Monday, February 2, 2015

[New][January 2015] Isuca: You have got to be kidding me.

Pfffft, this is literally the last thing I was expecting

Summary: In Shinichi's world, Yoma are sneaking into the human world from their own world in greater numbers recently, and attacking people for their life force so that they can remain there. Shinichi is attacked by one of them, but then saved by someone with a bow and arrows. The next day in school, another attack occurs, and when he runs after it, he discovers that the one who saved him, was in fact a fellow student at his school, Shimazu Sakuya. As the story progresses, he comes to discover he has a special power related to 'Manna' or 'True Names' and their inherent ability to control the person whose True Name you learn.

First Impression: Are you F***ING KIDDING ME? This is getting animated? Like, really? How? How does this even come close to making the pass!? Okay, okay. Back up. Breath.
Okay, so. This is another one on the block from my manga list
Let's just cut straight to the chase. This manga, animated, would hands down be a Hentai without some serious trimming and censoring. The main character has had a naked women slammed into him, butt, boobs, and even crotch first, so many times it's ridiculous I'm even still reading the stupid manga. The girls in this show have more trouble keeping a shirt on than...well actually there isn't even anything on the scale to compare this to.

My Opinion: Having said all that, I doubt they're going for the full conversion. Hell, perfectly sanitary manga that the 'indecent exposure committee' has never even heard of hardly ever get a full uncut transition into anime. Medium transition just doesn't work that way. This things going to get a free pass to at least 4 episodes if nothing else so that I can scope out just how much they plan to leave in. As a manga, this story survives on my list through pure comedy alone, gently spiced with a mildly interesting plot. The stories hardly amazing, but the plot is the kind of thing that I feel could potentially go in interesting directions. The story couldn't be more cookie-cutter harem love drama if someone stamped it out with a factory machine.
I suppose I should also clarify that while this show is getting on my list just so I can confirm to myself that standards are being adjusted over the pond, it's not necessarily pornographic. Just lots and lots of nudity..and kissing. No sex though, duh. This is, theoretically, an anime and not a hentai.

Really all the show has going for it as edgy is a love of nudity. Just on the women, I might add, since I'm sure someone wants to know. Which brings me to my conclusion: This show doesn't have a very long life expectancy on my list. While it's funny enough as a manga, I somehow doubt that the same kind of in-your-face nudity humor will do anything but grate on me as cheap pandering in live motion, especially since I already know the story. On the topic of previously mentioned plot, it is passably interesting, but mediocre as a rule most of the time. I can recommend the plot, if nothing else I suppose, since it is basically all that holds the humor together for me in the manga. Personally I love the Cat. Tis hilarious. Just gonna throw that out there.
If you're not here for comedy though, in live motion, and inevitably cut short as I'm sure the anime will be, the plot won't be enough to sustain this show. It's too slow moving in the manga. Now, if you're here for sexually tense comedy, line up on the right and get'cher ticket stamped for the season pass because this show's going to have it in spades, and if you love Pandering and Fan Service...or hell anything even vaguely in the vicinity of suggested nudity, the contract to sell your soul is on the table to your left. I'm actually morbidly curious just how far this show's going to push the limits.

Final Word: ^See all that up there? I wrote it all before watching the first episode. I have now watched the first episode, obtained my screenshot within 17 seconds, and completely satisfied my curiosity. Somehow, the censor bar just escaped my mind. I haven't seen anything so blatantly unsubtle in forever. I actually laughed when I saw this, it just was that far out of my realm of expectations. Having said that, I'm officially dropping this show after episode one. My morbid curiosity of how they were going to get a greenlight for this much nudity in a manga as an anime has been answered, and I have no other reason to watch this show. It's very much a 'funny the first time, grating the second' kind of thing. If cheap pandering or fan service doesn't bother you, or you enjoy it, Season Pass and Contract are still where I left them.

2 comments:

The Evil Cat said...

Well, consider that Seikon no Qwaser was animated not only for one season, but two seasons, including a 24-episode long season, it's not a surprise that they animated this. It's been a while since Qwaser came out, I'm guessing the industry is due for one sooner or later...

Zetro said...

ohhhh yeaaaah. That one. I also dropped that one after one episode.
...
Which, ironically enough, makes me feel guilty about dropping this one in one episode, like it somehow puts it on the same level. Qwasor felt a lot more ... base..? with its pandering than I know Isuca plans to be.
That is to say, it felt like a story that had so many elements cooked up just to give a reason for the pandering. That versus Isuca which cooks up comedy that facilitates pandering. Grant, a never ending stream of sexually tense comedy, but still.
Really, Isuca isn't as bad as I make it out to be, it's just one of those shows that would be hyper mediocre if not for the nudity and harem humor all over the place.