And then there were three. Say hello to…

Some of you may be familiar with this new author, as she’s been a contributor to the aniblogosphere for quite a while now, but for those of you that aren’t, I’d like to introduce you to Janette! Janette also runs her own blog called Black and Blue Socks, which she’ll continue to run and I implore you to check out. But she’ll also be moonlighting as a Rabbit Poet for at least through the spring season, covering Heroman and continuing the K-ON tradition. So if you know her, stop by to say hello. And if you don’t know her, well… even more reason to stop by and introduce yourself! You can also follow Janette on twitter as blackbluesock. Welcome! –RP

Artist: Nacht

Some of you already know me as Janette, the obsessive compulsive blogger of Black and Blue Socks. I will be joining the team here to blog two shows this season. So I suppose I’m an obsessive compulsive rabbit poet now. Which is quite a mouthful, but awesome none the less.

For those who don’t know me, it’s my pleasure to meet you, I’m Janette. While I’ll be doing some blogging over here, I also do blogging at Black and Blue Socks, which I invite you to check out should you like what you see here. Over here, I will be blogging Heroman and the second season of K-On. I’ve always been a huge fan of Stan Lee, so I’m very excited about his chance at an original anime, and can’t wait to see how it goes. I also loved the first season of K-On and I’m looking forward to the second.

I could try to describe what I like, but it may just be easier to provide a list of my top ten anime, as these ”top” lists often say a lot about a person’s likes and dislikes.

10. Alien Nine

A little known OVA that’s a sci-fi metaphor for a girl hitting puberty. While the word puberty tends to put off the image of icky things, this short series is a gem.

9. Martian Successor Nadesico

Talk about old! However, old does not equal bad. Martian Successor Nadesico starts off as comedy… and then kills off a fairly important character in the second or third episode. Nadesico is the best of a few worlds, being hilariously funny one moment, and deadly serious the next, with sci-fi in between.

8. Aoi Hana

In my opinion, this is the best of J.C. Staff’s works. Marked not only by an amazing drama, what makes this series stand out to me is the gorgeous animation. While watching an episode, I’d often pause several times to examine the art.

7. Magical Lyrical Nanoha A’s

What’s better than a fabulous magical girl series? A magical girl series that goes beyond the typical limits set by the genre. While the first series starts to redefine the genre, and then the second season does so more strongly. On top of that, there’s nothing like a cute girl in a wheelchair.

6. Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

Back when Gonzo was good, they re-imagined the Count of Monte Cristo. Rather than set in the old glory days of France, it’s been transformed into a sci-fi adventure marked with some imaginative art. However, the spirit of the book is kept alive, being drama at its finest. It’s one of those animes that forever leave you with an image etched in your mind, this one being of a broken watch.

5. Rozen Maiden

This is pretty much my guilty pleasure of the list. A fair amount of the series was a bear to get through, with the antics of the dolls. However, its [BS1] portrayal of an extreme anxiety disorder and how hard it is to overcome it is so spot-on, that I have yet to find another anime that connects with me like this one did.

4. Kino’s Journey

The story of a girl and her motorcycle. A travel story where a girl goes from one interesting country to the next with its own unique customs and stays for three days. The anime on the surface is intriguing, but also touches on some extremely deep thought, making it a gem of a show.

3. Haibane Renmei

What happens when we die? Haibane Renmei offers a unique answer with the portrayal of a strange afterworld. While a lot of the story runs on character development and interactions, my favorite part of the show was watching the world of Haibane Renmei unfold.

2. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

Higurashi is… well, I’m pretty sure everyone has heard of Higurashi by now. The first season of Higurashi pales in comparison to the second season. This is an anime where I honestly felt everything was done right, and comes together into a truly epic and intense conclusion. Nipaa~

1. Princess Tutu

However, not even Higurashi can dwarf my love for the anime of Princess Tutu. A duck becomes a girl who becomes a kick-butt magical girl that takes on her enemies…by dancing ballet. It’s an anime that takes a while to get going, but it’s worth the wait. A gorgeous anime, especially for any fans of dancing, and fabulous character development. What makes it take the number one spot over Higurashi is as much I adore the story of Higurashi, I find the story and themes in Princess Tutu much more complex and interesting. What starts off as your typical magical girl anime turns into a story about a question: “Can you defy fate?”

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