Ristorante Paradiso
Short Synopsis: Our lead character visits a restaurant managed by lots of bishies
Chance of me Blogging: 100% (Obviously, since I’m already blogging it)
This one was surprisingly relaxing, to be honest. while most people are probably going to avoid this one because of all the middle aged bishies, it feels like some cross between Bartender and Antique Bakery. While from the outside it looks like yet another josei series (okay, yet another… there hardly are any of them in the first place, but you get what I mean), this episode was strangely charming and I’m quite fond of the lead female character. I only have one big complaint, though: the overuse of CG. Even the most useless things that would have been much easier to just draw have been CG-ified, with some pretty bad results. Still, I really like what Fuji TV is trying to do right here, in creating yet another time-slot with interesting premises aside Noitamina. Especially after it was followed by Michiko e Hatchin. It’s going to become interesting if they can keep this up.
Higashi no Eden
Short Synopsis: Our lead character visits the white house and runs into a weirdo with amnesia.
Chance of me Blogging: 100% (Hell Yeah!!)
Okay, so what have we here? Out of all first episodes this season so far, Higashi no Eden has by far the best OP, the most imaginative setting, the most interesting characters, the best mystery, the best use of amnesia, the most natural dialogue, the best combination between quiet scenes in which nothing happens and eventful ones, the best Engrish (the best use of Engrish ever since Beck, actually) the biggest amount of weirdness and it has me more intrigued than any other show. Oh, I love how Production IG manages to come up with these premises that you’d never think of. Here I thought that Eden of the East would be some combination of Shangri-la, and any one of the long line of fantasy shows that this season has already so many of. Guess my surprise when it turns out to be a series about a naked terrorist with amnesia who befriends a twenty year old Japanese girl and goes to Japan with her. I’m really interested in this series, and what the heck the creators are planning to do in only eleven episodes.
Hatsukoi Limited
Short Synopsis: Our lead character gets confessed to by a huge streetpunk.
Chance of me Blogging: 0% (Interesting concept, but I already have enough plans for this season)
My first impression when the OP started rolling was “oh god… generic harem”. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this wasn’t a harem at all, but instead a show about a bunch of school girls experiencing their first loves. It’s going to be interesting to see the modern version of Sentimental Journey here, with each episode focusing on a different girl (don’t ask me what the show plans to be doing in its final episodes, though). I do have some complaints, though: the girls just look like carbon copies of each other. There’s nothing that really sets them apart from each other. While the girls in Sentimental Journey all had their own problems and lives, the girls of Hatsukoi feel more like carbon copies of the same moeblob.
Eden of the East apparently has a movie after its run, so its not just eleven episodes. Definitely one of the stars this season.
Well for what i’ve read (and seen) it has the characters designed by the mangaka Chika Umino who has really great art. Hope to see more.
Higashi no Eden is definitely the one I’ve been waiting for 🙂 though shangri-la and basquash isn’t so bad with their rich animation.
I’ve been waiting for Eden of the East. Glad to hear it delivers ^_^
As for Ristorante Paradiso, I thought it was a seinen, not a josei (that’s what I’ve been hearing, anyway).
Ristorante Paradiso is so friggin’ josei it friggin’ hurts.
Eden of the East used native English speakers.
One of these days the Honey & Clover boxset will find it’s way to your door, and it will be a good day.
Ristorante is absolutely seinen,altough it was full of men 🙂
Well its best to wait and see how East of Eden turns out, after all we’ve had some surprises this past season such as strong shows that did deliver but didn’t particularly try to peak much at its latter half or shows that appeared just adequate in delivery but really shone at its latter half (EG Casshern Sins and Michiko and Hatchin).
What impressed me the most about Higashi no Eden was the level of hype it managed to generate before it’s release… and it’s a completely original anime.
Also amazing to note is how it managed to unify the otaku population. I have friends who normally only watch moe shows like Da Capo and Shuffle, who are excited for Eden. I personally think that that might end up being Eden’s biggest sucess.
Yeah, Eden was really pretty interesting and exciting. idk if I’m going to be able to tolerate the English, but I agree that the dialogue between the main two characters was really fluid. I’m gunna have to disagree with you on the OP though. Prob the worst OP I’ve heard in a long long long long time.
If only Saki was as good a lead as Akira.
I find Eden of the Ease both funny and mysterious. Will the series favor romance or action? What do you think? Hehe. Saki and Akira fit perfectly together. Also, I think the English was properly done. The VAs were not Japanese according to the ED sequence.
Ristorante paradiso has to be a josei. I mean it’s a harem for females…come on now. Is this season so bad that you’re even blogging this one? It made me sick to my stomach. Where do you expect this show to go? I mean it has such little potential. The only thing going for it is that it’s not in Japan. If they wanted that they could have done a bunch of young monks…except they’ve already done that, although it was a male harem with a single pervert guy (Amaenaideyo). Sure they have the whole mother thing but that’s a marginal detail. Why this show???
kokutou: The reason I decided to blog Ristorante Paradiso is simple: because I can. Obviously you don’t want to be blogging this for the plot or anything, but I found this series’ atmosphere to be quite pleasant and I’m curious to see where it goes.
C’mon what the hate with Risotrante Paradiso here? It was serialised in seinen magazine ,so its genre is seinen (yes I know this seems absurd,but it was like how Clamp’s X shoul’ve been seinen instead of shojo in 1992 (it’s pretty gory back there))
And about the hate…it has no bad points to be hated (in my book,though).But it still hasn’t any outstanding points ,either.
@Senna , @mds
Wrong. Ristopara is not a seinen manga. Manga Erotic F, the magazine this was serialized in, is an alternative magazine that targets both genders, not a seinen magazine, and Ristopara in particular caters to their female audience.
Eden was certainly the best of this season for me so far. Excellent cinematic storytelling that dragged me in from the star and wouldn’t let go.
I’m not quite clear on why the female cop let him go, though…
Well, it’s never a good idea to skip sleep and watch Hatsukoi Limited. I didn’t even last ten minutes. The first five minutes are funny and all but it quickly disintegrated to retardation and quickly took my willingness to stay awake. Those five girls with irksome voices act like they are ten years old, or five. Good luck.
hmm I have no idea why you keep saying its a bad season.
I think its got quite a few shows which have potential; Eden of the East looks amazing, both Valkyria and Shangri La look very interesting (although that might just be because I’m a history buff and am into that kinda stuff) not to mention of course FMA and Spice.
All in all, shaping up to be a great season.
“carbon copies of the same moeblob”
So funny and so true (for so many series)
I think that the opening for Eden of The East does infact sound awesome. Suits the series very much xD.