Winter Anime Season Review

Well guys (and of course gals) this past anime season has pretty much ended with some mixed feelings. It way by far one of the most moe filled ones I have ever taken part in and while a couple shows caught my attention in the beginning, most of them ended up being average in my books. My early pick for favorites Kotoura-san, OreShura, and Maoyuu Maou Yuusha all ended up disappointing my overall expectations. I had extremely high hopes for both Kotoura-san and OreShura but they both took their interesting premise and awesome first episodes and just decided to go full on blaaa shortly after. Maoyuu Maou Yuusha started out ok and never really rose above or below that so overall I wasn't too disappointed in that particular instance. The other shows however ended up even worse than these three. Sasami-san in my honest opinion was just a huge mess trying to be clever, Problem Children started out decent but never "wowed" me, and the new season of Boku wa Tomodachi was just average since nothing really progressed. I picked up Suki-tte Ii na yo pretty late on so it was kind of enjoyable since I was able to speed watch the entire series but I feel as if it would of been a little worse if I had to wait an entire week for the next episode since each one did not progress very far. (I am such a noob since I just realized that Suki-tte Ii na yo aired during the fall season of last year...) Ahhh and the total crap anime award goes to Da Capo III since I never liked it at any point during the season. I mean come on the only people who are going to like this are the people who played the games. The anime was so completely lifeless and I had absolutely 0% invested feelings towards any of the characters. AND THE ENDING OMG (mouse over to see the hidden text) "Uhhh well I don't want to choose one of you so lets all stay friends." God I hate protagonists who cannot make a decision.

Well anyways the only shows I genuinely ended up liking were Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo and Tamako Market for their characters ability to provide interesting scenes. Also the soundtrack in Tamako Market might be the best one I have heard in anime [sorry Aria :(]. I haven't finished Initial D: Fifth Stage yet since it seems very hard to find them but I pretty much like it even if it feels the most lifeless out of all the Initial D's. As for reviews I have already uploaded ones for Tamako Market, Kotoura-san, and Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo and I intend on trying to put out a review for each anime I watched this season (people HAVE to know to avoid Da Crapo). This season was a disappointment overall but had a few hidden gems. I haven't really looked at what to watch for this coming season so here I go hoping that there are some decent ones -___-.

"Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo" Anime Review

Sorry for the late posting of this anime review. I actually had it posted 2 days ago on my Animeplanet profile but for whatever reason Blogger would not let me upload a post the last two days. 

Well after two back-to-back seasons, Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo has completed (for now) and I have to say that I already miss its charm.

Story: 6/10

Out of the main four categories, the plot is the least appealing but by no means a hindrance to the show. The anime starts out by introducing Sorata and the other main members of an off-campus dormitory, Sakurasou. Sorata is forced to move into the off-campus dormitory due to his collection of stray cats. What becomes very apparent to Sorata as he is moving in is that this dormitory does not host ordinary students; in fact it houses the most socially unaccepted students he has ever met. Towards the end of the initial episode, he is introduced to the “pet” of Sakurasou, Mashiro who is an extremely talented artist. What then unfolds over the twenty four episodes is a couple of story arcs revolving around the daily lives of the members of Sakurasou and more importantly the growing relationship between Sorata and Mashiro as he is put in charge of basically keeping Mashiro alive since she cannot do her own laundry, get dressed, or pretty much anything a normal person could do. What becomes common knowledge by the second episode is that every member at Sakurasou is extremely gifted at something. It is this element that helps Sorata (who has no clue what his special talent is) grow as a person. This becomes one of the primary focal points for the show (on top of the relationship between him and Mashiro). Now don’t get me wrong every episode is interesting to watch but the pacing is quite slow especially in the beginning when the show is trying to set up all the plot elements. Also the ending episodes have some serious melodrama that is quite awkward to sit through even though Nanami is the cutiest thing ever. As far as the comedy aspect (since most slice of life anime have some sort of comedy) goes, there is an element of running gags and slapstick style humor (it’s spotty here and there) that the anime retains throughout all twenty four episodes. It’s not distracting or a hindrance but is by no means on the level of Gintama. 

Animation: 8/10

The animation in this anime is quite good and the quality remains in check throughout the entire double season run. The colors are bright and very soft which helps give it a unique look compared to the other slice of life dramas going on at the moment. Also the character models are not super realistic but not too undefined; you can say it is in the sweet spot of normal awesomeness. All of the characters especially the female leads are drawn very well in fact I am going to go on record and state that Nanami is by far the most adorable character…EVER. Overall the animation isn’t eye dazzling but still pretty damn awesome to look at.

Cute...level...over...9000!

Sound: 7.5/10

I quite liked the sound used in this anime. Both the soundtrack and the voice actors really helped set the mood for each scene perfectly. I liked all the main cast’s voice actors but the back and forth conversations between Sorata and Mashiro were amplified (I use that word too often) by their respective voice actor’s performance. Since this show (and pretty much every slice of life) relies on conversations as a means to progress the plot, it is vitally important for the voice actors to express their character’s emotions to their fullest ability. I feel safe in saying that the cast of Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo will not let you down. As for the soundtrack it fit very well within the anime and both the opening and closing themes were catchy and well done. Great sounding anime too bad it gets overshadowed by Tamako Market.

Characters: 8.8/10

I’ll just put this out here first; this is completely skewed depending on who is watching the show. I personally loved the cast because you (and by you I really just mean me) feel an established connection between the members of the dormitory very early on and there is suitable character development for each character. Heck even the recluse and shut-in Ryuunosuke matures quite a lot between when he first introduced all the way until the final episode. Each character also goes through a sort of epiphany stage at one point during the show. Sorata, Nanami, and Jin all come towards some sort of realization on what they need to do with their lives after facing many setbacks and hardships. I for one enjoyed seeing all three of them at the lowest and highest point while they were on this journey. Also the clashing between main characters while at the moment of occurrence is saddening, the resolution that follows is so enjoyable to see through. Overall the sense of connection and how each character interacted with one another felt so natural that I feel safe saying this is one of the best slice of life casts I can think of (catching onto the theme going on?).    

Overall: 7.6/10

After seeing what amount the four categories added up to, I feel as if it represents the show quite well. While the cast, sound, and animation are so spot on, the pacing and amount of “super over reactive highschoolness feelings” really dragged the show down for me. HOWEVER, you really should give this anime a shot because it has that level of charm that will cause you to smirk and smile throughout each episode (unless you know it ends on a sad or sour note).

Quick Update

So since we are getting so close to the conclusion of this current anime season, I have decided that it would be much more beneficial if I start working on the anime reviews that I plan on rolling out instead of posting my thoughts on two or three anime a week. I plan on reviewing Tamako Market, Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo, Kotoura-san, and OreShura. I am not sure if some of the other anime are continuing to air into the next season (too lazy to look it up) or if any of the above are planning on airing into the next season but with four already on my plate that should keep me somewhat busy. On top of reviewing these particular anime, I plan on doing a "final thoughts" for each of the currently airing anime that end up completing in the coming weeks. Also Bioshock Infinite comes out next Tuesday so...anime will not be on the top of my priority list.

"Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo" Episodes 17-21 Thoughts

“Wow” is the first word that came into mind after finishing up episode twenty-one of Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo. I find “wow” a fitting adjective because the past couple episodes have been both excellent and a little over dramatic at the same time (but hey most anime is like that). The events that have transpired in these closing parts of the show have really brought up some real heart cringing moments.

So if you haven’t watched the episodes yet I advise you go do so because even though I am going to skim to the important stuff I don’t want to spoil anything. Essentially what has been transpiring in the final episodes of this anime (assuming that it is going to be a twenty-four episode anime there is only three episodes left) has really brought up a couple lingering central issues that has been present since the beginning of the show; the circumstances revolving around Mashiro and which female character needs Sorata (not in a sexual manner but as a dire necessity). Mashiro was sentenced to live at Sakurasou and not the regular dormitories because it was thought that she would be able to focus more on her artwork. What unfortunately happened (from the perspective of the school board) was she decided to make a career move towards creating manga which put her traditional artwork schedule on hold. She also began to question what she really wants to draw and more importantly why. This puts pressure on the school which in turn decides to commission the demolition of Sakurasou which in turn will require Mashiro to live in the normal dormitories separating her from the people at Sakurasou that seem to be distracting her. In their best efforts to petition the demolition, the group seems to have unfortunately fallen short (not sure apparently the last day was the day the current episode left off on) of the required amount of signatures needed to hold a meeting with the school supervisors. Mix this with Nanami not getting into voice acting school AND Sorata not getting through to the final meeting for his game design and we now have the current situation of overflowing emotions. This is electrified when Sorata opens a letter from the company he was working with addressed to Mashiro asking her to join the company that just turned him down. He once again misplaces his anger (just like earlier on in the season) towards Mashiro like a dumbass. The main concept of this plot device is that if Mashiro never came to Sakurasou, then the building wouldn’t be scheduled to be demolished and Sorata wouldn’t be throwing a hissy fit (even though it was Mashiro’s artwork for his game idea that really got him through the first door). I kind of saw this coming and I find it an interesting way of introducing tension into the anime. This show has proven to be very enjoyable and teeth cringing at the same time (which is hard to do). It HAS proven to be a little melodramatic especially in the recent episodes but it isn’t to the point where it becomes distracting like in The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (don’t hate me…).

Now on to the fangirl (in my case fanboy) concerns on who really needs Sorata. Both Mashiro and Nanami both give valid arguments to why they should “have” Sorata. Starting with Mashiro she practically cannot live without Sorata because she is a very dysfunctional human being who cannot even dress herself. She also gives Sorata strength to achieve his ambitions (even if he forgets this). Nanami shares a similar need for Sorata except that she can hold her own since she has been working in her spare time and has a goal she wants to achieve. She has though had feelings for Sorata for quite some time and in the current episode demonstrates that at the current moment she desperately needs him for moral support. Also they share the commonality of working extremely hard towards one goal and falling flat on their face (hehe). In my honest opinion, I would love to see Sorata end up with Nanami because she is a very likable character, has good values, has a great shy personality, and (ignore this part) is by far the more appealing character looks wise. She is a character that you just want to hold tight and say “It’s going to be ok” (MOE). I’m not saying that I do not like Mashiro but I would definitely chose Nanami over her (Sorata you lucky bastard). This demonstrates how good the show really is when you don’t despise a character but actually cannot decide who to like more.

This is cute...

BUT HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT PASSING THIS UP!?!?

This show is quite amazing and I have to say that I am very glad I picked it up last anime season. Please if you have spare time on your hands please try this show out. It is a slice of life show that has amazing character development and it really takes off after the initial episodes.

Currently Watching Anime (Feb. 2013)

So it’s finally March which means…SPRING BREAK!!! I will be going to Mexico with some family and friends this coming week so don’t expect any anime posts for the duration. So far this anime season has provided some surprises and I am proud to say that I have not dropped anything…yet (I don’t count Initial D Fifth Stage because of its weird release dates). Here is what I am currently watching:

Kotoura-san 9 out of ?
Sasami-san@Ganbaranai 8 out of ?
Mondaiji-Ji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sou Desu yo? 8 out of ?
Chihayafuru 2 8 out of ?
Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi go Shuraba Sugiru 9 out of ?
Maoyuu Maou Yuusha 9 out of ?
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT 8 out of ?
Little Busters! 21 out of ?
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo 20 out of ?
Da Capo III 9 out of ?
Initial D: Fifth Stage  

"Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT" Episode 4 Thoughts IT'S NOT A TRAP

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS A HUGE SPOILER RETAINING TO THE CAST OF BOKU WA TOMODACHI GA SUKUNAI. IF YOU ARE NOT ON THE NEWEST SEASON OF THE ANIME PLEASE DO NOT READ 

Yay now I won't feel awkward watching this scene.

Let me start out this post by saying I F#@%ING KNEW IT. We have had males who look like females (Ryuunosuke Akasaka, Terumi Minamoto, ext.) and a Hideyoshi but ever since I was introduced to Yukimura in Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai I just couldn’t believe that he/she/it was a male. The anime world can make some unbelievable things a reality but Yukimura just couldn’t be a male. Well in this week’s episode the cat was let out of the bag after the bathroom scene. No longer do we have to write Yukimura off the list of potential candidates for Kodaka; Kodaka x Yukimura!

Episode four was pretty interesting to watch; the whole club ended up going to a theme park to enjoy a day off from school. Sena, Kodaka, and Kobato ended up going to a show where thanks to Sena’s help Kobato was able to participate in and win a prize. Since Sena and Kodaka were mistaken as a married couple, we saw Sena talking to herself about how they would have to start dating before anything like that would occur. After the show was over however, a contest between Yozora and Sena erupted. Both of them would not back down on who could ride the “Black Dragon” roller coaster the most (even though they both are scared of either roller coasters and/or heights). What resulted from their contest was both of them losing their lunch all over Kodaka (gross). The gang ended up going to a spa area to wash his clothes. In the meantime while the group was enjoying the bath facilities at the location, Kodaka accidently sneaks a peak at Yukimura where load and behold the truth is finally out.

Hey! Important stuff is finally happening in this season’s show. We have had a marriage proposal by Sena’s father, a (almost) kiss between Sena and Kodaka, and we found out that Yukimura is indeed a super cute girl (a reverse trap?). For a show only four episodes in I have to say that I judged it harshly at first. The comedy aspect, the witty (and sometimes perverse) conversations, and character development are still intact in this show. We have seen Yozora become quite defensive as Sena and Yukimura become closer and closer to Yukimura which is a good thing because at the rate this show is going the history between Kodaka and Yozora will most likely prevail. 

There is not as much character growth as the first season but with eight episodes left I am sure that we will see some of the characters mature. It’s not my favorite anime of this season but it’s still pretty awesome. Pick it up if you like slapstick comedy.

Currently Watching Anime (Feb 2013)

Wow so it's already February which means that we are pretty much at the half way point for the currently airing anime. I started out with only two newly airing anime but have somehow expanded that to eight. There are some that I wonder why I haven't dropped (Da Capo III and Little Busters) but other than those examples this anime season is not even close to how bad I thought it was going to be before it started. There is a lot of cute moe stuff (Kotoura-san, Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi go Shuraba Sugiru, Maoyuu Maou Yuusha (kind of), Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (kind of), and Da Capo III (yes but crap)) and not a whole lot of action stuff but they are still pretty decent. I am looking forward to Kotoura-san, Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi go Shuraba Sugiru, and Mondaiji-Ji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sou Desu yo the most but Chihayafuru and Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai are proving to be just as good as their previous season's work.

Kotoura-san 7 out of ?
Sasami-san@Ganbaranai 7 out of ?
Mondaiji-Ji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sou Desu yo? 7 out of ?
Chihayafuru 2 7 out of ?
Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi go Shuraba Sugiru 8 out of ?
Maoyuu Maou Yuusha 8 out of ?
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT 7 out of ?
Little Busters! 20 out of ?
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo 20 out of ?
Da Capo III 8 out of ?
Initial D Fifth Stage 4 out of ? STALLED
Seto no Hanayome 10 out of 26 STALLED