KirbYuuYuu
Member
The best kind of stars.
-
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Spring Anime 2013 l OT One l All roads lead to this
- Thread starter Dresden
- Start date
- Status
Hidamari Sketch 7
Wait, so every time there's a typhoon, Yuno's family ordered pizza? So during torrential downpours, they would make a poor delivery guy just trying to scrape by get in his car and brave the storm just to schlep them a pizza, when they damn well could have cooked dinner themselves? Your family sucks, Yuno. You suck.
Wait, so every time there's a typhoon, Yuno's family ordered pizza? So during torrential downpours, they would make a poor delivery guy just trying to scrape by get in his car and brave the storm just to schlep them a pizza, when they damn well could have cooked dinner themselves? Your family sucks, Yuno. You suck.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
Kurenai 1
This is such a gorgeous show. The art is rich and detailed, even in more mundane settings than the above, such as Shinkuro's apartment. The color palette is tasteful, subdued yet vibrant. The character designs are also detailed, and I appreciate details such as the way strands of hair spin out all over the place or the attention paid to clothing folds. There's quite a bit of good animation as well, with realistically styled motion.
I like the understated style, helped by the gentle background music. At the same time, the understatement did make it a little difficult for me to get into at first. There's a lot of characters introduced off the bat and a complicated web of interrelations between them, and despite some flashbacks there's not a whole lot done to make everything crystal clear. I'm left with a lot of questions such as: What is the Inner Sanctuary? What is Benika's game in all this? I assume we'll get more of those answers as the protagonist gets them, though. The emotional core of the work, his budding relationship with the young girl he's just been given charge of, Murasaki, was effective. The biggest reason I'm interested in continuing to watch, besides the production values, is to see how that develops. It helps that Murasaki feels like a real 7-year old girl in the way she looks (rounder and chubbier than the more angular faces of the other characters) and the way she acts. The ending was poignant without being melodramatic - a difficult balance to reach.
I don't like the art or animation style of the OP; it looks like Flash animation. On the other hand, I really like the ED, even if it's just still art. Fujijun, who has partnered with Matsuo on several of his shows, is a great artist. His work on the Natsuyuki Rendezvous ED was excellent.
I like the touches of traditional Japanese imagery.
This is such a gorgeous show. The art is rich and detailed, even in more mundane settings than the above, such as Shinkuro's apartment. The color palette is tasteful, subdued yet vibrant. The character designs are also detailed, and I appreciate details such as the way strands of hair spin out all over the place or the attention paid to clothing folds. There's quite a bit of good animation as well, with realistically styled motion.
I like the understated style, helped by the gentle background music. At the same time, the understatement did make it a little difficult for me to get into at first. There's a lot of characters introduced off the bat and a complicated web of interrelations between them, and despite some flashbacks there's not a whole lot done to make everything crystal clear. I'm left with a lot of questions such as: What is the Inner Sanctuary? What is Benika's game in all this? I assume we'll get more of those answers as the protagonist gets them, though. The emotional core of the work, his budding relationship with the young girl he's just been given charge of, Murasaki, was effective. The biggest reason I'm interested in continuing to watch, besides the production values, is to see how that develops. It helps that Murasaki feels like a real 7-year old girl in the way she looks (rounder and chubbier than the more angular faces of the other characters) and the way she acts. The ending was poignant without being melodramatic - a difficult balance to reach.
I don't like the art or animation style of the OP; it looks like Flash animation. On the other hand, I really like the ED, even if it's just still art. Fujijun, who has partnered with Matsuo on several of his shows, is a great artist. His work on the Natsuyuki Rendezvous ED was excellent.
Are you from new york or new england?
Code Why Am I Still Doing This To Myself R2 22
You know, I'd comment that it's hilariously sloppy of Lelouch to surround himself with enemies and put them all under his Geass when he KNOWS that Geass-Canceller technology still exists, but this is Lelouch. Being a lazy, murderous bastard who also manages to fool people into giving him their sympathy is the one trick his pony knows.
Oh wow, Lelouch is one to talk about clinging to the past. Still can't get my head around Suzaku being there, and the ridiculous "he climbs to the top by constantly betraying others" shit that Canon said last episode still has me livid. Because until the sudden derailment of the entire show began, Suzaku hadn't betrayed ANYONE. D-tard, meanwhile, sounds precisely that way. And where does Canon get off talking about anyone? He's just arm candy for a blank sheet of paper.
Well in case all this bloodshed, violence, and confusing removal of characters from their actual character has you feeling worried, let me remind you that PIZZA HUT WOULD LIKE YOU TO REMEMBER THAT IT IS SPONSORING THIS WHOLE THING. EAT YOUR GODDAMN PIZZA LIKE A GOOD REBEL. IT HAS DISGUSTING HOT DOG CRUST.
FUCK YOU NINA. WHAT THE FUCK. YOU BUILT A FUCKING NUCLEAR WEAPON, URGED SUZAKU TO USE IT REPEATEDLY, AND YOU NEVER ONCE CONSIDERED THE REPERCUSSIONS? I mean REALLY? "WAAAH. I didn't know a weapon of mass destruction would cause mass destruction! Waaaaah. I didn't know a weapon would kill people! Waaaah. I didn't know I'd be infamous in the international community! Waaah. I didn't know people would want to kill me for having killed people!" All she does is claim she didn't know jack, and half of me wants to believe she is that dumb, because she designed a goddamn nuclear warhead to be loaded in a gun and launched from it WITHOUT A FUCKING TARGETING SYSTEM.
Dr. Hal Emmerich is disappointed in you, Nina. I continue to watch this show in the vain hope that you DIE.
There had better be a VERY good explanation for why Suzaku is suddenly on Lelouch's team. There won't be, because this show has ceded its ability to explain things to its base desire to do whatever it can to warp reality, but I hold some small hope.
Lelouch's crown is the stupidest crown to ever look stupid on any head, ever. Looks like a goddamn diaper on his head. A paper mache diaper.
Princess Cornelia remains best girl, blah blah blah. The King of Quaker Oats may not have been so pretty himself but his genes gave some FINE ladies.
Tamaki is literally never right about anything in the entire course of the show, is he?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KALLEN DON'T HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU!!! HE DOESN'T LOVE!!! Oh, well, Princess Cornelia is best girl, anyway. Although the Empress of China is so adorable! I just wanna give her a big hug! Maybe pinch her cheek, and just go AAAAAAAAAAW at her.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
NO WAY
JUST NO WAY
I DON
WHAHAHAHAHAHA
FUUUUU
AHAHAHAHHAHAHAH
NUNA
AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
IT'S SO
PERFA
A
AAAHJAJAJAJAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
You know, I'd comment that it's hilariously sloppy of Lelouch to surround himself with enemies and put them all under his Geass when he KNOWS that Geass-Canceller technology still exists, but this is Lelouch. Being a lazy, murderous bastard who also manages to fool people into giving him their sympathy is the one trick his pony knows.
Oh wow, Lelouch is one to talk about clinging to the past. Still can't get my head around Suzaku being there, and the ridiculous "he climbs to the top by constantly betraying others" shit that Canon said last episode still has me livid. Because until the sudden derailment of the entire show began, Suzaku hadn't betrayed ANYONE. D-tard, meanwhile, sounds precisely that way. And where does Canon get off talking about anyone? He's just arm candy for a blank sheet of paper.
Well in case all this bloodshed, violence, and confusing removal of characters from their actual character has you feeling worried, let me remind you that PIZZA HUT WOULD LIKE YOU TO REMEMBER THAT IT IS SPONSORING THIS WHOLE THING. EAT YOUR GODDAMN PIZZA LIKE A GOOD REBEL. IT HAS DISGUSTING HOT DOG CRUST.
FUCK YOU NINA. WHAT THE FUCK. YOU BUILT A FUCKING NUCLEAR WEAPON, URGED SUZAKU TO USE IT REPEATEDLY, AND YOU NEVER ONCE CONSIDERED THE REPERCUSSIONS? I mean REALLY? "WAAAH. I didn't know a weapon of mass destruction would cause mass destruction! Waaaaah. I didn't know a weapon would kill people! Waaaah. I didn't know I'd be infamous in the international community! Waaah. I didn't know people would want to kill me for having killed people!" All she does is claim she didn't know jack, and half of me wants to believe she is that dumb, because she designed a goddamn nuclear warhead to be loaded in a gun and launched from it WITHOUT A FUCKING TARGETING SYSTEM.
Dr. Hal Emmerich is disappointed in you, Nina. I continue to watch this show in the vain hope that you DIE.
There had better be a VERY good explanation for why Suzaku is suddenly on Lelouch's team. There won't be, because this show has ceded its ability to explain things to its base desire to do whatever it can to warp reality, but I hold some small hope.
Lelouch's crown is the stupidest crown to ever look stupid on any head, ever. Looks like a goddamn diaper on his head. A paper mache diaper.
Princess Cornelia remains best girl, blah blah blah. The King of Quaker Oats may not have been so pretty himself but his genes gave some FINE ladies.
Tamaki is literally never right about anything in the entire course of the show, is he?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KALLEN DON'T HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU!!! HE DOESN'T LOVE!!! Oh, well, Princess Cornelia is best girl, anyway. Although the Empress of China is so adorable! I just wanna give her a big hug! Maybe pinch her cheek, and just go AAAAAAAAAAW at her.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
NO WAY
JUST NO WAY
I DON
WHAHAHAHAHAHA
FUUUUU
AHAHAHAHHAHAHAH
NUNA
AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
IT'S SO
PERFA
A
AAAHJAJAJAJAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
I don't know why I read CorvoSol's posts in the Nostalgia Critic's voice.
ZachDeKoromaru
Banned
I'm not going to take this Yuno slander sitting down.
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
Code Geass is legitimately one of the greatest shows I have ever watched.
fuck the haters.
fuck the haters.
Grew up in Connecticut. But we never got delivery. We did take-out. Even in the rain. Cause we were decent.
I have absolutely no idea where Code Geass is going anymore. This show has descended/ascended to a level of insanity which I cannot follow. It's like how in Dragon Ball Z the fights were so fast regular humans couldn't follow them. That's Code Geass: it's so insane mere mortals can't follow it anymore.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
I was aware of some of these links, but not of others, so thank you for pointing them out. The Acephalous blog is insanely detailed.
The "fastest anime ever", according to the producers.
I vaguely recall that at some point there was a flashback to when he was a young man, and he was actually quite handsome.
I figured as such since you used the word schlep.
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
You are too close. Too goddamn close. I you puss out now the shame will forever haunt you.
That's for the best. Now just go with the flow for the last three episodes.
I don't know that they ever show Young Charles' face.
I won't. I can't. How could I stop after THAT? That's something so absurd, so ludicrously idiotic that I just cannot stop. Not now. Not after what I JUST SAW. It's the most mind bendingly, deliciously obtuse thing ever. I swear this show actually ends in some different way and everything from Shirleygate on has just been a series of What If episodes that attempt to out do one another in sheer absurdity.
I don't know who or what I will be when this is over.
Sadly, I am not.
nintendoman58
Member
Jeremiah's the only one who has it now. Need I remind you he was the only one who searched for
Nunally?
Don't worry there actually is a very good reason why he's on his team. Keep watching.
Honestly, the only explanation I can think for that is that Schinzel somehow had access to the Enterprise's Beam-Me-Up system.
Theonik
Member
After
he slaughtered the Geass cult he's basically the only one with access to the Geass Canceller technology. And Jeremiah is the only prototype of it they made anyway and he's on his side.
You might not be THE critic Corvy-kun, but you are OUR critic <3
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Don't they all like him because he's a pro-gamer? lol
---
Chihayafuru 21
They aren't even trying now. lol
I will say, I guess I was right that they are now just breezing through the individual tournament to get to the bigger showdowns. It just begs the question - why didn't they do this with all the team stuff that dragged on forever? Why not come up with some anime original episodes where Arata and Chihaya (or whomever) could just meet at night and talk about something - anything - other than karuta? I know you guys are making a 26 episode commercial, but you guys must have some kind of desire to be creative? At this point, I almost wonder if the omake episode was just lifted from bits in the manga.
There had BETTER be.
Yeah, but then again,
Nunally survived a direct hit by a nuclear weapon
Oh my gosh. Charles Britannia once looked like a not-blue Count of Monte Cristo.
I cannot possibly live up to this hype.
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
[Chihayafuru 2] 20
They introduced a five minute recap midway through the episode. We just had a sorta recap episode like three weeks ago. What the fuck, Madhouse?
I don't even feel like watching the rest of the episode. This show is like watching a marathon runner about to pull a final stretch trip on a pebble on the ground. Again and again and again. agh
They introduced a five minute recap midway through the episode. We just had a sorta recap episode like three weeks ago. What the fuck, Madhouse?
I don't even feel like watching the rest of the episode. This show is like watching a marathon runner about to pull a final stretch trip on a pebble on the ground. Again and again and again. agh
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Yep, you like recaps? Here's another one!
Deputy Dangle
Member
The Aku no Hana post pretty much echoes my feelings about the show in a much more concise way than I could. The analogy of the plot being like a car crash in slow motion is so fitting for the show's very small, intimate scale. I'm reading the post about Hyouka right now.
I'll try going through the rest later tonight. Thanks for posting these!
RurouniZel
Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
How could you not?
So much cute! :3
KirbYuuYuu
Member
It's a Madhouse for a reason, man.
Okay, so I finally caught back up on this thread (what do you mean being behind on AnimeGAF isn't srsbsns) and I'm now hoping to make a concerted effort to a) stay up-to-date, and b) actually post impressions when I watch things instead of just lurking and never posting anything at all ever.
(DISCLAIMER: This effort will probably fall apart within a matter of days, if not hours, if not minutes, if not before I finish typing this post, and I'll relapse back into a lurker. But always better to be optimistic, right? Who knows, someday I might even graduate from Junior status!)
So, to start off my posting efforts, a quick (AHAHAHAHAHAHA I'm so sorry) rundown of what I've been watching this season.
Yuyushiki 1-8
I feel like I've been blessed when it comes to slice-of-life moe shows in the past year or so. There always seems to be a good one every season that I can just sit down and grin at. Winter had GJ-bu, Fall...okay, maybe Fall didn't actually have anything since I'm not up-to-date on Hidamari, but Summer had the venerable YuruYuri S2, and Spring before that had Acchi Kocchi. I should probably be getting tired of the formula by now, but somehow all these series still manage to be wonderful. I'm not complaining.
Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge 1-9
Oh god, the fetishism. Fetishism everywhere. I haven't seen anything quite like it since Mysterious Girlfriend X, and even that mostly stuck to its one main fetish. This one runs the whole spectrum. The limited edition Bluray cover that was posted a few (okay, maybe not so few) pages back is just the cherry on top of the cake.
I don't feel this is one of the standout shows of the season, and I actually thought about dropping it quite a few times towards the beginning, but it keeps me so entertained each episode I couldn't justify it. The pure loli romance at the centre of it all probably helps (well, as pure as it's possible to get in a series this lewd). Iwai is absolutely precious, and her and Kiri have such sweet chemistry.
Hataraku Maou-sama! 1-8
Haven't seen Episode 9 just yet, but I'll fix that shortly after I finish writing this post. One of the highlights of the season for sure; the show manages to find just the right balance of humour, plot, characterisation, and plain energy. I can't quite express how great Maou and Alciel are as characters. They carry the show so well.
Oh, and then there are the waifus, I guess. #TeamChiho reporting for duty (and it's actually quite an impressive feat that she's won me over so completely, since giant mammaries are a real turn-off in my book).
Katanagatari 1-8
I missed out on this the first time around, but I do love me some Nisioisin, so I thought the re-airing would be a perfect opportunity to finally get into it. I've been following it weekly along with the noitaminA airing (originally I was actually watching the new airing wholesale, complete with new OP and ED, but I transitioned over to just using the versions from the original airing in the end).
I was actually a little apprehensive about the series before I started, simply because it was being animated by a studio that wasn't SHAFT. Nisioisin's style and SHAFT's style have always struck me as such a perfect match that it seemed odd to even think about one of his novels being adapted by another studio, even if it was a completely separate story from the ~Monogatari series.
Needless to say, my fears turned out to be completely unfounded. White Fox knocked it out of the park for this series (making it the second series they've impressed me with this season!); it's absolutely fucking beautiful, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The characters and narrative have all been top-quality Nisioisin fare so far as well, with character quirks abounding and dialogue so delicious I want to eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. And action, too! Oh, and the double-length episode format makes each episode feel like such a rich and engrossing experience, it really does wonders for the material. Anyone who hasn't watched this series yet, get right on it, because this is not one to miss.
Valvrave 1-8
Yeah...so this series is a thing. It does have that Geass-like quality of not knowing what kind of crazy stunt is going to take over the plot next, but I think it manages to find a strangely comfortable medium between "serious drama" and "shamelessly ridiculous". I certainly prefer this approach to, say, Geass R2 (though of course there's still plenty of time for this show to achieve those levels of WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS).
Sadly it still loses out to Geass in overall quality so far due to having generally weaker characters (there's certainly nobody approaching Lelouch in the charisma stakes) and not making such good use of its special abilities (Lelouch's Geass drove the whole show and was always a joy to observe, whereas Haruto and friends' body-swapping antics have barely been used so far). But it's plenty good enough to provide entertainment each week, and it has plenty of potential that I hope it manages to utilise.
Date a Live 1-8
One of the weaker shows I'm watching this season, if I'm honest, but at least the "girls are extradimensional forces of mass destruction" premise makes a change from the usual, more mundane harem-show formula we've been seeing in recent seasons. Touka's personality is captivatingly cute, and Yoshino has her oh-god-so-adorable moments too (though as lolis go, she's hardly blowing me away). Origami...really does nothing for me. And Kotori is, uh, okay I guess? Honestly, I thought it was a real shame when her "true nature" was revealed all the way back in episode 1, because up until that point she was legit adorable. After that, not so much.
Then along came Kurumi (and Mana), and the series became at least twice as enjoyable practically overnight. Thank you based yandere. You really do make everything better.
Chihayafuru 2 1-20
The characters, the music, the atmosphere in this series...they're all great. Yes, it's more of the same from the first series, and no, the characters and plot don't actually develop in any meaningful way for the most part (or if they do, they do it very slowly), but I can't honestly bring myself to think of these things as negatives, because it's always just such a pleasure to watch.
HenNeko 1-7
Oh god, the OP. Oh god, the ED. Tsukiko and Azuki Azusa (is it even possible to say just one of her names?) are so transcendentally cute, this series doesn't need anything else. It's almost cheating. They could just play the OP and ED over and over for the length of each episode and I would probably keep watching. My only complaint is that I can't choose between them. Can I just marry them both? Please? Threesome end Y/N?
But yeah, there's also a story in here somewhere. Something about magical statues granting wishes and stuff. It's all interesting enough, and makes for some briskly fun interactions and the occasional moment of comedic gold. I hear there might even be other girls in here besides Tsukiko and Azuki Azusa if you squint hard enough to see through the aura of cute that emanates in torrents from them and drowns out everything else on the screen. Like, Tsukiko has a sister. And Azuki Azusa has a pair of frenemies. They're all pretty cute in their own right and each have some really nice moments. They just can't compete with the stars of this show.
OreImo. 1-8
I have to admit, compared to the first OreImo series, I've found this one a little bit of a disappointment. I'm not sure why, either. After watching the first series, I went on to read all the light novels, and I enjoyed them all pretty much equally (indeed, some of my favourite parts fall in this half of the series), so it can't really be the material. Maybe it's because I have read the original novels, so none of this is new to me any more. Or maybe it's that this series doesn't feel as slickly-adapted as the first one was; it feels like they're rushing through the material somewhat and events are losing some of their weight. Whatever it is, it's a damn shame, because I love OreImo and its characters and I want to see only the best for them.
That said, disappointment or no, it's still enjoyable to see this material animated, and I'm still having a lot of fun watching it. And I can't deny I appreciated the shameless fanservice provided by Ria and Kirino in episode 4. So at least we definitely got something good out of this.
Oh, and just so you all know, I'm a steadfast member of #TeamKirino. By which I mean that Kirino is the best girl (screw the haters!), not that I want to see her end up with Kyousuke. That's Kuroneko's job.
Second place for best girl, by the way, is a tie between Kuroneko and her sister Hinata. Thank you based HanaKana for voicing not one, but two top-tier characters in this series.
(Fourth place would go to Kanako if she would ever actually appear.)
Shingeki no Kyojin 1-8
So after watching the first episode of this, I immediately went and read the whole of the manga. I couldn't help myself. And contrary to what seems to be the prevailing opinion around here, I don't think it went to shit. Maybe it's fallen somewhat from the incredibly high standards set by the beginning of the story, but it's still engaging, and the world and its mysteries are just as intriguing as ever. I only wish it wasn't a monthly series so it could actually move forward at a more satisfying rate.
But back to the anime! It's been great, it really has. The overblown, dramatic style of direction really works well for it (dat OP included), and so far I think it's definitely done the source material justice, which is no mean feat. I've seen a lot of complaints in this thread about its production values and its pacing, but honestly, I can't say either have bothered me so far. The pacing has felt perhaps a little weird for specific scenes very occasionally, but for the most part I think the pace has felt nicely satisfying each episode.
And as for production values, I guess I don't have much of an eye for this kind of thing, but I honestly haven't noticed any real issues. The animation has seemed slick and plenty good enough where it counts - maybe nothing mind-blowing for the most part, but certainly always enough to capture the right atmosphere for the series. The Spiderman antics have always felt nice and dynamic, and the Titans themselves have always had a real sense of weight and menace to them. Perhaps if the production values slip further as the series progresses it might end up bothering me, but if the series manages to maintain the quality it's shown so far, I don't think I'll have any complaints.
Aku no Hana 1-8
Oh, God. This series. I just have to salute it, I really do, because I don't think I've seen anything with quite as much atmosphere as it manages to achieve before. Almost everything about it seems like on paper, it should be a bad idea - from the unabashedly experimental and mood-clashing OP (complete with spoileriffic previews of every episode), to the rotoscoped graphical style which throws out everything the manga art had to offer and looks wrong on the most basic levels, to the ED that barely even qualifies as music. And that's without even getting into the story itself, which is so cringe-inducing it can be physically painful to watch, or the sometimes-bizarre pacing choices, such as the first episode in which practically nothing happens, or the lingering shots at the beginning of episode 8 that far outstay their welcome.
I don't know what kind of magic the director of this series worked, but whatever it was, it was a resounding success, because all of these bizarre elements combine to create something that's absolutely compelling to watch. I can't take my eyes off it. Truly something special.
(And that ED, whether it qualifies as music or not, is possibly my favourite track of this whole season, and I say that in a season that features Guren no Yumiya.)
Muromi-san 1-8
Hakata-ben is a gorgeous dialect. These mermaids are crazy. That OP is perfect. This show is exactly the right length. That is all.
Hunter x Hunter ??-81
The top-notch quality of this adaptation continues. We've been waiting long enough for the Chimera Ant arc, and it doesn't disappoint. As ever, it's so good to watch a rare shonen adaptation with such consistent quality and pacing, and it's fitting that it came to Hunter x Hunter, which faced such abysmal pacing and quality issues in the manga. Now if Togashi would just get off his ass and write some more, we'd be golden.
Suisei no Gargantia 1-8
The visuals are what really carry this series, I think. The environment of Gargantia has a style and an atmosphere all its own, and it's really just a pleasure to visit such a pleasant location. And of course, the character designs are as gorgeous as the environments. Amy and Melty in particular are right at the top of the "holy hell yes give me doujins NOW" scale.
And the narrative, so far at least, is really quite strong as well. It meanders, certainly, but that feels right for the setting and for the show's atmosphere, and allows the fairly simple yet undeniably heartwarming characterisation to shine. And of course there are moments like the climax of episode 2 that really hit home with their impact. I'm still not sure where the story is going to ultimately end up, but the series has inspired enough confidence with what it's done so far that I feel safe in the assumption that I'm going to enjoy wherever it takes me.
---
Whew. That covers all the current stuff I've been watching this season. Believe it or not, I've actually found this series relatively light for anime watching and managed to work in some archive stuff as well, but I'll cover that in another post in a bit, since this one is already novel-length >.>
(DISCLAIMER: This effort will probably fall apart within a matter of days, if not hours, if not minutes, if not before I finish typing this post, and I'll relapse back into a lurker. But always better to be optimistic, right? Who knows, someday I might even graduate from Junior status!)
So, to start off my posting efforts, a quick (AHAHAHAHAHAHA I'm so sorry) rundown of what I've been watching this season.
Yuyushiki 1-8
I feel like I've been blessed when it comes to slice-of-life moe shows in the past year or so. There always seems to be a good one every season that I can just sit down and grin at. Winter had GJ-bu, Fall...okay, maybe Fall didn't actually have anything since I'm not up-to-date on Hidamari, but Summer had the venerable YuruYuri S2, and Spring before that had Acchi Kocchi. I should probably be getting tired of the formula by now, but somehow all these series still manage to be wonderful. I'm not complaining.
Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge 1-9
Oh god, the fetishism. Fetishism everywhere. I haven't seen anything quite like it since Mysterious Girlfriend X, and even that mostly stuck to its one main fetish. This one runs the whole spectrum. The limited edition Bluray cover that was posted a few (okay, maybe not so few) pages back is just the cherry on top of the cake.
I don't feel this is one of the standout shows of the season, and I actually thought about dropping it quite a few times towards the beginning, but it keeps me so entertained each episode I couldn't justify it. The pure loli romance at the centre of it all probably helps (well, as pure as it's possible to get in a series this lewd). Iwai is absolutely precious, and her and Kiri have such sweet chemistry.
Hataraku Maou-sama! 1-8
Haven't seen Episode 9 just yet, but I'll fix that shortly after I finish writing this post. One of the highlights of the season for sure; the show manages to find just the right balance of humour, plot, characterisation, and plain energy. I can't quite express how great Maou and Alciel are as characters. They carry the show so well.
Oh, and then there are the waifus, I guess. #TeamChiho reporting for duty (and it's actually quite an impressive feat that she's won me over so completely, since giant mammaries are a real turn-off in my book).
Katanagatari 1-8
I missed out on this the first time around, but I do love me some Nisioisin, so I thought the re-airing would be a perfect opportunity to finally get into it. I've been following it weekly along with the noitaminA airing (originally I was actually watching the new airing wholesale, complete with new OP and ED, but I transitioned over to just using the versions from the original airing in the end).
I was actually a little apprehensive about the series before I started, simply because it was being animated by a studio that wasn't SHAFT. Nisioisin's style and SHAFT's style have always struck me as such a perfect match that it seemed odd to even think about one of his novels being adapted by another studio, even if it was a completely separate story from the ~Monogatari series.
Needless to say, my fears turned out to be completely unfounded. White Fox knocked it out of the park for this series (making it the second series they've impressed me with this season!); it's absolutely fucking beautiful, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The characters and narrative have all been top-quality Nisioisin fare so far as well, with character quirks abounding and dialogue so delicious I want to eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. And action, too! Oh, and the double-length episode format makes each episode feel like such a rich and engrossing experience, it really does wonders for the material. Anyone who hasn't watched this series yet, get right on it, because this is not one to miss.
Valvrave 1-8
Yeah...so this series is a thing. It does have that Geass-like quality of not knowing what kind of crazy stunt is going to take over the plot next, but I think it manages to find a strangely comfortable medium between "serious drama" and "shamelessly ridiculous". I certainly prefer this approach to, say, Geass R2 (though of course there's still plenty of time for this show to achieve those levels of WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS).
Sadly it still loses out to Geass in overall quality so far due to having generally weaker characters (there's certainly nobody approaching Lelouch in the charisma stakes) and not making such good use of its special abilities (Lelouch's Geass drove the whole show and was always a joy to observe, whereas Haruto and friends' body-swapping antics have barely been used so far). But it's plenty good enough to provide entertainment each week, and it has plenty of potential that I hope it manages to utilise.
Date a Live 1-8
One of the weaker shows I'm watching this season, if I'm honest, but at least the "girls are extradimensional forces of mass destruction" premise makes a change from the usual, more mundane harem-show formula we've been seeing in recent seasons. Touka's personality is captivatingly cute, and Yoshino has her oh-god-so-adorable moments too (though as lolis go, she's hardly blowing me away). Origami...really does nothing for me. And Kotori is, uh, okay I guess? Honestly, I thought it was a real shame when her "true nature" was revealed all the way back in episode 1, because up until that point she was legit adorable. After that, not so much.
Then along came Kurumi (and Mana), and the series became at least twice as enjoyable practically overnight. Thank you based yandere. You really do make everything better.
Chihayafuru 2 1-20
The characters, the music, the atmosphere in this series...they're all great. Yes, it's more of the same from the first series, and no, the characters and plot don't actually develop in any meaningful way for the most part (or if they do, they do it very slowly), but I can't honestly bring myself to think of these things as negatives, because it's always just such a pleasure to watch.
HenNeko 1-7
Oh god, the OP. Oh god, the ED. Tsukiko and Azuki Azusa (is it even possible to say just one of her names?) are so transcendentally cute, this series doesn't need anything else. It's almost cheating. They could just play the OP and ED over and over for the length of each episode and I would probably keep watching. My only complaint is that I can't choose between them. Can I just marry them both? Please? Threesome end Y/N?
But yeah, there's also a story in here somewhere. Something about magical statues granting wishes and stuff. It's all interesting enough, and makes for some briskly fun interactions and the occasional moment of comedic gold. I hear there might even be other girls in here besides Tsukiko and Azuki Azusa if you squint hard enough to see through the aura of cute that emanates in torrents from them and drowns out everything else on the screen. Like, Tsukiko has a sister. And Azuki Azusa has a pair of frenemies. They're all pretty cute in their own right and each have some really nice moments. They just can't compete with the stars of this show.
OreImo. 1-8
I have to admit, compared to the first OreImo series, I've found this one a little bit of a disappointment. I'm not sure why, either. After watching the first series, I went on to read all the light novels, and I enjoyed them all pretty much equally (indeed, some of my favourite parts fall in this half of the series), so it can't really be the material. Maybe it's because I have read the original novels, so none of this is new to me any more. Or maybe it's that this series doesn't feel as slickly-adapted as the first one was; it feels like they're rushing through the material somewhat and events are losing some of their weight. Whatever it is, it's a damn shame, because I love OreImo and its characters and I want to see only the best for them.
That said, disappointment or no, it's still enjoyable to see this material animated, and I'm still having a lot of fun watching it. And I can't deny I appreciated the shameless fanservice provided by Ria and Kirino in episode 4. So at least we definitely got something good out of this.
Oh, and just so you all know, I'm a steadfast member of #TeamKirino. By which I mean that Kirino is the best girl (screw the haters!), not that I want to see her end up with Kyousuke. That's Kuroneko's job.
Second place for best girl, by the way, is a tie between Kuroneko and her sister Hinata. Thank you based HanaKana for voicing not one, but two top-tier characters in this series.
(Fourth place would go to Kanako if she would ever actually appear.)
Shingeki no Kyojin 1-8
So after watching the first episode of this, I immediately went and read the whole of the manga. I couldn't help myself. And contrary to what seems to be the prevailing opinion around here, I don't think it went to shit. Maybe it's fallen somewhat from the incredibly high standards set by the beginning of the story, but it's still engaging, and the world and its mysteries are just as intriguing as ever. I only wish it wasn't a monthly series so it could actually move forward at a more satisfying rate.
But back to the anime! It's been great, it really has. The overblown, dramatic style of direction really works well for it (dat OP included), and so far I think it's definitely done the source material justice, which is no mean feat. I've seen a lot of complaints in this thread about its production values and its pacing, but honestly, I can't say either have bothered me so far. The pacing has felt perhaps a little weird for specific scenes very occasionally, but for the most part I think the pace has felt nicely satisfying each episode.
And as for production values, I guess I don't have much of an eye for this kind of thing, but I honestly haven't noticed any real issues. The animation has seemed slick and plenty good enough where it counts - maybe nothing mind-blowing for the most part, but certainly always enough to capture the right atmosphere for the series. The Spiderman antics have always felt nice and dynamic, and the Titans themselves have always had a real sense of weight and menace to them. Perhaps if the production values slip further as the series progresses it might end up bothering me, but if the series manages to maintain the quality it's shown so far, I don't think I'll have any complaints.
Aku no Hana 1-8
Oh, God. This series. I just have to salute it, I really do, because I don't think I've seen anything with quite as much atmosphere as it manages to achieve before. Almost everything about it seems like on paper, it should be a bad idea - from the unabashedly experimental and mood-clashing OP (complete with spoileriffic previews of every episode), to the rotoscoped graphical style which throws out everything the manga art had to offer and looks wrong on the most basic levels, to the ED that barely even qualifies as music. And that's without even getting into the story itself, which is so cringe-inducing it can be physically painful to watch, or the sometimes-bizarre pacing choices, such as the first episode in which practically nothing happens, or the lingering shots at the beginning of episode 8 that far outstay their welcome.
I don't know what kind of magic the director of this series worked, but whatever it was, it was a resounding success, because all of these bizarre elements combine to create something that's absolutely compelling to watch. I can't take my eyes off it. Truly something special.
(And that ED, whether it qualifies as music or not, is possibly my favourite track of this whole season, and I say that in a season that features Guren no Yumiya.)
Muromi-san 1-8
Hakata-ben is a gorgeous dialect. These mermaids are crazy. That OP is perfect. This show is exactly the right length. That is all.
Hunter x Hunter ??-81
The top-notch quality of this adaptation continues. We've been waiting long enough for the Chimera Ant arc, and it doesn't disappoint. As ever, it's so good to watch a rare shonen adaptation with such consistent quality and pacing, and it's fitting that it came to Hunter x Hunter, which faced such abysmal pacing and quality issues in the manga. Now if Togashi would just get off his ass and write some more, we'd be golden.
Suisei no Gargantia 1-8
The visuals are what really carry this series, I think. The environment of Gargantia has a style and an atmosphere all its own, and it's really just a pleasure to visit such a pleasant location. And of course, the character designs are as gorgeous as the environments. Amy and Melty in particular are right at the top of the "holy hell yes give me doujins NOW" scale.
And the narrative, so far at least, is really quite strong as well. It meanders, certainly, but that feels right for the setting and for the show's atmosphere, and allows the fairly simple yet undeniably heartwarming characterisation to shine. And of course there are moments like the climax of episode 2 that really hit home with their impact. I'm still not sure where the story is going to ultimately end up, but the series has inspired enough confidence with what it's done so far that I feel safe in the assumption that I'm going to enjoy wherever it takes me.
---
Whew. That covers all the current stuff I've been watching this season. Believe it or not, I've actually found this series relatively light for anime watching and managed to work in some archive stuff as well, but I'll cover that in another post in a bit, since this one is already novel-length >.>
Full Metal Panic! Sigma 20
Sousuke rescuese Worst Girl Nami and kicks off another romance with her. He also fixes up her team's Savage and paints it the Arbalest's colors. He refers to the team Savage, known as the Crossbow (of which Arbalests are a type) as Al II.
Sousuke rescuese Worst Girl Nami and kicks off another romance with her. He also fixes up her team's Savage and paints it the Arbalest's colors. He refers to the team Savage, known as the Crossbow (of which Arbalests are a type) as Al II.
at the end of his second month, he's having a bit of a quandary about what he's doing in Namsak, and whether or not he'd rather live there. He's also beginning to forget about Chidori. He's feeling this way because in Namsak he doesn't have to risk his life, like he did for Mythril (Tessa), nor strain himself the way he did in Tokyo (Kaname). Which is why Easy Street Nami's no good for him.
Sounds about right.
FelixOrion
Poet Centuriate
I couldn't even wager a guess.
The question of which will break first, my tolerance for this show or my sanity, has now been answered.
Why would you even quote that.
FelixOrion
Poet Centuriate
With sanity gone you can just sit back and enjoy the ride, shit gets fun
I can't wait for you to finish and reach the ultimate conclusion. TRUE ENLIGHTENMENT!
Theonik
Member
I don't know why but this post made me burst into laughter.
FelixOrion
Poet Centuriate
:lol
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
Haha. You're my favorite junior. Seriously laughing here.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
For a gem like this!
I don't think the OP looks like flash animation, I think it is Flash animation. It's a very weird and tonally mismatched OP, but whatever. I think if you enjoyed the first episode, you'll enjoy the show as a whole. It's a very unique show in that it addresses its themes and subject matter in an unusually serious way, and it has some very nice sakuga animation. It's not a show without its flaws, which I think you'll understand as you watch more, but I think it is worth watching. If only for the
musical episode.
Also, the OVAs suck and have a completely different(and inferior) style.
Chet Rippo
Member
They gave Manami long hair?
With you out of the way, all the more Manami for me!
hosannainexcelsis
Member
They're not that "spoileriffic". I like them because it whets my appetite for what's to come.
While I wasn't sold on the first version of the OP song, and thought it painfully out of place, the second version of the OP song convinced me of its rightness. That version perfectly embodies who Nakamura is.
Music consists of rhythm, harmony, and/or melody. The ED song consists of all three, and so is unquestionably music. (Even if the sprechstimme vocal line doesn't follow a melody, the flutes shadowing it do.) With when the song kicks in at the end of each episode, and the various versions used to match varying moods - the pinnacle of which is the full original song at the end of episode 7 - it is perhaps the best use of an ED song I've seen in anime.
Because he's cajunator.
R_thanatos
Member
Corvo reaction to this part in geassR2 is really entertaining , especially when you already know what happens.
Dont worry about your sanity! Just enjoy the delicious story !
Dont worry about your sanity! Just enjoy the delicious story !
I can't stop my head from spinning.
Well, I suppose I'll feel lighter without sanity to weigh my head down.
Never, ever go into the Pics that Make You Laugh thread. Quotes of reposts a mile long.
Is it wrong to enjoy my own salty tears?
The Count of Monte Cristo 15
This episode begins pretty slowly, with Franz mucking about for the answer to what Gankutsuo is, and Heydee visiting the General Assembly while The Count recounts the tale of Edmond Dantes to Albert as he smokes some hookah. But slowly all three threads intertwine until Albert is begging the Count to stay with him and Heydee is unmasking Fernand Mondego publicly and Noirtier Villefort is explaining to Franz that Gankutsuo is Edmond Dantes.
The final scene, where the Count begins to weep over parting ways with Albert, then turns his sorrow into laughter, and then grandiose rage is just absolutely perfect.
Crimsonlink
Member
All the OreImo pics are making me happy. I love you animeGAF! Well most of it anyways.
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