Finishing off a couple of series before the new season starts:
Fate Stay Night - Unlimited Blade Works
I think I ended up just shouting at this saying 'Shirou, do you realise how bloody lucky you are? Look at everything Rin's doing for you, for God's sake!' - they played this masterfully, with the lighthearted start to the final episode, and then it all blowing up in everyone's faces afterwards. The look on Saber's face as she was taken over was heartbreaking. But I think all in all, this has been one of the most fulfilling shows this season, and Christ alive is it gorgeous to look at. Bring on the rest in April, I say.
Sword Art Online II
I like that they dedicated an entire episode to Yuuki's death sequence - it felt like it needed it. This episode could have so easily ended up being schmaltzy nothingness, but it really hit home - and not just the obvious stuff about death etc. but the lines about being kind to people and carrying their life on in everything you do. It kind of feels odd to say it, but I really hope people give these final episodes of the second season their due and don't just discount them because they're SAO - this show has improved beyond all measure since the second half of season one, and feels like it finally has a mature handle on its themes. It made me tear up, anyway.
Akame Ga Kill
I haven't read the manga, so I don't know how much this diverged from it - but it felt underwhelming regardless. You could see Tatsumi's death from a mile off, and it felt cheaply done - odd considering how moving some of the other deaths have been. Still, the Akame vs. Esdeath fight was a real visual treat, and finally brought some top drawer animation quality to a series that has often looked quite cheaply made.
