Endless 08

With the arrival of a new Flame Haze and the villains finally getting into action, Shakugan no Shana II is going to try and pack in all the plot that should have been happening in the first half of this show. BJ and Duffo watch from episode 13 onwards and discuss the Amulet of Kill Yourself, an information network that is too busy getting attacked to do their paperwork properly, and a Christmas Eve villain plot that falls apart because someone looked at a bird once.
Our theme song is Endless 808 by I.K.

J.C. Staff’s Shakugan no Shana combines supernatural action with slice of life as it follows a group of teenagers drawn into a world of demons and magical hunters fighting a shadowy war. BJ and Duffo watch the first 12 episodes of the second season and discuss the many unexplained proper nouns that make this the most challenging show so far to pick up without pre-2008 context, as well as examining another clear-cut example of our “all maids are ninjas” rule and a perpetually drunk white lady who should probably not be anywhere near these Japanese teenagers.
Our theme song is Endless 808 by I.K.

The second round of the AMV bracket is underway, with our first bye round contestant bringing in Elfen Lied to challenge a first round winner.
 
Watch the contestants here:
Occupat Artus - Misk
Clarissa - BoneFixer
 
Our theme song is Endless 808 by I.K.

Studios Gainax and feel. collaborate to present Shikabane Hime, an action horror anime about a boy who stumbles into a world of Buddhist monks and undead girls fighting cursed entities from beyond the grave. BJ and Duffo discuss zombie kindergarteners, factional disputes about whether women are people, and a villain collecting tortured souls with an evil driverless car.
Our theme song is Endless 808 by I.K.

It's mashup on mashup violence in this week's Frankenstein division match up, backed by Yellowcard on one side and bass-heavy trance music on the other.
 
The Air In My Lungs - Malificus
Auriga - Nostromo
 
Our theme song is Endless 808 by I.K.

Romantic comedy Haruka Nogizaka's Secret is a Diomedéa production following the relationship between an average teenage boy and his rich heiress classmate who accidentally reveals her anime fangirl side to him. BJ and Duffo discuss the perils of Akihabara, sending out mercenaries in jets to hunt for your runaway daughter, and receiving magical girl doujinshi from the Prime Minister of Japan.
 
Our theme song is Endless 808 by I.K.

In this match-up in the Frankenstein Division, the most seamless of the Frankensteins we have seen so far comes up against the power of groovy dance moves.
 
Memento Mori - NightPunisher
Shake THAT!!! - Arczi
 
Our theme song is Endless 808 by I.K.
 

The war between Britannia and the Black Knights comes to a dramatic conclusion, with nuclear warheads, new geass magic, and the power of God all on the table. BJ and Duffo watch from episode 13 to the end and discuss the skyrocketing death counts in each engagement, a significant character from Lelouch's past who has been hiding in a child's brain for several years, and one of the most iconic anime endings of 2008.
 
Our theme song is Endless 808 by I.K.

The sequel to Sunrise's mecha action political drama Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion follows the exiled prince Lelouch as he once again assumes his masked identity as the Japanese freedom fighter Zero, using his magical power to compel people to set up a series of convoluted plans that escalate to a world war. BJ and Duffo watch the first 12 episodes and discuss making an anime in the backroom of a convenience store, tricking the government into exiling over a million people onto an iceberg, and having your terrorism career interrupted by all of the hot dates your ninja maid scheduled while disguised as you.
 
Our theme song is Endless 808 by I.K.

The Class Clown bracket this week presents a well edited but somewhat problematic Code Geass tribute, and then a lot of dancing to EDM.
 
Listen to the contestants:
Code: Ecchi - Aggressor
Another Dance AMV - Wyspa