End of the year lists! - 2007 style!

When I woke up this morning, I was excited - and it wasn’t because of Santa, presents, family, or food, but because I knew I had a very special blog entry (that no one will read) to write this evening. So - here goes!


TOP FIVE YURISTUFFS OF 2007!

5. Anime - El Cazador de la Bruja
The final installment of Bee Train’s “girls-with-guns” trilogy didn’t really live up to it’s expectations, but that’s all right - it still had what I was looking for: a hot supporting character with the hots for the main character. And by that, I’m referencing Blue-Eye’s gigantic crush on Nadie. As far as main characters go, Nadie and Ellis were good, but I’m kinda sick of the older-younger yuri stereotype - especially because the appearance difference in anime for people, like, 2 years apart makes everyone look like pedophiles, when common sense tells us they’re not. And that’s the main complaint with this anime, besides the fact that there was no plot and none of the episodes really got us anywhere. I mean, and entire 24 minutes dedicated to trying to capture a VULTURE?

4. TV - South of Nowhere
Season Three started airing this fall, and then broke for a haitus at about 8 episodes or so, planning to come back in April. So, what makes this good enough for my list? That there’s actually kissing instead of hairbrushing is a huge plus over last season. They have a pride parade, an abusive girlfriend for Spencer, and some more Spashley goodness for us romantics. It’s definitely not perfect - the whole Ashley and Kyla is famous storyline really needs to die - but it’s a great step forward from last season.

3. Anime - Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora
The AU sequel to Kannazuki no Miko that I hated deserves a spot on this list just for being awesome at being yuri when not focusing on the main characters. Kaon is hot, she has a good story with Himiko and that crazy lady making them do things, and in the end, things turn out just fine. Except Kuu and Kyoshiro are still annoying. Oh well

2. TV - The L Word
Having just discovered this show this last spring, I am very pleased to inform you all that Season 4, which aired this past winter/spring (a season I’d call something a creative mix of the two words but nothing seems to come out right), was better than Season 3. However, since Season 3 was absolutely terrible, that’s not saying much. We got some awful new characters (Jodi, Papi, Phyllis...) and some good characters got terrible storylines (Tina, Jenny... wait, they’re sucky returning characters...). Okay, okay, I’ll admit, I didn’t really like this season much, but it really was good and the show serves a good purpose. Here’s fingers crossed that SEASON FIVE THAT PREMIERS JANUARY SIXTH is much better.

1. Anime - Simoun
Not only was the fansub finished (by Simoun-Fans, the best but slowest fansubbers in the world - love you all for your fantastic work!), but the series was licensed this year, too! That’s right, a yuri series that is undeniably yuri no matter how you look at it got licensed! And not by just any company, it got licensed by Media Blasters! I have no idea who Media Blasters is, but it’s not the yuri publisher Seven Seas, so I think it’s important to mention. And it’s funny, because it would have been my top yuristuff last year had I finished watching it when it finished airing (but I was waiting for Simoun-Fans to finish subbing it, so it’s all right).



And now, the bonus list, LINDSAY’S TOP TEN ANIME OF ALL TIME!

10. Stellvia of the Universe
This anime was cute, techy, and fantastic. I mean, besides the main couple, of course. Shima Katase is the most adorable incompetent genious I’ve ever seen! And I’m all for futuristic space academy shows like this one - stereotypical plot line, I’ve heard, but I haven’t seen much in this genre, so I found it just perfect. And it takes the number 10 spot because it doesn’t stick well with me, and because the yuri’s thin. I actually always forget this awesome series exists, unless I’m DDRing to “Asu E No Brilliant Road” which is a fabulous song.

9. Bakuretsu Tenshi
This anime got bumped down a slot just because Jo is so boring. Otherwise I think it’d stay where it was - maybe. I’m not fond of mecha or short hair, so Jo doesn’t get my ultimate vote of coolness. Sorry. But Sei is one of the hottest anime characters around, so she brings the series back up. And Meg and Amy are both adorable in their own adorable ways, and the whole thing was just a crazy mess of fun. Except I don’t really remember it. But I know I liked it.

8. Read or Die
Still a great anime with one of the best plots in existence, but it’s one I really am overdue for a rewatching weekend. So bear with me and hope I end up getting this higher on the list by next year! That being said, I love books and reading and learning and this anime is great for people like me. It’s also great for people who don’t like books, because it is a bunch of fun that will completely change your mind - I guarantee it! Well, I don’t 100% guarantee it, but pretty close.

7. Kannazuki no Miko
I really bumped this one down, didn’t I? From 4 to 7. But it really deserves a space this low, because all the mechas seemed to run together. The storyline was very very loose (wtf about the Orochi and the Priestesses and all those other excuses to get Himeko and Chikane together?), but the characters were good. I mean, Chikane was your stereotypical hot, coveted, blackhaired, smart, talented, repressed lesbian that you see everywhere (Strawberry Panic!, Yamibou, Marimite, etc) and Himeko was your typical innocent, clumsy, blonde, outspoken, cute not-really-straight-but-doesn’t-know-that girl that you see everywhere (Strawberry Panic!, Yamibou, Marimite, etc). Okay, okay, the characters weren’t original, but they were good. I liked it. I guess.

6. Simoun
The second newcomer! This fantastic series was mentioned above and in another blog post where I dedicate more webspace to its fantasticness.

5. Haibane Renmei
This one goes down two places, simply because the art’s kinda dull and there’s no real plot or yuri. But - wait - then why do I like it so much? The characters are wonderful and the emotion is so real and breathtaking and painful and there’s so much catharsis involved in the watching of this. I love this series so much, but it’s not one you watch a second time. It’s a rent-this-because-it’s-the-best-thing-you’ll-ever-see-but-don’t-buy-it-because-you’ll-never-watch-it-again anime.

4. Gunslinger Girl
Taking away the fourth place is an anime I watched this past August - Gunslinger Girl! Despite the really westerny name, this anime takes place in Italy and it’s about teenage girl assassins in the government. Except they’re not really human anymore, since they’ve been given so many implants and conditioning. But it’s not all fun-and-games-let’s-kill-people - in fact, it’s never all fun-and-games-let’s-kill-people, since the entire story revolves around the characters and how they feel about doing these terrible things - “It’s okay if the one I love tells me to.” and “If he didn’t love me, I wouldn’t hesistste to do this -” as she brings her gun up so the barrel is pointing at her face.

3. Ergo Proxy
I watched this series this past October. It was so moving, I immediately started watching it a second time, and then realized I didn’t have time to do so. Anyway, it’s another futuristic negative utopian post-annihilation anime. Um, yeah. It’s actually very very character driven, so not so much focus on the annihilating. Anyway, the real draw to this anime is the beautiful gothic art. Re-l’s character design is simply fantastic, and Vincent’s is great too (though I’m more of a fan of the women, as you’ve probably guessed by now, so I’m more partial towards Re-l). The autoreivs (androids) are given colours of dull grey and brown, and they don’t attempt to look pretty, just functional. It’s a dreary world outside, one so dark, they protect us from seeing it.

2. Mai-HiME
Hey, same spot for Mai-HiME as last year! I really can’t get enough of ShizNat (Shizuru and Natsuki). In fact, I wrote a fanfic about them, and then I started another one (that will never be finished) because I love them so much. I also love the second half of the series, but not the first half. There’s just something about emotional death scenes that get me. That and lots and lots of yuri. But - hey - that’s why this blog exists, really.

1. MADLAX
Again, same spot and for the same reasons. Tight plot, good ending, great art, great music, fantastic plot (did I say that already? Whoops). There’s just something about an anime with so many layers like this that I like - in fact, Ergo Proxy reminded me of MADLAX, even though they’re really not similar at all. It’s just how deep the storyline goes if you’re willing to think about it that much. Oh, hell yes, I am. Shall we talk about the economic gains of war? Or about how true motives of war get lost over time? Or about how comfortable it is to have both friends and enemies? Or how about you watch the series for yourself and make your own opinions?