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Fall 2013 Anime |OT2| The Rise and Fall of Kyoto
- Thread starter hosannainexcelsis
- Start date
- Status
Kill la Kill - 06
I didn't like eps 5, but this one is great.. I love the fact the enemy also got strong characterization, man its give me chill despite its pretty cliche. Btw I like the pitch that Hiyama use for his chara, felt fresher than what he usually pull.
So Ryuko got her ass handed at two eps in the row, I like that.. hope the way to buff her ain't gonna cheap, something like Simon pass would be great.
I didn't like eps 5, but this one is great.. I love the fact the enemy also got strong characterization, man its give me chill despite its pretty cliche. Btw I like the pitch that Hiyama use for his chara, felt fresher than what he usually pull.
So Ryuko got her ass handed at two eps in the row, I like that.. hope the way to buff her ain't gonna cheap, something like Simon pass would be great.
EvilKatarn
Member
Wow next time put a DTL warning over stuff like that.
Okay, so I noticed some people were doing rankings of this season's anime for the new thread, and I thought I'd quite like to do the same.
Unlike my usual tier lists, this one is ranked from best to worst even within the individual tiers. Not counting DROPPED TIER which is listed in chronological order of drop.
Why I spent so much precious time writing this when I could have been using it to actually watch anime is beyond me. I suspect it's related to the reason most of Gaming-Side spends more time discussing games than it spends playing them.
…cajun, don't even think about quoting this entire post to respond to a single random entry within it =p
EPIC TIER
Kill la Kill
Every episode is amazing. Mako is the best comedy supporting character in the history of comedy supporting characters. Ryuuko is cute and awesome. The action is fantabulous. The soundtrack is okay.
Monogatari SS
The ending of Otorimonogatari falls under this season, which grants the show automatic admission to this tier. It’s below Kill la Kill because the latest arc has been underwhelming by comparison, but even then that’s only by comparison, and both episodes have had an awful lot to love.
Non Non Biyori
The quantity of cute in this show should be measured in gigatons. Renchon is the most adorabletastic character of the season. Komari is up there as well. The laid-back atmosphere and countryside setting (along with the direction and OST that paint this atmosphere perfectly) work well to differentiate this from other cute-girls-doing-cute-things shows of seasons past, as does the comparatively young age of the girls in question.
Hunter x Hunter
I love all of the Chimera Ant arc, but it’s starting to get into the really good stuff this season. I am feeling more and more hype with each passing episode. King x Gungi x Komugi OTP.
LOOKING FORWARD TO EVERY WEEK TIER
Samurai Flamenco
The two main characters just carry this show so well. I love just watching them talk, and I love watching Masayoshi trying so earnestly to defend his “interesting” idea of justice, and for some reason I quite enjoy watching him in his actual career as well. I actually thought last week’s episode was weaker than the three that preceded it, mostly because of Masayoshi’s own antics being so thoroughly pushed aside by the hurricane of personality that is
. But it’s still goooooood.
Nagi no Asu Kara
Manaka is so gorgeous and adorable that I’m actually tempted to displace Renchon from her “most adorable girl of the season” pedestal for her. I’m not going to, but it’s close, and I think that alone speaks volumes. Definitely “waifu of the season” material. The two loli supporting characters are megacute, too.
As for the actual show, well, I know Mari Okada’s writing in general can be hit and miss (let us not speak of Black Rock Shooter TV), but I really enjoy it when it’s on form, and I think this is the best work I’ve seen from her since AnoHana. The character drama hits all the right notes, and it helps that the world and general look of the show is so enchanting. It’s a pleasure to watch each week.
NouCome
I’m frankly shocked that this has managed to place so high in my rankings, since it has all the hallmarks of a trashy show that I shouldn’t care about. Hell, I have trouble even remembering who its various characters are at times, let alone their names. But somehow the show manages to be so consistently entertaining despite all of that with its wacky comedy hijinks and everpresent-but-not-too-gratuitous fanservicey-ness that I find myself watching each episode with a smile glued to my face. It’s just mindless fun.
Golden Time
Kouko isn’t my type at all when it comes to waifus (in fact, to be honest, none of the girls in this show are), which is why it’s so impressive that I love her character so much and even manage to find her cute at times. She’s a whirlwind of personality (note to self: stop reusing metaphors; no, hurricanes and whirlwinds are not different things) who’s so overwhelmingly outgoing and decisive that even when she’s feeling depressed, lonely and/or vulnerable, she can still propel our main character along at a thrilling pace into all kinds of interesting situations.
Our main character himself, for his part, manages the feat of making the well-worn amnesiac trope feel somewhat fresh, and the chemistry between these two leads is just amazing. The supporting characters, though decidedly secondary so far, are also eminently likeable, and slot into the story very neatly indeed.
Basically I should really find some time to watch Toradora, because if the characters, writing and romance are as good as in this one, coupled with character designs that I find far more attractive, I’m pretty sure I’d love it to death.
ENJOYING TIER
Galileidonna
Hozuki is clearly the best girl of the three leads, so I’m glad she seems to be getting the most focus. I am not at all biased by the fact that she is deliciously loli and depicted in less-than-fully-clothed state in both the opening and ending sequences. (Okay, that’s blatant lies, but she would still be the best regardless.) This show’s general fantastic feel, with its flying airship battles and sky pirates and quests for lost treasures, is quite appealing, and though it’s true that the narrative hasn’t really played that setting and quest plot to its full potential thus far, I’ve still found each episode to be plenty engaging in its own right. The fanservice factor helps.
Gingitsune
The peak of this show’s charm for me so far has been episode 2, in which FRIENDSHIP IS BEAUTIFUL. The episodes since then have felt a little more underwhelming, though by no means bad, and I’m hoping that the series will pick up a little more in the coming weeks (perhaps by giving a little more focus to the aforementioned friends). Either way, Makoto’s down-to-earth positivity (coupled with her cuteness, naturally) is infectious throughout.
Tesagure! Bukatsu-mono
This is such an pleasantly easy watch. The episodes are short in length and extremely formulaic: in each one, the four main characters choose a type of school club to discuss, and then proceed to, in order, talk about common tropes of such clubs in real life, common tropes of such clubs in manga/anime, and then come up with their own ideas for how these clubs could break away from those tropes in new and bizarre ways. It’s a entertaining formula, which is bolstered by the fact that the dialogue is all pre-recorded in the studio (with, I suspect, a large amount of ad-libbing), with the (CG) animation added afterwards. This gives the dialogue a very naturalistic feel that works wonders for its comedy.
Yowamushi Pedal
This sports anime has a pervasive energy to it that’s infectious. It helps that cycling is one of the few physical activities that I enjoy a lot myself (though I very rarely find the opportunity to actually do it). The setup is simple but engaging, with the main character an otaku who is drawn into the world of competitive cycling by being entranced by the sheer enthusiasm of the other cyclists who meet (and who recognise his own surprising natural talent for the sport).
Though the vast majority of the cast is male, the one prominent female character (who doesn’t, to my eternal disappointment, cycle herself) is a real force of personality and very likeable, which does wonders to prevent the whole thing from feeling like a complete sausagefest.
The one thing I worry about is how well this show will manage to hold my interest once it gets out of these introductory phases and down to serious sporting business. The source manga is one of those very long-running series, with 30 volumes and counting, and this adaptation is scheduled for a relatively lengthy three cours. The show has done a very good job of making the sport of cycling itself feel interesting and engaging, but a lot of that is due to how new everything is to the main character, and I have to wonder if it will still seem so interesting once the novelty wears off, when the whole sport can essentially be boiled down to “stamina” and “going fast”. (Tesagure! Bukatsu-mono actually called out the sport on this very aspect, that it doesn’t have the variety to work all that well in a dramatic narrative.)
Valvrave S2
lol
Kyousougiga
By all rights this should be higher up, since it is legitimately great stuff, but I find myself always feeling strangely reluctant to actually get around to watching each episode. I guess it’s the fact that it has that “high-maintenance” feel to it, inasmuch as it’s not something you can just relax and watch, it demands your full attention by virtue of its sheer unusualness. It’s also the fact that the show has been entirely self-contained backstory episodes so far, so there’s no plot momentum to keep me feeling “hooked”, as it were. The show is still amazing and I have high hopes that once it gets out of this character-introducing, expanding-on-the-ONA-episodes stage and starts doing more of its own thing, it will develop into something I truly look forward to watching.
Tokyo Ravens
For the first three episodes, this show would have placed much lower on my rankings, and indeed possibly even been in potential danger of dropping. After the setting shift which did wonders for its narrative, and the introduction of a number of new characters including one who is another legitimate threat to Renchon for the title of “most adorable girl of the season” and should by all rights take over the entire show, I’m now wondering if I shouldn’t move it up a few more places. Possibly even a lot more places. I’m still unsure.
Outbreak Company
The chibis in the OP and end cards are adorable. The premise is lol. The monarch is loli (and tsundere). The spy is mofumofu. The meido is meido. The lessons are amusing. The narrative is nothing special so far, but still pleasant enough to hold my attention from episode to episode. The harem is haremtastic.
YuuShibu
Fino is adorable and genki and genkidorable, despite her frankly ludicrous quantities of lovingly-animated :chet and tastelessly shameless outfits (qualities which are shared by almost every female character in this show). I think the novelty of her cuteness might be starting to wear off a little, but it’s still enough to keep me watching.
ENJOYING WITH CAVEATS TIER
Kyoukai no Kanata
In terms of how much I look forward to watching the episodes of this show, it should probably be quite a bit higher up. It’s KyoAni, with all the production values that entails. It has plenty of adorable. It has some GORGEOUS action. None of this changes the fact that I find the sheer banality of its writing to be actively offensive. I wish KyoAni were working on almost any of the other shows on this list instead. (But hey, episode 6 was fun!)
Yozakura Quartet
The first episode of this, the madcap introduction to this very interesting world and its host of characters cute and otherwise, really caught my attention and felt like a real breath of fresh air. Sadly, I’ve rather mellowed on the show since.
It’s not bad, by any means; the world is still unique and interesting, the cute characters are still cute, the special powers are still inventive, and even the narrative isn’t bad in any measurable sense. It’s just that I feel somehow disconnected from the whole thing, like it’s not fully engaging me. Like there are lots of interesting things happening, but I’m just watching them as an outsider, not quite following them properly and not quite sure how I should feel about them. I think it might be the way the show just throws this whole ensemble cast of characters at you and then the plot whisks you away with all of them in tow. I don’t feel like I’ve had much chance to become attached to any specific characters, and their predicaments feel rather large-scale and impersonal.
Despite these issues, I still feel this is a good show and I hope it will grow on me a little more as it progresses.
Coppelion
Another series that I feel kind of bad for placing so low on the list. It’s very good, honestly. Both the self-contained dramas of the first few episodes and the more extended plotline of the last couple have been narratively engaging, and often quite emotional. The main protagonist is quite appealing with her no-nonsense attitude concealing just enough emotional vulnerability to make it clear that she needs the support of her friends, and I like Aoi too for her much-needed genki that’s a valuable resource in this desolate environment. The third protagonist…uhh…I can’t even remember her name >.> But still, the series has a unique concept and is appealing visually (even the infamous filters seem to work well for it, I find).
So the reason I’ve rated it so low is honestly just a matter of personal taste - this sort of gritty, semi-realistic, somewhat military-toned setting with only a minimum of actual science-fiction elements just isn’t really the kind of series that appeals to me massively. I like it quite a lot for what it is, but its style just isn’t quite my thing.
One actual negative that I might propose is that the series’ narrative feels somewhat aimless. There’s not much in the way of an ultimate goal to work towards. The girls’ mission in ruined Tokyo is to rescue whoever they find, and maybe find out more about how this disaster happened in the first place along the way. The former is a task with no end, and as for the latter…well, it doesn’t feel like there’s any great mystery behind the nature of the disaster, to be honest, so there’s not much intrigue to be found there.
Machine Doll wa Kizutsukanai
If I was going to drop any show from this list, it would probably be this one. The narrative has the potential to be interesting in a very standard, by-the-books sort of way - the MC has a goal of revenge upon an enigmatic character for some mysterious reason, there’s a battle tournament leading up to this goal, and so on - but even those standard elements aren’t really being utilised all that effectively. Even the “murder mystery” of the initial arc was rather predictable and never felt all that engaging as a plotline.
So I’m still watching this for two reasons. The first is potential - because the show does have an interesting “hook” in its main concept of magicians fighting using often-sentient dolls, the world itself does seem somewhat interesting, the whole battle tournament thing (if the series ever gets to that) could be fun, and so on, and so on. There’s a lot of potential for the show to become at significantly more engaging than it currently is. It’s just not using much of it so far.
The other reason, of course, is the cute character designs of the girls; Yaya is absolutely precious and her obsessive devotion to her master keeps the show somewhat entertaining by itself, and there are other girls in there who are pretty damn cute as well. Charlotte’s tsundere moments in the last episode were pretty priceless, and we also have a stealth loli. A STEALTH LOLI. THIS IS A LOLI THAT CAN TURN YOU INVISIBLE. WHERE CAN I GET ONE OF THESE.
WHY WOULD YOU EVEN MAKE THIS TIER
BlazBlue Alter Memory
The pacing is awful beyond belief. The animation is even more awful. If I wasn’t a die-hard fan of the games and the characters, I would not touch this steaming pile of shit with a twenty-foot pole. As it is, I’m still somehow finding things to enjoy in it. Just about.
And for good measure:
DROPPED TIER
Walkure Romanze
Dropped halfway through the first episode because blehhhhhhh
Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio
Dropped after the first episode because mehhhhhhhh
Meganebu!
Dropped reluctantly after the second episode because I am watching too many shows and this one wasn’t quite good enough to justify spending my time on. The soundtrack with its vocal flourishes was wonderful, though. ALL YOU NEED IS M-E-G-A-N-E!
Strike the Blood 5
Dropped after five episodes because it was just plain generic and boring. Nothing about it stood out. Except Hosoya Yoshimasa, but one seiyuu does not justify an entire show.
Unlike my usual tier lists, this one is ranked from best to worst even within the individual tiers. Not counting DROPPED TIER which is listed in chronological order of drop.
Why I spent so much precious time writing this when I could have been using it to actually watch anime is beyond me. I suspect it's related to the reason most of Gaming-Side spends more time discussing games than it spends playing them.
…cajun, don't even think about quoting this entire post to respond to a single random entry within it =p
EPIC TIER
Kill la Kill
Every episode is amazing. Mako is the best comedy supporting character in the history of comedy supporting characters. Ryuuko is cute and awesome. The action is fantabulous. The soundtrack is okay.
Monogatari SS
The ending of Otorimonogatari falls under this season, which grants the show automatic admission to this tier. It’s below Kill la Kill because the latest arc has been underwhelming by comparison, but even then that’s only by comparison, and both episodes have had an awful lot to love.
Non Non Biyori
The quantity of cute in this show should be measured in gigatons. Renchon is the most adorabletastic character of the season. Komari is up there as well. The laid-back atmosphere and countryside setting (along with the direction and OST that paint this atmosphere perfectly) work well to differentiate this from other cute-girls-doing-cute-things shows of seasons past, as does the comparatively young age of the girls in question.
Hunter x Hunter
I love all of the Chimera Ant arc, but it’s starting to get into the really good stuff this season. I am feeling more and more hype with each passing episode. King x Gungi x Komugi OTP.
LOOKING FORWARD TO EVERY WEEK TIER
Samurai Flamenco
The two main characters just carry this show so well. I love just watching them talk, and I love watching Masayoshi trying so earnestly to defend his “interesting” idea of justice, and for some reason I quite enjoy watching him in his actual career as well. I actually thought last week’s episode was weaker than the three that preceded it, mostly because of Masayoshi’s own antics being so thoroughly pushed aside by the hurricane of personality that is
Flamenco Girl
Nagi no Asu Kara
Manaka is so gorgeous and adorable that I’m actually tempted to displace Renchon from her “most adorable girl of the season” pedestal for her. I’m not going to, but it’s close, and I think that alone speaks volumes. Definitely “waifu of the season” material. The two loli supporting characters are megacute, too.
As for the actual show, well, I know Mari Okada’s writing in general can be hit and miss (let us not speak of Black Rock Shooter TV), but I really enjoy it when it’s on form, and I think this is the best work I’ve seen from her since AnoHana. The character drama hits all the right notes, and it helps that the world and general look of the show is so enchanting. It’s a pleasure to watch each week.
NouCome
I’m frankly shocked that this has managed to place so high in my rankings, since it has all the hallmarks of a trashy show that I shouldn’t care about. Hell, I have trouble even remembering who its various characters are at times, let alone their names. But somehow the show manages to be so consistently entertaining despite all of that with its wacky comedy hijinks and everpresent-but-not-too-gratuitous fanservicey-ness that I find myself watching each episode with a smile glued to my face. It’s just mindless fun.
Golden Time
Kouko isn’t my type at all when it comes to waifus (in fact, to be honest, none of the girls in this show are), which is why it’s so impressive that I love her character so much and even manage to find her cute at times. She’s a whirlwind of personality (note to self: stop reusing metaphors; no, hurricanes and whirlwinds are not different things) who’s so overwhelmingly outgoing and decisive that even when she’s feeling depressed, lonely and/or vulnerable, she can still propel our main character along at a thrilling pace into all kinds of interesting situations.
Our main character himself, for his part, manages the feat of making the well-worn amnesiac trope feel somewhat fresh, and the chemistry between these two leads is just amazing. The supporting characters, though decidedly secondary so far, are also eminently likeable, and slot into the story very neatly indeed.
Basically I should really find some time to watch Toradora, because if the characters, writing and romance are as good as in this one, coupled with character designs that I find far more attractive, I’m pretty sure I’d love it to death.
ENJOYING TIER
Galileidonna
Hozuki is clearly the best girl of the three leads, so I’m glad she seems to be getting the most focus. I am not at all biased by the fact that she is deliciously loli and depicted in less-than-fully-clothed state in both the opening and ending sequences. (Okay, that’s blatant lies, but she would still be the best regardless.) This show’s general fantastic feel, with its flying airship battles and sky pirates and quests for lost treasures, is quite appealing, and though it’s true that the narrative hasn’t really played that setting and quest plot to its full potential thus far, I’ve still found each episode to be plenty engaging in its own right. The fanservice factor helps.
Gingitsune
The peak of this show’s charm for me so far has been episode 2, in which FRIENDSHIP IS BEAUTIFUL. The episodes since then have felt a little more underwhelming, though by no means bad, and I’m hoping that the series will pick up a little more in the coming weeks (perhaps by giving a little more focus to the aforementioned friends). Either way, Makoto’s down-to-earth positivity (coupled with her cuteness, naturally) is infectious throughout.
Tesagure! Bukatsu-mono
This is such an pleasantly easy watch. The episodes are short in length and extremely formulaic: in each one, the four main characters choose a type of school club to discuss, and then proceed to, in order, talk about common tropes of such clubs in real life, common tropes of such clubs in manga/anime, and then come up with their own ideas for how these clubs could break away from those tropes in new and bizarre ways. It’s a entertaining formula, which is bolstered by the fact that the dialogue is all pre-recorded in the studio (with, I suspect, a large amount of ad-libbing), with the (CG) animation added afterwards. This gives the dialogue a very naturalistic feel that works wonders for its comedy.
Yowamushi Pedal
This sports anime has a pervasive energy to it that’s infectious. It helps that cycling is one of the few physical activities that I enjoy a lot myself (though I very rarely find the opportunity to actually do it). The setup is simple but engaging, with the main character an otaku who is drawn into the world of competitive cycling by being entranced by the sheer enthusiasm of the other cyclists who meet (and who recognise his own surprising natural talent for the sport).
Though the vast majority of the cast is male, the one prominent female character (who doesn’t, to my eternal disappointment, cycle herself) is a real force of personality and very likeable, which does wonders to prevent the whole thing from feeling like a complete sausagefest.
The one thing I worry about is how well this show will manage to hold my interest once it gets out of these introductory phases and down to serious sporting business. The source manga is one of those very long-running series, with 30 volumes and counting, and this adaptation is scheduled for a relatively lengthy three cours. The show has done a very good job of making the sport of cycling itself feel interesting and engaging, but a lot of that is due to how new everything is to the main character, and I have to wonder if it will still seem so interesting once the novelty wears off, when the whole sport can essentially be boiled down to “stamina” and “going fast”. (Tesagure! Bukatsu-mono actually called out the sport on this very aspect, that it doesn’t have the variety to work all that well in a dramatic narrative.)
Valvrave S2
lol
Kyousougiga
By all rights this should be higher up, since it is legitimately great stuff, but I find myself always feeling strangely reluctant to actually get around to watching each episode. I guess it’s the fact that it has that “high-maintenance” feel to it, inasmuch as it’s not something you can just relax and watch, it demands your full attention by virtue of its sheer unusualness. It’s also the fact that the show has been entirely self-contained backstory episodes so far, so there’s no plot momentum to keep me feeling “hooked”, as it were. The show is still amazing and I have high hopes that once it gets out of this character-introducing, expanding-on-the-ONA-episodes stage and starts doing more of its own thing, it will develop into something I truly look forward to watching.
Tokyo Ravens
For the first three episodes, this show would have placed much lower on my rankings, and indeed possibly even been in potential danger of dropping. After the setting shift which did wonders for its narrative, and the introduction of a number of new characters including one who is another legitimate threat to Renchon for the title of “most adorable girl of the season” and should by all rights take over the entire show, I’m now wondering if I shouldn’t move it up a few more places. Possibly even a lot more places. I’m still unsure.
Outbreak Company
The chibis in the OP and end cards are adorable. The premise is lol. The monarch is loli (and tsundere). The spy is mofumofu. The meido is meido. The lessons are amusing. The narrative is nothing special so far, but still pleasant enough to hold my attention from episode to episode. The harem is haremtastic.
YuuShibu
Fino is adorable and genki and genkidorable, despite her frankly ludicrous quantities of lovingly-animated :chet and tastelessly shameless outfits (qualities which are shared by almost every female character in this show). I think the novelty of her cuteness might be starting to wear off a little, but it’s still enough to keep me watching.
ENJOYING WITH CAVEATS TIER
Kyoukai no Kanata
In terms of how much I look forward to watching the episodes of this show, it should probably be quite a bit higher up. It’s KyoAni, with all the production values that entails. It has plenty of adorable. It has some GORGEOUS action. None of this changes the fact that I find the sheer banality of its writing to be actively offensive. I wish KyoAni were working on almost any of the other shows on this list instead. (But hey, episode 6 was fun!)
Yozakura Quartet
The first episode of this, the madcap introduction to this very interesting world and its host of characters cute and otherwise, really caught my attention and felt like a real breath of fresh air. Sadly, I’ve rather mellowed on the show since.
It’s not bad, by any means; the world is still unique and interesting, the cute characters are still cute, the special powers are still inventive, and even the narrative isn’t bad in any measurable sense. It’s just that I feel somehow disconnected from the whole thing, like it’s not fully engaging me. Like there are lots of interesting things happening, but I’m just watching them as an outsider, not quite following them properly and not quite sure how I should feel about them. I think it might be the way the show just throws this whole ensemble cast of characters at you and then the plot whisks you away with all of them in tow. I don’t feel like I’ve had much chance to become attached to any specific characters, and their predicaments feel rather large-scale and impersonal.
Despite these issues, I still feel this is a good show and I hope it will grow on me a little more as it progresses.
Coppelion
Another series that I feel kind of bad for placing so low on the list. It’s very good, honestly. Both the self-contained dramas of the first few episodes and the more extended plotline of the last couple have been narratively engaging, and often quite emotional. The main protagonist is quite appealing with her no-nonsense attitude concealing just enough emotional vulnerability to make it clear that she needs the support of her friends, and I like Aoi too for her much-needed genki that’s a valuable resource in this desolate environment. The third protagonist…uhh…I can’t even remember her name >.> But still, the series has a unique concept and is appealing visually (even the infamous filters seem to work well for it, I find).
So the reason I’ve rated it so low is honestly just a matter of personal taste - this sort of gritty, semi-realistic, somewhat military-toned setting with only a minimum of actual science-fiction elements just isn’t really the kind of series that appeals to me massively. I like it quite a lot for what it is, but its style just isn’t quite my thing.
One actual negative that I might propose is that the series’ narrative feels somewhat aimless. There’s not much in the way of an ultimate goal to work towards. The girls’ mission in ruined Tokyo is to rescue whoever they find, and maybe find out more about how this disaster happened in the first place along the way. The former is a task with no end, and as for the latter…well, it doesn’t feel like there’s any great mystery behind the nature of the disaster, to be honest, so there’s not much intrigue to be found there.
Machine Doll wa Kizutsukanai
If I was going to drop any show from this list, it would probably be this one. The narrative has the potential to be interesting in a very standard, by-the-books sort of way - the MC has a goal of revenge upon an enigmatic character for some mysterious reason, there’s a battle tournament leading up to this goal, and so on - but even those standard elements aren’t really being utilised all that effectively. Even the “murder mystery” of the initial arc was rather predictable and never felt all that engaging as a plotline.
So I’m still watching this for two reasons. The first is potential - because the show does have an interesting “hook” in its main concept of magicians fighting using often-sentient dolls, the world itself does seem somewhat interesting, the whole battle tournament thing (if the series ever gets to that) could be fun, and so on, and so on. There’s a lot of potential for the show to become at significantly more engaging than it currently is. It’s just not using much of it so far.
The other reason, of course, is the cute character designs of the girls; Yaya is absolutely precious and her obsessive devotion to her master keeps the show somewhat entertaining by itself, and there are other girls in there who are pretty damn cute as well. Charlotte’s tsundere moments in the last episode were pretty priceless, and we also have a stealth loli. A STEALTH LOLI. THIS IS A LOLI THAT CAN TURN YOU INVISIBLE. WHERE CAN I GET ONE OF THESE.
WHY WOULD YOU EVEN MAKE THIS TIER
BlazBlue Alter Memory
The pacing is awful beyond belief. The animation is even more awful. If I wasn’t a die-hard fan of the games and the characters, I would not touch this steaming pile of shit with a twenty-foot pole. As it is, I’m still somehow finding things to enjoy in it. Just about.
And for good measure:
DROPPED TIER
Walkure Romanze
Dropped halfway through the first episode because blehhhhhhh
Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio
Dropped after the first episode because mehhhhhhhh
Meganebu!
Dropped reluctantly after the second episode because I am watching too many shows and this one wasn’t quite good enough to justify spending my time on. The soundtrack with its vocal flourishes was wonderful, though. ALL YOU NEED IS M-E-G-A-N-E!
Strike the Blood 5
Dropped after five episodes because it was just plain generic and boring. Nothing about it stood out. Except Hosoya Yoshimasa, but one seiyuu does not justify an entire show.
KillerMan91
Member
Golden Time - 06:
That's because Mark Millar is a cuntbag, while Omori and Kurata are actually good decent people.
Golden Time 6
Oh god it's happening again. This wasn't supposed to happen again.
I should probably watch Golden Time
Galilei Donna ep.5
I still have a chance to stop myself from watching this. I failed this week, but hopefully I can succeed next time. There's nothing redeeming about this anymore, especially not when
.
Samurai Flamenco ep.5
This, however -- this is good. Still a lot of fun to watch. Agree with what was said about Masayoshi working to bridge what he wants to do with what he can realistically do. Also,
.
Kill la Kill ep.6
This was also great, probably the best episode of the series so far for me, for all the reasons people already stated.
I still have a chance to stop myself from watching this. I failed this week, but hopefully I can succeed next time. There's nothing redeeming about this anymore, especially not when
they randomly kill off two innocent kids like that
Samurai Flamenco ep.5
This, however -- this is good. Still a lot of fun to watch. Agree with what was said about Masayoshi working to bridge what he wants to do with what he can realistically do. Also,
triple Flamenco Girls are the best thing to happen to the show so far
Kill la Kill ep.6
This was also great, probably the best episode of the series so far for me, for all the reasons people already stated.
Thanks for confirming. Someone had to bite the bullet. Sounds like I made the right decision last week to drop it. Seems like an awful show which is on a continuous downward spiral. Meh.
Jex
Member
L-elf such an Alpha protag he's willing to toss Haurto to the side. What a pro.
Save 'N Quit
Banned
Kill la Kill 6
Might not have a best girl for now, but I can certainly tell that Sensei is best guy this season.
Action was intense and I loved it. Uzu is now one of my favorite characters.
Almost amazes me how most of the male characters in this show are so good.
And no annoying Mako to interrupt the battle makes this episode just stellar.
Pretty much. I think what's hilarious is that Valvrave didn't necessarily need Haruto, I feel like. He's just sort of... there.
In shows there are things happening and the way things are set up you have to wonder if there's some mysterious force making all this shit happen. In Valvrave, it's super tangible and that force is called L-Elf. Not only that but he seems to have a character as exhibited by this show and he's not a robot just doing crazy awesome shit.
Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu: Matsuri OVA
Baka to Test continues the trend of "Wow, this should not be this good" with the between-season OVA. You've got the yandere girlfriend, crossdressing Hideyoshi, the (unreliable) bromance between Sakamoto and Yoshii, the quite literal ninja pervert, and really fun fightscenes. This OVA feels like Baka to Test in a nutshell, it delivers everything I wanted and even looks stylish on occasion.
Also, goddamn that OP and ED. Those were the biggest surprise in this
Baka to Test continues the trend of "Wow, this should not be this good" with the between-season OVA. You've got the yandere girlfriend, crossdressing Hideyoshi, the (unreliable) bromance between Sakamoto and Yoshii, the quite literal ninja pervert, and really fun fightscenes. This OVA feels like Baka to Test in a nutshell, it delivers everything I wanted and even looks stylish on occasion.
Also, goddamn that OP and ED. Those were the biggest surprise in this
You'd better believe you'll love it to death. Now, I've not watched the latest Golden Time episode that just came, but at this point I'm still of the opinion that Toradora is the better show
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
Chie is that you?
KirbYuuYuu
Member
Where's the excuse for this!?
I dont' know why but it looks like CG to me. lol.
they wanted to sleep that week
I mean, if nothing else, having not watched any of his works before, these five episodes helped me understand why Umetsu has the kind of reputation he does.Thanks for confirming. Someone had to bite the bullet. Sounds like I made the right decision last week to drop it. Seems like an awful show which is on a continuous downward spiral. Meh.
So they drew this in their sleep, right? =D
DeadRockstar
Member
The wording of that scene was delicious: "I don't have the luxury of entrusting unit 1 to a coward. . ."
Real talk by L-Elf.
Now, I know I'm a broken record here, but the complaint must stand for the following reason:
What happens at that one moment never happens again and has no build up prior. We see that overuse of Geass leads to permanent Geass in both eyes, sure, but there are literally no examples of Geass
accidentally triggering, except at this one point.
But anyway
BLOOD C 6 OR THE GREATEST THING
HAHAHAHAHA. No, for reals, I hate all of you for spoiling Madoka 3, now, because it could've had the exact effect these last two episodes are having, largely because
a monster legit bites the little girl's head off.
Like seriously, a monster is on a rampage, chomping people in half, and just as it does, SHWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING GIANT WHITE BAR OF LIGHT OBSTRUCTING YOUR VISION. Made all the more hilarious because the monster
is made out of shadows
show's you Nene's headless corpse
SHWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING CENSORSHIP BAR SHWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING
hosannainexcelsis
Member
Patlabor TV 43
Even in the early 90s, the principles of reality TV in all its staged glory were there.
Even in the early 90s, the principles of reality TV in all its staged glory were there.
I knew there was something I forgot to mention in my megapost minireview of this series. The pacing is indeed sublime.
EvilKatarn
Member
Yamato 2199 22
Get your silly hijinx out of my serious space drama.
So, we're at the gates of the final showdown. This is going to be absolutely delicious.
Akira made some really good stupid faces in this episode.
There we go!
So, we're at the gates of the final showdown. This is going to be absolutely delicious.
A friend of mine told me this explanation and I can sort of see where he's coming from Essentially he didn't really buy into that he used his geass on accident. I think the most "reasonable" explanation he could think of was that his geass activated based on what he felt, thought, or was saying or whatever stupid shit. AKA subconscious. Even then, that's sort of dumb lol.
Or he did it on purpose, like I've been saying all along. Which is a perfect explanation that makes everything make sense. Especially since
Lelouch had planned on killing her episodes ago.
Attack on Coppelion - Boys Edition - 6
ahahaha, this show pulled a total 180. this new guy is amazing, DTL are you watching this?! why are there so many Haruto's this year?!! it's like everybody is named Haruto >.<
This was also an extremely cheap episode, just as soon as things are starting to get more action-y the budget runs out. Remember all those cool gifs from previous episodes?!! now it's all still shots after still shots. There was one 5 second scene with Haruto that had actual animation. Like 1/4 of the episode was just slow panning over the backgrounds :\
they still look good mind...
whatever the hell happened in the end though , lol
ahahaha, this show pulled a total 180. this new guy is amazing, DTL are you watching this?! why are there so many Haruto's this year?!! it's like everybody is named Haruto >.<
This was also an extremely cheap episode, just as soon as things are starting to get more action-y the budget runs out. Remember all those cool gifs from previous episodes?!! now it's all still shots after still shots. There was one 5 second scene with Haruto that had actual animation. Like 1/4 of the episode was just slow panning over the backgrounds :\
they still look good mind...
whatever the hell happened in the end though , lol
He's a sick, sick man.
Golden Time 6-
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So many things wrong with this. There is one good scene inbetween two fucking awful scenes. This might have worked in a novel but it sure as shit doesn't work in an anime.
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So many things wrong with this. There is one good scene inbetween two fucking awful scenes. This might have worked in a novel but it sure as shit doesn't work in an anime.
Admiral Woofington
Member
Kill La Kill 06
I need a GIF of sexy sensei saying Nudist beach and then sparkling through the window. It's a necessity.
Golden Time 06
I'm gonna say it right now. FUCK the Tada Banri haters. Sure the backstory has been done a thousand times but what differentiates him from the other hundred of protagonists in a similar situation? To put it simply
BALLS OF STEEL
While other protagonists
GAWD WHAT A BADASS. TAKE ME BANRI. TAKE ME RIGHT HERE ON THE FLOOR. Not really into that but for such guts I would consider switching teams.
And then dat ending
I need a GIF of sexy sensei saying Nudist beach and then sparkling through the window. It's a necessity.
Golden Time 06
I'm gonna say it right now. FUCK the Tada Banri haters. Sure the backstory has been done a thousand times but what differentiates him from the other hundred of protagonists in a similar situation? To put it simply
BALLS OF STEEL
While other protagonists
would accept being friend zoned and seeing the person they love all over their crush while they silently hope for their heart to change, motherfuckin' Tada Banri ain't takin no shit and straight up tells her that it's bullshit and that their friendship is over. Not only that he then confronts Barbara... err Linda and makes her out to be a villain too, effectively crushing her helpful senpai persona.
GAWD WHAT A BADASS. TAKE ME BANRI. TAKE ME RIGHT HERE ON THE FLOOR. Not really into that but for such guts I would consider switching teams.
And then dat ending
We'll have to find out next week if Koko's confession was a desperate attempt to preserve the one friendship that gave a fuck about her or if she really did realize she loved him. The previews made it seem like she was all lovey-dovey but with Koko you never know if there's other reasons
Golden Time 06
I'm gonna say it right now. FUCK the Tada Banri haters. Sure the backstory has been done a thousand times but what differentiates him from the other hundred of protagonists in a similar situation? To put it simply
BALLS OF STEEL
While other protagonistswould accept being friend zoned and seeing the person they love all over their crush while they silently hope for their heart to change, motherfuckin' Tada Banri ain't takin no shit and straight up tells her that it's bullshit and that their friendship is over. Not only that he then confronts Barbara... err Linda and makes her out to be a villain too, effectively crushing her helpful senpai persona.
GAWD WHAT A BADASS. TAKE ME BANRI. TAKE ME RIGHT HERE ON THE FLOOR. Not really into that but for such guts I would consider switching teams.
And then dat endingWe'll have to find out next week if Koko's confession was a desperate attempt to preserve the one friendship that gave a fuck about her or if she really did realize she loved him. The previews made it seem like she was all lovey-dovey but with Koko you never know if there's other reasons
Too bad it's done in the worst possible manner. There is no buildup or mental explanation. Absolutely horrendous. This might have worked in a novel where we can see his thoughts but the anime has done an absolutely pisspoor job of showing his mindset. Fast pacing is absolutely garbage in the groundwork isn't there.
This is not good writing or directing, take your pick.
I still think you're fairly delusional on this point. It's perhaps possible to put forth an argument that Lelouch did that intentionally on a subconscious level, but it's about as clear as it could possibly be that it was in no way a part of his actual conscious plans.
Also, you say there's no other examples of Geass
accidentally triggering
eventually becomes permanently active, against the user's will
accidents can happen
The real contrived part of this whole scenario is
the accident happening at the single most devastating moment it could possibly happen, by a pretty astronomical factor. I mean, it's quite easy to imagine that no matter when the Geass became permanently active, it could have caused some pretty awful accidents, since all kinds of otherwise-innocuous words could have awful consequences with the power of ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE FOREVER behind them (and most of what Lulu says isn't what you'd call innocuous anyway). But for it to happen at the single moment that you can definitively pinpoint as far, far more devastating than any other moment in his entire life, that stretches suspension of disbelief a little. I'm still willing to accept it, though, simply because the horrific results were so amazing.
KirbYuuYuu
Member
It probably is
The pacing may be a problem depending on who you ask, but I thought Banri's motives were pretty self-evident.
Koko trying to act all friendly to him while still being all "Mitsuomitsuomitsuo" isn't acceptable, and add to that his own insecurities about his amnesia combined with this girl from high school who continues to pretend that she doesn't know him, and stuff boils over, you know?
Admiral Woofington
Member
What are you talking about? I've been able to read his feelings because many of us have been in a similar situation here and there. I've understood his issues, what exactly are you not getting?
Admittedly they haven't made his inner turmoils over
Koko glomping over Mitzuo/whatshiface more obvious but we all knew it was happening because it's common sense after her response that she was done with him and that she can't return Banri's feelings because they were just friends. Combine the whole stress with Linda and the amnesia, it was asking for a meltdown. The Linda scene occurred due to his stress with Koko and everything else.
edit: Yeah Jman and I agree. I don't think the directing is brilliant, but the combination of the story alongside (if it was done on purpose) this directing makes for a very good show.
However all of a sudden he just doesn't want to do it anymore? There isn't any trigger for his reaction and to the degree that he has it. It's very snap decisionish and it doesn't play well at all when you can't hear his thoughts when he's thinking about it. He's right to have that reaction however the revelation is not done well at all. It's done half assed in the anime and after hearing how the novel does it, it's just poor work on the part of the director/scriptwriter when they are adapting it. In the novel, Koko only goes to the party because Misuo is there and also Banri was drunk when he vented. That along with some inner monologue would probably have helped the scene. Instead we get this weird ass moment of epiphany.
In short, piss poor job on the part of JC Staff. I don't know who to blame so everybody gets it.
I've already addressed just what kind of build-up the thing had: thematic, not mechanic. I don't see explaining the mechanics of the twist as an objective requirement at all.
To me, that only seems useful as trivia to satisfy a sub-set of the viewers who wished to learn about it, but not very relevant for the story being told. The evolution of magical eyes in an over-the-top show isn't some sort of scientific phenomena that needs to be repeatedly observable in a controlled environment to draw forth a peer-reviewed conclusion. Maybe it's happened exactly this way before, maybe it hasn't. There's no point of contradiction. The series isn't about Lelouch's or Suzaku's fervent desire to understand all things Geass and use science to counter it, though that would have been cool to see.
The problem is that we see him playing along for the most part despite knowing his position. If he had done this sooner or had better incentive to have the reaction that he did, it might have worked better in the anime but it doesn't. Compare that to the scene afterwards when you see Banri just venting over a dilemna with Linda. It's much better as a whole because you know that he's been thinking about this for awhile and he's also just venting. It's a much more natural scene instead of the melodrama shit we get before and after.
victreeb3l
Member
Golden Friendzone Time
So I watched the first six episodes of this series. The memory loss angle is very interesting but the lead girl is so fucking stupid. Its like poor little rich girl needs some nice guy to save and take care of her and become her doormat...hmmm..that sounds familiar. Then I find out its by the same dude that did Toradora.
This show would be a lot more enjoyable if it was more serious, or rather cut down on the dumb middle "funny" scenes. Its so formulaic. First third nothing really happens, then the annoying super zany wacky scene in the middle and it ends all overly dramatic and serious. Then ghost Banri essentially just tells us everything. The fuck man. What a random jump.
I'd like to see how Banris relationship with Linda develops but I dont know how much more of Koga (Kaga? Koko?) I can take. Though I did enjoy Banri growing some balls this episode.
So I watched the first six episodes of this series. The memory loss angle is very interesting but the lead girl is so fucking stupid. Its like poor little rich girl needs some nice guy to save and take care of her and become her doormat...hmmm..that sounds familiar. Then I find out its by the same dude that did Toradora.
This show would be a lot more enjoyable if it was more serious, or rather cut down on the dumb middle "funny" scenes. Its so formulaic. First third nothing really happens, then the annoying super zany wacky scene in the middle and it ends all overly dramatic and serious. Then ghost Banri essentially just tells us everything. The fuck man. What a random jump.
I'd like to see how Banris relationship with Linda develops but I dont know how much more of Koga (Kaga? Koko?) I can take. Though I did enjoy Banri growing some balls this episode.
Admiral Woofington
Member
That's extremely debatable, I thought it worked just fine. If you're trying to compare it to a novel where, as you said, everything is shown right on the page with graphic description then of course this'll be weird. Having not read the novel, I thought it was extremely realistic. Sometimes when you're stressed out you decide to stop playing games and give up. I've done this countless of times. He was testing the waters, and prior to this
Koko and Mitzuo hadn't had much screen time together. She told him she was done with him, then all of a sudden at the party she's again all over him. This probably sparked his insecurity, then as they're going back she keeps emphasizing how they are friends and that everything is fine and that they are super best friends. Him snapping was surprising only on the level that every other anime would have 5 episodes of the protagonist struggling with his inner beasts over what to do. Here he is dealing with all her bullshit and all she can think about is the childhood friend who openly tries to stay away from her.
I enjoyed the direction, it felt realistic. Humans are flawed. Clearly we don't agree in the direction and that's fine.
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