The outlook for this season is somewhat weaker than Q2; there’s a disturbing absence of potential blockbusters, as well as a smaller pool of shows likely to be watchable. While last season skewed heavily towards sci-fi and drama, this season favors standard fantasy fighting fare. There are a few familiar names in the lineup, but none are particularly exciting. As always, the wildcards are the drama and slice-of-life shows, because the good ones aren’t always obvious just two weeks into the season.
Watch
» Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora. This is the successor to Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto (i.e., “Somedays Dreamers”) from way back when. This doesn’t appear to be a sequel, but follows essentially the same formula of a country girl moving to Tokyo to study magic, find love, start drama, and do all of those other things that typical anime teenagers do. The original series combined that formula with a laid-back slice-of-life presentation to excellent effect, and this 2008 revisit seems happy to tread the same path. Production values are average. Low-detail character drawings contrast with high-detail backgrounds, which often use live-action footage. The effect isn’t as jarring as in some past shows, but it does result in a somewhat surreal vibe – which may, of course, be the whole point.
The soup needs more real.
» Natsume Yuujinchou. This show initially reminded me somewhat of the sleeper hit, Mushi-shi, but there actually isn’t much similarity between them beyond their general paranormal themes. Natsume Yuujinchou follows the titular character as he learns about his grandmother through interactions with various youkai she had ‘defeated’ in the past. His sidekick and divine protector is a comical nyanko wolf deity. Presentation is slice-of-life and starkly episodic; since each episode focuses on different youkai, they could be watched more-or-less independently from one another. I think that the success or failure of this show will hinge more on the grandmother and her relationships with the various youkai, rather than on the protagonist himself. The nyanko is great fun on the side, however.
zomg manjuu~
» Tetsuwan Birdy – DECODE. This is the TV adaptation of the 1996 Tetsuwan Birdy OVA, which I never watched. The premise is cause for concern – taking a page from Ginban Kaleidoscope (actually the other way around, I suppose), a boy dies and is spiritually combined with the heroine, inhabiting the same body. There’s also a space police angle that isn’t particularly wonderful, especially when meshed with a standard high school formula. That said, the key to a good show is in the execution, and I think DECODE manages to pull it off. Combat choreography and animation is the best I’ve seen this season, and the heroine is instantly likable (voice acting is a big factor here). She’s a little too naked, but this is anime and therefore expected. She also has a glaring Sword Deficiency, but she compensates with GLOWING FISTS OF JUSTICE and superhuman strength. For this season, I’m willing to declare that a Win.
Uh, oops
Skim
» Mugen no Juunin. This is an adaptation of the famous manga of the same name. Having enjoyed the manga is obviously what persuaded me to watch this show, but at the same time is also the most compelling reason not to. Characters and plot are typically stronger in manga, so anime renditions need to have presentation or stylistic advantages to be worth another look. Unfortunately, this show isn’t particularly strong in either of those categories. Production values are mediocre, and while fighting is generally fluid, it’s neither prevalent nor visible. It’s clear that the directors attempted to incorporate some of the more esoteric stylistic elements typical of higher-grade samurai anime, but I find that they fall somewhat short compared to, for instance, Shigurui. Curiously, the OP animation is significantly better than anything else we see in the first episode; if the OP is predictive of the rest of the series, this could easily turn out to be a solid offering.
Standard silhouette kill
» Strike Witches TV. Attack of the Flying Mahou Shoujo Nekomimi Mecha-lolis; if you watched Sky Girls, you can likely pass on this one. If you didn’t though, this is a good chance to get your dose of total absurdity. The anime industry continues to push the boundaries of what genres are plausibly combinable; nowhere else have I witnessed such depraved and random twistings of the human imagination. Here we have magikal lolis, with cat ears, in power suits, with no pants, waging war against aliens, sometime during the industrial era. If, like me, you have no trouble wrapping your head around all of that, there’s a good chance that anime has irreparably damaged your mind. I like this show for much the same reason I liked Futakoi Alternative: schoolgirls + heavy weapons = instant win. Remember to employ the fast-forward button outside of combat scenes unless you happen to be, you know, a total pervert.
If this doesn't look totally ridiculous to you, consider therapy.
» World Destruction. This show is supposedly based on an upcoming RPG by Sega. The setting is a fantasy world full of furries where humans are strictly second-class. Unlike most heroes, the heroine in this show is out to destroy the world – using a device that she doesn’t seem actually able to properly activate; planning doesn’t appear to be her strong suit. We’re also not told exactly why she wants to destroy the world, although I’m sure this will be made clear later. If you couldn’t tell, the show is heavily tongue-in-cheek, although it isn’t quite as blatantly over-the-top as Druaga no Tou. I’m pretty sure that the voiceover narration is meant to be satirical, but if not it would still be comical – just for the wrong reasons. Overall, this show is entertaining if you don’t take it seriously, but I don’t have much faith in the plot, the art, or the combat.
I am Legend.
Skip
» Ultraviolet: Code 044. I almost thought I was watching an old tape by accident when I saw this show – which essentially sums up my complaints. This is very old-school stuff, and probably intentionally so. Even the premise is old-school: genetically engineered super-soldier in various states of undress slays vampire armies in the night. Animation is a mixed bag, and combat scenes often involve the “pan this freeze-framed action shot three times at different speeds” deal that got old about the second time you saw it. In short, this show has all of the corny, clichéd hallmarks of dark action anime from the turn of the century, so if you’re looking for a throwback to the good ‘ol days, this is it. I’m a bit more forward-looking, so I’ll pass.
High contrast + freeze-frame = dramatic amirite?
» Koihime Musou. Based on the eroge of the same name. Having roots in eroge doesn’t automatically guarantee a poor anime per se, but historically the odds have been pretty ugly. Even setting that aside though, this show fails for a number of reasons that are painfully obvious upfront. First, like many eroge, this show has too much breast; they are far too large and emphasized far too often. Second, the combat is contrived and poorly animated; this is a trait common to sengoku anime, but it’s no less damaging here. Third, there are stupid gaki everywhere, and having a lonely, delinquent gaki as one of the main characters is especially unforgivable. Finally, and perhaps most damning, the characters are terribly unattractive; in other words, this show utterly fails to leverage an eroge’s greatest advantage: the art.
She should have kept the cloak on. Seriously.
» Sekirei. The tags for this show read like a laundry list of fail: ecchi, harem, large breasts, sudden girlfriend appearance, super power. What could possibly go wrong with such a stellar combination? Curiously, the opening scenes of the first episode are completely at-odds with the remainder of the first three episodes, and the show might have saved itself from the Black Pit of Fail if it had stuck with menacing women slaughtering hapless soldiers for 12 episodes. Instead, we cut to absurdly voluptuous, mostly-naked women playfighting with etch-a-sketch grade CG effects. Add an irritating high school boy, a mysterious-but-not-really gaki, and poor combat scenes, and you’ve got enough suckage to pull a golf ball through an 18′ garden hose.
This is how Sekirei could have not utterly sucked.
» Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu. This is tired high school fare about a completely unremarkable boy that discovers the school princess’s dark, dark secret. Wow, that’s a plotline for B-grade hentai anime! Go figure. Suffice to say, the premise of this show has absolutely no promise to speak of, but I’ll be fair: it’s actually not as bad as it seems. The first part of the OP animation is awesome. The characters, while just as irritating as others in their genre, manage to not be completely asinine. On the other hand, the art is poor, even for a low-grade high school show. Plot-wise, the first episode is a total loss, but there are several nuggets of genuine entertainment in the second episode. Unfortunately, this is ultimately an otaku’s show, and I’m not in an otaku mood. And trust me, this is no Lucky Star. (Note: if you do end up watching this, there’s a manga shot at ~8:15 in episode two that you probably want to skip).
You're funny, but you're no Kagami.
At this point, I’ve only gotten through about half of the shows for the new season, although there are several that I’m probably not even going to consider (I was never a fan of Slayers). I’ll cover the remaining shows in a following entry.
For a full season listing, see AniDB’s calendar.
