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Some Quick First Impressions: Ace Attorney(Gyakuten Saiban), JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – Diamond is Unbreakable and Mayoiga

April 4, 2016 by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Ace Attorney(Gyakuten Saiban)

Short Synopsis: Our protagonist is a lawyer that says “Objection!!”

Its as I feared. For you see in video game adaptions you have to rip out a core part of the experience and pray that another aspect has enough strength to hold it’s own. In this case it clearly cannot do that as all tension was ripped from the situation. This is admittedly the tutorial case for the game and watching the anime it’s clear that an anime only watcher could notice that. The dialogue that clearly made reference to game mechanics and the visual text boxes that are clearly there for the fans of the games. In the games the tension of the case was there because it was you who was looking over the court record and finding inconsistencies in the witnesses statement. When you cut out that aspect it just feels like Phoenix(Calling him Naruhodo just feels weird to me) is pulling the answers out of nowhere with little effort. This could be remedied in future episodes as we follow him investigating the case but it won’t fix the problems in presentation. This entire episode just felt off. The beginnings pacing was too fast, the music felt inappropriate and terrible, art is passable at best and something wasn’t right about the animation. To me this feels like it wasn’t a top priority project for A-1 pictures and something about it just makes it seem lazy. But perhaps the fault simply is that Ace Attorney can’t transition to anime because it’s game format was an important part of it’s charm.

Potential: 30%

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – Diamond is Unbreakable

Short Synopsis: Once again a new Jojo must face a Bizarre enemy

The first thing you will notice is the art style which is very evocative of the Bronze age of comic books. It takes some getting used to but it is a rather interesting style despite the strange use of colour. It seems I will be able to enjoy this series without watching the rest of stardust crusaders as we seem to be on a brand new storyline. My only question being just why is Jotaru’s cap fused with his skull? Did something happen or is that just a weird design choice? Either way this is looking to be a return to form for Jojo as our new protagonist has a much more interesting power and personality. His way of snapping when someone makes fun of his hair is quite amusing and the weird method he has of fighting opens up a whole new layer of possibilities with future encounters. The presentation is very old school and has a certain charm to it. If you seen Jojo you know what to expect here and I can say it’s still delivers on that. Whether it can keep up the steam depends on how this Arc turns out.

Potential: 70%

Mayoiga

Short Synopsis: A group of crazies are on a bus trip to a secret village to start their lives over.

While it hasn’t been confirmed, it looks to be certain this is a horror anime. For this episode has ominous vibes throughout and I like that. There is a lot of potential here in the eerie atmosphere and a huge cast full of mentally unstable characters each with their own problems. Of course because it’s such a huge cast there are a number of stereotypes present. A rapper, a chuunibyou, a delinquent, smart glasses guy…the anime spends five minutes just having each one introduce themselves. There are a few interesting one such as a girl with obsessive compulsive disorder and a girl wearing a hoodie who looks to know more about this than the others. I would complain that this is far too huge a cast for a twelve episode series but there are heavy hints that a lot of these people will be killed off. I am fairly interested in what is to come but I am also worried as horror such as this requires a subtle hand. Subtlety is not Okadas strong point. I like the foreshadowing this episode had but a lot of up was in your face. Such as two songs that happened to have grim lyrics and some pretty big signs that these people are already dead and this is some kind of purgatory. Okada is going to need to restrain herself and not up the melodrama to cartoonishly exaggerated degrees for this horror to be good. Still I wouldn’t mind a nice anime slasher flick myself either. There’s a lot to like here but I need to see just what Okada is going to do with this setup and characters. I hope she pulls through on this because anime horror is sorely needed by the medium.

Potential: 80%

Schwarzesmarken – 65/100

April 1, 2016 by AidanAK47, posted in Anime Reviews, Reviews by AidanAK47, Schwarzesmarken

Schwarzesmarken is a strange title in that it has a setting with fantastic potential yet the story is dampened by a rushed pacing and Missing characterisation. Despite this there are signs of a greater story under the hood and at times that story can shine despite haphazard adaption. The Stasi make for a great villain in how they impose a level of Orwellian control over East Germany which makes characters hold suspicions about another being a Stasi spy. All the while an Alien threat pushes East Germany into a corner as it deals with enemies both inside and outside. On top of the divided west Germany standing on the sidelines to see who schemes his way to leadership. All the while other countries dip their fingers in attempts to use Germany for its own ends. It’s all a tangled web of power struggles for a country facing total destruction which makes for some great situations which this show can become most engaging.

The strongest element of this show is its setting which is surprisingly authentic to real Germany of that time. A good amount of research went into various elements of this show. From the type of cars used to trains and even stories read to children. The internal politics of the situation are engaging and it does have a strong set of episodes around its middle regarding a character called Lise. Watching the power struggle between the governing parties helps remedy the insufficient level of character development present in the series. Characters can have drastic changes and it often feels as though a chunk of their character arc had been tossed aside to fit a one cour series. Characters who barely shared two sentences can switch from indifferent to each other to being close trusting allies. Frankly it’s jarring and makes you feel as though you accidentally missed an episode. The thing that makes this disappointing is that it’s not as if the characters are boring, if anything they do seem quite interesting. But no time is devoted to letting the viewer get to know them. So when a character dies or faces tribulations you just feel indifferent to their plight because you don’t know enough about them to truly care. The art of the show is fairly basic but the Mecha battles are fairly impressive feats of CGI animation. Music is also good but lost in the level of noise in the Mecha battles.

There is currently a demo for the visual novel of this story on Steam Greenlight. If it is well received there’s a chance of the Schwarzesmarken visual novels being brought over to the west. If that happens in the future I would recommend those Visual Novels over this anime in a heartbeat. It is pretty much guaranteed that the story is done better in the VN than in this anime and I find myself disappointed that I experience this story in its current form. For Muv Luv fans this anime should be good fanservice and it does act as a cliff notes for those not interested in the visual novel alternative. Otherwise I wouldn’t recommend this as while it does have potential, its hampered by a need to rush its way through its story in order to cover its entirely. Which has resulted in an anime which feels detached and lacking.

Boku dake ga Inai Machi – 85/100

March 31, 2016 by AidanAK47, posted in Anime Reviews, Boku dake ga Inai Machi, Reviews by AidanAK47

In the large reservoir of anime it is surprising just how few titles focus on the concept of time travel. There are of course titles which feature time travel but few that make it the core focus. So here we have Boku Machi or ERASED, a tale about a mangaka time traveling to his childhood to prevent the deaths of children at the hands of a series killer. This series has some great presentation and direction though it does make it somewhat predictable in how it highlights what’s to come. Predictable does not mean boring though and this tale has a lot of heart. There are a number of great scenes that can play with your emotions and each episode does leave a feeling of dread for a tragedy to come. Though those episode cliffhangers do build up expectations which the ending fails to deliver.The female cast is ridiculously strong with Satorus mother being one of the best parenting figures one could have. Especially seeing as her initial impressions make her seem like a deadbeat parent. What is a shame is that one girl(Airi) in the cast is neglected despite having a great personality.

This is very much a slow paced show and a large amount of the shows runtime is devoted to one of the victims of the killer(Kayo) and Satoru’s efforts to free her from an abusive household. The tale is a moving one but it does push the main plot to the sidelines for quite a while. The mystery while not particularly deep provides the right level of intrigue to keep a viewer on their toes and a motive to keep a close eye on proceedings. There is a good bit of misdirection to keep you thinking and there are nice small touches throughout like the synchronisation of Satorus dialogue and monologue as well as the letterboxing of the past to give the feeling of being an outside observer. Some admittedly is a bit too forward in its execution but there is a lot of minor details that makes the story more interesting.

It does have its weaknesses as a show. Yuki Kajura provided a ill suited and uninspired soundtrack, the pacing can be too fast at times, the “villains” are exaggeratedly evil and to those looking for a smart mystery you will be disappointed. However I believe it’s positives do outway its negatives. Ultimately what decides your enjoyment of this show is your level attachment to the characters. The focus is clearly character driven and if you find yourself not caring for them, I am afraid the plot will not hold anything to compensate. But if you find yourself getting drawn into these character then I believe your experience with this show will be a positive one but remember to walk into it with the right expectations.

2016 Spring Season Preview

March 17, 2016 by AidanAK47, posted in Seasonal Previews

I swear these anime seasons go by so fast. Hard to believe I have been doing this for about a year and half now; even harder to believe that I am the one still doing it. In old days of Psgels if you told me that I would be the guy one day writing the posts I would claim you were mad. Yet here I am, the one and pretty much only writer of the site. Can’t say I signed up for that but well you can’t fight fate so I am here for better or worse. Who knows, maybe one day I will stop making spelling mistakes in these posts. (That will be the day)

I must admit that the quality of the past winter season was marvelous. There were quite a number of really great enjoyable titles. KonaSuba, Buranko Buranki, Dagashi Kashi, Ajin ERASED, Rakugo and even the more flawed shows like Schwarzesmarken being quite watchable. A very strong season in my opinion. So much so that I dared not mention it for fear of jinxing it. This upcoming season might not be quite as strong but we do have some contenders which has me hopeful that this season won’t be a disappointment.

The rules remain the same as the last previews. The sequels and prequels are listed below. If you liked the previous series then by all means continue. My picks for blogging this season are Re:zero and whatever takes my fancy during the quick first impressions. Sakamoto is looking to be a safe bet for my second choice but I am reluctant to blog a straight out comedy due to it being a highly subjective affair and lacking much to talk about. A Strawpoll is below to decide the third series I will cover. If I happen to pick the series listed first as my personal second blogging choice then the second highest voted series will be the winner. You have more than one vote so go nuts.

http://strawpoll.me/7103287

And with that let us begin.

The sequels/prequels I don’t care about

Battle Spirits: Double Drive

Beyblade Burst

Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou 2

Duel Masters VSRF

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Crystal – Death Busters-hen

Future Card Buddyfight DDD

Kaitou Joker 3

Kyoukai no Rinne 2

Magi: Sinbad no Bouken

PriPara 3rd Season

Terra Formars: Revenge

Series I don’t look forward to

12-sai.: Chiccha na Mune no Tokimeki

The story begins with Hanabi, a sixth-grade girl who is neither an adult nor a child. She deals with issues such as accidentally witnessing her homeroom teacher kissing, and worrying about experiencing physiological changes before her friends. This is the depiction of a 12-year-old girl’s innocent worries and first love.

We got nothing. No staff, no translated source material. Only thing I can say is that the studio has animated a lot of Pokemon and kids shows. They did some mature stuff in the old days but now it seems they tend to shoot for the younger demographic. To me this looks like what you see is what you get.

Aikatsu Stars!

Aikatsu Stars! features the protagonist Yume Nijino. Yume aims to become a top idol, and she enrolls in the Yotsusei Gakuen. This academy has a special group called the S4, who are the top four active idols in the school. Yume and the other first-year students aim to become a part of the S4.

Bah! Look at all the colour. It’s like someone decided to binge on skittles while drinking only to vomit up on paper. Truly nothing on this one, not even an animation studio. There’s a school for idols to teach them how to market themselves out like plastic barbie dolls so they can earn enough money to drown their shame in barrels of cocaine when they are older. Sadly that isn’t what this show is actually about.

Big Order

10 years ago a child wished for the destruction of the world. Now a Group of people has the ability which grants their wishes depending on their power. They are called “Order User”.
Before these great people who has the power of “Order”, One person excels most, with the ability to rule and conquer the world and turned people into puppet when it is on his Jurisdiction, that power belongs to Hoshimiya Eiji, who is also responsible with the destructive phenomena happened exactly 10 years ago.

From the author of Mirai Nikki(Future dairy) comes Mirai Nikki…again. Now to me there is pretty much only one reason for the anime of Mirai Nikki to exist and that was to show off one of the greatest examples of a yandere to grace the anime medium. Other than that it was a plot hole filled mess that pretty much could only qualify for a guilty pleasure. Big Order is very much a retread of Mirai Nikki. We have a poor man’s Yuno in the female protagonist and the story is essentially a battle royal between supernatural power users. The protagonist is better than what we had before however the issues with plot holes and wasted potential setups remains. Without Yuno, I say this series isn’t really worth the time. There are interesting ideas present in the story but the author can’t really use them to their fullest potential.

Bungou Stray Dogs

Nakajima Atsushi was kicked out of his orphanage, and now he has no place to go and no food. While he is standing by a river, on the brink of starvation, he rescues a man whimsically attempting suicide. That man is Dazai Osamu, and he and his partner Kunikida are members of a very special detective agency. They have supernatural powers, and deal with cases that are too dangerous for the police or the military. They’re tracking down a tiger that has appeared in the area recently, around the time Atsushi came to the area. The tiger seems to have a connection to Atsushi, and by the time the case is solved, it is clear that Atsushi’s future will involve much more of Dazai and the rest of the detectives!

This story is lacking the hook to get me interested. The premise is pretty overdone and the characters are simply are bunch of rather bland eccentrics. It reminds of of blood blockade battlefront in how it deals with a organization of super powered individuals stopping supernatural crimes. Only difference is that this time the characters are named after famous Japanese novelists and their powers after famous works of literature. It’s rather cosmetic though and holds not much significance. It’s possible that with the right direction this could turn into something more worthwhile but judging solely from this I say it’s rather mediocre.

Endride

The story is set on Endra, an unknown world beneath the surface of Earth itself. It is another world, where the giant Adamas shines above and seven-colored bands drift across the skies.
One day, Shun Asanaga — an ordinary yet positive and bright 15-year-old middle school boy who lived in the “Land Above” — lands in this place. He had discovered a mysterious crystal at his scientific businessman father’s company, and the moment he touched the crystal, he was transported to Endra.
He meets Prince Emirio, who strongly despises the current King Deruzain and had just turned 16 at Endra’s castle. He became of age to ascend to the throne, and he wields a weapon to seek his vengeance at last, but the difference in strength proves to be insurmountable. Captured and imprisoned by Deruzain, Emirio is heartbroken. But then, the walls of the prison suddenly become distorted, and Shun appears within them.
Two youths live in Endra — one to return his former world, and one to exact revenge. The future that is within the grasp of two youths raised in different worlds…

Brains base normally gives me hope for a show but in this case I am not seeing much potential. The Story isn’t interesting from the description and the art-style looks generic. The staff doesn’t inspire much hope either as neither the director or Series composer has worked on anything all that worthwhile. I am fairly willing to bet this won’t be worth anyone’s time.

Gakusen Toshi Asterisk 2

Second season of Gakusen Toshi Asterisk.

So why is it that in a season with two shows that were highly similar, the lesser of the two gets a sequel? Japan, sometimes I just don’t get you.

Gekidol

A multimedia project that will combine stage theater, anime, and idols.

No source material, no staff information, PV that explains nothing about the show. I got nothing. The only thing I can tell you is that the studios only notable work is Mysterious Girlfriend X. Everything else they made is either anime that’s softcore porn or some genuine porn. Based on that; not much hope for this one.

Hundred

The story begins with the Hundred, the only weapon that can counter the mysterious Savage life form attacking Earth. To become a Slayer (master of military arts) who wields this Hundred, the main character Hayato Kisaragi successfully enrolls in the marine academy city ship Little Garden. However …
“I wanted to meet you, Hayato!!”
“W–who are you…?”
Hayato feels a strange yet familiar sense of incongruity towards Emil Crossford, his roommate who somehow knows him from somewhere. On top of that, as soon as he enters the school, he is challenged to a duel by the “Queen” (the school’s most powerful Slayer) Claire Harvey!

Boy goes to magic high school, boy meets girl, girl challenges boy to duel, later sees a girl naked…you know where this is going. It’s been done. It was done last season and the season before that. It is the same story with palette swapped heroines. It has been done so many times that I wonder why it still sells. Just give this one a pass, it’s a no effort light novel.

Hai Furi

“In the sea we live, the sea we protect, and by the sea we go.”
Japan, 100 years after plate subductions caused many other countries to be submerged. To save the remaining countries, the coastal cities that had been built up were launched into the seas, and the seaborne routes between them expanded. With this expansion, a need for personnel that could safeguard the seas arose. Women began to seek employment in this new industry, and soon, the “Blue Mermaids,” those who keep the sea safe, began to be a source of admiration for many. The childhood friends Akeno Misaki and Moeka China sought to become Blue Mermaids themselves, and together with others who shared their dream, they enrolled in Yokosuka’s Marine High School.

In reading this synopsis I went from a number of reactions. First I was expecting a school slice of life but found the synopsis talking about sea warriors. So it’s like a Kantai collection ripoff, but hey maybe it could put more creativity into the idea. Just when some hope that this might be something worthwhile the last words hit. “they enrolled in Yokosuka’s Marine High School.” Truly these words can kill interest faster than a lecture on the fundamentals of geology. So the studio has pretty much nothing worthwhile and this is the director’s second anime. The series composer seems experienced but this looks like a “just in it for the paycheck” job. I would be surprised if this was something notable.

Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta?

The story centers on Hideki Nishimura, a young man who confessed to a person he thought was a girl online, only for that person to turn out to be a boy. He keeps this “black history” secret and swears to never to trust a “girl” online again. However, one day a girl online confesses to him, and it turns out she’s actually a beautiful girl named Ako Tamaki. Ako cannot tell the difference between the online world and reality, and she is a loner who has trouble communicating. Hideki and his friends from his guild decide to work together to “correct” her.

This is pretty much every teenage MMO players wet dream. Those people you play online with are all beautiful girls and one of them is totally into you! Wish fulfillment to the max and I find the mentality of the story to be rather outdated. Girls wanting to play MMOs?! Ridiculous. Here on the internet men are men, Women are men and children are FBI agents. These days anyone with a phone can access the internet. Finding a real girl isn’t as hard as you think. Now finding a hardcore gamer who happens to be a gorgeous girl, single, nearby and ready to be molded into your perfect girlfriend? Yeah, that would take some effort. And a miracle. My particular gripe with this is that the setup has to do with this girl not being able to distinguish between games and reality. I despise this as it’s a common utterly nonsensical argument people opposed to video games throw out. It’s just stupid, if a person cannot tell between what happens on screen and what happens in reality then they are either idiotic or have much more serious mental problems. So what is this show about. Well a guy finds himself in a school club which is made up of eccentric girls he met online. Remember Haganai? Basically that. At most mildly watchable but more likely a dull forgettable show.

Pan de Peace!

The 4koma centers around Minami, an airheaded girl who is starting high school and who loves eating bread for breakfast. Baked goods bring happiness everyday to her and her classmates — the reliable Yuu, the pastry-baking Fuyumi, and the independent Noa.

It’s a four Koma comedy manga about cute girls eating bread and frankly, my dear. I don’t give a damn. And lets be honest; neither do you.

Kidou Senshi Gundam RE: 0096

U.C. 0096. Three years after Char’s rebellion, Banagher Links, a boy who lives on the manufacturing colony Industrial 7, meets a mysterious girl named Audrey Burne. She claims to seek to prevent a potential war by interfering with the transfer of “Laplace’s Box” from the Vist Foundation to a Neo Zeon remnant group known as the “Sleeves”.
However, when a Federation squad also sent to prevent the transfer clashes with the Sleeves, the colony is plunged into battle.
As Banager races through the flames in search of Audrey, one other fateful encounter awaits him—the Unicorn Gundam, a pale white mobile suit that’s the key to Laplace’s Box.
What is Laplace’s Box? What are the secrets that it holds? For the first time in 100 years, light will shine on the darkest secrets of the Universal Century…

With the OVA covering the story of Gundam Unicorn extensively I don’t really see the point of having an anime to expand upon it. To me this seems like the OVA is going to be chopped up into a series with some small extra scenes. I have no interest in watching that.

Seisen Cerberus: Ryuukoku no Fatalité

The anime is set in a continent ruled by sword and magic called Kunaaan, where a power balance between the Holy Kingdom of Amoria, the Kingdom of Ishilfen, and the Vanrodis Kingdom keeps a peace so unstable that any tragedy that befalls any one kingdom will mean war for the entire continent. Another power, the evil dragon Daganzord, also resides on the continent, and no one is powerful enough to stop him from spreading destruction and charred land in his wake. Two individuals, Bairo and Kismitete, undertook a ritual alongside a party of wizards to seal Daganzord, but were foiled. This event was known thereafter as the Balbagoa Tragedy. Bairo and Kismitete’s son Hiiro is saved by Giiru, and Hiiro swears to avenge his parents’ deaths and trains himself with the sword. When Hiiro turns 16, he sets out on a journey to slay the dragon, and Giruu accompanies him, having no choice. Along the way, they meet many types of people, and gain companions on their journey.

Based on a card battle game I don’t hold much hope in this one. The premise is overdone and out of the card game based animes recently; they tended to end up mediocre. The series composer does have potential though; being the same man behind Birdy Decode and quite a number of Eureka Seven episodes. It’s just that I look at this and it’s all too familiar for my tastes. Even done well it’s a derivative of what has been done many times before.

Shounen Maid

The manga revolves around Chihiro Komiya, an energetic elementary school student who was living with his mom. Chihiro is very good at doing housework and chores, and his mother’s motto is “No work, no food.” After his mother suddenly dies, a man named Madoka Taketori who claims to be his uncle shows up, and asks Chihiro to come live with him. Chihiro initially refuses, but when seeing the horribly dirty state of Madoka’s rich home, he decides to start cleaning it. Then Madoka makes another offer to Chihiro: that he comes to live with him, but in exchange Chihiro will do the housework. Chihiro accepts this deal, but suddenly finds himself in a maid uniform.

I am guessing this was supposed to be a comedy. So a boy loses his parents and is taken in by his relative who is creepy and volatiles personal space. Because of the boys sensibilities to pay back what he’s given; he agrees to act as a cleaner for the house. His relative this dresses him up in a maid outfit and forces him to clean in that because it’s “cute”… Um…this is a comedy right? Not some kind of disturbing horror show? I am pretty sure this is worthy of calling child services on. I read what I can stomach of the manga so the anime gets a nope from me.

Super Lovers

A high school boy named Haru and his mother are living overseas. His mother orders him to take care of and “civilize” his adoptive brother Ren, a wild young boy who dislikes talking with other people. While their relationship is adversarial at first, they grow closer as they begin to understand one another.

I knew going into this manga that it’s clearly not for me but for the preview I must give everything a chance. I admit that the story is more tastefully done than I expected and I think there are those who could find this interesting. The idea of a person taking care of a feral boy is at least somewhat interesting. The issue I take with the manga is likely its main drawing point; the romance. I have no issues with homosexual relationships but regardless of gender, a romance between a grown adult and underage child is very creepy. I will just leave this off by saying it’s not for me.

Kamiwaza Wanda

The story is set in a world where every event has been turned into programs, and mysterious monsters known as “Promin” maintain the world. However, many Promin who have turned into bugs known as “Bugmin” are responsible for many of the world’s real-life bugs. Left alone, they may eventually turn into a big problem. The boy Yūto encounters the space dog Wanda, and the pair use a camera-like device and key items to capture Bugmin. Promin themselves are able to do things like “accelerate objects,” “spew fire,” or “create objects,” through an ability known as “Kamiwaza” (miracle), and are able to fend off Bugmin with it. At first, the Bugmin only cause small, bothersome things, but it will soon elevate into a global scale threat. Can one boy and one dog save the world?

It’s a kids show about some kid using Digimon to save the world. The studio has some fairly decent stuff though this looks like a typical kids show. Personally I am more interested in how this studio will handle an adaption of ReLife. The series composer has done a lot of screenplays though his series composer shows are not too noticeable besides Blue Gender. Well who knows, could be fun.

Sansha Sanyou

The comedy manga follows the everyday life of three very different high school students. Futaba Odagiri is incredibly energetic but is also a glutton. Teru Hayama looks like an angel but she is really a demonic class president. Youko Nishikawa is the daughter of family that used to be a member of the upper class, but after her father’s company went bankrupt, they became poor.

Cute girls + cute things = bored Aidan. Well looks like a typical cute girls do cute things show and the studio has done quite a few of them. It’s also the studio that did the Grisaia Adaptions. So let’s just move along.

Sword Gai

The story revolves around Gai, who was born beside a woman who met her death in a forest. He was adopted by the swordsmith Amon. A few years later, Gai becomes Amon’s apprentice, and during the forging of a sword, he loses his right arm. To help him, Amon crushes the demon sword Shiryuu (lit. Death Dragon) to form it into Gai’s replacement right arm. Gai then is able to fuse with the weapon on his arm, and fights against his enemies.

Pretty certain this is a short 5 to 15 minute show based on whose animating it. Other than that no other information on this. There’s nothing to say here. We just have to see how it turns out.

Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge

Tanaka who is a high school student simply is a slacker and does not want to do anything at all. He loves to sleep during classes and prefers not moving to save energy. One day he meets his classmate, Ota who is exactly the opposite. Ota is energetic and leader in class. He becomes friends with Tanaka and tries to make him start moving. Based on a popular comic from Nozomi Uda.

It’s a comedy about a guy that’s really lazy. That’s pretty much the only joke and it’s not funny.

Unhappy♪

The story centers around class 1-7 of Tennogofune Academy, where all the students with “bad karma” or misfortune seem to have been gathered. Hibari, a student in this class, meets the unlucky Hanako and the perennially unhealthy Botan on her first day of school, and together they try to find a way to turn their school life into a happy one.

These people look very happy to me. What deplorable false advertising. Can’t someone provide a title the niche audience that desires emo girls doing emo things? Directors hit or miss, its silver link so it’s bound to be decently animated.

Series I am middling on

Bakuon!!

The story revolves around high school girls who discover the appeal of motorcycles. Sakura Hane is a high school student who looks a little bit like an airhead. On the way to her all-female high school one day, she is worn-out climbing a hilly road with a bicycle, but she sees a girl named Onsa Amano who is riding a motorcycle. Sakura immediately becomes interested in motorcycles, and she and Onsa join the motorcycle club at the school. Then, Sakura sets out to get her license.

Cute girls love motorcycles sums it up nicely. A cute girl gets interested in motorcycles, joins a school club about motorcycles (A school approving a club that would have serious health and safety issues?) That has three other quirky motorcycle enthusiasts which includes a girl who never removes her helmet or speaks. It’s not original by a longshot but for what it is; it’s done better than most. Ultimately inoffensive and mindless entertainment.

Boku no Hero Academia

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested extraordinary superpowers called “Quirks” at age four? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Becoming a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? U.A. High’s Hero Program of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?
Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all gives him a chance to change his destiny…

It really was only a matter of time before this got an anime as it is the very kind of Shounen that becomes exceedingly popular. The manga isn’t bad by any means and under the direction of Bones this is likely going to end up a very good Shounen series. Though I feel it’s very run of the mill and predictable as far as these stories go. Upon first reading it I thought would would be a story of a normal person in a superhero world becoming the equivalent of that universe’s Batman. Sadly it’s more of a tale about him inheriting the role of this world’s Superman. Once the superhero school is introduced I began to get bored very quickly as the plot ticked all the boxes you would expect if you are familiar with the genre. Again if you haven’t seen a lot of these stories or just like them in general then it will be a fun ride. It’s Naruto with Superheroes instead of ninjas. As far as anime goes this is a fairly safe bet to be some fans hit of the season.

flying witch

Aomori, Japan.
In a land blessed by nature’s bountiful beauty, bizarre things begin to take place. Makoto Kowata, 15 years old, is a professional witch. She left Yokohama with Chito, her black cat, to live in the house of her relatives in Aomori. This is where she begins to train as a witch.
Even though Makoto’s powers are still limited to just flying through the sky, she and her second cousins Kei and Chinatsu surely make the most out of each and every day.

There’s not much to say about this one. It’s mainly a slice of life about a girl who’s a witch. Some comedy and fairly easygoing. Somewhat reminiscent of Kiki’s Delivery service. A readable title which will become a decent anime if done right.

Gyakuten Saiban

CAPCOM announced at a stage event at Tokyo Game Show on Thursday that its Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban) courtroom battle game franchise is getting a TV anime adaptation that will premiere in Japan in April 2016.

Looks like hell has frozen over because there is a Phoenix wright anime adaption in front of me. My reaction to this is curiosity, but not excitement. The old rule of video game adaptations being below average has been proven time and time again but this game’s status as a game/visual novel puts that into question. Thing is this game is made by Capcom and they are well known for absolutely terrible writing. I have played the first two games if the series so I know what I am in for and let me tell you this. The story of these games is very silly. There are good aspect in the murder mystery style of the cases but this series is very lighthearted when it comes to the plot. People may die but it’s hard to take that seriously when you have a cast of overly eccentric people around. What will make or break this adaption is the highlight of the games themselves, the courtroom debates. This series needs to capture that over the top epic feeling with Phoenix’s “objection!!” as well as the desk slams and reactions. We need to blow everything out of proportion and if they can manage that then this anime will be something pretty good. Otherwise I see a weak video game adaption coming.

JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Diamond wa Kudakenai

Part 4 focuses on Josuke Higashikata, the illegitimate son of Joseph Joestar, with Jotaro Kujo and Joseph Joestar along in a supporting role.

Stardust Crusaders has diminished my love for this series a bit so I am not quite as excited to see a sequel. It wasn’t bad but it got fairly repetitive and the rule of cool can only carry you so far. This time people are calling out that this is the pinnacle of the series though I doubt that as people said the same about Stardust. The fact of the matter is that; how does one top what has come before? Jojo has always managed to top itself by getting more and more ridiculous but I feel that once we are past Freddy Kruger babies and Gorilla with a boat stand that we have reached a zenith. The good thing about Jojo is that with every part comes a new cast and villain so perhaps they can make it work if we have more interesting main characters to work with. ( Though Jotaro is still here and Jotaro got boring fast)

Kiznaiver

The fictional Japanese city named Sugomori City is built on reclaimed land. But as the years go by, the city’s population is decreasing. One day, Sonosaki tells her classmate Katsuhira: “You have been selected to be a Kiznaiver.” The Kizuna System, which allows Katsuhira to share his wounds, connects him to the classmates whose lives and personalities completely differ from his. The Kizuna System is an incomplete system for the implementation of world peace that connects people through wounds. All those who are connected to this system are called Kiznaivers. When one Kiznaiver is wounded, the system divides and transmits the wound among the other Kiznaivers.

It’s Studio triggers new original anime. Quite frankly I could leave it at that. Do you even need any more information? They have already proven they can make some great shows with a hamstring budget. Given a half decent budget after some adaptations I expect nothing less than a damn good watch. Nothing particularly deep but entertaining without doubt. However there is a problem with this one. For one the synopsis is a bit complicated for a Tigger style anime and the other is that Mari Okada is the series composer. This doesn’t look to be Triggers usual fair and while Okada did good with Gundam; I still have misgivings about her. Not to mention this isn’t the only anime she’s composing this season. The director is a first timer so we just have to wait and see with this one.

Koutetsujou no Kabaneri

As the world is in the middle of an industrial revolution, a monster appears that cannot be defeated unless its heart, which is protected by a layer of iron, is pierced. By infecting humans with its bite, the monster can create aggressive and undead creatures known as Kabane. On the island Hinomoto, located in the far east, people have built stations to shelter themselves from these creatures. People access the station, as well as transport wares between them, with the help of a locomotive running on steam, called Hayajiro. Ikoma, a boy who lives in the Aragane station and helps to build Hayajiro, creates his own weapon called Tsuranukizutsu in order to defeat the creatures. One day, as he waits for an opportunity to use his weapon, he meets a girl named Mumei, who is excused from the mandatory Kabane inspection. During the night, Ikuma meets Mumei again as he sees Hayajiro going out of control. The staff on the locomotive has turned into the creatures. The station, now under attack by Kabane, is the opportunity Ikoma has been looking for.

From the studio that brought us Attack on Titan comes an original anime that sound a lot like it. This is a mixed situation. We have the series composer who brought us Code Geass and Planetes; But has also given us Valvrave. We have the director of Death note, Kurozuka, attack on Titan and High school of the dead; but he has also given us Guilty crown. Sawano is here ready to give us an epic soundtrack that will likely be reminiscent of his Attack on Titan work. With all these players here we could get something special but the anime does feel to me like wit studio is trying to make lightning strike the same place twice.

Kuma Miko

The story follows Machi, a middle school student who serves as a shrine maiden at a Shinto shrine enshrining a bear in the recesses of a certain mountain in Japan’s northern Touhoku region. Machi’s guardian is a talking bear named Natsu, and one day Machi says to Natsu, “I want to go to a school in the city.” The worrywart Natsu then gives Machi — who is ignorant in the ways of the world — a set of trials that she must pass in order to be able to survive in the city.

A little girl wants to go to school in the city while her talking bear guardian says she can’t because she’s a country bumpkin. The series basically involves comedy as the bear tests her on being ready for the city. The girl is old fashioned seeing as she finds chopping wood for a boiler is better than making use of electricity. I like how the bear is the one who’s tech savvy and is often making use of Ipads and the internet. Its amusing but I do feel its rather typical for this kind of comedy. For example, yet again we have a character who is in love with another character whose oblivious to their affections. Is their some sort of rule that requires that all simple comedies have this? It’s an alright read which could be a fun watch.

Kuromukuro

An original anime by studio P.A. Works in celebration of the studio’s 15th anniversary. It will debut in 2016.

I was rather happy to see PA works go for a Mecha anime as I feel they need to change up the formula. They are a bit too fond of the school slice of life and need to take steps away from it. Then I watched the PV for this and found that no Mecha were present and there was plenty of Highschool slice of life. They don’t look to be moving too far away from their speciality. The series composer has Another and a couple of episodes of Morbitio under his belt and the director has been involved with a number of big names; though not always as a director. He’s directed Blue exorcist, Seven deadly sins, Darker than Black OVAs and Wolf’s rain. But he’s done storyboarding for the likes of Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo and a one or two episodes of Evangelion and soul eater. He’s even done Key animation for the Ghost in the shell movie and Ninja Scroll. He’s got an admittedly impressive CV though I still don’t hold much hope for this one. It depends on which side of this show is more prevalent, the school slice of life or the Mecha.

Mayoiga

30 young men and women who came together on a shady bus tour. The tour’s destination: an illusive, possibly nonexistent village called Nanakimura. In Nanakimura, one can lead a utopian existence, free of the world’s obstacles … or so it was rumored, like an urban legend.
“In despair over the real world … wanting to escape the tedious daily life … wanting to restart your life from scratch …”
The bus headed deep into the mountains, carrying 30 people each harboring their own expectations and wounds in their hearts…
And so, the place these 30 arrived at, was an uninhabited village with the lingering faint scents of life, even though it was falling apart.
What is the truth of Nanakimura facing the 30? You can’t miss even one episode

This one is curious. It happens to be the another show Mari Okada is writing for this season.(Let other writers get some work Okada for crying out…) The premise is fascinating; looking to be an otherworldly exploration on life and the afterlife. Though it’s too soon as all I really have to go on is a vague description. Personally I would like it to be a horror anime as we have very little great examples of it but for all we know it’s a slice of life about people starting over in the country. However the studio has made a lot of terrible anime; their redeeming titles being Bokurano and Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru. The director has Shirobako and Xxxholic as his previous work though he also worked on Blood C and Another. Which makes me wonder if we are going to get so ultra violence in this particular title. This looks to be a wait and see kind of title.

Sousei no Onmyouji

Rokuro dreams of becoming anything but an exorcist! Then mysterious Benio turns up. The pair are dubbed the “Twin Star Exorcists” and learn they are fated to marry…
Can Rokuro escape both fates?
When Rokuro’s best friend Ryogo goes missing, Rokuro is forced to ask Benio for help to enter Magano, the realm of the evil Kegare, to rescue him

There are likely those who scoff as this show. Truly I pity it, in another season this would be a welcome addition but it had to air in the season with Boku no Hero. From the mangaka behind Binbougami ga we have a fairly standard Shounen. But, while this may be a controversial opinion, I consider this story to be better than Boku no hero’s. Will it be the best anime of the season, no it won’t. But it still has the potential to be a really good shounen anime. It starts off predictable and has no real surprises but really pulls through with its humor and the relationship between the two leads. One thing I really love is that they fight as a team, with none of this “I sit back while you wail on the bad guy” nonsense.(But there is a bit too much of a focus on the guy more than the girl in later chapters. And I dislike the harem building up but the anime shouldn’t reach that point.) Both the mains make use of combination attacks and seem even in regards to power. The trailer even looks great with showing this off. But there is a big problem, a very big problem. That problems name is Studio Pierrot, and I certainly groaned the moment I heard that they were in charge of this adaption. Pierrots animation is fairly sub-par but to top things off their most recent adaption, Tokyo Ghoul, was horrendously botched. Twin star exorcists manga already has the perfect pacing and structure to fit into a twelve episode series without alteration. Even giving it a fairly decent ending if they stick true to the source. My expectations are set to low but I still hope that they can somehow pull through on this. The story deserves that much. However they have already messed up by announcing an anime original character and that Synopsis doesn’t sound like the manga I read.

Macross Δ

Macross Δ (Macross Delta) is set eight years after the events of Macross F.

The next installment of singing divas and giant Mechas comes and I can’t say it’s looking to present something much different than previous entries. Not that this is a bad thing seeing as Macross Frontier was at least a decent watch with one or two catchy tunes. The entire squad behind this anime is a mixed bag. We have the animation studio Satelight, whom has titles of varied quality. The director too has worked on both really bad shows and pretty good ones. (Bad:Shugo Chara!, Good:Ikoku Meiro no Croisée) The series composer has a pretty bad lineup of anime he’s worked on but has worked partially on anime such as Steins gate, Bantorra and Terra E. Music wise we have three composers, two of whom worked on Rinne no Lagrange which was a fairly mediocre anime but it certainly had a great soundtrack. The PV doesn’t really look all that interesting but still while I doubt it will be a great anime; at least it has the potential to be good.

Series I do look forward to

Joker Game

In 1937, before World War II begins in earnest. Lieutenant Colonel Yuuki of the Imperial Japanese Army forms the “D Agency,” an army intelligence outfit under his command and tutelage. Army General Staff attaches Lieutenant Sakuma to observe the unit’s performance. D Agency casts a wide net to find agents beyond Japanese military personnel, and Yuuki establishes D Agency’s tenets, which go against IJA doctrine: “Don’t kill, don’t get killed, don’t get captured.” With this, Yuuki trains a team of operatives who conduct missions against domestic and foreign powers.

No translation of the original novel so I wasn’t able to check out the source. Still the trailer has me intrigued as it does seem like a mature spy thriller. My only major gripe is that the cast his heavily male dominated and they have very bland and similar designs. However considering that it’s set around the 1940s I am willing to let that go. Though the director isn’t promising as he worked as a director on the likes of Robotics notes and Segoko Basara. Series composer holds more potential as while he hasn’t done a lot, he does have Usagi Drop, Sliver Spoon and most importantly Erased in his resume. We also have Kenji Kawai on the soundtrack and I really like his previous work. This is one I am quite interested in and to be frank, anything that’s about mature adults and has a complete absence of a school setting is alright by me.

Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

In the story, Subaru Natsuki is an ordinary high school student who is lost in an alternate world, where he is rescued by a beautiful, silver-haired girl. He stays near her to return the favor, but the destiny she is burdened with is more than Subaru can imagine. Enemies attack one by one, and both of them are killed. He then finds out he has the power to rewind death, back to the time he first came to this world. But only he remembers what has happened since.

This one is a bit of a surprise. The synopsis makes it sound like the most generic setup and it is certainly true that this is showing nothing new. But there’s more to this title than you would think. An ordinary guy gets thrown into another world and naturally he thinks that a bunch of old clichés are about to happen. And they don’t. He meets a strange girl who pretty much ignores him. And the only power he has is that when he dies, he goes back to the start of the day again. I am a bit of a sucker for this Groundhog day scenario so this appeals to me. There’s just something about some ordinary person becoming strong through a time loop that I find engaging. Though in this case it’s more him making use of knowledge from his time loops to reach the best outcome. The characters are admittedly weak besides our main who has more to him than the “Average highschool student” template. Our protagonist doesn’t shake off his death’s easy as they do have an effect on him as the story goes on. As well as he loses the time he spent getting closer to people and has to start from scratch again. The director is a newbie and the series composer’s work is a mixed bag though considering his recent work I think he can do a good job. I actually think this could be one of the more interesting titles this season.

Sakamoto desu ga?

First year high school student Sakamoto isn’t just cool, he’s the coolest! Almost immediately after starting school, he began attracting everyone’s attention. The girls love him, and most of the boys resent him. There’s even a boy in the class who works as a model, but who is constantly upstaged by Sakamoto! No matter what tricks the other boys try to play on him, Sakamoto always manages to foil them with ease and grace. Though Sakamoto may seem cool and aloof, he helps others when asked, such as in the case of the boy in his class who was being constantly bullied. No matter what difficulties Sakamoto encounters, he moves through his high school life with confidence and class!

Despite appearances this is a straight up comedy and a fine one at that. The main plot is that students with problems get involved with what is essentially the perfect superhuman, Sakamoto, and learn something about themselves through him. Sakamoto is a ridiculously over the top character who is a delight to watch. No matter what he does; he does it with style. From feeding birds in trees to fighting a Japanese hornet bee with a compass. I genuinely laughed while reading this and really think that if done well this will make a great anime comedy.

Ushio to Tora 2

The second season of Ushio to Tora.

I am at least hoping Ushio to Tora can provide a finale that a Shounen series deserves rather than the usual endings where the finale is abrupt and unsatisfying or just a “life goes on as usual” still I am on board for another run of over the top Shounen action. I pray the continued adventures of Japanese Calvin and Hobbes doesn’t lose steam. Most of all though, I am looking forward to seeing what Hakumen no mono can really do.

2015 Summary

February 15, 2016 by AidanAK47, posted in Yearly Summaries

2015 from what I have been hearing has been a good year for music and games but that’s not what we are assessing here. The true question is, was it a good year for anime? In truth it may depend on your tastes and this year was divisive to say the least. The best anime tended to be love it or hate it affairs but at least there was some interesting things at work. Personally I consider it the year of strong starts with weak finishes. There were plenty of anime whose first episodes held light of a new potential greats but it never quite managed to reach that level.

So Aidan, what made you late this time you ask?(You likely didn’t ask but please, humor me) Well when gearing up to write this summary I came to the shocking conclusion that I just plain forgot to watch some standout titles this year. Putting them on the backlog while I get though my ever expanding pile of steam games. It would be a shame to leave up potential candidates for the top ten simply because I neglected to watch them. That said there were sacrifices, I never got around to watching “Arslan Senki” after all. I also still remain halfway through Jojo stardust crusaders. So I ask for mercy should your favorite show not end up on the list below and keep in mind that top tens are ridiculously arbitrary. I don’t even consider the order to have any meaning as plenty of these can change places. I would say the list below is just ten interesting anime this year listed in no particular order.

So without further ado, the 2015 summary.

Worst series

Chaos Dragon: Sekiryuu Seneki

I could have went the easy route and stuck something like Punchline or Lances du Mask but anime such as these you just expect to be bad. When I ask myself on just what this year really made me regret anticipating it was most certainly this. Bad anime which are expected to be bad don’t hurt anyone but a bad anime that could have been something great is something to mourn. Chaos Dragon was based on a tabletop role playing session which featured three of the best writers in the industry. It could have been a great experiment to see what improv storytelling these people could dream up. Sadly by based on, they mean they took the setting and characters and pretty much nothing else. For someone seemed to think that they could make a better story and proceed to turn the thing into a Akame no Kill knockoff with poor pacing, inconsistent animation with bad CGI and a plot that just doesn’t make sense. It could have been something great but sadly now it never will be.

Worst First episode

K Return of Kings

Sometimes during the first impressions of an anime seas I feel like a judge on one of those music talent shows. I watch acts come and go till eventually I get some cocky person so convinced that they will blow me away with their performance. In the end they present a sub-par no effort show and yet still hold a ego more obnoxious than my own. Well that’s this show’s first episode for me. A story that’s making no effort to explain itself to the viewer, fanservice that has no idea which target market to aim for, dialogue so obtuse that it might as well be replaced with foghorns for what little it provides and visual so shaded under a blue gradient that just annoys without end once noticed. Was I interested in seeing what the rest of the show had to offer? No, no I was not.

Best Opening

Death Parade

One would think that a show about life and death would have a much more somber piece for its opening animation. But Death Parade threw that all out the window and decided to have an opening with the cast getting together and having a great time. Tonally the opening is a complete opposite of the show with its peppy catchy tune and fast beat that can make you tap along. Accompanied but visuals of dancing and messing around, it really hard to skip when you turn on a episode. A complete contrast to the grim subject matter of the series but perhaps that’s the point. The business of death need not be a somber one and if you are getting sent to either heaven or hell, at least you can be sent off with a party.

Biggest disappointment

Subete ga F ni Naru: The Perfect Insider

Death Parade was also a disappointment but it didn’t quite let me down as bad as Subete did. Personally, I love the murder mystery genre and wish I had more anime to sate that thirst. Plenty have tried the mystery angle but often resorted to stories that require little thought and are mainly spectacle. Then here comes Subete promising me exactly what I wanted and getting me fully on board for an exciting tale. However Subete ultimately played its cards too early and left the majority of the series attempting to stretch out the paper thin plot to fit the runtime. Enduring its tedium rewards watchers with a conclusion that’s obvious, nonsensical and overall pretentious. So once again I sit with an itch for some great murder mystery and wondering if I should replay Umineko no naku koro ni when it is released on steam.

Most pleasant surprise

Gakkou Gurashi!

Gakkou was a show that truly surprised me, not because of the shows hidden nature as I was already clued into that aspect, but rather how well directed it was. On all accounts Gakkou lives and dies on a gimmick, that being Moe slice of life mixed with a zombie apocalypse. Both are tired concepts yet this show managed to make both feel fresh by using the discrepancy between the genres. It has a rather predictable ending and one or two unnecessary filler episodes however it makes up for its shortcomings through some fantastic execution.

Best animation studio

Lerche

This was a pretty good year for Lerche, having a pretty consistent track record throughout the year with at least an interesting or entertaining show each season. Monster musume remains one of the most enjoyable harems I have seen in years and Gakkou was a pleasant surprise. Even Ronpa was at least an interesting experiment and Assassination classroom is a fun show. As a studio my opinion of them has gone up as they managed to not only adapt source material well but elevate it. (With the exception of Ronpa which disregarded it completely.) I look forward to their future projects and I hope they can keep up the good work.

Best Guilty Pleasure

Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai

Monster Musume also deserves a mention for doing something different with the tired old fanservice harem but Shimoneta wins with just pure vile creativity. Taking place in a dystopian society that embodies censorship taken to its logical extreme, you could think that this is a commentary on the nature of repression. However whatever commentary Shimoneta provides is either in your face or accidental. No, the real goal of Shimoneta is to make as many sex jokes as humanly possible. The story manages to break expectations as things happen like the shows most boring Mary Sue character becoming the primary show stealer and the utter ludicrous as one episode features a tutorial on how to make a homemade onahole. It does have its weaknesses such as a villain introduced in its later episodes but manages to entertain regardless.

Best animation

One Punch Man

A no brainer without doubt. Fate/unlimited bladeworks second half did air this year but its splendor did not match its first series. Even if it did I think I would give the award to One Punch Man regardless as the animation here truly had heart and passion. The final bout in the final episode is worty of this title alone but the series managed to keep a relatively high quality of animation throughout with some of the best talent in the industry working on it. The result is a jaw dropping portfolio of visual glory, even if there were times were the art lacked consistency. There are those who truly dislike this show but I think few would discredit its animated feats.

Worst character

Magata Shiki

Let me say this, teenagers are irritating creatures. At one point we were all one and chances are you hated the person you were then. Because teenage years are when you think you have figured out the world and believe that you are somehow special in some unspecified way. There are those of us who outgrew this phase and learned to deal with simple truth. The only way to get acknowledgement for being special is to prove you are special through hard work and dedication. Some never outgrew this however and that brings me to Magata Shiki. Magata is the teenage mindset on full display. She thinks she’s figured out life, thinks she is special and therefore makes some of the most idiotic decisions possible. The problem is that the series treats her like she is special, that her mindset is new and oh so deep. No one attempts to challenge her mindset or more importantly, point out how utterly juvenile it is. Magata Shiki is the result of what happens when you isolate a egotistical teenager and allow them to fester in their own flawed logic. The result is an ignorant child who is under the impression that they are a genius. Even if the show demands to see her as some visionary philosopher, she remains proof that just because someone is smart, does not mean they are wise.

Best character

Saitama

With the soaring popularity of One Punch Man, Saitama is becoming a bit of an anime icon. With fanart of him taking on Superman and Batman, as well as a Fallout 4 parody. All that’s really needed for his popularity to skyrocket is an English dub, which should come any day now. But what exactly makes Saitama’s character so special. Well it could be because if his very nature being a parody of the overpowered Shounen protagonist or his personality that walks the tightrope between badass and goofy. Previously only handled by Eikichi Onizuka. But personally I believe his loveabity comes from the fact that dispute his overwhelming power, Saitama’s greatest challenges are the everyday tasks everyone needs to face. Where all is his power is worthless. Non the less it will always be fun to see him respond to the greatest threats to humanity with bored disinterest.

Top 10 anime of the year

10: Kekkai Sensen(Blood Blockade Battlefront)

Remember when I said it was a love it or hate it year? Well this anime is the representative of that view. To those of you who disagree with my number one pick, let it be known that I know how you feel. For Kekkai Sensen was that anime for me. On a technical level I can see how Kekkai can be a good show. I can even see greatness and creatively in its premise and some episodes. Yet despite all this I find it quite mediocre. Kekkai Sensen is very much style over substance and if you are looking for something with a deep plot I suggest looking elsewhere. The plot is a thinly tied thread that goes through a series of episodic adventures introducing characters and then proceeding to use them for absolutely nothing. All to end with an underwhelming conclusion which is open for a potential sequel. This anime holds the number ten spot for one reason, because I know there are those who could truly love this show. Particularly if you are a big fan of Durarara this will be right up your alley. I give it this spot because I admit it has merit for others, just none for me.

9: Death Parade

In my review I stated that Death Parade is a show that is half great. I still stand by that though in retrospect I may have been a bit harsh on it. The premise of Death Parade is deliciously novel and filled to the brim with potential. Half the series capitalized on that potential. The other half didn’t. Regardless this series truly did have some fantastic moments and should Madhouse take up the unlikely chance of creating a sequel I would be on board for a second visit to Quindecim. If we were given a sequel that took the best parts of this series and made the entire season of that then it would certainly make it into the top five.

8: Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri

In any story when humanity meets beings from another world, we are generally the technologically inferior. Gate is here to shown that we humans have made some impressive killing machines and if faced with a RPG fantasy world we will certainly give them a run for their money. I will be the first to admit that gate isn’t perfect. It’s comedy is bad, the pacing is a slow burn with no real climax in sight and its missing something to truly make it great. But the story does work with some great ideas and how it deals with the issues that arise with the appearance of another world. Countries hungry to mine it for resources, the difference in political structures, the technological gape in power, culture shock…there are a lot of great things to work with here and the story does make some use of it. It will be the conclusion of the second season that ultimately decides the quality of the show so for now I believe this spot is earned.

7: Ushio to Tora

In truth Ushio to Tora never surpassed exceptions or provided anything besides what was promised. But it did deliver on what was promised. A fun Shounen adventure about a boy and his demon tiger. This title will have viewers filled with that nostalgic feeling previously brought by the likes of Dragonball or Yu Yu Hakuso. Bundled together with an opening that never fails to get me in the mood for some Shounen battle action. It’s a pity the show itself never quite lives up to the battle scale presented in the opening but even that is reminiscent of old style Shounen. This anime managed to keep me constantly entertained throughout and prevented it from getting stale by changing up the formula before it runs out of steam. It’s the anime of yesteryear, today!

6: Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works second season

Yes, I am well aware that my old bias is at work here but it would betray my love for the franchise to not have this here. At least take solace in the fact that it is not in the top five and I certainly would be willing to put it lower. This season was much weaker than the first and suffered from too much filler and a dragged pacing. That said it did have a great conclusion, it still is the best adaption of the route to date and its still a beautiful series to look at. I just pray that Ufotable can bring the brilliance of Heavens feel out with the film without the weaknesses displayed in this second season.

5: Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku

In the middle of this list seems an appropriate place for this as the story did deal with characters being in the middle of someone else’s conflict. SNAFU didn’t quite excel its previous season, instead providing more of the same which in SNAFUs case is not a bad thing. In a medium filled with rosy depictions of school life and all its wonders, SNAFU is the show to tell it like it is and present a more realistic depiction of school life. The protagonists brand of cynicism never gets old though the fact that he has a harem is always a mystery. In guise of school events, SNAFU shows you many future troubles that those of us in the workforce are all too familiar with. In particular the school planning meetings are so true to life that it’s rather scary. That said this season was bogged down a bit with a ongoing plot about the characters relationships that borders on over melodramatic. That and a ending which is sort of cliffhanger that outright demands a third season.

4: Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans

Mari Okada and Gundam is a match that would make anyone raise an eyebrow, yet it has produced one of the better Gundams in recent years. I would hesitate to call myself a Gundam fan, quite the opposite actually. But Orphans has a quality that I like a lot. There’s something engrossing about a bunch of underdog slaves revolting and becoming a significant power. Perhaps it’s because the politics of this series gas been put more to the background or simplified. I was never fond of Gundams nature to get too caught up in politics and even less so when it starts preaching about how war is bad. Orphans does have cartoonist aspects to it and a love triangle it would be better without but makes up for it with some fine Mecha action and a glorious soundtrack.Wherever you stand on this, at least we can argee its better than Reconguista.

3: Junketsu no Maria(Maria the virgin witch)

A while back I remember doing a first episode impression on Junketsu no Maria and being surprised at how good it was. So I made a note to watch it some time later and went on. Now with writing this summary I thought it was the perfect time to go back and watch it. I thought I might find it to be something worthwhile. What I was astonished to find was an absolute gem of an anime. I didn’t just like this anime, I loved it. The moral quandaries, setting, themes, really this anime was everything I originally expected from Young Blackjack. So much so that I regret not blogging it when it was airing. The parallels to Joan of Arc are pretty obvious.The villains have great character arcs and I love how it shows the dangers of blind faith as well as the negatives of refuting god without picking a clear side. That’s this shows strength, there isn’t a good or evil here. Maria may stop war temporarily but she’s called into question plenty about whether what she’s doing is truly helping in the long run. Of course the show isn’t without negatives, the ending for one is suitable but very cheesy. It does tie up all the loose ends of the series nicely though so that there is no need for a sequel. The art can have a few hiccups now and then and I feel that one character wasn’t really given the time to make use of his full potential. There’s plenty of sex jokes as well and Maria is pretty much mocked for her virginity all the time. But in my time watching this show made me remember just why I love anime so much.

2: Gakkou Gurashi!

Breathing life into two overdone genres is already worthy of merit. Being genuinely good is all the better. Gakkou is just a really well done series that exemplifies that a good idea can become a great one with creative direction and smart adaption. The balancing act between soft Moe fluff and grim zombie apocalypse is a recipe that doesn’t always work but when it does, it heightens the effect of both. Watching Gakkou is akin to watching puppies play in a house slowly getting filled with toxic gas. You know the tragedy is coming and the tension carries throughout the series as you wait for it all to come tumbling down. In the hands of another it would be an unremarkable series but here it happens to be one of the most visually arresting things I have seen all year.

1: One Punch Man

Was there any doubt? One Punch Man is one of the most impressive feats of animation made in recent times. The comedy of each episode just makes you smile and Saitama is a loveable goofy superhuman who can turn any threat into a joke. It’s a series that genuinely has more action in the show than it does in the opening. I do admit that this show isn’t for everyone. Truly it’s something that thrives on its cool factor. It doesn’t present any considerable deconstruction of Shounen tropes and its storyline does hit the same beats of a threat showing up each episode for Saitama to one punch it to death. However if One Punch Man is to your tastes then you are bound to love it. If not, at least you saw a display of some of the best animation the industry has to offer.

Some Quick First Impressions:Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm, Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!, Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R and Ajin

January 18, 2016 by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm

Short Synopsis: Our protagonist goes to a school that issues shoes that can fly.

Can the lucky pervert cliche not die already or at least have a different take on it? Well that aside my problem with this show is quite easy to figure. The characters act too anime. That might be a strange way to put it but what I mean is that no one in this show acts natural, there dialogue was a certain pandering quality to it. Take for example the Black haired girls dialogue, where she randomly adds in cat mannerisms like meow and purr. She’s the kind of girl who would claim things are purrfect. Everyone else talks like they are in a sitcom. My first thought on this would be that the show was going to be mainly slice of life with a small little supernatural thing of flying which wouldn’t play much of a part. The first half of the episode certainly reaffirmed that though the second half seems like there will be elements of this air sport called flying circus. I find this aspect of it slightly entertaining but I get the feeling we will start going by the numbers. I sense a neglected school club and competition in the future. You could certainly do worse this season but I feel this one won’t hold people’s attention for long.

Potential: 30%

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!

Short Synopsis: Our protagonist ends up being transported to an RPG world after dying

It’s funny in how anime seasons generally tend to have more than one anime with a similar premise. Sure there are the bargain bin LN adaptations and harems but you do find animes with a similar premise airing in the same season by concedence. Much like Grimgar this anime is about ordinary people making their way in an RPG world but this time it’s a lot more focused on comedy. It already has the lead over Grimgar in that none of the characters make me want to scratch their eyes out and admittedly a lot better than I expected. The manga adaption was rather lacking but from the looks of this the anime is following the light novel adaption more faithfully. As a result the begining is handled a lot better. I still hold some scepticism as that chuunibyou Mage and Masochistic kight are still coming but it’s possible this could turn out to be a lot more watchable than I initially expected. The comedy works pretty decently and I love the way the main characters started off their quest basically by doing construction work and got so caught up in the daily grind that they forgot the whole reason they came down there. The subverting of the old cliche of the main protagonist having some incredible untapped talent for magic was also welcome. If you are looking for something light to watch on the side this could tide you over for this season.

Potential: 50%

Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R

Short Synopsis: A small time idol becomes a magical girl

If it’s one thing I believe anime could do without, it’s concert insert songs. As well as a bunch of other things but still. This apparently is a spinoff from a anime called The SoulTaker but from this episode it looks like no previous information is needed to watch it. So what we have here is pretty much a played straight Magical girl show with some idol anime conventions thrown in. There’s some comedy thrown in but it’s really not noteworthy. My taste is a bit too far away from this genre to give it a truly fair assessment but what I see here isn’t much different from the standards of the genre. It’s possible magical girl fans might find it to their liking but I personally see it as a bit too sugary to enjoy.

Potential: 0%

Ajin

Short Synopsis: A boy finds himself hunted when it’s discovered he’s immortal

A big delay on this impression but it was hard to find anyone who was willing to sub it. The main reason being that the first few episodes of this series seems to be the Ajin movies cut up into anime episodes so if you have seen those movies then this is likely to look very familiar. I personally haven’t seen them and I certainly like what I seen. What we have here is a similar premise to Tokyo Ghoul but with an interesting twist. In Tokyo Ghoul the protagonist became a ghoul and essentially entered a world of hunters. Here in Ajin, our protagonist is discovered to be an Ajin, an immortal being and this results in him getting hunted. In this world Ajins are not regarded as human and there is a heavy amount of discrimination against them. The racism subtext is pretty blatant but non the less it’s a good watch. This episode has already set up a number of things, a neglected best friend, the mains troubled relationship with his sister, a mysterious shadow he encountered at a dogs death….I say this was a very strong first episode. That said it’s time to address the obvious greatest flaw, namely that it’s all in CGI. The uncanny valley is back with a vengeance and the robotic movement are something you just have to pretend to not see. You could say it can’t be helped but this season is full of much better CGI, which is really starting to bring the dream of it finally fitting with 2D animation without being out of place into reality. Bubuki Buranki for example is doing a much better job of smooth CGI animation than this episode, while still not quite prefect, it can make you forget at times that what you are watching is CGI. Still if you can put aside the CGI I believe this shows story should be able to make up for it.

Potential: 85%

Some Quick First Impressions: Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, Hai to Gensou no Grimgar and Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut

January 13, 2016 by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Short Synopsis: A former criminal wishes to take up the art of comedic storytelling.

This has to be the strangest show of the season and for that I really like it. We have a first episode that’s around 45 minutes long and a large majority of that time was spent listening to a man on a stage tell a story. The art of Rakugo is a fascinating one, being similar to how a comedian tells a long joke but not quite the same. In some ways it’s like a man trying to put one a one man play with no props, stages or costumes. Just conveying a story through gestures and his voice. When thinking about it you could brush it aside and say that’s nothing hard to do to which you would be correct. Anyone can get on a stage and tell a story but it’s something else entirely to entertain a crowd with nothing but yourself and a story. The oddest thing of all is that it actually works, in particular when listening to our main character tell a tale involving a comedy skit of a man getting burgled. Not once did the anime show a visual representation of what the man was talking about and yet just from him telling the story I found myself playing it out in my mind and even smiling. It’s a very bewitching and engrossing craft, one I am quite interested in. Visually the anime does work well with showing the subtles of the tellers moments and the character roster is most interesting. And what may be a godsend, there’s not a single stereotype in sight. No tsunderes, kuuderes, danderes, lolis, genkis, bland everyboys, emo boys, yanderes, yangiris….just people. It’s just so refreshing to see something that doesn’t contain characters lifted off the database of anime caricatures. Of course this is a very niche title, one that may not suit everyone’s fancy. It’s a very slow paced tale that’s very much focused on character more than anything else. Still I wouldn’t mind seeing more of this.

Potential: 90%

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar

Short Synopsis: A group of people struggle to survive in a RPG world.

I truly love the visual direction of this series. It’s a kind of storybook/watercolour feel to it and I just think it’s beautiful. In terms of story I feel it was done a lot better than the light novel but a major gripe of mine remains. A lot of these characters just rub me the wrong way, especially that red haired Dread Knight. Every line of dialogue that comes out of this guys mouth is just irritating to the core and makes me want to punch him in the face. The other characters bug me for other reasons like them being rather generic tropes but if I was to point a finger at something it would be the dialogue. There’s just something obnoxious about these lines that bugs me to no end. That aside I do like the gentle atmosphere of this episode and the general premise is a good one. A group of normal people trying to make their way in a world in RPG game fashion. Nobody seems overpowered and it truly is a beautiful anime to look at. While the characters annoy me I might watch this on visual merits alone.

Potential: 55%

Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut

Short Synopsis: A clearly mentally unstable girl challenges a boy to a fight after seeing her na….oh come on! Really?! Again?!

You know, when you take up the position of watching every first episode of every season it really does become apparent when something is designed to be popular. A formula like the heroes journey, but more strictly kept to. It’s not only apparent in how these shows always tend to have the same lineup of girls but also in presentation. For example, how many of these shows start with exposition taking place over an epic battle? Answer, a lot. How many of these shows have the girl screaming with a shaking shot of the location? Answer, a hell of a lot. How many of these shows start which have the protagonist happen upon a girl naked and have her challenge him to a duel to settle it? Answer, 2…which happened last season. Before that god only knows. Look guys, I know you need your paychecks and until Japan realizes there a whole untapped market outside of Japan, this is the only real way to get your money back. But please, for all that is good in this world, can you at least try? I mean Tenchi Muyo had more creativity than this and that is an anime from over twenty years ago! Well what can I say about this? It’s Infinite Stratos with a medievil theme. It’s every standard light novel story you can think of. Nothing new to see here.

Potential: 0%

Some Quick First Impressions: Dimension W, Dagashi Kashi and Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation

January 12, 2016 by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Dimension W

Short Synopsis: A man is hired to reclaim illegal power sources and runs into a female Android.

I guess this proves that style and animation can breath life into manga. I previously wasn’t all that enthralled with the manga but seeing it in motion really gives it a better feel and the anime is adding to the source material. There’s a lot of style here and if there are those of you getting reminded of darker than black that would be because the mangaka of this work provided the character designs for that very show. We have some really impressive animation here, especially with that opening. Shortcuts were taken in the episode but the series still looked very good. Through there are some off putting block colour effects sometimes. The story holds quite a lot of potential and the nature of the power source known as Coils reminds me a lot of Giant Robo’s Shizuma Drive. Our main protagonist is a lot like Mugen from Samurai Champloo and his new robot sidekick has her own quirks. If they keep up with this presentation we could be looking at a very memorable title.

Potential: 75%

Dagashi Kashi

Short Synopsis: A girl must convince a boy to take over for a sweets shop owner.

In terms of enjoyability I would put this near ServentXService or your normal comedy. It’s unique enough to not be predictable and the characters are fun. Being a comedy show it really is something that relies on the jokes, I can say while it didn’t make me laugh, it was at least still a pleasant watch that I didn’t find myself bored. I won’t be singing it any high praises but it’s a lot better than most comedies I have come across. There are still elements that find all too often in comedies like a romance that is doomed to go nowhere and in general the series will just be this and nothing more. But while they did do the old cliché of the lucky Pervert, it’s at least fresh that they had the girl react differently from “KYA!” Another character did fill in for the unjustified beating but it’s nice to see a girl so openly unashamed of her body. Or just too caught up in her own dramatics to notice. It’s a fun watch.

Potential: 60%

Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation

Short Synopsis: A student council President wants a boy to start playing an MMO.

This was a little better than I expected but I must ask one thing. If you were given the task of adapting a sci-fi space epic MMO into an anime, why would you set it in a school setting in modern day? That’s like making an anime out of the Fallout series and making it about people playing the game Fallout. Also school is terrible, I don’t know why anime is so infatuated with it. I was truly glad to leave it and move all memories associated with it to the recycle bin of my brain. Not because of any hard time or anything(My school life was utterly mundane) but because it was dreadfully boring and a period of my life when I was a complete imbecile. Ah, sorry, the impression, yes. Well leaving aside the complete madness of ditching an opportunity to make a Sci-fi adventure anime, this is decently done. It’s sort of interesting from the front of someone first getting into MMOs though his reasons for doing so are strange. The student council, naturally a important governing body instead of there real life counterpart, gives this kid a mission to start playing this MMO to…research his experiences? Personally it looks more like the council President wanted a raiding buddy and came up with some excuse to recruit someone. The creators certainly are taking creative liberties with the games as the level of player interaction is beyond a normal MMO. I am not sure if combat is representative of the product either as I don’t see health bars or attack numbers anywhere. For what it is, it certainly could have been a lot worse but it still remains a potential idea squandered to appeal to a mass audience…and college was a lot better than school.

Potential: 30%

Some Quick First Impressions: Schwarzesmarken, Koukaku no Pandora and Luck & Logic

January 11, 2016 by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Schwarzesmarken

Short Synopsis: A dystopian society Germany fights a desperate struggle against an alien threat.

To get the obvious question out of the way first. No, you do not need to watch Muv Luv Total eclipse to get this anime and you don’t need to play the original Visual novel trilogy. This is basically a stand alone spin off story separate from both mentioned. The only connection being that they take place in the same universe. As a start I say this was good though nothing truly impressive. My previous worries that this might leave people who are not familiar with the Muv Luv universe seem to so far be unfounded as we are given a quick intro into the state of things and immediately thrown into the action. Of course people may still have complaints such as “Why did they send out a soldier suffering from PTSD?” but we can’t really address things like that without giving too much exposition. The setting does indeed have barrells of potential though the CGI is particularly lacking. On the mecha it’s fine but on the organic monstrosities such as BETA it really sticks out like a sore thumb. A big thing in how this adaption turns out will really depend on how they handle the darker elements. This episode tip toed on overplaying them but I like how they cut down the main character’s backstory and it really is beneficial to not view his internal monologue. They need to be careful and downplay the drama on these grim dark elements as if they overdramatise them it could end up too overblown to take seriously. If you felt the main character was particularly annoying for being irritable all the time then be thankful that you didn’t have to read his thoughts too. Because they certainly don’t make him any more likable. If anything this adaption has made me aware of just how unbearably positive Katia is. Admittedly her role is mainly to highlight just how harsh this country is but it can be rather painful to see her being utterly naive. For lack of a better way to put it, she seems like an overly moe anime character in a setting clearly not suited for it. So with that said, the action is good, the characters look to have potential for growth and the setting is brimming with grim consequences.

Potential: 65%

Koukaku no Pandora

Short Synopsis: A cyborg girl helps fight out of control robots with the power of yuri

From the Mangaka behind Ghost in the Shell we have an anime about lesbian robot girls. Now your eyes might have lit up with excitement upon hearing this is from the maker of Ghost in the shell but let me put things into perspective. This the Mangaka who brought us the Ghost in the shell manga, not the famous anime movie or Stand alone complex series. For you see the manga of Ghost in the shell and the anime of Ghost in the shell are as different as night and day. The anime had a focus on the political and psychological aspects of the story were as the manga was more an action manga with some comedy and fanservice thrown in. For this show it looks like we got less action and far more comedy and fanservice. I have long said that I am not a fan of comedy but I think even those that go for anime comedies will find the slapstick of this episode humorless. Seeing as comedy is at the forefront that means this episode didn’t quite do anything for me and I find the fanservice to be a bit extreme. Basically in order to activate her powers for battle she must stick her fingers in the crotch area of another female robot. Classy. Action seemed decent for what little of it there is. I will give it a tiny bit of potential as the robotics side of things is interesting and chances are this would be enjoyable to a certain audience.

Potential: 5%

Luck & Logic

Short Synopsis: A boy once again decides to fight off world invaders with a mysterious girl

There must be a better way of giving the viewer information without resorting to exposition. In other cases it’s the source material that’s at fault for this but by being an original anime you should have no reason to resort to the laziest method of conveying information. We have a visual medium to work with here, make use of it. On that note if you call this system Logic then how would you separate the term from linguistic logic? Wouldn’t the similar terms get confused? Also do we really have to refer to the attacking monster as a “Foreigner”? Enemy, invader, Kaiju, threat…there are plenty of words for this already. There’s no need to invent a dictionary of terms when there are words suitable already. Not much to say on this one. I feel there’s effort behind this and while it is cheesy, it is watchably average.There’s CGI in the battle scenes which is of varying degrees of quality, from passable to terrible. Protagonist is fairly bland but seems to be the most experienced fighter of the cast which is a change. Though his sister is a rather irritating creature with her insistence for him to remain “Villager A” If you want some mindless entertainment this could do the trick.

Potential: 20%

Some Quick First Impressions: Shoujo-tachi wa Kouya wo Mezasu, Bubuki Buranki and Divine Gate

January 11, 2016 by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Shoujo-tachi wa Kouya wo Mezasu

Short Synopsis: A girl wants a guy to make a visual novel with her.

From the writer of the Majikoi visual novel we have a story about making visual novels. That may cause some of you to shy away due to Majikoi’s anime adaption but as someone who has read the VN, the anime and visual novel are completely different. Still Majikoi is no masterpiece. One thing this show has going for it is its cast of characters. It’s nice that the main protagonist actually has character and he’s offset by pretty interesting supporting cast. I particularly liked the misappropriately titled “Bitch queen” who acted as a wise love guru though a phone call. There are those making comparisons to SNAFU but I feel that this anime will be a lot less serious due to the majikoi author being behind the writing. It’s certainly watchable and the cast makes it rather enjoyable so far. Also the anime referenced Sharin no Kuni which happens to be one of my favourite visual novels of all time. So for that I bumped up the potential score. I know that’s not professional but I don’t care. Props for the G-senjou no Maou reference too.

Potential: 65%

Bubuki Buranki

Short Synopsis: A kid attempts to find something connected to his past while being hunted.

Well that was certainly a surprise. The first ten minutes of this show were not what I expected in a good way. It acted as a good setup for the series and leaves me wanting to know more. The CGI is liked the best integration of 2D and 3D elements I have seen in awhile. While still not perfect this could be a step in integrating CGI into anime without it being jarring. On bad points, characterisation is a bit on the weak side. Especially with our main character who is the kind of whiny wuss we often see in these positions. The second half of the episode isn’t as strong as the first but I see potential in this. There are definite hints of hidden agenda’s and the villain looks quite interesting. A very strong start to what could be quite an interesting series.

Potential: 75%

Divine Gate

Short Synopsis: A teenager is all mopey because he has superpowers and a school wishes to scout him.

“Pitter, patter, the rain starts to drop. While the water may fill up the hole on the road, it will never fill up the hole of one’s heart.” Oh god, when your episode opens with poetic nonsense such as this it truly gets you ready for the events to come. It’s pretty clear this was written by someone who never quite outgrew the chuunibyou stage of his life and decided to use this anime to spread his complete genius. The result is just insipid when clunky exposition given by a psychopath randomly out of nowhere, a protagonist that thinks acting completely emo is an interesting character trait and bringing along an utterly ridiculous tragic backstory to boot, and of course that despite this attempting to wax philosophical metaphors it’s still knee deep in many of the tropes plaguing the genre. There’s a school setting because of course there is and the characters powers are boring to boot. Red guy uses fire, blue guy uses water and I am firmly willing to bet that the green girl has powers relating to plants. My interest ebbed away with every minute and I can be fairly certain on this. This will not be anything worthwhile.

Potential: 0%