stuck in

I'm really getting stuck into all the stuff I had stacked up from the last few months.

I've finished Genshiken and all the extras. Great show and nice to have stuff like director interviews and other extras on anime DVDs, even if they don't really add any particular insight. Expect a review over on trismugistus.com whenever I get around to it.

I'm also about half way through the piled up anime magazines I need to scan, so that's good. As I've mentioned I watch anime fansubs while I'm scanning.

So far I've attacked:

• Persona Trinity Soul: I was surprised, it seems quite good. Some of those homoerotic undertones going on I feel, but I've no problems with that, just an observation.
• Mnemosyne: This I really liked. There's nothing truly new or unique about the show, and it cherry picks a lot of good ideas/concepts, but I quite like how it's all come together. It's also pretty damn adult in tone, which is at least some relief from all the moe and cutesy that anime can be at times.
• Kanokon: Again, I actually liked it. It's one of those shows were a dweeby/wimpy male protagonist finds himself subject to the affections of just about every girl that knows him (whether overt and in-your-face or more subtle and hidden). They're never realistic shows and should never be taken for more than what they are, but this one is reasonable enough. Though perhaps my opinion is swayed by the two things that set kanokon apart: the use of spirits (which translates into catgirls and other mildly furry elements) and fanservice that borders on pornography. I'm a sucker for those things.
• Kure-nai: just started, so I haven't formed an opinion yet... other than it has the most misleading opening title animation I've ever seen. It and the show seem to be at almost complete opposites :/.

What else?

Oh yeah - watched I Am Legend. What can I say? Disappointing somehow doesn't quite cover it. I mean I quite like Will Smith and there are some nice bits, but I dunno, the film just felt really flat somehow. Not sure if I'll review it or not.

Also watched the first disk in the first Gurren Lagann release. It's currently being released as three * 2-diskers with (virtually) no extras and sub only, though I understand there will be a more 'normal' release later in the year. I'm into new episodes (ie more than I'd seen from fansubs) now and I'm not disappointed.

One of the advantages of stopping fansubs after 3/4 eps is that when I watch the DVDs it's not like rewatching a show - it's new to me. The disadvantage is that I can become disappointed if it tails off later in the series and it can feel like I've wasted my money.

With Gurren (and the same will happen with Geass) I'm also a little hampered that I've built it up (hyped it) to such a degree in my own head that the show is predestined to be disappointing. The cure is to wait for ages before watching so it feels 'fresh' but it's also this mental build up that makes it difficult to wait :/.