First Look: Fall 2012
Well guys, I haven’t been able to pick up quite as many series this time around because I’ve been super busy with the whole “adult” thing. Boring isn’t it? But fear not! I still have quite a list on me and I will be reviewing quite a few of the past anime that I’ve watched. I have a nice back log going so it isn’t like this site is going to die or anything. Now you aren’t here to listen to me ramble about being responsible so I’ll get right to the good stuff. As usually I’ve color coated everything for worth picking up, on watch, and dropping.
Bakuman 3 • BTOOOM! • Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! • CODE: BREAKER • Jormungand PERFECT ORDER • K • Kyousogiga • Litchi DE Hikari Club • Medaka Box Abnormal • PSYCHO-PASS • ROBOTICS;NOTES • Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo • Shin Sekai Yori
Bakuman 3
There really isn’t that much to say about the third season of an anime. If you have watched the first two seasons I don’t see why you would skip out on the third one. I personally find the series quite boring now since it is the same thing over and over again. They need to make some big play in manga, get shot down, almost get knocked out, some how make it through a loop-hole. They of course have every other manga artist also backing them up because they don’t’ want their “rivals” being knocked out of the competition. The love story is getting pretty old now and I don’t care much for it since they keep breaking their promise of not seeing each other until their dreams come true. I’m not sure about you guys but after the… fifth time now? Is it even worth keeping the promise. Just get together and accomplish your dreams along the way. Silly mellow-dramatic high school kids (well college now I guess).
Episodes Watched: 2
It didn’t take me long to realize that I don’t want to watch this one. After watching in-game deaths such as Sword Art Online another online video game is kind of boring. Of course this isn’t quite the same since they aren’t actually inside the game. Nevertheless it still doesn’t have the right feel to it. They try to make it really dark, but I can’t get behind it. Another big thing was the rape scene I saw in the trailer. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to watch an anime like that, and I know that it is an issue that shouldn’t be tucked away and forgotten but it gets me. Additionally the main character is horrible. He isn’t a good person in the “real world” and he isn’t a good person in this new world. There are absolutely no redeeming qualities about it. You also know who the girl is pretty much right when you meet her which throws all sense of mystery out the window. I’m dropping this one and I’m pretty sure even if someone tells me to pick it up again I wont.
This is an anime that I surprisingly enjoy. It isn’t just the really odd story, the characters are also doing it for me. They are pretty normal for the most part and their little quirks are quite entertaining. I’m especially fond of the main girl Rikka. She is strange, entertaining, cute, and very likable character. Normally I don’t go for the ditzy girls living in their own world but the anime takes you into her world from time to time. And let me tell you, if I saw the same things she did I think life would be awesome. The main character Yuuta isn’t a bad pick either. He is very level headed but knows how to treat the people around him accordingly. Whether it be to play with their games as a distraction or hit them on the head to bring them back to reality. I’m curious to see where this anime ends up since there is no real heavy story. I’m glad they didn’t go with the obvious either in the latest episode with Shinka. The little twist was very welcomed.
Personally I don’t like the anime compared the manga. I know that makes me sound like a jerk who doesn’t seem to like anything except the manga equivalent but hear me out there. I’m happy with the character’s VAs, I’m happy with the anime’s choice in scene select. However, the art style just isn’t up to par. I’m not sure what it is about the animation but it doesn’t strike me as intense. I had this whole image in my head when reading the manga as most people do, and the anime didn’t reach the expectations. I’m still going to watch it though because it’s an adaptation of one of my favorite manga. I still love hearing Oogami’s famous lines, “Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, and evil for evil”. Gets me every time.
If you watched the first season and you haven’t picked this up yet I question your loyalty. I don’t mean your loyalty in Jormungand I mean in every day life because if you aren’t loyal to something this awesome then what else could there be? The second season has started off with a literal bang and I can’t wait for more. The characters are still lovable and the story is intellectually stimulating as well as action packed. Now for those of you who haven’t watched the first season yet it isn’t too late! The series isn’t all that far (only 15 episodes) and it is worth the watch. In fact, if you want you can stop reading this post and go right to watching.
I’m not sure what to think of this anime quite yet. There have been a lot of great things about it like the comedy, art style, and overall feel. However, it doesn’t seem to moving at a very fast pace. The main character is probably the most annoying person I’ve seen in a while too. Oh wait I take that back, Accel World still holds that honor. I feel that my dislike for Yashiro stems from the VA. He’s very well known and been in a lot of anime such as Baccano!, Beck, and Black Lagoon. I like him in almost all the rolls he has played in as well. This time around though I can’t stand the role he is meant to play. The voice is this innocent, kid jokester that doesn’t come close to his more badass characters like Baka from Level E (ok maybe not badass but biggest troll is best troll).
This isn’t actually a full length series but it should be. It is a spin-off of Alice in Wonderland (kind of) with the little girl following a rabbit into a vortex looking for her mother. I decided to pick it up after watching the OVA which was awesome. The characters are all fun to watch and the animation (although low quality due to webcasting) is amazing. There isn’t much to say after two episodes, but I’m sure that it will turn out to be good. That is of course if the anime actually continues. I’m still waiting for a couple other OVA to pick up again…
Episodes Watched: 1
I was looking forwarding to watching this when I read about it and saw the trailer, but it wasn’t what I thought. I didn’t realize it was a series of shorts, so decided to drop it. I might pick it up if I’m really bored but shorts generally don’t do it for me. I did like Double J though.
I really liked the first season so it was a no brainer that I was going to pick this one up as well. So far it is everything I was hoping for and then some. The animation, soundtrack, characters, and plot is still entertaining and picking up. I might even say that the second season will be better than the first because it touches a more series note. It is still light hearted for all you comedy fans out there so don’t worry. There seems to be quite a bit more action and I can’t wait to see what new powers Medaka will unlock. I’ve also set my sites on her trusty sidekick Zenkichi. He seems to have a few tricks up his sleeve as well. Let’s see how well hard work actually pays off.
This is a series that I’m really looking forward to this season. I feel that the plot is going to be pretty obvious though. The main character has already given hints as to the flaws of this new criminal seeking system. However, she still realizes on it in later episodes. So far each one has been episodic and not much has happened. The character development has been all there except for a few subtle hints. The character I’m sure most people are looking out for is Shinya. He seems to be the only one with a goal in mind among the Enforcers. I’m sure that will be fleshed out later in the series considering it has a solid 22 episodes to wow us. The only rant I really have about it so far is Akane’s hair. I have no idea why it makes me so mad but something about it irks me. A pretty dumb reason not to like an anime though so I wont let it get to me too much. Other than the hair bit the animation is pretty solid. The scene that the anime sets you in is also believable. Although I don’t think that our future will consist of guns that either stun you or blow you up depending on your mental state, I can definitely see readers that check for a person’s stability. Though with the way society is going I’m sure most people will just be taken into a psyche ward where they will be further evaluated and watched. I also hope that we come out with the device that instantly changes your clothes. The convenience is too good for words.
This is probably the only anime I’m still on the fence on whether or not I should drop. I don’t actually like much about it. The characters are pretty boring, the story isn’t exactly all there, and the animation doesn’t really make up for it. I think the only reason I was watching it is because I happened to have no anime out at the time so I said why not. I’ll give it one more episode before I give the final call. Right now though it is looking like a drop.
Another anime I’m pretty sure I will drop. Or will I? I have no idea. The latest episode gave me some hope because it showed some pretty good character development. The first two were mostly fan service and introductions. I was afraid the anime would have too much fan service until the latest episode. It did have some here and there but it was done a rather classy way if that makes sense. The main character is also pretty tolerable. I don’t think there is a kid alive though who wouldn’t go straight for the girl in the situations he’s been put in despite her true intentions. I’m actually surprised that I probably find the girl more annoying than the guy this time around. She is a dead-personality bore. She is one of those girls who says one thing but means something completely different. By that I mean “Go out with me” means “Go out with me on Sunday” rather than “Be my boyfriend”. The pretty typical stuff you see in romance anime where characters are always misunderstood and it leads to strange dilemmas. The reason I haven’t told anyone to pick it up yet is because there is nothing special about it. The only reason I’m watching it is because I want to review it. I don’t think it is all that great and unless it makes a pretty drastic turn I’m pretty sure it is going to end up being one of those mediocre anime.
An anime I hope that turns out good. From Another World (the English title) is one of those anime that I can see completely blow my mind. The first four episodes have been a rollercoaster of history and horror. Each episode got me sitting at the edge of my seat because the viewers don’t exactly know what’s going on. There seems to be a much bigger force leading these special children around than meets the eyes. The fourth episode was completed dedicated to the history of the world they live in, and let me tell you it wasn’t a pretty one. There are still a lot of things that are unanswered and even more questions popped in my head. That is probably the best quality an anime can have, having you excited to watch the next episode. I’ve invested a pretty big portion of time and am currently 100% satisfied with my decision. I’m going to be giving this one a watch for the rest of the season and suggest that others pick it up as well. It might not turn out to be spectacular but so far it is my favorite of the new series this season.