Some notable Animated Music Videos of 2016- part 3

by SuperMario, posted in World Animation

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With this last part, we will head for more energetic offerings from last year. Be sure to get in the lively mood and the trippiness of those videos. Fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride. A bit of caution here as these videos are mild NSFW.

Caravan Palace “Lone Digger” by Double Ninja

“The choice of the title started as a joke while exchanging emails with our manager and we liked the modern touch immediately. Our good old robot as an emoji <I°_°I> ! We communicate a lot via email and text messages, so it actually took us a while to realise it could be a problem pronouncing it. But it’s fun to puzzle people a bit, even your direct partners: label, PRs, distributors… Somehow it started to be called “Robot” or “Robot face” on the net but that was never our choice.” (The band commenting on the title of their new album <I°_°I>, since I couldn’t find any interviews regarding the video. For whatever reason a video this popular and the band this socially active didn’t have any single mention is beyond me).

Okay, I’m a bit cheating here as this video was released in late 2015, but I know it when I saw it, this video has to be up here on this list. I’m not beating around the bush, Lone Digger video is one of the most impressive production. Everything here is top-notch, the music is great- the French band Caravan Palace is one of the most prominent electro-swing band today; just listen!), the video kicks ass- they created the mood of the club that go so well together with the song, and they managed to turn up a notch into a bloodbath of the lawless. But the video speaks some of the truth as well. Aren’t we, human, when get drunk and high, becoming some sort of wild animals? This video brings an absolute amazing energy that surely will make your blood pumping and your heart racing.

 

Savern “Hendrix” by Airplan Studio

Regrettably, I can’t find any interviews regarding the making of this video. Might have it in Hungarian, where the band and the animation company are based, but again that out of my reach.

Wildly imaginative, cinematic, and just plain entertaining to watch, this video gives a lovely tribute to classic rock music, classic western movies and the post apocalyptic world that suddenly become popular in recent years (no small thanks to Mad Max Fury Road). Let’s face it, this world building is so cool that you could make a movie revolve around this settings (Actually they did raising funds for another project based on this settings, which sadly failed). The story is a trip to madness where the world is suddenly invaded by the alien that could make people hallucinating. There’s the green liquid that can keep people in check but with all the supply is now gone, our “Man with No Name” version becomes more and more out of touch with the reality and get himself more into the world of Jimi Hendrix. The CG animation mostly keep up with the theme but the art settings of the post apocalyptic world are the real winner here. Moreover, this video never forgets to be fun and as a whole, this is a must watch for any fan of classic rock music and movie lovers.

Continue reading “Some notable Animated Music Videos of 2016- part 3” →

Scum’s Wish (Winter 2017) Review – 80/100

by SuperMario, posted in Anime Reviews, Reviews by SuperMario, Scum's Wish

I remember after watched a movie called “Requiem for a Dream” a few years back, I felt devastated for an entire week. The ending hit me so hard that after finished that movie I had to walk around my area for 2 hours in the middle of night to settle my feeling and I thought to myself, “What’s the point of being too hard to the characters, those who have feeling and dreams just like any of us?” Then it hit me immediately. The movie is an unflinching look at the bad side of drugs and how it corrupts people. People like you and me. I finished Scum’s Wish feeling the exact same way. Scum’s Wish is an anti-romance series, a show that excels on portraying ugly aspects of romance relationship and the line of that love versus physical love. I don’t blame you if you feel emotionally-drained watching this series. It was supposed to be that way and for all the dark sides the show evokes, Scum’s Wish always give more thoughtful and honest treatments than most of other anime out there. The way the show handles the bright side of love though, couldn’t pull so much punch as it aimed for.

I do believe the title “Scum’s Wish” really give you an idea of what this show is about. The “Wish” part of the show is its exploration of unrequited love. This unrequited love trope appears everywhere in the show to the point it could be considered as a deconstruction. All these feelings so pure and strong it begins to be eaten over by desired; hatred and obsessions. In Scum’s Wish, everyone falls hopelessly in love with another person who don’t return their love, become blinded and damaged by that obsessive love and in the end, they had to leave that love to move on with their lives. “If it’s a special kind of pain, they’ll be able to become stronger”. Scum’s Wish argues that it’s a painful process to let go with the love of your life, but it’s a necessary step in order to grow up and become a fully-formed person.

But it’s the “Scum” part that gives makes this show provocative and controversial, for all the right reasons. Unable to let go of those one-sided loves, the characters of the show start to use physical means to get what they want. The show keeps progressing its confidence take on the line between physical desires and emotional desires, on how the characters keep using the former as the substitute for the latter, but end up being lonelier and more suffering. Also in Scum’s Wish, all characters really self-aware on the muddy situations they get themselves in, but charge forward anyways. They know what they do will fill them with regret and disgust, but they continue to do it for their own selfish gains, be it to escape from the frustration that they can’t be with the one they love, trying to get every little moment they could out of the loved one, or just use physical attraction as an approval of their power – hence Scum. Those moments where the characters struggling with themselves, most notably Hanabi’s young version loathes current Hanabi are one of the darkest, yet effective sequences of the show.

For a show that has little action and with a mundane high school settings, the visual presentation and the direction of the show are surprisingly very solid. I agree with most of its visual choices, ranging from the using of panel like in manga that represent both multiple perspectives and establish the space between our characters; the stylized key frames that make us feel like time has stopped in those moments; the text screens that represent more as a visualize of characters’ thoughts; the constant use of visual motifs like fallen rose pedals, characters facing the bright, more innocent selves that detailing the increasingly corruptions of the cast. The music; in particular, stands out in Scum’s Wish, as each segment has a different distinctive musical score that really help elevating the mood of each sequence.

The characters in the show are unfortunately a mixed-bag for me. We have really strong leads of Hanabi and Mugi who constantly have to deal with their personal issues, and the show successfully keeps peeling their skins for more nake, more vulnerable of themselves. With a show that aims more on pushing provocative themes than actual characters’ study, there are some characters of the cast are decidedly presented as one-dimensional from the start. Both Akane-sensei and Moca fall comfortably in their usual character’s stock, one is a bitchy bitch who love attention from men and jealousy from girls, the other is an elegant princess who dream for the prince to come. The show presents them as cliché in order to deconstruct how flawed their ways of thinking are. When they shrug off that extreme side of theirs, however, they become stronger and happier in the process. Moreover, I find Ecchan love towards Hanabi one of the most complex and appealing romance in this show. While the female cast if this show is consistently great (even with limited time on screen, Mugi’s senpai still come off as a painful and conflicted character. Strong character’s writing here), the male cast unfortunately doesn’t develop fully enough. Four-eyed sensei drags the show down and he feels more like a walking stick than a normal person; that guy Takuya is portrayed in mostly insensitive light that I feel he was more a trash bin with all the bad traits male inhibits; and Atsuya’s role in the show feel awkward and a bit forced towards pulling Ecchan out of her mess.

While the way this show handles its dark, twisted web of broken romances is effective and thought-provoking, the last third of the show it loses some of its impact as the show tries to resolve all of its relationships. With things are messy and complicated as they are, the ending feels a bit too clean and sometimes overreached. I can’t buy that love between Akane and Narumi for example, I feel like Hanabi and Ecchan can’t go back as friend, bot with that short time span and I feel the ending of Hanabi and Mugi, while appropriate, is underwhelmed. The best strength of Scum’s Wish is its ability to grab you and never let you go, but its impact is lessened greatly towards the end.

As a whole, Scum’s Wish is still a solid drama. Not so often in this medium we see a more realistic and dark aspect of love and romance like this one. The fact that I keep comparing this show to other movies really speak to this quality of Scum’s Wish: the show is structured and presented more like live-action TV show than an anime one (in fact, the live-action drama is currently streaming as we speak). For all of its devastating and depressing details, at its peak Scum’s Wish manages to pull many raw and naked emotional punch that many other shows don’t dare to address. Scum’s Wish is ultimately a painful and uncomfortable experience, but that what growing up is all about.

Some Quick First Impressions: Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Kinki Kyouten, Busou Shoujo Machiavellianism and SAGRADA RESET

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Kinki Kyouten

Short Synopsis: A clearly mentally unstable girl challenges a boy to a fight after he sees…her…naked….well, if at first you don’t succeed, try ad nauseam.

“I wanted to be a mage of justice” Don’t you mean hero of justice? Might as well rip it off wholesale. You got to wonder who designed these school uniforms. For the people around them appear to be wearing normal attire when the girls that go to this school are wearing something that suggests they are ready to strip rather than learn magic. My initial assessment of this series still stands as it pretty much is a bargain bin light novel story. But it does annoy me how the story makes pretences of subverting cliche only to adhere to it. For example our protagonist walks in on the girls changing and then proceeds to point out how cliche it is. Thing is that he ends up getting beat up anyway so you didn’t subvert the cliche. You just openly admitted to using one. I felt like light novel writers tend to confuse subversion with calling out tropes. Made all the stranger here as I don’t believe manga and anime exist within this world so how would this guy know about the cliche in the first place? The ending seems like it subverts cliche but trust when i say that’s going to get negated later on. What really bugs me about this one is the slapstick comedy for it’s unfunny and just obnoxious. Otherwise not much to say about this one. It’s pretty much your standard light novel story. Would say it differentiates itself by having the main be a teacher but well that’s happened before with Kuusen Madoushi Kouhosei no Kyoukan. If you happen to like these kinds of stories like Chivalry of a failed knight or others like it. If you don’t like those kinds of shows then this won’t change your mind.

Potential: 20%

Mario: Oh my sweet lord this show is unbearable. Other lesser shows usually go for familiar cliché plot, but this bastard manages to up that ante by being extremely annoying as hell. I know they point out all the cliche to bring out the laugh, but am I the only one who wasn’t smiling here? That’s what I dislike the most about shows that aware too much about its tropes; because it sounds incredibly lousy. There’s a line to separate characters from quirky to irritating, and that teacher crossed that line completely. Remember few seasons back we had same types of LN adapted high school magic shows where the boy sees the girl undressed and had to duel with her in the end? By some leaps of logic, this one ends up in the exact same situations, but leaves a bad taste in my mouth. When characters interacting with others by shouting at each other at full volume, you know you can’t take them seriously. The settings, the dialogues, the witch’s motivation, the characters are all poorly constructed that can’t even qualified as homage or satire. I actually feel this one is worse than the first episode of Hand Shakers (in Hand Shakers I can still see the real efforts being putted in there, this one is just lazy), which can inform you about the quality of this show. Terrible.

Potential: 0%

 

Busou Shoujo Machiavellianism

Short Synopsis: A boy fights against a tyrannical female school council that demand boys crossdress.

I thought as much. As I said in the preview, this show would require the right tone for it to work and this didn’t really deliver on it. I believe the main reason is that the animation is just cheap. The character designs and overall animation is just minimal. I don’t really think this show is bad as it is watchable. But the story doesn’t bring anything you haven’t seen before. It even has the old shounen syndrome of people over explaining special attacks. I do at least appreciate that instead of the usual harem lead pushover, we got a confident guy with some attitude. These shows become a whole lot more bearable when the lead has some actual personality. This show embraces it’s ridiculous setting to the full and is basically going to be our main fighting off the girls while winning their hearts. It’s fun but forgettable.Might make for a nice show to tide you over between weekly releases.

Potential: 30%

Mario: Am I the only one who feel uneasy about the boys being bullied to the point they have to wear makeup and act like girls? I know the show doesn’t take that seriously but that exactly how bully works. This show offers a lengthy but exciting combat, where I can get behind all those techniques but everything else just falls flat. It has all the cliché, well-worn plot convenience with its incredibly ridiculous and straight-forward premise. The other girls are generic (but I love their swords’ choice) and for the love of God bear even makes an entrance here. This show is a dumb fun show so It’s hard to fault a series when they embrace themselves completely to its ridiculousness; and I do have a bit of entertainment watching those fights and how they execute its stupid, bizarre ideas. But at the end of the day, this show is one of the glaring examples of poorly-written shows with lazy execution and lack of identity that sadly plagued the current trend of anime industry.

Potential: 20%

 

SAGRADA RESET

Short Synopsis: A boy who can remember everything and a girl who can reset time work together to solve people’s problems.

Now here’s a great idea killed by execution. The overall plot seems interesting enough but there is something inherently wrong with the dialogue of this show. First, no one emotes. At all. Everyone talks in a deadpan monotone with stone faced disposition without exception.Second, conversation is really disjointed. Characters can jump to weird topics without really any warning and nobody talks like an actual person. For example we have a girl who is getting these two to team up for what looks like to be ulterior motives. She says they should all hang out together and when asked for a reason she says they should pretend one of them is a android and they need to figure it out which one of them is the android by the end of the summer. Considering how I don’t think any of them blinked throughout the entire episode I would say they are all androids. It’s just really jarring how this conversation moves to that and it’s present throughout the episode. Lastly, the dialogue doesn’t make it clear what exactly is going on. When the girl is explaining her ability of saving and resetting, it’s just really unclear as to how it works and honestly I have the question that if she never remembers resetting then how does she know these rules in the first place? And suddenly they are bringing back her memories from when she was five years old for some reason that was never specified. I feel there is something interesting here but the way it’s presented just kills any intrigue and renders it remarkably dull. I think maybe if the characters get more developed and the story kicks into gear it might become something. But as it is now it’s just not a interesting show to watch.

Potential: 50%

Mario: One of the main problem of Sagrada Reset is it’s trying too hard. They want to squeeze the most out of its premise about special abilities and rewriting the past, and out of the main characters’ own philosophies, so they end up making characters having big talks that bother on too much exposition and pretentious. They want to squeeze in too many ideas that the end results are inconsistent and emotional distant. Then I don’t feel the song right at the beginning fits the show, and characters motivations are all over the table (remember that android talk?). But I can’t deny this show is one of the most ambiguous show so far this season, and many of its themes have real meats. I agree that the notion of using the girl’s ability to reset in combination with the guy who can remember the past feel like an exploitation towards the girl. The main theme of fixing the past is touched in this episode, but surprisingly leave no emotions involved. Sagrada Reset is a hard case to crack. On one hand, it explains too much of its concepts to the point of incomprehension, and leave out any emotional attachment it should’ve transferred across in the process, but on the other hand, it never fails to be intriguing. This show has potential to become great, but can they manage to reach that potential? Let wait and see.

Potential: 60%

Little Witch Academia – 13[Samhain Magic]

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

While the episodic structure still lingers I can say that this is an episode I can get behind. There was at least progression in that Akko revived another word and a hidden villain at episodes end. But what makes it work is that unlike the more lackluster episodes previously, the story didn’t return to zero once the episode ended. In the zombie episode or bee episode, by the time the episode ended the characters were right back in the same position that they started. But then episode ended with good developments. For one we have Diana who has been rather harsh on Akko as of late. It’s quite understandable when you take into account that Diana was at first intrigued about her but over the series became frustrated at how Akko refuses to improve or take things seriously. In a way Diana’s feelings mirrored that of audience as she had lost any real faith in Akko. When this episode ends with her actually feeling conflicted and dissatisfied. Diana followed the rules and performed a impressive feat of magic but both the audience and her know full well who stole the show. Much like episode 2, Diana gets the kudos and becomes the moonlight witch due to Akko being disqualified for not following the rules. When comparing their fats, Diana summoned a unicorn and Akko broke an ancient curse to save the soul of a princess. Akko’s approach was clumsy and awkward but she nonetheless accomplished what Diana couldn’t or even dared to think of. I think on some level Diana does see Akko as a rival and may even dream of performing magic like Shiny Chariot. But Akko seems far closer to Chariot than Diana could ever be.

It’s nice to see that Sucy and Lotte were at first reluctant to go with Akko’s plan and Lotte even mentions that they can’t keep following along with her. Akko has often dragged the two along with her regardless of what they think so it was nice that they refused initially but decided to help in the background once they seen how hard Akko was practicing. It is a wonder as to why the school never tried to break Vajarois curse before but seeing as they are such a stickler for tradition perhaps they never even thought of it. But why is it that this was tradition in the first place? Well if the end of the episode is to go by, perhaps there was a good reason as to why this princess was kept cursed. Maybe to prevent something from escaping. Akko’s little show clearly took inspiration from Chariot as she attempted transformation spells in a similar manner. Of course due to her lack of skill these transformations became comedic rather than impressive. The audience enjoyed it regardless after the entire festival was a bore for everyone due to sticking with tradition.  While looking at them, I do wonder if those which judges might be playing a part in future events. One of them looks far too well designed to just be a one off character.

We have hit the halfway point of Little witch Academia so perhaps Netflix will finally put the series up on their service. Even better if they dub it. My overall impressions of the show is that it is overall great despite having a weak episode or two. This show is still indeed fun and when it gets it right it usually knocks it right out of the park. It’s possible now is the time when the series shrugs off the episodic structure and moves for an ongoing narrative but if they can keep a string of progression like in this episode I would be fine with the episodic structure remaining. Even the anime greats have a weak episode or two but for this show to be considered great the second half has really got to bring out all the stops. Amanda and her crew haven’t been present all that much so I think they are getting their due and it’s clear an antagonist is coming by the premonition Akko received and the mysterious figure at the end of the episode.

Some Quick First Impressions: Tsugumomo, Warau Salesman NEW and Frame Arms Girl

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Tsugumomo

Short Synopsis: A boys keepsake from his mother turns into a girl and fights monsters

Hey you! Do you like Shounen? Do you like tits? Do you like tits and Shounen? Then do we have the show for you! The start of this show pretty much ticks all the usual tropes of a harem battle anime. Is it terrible? Not really, just rather uninspired. The story does improve as it continues and the manga even has moments of pretty impressive art. However it ups the ante in both action and fanservice. If you thought the fanservice was too much this episode then boy, you haven’t seen anything yet. The fanservice is so much that the author of the manga made a small strip with the characters pretty much flabbergasted that it’s getting an anime in the first place. Still for what it is, this does the job. Fight animation wasn’t half bad either. If you are a fan of the likes of High School DxD I think you might like this. Provided you can get past overdone tropes.

Potential: 20%

Mario: I can sense that Tsugumomo can become a popular show this season, as it ticks many boxes of tropes that can attract anime viewers: the mindless action popcorn part, the romance ecchi undertones and HEAPS OF FANSERVICE. All for the wrong reasons of course. Let’s see, just right in this first episode we have groping, taking bath together, sleeping together and obviously, our main character is a helpless boy driven mostly by hormone. The premise is overdone at this point, being the boy encounter the spirits/gods/monsters from some random stuffs. The characters are on the weak side here as no one have any distinct personality whatsoever. This show is conventional, all the beat feel so familiar here but I don’t deny that it was an easy watch. But seriously, the fanservice turns me off and this show sure doesn’t shy away at all from horniness. So here’s how you should approach this show: if you feel entertained by this episode, by all means keep watching it, if you feel the fanservice is too much or the show lacks deep then this show isn’t for you as it will get dull fast.

Potential: 20%

 

Warau Salesman NEW

Short Synopsis: A salesman will help you with any problem you have, for a price.

I do have a fondness for parables which is why I hold Kino’s Journey in such high regard. Warau Salesman aims for a similar kind of parable but in a much simpler sense. We have two stories where in the saleman tempts people with something and then punishes them when they break a certain rule. My big problem with this series is that in a morality tale it’s often about punishing a person for something that’s entirely their own fault. But the Warau Salesman purposefully sets people up for failure right from the start. He creates the problem and then punishes people for it. He leads two workers to a bar which will allow them to drink during the day and then punishes them for drinking during the day. He gives a shopaholic a card that will allow her to buy whatever she wants and then punishes her for buying something she cannot return. These people are don’t really seem like bad people so it’s a series about a crappy person screwing over decent people for the sake of a fairly flawed moral. After all, in normal circumstances those workers wouldn’t have drunk during the day and that shopaholic would have been stopped by the fact that she can’t afford to shop. I will give this show credit for having a groovy opening but otherwise it’s a parable show with some pretty poor parables. Unless you consider not drinking during work hours and not shopping when you don’t have money to be good life lessons instead of common sense.

Potential: 10%

Mario: “Be careful what you wish for” – This basically is the main theme of this Laughing Salesman show. Here in the first episode we have 2 variations of that moral play: each of them build up the desire of its main targets and then when that desire got out of control, the price they have to pay is far greater. Human being is a flawed creature and Laughing Salesman serves as a catalyst to bring the dark desire of each person. I understand its underlying themes but show with this premise in an episodic format will get pale very fast; indeed by the second story my interest for continue watching this show just gone. It’s just different set-ups for the same damn thing. It doesn’t help that the visual execution isn’t great with simplistic designs and limited animation (but hey, the OP actually looks pretty cool) and the stories progress as obvious and predictable as it could get. Shows should have a strong central message, but when “message” is the only thing they have, and worse, they repeat that same message every single time then I figure we could just watch the first 10 minutes to get an idea of what they’re offering. The rest won’t be needed. Here something interesting that you could try Warau Salesman, make an actual 3-act out this salesman, then I will be interested to follow it.

Potential: 10%

 

Frame Arms Girl

Short Synopsis: A girl is gifted with a sentient little doll.

Ah, Horrible CGI. We meet again. Well we spend half an episode with the girl putting together parts for her little robot girl so I now know how to put together a frame arms girl figurine. Surely information necessary for the future where I will never buy one of these figurines. Look, I know that anime is often glorified advertisement for merchandise as that’s generally where they make their money back but I it’s fairly insulting when they are just so blatant about it. Also think the fanservice is in poor taste. For one to charge these figurines you need to insert a cable at her butt and naturally when you do so they let out a visible “Ah!” for purely scientific reasons I am certain. What we basically got here is cute girls being all cute and stuff mixed with action scenes which have no stakes or point. It’s pretty dull and boring.

Potential: 0%

Mario: The very first three shots of the OP give you an exact idea what this show aims for: a panty shot, an armour suit, and a CG-design toy girl. A side bonus from the actual episode: you have lively instructions on how to set up the plastic model!!!! and the mechanics of how they battle. This product obviously was made with only one thing in mind: to promote the toys. The show has no plot whatsoever so there’s no point to criticize it. The animation of CGI robot fighting is subpar, the battle isn’t remotely interesting and the characters speak like… well, toys. No, even if I am the intended audience, I wouldn’t buy the products after watching this show. What’s the point of buying another Gourai if you know for sure she isn’t going to activated? I would have preferred much better in all honesty if the show goes for chibi style as shown in the ED rather than this bland CG models. Alright, to be fair I do learn one thing out of this, that panty is a part of BODYSUIT. Get it?

Potential: 0%

Some Quick First Impressions: Attack on Titan Season 2, GRANBLUE FANTASY The Animation and Alice to Zouroku

by AidanAK47, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Attack on Titan Season 2

Short Synopsis: Eren and the rest of humanity face a greater threat when a monkey like Titan appears within the walls.

Thus we have the return of the biggest mainstream anime hit in recent memory. I still stand by my assertions in the season preview that this season will likely turn a number of people off the series but admittedly the production values are making it one hell of a return to form. Besides some CGI horses this episode will likely have fans right back into the world of titans and scouting legions. The biggest highlight is of the appearance of the titan with the fan name “Monkey Trouble” With him being one of the first titans who can talk and control other titans, this series may have gotten it’s main antagonist for the season. We also got a peek into some conspiracy as it was revealed at the end of the season that Titan’s reside within the walls and the wall cult seems fully aware of this. Though we didn’t get any real answers as to why there are titans within the walls and that lack of answers is something I suggest people get used to. Sadly the opening didn’t quite match the grander of the first opening but all things considered the first opening set a pretty high bar. Seeing as it topped the poll in the preview I will be covering the show this season and I hope it turns out to be as explosive a season as this first episode.

Potential: 70%

 

Mario: Anime fans rejoice for arguably the most crossover anime hit in this decade. I’m guessing you all have an idea of what Attack on Titan is about, right? Well, this episode certainly won’t disappoint you. Right in this first episode, the show sets up for 2 interesting premises that the human kind wish they didn’t know about Titan: the Titan(s) who stay within the Walls that supposed to protect human, and Titan who has human intelligence and even speaks human language. As expected, the visual and the amount of animation are top-notch and highly-detailed and they get the Titan feel just right. Like after 4 years of waiting, all it takes is first few minutes for us to get back to that dread and heart-pumping universe. While personally this kind of high action work isn’t my cup of tea (I’m a coffee drinker, and I’m a minority who don’t care about Marvel movies either so you know where I come from), Attack on Titan is a must-see for every anime fan out there. It packs one of the best production values this industry has to offer and it’s highly entertainment. Although with only 12 episodes I hope they will at least finish one arc before make us wait again for god-knows-how-long.

Potential: 70%

 

GRANBLUE FANTASY The Animation

Short Synopsis: In a fantasy world a boy finds a girl with strange powers who is on the run from an evil empire.

This makes me feel rather nostalgic. This first episode was essentially set up like an old school JRPG, hitting every cliche in the genre. You can clearly see this was based on a game as you can make out the points of the first dungeon and boss. What further adds to this is that Noburu Nematsu is listed as a composer, most likely of the original game’s soundtrack. Noburu is a legendary figure when it comes to RPG music, having made some of the best soundtracks in the genre. So this is story is standard JRPG through and through which means if you have played a lot of rpgs, or watched standard fantasy in general, then this story is going to feel very familiar. The animation is quite impressive and makes me think that Fate/Apocrypha may not be in such bad hands after all if they can make animation like this. However the characters are all standard stereotypes lacking any defining characteristics and the worse is that mascot character Dragon. Adds absolutely nothing but annoyance. If you are going to have a mascot in your show then the best thing you could do is ensure they shut their mouth. If you are a fan of fantasy anie this might tickle your fancy but I say it would prove too by the books to keep your interest.

Potential: 20%

 

Mario: A harmless old-fashion fantasy fluff, that what Granblue Fantasy is. Every set-up feels like you have watched in other anime before, and that old feel of more straight-forward fantasy fare makes me questioning about the age of this source material until those CGI monsters appear screaming to my face “Are you impressed with this updating?”. No sir, not one bit. The actual story flows nicely but it’s as generic as it could get. Cliché upon cliché (the girl fall off the sky, guy happens to be nearby to rescue her, guy happens to be bad-ass and many more) and after seeing many protagonists redefining what a “true” hero entails (just pop up my head: Subaru in Re:Zero for the dark side of becoming the man to save the day and Kazuma in KonoSuba for arguably who we would likely become if we were sucked into another world for real), a straight-face hero like this feel just plain and no personality. Everything here is decent, the world-building is alright, the production’s still on par so far, the characters aren’t overly bad, but nothing really memorable either. Also that annoying flying lizard can fly without clapping his wings in one scene? That’s sadly the only noticeable details after watching this episode.

Potential: 10%

 

Alice to Zouroku

Short Synopsis: A superpowered little girl on the run from the government decides to stay with a gruff old man.

A 45 minute pilot episode and my overall experience with this show is rather mixed. The car chase was the worst part of the episode with some truly terrible CGI and a couple of animation goofs. Action in general seems to be this show’s weakest aspect as it has a relatively uninspired setup and there doesn’t really feel to be any real danger in regards to stakes. The government is acting suitably shady but the little girls don’t seem to be mistreated or malicious. One of the things that made the action fall flat was in how no one looks to be taking it seriously. It’s hard to feel a sense of danger when the ones fighting are little girls making jokes and talking like it’s some kind of playdate. What works here and made this episode stand out was the main character, who happens to be an old man who just doesn’t put up with any of this nonsense. His reactions are remarkably refreshing in comparison with your normal anime leads and his grandfatherly care of the girls is rather heartwarming. While this episode displayed a lot of action I have a feeling this show is moving more into slice of life territory which I am all for surprisingly. Normally I wouldn’t prefer a show trade off action for slice of life but seeing how this show pulls off action scenes I think it’s the safer option to forgo it from this point forward. What will decide this show’s fate is how much it plans to dwell on the government science facility as frankly that aspect has been done before and to a much better degree. If it’s a tale of a girl hanging around a grandfather figure then I say it’s worth checking out but if it’s a tale of a girl fighting her fellow lab rats with lame superpowers then I say it will not be worth your time.

Potential: 60%

Mario: Boy, I certainly didn’t expect this much action for this show. But here the thing, the action part is a weaker part of the show. After watching the show I have a really mixed feeling about it. While many elements make it a must-watch for this season, other elements are uninspiring and below-par. For example, the action. While the actual fights are fine, showing right in the beginning when we don’t have a clue about the girls’ gifts make more confusing than aspiring. Moreover, the CG cars moving on the road feel very out of place and terribly unconvincing (remember the scene where the old man stopped the car and asked Sana out? The background scene was MOVING on its own). Likewise, I feel whenever the research institution is mentioned, the show goes heavy-handled, and it’s boring. Evil facility acts like an evil facility isn’t something new. The main beef of the show, however, is the relationship between Sana and old man Zouroku and their chemistry is amazing. They act their ages and they bounce of each other well (love the no-nonsense attitude of the old man) and it was those small moments that bring out so much warm and heart to this show. But seeing how the plot advances, I’m pretty sure that we will have an uneven show of one-half taking itself too seriously with plot-driven MESSAGE, and the other half of endearing slice-of-life of Sana and old man. Weight your choice. I will be on this board as the latter clearly outweigh the former.

Potential: 60%

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu Review – 90/100

by AidanAK47, posted in Anime Reviews, Currently Watching:, Reviews by AidanAK47, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

When you have watched a large amount of anime you can come to assume that you have learned a lot about Japanese culture. Though I think it’s testament to how limited it is to view Japan through anime when you come to realize that despite watching so much, you have never heard of Rakugo. Rakugo is a time of performance art that involves a man sitting on stage and telling a story. Sometimes a funny story, other times a heartwarming story or sometimes even a horror story. The man is given no props and much convey each actor and event in the story with his voice and mannerisms alone. Rakugo is the art of the storyteller and Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is a story about those storytellers. Truthfully it’s difficult for me to explain exactly why this series is so great. It could be considered a landmark in character drama and a true mature anime for those tired of superpowered teenagers fighting monsters. Rakugo is a story about tragedy, about the harshness of time, about the stories that lie within stories. It follows the tale of a young boy entering the art to his final days performing in old age. In a way this story isn’t about Rakugo but instead how it affects those involved with it and their passion to perform.

Admittedly though this isn’t the show for everyone. For one a large amount of the show is dedicated to Rakugo performances. While you can admire the skill of the voice actors emoting and the general outline of the story, it’s clear that a lot is lost on ears that cannot understand Japanese. This is a character driven story and the characters are driven by Rakugo so if the Rakugo itself doesn’t quite appeal to you then admittedly that’s a large chuck of the show you won’t enjoy. Even for those that do enjoy it there is the issue that while the first season is near perfect, the second drags out it’s conclusion which can be a detriment if it isn’t tugging your heartstrings as much as it wants to. Through if Rakugo hits that sweet spot for you then it will likely be a series you hold close to your heart. The characters are great with Yakumo being center stage for most of the story. We see him go from an insecure young man to a confident performer to an old tired professional in the span of a single season. Sukeroku is the lovable mooch whose passion for what he does is unmatched. Likewise you have Yotaro who is a man that’s loud and straightforward, but delightfully genuine. With Konatsu being the snarky girl with a heart of gold. What truly makes these characters special is that they lack the common anime tropes which seem to invest each anime character nowadays. The characters of Rakugo are genuine in personality and that’s what makes the drama so strong.

Animation and art wise the series is relatively subdued and a lot of the effort goes into the emotions during  Rakugo performance. This series isn’t a visual tour de force but frankly that’s not the point. Music again is suitable but not really all that memorable. If you happen to have an interest in Japanese culture and feel worn out by the modern cliches of anime then Rakugo is a breath of fresh air for you. It will take you on a ride with twists and turns before ending with a conclusion that leaves no loose ends. By its very nature I think Rakugo will be a niche gem of the anime medium. Through however niche, it will truly beloved. Much like the art of Rakugo itself.

Youjo Senki Saga of Tanya the Evil Review – 80/100

by AidanAK47, posted in Anime Reviews, Reviews by AidanAK47, Saga of Tanya the Evil

Isekai stories have become somewhat of a tiresome genre as of late. There have been many stories of people being transported/reincarnated into other worlds where they shed their once pitiful exterior and become some legendary figure in another world. In most cases it’s trit, balant childish wish fulfilment and the stories often become tiresome when the protagonist gains a level of power that could never be challenged. Enter Youji Senki(Saya of Tanya the evil) where in a HR manager from Japan is tossed into a alternative world WWI by god in an effort to teach him piety. Tanya’s first episode may not win over many but if you check out the second episode you will be taken for quite a ride. This series is the first work by Studio Nut and while it pushed them to their limits it remains a impressive piece of work. Animation and art could be shaky and character designs took a hit for what looks to be for making animation easier. Tanya has some truly impressive set pieces and boasts the largest number of war scenes I have seen in a single anime.

There are shows which advertise themselves as action packed but are anything but, however Tanya is not one of these shows. Though when Tanya takes it slow that can be some of the more interesting parts of the series. Tanya and God’s interactions make for some of the best parts of the show and show a underline of Theism vs Atheism symbolism. The show doesn’t pick a side and admittedly any meaning gathered from this would be shallow level speculation at best. This aspect also becomes less prevalent in the second half of the show as God stands aside in favor of a more human antagonist. It didn’t delve into the concept as much as it could have but it nonetheless makes for a great hook to keep the viewer interested.

In regards to this series flaws the big thing is that it is Tanya’s show through and through. What means is that Tanya gets the bulk of the development, Tanya gets the glory and she gets every moment of badassery. This leaves a large majority of the supporting cast rather underdeveloped and I am certain you won’t remember most of their names by show’s end. In the same way Tanya is to a degree rediculously overpowered and a good amount of the shows second half is dedicated to her steamrolling her opponents. If you don’t find Tanya’s character compelling or interesting, I doubt there will be much here for you besides an alternate take on World War I. Still it’s hard not to like Tanya when she is a beautifully made anti-hero whose motivations are understandable but exceedly malicious. The series can be humorous at times with the after credits sequences taking on a more joking tone than the series normally goes for. The way in how Tanya’s actions and intentions are misinterpreted make for some really humorous scenarios.

For history buff this series provides some meat as well in how the war proceeds in the anime mirrors that of real history and while magical aspects are present, a lot of the equipment used is true to the time. Music is decent with the main theme having enough to get you pumped during an action scene. The opening is different and might not be to everyone’s tastes but the ending is great and closes out each episode perfectly. I applaud Tanya for being one of the few anime to not make use of fanservice as Tanya is in no way fetished at any point within the show. Considering that she is a lolita you would think that’s a given but believe me in that hasn’t stopped many shows before. This show remains a remarkably fun watch throughout, though it loses some steam in its second half but makes a comeback with it’s final two episodes. I say this is well worth any anime fans time and certainly deserving of a second season if being X is merciful.

Saga of Tanya the Evil – 12[How to Use a Victory]

by AidanAK47, posted in Currently Watching:, Saga of Tanya the Evil

This is certainly a fitting finale in many ways. While the ending is a massive sequel hook, at least satisfying enough to witness the end of this reality’s World War One and have it launch into World War Two territory. Honestly, I think this anime would make for one hell of an advertisement for the light novels and after seeing what the future has in store, I would definitely buy them if they were in English. It gives me hope that this series will see a second season as even though it has it’s flaws, it was still barrels of fun.

Tanya’s ending speech of the episode was a great one by taunting the viewer into maybe thinking that she had finally given up and accepted Being X, only for her to proclaim God to be shit and that she would kill him and take his place. In a way, I think Tanya has accepted Being X as being genuinely God but instead of giving in, her vendetta has increased twofold. Still, as great as that final speech was, I think her one earlier in the episode trumped it. When I heard Tanya talk to Rerugen, I thought for a moment that she was going to reveal her past to him. Instead, Tanya explains that humans are not beings who run on logic but succumb to their emotions and that the war will continue. Her words are prophetic to Rerugen but what makes it all the more beautifully haunting is that Tanya is speaking from her experiences in war as well as her previous life’s death. The way this talk was framed from the voice actors performance was just excellent. The minute she finished speaking, her words come true as a messenger arrives with words that the Republic will continue to fight against the Empire, even from another country. The Armistice is in shambles and now the Empire needs to deploy overseas to wipe out the remnants of the Republican forces.

Tanya laments that the Empire’s actions only spur more war, as crossing into another country causes the powers to be to no longer stand idly by. The Empire has become too much of a threat and now they stand with enemies on all sides. Perhaps, Tanya shouldn’t be so hard on them as the consequences of her actions is coming right back to bite her on the ass. With the death of her father, Mary Sue has decided to join the war. Coming packed with extra God power and while she doesn’t know about the killer of her father, Tanya carries a clear identifier in the engraved submachine. God, I would love to see these two duke it out. If this is the true end of Youjo Senki, Saga of Tanya the evil with no sequel being ever announced, then it’s not a bad way to cap off the series. For Studio Nut’s first work this was certainly a impressive offering and I will be looking forward to see just what they have in store next. If that happens to be more Tanya, then I certainly am on board.

 

March Summary

by psgels, posted in Monthly Summaries

Delayed by a day, because I wanted to include Classicaloid’s ending in this. Word currently says that this turned into an article of more than 4500 words, Jesus Christ what am I doing. At the very least I’ve got the passion to write back, but at the same time this format works best: write a huge amount once a month (or twice in the start of a season) and take a bit of a break the rest of the time. This works when balancing this blog with the rest of my life. There will be some weird months here and there, but eh, we’ll see when they come.

As usual: yarr there be spoilers. Really major ones this time because this month delivered some really good plot twists and endings, but I also really want to talk about them and all of their contexts. Again these are just my impressions of whatever aired the past month, the episode numbers are indicated next to the title, and these are ranked based upon the shows I liked least to best this month.

#10: Piace – Watashi no Italian (08-12)

This month, something happened to Piace: it stopped being funny. This is a pretty big deal for a comedy.

It’s classic what happened: as the show goes on the best jokes run out, and the creators hope that they can continue on, on the merits of the characters. The problem is that you need to have good characters for that, and it became painfully obvious that Piace only had its comedy to write home about. Without it, these characters are empty shells. Stereotypes and cardboard boxes who just depend on their own two quirks, rather than being actual characters.

Yeah, it’s pretty serious for a show of 12 episodes of only 20 minutes to run out of material. Like dude, it’s not that hard! It’s Italian food! I mean I finished this up because of how short it was, but this last month unfortunately was another strike against series like this: their creators are a bunch of lazy bastards. This was one of the few that actually had some effort going into it, which makes it all the more sad that they couldn’t even remain fired up for a measly 36 minutes.

I am a completionist, but next season I will stop giving every tiny show the same kind of attention. Only if they’re notable in some way, because this trend is getting too much out of control.

#9: Onihei (08-12)

So of course Onihei has to be the oddball here to have its final episode air on april 4th, while the new season is already well under its way. Ah screw it, unless the final episode does something really unusual this is going to be my final say on the series, I don’t want to wait that long.

Onihei always stood apart from the other series this season. It attempted to show samurai tales from a different perspective, and it didn’t shy away from the ugliness, while not going completely overboard like what Shigurui did. Every episode showed a different story, which tried to be thought-provoking in some way or another. Last month I complained about there way too many pure evil minor-characters who only existed for the story’s sake and had no depth to them whatsoever, and this month improved that. They were still there, but not as abundantly as before. The stories all were interesting, I saw no real big slips or overly stupid episodes.

However my problem with this series is that thinking back… I kindof have to say that I liked the first episode best here. And that’s not a good sign. The fist episode to me was the sharpest. Had the best ideas. And while the other ones aren’t bad by any means, you just keep hoping for something as good as the first impression, and that tends to sting more and more as the show goes on. Thankfully episode 12 came close to it, at the very least I consider it the best of the rest, but even then I can’t get rid of this slightly bad aftertaste for Onihei.

Also, I’d like to say a few things about the acting in this series: the show has this look that’s different from the other series this season, and the creators tried to put in a lot of details in the characters’ faces. But the problem is that it’s also really had to emote that, and what irked me through the entire series was that all facial expressions just look weird. The budget was very obviously limited, but the creators here need to learn the art of cutting corners. They did the basics of course, but strangely not in the area of facial expressions. I mean I can forgive bad animation of course, but the whole reason why I watch anime is watching characters being brought to life. And watching these weird expressions in this uncanny valley… it didn’t work as well as the creators hoped to.

#8: Hand Shakers (09-12)

Okay, that ending. First of all it was obvious sequel-bait, but even then this episode definitely also attempted to close things off in case the investors aren’t gonna bite, and with that in mind you’d expect some sort of closure. That happened, but as the final two episodes went on I found myself really scratching my head because the main villain really wasn’t making any sense.

We’re talking about a former partner, who broke off without saying anything, who went on to kidnap a young girl and drug her into fighting for him and keeping her from disappearing. I know the alternative was putting her to sleep, but even then this seems wrong on so many levels, especially seeing it develop into this weird Stockholm syndrome relationship. And when they revealed his reasoning behind everything things made even less sense. Holy crap what an anti-social dork!

Only when I really started to read inbetween the lines did I see the values of this ending. Handshakers isn’t just about a bunch of people fighting, it’s about deeply flawed people, connecting with each other through something as innocent as holding a hand. Even the two leads: one born doomed to be different, the other haunted by the death of his sister. And a big theme throughout this series is characters trying to pretend that nothing is wrong and things are perfectly normal. People being afraid to show their true colours, and being beaten allows them to fully open up and accept themselves. Within that context, this all makes sense, and it fits within the central theme of hand holding. But yeah, this really is one of those series where reading inbetween the lines is absolutely necessary, otherwise this was a horrible ending.

So yeah, I was preparing to write this whole rant about wasted potential, but in the end I just can’t. I appreciate this series, I really do. And I do not regret watching it. If anything, it tried a whole different way of storytelling, and just for that it deserves credit. Hand Shakers is nice. If has warmth. It’s cliched on the surface, but beyond it’s worth it. However the cliches on the surface remain. If there ever comes a second season, I’d love to see less typical stories. Don’t start with idols, thugs and incest, start with actual characters. Dare to stay away from the stereotypes.

#7: Kuzu no Honkai (08-12)

Again that final minute! What Kuzu no Honkai did in its final month was different: instead of focusing on unrequited love, it had two other focuses: moving on, and actual love. Moving on was the logical progression: everybody got their time to show their feelings come to a breaking point, and being able to move on from their desires, accepting that it never was gonna be something. The actual romance though… sorry but I just didn’t buy it. It was just way too cheesy for me to take seriously. This show was always good at the dark side of romance. The bright side: nope. Especially not so quickly after Fune wo Amu.

So yeah, the entire final episode was hinting at that the two leads were gonna end up as a couple after not seeing each other fr a while. The hints were so obvious and cliched, you see them everywhere. And then… they don’t! They actually realized that they could return, yet they chose because they wanted real romance and went their own way! The only correct way for this show to have ended. Move on! There are more fish in the ocean! Any relationship between these two would have been doomed from the start.

I do think that this is the month I enjoyed the least of this series. It mostly had to do with how good it was at its unrequited love. This ending wrapped everything up perfectly fine and it left the cast as very well rounded, so it was definitely necessary, but it didn’t have that “wow”-factor that the first parts had. Although I still want to praise it a lot for that ending. And also one other thing: it’s Noitamina. Ideally, I would like to never again see a series to take place in a high school in this timeslot again. The timeslot was meant for adult series, and we have plenty of room for high school series in the other timeslots that don’t have this context.

#6: ChaoS;Child (09-12)

Okay, yeah. ChaoS;Child had a really juicy ending. It pervailed through the sheer force of its original material, and I’m not going to spoil anything more. It just has to be experienced. Instead of that, I’m going to talk about the context of it all.

Because aside from Steins;Gate, make no mistake that this was the best semi-colon series to come out. It took Chaos;Head’s potential and actually made it better, which is very rare for an unplanned sequel. It was less solid than Robotics;Notes, but instead of falling apart at the end it came together. And while the characters weren’t the best, they were miles above the annoying shells that I had to witness in that one episode of Occult;Nine. Steins;Gate remains miles above it though. I mean Chaos;Child’s problems are really big. But damn, this was some wasted potential overall. In the right hands this would have been one hell of a series.

I can really imagine the original visual novel being a really good one, and a great ride. That doesn’t have the horrible pacing and acting problems that this series had, and it’s something I’m going to recommend, especially for those who are familiar with Chaos;Head (because let;’s face it, you need to have seen that one before watching this). Will I end up playing the games at one point? Hell no.

Leaving aside that I already know what’s going to happen, the bigger issue is that I’m simply not going to touch games, or light novels, or even mangas for that matter. Even though their stories may be better than in anime, I’m not gonna. So there. Even in the case of Chaos Child, where it’s obvious that the story of the game is better than in the TV-series, I would still have picked the anime if I knew this beforehand.

“The original story is better” is something I have heard, almost since the start of this blog, and it always irked me, even though I couldn’t always explain exactly why. It confused me for a long while, and I did dabble into manga for a bit. And what I read there were indeed some awesome stories. But in the end, while I was in my two-year slump of not watching anything, I realized that I wanted to return to watching anime, while I couldn’t be bothered at all with the mangas I checked out. The reason in the end is simple: the reason why I’m so drawn to anime is the sum of its parts. The way everything comes together to make something bigger and better than what they individually could have done. This means that stories may be done better in novels, mangas and games with more time, there is better music in the medium that specializes to music. Pure art and movies will have better visuals. But it’s everything coming together that really is my passion. That’s also why ratings splitting ratings up into various sub-categories, like story, characters, animation, et cetera always felt weird and unnatural: they miss synergy!

And of course, your mileage may vary. Everyone enjoys entertainment in a different way. It’s useful to listen to others and give things a chance, but in the end the person you need to listen to the most is yourself. Your time on this planet is limited, so you’d better spend it on the things that pique your interests. Because of that, I’ll gladly take this collection of badly acted blobs here, because somehow, despite everything against it, this show came together and delivered something that should have been impossible.

#5: Youjo Senki (08-12)

The finale set up for a sequel, but to be honest, I’d be glad if it didn’t get one, as weird as it sounds. The open ending fits actually quite well with the themes that the final number of episodes were going for: fighting to stop fighting is a bloody stupid idea that’s only ever going to make more people mad at you.

What disappointed me though was that they did very little with Being X. There was lots of silence from it, and it’s much more that its presence loomed over the entire series. And yes, I never thought I’d ever say this, but God won, and was glorious. I quite liked how it pretty much passed over the baton to the new superpower to emerge.

It’s a simplistic depiction of war sure, but to me they quite got away with it. I had quite an enjoyable time while watching this series, and “Tanya” actually turned out to be an excellent example of an anti-hero. Clearly the protagonist, but obviously not on the moral side of rightness. The war here was presented as something that sucks for every side, even the winning one. The tactics used were simple, but not the reason to watch it. Surprisingly, it’s the human element. It did so in a really different way from Shuumatsu no Izetta, which while it had a better start, lost my interest after a while, while Youjo Senki remained strong. I think the reason was because it was about something: through the series it really drove home that everyone wanted the war to end, especially as the show went on. Izetta meanwhile got lost in its boob jokes and its main characters ended up being a bit too… perfect. And too morally one-sided now that I think back to it: the evil empire is evil and must be stopped, while the small country with lots of pretty girls in the center has to fight it off.

Seriously Youjo Senki I really commend you for not using any boob-, loli- or any other kind of fanservice pandering joke here! Well done!

#4: The Dragon Dentist (01-02)

Kazuya Tsurumaki comes along with his team of former Gainax employees at Studio Khara, and basically shows how it’s done. Dragon Dentist consists out of two 50-minute tv-specials, and they’re apparently continuing a project Khara did a year ago with a compilation of 35 different pilots and short films. Now there’s one movie that I’m really interested in checking out – I thought that the genre was dead!

But I digress, The Dragon Dentist: basically had this been a 26-episode series, then it would have been the epic of the year. The mainstream show that got people talking, draw in people who aren’t usually interested in the medium, and that would still stand ten years after airing. Perhaps no Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, but bigger than Attack on Titan, it was that solid. And only something that could have been done in anime. I really liked the idea behind this series, of giant near-invincible dragons floating around, and the whole world built around it. Its own religions, customs and traditions. From what we saw of the world here, the creators were excellent at bringing life to it. Plus the action was amazing. The two episodes did it in completely different ways, but it had me glued to the screen, and this show getting really gorgeous in the second episode only helped this.

But yeah, we only got two episodes. This basically was a pilot, in the same way that Kyousogiga, and Little Witch Academy did their thing. Now all that’s left is waiting for an investing party to bite, to try and make a full fledged one. I mean it just felt weird that in episode one, everything just happened too fast. There was no way to really build up urgency or context before things started happening. This show really did what it could, but it really feels we just skimmed the surface of all that’s possible in this setting. Like the creators ran home with a clump of gold while being inches away from this gold mine.

Full Metal Alchemist, Attack On Titan… I don’t think that those shows are the best to compare this with. You know what this reminds me most of? Bounen no Xamdou! It’s got the same inspiration behind its setting, it too looked incredibly solid, while still daring to break barriers. Both toyed with their own religions and had very relatable characters. Now Bounen no Xamdou made the mistake of lingering on a bit too much near its ending. I really think that if this gets green-lit for real, then The Dragon Dentist will be able to avoid the same fate, because the way episode 2 ended was actually really, really good. It’s the type of thing why I watch anime: watching everything come together. The action was great, while in the meantime the setting got fleshed out, characters kicked ass, the plot thickened, the graphics got gorgeous, the music. It gets it! Everything just fit.

I remember how I disliked the Evangelion movies. Made by the same guys. I think what irked me the most there was watching a recap, and things didn’t really mesh well. And while I still need to watch the third Evangelion movie, I do think that they were on to something, and this really feels like they took what they learned there, and are experimenting further. At the very least, these are the guys that need to be influential. These are the guys that need to inspire the next generation that there is plenty of kick-ass material just waiting to be brought to life, and the best way to do it is to be bold and show some balls! Instead of being too safe.

#3: Classicaloid (21-25)

Wha? There’s gonna be a sequel? If you said that at the beginning of this season, this was going to be one of my last guesses for a continuation. It is all the more weird because this definitely is not the most popular series, and with an announcement this early this definitely was planned in advance… yet the final episode was pretty conclusive. I was about to praise this series for avoiding the dreaded comedy ending, but here’s another hurdle it’s going to have to face: the dreaded comedy sequel. Will it have enough material to keep fresh for 25 more episodes? I am writing this like immediately after that twist and it puts like everything in a different perspective. And don’t get me wrong: if the creators know what they’re doing then the result will be beautiful. This cast has that potential. However if this was a decision from the producers against the writers’ will: oh dear god the pain!

But anyway, to the ending. Classicaloid was completely different from all other shows on this list. Most of them, at least the best ones, were tasked in wrapping up their stories. Making everything come together in a clever way, with layered plot twists, themes and characters coming together (which they all did really well by the way). Classicaloid however never was based on logic. For Classicaloid, the point was to deliver a bang of an ending. Bring it to an emotional climax. And they went to heaven and beyond for that!

Five episodes. The first two were the standard episodic ones, but they rank among the funniest of the season, including the single greatest rap track ever to have appeared in an anime. The final three episodes delivered the finale, and you know these parabolic graphs? Well, it was like that. It started off quite standard, with a lot of exposition that made me fear that they were going for a completely serious ending. Then things got better with anti-climax. And then the aliens arrived!…!?!?

Like Deus ex Machina much?!? And yet in the context of the series it totally fit, and it allowed the creators to just keep surpassing themselves in atmosphere. They saved some of the best tracks for the finale, and especially the ending was just a visual orgasm of colours and shapes and musik, it was glorious and incredibly fun! Really if it wasn’t for the sequel announcement I might have placed this at the top of this list!

So yeah, for now I’ll spend the next half year without Classicaloid, and when they return, let’s hope it will be glorious. Please be even better! You can do this! You have half a year! Use this time to plan out the best possible course for this show! It deserves it!

#2: ACCA – 13-Ku Kansatsu-ka (-)

Thinking back, the season that set my writer’s block in motion was the Autumn of 2013. This is where I became disillusioned by the series that came out, and even though I tried to hold on, my interest became less and less, and the reason for that was the sheer amount of series that had very interesting premises, yet utterly failed at even the most basic elements of storytelling. The worst offenders were Galilei Donna, and Copellion, but also Nagi no Asukara, Yozakura Quartet and even Samurai Flamenco and Kill la Kill: they all were disappointing because of their lack of respect to the rules of basic storytelling, to the point where only Kyousogiga ended up as a success.

I feel that this season, we have the antithesis of that: lots of different series who actually KNOW what writing is. One of the best examples for that is ACCA, simply because of how much it had against it. I mean, now that the final episode has passed, I can confirm that they actually did it: they managed to squeeze this huge story and setting into one season, and they made everything fit. The pacing feels natural, there were no forced episodes. And despite all of these constraints, it was constantly building up to the final episodes, and never forgot what it was trying to do.

It’s a show that has many layers. The foundation is the 13 countries. All of them get visited throughout the series. Above that is Jean Otis and his colleagues and his sister. On top of that is the central government. In between them are the storylines around the coup that was to be attempted, interwoven with the background stories of all of the different characters, who due to the nature of this series all came from a different part of the world. The focus on food was fluff to flesh out the setting and characters. And even then the final episode delivered a twist that was lurking behind all of that in the shadows and tied everything together. This is the example of what happens when you put a lot of time into planning out your series’ structure, instead of rushing it or outsourcing it, to make sure that everything is just right.

Of course, this method is not perfect. The benefit of spontaneous writing is that it’s better at bringing out emotions, it’s more spontaneous. But that was solved by the very consistent mood this show had. It always was mellow. There was no drama whatsoever in this show, and instead it hinged on intrigue, and that made it work. I also loved how diplomatic everyone was. Sure people have their own agendas and stuff, but instead of the yelling and irrational fights, putting groups of people against each other, people just drop grudges, accept things and go on with their days. Obviously this show does present a very simplified form of politics: it assumes that everyone in a country has the same opinion. which of course in real life is a bit more complicated.

Of course, Natsume Ono, who previously wrote the original material of Sarai-ya Goyou and Ristorante Paradiso delivered some amazing story again, but that is no guarantee that it translates well to the anime format. But they did it, and let this be a lesson for future writers: this is how you write a series and make it interesting. It takes both itself and its audience seriously and simply wants to write a good story with the means that it has. Kudos to Madhouse&co!

#1: Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu Season 2 (09-12)

And finally it’s Shouwa’s turn to end. The final four episodes of this series had a lot to live up to, after such a series. And all in all I have to say that this ending was totally rock-solid. The past four episodes all wrapped things up perfectly, really taking their time to make sure that everything got closed off in a satisfying way. All that this show had been building up to: the main characters, the side characters, but also all of the themes when you start reading between the lines.

This whole series was the story of death and rebirth. You see it everywhere, with the main one being Yakumo’s life, but the death of Sukeroku, and him surviving through the next generation if another really big one. How Rakugo almost died under the 8th Generation, but was revived by the 9th generation. How all the rakugo titles keep getting inherited whenever someone passes away. And not to mention the following: I cannot recall any other series that featured more generations than this one. Four generations, all changing as time goes on, growing and weakening.

The big challenge with endings like this is that they tend to just wrap everything up like a good schoolkid, while forgetting to actually tell a story, make it interesting, make sure everything is satisfying. What Shouwa did really well was that the final episodes all managed to keep the balls in the air, and they kept delivering new stuff. We worked towards Yakumo’s death, but even there it wasn’t a simple case of him dying, but he was really clinging to his last moments in live like a living paradox. Then the afterlife episode came, and we finally got to wrap up a lot of questions that the big death left us. I think that this would have worked even better for those who watched the first series as it came out, instead of me, catching up to it in January. Everyone got to accept death, and it felt good. Then the final episode showed yet another time-skip, but there was much more meat to it than usual, because it showed the rebirth of Rakugo, with new rules that could finally be implemented now that the eighth generation has moved on. It was essential to show this. Plus, it even came with an extra twist to boot, hinting that Yakumo may have had a descendant. They could have easily done without, but it made things even more interesting in hindsight, and while awkward, it fits strangely well.

This series is not perfect though. I was not convinced by the romance, and I don’t think that this show really understands it. It was definitely the most annoying part of the series. Also this is not the easiest show to watch. You need to pay attention, and this definitely isn’t a series that you can watch while relaxing. There are parts that while vital to the story, are a tad difficult to sit through. No, in terms of pacing, I don’t think that the creators could have done a better job here.

And yeah, this is the type of series to set a new standard for future shows to live up to. Last season this was Fune wo Amu, and together they create a very solid baseline to hold shows up with. These series show how you should tell a story, where Fune wo Amu shows how to bring characters to life, and Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu shows how you should pace your series. And what’s also important about these two series: usually series as solid as them are the product of a big name director who has already proved him or herself. This is especially true of the past ten years, remember Sayo Yamamoto’s Yuri on Ice last season. But Fune wo Amu’s director? He had done Sukitte Ii Na Yo and a number of episodes here and there, but nothing as vibrant. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu was directed by Shinichi Omata, the director of Sankarea, Rozen Maiden Zuruckspielen. While good, they always lacked something, and here he really managed to make everything come together, and you can see a very tight control from beginning to end. This is the new generation waking up and coming up with their own styles, rather than just doing the same popular thing over and over again. This is a trend that needs to continue. They have demonstrated that they know how to tell a story. From here, it’s time to add more and more guts and balls. Dare to be exciting! Dare to challenge the status quo! You have the power!