Seasonal Reviews: Summer 2014 Pt.2

Welcome to the second entry in our Summer 2014 seasonal reviews. As of this entry, we have finally managed to catch just about every airing show (with a few exceptions, such as Himegoto). From this point on, we'll be giving our thoughts on every show mentioned for as long as we can, minus anything we choose to drop for whatever reason.

A quick update; A few shows have been switched around. I will be handling Majimoji Rurumo from this point on, while as I was unable to before due to availability issues. Stephanie will also be taking over for Barakamon, as David was taking over for her due to Funimation failing to get the series streaming properly in time for review last time. All these issues are straightened out now. David has also dropped Jinsei like a bad habit, so we will no longer be covering it since not a single one of us wants to watch it.

We have a few additions this week as well. I will also be looking at the Silver Link adaptation of Invaders of the Rokyjyoma, Thom will be covering the two main BL shows of the season (DRAMAtical Murder and Love Stage), Joe will handle Nobunaga Concerto, David will take on Bladedance of the Elementalers, and Stephanie has Momo Kyun Sword.
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Jonathan Kaharl
Aldnoah.Zero

My earlier excitement appears to have been justified. Aldnoah.Zero is keeping up with everything it promised, and it's doing it with style. Now that the Mars empire have touched down to wreck unholy vengeance for the death of their princess, we really get to see the sheer power they can flex. The Aldnoahs are horrific mechs with all sorts of insane abilities, the one that the main cast have to face being one armed with an invincible force field that destroys whatever touches it. It's also revealed that the terrorists that tried killing the princess were from Mars and working towards starting a war on orders from another clan, only to be killed when they thought they would finally be rewarded. However, things are already more complicated; one of the conspirators survived and joined the main characters during the chaos of civilian rescue, as did the still living princess, who wants to reach her embassy to stop the war, although it seems that's becoming more and more of an impossibility.

Inaho, the silent young man from the first episode, makes for a fantastic main lead. Despite rarely showing outward expression, there's an occasional crack in his attitude that shines through and really shows how much all these horrible events are affecting him. I love that he's intelligent and willing to take risks, two very important traits for a major character to have in a war plot. I'm also impressed by the princess, who isn't all talk; she really steps up to help out the team when the chips are down. Episode three leaves off on a cliffhanger that could have some major fallout, and I'm really invested in what that will bring. Aldnoah.Zero is easily one of the must watch shows this season, no question, from both production and writing standpoints.

Strong Recommendation

Invaders of the Rokujyoma!?

This was pretty much my crap pick of the season, so my expectations were very low. Based on a light novel, harem set-up, made by Silver Link (those first two mixed with the last always seem to go badly for me). Really, this had all the markings of one of the worst of the season ...and here I am, grinning like an idiot. Don't get me wrong, this is nowhere near best of the season quality, but it is worlds and universes better than it has any right to be. The biggest reason for that is the premise, surprisingly.

Invaders of the Rokujyoma has less to do with common harem junk and more in common with another surprisingly good series, Is This A Zombie. Those who have seen that show have an idea where this is headed. The first half of episode one started to prove my fears right, as the protagonist had the charisma of a bag of sand and one of the only moments of life was him meeting some mystery woman underground who said she had waited for him. My magical girlfriend show senses were going insane. But then there's that other scene. See, the show is about this guy who scores an ultra cheap apartment (like practically given away), but there's a catch nobody realized in the form of a ghost girl haunting the place. She caused an earthquake level of chaos and the guy just kept snoring. The guy never notices her until the second half of the episode, and the entire show just goes off the fucking rails. After fighting the ghost girl Sanae for awhile, a pathetic magical girl named Yurika crashes through the window, warning of coming evil ...and the two just assume she's a cosplayer and throw her out. Before things can get kind of normal again, a priestess named Kiriha comes up a path of hidden stairs connected to an underground village and demands the room so she can rebuild her family shrine and start her quest for world domination. Yeah. AND THEN ALIENS. An alien princess (Thei) and her servant appear and basically declare war to get the apartment because said princess needs to prove herself to gain the throne by conquering this area. A laser that can destroy the entire planet nearly goes off, the land lord comes in and beats the crap out of everybody, and then forces them to decide who gets the room non-violently. They all agree to this because the land lord, Kasagi, is freakishly strong. Eventually, they decide on a series of games to win territory in the room.

The first two episodes are mixed for me, but the idea for this show is so amazing. At some points, the show is boring, dull rom-com stuff, and then it remembers it has a cast of incredibly powerful, egotistical lunatics all fighting for cheap rent, and it becomes wonderful. Satomi, the lead, ends up being way more fun than he should be, deviously trying to outsmart the other tenants with an evil smile, a quality he shares with the princess. Personality wise, most everyone falls into pretty basic and lame arctypes that delve a bit too far into harem cliches (Sanae and Thei mainly) ...but then there's Yurika. Her role in this show is to endlessly suffer, and it borders on needlessly cruel to the point of absolute hilarity. It's like they took every cute magnet for suffering in every comedy anime ever made and combined them all into one character, and it's wonderful. Even when she comes out on top, it's because of bad fortune that's come her way. I would watch a spin-off about her, she is that hilariously pathetic to me. The downside is that the animation doesn't really work well for slapstick, plus there's not enough of the cast trying to sabotage one another, not to mention forcing needless romance and lifeless secondary school characters. The characters need to go all out more often, because when they do, magic happens. There's the promise for something amazing here, and I want to see the show reach that promise, but as it is, there's a lot of issues that need to be tackled first. Hopefully some antagonists make their appearance down the line and spice things up.

Weak Recommendation

Locodol

Locodol is much more charming then I was ready to give it credit for. What sets this one apart from a lot of idol shows so far is that it's not about big names or people trying to break into the business, just a few girls trying to stir some interest in their region through public performances and televised spots on the news. It takes this angle and really runs with it right. The stories so far are mostly about the group coming together properly, along with showing some of their small events. There's also a lot of attention to detail in these events as well; the sound during performances is purposefully low quality to fit the sound system the characters are using, making the concerts sound small and intimate, which they're presented as to boot. I love little touches like these.

Nanako and Yukari make a great heart and core for the show. Yukari in particular has come into her own in the past two episodes, showing her more desperate side and what she acts like when she's feeling vulnerable. There's also the new group member Yui, who's incredibly shy and wears the town mascot outfit instead of working as an idol proper. She's a small but welcome addition, working as a fun background character that doesn't distract from the leads. The comedy is well paced still, and the presentation is just as lovely as ever. Locodol only needs a bit of meat, but for what it is, I really enjoy it. For slice of life, this is great stuff.

Strong Recommendation

Majimoji Rurumo

From the creator of Yowamushi Pedal, that biking anime that's been gaining popularity as of recent, is a romantic comedy about a pervert and a witch he accidentally summons. This one probably won't be getting a strong fanbase. Majimoji Rurumo is a good show, mind you, but it's overshadowed by so many other series airing this season. It works okay as a comedy, especially whenever the show makes use of Watanabe's large and striking expressions, but suffers from a bit too many gags based around perverted characters. Even for a romantic comedy, there's a bit of overkill in these first two episodes, especially in the first. The show works better when the comedy is coming from Rurumo's downright bizarre behavior or supporting characters that aren't the mystery club. It has good timing when it comes to absurdity, and while some physical comedy falls flat, other bits have a dash of cartoonish surrealism, especially with the main character's mother.

The greatest strength besides the character design are the two main characters, Rurumo the witch and the perverted Kouta. When not presented as a sad virgin, Kouta makes a great straight man and has some likable traits, like his compassion towards those in need. Rurumo, on the other hand, has her expressionless personality used for some great delivery, while she manages to be generally cute in her odd mannerisms. There's some small bits showing that there's more to her than her usual behavior suggests, and I'd like to see these two grow in their relationship. The ending credits suggest that may just happen.

I wouldn't suggest this over Nozaki-kun or HaNaYaMaTa, but it's an adorable little show that deserves to find an audience. I'm definitely going to follow this one the whole way through.

Solid Recommendation

Samurai Jam: Bakumatsu Rock

Bakumatsu Rock hasn't made any huge improvements with episodes two and three. In fact, part of me feels that these two episodes feel far too similar to each other. The plot of both is that the rock trio sneak into a government sponsored concert (first time invited by the idol group's producer, second via part-time work) and watch the group play. The first time has Ryouma crashing the concert after being offended by the lack of heart in the performance, starting a badass battle of the bands that turned into an unexpected collaboration, while the second time has them simply watching the concert in full and seeing how that experienced changed the group, while also explaining more about the producer.

This isn't necessarily wasted time, though. Each episode serves a purpose in the story for world building and character development, but it feels like this all could have been handled in a more interesting way. The second episode also had some truly awful CG character models during the concert, something the following episode thankfully mostly drops, outside some background dancers. The music is constantly fun, and I like learning more about the idol group, but the pacing could be a bit swifter. There's also a lack of proper conflict, mainly just implied or hinted conflict to come later (the opening and ending spoil that the two main idols will join the group, so there's no real tension in the little conflict between them). The show needs more of a spark, but at least it's managing to entertain in the performances.

(Very) Weak Recommendation
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David O'Neil
Akame ga Kill!

Akame ga Kill got my attention early with a purposefully jarring twist that took the seemingly typical shonen story in a darker direction than expected. But after it, I couldn't help but wonder if it'd be able to build a strong show with that initial twist out of the way. Unfortunately, not really. Akame ga Kill isn't a bad show by any means, it has solid production values, okay characters, and even some pretty good humor. Honestly, disappointing is probably the best way to describe it. Because despite that first episode that seemed to imply a story breaking loose the conventions of a typical action story, Akame ga Kill mirrors tropes and well worn ideas on a frequent basis. Tragic backtstories, generic villains, and cringe worthy fanservice humor (oh he walked on the girl while she was changing hahahahaha so fresh) end up making a show that at first seemed to stand out from the crowd, really blend in with it.

One of the most underwhelming things about the show so far is it's fairly simplistic view on morality. Despite the members of Night Raid constantly going the dark edgy "There is no good or evil" anti-hero route, so far nearly everyone they've killed have been murderers, psychopaths, or rapists. Not to mention what little has been shown of the main villain, the Prime Minister, has clarified he's a un unapologetically evil bastard as well. Not counting guards, I can only recall them killing one person who may have been innocent, and even she was heavily implied to be on the bad guys side. I can't help but think that if they're going to go for this dark, morally grey themes, they could actually attempt to make the actions of Night Raid a bit more, well, morally grey. The animation in Akame ga Kill continues to be just good enough, the show still occasionally resorts to using still frames, and the way they do it does feel very lazy and half assed. Even the music from Taku Iwasaki has been somewhat underwhelming me so far, as most of the tracks so far have been much less interesting than what I'm used to from him.

Akame ga Kill is a totally passable show, but so far it's feeling pretty unremarkable with that initial twist out of the way. It may be a bit darker and edgier than most, but as a whole it still just feels like a pretty by the numbers shonen action series. Those looking for just that won't be disappointed, but for those who were hoping for something a little more unique and interesting than that, so far there isn't much there.

Weak Recommendation

Bladedance of the Elementalers

It's rare I see a show premise so blatantly dumb and harem-centric as Bladedance of Elementalers. Kamito Kazehaya was just a normal teenage boy living in a fantasy world doing normal teenage fantasy world things, like accidentally stumbling upon young girls bathing in the forest (the usual), when he becomes the first male Elementaler in the last 1000 years by making a contract with a powerful spirit. And as a result, he has to go to Areisha Spirit Academy, a school for Elementalers which has a student body entirely made up of girls. And as one would guess, hijinks ensue. Now, a dumb premise doesn't always mean a dumb show (See: Outbreak Company, Romantic Comedy SNAFU) but boy is this show dumb.

It's not any special kind of dumb, but if you've seen one harem romcom with an at all similar premise, you won't be surprised by anything you see in the first episode of Bladedance of Elementalers. Main character saves the tsundere girl, just for her to yell at him for touching her in a sexual fashion, main character being able to do things no one else can, main character overall being bland and sort of a jerk at times. Pretty routine stuff. The animation is pretty bland and lazy, but not terrible. The kind that just gets the job done, nothing more, nothing less. At this point the characters all seem to be stereotypes, with not much actually interesting about them. Especially the main character, who as mentioned has no personality traits of note so far other than some mysterious backstory yet to be revealed.

Bladedance of Elementalers is nothing special, it's another harem in a fantasy world with overused tropes and uninspired characters around every turn. It's premise is ridiculous, and it doesn't even have any energy or effort to back it up. I'm hoping it turns into something at the least slightly more enjoyable, but so it's not looking to turn out that way.

No Recommendation

Blue Spring Ride

The first episode of Blue Spring Ride left me pretty underwhelmed, the visuals were great, but I found myself not really caring at all about the romance at the center of this romance show. That said, things have improved in regards to that since then. The second episode was solid, but didn't change my initial impression much due to it not really focusing on Kou or his relationship with Futaba at all, instead focusing more on Futaba's relationship with her friends and introducing a new character, Makita. She's a nice new character, and the episode had a nice little arc about Futaba realizing she wasn't really getting along with the people she considered her friends, but without any focus on the romance it didn't really change my opinion of the show as a whole.

The third episode on the other hand, did. It isn't amazing or anything, but the third episode was the first time I felt myself actually giving a damn about the relationship between Kou and Futaba along with actually feeling some sympathy towards Kou rather than just annoyance. In addition the relationship between Kou and Futaba is starting to feel a lot more natural, in the first two episodes I couldn't help but feel like their interactions were awkward and sort of forced, but in the third I finally started seeing the chemistry between them. The latter half of the episode is mostly some set up for where the show is going now, teasing some other new characters that'll obviously be major parts of the plot later on along with having all those clear major characters just happen to be the all the ones who become class representatives (what are the chances), but still, probably my favorite episode so far.

Blue Spring Ride still somewhat feels like it's setting up the actual show to come, but for the first time I think I may actually enjoy that show now that it's ready to really begin. Kou has finally shown some complexity and sympathetic aspects behind his somewhat off-putting attitude, Makita is a welcome new addition to the cast, and I'm finally feeling the chemistry between the two main characters. Add that to the already top notch presentation being provided by Production IG, and Blue Spring Ride is shaping up to be a show very much worth watching.

Strong Recommendation

Glasslip

I can easily say that Glasslip is one of the best looking shows this season. As has been the norm with P.A. Works lately, the show has a stellar atmosphere, detailed backgrounds, and well animated characters. In addition, the use of still frames that bugged me early on has been noticeably decreasing (I don't think any were used at all in the fourth episode). In every other aspect Glasslip has remained pretty consistently high quality. The characters are all still interesting and likable, right now the main focus for most of them being on romance. As I predicted a Nagi no Asukara-esque web of crushes, relationships, and confessions is already building up. This guy likes that girl, but that girl like this guy, but that guy- you get the point.

The big question mark for me right now is surrounding a major plot point introduced early on that's sort of taken a seat in the background: the future predicting part. It's appearance was a somewhat bizarre and fantastical for what had prior seemed like a fairly down to earth sort of show, and I find it strange that after introducing it, four episodes in nothing much has been done with it at all. It's still there, but it's played almost no part in the story itself so far, instead so far focusing on things completely unrelated to that twist. This isn't bad necessarily, the show so far has been quite good and had plenty of cute moments, I just find it odd. It makes me wonder what exactly they are planning to do with it, and why they're holding off so long on truly putting things into motion.

Glasslip is well executed and fun, along with being the most aesthetically pleasing shows so far this season, but I can't help but be perplexed about the show throwing in some huge implications and then spending two episodes doing almost nothing with it. I still think it's worth watching, but I'd really like to see them actually use that big twist to take the show in an interesting direction as apposed to what nearly feels like pretending it's not there.

Solid Recommendation

Monthly Girl's Nozaki-kun

Not much has changed in Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, and that's perfectly fine with me. The show continues to be a top-notch straight up comedy, providing constantly hilarious humor and great visual gags. The main focus of the show right now is introducing new characters into the mix. The catch being that, Nozaki being a manga author, a lot of his friends and classmates are actually the models from which he gets ideas for his characters and stories.

This becomes a lot of fun in how it plays with shojo tropes and character archetypes in unexpected ways. For example, Nokzaki's friend Mikoshiba, while on the surface may seem like a typical shojo male love interest, with his cheesy one liners and lady's man attitude, actually turns out to be the inspiration for the heroine of Nozaki's manga. He's easily embarrassed, has an almost tsundere attitude, and overall more timid and feminine than it at first seems on the surface. Another character, Kashima, is essentially the embodiment of the shojo "prince" character. Tall, dashing, graceful, and able to win the heart of any girl with a single sentence. Despite actually being a girl.

Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun is just plain fun. The characters are likable, and it plays with shojo conventions with hilarious results. There isn't much there in the form of emotional investment, but when it comes to being thoroughly enjoyable, this show has got it covered.

Strong Recommendation

Rail Wars!

Rail Wars! is sort of a difficult show to talk about, because it's not particularly good, it's not particularly bad, and overall past the train gimmick there's nothing particularly special about it. It's an average, unremarkable but completely watchable and sometimes even semi-enjoyable little show. The biggest downside of the show is easily the fanservice, which is just obnoxious. It's not incredibly blatant (the outfits the girls wear are honestly less revealing than most fanservice-y anime) but the constant extra effort put into actually animating the breasts bouncing and annoying scenes where the main guy is in a sexually suggestive position with one of the girl characters are all too frequent.

The show seems to be centered around individual conflicts that occur episode by episode, so far usually having to do with putting a stop to some kind of crime. Unfortunately there hasn't been much more of the surprisingly good action from the first episode, but the plot has been perfectly serviceable. The second episode tackled a fairly tense bomb threat, which was interesting even if I saw the twist of the bomb's location coming a mile away, the third was quite a bit blander, though it introduced a likable new character.

I sort of wish the show would at least have more fun with it's premise, because neither the story nor the characters are strong enough to make this show worth watching by themselves. So it ends up just being a totally average, and sort of bland show. It's not bad, for some people it may be entertaining enough to hold their attention, and as I mentioned last time people actually interested in trains will probably enjoy it, but it still just feels like a passable show with little to offer.

Weak Recommendation
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Stephanie Getchell
Barakamon

Barakamon has the most energy that I have seen this season. It’s probably up there with Space Dandy right now. I’ll at least save you the trouble on the premise, since David covered that last time. This entire world that is being set up for us is just so beautiful and the characters have been nothing but enjoyable! We get to meet a few more of the neighborhood kids as they begin to pester Handa as he works. Along with this, we also see an extremely overworked Handa for the first time to the point where he is hospitalized. This brings out a very concerned Naru and friends as they each try their best to cheer him up with varying results. But then episode three has Handa backtracking a bit to his old ways because he got second place in a contest and the winner was an 18-year-old rising star. Seeing as how we already know how bad Handa is with criticism, he does become irritated and gloomy. But once Naru gets him outside to play, along with a nice little pep talk from the General Store owner, Handa is ready to try again.

What I really love about Barakamon is the character dynamic between Handa and Naru. There seems to be hints at a different upbringing for Handa (I’m just guessing since his parents never let him have candy), which may actually give him the opportunity to see the world through a child’s eyes, curtsey of Naru. Something he may not have had the chance to do while growing up himself. Then again, I may just be reading into this a little too much. Either way, the friendship between these two characters is a fun learning experience. Naru gets to learn from Handa, and Handa gets to learn from Naru and the other island residents. Looks like this move to a remote island is just what Handa really needed!

Strong Recommendation

Momo Kyun Sword

I actually kind of liked that beginning little folk tale with old couple and the girl in the peach.... Until the words “she grew a pair of peaches of her own” and a shot at her boobs made me face palm. Well. If that doesn’t tell me how this series is going to go, then I don’t know what will. I’ll be honest, this is the series I have been least looking forward to watching and for good reason.

I’ll admit, the premise of the series isn’t bad. It’s basically a magical girl kind of series only set in an older era of Japan. Momoko and her three talking animal friends create different forms in order to fight the Oni. On paper, you would think it’s a great idea. The problem comes with the actual execution of the premise. Aside from the obvious problem of this being an ecchi series, the writing is rather sloppy and sometimes the animation can be rather jarring (them camera angles). The characters themselves are also rather poorly written, with Momoko suffering the most. I honestly really hoped she would at least be a gleaming piece of hope for me and this series, but even that couldn’t happen. Momo Kyun Sword is just one big disappointment, and I honestly think this one is better off being ignored this season. There’s a difference in writing a good ecchi series and a bad one, and sadly this one is in the latter category.

No Recommendation, Dropped

Sailor Moon: Crystal

I actually don’t mind Crystal airing on a bi-weekly basis. It means I can cover a lot more with one episode. It also means, considering the rate it’s going, I can talk about the introductory episodes of the other Sailor Guardians. The second episode introduces us, or reintroduces if you’ve seen Sailor Moon, to Ami AKA Sailor Mercury. The episode does keep with the original story line for Ami’s introduction with Crystal Seminar, a cram school that is capturing energy on Jadiate’s orders. Of course, Usagi and Ami manage to save the day and all soon is right in the world. The series gives Ami’s character a little bit more focus as we see moments in the episode were the downside of being a girl genius come into play, particularly in the friendship category. This wasn’t looked upon all that much in the original series, and I can appreciate more development in her character. Oh, but wait! There’s more!

There are actually a couple changes the episode makes compared to the original series. The first is the cram school and Ami. In the original, she doesn’t fall prey to it because the floppy disc (YAY 90S!!) would give her headaches and she didn’t want any kind of study enhancement. With Crystal, Ami actually succumbs to the disc’s effects and it’s up to Usagi and the power of friendship to snap her out of it. As cliche of a move this is, this actually helps Ami’s character progress, I feel, a lot better than the original. Once again, Crystal is set to be a 26 episode series compared to the many many seasons the original had. This already makes it difficult to write in enough character development to keep it from sinking. This choice in writing makes it flow much nicer and gives Ami a better introductory arc. The other interesting change that is made here is how Ami got her Mercury pen and how Usagi got her little transformation pen. They both got them from the Sailor V arcade game. This may seem like an odd choice to bring these items in, however I feel it was mostly done to introduce Usagi’s pen since, in the original, it was introduced prior to Ami’s introduction. How this was handled was well done and it didn’t stick out like a sore thumb or made things awkward.

Though I was worried about how the series plans to progress with its limited amount of time, that worry is starting to disappear after Ami’s introduction. They are making sure all the pieces of the Sailor Moon world are coming into play and they are making sure nothing goes a miss. Crystal has been remaining consistent and that’s something, for a reboot of a huge franchise, to be proud of. There is a down side though... We have to wait two more weeks to meet the next Sailor Guardian....

Solid Recommendation

Shonen Hollywood -Holly Stage for 49-

Back to my wonderful dose of male idols! And, this time, I have much more to talk about! As the Shonen Hollywood guys are preparing to put on a play, we spend episode two looking at our main character Kakeru and episode three on the resident fan boy Mii. Compared to the first episode, it can still be rather slow at times but, it’s actually picked up a little bit more. True, the series is using one of the oldest writing tricks in the book in regards to focusing on one character per episode, but there are actually some surprises that come with this. With Kakeru’s episode we learn a little bit more about his seemingly dull life and how he didn’t know what he wanted to do with that life. As the assumed main character, who is also an idol, it’s rather interesting to see this come out. Then again, it may have happened in other idol shows and I just haven’t seen it yet.

The bigger surprises, I found, were during episode three where Mii was the focus. We learn that Mii is actually an orphan living in the same orphanage that a member of the original Shonen Hollywood grew up in. Because of this, we get the chance to actually meet one of these members, Tommy. This is a good thing for two reasons. The first being that Tommy is able to reaffirm Mii’s dreams of becoming an idol. The second reason is his visit also prompts Mii, as well as the viewer, to see if the dreams of the original members actually came true. Which, at least to Mii, they seem to have haven’t happened. Often times in media, celebrity is just seen as a big shiny toy and the child doesn’t know what can actually happen. I’m glad this came up a little bit for Mii, because he is the only one of the group who idolizes the original Shonen Hollywood. But, probably the bigger surprise of all is that one of the original members, God (No, I’m not making that name up. Also I found a silly name of the season contender to go with Joe’s HaNaYaMaTa nomination) is actually the current President. Not a bad little twist, Shonen Hollywood. Good on you.

At the rate that the series is headed, it seems like more episodes with individual character focus are what we’re going to get. Since we skipped out of the forming of the group, this is a logical step. And with the play coming up for the group, It’ll be interesting to see who the focus lands on next. My guess is Shun, but it’s gonna have to wait until next time!

Solid Recommendation

Terror in Resonance

After a rather explosive episode, how is Terror in Resonance going to stay consistent? Perhaps an explosion of a police station and a building next to a shrine?! Or at least.... that building almost blew up. The second episode actually takes the focus away from Nine and Twelve and gives it to the police force and Lisa. This gives another side of the story, similar to what Toyko Ghoul has done (I’ll get to that soon). In the case of the police, we see the lengths they are going in order to solve the current case and then the other one that comes up in the episode. We also see a little bit more of Shibazaki who will no doubt play a major role in the series from here on out. As for Lisa, we learn a little more about her home life. And when I say that, we basically learn that her mother is CRAZY.

Episode three is where it really gets interesting. With Shibazaki now back in the First Division, he’s able to solve the next riddle Nine sends to the police and preventing the next bombing. With Lisa, we still don’t know what her role is in the series, however she finally made a move and has left home in the middle of the night. Perhaps to meet up with Nine and Twelve? Speaking of the boys, we actually get a little more insight as to their upbringing. It looks like some sort of special facility where orphaned children are raised and brainwashed, of sorts. During this flashback, we see another girl who will also more than likely play a big role later on. This may be the girl Nine and Twelve mentioned during episode one and compared to Lisa. But what I’m starting to notice is a possible motive for Nine. He WANTS his riddles to be solved. It seems like he’s very intelligent and may possibly be looking for someone to try and out smart him. I say it’s a possible motive because we can’t read into it all that much.

Everything about Terror in Resonance has been fantastic! It’s certainly a very intelligent series as there are some hints of psychological thriller placed in there. Watanabe is on top of his game this year! This is the strongest I’ve seen him at since Cowboy Bebop, and, considering his previous work, that is not an easy feat. I still have that one question though, just hanging out in my mind. What in the world is Lisa going to be doing in this series? Come on, Watanabe! Don’t leave me hanging here!!

Strong Recommendation

Tokyo ESP

Here’s a little fact about me when it comes to anime. Typically, I go into a series almost blind and not knowing what to expect. I don’t read the manga and I do very little research into the series beforehand. This gives me a rather interesting perspective of an anime fan and just that. But sometimes, there is the occasional series that actually needs a little research in order for me to understand what’s going on. Tokyo ESP falls under this category.

Last time I talked about ESP, I had problems with the amount of things going on in that one episode and the lack of character focus. The second episode completely back tracks the series and makes it seem like we’re starting all over again. Now, when I watched the episode, I got really irritated with this and my mind blamed it on bad writing. Hell, while writing my own impressions for LAR I initially decided to drop the show over there because of it. But then a little birdy gave me some information that, if I had known sooner, it would have saved me some headache. The first episode actually takes place during a major arc in the middle of the manga. Thinking about it now, it makes much more sense. The reason for the oddly placed first episode was so new viewers can be drawn in. It’s basic storytelling, really. Something that I misinterpreted to be way too many explosions. This, at least, made me change my mind about ESP a little bit. However, not by much.

Episodes two and three, like I said, bring us back to when it truly began. We meet Rinka, a high school student who suddenly gets some special powers thanks to flying fish. Along the way, we meet Azuma, Kuroi, Murasaki, and Peggi the flying penguin. These two episodes give us better character introduction into our main group and some conflict along the way. I’m very much of the opinion that the series didn’t need to jump into the middle of the story at episode one and then backtrack. I understand the reasoning, but I feel that it wasn’t needed. Starting from the beginning would have done a lot more good for the characters and story rather than spending an entire episode smack dab in the middle and giving some viewers whiplash. Honestly, that is my only major complainant now. The characters we’ve seen so far, particularly Rinka and Azuma, have actually started to develop rather nicely. There is some humor there, but I found it to be rather bland right now except maybe one or two little jokes. I can finally see something starting to form here, but it really has to do much more in order for me to complete my recovery from the whiplash the first episode left behind.

Weak Recommendation

Tokyo Ghoul

Now that we have established Kaneki into the world of ghouls, albeit rather quickly, what is the series going to do now? Well, it actually decided to slow itself down a little bit in the third episode and show some of the peaceful side of 20th Ward (the section of ghoul territory that Kaneki is a part of). While this may seem like a complete 180 in tone compared to the first two episodes, that isn’t the case at all. We get a few moments such as episode three’s opening scene with little ghoul Hinami and the trip to the mask shop that Kaneki and Touka take. But the main reason we have a lighter episode for Kaneki, is because we are introduced to the Doves. The Doves are basically a section of the police force that handle the ghoul related cases, and the introduction to our two major Dove inspectors is how we keep the darker side of the story in play. It’s kind of like, although there are calm times, there’s a looming danger just hanging out.

As for episode four, we’re introduced to one of the more troublesome factions of 20th Ward known as Gourmets. Kaneki meets Tsukiyama, who tricks Kaneki into a trap where he is to become the main course for a group of ghouls. The episode ends rather abruptly, but I get the feeling we’ll see more of this in the next episode. The introduction to both the Doves and Gourmets is really good and I enjoyed it a lot. Everything else in the episodes has been rather strong lately and I can appreciate that. My only problem, at this point, is Kaneki’s character. It’s more than likely just a minor thing, but shouldn’t he be going a bit more badass by now? I just found out that this is intended to be a 12 episode series, and a quarter gives us very little growth to his character. I expect more will happen very very soon, since the end of episode four gives us some indication of that. Tokyo Ghoul is certainly a lot stronger since last I saw it.

Strong Recommendation
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Joe Straatmann
Argevollen

Argevollen marches on, and that's all it really seems to be doing. It's hard to muster up much of anything towards this series as it can't really muster up much of anything for itself. Character information is finally starting to get doled out little by little, but doesn't make much of a difference. The big revelation is almost casually slid under the door at the end of the fourth episode. The third episode sets up who I imagine to be Tokimune's rival for the rest of the series and acts as the finale for the opening skirmish with very little visual or emotional fireworks, while the fourth brings the troops home. You'd think it'd be a fine time to give the people a chance to be more complex and fascinating, but alas, military meetings are held where nothing changes, a hotshot of the platoon asks Jamie out to lunch and it never follows up on whether they had lunch or not, and all the female engineers take a shower together where the naughty bits are blanked out by an obvious white censor bar. Really, of all the series this season where they want to dangle the prospect of uncensored nudity in front of otaku for the video release, Argevollen?!

The most discussed piece of information by these characters so far is Tokimune and Jamie are permanently wired to be Argevollen's pilot and key to and there's absolutely nothing anyone can do about it. That's a bit of a weird setup, isn't it? The prototype can only have one technician access it and one person pilot it? What if the test pilot dies? What if the technician commits corporate espionage and gets fired? Do they just throw tens of millions of dollars into building an entirely new prototype when they already have one that is still in usable condition? These are the things I think about because Argevollen gives me nothing else to reflect on.

No Recommendation

HaNaYaMaTa

There's a James Bond gag at the beginning of the third episode that kind of falls flat. That is the only moment of HaNaYaMaTa that hasn't worked for me. Otherwise, this is a charming little title that never ceases to keep a smile off my face from its insanely catchy song and dance in the open until the book literally closes on an episode. It's in no particular hurry to get the story completely rolled out, so it takes its time and lets everyone interact with each other in delightful ways. After reserved Naru joins outspoken Hana in her quest to create a yosakoi club, Naru's best friend Yaya is feeling left out as her biggest fan is suddenly having her limited social energies sucked away by Hana. The characters balance and reconcile their relationships with each other instead of prolonging conflict to manufacture drama. Yaya even gets a half-episode block to simply hang out with Hana and attempt to see the things Naru sees in her. To Yaya's surprise, she finds those things... and she secretly kind of hates them. This is the odd harmony of HaNaYaMaTa.

That's not to say it's complete fluff. There are goals and obstacles set into motion (The town is hosting a yosakoi festival later in the year the girls want to be prepared for, the school won't allow club activities until they get four members, etc.), but this series understands character chemistry is one of the most vital elements of a slice of life story, and it simply glows with chemistry created out of a human core rather than archetypes. You can finds these people in your life and maybe in yourself yourself and yet they are distinctly themselves.  HaNaYaMaTa is a joyful, sweet package wrapped in a bow of bright, sharp animation, and its momentum doesn't seem to be slowing down. I can't sell it to anyone as something important or the series you show to everyone within shouting distance, but if the story of five middle school girls getting drawn into a club about Japanese modern dance is of any vague interest to you, this is simply a show that will make you happy.

Strong Recommendation

Nobunaga Concerto

Of all the series I have to watch this season, I didn't think THIS one would be the one that got on my nerves, but the first chapter of Nobunaga Concerto pulls it off. It's yet another series that messes around with the legacy of Oda Nobunaga, but the fatigue of using the Japanese warlord as an anime character isn't the issue. What pushes my buttons is this is a series with some pretty good production values that has its opening act utterly ruined by a script that is lazy, inconsistent, and acts like a five-year-old kid rambling, "And then he finds out the guy he's pretending to be has a pretty wife. And then he fights his friend guy who thinks he's not good anymore. And then he rides a horsie...." It has a pleasant color palette with detailed backdrops, and while the animation may have too much of a computer generated feeling for the subject matter, there's nothing really bad about it. However, the storytelling simply makes the initial episode absolutely intolerable.

Within about a minute, this series is in trouble. We're introduced to our main character Saburo as he's balancing a high school history book on his head, much to his teacher's disdain. He's asked a question, to which he responds with what I imagine is the Japanese stupidity equivalent to calling Julius Caesar "the salad dressing dude." Cut to Saburo walking on top of a fence, falling, and then suddenly warping back to 16th century Japan. That's all you get for character and situational establishment. Oh, it gets worse. Within two minutes after that, Saburo meets a young, sickly Oda Nobunaga riding a horse away from his responsibilities, and when Nobunaga notices Saburo looks exactly like himself, he flees while his pursuing aides mistake Saburo for the leader. Within a few days (about five minutes of screen time), Saburo is not only incredibly comfortable in his role, but he gets involved in a horse chase that would strain Zorro's talents. Keep in mind Saburo was absolutely shocked to even SEE a horse when he meets Nobunaga.

The second episode is much more of a pleasant experience. It skips ahead a bit too much (Saburo commands soldiers to quell an uprising, but how in world he managed to do that and survive is not addressed. Would it not be worth it to watch a high school slacker try to lead an army of samurai?), but it tells a complete and satisfactory story in a reasonable fashion and behaves like an actual decent series. The transition is so night and day that I don't want to talk in-depth about the second episode because what it sets up and how it plays out deserves not to be spoiled. It's not quite clear which episode will be dominant in dictating how the rest of it goes, but at the very least, it salvaged what could've been an easy drop.

Weak Recommendation

Persona 4 the Golden Animation

So I stick my neck out for the series, and how does it repay me? Wacky sitcom antics. My theory that the main character is in New Game+ is completely bunk, and the series is what most everybody else said it would be: An addendum to the original P4 animation slipping in all the stuff the Golden game covered with none of the context. Slap on some Shoji Meguro b-sides as opening and closing tunes and call it a day. It doesn't help that the second episode is a real clunker, with main character Yu trying to manage a day between hanging out with the gals shopping and riding out of town with the guys on a mission to pick up chicks. He's thinks he has it all planned out, but oh, I bet there are shenanigans afoot! Even if you haven't played the game, this episode is predictable, lame, and punctuated by an uncomfortable sight gag involving Hanako, the game's morbidly obese female student who exists to be pitiful and looked down upon. Even though it's one of my favorite games of all time, her appearances make me shudder every time.

Why doesn't it immediately plummet to no recommendation? Well, the third episode is pretty good. It deals with similar wacky antics involving a beach episode, but manages to be actually amusing. The second half also deals with Marie, the amnesiac addition to the main characters, making a video about each of her companions' identities. It starts off awkwardly, but it develops into a rather nice reflection on how the characters see themselves after gaining Personas that wasn't in the game. Does that prevent this whole venture from being a smidge pointless and existing for the sole purpose of making more money? Not really. But if you're a fan who can't get a Vita (which I completely understand. I almost had to donate plasma to afford mine) and would like to see these additional parts of the story, is it that bad? As a person who's seen Star Ocean EX, I can safely say no, second episode aside. However, that audience is a niche of a niche of a niche, so for you 12 people out there, enjoy!

Weak Recommendation

Sabagebu! Survival Game Club!

The Survival Game Club needs a principal who does not approve at all with what the group is doing. Maybe some world peace demonstrators they can butt heads with. Perhaps a snooty golf club that wants to make their hang out the sand trap on the ninth hole. I don't know! What I do know is that comedy is best when there are rules to be broken, opposing forces to work off of, and at least someone who isn't at all amused. When everyone's a loose cannon who doesn't play by the rules, it's hard to be surprised by whatever comes up, and surprise is one of the key components to comedy. Sabagebu is an asylum made up of all inmates.

After the initial episode, the next few get split up into smaller plots. The first vignette is the best as Momoka's entry into the club is not met with complete approval by one jealous group member, and the way the plot plays out is one of the few blindsiding belly laughs the show has. The rest are so-so. The gang goes to war over a hornet's nest for more funding. A cute grade schooler with "unexpected" skill challenges Momoko to a game (Most of us have at least heard of Gunslinger Girl. The concept of a little girl who knows how to use a big gun isn't that shocking in anime anymore). It's all over-the-top zaniness and with each character, they try to add something on top of their craziness to make them stand out. However, they all essentially strike the same tone, which gets a bit monotonous. On top of everything, the narrator hand-waving away certain questions and logic gaps is getting a little too much. During the latest, the clubhouse is destroyed, but later pops up good as new later on. I predict the narrator's response to the next episode will be something along the lines of, "It was fixed because shut up." I'm not having a terrible time with this series, but it probably isn't a good sign when someone like me is likely predicting the script of the next episode. I'm the guy who thought Persona 4 Golden was going the direction of the main character being in New Game+ mode, remember?

Weak Recommendation
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Thom "Tama" Langley
DRAMAtical Murder

Ah, Dramatical Murder (also known as DMMD). Honestly, despite being a fan of the game it’s based upon, I came to this with some trepidation. Nitro+Chiral, the studio behind DMMD, do not have a great track record with anime adaptions, with the adaption of their other franchise, Togainu no Chi (roughly translating as “Blood of the Reprimanded Dog") suffering from poor animation, a lack of any shonen-ai content, and a poor, overly condensed adaption. However, at least from the first two episodes, DMMD is a far more faithful adaption, boys-love and all.

It’s very clear from these first two episodes that greater care on setting up each character, and his relation to the protagonist, has been taken-not only this, but the world itself seems as vibrant, interesting, and well realised as it does in the game-everything from the all-mates, electronic companions that can be anything from a dog to a parrot to an…8-bit rabbit cube sorta thing, to the futuristic billboards and clothing. Occasionally, and rather jarringly, you do get older tech mixed in (most notably what appears to be a corded phone), but otherwise, the world is beautifully realised. Perhaps the best looking thing so far, though, is Rhyme, a game in the series that pits all-mates against each other in a rather lethal(considering it also involves the All-mates’ owners) combination of Pokémon and Digimon battles. Equally, though the animation is no Studio Shaft or Ghibli, it does its job well. There’s occasional cost-cutting, but the music, particularly the opening and closing, is less impressive; whilst the OP is passable (if not a patch on the game’s actual OP), the ED sounds not unlike a knock-off of early Daft Punk. 

However, it’s the story where the series is strongest thus far, and does its job of introducing both our protagonist and his (potential) love interests. As with the game, we begin with Aoba at work, introducing his unusual powers of persuasion, naturally seen as both a blessing and a curse, before he’s sent out on delivery duty. Here he bumps into love interest number 1, Koujaku, being his childhood friend. We get a brief suggestion that Aoba’s hair isn’t entirely normal, a brief flashback to them meeting as children, and we’re on to the next character, Mizuki. Again, a little more background on Aoba, a little detail on the world, in particular on how Rhyme is overshadowing Ribster, before we actually see the game in action, and meet another two characters, Trip and Virus, as well as rather over-zealous police-officer Akushima, who seems to have escaped from the Ace Attorney series. Parcel delivered, Aoba returns home, we get a glimpse of a couple of the other love interests (Mink and Noiz, both of who were teased pre OP). The next day, Aoba’s pulled into a Rhyme battle with a mysterious rabbit-headed man, who addresses him as Sly Blue. Still suffering from earlier headaches, Aoba suddenly switches to another personality, destroys the Rhyme field, and passes out, only to be taken back to the shop where Aoba works by a mysterious gas-masked man (Clear). With no memories of the battle, Aoba turns to both Koujaku and Virus and Trip, for information about him before he lost his memory, several years ago. Bumping into the gas-masked man again, a little more information about Aoba’s voice power is suggested, before visiting Noiz is revealed as the man who forced Aoba to play Rhyme.

Honestly, DMMD is a case of so far, so good. This early on, it’s promising, seems to hint at more BL content than TnC, clearly knows its source material a little better, and, of course, is better animated. However, it’s just good. Aside from introducing a few characters early, (Mink in particular), and setting up at least a hint of the big bad of the series, it rarely strays from the VN, to the extent that some scenes are literally re-draws of scenes from the game-n short, it’s a very much “by the book” adaption. Honestly, whilst it shows promise, at the moment, there’s little to attract anyone who isn’t a fan of the game. Time will tell whether this show lives up to its source-material.

Weak Recommendation

Love Stage!!

Love Stage, in comparison to the VN adaption-by-numbers of DMMD, comes not only as a breath of fresh air, but a pleasant surprise. BL series are rare enough, and two in the same season is a rare treat, and of the two, Love Stage is not only the stronger, more rounded series, but the one that seems to have far more crossover appeal; whilst comparisons to Gravitation (both series have a strong emphasis on comedy, focus upon famous couples) are obvious, Love Stage arguably deals with male/male relationships in a more intelligent and adult manner than Murakami’s work did.

And what can you say about Love Stage? Based upon a manga by Eiki Eiki, a writer with feet in both the BL and comedy camps, and Taishi Zao (pen name of Mikiyo Tsuda, BL and GL manga-ka), it’s quickly become one of the best new BL titles around, and thus, an anime adaption was all but inevitable. But what’s surprising is just how well it’s been adapted; its art-style is well translated from manga page to screen, it’s colourful and bright, its music (the OP and ED in particular) is poppy and cheerful. In fact, “cheerful” sums Love Stage up quite well. The tone of the series is generally light, (after all, the relationship between protagonist Izumi and love interest Ryoma comes from him (naturally) assuming a crossdressing Izumi is a girl), with much of the comedy coming from Izumi’s otaku nature, his rather dysfunctional performer family, and the Sena family’s assistant Rei.

Surprisingly, Izumi’s otakuness is nearly as nuanced as Tomoko Kuroki of Watamote; Izumi is easily swayed by offerings of merchandise of his favourite character, LalaLulu, an expy of pretty much every magical girl protagonist ever, who not only seems to play the role of urging Izumi on in his dreams of becoming a manga-ka, but who also gets her own full-blown dream sequence, dotted with seemingly every slice of life and mahou-shoujo trope ever (complete with toast in mouth, late for school run.) Meanwhile, his dreams of becoming a manga-ka are hampered, despite his best efforts, by his inability to draw, again dealt with very well-one sequence in particular is surprisingly well done, as Izumi comes to terms with this. Izumi’s family, meanwhile, are the typical showbiz family-singer father (with the most impressive mustache this season), actress mother (with an eye for pretty younger men) and rockstar brother; it’s hardly surprising that much of this series has and will revolve around the struggle between Izumi’s dreams of becoming a manga-ka, and the attempts from his family to get him into show-business. Equally, Rei is the typical, Kyouya-ish manager, and a character I’m eager to see more in future episodes. Of course, this being a shonen-ai show, by far the best two characters are Izumi and Ryoma. Ryoma comes across as the typical busy star, but seems to have a softer side when it comes to Izumi, whilst Izumi himself comes across as a sweet, if rather insular young man. With the first two episodes largely revolving around a recreation of the wedding magazine advert where Ryoma and Izumi met, updated so that Izumi and Ryoma are the bride and groom, a lot of time is spent dealing with Izumi’s apprehension on following his parents into acting, together with having to crossdress, as well as exploring the past relationship with the new super-star Ryoma; it’s oddly refreshing to have a shonen-ai series that not only cuts to the chase, with a kiss between its love interests by the second episode-compared to DMMD’s softly-softly approach, Love Stage is unashamed in what it sets out to do. And by word, does it do it. One to watch, even for non-BL fans.

Solid Recommendation
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Second Opinions

Akame ga Kill!

Jonathan: I'm really liking this one, even if it's nothing particularly new. Akame ga Kill is simply a darker shade of the age old shonen formula (normal yet determined hero with a sense of right and wrong, overblown action, loud and simplistic characters, ect), but it works. I like the idea of this formula being applied to a story about assassination and revolution, allowing for some truly disgusting villains. The cast is also diverse and entertaining to watch. Weirdly, the sense of humor works because of how overblown and harsh the drama is; the show portrays some horrific things, but it goes so far to do so that the silly comedy feels in place as contrast. Definitely has the potential to be one of the better shows of the season, but some may be put off by the graphic content and tone clashing. Solid Recommendation

Argevollen

Jonathan: I couldn't even finish the third episode. Despite what a cool idea for a mech the Argevollen is, the show surrounding it is lifeless. Nobody has a personality, and if they do, it's either too simple to care or too inconstant to find anything to latch onto. The war itself is poorly explained, the main character has the charm of a piece of burnt toast, and the few positives were done worlds better in other shows, including some airing this season. Argevollen was a show made for a really cool mech idea, but the entire staff ran out of ideas after that. No Recommendation

Blue Spring Ride

Stephanie: A romance series I really enjoyed fairly recently was Say I love you from the fall 2012 season. Oddly enough, Blue Spring Ride reminds me of that series since I can see some similarities between the two; mostly in the story theme department (friendship being the big one). The pastel animated flashbacks are a really beautiful touch as it contrasts with reality. Also, the characters have been nothing but enjoyable! It's safe to say, this may be the Say I love you of 2014. Just as long as it doesn't follow the exact same path, which looks like it won't. Solid Recommendation

DRAMAtical Murder

Jonathan: I'm not entire sure what this show even is, to be honest. The first episode throws you into this weird world that's like some sort of strange mixture of urban fashion, virtual reality, light cyberpunk, gang warfare and all sorts of other bits and pieces, explaining some things but poorly. This definitely seems like something for those familiar with the source material, anyone coming in blind may just end up more confused than anything. This one just isn't for me or anyone who's coming in fresh. No Recommendation

HaNaYaMaTa

David: Hanayamata is, when it comes down to it, another show about cute girls doing cute things, in this case "yasokoi dancing". This sorts of shows are a currently a normality, to the point there's been shows about cute girls singing, playing music, and not one but TWO shows about cute girls fighting with airsoft guns. But, I will still stand by that despite being that kind of somewhat mindless cute girl show, Hanayamata is one of the better ones out there. It's not great, and a lot of the ideas and conflicts it deals with story and character-wise are well worn, but director of last season's No Game No Life, Atsuko Ishizuko, makes it an incredibly fun and visually appealing show. The show has just the right kind of energy and likability with it's characters and humor to make entertaining what's essentially a show with not much going on in it's story. Not just that, but the show looks great, overflowing with lush colors, great looking scenes, and solid use of the visuals with it's humor as well. Hanayamata is a silly, fun little show that's nice to look at. Solid Recommendation

Jonathan: This show is definitely in the running for the season's top five for me. As far as slice of life shows go, this one gets it right by focusing on character depth along side the lighthearted antics. Hana and Naru are instantly likable, and I like that the show has mixed in some complexes for the cast, especially Yaya's ego based relationship with Naru. It's also just beautiful to look at, with a great blend of colors and soft character designs. This is definitely not another K-ON. Strong Recommendation

Love Stage!!

Jonathan: Most of these boys love anime are pretty bad in my experience, so Love Stage really caught me by surprise. As a comedy, it's absolutely hilarious. The main character is a pathetic otaku with no artistic skill in a family of entertainers, and his constant struggle with being what he wants to be and what his family want him to be leads to far more humor than you'd expect. The main relationship comes to an interesting start, the art design is really pretty, and the stream of jokes is constant. Love Stage is easily the second funniest comedy this season. Strong Recommendation

Stephanie: First and foremost, I will admit that I’ve never really seen any shonen-ai or BL series before. This summer I’m actually going to give it a chance. So far, DRAMAtical Murder hasn’t been all that great. On the other hand, Love Stage has been some interesting fun. It’s a pure romantic comedy, but just with a gay couple as the focus. It’s funny how I’ve managed to adjust to this series easily so far, and it may be because of the humor in the series. Although there are some things I do wonder how they will be handled, I can’t stop laughing and I can’t stop wondering where this series plans to go. If nothing else, I know I'll have a couple new comedies this summer that will make me laugh like a nut case! Solid Recommendation

Majimoji Rurumo

Stephanie: The series has been still fairly interesting so far, however for some reason I’m not as excited for this one as I am with other series this season. I don’t think this series is bad or anything, it can actually be rather clever sometimes, but after the first episode I feel like all the jokes have been recycled already with very few new ones added thanks to some new characters. It’s one of those things where if I start getting a feeling like this series isn’t going to be something I enjoy, then I may or may not enjoy it. I don’t know. I’ll have to think about this one. Weak Recommendation

Momo Kyun Sword

Jonathan: A good idea wasted on a bad show. I like the idea of a magical girl show set in old Japan with a main character who has multiple forms based on what god she fuses with, but it ended up used in another ecchi series about scantly clad, well endowed girls fighting each other and nothing else of note. This is nowhere near the worst thing I've seen, but there's no real point in paying attention to it. No Recommendation

Monthly Girl's Nozaki-kun

Jonathan: This show is hilarious. Unlike Comic Artist from last season, Nozaki-kun manages to make humor from the creative process of a manga artist and writer, instead of shoving in as many lazy sex gags as possible. Every character has a hilarious personality of some sort, bouncing off each other perfectly, with a great ratio of gags. Also, Seo is best character. If Space Dandy and Kawai Complex didn't get released this year, Nozaki-kun would have easily taken the place for best comedy. Strong Recommendation

Stephanie: Who knew a rather simple concept would manage to get me to laugh so many times? What really helps is knowing that this series is a parody on shoujo manga and the creative process behind it. Between the many interesting and fun personalities to the hilarious gags that are tossed our way, you can’t help but laugh like a nut case! Personally, I think the chemistry between Sakura and Nozaki is outstanding! While Nozaki can be rather oblivious and more focused on his work, Sakura tends to try and ground him when it comes to certain ideas and concepts (see the first episode and the bicycle bit). So far this year, I’ve come across at least one rather strong comedy per season. As it stands, from my perspective, Nozaki-kun is the comedy of the summer anime season! Strong Recommendation

Nobunaga Concerto

Jonathan: I really like this one, problems aside. There's some sort of rotoscope or CG animation going on here, and the animation that results is pretty terrible and unnaturally choppy. However, the models are all very good, and the settings all look beautiful. The story itself is a great turn on the trapped in the past story, giving a main character who's odd modern behavior actually sells him as the actual Nobunaga, while doubling to explain why he can mention things to come and make it sound like ambition instead of lunacy. I like how fast the relationships of the cast are built, and I love the sense of humor as well. I suspect this is going to be something special at this rate, but then again, that animation may get in the way. Solid Recommendation

Rail Wars!

Jonathan: This series is littered with problems. The budget is poorly distributed, animation gets spotty at times, some stills are unfinished, and it is far too obsessed with the bodies of the female cast, more so than some full blown ecchi shows I've seen. Despite the many problems, it's enjoyable. The four main characters have good chemistry and make up for their own lacking personalities when playing off each other, and the situations they find themselves in make for fun and thrilling thriller and action scenes. Not great, but has a charm to it, if you don't mind the budget almost exclusively going to breast jiggle physics and far too detailed behinds. Weak Recommendation

Sabagebu! Survival Game Club!

Jonathan: I was a bit bugged by the first episode because of a surprising lack of gags, but the second and third episode improve things a little. The personalities of the club members are all hilarious, especially Urara and Momoka, and the show makes a good use of random absurdity. The problem is Pierrot's team on the project; the animation style is a poor fit for the slapstick present and doesn't really punctuate most of the gags right. There is a good bit to like here, but reading the manga may be a better option in the long run. Weak Recommendation

Sailor Moon: Crystal

Jonathan: Definitely an improvement over the first episode. The writing staff seems to be more aware that physical comedy doesn't work with this new style and stick with dialog for gags. I also like that the characters are a bit more aware, like Tuxedo Mask noticing that Luna talked or Usagi worried that she may reveal her secret identity to Ami during a fight. My main issues from before are being worked out, and the pacing has improved a little from the first episode. Hopefully there's more from the supporting cast down the line, though. Solid Recommendation

Samurai Jam: Bakumatsu Rock

Stephanie: Honestly, now that the initial crazy introduction to the series is out of the way, I’m not sure what this series is trying to do. Is it trying to shove information down our throats like with episode two or is it trying to just be laid back and fun like in episode three? I’ve actually lost whatever humor the series had and now just face palm at Ryoma’s stupidity. I think it may be having issues with what kind of story it wants to tell. Does it want to be something relaxed and fun or does it want to be fun but be a little more tighter? Whatever is going on here, I’m not a big fan of it. Weak Recommendation

Terror in Resonance

David: If you're a big fan of anime, chances are you've heard of Shinichiro Watanabe. The guy's made a name for himself with his unique, top notch style of directing with shows like the cult classic Cowboy Bebop, it's spiritual successor Samurai Champloo, and of course the sci-fi comedy Space Dandy (which is currently airing it's second season. So when his name is attached to an anime, directing especially, my interest is immediately piqued. Case in point, Terror in Resonance, which has not only Shinichiro Watanabe in the directors chair, but also Cowboy Bebop composer Yoko Kanno. And two episodes in, I think it may have taken the place of Barakamon as my favorite show so far this season. The visuals are stylish and well animated, the music is great, and so far it seems to be dealing with some especially well crafted characters and relevant themes. It's still very early, therefore a bit hard to tell exactly where it's going, but so far it's an exciting, interesting show, that's flat out terrific in terms of sound and visuals. If this keeps up, it's definitely a must see. Strong Recommendation

Jonathan: On a production level, Terror in Resonance is masterful. The position of shots and use of music are absolutely perfect, and every moment of the show simply looks incredible with the amount of detail. It works great as a thriller as well, with a strong cast with interesting backgrounds and personalities (even if the old detective is a bit of a cliche). Something isn't quite clicking just right for me yet personally, but I can't put my finger on it. Despite that, this is easily one of the best shows airing right now. Strong Recommendation

Tokyo ESP

Jonathan: Loving this, despite the first episode starting dead middle in a major late arc. It's basically a Japanese X-Men (played for more straight than Hamatora's constant stream of satire and parody), putting people who get incredible powers against each other while wearing ridiculous outfits and having a segment of villains who believe themselves the next evolution of humanity. The action is fantastic, and the characters are all fun and loud, but the show can still handle drama well. This is a Kyousougiga situation, though; the first episode is thoroughly confusing if you don't understand the placement of these events, so keep that in mind. Strong Recommendation

Tokyo Ghoul

Jonathan: This is a strange adaptation. It looks like arcs are being combined now to speed up the pacing, and while I like the solution they're going for, I'm a little worried that the show is moving too fast. There is very little breathing room here, but it makes up for it by getting everything that is Tokyo Ghoul just right. I'm still trying to feel this one out, but it still deserves a big thumbs up for the incredible art direction. Strong Recommendation
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We'll be back on the 9th for another update. Stay tuned!