Title: Amnesia
Genre: Drama / Romance / Mystery
Review: 6
Aired: Jan 2013 to April 2013 (Episodes: 12)
Review: (By Dash)
First of all the semi-goth / punk clothing and artwork were really amazing. You start off in little bit of a haze watching. You are following “the main female”, but as the title indicates you don’t know who she is because she has Amnesia. You find out that a “spirit” collided into her soul and as a result she has amnesia. You follow her trying to piece together who she is with only a few clues. She has a cell phone with what seems to be only her co-workers. She seems to live alone. She works at a maid / butler cafe where all of the guys are the “pretty boys”. The plot is then laid out. She needs to recover her memories and the only way to do so is by interacting with the people she used to know. If she is sealed up in a hospital room “until” eventually she will break down and die. There seems to be a bad guy shown for a few moments, but nothing more than that.
Overall I felt the show moved pretty well. The first few episodes allowed you to fall into the feeling of having “Amnesia” while building the characters and atmosphere around you. You do start to realize this is not set in one world after about six episodes in (if you don’t realize sooner) as well as, meet the “antagonist” of the series. I honestly did love the art work and the character design (granted you have to be a fan of the pretty boy style in clothes only Final Fantasy Heroes wear). Honestly the last four episodes of the show really were the best. I felt the conflict you encounter earlier in the show fell a bit void, although it is addressed and the primary conflict is left pretty much unanswered until the end of the show. Keep in mind you will not get most of your answers until the last two episodes, so you have to hang in there and enjoy the ride. Everything felt pretty standard as I watched the show, no one was really amazing in my mind VA wise (they met the par). The main “Heroine” did annoy me at times, I felt she was too helpless or to “go with the flow cause I don’t know what’s going on” for her own good. The shows ending was well done in my mind and I did appreciate the final few moments where a choice is made and the show gives some closure. I do not see this show running on or continuing. The show is a solid “6” and would recommend it only if you like the reverse harem / pretty boy anime as I can see this missing most main stream fans.
Title: AKB0048
Genre: Idol / Music / Sci-Fi
Review Score: 8
Aired: April 2012 to March 2013 (Episodes: 26)
Review (By Storm):
Entertainment is outlawed throughout the galaxy. Anyone caught watching or being a part of anything entertainment related can face serious consequences. The galaxy is monitored closely by anti-entertainment forces known as AES. When things look there worst that is generally when the band AKB48 will show up to make things better. AKB is known of throughout the galaxy and loved by many to whom they give hope and joy to. They also are forces that can oppose and fight against the AES forces. Four friends learn of them after seeing their concert one day and aim to become AKB members to spread hopefulness across the galaxy.
The girls do eventually become members and end up working hard throughout the series to accomplish their many goals and dreams. They end up becoming a new generation and are able to grow stronger and help other people along the way. In the end the girls show they have true strength when they shine brightest and really give it their all to protect what they love and the people that care for them.
This show was my most anticipated one from this season. Every week I kept looking forward to more coming in and seeing what happened next. Honestly I could give a deep and in depth analysis of the show, but I would highly recommend people to watch this anime. It really has a feel good atmosphere about it, and is really easy to get into. Another thing that is really fun is the music; the music from the show is actually from the band AKB so the music in the show is very solid and well done. The artwork on the show is also another thing I really enjoyed about the show, from the hearts on the hair of current idols, to the stars on the hair of past one, the little details really kept it going.
One of the biggest if probably not the best thing is that the current generation that is followed throughout the show, are actually voiced by and off shoot of AKB known as No Name. These girls had little if any previous experience doing this which is why I feel is was done so well and genuinely. When you mix in actual members of AKB along with great art and phenomenal music you really do get a one of a kind show.
Overall I loved this show a lot and highly suggest fans of cutesy animes as well as fans of J-Pop watch this show, I promise you will like it. With its mix of action and overwhelming adorableness at times, this show really does feel like it can cater to most anime fans. The only problem I really encountered with the show was the ending. The final episode I felt was a really week send off and did not do much to get an emotional response from me as did episode thirteen of the first season. Still this show was great I will definitely go back in the future to watch this again and hope you can enjoy it with me.
Title: Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT
Genre: Comedy / Romance / School / Harem
Review: 8
Aired: Jan 2013 to March 2013 (Episodes: 12)
Review: (By Dash)
This show picks up right where it left off, following Kodaka and the “Neighbor’s Club” trying to learn new methods to prepare to become “popular”. The general methods they believe they need to practice for when they are popular are always misled and lead to funness. I really loved the first season of this show. I will warn you this show has a good bit of fan service, but the girls are as cute as they are weird.The first season carried a minor plot, which flashbacks hint too. It isn’t a hard thing to figure out who is who though, otherwise the story pretty much a comedy run. I do feel you need to watch the first season to really understand the overall plot of the second season, I highly doubt you’d mind though (its funny).
The season season was not all “filler” as I feared would happen, rather gave some additional information and depth to the relationship Kodaka shares with the other girls. The biggest one addressed is his future with Sena and the predetermined fate in store for them. They also focus a bit more on Rika on her attempts to get Kodaka to notice her, also her efforts and mentality that they are already friends. I really enjoyed the season season for the extra detail put into the other girls, although I felt Yozora was a little bit to ignored. The VA team for this show is phenomenal, especially since comedy requires a lot of vocal usage to achieve the desired expression. I fell in love with the character design the first moment I watched Episode 0, although Sena’s boobs are bit much for my liking. I was happy how the plot of the second season unrolled because Sena is one of my favorite characters in the show. If you enjoyed the first season and wished for a little more focus on the rest of the girls I believe you will enjoy the second season.
All in all it matched up well with the first season score wise in my mind. My biggest irk was how it ended, the show does cliff hang you and you now expect a third season. The primary reason this annoys me is how short the show is with how long you have to wait for the next season (much how Kore no Zombie does). Other then that gripe I did enjoy the season. The show is pretty easy going and comical most of the time and when the show does take a semi-serious turn to address the affection of the girls it does it well. The show is a harem type with a good bit of fan service, so if you dislike that dodge this show. I personally give it my stamp of approval and provides almost everything I like in anime.
Title: Cuticle Tantei Inaba
Genre: Comedy / Mystery / Action
Review Score: 6
Aired: Jan 2013 to Mar 2013 (Episodes: 12)
Review (By Storm):
Basically Cuticle Tantei Inaba is a show about Hiroshi Inaba, a half wolf half human , who runs a small detective firm. His assitants consist of a cross-dressing masochist, and a shy cat loving young boy. This show starts of with Inaba’s former partner from the police Kuniharu Ogino comes to get help to find a vicious counterfeiter. This shoots the plot off when they learn that the Don Valentino who they are searching for is no more then a goat. The majority of this show is spent chasing after the Don and trying to put him to justice. To try and do this Inaba is not only a chimera of sorts, he also has a fetish for hair which grants him powers depending on the color of the hair. This is the biggest point of the show in fact Inaba is absolutely obssessed with hair. In fact the only time you see anger or real serious behavior out of him, is if hair is in danger in any way. The show ended pretty much as it began chasing after a goat with a mysterious new charcter ending the show
The show also introduces a psychotic yet genius fourteen year old scientist, a deadly assassin with a short temper, and a man with a bag on his head…. yeah there is that.This mixture of crazy characters and fetish driven lead character definitely leads for and interesting watch. I was happy to learn about Hiroshi’s brother and father and who they were that made for the one arc i thought was okay. Beyond that the show is really just so-so. However with the crazy stuff that just kept happening, I could definitely see why people could enjoy this show.
So Cuticle Detective Inaba is a show about hair fetishes, goats, and light slapstick humor. If those are your things you will absolutely love this show. With the basic plot being a retired “police dog” who is trying to capture a money eating goat, you do not really get much more plot beyond that. While some episodes of the show do bring in more of Inaba’s family and do a decent job of explaining things, a majority of this show is just random thrown together nonsensical humor. A good amount of the show is spent on sub-plots that do not really do anything in terms of the actual plot. You will see a decnt amount of actions scenes as well as cute scenes as well. My thoughts would even say that this show has a Yaoi overtone at times, this best seen by Inabas cross dressing assistnat. As far as this show goes its a kid and his friends and the people in his life briefly explained and a bit of humor thrown in. It was an okay watch but definitely not the best.
What I did enjoy about this show is that unlike many other anime comedies of the sort, this show did not try to sell using sex appeal in any way and that was something that was definitely appreciated. This show also did a nice job of throwing in actual story to tell you about a few of the main characters in it and in short running shows like these that is not always seen. Another thing to be said is that the random man thrown in at the end does not act as a foreboding for future events, but rather just more in line with the humor of the show. So I try not to put much stock into that. For what the show was it was put together well enough but I do not think I will be giving it a second watch.
Title: GJ-bu
Genre: Comedy / Slice of Life
Review: 7
Aired: Jan 2013 to April 2013 (Episodes: 12)
Review: (By Dash)
Shinomiya Kyouya is part of the GJ-bu. GJ-be seems to be a club that gets together and do each do whatever they feel like. The opening reminded me a lot of Negima!?!, each girl talking with the song intro then going into the song. The shows opening gives you an intro segment to get to know each girl (Mao, Shion, Megumi, and Kirara). The show focuses on the antics of the GJ-bu and the interaction of Kyouya with all the girls of the club. I’d say 80% of the show takes place in their club room. It is a very easy going and funny show. If you like after school club humor you’ll probably enjoy this. This would also fall under harem type, however there is no real ecchi in the show.
I really enjoyed this show. As many of you know, I (Dash) love slice of life / comedy anime so my “love” may not match up with yours. If you do enjoy slice of life with a hit of humor then you’ll probably enjoy this. The show itself doesn’t boast the most details animation, but stayed true to character design which I thought was cute. The voice acting fit perfectly to each character, which then again isn’t done wrong often in Japanese. The opening song is one of my favorite OP’s for the Winter season and various ED’s were cute. The story itself is simply Kyouya adjusting to club life and his interactions with each of the female club members. He is pretty innocent and has a thing for the “maid” twirl. As the show progresses a few of the younger sisters get involved, which made the show more entertaining. Obviously his younger sister has a brocon. Overall I really enjoyed the pace of the show (and the ending snippet). The show does add in characters as it moves along, however the show felt really short. The Gj-bu itself is based on enjoying life and celebrating the day. The final episode pushes this with how it plays out, although it felt a little empty to the rest of the show (its just not as funny) by comparison. It does close the series well and in fashion fitting the GJ-bu.
Overall this show was very enjoyable for me, but biased of course. Unlike some school shows, this is only a hint of cute attraction (not full fledged love story and falling in love). This keeps the show light and cute and virtually void of any drama. Seeing I’ve pretty busy with work and other ongoings, this show combined with Minami-ke was a “Happy Joy” 20 minutes for me. My favorite character was Kirara for her super cute portrayal as a foreigner (from Canada) and her little sister. I especially loved the final segment in the last episode as they interacted. If your looking for action, plot, super cute guys… this is not your cup of tea. As a fan of this genre, it does get my thumbs up!
Title: Minami-ke Tadaima
Genre: Comedy / Slice of Life
Review: 7
Aired: Jan 2013 to April 2013 (Episodes: 13)
Review: (By Dash)
“For those of you who do not know Minami-ke follows the life of the three Minami sisters and their daily lives, please do not expect much.”
This is literally stated at the start of the show. Minami-ke is an easy going Slice of Life / Comedy that has no real plot line except following the ongoing life of the three Minami sisters and the people they interact with. The show has a lot of comedy and is built on the personality of the characters. I love easy going shows I can just pick up and start watching at any moment without having to worry about plot or where I left off at times.
Chiaki, Kana, and Haruka are the three Minami sisters. They seem to live alone and as a result Haruka acts as the mom figure. She also gives off an aura of perfection, however they point out she is a naturally lazy person. Kana is the middle sister who is full of energy and considered the “dumb” one, at least according to Chiaki. Chiaki is the youngest sister who idolizes Haruka and is very stoic. The exchange between the three sisters and their friends on daily things (from school, home, or at the park) that pop up is very amusing.
I am a huge fan of this series. It is the fourth installment to air so far. It is my favorite animation wise of the four. The VA hasn’t seemed to change and proven to execute their roles perfectly. The music fits the moods perfectly and the OP/ED are catchy as the other seasons. It is a bit hard to write a full review on this show as it lacks plot and runs more “as stuff comes up” and segment by segment. If you are looking for an easy going and funny show with no strings or plot attached this is perfect. I would play this show as a cross between Lucky Star and Aria the Animation (which seems odd to many). I honestly love this show and even for all that it “lacks” for a lot fans, I would give it closer to an “8” due to sheer re-watch value and enjoyment.
Title: Kotoura-san
Genre: Comedy / Romance / School
Review: 6
Aired: Jan 2013 to March 2013 (Episodes: 12)
Review: (By Dash)
The opening through me for a loop. I didn’t read anything on most of the shows prior to watching them so I was not prepared for the opening based on the animation type and look. It gives you Kotoura’s past right from the get go. Kotoura is an esper with the power to read mind, however she cannot control it. This has resulted in her suffering even as child. Her father who is never home (clearly cheating) and her mother (who is expected to take care of her) who can’t deal with her insight and problems she causes others. Teachers claim she is a problem child and her “friends” stay away because she is creepy and claim she is lying. Her mother can’t deal with this and tries to get her “cured” but in the end there is nothing wrong with her and her mother leaves her as the family dissolves. She transfers to a new school and tries her best to avoid people so that she will no longer be hurt and not hurt others (she blames herself for her families break up).
After about 10 minutes in it takes a really quick turn as Kotoura looks into the mind of the person she is going to sit next to and sees him day dreaming of straight goofy stuff, shatter the grey window and run the intro song. You now get the feeling this is a comedy romance. Manabe Yoshihisa find her ability amazing and attempts to befriend her during the second half inserting comedy to get this done. By the end of the episode Kotoura has a friend and the real adventure takes off.
I really did love the first episode of this show, even prior to knowing it was comedy. I felt the setup could take it either way and that use of her past will be reflected multiple times, which the show does. The development of her friendship with everyone and the romantic feelins for Manabe was fun to watch develop. They do a good job of using the arc for each character to build a plot and address the feelings of unease (or deeper intentions) of being friends with Kotoura. The show is not outright ecchi, but the mentality of Manabe and Kotoura’s grandfather add comedy (although a little overused at times for a gag) based on their perverse way of thinking. The biggest irk was probably the animation style for me, although I understand staying true how they are designed in the manga I am not a fan of the overall look. I wouldn’t have picked up this manga based on they are designed alone (not that I read them much anyway).
The show is clever and original in her being the only esper, to generally focusing on a group. I did enjoy the overall layout of the story and as far fetched some of the scenarios can be, if you had her powers it makes sense on how things work out. I think the overall script work and character design just didn’t work for me, which struck me as odd as I generally love this genre. There is no knock on the show, I just don’t see the re-watch value there which hurt its score. I think most people who like the Comedy/Romance with a very lighthearted take will enjoy this show. I was pleased that this show can end at twelve episodes, not leaving a giant cliff hanger or lead into a second season (which most of the anime did this winter). I feel this is a show that could be changed to a “7” perhaps if I watch it again, that is TBD.
Title: Maoyou Maou Yuusha
Genre: Fantasy / Romance
Review: 7
Aired: Jan 2013 to April 2013 (Episodes: 12)
Review: (By Dash)
Maoyuu takes place in a world where humans and demons have been battling for ages. Eventually “Yuusha” or “Hero” embarks on a quest with four friends to end the war and kill “The Maou” or “Demon King”. Yuusha (you never get his name) will leave his friends journeying alone and reaches the stronghold of “Maou” (another character you do not get the name of). Entering the chamber Yuusha charges at Maou to kill him only to be stopped in his tracks by young woman, who is Maou. She has been waiting for Yuusha to come to meet her and she proposes a plan in hopes of turning the world around which eventually can lead to the end of the world. She shows him her dreams. Maou then asks Yuusha to be hers and she will his as they embark on changing this dark war-torn world, he agrees. At the end of the episode you find out that Maou has been in love with him prior to their encounter and it is one of her dreams to be with him.
The show moves from this point to intertwine of politics, religion, and war. It shows that the ability to reach peace comes through countless efforts and sacrifice. The show puts a big emphasis on creativity, sharing, and knowledge as the ways to break free of their years of war. The takes time to explain the importance of trade, crops, and currency. The show acts as a great demonstration of what it takes to change from a war torn country to a peaceful prosperous nation.
The relationship between Yuusha and Maou is the key component of the show. Not only is their union a symbol of the desire to be with each other and start a new world, but also a union between the demons and humans. Their relationship is cute and fun to watch develop as there is a level of awkwardness around them. They do add another love interest in the “Knight” which comes off as caring, but also adds some comedy too (between her and Maou). I have a hard time putting this into the “Romance” category as a lot of the show is not focused on their relationship as heavy as a romance generally is.
I really enjoyed this series. They combine the action, drama, romance, and comedy very well. The flow of the show really makes you feel like your traveling with them through the journey to start peace in the land (where demons and humans can live together). It does a great job of pointing out how much intrigue and personal interest also play into the world and how those interest are seen as more important than the people. I did enjoy the primary cast, although I wish “Mage” came into play sooner. I do wish you got a little more back story, although the feel of “hearing a tale at a time of change” forces you into the now, much how the Yuusha and Maou are (from their previous duties). The show can push some good thought process and at times wishing for a bit more action or story, it does leave you with the “need” to have a second season to see the tale through. The short life of the series with the thought of not getting a second season (based on how they end) would be the big detractor to viewing this anime. I did look forward each week to the new episode and felt each episode flew by. I can see people who are planning on watching this for pure action or comedy very disappointed, as the show is very dialogue based. There is a focus on the power of knowledge and that the world is not perfect, but we do have the ability to make it better.
Title: Love Live! School Idol Project!
Genre: Idol / School
Review Score: 5
Aired: Jan 2013 to April 2013 (Episodes: 13)
Review (by Dash):
It is the start of a new school term and junior Honoka Kousaka (standard energetic acts without thinking heroine) comes to find out her precious school is getting closed due to lack of attendance. After initially going into shock and believing it is a dream, Honoka decides to create a plan to save her cherished school. After going to town and seeing that one school has become super popular due to the fact idols go there, she decides to start a school idol group to save the school with her two friends!
As the show progresses they recruit more and more members, ideally going for nine in total (very SNSD of you). I honestly enjoyed as they convinced each person(s) to join the group to save the school. It felt as if the story would hold two main struggles, winning over the student council president and eventually reaching the goal of performing at “Love Live!” to promote their school. (To side not this really quick, Love Live! is a competition where the Top 20 School Idol groups perform in a live concert and one to be crowned champion.) The overall development of the show is enjoyable, although much of the back story of the characters is never presented. I did love the music (let’s admit one song is called (START: DASH!) and the dancing animation was not not bad (although AKB0048 did a much better job here). The costumes were cute… I’d say on par with Idolmaster. The one area Love Live! excelled I felt was the animation to the other “Idol” anime tha is out there. This all said the one thing that got me is the title.
(Spoilers)
The thing that really irked me about the show as final two / three episodes. They bring about an additional plot line to add conflict for main three characters which would bring about the end of the show. What really annoyed me was the title of the show is Love Live! School Idol Project in which the manages to execute only half of this. Due to circumstances in episode 11, they drop out (which the reasoning is just stupid… straight stupid) in essence shattering their goal (although they do recruit enough students to save the school) and then dropping another issue (Kotori deciding to go study abroad leaving the group and not talking to Honoka) on Honoka to drive her down. I felt the withdraw from the competition was a horrid script/story decision at which point I lost virtually all interest of the show. They use the Kotori plot line to bring about the “let’s stay together” plot line and they perform in the once empty auditorium of the school to a packed house. I’m sorry not even showing them at the next Love Live!, but hinting they re-enter is just not enough. Additionally three of the members are seniors… do they even stay part of the group? The very anti-climatic ending really hurt this show. I really enjoyed up through episode 11, but the ending gave it a death blow. If I had to rate it I’d say episodes 1-11 could rate as high as a (7) for how much I enjoy these types of shows, but the ending would kill the plot line and I give this a final score of (5). If you really enjoy “Idol” anime, its worth the watch for the overall performance, but the ending will definitely hurt your view on this show.
Title: Mondaiju-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?
Genre: Fantasy / Action / Comedy
Review Score: 7
Aired: January 2013 – March 2013 (Episodes: 10)
Review (By Dash):
Three teenagers who posses super natural are transported from their own world to a “new world” where people with powers engage in various challenges and games to obtain prizes and earn respect. Upon landing they find and question Kurousagi who informs of them of where they are how the world works. She clearly wants to keep them there. After winning her challenge they head to her home where her “guild” exists…
I won’t lie, I enjoyed this show. There is nothing that really will say “this show is amazing or unique”, but I looked forward to its release each week. The show has three characters, each with their own unique powers. Using their powers they set out to help the “No Names” (a guild that has lost its banner and name) regain their honor and tag. The primary premises they are going to strive on is “Defeating the Demon Lords”. This is important, Demon Lords are the strongest players in the realm. They also have the right to challenge any person or guild at anytime to a game, this invitation can not be turned down. Due to this catch, most people fear the Demon Lords. The show does point out as it moves along, not all of them are evil and also have their own ranks.
The show moves through 3 short arcs. Each arc pulls from from a legend or mythology, Perseus and Medusa or The Piper of Hamelin for example.Each arc also gives a little focus on one of the primary characters.
One of my primary issues that the anime does not go into the background of the characters that much. You get a short glimpse into You and a little bit more into Asuka, but Izayoi (who is also the main protagonist) never gets touched. This lack of background makes me hope that this show gets a second season that dives deeper into why these three choose to stay here over the world they came from, also what effects their mentality. The other primary dislike comes from the “OP” factor of Izayoi. Granted it is fun waiting for him to lay down the law, I felt that his large amount of power with virtually no background and very little build on him really hurt. I often felt that Asuka was the main character.
Now I did enjoy the play with mythology and the direction the show was going. The art work is standard by today’s criteria, but I did like how the characters are drawn. Kurousagi will probably be the most liked character for her personality and outfits (being a blue/pink haired bunny girl also helps), I also loved the voice acting. The music isn’t horrid, although the closing animation and song will fall under “cute”. I really enjoyed the story as a whole, even without strong character background. You did get a feel for their personalities as you got to know them in show. The development seemed more like if you were a by-standard of the “No Names” and getting to know them as Jin and Kurusagi got to them. (If this was done intentionally, my gripe with lack of background would be null and void.)
If you enjoy the whole “esper” power type of show and something easy to follow, I would say pick this up. It fills the moe, action, and comedy sections pretty well. The show is very short, so the hope of OAD (preferably 2) or a second season would really boost the shows quick end feel. The ending does hold its water, although it fails to really resolve anything if it ends at ten episodes,.
Title: Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru (Oreshura)
Genre: Comedy / Romance / School / Harem
Review: 7
Aired: Jan 2013 to March 2013 (Episodes: 13)
Review: (By Dash)
Two episodes in and I would say check this one out if you like genres above. You start off with a fun looking action opening clearly not related (perhaps…) to the anime to get your attention, brave knight vs dragon can do that. Then the opening rolls and start anime.
You follow a guy named Eita who dreams of going to medical school and believes romance/love are waste of time and energy. Obviously he has a female childhood friend (with some bad that has happened in her past) who is energetic, clearly likes him, and dreams of being super popular. One day in class the silver haired beauty Masuzu (who is a transfer) confesses to him to shock of everyone including Eita (who thinks it was a joke). Now comes the catch… Masuzu wants Eita as a boyfriend because they are both uninterested in love, which will keep people from confessing to Masuzu. Eita refuses, but Masuzu blackmails him with his embarrassing notebook! Eita agrees and the start of a new school-romance-comedy begins.
This show was a bit of an opposite reaction to “Kotoura” for me. Initially I did not get into the show, perhaps because it gave off a similar feeling to “Sakura no Pet” in many ways (although their plot lines are completely different). As more characters came into play I started to really enjoy the show, I won’t lie the first four or so episodes are amusing but you just view Masuzu as a bitch. The constant references to “Note” (a play on Deathnote) that contain all of Eita’s hero world fantasies are very amusing, they reference a lot of other anime with the sad character outlines in his notebook. The back and forth of Eita and Masuzu can be a little repetitive, but I did appreciate that the feeling she contains start to develop from bitch to bitch in love. Honestly the show took a real solid turn with the introduction of Ai (the 4th girl) and moving her through story line. The show even admits that this is very “harem dating sim like” and that Eita is on a route for a battle bad end if he can’t make up his mind.
Once I hit episode seven/eight I really did get into the show, I honestly was pulling for A-chan at that point (standard tsudere) and find her overall character super cute (I also thought she was the strongest VA of the group). The OP and ED themes are cute songs, so I didn’t mind sitting through them each episode (I’ll skip this a lot). The story did itself a solid in my mind with the last episode and how they end, which I found cute and funny. The show easily gives the potential to run a second season, but doesn’t need it to make you feel happy with how it ends. The overall layout does a good job of pulling you to one girl and making you feel good/bad depending on who you were routing for. It probably did help I chose to watch this show aside and about two weeks after the end of “Sakura no Pet” and would even say the lack of “drama” moments made it better. The first episode will do a pretty good job of pulling you in and the show carries you well for a good power watch to reach the end.
Title: Psycho – Pass
Genre: Sci-Fi / Action / Detective
Review Score – 8
Aired: October 2012 – March 2013 (Episodes: 22)
Review (By Dash):
Psycho-Pass takes place in the future where humans are constantly monitored by Sybil System (Big Brother) which pretty much acts as god. The Sybil System dictates which job you choose, where you live, and if your going to be a threat to society. The story follows rookie detective Akane as she acts as a “guardian” for so called “Enforcers”. Enforcers are people who have been deemed by the Sybil System as a “Latent Criminal” or those who are liable to commit crimes. This is based on your “Psycho-Pass” or mental state. Enforcers are used so that the detectives don’t become clouded themselves. The primary Enforcer you follow is Kougami.
I warned in the previous review (which this is replacing) that this show has an amazing ability to pull in the viewer, so now that it is done I can safely say watch it. I am not a huge fan of serious anime, but I really fell in love with this show. They do a great job of covering and explaining the important details connected to the show as well as the character backgrounds. I felt this show had very few weaknesses. They covered the character background very well, which is important to plot line. The music, voice acting, and art work were amazing, although I prefer the first season opening the best.
As stated before, the show has a very serious tone. It is a look into a big brother system and those that feel it removes the humanity from the country. The concept of creating a perfect world where the people who reside within it are free from worry always will have bugs and flaws. The show does a great job or pointing this out, especially in a society where emotions and experiencing “dangerous” things can land you in “theory”. I felt the show did a great job of acting as the in between of the present society and a move towards this concept of human utopia, perfect but not. This show does require some thinking and follow along, granted it is not super deep where you have to catch the details to really appreciate the story (Toaru no Index does the small detail thing..). They explain virtually everything about the world and system so you are not left with a long list of questions, however it will require some patience to reach some of those points.
I felt the weak point falls into the “original but not” plot line. I felt the circumstances surrounding Akane were done very well, however Kougami and his story line was easy to predict. If you like futuristic worlds along the lines of Ghost in the Shell, I think you would love this show. I rate this a final hit of “8” and would recommend it to most people.
Title: Robotics;Notes
Genre: Sci-Fi / Drama
Review Score: 7
Aired: October 2012 – March 2013 (Episodes: 22)
Review (By Dash):
So for starters, I hope you guys had watched Stiens;Gate before popping into Robotics;Notes. It takes place in (Divergence Ratio 1.048596*). In short this is one of realities that resulted from the Stiens;Gate, although you only see one of the characters appear. It takes place about 15 years later based of the age of the character. So now that you understand that the “;” worlds takes place in the Universe (as to “Visible Universe” I can move on with the base plot.
In short the story follow Kaito Yashio and his friend Akiho Senomiya (who is current president of the Robot Club) who are childhood friends. They also both suffer from conditions as a result of an accident from a few years back. Akiho is has a dream to finish a robot that her sister started back when she was in the club, even against the wishes of her sister now. Kaito sticks by Akiho as a friend and final request to watch over her by someone. The show starts off pretty easy going “Slice of Life” like with them trying to build and recruit for the club so that it is not shut down. During Akiho’s dash for keepign the club alive, Kaito discovers a secret using his “Pokecom”* (think tablets of the future) that deals with the future of Japan and the world.
The story moves very well from there. I enjoyed the pace and unlike Stiens;Gate, the story doesn’t start to take dark turns until the final third. The plot and movement are very interesting as you have converging plots (Akiho’s and Kaito’s) coming together for the final movement. The characters are well addressed in my mind. They cover the primary cast background stories very well so you are not left with questions and understand why their personalities are the way they are. The animation is clean and sharp, yet not overboard on details and aesthetically was appealing. The music went along very well with the current of the story. I really enjoyed the plot arcs, as each arc unlocked a little bit more mystery while not pulling off the current issues at hand. I would describe it as a story within multiple stories at first until the primary plot comes to full light.
Despite its name and advertising, this is not a mecha genre. It does have robots, however it is more about building them (on a amateur level in their case) and the relavence of the specific one they are building. This would fall very easy into Sci-Fi / Drama. I really enjoyed the full run of series and even held off the final 5 until they all aired knowing it was the final plot arc. I also learned to do this from the other “;” series. I enjoyed the series overall and loved the voice actress of Akiho (just something cute about it). This show fell in line with Shinsekai Yori and Psycho-Pass extremely well, almost as if planned. Ones gives a near perfect automated world, one gives you a rural future feel with espers, and Robotics;Notes gives you a futuristic yet modern world with some powers… and they are all pretty dark, I was honestly more excited for these three ending then I was for Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo and the upcoming Magi finale. Granted the type of show these feel under leaves you wanting to know what happens next. I would highly recommend picking up Robotics;Notes if you like Sci-Fi / Drama with a good bit of content and plot.
*VNdb care of MyAnimeList
Title: Shinsekai Yori (From the New World)
Genre: Supernatural / Drama
Review Score: 6.5
Aired: September 2012 – March 2013 (Episodes: 25)
Review (By Dash):
Shinsekai Yori takes place in the future when mankind has reverted back small villages and seemingly has esper abilities now. These abilities are closely watched as they are trained for adulthood and what it takes to use those powers. In addition to the village / village council ruling system, there are several colonies populated with “Queerats.” These creatures act as manual labor for the villages assisting them in various tasks, although they operate as their own group they are watched and ruled by the human villages.
Shinsekai is focused around Saki Watanabe and her four friends as they start to unwind the history of the world and the secrets hidden within the village. These secrets prove to be dangerous and even deadly, by the end of it can prove to have “world” level consequences. The show breaks into several acts, each taking place as Saki grows a little older and progresses through the story. You can tell by her voice as narrator that this is a series of past events.
I would define this show as dark. Although the tones and adventures are all fun to follow, they have several important things to keep in mind as you move along the story. There are several hidden agendas, different love interests, and a solid political system that is in place for a reason. I loved following Saki as she grew up and learned the reasons behind these secrets and how to deal with everything that happens. The story can be a little moody at times and slow at others, but I enjoyed the pace as it seemed to fit the movement of the plot (slow when it was slow, fast when it was hurried). The time spent into certain scenes aided in the atmosphere and environment they live in. I felt this show was the opposite of the futursitc art of Psycho-Pass and beautiful for the village and surrounding nature. The music fit the show well, however nothing with the OP and ED that stood out to me or would fall into my mp3 player. The voice acting was solid, I really enjoyed Endou, Aya as Saki and felt she did a great job with the slight age progress.
Overall I did really enjoy the show, although I don’t know if it is a solid re-watch. Possibly the tone of the show and knowing what is going to happen turns it a little off for me in that factor. Given time I think its a show I could pop back on, but it would fall as an amazing one watch series. If you like solid story, with dark undertones, in a futurstic society of espers who live in villages, and follows a good development over time… give it a shot. Like I said it will feel long for a 22 episode run, however I felt it was just right for the size. I feel that the reason the rating would hurt is the lack of re-watch value in my mind.
Title: Sasami-san@Ganbaranai
Genre: Comedy / Romance
Review Score: 7
Aired: January 2013 – March 2013
Review (By Dash):
The show doesn’t clarify much in the beginning and might leave you as confused as Haruhi did after its first episode. After seeing the concept of how the two live their life, you meet three other women. A child in a woman’s body (Tama), who is the youngest. The teacher (Tsurugi) that will play ero games at school. The student (Kagami) who reads in the library and runs off as very sleepy and monotone. They are all sisters. They all seem to like him in one way or another. Next thing you know the world is turning to chocolate, Tama is has super powers, Tsurugi wields a sword, and Kagami becomes a robogirl with boob missiles! They fight the chocolate… do something at Sasami’s house and the event ends. I ended thinking… “Explanation Please?”
This anime immediately struck me as Jinrou meets FLCL in animation and layout. The main heroine is Sasami, a hikomori who spends her day by watching her brother through her “Brother Surveillance Tool”. Sasami is absolutely helpless on her own to the point where her brother feeds her, baths her, dresses her, and she can’t seem to leave the house. If you continue to watch the series, you do learn why. Her “brother” runs off as the “doting” type whose face is always covered be it a bucket or suitcase. Given the suitcase doesn’t seem to have purpose, their relationship was fantastic to watch dynamically.
I honestly loved this show. At first it is very confusing and could even be considered “Offing”. There are several taboo subjects addressed in this anime, it is definitely not for everyone. The core plot of the story is the development of the Goddess of Light (Amaterasu) in modern times and why “the current exists”. A tad of the “new gods” vs “the old gods” mentality. The I personally loved the animation, however I could easily see people say “Nope…” and turn it off.
All in all, the way it was done is what made it so amazing. It is really hard to describe Sasami@unmotivated in words. Its even harder to get someone to watch. I would define it as a “watch 3 episodes” and you be the judge. Like I said before, this is more intended for older teen young adult age range. It does get a little ecchi, the topics can be a bit taboo, and it does have a good violence. Sorry kiddies, not for you!
Title: Tamako Market
Genre: Comedy / Slice of Life
Preview Score: 7
Aired: January 2013 – March 2013
Review (By Dash):
I’ve been really looking forward to this anime. The same team that did K-ON! now brings you Tamako Market.
Tamako Market follows Tamako, the daughter of a mochi maker and loves the shopping district in which it is run. Tamako is kind and easy going although clearly a little clumsy (Ui + Yui = Tamako). One day on her way home she stops into the local flower shop and meets Dera Mochimazzi (Mochi Yucky). Dera is on a mission to find a bride for his master… Dera is also a talking bird. Dera acts flamboyant and noble in everything he does and discovers he loves mochi despite his name. Tamako… takes… Dera home. Dera properly declines Tamako’s confession of love (sneezing in his face) and introduces himself.
You get a good overall character introduction of her neighbor Mochizou (son of the competitor and love interest across the street) as well as some of the market shop owners and her friends. The animation is good especially if you are a fan of K-ON! There seems to be an underlying plot, but it more runs off as Slice of Life with a talking bird.
In short you will follow Tamako and her adventures in the market while Dera learns about Japan (and losses some weight). It will be heartwarming and cute, however I don’t expect anything deep story wise which is fine. If you like your anime light hearted with a kick of comedy this is right up your ally.
Title: Da Capo III
Genre: Romance / Supernatural / School
Preview Score: 6
Review:
Da Capo III takes place about 21 years after the events of Da Capo II. The primary concept is based on the “Everblooming Sakura Tree” and its magical ability to grant wishes. I would highly push for you to watch all of Da Capo before starting this series as it is all interconnected. The unclear part is how far undone did the wishes get un-granted from the end of DC2. I will warn you the entire series is pretty serious, following more a route of Clanned.
In short the story starts off with the newspaper club investigating the “Everblooming Sakura Tree” with magic as the primary theme for their next story. The club goes up to the tree and makes a wish and the tree start to bloom again. They are now going to investigate how this is happening and if anybody knows anything about the mysterious tree and its powers.
I am a big fan of Da Capo. This seems to pull more from DC1 then DC2 so far, however they are very unclear of the relationships each person has to the original cast (this is very important). They set up the cousin factor similar to DC1 and seemingly all of the cast is established at the get go. Three episodes in they decide to throw Sakura into the mix and now I am utterly confused which direction this show will go. I am really excited to see where the show will take us as DC has done a great job and turning the final love interest at a cost.
Title: Zettai Karen Children – The Unlimited – Hyoubu Kyousuke
Genre: Superpower / Action
Preview Score: 7
Review:
This is the series follow up to “Zettai Karen Children”. ZKC was originally a Superpower / Magical Girl Type show that follow three of the strongest espers in Japan their commander. If you would like to better understand the characters I would suggest watching it, especially for plot reasons. ZKC – Unlimited seems to be able to carry a bit of its own in terms of being able to watch it without understanding the primary series as of now.
The show starts off with Hyoubu going to rescue Yugiri who is in an experimental esper prison facility. There he encounters Andy, who seems to be the other protagonist of the show. To PANDRA he appears to have the ability to negate other esper powers, but in reality he seems to have a “wheel” ability that allows him to select different abilities. The show place Hyoubu as the other primary character and is displayed in a new light as to how he operates and his personality. It seems the initial goal was for Hyoubu to get into the prison, rescue Yugiri, free the epsers, and takes Andy along into the PANDRA.
I waited three episodes for the sequels that involve plot. So far I am very impressed with show. This show is focused on Hyoubu over “The Children” so far. This show is a lot more upfront and violent then its predecessor, giving a view into PANDRA and how that operate. You get to see Hyoubu use his powers unrestricted and the side of his powers he never used in front of “The Children”. I am really impressed with how they are working this angle. You can see that Andy is there to infiltrate PANDRA, but the full reason is still unknown. You also get to see some of the other players in PANDRA with their powers that you didn’t get to see in ZKC. This series is much more action based and I believe this change is suited to follow “The Children” who have grown up a little bit. They are appearing in Episode 4.
Title: Chihayafuru Season 2
Genre: Game / School / Romance
Preview Score: 6
Review:
I wasn’t sure Chihayafuru would get a second season. The first season follows the first year of Chihaya and her journey to be a “Queen”, the highest female rank in Karuta (100 Poet Card Game). This shows pretty much requires you to watch the first season to understand the characters.
The second year of high school has started for Chihaya, after losing in Nationals they are now charged with gaining at least five new members or the club will be disbanded. They get to work to try to recruit. They use the good looks of Chihaya and Taichi at the new student gathering to get people to join. At last through the first few episodes only two new members join, but the club can stay open on the technicality they originally did get 20. The club is slightly at a different point as they are trying to decide which route to go as they each have different goals, Chihaya would like to accomplish them all while building a Karuta club that will have a future.
I loved the first season of this show. The characters are drawn very well in my mind balancing all types of looks granted the primary characters are stunningly beautiful. The show is based on the game Karuta, a traditional Japanese card game that is focused around 100 poems. Chihaya wishes to get to the national tournament as a team to play her childhood freind. The romance is based between the two childhood friends, Taichi who loves her and Arata the one who got her into the game. As of now you can tell Chihaya first loves Karuta, however she seems to favor Arata. I am hoping this season will clear up her romantic feelings while keeping the show going as they try to press on and meet Arata in the finals.
Title: Bakumatsu Guiden Roman
Genre: Action / Comedy / Crime
Preview Score: 6
Review:
This show made me think Lupin the III meets a little bit of Maguyver in Feudal Japan. Roman is a thief that steals from the nobles and rich to give the money back to the poor. Should you counter strike against him he tries to take you down. He works with some of the other locals to fight against the rich. During the day he walks around as a “helper”. You can pretty much pay him to do any type of task, the problem is he lands up spending all the money he earns on gambling. He lives with his sister (Koharu) running a chopstick store who supports the two and gets extremely mad anytime he gambles his money.
The first episode opens right into him robbing the rich to give to the poor. It opens with Roman breaking into a nobles house and stealing back the money from high taxes. He launches the money in the air and rains it down on the town. After showing that scene you are taken to see his everyday life, this is also where you meet all of the cast. The story moves on with Roman avenging a friend who was hurt by breaking into the same nobles house to finish off the job. Honestly going to deep into the episode would really spoil the fun, so give it a look.
I didn’t know if I was going to like this show, the artwork is generally not my style. Once it started going the comedy kicks in and you roll from there. I got past the art (the VA is solid), I sat back and enjoyed the feudal Japan Robin Hood do his thing. I would say check this out if you are a fan of Lupin.
Title: Vividred Operation
Genre: Sci-Fi / Action
Preview Score: 5
Review:
I’ve really delayed on this anime. Four episodes in and it feels a bit like Strike Witches in the future with a tad more innuendo. The series follows Isshiki, Akane and her friends as they fight to save their island where a power plant that supplies most of the world’s power is based. This power plant is targeted by unknown creatures known as “Unknown” and as of now the story has yet to unveil why they are attacking. You do know Akane’s grandfather, Isshiki Kenjirou (who developed the plant), knew of their coming and prepared battles suits to be able to fight them. Much like Aquarion Evol, the characters perform a type of unison called “Docking” where the two girls become one older girl who is much more powerful. This form is needed to defeat the Unknown. Akane’s school during the first battle is destroyed so upon the defeat of her first Unknown with her friend Futaba, Aoi they are transferred to a new school. There they will meet and become friends with their two additional teammates and fight the Unknown.
As of now I am not super into this anime, the names and wording of everything they do is a bit irking to be honest. (Naked Weapon – Docking) The anime is pretty solid if you like the mecha girl genre. It is a solid watch, but this show is not for everyone. It is pretty much an all female cast and all the girls are about fourteen. It runs on the concept of friendship and believing in each other to be able to “Dock”. If you liked Strike Witches you would probably want to pick this one up.
Title: Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun
Genre: Action / Supernatural
Preview Score: 5
Review:
Starting with a flashback… young girlish boy dying. A crying girl and an unconscious boy… ah and a guy with a sword standing over him asking if he wants to die or not. Jump a few years ahead. The show gives a serious vibe with a bit of humor here and there. Appearntly the three children have come to live in a church. The nation is ruled by “The Church” which worships one god, but has to acknowledge the existence of other gods and wishes to use those with power to their advantage.
Shino, a young man with the “Murasame” which don’t touch much into is the main character. He works with his brother who is a wolf demon, Sousuke. They also have a “seemingly girly girl” sister character, Hamaji who is a horrible cook.
The anime gives you the basic setting of the church which can clearly be seen as one of the bad guys. There also seem to be clans out to get their power. They point out normal people will be effected by their power in the first episode if they hand around them too long, possibly exposing them to more danger and detection of the “super natural”. The first episode takes an opportunity to save Shino’s friend as a way to display their powers, in the mean time Hamaji has been taken by one of the clans. The story will unfold from there.
So far this is the only action oriented anime of the season that I’ve seen, the rest are a combo of ecchi/action or comedy/action. The low score comes primarily from not really knowing the story, I feel I could only give a good rating after the show is completed. It doesn’t look bad, however it doesn’t strike me as original. The biggest concern I have is that the show is only slotted for thirteen episodes, as a result it may not be able to deliver the the story well. I will honestly say watch the first episode and you be the judge.
Title: Senran Kagura
Genre: Ecchi / Comedy / Ninja / Action
Preview Score: 4
Review:
A normal school on the outside, that is home to a ninja training class within. The ninjas are all girls with overly large boobs and cover the general “airhead – shy girl – energetic – cool beauty – classic Japanese beauty”. The world still uses ninja and this is where they are trained. The character animation seemed similar in style to OreImo except they all are drawn out of proportion.
The anime itself opens with the girls training and eventually going on a mission to clean up some dequinquents. The main airhead protagonist (Asuka) lands up going off to help another girl who seems lost, while the rest of the girls go to handle the mission, but it is really a trap! Clearly the girl Asuka is showing around is an enemy and the other girls encounter one of the other enemy ninja who comes to test them out. In the end they beat the delinquents being controlled by the enemy ninja and realize that there are ninja out to get them.
Nothing really stood out to me in this anime. The character types are nothing orignal. I would label this anime a straight fan service, which it is based on the action game Senran Kagura. If you like super booby anime action type (Queen’s Blade / Ikkitousen) I’d say check it out. So far (not including shorts) this anime has not appealed to me, but is good enough for me to keep watching for now.