Seasonal Reviews: Summer 2014 Pt.4
Welcome to the forth part of our look at the Summer 2014 season. Since we started this series, I have dropped Himegoto, Stephanie has dropped Momo Kyun Sword, and David dropped both Rail Wars and Jinsei (the first dropped just after our last reviews). Each of us but David have one drop left, while Joe still holds two and Thom has yet to use his single drop (as his load is far smaller).
The second drop can be used once the reviewer has reached six episodes for a particular series. Let's see if anyone has decided to cash in another drop before the next part.
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Jonathan Kaharl
Aldnoah.Zero
There's been a few people comparing Aldnoah to Code Geass, and with the most recent episode as of writing, I'm starting to see it. I'm honestly a little surprised this wasn't written by Ichiro Okouchi or Goro Taniguchi. The insane pacing and genre switching aren't present on the same level, but a lot of similar ideas and themes are popping up, especially one new development I plan not to spoil. Mind you, I mean this as a good thing; Aldnoah knows how to move and how to hook really damn well, keeping surprise after surprise to keep the audience coming week after week, and it's definitely worked on me.
There's finally some more development for Marito, giving new purpose to the current commander and putting some new stress on the team. Slaine and Inaho also finally interact for the first time, and it's very interesting how it's done, keeping the two unaware of their identities with a limited method of communication. The two compliment each other really well, from Inaho's cold drive and cunning to Slaine's intensity and willingness to do truly crazy things (even by Inaho's standards). The rest of team is also finally starting to get fleshed out; the students are finding their place in combat teams and on the ship, while Allusia and Rayez have finally found their resolve and are acting on it. Both get their own big moment at the end of the episode, and I'm really excited to see where this new direction takes them.
Aldnoah is staying the course and remains absolutely excellent. It's safe to say that this series is going to be one of the best of the year, easily.
Strong Recommendation
Invaders of the Rokujyoma!?
I probably won't be dropping this one, even though I should. Bakumatsu Rock will probably be my second drop, mainly because it's very hard to find good things to say about it. Despite the many problems Invaders has, there is a good deal about it I enjoy. It also manages to only be dull when things slow down and nothing particularly interesting is happening, unlike the alternative of frustrating. Yeah, not high praise, I know, but the show really doesn't deserve much praise either. The animation isn't fast or loose enough for physical comedy, a lot of the gags fall flat, things nosedive whenever the harem angle gets any attention, and a few cast members have no purpose or personality. That said, these issues aren't the deal breakers they'd normally would be. The things Invaders gets right overpower most the negative traits pretty constantly.
The end of the Sanae arc was a mixed bag a usual, but more good than bad. It really sells why Sanae is so clingy to the main character in a satisfying way, and managed some genuine emotion. Granted, that was more from Yurika stepping up to the plate again when it really counted, her own fears and insecurities aside. The action is also great stuff; Silver Link really gets how to make an explosive and visceral feeling action scene, and the toys this series gives them lets them show off some damn fun spectacle. The following episode that focused on Tulip was weaker, but more due to little happening of interest than anything outright annoying. Unsurprisingly, the highlights of the episode came from Yurika again, this time bonding with MC over being such a loser. There was also a cute little sequence with Sanae, and I'm really enjoying her development and relationship with MC. Even Tulip managed to become a tiny bit more than the obnoxious tsundere character. Not by much, granted, but her passion for her planet's legend of the Silver Princess does add a softer side to her character that is far more than unexplained attraction. Actually, even that was finally tackled here, as the show is foreshadowing the jumping of the shark later and giving some idea why Tulip would care at all about this guy.
There are a lot of weak moments as well, sadly. The villains of the Sanae arc are really lame, even the evil ghost the group comes across. Their designs also clashed in a really bad way with the show; it was like they were in a way more wacky comedy and just sort of wandered in here. Tulip's play planning was also dull due to the presence of Yurika's only friend and MC's main love interest, Harumi. While she has a nice little role in the Sanae arc, she's one of the most boring beings in existence as a character. There is literally nothing to her other than being the love interest. Focusing on her and her lifeless crush on the main character really kills the shows pacing. Hopefully next week improves, as some political skullduggery will be going down with an old friend of Tulip's. Oh, and we also learned the landlady is a martial arts master who can fire punch ghosts to super death. That was neat.
Weak Recommendation
Locodol
The only real major thing holding Locodol back is that it premiered in the same year as Hanayamata, an infinitely better show about similar subject matter. That said, Locodol has really succeeded in making its own tone and personality to set it apart, not an easy task for slice of life shows. There's a good deal of humor mixed with the heartfelt little adventures of these girls, but in a more wacky, traditional way compared to its contemporaries. The mascot contest episode really cemented this, making a good line of gags from the issues of using a mascot suit, while throwing in a ridiculously muscular mascot in the mix, just because they could. Stuff like that mixes well with Nanako and Yukari being awkward or having odd conversations, not too out there to be distracting, but just strange enough that when the main cast finds it weird themselves, it's easy to stick in their frame of mind. The show knows how to hold back just the right amount.
Even when little is happening, the series works. The scenes with the girls just hanging out with family or talking with friends still show how being idols have changed their lives ever so slightly, and the moments between characters have a real sincerity and warmth to them. The odd joke being mixed in helps keep things from being dull, but doesn't take focus away from the emotion it wants to bring across. Simply put, Locodol is very well structured and passionate. I don't mean the show is constantly passionate, but the staff definitely seemed to have put a lot of care into making this the best show possible. The attention to detail in how story and gags are balanced and structured is very impressive, and the art is constantly lovely to look at. Locodol doesn't aim its sights high, but it doesn't need to. It's perfectly comfortable where it is, and that's perfectly respectable.
Solid Recommendation
Majimoji Rurumo
Definitely a strong pair of episodes this time. Majimoji's forth episode decided to handle some much needed development for supporting cast, this time with the head student monitor Inoue. She's a girl obsessed with keeping boys from doing perverted things, eventually leading to her trying to have all pornography of any level on school grounds or in student possession rounded up and destroyed. It's one of the rare times the perverts gag actually worked, mainly because of how thorough she was in her work. There was also a surprising turn towards the end that explained her hatred, which both worked and didn't work. Everyone around her is too comically stupid to take her issues too seriously, but her complex is well explained and understandable. It's a mixed result.
Episode five is easily the best of the series, though not for good reasons. Most the entirety of the episode was about Rurumo not understanding how the modern world works, with only Kouta appearing in any substance for parts of the last act. This is the episode that really gets what makes this show so fun at times; Rurumo being Rurumo. She's just so amusing to watch do even the most basic task, and it never gets old for me. The ending situation she found herself in is also very creative and makes for a good visual gag to boot. All you had to do to make a great episode was to remove the main character! Oh. Hrm. Majimoji Rurumo is definitely getting better, just not quite fast enough yet. I'm still giving it a weak recommendation, but I feel a bit more confident about that recommendation now.
Weak Recommendation
Samurai Jam: Bakumatsu Rock
Things are finally going somewhere! And it only took nearly half of the series! Not a good sign. Now that the show is done repeating the same plot in twos, it's getting to the real story and introducing the true villain proper. Named Li (or Ii, I'm not sure which), he works directly for the shogun and is responsible for the spread of heaven's song. He also knows a lot of dark magic, and tried brainwashing Souji to spread his evil song to the masses. It all lead to a manly sacrifice from Kondo, and the next episode followed in similar suit as the shaggy master reappeared differently. Lastly, the five are now a band, finally. So yes, stuff happened ...but the episodes themselves are still a bit lacking.
Too many of the same songs get repeated, and those ugly CG models appear way too often. I suspect they're ripped straight from the original handheld game, which would explain why they're so awful and cheap looking. The designs are just too busy to make good use of CG. The way songs are used really breaks the flow of an episode as well. There's just not enough time spent on moving the story, and the songs just appear at improper times while something else needs establishing. While there's definitely more character now, it's not enough to fix a messy execution. You're better off just watching the ED over and over, honestly.
No Recommendation
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David O'Neil
Akame ga Kill!
Some shit's finally gone down in Akame ga Kill. I'll avoid the specific details for the sake of spoilers, but Akame ga Kill's
had it's first real emotional twist. And while it wasn't great, I was
surprised by how well it was handled considering the show's very mixed
quality thus far. The delivery was entirely competent, it didn't feel
too heavily foreshadowed, but at the same time it didn't feel too much
like it'd came out of nowhere. It was given just enough time to make me
care and left just enough emotional weight on the characters afterwards.
I was sort of impressed.
With the rest of the show it's been business as usual though, with the exception of the raising of stakes and introduction of some new villains. The charismatic "Bro" is quickly becoming my favorite character in the show, with a great mix of humor, personality, and straight up badass-ery being demonstrated whenever he's on screen. In addition, the show delved a bit more into the emotional side of Akame, with, again, surprising effectiveness. One thing that did disappoint me is the newly introduced villain I mentioned last time, Seryu, who has been less the good intentioned justice seeker I was hoping would add some moral ambiguity to the show, and more a bat shit insane maniac. I just wish the show would be capable of having a villain who didn't have a demonic thirst for blood, that's all.
Even if a dramatic recent event in Akame ga Kill didn't elevate the show to new heights, it was better executed and more emotionally effective than I would have expected from what I'd gotten from the show prior. It's still an interesting action show worth your time, as long as you're not seeking a whole lot of depth.
Solid Recommendation
Bladedance of the Elementalers
Huge surprise, Bladedance of Elementalers is still an
incredibly by the numbers fantasy harem with almost nothing unique about
it. Not especially good, and not especially terrible. Probably the
closest thing to a complement I can give it is that it still manages to
hold my attention better than Rail Wars! ever did.
Episode five introduces a new character, Fianna Ray Ordesia (jeez the names in this show are ridiculous), and who would've guessed, she has a thing for the main character. Who would'a thought. As it turns out, a few years back they met in a forest or something after he saved her. The only really significant thing we learn in the flashback is that Ren Ashbell, a female Elementaler who won the title of World's Strongest Elementaler a few years back, and the main character are actually the same person. Because crossdressing. Actually, considering how large a revelation that actually is it's sort of bizarre how that bit just sort of comes out of nowhere and is brushed off. The next episode introduces a new pretty bland villain (who happens to be another male Elementaler, I guess all that hubbub about the main character being the first male Elementaler was misplaced). Oh, and more obnoxious fanservice hijinks. So there's that too.
In conclusion, nothing has changed, this show is still bad, don't watch it. That's really all I got.
No Recommendation
Blue Spring Ride
Blue Spring Ride really got on my nerves the past two
episodes. It always has been, and remains a good show from an production
standpoint, the animation is good, the music is good, the voice acting
is good, so on and so forth. The thing about it that's always been mixed
for me about the show is the characters, and the story, and this is
becoming even more prominent in the past couple of episodes.
You see, in order to stir up some conflict in this high school romance, the show throws in a curveball. Yuuri has a crush on Kou, the same boy Futaba obviously likes but keeps acting like she doesn't like because anime romance. This causes Futaba to fear that if she falls in love with Kou, Yuuri won't want to be friends with her anymore. Except this is stupid. Because anyone who's watched the show up until this point knows that Yuuri happens to be one of the sweetest, nicest anime characters to ever be insanely nice. Her backpack is a freaking bunny rabbit. The only time she's shown something resembling anger was when a character stole her pudding. She smiles about everything and constantly takes time to remind Futaba how happy she is to be Futaba's friend. It'd almost be creepy if she wasn't so likable. And it's blatantly obvious that when Futaba finally builds up the confidence to admit she likes Kou to Yuuri, Yuuri isn't going to care, making this arc that's taken up over two episodes feel pointless, uninteresting, and overall pretty damn stupid.
Blue Spring Ride may still have the visuals going for it, but the past two episodes have left me rolling my eyes and wishing they'd get this predictable, uninteresting story conflict out of the way along with questioning the common sense of the main character. Here's hoping once this finally gets wrapped up it moves onto better things.
Weak Recommendation
Glasslip
I no longer have the slightest idea where Glasslip is going.
Up until now the show has had a fairly simple premise, a coming of
age/young love story following a group of friends slowly drifting apart
as a result of growing up and falling in love, with the odd twist that
the main character has been having brief visions of the future.
Up until two episodes ago I assumed the show was simply on the brink of putting that future seeing-spin to use, as up until then all the visions had been simple, unimportant fragments of the supposed future that didn't really seem to matter. But then things got weird. In the last two episodes the visions have started seeming less like glimpses into the future, and more like.....something else. That's the thing, neither me nor the characters in the show can really come up with a way to put it into words. There's a vision of black crows flying at her through a friend, glass windows breaking, the boy she likes falling, and the town being blanketed in snow. More and more the show is implying that these aren't glimpses into the future, but something different entirely. And with this uncertainty, heading in a totally different direction than before, I can't help but wonder where exactly the show is going with this, and what the big pay off for all this unusual set up could possibly be.
Glasslip is weirding me out a bit. Before I thought i had a general idea of where it was headed, but in the last few episodes it's taken some strange turns that have left me confused and unsure what exactly it's actually getting at. In a way it could be taken as a compliment that I have no idea what's going to happen next, but at the same time, eight episodes in I can't help but feel it's about time it got to the point. But then again, the characters and visuals are still strong enough to support the show up until that point, but I've still been somewhat thrown off by the recent turn of events.
Solid Recommendation
Monthly Girl's Nozaki-kun
I am really having trouble coming up with anything but praise for Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun.
Ummm, sometimes the "it seems like Nozaki's going to say something
romantic but it turns out to be work related" joke is a bit overused?
But even that's usually funny. Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun is really funny. Like, all the time.
The sixth episode is fun as hell, introducing a new character, Wakamatsu, who's constantly being picked on by singer/aggressive basketball player Yuzuki (and is too dense to realize she most likely has a crush on him), and looks to Nozaki's manga for advice on how to deal with the situation. The next one features Nozaki and Sakura finally getting a chance to take a break from working on manga, and decide to go shopping. The result is an episode that challenges my previous favorite episode of the show for "Funniest episode of anything so far this season". It's just clever in how it constantly finds new ways to essentially restate the one primary joke, that Nozaki is so dedicated to his work he can't even comprehend doing things for fun. Like, even when he finally does consider Sakura's suggestion to take up a hobby it's only because he realized he could write an extra column about it in his manga.
Sure Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun may not be changing things up much, but as long as it continues to be this hilarious, I couldn't care less. It's not fixing what isn't broken, and the humor continues to be anything but broken. Every joke hits it's mark, every character is fun, and the animation is lively and compliments the humor perfectly. Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun continues to be the funniest show of the season.
Strong Recommendation
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Stephanie Getchell
Barakamon
Achievement unlocked: HALF WAY POINT! Sorry, I had to do that....
I’ll stop now.... So the episodes we're talking about today have a visit
from Kawafuji and Kosuke. Kawafuji is a friend of Handa’s who is also
his manager of sorts. As for Kosuke, remember a couple weeks back when
Handa had that episode of depression because he lost to an eighteen year
old? Yeah, this is the guy. I’m glad these episodes came up at the half
way mark because it helps us and Handa to reaffirm his stance and his
decision to come to the island in the first place. Episode six is the
episode that shows us this the most. When Kosuke tries to convince Handa
that the island is ruining him and that he should go back to Tokyo, it
takes some paper airplanes for Handa to come his own conclusion as to
how he feels about being on the island. Episode seven gives us a little
fishing trip the day before Kawafuji and Kosuke head back to Tokyo, and
of course shenanigans ensue.
There’s not much more that can be said that I haven’t mentioned already. Barakamon is still wonderfully charming and funny, giving us simple lessons that we can use in our own lives. The cast has been really strong and I think it’s probably one of the best ensemble casts of the summer anime season. That’s saying something right there, seeing as how Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun has a very strong cast as well. What I think is, these characters all learn from each other and are all able to grow because of this. It may seem like a simple reason, but because it’s really well written and executed it takes it to another level entirely. I know I’ve been gunning for Terror in Resonance as my favorite anime of the summer, but Barakamon isn’t that far behind it.
Strong Recommendation
Sailor Moon: Crystal
Looks like I was right about what this episode was going to be, but
seriously this is a huge jump! Compared to the original series, this is
at least a ten episode difference. Anyways, looks like we have our
Princess D episode and that means a few things. First, some time between
Usagi and Mamrou because A) romance reasons and B) because this episode
actually addresses the concern of which side Mamrou is really on for
the first time. Luna is the one who has the most concern with this as
she is unaware of what Mamoru is really after which gives her a chance
to confront him and ask herself. The second thing we have going on here
deals with the Four Kings: Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite. In
the original series, Jadeite has been placed in eternal sleep and
Nephrite is the one conducting the mission at the dinner party. While
the latter half of that statement is still true, this time we get the
introduction of the Four Kings toward the Sailor Guardians and Tuxedo
Mask. They also don’t seem to be against each other as much compared to
the original as well. This is an interesting change and I’m curious to
see how it plays out. Does this mean we don’t get a Nephrite and Naru
side story? Beats me.
Crystal is still keeping up with its consistency, though there have been slight drops in animation quality as of late. The episodes don’t drag on and they manage to keep the plot of the episode to just that one episode. This is a good thing and a bad thing. It’s good because it keeps the monster of the week form that everyone is familiar with. On the downside it keeps up with the monster of the week form that everyone is familiar with. What I mean when I say this is, depending on how the episode is handled, it can cause some pacing issues. We saw this in the first episode, and it does come up again a little bit here. The moments where this happens then proceed to make the scene a little bit awkward, taking the viewer out of it a little bit. To be honest, that’s really the main problem I’m having right now. Everything else has been fairly decent. And since we’ll soon be meeting our next Sailor Guardian, so that means another five to eight episode jump. For a condensed version of the original series, it’s not too bad.
Solid Recommendation
Shonen Hollywood -Holly Stage for 49-
After watching these two episodes of Shonen Hollywood, I’m not sure
what to think. Granted I’m laughing so much right now, but there’s a
reason for that and I’ll get to it in a minute. So when we last talked
about the series, the boys just finished their run of Air Boys. Going
into episode six we return to our idol development pattern, this time
with the group’s leader Makki. Because he forgot his lines during the
play, and Kira covered for him, he starts thinking he may not be cut out
for the whole idol thing and considers quitting the group. After some
words from Kira and God, Makki decides to work harder than he has been
and stays. This is where something seems rather off, and we get a change
in pattern. I mentioned last time that there seems to be a pattern of
one new Shonen Hollywood member having inner issues that an older Shonen
Hollywood member somehow steps in and just kinda brightens things up a
bit. The pattern is still kind of there, but at the same time it’s
broken. We have God stepping in to just give slight words of advice to
Makki, but he’s actually not the influence here. It’s actually Kira. I
feel like it’s trying to keep recurring patterns at a distance, which
isn’t a bad thing at all.
And then I got to watch the funniest episode of the series thus far. What episode seven brings is more time with main character Kakeru as he struggles with his singing voice. After some West Side Story like moments where the entire group goes out in public and starts singing instead of talking, this helps ease Kakeru’s embarrassment and his over analysis of the whole thing. This is actually a nice touch, in my opinion. Just like with Air Boys, this episode takes a break from some of the more serious moments and just shows us how much fun the guys actually have while working hard on their training. I think it’s a rather interesting and fun move. If I had to pause the video several times to laugh then you made a rather funny episode.
There is something I am a bit worried about, though and that’s the character development. So far, four Shonen Hollywood members have had their own episodes dedicated to them with Kakeru getting two. Granted, seeing as how he is the main character it makes sense. However, there are only six episodes left in the series and we haven’t had a lot of time with Shun. He’s kind of there, and yet he’s not. And seeing as how he’s the only one who really wants to be a musician, you would think some interesting little story line would come up. My fear is that we actually don’t get a dedicated amount of time to look into his character. As a show about a group of idols, it only makes sense to talk about each member of the group to some extent, and Shun has been getting the short end of the stick in that department. Will this change in the second half of the series? I sure hope so.
Solid Recommendation
Terror in Resonance
Guys, the intensity of this series just keeps growing and growing and
I just..... AGH!!! Ok, so last time we were finally introduced to Five
who seems to have some vendetta against Nine and Twelve (but mostly
Nine). These couple of episodes put both the guys and the police into
action as Five makes her move to try and expose Sphinx. In order to do
this, she sends a fake message luring Nine and Twelve into an airport
where a massive chess game begins. The end result causes both Sphinx and
Shibazaki to work together since the police had been ordered to not get
involved in the matter. However, because of the results of the train
bombing, Shibazaki and a few other members of the police aren’t buying
it and decide to go and stop the bomb themselves. Not only do Sphinx and
the police end up working together, but, as Twelve puts it, we get the
“debut of Sphinx number 3”. That’s right, folks, Lisa is now putting
herself out there to help the guys after much argument from Nine.
However, it looks like the game isn’t over, and now that Five knows Lisa
is involved we’re more than likely going to see that “weakness” as she
refers to, become much more exposed.
Just like Barakamon, there’s not a lot more I can talk about here. This series has been very consistent throughout, giving me such a roller coaster ride of emotions and adrenaline that I just sit there in suspense every time I watch even half an episode. There’s always something going on. If there isn’t action, then it’s time with characters and some of the psychological battles they each have to face. For Nine and Twelve, it’s their past with Nine seemingly taking much more of it between the two. For Lisa, it’s been her own life up until this point and trying to find a place where she can belong and finally be herself. As for Shibazaki, he’s also involved in the game but there’s also his past that comes up as well vs his sense of justice. I honestly believe these are a group of well written characters, especially now since Lisa has been growing much more in recent episodes. I thought about this when I watched the first episode, but I am sure of it now: when FUNimation releases the series on DVD I am going to buy it right away. This is just something that has been so enjoyable from the start and it just keeps getting better and better that my shelf is just begging me to add it in. Seriously, if you’re reading this and you have yet to watch the series then you are insane and must fix this problem right now!
Strong Recommendation
Tokyo ESP
There’s been a few things happening with ESP today. Now that the
Professor has sent his message to Japan, Azuma has now been taken by
Minami and can’t leave. This motivates Rinka to train in order to not
only help him, but make sure no one else dies at the hands of the
Professor. This now introduces us to Master Roushi, a former martial
arts teacher at the police academy whom Rinka’s father learned from. He
takes both Rinka and Murasaki under his wing and trains them. This, in
turn introduces us to the last member of the main group Ayumu; another
student of Roushi’s as well as an esper with precognition. Took them
long enough to introduce him..... Don’t worry, I’m not mad.
ESP just keeps going up and down for me. It started out weird and then for the first time a couple weeks ago, I finally began to enjoy it. This time, I’m not so sure. And, oddly enough, I can’t explain why I feel this way. It may be because it’s starting to feel cliched and a little paint by numbers to me. There’s still some good things there, with my interest in the Azuma/Minami/Professor dynamic still there, but it hasn’t really been used all that much right now; though it’s for a good reason. I’m just having a very hard time, this week, getting into the show. What sucks is I always have to watch ESP last after I’ve seen all my other shows. And I can name at least two that are blowing this one out of the water right now. Hell, maybe even Tokyo Ghoul too! I don’t know, maybe it’s just that I’m still recovering from the summer classes I just finished or something but ESP is slowly beginning to lag again for me. Maybe the next couple of episodes will give me something to go with alongside a better mindset.
Weak Recommendation
Tokyo Ghoul
We’ve head into the end of this arc. After the death of Ryoko, Touka
and Kaneki try to prevent Hinami’s death at the hands of the Doves.
First and foremost, Kaneki is finally getting involved, himself, after
sitting on the sidelines for over half the series. This also gives us a
chance to see how he handles his other self, Rize. For those who don’t
remember, Rize is the ghoul whose organs we’re transplanted into Kaneki
and who has been giving him some troubles ever since becoming half
ghoul. Although, it’s actually been a while since she’s popped up, so
I’m fine with her coming in again.
The pacing has actually improved compared to last time. I actually found out that the Gourmet arc was placed smack dab in the middle of the Dove arc just for the series. In the manga, this doesn’t happen so it’s possible Tsukiyama’s character was just written as he was because people enjoy his character. Also, there’s Mamoru Miyano voicing the character, which I failed to mention last time, and it was awesome. Anyways, there’s not a whole lot to talk about today that I haven’t already talked about previously aside from Kaneki finally getting involved and an appearance by Rize. Now that this arc has finished, my only guess is that we’ll soon be heading into the series climax as we still do have Jason to deal with here.
I’ll be honest, my feelings with this series have been up and down. I enjoy it, but there are times where I end up confused or some bad writing here and there takes me out of the show. More than likely, I’ll end up enjoying it once it’s finished up. I do love me some horror, and Tokyo Ghoul has been doing rather well in that regard. It’s just story wise, it can be a bit of a mess. If anything, I know I’ll need to seek the manga out once I’m done because I’m very interested in how it’s handled there.
Solid Recommendation
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Joe Straatmann
Argevollen
I realize in my attempts to make light of a very bad series, I don't think I've been clear in what it's like to actually watch this show. Neither painful nor laughable, Argevollen instead exists like a city decimated by a cruise missile. There are abandoned shells of character and story scattered about and it might be fun to philosophize about how it got to this point, but in the end, all the vital aspects are fried and all that's left is a bunch of junk stretched across a large void.
I still see fluttering pieces of potential here and there. Episode seven has the elements of an absorbing plot involving both armies secretly making moves while taking shore leave on the neutral resort island of Bellhals. However, since this series consistently refuses to do anything besides the bare minimum of story and character development, it all has the emotional resonance of a cinder block. The men of the series have beers together and it means absolutely nothing because we know next to nothing about them. When the women get massages and start making sexual moans, it becomes fairly awkward because it's like walking in on strangers performing sexual acts. Even the main relationship between Tokimune and Jamie forgets one of them professed their love to the other and resets them to generic bickering anime protagonists.
There are signs of progress. The latest episode has the forethought of actually naming some characters and giving them some bearing before making a plot thread about them. Considering I probably couldn't name five people in this series if you put a gun to to my head, that's something at least. That's not to mention we're finally getting visual data on the dead sister who's only the emotional crux of the main character's motivation. Oh, and there's actually an extended mech fight sequence in a mech series! Granted, the opposition was supposed to be getting machines with vital camouflage features that play absolutely no part in the battle and the animation constantly flips the direction the pilot is facing and the direction their mechs are facing, but beggars can't be choosers. So, in short, Argevollen is inching towards mediocrity. It still has an informant named Quisimodo for no particular reason, buy hey, at least I can remember who he is.
No Recommendation
HaNaYaMaTa
This series is my happy place for this season. The yosakoi club is up and running, the girls are dancing, and there is a satisfying feeling of joy from the progress of Hana, Naru, Yaya, and Tami. I think it's the highest compliment of a series like this that I'm completely emotionally involved in the successes and failures of its characters. Aside from their class demonstration, there's nothing spectacular about the recent bunch of episodes, but it continues having the right portion and weight of drama and humor that is more of a delicate balancing act than it looks.
To show what I mean, I'll compare it to this season's Glasslip. Glasslip seems to use human emotion as plot points, and when characters make confessions or have realizations, their emotions sit there until a story time bomb goes off. These character are on the latter end of adolescence, while HaNaYaMaTa's are on a more volatile early teenage years, but they still seem far too in control of their feelings for the sake of the series' serene tone. Whether celebrating the accomplishments of life or trying to sort out the failures, HaNaYaMaTa's ensemble finds the right emotional response between themselves and their interactions with others.
While a world of hope is opening for Naru, and she's so engulfed in happiness her father assumes she's secretly seeing someone, doors are closing for Yaya as her band's audition doesn't go as well as planned. Instead of leaving Yaya's secret resentment for Naru's success held in the background for the "right" moment, it exists whether any of the characters want it there or not, and it requires the feelings to be addressed almost immediately. That it's relatable and realistic are the biggest difference between this and the average anime out there.
Strong Recommendation
Nobunaga Concerto
Things are starting to come together here, and yet, I still don't think there is a clear idea of what exactly they're trying to accomplish with this series. The real Oda Nobunaga has returned to the story to become Saburo's retainer (Together, they create a-wait for it-Nobunaga concerto!), and the march to conquer Japan has begun. The strange thing is I have yet to feel like anything significant has changed for the characters. Enough years have passed for Saburo to where a child he gives his one porn magazine to has grown up and the influence of the donation has fully bloomed. This in itself is an amusing scene, but it outlines most of the series' flaws. The flow of the story feel likes months when it's actually closer to perhaps a decade, and the protagonist is essentially the same as he has been. You'd think some of Saburo's high school attitude would've waned at this point, but nope. The assassin who swears revenge on Nobunaga for humiliating him sure is taking his sweet time, that's for sure.
And that's the main problem at this point: The series is moving on without evolving. The sloppy and choppy character animation that overtly tips its hand to its computer generated origins will keep the artistry of the series from saving it even when it rides its rousing musical theme as much as it can, so whether this anime turns out to be decent or not relies on the story elements blossoming. So far, there are a handful of interesting ideas that are simply sitting there. When the big picture and the endgame are revealed, hopefully this clarifies what they're ultimately going for, because they seem to letting intriguing opportunities go by the wayside. A love triangle being fake Nobunaga, real Nobunaga, and his wife? Another time traveler rival who does know history working against Saburo's ignorance to control Japan? These are both highly unlikely scenarios, but they would make a more interesting story than the current tales of goofy Nobunaga stumbling through history. Also, would they PLEASE stop skipping through important events like they simply cut through the characters having lunch? You don't just waltz into Kyoto and depose some of the most important people in the city! It's like making a story about Napoleon and then covering his campaign into Russia as a ten-second voiceover that calls it, "An eventual setback to his ultimate goal." There's a fairly extensive book called War and Peace that suggests it was a little more than that.
Weak Recommendation
Persona 4 the Golden Animation
We're getting into mega spoiler territory for the game and its iterations, and even though the game is well over five years old, it still deserves a player new to the series not to be spoiled by randomly stumbling onto this. The plot in the episodes for this update change focus from Marie to the person or people responsible for the murders, so I'll keep it rather vague. One of Persona 4's main complaints is the motivations, revelations, and resolutions more-or-less come out nowhere. Persona 4 Golden does its best to fill in those gaping holes. The anime takes it one step further and attempts to create sympathy for the devil as well as create a connection between the hero and the opposing force that really didn't exist in the game.
As an expansion upon the RPG, these episodes are really good. They take the information of the game and expand it in a way that would work for a television series. There are stumbles, like one boss that takes 30 minutes in game time to defeat being dispatched almost embarrassingly easy for a major conflict, but maybe this series' random implementation of New Game+ mode is the culprit. The anime finds a way to tell an antagonist's emotional side without messing with the limited perspective of the heroes. One could argue that even though it covers an extra dimension of a character, it's not particularly necessary, but it's there if you want it and it's executed fairly well. That said, the Golden Animation will still freeze out anybody trying to watch it cold, and if you've played the game, it doesn't have anything that you can't afford to miss. As a way of getting Sega/Atlus more money from one of its key franchises, though, it is surprisingly not an artistic failure either.
Weak Recommendation
Sabagebu! Survival Game Club!
Part of me really wants to up the rating for this one. Episode six is a culmination of all the comedic potential into one fantastic episode. As the student council president plots to destroy the Survival Game Club, she finds trying to assimilate them into her clutches a rather arduous task. In the second half, the club shows how much the yakuza movie they watched didn't affect them by immediately imitating a yakuza movie. I dare not spoil any details beyond that, but this episode finds the perfect balance between the manic craziness of the club and the somewhat ordinary bearings of the world it exists in. The writing finds surprising ways to utilize all the parties involved, the timing is right on, and the animation delivers the goods with a minimum of distraction.
Sadly, the very next episode squashes the momentum. The first ten minutes are essentially an advertisement for the Japanese Hunting Association written by an association member. Not that it immediately fails for being an ad. This series is as good a place as any for explaining why Japan needs hunters and it's an interesting bit about modern Japan I didn't know about, but it plays like an informercial with the characters of Sabagebu there for only slight flavoring. The next part is just fine until the ending that involves Momoko getting sexually molested by a member of the club. I don't mean to come off as offended every time I do an update, but it seems there's always one step too far at least one of the writers is willing to take. At least the last vignette lands on its feet. While the section titled "Hentai" seems to be inspired by a very recognizable episode of Full Metal Panic FUMOFFU!, it gets its own inspirations and bizarre bends. Sabagebu at times realizes what it can be, but it really needs to stop getting in its own way.
Weak Recommendation
---------------------------
Thom "Tama" Langley
DRAMAtical Murder
Yeah, that's pretty much my reaction right there. So far, this show
has been scraping ok, happily concentrating on three of its five routes,
plodding along. So far, I’ve been fairly lenient, allowing the show to
just meander along on its lazy spin-cycle of “route of the week plus
backstory plus shadowy plotting”. No longer. Six episodes in, DMMD has
done a grand total of sweet goddamn all-we know our characters, we know
our setting, we know our villain. And that’s about it. It’s
frustrating, because, had DMMD cut the crap, and developed the setting
and character quicker, the show wouldn’t have suffered. And, whilst
there’s always the fun of watching a show turn into an utter car-crash,
this show is a car crash with people I actually rather like in it. But,
before I give this show a Kefka-esque boot off into the abyss, it’s time
to see exactly what’s been going on.
Oh, yeah. Mink time. Aoba’s been kidnapped, you see, and not by the nicest person ever; with Mink’s friends beating Aoba up, we get another glimpse of Aoba’s mysterious power. Oh. And Mink’s parrot-All Mate. Mink promptly reveals that he’s been after Aoba all the time, and that Morphine are after Aoba too, then agrees to help him find his grandmother. Baaack to Clear and Kojaku. Oh, and Mink is an ex-con. Cue alpha-maleing between Kojaku and Mink, and FINALLY PLOT, GLORIOUS PLOT. Oh, and Noiz has been listening in on this, whilst Clear seems to know the location…Oh, and the game is apparently now a message…from someone? Surprise surprise…Morphine are waiting. Cue some admittedly nicely animated fight scenes. And Gramps is being held…by Mizuki, who’s been brainwashed by/appears to be working for Morphine. Oh. Mizuki does not take well to Aoba’s lack of interest in also joining…and Aoba does not take well to Mizuki threatening his grandmother. And then…more flashbacks, with, shall we say, interesting artistic interpretations, and a little detour through Mizuki’s abandonment issues. Oh, and his utter mental breakdown at the hands of Aoba’s other half.
Episode six…And Rhyme’s back, as if to tell us that, hey, that’s still a thing. And hello to our big bad at last. Surprise surprise, it’s the guy who we’ve seen plotting all along (Toue) , and, surprise, Aoba’s got powers. Aoba passes out, wakes up, and finds his (boy)friends downstairs, and then has more backstory thrown at him. BRAAAAINS. And research on BRAAAAINS. Which apparently Aoba’s grandmother was involved with. Oh, and Toue and co are behind Morphine. Oh, and Toue is pretty much insane. Oh, and everyone still wants Aoba. Oh, look, we’re six episodes in and trying to do ALL the routes. Well done, show. By trying to make everyone happy, you’re making no-one happy. Look at TnC. Yeah, You’re going that way, adaption. Oh, hey, Aoba has a power to control people’s minds with his voice. A power he’s been aware of (at least partly) since the beginning of the show. Way to pad, guys. Andddd more re-treading, re-treading we really DON’T need, because its message should be obvious, and, hey, Mizuki not waking up might be Aoba’s fault. YA THINK? Also, the animation’s noticeably limited with a lot of still frames. Virus calls and the police are on their way. Ok then. More Silent Oath, and a pass to Platinum Jail for eeeeveryone. Six episodes in, and DMMD is only now starting to get into gear. Too slow, too little, too late.
AND WE ARE OUTTA THERE. If you want the full DMMD experience, don’t watch this. Go play the game. Heck, I might review it one day, just to show you how abysmal this slow, stolid mess of a show was. As with Togainu No Chi, avoid at all costs. A car crash of a show that fails to live up to the expectations of the much better game.
No Recommendation, Dropped
Love Stage!!
Meanwhile, over at Love Stage...oh, Love Stage. Just like its
protagonist, it's dorky, cute, and oddly endearing. And let's just get
straight to it...this show is still amazing. The characters are great,
the comedy is great, the romance is great. Episode 5 starts with another
great daydream sequence, with Izumi's manga-drawing abilities once
again the crux of the joke. Followed by Izumi being a colossal ditz.
Oh...and Ryouma being a tiny bit creepy and annoying. Cue Izumi running
away...straight to Ryouma. Whose apologies seem to draw crowds, and who
is introduced to Izumi's manga-club as a shut-in. Ryouma wants to see
Izumi's work, realises it's...kinda terrible, but honestly doesn';t want
to tell him for fear of hurting his feelings. Cue cuteness. With little
time left to complete his manga, and with his friends busy, Izumi turns
to Ryouma for help. Once again, the otakuness of this show lends itself
well to comedy, with the creation of manga. Overworked, Izumi promptly
passes out, leaving Ryouma to resist kissing Izumi. Which he fails to
do. Several times. Oh...and someone has pictures of them together.
Episode 6 finds us with Rei in typical plotting mood, now possibly under the misapprehension that Izumi and Ryouma did the do, although thankful that Izumi at last has a friend. Meanwhile, Ryouma is getting a dressing down by his manager, who...assumes Izumi is a girl. Rei sees this as a chance to kickstart Izumi's showbiz career, and once again, the struggle between Izumi's love of manga and the obvious pull from his show business family. Another Lala-Lulu sequence! Magical girl tropes! Hurrah! Unfortunately, Izumi promptly has his hopes crushed, he promptly goes missing, turning up at Ryouma's house, and falls asleep in the bath. Ryouma promptly suffers anime nosebleeds no 1 and 2, and lets Izumi sleep in his bed. Explaining his unhappiness to Ryouma, Izumi still seems in dispondant mood, and promptly ends up in another compromising situation. As with last time, Love Stage continues to be the real surprise of the season.
Solid Recommendation
---------------------------
Second Opinions
Aldnoah.Zero
Stephanie: First time talking about Aldnoah over here, so I won’t go into a lot of details because my feelings on the series are pretty much the same as Jonathan's. I will say, I’m rather surprised at how good this series has been thanks to the story and some of the characters. I particularly like Slaine because he seems to be dealing with a hell of a lot more than anyone in the series. Overall, the series has been very strong from the start for me and I’m very excited to seen Slaine lending Inaho and the others a hand now! Strong Recommendation
Blue Spring Ride
Stephanie: Well, that’s odd. The quality of the series is kind of lacking a bit. The animation has taken a small dip, thankfully for more comedic reasons, and some of the dialogue makes the characters seem kind of stupid. Don’t get me wrong, I still like the series as paint by numbers as it’s turning out to be, but it would at least be nice to keep some decent quality in here. Solid Recommendation
HaNaYaMaTa
Jonathan: This is pretty high in the running for the best of the season for me, and it's currently placing on my top ten for the year. HaNaYaMaTa just hits that right balance of drama, character and comedy and stays there the entire time, all backed with some truly gorgeous visuals (that lighting is amazing). I've you're still not watching after all the positive things we've said about it, you're doing yourself a disservice. Strong Recommendation
Love Stage!!
Stephanie: This series and Nozaki-kun keep having me on the floor laughing! The humor of Love Stage is fun, and the series itself is still rather adorable to me. Just the one scene where Ryoma kisses Izumi goodbye while he’s asleep over and over again was just so hilarious! It’s very hard to not laugh or smile at this series. Although, I think I may be headed into serious mode after watching episode six. But we’ll see. Solid Recommendation
Monthly Girl's Nozaki-kun
Stephanie: So this is what happens when Nozaki decides to be Mamiko for a day, we get to meet Nozaki’s current and former editor, Wakamatsu tries to tell off Seo, and Nozaki is sick leaving Sakura, Hori, and Wakamatsu to try and complete the manuscript on their own. In other words, this is what happens when Nozaki-kun is still hilarious! Strong Recommendation
Nobunaga Concerto
Jonathan: I can see where Joe's coming from in his frustration, but I'm still really enjoying this little mess. I don't mind the main character so much because I like how the show is playing up the legend of Nobunaga as a crazy genius instead of who he actually was. The pacing is a little weird, but it's forgivable for me. I like it, and I hope it manages to come together. Solid Recommendation
Tokyo ESP
Jonathan: Boy, Japanese X-Men sure has a lot of jiggle. That aside, this show is damn good fun, a classic superhero story with a lot of spectacle and a lot of lively characters. The budgeting and production is a bit weird, though. The show looks absolutely incredible at times, making the shortcut models way more apparent and stick out more. Shame, but nowhere near a deal breaker. Solid Recommendation
Tokyo Ghoul
Jonathan: The direction for this series is bar none. It just looks amazing constantly, with beautiful lighting and shadow painting this rich urban atmosphere. The changes to the story also fit really well, like the fate of the father ghoul fitting in with other on-going plots. It even removes one particularly weird story beat. All in all, this is shaping up to be a lean and wonderful adaptation. Strong Recommendation
The second drop can be used once the reviewer has reached six episodes for a particular series. Let's see if anyone has decided to cash in another drop before the next part.
---------------------------
Jonathan Kaharl
Aldnoah.Zero
There's finally some more development for Marito, giving new purpose to the current commander and putting some new stress on the team. Slaine and Inaho also finally interact for the first time, and it's very interesting how it's done, keeping the two unaware of their identities with a limited method of communication. The two compliment each other really well, from Inaho's cold drive and cunning to Slaine's intensity and willingness to do truly crazy things (even by Inaho's standards). The rest of team is also finally starting to get fleshed out; the students are finding their place in combat teams and on the ship, while Allusia and Rayez have finally found their resolve and are acting on it. Both get their own big moment at the end of the episode, and I'm really excited to see where this new direction takes them.
Aldnoah is staying the course and remains absolutely excellent. It's safe to say that this series is going to be one of the best of the year, easily.
Strong Recommendation
Invaders of the Rokujyoma!?
The end of the Sanae arc was a mixed bag a usual, but more good than bad. It really sells why Sanae is so clingy to the main character in a satisfying way, and managed some genuine emotion. Granted, that was more from Yurika stepping up to the plate again when it really counted, her own fears and insecurities aside. The action is also great stuff; Silver Link really gets how to make an explosive and visceral feeling action scene, and the toys this series gives them lets them show off some damn fun spectacle. The following episode that focused on Tulip was weaker, but more due to little happening of interest than anything outright annoying. Unsurprisingly, the highlights of the episode came from Yurika again, this time bonding with MC over being such a loser. There was also a cute little sequence with Sanae, and I'm really enjoying her development and relationship with MC. Even Tulip managed to become a tiny bit more than the obnoxious tsundere character. Not by much, granted, but her passion for her planet's legend of the Silver Princess does add a softer side to her character that is far more than unexplained attraction. Actually, even that was finally tackled here, as the show is foreshadowing the jumping of the shark later and giving some idea why Tulip would care at all about this guy.
There are a lot of weak moments as well, sadly. The villains of the Sanae arc are really lame, even the evil ghost the group comes across. Their designs also clashed in a really bad way with the show; it was like they were in a way more wacky comedy and just sort of wandered in here. Tulip's play planning was also dull due to the presence of Yurika's only friend and MC's main love interest, Harumi. While she has a nice little role in the Sanae arc, she's one of the most boring beings in existence as a character. There is literally nothing to her other than being the love interest. Focusing on her and her lifeless crush on the main character really kills the shows pacing. Hopefully next week improves, as some political skullduggery will be going down with an old friend of Tulip's. Oh, and we also learned the landlady is a martial arts master who can fire punch ghosts to super death. That was neat.
Weak Recommendation
Locodol
Even when little is happening, the series works. The scenes with the girls just hanging out with family or talking with friends still show how being idols have changed their lives ever so slightly, and the moments between characters have a real sincerity and warmth to them. The odd joke being mixed in helps keep things from being dull, but doesn't take focus away from the emotion it wants to bring across. Simply put, Locodol is very well structured and passionate. I don't mean the show is constantly passionate, but the staff definitely seemed to have put a lot of care into making this the best show possible. The attention to detail in how story and gags are balanced and structured is very impressive, and the art is constantly lovely to look at. Locodol doesn't aim its sights high, but it doesn't need to. It's perfectly comfortable where it is, and that's perfectly respectable.
Solid Recommendation
Majimoji Rurumo
Episode five is easily the best of the series, though not for good reasons. Most the entirety of the episode was about Rurumo not understanding how the modern world works, with only Kouta appearing in any substance for parts of the last act. This is the episode that really gets what makes this show so fun at times; Rurumo being Rurumo. She's just so amusing to watch do even the most basic task, and it never gets old for me. The ending situation she found herself in is also very creative and makes for a good visual gag to boot. All you had to do to make a great episode was to remove the main character! Oh. Hrm. Majimoji Rurumo is definitely getting better, just not quite fast enough yet. I'm still giving it a weak recommendation, but I feel a bit more confident about that recommendation now.
Weak Recommendation
Samurai Jam: Bakumatsu Rock
Too many of the same songs get repeated, and those ugly CG models appear way too often. I suspect they're ripped straight from the original handheld game, which would explain why they're so awful and cheap looking. The designs are just too busy to make good use of CG. The way songs are used really breaks the flow of an episode as well. There's just not enough time spent on moving the story, and the songs just appear at improper times while something else needs establishing. While there's definitely more character now, it's not enough to fix a messy execution. You're better off just watching the ED over and over, honestly.
No Recommendation
---------------------------
David O'Neil
Akame ga Kill!
With the rest of the show it's been business as usual though, with the exception of the raising of stakes and introduction of some new villains. The charismatic "Bro" is quickly becoming my favorite character in the show, with a great mix of humor, personality, and straight up badass-ery being demonstrated whenever he's on screen. In addition, the show delved a bit more into the emotional side of Akame, with, again, surprising effectiveness. One thing that did disappoint me is the newly introduced villain I mentioned last time, Seryu, who has been less the good intentioned justice seeker I was hoping would add some moral ambiguity to the show, and more a bat shit insane maniac. I just wish the show would be capable of having a villain who didn't have a demonic thirst for blood, that's all.
Even if a dramatic recent event in Akame ga Kill didn't elevate the show to new heights, it was better executed and more emotionally effective than I would have expected from what I'd gotten from the show prior. It's still an interesting action show worth your time, as long as you're not seeking a whole lot of depth.
Solid Recommendation
Bladedance of the Elementalers
Episode five introduces a new character, Fianna Ray Ordesia (jeez the names in this show are ridiculous), and who would've guessed, she has a thing for the main character. Who would'a thought. As it turns out, a few years back they met in a forest or something after he saved her. The only really significant thing we learn in the flashback is that Ren Ashbell, a female Elementaler who won the title of World's Strongest Elementaler a few years back, and the main character are actually the same person. Because crossdressing. Actually, considering how large a revelation that actually is it's sort of bizarre how that bit just sort of comes out of nowhere and is brushed off. The next episode introduces a new pretty bland villain (who happens to be another male Elementaler, I guess all that hubbub about the main character being the first male Elementaler was misplaced). Oh, and more obnoxious fanservice hijinks. So there's that too.
In conclusion, nothing has changed, this show is still bad, don't watch it. That's really all I got.
No Recommendation
Blue Spring Ride
You see, in order to stir up some conflict in this high school romance, the show throws in a curveball. Yuuri has a crush on Kou, the same boy Futaba obviously likes but keeps acting like she doesn't like because anime romance. This causes Futaba to fear that if she falls in love with Kou, Yuuri won't want to be friends with her anymore. Except this is stupid. Because anyone who's watched the show up until this point knows that Yuuri happens to be one of the sweetest, nicest anime characters to ever be insanely nice. Her backpack is a freaking bunny rabbit. The only time she's shown something resembling anger was when a character stole her pudding. She smiles about everything and constantly takes time to remind Futaba how happy she is to be Futaba's friend. It'd almost be creepy if she wasn't so likable. And it's blatantly obvious that when Futaba finally builds up the confidence to admit she likes Kou to Yuuri, Yuuri isn't going to care, making this arc that's taken up over two episodes feel pointless, uninteresting, and overall pretty damn stupid.
Blue Spring Ride may still have the visuals going for it, but the past two episodes have left me rolling my eyes and wishing they'd get this predictable, uninteresting story conflict out of the way along with questioning the common sense of the main character. Here's hoping once this finally gets wrapped up it moves onto better things.
Weak Recommendation
Glasslip
Up until two episodes ago I assumed the show was simply on the brink of putting that future seeing-spin to use, as up until then all the visions had been simple, unimportant fragments of the supposed future that didn't really seem to matter. But then things got weird. In the last two episodes the visions have started seeming less like glimpses into the future, and more like.....something else. That's the thing, neither me nor the characters in the show can really come up with a way to put it into words. There's a vision of black crows flying at her through a friend, glass windows breaking, the boy she likes falling, and the town being blanketed in snow. More and more the show is implying that these aren't glimpses into the future, but something different entirely. And with this uncertainty, heading in a totally different direction than before, I can't help but wonder where exactly the show is going with this, and what the big pay off for all this unusual set up could possibly be.
Glasslip is weirding me out a bit. Before I thought i had a general idea of where it was headed, but in the last few episodes it's taken some strange turns that have left me confused and unsure what exactly it's actually getting at. In a way it could be taken as a compliment that I have no idea what's going to happen next, but at the same time, eight episodes in I can't help but feel it's about time it got to the point. But then again, the characters and visuals are still strong enough to support the show up until that point, but I've still been somewhat thrown off by the recent turn of events.
Solid Recommendation
Monthly Girl's Nozaki-kun
The sixth episode is fun as hell, introducing a new character, Wakamatsu, who's constantly being picked on by singer/aggressive basketball player Yuzuki (and is too dense to realize she most likely has a crush on him), and looks to Nozaki's manga for advice on how to deal with the situation. The next one features Nozaki and Sakura finally getting a chance to take a break from working on manga, and decide to go shopping. The result is an episode that challenges my previous favorite episode of the show for "Funniest episode of anything so far this season". It's just clever in how it constantly finds new ways to essentially restate the one primary joke, that Nozaki is so dedicated to his work he can't even comprehend doing things for fun. Like, even when he finally does consider Sakura's suggestion to take up a hobby it's only because he realized he could write an extra column about it in his manga.
Sure Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun may not be changing things up much, but as long as it continues to be this hilarious, I couldn't care less. It's not fixing what isn't broken, and the humor continues to be anything but broken. Every joke hits it's mark, every character is fun, and the animation is lively and compliments the humor perfectly. Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun continues to be the funniest show of the season.
Strong Recommendation
---------------------------
Stephanie Getchell
Barakamon
There’s not much more that can be said that I haven’t mentioned already. Barakamon is still wonderfully charming and funny, giving us simple lessons that we can use in our own lives. The cast has been really strong and I think it’s probably one of the best ensemble casts of the summer anime season. That’s saying something right there, seeing as how Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun has a very strong cast as well. What I think is, these characters all learn from each other and are all able to grow because of this. It may seem like a simple reason, but because it’s really well written and executed it takes it to another level entirely. I know I’ve been gunning for Terror in Resonance as my favorite anime of the summer, but Barakamon isn’t that far behind it.
Strong Recommendation
Sailor Moon: Crystal
Crystal is still keeping up with its consistency, though there have been slight drops in animation quality as of late. The episodes don’t drag on and they manage to keep the plot of the episode to just that one episode. This is a good thing and a bad thing. It’s good because it keeps the monster of the week form that everyone is familiar with. On the downside it keeps up with the monster of the week form that everyone is familiar with. What I mean when I say this is, depending on how the episode is handled, it can cause some pacing issues. We saw this in the first episode, and it does come up again a little bit here. The moments where this happens then proceed to make the scene a little bit awkward, taking the viewer out of it a little bit. To be honest, that’s really the main problem I’m having right now. Everything else has been fairly decent. And since we’ll soon be meeting our next Sailor Guardian, so that means another five to eight episode jump. For a condensed version of the original series, it’s not too bad.
Solid Recommendation
Shonen Hollywood -Holly Stage for 49-
And then I got to watch the funniest episode of the series thus far. What episode seven brings is more time with main character Kakeru as he struggles with his singing voice. After some West Side Story like moments where the entire group goes out in public and starts singing instead of talking, this helps ease Kakeru’s embarrassment and his over analysis of the whole thing. This is actually a nice touch, in my opinion. Just like with Air Boys, this episode takes a break from some of the more serious moments and just shows us how much fun the guys actually have while working hard on their training. I think it’s a rather interesting and fun move. If I had to pause the video several times to laugh then you made a rather funny episode.
There is something I am a bit worried about, though and that’s the character development. So far, four Shonen Hollywood members have had their own episodes dedicated to them with Kakeru getting two. Granted, seeing as how he is the main character it makes sense. However, there are only six episodes left in the series and we haven’t had a lot of time with Shun. He’s kind of there, and yet he’s not. And seeing as how he’s the only one who really wants to be a musician, you would think some interesting little story line would come up. My fear is that we actually don’t get a dedicated amount of time to look into his character. As a show about a group of idols, it only makes sense to talk about each member of the group to some extent, and Shun has been getting the short end of the stick in that department. Will this change in the second half of the series? I sure hope so.
Solid Recommendation
Terror in Resonance
Just like Barakamon, there’s not a lot more I can talk about here. This series has been very consistent throughout, giving me such a roller coaster ride of emotions and adrenaline that I just sit there in suspense every time I watch even half an episode. There’s always something going on. If there isn’t action, then it’s time with characters and some of the psychological battles they each have to face. For Nine and Twelve, it’s their past with Nine seemingly taking much more of it between the two. For Lisa, it’s been her own life up until this point and trying to find a place where she can belong and finally be herself. As for Shibazaki, he’s also involved in the game but there’s also his past that comes up as well vs his sense of justice. I honestly believe these are a group of well written characters, especially now since Lisa has been growing much more in recent episodes. I thought about this when I watched the first episode, but I am sure of it now: when FUNimation releases the series on DVD I am going to buy it right away. This is just something that has been so enjoyable from the start and it just keeps getting better and better that my shelf is just begging me to add it in. Seriously, if you’re reading this and you have yet to watch the series then you are insane and must fix this problem right now!
Strong Recommendation
Tokyo ESP
ESP just keeps going up and down for me. It started out weird and then for the first time a couple weeks ago, I finally began to enjoy it. This time, I’m not so sure. And, oddly enough, I can’t explain why I feel this way. It may be because it’s starting to feel cliched and a little paint by numbers to me. There’s still some good things there, with my interest in the Azuma/Minami/Professor dynamic still there, but it hasn’t really been used all that much right now; though it’s for a good reason. I’m just having a very hard time, this week, getting into the show. What sucks is I always have to watch ESP last after I’ve seen all my other shows. And I can name at least two that are blowing this one out of the water right now. Hell, maybe even Tokyo Ghoul too! I don’t know, maybe it’s just that I’m still recovering from the summer classes I just finished or something but ESP is slowly beginning to lag again for me. Maybe the next couple of episodes will give me something to go with alongside a better mindset.
Weak Recommendation
Tokyo Ghoul
The pacing has actually improved compared to last time. I actually found out that the Gourmet arc was placed smack dab in the middle of the Dove arc just for the series. In the manga, this doesn’t happen so it’s possible Tsukiyama’s character was just written as he was because people enjoy his character. Also, there’s Mamoru Miyano voicing the character, which I failed to mention last time, and it was awesome. Anyways, there’s not a whole lot to talk about today that I haven’t already talked about previously aside from Kaneki finally getting involved and an appearance by Rize. Now that this arc has finished, my only guess is that we’ll soon be heading into the series climax as we still do have Jason to deal with here.
I’ll be honest, my feelings with this series have been up and down. I enjoy it, but there are times where I end up confused or some bad writing here and there takes me out of the show. More than likely, I’ll end up enjoying it once it’s finished up. I do love me some horror, and Tokyo Ghoul has been doing rather well in that regard. It’s just story wise, it can be a bit of a mess. If anything, I know I’ll need to seek the manga out once I’m done because I’m very interested in how it’s handled there.
Solid Recommendation
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Joe Straatmann
Argevollen
I still see fluttering pieces of potential here and there. Episode seven has the elements of an absorbing plot involving both armies secretly making moves while taking shore leave on the neutral resort island of Bellhals. However, since this series consistently refuses to do anything besides the bare minimum of story and character development, it all has the emotional resonance of a cinder block. The men of the series have beers together and it means absolutely nothing because we know next to nothing about them. When the women get massages and start making sexual moans, it becomes fairly awkward because it's like walking in on strangers performing sexual acts. Even the main relationship between Tokimune and Jamie forgets one of them professed their love to the other and resets them to generic bickering anime protagonists.
There are signs of progress. The latest episode has the forethought of actually naming some characters and giving them some bearing before making a plot thread about them. Considering I probably couldn't name five people in this series if you put a gun to to my head, that's something at least. That's not to mention we're finally getting visual data on the dead sister who's only the emotional crux of the main character's motivation. Oh, and there's actually an extended mech fight sequence in a mech series! Granted, the opposition was supposed to be getting machines with vital camouflage features that play absolutely no part in the battle and the animation constantly flips the direction the pilot is facing and the direction their mechs are facing, but beggars can't be choosers. So, in short, Argevollen is inching towards mediocrity. It still has an informant named Quisimodo for no particular reason, buy hey, at least I can remember who he is.
No Recommendation
HaNaYaMaTa
To show what I mean, I'll compare it to this season's Glasslip. Glasslip seems to use human emotion as plot points, and when characters make confessions or have realizations, their emotions sit there until a story time bomb goes off. These character are on the latter end of adolescence, while HaNaYaMaTa's are on a more volatile early teenage years, but they still seem far too in control of their feelings for the sake of the series' serene tone. Whether celebrating the accomplishments of life or trying to sort out the failures, HaNaYaMaTa's ensemble finds the right emotional response between themselves and their interactions with others.
While a world of hope is opening for Naru, and she's so engulfed in happiness her father assumes she's secretly seeing someone, doors are closing for Yaya as her band's audition doesn't go as well as planned. Instead of leaving Yaya's secret resentment for Naru's success held in the background for the "right" moment, it exists whether any of the characters want it there or not, and it requires the feelings to be addressed almost immediately. That it's relatable and realistic are the biggest difference between this and the average anime out there.
Strong Recommendation
Nobunaga Concerto
And that's the main problem at this point: The series is moving on without evolving. The sloppy and choppy character animation that overtly tips its hand to its computer generated origins will keep the artistry of the series from saving it even when it rides its rousing musical theme as much as it can, so whether this anime turns out to be decent or not relies on the story elements blossoming. So far, there are a handful of interesting ideas that are simply sitting there. When the big picture and the endgame are revealed, hopefully this clarifies what they're ultimately going for, because they seem to letting intriguing opportunities go by the wayside. A love triangle being fake Nobunaga, real Nobunaga, and his wife? Another time traveler rival who does know history working against Saburo's ignorance to control Japan? These are both highly unlikely scenarios, but they would make a more interesting story than the current tales of goofy Nobunaga stumbling through history. Also, would they PLEASE stop skipping through important events like they simply cut through the characters having lunch? You don't just waltz into Kyoto and depose some of the most important people in the city! It's like making a story about Napoleon and then covering his campaign into Russia as a ten-second voiceover that calls it, "An eventual setback to his ultimate goal." There's a fairly extensive book called War and Peace that suggests it was a little more than that.
Weak Recommendation
Persona 4 the Golden Animation
As an expansion upon the RPG, these episodes are really good. They take the information of the game and expand it in a way that would work for a television series. There are stumbles, like one boss that takes 30 minutes in game time to defeat being dispatched almost embarrassingly easy for a major conflict, but maybe this series' random implementation of New Game+ mode is the culprit. The anime finds a way to tell an antagonist's emotional side without messing with the limited perspective of the heroes. One could argue that even though it covers an extra dimension of a character, it's not particularly necessary, but it's there if you want it and it's executed fairly well. That said, the Golden Animation will still freeze out anybody trying to watch it cold, and if you've played the game, it doesn't have anything that you can't afford to miss. As a way of getting Sega/Atlus more money from one of its key franchises, though, it is surprisingly not an artistic failure either.
Weak Recommendation
Sabagebu! Survival Game Club!
Sadly, the very next episode squashes the momentum. The first ten minutes are essentially an advertisement for the Japanese Hunting Association written by an association member. Not that it immediately fails for being an ad. This series is as good a place as any for explaining why Japan needs hunters and it's an interesting bit about modern Japan I didn't know about, but it plays like an informercial with the characters of Sabagebu there for only slight flavoring. The next part is just fine until the ending that involves Momoko getting sexually molested by a member of the club. I don't mean to come off as offended every time I do an update, but it seems there's always one step too far at least one of the writers is willing to take. At least the last vignette lands on its feet. While the section titled "Hentai" seems to be inspired by a very recognizable episode of Full Metal Panic FUMOFFU!, it gets its own inspirations and bizarre bends. Sabagebu at times realizes what it can be, but it really needs to stop getting in its own way.
Weak Recommendation
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Thom "Tama" Langley
DRAMAtical Murder
Oh, yeah. Mink time. Aoba’s been kidnapped, you see, and not by the nicest person ever; with Mink’s friends beating Aoba up, we get another glimpse of Aoba’s mysterious power. Oh. And Mink’s parrot-All Mate. Mink promptly reveals that he’s been after Aoba all the time, and that Morphine are after Aoba too, then agrees to help him find his grandmother. Baaack to Clear and Kojaku. Oh, and Mink is an ex-con. Cue alpha-maleing between Kojaku and Mink, and FINALLY PLOT, GLORIOUS PLOT. Oh, and Noiz has been listening in on this, whilst Clear seems to know the location…Oh, and the game is apparently now a message…from someone? Surprise surprise…Morphine are waiting. Cue some admittedly nicely animated fight scenes. And Gramps is being held…by Mizuki, who’s been brainwashed by/appears to be working for Morphine. Oh. Mizuki does not take well to Aoba’s lack of interest in also joining…and Aoba does not take well to Mizuki threatening his grandmother. And then…more flashbacks, with, shall we say, interesting artistic interpretations, and a little detour through Mizuki’s abandonment issues. Oh, and his utter mental breakdown at the hands of Aoba’s other half.
Episode six…And Rhyme’s back, as if to tell us that, hey, that’s still a thing. And hello to our big bad at last. Surprise surprise, it’s the guy who we’ve seen plotting all along (Toue) , and, surprise, Aoba’s got powers. Aoba passes out, wakes up, and finds his (boy)friends downstairs, and then has more backstory thrown at him. BRAAAAINS. And research on BRAAAAINS. Which apparently Aoba’s grandmother was involved with. Oh, and Toue and co are behind Morphine. Oh, and Toue is pretty much insane. Oh, and everyone still wants Aoba. Oh, look, we’re six episodes in and trying to do ALL the routes. Well done, show. By trying to make everyone happy, you’re making no-one happy. Look at TnC. Yeah, You’re going that way, adaption. Oh, hey, Aoba has a power to control people’s minds with his voice. A power he’s been aware of (at least partly) since the beginning of the show. Way to pad, guys. Andddd more re-treading, re-treading we really DON’T need, because its message should be obvious, and, hey, Mizuki not waking up might be Aoba’s fault. YA THINK? Also, the animation’s noticeably limited with a lot of still frames. Virus calls and the police are on their way. Ok then. More Silent Oath, and a pass to Platinum Jail for eeeeveryone. Six episodes in, and DMMD is only now starting to get into gear. Too slow, too little, too late.
AND WE ARE OUTTA THERE. If you want the full DMMD experience, don’t watch this. Go play the game. Heck, I might review it one day, just to show you how abysmal this slow, stolid mess of a show was. As with Togainu No Chi, avoid at all costs. A car crash of a show that fails to live up to the expectations of the much better game.
No Recommendation, Dropped
Love Stage!!
Episode 6 finds us with Rei in typical plotting mood, now possibly under the misapprehension that Izumi and Ryouma did the do, although thankful that Izumi at last has a friend. Meanwhile, Ryouma is getting a dressing down by his manager, who...assumes Izumi is a girl. Rei sees this as a chance to kickstart Izumi's showbiz career, and once again, the struggle between Izumi's love of manga and the obvious pull from his show business family. Another Lala-Lulu sequence! Magical girl tropes! Hurrah! Unfortunately, Izumi promptly has his hopes crushed, he promptly goes missing, turning up at Ryouma's house, and falls asleep in the bath. Ryouma promptly suffers anime nosebleeds no 1 and 2, and lets Izumi sleep in his bed. Explaining his unhappiness to Ryouma, Izumi still seems in dispondant mood, and promptly ends up in another compromising situation. As with last time, Love Stage continues to be the real surprise of the season.
Solid Recommendation
---------------------------
Second Opinions
Aldnoah.Zero
Stephanie: First time talking about Aldnoah over here, so I won’t go into a lot of details because my feelings on the series are pretty much the same as Jonathan's. I will say, I’m rather surprised at how good this series has been thanks to the story and some of the characters. I particularly like Slaine because he seems to be dealing with a hell of a lot more than anyone in the series. Overall, the series has been very strong from the start for me and I’m very excited to seen Slaine lending Inaho and the others a hand now! Strong Recommendation
Blue Spring Ride
Stephanie: Well, that’s odd. The quality of the series is kind of lacking a bit. The animation has taken a small dip, thankfully for more comedic reasons, and some of the dialogue makes the characters seem kind of stupid. Don’t get me wrong, I still like the series as paint by numbers as it’s turning out to be, but it would at least be nice to keep some decent quality in here. Solid Recommendation
HaNaYaMaTa
Jonathan: This is pretty high in the running for the best of the season for me, and it's currently placing on my top ten for the year. HaNaYaMaTa just hits that right balance of drama, character and comedy and stays there the entire time, all backed with some truly gorgeous visuals (that lighting is amazing). I've you're still not watching after all the positive things we've said about it, you're doing yourself a disservice. Strong Recommendation
Love Stage!!
Stephanie: This series and Nozaki-kun keep having me on the floor laughing! The humor of Love Stage is fun, and the series itself is still rather adorable to me. Just the one scene where Ryoma kisses Izumi goodbye while he’s asleep over and over again was just so hilarious! It’s very hard to not laugh or smile at this series. Although, I think I may be headed into serious mode after watching episode six. But we’ll see. Solid Recommendation
Monthly Girl's Nozaki-kun
Stephanie: So this is what happens when Nozaki decides to be Mamiko for a day, we get to meet Nozaki’s current and former editor, Wakamatsu tries to tell off Seo, and Nozaki is sick leaving Sakura, Hori, and Wakamatsu to try and complete the manuscript on their own. In other words, this is what happens when Nozaki-kun is still hilarious! Strong Recommendation
Nobunaga Concerto
Jonathan: I can see where Joe's coming from in his frustration, but I'm still really enjoying this little mess. I don't mind the main character so much because I like how the show is playing up the legend of Nobunaga as a crazy genius instead of who he actually was. The pacing is a little weird, but it's forgivable for me. I like it, and I hope it manages to come together. Solid Recommendation
Tokyo ESP
Jonathan: Boy, Japanese X-Men sure has a lot of jiggle. That aside, this show is damn good fun, a classic superhero story with a lot of spectacle and a lot of lively characters. The budgeting and production is a bit weird, though. The show looks absolutely incredible at times, making the shortcut models way more apparent and stick out more. Shame, but nowhere near a deal breaker. Solid Recommendation
Tokyo Ghoul
Jonathan: The direction for this series is bar none. It just looks amazing constantly, with beautiful lighting and shadow painting this rich urban atmosphere. The changes to the story also fit really well, like the fate of the father ghoul fitting in with other on-going plots. It even removes one particularly weird story beat. All in all, this is shaping up to be a lean and wonderful adaptation. Strong Recommendation
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