Watamote
Short Synopsis: Our lead character is not popular.
Here is a pleasant surprise: this show is exaggerated, but it actually nailed what it’s like to be socially awkward in this first episode. I could actually relate to quite a few things that the female lead went through in some way. The way she keeps forming theories in her head, pointlessly avoiding people she knows, and being unable to utter words: that was really well done. Now, I do have one big fear with these kinds of series: the solution is always portrayed to be so simple and easy. Social anxiety is far from easy to get out of, and it takes years of dedicated work to improve, if you can even do it in the first place. I hope that this series also acknowledges this, rather than going the “she’s actually a perfect girlfriend once she puts on some makeup”-route.
OP: The OP here is a surprise: didn’t expect metal to pop its head here.
ED: The trailer for this show was actually terrible. As it turns out they used the ED for this. Really, that was a wrong choice.
Potential: 75%
Kiniro Mosaic
Short Synopsis: Our lead character moves to England which has in the past been conquered by subsequently the Vikings and the Japanese.
If the synopsis didn’t give it away already: Kiniro Mosaic commits the two big faux pas when it comes to depicting the English: they’re all blond and speak with heavy Japanese accents! (Oh wait, there are some random people in the background who aren’t blond!) What also was quite hilarious was that the two lead heroines sometimes started with these long monologues to each other despite being unable to understand each other’s language. In any case, Kiniro Mosaic aims to be cute. And yeah, I guess it succeeds at that with its portrayal of a bunch of random kids. As for the question whether it has enough to make it worth watching though… I guess only if you like cute stuff. If not, then this was just pretty much outclassed by Tamayura. The characters had less life to them, and it tries way too hard to be cute and consequently forsakes some other important characterization.
ED: They tried to hide it, but the song is actually pretty bad.
Potential: 40%
Gen’Ei wo Kakeru Taiyou
Short Synopsis: Our lead character gets to command a bunch of dolls who fight for her.
Gen’Ei wo Kakeru Taiyo and Fantasista Doll are actually two very similar series: bot series feature this high school girl who suddenly has the command of five mahou shoujo who show up from out of nowhere. The big difference is that one show is good at what the other is bad at, and vice versa. Gen’Ei has the production values: it looks great, and it’s also much darker than I expected (really, if you were expecting a frilyl mahou shoujo, then don’t bother). It feels consistent, which is something you can’t say for Fantasista Doll. On the other hand though, the characters are just shallow. The acting feels wooden in comparison, and it also probably abused its own shock value a bit too much (oh my god such a cute girl! let’s throw as much bad stuff at her in one episode without really focusing on the consequences!) So yeah: the gist: Fantasista Doll is clunky, Gen’Ei wo Kakeru Taiyou is shallow. Take your pick!
OP: Nice art, but a copy-paste song
ED: Tarot cards fail to make this one impressive.
Potential: 70%
I haven’t watched it yet but when I saw the screencaps my first thought was Higurashi….
Based on the first episode, this one beats fantasista dolls easy…
I don’t know. Fantasista dolls just seemed more stupid to me than this one.
I’d disagree.
This one is trying to be Madoka and, IMO, failing hard.
The other one is more sincere about being what it is.
I know I’m not explaining myself very well, but I’d rather take Gen’ei with its shock factor (whether it works or not is another conversation) over Fatasista Dolls which just felt far more generic with, imo, character somewhat on the stupid side.
Their reactions to things just seemed too unrealistic for me.
I enjoyed this first episode much more than fantasista dolls.
“Our lead character gets to command a bunch of dolls who fight for her.”
uh…
Enough dolls already. Pass…
There are no dolls in this one. Just characters transforming into mahou shoujou.
>Our lead character gets to command a bunch of dolls who fight for her.
What? Next time you should pay attention to what you’re watching.
Sorry, but there are no dolls in this anime.
The Watamote manga doesn’t go down that route (as far as I remember, I’m not up to date), so enjoy!
Yeah, it definitely doesn’t go that route.
OH but she does put up some makeup though…
I found kirino mosaic to be cute, but low in potential. I was hoping would be completely in england, but noooo, they all go back to japan, and now I can expect them doing cute japanese things rather than cute england things….
now that I think about it, I can’t remember if there was a makeup chapter or not.
Oh, there is, and like every other plan Mokochi comes up with it goes horribly, horribly wrong.
I’m happy for Watamote, and for the most part the heroine isn’t going to have an easy time, so there are no quick fixes. In fact I do wonder how this show is going to handle other aspects of this adaption. The OP surprised me as well, and I actually really like the ED. And lol, aren’t all anime trailers terrible?
The WataMote manga definitely doesn’t go down that route. She never gets better. lol
Exactly why I did not like this.
You like the first episode, watch the whole thing.
You don’t like it, don’t spend another minute with it.
You want to see plenty of chara. Don’t watch it. There is just one (+ 2 1/4).
I’m really disappointed. She’s just a big fail like the anime.
I LOOOVE Watamote’s OP and ED. The OP had a good touch on some metaphor while the ED was refreshing with its use of the phone. I’d read the manga, but I don’t remember everything from the start. But yeah, I agree that she won’t go down that shoujo-ish transformation route. She’s pretty…when she doesn’t try too hard, I think >.<
Watamote just continues to up the awkwardness, it’s not going to go for a quick fix. Personally, I loved the ED.
Watamote was pretty cool, I oughta say, I like the ED alot too, the vocalist sounded cute while ruining her lines with her cracking voice.
I enjoyed Watamote, not quite there for me yet, but it was actually quite sweet of her brother to offer to walk home with her.
the BL game bit was hilarious