Hey guys and girls, sorry if this is going up a little later
than usual, but as some of you may know, I’ve been busy working on another
project that kind of needed to be finished by the end of October as well as
various issues involving my workplace and fire.
Anyways, welcome to my first impressions of the almost two month old
Fall 2012 anime season. There’s a lot of
rare illnesses, cute characters, and dark, serious storylines going around this
season, so quite the variety to get through.
So with that in mind, let’s just get started.
Btooom!
This series follows a number of people abandoned on a
deserted island, forced to kill each other for a chance to be able to return
home to their regular lives. No, this is
not Battle Royale, though you’d be excused for making that mistake. They have all been left without supplies,
equipment, and pretty much anything else aside from a satchel of explosives to
use as weapons. They’ve also been
implanted with some sort of microchip that allows them to use radar to sense
targets. Though I have issues with how
much of an idiot the main character seems to be despite the fact that he’s
supposedly within the top ten in the world at a video game exactly like the
situation they find themselves in, by and large I think it does well to show
how people would behave when pitted against each other with their lives on the
line. The series is dark, and a bit
graphic, but apparently it’s been toned down quite a bit compared to the manga
that it’s based on. Then again, as per
usual, I don’t generally read the manga first.
Anyways, if you’re looking for a serious, action-packed series where
strategy and cunning is more important than the power-up of the week, this
series is probably right up your alley.
Robotics;Notes
From the creators of Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate comes a new
series completely unrelated to their previous works. Could you tell? They don’t make it easy to forget, I’ll tell
you that much. First episode contained
enough references to their previous works.
Anyways, this one is about the members of a high school robotics club
and their quest to build a giant robot based on an incredibly popular series
that was apparently being made by FOX.
To do this, they attempt to recruit new members and increase their
club’s budget. The plotline seems kind
of generic, but I don’t know how much stock to put in that just yet considering
how their previous works were all slow to start as well. The characters seem generally likable though,
well, one of them anyways. The other one
I’m not sure if he’s a prick, or just finds it hard to express what he wants
properly. That or he’s just incredibly
lazy, which is probably the more likely option here. Anyways, if you liked the previous two series
that are apparently connected though they have nothing to do with one another,
then give this one a look.
Busou Shinki
I figured this was probably going to happen sooner or later. A year ago, there was a series of shorts by
the same name, that I’m not quite sure if it’s related or not. It had many of the same characters, but a
different plot to it. Now, it’s possible
that this series takes place years and years later, but the further into the
new one I get, the less likely that seems.
Anyways, the basic story revolves around a high school boy who is the
owner of several Shinki, a type of miniature robot with AI that can be used for
various purposes from cooking to combat.
It appears to be a simple slice of life type series that revolves around
them and their daily lives. A bit of a
departure from the original where the Shinki were pretty specifically a
children’s toy that resembled Angelic Layer with mecha weaponry. Anyways, the series itself presents itself
pretty well for its lack of substance, though personally, I think I preferred
it more when it was an action series.
Anyways, if you like cute girls, or robots in this case, doing cute
things, this one is for you. If you
prefer action and mechs, go watch the original shorts.
Psycho-Pass
In a world where a persons morals, self-restraint, and
stress levels can be accurately represented by a number, society has completely
built itself around a new caste system where potential criminals can be caught
and given proper counselling before they commit any actual crime. This series revolves around the police
department that deals with such people, as well as employing a number of those
who are beyond the help of counselling and medication, giving them a chance to
do something with themselves instead of being separated from society despite not
having done anything wrong. Now, I have
to come right out and say that this was probably the most anticipated series of
the season for me and many others, in no small part because of the staff
onboard for its creation. Created by
Production I.G., written by Urobuchi Gen, the writer responsible for Puella
Magi Madoka Magica, as well as Fate/Zero, and with Tomokazu Seki in a leading
role, this was an automatic pickup for me.
The story seems pretty solid so far, and I’m liking the characters,
though it does seem like the show is playing it a bit safe for the moment. Then again, considering the writer, I think
we can expect some major tragedy at some point in the near future. If you like dark, gritty, futuristic anime
with the possibility of major plot twists and characters dying, pick this one
up, because knowing Urobuchi’s body of work, this could be one hell of a ride.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Now, it’s hard to not at least have heard of this series
beforehand. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is
a long running Shounen manga that follows the various members of the Joestar
family over time, as they fight vampires and other related creatures that stem
from Jojo’s initial encounter with a vampire known as Dio Brando. Now, this series is very old school, and if you
aren’t into older styles of animation, then this may not be your cup of
tea. It has the budget to make it work
though, and so far it seems to be doing rather well for itself. The series itself does seem like they’re
rushing the plotline quite a bit, yes, but not to such a degree that it feels
like they’re leaving out anything important.
The characters do seem to have a bad habit of over-narrating everything
that happens to them as if it’s the most amazing thing ever, but that comes
with the age of the source material. All
in all though, it just feels like this show came a few seasons too late. This honestly should have aired back in
Spring when we had all the old animation styles on display, I think it would
have fit a bit better. Anyways, if you enjoy
classic anime, this is right up your alley, so give it a shot.
Aoi Sekia no Chuushin de
Have you ever wanted to see the console wars between
Nintendo and Sega depicted as an actual war in a fantasy setting? If so, then this may be your lucky day. In this series, two countries called Ninteldo
and Segua (…yeah… they weren’t even trying to hide it…) face off in a war for
territory. Each major fighter in each
army represents a major game franchise present on their respective
consoles. The main character is a
blue-haired speedster by the name of Gear, Sonic the Hedgehog, who joins the
war effort after the murder of his best friend Til, Tails, at the hands of the
Ninteldo army. The series is filled with
all sorts of references to old games for the Sega Genesis, NES, and SNES, so
it’s obviously targeted for an older audience as well as retro gaming
enthusiasts. Also, Tetris is hilarious,
though I’m sure his dirty jokes will get old very quickly. I mean, he’s going to stick in a straight
piece, yes, we get it. Anyways, if you
like old video games, you may get a kick out of this series, so give it a shot.
Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter
Now, I’m not much of a car person, but the idea of cars that
transform into mechs sounded right up my alley.
Until I watched the first episode, anyways. The show takes place in a city that uses cars
with AI, so even a child could potentially drive them safely. The main character is discovers that his
school is actually a front for some super secret defense organization that give
him a car of his own that transforms into a mech to fight an evil organization
that attacks innocent people with its army of evil cars. Yeah, that doesn’t sound so good anymore. A lot of the plotline seemed to just come out
of nowhere, and that made the first episode seem like absolute stupidity from
beginning to end. The mechs look cool,
or they did until they decided to have them do an idol-like dance number in the
ending theme. That kind of killed
it. All in all, I don’t have many
positive things to say about this, but hey, if you like cars and mechs, maybe
give it a shot. Maybe.
Monsuno
A joint project between American and Japanese companies,
Monsuno is about a boy and his friends who come across a government conspiracy
while searching for his missing father.
Escaping with a secret prototype weapon called a Monsuno that his father
had gone to great lengths to hide. In
doing so, they become some of the most wanted people in the world, and travel
to liberate other, similar weapons from other labs. Oh yeah, the weapon is a giant monster that
gets summoned from what looks like a spinning top. Did I mention this was a joint project with
an American toy company? You know, like
Transformers. Anyways, though obviously
targeted towards children, this series actually presents itself rather
well. It takes itself pretty seriously
despite the ridiculousness of the giant monster fights, but also manages to
develop its characters pretty well for that kind of series. All in all, it seems like a good watch, but
then again this kind of series has a habit of shooting itself in the foot
somewhere during its run. At very least,
it should be a better watch than Gyrozetter, so give it a shot if you are so
inclined.
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
This series follows a boy living in a school dormitory
complex known as Sakurasou, which is filled with some of the most notorious
students at his school. It focuses
though, on the relationship between him and Mashiro, a genius artist with
absolutely no life skills outside of art.
The relationship between them begins to form as he’s forced to look
after her and eventually learns to care about her. Now, this may actually be one of the best anime
this season. The entire show focuses on
the interpersonal drama between the residents of the dormitory, and all the
little problems that stem from many of them being special in many ways. This is more a character study than a
storyline, but the show seems to make it work.
If you enjoy interpersonal drama and a bit of slapstick comedy, this is
the series for you, so give it a shot.
Code:Breaker
This series is about a group of individuals with special
powers under the command of the Japanese government who hunt down and kill
criminals the police would otherwise have a problem handling within the bounds
of the law. It centres around a girl
named Sakura who discovers this organizations existence, and follows around one
of its members to try and prevent him from killing people. Now, while this series seems to fall flat in
a couple of areas, it’s not the worst series this season by far. The action and the plot seem pretty solid,
though the characters are stale and even annoying in some cases. Sakura, for instance, comes off as
overbearing and annoying. I mean,
seriously, at the point where a small, dying child is begging you to kill a man
so he can’t hurt anyone again, you should probably stop grandstanding about how
wrong it is to kill someone. Anyways,
the series is still enjoyable, and I’m interested to see where they take the
plot from here. Frankly, it could either
be a great ending, or the most cliché plot twist ever.
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
A rather interesting series to watch, this one is about a
serious girl who doesn’t care about anything other than studying, and a boy who
just doesn’t know how to deal with people.
The two of them meet for the first time in high school, and become quite
the odd couple, and the shining example of a dysfunctional relationship. Despite how that concept may sound, the
writing in this series is really good.
The two of them have a very believable romance, if a little off the wall
and illogical at times. Neither one of
them really understand what it means to be in love or in a relationship for
that matter, and that leads to all sorts of weird circumstances. In a way, this series kind of reminds me of
Toradora, except the roles are kind of swapped around. If you enjoyed Toradora, or just want a
romance series where you can actually see the relationship happening, give this
one a watch.
Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai!
Chuunibyou is a term referring too a teen that allows their
imagination to run wild to point where they delude themselves into thinking
that their imagined life is reality. This
series is about a recovering Chuunibyou who was so embarrassed by his past that
he went to high school far from his middle school to escape his past. However, he finds himself found out by a
female Chuunibyou who just won’t let him forget. The series follows the daily lives they lead
and how it affects their high school life.
This series is absolutely adorable, plain and simple. The characters are likable, and the storyline
is very endearing, so you should definitely give this one a look. It’s definitely one of the most liked anime
this season, if not the best.
Girls und Panzer
This one is… different.
Basically, this series is about a bunch of girls at a high school that
resides in a city that apparently exists on the top of a giant aircraft
carrier. This school resurrects a
program it cancelled a long time ago, a girls only sport that involves tank
battles due to an upcoming tournament.
Many girls are either roped in willingly or against their will in one
case, and are forced to compete against other schools. Now, this series is a bit of a tough pill to
swallow. The in-series propaganda goes
on about how tanks are just as feminine as things like flower arrangement, and
how men love women who are good at this sport.
So basically, it’s very empowering to women while at the same time
equating the inside of a tank to the kitchen.
Storyline-wise, it seems solid enough, though the CG animation used for
the tanks is absolutely atrocious.
There’s some legitimate strategy used for the battles, so at very least
it seems like someone was trying. Anyways,
its not exactly the worst thing I’ve ever seen, so if you’re a military
hardware geek, and liked series like Upotte, this should be right up your
alley.
Ixion Saga DT
This anime is about a gamer who accidentally gets thrown
into a fantasy world against his will, and fights to defend a princess while
looking for his way home. So,
essentially, this is nothing original, and seems completely pointless most of
the time. Still, its funny in how stupid
it manages to be. I, personally, cannot
count the number of Scryed jokes I’ve made while watching this. The one plus side is that this show is all
about shattering established conventions.
The princess isn’t weak and defenceless, she’s a wise-cracking, rude
little munchkin. Someone’s charging up
their ultimate attack? Kick him in the
balls before he’s finished. That sort of
stuff just makes this show absolutely ridiculous, and sometimes a little too
realistic. If you like to laugh at a
show, not with it, this is the series for you.
K
And now for the show that was probably titled after the
response when the creator explained the plot to someone via text message. It just needs a question mark at the
end. So, essentially there’s several
factions vying for control over a city, each led by someone referred to as a
King, each of whom has some sort of special ability and the ability to give
similar powers to their followers. But
none of that seems to be important at the beginning because the series is
really about the high school life of a boy named Isana Yashiro, whose only
power is being totally unmemorable. No,
seriously, that was a hell of a plot twist.
I laughed really hard. You’ll understand
if you watch it. Anyways, he may or may
not be a King himself, so it all probably ties together at some point, but by
and large this show itself seems to have no idea what’s going on most of the
time. Oh, also there’s some weird
cat/girl/thing that flies around naked most of the time that no one can see,
unless they can, it’s not really well explained. So yeah, this series has its problems, and
lacks a reason for a lot of the things it does, but it’s not exactly horrible
either, so consider giving it a watch.
I’m certainly going to keep watching, but then again, that’s not saying
much.
Kamisama Hajimemashita
Also known as Kamisama Kiss, this series follows a high
school girl named Nanami who found herself homeless and with no one to turn to
after her father took off to avoid his massive debt. A mysterious benefactor offers her a place to
live, which turns out to be a temple filled with strange spirits. The mysterious man was in fact a god, and he
turned tail, ran away, and left her to be the new deity of that shrine. It’s a very simple series, but also very
heart-warming and sweet. Nanami is a
very likable character, and just kind of rolls with the punches without trying
to bother others. That causes problems
here and there, but all in all, she makes the series quite enjoyable. If you like shoujo anime and romance, this is
the series for you.
Little Busters
Pull out your tissues.
From the makers of Air, Clannad, and Angel Beats comes their newest
anime… which has been around in visual novel format for years and has never
been animated despite arguably being one of their most popular works. So yeah, it’s about time. What happened? More than likely someone managed to rip the
licensing rights from KyoAni’s grasp, because, you know, how often do they do
anything that people actually ask them for?
Anyone heckling me for that comment, come on, you know it’s true. Anyways, this series follows a group of
childhood friends that collectively refer to themselves as the Little Busters
as they gather to play baseball and go on adventures. Also, it’s a Key series, so you know hilarity
will ensue, even if this isn’t going to end well for someone. The characters are likable, the storyline is
well written, and the comedy is entertaining, what more could you ask for? If you enjoyed any of the past Key anime I
mentioned, or just enjoy drama with a healthy dose of comedy to liven it up,
give this a shot.
Magi
A series about a strange young boy named Aladdin who travels
around the Arabian world with his friend Ugo, a big, blue, magical being that
lives in a golden flute. Save the Disney
jokes, please, trust me, there’s enough of them floating around the internet
right now. Anyways, he possesses strange
magical powers, and goes on an adventure along with a number of friends he
picks up along the way. The series is
actually fairly well done, though it has a fair number of moments that just
leave me wondering what someone was thinking.
Combat scenes are well done, and the magic being used is interesting and
cool. The storyline has a few issues
here and there, but otherwise it’s a pretty solid series. If you like action/fantasy then this is
definitely for you.
Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankenai yo ne
Man that title is a mouthful… So yes, another harem anime
with a brother and sister that are just a little too close. As I have said before, the more this comes up
as a plot point, the less I can classify this as crossing a line. Anyways, the main character moves into a dorm
for his school in order to live with his sister that he has been separated from
for years. The dorm is filled with many
girls that seem interested in him, not the least of which being his sister, who
seems incredibly attracted to him. He
completely rejects her at every turn though, so that makes it okay. Except that he`s a writer, famous for his
romance novels about forbidden love between siblings. That makes it a little weird. I`m actually not quite sure how to classify
this guy. Anyways, for what it is, it
actually can be fairly funny, and has some good twists to the storyline, so I
wouldn`t write it off completely. It
actually is a surprisingly good watch for something I didn`t think much of
before I started it. If you enjoy harem
anime, go ahead and give this one a try.
Shinsekai Yori
In a seemingly utopian future, all humans have telekinetic
abilities known as Cantus, and are trained to use them in school. One group of five kids, however, stumbles
across the truth behind the wonderful illusion, and their lives are changed
forever. The series is a little slow to
start off, but once it gets going, it gets quite exciting. The action is intense, and the storyline is
dark and mysterious with plenty of surprises.
The only issue I have with it is that the characters seem a bit bland
and uninteresting, and are prone to developing character traits that weren`t
there before, completely out of the blue.
However, it also seems to be hinting at a future plot twist that might
explain that one away. Anyways, this
series is a good, post-apocalyptic fantasy, and I`d definitely recommend it to
anyone who likes such things. Also, it
kind of reminds me a little of Higurashi no Naka Koro ni, so if you liked that,
definitely check it out.
Sukitte Ii na yo
This one is a classic kind of story about an antisocial, and
even somewhat unpleasant girl who meets a boy who refuses to just write her off
like everyone else. The two of them fall
for each other, and she begins to change and grow as a person. While the story itself may be a little
overplayed, the characters are genuine, realistic, and likable, and they all
have their flaws that make them who they are.
The heroine herself is the kind of character you just genuinely feel
like you want to succeed half the time, and the other half of the time you`re
too busy facepalming at the things she does or thinks. All in all it is presented quite well, and I`d
definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys shoujo anime, and romance.
Zetsuen no Tempest
Finally, this anime follows the adventures of two high
school boys drawn into a world of magic and danger after the brutal murder of
one boy`s little sister. Gifted with the
ability to use magic by the world`s most powerful mage, currently trapped on a
deserted island that prevents her from using her magic, they seek to
investigate the murder and take revenge on the culprit. Oh, and save the world from an ancient evil
that has been sealed away since the beginning of time that the mage`s rivals
seem intent on summoning back to the world.
That`s just a side mission though, totally less important. Anyways, it’s a rather serious plot about
revenge, friendship, and love, full of plot twists and some well executed
battle scenes. On the negative side
though the twists are often very predictable, and the villain comes off as a
little bit of a wimp sometimes. Also,
the opening theme is absolutely atrocious.
If you think you`ve heard some bad Engrish in an anime opening before,
this absolutely takes the cake. Which is
a pity since it has such a good tune to it, but the lyrics totally ruin
it. Anyways, if you like magical combat
and complex yet straight to the point plotlines, give this one a watch.
