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Anime/Manga ► Spring 2013 Anime Lineup



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Nyangoro

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I'm not sure how they plan to structure the adaptation, since I don't know how many episodes the anime is slated for. Regardless, I trust Araki as far as budgeting goes. I don't recall seeing very many budget slips under his directorial watch, lol. Besides, WIT Studio seems to be one that prides itself on high-quality character models, so I'm not expecting many issues in that department.

And now, even more trailers.

[video=youtube;gG0rWMVpDwc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG0rWMVpDwc[/video]
(So much Gundam it hurts, lmao)

TV

「æ–*裁分離のクライãƒ*エッジ」PV第2å¼¾ - YouTube

「ゆゆ式」ACE2013PV - YouTube

やはり俺の青春ラブコメはまちがっている。新番組予告 - YouTube

「うたの☆プリンスさまっ♪ マジLOVE2000%」PV - YouTube

TV (honest to god I just can't believe this is a Madhouse production)

*sigh* I so don't feel like fixing the link titles this time.

Just a few more days until the new season! Don't worry, I'll work to get out not-shitty impressions this time around :p

Also, fun fact: Little Witch Academia is out and subbed :)
 

Pinwheel

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Is it? I bought the first volume and a lot of what I see in there is first volume or even chapter stuff. Like so much that I picked out certain panels from the trailer.
The scene within the forest is pretty late in the series, if I'm right. Unless it's that group that returns the very first chapter.
 

Nyangoro

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So I just watched the first episode of the My Little Pony Japanese dub and Twilight Sparkle is voiced by Kurapika.

Yeah.
 

Nyangoro

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Going back to my previous style, because I think it suits me better. The more I thought about it, the more I'd rather get an official website name for focusing on reviews than a basic blog that I don't have the same control over.

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RDG: Red Data Girl

Introduction: P.A. Works takes... somewhat of a departure than their norm (still in the same country, it seems). This season, they've offered the anime-viewing public an adaptation of a (completed, fortunately) series of novels. Said novels are described as “modern fantasy” and seems to prominently feature high schools, rural Japan, and romantic subplots (again, same country). Regardless, most of P.A. Works ability to construct a narrative is largely pretense to enjoy the pretty backgrounds, but let's see if they can back it up with a little substance.

Summary: Our lead bundle of introversion wrestles with how to convince her father to let her stay in the same high school. It's through this familial spat (and interactions with computer monitors) that we learn of the heroine's special powers. What are they? No clue. The episode is pretty vague on the matter. The most we know is that technology isn't her friend, and that she may or may not be related to Samson. In the second half, our second (and male) protagonist, instigates a new piece of information: The heroine is a reverent person in their circle known as the Himegami (roughly, “Princess God”). He and his family serve as servants to her, although she was left in the dark on the matter. The rest of the episode shows the bicker like inevitable lovers before the credits roll.

Premise: It's obvious that the interest in the plot at the moment mostly stems from mystery, with regard to both the heroine's powers and her status as this “Himegami.” There's a budding painfully blatant love triangle bubbling up to the surface, but it's at a low boil for the time being. My biggest hope is that the Himegami business provides the brunt of the narrative, as I can't imagine the nature of her powers sustaining the plot for a whole season. I can't say that the romantic tangent get me all anxious either. I'm really not convinced that this cast has what it takes to contain a love subplot that doesn't buckle under the weight of its own angst.

Characters: I feel I might be a bit more lenient on it if I actually liked the characters. Well, okay, the main characters. I enjoyed the heroine's father. The little joke to his coworker about his daughter being his girlfriend was kind of endearing. I felt something likeable from him. But the two protagonists.... Let's start with the girl. She's soft-spoken, introverted, and makes statements about trying to change while accomplishing fairly little on her own. A little annoying, but not insufferable on its own. However, then you pair it with the boy, and abusive prick who whines and takes out his frustrations on others just so he can play the repressed victim. That's obnoxious by itself, but then you have these two personalities arguing. Honest to God, I didn't realize I had that vein in my forehead until today. I'm willing to give them a chance to develop, but the leeway is microscopic right now.

Artwork: You know, I should really just copy/paste whatever I said about the other recent P.A. Works anime. I realize that's not fair, since damn near all studios have commonalities in their aesthetic, but it's crazy noticeable when said aesthetic revolves around such a pristine and polished direction. Still, I want to say something of value here, so let's have at it. To compare the more subtle differences between series, RDG has more in common with Another than it does Hanasaku Iroha or Tari Tari. The rural setting promotes this too, but the tone in general is much cooler, with more muted colors and an eerier vibe. The character designs follow this as well, bearing resemblance with more “compact” structure for the models. It does wonders for the mood, and I prefer it to their more upbeat visuals.

Animation: Unlike Another, however, they seem more able to inject money into this project. Granted, there are no immaculate dolls to inhale budget, but the characters in general move about more than in their horror outing. The drowning/water imagery was amazingly conceived, and there are a few simple but effect motions in the later conversations that help negate some of my agitation. That being said, it's still not as dynamic as Hanasaku Iroha was, but I'd be a bit more willing to compare it to Tari Tari's first episode in terms of quality. Then again, the CGI helicopter wasn't doing my eyes any favors, no matter how fast it left the screen. Major props for the (mostly) slick opening sequence though.

Music: I much prefer the singer Annabel when she does slow ballads or synthpop. As it stands, this opening is just regular pop music, which just turns her into another boring voice (albeit, one that's prettier than most). It's a good thing the ending saves it though, performed by Itou Masumi, who performed the ending theme for Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita (one of my favorite endings of that year). The off-beat vocals and composition sound so good. The score is a nice, atmospheric piano and simple strings most of the time, but it doesn't stand out quite enough. It's at its best when it introduces a bit of orgel into the mix, when it starts coming into its own a bit.

Overall: There's not enough to get me excited, but there is enough to get me to check out the next episode. There's some promise to at least half of its concepts, enough that I'm willing to give the cast more time than I might normally. The artistic congruity with Another gives it some points, and I have some confidence in the pedigree. Even so, something needs to happen in the second episode that arrests my attention; otherwise, I can't see myself sticking with this one until the final curtain call.
 

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Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge

Introduction: In the three years since its founding, Studio Gokumi has already built a propensity for pandering. While not always moe-themed, they are always somewhat focused on the fact that their shows include women (even if they have to jump on the Sengoku gender swapping train to do it). So when they revealed a trailer with gorgeous music and ominous visuals, I feel my complete shock was well warranted. Even the second trailer kept me piqued, no matter how many comedic elements they threw at me. And really, how can hair fetishism not be engaging?

Summary: The episode opens with our wannabe barber testing a rumor that he overheard in class. A young beauty with long hair supposedly lives on top of a hill behind the town, a claim which he discovers is very true. Seeing this girl awakens his primal urge to cut long hair; but unfortunately, she is cursed, leaving her hair impervious. His obsession doesn't waver, and it's not long before he gets wrapped up in a mysterious plot against this mysterious girl, centering around equally cursed murder weapons known as Killing Goods. Thanks to this new outlook, he realizes that his family heirloom, a pair of jagged scissors, is one of these unique weapons. With them, he is finally able to cut the girl's hair.

Premise: Sometimes, I think a premise is so ridiculous that it manages to support itself. Take this show for instance. The main character's entire personality revolves around what is basically a hair fetish. All of the events in this episode were driven by his need to take a pair of blades to this girl's head. Any real sense of tension in using murder weapons is lost amidst the onslaught of horrible naming conventions. “Crime Edge”? This is what you name a pair of scissors as you lovingly caress them in bed? I have nothing to say to that! And much like RDG, we don't know exactly what's up with this girl or why all these weirdos want her. It just keeps you watching through sheer merit of its bizarre scenario.

Characters: Unlike RDG, however, I don't have any real beef with the cast. The lead may have all the makings of your average shounen protagonist, but there's a level of passion to him that exudes beyond the comedic relief. I always got the sense that he gave a shit about what he was doing, not just going through the shounen narrative motions. The main fault with the female lead is a focus on her appearance instead of her character, but even she still shows a small inkling of something more substantial below the surface. If the antagonists present the same potential modicum of energy, then the characters should prove fun, if perhaps nothing else.

Artwork: Maybe I'm a bit biased after having just watched a P.A. Works production, but this looks like a cheaper version of GOSICK (just without the Victorian setting). The character designs aren't much to write home about, no matter how many detailed still shots they show me. The environments all look very dull, often drowning the whole piece in a single color for the duration of the scene. The design on the scissors is really unique and distinctive, though. I never thought I'd be so glad to see a cool pair of scissors in anime, but I hope that the rest of these Killing Goods is up to par.

Animation: It's here where the series indulges in a contrast that I'm not sure works to its advantage. At times, the show utilizes a shaky camera for dramatic effect, with grim text highlighting desperate moments. An early scene, despite how stalker-ish it may initially be, does it good job in portraying this sudden connection between the two main characters with extremely fluid visuals. However, there are multiple scenes where the character models and other visuals are distorted for comedic effect, some even happening immediately after a more serious moment. On top of that, I have to call the consistency of the character models in question. Some of those faces were just awkward.

Music: No opening theme, and the ending is played over the final scene. As a ballad, the composition is very solid, though fairly ordinary. The singer doesn't demand attention either, sounding rather simple and basic. I'm happy to say that the scoring, meanwhile, is excellent. The always amazing Takanashi Yasuharu provides the soundtrack this time around, and it just bleeds through. His work here carries a bit more whimsy than his scores for Jigoku Shoujo and Shiki, but the general style remains, further evoking the passion that I mentioned earlier. This is an OST to be on the watch for.

Overall: So long as Crime Edge focuses on the emotional energy of its characters, this could easily turn into a strong series, despite just how silly it is. Unfortunately, I have no clue how this plot is going to progress in terms of specifics, only that it will probably be a cross between GOSICK and a shounen battle manga. I hope that they curb some of the more lighthearted aspects of the series, or at least insert them in less off-putting places. I want to get invested in what they've given me, but it gets a little harder each time I see a stray noodle arm.
 

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Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince

Introduction: I enjoyed Dogakobo's recent Natsuyuki Rendezvous, so they're fresh in my mind as a studio that can put out good series. Instead of ghostly romance, however, they come to the spring season with some mecha action, a genre that seems to be getting some much needed attention this season. Between this and Valvrave, I was looking forward to this more, since the trailers made it look like a lot of fun, whereas Valvrave (while pretty) failed to show me anything interesting outside of a nice song by angela.

Summary: Humans are in a war against aliens. Shit's getting real. The leaders of the Undina base need to evacuate its people, but they can't do it without reinforcements to stall the enemy. To that end, a special organization called the MJP assigns a talented, but troublesome group of upstarts to the task, Team Rabbits. Given special mech units catered to their role in the team, they fly in to save the day. And they do, going above and beyond the call of duty to drive out the steadily advancing enemy before rescuing the citizens.

Premise: Props for featuring a group of pilots that were actually undergoing training, but this is still a fairly straightforward mecha series. And you know what? I'm more than okay with that. The interstellar war, wrought with military and mobile suits, may be about as standard as it gets, but at no point does it serve as a detriment to the episode. Especially now, there really aren't many obvious ways to tackle the introduction differently, so I'm willing to cut the show a break for the cliché setup. I mean, you could question why they're willing to send fresh and young pilots out to battle, but that just seems like a losing battle with this genre. If there's an issue, it's that the first episode covers ground to quickly, but it packs its points in so well that I just can't see that as a big deal.

Characters: I love the characters in this series. They aren't just that one stereotype. They each of an alternate side to them, usually in contrast to the first. That was a refreshing twist from a lot of mecha series, and made the characters extremely charming. It's doubly impressive that they were able to reasonably fit all of it into the first episode, but the chemistry in the group is so strong that it felt effortless. For example, the team's handler could have just been a no-nonsense, military like leader, but instead they also give her a softer side by using candy and her reaction to the new information at the end of the episode. Little things like that are great.

Artwork: I realize that not everyone loves the malleable SEED/Fafner character designs, but I like them. I've always found them distinctive and expressive, the former of which is something that a lot of anime character designs could use. Not to mention that the designs for the mobile suits are very creative. Each of them has a particular look to them all their own, their look serving both aesthetic and functional purpose. The gunner suit's head actually disconnects in order to look down the barrel of the gun. How awesome is that?! I'd nitpick the rather unimpressive space backdrops; but considering all the special effects, using anything beyond plain space scenery would have probably been too distracting.

Animation: Time to say something that I've been wanting to say about a TV anime for years: This series has breathtaking CGI. No, seriously, it's downright dazzling. I don't how they did it; but something about the combination of model animation, shading, and camerawork makes it simply incredible. The fight scenes were epic in scale and very intense. I'd say that it's been about a decade since CGI was implemented so well in TV anime (making special exception to Last Exile's sequel, since that one's more of a given if you ask me). I mean, this is the first time in a good many years where seeing CGI didn't make me automatically think “money saver.” That alone says something.

Music: No ending this time. Fortunately, the opening theme (played over the final action scene) is provided by the wonderful Natsume Kon. The score is suitable, if not especially noticeable. The wartime tracks fit the scenes, with plenty of fanfare to go around. Naturally, the quieter moments are full of less complicated and more upbeat compositions. It's all nice and passable, it just doesn't have any real oomph to it. I'd have preferred something with a bit more energy to match the tone of the anime.

Overall: Is this show silly? Yes. Is its premise cliché? Yes. Is it fun as all hell? Damn right. The characters are charming, and seeing them interact with one another is a joy. I still can't get over how strong the CGI is. I seriously don't think I've seen CGI implemented this well since Last Exile. This is definitely not the show to watch if you're looking for something deep and intellectually stimulating, but I easily recommend if if you want some great mecha entertainment (or if you want to see what good TV anime CGI looks like again, either way).
 
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Devil Survivor 2: The Animation

Introduction: Anime adaptations of video games don't have a very good reputation. That's not to say that they never work, but the odds are against them (especially if you're talking about games other than visual novels). As much as I like seeing studio bridge tackle this project instead of AIC A.S.T.A., the director of the Persona 4 anime is still fulfilling the role here. The head writer isn't the same at least, but there's only so much hope I can give to this adaptation. Needless to say, I was not all that excited for this premiere.

Summary: A group of high school students check out the latest craze, a site that posts videos showing you how your friends die. They all think it's just a joke, but when they receive their videos, it actually comes true. Offered a second chance to live, they become tangled in a strange battle against demons, now able to call familiars that aid them in battle. After spending most of the episode trying to figure out just what the hell's going on, a mysterious organization takes a shine to them. They seem to know a lot about the situation, and are particularly interested in the lead, who can summon an abnormally powerful familiar. The episode ends with the group being taken into custody by this organization.

Premise: First off, let me just say that this was handled much better than the Person 4 anime. The pacing was superb, even when compared to a lot of recent fantasy-driven anime. It was nice to see an episode primarily devoted to figuring shit out. Normally, I'd have expected the organization to capture them at the halfway point; but nope, they restrained themselves until the end of the episode. It gives the audience much more time to get to know the main cast before dumping on the side characters. Because of that pacing, it lent a lot more credibility to the narrative itself. I'm more intrigued by this tale of young summoners than I would have been otherwise. Of course, I haven't played the game, but I do know that the SMT games have a pension for quality storytelling; so if the adaptation can keep this conversion up, we might have a strong example to the contrary on our hands.

Characters: But for as nice as the story side of things was, the characters dragged a bit in comparison. Nothing about them jumps out of you, and their personalities thus far are very stock. The lead is calm and collected, the friend is lively and more brash, and the female is... a female. A lot of dialog between them is wooden, and the only reason I felt any connection to them at all was through the writer's ability to string events together well. And if I can't expect anything from the foremost entourage, I certainly don't expect to get much out of the rest. Here's hoping they get some more meat on their character bones, but I'm not sold on them just yet.

Artwork: I will admit that I like the lead character's design. I mean, the man's introduced to us wearing a hoodie with long bunny ears. You've already done enough to get my attention. The others don't share in this though, as his two cohorts just look like average high school students. The organization's uniforms are nice, but fairly simple; and the same can be said of the demons so far. The majority of them, while cool and all, were just anime variations of monsters we've already seen in fantasy (fitting, given the source material, but still fairly generic). The most interesting monster was the spinning top with the exploding cap, but that looked more goofy than unique. Can't say much on these backgrounds either, though I do like the way program's GUI looked. I imagine this is to emulate the video game, but it looks solid regardless.

Animation: Better than AIC A.S.T.A. Not a very trying accomplishment, but one that I had to get out of the way. Anywho, the animation in this episode was... hit or miss. It's got some really cool effects at work when the familiars are summoned, along with a lot of consistency overall. Despite that, the brief moments of CGI were pretty jarring, and there ultimately isn't a whole lot going on most of the time. Action scenes don't have a whole lot of kick to them, even when this extremely powerful familiar takes center stage.

Music: Who the hell decided on that opening? What, did the band make them the lowest offer? I don't want to sound like I have something against male j-pop, but it doesn't exactly fit the tone of the game. Fortunately, the ending theme makes up for it with a killer rock ballad by Song Riders. That's one style of voice that I don't hear a lot of in anime, and I'd love to hear more, honestly. As far as the soundtrack goes, it delivers a couple cool techno pieces accompanied by piano, but it needed to have a lot more of those to leave a lasting impression. Most of the score is forgettable, and it's a shame that this composer hasn't done anything amazing since Planetes. I guess that one was mostly Hitomi's influence after all.

Overall: Of the four premieres that I've seen so far, this one has the strongest narrative out of the gate. The expert pacing and immediate sense of discovery and suspense give it a good jump start. The crew may not have much going for them right now, and there are definitely better looking shows this season, but the promise a good video game adaptation and an engaging (and hopefully quality) story puts it on my list of things to keep watching. I'd give this one a quick look if I were you, all the more so if you're an SMT fan. It's sure to satisfy more than Persona 4's anime.
 
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Pinwheel

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This pretty much stomped out Persona 4's first episode in pretty much everything for me. The leading point? They actually took a risk and gave the character a decent amount of dialogue and a sufficient personality, instead of being completely dull to try and fit the game where he was silent. It's SUCH a nice change.
 

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Definitely, I'm actually interested in what's going to happen. Something I did not feel for Persona 4's adaptation.

Also, apparently there's a shitstorm brewing over Aku no Hana's first episode. Might have to bump that up in the queue.

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Hataraku Maou-sama!

Introduction: WHITE FOX has a good track record. After six years in business; they've produced Tears to Tiara, Katanagatari, Jormungand, and the most acclaimed of them all, Steins;Gate. That's a damn solid list of titles. And while the key visuals for this new anime weren't exactly jaw-dropping, the trailers were a marked improvement. The visuals were crisp and the animation fluid; a few decent jokes were had too. Though I don't know if I'd call it a potential sleeper (since there is some pedigree attached to it), it's certainly of a lower key than more hyped productions like Shingeki no Kyoujin, Ore no Imouto, and even Aku no Hana.

Summary: The first four or five minutes take place in a world separate from our own, during the final moments of the epic conflict between the classic struggle: Hero against Demon Lord. Overwhelmed, the king of darkness beats a tactical retreat, he and his only surviving general hiding out in an alternate dimension until they've recovered. The catch? Said alternate dimension is ours, a world with nary a drop of magic in sight. As magic is what sustains their powers, the two are completely at the worlds mercy, forced to make a living the traditional way as they figure out a way to restore their abilities and return home. They don't have time to sit on their feet though, as the Hero finds her way to their dimension in order to finish them off once and for all.

Premise: Good lord, this episode was amazing! This is a legitimately great premise. Typically, I would expect him to get amnesia or something; but no, this guy is fully aware that he is the supreme ruler of all evil as he takes customers' orders at the McDonald's knock-off. All the while his general has basically taken on the role of a housewife. That's hilarious! And awesome! Especially when juxtaposed against the first first five minutes, where they both look and act like extremely powerful beings. The comedy resulting from their new environment is strong and doesn't overstay its welcome, the second half's comedy mostly coming from the fact that two powerful forces of evil are now bickering like a married couple. Then you throw in the Hero at the end, and I just want the next episode as soon as possible.

Characters: I praised Majestic Prince's characters for being charming, but I praise Hataraku Maou-sama's for being charming and more. Maybe it's the dialog, maybe it's the acting, or maybe it's both; but with the exception of one of the Demon Lord's coworkers (who at least manages not to be annoying, despite herself), the entire cast gives the immediate impression that they're full, developed characters. The Demon Lord is a passionate leader who devotes himself to his task, even at the expense of his appearance. Meanwhile, his general offers him nothing but loyalty, even when frustrated by the state of things. This is a cast that I actually care about, and it takes real skill to do that in the first twenty-four minutes of a TV series.

Artwork: On a visual level, this series is stunning. Not as creative as Katanagatari (it does take place mostly in the real world), but with a level of polish unmatched by most studios. The fantasy world that occupies the first part of the episode is so lavishly realized that you might find yourself wishing that the whole series took place there. The Demon Lord's design is positively intimidating (in fact, a lot of the monsters/demons look like terrifying), and his castle is decidedly sleek and Gothic. Even when the cast adopts human form in the real world, the shine on the models remains in tact, and the scenery does its best to look sleek in the face of the fantasy designs from before.

Animation: The visuals aren't just for show though, they move great as well. The intro scene, while brief, holds its own against the myriad of great TV anime action sequences. And when the epic battle grinds to a halt for the rest of the episode, they pride themselves on keeping the characters moving and making sure that the right amount of detail is put into the characters' actions. There's some solid cinematography here on top of all that, pulling the camera around to just he right angle and making appropriate use of a fisheye lens. About the only thing I fear is that we won't get to see many more highbrow action segments like in the opening.

Music: Once again, the opening is a no, but the ending is performed by the latest person to join the ranks of veteran anime theme providers: nano.RIPE. Being an ending theme this time around, the song is much more subdued than most of what she offers the anime industry. If I'm honest, I prefer the faster, catchier tunes that they compose, so this slower acoustic number doesn't do much for me. I'm grateful for the rock used to score the intro scene. It would've been so easy to go with a simple orchestral number, but gambled on a heavy bass and it worked for them, not that some classical strings don't do a good job accompanying certain parts of it. Beyond that, I like the gut acoustic nature of the score in general, as that style's always been my favorite use of acoustic guitar. That said, it's very low key for the most part, so you're liable to miss it if you aren't listening for it.

Overall: I may just be five shows in, but I'm confident in saying that this is one of the best premieres of the season. It blows the other four away. In every regard, it works fantastically. From a genuinely interesting premise to honest-to-god real characters, this anime stands out in all the right ways. Obviously, there are a few big titles in the pipeline, ready to make their grand debut; but don't let those distract you from this great title, already available. This is one of the must-see premieres of the season, make no mistake about that.
 
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Photo Kano

Introduction: I'm fairly certain MADHOUSE needs no introduction, but I worry that anime fans who just joined the ranks in the past year or so may get the wrong impression of the company. All the more so after seeing the promotion for their Photo Kano adaptation. A studio primarily known for grittier, darker direction with a decidedly “non-anime” artwork now has their name on two main titles: Chihayafuru (which, while fantastic, doesn't exactly look the MADHOUSE part) and high school-themed, most likely harem, romantic comedy. Perceptions may be skewed.

Summary: A high school student is given his father's old camera as a hand-me-down during the summer. This makes him feel like something might finally change in his routine life. So, he goes to school next semester, chats with a few women, and takes a few of their pictures. After all this photographic success, he gets recruited by the head of the photography club, who wants his help in taking borderline erotic shots of he girls on campus. Meanwhile, the rival photo club tries to snag the new recruit for themselves. And that's about it for that episode, besides some second episode bait at the very end.

Premise: You know, I really enjoy it when the anime I watch does my work for me. I'm just sitting in my seat, trying to figure out what to say about the show as I watch it, when the main character goes off on a monologue about how boring and dull his life is. And that is just about right. It's lifeless, goes nowhere, and does nothing. In fact, that's a pet peeve I have with certain romcom series: The ones where the male protagonist announces how ordinary and uneventful his life is. How do you think that makes me feel as a viewer? The main character just admitted to the audience that the show was going to be boring. It's not like a shounen series where I expect something grandiose to happen, this is a romantic comedy. You tell me that you're life is boring, and I'm not expecting a radical change by the end of the episode.

Characters: Um, I kinda like the photography club members, I guess. They're at least quirky. I mean, it's a perverted kind of quirky, but it's something. Everyone else only marginally registers as a thing. Naturally, the male is the worst offender of all. Look, I realize it's a trend in visual novels to make the male lead as blank a slate as humanly possible so that the target audience can better project themselves onto the character, but that just doesn't fly in a medium where we actually have a person to look at. Give me something to work with here.

Artwork: I think I'd rather see Cardcaptor Sakura's art style than this. Photo Kano's artwork is just so... ugh, this is gonna be hard. The characters look like... um, high school students with some random uniform variation that still manages to look like everything else. The high school itself looks drab and uninspired, which I think is particularly problematic for an anime about taking pictures. Honestly, the color scheme is just so unbelievably dull. The only way it could have sucked the life out of me anymore was if it was done entirely in black and white. Actually, no, that might work better because I would wonder why the show was in black and white.

Animation: This episode actually had good animation... for about a scene. Then MADHOUSE ran out of shits to give. It doesn't even turn into boring animation either. It's bad animation. The polar opposite of their Chihayafuru run. Now, it's not like the movements are really awkward or anything, it's that they barely move at all. There were about three or four still shot montages in this episode, which is three or four too many. There was actually a still shot montage, followed by a poorly animated scene, followed immediately by another still shot montage. What in the good and holy name of hell are you doing, MADHOUSE?

Music: And we have an opening theme. The ironic thing is that it's actually not all that bad. I'll take a nice lounge number over your basic pop song any day. Hayato Kaori's voice sounds good too, so win-win. The ending, while technically a pop ballad, at least avoids being of the peppy sort that I was expecting. That doesn't mean I liked it all that much, mind you. The score, like the opening, is very lounge-y (at least in between the more generic and forgettable tracks). It's a nice change of pace, but I imagine you'd really need to be a fan of the genre to get into it. Otherwise, I doubt it'll do much for you.

Overall: Looks like I just went from a must-watch anime to a please-avoid anime. Honestly, there's just nothing here that grabs me on any level. It does nothing of any real consequence for the entire twenty-four minutes it aired. Being a pervert is the best quality that any of the cast has to offer. The only difference between the main character before and after his misgivings for the current stat of his life is that he now has a camera with which to document all the minutia of admittedly banal existence. Feel free to skip this one at your leisure.
 

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Yahari Ore no Seishun LoveCome wa Machigatteiru.

Introduction: I just don't like Brain's Base that much anymore. Ever since Mawaru Penguindrum finished, they've produced nothing but flops if you ask me. I didn't like Sengoku Collection, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, or Amnesia. The middle show was alright at first, but it stagnated fairly quickly. Not a good year for the studio that once brought us Baccano!. But hell, it's been a year since Sengoku Collection premiered, so maybe they just had to get a few bad seasons out of their system first. Although, it's hard to get excited whenever I see a title like this. Not to lambast going with the trends, but... yeah, not a convincing start.

Summary: Our lead is a really, really cynical high school student. In an effort to rid him of his negative personality, he's forced to join the volunteers club (think Sket Dance for socially awkward people... more socially awkward people). He and the only other member, a talented but also socially incapable girl, commence to argue about their life philosophies before a student shows up, requesting their assistance. She wants to make cookies for the guy she likes, but has no confidence in her skills. They try to help her, but they never turn out any better, and so the lead devises a plan to help her realize that most guys would be alright with just getting the offer. And so does the episode end, with gratitude given and an glimmer of positivity in his bleak outlook.

Premise: I'll give it this, it's better than I was expecting, and definitely better than what Brain's Base put out in the past year. Of course, any moral lessons provided by scenarios will undoubtedly be as predictable and cliché as the one offered here, but what I enjoyed was indifferent vantage point from which we're allowed to view these two characters' opinions. They both have nothing but choice words for the other, each representing an opposite way of going about things, but at no point does the show bash you over the head with one of them and say “This is the right one!” There's a certain ambiguity to the episode, with the means by which a problem is “resolved” feeling more incidental than definitive.

Characters: On the whole, these two sit comfortably in a place somewhere above average. The reason I say that is that they've got their very obvious mental leanings, which takes up most of their characters. But at the same time, they throw in some very respectable twists that give a certain “believable dishonesty” to the things they say. For example, the male lead constantly acts like he and his peers are the scum of the earth, and yet he begrudgingly wolfs down the bitter handmade cookie that their client gave him as thanks. The female lead does this by professing that everyone should try their absolute hardest, only to have it subtly exposed that she feels belittled because she actually tries herself. It gives them that extra dose of credibility and makes them all the more relatable.

Artwork: Pretty generic for a Brain's Base production. I may not have liked their previous batch of series, but even they had a certain brightness and variety in their color palette. Here, however, it looks just like most other high school anime. The designs look more like something I'd see in an anime produced by AIC, although there were some beautiful shots of the campus speckled about the episode. I hope that this isn't indicative of how the studio's series will look in the future, because their visuals were one of the things I loved about them.

Animation: Like with the artwork, there's just not much to work with here. Sure, you get the occasional bit of care and attention put into how characters move, but most of it is pretty complacent just to ride the mediocre train. So little stands out that I can scarcely find anything substantial to say about it. Twice, there were brief film-strip sequences used to show a flashback, and these were easily the most “Brain's Base” thing about the animation in this episode. I just wish more of it leaned towards that and less towards being average.

Music: The light pop track from Yanagi Nagi was a far cry from what I expected after the soft ballad and jazz rock numbers she provided for Jormungand. Not gonna lie, this one didn't impress me. Feels like a big step backwards for her. A peppier pop song plays during the ending (funny, it's usually the other way around). It's catchy, but that's about it. The score is actually pretty quirky, surprisingly. It's pretty basic, but it plays around with the more typical composition that you get in most series like this. Made for a few fun tracks. Not sure if it's enough to watch out for the OST release, though.

Overall: A step up from their previous works, but not a big enough one for Brain's Base. I enjoyed it, but I just don't see it having a lot of staying power, especially in a season as packed as this one. It's a shame that the overall idea of the series is so underwhelming, because the main characters are pretty well realized. As it stands, there's barely enough to recommend the show, even to those looking to fill up their anime-watching schedules this season. Not bad, but just doesn't do enough.
 
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Aku no Hana

Here I am, tapping my fingers together just in front of my head like an elitist prick (or at least I was before typing up this post), having just finished the first episode of Aku no Hana, and it made me realize one very important thing. I cannot treat this like a normal post. This anime is anything but normal. In fact, it's about as different as any anime you've ever seen. It's rare enough to see avant-garde animation in anime films. As far as TV anime is concerned, it's almost unheard of. We're not talking Kuuchuu Buranko or The Tatami Galaxy levels of experimentation here. This reaches all the way on up to the likes of Mind Game and Genius Party.

So instead, I'm going to start with a brief introduction before simply discussing why I think it works so well. I didn't like ZEXCS for a while. Most of their series seemed to focus primarily on pandering to make a quick buck, and that just isn't my thing most of the time. But recently, they've been putting out series that I would personally consider more respectable. Not the pinnacle of anime, mind you, but still stronger than what they'd put out previously. So, when it was announced that they'd adapt an unapologetically dark and disturbed (but very psychological) manga like Aku no Hana, I was less nervous than I would've been a couple years ago. And then I found out that the director and head writer of one of my all-time favorite anime (Mushi-shi) would also be working on this series. By that point, I was ecstatic, and it became an instant must-see for me.

Now, I've got not choice but to start with the giant, rotoscoped elephant in the room: The visuals. These are not your typical anime visuals. This is a more limited take on rotoscoped animation; that, while not perfect, is designed to promote a more naturally flowing and consistent level of movement, even if the limitations of a 24fps video are obvious at certain points. The character designs are simple and made to more closely resemble real people than regular anime. Again, while no one would dare call the characters in this series photo-realistic, they do convey a more natural and distinctly human quality that a lot of more traditional anime struggle with. There's been no complaints about the scenery though. Those are immaculately detailed and everyone seems to agree on that.

The main thing I've heard people say about the visuals is how “ugly” the characters are. And that is completely, entirely, unequivocally accurate. But I think what some of the detractors either missed (or simply don't care about) is that these characters are supposed to be unattractive. Not unlike the designs found in the works of the late Satoshi Kon, the designs seen here are meant to evoke a certain inherent ugliness in humans. Often times in anime, characters are drawn to be “attractive.” Not for the sake of any agenda, but just because that's how most are designed. It's hardwired into the medium. It's similar to how the actors in most cinema go through hours of make up before they get on set. Real people don't look like that. Real people look like how they do on Cops. That's the kind of vibe that the visuals are hoping to achieve.

Why did the director choose this route? To better serve the narrative. Aku no Hana is a dark and depressing tale about the ugly and disgusting side of humanity. It constantly endeavors to show you the grimy, roach-infested underbelly of the human soul. To that end, this aesthetic approach, while not technically perfect by any means, achieves this unnerving tone with flying colors. By offering a relatively more realistic perspective, it better represents the subject matter and makes it easier for the audience to connect with it. The faces may not be anywhere near the uncanny valley, but they look more like Japanese faces than the thin, big-eyed faces that are so prominent in the medium.

It's not just the visuals that achieve this, but the audio as well. The voice acting in this anime is much more similar to a Japanese live-action drama than an anime. It better emulates how Japanese people actually talk, furthering the stronger likeness to the real world. The soundtrack is entirely atmospheric, featuring very slow piano builds and static to keep the viewer in an unnerved and anxious state. The ending theme is positively (or negatively) haunting and eerie, especially with that programmed voice “singing” awkwardly for the duration. The opening theme is the only part that's upbeat, and yet it's contrast with depressing lyrics based on the show itself.

And then there's the actual narrative. This episode's pace is extremely deliberate, focusing almost entirely on the daily life of the main character before prepping the fan at the end of the episode. It shows all the mundane activities, including his walk from school, to the bookstore, to his home. Instead of being boring, however, I found that it further connected me to the character, which is absolutely critical for a story like this. The scene where the other important lead insulted her teacher was made all the more powerful by the simpleness of what came prior. It's that kind of juxtaposition that shows the creators really have a handle on the mood of the series, and it just makes me all the more excited for the rest of the adaptation.

In truth, this is one of my favorite premieres in a long, long time. Not only is it experimental, but it's experimentation with a purpose. All of these decisions aid in the mood, capturing the feel of the series even better than the source material. I'd like this to become an important series that opens up new ways for studios to think about animation, but somehow I doubt this will garner the return to make such a status possible. Even so, this is something that I love seeing, and I am so glad that ZEXCS and director Nagahama Hiroshi chose this route. I'd be lying if I said that this wasn't a bit polarizing; but at the very least, I think people should give it a shot. It earns that much.
 

Nyangoro

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Dammit, new shows. Stop coming out. I want to play Bioshock ;A;

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Karneval

Introduction: Manglobe is in a similar position with me as Brain's Base. They haven't produced much since Saraiya Goyou that held my attention. Deadman Wonderland was nice, and it did stand out a bit, but the production and storytelling was wildly inconsistent. However, while I didn't know much about Karneval beyond the fact that it's a josei manga, the trailers featured some strong animation and a fantasy-driven aesthetic, so I let myself anticipate this debut. Although, Shimono Hiro's eternally high-pitched voice did drain me a little.

Summary: We start with our white-haired protagonist as he's being held hostage by some unknown group for an unknown reason. A thief breaks into the facility, finding out that this hostage is carrying an ID bracelet from the defense organization known as Circus. The thief helps him escape with the bracelet promised him in return, but not before one of his captors reveals her monstrous form and tries to take them down. They manage to leave the building, hopping a train in town to make a fast getaway. But as it happens, said train has been hijacked by a group of laid-off workers who want to stick it to their former boss. In response to that, a pair of operatives from Circus come to save the day, but discover that bombs have been placed all around the train. Fortunately, the hostage has powerful hearing that could ascertain the location of the trigger, and thus are able to prevent the whole train from going up in flames. The episode ends with the various organizations taking an interest in this mysterious, white-haired boy.

Premise: There's a lot going on in this episode. Almost too much, if you ask me. Three sides of the struggle were revealed in this episode alone, and who's to say that's everyone? Despite a willingness to show us the players in this story, it much more carefully guards actual information about them. The only thing we know is that Circus is a defense force with access to magic, and that magic is a force unknown to most in the world. The other group doesn't even have a name (or at least, I didn't catch it), but all we know is that the people in the organization can turn into monsters. As for the thief and the boy, we know even less about them. It's all very cryptic, and I can't even confidently say what this plot is about beyond the fact that everyone is really interested in the boy with the obnoxious voice.

Characters: As with the plot, we've already got a fairly big cast of people here. Unfortunately, none of them do a whole lot for me. You've got a suave gentleman and a fighting machine from Circus, you've got crazy and/or mysterious people from the other group, and you've got a pragmatic thief with a really awkward person. It's a varied cast, to be sure, but not exactly a unique or intriguing one. The thief is the only one of the latter that I enjoyed to any particular extent, and even he already has the makings of someone with a routinely tragic backstory.

Artwork: Even with all the bishounen traits expected of a josei series, I don't mind the character designs. The boy's is pretty bland, but there's a light harlequin twist to the fantasy sensibilities that I like, and there's enough flair to differentiate them from the rest. The settings match the characters in tone, although I do wish they had a bit more color to them. At the moment, it's a little monochromatic, though that did change by the end of the episode. I'm partly just glad to see a series that takes place in any kind of fantasy setting, to be honest (although, that being said, Shingeki no Kyoujin still hasn't come out yet).

Animation: Manglobe's animation is very competent here. There's a lot of movement, the action scenes look great, and the in-between is incredibly solid. I enjoyed that they had people doing something the majority of the time, and the effects were nice, even though they weren't grand or epic by any stretch of the imagination. Some of the shots look downright fantastic, such as the brief scene where the thief is watching the town as he's riding atop the train. The character models retained their integrity throughout too, which is always a plus.

Music: Another no-show opening. The ending however... is a boy band. Well, at least it's not a pop idol number. The score is a bit more interesting, being as varies as some of the other aspects of this anime. It starts off with a couple pieces that sounds like they'd fit right at home in Alice in Wonderland. Then, it throws in some tracks that fill the a certain space between traditional fantasy and Batman: The Animated Series (yeah, I don't really know how that works either). The pieces are capped off with a grungier offering during the later action sequences. The mixture is cool, and not a single one of the tracks I heard sounded bad.

Overall: Karneval is a very busy show, and time will tell if it's too busy for its own good. I don't think it should have been as cryptic as it was, as the individual component aren't interesting enough conceptually to carry them until explanations are given. That said, I enjoyed the general style of the show, and it displays a greater effort on Manglobe's part than I've seen them put forward recently. There's enough to give a second episode, but they need to get to the heart of some of these issues if this series is to have any chance of taking off.
 

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Date A Live

Introduction: AIC PLUS+ has the largest amount of experience of the AIC branches next to A.S.T.A., and the only show I've ever enjoyed by them is Asobi ni Ikuyo!. And I enjoyed that one more ironically than anything else. In general, I don't get excited when I see AIC credited as the animation studio. The projects that they take on are often as far away from my interests as possible. But still, even an AIC branch can deliver. Build's OreImo was one of the stand out titles of its year, and I at least appreciate what they were trying to do with A.S.T.A.'s Persona 4 anime. For that reason, I always try to give their series a chance, just like I do everything else.

Summary: Spacequakes! Basically, these spherical pockets of space got bat-shit insane, demolishing everything within. Oh, and then we get imouto antics as we're introduced to our harem lead. We then spend some time at his high school where three girls stand around playing narrator for no readily discernible reason. But that's not all, turns out that the spacequakes are caused by... inter-dimensional Valkyrie travelers? I dunno. Anyway, there's a secret force headed by the main character's little sister, unbeknownst to him, that kills the travelers because I guess it's one big revenge ploy or something. The episode ends by finding out that, instead of killing them, they could also be romanced in order to save the world (even though the spacequake has already happened by the time they're there, but whatever).

Premise: *inhales* Alright. There are a lot of things I could say about this, but I don't think anything quite explains it like the first two scenes. The creators of this adaptation (and I'm sure it's this way in the light novel as well) juxtaposed the deaths of 150 million people with little girl panties. No buffer scene, no transition. Just those two scenes, back to back. That happened.... THAT. HAPPENED. How do I live in a world where that's a thing?

Characters: No.

Artwork: It's a fantasy anime adaptation of a fantasy light novel, you know exactly what it looks like. Did you not see the words “high school” and “Valkyrie”?

Animation: What's hilarious is that the animation isn't even that bad. In fact, the first few scenes contain some really good animation. Their actions are detailed and dynamic. It's actually really nice. Don't worry though, they ruin it with horrible choreography and a sudden drop in quality during the second half. Can't stay decent for too long, after all.

Music: You know, Aku no Hana's ending theme is bad, but it's bad with a very real intention behind it. That's why it works so well. This ending is just bad for the sake of being bad. Like it's desperately trying to convince us that it's in on the joke. Well nope, sorry Date A Live, it was just bad. So you can take that and your phoned-in score and shove it up that terrible tsundere's ass.

Overall: Refer to the section on characters.
 

Pinwheel

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The wait for Attack on Titan is killer. Stop cockteasing me ;~;
 

Nyangoro

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Don't worry guys.

Subs are out now.

Also, I watched Death Billiards. I so love MADHOUSE when they animate like this instead of what they did with Photo Kano.
 
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Pinwheel

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Eternally grateful for the heads up about the subs. I'll be back to post my thoughts.
 

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Zettai Bouei Leviathan

Introduction: I don't know what to say about GONZO anymore. What was once one of my favorite studios in the business is now one of my least. I just don't see that spark that they had when they made titles like Last Exile, Vandread, Speed Grapher, Samurai 7, Gankutsuou, and Welcome to the NHK. Even their recent attempt by reviving Last Exile ended in disaster. And now I see them come up with a series that transforms iconic mythological creatures into moe caricatures? I just can't help but feel a little discouraged.

Summary: We've got a group of cute little girls with dragon scales (pseudo-underwear) going about their lives. Leviathan controls water and loves her brother, Bahamut plays with fire and acts stuck-up, and Jormungand is really strong and likes to eat beef. The meet via a random annoying bug incident, and then again during a random incident involving a bunch of creepy lunkheads. They team up and defeat their enemies both times. But the second time, they destroy a cafe/bar in the process. Also, there's a really annoying fairy.

Premise: It's just... like... nothing happens in this episode. OK, I did just list off the events in the summary, but it's not important. There's no running theme beyond the fact that these characters are cute and they just met one another. And it's just so blatantly obvious what the whole purpose of this series is. During the second half, with the fight against the bullies, I've never seen so obvious an example of cute, little girls being able to overpower big, muscle-bound men. There's just no substance to it, and the end product feels totally vacant.

Characters: And oddly enough, that can be okay. Look at Tamako Market. No sane person would dare suggest that there's a lot of meat on that anime's bones. But it still manages to succeed through its expressive animation and ebullient characters. However, the characters in this show are anything but. They barely register so much as a blip on anyone's radar. Walking stereotypes are done better than the characters in this series. These are some of the flattest and most monotone personalities you'll see all season (outside of Date A Live). There's not a single speck of life to be found.

Artwork: I'll give it this: It's colorful. Now if only said colors weren't so washed out. Contrast this with Brain's Base's Sengoku Collection, which had rich and vibrant colors. Here, they look just as lifeless as the characters. This applies to both the characters and the environments, by the way. I guess you could say that it's nice that the character designs have that certain dragon-esque quality to them, but that's just fishing for nice things to say. The designs are ultimately generic, and there's very little way around that. The scenery and settings look like something out of a cheap JRPG. Considering that this is adapted from a mobile game, I can imagine nothing more fitting.

Animation: This isn't even bland animation. It's bad animation. The laziness just seeps through every single frame of this mess. Every movement is stiff, and there's no semblance of choreography at all. The effects are mind-numbing. I've never seen a transformation sequence and subsequent water dragon spell that was so uninspired. Not a single shot in the entire episode was interesting. GONZO animates this like they're trying to save as much money as humanely possible; like they knew how bad it was, but had to fulfill the contract just so they could get something coming in. Oh, and did I mention the CGI is bad?

Music: Um... I think this series stole the music from a much better anime, because I'm pretty sure it's too good for it. The opening is a catchy rock tune sung by Kanno Yuki. Nothing all that special, but very enjoyable nonetheless. The ending is a rock number as well, though a bit more poppy this time around. It's not as well sung as the opening, but the song is still a fun listen. Meanwhile, where the hell did this score come from? The composition is lovely, really befitting a quality RPG score. The orchestra is convincing when it builds up its crescendo, and there are plenty of elegant pieces providing atmosphere to the quieter moments. The only time it doesn't work is when fights break out. The guitar tracks just aren't as strong.

Overall: Surprisingly good music aside, this is as phoned-in a project as it gets. There's no visible effort put into the actual content, and the visuals are nothing but lazy. I may have unleashed my vitriol against Date A Live, but rest assured that this doesn't deserve your attention any more than that insult does. It may not be as stupid an affront to human intelligence, but it is as emotionless. This wouldn't even make the cut in a light season.
 

Pinwheel

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So Attack on Titan was pretty damn neat. The animation wasn't mindblowing all around, but it definitely was at the right times. The soundtrack expressed the feelings the manga gave me perfectly. And by the way, can I just say that my biggest fear with this adaptation is completely gone? The Titans still feel just as creepy as before. The feeling of loneliness, helplessness, and the setting are all ENTIRELY intact, if not done better in some parts.

Overall, yes, completely satisfied with this, basically my replacement for Jojo's Bizarre Adventure this season.
 
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