Adapted from the ongoing light novel and manga, The Third is one of those series can immediately separate itself from the pack of Sci-Fi anime.  With a balance of animation, story telling, and music, XEBEC and director Jun Kamiya created a series that was decisively enjoyable.

Though some may feel that the art and animation is a bit on the bland side, it compliments the environment well.  Honoka is also slightly the stereotypical powerful main heroine (with a few weakness here and there for good measurement), but she has enough character in her that you won’t find her full of annoyance.

If you’re a sci-fi fan that enjoys a series with balance of action, comedy, and well-paced storytelling, The Third can be an enjoyable watch.

Studio: XEBEC    Episodes: 24

Original Run: April 2006 to October 2006.

Actually a few hilarious moment during the final episode.

Music is appropriate, animation is consistent, which is always a plus for a TV series (who doesn’t hate it if their favorite character suddenly looks like a cheaply drawn version in some random scene?)

Arika is incredibly annoying at many moments as a main character, but that’s her personality and you either live with it or stop watching. Many people will find themselves more drawn to other supporting characters, and wish for more developement or screen time of their favorites.

The overall story was surprisingly solid, with a few surprises and twist that were slightly or not-at-all expected (depends on how closely you followed the series). With that said, there were plenty of predictable moments and fan service (too obvious and ridiculous at times, but eh, that’s fan service for you).

Final episode finished off the current plot line without leaving gaping holes, and it left plenty of room for future developement (obviously with the OVA series Zwei and S.ifr)

If you’re a My-Hime fan, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t pick this spinoff series up.

]]> http://www.thefinalepisodes.com/my-otome-26-final-episode/feed/ 0 http://www.thefinalepisodes.com/starship-operators-13-final-episode/ http://www.thefinalepisodes.com/starship-operators-13-final-episode/#comments Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:10:12 +0000 Cap http://www.thefinalepisodes.com/?p=14

Well, it’s definitely passable. Animation was consistent, actions (when available) were well planned and actually had some good moments. No fillers here for this quick 13 episode series adapting the sci-fi novels of the same name.

A little bit of drama, some good dose of military science fiction, mixed in with some aspect of space opera.

Most characters aren’t really developed, but what can you expect with a cast of about 12 crew members on the Amaterasu, along with many other characters planet-side and otherwise? Main protagonist is above average, not overbearing but certainly won’t be a memorable character. Neither a horrible or spectacular ending.

Watch if you’re into sci-fi, space battles, space opera, and want a quick fix before finding the next great thing.

Absolutely superb.

The series was mentioned from time to time from various sources, yet it can easily go unnoticed from its simple premise. Don’t make that mistake! A must watch. Wonderful first episode. Great music, tasteful animation style, laugh out loud humor, interesting and well rounded characters. Everything that says, more please.

Not too shabby. First episode was well executed and entertaining — definitely developed enough interest to keep watching. The characters are the usual suspects: a man with mysterious skills that may have a troubled past, and a noble but semi-naive altruistic girl who doesn’t know when to call quits.

As you watch the anime you may feel nostalgic with the outfit designs and environmental settings. The animation was decent and music wasn’t annoying. Should be action packed. Should be a decent series.

Blood+ certainly won’t redefine the genre, but it definitely had some of its own moments.

Early spring 2007. Look forward to it.

• Teaser Trailer (H.264, 1280 x 720, 6.97 MB) from The Triad
• Official Site
• Wikipedia Entry

Hmm. Can’t seem to find the words to describe it. There’s something about this series that makes it feel spooky to me, even though it’s not scary at all. It’s definitely different from your usual fare. Watching it made me sleepy — but in a good way. It’s a supernatural series. A guy goes around helping people within his area of expertise. Sounds boring? Well, uh, it’s not.

1-2

Was quite interesting. Who’s that. What’s that? Hah, that was cliche but it’s still funny. Hmm, so magical powers eh? Oh well, interesting enough to keep watching.

3-7

Hmm. Some very corny action. Lots of intentional parody and exaggeration on anime within the genre. Character developments are slow, but apparent. There seems to be a more in-depth and dark background story, thankfully enough to keep interest level steady. Animation, music, and dialogue continues to be pretty decent.

8-13

Uh. Yeah it’s definitely getting dark. More character development and revelations. Even more fan service. Real baddies starting to appear? Ends the middle of the series with a nice big bang. Once again, even with its many quirks, still watchable.

Another surprise. A prequel one-shot OVA to the TV series, Right of Left introduces some new characters and manages to build up relationships within a 50 minute time frame.

Consistently showcased strong dialogue and beautiful backdrops. It carried on many of the melodramatic themes from the TV series, but it also had its own moments.

Fans of the series should not miss Right of Left.