Title: Danganronpa: The Animation
Genre: Mystery / Game / Psychological
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 9
Review (By Storm):
Hope’s Peak academy is a school where only super high school level students are accepted, or the best in a particular area as it were. Makoto Naegi is accepted and his world quickly turns upside down when he learns the malicious plot behind this school. The malicious principal, known as Monokuma, is putting the students against each other in a fight to the death. If you want to leave the walls you were so desperate to enter, you have to be willing to enter, you have to be willing to kill for it.
From episode one I loved this show like you would not believe. Let’s put it this way I love shows about game in general for the most part. This show, however, takes it above and beyond with its fantastic plot and twists that would make anyone surprised. While having very violent aspects, as far as animes go, they do try and keep it tame by making blood pink and things like that as to give it an easier feeling to get into. If you have not played the game or at least watched a play through, you do not need to worry at all this show gives you in depth detail on everything that is in the game.
The whole lineup of plot as well as characters is one of my favorites currently. The way each character has a specific characteristic as well as title, gives the viewer something to keep an eye on as to see how characters act in certain situations. The story give you a feeling of completeness as everything is able to be kept tied together well with no lose ends to mess up the plot. As a whole this anime is remarkable and people will remember it for a while to come.
Overall really happy I got to watch this anime. Even though it is over I could see myself going back and watching again purely for who much anticipation I felt going from each episode. It is nice to really crave watching something as great and unique as this. With great story, amazing characters, and a twist at the end that will leave you with many questions, this anime is hands down a must watch for everyone.
Title: Futari wa Milky Holmes
Genre: Shoujo / Mystery / Comedy
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 6
Review (By Dash):
Futari was Milky Holmes is a short mini series that follows Alice and Kazumi, two fresh young detectives that just recently got accepted into different detective academies. They spend their spare time trying to follow in the footsteps of their heroes “Milky Holmes” attempting to fight crime. After failing the first time to nab the “Phantom Thieves”, they decide to seek the advice of their heroes who encourage them to act on what their hearts tell them to do. They form up the “Feathers” and are on a mission to take down then new phantom thieves, The Colored Phantoms.
This is a cute mini series that takes place after the events of the Milky Holmes. It is entertaining to see the two new detectives in action along with all of the cameos from several of the many main characters from the original. This story is simple, but at the same time enjoyable. Each of the two main protagonist have a primary issue they have to deal/overcome (with) that is addressed relatively well during the show. Alice will have to deal and accept her family situation, while Kazumi works to overcome her own weakness (like any true protagonist). I did enjoy the original Milky Holmes so I was pretty excited for this spin off sequel. It takes place a little bit of time after the events of Milky Holmes as the Violet Phantom seeks to create a new world of thieves that all but have vanished from Yokohama City.
The current take on Milky Holmes provided a visual boost. The animation is clean, bright. and well done for a short (each episode is about 15 minutes). Although Kazumi can be a little annoying (like all protagonist have been recently), I did like following along the tale about the two upcoming detectives. I’ve always loved the character design of the Milk Holmes world and found the detective-loli stye for Alice and Kazumi very cute. The overall story is interesting and a good way to kill some time if you are looking for a quick watch anime. A downside (minus the length) is the lack of explanation of how their “Toys (powers)” work seeing the series does assume you have watched and know about the original Milky Holmes. I won’t lie, it does make it a much better show to watch if you have seen the first one (at least half the value comes from being a fan). Keep in mind Futari is not as comical.
I picked up this anime a bit late for viewing. I honestly didn’t start until about four episodes in, not even knowing it was a shorter anime in episode length. There is not much action in this anime and it really isn’t a “mystery” type either. It falls closer to a magical girl / friendship genre if I had to label it. If you found the original Milky Holmes adorable I doubt you will be let down. As stated before, this anime is more for the fans of Milky Holmes than a draw in. Should they create a new series Milky Feathers, I would pick it up.
Title: The World God Only Knows – Season 3 – The Goddesses Arc
Genre: Comedy / Romance
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 8
Review (By Blueice):
Warning! If you have not watch the OVAs you may be confuse when starting Season 3
After capturing fourteen loose souls Keima Katsuragi is suddenly tasked with an even greater task that threatens the world. A cult of modern demons, called “Vintage”, seek to revive Old Hell by any means necessary. Vintage are seeking to destroy the Goddesses who saved Hell many years ago and as a result Kanon is attack by them. In order to save her Katsuragi must find the six remaining Goddesses (The Jupiter Sisters) that reside within the previous girls he conquered. Not knowing what mayhem he is walking into he is focused on saving Kanon who only has a limited time until the Goddess within her will parish.
The previous seasons of The World God Only Knows were very enjoyable. So it’s no surprise that some of us were stalking download sites ready to click on the download button as soon as season 3 started. On paper this anime sounded like a horrible idea but it turns out to be a very funny anime filled with some romance. Katsuragi’s personality is amazing. He’s a smart and funny character who cares a lot about virtual girls and wants nothing to do with real life girls.
When I figured out that the Goddesses were in the girls he already conquered, I did feel that the writers were recycling used materials. While I am a bit disappointed that no new conquerable girls were introduced in season 3, I still enjoy the plot and the anime as a whole. Even though the plot is a lot more serious there is still a good amount of comedy. Katsuragi must endure all the trouble that comes with the girls outside of his virtual games while trying to make them fall in love with him to revive the powers of the Goddesses. With time, Vintage and the unpredictable girls’ emotions against him, it usually ends in a comedic way when he tries to get out of said situation. The anime did a good job with introducing new ways of conquering the girls he already conquered and it seem to me that Katsuragi had a harder time. At one point during the anime I just thought of him as a pimp. XD
The animation is great; it came a good way compared to season 1 where it was just a bit darker colored, seasons’ 3 animation is a lot crispier. Same as the previous seasons, the opening theme is in English. While I do enjoy the catchy song a bit, It’s not the greatest song ever sang in an anime but they kept the tradition of having the song sung in English as the opening theme.
Warning Spoiler! (Highlight over the Text!)
My only complaints about The Goddess Arc were at the end. I understand in the anime that the Goddesses are the best weapon against Demons but they show very little when Vintage was stopped. From Katsuragis’ point of view, it was more of a “Well I’m done, nothing to see here. *Jet packs away*” ending. Plus I wish that the situation between Katsuragi and Chihiro were resolved. I actually had to punch a hole in my wall to remind myself how manly I am because of the sad ending. Besides that I enjoyed the anime very much and recommend it to anyone who loves comedy.
Title: Ro-Kyu-Bu! SS
Genre: Sports / Comedy / Slice of Life
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 5
Review (By Dash):
Hasegawa, Subaru was on the high school basketball team until the team captain is caught in a “bad situation” and the team is suspended. Subaru is then “led/tricked” into helping and eventually coaching an elementary girls team. At first he unwillingly decides to keep helping, however continues to help them learn how to play basketball after getting to know them a little bit. Overtime Subaru starts to learn from the girls and his own passion for basketball is sparked again as well.
First of all Ro-Kyu-Bu! SS is not for everyone. I’d say half the show is spent dealing with the girls personal issues and daily life, the rest with their basketball. Granted it is a lighter anime, the first episode deals with Tomoko’s (main female protagonist and shooting guard) father and his objection to her playing basketball. The first episode also does a brief introduction of each character and resolves pretty quickly, ending with a little surprise.From there on it deals with some personal issues related to each one of the girls and that issue being solved (somehow each issue can connect with basketball). These issues each tie to additional members forming their own team in the school and eventually leading to them uniting. The final goal is trying to beat one of the rival teams in the basketball tournament they are in at the end of the game. All of this in twelve episodes, amazing huh?
This is a one way anime for me. Beside the semi-creepy age difference between the the main characters, the show doesn’t really appeal to me as a whole. Yes it is cute. Yes the VA’s are cute. No, it is not a show I would likely re-watch in the future. I am not sure where to peg the age range on this anime as there are couple topics maybe better left alone through it. Its a typical, first love and friendship can over come anything anime. That theme remains in place through the entire second season. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of anime use the friendship and hard work theme; it just didn’t match up to my taste is all. It was a bit too cute and too young for me to get into. I don’t mind basketball, but its not a sport I watch on television (I’m a football fan) often.
Overall the animation is cheeky and cute. If anything they did a solid job with the background noises associated with basketball. The games themselves are the “let’s do this team” mentality. If you had issues with the “play” of Eyeshield, Ro-Kyu-Bu might make you cry. As stated earlier, the voice acting is cute. Yup.. it’s cute. The artwork is pretty solid, but cute. Character wise they remind of the character art in Clanned. The music is happy go lucky, the opening theme fits well. If you look at it as a young girl having her first crush on an older brother figure it runs more cute. The VA’s seem to suite the ages (albeit maybe too young sounding) of the girls and I did find Hinata’s “Oh’s and Ah’s” super cute. The story is pretty run of the mill. I would say it wasn’t bad to watch, but I am satisfied with one go around.
All in all it was not my cup of tea. I doubt I would watch this again short of wanting to hear one their catch phrases or random “I want to watch Ro-Kyu-Bu! for no real reason” moments. If you like the cute style – give it all you have anime, than knock yourself out. For me, Ro-Kyu-Bu! was one of the anime of the summer I had a harder time viewing. It sits with Fantasista Doll, Dokidoki Precure, and Stella Jogakuin – C3, not really my kind of anime. In the end I will stick with my initial “5” in regards to this anime. I am sure some of you will like this anime, but I’d say most viewers will scratch this off their list.
Title: Gin no Saji
Genre: School / Comedy / Slice of Farm / Coming of Age
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 8*
Review (By Dash):
Gin no Saji follow Yugo Hachiken, a city boy, as he attends an agriculture school out in the boonies of Japan. He enrolls with the intention to get away from the pressure of his family and experiences of his past school with no knowledge of farm life and the effort involved. Even on the first day he realizes that this is not “the place” for him, however he chooses to work hard and attempt to discover a place for himself inside of the school.
Initially Gin no Saji (Silver Spoon) was one of the last anime I wanted to watch. A slice of life / comedy / coming of age story that takes place at a farm school… really? Much to my surprise I was sucked in after episode one. I can’t quite put my finger on why I found it so interesting, however I felt they did a good job with the growth of Yugo and his (current) 6 month attendance at the school. I feared I would dislike the “Debbie Downer” attitude of Hachiken, however he does muster up his strength and face the challenge ahead when called upon. The show is not dull or slow moving like many other slice of life / coming of age anime can run. It keeps the humor just fresh enough and takes a more realistic point of view at the story. All of this spelled out win for me.
The biggest faults I could find is the simple design and nature of the anime. I could see this more a “niche” anime than being able to hold a mainstream audience (which I believe they were aware of). Like I said earlier its a “Slice of Life / Coming of Age / Comedy / Farm” anime… I can see why many viewers would jump ship.
The VA is done really well (although very few shows are VA’d badly now). I would define it as a “solid” but not “standout”. Every VA fit the nature of their character much like your friends in high school would be. The animation is clean and crisp. There are no complicated scenes or really deep character design. Its an easy show to appreciate, kick back, and enjoy. The writers of the story did a great job of moving you along at the pace of the “setting”, in the country. I felt this take on slice of life was refreshing and a nice break from the city driven or romance driven anime that often lose the “slice of life” realistic feel along the way. I also appreciate the solid plot lines and ongoing story that will continue into the second season. I did not feel the story was rushed, but took a very smooth pace to cover six months without making me feel “cliffhanged” at the end of the season.
Gin no Saji takes a very realistic feel in my mind. Romance is there, but builds slowly. It paces you with struggle we all go through in our high school years and the even looming question, “What should I do once I graduate?”. Finally taking into account family and the nature of the school and its business really nailed a solid character / story feel. For everything most people might look for in anime, it does an amazing job of delivering exactly what it needs to. The re-watch value is solid. I’ve already re-watched the other episodes a couple times out of mood. I give this show a solid “8” for its overall composition and delivery.
*Note this is an “8” also based on personal preference. I know this show is not for everybody, especially if you like ecchi and action, but I would recommend giving it a few episodes worth of time before dismissing a very solid story.
Title: High School DxD New
Genre: Comedy / Fantasy / Action
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 8
Review (By HappyPiccolo):
High School DxD follows average but perverted high school student, Issei Hyodo. Although normally an outsider, Issei is approached by a girl on his way home and asked on a date. Toward the end of the date the girl reveals herself to be a fallen angel with the mission of killing him. She succeeds but Issei makes a wish as he is dying to be saved by Rias Gremory. She appears and reincarnates Issei as a demon, also revealing herself as one. From this point Issei’s life continues to get stranger and more action filled. High School DxD New begins a short time after the end of the original season.
This season delves more into the ongoing war between the three sides, despite the peace treaty. As always, Issei is a linchpin in everyone’s plans. He is charged with defending the name of House Gremory and with the task of becoming strong enough to match blades with his White Dragon rival, Vali. While gaining more members to their clan the Gremory household must pull together to defeat the enemies set before them, some of whom they already know. All of this, as Issei fights to become a harem king and attain Rias’ virginity. A little side warning, the second series does leave then ending somewhat open for a third. Personally, I would enjoy another season of this ambitious perv trying his best.
All in all, High School DxD New has done a great job of balancing the supremely ecchi style of the show with a very serious story and background. The second season brings out more characters from the fallen angels, demons, and angels; along with some startling revelations. DxD New presents an experience comparable to the original by giving you plenty of boobs and backing it up with plenty of action. As with the first series, I have to warn about the amount of nudity and religious themes running in this show. I’m happy with High School DxD New and I think anyone who enjoyed the first series will click with this anime well. However, anyone who hasn’t seen the original series won’t be able to make much sense of everything happening. So my recommendation is to watch the first series before trying this one out.
Title: Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Animation
Genre: Comedy / Fantasy / Game
Preview Score: 7
Preview (By Storm):
For many years on Gamindustri, the four states Planeptune, Lastation, Lowee, and Leanbox have all vied for the source of their Goddesses power known as Shares. The four states decide to call an agreement of friendship rather than having their nations destroy each other slowly over time. Each Goddess has to look over her state as well as maintain an image to keep her Shares and therefore power up. If these four nations do not learn to all start acting together, rather than enemies, they may have a hard times ahead for their states.
Once again an anime review about a show based off a game, see a trend here? Basically these Goddesses have powers to control what goes on in their respective areas, as well as transform into their alternate personas to fights off things that can be harmful to their populations. This show is very cute and has a great atmosphere that is easy on the eyes and will appeal to many viewers. While at first, due to the way the Goddesses look, it seems like it may be ecchi, I promise those looks are deceiving. When you see the Goddesses in their true form you can really get a feel for the adorable and cutesy show that is here.
Glad I am able to get a second game anime this time around, and happy it is based on a thoroughly fun and successful game. I enjoyed watching it for the beautiful layout of their technologically rich world, as well as the great music backing everything. This show is easy for most to get into, especially if you like cute characters and a fun atmosphere> I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did.
Title: Gatchaman Crowds
Genre: Super Hero / Shounen / Sci-fi / Drama
Aired: July 13, 2013 – Sept 28, 2013
Review Score: 7.5
Review (by: theSquishyone)
Gatchaman. Defenders of the universe, superheroes, and a very famous classic anime. In Tachikawa city, Japan, Gatchaman are real, fighting in the shadows to protect the innocent from a malicious force known as MESS. Hajime Ichinose has just been selected to join their ranks. A high school student who actively defies labels and genuinely helps out her community, Hajime couldn’t be happier and joins the Gatchaman, changing the world, and her comrades through her unique approach. However, an old enemy looms just beyond the shadows, a crazed grin on his face, as pieces fall into place.
Gatchaman Crowds starts of as an anime with a bit of a history behind it, expecting viewers to know what Gatchaman is, both as an anime, and as an in-show concept. In Crowds, Gatchaman exist as both, an anime in Japan made back in the 70s, and a real team of warriors. Several allusions are made to the classic anime, and Gatchaman Crowds expects you to know this beforehand, offering no background information on Gatchaman in the show itself. However, this does not mean that it is impossible to watch Gatchaman Crowds without knowing all of this, as most of this information turns out to be a moot point anyway, as the show doesn’t focus on classic tropes of super hero shows.
Gatchaman Crowds is not a superhero show in the sense of grand heroics or fighting increasingly powerful and over-the-top villains. In fact, it tries to actively avoid these situations entirely, making it a strange change of pace for super hero anime- where the focus isn’t fighting enemies, the focus is saving people and resolving conflict in the most peaceful way possible so nobody has to get hurt in the process.
Because of this deviation from the norm, Gatchaman Crowds seems to lose focus of its story at several points. Plot points are brought up and dropped several times as the show changes gears, and at least three plot threads were outright abandoned because of this. I’m not sure if it’s because the show only has 12 episodes and would have benefitted from a 13th, but it feels like the story that was trying to be told got hacked to pieces and put together like the collages used so often as a symbol in the show. I get the feeling that if Gatchaman Crowds had a second season to have some breathing room, the story wouldn’t feel so messy. The story we get is fun and interesting, full of twists and turns that don’t always go the way you expect them to. While yes, this is a superhero anime, and there will be a ‘super sentai‘ teamwork battle, it is pushed to the back burner, so the focus is less on fighting, and more on saving people and working together to let ‘everybody’ not just ‘superheroes’ do good.
Warning Spoiler! (Highlight over the Text!)
In fact, you don’t see a climactic battle in the final episode, a 15 second fight scene with the big bad happens at the beginning of the episode that the villain walks away from it. At the last moment in the episode, it is implied that he was defeated off-screen.
END Spoiler
From a visual standpoint, Gatchaman Crowds is a beautiful show, colors pop and every character stands out, animation is incredibly fluid and fun to watch, and the CG Gatchaman suits were nothing short of glorious to look at. I think Tatsunoko actually managed to improve their CG techniques since their Karas movies, and the effort really shows through.
So the story might be a mess, but what about the characters? Honestly, I think Gatchaman Crowds works infinitely better as a character-driven anime. While you don’t get to know everybody’s story, the characters in Gatchaman Crowds are extremely well developed, showing marked changes in all of their personalities by the final episode. In particular, Hajime Ichinose, the protagonist, is an extraordinarily well developed character, showing a lot of hidden depth to her, and never quite doing or saying what you expect her to. She’s the type of character that you can believe changes all of her fellow Gatchaman, bringing them out of their shells and helping them grow and develop as people. Given enough time to re-watch the series a few times, I could write a thesis paper on the complex character of Hajime Ichinose, she is that fascinating. I’d also like to point out Berg Katze, a reference to the original Gatchaman, as being just a straight up FUN villain. Imagine if you could cross Grell Sutcliffe’s personality with Izaya Orihara’s mind, and you can get a pretty good idea for this villain. Katze steals the spotlight in whatever scene he’s in, giggling, murdering and manipulating the pieces both directly and indirectly. He’s a Magnificent Troll (Thanks to AN for the term,) and an incredible presence to behold. The rest of the characters in Gatchaman Crowds are very interesting in their own rights, but some do not get the chance to be fleshed out too much, OD, for instance, is a character that would probably be just as interesting as Hajime, but doesn’t get enough screen time or development to really show this.
I personally give Gatchaman Crowds a 7.5/10 for being a well-above-average anime, one that I liked and enjoyed watching throughout the Summer season. It has amazing characters, animation, and above-par voice acting, but I hesitate to give it an 8 or higher because I felt disappointed by the overall messy story that left me wanting a lot more out of the show. I can recommend this show to fans of character driven sci-fi anime, and I’ll likely be returning to Gatchaman Crowds myself in the future. What we get isn’t bad, there’s a lot of good in this show, and I am really glad I stuck with it all Summer, while it wasn’t my ‘#1 show’ for the summer, it was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed watching Gatchaman crowds.
Tl;dr: Gatchaman crowds is a fascinating take on the Superhero trope of anime, deciding not to focus of high-stakes action against progressively larger and more imposing villains, but rather the choices and actions taken to actually protect the people who rely on the heroes. It’s a fascinating and different sort of Superhero show, but Gatachaman Crowds sometimes loses sight of its own story. However, what we get is a very good, gloriously animated, well developed character-driven anime that holds a lot of worth and interest. Also, Berg Katze is a troll.
Title: Genshiken Nidaime
Genre: Club / Comedy / Slice of Life
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 9
Review (By Dash):
Genshiken is a club that is best defined as “The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture”. They are the middle ground between the manga and anime club. Although it seems like they are a group that would study and discuss “multiple aspects” of modern culture, their focus is really a laid back circle devoted to anime manga. This is the third installment based off of the manga taking place after the events of Genshiken 2.
“It looks like a rabbit hutch!” The opening line of Sue was a great start to this show. The simple artwork and character design may throw people off. The clam slice of life feel may put off others… Anyone who allows Genshiken to slip past them is missing out on a solid anime that really defines otaku and their different loves. The third season takes a turn from virtually all male cast to a now “dirty girl” club. The previous characters haven’t vanished, just only appear on and off.
Ogiue has now taken over as the club president from Sasahara and is determined to recruit new members. I was thrilled to see her tie up her hair into her signature “pointy bun” look as the OP started to roll in episode one (usually signifying “art mode”). The show continues to roll with the introduction of three new members, each with their own personality all drawn in by Ogiue’s drawing. From there on out it goes back into the slice of life that is Genshiken.
I fell in love with Genshiken from episode one. The addition of Hato was what really made series amazing. The idea of an anime based on an anime/manga club can be a hard sell, but they did a great job execution wise. One of the reasons I admire Genshiken so much is that it is done from a pretty realistic stand point. All of the characters are different and virtually no one is the “perfect” anime type. They do a great job of addressing a lot of issues otaku have to deal with and dreams they do share. Hato-kun was an important character topic for them to address. As many fans know, crossplay has been catching on. The risk of being rejected or changing to fit in with those you hope would accept you is a large leap forward as an anime topic. I felt Genshiken’s story line did a great job of executing (through three seasons) the mentality, look, and feel of many otaku.
The biggest fault fans of Genshiken have had is the art style. Like Minami-ke, the animation has taken different turns and budgets going from so-so – to cheap – to well done. Genshiken Nidaime had took the cake for the artwork of all of its predecessors. Both the opening (“Genshi, Joshi wa, Taiyo Datta” by Sumire Uesaka) and ending theme “Aoku Yureteiru” by Nozomi Yamamoto, Sumire Uesaka, Yumi Uchiyama & Ai Kakuma were really catchy. The ending may be one of my favorite ending songs for the summer season. Each character was well designed and executed in the current time frame, however the story revolving around Hato-kun was truly a masterpiece. The VA sold each character perfectly. One thing I really admired was giving Hato-kun two different VA’s for each of his personalities (Yamamoto, Kazutomi – Male) and (Kakuma, Ai – Female) really sold the character. Let’s not forget Sue who is done by (Ohzora, Naomi), whom for the few lines she speaks is a major part of the comedy and moments that trap you into the show.
All in all, Genshiken Nidaime manages to pull upward to the “9” score for me. If you know anything about my taste, it pulls upward towards one of my favorites of all time. Only a few anime have managed this score and three anime this season will walk away with that rank. I felt the summer anime as a whole were not super strong, but the best of the best did a magnificent job of carrying the summer. If you are a hard core otaku and like slice of life / comedy or want to watch an anime that you could relate to, I would highly recommend Genshiken. I personally feel any otaku should at least watch this once.
Title: Gen’ei wo Kakeru Taiyou
English Title: Day Break Illusion
Genre: Magical Girl / Fantasy
Preview Score: 7
Preview (By Dash):
Get ready for a Dark Magical Girl! It is a world ruled by the tarot cards and those are cursed/blessed with their powers. Those who wield this power are championed with the job of destroying the dark tarot cards, however at the cost of the life of the person who was taken over. Our protagonist Akari has been in love with the tarot for as long as she can remember. She uses the cards her mother had left her, however you feel it was a gift her mother did not want to pass down. At first she looks like she just has internal talent with reading the tarot and desires to bring people happiness with her power. Reality will soon kick in as her “cousin” (she lives with her aunt and uncle) gets devoured by a dark tarot card and comes to kill her. Akari has no recourse to protect herself calling upon the tarot subconsciously. Magical transformation takes place and she turns into a fire spirit (Sun Card), however lands up destroying the dark tarot card and killing her cousin. The next day it seems as if she never existed… A hidden power has awakened in Akari that carries a heavy toll, Will she be able to master her powers and at the same time accept the fate bestowed upon her?
So this show fell a bit by the way side at first for me. It has dark magical girl written all over it (you’ll see from the OP). I am truly intrigued how this show will play out. The director (Kusakawa Keizou) was responsible for the Nanoha Movies. My main interest comes from (Itou, Michiko) as one of the script writers which gives me faith in this anime. Itou was responsible for Moretsu, Kimikiss, Beelzebub, and Special A to name a few (also some episodes of Railgun, Toradora, and Working!). That list has magic written all over it, thus I am really looking forward to the direction this takes. I felt they introduce you into the world very well. You get her first transformation and an “Eraser” feel of what happens to the dark tarot victims that has me waiting for episode two. I honestly felt it was a well composed first episode giving just enough information, without giving too much away. The animation feels a bit of a cross of Panty and Stocking with Tweeny Witches (that is a good thing). I do think the character design or middle school girl cast will turn of viewers to potentially good show.
All in all I had mixed feelings about this show, but when I finished I felt it was one of the better opening episodes this season. It has the potential to go either way story wise (and rating wise) in my mind. It is a dark show from what I can tell and is not for little kids. If your looking for a Madoka Magica feel this season, check this out. Honestly all of the magical girl anime look very solid this season, but I have a feeling this one could win out story wise. If you like magical girl or darker plots with a cute face check this out.
Title: Blood Lad
Genre: Comedy / Fantasy / Vampires
Aired: June 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 7
Review (By Dash):
Staz is an old school otaku who collects manga and games, even collects figurines. (PS: He is a vampire.) He is also one of the territory lords of the demon realm. One day a human girl shows up in his district. Although most think that Staz would want to devour her, he is truly happy to meet a human girl from the human realm. During their first magical meeting an enemy shows up to challenge Staz for the spot of leader. Staz quickly disposes of him, however the enemy manages to get Yamada and eat the human girl. Now Staz is on a mission to restore the girl and.. really enter the human world.
Blood Lad was fantastic. I had the honor of reviewing the two “short” anime of the season. Starting with the “bad”, the length really got me by the end. Blood Lad easily could have me hooked for 26 episodes. The “I’m popular or feared but an otaku” has been running for the past couple years now, but each anime has had a different take on that character type. I don’t see this as a negative as much as it can start making you feel, “Oh I’ve seen this”. I could also see some fans not like the character design, but deal with it. Blood Lad really did not have many points I didn’t like.
The anime is another solid story with great animation. The relationship between Staz and Fuyumi developed at a great pace. It wasn’t the “instant fall in love”, but more the enjoyment of “waiting the three minutes and now my ramen is perfect” flow. They also balanced the characters really well. Not only did you feel the development of the main characters, but how important the secondary characters are. I felt the attachment grow between them and the viewer which is really hard to do in a 10 episodes cut. My favorite character of Blood Lad is Liz T Blood, I really hope to see some cosplay of her (VA’d by Nanri, Yuuka).
This artwork is pretty stand out compared to most of the shows this season. I truly enjoyed the VA and the exchanges between all of the characters. The artwork felt like a cross between Hataraku Maou-sama and Beelzebub combined to create a wonderful new show. I like that show takes off really well and at the same time has me eagerly awaiting the next one without leaving me cliffhanged each time. The opening theme is catchy and visually interesting (“ViViD” by May’n). The background music is catchy and fitting as the dialogue moves forward. Honestly the worst part of the show was the ending credits for me, not that it was horrid just the least impressive. Another thing that might ring a little familiar from Maou-sama is Staz’s VA (Ohsaka, Ryota) who was Maou Sadao (He is also lead roles in the OVA Rescue Me and Rozen Maiden this season).
All in all I was not disappointed. The final two episodes are amazing. The comedy and action were perfectly balanced, while moving the story along. Blood Lad is not deep and super dark if that is what tickles your fancy, but seems to be able to match the enjoyment of Soul Eater. The only other issue I would have is the “re-watch value”. I am not sure I could just pop this show on (generally Slice of Life/Comedy wins this), but more fitting of a mood to mood thing. I felt this show had a lot of upside and it delivered. Blood Lad could easily carry in most fan types of anime with no issue. I would recommend watching this show, I doubt you will be disappointed.
Title: Love Lab
Genre: School / Slice of Life / Comedy
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 7
Review (By Dash):
Riko is the “Cool and Spicy” (very Shugo Chara) girl of a proper all girls school. Maki, Natsuo is the proper and beloved student council president. A teacher catches Riko walking through the hall and gives her something to turn into Maki. Upon entering the student council office Riko discovers Maki sucking the face off of a body pillow (her ideal boyfriend practice toy). Riko comes to believe Maki is an expert and now drags Riko in to teach her the art of love. This all seems fine and dandy except Riko has never been the “chosen” girl and Maki has a horrid misconception of falling in love. From here out comes fun gags and jokes…
Love Lab’s comedy is based on the straight man funny man comedy type (hope you like harrison fans). I enjoyed how this was used throughout the entire anime even up to the end. Some might people might be turned off to the anime because the gags will continue into the few serious moments the show has. The major drive behind the plot is Riko’s lie of being the “Love Expert” and eventually the need to come clean. She keeps the lie up during the entire anime due to her nature of freezing up when put on the spot. The other reason is not to break the trust she has built up with her new found friends.
The animation is very simple for Love Lab being it falling into the comedy genre. I would define the characters are cute and falls into the “Yuyushiki” or “Yuriyuri” level of animation (and enjoyment). The jokes and dialogue drive the show more than the animation. Numakura, Mai did a great job for the voice of Maki in my mind. She has not had “many” main roles, however the roles she has had I’ve enjoyed (Hibiki from Idolmaster and Yurika from Aikatsu!). The opening song and ending song are both cute but not falling into the “noteworthy” category.
All in all I thought the show was cute and funny. I think the jokes and character play is solid. I don’t see where some of the negative reviews I’ve seen up come from, seeing you know from the opening it is an all girl comedy. If you do not like silly humor or all girl cast, avoid this show. Love Lab is an easy going and easy to pickup anime. I enjoyed the ride that was “Love Lab” and would recommend it if you are looking for a light and fun to follow along anime.
Title: Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya
Genre: Fantasy / Action / Comedy / Magical Girl
Aired: June 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 8
Review (By Dash):
Illyasviel von Einzbern is your normal elementry school student. She is in love with her older brother figure (Shirou) and loves magical girl anime. One day a magical wand appears before her giving her the chance to become something she only thought existed in anime, a mahou shoujo! This story takes place in an alternate Fate/ reality where Ilya lives a normal life and gone through the sage of Fate/Stay. In this world magical girls champion the servants and it their job to capture them.
I honestly have to say this is one of the better magical girls I’ve seen in a while. The anime is not too heavy like several of the dark ones, nor so loopy that they won’t hold my attention. This fall season saw several magical girls and this one won me over.
The show is the typical “over come adversity through friendship” plot while capturing the cards (the summons of Fate/Stay) that are disrupting the magical lay lines in Japan. Fate/kaleid has several cute moments because of that nature, but they quickly turn them comical (in a good way). That mix was what sold the show for me personally. I felt Ilya’s reactions were spot on to what “becoming a magical girl” would be like and how embarrassing those outfits would be to walk around in. The humor mixed into the story kept the anime at just the right level and didn’t need panty shots or annoying humor to keep me hooked. I felt “as a whole” the show flowed at a very smooth pace. I never sat there wanting to skip around the show, which for me is a good sign. I honestly could sit and watch this a few times, re-watch counts for a lot when I rate an anime.
The opening theme really matches the show. The background music was nothing amazing, it did like solid background music should do.. be the in background. The animation is super cute in my mind, however it is a more shoujo style over the standard Type Moon design (but come on Fate/kaleid was meant to be cute!). The action and magical sequences are done really well in my mind. I really enjoyed the later fights in the show. If you are a fan of the Fate/ series you would be able to appreciate the attacks and fight scenes. The VA was great, especially Kadowaki Mai. Having the original VA come back for one of my favorite characters is win.
All in all there really isn’t anything that bothered me with the show. I knew a good bit of what to expect going into the show and its nature. My biggest complaint would be the “10 Episode Count” (just like Blood Lad), however there are OVA’s planned to come out for Fate/kaleid. I really want to give this show a “9” more out of personal preference (like Boku no Tomodachi), but I think the OVA’s would be the determining mark if I do. I would recommend picking up this show if you love cute or magical girl. I would honestly say watch Episode 1 and make a decision, you may enjoy this show even if you do not like the genre (one of my friends did). I am a huge Fate/ series fan and was not sure how turning it mahou shoujo would work, well it worked out great! Type Moon has yet to let me down.
Title: Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C³-bu
Genre: Military Club / Comedy
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 7
Review (By HappyPiccolo):
Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C³-bu is the story of Yura Yamato’s entrance into high school at the Stella Academy for girls. On the ride to the school Yura imagines having an enchanted life filled with interesting and charming people. Upon arrival at the school she is passed by other girls because she is shy and unassuming. Yura finds her new dorm room fabulous but empty because her roommate, a third year named Sonora Kashima, is home for the week. She soon discovers that Sonora is a large military fan. While watching and pretending to be Rambo she is interrupted by Rento Kirishima, a member of the airsoft club, and is immediately dragged to the clubroom to join. After being tricked into trying to play a game of “Rambo” as a sheriff, Yura realizes that she enjoys the activity.
This show presents exactly what it promises. Stella is filled with plenty of cute and funny moments. It is a pretty good representation of an off-the-wall high school girls club. The main character and the club members make up an interesting cast and team, with each girl having different quirks and skills. Not to mention the mysterious but skilled roommate, Sonora. The animation style is pleasing to the eye and well designed. Overall, Stella flows pretty well by presenting cute but smart characters that push the story.
I will say that I enjoyed Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C³-bu very much. It made me laugh and held my interest enough to really be entertaining. If you are a fan of the typical girl club slice of life this may be a little of your radar. But, if you enjoy funny and odd club life then Stella should definitely please you for the most part. As the season progresses Stella does have its slow moments and it doesn’t really travel too far off from where it started. This may or may not be a bad thing depending on what you expect from this show. Overall, I enjoyed Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C3-bu and I would recommend it to anyone with some free time.
Title: Rozen Maiden (2013)
Genre: Fantasy / Drama / Doll
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 6.5
Review (By Dash):
Jun is a young boy who has been a shut in for years. One day he receives a letter “Yes” or “No”, he selects “Yes”. A doll shows up on his door step, however this is no ordinary doll. Upon thorough examination he winds up the doll and to his surprise she comes to life. Jun will pledge a bond with the very posh Shinku as they take on other “Rozen Maidens” in the “Alice Games” to become a real girl. The second episode will have you jump ahead ten years… This is the manga “sequel” from the original Rozen Maiden that aired back in 2008.
So my first word of advice, do not watch the first episode and make that your point of reference for Rozen Maiden. The first episode acts as a very bad summary of what has happened during the first two segments of Rozen Maiden. The second episode (a lot like Haruhi) is the true first episode for this story. The story takes place in the world where Jun selects “No” rather than yes. In short that choice is a fixed point in history that effects the rest of the Alice Game to the level it never happens. In this world Jun will become a creator rather than a master and the other need his help in order to defeat the 7th sister. Another final warning, Rozen Maiden does not “end”, rather it is the lead in for another season (or one could hope).
Rozen Maiden (2013) wasn’t so bad once I got past the first episode. I appreciated this add in on the alternate reality and the continued fight with the 7th doll. My biggest peeve would be the very slow pace the story moves. It does take a good bit of time to meet Shinku in her full form again. Also Jun is Jun… emo and annoying about how he has “given up on life” and hates the world. A side of Jun that is slowly addressed in its prequels, but once again comes to light as Jun has never progressed from his former mentality since he never met the Rozen Maidens. If you can deal with the slow hero and the wishy washy hero, the story itself remains solid.
Now enough of what turned me off regarding Rozen Maiden. I am still a fan of this series. I love the interaction and personality of the dolls. The overall VA for the show is amazing, the voices really did a great job of reflecting the personalities of the dolls. The artwork is solid, the characters are not the “best” (human wise). This is recovered with the dolls themselves. Their dresses and artwork are adorable. The goth-loli style of each doll is “super kawaii” and backgrounds of their worlds are always amazing. The opening theme immediately threw me into the Rozen Maiden mood by its ever nostalgic but different tone with the first two seasons openings. I actually enjoyed the story itself. I generally love alternate timelines when the plot lays it out well. In this case it is the simple “yes or no”, but the effect it has on Jun’s life. In the end Jun will be involved in the Alice Games regardless of his choice. I was happy to see adult Jun start to progress little by little, even if it was a nerve annoying rate.
All in all would I recommend Rozen Maiden (the whole series) to any anime fan? No. It is not a genre that many would find appealing. If you like the goth-loli style or anime focused on dolls that come to life in a game to become human you may dig this. I personally picked up this show up on a whim back in the day, but honestly enjoyed it. I would say try watching the first couple episodes of the original Rozen Maiden and decide if this is a series you would want to get into. I wasn’t let down by the 2013 version, but dropped the score due to the cliff hanged ending. A second season would be required to bring Rozen Maiden 2013 justice.
Title: Watashi ga motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Waruji! (Watamote)
Genre: Comedy / School
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 7
Review (By Blueice):
We follow Tomoko, an unpopular girl, who is entering her first year in high school. Once entering, she assumes that becoming popular would be easy. Considering she has more dating experience than anyone in the school and has conquered many males already. In her video games that is… Tomoko is stun by the outcome; she is unpopular and socially awkward. She has trouble talking to everyone, let alone saying morning or good-bye to teachers. This forces her to make changes to herself. Once finish, she hopes to become popular by whatever means she can.
Here at Nola Anime, it was hard for some of us to watch WataMote without having the urge to reach into our computer screens and slap/punch Tomoko. I truly felt the same way at times however, Tomoko is so socially awaked its funny. The way she goes about trying to become popular always blows up in her face. Let it be just taking pictures with a cute pose or trying to look cute by making a duck face.
The comedy was ok for the reasons that whenever something blew up in her face it was either hit or miss. One of three things was going to happen. 1: You Laugh. 2: You felt sorry for her. 3: You /facepalm in real life. Some of her actions were so stupid or ridiculous that it took away from the comedy. It was really hard to laugh or feel sorry for a girl who is trying to become popular and it doesn’t go her way; yet she calls other girls sluts or (Insert curse word here). Plus when she lets her imagination run wild she becomes very perverted.
Opening or ending theme for me usually does not change my opinion on deciding if I should watch an anime or not. Meaning; do not be fool by the opening theme thinking that you were expecting something else and if you are a Miku fan, she sings a song at the end of episode 6. As far as the animation goes it looks good. Nothing too special to point out.
I did like the plot of the anime, unpopular school girl with bags under her eyes, messy hair and loves to play Otome games trying to become popular and not socially awkward. However, I really do think this is a hit or miss anime. You will either like it or hate it. For me I enjoyed the anime. It was entertaining and I loved the shenanigans Tomoko went through. However, I did wish that she at least realized how she acted sometimes and not get up on her high horse when she herself knows that she is unpopular.
Title: Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi – English Title: God Left on a Sunday
Genre: Fantasy / Drama
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 9
Review (By Dash):
The lore goes that one day Heaven and Hell no longer could accept new soulds. God vanishes from our world leaving life itself in a state of flux. Humans are no longer able to “die” naturally and no one can bear children anymore. Before abandoning the world, God sent “Gravekeepers” so that people may still be “laid to rest”. 15 Years later the story begins…
Ai is a young girl who lives in a small rural farm village. Her mother, a Gravekeeper, passed away a few years ago and since than been raised by the village. She inherits her mother’s Gravekeeper ability and spends her days creating the graves she hopes to never fill (of the village). One day she comes home to find a young man in a black coat standing along the street. They engage in a short conversation and informs her that his name is Humbert Humphries, the name of her father according to her mother. Following the man, she discovers the entire village has been murdered. Ai’s life changing adventure will begin from this point onward as she starts on a quest to “Save the World that God Abandoned”.
Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi is, in my opinion, the best show that aired for the summer (contesting Genshiken head on). Somehow this show fell under the radar of most fans, including myself. For starters, KNIN starts off with a very easy going slice of life feel. Half way through the first episode your view point will be turned upside down and the true nature of the anime will start to unfold. I strongly recommend watching the first 3/4 episodes in on go, otherwise you will be left with several questions at the end of the first episode. Honestly KNIN does a great job of invoking thoughts and guesses to what is going on without making you wait to long to learn the truth.
I loved most everything about KNIN. The overall story (granted it ends short and really makes you hope for another season) was done with an amazing touch. The 12 episodes run in 4 short arcs dealing with two primary characters each time. Each arc gives you some information into the world that currently exist and the hope that “Ai” truly is. In addition each arc has a different feel, location, and story line making really connect to the travels Ai is embarks on. The VA for this anime was amazing. AI is done by Aki Toyosaki, one of my favorite current voice actresses that is probably best known for Yui (K-On) and Suu (Shugo Chara) or more recently for Uiharu (Toaru Kagaku no Railgun) and Chihaya (Servant x Service). The art (character and background) very well done, especially the middle ages feel after modern society has fallen. The overall music was perfect, the opening theme was one of my favorites this season (“Birth” by Eri Kitamura) and the ending will tear jerk you every time an arc ends (“Owaranai Melody wo Utaidashimashita” by Mikako Komatsu).
In short, I would say “watch this show!” (like i said personal opinion). The thought of the young girl Ai being the protagonist may turn you away or the initial 15 minutes of fluffy feeling, do no be deceived. KNIN is a well done story (emotion wise similar to Kanon or Clanned) and Ai is a strong character (thankfully not emo like many current ones). The overall story will pull at your emotions as each arc moves on. I honestly loved every episode of KNIN and would highly recommend to anyone.
Title: Fantasista Doll
Genre: Fantasy / Magical Girl / Cards
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 7
Review (By HappyPiccolo):
Fantasista Doll is the story of young female student Uzume Uno, a card prodigy at an early age. While riding a packed train someone drops a device in her bag that, when used with special cards, generates five magical girls. The device also has the capabilities to generate weapons and armor for the girls and repair real world damage caused by them.
The first episode of this series does a fairly decent job of introducing the main character as a typical not-so-brave middle school student. While staying after school, Uzume is attacked by a mysterious girl who does not give her identity, but uses a Fantasista doll device of her own. After running away and completing the registration process for the device Uzume meets the first of her new companions, Sasara. Sasara quickly instructs Uzume on how to use the card/device combination and they fend off the attacking Fantasista doll and its master. After returning home she is surprised to find that she has not one doll on her device, but five! They all take a bath and get acquainted as Uzume comes to terms with her new situation. A man appears, looking pretty close to Tuxedo Mask, to tell Uzume that he was the one to give her the device and that he did it so she would become a powerful card master.
From this point Fantasista Dolls follows the same lines as the original Yu-Gi-Oh by having the main heroin come up against enemy after enemy, each with Dolls of their own. Some enemies have themes that their dolls follow and others are downright abusive toward what they see as servants. As the series follows Uzume’s battles and growth as a person, she makes everyone around her see the power of friendship. By turning enemies into allies she is able to overcome any challenge put before her.
At first glance, Fantasista Doll reminds me of Cardcaptor Sakura with its card based magic system. But the idea of actually summoning your own team of magical girls to fight with you is a little different. My biggest complaint here is the sheer amount of characters in this show. After meeting Sasara the rest of the team is just dumped on you at one time. Quickly followed by enemies and their dolls and friends and their dolls. The animation in this show is definitely satisfactory for the genre it is, though I wouldn’t say it stands out for that reason. I was pleased to get exactly what I expected of this show. I would say Fantasista Doll is worth watching if you enjoyed Cardcaptor Sakura or Zatch Bell.
Title: Makai Ouji – Devils and Realist
Genre: Comedy/Supernatural/Shojo/Fantasy
Preview Score: 9
Dropped Mid Season
Makai Ouji utilizes the basic dogmata premise of angels, demons, and man, even going as far as using biblical figures-King Solomon. After the opening scene, the story picks up in what appears to be the Victorian era in England. The main character, William Twining, is an orphaned teen from a noble family who is at the top of his class of the all-boys boarding school he attends. Upon his return to his home, William discovers that his uncle has wasted away the family fortune, and he is now broke. With nothing of value left in the house, he is determined to find something somewhere in the home that will give him the funds he needs to pay for his very expensive tuition. In his search, he finds a secret room hidden deep under the mansion. Over excited, William haphazardly enters room and accidentally summons Dantalion, a demon that wishes to rule over hell.Dantalion tries to tell William that he is the “elector” and the descendant of Solomon, but the boy throws the stranger out. And because William is a realist who won’t believe that Dantalion is a demon, his troubles are only beginning…
This anime was one that I was looking forward to this season. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. With this anime falling into the fantasy, bishi, and demons categories – which are my top favs – I could not help but love it. Fangirls hold on to you panties because the very first scene will leave you squealing, and it doesn’t stop there. With bishi’s, an alternative realm, demons, nobility, butlers, and England, I have to say that this anime gives off a well-mixed vibe of Kuroshitsuji and Pandora Hearts. If you have seen and liked either, I would recommend watching this show. And it’s not just for the eye candy. The anime looks to have a good plot building as well, so you don’t have to be a fangirl to enjoy it. It’s going to be both exciting and interesting to watch this anime unfold over the next few weeks.
Title: Inu to Hasami wa Tsukayou – English Title: Dog x Scissors
Genre: Comedy/Supernatural
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 6.5
Review (By Rising Sun):
Kazuhito Harumi is a young man who is a major bibliophile (addicted to books). His favorite author is Shinobu Akiyama who has written several of his favorite books. One day he goes to cafe, and sees a young lady writing a book. A robber comes in and robs the place. He sees the young lady and she ignores him (she is busy writing the book). Harumi jumps in and protects her but he gets killed. Harumi wakes up as a Dachsund in an animal store after what appears to be him going to heaven. While he is wondering what happened, the same young lady walks in and takes him with her. Her name is Kirihime Natsuno and it turns out not only can she hear his thoughts, but also she is Shinobu Akiyama.
Dog X Scissors was actually a pretty decent anime. It has a pretty crazy setup with a book-obsessed man coming back to life as a Dachsund, and going on some random adventures with his favorite author. It has a good amount of comedy. I enjoyed most of the comedy, but there were some moments when the comedy fell flat. I really enjoyed the characters in this anime especially Natsuno who is sadistic. The majority of the characters had some quirky personalities. Kazuhito’s obsession with books from to Natsuno’s sadistic tendencies to “punish” Kazuhito with her scissors. There was a another character who is Natsuno’s editor who is a big time masochist. As you can see the characters for the most part are hilarious.
This anime had some great star power with the VAs. Marina Inoue who voices Natsuno is one my favorite VA. She has voiced Yoko in Gurren Laggan, and Yozora Mikazuki in Haganai. The opening Wan Wan Wan Wan N_1 was pretty catchy with the VAs singing it.
The beginning of the show had a mystery/supernatural feel. It had promise and potential, but then it took a completely different route with comedy. That’s not to say I don’t like comedy, I love it. It’s just the show had me pulled in the first few episodes when they are trying to solve Kazuhito’s death, and then after that arc they just ignore whatever happened to him. I also had a really hard figuring out the actual plot for the anime. Another thing I didn’t like was Harumi’s dog situation not being resolved at the end.
All in all it was an ok show, but for me it’s only a one time watch. There was no plot, and the show is in some ways forgettable. That’s not to say it was bad. I enjoyed the show. If you like comedy, sadists, masochists, and zany characters then this is the show for you.
Title: Servant X Service
Genre: Slice of life / Comedy
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 8.5
Review (By Rising Sun):
Servant x Service is about the lives of a couple of young office workers working in a Civil Service office in Japan. The show deals with their everyday lives and the craziness that comes with working in a civil service office.
I really, really enjoyed this anime. The show had a great colorful cast of characters. Each character had something quirky about them that made them stand out. Lucy…..Yamagami is a newcomer who has an extremely long first name. She is insecure about her first name and she wants to find the employee responsible for allowing such a name when she was born. Yutaka Hasebe is the really smart but lazy office slacker. He likes to joke around with everyone, especially Lucy. Saya Miyoshi is the soft-spoken but brutally honest employee. Megumi Chihara is the anime otaku/cosplayer of the office. They have more characters which just add to the quirkiness of the anime.
This show is very similar to Working! in a good number of ways. Working! is a anime that I really enjoyed and would recommend to anyone. Just like Working! it is a comedy anime and you will find yourself laughing at a great number of the situations that goes on in this show. Just like Working!, it is also set in a workplace setting. The relationships between the characters was one of the driving forces of this anime. Their interactions with each other is really entertaining and comedy filled. There are also a few surprises in this anime if you are fan of “shipping”.
I really liked the opening theme “May I help you?” sung by Aki Toyosaki, Mai Nakahara and Ai Nayano (who voice Megumi, Saya and Lucy). The visuals and artwork were pretty good and the background music was also pretty good. The atmosphere of the anime was very cheerful and fun. If I had to find one thing that I didn’t like the show it would be the length. I wish it would’ve gone on longer.
There is so much that I wish I could write in this review but I don’t want to spoil anything for you guys. I had an awesome time watching this anime and I was laughing my butt off most of the time. If you love Working!, slice of life or any comedy anime, then this is a must watch! If you also like any kind of anime in general I highly recommend this.
Title: Free!
Genre: Sports / Shoujo
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 8.5
Review (by: tailsfanfulz)
Sypnosis: Haruka Nanase loves swimming. When he meets up with Makoto and Nagisa again, they see Rin, an old friend in elementary who left to study in Austrilla. Nagisa suggest that they make a swim club. They gather new members: Gou, Rin’s sister and the manager, and Rei, another member who was in track. They want to swim with Rin again, but Rin had changed and wants to beat Haruka in a race. Will they swim together again?
Now, this anime was one of the big ones during the summer. I remember everyone when on tumblr was freaking out about this commercial with attractive swimming guys. They started making up names and background stories despite it not even being an anime! They were determined to make it a real anime. And here it is! I really though that it wasn’t going to be very successful nor have any plot. How could they come up with a plot within three months? That’s crazy! Well, I was certainly proven wrong.
The art was a so-so. The necks bothered me too much for comfort, but hey, the art was okay overall. I’m not really picky with art. The plot was pretty good, I have seen a few animes with the lines of friendship, but they executed it pretty well. It really did bring me to suspense to see if they will be friends again. It took me a few episodes to really get into it at first, but once I did I was excited for the next one. The ending was also well executed, and I think the ending was pretty fair.
I have no information, but at the end of the credits it gives a hint of a second season. I have no real information about it now, but a second season could be pretty fun and I would be more than eager to watch it.
Title: Uchouten Kozaku
Genre: Fantasy / Comedy / Slice of Life
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 7
Review (By Dash):
Since the city of Kyoto was established humans, tengu, and tanuki all live together in the city maintaining a since of balance. Tanuki have the ability to manipulate their appearance to appear as they wish, so they could be anyone at any time as it were. Yasaburou Shimogamo is a tanuki and lives in the city with his brothers and mother, and he performs errands for his master who is a tengu. The tengu seems to have a deep love interest in a former human disciple of his that left (Benten) him to go be primarily with humans. Yasaburou’s journey will start with the master and progress onward dealing with his family, his enemies, the girl he loves, the girl who loves him, and dodging the “Friday Folks” landing up in their yearly hot pot.
I honestly didn’t know if I would like this show or not in the beginning. It starts pretty simple with a boy who uses his tanuki powers to observe humans spending much of the first episode transformed as a girl. I decided to keep watching as it had sparked my interest “just enough” to keep watching, I’m happy I did.
Uchouten Kozaku did an amazing job of building the story around the main character. You really do learn about his family, his personality, those involved, and those who caused so much distress to the family years ago. What starts as a simple slice of life with the ability to go multiple directions stays grounded with its slice of life mentality and uses the on goings of life to move the story along. This pace of “move along as it goes” allows you as the viewer to truly feel part of the story and easily get pulled in. This “simply slice of life” progresses an intricate yet easy to follow plot dealing with love, life, and betrayals; but know family will always be there for you. Uchouten Kozaku has a great plot behind it and after completing the series, I can firmly recommend this anime if you like a little of Japanese mythology mixed into modern day society.
The artwork is simple yet satisfying. The character design reminded me of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei but with a much better background design and using “various” elements added throughout the each episode. The artwork as a whole is light suiting the nature of tanuki, as long as it’s enjoyable and fun. The voice acting is also solid. There are no complaints with execution or selling of the characters. The cast as whole were a perfect combination giving a feel of family, enemies, and friends.
In the end I didn’t feel Uchouten Kozaku fell short on anything as a whole. I honestly enjoyed following Yasaburou and his journey through thirteen episodes. Yasaburou is a solid protagonist that never betrays the nature of tanuki, especially the nature he inherited from his father. Uchouten Kozaku does have its serious moments, but for the most part it is a well slower paced anime that you can sit and enjoy if you want a solid story with characters to match. This is not for you action freaks or for you “deep romantics”. I give it a solid “7” for overall composition, however if anything it probably lacks some re-watch value. I would define it as a story you read once and enjoy it’s tale.
Title: Kitakubu Katsudou Kiroku
Genre: School / Seinen / Comedy
Aired: July 2013 – Oct 2013
Review Score: 7
Rreview (By Dash):
Natsuki is not much for the school activities, so when a friend asks which club she will be joining she responds with a sarcastic “the go-home club”. When another student overhears Natsuki she brings her to the club room for “the go-home club”. Learning that this is a real club throws her into a state of confusion and in the end Natsuki ends up joining because the club seems carefree enough. Plus two of the members come from notable backgrounds so it adds an interesting mix to the rather plain school environment. Natsuki comes to learn quickly that just having fun with some friends after school is not all that bad and as the clubs name implies they do all their activities while in the process of going home.
So ignore the first twenty or so seconds anime for what it is, seals. They will play seal jokes through the entire series. Onward to the important question, How was Kitakubu?
I honestly enjoyed this anime week in and week out. I am a very big slice of life / comedy fan, so an anime that can play quirky jokes/puns and go about the day meaninglessly works for me. Kitakubu is all around “go with the flow” and “light”. There is no real deep plot. The anime focuses on the interactions of the five girls and what they do in their “spare” school time. The animation remains clean and light with no real hard details or changes. The few moments that emphasize animation are always done in joking context. Most of the comedy will come off of simple jokes or wordplay making it easy to follow along to. The VA was adorable, especially Sakura who was voiced by rookie Miharu Kobayashi. To add of the main cast, Ibuki Kido is the only veteran to the team (Kasumi – GJ Club, Akiko – OniAi, & Natsuki – Kitakubu), making the execution of the voice work all more impressive and I can’t wait to hear from them in the future. The opening theme “2 Gakki Debut Daisakusen! by Otome Shinto” was catchy and fun to listen to each episode. The composition as a whole was well executed in my mind.
All in all I was impressed. Kitakubu was everything I enjoy in the Slice of Life / Comedy / Club genre it fits into. It may not fall in the top ranks with K-On!, but is worth a watch. If you like the easy going anime generally based in a club room you will want to check this out (EX: GJ-bu, K-On!, or Seitokai no Ichizon).
Title: Brothers Conflict
Genre: Romance / Harem / Shoujo
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 8
Review (By Happypiccolo):
When Ema Hinata’s father, Rintarou, decides to wed Miwa Asahina, Ema decides that she would like to give the newlywed couple some space. So she moves into a luxurious mansion with all of Miwa’s sons. Ema has 13 new brothers to learn to live and get along with. From a pervy sage type to a teen pop idol, there is definitely a lot of variety in this house. Ema will definitely have her hands full as most of them have an eye for her immediately.
Brother’s Conflict can be a bit confusing at first because of the large harem of brothers. Though they quickly differentiate themselves from one another. The brothers range from Wataru at age 10 to Masaomi at 31. Although Ema, or “Chii” for short, is only 16, most of the brothers quickly develop romantic feelings for her and have no problem telling her about them. This show actually does a pretty good job of showing the interrelationships between a large family of brothers without getting caught up on the smaller romantic details between the 13 and Chii. With her ever-vigilant squirrel companion Juli always in tow, Ema always manages to be vague and unforceful when advanced on by her new family members. It is only with time that she develops resolve to give them all an answer to the question, “Do you love me?”.
In the end, Brother’s Conflict delivers a solid resolution to every relationship between each brother and Chii with the first season. It does set up for a possible second season to continue the flirty slice of life mischief. So, if you enjoyed this show as much as I did, you may have something to look forward to. All in all, I would suggest this show to fans of male harem and family slice of life. Brother’s Conflict holds up well between cute, funny, and romantic moments.
Title: Kiniro Mosaic
Genre: Slice of life / School / Comedy
Aired: July 2013 – Sept 2013
Review Score: 6.5
Review (By Dash):
The show starts off with Shinobu, a Japanese girl, doing a homestay in England. While there she meets a shy girl named Alice. Even though there is a language barrier between the two they manage to become fast friends and enjoy spending their days together. Eventually Shinobu goes back home to Japan, and we are forwarded a few years to where she is now 15 years old and currently in high school. She receives a letter from Alice saying that she is coming to Japan. While reading the letter, Alice appears in the hallway of Shinobu’s school and then finally they meet for the first time in years in Shino’s classroom. Alice has transferred to the school and will be attending class alongside Shinobu and her friends.
Kiniro takes the “slice of life look” at two girls (Shino & Alice) who are obsessed with the other girl’s culture. Alice (who is obsessed with Shino) is bright, cute, and very smart. She spent her time learning Japanese, customs, and nuances. In contrast, Shino loves England (especially blonde hair) but has a large misunderstanding of western culture and speaks virtually no English. The interaction between them and their friends results in an easy going watch that lays off any drama or need for “epic” moments. A lot of the comedy plays off cultural misunderstanding or “straight man / funny man” jokes fed through the adorable cast (adding to the enjoyment).
Kiniro Mosaic’s cute slice of life comedic take on “foreign student” point of view was executed really well. That idea of someone who loves your culture will probably know more about he nuances then yourself really shines. Also, Karen, the second transfer student (and Alice’s friend) was one of my favorite characters in the show. Karen is energetic, fun loving, and has the cutest accent in the world (Karen was voice by Nao Toyama who recently has done Yui in SNAFU and Kanon in Wolrd God Only Knows).
Overall execution for the genre was a solid. The VA did a great job for matching the characters, albeit at times I felt they were in middle school and not high school, which I accredit to the combination of the VA and art style. The ending theme (“Your Voice” – Rhodanthe*) is extremely catchy (an easy going jazz theme) to the point I would put it on my iPad. Kiniro also has a heavy dose of English incorporated in the the story. Depending the VA, it was very hit or miss for clarity which I could see bothering some viewers. I honestly found it cute and didn’t think too much of it, however I did need to read the subtitles to understand some of it.
I would define Kiniro Mosaic as a “cuteness” overload. There is nothing that falls under “stand out”, but I felt it was worth the watch as a “Slice of Life” genre fan. I could see myself re-watching the show on a whim or simply being in the mood, but not going down on my list of “must see anime”. The show is an easy pickup and watch show. I would recommend watching the first few episodes before making a personal judgement as episode one is a “lead in” and not “present time” for the show. All in all, I would place this closer to the “middle ground” of all the anime that came out in the Summer. A cute and refreshing slice of life that was well executed and worth a “test” for any slice of life fan.
Continuing From Spring 2013
Title: Shingeki no Kyojin
Alternate Title: Attack on Titan
Genre: Action / Drama
Aired: April 2013 to September 2013
Review Score: 7.5
Review (By: Blueice) – 2nd Take (By: Rising Sun)
Attack on Titans’ plot is amazing. You have giant titans attacking and eating humans alive while the humans fight back with equipment called 3 Dimensional Maneuver Gear. Humans fend off the titans while living behind 3 huge walls. (Wall Maria, Wall Rosa & Wall Sina) After the first wall falls due to a titan blowing a huge hole in it; Eren, our main character, joins the scouting legion. He is determine to kill every titan while being driven by sheer determination and revenge. His sister Mikasa and his friend Aren also follows behind Eren, this makes up the first main characters of the series.
Do not expect a whole lot of character background, you really don’t get much for the majority of the characters in the anime. As a side note, try not to get too attach to your favorite character as an unforeseen event may happen. The animation is pretty good. You get a lot of background details such as the ruin houses and even the sky, which is what most people would not point out. The characters are drawn nice and battles with the 3D Maneuver Gear is just amazing. They did a good job with stone debris flying all around the place and shock waves blasting people off their feet.
While the opening theme is amazing shouts out “OMG this is epic”, it fails in its own potential. The pacing of the anime was unbearable to keep watching as soon as it came out. It felt as if we were on a roller coaster that kept going up and up, you were just wondering when you were going to hit the top. Because of this, we ended up waiting on the anime to build up then marathoning through it. The anime could have done so much better within the first half of the series. Around episode 17 is when the anime really starts to pick up and it progresses into the story more. This is when you start to get some more of the fighting everyone was waiting for.
I did enjoy Attack on Titans once it started to pick up. Once you hit around episode 17 it starts to get better. There will be a few episodes that you would consider unnecessary as you wait for it to be over with. A fair warning, almost every episode will have a cliffhanger. However, besides all the flaws, I would recommend this anime to friends, along with a warning not to watch it a few episodes at a time because the anime does do a good job at drawing you in. It leaves you wanting more and more, this is exactly what happen to me.
2nd Take Score: 8
Personally Shingeki no Kyojin is one of my favorite anime of 2013. This anime is just epic. The visuals are amazing, and gritty. The characters, especially Mikasa are awesome. She can single handedly kill a few titans. The story just pulls you in. This anime is very character and story driven. The voice acting is also great. Yuki Kaji who plays Eren, played as Shu in Guilty Crown, and as Haruto in Accel World. The action is also very well animated and fluid. I also like how 3d animation is used for some of the action scenes.
The first episode begins with a bang, and the action starts right then and there. The anime is very violent, intense, and pretty gruesome. So if you don’t like blood and ultra-violence, then this is not for you. The show has its moments of comedy and a great likable cast of characters. You grow attached to these characters, and you find yourself rooting for them. The thing that I don’t like about the show is a few of the cliffhangers; with one cliffhanger in particular leaving me shocked. I don’t want to spoil it for you guys though. There are also a few episodes that are story driven with not much action, which I really don’t mind. Shingeki no Kyojin also has its good share of twists and turns that will drop your jaw.
I can’t wait to see what happens next in this show and it will leave you wondering the same thing. Personally I am glad that this show has 25 episodes, instead of the usual 12. All in all this show is definitely a must watch for any action/fantasy anime fan. I highly recommend it.
Title: Majestic Prince
Genre: Mecha / Action / Sci fi
Aired: April 2013 – September 2013
Review Score: 7
Review (By Storm):
In the future, children are created to combat against malicious forces from Jupiter. These children are known as princes and fight in heavy mechs called AHSMB’s. Each mech has its own unique feature and was built specially for its pilot. In order to overcome the enemy and not be defeated, this team of underdogs will have to learn to work together if they have any hopes of saving anyone.
Throughout this show you definitely get decent build up of the characters and how each one is good at certain things. This is a feature that I enjoyed a lot because it meant their mechs each had to be built for what they were talented at. For example one girl can handle extreme g force, so her mech can go ultra fast. This gave you more then just the feeling of trying to over power each other with brute force. It made it so the teams really have to use strategies and tactics to overcome the enemies. The new feel is definitely a welcome one for me.
In the show from these episodes so far, we learn that the technology for their mechs came from a rogue girl from Jupiter who dislikes the wars. As the episodes progress and you get into it the story is pretty solid and will generally draw you in and having you rooting for Team Rabbits as well.
Overall good show for mech fans definitely give it a view. I had a lot of fun with it and can not wait for the next season to start to see whats in store for this team of young hero’s. This will be one to look out for. Not just for mech fans but fans of a very decent story line as well.
Title: Mushibugyo
Genre: Action / Martial arts / Shounen
Airing: April 2013 to September 2013
Review Score: 8
Review (By Rising Sun):
Mushibugyo is set in an alternate 1700s Edo period Japan. In this alternate Edo Period giant bugs called Mushi suddenly appeared and started wreaking havoc and destruction all over Japan. 100 years later a group of warriors called the city patrol are established by the shogunate and are put under the the command of the Mushibugyo (insect magistrate). A young samurai named Jinbei Tsukishima comes to Edo (Modern day Tokyo) in place of his father who was called in to join the city patrol.
Mushibugyo is actually a pretty good Shounen action anime. Think of it as being a Inuyasha mixed with Rurouni Kenshin with a little Naruto. I really enjoyed it beginning to end. It has action, comedy, a dash of echiness and great characters. Jinbei the cheerful and honest samurai, Oharu the big breasted sweet girl, Hibachi the feisty tsundere are all great characters with colorful personalities and are always a plus. I also love the Feudal Japan setting, samurai vs giant bugs makes for a very interesting anime.
The action feels like its straight out of a Shounen manga with characters having special attacks to combat the mushi. The music in the anime is also traditional Japanese, which I love. I liked the art style, It had a shounen touch to it. The battles in this anime are also pretty epic and well fought.
The show does start off a little slow but by the middle of the show s***t gets real. The action picks up and tons of villains come out of nowhere. The bugs are not the only villains in this show but I won’t spoil you. The opening of the show is pretty good with the hard rock.
If I had to pick a negative for the anime it would be the open ending. I was still left with a few questions. Other than that, the show was awesome. It’s a very simple anime with a simple plot with great characters, great action and a great setting. If you like Shounen action anime like Dragon Ball and Naruto, I highly recommend this.
Title: To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S
Genre: Supernatural / Magic / Action / Comedy
Aired: April 2013 to September 2013
Preview Score: 9
Mid Season Review (By Storm):
Misaka Mikoto is one of the mot powerful espers in the city, and because of this she is sought after by many. When she was younger she allowed people to use her DNA to create something she believe would be able to help people for the better. However this backfires as she finds her DNA is actually being used for malicious experiments aimed at creating the first level 6 esper in academy city. The super computer of the city, The Tree Diagram, gave a scenario of how to create a level 6 esper by using the strongest level 5 esper. The process entails him killing 20,000 clones of Misaka in ordered to level up. When Misaka finds out about what is going on she has to do something to put an end to this horrible experiment.
Misaka goes on a mission to find the labs involved in the experiments and bring them down as to end this whole ordeal. While going through one of the labs she is might by resistance, as by this point the labs knew roughly what was happening. In this encounter she faces tough adversaries as well as one of the other 7 level 5 espers in the city. Through struggling she manages to get away and succeed in her mission. However the labs prepared for this and already had many labs on standby to take over if this happened. So the only thing she could see fit was to destroy the cause of the whole mess, the super computer known as the Tree Diagram. When she gets to the facility only to realize the computer has already been out of commission for some time, she has to come to grips and think up a new way to end this nightmare she is in.
Anyone who is familiar with the To Aru series knows what to expect, amazing fights, beautiful animations, and overall phenomenal story. This series picks up where the first season of Index closed out. This is Railgun’s sister arc, as Index already had one. You get to see what happened in detail as well as see it from a perspective that really shows you just how dark this was. When you actually view this from Misaka’s stance you can truly see how evil and crazy Accelerator is. Seeing this side of the story will allow you to view this show in a new way, as well as informing you on the tiny details of what happened during this time. Getting this fresh view, makes seeing something you have roughly seen already, feel brand new.
I am so happy that we got this story arc from her perspective as well as being able to see a darker side of Accelerator. There are even moments that blend it with Index which I thoroughly enjoyed because of the subtle similarities and differences they put in to it. Even though I know how this will end I can not wait to see it from Misaka’s view and get all of her emotions as she goes through this.
The season is halfway through and I can not even express how excited I am for the rest of it. From the two level 5’s they introduced to the inevitable showdown with Accelerator, I am in high anticipation for this show. If you have not watched the To Aru shows yet I would seriously consider watching them. Since being introduced it has become one of my favorite shows for how well it is written as well as the characters being people you are curious about. Everyone should try this anime out I really feel that even if it is not your style you will immediately fall in love with it and be wanting more like me. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Spring Preview (By Dash):
Misaka Mikoto is the third most powerful esper in Acedemy City. Acemedy City is a school which is devoted primarily at educational development most known for its training and development of espers. The city holds seven level five espers, five being the strongest of the strong. Misaka is known as the “Electro Master”. To Aru Kagakyu no Railgun S is the second season of Railgun and the fourth installment of the “To Aru” series which I love. Misaka is the main protagonist in Railgun joined by her three friends Shirai (Level 4 Teleporter), Uiharu (Level 1 Heat User), and Saten (Level 0 Wind User).
This is a very well designed and written series. The “To Aru” uses events, dialogue, and moments in the show” to drop hints as to what is going on. The two series overlap a lot in time frame, although rarely directly crossing. Railgun focuses on the “Scientific” side which focuses on the espers, where Index focuses more on the “Magical” aspect. Due to the nature of the show and how well it is written, I would strongly recommend watching the other three installments of the show. If anything you would want to watch the first season of “To Aru Kagakyu no Railgun” if you want better understand the characters and plot. I would not recommend jumping into the second season.
The first episode picks right up shortly after the end of the first season. “To Aru” takes place in a very short time frame for an anime that contains several episodes. The first episode introduces another one of the level fives you may have been curious about if you never picked up the manga. Like all of the sequel “To Aru” they give you a short story to follow while introducing the characters again. I was not disappointed by the first episode in any form or fashion, which is a hard sell in “2nd or 3rd” season shows.
All of that said, I am thrilled for the second season of Railgun which brings a lot of light and focus on the other level sevens and the back story of the “Sisters Project”. This is one of my favorite series of all time. The animation is extremely well done and the music (although reused) fits the movements perfectly. The plot is done really well and if you go back and re-watch the show will only become better. You will have many “I didn’t notice this the first time” moments. The great point of the series is that you do not need to catch the details to enjoy it. If they pull off the next “24” episodes as well as they have done the first three seasons it could bring about a “4” series promotion to my rare and much loved rank “10” shows.
*Rank 10 are anime I have personal love of in my heart and is strictly a rank of “Ai!” Many may not agree with the score but only a few shows hold this spot. In addition I have seen each one of these series at least five times and generally have given the following the second season the same rank except for Haruhi. My excitement lies in the fact I have been thinking about raising “To Aru” after mymost recent watch and the fact Ore no Imouto also has a second season right now.
Rank 10: Cowboy Bebop, Kore wa Zombie, Ore no Imouto, Haruhi Suzumiya, and Ouran Host Club.