Two short anime series, 2011.01

Midori Days

I'd heard about this one quite some time ago from an ex but never really thought about watching it, until I was given a Minotaur gift voucher and found that it was one of the very few things on the shelf that a) came well-recommended and b) I hadn't already seen. This is a show about a high school delinquent who never has any success with girls but wakes up one morning to find that his right hand has been replaced by one - in fact, it is a girl that has had a crush on him for a long time but of whom he is completely unaware.

Not really a great deal I can say about this show. It's not bad. It's funny, and cute, never sinks to the obvious joke, and is over soon enough. The romance, such as it is, feels pretty contrived and unbelievable, but perhaps that's just because Midori is not my type. I found myself rooting for the other girl, who stood no chance from the beginning. Never a good sign. I'd recommend Midori Days as an easygoing time-killer if it sounds like your thing.

Seitokai no Ichizon (The Student Council's Discretion)

Started watching this one with absolutely no clue what to expect; it just happened to be on a fansub group's RSS feed. Turns out it's another high school club/council comedy nonsense thing. My initial thought was that it was a retarded version of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and not worth my time, but the show echoed that very thought in dialogue ten seconds later, which somehow convinced me to keep watching. So I suppose it's a parody of sorts - of other shows of its kind and of otaku life/culture in general - but only inasmuch as the fact that it is adapted from an actual manga would allow.

This is the first anime of the 'moe' variety that I have seen and will probably be the last. I'm pretty sure I could literally feel my brain rotting while watching. Being a self-aware reflection of tropes in manga and anime does not forgive unoriginality and being utterly boring. I suppose this show had its funny moments, and occasionally came close to engaging my interest in a couple of the characters, but overall... not worth the time.