Listen when your as handsome, sexy, manly and hot as I am, then your bound to have girls through themselves at you.  Some of these girls are just so overcome by their hormones that they throw themselves at me violently, They just can’t help it.

Case in Point: Kyou and Tomoyo

Kyou-chan was so upset that I asked her sister to be my fake girlfriend over her that she lashed out at me violently.  What else is a poor girl to do right?  But what surprised me is that Kyou-chan didn’t just hit me like usual - she air combo’d my ass.  She must have been really hurt and she must be taking lessons from Tomoyo.

Speaking of Tomoyo-chan - I think that she must be starting to fall for me. Notice that she didn’t put a 200 hit death combo on me this time? Nope it was just one soft 100 meter kick.

Cute Couple Update

Well well well - look who seems to be attached by the hip.  Tomoya and Nagisa-chang are spending 90% of their time right by each others side.  That damn Tomoya he gets to spend all day at school with Nagisa and then go home with her as well.  And here I am and all I have to return to are my ero-manga… oh crap, wait - forget everything you just read.

What to expect in CLANNAD After Story EP 3

So my amazing performance in episode 2 left you wanting more?  Can’t wait to see what happens next? Well here is some advice for you.  EP 3 will be my most dramatic performance to date.  Get your tissues ready.

Really don’t you think they just should change the show’s name from CLANNAD to Sunohara’s Days.  I am the reason that people watch this show anyways.