Project Haruhi First Anniversary Contest Winner!

Posted on July 20, 2010 by Chris

Last week, Project Haruhi celebrated its first anniversary as an anime blog. We asked you, the readers, to help us come up with a witty and fun tagline that would suit this website. Well, congratulations to Kamanashi for the winning comment! Project Haruhi: We’re not interested in ordinary cartoons is definitely something Haruhi herself would say and captures the vibe of the website perfectly.

Kamanashi, please forward your contact details to ryoko[at] projectharuhi.net and we shall send you your prize, a $50 gift certificate for J-List. Once again, congratulations!

Kamanshi’s blog and Twitter

Honorable mentions:
Galen: I Can’t Believe Its Not Moe!
Starlogic: Because Sankaku Complex is NSFW
Zzeroparticle: Chocolate Cornets and Other Anime Musings; After School Tea, Cakes, and Anime

The Four Laws of Moe

Posted on July 20, 2010 by Jon

Is this moe's true form?

This is a refined and expanded version of an editorial I originally wrote for Japanator. The original can be found here.

It seems one of the biggest problems in the ongoing moe debate is the lack of any concrete definition for the term “moe.” This has lead to all sorts of argument among otaku; some believe the term can be applied to any female character the viewer considers cute, while others argue it should be strictly limited to its original Japanese definition. Personally, I think the truth lies in between these two extremes. After all, language is defined by its usage, not by the opinions of a few crazed fanboys or some dusty old dictionary. Therefore, based on my own observations and research, I have created the Four Laws of Moe. I believe these laws lay out, in clear and concise detail, the exact parameters of moe and what traits a character must exhibit in order to be considered as such. Of course, these laws are merely a reflection of my own opinion; feel free to improve upon them, argue against them or even construct your own alternative theory. Whatever the case, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Review: Seitokai Yakuindomo 3

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Guest

Fanservice shot! Literally.

So, this is it. You’re probably expecting me to completely and utterly trash this episode of Seitokai Yakuindomo, based on my rather low opinion of the show thus far. You’re ready to see me go completely insane with anger and nerd rage from the bombardment of overused sex jokes, bad pacing, bland characters, and various other kinds of crap. Unbelievably, that is not the case. Yes, you read that last sentence correctly. This week’s episode was actually… good. Don’t believe me? Well, keep reading to find out more…

Continue reading →

Review: K-ON!! 15

Posted on July 18, 2010 by Guest

So thirsty... need milk tea...

After a rather awesome episode of K-ON!! last week, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect this time. Would I be bored out of my skull with some more eye candy filler similar to episode 13, or would this show manage to maintain it’s wit and humor? Thankfully, this week’s episode wasn’t a disappointment; it was just as good–if not better–than last week’s. The comedy was entertaining, the story solid and the characters as enjoyable as ever.

Read more after the jump! Continue reading →

Bakacast Briefs – Zombies Suck

Posted on July 17, 2010 by Dustin

The second episode of Bakacast Briefs is here, proving we can keep a schedule as long as we set realistic goals.

You can download it directly, subscribe to our RSS feed, or let iTunes do all the work for you.

Chris is back from being a responsible adult, so he joins us for this episode. We talk about:

Highschool of the Dead #2
Occult Academy #2
Okamisan #3
Seitokai Yakuindomo #2
Sengoku Basara 2 #1
Amagami SS #1 (That’s right, we do pay attention to the comments section.)

Jon’s going to give Seitokai one more episode, but in the future we’ll probably narrow our focus to more detailed discussions of just three shows: Highschool of the Dead, Occult Academy and Sengoku Basara 2.

The music used in this episode is “Cloud Caller” by rhodo4.

Also, the first Bakacast Briefs post was updated to include the music credit for that episode, so check that post again if you were wondering what I used.

2D vs 3D: Schoolgirl Edition

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Jon

It seems there’s hope for you dummyheads after all! You chose 2D over 3D in last week’s debate. *sniff* I’m so proud!

This week is a no-holds-barred battle between sexy schoolgirls. Do you prefer your serafuku-clad seductress in two dimensions or three? Does it really matter, since your chances of scoring with either are essentially nonexistent? If you enjoy these kind of pictures, does that make you a social deviant? Is the sexualization of high-school students morally justifiable? Do you even care? WHY AM I ASKING SO MANY QUESTIONS?

[poll id=”14″]

Review: Occult Academy 1 & 2

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Jon

You are entering the world of Pumpkinhead!

Like my fellow editors here at Project Haruhi, I have been pretty disappointed by the new summer anime thus far. In my humble opinion, this season’s shows are either overrated, subpar or just outright horrible. Of course, I’ve experienced this kind of thing before. I always take solace in the fact that, just when things are looking darkest, a single great anime emerges from the shadows. Like a brilliant beam of light from the heavens, this one show drives back the darkness and brings hope to all the downtrodden, world-weary otaku.

This season, that show is Occult Academy.

Think I’m being hyperbolic? Find out more after the break!

Continue reading →

Review: Shiki 01

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Guest

Gastly used Mean Look!

First of all I should probably say ‘Hello again’ and ‘Sorry’, since I’ve not posted since Christmas and even then only to wish the season’s greeting. I apologise to all you fans of me out there (none of you, I suspect) and hope you enjoy this, my comeback review!

The few of you that know me may realise that the imagery present in the trailer for Shiki immediately appealed to my tastes, and unless I watched at least some of it my brain would fall out. Luckily for me, the first episode aired a few days ago and I managed to watch it. What I had been expecting was an anime packed with wonder and the Higurashi-style creepiness I love. What I had not been expecting was a documentary on a stuck-up schoolgirl and her over-inflated ego. Granted, the creepy was still there in small portions, but not nearly enough for my fix.

You can read my first impressions in full after the usual jump.

Continue reading →

Review: Highschool of the Dead 2

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Dustin

Revenge of the nerds.

After the thrashing I gave the first episode of Highschool of the Dead, I wasn’t really expecting much from the series. Madhouse seemed to be focusing far too much effort on the fanservice for my tastes. However, I did hold on to a shred of hope that the absurdity of the first episode was partially a ploy to attract viewers who may not have bothered with it. I don’t like what that sort of strategy implies about anime fans, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t have some basis in reality.

Thankfully, if episode two is any indication, my theory seems to be correct. This episode was more entertaining and significantly less insulting to my intelligence than the first. I’ll explain in detail after the jump.

Continue reading →

Review: Seitokai Yakuindomo 2

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Guest

Real men aren't afraid to cry.

From my last review, you can clearly see that I’m trying my best to give Seitokai Yakuindomo a chance. However, the second episode did little to improve my opinion of this show. That’s not to say it was a complete flop; there were some ups, and by that I mean “a few funny jokes.” Sadly, these jokes aren’t funny enough to make up for a complete lack of plot, unbelievably boring characters and humor that’s starting to wear thin. But without further ado, lets get to the review.