Spring 2014 anime update

It has been a couple weeks since the spring season of anime has started and I already have so many favorites that I look forward to each week. These awesome picks are (in no particular order):

No Game No Life: One word that should sell you this anime in a heartbeat; MADHOUSE. This anime is by far one of the best looking and sounding shows I have seen in some time. The production values appear to be off the chart as every scene is just bristling with light and color. Characters look amazing and feel unique. The character interactions are so hilarious and feel pretty tangible. This is one anime that I feel everyone should give a shot though if you are turned off by fanservice then maybe try to watch it with an open mind.

Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou: This is the feel good, romantic comedy of the season (at least the one I can sit down and actually enjoy). At first I thought the limited cast might be a turn off but instead it has me really investing myself into all the main characters. One thing I noticed is how much the anime reminds me of a manga called Mahoraba which has a very similar plot and setting. Overall the show encompasses slapstick style humor (just like No Game No Life) and a really likeable cast. Give it a show if you want some laughs. 

Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin: Like No Game No Life, this anime is a slapstick style actiony anime but with the main focus being on a treasure hunting theme. Other than the amazing visuals and audio cues, the main strength of this anime has to be the character interactions. The cast really mends well with each other. Again pick this one up if you have the time.

Mekaku City Actors:  Again like with No Game No Life, there is one word to sell you this anime; SHAFT. Looks and feels like all the -monogatari anime but it does have its own feel and flow. The characters are really interesting and look beautiful/handsome. The only downside I have experienced in this anime is the curse of using the first half of the show to painfully open up each character to the main plot. The show is taking FOREVER to introduce each character which for some is ok but there are some characters that I don't particularly care for so much screen time. Overall though if you like SHAFT's way of execution then pick this one up.

Mangaka-san to Assistant-san to: I love this anime so much because I was absolutely in love with the manga. The anime has really good colors and seems to be following the manga to the "T". Only complaint is that I do not care for some of the voice actors the studio chose. Overall though the brilliant comedy about a manga artist and his assistants is here and is awesome.   

Notables:

Kanojo ga Flag wo Oraretara: It's pretty generic but the character interactions can be fun to watch. The trap is just way too cute.

Nisekoi: As this anime drags on I am reminded why I started to get bored with the manga; it loses its appeal fairly quickly. It looks and sounds great (SHAFT duh) but the characters do run their course and get a little boring.

Chaika: The Coffin Princess: This anime started out pretty boring but I am glad to say that it is actually getting really interesting. I always liked some of the main cast but now the plot is starting to thicken a little bit. Looking forward to what is to come. 

Anything I didn't list that is on my 'currently watchinglist' was not worth the effort to explain my thoughts. I hope that these showsreally bring it home.

2014 Anime Spring Season Showdown

yes...yes...YES...YES!

Alright my currently watch list is so fu#$ing long right new due to the start of the Fall season. So here is a list and some initial thoughts of what I think of the ones I am holding onto at the moment:

Black Bullet: Looks pretty generic. I'm thinking it's just going to be an average one. Has a loli.

Blade and Soul: Another generic looking action anime with a pinch of fanservice. If it turns out to be an episodic type series (episodes do not connect) then it will be really awful. No loli's yet.

Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou: This looks like it could be interesting. Already love the animation and the female lead is one of those quiet and hard to get to types which are always fun. Grandma is a loli.

Chaika: The Coffin Princess: Kind of generic looking but seems interesting. Animation looks good and the characters connect well. Loli is present.

Date A Live 2: Let's get one thing clear about this POS; I am only going to watch this fully so I can write a follow up review to its first season. I'm sure I'll hate it even more but for an anime that has so much back and sucks so hardcore, there has to be at least one decent review for this POS.

Dragon Ball Kai (2014): We have all already seen the source material so time will tell if I actually keep up with it. I like how they are cutting out all the filler crap but they are starting at the high school arc.....*throws up*

Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?: Pretty sure this will be dropped since it is all about the loli fanservice. There is however a talking rabbit (not sure it really is a rabbit).

Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san: This one as well will most likely be dropped. Looks like a Sakura Trick wannabe. Loli is present.
_

Kanojo ga Flag wo Oraretara: This one has the generic stereotypes but actually looks interesting. Plus it has cute girls everywhere so why not? Loli's present.

Kenzen Robo Daimidaler: Looks like absolute sh#@. Only holding on to see groping boobies and to write a horrid review of it. Loli present.

Mangaka-san to Assistant-san to: I have been looking forward to this for like forever. The manga was so awesome and to finally see it in anime form will be a real treat.

Mekaku City Actors: This is one of those anime that makes me want to find the manga version and just go on a reading spree since it got me so hooked. Sadly it looks like I'll just have to stick with the anime (1st world problems). It is so interesting and looks great. Really looking forward to this one.
_

Nisekoi: This is a carryover from last season. Still interesting to watch even if it's just one of the -monogatari's with a comedy skin. Still enjoy the manga more than the anime.

No Game No Life: Same as Mekaku City Actors. Looks so fucking hype and interesting. Thank you so much Madhouse for being so fucking epic. Loli present.

Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin: This one has potential. Seems interesting and generic at the same time which is always tricky territory.

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii: Generic bells ringing all over the place on this one but I really like the strong female lead. It is however a Shoujo which I am never really a fan of. If multiple male leads show up to fight for the female lead I might have to drop.

Soul Eater Not!: Looks way different than the original Soul Eater but in a good way. Looks fresh and interesting. Plus Maka makes anyone happy. Loli present.

Tonari no Seki-kun: Another carryover from last season. I am barely holding onto this one though as it is getting a little boring.

God so many anime to watch... :). Also if were paying attention to the list you will see I posted if loli('s) were present in the show. This is important to bring up because of two reasons:

1. Loli's are adorable and awesome

2. This season has a shit ton

It is the season of loli's so prepare yourself.

THE LOLI'S ARE COMING!

"Harmonie" Anime Review

***This is a spoiler free review***

For a one shot episode, Harmonie packs quite the punch in both tone, animation, and overall acoustic qualities.

Story: 8/10

I cannot talk about much of the plot without ruining the whole episode but what I can say is that they studio really crammed a lot of story into twenty minutes. The overall purpose of the plot might not come easily to everyone watching the show but it does hit pretty deep once you really think about it. I kind of wished that we could see what happens after the episode was done.

Animation: 10/10

Astounding, fluid, beautiful, crisp, bright, dark, ext. This anime landed everything you possibly need in putting on a perfect visual presentation. It's not just the beautiful and handsome character models that make this anime so great to look at; it's the amount of effort that shows in the end product. Shadows, glares, sunlight, facial expressions, eye straining, it's all here and done so well.

Sound: 9.5/10

The music, ambient background noise, and voice actors did an amazing job. The opening scene has many different conversations going on at once and they somehow matched all this up with perfect lip syncing. The music is very soft when present and isn't just some generic sounding crap you would find in most anime. The piano and singer did a great job trying to reach out to the audience. The background noise was very fitting and hit all their marks. Slaps, inner dialogue, chair movements, just everything matched up with what was going on screen. The voice actors did a very good job relaying all of their characters emotions.

Characters: 8.8/10

We unfortunately did not get to see the characters mature as much as we hoped to but from what I saw, they became likeable and I was invested fully by the end of the anime. The main character wouldn't stand out very much in any other anime but he had true feelings; something that is hard to achieve without coming off corny. The supporting cast doesn't really get a chance to shine since it is only a single episode but they do a great job of setting up plot points and providing some very funny moments.

Overall: 9.1/10

This anime was part of the Young Animator Training Project which almost always turns out eyegasm looking anime. What we were lucky to see in this instance however was the addition of a interesting plot, characters, and some of the best sound design I have heard in a long time. If you have twenty spare minutes just do yourself a favor and give this a watch.

"Sakura Trick" Anime Review

***This is a spoiler free review***

Sakura Trick is ummm hmmm. This show completely goes all out with no intent of looking back at what will go down in history of what Yuri Yuri almost was.

Story: 2/10

Look; there is no story. Every episode just helps each character get closer to the one they love. This anime focuses on a group of high school girls that are starting to form affection for another female. This topic is pretty iffy with some people (not me) and in other anime the line has never really been fully crossed in terms of what happens affection (physical affection) wise. Sakura Trick says fu$# that, these bit%$es be horny as a motherf#@%er, time to get down. My jaw almost hit the floor in the beginning episode as I witnessed the main couple really get into their feelings. In other Yuri shows there is a hint of restraint and blackout scenes are used when needed. In Sakura Trick no such thing exists since when the time comes, you see all the affection. I was quite flabbergasted that they went into such detail on some of the scenes (again it didn't bother me I was just literally awestricken).
But plot wise it is just a slice of life so it moves quite slow. You see the same gags in each episode so you might get a little bored with the same cycle over and over and over again.

Animation: 7/10

Not too bad actually. The character models look pretty good and there seemed to be a pretty smooth frame rate throughout the entire show. The use of light colors really matched the carefree feeling of the show.

Sound: 5/10

Average performance, average soundtrack, subpar opening and ending songs.

Characters: 4/10

Again pretty average by my standards. There are some somewhat touching scenes later on but I never really felt totally invested. The characters worked well with each other and helped form some funny scenes here and there but it wasn't really a knock-it-out-of-the-park performance.

Overall: 4.5/10

This show is just really average. If you are into Yuri stuff then you will love this show. However if you are looking for substance, comedy, or character development be ready to be pretty disappointed. It is though very very very kawaii.

"Kill La Kill" Anime Review

***This is a spoiler free review***

To be...or not to be...that is the question we must answer for Kill la Kill. The question? Whether or not over the top action with amazing animation and acoustic qualities can overcome a brain dead plot with a thing for nudity.

...yeah

Story: 4/10

Look let's be real here; we ALL knew ten minutes into this anime that this was going to be one of THOSE types of anime. You know the, "OMG ACTION ACTION ACTION NUDITY ACTION" ones. Don't get me wrong it gets all of those things right; lots of amazing action scenes and well yeah some fan service. It even makes fun and borrows from other anime. But this anime just...fails at trying to piece a coherent plot together. The story very halfhazardly tries to put together a plot that puts our main character Ryuuko against impossible odds. Unfortunately the anime trips over itself many times trying to define what the fu#@ the purpose it is trying to accomplish. It uses cheap means to introduce new bad guys and employs brain dead plot devices in general.

The first half of the anime totally killed it with the monster-of-the-week type structure but really lost steam leading up to the closing act. But like I said in the beginning, we already knew that this was not going to be a thinking anime.

Animation: 10/10

The real reason I am giving this a 10/10 is because the animation studio did something that a lot of other studios have given up trying to do; looking unique. This anime looks NOTHING like any other anime you have seen in the past. Everything is completely blown out of proportion, character models are scandalously sexy, emotions just poor out of each of their faces, and the anime screams for originality. It may not boast beautiful colors like Chihayafuru, Nisemonogatari, or Redline but it defines itself in the way it presents itself.

Sound: 9.7/10

Amazing voice performances with very fitting audio during episodes makes this aspect of the anime also near perfect. Just the sound effects you hear in the background of shots feel right at home with what is going on screen. The voice actors very much matched their characters and gave a wonderful performance.

Characters: 9/10

The characters for the most part were extremely unique and memorable. Each one had a sort of presence that just stole all the attention once present. This is funny because most of them were the most generic cookie cutter adaptations of characters we have already seen but since the show is parodying every action anime in existence, it kind of works out for itself.

Overall: 8.2/10

Well I have good news and bad news. The good news is that we now have a new over the top anime to recommend to all our anime newbies to watch and hopefully get them acclimated to the weirdness that is anime. The bad news? We are all going to lose a lot of friends and get really weird looks.
This anime excels at keeping your eyes glued to the screen...if you can stay awake and interested in what is actually going on plot wise.

"Golden Time" Anime Review

***This is a spoiler free review***

Golden Time is an anime that really put me on a rollercoaster ride. There were moments where I legitimately thought it was the best drama I had seen in awhile when other times it had me wanting to drop the show entirely.

Story: 7/10

I will say that the story for Golden Time is fresh, has twists and turns, and had very serious and emotional scenes. I will also say that there are a lot of "cheap" tricks the show uses to make certain events happen for convenient reasons. A quick rundown of the opening is that we follow new college student Tada Banri as he meets new friends Mitsuo, Chinami, Linda, and Kouko. The opening act of the anime had me extremely interested with the possibilities the show could span into. Banri automatically finds someone he likes, he becomes really close friends with Mitsuo, and there was many hints at future foreshadowing events. One thing I would like to point out is that the show did an incredible job at creating "real" feeling scenes that I will remember for the foreseeable future. The friendship between Banri and Mitsuo felt "real" and the events that occur between this cast felt very "real". Also later on in the show when s#!t gets real, I genuinely felt emotionally torn at what I was watching.

Now I cannot comment on what I thought felt "cheap" about the show since it would ruin a major plot point but just know that while the show really pulls some things out of its a$$ in order to make sense of certain events, for the most part it ties the story together well enough in the end.
I do not like rating certain arcs by themselves but the beginning of the show far outshines the ending act.

Animation: 6.9/10

It was....basic but still looked pretty good. The animation studio used some really basic colors and there was a sense of dullness BUT they did an amazing job with facial expressions which really helped out in the emotional scenes. Character models looked pretty good (Kouko was so kawaii :D).

Sound: 7/10

Music=pretty good
Voice actors=amazing level
Voice actors did a really awesome job while the music was good but not great. Openings and endings were not memorable.

Characters: 9.5/10

Extremely tight nit cast that provided so many different scenes. One minute you are laughing at a funny scene while four minutes later you are flipping your chair into the air cursing out Kouko for being Kouko. Every character was important which is very important since a lot of anime try to stick generic stand in's for purpose made situations. Each character had a job and performed that job spectacularly. Now I won't lie and say that I loved each one of them. There were many and MANY moments when I really wanted to jumped into the show and beat the living fu#@ out of some of them but in the end I really did enjoy what each one brought to the table.

Overall: 7.6/10

I really, really, really got involved with this anime. Some of the moments in this anime were the best I had experienced in a long time while others really made me want to leave it for awhile. It will grab your full and undivided attention with its witty cast and believable performances; just be prepared to really get frustrated.

"Engaged to the Unidentified" Anime Review

***This is a spoiler free review***

Kawaii, kawaii, kawaii, kawaii, KAWAII, KAWAII!!! And Moe.

Story: 6/10

There is a story and I have to say even though it is just your run-of-the-mill high school drama, they did do a pretty good job injecting some of the unique nuisances that pertain to the non-human characters. The fast run down of the plot is that a side of Kobeni's family descend from a sort of animal/human hybrid race and it has been deemed that Kobeni must marry into the family. Thus begins her awkward adventures with her fiancé Hakuya and her aunt-in-law Mashiro. Things happen in the story but you see them coming a mile away. What really brings the show together is the humor that is present. The gags between Mashiro and Benio along with the sexual jokes pointed at Kobeni were pretty much "lol" worthy each time. This is also most definitely a kawaii heavy show as there are just way too many cute girls present.

All that said however the plot is generic feeling and the plot points are not groundbreaking.

Animation: 8.3/10

I really liked the animation, the character models looked really good, action scenes (though rare) were very fluid, and backgrounds looked great. The comedy scenes had the usual exaggerated plain looking style in order to bring out more laughs.

Overall a very good looking anime.

Sound: 9.5/10

The voice actors did a tremendous job. No I mean a spectacular job! They were so in tuned with their characters and a lot of scenes showed off how well they worked with the other characters in the show. The opening and ending for each episode was way too catchy and well done (the ending has been stuck in my head for around 3 months now). Music in-show was also very fitting.

Characters: 10/10

I don't normally give out perfect scores but the cast in this anime were so in tuned with each other. EVERY scene felt like it was worth watching for either an awkward teen love moment or a funny gag. The back and forth between Benio and Mashiro or the funny but extremely accurate insights of Mayura were a blast to watch. This is an anime that you do not watch for plot; you watch for the kawaii awesome cast interactions.

Overall: 8.5/10

Overall this show was an amazing watch. Yes the plot was a little dubbed down but the interactions between characters, the catchy soundtrack, amazing voice performance, and very well done animation had me anxiously waiting for each week's release. This is a muct watch if you like Moe and comedy.

"Noragami" Anime Review

 ***This is a spoiler free review***

Cute, adorable, fluid, funny, interesting; these are words that I would use to describe the anime Noragami. With loads of character development and amazing animation quality, this might just be the best Winter 2014 anime I have watched thus far.

Story: 7/10

The thing really holding back the show in my opinion is the occasional fluff (fillerish stuff) you encounter. I also did not necessarily enjoy the whole arc surrounding Yukine but overall the premise of the show really did grab onto me early on. The first episode explains the situation Hiyori finds herself in quite well and also shows you what to look forward to for eleven more episodes; the character interactions (see more bellow).

Overall the show kept me interested all the way through. The Yukine stuff was a little boringish to watch but the other characters help make it watchable.

Animation: 9.5/10

Loved, loved, loved, LOVED IT. Sleek and beautiful/handsome character models, amazing quality on background and snow shots, and really believable facial expressions really had me glued to the screen. Everything from how the characters looked to how fluid their eyes were just had me taking screen shots everywhere. If it were not for Nisekoi also airing this season, Noragami would be hands down the best looking anime of this season.

Sound: 9/10

Who cannot love the male voice actor that has contributed to so many awesome male leads such as Otonashi (Angle Beats!), Koyomi Araragi (Monogatari series), and Hiroomi Souma (Working!!). The second Yato spoke, my brain immediately screamed, "ARARAGI-KUN!!!". To my surprise, I also really liked the female voice actor for Hiyori. She did a great job of transmitting flustered and embarrassed scenes. The music for the anime worked well enough and was very fitting.

Characters: 8.5/10

First and foremost I loved every scene that focused on Hiyori and Yato. The chemistry between these two characters was so spot on. The supporting cast for the most part were also very well done. Kofuku, Daikoku, Nora, Kazuma, and Tenman-Tenjin did an amazing job of adding more character development for the main cast. The one snag in this though was Yukine in the first part of the anime. I get that he is a kid and kids do stupid stuff but the problems he causes for the main cast really made me start to loath his character. Thankfully once his arc was over, he became a much more likable character.

Overall: 8.5/10

This was a very nice catch as I was not expecting very much after doing initial research for the anime. The voice actors and animation are amazing and the cast helps put on some really interesting and funny scenes. While I did not like the middle part of the anime as much, I still feel like this is a very good and worthwhile anime. I recommend it to anyone that wants a semi-light hearted anime to enjoy.

"Kotonoha no Niwa" Anime Review

***Spoiler free review***

One superficial gripe I have with movies in general is how short they tend to be. I have always enjoyed books, manga, and long running shows because of the added time to build upon characters and expand the plot. I however must retract my superficialness for the animated film Kotonoha no Niwa as it has pulled on my heart strings to their breaking point.

Story: 8/10

At its core, Kotonoha no Niwa is a mature love story between student Takao and skipping work Yukari. They end up meeting on rainy days in a very lush park in the Kanto region of Japan. They began to mingle a little bit inching closer and closer to each other when all of the sudden the rainy season ends. I think that a lot of people might not like the ending of this film since it does not follow the typical good ending of most Japanese anime but I found it very fitting.

Animation: 10/10

Drop dead gorgeous oh my god what the f#$@ that isn't real rain!!?
I cannot believe how pretty this anime was the characters just shine in the rain and the amount of detail of each shot really shows.

Sound: 9.5/10

The voice actors did a really good job but the real winner was the soft piano and strings in the background. The score fitted so well with what was going on screen.
After looking back at Kana Hanazawa's profile (voice actor for Yukari) I noticed why I liked her voice so much; she plays Kosaki Onodera in Nisekoi.

Characters: 9.5/10

I loved the scenes between these two star-crossed lovers. Pretty much everywhere in the world a relationship between two people of their status might be looked at as wrong but it works well here. There was real emotion behind every decision and resolution.

Overall: 9.3/10

If you cannot tell I freaking loved this movie. It has a somewhat bittersweet ending but I loved it nevertheless. This movie really made me rethink what a 45 minute film could accomplish. Highly recommend to everyone.

I apologize for the short review it is 3AM here and I wanted to get my thoughts down before I forgot what I wanted to say.

"Kokuriko-Zaka Kara" Anime Review

***This is a spoiler free review***

Grazing through my "want to watch" list I find an animated movie that I have been dodging for years now. The reasoning is quite arbitrary but the important thing is that I finally took the time to sit down and watch it. My verdict? :D

Story: 7/10

This movie really does not have a lot going on but how it moves from scene to scene was quite well done. The basic premise of the movie is a following of the relationship that begins to form between Umi and Shun. Throughout the story we see them get closer and closer as they help save the school's clubhouse from getting torn down. What I did not see coming was a sub plot added around 30 minutes into the film that becomes the real purpose of the film. When the resolution is met, I was very happy for the main characters. This ninety minute film had me interested all the way through and I am glad that I finally watched it. 

Animation: 7/10

This is a 2011 movie which means it has to go up against some pretty amazing looking anime films and shows. While the colors were not eye popping, the scenes were fluid and interesting. The character models were detailed and the facial expressions were well done. It's not overly flamboyant like a Shaft production but it doesn't need to be.

Sound: 9.5/10

This movie hit it out of the park with its overall sound presentation. Amazing voice actors, music, and ambient noises. I personally liked the way Shirou and Shun communicated with each other. The music was soft but very suitable for what was occurring on screen.

Characters: 9/10

Loved, loved, loved everyone of them. Shun, Umi, Shirou, Sora, and all of the club members were all very unique and pulled off some really great scenes. Nothing felt generic about any of the characters and the growing romance between Shun and Umi felt believable even with the problem they eventually had to face.

Overall: 8.1/10

This movie will not wow everyone since there is no magical action adventure type elements within its ninety minute runtime. What you get is a very heartfelt slice of life with some romance brewing as a group of kids try to save a broken down building. If you are looking for a more realistic type slice of life then I highly highly recommend this film.