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Katsugeki Touken Ranbu Review – 45/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Action, Katsugeki Touken Ranbu, Reviews by Lenlo

Every Anime season we the viewers are shown a number of adaptations, often made after Light or Visual Novels. It’s an already written story with an established base, a smart business decision. In recent years studios have also begun pulling from the Video Game market for their shows. Pieces like the Idolmaster series, Kantai Collection and Akibas Trip. I bring this up not because this is a new event, but because the anime I want to talk about today, Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu, is one such anime.

Ranbu is based off of the online video game Touken Ranbu, along the same lines as Kantai Collection. It focuses on a group of warriors who are the human personification of famous weapons, sent back in time. Their task? To protect history from the forces of the Time Retrograde Army, who seek to change history for an unknown reason. Ranbu focuses in on the 2nd Unit, newly minted and formed from a group who have never worked together before. Together they will face the hordes of the Retrograde Army and defend the past from the future!

Let’s jump in.

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Kakegurui Review – 61/100

by AidanAK47, posted in Anime Reviews, Kakegurui, Reviews by AidanAK47

This show is one that makes conventional reviewing difficult as your enjoyment of your series will likely determine on highly subjective factors. For if I was to put this under scrutiny on matters of f-plot, setting and characters then it will end up lacking in all categories. The plot is just watching Yumeko face members of the student council in a series of gambling games. The setting is absolutely ridiculous with a unnecessary school setting that makes no sense whatever considering what happens in the series. The cast is made up of people whose main trait is being crazy in some form or another and go over the top with facial expressions. Yes to judge this show on these qualities would have it fall low indeed but that is not what makes a show enjoyable. I believe that style over substance is what I am getting at here as Kakegurui works mainly due to it’s presentation.

While gambling is the focus of this anime, the games themselves don’t really amount to much as we never really get a chance to look inside Yumeko’s head and see her work out plans or countermeasures. If you have just finished Kaiji and walk into Kakegurui expecting something similar then you will be undoubtably disappointed. For the common factor here is to see how smug the opponent is in how they rigged the game and having Yumeko eventually unveil that she knows about it and manages to win. Often putting her previous smug opponent down a peg.

Thus the satisfaction is in seeing the over exaggerated fashion at which this all goes down. The music, animation and art are often as over the top as possible with the soundtrack sporting trumpets and jazz like music while the characters faces distort into vile contortions be it in victory or defeat. Every character is crazy and none are crazier than our lead who often elapses into sexual excitement over the idea of risk. This aspect can get admittedly too much as it’s used to push fanservice as characters essentially orgasm over gambling and there are quite a few times where in female characters seem to be visually seducing each other in what would be otherwise a normal conversation. Yuri undertones are apparent here quite blatantly despite none of the character being made clear to be homosexual nor interesting in anything besides gambling and their own ambitions.

As such this is a series that I can’t really provide value through words, instead I say if you show interest then check out the first episode as that acts as an example of what you will receive for the entire series. However I would warn you to not expect something more than that as Kakegurui is only good at one thing and it will not move far from that one thing. This is a series about a crazy gambling girl showing smug assholes their place. That’s all you are going to get. But if you are fine with that then this is the show for you. Personally while i enjoyed it at first, I began to grow tired of it in the final episodes of the shows run so my rating for it’s that it’s a decent distraction but not one I will return to.

Re:Creators – 22 [Re:CREATORS] – 75/100

by HelghastKillzone, posted in Anime Reviews, Currently Watching:, Re:Creators

There was never going to be a epic fight with every creation squaring off against the overpowered and invincible Altair. That possibility died when the creators threw the copycat of Blank at her only to have that plan backfire horribly. Besides, it wouldn’t have been a satisfying conclusion to Altair’s story to have her be brought down by the remaining supporting characters given that Selecia disappeared in the blue ether beforehand. Predictably, it comes down to Altair convincing herself that the world is worth saving and the conversation between Altair and Setsuna was really well done with both voice actresses going back and forth with their arguments about placing the blame on the world that was so cruel to Setsuna. There is a parallel between those two and how Bltiz choose to switch side when confronted with the opportunity to gain back the very reason for their motivation to end the world. As well, the transformation from the PPSh-41 machine gun to an actual violin is a visual symbolism of her ultimate choice to create and not destroy. As the far as the main plot goes, Re:Creators is finished as its antagonist goes happily off into sunset with her creator into their own world of adventure and fun. It’s not the best twist ending but I’m perfectly satisfied with how the series build itself up to that point and concluded it.

After everything’s said and done, the final episode wraps up with everyone having a celebratory meal, saying their goodbyes and reflecting on past sacrifices. The creations go back to their own fictional world but Meteora, due to the untimely death of her creator, which begs the question of what happened to Magane. Curiously absent from the final episode, I would infer that she would have lost her powers just like Meteora and go on to become a regular trolling schoolgirl. It’s not quite the ending for those who wanted to see justice be served for the murder of the shopkeeper and her own creator but I think it better to see her leave quietly than having a upbeat epilogue scene for her. The ending summarizes the points of the series in that creators will keep on creating even to the point where a creation, like Meteora comes full circle and end off the series with her own work of Re:Creators.

Re:Creators marks the third series that Studio TROYCA have made with Aldnoah.Zero and Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru being the first two. While their original mecha show was a wild ride of disappointment that really needs more time to flesh out its characters and concepts and the episodic nature of its investigative show took away from the overarching narrative, I felt that they succeed in having and executing an interesting premise while having a few flaws. The biggest glaring issue I had was the uneven pacing in regards to the infrequency of actions scene and mid-series lull of dealing with Sota’s underlying guilt and laying of the foundation for the Elimination Chamber Festival. Also, as Rei Ham (Writer of Re:Creators) regretfully mentioned in an interview, Mamika exited far too early in the show as she was probably one of the best characters arc by growing out of her naive magical girl persona. Her replacement of Hikayu wasn’t all that great despite the creators having fun with her backstory and power-ups. Finally, the 3D stilted animation of the mecha hasn’t been improved over their effort of Aldnoah.Zero and just cements the reality that 3D and mechs don’t mix (Knight of Sidonia is an exception). Aside from those quibbles, I enjoyed my time with Re:Creators over the past half year and looked forward to watching it every week. It looked nice, had that sweet sweet Sawano soundtrack and always had something interesting to say about the nature of artistic creation.

7.5/10

Sakura Quest (Summer 2017) Review – 79/100

by SuperMario, posted in Anime Reviews, Reviews by SuperMario, Sakura Quest

Conceived as a third installment in a loose P.A Works trilogy about young adult girls in working environment, Sakura Quest both knows its target audience well, and has some big shoes to fill. After all, many have considered Shirobako an install classic for good reasons. As it turns out, Sakura Quest is more on the level of Iroha than Shirobako, and it still has some of the same issues from its predecessors, namely it’s still too optimistic, hence comes off as sometimes unrealistic outlook to its subject matters; and it tends to rely on sitcom slice of life format (mainly in the first half) that feels unfocused and inconsistent at times. Despite these issues, the truth remains that Sakura Quest had never been bad. The show has some snappy, realistic dialogues, easy humors and it never treats their characters lightly. The show is at its best when it creates problems that force the main cast to reflect on their own issues, then learn and grow from their own issues.

Sakura Quest’s structure is split into two distinct halves. The first half focuses on several mini-arcs, where the Tourism Boards undergo many events that attract more tourists visiting Manoyama, at the same time give each of the main girl a character arc to flesh out who they are. Many events, from assisting filming production, matchmaking tours, to the TV programs about our girls and hosting a popular rock band to town, are exciting and at first glance, it gives an illusion that the Tourist Board has achieved its success. In part, yes, as the number of visitors consistently goes up, but when all is said and done, the town remains a ghost town with no lasting impact whatsoever (I love this image: the next morning, all the tourists are gone, only trash and coupons flying around). The decision to concentrate on main leads’ own problems and their dynamic together in the first cour, now in retrospect, actually serves its purpose since we come to care and root for them well before the second cour pushes forward its main storyline.

If you consider the first cour as “inward approach” (forgive me for the lack of more academic term), which is attracting tourists to visit Manoyama town, the latter half can be seen as “outward approach”, as the Tourism Board reaches to the local needs, goes to rural mountain where a small elderly community lives, reviving an abandoned school for public use, and strengthen Shopping District’s business. For me, it’s a much more realistic approach and the journeys along the way are all worth spending time for. You can compare two festivals – the Manoyama Founding festival and the revival Mizuchi festival for their differences in approach. The Mizuchi festival is made for the locals, by the local and achieving that level of enthusiasm from the villagers is something worth rewarding. While there are still some unnecessary plot points (here looking at you the merger of Manoyama town), Sakura Quest did indeed end on a satisfying note. This might be the end of the Queen’s run and all other girls, but it’s clear that it’s just a beginning for the Manoyama’s local to grow stronger.

Our five girls: Yoshino, Sanae, Maki, Ririko and Shiori play a big part of adding Sakura Quest’s identity. All these girls have their own charms, play off well with each other, and most of own develop greatly at the end of the show. Sakura Quest’s biggest strength lies in its ability to address the insecurity of young adults regarding their jobs, their place to belong, and their choices of life. Many issues it touches (most notably Maki’s unsuccessful acting job) feel achingly true and honest. The supporting cast, from Kadota, Chitose, to that kid Erika, add their own marks to the show’s big picture and it’s a joy to watch such a huge cast coming together for a big project. I bet Sandal-san will enjoy a great fan following as he steals the scene every time he appears onscreen. Thanks Alexandre Cena Davis Celibidache for compiling such a fantastic artbook about Sakura Quest.

P.A Works does a pretty decent job production-wise for Sakura Quest, although in some episodes (especially the final episode) the character models are a bit off. The soundtrack and the voice acting are all pretty spot on. Only a year has passed in this Manoyama town but it has been quite a journey. Every girl has their own dream to follow now, and life continues to go on and I know there will be a time that the five of them will meet again under that sakura tree they planted together. As a conclusion, allow me to quote the final preview speech from Sandal-san because it sums what I feel so well: “It was a long, long trip, and we’re coming finally to the end of the journey. Thank you, Manoyama and Chupacabra. And thank you, 5 EURO”

Castlevania Season 1 Review – 70/100

by AidanAK47, posted in Anime Reviews, Reviews by AidanAK47

Upon hearing that Castlevania would be getting an animated TV series my first reaction was that of unpleasant surprise. Part of the reason was because of the video games infamous history with adapting their stories to other mediums but my main reason was that being familiar with the Castlevania games, I knew the story was by far the weakest aspect. I have played a number of Castlevania titles though my main experience is with the so called “Igavania” titles which helped birth the Metroidvania genre. Let me say that story was not the reason I came to love the franchise, as a matter of fact the story rather went beyond “Dracula has revived, go kill him again.” However against all odds this series has managed to pull a rather enjoyable story out of the bare bones that was present in the game it was based on, Castlevania 3. I believe the main reason behind this story turning out to be a good video game adaption has to do with the writer being a famous comic writer by the name of Warren Ellis. Not being much of a comic fan I have only read a couple of his works like Planetary, Transmetropolitan and Crecy but based on those I can tell he has skill.

The story of this series isn’t anything to gush over but does serve well in using the little story in the games and fleshing it out to a better degree. It reminds me a lot of old anime ova’s from the 80s with its high level of violence and gore while sticking to a simplistic but enjoyable story. Make no mistake this animation isn’t for children with swearing and corpses abound. I admit that with the large amount of anime I watch it is rather refreshing to experience something that doesn’t have the usual Japanese tropes. Our main character Trevor Belmont is the one to get the most screentime in this short hour and a half season and he certainly makes for a fun main character. Starting your introduction with a drunken brawl is certainly a plus in my book and he is a good mix of playful and skilled without delving into overpowered territory. Other characters didn’t quite get as much screen time to really get a grasp on their characters but they were believable enough to get invested in.

The main cast only really assembled in the final minutes of the last episode. The villains on the other hand were on the weak side with the demons being sidelined by the church who really get treated as ignorant and greedy as all hell. Not saying it’s an inaccurate depiction but they do come off as rather one dimensional when any priest is automatically a murdering scummy psychopath. I hope that with this there role in the story is more or less finished with the end of the season as the first episode does nicely make Dracula’s motives much more compelling. He sadly didn’t get much of a role in this season but clearly the story wanted to focus on a minor villain first before taking on the main one. Our main villain for this season happens to be a bishop and I can pretty much sum him up as the same character as Frollo from Disney’s the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Religious, insane and so mistakenly sickeningly self righteous that he makes you want bash his head in with a sledgehammer.

This “Season” is only four episodes long and feels more like a hour and a half pilot episode. If I had to guess I would say that these four episodes were to gauge interest in the series due to the negative view of video game adaptions and considering just how quickly a second season of eight episodes was greenlit it looks like the response was quite positive indeed. In the continuation of the series I hope they keep up this level of quality but I also hope that they have much more monster variety as the enemies were primarily variants of demon creatures. Part of what makes Castlevania great is the huge cast of enemies from monster movie and myth. You didn’t just fight demons in Castlevania but ghosts, goblins, fishmen, werewolves and a whole host of monsters including Death himself. It would be a massive shame for the series to not capitalise on that and instead keep the monsters as dull demon creatures.

Animation for the most part is excellent with some occasional stumbles but excelling when it needs to. Music overall was fine but I do wish for a rendition of the iconic Bloody Tears or Vampire Killer songs. For fans of the games there is details sure to make you smile such as platforming on clock gears which I am sure any Castlevania fan is familiar with. However this doesn’t require knowledge of the games to be enjoyed either as the story very much stands on it’s own. Overall I would consider this to be one of the strongest Video Game adaptions to date though that may not be high praise considering it’s competition. If you happen to be burned out on anime or just looking for a nice change of pace then I do recommend checking this show out as it’s short and sweet.

Some Quick First Impressions: Mahoujin Guru Guru, Hajimete no Gal, Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e and Gamers!

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Mahoujin Guru Guru

Short Synopsis: A JRPG hero and mage sets off to defeat the demon king

From what I see it seems that those familiar with the original show that this opening episode was a bit fast and not as funny. However even if it was funny, to me anime comedy rarely works. There are exceptions of course. For one I think that the ongoing manga “Grand Blue” or “Kaguya wants to be confessed to” would be a hilarious anime. This however seems like the comedy is well…dad jokes. For example when the girl receives money and then tries to equip it like armour. Alright the JRPG visual aesthetic is neat and I do find it charming. However I was stone faced throughout this episode, not even a smile. The isekai genre has abused the standard dragon quest setup to the degree that it’s no longer novel. Personally I think something like Konosuba has surpassed what this is trying to achieve. However it does have it’s enjoyable points and could be a good watch for some.

Potential: 30%

Mario: Colour me surprise. This is the one title that I nearly skipped since it’s a reboot of what appeared to be an adventurous children show. Well, at heart it is but Guru Guru also provides a non-stop slapstick fun from start to finish. There are rapid fire jokes that come at us like corns popping, and the humor is on silly and irrelevant side, so you know… lowbrow humor. But most of the time the jokes land well because they embrace their goofiness to heart, making the show an absurd endless fun. Not only the silly banters, but the animation also converts to reflect the humor: at time 8-bit, then like cut-out animation… and they’re actually creative and on-point. And I can’t deny I’m thoroughly entertained watching this and in one moment I laughed out hard. Can’t believe it before checking it out but it might be one of my favorite comedy show of this year. I won’t blog it but I am sure follow them to see what hijinks the two leads gonna end up with.

Potential: 40%

 

Hajimete no Gal

Short Synopsis: A guy begs a girl to be his girlfriend and surprisingly succeeds

Ah yes that’s right. We haven’t had our fanservice harem yet in this season. Boy, we nearly went through a anime season without gravity defying tits, panty shots and flat chest jokes. Now this may be a shock to some but despite media commonly depicting this, men actually don’t think about sex 24/7. Hell even when reminiscing over my teenage years I don’t think I put that much thought into it. Not saying I never did but if you were going to spend every waking moment considering how much you want to copulate then anyone would get bored of it. So when I see these strange creatures who consider getting laid their lives ambition I can’t help but think that they might be disappointed if they ever managed to do it. It’s just sex lads. Anyway we have another one of those strange abominations of a girl whose breast size doesn’t correlate with the rest of her body making her look like some weird beanie baby. Plus fanservice galore as our protagonist keeps imaging how he’s gonna cross the final line before he’s even entered the race. Sorry to break it to you protag but you are in a harem so that means you are damned to be cockblocked for eternity. Lastly any time this guys friends were on screen made me want to quit the episode then and there. So if you want anime that’s not quite but almost porn then this has you covered.

Potential: 0%

Mario: Gosh, I stepped into someone’s wet dream yet again, but this one is even more mean-spirited. At least Smartphone doesn’t offend anyone, this on stoops so low begging on the ground that I can’t help but feel appalling and disgusting. First off, that main guy is pure one-dimensional pervert with the only goal in mind is to bang. It’s already low bar but he manages to make it into cringeworthy level when begging the girl so that he could see her panties. Creepy as fuck. Second, high school girls who have boobs that defy gravity have no personality and somehow all fall for that pervert. And guess what, he gets away with it because… girls are hormonal creatures too. All that and I haven’t mentioned the awfulness of his wet fantasies, panty shots, hair-raising voice over. The show wants to make our hearts feel dokidoki with its fanservice, but painful is what I get instead.

Potential: 0%

 

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

Short Synopsis: New students get a nasty discoverly when they find out that the high class school they entered has a totalitarian rules.

Got to say that with the pacing sped up and time outside of the mains head to minimum that this series benefits greatly. In truth the actually story only came out in the last few minutes but I much prefer this to the light novels which spent half the first volume building up to this point. Got to say that watching it is a much better experience as it looks like this will be less the false ideal high school life presented in anime and more along the lines of Snafu’s cynical overlook. Our protagonist certainly shares Hachiman’s outlook of interpersonal relationships and I find his rather deadpan voice and exterior to be rather refreshing when compared to mister average blush on command. I actually enjoyed this more than thought I would and perhaps this could turn into something interesting after all. Not expecting a masterpiece but maybe like SukaSuka it could prove to be an intriguing watch. Might even blog it if the second episode continues to engage me.

Potential: 60%

Mario: Youkoso is a show that has strong, interesting premise but dang it’s way too slow to get into that. Doesn’t need a whole episode for setting up to be honest and I suspect it’s the next episode that they reveal their true nature. I certainly feel a SNAFU vibe around this cast, most notably our main guy, like Hachiman, is an observant social outcast and the other girls so far fall neatly into SNAFU’s counterparts, but the similarity isn’t too jarring to write them off. The argument on the bus, while address boldly to the overall theme of “equality” – whether or not unequally action need to be made to assist those who are already disadvantaged – but sadly they overplay that scene so it comes off as forced development. Judging by this episode alone, it comes as just merely passable, but it does have potential and I guess when the plot kicks in, we will have a real treat from this one. People who unconvinced by this first episode need to check out the second one because the real meat will be there.

Potential: 40%

 

Gamers!

Short Synopsis: A boy is invited to a gaming club by the most popular girl in school.

Points to the MC for going against the grain and turning her down. It is rather nice when you see things moving in a predictable pattern only for it to get turned on it’s head. However I have read on in this story and found that the gaming aspect just gets overshadowed by romance nonsense. Really weird to see the show throw out spoilers like nothing but it was rather clever. This first episode was decent and had some good comedic moments. however I really dislike how gaming is portrayed here. Why are they treating it like playing games for fun is weird? Like the MC is special because he just wants to enjoy video games? I am a heavy gamer myself and I never really felt the need to master a online shooter or fighting games. I just find the idea of devoting myself to just one game to be dull. Variety is the spice of life and I would rather be good at many games than the master of one. There are those of us that value single player experiences over online competitive ones. Anyway my point is that videogames are my domain and I don’t like a story half assing it with its representation. Lastly, the main character got tired after only two hours of gaming? Filthy casual.

Potential: 10%

Mario: Gamers runs like your typical school club anime: we have main character get dragged into one specific school club, he’s being a “perfect one”, get introduced into the most attractive part of said club, and make friends with eccentric club-mates in the process; you know, all that dandy. Except this one builds those up for some twist – he rejects the club, not once, but twice. It does feel like he decided not to join in is how the show’s messing with us, but get into his reason and you see the moment of truth. They are both game maniacs, but they approach games differently and that main guy feels like he doesn’t belong to the competitiveness gameplay by the club. It happens all the time in other sports or media as people who share the same love for some medium doesn’t mean that they approach them the same. Apart from that, I like the way the show gives some witty foreshadowing texts and the animation sometimes resembles that of game to hide its constraint budget. Still, the romance or whatever isn’t that good and the main concept of gaming doesn’t really catch me. Could be interesting to see how it goes from here but I admit this isn’t my cup of tea.

Potential: 20%

Some Quick First Impressions: Chronos Rulers, Tenshi no 3P! and Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Chronos Rulers

Short Synopsis: Two people fight demons which prey on those who wish to undo mistakes or turn back time

This is a show with a very interesting concept and up until the introduction of the main character it was decent enough. Though that girl’s tragic past with her brother was dramatically uncut by the stupid way in which he died. It’s bad enough for her to run across the street without looking, even worse for her to run across halfway and turn around on the goddamn road. I don’t know brother, maybe you should have let the truck hit her. After all it seems like natural selection to me. But I was willing to overlook that to an extent. But then the main came along with some truly awful comedy. The comedy kept going and my goodwill began to vanish. The we have an action scene where the characters stop fighting and basically spout exposition to the girl. Got to say it was nice of mister monster to wait patiently for them to finish filling her in on the details. Funny enough this girl isn’t even a main character so I don’t see why they should give her a runthrough of who they are and what they do. Other than that we got some pretty standard shounen action. I reiterate that the premise is indeed quite interesting and the reveal at the end does make for some interesting story material. But with execution like this I am afraid it’s just won’t turn out well.

Potential: 0%

Mario: I will let this out first, Chronos Rulers has some pretty neat ideas. After all, the time travel motif, the grief over losing someone dear, and the slight twist right at the end have their merits. But the actual execution place the series among the worst thing I’ve watched for this season. This one is the first one of this season so far that started with a battle out of nowhere that we have no idea who fighting who for whatever reason (I thank anime God for this sudden drop this season). The production is cheaply made with many still images and uninspiring designs. The characters are one-dimensional and loud and I’ve seen those characters many times before. And come on, the girl loses her brother from one of the most silly, cliche and forced way possible (they don’t show it but I bet the brother died in one piece, but imagine when a truck comes at you at full speed like that, you’d end up in pieces with blood and guts everywhere, but I’ll spare you that graphic details). A cliche plot, lazy writing and poor execution anime. Avoid it at all cost.

Potential: 0%

 

Tenshi no 3P!

Short Synopsis: A hikikomori meets up with three ten year old girls who want his help to stage a concert.

To be fair the last line of this episode appears to be some sort translation double meaning or something in which the girl means “If you help us, I can let you touch my guitar” but considering how it’s supposed to be misinterpreted this shows clearly where this show is going. Who wants loli fanservice? Not me, that’s for goddamn certain. So three loli’s that live in an orphanage which just so happens to have a secret room with rare instruments which they just so happened to learn how to play without any outside help? These ten year olds don’t act like ten year olds and the entire premise is pretty dumb. They want to hold a concert to get people to come to a church hall? Seems rather counterproductive and I am fairly certain there are easier way to accomplish this. Our hikikomori friend also seems to somehow have a harem with three loli’s and two other girls who are interested in him. Oh and a little sister because of course he bloody has one. I at least liked the aspect with the Hikikomori working with audio software but the minute those three loli’s stepped into the show is where it all came crashing down. This show is trash.

Potential: 0%

Mario: “If you help us, I can let you touch me a little”, says the primary school girl to the main lead. So that’s how you played your cards huh? And with that single line all my little interest of following it has vanished. Not that what come before has been bright, mind you. This show asks us to suspend our disbelief too glaringly that I have a hard time buying any of its premise. I can’t look over the fact that those girls are primary students who happened to be really good at playing music, and happened to “inherit” the original, famous instruments. I can’t look over the fact that the main guy happened to be a shut in who for some reasons staying alone despite being a minor, and happened to be really into composing music (well, actually the last part was fine). No, no, no. Worse, while I consider the first part fairly alright, when the girls come in the picture, the show collapses. The girls add cute humors that bring the show down. In the end, this show fails to leave any impact on me whatsoever.

Potential: 0%

 

Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni

Short Synopsis: A boy is sent to another world by god with a fully functional smartphone

How to win at life, get accidentally smited by god. So unfortunately despite the completely utterly ridiculous premise this show takes it far too seriously. But the big problem here is that right off the bat our main character is far too overpowered. On top of god giving him a working smartphone with all the knowledge of the internet at his fingertips, he also throws in physical super strength and large aptitude for all magic elements. So right now there is absolutely nothing that could pose even the smallest threat to our protagonist and all the women love him cause he can make ice cream and is super special awesome despite having no personality at all. Really…what is even the point in watching further? Comedy seems to be the main thing this show wants to carry itself on but it’s all really weak. For one there are these awkward scene transitions which I suppose are for comedic effect but just are jarring and sudden. This is a dull boring show that will likely be forgotten by seasons end. Truly why is the translator of Dies Irae officially translating the light novels of this garbage? What a waste of talent.

Potential: 0%

Mario: My, my, I entered someone’s wet dream again. This show is as bad as its title suggests. You would think from that absurd title that this show is a parody of isekai genre but no, it plays the genre completely straight. The main guy has done absolutely nothing but gains immensely popularity by girls, God and other people alike; has absolutely zero difficulty to adapt in that new life; has smartphone so he can checks news from his world, and already way too overpowered despite doing nothing to achieve it. Lazy writing. Now I feel I was way to harsh from the above two shows because this one is so bad it deserves to stay under the ground, alone. I know at the end he will save the world and girls will surround him like bees surround waps or like girls surround ice-cream (their jokes. Not mine). Watch this show if you have to do a PhD degree with a thesis of “The Common Tropes of Isekai genre in Anime” because this one is chock-full of those, or if you’re bored and want to piss on some shows to make you feel better (which I don’t recommend either), otherwise this show is a waste of your time.

Potential: 0%

Some Quick First Impressions: Princess Principal, Centaur no Nayami and Hitorijime My Hero

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Princess Principal

Short Synopsis: A group of little girl spies help a man defect from his country.

To put it in purely objective terms, this was a relatively strong episode. The premise is absurd but it’s clear you really shouldn’t think that much about it. After all our protagonists announce themselves as spies but I think they have gravely misunderstood what it is that a spy actually does. Point is that being a spy is not getting into massive gunfights and taking down enemy camps That’s more a small army squad. Point is that if you are discovered then you failed as a spy, avoiding detection is kinda the whole point. So this was a good first episode and I really liked the final moment with the female lead and her lies. This is also the first time I didn’t recognise Kajiura’s music immediately and I like that it’s different from her usual repertoire. However when watching this I feel something in my bones. I felt the exact same thing when I watched Kabanaris first episode. Somehow I know this is going to go wrong, I know this will drop drastically in quality. I don’t know how or when but I am certain it’s going to happen. Maybe it the fact that I see elements of the writer’s previous works here like the mysterious magical disease. But I call it now that when the series ends people will not be looking fondly on it. By all means I could be wrong and maybe Kajiura and the studio can stop the writer before he gets stupid. So I say for now you can give this a shot as the steampunk not spy spies antics could be fun.

Potential: 45%

Mario: Here come my own most anticipated show of this season. Does it really deliver and sell me on its ridiculous premise? Well yes and no. I can still see some issues here and there, but overall this premiere has become one of my personal favorite first impression so far. For the negative side, the most glaring issue is that sometimes, it embraces its premise wholeheartedly and takes itself too seriously. I have a lifelong history with heavy-handedness so this might be a make or break point for me. Second issue is that sometimes the setting and plot just go too silly. You know, spies don’t spell out that they’re spies, ever. Having a princess working as a spy to blend in with other students is a pretty stupid idea, since everyone would recognize her face immediately. On the plus side though, I am at least intrigued with this setting: I like the spy concept, I like steampunk technology, I like the five girls so far and at least I don’t mind putting them into an (unnecessary) high school setting. Function as a standalone episode, the pacing is just about right, both establishing the stakes of their mission, and they make a decent job of giving a deeper side from the main girl. I won’t lie, she shoots him while repeatedly says no, hit me hard.  Lies and double-crossing are the main backbone of this show, I even suspect one of the main girls might be a double agent here. Whatever the case, yeah you bet I’m gonna follow it to the end.

Potential: 75%

 

Centaur no Nayami

Short Synopsis: The slice of life adventures of various demihuman friends

It’s nice to see that the lesser tier studio didn’t drag down the quality of the series. Still it happens to be a genre that puts me to sleep on lazy days. There is an intriguing history and setting for this show but it’s clear that this won’t be some societal exploration on the themes of demi human coexistence. Nope just the daily life of a centaur and other friends. Though the first scene did remind me that I saw a lot of yuri in my reading of the manga. Might not be a straight couple in this thing at all(Aside from parents). Odd but hey, whatever floats people’s boats. This is definitely for slice of life fans or those with a weakness for monster girls.

Potential: 55%

Mario: I like the idea that this show has no real beginning, with all the relationship have already been established so we can cut down an unnecessary introduction. I’m also digging the way it billed itself as a slice of life, but it starts quite literally with a kiss, between 2 girls no less, but as far as I see there’s no yuri undertones here, which I greatly appreciate. I also like (see, I find many positive things in this series, it’s just my type of show) how they jabbed at our own racial issues caused just by the skin-difference, because they obviously have a much more glaring racial issues here. The three main leads are from different background so there will be a lot to explore in that regard and production-wise it does a decent job. Centaur is a solid entry in cute monster girl doing cute things show, but can barely break out from it, thus people who don’t interest in slice of life might watch it with caution.

Potential: 60%

 

Hitorijime My Hero

Short Synopsis: A kid tries to break away from the wrong crowd after meeting a infamous delinquent.

Boys will love boys as some may say and here we have the fujoshi show of the season. As I am completely out of the main demographic I am afraid I can’t really give this fair judgement but from the aspects that can be viewed from a mostly objective standpoint it seems serviceable. Can’t really say I find the characters interesting and the only thing that had an impact was those two annoying girls who were forcing a kid to ask if hotty mc transfer student had a girlfriend. Ask him yourself you annoying troglodytes and don’t act like this kid is obligated to do what you want. So basically being someone with no interest whatsoever in this genre I can say at least the first episode was watchable.

Potential: 0%

Mario: Already a boy love series, this show has to do a heavy lifting in order to appeal more than its target viewers, unfortunately I don’t see anything worth coming back to after this first episode. I’m not al dismissal guy though, as one thing I do appreciate from boy love’s stories is sometimes they tell a really solid romance story here. But not in this case. This episode build a foundation of 2 love stories, one of them is contrived to the bare bone (in what universe the guy who goes out beating up gangsters can become a math teacher?) and the other is clumsy at best. I don’t have much else to say because I don’t feel I gain much after watching this first episode. After all, I still honest don’t know if the main guy believing in hero or not, nor do I give a damn.

Potential: 10%

Some Quick First Impressions: Shoukoku no Altair, 18if and Action Heroine Cheer Fruits

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Shoukoku no Altair

Short Synopsis: A newly appointed general attempts to foil a plot that could start a war.

I am still a bit skeptical of this as I fear it may run into the same problem Arslan Senki ran into. Basically an interesting setting and premise but no interesting characters to carry it. Our main protagonist here is certainly a step up but I do feel he isn’t really all that interesting besides his fascination of using eagles to attack. Only other character that really stood out was the main heroine and she at least has a bold personality to contrast the main’s general stoic nature. The turkish setting is certainly a breath of fresh air and high historical fantasy is a very rare thing in anime as of late. So far it’s proving promising but we are going to need more distint characters to keep things interesting.

Potential: 75%

Mario: Altair is overall impressive. (Faux) historical fantasy war has been on the rise lately (see Tanya), and they managed to do everything right here. The main character was developed just about enough to make him stand out, and I’m interested to see how he deals with the great war when the plot thickens (even with sacrifice of him sleeping on the roof when some girl obviously tries to hit on him. oops). The Turkish empire settings were handled thoughtfully, and this first season provides enough base characters that will sure make a big impact to the story later on. I admit that having the assassins saying the name of the mastermind was really a convenient plot progress, and they include his flashback during the scene feel a bit abrupted, but everything else was right on mark. This show holds lots of potential here and I’m eager to check out how the story progresses from this.

Potential: 80%

 

18if

Short Synopsis: A boy wakes up in a dream world and faces a giant witch.

I do really like the opening and the setting is great as I love it going crazy with the dream aspect. However it’s clear that the idea is a bit too ambitious for the animation studio as there animation and visuals are not the best. The protagonist’s general level headed nature due to it all being a dream is a neat aspect but it does remove any sense of danger when he barely reacts to getting his arm chopped off. The end of the episode has me worried that this could get too preachy as we have our protagonist essentially lecturing the enemy to death. Still it’s an imaginative concept and I wonder just how crazy they will get with it. If I was to make a bet then I would put it on this ending up rather disappointing as the developments of this episode’s plot were on the weak side. What makes this show stand out is it’s visual design and so far it’s storytelling is just passable. I say the first episode is worth a try and it’s up to you if it’s something you want to continue.

Potential: 55%

Mario: And here, we encounter the strange duck of the season. If you don’t know what to make upon watching its promotion video, chances that this premiere won’t change your mind. The story, as it happens in a dream world, makes so little sense. Honestly I’m fine with overloaded symbolism and non-plot plot as long as it sticks to the narrative, and here is where the show comes off a bit short-handed. The actual story behind the witch, isn’t good enough as a thoughtful case for us to invest to. By that I mean that story itself isn’t half bad, but the way they tell it is. I could’ve invested with the Witch tragic story more if I have more time to know her as a person, and here is where this show misses its mark. In fact, that’s my main complaint with 18if right now: visually inventive but if it doesn’t back up by meaningful story or strong emotional impact, it will end up being a gimmick. The art designs, on the other spectrum, is great. That, and the off-kilter characters where they speak like they’re in a bad dream (they are), further detail the foundation of dream logic. In short, I’m digging the premise about exploration of dreams in 18if, but the actual presentation still leaves a lot to be desired.

Potential: 70%

 

Action Heroine Cheer Fruits

Short Synopsis: Small town girls set up a tonkasatsu show to appease a girl’s little sister.

This certainly feels like it’s chasing the shadow of Love Live but I found this episode rather enjoyable. Two montages were a bit much and I find the character designs and personalities a bit bland for my taste but the story of this episode was rather heartwarming. I personally never really liked tonkasatsu shows as I just find them a bit too cheesy for my liking. I found myself inwardly cringing during the performances in this episode. So far I say it’s a decent watch though I would be wary of this some becoming too slice of life for it’s own good. Visuals and animation are decent so I say this is a good inbetween show for those looking for something light.

Potential:35%

Mario: To my own surprise, Action Heroine isn’t half bad, it’s a bit harmless but thoroughly enjoyable one. They take a much more mundane approach here. There is indeed an actual Action Heroine that drink fruit-juice to boost energy, but this story is squarely about those inspired by her popular to create their own play,to entertain those kids no less. It’s the low-key, the amateurish approach, and the main’s determination to provide her little sister a good time that made this show sincerely. The main problem, then, is that all that I’ve said above wasn’t even this show’s main plot; so this sincere vibe could just be an one off case. The main plot, then, will be how those girls work together to promote their little hometown by becoming their own action heroines. Sound similar huh? Expect the cuter, lesser, and more high-school-oriented version of Sakura Quest then. The animation is nothing stand out and the art style is simple, but they tell their story with charms and care and that is good enough for me

Potential: 30%

Some Quick First Impressions: Ballroom e Youkoso, Made in Abyss and Vatican Kiseki Chousakan

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Ballroom e Youkoso

Short Synopsis: A boy begins to take lessons at a ballroom dancing studio.

While not a bad adaption, I personally prefer how this was handled in the manga. The anime skips over the same details but it’s the small details that make all the difference. Such as the bashful blush when the protagonist was praising his mentors dance video. Nonetheless this is still more interesting than you would think it would be. I am not keen on the length of the characters necks at times and the animation is clearly avoiding showing too much dancing as we got plenty in this series can can’t afford to go all out in the training stages. But it’s still a fun show about a topic I didn’t think I would be interested in. However this series manages to make ballroom dancing quite engaging and intriguing. Unlike our previous quiz show it’s not heavy on the sports tropes and with two cours we should at least get decently far into the story. If this manages to capture the spirit of the manga then it will certainly be a show to keep an eye on during this season. Highly recommend checking this one out.

Potential: 85%

Mario: It has been a week since the start of the new season, but this weekend is where all the goods start to deliver. We kick things off with this highly participated Ballroom e Youkoso and for the most part the show provides a solid introduction to the well-received manga. I read the first two chapters after watching the anime to see how faithful the anime adapts its source, found out that while they do cut some unnecessary part, I enjoy the manga source a little better. The main lead isn’t that memorable in the anime and for a show about ballroom dancing, there isn’t any actual dancing animation in this premiere – I’m perfectly fine with the latter issue, as this first episode is all about introduce the main guy (and us) to the world of ballroom dancing and it did a magnificent job. I still can’t fathom the fact he was dancing all night (what caring parents) but overall, it’s well-paced, with good chemistry between the cast. Unlike Dive!! which I have an issue with amateur trying to reach the top, this show understands and makes a point of how much hard-work and pain the professionals have been through to achieve what they dream for. So far this show receives a solid execution and I suspect Ballroom will be one of the most reliable entertaining show of this season.

Potential: 80%

 

Made in Abyss

Short Synopsis: A girl that lives in a town surrounding an abyss discovers a robot boy.

And the winner of best first episode of the 2017 summer season goes to…Made in Abyss! For someone who didn’t quite get into the manga it’s quite a surprise to see how much of a different animation can make. We got Ghibli vibes here and the animation and visuals are beautiful. Music too is excellent and if this can keep it up then it really could be one hell of a show. Of course it’s only the first episode and as well executed as it is there have been plenty of anime which have started with just as much promise and failed to deliver. That said there appears to be confidence in the source material coming from those that read it and the studio looks to be giving it love. I plan on picking this one up to blog so I will be following all the way to see how it turns out. I say this only once every season and here I say it again. If you plan on watching only one anime this season, then watch this.

Potential: 90%

Mario: Made in Abyss is hands down the most exciting title in this Summer season so far. The best thing about this show lies in its gorgeous, detailed and well-realized art backgrounds, which already the abyss, and the lead’s city feel vivid and welcoming. Despite the childish look, the story aims for more serious tone along its way. Like, the robot boy who despite his robot design, talk and think like a human (he still regarded himself as one), which could imply that someone turn him from a child into a robot, not for good reason. The world-building is so rich, and the way the show just lays down those details through the normal adventure-through-the abyss day and not shove all the details to our face further tell us how much confidence they have for the show. The animation is consistently great and the soundtracks are a delight. I could go on forever but let just conclude that the show has a very strong foundation: confident tones, engaging characters, lustful background and a story that has a lot of potential, both in deepen its theme and engage the viewers; backed up by the creativeness of both the source material and the top-notch production. My favorite pet for this season.

Potential: 90%

 

Vatican Kiseki Chousakan

Short Synopsis: Two investigative priests are sent to a school to verify a miracle of god.

The setup here is full of potential and I really dig it. All throughout this episode it looked to set up a great mystery and establish the setting and characters. There is just one big problem. The pacing just just far too fast. I don’t know why but the speed of things happening on screen was far too fast and soon characters had barely enough time to say their lines before the story moved on. As a result things moved too fast for any of it to sink in. It was a bit like watching a show on fast forward. There isn’t any time to put emotional weight to anything so it all passes by with me relatively detached and apathetic. On the other hand I felt that parts of this show were far too overdramatic for what is a relatively serious topic. So far it has potential but how good it turns out will depend on whether they can slow down the pacing.

Potential: 60%

Mario: It has been a while since we encounter the thriller/ mystery case-of-a-week, here all the cases are related to Christianity which already sound like a rare treat. Most of the time it succeeds on what it promises. The case rooted deep within Christian context, although of course they fire it up a notch, which bordering on taking itself too seriously. Two minor things that really bother me, first is the pacing which sometimes feel too abrupt, and second is the characters themselves as never at once I feel that I can relate to those people. I don’t know if later development would focus on the lead’s mental breakdown or not but there is a sign that one of them is very very unstable, he’s seriously more uncanny than those who suspected of blasphemy here. Aside from those, it’s a pleasure that we are treated to the topic that underexplored in this anime industry, and the case so far is so intrigued and the productions are mostly on par that I don’t find this one has any problem to reach wider audience out there.

Potential: 70%