Category: Other:

Some Quick First Impressions: Trickster, Shakunetsu no Takkyuu Musume and Soushin Shoujo Matoi

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Trickster

Short Synopsis:

Edogawa Ranpo certainly was a man before his time. At least if this series is to be believed he was writing about mecha, hacker loli’s, boob jokes and superpowered emo teenagers before light novels were even a thing. Or at least if this series is to be believed to be based on his actual work. I for one am absolutely certain that this has about as much to do with the Boy Detective novels as Shakespeare has with “The Shining”. As someone who is interested in Rampo’s work i find this to be quite insulting to rob his name just to get people to watch an otherwise unremarkable anime show. So I doubt our boy detectives will be doing any actual detective work and this will be mainly more of an action show. The writing isn’t good but it certainly isn’t the worst I have seen all season. If pushed I would say this was rather mediocre but just barely above bad. I like the nature of the emo boys superpower but it bugs me at just how woe is me he is about having superpowers. Why not take what that other kid says into account and stop getting all depressed about not being normal and instead appreciate that you can chop stuff with your mind. Or at least take a page out of Mob’s book and try to better yourself instead of crawling into a ball to be a whiny little Shinji. Maybe this might be your thing but I will say there are likely better alternatives to what this show will likely end up being.

Potential: 35%

Mario: I have my worried when it comes to Edogawa Ranpo’s inspiration as Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace last year was terrible. Trickster seems to follow the same path because the writing is its weakest component. I have an issue with shows that display random crimes for no apparent reasons; not that they don’t happen in real life but casual crimes like these just to show the bad side of people, or in this case just to show off how amazing our main character is (the schoolgirl is kidnapped by two thugs just to be rescued by our boy), is heartless and lazy. The dialogues are contrived; characters speak with their one-note tones throughout this episode. The twists are half-baked and the characters themselves are not all that interesting. The shot compositions and the use of strong color, on the other hand, are flawless. The scene in the fire sequence for example, everything is just bathed in red and black that resonate to the theme of isolation and the dark, gritty world. But those alone cannot save the show and if you can’t get pass the lousiness of the monologue in the very first sequence, chances are the rest of Trickster ain’t going to change your mind.

Potential: 10%

 

Shakunetsu no Takkyuu Musume

Short Synopsis:

These girls take ping pong way too seriously. Anyway I am a bit disappointed with this one, not because it’s cute girls doing cute things because that was a given. It’s because I thought that ping pong would make for some pretty interesting animation. But the animation of this episode was bare bones. It’s passable for the story though it’s clear with the number of still frames and shots aiming to present the least amount of animation on screen as possible. The character designs are a bit miss here as well as the girl’s eyes are freakishly huge. I haven’t seen eyes like this since Kanon. My original point in my season preview still stand but it seems like the anime actually toned down the fanservice. A good point for it but sadly negated because we still have the terrible boob jokes and it still is what it is. With the lacking animation I am afraid the ping pong loses a lot of it’s appeal and what remains is a sports show that’s bound to go nowhere and the always overdone cute girl antics. Chances are the other cute girls type shows this season would be a better alternative. Though I believe I did hear word that long bikers was no longer airing this season.

Potential: 10%

Mario: We get to the first “cute girls doing cute things” show of this season. This time it’s all about ping pong. For those kinds of show there are 3 words that best described their quality: cute but inoffensive. This goes the same for this one. It’s nice (and make my job easier I would say) to just watch the first episode, you could tell right away the show’s direction for the rest of the season (playing National Championship), their conflict (first the main girl has to fix her attitude problem, then her, the new girl and two other girls will form a school team to compete regional-wise, then head out to national tournament), their main opponent (the creepy smiling girl). Everything is as clear as daylight so you don’t have to think too hard. The cuteness aspect is all there and sadly it doesn’t offer anything distinctively. I also found the ‘new girl stuck on a gate’ joke a bit overused and those boob jokes are certainly not gain you any fan. This is a harmless little show and I’m pretty sure it’s content to be just that.

Potential: 10%

 

Soushin Shoujo Matoi

Short Synopsis:

This show really wasn’t quite was I was expecting. i was anticipating either a straightforward magical girl show or a dark magical girl show in disguise but this episode was a kind of mix between the two with much more comedy. The opening scene had military commencing an attack on a mysterious beast and was so vastly different from  the promotional material that I was wondering if I mistakenly picked the wrong show. Then some girl with a giant mecha shows up and I wonder where the genre from the first few minutes went. After this came a light hearted and comedy driven antics and I finally started to see the show I was intending to watch. Judging based on the first few minutes I would say this show was dull and tonally awkward but the remainder of the episode fared better. There is still a bit of a tonal problem as anything dealing with the monster was deathly serious but when it came to Matoi the tone became pure slapstick comedy. The scenes with Matoi were almost studio Trigger-eqe in a way. My opinion on this is rather mixed as some things I liked here but there were also things I hated quite a bit. That last joke about her father mistaking her for his wife when she was in Magical girl form and then him feeling her up was in bad taste. Also if mecha girl from earlier is joining the cast I can see this getting a bit bland. I say wait maybe one or two more episodes to see how this show pans out

Potential: 55%

Mario: Matoi has its messy first episode, but ultimately a rewarding one. This is an original show from White Fox right after the success of Re:Zero. This originality explains the tonal issues as this show tries to be many things, and they might not work together as a whole. On one hand they attempt to go for a bright, coming-of-age story of Matoi as she gains her magical power and how she both manages to control her power and fits in with her normal, mundane life. On the other hands those supernatural monsters are dark and fearsome, and the plot goes much darker and more intense. At some points the show just doesn’t quite sure which side it’s going to be. But to say that this show has a lot of potentials to be a good (but uneven) show. The fighting sequences are fresh and creative, the fundamental theme of exorcising evil spirits is promising; the characters have great chemistry to each other (most notably, Matoi and her dad and Matoi with her friend Yuma). Still, that awkward groping gives a chill down my spine and I hope this joke is just one-off. I have a feeling that this show will take 3,4 episodes before it can find its own footing, but I sure respect shows that willing to try than majority of shows that just content to be harmless.

Potential: 60%

Some Quick First Impressions: Touken Ranbu – Hanamaru, Magic-kyun! Renaissance and Vivid Strike

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Touken Ranbu – Hanamaru

Short Synopsis: Famous swords are turned into humans and have to stop strange monsters from changing history

Here’s a thought. If your show has so many characters that you literally cannot introduce them all in the first episode besides just flashing up a name when they appear then maybe you should rethink your cast. We start this episode with an action scene followed by a comedic chase as the series jumps from character to character flashing up names and just presenting personality quirks instead of genuine characterisation they just all blend together. By the time all the introductions were done I couldn’t remember who was who. Followed by a clunky infodump where the audience is told what exactly these swords turned humans do. The thing is I get what they are doing but I don’t really understand why. Apparently some mindless monster samurai’s can decide to interfere with history, why? Who knows? So some master sends swords owned by famous samurai to counter them and preserve history. Why are the swords doing this? Who knows? Of course it’s the first episode so answers to these questions could come later on. However this series just hasn’t given me any real reason to care. To me this looks like some kind of male version of Kantai collection and whatever entertainment that anyone can get out of it is reserved for fujoshi’s and fans of the game.

Potential: 0%

Mario: This ends up as a mixed bag for me. Based on a card game, that means I have a low expectation going for it, but it turns to be better than I thought. The first half of this episode first starts with a battle we know nothing about, then heads back to introduce their characters (about 15 of them), and then we have an info-dump section explains us their missions. Those moments are a recipe for disaster. We never have enough time to know about those characters, and each of them have their own quirks that for me make them over the top and I don’t feel them as actual human. But that precisely the point, for them are the incarnation of famous swords throughout the history. The second half plays out much better and that where the premise shines through. The character designs are attractive and the fight in the end is actually quite good to look at. The premise about them protecting the history has its merit, and I suspect in later episodes we will get to know each character (and their master tragic death) a little better so there still something that I can look forward for after this first episode. On last note, they are not good with comedy so I hope they would tone the comedy down in next episodes.

Potential: 40%

 

Magic-kyun! Renaissance

Short Synopsis: A girl attends a magic high school filled with prodigy boys.

Welcome to the world of Magic-kyun! Renaissance, were when someone does something artistic, a random invisible person grabs a fistful of glitter and shoves it into your eyes sockets. Well really it’s just that something artistic just shows out glowy sparkles  which attracts our main heroine who much like a bird follows after anything shiny. Speaking of our heroine she is standard reverse harem lead number 257, seeing as she has no really personality and is as bland as watching paint dry. Come on, even male Harem leads have more variety than this. Anyway this has to be the most pointless version of magic I have ever seen and all it seems to do it is create a light show when someone does something. And thus now all talent is judged by how pretty the light show is, instead of you know, the talent itself. Shown here as our main’s mother is a world famous…flower arranger. Didn’t quite think that putting flowers in a pot required that much skill but what do I know. After all I can’t create sparkles by writing about anime so clearly I am a talentless hack. There isn’t much to say about this one as it’s a pretty standard reverse harem with nothing particularly notable about it.

Potential: 0%

Mario: My god this show is soooo gorgeous to look at. Lustful color, grand staircases and castle-like buildings, and most notably, those sparkles make this production the best looking show I’ve seen this season. You could say they are over the top but I’m a fan of it. Unfortunately, the rest is just below-average. The cast, while charming in their own way, is all one-note creation. Making them a prodigy doesn’t help either, for all the quality we see about them is just the dressing on top of the salad. Our main female lead is your typical girl that somehow see the best in people and the male cast will eventually fall head over heel over her. The way she encounters the “king” (I know, I know) on her first day at school is your typical girl’s daydreaming (I mean, she even falls from the stairs into his arms for Christ sake). The little fact that she’s a daughter of a famous artista just keeps bringing up in this episode to the point of annoying. The story is not worth anyone time but the magic the cast performs and the candy-looking production are what this show shines for.

Potential: 20%

 

Vivid Strike

Short Synopsis: A girl is picked off the street and asked to join a martial arts gym.

This isn’t the same magical girl show I watched in the first season. In fact I am not sure we can even classify this as magical girl anymore as it seems to have tossed aside any resemblance to it. The last Vivid series was produced by A-1 Pictures and was an adaption of a manga but this time we have Seven Arcs back in to make a new anime original series. So gone are the days of Nanoha making friends by blasting them with laser beams and instead we have magical girls literally kicking the crap out of each other. What makes it stranger is that I am quite ok with this. It looks like this series can stand alone as the events of Vivid don’t seem to be all that important and the events of Nanoha even less so. There’s no big bad to defeat in order to save the world but instead this girl wants to get stronger so she can knock some sense into her old childhood friend, who’s currently the reigning 15 age range champion in the martial arts world. The fight animation is quite exhilarating and the tension reminds me a lot of Hajime no Ippo which is a very good thing in my book. This franchise has never been particularly deep but it is an enjoyable simple story and after having trying to grin and bare through a number of pretty bad to flawed shows, a bit of fun is something I really need. I plan to keep up with this though I won’t be blogging it.

Potential: 60%

Mario: Again, I’m not familiar with the original Nanoha Vivid, but in a way it gives me a fresher perspective on this spin-off. Let me be frank but I’m not a fan with the show’s art characters. For once you rarely allow girls to have long hair when playing sports, and then there are many girls with two different eye colors. For the martial art sport itself, it’s more like a kick-boxing style which I actually really like. And I enjoy the way they build up the conflict between the two leads, at the same time explore a bit about the rich/poor conflict. It’s nothing impressive of course but they do it just about right. The other supporting characters don’t fare well unfortunately, and if you are not familiar with the old seasons (like myself), the characters’ introduction when they literally introduce themselves one by one will give you headache. I like the main lead’s head strong personality and I see potentials in what to come (she joins in the club and they play tournament), so if you’re already a fan of Nanoha Vivid, or you like sports/fighting in general, you will have a good time with it, others might proceed with caution.

Potential: 35%

Some Quick First Impressions: WWW.Working!!, Bloodivores and Dream Festival!

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

WWW.Working!!

Short Synopsis: A guy is forced to get a part time job at a family restaurant after his dad loses his job, and runs into all sorts of antics.

K-Off: It’s well known by this point that Takatsu Karino is great at writing comedies, Wagnaria!! was a gem all the way through and Servant x Service was a memorable, dark horse of a comedy. But with that said, I’m almost slightly let down with WWW. Working. The first episode introduces us to a good blend of characters, and they seemed to have imported the Wagnaria formula, where most of the jokes would revolve around a character having opposite traits for comedic effect. Problem is, Wagnaria is now iconic enough to the point where it’s a problem when that same formula is stuck on a spin-off. It essentially feels more or less the same, and comparisons inevitably happen in the back of my head. But hey, the formula worked brilliantly in Wagnaria for three seasons, and yes the comedy was good in this episode. Nostalgia aside, the character introductions to this spin off was actually superior, the first episode of season 1 of Wagnaria really just focused on the short waitress and only introduced Inami at the end of the episode – here, all the staff have amusing intros. All in all, while it wasn’t the breath of fresh air I was looking for, it’s looking great, I wonder how it’ll eventually set itself apart. Aside from swapped character types.

ED: Catchy soundtrack, as expected of Working.

Potential: 80%

 

Mario: Well, I haven’t watched Wagnaria!! before but for my taste, I always prefer gag comedy. Maybe because it’s short and to the point, maybe because the pun is more focus and stronger, or just maybe because I like the messy and random nature of gags. www.Working works really well on me. The cast is a bunch of interesting weirdos. Sometimes they appear a bit one-note, but that precisely why the comedy works for me. It’s a tremendous job to introduce that huge cast in one episode, and by the end I actually remember most of them. This show is a perfect light watch in-between show, I know a lot of people will be put off by its slice-of-life and light hearted nature but this is my kind of show.

Potential: 50%

 

Bloodivores

Short Synopsis: Some vampires decide to rob a bank.

I always find it funny how a story can awkwardly avoid using an established term and instead resort to calling it by some other name despite it being completely identical. I recently played a game which has a magic system with four types. Pyro, Aqua, Terra, and Aero. Which are all basically alternative terms for Fire, water, earth and air. But I guess they didn’t want to use something so overused and gave it a different name despite the fact that changes absolutely nothing. Here we have bloodivores, otherwise known as vampires and I think that goes to show the level of writing we are dealing with. The writing is certainly flimsy and I can think of a few plot holes right off the bat. For one these vampires have some collars with a GPS function. But it only seems to activate in certain conditions instead of being constantly monitored. It’s conditions also seem to be really weird as a child’s crying counts as an attack, yet a vampire beating someone to death with a gun is apparently not? If you are going to the lengths of putting collars on them then why not have it inject a tranquilizer or blow up instead of having to send in a swat team? Honestly I could poke holes in this thing all day as the writing is fairly contrived and just dumb. The biggest failing is this episode ending with the cast getting shot to death by soldiers. Only to show a preview right after confirming they are all fine. The characters are nothing worth noting and the main is especially bland. Things could improve now that the setting has moved to prison but I doubt it’s going to leave any good impressions.

Potential: 0%

 

Mario: Like a heist within the episode itself, there’s a lot going on underneath of Bloodivores, I mean it in both good and bad ways. The bank robbery and the car chasing right at the beginning of the episode are easily its weakest points. Those moments are cliché and could only excite the most hardcore thriller fans, other than that it adds nothing to the table. The very nature of Bloodivores, people who drink blood to survive (aka vampires) is hinted quite effectively throughout this episode; both on the origin of those Bloodivores, and on how normal society look at them. The whole plot about who really behind all the murders, on the other hand, was undercooked. There’s just not enough cards on the table for us to know right now about the culprits, and the show doesn’t hook us enough for us to care. The main cast is bland and generic to say the least. I say compare to Hitori no Shita the Outcast last season (Chinese-web manhua adapted), Bloodivores is a step up, but still not good enough to catch our attention.

Potential: 30%

 

Dream Festival!

Short Synopsis: A boy is scouted by a male idol and..I guess…stuff…snore…

This is going to be the new bane of my existence, isn’t it? Boy Idol shows. I am not exactly sure what sparked this particular surge of boy idol anime but I can certainly say it makes my job a little harder. At least with light novel harems I am within the demographic and therefore I can judge it with a degree of confidence. However I am fairly certain that even if I was to spot a notable boy idol show that I wouldn’t be the kind of person who can assess it’s quality. But one thing that really kills me with these kinds of shows is the level of blind optimism that permeates though it’s being. For a cynical such as myself I find it poisonous to watch as I am certain if a boy smiled and tried to hand me a balloon I would tell him to bugger off. I certainly do think that being an idol is hardly easy but it being worthwhile is something I don’t quite agree with. Sure, work your ass off and maybe you can make terrible music while being the masturbation fantasy of preteen girls worldwide! Then there is this whole magic element were idols collect cheers from fans which change them magical girl style into fancy outfits. I question why this technology is being used for something so redundant and also why they aren’t standing on stage in the skimpiest outfits possible if they are dressing according to fan wishes. I am far too cynical for this stuff but I think even if I wasn’t this wouldn’t be noteworthy.

Potential: 0%

 

Mario: Wow, the story within this first episode is not unlike a patchwork of many under-written pieces put together. With this kind of story, you pretty much need to shut down all your logical sense and go with the flow; because plot holes just keep popping up like an overcooked popcorn. Let see, we follow a hot guy to hand out balloon for 5,6 hours. While he’s attentive and gives smile to everyone, he happens to overlook the one person who was sitting there the whole time? That guy was offered to audition for the company, but he’s declined. But soon after someone else mocking him that he can’t do it; he’s getting fired up and later want to join the company? How about the concert in which he has no knowledge of before, but when he’s on stage he performs flawlessly? And then we have the Dorika cards which supposedly… a fan cheers? And what’s up with those exclamations (!!!!!!). The only point I could give in all honesty is its absolute positive attitude regarding idols industry (you know, hard but rewarding), but that point also has its fair share of problems, isn’t it?

Potential: 0%

Some Quick First Impressions: Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku, Tiger Mask W and Shuumatsu no Izetta

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Some Quick First Impressions

Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku

Short Synopsis: A girl is given a chance to become a real magical girl after being selected by a phone app.

I am quite glad that this series has managed to avoid the missteps of many a Madoka follower and restraint itself from going dark too fast. Commonly new Dark Mahou shoujo attempt to one up Madoka by shoving dark events right from the start without any buildup which ultimately falls flat. This show did give us a preview of the darkness to come with it’s opening scene but it did spend the rest of the episode setting up the characters and life as a magical girl first. Most importantly it managed to take steps to differentiate itself from Madoka with how it’s magical girl system works and even with the curveball it threw regarding a certain magical girl’s identity. Our main character looks to embody the morals of Magical girl etiquette which should serve to be prime entertainment when her view of magical girls is horribly destroyed. There doesn’t seem to really be any noteable characters yet but I will say that the design of the mascot character is without a doubt inspired by a certain monobear. Based on the ending scene we may have a magical girl battle royale on our hands and I am most certainly all in. I don’t think this will dethrone Madoka from the dark mahou shoujo genre but I say there is room for another dark Mahou Shoujo in anime.

Potential: 70%

 

Mario: Here comes another dark magical girl anime in the wake of Madoka. This episode’s main objective is to lay out all the groundwork of being a typical magical girl, and it does a good job at that. Koyuki is a perfect protagonist for this show because she’s a dreamer; she’s a pure-light magical girl with the most noble desires. Having her crushed down and her moral ripped apart will be a roller-coaster ride. Two things I’m already digging on the show’s approach. First, they actually spend time to develop our main character and her moments with another cast feel just about right. Second, there are many hints towards a darker side (the way all other magical girls don’t look like typical ones: they look like a ninja, a knight, a witch for example). Well, as I said before, in order to do a genre reconstruction, you need to establish all the genre-tropes first before you move them apart and assemble its pieces again. We’re still waiting for that twist coming and until then we don’t know for sure about the show’s quality. This first episode though succeeds in what it sets out to be.

Potential: 70%

 

Tiger Mask W

Short Synopsis: After there mentor is brutally beaten in a wrestling match, two men train to become legendary tiger wrestlers to seek revenge.

I wonder if King from Tekken was inspired by this anime character. Just a mild musing I had while watching this episode. My orignal estimates about this not having any realistic wrestling are pretty much proven byt it’s first scene, were a wrestler proceeds to slash open a guys chest in the ring with clawed gloves. The like of which would hardly be allowed in a real ring. This is old style anime gentlemen, were men were men and everything was hot blooded and completely ridiculous. Naturally this series is going for the nostalgia factor with it making use of old tropes of anime. Subtlety is throw out the window and people shout and awkwardly voice their feelings/thoughts into rather clunky dialogue. There isn’t much to say about it other than it is what it is and it’s really all a matter of whether that’s your thing or not. This is cheesy 80s style anime which is mindless entertainment at best. Though there isn’t anything wrong with being just that.

Potential: 40%

 

Mario: Based on the manga that came out almost 40 years ago, this show sure brings back some memory from decades old classic anime. The character designs are your typical shounen art styles: plain, muscular, simple. The action is fast-pace and the animation is quite limited. But there’s a certain charm in this retro, campy style as all the characters commit themselves to be as over the top as ever. This is also a very masculine show, and clearly tell a story about men. From the sport wrestling, muscular characters, to “the spirits of the true man”, fight-until-you-die mentality, all that direct to one main theme: men are awesome. The retro feel and the larger than life characters are what sell the show. Viewers who are fan of Jojo (without that dog cruelty, this time though it’s bear who is a victim) and viewers who look for pure fun can rely on this show.

Potential: 40%

 

Shuumatsu no Izetta

Short Synopsis: A princess of a country on the verge of being taken over encounters a witch she met in the past.

As far as first episodes go I will say this shows promise but you are likely wondering that if it does show promise then why would I give it such a low potential rating? Well apart from the series composer having shaky quality, I felt a certain sense while watching this. I feel like this is going to fall flat on it’s face and hard. There isn’t really a lot to support this notion of mine but the writing is rather shaky. I for one raised an eyebrow when at the beginning a officer shot his own men after they  inquired about the top secret weapon and yet they decide to transport the princess with the top secret weapon and even told her it when she was eying the steel case. Maybe it’s because the opening of this episode reminded me a bit of Code Geass but it really does feel like this one will fall in quality. Ultimately what will decide whether I am right or not is where the story goes from here. This episode essentially set up a boy meets girl scenario(Or girl meets girl in this case.) and we only know a few members of the cast. One thing I find odd is that they refer to the Princess as a tomboy when she isn’t really doing anything that would make her been seen as a tomboy. So far she’s just a rather stereotypical anime princess and not very interesting. The villains look to have a little more going on but still not quite enough yet. For now I give this a cautious recommendation and I really hope they don’t focus hard of yuri between the two leads. Though considering the series composer i the same guy behind Vividred operation…I think we will be seeing quite a bit of yuri fanservice.

Potential: 50%

 

Mario: Personally, I’ve always enjoyed European landscapes more than any other places so this show is a treat for me. The art designs (given both character designs and background designs) and that European fictional WW2 settings are done very brilliantly. I like how they handle the on-going backstory war, and everything so far is solid… until the titular witch wakes up. I honestly don’t know the direction the show would take, but I’m a bit skeptical because I feel the main relationship could be a major letdown. This is also a very feminine show, and tell a story about strong women who stand up for themselves (women are awesome). The princess is a strong-head, intelligence and passionate lead (in other words, an interesting protagonist) and the chemistry between her and the witch could be a make-or-break factor to the overall quality of the show. The writing is a bit shaky so far (the princess “happens” to be on a same plane with the witch, or the bit where the lieutenant nearly decides to kill the princess. Really? That’s how you treat an important POW?), but I’m just being nit-pick as the rest of the story flows quite well. The fact that this is an original anime also put the score up a bit for me. We need more of anime titles like that. And what the heck with those fan-service shots? It’s just totally out of place and immediately cheapens the whole production.

Potential: 65%

91 Days Review – 68/100

by AidanAK47, posted in 91 Days, Anime Reviews, Currently Watching:, Reviews by AidanAK47

When taking up the job of checking out every anime season you really can starve for something different. Variety is the spice of life and yet the entertainment industry seems determined to give us more of the same. So in the sea of average high school students gaining superpowers and harems I see an anime promising a classic Mafia drama and say sing me the hell up. The story is of a boy called Angelo, who joins the mafia to enact a plot of revenge against those who murdered his family. As the likes of Joker Game and Gangsta proved, doing something different does not automatically make it great. I will say that 91 Days succeeded in avoiding the failures of those respective series but sadly the result is a decent anime. While great to some this story does seem alright despite it really feeling like it should be more. It has it’s good moments, even some great moments and it makes no major missteps in it’s delivery. This is a solid series without doubt but I sadly never got as invested as I really should have been.

Part of the reason for this could be to the nature of the storytelling which goes the opposite route of most anime by having characters thoughts not be narrated by monologue and instead shown through actions. Certainly a fresh take but sadly the series tends to keep the audience too much in the dark about what is really going on in people’s heads which makes the finales emotional climax fall hollow as the characters actions don’t really convey the depth of their intentions or feelings. Another thing is the story’s tendency of foreshadowing developments moments before being revealed. Whenever a character gets development or focus it often means they are about to be removed from the plot entirely or are the focus of that episode’s twist. A police chief is introduced decides to take on the mafia one episode but in that very same episode he is scared off and hereby removed from the remaining plot. This kind of thing happens numerous times through 91 Day’s run and as a result the characters that remain end up being those we have the least attachment to. There is also the matter that this show is a slow burn that continues to the end here it finally fizzles out instead of exploding. Our main character is far too stoic to really relate with and thus like him the audience is equally unmoved by the events that unfold before him. Only at times when the perspective changes to another more relatable character does this show start to shine.

Studio Shuka managed to avoid major quality drops in the animation and art of 91 Days but it does remain a show that couldn’t really be called visually impressive. The greatest strength of this series is it’s ability to evoke the mood and atmosphere of classic mafia film to which it references and homages quite a bit. I consider this series to be a unique identity within anime but sadly not an outstanding one. Depending on your taste you could come to love this series and with a Baccano style dub it could gain a cult following, however I am afraid it didn’t quite hit the notes for me. It has merit for being what it is and I applaud the choice to try such a novel concept in animation but it never quite reached the potential it could have. In truth this proves that one can copy the style of Mafia movies but without the heart all you really have is something temporarily charming but fundamentally hollow. Much like every movie gangster feels when it’s his time to bite the bullet.

Mob Psycho 100 Review – 80/100

by AidanAK47, posted in Anime Reviews, Mob Psycho 100, Reviews by AidanAK47

After the explosive popularity of One Punch Man it really was a high bar that another work of the author ONE had to reach. While it didn’t quite manage that it still differentiated itself enough to allow it to be a worthy anime of it’s own right. But admittedly that will depend on whether this anime is for you or not. Boasting a massively experimental animation style over the rough drawing style of the artist, this show is visually dynamic from start to finish though at times can get chaotic. Our story is about a boy called Mob who has immense psychic power. Mob wishes to live out his life normally as an ordinary person but is drawn into conflict when he meets those of the supernatural side of the world. The focus of the story is mainly on the themes of adjusting to society and bettering yourself as a person while having some good humor thrown in so things don’t get too serious. Whether you find this show funny or not will depend on your sense of humor as I got a chuckle out of it but for the most part merely found the jokes amusing.

Mob Psycho 100 tauts some fairly impressive action sequences but these scenes are often filler for personal character development which the show does deliver in spades. Mob appears at first to be an emotionless depan protagonist but as the show continues you can see he is anything but. Even side characters and villains have their own personal arcs or insights into life. I wouldn’t consider this a deep show by any means but it does offer some nice food for thought as well as general good life lessons. The story does somewhat dag when a villain organisation called Claw becomes involved and some character arcs and battles tend to end on a interesting but low key note instead of a more explosive alternative. The show ends with a number of loose ends which only a second season can address and could leave viewers unsatisfied as they are left off with a small skit regarding Mob and his mentor to end the season.

Character development is what drives this series and carries it as we see the personal struggles of Mob and his friends as they are influenced by mentor and villain alike. Reigan is a particular stand out member of the cast with his charisma and boundless confidence despite being a powerless conman. Even comes to steal the show by series end and goes from being an unlikable scumbag to a flawed but great influence on Mob. Music wise I can’t saying I have any complaints but I don’t really recall a particular tune that stuck out in my head besides the catchy opening theme. Pacing of the plot could speed up too fast at times but never to the point of becoming a major detriment. Overall I say if you want an animation showcase with good themes and a pinch of humor thrown in then I wholeheartedly recommend Mob Psycho 100. If you are looking for One Punch Man season 2, well I say keep waiting for season 2.

Some Quick First Impressions: Time Bokan 24, Heybot!, Monster Hunter Stories: Ride On

by SuperMario, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

And here it comes. The first impressions are on your way. Start up with the children’s shows

Time Bokan 24

Short Synopsis: A kid is kidnapped by a time-travel rhinoceros beetle machine on his way to school, soon to find out he’s destined to be the one (going back time to find a ‘true’ history)

Mario: Your typical kid show where super-team kids have to go back history to find the real (and somehow “funny”) history. While the show has some merit in its premise (who doesn’t like the idea to go past time and witness what really happened in our history), Time Bokan 24 doesn’t really care to dig deep into the historical figures or events. Take this first episode for example, the only trait Cleopatra possesses in textbook history is ‘beautiful’, so the twist is that they are actually a comedy husband-and-wife unattractive-but-charming duo. No, it doesn’t make any sense for me either. And being billed as an action kid show, of course there is an action mecha fight out of nowhere in the climax. I haven’t mentioned any of the leads simply because by the end of this episode I already forget about them. This isn’t worth anyone time.

Potential: 0%

 

Heybot!

Short Synopsis: A kid was sent away on his birthday to find his precious “screw”, then he finds “the one” (Heybot robot)

Mario: Imagine my utmost amazement when I actually find Heybot occasionally funny and entertaining. Yes, this is a series about a toy product, and the comedy is so randomly and throw at your face from every angle that its misses are as consistent as its hits. But for a children’s show to be this loose, and still remains entertaining on top of that, it’s a joy to watch. The main thing that makes this first episode really work is that Heybot never takes itself seriously, but instead keep “screwing” around. In this world (Screw Kingdom), everyone loves screw. For a kid show, the amount of hidden sexual jokes are overwhelming, if one really notices it. Lines like “Battery virgin”, “It’s a screw hole, so it means I stick it in, and screw”. “Feel so good!” could give any parents a hard time when watching with kids, but I’m glad the show sticks with it. The plot is as nonsensical as it could get, but you’re not watching this show for plot, you watch it for (the love of) screw!

Potential: 25%

 

Monster Hunter Stories: Ride On

Short Synopsis: A kid on his way to collect and hatch a monster egg, soon to find out that he’s destined to be the one (to be a monster rider).

Mario: Monster Hunter doesn’t offer much context, except being a harmless kid action show. The plot of a kid who finds a monster egg to hatch, and later eventually become “the one” is a story that already been told thousand times. For what it’s worth the cast is generic but at least they aren’t annoying; and the monster designs look just like those monsters from Yugioh TCG. The backgrounds, as expected from children show, are colorful. The same can be said with those monsters and our character’s hairs. I have not much else to talk about this show unfortunately. This show is not a waste of time per se but there’s nothing truly stand out from it either.

Potential: 0%

A Closer Look: The Flowers of Evil

by SuperMario, posted in Random Anime Recommendations, Uncategorized

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Well, after the Versus Show, how about some in-depth anime discussions this time? In this section I will talk in more details about anime/ manga that I’m passionate about. Please note that this is not an actual review. Honestly, I never truly agree with the concept of reviewing (and rating for that matters) at arts, at something we suppose to feel subjectively. If I want to review that much I’d rather be critic. But I’m not, at heart I’m an anime fan who love this medium just like you guys. This in-depth piece not only give me a deeper look at the works that cut me deeply, it’s also serve as a reminder of why I love anime in the first place.

Lately, the world of The Flowers of Evil just can’t seem to escape me, which is quite reasonable to be honest because psychological drama is always my thing. After all, one of my favourite director is Ingmar Bergman. For those who say this is a horror work: NO, it’s not. It feels more like TERROR for me, something that can happen in real life (while horror’s main intention is to scare you, period). I re-watched the anime again after its airing back in 2013, and this time I managed to read the manga to see how it all ends up. Thank god that the manga is finished so I don’t have to wait for months for the next chapters to come. Flowers of Evil is one of the best anime/manga out there to really understand the dark side of growing up, the detachment to the world they live in, the self-confusion, the teen-angst and the obsession and destructive relationships. I will discuss in details below, really whatever springs on my mind. As this is obvious a spoiler-heavy post, please read it at your own risk.

(Read More)

Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World Review – 91/100

by AidanAK47, posted in Anime Reviews, Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World, Reviews by AidanAK47

I will be the first to admit that this is very much a biased review as I have come to love this series very dearly and will now proceed to devour every piece of entertainment related to it that I can find until the day a second season is confirmed. The story involves a boy who is suddenly transported to a fantasy world while shopping and follows his adventure to save a girl from a gruesome fate. However what makes this different for the usual fare is that our protagonist has no magic superpowers or special abilities besides one. When he dies he returns to a point back in time and can use his new knowledge to guide things to a better outcome. With this the story follows the Subaru’s tale as he goes through time loops till the point when he can make things right. All the while dealing with the heavy psychological scars of suffering death time and time again. As you can tell Subaru is the one with the most focus and also gets the bulk of the character development for the show.

His transformation is a fascinating one which makes him one of the more interesting protagonists to come out of anime in a while. Subaru is flawed selfish character which differentiates him from the heroic white knight he wishes people to see him as. It makes him remarkably refreshing when compared to the heroes of these kinds of stories as he is unmistakably human. Subaru usually doesn’t truly fight the villains he faces but instead helps and guides those who can defeat them. The story can get quite dark as Subaru deals with some pretty heavy PTSD and a world that is outright cruel and unforgiving to a normal human being.

White Fox did a great job in bringing this story to life though the art style could be better and when compared to the animation powerhouses of Ufotable or madhouse it does fall short. But it gives the fights of the series the dynamic movement and focus to make action exhilarating. Presentation overall is marvelous and adaption of the source isn’t perfect but is pretty good nonetheless.  The music deserves special mention as the staff aimed for a more cinematic feel to the sound and it really shows. The thing that really makes the best moments of this series hit hardest is the music playing at that time. Though equal praise can go to the voice actors who just did a great job throughout.

One particular standout choice when adapting this was to on several occasions cut out the opening and ending to put in more content. As a result the opening and ending of the show is not often used but in exchange we get over an extra episodes worth of content from the series. As sparingly used as they are, the opening and ending do a decent job of showing what the show is about and the songs are serviceable. Animation remains fairly consistent throughout the run with the director compensating for what drops in quality there are with atmosphere and suitable use of still frames.

Despite my praises for this show I will admit that there are a number of things here which could not to be to anothers liking. I do adore this show but it is far from perfect and if some cannot find enjoyment in it I can at least see why. For a few examples, the main heroine of the show remains a fairly bland one dimensional character for this season and for the most part is completely overshadowed by the female cast of the series second half. As the series continues she seems to assume a role of a plot device to keep the story moving forward. Subaru’s meta jokes can be rather annoying and can grate on a viewer’s nerves. As well as Subaru’s general attitude which can border on obnoxious at times. The villains of each arc while serviceable and likeable to extent lack any real character depth and have motivations that range from gleeful sadism to just performing a job.

When a story arc of the series ends the series feels rather directionless up until the point that Subaru starts looping again. Despite the series going to great lengths to show Subaru as an average human being with no superpowers, the story still cheats and has him perform some clearly superhuman feats such as welding a club his own size with one hand and performing some ridiculous midair acrobatics. This is also the question that the story tends to veer away from is the matter of Subaru’s past and more importantly the family he left behind in his old world which is never addressed or elaborated on.

Due to the adaption cutting out material it can seem at times that Subaru is pulling solutions out of nowhere. The level of sadism the plot pushes on our protagonist can get a bit too much, particularly during the middle part of the series. This sadism is offset by the times when Subaru gets his act together and suddenly everyone is praising him which can feel disingenuous on the author’s part. Moreover even if the story does aim to go against the trends of standard Light Novel storytelling, it still does rely on standard tropes for the fountain of the cast. Therefore the cast that doesn’t get developed can be a bit run of the mill, a primary example being Beatrix who by all accounts is a pretty standard tsundere loli. Subaru also appears to be gathering a harem of girls by series end. Lastly the entirely of this 2 cour series feels only to be a prologue of a much grander story to come which at this point in time may not be animated. Yes if you dislike this series I can at least get as to why that may be but even if the reasons above are not contributing factors, the story is of a kind of love it or hate it quality.

That said if you do take a liking to it then it will have you hooked from start to finish. Re:Zero uses a lot of cliffhangers leaving you scrambling for the next episode and has a very addictive quality about it that can make episodes breeze by in what feels like minutes to the viewer. Characters may start out stereotypical but quite a number of them become absolutely lovable by the shows end. The battles in the show feel high stakes as with the nature of Subaru’s power allows the possibility that everyone can die at any given moment, giving battles a tension not seen often in stories. The cinematic feel can lead to some truly outstanding moments with the end of episode 15 being a massive high point. Re:Zero is a story that starts good, becomes very good ten episodes in and by episode fifteen it becomes great. I do think that this will be an anime to be remember and one still recommended years from now.

It ends with a fairly decent conclusion but it is true that this really needs a sequel to truly make use of the plot points brought in it’s last episodes. Even if you hate it, you must admit there is a reason this show is as popular as it is and when it comes to over excited new anime fans, which would prefer they be throwing at there friends claiming it’s is the pinnacle of anime? This? Or Sword Art Online? An anime where you have to work and suffer to earn your happy ending? Or an anime where everything is handed to you, you are praised for being super special and important for no reason? I know which of the two I prefer and I say instead of a new SAO movie we just pump out two more seasons(Or more) of this. I don’t care what needs to be done to accomplish that, get on it White Fox. Good work, keep it up, I look forward to buying the Blu-Rays and Rem is best girl. I will accept no debate on that last matter. Good day.

The Versus Show: Haibane Renmei vs. From the New World

by SuperMario, posted in Other:, Uncategorized

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It’s party time again. Time for another round of The Versus Show. This time though, I’m not content with limit myself with shows with the same rating so I bend the rules a bit (Heck, even though I was the one who made that rule to begin with). After all, rest assured that my utmost intention is to pick a tight matchup for you guys here. This time it’s a match between Haibane Renmei (94/100) and From the New World (90/100).

While these two shows at first seem like a weird match, there are many elements that these two shows share more than meets the eyes here. While I always consider Haibane Renmei to be bright and From the New World to be dark, this is not always the case as well, as if you would remember the last few episodes of Haibane Renmei is as dark and twisted as any From the New World’s moments. Both world depicted in the two shows is a closed society that have walls, barriers that meant to protect our group of characters, but actually hints that these barriers are meant to shield those characters away from the rest of the world. Within that society, there are many rules that should not be broken. Both series follow the group of characters with “special abilities” and how they live in their world. They share many themes together as well: how to cope with the loss of a friend, the identity of themselves, the well define but always mysterious world they inhabit (and most famously they trust the audience enough to not spill out everything, instead letting us slowly realize that world by ourselves), the notion of God; religion and the living race. Now without any further ado, let’s run them down:

Habaine Renmei

Haibane Renmei

Studio: Radix

Season: Fall 2002

Episodes: 13

Source: Other

MAL Rating: 8.08

All Rakka remembers before emerging from her cocoon is the sensation of falling. Confused, she is welcomed into this new world as one of the Haibane, a group of youth with small gray wings and bright halos. Together, they live in the Old Home on the outskirts of Grie, a quiet town where wingless, halo-less people live. (from MAL)

Psgel said in his original review:

“Haibane Renmei truly is one of the best slice-of-life series I have ever seen! It first takes four episodes of building up, introducing its unique setting and its characters, and then it waltzes the viewer down with one of the most amazing storylines, perfectly fitted for 13 episodes.

The thing is, that I’m having a lot of trouble finding anything bad to say about this series. Most series have obvious flaws, like dragging on too much, spending little time on their settings, making no sense, but Haibane seems to have done everything right. The only thing you should note is that you need to get through the first four episodes, which are nice to watch, but nowhere near as emotional as the rest of the series.”

 

Versus

 

From the New World

From the New World

Studio: A-1 Pictures

Season: Fall 2012

Episodes: 25

Source: Novel

MAL Rating: 8.53

Following a sudden outbreak of psychokinesis in 0.1% of the population, a rapid transformation swept the world. The godlike ability to manipulate matter remotely turned many power wielders to violence, inciting a long period of upheaval. Finally, after a chaotic era shaped by the rise and fall of oppressive regimes, the psychic humans were able to achieve a fragile peace by isolating their society, creating a new world bound by complex rules. In the town of Kamisu 66, 12-year-old Saki Watanabe has just awakened to her powers and is relieved to rejoin her friends—the mischievous Satoru Asahina, the shy Mamoru Itou, the cheerful Maria Akizuki, and Shun Aonuma, a mysterious boy whom Saki admires—at Sage Academy, a special school for psychics. However, unease looms as Saki begins to question the fate of those unable to awaken to their powers, and the children begin to get involved with secretive matters such as the rumored Tainted Cats said to abduct children. (from MAL)

psgels wrote that:

“It’s hard to really talk about the story without spoiling, but let’s just say that you should not think that even though there are kids in this series, it’s kid-friendly. Shin Sekai Yori is DARK. It uses a lot of build-up to get to where it’s going, but when it’s there it makes one hell of an impact. It has created this unique setting for itself, and it takes a while to set everything up, but that also makes this series quite varied in its mood. The setting has got a lot of depth to it, and the creators actually managed to pull a ton of potential out of it.

It’s definitely not a show for everyone. Let alone the dark parts, this is a show for people who are looking for something experimental. A show that isn’t afraid to trip itself up over and over for its vision. And believe me: the vision that this series has is amazing.”

 

From the New World seems to have a slightly bit of advantage, being 25 episodes and just aired from the last few years. But our blog always has had a big veteran crowd and people who watched Habaine Renmei really do love it. So I think this is a tighter match than you would think.

 

Now to the result of the last poll, while Steins;Gate had always maintained a very comfy lead, the end result here is actually tight. As of this writing, there are 191 people who anticipated (I will keep the poll open for any late-comer, so if you missed it, don’t worry). Well 54.5% to 45.5% is not bad at all, huh?

poll

As zeroyuki92 nicely summarize it: “This time I quite decisively pick Steins;Gate, though. Madoka quality overall is more balanced, and yeah S;G early part (and side arcs) is rather weak. However, the ultimate payoff of S;G is much more rewarding compared to Madoka.”

el-psy-congroo

Shout out what you think on the comment section below, and we’re welcome to any suggestion as well. The last thing that I want to stress we’re here to provide a positive atmosphere as much as possible, so please respect other reader’s comments.

That’s all for now, HAPPY VOTING!