Ino x Boku S.S.

The Maison de Ayakashi aka Ayakashi Kan, is rumored to be a residence for the rich and famous, the elite of society, it is protected with the highest security and every tenant is bestowed a personal bodyguard. In reality though it is a place for humans with non-human ancestors to live and the secuirty is not there to protect anyones wealth, it's there to protect the residents from more powerful monsters.

In an attempt to improve herself the socially-inept Ririchiyo moves in to the Ayakashi. Her plan is to spend some time alone until she feels capable handling interactions with other people without ending up insulting them by putting up her usual front, because of this she has also said no to having a personal bodyguard but upon entering the Ayakashi she is met by Soushi, a member of the Secret Service, who requests that she lets him be her "dog".

Ino x Boku S.S. is a decent show but it didn't really captivate me, it wasn't until the second to last episode that it really made me feel something (but then I really felt something, so much so that I had to re-watch the last bit of it). I think it might be due to the lack of a cohesive plot line, it gave me a hard time staying focused because with so much going on in every episode the end result was a series that felt a bit hastily put together, almost sloppy. Even given that the series is about the developing relationships between the tenants I still think it would have benefited from a more coherent plot.

Despite (or maybe owing it to) humour and bishounen galore this show only gets 3 out of 5 otakus.

Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club

Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club is a series about four boys, Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa and Rin, childhood friends who used to belong to the same swimming club.

Shortly before graduating elementary school the boys participated in a relay race together during a swimming tournament after which Rin moved away and the boys parted ways. Years later, when the boys are in high school, they stumble upon Rin who has now returned to Japan and is attending another school. In order to swim with Rin again Nagisa, Makoto and Haruka decide to form the Iwatobi High School Swimming Club, they are joined by another boy named Rei and Rin's younger sister Gao and together they begin to pursue their dream. Will the boys be able to swim together with Rin again? And what is really lurking beneath the surface?

The plot is decent although the end is somewhat predictable (then again, this is a school life anime so I didn't really expect anything different), the characters are lovable, as bishounen boys should be, and overall it's a decent show. It has to be said though that the main purpose of this show is not the intricate plot or the character development - it's the fanservice, and this show provides fanservice on the highest level for everyone out there with a thing for bishounen boys (and muscles, just look at those lines...)

This was the perfect anime for a break from all the Naruto drama, easy going, fun, and eyecandy galore which earns it 4 out of 5 otakus.

If you wish to read more about the show you can head here or here.