Takuto enters a new high school, an academy for geniuses. Each of the students is brilliant at one thing, and Takuto’s talent is writing erotic novels. Takuto begins his new school life, seeking “inspiration” for his novel writing.

With a premise like this, it came as a surprise, but R-15 didn’t end up half bad. First of all, most fanservice shows use the same techniques over and over again to deliver fanservice (see: Mayo Chiki). R-15 doesn’t. It’s quite… original. Mad scientist inventions to blow skirts, lesbian wrestling matches, battling aliens from outer space… and Takuto’s novels make all these scenarios seem mundane.

Secondly, we have a protagonist who isn’t a complete douchebag for once. He’s actually talented at something, even if that something does happen to be writing pornographic novels. And despite being a porn author, he’s surprisingly innocent. Despite finding himself in a harem, he only has an interest in one girl, Narukara, a clarinet player.

The secondary cast is decent as well: we have a camerawoman, Raika, who seeks to capture Takuto’s depravity on film, the innocent Narukara, the hacker and lesbian dominatrix Ran, the idol Utae with a crush on Takuto,  and the token male friend, Ritsu, who is also a member of Takuto’s harem. I wouldn’t call any of these characters well-developed by any means, but they each add a little bit to the story and manage to keep things moving.

Unfortunately, outside the main cast, the characters tend to be one trick ponies. There are a mad scientist, an occult girl, a cheerleader who cheers (seriously… why does she even exist?), and a genius manager, to name a few.

Production-wise, the series is atrocious. The visuals are sparse and undistinguished. Even the voice acting isn’t all that good. I’m not sure how to phrase this, but the voices feel disjointed from the characters. Still, for this kind of story, the production issues don’t get in the way too much.

R-15 isn’t a classic by any stretch of the imagination. But the creators know what they want to do and do it well.

• Plot / Script – C – Solid, if not memorable.
• Characters – B – A marked improvement over your typical harem.
• Production – D – Downright awful.
• Overall – C

Recommendations – Ichiban Ushiro no Daimao, BakaTest, School Rumble

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Kamisama Dolls had all the trappings of a great show. A fantastical setting, an evil cabal which rules the world behind the scenes, and widespread insanity. Yet it failed miserably. Why?

I usually try to begin my reviews with a paragraph summarizing what the show is about. You’ll notice that this time, though, I left it out. That’s not because I’m lazy (although I am); it’s because I couldn’t summarize Kamisama Dolls. What is the show’s focus and purpose? I couldn’t even say, and this is the show’s biggest problem.

It’s just utterly pointless. What is the main conflict? There is none. We just follow Kyouhei around Tokyo, and stuff happens to him. He ogles Hibino’s breasts. Utao gets jealous. Kyouhei yells at Akio. Random people from the village come to town and attack Utao. People get tasered. More crazy girls show up. There’s just no rhyme nor reason to any of it. Nothing fits together, and each of the pieces appears to be added on the creators’ whim.

In the same vein, the main characters have no sense of purpose either. Kyouhei just sits around getting angry. Instead of coming across as neutral, like your typical harem protagonist, he actually comes across as negative, self-righteous, self-centered and unlikable. I’m not sure if that’s what the creators were going for. Next comes Hibino, whose defining characteristics are her disgustingly large breasts and propensity for being kidnapped. Then is Utao, Kyouhei’s sister with a huge brother complex. At the end of the show, Utao’s sole motivation for fighting is because her enemy accidentally stepped on the cookies she baked. Seriously, guys?

Kamisama Dolls had an interesting setting. It had one of the best OPs of the season. But what’s the point? Why should I care about these characters, who don’t seem to care about anything themselves?

• Plot / Script – F – What’s the point?
• Characters – D – Points for insanity, but little else.
• Production – C – Radically inconsistent animation. But great OP / ED, I guess.
• Overall – D

Recommendations – Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, Star Driver, Mai HiME

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Yune, a young girl from Japan, comes to work as an apprentice in a sign making shop in Paris. She helps out at the shop and makes friends with the neighbors. We get to explore some of the cultural differences between France and Japan.

First of all, this series is downright adorable. Yune is ridiculously cute, as is everything she does. This is coupled with some beautiful animation, so if you like cute things, this is the show for you.

The episodes are, for the most part, entertaining. The creators manage to come up with a variety of new situations to place Yune in— getting robbed by the orphan boy, becoming lost in the neighborhood, and playing with her neighbor Alice. The characters on the main cast are compelling and likable. Alice begins as extremely irksome, but wins the viewer over as her sister and background are introduced.

But on the negative side, Ikoku Meiro is more fluff than substance. Many people may not see anything wrong with this, but I prefer shows with a bit more depth (or humor in its stead). There’s some tragic backstory about Claude’s past and Yune’s sister, but it doesn’t really go anywhere, and just serves to add a tiny splash of drama. Likewise, the cultural differences tend to be superficial. One episode about how the French look down on the poor and the Japanese love them and are charitable had me especially rolling my eyes. Furthermore, the cultural differences are largely forgotten for the second half of the series.

So if you go into Ikoku Meiro expecting a cuteness overload, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re looking for more, well, don’t set your hopes too high.

• Plot / Script – C – Script is decent, but the story doesn’t really go anywhere.
• Characters – B – Yune is cute.
• Production – A – Very pleasing to the eye.
• Overall – B-

Recommendations – Aria, Usagi Drop, Kamichu

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In Tiger and Bunny, a group of superheroes defends the city from criminals, but with a twist— the heroes compete for points on a reality TV show. Our hero, Kotetsu, is a middle aged man, a single father whose daughter doesn’t know he is a hero. He gains a new partner, Barnaby, who he begins to fight crime with. But the crime may reach deeper than he believes…

Much of the show is spent developing the individual heroes. Everyone except Rock Bison gets their turn in the sun, and in general, the show does quite well at it. Blue Rose is a bit frustrating, as she’s in love with someone twenty years her senior, but it isn’t too much of an issue. Kotetsu in particular stands out. He’s kind of a loser, but is very personable, and his kindness and commitment manage to earn everyone’s respect. His occasional bursts of idiocy manage to keep things entertaining as well.

The rest of the show is spent unearthing a criminal conspiracy surrounding Barnaby’s past. It was suspenseful, with many twists and turns, and thoroughly satisfying.

The ending was a let-down, as the creators were absorbed in advertising the sequel, but otherwise Tiger and Bunny was one of the most solid series of the season.

• Plot / Script – B – Compelling, with many twists and turns.
• Characters – B – Kotetsu is one of the best characters of the year, although the others were somewhat lacking.
• Production – A – Very consistent.
• Overall – B+

Recommendations – Starship Operators

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