The BEST episodes written by Hiroyuki Shimazu

#1 - The New Master Samurai

Samurai Girls - Season 2 - Episode 9

Mataemon attacks Kojiro under external influence as Yoshihiko watches the repair of the barrier protecting the Chingo Stone. As Sen, Muneakira, and Yukimura discuss the the situation, Jubei attempts to defend Inshun from suspicion leading to her running away. Yukimura continues researching the Samurai Bride, Sen goes out for training and Matabei trains with Hanzo in kissing. Kanetsugu interrupts the latter two to train them but her plan backfires as Matabei and Hanzo both torture her during their fantasies about kissing. Jubei talks to Musashi about her concerns that everyone thinks that Inshun is the street attacker unknowingly raising Musashi's suspicions. Kojiro watches as Mataemon is controlled and follows her back into town. Muneakira, Sen, Yukimura, Matabei, and Hanzo search the town while Musashi confronts a silent Inshun about being the street attacker. Detecting the street attacker, Sen retreats back to the forest surrounding the dojo only to be captured. Due to necessity, Matabei kisses Muneakira to become a master samurai. As Hanzo sees Sen crying, she begs Muneakira to give her the strength to save her and thus, kisses Muneakira to become a master samurai. With Mataemon defeated, she is taken away by Kojiro. The next day, everyone at the dojo discusses the situation coming to the disturbing conclusion that the Dark Samurai may be ultimately intending to wipe Great Japan off the map.

#2 - Concerning You

Heaven's Memo Pad - Season 1 - Episode 10

The other NEETs ask Toshi where he's been and what he's been doing. He starts to cough, but pushes Ayaka away when she tries to help. Narumi goes out to talk with him alone. Toshi insults Ayaka a bit, but has another coughing fit and pulls out some strange pills. When asked, he calls it “Angel Fix” and wanders off. Narumi talks with Tetsu about it later, but Tetsu tells him not to tell Ayaka that her brother is taking drugs. The next day, Narumi walks into Alice's room to find Ayaka trying to fix up her hair, but she is kicked out when the Fourth arrives with a job. The Fourth is there to ask Alice about Angel Fix. Alice calls the rest of the NEETs up and Narumi tells them about Toshi having Angel Fix. They all set out to find Toshi, but the Fourth stops Narumi from helping this time. Later, Ayaka is grilling Narumi because she is being left out, which causes Narumi to remember what her brother said about being his replacement. He asks her if he is her brother's replacement, which causes her to run off. He tries to apologize the next day, but she just brushes him off. The next day, Narumi skips school, and Ayaka starts to worry. The two apologize to each other, and Narumi gives her a new armband to replace the one he accidentally ripped the day before. Ayaka assures Narumi is not a replacement, and tells him that she originally started gardening on the roof just to have an excuse to meet him. A few days later, Ayaka is asked by one of the teachers to move the planters on the roof for a school event. She gets a bit depressed about this and stays late. However, when she gets back to the shop, she overhears Major and Tetsu talking about Toshi. Later, Narumi offers to confront the teacher about the planters on the roof, which makes Ayaka smile. However, the episode ends with a shot of her falling out of a school window into a bed of flowers.

#3 - Samurai Bride

Samurai Girls - Season 2 - Episode 4

Gisen visits the Café and tries to apply for a Job. Someone knows a little too much about the Samurai Brides, who will have what it takes?

#4 - Totally a Date

Angel's 3Piece! - Season 1 - Episode 10

#5 - Hot Spring Camp

Hanayamata - Season 1 - Episode 10

Machi decides to join the yosakoi club, determined to help the group get into shape before the Hanairo Festival. Tami proposes they go on a training camp at her family's hot spring inn, so the group discuss their plans at Hana's house, where they learn she lives with her father after her parents got divorced. After everyone works to update their choreography and routines to include Machi, the girls head to the inn and get straight to practising. Later that night, the girls suddenly learn they've missed the registration date for the festival. Nonetheless, Machi is still determined to spend every waking minute practising so she can catch up with the others, encouraging the others to practise alongside her. Their practise soon attracts the attention of the other inn guests, who give the girls their support. The next day, Sally informs the girls that Masaru has managed to get them into the festival thanks to a team dropping out. Back at school, as Naru manages to come up with a theme for their outfits, Hana gets a call from her mother.

#6 - Fried Seafood / Melon Soda Float

Restaurant to Another World - Season 1 - Episode 9

Two dwarves enjoy otherworldly alcohol and fried seafood. A prince has fallen for the princess he met at Nekoya.

#7 - I'm Getting Sick of This

Ajin - Season 2 - Episode 1

Kai and Ko are on the run when Kei decided they need an ally, Tosaki. By threatening Tosaki's girlfriend, who is in a coma, he brings them reluctantly into his circle. Meanwhile, Sato has announced plans for this second wave of assassinations.

#8 - They Make Me Sick

Ajin - Season 2 - Episode 4

Kaito is in prison after helping Kei escape. He encounters prisoners ganging up on another prisoner after a successful escape attempt. The prisoner wants no help from Kaito. It begins to be clear the prisoner is hiding something.

#9 - Beef Stew / Breakfast Special

Restaurant to Another World - Season 1 - Episode 1

Beef stew: a legendary dragon’s most prized treasure lies on the other side of a certain door. Breakfast set: a starving Aletta wanders into the Restaurant to Another World and believes herself to be dreaming, but she’s in for a shock when she wakes up the next morning.

#10 - The Terrifying Blade, Tsukuyo Inaba

Armed Girl's Machiavellism - Season 1 - Episode 10

Satori and Amou's fight continues on the school's rooftop. Meanwhile, Nomura is challenged by Inaba in the courtyard.

#11 - DESTINY!

Gugure! Kokkuri-san - Season 1 - Episode 12

Kohina, who came to the city to buy chicken for Christmas, is called by a suspicious man and asked to choose a present for her daughter. The man is busy with work and hasn't done anything like a father, so he wants to make fun memories with her daughter this Christmas.

#12 - Drop Out of Being an Adult and Cosplay!

Gugure! Kokkuri-san - Season 1 - Episode 11

Opening the refrigerator after a bath, Inugami discovers a single plastic bottle of "ochimizu," a rejuvenating water Kokkuri-san purchased. Ignoring the written instructions not to drink it, Inugami gulps down the water in an instant, turning him into a child. Shigaraki, who also drank the water, appears from another room...

#13 - It's Better Than Crying

Tada Never Falls in Love - Season 1 - Episode 7

When Nyanko-big doesn't return home, the gang splits up and does everything they can to make sure he returns home safely.

#14 - Notes on a Scandal

Armed Girl's Machiavellism - Season 1 - Episode 6

Mary and Rin don't hold back in their battle against Nomura. In the meantime, Warabi has her own plans to set in motion.

#15 - Try, Try, Try!

Hanayamata - Season 1 - Episode 6

The club prepares for the Hanairo Yosakoi festival: logos, costumes, choreography, music. Meanwhile, Hana discovers a gig at the department store. They plan for the club to perform, but Sally-sensei makes two demands in exchange for permission for the out-of-school activity…

#16 - Volume 2

Holy Knight - Season 1 - Episode 2

Shinta discovers that he is the last in a long line of vampire slayers and Lilith, a vampire, must conceive a child with the slayer and then kill them both and bathe in their blood in order to live on.

#17 - The Flowers on the Desk are a Message!

Gugure! Kokkuri-san - Season 1 - Episode 5

Inugami appears in her female form. Taking advantage of being the same sex as Kohina, she begins doing things she cannot do as a man to close the distance between them. However, she instead finds herself being badgered by ladies' man Shigaraki, and seeing this, Kokkuri-san worries for the corruption of the Ichimatsu household's morals...

#18 - Cocoon Cocoon

Hand Shakers - Season 1 - Episode 11

The menacing man introduces himself as Daichi Nagaoka, an old associate and former Hand Shaker partner of Makihara. He also introduces the white-haired girl beside him as Mayumi Akutagawa, who is none other than Koyori's twin sister. Koyori's sinister past is revealed through a flashback concerning both Makihara and Nagaoka, as well as the Akutagawa professors. Like Makihara and Nagaoka, the Akutagawa professors are Hand Shaker partners and scientists striving to discover the mystery behind Hand Shakers' existence. To help in their research, they draw one another into the Ziggurat (the two parties being two pairs of Hand Shakers) and there, Mrs Akutagawa gives birth to two white-haired twin girls: Mayumi and Koyori. Being born in the Ziggurat, the twins are naturally gifted Hand Shaker powers and become partners. While the Akutagawas are ecstatic with the success of their project, this soon proves to be a curse as the twins, being children, are easy targets. This also results in them unable to lose or let go of each other hands lest they die. The Akutagawas, filled with regret, slowly but surely get infatuated with the possibly of meeting God and killing him to protect their daughters and end this battle. It is also at this time when Makihara and Nagaoka stop being Hand Shakers as their relationship worsens and they lose their will to fight together. True to their word, the Akutagawa professors depart to kill God, but have never returned. Then Koyori and Mayumi abruptly lose all their memories, powers of speech and movement, and fall into a coma. Wishing to fulfil the Akutagawas' dream, Nagaoka kidnaps Mayumi and puts her on drugs, turning her into his Hand Shaker partner and leaving Koyori and Makihara for good. Returning to the present, Tazuna, Koyori, Mayumi and Nagaoka are drawn into the Ziggurat as they prepare to do battle.

#19 - Hikari Tsuneki, Chapter 2: Deep in the Mountains

Seiren - Season 1 - Episode 2

#20 - A Refreshing Smile is the First Step Towards Becoming a Respectable Person!

Gugure! Kokkuri-san - Season 1 - Episode 2

One day while out for a walk, Kohina discovers a suspicious man in a suit holding his knees and sitting inside a cardboard box. Kohina accidentally makes eye contact with the man and he follows her home, where he is revealed to be "Inugami", a dog ghost who ruins those he haunts!

#21 - Hikari Tsuneki, Chapter 3: In the Men's Bath

Seiren - Season 1 - Episode 3

#22 - In a Fog

Chaos Dragon - Season 1 - Episode 5

Trusting in Red Dragon's message, Ibuki heads to Ogani Volcano where there is rumor of the dead rising. There, Ibuki meets General Gakusho, but...

#23 - Winding

Chaos Dragon - Season 1 - Episode 9

After learning of Inori's power and the madness residing within her, Ibuki decides to follow her, but first he approaches Mashiro for a conclusion.

#24 - Volume 1

Holy Knight - Season 1 - Episode 1

Shinta is an ordinary student. One day she meets a student from Romania who is half human and half vampire. She is called Lilith Kishimoto. Living with her, he soon discovers the secret of her birth. He is the only descendant of the Romuald clan and thus a vampire hunter.

#25 - Festival and Carnival

Hand Shakers - Season 1 - Episode 7

Tazuna returns to Makihara's lab, and questions him about his identity, to which Makihara reveals the truth that he was once a Hand Shaker. With much on his mind about it, Tazuna is further forced to help with the school's festival, where Tazuna's class is setting up a booth with free snacks. Asked to approach Lily, Tazuna apologises for the incident, to which Lily bats it away, and casually offers help, but turns out is unable to. Tazuna then asks Chizuru and Hayate for help, to which Chizuru makes Koyori wear a kimono to advertise their company. Problem solved with getting ingredients, Koyori then reveals her interest in cooking and offers to help out with the booth. After a busy two days of working, Koyori prepares a special meal for Tazuna.

#26 - Hikari Tsuneki, Final Chapter: Starry Sky

Seiren - Season 1 - Episode 4

#27 - Meet Yet

Hand Shakers - Season 1 - Episode 5

During a trip around the city, Koyori and Tazuna get separated, and Tazuna goes around the whole city searching for her, fearing she will die. Koyori is confronted by the friendly Riri "Lily" Hojo, the student council president of Tazuna's school. She kindly takes Koyori with her to a card tournament, where she calls Tazuna but he does not pick up. Koyori spends the rest of the afternoon with Lily and her younger brother, Masaru, a mature young boy who is also a card game champion. The siblings play a few card games with her to pass the time, while Lily makes frequent attempts to call Tazuna. Meanwhile, he meets an odd man outside Makihara's lab, who knows a lot about Hand Shakers and Makihara. Frightened, Tazuna leaves hastily, and finally picks up Lily's call. Koyori and Tazuna finally reunite, but when Lily holds Masaru's hand, the world shifts to that of Ziggurat, and the siblings reveal their true identities as Hand Shakers and their Nimrods: two decks of shuffling cards, one pink and the other blue.

#28 - The Chastity Dorm Riot

Armed Girl's Machiavellism - Season 1 - Episode 2

The Junior Five Swords take it upon themselves to get revenge on Nomura. Meanwhile, Rin gets an unexpected visit.

#29 - Finally Fairy

Hand Shakers - Season 1 - Episode 9

Tazuna's condition worsens as he soon gets a high fever. In his present condition, Makihara then forbids Tazuna from leaving the house to fight. However, Tazuna storms out at the protests of his parents and takes Koyori along. Drawing Kodama and Hibiki into the Ziggurat, they once again begin to duel. Within minutes, Tazuna is at his limit. Dealing the last blow, Kodama delivers a favourite quote of hers: True strength comes from an unbreakable will. These words spark Koyori's wish to protect Tazuna as much as he had protected her, resulting in an unexpected transformation. Changing into a white-clad fairy, Koyori successfully earns her Nimrod as well as her power of speech. With both pairs of Hand Shakers on even ground, Koyori uses her keen observation skills to predict Kodama's movements just as she had done with Masaru's cards and the two win to Kodama's utmost despair.

#30 - Lead by Red

Hand Shakers - Season 1 - Episode 2

Makihara finally settles down sufficiently to explain that Koyori and Tazuna are now a group of Hand Shakers, two people that combine abilities to challenge God through holding hands, thus the name Hand Shakers. This act also enables them to stay in the twisted reality of Ziggurat, where other Hand Shakers battle with one another and is also the very core of their Nimrod, or power. Makihara is researching the various reasons of Hand Shakers' existence, and originally planned to keep Koyori asleep before she found her partner, lest her life force be drained. However now, with Tazuna, Koyori can live on, and Makihara takes the both of them to Tazuna's house, lying that Koyori will be staying with them as she is on an exchange program in Tazuna's school. With the price of constantly holding hands, this results in embarrassing moments in the bathroom, and many rumours spreading around school that the duo are a couple. Meanwhile, three business partners bid goodbye after a meeting, one of them being a tiny young girl that is believed to be a middle school student who is an intern, but it turns out she is the boss of a certain company known as Centeolt, with the name of Chizuru Mitsudera, accompanied by her subordinate, a tall lanky man named Hayate Azuma.

#31 - Conductor to Contact

Hand Shakers - Season 1 - Episode 1

High school student Tazuna Takatsuki is a kind young fellow who is in love with mechanics, stopping anytime to help anyone fix anything problems that have to do with mechanics, and he is almost always successful. When he goes to an university to meet a scientist named Nagamasa Makihara who has requested his help in fixing something, only to come across a hospital room where a young girl with short white hair is lying unconscious on a bed. Reminded strongly of his deceased sister, Tazuna approaches the girl, only for her to wake up and reach for his hand. The moment their hands make contact, both of them are transported to an alternate reailty, where Tazuna collapses, only to wake up to find himself back in the room, with the girl awake and Makihara dancing with glee. Makihara barely explains the details clearly, only bluntly stating that Tazuna cannot let go of the girl, Koyori Akutagawa's hand or else she will die. When Tazuna looks up however, Makihara is gone, and the duo are attacked by metal chains snaking through the walls. The two escape, only to be confronted by a rebellious-looking man that controls the chains, along with a young woman treated like a puppy dog. The man roughly introduces himself as Break and the girl Bind, but makes one point clear: he has come to kill them. Tazuna and Koyori runs, but the chains are everywhere. It seems the two are doomed, when metallic gears materialize suddenly, forming a protective barrier around Koyori and Tazuna before taking the form of a sword. Together, Tazuna and Koyori stab Break as Bind reaches her limit, and wins the battle.

#32 - Emperor of Fortune

Hand Shakers - Season 1 - Episode 6

The two pairs of Hand Shakers summon their Nimrods, and Lily and Masaru then disappear into thin air. This is followed by a barrage of attacks from nowhere, which Koyori recognises comes from the attack cards in the much-loved card game "Precious Memories", the game Masaru excels most at. Unable to pinpoint the attacks, Tazuna and Koyori are at a losing end as they dodge attacks barely to make their way to Lily and Masaru, who have reappeared on a skyscraper. Due to Koyori's experience with Masaru's playing, she manages to predict his attacks while Tazuna defends them with his sword, and the duo get closer. Running out of cards, Masaru bades Lily give him her retrot cards, and he converges it into one final attack, but to no avail. Despite Tazuna's injuries, Lily and Masaru are defeated.

#33 - Kitten Kitchen

Hand Shakers - Season 1 - Episode 10

Koyori and Tazuna are hired by Chizuru at one of Cocktail Corn's premises. During work hours, Hayate reveals his true feelings about his boss to Tazuna and Koyori, causing Chizuru to misunderstand that he loves her. At their break, Koyori and Tazuna also come across Lily and Masaru, who enlists Tazuna's help in taking care of his older sister while volunteering to teach Tazuna how to play "Precious Memories". While shopping, the two come across Kodama making a live concert on a makeshift stage. Approached by Hibiki who formally reintroduces himself, he promises that there are no hard feelings between them. Satisfied after a great day, they bump into Makihara. After being thoroughly overjoyed at Koyori's newfound ability to speak, his joy is short-lived however as they are soon approached by the menacing man Tazuna had met previously on his quest to find Koyori. Emerging with him is another girl with an uncanny resemblance to Koyori holding his hand, as Makihara grows grim with understanding.

#34 - Live Lab

Hand Shakers - Season 1 - Episode 4

Tazuna lures Hayate and Chizuru to the rooftop of a temple, where their shadow clones are ineffective and Tazuna successfully traps Chizuru and injures Hayate. Winning the battle, the two groups of Hand Shakers return to Makihara's lab, where they caution Tazuna about constantly holding hands with Koyori and revealing their identity. They also explain clearly how they are transported to Ziggurat, either within a kilometre range of one another or by targeting other groups. Despite suffering bitter defeat, the duo offer to be Tazuna and Koyori's guides around the world of Ziggurat.

#35 - Sing a Sonic

Hand Shakers - Season 1 - Episode 8

While shopping, Tazuna and Koyori get thrown into another Hand Shaker battle. This time, they are up against Kodama Awaza, a popular idol famed for her singing and widely recognisable through her prominent pigtails and use of proverbs. Accompanying her as her partner is her portly manager Hibiki Moriyama. As they begin to duel, Kodama gains the upper hand as her Nimrod begins to affect the world of Ziggurat directly, forcing Tazuna and Koyori to retreat as Kodama prepares to deal the final blow. In the process of escaping, Tazuna is gravely injured and brought back to Makihara's lab for recuperation and recovery. When he is finally discharged, Koyori reveals her worries of being her burden to him due to her absence of a Nimrod to Lily while crying bitterly over Tazuna.

#36 - Blade and Dagger

Hand Shakers - Season 1 - Episode 3

Makihara gives Koyori a check-up, and informs Tazuna that he can let go of her hand for a maximum of fifteen minutes now, and can also eat real food. While out for lunch, Chizuru and Hayate spot Koyori and Tazuna working together in the kitchen to make the appliances more effective, and Hayate takes this chance to thank Tazuna for helping to fix his car previously. Mistaking them to be a couple, Chizuru offers to take them to the restaurant run by their company for a date. The "couple" goes, and after a wonderful time, Chizuru and Hayate reveal themselves to be Hand Shakers. Fighting ensues, but Tazuna's gears prove to be ineffective against Chizuru's circular blades, known as Dagger Blades, and Hayate's sword, known as Blade Shadow. With double Nimrods and shadow clones, this pair of Hand Shakers prove to be more than a match for Tazuna and Koyori, who has no way to fight.

#37 - Shake the Hands

Hand Shakers - Season 1 - Episode 12

Nagaoka reveals that he had planned their battle by sending the Houjo siblings and Kodama to fight him, trying to intimidate Tazuna and Koyori. Undeterred, Tazuna summons their gears and Koyori turns into a fairy; Nagaoka changes into a flowery coat along with Mayumi. The battle ensues, and Mayumi conjures brightly-coloured cocoons that rebound around physical objects, turning anything it touches into a flowery patch of ground. Nagaoka then causes the area to explode. At first, Koyori and Tazuna try to fall back, but are caught in the explosions as many cocoons rush after them. As they flee, Tazuna asks Koyori if she feels alright fighting her older sister, to which Koyori explains that she is able to connect to everyone she comes into contact with, which means she can also do the same with Mayumi. Emotionless like the old Koyori, Mayumi attacks everything in sight as they face off with Nagaoka. A formidable opponent, he can destroy their gears and Tazuna and Koyori are at a losing end. Tazuna then realises that Mayumi cannot fight without destroying her Nimrod, and if she pushes herself too much she will disappear and die. Nagaoka does not relent, and they use Mayumi's exhaustion as an opening to attack him repeatedly. Luring him up to a skyscraper unwisely, Mayumi places all her cocoons under it and set off dozens of explosions. In a desperate attempt, Tazuna and Koyori link hands and fight as one, defeating Nagaoka. The battle is not over yet as Mayumi persists, and is revealed to be able to speak, her first words being that she will protect Nagaoka even is it means her disappearance. At that, Koyori connects with Mayumi, her former partner, and stops the disappearance. Returning to the real world, Nagaoka makes amends with Makihara. Mayumi explains her emotions occurred when she bonded with Nagaoka and like Koyori, she can connect with the people she comes into contact with. Complimenting Tazuna, Nagaoka leaves with Mayumi, who wants to eat a parfait with him. K