This post reviews: Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de, Amagi Brilliant Park, Nanatsu no Taizai, Akatsuki no Yona, and Trinity Seven.

I am unsure if I will include any of the ‘undecided’ anime in my Weekly Anime posts until I agree to pick them up for good. This should quicken the process in which the first one comes out, though you can probably still expect it to come out weeks late like everything else here.

Watching:

Amagi Brilliant Park

Kyoto Animation hasn’t made a good anime since Hyouka. Will Amagi Brilliant Park break this negative trend or mediocrity for KyoAni? Maybe. There’s a chance, but nothing I’ve seen so far warrants listing this anime among KyoAni’s top tier anime. However, this will probably my favorite KyoAni anime since Hyouka aired in 2014 due to a handful of reasons.

If the first episode of Amagi Brilliant Park is any dependable gauge for how the series will perform, then there is no question I will be entertained. The comedy in Amagi Brilliant Park was outstanding, frequently producing a smile or laughter. The effectiveness of the comedy can be derived from two main aspects: the content and the delivery of the jokes. The decrepit and decaying amusement park, with a list of problems that never stops growing, was a constant source of delight (for me) because of how awful and disappointing everything was. As for the delivery, Isuzu’s deadpan technique worked wonders when combined with the outrageous theme park, and her style reminds me of Senjougahara from the Monogatari franchise, a character whom I am extremely fond of. The remainder of the cast played well, too, with Seiya and Isuzu having flawless chemistry and the minor characters contributing when necessary, such as the four elemental fairies. And though I hardly ever care about the plot in comedies, I am actually absorbed in this story and about how Seiya plans to save the dilapidated amusement park. As for the art and animation, Kyoto Animation has always been one of the more dazzling and impressive anime studios, and you can see the superb quality and detail in Amagi Brilliant Park.

However, I do have some concerns with Amagi Brilliant Park moving forward, specifically with how they improve the theme park. Although I expect a similar level and style of comedy throughout the series, I did find a primary source of delight from this episode being directly caused by how rundown the park was. I mean, once they improve the rollercoasters, the mascots are competent and the park is making money… the content of humor from the first episode will be completely gone.  Another potential problem is that the anime felt more like Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! than Nichijou.  One of those is one of my favorite comedies, and the other isn’t.  I’ll let you guess which one is which.  Still, I have confidence in the anime, and am looking forward to more Amagi Brilliant Park this season.

Undecided:

Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de

Another comedy anime, Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de barely accomplished the primary objective of keeping me entertained, but failed to satisfy me in a number of other areas. Of course, I’ve always claimed, ‘if a comedy can make me laugh, why not keep it?’, so why the contradiction here? Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de felt fine as a basic comedy anime, but it was lacking in other essential categories, especially in terms of its characters and its story. Additionally, the humor, for the most part, was broad and rudimentary, never really building on itself or working with its characters to create complex jokes on its situation. It’s another anime that’s too focused on the main character’s chuunibyou and other anime stereotypes, so I’m unsure if the comedy will continue on this trajectory. In fact, I’d say the comedy failed until Student Council President Kudou showed up. She’s really the only character I immediately liked, which doesn’t bode well for the anime when she’s not on screen… which probably will be most of the series. At least the art and animation are stylish and pleasing, so there’s no problem with how the series looks. The visuals of the superpowers were perhaps the most impressive, though I found the consistent art style throughout to be charming. As for the setting, I found their situation to be amusing. I found the idea of a world where the characters develop superpowers and use them to play with each other (rather than fighting evil people) to be unique and appealing, so I was taken back a bit when the series hinted at the story being about the literature club fighting other people (besides Kudou) and learning the origins of their superpowers. To summarize, I am a bit torn on the series, and I want to see if the series can make me smile or laugh when Kudou isn’t on the screen. If the anime can manage to amuse me or even interest me with its main cast, then it should be worth picking up for the season.

Akatsuki no Yona

Shoujo romcoms are often a weakness of mine, so it might be surprising to see Akatsuki no Yona here in this section. The primary reason is that the first episode doesn’t feel indicative of the rest of the series, since it was building the foundation for Yona, Hak and Yoon’s characters before the Kingdom of Kouka was turned upside-down. Or to put it simply, the next 11 episodes aren’t going to be about Yona living as a spoiled princess in her comfortable castle. Really, I have no idea what the dynamic or story of the series will be from episode 2 onward. However, I do have a great understanding of the characters, the setting, the style of humor, the romantic interests and the visuals. Each of these categories is at adequate or above, though none are notable or extraordinary at this point, so there are no issues there if I do continue this anime. However, I am uncertain about how the rest of the series will play out and whether I find issues with the characterization, the story, or any other aspect of the series. I was pleased with the first episode, but I don’t feel as though the first episode represents the rest of the series, and I can’t be sure if I’ll enjoy Akatsuki no Yona based on this one episode. If I enjoy the second episode, then I feel confidence that I will enjoy the anime as a whole.

Dropped:

Nanatsu no Taizai

With a surplus of fantasy anime this season, it’s no surprise that one or two would be cut. However, even if there were no other fantasy anime this season, I would not be watching Nanatsu no Taizai. The issues with this anime stem from a few key areas, such as the unlikable main character, Meliodas, the lackluster setting, the unimaginative story, the woeful writing, and the awkward groping (and here I thought anime was done with stupid groping scenes). In fact, the art style, which I found to be subpar, was the best part of this anime. I really could not find a single aspect about this anime that made it worth watching. Not a single positive to take away from this first episode. Well, I suppose I did find one afterwards… that I don’t have to watch Nanatsu no Taizai anymore.

Trinity Seven

With a surplus of fantasy magic/superpowers anime this season, it’s no surprise that one or two would be cut. However, even if there were no other fantasy magic/superpowers anime this season, I would not be watching Nanatsu no Taizai Trinity Seven. The issues with this anime stem from a few key areas, such as the unlikable main character, Meliodas Arata, the lackluster setting, the unimaginative story, the woeful writing, and the awkward groping (and here I thought anime was done with stupid groping scenes). In fact, the art style, which I found to be subpar, was the best part of this anime. I really could not find a single aspect about this anime that made it worth watching. Not a single positive to take away from this first episode. Well, I suppose I did find one afterwards… that I don’t have to watch Nanatsu no Taizai Trinity Seven anymore.

This post reviews: Parasyte (Kiseijuu), Garo: Honoo no Kokuin, Shirobako, Ore Twintail ni Narimasu and Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso.

One anime that won’t be appearing in these First Impressions posts is Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru. The first episode will air on October 17 making it the one of the last anime to premiere this season (the other being Mushishi Zoku Shou 2). I don’t want to wait another week just to fit that anime into this First Impressions post, so I will forego it for now and see whether I want to keep it or not this season. I doubt I will write about it weekly, unless it provides interesting or valuable content each week, so you probably won’t hear much about Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru here… especially if I end up dropping it.

Watching:

Parasyte (Kiseijuu)

I am conflicted with Parasyte. The downside of the anime thus far is that it strongly resembles Tokyo Ghoul, an anime from last season that failed to impress me outside some sequences of exquisite visuals. The two share similarities in its main character developing some strange mutant powers and fighting others for survival. In that regard, I am not enthusiastic with Parasyte. However, there are a handful of substantial variances between the two that easily puts Parasyte above Tokyo Ghoul. The most noteworthy is that it is already delivering in its coherent focus on the paranormal and psychological horror of Shinichi’s life… as aspect that I yearned for in Tokyo Ghoul that never materialized. Parasyte’s story revolves around Shinichi’s character and how he’s dealing with Migi living in his hand instead of focusing on the fight with the other alien inside the dog. It exemplifies that the battle was not the story, but that it part of the story expressing the ruthlessness of these aliens. And it did a pretty damn good job of expressing that in that scene, too. There is also a sense of horror and psychological distress present in Parasyte that makes the anime attractive, too. Again, I don’t want to continue comparing this to Tokyo Ghoul, but that aspect quickly disappeared and devolved into senseless, mindless action and violence and nothing more in Ghoul. The same might happen here in Parasyte, but at least there was an effort to the horror that makes me feel more confident in Parasyte. And the disconnect between Shinichi and Migi will help emphasize the horror more, since his little hand alien is largely out of his control. Really, there remains a lot to be seen in this anime, but for now, I am positive with this anime based on what was shown in this first episode. I can’t say I am fond of Shinichi’s character thus far, but I am fond of the situation he’s in, how it will test his character and how he will impact the story moving forward. I have no qualms with the art or animation, especially since this is one of the better ones this season, but I do have uncertainties elsewhere. However, my reservations with the rest of the cast, the other aliens and future fights are questions for the future and not of my initial impressions with this anime. For now, I have a positive outlook for Parasyte and am picking it up as an anime to keep this autumn.

Shirobako

Shirobako had a solid first episode thanks essentially due to the contrast in Aoi’s character then and now. When she was a member in the animation club in high school, we saw an idealistic and enthusiastic young girl who loved anime and wanted to fulfill her passion by creating anime. She and her four other friends in the animation club felt the same way, speaking about their dreams of working in the anime industry and even producing their own short anime for their cultural fair. We were able to witness the untainted love and energy of anime fans who want to work in the anime industry. Fast-forward to the present, and Aoi is an animation runner (much like Animation Runner Kuromi) for Musashino Animation, a small studio that earned its first anime as a prime contractor in seven years. Yeah… the real world can be quite a bit different than our fantasies. However, the subdued reality of her situation hasn’t dented Aoi’s enthusiasm or passion for anime, so it’s enjoyable to see how her character manages in such an unappealing situation. And the realistic problems that occurred in the first episode fascinated to me as a viewer, especially since the first episode was highly educational without succumbing to teaching us lessons or giving us lectures; it thought through example and practice. And, as always with the anime I keep, the art and animation are pluses. I am curious to see where the anime goes, especially with how the other three girls connect to the anime, so I am excited to keep this anime for the season.

Undecided:

Garo: Honoo no Kokuin

Garo has a fascinating setting, a fantasy realm where the kingdom pursuits and tortures witches, where witches hunt demons to save humanity, and where demons prey on the kingdom to fulfill their beastly desires. Add in a pleasant and unique art style with a liberal use of color and mature character design and you have an ideal anime for me, right? …Right? Well, right now, I like Garo more than I dislike it, but I never feel in love with the series despite being one of the most imaginative settings of the season. For one, the characterization was surprisingly lacking with virtually nothing on Leon or Alfonso, supposedly the hero and primary antagonist of the story. It’s hard to say how much I like an anime when two of the most essential characters are absent, though we did see Leon for a fight that was mesmerizing to watch but pedestrian in its tension (a fight against the hero in the last two minutes of an episode isn’t really a fight to begin with). As for the story, there really isn’t even one right now as most of the content in this episode was Herman’s exposition in the anime’s backstory and history while he was drunk and naked in bed. It’s really hard to make a proper judgment on the anime when most of the episode was focused on establishing the foundation of the setting and laying out the blueprints for the story. I will admit that there was one thing that bothered me which was the 3D CGI armor and the fights with the 3D CGI armor. It clashes with that gorgeous art style of the background and characters way too much. While I don’t mind seeing CGI characters for anime set in the present, the future or in space… it just doesn’t work out well for a medieval-fantasy setting. I think I’ll be able to make up my mind on this anime after one more episode, so long as it provides enough time with Leon and Alfonso to better understand if I enjoy their characters or not. The story also leaves me wondering too, thought it won’t make or break the series like its characters will.

Dropped:

Ore Twintail ni Narimasu

This is what happens when you write an anime about your favorite fetish. There was nothing more to this anime than the distinctiveness in its unhealthy mania with twintails. Virtually every aspect of the anime was about twintails, whether it was the fact that almost every girl has twintails or that every guy obsesses about twintails. And while I do like twintails on certain characters, I don’t like them this much, and I need something more to an anime than just a specific hairstyle for girls on every girl. Ore Twintail ni Narimasu couldn’t provide me any valuable content, so it is dropped.

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso isn’t a bad anime… it’s just not an anime for me. For me to watch or enjoy a romance, almost everything needs to be perfect: from the characters to the setting to the story to the emotion and so on. Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso fulfills only a few of those criteria for me, so it shouldn’t be surprising to learn I feel virtually nothing toward this anime. The only character I genuinely enjoyed was Tsubaki and her character is destined to be forever in second-place thanks to Kaori’s sudden apperance. Kaori was okay, but her comedy failed to tickle me even the slightest. Kousei was doleful and lackluster as a lead character, probably because his chronic dysthymia brought the whole episode down whenever he was on screen. I realize the anime is about him improving his mood and becoming a better person as he falls in love, so the story appeals to me. But like with every school-setting, romantic comedy anime before it, there’s a guarantee in unnecessary drama, a love-triangle, and rival love interests that frustrates me to no end.  Lastly, the musical themes don’t strike a cord with me as I have virtually zero experience playing music or knowing people who do.  I will say that Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso had one of the most remarkable visuals of this young season, so there’s no doubt that this anime will be great to look at for those who watch it. But for me, it won’t matter since I know I won’t be watching it.

This post reviews: Yuri Kuma Arashi, Kantai Collection (KanColle), Junketsu no Maria (Maria the Virgin Witch), and Koufuku Graffiti.

Since this season is light in terms of new anime, and there aren’t too many shows I am planning on watching this season, there will only be 2 installments of my first impressions posts. Since the anime in these posts are always grouped by the dates they are released, I think all that will be needed are two for Winter 2015.

Watching:

Yuri Kuma Arashi

The highlights of Yuri Kuma Arashi are its storytelling and its visual presentation. The execution in this first episode was brilliant, and helped lay the foundation for what should be an intriguing story about love between two conflicting and divided sides. In terms of the characterization, there isn’t much to say beyond identifying each girl’s primary personality, but it’s how they’ll change that will intrigue me. The content of the first episode did little to inspire me, but the storytelling was remarkable in how it constructed this delicate situation. But perhaps the most imposing fact about this first episode is its visuals. It won’t have the best art or animation this season, but its cinematography was superb in how it diversified its shots and scenes. A great example of this is how it positioned its characters with Ginko and Lulu were walking down the spiral staircase. In all, about what I expected given the pedigree of the production staff, though I will admit that I am not as enthused on this anime as I originally thought.

Kantai Collection (KanColle)

I might have a think for military-themed, all-girls anime like Strike Witches, Girls und Panzer, and now Kantai Collection. What immediately stood out to me with this first episode was the duration and quality of these naval battles. It helped that the 3D animation was both gorgeous and smooth, but it was the length and complexity of the battle (18 ships were shown, not to mention countless Zeros) is what I’ll remember the most from this first episode. Unfortunately, I don’t know how often the anime will be able to present naval warfare like this, but at least it was a demonstration of its skills, and it provides me with some hope for a grand finale. With regards to its cast, I’m conflicted. In a sense, I’m happy to see a diverse cast of characters, but the breadth combined with the short course of the anime means each girl will be shallow or one-dimensional except the handful of primary characters like Fubuki, Yuudachi, and some of the aircraft characters. I wish I could see each character developed, but they’d need to make KanColle about 100 episodes for that to happen. Hopefully the anime focuses on some of the more interesting characters. The content of the first episode was a bit of a cliché, but that weakness was fortified by its distinctive setting. Sure, outside the naval themes and alien invaders, it’s pretty much a school setting, slice-of-life anime, but that is never a negative if those aspects are performed well. And, well… the school aspects in this first episode were satisfactory. It wasn’t anything exceptional, but it wasn’t anything terrible either. I’m looking forward to seeing how this anime develops, though I expect the content in the next few episodes to be primarily on school and mock battles against other girls. I am kinda curious if the anime will ever have a beach episode…

Junketsu no Maria (Maria the Virgin Witch)

From the creator of Moyashimon, comes Junketsu no Maria, an anime about a witch who hates warfare in medieval France. But perhaps more significant than the story are the underlying themes of the anime, perhaps most notably are the two main characters, Joseph and a virgin named Maria… huh. Not only that, but there is also some conflict between the church and Maria, as well as the church’s role in the war, and there are some underpinnings to this anime that are laying a solid foundation for a fascinating story. Outside of that, the setting is spectacular in how it mixes its fantasy and realism. The soldiers of Gaul were a ragtag bunch of peasants, which is counter to most fantasy anime, where every soldier has full plate armor, a longsword, and at least 3-months training at the local military academy. There’s also the realism in the peasant village and how the battle progressed (although the number of arrows was exaggerated). Then there are the fantasy elements with Maria and Artemis, performing their magic and transformations and whatnot with ease which provides a pleasant contrast to everything else. I don’t have much to say on the characters at this point other than that Maria and Artemis feel a bit more cartoony than everyone else, even the little peasant girl, Anne. The art and animation are easily some of the strongest this season, given its attractive character designs and fluid battle animations. It is worth noting the anime is a bit ecchi with having Maria naked a few times and Artemis’ outfit, but it’s blended in fairly naturally and not in-your-face or distracting. Overall, one of the most impressive first episodes this season and on its way to being perhaps one of the top anime of the season.

Undecided:

Nothing here, which means…

Dropped:

Koufuku Graffiti

Although the individual elements of Koufuku Graffiti were fine, the whole product as an anime failed to hook me. What interested me the most was that cooking was a focal point of the anime, yet it felt underserved compared to the characters and their stories. In fact, besides the opening scene with Ryou cooking and describing her directions, the cooking felt like an afterthought, and the theme transitioned to general “food” and “eating” themes rather than “cooking”. To me, “food” wasn’t a problem, but the orgasmic eating scenes were ridiculous and served well to fragment the scenes between slice-of-life and erotic fanservice. It didn’t help that the characters felt shallow with their problems (one wants someone to eat their food, the other wants to go to art school), but their behaviors were fine given the topic of this anime. The art and animation were enjoyable, and helped create a pleasant personality for this anime. But what keeps this anime from inspiring me to watch more episodes is that I really don’t care about the characters, their issues, and how the theme of food, cooking and eating is presented. I will say that this first episode wasn’t terrible – in fact, it was mildly enjoyable – but there isn’t enough in this anime to keep me going. So, given this judgment, I’m dropping Koufuku Graffiti.

This post reviews: Death Parade, The iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls, Assassination Classroom, The Rolling Girls, Soukyuu no Fafner – Dead Aggressor: Exodus, and Yoru no Yatterman.

Most of the anime I’m watching this season are sequels which explains why these First Impressions posts are so light and infrequent this season. However, this season appears to be about as busy as any other, in terms of total anime, considering the number of sequels I’ll be watching in addition to all the new anime. If you were curious, here are some quick thoughts on the sequels that I’ve elected to continue during Winter 2015:

Aldnoah.Zero (S2): Completely ignoring the finale of S1 will mean a quick decline in S2. So disappointing.

Dog Days” (S3): A vast improvement over S2, likely to the reappearance of an actual story.

Durarara!! X2: A reintroduction to our memorable cast with new elements merged nicely throughout.

Gundam Reconguista in G: The most consistent thing about this anime is that I don’t understand anything.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders (S2): I knew I was going to dread Iggy, so at least I was able to prepare myself. JJBA is best when there is a strong antagonist, so until Dio appears, the series might struggle. Still, the Egyptian Deity series of Stands should be better overall than the Tarot series.

Kamisama Kiss S2: …were there always this many males? All I remember, or that I want to remember, from the first series is Nanami and Tomoe disguised as Nanami.

Watching:

Death Parade

For those who watched Death Billiards, the first episode of Death Parade provided a warm welcome back to the series by reminding us again of its shocking concepts, sophisticated setting, and stoic protagonist, Decim. For those who are completely new to this franchise… well, how was that for a first episode? I will admit, I did enjoy how closely this first episode mirrored Death Billiards, though I am thrilled they took the situation in a separate path this time. The key difference between the episodes is that this featured two sides cooperating in their game versus the standard competition in the OVA. And that leads me to my main thought with this series… where will it go? What does it want to do with its characters? With Decim? With Onna? Whatever it is, I’m certain it’ll be intriguing and stimulating considering the content of its episodes, but it does have a larger cast than I was expecting as shown in the OP. Still, with its superiority in storytelling, its appealing design, it’s curious characters, those gorgeous visuals, and that elegant setting, I must say that Death Parade is gonna be a fun anime to watch this season.

The Rolling Girls

The phenomenal art and magnificent animation of the Rolling Girls is reason enough to watch it, but it’s the absurdity of the setting and its ridiculous characters that will keep the anime fresh and exciting every week. However, that remains to be seen given the peaks and valleys in this episode. The fight at the beginning and the ramen-eating race were easily the twin pinnacles of this episode (I might be biased to the ramen scene myself) and the anime was running on a sugar high. The rest of the episode… well, that’s the crash. That’s not to say these scenes were bad, but just a completely different flavor, a different energy than the action scenes. I really wonder if this anime will be like a rollercoaster, cycling between peaks and troughs depending on the quality and quantity of its action sequences. If it’s anything like this first episode, great. If it’s anything less, that’d still be fine because the visuals are as equally impressive. Use of lighting and color have always been two of my favorite aspects of aesthetics in anime and this probably has the best use of color of any anime this season. Add in its charming animation, and this anime is certainly pleasing to my eyes. And yes, the absurdity of its world is certainly encouraging too, being as wacky and senseless as it wants to be. I’m still a bit weary of how the characters and the story will turn out, but the anime is no-doubt entertaining and meaningful to watch. It has a few areas it can improve upon and it should once this anime finishes these introductions.

Soukyuu no Fafner – Dead Aggressor: Exodus

Perhaps the most crucial, most valuable lesson learned from this first episode of Soukyuu no Fafner – Dead Aggressor: Exodus, at least from my perspective, is that you don’t need to sit through the originals to watch and enjoy this anime. Without having watched the TV anime from 2004 or the movie from 2010, I was able to understand and appreciate the background, the setting, and the characters. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a number of references and other tidbits that hinted back to the original series that I completely missed, but I’m fine with watching Soukyuu no Fafner without it. However, I will admit that this first episode was a bit underwhelming. If I were to give this episode a review in a single word, I wouldn’t have any qualms with saying, ‘mediocre’. But this mediocre isn’t bad… it’s not mediocre in the overall field of anime, just mediocre in my personal field… which means it’s actually pretty good. In fact, I think I enjoy just about every aspect of this anime from its art, to its action, to its characters, to its story, its setting, its everything. But what gives it that mediocre tag is that nothing blew me away. It was underwhelming in that nothing stood out to me about this anime to make it exceptional or memorable. Fafner is an enjoyable anime, one that I will likely enjoy watching each week, but there’s nothing special about this anime… yet.

Undecided:

Assassination Classroom

First, this was a markedly improved product over the Assassination Classroom OVA that debuted in 2013 (although this was expected). However, the leap in quality might not be enough to warrant keeping this anime. While I did enjoy the dazzling art and cinematography and found the storytelling and comedy a plus over the OVA, I worry about the story, the characters, and the comedy for the remainder of the series. This first episode did a sufficient job of introducing the background, the main character, Nagisa, his motivations, and the antagonist, Koro-sensei. Really, that’s all it needed to do. But the middle of the series will likely be like that of the OVA… some sentimental stories that’s heavy with absurd comedy and failed assassination attempts. I figure a few episodes here and there might be fun, but this pattern will likely get tired pretty fast. This style of shounen comedy really didn’t work for me before, and it probably won’t work for me now. Still, I do want to see what the content of the second episode is like and whether the comedy improves or if the other characters are as interesting as Nagisa. In fact, if either is true, then this anime might be saved. Until then, consider the anime doubtful, though it deserves another episode at this point.

Yoru no Yatterman

Yoru no Yatterman might eventually be one of the best anime of the season, but it’ll need one more episode to convince me it’s worth watching. Even though it had one of the best opening episodes of Winter 2015, I realize the content of the episode is not representative to how the rest of the series will perform. Still, just about everything about this episode was impressive, especially its art, animation and cinematography. At the very least, I know Yoru no Yatterman will be one of the most delightful aesthetically this season with outstanding visuals like these in every episode. What I’m worried with the series is the story. Given the storytelling of this first episode, I’m sure the narrative of the story will be fascinating, seeing as that we’re witnessing this world through the eyes of its supposed anti-heroes. However, I am not sure if this will be standard hero vs. villain battles or if the series will be creative in how the story and the world develop. However, I am fairly confident that the character development will be handled carefully and skillfully given what this first episode demonstrated. That being said, I don’t really care for any of the characters right now, but I care what they stand for… and that’s actually pretty big for me to say this early in an anime. There’s a high probability that I will keep this anime after watching the second episode, but it has to go in the direction I want for its story, its characters and its setting. If not, I wouldn’t mind dropping Yoru no Yatterman, but given that this first episode greatly exceeded my expectations, I think that the chances of that are unlikely.

Dropped:

The iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls

I’ve never been big on idol anime. In fact, the only idol anime I’ve watched as it aired since the inception of this blog has been the original The iDOLM@STER (as well as its spin-off chibi comedy, Puchimas!). What’s the difference, you might ask, considering the two anime are virtually twins of each other minus the characters? Well, it’s that the first episode of the original series had a hook. This one didn’t. What the first episode did was introduce the entire cast through an interesting method of interviewing each and demonstrating to the audience what the series had to offer. Cinderella Girls focused on only three. The original iDOLM@STER offered more diversity in its cast to start, featured a number of different stories (why each girl wanted to be an idol), and presented it in an innovative way. This one did not. Cinderella Girls took a fairly standard anime approach to opening its story, and it fell flat. And while I did enjoy the original anime, I can’t say the same for this one. There was no hook, and as a result, there is no real motivation for me to keep watching.

This post reviews: Shokugeki no Souma, Re-Kan!, Owari no Seraph, Gunslinger Stratos, and Plastic Memories.

This is the first blog post I will have written while I am out of town on business. Forgive my delay in watching and writing about these anime. When I return home, I will finish reviewing all the new anime and adding in one or two more First Impressions posts.

Watching:

Plastic Memories

Although I was originally pessimistic over Plastic Memories based on the synopsis and PV, I feel as though it has a strong chance of being my favorite new anime of the season. The charming and lighthearted palate of comedy blends pleasantly with the heavier, melancholy scenes, satisfying my appetite for an entertaining and endearing anime. The two outlooks of this anime complement each other, helping to alleviate the depressing moods with soft jokes and assisting in the humor by adding some weight or significance to the setting. Really, I am impressed with the presentation of the main themes of this anime and am excited to see where it goes. The one deficiency I have with this anime is that the characters seem rather plain and mediocre outside Isla. Not only does this demoralized robot carry the story, but she’s also the most amusing character, too. What will take this anime to the next level is how it manages to improve its cast and how well it develops Isla’s character beyond being discouraged and anxious. If it manages to do so, this could end up being one of my favorites of the year. If not, it should end up being a solid anime to watch for Spring 2015.

Undecided:

Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End)

I’ll admit that I am impressed with the first episode of Seraph, but only the first episode at this point. Based on my knowledge of the series, and what I’ve gathered from the next episode preview, the flashback is over and everything from here on out is at the end of a timeskip. Yuuichirou is now enrolled at some school and… I don’t really need to continue, do I? I am treating the first episode as a foundation for the series to build off of, but unfortunately, that series seems to be at a school where he hunts vampires with his katana. So… I can’t really judge the heart of the series until I see how the school setting goes, so it’ll be another episode before I can decide. What is encouraging about this anime are the aesthetics and animation, both among the best this season. The painted backgrounds are remarkable details for an anime of this caliber, and a memorable positive for an anime like this. The characters and story didn’t really leave a lasting impression with me, which does not bode well now that the flashback is over, but I believe the directing covered for the weaknesses in the content with this first episode since it could’ve easily been boring and bland otherwise. Really, I feel mixed about this series at this point, which is better than I expected, so it’ll take another episode or two before I can decide whether to keep or drop Owari no Seraph.

Dropped:

Shokugeki no Souma (Food Wars)

I expected Shokugeki no Souma to be subpar before I watched it, so I wasn’t prepare for the anime to take an immediate nosedive before the first scene concluded. Every food-induced orgasm scene was bad. Like, the worst. And like, that’s it. Without those scenes, Shokugeki no Souma isn’t much more than shounen fighting clichés with foods and ecchi eating scenes instead of superpowers and interesting fights. I will admit that there is some thought and detail into the culinary science of the dishes, such as the scene with the bacon-wrapped potato dish was served, but otherwise, this anime has nothing for me.

Re-Kan!

I really want to like Re-Kan!, but I just can’t. The anime is just too low of a quality for me to enjoy. Just… everything about the anime seems deficient. The main character, Hibiki, is just too nice and innocent that she comes across as flavorless and unexciting. Narumi is only slightly better, but her personality breaks at the first hint of a ghost, meaning that she breaks down in every scene. The story might be interesting, but the writing and dialogue in each scene was too straightforward and simple. The humor, outside of the perverted cat that always wanted to look at their panties, was weak, and the perverted cat that always wanted to look at their panties was absolutely the worst. The art and animation was very basic – maybe even a little too basic – but the CGI background were a nice touch, though it did make it feel like the characters were out of place in full-body shots. Really, there’s nothing terrible about this anime (outside the cat), but there’s nothing great about this anime either. I can’t really find a reason in continuing to watch this, so I guess I’m done with Re-Kan! for now.

Gunslinger Stratos

Gunslinger Stratos has a fascinating idea and an appealing setting, but it lacks the execution and quality to convey these aspects properly, thus leaving the anime to be poor in just about everything. There’s no putting it nicely, the character art of the anime is just bad, even becoming a distraction as early as the first school scene. The animation wasn’t much better, but that isn’t necessarily saying much given the quality of the art in the first place. I still enjoy the idea of the doppelgangers from an alternate reality fighting against the present one, but the characters were never interesting enough to make me care about them or their issue. Maybe, once the cast expands, I’d find someone I like, but I doubt it at this point given the characters shown at the battle at the end. And that art… wow. For a first episode, that was the quality of the art? That leaves me with a haunting question, how bad will it become as the season progresses? I’d love to find out, but there is no way I’m watching another episode of Gunslinger Stratos.

This post reviews: Arslan Senki, Nagato Yuki-chan no Soushitsu, Kekkai Sensen, Hibike! Euphonium, and Kyoukai no Rinne.

I’ve been home for a week, and was very, very behind on everything… not just including anime. I’ll have one more of these First Impression post for Spring 2015 despite the fact that many of these shows are already approaching or are already on their second and third episodes. That also means I’ll probably start one of my Weekly Anime posts soon, too, once I catch up on everything from last week.

Watching:

Hibike! Euphonium (Sound! Euphonium)

Even though I’ve always enjoyed orchestra music, I have a depressingly minimal amount of knowledge regarding music, instruments, or even what the hell a band does to practice and what not. What sells me on Hibike! Euphonium is the fact that this anime answers all these questions and much, much more. Although this first episode was primarily concerned with introducing the four main girls and Kumiko joining the band club, I was delighted to learn in detail about various aspects of music that were unknown to me, and this is a trend I expect to continue throughout. Not only that, but the art and animation are easily among my favorite for this season. I have always enjoyed KyoAni’s aesthetic style, given the amount of design and novelty they have in their backgrounds. The girls are cute, too, which is always a plus. Oh, and the director, Tatsuya Ishihara is pretty good, too. Really, there isn’t anything I don’t like about Hibike! Euphonium, but the one downside I have right now is that I don’t necessarily love anything about Hibike! Euphonium (aside the backgrounds). I want to see this anime take the next step and add more purpose and meaning to these characters and for the anime to be more than just aiming for the nationals or whatever. I’ll be okay if the anime isn’t much more than that, but I want something more… something on top of this educational, insightful and appealing anime. If it can do that, don’t be surprised if Hibike! Euphonium becomes one of my favorite anime of the season.

Undecided:

Arslan Senki (The Heroic Legend of Arslan)

Given that his first episode was almost entirely a flashback of Prince Arslan’s youth, I can’t properly evaluate how I believe the anime will be for its duration given that the rest of the anime will be of a different time, and quite possibly, a different Arslan. However, Arslan Senki has a number of positives from this first episode that kept me captivated throughout. The most impressive to me is the distinctive and detailed setting of Arslan. Although I will probably have difficulties with the nations, geographies, histories, and technologies of the era, I am always passionate about rich and vibrant worlds, and the setting of Arslan is one that stands out to me. I can’t say much about the characters at this point, given that this episode was entirely within the past, but they seem rather tame and basic, though this does provide a good frame for which to construct characters and build their personalities and ideals throughout the series. The story… is something I can’t really comment on right now, but it isn’t one that impressed me right away. The art and animation are pluses, but they’ll truly be graded once the battles start, which are always intense for animators and artists. I have a positive feeling about Arslan, but it really needs another episode before I determine whether to keep it or not. However, based on this first episode, I’m leaning toward keeping it.

Nagato Yuki-chan no Shoushitsu (The Disapperance of Nagato Yuki-chan)

Is this called The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan because Nagato Yuki has disappeared and they’ve replaced her with a doppelganger, Nagato Yuki-chan that, doesn’t really look or act like Nagato Yuki? Or am I being too harsh on this spin-off of the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya that is only intended to be a lighthearted romantic comedy set in Nagato’s world where Nagato is able to express herself as normally as everyone else in this universe. As a whole, the episode really failed to impress me on its own individual merits, especially with the perceived deficiencies in Kyon and Nagato as lesser characters now. However, the novelty of seeing Kyon, Nagato, and everyone else in this anime has me curious and compelled to watch more. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the comedy (I enjoyed some) or the romantic angle (it’s not terrible), but I think the primary reason for me to keep watching this anime, if I do, is that it is so vastly different from everything else Haruhi. Whereas in Haruhi, there was always some problem or issue or thing going on, this spin-off feels like a relaxed and sedated version of Haruhi… although that’ll probably change once Haruhi shows up. I really need more time to see how the series progresses and how it improves, but unless the second episode is a bomb, I’ll probably be keeping this.

Kyoukai no Rinne

I liked the first episode of Kyoukai no Rinne, and I want to like Kyoukai no Rinne, but I honestly don’t think I’d be able to handle this series for an entire season. What keeps me from committing to this series is the bland, greyness of the series; everything seems so average or ordinary. Every character was just so placid and calm that I felt disconnected emotionally with the series. In fact, if the characters had stronger or bolder personalities, I’d probably keep this… but until the anime can satisfy this deficiency, I can’t entrust myself to sit through Kyoukai no Rinne and enjoy it. However, beyond those aspects, everything else about the series is a positive. Although it’s true that the story in this episode was resolved with almost no obstacles, I do enjoy stories like these where characters learn about each other and solve outstanding debts or other supernatural things. The art, animation, and setting aren’t too entirely distinct, but they work for what the show is about. And although I complained plenty on the characters lacking emotion, I like them all in how they interact with each other and their roles in this story. I’ll need another episode for Kyoukai no Rinne to prove it can instill more personality and emotion in its characters. Once it does that, then I’ll be keeping Kyoukai no Rinne.

Dropped:

Kekkei Sensen (Blood Blockade Battlefront)

Kekkei Sensen is an example of an anime that tries too hard. There’s enough material in its characters, its story, and its setting to deliver a good or satisfying anime, but this first episode failed to utilize these aspects together and created a generic, formulaic introduction that just didn’t work. Perhaps the most damning example of this episode is the masked villain who mocked the city from his grandiose dining hall as he attempted to open a portal for demons to invade Manhattan. For a villain of this variety to work, they need to have a reason, a purpose, and an intelligence to match for their plans, but screaming and whining and showing nothing to the audience leads me to believe they have little to nothing planned for his character. The other characters were hardly better, with pretty much everyone but the male lead being unlikable at best. Other detrimental points were action-fanservice, unnecessarily badass fights and explosions just for the hell of it, and a scatterbrained narrative that jumped between too many time points and locations to form a coherent story. But not everything is bad with Kekkei Sensen, particularly the setting and the art and animation. The amount of detail in the backgrounds and cityscapes are amazing, and the fight that concluded this episode was easily the highlight of the episode. I want to see the series improve upon the negatives I listed before, but after watching the second episode and seeing no progress, I’m giving up hope on Kekkei Sensen improving and am dropping it.

This post reviews: Ore Monogatari!!, Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku, Punchline, Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo, and Ninja Slayer From Animation.

Given the results from this post and the information from the last two First Impressions posts, I can safely say that Spring 2015 will be the smallest season in terms of anime for me since… maybe Spring 2009? It’s been a while since under 10 anime in a season, and depending on whether I keep Mikagura and Yamada-kun, I’m likely to be at or under 10 TV anime for this season. I’ve been close a few times, with 11 or 12 TV anime in a season, but it feels weird to be at this low of a number for a season. Then again, part of the reason why it’s so low is because I have less time to watch and write about anime than any other year, as evident by the number of posts the last two seasons compared to this time last year, but it still feels odd to only juggle 8 or 9 shows right now. Maybe now I’ll be up to date on my Weekly Anime posts… except I’m already a week behind to start. Oh well.

Watching:

Ore Monogatari!! (My Love Story!!)

I often default to the opinion ‘romance is my least favorite genre’, but with every new shoujo romance anime I watch, I feel the need to reevaluate this opinion based new information. While it is still true that I don’t enjoy most romance anime, I am frequently finding myself watching shoujo romances like Ore Monogatari!!. Perhaps it’s derived from common traits, such as the perspective, focus, delivery, and writing, but there’s something inherently better, to me, about shoujo romances over non-shoujo romances. And whatever those traits are that I like about romance, Ore Monogatari!! has.

What I enjoy the most about Ore Monogatari!! is the perception and personality of Takeo, a character who is the perfect embodiment of a gentle giant. Often, shoujo romances center around a male lead who is an asshole with one of the central themes being how the female lead tries to change him. Thankfully, the three main characters of Ore Monogatari!! are decent, respectable people for whom you could cheer for each individually and all as a collective whole. I appreciate that. The visuals in Ore Monogatari!! are positives, essentially using the same crew who did Chihayafuru before, but they’re not so powerful or persuasive that you’d watch the anime alone just for that. The school setting is a slight disappointment since it is so prevalent in anime, so hopefully the anime can find something unique to focus on besides a general and boring school life. Overall, Ore Monogatari!! had one of the most impressive first episodes of the season and is easily a keeper for the Spring and Summer anime seasons.

Ninja Slayer From Animation

The spiritual sequel to Inferno Cop, Ninja Slayer from Animation takes Trigger’s own inane genre of still characters in absurd comedies and takes it to a whole new level. The style might be jarring or unnerving or alarming to people who didn’t watch Inferno Cop before, but it’s a style that works extremely well for a comedy of this variety. To me, brainless and silly comedies like this are among the most enjoyable comedies to watch because animation can have a heavy influence on the content and delivery. And naturally, anime are heavily dependent on the art and animation, so Ninja Slayer from Animation can utilize this medium to enhance its humor and amusement to its full advantage. Sure, I wouldn’t mind if it were animated differently or were in another medium (manga or live-action), but having still characters fight each other and explode like this has a special affect to it that you couldn’t properly exploit in any other type of medium. Beyond the comedy and the animation style, I don’t really have much praise elsewhere for Ninja Slayer. That isn’t to say the rest of the anime is bad, but rather, I don’t have a strong opinion yet or enough information to form a strong opinion. But then again, this is a comedy, so it’s not like these other factors have significant weight besides enhancing the comedy or augmenting it with other bonuses. Really, Ninja Slayer from Animation is a keeper because it made me laugh, and I expect it to continue to make me laugh throughout the season.

Undecided:

Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku (Mikagura School Suite)

I often don’t care for anime where one character carries the entire show, but when you have a character as enjoyable, energetic, dynamic, and hilarious as Eruna, I might make an exception. Still, there’s a mighty gap to cover, between the good and the bad, that I’m not sure if Eruna can cover by herself… meaning that I need to see the anime improve with its other cast members or story for me to keep Mikagura. None of the characters come close to Eruna, all feeling flat or one-dimensional in comparison to her vibrant and amusing demeanor. And to make things worse, I’m not sure what the rest of the cast can do to catch up considering they all free like generic, cookie-cutter personalities that will likely remain shallow throughout the series. And that cat… oh, how I hate that cat. I usually side in favor of fighting anime, but school-centric battle anime between clubs with arbitrary rules aren’t my cup of tea, but I need to see one actually occur before I can decide whether I think I’ll enjoy them or not. The first episode did a sufficient job of setting up a foundation for a plot to occur, but I’m not sure if I want to sit around for 12 episodes to see Eruna befriend a girl that she fell in love with after looking at her photo once… in fact, a plot like that seems much, much, much more shallow than any other anime plot in a long, long time. Hopefully the second episode can reverse my opinion on this anime and provide me more reason to watch this anime than Eruna alone, because as it stands, I’m doubtful for keeping Mikagura.

Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo (Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches)

Yamada-kun was better than I expected, but that still might not be enough for me to keep this anime. With the first episode of Yamada-kun, I’ve come to the realization that I tend to enjoy comedy derived from body-swap anime or scenes, with the opening arc of Kokoro Connect being a relevant example. That being said, I’m not sure what else I enjoyed from this anime and what else I would enjoy from a series devoted entirely to this and other forms of magic between its characters. Then again, pretty much the entire episode revolved around Yamada in Shiraishi’s body, and the focus was on comedy more than anything, so I came away happy with that aspect. The voice acting, especially with how they expressed the personalities during the body switch was superb and really gives me high hopes for a quality anime. However, beyond those positives, I don’t see much substance with Yamada-kun, which is the basis for why I am unsure if I’ll continue or not with this series. The characters seem pretty basic, and I’m not sure what type of narrative will occur besides ‘witches’, ‘harem’ and ‘comedy’, but it doesn’t seem to have a plot that entices me. I am curious to see where this continues, but keeping Yamada-kun might depend on how the comedy develops more than the story or its characters.

Dropped:

Punchline

There are dumb anime and then there are dumb anime… and unfortunately, Punchline is both. It takes a dumb concept that, with the right planning and proper execution, might be something fun, something interesting but no… it doesn’t… it’s just dumb. Maybe the dumbest part of the anime is that it can’t decide whether Yuuta can see panties twice before destroying the world… because he’s done that twice now, destroying all of humanity a couple of times, only to get a second chance two times now. It completely undermines the entire concept of the plot if there are no consequences to him seeing panties; there really is no challenge or conflict when you have an unlimited amount of chances to get your soul back in your body like that. However, that part isn’t the worst thing about Punchline. No, that is reserved for the talking cat ghost thing. I rarely hate an anime character, but that cat is easily, easily the worst thing I’ve seen all year, and it’s not even close. And at about this time, I’d transition over to talk about the good things that were in this first episode of Punchline, but… …I have nothing. I don’t think you can really say anything good about this first episode – it’s just that bad.

This post reviews: Gangsta., Okusama ga Seitokaichou!, Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace, Classroom Crisis, Gate: Jietai Kanochi Nite, Kaku Tatakaeri, and Wakaba Girl.

A quick note, I’m actually caught up on all of the new shows that have aired this season, but have fallen behind on these posts due to being out of town (again). There will be four of these First Impressions posts for Summer 2015, with the remaining parts out soon.

Watching:

Classroom Crisis

Classroom Crisis has a certain endearing charm thanks primarily to its characters and their chemistry together. Unlike many school anime that focus on general studies, all of the students in Classroom Crisis are connected through their passion for engineering and researching advanced space flight, so the students all have a natural connection with each other. Furthermore, as demonstrated by the first episode, they function as a somewhat cohesive unit, with certain characters taking charge for certain roles. And to facilitate this, most of the characters have some level of depth and personality that lends to the idea that this anime is about a cohort of teenagers rather than a few special students in school of 3,000. The setting is clearly a strength too, not only because it’s a sci-fi setting taking place on Mars, but that it’s focusing on the technology and interstellar travel. In a sense, the setting reminds me of Mouretsu Space Pirates, albeit without the silly privateering focus. Additionally, the art and animation are simple and delightful, and fit a more relaxed mood that I think will predominate the series.  That said, I’m not sure what most of the anime will concern itself with, and my main reservations with this series pertain to the plot with the Kiryuu appearing before the class at the end of the episode. Everything else has worked hard for me to keep the anime this summer, but it’ll depend on the plot with how highly it ranks.

Wakaba Girl

It’s hard to pass up a cute, chibi, 4-girl, slice-of-life/comedy anime like this. Wakaba Girl doesn’t pack a powerful punch, but the anime is entertaining with some of its humor. And when a joke isn’t funny, at least you have chibi girls making cute faces, so it doesn’t feel like a total waste of time. And with only 8-minute episodes, it doesn’t require much of a commitment to sit, watch, and smile once a week. That said, if any element of this anime’s formula had been changed (cute, chibi, and 4-girl), I probably wouldn’t be watching it. Really, Wakaba Girl is kinda flat, but I can’t really say no when everything else is so pleasant. Let it be known to animators in Japan that those 3 elements together are an obvious weakness of mine and that you could get me to watch probably anything if you include all 3 factors in a healthy balance.

Undecided:

Gangsta.

I want to like Gangsta, I really do. So much of this anime appeals to me with its harsh, graphic setting, its knowledgeable yet neutral protagonists, and its alluring while joyless art style. It has a lot of elements that tell me that this is the anime for me… yet, I couldn’t help but feel somehow bored with this first episode. Even the climax of the episode, full of action, drama, and retribution felt… lackluster. Although there are a number of things I enjoyed about this episode, I didn’t enjoy it overall, and it’s difficult for me to pinpoint where something went wrong. Really, Gangsta is an enigma which means I’ll want to keep it around for another episode or two. However, if this unsettling boredom doesn’t dissipate, I’ll consider dropping the anime, but I don’t really expect it once the story picks up and more police and mafia are involved. That being said, this first episode wasn’t terribly impressive.

Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace

One episode really isn’t enough material to make a correct decision for Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace. After all, the focus and content of this first episode was to establish its characters, its setting, and its first mystery, all of which feel incomplete at this time. After the second episode, and probably at the end of the first mystery, then I think I’ll have a better idea, especially in regard to how the mystery is presented and solved. Still, I can’t help but feel unenthusiastic with Game of Laplace, especially with Hashiba and Akechi. At least Kobayashi is interesting in his quirkiness, but Hashiba is dreadful and Akechi is jaded with his redundant personality of “genius detective boy”. Still, I want to see how this first story arc resolves before I give up on this, but it’s not looking good at this point.

Dropped:

Okusama ga Seitokaichou!

It was awful.

Gate: Jietai Kanochi Nite, Kaku Tatakaeri

So, yeah, the anime wants to portray the main character as some gallant hero who serves Japan with courage and pride, but really, all he cares about is buying anime porn. It doesn’t really make a consistent product when the anime wants this guy to be admirable and glorious and then have him talk about doujinshis and otaku stuff the whole time and not seem to care about anything he’s doing for Japan. I can’t tell if this is supposed to be glorifying the JSDF or patronizing it. Like, I can’t tell what this anime wants to do, and I can’t tell who this anime is trying to target. You’d think that this is targeting otaku, but wouldn’t it be better if it were all cute girls fighting monsters instead, something like Strike Witches or Garupan which have demonstrated success? Like, I don’t get anything about this anime. Usually when an anime is awful, I can at least identify some group of people who might like it. This? I can’t. It’s a mystery to me, and it’s one that I won’t be solving any time soon.

This post reviews: Charlotte, Rokka no Yuusha, Ushio to Tora, Akagami no Shirayuki-hime, and Jitsu wa Watashi wa.

Judging from how well I am receiving the anime this season, this could either be a busy or open season. As of right now, there aren’t many I’ve deciding on keeping or dropping at this point with many of the shows needing second or third episodes. It might be a while before I know what I’m planning on watching, but I should have time to watch everything I want. All I need to do is decide what I want to watch first.

Watching:

Rokka no Yuusha

Among the mass of fantasy anime this season, Rokka no Yuusha stands above the rest in terms of the quality and detail of its setting. Not only does Rokka no Yuusha deviate from the tried-and-true medieval Europe-style fantasy for an innovative Aztec/Mayan/Incan one, but it has a thorough history that matches this world, too. The writing is particularly pleasant too, especially with how the characters conduct themselves and how they talk to each other. There’s personality and meaning in their language, and the story flows smoothly through their words. The art and animation are robust, and do well for the action and non-action scenes. Particularly of note is the directing and cinematography, with a wide variety of shots in each locale to give you the idea of space, architecture, and environment. And while all that is good, I do have some issues with how the series will move forward. Although there will be the mystery of who isn’t a saint among the six, I do wonder what else the story will have besides the heroes fighting monsters. And that’s another thing, I do want to see the heroes work together, especially since there are six of them, and I want to see them struggle. There’s no point in having six heroes if one is strong enough to defeat an army of demons and they only need 6 for the big, bad boss. Also, I can’t tell if I’ll like the other characters yet since we have yet to meet them, but Adelt and Nashetania are okay right now. However, Rokka no Yuusha has done enough to hook me in through it setting, writing, and directing.

Undecided:

Charlotte

I’m partial to anime where characters have superpowers, especially if they’re not almighty superpowers either. And considering the incompleteness of the superpowers in Charlotte, not to mention the stupidity and narcissism of the cast, I find Charlotte to be particularly charming. It has a specific appeal that I enjoy about anime which can lend itself well to imagination, characterization, and above all, comedy. But I am a bit tepid with Charlotte, principally on how it feels like they stole Lelouch from Code Geass and plopped him down in a stereotypical school setting with other special kids with not-so-special superpowers. The other characters seemed to lack depth or personality, but it could also be that it’s been one episode thus far and there hasn’t been much material on them either. The writing was practical and the first episode was engaging, but I wonder where it’ll go from here, especially since everything that happened was setting the foundation for the rest of the show. To summarize, I’ve really no idea what’ll happen with the rest of Charlotte, but there’s enough for me to like and hope that’ll turn out well. I’ll give it a few more episodes to see if it’s going down the path I want with these superpowers and characters.

Akagami no Shirayuki-hime

I tend to enjoy shoujo romances, so it shouldn’t be surprising for me to say that I enjoyed the first episode of Akagami no Shirayuki-hime. However, I’ve noticed that the manga from which this anime is adapted from, has been going on for 10 years now meaning… another romance anime without a conclusive ending. And that means, probably not much progress than what we’ve seen in the first episode. Still, I enjoy Shirayuki as a heroine and am interested in her story, so maybe there’ll be more to this anime than a static and placid romance. There wasn’t much comedy in this first episode, nor was there much drama or excitement, but I find most of the anime agreeable right now, especially in terms of the characters, art, and setting. I’ll give it a few more episodes to see how it picks up, not only because I enjoyed the first episode and I adore shoujo romances, but because I believe the anime might develop into something good for the next two seasons.

Dropped:

Ushio to Tora

While I do appreciate this throwback to the 90s, Ushio to Tora doesn’t really match my style at all. I can’t ever recall liking an anime that’s as dependent on physical humor as Ushio to Tora, nor can I remember ever enjoying an anime with such a brash and rude and shounen protagonist as Ushio. Furthermore, Ushio to Tora is quite a lengthy manga, totaling 313 chapters over a six-year span, so even if I could overlook those elements for a few episodes, I know I couldn’t for however long this anime will be. And to continue off that point, these types of shounen anime often have long, slow story arcs littered with episodic content, and fights with “youkai of the week”. It’s not what I want from an anime, and if I really wanted to watch something with that 90s feel, I have quite a few neglected 90s anime in my backlog that would be better fits than this.

Jitsu wa Watashi wa

Another day, another generic harem romantic comedy about a normal Japanese high school boy and the most beautiful/athletic/smartest/blah blah blah girl in the school who *gasp* is also a vampire. Unsurprisingly derivative and cliché, I couldn’t get through the first episode. Dropped.

This post reviews:Chaos Dragon: Sekiryuu Senyaku, Joukamachi no Dandelion, Overlord, Bikini Warriors, and Sore ga Seiyuu!.

Since all of the anime included in Part 3 debuted this week, as well as the anime that will be covered in Part 4, there is no urgent need to do a Weekly Anime post for this week. Expect the first Weekly Anime post for Summer 2015 to be next weekend once I am able to come to a conclusion on a few of these undecided shows.

Watching:

Joukamachi no Dandelion

I’m naturally drawn to anime where characters have superpowers, so it isn’t too unexpected that I’m content with the first episode of Dandelion. What keeps me interested in Dandelion is that, instead of focusing on their superpowers and about them trying to take down some big, bad villain or win some martial arts tournament, Joukamachi no Dandelion focuses on its characters first and their dilemmas of trying to become the next king. In fact, their superpowers as almost an afterthought right now. Certainly, the superpowers will be relevant to each character’s story and development, but it’s refreshing to see these elements used as a way to support the characters rather than defining the characters by them. It’ll be fascinating to see how these characters grow and mature with these abilities as extra material. Furthermore, I enjoyed the chemistry the family has with each other, especially since you can see both sides of them helping each other while also competing to win the election. The writing does well to present both sides in reasonable doses. The aesthetics aren’t particularly remarkable, but I am persuaded to these cute character designs and their personalities. The setting doesn’t inspire me too much, outside the election, but it might grow into something nice once a conflict between the kingdom and someone else appears. The first episode of Dandelion was encouraging and has me hooked. I’ll be keeping this anime around this season.

Bikini Warriors

As expected, Bikini Warriors is 4 minutes of boobs, bikinis, and fantasy-themed fanserivce… but I really can’t fault an anime for that when that’s exactly how Bikini Warriors advertised itself. It isn’t trying to be anything more than an ecchi anime, and Bikini Warriors delivered what it promised. What came as a surprise, however, is that Bikini Warriors actually had some suitable comedy for its first episode. The first episode poked fun at itself and its premise of sexy girls in magical bikini armor. Of course, the comedy was low-hanging fruit, but the anime is self-aware and is able to use itself as humor, so that’s a positive for future episodes. I think I might actually enjoy this if this style of fantasy- or JRPG-humor continues to be a focus for the non-boobs material. The animation is minimalistic, almost criminal to call this an anime and not a slideshow, but I’m not expecting artistic quality with this masterpiece. Sure, Bikini Warriors is bad, but it’s not terrible… and if it can get me to laugh at a few of its jokes for 4 minutes each week, then why not?

Sore ga Seiyuu!

Sore ga Seiyuu! is an anime about cute girls who like anime and voice cute girls who like anime and voice cute girls (and things) in an anime. That said, it’s a cute, humorous slice-of-life anime focusing primarily on the voice acting industry, with three cute girls are our primary subjects. Unlike Shirobako which had a strong narrative, multifaceted characterization and insightful views on the entire anime industry, Sore ga Seiyuu! seems to be episodic in nature, heavy on the comedy, and focused entirely on voice acting. The anime is exceptionally cute, probably the cutest this season, with most of the gags aided visually by delightful reactions and adorable faces by the characters. There’s not much depth or intelligence or substance to Sore ga Seiyuu!, but this first episode was endearing and entertaining and seemed to match well with what I wanted from it. I don’t expect much from Sore ga Seiyuu!, but as long as it can stay fresh and original, it should keep me entertained throughout.

Undecided:

Chaos Dragon: Sekiryuu Senyaku

The first episode of Chaos Dragon was pretty chaotic, a haphazard and disorganized story that tried to fit too much progression and too many characters in such a short window. The whole sequence leading up to the fight felt rushed, and it was failing to develop on its setting and characters, which lead to the fight and subsequent partnership with the Red Dragon to feel hollow and meaningless. The first episode bit off more than it could chew and the execution suffered. And while I still have issues with the directing moving forward, there were still enough elements in the anime to keep me interested in what will happen next, especially if the story slows down. From what I saw of the setting, I like, though it does pale in comparison to some of the other fantasy anime this season. Ibuki seems a bit generic as a protagonist, but the other cast members seem to be a bit more creative, though we haven’t seen much of them at this point. The story might actually be the strongest attribute of this anime, especially if the five characters all have different motives between each other. The one other notable with Chaos Dragon was that the art and animation were below average, a concern moving forward if it intends to be heavy on the fighting. I’ll give it another episode to see how it improves and see how the other characters function in the story, but this first episode really felt confused and messy.

Dropped:

Overlord

Overlord is much like the other anime in the astonishing well-represented “character-is-stuck-in-an-MMO” genre, except that the character is a villain instead of a hero. …and, that’s pretty much it. There’s not a lot to Overlord that isn’t seen elsewhere in these types of anime: it’s a teenage power fantasy where the protagonist the strongest character in a video game without putting in any work whatsoever. And even though, the main character is a villain in Overlord, he really isn’t all that evil or consumed with hatred like you’d want from a villain. Instead, he fairly normal and nerdy and likes groping the breasts of his NPC girlfriend. We don’t know anything of Yggdrasil’s world or why the protagonist is stuck in this game, and the lack of development to this point leads me to believe it’s going to be some generic MMO setting and some stupid problem with the game. The characters don’t seem to be too appealing either, as they’re all obedient servants of the overlord. At this point, I’m fairly confident the anime won’t change too much or improve too much, which means it’s probably best if we go our separate ways at this point.

This post reviews: Himouto! Umaru-chan, Gakkou Gurashi!, and God Eater.

Alright, this post is light, and Himouto and Gakkou Gurashi are already on their second episodes, but you can blame that on God Eater waiting until the third week to debut (and me not watching it until several days after its premire). Anyway, my final first impressions for Summer 2015 are below.

Watching:

Gakkou Gurashi!

What a delightful and memorable introductory episode, one that beautifully mixed subtle elements of distress in a sugary-sweet package of cutesy, moe girls living at their school. I especially enjoyed how the clever hints of horror were implanted in amusing scenes with easygoing jokes and chibi caricatures, but these hints are evidence that this anime will steadily become darker, especially as they escalated from a Stephen King novel to the hidden words on the blackboard to the broken glass and finally to the cross on the rooftop farm. Although the episode was shown entirely from Yuki’s delusions, I expect the anime to move forward through a realistic interpretation of the world as we saw from the ending to this episode: a ghastly, horrific setting with death lurking behind every dark corner. I am thrilled with the execution and directing in this first episode and this promises for a pleasant series, one that is able to successfully blend the contrasting elements of lighthearted, 4-girl, slice-of-life with a zombie apocalypse. Yuki will be an fascinating character to watch as the protagonists, due to her rejection of reality, and I’m sensing some annoyance from Miki who wants her to see the world for what it is. I don’t really have much to say about the other characters at this point, though, but the chemistry and writing work well. Really, this was probably the most impressive first episode of the season, and I’m hoping Gakkou Gurashi continues to be this strong from start to finish.

Undecided:

Nothing undecided in this post, meaning…

Dropped:

Himouto! Umaru-chan

So this is an anime about the most beautiful/athletic/smartest/blah blah blah girl in the school who *gasp* has an otaku personality! Wow, so original! And then there’s her onii-chan who possesses no personality whatsoever and tries to establish some discipline but gives in, almost immediately, to her wacky and silly demands. What a disaster.

God Eater

I’d be inclined to call God Eater the most visually impressive anime of the season based solely on its cinematography, directing style, and stellar art and animation. I can’t, though, because of on consistent and unnerving error throughout various scenes of the episode. I’m not sure whether the 3D camera, the encoding or what is to blame but there were many shots where the camera was shaking or jittery. These uncanny movements were especially notable when looking at the edge of the screen, at the floor, which would move up and down. This ataxia didn’t ruin the episode for me, but it caught my attention multiple times, distracting me from what were the wearisome and uneventful monologs of this introductory episode. Oh that’s right, beyond the visuals, God Eater is another generic “boy-must-save-humanity” anime that we’ve seen a dozen times before. But the main issue with God Eater isn’t with this overused story, but that its protagonist is flat with about as much personality as a ham sandwich without the ham. The writing and dialogues were less than motivating too. Though I was engaged and pulled in by the visuals, God Eater is honestly nothing special.

This post reviews: Hacka Doll The Animation, Kagewani, Heavy Object, and Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou.

So far, most of the anime that has aired this season are sequels that I am planning on watching, including Noragami Aragoto, Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor – Exodus 2nd Season, K: Return of Kings, Owarimonogatari, and Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen. I probably should put the new Utawarerumono in one of these posts since it is not a direct sequel to the original series, but I’ll have more to say on that later. For now, here are my thoughts and decisions for the first batch of new anime this season.

Watching:

Hacka Doll The Animation

Thankfully, Hacka Doll is a short anime, meaning it should be easy to sit through given the hit-or-miss nature of the show. The focus of the show is on its three reckless and dimwitted Hacka Dolls, who will be sent to harass some poor human once an episode. The humor will really depend on the human they interact with, which will ultimately dictate the focus and comedy of that episode. The characters themselves are just a grab-bag of standard character archetypes, a cookie-cutter selection that mirrors Robot Girls Z just a bit too much. Still, there’s quite a bit of energy, personality, and flair that makes this anime enjoyable and easy to watch. I’m not going to expect much of Hacka Doll, but it should be worth a few laughs or smiles each week, and that’s why I’m planning on keeping it this season.

Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou (Attack on Titan: Junior High)

This chibi, comedy spinoff is exactly what I want from a parody anime. Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou certainly pays tribute to the original Shingeki no Kyojin anime by retaining much of the character personalities and context that made the series so enjoyable. Furthermore, it understand the humor and absurdity of the situation and exaggerates the setting just enough that it has the right balance of hilarity without going too far. Additionally, the anime appears to have a story, which is something I wasn’t expecting, though I shouldn’t be too surprised since this is based off a manga that began in 2012 and is still being published. There’s quite a bit of care and attention that was put into this anime, and I’m confident it’ll be a decent product at worst. The first episode of Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou exceeded my expectations, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this parody goes.

Undecided:

Nothing here, which means…

Dropped:

Kagewani

If you’ve seen Yami Shibai, then you’ve seen all Kagewani has to offer. Not only do both anime feature the same production team, but also the same style of animation, storytelling, and unsatisfying horror themes. What’s worse is that Kagewani is twice the length of Yami Shibai, meaning there’s a longer build-up each episode, meaning more time to sit around being bored with this anime. The only difference between this and Yami Shibai is that there appears to be a story and recurring characters now, but the first episode pretty much forgot about that until the final 30 seconds. I don’t see any value in keeping this around.

Heavy Object

Heavy Object? More like… heavy objectification of women!

Yeah, Heavy Object was all kinds of terrible. You could tell the anime was going to be abysmal when the episode begins with four and a half minutes of monotonous exposition over a lifeless battle. Then, Heavy Object cuts to the present for more exposition between two male characters. Look, two minutes of describing the setting will bore almost everyone, so who’s bright idea was it to start the anime with over 8 minutes of exposition? Well, I think the creators of Heavy Object knew it was a bad idea because during the conversation we had several spliced in shots of a naked girl showering. That’ll keep the audience around for more, right? No, throwing in unnecessary and random ecchi scenes to spice up a dull conversation is never a smart move, especially since the character was never introduced up to that point. And what’s worse is the fanservice continued through, from the guys gawking over breasts (I know, breasts in an anime! What the hell?) to potentially killing a girl because the guy couldn’t hand the thought of his hand near a girl’s bosoms. Oh, and about that scene, everyone should go back and look at her breasts to start and during the suffocation sequence. They grow about 40 inches. Heavy Object is absolutely atrocious.

This post reviews: Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, Concrete Revolutio, Comet Lucifer, and One Punch Man.

Uh… yeah… I’m already very, very behind on everything this season. At least there aren’t too many new anime for me to watch and review after this post. And yes, I’ve only watched the first episode for all of these anime, so I’ll get around to the more recent episodes once I recover from the last three weeks.

Watching:

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans is probably the best example of a ‘solid’ anime this season. Everything about the anime is good to great to outstanding, from its story to its setting to its characters to the art to the animation to the sounds to the directing and to every bit and detail in-between. I can go on and on about the positives with this anime because there are really no negatives with Gundam: Iron-Blooded Oprhans… well, no real negatives that aren’t just me nitpicking about the elements. I will admit that I don’t love it as much as some of the other anime this season, given with all the sequels airing this month, but this is my favorite of the new anime that has aired so far. This is a keeper, for sure.

Concrete Revolutio

While I’m not too fond of the haphazard storytelling, constantly shifting through time and space to unknown characters in unfamiliar locations doing undetermined things, Concrete Revolutio really caught my attention and interest with its splash of stunning colors, its impressive artistic motifs, its outrageous setting, and its ridiculous characters. The first episode of Concrete Revolutio was incredibly inspired, screaming in your face, and it captured my imagination with its world and its superpowers. After the first episode, I felt unsatisfied – in a good way. I wanted to learn more about the characters, their organizations, who was who, and what was what. It’s uncommonly that I’m this involved after just one episode, but Concrete Revolutio really hooked me with this first episode. That said, there are some negatives, especially with the storytelling jumping around, but that is a minor detail compared to everything else this anime had to offer. I’m excited to continue watching this anime, especially if every episode can pack an extraordinary visual punch with those colors, motifs, and exclamations.

One Punch Man

Oh… …now I think I understand why everyone is so positive about One Punch Man. After hearing so much about it the last few years and viewing its artwork numerous times, I often wondered how well I’d enjoy an anime of this variety given my history with popular shounen franchises. Well, it actually fits quite nicely, given its over-the-top style, its reckless abandon, its flair for personality that’s skillfully embedded within the storytelling. The first episode was a wild ride, and I’m excited to see where it goes, but I am curious to see where it goes from here and how it’ll integrate its characters into the story. Nevertheless, I am curious to see where this goes and will be keeping this for sure.

Undecided:

Comet Lucifer

It’s difficult to say whether I’ll enjoy Comet Lucifer or not given that the lead female appeared at the end of the first episode, but it has enough qualities to be a keeper. Comet Lucifer certainly has an appealing art style, with its character designs and mecha designs. The animation was solid throughout, and quite phenomenal during the mecha battle at the end. The anime certainly has robust visuals, but it feels somewhat weak in terms of its characters and the story. While it usually takes me a few episodes to warm up to the cast, before I really start liking them, I feel nothing from the cast of Comet Lucifer. Every character thus far, especially Sougo, Kaon, and Roman feel shallow and uninspired. The whole triangle between those three is such a tired and awful storyline that I almost just stopped right then and there during the car chase scene. Comet Lucifer never recovered and the rest of the episode felt lackluster and unoriginal. I’ll give it another episode to see if the new girl can add some spice and variety to this anime, but it’s starting to seem doubtful given how the characters and story failed to deliver in the first episode.

Dropped:

We’ll see how Comet Lucifer does with its second episode, but everything in this cohort was good, if not great.

This post reviews: Osomatsu-san, Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru, Subete ga F ni Naru, and Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai.

I realize that this post is being published three weeks or so after these anime debuted, but I’ll have time this week to begin catching up on everything with the plan to be current by Halloween. Of course, that’s always the plan, to be current, so we’ll see how well I catch up on anime now that things are calming down.

Watching:

Uh… let’s just say I was very indecisive with this batch of anime…

Undecided:

Osomatsu-san

I didn’t think much of Osomatsu-san when researching the Autumn anime season. To me, it seemed Osomatsu-san would be a modern adaptation of an old gag manga, Osomatsu-kun, that earned fame and acclaim in the 1960s. I’ve always enjoyed gag comedies, but thought that an anime in this older style wouldn’t entertain me as much as other comedies this season. And wow, could I have been more wrong about that?

Osomatsu-san easily had the most impressive and surprisingly introduction of any anime this season and possibly even this year. Not only does the anime feature outstanding writing, build-up, and timing, but it’s self-aware and was able to incorporate a number of modern parodies while still remaining true to its roots, the 6 misfits that are the Matsuno sextuplets. I was blown away by this first episode, thoroughly impressed with every aspect about it. The only reason why I’m undecided on it for now is because I’m sure the anime can’t sustain this type of content or humor throughout the whole season, because it’ll become stale after an episode or two… but I am confident that the anime will be able to deliver some meaningful entertainment value this season. I want to see another episode or two to see what the majority of this series is like before I decide on keeping it or not. However, after that first episode, I’m pretty sure this has the writing and style to keep me smiling and laughing this autumn.

Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru

I already know the twist that will occur at the end of Sakurako-san. After twelve heartwarming episodes between Shoutarou and Sakurako, we’ll find out that, after all their wacky and crazy adventures, that Shoutarou is actually a dog. How did I find out this astonishing surprise after only one episode? It’s actually quite obvious… the fact that Shoutarou is loyal to Sakurako for seemingly no reason, how Shoutarou gets excited over “treat” for being a “good boy”, the fact that he was digging up bones with his hands paws… eventually, we’ll find out that Shoutarou is a delusional puppy who sees himself as a human alongside Sakurako-san and that this is actually a sequel to Dog & Scissors (Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou) but actually good.

Joking aside, I found Sakurako-san to be pretty alright, pretty average. The visuals are quite stunning, with a number of gorgeous scenery shots helping establish the setting and mood of each scene. I’m particularly keen on the spectacular use of colors during dramatic moments, especially with how they emphasize Sakurako’s character. Those parts are great. The rest? I’m really struggling at liking any of the characters, principally Sakurako and how she treats Shoutarou. I’ve never really enjoyed a blatantly obvious romance like this between two characters of this type: an ojou-sama who acts above her friends and orders them around like a guard dog and a protagonist who blindly follows everything the ojou-sama says because he wants to bone her. The two couldn’t be more disconnected, and yet they’re together because “romance”. I don’t think I’ll ever like either character and that’s what might doom this anime to being dropped. The way the mystery was presented and solved was almost too quick, considering that the first half of the episode was devoted to developing the two leads, so I’ll need another episode to determine whether I like this style of mystery or not. What I want from the second episode is there to be more emotion and connection between the two characters and for the mystery to more than just ‘I looked at the bodies and now know everything’. If it can do that, then maybe it’ll get a third and fourth episode from me.

Subete ga F ni Naru

Subete ga F ni Naru shows potential with its characters, its setting, and its story, but really failed to capitalize on any of them by dragging its feet with this first episode. To say it was underwhelming would be an understatement, what with all the dry and repetitive dialogue. I can’t say I care too much for the characters after just one episode, but I feel as though they’ll be good players for a mystery given their supposed intellect. However, the characters feel flat, devoid of behavior that would otherwise make me believe they’re human. The only character with a personality is Moe, but I don’t like her very much, so that doesn’t help. Really, the only thing that’s keeping this anime afloat with me is its potential… and I saw enough of it to give it another episode to see if anything materializes. The first episode was lethargic and boring, so the style and content need to change for me to even consider keeping this… and that’s exactly what I think will happen. Still, there were a number of issues with this first episode, for me, so I’ll be weary of future episodes if it continues at this pace or with this format of storytelling. However, that will be left for me to decide when I watch episode 2.

Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai

Oh, right, that’s why I usually don’t watch these anime… Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai isn’t a terrible anime, though I must admit that parts of it were terrible. No, the main issue with Taimadou Gakuen is that it is incredibly generic and feels like the combined elements of 100 mediocre anime I’ve watched previously. There’s little to no individuality with the anime and it feels like the byproduct of an anime fan wanting to write an anime about anime. There’s almost no style or substance to the anime, but I’d be lying if I said I hated it. Rather, I enjoyed bits and pieces, and am curious if the anime just needs some time to set its foundation before going forward. I’ll give it another episode to see if it can improve on its characters and develop into something worth watching, but it’ll need to do it quickly. Taimadou Gakuen doesn’t have a lot going for it now, but I’ll give it another shot to see if it is worth saving.

Dropped:

So yeah, nothing is dropped, but I doubt I’ll keep all four of these anime. I’ll need another episode to see what’s moving into the upper category and what’ll move down to this category.

Imai Kami’s premier manga, Needless, concluded with Chapter 114 in June of 2013, following a cherished 10 year run. In December 2013, Imai Kami’s other long-running manga of 7 years, Shirasunamura, also concluded. At the time Needless concluded, Kami expressed interest in taking a well-deserved break before returning to draw the latter half of Needless with his planned continuation called Needless 2. However, since that summer, Kami has been quiet as a mangaka, only working on 4koma comics for Arcadia magazine and releasing an art book in 2014. It wasn’t until January 2015 when I discovered that Kami had been working on a new manga in Arcadia magazine, Shoukan! Kengou Gakuen, with the first volume being available in February. Unable to find any useful information online, I waited patiently for the manga to be imported from Japan. Imai Kami’s new manga, Shoukan! Kengou Gakuen will be the focus for Day 1 of my 12 Days of Anime for 2015.

It’s been quite a while I’ve read a chapter of any manga written by Imai Kami, so to get 7 at once is quite a special treat, akin to getting over half-a-year of monthly manga all in one day. Of course, I have yet to really dive into Shirasunamura, primarily because the one group scanlating it does not have a translator for the manga (you can find out more by checking out Psylocke Scans), and I’d like to start it knowing that it will be finished one of these days. Anyway, when Shoukan! Kengou Gakuen arrived, I immediately read through the manga and came away impressed.

The manga is very much the spiritual successor to Needless, at least until Needless 2 begins, in that its characters, style, humor, fanservice, and gore all mirror Needless’s style. In fact, many of the elements are similar to Needless, including a guest appearance by Mio in the background of one panel. The gags are very much in Kami’s standard Manzai style with the lead character, Hanyu Juubei, being the tsukkomi and everyone else playing the boke (though it does reverse at times), but I must admit that the jokes are particularly crazy near the beginning when Kami has more freedom with the characters and story. The action is particularly interesting, especially since it deviates from the style of Needless where everyone has superpowers related to elements. Here, there are more superpowered fighters, but the girls of Shoukan! Kengou Gakuen invoke the spirits of their samurai ancestors and use their skills and power to win swordfights or other one-one-one combat. The latter half of the volume does introduce an antagonist, though it was only a brief introduction. It should also be worth nothing that the manga is quite ecchi, with fanservice prevalent throughout. In fact, with its all-female cast, I would say it’s more ecchi than Needless, considering that the first half of the volume is all buruma and the latter half was all panties. However, it’s really in the style of fanservice that I enjoy, so while I may find it as a positive, others might find it as a negative.

Overall, I came away impressed with the manga, especially with its fresh feel while keeping the charm and style of Needless. Whereas Needless takes place in a post-WW3 setting, Shoukan! Kengou Gakuen takes place in a modern, Japanese high-school, so a very different setting and style for Kami to use. And while there are limitations with this setting compared to more of a science-fiction one, it certainly feels different to be in modern Japan instead of following nuclear attacks on Japan. And while I am eager for Needless 2 to restart, it’s a nice, short series to keep me content until Kami finally finishes writing his own story before starting his manga.

But, unfortunately, that’s all there is of Shoukan! Kengou Gakuen to date. Arcadia magazine went out of business in spring of this year as it was the magazine supporting and publishing Shoukan! Kengou Gakuen. With no information from Arcadia or Imai Kami’s website, I turned to the sources. After emailing Kadokawa, enterbrain, and ComicWalker this December, I received word that they had received numerous questions about the release of Volume 2, but are unsure when it will be available. So… I’m not sure what to make of it, but it seems like a third Kami manga that’s run into difficulties with its publishing process. Hopefully, we’ll hear some good news soon, but it’s difficult to say given the history of the situation. Still, I am very grateful for Shoukan! Kengou Gakuen and for Kami to be publishing a manga again. After waiting almost 2 years, it was wonderful to receive 7 new chapters and know that he is well on his way to completing a fresh, new manga. When that will occur is still to be determined. However, the whole experience and the unfortunate situation make Day 1 of my 12 Days of Anime. I hope you enjoyed reading about my unforgettable experiences this year and are looking forward to another wonderful year of anime with 2016!

This post reviews: Musaigen no Phantom World, Haruchika: Haruta to Chika wa Seishun Suru, Active Raid, and Boku Dake ga Inai Machi.

Given the lighter line-up this Winter and the fact that my life is calming down, I plan to return to publishing Weekly Anime posts on a regular basis after taking most of 2015 off. However, everything is still tentative right now but things look better this season than any time since Summer 2014.

Watching:

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (ERASED)

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi is certainly one of the most promising anime of the season and easily has the most potential of the shows I’ve watched thus far. What I passionately enjoyed about Boku Dake ga Inai Machi is its attention to detail and its consistency among its themes, both of which are hallmarks to superb directing. The angles and durations of the shots, particularly when Satoru reunites with Sachiko and again when those two and Airi have curry, are particularly powerful at establishing mood, dialogue, and chemistry between the characters rather than on the individual characters themselves. You even see it in quick shots, too, such as when the truck is about to hit the young boy in the crosswalk (angled down to make him look scared and powerless) or in the hospital room (Satoru was in the light the whole time, Airi was in the shadow). Furthermore, the theme of children is consistent throughout the first episode, especially during the two time loops when Satoru and Sachiko search their settings. These are the signs of a director with a vision for this anime, so it’s particularly delightful that Boku Dake ga Inai Machi has such robust writing and dialogue to support this vision. Given the conversations thus far, the characters feel more human than archetypes, and the way they talk sounds natural rather than scripted. And in terms of the art work, I find the character designs to be extremely enjoyable, especially since they can make a 52-year old mother look like that. Boku Dake ga Inai Machi is an anime with a sturdy skeleton (writing), a solid exterior (art), and an insightful brain (directing). All the parts are here to make this be a successful anime, and I’m very curious to see what it can do this winter.

Undecided:

Musaigen no Phantom World

Although I initially passed on Musaigen no Phantom World after watching the PV and reading the synopsis, my morbid curiosity got the best of me, and I watched the first episode. And though my original thoughts were spot-on, that it’d be a rather shallow, ecchi anime, I was wrong on how I’d react to it: I didn’t hate it. Instead, I found myself enjoying bits and pieces of the episode, which essentially was the opening fight and one or two jokes elsewhere. Musaigen no Phantom World really does well with everything visual, so the anime is fun to watch if you like fighting and ecchi content, but the story is incredibly shallow and the characters are uninspiring. I don’t think there’s anything more to this anime than what we saw in the first episode with a schoolgirl beating up some monster in her buruma or bouncing her giant breasts to defeat another. If the anime can manages to improve in episode 2 and feature something other than constant fanservice, I might keep it, but otherwise, I’ll place this anime back where it belongs.

Haruchika: Haruta to Chika wa Seishun Suru

The first episode of Haruchika was tolerable at best and boring at worst, so it’ll get another episode before I decide whether to keep this anime or not. Haruchika didn’t do any one thing particularly well, but features satisfactory writing, a charming art style, and a main character strong enough to carry the anime when nothing’s happening. Where Haruchika could improve is… nothing really happened at all this episode. In fact, it was a rather lame start to the series since the whole mystery never really was resolved as the whole exchange is between a character that never comes back and another who barely even shows up. I find the setting to be a strong negative in an anime like this given that… it’s another school club anime that offers nothing new. However, the anime kept my attention span focused for a majority of the episode, and no, that wasn’t due to Chika’s hypnotic eyes (thought that may be part of it). I am curious to see whether this anime improves or if we’ll go through 4 episodes of introducing new characters with weird mini-mysteries each time and slowly “working” (you need to use sarcasm when talking about a romance progressing in an anime) on the love triangle between Chika, Haruta, and Kusakabe-sensei. And no, I don’t know for sure whether Haruchika will do this or not, but I’ve seen enough mediocre anime to know where this is going.

Dropped:

Active Raid

I had some hope that Active Raid might be decent, given that it’s a police anime with mecha and a catchy OP song… but no, Active Raid is outstandingly awful. Yes, even I’m impressed at how bad the first episode of Active Raid was. Nothing, absolutely nothing in this anime works. For example, the characters all have strong, conflicting personalities but the writing does no favors and they come across as exaggerated and theatrical when paired or grouped with each other. Another is that the process and policies of the police unit makes no sense given that the criminals killed probably a dozen police officers and they only sent 2 people out to talk to them. Yet another is the art. Are the characters able to show emotions with their faces? The art was subpar at best, but the faces struggled to show even the slightest bit of reaction with everyone looking bored and uninterested from start to finish. The silver lining with that, though, is that I could always remember the emotion I felt when watching Active Raid: bored and uninterested from start to finish. But yeah, I like the OP song, so it’s not all bad for Active Raid… and fortunately, I can listen to it any time I want without needing to bother with another episode of Active Raid again!

This post reviews: Tabi Machi Late Show, Koukaku no Pandora, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, Dagashi Kashi, Bubuki Buranki, and Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R.

Winter 2016 is turning out better than I imagined, though only slightly. As you can see from this post, I had a rather positive experience with this batch of anime. The real question will be on how this season performs beyond this first week, but it seems to be in good shape going forward. I hope to have the third and final First Impressions post out soon.

Watching:

Tabi Machi Late Show

I’m not sure whether I should comment on short anime or not, but considering the lack of attention on Tabi Machi Late Show, why not give this anime some acknowledgement? Tabi Machi Late Show is one of the three 7-minute anime that airs alongside Oshiete! Galko-chan and Sekkou Boys, but unlike those two, Tabi Machi Late Show is a slow-cooked and heartwarming series of mini-dramas. There’s not much substance to the anime, as the primary theme is on “journeys” and “farewells”, so it doesn’t have a strong, central narrative to build off of. However, what it lacks in content, it makes up for with its style, given its aesthetics and picture-book animation style. There’s not much going for Tabi Machi Late Show; it’s not like you’ll miss anything significant or remarkable if you don’t watch it. However, it’s a light, simple, and easy watch that might go well when paired with a blanket and some hot cocoa, if you think that might be your style this winter.

Koukaku no Pandora

Please don’t judge me.

Koukaku no Pandora is the kind of brainless, stupid, fun anime that I typically enjoy. There’s no groundbreaking story or inspiring characters in Pandora, but the anime is incredibly cute and charming given its female robot cast and predominately chibi art style. It could do without the ecchi fanservice, such as the location of the F port by Clarion’s panties (so that’s why they’re so low), but it does capitalize off some of these scenes with halfway decent jokes. The overall comedy is rather mediocre, but it fits in with this lighthearted setting and art style. I don’t think I can really comment on the storytelling or character development at this point because… I don’t think there’ll be any. I’m not expecting much from Pandora over the course of this season, but as long as it continues to be a cute, chibi comedy about robot girl best friends… fighting for world peace or something? (I honestly wasn’t paying attention)… it’s worth watching.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu bleeds brilliance and magnificence in this sincere drama about an ex-con restarting his life as a rakugo performer. What inspired me the most about this first episode is that, rather than be bound by the chains of traditional TV anime, Shouwa Genroku extended its length from 24 to 48 minutes, to complete its story. Really, there were no good stopping points in this first episode, so rather than splitting it into two and ruining the pacing and storytelling, Shouwa Genroku opted to continue seamlessly, providing an uninterrupted experience. From that alone, you can tell that Shouwa Genroku is dedicated to its story and its characters. And of note, each of the three primary characters has their own individual story or purpose worth following, with each seeking a defined and different goal that will interweave with the others. Not to mention, the art and aesthetics are solid, especially with this color palette and use of lighting. And though I do have some things to nitpick about this first episode, such as Yakumo denying Yotarou but then almost immediately accepting him back three times, they’re trivial matters in the grand scheme of things. The first episode of Shouwa Genroku was nothing short of magnificent, but I can’t help wonder where it’ll go from here. Still, this first episode was more than reason enough to want to continue this anime, and I certainly hope everyone gives this first episode a try.

Dagashi Kashi

Comedies depend greatly on the humor, but also on the delivery, and what makes Dagashi Kashi such a delightful anime is that it has the right style of delivery with Hotaru as the lead female. Really, Hotaru carries the anime with her childish, colorful, and loud style, which is a bright and brilliant contrast compared to the dull, rural townsfolk like Kokonotsu and Saya. And it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention the father, too, You, but his involvement in the first episode wasn’t as inspiring as Hotaru. I do wonder how well the anime will perform if Hotaru or You are gone for any extended duration because it was only “okay” without them versus “hilarious” with them. As for the content of the comedy, the candy store-themed story is nice, but it’s a bit difficult to appreciate considering that all the snacks and candies are ones that I am not familiar with. Still, I smiled and laughed watching the first episode and that’s usually the criteria I go by when picking out comedy anime. As far as the other criteria, Dagashi Kashi has quite a pleasant aesthetic choice, and I’m always interested in a rural setting, so those are obvious positives. I do wonder how ecchi the anime will be considering the fanservice in the first episode, but it really isn’t a problem right now. Dagashi Kashi is an easy decision for me this season. This might actually evolve into one of my favorite anime of the season depending on how the comedy develops.

Undecided:

Bubuki Buranki

Bubuki Buranki is an anime with two halves: the first half with the family isolated in a fantasy world with menacing robots and magical powers and the second half with a quintet of teenagers in a modern Japanese setting fighting with mecha-monster-things against an adult with a mecha-monster-thing. First, I’d be lying if this didn’t immediately evoke images of Kamisama Dolls, and second, why did Bubuki Buranki have to leave that fantasy realm? As I mentioned, Bubuki Buranki’s first episode had two distinct halves, and though you could label them by their settings or before-and-after, I think of them as the “good” half and the “meh” half. The start of Bubuki Buranki was outstanding and impressive, showcasing the struggles of a growing family in a bleak and desolate world filled with sleeping killer robots. If the anime were just that, I’d be watching it, no question. However, the second half of the episode is what I expect the rest of the anime to be, about a group of kids fighting society as the kids try to return home or something shounen-sounding like that. It… it really failed to inspire me and I wonder whether Bubuki Buranki can recapture the magic it lost with that dazzling first half. I’ll need to see another episode to determine whether it’s worth keeping or not, so I’ll be interested to see where it goes from here and what it tries to do. However, given the direction it’s heading in, I probably won’t keep it around for much longer.

Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R

So… this is nothing like the original Komugi-chan anime. Whereas the original anime had passionate comedy and cuter, moe characters with personalities, Komugi-chan R has neither and feels like a watered-down and bland reimagining of Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magikarte. Like, in the original, they had an episode to Komugi-chan getting killed by a truck and spending the episode as a ghost watching as how everyone’s lives improved after she was gone. …I don’t see that here. I also don’t see the otaku humor, like parodies of 2chan and other anime like I did in the original. And the animation… I know Akio Watanabe did the character designs for both, but the original was so much brighter and more appealing… while this one just feels boring and generic. And where are all the references to The Soultaker, the original anime that allowed for the spinoff of the Nurse Witch Komugi-chan franchise? I seriously doubt that I will keep this considering that I enjoyed the original so much more, 8 years ago, and I’d recommend going back and watching that instead of this. I’ll give it one more episode to see where this goes since it does have some significant changes from the original, like Tsukasa, but I don’t think it’s worth my time this season.

Dropped:

Nothing from this batch, though a final decision remains for the two in the Undecided category.

This post reviews: Hai to Gensou no Grimgar, Dimension W, Schwarzesmarken, Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm, Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!, and Ajin: Demi-Human.

Since I do not write weekly posts for the second week of the season, primarily because many shows air their first episodes in that time, I’ll just provide a brief update on my thoughts on the second week here since this is so late. Most of the anime that impressed me in Week 1 have regressed a bit in Week 2, save for Boku Dake ga Inai Machi which is easily the best new show of the season. Of the sequels, Durarara!!x2 Ketsu is opening to a strong start, and I appreciate the change in direction for Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen. Still, I am a little disappointed in the performance of some of the new anime that I am keeping, but it’s only the second week of the season. Who knows, maybe one of these anime below will end up being the most impressive and most improved of the season? Let’s see just what I’m planning to do with these shows this season…

Watching:

Nothing here, not with these anime today.

Undecided:

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar

There are quite a few shining qualities to Hai to Gensou no Grimgar, but there’s an equal amount of concern after watching the first episode. For the positives, first and foremost is the art, which features stunning and picturesque backgrounds as vibrant watercolor paintings over pencil sketch outlines. Furthermore, the use of various lighting brings out depth in these shots, building the setting to feel like a world that the people live in rather than just a layer of things behind the walking, talking characters. The second positive worth mentioning is the personality and demeanor of the fantasy world. While there are literally a dozen modern-teenage-kids-stuck-in-fantasy-world anime these days, Hai to Gensou no Grimgar feels genuine given that the kids are inexperienced and awful at combat… which is what you’d expect given the situation they’re facing. I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly in the first half, during the goblin battle. The latter half is where things started to drop off and the drawbacks of Hai to Gensou no Grimgar revealed themselves. Of note are the characters and the writing. It appears that the main party of this anime will be the six characters that were featured in the second half of the episode, which is my primary concern with this anime… I’m bored with them at best and am irate with them at worst. Of course, the anime has a chance to redeem itself if a few of these characters die, but considering that this is the core unit, I can’t feel inspired with any of these kids. Then again, that might be the fault of the writing which paints these characters as plain and basic. The dialogue doesn’t help either, as it is easily the most discordant and displeasing element of the anime. Fortunately for me, the art and setting are likely to remain unchanged, and there’s always a chance that the characters and writing improve. I’ll likely give this another episode or two to see if it picks up, but I don’t think I’ll keep it the introduction was a fluke and the anime progresses on and on like the second half of this episode.

Dimension W

What leaves me uncertain with Dimension W is that, in the first episode, the two main characters were separated throughout whereas the rest of the series will have these two characters paired together. With such little time to see them interact together, other than their rousing fight, it’s hard to judge their chemistry together and how they’ll function as a team together. Fortunately, the two seem to be fine when they were independent of each other, each having their own stories and struggles, though I do hope Mira isn’t whiny and mopey throughout following the death of her father. One of my primary concerns moving forward is that I fear the anime will be formulaic each week, with the two characters looking for illegal coils each week and slowly moving toward their individual goals… but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. The other remaining elements do point in the right direction, such as the visuals, the directing, the setting, and the sound, but they’re not enough to convince me to keep it after this one episode. Once I can see how the characters function when they’re teamed-up together and whether this anime follows a set formula each week, then I’ll make a decision on whether to keep this or not. But, for now, it’s undecided.

Schwarzesmarken

Of all the anime this season, Schwarzesmarken is the hardest to read. I watched it, and… really could not formulate an opinion or initial impression. And no, I wasn’t bored with it either, especially during the mecha battle to start, but I felt emotionally detached from everything going on. I did not feel much of anything after the first episode either and desperately need a second to figure out what I want to do with this anime. Hopefully then, will I have enough of an impression and enough information to decide whether I want to keep this or not.

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! is a perfect example of how chemistry and comedy between characters is certain to catch my attention. What I enjoy the most about Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! is that it’s strengths are the two most important qualities of an anime for me: the characters and the setting. With the main duo possessing strong personalities and fascinating charisma, I find their interactions and exchanges to be charming and amusing, a real joy to watch. The fantasy setting is another strength too, with its obvious tribute to fantasy JRPGs, and the directing has been superb given its pacing, especially with that montage at the end. However, I do want to see more before committing to this anime, considering that they plan to add two more characters who have the potential to destroy the outstanding chemistry between Kazuma and Aqua. Beyond that, I am curious how the story develops now that everything is set and the two are stuck in this fantasy realm. I will admit that the art and animation are a bit subpar considering the quality here versus some of the other shows I’m keeping this season, but that is not reason enough to drop it. I think after one more episode, I’ll end up keeping this, unless the new characters spoil the chemistry between Kazuma and Aqua or if the story goes to shit and becomes a harem or something stupid.

Dropped:

Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm

Although Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm is being dropped, I am still considering it as a candidate for watching on 4x this season. To put it bluntly, I enjoyed bits and pieces of Ao no Kanata, but the overall product was a snore, and I don’t think it’ll get better given what the rest of the series holds. However, I figure if the anime were a short, like a 5- or 7-minute anime, I might consider keeping it around given its cute, fun characters and the flying shoes gimmick. Because of that, I’ll considering watching the episodes on 4x and hope that cures the tedium that overshadowed this first episode.

As for the first episode, it progressed similar to Asuka’s training, with many ups and many downs (but no heroic win at the end, unfortunately). The cast is above-average for these types of anime, and I do enjoy that the focus of the anime is on Asuka and not a male lead. I found the setting and style to be charming more than not, with the comedy and chibi art being highlights and the flying shoes to be mildly interesting, piquing my curiosity to how they’ll use it for themes and its story. That being said, I couldn’t help but find myself generally bored throughout. Maybe I’m just burnt out from trying two dozen anime in about a week, but I had trouble genuinely caring about the characters and their story. And, because of that, I think it might be a decent candidate to 4x this season since I can pretty much skip most of the text and whatnot and enjoy what I enjoyed with this first episode. I know, it’s not the best option, but it’s better than the alternative and being done with it right here and now.

Ajin: Demi-Human

Ajin: Demi-Human actually had a decent first episode, but until a dependable subber releases it regularly, there’s no point in trying to watch Ajin this season. Until that happens, I might as well consider this dropped from the list.

This post reviews: Uchuu Patrol Luluco, Mayoiga, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, and Boku no Hero Academia.

Given the size of the season, the number of shows I am planning on watching, the order in which they air, and the process for which I create these posts, I am anticipating that there will be 3 more First Impressions posts for Spring 2016 following this one.  The idea is to divide these up into smaller sets with the hope that they will be written as they premiere… But, the reality is, I’m already way, way behind and now it’s time to play catch-up.

Watching:

Uchuu Patrol Luluco (Space Patrol Luluco)

The question heading into Uchuu Patrol Luluco was whether there was any substance in this anime, how the characters and story would be presented, and how the mood and setting would be handled with all that pep, personality, and passion.  Now, the question is, why did I even worry?  No, I still have some doubts about the fundamental elements of Uchuu Patrol Luluco, but it’s the style and sensation of this anime that makes me hungry for more.  Luluco is fun, even when it’s not funny, and you can tell that everyone involved in this anime, from the production to the directing to the animation, is having a great time with this show.  And Uchuu Patrol Luluco is endearing, attributable to its delectable, chibi art style and its cheery, enthusiastic, and unlucky protagonist, Luluco.  I’ll definitely be keeping Uchuu Patrol Luluco this season, and I strongly encourage everyone to check it out, if they haven’t done so already.

Undecided:

Mayoiga (The Lost Village)

Well, that certainly was something unanticipated.  To say Mayoiga is unconventional or odd would be an understatement considering its characters, themes, atmosphere, and well… everything.  Mayoiga has a strange and unique personality as an anime, and its distinguishing itself from others this season with its enormous cast and horror/terror ambiance.  You can tell that most of these characters are going to die, right?… or, that is to say, if they’re not already dead.

I’m not sure really how to feel about Mayoiga at this point since we’ve only been just introduced to the characters and the weirdness of the series, but it has caught my attention.  I am leaning on keeping this one just because of how different it is and how it can go in really any direction from here, but I do want to wait and better understand of the other shows this season and how to budget Mayoiga in.  For now, it’s waiting in limbo… just like all the characters in this anime (according to my theory).

Boku no Hero Academia (My Hero Academia)

The first episode of Boku no Hero Academia certainly makes a strong impression with its setting and characters, but I’m not sure if it serves as a good representation for how the remainder of the series will be.  For instance, we’ve only met 3 of the approximately 21 characters in the OP and have yet to see the infamous UA High School, so it’s hard to gauge how I’ll enjoy this anime when I have no idea what the majority of the series will be like.  Still, this first episode left me impressed and wanting more of this type of content.  In fact, probably the biggest complement I could give it is that Izuku’s admiration of All Might, his desire to have a Quirk, and his dream of becoming a hero parallels many of the themes of Cruz from Needless, which is still the peak of character development in my eyes.  With that, you can tell Boku no Hero Academia is off to a great start.  However, I do want to see more of this anime and of other anime this season before I make a commitment on Boku no Hero Academia.

Dropped:

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban)

Although I am grateful that we finally have a Phoenix Wright anime, this isn’t what I want.  My primary issue – and the main reason why I am dropping it – is that Ace Attorney doesn’t feel like an anime. Rather, it feels like playing the Ace Attorney game or, perhaps more appropriately, watching someone else play the game for you.  The idea of the Ace Attorney franchise is that you are the protagonist and that you must think, analyze, and act in order to defend your client.  The magic and intrigue of this world famous franchise is gone when the anime removes the player from that role and places them in the crowd.  There’s a major disconnect from being the attorney and watching the attorney, and it just doesn’t feel the same.  Not only that, but the structure and pacing in this first episode was stiff and rigid, that it had to adapt the game faithfully but took that notion way, way too far.  At this point, why not just play the game if you’re new to the franchise?  I don’t really see anyone enjoying this anime unless they are absolute die-hard fans of the Ace Attorney franchise… and, evidently, I am not.

This post reviews: Kuma Miko, Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu, Macross Delta, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096, Bakuon!!, and Hundred.

With every day, I am making progress on catching up and am almost up-to-date.  My impressions on the season thus far are that it is vastly, vastly superior to Winter 2016, a season which ended up the lowest scoring season since I began blogging in 2011.  Fortunately, Spring 2016 doesn’t seem to be suffering the same fate as Winter 2016 did.

Watching:

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096

So this is an interesting decision to make.  I originally anticipated this to be a follow-up to the Gundam Unicorn OVA that aired from 2010 to 2014 and for me to just skip the series.  Then, after trying an episode of RE:0096 and comparing it to the first OVA, I found out that they are 99% identical.  Yes, there are a few small changes besides the addition of an OP and ED, but this is just Gundam Unicorn all over again.  So really, the question is, do I go with the TV or the OVA?

Considering my appalling history of watching OVAs and movies, something I’ve never quite been able to master, I think it may be best to stick for me to stick with the TV series.  Additionally, there is the possibility that the TV series might include some new content somewhere, especially since the TV series is scheduled to conclude in September.  As for the anime itself, I really couldn’t ask for anything more.  It has movie-quality art and animation, evident both in the action sequences and ordinary, everyday shots.  I am intrigued with where the story is heading, and considering how popular and acclaimed the OVA is, this is an easy decision to pick up.

Undecided:

Kuma Miko

Comedies like this can be difficult to evaluate after one episode since the humor really depends on the relationships of the characters and the content for that episode.  For Kuma Miko, the relationship between the Bear (Natsu) and Shrine Maiden (Machi) is the foundation for which this anime is to grow.  The two have decent chemistry together, which is essential for me to keep, though they are both rather tame and calm as characters.  The primary issue with Kuma Miko is content moving forward.  Fortunately for me, the content will change every episode, so there is a good chance the second episode will be funnier than the first.  However, I don’t much care for shows that are hit-or-miss, especially when they’re more miss than hit.  Another potential issue with this series versus other comedies is the amount of fanservice and sexualization present in the first episode.  Whereas I enjoy fanservice in other types of comedies (see Bakuon!! below), it feels a bit out of place here.  It wouldn’t be reason enough for me to drop it alone, but I do worry that the show will rely a bit too much on trying to make humor out of the bear-girl relationship.  It’ll get another episode, but it’s already behind a number of other comedies this season.

Macross Delta

As I mentioned previously, this is my first Macross anime.  Now, after just one episode, I do have a favorable impression of the franchise and this anime, but I do wonder if maybe I should start off with something else.  I mean, Macross Delta is fine as an anime, but I wonder if I should be spending my time on some of the more established, more renowned, and quite frankly better Macross shows.  To be honest, I didn’t exactly love the first episode of Macross Delta, and I began to wonder if or how I would enjoy the other anime in the Macross universe.  I think I’ll need some time, as well as a few more episodes of Delta, to better understand whether this is the right anime for me or whether I want to go back and try the original Macross (from 1982) or Macross F or something.  So, for now, Macross Delta is undecided.

Bakuon!!

Although Bakuon!! is here in the undecided category, I am strongly contemplating and believing I’ll keep it.  Thus far, Bakuon!! has been the best comedy, both in terms of content and delivery, in a rather disappointing season for comedies.  Another positive for this series is it has some of the greatest promise and potential for a comedy considering its characters, their chemistry, and the theme of motorcycles and motorbikes.  The art and animation serve Bakuon!! well, especially in the dynamic riding shots (where the camera is static and the girls/bike are moving).  I don’t mind the ecchi fanservice in this anime considering that it’s mainly subtle (not in your face, except for a few instances) and there are no dudes around to ruin the joke or scene.  I don’t mind the blatant advertisements either, primarily because of how the girls criticize and mock the other brands and companies that appear in the anime.  Honestly, there really isn’t much wrong with this anime except that I didn’t care much for the OVA that aired back in March.  That and I do wonder how the series will progress, with competitive races or slice-of-life scenes, which would ultimately dictate where the comedy goes and, with it, my enjoyment.  Still, I am planning on keeping this series, but I want to give it one more episode to make sure it’s the right choice.

Dropped:

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu debuted with two episodes, primarily because the first half establishes itself up as a generic teenager-in-fantasy-world anime and the second half introduces the Groundhog Day gimmick that distinguishes it apart from the other generic teenager-in-fantasy-world anime.  Still, it’s a generic teenager-in-fantasy-world anime, even with the death-and-revival gimmick, and it really failed to demonstrate enough material and potential to make me think that this would turn into anything special.  The one unique trait this anime has is fine, but it doesn’t make up for everything else being mediocre at best.  I didn’t ever enjoy myself watching the “first” episode of Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu, even after the death-and-revival aspect was revealed, so there’s really no point in continuing if that’s what the series is about.

Hundred

Curiosity got the best of me, and I watched the first episode of Hundred.  I understand that the series is named because it is the combined product of 100 different anime.  Or, if not, it certainly felt that way since nothing in Hundred seemed even remotely original or interesting.  But, because everything was so plagiaristic and unoriginal, I did find the episode hilarious in how predictable and awful it would be… so I guess it does have one positive.  Still, it has a hundred negatives, and so that’s a pretty easy decision to make with this anime.