Hey, if the fans are happy, more power to them.
Majimoji Rurumo: Despite some annoying fanservice-themed humour, I liked this debut. The character designs had a blocky look to them, contrasting nicely with the smooth and rounded designs that have become prevalent. On top of that, though not besting the likes of Space Dandy, the animation is very alive and zany, which let's the fantasy elements give the premise a nice spark to catch the eye. The only thing left to do now is hope that the humour improves, and I think it just might.
Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus: If you liked the Kuroshitsuji anime, this is for you. If you think the anime took too many liberties and prefer the manga, this is still for you. If you've never seen Kuroshitsuji before, this is as good a place to start as any. The first episode goes straight into what Kuroshitsuji is all about: Bizarre plots, fancy living, and sexy butlers. It's visually solid, if the animation itself is stiff in spots, and the prelude in question gives you a fast handle on the characters without overwhelming you. Not a bad choice if you're interested in the series.
Love Stage!!: You know, I can't really feel conflicted when what essentially happened is that they drew a girl and called it a guy. Whatever, the first thing I can do is give props to it for not being rapey. The second thing I can do is give it props for having gorgeous character models. The third thing I can do is say that it's okay, but you it's hard not to predict where it will go. The guy will find out, won't know what to do with his feelings, and then go for it anyway. And then it'll get rapey.
Persona 4 – The Golden Animation: It looks better than the first one, so there's that. If you haven't seen the first one and don't want to play the game, then I guess this'll work for you. It might be a little more cohesive this time around, hopefully. If you have seen the earlier one, then you'll either stick around for the fanservice and/or for the new Golden material. For me though, I'm just not seeing this character as a significant enough inclusion to warrant watching what is mostly the same thing.
Rokujouma no Shinryakusha: So this guy, he gets a really good deal on this apartment, but he hears rumors that the place is haunted. Then, when he's working, he gets transported to a mystical... cave or something and gets told a bunch of prophetic fantasy stuff. Later, it's revealed that they are all ghost girls followed by routine harem stuff. Goodbye, interest. Shame too, because there was a certain thickness to the art that I kinda liked. Oh well, it's not like it's that good.
Sengoku Basara Judge End: Winding back the timeline to before the end of season two, Judge End follows (I think) the events as they were detailed in the latest Sengoku Basara game. Anyway, the first episode is basically a rush through the close of part two, now dealing with the road and inevitable climax at Sekigahara. I can't help but feel a distinct lack of energy in comparison to the previous seasons, probably brought on by a less vibrant and detailed art style. Even the animation, though certainly not bad, is much less over-the-top than its predecessors.
Tokyo ESP: This reminded me of Ga-Rei Zero, except with psychics instead of monsters and all the protagonists didn't die by the end. Anyway, psychics have taken over parliament and are declaring their rule over Japan, and there's nothing that the humans can do about it. That's when another team of psychics (and a group of humans, it seems) come in to help them stand a fighting chance. The premise is so American that I'm interested in more episodes just because it's different from the more common brand of generic in Japanese anime. The visuals aren't that bad either, especially coming from Xebec. The mostly CGI effects work pretty well with the surprisingly expressive facial animation.
Zankyou no Terror: Obviously this doesn't disappoint, being the best premiere of the season. Everything about this premiere was top-tier. The characters felt real and had great chemistry. The animation is the best of the season. The character models are detailed to an honestly impressive degree. The music is some of Kanno's best. The premise, though a bit cryptic and obscure right now, has potential and is easily carried by the other parts. There's nothing else to say about this. If you want to see some good anime, watch this thriller. You won't go wrong.
Majimoji Rurumo: Despite some annoying fanservice-themed humour, I liked this debut. The character designs had a blocky look to them, contrasting nicely with the smooth and rounded designs that have become prevalent. On top of that, though not besting the likes of Space Dandy, the animation is very alive and zany, which let's the fantasy elements give the premise a nice spark to catch the eye. The only thing left to do now is hope that the humour improves, and I think it just might.
Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus: If you liked the Kuroshitsuji anime, this is for you. If you think the anime took too many liberties and prefer the manga, this is still for you. If you've never seen Kuroshitsuji before, this is as good a place to start as any. The first episode goes straight into what Kuroshitsuji is all about: Bizarre plots, fancy living, and sexy butlers. It's visually solid, if the animation itself is stiff in spots, and the prelude in question gives you a fast handle on the characters without overwhelming you. Not a bad choice if you're interested in the series.
Love Stage!!: You know, I can't really feel conflicted when what essentially happened is that they drew a girl and called it a guy. Whatever, the first thing I can do is give props to it for not being rapey. The second thing I can do is give it props for having gorgeous character models. The third thing I can do is say that it's okay, but you it's hard not to predict where it will go. The guy will find out, won't know what to do with his feelings, and then go for it anyway. And then it'll get rapey.
Persona 4 – The Golden Animation: It looks better than the first one, so there's that. If you haven't seen the first one and don't want to play the game, then I guess this'll work for you. It might be a little more cohesive this time around, hopefully. If you have seen the earlier one, then you'll either stick around for the fanservice and/or for the new Golden material. For me though, I'm just not seeing this character as a significant enough inclusion to warrant watching what is mostly the same thing.
Rokujouma no Shinryakusha: So this guy, he gets a really good deal on this apartment, but he hears rumors that the place is haunted. Then, when he's working, he gets transported to a mystical... cave or something and gets told a bunch of prophetic fantasy stuff. Later, it's revealed that they are all ghost girls followed by routine harem stuff. Goodbye, interest. Shame too, because there was a certain thickness to the art that I kinda liked. Oh well, it's not like it's that good.
Sengoku Basara Judge End: Winding back the timeline to before the end of season two, Judge End follows (I think) the events as they were detailed in the latest Sengoku Basara game. Anyway, the first episode is basically a rush through the close of part two, now dealing with the road and inevitable climax at Sekigahara. I can't help but feel a distinct lack of energy in comparison to the previous seasons, probably brought on by a less vibrant and detailed art style. Even the animation, though certainly not bad, is much less over-the-top than its predecessors.
Tokyo ESP: This reminded me of Ga-Rei Zero, except with psychics instead of monsters and all the protagonists didn't die by the end. Anyway, psychics have taken over parliament and are declaring their rule over Japan, and there's nothing that the humans can do about it. That's when another team of psychics (and a group of humans, it seems) come in to help them stand a fighting chance. The premise is so American that I'm interested in more episodes just because it's different from the more common brand of generic in Japanese anime. The visuals aren't that bad either, especially coming from Xebec. The mostly CGI effects work pretty well with the surprisingly expressive facial animation.
Zankyou no Terror: Obviously this doesn't disappoint, being the best premiere of the season. Everything about this premiere was top-tier. The characters felt real and had great chemistry. The animation is the best of the season. The character models are detailed to an honestly impressive degree. The music is some of Kanno's best. The premise, though a bit cryptic and obscure right now, has potential and is easily carried by the other parts. There's nothing else to say about this. If you want to see some good anime, watch this thriller. You won't go wrong.
