There's been a new meme going around on the anime blogging circles, and Fledge decided to tag me, among a few others. Which is fair; I haven't been keeping up with anime blogging lately. So on with the answering of questions:

• What anime are you watching now?

I am currently watching Mouryou no Hako (On Episode 5), Shikabane Hime: Aka (On Episode 6), Michiko to Hatchin (On Episode 4, though stalled there because I haven't looked for any more episodes), Time of Eve (On Episode 3) and Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (On Episode 5).

• What is your favourite time to watch?

Usually any time I'm not working or hanging out with my girlfriend (though the latter often does also include watching anime).

• And your favourite place?

On the couch watching the main TV. I have an entry which showed and described the setup, especially with using TVersity and the XBox 360 to stream fansubs to the main TV, but now that Microsoft and Netflix are allowing video streams to go through the XBox 360, I foresee the viewing of many licensed titles that I didn't get to watch the fansubs of in the past1

• Who is your favourite auteur?

Right now, definitely Makoto Shinkai. Though if Yasuhiro Yoshiura continues to improve in future shows, he'll be giving Shinkai a run for the top spot. Even right now, I consider Time of Eve the series to watch this year2.

• Your favourite OST?

This is a tie between the Haibane Renmei OST and the Twelve Kingdoms OST.

• What is the most difficult anime you’ve ever watched?

By far, Serial Experiments Lain.

• What was the first anime you remember watching?

If we skip Robotech, probably Ranma 1/2 or Akira.

• Do you have a comfort show that you re-watch?

Not a single one, but I do rewatch Makoto Shinkai's work often (any of them) when I start to feel down. Satoshi Kon's Millenium Actress is another i'll rewatch. All of these have replaced Haibane Renmei and The Twelve Kingdoms as I can't just watch one episode of these without finishing the whole series (or at least a whole arc in The Twelve Kingdoms).

On the other hand, Catblue: Dynamite gets rewatched for its 70s blaxploitation awesomeness in only 40 minutes.

• What is the most erotic anime you’ve watched?

Futari Ecchi. It's the first hentai/ecchi show that comes to mind that either doesn't outright disgust me or makes me laugh non-stop at the silliness of it all. Granted, it is also a comedy, too...

• Which classic should you have watched?

I really need to finish up Legends of the Galactic Heroes one day. I got up to around episode 50 of the 110-episode epic, and I still want to finish it.

• Which series did you never want to end?

The closest series to this would be Kino's Journey or Mushishi. Frankly, I'd rather have endings, but both of these series are episodic series where many stories could be told about its characters.

On the flip-side, The Twelve Kingdoms is a series that never ended that I wish to see finished3...

• What is your most overrated anime?

By far, Bleach, at least through the first 40 or so episodes I watched. The first 15 were great and had be hooked, but the Soul Society arc (where they were going in to save Rukia) just felt like a big waste of time.

• Which character could you have an affair with?

[Fill in personal fantasies when I think of them here]

Ok, I really haven't put much thought into this, Maybe Misato Katsuragi from Neon Genesis Evangelion?

• Who is your favourite character?

Huh, this is a toughie. Maybe Hitomi Kanzaki from the Visions of Escaflowne series.

• Which character do you most dislike?

Most characters I dislike I tend to forget about after watching the anime they are in, but out of the memorable characters, I'd probably dislike Seita from Grave of the Fireflies. Sadly, I don't think I would do any better in his position at the age of fourteen.

• Which character do you identify with most?

Some cross between Reki and Rakka from Haibane Renmei, Shinki Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Youko Nakajima, Yuka Sugimoto, and Ikuya Asano from The Twelve Kingdoms. There's something different I identify with between all of these characters.

• Which anime changed your life?

Definitely The Twelve Kingdoms. I was in a severely down time when I watched it, and it encouraged me to start finding some meaning in my life, or at least move on.

1. 1. I'm watching Gankutsuou this way. I also have the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series, Noein, Tokko, Jinki: Extend, Air Gear, and Desert Punk. The downside is that they seem to only have the English Dub available, but I can deal with that with this selection
2. 2. Despite its agonizing one 15-minute episode every two months release
3. 3. Though I'd rather see no ending than a rushed up ending, so I'm glad they left it hanging