Aaaaaaaaaaaanyways...the usual:
ExtraCareful - Blue
OboeOtaku - Red
RightToLeft - Orange
I'M A FUCKING PRINCESS
Well, it was a pretty mediocre season as expected. I tried about 7 series at the outset, ended up following through with only 4. Mikakunin de Shinkoukei was probably one of the better series of the season. It's a fairly generic SoL series, but it still made for a pleasant watch because of all the gag humor, quirky characters (read: Benio-sama), and amazing graphics, courtesy of Dogakobo. D-Frag! was also a nice watch, with the humor and general feel of the series being preserved very well even with the media shift. I'm a bit disappointed at the things they cut out, (like the water quest, which puts Sakura in the limelight for a bit) but it was good regardless. Sekai Seifuku Bouryaku no Zvezda may have some chance of redemption because they've cranked up the plot significantly in the last episode, but 1) they're going to have to put in some serious work to end everything on a satisfying note and 2) it won't change the fact that episodes 2-8 were pretty useless. I haven't given up hope completely though. Sakura Trick was just...well, yuri. Blatant, straightforward, explicit yuri, with kissing from day 1. It has some interesting humor, but it's nothing to take special note of aside from the yuri and the Shaft-style animations.
Most everything else blew kinda hard. I can't say anything for continuing series though, since I dropped them (Nagi no Asukara because I fell behind a few weeks and never had the guts to wade through multiple episodes in a week, and Kill la Kill because it was blowing. I hear shits started hitting the fan for both though, so I should probably finish them one day).
I fell behind on almost all the series that I started. Gin no Saji 2nd and part of Noragami were good. Nagi no Asukara got more intense this season. Kuroko and Yowamushi Pedal were pretty good but pacing sucks like most sports animes. Pretty much everything that started Fall season were about the same level as before. In my opinion, Nisekoi was better than the manga just because it was faster. Most of the stuff that started in the Winter was pretty generic, and the MAL rankings suffered because of it.
Ah well, to be perfectly honest, this season was not very notable - and the series that people WERE hyped about...I didn't watch (sorry not sorry). To summarize (perhaps more complete reviews/conclusions posts out later):
- Golden Time had some ups and downs, but didn't manage to deliver the charms of the individual cast (beyond just the main couple) that Toradora! managed to do under the same author (Takemiya Yuyuko).
- Magi Season 2, Strike the Blood, Tokyo Ravens, Saki Zenkoku-hen, Witch Craft Works, Tonari no Seki-kun, and many others were essentially a straight reading of their manga and thus were either disappointingly boring by virtue of being adapted from nondescript series or could have done better with the spinoff with the original material.
- Some of the straight reads, however, had decent enough fanservice (e.g.: Chuunibyou S2 with Shichimiya and Sakura Trick) to incite interest even through the mediocrity.
- Overall though, out of the series that I watched, I would only really recommend Log Horizon (excellent world-building) and D-Frag! However, special mention should go to Chuunibyou S2's plot from the LN original for redeeming the franchise by creating a slightly more realistic end and really fleshing out the rest of the cast around the context of the main couple's development. Unfortunately there wasn't enough development throughout the season to merit the tension it forced towards the end, but ah well.
- I did not watch Noragami, Space Dandy, Samurai Flamenco, Kill la Kill, or Nagi no Asakura.
I really, really hope that some of the upcoming series will be deeper and perhaps more thought-provoking or unique or just full-on ham than they appear to be. Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of series this season that seem like a reasonable, casual watch or is good for the fanservice it brings; but isn't it also great to sometimes have a sense of wonder at what a good story in an anime can bring?
- Golden Time had some ups and downs, but didn't manage to deliver the charms of the individual cast (beyond just the main couple) that Toradora! managed to do under the same author (Takemiya Yuyuko).
- Magi Season 2, Strike the Blood, Tokyo Ravens, Saki Zenkoku-hen, Witch Craft Works, Tonari no Seki-kun, and many others were essentially a straight reading of their manga and thus were either disappointingly boring by virtue of being adapted from nondescript series or could have done better with the spinoff with the original material.
- Some of the straight reads, however, had decent enough fanservice (e.g.: Chuunibyou S2 with Shichimiya and Sakura Trick) to incite interest even through the mediocrity.
- Overall though, out of the series that I watched, I would only really recommend Log Horizon (excellent world-building) and D-Frag! However, special mention should go to Chuunibyou S2's plot from the LN original for redeeming the franchise by creating a slightly more realistic end and really fleshing out the rest of the cast around the context of the main couple's development. Unfortunately there wasn't enough development throughout the season to merit the tension it forced towards the end, but ah well.
- I did not watch Noragami, Space Dandy, Samurai Flamenco, Kill la Kill, or Nagi no Asakura.
I really, really hope that some of the upcoming series will be deeper and perhaps more thought-provoking or unique or just full-on ham than they appear to be. Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of series this season that seem like a reasonable, casual watch or is good for the fanservice it brings; but isn't it also great to sometimes have a sense of wonder at what a good story in an anime can bring?
But enough of me rambling on. Here we go.
Note: We have purposefully omitted certain series that are intended towards younger audiences or those that we just don't feel like bothering with (e.g.: series such as PreCure, Jewelpets, etc.) if you want us to preview a series we haven't covered, please leave a comment. Also if possible, we have tried to link here the original material (if any are translated) or the most descriptive news link pertaining to the series at hand.
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Summary: Toei Animation is producing Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers, Marvel's first television anime series for Japanese boys, for Walt Disney Japan to air throughout Japan next spring. Bandai is responsible for turning the characters into merchandising. The series is aimed at male boys ages 6-12.
What...??? 'Murica comics in Japan seems legit.
Sigh...
This...I don't think so.
Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou (4/3)
Summary: Usa, a high-school student aspiring to begin a bachelor lifestyle, moves into a new apartment only to discover that he not only shares a room with a perverted roommate that has an obsession for underaged girls, but also that another girl, Ritsu, a love-at-first-sight, is living in the same building as well.
I actually decent hopes for this series. It probably won't be anything mind blowing, but I read what little of it that was translated a while back (it's been like a year since the last update lol...), and enjoyed it. The mangaka, Miyahara Ruri, also wrote Love Lab, which was a hilarious series, so I'm looking forward to it. Brains Base has shown that it's competent in comedy series from D-Frag! as of late so...let's see what they can make of this
Does Japan have one guy write every anime now?
^Miyahara Ruri is a woman you nub.
The cast is very standard in terms of rom-com; I'm entirely mistrustful of whether the series can create any unique character interactions.
Blade & Soul (4/3)
Summary: Anime spinoff of the Blade & Soul fantasy RPG.
An anime adaption of a game... I probably won't watch it unless someone tells me it is good. Most of these are blatantly targeted to players of the games.
Nop.
I believe the game itself is quite decent (graphics to rival the other Korean MMOs on the market; a martial arts premise; and a unique parkour/flying system, I believe, to supplement the second point), but the spin-offs are probably not going to be anything more than a standard action/martial arts/fantasy series with enough game references to excite the core player base.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders [Season 2] (4/4)
Summary: Second anime season of JoJo. Features the third manga arc of the series.
I keep telling myself I'll get into this series, but I never do...I'm sorry Dio.
Don't care.
Pretty much what OboeOtaku said. It's a classic, should get into the series, but it's just too monolithic for me to digest.
Soul Eater Not! [Season 2] (4/4)
Summary: Spinoff of the Soul Eater series.
I remember reading the manga and thought it was alright, but for sure no Soul Eater. It was cute, but not something that anyone could probably get really into.
I have no opinions of this since I haven't read/watched Soul Eater to begin with.
No comment. Haven't read the original.
Selector Infected Wixoss (4/4)
Summary: WIXOSS is a card game that's popular with teenagers. Supposedly there exist "Rulig Cards," female character cards with wills of their own. Special girls can hear the voices of the Ruligs, and those who possess them are called Selectors. These Selectors have card battles in a dimension that other humans cannot accesBLAHBLAHBLAH SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST CARD GAME RULE THE UNIVERSE PLAY CARDS FUCK BITCHES.
BOSS NOODLES
Ruko Kominato is the latest girl to find a Ruling card.
Probably going to be disappointed if I even start this. I doubt I will, because I am not a masochist.
What is this, Yu-Gi-Oh?
I mean I'll look into it as I did with Z/X Ignition. Am I expecting much? No.
Mushishi: The Next Chapter [Season 2] (4/4)
Summary: Second season of Mushishi.
I kind of wanted to get into this, but I would have to watch an entire season to do so.
^This
Seems like a good, quiet series. Unfortunately, no time. Probably will read manga later.
Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi (4/5)
Summary: People ride dragons. Academy setting with fancy clothes. Male lead doesn't have a cool dragon, instead a dragon in the form of a girl with weird-ass powers. Harem ensues.
Well if I could hatch a beautiful girl, I would consider myself the grandmaster of that academy. I would scoff at all the noobs with dragons.
Flagged for bestiality.
Disregard dragons acquire females. Seriously, it's just standard harem setup, except even the cast is so incoherent and undeveloped at times I don't know the entire list of who actually likes the main guy or not.
Or if they're even at the academy for that matter.
Fairy Tail [Season 2] (4/5)
Summary: Something something something season 2 shounen.
FAIRY TAIL. I LOVE FAIRY TAIL. Read it; not watching it.
FAIRY TAIL. I HATE FAIRY TAIL. Dropped the manga, definitely not watching it.
No comment, haven't read Fairy Tail.
Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo R [Season 2] (4/5)
Summary: Second season of the mystery franchise Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo (Kindaichi Case Files).
This could be promising, but there is no way I would know.
"The identified killers all have deep rooted problems, often involving great emotional trauma through the greed or thoughtlessness of others, as their reasons for committing the murder(s). Thus the killers are often portrayed as sympathetic figures, as opposed to cold, calculating killers in some other mystery series.
In addition of this, after being revealed the criminal usually attempts to commit suicide."
~Wikipedia
Lmfao.
If the series doesn't rely on old graphics to make it all nostalgic and such, I might just go through it since mystery series usually have above-average plots.
Ping Pong (4/10)
Summary: Makoto Tsukimoto (nicknamed Smile) is a quiet high-schooler who's been friends with the loud and energetic Yukata Hoshino (nicknamed Peco) since childhood. They're both in the local table tennis club and both have a natural talent for it, although Smile's personality always enables him from winning against Peco. The club teacher, however, notices Smile's talent and tries to make him gain some sportive tenacity.
This just looks really weird. I honestly wouldn't watch it just from that.
The Uncanny Valley rears its ugly head once more.
inb4 useless ping pong trivia and wrong details about the mechanics of playing ping pong.
Hitsugime no Chaika (4/2014)
Summary: Male lead is tough but out-of-practice soldier/assassion/wily-guy-for-hire with brocon sister. Finds white-haired girl with huge coffin. Travels begin.
Um that is the greatest explanation I have ever seen.
I would say that I'd try this, but considering that I've been "following" the manga for a while now without bothering to read any updates, I probably won't watch this.
Will try out, but to be quite honest the convoluted and very "distant objective"-based plot just makes the series seem like an excuse to draw rom-com fantasy scenes, chase sequences, and of course white-haired girls with huge motherfucking coffins on their backs.
Haikyuu!! (4/2014)
Summary: Volleyball sports series
Read it. If done right, this could be the sports anime this season. It was pretty intense plot.
Prepare yourself for the incoming wave of yaoi shotacon fanart and doujins.
As long as they don't spend an episode where they talk about the volleyball or the net in a sexual manner like they do with the water in Free, I might be able to watch the series without facepalming or having small spasms.
La Corda d'Oro Blue Sky (4/2014)
Summary: Otome game (visual novel/dating sim for girls)
Lol shoujo.
Better than the Zeus one.
shrugs
Baby Steps (4/2014)
Summary: Another sports series, but with shoujo romance. Involves tennis.
This sounds like it is going to be a insanely slow anime. The guy is gonna take like a million baby steps.
^Agreed. Especially considering the name of the title...
Improving in tennis, one step at a time. Disappointing myself, one episode at a time.
Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka? (4/2014)
Summary: One of the obligatory 4-koma + "girls doing random shit" series. Involves different types of tea as the theme.
I love girls doing random shit, sooo no.
Perfect.
Unless it's a really funny series, I'll keep away from it.
Isshuukan Friends (4/2014)
Summary: Quiet slice-of-life. Guy likes girl. Girl has amnesia trope that resets her memories every week. Very convenient plot device for creating drama.
Going for the high maintenance girl. This is like 50 first dates scenario.
http://www.fakku.net/manga/shoujo-material-chapter-8-english
I hope the anime covers some of the stuff that the manga hasn't yet. It's by no means the best series out there, but it's quite realistic and respectable even after it pulled out that amnesia trope. Probably will have some awful forced misunderstandings somewhere though.
Gokukoku no Brynhildr (4/2014)
Summary: Male lead's childhood friend dies in an accident, but as per usual someone appears that looks just like her. Fantasy-action-harem ensues.
This seems somewhat interesting, but I doubt it will be anything good unless shit hits the fan.
Gokukoku = Goku Koku = Goku Cocku = Goku Cock
To be quite honest, my tolerance of this series will all hinge on how long they're gonna play the autism game with the main girl's background story. If she is the dead childhood friend resurrected or some shit, it better get explained by halfway through the season or I'm just gonna start getting mad at the obvious forced ignorant male lead/probable kuudere main heroine treatment. I'm not gonna stand for the main girl's background becoming the end objective of the entire series. That's a fucking terrible setup.
No Game, No Life (4/2014)
Summary: Genius NEET siblings (brocon sister and awkward male lead included) kicking ass and climbing League of Legends rankings get sucked into a game world. You can guess what happens next. Bonus fanservice and oppai mousepad included.
Reminds me of Mondaiji but looks more dumb.
Enough with the fucking game world scenarios.
Standard genius mains --> run into problem --> take 5 chapters to solve it in the most inefficient way possible but magically covers all possible loopholes --> rom-com intermission + introduction to next arc/problem. Been there, done that, only really here for the rom-com.
Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin (4/2014)
Summary: Young man searching for treasure as dictated by plot. Rom-com supernatural events follow.
Characters randomly suspended in air, must be worth the watch.
Nothing really catches me about this. Maybe if the OP is good...
Yea, doesn't really impress me.
Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei (4/2014)
Summary: Genius sister and Naruto brother enter magic-tech high school, er Hogwarts in 2100, and rom-com supernatural action occurs.
Probably the only thing I actually want to watch. I read about 2 pages of the novel. Main character internalizes a lot.
One of those series I always ignored on Batoto and BakaTsuki. I remember my roommate giggling about something about incestuous stuff in this series. Use that to determine whether you want to watch it.
I hope the plot doesn't involve evil beings with advanced technology/magic
Oh shit am I in the wrong blog for that
Akuma no Riddle (4/2014)
Summary: Yuri + "assassins" (read: rude interruptions in the middle of lesbian sex)
I really don't want to watch this, but there's Yuri, so I guess I'm in.
I really don't want to watch this, but there's Yuri, so I guess I'm not.
Guys pls
Black Bullet (4/2014)
Summary: post-apocalyptic (quasi?) where the viruses that killed everybody also give some people superpowers. Tensions rise between the guys that benefited and the guys that got fucked.
Gonna watch it just cuz, and see what's up.
So basically Tadashii Kodomo no Tsukurikata cept without the attempted sex.
Tears will be shed. Hairs will be torn. Drama llamas will be ridden on.
Captain Earth (4/2014)
Summary: Mecha vs aliens. Anime original.
Damn this isn't Captain Planet.
Mecha's not my forte, get CrimsonMonarch on this crap.
SO CLOSE TO CAPTAIN PLANET
Majin Bone (4/2014)
Summary: Something something anime based off of digital card game.
Hearthstone?
Probably.
W/e
Date A Live II [Season 2] (4/2014)
Summary: Second season of the Date A Live anime series.
Aww yeah. It ended in a terrible cliffhanger, so it better do something good here.
Not touching this shit.
Will probably only cover two more girls before ending. Probably will not give a good conclusion. Also it's becoming more "plot-heavy", which means more incoherent action sequences and less of the fanservice that makes DAL actually decent.
Mangaka-san to Assistant-san to (4/2014)
Summary: Hiroyuki (artist) original. Set within a mangaka's workplace. Absurd rom-com and impossible slapstick happen.
The manga is hilarious, so I'm assuming the anime's going to be good as well.
Taking a gamble on this one, but ehhh.
Hiroyuki can be an acquired taste, but quite good if you're into it.
Mekaku City Actors (4/2014)
Summary: Based off the light novel original Kagerou Project. NEET male lead goes outside, meets friends with supernatural abilities, slice-of-life + some action-y stuff occurs (presumably). The anime will be illustrated by Shinbo Akiyuki under Shaft.
I have no clue what I was suppose to get out of this, but Shaft.
Ah lord, the Vocaloid fans are going to have a field day with this. On that note, whether or not I will watch this will hinge on the quality of the music.
Haven't read this, but gonna try it out I guess.
Magica Wars (4/2014)
Summary: Based off iOS game original. Directed by Gainax. Each of the 47 prefectures in Japan are personified by a magical girl (voice actors from the respective prefectures).
Well. I learned literally nothing about this.
It's Gainax. That should be enough for most people to decide whether they want to watch it or not.
Magical girls based on prefectures guys. Let's be real honest here, this shit just next-leveled Kantai Collection.
Kanojo ga Flag o Oraretara (4/2014)
Summary: Nickname - "Gaworare". Obligatory fanservice series of the season. Male lead is semi-conscious of girls, sees various "flags"/event triggers above peoples' heads (e.g.: death, friendship, love), rom-com/harem ensues. Original art by Cuteg.
This was actually a fairly amusing little series from what I remember. Definitely a series to try I would think, especially given the quality of the rest of the season.
So the world god only knows?
IMO probably the best fanservice you're gonna get this season, although since there are way too many girls from the beginning of the series it suffers from a huge lack of cast development.
Daimidaler the Sound Robot (4/2014)
Summary: "Kouichi Madanbashi is a high schooler who possesses Hi-ERo particles, which are used as an energy source for the robot Daimidaler. He obtains these particles by groping females, and uses them to power up the robot in order to fight penguin-shaped robots from the evil Penguin Empire."
I didn't know ecchi and mecha could be put in the same tag cloud until now.
What the fuck are you talking about ExtraCareful, you watched Infinite Stratos while it was airing lol.
On a more serious note...Fuck this, penguins aren't evil!
Curse you penguin empire. What is the point of the penguins?
^To be kawaii-uguu.
That Infinite Stratos comment is actually too true. Also I don't know what the fuck is going on in this series. Does this shit have good graphics?
Fuuun Ishin Dai Shogun (4/2014)
Summary: Some historical fiction. What happens when foreigners are repelled and Meiji Restoration (1868) didn't happen?
"I can be the greatest man in the world, because I am a virgin!!"
Such a great quote.
In place of an actual comment, have a picture instead
At this point, he should just wait until 50.
Love Live! School idol project [Season 2] (4/2014)
Summary: Second anime season of the multimedia "poor man's iM@S" project, Love Live!
No comment.
I haven't even finished IdolM@ster lol, no way I'm going to start on this anytime soon.
I still stand by my statement that Love Live season one had better character development overall than iM@S did. I'm actually slightly looking forward to this. Of course, I'm also interested in seeing how the idols will react when they realize that Pizza Hut has an ongoing $10 Any Pizza Deal.
Kamigami no Asobi ~Ludere deorum~ (4/2014)
Summary: Otome game (visual novel for girls). Reverse harem. Academy setting and every guy is a classical god like Zeus.
I would be saying that otome games have some pretty weird ideas for setting up harems, but considering that the first VN I played was Koihime Musou, I don't think I can say much...
Everyone looks dumb on this cover.
I COULD try an episode, but the premise is unimpressive.
Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky (4/2014)
Summary: Spinoff promo anime from game original of the same name. Made under Studio Gokumi (A-Channel, Accel World, Oda Nobuna no yabou, Saki Achiga-hen - Episode of Side A)
You had me at Accel World, so one episode trial.
Iunno about watching it, but I should try the games one day.
I'll definitely play the games someday. Will try the anime out, although if it ends up like the Shining Hearts series.....
Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii (4/2014)
Summary: Shoujo with fantasy setting. Batoto comments do not look promising...
"When shonen and shoujo genres were defined it's as if an agreement was made to see which could produce the most banal works.
soredemo sekai wa utsukushii is a shot across the bow. Your move, shonen." - MrPoogly, 3/5/2014 10:18 AM
^LOL
This is pretty random. The guy must have been inspired by LSD.
That is a bad sign if I ever seen one.
Reviewed series in total: 36
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Another season, another reason to bitch about shitty series. Here we go, boys.
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