This season? Delightful! A-1 is on fire with six series at the same time, two of which are the best of their respective season. After years of begging, there are two Akitaro Daichi series airing at the same time. After years of complaining, Shounen Jump adaptations suddenly show their best sides since the OVA of Hunter X Hunter. After years of complaining, Shoujo suddenly is prominent again with actually good characters. There is very little bad fanservice stuff, and there are plenty of series that treat its audiences as adults. Hell yeah, bring this on!
#38 (new) – Onii-chan Blahblah – (2/10) – I refuse to spend any more time to try and get the name of these godawful incest shows right. Dropped.
#37 (new) – To Love-Ru – (2.6/10) – Just make this a hentai already! Dropped
#36 (new) – Busou Shinki – (3.1/10) – This one really was surprisingly bad. I mean the OVA was decent, albeit unremarkable. This was nothing but the most blatant of wish fulfillment with some of the dumbest characters of the entire season. Dropped.
#35 (new) – Aikatsu – (3.5/10) – The CG! The horrible, horrible CG! Dropped.
#34 (new) – Liche Light Club – (3.9/10) – A proper studio should have gotten this. What could have been an incredibly dark and twisted comedy got reduced to badly delivered sadism jokes. Dropped.
#33 (new) – Monsuno – (4.25/10) – Very cheesy kiddie shounen series that moves way too fast. Dropped
#32 (new) – Girls und Panzer – (4.6/10) – Why, Girls und Panzer. Why did you take yourself seriously? Did you seriously think that that would survive in this season? Dropped.
#31 (new) – Wooser no Sono Higurashi – (5/10) – Has a nice idea, that wears off after 30 seconds. Dropped.
#30 (new) – Hidamari Sketch – (6.25/10) – Hidamari Sketch never really hit me. It’s a combination of Shaft and characters that never really appealed to me and never really caught my attention. Dropped.
#29 (new) – Hayate the Combat Butler – (6.5/10) – I still haven’t found a reason to watch Hayate the Combat Butler. It wasn’t particularly annoying or anything, but absolutely nothing grabbed me over the three first episodes that I watched. At this point this series has gotten way too long for me to want to bother with it. Dropped
#28 (new) – Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter – (6.75/10) – Hilariously bad. Seeing little kids who handle actual cars like they’re total pros was worth quite a laugh, but there is no way I’m going to continue with this. Dropped.
#27 (new) – Chuuninbyou demo Koi ga Shitai – (7/10) – Really good animation, but apart from that I have little reason to continue with this show. The characters are annoying, and there is just too little that happens for my tastes. There is much more interesting stuff going on this season, especially considering that there are so many other romance shows airing at the same time that may not be as well animated, but have much more compelling characters.
#26 (new) – Bakuman – (7.25/10) – If Bakuman was just 26 episodes long, it would have made a killer series. I don’t want to bother with it for 75 though. Dropped
#25 (14) – Sword Art Online – (7.4/10) – Well, here is one show that jumped the shark. I really liked the conclusion of the Sword Art Online arc. After that though, the new arc just kept making no sense (I don’t care if it’s explained in the novels), it has the most stereotypically evil villain and I really hate the way in which Asuna has been reduced to a mere damsel in distress, allowing Kirito to expand his harem even more.
#24 (new) – Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun – (7.4/10) – My problem with this series is the male lead. He’s way too forced: on one hand he’s too perfect, on other he’s too flawed. He’s trying to be everything in just one character, making him an unlikable asshole. The female lead deserves better. Because of that I’ve dropped this series. During a quiet season I would have watched it, but there is too much competition that is just more interesting.
#23 (new) – Medaka Box – (7.5/10) – The second season of Medaka Box is… boring. To me it just feels like a parade of over the top characters with crazy powers, but it lacks personality or any kind of engaging story other than “High School” and “Let’s evolve humanity by killing off lots of people”. The new villains aren’t compelling at all and are very much of the same. Will this really end well?
#22 (new) – Ixion Saga – (7.6/10) – My standards for comedy are high: I really want to laugh when I watch one, and Ixion Saga just wasn’t funny enough and it repeated itself a little too much within the three episodes that I watched. Dropped.
#21 (new) – Little Busters – (7.6/10) – I’m beginning to fear that this will end up more like Kanon, rather than Air and Clannad: nice, but ultimately lacking. Air and Clannad were amazing because they went beyond the formulaic “group of sad girls”. With the build-up that we’ve recently gotten here, I don’t see any hints for the same with Little Busters. It’s funny and enjoyable, but the girls have got some major issues. Their acting is pretty bad at points as well, especially the ditzy girl.
#20 (new) – Teekyu – (7.6/10) – … I’m still watching this series. Why!?
#19 (new) – Code: Breaker – (7.75/10) – My problem with Code: Breaker is this: what the hell is this series about? Witht he other series this season, I know what they’re trying to do and convey. Here though, we’re three episodes in and the only thing we know is that a guy is killing bad guys and a girl is trying to stop him. There is no depth to this so far and the terrible comedy during the school scenes isn’t really helping.
#18 (new) – K – (8/10) – K doesn’t have much depth. What it does have however is the best animation of the season and it’s very fun to watch in the way that it combines lot of different plot threads together. It could have been a bit more ambitious with these ingredients, though.
#17 (new) – Sukitte Ii na Yo – (8.1/10) – Here is an interesting romance: it neither claims its male lead nor its female lead as perfect. Everyone is flawed in this series. Also, unlike Kimi ni Todoke, it doesn’t take bloody ages to get somewhere. Its drama is a bit forced at times, and it tends to get a little overboard with jealousy, but it’s quite a charming series.
#16 (new) – Gintama – (8.1/10) – Gintama still has its problems, like how it’s still formulaic how everyone gets beaten to a pulp with lots of drama, only to walk away fine moments late, but the creativity still has me, especially the way in which the Kintama arc ended caught me by surprise.
#15 (new) – Magi – (8.1/10) – Magi is an adventure show. It can be a bit silly at times and it tends to have one-dimensional villains, but it’s fun, and it’s full of creativity. It’s also got an engaging main cast to follow: Ali Baba and Aladdin have a good chemistry together.
#14 (new) – Btooom! – (8.1/10)Btooom shows the ugly side of humanity. It’s got the bad luck that it airs right next to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure though, because in terms of adrenaline it unfortunately lost by a long stretch. Still, it works as a suspense, even though the bombs aren’t quite realistic. The atmosphere of everyone trying to kill each other works well.
#13 (7) – Shirokuma Cafe – (8.25/10)
This month hasn’t been Polar Bear Cafe’s best, but it still managed to deliver its typical dry humour, sarcasm and corny wordplay. Highlight was the halloween bit.
#12 (new) – Robotics;Notes – (8.25/10)
This show had a slow start, but it’s fun and interesting. The male lead needs a bit of work, but the female lead is quite compelling to watch, and the characterization of the side characters is also pretty good. I’m not going to expect the next Steins;Gate here though.
#11 (new) – Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo – (8.25/10)
This show has really good chemistry. Its characters are all interwoven with each other and even though they seem like really bad clichés at first sight, they soon grow to be much more than that, and much sharper than I imagined.
#10 (new) – Zetsuen no Tempest – (8.25/10)
Fantastic soundtrack, and this show had the best first episode of the season. After that it lost that status when it went a bit too much into building up, but nevertheless this show has great characters, an interesting back-story and excellent action. This can really turn into something amazing with time.
#9 (10) – Poyopoyo Kansatsu Nikki – (8.4/10)
It’s pretty much the same story as usual for Poyopoyo: it’s still delightful slice of life with lots of small relatable scenes that are also really hilarious.
#8 (new) – Jormungand – (8.4/10)
Jormungand’s second season really surprised me with how much it improved over the first one. The characters are actually good, and the villains stopped being snarky and generic. The plot twists were particularly impressive here.
#7 (new) – Psycho Pass – (8.4/10)
Psycho Pass is fascinating. It aims to create these complex moral dilemmas that aim to really make you think. On top of that it’s got some great suspense and an amazing soundtrack to boot.
#6 (15) – Saint Seiya Omega – (8.5/10)
Saint Seiya has really gotten good here. Even a simple recap episode had me at the edge of my seat. It’s simple hot blooded action, but this was done so well in this month with the conclusion of the first half of the show.
#5 (new) – Kamisama Hajimemashita – (8.5/10)
Out of all the romances this season, Kamisama Hajimemashita by far has the best execution. Perhaps the story itself needs a bit more time to get going compared to Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo, but the delivery is just perfect: it is really good at combining comedy and drama together, and every single episode is wonderfully built up, ending at an incredibly charming conclusion.
#4 (new) – Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure – (8.6/10)
This series definitely is not for everyone, but it really has been a while since I saw an anime with so much adrenaline as in this series. There really have been moments in which I just wanted to yell loudly alongside the characters. This show is just so completely over the top in every single way, and the creators look like they’re having so much fun in the process. The voice actors as well ham it up, but they ham it up with so much passion that it becomes an incredibly addictive series.
#3 (6) – From the New World – (8.75/10)
After one month, this is the series that has made the biggest impression on me. Its setting is completely original, but what also struck me is its consistency in its characterization: it just keeps building further upon the characters and they make this show compelling. I also absolutely love its variety: every episode has been significantly different so far.
#2 (1) – Uchuu Kyoudai – (8.9/10)
The past month for Uchuu Kyoudai has been slow, but incredibly detailed because of this. Especially the latest episode was just amazing in how well it portrayed the shuttle launch, and everything leading up to it. I didn’t get bored for a single moment here.
#1 (3) – Hunter X Hunter – (8.9/10)
This show has surpassed itself yet again this month. The spider troupe is for me the single best evil organization in any shounen ever. They’re just so professional and work so well together. Kurapika on the other hand got some amazing development. And we haven’t even reached the best part yet!
Oddly enough, the show that is tracking to be a big hit on Stalker atm is ……
drum roll please …
Girls und Panzer.
I guess it’s because it’s sorta like Saki with tanks.
Strangely, the most stand-out part of this show seems to be the nice boats. XD
I knew that I said somewhere in the past that it’s got a terrible/horrible first episode. For some unfathomable reason, I’m inkling and wanting to see what happens next. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
Fond memories of Strike Witches?
Or maybe you were exposed to tank porn? XD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqRdPKtSi4Q&feature=player_embedded
I’m actually pretty glad you’re finally dropping SAO. As much as I love it, I don’t think it works well with this blog and it’s audience. Different strokes for different folks. Personally, I hope there will continue to be a segment of the anime industry that caters to different tastes, even if they seem mediocre to some.
did psgels say anything about dropping it?
Hm..well, he ranked it lower than series he actually dropped. I hope he does. It’ll be kinda cruel to just to keep it around if he’s just going to use it to express disappointment. XD I don’t think it really gets better.
Judging from his posts, I think he’s still going to see it through the end even though he knows well what he’s watching. I’m not him so I’m not sure though…
He’ll probably keep watching it but he’s a working guy, with a tight schedule and too much to watch and review already. At some point, he’s going to burn out. And it doesn’t help that commenter conflicts has made him have to intervene to keep things civil. I’d drop it just to shut everybody up. XD I think everybody has great opinions but somehow this show seems to bring out some of the worst in us. Some of the commentators that had their comments cuts had some really insightful things to say about other series. This is really a matter of tastes that seem to differ incredibly. It’s quite a conundrum.
I can’t agree more with your opinion on Btoom’s bombs. Are they really bombs? Not some pretty fireworks? The damage level is too low! The ‘time’ bomb exploded on the kid’s behind, not too far away, yet, he’s barely injured! Next, I thought he’s a goner for sure when Sakamoto threw the ‘hit on contact’ bomb unto his back. Yet, he’s shown to be pretty much fine.
What the hell…
There’s also inconsistency in terms of damage too. Some bombs are one-hit kills. Others can detonate at near-point blank and still be dodged. It’s like some of the players are wearing invisible Gantz suits that others forgot to wear in order to bring to life the mechanics of the game. *shrug* Are the bombs programmed to do less damage to BTOOOM! veteran players based on their in-game rank or something?
The firecracker should really have killed the kid, from how it’s animated / portrayed. Maybe veteran players has better defense stat, lol. Maybe it’s all Sakamoto’s dream.
Well, somehow Miyuki Sawashiro saw fit to lend her voice to this character so maybe there’s some redeeming quality to him in some way or another. It’s too quick to kill him off? It’s like whacking the big bad guy in a Bond movie half an hour in. The producers need to find a way to get the audience to buy how these bombs seem so deadly to some yet so harmless to others. Doubt if they will though.
I dropped Kamisama Hajimemashita and never watched Saint Saiya. Except these two shows, I do agree with you on 1-10 !
I still think that you should give Girls und Panzer a chance. After watching the latest episode, it is definitely one of the series where at first glance it looks like pure shit.
Agree!
Medaka Box ” will it really end well” well this arc is…necessary once you seen all of the series you see it as an important component of the greater whole, Maniacal laughter: At this peace said greater whole will be completed after two more seasons so good luck.
I’m saddened to see Little Busters ranked so low…whatever. I’m delighted to see Hunter X Hunter ranked so high and Sword Art Online being ranked so low. Your ranking is finally in agreement with my tastes for the first time ever since I followed your blog, psgels :).
You convinced me to pick Saint Seiya Omega back up and to drop Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, which has been boring me silly since the second episode.
As always we don’t agree on comedy though, lol. I love Ixion Saga DT and find Panzerfahren hilarious (thank’s to commie’s awesome subs).
I’m surprised you ranked Btoooom so high though.
jojo rank higher then i expected. cant wait for the second part to come, it would take quite large amount of episode to get there though “sigh”
Girls und panzer don´t take himself seriously enought, it´s like you say Inozuma elevan take himself seriously
keep watching Girls und panzer!
I also like Teekyu. I think Kill me Baby would have worked a lot better in this format, short and fast-paced.
I really don’t mind the animation if it is funny. Roots previous work, Surumeika, was barely animated (it was all done just by himself).
The ratings for this list all seem to be quite fair in my opinion. Of course some of my personal feelings are a tad bit conflicted with some of the reactions to these shows, but nonetheless this list is quite pleasing. Though if I were to say one thing it would be this: I’m enjoying Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun to death. It appears that I have a thing for that shoujo with that type of “male lead”… I’m not sure why really.
Actually I agree with you. While I agree with psgels that he’s really inconsistent it’s nice that at the base of things he’s a goofy character trying to find a way to adjust to his changing environment. Suukite does the “outsiders” thing better dramatically, but I think Kaibutsu has charm in the humour and with how the characters interact. And there are a lot of little things I like seeing in the series that are different from the usual shojou.
I usually agree with the rankings but I was actually sort of surprised a show like Kamisama ranks so high. While I do like some of its creativity due to having Yokai I find it head-achingly cliche. And sort of ironic since their male lead is a lot more shallow/typical as a character. The typical “normal girl” who somehow ends up with a beautiful but bad-natured guy who denies her but will eventually fall for her. I guess the opinion is that the story outweighs that, but like you said yourself its personal preference in what you like in a series.
Same problem here with Tekyuu, it has something…
“My standards for comedy are high”, well maybe they aren’t high, just your standards.
Ixion can make you laugh a lot (the 3rd episode was weak but the others worked hard in setting their jokes). I think it’s one of those you shouldn’t drop but well… I’m looking forward to see ED gets his balls back one day, though now he has no weakness!
And as said Girls und Panzer is Saki with tanks, though I still don’t know who takes care of the maintenance and repairs on the tanks (-.-).
It does not take itself so serious, as those deserters should have been court martialed!
Like the above poster I am also really enjoying Ixion Saga, not only do I find it funny it has some great acting. I also consider my standards for comedy high (but then who doesn’t). Comedy is of course very subjective. It is one of the series that I eagerly anticipate each week.
The other is From the New World…which of course could not be more different.
I think it’s the first month summary where nobody is angry at anyone in the comments section. I’m proud of us people, where’s growing up!!
Nice ranking. Hunter x Hunter is without a doubt also my #1. I’m so happy every week and I love the direction it’s taking. I’m so surprised about Saint Seiya being so high. I think I’ll wait till it’s really over and read your final review to decide if I want to watch it afterall. I’m proud of Jormungand for improving, I wasn’t expecting that and the last two episodes have been my favorite of the series.
Finally, I’m really enjoying Noitamina this season. I love both shows a lot and am always eager to watch them every week.
Little Busters is a lot more than the “group of sad girls” formula. You’ll see. Just wait ’till Refrain. It was more heartwrenching than After Story, in my opinion. Especially if you like the guys because they are total bros.
Your reviews are far better and realist when they’re put into a few words. For once, I’m impressed.
This week’s Black Flame Master was pretty cool.
Agree too. =)
Saint Seiya Omega six???, wtf?. Call me a old guard, that series is !”!)?¡!”#=$ but is your tates pgels, is a shame about SAO, but in this forum is expected to be that low. Code breaker is really really good, Is no that i need to know the back ground to considered a good series. Magi is five or four to me, from the new world uhmm i dropeed in the end that series, a little like the same whit penguin drum, meaby i will see when is finished. The rest is ok.
I liked Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun better than Sukitte Ii na yo because of the strong female lead, and it made me laugh quite a lot too…
Hunter x Hunter gets number one.
Made my day.
Keep Girls und Panzer. It’s okay if you chose to not blog it (or just pack it in one post with other anime like what you do last season), but keep it for a while.
Overall nice summary, score is a preference; but lists that you drop and you keep are very good.
I think some people are ashamed to say they like Girls und Panzers. I watched the first episode and so far Im aways waiting for the new. Althrough the idea is appeling, this show is a good entertainment with a pleasurable positive mood and brings something new, this thing of tanks fights. And these fights are really good. In my view, this serie is as interesting as Robotic;Notes.
I was disappointed when I read that the Chuuuninbyou characters are annoying. Besides them have a unique charisma, I never laughed so much with a character that doesnt grimace or scream even smile, as Rikka-chan. Due to the design, voice acting, plot and style of comedy, Chuuninbyou filled the gap left by Hyouka in this season.
I will go really far and say that I think that one could easily compare Girls und Panzer with AKB0048. Both are set in some wacked ass setting. You had your idols, labeled as terrorists, traveling the universe against an greater power, that despised entertainment of all forms, to pursue and protect their dream, their fans, and everything they hold dear. And in this world, girls compete in tank warfare because that’s apparently what they do in this world, alongside flower arrangement and stuff. Okay, so it isn’t as wacky as AKB, but I still think it’s wacky when you ask yourself, “What happened in this world that tank warfare went hand-in-hand with flower arrnagement?”
You have your girls, all of which have histories that make them (or not) want to do the things that they want to do. Both series features exciting battles. Seriously that first tank battle against another school was amazing. The idol mecha battles were exhilirating, and I’m expecting the tank battles to be just as thrilling as well.
Please reconsider dropping Girls und Panzer. You don’t even have to blog, just watching it would be tremendously better than dropping it on the first episode.
If there is anything that AKB0048 taught, it was expect the unexpected. I used to do a first episode drop as well, but after watching AKB, I changed it so I’d watch 5 episodes first, and if still hasn’t caught my attention, then I’d drop it.
Wait, okay. tl;dr I think Panzer is a proportionally dumbed-down and not-as-well-executed version of AKB0048, but considering how jaw-dropping AKB was, I think you should give ANY anime a chance beyond the first few episodes before you drop anything.
Allow me to assure you Little Busters is not going to be just another sad girls show. Actually I thought Kanon was fantastic as well, but it did just go through the girls’ arcs one after another.
HxH as first… now I’m happy
How the fuck are you rating from a thousand lol come on son!
Loosen up and give GuP another try.