Wednesday, April 20, 2016

[New][April 2016] Bungo Stray Dogs


Last Seen: Episode 2

Summary: Kicked out of his orphanage after its supplies are ravaged by a wild tiger, and on the verge of starving to death, as well as having recently ran for his life from that same Tiger in the middle of a city...Nakajima Atsushi meets some strange men. One of them, Dazai Osamu, is a suicidal man attempting to drown himself in broad daylight. The other, Kunikida Doppo, nervously stands by obsessively flipping through a notepad, and trying to keep tabs on Dazai. Both are members of the "Armed Detective Agency" said to solve incidents that even the military and police won't touch. Atsushi ends up accompanying them on their mission to eliminate the tiger that's been terrorizing the population, as they take a keen interest in noting that the Tiger is following him, even though he himself hasn't noticed it yet.

First Impression: Comedy. I have seen nothing but comedy. Even when it tried to get properly serious in the second episode, I saw through it for what it actually was. Still, it tried.

My Opinion: Well. Right now it's still just introducing its main cast, and it has several more characters and powers to make a show of based on the lineup presented in the first episode. Interestingly enough, the show enjoys taking a moment to flash on screen every characters power when they are introduced, but...only the name. I...actually kind of like this. The name implies a vague idea of what the power might do, but it still leaves it up to the viewer to try and guess what it will actually be like.
Over all, the show has a very strange feel to it. I can't really grasp what the core of the show is going to be. Certainly, there's a hefty dose of comedy, and even some...mystery? But it doesn't really seem to focus on that. Also, for all the large flashy animations attached to the powers, the actual use of them is...extremely brief. Same for the action scenes. Maybe it's just because the show is still introducing everyone, and trying to get the viewer to connect to them. For now, the show has my curiosity well in hand, despite that nothing has really stuck to me, other than how weird they're making their characters out to be, psychologically.
That's something I want to point out, the show makes a point of explicitly saying something along the lines of, "all power holders have something twisted in their minds/personalities". I think more than anything else, that got my curiosity the most, the promise of an entire main cast with psychological issues to define their characters and personalities, instead of the usual checklist of anime character tropes. But, well, it could still just become that in the end. We shall see.

[New][April 2016] Twin Star Exorcists

annnnd I hate everything about you

Last Seen: Episode 2

Summary: Monsters known as Impurities reside in Magano, a realm parallel to the present day. Exorcists purify these evil apparitions to protect the people. Rokuro Enmado is opposed to becoming an exorcist, even though he has the talent to be one, after a tragedy in his past that killed all of his friends and cost him an arm. Benio Adashino, a girl from a highly influential/rich family of exorcists, is determined to exorcise all the Kegare, or Impurities, in the world. A pledge Rokuro once believed in as well, and which inspires him to fight just once to rescue her. However, afterwards, even though he tries to continue to refuse being an exorcist, the Oracle calls a meeting of all Exorcists, and proclaims a vision that Benio and Rokuro are the path to the 'Miko', the person who will destroy all Impurities forever, coming to the world. He therefore declares them engaged to be married.

First Impression: It's...shounen. That's...about it. A bit edgier than what I typically think of in shounen, but that seems to be the rolling trend these days. More edge and blood and such.

My Opinion: Eh, it could be good. Honestly, for all that it makes out to have an edge on it, (it doesn't really try to draw attention to it, it's just something I picked up on), what with the scene where Rokuro's arm is gone and all of his friends are scattered around him, bloody and dead in a burning building... it all still feels fairly...shounen. Maybe that's just the Fox familiar who in precisely ONE scene, managed to make me utterly hate him as soon as he opened his mouth. Or the 'friend' of Rokuro's who the show clearly lines up as a potential romantic interest... Or hey, how he actually hesitated for a moment before refuting his non-exorcist vow and flaunting his overwhelming power. A brief moment of humanity before total inhumanity. For all that it seems to want you to think it has deep parts in its story or plot, it still comes off feeling shallow somehow, somewhere. Regardless, it's interesting enough that I'm going to watch it, and who knows but that it might be good in the end? For now though, I see nothing amazing or out of the ordinary to recommend it, unless you just want something flashy, a bit funny, and with a few deep emotional points, to add to your roster to fill time.