Fortune Arterial
Short Synopsis: Our lead character is a transfer student.
The thing with this season is that the worst series are far better than usual. There were indeed some series without any potential, but at least there are no series that are outright insults, like KissXSis, Ladies Versus Butlers, Shukufuku no Campanella or Chu Bra. Fortune Arterial, the last series left that could turn out to be a complete disaster, also turned out to be better than expected. Sure, it’s by far the most generic looking series of the season (blame that to ZECXS; I have no idea why they’re still stuck in 2003), and it has quite its share of harem cliches: there’s the transfer student, there are vampires, the student council, walking into each other naked and of course the childhood friends. This episode was more concerned with introducing its characters than parading all over their cliches like it didn’t know anything better to do. The naked scene was a prank, rather than completely forced and random, and the dialogue felt quite natural. The biggest problem is that the lead female is a very typical tsundere, along with a bunch of other voice actresses who can and will get on your nerves. Still, I have to be fair here: the final thirty seconds grabbed me by surprise.
OP: An OP for a harem show in which the singer doesn’t try to be as squeaky as possible?
ED: FANSERVICE
Potential: 35%
To Aru Majutsu no Index II
Short Synopsis: Our lead character lives together with a girl who is easily kidnapped.
Overall, this was quite a solid first episode: it had a nice combination between action, comedy and character-building. The new bad guy who appeared had quite an interesting story, and while Index was as annoying as ever, I do have to admit that Touma knows how to make a good joke. I mean, it’s been 24 episodes and his “misfortune”-shtick still hasn’t gotten old. The animation has been better in this series (but then again, when the first season aired, it aired in a season in which JC Staff had three other shows, all of which still have really solid graphics). In terms of potential, I really want to see some more depth in the rest of this series, especially in the character-department. The first season also had a interesting setting, but it only scratched the surface. I expect this season to delve deeper in its potential.
OP: Disappointing in terms of graphics, but the song itself is nice.
ED: The CG could have been more subtle
Potential: 75%
Togainu no Chi
Short Synopsis: Our lead character is arrested for a murder he didn’t commit.
Here is one series that can go anywhere, all depending on its plot. The animation unfortunately isn’t too pretty, the characters still are pretty static and the plot also could go anywhere, from bad to good. This really was a first impression that didn’t really try to start off with a bang, and so we get a bit of a dull introduction and set-up in which the lead character only gets to fight a bunch of stereotypical punks who have nothing to do with the story, and we only get one glance of what looks to be the major villain. My biggest fear for this series at the moment is a lack of detail: this episode didn’t really put much attention in anything, really: it just told its story, but hardly did anything extra. The characters are standard, the setting is standard apocalyptic, but we hardly get any details on how people are living their lives other than random street fights. What keeps me interested in this episode was that it did create a lot of potential: there’s a ton of room for a grand and interesting storyline being built up behind the shadows, and I’m interested what it’s going to be about. The direction needs to try harder the next episodes, though.
OP: Started off well, until the vocalist opened his mouth.
ED: This one works well. Nice song, simple but interesting visuals.
Potential: 60%
Well, this was based off of a yaoi visual novel under the same name… I found the story to be rather interesting but I guess we’ll see if they can pull it off in the anime.
I was quiet disappointed by episode 1 since I played the game before. I think they didn’t built Akira’s character too well, but it’s still acceptable. I am happy with the first 10min. However, the effort in putting in the background setting is very poor, especially the setting on Igura with Emma and Gwen at the prison. I understand they didn’t spent time on setting Bl@ster, because it’s just a contrast to Igura. (Bl@ster is a street fight contest with money reward, killing and weapon are not allowed.) The staffs have taken too much out of the explanation of Igura, a lot of those are major concepts throughout the plot, like the purpose of the tags, rules of Igura and the penalty of losing the tag or battle. Which make the part Akira entering Toshima very weak, though they make Shiki appear earlier then expected ended the episode quiet well.
Those ~9 minutes Akira and Keisuke had together were terribly suspicious.
The soundtrack is downright sexy.
I’m a bit disappointed by this episode, though. I guess I might have been expecting too much.
Yeah, I’m quite disappointed too. I blame the PV for setting my expectation for this anime too high. But oh well, it’s only the 1st episode. I hope they’re just saving the better stuff for later.
Our lead character lives together with a girl who is easily kidnapped.
LOL this very_very_short summary killed me!
This should be part from the V Novel. I say shoud ’cause I have yet to watch to it (of course no sub yet T_T”).
I bet they used that as a summary for the last serial. A kind of re-introduction at least.
“The thing with this season is that the worst series are far better than usual. ”
Indeed, you just summed up my thoughts about this season… Im pleasantly surprised
index should get better, it feels like the plot is actually starting to go somewhere…
and i’ll watch togainu no chi until the yaoi comes. the second i even get a vibe, that series is done.
“Our lead character lives together with a girl who is easily kidnapped.”
If the lives together line wasn’t there I could have made a Mario joke.
Anyway I have read Index volumes 7-10. Considering that the tv series covered volumes 1-6 I can safely say I know what happens in about half the second season. I am not sure if you will get much character development psgels. At least not for a while yet. But then again, reading index is very different from watching it.
I loved the first index series. I dropped railgun.
This episode was a reintroduction. They used a story from the V novel they left out before and used it now to reintroduce chars and events.
The actual storyline (VII novel) will start this week.
SPOILER ahead
This first episode cronologically lies before Hyouka Arc (Imaginary Numbers arc, starring the busty meganekko) at the same time Accelereator is fighting for Last Order Sake, and after Touma defeated the Atzec mage. So, this should be episode 20.5 by cronology.
There is a dialogue between Touma and the mage about Mikoto, she incidentally eavesdroped. This is why she’s blushing when she meeet Touma later in the evening. Pity Touma is in a hurry cause the crossbow mage kidnapped Index and can’t play with her. I’m so a fanboy about Touma X Mikoto pairings anyway XD.
The last off-title scene about Kanzaki comes from the new arc now. They reintroduced both her and Tsuchimikado too. Hope nobody missed it, didn’t you?
Fortune Arterial’s animation kinda sucks but dayum is it pretty!
My eyes tend to stray to the beautiful trees.
Lotus Wand and Liber Al vel Legis
Lotus Wand and Liber Al vel Legis *heart* god, I love Index so freaking much. References to western magic are a dime a dozen in fiction, but none do it quite as well as Index does, or as in-depth or as casually *swoons*
The only way this episode lacked is in exposition. I like my technomagicbabble.
– why is blogsome cutting off comments?
Liber Al Vel Legis is a real magic book reference. And so is Aleister Crowley. Check out wiki 😉 Index is based on his magic (minus the sexual magic stuff or Index could have turned out Hentai)
“Fortune Arterial’s animation kinda sucks but dayum is it pretty! My eyes tend to stray to the beautiful trees.”
Yeah, right on. XD I shouldn’t have watched the 480p on Crunchyroll. 😛 Seems kinda funny with weird overtones. Part of the reason I like it so far is because the “cliches” aren’t actually cliched to me — I have seen hardly any harem animes. Cool huh?
The Fortune Arterial OP isn’t “squeaky” because it’s Lia. Don’t plan on watching it but I’ll probably pick up that OP single later on.