Spring Anime Reviews (2014)


 

Black Bullet copy

Title: Black Bullet

Genre: Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Aired: Apr 8, 2014 – Jul 1, 2014

Review Score: 7

Review: (By: Blue)

(Story) Humanity has been brought to the brink of extinction by a viral parasite named Gastrea. Once bitten a person will turn into these monsters, and continue devouring humans. However, sometimes when a female is infected the virus goes to the unborn baby, and they take on the powers, and abilities of the Gastrea. Rentaro is a young man who works for the “Civil Security” who is in charge of destroying the Gastrea. Together with his partner Enju they fend off these monsters in Tokyo. One day the government contacts Rentaro with an assignment to prevent the destruction of Tokyo, and all of its residents.

(Art) The art in Black Bullet is pretty standard, and there is no one element that really stands out to give credit. It did seem to keep its pace instead of degrading like some Animes do, and the fight scenes are pretty good. The activation of skills or when an attack makes contact with an enemy is pretty good. The destruction of some of the buildings was really well done. If anything bad, the CGI Gastrea wes meh to me, and it didn’t really blend well.

(Characters) Our four main characters Rentaro, Enju, Tina, and Kisara actually play a role, and have character development between them. I only found that Enju didn’t play much of a role in combat overall when all was said and done. Besides that, Tina my favorite character really ended up being an asset to Rentaro, and I was shocked at Kisara’s character development in the final episode.

(Overall) Black Bullet is really a good Anime this season, and does take a spot in my top 4 for this season. I do recommend it if you like Action, and Sci-Fi. The only thing that I didn’t like about Black Bullet, is that it seems to skip out on some of the action. At one moment they’ll have the characters in a big battle then the next second they’re at the end of the battle waiting for a bomb to go off. I really do feel like they could have added more action, and it would of not hurt the Anime overall. All in all, you should not miss out on Black Bullet.

 

Title: Hitsugi no Chaika

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Shounen

Aired: April 10, 2014 – June 26, 2014

Review Score: 7

Review: (By: Blue)

(Story) We focus on Acura, Tooru who ran into Trabant, Chaika one day in the forest as he was hunting for some food. Chaika, carried around a huge coffin on her back, and once she noticed Tooru’s fighting abilities she employed him and his services. He’s accompanied by his sister Acura, Akari. Their mission now is to serve and help Chaika as she is looking for certain magical items. Among their adventure, they are almost stopped by the military as their goal is to stop Chaika from collecting these items. They seem to think it’ll start a war, which Tooru doesn’t care for.

Hitsugi no Chaika doesn’t really offer anything unique story wise, but it’s also unrated along with Selector Infected. The lack of fanservice was a nice change of pace, and it was a nice adventure watching these three collects the items which Chaika is looking for. As the story progresses, you learn why she is looking for them.

(Art) I have to say, the art looks a bit lacking at times. It seems a bit too simple to me. It’s not crisp and clean like Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin. At least the art doesn’t degrade as the Anime goes on, which would have been horrid if it did.

(Characters) The characters are pretty solid in this Anime. They have little character development, but each one knows what he or she is out to do. Tooru and Akari are very loyal to their employer, and would not abandon Chaika even if it means death. They both were in a pass war, and now that’s all they really know. So being employed by Chaika ensures that they are still useful. All Chaika wants to do is collect her magical items without fail or delay. She’s a bit of an airhead, and I love her broken language, but at times could be annoying at how easy she could fall into enemies’ hands.

(Overall) As I stated, Hitsugi no Chaika seem to go under the radar this season, it was underrated. It’s in no way the best Anime I seen this season, but it’s not the worst. It’s a fun watch, and a good time kill. The plot twist wasn’t super awesome, but was decent and no, I didn’t see that one coming. Overall, this Anime is enjoyable, and should be place on your list of Animes to watch.

 

Title: Selector Infected WIXOSS

Genre: Game, Psychological

Aired: April 4, 2014 – June 20, 2014

Review Score: 8

Review: (By: Blue)

(Story) Selector Infected WIXOSS follows a shy girl named Kominato, Ruuko. She is given a card game which is popular among females, and to her surprise she and LRIG card who she names Tama. These LRIG cards have wills of their own. Only a few “chosen” girls are able to communicate with their cards, and those who can have a chance to become an Eternal Girl. If they are able to beat a certain amounts of other selectors they can have any wish granted.

(Art) The art in Selector Infected is nothing short of standard. The details in the environments, and its battle scenes really impressed me. There is no chunky CGI mix in with it, so that was a plus for me. Even when the Anime started to turn dark, its feel really drew me in. Overall, I say this Anime has the second best art out of all the Animes that came out this season.

(Characters) The characters were really decently written. They each had their own reason to fight other selectors, and each with their own wish they want granted. I really had no problems with any of the characters in Selector Infected. You have your shy female protagonist who only wants to help everyone. She wasn’t the “Let’s all get along type”, but rather more like Madoka who got drag into something unexpected, and ended up being really powerful. Even the extremely shy female who only wants friends did not annoy me. I really enjoyed how everyone turn out in the end.

(Overall) I know that an Anime about females that play card games doesn’t sound exciting, but Selector Infected WIXOSS is not to be missed. It did throw me off a bit considering it’s an Anime about card games. However, Yugioh was the same in the aspect that this is not going to work. The plot is the best part of the Anime. Everything looks fine and dandy until it makes a complete U-Turn and everything hits the fan. I loved the dark aspect of the Anime, they really did an amazing job with it.

 

Title: Soul Eater Not!

Genre: Comedy / Action / Supernatural / Slice of Life

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 8

Review by (Storm)

Welcome once again to the prestigious DWMA, a school where meisters and weapons learn to work in harmony to fight the evil soul’s and witches in the world. This time we follow three new characters on a brand new journey of their own. Meme, a clumsy but extremely lovable and great friend, Anya, a high class socialite who is still learning the ways of normal life, and Tsugumi, a weapon who is still learning how to control her abilities. The three become quick friends and share the ups and downs of a normal dorm life. They become dependent and very reliable to each other for whatever the case my be. The problems arise when Tsugumi faces the fact that she must choose a meister and face a tough decision of which friend she wants go with. While thinking about this a witch named Shaula starts to control member of the girls NOT class, a remedial class for people who are not overly well versed in battle. The three girls have to band together to save friends and make tough decisions that will ultimately lead them to find what true friendship is.

This show is a nice offset from the original Soul Eater show. It takes place before and somewhat parallel to the original story. We are introduced to new characters and new plots that do not have to leech off the actual story to be relevant which is really nice We also get a very well placed amount of back story, for those that do not read the manga, which explains how certain people and events came to take place which you do see in the original story. You get the Patty and Liz introduction as well as what happened to a certain teacher. You also get what you did not get nearly enough of in the original show and that is a closer look at the inner workings of Death City. Whereas the original was more focused on fast paced action and moving along quickly, this one is more relaxed and takes a calmer approach allowing for more detail into the surrounding area and events of the show.

So for fans of Soul Eater, I think you will definitely enjoy the show and have fun with this new story. It is a lot smoother paced and not as action packed, but is more on the cutesy side of things and has fun with its slice of life aspect of things. Fans will also enjoy the occasional cameos made by their favorite characters that tie the original show in nicely. So I really feel this show is good for long time Soul Eater fans as well as new ones to the franchise.

In the end I really enjoyed the show and ended on a really good high note for me. It is not as action based as the original which may draw some people away, but I feel it gives the universe more of a realistic feel. Overall really fun show with some great side stories and fun character development, that is a nice pace from the original show. If this show gets a second season I would be really happy to watch it and see where they go from here. Hope all fans of the original will give it a shot to see what it is about. Hope you all enjoy.

 

 

Title: One Week Friends.

Genre: Comedy / School / Shounen / Slice of Life

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 9

Review by (Storm)

Yuuki Hase is your average highs school boy. He goes to class has friends and a generally seems to have a good life. One day a girl in his class catched his eye, Kaori Fujimiya, he is interested in becoming her friend because she always seems so alone and distant. He goes out of his way to become friends with her and succeeds more or less by the end of the week. The only problem is Fujimiya has memory loss and forgets everything about her friends every Monday morning. Hase learns this and is saddened to know she has to go through this all the time. Not skipping a beat, Hase comes up with a way to help her with her problem. He gets her to start keeping a journal of her interactions with him and other day to day things to help her try and keep her happy memories of her friends. Through trial and error she keeps it up and grows more and more fond of Hase and other friends she meets along the way. So what happened to her to make her forget just friendships? Will she ever get her memories to stay? You should watch the show to find out.

This show stood out right away because it did not follow the plot of a majority of the high school shows that are out. Instead it has all whole new plot that I have personally not scene in a slice of life school anime as this one, and makes a great story out of it. From the first episode I really could not wait for the next one to come out. It was so gripping and had you wondering what was to come with every episode. You also really feel for Kaori and hope she will be able to remember friends one day. However the show is not just those two, their friends in the show also have a really cute and great sub plot that I enjoyed almost as much as the main one. This show is just so cute and sweet and shows you the extent that true friends will go for one another.

Really cute show with dynamic characters that really help the story and do have an impact on it as well. Really loved the way everything went together and could not wait to see all the climax’s from the cliffhanger episodes. This show will have you gripped from episode one and you will love every minute of it.

This was a tough season for me because it came down to this show and another one as for which one was my favorite of the season. For all intents and purposes I will call it a draw, because each show is unique and fun on their own individual merits. Overall really, really loved this show, and everyone I know that watched it also thoroughly enjoyed this unique experience. With its cute nature and overall warm feeling I feel like most anime fans will be able to enjoy this show and fall in love with the story and characters, as they root for the best of the characters.

 

Title: Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou

Genre: Comedy / Romance / School / Slice of Life

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 8.5

Review by (Storm)

Kazunari is finally able to live on his own for the first time and he is ready and excited for it. He arrives at his new home the Kawai Complex, full of strange and somewhat peculiar residents. His roommate is a masochist, who is very open about it, a beautiful older woman who has trouble keeping men Mayumi, and scary but sweet at times Sayaka. are the inhabitants of the Kawai Complex. Freaked out by this group of misfits he immediately regrets wanting to be there and tries to leave. Upon opening the front door he finds a girl he saw at the library Ritsu, who he is infatuated with. This causes him to rethink his decision and ends up staying. Many adventures occur for Kazunari all in attempts for him to get closer to Ritsu. From walking her home to cosplaying at a cafe, he is willing to do what he can for Ritsu to notice him.

This anime did not strike me at first as an anime I would enjoy a great deal. Quickly this show had me addicted the characters and each of their unique quirks keep it from getting stale. The cute, sometimes creepy antics of Kazunari are also fun to keep up with. This show is very enjoyable and really fun and easy to stay into and I really appreciate that in an anime now a days. You will definitely enjoy the show a lot and even really love some of the strange humor they through in. I highly recommend this show.

Overall really great show had so much fun with it and it did not fail to get me preoccupied at all. I hope this gets another season because I would love to see all these characters again in even more of their bizzare encounters. For people who enjoy comedies and slice of life, this show is completely for you. I hope That people can get as much enjoyment out of the show as I did.

 

 

Title: Mangaka-san to Assisstant-san

Genre: Comedy / Ecchi / Slice of Life

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 6

Review by (Dash)

Aito, Yuuki is a current mangaka who spends most of time either working, playing ero games, and dreaming of a harem filled life. Most of the anime takes place in his apartment where Yuuki and his assitant Ashisu, Sahoto work on his current “works” and hope to make deadlines in time. Yuuki, often lacking in inspiration or concept, will request things of his assistants that can come out of left field all in the anime of art! Add to the fact he does “research” and basis the character of his manga on his own life (in many ways)…

In short this is a cute Comedy / Slice of Life short (about 15 minutes) that deal with the daily antics of Yuuki and how Ashisu and the others (in turn) deal with him. They do give you some back drop (how they met) and what he does, but for the most part it is an easy going comical short. Another big win is the primary voice talent Matsouka, Yoshisugu (Yuuki) and Hayami, Saori (Sahoto) gracing us with their talent. You should know Matsouka best as Kirito from Sword Art and perhaps Saori (who is in like 5 anime this season) as Ayase from Oreimo. Add in the solid comical script and their VA talents, you really can get pulled in for a fun light hearted ride. Keep in mind our protagonist is very ecchi, to the point that drawing pantsu is a passion (and causes some writers conflict over the series). Minus his pervy nature, I did enjoy the talent and characters surrounding him. They all run as “typical character stereotypes”, but were still enjoyable for me.

All in all, this slice of life tale following a mangaka and his assistant is actually very cute. It’s short and easy to watch, but it is not for everyone. If you dislike the ecchi (granted boobs aren’t spilling out everywhere) you may want to dodge this one. It was good for a quick pick me up as I was getting ready for work and eating breakfast. I didn’t “dislike” Aito, but like said it was Ashisu who really sold the anime for me.

TL: Sahoto’s “Ug you disgust me” face is epic.

 

 

Title: Seikoku no Dragonar

Genre: Comedy/Fantasy/Ecchi

Aired: Apr 5, 2014 to Jun 21, 2014

Review Score: 6.5

Review by (Rising Sun)

Ash Blake is a student at Ansarivan Dragonar Academy. Most students at the academy have dragons that were awakened and they learn how to ride and tame them. Ash is the laughingstock of the school because his dragon hasn’t appeared yet. He is known as a problem child because of his negative reaction to people’s insults. He also has a marking on his arm which signifies that he will be a dragon master in the future. He is dragon-less until one day where his dragon Eco(which looks like a human) finally awakens!

If one were to mix dragons, a fantasy world, a school, and ecchiness, they would get Seikoku no Dragonar. Seikoku no Dragonar was an ok anime to me. It has a great amount of fan service. Some of the characters in this anime were sometimes bland and uninteresting(I am looking at you Ash). Eco, Ash’s dragon is a tsundere humanoid dragon who appears to Ash and becomes his servant(though she thinks Ash is her servant). She is very similar to Louise from Zero no Tsukaima. Ash is your typical ecchi anime MC/ He’s your typical nice, good guy trying to save the day. Though he does have some pretty cool moments.

The art and animation also reminds me of Zero no Tsuakaima mixed with a bit of Little Busters.  I Felt like the show could have had more character development. This show had a lot of potential Now the thing i liked about this anime were the similarities to Zero no Tsukaima. We have The pink haired tsundere bossing the MC around. There is a fantasy setting along with a academy. The similarities end there though unfortunately. Unlike Zero no Tsukaima, this is only a one time watch. With all that being said, I did at times really enjoy the comedy and the action. I did have a good time watching this. If you liked Zero no Tsukaima or any ecchi/fantasy/comedy anime, then you might want to check this out.

Title: Kanojo ga Flag wo Oraretara

Genre: Comedy/Romance/School/Harem

Aired: Apr 7, 2014 to Jun 30, 2014

Review Score: 6.5

Review by (Rising Sun)

Sota Hatate is a young high school transfer student who has a special power. He has the power to see flags on top of people’s heads which can tell their fates. For example, one can have a friendship, relationship, or death flag. Sota has the power to change or “break” this flags. One day  he meets this girl named Nanami who seems to know about his power.

The art reminds me of Ore no nounai(the multiple choice anime). The art is also pretty colorful and cutesy. Souta, the main character starts off as an aloof, distant guy due to his power. After meeting Nanami and lightening up a little, he becomes more open and closer to his friends. Speaking of friends, he meets a few of them( which are girls) and they all have feelings for him. So yes this is also a harem anime. he anime also has a great bit of star power with VAs like Kana Hanazawa, Kana Asumi, Yoko Hikasa, Yukari Tamura, and Aki Toyosaki. My favorite character was Nanami. Her aggressive and pushy attitude drove the story and show.

The story bascially starts of as a harem romantic comedy but then towards the later episodes, the plot becomes a little weird and complicated. I’m talking the matrix kind of complicated. lol. Though it did make sense to me, it might put off some people. I felt like the Flag power had more potential, but instead in the later episodes it took a backseat. The last few episodes also provide a few plot twists and turns which I’m not going to spoil for you guys. The opening song Cupid Review sung by Aoi Yuki is the cutest opening theme song of 2014.

Kanojo ga Flag was a decent watch. It has comedy, cute girls, plot twist and turns so it will keep you watching. Sure it’s a onetime watch for me but that doesn’t mean that it was bad. It was certainly enjoyable at times. So if you liked Ore no Nounai(the multiple choice anime) or harem anime, then you might want to watch this one.

 

 

Title: Brynhidr in the Darkness

Genre: Mystery, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi

Preview Score: 6 – (Average, enjoyed it a bit more. You have to like the genre.)

Preview (By: Blue)

(Synopsis) Murakami, Ryouta was fascinated by a girl name Kuroneko. She loved looking up at the stars searching for aliens. One day, she decided to show Murakami one with the promise that he tells no one. An accident occurs and Kuroneko dies. Years go by and Murakami is still looking at the starts. One day, a girl named Kuroha, Neko transfer into the same school as Murakami that looks exactly as his childhood friend. She completely insists that they have never meet, but something is a little off. She has the ability to predict the future.

Brynhindr in the Darkness seems like an ok Anime. It’s not too dark where everyone gets split in have and dies, but it does have a bit of blood in it. It did keep me wanting to know what would happen next, but the Anime did seem a bit dull at times due to the fact that I was just waiting for something to happen.

All in all Drynhidr in the Darkness is just ok to me, it’s an serious Anime. So if you don’t like drama avoid this one.

 

Title: Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin

Genre: Comedy, Supernatural

Aired: April 11, 2014 – June 20, 2014

Review Score: 7

Review: (By: Blue)

(Story) Yama, Juugo is a boy who moved out his parents’ house to live on Nanae Island. Among entering his first apartment he encounters Ryuugajou, Nanana. She’s a ghost who has not moved on until she finds her murder, and is confined into this one bedroom. The story focuses on Juugo who is hunting down her treasures that she left behind, named “Nanana’s Collections”, and hopefully find her killer. Each treasure has a special ability, both useful or not. Once Juugo enters the “Adventure Club” who’s sole purpose is to collect these treasures he is thrown into a big mess as he encounters Master Detectives, secret organizations, and villains.

(Art) The art in Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin, to me, is pretty well done. I enjoyed all the time they put in the environments as well as the characters themselves. The art is clean and crisp which doesn’t degrade as the Anime gets close to its end. You can tell they did put a lot of time into the dungeons when they encounter on.

(Characters) There were problems in the characters from what I seen, which to me was the main reason I like this Anime. Each character has their own reason to find Nanana’s Collection, and each has their own strengths and weakness. They are not the best, nor the worse of characters.I enjoyed Nanana as she played a few Sega games such as Phantasy Star and Virtual Fighters, and I loved her obsession with pudding. Juugo, really grows as the story progresses, he turns from the why should I help her to an I must do my best type of character.

(Overall) I didn’t think I would like this Anime, but it was a great adventure watching them go through dungeons, and getting out of sticky situations. Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin does have it fawls, but which of are not major. If you like comedy, and adventure type Animes you should not pass this one up. I hope they’ll release a second season as I’m very curious as to who and how Nanana died.

 

Title: No Game, No Life

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Supernatural

Aired: April 9, 2014 – June 25, 2014

Review Score: 9

Review: (By: Blue)

(Story) Sora and Shiro, also known as Blank, are two NEETs that excel at video games. One day Tet, a God from another word, pulled them into his world where everything is decided by games. In this world, humans have been driven back to one remaining city by the rest of the races. Now Sora and Shiro makes plans to conquer all the other lands, and become the savior of humanity.

(Art) I have to say No Game, No Life is very bright. There’s a bunch of neon colors everywhere. To me, it seem like Rainbow Dash eat a full box of color markers, and vomit all over the script. Also, I did think they did a good job with the environment as well, such as the buildings and explosions in some of the games they play. Overall the art is nice to look at.

(Characters) Sora and Shiro are both NEETs who are really intelligent. They research and plan everything out before challenging a serious opponent. Needless to say, their plans always go “according to plan”, and this will turn some people away. They are the overpowered type of characters, but not in the aspect of one shot kill. It’s more in the aspect planning ahead really far and adjusting to the situation. It’s really enjoyable to see how their plans come into play. I enjoy how they outsmarted their opponents, and I really enjoyed Sora and Shiro, as well as Jibril. If anything, Stephanie is the only weak character among they four, and I could really care less for her.

(Overall) There is a lot of hype and hate for No Game, No Life. None of which I think is really true. It’s not as great as the lovers say, and not as bad as the haters say. I really enjoyed it, and it did take my spot for best Anime this season. I did find flaws, such as the needless explanations in a few games, and some of the fanservice. But, none the less it was a very enjoyable watch, and I really do think you should give it a chance.

 

Title: Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii

Genre: Fantasy / Adventure

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 6.5

Review by (Dash)

Nike is the youngest princess from the Rain Dukedom. It is one of the last kingdoms to fall to the Sun Kingdom during his conquest. An agreement is struck that Nike will marry the current ruler of the Sun Kingdom (Livius) in trade for peace with the Rain Kingdom. After a small adventure she meets the king is none other then a young boy. Livius now commands Nike to use her gift of summoning rain and wind upon the land. Snapping out of the shock of meeting the young King, Nike starts on a journey to find out why the young king is the way he is and what can be done to heal the land and his heart (it does take about three episodes to really push to this point and their initial relationship).

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii (SSU) is a great tale (best way I can describe it) focusing on the turning point for Sun Kin Livius from war leader to proper/respected ruler mainly due to his interaction of Princess Nike. Livi (as he is called in the show) is a double sided coin. He is capable of being very kind and very cruel which is explained as the tale unfolds. Nike is a bit of the opposite. She is very independent, possess very little court polish, and strives to bring beauty others (albeit she is not ignorant and realizes you can’t “fix it all”, but bring joy or a moments reprise to tired souls). Both characters (while a bit typical in in that base design) have a great chemistry that really sells the progression of the story and importance of relying upon each other.

Now I know concern is the genre itself. SSU does a great job of balancing humor, drama, and a blossoming love story while addressing the needs of the country. I felt the development of the tale as a whole was well executed in both character development and time flow. SSU bring in the other complications of political opposition and intrigue without bogging down the viewer to the point of “dead serious drama”. I give high praise for SSU’s ability to maintain an enjoyable and captivating story, while addressing several of the heavy issues that haunt and plague the King, Princess, and their respective countries. It does get a bit cheesy at times, however SSU was probably the best “love story development” anime I watched this season (yes the age difference is a bit odd for now, but when you look at it in context and as they age it makes sense).

Overall I enjoyed all the artistic elements of the anime. The animation was clean and characters well drawn without an “avalanche of detail” required. The music fit the ebb and flow of the story, although I did find some it cheesy or just “falling into the background” for me. This is a bit of a let down considering music is a key role for the Rain Country, but I did really enjoy the departure song in Episode 12. The primary VA team worked well in tandum (Shimazaki, Nobunaga known for Shidou – Date A Live / Haruka – Free) & lesser known (Maeda, Rena known for North Italy – Hetalia / Machi – Hunter x Hunter 2011). I really enjoyed Maeda’s Nike and I hope to see her take on more roles.

All in all SSU was a fun tale to watch. I enjoyed the spirit of Nike’s character and her ability to touch the hearts of the kingdom. If you like “Tale’s” of how one person can change a Kingdom through understanding instead of war, you probably will find SSU right up your alley. As I said, a huge selling point was the ability to balance several moods through the series keeping it enjoyable and not just “watchable”. The weakest point for me was the re-watch value. This is clearly an anime I would need to be in the mood for to come back to, but is a great first time watch. That one “re-watch” thing is what sits it around a “6.5” as of now. I do have a habit of coming back to anime later down the line and changing my opinion, I could see myself doing this for SSU. For now I do give it the “Dash Seal of Approval” for one watch, especially if you like the genre (not for Action / Ecchi fans).

 

Title: Sidonia no Kishi (Knights of Sidonia)

Genre: Sci-fi / Mecha

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 7

Review by (Dash)

Humanity has been pushed to the brink of extinction due to creatures known as Gauna. There is no understanding as to why they last attack humanity, but a 1000 years of peace have passed since they last appeared. Humanity now lives on “Seed Ships” which act as artificial homes so that the human race no lives on. Tanikaze. Nagate is a young man who has lived his entire life underground, counter to the population of Sidonia. One day he is caught (after a nice little run) trying to steal rice. Unlike the other humans on Sidonia, Nagate does not have “photosynthesis” to reduce his food consumption rate. Now that he has been caught, one of the leaders of the Sidonia take him under her wing with much deeper plans in mind. Very soon the fate of Sidonia will rest in his (and his team’s) hands to fend off a millennium old threat that has awakened once more.

Do not be deceived by the solid 3 minutes of opening mecha CGI, KoS does start a bit slow for my liking. KoS is one of those anime you need to watch the first four or five episodes to really get a good feel for. In the end I did enjoy the series as whole minus the slight Kunato “scheme” / “emo” episode. That aside let’s go through the bad and the good!

The bad? There are few things that will make people refuse to check this diamond in the rough. First the CGI Animation style of KoS can easily fall into the realm of “creepy” or “off”. If your someone who needs that perfect anime look, you will probably have issues throughout the entire run. Second, the start is very slow and leaves a few things unanswered until close to the end. I always feel this is a bad thing when pulling audiences into anime that can have a “pick up and check it out viewer” remove it from their watch list before it even starts. Minus my dislike of an episode or two, I actually enjoyed this one.

So the good? First of all it had a “quicker” Attack on Titan feel to be honest. Political intrigue, survival of humanity in a small area, mechs (vs 3DG), lots of death of “extras” and sometimes main characters, dark secrets in the background, “special hero”, and aliens (vs Titans) that will wipe out humanity if given the chance. All of this I felt KoS did in quicker fashion vs AoT, which was a big downfall for AoT in my mind (make no mistake AoT’s animation is far better and overall story is on par by the time both stories resolve/where they are at).

I did really enjoy the character spectrum they covered. Characters you hate, love, and attach to are created leaving edging on your seat hoping for their survival. KoS took no exception to any character they felt you may like, nor is the “hero” invincible and often needing the help of others in some form or fashion. I felt the plot was well answered once everything was brought together, almost to a disturbing end/wrap up that leaves you questioning the story even more. Oh the opening theme is a win in my mind for the anime, setting a solid tone for the flow of the anime. It doesn’t mislead like AoT’s epic opening, nor having “no relation” to the anime like other silly openings. I felt it may have been one of the best matched/animated openings syncing with its anime.

Lastly the mech vs alien mission/battles were really well done in my mind. I really enjoyed the space animation and combat execution. It gave me a “Battlestar” feel/flow for space combat at times pushing the realism of fighting in space (minus them having sound). I give high praises to the designer for the space combat/cgi of KoS.

All in all I really enjoyed this series. I think you guys realize we do more of a break down than a “spoilers and everything we love/hate” about each character. We try to give you hints as to what pulls us into an anime without giving away the story should you choose to watch it. I feel I can only say so much about KoS without killing anything for a future viewer. There will be a second season coming in Winter 2015 (by my guess) that I am looking forward to. I am not usually a mech fan and the CGI screamed “Dash you won’t watch this!”, but I watched KoS to the end and do not regret my choice. I would almost say if you are looking for a “quicker story paced” Space Attack on Titan or love Mech/Sci-Fi to check this one out. It will earn a high “7” in my book, enough that I could see myself watching this in the future. It wasn’t my favorite of the Spring 2014 Season, but easily takes my “Best Surprise Anime” award.

 

Title: Blade and Soul

Genre: Adventure / Fantasy / Martial Arts / Video Game

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 7.5

Review by (Storm)

Alka is the last surviving member of her once powerful clan. Her master was slain in cold blood and she now seeks revenge on the woman who changed Alka’s world forever.Starting off on her quest for revenge she meets three women who each have a drastic impact on her and her way of life. Loana, Karen , and JIn all intersect with Alka and help her find her true path. The journey starts off as a pure revenge filled journey where she will kill anyone in her way. However death and despair seem to follow Alka wherever she goes. She starts searching and finds that maybe she is not only seeking revenge but maybe for her true path in life.

This show starts of on a very high note with a entertaining and fun fight sequence. The show starts to feel a little slow for a while but does things to keep you interested. The story is overall a very interesting one that is not just the usual revenge anime, but gives you a deeper connection to the main character and gives her a personality that you see change with her surroundings. The sub plots and minor characters laid throughout the show are interesting too where as you never really know who is of real importance or just a passerby until you see them again. Also you do start to feel for many of the characters you meet throughout the story and are sometimes sad for the things that they have to endure. This did somewhat keep me into the show and kept it from getting dry and boring. The climax is a really great one and something that I did not altogether see coming, that also came with and amazing fight scene that really capped off the show nicely.

Overall this show was something I did not feel I would enjoy at all at first but grew on me as I went on watching the show. It is slowly paced for sure and hard to keep up with at times but overall really enjoyable of a show. I would recommend this show to someone who enjoys a decent story and a few good fight scenes. However it will be hard for a lot of people to get into but do hope people will give it the time as this is one gem the deserves some attention. It is really good and hope everyone will enjoy it.

 

Title: Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu

Genre: Slice of Life / Comedy

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 6

Review by (Dash)

Hoto, Kokoa is new to town and will attending a new school. She will be doing a home stay. Along her way through the town she stumbles on Usagi Cafe, which she believes is a pet cafe where you get to play with rabbits while you drink coffee (yes these do exist). Much to her surprise the cafe is simply named after the mascot (yes its a rabbit…). The cafe is run during the day by the owner’s daughter Chino, Kafuu, a cute, little off, and quiet girl. She is assisted by her friend Tedeze, Rize (a military like girl who has a misconception of a normal girl). Kokoa mainly comes in to play with the rabbits, but also orders coffee (much to Kafuu’s advice) and talks a bit with Kafuu. Much to Kokoa’s surprise she learns this is the place she will be staying and assisting with the cafe.

This is a pure “kawaii” Slice of Life overload of comedy and adorkable. The series rarely takes any serious tone and sticks to the daily on goings of the Kokoa and her friends. If I had to give you a “primary plot”, it would be development of Kokoa and Chino’s relationship as friends. Kokoa views Chino as a little sister and wishes nothing more than to make Chino happy and get her to call her “onee-san!” Yup, that’s about as thick of a plot I can lay on you. In short it’s a fun easy going anime you can pick up and drop as you go.

Gochumon is very similar to Kirino Mosaic / Non Non Biyori. I am a huge fan of the light hearted easy going anime (with a decent comedy kick). I would link this closer with Kirino Mosaic in terms of “kawaii” factor. The comedy is a bit more geared around the characters with minor subplot for each episode. It is a “let’s be friends” anime and gives you a good look at each characters job (they all work at different café’s) and lifestyle.

The artwork isn’t bad. The character design is cute, albeit on a bit more on the cuter side. The café outfits are cute and cosplayable, but I question how many people picked this one up or could even give a distinguishing factor. The buildings and city are well drawn in my mind giving props to overall background artwork. The music is cute and subtle through the show. The opening is cute and super catchy, but nothing “stand out” best of the season. I would define it as fitting the anime type perfect. Plot wise… well I went over that.

All in all, if you are looking for cute watch Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu. Its lighthearted and was an easy watch for me week to week being one of the few “single episode plot” anime to air this season. The “6” holds from start to finish, I am not going to re-watch this back to back and it would really be a mood thing for me to put it on. I would recommend this to anyone I know likes the genre, but if you want action, serious, drama, or romance… well you might want to try another café.

 

 

Title: Mekakucity Actors

Genre: Supernatural / Comedy / Psychological

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 7

Review by (Dash)

At first your taken to a short clip with a young girl calling out to a few of the main characters asking, “Do you remember me? You will in time.”

The first episode will than jump to a good bit of dialogue exchange between the hikomori Kisaragi, Shintaro and his AI friend Ene (VA’d by the adorable Asumi, Kana – Nyarko / Haiyoru Nyaruko and Sasami / Sasami@Ganbaranai). They will go into a short history of Ene and Shintaro before a small prank leads Shintaro to needing a new keyboard. For the first time in a year the young hikomori will have to go to the outside world and purchase a new keyboard. Surprise for Shintaro, he is now held hostage in a robbery where the “other” main characters of the series and introduced and Shintaro will attempt to find a way out of his “unlucky day”.

For the record, this first episode will probably not due justice for the series based on the synopsis I have read on the story. This anime requires every episode to make total sense. If your not a fan of psychological style anime (it is very similar to Monogatari Series) you probably will not want to pick this one up (it is the same Director – Shinbou, Akiyuki). but I do feel you will be missing out on a great anime. This anime is based on the Kagerou Project, which is a Vocaloid song series composed by Jin (Shizen no Tek-P) which revolves around a group of teenagers and their unusual eye-related powers.*

Mekakucity Actors (MA) was a great blend of psychological, paranormal, and supernatural. If you love Monogatri Series** both in art style and story type, you really will want to pick up MA. I will warn you this series runs in a very “offbeat” episode format, although it seems to jump around the order is correct using chronological syncing for events (jumping and connecting Episode 1 to 4, because 2 and 3 are happening at the same time) versus a linear episode run. Depending how you react/follow this will really impact your “favor” towards this anime. I loved how this worked out, but I can see this turning off your average non genre fan. Another big note is that the anime does jump around from the “past” to the “present” to give you more depth to the story which leads to its finale. Even the music (cause it was based on the music) is important to the anime and I highly recommend not just “skipping” songs and final few minutes as they also hold importance to understanding the whole plot. This attention to detail and story is a huge selling point to me, however also made me re-watch the anime to make sure “I got that”.

I personally enjoy the art style of the Monogatari Series, thus my love carried over into MA. I really enjoy the costuming/design, as they are “close to normal” cloths that easily can be worn as cosplay and identified. The music was a big solid, I especially enjoy the opening theme (Daze – Marira). I am glad that Shinbou, Akiyuki took the reigns for directing MA and give major thumbs up for, he has other anime like Dance in the Vampire Bund, Arakawa Under the Bridge, Madoka Magica, Sasasmi-san@Ganbaranai, and Monogatari to name a few. I also am a big fan of Kana Asumi the voice of Ene (Sasami – Sasami-san@Ganbaranai, Nyaruko – Haiyore! Nyaruko-san, Popura-chan – Working!).

Overall I thought the plot/story was really well written and pieced together (although I could see people not liking its format). I will not lie, the story is a bit confusing and I would recommend watching this in one go to better follow the entire plot vs episode to episode (which was torture). Minus my personal fandom of some of the production/talent, I give high grades for art style, VA, and music seeing that atmosphere and VA play a huge role in this anime’s ability to reach the audience. At first I was on the fence with this series, it felt a little slow to come together story wise. Once you reach episode 7/8 it does start to pick up pace and upon a re-watch I felt everything flowed very well. I would recommend this anime if you like the Monogatari Series and find the following statement interesting:

This is an anime you have to watch to understand, but my one sentence summary would be: “a group of teenagers with unusual eye-related powers brought together in a bigger / deeper plot”.

Overall I’ll give a 7.5 for the season. It’s not my favorite, but it added that much needed “unique art hit” in a very “so-so” Spring 2014. Re-watch (at least once) is pretty solid, especially since I feel a second watch helps in understanding “everything” as you pay attention for the things/hints you missed. I personally felt it had the potential to be closer to an “8” and perhaps after some time passes and I watch again I will rank it up.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kagerou_Project
**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monogatari_(series)

 

Title: La Corda d’Oro Blue Sky

Genre: Shoujo / High School / Reverse Harem / Romance / Music

Preview Score: 6

Preview by (Dash)

We’re back for another competition at Seiso Academy. In turn from the first La Corda d’Oro, the students from Seiso will be competing on the national level (as a unit), versus the Violin Romance interschool competition from years past.

It has been a few years since Kohinata, Kanade has seen or heard her friend Kisaragi, Ritsu play violin. Suddenly after one of her performances she has been invited to hear him play. She and her friend Kisaragi, Kyouya decide to pay a visit to hear their old friend play. Kanade has always been entranced by Ritsu’s music and recently after a local performance received a note “Have you reached your limit?” This opportunity serves as a chance for Kanade to ease her mind and eventually start to address the message at hand.

After the performance it is announced that the top music schools will compete in a national competition to decide who is the top music school. Ritsu has invited his old friend and younger brother to come to hear him, ultimately to have them join the school and aid in their national dream.

First and foremost I am a huge fan of the first La Corda d’Oro and was curious how a follow up would work using different characters, the first episode will break that down. From what I can tell the “fairy” is there, however has yet to make an official performance. Counter the first season, “Hina” can already play the violin (at a very talented level), however has lost the joy of music. This is an opportunity to rekindle her passion for music and aid Seiso in competing. I am guessing it will follow several similar paths of the first season so be prepared for multi-episode arcs, cliffhangers, and very in and out emotional male characters. I have a feeling that Hina’s love of music will take a roller coaster ride as she deals with each male character along the way. I believe one of the primary goals is to show each character how wonderful music truly is overcoming whatever their current motive is, be it through her own music or direct  interaction with her.

I am very interested to see if Kiniro no Corda: Blue Sky will follow a similar plot line/route of the first La Corda d’Oro or if it will adjust (what I thought) were some of the short falls that made the first season a bit drawn out/lulled. I hope that Blue Sky will rekindle my love of this series and not be the “over emotional” drawn out (and at times lackluster) series that knocked some points of it’s predecessor. If you love the “reverse harem romance” this is for you. Strong male character types, coming to the air and fighting over the indecisive female heroine… while she overcomes their hearts with her love of music.

TL: This is a classical music based anime, dodge it if classical music is not your thing.

 

Title: Kamigami no Asobi

Genre: Shoujo / High School / Reverse Harem / Romance / Fantasy

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 6.5

Review by (Dash)

Welcome to the Academy of the Gods! Kusanagi, Yui has been summoned from her “normal life” by Zues to aid several young gods in understanding the thoughts, actions, and hearts of mankind (or perhaps just women…). Although it is unknown, Zeus has done so to avoid a great disaster that will befall both the heavens and earth should these young gods fail to understand the human heart. Unfortunately for Yui, she cannot return home (albeit as if it never happened thanks to Chronos) unless she succeeds in this task.

So we were given two Shoujo targeted Reverse Harem anime this season (both which I had…). Kamigami no Asobi seemed to be predictable from the get go with no real suprise from any of the characters nor plot as it finished (and they did the showing the ending in the opening in a “not so” misleading way). That said, it wasn’t a bad watch for me.
Let’s start with the good shall we? I generally don’t mind this genre if there is enough comedy to offset the tone. I arguably do better with Reverse Harem than shounen target Harem for some unknown reason. That said, I did enjoy the anime for what it was. It’s a case (esp with Harem) where you go in knowing what to expect and how certain “types” will play out. The genre will generally always follow this rule, so it comes down to if the “twist or situation” is something new (which it was and wasn’t character origin wise). The concept of sealing her with a few kami’s in a school to learn about humans doesn’t shout out “new and surprising” to many people, but I did enjoy the concept with the added restrictions layered in. The voicing is ok, I won’t lie a couple of the kami’s voices didn’t flow well with me. I did find the artwork clean and esthetically pleasing, as was the character designed. The main heroine did not annoy me or run off as too “omg”.

The bad generally stems from the genre itself. Harem, as stated, is not really super open ended with the “how and characters”, but more comes down to execution in story. I felt they did a decent job following the “each character gets an episode” deal, but nothing praiseworthy. I know, I know…. each character has their own little history that haunts them, but I guess I am starting to get the “been there done that feel.” As I stated, some of the VA got to me which will get a hit at my overall rating. I think the bad for the most part would be defined as “cliche”, it just felt all very normal.
All in all, its about the same range as the female harem counterpart of Date A Live 2 for me. They could have done things better, but the overall design kept me into the anime. It keeps the “Let’s all graduate together! / Let’s be friends!” thing going through the whole anime. A heads up, she doesn’t pick a guy in this one although they lead towards Apollo the whole series (if you hate it when they don’t pick someone, stay away). I would define the ending as “Happy” and I would love to see how the kami’s act in our world. I would recommend this anime (as it is a solid watch) for anyone who is a fan of reverse harem or looking for a cute story. It was enjoyable with just a enough drama/momentum to finish. I would probably watch a second season if they ever aired one. If you like Reverse Harem I would say sit down and enjoy a day at Academy of the Gods!

 

Title: Date A Live II

Genre: Action / Harem / Magical

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 6

Review: (By: Dash)

A short summary of what you will be dropped into for Date A Live S2. Itsuka, Shido is a “normal” high school boy who is one day chosen to aid Ratatosk in having “Spirits” fall in love with him. Why? Spirits are the reason “Space Quakes” happen, the largest taking out over 180 million people. The only connection to these quakes are mysterious and powerful girls known as “Spirits”. Now Shido has his own history in regards to the Space Quakes and lives in the city where one of the largest ever happened, however his world is in a for a turn as he works with Ratatosk to “err.. calm the spirits” and learn more about them while interfering in the AST who wish to destroy them.

This felt a lot like Infinite Stratos S2 to me. Some of the information you get is important, but nothing worthy of a full second season run. Even IS2 gave more “depth” to the story in comparison to DAL’s second season of mostly “For the Fans”.

Let’s start with the bad. First DAL2 is super short, I’m talking 10 episodes short and ending with “Movie Coming Soon” isn’t exactly earning points in my book. I could tell from the first episode that this season may just be a let down, simply reliving the “how emotion effects their power” and that Shido still cares for Tohka. I also felt they pretty much kicked aside Kotori, Mana, and Yoshino. Yoshino I understand as a supporting role, but Mana is his “long lost sister” which they do not touch at all and re-appears only at the end. Kotori, his other sister which is the focal ending of season one, goes back to being a side character watcher who barely does anything of note (WTF!). It gave the feel that season one was simply there and the plot/story just seems to vanish.

The Hurricane Twins went on a bit too long for my liking, add combining it with a subplot seemed to diminish the arc a bit for me. In short they use the multi-plot concept of having one of the Spirits needing to be sealed + a second or primary plot move going on (this happens with the second arc too). This isn’t bad, but can sometimes pull away from what you want to see to, “What they want you to see.”

DAL has a pretty hard habit of the “one and done” method with their supporting spirits making you feel as if those 3 – 4 episodes of investment were pretty much for naught. I’m sorry, bringing almost everyone in (minus Kotori) in for one “big save the girl battle” (with a catch) didn’t really make up for the vanilla disappointment I had with DAL2. Most everything you saw coming from a mile away (esp if you watch the opening) and very little explanation or depth is added to what seemed a “decent season one plot”. It really made me feel that the production team said, “We’ll give the fans a few episodes.. but instead of running 24 solid episodes and create an even better plot/story; we’ll give them 10. Than we’ll make a movie announcement at the end without really answering any of your questions!” (Not cool…)

The good? Well I do enjoy the voice talents in this anime. I love the outfits and the modern art style, this has cosplay inspiration all over it. I actually really enjoy the opening for DAL2 to the point of “catchy” with a solid animation/style points being awarded. The overall concept of crossing the “Sealed with a Kiss Princess” + “Bad Ass Super Power Spirit Girls vs Mecha Girls” did win me over, even though its a little overboard on the fan service harem edge. I also like how Tohka is designed to a point where you don’t automatically “love her the most” in comparison to the other girls in the series, which a lot of anime like to do (Sorry Tohka, you are not my favorite).

The big selling point for this anime was the return and “added” screen time of Kurumi towards the end. I see her as this near perfect anti-hero character who’s consideration for anyone else is only based on her own self-interest. Had it note been for her opening monologue at the end of the first episode, I may have side tabled this one much earlier in comparison to other anime airing this season until the end. I actually wish they used the second season to further push her as a character to the point she is the audience catalyst for the core plot and on goings since she is tied to it. I did find the Miku arc pretty well laid out and enjoyed the humor injected with how to “seal her”.

All in all the second season ran as “Vanilla” when hoping for “Chocolate Swirl”. I didn’t expect too much to be “fully” addressed, but I did hope more development everywhere! At least further one of his relations.. at least give more information than what we already know… at least make me feel these girls are special after you seal their power… (Nope!). In short this is more “for the fans” to give us a few more extra episodes and time with our favorite DAL characters. Would I watch DAL2 again? Honestly it would fall into a mood thing, than again I watched Infinite Stratos 2 again recently. It does have merits since I am a fan of DAL, but I’d be hard pressed to get anyone to pick DAL given its current “point” in the story and would have to watch the movie (if this is where it ends) to give a final verdict confirming the series as a whole deserves the “Yes, go ahead and watch this you will not be disappointed!”. For now it gets the Vanilla Rating of “5/6″… I may re-watch it and change my mind later, but for now its worth a watch if you like DAL or the Harem type genres.

TL: There is some amazing and popular characters outfits for cosplay from this anime.

 

Title: Mushi-shi Zoku Shou

Genre: Seinen, Supernatural

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 9

Review by: Squish-chan

They dwell unseen- a host of creatures different from the flora and fauna familiar to us- an invisible world of life within our own. Since the dawn of humanity, these phantoms have inspired fear into those who cannot understand, and have over the ages have come to be known as ‘Mushi.’

Mushi-shi Zoku Shou followes the episodic adventures of Ginko, a Mushi-shi as he travels across Japan, meeting a variety of people who have come in contact with the otherworldly creatures known as the ‘Mushi.’ Throughout his travels, Ginko meets these people and offers them advice or solutions to their current predicaments, both in relation with the Mushi and in life, acting as a sort of benevolent intruder in the everyday lives of the people of Japan, appearing just as he is needed, and leaving as soon as his business with the Mushi is done, never staying any longer or shorter than need be.

Across his travels he comes across a mysterious woman that heralds the rain, a brew master that creates an imitation of the Elixir of Life, and a sailor who can raise the winds by whistling, just to name a few of the stories told. The stories are all very calm and collected, raising beautiful imagery and sounds that lend to Mushi-shi’s feeling of being an animated lullaby, and the very subtle nature of its storytelling makes it easy to lie down and relax at the end of a day. The stories start and finish in the same episode and end on a note of ambiguity that’s left for the viewer to fill in afterwards, even though the stories are technically concluded by the end of the episode.

From a storytelling standpoint, Mushi-shi Zoku Shou stands above most every other anime in terms of sheer quality. I personally consider this season of Mushi-shi to be a required viewing for both writers and directors, particularly those who are interested in film or animation, as Mushi-shi demonstrates exactly how to tell a good short story in twenty-four minutes, with no superfluous material, and without feeling rushed. Every episode is a masterful work of weaving a tale, creating characters from scratch within minutes, giving them backstory and personalization, and giving them each a story arc that resolves in minutes for the viewer, but develops naturally over days within the story.

The characterization in Zoku Shou is also very interesting. Ginko himself is more often than not a supporting role in Zoku Shou rather than a primary role, leaving the bulk of the story to focus on the people who encountered the Mushi in each episode as the protagonist. They are given full personalities and motivations to do what they do, and seem to be very fleshed out in the few minutes it takes to establish them. It’s all done very quickly, but very effectively and you can really start to feel for these characters as real people.

Visually, Mushi-shi Zoku Shou contains a lot more muted colors than most anime, particularly most anime that came out both this season, and in the last several seasons. It relies on portraying an artistic cross between animation and portraits, as most of the backgrounds seem to be very highly detailed paintings that blend naturally with the animation style that is present with Mushi-shi. It’s a subtle style of visuals, but contrast greatly with the Mushi which seem to float on top of everything as though they were drawn on a separate layer in the animation process, and then overlaid on top of the backgrounds. It’s a very interesting dynamic that pays off with a very supernatural feel befitting the Mushi.

From an audio standpoint, Mushi-shi has always been quiet and beautiful, but the sound design for Zoku Shou was outstanding. Everything was crisp and clear sounding with a downright gorgeous score, interesting sound effects, and amazing voice acting. Mushi-shi had a problem of having obviously repeated VAs for characters across several episodes, but in Zoku Shou, if there were any repeated actors they portrayed entirely new characters as no two sounded alike, and portrayed their characters with a sense of weight that breathed life into them.

Ultimately, Mushi-shi Zoku Shou is a standout series that deserves watching, if for no other reason than the sheer artistic quality. It’s a beautiful series with storytelling that is much more well-written than most contemporary literature, a visual design that is completely unique and befitting its supernatural tone, and a sound design that is quiet and subtle but still beautiful in its own right. Standing in at only 10 episodes, I give Mushi-shi Zoku Shou a 9/10, and greatly await the Fall Season, when Mushi-shi Zoku Shou 2 continues Ginko’s Supernatural adventures.

Tl;Dr- Mushi-shi is a beautiful show with great writing, a uniquely artistic visual design, and amazing acting that behaves more as a supernatural and quiet animated lullaby, but still holds enough to keep you interested in the short, self-contained stories shown in each episode, give it a watch if you’re a fan of good supernatural shows!

 

Title: Love Live! School Ido Project Season 2

Genre: Music / School / Slice of Life

Aired: April 2014 – June 2014

Review Score: 9

Review by (Storm)

It is a brand new school term at Otonokizaka High, thanks to their own school idol group Muses of course. With the student body led by president Honoka things are looking up for the school and the Muses. The term rolls out and all the girls are all happy to be back with their group again. It isn’t long into the new semester before the girls learn of a new Love Live contest happening. Hesitant at first Honoka decides she wants to do it for the group, and for the graduating seniors, because this will be their last time to preform together. So they hit the ground running and start writing new songs and rehearsing for the upcoming contest and prelims the come before it. Many obstacles lie in the way of the group as they look forward to the contest, but they strive to go for gold and win it all for the group. Tears and sweat go into their determination for gold in hopes that they will be able to go all the way in this love live.
This show is really great, it is not just good due to story or characters, but also gets you in the feeling and makes you really care for a support these girls. Alot of tears and sweat go into this season and they set out to accomplish things they only dreamed of. They also spen time together, not just being in an Idol group but actually hanging out and becoming good friends. It really had many scenes that were just great for showing the support of everyone around them as well as showcasing their impact on the area in general. By the end you are really happy and probably a little sad about things that happen, but I promise you will enjoy every minute of it without a doubt.

Once more I do love Idols in general so an Idol anime is kind of my thing, but this show does the genre justice and what it should do. I love when they make you feel for the girls, and give them a whole new presence when they perform. The songs in the show are also really good and that in an anime such as this is a big thing for me. So this show in general really made me happy and excited with how things played out.

If you like anime that revolves around music and just a great cutesy atmosphere you will really enjoy this show. With a very captivating story and characters you really feel for, this show will have you anticipating what is the future of Muses and what is the future of the girls in general. I would say definitely watch this show it is really good and has a fun pace to it as well as really good music. It is a great show with a great combination to keep you entertained for the whole run.

 

 

Mid Season Reviews for Winter 2014 – Spring 2014

 

Tonari no Seki-Kun Banner copy

Title: Tonari no Sekikun

Genre: Comedy / School

Aired: January 2014 – April 2014

Mid-season Score: 8

Mid-season Review  (by: Rising Sun) 

Tonari no Sekikun is about a girl named Rumi who sits next to a boy named Seki-kun. Rumi tries to pay attention in class, but Seki-Kun always does interesting things like create golf courses and such on his desk which distracts Rumi. Usually the teacher scolds Rumi for not paying attention

Tonari no Seki-kun was a series of shorts that were really entertaining and fun to watch. The main stars of the show were Seki-kun and Rumi and the funny things he did on his desk. Usually Seki-kun would do something interesting in his desk and entertain himself. Rumi would take notice, and she would usually try to stop him but she ends up watching and actually getting into Seki-Kun’s wacky antics.

This anime kind of reminded me how I used to be in high school, except I didn’t make any mini golf courses or such on my desk.

Episodes last only about seven minutes so they are short and sweet. I was highly entertained and I enjoyed myself at the antics Seki-kun did to pass the time while ignoring the teacher. If you enjoy comedy then I recommend you watch these series of shorts. They will bring you nostalgia at how you used to play with random items in your desk during high school.

Nisekoi Banner copy

Title: Nisekoi

Genre: Romantic comedy/Shounen/School

Aired: January 2014 – June 2014

Mid-season Review Score: 9

Mid-season Review (by: Rising Sun)

Raku Ichiijou is a young boy attending high school. The thing is he is the son of the leader of the Shuei-gumi Yakuza gang which makes his life a bit out of the ordinary. When Raku was younger, he made a promise to a girl that involves marriage. He was given a locket  and she had a key to open his locket. One day while walking to school he encounters a beautiful blonde girl. She was in a rush and accidentally knees him on her way to class. In class a new transfer student is introduced.

Her name is Chitoge Kirisaki, and everybody fawns over her. It turns out that she is the one who bumped into Raku which causes instant arguments between them. Raku and Chitoge’s relationship starts out rocky. He loses his locket, but she helps him find it. When Raku goes home, his father speaks to him about a situation. Lately his fathers’s gang has been having skirmishes with a rival gang. It turns out that the rival gang’s leader is a old friend of his. To calm things down his father tells him that he has to be the boyfriend(or at least pretend to be) of his old friend’s daughter for 3 years. It turns out that girl is Chitoge Kirisaki.

Nisekoi is just plain amazing to me. It’s one of my favorite anime of the year. It’s also a romantic comedy which is my favorite genre

I’m a huge fan of the manga, and the anime has exceeded my expectations. The art and animation is beautiful and fantastic! It reminds me a bit of bakemonogatari.

I also am loving the characters and their VAs are prefect for them. Raku the kind hearted protaganist. Chitoge, the adorable tsundere. Onodera, the shy and sweet crush of Raku. All of this turns into a love web which makes everything more hilarious.

I love the opening click by claris. I am just enjoying this anime and as soon it’s released every week I watch it ASAP. I highly recommend this to those who like romantic comedies or just anime in general. This is a must see!

 

Space Dandy Banner copy

Title: Space Dandy

Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Sci-fi

Aired: Aired: January 2014 – June 2014

Preview Score: 8

Dropped Mid-Season

‘Space Dandy is a dandy. In space.’ This is the opening line for “Space Dandy”, and that should give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect.  In the vastness of space, humans are merely a microscopic speck, a drop in the bucket of the universe, with aliens of all shapes, sizes and intelligence roam. Space Dandy is an alien hunter -more like a pokemon trainer than a bounty hunter- traveling across space to capture and catalogue undiscovered species of aliens all in the name of SCIENCE. And boobs, as Space Dandy’s ultimate goal is to one day become rich enough to take over a chain of intergalactic Hooters. With a war on the horizon, and an army on his tail can Space Dandy and his robotic buddy QT survive until next week, much less to fulfill Dandy’s dream? Probably not, but it’s going to be a hell of a ride.

“Space Dandy” is one of those shows that you know is going to be really, really dumb, but it has fun and loves what it does. While missing the fire-y passion of “Gurren Lagann” or “Kill la Kill”, “Space Dandy” seems to have the same effect as watching either of those shows. It doesn’t have the passion, but it definitely captures the curiosity. Brought to us by the entire team behind “Cowboy Bebop”, “Space Dandy” is a tripped-out comedy sci-fi piece, and if I had to compare it to other shows/mediums, I’d liken it to a combination of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and “Megas XLR.” It seems like a show that a sci-fi fanboy would create, with a bizarre universe that seems to come straight from a visual representation of Douglas Adam’s warped imagination, sprinkled with self-aware humor and fanservice for good measure.

The characters of Space Dandy are only established in the first episode, without too much to really go off of for defining traits. QT is an adorable robot companion, but is a bit behind the times. Meow is an absent minded pervert  who Dandy and QT meet early in the episode, but we don’t know anything about him right now. Space Dandy himself borders a line between being a Badass Space hero, and being a lazy perverted goofball. He carries himself with some weight, but it’s ever quite clear whether his moments of badassery are intentional, or if he just goes with the flow so well he comes across as badass. He’s stupid, but a fun, lovable guy who likes to mess with people, and who doesn’t concern himself with details. His motto is ‘live with the flow, baby!’ and it’s clear that there’s something beneath that easygoing attitude. If there weren’t why would he have an entire army trying to capture him?

The artstyle is nice and fluid where it needs to be, rough and choppy where that needs to be. “Space Dandy” is animated by studio BONES, whose art direction lately seems to be trying to emulate Gainax with their space or mechanical animation projects.  The animation is gorgeous, of course, BONES never disappoints on that front, but at times it can be a little off or chaotic, especially towards the end of the episode, which I refuse to spoil. I give Space Dandy an 8/10 for being a ton of fun, and just teasing enough of a story to keep me coming back.

Tl;dr Wacky space romp, really silly but a ton of fun. Not too smart, but worth watching. Great animation, enough story to keep ya coming back for the next week.

 

Nobunaga the Fool Banner copy

Title: Nobunaga the Fool

Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Mecha, Action

Aired: January 2014 – June 2014

Preview Score: 7 (Mid Season – Unavailable)

Preview (by: anime-nympho) (Mid Season – Unavailable)

It’s almost a classic tale. A boy and a girl on different planets destined to meet. Two sister planets: the Eastern Star, a planet that is divided by battles of conquest; and the Western Star, a planet that has found peace under unified rule.

The boy, Nobunaga Oda, is a light hearted man who doesn’t like take responsibility even though he is the heir to the Oda clan. His lack of seriousness has earned his the reputation of being a fool thought in reality he has more wit than most. Not wanting to attend his younger brother’s coming of age ceremony, he and his friends leave the palace on a hunting trip; However duty still finds him there when a neighboring empire attacks one of Oda’s border forts. Nobu blasted into the chaos of battle as the advancing mecha forces wreak destruction on the ill equipped base. After powerlessly witnessing this massacre, Nobu vows to bring a change to their world.

The girl, Jeanne Kaguya d’Arc, is a humble maiden who has lived with a curse of voices in her head all her life. Because of the voices, everyone around her says that she is possessed by demons and keeps their distance. But more intelligently open minds, like Leonardo da Vinci, think the voices to be a blessing of prophecy. Leonardo convinces Jeanne to venture with him to the Eastern planet and use her gift to help find the one capable of saving both worlds.

I have to say I really like the look and feel of this one. The Western star being the occident and the Eastern star portraying the orient. The animation is really nice—not amazing, but not simple either. Even though there are spaceships and mechs in this world, the life setting resembles the 1500’s in each location.  If you are a Basara fan, you might enjoy this; though the story line looks to be more serious. It actually has somewhat of an Escaflowne vibe running through it.  And then there is the action. Even though there was not a substantial battle in this episode this anime looks like will have a few good fights in it. With all that hardware, it’s almost guaranteed. This anime at first-look seems to be very promising. Let’s hope it delivers.