First Look: Spring 2014
It’s that time of the season again where I give you guys my impressions of how the current season in going, what to look out for, and what I will unfortunately be dropping. As usually I’ll be breaking this up into anime I think are worth picking up, on watch, and dropping.
Episodes Watched: 4
So the genre for Akuma no Riddle is supposed to be horror, action, and yuri. Normally speaking I don’t actually watch yuri anime, but I made the exception because it does seem to lean a lot more toward action. So far my impression of the series is pretty average. The first episode wasn’t very gripping, and I actually found it rather corny. The girls weren’t that interesting during their introductions, especially the protagonist. I get there needs to be the cool, quiet type but she’s taking it to the extremes. Right now the only way I see this anime becoming anything better than a low priority watch is if Tokaku becomes a little more enjoyable. My second complaint is the art style. It seems a little to simplistic in terms of body flow and character design for an anime heavily based on action. I’ll keep watching it in hopes it becomes a little more entertaining, but it seems unlikely when I’m already four episodes in.
Episodes Watched: 3
Many people seemed to be disappointed by the first two episodes of the episodes which I found very surprising. This was one of the few anime this season that I actually ended up enjoying right from the start. I don’t think the plot is all that unique, humanity on the brink of extinction from an unknown alien-like force, but I really enjoy the characters. I find the main characters to be relatable instead of stone-cold killing machines. The third episode also offered a lot more in character development which made me excited to see the rest of the series. The ending theme song is also very addicting and I’ve found myself listening to it more often than not; I’m looking forward for it’s full release later in the season. I’m going to recommend that others pick this one up this season because it’s the one I have the most hope for.
Episodes Watched: 4
Strangely enough this anime is actually pretty entertaining. It has some really cool action scenes and the characters aren’t that bad. I don’t see it have the best development, but it has its own charm. It’s also a lot less ecchi than I expected which is a big plus in my book. I also really like the villain; she has just the right mix of mystery and darkness about her. Right now it suffers from a really boring protagonist and inconstant art. I’m hoping that the series ends with an epic battle between the two. Blade & Soul also has one of the best endings of Spring 2014. I’ll keep on watching this one till the end.
Episodes Watched: 0.5
This was honestly one of the only anime I gave up watching without finishing an entire episode. It pained me to watch, or even listen to this one. It was absolutely terrible. Dropped it faster than a diseased potato that was on fire.
Episodes Watched: 3
I’m excited to see where this anime is going, it definitely ended on a suspenseful note on the third episode. The first two offered a little background but it was mostly introducing characters. I’m pretty sure I already know how this one will end, the main character will discover that his childhood friend become an experiment for some evil corporation that creates clones using her DNA. Of course since all of the girls seems to be destructive so it must be a military project. Even though I’m pretty sure I know what will happen I’m still planning to watch this one till the end. It seems like it can have a solid story.
Episodes Watched: 3
I’m not sure I’m going to continue watching this series quite yet, I’ll probably give it one more episode before making my decision. It isn’t bad, but I don’t think I have the time to keep up with the number of series I’m watching this season. I did like the opening and the story doesn’t seem too bad. I was hoping for a better hook though. I’ll post a tweet if I end up dropping this one.
Episodes Watched: 4
Probably one of my favorites this season and something I can see a lot of people picking up. It’s sweet, dramatic, and a little bit funny. I really like the characters and concept of trying to create a bond with someone who can’t even remember your face. The fourth episode really brought it home for me because I realized that I wasn’t looking for a romance formulating, just the relationship of two friends. It also has my favorite support character of the season, Jun. He’s someone who works his magic in the background offering advice from looking at a different perspective while still remaining neutral. I see him playing a large role in Fujimiya and Hase’s relationship without realizing it. The main characters are charming and I can’t wait to see what type of struggles they run into in the future. Definitely something you should pick up this season!
Episodes Watched: 4
I’m sure most of you are going to be a little surprised I’m sticking with this anime because it is clearly a harem. The only reason I decided that it might not be that bad is because the protagonist doesn’t seem to care for a romance, and rightly so because he has the nastiest looking death flag I’ve ever seen. While the characters don’t seem to be that engaging I do hope that later episodes shed a little light on Hatate’s past. I’m also very curious as to why Nanami doesn’t have a flag above her head, hoping that it all ties together in the end instead of being a dropped plot point. I can’t say it will end up great and it can still easily be an avoid or low priority watch at this point because nothing exciting has happened. The fourth episode was the closest we’ve gotten to an actual story by building up quite a few developments.
Episodes Watched: 1
Generally speaking anime that don’t offer a lot of information tend to fall off from the hype. I’m happy to say that the first episode really pulled me into the series and I’m curious to see where it leads. I can’t say a lot from the first episode other than the story seems interesting, the art is decent, and the characters aren’t really good. However, that piece of curiosity is the reason I’ll keep watching this series even though I’ve only seen one episode. I’m hoping I don’t regret my words.
Episodes Watched: 4
Really the only reason I’m watching this anime is for Tatsuya. He is one of the better protagonists this season and actually knows how to play the quiet, touch guy role. His character design is that of the underdog without actually being the underdog. They never implied that he needs to improve on himself, but still put him in a very low position in the academy. Probably the only thing I am not looking forward to are the creepy incest scenes that randomly pop up. Episode three being the worst with full on nudity and breast squishing. Not to mention the absolutely insane sister who may have killed her brother and reset him.
Episodes Watched: 4
Alright so I tried to watch this series and the trailers made it seem like it could actually be funny. Sadly it wasn’t, not even a little. The main character was far too creepy for my tastes and the support characters aren’t giving anything either. Dropping this one as well.
Episodes Watched: 3
Alright I get it I’m a SHAFT fan boy. I’m sorry they keep releasing awesome anime with beautiful art styles, engaging story lines, and likable characters. Sue me. This is easily my favorite series of the season and it’s barely gotten started. I’m really excited to see what plan the group of misfits have for each other. With some amazing OST, character design, plot development, and eye candy this is definitely an anime you have to pick up this season.
Episodes Watched: 4
I’m surprised that this anime is so entertaining. It really isn’t anything I haven’t seen before but something about it makes me smile. I love the comedy they are going with, and the Blank siblings are probably the best brother/sister comedy of recent anime. Right now I can’t think of anything that would really improve the anime without rewriting the entire series. That probably sounds a lot meaner than I actually mean, but the story really is rather cookie cutter. It might not be unique, but it is still very enjoyable. I’m going to check this one out till the end predicting a preferred watched if it keeps along its current path.
Episodes Watched: 3
Another anime that doesn’t seem to be very unique but still likable. The characters are fun and I’m actually into puzzles when done properly. The series focuses more on the characters than the treasures themselves which I think makes it a lot better than something like Phi Brain (I’m going to get a lot of flack for that). The most important thing is going beyond the treasures are placing motive behind the main character’s actions. His interaction and willingness to help Nanana is actually rather sweet. Especially considering Nanana never really asked him to do so, or even hinted that she was distressed over dying.
Episodes Watched: 4
I’m a little disappointed in this anime because the trailers made it seem a lot darker. So far the only thing that was remotely horror was the dream sequence in the beginning. The biggest problem I see is with the overall idea of a card game being the source of their problems. Other than the tid-bits of flashbacks we see of Ruko’s past there isn’t much to look forward to each episode. Quite frankly I’m on the border of dropping this one if it doesn’t get better in the next episode.
Episodes Watched: 3
I’m sure the thing most people are talking about with Knights of Sidonia is the heavy use of CGI. It isn’t anything new and we’ve seen it in anime before, but it’s still unique enough to take notice. Personally I think they did a decent job with it this time around by giving it more of a cell shaded look. My assumption is that they decided to stick with CGI for later in the anime so the fight scenes don’t look so disconnected. Speaking of which, other than the fight scenes this anime isn’t all that entertaining. The characters are decent and the story isn’t anything special. Another human race is on the brink of extinction due to an unknown alien force who seems to have no agenda other than killing. I’m going to keep watching, but I don’t see any prevalent story development and banking on some good fight scenes.
Episodes Watched: 4
I feel like I’m on the fence about a lot of anime this season because none of them are that gripping. Probably the most entertaining part about Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii is Nike. Or more importantly her interaction with the Sun King. Their bits of banter during the King’s rare off time has given me quite a few chuckles. It was really the fourth episode that pushed me to continue watching this series. It had a great mix of character and plot development. I’m kind of looking forward to see how they resolve the different problems that pop up. I’ll keep this one going till the end.