== Being surprised by the programs of noitaminA

[[noitaminA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noitamina]] is a programming
block that is either derided or saluted (depending on your perspective)
for running 'arty' and experimental shows instead of your usual fair. I
don't usually pay much attention to things surrounding the shows that I
watch (like [[staff UNGOStaffNote]]), so from anime blog reading so far
I've vaguely had the impression that it was mostly uninteresting (and
often pretentious) anime with much more misses than hits.

(For example, *Fractale* was a noitaminA show. The general consensus
is that it was not a success.)

Today, for reasons beyond the scope of this entry, I decided to actually
look up [[the facts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noitamina]]. And the
facts surprised me. For a start, [[noitaminA]] is much older than I had
vaguely thought; the programming block started in 2005. But the real
surprise was that [[noitaminA]] has run a significant number of shows
that I've enjoyed and a surprising number of shows that I would not
have expected to be their fare because they are action-oriented shows.

All of the following shows are noitaminA ones:

* both *Honey and Clover* and *Nodame Cantabile*, which are notable
  for being slice of life romance shows that I really liked despite not
  liking either slice of life or romance.
* *Moyashimon*, which is both crazy and educational (really, it makes
  microbes fascinating and cute).
* *Eden of the East*

(Other notable, eye-raising shows include [[*AnoHana* Spring2011Brief]]
and *Usagi Drop* (aka *Bunny Drop*).)

Surprising action shows on noitaminA that I've watched include *Toshokan
Sensou* (which I did not finish), [[*[C]* Spring2011Brief]] and this
season's [[*Guilty Crown* Fall2011Brief]]. Arguably *Eden of the East*
should also be considered an action show.

Looking at the [[full list http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noitamina]]
shows me a significant number of clearly successful shows (even if a
number of them are not to my tastes and I didn't watch them), many of
them relatively conventional series from an artistic perspective. It's
clear that noitaminA doesn't have anything to apologize for, and if I
discuss a noitaminA show I have no reason to prefix it with 'even though
this is on noitaminA, you should totally pay attention anyways'.

(Oh sure, there are also failures and drastic artistic experiments 
like [[*The Tatami Galaxy* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tatami_Galaxy]],
but far less of them than I had vaguely thought.)

PS: I don't think you can even argue that noitaminA may have started out
strong with things like *Honey and Clover* but has fallen down lately.
Just this year I have read plenty of praise for *AnoHana* and *Usagi
Drop*, for example.