Someone please stop the show. I'd like to get off.

Sorry, but they should have found room in the budget for more episodes. This is a particularly emotional part of the story, but as presented, it just falls flat. I can understand why those unfamiliar with the original material are scratching their heads right now.

Hmm...I think you nailed that. Unfamiliar as I am, I am certainly scratching my head. I liked the last three episodes, but not nearly as much as those that preceded the last three

Air has started making my head hurt. Anime used to be full of 26-episode shows that shoulda been 13. Now it's full of 13-episode shows that need way more time.

Didn't like this ep much. It was like rewatching the first few but with a big black bird in all the scenes.

It's really hard to see how Air is loosing attention and falls out of the top likeable animes in all the animeblogs. It's the same with me, I loved it in the beggining but more and more I'm just thinking what the hell is going on. What's this all going to do with Misuzu? Where is this show heading to?
Did you play the game, Jeff?

I don't think the next ep really helps - this series doesn't work in a 13 ep format, that's pretty clear at this point. There is no time or ability to really pick up the vibes nessisary to really be sympathetic with the characters, unless you do either one of two things: you know the story, or you are just going on pure emotive content and leave yourself to drift with it, so to speak.

I'm not too unhappy that AIR seems to be falling out of favor in all the anime blogs. In the end, there's something in it that means a lot to me, and if other people don't get it, thats ok. It's hard to be a fan of the more subtle things in a series when it is the hottest thing around anyway.

that and a friend of mine finally found some Potato plushies in Akiba :) They went fast, and are really hard to find.

Dont watch AIR expecting a typical linear story, that is what makes this series so appealing, not knowing where it will take you next. Just enjoy it and try not to think too hard about it, its a thrilling and beautiful ride.

I've played the game. Sort of, at least. My Japanese stinks, so I'm far from an expert on the story.

I suspect a lot of people unfamiliar with the story are scratching their heads not so much out of confusion, but rather asking "What's the big deal?" The TV series is having a difficult time living up to the legacy of the game. If you take away the gorgeous animation and the key emotional scenes, you're left with something pretty hollow. I guess you could say the TV series doesn't have much heart - not since the Dream arc, at least.

On the medium known as the computer, perhaps the disjointed story of Air works. As a TV animation, so far Air fails. You can different things with interactive entertainment. The anime fails because they failed in the conversion, perhaps trying to mitigate risk and keeping too close to the original work. I've noticed only the people that liked the game are supporting Air at this point. As far as I'm concerned, Air is almost as big a failure as Kanon.

Really now, what are you all talking about?

I visit a number of blogs and don't really see any that were actually following the show, now suddenly disliking the show.

I haven't played the game and I'm not scratching my head, in fact, episode 10 was hugely informative and has helped me now understand all that came before better. And episode 11 was extremely emotional and rocked. I suppose I should specify that I did *get* the game after I began the anime, but I've had no more time than to just click through the first few messages at the start so far, so the game isn't telling me anything yet.

I don't see anyone scratching their head at this point. And I was earlier, but that's sort of what the show wanted me to do at the time - wonder what was going on.

So I don't see the trends you all are seeing or the beefs with it as a "failure" you all are experiencing. It was odd, sure, to have the interlude without characters from the opening being present, but the show had built up solidly enough that one should be willing to watch that at least for a few episodes, and it was interesting anyway in the end.

Other than the show not being someone's cup of tea to begin with, which I *can* understand (and which usually they're able to tell me about from episode 1), I don't see any reason for drama about the show going south or something - if they've been watching up to this point it should still be fine. In fact, I'm going to miss the show after next week.

Slipgate

I'm not scratching my head but the show is so...messy. Sure, it's no failure but they could have done more out of it. It's hard to follow a show with joy if you don't get all the relations and the explenation is just not to come. Well, so do I feel ^^

This was a show made for the players of the game. The people that played the game admit this. As one that didn't play the game, its a failure to me because I have to reference people that played the game to figure out what is going on; at least, to my level of satisfaction. Its still a great show, but I still consider it a failure.