Fall '08 First Impressions

A lot of interesting series began this fall. See the weekly schedule or click on the links below to find more about each one.

• Excellent: ef ~ a tale of melodies.
• Very Good: Ga-Rei: Zero, Kannagi, Shikabane-hime: AKA, Toradora!
• Interesting: Chaos; Head, To aru no Majutsu Index, Yozakura Quartet, Kemeko Deluxe!, Macademi WAsshoi!
• Boring: Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka, Hyakko, Kuro Shitsuji, Kurozuka, Clannad After Story
• Avoid: Kurogane no Linebarrels, Kyo no Go no Ni, Rosario to Vampire CAPU2

MONDAYS

ef - a tale of melodies
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An excellent opening song (as was the case with the previous season) and in general the background music is quite good. Plot follows again an interesting and uncommon structure, though this time they present past and present and focus on how they progressively converge. I expect this season to be somewhat more dramatic and tragic than the previous (if this can be conceived since the first ef was one of the most tragic and dramatic shows I have ever seen). Visually stunning, especially the presence (and absence) of light is very skillfully used. Character designs are very good and consistent with the previous season. Some of the previous leads have already appeared, though at minors roles, giving ground to the old minors who come in the foreground of this season's storytelling. Symbolism is omnipresent, though this is hardly surprising in a SHAFT production. In general, as its predecessor, ef2 is very different from other anime in a good and refreshing way.

OP of melodies (current season)
"ebullient future" by TENMON featuring ELISA

OP of memories (previous season)
"euphoric field" by TENMON featuring ELISA

TUESDAYS

Kurozuka
黒塚
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Ninja Scroll meets Shigurui? I'll wait for the subs to decide and more free time.

WEDNESDAYS

Toradora!
とらドラ！
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loli X tsundere Taiga (VA by Kugimiya Rie, also Nagi, Shana, Louise) was a little surprising because she did not sound loli at all. Ryuuji (VA by Majima Junji, also Ninomiya, Souma, Aoki) reminds me a lot of Usui from Karin, though he is certainly less spineless. Anyway, I got Zero and Shana vibes from the lead characters, though without magic and at least for now also without any romance between them. The animation was fairly good, as expected from J.C.Staff. The character designs were OK (based on the manga). I must stress the excellent rendering of emotion in facial expressions. Pacing was fairly fast in the first three episodes, but I'm still doubtful about the plot progression and pacing throughout the series (totaling 25 episodes). Probably it can work for a couple of seasons and I certainly hope it does not drag like Zero and Shana did. Bottom-line is that it was a fairly funny and entertaining series, that met my expectations.

Hyakko
ヒャッコ
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So what do we have here, an all-female school-life comedy, but without the surreal touch that made Azumanga, Pani Poni and Hidamari shine. The animation was never-the-less excellent, as well as the background drawings (very detailed). The character designs were OK, though some times not animated with the same level of detail as the static background. VAs are somewhat unconventionally cast (check ANN for more details). The characters themselves seemed unoriginal and the pacing was too slow in this first episode, while the humor was hit-and-miss. I am not impressed at all, but I'll wait for a couple more episodes, it certainly can improve.

Rosario to Vampire Capu2
ロザリオとバンパイア Capu2
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As expected for a GONZO milk-cow, you get dodgy (at best) animation, oppai X loli, a fashion sense, weather/physics along with "innovative" camera angles that favor the exposure of female undergarments and characters designs more fitting to hentai games (actually this last feature is the only thing I appreciate in this studio). Anyway, this series exists only for fan-service value and unfortunately my favorite character from the first season, Ruby, appeared less than half a minute.

THURSDAYS

Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka
あかね色に染まる坂
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A school romance/comedy with a girl-only class (with a sole exception for the male lead), probably a remnant from a hentai harem origin (speculation) ... which is certainly the cause of the average character designs. Animation is no better. First episode was kind of boring, but I expect that things will get better, since they had to introduce the characters and set-up the main plot.

Kuro Shitsuji
黒執事
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Animation (by A1) resembles Persona at its good parts without the action. The character designs (by Shiba Minako) are beautiful in a yaoi-context. Main cast is rather dull and too-cool to be interesting. But in general, the show was less gay then I expected, though still it's quite uninteresting to me even though it features a dojiko/megane meido ;-)

Clannad After Story
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More or less what we got the previous two seasons and by extensions what we always get form KyoAni/Kei combo. For me after watching both Air and Kannon, Clannad seems too repetitive, but still animation is better then the previous two works and especially in this episode there is plenty of fan-service to keep up the interest, but in the long run I will drop it as was the case with the previous season after Kotomi's arc was over.

Shikabane Hime AKA
黒執事
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Undead schoolgirl killing zombies by shooting them down with a couple of SMGs ... sounds silly, right? Well it is, but if I had to sum up in a sentence what was Gurren Lagann or Evangelion about it would probably sound even sillier. So where does this leave us ... animation style is rather similar to Gurren Lagann, though a little bit more realistic. The same goes for character designs, which are more influenced by the original from the manga, rather than following GAINAX norms. The tricky part is the plot and character development, judging only from the first episode can not be conclusive, but when I consider that after this season the next one will be handed down to another studio and probably different stuff, prospects seem dire.

Yozakura Quartet
夜桜四重奏 〜ヨザクラカルテット〜
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Animation and character designs are some of the best we got this season (as expected by the Rozen Maiden team; Studio Nomad, directed by Matsuo Kou and character designs by Kikuchi Satonobu). The characters are quite likable and though cliched at the first glance, have a lot of development potential to become unique and memorable. What I am still doubtful about is the plot; if we get a monster-of-the-week structure this (like Rental Magica) will go fairly quickly down-the-hill, on the other hand if the focus turns on the characters or some greater plot, then its future looks quite bright.

Chäos;HEAd
カオス；ヘッド
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So here we have a delusional and asocial otaku and a plot being told from his point of view. Since I am a big admirer of Lynch, I am give this one a try, despite that the animation and the character designs are average. The direction is good though and some characters look interesting (behaviorally).

FRIDAYS

Kurogane no Linebarrels
鉄のラインバレル
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As I predicted, this show is a failure at so many levels and the worst part is that it is one of the only three shows where I can hear Mamiko Noto's voice. Another thing that none else has pointed out yet is that Hayase, that annoying and spineless brat for protagonist, was walking around with a huge bloodstain almost all time, but no one seems to notice! WTF!?!

SATURDAYS

To Aru Majutsu no Index
とある魔術の禁書目録
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Spotless animation (J.C.Staff), lovable character designs, but unfortunately a cheesy setting (high-tech school city ... give me a break). Anyway, the male lead (Touma) is both interesting and believable (a rather rare occurrence lately), while the first members of his would-be "harem" made a solid entry; Index is cute and playful, though not lacking her serious moments, while Mikoto gives strong Shana vibes (in line with the rest of the show). That said, I do not expect this show to follow on Shana's footsteps apart from animation (ok, maybe also Mikoto), it seems rather original, genres considered.

Kannagi
かんなぎ
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Nagi is just adorable, while on the other hand Jin is the standard spineless dork of harem hentai ... speaking of which in the first episode the najimi and the nun haven't even showed up ... remember that this is a harem anime! Animation was very good and the character designs were excellent, but I fear that they will go downhill like the studio's (A1) other series (Persona & Birdy). Anyway, despite the annoying male lead and future fears, I liked a lot the show and I hope it will take a turn to the serious as was the case with ROD and Ima (all three were scripted by Kurata Hideyuki).

Kemeko Deluxe!
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How should I put it, this show is completely unconventional ... in a good and entertaining way. Animation is very detailed, especially during the action scenes. This came as a surprise, because shows with this kind of character designs usually do not pay much attention to the quality of the animation, since most people watch them for the comedy. Let me warn you though that the plot will be most likely a joke and if you don't like episodic or even gag-like structures, as well as, grotesque visuals combined with extreme fan-service ... stay far away from this one!

SUNDAYS

Macademi WAsshoi!
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Another show that I did not preview, but still its first episode drew my attention with the overwhelming weirdness and action-packed scenes. Character designs are fitting for the comical content of the show. All-in-all its an easy to watch and funny show.

Ga-Rei: Zero
喰霊 -零-
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Animation and character designs were very good in the first episode. I found the background music though completely inappropriate (j-pop for life-or-death scenes just does not work for me). Also I almost cried laughing by some silly ideas the script-writers had (e.g. the motorbike with runes on the wheels). Apart from these complaints the whole premise of the show is interesting none-the-less and the ending of this first episode left me both awed and puzzled. As for the second episode the frentic pace continued, but the silliness was less evident. From the third episode and on we entered a flashback mode, which put things into perspective and added a lot of depth to the apparent main heroines (Yomi and Kagura). Also I should note that the j-pop BGM was finally replaced by an instrumental!

Kyou no Go no Ni
今日の５の２
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Technically, the TV adoption is inferior to the OVA and frankly since both are loyal (more or less) to the manga, I do not plan to see the same stuff but in far worse quality.

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Summer '08 Season Review

In general the shows that were completed during the summer season were very weak. With Hidamari being the sole exception, I would not recommend anything anything else, unless you begin to run out of choices.

• Recommended: Hidamari Sketch x 365
• Good: Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu, MISSION-E, Wagaya no Oinari-sama
• Watchable: Kyouran Kazoku Nikki, Nabari no Ou, Slayers Revolution, Allison to Lillia
• Just for fan-service: To Love-Ru, Koihime Musou, Ikkitousen Great Guardians, Sekirei
• Avoid like hell: Strike Witches, Zero no Tsukaima: Princess no Rondo, Code Geass Hangyaku no Lelouch R2

Hidamari Sketch x 365
ひだまりスケッチ x 365
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By far the best show of the season, check its seperate entry! for more wallpapers, OP/ED, a detailed review and character synopsis.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu
乃木坂春香の秘密
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The plot touched a lot of romance subjects, but rather superficially, not too mention that it suffered from too many cliches and it was very predictable. At least for a change the male lead was interesting and certainly not your average spineless pervert. Humor was also effective for its genre. Animation was consistent, but nothing spectacular. VA of Haruka (Mamiko Noto) was excellent and very fitting for the role. It felt like REC only with high school kids. On the downside, the ending was a let-down or should I better say that there was no resolution at all, but as expected consistent with the target audience.

MISSION-E
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The sequel of Code-E has really shown its colors, as both were inspired by ROD. Character designs, action and animation ... hell even the music! Technically speaking, animation was below average, but still working nice for me. Action was rather unrealistic, but this was expected because the whole setting was rather surreal. Music was quite good and not your usual j-pop crap. With only the addition of one new character (Ma-chan), the rest of the cast was the same from Code-E, only 5-10 years older; so since I really loved the old characters and their relationship dynamics, I was delighted to see that this remained the case. Personally, I enjoyed the show and if you liked ROD or Code-E you should like this one too. The main problem here are the subs, it's like two weeks now since the series finished and only half the episodes have been subbed (I have watched most of the series raw, hence I refrain from judging the plot).

Wagaya no Oinari-sama
我が家のお稲荷さま。
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transsexual kitsune, dojiko miko, najimi, etc. Wagaya had an answer to any possibly conceivable fetish ... but that does not really represent the value of the series. Technically it was average, but where the series shined was the storytelling, moving from comedy to drama to action smoothly and naturally. All characters that appeared felt complete and were quite likable. Also despite being episodic, characters were recurring and plot progression did not stop with each episode. For this reason despite that the series targeted younger audiences, I found it very entertaining. As a side note, I really appreciated the fact that the human characters were average and everyday people (bus drivers, housewives, etc) not unrealistic super-humans and on the hand the kami really felt unnatural and struggling to blend in human society.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki
狂乱家族日記
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I am quite delighted that the legacy of excel saga still lives on; this anime was a real roll-a-coaster of wackiness run awry. Let me begin with the animation which was consistent throughout the series and at quite good quality, though action was not all that hard to animate. Character designs were vibrant and surreal fitting perfectly with the characters' personalities and diversity. The OP was just weird, while the different EDs were complementing the characters seamlessly. Background music was fitting, but rather unnoticeable. Now let me move to the main point of the plot structure and storytelling ... nikki, as the word suggests, is basically like a diary from Ouka's POV and hence episodic by nature. This proved to be both a boon and a bane. Some episodes were very interesting, other were hilarious, but there were also boring ones and even others that were painfully silly. Bottom-line is that you could not anticipate what the next episode would deliver.

Nabari no Ou
隠の王
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An anime with ninja, but unlike its ilk, in this one they act like ones! Animation and action was hit-and-miss here; some scenes were amazing, while others got really hurt from inappropriate direction and choreography. The music was rather unimpressive. The character designs were beautiful, but the cast itself was an oddball. The two main characters (Miharu & Yoite) were annoyingly naive and despite the focus of the series was on them they failed to impress me as much as the supporting cast that had much more interesting stories and personalities. I should also note the overall gay-ness that this series vibrated, though it was confined in the platonic sphere.

Slayers Revolution
スレイヤーズ REVOLUTION
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When i read about the new slayers i was very surprised, I really loved all the previous incantations (3 tv-series, 2 ova and 5 movies), but almost a decade after the last series technically this new one is at the same level. Maybe the long break, me stopping playing rpg or the lack of character development hurt more than the actual story, as story itself seemed nothing amazing. The new character it revolves around is also rather silly. Anyway, i will wait until the second half comes out (at some point in 2009) until I finalize my opinion.

Allison to Lillia
アリソンとリリア
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Another 90s animation style and character designs with significant lack of detail and movement. Music was fitting for the story and pacing. Structure with multi-episode arcs was working quite nice, but the split between allison and lillia arcs (1st and 2nd half of the series) did not work me. Lillia and her boyfriend were just like Allison and Will, hence i just missed the point in having them as new characters. Character development was present and significant, sometimes the simplicity of the story and the naivity of resoning was annoying, but this is a series for the family and thus these are expected. I wished Fionna (VA by Mamiko Noto) had more screentime, but that's life.

To Love-Ru
To LOVEる
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A harem show, hence idiotic, ecchi, but most of all fun ... well the last one was not always the case; some episodes were really funny, while others were just boring. Animation was inconsistent and generally below average. Lala (VA by Haruka Tomatsu) had such an annoying voice, but fitting to her annoying character. Eve from Black Cat makes a return at the middle of the show as Konjiki no Yami (really she's exactly like Eve a couple of years older and with different outfit, but with the same powers and background story and the same VA Misato Fukuen). Anyway, maybe not so bad as it sounds, in the department of fan-service at least it was rewarding and actually more enjoyable then the rest of similar shows of this season. I should also not forget to welcome the return of tentacle rape as a means of censorship ;-)

Koihime Musou
恋姫†無双
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An oppai X loli anime, with yuri humor and absolute absence of plot and character development. The animation was OK and character design a tad bit too colorful for my taste. Was it enjoyable? well, yes, bottom-line honest fan-service is enjoyable for the male population and I hope inspiring for the rest half of the world population ;-) ... though an actual plot (even a silly one) would have been a boon.

Ikkitousen Great Guardians
一騎当千 Great Guardians
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The third season of Ikkitousen came with less censoring, a mess of a plot and very sparse fights. The animation was at least consistent, especially when compared to Dragon Destiny. Choubou (VA by Horie Yui) was just wasted as a character. Ryofu's re-entry was exciting at first, but her personalities (all of them) were utterly inconsistent with the original series. The loli-villain, was Ten'i, just with a new name and with Saji to manipulate her, instead of Shibai. The Seito girls were there, but just for fan-service in fillers, though Kan'nu got pretty juicy screen time with Ryuubi, at least. Character development overall was non-existent (which was actually no surprise). BUT, I'm addicted to this series and I cross my fingers for a new season in the near future.

Sekirei
セキレイ
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Certainly better then the last Nanoha, but a far inferior to Inukami. The huge cast of Sekirei was both good and bad; good because it could satisfy every taste and bad because except for their character designs a couple of lines and some clothing damage, we learned nothing else for most of the characters. Should I also point out how annoying the end of the series was? to be continued? just like Haruhi, milk money out of toys and crap for half a decade! The plot by the way was not as non-existant as with other fan-serving series, after pointless introducing a dozen characters, we get the loli plot and after half a dozen more more episodes the last "arc" with the dojiko escape plot. Animation was good though, most of the time, not at the levels of Nanoha As, but still better then most series and at least there were actually animated battles at least in every episode.

Strike Witches
ストライクウィッチーズ
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Classical GONZO, these guys managed to screw things yet agian. After getting over that in the universe of Strike Witches, where girls run around only with their underwear, at least I could enjoy the mindless fan-service. Until those idiots at the studio decided to have a serious plot at the last couple of episodes, which can only compare to Code Geass in stupidity and unoriginality! Also I was kind of pissed off with the stereotyping of Europeans, at least they skipped my own country (I'm Greek by the way).

Zero no Tsukaima: Princess no Rondo
ゼロの使い魔～プリンセッセのロンド～
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I had no expectation, since last season was quite boring ... and this one was too, maybe more. The story can be summed up by the following:

• Oppai elf (Tiffania) joins the cast, really she did nothing else
• Tabitha joins Saito's harem
• Tabitha's dragon-familiar transforms into human
• Corbert returns from the dead and "does" Kirche
• The villain, King of Gallia, has a void user (Sylphid)
  

Really, that is all the story development in 4+ hours of animation!!! Fan-service made a step up, but still this a really "decent" series (decent in a conservative/puritan/american way). Animation was like before, nothing really special or difficult. Basically they were just making fillers for the whole season, no plot, no character development, etc.

Code Geass Hangyaku no Lelouch R2
コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ R2
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For the And moving on to the worst series I watched this season, for which I will confine myself to bullet-points:

• plot twists ranged from predictable to rediculous, though I will admit that if not taken seriously (like Death Note) can be hilarious
• characters make unbelievable decisions in order to screw Lulu all the time
• character development ... give me a break ... with such a joke for a plot?
• techno-bubble, pointless & prolonged action scenes, meaningless sacrifices, ... want more?
• Suzaku was the maybe the most annoying character, after Makoto (School Days)
• OMG, those Pizza Hut ads! so annoying!

On the positive side ...

• Kallen was just moving fan-service !!!
• CC gets a slave-girl personality, alas only for a couple of scenes
  
• Sumeragi-hime wants to make a harem for Lulu
• Euphie turns yandere
• Nunnally was so irritating, but all is forgiven because at the end she appeared chained and grows a bust
• Anya did not really do anithing in the series, which was a waste for her character design

Technically, animation was top-quality and character designs were excellent. OP/ED and BMG were ok, though certainly not for my taste. VAs, well ... I was not impressed, after all this was a mecha show with a twist. All-in-all, perfect for its target audience: male, 12-18, no-girlfriend, sci-fi/mecha otaku.

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