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As we’re all getting pumped up for the spring season, let’s not forget to reflect on the winter shows which recently ended. This post has been delayed (partially due to me) because we wanted to get all the shows wrapped up before doing our final impressions. This is reflective of most of the series our writers have finished this season and hopefully we can give you a good idea of shows you’ve missed which we thought were worthwhile. If there’s anything that we missed, please feel free to discuss those shows below and maybe it’ll give us some suggestions of what we should catch-up on. With that said, happy spring everyone! Hope it’s warm where you are!
This post could not be completed without the help of a few awesome individuals. The impressions below are brought to you by Enzo, Samu, Stilts, Zephyr and myself. Each of the shows include our impressions of the episodes that have aired this month (the episode count is indicated). Please note that this not representative of all the writers on RC but only those participating. This also means that each of us are not necessarily blogging each of the shows that we’re writing about below. The post is not comprehensive of what each of us are watching but highlights a good selection of shows that are currently airing. If you would like to hear our daily impressions of shows, we all update regularly on twitter:
As always, this new concept is a work-in-progress and any suggestions are welcome. Please let me know what you’re liking, disliking, and hopefully I can make accommodations for it next month.
Housekeeping Notes:
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
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| World Trigger 6:30 EX (10/5) |
Yuri Kuma Arashi 24:30 MX (1/5) |
Akatsuki no Yona 23:00 AT-X (10/7) |
Gundam Build Fighters Try 18:00 TX (10/8) |
SHIROBAKO 23:30 MX (10/9) |
Ansatsu Kyoushitsu 25:20 AT-X (1/9) |
Log Horizon 2 17:30 NHK (10/4) |
| Ace of Diamond 8:30 TX (10/6) |
Yowamushi Pedal: Grande Road 25:35 TX (10/6) |
Binan Koukou Chikyuboueibu LOVE! 25:40 TX (1/6) |
Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu 25:29 NTV (10/8) |
Tokyo Ghoul √A 24:00 MX (1/8) |
Garo: Honoo no Kokuin 25:35 TX (10/3) |
Sailor Moon Crystal 19:00 Niconico (7/5) |
| Nanatsu no Taizai 17:00 MBS (10/5) |
Shinmai Maou no Testament 25:35 MX (1/7) |
Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso 25:20 CX (10/9) |
Death Parade 25:58 TX (1/9) |
Durarara!!x2 Shou 23:30 MX (1/10) |
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| Absolute Duo 20:30 AT-X (1/4) |
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata 24:50 (CX) (1/8) |
ALDNOAH.ZERO 2 24:00 MX (1/10) |
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| Yoru no Yatterman 22:00 MX (1/11) |
Koufuku Graffiti 25:46 TBS (1/8) |
DOG DAYS” 24:30 MX (1/10) |
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| Junketsu no Maria 22:30 MX (1/11) |
THE ROLLING GIRLS 25:58 MBS (1/10) |
| World Trigger Episodes 20-23 |
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Samu: This is the World Trigger I’ve been waiting for. Ever since the anime was announced, I was anticipating the Large-Scale Invasion arc, like many other manga fans, and so far we’ve seen some of the best, most action-packed episodes of the series thus far. Getting to see the full extent of the Neighbourhood and understanding just how massive the world of World Trigger is was great to see, showing the planets that may be involved with the plot at some point in the future. The designs for the Aftokrator invaders and the landscapes of the other worlds were just as they were in the manga: diverse, vibrant, and refreshing. Now that we know the face behind the Neighbour invaders, we can expect to see some intense action scenes coming in the following episodes. This is the prime of the series right now – I just wish that the earlier content was more exciting, and was adapted with more affection. But that’s Toei Animation for you, I suppose. |
| Ace of Diamond Episodes 72-75 (END) |
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Samu: After all the training, drama, and tournaments, the first season reaches its end. Thankfully, the second season is coming out this spring season, so there’s no wait to see how the upcoming Fall Tournament unfolds. I wasn’t loving the practice match that we’d been getting these past few episodes, but by the end, after Sawamura got some of his confidence back (thanks to Chris-senpai), it became worth it. Last month, I was wondering how they were going to finish off Sawamura’s character arc in these final episodes of the first season, and it turned out to be a positive endpoint. He’s not back to his former glory, but I’m excited to now see Sawamura – and all the other first and second years – compete in real matches once again. The third years also got a proper send-off in the last episode, inspiring the remaining players to do what they couldn’t. I don’t know if victory will come any time soon, but I’m looking forward to seeing this journey continue. |
| Nanatsu no Taizai Episodes 21-24 (END) |
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Stilts: Nanatsu no Taizai was exciting to the end. Looking over my scribbled notes for the past four episodes, it’s mind-boggling how much went on! (Spoiler alert.) From the quasi-revival of Helbram leading to more being-King-is-suffering, to Diane inviting King to the festival at the end; from Ban getting a ray of hope at reviving Elaine—even if it meant killing his best friend—to delaying that showdown at his best friend’s request; the new generation fell all at once, Dreyfus died, Hendrickson attained heights of power that did him no good in the end, Gowther getting decapitated but recovering (dafuq!), Jericho crushing on Ban, Guila crushing on Gowther, Elizabeth being revealed as a druid maiden with Goddess powers who can heal grievous … I’m just listing things off, and the breadth of events is staggering! Read my END post for more, but probably the most shocking turn of events was how Hawk was such a pivotal member of the cast all of the sudden (becoming Ban’s conscience, saving Meliodas), even if it’s no surprise that his death didn’t stick. Some of the events didn’t make total sense, and even felt snatched out of thin air, but plot coherence has never been Nanatsu no Taizai’s selling point, even if it does it pretty well. It’s the feeling, baby, and the experience of the ride. That was great all the way through, from the first episode to the crescendo this final arc delivered so well. |
| Absolute Duo Episodes 10-12 (END) |
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Cherrie: Absolute Duo started off as a series that was less than average, turned into something moderately enjoyable and ended off fairly cliché – albeit, still mildly enjoyable. As a whole, I thought the series had stereotypical characters of a harem/action/fantasy series and unfortunately to me, it didn’t try and deviate from that. It was bearable for the most part, but where it mattered most, I thought the ending could have had a larger impact or lasting impression. K didn’t end up being the most interesting villain and fairly predictable which resulted in the final showdown being lacklustre. I’m not sure what the source material for Absolute Duo is like, but I hope there’s more substance to the story than what the anime has given it. Overall, it’s not a must-see in my books if you haven’t watched it. However if fantasy harems like Trinity Seven were up your alley, this may be something you would enjoy as well. I didn’t find the ecchi moments nearly as prominent as they could be either so to me, that gives the series a few more points. |
| Yoru no Yatterman Episodes 09-12 (END) |
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Samu: After many boring, irrelevant, and frankly unfunny filler episodes, I thought Yoru no Yatterman had completely lost it. The first few episodes showed promise. I thought we would never get to that level of quality again, but we did, in the very last episode. It still isn’t enough to forget all the bad, but it’s enough to say that Yoru no Yatterman ended with the same quality with which it began. Sure, some of the animation was unfinished and recycled, which made it seem clumsy and nonsensical at times, but there was an abundance of expression and emotions in the character animation that carried this episode, making it much better than I ever thought it would be. Admittedly, the final battle was convenient, but Gachan and Abby stepping up to become the new Yatterman was a brilliant moment, as was seeing the calm after the revolution. It may have been rushed, but I’ll take that over what we got in the episodes before it. |
| Junketsu no Maria Episodes 09-12 (END) |
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Cherrie: What started off as an average premiere for me, also proves that I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Junketsu no Maria ended up being a pleasure to watch from beginning to end and I invite others who haven’t seen it to give it a try. Don’t let the name turn you off, or even the first three episodes, because I guarantee that it gets better. Junketsu no Maria had the full package of everything that I enjoy about watching television in general; it has great characters that develop; some comedy and romance; all tied together with a meaningful storyline. It’s not the best anime since sliced bread, but it was an anime that discussed war, religion and even someone’s virginity that surprised me. I also liked how it told a proper story from beginning to end which includes the “And they lived happily ever after” stereotypical finale. Yes, it’s cliché but a lot of stories tend to avoid cliché these days even when it’s appropriate. Junketsu no Maria was definitely worth the ride so if you haven’t seen it yet, get on it! |
| Yuri Kuma Arashi Episodes 09-12 (END) |
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Cherrie: If there’s one series that exceeded my expectations this season, it’s Yuri Kuma Arashi, and that’s not because I thought it was going to be bad. The series actually surprised me early on when it stopped being repetitive and started diving into the core story between Lulu, Ginko and Kureha. These three girls have quite the story to tell and I guarantee you that it’s not truly as straightforward (or metaphorical) as you think it is. They each have secrets and plot twists are thrown at you, even up until the end. I mentioned last time that the story gets easier to understand as it airs and I stick by that statement. The first few episodes may turn you away, but let me reassure you that the story changes dramatically as we look closer at the relationships between characters. This is the first yuri series I’ve seen in a long time that actually had me convinced that these two girls are meant to be (and not just for the fanservice). I highly recommend this for those looking for something different. You may be surprised by how much you like it – I was. |
| Yowamushi Pedal: Grande Road Episodes 20-24 (END) |
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Samu: The Inter High is finally over! It feels like it’s gone on forever, but Onoda got to the finish line and secured the win. It was an awesome moment, with so much build up that absolutely paid off. Seeing characters try their hardest and fall one-by-one was becoming increasingly difficult to watch, but the final moments with Onoda and Manami were everything I could have hope for. Severe heart palpitations doesn’t even begin to cover how tense these last few episodes were; it’s something Yowamushi Pedal: Grande Road has always done well – keeping it’s audience at the edge of their seat, teasing the finish line in a sweet, sadistic way. Thankfully, this time around, the good guys won, and it felt wonderful to see them step up that extra 15cms. I don’t know if we’ll be getting a third season any time soon, but even if we don’t, this was a great sendoff to an exhilarating sports series. |
| Akatsuki no Yona Episodes 21-24 (END) |
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Enzo: Akatsuki no Yona ended as it began – with consistency, dignity and great emotional accuracy. The introduction of the Yellow Dragon, Zeno, seems to represent a good stopping point – but in truth, it’s not remotely what anyone would call an ending. We have no way of knowing if this season was written with a second in mind, but it really does seem almost cruel to engage in such breathtakingly good setup only to leave the story here, with so little effort to resolve, well… anything. But we’ve seen anime act as commercials for manga before, and will again – and Akatsuki no Yona has certainly performed that task admirably. I’m pleased to see the big uptick in the ratings this series is getting at places like Anime Planet and MAL – of dubious meaning though those numbers are, they do reflect a growing consensus that Akatsuki no Yona is something special. And it is – it’s a magnificent piece of storytelling, patient and subtle and emotionally powerful. Like the great anime fantasy epics it excels both as an intimate personal story and as a sweeping tale of myth and history. Now it just remains to be seen whether it will have the chance to continue telling its story in anime form. |
| Binan Koukou Chikyuboueibu LOVE! Episodes 09-12 (END) |
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Enzo: It’s always nice when a series finishes with its best episode, and for my money Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu Love! definitely did that – it was more better than any of the rest. That said, this show has been on a pretty steady upward trajectory for most of its run, and it made the very wise decision to give us its “serious” episode a week before the end, and gave over the finale completely to the insanity. I think that’s a move more satirical series and screwball comedies would do well to emulate. I’ve said from the beginning that the key to success for Binan Koukou was going to be whether it bought into its own satirical premise all the way to the end – and boy, did it ever. The final episode was full of hilariously absurd plot twists and genre references, and it paid off just about every thread that had been teased over the course of the series. This shows worked as a screwball comedy, but what made it really shine was its deft satire of the mahou shoujo genre. I ended up liking it an awful lot – and given that it’s looking like something of a surprise hit on disc, a second season is no longer looking so far-fetched as it did. |
| Gundam Build Fighters Try Episodes 21-25 (END) |
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Samu: I’m very happy with these last few episodes. I’ve been wondering if Gundam Build Fighters Try was going to expand the story into some save-the-world plot, but it didn’t. For that, I’m grateful. The best part about this series how fun it was, even when the battles got tough and stakes were raised. I’m glad that Sekai, Fumina, and Yuuma won it in the end, because they proved themselves in their individual roles, and totally deserved it. Fumina, for me, has always been the most enjoyable of the bunch (though no one in this series is unlikeable by any means) so her scenes were always my favourite. I don’t know what I enjoyed better: the strategies she brought to her battles, or the gunpla that was modelled after her – that final episode may have been plot-less, but it was a celebration of everything enjoyable about Try. It’s been an easy watch these past few months, so I’ll be sad to see it go. Hopefully we’ll get a third Gundam Build Fighters in the future, and if so, I think Mamoru might end up being one of the main characters. If he does, just remember that I called it! |
| Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu Episodes 21-24 (END) |
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Cherrie: An amazing finale to this two-cour series and an applause to Madhouse for adapting this manga. Migi was the shining star for me in these final few episodes and even though I’ve always liked him (her? It?), the last few episodes really showed how human Migi can be. Over the course of these few months, Kiseijuu demonstrated the impact that our duo had on one another. Whereas Shinichi threw puppies in the trash and got super-human speed, Migi slowly started to accept human emotions and understood why Shinichi felt the way he did sometimes. Although I’m not terribly satisfied with the ending revolving parasites and the general population; I thought the relationship between Migi and Shinichi was given a proper send-off. I can imagine several different ways the finale could have went down, but the confrontation with Uragami and the return of Migi was the right way to end with a strong message and impact. A highly recommended series from me and definitely one of the better thrillers to emerge in anime in long time. |
| Shinmai Maou no Testament Episodes 09-12 (END) |
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Cherrie: Initially turned off by Shinmai Maou no Testament due to its blatant fanservice and thin storyline, I still kept going expecting that there would be something more. Well truth be told, there’s not that much more to it. The last few episodes are a repeat of prior months – filled with white bars and chibi images – so there’s no shortage of ecchi here! If you like the second episode, chances are, you’ll continue to enjoy the series. Personally I thought the first episode of Shinmai Maou no Testament was decent and I was glad that the idea of “family” was brought up in the finale. It was for these reasons that I carried on watching in the first place (despite all the warnings). In the end, I can’t say that my expectations were blown away or that the show failed to meet them, I just had different expectations. The beginning and end were definitely the highlights for me, but if ecchi is your thing, then I’m sure you’ll find this one to your taste all the way through. Plus you have an OVA to look forward to and a second season! |
| SHIROBAKO Episodes 21-24 (END) |
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Samu: SHIROBAKO has been my favourite anime to watch for the past two seasons, so I’m sad to see it end (without a second season announced… yet). Thankfully, these last few episodes delivered everything I could have wanted, and more. When episode 23 came out, it was buzzing online and everyone was praising it as one of the best episodes of the series, and it really was. The cowboy scene with the director was hilarious, and getting to a resolution with the original author was very satisfying. But the best part of all had to be when Shizuka got called in to voice the little sister role, and her and Miyamori shared that moment together. Miyamori’s tears and expression perfectly captured how she was feeling – emotional, proud, happy, overwhelmed. It was a beautiful moment, as was the whole final episode, celebrating everything that Musani had done, and how the characters had grown and proved themselves in their respective fields. I just hope to see SHIROBAKO on my screen again; Musani’s journey has only begun, and I’m not ready to let these character go! |
| Tokyo Ghoul √A Episodes 09-12 (END) |
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Cherrie: What started off as a mediocre series with no direction, Tokyo Ghoul Root A picked itself up very well in the end. The season began right where it left off and where it ends up, is not what I would expect but nevertheless a proper close for the series. This last month focuses mainly on the CCG members vs. Anteiku with some shots of the Aogiri Tree ghouls, but they’re mainly watching on the sidelines. The final showdown between all our main characters kept me at the edge of my seat. You just don’t know who is going to come out on top and even though there was a slim chance for the ghouls, I still found myself rooting for the Owl and his team. I thought the flashbacks and memories really hammered the sympathy votes for the ghouls and I can’t help but hope for them to come out alive. In the end, I can’t say that the ending was completely satisfactory, but it did bring a proper conclusion the battle (unlike last season). It leaves a lot of open-ended questions and potential for a sequel (OVA already announced!) but we’ll have to wait and see. |
| Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso Episodes 20-22 (END) |
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Cherrie: I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Kimi Uso since the beginning but we’re finally at the end and I can finally say that I like it. I don’t love it but I like it more than I initially thought I would. I started watching Kimi Uso hoping that it would be a romance series with some music thrown in and it turns out that it was the complete opposite. It’s a musical slice-of-life series about a young boy growing up to be a man with the help and encouragement of his friends. However that’s not to say that there’s no romance and I held on to that hope every week as we saw more from Tsubaki and Kaori’s POV. The ending wasn’t a surprise for me, but it does leave me feeling sad and bittersweet. There’s proper closure between the characters, but it still leaves me conflicted with how the set of events went down. I guess that’s because I would’ve done things differently but I’ll respect the writers for leaving it as it is. After all, life is not always going to end with happily ever after and it’s a realistic approach to life and death. |
| Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Episodes 08-12 (END) |
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Cherrie: Saekano and I did not exactly see eye to eye for a while. Since the beginning, I just never understood what was so outstanding about this cast of characters because to me, it’s another romcom harem series. Where Saekano finally stepped it up was when it focused less on Megumi and more on Eriri and Utaha (oh dear, don’t throw rocks at me!). I found these two girls true to their stereotypes, but with more potential for development with Tomoya’s help. I thought the introduction of Izumi and Michiru was short-lived but they too, added their own quirks to each episode. There’s just not enough for me to truly grasp what each of them are about and it gets difficult for me to fall in love with the show. This anime deserves a second season just to see where Tomoya and his circle are going to go. I feel cheated because the whole point of them working together is to create this visual novel… and it hasn’t even been launched yet! Luckily we’ll get there soon enough if we ever see a sequel. |
| Koufuku Graffiti Episodes 09-12 (END) |
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Cherrie: I always knew that deep down inside, if I wasn’t writing for an anime blog, I’d definitely be running a food blog. Writing about an anime that has food in it is particularly the same thing right? Koufuku Graffiti was a great way to get all the foodie-ness out of me and allowed me to share this passion with others on RC. I’ll remind folks out there that haven’t seen this anime yet that it will a) make you hungry in the weee hours of the night and b) you won’t learn how to cook but you’ll want to cook. Koufuku Graffiti is not an anime about cooking; it’s actually a sweet slice-of-life series that has a strong emphasis on food but it’s not the focal point of every episode. You follow Ryou and Kirin around for an entire year and see how they develop and learn from one another. There are other characters to help them along the way but they’re truly the ones that grow the most in front of you. It’s a cute series for SHAFT and although it’s not ground-breaking, I enjoyed it more than I initially thought. |
| Ansatsu Kyoushitsu Episodes 08-11 |
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Cherrie: Ansatsu Kyoushitsu has been a gem for me since the very beginning. It surprised me with its unique comedy and use of characters, while still providing a solid story that makes me “Awww”. I’ve been pretty happy with the anime adaptation all this time, but this month has let me down a bit in terms of plot advancement. It feels like there’s been a two months of character introductions, new teachers and random gadgets, but I need more. I would like to see them actually do more with Koro or our main cast to indicate that there is more continuity in the story and an overarching plot. It makes me wonder if there’s a larger story behind all the students just studying in their off-campus classroom. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the series, but the jokes get old and the students still feel like they’re sticking to the archetypes that we know them as. I’d love to see more development from them and Koro so I’ll be going into the second-cour of this series with an open mind. |
| Garo: Honoo no Kokuin Episodes 21-24 (END) |
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Samu: If it wasn’t for the epic final episode, I would have to be pretty negative view about the episodes we’ve gotten this month. I was starting to get very worried about the conclusion, after the latest few weeks felt very off to me, with weird shifts in tone, and frankly uninteresting battles. I know I’m in the minority when I say this, but I think Mendoza should have stayed dead the first time around. I was satisfied when he was killed off initially, and didn’t really want to see him come back again. I had hopes for Octavia once her part in the story started to grow, so I gave this revival storyline a chance. But I just didn’t care enough about it to be that invested in all the action, expect for the last episode. Leon hacking and slashing at Mendoza was fun to watch, I have to admit. The aftermath of the epic climax was also well done, and gives me some hope for the future movie and second season. Leon’s gonna be a big brother as well, so that’ll be something to look forward to. |
| Death Parade Episodes 09-12 (END) |
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Cherrie: So much has happened in this month’s Death Parade that a one-paragraph summary will never do justice. In a nutshell, it’s one of my favorite anime this season has to offer (and that includes all the two-cour series which ended). It’s unique, has a ton of depth and the message that it sends is unlike anything I’ve seen for a while. This month wraps up the story of who Nameless Girl is; where she came from and where she goes is all resolved. All the while, we learn more about the world that Decim, Nona and Oculus live in. I loved seeing Decim and Nameless Girl grow and develop before my eyes, but more interestingly, I actually liked seeing each person’s personality unveil as they entered Quindecim and played games. My favorite games were the ones between Machiko & Takashi, Yousuke & Misaki and Tatsumi & Shimada. If you’re looking for anything with a good story and great characters, all wrapped with a high budget for animation and soundtrack, then look no further. You won’t be disappointed by what this series has to offer. |
| Log Horizon 2 Episodes 22-25 (END) |
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Stilts: The final arc of this season tackled a question viewers have had for a long time, though the characters haven’t seemed overly worried about: Are they going to be able to go home? And if so, how? The diversion with Isaac and Iselus was fine, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that the final two episodes packed in a lot of what we’ve been yearning for. More awesome raiding! Shiroe being an uber-strategist badass! Henrietta in battle mode! Kanami freaking out the rest of the former Tea Party members! Krusty is alive! The last episode especially packed so much great stuff into half an hour, it’s a shame that—with the main source material fully adapted up to this point—there will be a wait for more Log Horizon, if it happens at all. Was the second season as good as the first? No, which is equal parts because of the source material, downgraded DEEN animation, and some directing / scriptwriting woes. It was still enjoyable though, and smart to the end. Now to settle in for long wait for more Log Horizon. |
| Sailor Moon Crystal Episodes 17-18 |
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Cherrie: If there’s anything that I noticed this month about Sailor Moon Crystal, it’s the overuse of repetitiveness. Which isn’t always a bad thing, but it definitely gets old very quickly and makes me lose focus easily. I don’t mind it so much for Sailor Moon Crystal because it’s to be expected, however it gets hard to blog and talk about when you know what’s going to happen. I also have to remember that the target audience for this show probably likes seeing this repetition in order to truly understand what’s going on. As March comes to an end, the best part of April is finally seeing the focus shift from the Sailor Scouts to Chibi Usa and the future. I don’t think there’s much to spoil here since we all know who Chibi Usa truly is, but the demise of the Moon Kingdom will be different than the original series. As we get closer to the end of the series, I’m waiting for that point in the plot that reveals more about the Dark Moon clan. Their characters are far more two-dimensional than Sailor Moon R at this point. |
| Durarara!!x2 Shou Episodes 09-12 (END) |
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Cherrie: One of the most anticipated series for me this season was Durarara!! x2 Shou hands down. I loved the original series and seeing all my favorite cast members back and creating mischief within Ikebukuro was going to be fun. Looking back, I think the series still has all the same charms of a large cast and storytelling; but it wasn’t as exciting as I initially thought. The cast gets bigger as we’re introduced to more Yakuza members, teenagers and other hitmen but I didn’t feel like they added value to the show. I think Durarara!! x2 Shou would’ve benefited more if it were a two-cour show that aired altogether rather than in pieces because now I’m left wondering what’s going to happen – and by that time, I may already forget who did what and who knows who. This first cour was great for setup and introductions (again), but it doesn’t leave me completely content with the high expectations I had. I’ll have to wait and see how the second and third cour does before I judge the series as a whole. |
| ALDNOAH.ZERO 2 Episodes 09-12 (END) |
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Zephyr: And just like that, the ALDNOAH ride is over. The second cour was a marked improvement over the first, but the narrative and character development were ultimately always one step behind and the finale demonstrated just some of the issues that needed to be overcome. The overall result is still worth a watch (if not only for the action and entertainment), but there’s much to be said when many of the events of the finale merely shoehorned things to a happy ending that so nicely resolved everything I expected a bow to magically appear and tie itself around my screen. As fitting it was to see Slaine literally self-destructing AND being forced to live a life of permanent incarceration spent thinking about his terrible choices, things just didn’t jibe well with the events of the second cour or the development of his character. The all too easy resolution of hostilities between Earth and Vers is another big example, and pinning the blame on Slaine seemed all too big of a stretch in regards to both sides being so willing to accept that explanation. Alas, the ending at least does provide a solid conclusion, which is more than can be said about some finales. The question that remains is: will there be third season? Because there’s certainly a setup here that opens things up to that possibility… |
| DOG DAYS” Episodes 09-12 (END) |
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Stilts: I was late to the Dog Days party, but I’m glad I joined. It’s a slice-of-life with serious action; serious in that it’s awesome, not dark or drama-filled. It’s an action series with more of a sports feeling, where the feelings remain good and there’s little risk of death. It’s optimistic in a world that seems to have grown tired of the light-hearted, no matter how wonderfully uplifting it is. This third season was an improvement on the off-kilter second season, reclaiming some of the plot goodness (albeit separated more sharply into largely unrelated arcs) that made the first season so good while keeping the expanded cast that the second gave us … and adding more as well! For the final Aria arc, I appreciated the focus on Gaul, and the season’s focus in general on characters other than the hero three. Cinque, Nanami, and Becky are great, don’t get me wrong, but Dog Days’s strength is in its large cast, so the more time we get to spend with all of them, the better off we are. This season made us better off indeed. |
| THE ROLLING GIRLS Episodes 09-12 (END) |
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Cherrie: I gave THE ROLLING GIRLS the benefit of doubt earlier on because I was hopeful that the series was going to surprise me with something clever later down the line. The first arc seemed interesting enough, but as the girls journeyed to different towns and met new sets of characters each time, I found that the lack of continuity and planning didn’t settle well with me. In fact, this final month really proved to me how THE ROLLING GIRLS is not the anime for me since I like straightforward continuous plotlines. While the characters should have been the standouts for this series, I didn’t come out of it feeling particularly attached to anyone. I felt that my expectations for THE ROLLING GIRLS fell short mainly because it’s not an anime that I found funny nor entertaining. It was colorful, things happened and I can’t say it was dull, but nothing materialized into something meaningful to me. To anyone who has also seen the series, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the finale (or the series in general). |
Death Parade for anime of the season!
It’s sad that Reconguista in G wasn’t covered on this post. Maybe it’s because the story is so confusing that most of the viewers don’t have the patience to watch Tomino’s latest work and gave up on it.
It’s nice to see someone who appreciates Reconguista in G.
I have to admit that it is damn confusing at times, but I really found each episode fascinating and exciting.
For me this Attitude of the MC Boy was a bit to much Annoying. Well, i give him Credits fro being Curious and wanted to know new things. But he dont saw how annoying this is for the others. No, they should have cut this type of him a bit down.
or some friend (does he have friends?) should have told him right into his face
I found the main girl to be the most annoying. I just didn’t see the point of her character most of the time really.
I read some of the complaints for Reconguista in G, that it was aimed at kids or that the animation wasn’t what they expected, but I dunno, I liked what I’ve seen so far, and is it just me, or does it feel like this is what Gundam would look like if done by Ghibli, which I totally dig?
The only thing i hate about Gundam G reconguista is the ending. I Want to know what happen with Rayhunton family, Kashiba Mikoshi, Project Reconguista, and many more. The ending didn’t bother explaining what really happen in the universe of Gundam G Reconguista. And that’s really bring down the fun factor. As a gundam fan Gundam G Reconguista ending is disappointing just like Gundam Seed.
It’s possible that Tomino was originally aiming for a story worth 50 episodes (give or take one or two eps.), but had to make do with 26 episodes after executive meddling (since that’s the maximum amount of episodes most anime use nowadays).
Whatever the cause, G-Reco‘s ending felt really rushed. I can’t help but point out the similarity of the situation to Gundam F91–pitched as a TV series, became a full-length movie, also felt kinda rushed. (Luckily for the latter, there was Crossbone Gundam to expand on that.)
And I support Tomino’s “Age of Onee-san” initiative, too…
The plot wasn’t really that confusing, but only to those who have grown up with or are much more used to Tomino’s style of Gundam as opposed to most of the usual alternate universe series’, and his Gundam series’ have always been much more of a “show, don’t tell” type of series’. You won’t be able to watch Mobile Suit Gundam through Victory Gundam, Turn A Gundam, G-Reco, and whatnot with half your brain turned off and have so much spelled out for you right down to the letter in one way or another. Those series’ really require you to give your full attention to everything going on, both what is being said by the characters AND what is going on on screen and then think about it a bit, connecting the dots.
To put the ending more simply, G-Reco is essentially the final nail in the coffin for the whole mindset of having all of mankind leaving Earth to live in space (and evolve into Newtypes). The people of Venus Globe having lived in space for generations, but all that really came about it, while they were able to live much longer than most people, were largely physical deformations which forced them to wear bodysuits to hide them and appear like normal humans. They were desperate to RETURN to live on Earth rather than continue living in space, hence creating Operation Reconguista.
In the end, Operation Reconguista does happen, but just not in the conquering, war-like fashion that was initially planned and attempted. Basically, it was the usual “Earthnoids are barbarians who don’t deserve to live on Earth” thinking that lead Venus Globe to being much more militaristic in their approach, but thanks to the actions of ones like Bellri, they were able to learn that they were wrong in their way of thinking, that not everyone on Earth is like that, and thus were able to peacefully return to live on Earth. Add in the fact that most of what built-up military power the Capital Army, Amerian Army, and others had were pretty much devastated during the final battle, and talking things out was all that was left.
Yes, we didn’t learn things like how much longer the Universal Century calender lasted or what ultimately caused humanity to change it, or details on the other wars and horrors that devastated humanity since (like the Kuntala, who were humans raised to be food in dark times), and I myself do wish we could know such details if only out of pure curiosity, but then again, that’s not really the point of G-Reco itself and I’m fine with that. I also agree that the ending was a bit rushed and could’ve used at least a few more episodes to allow things to flow a bit better (the general consensus I see people suggest is at least 39 episodes).
Still, as a Universal Century fan, I did love the use of Universal Century tech and terms, and the bunch of easter egg homages to past Universal Century series’ revealed to the end (ironic how the word “Gundam” is only said ONCE, IIRC). Even that underground area where Bellri fought Mask in the last episode is most likely the remains of Jaburo Base, the initial headquarters of the Earth Federation.
Goodbye to the season of unsatisfying and disappointing endings!
Best shows of the season in my opinion:
-Akatsuki no Yona (Second Season When?! D:)
-*ahem* GAAAAAAARRRROOOOOOOOOO~~~
And Death Parade
*Throws a rock at Cherrie*
I kid, I kid. We can still be friends even if we disagree.
Since I loved Saekano muchly, allow me to weigh in with a counterpoint for the sake of an alternate view. I personally don’t think actually finishing the visual novel was an important part of the story. Episode 00 shows that they’re going to get there; the actual VN is essentially a Macguffin. The more important part was helping Tomoya distinguish the Megumi in his head, the ‘main heroine’ of his VN, from the Megumi in real life. He has to learn to think about Megumi as a person, not a character, just as we the viewers also have to judge Megumi as a person instead of just a construct of the anime.
So Megumi is anything but overt, which is the point, but I can see how that may not work for everybody (as it evidently did not for Cherrie). But as someone who somewhat despairs at a good chunk of otaku-media being written as essentially collections of cliches, seeing an anime attempt to give those cliches a layer of emotional depth was quite refreshing for me. Megumi, flatly refusing the conventional appeals, was for me especially new, and made Saekano interesting all by itself. Give it a try, folks!
my thoughts exactly in regards to the ultimate goal of this series and megumi’s significance in tomoya’s development as well as distinguishing herself from what tomoya wanted in his mind. While i found the series to still be a bit cliched it was this part of the narrative that made me truly feel that Saekano had something going for it, even if i felt that the experience was a bit average. I cant deny that there was some good stuff within all the cliches and that it did try to make them fresh
T__T It was a show I tried to like. I tried so hard but Megumi is just… as a girl, I can’t relate to her at all and I think that’s why it’s difficult for me to see what’s so special about her. I don’t want to bash on her because I’d definitely get rocks thrown at me, but I’m just saying that if I were a dude, she wouldn’t be my type.
Not saying that the show is bad at all. It was decent and I don’t regret watching it, but I need more and a second season would go a long way.
Utaha for the win for me 😉
All kidding aside though, this is an excellent 8/10 show for me, and you can go up to 8.5/10 if you are a fan of the genre.
Understandable, understandable. I’m sure there’s a lot of subjectivity involved either way. Interestingly, Megumi apparently isn’t Tomoya’s type either, which is why he wants her to be more ‘2D’, so you’re not alone there. On my part I was totally into the meta of Saekano (and I’m aware that’s not for everybody) so Megumi’s role in the narrative was just as interesting to me as her character. That said, I enjoyed her levelheaded snark as well, so I guess she just clicked for me.
This was the ending of one of the most enjoyable anime seasons I had in a while. I had fun visiting the fine folks of Ikebukuro again. Shiroe, Akatsuki and friends provided me with another good season. Dog Days somehow combined Aria and a fighting show into one. I liked the new characters and the world building And finally, Rolling Girls gave me a fun show where I never really knew what to expect. I liked the characters and enjoyed the different situations and people they got involved with. So, for me, 4 shows I really enjoyed in one season was great.
The best show of the season so far has easily been Fafner: Dead Aggressor Exodus but no ones watching it which just makes me beyond sad.
Episode 9 of Fafner Exodus was just wow. I never expected such amazing animation from the series, it must have cost them a lot to do that. Anyway it’s selling fairly well in Japan, so that’s something. Volume 2 on BD sold 6.2k copies. Which is better than quite a few shows actually.
I guess the reason why no one blogged, or may even have watched it was because they’ve never seen the series and film that came before it and possibly knew they may make unfair opinions based on what little they knew.
Although, can they at least watch it, and write a post on the animation? Because seriously, Ufotable may have some competition in the coming decade if Xebec decides that animation quality really does sell.
Also, Kanon for best girl.
I adore Fafner,one of my favorite animes ever.
Animation is great, so worth waiting all this time 🙂 angela is amazing as always 🙂
Surprised that no one watched it but I understand why no one is blogging it, I am sure they all have busy schedule as it is ( and probably quite long “to watch list” of their own 😀 )
The only not so good thing is this sense of trgedy just waiting to happen … After bitersweet ending of first anime and a happy movie I need absolutely happy ending (especially for Kazuki and Soushi).
I mean I go watching every episode praying that somehow everyobdy makes it through …Honestly, I sometimes fear for the safety of the Shokora XD
I hope we get a Season three if they don’t resolve the story this season. The show has strong first week sales going for it and likely it’ll continue to sell as the weeks go on. Not that many shows break 10k first week these days, so getting the numbers it has been getting is excellent.
Sad that there isn’t even a mention on Fafner Exodus. It was the biggest surprise for me being the best Mecha Show this season. Yes its better than Aldnoah or Reconguista. It’s well produced, great action and surprisingly decent plot and characterization. Impressive considering it has a cast nearly twice as large as Aldnoah and that’s not even counting the new characters introduced.
Its biggest flaw is also its greatest strength: its reliance on continuity. There are a lot pf references and characterizations from the first season that aired on 2005 and the Fafner Movie released on 2010. But that’s why I enjoy it, its a sense that time has moved on for the characters when they grow up.
Seriously mecha fans, watch Fafner Exodus. Or better yet if you don’t mind investing the time, watch Season 1 and the movie then watch Exouds.
yep that’s the only reason i haven’t started watching it.
wanted to watch, but i have no inclination to watch a 10 year old anime lol (and now i realise movie as well)…
Fafner was my first mecha anime (bought and watched in whole). I remember back in the day looking through the anime section of JB Hi-Fi and saw a profile shot of the Fafner. I was like, “oh, that’s a cool looking mecha,” and bought it off of that whim alone. Loved the mecha designs, loved the plethora of characters, loved the heart in the story. Although the first season did suffer from average animation but it was 2005. Think I forgot to mention the soundtrack, which Exodus thankfully keeps up with it’s roots in it.
I actually enjoyed aldnoah zero 1st season more because it was so ridiculous and entertaining as hell. Season 2 was a lot more sober and since it did not really accomplish anything new in terms of characters and plot (and Slaine’s archetypal “descent into the dark side”), it kind of lost my interest in the middle.
For Gundam Build Fighters Try, there will inevitably be comparison to the original.
In my opinion, the first season had a better overacting story and character development, since it had a smaller cast and more time to develop each of them. The second season had a much larger cast, which suffered from time constraints to expand all of them. But it also had much more spectacular battles, with more effort into team strategies.
Both were good, but emphasized different aspects. The first season seemed more rooted in a traditional Gundam sense, and the second season bordering on Super Robot area (as evident by Tryon 3).
Glad to see Binan Koukou Chikyuboueibu LOVE! get some love! While it dragged a little midway from recycling the same jokes a bit too often, the finale was absolutely brilliant and hilarious at the same time. It was impressive how they wove elements from the season together for the finale and then went crazy – in a good way. Definitely a show to watch if you’re in the mood for a lighthearted magical girl parody and don’t mind some slight yaoi subtext (there wasn’t a single woman in the entire show). Would Battle Lovers into Love Making again!
While I enjoyed The Rolling Girls, I have to agree with Cherrie that it could have been a lot better. The characterization and plot was either messily all over the place, or completely non-existent. I was only barely able to keep up with the main plot once it started going, and by then I still didn’t care about the main characters enough for it to really impact me. What the show did have was some amazing action and animation which combined very well with it’s whimsical lighthearted tone, and was enough to keep me aboard without considering it a total waste of time. Definitely not as good as it should have been, but can be a decent ride if the style and humor appeal to you.
SHIROBAKO was the only show that moved me to tears this season. Episode 23 was the best.
Reminded me of the feels that I experienced during Hayama Saori’s masterful Inou-battle episode 7 Hatoko monologue.
I absolutely agree. Shirobako is definitely one of the strongest shows anime has seen in recent years. Recommended for any working personnel, really.
@Samu and RC people be sure not to forget those #Shirobako OVAs. The full animation episode 1 of #EXODUS.
The problem I had with Rolling Girls was that it got really hard to follow in the end. There were just so many characters and so much stuff going on at the same time I just didn’t have time to absorb any of it. It seemed like they threw in that last bit about them knowing eachother when they were kids out of nowhere and it didn’t make sense.
Thanks for the post so I can fanboy about Cross Ange and G Reco.
But first I’d like to write about Shinmai Maou. You know how some people hate on Durarara saying it’s just a watered down Baccano? I disagree with them, but this is exactly what the problem is why Shinmai Maou. It’s by the same author of Hagure Yuusha, so I was expecting something similar, but Shinmai Maou is LITTERALY a copypaste of Hagure Yuusha, but with even more stereotyped characters, less world building and less depth to the plot. It’s like if editors or whatever forced the author to remake the LN under another name for the sake of money. The only thing different is how Akatsuki, the hero of Hagure Yuusha, would willingly act as a pervert, think Izayoi in Mondaiji/Arata in Trinity Seven, while Basara is typical “accidents” harem MC. And yet, I remember Hagure Yuusha actually had a bit less sexual fanservice than Shinmai Maou. (Isn’t it pretty sad when we’re happy about how a MC finally acts like a normal teenager like in Mondaiji/Trinity Seven instead of a wimp when this much should be a given? It’s like we’re so accustomed to not having the bare minimum, so when we do have it we’re satisfied.)
Besides the Sugita x Nakamura love love, the part I liked the most was the first half of the first episode. If it stayed like that, a show about a guy trying to mend the hearts of his new sisters and try and make them go back to school etc, without all the fantasy and harem, it could have been a pretty good show. Anyway I’ll probably watch s2 too. Feels like a given watching it since it was probably planned to be 2 cours from the start.
For the record, I like Hagure Yuusha and praise it, but it still doesn’t hold to Madan no Ou which is the king of fantasy harem LNs to me, towering above the others by kilometers. The anime sucked though.
Now about Cross Ange, people should really throw away their cover judgment and watch the show. To me it’s easily one of the best shows of 2015. It’s not a gritty depressing show like you could think. it’s a fun comedy, with a bit of mechas, and excellent characters. I genuinely mean it when I say it’s funny, not that it’s so bad it’s funny. It got some hilarious jokes and tongue in cheek moments. People riding popular opinions instead of making their own and saying things like “I watch shows ironically” or “trainwreck” should just disappear. Maybe I’d even call it an all time favorite if not for Show Spoiler ▼
Lastly for G Reco, I’m gonna have to restrain myself as there’s too many good points to bring up. It’s definitely my favorite show of 2015 so far. Pure fun. No deaths just for shock value or for trying to make things seem more serious. Keeps fun elements until the very end instead of trying to make everything ultra serious, while still managing to install a sense of tension on the viewer. Had an excellent story and character development. Every single side character got their own quirks and personality and feel alive. From Steer always doing pushups since she’s at the helm at all time and doesn’t get to move, to the unnamed captain of the Garanden who didn’t trust Mask at first, but then relied on him and his decisions at all times. Excellent ending with a crazy final battle, Show Spoiler ▼
In my case, the show was a bit confusing at first but past the first three episodes or so you just get accustomed to it. They actually explain most of the terminology in the first few episodes. I almost find it funny that so many people find the show confusing, because if you watch closely a lot of what the characters are saying is purely said for the sake of the audience, to make up the lack of narrator, like the quiz in the first episode. There are even times where Tomino made fun of it, with that scene with Bellri telling Aida why radars don’t work, and then apologizing saying she should already know anyway. It’s true you need to use your brain more than most anime these days, and it’s something we all aren’t accustomed to anymore. And it’s kinda sad.
Lastly, the official English subs are too literal, making things more awkward and confusing that they actually are. There’s a few errors too. I watched most of the show with official French subs because of that, as after comparing them I found them to be much better. And even then I think even the French subs had a few errors. Hopefully it’ll get better subs one day.
For the record, one of the many reasons I liked G Reco so much is because it’s different from other Gundam shows. I’m sick of the usual Gundam things, I haven’t watched Unicorn and I’m not planning to because from what I’ve seen in SRW, it’s typical Gundam stuff. And even then, it will sound like I contradict myself, but G Reco isn’t even the first time a Gundam show is so different from the others. Most Gundam shows are different. Similar but different.
Lastly, I didn’t like the show just because Tomino’s name is on it. I really don’t care about who’s the staff/director when watching a show, and I don’t judge them beforehand based on this. If I find a show good I’ll like it, if I don’t find it good then I won’t.
There’s other shows I haven’t finished yet like Shirobako, and the year isn’t over, but I’m pretty sure G Reco will stay my favorite of the year.
If you haven’t seen Cross Ange or Gundam G no Reconguista yet you really should give them a try.
Totally agreed about Cross Ange. It’s a show that always knew what it was doing and it did it well while being unapologetic about it. It has it’s fair share of ridiculous moments but is always self-aware of them and even makes fun of them in the previews. It wouldn’t even compare it to Valvrave as many often do(and like I thought I would initially too) since besides more self-awareness, Cross Ange also fares much better than VV when it take itself seriously, which is when it comes to character dynamics & development. Aldnoah can only dream of having a cast as colorful as Cross Ange’s. The more worthy comparison when it comes to a colorful cast would be Akatsuki no Yona.
Viewers shouldn’t exactly turn off their brain when watching this either or at least not entirely. Do it for the fanservice but not for when it comes to the characters’ behavior, interactions with each other & reactions to the events that take place around them. This is most important when it comes to Ange herself, which pissed off a lot of people because she wasn’t the main character they expected and/or wanted and I if could, I’d give Fukuda a medal for that.
My biggest complaints would be that Salako didn’t get the attention she deserved and that the budged for the show wasn’t all that hot.
Yeah Salamandiney sama could have used a bit more screentime.
And yeah starting the second half there was QUALITY everywhere but thankfully they made up for it in every other areas.
Agreed almost everything on CrossAnge and G Reco except for one thing:
You can’t really say that a normal pilot in an anime is dead unless you either see their dead body or seeing the explosion from their mech without anything being ejected away …USUALLY… (I blame SEED for this kind of thinking.)
The major problem with Shinmai Maou no Testament was the horrid censoring. It was absolutely pointless to watch the TV airing, so I dropped it around episode 5. Gone are the days when shows like Queen’s Blade and Seikon no Qwaser used to air uncensored, it seems. Don’t know what happened there.
I didn’t mind watching the Rolling Girls, however I enjoy the all-too rare whacky absurd type of show. To be sure, this one really didn’t have the plot hooks, characters or animation quality that make other such series work for more people. It really doesn’t belong on the same shelf as FLCL, Kill la Kill, or Kyousigiga (some of the most frequently compared titles). But it was bright and colorful, energetic, and I liked the music. I thought the main girls were relatable from the perspective of “ordinary people attempting their best”. I wanted to keep seeing how different regional stereotypes of Japan were outrageously portrayed. There were some decent attempts by the writers to loop story elements back together to create a cohesive package but they didn’t quite achieve it in effect. I think pacing and a lack of sufficient restraint contributed to the story’s problems. But I’m the sort of anime fan who would much rather watch a goofball zany show than yet another harem or loli slice of life. Not that I haven’t indulged in any of those but I truly cherish when studios take a risk on something else. I would say the Rolling Girls is only for anime fans who have an established fondess for the off-the-wall WTF type of shows.
And for comparison, my top shows this season were Yuri Kuma, Death Parade, Parasyte. I’m also enjoying Assassination and World Trigger when I get around to watching them. It was nice to see a mostly well-done shojou (so rare!) with Yona and Maria was okay but I wouldn’t have missed anything if I skipped both of them. And I won’t watch Shou until I can rewatch the first Durarara!
A lot of people compare THE ROLLING GIRLS to the recent Kill La Kill and since I haven’t seen the latter so it’s hard for me to say whether or not they’re similar. Personally I thought THE ROLLING GIRLS tried to create something worthwhile, but I think it lacked a lot of direction early on and then they didn’t know what to do with it at the end. It’s definitely a “different” type of show, but not really my style either because I found it hard to follow and there wasn’t anything else that truly kept me glued to the screen. Could have had lots of potential though… the first few episodes set up a story about future Japan and I thought that would’ve played a bigger part.
I’ve blogged a lot of WTF shows in the past but this one… oh dear, writing about it and trying to make sense of it sometimes would’ve been a challenge.
Personally, I really enjoyed Rolling Girls. It’s very colorful, is definitely channeling a soul that you don’t normally see – rock & roll, girls riding bikes, aliens (those things don’t tend to fit together). True, the stories they told were separate, but that’s the point, I think. It was a slice-of-life in a sense, because no one has a large overarching plot in their own life; instead, they have a bunch of stories, largely unconnected in the big picture but sharing threads that tie them all together. This was Rolling Girls.
If I were to making a comparison, I’d put it close to Kyousougiga. 🙂
I really thought the story was fairly straightforward once you got past the oddness of the towns they were in. It was pretty much a road trip anime, and the girls were on a trip of self discovery.
Chi needed to find out who she was (and make friends), Ai wanted to become a Best, Yukina was literally and figuratively lost, and Nozumi had to find out she was in fact strong.
The setting and the weirdness wasn’t really that important, but they did add a lot of layers to the show that made it a lot more zanier and vibrant than it would’ve been without it. That’s something you either liked or you didn’t from what I gathered from a lot of the comments about the show. But I’d gladly take more quirky anime over the really derivative stuff we’ve been getting over the last few years.
The Rolling Girls for me was probably my favorite of the season. It was light hearted, colorful, and just a really fun show (that’s one hell of a catchy opening song).
I don’t really understand the criticisms for it that it didn’t make sense/was not straightforward enough or that it was very derivative – aren’t a large number of shows fairly derivative?. To me it was a simple story of four girls on a road trip of self discovery through the various weird towns and cities that represented Japanese culture, throw in some octopi and vaguely Kill la Kill style fights, and this is the result
Having said that, the initial premise was confusing since it’s really bizarre and there was lots of information to take in, so you’re not sure where they’re going with it, but once it settles down it was pretty straightforward when all said and done.
Plus, all the weirdness added great atmosphere, and coupled with the watercolor palette of the latter towns they visited, made for one visually vibrant world view.
And let us Start:
@Dungeon thing Anime:
Warning! Do not Touch until you saw Episode 1
Show Spoiler ▼
@Admins here
are these kind of Appetizers still okay. i try now to hide them in Spoiler tasks, until you have time to write
I’m not sure if we can post spoilers on these types of threads but just incase I’ll just a tag. Talking about Log Horizon here, I think..
Show Spoiler ▼
Be it by them
Show Spoiler ▼
.
Because lets be honest here, they could have used Krusty in Episodes 24/25 when they
Show Spoiler ▼
The fact that Cross Ange is never discussed on this blog confirms how irrelevant this blog continues to be.
Cross Ange is heaps better than Aldnoah as a mecha series. Suck it haters.
I don’t have the time to watch everything, and you’re not giving me a reason to spend the time to watch your “beloved” show. Soooo….
The shows that got no coverage but gets praised later usually ends up under in ‘Most Underappreciated’ category. I’d still have hope for it to get mentioned later.
Cross Ange was really good. People may have been misled by the fanservice and the all-female cast into thinking it would be no more than yuri shenanigans but the plot was surprisingly solid and the character development was great.
I certainly agree with Cross Ange being better than Aldnoah.Zero, but I can’t say I agree with RC being irrelevant.
And let’s be honest here, the first couple of episodes of Cross Ange…not very good. They clearly turned people off to the series. And then when you have sites like ANN constantly calling Cross Ange misogynistic – well, that didn’t help either.
Cross Ange was the most enjoyable show of the season. I would wake up at 6am every Sunday to watch it.
My impressions for this cour overall:
World Trigger – *Trion pants intensifies* (fyi, The original meme. Have fun launching into space 😀 )
Absolute Duo – While it’s rather ‘meh’ to watch, the conclusion has a lot to reconsider…*bleh*…whether it has a continuation or not.
Kantai Collection -KanColle- – Still trying to get over the divebomb of an end this series did. I won’t be surprised if the continuation of this gets dropped later…
GBFT – Guilty pleasures – the ‘mecha’ anime. (Whether it was the (literal) fanservice or the call-backs to all of the previous mecha animes.)
Reconguista in G – Oddball of the cour. This series needs the viewers to have some really good memory of EVERYTHING that happened previously to get what has just happened. That or having notable access to good people at forums and message boards. Though it is enjoyable even without the help just for the infamous mecha action in the final episodes.
Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor – Exodus – Stuff still being added and cataloged; damn it’s still good most of the way through.
Log Horizon 2 – More or less okay overall, much like a rollercoaster’s journey through a loop.
ALDNOAH.ZERO 2 – The mecha-action series worth watching this cour. (Really, if A.Z has to be compared to other mecha series from the cour before, this one might lose)
Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo – 2 cours, I can’t believe this original show has the materials to last 2 cours and still be interesting to watch. *slow claps* Bravo, Bravo.
I only really found Akatsuki no Yona to be the star of this season considering how consistent it was with pacing, story telling, character and plot development. Death Parade was another as it brought about intensity with a rollercoaster ride of emotions and an underlying plot beneath the staple formula of judging dead people that played out very well.
Also, a big kudos to Saenai for producing unconventional humor and characters that kept me thoroughly entertained. It’s an awesome harem series that didn’t go down the same route every other generic one did, and it’s focus on the otaku culture was interesting.
to be fair, I dropped Tokyo Ghoul halfway because interest petered out. Same thing with Soukyuu no Fafner and Reconguista, Log Horizon 2 and Aldnoah Zero 2 at the last two episodes, though these few were more of time issues rather than anything else, so I might get to finish up Aldnoah eventually.
For my guilty pleasures, Cross Ange actually surprised me. As much as people screeched that it was a trainwreck, the show was quite enjoyable and pretty much coherent for most part, and had a stellar showing with Ange being developed as a character. I could do without the excessive stripping of Ange, repetitive mecha action sequences (screw you Fukuda) and extremely convenient plot armor devices though. Shinmai comes in second for my extreme guilty pleasure and the fact I’ve actually read a huge chunk of the LN stories. Not too sure how I feel about what could have been a great story turn into excuses for ecchi fanservice, nor am I’m too excited about the fact it will have a second season (because the ecchi gets worse), but guilty pleasure it is.
GBFT was mindless fun, i think, and it was both headache-inducing and strangely humorous looking at elitist fanboys rage over suits from different series and dissing others. That puts stupid in the guilty pleasure here, but I do like the characters and enjoyed it despite it’s mellow plot progression and rushed ending.
it hasn’t been the best season yet for me, I think, but the few stars that shone and guilty pleasures kept me entertained. Here’s hoping the new season will be much, much better.
I Admit this season have many strong contender anime. But among the show Akatsuki no Yona, Death Parade, and Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is the top 3 Anime that stand out among the crowd. The stoy, pacing, and resolution is just perfect. There is no single episode that is considered worthless. It is truly enjoyable.
On the other hand Mecha Anime is really kicking it’s notch. I Really enjoyed some of the show, but Gundam G Reconguista is the most confusing mecha show this season. I Admit i get lost when watching the show. And can’t really rate it bad or good.
The action packed anime is great Jojo, Nanatsu no Taizai, World Trigger, and Log Horizon is just fun. By the storytelling nanatsu no taizai is above the rest. perfect from start to finish. Jojo is jojo it’s fun and mind blowing at times.
Gundam try fighter has that usual epic music,
P.S. don’t pick strike freedom MG, PG models, that guy got sliced in half in the tournament.
Favorite shows of the Winter season were easily Yuri Kuma, Yatterman, Death Parade, Kamisama Kiss, and Tokyo Ghoul. Honorable mention to Maria.
And the carryovers like Akatsuki no Yona, Ronja, Garo, Shirobako, and Parasyte all had strong endings. Definitely going to miss all these shows.
And now, time to catch up with Nanatsu no Taizai. 6 episodes behind! Really solid shonen.
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