Category: Series which were Dropped

Sword Art Online – 16

by psgels, posted in Sword Art Online

Before I start, I want to say the following: I’ve gotten tired of assholes right now. If you want to criticize the series, then be my guest. I’m doing that too. But from now on I reserve the right to delete any comment that insults people for liking or hating this series, and depending on my mood I’m going to ban the posters of those comments from this site. I want this site to be a place in which we can just peacefully discuss these anime. Not hate on each other for having different tastes.

Anyway, Sword Art Online: the new arc has really started now, and my suspense of disbelief is being tested like no other. I’ve got a background in computer science, and I just cannot believe some of the things that the programmers included here. Why on earth was half the game of Sword Art Online copied to that elf game? Who on earth bothered to transfer all that data. That doesn’t just happen by accident, you know? The most baffling thing is that Yui is suddenly back though. Not with her admin powers, but instead as a random program. She was supposed to be there for maintaining player’s mental health. She’s useless here because people can log out now. The image of what she’d be like in real life is just bizarre. Can you imagine being in a marathon-session of World of Warcraft with suddenly a cute little AI-programmed girl approaching you and comforting you?

The episode ended with that elf girl appearing, and Kirito kicking everyone’s ass now that his character still is the same. My impression of her is… “meh”, but that could be because we hardly got to see anything of her. This was all about Kirito getting the chance to impress another girl again by being at the right time at the right place again.

There is one good thing about this arc: it’s different. I like variety, but it’s a double edged sword. If you want to be different you of course need to also be good, otherwise this misses the whole point of variety. This arc furthermore has another big disadvantage: there is very little tension in the fights now that death has become a momentarily annoyance. The end of this episode for example: it made such a big deal of what? Losing a bit of experience?
Rating: 3.5/8 (Enjoyable)

Hunter X Hunter – 52

by psgels, posted in Hunter X Hunter

The second half of this episode had a fight that I have been looking forward to for so long now. It’s another one of the stand-out moments in which this series really sets itself apart from other shounen series.

I mean, up till now, Chrollo has been a very mysterious main villain: he’s the head of the spider, but we never actually saw him fight someone aside from the previous episode, which wasn’t even a fight anyway. So here this episode comes and immediately throws the two single most powerful characters in the entire series at him. No tricks, no padding. They’re just there, and they immediately do their job right. It’s a level of professionalism that you hardly ever see in shounen series.

Kurapika is skillfully kept out of the spotlights due to his job of looking over Neon, and instead, even though there are still many side-villains left alive, the creators show the fight between the three most powerful characters in the series (I doubt that even Hisoka would win from Chrollo).

The one scene outside of this that also really made an impact was where Gon and Killua called Kurapika with their information. THAT was actually very important. It may seem like they were meddling, but after seeing Kurapika in control for so many episodes now, this episode is where he’s left at the mercy of others, plus, he actually gets offered help.
Rating: 5.5/8 (Excellent)

K – 03

by psgels, posted in K

K has a lot of characters. I like that, and in fact I’m a big fan of those kinds of series. They are however, a double edged sword: try getting some good development out of all of them, especially with only 13 episodes. The trick will be balancing the development for all of them: focus on a bunch of them and flesh them out really well, and give the guys who aren’t in the foreground presence, rather than making them into characters for the sake of having more characters.

K is trying to achieve that balance, definitely. There are a few key characters here in this story: Suoh and Reishi with his powers on one side and Kurou and Yashiro on the other side. Suoh and Reishi are fleshed out by all the people around them, their subordinates et cetera, while Kurou and Yashiro are fleshed out through their own actions and their chemistry.

Beyond that we have the side characters, most of them are pretty one-dimensional at this point. Think of the cat girl who is always cheerful, or the punk who is always snarky and stuff. For these guys it’s going to be impossible to make all of them three-dimensional, so the trick will be to give all of them presence and make all of them different, and still create impact with all of them. Ideally, at the end of this series I want to have one stand-out moment for all of them. Episode 1 already had that moment for the skating punk guy with its animation. This episode instead made Shirou stand out. I quite liked the climax of this series. Instead of ending with a cliff-hanger or a tense battle, they just end with a silly joke that shows more about his character. Very nice.
Rating: 5/8 (Great)

Uchuu Kyoudai – 28

by psgels, posted in Uchuu Kyoudai

Damn you, Space Brothers! It’s finally time for Hibito to go up to space, and you stretch for time again using a flashback episode. Remember when last week Mutta gave Hibito a tape to deliver to the lunar base? Well, this episode tells the story about that.

I think that this was an episode in which the major flaw of this series stood out a lot: the way in which it takes ages to go somewhere. Usually I don’t mind this because it’s being completely awesome in the process, but this is an episode that I feel like it could have been done in half an episode for the stuff it had to add. We’ve already seen plenty about Mutta and Hibito as kids, and compared to the other flashbacks, this one didn’t deserve an entire episode dedicated to it.

The delightful character interactions that this show usually has suffered a bit from it. It’s great to see a bit more of Hibito’s flawed side, but their chemistry just wasn’t as enjoyable because it focused too much on the bullying.

So yes, as an episode, this left some things to be desired. As build-up though, I can definitely see where the creators are coming from. From the outside this was about explaining what that video was about, but when you go deeper, then this episode was there to relate the past and present together, using some of the themes early on in the series, like the birthdays of the two brothers. The ufo in particular has been absent for quite a bit in the first half of the series, so it’s definitely weird to see so much focus on it now.
Rating: 4.5/8 (Good)

K – 02

by psgels, posted in K

… as for the reason why I picked this series over Code Breaker… ehehehe. It was to avoid a certain… problem. Allow me to elaborate:
– Sword Art Online: 25 episodes. Will end next December.
– Kamisama Hajimemashita: 7 DVDs, so will probably have 13 episodes.
– Hunter X Hunter: with the ratings it’s getting there is no way that Madhouse will cancel it after the Yorkshin arc
– Space Brothers: everything looks like this will be 50 episodes long.
– From the New World: 25 episodes.
– Zetsuen no Tempest: episode count not yet known, but there is no way Bones will make this just one season long.
– Magi: is on the prime time slot. There’s no way that this will be 1 cour.
– Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: 8 DVDs, so longer than 1 cour.
– Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo: 8 DVDs, so longer than 1 cour.
– Psycho Pass: 22 episodes.
– Robotics;Notes: 22 episodes.
– K: 13 episodes.

Are you starting to see the problem here? I mean, it’s awesome to have all these long series and all, but I’m going to have a huge problem in about three months from now. Especially considering that Chihayafuru’s second season will debut next season. If I ended up swapping SAO with Little Busters, then without K I would be unable to blog any new show for the upcoming winter season! Especially considering how many of them are set to deliver in their second halves! And even without this: the people saying that this season is too big: prepare youselves, because unless the upcoming winter is completely terrible, it will be completely crazy with all the continuing shows!

So, K. Granted, it lacks a bit of depth to some of the other shows this season, but it is the series with the best animation of the series, and it’s just very fun to watch. Compared to the other show with amazing graphics this season, Shin Sekai Yori, the animation may be less varied, but it’s also more consistently gorgeous. Shin Sekai Yori has parts that look just simple. In this show, every scene looks great. Gohands are a studio that tend to abuse CG lighting a bit too much, but it’s great to see how much movement the creators managed to put into this series considering that it’s just a TV-series. Also, when characters move in this series, they move with their entire bodies, rather than just turning or looking up in simple ways.

This episode had much fewer characters than the first episode, but the cat and mouse game (pun half intended) between the sword guy and the white-haired guy and the cat who suddenly turned into a naked girl was a lot of fun to watch. That kind of snarkiness is by the way something that Jormungand can learn a lot from: The characters are having fun, and there are definitely a few snarkers here, but there is much more to their charcters than that and there are many characters who are completely different. The question for this show will be: will this just remain a fun show to watch, or will there be more?

Most of the details in this show go to its settings. I mostly mean with how well it’s drawn and animated. The moving backgrounds of last episode were a treat, but also the detail it puts in the houses and building. This episode also animated some delicious looking food; I especially like that scene of the spring onions being cut. That looks so hard to do right.

Also, props to the music department! This episode also showed some insert songs, which I tend to appreciate provided that they’re not used for crappy montage scenes. I mean really: Psycho Pass, From the New World, Jojo, Zetsuen no Tempest, K: all shows with awesome soundtracks this season. Talk about a treat!
Rating: 5/8 (Great)

Magi – 02

by psgels, posted in Magi

As for the series I’m not going to blog:
– I still remain that I can’t blog Gintama. Even though I find it really hilarious again, I don’t think I can write about it every single week.
– Btooom had the bad luck to air this season, right next to Psycho Pass and Jojo’s Bizarre adventure it just feels inferior. I however like it and will keep watching, especially with how well they handled the female lead in the second episode.
– Sukitte Ii Na Yo: finally a show that’s about an actual relationship again, plus bonus points of having side characters who are also in a relationship. Still, it’s pretty much smut and not going to be interesting to write about every week.

As for Magi… I try to hide this sometimes, but really: I’m just a sucker for a good adventure hsow. This show can be quite silly at times, but it’s great to see an adventure show based on the tales from 1001 nights. It’s a great setting and we hardly ever see any series with Arabia as a background.

And yeah, that pretty much means that I’ll be blogging four shows of A-1 Pictures at the same time. They just completely dominate this season, and even though their best shows are From the New World and Space Brothers, there still is a lot to like in Magi. This episode had some neat graphics and a lot of interesting animation. Again, they’re not as god as with From the New World and they lack the freedom of that show, but this show instead has consistency behind it. Being the series on the Prime Time slot for anime, this is to be expected to remain consistent.

It’s also great to see that the silliness was a lot more enjoyable to watch in this episode. The bad boob jokes are gone and it actually contributed to making this a fun and whimsical series, with the highlight being Ali Baba fooling everyone about the ancient inscriptions he read out loud. The stereotypically evil slave drivers can be a bit better characterized though. I especially wonder how that big guy can still walk around after being repeatedly stabbed in the chest so much.
Rating: 4.5/8 (Good)

Sword Art Online – 15

by psgels, posted in Sword Art Online

What the hell kind of episode was that?! No. Just, no. I’m beginning to fear that this series is heading in a very unpleasant direction here…

First of all: why the sister? Yeah, I know that she’s not a sister and actually a cousin and all, but that makes it even worse: it’s the same kind of twist you see pulled in all of those other bloody incest shows in order to pretend that it’s supposedly “okay”. I mean dear god: anime creators: most siblings out there can get along with each other just fine without any romance, you know? Why does every show with a brother and sister have to have romance between them!?

Second of all, you actually did it. I so kept hoping for the creators not to do it after all that sappy build-up but instead of killing off Asuna, she was just put on a bus. Completely changed from a strong female character to a plot device to get Kirito back playing the game, and she seems to be reduced to a trophy that he needs to save. So much for feminism there.

What’s even worse though was that completely unpleasant and nonsensical marriage subplot that was thrown in. I mean holy crap, what kind of sense does that make? Why won’t Kirito try to contact the police on that matter? I know that technically it can make sense, but it’s a completely disrespectful twist on Asuna’s part. Not to mention, how the OP treats her, shoving some kind of weird elf in her place.
Rating: 3/8 (Enjoyable)

Hunter X Hunter – 51

by psgels, posted in Hunter X Hunter

During the Hunter Exam arc, I really kept wondering: how on earth would they be able to do this part well!? Well, this is how. They actually managed to make this into a stunning episode in their own style. They took the lack of subtlety in the Hunter Exam Arc, and completely turned it around! That was awesome!

I remember saying that this version of Hunter X Hunter had a few voice actors who can only do one voice and try too hard with that. Boss was one of them. In this episode however, he wasn’t trying too hard. The part in which he kidnapped Neon was amazingly well delivered. The use of music also was just perfect. This is also the first episode in which I felt that knowing what will happen later on actually added to it: I know what’s coming up, and with that prediction that Neon made made even more impact than what it did when I saw it the first time, and had no clue on its meaning.

The music also was great: whereas it was badly used in the Hunter Exam arc, it worked so wonderfully in this episode. I also really like that they simply bypassed the ED and continued with the soundtrack as if it was nothing: they realized that that ED soundtrack just would not fit in at all, and they were actually allowed to just skip it. That is some great news.

Also, this is a major Level E spoiler, but I have to share this. While I was looking up Neon’s name on Myanimelist, something caught my attention. My mind is currently blown, and to think that I missed it!
Rating: 6/8 (Awesome)

Uchuu Kyoudai – 27

by psgels, posted in Uchuu Kyoudai

So… after last week’s big climax… we get here an anti-climax. Mutta never really made a foolout of himself, and instead this series goes on to introduce a very important question: are the astronauts prepared to die? The annoying thing is that it’s still impossible to figure out what Azuma is thinking, and this episode then proceeded to skillfully ignore the entire third exam in favor of building up for Hibito’s take off.

So with the build-up, this wasn’t one of the standout episodes of Space Brothers, but still had plenty of great moments, most notably Mutta asking Hibito to take the disc he made as a kid with him, which contained the footage he shot of that UFO (the first time since the first episode that that thing has been mentioned by the way). Also, Apo turned out to be an interesting way to get Mutta and Serika closer together again.

Also, this episode showed the new OP and ED for this season. The first quarter of this series had an awesome OP and an unremarkable ED, the second quarter had an unremarkable OP and a wonderful ED instead. Here, they’re both really good. Not as good as the best ones, but it’s still great to watch them, and they’re based on great ideas.
Rating: 5/8 (Great)

Hunter X Hunter – 50

by psgels, posted in Hunter X Hunter

This episode was another one that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time now: the episode about Nobunaga, and the point where Gon and Killua really manage to stand out. This really was their big moment in the Yorkshin arc, and after so much bloody build-up, it was worth it: the creators also got Nobunaga right!

I’m more and more reminded again of why the Spider Troupe is my favorite evil organization in a shounen series ever. They’re just so diverse, and yet they work incredibly well as a team. And they’re also very professional. They don’t just depend on their powers, but also on their experience, knowledge and each other. The only reason why Gon and Killua managed to escape at the end of this episode was because they weren’t guarded by the troupe itself, but rather by one guy who got ideas out of his own. It’s the same way in which Gon was able to steal Hisoka’s tag: if any other member was with him, that plan would have never worked.

Also, this episode gave depth to a dead guy. Uvogin’s best friend was Nobunaga, and this episode handled Nobunaga’s sentiments really well, and I like how well he explained who Uvogin was to him.

On top of that, in this episode we saw some more of my favorite character of the Spider Troupe, and things really are looking awesome here. I’m not going to say who it is for spoilers’ sake though.
Rating: 5.5/8 (Excellent)