He was definitely the lynchpin of Durrararaara.  Celty was my favorite but Izaya kept it connected.

That being said, I stopped watching somewhere in the middle of last season.  It was just such an old-fashioned soap opera that I started not caring all that much and kept putting off watching it.  Eventually I dropped it without actually deciding to drop it.

Episode three of Grimgar was pretty interesting. It gave a nice, clear look at how uncomfortable everybody still is, to the point where the bathhouse incident was enough to temporarily divide and hurt general morale. The girls have stayed relatively separate from the guys, and although everybody is settling in, nobody is entirely sure that they belong. It gives a genuine human feeling to the idea that just because life tossed you into the same situation as somebody else, it doesn't mean that you'll necessarily be buddy buddy right away. Really, you can tell the only thing binding most of them is their memory loss and knowledge that they couldn't survive on their own.

That said, based on how things are going, I get the feeling somebody is going to die in the next episode, and based on the last five minutes of the episode and the preview, I have a feeling the leader priest is going to be the one to go. I think it would be the emotional gut punch necessary to really establish what reality is for this group of kids now.

Overall, I enjoy how this one is progressing. It is maintaining a serious vibe, and seeing the characters slowly grow into their new roles makes for an interesting ride.

Nah, that belongs to PSO2 but even I thought that Divine Gate had some potential ... 

I don't expect very good material from the original source being games and even less so for visual novels ... 

Anyone here watched MomoKuri? (Its an ONA) Because its soooooo CUTE!!!!!!!!! This Stalker X Cute Guy!!!!!!

Some Yandere Yuri Shit happening here! =D I love it!



Anime: Divine Gate

finally DBZ started a new original arc instead of reusing the movies..

Fanservice when it's warranted is fine. For example, when a girl uses it to make a guy flustered or when it's supposed to create a specific reaction or effect. In Captain Yuri's gif of Hanekawa, it highlights her more sensual nature after the transformation. Anime that revolves around it are fine for what they are and I'm not going to complain about boobs in Queen's Blade.

What I don't like is out of place fanservice or fanservice that makes no sense in the narrative. In the Phantom World anime, it kept showing the cheescake girl stretching out inside the classroom in her gym clothes. It was random and made no sense. It detracted from the show, in my opinion.

So, really, it depends.

It's rarely bad and usually improves the anime. The problem is that it can only improve it so much and most of the time that's not enough to save the piece of garbage it is used on.

Just throwing out some animes that are a great example of really good animes that are improved by fanservice. Kill La Kill(or any Trigger/Gainax anime really), Freezing, Junketsu no Maria, Agent Aika, Monogatari series(or any Shinbo anime), Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai , GJ-Bu, Nanatsu no Taizai, No Game no Life, D-Frag, Mahouka, Witch Craft Works, Shokugeki no Souma, Grisaia, Hyakka Ryouran and a couple more.

I like fan service, it makes bad animes watchable, comedy animes funnier and dramas more mature.

This. Anime is better off not having any fanservice if it's gonna be censored. I just end up getting aggravated at the anime and I won't watch it. I'm fine with any amount of fanservice but just no black bars or blurred out areas.

I usually judge ecchi content on a case by case basis. If it's unique or amuses me, it only improves the anime. If it's something cliche and boring, then I might lose interest. I've gotten to the point where MCs tripping into boobs or accidentally walking in on a girl undressing just make me roll my eyes...but seeing a video of Mai doing boob limbo was enough for me to give Phantom World a try.

In general, I'd say it's positive as an addition, but if it's overwhelming to the point that the show loses focus, then it's a detriment. I'm pretty forgiving if I like the characters...like with Fairy Tail, for example, but there definitely is a breaking point.

For the record, I enjoy Phantom World, even if I admit the premise is pretty shallow. The ecchi content is certainly over the top, but the characters have been pretty amusing so far, and I look forward to seeing what happens next. Seeing Mai in gym shorts certainly doesn't hurt though...at least for me. Heh.