Well, as some of you may be aware, BRose has left for Spain! Indeed, she was accepted into a teaching position that is similar to what I have, and is in the process of moving into a foreign country. I hope she does not have all the hurdles I did in getting herself internet, though!
That aside, I figured I would update concerning the currently running Fall shows. We’re already in week four (almost five), so please do forgive my lateness in this. m(_ _)m
Like previous posts, I shall order it thus: Title, Maker, Premise, My Opinion – story My Opinion – animation, My Opinion – music, Watching (yes, no, maybe), Rating.
Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge
Maker: SHAFT
Premise: Rich heir to the Ichinomiya business empire, Ichinomiya Kou, has lived his life from the age of five following his family’s motto: never be indebted to anyone. If he can’t repay someone, he gets some kind of asthma attack that slowly starts killing him. So when his life is saved by a girl who lives under a bridge, he assumes it would be easy to repay her – he’s rich enough to grant any wish! But she wants…nothing other than to be loved. Thus, in season one, he becomes just that – a serious boyfriend – and moves in under the bridge with her. Season two is merely a continuation.
My Opinion – Story: Absolutely ridiculous. Yet, at the same time, believable enough with the cast of characters they put into play that anything that happens I won’t call impossible. And because of that – hilarious! And touching, even, at times. I can’t explain this very well, because it is that type of show, but I think more or less anyone could enjoy it. Recommended!
My Opinion – Animation: They are good in keeping a constant, good animation. I’ve never found anything to complain with it, their pacing is good, their palette is surprisingly pleasant. Now and then, though, it gets slightly hard to follow, because they’ll introduce something and then, mid-story, switch to something else, to come back to it later. That, when it happens (which isn’t terribly often) is very annoying.
My Opinion – Music: The opening and ending fit the story, and the opening especially is incredibly fun (the ending is live action…not sure I like it.) BGM fits the mood, and there are a few songs I can think of just sitting here that I can remember from them, which means they’re a rare combination of memorable AND fitting. (Usually, if I remember them, it’s because they were jarring and didn’t fit the mood, yet if they fit the mood I usually don’t pay enough attention to them to remember them later. On rare occasions, with particularly good songs, I can, but that is because I pay attention to it; in this case, I wasn’t paying attention and I still remember them).
Watching: Yes!
Preview Rating: 9 of 10
Star Driver
Maker: BONES
Premise: On an island in Southern Japan, there are six Maidens who protect the seal keeping this world safely in its own dimension. There is another dimension, however, where what in reality are large dolls turn into robot-esque things called Cybodies that certain pilots are able to control. A secret organization run by high school students is currently in charge of researching how to, first, control these Cybodies, second, how to upgrade them, and third, how to open the gate and allow them to act in normal reality. Standing in their way is the newcomer, Takuto, who can already pilot a Cybody – a special one already upgraded to level three, which is a mystery to the organization that can only get themselves up to level two. He calls himself the Galactic Pretty Boy…
My Opinion – Story: I don’t know where to start…but let’s just say that I like it. I feel like it’s trying, in a way, to channel the energy of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, but to put it on the same pedestal as that show is a grave error – it is nowhere near that masterpiece. However, on the same note, I wouldn’t take this show terribly seriously. The organization’s name is “Order of the Glittering Cross,” for Pete’s sake! He’s the Galactic Pretty Boy! Other than that, it seems to be a typical shonen – fight increasingly difficult enemies, have a girl fall in love with the main character, let there be kinds of mysteries swirling around unexplained… However, what can I say. I like it.
My Opinion – Animation: It’s BONES. ‘Nuff said.
My Opinion – Music: Average, which is the “it fits and I don’t remember it” kind of variety.
Watching: Yes
Preview Rating: 8 of 10
Yakumo
Maker: Bee Train
Premise: Born with one eye stained red, the main character, Saitou, can see the spirits of the dead that haven’t passed on. Worried for a friend who collapsed and is in the hospital after visiting a haunted place, the main character girl (Haruka) visits him in the hopes he can determine the issue and solve it – since that is the business he has opened up for himself.
My Opinion – Story: Sllooooowww. Perhaps it’s just me, but so far nothing terribly interesting has happened, either. It’s more like watching a detective show than a magical one. I was hoping for more horror, more creepy things, more soul action than what I actually got. Instead the feeling I got from the story is more just…..normal. Plus…look at that website. It looks cool, right? RIGHT?? You want to see that, right?? It looks more like a horror story than anything…right? Arg! *collapses into inarticulate heap*
My Opinion – Animation: Okay, I actually don’t like the style. It looked okay on the website, but in action the bodies move rather flatly, the faces look a little underdeveloped and inexpressive, and the color palette leaves much to be desired. Bluh.
My Opinion – Music: It must have fit, since I don’t remember it…
Watching: No
Preview Rating: 4 of 10
The World Only God Knows
Maker: Manglobe
Premise: 105 demon spirits escaped from Hell and have embedded themselves into the holes in people’s hearts. To capture them, one must fill that hole – and the fastest way to do that is with love. So, to help her, demon Elsee turns to Katsuragi Keima, a man known as the “Capturing God,” who has captured the hearts of hundreds of girls…only to find out, once the contract is made (and if broken, both their heads get cut off) that Keima captures the hearts of girls in video games, and he has no interest – or experience – with real ones!
My Opinion – Story: Pretty pointless, if you get down to it. It’s not a deep show, and it won’t make you cry. However, it WILL make you laugh. Possibly. I was reading the manga before this came out, and even then I often felt “why am I reading this?,” but I read it anyway. It transferred quite nicely to anime – it might even be better as an anime than a manga. They chose really good voice actors for their characters, so I love just hearing them speak. Plus, it’s a fun show. It’s enjoyable just to watch them run around…
My Opinon – Animation: Surprisingly good! They haven’t done a lot yet, but Manglobe has done some pretty nice works – Michiko to Hatchin, House of Five Leaves, and Ergo Proxy – so I have faith in them. Their pacing is also really good, which is essential in comedic shows. They are also pretty good with visual gags. So far, so good!
My Opinion – Music: Fits, nothing terribly special, yet. I’d probably enjoy the slower songs if I downloaded the soundtrack; nice strings/pianos.
Watching: Yes
Preview Rating: 8 of 10
Yosuga no Sora
Maker: feel, Sphere
Premise: After their parents die in a plane crash, these two wealthy kids sell their parents’ home in the city and move out to their country home, where it’s cheaper to live. Let the harem commence.
My Opinion – Story: It’s a harem show. I hate harem shows. With a passion. It’s incredibly annoying to see every girl who sees him blush. On first glance. It’s also annoying to see this is also an incest story. The younger sister obviously is one of those girls, treats him like dirt, and will obviously win him in the end. FURTHERMORE it’s a hentai. Or, it should be considered one. Even the website for the original creator is considered “adult only.” Okay, that’s enough for me, good bye~
My Opinion – Animation: Average, nothing special to say about it…
My Opinion – Music: Nice music, a lot of piano, but nothing to stay stuck in my head.
Watching: No
Preview Rating: 1 of 10
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
Maker: Sunrise
Premise: It’s Gundam. Do you really need a premise at this point? …Fine. People have moved to space colonies, now, Earth is pretty junked (it appears), and a company that has run everything and been incredibly profitable has, they say, used a particular object – Laplace’s Box – to be so successful. Now, they have agreed to hand this box over to another group, though they never explain why. The main character girl (Audrey) is trying to stop this hand-off, because she doesn’t think her company (little princess, yes) is reliable, and will end up using the box for the wrong ends. The main character (Banagher) is, by coincidence mainly, dragged into it, but ends up being one of the special “Newtype” folks who apparently has some kind of cosmic/spiritual connection or something, and can anticipate others’ actions or sense thoughts or…something, their explanation is vague. Which means he also is the perfect pilot for the Gundam that was made to be the key to Laplace’s Box! Whoo! There is also Londo Bell, the resistance group. I don’t quite get what they are resisting…
My Opinion – Story: Gundam…. *sigh* Gundam’s are always slow, politcal, and cumbersome. This one promises the same, though at least this time they’re not bogging things down with a slow explanation and just throwing the audience into things. There is enough explanation for me. However, there is a weiiirrdd moment where the main character, who met the girl for the first time probably three hours ago, basically just confessed, saying he knew from the moment they met that he couldn’t live without her! She tells him he’s not needed and to go away. He acts like he got stabbed in the heart. Overdramatic much?
My Opinion – Animation: Sunrise. Pretty.
My Opinion – Music: Fits, averagely nice. Perhaps a bit heavy or “large” for me (I have no idea how to explain that). I like the ending.
Watching: Yes
Preview Rating: 7 of 10
Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls
Maker: ARMS
Premise: In some weird alternate-reality Japan, where there are scanner eyeglasses that can measure a person’s power, but people still run around with swords, and there are ninja, high school uniforms, samurai, factions of families, a shogun, and maid outfits….there are samurai out there called “master samurai” who, upon making a contract with the shogun, can release incredible amounts of power. The main character, Muneakira, is from a family that has taught the shogun’s family swordwork for years, and he himself taught the heirs ten years ago. He was requested in the capital (I assume to continue this role), so he came…only to be met with various different girls, two of which seem to be in danger and one that fell from the sky, kissed him, and gained a ton of power – basically, became a master samurai. By the end of the second episode, only Muneakira knows this, and that’s as far as I watched, so who knows where this is going?
My Opinion – Story: Hareemmmm. But at least the girls aren’t throwing themselves at the main character – they all seem pretty indifferent, save the one who fell from the sky and the sister of the heir to the throne. However, this is another one I’d rate as hentai. What the heck is up with this? Well, I expected something with fanservice, given the main page (pillows…), but this is farther than I thought they’d go.
My Opinion – Animation: I like the style, they have an interesting usage of textures plus an ink effect they like to use in fight scenes (and also to cover up indecent spots so there’s no actual nudity…I guess). Sometimes the drawing bugs me, but the animation itself seems solid so far.
My Opinion – Music: Pretty average, though there was one point where I thought “wow, this song is pulling down the mood – this was a joke….”
Watching: Maybe…just to see pretty fight scenes, if I do.
Preview Rating: 5 of 10.
Tamayura
Maker: Hal Film Maker
Premise: Sawatari Fu loves taking photographs with her father’s old camera. When the subject is particularly happy, sometimes small glowing balls appear in her pictures; people call them tamayura, the children of light. Through a picture she took once, which is on display at her camera shop, she gains new friends, and the story follows them through their daily lives. Her friends all also have their own quirks – one loves scents, one sometimes whistles instead of talking, and another is attracted to cute younger people.
My Opinion – Story: Slice-of-life style, but really cute. It’s going to be one of those cute, funny, touching ones…
My Opinion – Animation: I don’t know this maker at all…. Nothing they’ve made I’ve seen. They did animate all of the Aria animations, though, so if you know those, then you have a better idea than I do of what they’re like. So far, in the first two episodes, they’re pretty good at it, and I really like both their drawing style and again, their color palette – it’s very warm. This is being released irregularly, third episode being released next month (is it monthly? Maybe), so that bodes well for animation quality.
My Opinion – Music: aaah, so cute. Which fits the show in every way. What can I say? Cute, touching.
Watching: Yes
Preview Rating: 8 of 10
Kuragehime
Maker: Brains Base
Premise: A girl (Tsukimi) who loves jellyfish and is (or wants to be?) an illustrator moved to Tokyo and now lives in a house with friends she met online. Conned the “nuns,” they are all women who haven’t had boyfriends, have no time or interest or personal confidence to have one, and are also all somewhat odd in their own ways in otaku-esque ways. Tsukimi happens to live not far from a pet shop that sells fish, of which there are a few jellyfish she goes to see when she feels down; then one day, she notices a new jellyfish that has been put in the same tank as another, which if done would definitely kill the original one! Unable to properly convey this to the clerk on duty at the time, she’s saved by a beautiful “princess” of a woman, who convinces the clerk to sell them the things needed for it, and give them the jellyfish for free. Yet who she originally thought of as such a beautiful princess actually turns out to be…a man…who likes to dress up as a girl…
My Opinion – Story: I need to see more, to know what it’s like in the end, but this, too, seems to be an intriguing story. Obviously, already, this man will move into the building with the girls, pretending to be a girl (men are not allowed, period; the fact that he entered before nearly petrified Tsukimi). And bit by bit, Tsukimi will learn to be a princess – or perhaps learn that she already is one – thanks to this fellow. That much is clear, but I can still enjoy the trip.
My Opinion – Animation: I LOVE this drawing style! It’s so…unique! Usually when that’s said it brings to mind odd, slightly off, good for maybe one time but again is too much, but in my case it’s a huge relief to see characters that are drawn so drastically differently. No one has the same facial structure, there is a very fat character, a very thin one, and a few others that are plump (main character included), and most are not stylish at all. It’s something of a relief. Even the stylish girl/guy is interesting, I think, perhaps in relation to everyone else. Plus, so far, good animation and no complaints. It’s Brain Base, I like them, they have good history with me. They did, for anyone who cares to know, Baccano!, my all-time favorite show.
My Opinion – Music: It has personality. I like the opening’s animation – do watch it, it’s fun! – ending is okay (it may grow on me, it may do the opposite), and the BGM is pretty nice, too, with a good amount of personality there, too. I’ll probably get the OST when it comes out.
Watching: Yes
Preview Rating: 9 of 10
BRose and Oseike's randomness 