I finished volume 12 of Unlimited Fafnir. Only the side stories remain, which like Index's side stories I'm not even obligated to read, since it was the main stories as depicted in the anime versions that I wanted to see the rest of.
The same is true of Zero no Tsukaima. I finished the last translated volume, volume 19. Only volumes 20-21 remain, with 22 coming out this February. I can't do anything about these until they're translated, or Google releases its new translation engine and the raws are at least available online.
The translation of volume 19 of Zero no Tsukaima is pretty wonky. They say everything in abridged, bullet points, instead of speaking normal English. It made for a rather short book. Still, the overall message was conveyed so I'll take it. The anime also covered Saito and Tiffania's exile among the elves, but the context in the novels is very different than the context in the anime was. With very few books left, I wonder when we'll completely leave the anime behind?
As it stands, I think I can begrudgingly admit that the anime did a 'good enough' job of covering the light novels, and a remake isn't really necessary. Four seasons of Zero no Tsukaima is already pretty generous when most light novel series only get one, asking for more might be a little too greedy.
Likewise, even though I do think Berserk deserves better, the fact is it's getting a third season of canon anime in 2017, so asking for more is a little silly. Taking these two series out of my wishlist, who anime has treated well all in all, I can put in a desire for a third season of Non Non Biyori and a second season of New Game instead.
I'm 9/10 of the way through my Symphonia listening project, up from 4/5. Baby steps.
It's been 14 years since the last weekend there were three top ten matchups in college football. Starting on Friday, Stanford plays Washington for the de facto Pac 12 championship. Then on Saturday Louisville plays Clemson for the de facto ACC championship, and Michigan plays Wisconsin for the de facto Big 10 championship.
An event as rare as comets passing by the Earth shouldn't be missed. If you miss this weekend of college football, you might die before you see another one like it.
Naruto had a dramatic last battle with Sasuke in the anime yesterday. Having played the video game that depicted this exact same scenario a few months ago, it was remarkable how similar the two experiences were. I basically got so impatient and bought the video game just so I could see this fight play out a few months earlier. Both times it was wonderful, one of the high points of the entire series.
The final episode of Naruto Shippuden is slated for next week, after which this over-fifteen-years-running series will finally come to an end. However, the series will revive with additional material in 2017, so this can only be considered a temporary hiatus. Perhaps the true ending of Naruto will occur in 2017? As things stand, we still aren't getting the final chapter of the original manga, chapter 700, anytime soon. Until that last chapter is animated, I can't say the anime is truly over. Talk about frustrating. They adapt the first 699 chapters of a manga but quit right before chapter 700. . . *sigh*
There will probably be some filler in the last episode. It seems we can never escape the filler when it comes to Naruto. But the payoff of patiently watching all the way through should be enough to make up for it. Sasuke admitting his feelings for Naruto has been a long time coming.
Naruto is the #1 anime of all time because it's the best and most faithful adaption of a source work worthy of being #1. As far as source works go, there's a great deal of competition that could have unseated Naruto, but because Naruto was given the time and budget it needed, unlike everybody else, it wound up ahead by default. This is a sort of disheartening way to earn the crown, so I hope someday someone more deserving is given the chance to dethrone Naruto. I'd like the #1 work of art of all time to be there by virtue of its unchallengeable excellence, not by accident. But for now, Naruto as the last man standing worked all the magic it needed.
With Fafnir done, only Baccano remains out of my must read light novel series that have a translation I can read. There's a ton of Baccano novels though, so don't expect this project to be completed in a timely fashion. The important thing is I'm backing up my words of praise (my light novel hall of fame list) with action (actually reading said light novels.) So long as I get this done eventually, it doesn't matter when.
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