Synopsis
Saki's parents left a letter and an object for her.  In the letter, Saki's mother wrote that there was an ancient mass destruction weapon that could allow them to kill the Ogre.  The object left for Saki is a library terminal (False Minoshiro) with information.  In order to get the weapon Saki, Satori, Inui and Kiroumaru, who managed to survive the battle against the Robber Fly Colony, headed to Tokyo.  The team arrived to Tokyo and found a desert and all kinds of dangers, including strange animals.

Analysis
Episode 22 of From the New World was very interesting.  Kiroumaru seems to have his loyalty toward humans intact.  He will be key if Saki and the rest of the humans are to survive the monster rat rebellion.  The other highlight of the episode was the dreadful state in which Tokyo is; there is no more glamour and excitement on it.  I am also very intrigued by the Psycho Buster, the weapon of mass destruction.  This episode gets a 10 out of 10.

Synopsis
The episode began with the young merchant trying to find a way to counteract what the Church was doing.  At the heretic trial (after being wiped and kicked) the older sister maid (disguised as the Demon Queen) gave a great speech about human dignity, faith and freedom.  The crowd was very moved by it and turned against the Church.  The Winter King also extended its protection to the Crimson Scholar.  And the Knight (as a representative of her convent ) declared the Crimson Scholar a saint.

Analysis
Episode 9 of Maoyu was pretty great.  The speech by the older sister maid was the highlight of this episode and probably also the high point of the whole series thus far.  The other interesting things were the brief apparition of a demon apparently bent on ruling the world, and an enigmatic farewell message given by a woman's voice, probably the Demon Queen's.  This episode gets a 9 out of 10.

Synopsis
Haruka caught a cold and a restrained (he restrained himself from doing perverted things) Yoshihisa took care of her.  After Haruka got better Yuriko ordered her to, essentially, go out on a date with Yoshihisa.  In reality, Yuriko wanted to help motivate Haruka to recover her powers.  Haruka and Yoshihisa ended up having very lovely date.  Things appeared to be perfect until someone walked by Haruka.  She was able to read that person's tormented mind, but apparently the shock was so big  that Haruka collapsed on the floor.

Analysis
The effective formula from the start of the series returned to episode 8 of Kotoura-san.  This episode had a much better balance of humor and drama.  It was also refreshing to again see the darker and manipulative personality of Yuriko.  There is little to analyze, but the cliffhanger at the end of the episode is an encouraging sign that the series might return to being as pleasing as it was an the beginning.  This back to form episode gets a 9 out of 10.

Synopsis
Shisei Kaburagi rallied the humans and prepared to counter attack.  Unfortunately for the humans, an Ogre appeared.  Shisei was unable to kill the Ogre because of a psychological suggestion, known as Death of Shame, that forbids one human to kill another.  Saki and Satoru reunited and fled to the Purification Temple.  There they ran into a soldier, Inui, in charge of eliminating the Robber Fly.  Inui told them that Squera's true objective is to take human babies and turn them into an Ogre army to conquer the world.

Analysis
Episode 21 of From the New World was great.  Besides the huge revelation of Squera's ambition, we also learned that the Ogre who killed Shisei is actually the child of Maria and Mamoru.  Things look very dire for the humans, and I wonder if Saki, Satoru and the rest of the villagers can do anything to reverse the situation.  I give this excellent episode a 10 out of 10. 

Synopsis
The young merchant visited the Demon Queen's estate.  He was not fooled by the older sister maid, disguised as the Demon Queen.  The Hero decided to take the young merchant to Gate City to party.  The Knight also decided to give her sword, loyalty and body to the Hero.  Things took a drastic turn after the church of the Light Spirit declared the Crimson Scholar (the Demon Queen) and her methods heretic.  And it appears that it is up to the Hero and the older sister maid to solve this complication.

Analysis
Episode 8 of Maoyu was good but uneven.  The first half of the episode was largely wasted on the Hero and young merchant reminiscing and talking about their goals.  The second half of the episode was much better because it continued to build on the suspense of the last episode.  We will see how things turn out next week.  This episode gets a 8 out of 10. 

Synopsis
Haruka and her friends continued to have fun at her grandpa's house.  A friend of the family (a priest) secretly brought Haruka's mother for her to see how her daughter had finally made friends.  The mother was not very impressed by it.  In the second half of the episode Haruka was uneasy because Yoshihisa was acting suspicious.  It turns out that Yoshihisa was preparing a party to celebrate Haruka's birthday.  She, unexpectedly, was very moved by this surprise and realized that the bitter words of her mother (her belief that Haruka was never going to be loved) are not really true.

Analysis
Episode 7 of Kotoura-san was disappointing.  This series is becoming more and more unbalanced.  The first half of the episode was largely comedic, but the insertion of a scene with Haruka's mother, in the middle of it, was poorly placed.  The second half of the episode recaptured some of the charm, but the creators are having problems finding the right combination of comedy and drama.  Based on the first few episodes, this series seems capable of having a good mix of laughs and tears.  This episode gets a 7 out of 10.

Synopsis
Saki and Satoru were in a canoe trying to escape from the pursuit of the mysterious and destructive creature.  After outmaneuvering the creature and taking a rest at a cabin, they continued their journey to the village.  But they were ambushed by a mutated marine creature that created explosions by spitting black powder and fire.  Satoru and Saki separated, but the latter managed to reach the village and talk with Tomiko.  She told Saki that there was not much hope to save the village.

Analysis
Episode 20 of From the New World was a decisive episode.  The first half of the episode was pretty straight forward.  In the second half of the episode the most noteworthy occurrences were that the monster rats have indeed managed to outsmart the humans, and the very pessimistic outlook given by Tomiko.  The last scene of Tomiko leaving Saki in charge of the village and ordering her to go was very emotional.  The last fifth of the series promises to be thrilling.  This episode gets a 9 out of 10.

Synopsis
The episode began with the older sister maid recording (writing) that things appeared to be peaceful.  The next weapon the Demon Queen has developed is the printing press.  Before embarking in a dangerous trip the Demon Queen decided to sneak in to sleep with the Hero.  To her surprise the Knight had the same pretentions.  In the end the two love rivals made up, and the Demon Queen left the Hero in the care of the Knight.  Meanwhile human forces began conspiring against the Winter King.

Analysis
Episode 7 of Maoyu was a blast; it masterfully showcased the series' strength of combining comedy, substance and ecchi undertones.  The best part of the  show was the  bed scene between the Demon Queen, the Knight and the Hero.  The women first were bickering but both ended up in bed with the Hero (no sex, just sleep) talking like the best friends.  The atmosphere in this episode also hints that something dramatic is about to happen.  This episode gets a 10 out of 10.

Synopsis
Haruka and her club mates went on a summer vacation trip to her grandfather's house.  In the first half of the episode we saw the protagonists traveling on train to their destination.  After arriving, Haruka's grandfather dropped them at a creepy, abandoned hospital, which was part of an attractions park prepared for them.  In the second half of the episode the protagonists had fun at the beach and lighted fireworks at night.

Analysis
Episode 6 of Kotoura-san was so-so.  The members of the ESP Research Club did the typical things beach episodes in anime have the protagonists do.  The episode was entertaining, especially seeing Haruka mad because she is not as well endowed as Yuriko and Hiyori.  However, the episode was very uneventful.  The only saving grace was when Haruka's mother arrived to the beach at the end of the episode.  I give this episode a 7 out of 10.

Halfway through the series, Kotoura-san struggles to find an identity.  The first thee episodes hinted that this series was going to be kind of dramatic.  But the last three episodes have had a lot of silliness.  I do not mind some comedy, but this series has potential to have substance.  I hope Kotoura-san improves.  The grade for the first half of this series is 7 out of 10.

Synopsis
Saki, Satoru and three other adults were on the lookout for monster rats.  They arrived at a hospital that apparently had been attacked.  There, they we able to easily fend off a ambush by the monster rats outside the hospital.  Inside the hospital they found three other humans terrified about a creature.  The mysterious creature had been killing other humans inside the hospital.  At the end of the episode Saki and Satoru were able to escape to warn the rest of the village.

Analysis
Episode 19 of From the New World  was very intense.  There is not much to analyze.  I just want to speculate about the mysterious creature.  It is most likely a human, who might have become an Ogre.  I cannot wait to learn his/her identity.  This episode gets a 9 out of 10.