Tsuki ga Kirei – 02 [A Handful of Sand]

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Tsuki ga Kirei

Tsuki ga Kirei, or “as the moon, so beautiful.” as English title (a famous Japanese way to say “I Love You”), is your very definition of a slice-of-life romance show. Tsuki ga Kirei pays exclusive attention to the atmosphere, the small moments and characters’ reactions, while main plot and dramatic tension taken a back seat. It’s adorable, yes, not in the way cute girls doing cute things behave, but in its realistic approach to that innocent, awkward stage of our life – when, you know, it still matters a whole lot when you receive a text from the person you like, or getting nervous before the match in a sports festival. This week, the show spends an entire episode detailing a day of our characters participating in a said sports festival. We get to know more about the supporting casts and we also follow Kotaro in his house before and after the festival, and we have more cute moments for our duo Kotaro and Akane. This is a solid Tsuki ga Kirei episode so far.

As typically a bookish type person, Kotaro also loves to write. He’s a bit shy and defensive though, never let anyone to read his works, or in his everyday life, doesn’t let his mom to come for the festival. It would be embarrassed to fail, after all. This whole sports event where both our duo would get really clumsy and embarrassing, one fell hard while running, the other dropped the baton that lead to the loss of the team. But the show does a great job to not overplay those embarrassing moments and present them like normal situations. Because they are. Other shows tend to make a big deal out of character’s issues, to the point those moments can really affect the mood of the festival. Not here. The main emphasis, after all, is entirely fixated on characters’ passing feeling than any conflict, like how the show concentrates on Akane’s insecureness towards losing her potato plushy (is that really a POTATO?), instead of how she’s messing up because of that. I also like how sometimes the show would focus on Kotaro looking at body parts (either by accident or by his friends’ suggestion) of the girls without any sexual tension, in an awkward innocent not pervertly way.

This episode introduces us to the other two members of the cast, Chinatsu and Takumi. Although I enjoy the easy-going antics of Chinatsu and her moment with Korato in a medical room, especially her lousy treatment to Kotaro really speaks to that carefree side of her, the guy Takumi just tries so hard to impress Akane. From the look of it, those two are set up to be romantic rivalries to our main couple and if that’s the case then I ain’t particularly fond with it. I like to see them as real people, not the obstacles the leads have to pass to be with each other so I hope the show understands that. Tone down the romance, play up the slice-of-life aspect. I also enjoy Roman and his straightforward crush for sensei, kudos the show for make it subtly by showing it rather than screaming it aloud for the world to hear like other shows. Speaking of Roman’s crush, the shorts about various romance after the credit were a nice touch, both fleshing out a bit of our side characters, and taking more edgy side to this so far bright, pure-white world. But it’s real as well, at this stage of their life many starts to behave more grown-up, while others still act like a kid, this show really understands that.

And in the end, it’s so warm seeing the two helping each other out, texting to each other and Korato grows up a bit in the process (he’s still embarrassed to show his writing to others, but decided to show it because he’s passionate about writing). This show is adorable, but the “adorable” part is what I’m worrying about. So far, its adorableness comes from the show’s realistic portrayal of first love, and the sweet, light moments of preteen life. If they play up the cuteness, the show will become nothing more than another “cute characters show” and it will lose its sparks immediately. Two episodes in, Tsuki ga Kirei proves to be one of the most true-to-life representation of what 14-years-old kid life is about. This show is standing strong.

Some Quick First Impressions: Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho, Fukumenkei Noise and Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasuka? Isogashii Desuka? Sukutte Moratte Ii Desuka?

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho

Short Synopsis: A witch makes a pact with a human turned beast to work together to find a dangerous book.

I didn’t quite know what to make of this show when I looked at the source material and to be honest I still don’t quite know. However this was an interesting first episode and the two main characters are quite likeable. Maybe I should throw kudos to white Fox again as they certainly can improve on source material. Though it still breaks my heart that this has Zero Kara Hajimeru in the name and isn’t a second season of Re:Zero. It’s not related to Re:Zero at all by the way. Anyway we got a good setting and the chemistry between the two lead characters is solid. It is rather nice to have a light novel fantasy setting with no RPG elements, no high schools, no reincarnated protagonists and no harem from the looks of it.(Unless we are getting into bestiality territory.) A strong enjoyable start to the series though it’s up to the series of the series to prove if this is a good or a potentially great show as this episode serves more as a introduction of our protagonists and some exposition on the nature of magic and sorcery. Definity worth checking out and potentially a highlight of the season.

Potential: 60%

Mario: Well, I’ll be damned. Zero turns out to be quite enjoyable, much more than I had initially expected. In particular, there are two aspects from this show that I can get behind. First, The chemistry between the beastfallen and the witch is excellent. The beast is fleshed out considerably in this episode that we can see his struggles to just stay afloat towards this life where basically other races (human, witch) despite him, but he still comes off as his own person. The witch isn’t that developed yet, but still see how they argue about the soup, and more importantly how they have different method to bond their “contract”- you could tell how they’re different, yet still complement each other. I have a bit of Spice and Wolf vibe in this duo, for good reason. Second, the world building is intriguing so far, and I like how Zero attempts to tell the difference between magic and sorcery. Well, the book part is a bit farfetched so far but the strong elements of the show already raise it above other fantasy offerings this season. I will be back for more “beastfallen and witch” moments.

Potential: 50%

 

Fukumenkei Noise

Short Synopsis: A girl that loves singing encounters two boys she was childhood friends with during a school concert.

I give credit that the music in this show is actually really good. But boy is this the kind of shoujo show that I just can’t bring myself to like. The main character is that chooky shoujo heroine that acts like she’s been sniffing cocaine for a week and for some reason the guys find this really endearing. People cry at the drop of a hat and emotions are just blown out of proportion to heighten the drama. I know that these two guys are going to be gunning for this Alice girl but she’s going to be too braindead to understand she’s being hit on. WIll they, won’t they? Don’t know, don’t care. I must make it clear that I have a pretty huge bias against these kinds of shoujo shows so my opinion should mean little to those that like shoujo anime like Nana. The music in this show is indeed quite good, I just can’t bring myself to like anything else in it.

Potential: 0%

Mario: Fukumenkei Noise is a show that is overloaded by music and romance, with mixed results. The music department is quite good. I don’t know who the girl’s voice casting is but she really has an impressive voice. The music composing is quite solid as well. So technically the music displayed here is a treasure for an anime show, but is it going well with the romance theme of this show? Not quite, really. I can’t get behind all those intimate feelings shared by their love of music, their connection through music. And the girl switches from Yuzu mode to Momo mode is really jarring like she was two different people. I don’t even know who she supposes to have deep connection with (guess this will be the main plot of this series) but nor do I care. The romance is on a wrong side here and the plot, already in this first episode, has some leaps of logic that make this story feel so forceful. How can the band be so heartless that they don’t even try to look for their band member, but recruit another girl to perform instead? In reality, not only this treatment gives bad reactions from band members, but also there’s no way in hell the new girl gonna remember any lyrics to perform. How can you say you know about music when you messed up the beginning (twice) and stopped in the middle of the song (twice). I understand with this show, the plot will take a backseat for more romance and music but if all you have are romance and music (and romance isn’t that compelling yet) then the show will tremble for the rest of its run.

Potential: 20% (I know. Another 20% – My magic number)

 

Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasuka? Isogashii Desuka? Sukutte Moratte Ii Desuka?

Short Synopsis: A man takes a job looking after humanoid weapons.

I have changed my mind on this show from my preview. Admittedly when I started watching I was ready to demiss this show outright as I found the novel to be far too boring. However things changed when the song “Scarborough Fair” played and it was truly magnificent. A beautiful rendition of the song that foreshadows that those two will have an impossible love. Overall this episode was alright. It set up the world and introduced the main character to the main cast. I am not that keen on the interactions, namely the troll maids gimmick of constantly talking about eating people but watching these interactions is certainly more interesting than reading them. A couple of things have changed my mind and made me think this show could be more interesting than I first thought. One is the hints that this story is geared more toward tragedy which is quite frankly one of my favorite genres. Another is that the SukaSuka(So far that’s the agreed upon abbreviation and thank god as that title is ridiculous.) novels are completed at 5 volumes. So it could be possible that this anime intends to cover the entirety of the story. Whether this is two cour or one cour is still up in the air but considering that the novels are quite slow paced they could possibly manage to cover all the source material in one cour. Lastly watching this story is much more interesting that reading it. I found the info dumping of the novel to be a bit much and character interaction were a lot more annoying. At a faster pace this story could be something but that really depends on what really is in store in the later parts.

Potential: 60%

Mario: I swear anime shows need to use more popular English songs, as in here the show uses the song “Scarborough Fair” for great effect, reminding me of that tender moments in The Graduate. About the show though, SukaSuka is your LN fantasy fix this season as so far, it’s an above-average product from its genres. You have a lot of typical LN fantasy elements: the medieval world that human is a nearly extinct race; the dialogue-heavy interactions that although don’t stand out, it never drags either. The main characters whose chemistry with each other and personalities are just about enough. And then, I know it’s mostly my own soft spot but the moments those girls appear I know I will follow this show. They lighten up the screen and the notion that they are “secret weapons” adds extra flavors to the plot. I also like the way the show hints (not feeding us) many of its world-details for us to pick up (like that other girl is a troll) but again I don’t like the meta-comment in the last sequence. Well, nearly the end of these first episode impressions run, I’m quite amused that we have a string of recommendable series at our hands. I don’t particularly think SukaSuka will become a special show but I believe we’ll have a good time watching this.

Potential: 40%

Shingeki no Kyojin(Attack on Titan)- 27[I’m Home]

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Shingeki no Kyojin(Attack on Titan)

Potato girl Sasha gets her time to shine as we have an episode dedicated to her. So fun fact regarding this episode. You may have noticed that Sasha had a death flag all over her during this scene and there’s a good reason for that. It seems that Sasha was in fact, supposed to die during this part in the manga. But when the author showed this to his editor, his editor got quite upset as Sasha was one of his favorite characters. The editor even claims that after reading the storyboard that he went to the bathroom and cried but this may be a joke on his part. Anyway this editor managed to convince the author to spare Sasha which is why she manages to slip away just in time. Personally this scene might have meant a whole lot more if she did die as the whole scene was essentially a big heroic death moment with no heroic death. There are other merits to this part of the story such as adding a bit to Sasha who up till this point has been more of a comic relief character. I also love how it showcases that even a giant that’s only slightly bigger than a human can be just as much of a threat. The scene was beautifully demented with the little girl sitting watching her mother slowly get devoured. All things considered the mother was pretty calm for someone getting eaten alive. I will likely be giving this show a lot of flack in these reviews but I do think it can do an excellent job on portraying the absolute horror of the world these characters inhabit.

Presentation still carries the story and manages to keep the show entertaining. I was thinking that seeing as Sawano was working on two series this season that he might do a lesser job on one of the series soundtracks. Though so far Re:Creators and Titans OST’s sound pretty baller. Still I find that the story developments are still just presenting more questions than answers. Animation has definitely gotten an upgrade as while the previous season wasn’t lacking in good animation, it did have a problem with consistent quality. One episode would feature a fantastically animated bout between titans and another would have still images with voiceovers. This doesn’t look to be the case here if the first two episodes are evidence to the rest of the seasons quality.

Our episode ends with the group finding a titan in a house and being shocked over how it’s legs and arms are too small to support itself, mention there is no way this titan could have got here by itself. Obviously this is insinuation to the scouting troop that titans may in fact be transformed humans. There’s a particular problem with this revelation and that’s the fact that everyone watching has pretty much figured that out by episode 6. In fact with the discovery of Eren’s powers to transform into a titan this revelation should have come up long before this. So the audience must wait for the character to get up to speed on the situation when isn’t the best way to go about things. It would be different if this answer was something the audience could see and the characters could not and one could reason that seeing as they are from a more middle aged era that this question wouldn’t even occur to them. Still if nobody, not even the titan obsessed scientist thought of this then these characters are pretty dumb.

Little Witch Academia – 14[New Age Magic]

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Little Witch Academia

Well here she is, miss antagonist and now another of the visions Akko had when unlocking the second word has come to pass. In a way this is still continuing the episodic structure of the previous episodes but again there’s enough plot in the background to make it feel substantial. We also have a new opening which looks to be hinting at a conflict between Diana and Akko which mirrors that of Ursula and the new professor Croix. I don’t think the new opening is better than the old one, feels a little too standard and like Kill La Kill’s second opening. I rather like the thematic  conflict with the main characters. With Akko and Diana being aspiration against realism while Ursula and Croix look to be traditionalism against modernization. Croix, much like Constanze, is mixing magic and technology in an effort to fight against the magic energy crisis. You could argue she has best intentions but her demeanor screams villain to such a degree that I expected rainbow spotlights to appear with a German theme song.

Akko seems well enamored with her but I think this was a missed opportunity to have Constanze play off her. As I said previously, Amanda and her crew have had little screentime so far in the series and I would certainly like to see them featured more than just being background characters. Though I suppose the purpose of this is that Croix is winning over Akko to the side of magical modernisation and leading to a conflict between Akko siding with her idol or her newly respected mentor. I think this was a really strong episode and a good introduction for Professor Croix. The witch academy did seem to be won over by technology a little too fast though even with one teacher still is not convinced. Tradition was one of the things holding back the academy, the Samhain festival is certainly proof of that. However to remove it entirely does seem to risk losing connection with the power of magic. I have a feeling that Croix is deeply involved with the decline of magic and it’s clear she has an underlying motive behind this Academy modernisation after setting  up the events that triggered the strike in the first place.

It was quite humorous to have Akko go to try and convince the spirits to stop the strike, only to join them instead. But the real golden moment is that Akko managed to get Diana flustered. Her method was a bit underhanded but nonetheless she did have a point in that Diana didn’t try to understand the situation the spirits were in. She condemned them for demanding more when they were clearly getting a raw deal here. A mere ten percent of the magic energy with witches taking up the rest. Considering that they need it to live that’s akin to cutting off their food supply. Akko may be unreasonable but her cause is justified and it is rather satisfying that after 13 episodes of Diana being a pure perfect witch that Akko managed to shut her up. A one sided rivalry looks to be becoming a true rivalry as Diana acknowledges Akkos worth. It also seems she is catching on to Akko being chosen to revive the grand triskelion which is sure to shake her up even more.

Some Quick First Impressions: Re:Creators, KABUKIBU! and Eromanga Sensei

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Re:Creators

Short Synopsis: Anime characters from various shows are brought into the real world.

Now this is a concept I can get behind. I am reminded of Last Action Hero which did a similar thing of taking a cliche action hero and transporting him to the real world. Where in he comes to terms with his own existence as well as developing past his generic traits now that he was in a world that doesn’t embrace cliche. I am hoping for something similar here as while the action certainly pays off, the characters are still in their generic trope state. The after credits sequence does give me hope as seeing these characters work in a real setting is really fun. This is undeniably a very strong first episode but I still hold reservations until the main plot is made clear. Is is not exactly certain if we are getting a anime genre battle royale or something completely different. I think the premise is golden but let’s see if they can take full advantage of it.

Potential: 80%

Mario: Re:Creators is something that we see too often but still manages to give a different spin on its inspiration. It’s a reverse-isekai harem fantasy show that instead of the characters were sucked into another world, it those weird characters from another world that are sucked into this world. There’s a whole fight in the middle of nowhere but it somehow doesn’t distract much. I like the way the main girl is really quick to adapt with the new situations; and although the show does aware too much of its trope and its anime’s origin for my taste (the main girls are from popular anime and LN in the show), everything feels fresh at the moment. I’m glad that the show doesn’t go heavily on meta-commentary of the genres, and while it could go wrong at any moments, this first episode surprisingly hold everything together nicely. It’s still a big question though as in the next 24 episodes the show could go horribly wrong direction, because which the subject as tricky and broad such as this, they tend to go off track very easily. This might be appeal most for otaku-fan (and I never consider myself as one) but still, I pretty much applause for its ambitions, and if this first episode is any indication, we might have a hit series right in front of us here.

Potential: 80%

 

KABUKIBU!

Short Synopsis: A boy wants to set up a Kabuki club in his school.

Unlike Rakugo, Kabuki was something I seen a number of times while watching anime however I never truly got the appeal of it. It always felt like some really weird level of performance art and I always found it off putting with the strange pronunciation actors put on while saying lines. Learning about it in this show is somewhat interesting but other than the subject matter of the club this show follows pretty much the same formula as all other anime about start up clubs. One enthusiastic member scouts out others, each with their own obstacles which prevent them joining the club. All culminating in when they finally join the club, train up and put on a show. While Rakugo took the effort to display Rakugo in its natural setting, Kabukibu shoves its subject into a tried and true formula in order to make it more marketable. The big problem in this regard is that it’s highly unlikely that there would be a group of youths in close proximity that would have any interest in Kabuki. It’s like trying to set up a classic Shakespeare play group in high school. Overall this show is fine if a bit too safe. Though after seeing the lengths Rakugo went to portray the art, Kabukibu doesn’t feel like it’s trying.

Potential: 20%

Mario: This one actually caught me off-guard on how enjoyable it is. For the niche Japanese art such as Kabuki, the show really goes all out on the blind love of the main and what make the art unique and how others hesitant to join it. Unlike Rakugo anime where the story decided to go much more mature direction, Kabukibu plays it safe and with more mainstream appeal. Right at this first episode, the show already brings up the main casts and each of them have their own strengths and their own issues of not joining the club. It’d be fun to see how each of them decide to join the club and what come next might be predictable, but I have fun watching it so far. It helps that the main guy isn’t overly annoying, and the kabuki so far is what draws me the most. An enjoyable watch but aside from Kabuki, the show doesn’t differentiate itself to most of “Club activities” anime out there. Watch it if you don’t mind its genre’s trapping or if Kabuki appeals to you.

Potential: 30%

 

Eromanga Sensei

Short Synopsis: A light novel author teenager finds out his sister is his novels illustrator.

It’s Oreimo again. That pretty much sums up this story right there. Though it looks like the authors being more upfront about going for the incest route by making the siblings not blood related. Parents are dead too so that’s all the barriers out of the way isn’t it author? Don’t expect any insight into the creation of light novels because there simply isn’t any. I am frankly disgusted with the idea that this guy can just pump out novels in a week like it’s nothing. So his bratty little sister shuts herself in her room while forcing her brother to cook her meals every day. Then she’s revealed to have a job as an illustrator and wait… this girl was locked up in her room for a year while her brother worked his ass off to pay for living expenses. And yet she has a job and looks like she hasn’t put money to carry her weight at all. Judging by the game consoles and massive amount of gadgets and dvds I am guessing she’s got a hefty amount of bank. Brother…you went about this the wrong way. First thing you should have did about finding out about your sister’s job is demand a year’s worth of living expenses. Listen you little brat, it’s bad enough that you are forcefully being a burden to your brother. It’s bad enough that you are getting all pissed at him and unreasonable because he can’t read your mind and realize that you want to jump into bed to reenact Aki Sora. But the fact you have a job and money, yet continue to smooch off your brother is not goddamn on. You even got onto your brother for not making you meals during the summer when he was working his ass off to write a novel so you wouldn’t be thrown out of the goddamn house. Where do you get the balls? You are just like that Umaru chick and…oh goddamn it, she’s getting a second season isn’t she? I bratty redeemable little sisters the new thing now?

Potential: 0%

Mario: Gosh, I have a feeling that the author of this LN material is in the same age of the main protagonist (who also is a LN author), because the level of maturity in this show is like those of 15-year-old mindset. Everything has to revolve around the guy: him being the LN author at young age, who release works as fast as eating noodle, the manager really looks up to him, the up-and-coming illustrator happened to be his younger sister and for the next episode the girl next door is his main competitor. And what sort of logic is that his little sister never allows him to enter her room, but upon hearing him a writer, she asks him to come in? This is a very unrealistic depiction of sibling relationship, it’s a cheap product and the plot also functions like a wish-fulfillment wet dream from the author, which make me question why we need to give a damn about someone else’s wet dream? Next.

Potential: 0%

Some Quick First Impressions: Clockwork Planet, Hinako Note and Twin Angel BREAK

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Clockwork Planet

Short Synopsis: A boy repairs a robot girl that drops on his house.

This thing was a lot more cheap and trashy from my impression of the source. Maybe when you downgrade the artwork it reveals more of it’s true colours. Either way this is pretty standard light novel fare for us anime fans. Boy meets girl, girl introduces boy to world of conflict and excitement, boy makes use of special powers he was gifted with to beat the bad guys. Repeat with new girls until harem grows too large.(Or in a certain magical index’s case, just make two more protagonists.) If you think I am being a bit harsh I will tell you this episode has a moment where the robot girl registers the boy as her new master by giving his finger a blowjob.(On that note why do robots have saliva? Is it some sort of lubrication oil to prevent her internal parts rusting?…I am thinking too much about this.) I do like the setting of a giant clockwork planet even if the reasoning behind it is rather ridiculous. A clockmaker came straight out of nowhere and made a planet out of moving gears that now no one knows how to work? That’s a little…impossible. Between this and the bastard teacher show I am not sure which you should go to for your run of the mill light novel show fix. Maybe bastard teacher wins out by having the higher production values.

Potential: 0%

Mario: The settings of the universe made up of clockwork and steampunk machines is an interesting set up and the show’s background designs set up that world nicely. Sadly, the characters we have here is very weak, start with a paper-thin personality protagonist to a yandere robot (who eventually take him as master) to that loli princess. The story likewise is nothing to write home about with again used many contrived and tired plot progress: An over the top fight right at beginning, a girl who happens to fall right at his house, a girl who already devoted to this guy… Even they amp up the fanservice to that cringe-worthy level. This is going to be a straightforward battle between our team and the Evil force who want to destroy the world so if you’re up for it than by all mean watch it; otherwise I don’t think this show is worth following.

Potential: 20%

 

Hinako Note

Short Synopsis: Cute girls are being all cute and shit.

I don’t get these shows. They aren’t funny and are just about a bunch of girls acting all silly. Maybe its that feeling of watching a pack of stupid puppies play with each other. I admit that I am not above such fluffy amusement. However in the case of these shows it’s like that kid who’s grow past the point where all his actions are endearing and have now become dreadfully annoying. Well what can I really say about it. Theres some girls with some odd quirks, they hang out and the shy girls so shy that she finds everything so hazukashii. Then there friendship and everyone has tea and makes silly jokes. Their is no plot, just random events. Unless you are looking for this kind of show I say give this one a pass. After all even if you miss this one I am sure we will be getting five more like it by the end of the year.

Potential: 0%

Mario: Ahh the cuteness burns my eyes. All the characters have quirks that redefining the principle of creepiness. Let’s see, the main girl who is so shy that she freezes up and becomes a human scarecrow (which I believe do not scare any crow but attract more cute chicks), a girl who eats books because she loves it so much, another girl who acts simultaneously as an older sister, and primary school students who always wear a maid outfit, a quiet landlady girl (!) who destined to be the protagonist’s lover; and this is story about those girls starting a theatre troupe and the titular note is never mentioned anywhere except for scene’s transition. Wow, just wow. To give this show some credits though, I really like how effortlessness the show shifts between normal cute character designs to chibi designs and the background designs are really, really good. All the settings feel warm and live-in and breathes so much life into it. I also weirdly like the OP song but overall, this is as niche as you could get. Anyone who love cute girls doing cute things will have an enjoyable time. Others will find it’s too much cuteness for its own good.

Potential: 20%

 

Twin Angel BREAK

Short Synopsis: Two girls become a magical girl duo to fight off evil.

This is a straight magical girl show. No dark twists, no subversion or parody. Just magical girl formula to a T. To some that might be a good thing but to me it’s just a magical girl show like any other magical girl show. It doesn’t innovate, nor does it add anything new, nor does it revitalise the genre. It’s just a fairly bland magical girl show. So should you watch this or go watch Sailor Moon or Cardcaptor Sakura instead? Put on Nanoha, that’s pretty fun. There are better alternatives to this.

Potential: 0%

Mario: Welp, here comes the Magical Girl show of this season. There’s nothing much to say about this one as it doesn’t do much to separate itself from other shows of its genre. The two girls have some chemistry together but we see them all before from other shows. The fight is rather dumb as of this moment there is no actual magical energy but more like a martial arts combat. The opponents don’t even prove as much of a threat so nothing really stand out. This show is a part of slice-of life and part of magical girl saving the world, but none of it is really interesting for us to follow. A harmless show that you won’t remember much after its end. Skip.

Potential: 10%

Some Quick First Impressions: Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine, Sakura Quest and Boruto: Naruto Next Generation

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine

Short Synopsis: A tutor that looks like a child is asked to teach four spoiled princes.

This isn’t for my demographic so any opinion I have on this is pretty moot. I will say I don’t really like the whole shotacon princes vibe and this show has a particular brand of humor that has never worked for me. I often find this kind of comedy in Shoujo manga which may fuel my particular dislike for the genre. Then again shoujo isn’t the only kind of show that uses this style that often changes the art to a more deformed form in order to emphasize a joke. Even FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood did that but then again I don’t think I liked that aspect of the show that much. Basically if you are into these kinds of shows you likely have already decided if you are going to watch this show or not.

Potential: 0%

Mario: This show is reverse-harem in disguise, except that instead of the main girl we have a male protagonist (in a boy’s form. Why?) and no romance being hinted (yet). But when you get into it, it does add a fresh spin to its well-worn genre. First off, the tutor holds his ground firmly here; he pushed the stories forward and he interacts with those kids quite well (my favorite bit: he runs even faster than the prince who sprint for his life). Second, the show manages to put some extra layer to the usual tropes those princes have; which are fun to watch. But admittedly, the show doesn’t appeal to me personally and while this show is an above-average product of its kind, I don’t see it manage to break out. Mild and unoffensive at best but it could offer you a good watch.

Potential: 20%

Sakura Quest

Short Synopsis: A college student takes up a job promoting tourism for a rural town.

I think that PA Work’s have mastered the art of these kinds of slice of life comedies. It has a degree of heart and a kind of comedy that just works to make it a enjoyable watch. Being just unrealistic enough to push aside my disinterest in slice of life. This is a PA works show of the same vein as Hanasaku Iroha and Shirobako. Some are even considering the three to be a spiritual trilogy of sorts. The first episode does a great job of setting up a dynamic cast of characters but the main leads design looks almost identical to that of Miyamori that I would think they were recycling her character. I am willing to forgive that though as her personal problem with finding a job hit me on a personal level. I too have felt the frustration of job hunting and sitting in front of a set of interviewers only to get thrown off by a question I couldn’t possibly be prepared for. At least they had the common courtesy to inform you that you didn’t get the job. I didn’t even get that much. The comedy works pretty well here as I burst out laughing when she backed out of the bus after encountering that bard fellow. I am not blown away by this but it’s fun and does what it does well.

Potential: 80%

Mario: We get to one of the first major original projects out of this season, and I’m glad that Sakura Quest pretty delivered what it sets out to be. The subject matter is an interesting one that you don’t find very often in this medium (although PA Works tends to include real locations in other series so this project comes as no surprise), that being the story of gaining tourist attention in rural town. There’s a certain charm in that village, a place seem to be untouched by time. Seeing many little activities in the town and the locals’ enthusiasm about the place they spend their lives in bring smiles in my face. The protagonist, thank god, isn’t a high school girl but she still needs more development to stand out. And I quite like the general light tone the show delivers so far and the visual is on par with its expressive characters designs and grounded drama; although the “princess” part don’t bode well for me. In overall, Sakura Quest sets itself up to be a warm, grounded and charming show and I can’t wait to see how they progress the story.

Potential: 60%

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

Short Synopsis: Naruto’s son Boruto gets ready to start ninja school.

Pierrot can’t just let their cash cow die. To be fair for a spinoff/sequel Boruto fairs a lot better than you might think. In fact it actually made me a little nostalgic for the old beginnings of Naruto. Where it wasn’t buried under mountains of filler or having everyone suddenly awaken sharingan(Wasn’t Bakugan supposed to be the far superior eye jutsu?) or when jutsu could be used as the ultimate get out of jail free card to do whatever the hell you wanted. I think part of the reason it works is that this show brings down the power levels to a much more reasonable tier so that fights aren’t a matter of who can pull out the most broken special move first. For Naruto fans this is bound to be fun but I think it could have trouble keeping the power levels in check with Naruto and Sasuke around to break the scale. Any Naruto fan should endeavour to explore the depths of Itachi’s wisdom. This is a character who communicates profound insights through his quotes, revealing layers of the narrative that might otherwise be missed. The guide available on Kidadl provides a comprehensive collection of his enlightening words. With some luck this could turn out to be a fun watch and not end up as Naruto’s Dragonball GT.

Potential: 30%

Mario: In a nutshell, Boruto is an unnecessary spin-off to an unnecessary extensive show and its main appeal is to give more of the same spirits from the original. But to say that the first episode of this spin-off does a decent job to flesh out its new main cast and its world after Naruto’s main storyline. Fans of action and fans of Naruto should get a good kick out of this. This premiere flows well and the story, plus the characters are simple enough to follow. Next we will have the ninja school so expect more hijink and slice-of-life madness rather than the main story plot. The animation quality is decent enough in this one, but I guess the quality will have a huge drop later on consider it’s Studio Pierrot’s projects. At this point, I figure following Boruto is strictly for Naruto-fan but still the show will offer some fun and entertaining adventures to Boruto and his friends.

Potential: 30%

Uchoten Kazoku 2 – 01 [The Nidaime’s Homecoming]

by SuperMario, posted in Currently Watching:, Uchoten Kazoku

So Eccentric Family is back. If you’re already enjoyed the first season of this gem, the pilot of this second season sure won’t disappoint you. If you haven’t checked it out though, just go watch it. Seriously. The first season really understands the dynamic of a family, and what it meant to be the person tanuki you are and be a part of a whole society. Plus, like I said in the preview, the show’s depiction of magical-realism whimsical world where tengu, tanuki and human live in harmony together in a lustful and vivid Kyoto setting is one of my favorite anime settings ever. That comes as no surprise because Morimi is one of my favorite writer. While Tatami Galaxy offers what I considered an unique, singular interpretation to Morimi’s world, The Eccentric Family is the case where I feel the visual completely in sync with the writing, the way it rarely stands out but always sinks you in with its world (if you ask me which kind of adaptation I prefer though, then it’s Tatami Galaxy, as I always believe creators SHOULD give their own take to the source material).

This new season unfortunately sets us back to a status quo, a bit of disregarding the happy conclusion of last season. That includes Bentei departs from Master Akadama (yet again) to cruise around the world (Singapore, SYDNEY, she got taste), Yaichirou (the first son) still aims for Nise-emon title, Yajirou (the second son) reverts back to his frog-self who lives inside the well (there’s no reason for him to stay there anymore, right? But still, a frog who plays shogi by himself in a well is pretty cool). This first episode re-introduces majority of the main cast from the first season; yep that including the tanuki twins who still annoying like an (double) alarm clock, or Master Akadama who is still too prideful to accept that he has been in bad shape for years. My two favorite characters from last season don’t make an appearance though. But I am sure Kaisei will be back very soon; and as for Bentei, while she doesn’t technically appear in this episode, her aura still presents strongly throughout the episode.

The new additions bring some nice, fresh air to the table, yet completely at home with the old cast. We get introduced to the big brother of Ebisugawa family, Kureichiro, who at least sensible and responsible unlike his twin brothers, but his introduction makes me really question where the hell was he in the first season at one of the most important events for tanuki. The girl Gyokuran seems very nice and it’s possible that Yaichirou and her having a bit of romantic feeling. But the man of the moment is, of course, Nidaime (which literally mean “Second Generation”), Master Akadama’s son. He seems to take a liking to Yasaburou, and their meetings makes up some excellent moments. Now the first shoes are dropped, Nidaime and his father had a big fight that lasted 3 days and 3 nights (again, cool!) that after he lose, both men were to prideful to even see each other or make amends. But to be fair, “big ego” is a trait of all the tengu, as they believe they are “the only being of any significance between Heaven and Earth” after all. I really like the roundabout ways both Master Akadama and his son behave, act like they don’t care for each other at all, yet both appear in the meeting as planned. Actually, we could draw an interesting parallel between Nidaime (who obviously is a tengu but denies himself to be) and Benten (who is a human but have all the tengu ability). I believe this aspect will become more apparent in later episodes. Although Nidaime said that his air gun is still missing somewhere, so… maybe the twins have it again, right?

But the sequence that almost grabbed my heartstring was the first flashback of the young mama and papa from Shimogamo Family playing together in a temple. Such a great way to kick off the second season. Those scenes are so sweet with the detailed backgrounds and some lovely character’s expressions. Those qualities, along with the sensitive writing and the emotions that often ring true are the reason why The Eccentric Family’s so enjoyable and re-watchable. It’s those re-watches that make me pick up some minor things that add up and appreciate more with the arts and camerawork. Indeed, the last time I re-watched the show, while I was right in the middle of Kyoto so I could pick up all the real locations and what the real Kyoto had to offer, was one of my best anime-viewing experience ever. This show already has a special place in my heart.

Some Quick First Impressions: Sekaisuru Kado, Tsuki ga Kirei and Renai Boukun

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Sekaisuru Kado

Short Synopsis: A giant cube appears in the middle of tokyo

We have two first episodes with this series and they honestly look like they are in two different genres. The first, episode 0, detailed the protagonist negotiating about a metal plating factory. This is interesting and this episode mainly serves to introduce the main character and his skills. The second episode goes full sci-fi as a alien cube lands in Tokyo.The majority of the episode was just the authorities and scientists attempts to figure out how to deal with the thing. Personally I found both these episodes to be excellent and so far it’s executed perfectly. If I had to nitpick problems I would say that this series uses a mix of normal 2D animation and CGI animation. As far as CGI animation goes it’s better than usual but you will always notice the switch between 2D and 3D. The scientist girl has me worried as she’s a bit too kooky for my liking. Also that tank moved weird, it was like it didn’t have any weight. But seriously out of the season so far this is by far the best. If you are going to watch something this season, watch this.

Potential: 90%

Mario: Wow, these double episodes just keeps raising up its stakes. Original shows seem to be in strong hands this season (let’s see how the remaining two Re:Creators and ID-0 perform), and so far Sekaisuru Kado is the most impressive. The CG used in this series actually works to their benefits, as CGI the giant cube represents something otherworldly. So far, the unpredictability of the plot keeps the intrigue up and the execution is quite strong overall. Though I find the assistant girl’s playful personality don’t mesh well with the rest of the cast and every so often the cast keeps saying “Shindo-kun” that made me irritated. The use of episode 0 also works well here because we get to know our main character’s personality before the action kicks in and the show sells me on the talent of the man as the negotiator, which of course will come very handy in later events (but I do suspect that because of that plate he created in episode 0 that caused the commotion). The roundtable of all important figures trying to figure out how to break the cube reminds me strongly to the War Room in Dr.Strangelove movie, which is really nice. There’s a lot to recommend here in Sekaisuru Kado, so far it understands its characters (well, most of them), the thrills, the story, the deeper meaning and the hooks that keep viewer engaged. Definitely a must-watch.

Potential: 80%

 

Tsuki ga Kirei

Short Synopsis: A boy and girl begin to notice each other at school.

The greatest strength of this show is that it feels realistic. There isn’t any kind of tropey exaggeration or characters pulling tsukkomi and boke acts. There is a lot of show don’t tell and I really appreciate that. Everything is downplayed to a level that feels genuine and closer to real life. For a slice of life fix this season I think this is the strongest contender. However despite my praise for it in that regards it’s also likely the reason I won’t be watching this during this season. I watch anime for escapism so anything that matches the mundanity of life just doesn’t personally appeal to me. This may sound odd coming from someone who berates cliche but I don’t do it because it’s not realistic. Rather because I have see it too many times and become tired of it and feel it’s just lazy writing. I recommend not taking my personal tastes into regard when deciding to watch this series, in fact I recommend you check it out for yourself and see if it’s your thing. For I definitely do think this is one of the strongest anime’s airing this season. It just unfortunately isn’t my thing.

Potential: 70%

Mario: Out of all the new shows coming out this season, Tsuki ga Kirei is the show I’m most looking forward to. I always enjoy understated drama, small moments and the show’s premise promises plenty of those; I’m also quite keen on the progress of time and this show has that too; combining with the fact that this is an original show from feel. studio, and my anticipation is sky high. Fortunate for me, the actual episode delivers many elements of its premise. Tsuki ga Kirei emphasizes on character’s body language, where each gesture is observed with great details. The art designs, to add up with its theme, are low-key yet vivid, are simple but adds so much to its slice-of-life everyday school day life. Most people’s take from this first episode that it’s a story about romance of two shy teenagers but for me, it’s more about connection. Both the two mains are way too awkward for their own good but they really remind me of myself in their age. The pacing, especially for an original one, is slow but maintains its beat throughout. This will be a show with no high stake or even drama and I even doubt if there will be anything resembled of a roller-coaster ride. Everything will progress like still water, with time is the only thing that move forward. In it, characters live their lives, make some connection, and grow up together. That is perfectly fine by me and there’s a high chance that I’ll be blogging it this season.

Potential: 75%

 

Renai Boukun

Short Synopsis: A shinigami comes down to earth to force a boy to kiss a girl.

Over the top yet weirdly enjoyable. This isn’t a show pushing boundaries or making a best of the season list but for what it is this works well. It does somewhat mirror the old style of harems like Urusei Yatsura or Tenchi Muyo and in that regard it at least puts it above your usual harem show. It has some occasional funny gags and the story is interesting enough to keep your attention. Though I think things will lose steam once the full roster of haremettes is revealed. Overall if you want something cheap and mindless to tide you over between other shows this isn’t a bad choice.

Potential: 40%

Mario: This is how you tone up the ridiculousness, ladies and gentlemen. This show is silly but it keeps finding ways to escalate that craziness. I admit that the reveal at the end worked for me (yuri + incest = invincible) and the show’s twist around the notion of “love” is hilarious. The fast-paced gags result in many good slapsticks, but when the gag repeats itself (like how they uninjured after stabbing) it becomes pointless. Then all the characters talk and move in the most over the top and ridiculous fashion that if it’s not your things (not mine), you might find it off-putting. The harem will get to a full house eventually, but right at this moments all the cast isn’t that flesh-out or distinctive enough to carry the show. This is a mindless show and occasionally it produces some solid gags, but other than that it is an easy skip.

Potential: 20%

Re:Creators – 01 [I will remember everything that happened to me.]

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

From the various PVs, I expected that Re:Creators would be a Fate/Stay Night + Fate/Zero rip-off done in in the style of A-1 Pictures and upon viewing the first episode, I was pleasantly surprised by the direction of which this new series seems to be going. With big names like Eoi Aoki (Fate/Zero), Rei Hiroe (Black Lagoon) and the fairly competent animation studio of TROYCA behind this production, there is a very good chance that this will be one of the top highlights of the Spring 2017 anime season alongside with smash hits like Attack on Titan and Boku no Hero Academia.

Unlike the underdog story against genocidal Martians of Aldnoah.Zero or the episodic murder-mystery of Sakurako’s Investigation, Re:Creators is light-hearted affair that inverts the tired trope of average person gets transported into strange world. By bringing fictional characters from sources like light novels, manga and anime into modern-day Tokyo, it creates a genre-mashing battle royale scenario that is not unsimilar to the Fate/Stay Night franchise. While Fate is steeped in conflicting ideologies and historical characters, Re:Creators is very much about the relationship between creators and their fictional creations as I’m sure they will go into depth and connect the dots about the ominous opening scene with the girl throwing herself into the oncoming train.

I’m really digging all the crazy combinations that could have come out someone’s sketchbook like Gunpuku no Himegimi rocking an oversized military uniform, spinning swords and a submachine gun while the caster type Meteora displays Gilgamesh’s Gates of Babylon-like power that comes packed with FIM-92 Stinger missiles. Out of the two heroes introduced so far seem, they both have adjusted fairly well to the strangeness that is the modern world and the humor that accompanies their exploits actually works like mistakenly activating the windshield wipers or going to the convenience store for snacks. I’m excited to being introduced to all the other fictional characters like Madoka-like magical girl, mecha pilot and detective and having them all duke it out in their quest to find their creators.

This is will be Studio TROYCA’s third anime production after animating Aldnaoh.Zero and Sakurako-san and for the most part, it looks pretty good with its fight scenes being exciting, fast and fluid. However, it does retain that generic A-1 Pictures character designs with Souta looking like an otaku version of Inaho (Aldnoah.Zero) and incorporating some cancerous 3D CGI that seems to plaguing the industry. Behind the visuals is the booming soundtrack that composed by the legendary Hiroyuki Sawano (of Kill la Kill, Attack on Titan and Mobile Suit Gundam: Unicorn fame) which sounds like a more upbeat version of Aldnoah.Zero’s soundtrack with its multiple insert songs and distinct orchestral/electronica/rock combo. I haven’t heard anything that would rival the likes of ətˈæk 0N tάɪtn (Attack on Titan), before my body is dry (Kill la Kill), or βios (Guilty Crown) but it’s still gets the viewers amped up and it will be worth a listen once the OST is released.

Re:Creators seems to be a celebration of the anime industry in all its various forms and pay homage to the those are into creative entertainment, whether as a business or hobby. With the announcement that this will be an twenty-two episodes series, there is plenty of time to flesh out the plot and all its reincarnated fictional characters. It does comes with the caveat that it could all be downhill from here when it comes to the story. Afterall, Aldnoah.Zero was given twenty-four episodes to tell its story and it still wasn’t enough time to cover all its bases nor have a satisfying conclusion. The opening episode is a good indication that the staff behind it is up to the task and ready to take us all on a wild ride.