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

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Mahoujin Guru Guru

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

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

Potential: 30%

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

Potential: 40%

 

Hajimete no Gal

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

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

Potential: 0%

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

Potential: 0%

 

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

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

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

Potential: 60%

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

Potential: 40%

 

Gamers!

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

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

Potential: 10%

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

Potential: 20%

Shoukoku no Altair – 02 [The Citadel City]

by SuperWooper, posted in Series which were Dropped, Shoukoku no Altair

After last week’s runaway locomotive of an episode, I had hoped that Shokoku no Altair would find a lower narrative gear during its second offering. That dream remains unrealized, however, as the show continues to introduce settings and push its plot without giving its cast much time to breathe. The first two episodes thus far share a similar structure: Mahmut attends court and learns of a conflict that puts Turkiye at risk, objects to his rival Zaganos’ plans, is shot down, runs off to fix things himself, and stumbles upon a conspiracy orchestrated by the Empire. Altair’s premiere had a fun festival scene that introduced Ibrahim and Shara, at least, but this time all we got were a couple of clumsy flashbacks before being thrown into another dispute between Turkiye and the opposing Imperial forces.

On one side of this dispute is Zaganos Pasha, who is almost too eager to ride for the Turkiyean territory of Hisar and quell what seems to be an uprising there. While most of the primary characters have been playing with their cards face up, Zaganos Pasha is someone whose motives were in question after a single appearance. His thirst for war seemed to hint at an alliance with the enemy, but this episode revealed that he and Imperial Minister Louis (who was behind the whole thing once again) were on different pages regarding the plot in Hisar. Time will tell if Zaganos is a simple foil for Mahmut, or whether his military aspirations are more deeply rooted.

If there’s still hope that Zaganos will reveal himself to be more than a puppy-kicking villain, the same can’t be said for Louis, whose lack of a twirl-able mustache is a big missed opportunity.  Whenever there’s an establishing shot of the castle where Louis confers with the Emperor, a comically evil piece of organ music starts up, just in case you were unsure who the bad guys were. I had high hopes for the Emperor at first, but his awareness of Louis’ schemes was more concrete this time around, which robs their scenes of any potential complexity. Much more interesting is Lady Lelederik, whose brief introduction revealed her cooperation with Louis to be tenuous at best. I’m no expert on monarchical titles, but I expect this new Duchess to trump the Minister in the coming weeks.

It occurred to me during this episode that Altair’s score is distinctly western, despite being set in an alternate version of the Ottoman Empire. The string section alternates between bombastic and mournful, but they’re nearly always audible, even during some of the characters’ inner monologues. We only get a break from this sameness during the dance scenes, where the music is cheerier and more varied, but not quite Turkish or even Middle Eastern, at least not to my untrained ears. (Feel free to call me out in the comments if I’m off base here.) Altair’s backgrounds and buildings look authentic, but its unremarkable music may be contributing to my lack of engagement with the series. Its ending theme, though, meshes traditional and pop music to create an entrancing beat for which I always stick around – that’s one department where Altair never lets me down.

The Reflection – A Look at the Creators

by Lenlo, posted in Finished Series: Action, The Reflection

For years in the anime community there has been a question about what exactly qualifies as an anime. Many argue that anime specifically means animation made and produced in Japan alone by the Japanese. Others argue that anime is shorthand for animation and thus should be extended to western inspired pieces such as Avatar the Last Airbender, Teen Titans and RWBY. But what about those in between? What about pieces created by the West but produced by the East? It is in this middle ground that Stan Lee’s The Reflection lies. The Reflection doesn’t being airing until July 22nd, and because of its unique position, I thought it would be good to take a look at it. To take the opportunity to talk about what The Reflection is, where it’s coming from and what we can look forward to in this upcoming season.

To start, lets introduce out key players, Stan Lee, Hiroshi Nagahama and Studio Deen. I find it difficult to believe there is someone in this day and age who doesn’t know about Stan Lee but here is a quick primer. Stan Lee is the man who brought us Marvel Comics and is basically the father of western comics, with Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko the artists at his side. With the recent advent of Superhero movies, Stan Lee is back stronger than ever and is preparing to make another foray into anime. His previous works in the east include Heroman and the Ultimo manga series made in conjunction with Shaman King creator Hiroyuki Takei.

Next we have Hiroshi Nagahama, a longtime Key Animator and Director. Nagahama started out at Madhouse before eventually going freelance. On his own he worked on the design for Revolutionary Girl Utena and began doing animation direction for Ojarumaru. Eventually, he came to direct his own critically acclaimed pieces such as Mushishi, Detroit Metal City, and The Flowers of Evil. Today, we are fortunate to have him directing The Reflection.

Finally, we have Studio Deen, a place many of you know well. Studio Deen is one of the old hats in animation and have been doing it as far back as the 80’s with pieces such as Angels Egg and Ranma 1/2. More recent examples of their skill include Log Horizon Season 2, Hetalia, and one of my personal favorites Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. With recent quality like that and the heavy hitters as mentioned before, The Reflection has a good baseline to start from. Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be much information on how these three came together, but no doubt after his time with Bones working on Heroman, Stan Lee has a few contacts in the industry for The Reflection.

With its pedigree laid out, lets take a look at The Reflection, coming to simultaneous distribution July 22nd. As expected with Stan Lee, we are looking at a Superhero story, though this one is more along the lines of My Hero Academia than Superman. Our story begins with an event called The Reflection (early title card!), after which many individuals all over the world are discovered with super powers. These powers range from our hero Xon who can copy and stockpile other peoples powers, I-Guy who can generate a concussive blast with his voice and Deadwing a man turned bat who fights with ultrasonic waves. With these powers some naturally choose to use their powers as villains, so of course heroes must appear to oppose them. Over the course of this conflict we will no doubt learn about The Reflection, what caused it and if there was a deeper plot behind it.

With Stan Lee as the creator, the man who has made some of the most loved comic book characters in history, and Nagahama as the director, with his experience from Mushishi, I expect we will be treated to more than your average super hero fare. The Reflection has yet to receive a rating and will consist of one cour, airing on Funimation and Crunchyroll starting July 22nd at 11 pm. Be sure to check it out!

Re:Creators – 14 [Why We Travel]

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

Re:Creators starts off it’s second half of its series with a brand new opening credits from Sawano using the two same singers of gravityWall. Titled as shØut, it takes the same melody as AL:Lu and closely follows the first opening in its presentation. I thought it was about the same quality as the first one with a bit more action like having fighter jets coming out of Meteora’s Gate of Babylon and explosions everywhere. What information can be gleaned is that Selesia will eventually get back her prized Vogelchevalier and that two more creations, in addition to Charon, will be joining the show. The first is apparently is Yuuya’s rival in which his sister was killed by our sword wielding stand user. This is going to be turn out to be very explosive as these two are going to butt heads as one seeks vengeance for a murdered family member. The second character is so bizarrely out of place in her normality as she seems to be a character from one of those generic romantic visual or light novels. Other than her warm and kind heart, I don’t see any powers that could stand toe-to-toe with Altair’s dance of swords or every other creations wielding their massive abilities. Re:Creators has surprised me before and I’m sure they will surprise me with her.

Unfortunately, it’s been nearly a month since anything really awesome has happened and since then, it’s just been mostly just theorizing and coming up with an elaborate plan to engage Altair and defeat her. Episode fourteen is no different with briefings and characters standing around talking to each other. It does answers several questions like having Altair being deliberately written to be weaker and confronts a few loopholes that the audience might have thought to exploit. I didn’t really enjoy all the info dumping and for the rest of the episode, the creative process takes center stage in how each creators approach their craft from being on a salary working for a client with specific needs to being utterly devoted to maintaining the artistic purity  of their work and totally independant. People like Kentaro Miura, of Berserk fame, comes to mind when it comes to telling a story that does not compromise in its quality, subject matter, or release schedule that sometimes takes years between the release of chapters. I was annoyed that they decided to omit the details of Sota’s little plot insertion as the episode was already so dry. At the very least, a date is given to us about when the grand event is to occur, which happens to exactly fall on when the sixteenth episode is aired. I expect it to be awesome because the last few episode certainly haven’t been given all the buildup that has been happening.

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

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Chronos Rulers

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

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

Potential: 0%

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

Potential: 0%

 

Tenshi no 3P!

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

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

Potential: 0%

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

Potential: 0%

 

Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni

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

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

Potential: 0%

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

Potential: 0%

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

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Princess Principal

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

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

Potential: 45%

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

Potential: 75%

 

Centaur no Nayami

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

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

Potential: 55%

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

Potential: 60%

 

Hitorijime My Hero

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

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

Potential: 0%

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

Potential: 10%

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

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Shoukoku no Altair

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

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

Potential: 75%

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

Potential: 80%

 

18if

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

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

Potential: 55%

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

Potential: 70%

 

Action Heroine Cheer Fruits

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

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

Potential:35%

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

Potential: 30%

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

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Ballroom e Youkoso

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

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

Potential: 85%

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

Potential: 80%

 

Made in Abyss

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

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

Potential: 90%

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

Potential: 90%

 

Vatican Kiseki Chousakan

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

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

Potential: 60%

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

Potential: 70%

Some Quick First Impressions: Dive!!, Saiyuuki Reload Blast and Konbini Kareshi

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Dive!!

Short Synopsis: A boy’s local diving club is given a chance to aim for the Olympics.

This series has a very…happy vibe. Not sure how to put it but something about the dialogue has an artificial positivity to it. Still I appreciate the effort to have a story here as opposed to just having 13 episodes of manservice. Though the manservice is here, have no doubt about that. In fact I am not normally one to normally point this out but the protagonists interest in his senpai seems to border on homosexual here. Thing is I don’t quite know if it’s intentional or not. I mean they spend time showing his complete disinterest in his girlfriend and being bothered that his senpai found out about his girlfriend. The signals here make it seem to be going in that direction. If so i say go for it and don’t try to back out by dressing it up as camaraderie. Also I am not fond of the way they add a water effect to the character’s skin. Makes it look like the protagonists are made out of water and it’s off putting. I can’t say I have much interest in this as don’t really care about diving and the story so far just doesn’t really catch me.

Potential: 30%

Mario: One thing that really irks me about this series is how they set a very unrealistic and over the top goal here. Aim for Tokyo Olympics? Gosh. Remember those guys train in a local club? I mean, the whole prospect isn’t entirely impossible; but as a fellow who studied sports in uni, I can’t let it slide easily. High-performance sport is something they have to work hard, sweat, tears and blood to gain it, not some opportunity that open to them, thus I feel that the show so far is way too easy on its characters; although I’ll wait until next week to hear what the female coach has to propose. Other than that, although I’m fairly alright with the whole diving sports treatment, the main guy’s idol is wayyyy too perfect to feel like a normal human. The animation for those divings is overall solid, but characters as a whole still leave a lot to be desired. Not the best show for this noitaminA slot, but well it’s passable.

Potential: 40%

 

Saiyuuki Reload Blast

Short Synopsis:  A group of men travel across the country fighting demons.

I don’t know what it is but this is also an anime with a source from a bygone era. In this case it’s a sequel to a series that originally aired in 2004 which in turn was a sequel to a show that aired in 2003 which in turn was a sequel to an anime which aired in 2000. Can’t really say why it seemed to deserve a fourth sequel now as there was nothing in this episode that really sold me on it. In fact if this is the fourth sequel to the series it must be rather disheartening to see the characters be such one note stereotypes. Normally when your anime reaches the one hundred episode mark it’s time to get the endgame started but this seems no closer to a conclusion than from where it started. Now I am a fan of seeing demons get shot in that face, I play doom after all. But this just seems to have nothing really to offer. It’s clear the story is going nowhere and the plot is already rather dated. I don’t think many will be willing to check this one out seeing as you need to get through 3 prequels first.

Potential: 10%

 

Mario: Inspired obviously from Journey to the West with updated, throw-up overdesigned “cool” characters, who fight demons with “cool” weapons and mutters ridiculously “cool” lines. Yeah so right in the beginning the quartet doesn’t impress me at all. And it’s going to be a hard sell for me since the series is about their journey quest to fight demons so I have to care about those four. Furthermore, the actions feel so disorienting, I don’t get all the quick panning shots and blood splattering to the camera at all. As far as this first story goes it’s functional but it also leaves a lot to be desired. All the side characters are one-note for once, and I have a problem with how they treat the poor insane woman (not in term how they physically treat her, but more about her roles in this story since they’re all over the place). Make no mistake, this an action-packed road trip style-over substance one, so if you’re a fan of action, or you like the endless banters from those four then by all mean keep watching it. I will go back to my usual slice of life fix.

Potential: 10%

 

Konbini Kareshi

Short Synopsis: Young love around a convenience store.

Man, I suddenly have an inexplicable craving to get on a plane to Japan and shop in a Japanese convenience store…is likely what the creators of this anime want you to think. Pretty blatant product placement here but that aside this unfortunately is one of those anime that is completely outside my interests. The more anime mirrors reality then the less I want to watch it. Speaking purely objectively I don’t think there’s anything I would consider bad though the character designs seem on the bland side. Particularly the male character designs as they have the stereotypical tall long necked bishi look. As for personality I can’t say I find anyone here particularly unique or likeable. On top of that this feels like a shoujo romance story with all the “will they won’t they” and generally unwillingness to commit. From my standpoint it feels like a very dull show but once again this isn’t my kind of show.

Potential: 20%

Mario:  This show ends up being a mixed bag for me. On one hand, it has many elements that I greatly enjoy, but then other factors just actively push me away from the show. Since what this show loves to do most is to pair up, I will pair its pros and cons to strengthen my point. First, the character designs are attractive all around, but they are just way too perfect, moreover look much older than their age that most of the time I have an impression that I was looking at some fake models than actual characters. The music has some memorable moments, but other aural parts like dialogues feel unnatural. I find myself mildly care to the main’s romance, but when there’s going to be 4 or 5 pairs like that (revolving around a convenience store no less) my mind just stop caring. And, one thing that I love the most from this series; when two characters have a conversation but they don’t show the characters conversing, they show montages of their activities instead – great visual storytelling that focus on small, observant details, but then it all goes to waste since the show cares much more about romance and hooking up than developing their characters. Frankly, if the character designs are more “humble” I would give it another chance, but since they already look like supermodels AKA THE PERFECT HUMAN SPECIES that most of the time stare blankly and smile creepily, I believe I’ve reached my limits.

Potential: 40%

Some Quick First Impressions: Nana Maru San Batsu, Youkai Apartment no Yuuga na Nichijou and Tsurezure Children

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Nana Maru San Batsu

Short Synopsis: A boy is scouted to join his school’s quiz club.

At this point I think the anime sports formula could work for practically everything. Though what makes it work here is that competitive quizzing is actually an interesting topic. I previously thought that all you needed to succeed in a quiz was a high knowledge base but it seems that being able to predict the questions is something of a higher priority. The quiz aspects of this episode made good entertainment but as for everything else it was rather typical. We really didn’t need that recurring panty joke. Overall the subject material could make it a decent watchable show though it does have the same problem every sports anime does. The fact that we are only going to get barely stated by the time the ending comes around to throw in a life goes on ending that’s never to be continued. So it could be fun while it lasts.

Potential: 40%

 

Mario: Man, whatever this show tries to sell me, it sure has succeeded. Function like a sport series, they have to sell the unique appealing of fast-buzz quiz and now I WANT MORE. Not only you need to know the answer, you have to predict the question and respond it before anyone else. So the stake is there, and I’m digging how the show depicts even a millisecond could make a difference. Apart from the quiz itself, everything else is just below par. Most cringe-worthy is that panty recurring jokes. No reason to be there, no reason to be repeated at all. The animation is quite limited and the character designs are simple, too simple. The plot does hint that they will play in some sort of competition and honestly I’m looking forward for it. Could be a good in-between watch between big shows.

Potential: 30%

 

Youkai Apartment no Yuuga na Nichijou

Short Synopsis: A student moves into an apartment which is filled with Youkai.

As a adaption of a novel that started in 2003 it’s no wonder that this series feels a bit old fashioned.  To some that might be a benefit that it harkens back to the days of old anime but it does feel a little dated. Having read further on in the manga adaption I can say that I found the story more engaging in that format. Something here feels rather lifeless and it lacks the story weight of the manga adaption, though I have yet to read the original novels. I am hoping that in later episodes it could do something to remedy that as I do think that the source story was actually rather interesting. Though the comedy was rather flat in both adaptations. For those that like shows like Natsume or crave a more classic style of anime storytelling this could your thing.

Potential: 40%

 

Mario: I think I get the main appeal of Youkai Apartment; it’s a throwback anime that reminisce the older style anime with simple character designs and even simpler plot; like how this show reminds me a great deal of Maison Ikkoku with a supernatural youkai twist on top, but compare this show with that giant classic would do it a disservice. So apart from that, how do I feel about this premiere? Well, mixed. The premise has some potential here as I can see the main guy learn and become acquainted to the Youkai monsters in his everyday life, and an ongoing romance with the girl (for how there happened to be a girl his age that attractive live under the same roof with him, I just… shake my head). But other factors fall flat: Comedy falls flat. Horror/ thriller falls flat. The friendship between him and his best friend falls flat. I don’t really hate what I saw here but it doesn’t have any lasting impact for me at all, sadly.

Potential: 20%

 

Tsurezure Children

Short Synopsis: A series of shorts about various romantic couples.

Tsurezure Children likely broke a world record here as the first episode has not one, not two but four successful confessions of love in one 12 minute episode. Boy is that satisfying to watch. This is pretty great as the shorts are quick enough to not overstay their welcome. There is a good mixture of romance and comedy with the romance being delightfully fluffy while the comedy is witty. Personal favorite of this episode was the student council president and the delinquent girl. Harem protagonists, take notes for this guy is a master alpha. I don’t often recommend short series but in this case if you happen to need some healing after a long day then this would be perfect for you.

Potential: 80%

Mario: Can’t believe the first real hit of this season for me is a romance short anime takes place in high school with 4-koma format; but it is and it makes me feel glad that I give every show a chance for this first impressions. The first episode hits right off the mark with 4 confessions from different pairs and they manage to make all of them compelling. And funny. And heartfelt. Witty dialogues everywhere but they manage to make them much deeper than their apparent traits. Usually the biggest problem with 4-koma adaptation in general is the skits doesn’t connect to one another, yet in Tsurezure Children this is its biggest strength. Furthermore, this show isn’t your typical sweet romance either, it isn’t afraid to get weird or extreme and boy do I love its guts. As far as short series go this one has my highest recommendation.

Potential: 70%