Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru
Short Synopsis: Our lead character is the reincarnation of some woman.
Well, I’m intrigued. While it’s no Night Head Genesis, this episode of Uragiri was pretty good. It deals with a lot of heavy stuff, like insanity, death threats, parental abuse and orphans, but it handled all of the angst surprisingly well and down to earth. This episode was perhaps a bit fast-paced, but as an opening episode it did well to grab my attention. And best of all: it didn’t turn its characters in those stereotypical gay people you see everywhere. Instead, the lead character is just your typical shoujo lead in a male body (which in a way makes sense when you consider his backstory). We didn’t get to see a lot of teh plot in this episode, but what we saw of it has quite a bit of potential to be this season’s dark gothic series. My only problem with this episode was that group of random punks that just decided to kick that old man from out of nowhere. That’s an anime cliche that seriously needs to die unless you plan to do it well.
OP: Decent rock-song
ED: Again, pretty nice.
Potential: 70%
K-On!!
Short Synopsis: Our lead character enters her third year in high school as a member of the light music club.
You know what? As a slice of life series, this episode was pretty good. My biggest fear for this show beyond the moe overload was that it would go down the same road as Lucky Star (as in, a ton of repetition and no development whatsoever), but the characters have actually evolved beyond what I saw of them when I previewed the first episode of the first season last year. The lead character especially has gotten a lot more bearable now that she actually knows how to play an instrument. What I appreciated the most is that this episode had the characters act like what you’d expect from teenaged girls, without hanging all of the cheap moe stereotypes and paper-thin characters that you regularly see in these moe shows all over them. The animation also was very good, as expected of Kyoani. I was really disappointed by the live performances. I mean, with the budget that Kyoani has, you would expect that they’d… like… actually animate it. Instead, they skip it nearly entirely, even though actually performing is the most fun part of being in such a band. Now, while this episode was decent enough, I do have my doubts whether this series warrants 26 episodes. Do the creators really have what it takes to make it consistently enjoyable, rather than consistently repetitive?
OP: To answer my question below at Mayoi Neko Overrun’s OP blurb: yes.
ED: Hmm, probably the best ED I’ve seen from Kyoani.
Potential: 30%
Mayoi Neko Overrun
Short Synopsis: Our lead character is loved by a cute girl.
Well… we’ve certainly found the series with the biggest amount of overused cliches this season. Where to start? There is the childhood friend, the tsundere, the panty shots, the annoying best friend, the catgirl, the horny sister, the maids, the rich spoiled brat, the parents who are gone, the waking up scene, the abuse of said tsundere whenever fanservice comes into play, and the female voice actresses also really don’t try to hide these stereotypes. While the tsunere was surprisingly likable, the voice actresses of the other female characters were just horrendously annoying and predictable. But yeah, I gotta admit: it’s well made. The direction and dialogue is snappy and funny whenever these three characters aren’t in the centre of attention, and the chemistry is pretty nice. It certainly beats out Nyan Koi and Sora no Otoshimono; AIC’s moe shows of the previous winter season. Due to time constraints I doubt that I’m going to continue watching this (especially when three of the four female lead characters are so incredibly and pointlessly annoying), but really: I expected a lot worse.
OP: Can it get any more squeaky?
ED: Annoying J-pop.
Potential: 30%
A bit off topic but I have the impression that I’m seeing the word “moe” thrown around so much I can’t help but start thinking it’s being overused.
Is Sora no Otoshimono generally considered a “moe” show?Sure it’s a show that has fanservice but I don’t consider any of the girls in there to be “moe”.
If all depends on what kind of definition you’re adhering to. For me, a moe show is a show that focuses a lot on using overly cute girls (both in the way that they’re drawn and in the way that they act) in an attempt to gain audience. It’s subjective, I know, but that’s why I use it so often.
Then it also comes down to your definition of “cute” , to me the girl’s in Sora no Otoshimono aren’t “cute” but “attractive” or more bluntly “hot”.
About k-on,I think it’s going to be only 13 episodes,not 26.
One of my problems with k-on seems to be back:they didn’t animate the performance (they did that a frew times in season one)
But….
“What I appreciated the most is that this episode had the characters act like what you’d expect from teenaged girls, without hanging all of the cheap moe stereotypes and paper-thin characters that you regularly see in these moe shows all over them.”
Holy cow, I’m very interested in seeing this ep,to me the point of k-on has always been the moe stereotypes (and I don’t mean this in a bad way)
Really makes me wonder what this ep looks like.
… what “moe stereotypes”? I was sure that Azunyan would be one of those, but she’s actually pretty cool despite her “stereotype-moe-look”. Perhaps I just need to rewatch the first season, though… xD
Maybe it’s just the culture difference, but as someone who used to be a teenage girl and obviously hung around teenage girls, I’d say the characters of Lucky Star were more accurate portrayals of how we acted opposed to K-On!
K-On! feels more like pre-teens than anything else.
Anyone noticed how K-On changed from 4:3 to 16:9 screen?
DVD releases of K-On are in 16:9, it just wasn’t originally aired as a 16:9 show.
I felt the show had a lot more potential (especially as a musical anime – both Beck and Nodame do a much better job at the musical aspects) but it was still worth watching, so I’ll watch the sequel as well.
After watching the first season, I think I’m not going to touch K-ON with a ten-foot pole.
You’re getting drawn to the DARK SIDE, psgels!
Just kidding. I can see why you’d admire some aspects of K-On. K-On has sporadic bits of good slice-of-life moments between the characters when you don’t have a moe overload, and it just happened that the first episode of the new season contained these attractive elements, while the first episode of the first season didn’t. I wouldn’t really recommend you blog K-On(!!) unless the other shows this season suddenly turn really awful by their second episode.
Listen, the characters of K-On, are stereotypes. But after one season which had a fair share of slice of life moments, they evolved into…. developed stereotypes…! 😛
They are still stereotypes of course, the clumsy girl the energetic girl, the tsundere, etc etc but they have *some* depth now. Which makes things more interesting.
On the other hand, the slice of life moments in the first season were pretty good too, but everything else was totally hit or miss. Some eps were funny, some were very boring, some were very cheesy.
While this was a good episode, I can easily see it turn into something mediocre soon enough.
Wow, ZOMG, ur right! It’s like… stereotypes IN DISGUISE! xOOO How could I fall for something like this!?!? Shame on me.
Yeah…I was looking forward to the New Student Orientation performance, but it just skipped it all. Very disappointing in that regard.
hm, to tell you the truth, i kinda enjoy mayoi neko…well it might be because of the tsundere. and well k-on for me rocks, so, yep.
What the heck were they thinking with K-on’s Op? It’s like the chipmunk’s have invaded. :s
Dunno if i’ll bother following it though. The first series was too much of a mixed bag at times for me to have much confidence in the 2nd series.
Mayoi Neko was kind of interesting I think. Even though it’s obviously a harem, the lack of tsundere blushing, typical “awkward contrived situations” in the screenplay, the harem pandering to the main character, main character being too much of a pervert or too much of a wimp, and lack of the main character in general all made it seem much better. It still isn’t good, though, but at least it isn’t annoying.
About K-On. Is it an all girls school or whatever? I can’t remember if they mentioned it before, but I swear, I’ve never seen a single guy in that series. It’s like a world where guys only exist as monochrome shadows or in the shape of really old teachers.
Or wait… I just remember that guy in the music shop in the first season.
K-On is a show about moe girls. They don’t need guys in the show.
Random, but before the opening, as Ritsu and Mio are walking to school, there are some girls behind them, one of which looks like Mio, but with glasses. Later on as they are singing the anthem, there’s a better shot of the Mio clone behind her o_O Maybe it’s tied with the ed?
I would actually like seeing some guys in K-On and interact with the girls. It needs to be a bit more like Beck IMO. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the first episode, it was probably better than any in season 1.
Kalandra: still, GA Geijutsuka Art Design Class also was a show about a group of girls, and I found that the effect that the few guys in the series had on it was pretty interesting.
I guess the crazy otaku fanbase wouldn’t take it, though, “impure” boys among their sacred harem. Especially if they’re at all nice or charasmatic.
And I don’t think KyoAni would want to upset their fanbase.
I really wish K-On would animate their concerts. It’s like a martial arts show where they skip the fight scenes. “We’ll be facing those punks in front of the school… (cut to next scene). Our heroes with torn clothes or bandages. “That was a tough fight, but we licked them. Let’s go to the burger shop. 10 minutes pass as they much dinner and chat about life.
The other thing that bugs me about K-On is that the closing credits always show them in interesting costumes – but they never actually wear any to perform. Standard beat: their adviser tries to get them into some fetish outfit (maid, whatever), they blow her off, and then end up wearing school uniforms.
I’d be happy if this season shows them making an effort to be more of a band. Also, it would probably be better for merchandising (sell more figures in band costume…)
@DP: I would -love- seeing an action show like that.
Haha, what Dast said.
@ DP: They did perform in costumes once or twice in the original series if memory serves correct. But I dare say the ED are songs they’re performing in the “future”, when they’ve made it big and have enough cash for music videos.
Mayoi Neko Underrated. It was so little funny not even fanservice was in place. At least if they showed some naked loli, there would have something to laugh about. Ah they (tried to) show one! Oh LoL!
The only thing I like about Mayoi Neko is that there has to be a seiyuu joke in the casting. THERE HAS TO BE! Too many coincidental To Aru no Majutsu/Kagaku Index/Railgun characters!
Namely in the 2 maids and their mistress and in the 2 leads.
Satou=Rina Satou=Misaka Mikoto
Suzuki=Satomi Arai=Shirai Kuroko
Umenomori=yuka Iguchi=Index
Fumino=Itou Kanae=Ruiko Saten
Takumi=Okamoto Nobuhiko=Accelerator
All they are missing is Toyosaki Aki (Kazari Uiharu) from having a complete Railgun cast reunion.
The only thing I like about Mayoi Neko is that there has to be a seiyuu joke in the casting. THERE HAS TO BE! Too many coincidental To Aru no Majutsu/Kagaku Index/Railgun characters!
Namely in the 2 maids and their mistress and in the 2 leads.
Satou=Rina Satou=Misaka Mikoto
Suzuki=Satomi Arai=Shirai Kuroko
Umenomori=yuka Iguchi=Index
Fumino=Itou Kanae=Ruiko Saten
Takumi=Okamoto Nobuhiko=Accelerator
All they are missing is Toyosaki Aki (Kazari Uiharu) from having a complete Railgun cast reunion.
Please dont’ mix Railgun/Index with this crap.
I’m just pointin out the seiyuu coincidence (or is it)
Really the only reason I might watch the show
And Uragiri STILL looks like an Angel Sanctuary clone to me… honestly even the main characters so far look a lot like Setsuna and Kira!
(not to mention that Setsuna was as well the reincarnation of a female and the series had a whole lot of controversal themes…)
Out of the 30 comments, only 1 commented on UraBoku XD It looks promising. (THE ART looks promising *drools*) It seems as if I haven’t seen this kind of art in forever LOL
Strangely, even though I read a lot of BL series, I still have issues with crying boys… >.>
Concerning UraBoku:
If just Yuki didn’t have such an annoyingly gay voice. The plot might not even be that bad, if they decide to drop a bit of the suspenseful ‘uuuh, they might be in looooove’ tension in favour of some development…which is actually what held Loveless back, for example.
And psgels…why exactly is a guy who was a girl in a previous life less gay now?!
seriously Uraboku seems like another Vampire Knight…and the characters feels like cardboard too,than real teenagers/people – -;
UraBoku is quite nice,for now.but I can somehow predict it will go down the angsty path that most BL series goes to..I hope someday,a fun,fruity with over the top comedy BL anime will be made XD
31: 31.Out of the 30 comments, only 1 commented on UraBoku XD
This review was added recently so all the comments were already written
I LOVE URAGIRI xD The next episode will have some cliche stuff though… but events are still so interesting and intriguing for me xD I need more dark fantasy in my fandoms~
@ chounokoe
Hmmm… I don’t see psgels mentioning about the characters being less gay… just not stereotypically gay. ^^; Sorry if I saw it wrong…
@Pyro: Well yes, okay.
But even this…isn’t it terribly stereotypical to have one slender, more or less vulnerable character, who is almist like a woman? Not only in BL but also in the real life cliché…
I would find it much more groundbreaking of there were ever actually two GUYS who fell in love…
Well doesn’t really matter because UraBoku is one of those series where nothing actually happens between the characters to keep the ‘what if tension alive’…
It’s the same as with those overly stereotypical moe series: it’s not a problem to have a few clich’es like these ones, but I have more problems with the way that a lot of bishie shows have completely one-sided and stereotypical personalities. The lead character here instead was quite compelling.
Has it been confirmed K-On!! is getting 24 eps? I can’t find anywhere where it says how long it will be! ;;
26* whoops! ^^;
good…
let’s see how Kyoani will pull their ass to fill the boringness in episode 5-20? 😛