The dawn of 2013 means the beginning of another new anime season, the Winter 2013 anime season to be precise.  Seeing as we’ll be spending the new few months with a number of these anime, it’s time to look ahead and examine these new show as a means to prepare for the upcoming season.  With a number of charts, lists and impressions already out there, here’s my personal take on the Winter 2013 anime season.

First is a quick look at the sequels, spinoffs, and other continuing anime of the season.  This Winter will feature a number of impressive and popular shows continuing their run.  Returning again this season will be: AKB0048 Next Stage, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT, Chihayafuru 2, Da Capo III, Doki Doki Precure, gdgd Fairies Second Season, Hetalia: The Beautiful World, Minami-ke Tadaima, Tantei Opera Milky Holmes Alternative Two, and Zettai Karen Children: The Unlimited.  Having watched only one of the previous material, there isn’t much for me to say on these anime besides that if you’re planning to watch these already, you’ve probably already watched the prerequisites or are at least familiar with these franchises enough that you already know what you’re getting yourselves into.  However, the only one that I have watched, I am incredibly excited for and that’s the return of Chihayafuru, one of my all-time favorites that debuted during the Autumn 2011 season.  So, yeah, this sequels, spinoffs, and other continuing material section is going to be rather short seeing as I am unfamiliar with most of these shows and have no new or original information to provide:

Chihayafuru 2

Opinion: Already a personal favorite, I find the return of Chihayafuru to be a true delight, especially since the original anime ended with so much story left and potential remaining.  However, what I’m looking forward to the most is the return of the cast of characters, each a fully developed person who fits into specific but dynamic roles and collectively share a charming chemistry together.  It appears that two new characters will be joining the karuta club, so their addition will be of particular note, especially how they impact the game, the comedy, and perhaps even the delicate balance of romance and affection.  Seeing how the story added in character previously, I have zero worries, but am curious to see what they’ll be like and what will happen.  The story in Chihayafuru is likely to continue from where the series left off, so I don’t expect much change in that regard.  And that’s the same for the production values, too, though I figure with the reception and success of the first season, there might be some more investments in the animation than previously.  I do have some reservations on the series, however, seeing as the past few sequels I’ve anticipated have been a little flat, but for Chihayafuru, I honestly can’t see how this anime could disappoint.  Either way, I’ll be watching and loving this sequel.

Plans for this show: Will watch

With the sequels, spinoffs, and continuing anime section finished, all that remains are the original anime series which see their debuts in the opening weeks of 2013.  This season will be a lighter load than previous seasons with roughly 20 new shows beginning, so there’s more opportunities available for us to try a larger portion of these shows to see what’s appropriate for our time and our tastes.  In addition to that, there’s about 10 new shows that are all between 2-5 minutes each, so it looks like this will be the lightest anime season in a long time.  I’ll have more to say on some of the other short anime once they air since very little information exists on them.  As for the others, they’re included below with the rest of the television anime.

The order of anime listed below is neither chronological nor alphabetic but ranked in order of my personal anticipation and how likely I believe I will watch that anime this season.  Every anime is evaluated and placed into one of five tiers ordered: Will watch, Likely watch, Maybe watch, Doubtful but it gets a shot, and No dice.  Within each tier, the anime are listed alphabetically.  Dates are not included because who knows when and where these shows will be subbed and available to watch.  So with that, let’s take a look at the new anime for Winter 2013:

Maoyuu Maou Yuusha

Opinion: The complete package, Maoyuu Maou Yuusha has the characters, story, setting and animation that I desire from any anime.  The cast seems set-up with a dazzling duo lead, a Hero and Demon set to join forces, along with other JRPG-type classes of characters like fighters and wizards.  The story focuses on the two leads as they work together to produce piece across the war-torn lands, with a focus on informative and practical applications, which is something certain to be intriguing and engaging for an anime.  The setting is a classical fantasy realm, something I always find myself attracted, too, and the art and animation shown in the PV is superb.  From what I’ve heard, the manga has received favorable reviews and been compared with Spice and Wolf a few times, an anime that share similar attributes and is one of my all-time favorites.  I’m curious to see how educational or intelligent the anime is, too, considering that seems to be an emphasis, which is something I find particularly appealing about this anime.  In regards to flaws or faults, I can’t seem to find any besides that it might be too short at only 12 episodes.  Then again, there light novel it is based on is still continuing, so hopefully there’ll be several sequels in the seasons to follow.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Puchimas!

Opinion: Although this is a 2-minute anime, it seems like Puchimas! will be airing on weekdays for some time during this season.  That means every Monday through Friday, a 2 minute episode will air based on the humorous 4-koma iDOLM@STER spin-off manga.  Why it’s here instead of the continuation section is based on how it doesn’t require any prerequisite anime or material to watch besides maybe getting to know the characters.  It’s set in its own strange timeline where each of the girls gets a chibi version of themselves with comedy not far behind.  And though it’s one of those anime with a runtime of 2 minutes per episode, it has an unusual broadcasting schedule being five times each week rather than weekly, meaning it’ll be featured quite a bit and quite quickly this season.  Having read a few pages of the manga and enjoyed it, plus having enjoyed the iDOLM@STER anime previously, I figure that this short comedy series will be a worthwhile addition this Winter.

Plans for this show: Likely watch

Sasami-san@Ganbaranai

Opinion: What immediately catches my eye of this anime is its art and animation, a brilliant watercolor world populated with energetic, emotive characters whose designs are not only comprehensive in detail but interesting to gaze upon.  Not only that, but the directing style of SHAFT shows some diverse cinematography with rather interesting camera focuses, shots and motion.  The visuals in this anime figure to be among the best this season.  The characters and story, however, are where I find some potential imperfections in this series.  While the characters appear distinct and lively, there’s this whole onii-chan/lolicon thing going on with the lead male which might foreshadow a dependence on otaku humor and other uninteresting stereotypical jokes that are becoming increasingly mundane and tiresome as the number of anime that use it increase.  The story, however, is a bit better revolving around a hikikomori sister wondering about the fantastic outside world outside her home.  There is wild potential with this anime and the possible flaws thus far are just personal preferences on the characters and comedy I am assuming from the PV.  I might find myself to be wrong rather quickly, which I hope is true, and that this becomes one of the better anime this season.

Plans for this show: Likely watch

Senran Kagura

Opinion: Yup, there’s really nothing more to this anime than comedy, fighting and tons of ecchi fanservice.  You’ve got bouncing breasts, girls fondling other girls, and skimpy, shreddable outfits and that’s just the PV alone.  And you know that the anime is going to be a bunch of busty, one-dimensional characters in a nonsensical, illogical story that is probably stupidly simple and stupid.  Yet… here it is in one of my higher tiers for anime for this season.  What the PV tells me and from what I can tell about the anime, it’s an anime that isn’t going to take itself seriously.  It exists solely to be entertaining and to have ridiculous fanservice in it.  It wants to have fun, be sexy, and make the audience smile and laugh.  For a fanservice anime to actually understand that and tailor itself to that, they usually end up being pretty enjoyable, especially if the comedy is somewhat original and not based off character tropes.  Yeah, the anime might completely bomb seeing as it’s totally ecchi with no interesting characters or anything resembling a plot, but I’m expecting it to be fun and entertaining and that alone should make this anime worthwhile.

Plans for this show: Likely watch

Tamako Market

Opinion: Tamako Market comes across as an easy-going, unconcerned anime about a girl who loves mochi and her highschool friends.  I’m not expecting anything meaningful in terms of its characters or story, but I am anticipating a relaxing, easy anime to watch about a rather delicious subject in a semi-realistic world with amusing characters.  Kyoto Animation shows its force with some outstanding production values, especially in terms of the fluid kinetics in the animation and the rather charming art style and character designs.  It looks to be a pleasant blend of slice-of-life, comedy, and educational, meaning it sounds appropriate according to my tastes for anime.  The only potential negatives I see with this anime is that it might come across as boring or empty, but as long as I smile and enjoy the anime based on the comedy and friendship, then it’ll be worth it.

Plans for this show: Likely watch

Yama no Susume

Opinion: Yeah, this is going to be another short anime (5 minutes per episode), but I find it to be incredibly charming and on a hobby that I enjoy and can appreciate.  Yama no Susume follows the story of two childhood friends determined to climb a mountain to watch the sunrise together.  It’s going to be a rather short, simple slice-of-life anime about two girls with a shared goal and some passion for mountaineering, something that I enjoy doing with my friends.  Since I can share in the experience with the girls, I find myself to be drawn into this anime more than others.  However, the anime doesn’t look all that great.  Since the episodes are only 5 minutes each week, the characters and story are probably going to be rushed, the comedy be rather dull, and the pacing rather erratic.  Still, I believe this will be a cute anime to watch on a topic that I enjoy, so this anime will likely be picked up this season.

Plans for this show: Likely watch

Ai Mai Mi

Opinion: This hyperactive, psychotic chibi comedy revolves around the four crazy girls of a highschool manga club going on random, zany adventures and drawing manga.  It seems like a fun anime with its main draw being the comedy that it so heavily emphasizes, so it’s likely something dumb that I’ll watch, laugh at, and enjoy.  However, with nothing else besides the comedy, the anime can quickly find itself off my list if the humor is rather dry, derivative, or a rehashing of otaku jokes that weren’t funny when they first were told back decades ago.  However, the episodes are only 3 minutes each, so the chances of that happening are smaller than if it were a full-length anime.  The art and animation is somewhat cheap but it holds its own charm and the characters seem to fit the premise rather well considering how screwy they are.  I doubt there will be any type of story in this anime but that might end up being a positive depending on how the comedy works.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Amnesia

Opinion: Although I’ve never found myself particularly interested in reverse-harem shoujo romances, Amnesia catches my eye with its subtle fantasy elements and a theoretically fascinating storyline.  The protagonist of the anime wakes up without any memories and pieces together her past and present with the help of a young spirit boy.  While it’s likely to focus on her romance and rediscovering the identities her friends and lovers around her, there’s the potential for it to examine a rather fascinating fantasy setting that is hinted throughout the PV.  If it is, then I’ll probably find myself watching this anime this Winter.  If not, I don’t think I’ll be interested enough to find out which bishounen that the girl likes best in another mystery, romance anime that is probably pretty mundane and boring.  It might take a few episodes before deciding on this one.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman

Opinion: Seeing that the character designs are from Monkey Punch, creator of the legendary and distinguished Lupin III franchise, there are some high hopes for this new, original anime.  Taking place in Kyoto following the Meiji Restoration, the story follows Roman who appears to live a dual life, one as an ordinary man and the other as a bandit or rogue working against the government.  Sounds a bit like Lupin to me, though this one has its own specific time and setting to differentiate the two.  The PV shows some solid art and animation and appears to be pretty entertaining, but I’m expecting the anime to have a somewhat profound or meaningful story fall short or something.  Then again, even if the story is underachieving, the characters and comedy might make the anime worthwhile and the action an added bonus.  I do like anime that take place in historical Japan, so that’s a plus for me, too.  However, I don’t think this anime will be all that great.  Then again, most anime don’t need to be for me to watch and enjoy them.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Mangirl!

Opinion: Mangirl! might be a fun, cute anime to watch, but it seems rather mindless and meaningless just from its PV and description.  Then again, it’s only 5 minutes per episode, so it might be an easy watch every week.  Following the lives four girls who run a manga magazine, the anime is sure to be educational about the manga and entertainment industry in Japan but twisted to be amusing and comical like all these kinds of anime are.  I’m not particularly interested in how a manga magazine is run and I’m a little cautious of the comedy, but I’m sure it’ll be tolerable.  The characters don’t seem very appealing, either.  Still, it looks short, so maybe that’ll be what saves it and keeps me from dropping it.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Senyuu

Opinion: Again, another 5 minute anime (what’s the deal with all these short anime this season? That’s three 5 minute anime now, a 2 minute one earlier, and at least 3 others), this time based off a fantasy JRPG realm with heroes fighting to save the world.  It looks rather plain and simple with some comedy, so there’s not too much appeal with the characters or story.  The fantasy JRPG elements are nice, but there’s been a number of anime and manga making light of the genre recently, so this is nothing new nor does it look incredibly innovative.  Still, at only 5 minutes an episode, this might be an easy anime to watch even if it isn’t terribly meaningful.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

All that remain are the anime that I have minimal to no interest in watching, the anime that either appear to already be flawed, boring, or simply outside my demographic.  While these anime may in fact be watchable to some, they do not appear to be for me.  I doubt I’ll watch any more than the PV linked in their sections but there’s always a chance for me to pick one or two up every season, so not all hope is lost.  However, for most of them, there’s already zero chance I’ll even think about them after writing my opinions for each.

Cuticle Detective Inaba

Opinion: It doesn’t look terrible, but it doesn’t appeal to me at all.  Sure, there’s comedy in the PV which I like, but the characters, story, and setting leave me worried and I’ve never been impressed with ZEXCS besides a few specific anime. Also, I refuse to call it anything other than Cubicle Detective Inaba from this point forward.

Plans for this show: No dice

Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun

Opinion: Another anime without any glaring flaws besides that it just doesn’t appeal to me.  There just isn’t any excitement or energy in that PV and the characters are all rather boring to watch.  Setting looks nice but that’s it.

Plans for this show: No dice

Kotoura-san

Opinion: It might be cute, it might be funny, but ultimately it’s a school club anime without really any redeeming factors or innovation.  Going to pass on it for now.

Plans for this show: No dice

Mondai-ji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?

Opinion: Normal boy gets transported to fantasy land with two girls and… I don’t think anything else is necessary to express my displeasure with this garbage.

Plans for this show: No dice

Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru

Opinion: Suddenly girlfriend plotline? I thought anime had moved past that forgettable phase. Imouto incest sub-plot? Unfortunately, anime has yet to move beyond that, too.

Plans for this show: No dice

Vividred Operation

Opinion: It’s like Strike Witches but without the cat ears and panties.  So, it’s like Strike Witches but without anything appealing to me or anything special to make it desirable.  Has some nice sci-fi elements and some solid music but it looks like another clichéd, derivative anime.

Plans for this show: No dice

And with that, my personal preview of the Winter 2013 anime season is complete.  Up next will be my first impressions on these anime, so all that remains for us now is to sit back, relax, and enjoy the new anime this season and all our favorites continuing from 2012.  Until then, have fun testing and trying out all these new anime!

This post reviews: Tamako Market, Sasami-san@Ganbaranai, GJ-bu and Kotoura-san.

Watching:

Tamako Market

Tamako Market is a pleasant, amusing and relaxing anime with a vibrant community living in a gorgeously animated world.  The stunning visual style has a definite emphasis on the setting too, with an array of colors and details in each background to place importance on place, specifically the indoor mall which Tamako frequents.  The characters that populate this world parallel this feature with a broad, diverse display of emotions which replace their rather simple design with humorous and expressive appearances.  The cast thus far show some promise, not in the individual people themselves but how they function and interact as a community.  Of particular is how the players of the market gathered together to celebrate Tamako’s birthday, showing a sense of community that is otherwise absent in most other anime.  Additionally, the conflict between the Kitashirakawa mochi shop and Ooji mochi shop hints at some rather comical history between the two families, too.  However, after that, Tamako Market begins to fall off.  It’s an anime with a dazzling style but not much in the way of substance.  Although I praise the community aspect and how it integrates minor character in with the main, all the characters seem rather plain and uninteresting, even Tamako and her family.  That’s a bit unnerving considering that they are the focus of this anime.  The talking bird, Dera Mochimazzi, certainly has some personality and spunk but seemed too out of place for this story, even with the fantasy/magic elements that were hinted to us.  Not a lot can be said about the plot thus far but it doesn’t seem to be anything special or original.  There’s plenty of time for that to change but it failed to make a positive impression.  However, the other aspects of the anime did which is more than enough for me to want to see more of Tamako Market.  Considering how much I enjoy the aesthetics of this anime, the community aspect of the market and the amusing comedy, this one is a keeper.  There is quite a bit of room to improve with the characters and the plot but that should improve as the anime progresses over the next few weeks.

Sasami-san@Ganbaranai

Another delicacy for our eyes, Sasami-san@Ganbaranai is a visual delight with its magnificent art style, keen cinematography and heavy accent on this watercolor effect to give Sasami’s bedroom a distinctive and exceptional look and feel.  What helps contrast this is how clear and detailed the other environments are, making the real world look like the real world and giving Sasami’s room a creamy, fuzzy, almost dream-like feel to it that’s both tender and comforting.  It’s brilliant in how the two settings are expressed so differently through these two remarkable art styles, creating this powerful schism between Sasasmi’s comfort-zone and the harsh reality beyond her bedroom doors.  While on the subject of the art, I must add that the character designs are outstanding and probably my favorite for this season.  The characters themselves, however, are a different story.  While everyone is some wonderful combination between cute and captivating, the personalities and interactions are somehow insufficient.  There isn’t much more to describe the two lead characters between your basic hikikomori and your basic perverted male.  The super-special fighting trio is only slightly better.  However, the five seem to have a bit to them that suggest they’ll improve soon.  The plot features some rather fascinating fantasy elements to it and shows some potential, but it felt a bit empty or rushed in this episode.  The first episode did manage to make me laugh a handful of times, so at least there is comedy to keep me going in case the plot turns out to be something mundane or lazy.  However, depending on how the story evolves, it has the potential to be something innovative which would be something both pleasant and surprising.  Overall, Sasami-san is a charming, delightful anime with a truly unparalleled art style that is both lovely and emotional.  The way the art represents both the setting and emotion is really quite noteworthy and a highlight of this anime.  Beyond that, there is some work that needs to be done with the characters and the story but the first episode showed plenty of promise for both to develop into something pleasant and rewarding.

Kotoura-san

Although I originally decided to pass on this anime, I found myself watching the first episode of Kotoura-san after some surprisingly positive reviews and the request of a commenter.  Thanks to the voices and enthusiasm of these fans, I have found another anime to watch for this season.  The first half of the episode had me rather worried considering how hilariously forced the entire melodramatic section was.  It was ugly with how it tried to make everything dark and emotional when every character was just being stupid and insensitive.  Contrasting that it little Kotoura who went from an adorable, smiling psychic child to a complete emotional wreck over a matter of minutes.  Not saying that it isn’t reasonable considering everything she went through but that it was so woefully forced I figured that this anime would be nothing but lazily written stories about irrational characters that wanted us to feel sad because bad things were happening to cute girls.  Thankfully that only lasted for half an episode with the second half much more enjoyable and a sign of what to expect with future episodes.  The latter half of this episode featured Kotoura warming up to her very first friend, the dimwitted and perverted Yoshihisa.  The comedy was refreshing and amusing, the story was heartwarming and meaningful (thanks to the silly, ‘dark’ first half) and I found myself enjoying Kotoura’s character more after witnessing and understanding her hardships (again, thanks to the first part).  I’m not sure how much I’ll enjoy the comedy and romance going forward but the psychic aspects and conflicting personalities made for some innovative comedy that left me smiling.  The art and animation are charming and cute which is something that fits the now-lighthearted romcom that is Kotoura-san moving forward.  I appreciate some of the visual techniques employed in this episode too, like the darkness shattering that split the first and second halves and how Kotoura tried to breakaway Yoshihisa’s thought bubbles with her hands after reading his mind.  The anime will likely end up being hit-or-miss weekly considering that it is a romantic comedy but I believe I’ll find a way to enjoy it regardless of its ups and downs.  Thanks again for everyone who recommended this anime to me, either directly or indirectly.

Undecided:

GJ-bu

GJ-bu lands here due to a few positives, a number of negatives, and a bit of curiosity that might prove to be worthwhile or another waste of 24 minutes.  The anime is cute, charming and comical; I found myself enchanted by simple yet endearing art style.  While all the characters are attractive, there really isn’t a whole lot in the way of animation or motion in this episode, mainly because the whole show is character sitting around and talking to each other.  There isn’t anything wrong with that as it is but it just doesn’t do much in the way of catching our eyes and keeping us focused.  One way to avoid that issue is to have some engaging dialogue (definitely not this anime) or some hilarious comedy.  While I did find a few jokes to be amusing, most of the comedy was rather dry and clichéd, such as with Short Tsundere Loli getting mad over something stupid, Genius Ojou-sama being the best in the world at something (this anime: chess), Airhead Maid being… I guess pouring tea constantly, I didn’t get her joke, and the Catgirl being silent and animal-like.  However, it is quite interesting to see a character be more animal-like than the Catgirl but the main character is some sort of invertebrate considering how he lacks any backbone in addition to a missing personality or any positive traits.  My God is he banal and boring.  What compounds this issue even worse is that there’s some sorta romance/harem-ish thing going on between him and the four girls which was just absolutely painful in this first episode.  Not only did it feel unnatural and forced but it kept popping up time and time again throughout the episode.  What’s even weirder about it is that there’s no cohesion or comradery with the characters with each doing their own thing to start every skit.  It’s like they’re uncomfortable with each other but, at the same time, they all wanna bone the one male character.  And while all this is somewhere between terrible and regrettable, I found some entertainment and enjoyment from this episode that keeps me lingering for some more.  I know I probably won’t enjoy this anime going further but I figure the characters can’t get any worse and the comedy is certain to improve now that the introductions are finished.  GJ-bu will get another episode and, depending on how it performs, it’ll either be kept or dropped.

Dropped:

Nothing this week, though if you are curious, I did scan through Vividred Operation and Mondaijitachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sou Desu yo which helped reinforce my notion on skipping them.

And that concludes the First Week Impressions for Winter 2013.  All that remains are all the shorts which are airing this season but I tend to exclude them from this blog since there really isn’t too much to say or add regarding these shows that last between 2 to 5 minutes.  However, for those who are curious, I will be watching Puchimas!, Inferno Cop, Yama no Susume, Mangirl, Ai Mai Mi, Senyuu, and Boku no Imouto wa Osaka Okan this winter.  Each one is entertaining or cute or in some way fun to watch and only a couple of minutes, so I have no problem if they have a number of problems or aren’t very good.  None of them are really anything great but each produces some laughs, some smiles and are satisfying to watch.  Adding those in with the other shows I’ve picked up and with the other shows continuing from 2012 and it appears that Winter 2013 will be quite busy.  Looks to be quite entertaining, enjoyable and fun, too.

With Winter 2014 zigzagging along and reaching the finales in the next couple of weeks, now is an ideal time to look ahead to and prepare for the Spring 2014 anime season.  Once April arrives, dozens of new anime will begin and several franchises will return to TVs in the forms of sequels, alternative stories or simple rebroadcasts.  Based on numbers alone, Spring 2014 appears to be one of the largest anime seasons in terms of total volume.  In addition to the abundance of this season, there is quite a diversity of anime, too, making this season more of an unknown or a mystery than others.  So what exactly does this new anime season have to offer?  Below is an extensive list of the anime for Spring 2014 along with my thoughts and opinions for each one.

Many familiar names and franchise will return in Spring 2014, including a handful I plan on watching (or in the case of one, rewatching).  Returning this season are: Break Blade (Broken Blade), Cardfight!! Vanguard: Legion Mate-Hen, Date A Live II, Fairy Tail New Series, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Keroro, Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo R, Love Live! S2, Mushishi: Zoku-Shou, Puchimas!! and Soul Eater Not!.  The best piece of advice for returning shows like these is to probably watch the original works or first seasons first to gain an idea whether the shows are worth watching or not.  Having only watched a few of these shows myself, I believe it is best to let these franchises speak for themselves with their own material.  That being said, since I haven’t watched most of these shows, I feel it’s probably best to leave them alone and lets fans of the franchises promote or hype these works.  However, there are two new franchises that I am planning on watching this season, as well as a few others that I will continue.

Break Blade (Broken Blade)

Opinion: I watched the movies as they were released between 2010 and 2011, though I forgot about the last two until recently (that’s what happens when you release anime months apart!).  Since I never did finish the original series, I plan on rewatching this TV adaptation.  I don’t expect much in the way of new material or additional story elements, but the movies were beautiful, and I enjoyed the series deeply.  I hope there is more to the TV series than what was shown in the movies but I’m expecting only a minimal amount at most.  That being said, I don’t expect too many people who watched the original series to pick this up, but I do hope this is one of the better and more popular anime of the season.

Plans for this show: Will watch

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders

Opinion: Being my second favorite anime of 2013 and one of the top of 2012, there is no question on whether I’d watch the sequel to the original JoJo’s TV anime.  Covering the third and most popular arc in the franchise, this season seems to be generating a lot of excitement and hype, especially based off the success of the TV anime last year.  Although I expect there to be some elements changed in the art/animation (hopefully improvements) and a completely different storyline and characters, I expect this to be one of my favorite anime of the entire year.  And even if there were people who missed the anime last year, I think anyone could pick up this season without too much of a problem, though I strongly recommend watching the 2012/2013 anime first.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Mushishi: Zoku-Shou

Opinion: At the time of this article, I have not watched the original Mushishi… yet.  However, since this is one of the most celebrated and admired anime of all-time, I plan on watching and completing the original anime before the time this sequel airs in April.  The original anime aired about a decade ago and has been on my backlog for quite some time.  I’ve always meant to watch the original anime, but haven’t had the time to tackle my backlog due to a number of other reasons and circumstances.  However, with the sequel airing next month, I have moved it to the front of my list and have set aside some time to complete the first season.  With that said, you can say I’m excited for Mushishi: Zoku Shou.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Puchimas!!

Opinion: Returning this season is the adorable comedy of chibi Idolm@sters, Puchimas!!.  The anime is somewhat diminutive when it comes to material, seeing as the episodes are 2 minutes long (the PV above is about the length of one episode) and the comedy is hit-or-miss.  However, the series is cute and enjoyable, even if the jokes aren’t amusing or the episodes long enough to finish a scene.  It’s one of those fun, mindless anime that are always worthwhile, even if they aren’t at their best.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Soul Eater Not!

Opinion: Although I have yet to watch the original Soul Eater anime, I’m planning on giving Soul Eater Not! a chance.  The reason for this decision despite the two anime sharing the same universe is largely based on the fact that they aren’t necessarily linear in terms of storyline or characters.  Soul Eater Not! takes place before the Soul Eater story meaning we may not need to know the events of Soul Eater to understand Soul Eater Not!.  Although there will be some references, cameos and parodies of the original series in this that I will miss, I feel comfortable with watching Soul Eater Not! if it’s a decent or respectable anime.  And considering that I enjoy comedies, I figure that this anime will be worth it.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

And with that, the section on continuing anime is complete.  What remains now are all the new anime of Spring 2014, easily the bulk of the new season.  Based on my initial assessment, I can’t say I’m too thrilled with the new anime of this season, but that’s bound to change once the episodes come out and we all get a better idea of what’s good, what’s bad and what’s absolutely terrible.  Sometimes, the previews and PVs can be a bit misleading or over-inflating, so take this preview with a grain of salt or use it as a collection of anime PVs like I do before I start each new anime series.

The order of anime listed below is neither chronological nor alphabetic but ranked in order of my personal anticipation and how likely I believe I will watch that anime this season.  Every anime is evaluated and placed into one of five tiers ordered: Will watch, Likely watch, Maybe watch, Doubtful but it gets a shot, and No dice.  Within each tier, the anime are listed alphabetically.  Dates are not included because who knows when and where these shows will be subbed and available to watch (which really is the most important!).  So, yeah… here is my preview for the new anime for Spring 2014:

Captain Earth

Opinion: Easily the most electrifying and enthralling new anime of the spring, Captain Earth comes from the same team that produced another favorite of mine, Star Driver.  Captain Earth shares a number of parallels and similarities as the previously mentioned anime, especially in terms of style, presentation and energy, but Captain Earth seems to be grounded a bit more in reality albeit robots fighting in cislunar space.  The artwork is elegant and colorful, the cast looks charming and fun, the story sounds intriguing with potential to be outstanding, and the action looks superb as an added entertainment value.  I am seriously excited and amped up for this way more than any other new anime this season and it isn’t even close.  This is still the only PV I’ll watch for a new anime this season and find myself smiling at the end.  I can’t wait for this anime to start.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Akuma no Riddle

Opinion: Perhaps the most remarkable takeaway from this PV is the music which is one of the most unique I’ve heard.  And anime PVs with music that catches my attention typically bode well.  The scenario for Akuma no Riddle is a bit underwhelming but it has potential to deliver in terms of action and excitement.  It’s the same for the characters too, who seem a bit plain right now, but should grow as the story does.  The art style has a generous presentation and the character design is attractive.  Overall, nothing to get too excited about, but considering how uncharacteristically weak this season is, it looks to be one of the better anime this spring.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Black Bullet

Opinion: Black Bullet looks generic as an anime… but that doesn’t mean it also looks good.  From the PV alone, I can already tell that the animation style, the character designs, the setting and the action sequences are all positives.  All that really remains are the characters, the story and all the fluff that goes on between fights and other exciting things.  This has potential to be one of the better anime this season if those latter criteria are adequate or even somewhat substandard.  If not, I probably won’t regret my decision with this anime, but it’ll likely fall to the middle of the pack and be forgotten.  You’re only goal now is to make a lasting impression on me which is something I hope this anime can accomplish.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Escha & Logy no Atelier: Tasogare no Sora no Renkinjutsushi

Opinion: I’m not expecting anything big from Atelier, but it looks to be an endearing, tranquil and amusing anime.  Based on the PS3 video game, I’ll be thrilled if the anime isn’t too story heavy and is more a slice-of-life of these characters set in this vivid fantasy world.  That being said, the anime might do well if it follows the game’s story heavily if it is adapted well.  What I’m hoping to get from this anime is some simple fun with some delightful characters in a gorgeous fantasy world, and it looks like the anime will deliver exactly that.  Hopefully the anime doesn’t go overboard with its story… but even if it does, I think the anime will be worth watching this season.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Isshukan Friends.

Opinion: Isshukan Friends appears to be a serene and charming anime, thanks to upbeat and vibrant aesthetics, a simple yet mature character design and the PV’s soft piano track.  It doesn’t appear to be anything groundbreaking, but it’s the kind of anime that’s a solid choice for something calm, relaxing, and funny.  I’m sure the anime will want to incorporate drama and romance too, alternating between heartwarming and bittersweet, but I hardly ever find myself emotionally invested in these types of shows, so it’ll need to thrive on its charismatic, soothing mood and lighthearted comedy in order to be a success for me.  At this point, I think this show will do just fine.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Mangakan-san to Assistant-san to

Opinion: Mangkan-san is an anime that doesn’t possess too many positives, but it hardly has any negatives, either.  Whether I watch this anime will depend heavily on how the anime views itself, likely to be a comedy and slice-of-life, but it depends on how educational it wants to be or if it wants to dabble in other genre, especially since it sounds ecchi or fanservicey.  Everything about the anime seems okay thus far, so it’s really hard to judge how it’ll do until it airs in April.  Also, I hope it’s one of those short anime since then I know I won’t be bored if it’s only a few minutes long every week.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

No Game, No Life

Opinion: What stands out about No Game, No Life is the fantasy setting that the anime seems to predominately take place in (save for the beginning in boring, old Japan).  The setting is both dazzling and colorful, pleasing to the eyes, and features a number of intricate details to show the thought and effort put into this anime.  There are also fantasy characters (catgirls and elves and probably some others that weren’t cute enough to be put in the PV) and fighting abilities to give the anime some flavor beyond a tasty setting.  I doubt the characters or story will ever really amount to anything since they do seem to be from the same cookie-cutter as many other brother-sister combinations, so I want this anime to prove me wrong and prove to me they have value.  If No Game, No Life can accomplish that feat, then it’ll probably be one of the better anime this season.  If not, I don’t mind dropping it early on.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii

Opinion: Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii is very well designed for an anime.  The visuals in the PV are aesthetically gorgeous with a mature character design and remarkable use of colors and lighting.  The setting appears to be magnificent too, taking place in a fantasy world with medieval architecture and a touch of magic.  The story revolves around a royal marriage between two strangers, which certainly has potential, and the characters seem to be decent, especially if they antagonize each other to start.  I tend to favor shoujo romances more than any other type of romance, so I might enjoy this anime as it continues.  Still, I’ll need to watch a couple of episodes before I know this will be right for me or not.  Based on what I’ve read and what I’ve seen, Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii looks to be one of the better anime this season.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou

Opinion: Based on the synopsis alone, I was prepared to hate myself for watching an anime about various wacky and zany perverts living together in a dormitory, but the PV paints the anime with a completely different brush than I was anticipating.  I still don’t think I’ll like any of the characters, the story or the setting, but… I am really curious to see what the material is like now and how the anime presents itself.  It doesn’t seem to be the type of anime that I enjoy since it is one lead guy, a perverted male “friend” and lots of silly girls, but if the series can make me laugh or smile, it might be worth keeping.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Fuun Ishin Dai Shogun

Opinion: I like robots and I like feudal Japan… but after hyping up Nobunaga the Fool and being severely disappointed, I find myself wanting to like Fuun Ishin Dai Shogun but, in reality, I’m cautious instead.  The anime appears to pass the eye-test in terms of characters, art, animation and action, but I have a feeling this anime lacks the substance and importance being awesome robot fights and a semi-unique setting.  It’ll get an episode to prove its worth since it deserves that much for catching my interest.  That being said, I expect this anime to be dropped after one episode.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?

Opinion: So Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka? appears to be the incredibly moe, slice-of-life anime this season with a quintet of cutesy school(?)girls residing at a café in a picturesque town with Bavarian architecture.  Obviously I’m not expecting anything thrilling or intellectual about this anime, but it looks like it has value in being a relaxing and amusing anime that doesn’t require much thought besides laughing or smiling every so often.  I often appreciate anime like these everyone once in a while, with Non Non Biyori and Kiniro Mosaic as examples of a similar style that I watched and enjoyed recently.  If the anime is of this quality and caliber, I can see it being a worthwhile addition to the spring line-up.  However, if it doesn’t have that charm, I’ll quickly find myself bored with the material and it’ll likely be dropped.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Gokukoku no Brynhildr

Opinion: Gokukoku no Brynhildr has a number of positives and negatives, but ultimately ends up on my good side to start the season.  While I’m not a fan of disappearing/reappearing childhood friends and generic male leads (the two biggest problems to start) the sci-fi themes do catch my attention and I’m interested to see the mechanics of this show and how they impacts the story.  It might be decent, which is more than I can say for most of the anime this season.  It’s ARMS, so I’m expecting substandard animation and awkward fanservice, but they’ve improved greatly in recent seasons and that hasn’t stopped me from watching an anime before.  The music from the PV catches my attention, too, which is always a plus.  If it has a strong first episode, I’ll probably be adding it to my schedule for this spring.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Haikyuu!!

Opinion: I really don’t feel strongly one way or another with this anime.  It looks like this anime could go either way as a good one or a bad one, but the synopsis and the PVs doesn’t really help all that much.  And outside of that, I haven’t found much on this anime that really sways me to the positive or negative.  The best recommendation that I have for this anime is to watch it when it comes out and to decide then whether to keep it or not.  Right now, all it’s getting is one episode.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Hitsugi no Chaika

Opinion: The anime looks to be incredibly generic… a boring male lead meets a mysterious and strange new girl, then there’s some random magic powers with even more random laws governing use and strength, and probably some simple fighting to start and comedy to follow while the cast expands exponentially… yeah, at this point, it doesn’t really have anything original or innovative to offer.  Still, the anime looks to offer some value in terms of action and humor, so it’ll get an episode.  Hopefully then it can prove to be valuable elsewhere, too.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san

Opinion: Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san looks pretty awful from the PV alone and doesn’t really seem all that great with the synopsis, but it does appear have some cute comedy as a supplement the main focus, yuri romance.  So yeah, that hope of genuine comedy is all I’m hoping for with this anime, and yes, that’s enough to give the anime an episode to start.  That being said, I don’t think I’ll be keeping this one since it just doesn’t look very good elsewhere, although I must admit, I find the dog tail/cat tail mechanics to be adorable and quite distinctive.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Kamigami no Asobi

Opinion: Although this anime will be a reverse harem, a genre that doesn’t appeal to me, I see enough from the synopsis and PV to warrant an episode or two.  What I find most appealing about this anime is the setting where the lead female is warped to a different world where she goes to school with various gods.  It’s not exactly rousing or excitable, but it has the potential to be something worthwhile depending on the actual story besides the girl choosing between six sexy guys.  The music might be my favorite for the PVs this season, too.  The art and animation are both solid, but I probably won’t be paying too much attention to it if the screen is filled with bishounen the whole time.  Let’s see how the first episode performs and then we’ll see if this anime is worth keeping or dropping.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Mahou Shoujo Taisen

Opinion: The basis of this anime is that it derives from a project where various towns in Japan were humanized into magical anime girls.  I… I think watching an episode and see what this anime is about is the first order of business.  There is no PV and no synopsis of an actual story or scenario, so I’m completely in the dark about this one.  So I’m giving it an episode, though I’m not expecting much.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Opinion: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei is somewhat of a letdown already.  While I do enjoy seeing an extensive and somewhat normal cast, an elaborate setting focused intensely on magic and a powerful, clean art style, I don’t think I’ll get far with a sibling relationship that the synopsis and PV both strongly hint at is borderline incest.  Seriously, why are there so many anime with this as the foundation for a relationship?  I mean, if the anime didn’t have it, this would be ranked much higher and I’d probably consider watching the entire season.  But with a little sister in passionate love with her onii-chan, I don’t think I’ll last through the first episode.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Mekaku City Actors

Opinion: I can’t say that the synopsis is too promising, a story about a NEET who locked himself in his room for two years and only adventures out after a cyber girl forces him, but there are enough merits elsewhere to convince me to give this anime a chance.  The character designs are all striking and distinctive, which, along with being a Shaft anime, bodes well for an admirable art style, animation and aesthetics.  The cast looks fun too, though I have no idea what their roles will be in the story.  And although I am disappointed with the scenario of the anime, it does seem opportune for character growth, self-discovery and exploration, so it might turn out to be worthwhile if it goes in that direction.  We’ll see what it’s like after one episode.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Ping Pong the Animation

Opinion: Obviously, Ping Pong will be an anime with some remarkable animation and a unique, rebellious art style.  Visually speaking, this will be one of the most interesting anime to watch based on these two factors alone.  However, I do wonder how much animation the anime will offer since PVs are slated to feature some of the better, more exciting work to sell the product.  I’m hoping that the frequency of good animation is on par with this PV but I’m willing to bet that it will be lower.  Still, one can hope.  I’m not really interested in the characters or the story or the setting or anything else besides the art style at this point.  If those turn out to be good, then great, the anime will be fun to watch.  If not, I might still keep this anime if it’s eye-candy like this PV for every episode.  And if that’s not the case, then maybe the characters or the story can carry this anime.  We’ll find out after the first episode.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizokin

Opinion: It might be decent… but it doesn’t look very good right now.  There are some positives to glean from the synopsis and PV, but it looks very ordinary for an anime which isn’t the greatest of news.  The anime will be successful if its primarily female lead, Ruugajou Nanana, is able to carry the show in terms of its story and comedy… and from the looks of it, she just might be able to.  I’m not sure anyone else is capable of doing that, at least given the starting scenario, but there might be charming or amusing characters elsewhere, like the blonde detective.  All that remains are, the art, the animation and the music are all standard to above-average, so at least the production values are respectable.  Still, the anime will depend heavily on how the story and characters develop, so it’s hard to say at this point whether this will be good or just mediocre.  I just hope the characters and story are as good as the budget behind this anime.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Sadou Desu

Opinion: Sadon Desu is a 4-koma comedy manga about a girl joining a club to eat snacks and have fun.  I don’t see much of a story out of an anime like this, but it might prove to have some decent comedy painted over a slice-of-life backdrop.  Still, I can’t help but wonder if this anime will grow boring after an episode or two, so it’s slated for one to start before reevaluating it.  Also, this might be a short anime that’s only 3- to 5-minutes long, which would certainly help this anime since it would benefit from that time structure than 24-minutes of mild humor.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

With those sections complete, all that remains are the anime that I have already decided against.  The reason why these anime are slotted here is because they either appear to already be flawed, boring, or simply outside my demographic.  While these anime may in fact be watchable to some, they do not appear that way for me.  I doubt I’ll watch any more than the PV linked in their sections, but there’s always a chance for me to pick one or two up every season, so not all hope is lost for these shows.  However, for most of them, there’s already zero chance I’ll even think about them after writing my opinions for each.

Baby Steps

Opinion: I’m going to wait to see what others think of this anime before trying it out.  At this point, it doesn’t interest me in the slightest but it has some potential to be good.

Plans for this show: No dice

Blade and Soul

Opinion: Yeah, no, doesn’t look good.  Don’t know anything about the game it’s based on either, so no real interest either way.

Plans for this show: No dice

Futsuu no Joshikousei ga [Locodol] Yatte Mita.

Opinion: Yeah, another idol show.  Yeah, another show I’m not going to watch.  Also, the manga design for these character is way cuter than the anime design, so another minus for this anime.

Plans for this show: No dice

Kanojo ga Flag o Oraretara

Opinion: It’s gonna be a bad and dumb harem anime.  Pass.

Plans for this show: No dice

Kenzen Robo Daimidaler

Opinion: Did this PV just make a giant robot battle boring?  How to you make a giant robot battle boring?  How??

Plans for this show: No dice

La Corda D’Oro Blue Sky

Opinion: I typically stay away from reverse harems and this looks to be a super reverse harem.  I wonder if that means I’ll super stay away from this anime.

Plans for this show: No dice

Seikoku no Dragonar

Opinion: It might be okay but the characters look boring and the fantasy setting sides on generic rather than unique.  That and the frequent fanservice (including awkward and ecchi tentacle scene) is more than enough to say no.  Dragons are cool, though.

Plans for this show: No dice

Selector infected WIXOSS

Opinion: It’s based on a card game, which is the reason I’m not watching it, but it doesn’t look like it’s based off a card game.  In fact, the PV makes it look pretty interesting with a rather dark and haunting theme overlaying some action.  The PV accomplishes its job in catching my attention but I still don’t think I’ll watch a card game anime.  Still, I’ll keep my eye out for this one in the first couple weeks.

Plans for this show: No dice

Sidonia no Kishi

Opinion: I don’t really care for the full 3D art style, so I’ll pass on this.

Plans for this show: No dice

And that concludes my preview for the Spring 2014 anime season.  Once the season begins and all the anime begin airing, I’ll document my thoughts, opinions and evaluations for each show in my First Impressions posts.  But until these anime are released, everything between now and then is just anticipation, speculation and calculated guesswork when figuring out where all these anime will fit into our viewing schedules.  I hope everyone has as much fun as much as I did when creating their previews and enjoy the Spring 2014 anime season as much as I do!

This post reviews: Black Bullet, Soul Eater NOT!, No Game No Life, and Hitsugi no Chaika.

Since I never really talk about short 2-5 minute anime, I figure here is probably the best area to cover the few new shorts airing this season. Of the new shows, both Mahou Shoujo Taisen and Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san are quick yet enjoyable comedies. Neither are unique or special in any way but are worthwhile if you want a couple minutes of amusement. Puchimas!! makes a return with a sequel that’s more of the same (which are episodes too short for more than one or two jokes). There’s no need to watch the first season of Puchimas! or The Idolmaster in order to appreciate the show, but it doesn’t hurt to know who the girls and their chibi counterparts are. In summary, looks like all the shorts are decent to good but still nothing phenomenal like Teekyuu.

Watching:

No Game No Life

Although the setting and scenario of No Game No Life is not out of this world for anime (typical Japanese teenager [plus little sister] are transported into and stuck in a mysterious fantasy realm) it is the main character, Sora, that makes the difference between this anime being fair and being good. Whereas virtually all other anime where characters are trapped in these imaginary worlds with no chance of returning, we see Sora embrace his new home as it proves to be more interesting and agreeable than the modern Japanese society that he previously resided in. What this means is that the story will take a different direction than what’s expected, with Sora wanting to stay instead of finding a way back home. Additionally, Sora is interesting in that he does not behave like a typical protagonist in that he strives to satisfy the common good or his ideals of justice. Sora is a true competitor, even becoming a cheater, and doing whatever he wants to get what he wants. It’s satisfying to see a character like this in anime and even more rewarding to see him as the main character. Furthermore, the anime does feature a number of other positives, including a gorgeous and vivid fantasy world and a pleasant art style to complement it. I’m curious to see where the story will go as it has captured my attention, but I can see the story going either up or down at this point depending on what happens with Sora and Shiro. Still, there’s plenty to look forward to with No Game No Life and I’m looking forward to watching it this season.

Undecided:

Soul Eater NOT!

Since I am unfamiliar with the Soul Eater franchise (haven’t not watched the anime or read the manga), it’s taking me a bit longer to properly assess and evaluate the spin-off, Soul Eater NOT!. I don’t think I saw enough material and characterization in this introductory episode to give the anime a fair assessment, so I’ll delay my decision until after the second episode. The take-aways from this first episode though do bode well, as I am intrigued by the dynamic with the three main characters and their evolving relationships. Of particular note was the scene at the end of the first episode with Anya clinging onto Tsugumi’s sleeve and appearing conflicted, rejecting her superficial personality and stepping out of her character into stay with Tsugumi. That was the best part of this episode and I want to see where she goes as a character, as well as how Meme and Tsugumi develop as characters, too. I can’t really speak on anything else since I have a limited knowledge of the setting and scenario, but the art and animation are fine and I enjoyed some of the comedy. But really, I don’t think I’ll have anything meaningful to say until after the second episode… so until then, I am undecided on Soul Eater NOT!

Hitsugi no Chaika

Hitsugi no Chaika had an underwhelming first episode, but the anime flashed signs of potential towards the end, that it might be something more than what this introductory episode showed. Whether this anime improves or not remains to be seen, but that uncertainty should be answered before the end of the second episode. The main issue with Hitsugi no Chaika is its lack of anything interesting or remarkable, whether it be the characters, story and setting. Nothing about this anime seems extraordinary or exciting. The whole first episode was dull and predictable, with this being the thousandth time (probably an underestimate) when we’ve seen a random guy meet a strange girl for an anime adventure. The highlight of the episode, which I’m guessing was supposed to be the battle with the unicorn, was simple and unchallenging… and, in terms of excitement, was mundane at best. The character personalities are all cookie-cutter, so there’s nothing encouraging there. The setting has some basic creativity, but nothing that makes it memorable. I will admit, however, that the final scenes during the mansion break in were significantly improved compared to everything that had occurred prior, so the anime does show some promise that it can be better than what it showed for most of the first episode. If the anime can continue on this trajectory and carry this momentum into the second episode, then Hitsugi no Chaika might prove itself to be a worthwhile anime this season. If it reverts back to the uninteresting, unexciting garbage of the first episode, then that will be the final nail in its coffin (haha, puns).

Dropped:

Black Bullet

Black Bullet will probably be remembered as the most frustrating and disappointing anime of the season. While I did not have high hopes for Black Bullet, even calling it ‘generic’ in my initial assessment for my Season Preview, I did not expect this to flop so quickly and be dropped in just one episode. Perhaps the most infuriating aspect of this anime are the characters with the second-most being the writing. Nothing about the characters seemed realistic or believable, especially with how they acted or reacted, with the loli being the worst offender. The dialogue was elementary and abysmal, some of the worst I have ever seen in an anime. The funniest part about this anime is that it attempted to include comedy, which is something humorous to think about.  The fanservice was awkward and unwanted.  The world isn’t terribly interesting with its monsters and methods for fighting them, but it probably doesn’t help that all the action sequences sucked in terms of pacing, directing or satisfaction. Nothing about this anime was original or innovative. Instead, it was cliché after cliché. It’s as if Black Bullet is the bastard child of all the negative aspects of all the sci-fi anime from the past 5 years. There’s nothing good I can say about Black Bullet or that I am done with it.

This post reviews: Death Parade, The iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls, Assassination Classroom, The Rolling Girls, Soukyuu no Fafner – Dead Aggressor: Exodus, and Yoru no Yatterman.

Most of the anime I’m watching this season are sequels which explains why these First Impressions posts are so light and infrequent this season. However, this season appears to be about as busy as any other, in terms of total anime, considering the number of sequels I’ll be watching in addition to all the new anime. If you were curious, here are some quick thoughts on the sequels that I’ve elected to continue during Winter 2015:

Aldnoah.Zero (S2): Completely ignoring the finale of S1 will mean a quick decline in S2. So disappointing.

Dog Days” (S3): A vast improvement over S2, likely to the reappearance of an actual story.

Durarara!! X2: A reintroduction to our memorable cast with new elements merged nicely throughout.

Gundam Reconguista in G: The most consistent thing about this anime is that I don’t understand anything.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders (S2): I knew I was going to dread Iggy, so at least I was able to prepare myself. JJBA is best when there is a strong antagonist, so until Dio appears, the series might struggle. Still, the Egyptian Deity series of Stands should be better overall than the Tarot series.

Kamisama Kiss S2: …were there always this many males? All I remember, or that I want to remember, from the first series is Nanami and Tomoe disguised as Nanami.

Watching:

Death Parade

For those who watched Death Billiards, the first episode of Death Parade provided a warm welcome back to the series by reminding us again of its shocking concepts, sophisticated setting, and stoic protagonist, Decim. For those who are completely new to this franchise… well, how was that for a first episode? I will admit, I did enjoy how closely this first episode mirrored Death Billiards, though I am thrilled they took the situation in a separate path this time. The key difference between the episodes is that this featured two sides cooperating in their game versus the standard competition in the OVA. And that leads me to my main thought with this series… where will it go? What does it want to do with its characters? With Decim? With Onna? Whatever it is, I’m certain it’ll be intriguing and stimulating considering the content of its episodes, but it does have a larger cast than I was expecting as shown in the OP. Still, with its superiority in storytelling, its appealing design, it’s curious characters, those gorgeous visuals, and that elegant setting, I must say that Death Parade is gonna be a fun anime to watch this season.

The Rolling Girls

The phenomenal art and magnificent animation of the Rolling Girls is reason enough to watch it, but it’s the absurdity of the setting and its ridiculous characters that will keep the anime fresh and exciting every week. However, that remains to be seen given the peaks and valleys in this episode. The fight at the beginning and the ramen-eating race were easily the twin pinnacles of this episode (I might be biased to the ramen scene myself) and the anime was running on a sugar high. The rest of the episode… well, that’s the crash. That’s not to say these scenes were bad, but just a completely different flavor, a different energy than the action scenes. I really wonder if this anime will be like a rollercoaster, cycling between peaks and troughs depending on the quality and quantity of its action sequences. If it’s anything like this first episode, great. If it’s anything less, that’d still be fine because the visuals are as equally impressive. Use of lighting and color have always been two of my favorite aspects of aesthetics in anime and this probably has the best use of color of any anime this season. Add in its charming animation, and this anime is certainly pleasing to my eyes. And yes, the absurdity of its world is certainly encouraging too, being as wacky and senseless as it wants to be. I’m still a bit weary of how the characters and the story will turn out, but the anime is no-doubt entertaining and meaningful to watch. It has a few areas it can improve upon and it should once this anime finishes these introductions.

Soukyuu no Fafner – Dead Aggressor: Exodus

Perhaps the most crucial, most valuable lesson learned from this first episode of Soukyuu no Fafner – Dead Aggressor: Exodus, at least from my perspective, is that you don’t need to sit through the originals to watch and enjoy this anime. Without having watched the TV anime from 2004 or the movie from 2010, I was able to understand and appreciate the background, the setting, and the characters. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a number of references and other tidbits that hinted back to the original series that I completely missed, but I’m fine with watching Soukyuu no Fafner without it. However, I will admit that this first episode was a bit underwhelming. If I were to give this episode a review in a single word, I wouldn’t have any qualms with saying, ‘mediocre’. But this mediocre isn’t bad… it’s not mediocre in the overall field of anime, just mediocre in my personal field… which means it’s actually pretty good. In fact, I think I enjoy just about every aspect of this anime from its art, to its action, to its characters, to its story, its setting, its everything. But what gives it that mediocre tag is that nothing blew me away. It was underwhelming in that nothing stood out to me about this anime to make it exceptional or memorable. Fafner is an enjoyable anime, one that I will likely enjoy watching each week, but there’s nothing special about this anime… yet.

Undecided:

Assassination Classroom

First, this was a markedly improved product over the Assassination Classroom OVA that debuted in 2013 (although this was expected). However, the leap in quality might not be enough to warrant keeping this anime. While I did enjoy the dazzling art and cinematography and found the storytelling and comedy a plus over the OVA, I worry about the story, the characters, and the comedy for the remainder of the series. This first episode did a sufficient job of introducing the background, the main character, Nagisa, his motivations, and the antagonist, Koro-sensei. Really, that’s all it needed to do. But the middle of the series will likely be like that of the OVA… some sentimental stories that’s heavy with absurd comedy and failed assassination attempts. I figure a few episodes here and there might be fun, but this pattern will likely get tired pretty fast. This style of shounen comedy really didn’t work for me before, and it probably won’t work for me now. Still, I do want to see what the content of the second episode is like and whether the comedy improves or if the other characters are as interesting as Nagisa. In fact, if either is true, then this anime might be saved. Until then, consider the anime doubtful, though it deserves another episode at this point.

Yoru no Yatterman

Yoru no Yatterman might eventually be one of the best anime of the season, but it’ll need one more episode to convince me it’s worth watching. Even though it had one of the best opening episodes of Winter 2015, I realize the content of the episode is not representative to how the rest of the series will perform. Still, just about everything about this episode was impressive, especially its art, animation and cinematography. At the very least, I know Yoru no Yatterman will be one of the most delightful aesthetically this season with outstanding visuals like these in every episode. What I’m worried with the series is the story. Given the storytelling of this first episode, I’m sure the narrative of the story will be fascinating, seeing as that we’re witnessing this world through the eyes of its supposed anti-heroes. However, I am not sure if this will be standard hero vs. villain battles or if the series will be creative in how the story and the world develop. However, I am fairly confident that the character development will be handled carefully and skillfully given what this first episode demonstrated. That being said, I don’t really care for any of the characters right now, but I care what they stand for… and that’s actually pretty big for me to say this early in an anime. There’s a high probability that I will keep this anime after watching the second episode, but it has to go in the direction I want for its story, its characters and its setting. If not, I wouldn’t mind dropping Yoru no Yatterman, but given that this first episode greatly exceeded my expectations, I think that the chances of that are unlikely.

Dropped:

The iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls

I’ve never been big on idol anime. In fact, the only idol anime I’ve watched as it aired since the inception of this blog has been the original The iDOLM@STER (as well as its spin-off chibi comedy, Puchimas!). What’s the difference, you might ask, considering the two anime are virtually twins of each other minus the characters? Well, it’s that the first episode of the original series had a hook. This one didn’t. What the first episode did was introduce the entire cast through an interesting method of interviewing each and demonstrating to the audience what the series had to offer. Cinderella Girls focused on only three. The original iDOLM@STER offered more diversity in its cast to start, featured a number of different stories (why each girl wanted to be an idol), and presented it in an innovative way. This one did not. Cinderella Girls took a fairly standard anime approach to opening its story, and it fell flat. And while I did enjoy the original anime, I can’t say the same for this one. There was no hook, and as a result, there is no real motivation for me to keep watching.