Phi-Brain

Every week I anticipate the release of new episodes of this show. While the overarching premise took a few episodes to finally accept - that Puzzles are the battleground of a shadowy and longstanding global conflict - it does finally make a sort of sense when the story unfolds a little fuller. A slight recasting of human history into this "struggle" is far easier to accept than some other shows' reliance upon supernatural powers or ridiculously ubiquitous and complex mechanical contraptions to advance their plots. Kaito's (and other characters') mental abilities are not so much supernatural or magical as well-cultivated and honed. I personally appreciate shows where what takes place *could happen* in the real world, even if it doesn't.
The emphasis in the show is on the Human Potential, which I find to be an excellent quality that a lot of other shows demean. For those who think Kaito or the other exceptional children are too unbelievable or emotionless, I would recommend watching the '90s show "The Pretender," which does a good job of showing the effects of directed development on children. As for the interpersonal drama, it doesn't hold a candle to the richness of dialogue and interaction on the order of "Spice & Wolf," but it also doesn't focus on juvenile and overly worked awkward situations. The drama does just enough to support the plot, while not getting in the way.
But the main draw for me, I confess, is the puzzle content. Season 2 hasn't done as swell a job of it, but for most of the episodes there is a main puzzle presented wherein the rules are explained to the viewer and for a good few seconds show the overall layout of the puzzle. I always pause it at these spots and try to solve them on my own. There are some fairly challenging ones! Any show that makes me think and really forces me to try different approaches deserves praise.
For when I cannot quite figure out the puzzle (which happens all too often), Phi-Brain doesn't just leave me hanging: It will detail the thought processes that lead to the correct solution. In this way, it reminds me of the insightful intuition of iconic characters such as Sherlock Holmes, or the scientific creativity of MacGyver.
If Hulu truly is the alien's invading strategy to turn our brains into delicious mushy goo, I am glad to know even our alien overlords can make mistakes. Enjoy growing your grey-matter!

At times I must admit that Kaito seems to be full of himself. Guess he's just trying to find his place in the puzzle war against the POG organization.