Etotama
Short Synopsis: The cat wants to become part of the Chinese Zodiac
Now this is odd. I originally pegged this as a harem anime but it seems its a harem/supernatural battle anime. Not scoring points in the change though. But here’s the thing, the battles are a remarkably clever use of CG. The characters change into a chibi look making them easier to animate and distinguishing them from the main style. By making the battles take place in another world it allows the transition to be more natural than simply switching between the two. The CG is also remarkably impressive. The battle was fluid and dynamic with it actually being difficult to see if it was actually CG animated at times. A truly inventive way to incorporate CG into anime. But that’s where my praise ends. While basing the animal girls on the chinese zodiac is intriguing the fact is that the girls are annoying and the comedy is flat. It relies on the typical, “stupid person does something stupid, straight man points out they did something stupid” method. It also breaks the fourth wall a couple of times. The problem with this is the same problem I have with punchline. I can’t discern whether I am supposed to take this seriously or not. Comedy wise I thought it was amusing how the girls of the Zodiac kept asking people to recite the Zodiac and half the girls getting depressed because no one can remember the second half of it. Take note that I found it amusing, not funny. Overall I find the comedy to counter the battle which I could possibly get invested in if it wasn’t undermined afterwards by stating it was all a ploy to endear the protagonist. I am disappointed that such great use of CG was placed in a show such as this. I at least hope these animator take their work to more worthwhile shows because this to me is the kind of quality CG in anime should aim for.
OP: Peppy and upbeat
Potential: 30%
Shokugeki no Soma
Short Synopsis: A boy can make woman beg for his cooked meat.
Well…Did I mention this manga was made by a former Hentai artist? Before in the manga the reactions to food were pretty ridiculous but now animated takes them to new levels of absurd. Almost as if the protagonist slipped in fifty aphrodisiacs into the plate but even then I doubt anyone would react to food with such blatant sexual excitement. If I am wrong then well I better take up a cooking class. Well besides that odd quirk this is pretty standard shounen with a school setting incoming and the old elite group to take on. As some commenters have mentioned, you can find some enjoyment in it’s absolute ridiculousness. There is a certain charm to it’s complete over the top serious attitude to food. Making it the end all of all conflicts. It’s the usual thing in anime to over dramatize the subject in order to make it more visually interesting. Even one of my favorite animes, Hajime no ippo makes use of this with punches that sound like jet turbines and visual air bursts from each strike. But this is just too much for me. I even had to turn down the sound of this anime because I thought that anyone who heard it would assume I was watching pornography.
Potential: 0%
Plastic Memories
Short Synopsis: Our protagonist works as a retriever of robots at the end of their life span.
I hate love at first sight. When you cut out the ‘romance’ of it the idea becomes superficial. Determining that you are in love based on first sight means you essentially judged her entirely by her looks and this line of think has lead many into terrible relationships. When compared to a relationship formed through shared experiences and interaction its clear which of the two is the stronger. But alright besides the typical boy meets girls setup, I at least appreciate the lack of a school setting and a rather unique premise. In terms of how it is handles I say they are going the right way with this. Using a robots end of life span as an allegory for acceptance of death is smart and it is touching to see characters say goodbye to their loved ones. On those aspects you have a perfect show for generating tears. The main problem with it being that it’s very easy to go overboard with it and attempt to make it as melodramatic as possible. But that isn’t the only potential problem with this show. Despite the characters working they are still teenagers which honestly I don’t understand as to why that is. The most annoying by far is the stereotypical tsundere character. Girl, even if you think you are being something original, I have seen you a hundred times before and most likely will a hundred times again. The comedy is just at complete heads with it’s premise. We have a great moment of a grandmother saying goodbye to her little girl andriod only to follow it up with a joke about the female character pissing herself cause she drunk too much tea. Pick a side because you are not going to hit two birds with one stone. There are lots of ways this could go wrong and I already see a future development with the partner andriod thats so foreshadowed that they might as well spill the beans. But assuming this can avoid the trappings that Okada often falls in and kept the slapstick comedy to a minimum then this could be something.
Potential: 60%
No Kekkai Sensen yet? You should really follow it. Even if only following intrigue. I’m sure it’ll be to your liking.
I have watched the first episode but haven’t managed to write a impression yet. Main reason being, broken laptop. Was supposed have my new one last week but it wont be arriving till this week. Its also the reason as to why these impressions are so late.
About Plastic Memories, I disagree with your “love at first sight” impression. For me, that wasn’t love but rather the impact of her very human emotion. Which is what’s for me has the most impact about this show. How “too” human these androids are. It’s almost unfair. In a more hard science fiction show with this theme, I would imagine androids that were more machine like but show startling human traits as you get to know them, which would make their end-of-lifespan collection build up subtly to a poignant climax. But this one is really in your face from the get-go. You’ve got a dojiko android who can slam her face into a wall and get bruised and a nosebleed. Who can drink too much tea and need to pee. They’re really throwing the “moe” into this lead character that is about to “die”. It’s almost unrealistic to see such human androids. There’s a lot of places a show like this could go. Like why make the androids so human in the first place, with a soul and able to have so many emotions yet such a short “lifespan”. I’m kinda expecting the Terminal Service people, who are the apparent android undertakers, to maybe try to allow the lead character to live past her expected lifespan, perhaps only to see her break down physically and/or mentally, like someone suffering from huntington’s or some other degenerative disease. The little girl android was really poignant. I kinda expect the old lady to die soon after parting with this little girl. Why are their lifespans so short? Is there any way to repair their bodies while saving their “souls”? Or is this just a slice of life about dealing with something that’s just a part of the natural circle of life? *shrug* I’m keeping my eye on it either way.
I think Soma was pretty good regarding on how the anime enact the reaction of those who ate the food.
It’s just icing on the cake for me. Picked up the manga. I’m loving the comedy, the cooking battles, the great art, the variety of characters and cuisine showing up one after the other and the types of challenges. There’s romance elements, possible harem development but 12 volumes later it’s still very subdued so I wouldn’t put this into the harem category. It’s all about getting better with food. A lot of focus on training, new challengers, a lot of generation-spanning things happening with previous graduates, etc. Lot’s of evolving characters and plotlines. Very interested in stuff stewing very quietly in the background with the Dad.
Yup. Yup. Giving too much credit to Plastic Memories.
You say that you “appreciate the lack of a school setting and a rather unique premise.” haha what? How is it a unique premise? Just because it’s not in a school? You need to read more science fiction to see that this is completely unoriginal or, you need to read Pluto.
Also, may I recommend not putting your personal beliefs about things (love in this case) into your reviews? People who disagree with you will automatically brand you an idiot for it. This has 30% potential at the most
Well aren’t you a charmer. Well appreciate the feedback even if it is put in condescending tone.
I do argee that in terms of sci-fi this isn’t a new premise. After all everything about robotics has been done to death if you account for the entire genre. However for anime these concepts are not quite as done nor focused on. It is a unique premise for anime. And I read Pluto so I find it odd that you use it as a comparison. While there is some aspects of dealing with death, the story is more focused on a murder mystery of who is killing these famous robots. Plastic and Pluto are just too different to be compared.
Well considering that opinion is firmly rooted in belief and preference that would mean I should just post blank impressions. And regardless people would disagree with me on anything would label me an idiot. Like you just did.
Well I just tried to watch episode 03. I did watch the first two and thought they had some good elements going on.
this third episode seems like a nail in the don’t watch coffin for me….I just don’t know if I can keep going with it. There is not much to like about how they approached the love story. Old plots reused which were not funny but only painful. I may have this wrong but…this machine girl is nearing the end of her shelf life…so what is the point of all this. Well, I just may be missing something here.
Yeah, I get what you mean. I feel like they overdid the slapstick too. Felt forced, like a last minute arrangement to cover up something they meant to put in but decided to remove???? The lead boy is still clueless but it looks like the people who seem to be in the know are letting this guy do what he’s doing, hopefully to give the girl some happy final memories? And everybody seems to have their own idea about how to go about it. Of course, some seem strangely nonchalant about it cos for them it might be a lot of fuss over a machine? Meanwhile, the girl is trying to shut everything out and go into machine mode so it won’t hurt so much at the end? I’m wondering whether there’s something special about her. She seems like she might be more emotional compared to the counterparts they’ve collected so far, which, aside from the little girl model, were pretty composed.
Thinking about this kinda reminds me of Gunslinger Girls.