Hyouka was a great series, one of the best of the year. I loved how the series dealt so lovingly with the mundane mysteries of everyday life; how Oreki gradually emerges from his shell, egged on by Chitanda, and how the club is dragged forward by Chitanda’s infinite capacity for wonder. But my favorite character in Hyouka is Mayaka.

What’s so special about Mayaka? She finds herself in a club of remarkable people: Chitanda, the heir to a wealthy family, beautiful and passionate. Oreki, a genius. Satoshi, with a picture-perfect memory.

Mayaka herself, in comparison, is rather ordinary. She likes reading manga, but is only a middling artist. She’s intelligent, but not a genius like Oreki. She’s cute, but nowhere near as beautiful as Chitanda (in the eyes of her classmates at least, who are, admittedly, idiots). Mayaka’s not even all that dedicated to the literature club, since she splits her time with the manga club. Continue reading Mayaka’s Patient Love — Eleven Days of Advent and One Day of Christmas #11 →

He’s leaving home, never to return. Yurika agrees to stay behind— she can’t abandon her education and her family. He would never be able to support her.

She waves goodbye at the train station. The doors begin to close.

She jumps on.

“Now what?” Continue reading Yurika Jumps on that Train — Eleven Days of Advent and One Day of Christmas #10 →

For most of its run, Campione was an inoffensive and forgettable harem series, with a bonus of occasional pseudo-mystical gibberish thrown in. Then in episode twelve, the show lost its marbles. Our hero shares a passionate kiss with the heroine, then starts humping her. And that’s only the beginning.

Check out E Minor’s harem hill spotlight for the full story.