When it comes to "end of the world" stories, there's only two ways to finish things. You either destroy the world, or you don't. Of course, leave it to anime to occasionally find a way to break this rule, GAINAX being a repeat offender.

But not this time.

I can safely say I'm completely satisfied with how the show ended. It's a little bit happy, a little bit bittersweet. Final, but open-ended enough to leave me secretly wishing for more. There was a certain amount of introspection on the part of the main characters - to be expected of a GAINAX show, I guess - but rather than being there to take up time or plug plot holes, it worked to resolve many of the key themes of the story. And it even made sense!

It was a fun ride. I liked the characters enough to get a kick out of the filler episodes early on, and the primary story, trite as it may be, had enough little twists and turns to hold my interest. The ending may have been a bit drawn out in the grand scheme of things, but my satisfaction in the ultimate conclusion makes up for it. Yes, the show could have been more (isn't that a universal truth?), but given my low expectations early on, I have a difficult time finding anything to honestly complain about.

And no matter how much abuse Mari suffers at the hands of her detractors, I shall defend her to the very end!

Which would be the next time Hikari shows up, I guess...

Let the psychobabble commence! I should be thankful, though. There weren't any Bach concertos, clapping penguins, or JFK assassination conspiracies. And Takeru doesn't grow up to hunt androids on a rubbish planet in the not-so-distant future while black slabs with vocoders dispatch divine blobs to kick off Armageddon for, oh, the third time or so.

There are butterflies, though.

All things considered, the story still makes sense. But, there's still little indication of how it'll all wrap up, and with only one episode left, I still fret. Interesting as this episode may be, it doesn't leave me feeling very optimistic. It just seems as if the story is pulling out all the stops - many of which were better off left undisturbed.

Oh well. I'll always have the goofy early episodes everyone else hates. I'll always have Mari.

Well, the story has reached that critical point where it could all fall apart in the blink of an eye. Yet, I have this odd feeling it won't. Not sure why. I just do.

Everything's been kicked into high gear, however, and with a full two episodes left and many questions left to be answered, the show may prove thrilling to the very end. C'mon GAINAX! Redeem yourself!

There's so much I could write, but I wouldn't know where to start. Instead, I'll just say once again how impressed I am with how the show has progressed. The story has developed at a comfortable pace, the characters have had their moments in the spotlight, and now the stage is set for one hell of an ending.

Then again, I've been burned by enough GAINAX endings to be worried about what "one hell of an ending" really means, but at least the show has been an enjoyable ride up to now, rising above and beyond my original expectations. It continues to push all the right buttons.

The story is finally blown wide open. There's a certain "huh?" factor to it, but the general idea of things doesn't come as much of a surprise. I'm sure the show will still manage some light moments here and there, but the drama should truly kick in now. There's really no way to turn back.

And besides, there are only four episodes left. If the world's to be destroyed, I figure it'll need four episodes.

I kept expecting Mahoro to jump out and do battle with a giant crab, but alas, it never happened.

Anyway, that action sequence was...disorienting. I should have taken some Dramamine beforehand. Also, the super-deformed sequences were...creepy. I mean, the girls look young enough as is. Don't have to make them any smaller.

The story is definitely moving along now, both in the romance and drama departments. However, so much remains unexplained, and now new questions surrounding Akari's purpose of being must be addressed. Same with Ryou.

GAINAX + Onsen episode = Yowsa.

But, this being a family-friendly anime blog, you'll just have to watch for yourself.

Anyway, yet another fun episode that makes good use of the full cast. Since all the characters function so well as an ensemble, I think I'd be satisfied if each remaining episode felt similar to this one. But, I know I'm in the minority there.

What's most important, however, is that Hikari finally develops a personality! And a complex, yet likable one at that! No longer is she merely as exciting as an electric can opener!

Looks like a trip to the beach next time...

Entire cast + Swimsuits = I need some air.

Evil Hikari makes a brief - but lasting - appearance. And, like Akari, Hikari has a little thing of her own. Except, I guess he's a big thing.

Honestly, it was kind of a slow episode. But, summer vacation has arrived, all the characters have been introduced, and the story should finally begin to move. And, hopefully, there'll be more Akari next time.

Akari rocks! Kimi rocks! In fact, the whole cast rocks - with the exception of Hikari, who has about as much personality as a toaster oven. Is she really the focus of the show?

I never would have thought I'd grow so attached to this show, but I have. Of everything I'm watching right now, it's what I look forward to new episodes of most. Even though nothing of consequence has truly happened yet, I'm hooked.

Enter Akari and her little...thing. Thankfully, Akari has a bit more personality than Hikari - and she's cuter! Also, the little "thing" seems to provide some fun comic relief.

Furthermore, Akari is attached to Ryou (or vice versa), who seems the more interesting of the male leads thus far. I think I'd be happy if the show just focused on the two of them alone from here on out.

But, of course, that won't be happening. And even though very little has been revealed so far regarding Hikari's (and now Akari's) background, the story is slowly pulling me in. There's something strangely compelling about this show, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

The story's already moving too fast for my tastes, but since everything's still being set up, I'll overlook it for now. I'm surprised Takeru came right out and immediately revealed the truth about Hikari, but I guess it beats having to watch him try to conceal it for episodes on end. That type of storyline's been around the block enough times.

Thankfully, the fanservice is still on the subtle side - just enough to be fun without being annoying. Although, I'll admit the shower scene seemed utterly pointless. I'm thinking that's some horrid byproduct of the manga adaptation. Maybe it worked better the first time around.

And, as I expected, the mood went from dark to light in a flash. There's still enough mystery seeping through, however, so the show still has my curiosity. And as light and happy is it may get, there's always the possibility Hikari will transform into some sort of monster and devour everyone in the end. It's GAINAX, so why not?

Ryou gets a girl next time. Not that he really needs one.

I usually prefer my fanservice to be subtle rather than overt. Thankfully, GAINAX is the master of subtlety in fanservice. Some might take issue with that point, but compared to shows like, say, Ikkitousen, anything GAINAX has done lately has been fairly tame. The fanservice in This Ugly and Beautiful World is the kind I like. It's not annoying, and it doesn't feel out of place. Of course, that could change in later episodes...

As could the mood. While this initial episode was heavy on the action and drama, experience tells me the show will be lighter than it appears. But, I could be wrong. In fact, I hope I'm wrong. Obviously, the show has a strong Mahoromatic vibe, and while I far preferred the comedic elements of Mahoromatic over the dramatic, I think the setup for This Ugly and Beautiful World is better suited for drama.

The question, I guess, is, "Will GAINAX see it through properly to the end?" Well, I enjoyed this first episode enough to feel like finding out.