Akazora 293 Report post Posted March 11, 2016 Boku dake ga Inai Machi has been a blast so far, and it's definitely my favorite series of the anime I've watched this season... Though I can't say I've really got invested in much, I've only liked this and Dimension W, and I'm a bit mixed on the latter... Gonna give Ajin a chance once I have the time though, well once I get done with Psycho Pass. Dimension W is getting kinda ehhh as you say, just because the pacing is a mess and the animation quality took a nosedive. Definitely check out Ajin though; I'm loving it and feel it's the dark horse of this season because so many people were initially turned off by the CGI. Things really start picking up at around episode 5, and since then it's been one heck of a show. Tried a couple episodes of Gate and Phantom World since they were on Crunchyroll, but I couldn't get into them. Phantom World is that boob limbo anime, right? It looks like really pretty fanservice since it's done by KyoAni but not much else apart from that. And I'm not sure if you started with the first season of Gate or accidentally jumped into the second season, but either way you're not missing much by dropping it since it kinda sucks a lot. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heliotropic 139 Report post Posted March 11, 2016 Dimension W is getting kinda ehhh as you say, just because the pacing is a mess and the animation quality took a nosedive. Definitely check out Ajin though; I'm loving it and feel it's the dark horse of this season because so many people were initially turned off by the CGI. Things really start picking up at around episode 5, and since then it's been one heck of a show. Yea, Dimension W is pretty average at best now. Started off pretty good, but at this point I'll probably finish it anyways. I started Ajin a couple days ago. Really liked it so far. Not the biggest fan of the CGI, but this being the first anime that's used it this way, I'd say it's far from terrible and it's been growing on me. The story itself is pretty fun so far. Phantom World is that boob limbo anime, right? It looks like really pretty fanservice since it's done by KyoAni but not much else apart from that. And I'm not sure if you started with the first season of Gate or accidentally jumped into the second season, but either way you're not missing much by dropping it since it kinda sucks a lot. I started with Gate's first season, but didn't really care for the whole concept. I think I dropped it around episode 3. Phantom World... probably around the 3rd episode as well. Extremely bland, but yea, it does have "that scene". I knew nothing about either of them so I wasn't really expecting anything, but they were both accessible so why not Boku dake is still the best one I've seen this season, and episode 10 was still pretty solid. The reveal was really obvious though, so I don't think the "mystery" really held up that well. Everything else about it, especially the pacing has been quite extraordinary though imo. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akazora 293 Report post Posted March 11, 2016 Boku dake is still the best one I've seen this season, and episode 10 was still pretty solid. The reveal was really obvious though, so I don't think the "mystery" really held up that well. Everything else about it, especially the pacing has been quite extraordinary though imo. As people on other sites have been saying, I think classifying ERASED as a mystery would be a bit misleading. It more closely resembles a "thriller" as opposed to a cut and dry mystery, which is why the reveal was still really well done despite the fact that the audience could see it coming. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heliotropic 139 Report post Posted March 25, 2016 As people on other sites have been saying, I think classifying ERASED as a mystery would be a bit misleading. It more closely resembles a "thriller" as opposed to a cut and dry mystery, which is why the reveal was still really well done despite the fact that the audience could see it coming. I certainly agree with that, the suspense was incredible in the first 8 episodes or so. I enjoyed the conclusion today, though I do have to say maybe 12 episodes was just not enough here. The last couple episodes felt rather rushed, and I definitely didn't have the same feeling as I got when I first started. Still, a phenomenal anime and a bit sad it's over. Dimension W ends this week too, but I can't really say I'm sad to see it go. It's pretty forgettable, and the pacing seems all over the place. I think after they made it to the island and they introduced all these new characters is really where I just lost the interest. Ajin is still going pretty strong, so I'm looking forward to that. Ace Attorney anime starts on April 2nd I think? I know nothing about it, never played the games, but people have really been talking about this one a lot. I'll probably be watching this one once it starts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tACXREkraIg&feature=youtu.be Going to try out Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu soon as well. Heard the opening so far, but haven't watched an episode yet. Last thing... though this is a bit unrelated: Two new seasons of FLCL confirmed for 2017/2018 I'm a bit conflicted on this one, since FLCL is one of the first big anime I ever got into, and I felt it kinda ended on a perfect note. I don't think a sequel or a remake is really a great idea, since well, it's still kinda recent and doesn't exactly need one... The brief synopsis seems like it's gonna be a rehash of the original (another coming of age story), but not really fair to judge at this point. I have some faith though, and the staff involved seem to be pretty competent. I really hope the pillows are involved in this one, since that's a huge reason I enjoyed the original so much. One thing is certain, it won't change my opinion on the original, but I do hope I'm at least able to enjoy it. I have a strong feeling I'm going to be really disappointed with it though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akazora 293 Report post Posted March 28, 2016 (I'll be posting a full winter season recap on Friday evening, most likely, so you'll hear my final thoughts on ERASED, Dimension W, Ajin, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, and the other shows I watched when that time comes. I've been pretty busy recently, but I didn't want to completely ignore your post so...) Ace Attorney anime starts on April 2nd I think? I know nothing about it, never played the games, but people have really been talking about this one a lot. I'll probably be watching this one once it starts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tACXREkraIg&feature=youtu.be I'm only saying this because I'm biased and played all the games, but I'd recommend the games over the anime. Anime adaptations of video games are usually more miss than hit, and from the CMs I've seen so far it looks like it's only going to be mediocre. The notable lack of arrangements of the original video game soundtrack (which have helped make AA as famous as it is) as well as the serviceable but far from impressive animation have me on the doubtful side. Of course, if you have no intent on playing the games because you either can't afford to buy them and aren't comfortable playing them on an emulator, or because you aren't quite sold on the premise of the story to invest your time in an extensive series like AA, then obviously it doesn't hurt to watch either the beginning of the anime (or even the entirety of it) before playing the games. However, I do recommend you give the games a chance some time in the future, since the anime will most certainly skip some cases, leave out some jokes, and condense the characterization of some characters. If you know for a fact that you definitely will play the games in the future and don't need the anime to convince you of that fact, then my recommendation would be to not watch the anime until after playing the games. The anime is only confirmed to cover the events of the first two games but will most likely have a sequel that adapts at the very least the last installment of the original trilogy, so playing the first three games before watching the anime would be my suggestion. As I stated above, the anime doesn't look like it will be a terribly amazing adaption, so watching it will ultimately end up spoiling you the plot twists you would have enjoyed more playing the games. Last thing... though this is a bit unrelated: Two new seasons of FLCL confirmed for 2017/2018 I'm a bit conflicted on this one, since FLCL is one of the first big anime I ever got into, and I felt it kinda ended on a perfect note. I don't think a sequel or a remake is really a great idea, since well, it's still kinda recent and doesn't exactly need one... The brief synopsis seems like it's gonna be a rehash of the original (another coming of age story), but not really fair to judge at this point. I have some faith though, and the staff involved seem to be pretty competent. I really hope the pillows are involved in this one, since that's a huge reason I enjoyed the original so much. One thing is certain, it won't change my opinion on the original, but I do hope I'm at least able to enjoy it. I have a strong feeling I'm going to be really disappointed with it though. I heard about that, too. FLCL was pretty fun, but I don't know enough about this new series to really judge it just yet. I'll most likely watch it regardless of what it is, just for the heck of it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
machine 52 Report post Posted March 31, 2016 Diamond no Ace ...have just the slightest empty feeling now that this one's over. I'd been following DnA since summer/fall 2014, and no longer having it to look forward to every week kinda sucks. It was a great run though, and hopefully a season 3 isn't completely out of the picture once the manga's a bit farther along. Also, the character I least expected to cry, cried in the last episode, and that was a nice surprise. And the one play in the game against Yakushi was copied from an actual play the Cleveland Indians did, so this series gets some brownie points in my book. My only complaint though is that some of the players were overlooked. Though it often felt like Eijun wasn't even the main character because of how much attention other characters (ex: Miyuki, Furuya) were given, about half of the players in the first string were still ignored. It just would've been nice for them to get more than split second appearance every episode or so. Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko: Everything Flows This one was really, really nice. It's pretty short and it's worth the watch if it interests you. Watch with your cat if you have one for maximum feels Haikyuu!! Don't have much to say about this because I'm following the manga and a third season's already been confirmed. Having the fan favorite training camp arc finally be animated was great since it introduced Fukurodani, gave Nekoma more attention, and was when a lot of character development took place. It was really cool seeing the matches from the spring tournament animated too since sports animanga involves a lot of motion, and it's easy to forget just how much is going on when reading sports manga. Hopefully the next season will be 25 epiosdes as well so Nekoma's and Fukurodani's match will get animated too. Akagami no Shirayuki-hime The final episode was cute. It'd be nice if this got another season, but if it doesn't, it left off at a nice enough place for that to not be bothersome. The romantic progression in this anime cracks me up a bit though. Before the last episode, they'd hugged once, maybe briefly held hands once or twice, and sat next to each other in a dark room and talked, blushing wildly all the while. Then in the last episode they finally kissed, but he went for the neck first, then the lips, and then when they were really alone, he went for the cheek. Not really sure what that order of events was going for, but it came across more comical to me than romantic. Otherwise, a nice finale, but man that was kinda awkward haha 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akazora 293 Report post Posted April 2, 2016 WINTER 2016: Final Thoughts (Apologies for any grammar and spelling errors in advance, I haven't really read this over...) 1. Ajin My favorite anime of this past season is one that’s still two whole episodes away from finishing. Despite that, I can confidently say that this has been the show I’ve enjoyed the most out of all the others. The initial premise is reminiscent of Tokyo Ghoul and Parastye, but as the episodes progressed Ajin quickly establishes itself as something different from either of the two aforementioned shows. If anything, it has reminded me of Death Note more than anything else. The story is gripping, and paired with a fantastic soundtrack as well as superb directing the anime keeps you craving more. The characters are interesting and some of them break out of the stereotypical molds they initially seem to be part of. I’d tell you specifically what makes some of the characters so good, but that would be spoiling. If anyone is looking for a dark suspense thriller with unique characters and an amazing soundtrack, then this is for you! The CGI may be a bit jarring at first, but once you get used to it you’ll find that it adds a lot to the atmosphere of the series. 2. Boku Dake ga Inai Machi It seems everyone and their hamster has watched this show. For a time, it was even ranked 9.14 on MAL. Did it deserve to ever be that high? No. Did it deserve to fall as low as it has? No. The first few episodes of ERASED were fantastic. The music by Yuki Kajiura was great, the pacing was solid, and the intrigue was there. Unfortunately, quite a bit of that fell apart by the end of the anime. The characters didn’t develop as much as I had hoped, the pacing started to rush, and the story wasn’t as complex as it could have been for a time travel anime. Despite all that, it was still a fun watch and something that I think most people would enjoy. The director himself said he tried to take a Hollywood-esque approach to series, so this makes for one of the best entry-level anime shows out there. It’s not a perfect anime by any means, but doesn’t deserve a lot of the newfound hate it’s getting now that it’s over either. 3. Osomatsu-san I’m be completely honest: I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first half of this series. However, by the time this anime leaked into the winter season, it had gotten significantly better. I didn’t think any episode could top the first one, but the brilliant episode 18 might have done just that. Once the characters really start developing and establishing themselves as individuals (despite six of them looking nearly identical), the writers are able to string together overall better jokes and parodies. Maybe it’s because I have a younger brother, but by the end of the series I really started to relate to the sextuplets despite them all having over-the-top personalities. This is an anime that’s certainly worth checking out, though the humor will most likely not be for everyone. It’s more miss than hit in the beginning, but more hit than miss by the end. Whether or not you’re willing to make an investment like that is up to you. 4. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (TV) 2nd Season Assassination Classroom has really come a long way. There is nothing all that remarkable about the show, and it’s often cheesy and predictable, but something about it makes me want to keep on watching. The strange thing, I’m not sure what it is. The cast of characters is sort of interesting, but there are so many different characters that the anime can’t even give all of them backstories and/or very dynamic personalities. If I’m not mistaken, they’re even releasing OVAs covering some of the side character’s development that they weren’t able to fit in the television series. Despite all this, it’s still a fun shounen to watch. It’s not something to take too seriously, but it’s simplicity works to its advantage. 5. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu I think by now it’s become exceedingly clear to me that josei anime just isn’t my thing. I really wanted to like this show. Honestly, I really did. But for some reason, I just couldn’t get into it. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with this anime, and that’s what’s most concerning to me. The characters are realistic and unique, the story isn’t cliché, the music is on point, the animation is good enough, and the pacing is perfect. Since that there’s so little to complain about, why isn’t this at the top of my list? Even I can’t answer that. The show just didn’t click with me, and at the end of the day my subjective enjoyment is where I put the weight of my score. Surprisingly, there’s been a second season announced. I’m on the fence about whether or not to watch it, but knowing me and my track record for second seasons I’ll probably get around to it. If the premise interest you, then by all means check it out. It just wasn’t the anime for me. 6. Hai to Gensou no Grimgar This is probably the closest we’re going to get to a deconstruction of the stuck-in-a-fantasy-world genre (yes, let’s just say that’s a genre now). Even before Sword Art Online, having people stuck in a fantasy world (usually an RPG styled gaming world) has been an easy go-to premise, but Grimgar is a show that, in a small way, turns that cliché on its head. Exactly how it does that would be spoilers of sorts, but in short it portrays things more realistically. The world they find themselves in is not a game, but rather a place not all too different from the planet we call home. The watercolor backgrounds are really nice, even if the animation of the actual characters can be a bit stiff. The pacing is also really slow, though one could argue it’s for the sake of the “deconstruction”. All in all, it was an interesting show (with the potential for a second season) and I appreciate what it tried to do. 7. Dagashi Kashi This show ended up just being Candy: The Advertisement. It’s a real shame too, because it also features one of the best tsunderes in recent memory, Saya (she’s best girl by the way, fite me). If the show instead had just been a regular romcom, I would have liked it better. Instead, because the subject matter was so narrow, it’s hard for anyone outside of the target audience to enjoy, the target audience being Japanese people who grew up with those candy shops. This show is the Japanese equivalent of making an American show about the ice cream trucks of a decade ago. It’s something only people who have memories of paying up their spare change for a taste of sweets after a “long” day at elementary school would understand. As a result, a lot of the references and jokes about certain brands and snacks fall flat. It’s not really worth your time, unless you actually grew up in Japan. 8. Dimension W How the mighty have fallen. This show had a lot of potential, and from what I could tell of what they adapted from the manga a lot of that potential was thrown away. The pacing and animation both fell apart by the end of the series. There were a lot of interesting plot points and ideas briefly hinted at by the end, but since everything was so rushed none of those ideas were developed or explained. If this had instead been a two-cour series, and they didn’t skip over any parts of the manga, it would have been a lot better. It wouldn’t have been amazing, most likely, but it would have still been a lot more enjoyable than it ended up being. This isn’t worth watching, though the manga might be good enough to pick up. However, I haven’t read it yet, and never plan to, so don’t take it from me. 9. Sekkou Boys The running gag got rather old by the end of this show. It wasn’t particularly funny either. I’m having trouble thinking of much else to say, just because there’s not much to talk about (each episode was less than seven minutes, I believe). The animation is okay, the characters are a bit bleh, and there’s no real story since this is just an episodic comedy. It’s a short watch, but not worth watching now that it’s over. 10. HaruChika: Haruta to Chika wa Seishun Suru People expected Hibike Euphonium and Hyouka, but that’s not what they got. It was unfair of anyone to expect that, but that’s what happened and I think that’s why this show got so much hate when it first started airing. Now that it’s over, did it end up being a good anime? No. But it’s not quite so terrible as people are making it out to be. Sure, the “mysteries” are Sakurako-levels of bad, and the music is just as nonexistent here as it was in K-On, but I don’t think that was the point of the anime. I think it was really just a nice slice of life at the end of the day, and in that aspect it succeeded. Also, the humor in HaruChika is very… “western” for lack of a better word. Or rather, it’s very non-anime humor. Humor in anime is usually categorized by exaggerated facial expressions, wild animation, and a temporarily altered art style. HaruChika, despite looking like a generic slice of life on the cover, did none of that. It was a breath of fresh air, at the least, even if it didn’t really make me laugh. It gave the show a general sense of real-ness. 11. Bubuki Buranki If Trigger ever made a GCI anime, it would look something like Bubuki Buranki. This anime was so bad, it was good, and it’s even getting a second season. It asks to both be taken seriously and not seriously at the same time. Sometimes it’s just outright stupid, and openly aware of that, while other times it seems like it’s trying to drive a hidden meaning and narrative. It’s the perfect show to watch with your mind turned off, because it’s so nonsensical that trying to take it seriously just makes you feel silly. The action scenes are stupidly fun, especially since the CGI allows for consistent art. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone of course, and at the end of the day this show is bad, but it’s become a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. 12. Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri 2nd Season Okay, now this is trash. It’s precisely these kinds of shows that give anime a bad name. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to get any better in the second season, but part of me just couldn’t help but give this a second chance. It’s been a huge waste of my time, to put it bluntly. The story is just right-wing propaganda, the characters are either generic men or attractive RPG styled women (wow, who would’ve guessed?), and the animation ranges from bad to worse. The music is generic, the directing is subpar, and everything about it makes you realize there are much better ways to spend your time. Don’t watch it, unless collecting trash is your hobby. -- This spring season is looking to be one of the most, if not the most, stacked seasonal lineups anime has seen in years. Here's what I'll be watching (scheduled to changed, ranked in order of most hyped to least hyped): 1. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress 2. My Hero Academia 3. Joker Game 4. Bungou Stray Dogs 5. Mayoiga 6. Ace Attorney 7. Sakamoto desu ga? 8. Kiznaiver 9. Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge 10. Kuromukuro 11. Kagewani: Shou 12. Flying Witch 13. Uchuu Patrol Luluco 14. Ushio to Tora: Second Season 15. Big Order 16. Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou - The Last Song Including the second half of Ansatsu Kyoushitsu's second season, that makes a total of 17 anime I'll be watching this season. Oh geez, my first impressions post is going to be massive... 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lupin of the Heisei Era 248 Report post Posted April 2, 2016 @akazora: woaaah~ awesome review as always! xD I totally agree with the first half list, the other half.. I haven't watch them yet haha but I'll also add durarara and haikyuu (welp, I'm still a fan-girl after all) and the only spring anime I'm familiar with, (mainly because of the manga) are bungou stray dogs and Tanaka-kun wa itsumo kedaruge ^^"" ps. ah! you should read the manga for ajin, the feel is real and much more intense, and also the expressions are better! xD (if already, then just ignore this) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heliotropic 139 Report post Posted April 3, 2016 Great synopsis, Akazora! Agree with a lot of what you said. Despite Boku dake being rushed towards the end, the first 8 episodes were really quite phenomenal, 9 left me disappointed, and the last 3 were "okay". Revival having a bit more of an explanation would have been nice, and I feel that I've been "spoiled" a little bit by how Steins;Gate handled the whole time-traveling debacle. They didn't even touch upon it and it kinda worked as a cheap plot device. Airi's involvement kinda felt out of place, so I'm looking forward to reading the manga and seeing what all was scrapped/changed. The show was definitely better as it was being aired, and not so much all at once. The cliffhangers and suspense really made the anime, so I think that has a lot to do with why I enjoyed it so much. Ajin still has me hooked for sure. So far, it's really the only other anime i've really enjoyed this season (and that I've been closely following), so I hope the last two episodes are as stellar as the rest of the series. The CGI stuff was odd for a bit, but it really grew on me. Can't say I really prefer this style though. The manga is on Crunchyroll, so I may just give it a good read one of these days. Lupin the 3rd Part 4 has also been really good, but I've only seen the first 5 episodes. I put it away for now since I do want to finish up the earlier Lupin stuff, but haven't had the time to do so. I suppose it doesn't matter too much since it's more or less episodic, but I always like to do things in production order. Dimension W has a couple specials coming out in the near future (but I think they are more or less shorts, so probably nothing important) so I might check those out. The anime, after the first couple episodes was a highlight of what was out there, but unfortunately the pacing was horrendous and it didn't really go in the direction I wanted it to. I might check out the manga to see if it was any better. I was really disappointed by this anime though. Once it hit the "Island" episodes, it just went down the crapper (even more so than it had before). I watched the first episode of Rakugo today. The music is really good, and the premise of the show seems interesting. I'll definitely have to keep going with it since I'm really not sure how to feel about it yet. For some reason I decided to finish up some of the anime I had previously disregarded early on... Those being Gate, Phantom World and Dagashi Kashi. Dunno why I tortured myself, but none of these held up. I wanted to see what all the hub-bub was with Dagashi Kashi (saw that one around a LOT) - and I thought it'd get better somewhere along the road. It did feel like I was watching a commercial for Japanese candy, something I know nothing about, so I thoroughly wasted my time with it. I mean I really didn't expect much else, but it was labeled as a comedy. I didn't really find it funny either Phantom World was very "cliche" in some regards, but the animation was actually quite nice and very consistent (really all it had going for it). I think the fan-service had, for the most part faded away in the later part of the show, so it wasn't as bad as it appeared, and was usually quite "tame" in that regard. Most the characters also annoyed me and were a bit stereotypical. Didn't care for any of them. I couldn't even get a laugh from the character that existed almost purely for comic relief (If that's even a correct term in a series like this). Last few episodes were quite okay though I guess? Really not sure how to feel about it, but as a whole it was quite awful. Gate... I think you summed that one up quite well, but I haven't got far enough to say for sure. I wanted to get a better impression of it since I don't think it was really fair for me to judge after just 3 episodes, and I recently decided to add it back to my que on Crunchyroll for some reason. That being said, I may strongly rethink that decision... I like comedies, so I may try getting into Osomatsu-san. I see it's also on Crunchyroll, and that episode 1 is apparently unavailable for some reason? Grimgar and Konosuba are two I've heard good things about, so I may give them a go. They can't be any worse than some of the other shows this season. As far as upcoming anime / Spring stuff: First episode of Ace Attorney was alright. The trailer didn't really get me hyped up or anything. I won't be getting into the games unfortunately, simply because I'm lazy - but it seems like, at the very least, it'll be a fun series to follow this season. It also seems quite "episodic", which I'd be perfectly okay with. I can't help but laugh at the main protagonist's name... (People seem to be really disappointed with the anime not being "localized" for some reason, isn't it usually the other way around?) I've got Boku no Hero Academia, Joker Game, Bungou Stray Dogs and Kiznaiver on my list for now. They all look rather interesting, so may check some of the other ones you've listed above! Just reading some of the synopsis for these anime, I'm sure it'll be better than last season. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
machine 52 Report post Posted April 3, 2016 ...is anyone else disappointed that Boku no Hero Academia is only gonna be 13 episodes? I like comedies, so I may try getting into Osomatsu-san. I see it's also on Crunchyroll, and that episode 1 is apparently unavailable for some reason? Osomatsu-san's first episode is unavailable for legal streaming due to legal trouble if I'm not mistaken. (Legal trouble presumably from parodying a bunch of different anime in the first episode) The first episode's one of the best episodes and definitely worth watching though. It's not hard to find on other websites Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heliotropic 139 Report post Posted April 4, 2016 ...is anyone else disappointed that Boku no Hero Academia is only gonna be 13 episodes? Osomatsu-san's first episode is unavailable for legal streaming due to legal trouble if I'm not mistaken. (Legal trouble presumably from parodying a bunch of different anime in the first episode) The first episode's one of the best episodes and definitely worth watching though. It's not hard to find on other websites Ahh that would explain it... Just found it odd it wasn't on Crunchy I don't know too much about Boku no Hero Academia, but I'm guessing it'll get another season? There's 85 chapters so far, and the first episode covered less than half of the first chapter. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akazora 293 Report post Posted April 5, 2016 ps. ah! you should read the manga for ajin, the feel is real and much more intense, and also the expressions are better! xD (if already, then just ignore this) I'm not really a manga person, and usually only read things that either don't have anime adaptations or or more convenient in manga form. I like the Ajin anime a lot, and I think a lot of the scenes translate better in the anime than they do in the manga (the most recent episode 12 being a good example of that). We're most likely going to get subsequent seasons that will cover more of the manga anyway, so I'll be looking forward to those. Thanks for the suggestion though! First episode of Ace Attorney was alright. The trailer didn't really get me hyped up or anything. I won't be getting into the games unfortunately, simply because I'm lazy - but it seems like, at the very least, it'll be a fun series to follow this season. It also seems quite "episodic", which I'd be perfectly okay with. I can't help but laugh at the main protagonist's name... (People seem to be really disappointed with the anime not being "localized" for some reason, isn't it usually the other way around?) I want to save my full thoughts for later, but I can say this with certainty: the Ace Attorney anime is bad. The games are significantly better in every form and fashion. If you need me to, I can PM you download links to a DS emulator and game ROMs, so you can experience the games for yourself. The time investment is worth it, trust me. The anime will just spoil the plot twists for you, more than anything else. And people (like me) are a bit upset about the localization because the games had some of the best localizations in any game I have ever played. The Japanese puns and jokes and references were westernized, and since this is an anime adaptation of "Gyakuten Saiban" not "Ace Attorney" it'll be nearly impossible to incorporate those westernized puns in the anime (since this is a sub, not a dub). Crunchyroll has an option to watch the episodes with the English names, but those names are only a small fraction of the changes the games' localization team made. You'll still be missing all of the pop culture references and little quirks found in the games. This brings me back to the point of playing the games first. The anime is not a representation of the Ace Attorney people fell in love with and became a cult classic. If you only watch the anime, you'll be missing most of what made the games so popular and great in the first place. If the anime was just as good as the games, I'd have no problem with you watching the anime. But there's literally not a single person I've seen so far who prefers the anime to the games, and its current MAL ranking is atrocious, so take that as you will. ...is anyone else disappointed that Boku no Hero Academia is only gonna be 13 episodes? I'd actually much rather they take their time with this series and just adapt one cour at a time. I don't see this anime flopping, since it's popular both in Japan and overseas, so I can imagine future seasons are all but guaranteed. Not to mention, Bones is also balancing two other shows along with My Hero Academia this season, and they have two more already confirmed for the summer. They're a capable studio, but I'd rather they not push their time and monetary constraints. -- Update: I've also decided to watch two more shows this season: Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu and Kuma Miko. I've already seen their first episodes, so I won't be putting them on my original hype list. This brings my total anime count to 19, if you include winter carryovers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heliotropic 139 Report post Posted April 5, 2016 I want to save my full thoughts for later, but I can say this with certainty: the Ace Attorney anime is bad. The games are significantly better in every form and fashion. If you need me to, I can PM you download links to a DS emulator and game ROMs, so you can experience the games for yourself. The time investment is worth it, trust me. The anime will just spoil the plot twists for you, more than anything else. And people (like me) are a bit upset about the localization because the games had some of the best localizations in any game I have ever played. The Japanese puns and jokes and references were westernized, and since this is an anime adaptation of "Gyakuten Saiban" not "Ace Attorney" it'll be nearly impossible to incorporate those westernized puns in the anime (since this is a sub, not a dub). Crunchyroll has an option to watch the episodes with the English names, but those names are only a small fraction of the changes the games' localization team made. You'll still be missing all of the pop culture references and little quirks found in the games. This brings me back to the point of playing the games first. The anime is not a representation of the Ace Attorney people fell in love with and became a cult classic. If you only watch the anime, you'll be missing most of what made the games so popular and great in the first place. If the anime was just as good as the games, I'd have no problem with you watching the anime. But there's literally not a single person I've seen so far who prefers the anime to the games, and its current MAL ranking is atrocious, so take that as you will. Thanks for the explanation! I suppose the localization stuff just struck me as a bit odd since normally it's the other way around. The animation is pretty lackluster and I'm not a huge fan of the art-style, but it seems like it has "some potential" this season. If I wanted to, I could easily emulate the games, but I simply don't have that level of interest in Ace Attorney. I'm still a huge fan of Detective Conan after all this time, and despite the DCTP release of the KIndaichi/Conan crossover, I never got around to playing that as well... I doubt I'd prefer it to the games, if it's as good as you say it is (and everyone else), but it's just much more convenient to sit back and watch a 20 minute episode each day. Even just as far as anime is concerned, I have an enormous backlog I want to get around to, so it's another reason I'll probably never play the games, no matter how good they are. (I also haven't really been big on games for well over a decade at this point) If I have anything to say about it at this point, it's just something "fun" to follow, so I'm still looking forward to the anime. It's not something after the first episode that really left a strong impression.. but is 6.8 really that bad? Judging from the first episode, I'd give it a 5 or a 6 myself... Joker Game, however, is the show that I'm so far the most excited for so far. First episode seems off to a great start, and really like the premise of the show. I'm not really sure how to feel about the others I've seen so far. Mayoiga seems very weird, and definitely not something I can judge from the first episode... I just hope they kill off some of these characters quickly because there are far too many Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akazora 293 Report post Posted April 6, 2016 I doubt I'd prefer it to the games, if it's as good as you say it is (and everyone else), but it's just much more convenient to sit back and watch a 20 minute episode each day. Even just as far as anime is concerned, I have an enormous backlog I want to get around to, so it's another reason I'll probably never play the games, no matter how good they are. (I also haven't really been big on games for well over a decade at this point) If I have anything to say about it at this point, it's just something "fun" to follow, so I'm still looking forward to the anime. It's not something after the first episode that really left a strong impression.. but is 6.8 really that bad? Judging from the first episode, I'd give it a 5 or a 6 myself... Aww, that's too bad, it seems like everyone nowadays just doesn't have the time for everything they want to do. It's a shame you haven't been really into gaming this past decade, since a lot of amazing titles (Ace Attorney just being one of them) have come out these past few years. Hopefully you find some time in the far or near future to watch your backlog of anime and potentially get into the games that you've missed. And for MAL, 6.8 is terrible. Most shows end up in the 7's, with something like 7.1 being pretty bad and 7.9 being pretty good. 8+ is generally considered very good, and anything in the 6's or even lower is just... generally unspeakably bad. MAL users don't like to use the full scale of their rating system, and I want to say a majority of users hardly score anything (no matter how bad it is) below a 5, so for Ace Attorney to already be at a 6.8 is quite telling. Mayoiga seems very weird, and definitely not something I can judge from the first episode... I just hope they kill off some of these characters quickly because there are far too many If Mayoiga doesn't turn the notch up to 100 and turn the whole thing into Battle Royale by the second episode, I'm going to drop it. jk jk, I don't drop shows, and I'm loving how the anime is progressing thus far Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akazora 293 Report post Posted April 16, 2016 Spring 2016: First Impressions (apologies for the double post) If there's any single season that will be credited for saving anime, it's this one. This is probably one of the most stacked anime seasons we've had in years, with significantly more impressive shows than unimpressive ones. Hopefully all of them can maintain their quality even by the end of the season. Also, I've decided to use spoiler tags because the sheer number of shows I'm watching this season is insane and I didn't want to make this post too big. There are no actual spoilers; just quick first impressions and gifs. As always, these 18 shows are listed in a rough order of most impressive to least impressive. 1. Kiznaiver Shirow Miwa, an artist I’m a particularly big fan of, finally gets his character designs in a full length television series, and it couldn’t look more great. Trigger really knows how to bring Miwa’s attractive characters to life without downgrading or shunting the artist’s original style, which is something a lot of animation studios have a habit of doing. But enough about the art; it’s strange enough for me to start off on such a specific topic as that anyway. Kiznaiver is another one of Trigger’s anime-original shows, and it’s off to a stylish start. The premise itself seems a bit ridiculous, but the execution establishes it as something that doesn’t quite take itself seriously. Or, to put it better, its deeper implicit themes should be taken seriously but the logical narrative isn’t something that should be scrutinized literally. In that sense, the first episode reminded me a lot of Mawaru Penguindrum, but since that’s a reference most people wouldn’t get, I suppose a better analogy would be to equate it to Undertale. The themes are important, and some things “don’t make sense” because they’re not intended to. There’s not really much to say about the characters (other than the fact that all of them, male and female, are really attractive) since they’ve only been intentionally established as tropes thus far, but there’s nothing to dislike about any of them yet either. I have high hopes for this show, and only have this at number one on my list because something about it has really clicked with me. There’s not much of an enjoyment difference between this and a lot of things further down the line. 2. My Hero Academia Ahh, another one-cour shounen manga adaptation that’s not a parody like OPM was but instead has a full-fledged story. I’ve really enjoyed this show so far, and think it’s certainly lived up to a lot of the hype. Was it a good idea for Funimation to blow nearly their entire budget on obtaining the rights to this one series? That’s still debatable. I feel like Funimation subscribers might be quite upset at the weak lineup they’re getting this season while Crunchyroll subscribers are rolling in an endless amount of solid shows. Seriously, check out Funi’s lineup. My Hero Academia is pretty much the only show of note. I also keep on getting weekly reminders from Funi reminding me to watch whenever a new episode of MHA is about to come out, which is something I never got from them before. They’re pushing this show so hard, probably because their monetary success this season relies almost entirely on this series’s success. Godspeed Funimation, lord knows why you got yourself in this situation… But enough about Funi. My Hero Academia looks great, sounds great, and is a ton of fun to watch. Fans of shounens will definitely like this (especially if you’re a fan of One Piece, since the mangaka of the manga takes a lot of inspiration from One Piece apparently), and even if you’re not really into battle shounens all that much, it’s still a fun watch. It’s easy to follow and its theme is pretty universal, so it has a wide range of appeal. 3. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Here we have a hype train in its natural habitat. This anime is to Shingeki no Kyojin as Guilty Crown is to Code Geass. It looks gorgeous, sounds amazing, has a stacked cast of both voice actors and production staff, and promises to be a shorter but better version of the show it takes blatant inspiration from. Whether it lives up to those expectations is something yet to be seen, but I have to say I’m liking what I’m seeing so far. Hiroyuki Sawano’s musical style is recognizable but still pretty hype regardless. The art and character designs are old school but polished under the hands of the talented animators at Wit Studio. The plot is a bit open ended as of now, since there’s not really an established direction it’s currently going in, but the premise is very reminiscent of Shingeki no Kyojin’s. The characters also seem more bearable than their SnK counterparts. The directing is tasteful, the opening and closing theme songs are top notch, and it’s a great watch. Whether this show just remains good surface level entertainment or decides to shake things up a bit and tackle deeper themes is something we’ll have to see in the coming weeks, but from the impression I’m getting it’ll most likely be the former. It’s still worth checking out though, especially if you’re just looking for a gorgeous and adrenaline fueled hype show. 4. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu Every season there’s at least one “don’t judge a book by its cover” show, and Re:Zero is that show. I didn’t pick this up originally because, well, it looked generic. Shut-in male MC gets magically teleported to a fantasy RPG-styled world, appears to have a fateful encounter with a beautiful girl, and so on and so forth. There is nothing revolutionary about this premise, and that it’s at number four on my list is probably at least somewhat surprising. But I have to say, the first episode (the first episode was a special dual-length episode, so roughly 50 minutes long) was certainly a lot better than I thought it was going to be. What made it so good would spoil things a bit, so I won’t say what it is, but I implore anyone who’s looking for a pleasant surprise to give at least the first episode a chance. That aside, the animation ranges from amazing (as seen above) to below average. The music work is solid but not all that special and the characters are alright. This is one of the few two-cour shows starting this season, and I feel like it has a great deal of potential given what is has to work with. 5. Mayoiga Now this is my kind of anime. It’s hard to find mysterious, intrigue-driven anime shows, and most of the ones that had promise quickly blew it (I’m looking at you, The Perfect Insider and Sakurako-san). Could this fall victim to the same fate? Sure, it might. Statistically speaking, it probably will. But I still have faith that this will be a sort of sleeper hit this season. The premise seems to imply a kind of And Then There Were None story, and the very first episode felt eerily reminiscent of Battle Royale’s early bus scenes. Whether this show decides to take it from 0 to 100 or instead keep things a bit more grounded is unclear, but I’m liking what I’m seeing so far. It’s certainly not a show for everyone, and the large cast of exaggerated personalities as well as its all-in-all unbelievable premise can definitely turn some people off, but it’s something I’ve thoroughly enjoyed so far. I recommend you check this out if you’re looking for something mysterious with a pinch of crazy. 6. Joker Game Funnily enough, when Shirow Miwa finally gets his character designs in a full length anime, he gets two completely different anime airing during the very same season. Whereas Trigger’s Kiznaiver took a more conservative approach to Miwa’s designs by maintaining that sharpness and clarity that define his work, Production IG’s Joker Game takes a more liberal interpretation, giving the characters soft and more rounded facial features. I personally prefer Kiznaiver’s style, but Joker Game’s premise and content fit better with softer deisgns. This show certainly has potential, starting with the fact that it doesn’t feature a stereotypical high school setting but instead takes place in 1937 and features adults, soldiers and spies, as the main characters. Right off the bat, any historical fiction fan should find some worth in this show, given how rare that genre is with anime. The animation is clean and the music fits the time period. The only real complaint I have so far is that the pacing can be a bit too slow at times. 7. Kuromukuro No one ever uses the words “P.A. Works” and “mecha” in the same sentence, unless they’re saying some variation of the sentence: “P.A. Works doesn’t make mecha anime.” This is because, until this show started airing, PA Works has never made a mecha anime before. Literally never. Go look it up if you don’t believe me. They’re known instead for shows such as Angel Beats, Nagi no Asukara, Charlotte, Another, Shirobako, etc. So it’s certainly weird to see wide-eyed girls in high school that seem to have come right out of Nagi no Asukara in the same scene as large CGI mechs with katana weapons. Despite this discrepancy, this anime has been pretty interesting so far. It looks gorgeous, both the CGI and the hand animated sections (though those averse to CGI may still maintain that the mechs are hideous), and the sound directing during the fight scenes was impressive. This show doesn’t take itself quite so seriously like Aldnoah.Zero did, so even though there may be some flaws with the writing and a few unrealistic moments here and there, I don’t think too much of it and give it significantly more slack than A.Z. I’m not even a fan of mecha, but this managed to pleasantly surprise me. 8. Bungou Stray Dogs How Bones is balancing both this show and My Hero Academia I have no idea. Bungou Stray Dogs has fanatastic animation, though I don’t think this will be as action-heavy as some shows out there so don’t watch this if it that’s the only thing you hope to get from it. The character designs are attractive, and reminiscent of things like Pandora Hearts and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles (so ladies looking for a tiny bit of eye candy may want to direct their attention to this show). The premise itself isn’t too unique, but it’s an easy watch regardless. The thing that mainly bothers me is the use of humor, since I’m really not feeling the comedy in this show at all. It’s that use of random exaggerated faces and chibi-style art interspersed between serious scenes that rubs me the wrong way, since it very rarely is done correctly. A similar show, Kekkai Sensen, handled this use of humor better, but even then that wasn’t something I particularly liked about the series. I know a lot of people enjoy this type of humor, otherwise Fullmetal Alchemist and Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso wouldn’t be as popular as they are, but I personally feel it’s a cheap and uncreative way of garnering laughs. Otherwise, BSD is not a bad show at all. 9. Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge It isn’t a particularly strong season for slice of life shows. This is the highest rated SOL I’m watching this season, and it’s way down at 9th place. Then again, my favorite anime of 2015 was a slice of life romcom (Ore Monogatari) and that was at the middle of my first impressions list when it first came out. Considering how much I’m watching season, 9th place isn’t too shabby. Tanaka-kun is a nice and relaxing SOL. The character designs and color palette are similar to Isshuukan Friend’s, but unlike that show Tanaka-kun doesn’t seem like it’s going to involve much romance. The humor is there, but I didn’t find it particularly funny. Charming and cute perhaps, but not exactly funny. Of course, it’s only the first episode, and as with most SOL shows the humor gets better over time as the characters begin to develop. The atmosphere of this show is also really soft and sleepy, much like the MC himself, so if you’re not careful you might find yourself dozing off while watching this show. Just don’t watch this when you’re tired and you should be fine. 10. Ushio to Tora (TV) 2nd Season There’s really not much to say about this show that hasn’t already been said when I talked about the first season. It picks up right where it left off with no noticeable change in tone, quality, or the like. I prefer the first season’s opening and ending themes to this one, but maybe they’ll grow on me. This is good for those interested in an old school battle shounen from decades past adapted with today’s animation, but if you’re just looking for any regular old shounen than you’re better off checking out My Hero Acdemia. Ushio to Tora, because it’s so old, has the problem of being generic and predictable, and some of themes certainly have not aged well at all. It’s definitely an edgy show, so there’s that going for it, and the voice acting is pretty solid as well. 11. Sakamoto desu ga? Why this kid is known as anime Jesus more than the actual anime Jesus baffles me, but the hype around this show certainly got me interested. As of now, I can’t say I’m too impressed. The animation is generally on the cheap looking side, similar to Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou, and the humor hasn’t really resonated with me yet. It’s only the first episode and the anime’s only introduced one major character thus far (… just Sakamoto himself), so there’s certainly rome for the show to improve, and since so many people sing it praise I’m hoping I can change my opinion of this for the better after the anime ends. For now though, I don’t want to get my expectations too high considering how bland I found the first episode to be. 12. Uchuu Patrol Luluco Now this is the Trigger that most people are familiar with, not whatever that “tameness” that is Kiznaiver and its Shirow Miwa art is. As it is though, I’m enjoying Kiznaiver more than Luluco, but this show certainly has its own charms. It’s colorful and crazy, with animation so cheap and frame rates so low that it actually somehow comes out artistic, much like Kill la Kill before it. Some people probably find the humor funny, though unfortunately I don’t. Each episode is only around five minutes long, so it’s a quick watch, but there’s never any time for good humor to be established or even particularly interesting characters. So far, this is only good if you want something with style but no substance. That’s all there really is to say about a short show like this. 13. Kagewani: Shou Ahhh Kagewani, a show so discrete that I’m forced to use a gif from the first season. I was really hoping they would drop the episodic format of this anime after the last two to three episodes of the first season, but apparently they didn’t. It’s a shame too, because I probably would have liked it more if they chose to focus on a more streamline story as opposed to following a “monster of the week” schedule while subtly dropping hints about the overarching plot in between. It worked decently well for the first season, but I was hoping for something a bit more concise this time around. I hope that the end of this second season will be just as good as the end of the first season, because I still believe the potential is there. 14. Kuma Miko I picked this up on a whim, and I’m beginning to wonder if maybe I shouldn’t have done that. I noticed there was a shortage of comedic SOL shows on my plan to watch list for this season, and sought to rectify that problem by watching this. Unfortunately, it seems like most of the serious, heavy shows ended up being the ones I liked the most while the SOL shows trailed behind. There is nothing particularly amazing about Kuma Miko. It certainly has a charm, but the humor is predictable and bland and it’s hard to watch while sleepy. The characters aren’t very interesting or likable off the bat, though I’m hoping that changes in the future. The animation is okay though, so I’ll give it credit for that. Other than that, it doesn’t seem to be worth the time. 15. Flying Witch This is pretty much the same story as the aforementioned Kuma Miko. I’m only watching it because I don’t have many SOL shows on my list, but it hasn’t been particularly good so far. Bland characters, poor humor, etc etc etc. I’m starting to feel that slice of life shows just aren’t worth the investment, since I generally don’t like them as much as plot driven ones with a few exceptions of course. Either that, or my sense of humor sucks, since there’s nothing I’m finding funny this season either. 16. Gyakuten Saiban: Sono "Shinjitsu", Igi Ari! Or, to make things easier, you can just call it Ace Attorney. I was hoping this anime would be good. I really did hope, and unfortunately my prayers were not answered. I’ve touched upon this briefly before, but this adaptation of the games is not good. First of all, the animation is horrible. It looks like A-1 Pictures brought back the team that worked on Magic Kaito 1412, because the animation is atrocious. The character designs are altered and look off, and even the simplest of animations look unpolished and cheap. There is so little shading on anybody’s face, that everything just looks unfinished. Paired with the awkward CGI courtrooms, and you’re left with a jarring and unattractive final product. Because this is an anime, the interactive puzzles and choices you could have made during the game aren’t there. Only the bare minimum is ever adapted, so while it gets the story across without leaving out anything major it isn’t nearly as whole of an experience as the games are. The biggest issue however is the fact that the anime missed out on all of the localization quirks found in the games. The location team put in a lot of western pop culture references and allusions in the games, which was possible because there was no voice acting and text in images could be easily changed to English. However, the anime is obviously adapting the original Japanese version of the game, and so just about all the localization changes are missing while the ones that are carried over (courtesy of Crunchyroll) are shoehorned in and feel awkward. tl;dr don’t watch the anime, just play the games instead 17. Big Order (TV) From the creator of Mirai Nikki, I present to you “Ow the Edge: The Animation”. To cut right to the chase, this anime is bad. It doesn’t have as good of a production value as Mirai Nikki did, and the story is even more edgy nonsense than its predecessor was as well. Right off the bat, there’s a glaring contradiction in the entire premise of the story, which renders the anime pointless. I can certainly see how the plot holes can be defended by inventing more convoluted excuses on the fly, but that’s just lazy writing and will result in even more inconsistencies down the road. I can already imagine this anime being one of those “so bad it’s good” shows, since I’m starting to believe the author himself has pretty much given up on writing a cohesive narrative. To think positively, since I’m watching so many good shows this season my 5.0 average on MAL of everything I’ve watched is going to shift slightly upward. Big Order can be rated low in order to counteract some of that imbalance, which is certainly very helpful. 18. Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou - The Last Song You know how you know fast food isn’t good for you but you decide to eat it anyway because… you just like it too much to stop yourself from eating it? Yeah well, gotcha, because that analogy doesn’t fit Concrete Revolutio at all. I’m still watching this show even though I really disliked the first season and the second currently isn’t any better. It would be the equivalent of hating cabbage soup but continuing to order it in favor of a nice bowl of beef and potato broth. Why I let myself suffer like this I have no idea. I really should know better by now. This second season so far has the same problems as the first one even though it’s written by someone different. The characters are all, literally without exception, unlikable and the story is an absolute mess. Yes, I realize that the show constantly jumps around the timeline about five times an episode, but that doesn’t make it excusable to string together a boring and unengaging story and hope to distract people from that fact by telling it in a nonlinear fashion. The themes tackled cover very basic “moral” issues that are shallower than what you’d find in a political science class or even see during the current presidential race. The animation ranges from really good to really bad, and the music is so unremarkable I probably could mute the video and still garner the same amount of enjoyment. In summation, the second season of Concrete Revolutio is awful and not worth your time, especially considering you have to get through the first season before you can start this one. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
machine 52 Report post Posted April 16, 2016 I don't know too much about Boku no Hero Academia, but I'm guessing it'll get another season? There's 85 chapters so far, and the first episode covered less than half of the first chapter. I'd actually much rather they take their time with this series and just adapt one cour at a time. I don't see this anime flopping, since it's popular both in Japan and overseas, so I can imagine future seasons are all but guaranteed. Not to mention, Bones is also balancing two other shows along with My Hero Academia this season, and they have two more already confirmed for the summer. They're a capable studio, but I'd rather they not push their time and monetary constraints. It'd be really, really surprising if BnHA never got additional seasons, but 13 episodes is so short. There's a lack of long running series (long running as in longer than 2 consecutive cours), and it would've been cool if this could've had a longer intial run. Bones is pretty busy at the moment, but it's still a little disappointing imo that the first season isn't at least 2 cours. Spring 2016: First Impressions (apologies for the double post) I was gonna post this, so you wouldn't have to double post but... Since you mentioned it, what is your sense of humor exactly? Is it just very specific like only liking one or two types of humor, or is it just bad luck that most, if not all of the comedy this season doesn't seem like it'll appeal to you? and I'm glad I'm not the only one that didn't particularly like the first ep of Sakamoto --------------------------------- I don't want to write much since I haven't seen the second ep's of most of these yet, so this'll have to do and this post would be really long if I went with the usual formatting so bare with me 12-sai Chiccahana Mune no Tokimeki - these kids move so fast. The two kids kissed on a whim, and like a day later they're already saying they love each other plz slow down kiddos 6th grade relationships aren't worth it. I'm a bit miffed how the whole period thing was handled since this is actually aimed at young girls, and while showing the characters be embarrassed about buying pads is relatable, part of the way you make people feel less embarrassed about it is by making it not a big deal. And the girl being hesitant to tell her dad about it since she doesn't have a mom could've been a really good scene becase, yeah it's gonna be awkward, but he kinda needs to be aware of that and agghhhh idk hopefully this'll be cute at the very least Anne Happy - ...Only really started this because the intial translation was "Unhappy" and that title intrigued me considering how bright the colors are. The two characters that caught my attention haven't really shown up much yet so... The opening's kinda catchy I guess?? pun-pun-pun-punchline punpunpunpunpunchline Boku no Hero Academia - The main character's deisgn, and personality a bit too, reminds me Tsuna from KHR, but with a color palette similar to Gon's from HxH. First episode left a nice impression and hopefully it'll follow the manga closely since I've heard almost exclusively positive things about that. High School Fleet/Haifuri - please be good, please be good, please be good, please be good, please be good, please be good. The first episode ended on such a good note and I'm going to be so incredibly disapointed if this takes a moe/SOL route. Especially since I just watched the first ep of Girls und Panzer not too long ago and wasn't a huge fan of it because of the school SOL parts Kiznaiver - Neat premise, hopefully the execution will be good. And I like the school's uniform and character designs and color palettes Koutetsujou no Kabaneri - Came for the industrial revolution setting and steampunk elements, staying for the SnK-like atmosphere and also maybe Mumei Kuma Miko - The ending song alone convinced me to stick with this one. The atmosphere of this one reminds me of Inari Konkon Koi Iroha for some reason, but that's 100% a good thing imo Shounen Maid - tiny protagonist.... just want him to be happy. Not a huge fan of the art style, but this seems alright so far. also this one has a title very similar to a shota hentai and that's hilarious tbh Tanaka-kn wa Itsumo Kedaruge - This is probably the one I was looking forward to the most, and the first ep didn't disappoint despite it being more laid-back than expected. Kinda gives off a Kimi to Boku feeling which is refershing. The art style is also a nice breath of fresh air Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kenzi 146 Report post Posted April 17, 2016 12. Uchuu Patrol Luluco Now this is the Trigger that most people are familiar with, not whatever that “tameness” that is Kiznaiver and its Shirow Miwa art is. As it is though, I’m enjoying Kiznaiver more than Luluco, but this show certainly has its own charms. It’s colorful and crazy, with animation so cheap and frame rates so low that it actually somehow comes out artistic, much like Kill la Kill before it. Some people probably find the humor funny, though unfortunately I don’t. Each episode is only around five minutes long, so it’s a quick watch, but there’s never any time for good humor to be established or even particularly interesting characters. So far, this is only good if you want something with style but no substance. That’s all there really is to say about a short show like this. for a split second I almost thought that was the second season of PSG and then I remembered that Gainax is a huge troll even though the studios animating the two anime are different, the art style is uncannily similar Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akazora 293 Report post Posted April 18, 2016 It'd be really, really surprising if BnHA never got additional seasons, but 13 episodes is so short. There's a lack of long running series (long running as in longer than 2 consecutive cours), and it would've been cool if this could've had a longer intial run. Bones is pretty busy at the moment, but it's still a little disappointing imo that the first season isn't at least 2 cours. I guess you have a point. I'm perfect fine with having one-two cour shows, since I only really got into anime as a result of short seasonal series in the first place and it's what I'm used to, but I can imagine those who enjoyed the stretched out shounen shows of the early 2000's and/or the modern day Shounen Jump adaptations of Gintama and Hunter x Hunter crave something more consistent and bingewatch-able. I was gonna post this, so you wouldn't have to double post but... Since you mentioned it, what is your sense of humor exactly? Is it just very specific like only liking one or two types of humor, or is it just bad luck that most, if not all of the comedy this season doesn't seem like it'll appeal to you? and I'm glad I'm not the only one that didn't particularly like the first ep of Sakamoto gotta go fast And to answer your question, the kind of humor I like the most is either cute romantic drama-less slice of life (ex. Ore Monogatari and Acchi Kocchi) or unapologetic toilet humor (ex. Prison School and Yondemasu yo Azazel-san). The former doesn't usually make me laugh, but it often times makes me smile like a fool from all the warm feelings. The latter is stuff that really splits my sides. So I have no one to blame for disliking the SOL shows this season but myself, because none of them promised to provide what I liked yet I decided to watch them anyway. Oh well, I can rate them low to keep my 5.0 average in balance so it's not a complete loss. or maybe my taste really is just shit 12-sai Chiccahana Mune no Tokimeki - these kids move so fast. The two kids kissed on a whim, and like a day later they're already saying they love each other plz slow down kiddos 6th grade relationships aren't worth it. I'm a bit miffed how the whole period thing was handled since this is actually aimed at young girls, and while showing the characters be embarrassed about buying pads is relatable, part of the way you make people feel less embarrassed about it is by making it not a big deal. And the girl being hesitant to tell her dad about it since she doesn't have a mom could've been a really good scene becase, yeah it's gonna be awkward, but he kinda needs to be aware of that and agghhhh idk hopefully this'll be cute at the very least (when I wished for anime to be real I didn't mean for anime to be more like real life) for a split second I almost thought that was the second season of PSG and then I remembered that Gainax is a huge troll even though the studios animating the two anime are different, the art style is uncannily similar The director of PSG is the same guy directing Luluco, and the character designer of Luluco did some key animation for PSG, so the shared staff probably explains it. Not to mention, Trigger was founded by former Gainax employees, so the two studios's works are often compared to each other. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
machine 52 Report post Posted April 18, 2016 I guess you have a point. I'm perfect fine with having one-two cour shows, since I only really got into anime as a result of short seasonal series in the first place and it's what I'm used to, but I can imagine those who enjoyed the stretched out shounen shows of the early 2000's and/or the modern day Shounen Jump adaptations of Gintama and Hunter x Hunter crave something more consistent and bingewatch-able. gotta go fast And to answer your question, the kind of humor I like the most is either cute romantic drama-less slice of life (ex. Ore Monogatari and Acchi Kocchi) or unapologetic toilet humor (ex. Prison School and Yondemasu yo Azazel-san). The former doesn't usually make me laugh, but it often times makes me smile like a fool from all the warm feelings. The latter is stuff that really splits my sides. So I have no one to blame for disliking the SOL shows this season but myself, because none of them promised to provide what I liked yet I decided to watch them anyway. Oh well, I can rate them low to keep my 5.0 average in balance so it's not a complete loss. or maybe my taste really is just shit Yup. Long running series aren't very common, or are split up with a season or two of downtime in between. If you don't like what shows are currently airing in that format, you're kind of out of luck. Sure you can go back and finder older series, but there's a different feeling that comes with following something every week, for a fairly long period of time. And that feeling's getting increasingly hard to come by.. I wouldn't have pictured you as someone with a sophomoric sense of humor. Maybe by the end of the season, you'll grow to like, or at least not be completely bored by, the comedy in the SOL shows..? But then again... Hopefully you'll like the characters enough to not be too bothered by the comedy at least. You don't drop shows right? So good luck sticking with everything through ganbatte or however it's spelled Also, why do you like keeping your average at 5.0? (when I wished for anime to be real I didn't mean for anime to be more like real life) but... if they're going to try to appeal to a certain age group, and be at least somewhat realistic, is it too much to ask they at least try to portay something that's taboo, but shouldn't be, positively? it probably is asking too much, but still.... it's just a nitpick but ahhhhhhh it bothers me im sorrrrrry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heliotropic 139 Report post Posted April 18, 2016 I finally wrapped up all of the winter stuff I wanted to watch... I really enjoyed Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu... or at least the later half. I'm still a bit mixed on the series in general, given I didn't find hardly any of the actual rakugo enjoyable (some of it almost put me to sleep), but the characters were pretty great and the story in general. The last couple episodes really sealed the deal for me. It was certainly an "odd" one. The voice-acting was really good and I really liked the music. Looking forward to the second season! Oddly enough, I kinda enjoyed GATE. I thought from the first couple episodes it would be even more absurd, but I really didn't mind it all too much. The concept was somewhat "unique" in a sense, but my main problem was that you always knew how things were going to turn out and nothing really developed in the direction I hoped it would.. There wasn't really much suspense or anything. Not much to really say about the series, I just thought it was quite "fun". I really liked Ajin's conclusion as well, well... at least for the first season. Given I didn't follow the manga or anything, I had no idea that the 13th episode would have left it on a cliffhanger. Great series though! It was my second favorite anime last season, not behind by much at all. As for Spring... I'm currently watching 11 anime. My Hero Academia, Bungou Stray Dogs, Flying Witch, Ace Attorney, Joker Game, Kiznaiver, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Mayoiga, Re:Zero, Sakamoto desu ga?, and Uchuu Patrol Luluco My Hero Academia looks pretty good so far, but I'm really not too thrilled on the premise. To me it just kinda strikes me as another one of "those" Shonen, and most of what I've watched I didn't really care for. It's okay so far, and I'm willing to tough it out. Pacing seems a little slow, but I'd rather they be true to the adaptation. Still seems odd that there are only 13 episodes this season given the pacing, so only downside is there's gonna be a lot of waiting... I really don't have a strong opinion on Bungou Stray Dogs so far. There's only been two episodes, and the premise is certainly "interesting" I guess... I don't really know much about the names or the history behind them, aside from a few of them, or how that really correlates to how much I'd enjoy the series, but I definitely want to see how this one pans out. I've enjoyed both episodes so far, and some of the moments remind me of some distinct style I can't place my finger on... Flying Witch is the odd one I'm watching this season, at least for me, since I really don't watch much of the "Slice of Life" stuff. It's kind of a "relaxing" series so to speak, but no real opinion of it yet. I dunno if I'll like it, it just seems really bland so far. I still somewhat like Ace Attorney. I know I haven't played the games, and it's still pretty average so far... The animation is probably the worst part, and the comedy really isn't that good either, but I'm still having some fun with it. I'm kinda curious how things will turn out. I certainly don't mind sticking with this one for now. Joker Game is still my favorite anime of the season so far, though the second episode was pretty slow. I got a good feeling of suspense from the first episode, and the second one was a bit of a let down... That being said though, I still have some really high expectations for it. I don't think this one will disappoint me. I don't know how to feel about Kiznaiver. The premise is certainly different, but dunno where it could go. I might end up liking this one or hating it, but I'll weigh my chances. So far I've enjoyed it, and the art-style is really nice. It's just a bit "different" from what I expected I guess. Don't know how to really describe that. Kabaneri has been a pretty fun series to follow so far, though the second episode had some pretty awful subs (I suppose that can't be helped). I enjoyed Attack on Titan earlier this year, and this is certainly reminiscent of that, in not such a bad way. Not sure how much depth or anything the series will have, but it should certainly deliver in the action department. Mayoiga is just not sitting too well with me at all at the moment, but I'm probably going to sit through the entire show anyways, just to see what comes out of it. This one may end up surprising me. I've probably said it before... While I think it has potential, I think it also could end up being an absolute train wreck. Well, at the very least things certainly seem to be moving so far... and the pacing is really my biggest worry here with so many characters and 13 episodes. Re:Zero has been one of my favorites so far, and I think it's still holding up after the 3rd episode. I'm always a sucker for time-traveling stuff (though not sure if this really applies here?) and I think it's got a lot of potential. I think the people responsible, well the animation studio are the same as Steins;Gate? Very convenient - Well, I have some high expectations for it, but 25 episodes for this concept is a bit worry-some I guess. I wanted to try Sakamoto since some people said it was the comedy of the season... and while I got a couple quick laughs, I really didn't find it that funny... Well, I don't want to judge entirely from the first episode, but I'll give it a chance for sure. I got around to checking out some of Osomatsu-san not too long ago either, and I didn't find most of it funny either, and inevitably dropped it, so I'm hoping for a comedy I'm able to have some fun with. Luluco looked rather "odd" with its cartoonish thumbnail, and I thought I'd give it a go since it was available on Crunchyroll. Surprised to find out that the episodes were only 7 minutes long, including opening/ending, so I suppose it's not really too much to keep up with this. Nothing really to say about it though... I mean, I kinda like the art-style, I guess? The only reason I haven't dropped it is because it's short. Not sure if I'll check anything else out. Bakuon and Hundred are on Crunchyroll, but a quick check-up on them tells me that'd be a bad idea... I was going to check out Big Order, but people were comparing it to Mirai Nikki, and I honestly hated that series, so I think these 11 shows this season is more than enough for me Needless to say, this is a pretty wicked season (so far)! Winter wasn't too terrible though. I enjoyed Rakugo, Ajin, Lupin, Erased, and Konosuba... the rest, eh... Last season I had some high expectations for certain shows as well (Dimension W mainly) and it turned sour quite quickly. I hope most of the "good" shows hold up at least. 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Akazora 293 Report post Posted April 18, 2016 I wouldn't have pictured you as someone with a sophomoric sense of humor. Maybe by the end of the season, you'll grow to like, or at least not be completely bored by, the comedy in the SOL shows..? But then again... Hopefully you'll like the characters enough to not be too bothered by the comedy at least. You don't drop shows right? So good luck sticking with everything through ganbatte or however it's spelled Also, why do you like keeping your average at 5.0? I would have taken offense at that if I didn't agree with you. Haha, but yeah, my taste in humor can be pretty childish. That's probably why I honestly don't feel anywhere near 19 years old yet. In my defense though, I also find satire funny, but there aren't any satirical anime to my knowledge. Parodies perhaps, but no satire. As for why I keep my average at a 5.0, I guess it's because I believe everything has an average. Sure, I only watch things that interest me and I'd like to think the average of what I've seen is higher than the average of anime in general, but I rate based on what I've seen not what I assume exists in the anime as a whole. I don't know if that's clear or explains it. For example, if someone watches the theoretical 10 best anime ever made and only those 10, then that person will be under the assumption that the sum of those 10 are average. The worst of those 10, even if it's better than 99.9% of shows out there, will still be the worst anime he's ever watched. Likewise, someone who only watches the 10 worst anime ever made will feel like the best of those 10 is the best anime he's ever seen. So in my case, I've watched my fair share of anime, and in my perspective everything I've seen averages out to... well, average, which is a 5.0 on MAL's ranking system. Even if I watch 10 amazing anime in a row right this instant, and have my average temporarily shift upward, my impression of things that I've watched in the past won't be as good and I'll adjust their scores accordingly, bringing my average right back down to a 5.0 in the long run. It's an equilibrium of sorts, and while I know it's not a perfect system I still feel like it's the best way to rate the anime I've seen. As for why my manga score is not a perfect 5.0, it's because I just haven't read that much manga yet and as a result the lack of volume makes it difficult to keep the score at an equilibrium. And another thing, 5 is a really nice number since it's in the center of my 1 to 9 rating scale (I don't believe in giving 10's since it implies perfection), which is why I choose it over something like 6. but... if they're going to try to appeal to a certain age group, and be at least somewhat realistic, is it too much to ask they at least try to portay something that's taboo, but shouldn't be, positively? it probably is asking too much, but still.... it's just a nitpick but ahhhhhhh it bothers me im sorrrrrry Being progressive is too radical of an idea. Let's just stick to the tropes that we all know and love. Those weebs will eat that crap up anyway. As for Spring... I'm currently watching 11 anime. My Hero Academia, Bungou Stray Dogs, Flying Witch, Ace Attorney, Joker Game, Kiznaiver, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Mayoiga, Re:Zero, Sakamoto desu ga?, and Uchuu Patrol Luluco Everything you're watching I'm also watching! Kabaneri has been a pretty fun series to follow so far, though the second episode had some pretty awful subs (I suppose that can't be helped). I enjoyed Attack on Titan earlier this year, and this is certainly reminiscent of that, in not such a bad way. Not sure how much depth or anything the series will have, but it should certainly deliver in the action department. It was supposed to be delayed in both Japan and America after the earthquakes, but somehow China got their hands on it and someone with obviously very subpar Japanese language skills felt the need to do a cruddy sub job on the Chinese version. It wasn't ideal, but oh well. Re:Zero has been one of my favorites so far, and I think it's still holding up after the 3rd episode. I'm always a sucker for time-traveling stuff (though not sure if this really applies here?) and I think it's got a lot of potential. I think the people responsible, well the animation studio are the same as Steins;Gate? Very convenient - Well, I have some high expectations for it, but 25 episodes for this concept is a bit worry-some I guess. Yoooooooo dayum, I want to change my initial impressions already and put this one at the top. That third episode of Re:Zero was so good, phew. Something about it reminded me of when I was innocent and I hadn't seen too many shows and I thought everything was amazing, haha. I'm actually glad this show of all the ones I'm watching this season is confirmed for 25 episodes (26 if you count the dual length first episode). I think there's more room for intrigue and creativity here than there was in Erased, and a lot of things that have been hinted at these past three episodes foreshadow some pretty interesting stuff. I was going to check out Big Order, but people were comparing it to Mirai Nikki, and I honestly hated that series, so I think these 11 shows this season is more than enough for me Big Order was written by the guy who wrote Mirai Nikki, so yes it's a good idea that you're not watching it. I'm just watching it for the edgy lulz; I expect nothing of substance from it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heliotropic 139 Report post Posted July 1, 2016 Well, pretty much everything from this season is wrapping up... and I have to say, I was a bit disappointed with the line-up this season. I think while there were more shows this season that I liked in comparison to Winter, Winter had more exceptional shows as a whole (Konosuba, Erased, Ajin, and Rakugo all sat really well with me) - This season was certainly good, but it didn't deliver in the same manner... RE:Zero - My favorite anime of the season for sure. I think it delivered in pretty much every department and still has quite a bit of potential. I ragged on it before for Subaru being a bit "obsessive" over Emilia or the character interaction between them, but I got some of the answers I wanted to in Episode 13. I was a bit worried where the show was going with Episode 12, but I'm pretty confident I'll enjoy the rest of the series. For not a whole lot happening in the first half of the show, It didn't feel slow, and the character development was well executed. My initial worry about the series was pacing and that it would be repetitive given the concept and "time travel" or whatever you want to call it is involved. Great opening and ending to boot (Still really digging STYX HELIX) 8/10 Ace Attorney - While I did have some fun with the series (some), it did end up being a disappointment even with one of the longer cases towards the end of the first cour (is that the correct term?). A majority of the comedy did not strike me as funny, and the actual cases just didn't leave much to be desired either. I had hoped to enjoy this one much more than I had, and I know... I should play the games (but I still won't have the time to play the games without sacrificing far too much) - and maybe I will someday... The presentation of the cases felt a bit "childish", and the animation and art felt really lackluster. It was too spotty for my liking. Very mediocre as a whole. 5/10 Kiznaiver - I think my main issue with this series was that I had a certain expectation for it and it didn't live up to it. I kinda thought the series would be going somewhere else over its run and maybe explore the "experimental" nature of the city more, not just relating to the Kizna system/project. I will praise the series for having some pretty good/consistent animation and art, and some decent background music (and a pretty unique opening animation), but It didn't really hold my attention that well or give me any sense of urgency as the show progressed. It was pretty obvious that there was something past related to Agata's pain in the earlier episodes and how Sonozaki was connected to it all, but the pacing and time it took to address it was far too long. The concept of the show was simple, and I had really just hoped there would be something more to it. The characters were really nothing special, and they kinda seemed like card-board cut-outs in some cases. That being said, I still did enjoy some of the series, and it was a bit different from the normal... but it was quite the let-down. 6/10 Joker Game - I enjoyed this one quite a bit, but I have one main problem with the series, and that was the "episodic" nature of everything. The order of the episodes also slightly confused me, more or less because of how they handled it... Not that any of the characters of D-Agency were really treated with any value, killing Miyoshi in the previous episode and then having an episode (a conclusion at that) right after that set before the events of Episode 11 was really quite the turn off. There were some characters that were highlighted in the beginning that made you think they would have more of a prominent role, but that just didn't happen. I don't even think we saw Sakuma after the initial set-up and I had the impression he'd be a "main character" so to speak, instead, they just seemed to highlight Yuuki as much as possible. Aside from this, each episode was pretty fun to watch, and I think I got pretty much what I wanted to see out of this series, it was just executed much worse than I expected it to be. OVA confirmed and maybe potential second season on the way? Not sure, but it had a bit of an open ended ending, or that Odagiri's mission will be followed up on in the OVA? Opening for some reason reminds me of Bacanno!, and I like it (probably because both are a bit "jazzy" and set in the 30s) - 7/10 Mayoiga - What a mess... really, is there much to say about it (There is, but nothing positive)? I was really hoping that I'd like this one, but it became a train-wreck quite quickly, and I still don't know what kind of series it was trying to be. Comedy? Mystery? Horror? It didn't deliver anywhere... but I suppose my problem is that because while it was a train-wreck, I didn't enjoy watching it crash. I probably should have just dropped it, but at some point, I just wanted to see how bad it could get, not even for laughs, but because I was genuinely intrigued... and no one died? Well, maybe I had some expectation that there would be a massacre of sorts given they introduced 30+ characters (still think that was a terrible idea). I know we don't have to care about all of them, but you think I'd remember more than 5 by the end of the series, and I was more invested in some of the characters for comedic effect, in contrast to the main character who was unlikable and a complete ditz... at least until it became old, which it did, quite quickly... Animation was pretty mediocre, if not terrible at times (also didn't care for the CGI one bit) to boot. Well, this was one of the worst anime I've seen to date... 2/10 Flying Witch - I think this one ended up surprising me the most this season, particularly because I really am quite turned off by these "slice of life" shows a majority of the time. While it might have treaded into the territory of "cute girls doing cute things" it mostly stayed away from that and felt rather unique for a show like this (contrast to Bakuon). I really enjoyed the art in the show, and it blended really well with the music. It was a relaxing watch, and I think it had pretty good characters, at least for a show in this particular genre (that being said, I've had a pretty bad experience with SoL). The use of magic was probably not what I initially expected, but I liked the approach here, and it meshed very well in the world that was presented to us. If there was any particular complaint, it's mostly about the genre itself, and that just not being appealing to me, or the fact that generally nothing happens, and it feels slow. Comedy was pretty spotty, but there were some pretty solid scenes. I don't want to say any of the humor was terrible... but I'll say this is perhaps the first "Slice of Life" show that I've thoroughly enjoyed (but it did take some getting used to at the start) - 7/10 Boku no Hero Academia - This series wasn't really anything special. It's a concept that has been done time and time again, regardless of anime. It's a very cliche set up, has cliche characters, and does feel like a rather generic Shonen... but that being said, is that really always a bad thing? I think this is one of those series, at least for me, where despite having basically seen something like this done before, it was well executed and fun to watch. The animation was pretty consistent, and quite good at times, and I really like the artistic approach in having it feel like a comic book. I like the pace they've been going at and the anime in general seems well directed. I can't say the music really did much at all for me, including the opening. I don't read the manga, so I was kinda hoping the end episodes would have maybe ended with an important character death to set a "darker" tone in the next season. Well, it was good for what it is, but I really don't think it deserves all the hype it's been getting. - 7/10 Bungou Stray Dogs - The concept of the show, or rather the basis for each character's abilities/names being modeled after famous authors is pretty cool, but I can't say I'm too invested in the concept as I only recognize just a few (though I checked the wiki at some point and recognized a plethora of the to be introduced characters). I am looking forward to the second season, but I have one major gripe with the show as it is... and that's the comedy. It was just far too prominent and I found it increasingly annoying as things progressed. It made little sense to me, and the gags were not funny 95% of the time. Otherwise, the series was pretty decent I suppose? I wish it ended on say Episode 11 rather than 12, it would have made far more sense than to end the season there imo... but whatever... otherwise, Atsushi's progression seemed a bit awkward. He's pretty much every Shonen protagonist ever, at least from what I've seen, but at least he developed and wasn't looking to be a bland character for the rest of the series. On this note, it does feel a little cheap that he was able to defeat Akutagawa on the basis that he was the main character, but I suppose with them presenting him as a character with such an extraordinary ability, it doesn't feel too forced. I suppose It was just partly disappointing how things turned out considering that Akutagawa was the main antagonist for the majority of the season. - 7/10 Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress - This was a pretty decent action anime this season, at least in terms of pure entertainment. The animation started out pretty stellar, but it seemed like they ran into budget issues or something halfway through, with some of the latter episodes relying on stills when there should have been animation. It was a real bummer for some of those pivotal moments, and I was pretty disappointed... The first couple episodes showed quite a bit of promise, but I didn't really care for it after Biba was introduced (but probably even before that with the Kabane colonies). Good music though, and I really enjoyed it this season, even if it's not really the best in terms of "plot" or if there's an awful lot of convenience. Decently satisfying conclusion. Kinda open-ended for Season 2 or not, but I'm guessing it'd be awhile. Only other gripe would be the characters really. Ikoma started out fairly interesting, and Mumei was the star of the show but she quickly became "useless" or treated like a side-character. - 7/10 Sakamoto desu ga? - While I still haven't seen the final episode (I think it airs tomorrow?) - I was really disappointed with this one, partly just because the comedy didn't really resonate with me, and what little did became old fast... very fast. Even for just 12 episodes, there's only so much you can do with this concept, and I don't think it holds up, nor do I really see the appeal in this. Maybe I have a crap sense of humor, but I only had a handful of laughs throughout the series, which isn't good... since that's well... the entire point of the show. - 5/10 Uchuu Patrol Luluco - Aside from Midori being played by Haruko's VA (from FLCL), and that being a nice treat to hear since it's been quite some time... I can't say I really liked this one too much. It's way over the top wacky "fun", with some pretty spotty humor (most of which wasn't funny to me), but the main problem being that it was a side project, and it felt like one. This is my first time watching "short" anime like this (each episode is about 5 minutes once you cut out opening/ending) - and I don't know if the craziness really helps it or not. I quite liked the art-style, but the animation did come across as really cheap, and I wasn't a fan most of the time. The only reason I did not drop this show was because it was so short. - 5/10 Bakuon - I'm still on the fence on whether I'm going to just outright drop this or finish it... but it feels like K-ON with bikes, and I didn't care for K-ON one bit... but I didn't make it very far in either series. I don't really see the appeal of these anime, but I guess it's not just my cup of tea. I've been trying to be open minded and try different things, so I've been trying more "slice of life" type anime. I was pleasantly surprised with Flying Witch, and extremely disappointed with this K-ON clone. - 3/10 (Episode 5) Konosuba OVA - The OVA didn't disappoint, although I'm not fond of them pulling a Wiz again when introducing Yun'Yun (though not nearly to the same extent). It's a bit more on the "ecchi" side, but I think the comedy works here quite well. It held up right with the rest of the series. It wasn't really any better, it wasn't any worse. Consistently funny. I think my problem with Konosuba in general is that with Season 2 starting in January... I think that some of the gags with Megumin and Darkness may become old, and Aqua may just be more of a bitch than I can handle. For now... I'm really looking forward to S2, and this OVA will have to do for now. 8/10 Detective Conan - I know the show doesn't have "seasons"... but I figured I'd include some thoughts here too... Pretty disappointing season for DC, partly because of the shear amount of anime originals, and them being unwarranted at this point in time considering we just had like 15 in a row. Episode 813 was a bit awkward, making DC feel like a cooking anime, but if you ever want to learn how to make Bourbon's delicious sandwiches... give er a go... Episode 814-815 was a pretty mediocre manga case, and the rest of the fillers were pretty mediocre. 820 had some potential, but it, like most other one parters felt too rushed to have a proper mystery, and the rest of the fillers, like 816, were either uninteresting or just flat out terrible. The Ran kidnapping AO wasn't too bad, but it was far from great. Luckily, 822-823 has been one of the best cases in the anime in quite some time. Good case, and great comedy. To recap... - One good manga case, one decent manga case, two decent anime originals, and the rest was trash. Next couple AOs don't have me interested either... Ratings have been particularly bad for the show lately, and I can kind of understand why (though the last couple episodes were great, and they had terrible ratings). - 7/10 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akazora 293 Report post Posted July 2, 2016 Spring 2016: Final Thoughts I'm not going to talk at great lengths about these shows, mostly because there are a lot to talk about and because I don't have much time to write up anything too lengthy. The shows are listed from favorite to least favorite, as always. Edit: Welp, because of the new layout, I accidentally created a chain of spoilers hidden within spoilers. Whoops. And now, again because of the new layout, I can't fix it. Oh well. 1. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu This was the biggest surprise of the season. Though I wasn’t a big fan of the second arc, the first arc was fantastic and this upcoming “War of the Five Queens” looks extremely promising. It’s not a show for everyone, but it’s been the one I’ve looked forward to the most this season. Its ending theme is fantastic and when the show calls for it the animation is great. 2. My Hero Academia There was a ton of hype surrounding this show before it aired because of the popular and well received manga, and to be honest I was a bit skeptical. Though the fight scenes were great and it was a fun watch, I wasn’t convinced of the hype until the last few episodes. It’s awesome a second season is already confirmed, and I’m looking forward to it. Also, the opening is kickass. 3. Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge The first episode of this show wasn’t very interesting, but after that it’s been a fun ride. The atmosphere and art reminds of Isshuukan Friends and the character driven slice of life cuteness reminds me of Acchi Kocchi. It’s a great pick-me-up anime to watch, especially if you’re in the mood for a pinch of romance without any drama. 4. Kiznaiver This is one of the most cinematic anime shows I’ve ever watched. The animation and art (especially during close-up eye shots) are fantastic from beginning to end, with no dips in quality. The story probably isn’t something most people will like, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that it receives more appreciation in the future. 5. Kuromukuro A-1 Picture’s first attempt at mecha is much like Robotics;Notes, as it has a very strong summertime feel and though it features mechas the main focus is more so slice of life and romance than it is giant fighting robots. Very few people are watching it because it was licensed by Netflix and the official subs will be released at the end of the next season, but it’s definitely worth a watch for those willing to sail the high seas. 6. Uchuu Patrol Luluco This show is so Trigger it hurts, almost. It wasn’t very interesting at first, but once the humor found its pace and it started referencing other Trigger shows it became thoroughly enjoyable. It pokes fun at itself and knows that it’s not supposed to be taken seriously. It’s more enjoyable if you’ve seen recent Trigger shows like Kill la Kill and Little Witch Academia and Inferno Cop, but it’s still fun even if you haven’t. 7. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (TV) 2nd Season This was a pretty fun anime. By the end of the second season not a ton of people were talking about it, but it’s been quite the ride. Despite the huge cast, it balanced the characters very well, and though the animation wasn’t anything to write home about, it was funny and charming when it needed to be. Also, the opening themes are catchy and the OST is all around solid. 8. Mayoiga While this show itself wasn’t very good, the discussion boards on reddit made it thoroughly enjoyable. It was a bit of a train wreck, or should I say bus wreck, and by the end it was a complete mess, but at the same time the cliffhangers managed to keep me hooked. Also, despite everything wrong with the writing, the group conversations were really well done. 9. Ushio to Tora (TV) 2nd Season This show ended just the way I expected it to end, but at the same time there were some things that made it stand out from other shows. Some parts were surprisingly tragic and it was certainly an interesting show to keep up with. While it’s not too special otherwise, it’s has a really nice old school feel to it and it’s a shame it’s underappreciated. 10. Joker Game Seasonal “dark” show that shows just because an anime is “dark” doesn’t make it automatically good. Then again, it doesn’t make it automatically bad either. This show was exceedingly average. The animation (in the very few moments that it was showcased) was solid and the character designs are clean, but the episodic nature of the show that never left you craving for more was its greatest weakness. 11. Bungou Stray Dogs This show reminds me a bit of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, or at least the interactions between the characters do. The character designs and occasional fight scenes are pretty good, much like Joker Game, but the plot is forgettable and the awkwardly inserted humor that ruins otherwise tense moments make for a bland watch. 12. Gyakuten Saiban: Sono "Shinjitsu", Igi Ari! Everything that needs to be said about this show has already been said in my previous post. My opinion hasn’t changed. Play the games. 13. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress How the mighty have fallen. It’s too bad, because I really had faith in this show. Unfortunately, shortly after the first few episodes, the art and animation quality dipped, the story stopped taking itself seriously, and it ended in one of the most predictable ways possible. Why Wit Studio wasted their time and money on this instead of SnK season 2, I have no idea. [no picture available because Kagewani is discreet as heck] 14. Kagewani: Shou The first season ended really promising, and unfortunately the second season did not take advantage of that potential. Though it was less episodic than the first season, the story took a bit of a nosedive. For whatever reason, it also left a small potential opening for a third season, but I doubt it’s going to happen. 15. Sakamoto desu ga? This anime is weird, to say the least. The manga was hyped up much like My Hero Academia was, but unlike that show this one’s anime was not nearly all that great. The humor is pretty bizarre and not at all that funny. The animation is cruddy and there’s only one song on the soundtrack list, from what I can recall. Not worth the watch. 16. Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou - The Last Song The fact that this show, which I thought was going to be the worst show of this season, is not at the bottom of my list but I found it to be no better than my original impression, is a pretty bad sign. The animation was still bad, except for the few seconds of sakuga, the characters were still unlikeable, and the plot wasn’t engaging in any form or another. 17. Flying Witch I haven’t watched a show so boring in a very long time. I enjoy myself a good slice of life every once in a while, but there’s a limit to how life-like a show can be. There is no plot, the characters are boring, it’s not funny, and it’s not cute. It’s just… life. Some people seem to like it, but I don’t have time to watch something that bores me to death. 18. Kuma Miko Oh geez, what even is this show. The last episode was so bad and such a slap in the face to the entire premise of the show, that the original mangaka criticized the anime. The original mangaka. You know you’ve really screwed up when something like that happens to you. In fact, the anime scriptwriter was so shamed he deleted this Twitter account. Yes, the anime was that bad. Don’t watch it. 19. Big Order (TV) Trash. -- The shows I'm interested in watching next season are, in alphabetical order: 91 Days Amanchu! Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 3rei!! Fudanshi Koukou Seikatsu Mob Psycho 100 Orange ReLIFE Rewrite Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara Tales of Zestiria the X 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Uchiha Shadow 44 Report post Posted July 4, 2016 As far as spring season is concerned, my favorites(not counting Boku No Hero or JoJo because I already read the manga for those) were Sakamoto Desu Ga? And Kiznaiver. I didn't enjoy Re:Zero that much, and I still think it's a bit overrated, but the last 2 episodes were really good so it's in the middle. The ones I was disappointed in were Joker Game, Stray Dogs, Kabaneri and Mayoiga. When it comes to summer season, so far I liked Orange's first episode, though I'll have to wait to make a judgement, ReLIFE was very enjoyable, Tales of Zestiria The X's first episode(or the prologue) looked so good visually, probably the best I've ever seen, but as far as the story goes, I'm not all that into it. Berserk is something I don't want to talk about. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heliotropic 139 Report post Posted July 7, 2016 Not really digging the new forums... I'm wondering if I didn't enjoy Space Patrol Luluco as much because I've never really seen any of TRIGGER's anime (except for Kiznaiver). Perhaps if I was able to catch some of the references, I might have enjoyed it more. Last season definitely had a lot of disappointments. Agree with you there on Joker Game, Bungo Stray Dogs, and Kabaneri, though Mayoiga didn't really so much disappoint me, since that would be too light of a term to describe my feelings Re:Zero has delivered a similar feeling of suspense as I got with Erased, so I've definitely enjoyed it, but my big worry I suppose is the conclusion and it not living up to a majority of the series. I also don't really know what the "main plot" is, so no clue where it's eventually going to go with all this. It's been a great watch so far, and Episode 13/14 were great, so that kinda cleared up my worries about the new arc. It'd be nice to see this series extend another season, and go say, 50 episodes if need be. I'd be pretty welcoming of that, and so far, it doesn't seem to really rush anything. Orange is looking good, I'm quite interested to see where it's heading. I'm kind of a sucker for those concepts, but dunno how I'll fair with the majority of the series since I'm not really big on Shoujo or Romance anime (Though like Rakugo, I think this'll be quite the exception). ReLIFE had me pretty mixed I guess, but for a SoL and all of the "development" that happened in such a short run, it was pretty decent. Fun to essentially see APTX4869 in another anime (assuming we're assuming it takes off 10 years, instead of shrinking you...) - Was a bit bummed that a majority of the side characters were in the spotlight in comparison to Arata, but glad they didn't neglect them either. Looking forward to a second season when/if it gets here. Even for CGI, Berserk's animation is pretty terrible. Can't say much about the story since I haven't read the manga, but I'll hope for the best and that it improves. It felt very awkward to watch, and there wasn't really anything noteworthy about it. Even going in with lowered expectations, and having no knowledge of the source material to compare it to, it's a pretty big disappointment.... it's also only the first episode so I don't really want to kick it to the curb just yet. Taboo Tattoo seems kinda generic... but if I had to say one positive about it, it's got some pretty nice animation/fight scenes. I've never understood the whole running with toast in your mouth to school trope either... Well, I'll keep up with this one for now and hope it delivers in some area. Not a fan of the stylistic changes, again, for the sake of comic relief. Lately I've felt that shows have been doing this far too often, and it just feels cheap, and hardly ever genuinely funny. Weird character names in this one too... Have 91 days (the one I'm most excited for this season), Qualidea Code, Mob Psycho 100, Neijimaki Seirei Senki, Regalia, and Shokugeki no Sama S2(if I ever start/finish Season 1) on my list for now. I think If I'm disappointed with the line-up this season, especially since my time has been pretty limited, I'm just going to work on my backlog. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
