This is not a post about the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I have not jumped on the bandwagon to rabidly obsess over this refreshing island of excellence in a sea of animated mediocrity. Nay, this is a post about a couple of other series that I’ve been trying to follow recently, Shakugan no Shana and Fate/Stay Night.

Shakugan no Shana is a series that really caught a lot of buzz. It started out strong but quickly dissolved into a somewhat tedious romantic comedy replete with the cliches of that genre. Alas, I was unable to finish it, as it was nearly-impossible to maintain interest. The Blogsuki folks generally seem to be in favor of this title as the savior of the past season. Maybe I’m just no susceptible enough to “moe” to properly appreciate this title.

Fate/Stay Night is still in progress. Based upon a Type-Moon eroge title, some have been disappointed by the paucity of fanservice or outright sex scenes in the animated version. Instead of creating a plethora of opportunities for interestingly-designed characters to get naked with each other, this title delivers on a continuously-progressing plotline. The characters are faced with a conflict that fuels the story, and they are working towards a resolution of that conflict. This is the traditional core of storytelling, and is often neglected in the pursuit of pointless “let’s go to the beach” episodes that head nowhere. Seventeen episodes in, I’m upgrading my previous review of this title to a B+.

Nothing else has caught me for more than a couple episodes so far this season. Yes, that includes the Boondocks. Suggestions?