Category: Other:

Fall 2020 First Impressions: Higurashi, Assault Lily: Bouquet, Haikyuu!! To The Top S2

by SuperWooper, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Short Synopsis: Bunch of completely sane kids hang together while playing perfectly non-threatening games, non-threateningly.

Armitage’s review:

As someone who’s a fan of the OG Higurashi and who wasn’t a fan of what I saw from PVs of this latest iteration, I went into this remake with more caution than excitement. And well, I came out of it feeling that way too. Look, if this is your first exposure to this series, I can totally see you like the first episode and even really enjoy it. But while comparing it with the beloved original, this just feels like a watered down rehash instead of a ground-up remake. The art style is bland as can be, making the show look like every other generic rom-com out there; the color scheme is almost sickeningly sweet and vibrant, especially for a horror show; and the VAs sound nothing like the personalities of each character. Higurashi is a show that lives and dies on its meat cleaver. And if the opening shot leaves you feeling… nothing, please DO NOT watch this adaptation. Go see the original. The animation is dated and takes a little getting used to. But that in turn, amplifies the creep factor of the series. Just watch that premiere and see how much better it is in comparison. The only positive and the one reason that I would give this remake a few more episodes before deciding to drop it is the production staff’s choice to bring back the original’s OP. And I hope against my better judgement, that the coming episodes are able to bring back some of its charm too.

Potential: 30%

Lenlo’s review:

As someone who has not seen the OG Higurashi and this is their first exposure to it… I don’t get the hype. Despite what Armitage said I think its looks are its strongest part, but that isn’t saying much. It’s very bright, yes, but the lines are clean and though some of the girls redesigns look like knock-off Monogatari Girls with that silly ‘3’ mouth thing, I think it largely looks fine. And looking at images/clips of the original, I can’t say that looked very good either. Neither the old nor the new series have very strong production but at least the old has the excuse of being 15 years old. Meanwhile story wise I am… slightly engaged? I’ll be honest and say that horror anime have never really grabbed me. As a medium, anime just doesn’t do horror well in my experience, not this sort of horror anyways. Some manga such as Junji Ito’s work can pull it off, and more psychological pieces like Perfect Blue/Lain/Mononoke can pull it off. But so far Higurashi doesn’t seem to nail that. Maybe it will turn into a sort of Children of the Corn, in which case I’ll be down. But at this point I am pretty desensitized to anime characters murdering anime characters.

Potential: 30%

Assault Lily: Bouquet

Short Synopsis: Teenage girls attend magic school and fight robots using transforming weapons and yuri (sub)text.

Lenlo’s review:

Alright, so you remember all the previous highschool magical girl schlock we have gotten this year like Lapis Re:Lights and such? Well this may sound hypocritical, but Assault Lily ain’t any of those. I can’t tell if it’s because Shaft is making it or the FLCL director is… directing it, but something about this just works. Visually the show looks good, the characters are very emotive and even 1 episode in it feels like a lot of work has been put into how they move. Meanwhile the CGI fight scenes are actually uh… good, somehow. Some were obviously CGI, but flowed really well, while others were framed in such a way I could barely tell there was CGI involved. It’s good shit yo! And to top it all off it feels like there is something deeper and darker underneath, something akin to the last Mahou Shoujo Shaft made, Madoka Magica. Tack on a KyoAni animation director in Nagahara and it’s a recipe for some good production. So yeah Assault Lily has a lot of good things going for it and I am looking forward to it this season for all the previously mentioned reasons. Or the thigh-highs. It could also just be the thigh-highs.

Potential: 70%

Wooper’s review:

Assault Lily: Bouquet reminds me less of Madoka Magica, which I’m sure it would love to be compared to, and more of Houkago no Pleiades, Gainax’s final TV anime. Sure, they’re both magical girl shows, but their status as death knells for their respective studios is the more interesting parallel. Shaft may have another project in the works for 2021, but the lack of creativity behind Bouquet says all you need to know about the studio’s future. It opens with a solid three minutes of narration explaining the setting and the main girl’s place within it, and new girls feed her factoids about more important characters by way of conversation. The character art seems to have been ripped from a D-tier gacha game. The animation is stilted during conversation, and CG models dutifully take the place of traditional drawings during all the interesting cuts. The script makes no attempts to hide its by-the-numbers construction; mere seconds after the major character relationships have been established, a plain-looking upperclassman materializes and instructs the main trio to hunt down the enemy of the week. This thing is amateurishly written and plainly produced, not to mention insulting in its yuri-baiting (“I’m not really a loose woman!” swears a redheaded girl, by way of apologizing for hugging her new crush). If this is the level at which Shaft will be operating going forward, then the studio is dead.

Potential: 5%

Haikyuu!! To The Top S2

Short Synopsis: Sweaty high-school boys fondle some balls on a national level.

Lenlo’s review:

Let me preface this by saying, I am a Haikyuu stan. I have read and own the entire manga series along with all the BD’s. I think the first 3 seasons are incredible, and I love me some volleyball bois. So it comes from a place of love when I say that something just feels… off about To The Top S2. Something about its production just feels flat visually. I can’t tell if it’s the colors, the occasional stiffness in the animation or the direction but it feels like Haikyuu is only 70-80% there. Like the last cour of To The Top, outside of the BIG MOMENTS it just feels off. Don’t get me wrong, I love the BIG MOMENTS, I love how malleable Hinata’s character model gets on his jumps and how expressive they can be. It’s just not happening often enough for me. Regardless, the first cour picked it up in the 2nd half and I am expecting the same here. I know the story is good, the manga is proof of that. The only thing in question is if they can nail the production and I am willing to bet they can.

Potential: 75%

Armitage’s review:

I need this show right now. 2020 has been a shitty year with every second anime being marred with production difficulties and delays in air schedule. The current Fall season is the last straw of hope our rapidly expanding community seems to be holding on to in this terrible year. And Haikyuu is the closest you can get to a guarantee in quality. It’s consistent as any multi-season series can be and for fans of the show, myself included, it’s simply comfort food. Which is something we all can do with a generous helping of.

Though, compared to its previous three iterations, To the Top has been… uneven. While the art style change has taken some getting used to and the animation’s budget cuts have been rather apparent, narratively it’s still been strong. It seems like we’re building towards some big narrative payoffs and this series has earned its reputation by delivering a sizable amount of those; episode in, episode out. There is still clear room for improvement here. And it seems like this second cour will be spread across one single match which is a format that lends itself to many such moments of catharsis. Pair all that with a revamped soundtrack and a killer new OP (those high notes!) and you have the perfect recipe for a sumptuous meal. And I would like mine jumbo-sized!

Potential: 85%

Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul (2020) Movie Review – 90/100

by HelghastKillzone, posted in Anime Reviews, Made in Abyss

Originally, I was intending to go to the North American premiere back in April but a certain human malware decided to crash the entire world economy and postpone showings until the fall. Now, with Sentai Filmworks following Disney Plus’s model of limited-timed streaming rentals and Blu-rays being made available, the sequel to 2017’s Made in Abyss is now widely available for viewing. For those who patiently waited for three years to see the sequel, Dawn of Deep Soul is everything that both manga and anime fans have wanted to experience.

Continue reading “Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul (2020) Movie Review – 90/100” →

Fugou Keiji Anime Review – 72/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Mystery/Suspense, Fugou Keiji: Balance: UNLIMITED, Reviews by Lenlo

Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. There are a number of rather famous characters that fit this description, from Bruce Wayne to Tony Stark. And it was only a matter of time before anime came back with one of its own in Daisuke Kambe, of Fugou Keiji: Balance: UNLIMITED. Adapted by Studio Cloverworks from a novel series of the same name, originally written by Yasutaka Tsutsui and directed by Tomohiko Itou of Silver Spoon and ERASED fame, Fugou Keiji is a lot of things. It is both a comedy and a mystery. A tale of murder and revenge, of heroics and villainy, and perhaps most importantly: of family. And while there is no shortage of missteps along the way I can say one thing with certainty: Fugou Keiji is a fun show oozing in style and I cannot wait to talk about it with you. So lets jump right in!

(Disclaimer: I am working to make 50 the new “average”. 70 is not an average score people. 70 is above average. Carry on.) Continue reading “Fugou Keiji Anime Review – 72/100” →

Gunslinger Girl Anime Review – 57/100 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Mystery/Suspense, Gunslinger Girl, Reviews by Lenlo, Throwback Thursday

I really wanted to like Gunslinger Girl. Made by MADHOUSE, Directed by Morio Asaka of Chihayafuru and Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card fame, Gunslinger Girl has a simple but compelling premise: child soldiers. Little girls trained and conditioned to become assassins for the Italian government, forced to do their nations dirty work. Whether that be protection, espionage or outright murder, Gunslinger Girl takes something reprehensible and shoves it right into your face so you can’t ignore. And then it dives into how the girls themselves feel about their position, whether or not its so different from things we do right here in the real world. So with such a premise, and such a strong production team, what’s not to like? Well strap in my friend, because I have a few thousand words prepared just for you. And be warned, this review will contain minor spoilers for Gunslinger Girl.

(Disclaimer: I am working to make 50 the new “average”. 70 is not an average score people. 70 is above average. Carry on.) Continue reading “Gunslinger Girl Anime Review – 57/100 – Throwback Thursday” →

Fall 2020 Season Preview

by SuperWooper, posted in Seasonal Previews

Wooper: The arrival of this particular fall season is significant less for the cartoons it’s bringing to our screens, and more as a prelude to the end of this ruinous year. Even for creatures as cloistered as anime fans, pandemics, hurricanes and wildfires easily outrank the new crop of fall series in our general consciousness. Star Crossed hasn’t missed a season preview in years, however, and we’re not about to break our streak now. The all-star sequels like Attack on Titan, Beastars, and Re:Zero S2.5 might not be airing until 2021, but there are still a few shows to look forward to this September. (EDIT: Attack on Titan S4 is now set to premiere on December 7th of this year.) Among them are a nicely-staffed Shounen Jump adaptation, a reboot of an iconic horror anime from the 2000s, and another season of Volleyball Boys, which is always a good thing. You’ll also want to prepare yourself for the appearance of anime’s godliest MC when he returns to television early next month. I’m sure most of you have heard his gospel by now, but if you don’t know which stone-faced power fantasy protag I’m referring to, you’ll have to read on to find out!

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What will you be watching this fall?
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MIDDLING EXPECTATIONS

Taiso Samurai

Studio: MAPPA
Director: Hisatoshi Shimizu
Series composition: Shigeru Murakoshi
Source: Original

Wooper: There’s not a lot of info available about this original gymnastics series, but as our resident sports anime guy, it’s high on my list of things to check out this fall. The synopsis actually makes it sound like MAPPA’s attempt to recreate Yuri on Ice, with a fateful encounter changing the course of a flagging athlete’s career. What makes Taiso Samurai stand out is its setting – the story takes place in 2002, and is set to depict a low point in Japanese gymnastics (presumably making the main character’s turnaround that much more impressive). The other reason I’m interested is the horizontal bar animation on display in the PV. It’s obviously rotoscoped, but that doesn’t disqualify it from looking awesome, much like Hanebado did a couple years back. Of course, Hanebado’s mess of a main character wrecked its chances at a gold medal finish, but Taiso Samurai might fare better with the writer of checks notes Zombie Land Saga on board? Ehh, we’ll see how this one shakes out.

Continue reading “Fall 2020 Season Preview” →

Summer 2020 Summary: Week 8

by SuperMario, posted in Weekly Summary

Mario: Hello everyone, this week I decided to drop Appare Ranman. It did have what I consider its best episode (episode 7) a few weeks back, but I feel no desire to watch any more of the race so I figure it’s best to leave the show on the high note. Wooper is not joining us today, and that means that this week’s content will be mostly overlooked classic stuff – but to my delight they – the classic ones – all deliver (Well, Japan Sinks still sinks deeply). Let’s break it all down:

Japan Sinks – 07

Mario: It’s another uneven episode of Japan Sinks. It raises some interesting issues, naming how the Japanese authority deals with the situation. Saving people based on their national ID in the manner of lottery calls is intriguing, and Japan Sinks isn’t shy about showing the mixed effects of that implication to the citizens. But then along the way we get an unconvincing story of Ayumu refusing to board that ship (hey, her leg’s wound!! Anyone?), of Onodera again using his Morse code to save the day (but his backstory is never quite clear – was he a hostage back in Shan city? Does anyone in that city know about him being Onodera?). Everything happens with the extremist group and the ship of the old man just happens too quickly like a fever dream. And like a fever dream, we’re there to experience and not trying to look any deeper because the whole thing can (literally) fall apart just as quickly.

Aoi Hana – 06/07

Mario: It’s the conclusion of the play and the episode consists of Sugimoto introducing Fumi to her family. It might be two very different episodes, but group it together as we, the viewers, can see another soft and spoiled side of Sugimoto, in which once again the show does it magnificently. When the sisters and mother of Sugimoto enter that room, it strikes me hard that Aoi Hana is at heart a love story about girls/ women written by a woman with an almost-entirely female cast. And within these few scenes all the personalities of the sisters and Mom are clearly defined. It might be extreme but for me you can’t find a more authentic feminine voice than this.

And how Aoi Hana focuses on Sugimoto’s immature, vulnerable side in these two episodes is masterclass. First we see her perfect, carefree facade breaking down when the teacher (her previous crush) compliments her for the play. And then on the next date where she brings Fumi to her home to announce their relationship to her family. That’s a bold (and encouraging) move, but her sisters throw her off immediately. That might be harsh from the sisters, but then again they know how to tick her little sister off and just makes Sugimoto realize how childish she is. There’s a lot going on here. Sugimoto brings Fumi home to announce their relationship and ends up breaking up with her – but in Aoi Hana fashion everything proceeds quietly and soberly. 

And I just love the motifs of Aoi Hana’s characters stroking their (or other’s) hair. It feels as if they express their inner feelings through those gestures. 

Continue reading “Summer 2020 Summary: Week 8” →

Summer 2020 Summary – Week 6-7

by SuperMario, posted in Weekly Summary

Houkago Teibou Nisshi – 07

Wooper: This episode was a reaction face gold mine. As Hina gets more comfortable around her new friends in the Breakwater Club, she’s less cautious about letting her feelings show on her features, which means her hero worship of Oono and disdain for Natsumi have become obvious to everyone. This week’s stories shone a different light on each of those characters, however, poking a hammer-shaped hole in Oono’s athletic image, and revealing the booksmart side of Natsumi’s personality. Though there was nothing visually noteworthy about Hina visiting her friend’s house to study, it was still my favorite of the two halves because of how it treated their friendship. The reveal that Hina had never visited a friend’s house before was thankfully a casual one, but I’m sure she appreciated the chance, and Natsumi’s pre-midterm helpfulness and interest in her friend’s handicraft hobby were really kind. Now that we’ve seen this side of both girls, I’d like to see a softening of their teasing dynamic during club meetings and fishing outings – though I’m sure the relationship will work either way going forward.

Japan Sinks – 06

Mario: This episode wraps up the Shan city arc and ho boy, it’s not great. I see a lot of lost opportunity here in this arc, and I question the roles of many characters here as well. Take Daniel, for example. His placement in this arc feels really odd for me. Is he supposed to be an outsider (his nationality) to signal the Mutoh family about how he has no place to return to? Then why does he fit the living style in Shan city like a glove? And then the cult leader. Are we supposed to take her superpower seriously? What is the meaning behind exploring the cult’s strange activities and worships and then proceed to end it with an earthquake? And then the poor boy who just says that one line before the huge rock falls over his head. I don’t know if we are supposed to feel shock, but there was good comedic timing right there.

Continue reading “Summer 2020 Summary – Week 6-7” →

Fog Hill of Five Elements – Animation Appreciation

by Lenlo, posted in Random Anime Recommendations, Special Articles

Hello everyone and welcome to a rather weird post about a Chinese series you probably haven’t heard of, Fog Hill of Five Elements. Now odds are you have no idea what I am talking about, and I don’t blame you. Not only are subs for this notoriously hard to find, but the ones you do find probably aren’t that good. A Graphic Design Service Subscription does not suffice in finding them. Part of that is just the difficulty of finding Chinese translators, since the Japanese translation scene is well established at this point, but another part is that no one really knows this show exists. And let me tell you, if for no other reason than the animation, the goal of this post is to change that. So lets dive in.

First up, a little about Fog Hill. As far as I can figure, Fog Hill was originally created by Hun Lin in this little 5 minute YouTube video here. Whether he made the whole thing, VA and music and all from scratch himself I have no idea. I don’t even know if Samsara Studio, the animation house behind Fog Hill, is his studio or just one he is working with. Since this is their first project and all the information is in Chinese, as an ignorant American I just don’t know. But what I do know is that 3 years later, in 2020, Fog Hill got a full 8 episode ONA season that is currently being released right now. Directed, Scripted, and Coordinated by Hun Lin, this is clearly a passion project. And even if I can’t understand the words, I can understand hype. And this? This animation is hype.

Continue reading “Fog Hill of Five Elements – Animation Appreciation” →

State of the Season – Summer 2020

by SuperWooper, posted in State of the Season

Armitage: With the entire world slowly returning to order after being kicked in the shin and knocked around in 19 ways, it’s only fitting that we check-in to see that everyone is getting back to their normal lives. Now, since this is an anime blog, our normal is basically watching a crap-ton of anime every season! And even though this summer we got far fewer shows than ever, the dark horses delivered, the sleepers packed a punch and the heavy hitter(s) really knocked the living hell out of a recently married high-school girl wielding a wooden sword. cough cough

But of course, since we’re all different people, we’re bound to have different tastes! Did we too like that one show you feel guilty about watching every week or are most of us not fans of your favorite anime this season?

Read on to find out!

What show are you enjoying that you’re not reviewing?

Wooper: Though I give Houkago Teibou Nisshi shoutouts in our weekly summary posts, it isn’t getting the full blogging treatment, so it gets my vote. If you like cute girls, fishing, relaxing ambiance, or reaction faces, this show may be for you. If you like at least three of those four, this show is definitely for you. It’s one of the better high school club shows I’ve seen recently, and though it won’t go down as many viewers’ favorite anime of the year, it’ll make your Tuesdays a bit happier each week.

Amun: I’d normally say Re:Zero, but since it’s a given that most anime fans are watching that this season – Misfit of Demon King School. It’s so bad. It’s so bad that I’m not even sure I have the name right. But if you enjoyed the sage of technological One True Tatsuya a few seasons back – this kind of (over) power fantasy is right up your alley.

Lenlo: Fujiko Mine, Deca-Dence and Great Pretender.

Armitage: Re:Zero is back and great as ever! So, obviously I have to watch it because you can never have too much death and suffering in life. I am also watching God of Highschool week in, week out. It’s amazing how relaxing this show is for me. I just have to turn off my brain and just like that, half an hour has passed. Take that, lockdowns.

Mario: Deca-Dence and Great Pretender. Since we’re going to talk in detail about the former at the end of this post, I want to give a special mention to Great Pretender. It’s a show that if you think too deeply about some plot twist or plot development then all the pieces can fall apart (like the explosion that kills no one in the first case, yeah!), but its main appeal lies in how entertaining it is. From the fun and smart stories to the bouncing off between the cast to the drop dead gorgeous visual designs, it knows and embodies the “cool” factor. It also gives our cast some outstanding character development; Cynthia’s fierce bids in that auction wouldn’t be that rewarding without knowing her backstory and how she became who she is now. In other words, Great Pretender is cool as fuck.

Continue reading “State of the Season – Summer 2020” →

Summer 2020 Summary: Week 5

by SuperMario, posted in Weekly Summary

Mario: Like I said last week, with this thin season, it’s a good opportunity for me to check out some lost gems – one of those shows that are lost in the sea of forgotten anime. Click down to see what those two shows are. I want to pick up one more so if you have some recommendation you can shout out in the comments. Conditions apply: you can only recommend shows that aren’t considered as “classic”, or maybe better that you recommend the ones you enjoy that need more attention. The older the anime the better. Now, let’s run them down.

Houkago Teibou Nisshi 5-6

Wooper: Another week, another pair of Cute Girls Catching Cute Fish episodes (that’s CGCCF for short). The show has gotten a little louder since the introduction of Kotani-sensei, sponsor for the Breakwater Club, which wasn’t to my tastes. In addition to her duties as club advisor and school nurse, she’s an obnoxious drunk – hence the loudness – but even high volumes levels could ordinarily be forgiven. What’s unforgivable is her regular hijacking of the girls’ seafood snacks, which they catch and fry with their own blood, sweatdrops and tears! Add Natsumi’s regular teasing of Hina to the mix, and there were moments where these episodes grated on me, which isn’t what you want from a slice of life club show. Thankfully, we ended on a nice story where Hina heads out to catch some horse mackerel for her family’s dinner, and learns a few new things after Natsumi tags along. It’s always nice to see noisy anime characters prove their worth as main cast members.

Japan Sinks – 02-05

Mario: I know my fellow Lenlo already gave a full review on this and trashed it like crazy, but if you want a weekly tracking on how Japan Sinks stinks then this column is the perfect chance to do so. And after the first half, I am still pretty much on board with how things progress so far. The event that happens at the end of episode 2 is really a game changer, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I did find the Shan city segment a bit overlong, and there’s this growing sense of something deeply wrong with this cult town, but I am not sure how the show will deal with it. The same growing sense of something wrong can be said for our characters as well, as Ayumu’s wound is open and no one seems to care. In addition, for a character that appears right at the beginning, Haruo doesn’t really add anything to the table. It remains to be seen how the second half of this will be.

Continue reading “Summer 2020 Summary: Week 5” →