Wednesday, January 16, 2013

[New][January 2013] Vividred Operation


Japanese title: ビビッドレッド・オペレーション
Info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/14283/Vividred_Operation
Watch online: http://www.crunchyroll.com/vividred-operation
Genres: Action / Drama
I've watched: 1 episode

Summary: In the future, when the world peace is achieved through free energy. But now the generator island, Blue Island is under attack from an unknown enemy.
  
First impression score: 82 - Exciting

Personal comments: It was rather exciting episode early on, then, the transformation scene occurred. Suddenly, the cruel reality sets in and I realized this is merely another futuristic magical girl show. For a moment, it was exciting enough that I actually had some expectation for it, *sigh*. With what I have seen in the first episode, let me try to guess really quick what's going on: I bet that the free energy generator is not really generating free energy, it's actually pulling energy from another dimension, where those aliens are from, and they probably simply want human to stop stealing energy from their world. There, that's my prediction what's really going on in the back story. We shall re-visit it by the end of the season to see whether I'm correct ^_^

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

[New][January 2013] Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?


Japanese title: 問題児たちが異世界から来るそうですよ?
Info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/15315/Mondaiji-tachi_ga_Isekai_kara_Kuru_Sou_Desu_yo
Watch online: http://www.crunchyroll.com/problem-children-are-coming-from-another-world-arent-they
Genres: Action / Drama
I've watched: 1 episode

Summary: Three children, all with super natural powers, received a strange letter and are transferred to another dimension to...play games?
 
First impression score: 83 - Um...WTF?

Personal comments: While the story seems to start in somewhat of a normal environment, it went down the route of WTF in a hurry. But there are good WTFs and bad WTFs. In this case, my gut feeling is that this is one of the better WTFs, if you ask me, a WTF vibe feels much like Horizon series, which I was quite fond of. I'm actually looking forward to see more of this...

[New][January 2013] Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT


Japanese title: 僕は友達が少ない NEXT
Info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/14967/Boku_wa_Tomodachi_ga_Sukunai_NEXT
Download available through: http://nyaa.eu/
Genres: Comedy
I've watched: 1 episode

Summary: Life in the Neighbor's Club continues...
  
First impression score: 85 - Still Light, Still Random

Personal comments: While the first season was interesting, the only episode left much of an expression for me was the last episode. Rest of the series were just a big blur...

[New][January 2013] Sasami-san@Ganbaranai


Japanese title: ささみさん@がんばらない
Info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/14515/Sasami-san@Ganbaranai
Download available through: http://nyaa.eu/
Genres: Action / Comedy?
I've watched: 1 episode

Summary: A story about a pair of sister-con and brother-con?!!
 
First impression score: 89 - I was like "the fu..?", then I proceeded to laugh my ass off

Personal comments: One minutes into the first episode, I was lik "WTF"? Two minutes into the first episode, I thought, "man, this feels so much like Arakawa Under the Bridge and Maria Holic". Then I looked it up, it is indeed directed by the same director! So, after finding out about that, the rest of the episode doesn't seem to be too weird any more

Monday, January 14, 2013

[New][January 2013] Love Live! School Idol Project


Japanese title: ラブライブ! School idol project
Info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/15051/Love_Live!_School_Idol_Project
Watch online: http://www.crunchyroll.com/love-live-school-idol-project
Genres: Drama / Music
I've watched: 1 episode

Summary: Honoka's school is being shut down due to low enrollment, so she is trying to start a school idol group to increase the school's popularity to save the school from shutting down (really?).
 
First impression score: 80 - Reminds me of Tari Tari

Personal comments: While the concept seems a bit...um...lame, but, it actually reminds me of Tari Tari and Idolmaster (more Tari Tari than Idolmaster actually), both were series I was actually rather fond of. So despite how...um...stupid it looks, I actually hope it turns out well.

[New][January 2013] Da Capo III


Japanese title: D.C.III ~ダ・カーポIII~
Info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/14827/Da_Capo_III
Watch online: http://www.crunchyroll.com/da-capo-iii
Genres: Drama / Comedy
I've watched: 1 episode

Summary: The third series of Circus' game, Da Capo, a story about the island and a magical cherry blossom tree which blooms all year long.
  
First impression score: 80 - Just like before

Personal comments: Because the original Da Capo is among the first several animes I followed when I started serious anime watching (lol), it always has a special place in my heart. People who haven't seen the first two series may not have the same experience and insight about the story as those who do. I think that may make a different on whether you are able to appreciate the series.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

[New][January 2013] Amnesia


Japanese title: アムネシア
Info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/15085/Amnesia
Watch online: http://www.crunchyroll.com/amnesia
Genres: Drama / Supernatural?
I've watched: 1 episode

Summary: A girl waking up in a restaurant not remembering anything. She keeps seeing a flying person dressed like a jester which only she can see, claiming she's the reason she's having amnesia.
 
First impression score: 84 - Mysterious

Personal comments: So...is this supposed to a reverse harem? I mean, right off the bat, there are five "reverse harem" looking figure showed up to around only female character. At the moment, as I see it, one major selling point of the series is this amnesia, which nobody, including the character in the story knows what's going on.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

[New][January 2013] Senran Kagura


Japanese title: 閃乱カグラ
Info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/15119/Senran_Kagura
Download available through: http://nyaa.eu/
Genres: Action / Comedy?
I've watched: 1 episode

Summary: Something about girl ninjas...
 
First impression score: 72 - Can you say "fan service"?

Personal comments: Video game adapted anime, for some reason, always relies on fan service. I think this would last me no more than, um, this episode...

[New][January 2013] Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun


Japanese title: 八犬伝 -東方八犬異聞-
Info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/15613/Hakkenden:_Touhou_Hakken_Ibun
Watch online: http://www.crunchyroll.com/hakkenden-eight-dogs-of-the-east
Genres: Action / Drama / Supernatural
I've watched: 1 episode

Summary: Something weird stuff happening in a rural village in Japan...
 
First impression score: 82 - Reverse Harem?

Personal comments: Strictly speaking, I don't think this is reverse harem, but it smells like one, feels like one, it might as well be one, especially when the ratio of male to female character is about...10:1. At the moment, it's giving me a similar vibe as I was getting from Zetsuen no Tempest, which in my opinion is a good thing since Tempest turned out to be quite good.

[New][January 2013] Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru


Japanese title: 俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる
Info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/14749/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru
Watch online: http://www.crunchyroll.com/oreshura
Genres: Drama / Comedy
I've watched: 1 episode

Summary: Some dude who is planning to go to the medical school is trying hard to study well for exams, while trying to avoid all distractions, including relationships. But it just so happens that the hottest girl in his class is onto him...
 
First impression score: 85 - Um...Chuunibyou Again?

Personal comments: Another anime that makes use of chuunibyou, I wonder whether chuunibyou is currently in trend in Japan...

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

[New][January 2013] Maoyuu Maou Yuusha


Japanese title: まおゆう魔王勇者
Info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/14833/Maoyuu_Maou_Yuusha
Watch online: http://www.crunchyroll.com/maoyu
Genres: Drama / Comedy?
I've watched: 1 episode

Summary: During the war between humans and demons, a hero fought his way to the demon king's castle by himself. He thought he would once and for all defeat the demon king. However, what awaits him at the castle is something he was not expecting...
 
First impression score: 80 - Um...huh?

Personal comments: Supposedly, as my friend told me (who also have been recommending me to read the manga), this is the next Spice and Wolf, in terms of how the story focus on economies. Well, so far, I'm not quite seeing it just yet. However, you really couldn't tell that Spice and Wolf is about economies from its first episode either. So, we'll just have to see about that. Aside from that, the boob physics seemed a bit surreal, makes you wonder how much fan service it'll have down the road. Even though the main casts are the exact same as Spice and Wolf (Lawarance and Horo), Maou somehow lacks the striking attractiveness of the wise wolf Horo in terms of personality, despite the usage of extra boob physics to compensate the lack of nudity in the first episode. Could it be that horns in place of wolf ears just aren't nearly as attractive? So far all I see is the hype without anything to back it up just yet. But hopefully, it is really as good as people say it is.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

[Ended] Jormungand Perfect Order: Far-Fetched?


As a shoot-'em-up style action anime, it sure has gotten a bit complicated in this second half of the story. Unlike Black Lagoon, where the biggest event involves nothing bigger than a third world country, Jormungand's stage is the entire world. While the first season looked somewhat of a small play of an international arms dealer, the second season suddenly upgraded to a conspiracy to literally dominate the world. The method it was using, in my opinion, is a bit far-fetched. But then, if you put it up against the psychopath twin kids assassins, it really isn't as far-fetched it seems.

Final Scoreboard:

Drama: 88 (Somewhat)
Comedy: N/A
Action: 98 (Top-notch)
Art/Animation: 88 (So so)
Sound/Music: 89 (Good theme)
Character: 85 (A bit overly exaggerated)
Plot: 87 (Little far-fetched)
Ending: 90 (Ended)

Re-watch value: 60 - Still interesting to certain degree

Overall: 90 - Action Drama of the Year

Recommendation: Overall, Jormungand is a good concept with a very good execution. Even though the concept is bit on the far end of the acceptable spectrum, in my opinion, it doesn't really hurt the story itself much. If there's one action anime you watch in 2012, Jormungand would be it. Because it is

2012 Action Drama of the Year

[Ended] Sukitte Ii na yo: Shoujo Romance is Torture


I've said it in the past, shoujo anime is a torture, and better the shoujo anime is, bigger the torture would it be. And Sukitte Ii na yo, is one piece of giant torture device. I think the biggest plot device shoujo stories use is "misunderstanding" and "backstabbing". Week in week out, Sukitte has been putting on some spectacular displays of such. It was so spectacular, I wanted to pull my hair out by the hand full every single week I watch it. Some people may hate this for this specific reason. But if there's any emotional masochist in you, (yes, I admit that I am one, haven't you seen all of my posts about tragedies?), you would just love what this anime does to you.


Having said that, however, compare to Kimi ni Todoke, Sukitte comes a bit short in becoming a great shoujo anime. For the most part, the characters felt a bit one dimensional. Even though they made it clear that Yamato too is an amature when it comes to love, he is just far to naive for the status he holds. On the flip side, Mei, it's really hard to image that having been hardened for so long, she would just fall apart like that (though I do kind of understand what they were trying to do here). Then there's Megumi, that's a bit too quick of a flip flop. As much as like all the characters and the stereotype they represent, they just felt a bit...shallow. All in all, everything occurred felt just a bit too convenient for the story, which really makes it feel like a trashy romance novel.

Final Scoreboard:

Drama: 90 (Loads of)
Comedy: N/A
Action: N/A

Art/Animation: 86 (Typical shoujo)
Sound/Music: 85 (So so)
Character: 83 (One dimensional)
Plot: 84 (Very shoujo)
Ending: 90 (Nice touch)

Re-watch value: 60 - Maybe, maybe not

Overall: 89 -Shoujo Romance

Recommendation: While it's not as good as Kimi ni Todoke, if you like being tortured by shoujo animes, this is definitely something you don't want to miss. I would also give it

Shoujo Anime of the Season for Fall 2012 Season

Sunday, January 6, 2013

[Ended] Kamisama Hajimemashita: Light and Moving


If you ask me to tell you one major reason Kamisama has kept me following this series for the entire season, it'd be the ending theme song. "a-a~a-a, a-a~a-a, kamisama..." It was such a catchy song that it alone was almost enough for me to watch it every week.

Having said that, however, it's not this series' only redeeming value. Overall, it's a rather light story, as there isn't really much of a complicated plot going on, but there is no lack of dramas. By swapping rapidly between seriously touching moments and outright silly comical acts, it created a peculiarly interesting contrast where the those moments meant to be were much more moving, at the same time, softened up some intense rigid moments. The end result, is that the funny part of the series is much more funnier, and the dramatic moment is much more moving.

The plot of the story follows the typical snowball anime where each event gets resolved in the story lands more characters in the core group and eventually they all meet up in the end to do a huge favor for the heroine.

Final Scoreboard:

Drama: 92 (Plenty)
Comedy: 90 (Good timings)
Action: 84 (Not bad)
Art/Animation: 88 (Nothing special)
Sound/Music: 93 (Very catchy ending song)
Character: 90 (Very interesting)
Plot: 87 (Snowball)
Ending: 88 (Good closure)

Re-watch value: 50 - Maybe, maybe not

Overall: 89 - Plenty of Drama, Plenty of Laughter

Recommendation: In my opinion, even though I wouldn't consider this a top notch anime, it's well worth my time and it's very entertaining. While it's not enough to make the must-watch list, I'd definitely put this one high on the second-tier list.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

[Ended] K: Different


[K], is a unique piece of work in terms of the feel. It has a different feel to it than anything else in this season.

Even though it has left many things unexplained, as a standalone series, it's complete enough and the story actually brings itself to a good closure. Even though the world is not crazily farfetched as Horizon or Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo, it too used the similar approach, by giving no explicit explanations on the world's background, only to let audience discover how this world operate by piecing together various parts of clue the plot drops along the way. As of lately, I've been rather fond of such structure, because if executed correctly, piecing together how the world works would be an additional element aside from the plot to keep the anime interesting.

For what I've gathered, there will be another season of [K]. That puts some of my feeling to ease because the series touched slightly upon how the world comes to be late in the season but never really had any follow up after that. Hopefully we can see more of that so we can get an better understanding about the dynamics of the kings and the government.

Final Scoreboard:

Drama: 90 (Definitely)
Comedy: 85 (There are some moments)

Action: 92 (Different)
Art/Animation: 88 (Also different)
Sound/Music: 95 (Angela!!!)
Character: 90 (Unique)
Plot: 86 (Intriguing)
Ending: 88 (Somewhat complete)

Re-watch value: 70 - May pick up more information

Overall: 86 - Quite a Different Feel

Recommendation: It's a very unique piece of work. If you have trouble understanding it, there's a chance the second season would explain more.