Spring 2016 Anime

[Nicο]

It's gotten too hard to keep up with everything I'm interested in and do other things I want to do, so the only thing for sure I'll be picking up is Aikatsu Stars!

[Fusion X. Denver]

I take it Ace Attorney could be better?

[Shradow]

It could be, but it's fine I think. I never noticed that particular single frame long mess up, personally. I'm just glad the adaption is faithful, also subs have started to use the localized names so I'm happy.

[Trebuchet MS]

I take it Ace Attorney could be better?

It will be fixed in the Blu-Rays!

[mitchermitcher]

It's high time for mid-season impressions! And damn, this season is pretty great as far as I've seen.

 

Jojo - Part 4 is perfect and this adaptation is perfect. The OP and ED are both excellent. The directing is GUREETO. Pacing is even better. Color palette, beautiful. I can't think of anything to criticize. Pretty much the most solid show of the season.

 

Macross Delta - I'm enjoying it every week as well but I'm not feeling it like I felt Frontier or the original by this point. Mikumo is like Basara, Freyja is cute, Mirage is okay, but love triangle doesn't feel very apparent, Hayate isn't quite Alto and I liked Alto a lot although I may be alone on this one considering the reactions I've seen to Alto online. Overall it doesn't quite feel like anything's kicked off yet and if Kawamori wants to keep this ride fast he better start soon. The OP is some serious earworm and the ED is WOWOW great, as expected of Macross. Of the insert songs, only GIRI GIRI AIIII is funking amazing and the rest are okay. And the character designs feel kinda cluttered for some, like Mirage and Hayate, or the pilot suits and whatnot. Freyja is perfect though.

 

Habanero of the Spicy Fortress - Muh kabaneri. The production values are top-notch and the writing overall feels like a disaster. There are some parts I can nitpick and a lot I can't put my  finger on but the show feels really badly thought-out and kinda stupid. With that said, the emotional moments are funking real (Episode 2 in  particular, loved that). It's not hard to tell the producers decided to just throw in some big industry names and hoped this would be a success. And for good or for worse this one is selling like hotcakes. The choice of OP is kinda misfitting. Something more upbeat and intense would fit better, rather than shoehorning in Supercell just because they're well-loved.

 

Tanaka-kun - funk this show. funk Tanaka. Why does he have an Ohta? I want an Ohta, damnit. This show's pretty alright. It's really, really comfy and watching a new episode every week is nice.

 

Bungou Stray Dogs - The first episode was great, but then the more episodic detective agency pacing of the show is a little less great. The animation is beautiful and consistent and the ED is probably my favorite this season(and there are a lot of great EDs this season). I just wish the story was more centered around a small cast, specifically Atsushi, Dazai, and Akutagawa.

 

flying witch - The first episode's as comfy as I remember the manga to be. Never read past that and never watched past that but maybe when I'm bored I'll get to watching this. It's hard to screw this one up, I feel.

 

Phoenix Wright - Dropped. Disappointed as sheet, A-1. Sure it could've been worse but not much worse than this. Couldn't even get myself to start the Steel Samurai arc. I really wanted to be hopeful about this too.

 

Haifuri - Something about this show screams stupid as well but it's not as enjoyable as muh Habanero. It's a very blatant cashgrab off the GuP/Kancolle trendsetters, and at least compared to GuP it doesn't have the same flair. Watched to episode 4 or 5 and I cannot remember a single character who doesn't have a clear role in the story. GuP does a very good job of making its side characters recognizable and lovable and I'm not getting any of that here. Way too much commercialism and not enough heart for me.

 

Kiznaiver - The first Okada show and probably the beter of the two this season. Also a trigger show and I'm enjoying it despite that. The OP is a serious earworm as well. What impresses me the most is that I don't find Nico anywhere near as annoying as Mako, the other quirky character from Trigger's earlier show. Her admitting her secret in episode 2 left me very impressed. I'm also really liking Yuta, who is more interesting than he has any right to be but damn. Kacchon himself is plain and at first that was tolerable as its the premise but his development so far is slow. Not nonexistent but pretty slow. If it picks up then I have no complaints.

 

Kumamiko - Really liking this one, following it each week is super comfy like Tanaka. The countryside humor gets to me and it has tones of dark comedy with Machi's suffering in each episode as well. And again, has an amazing ED.

 

Mayoiga - The other Okada show and while I can't deny its quality is lower than Kiznaiver, I also can't deny I'm enjoying this one more. it's especially fun if you have somewhere to shitpost about it with, and you really can't tell where the funk are they going with this. Seriously Okada what are you planning? Maimai best. Sometimes I wonder if writing quality matters less than pure entertainment because this one sure as hell lies in the latter, and the entertainment it's providing sure as hell isn't the intended type.

 

Netoge - Hisasi's artstyle doesn't look as good in anime. That's really all I have to say on the matter. First episode was alright, more or less the same as I remember from the manga. Haven't watched more since.

 

Re Zero - Really liking this one as well. The production values are solid and the time loops are handled well. Dying in this feels like it has real weight and I dunno, I just feel this one gets things pretty right. Could get into it more but I'm not in the mood. Mushoku Tensei when?

 

Sakamoto - Same complaint as with Netoge. It doesn't work as well as an anime, not much else to say.

[Nicο]

Aikatsu Stars! - I feel like they're trying too hard to make some characters different than the previous series and not trying hard enough on others, but I'll be damned if it's not one of my favorites anyway. Continues the trend of the super popular idol that inspires the protag be appreciated, but just way less interesting than most other characters too, at least I feel.

 

Kiznaiver - omg, I watched more than I said I would! Not at all because of one of the character's name. Well very much agreeing on the Nico/Mako thing, just this is feeling more and more... more and... uh... more and less interesting at the same time the more I get into it. I just even, but at the same time I really don't. 

[Shradow]

Sakamoto - Same complaint as with Netoge. It doesn't work as well as an anime, not much else to say.

 

Ok, so it wasn't just me. I freaking adore the manga, but I didn't feel as good watching the anime.

[mitchermitcher]

Ok, so it wasn't just me. I freaking adore the manga, but I didn't feel as good watching the anime.

Amongst the many other elements that make up the fabulousness that is Sakamoto, one of them is the clear, crisp black and white art. Certainly, the manga wasn't Murata OPM glorious but the artstyle was crisp and in a way, detailed. It helps with the serious humor Sakamoto's good at. When animating, a lot of that crispness is replaced with movement and coloring. There's also the issue of comedy transitioning from still panels to moving animation. I was really hoping DEEN could pull Sakamoto right after their repertoire last season but sadly it just isn't the same. ;_;

[Shradow]

I don't think it's so much DEEN as it is Sakamoto, some things just don't translate as well as we'd want. Now, if you want an example of the studio being at fault for an adaption, you've already mentioned it with Ace Attorney.

 

So far this season I'm always most excited to see Jojo and My Hero Academia each week, though on the other side of the spectrum Tanaka-kun and flying witch are really nice and relaxing to watch and I look forward to them as well. I'm also watching Kiznaiver, Kabaneri, Joker Game, Bungou Stray Dogs, and Space Patrol Luluco, all of which I'm enjoying as well. I've been meaning to get to Kuromukuro and Re:Zero as well but have yet to.

[mitchermitcher]

I'm not blaming DEEN in particular, I already knew Sakamoto would be hard to get right as an anime. I was just sorta hoping DEEN could pull off that miracle.

 

But yeah, A-1 has no excuse for PW. The animation alone is lackluster enough but as a whole it falls short as well. I'm not sure either how well PW's essence can be captured with animation but it sure bloody hell could've been done better than that.

 

Kuromukuro I've watched half an episode and got bored, but I certainly recommend giving Re Zero a try. Haven't seen Joker Game or Luluco though.

[Shradow]

I'd recommend Luluco if you like Trigger, it's definitely a Trigger kinda show. Each episode is only 7-ish minutes, as well, so you could binge through it in a lunch break or something. The latest episode began season 3.

[mitchermitcher]

Another Trigger show...but if it's that short I really have no excuse not to at least give it a try, and Kiznaiver improved my opinion on the studio.

[Shradow]

Not a fan of the guys at Trigger? Is that including or excluding the work the guys who founded it did when they were part of Gainax? For example, Imaishi Hiroyuki is one of the co-founders of Trigger, and he directed Gurren Lagann and Panty & Stocking, among other things for Gainax.

[mitchermitcher]

I'm well aware and I really liked Gurren Lagann, but I could barely find a single enjoyable thing about KlK despite all the hype. Sure it's kinda unfair to be wary of a studio just because some of their shows are really overhyped, but I also feel their general style doesn't mesh well with me. Didn't like Ninja Slayer much either. I'm liking Kiznaiver though, and only remembered now that I enjoyed Inou Battle as well.

[Shradow]

So last episode of Luluco was the Kill la Kill crossover, this time it was Little Witch Academia. I love it.

[Shradow]

So now that a lot of the anime of this season are ending, what was everyone's AOTS?

 

For me, it's without a doubt Tanaka-kun is Always Listless. I was going into this season extremely excited about My Hero Academia having read the manga, and while it was also great the first season only covered the beginning arc which is not as good as the rest of the series. Meanwhile, this was totally the sleeper hit of the season. It's incredibly funny for being a slice of life about a guy who's super lazy, it's just so fantastic. Easily 10/10 for me.

[Trebuchet MS]

I started Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge expecting it to be a slow and comfy slice of life, but it uses enough comedy to prevent me from feeling as listless as Tanaka. Really enjoyed the character interactions, and I'm sure everyone who's watched it wants a BrOhta.

[Nicο]

I really did end up just watching Aikatsu Stars! and Kiznaiver, huh. Well as if there was any way I wouldn't prefer Aikatsu. Certain aspects that don't matter if they feel like they're going overboard (basically the "transformations") do feel like they're going overboard, but it's too much like what I know and love.

 

Kiznaiver, well maybe I would probably like it a bit more had it not been Trigger, and I do like it, but well, that's mostly all I feel the need to say.

[a bad post]

Re:Zero and Kiznaiver were my two favorites this season. Tanaka-kun and Shounen Maid were definitely up there though, and really helped keeping me from suffering too much when the other two ripping my heart and filleting it. Bungou Stray Dogs was pretty good too, but that may be just because I'm a literature hoe.

 

Mayoiga and Joker Game both had a lot of potential, but had a few short comings. Mayoiga could've definitely benefited from a smaller (or at least a thinning of the cast a couple episodes in), or for lack of that literally just one more episode. Joker Game suffers from not really going anywhere. It introduces all of its characters and then stops. Plus it doesn't help that all the characters are flat as funk. I mean there's a reason for it, but like would it kill to give them any defining features at all.