Kobato, Episode 9: .Memories of Summer

I can't believe I'm 9 episodes into Kobato already. Kobato's ninth episode gives Kobato a change in outfits as well as a change of seasons. It seems like time is moving along really quickly in the show considering, but I'm sure that'll be addressed.

I enjoyed this week's "healed heart" story. I especially liked that Kobato was more actively involved in fixing the problems this week instead of stumbling into it by accident as she often does. The story is something that I found really relatable as well, so it definitely tugged at my heartstrings.

I love this anime so much. There's really not much else to say about it. I can't wait to read the manga after Kobato finishes up.

Rating: 96/100

Kobato, Episode 8: A Kitten's Lullaby

Kobato strives to get even cuter in its 8th episode. This is generally a pretty adorable anime, but sickening levels of sweetness were achieved with this episode. I was also pleased to see a few familiar faces popping up here, even if they were in small doses. I hope it'll continue in the future.

It seems like Fujimoto has played a large role in most of the last few episodes. I'm hoping for a big story arc involving him soon. I haven't read the Kobato manga at all so I'm not sure how far they've gotten with him there, but it really seems like the anime writers are gunning for something big with him. I can't wait to see it.

I feel like I'm repeating myself every week when I sum up this show. I can only say that it's sweet and wonderful and I love it so many times before I sound like a broken record, so I'll mix it up a little. I don't think this is a show that's going to convert any non-CLAMP fans over to their side, but anyone who has loved shows like Card Captor Sakura or Chobits should really check this one out. I think they'll fall in love with Kobato too.

Rating: 95/100

Kobato, Episode 7: Kind Person

I've just finished this week's very enjoyable episode of Kobato. We once again get to know Fujimoto a little better. I now feel like I've got a really good understanding of his character, though I'm sure he has a in-depth background that won't be revealed for a while now. I enjoy any chance to see him actually interacting with Kobato, as I think their opposite personalities make them hilarious to watch together.

I really liked Domoto as well. I found him to be very easy to relate to. He gives me one shot character vibes, but I am frequently wrong about this sort of thing, so hopefully that trend will continue. And although we didn't get much Ioryogi compared to last week, he still managed to get in some killer lines. His comments near the end of the episode had me ready to fall out of my chair.

This episode even managed to move along the main storyline involving the nursery while throwing in some fanservice for CLAMP fans at the same time. What can't this anime do? I look forward to continuing to watch and love Kobato in the weeks to come.

Rating: 96/100

Kobato, Episode 6: Small Hide-And-Seek

What is probably my favorite anime of this season continues on! Episode 6 of Kobato managed to feature the all of the things I love about the show while adding in something completely different at the same time. It also continued the main story involving the nursery.

I have to admit, I was caught completely off guard by the Ioryogi storyline. It makes sense that he's a deeper character than meets the eye, but I wasn't expecting it. It looks like we'll get to see a lot more of stuff like that in the future, and I'm really looking forward to it. It really spiced up the episode, since, enjoyable as it was, Kobato's storyline was more of the same. It still got me to tear up, and Fujimoto's scenes were really nice. I'd love to see him get his own major storyline in an episode soon.

I don't think CLAMP has ever done an anime I didn't love. Clearly Kobato's no exception. My lone complaint at the end of each week is that I wish it was longer. I'm really going to miss this one when it ends.

Rating: 95/100

Kobato, Episode 5: Hotaru's Promise

At long last, I've been able to see Kobato's 5th episode. I got lucky and got to get the 4th episode a bit early last time around, so it feel like ages since I've been able to watch this show. It's been hard to fight the urge to pick up the manga so that I could get my Kobato fix. This episode was worth the wait, though.

Kobato's weekly healing storyline was beautiful, and it was wonderfully told. The art used in this episode was absolutely exquisite. I also really enjoyed seeing the main storyline move along some. I like the slow build to a better relationship between Kobato and Fujimoto- it's more my speed then big dramatics. While I've really enjoyed the plot of each week's episode, I'm eager to see the main storyline take a bigger role. I'm sure there's going to be some good stuff here.

Every week it seems like I fall more in love with this show. This is exactly the sort of thing I like to watch, and I'm so glad to have a CLAMP anime to enjoy this season. Look out for a new Kobato inspired layout to take over this blog sometime soon.

Rating: 96/100

Kobato, Episode 4: When the Green Leaves Flourish

It's strange to think I'm already on episode four of Kobato. It feels like I've seen maybe half that. I suppose that's a testament to how much I enjoy this show- I always want to watch more, so I convince myself I've seen less of it than I actually have.

This episode continued the crossover trend from the last one. The whole storyline actually had a very Tsubasa Chronicles feel to me, really. There weren't any action scenes or shounen anime style cliffhangers, but seeing characters happy in a new universe like this is something I associate strongly with that show. I didn't like this one quite as much as the last one, but it still had everything I like about Kobato. The comedy is great, Kobato is adorable, and every episode is full of heartwarming moments.

I liked the hint of another side to Fujimoto we got in the episode, and I'm really excited to see more of him in the future. There was also a bit of a game changer introduced in this episode that I think can only mean good things for Kobato's upcoming storylines. I believe the Kobato manga is still ongoing, so I hope this means that Kobato has a good chance of getting a second season. 24 episodes of this won't be enough for me.

Rating: 93/100

Kobato, Episode Three: The Rain`s Gift.

Kobato continues to be wonderful in its first episode. This episode was hilarious as ever, and while it continued to follow Kobato's established theme of her healing hearts, they really managed to make it feel different from the previous episodes. The Tsubasa Chronicles-style cameos in this episode didn't hurt either.

As the above picture shows, Kobato gets a change of clothes this episode, which is nice. I always really enjoy the outfits CLAMP does for their characters, and I look forward to more wardrobe changes. This episode had a really uniquely CLAMP feel all over, and not just because of the cameos. There were some really nice stills that really showed off the CLAMP art style, and the show got a little dose of the sort of intrigue that they slowly trickle into their sweet stories. I think I'm going to have to track down some art for this show after this episode.

It's hard for me to say whether Kobato or Darker Than Black II is my favorite show this season. I really look forward to both and have loved every episode I've seen. Were I to make a top 3 shows of the season list, I imagine these two would have to share the number one spot, and the rest of this season's anime would have to battle it out for spot number three.

Rating: 95/100

Kobato Episode Two

Kobato continues on, and it's as sweet and wonderful as ever. It's the kind of anime that gives you warm fuzzies inside. This episode was alternately hilarious and heartwarming. We got to see what I expect will be the general episode pattern for a while with this one, and I'm really looking forward to more of it.

This episode of Kobato had our title character trying to collect pieces of healed hearts for the first time. Her antics as she tries to make sense of what to do were adorable, and I think anyone who wasn't crazy about Ioryogi in the first episode will be won over this time around. He had me laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. We also got to see a lot more of characters like Fujimoto, who I assume we'll be learning a lot more about soon. I'm not crazy about his character design, but he's an intriguing character, and he and Kobato play off each other really well.

I don't really have much for this show except effusive praise. I'm tempted to try and get my hands on the manga, but a part of me doesn't want to spoil the series from me. It's so well done, and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of it this week. If Kobato's storyline doesn't manage to conclude within the planned 24 episodes, however, I'll have no choice. I'm already hooked.

Rating: 94/100

Kobato Episode One: Wishful Girl

I should preface this review by saying that I'm a huge fan of CLAMP. Something about their stories and characters tug at my heartstrings like no other, and they've never done a series that I haven't liked. I haven't yet had the chance to read the Kobato manga, so right now I'm going into this one fresh and unaware.

Kobato is about a mysterious girl who came to Earth to fulfill an equally mysterious wish- all we know is that she has somewhere she wants to go. To make her wish come true, she must heal 100 broken hearts and collect their fragments.

The opening has Kobato's teacher- a stuffed dog named Ioryogi who feels like a deeper voiced version of Kero from Card Captor Sakura- testing Kobato to see if she has the common sense required to handle living in our world. Kobato is throughly hopeless, but I'm sure you all can still figure out what the outcome of the test will be. The fun is in seeing how she pulls it off.

I loved this episode, but Kobato is most definitely not for everyone. So far the show appears to be toothache inducingly sweet, and those with a low tolerance for incompetent heroines will quickly find themselves irritated with the show's title character. However, if you're like me and don't mind your anime slightly saccharine, or if you want to see what secrets and twists CLAMP has up their sleeves, this is definitely one to watch.

Rating: 90/100