Image from Safebooru
With the Fall 2011 season now underway, I'd like to reflect for a moment on the shows that I watched over the summer but didn't blog on a weekly basis. Better late than never, right? Summer was the first full anime season that I've blogged, since I started back in May during the Spring 2011 season. I'd like to think that I've become a better blogger over that period of time. Anyway, this post is as spoiler-free as possible, so don't worry about reading a review for a show you haven't seen yet. Please keep in mind that the following is based off of my own personal opinion. Feel free to respectfully disagree with me in the comments.
Finished Shows
Blue Exorcist
"C'mon, lean on me for once."
Final Thoughts: Blue Exorcist had pretty much everything going for it; an interesting premise, great main characters and supporting cast, and the kind of plot that could run forever in manga serialization but wouldn't sacrifice character growth. The little brother of Full Metal Alchemist, if you will. So what happened? The simple answer is that the animation studio ran out of manga material. The first half of the show had some well-crafted anime-original episodes--good to the point where someone like me, who is not very familiar with the manga, couldn't tell the difference until the internet pointed them out. The second half is a different story. While the show continued to be entertaining, something felt a bit off. The plot suddenly became too predictable, and the supporting cast were demoted to simply watching from the sidelines. All of this culminated in a rushed but-leave-some-room-open-for-the-movie ending. While it's not the worst anime-original ending I've seen, the show was definitely at its best when it was adapting the manga and not stretching the credibility of the premise (Satan doesn't know what death is? Really?). While I am interested in what they wil do with the upcoming movie, I'm even more interested in checking out the manga.
Bottom Line: One of the better recent examples of the shounen genre, but the anime-original material tends to divide people.
Baka Test Ni!
"I really don't get Japan."
Final Thoughts: I found the first series hilarious, and after seeing the first few episodes of this delayed second season, I thought that it would be just as good. Unfortunately, as the series went on, it was clear that the first season had already run through its main gauntlet of jokes and that there wasn't much left. The result was a constant reuse of previous jokes and stretching out new ones until they've overstayed their welcome. For example, there are several episodes focused around the single joke of the boys trying to peek into the girls bath. On episode was more than enough, as the subsequent ones only repeat the same pattern. There were some parts of it that were still entertaining for me. Yuuji and Shouko remain my favorite couple in this series, even getting a backstory episode all to themselves. This season also addressed the love triangle between Yoshii, Mizuki and Minami and even successfully turned me into a Minami fan. But what I did like unfortunately does not outweigh what I didn't like, and this sequel did not meet the high expectations I had of it after the first season.
Bottom Line: It has a few good laughs in it and finally addresses the love triangle, but is ultimately not as funny as the first season.
Ikoku Meiro no Croisée
"Just having you here puts everyone at ease!"
Final Thoughts: A historical slice-of-life in the tradition of Aria, Ikoku Meiro no Croisée may not be the most exciting of series, but as a character-centered piece, I think that it's one of the better examples of the genre. It starts out as a light examination into cultural differences and the time period, but once its cast has been introduced, it begins to delve into the deeper parts of their personality and how they were shaped by the societies that they live in. These bits touch on topics such as the divide between the rich and the poor, singling someone out for being "different," and a complicated father-son relationship. That said, the focus of the show is not on the psychological relation of its characters to society; the main plot is about their day-to-day life, but these parts give additional meaning to scenes that would have been superfluous otherwise. The majority of the show seems to be cast in a soft light, and with its slow and steady pace, it's easy to just sit back and enjoy the character interactions. It also helps that the main character is as cute as a button, and with that sweet personality it's easy to get caught up the world that the show portrays.
Bottom Line: A sweet slice-of-life that easily won my heart.
Kamisama Dolls
"You can't reset things. So you'll just have to keep going, won't you?"
Final Thoughts: In my initial impressions, I said that this show could be the sleeper hit of the season. I was completely wrong, and for that I apologize. This is a good example of a show not living up to hype; or rather, not living up its best aspects, which were few. Initally, Kamisama Dolls hinted at developing into something darker which was why a lot of people, including myself, were interested in it. And for a while it seemed like it was going to deliver--episode seven is easily the best of the bunch, and a good example of what this anime could've been like. Instead, the show spends most of its time with a useless main character, and annoying little sister, and a love interest with giant boobs that should have given her serious back problems. There are some other characters, but they're mostly one-note cutouts that cause drama for one episode and then are cool with everyone by the next. The only really interesting character is Aki, but aside from the aforementioned episode 7, his character is hardly explored and seems to stick around just to mess with the main character. Basically, the show decided to toss its more interesting parts (which was what got people interested in the first place) in favor of focusing on elements that it could really have gone without. A disappointment in the end.
Bottom Line: It had promise with a couple of cool scenes and one really good episode, but it never made good use of its most compelling aspects and fell right on its face.
Natsume Yuujinchou San
"Right now, both humans and yokai are equally irreplaceable to me."
Final Thoughts: The show that I personally was anticipating the most in the summer season, this third season met all of my expectations and then went on to raise the bar. Up until this season, episodes of Natsume Yuujinchou were pretty much stand-alone stories, with knowledge of the basic plot premise the only thing necessary to watch the episodes. This season changes up the formula a bit by not only adding two-part episodes but also by bringing back some old characters. A frequent focus is also placed on Natsume's past, and how his life and his opinion on yokai and humans has changed over the years. There's also an introduction to a character that's the closest the show has ever gotten to having a main villain. I'd be more sad that it was over so soon if there wasn't already a promise for another season next year. After the long wait between the last season and this one, it was well worth it.
Bottom Line: A great third installment to an already great series.
Nichijou (My Ordinary Life)
"It's unpredictable... That's why it's fun! Baseball, I mean."
Final Thoughts: I've described Nichijou before as hit-or-miss humor, but there's more to the show than that. Yes, the show's point is in its comedy, and not all of the jokes work due to either lack of cultural context on my part or that the show itself drags out the preamble too long. But love or hate Nichijou, you can't deny the love of animation that went into its creation. The punchlines aren't just hilarious, they're bigger than life. I dare you to find a frame of Nichijou where the utmost care wasn't taken in animating it. Even in the simplistic scenes, everything is brought to its full potential. The characters are also surprisingly well-rounded for a comedy show, or at least the main group are. Throughout the series' run, the characters gradually grow and change from the one-note characters we were introduced to into the kind of people you could believe exist in real life. The show even ends on a not of loving yourself along with your self-perceived flaws. This aspect just brings another dynamic to the endless amount of funny stuff that happens in this show, from the completely random to the running gag. Tell me, have you ever seen your principal fight a deer?
Bottom Line: A hilarious show that showcases the talents of its animators, even if not all the jokes hit their mark.
No. 6
"But I don't want you to change."
Final Thoughts: First off, if you can't stand guy romance in any way, shape, or form, stay away from this show. I don't think of this show as a yaoi since it doesn't care the tropes of that genre (none of which I'm particularly fond of ) so the main couple was a breath of fresh air for me. In my first impressions post, I also mentioned how I love a good dystopia story. The main plot of No. 6 deals exactly with that, and I was completely on board until I watched the final episode. I won't get too much into it because this is supposed to be spoiler-free, but the ending is a deus ex machina, and extremely disappointing after seeing all of the great setup during the series. The main characters go through a significant amount of character development, and some of the supporting cast (particularly Dogkeeper) become more well-rounded characters as well, not to mention the good amount of suspense that is built up around the mystery of what the city of No. 6 is actually up to. But in the end, the majority of that is dropped for a rushed, oh-look-everything's-okay-now ending. I could probably write an entire post on what went wrong with the last episode of No. 6, but I do want to remember it for what it did right; good character development and good buildup. Too bad the payoff didn't hold up.
Bottom Line: So what if they're gay, most of the show is still good...until you get to that ending.
Sacred Seven
"I stopped being a rock and moved."
Final Thoughts: It seems like whenever something advertises itself as "the next big thing," it never is. I originally gave this show a pass in the season preview, but after hearing that the first episode seemed to promise something better than expected, I watched it and agreed. Too bad that it never did get any better. After the first episode, the show quickly dissolves into a parade of cliches and plot holes big enough to drive a semi through, and that not even mentioning the stuff that gets handwaved. The villain might as well have a giant neon sign over his head that reads "I am Evil and taking advantage of you," but the characters are too involved their poorly developed motivations to notice. The main factor that the series has going for it is its largely consistent and well-animated visuals, but the similarities in the character design to Code Geass definitely work against it, as the association only makes the more ridiculous aspects of the show stand out more. On that note, the show's biggest problem is that it takes itself very seriously and assumes that the viewer will do the same. However, the right to be taken seriously is earned through good character development and a solid story, and Sacred Seven has neither.
Bottom Line: Watch the second OP and you've pretty much watched the entire show.
Steins;Gate
"Deceiving the world is nothing to me!"
Final Thoughts: This show has become many people's favorite for best show of the season, and it's easy to see why. The buildup and subsequent payoff after the shocking events at roughly the halfway point in the series cause the viewer to question everything that they had initially dismissed as random plot fluff as the series takes its time-traveling element seriously; every event has an impact on the possible future. That's not to say that everything after that point was serious; the show knows how to add some approriate character comedy as well to lighten the mood for a bit (for example, this scene). While the ending wasn't satisfying to everyone--and initially I also couldn't see the point behind the last two episodes since it looked like everything had been wrapped up nicely--I couldn't help but smile at the finish. The pacing that the show used, while deceptively slow at the beginning, allowed enough time with each character to get to know them, and therefore get attached to them as well, and the ending provided closure for all of the character arcs. I also like the animation direction in this show; a couple people complained about it, but there are some still shots in this series that capture the moment better than anything else could have done. All in all, the story came together in a nicely presented package and I can't wait to see what they'll do with the movie.
Bottom Line: If you find time travel even slightly interesting, do not miss this show.
Tiger and Bunny
"It doesn't hurt to have a hero who's uncool, right?"
Final Thoughts: I'm just going to come right out and say it: I love this show. I love its characters, I love the storyline, and I even love the bad CG. But as I just pointed out with that last example, it's not a show without its flaws. It's not even a "guilty pleasure" kind of show for me either, where I know that it's bad but I enjoy it anyway. There's just something genuinely entertaining about Tiger & Bunny, even though the plot caters to practically every superhero cliche and the animation frequently goes off-model (although the last part has a lot to do with Sunrise sinking their money into Sacred Seven instead). For me, a lot of the draw comes from the characters. It's been mentioned many times, but it's worth repeating; you flat-out don't get a middle-aged character in a starring role in an anime that is half as interesting and funny as Kotetsu is. Without him, I don't think that the show would have come together as well as it did. And as an entertaining superhero show, it does its job well. It's not the kind of show that's going to change your life or view of the world, but it's a good popcorn piece I would recommend to just about anyone.
Bottom Line: A genuinely entertaining superhero show that manages to rise above its flaws with great characters.
Usagi Drop
"It seems like that smile will be my happiness from now on..."
Final Thoughts: Have you ever had a moment where you watched a kid play and thought, "Oh yeah, I used to be like that too." This entire show is made up of those moments. Usagi Drop is easily the most realistic portrayal of kids that I have ever seen. It doesn't dumb them down or age them up; it just lets the kids act like kids. But while the kids are the main point of the plot and take center stage, this is also a story about family. How do you explain to people that the child you're raising is actually your aunt? But the show makes a point in portraying that it's not how you're related that matters--it's that the connection is there, and that the dedication to raising a child is paramount to everything else. Everyone in this show feels like someone that I could meet in real life, yet it doesn't take the super-slow approach that most slice-of-life series like to do. It's that reflection of something familiar that makes this series so compelling. The only people that I wouldn't recommend this to are the people who just don't like kids, since there's nothing here that's going to change your mind. But if you'd like to see a true slice-of-life, something that reflects our world in a beautiful way, then look no further.
Bottom Line: Why aren't you watching this show.
Uta no Prince-sama
"I don't love it just 100%. I love it 1000%!"
Final Thoughts: The quote is not indicative of my thoughts on this series, but it is from a scene that is indicative of the series as a whole. Like I said in the first impressions post, roughly the first ten seconds of the first episode are all that you need to know about this show. Logic and plot be damned, it's all about the singing bishounen. In a way, this is a good thing; the show is very well aware of what audience it is catering to and doesn't stray from that target fanbase. The animation is beautiful and the songs, while cheesy, have talented singers preforming them (this statement is subject to opinion). However, the rest of it is a giant mess, jumping from one plot cliche to the next while trying to get us to care about characters that are only a little more deep than a wading pool. And while there is something resembling a plot, it gets lost in the general wackiness and absurdity that the setting and supporting characters give off. For me, it ultimately failed at the one thing harems and reverse harems are supposed to provide--wish fulfillment. I was too busy laughing at whatever soap-opera plot twist the show had randomly decided to throw in to ever take it seriously.
Bottom Line: I watched it for the NicoNico comments.
Images from Crunchyroll.com, Hulu.com, Funimation.com, NicoNico.com, METANORN and Random Curiousity.
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