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Summer Anime 2017 |OT| More streaming services than shows to watch

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J

Jarmel

Banned
Violet Evergarden-1
Violet-Evergarden.jpg
Click to expand...
This is easily the strongest opening episode in KyoAni's entire history. It's near impossible, and to some degree unfair, to compare serious works such as this to KyoAni's more comedic offerings since the goals of said works are different but I felt this was the most enthralling start of all their shows. I will admit part of this is due to the setting shift as I've grown a bit tired and weary of most of KyoAni's shows being set around a high school as well as their general tone. That's not to necessarily discredit them but for a long time I've wanted to see the directors and staff at the studio step out of their box. This show is mostly that.

The setting is some fantasy European land that looks to be around post WW1 technology-wise besides Violet who seems to be a cyborg. The setting really allows KyoAni's art department to go bonkers and create visuals comparable to what you would see in a Ghibli film. The backgrounds and art direction are without a doubt movie caliber and are at least comparable to A Silent Voice, if not better. The only thing that might give away that it's still a TV show, for KyoAni's standards anyway, is that the character animation isn't as rich as A Silent Voice. That's not implying in any way that the character animation is subpar but rather the motions, and thus the animations, are very controlled. The 'No Man's Land' scene for Violet has tons of fast-moving movement and is gorgeous so it's not as if the staff can't do it. The nontraditional location and timeframe makes the show out to be a period piece in certain ways and the art department under Mikiko Watanabe go all in. Visually it's very dense and along with the more realistic character designs, gives the show a very mature atmosphere to it. It's Kyoto Animation's best looking TV show. Yes, that includes shows like Hyouka. I should note that I didn't watch this in an ideal environment but my feeling on the photography is that it's nowhere as overbearing as Yamada's works.

On the story side, this episode was about Violet recovering from losing both her arms and getting metallic replacements. It's not really explained what her core body is made of and that if she's a robot then why getting metallic arms is treated like a big deal but I'm sure that'll be addressed at some point. Anyway a man called Hodgins comes and is a friend of her former master Gilbert. Hodgins is avoiding tell her that her master died from his wounds and I thought the storyboarding was really great in this part. You can tell purely through his body language exactly what happened and that he himself is still trying to deal with the loss. The frame will focus on him putting his hand in his pocket for example when she asks about Gilbert or him fidgeting inside his pocket. He takes her to the Evergardens who are some upscale relatives that agreed to look after Violet. However Violet isn't able to fit in and says that if Gilbert has no use for her then just for Hodgins to dispose of her. I'm not sure if Violet already knows Gilbert is dead or if it's her still being in some degree of denial. It's not really addressed that well in the episode as Violet seemingly sees Gilbert dying but some of the dialogue also made it out like he made to an army hospital where he dies later I guess.

So Hodgins decides to find a use for her at his newspaper/mail company. There she's introduced to a coworker that looks to be a teen who's somewhat brash. If you're a hardcore puritan then be warned there's a super quick scene of Violet stripping down (similar in speed and tone to the Amagi bathroom butt scene). I already know there's going to be a few churchboys complaining about that but it does help establish her character, in particular her detachment and indifference to social norms, to some degree. It's also worth mentioning that when Violet arrives at the company, there's a bit more comedy of the physical kind, than before. This was a very somber episode besides those parts. She then overhears someone dictate some sort of love confession (I'm not sure about this part as I couldn't read the subtitles for a period due to some idiot's head being in the way) and decides to become a human(?) recorder which is a type of job in this universe. She wants to understand Gilbert's final words to her which were
I love you
. I'm not particularly sold on that final development as some of the implications are a bit icky.

On the direction side, I liked the shift in colors for the war flashbacks, of which there are a few. Unlike the present, the war flashbacks have a lot of greys and brown in them. You can immediately tell visually which era a scene is taking place in. I thought Ishidate did a great job of handling the serious material but also injecting just enough comedy in there that it didn't become overbearing. The scene with Gilbert bleeding out and yelling at Violet to stop trying to help him and get out, because he knew he was dying, was pretty emotional. There's a strong undercurrent of loss in the first episode.

I should mention though that the show will seemingly switch to a more episodic SOL format so I'm not sure if this first episode is necessarily indicative of what the rest of the show will be like. I'm not the biggest fan of KyoAni but I can say this is probably the strongest opening episode of any anime I've seen in a few years. The premise of a robot learning human emotions obviously isn't some sort of original concept but the absurdly high level production values, along with the serious tone, make it an intriguing watch. On a separate note I'm surprised how popular the premiere was, they completely filled the Main Events Hall at the LACC which is the first time I've seen that happen.
 
J

Just T

Member
Isekai Shokudou: 1

Outside of taking food off other's plates not a bad first episode at all. The main characters so far seem interesting enough, looking forward to some backstory. Also turning into a dragon to finish off that pot seemed redundant but whatever lol.

Tsurezure Children: 1

Pretty good adaption, they covered more than I thought they would already and I think the run time is a good fit. Also pleased with the voices, you know after you read a manga for a while and start to imagine how a voice would fit the character it can kinda be jarring when it's the opposite but these are some pretty good choices so far. Looking forward to seeing some of the other pairs animated.
 
A

Admiral Woofington

Member
Jarmel said:
Violet Evergarden-1

This is easily the strongest opening episode in KyoAni's entire history. It's near impossible, and to some degree unfair, to compare serious works such as this to KyoAni's more comedic offerings since the goals of said works are different but I felt this was the most enthralling start of all their shows. I will admit part of this is due to the setting shift as I've grown a bit tired and weary of most of KyoAni's shows being set around a high school as well as their general tone. That's not to necessarily discredit them but for a long time I've wanted to see the directors and staff at the studio step out of their box. This show is mostly that.

The setting is some fantasy European land that looks to be around post WW1 technology-wise besides Violet who seems to be a cyborg. The setting really allows KyoAni's art department to go bonkers and create visuals comparable to what you would see in a Ghibli film. The backgrounds and art direction are without a doubt movie caliber and are at least comparable to A Silent Voice, if not better. The only thing that might give away that it's still a TV show, for KyoAni's standards anyway, is that the character animation isn't as rich as A Silent Voice. That's not implying in any way that the character animation is subpar but rather the motions, and thus the animations, are very controlled. The 'No Man's Land' scene for Violet has tons of fast-moving movement and is gorgeous so it's not as if the staff can't do it. The nontraditional location and timeframe makes the show out to be a period piece in certain ways and the art department under Mikiko Watanabe go all in. Visually it's very dense and along with the more realistic character designs, gives the show a very mature atmosphere to it. It's Kyoto Animation's best looking TV show. Yes, that includes shows like Hyouka. I should note that I didn't watch this in an ideal environment but my feeling on the photography is that it's nowhere as overbearing as Yamada's works.

On the story side, this episode was about Violet recovering from losing both her arms and getting metallic replacements. It's not really explained what her core body is made of and that if she's a robot then why getting metallic arms is treated like a big deal but I'm sure that'll be addressed at some point. Anyway a man called Hodgins comes and is a friend of her former master Gilbert. Hodgins is avoiding tell her that her master died from his wounds and I thought the storyboarding was really great in this part. You can tell purely through his body language exactly what happened and that he himself is still trying to deal with the loss. The frame will focus on him putting his hand in his pocket for example when she asks about Gilbert or him fidgeting inside his pocket. He takes her to the Evergardens who are some upscale relatives that agreed to look after Violet. However Violet isn't able to fit in and says that if Gilbert has no use for her then just for Hodgins to dispose of her. I'm not sure if Violet already knows Gilbert is dead or if it's her still being in some degree of denial. It's not really addressed that well in the episode as Violet seemingly sees Gilbert dying but some of the dialogue also made it out like he made to an army hospital where he dies later I guess.

So Hodgins decides to find a use for her at his newspaper/mail company. There she's introduced to a coworker that looks to be a teen who's somewhat brash. If you're a hardcore puritan then be warned there's a super quick scene of Violet stripping down (similar in speed and tone to the Amagi bathroom butt scene). I already know there's going to be a few churchboys complaining about that but it does help establish her character, in particular her detachment and indifference to social norms, to some degree. It's also worth mentioning that when Violet arrives at the company, there's a bit more comedy of the physical kind, than before. This was a very somber episode besides those parts. She then overhears someone dictate some sort of love confession (I'm not sure about this part as I couldn't read the subtitles for a period due to some idiot's head being in the way) and decides to become a human(?) recorder which is a type of job in this universe. She wants to understand Gilbert's final words to her which were
I love you
. I'm not particularly sold on that final development as some of the implications are a bit icky.

On the direction side, I liked the shift in colors for the war flashbacks, of which there are a few. Unlike the present, the war flashbacks have a lot of greys and brown in them. You can immediately tell visually which era a scene is taking place in. I thought Ishidate did a great job of handling the serious material but also injecting just enough comedy in there that it didn't become overbearing. The scene with Gilbert bleeding out and yelling at Violet to stop trying to help him and get out, because he knew he was dying, was pretty emotional. There's a strong undercurrent of loss in the first episode.

I should mention though that the show will seemingly switch to a more episodic SOL format so I'm not sure if this first episode is necessarily indicative of what the rest of the show will be like. I'm not the biggest fan of KyoAni but I can say this is probably the strongest opening episode of any anime I've seen in a few years. The premise of a robot learning human emotions obviously isn't some sort of original concept but the absurdly high level production values, along with the serious tone, make it an intriguing watch. On a separate note I'm surprised how popular the premiere was, they completely filled the Main Events Hall at the LACC which is the first time I've seen that happen.
Click to expand...

I had to search everywhere to see where the hell this was (crunchy, funi, etc...) only to realize the truth is much sadder.
 
M

Maximilian Kolbe

Member
Jarmel said:
Coming 'Soon' to Netflix!
Click to expand...

If Netflix announce they get VEG i can't wait to see the reaction lol.

Oh and yeah, i agree with "I will admit part of this is due to the setting shift as I've grown a bit tired and weary of most of KyoAni's shows being set around a high school as well as their general tone.", they finally doing something else, so i can't wait to watch VEG.
 
C

Crimson_Echidna

Banned
Tsuredure Children, Episode 1 - This was a fairly good watch. It's like a sample platter of different school romance anime. The segments range from pretty amusing to surprisingly sincere. I’m liking it.
 
H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
Someone give me the cliff notes on why magical idols are fighting aliens on behalf of the UN's humanitarian forces.
 
C

Crimson_Echidna

Banned
AhoGirl, Episode 1 - Well isn't this a reversal. A school comedy where the female lead is the idiotic pervert while the male lead is the violent tsundere childhood friend. I actually had fun watching this, so I'm definitely continuing it.

AhoGirl2.gif
 
H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
They are very colorful. One of them is pink, one is blue one is yellow!
 
A

Aki-at

Member
New Game - 2

A manager telling her staff to take breaks as part of the job, if there's such a video game company existed, could it be possible in Japan? Still it's a pleasant and cute show, having not picked up anything this season, I'll probably try and finish this, Nozaki-kun and Sabagebu.
 
C

Chase17

Member
Admiral Woofington said:
I'm a couple of episodes behind on Dragon Ball, I left off when Goku suggested they recruit Whirpool, has the tournament started yet? I don't know if I should catch up, then let a couple of episodes of the tournament pile up in my backlog.
Click to expand...

The most recent episode was the start of the tournament.
 
I

Infinite_Respawn

Member
Well, after seeing how the show exploded in Japan and the flurry of confusion, fascination, and bewilderment that interest caused in anime circles around the Net, I decided it was time to see what they saw in a show that I had callously overlooked when deciding which shows to preview for the winter season for looking... well frankly, terrible at a glance, at least technically speaking. Having watched the whole show, I feel I owe an apology to Kemono Friends: this is actually one of the best shows I've watched all year.

The trouble with saying something like that, is this time, I feel there's a very large caveat I need to make clear first, and surprisingly, it has nothing to do with the visuals (more on those later). Really, I found this show to be much more than the sum of its parts, but I think the biggest reason I enjoyed it is that it scratches an itch I haven't experienced from any other anime I've ever seen, one I never thought anime was capable of expressing in any form: nature programming.

I like nature documentaries; I have ever since I was young. There's something inherently calming about watching animals in their native environments acting according to their natural instincts, a kind of primal enjoyment of the natural order most of us don't really get to experience, especially as our lives grow ever more interconnected. Kemono Friends detaches the viewer from a lot of the world around you when you watch, transporting you to a simpler place where you can appreciate the Friends in their natural environments. It's a really interesting take on moe staples to integrate them with animal behaviors, and then utilize those to have groups play off each other in situations that, while often traditional in nature, take on new life thanks to the interplay of each episode's cast.

The other thing that's nice is just how well realized Japari Park is as an actual place. It's made clear early on that this used to be some kind of nature reserve where people could interact with the Friends, but that it was abandoned long ago. This mild post-apocalyptic vibe that runs as an undercurrent through the entire show allows for all kinds of interesting visual and narrative ideas, and the show does a good job of exploring them pretty thoroughly. I also appreciate that it doesn't do the typical thing of over-explaining the state of the world, but rather gives you only enough information to piece together things crucial to the plot, while leaving other elements of the world completely unexplored. It reminds me a lot of the original Planet of the Apes in that way, which it indirectly borrows a couple of ideas from by its premise alone.

As for the technical side... well, as much as I like the show and think it has exceptional art direction, it's not great looking. The animation is usually quite stiff and limited, even if it ends up feeling quite charming as the show goes on. I understand the team making the show was very small and they had a tiny budget, and hats off to them for making the show happen at all, but I couldn't help but wonder how much of the potential audience was turned away due to them ending up in this state, like I was. Thankfully, the show makes up for it's visual shortcomings with perhaps what might be my favorite OST for any anime this year so far! It's really shocking, I had no expectations for the music going in, and was completely blown away! And I commend them for having distinctive voices for every character, which couldn't have been easy considering that several new characters are introduced in practically every single episode.

Kemono Friends is one of those oddities; a show that when broken down seems decent at best, but one that, due to its eccentricities, would likely be ignored or passed over in favor of conventional taste. And yet, the complete package becomes something more than the sum of its parts, overcoming its technical shortcomings with a combination of imaginative art design, surprisingly solid writing, a clear vision that aids the directing and pacing, and a commitment to fantastic audio. And I think that's why it attracted such a incredible following by word of mouth; once you start to see all the elements come together, it's impossible not to want to share it with others, not only because of its quality but because of how its able to invoke a feeling that's unlike anything I can remember seeing before. It's one of the best shows I've watched this year, and I feel it is only right by me after scorning it before that I implore you to try it as well.
 
F

firehawk12

Subete no aware
How is the Hyouka dub? How does English Chitanda express her curiosity?

I'm already disappointed that English Kongou is just an Anglophile who says bollocks from time to time... that, and the fact that they didn't go the extra effort and have the same actress voice all of the Kongou sisters.
 
C

Crimson_Echidna

Banned
firehawk12 said:
How is the Hyouka dub? How does English Chitanda express her curiosity?

I'm already disappointed that English Kongou is just an Anglophile who says bollocks from time to time... that, and the fact that they didn't go the extra effort and have the same actress voice all of the Kongou sisters.
Click to expand...

Hyouka Dub is solid for the most part. I found the actress playing Chitanda to have the weakest performance of the main four, but nothing bad. She says something along the lines of "I need to know."
 
Q

Quasar

Member
Tsuredure Children 1 - Mildly amusing half length short. Dunno how long it will keep my attention. I assume its a 4koma based thing.
 
T

texhnolyze

Banned
Tsuki ga Kirei - Completed

This anime makes me realize that non-shoujo romance anime without panty flash and many other otaku pandering is such a dying breed nowadays. That's what sadden me when I saw the ending last night.

Damn it, I want more! Please there be an OVA or movie for a proper ending.
 
J

JulianImp

Member
texhnolyze said:
Tsuki ga Kirei - Completed

This anime makes me realize that non-shoujo romance anime without panty flash and many other otaku pandering is such a dying breed nowadays. That's what sadden me when I saw the ending last night.

Damn it, I want more! Please there be an OVA or movie for a proper ending.
Click to expand...

Series like Tsuki ga Kirei are the kind of things I keep on my recommendation list, which is funny because what I found interesting about it is, like you said, how damn normal and not-overly-anime it was. I mean, I enjoy some otaku trash, but I'd rather have more novel shows like this than the byproducts of an industry that I could only characterize as downright incestuous in how it creates self-centered trash and then refines it into even trashier stuff.

And regarding the proper ending, I was kind of let down with how the credits roll montage was basically it, so we're unlikely to ever get anything else from this series unless it hops to a new couple. By the time the credits finished rolling we were already at the point where they were married and had their first kid, so I think there isn't all that much for them to do with the story other than show their married life and how they raise the kid. Even then that'd probably be nice, but is awfully unlikely to happen anyway.
 
Q

Quasar

Member
texhnolyze said:
Tsuki ga Kirei - Completed

This anime makes me realize that non-shoujo romance anime without panty flash and many other otaku pandering is such a dying breed nowadays. That's what sadden me when I saw the ending last night.
Click to expand...

Its like josei, its pretty much vanished from anime. We have to go to manga for it.
 
T

texhnolyze

Banned
JulianImp said:
Series like Tsuki ga Kirei are the kind of things I keep on my recommendation list, which is funny because what I found interesting about it is, like you said, how damn normal and not-overly-anime it was. I mean, I enjoy some otaku trash, but I'd rather have more novel shows like this than the byproducts of an industry that I could only characterize as downright incestuous in how it creates self-centered trash and then refines it into even trashier stuff.

And regarding the proper ending, I was kind of let down with how the credits roll montage was basically it, so we're unlikely to ever get anything else from this series unless it hops to a new couple. By the time the credits finished rolling we were already at the point where they were married and had their first kid, so I think there isn't all that much for them to do with the story other than show their married life and how they raise the kid. Even then that'd probably be nice, but is awfully unlikely to happen anyway.
Click to expand...

Yes, we already know the ending, but they could explore the journey from high school to marriage. There are lots of plot possibilities in long distance relationship. I've had it twice in my younger days and both didn't go pretty well. Also, I don't think there are that many long distance relationship anime/manga out there, especially when it ends up well like this one.

Quasar said:
Its like josei, its pretty much vanished from anime. We have to go to manga for it.
Click to expand...

But what's the genre for this kind of anime/manga?

I can only think of Adachi Mitsuru's works. And now I want more of Adachi manga.
 
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