Seasonal Reviews: Spring 2015 Pt.2

Second entry up! More drops made, more people unable to agree on the overall quality of PUNCH LINE, and more wondering of why Joe just won't drop a bad show. Has anything improved? Anything gotten worse? Read on and find out.

Dropped Shows

• Urawa no Usagi-chan (Jonathan, two episodes)

Ameiro Cocoa
Stephanie Getchell

Back to Rainy Color Cafe for some little bits of fun! On the menu, this week, Aoi still tries hard to understand what Keiichi is all about since all Kei has been doing is giving Aoi the cold shoulder and coming off as rather unapproachable. However it does seem that Kei likes dogs so there's a bonus there. At least until Aoi tries to be a puppy to try and get Kei to lighten up around him... Which of course doesn't work. As for the fifth episode, Ryota pops in after being away for a bit dealing with school projects. He checks in with everyone to see how they are during this rainy day, and then proceeds to discuss with Kei about how he wants to live it up while in college and that Kei, his friend, was going to help him. But it seems that Kei doesn't remember being Ryota's friend, to which more quick hijinks ensue.

I'm starting to get myself adjusted to the series and it's storytelling. Because Rainy Cocoa uses more of an episodic approach, it helps the series out like it does for Hetalia. Believe me, trying to create a story with only two minutes an episode is a daunting task. Diabolik Lovers, even though episodes are fifteen minutes, and the show is junk, would suffer greatly if shortened even more. And to add more of a point, there's Pupa that tries to tell a straight story with two minute episodes and doesn't do all that well. Then again, Pupa is also junk, but you get my point anyway. Speaking of Pupa, here's another connection I never thought I would see before going into this show. Director Tomomi Mochizuki, who currently directs Rainy Cocoa, also has directed Pupa. Oh boy... As bad as Pupa is, I can't really fault Mochizuki too much as he has also directed House of Five Leaves, a series that I enjoy, as well as the first season of Ranma 1/2, which a lot of people seem to enjoy and I have yet to see. I find it amusing that he's gone from directing a terrible short to, so far, a fairly decent one but that's besides the point.

After some adjusting, I can see the general direction the series wants to go and that is a simple episodic slice of life/comedy series with charming personalities for it's characters. To be fair, some of these characters fall under stereotypes, but it's honestly better to use that for a shorter series like this one than to try and flesh them out and bring in complexity and cause a larger mess. It will be interesting, for me, to see how this one will land on FUNimation's radar when deciding on what will be getting a Broadcast Dub this season. The franchise already has a digital manga version with an english cast that includes: Joel McDonald, Ian Sinclair, Todd Haberkorn, Christopher Sabat, and Vic Mignogna so keeping them attached for the anime would be rather simple. I guess it's just a matter of availability (Seeing as how Haberkorn and Mignogna are LA actors, as well as the recent Dub announcement for DxD's 3rd season caused some backlash), and popularity the series has with it's audience. I'd say there's a decent chance for this to happen since it has that digital manga version. I'd be happy to watch a Broadcast Dub version of this show, honestly. Some charm every now and again is really nice.

Solid Recommendation

Blood Blockade Battlefront
Danni Wilmoth

The best anime of the season just keeps getting better. After spending the first few episodes establishing the main members of Libra and the dual worlds of Jerusalem's Lot and the Alterworld, BBB has shifted focus from the environment to the events within it. We come face to face for the first time with what is gearing up to be the main antagonists of the show's narrative: a group of powerful vampires called the Elder 13 (though there may be hundreds of them). Additionally, we're introduced to most of the remaining cast members as well: a bishounen with the blood of a serial killer, the girl who forced it into him, and a man so lucky that it spells doom for anyone in the immediate vicinity. As usual, we're also treated to wonderfully gratuitous German and hilariously unique names (Dog Hammer, for example). 

Part of me wants to suggest that Matsumoto has reigned in her directing these past few episodes, but that's not entirely true. There is a bit of a difference between the style of the first three episodes compared to the latest two. As stated in my first review, Matsumoto spent much of the first episodes letting the environments speak for themselves. The latest episodes, however, have been less driven by environment and more driven by plot and action. This isn't a bad thing, but it gives off the impression that Matsumoto is holding herself back, despite her obvious flourishes in editing appearing often. I disagree with this assessment, however, and it's mostly based on a hunch. 

Blood Blockade Battlefront is, as of now, nearly halfway through its slotted twelve episodes. While this is plenty of time to tell a wonderful story, BBB has thus far only allowed us brief glimpses at the big events it is supposedly leading up to. It's spent much more time lingering on the little moments of the characters' lives, including a scene at the end of last week's episode where Leo takes White on a date to the movies (It should also be noted that White is a character original to the anime who seems to be a central figure to the narrative). Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Matsumoto isn't leading us towards a grand event. I find it much more believable to assume she's taking us on a leisurely stroll through the life of Leonardo Watch in Jerusalem's Lot. The beginning lines of the entire anime show us that what we're watching is what Leo is dictating to his sister through a letter. Judging from Matsumoto's past directorial work (particularly Kyousougiga), she's much more concerned with how relationships affect us as opposed to how grand events do. Which as why I don't think she's reigning in her directing as much as she is narrowing our focus towards the characters. 

All in all, I'm enjoying the hell out of BBB, and I'm excited to see where it goes from here. 

Strong Recommendation

The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan
Joe Straatmann

How much does this series want to avoid conflict? It's not bad enough it wallows in the doldrums of completely elementary teenage melodrama. It's a show about teenagers based on light novels for the same age group no matter what all-too-defensive anime fans of my age set would say. I could accept that. But it doesn't even have the guts to tarnish some character reputations a bit to work at that level.  When we last left off, Yuki was seemingly horrified at the site of Haruhi giving chocolate to Kyon for Valentine's Day just before she was going to, and she ran off. The episode after essentially tells us that circumstances aren't as serious as they may seem and there is absolutely nothing to worked up about unless you want to actually be entertained or invested in a romantic series.

What IS really going in this Valentine's Day escapade? For one thing, Haruhi isn't really giving Kyon a chocolate to confess her love, but a courtesy chocolate. On the other end of things, Yuki isn't at all distraught because Haruhi was stealing her love. She was giving Haruhi her own space to have her own moment before Yuki had hers, and dramatically dropping her box of chocolates was something she did by accident.

No, series, no. You don't get to jerk your cast and your audience around like this. You spent a whole episode setting up Haruhi as a romantic obstacle with her banter with Kyon and even after the incident, Haruhi confirms in her Haruhi way that she is interested. But even if this wasn't like Ai Yori Aoshi and we didn't know who the ultimate couple was going to be, all romantic tension is swept aside far too easily so the main cast can interact with each other exactly as they did in the canon material because we can't have people with hurt feelings because Haruhi might be perceived as a villain, can we? That's not to mention Yuki is way too Zen-like in her emotions. At this point, her best friend Asakura is going through more character conflict in this mess than her! Everyone seems perfectly aware of everyone else's feelings, including Kyon and Yuki for each other, and everyone is very willing to let it happen, even if it they are rivals. I will say the same thing as last time: The only reason the romance isn't on is because the series would be over.

Satelight is at least trying to make to make the best of it. They're trying to implement the video game addict aspect of Yuki's life into the animation better than the manga did, even if it's in very small bursts (Haruhi is imagined as a devil in an old-school video game for a second). They're trying to duplicate The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya's music with its use of soft, classical music in scenes, and it's amicable even if randomly busting out an overused piece like "Clair de Lune" is like throwing "Blue Danube" in because it sounds nice. The song has its own context in other works and just making it music under conversation is odd. They're not doing a bad job in of themselves. The source manga is simply irreparably tepid, and anything choosing not to trash it and write something entirely new is a fruitless endeavor. Now, people who still don't understand the hate and think this is harmless, we're less than a volume of the manga away from when the terribleness reaches the point of no return. Then you'll see. If not, I assure you I will do my upmost to give you the best vision possible.

No Recommendation

ETOTAMA
Joe Straatmann

Wow, they held the emotions of that dramatic death for a whole FIVE MINUTES INCLUDING THE OPENING CREDITS before taking it all back! What was the point of that? If the script so obviously had reincarnation written into it, and this show is so bent on being 30-gags-a-minute comedy, why try to fool the audience by going the sad route for such a brief time-frame? I understand making the rat credible as the ultimate enemy, but it's not like the show takes a darker bend after getting the audience comfortable with the characters in lighter situations. If anything, it becomes louder, crazier, and more irreverent after this. Was this another "experiment" by Seth MacFarlane?

Obviously, all of this means Nya-tan's friend Uri-tan did not permanently die at the hands of Chu-tan, but instead almost immediately reincarnates with almost absolutely nothing changing. They did have a good idea somewhere in there about Takeru not giving Nya-tan as much Sol/Lull energy (See last review for what that exactly is) after hiding Uri-tan's mortal status. That could've been because he distrusts her and feels manipulated, and it could've been a way to secretly develop the main characters in the middle of the antics. Or... they could just shatter the fourth wall and piss on the remains again.

We're five episodes into this and it already feels like they're stretching for material. Early Etotoma had an underlying thread of meta humor, but now it's completely exploded and taken over the show. The next fight between Nya-tan and the rabbit is brought about by Nya-tan determined to become a truly great, original character, and then the rabbit tearing through all the clichés, tropes, and duplicated characters in this crazy world. The next episode has Takeru stricken with a cold which releases unpredictable bursts of Sol/Lull energy that causes his new zodiac pals to change clothing styles to the swimsuit episode and eventually to the too-hot-for-TV episode (And I don't know if I'm surprised or not about how little I want to see that). Then they surge into barrages of quotes and references. Hey, the Seth MacFarlane thing was a joke, series!

It's unfocused craziness that mistakes cleverness for being smart. There are a couple laughs in each episode such as the punchline to the fifth episode that actually hits the lovably despicable angle they're going for on Nya-tan, but the rest is untempered comedic energy that splatters the canvas like a big-eyed Jackson Pollack. I find its fervor tiresome rather than exciting. It doesn't help that its greatest quality, the fantastic look, is becoming less fantastic as the everything goes along. It happens with anime. Deadlines suck. It helps to have other aspects to hang your hat on, and I don't find nearly enough here.

Weak Recommendation

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma
Danni Wilmoth

I waited to watch the episodes for this review installment until after Finals when I was through moving back home for the summer, and I'm very happy I did. I much prefer watching this show with a stomach full of my mother's cooking than I do with one half-full of chicken breast sandwiches and month-old Doritos. There's just no place for anime food at college.

The insane plot of Food Wars presses onwards as we learn more of the Academy's unique rules and talented students. Fresh off a night drunk on rice juice (A note at the bottom of the screen declares it is in fact non-alcoholic despite the fact they are very drunk. Suuuuure.) Soma challenges Isshiki to a cook-off for his spot on the Student Council, only to find out it isn't that simple. The academy has a formal practice of Shokugeki wherein a student must wager something of equal value to what is he or she desires. Since Soma has nothing worth Isshiki's seat on the council, he is denied Shokugeki. He doesn't have to wait long for his chance at a cook-off, however, as he comes face to face with one of Erina's lackeys as she attempts to strong-arm a student research society off the campus.

Food Wars may not have the most appealing animation or art of this season, but I'll be damned if it doesn't have the loudest personality. It all at once manages to combine burning heart shounen, gourmet anime cooking, and shameless fanservice of both men and women in what I find to be one of the most entertaining animes of this season. Food Wars plays up its unlikeliness as much as possible in what can only be described as a hilarious experience. I hardly ever see people bringing Food Wars up online so I may be next to alone in this, but I'm enjoying the hell out of this show.

Solid Recommendation

Gunslinger Stratos: The Animation
Danni Wilmoth

Ah, yes. That wonderful time of the review season: Drop Week. I've pretty much had this one singled out to drop since the first episode, and my instincts were once again correct. 

At the publishing of the last installment, we were left on a final note of one of the main characters having a giant hole blown through them. The series took on a heavier tone in the episodes since, with more characters falling in battle. The stakes have always been high, but watching characters die in front of you definitely drives the point home. This series is supposed to be sad and heart-tugging. The problem is that it just, well, isn't. 

Let's take the first character that was killed off, for example. They just so happened to be my favorite character in the series. I wasn't crazy about them, but they were the only character I felt some kind of attachment to in the show. Yet my reaction to their death was one of mild annoyance as opposed to sadness. I wasn't sad that something happened to the character- I was angry that none of the other characters were the least bit interesting or likable to make up for that character's absence. 

In the last installment I pointed out some of the confusing aspects of the plot, such as the fact they have to conduct their battles in 2015. Well, in the latest episode they offered some explanations for a few of them. They're not exactly good explanations, though. When Tohru inquired as to what's so important about the year 2015 to a Timekeeper, he was met with time-travel technobabble that basically means it's an even playing ground for the parallel worlds to battle on. Why exactly it's an even playing ground is all technobabble. If this seems like lazy writing, it isn't even the worst offender. In the same conversation, the Timekeeper tells Tohru that the reason people are turning into sand is because their world is destroyed in the future. When Tohru says that's he doesn't understand why their future selves dying causes their past selves to turn into sand, the Timekeeper literally just tells him that's the way it is. I realize that enjoyment of media often requires a suspension of disbelief, but come on. It's the responsibility of the show to suspend my disbelief for me. 

All the other problems I pointed out last time are still here as well. Character models are awkward, faces tend to sag, and exposition continues to take up the majority of episodes. It's hard to believe this was adapted from an action game, since all the dialogue makes it sound more like it came from a visual novel. I just constantly feel bored while watching this show. My time could honestly be spent much more constructively. That's why I decided to use my one drop on Gunslinger. 

No Recommendation, dropped at episode five

The Heroic Legend of Arslan
David O'Neil

The Heroic Legend of Arslan faced a difficult task for me personally, because as a reader of the manga it adapts, it needed to impress me enough to make me want to continue watching it over its manga counterpart. Unfortunately, Arslan is not an adaptation that goes above and beyond, in fact it doesn't go very far at all. It's an adaptation that achieves only the bare minimum, assuring that the events of the manga are accurately portrayed without any extra effort in terms of production. It's not bad necessarily, but to someone who was hoping it would do the manga justice rather than just minimal required effort, its a large disappointment.

There hasn't been any huge change over the one episode I watched since last covering it. In fact, episode four covered the part of the story that really gave the characters space to grow, and made me like them after the busy, action heavy set up of the story. But the episode confirmed that I had little motivation to watch the anime any further, and its iffy production quality most likely wasn't changing any time soon. The show's abundance of CG is most glaring problem, in order to cut corners the show frequently cuts to abysmal CG animated sequences that range in execution from awkward to abysmal. Models are constantly reused, lack detail, don't blend in well with the 2D animation, and have stiff, unnatural movements. That and the show frequently switches between 2D and CG animation to jarring effect. The normal animation fares better, but not by all that much. It lacks polish in many scenes, with everything from off-putting faces, to poorly animated horses. The show doesn't even make up for these errors with movement, characters barely ever express any emotions through their body movements or faces, as the show again goes for animating the absolute bare minimum. The animation lacks punch, something that's very important during big action scenes or emotional moments, and such scenes simply come off as flat without animation to back it up.

The Heroic Legend of Arslan isn't the worst show I've seen this season, it's not even the worst show I'm reviewing this season. But despite this, I'm dropping it. Part of it is that I feel I've lost motivation to watch it, after all the show continues to give me little reason to watch it other than a core story I could get in a more engaging form somewhere else. In addition, I just feel I lack things to say about it I haven't already said. The animation remains consistently lackluster, and so far there isn't much to say on the show's slow building story. So with that in mind, I feel I'm finished with the show. Its a functional alternative that faithfully adapts the manga's story for those not interested in reading the manga, but also a weak adaptation that does little to bring the story to anime form at its full potential. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I find myself unable to become invested in an adaptation that does so little to stand out.

Weak Recommendation, dropped at episode four

Is It Wrong to Try and Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Stephanie Getchell

I am very happy that this is the second report for the spring season because I can finally use my drop and I know exactly what I plan to use it on. After being chased down by an escaped monster, Bell manages to defeat it thanks to his new knife that Hestia had commissioned for him, the Hestia Knife. It's clear that another goddess is the one responsible for letting the monsters escape in the first place, with the motive to see how Bell does and watch how he grows. For what purpose, we don't quite know yet. Then Bell and his advisor, Eina, take a shopping trip where Bell finds some new light armor to use before taking on higher level dungeons. But not before Eina makes the suggestion for Bell to form a party, or at least find a supporter. This leads us to introduce Liliruca, a supporter from the Soma familia. After being saved by Bell, stealing his knife with the intent to sell it (and failing), and seeing Bell's kindness towards her, Lili decides to continue working with Bell. However, it seems the Soma familia has hit hard times, to which we don't know the extent of quite yet. And let's not forget the previously mentioned mischievous goddess who wants to cause even more problems for Bell.

The best way to describe this series is Sword Art Online that actually knows what the hell it is! It's a fantasy anime with MMORPG elements that is also a harem and will fully acknowledge it. Rather than try and be new and different like SAO, this series at least knows what it wants to be and is perfectly fine with where it is. Granted, we still have no friggin idea if this is an MMORPG or just the world Bell and the others live in. Like I said last time, I highly doubt that detail will ever be talked about. The story is flowing rather well, to be perfectly honest, and I didn't think this week's episodes were terrible. However with the lack of explaining and character motivations as well as the slight stupidity that is Bell and his character, it makes things all the more difficult to talk about. And let's not forget that I was rather bored. Yeah, the episodes aren't bad, but they sure as hell were boring. It doesn't help all that much that harem series are something I'm not that interested in, but that's mostly because they are almost all the same thing, making my viewpoint rather biased. One of these days I'll find one that isn't bad or that isn't boring, but this one isn't that series.

I suppose I could always come back to it later for a review, but I think I'm fine with dropping this series now and just keep going with Rainy Cocoa, Rin-Ne, and Euphonium as my main three squeezes this season. All of the series I'm covering are kind of the bottom of the barrel considering everything that's airing this season, but at least my remaining three have something I find interesting about them and are series I actually want to see. This one, is not.

Weak Recommendation, dropped at episode four

Mikagura School Suite
Joe Straatmann

I have my fair share of issues with tournaments in anime, and one is they don't leave me a whole lot to talk about unless they're bad. Mikagura's fighting might not be the non-filler Shonen Jump throwdowns, but they're good enough even with its fair share of "It's magic, so we can make up a bunch of bullcrap" situations. There are details like Eruna's initial opponent is the first-year she met huddled in a sleeping bag as a respectable clash over who's progressed more, but after that, what do I have to talk about? Even the show itself wants to skip a good deal of it with Eruna's second round match occurring entirely offscreen.

That's not to say it doesn't have good character building. Eruna trains with the theatrical club rookies and finds her first friends that didn't occur due to her incessant tail-chasing. She takes steps to not being a self-centered clod, as enjoyable of one as she may be. This includes lifting the metaphorical mask of Akama, the theater club's best fighter and possibly greatest mystery. Most of the recent episodes are small character affairs letting the chemistry simmer a bit. Right now is the point where we're waiting for more substantial events to happen. The way it's executed is fine. Just talking about it doesn't make for good discussion.

What's good is still good. Eruna rules the series with her weird combination of characteristics that would fail most of the time, but somehow they make magic here. The way the abilities are funneled into typical high school life are often amusing, such as the academy festival where all the students use their specialties to gain points to purchase better housing and food. What's not really working for me is the stylistic choice to make all the students who are unimportant to the plot white outlines. Many series have utilized this for specific purposes, like xxxHolic using it to emphasize the people who are unaware of the supernatural world that exists around them, but here it just seems to be skipping the step of coloring in unimportant people because it's extra work. Hey, can I have outlined vague thoughts surrounding this review so it can make it seem larger and more substantial? Look, Eruna is awesome, the series is enjoyable. What more would you like to know?

Solid Recommendation

MY love STORY!!
Jonathan Kaharl

As of episode three, the series has made it official; Takeo and Rinko are an item! Granted, it took some doing to get to that point. Takeo's inferiority complex eventually lead to him hurting Rinko's feelings, not realizing that she's trying to admit her feelings to him, eventually leading to Sunakawa having to trick Rinko to admit her feelings while Takeo was hiding under his bed. This episode also cements just what the deal with Sunakawa is. He's a true friend to Takeo, and the reason he's never dated was because every girl who asked him out was someone who had bad mouthed Takeo in private. He wants Takeo to be happy, and expressed interest in Rinko because he was trying to say that he approved of her being with Takeo. I honestly wasn't expecting that. With the two an item, Rinko has Takeo gather some of his guy friends (he has a ton of them) for a date event with some of her friends but it doesn't go quite as she's expecting. As Sunakawa warns, just because someone is friends with someone nice doesn't mean they're completely nice in return. Thankfully, this series isn't one to leave things on a sad note and ends the episode in spectacular fashion.

Takeo and Rinko are adorable together. Takeo is a big old teddy bear (with the physically strength to destroy a metal door) and Rinko is a ray of awkward sunshine, so their positive elements match up well and create a nice contrast in their natural confidence. Takeo really proves himself as someone who would take on any danger for the sake of not seeing his love cry, while Rinko does something similar in how focused she is in defending her boyfriend's honor to her friends. The two love each other with no room for debate, and their challenges come more from people judging Takeo by his appearance and tough guy personality. It's a good angle for the series to build off from, if a tad predictable, and the large numbers of likable side characters really help. Takeo isn't some sad loner, but a popular guy that makes friends with relative ease, his real issues coming from just being so awkward and unaware around the opposite sex.

Sunakawa is also a pleasant surprise. I've never really seen a character quite like him in these sorts of series. Most romantic comedies need at least some drama from a third party closely related to the main couple, but that's completely ignored here. Sunakawa really is a stand up guy looking out for his best friend, and his presence in the story is to be the wise mentor of all things. He helps Takeo and Rinko realize their shared feelings and gives warning to troubles Takeo may face in the future. Match all this with the adorable art style and amazing Takeo faces, and this series is easily one of the most constantly enjoyable watches of the season.

Strong Recommendation

Ninja Slayer From Animation
David O'Neil

The first two episodes of Ninja Slayer The Animation, despite being pretty fun, rubbed me the wrong way. I was disappointed to discover that instead of going in a new direction Akira Amemiya was trying desperately to recapture the same spark that was created with his previous web anime, Inferno Cop. And unlike Inferno Cop it didn't really work, as a result of a few significant changes to the formula that ruined the flow of the series along with the show having weaker humor overall. I was seriously considering dropping Ninja Slayer if it didn't quickly address its flaws and make itself stand apart from Inferno Cop, and as it turns out, that's exactly what it did.

Episodes three and four largely drop the Inferno Cop style that the first two had implemented. At least three fourths of the show is actual animation instead of the flat, motionless, tween animation style, and they dialed back the wacky, in-your-face humor in favor of letting the edgy but fun 90s OVA style of the series speak for itself. I have much more fun watching a fight play out in ridiculous and over the top ways, than when its trying to get a joke out of random nonsense or goofily smashing the still models of the characters into each other like cardboard cut outs. By focusing more on proper animation, it decreases the jarring effect of the constant animation switching. By taking itself seriously instead of completely goofing off, the show actually becomes a lot funnier. And by creating a more streamlined story arc instead of just jumping from comedy bit to comedy bit, the pacing problems caused by the episode's long runtimes clashing with the Inferno Cop style of storytelling is remedied as well.

If you already loved Ninja Slayer The Animation I can't guarantee that this will be a welcome change. More and more it seems as if the show is moving away from emulating Inferno Cop and trying to create its own formula, but for me, that's a huge step in the right direction. If I wanted Inferno Cop, I'd go watch Inferno Cop, and what I've seen in the last two episodes of Ninja Slayer is something different from that but still a lot of fun. I finally have some hope that Ninja Slayer may be able to stand on its own, rather than simply try to live up to Inferno Cop's legacy.

Solid Recommendation

Plastic Memories
Joe Straatmann

Back in the nineties, syndicated science fiction television was all the rage. Time Trax, Alien Nation, Babylon 5, and other free agents wandered the early morning hours of local network affiliates, searching for Star Trek: The Next Generation money. Most of them never got close, but if they lasted long enough, they did manage to get a cult following and regular rotation on the Sci-Fi channel for whatever that's worth. Plastic Memories seem to fit right in with one of these shows. It's still not particularly original and not necessarily the most expensive thing out there, but if you have an open night in your schedule, it may hit you harder than you expected.

With the episodes solidifying the partnership between Tsukasa and Isla out of the way, it's seemingly back to format and with a case in which the duo have to retrieve an android Giftia that acts as the sole guardian to an orphaned boy. What starts off as a tear extraction exercise for the audience explodes into something more serious when black market Giftia retrievers become involved and the truly horrifying nature of what happens when Giftias lose their memories and become wanderers is more of a reality than foreshadowing. Without spoiling the full details, the military has to get involved and entire neighborhoods have to be sealed off if this happens.

It's currently slated at 13 episodes, and with a ticking clock already established into the narrative, it feels like the series is rolling a ton of world building into small timeframe. It can handle the rush. Since the case has the flexibility to hit so many emotional buttons at once without doing too much character establishment, it makes it a decent place to expand upon a great many thing and not be too busy. I can say it leaves a lot of questions a series with more time might've not left hanging. What do black market Giftia dealers DO with their androids? Do they sell them for parts or do they delete their memories and try to sell people cut-rate Giftias? I realize part of this storyline involves manipulating a child who doesn't know any better, but why wait until they're at the edge of becoming something so frightening, a military unit has to deal with it? The Giftia involved gets kidnapped off the street anyway, so why not just kidnap them when they're less likely to become destructive?

Obviously, the answer to all of this is so the developments can be as dramatic as possible, and the reason why they aren't really a problem is the show works. It's pulp science fiction made from used parts, but like the right bread maker from Goodwill, if the final product is delectable enough, does it matter? The characters have the right amount of chemistry to gel together without a whole lot of complexity. The sci-fi ideas are of stuff you've seen before, but they make just enough different approaches to give some extra thought to it. The animation, music, and otherwise settle in at exactly above average. It's not something to blow you away, but if your schedule can still fit in one more show this season at this point, make it this one.

Solid Recommendation

PUNCH LINE
David O'Neil

The first four episodes of Punchline were flat out boring. Despite a few gleams of potential in the form of frequent foreshadowing, and implication there's more to the story than meets the eye, the show had a slow start with comedy that didn't work and characters who weren't all that well developed or entertaining. If that wasn't bad enough it was also often incredibly heavy on exposition, droning on about the rules of the protagonist's powers, rules which often lacked any coherent logic or were never explained beyond its mechanics. But a tease at the end of the fourth episode implied that it was finally time for the show to head in the darker direction it'd been dangling in front of the audiences faces all this time. And overall, this shift has made the show better, but I still wouldn't go so far as to call it good.

Punchline simply did not work as a comedy. The jokes weren't funny, with the humor that ranged from "trying way to hard" to "lolrandom" with not much else. While episode five certainly takes a darker turn, it does keep the turn from being too jarring. Maybe it's just because I knew this was on the way, but I found the transition to be fairly smooth. What I took issue with was that the set up before now didn't really make for all that compelling a pay off as it finally moved into a more story-driven territory. The show thus far has been mostly made up of three parts: Fanservice, comedy, and foreshadowing. The foreshadowing certainly could mean some interesting twists down the line, but the show is missing pivotal components necessary for making the story going on now feel important, or impactful. As despite all the moments foreshadowing future twists, or giving small hints as to what's going on behind the scenes in the story, the show hasn't provided scenes to properly establish its characters and world. Much of episode five was centered around very character-driven and relationship-driven moments. A scene where a character feels extreme remorse over something that happens to another character, a scene where a character describes a horrible event she'd faced in the past, but these moments didn't feel they had the proper build up to be effective. We'd barely ever seen these some of these characters truly interacting or building relationships on an emotional level. Everything so far has been dedicated to build up of future twists (or bad comedy) rather than the characters themselves. It's only now the show has begun to delve into them as characters, but it feels as if they skipped a step and went right to pay off without properly building up their their relationships, conflicts, and motivations. I still know almost nothing about the protagonist, what his relationship is with the extended cast/overall plot, or who he is as a character. All his scenes have been dedicated to exposition on his powers or bad comedy.

In addition, it also failed to properly build a structure, or any sense of purpose for the show to hinge on. It seemed as if the protagonist's main objective was to get his body back, but that hasn't even been mentioned in a few episodes. Then it was to save his friends, but it's approaching that plot thread in a very messy, unfocused way, one that also lacks stakes considering as far as we know he can time travel back to retry any time he wants (as long as he "wants to save someone"). And I still don't even understand why I should care, details on the world outside the apartment the show takes place in have been incredibly vague at best, its thrown in all these players from terrorists, a government cover up, evil scientists, but has given no central thread to keep it all tied together. There's the meteor, but again the show's barely even referenced its existence in the past few episodes. Right now Punchline feels like a mishmash of ideas held together so sloppily it's hard to be engaged as the story transitions from a comedy to a story driven show. The more emotional moments have been surprisingly well executed, but there hasn't been proper character building in the lead up to actually make it work. The show foreshadows on a constant basis, but has yet to actually give any central purpose or meaning to the story, let alone anything to justify or comment on the ridiculous fanservice of the first few episodes.  Punchline still has some potential, and the transition into darker places hasn't been as catastrophic as it could have been, but the show is still far too messy to really pull me into its story. The show is somewhat interesting to watch, but I'm not quite sure if its worth the four episodes of awful comedy and fanservice it took to get here yet.

Weak Recommendation

Re-Kan!
Jonathan Kaharl

It's really impressive just how much that supernatural element is helping Re-Kan! be more than just another generic SoL comedy. Amani's sixth sense (which Inoue seems to be getting as well) is central to the conflicts and ideas the series presents, mainly in themes of understanding others. Episode three shows this with Inoue's cousin, who's going through a tough time with his parents and keeps craving eggs, while episode four gives some development to Esumi and her days as a delinquent. The ghost angle is worked into their stories in a pretty clever way, surprisingly seamlessly and effectively

Inoue's cousin is even worse at communicating than she is, and much of the episode is the two trying to figure out why he won't eat Inoue's egg dishes. It's one of those rare times when a child in an anime actually acts like a child, selfish but vulnerable. The conclusion of the story is really touching, while Esumi's has her remembering her own supernatural encounter. An interesting parallel is drawn between her and Asami, and we finally get to see another side of her the show hadn't touched upon before. It's a really sweet moment, and the show's ability to calm down and stay silent for these moments is an admirable quality.

The jokes are still strong and constant as well, especially all the sight gags with the spirits. Kind of amazed I'm not sick of that perverted cat yet, may be because he never gets his way. Several spirits are starting to become cast regulars, and seeing how they mess with the main cast in their strange ways always manages to at least be amusing. If there's a low, its that most every character has one joke to them, and mileage you get from it depends on how well balanced that joke is with the others around them. Re-Kan! is mostly just cute, somewhat touching fun so far, but it does have potential to be more at this rate.

Solid Recommendation

RIN-NE
Stephanie Getchell

This week I can really see a lot more similarities between Rin-Ne and Inuyasha. Let me explain. First, we are introduced to Rokumon a black cat assistant/familiar trying to become hired by Rokudo after grandmother Tamako fired the little guy. After some hijinks involving an old club building and some angry spirit rats, Rokumon is allowed to stay as a possible way to save some money. But we also get to learn a little more about Rokudo, and here is where the first comparison comes in. Rokudo is actually half human and half shinigami thanks to Tamako and his human grandfather. Tamako managed to get his life extended (they met when he was just about to die), but in exchange Tamako had to live in the human world for as long as he lived AND take on ten times the work load as a shinigami. But she managed to get away with it because there is also a stipulation that if she doesn't complete her quota, then her grandchildren would take on the debt. Hence why Rokudo is now working as a shingami. As for the fourth episode, incoming comparison number two by the way, a transfer student is introduced to Sakura's class; an exorcist named Juumonji. He actually knows Sakura from a young age and instantly fell in love with her after finding out that she can see spirits like he can. However, his methods of exorcism are a bit too agressive as he attacks any spirit calling them all evil. This brings in our ghost of the week who just wants a date with Sakura's friend Miho. Miho agrees, but it turns into a triple date with Sakura and Juumonji originally going as a pair and Rokudo and Sakura's friend Rika. After a fun day, the spirit passes on as the group rides the Ferris Wheel. But that's not all, as it seems that we start to see Rokudo forming some feelings for Sakura.

In case you couldn't figure out the second comparison to Inuyasha it's the fact that Juumonji is basically Miroku all over again. Not only could he pass as a younger version, but some of his mannerisms and blunt romantic moments can be similar to Miroku. Anyways, I still like where this one is going! With each episode, we've had the chance to be introduced to a new character in this world: Tamako in episode two, Rokumon in three, and now Juumonji in episode four. It's great because we're establishing who's going to be our main cast of characters in the series. It helps that Rokumon and Juumonji are featured heavily in the opening so I'm just glad that their introductions weren't pushed back for several episodes. I also like how the development for Rokudo's character is coming along since he is a rather interesting mystery. We didn't know much in the beginning, but we don't have a lot more information than we do now. And it seems like there's something there with his parents as he doesn't like discussing that part. Why do I feel like this could turn into comparison number fifty and add some sibling rivalry or something like Inuyasha and Sesshomaru? Ah well, I'll find out later.

Like I said last time, this is a good show but it's up against some really tough competition this season. It's humanly possible this one will be overlooked, and it's kind of depressing to me. Despite a good amount of Inuyasha comparisons I've made today, I really do enjoy this one! It has it's humor and adorable moments that make me smile. I sincerely wish it didn't have to go up against a bunch of other series that are way more fun to watch, but I can still appreciate what this one is doing now and will probably keep enjoying it for weeks to come.

Solid Recommendation

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign
David O'Neil

I feel like I should dislike Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign more than I actually do. By all means the show continues to display a complete lack of creative thought. Pretty much every character arc, concept, and conflict so far has been directly lifted from countless other works without much effort to make it stand apart on its own. It's full of logical inconsistencies, plot holes, and overused tropes. And it's spending a too much time on set up, sticking in a boring school setting even when it knows everyone came to see some people with magical weapons battling vampires. But I find myself somewhat enjoying Seraph despite all this.

I credit part of this to the characters. Again, none of them are exactly shining examples of originality, but all of them have proven surprisingly likable. It's entertaining watching their personalities bounce off each other, and the banter between them can be clever at times. And a tightly constructed cast like this is important for an action show, after all, eventually these characters are going to be working together in fights, so its a good sign that even in a more laid back environment their interactions can carry the show on its own. I'm also a fan of Seraph's more conservative approach to telling its story. With vampires, demons, magic, and mysterious viruses the show could have ended up heavy on exposition, but for the most part it trusts its viewers to be able to fill in the blanks where it matters. In the latest episode they prepare to go through a ritual in order to get their new magical weapons, and they never drone on about how it works, or the mechanics of the magic. It's magic, that's it, moving on to the characters and the central plot.

I'd also like to make special note of the visuals in episode five of Seraph. I could instantly tell something was different, Studio Wit may be a solid animation studio, but for the most part they like to dedicate their best animators towards the action. Both Rolling Girls and Attack On Titan were shows that looked damn near incredible during the action, and not so much everywhere else. The latest episode of Seraph on the other hand is loaded with movement-heavy character acting animation, with characters jumping, running, and stumbling around with much more weight than I'd previously seen in the show. As it turns out this episode was actually handed over to a different studio, Studio Silver. The animation isn't perfect, animation this complex with a TV budget is a double edged sword, as its harder too keep the characters looking and moving consistently. But the animation is still really interesting and different, and I for one thought it was a nice change, at least for an episode almost entirely focused on character interactions like this one. So overall, I've been warming up a bit to Seraph. It's not a great show, but one I find myself enjoying despite all its flaws, and I'm interested in seeing where it's going.

Solid Recommendation

Show by Rock!!
David O'Neil

One of the biggest surprises so far this season was studio Bones' new idol anime Show By Rock. On the surface it had the potential to be a disaster, an anime based on a mobile phone game about idols who turn into CG furries to sing and battle evil monsters, but despite having the odds stacked against it the first few episodes managed to be a solidly produced and consistently fun experience. That said, it wasn't quite great enough to fully capture my interest. It was an enjoyable first few episodes, but it also felt as if the novelty could wear off quickly if it didn't keep things fresh. While the show has done a decent job achieving this, it pulls a few contrivances to do so, and still hasn't quite sold me one hundred percent that this it will stay engaging throughout.

Most of the aspects that made the first few episodes fun to watch are still here. The animation, while not Bones' best, is still lively and effectively complements the show's comedy. The comedy itself continues to work as well, with crazy over the top humor that, even if a tad bit predictable at times, usually tends to get a laugh out of me. And of course, the highlight of the series continues to be the main band Plasmagica's male counterpart, the boy band Shingan Crimsonz, who absolutely steal the show anytime they're on screen (to the point sometimes I wonder if they should be the main characters of the show instead of Plasmagica) with fantastic comedic chemistry and almost constant laugh out loud humor coming from their interactions. The main band, Plasmagica, has been doing a better job than before coming together as a group, at least for most of the last two episodes. Just as it felt they were coming together the most recent episode threw a new conflict into the mix. While I see what the show is going for, I'm not a big fan of these sorts of contrived misunderstandings that could have been easily solved if the characters had just talked to each other and worked out their problems rather than hiding it without a particularly strong reason. It will largely come down to how the next episode handles this conflict, but as of now it seems to be tearing apart the already loose relationship between the main characters for the sake of forced drama.

For the most part though, the show has remained a lot better than one would expect from a cash-in adaptation of a mobile phone game. Even if the story and characters are fairly routine, it still is executed well and manages to work in some strong characterization and world building in surprisingly adept ways. The show still has a long way to go if it wants to become more than just an above average goofy comedy series, the main cast still hasn't quite clicked they I feel they should, and the story still leans a bit heavily on poorly conceived plot turns, but despite that it still manages to be an entertaining comedy with likable characters and a vibrant, well realized world.

Solid Recommendation

Sound! Euphonium
Stephanie Getchell

What is it with teachers and either odd or slightly terrible teaching methods this year? Granted Koro-sensei from Assassination Classroom is one of the better ones, but with Kagami from Otaku Teacher and now Taki from Euphonium, it's interesting to see where this all goes and what methods are used. In the case of Taki, well many of the students aren't having it. As the Sunrise Festival is quickly approaching, Taki-sensei tells the concert band that either they improve within a week or they don't participate. This causes a rather big rift and debate within the concert band as to Taki's methods and how he's holding the festival hostage. Once the week has passed and the band has trained much more, with some instruction from Taki-sensei, the group is able to take part in the festival.

No I wasn't being harsh on Taki-sensei in the beginning, in case you were wondering. He actually kind of reminds me of a friend of mine who will tell you if you suck and push you to do better. He's a little like Koro-sensei in that regard, just take away the slight jerkness in Taki and we're good. And, to be honest, the kids were the ones who voted to work towards Nationals, of course that means it's going to be tougher than what they were expecting. I went through something similar in high school when we were working towards One Act festivals. This piece of the story is a rather logical move and is so for this early in the show. Taki is a new teacher for the concert band, and his methods are extremely different so that will cause some tension within the group. It's a natural fit. As for the other story pieces we get this time around, Kumiko's relationship with Kousaka seems to be improving ever so slightly despite the rough middle school days and Hazuki is working her way as a beginner tuba player. Outside of that, there's not much else since the focus is on the students arguing amongst themselves due to Taki.

The series is progressing in a natural way, and I have to give props to it for doing that. The characters are still a mixed batch with Asuka being my personal favorite with all her mannerisms and hijinks. Meanwhile, there's still a decent amount of angst and issues that we would come to expect from a high school series. Never said I was looking for greatness here, however it is still my strongest series during my coverage this season and I look forward to seeing more of it!

Solid Recommendation

Triage X
Danni Wilmoth

I feel as though the best thing I can say about this show is that it's at least half over. 

I'm not going to lie, I actually thought Triage X was getting better. It wasn't entirely the fact they were yuri-baiting two characters that I was getting more interested. In fact, both girls actually seemed to be characterized slightly well, and  enjoyed the budding friendship between them. It was a nice breath of fresh air amidst the show's violent and unapologetic misogyny.

And then everything went to shit. The two girls find their ideals don't mesh well together (Apparently killing evil people for justice's sake is morally sound but killing the exact same people out of revenge isn't). Suddenly, it's revealed that the revenge girl is actually obsessed with the guy who took care of her, which he tried to quell by giving her "hot beef injections" (she's in high school, by the way). This didn't satisfy her, however, so he thought, "What the hell? I'll make her into my personal killing machine." And so he did. Fuck this show.

Oh, also apparently taking a crossbow arrow and point blank through the head isn't enough to kill a person. They can still manage to pull it out, toss it away, walk over to a burning building, utter meaningful last words, then commit suicide by jumping in. I hate this show so much.

The latest episode is at least a little promising. It's focusing the idol-assassin Orihara attempting to survive a terrorist-led hostage situation alone and unarmed, Die Hard-style. She's surprisingly likable and resourceful when she's on her own. I can't wait to see how the next episode victimizes her so Arashi can play hero, which is basically how every single episode ends. Please don't watch Triage X.

No Recommendation

Ultimate Otaku Teacher
Joe Straatmann

Given that Junichiro Kaname is kind of a jerk who almost seems to put the limelight on himself whenever it comes to helping out others, what's a way to make the main character more likable? The series' answer is providing someone more insufferably awful. Enter Irregular Twin-Tails (AKA Makina Momozono). She is the student council president who insists student Kiriko, a maid cafe server, must be expelled because... um, because it must be against school rules somewhere! So Makina walks a mile in the shoes of a maid to realize the skills and virtues required are the exact same the school institution acclaims. But Makina is not a good enough person to settle with that and uses the blunt force of "society says it wrong" to show she's right. Fortunately, Kiriko just happens to be an underground Internet cult sensation called Cutter Girl (Japan, sometimes you really NEED to get your Engrish vetted), so with a little help and confidence boost from teach, she can have a surprise concert that attracts ten million people on a stream in a manner of minutes (Riiiiiiiight) and prove society favors her. Because otherwise, we would have to solve this with actual good writing.

With all that said, that's not really what I want to talk about. It's dumb and the execution leaves a whole lot to be desired (The concert is one of those things the makers insist is great rather than actually being great, and the animation tries to avoid showing as much dancing as possible), but if you need a little otaku life affirmation, cool. The following episode bites off far more than it can chew and no matter what solution it comes up with for next time, it won't be enough because the troubled student of the week has actual, serious problems that I don't think the makers fully realize.

It's all business as usual when Junichiro steps in to stop a small, nerdy student from being bullied not because it's the right thing to do, but because the small, nerdy student just happens to have an anime with him. Seijuro Nanami is in many ways the typical bully. Like most fictional bullies, Seijuro has a central cause to his rage. In this case, he watched his father, a professional baseball player, become disgraced, and following that, slowly withering from a disease. He learns every single incorrect lesson from it. When he tried to follow in his father's footsteps, his fellow players disliked his attitude, were jealous of what he had, and sabotaged their own success to make him fail. He is certainly not someone who is going to be turned around by the dinky little life lessons Junichiro has to offer as much as this series will try to convince you otherwise. This kid needs serious psychological help and a friend to guide him out of that. Junichiro gets at least half of that with his acquaintance from the first episode Face Punch revealed as Seijuro's middle school friend, but the only reason she gets roped in is Junichiro blackmails her with compromising pictures. He's the hero, right?

There are two things the lightweight comedy shows I'm watching this season have been doing: Occasionally leaning on meta-humor which is not really a big deal here, and trying for dramatics that are out of their league. The latter really bugs me. For this one, Ultimate Otaku Teacher's lessons are very superficial and have little real world use unless taken at the base theme of, "Your hobby has value." Junichiro never changes and never really attaches himself to the people he adds to his life except as parts of the anime machine. Trying to elevate this show with heavy dramatics requires a character willing to be more humble and capable of understanding rather than simply being a know-it-all. If this show wasn't working for me before, it's really starting to unravel now.

Weak Recommendation

Wish Upon the Pleiades
Jonathan Kaharl

With four episodes down, I'm finally understanding something about Pleiades that's been bugging me. The general mood of the show has been very reserved and melancholy, and it never felt quite right. But now that I've gotten down the series' pattern, I'm getting what it's doing and I really appreciate it. Since Subaru and Aoi made up, episodes three and four have given some more development for both the team and Hikaru. We discover that the alien has picked out the girls to help him because of their potential, and that his method that gives them their powers has sort of made all their possible selves converge in this one timeline, causing occasional strange moments, like characters discovering they have shoes they normally wouldn't have, or Aoi somehow being both a bookworm and an athlete at the same time. Subaru has also figured out, thanks to help from Minato in the greenhouse, that she wants to be more like the other team members, an attitude that helps them realize they all want to be more like each other as well and creates a connection that allows the group to work properly as a team. Hikaru's episode gives her back story as the daughter of a famous pianist, and also cements what her main issue is; fear of hindering those she loves.

Pleiades has weirdly realistic characters. Their problems are very relatable, and I mean that in ways beyond the usual underdog hero tropes. Their worries and complexes are very human and are all things I've felt at some point in my life. Hikaru's story is particularly impressive, as her desire to support her parents being held back by her hesitant fear that she may hinder them and cause them grief are feelings I've felt myself, and her reactions to it don't come off as cheesy and unearned like the drama in Cinderella Girls felt. The show holds back just enough to let the characters speak for themselves through quiet moments to make these moments feel as they should, never having to resort to overly showy symbolism or dramatic high points. It seems something similar is being done with Minato as well, building him up as a loner who's kind but driven by some desire that causes him to butt heads with the girls.

At the same time, the show manages to be good fun through its aged sense of humor that Gainax has always done well (weird eccentrics, slapstick, ect), matching it with the breath-taking flying scenes. The CG is a significant problem, though, instantly distracting as soon as it shows up. The show's reserved tone also doesn't fit when character drama isn't the focus, just a tad too quiet to make the grand sequences going on stand out. As it is, though, Pleiades is very impressive work for post-Trigger Gainax, and I hope this is a sign of good things to come from the past its prime studio.

Solid Recommendation

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches
Jonathan Kaharl

With three episodes under my belt, I'm finally starting to get what Yamada-kun is trying to be, which makes it weird that the whole magic angle hasn't been played up more, because I know for a fact that there's more magic users besides Yamada. It's ultimately a romance story about Yamada and Shiraishi starting to understand each other more and becoming closer, with the politics of the student council getting in between things, not to mention those eventual witch characters. The rest of the supernatural studies club are either plot important characters, or there for comedic relief and giving more characters for Yamada and Shiraishi to play off of. The series can only work properly through Yamada and Shiraishi having proper chemistry, and the series thankfully has that down pat. They're just adorable when they're alone.

The humor is spot on as well, avoiding obnoxious gender swapping cliches. The newest character, Ito, manages to add a lot of energy to the character dynamics through her general lack of social grace and obsession with the supernatural, and her antics in episode two lead to a lot of great jokes and a surprisingly effective bit of character development for her and Yamada. Even the student council president, the supposed villain, has a good number of funny quirks, especially how he acts around women. The series balances a perfect balance of funny and heartfelt, with a lot of great characters to work with. However, it hasn't quite managed too wow me or have a moment that made me go "this is great!" Something feels like its missing, but I'm not sure what. Maybe the arrival of the witches will change that. As it is, Yamada-kun is a really nice surprise for the season, and definitely something that shouldn't be passed up because of the initial premise.

Solid Recommendation

Second Opinions

Blood Blockade Battlefront

Jonathan: I want to rewatch this show something bad and I can't honestly say that about any other anime I've ever seen. Yeah, BBB is the real deal, incredibly entertaining and just a visual and directorial marvel. How much money will it take to get Rie Matsumoto to do a Bleach reboot? Cause I will find the money. Strong Recommendation

Stephanie: I'm pretty sure this is the first time since joining Rainy Day and doing seasonal reports that I have become speechless in regards to a series. IN THE MOST AMAZING WAY POSSIBLE!! The energy and humor is ongoing and has yet to really slow down for long periods of time. That doesn't mean the series hasn't taken it easy, it did have a nice moment for Leo and Michella at the end of episode five. Speaking of episode five, this cast just keeps growing and growing! It's kinda crazy. And we haven't even met, I believe, one character that appears to have some involvement in the series. At least, so says the opening. The story has been rather episodic as of now, with an underlying hint of a larger plot on the horizon, but since it's about to head into the half way mark I kinda think it needs to start going towards that plot. Just a thought. If it doesn't by next week, it's not like I'm going to be upset of anything.... You know, considering I love this show to pieces and it's such a fun ball of energy I get to play with amongst all the other shows this season. Strong Recommendation

The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan

Stephanie: I should state the obvious here, because some people don't seem to understand it still. This isn't Haruhi, not by a long shot! It's the same characters, sure, but this is a completely different universe that isn't as insane and crazy. This also is a more stereotypical Slice of Life series with a twinge of romance added in, no more and no less. Still, doesn't mean I can't enjoy something like that. It's a different take on the franchise as a whole, and gives different focus and story to the characters we know and love. Does this mean it's wonderful? Well, nothing will ever really compare to Haruhi that's for sure, however, it can be a little bit refreshing at times. Even if it's rather cliched about 90% of the time. With the Valentine's Day episodes, it really gets into typical high school romance and misunderstanding so, again, don't expect Yuki Nagato to try anything new. Weak Recommendation

ETOTAMA

Jonathan: The more I watch, the more amazed that this show even exists. Most wacky, self-aware comedies like this usually end up being obnoxious or dull by some point, but ETOTAMA keeps getting more and more entertaining as it goes more and more meta. It's got looks and personality, and it always leaves me smiling. Strong Recommendation

The Heroic Legend of Arslan

Stephanie: So I may have found my favorite character of the series and his name is Narsus. Then again, I do like what I see from Gieve right now, so we'll see if it changes. This series is flowing a little bit better now that we have the initial first three episodes done and we can move on to the meat and potatoes of it. What's also interesting to me is the sides we see this huge world from. Yes, we get to see most everything from Arslan's perspective, but we recently got to see how Pars is doing thanks to Gieve's introduction to the series. It's good we get to see an update on Pars while Arslan and the others are holed up in a cave for some time. I mean, come on, who would want to stick with them during that? ......Unless something awesome comes from it. I'm curious to know how else Gieve will be playing a role in the show, since the opening clearly puts him with Arslan's group, as well as our mysterious woman who will be joining them, I hope, in the coming episodes. I just eat this all up for breakfast, I tell you. Strong Recommendation

Mikagura School Suite

Danni: I have to be honest, I love this show to death. If it wasn't for Blood Blockade Battlefront, this one would be my favorite of the season. Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for yuri and Eruna is a giant lesbian. Who cares. She's easily my favorite protagonist of the season, and I wait excitedly for every new episode. It helps that the show is supported by fluid (albeit charmingly crude) battle animation and a cast full of lovable characters. Definitely pick this one up if you haven't already. Strong Recommendation

MY love STORY!!

Stephanie: Thank you Suna for clearing up that misunderstanding since Takeo is kinda dense. And now Takeo and Yamato are dating and it's the most adorable thing I have ever seen in a good long time! I don't even think I need to go into more detail than that! I am just a happy camper with all the adorableness that happened this week! Strong Recommendation

Ninja Slayer From Animation

Jonathan: With episode three, the series has started to shift in tone, and now I'm not entirely sure what it wants to be. It's either an unfinished action show Trigger is airing early before the finished televised release, or a self-aware anti-comedy in the style of Adult Swim. Or it may be both. The good thing is that it does both pretty well, but it really pops when it goes for that bizarre humor angle and not the grim and gritty action tropes played straight. The arc starting episode three is the best part traditionally ...but it's not nearly as entertaining. Solid Recommendation

PUNCH LINE

Jonathan: That right there is the mail. Now let's talk about the mail. Can we talk about the mail, please, Mac? I've been dying to talk about the mail with you all day, OK? "Punch Line," this name keeps coming up over and over again. Every day Punch Line's mail is getting sent back to me. Punch Line's! Punch Line! I look in the mail, and this whole box is Punch Line! So I say to myself, "I gotta find this guy! I gotta go up to his office and put his mail in the guy's goddamn hands! Otherwise, he's never going to get it and he's going to keep coming back down here." So I go up to Punch Line's office and what do I find out, Mac? What do I find out?! There is no Punch Line. The man does not exist, okay? So I decide, "Oh shit, buddy, I gotta dig a little deeper." There's no Punch Line? You gotta be kidding me! I got boxes full of Punch Line! All right. So I start marchin' my way down to Carol in HR and I knock on her door and I say, "Carol! Carol! I gotta talk to you about Punch Line." And when I open the oor what do I find? There's not a single goddamn desk in that office! There...is...no...Carol in HR. Mac, half the employees in this building have been made up. This office is a goddamn ghost town. Strong Recommendation

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign

Stephanie: I honestly think this series would be a lot better if it followed Mika, and I will probably keep saying this over and over again. Even the fourth episode, titled "Vampire Mika", featured him very little. So not only is this series rushed, cliched, and choppy, but pretty misleading. How lovely... Again, if this was just the 12 episodes for an entire series, I would be a little more lenient on it, but it's not going to be just the 12 so I will be a little harsher on it. It's progressing as you would expect it to, with the end of episode five having Yu, Yoichi, and Kimizuki about to make contracts with demons. Sadly, this series has been very one sided as of now with extremely little focus on Mika's side and the vampires. I mean, I seriously want to know what he's referring to when he wants to rescue Yu. This one is still a mess and it's probably going to hit a wall at some point. I'm just waiting patiently for when that happens... Weak Recommendation

Sound! Euphonium

Joe: I have to confess if this slice-of-life's cast swapped with an entirely different one for a week, it would take me a bit to notice. I don't really find myself attached to the main characters, but Kyoto Animation gives them enough love and care that they're decent threads through which the many aspects of high school band are stringed together. The band scenes are animated convincingly and there really is a feel to how much you have to do to become a great band. It's not the first on my list of series to watch every week, but I'm at least glad to have experienced it when I do get around to it. Solid Recommendation

Jonathan: THAT IS NOT MY TEMPO. This is easily one of Kyo-Ani's best produced shows (and I realize how heavy that statement is), with animation quality at the level of a film production at nearly every scene. It's also an impressively written work that perfectly captures the world of competition and youthful uncertainty. It's not a series I love, but it's something I can't help but be impressed by and enjoy. It's more like Ping Pong than Grisaia, basically, a work of mastery over entertainment, but what it does so well makes it incredibly engaging. Strong Recommendation

Ultimate Otaku Teacher

Stephanie: Well, I think I may be the only one who kinda enjoys this series. I even got into a discussion with someone I know, who only watched the first episode and hated it. Here's the thing, the first episode did go to extremes to achieve what it wanted to, and I don't condone any teacher to use the same methods that Kagami used. However, those extremes have pretty much disappeared since then. Case in point, episodes four and five. One has two girls, one learning about the dignity of maids while working at a maid cafe and the other gaining herself back after Kagami sets the stage for a performance. The second, has Kagami against the school monster, of sorts, with Kagami making the challenge of playing a game of soccer. Honestly, I think that first episode was really an attempt to try and attract it's audience, hence the extreme method. If you look past that and keep going, Otaku Teacher is a bit of an odd ball series that has a mix of humor and lessons that you probably would not expect an otaku to teach of all things. Like Hiiragi, I like amusing things, and, oddly enough, Otaku Teacher is one of those amusing things I've run into this season and this week keeps that trend alive for me. Solid Recommendation

Wish Upon the Pleiades

Joe: The CG of Saturn's rings aside, I'm liking this journey to the stars the series is taking. It doesn't hurt that the episode about the trip to the Moon is one of those bulletproof stories where even if I don't care about the character it focuses on that much, even if the show it's attached to isn't that great, it still has an undeniable magic to it. I can't really defend the show more than a good looking series that occasionally charms me, but as much as I ask questions that maybe shouldn't be asked and as nitpicky as I may seem, I'm not that hard to please. This one generally keeps me entertained enough to keep me from irksome quandaries about explosive decompression and breathing in the vacuum of space, so there's that. Solid Recommendation