Abunai Sisters
Short Synopsis: Our lead characters are a couple of “sexy spies”.
Chance of me Blogging: -50% (…)
Here’s an interesting one: I’ve actually been contacted by the company that produced this series, asking for me to review the first episode of this 3-minute 10-episoded OVA, animated by Production IG. While I’m excited to actually have been contacted by professional companies like this, it doesn’t stop me from being perfectly honest with this series: Abunai Sisters is bad. In fact, it’s the worst series I’ve seen in years; even Musashi Gun Doh features better writing than this thing. These three minutes were full of the most obvious sex jokes you can imagine. It’s nothing more than a bunch of air-headed celebrities (the Kano Sisters, in this case) who want to insert themselves into an animated adventure. Still, at least it’s got a bit of entertainment value: it really is one of these series that’s so bad so that it becomes somewhat strangely enjoyable again. Something tells me that the writers also had no intention whatsoever to take this series seriously, and they did everything they could to make the Kano Sisters look as stupid as possible.
Druaga no Tou – The Sword of Uruk
Short Synopsis: Our lead characters has been angsting about the ending of the first season for… six months?!
Chance of me Blogging: 30% (I didn’t blog the first season, but who knows with such a lacklustre season so far?)
Aaand yet another sequel. It’s a good thing that most of these sequels are from good shows, but the lack of new series really bugs me. In any case, I was a bit surprised that Jill has been doing nothing but angsting for six months after what happened at the ending of the first season, but it’s a pretty nice twist to see him suddenly hooked up to Fatina, who went through pretty much the same as him. The series also hasn’t lost its sense of humour, so there is a lot of potential for this series to be just as good, if not better than the first season. I’m just worried about one thing: please let Jill and Fatina be a real couple, and don’t turn this series into a sort of indecisive harem once Kaaya gets back.
Asu no Yoichi!
Short Synopsis: Our lead characters gets to live in a house with cute girls.
Chance of me Blogging: 0% (No)
AIC sure is lazy this season: first they try to rip off Gonzo, and now they continue to rip off every harem imaginable. This really is the wrong season to look for originality. In any case, the only thing I can be positive about is this series is the characters: they were likable enough for me not to get bored, and I guess that the main character who has lived in a forest for his entire life, getting accustomed to the modern world had a number of amusing moments, but the rest of the series was either mediocre or simply bad. The character-designs are unimaginative, what kind of pickpocket flees away upstairs, characters are stereotypes, and it’s never afraid to use the biggest clichés in the book. Still, the fanservice jokes were so incredibly bad that they became strangely amusing again, so it’s not entirely a dull series.
Pretty lackluster season. Six months of angsting, wow, is that a record or something? Glad I still got my Natsume Yujinchou to lean back on.
Druaga ended up on a great cliffhanger IMO. It sure frustrates some, but I think it’s just a really well balanced fantasy anime. And one of the best Gonzo efforts in the last few years.
As for the ‘sequels’, I would be hesitant to even call them that, because they’re mere continuations. Not too many genuine sequels accordingly by having totally new stories. Most of them were planned out to be long series anyway.
As for this season, I think the crop is still okay. Then again, I have waited a DECADE for a new Ippo season, Druaga, Natsume Yuujinchou, Minami-ke and there’s more new stuff that hasn’t been subbed yet.
You should check out 黒神 (kurokami) it’s been out for about a day or so. It’s pretty interesting… originally a korean manwa or whatever the hell it’s called when koreans do manga. 😛
Aegd: Was the first episode of Kurokami different from the version that was streamed previously? If not, then I already reviewed that one here: http://psgels.net/2008/12/29/some-quick-first-impressions-akikan-maria-holic-and-kurokami-the-animation/
Shippoyasha: that’s indeed the problem I have with this Winter Season: most of the series are simply continuations, but there’s hardly any new content, and the new series that are there are either premises taken from from other series/franchise, or just badly written.
@Aegd
Actually even if it’s written by a manhua writer it’s still manga as it has a Japanese publisher and published in a Japanese magazine
I wonder what they are smoking at Production I.G. recently. First, this bad joke called GITS 2.0 and now Abunai Sisters. It seems they’re really desperate to dethrone GONZO as the studio that ruins everything visually with half-assed CGI. At least since GITS SAC, Production I.G. has been known for their virtually flawless use of CGI combined with highly consistent traditional animation. Do they really think, people who enjoy anime are looking forward to a CGI mess as this?
I’m surprised no one has said anything about psgels being contacted by Abunai’s makers…
Props to you for not sucking up to them, I think it’s flattering they reached you, a sign that your blog is considered influential.
That makes me wonder if the same thing happens in other blogs, which I’ve found always praise the most poopular shows, dull & cliched as they may be.
How would you have reacted to them offering you money about it psgels?
I am interested in what psgels will do. ^^ Will you directly voice out your bad comments about the Abunai Sisters? If so, how does the makers react?
Psgels, it’s the same episode probably, I just missed your entry 😀
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about Abunai Sisters. I’m horrified that Production IG can make something that sucks so bad. They must have hired a monkey or something to spearhead that project. 😀
It’s unfair to accuse AIC of ripping off harem series, as they practically invented the genre. So they’ve had more time to run out of ideas (:
If they offered me money, I probably would have posted the same reaction. I’m writing this blog as a hobby, and I have no intention to involve money in it (after all, if I did then the site would already be stuffed with lots of ads). Although I’d love to be contacted like this with more series in the future.
That is impressive that you were contacted to review a series and I’m glad you gave them your honest opinion. At least Natsume Yuujin-Chou started with a good first episode, I’m very anxious for the rest of the seasons.
psgels, you can catch Kurokami on cable TV in Imaginasian. lol. It’s amazing how quickly they put it up in official telecast. They put the OP, ED and the works. I guess it’s a serviceable show. Strikes me as Mai Hime-ish in terms of Sunrise efforts of the past.
And yeah, continuations or not, I guess your point still stands. The thing is, though there’s still some quality sequels, there’s inevitably the bad ones. Slayers totally killed by Slayers-fanboy thrill since it was BOTCHED so badly, and Mighty Birdy will return with its worst-writing-ever.
I tend to agree with the vast majority of your reviews but I think Tower of Druaga deserves a lot more credit. I’d be a little disappointed if they scrapped the light humour.
Druaga and Natsume Yuujinchou are what I’m looking forward to the most as well as Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei (Season 3).
As for Production I.G., shame on them! They produced Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire, xxxHolic, FLCL, Ghost Hound, Library War, Blade of the Immortal etc. etc. How could they fall so far?
Something else I just found, Chrome Shelled Regious is now an anime! In fact, the first episode is subbed.