The Season of Likable Heroines

Winter 2012 is turning out to be a pretty good season, due in large part to some really likable heroines.  Typically, Japan likes plumbing the depths of the darker neuroses of humanity in their leads.  However, this time around there are three atypical female leads that stand out.

Here’s the setup:  you’re a teenage girl living in a small seaside town where you are a jock and well-liked.  You discover that you have bonded with an alien robot, that now will only let you pilot it.  You are befriended by an alien princess, and now must defend Earth from bad guys.  What would be your reaction?  If you’re Madoka Kyono, your reaction is to ROLL WITH IT.  Madoka’s relentlessly positive attitude, and healthy self-confidence make her an extremely likable presence.  Every boy within 10 miles should have sniffed her out like a white fox!  The thing I always hated about accidental mecha pilots was their pitiful self-loathing at tackling the task of piloting a huge robot.  Not Madoka.  She takes to it like she’s trying out a new sport.  She wins with guts and bravado.  As she gains experience, she’ll be frightening to go up against.  The plot of Rinne no Lagrange is moving pretty slowly, but you don’t care.  Madoka leads an attractive cast, and once the story picks up, it should be a blast!

Here’s another setup:  You’re a high school student on an Earth-like planet in the distant future.  Everything about your life is pretty typical.  You discover one day that your absent father died.  He was a notorious pirate, and you are the only one who can inherit his pirate ship and continue being a privateer for the government.  What do you do?  If you’re Marika Kato, you tell the world you’ll think about it, and go on a training mission with your Space Yacht Club.  Marika has proven herself to have the talent and aptitude to be a Space Pirate Captain.  When thugs try to kidnap, then destroy the ship she’s on, she outsmarts them without any weapons or shields.  Marika is very sure of herself, and positive.  She seems hyper-aware in space, and is decisive.  Using the solar sails to reflect an optical blast at her attackers was inspired.  The story should pick up now that Marika has agreed to helm the Bettenmaru. Bodacious Space Pirates could go wrong in so many ways, but it won’t be because of the high school girl with the pirate hat.

Finally, 26 years ago, a girl died mysteriously.  Her class, possibly overcome by grief, refuses to acknowledge her death and acts like she’s there the whole time.  Cut to the present, transfer student Koichi Sakakibara notices an odd girl with an eyepatch in the hospital elevator.  His classmates and people associated with him begin to die mysteriously.  Is Mei Misaki the cause?  Another is a horror/suspense series that’s approaching a mystery the old-fashioned way.  It owes much to Hitchcock, King and David Lynch—as it relies on atmosphere and interesting characters.  Mei Misaki is an unusual female lead.  She isn’t menacing to Koichi at all.  In fact, she seems to be flirting with him.  The more he learns about her, the more he wants to know.  Is she drawing him into a trap?  Japan doesn’t have a good history telling stories like this.  If they avoid a mystical or alien ending, it will be one to remember.  One reason is the quiet, soulful presence of Mei Misaki.

There are others worth mentioning.  Isanami is the 16-year-old miko being hunted by ninjas in Brave 10.  Her puppy-like wonder at the world outside the monastery makes you want to protect her.  Ririchiyo is the heiress to a wealthy household.  She’s also part oni, and goes to live under the protection of a Secret Service Agent with a mysterious connection to her past in Inu x Boku SS.  She’s capable, but has some self-loathing issues to work out.  The odd folks around her are helping her come out of her shell.  Rias Gremory is the sister of Lucifer battling fallen angels in High School DxD.  She’s a sexy bombshell who spends an uncomfortable amount of time naked, yet she keeps the show moving forward.

All in all, this season may be setting the pace for female leads for the year.  If so, 2012 will be a fine year indeed.  Now if only the men would follow, anime would see a renaissance not seen since the mid-90s!

Winter 2012 1st Impressions Part 2

Most of the new shows have aired.  Here are the rest of the ones I managed to get through the first episode of:

What I Watched:  The Daily Lives of High School Boys

What I Expected:  More male bonding, less funny

What I Got:  Perhaps the funniest show of the season

I was leery about this show, having endured the smug boredom of Kimi to Boku.  However, this is an animal of a different stripe.  It has more in common with Azumanga Daioh and Nichijou than male bonding crap.  It is a gag comedy, and the focus is on the jokes.  In that regard, they got one of the best to lead them.  Tomokazu Sugita is one of the most gifted comedic actors in anime, and his Gintoki cum Kyon-inspired internal monologues at the end was one of the most masterful in years.  The producers have their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks on this one, and if there is male bonding, it’s just collateral damage from the funny.

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Lock.  This one’s a keeper!

What I Watched:  Inu x Boku SS

What I Expected: A class-obsessed manners comedy

What I Got:  Hayate the Wolf-Boy Butler

This was a hard one to call.  On the one hand, the story of a bullied rich girl living on her own to isolate herself is touching.  On the other, her defense mechanism of insulting anyone who strays into her field of vision is annoying.  Thank goodness the Secret Service agent assigned to guard her is completely devoted to her and immune to her verbal barbs.  Ririchiyo is redeemable, and Soushi is determined to be by her side.  It doesn’t hurt that he’s a half-fox demon with tremendous powers!  Will these two find what they’re looking for?  What do you think?  Despite the rather bland setup, the artwork and odd characters that populate the mansion she’s staying in make it worth a watch.

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Fair.  If the drama bomb goes off, however, I’m gone!

What I Watched:  Kill Me Baby

What I Expected:  A gag comedy

What I Got:  A best friends gag comedy

Setting aside the most atrocious opening theme I’ve ever heard, this show has promise.  A hyperactive chatterbox teamed with a taciturn, irritable hitman (girl) should be a little more frenetic than this.  It needs Nichijou’s pacing to keep things moving.  Based on a 4-koma manga, the gags should come fast and furious.  The producers take their own sweet time setting up and executing jokes.  The timing is not quite there, yet.  There are some chuckles to be had, and Agiri the troll ninja is a nice wild card thrown in to keep it from bogging down. 

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Fair.  I’ll give it a few more episodes to get into a groove.

What I Watched:  Papa no Iu Koto wo Kikinasai

What I Expected:  Aishiteruze Baby x 3

What I Got:  A bit of a schizophrenic start, but a nice recovery

Japan can craft comedies out of the most dark material.  If I told you a 19-year-old college student was forced to watch out for his 3 nieces after their parents go missing in a presumed plane crash, you would be horrified.  If I told you that the 14-year-old had a secret crush on her uncle, you would be doubly horrified.  Yet from this setup we’re supposed to get a slice-of-life comedy, while the boy tries to court his bizarre sempai from college.  To its credit, the show doesn’t hit you in the face with the tragedy.  They spent this first episode focusing on Yuuta’s new life at college.  He goes to watch the girls at the end, and we’re sort of left hanging.  How are they going to keep this from turning into an angst-fest?

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Fair. I don’t know how they will keep this light, though.

What I Watched:  Ano Natsu de Matteru

What I Expected:  Another uneven entry in the Onegai series

What I Got:  A near remake of Onegai Teacher 

I have to admit, as cheesy as it was, I did enjoy Onegai Teacher.  Strip away all the nonsense, and it’s just a nice little love story in a genre that hates them.  The sequel, Onegai Twins was not as good, as they really milked the love triangle aspect.  This one, ostensibly a prequel, starts out in a similar fashion to the first show.  Alien explorer Ichika accidentally injures Kaito with her ship, then heals him and insinuates herself into his life.  Haruka Tomatsu is likably bland as Ichika, and as a tribute to the first series, they bring back Yukari Tamura in a similar role to Morino in Onegai Teacher.  They end the first show in a similar fashion, too.  Ichika is in a state of undress, while trying to revive an ailing Kaito as his older sister and childhood friend walk in on them.  What will happen next?  Puh-lease…

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Fair.  I’ll probably stick around until the love triangle with the childhood friend heats up.

What I Watched:  Rinne no Lagrange

What I Expected:  Girls Club Happy Robot Protection Club Yay!

What I Got:  A plucky female lead, and one big ass alien robot

It must be a universal dream of animators to be a small child finding a big robot that you can protect the Earth with.  Gigantor comes to mind immediately.  What if that child is a hot, 16-year-old athletic girl who loves her town and has one of the most positive outlooks in recent memory.  That’s what Madoka brings to the table.  When she’s accosted by cool alien Lan, she doesn’t freak out.  When Lan tells her she’s an alien, Madoka is cool with that.  When Madoka defeats an alien robot by using hers to perform a German Suplex on it, you suddenly realize that this isn’t your father’s big robot show.  Madoka is my vote for best female lead since the days of All-Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku…and that’s high praise!

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Good.  Madoka makes this show work.

What I Watched:  Another

What I Expected:  A brooding horror suspense mystery

What I Got:  An underrated horror show that tips its cap to King, Lynch and Kubrick

This should be dreadful, but I actually got into the flow of the show.  It’s creepy alright, but it’s not in anticipation of what’s hiding around the corner creepy.  It’s more atmospheric along the lines of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.  Who killed Mei Misaki?  And what connection does she have to new transfer student Kouichi?  He’s determined to unravel the mystery, and it plays out almost as if he’s romancing the ghost of Mei.  The other parts of the series are pretty rote for a horror show, but it’s not about screaming bloody skulls.  It’s about searching in the dark for the light switch.

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Good.  Horror’s not usually my bag, but this interests me.

What I Watched:  Zero no Tsukaima F

What I Expected:  More of the same from the abusive tsundere mage and her human weapon familiar

What I Got:  Another walk down URUSAI INU BAKA Lane

In what they promise is the final installment of the series, Louise, Saito and the gang get embroiled in another political tiff with the Pope and other countries.  All the elements are there, and nothing much has changed.  If you liked the first three series, this one will feel like a well-worn catcher’s mitt to you.  If you didn’t (like me), it’s just pure torture.  Louise is the poster girl for tsundere who can’t just tell the person they love that they love them.  Her discomfort manifests as abuse toward Saito.  He’s no angel, but he doesn’t deserve to heat thrown his way.  Add to the mix two other hot girls who are angling for him, and the main plot becomes window dressing.  It’s professionally done.  I just don’t really care.

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Poor.  If Louise ever grew up, I would give her a chance.  I’m not waiting around until the last minutes of the last episode of the last series to find out.

What I Watched:  Aquarian Evol

What I Expected:  LOVE and GATTAI attacks everywhere

What I Got:  OMGWTFBBQLEEEROOOOOYJENKINS

I had watched the original ages ago.  It was forgettable.  This time they pulled out all the stops and gave us a double episode to start with.  The background art is gorgeous, and the music by Yoko Kanno is spot on.  However, they kept the LOVE and GATTAI attacks, which I just can’t take seriously.  The characters are all shopworn archetypes, and the quasi-military staging is a little off-putting.  I guess it isn’t that different from Macross Frontier.  That series was wildly uneven, and I’m expecting this one to be as well.  I suppose this isn’t a bad action fix for the season.

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Fair.  It’s not really my thing, but I’ll give it a few more episodes.

What I Watched:  Brave 10

What I Expected:  The hot-blooded action and homoerotic undertones of a typical Sengoku Era story

What I Got:  Another plucky female lead surrounded by hairy generals

If half the battle in making a good show is casting, then Brave 10 have it licked.  Daisuke Ono is the grumpy ninja saddled with a wide-eyed teenage miko who’s never been outside the temple before.  Rina Satou is an attractive Isanami.  A 16-year-old scared pup who’s being hunted should be a total mess.  Isanami is good-natured enough and curious enough to want to protect.  Saizou learns this the hard way when they first meet.  All the big names from the era are there, and if the action in the first episode is indicative of what to expect, it should be action-packed.

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Fair.  Again, samurais not named Gintoki are not really my bag, but the characters are intriguing.

Winter 2012 is looking more and more like Spring 2011 – a season for the ages.  I’m sure there’s something you can find to watch.  Happy New Year!

Winter 2012 1st Impressions

It begins….

What I Watched:  Nisemonogatari

What I Expected:  The focus to shift to Araragi’s sisters

What I Got:  Bakemonogatari Part II

It’s as if they hadn’t been away for two years.  They really went for the jugular this opening episode, with a Mirai Nikki tribute in the beginning, and an extended 4th Wall-breaking dialogue between Araragi and Hachikuji.  We only got a glimpse of one of his sisters (Tsukihi), and we still haven’t seen Hanekawa, Kanbaru or Karen.  It looks like they’re taking their sweet time to get the plot rolling.  Oh well, it’s not like I wasn’t expecting SHAFT to give up the goods in the first episode!

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Good.  I’ve been waiting for this one.

What I Watched:  Milky Holmes II

What I Expected:  Not much, since I dropped the first series after episode 4.

What I Got:  More stupid antics from the most inept crime fighters in anime history

Every so often, a popular series comes along that has literally nothing going for it.  Yet, it’s the favorite series of ironic hipsters and drunken fratboys.  Milky Holmes is that franchise.  There’s nothing about the series that can be called “good”.  It makes Scooby Doo look like Chekov.  The girls are still cute.  They still do dumb things.  They still insult the intelligence of a comatose dog, yet the franchise continues.  I’m done ragging on it.  I’m done with it period.

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Not even if it were to save the Earth from alien destruction.

What I Watched:  Mouretsu Pirates

What I Expected:  Sora Kake Girl part II

What I Got:  An entertaining little show with little fanservice

I refuse to call it by its Americanized name, Bodacious Space Pirates.  That name insults it and distracts from an interesting flight of fancy.  Once again, a girl is called to step up and have a grand adventure that she doesn’t think she’s ready for.  The cast is huge, but they’re playing it smart in slowly introducing all the important ones first.  The futuristic setting isn’t too foreign, and Marika is a winning heroine.  She doesn’t bemoan her fate, or shy away from action.  She isn’t headstrong or overly energetic.  In fact, she’s the most “normal” heroine we’ve had since the 90s.  It’s very refreshing!

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Good, I’m getting good vibes from this one.

What I Watched:  The New Prince of Tennis

What I Expected:  Hot blooded action and Dragonball-Z type power ups

What I Got:  A nice little reboot to a venerable shounen series

The Prince of Tennis was one of the more popular long-running action shows of the last decade.  It also was much lampooned, since the special skills the players exhibited were otherworldly.  Just as Dragonball kept upping the ante until whole galaxies were being threatened, The Prince of Tennis kept stretching the suspension of disbelief to the quantum breaking point.  So with Ryoma returning from America to participate in a training camp with the best in Japan, it looks like a fine place to restart the series.  It’s interesting that they’ve already introduced the final boss, and it looks like an Enter the Dragon-style tournament to get to him.  Good luck, Ryoma!

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Poor.  My two least favorite genres in anime are sports anime and hot-blooded shounen.

What I Watched:  Senki Zesshou Symphogear

What I Expected:  Another Pretty Cure type magical girl show

What I Got:  A grimdark magical girl show a la Madoka

I really hate Puella Magi Madoka Magica.  Not because it’s a bad show.  I hate it because it introduced the grim magical girl genre.  There were casualties.  There was suffering.  Not the girl-positive upbeat style we all expect from magical girl series.  Senki Zesshou Symphogear takes the mantle from Madoka, and drops it—because it isn’t as good.  There’s an undercurrent of darkness and desperation about his show.  Humanity is being attack by extra-dimensional monsters a la Silent Möbius.  Singing idols have the power to use special armor and weapons to fight the invaders.  The battle isn’t going well for the good guys.  There isn’t any fun about this series.  And the story is too boilerplate to transcend that fact.

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Poor.  Excellent singing from Nana Mizuki is the only reason to keep tabs on this one.

What I Watched:  High School DxD

What I Expected:  Another monster girl harem a la Rosario + Vampire

What I Got:  A gory, sexy, funny romp

After getting burned from last year’s stinker Freezing, I was a little leery about getting into another ecchi horror action series.  I was pleasantly surprised.  This has more in common with Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka than High School of the Dead.  Also, it feels very natural despite the fact the lead was killed and then resurrected as a servant to Lucifer’s sister!  More girls will be introduced, and our hero is entertainingly perverted.  This show wears a big grin from start to finish.  Oh, and the rampant nudity doesn’t hurt, either!

Chances I’ll Keep Watching:  Good.  I’ve found my guilty pleasure of the season.

The new shows keep coming!  Part II on the way.

Seiyuu Awards 2011

2011 was a pretty good year for anime, and one of the reasons was the inspired work of many seiyuu.  Here are my end of the year awards:

Breakout Star (F):  Ai Kayano

2011 was a breakthrough year for Ai Kayano, who came out of nowhere to star in some very high-profile roles.  Her voice is slight, but like Mamiko Noto, she has full command of every inch of it.  From the mysterious loli Menma in Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shirinai to the ballbusting Class Rep Ume in Ben-To, Ai more than held her own against some industry heavyweights.  She needs a little more polish before she can become a consistent leading lady, but that’s just a matter of time.

Breakout Star (M):  Yuuki Kaiji

Kaiji has always been a reliable character actor, but now he’s being entrusted to one of the more difficult roles for guys:  harem lead.  It takes a steady hand not to fall into the many traps awaiting harem leads, but he has acquitted himself nicely.  As the teenaged basketball coach of middle school girls in Ro-Kyu-Bu, he had to be attractive without crossing the loli line.  As Haruaki in C³, he had to manage a group of anthropomorphized cursed objects without winding up the final casualty.  He also could do action, as the lead in Guilty Crown.  Not a bad résumé in one year!

MVP (F):  Yukari Tamura

One of the highest honor paid to a seiyuu is that they make whatever it is they’re in better – regardless of how bad the show is!  Yukarin has that rare ability to elevate slight material and make it watchable.  In fact, she nearly steals the show.  As Tabane, the genius inventor of the IS System in Infinite Stratos, Yukarin stole every scene she was in – and she didn’t show up until episode 9!  She also took a challenging role as Fiya, the torture cube trying to become human in C³.  It’s getting so that if you see Yukarin in the credits, you should give that series an even chance.  Even if it sucks, you’ll get an outstanding performance!

MVP (M):  Yuuichi Nakamura

Nakamura looks like this generation’s Takehito Koyasu:  a seiyuu that can do anything, and isn’t afraid to try!  He did bad guys (Gai – Guilty Crown), strong silent bros (Ryuu – Kimi ni Todoke 2), slapstick comedy (Goro – Squid Girl 2), and anything else that was asked of him.  Plus, he’s one of the few in the male seiyuu brotherhood that can go toe to toe with Tomokazu Sugita.  Look for more of him in 2012.

Aya Hirano Award (Most Overexposed):  The girls of SPHERE

While each of the girls are fine actors in their own right, I think the whole SPHERE phenomenon is on it’s last legs.  It’s as if the anime public is starting to recognize that strong personalities don’t overcome a lack of singing talent.  Haruka Tomatsu has the most juice right now, she might be able to continue on as a solo idol.  Minako Kotobuki may be the best singer, but she’s often overshadowed by the other girls’ stronger personalities.  Ayahi Takagaki is the odd woman out, which is a shame because she’s the most comfortable on a stage.  Aki Toyosaki seems to have withstood the boyfriend scandal, and she’s continuing to do fine acting work.  There’s rumored to be a series this Summer featuring SPHERE.  I wonder if anyone will still care after the abortion that was SPHERE CLUB.

2012 is off to a roaring start.  Let’s hope we get another strong year from anime’s acting professionals!

Top 10 Anime of 2011

The Fall season has concluded, and 2012 is just around the corner.  Time to list my Top 10 series from 2011.  Remember, these are the best shows that I finished.  If your favorite was left off the list, I guess you should get your own anime blog!

10.  Rio – Rainbow Gate:  So what is one of the most reviled series of 2011 doing on my Top 10 list?  Simple.  It was the best guilty pleasure I watched all year.  It never took itself too seriously, the girls were gorgeous, and it never lost its infectious fun.  From poking fun at classic series to putting Rio in increasingly ridiculous challenges, this show always delivered.

9.   Fractale:  While this show didn’t save anime, it was a competent fantasy action series.  It didn’t have enough time to flesh out its ambitious plot, but what we got was excellent acting, Studio Ghibli-inspired backgrounds, and a lovely soundtrack.  It was a bit of a mess, but an interesting mess at that.

8.   Level E:  This may be the greatest troll series ever created.  The anthology framework may have kept you disoriented, but the antics of a naughty alien prince getting his comeuppance was well worth the monkey ride.

7.   The World God Only Knows 2:  The continuing adventures of the “Capturing God” and his demon sidekick picked up right where they left off in Season One.  Keima would have been insufferable in lesser hands than Hiro Shimono.  Kanae Ito also shined as the sweet, fire truck-loving demon Elsie.  We also got introduced to overachieving demon Haqua, and her sparring with Keima kept things lively.  This is basically screaming for a Season 3.

6.   Ro-Kyu-Bu:  The set up is a bit repellant, with viewers expected to ogle middle-school girls in basketball pants.  However, this was one of the best ensemble pieces of the year.  The personalities of the five girls meshed very well, making them underdogs worthy of rooting for.

5.  Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka?: As Japan feels its way around combining comedy, drama and horror, this series works pretty well thanks to a strong lead.  The inevitable harem elements actually detracted somewhat from its power, but a strong ending and the promising sequel make it all worth while.

4.  Kimi ni Todoke 2:  After the first season full of angst, humor and likable characters, Season 2 had to be made for the payoff.  And we got it…sort of.  Watching Sawako and Kazehaya take baby steps toward becoming a couple was exquisite agony.  Mamiko Noto deserves praise for giving voice to Sawako’s social awkwardness.  While the drama and misunderstandings came on a little thick most of the time, the strong characters always rescued it from soap opera slop.

3.   Infinite Stratos:  There are so many ways this could have gone wrong, and to be fair it ended sort of weakly.  However, this futuristic action harem comedy was worth a watch thanks to the strong females in the cast.  There was a girl for every taste, and that girl was well-acted and strongly built.  They are teasing us with OVA releases.  I hope it gets a proper Season 2.

2.   Denpa Onna to Seshun Otoko:  Slice-of-life gets the SHAFT treatment, as we get a wheelbarrow full of terrible quirky, interesting girls and one intrepid boy edging toward adulthood.  Stepping back from it all, one can marvel at how much happened between the characters.  Makoto sacrificed his right arm to bring his cousin back from the brink of madness.  He’s got not one, but two hot (odd) girls chasing him – along with his MILF aunt.  Talk all you want about Bakemonogatari, this is SHAFT’s most impressive series about a boy growing up.    

1.  Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai:  Sporting the highest re-watchability factor of any series, Haganai impressed me with its humane treatment of socially awkward people.  It didn’t mock them like Genshiken, nor did it trash things up with supernatural elements like Haruhi.  It was just a group of social misfits trying to find ways to fit in.  The story between Yozora and Kodaka seemed shoehorned in at the end.  However, I can’t imagine them not doing a second season so we can pursue the plot playing out in the light novel series.  This show didn’t try and do too much, it stayed in its comfort zone.

2011 was a pretty good year for anime.  Here’s hoping that 2012 is an even better year! 

Fall Season Wrap Part 2

Wrapping it all up:

What I Watched:  UN-GO

What I Expected:  Another supernatural detective series

What I Got:  A stylish, sexy mess of a series

After a year filled with gothic, Sherlock Holmes-style thrillers (Gosick, Dantalian no Shoka), here we have a futuristic take on the supernatural detective series.  Unlike the precious two mentioned, UN-GO takes an angular approach to crime-solving.  The crimes themselves aren’t very intriguing.  It’s the framework which they are presented that’s fascinating.  Shijuro and Inga are pawns in a much larger narrative, and that’s what really pulls you in.  We get dribs and drabs of who the characters really are with each successive solution and subsequent cover up.  While the big reveal was a bit lacking, the framework remains.  We also haven’t seen how Shijuro and Inga meet, and how they came to depend on one another.  It had pretty good acting, with special props to Aki Toyosaki – pulling off shota/femme fatale demon Inga with surprising ease.  It’s left itself open for a second season, and I hope they follow through.  We don’t get to see shows like this enough.  UN-GO gets 3 1/2 stars out of 5.

What I Watched:  Kimi to Boku

What Expected:  Gay high school boys doing boring things

What I Got:  (Mostly) Straight high school boys doing boring things

We’ve had our fill of high school girls doing boring things, how about the guys taking a turn?  Since slice-of-life shows depend on the quality of the characters that inhabit them, Kimi to Boku sort of falls flat.  They have the usual assortment of archetypes:  healing-type, stern glasses-wearing student, my-pace identical twins & overly-energetic outsider.  When the typical character types are transplanted to boys, it doesn’t work very well.  It’s not surreal like Azumanga Daioh.  It’s not frenetic like Nichijou.  It’s rather polite and understated.  It’s like they drew a series for girls, and at the last minute replaced them with boys.  It isn’t offensive, and Shun is a likable protagonist.  I don’t regret watching it.  I just wasn’t very excited about watching it.  Kimi to Boku gets 2 stars out of 5.

What I Watched:  Wagnaria!! Season 2

What I Expected:  More slice-of-life from the world’s strangest family restaurant workers

What I Got:  Better than season one, but still a little lacking

I had forgot that the official title had changed from Working!! to the name of the restaurant.  No matter, it’s still the same Grand Slam Breakfast served on the same plate.  By now all the interactions are set, and save for the introduction of a few new characters, everything is pretty much the same.  Thank goodness they put Inami on a leash for much of the show.  Her neurotic punching of Souta was more a pathetic cry for help than physical humor.  Poplar is still short, Satou is still cranky, Yamada is still weird and the Manager still eats too many parfaits.  If you loved season one, this one is for you.  If you were ambivalent about it (as I was), this is just another bran muffin for your brain.  Wagnaria!! Season 2 gets 2 stars out of 5.

What I Watched:  Shinryaku!! Ika Musume Season 2

What I Expected:  More of the same

What I Got:  Second verse, same as the first!

One of the joys of adapting a successful manga series is the numerous story possibilities.  One of the pains is you can’t really race ahead of the manga author.  We get more slice-of-life antics from the cutest anthropomorphic squid ever to invade out of the sea.  However, we learn nothing more about her.  Why is she here?  Why does she look like a 13-year-old girl, when all the other giant squid look like they come from an H.P. Lovecraft novel?  We get no answers.  It still is one of the most charming shows I’ve seen, but it feels like they’re bumping up against the limitations of this current set up.  While the quality remains the same, the surprise factor is gone.  There’s also an undercurrent of melancholy about the series.  It’s as is the author is preparing us to part with Ika Musume sometime in the near future.  It still is enjoyable, and as long as we get the occasional Mini Ika sequence, I’ll be happy.  Shinryaku!! Ika Musume Season 2 gets 3 1/2 stars out of 5.

The Winter Anime season beings after the New Year.  As usual, I’ll watch as many of the new series as I can and deliver my first impressions.  Happy New Year!

Fall Season Wrap Part 1

Most of the Fall shows have wrapped up.  Here’s my take on the ones I actually finished:

What I Watched:  Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukanai

What I Expected:  Band of misfits discovering their true potential

What I Got:  Interesting character interactions from some very damaged people

Socially awkward people are the lifeblood of otaku culture.  The nerds that obsess over the correct coloring and style of pantsu on a figurine can relate to a club for friendless people.  Each character had their own quirk, with the near-normal Kodaka leading the group.  The main love triangle was kept quiet by his terminal denseness.  It never got overbearing or creepy, though it did flirt with schmaltz at the end with Yozora’s big reveal. In the end, everything went back to normal(?), and it’s set up beautifully for a second season.  That’s good news, because this show is the best one of the Fall.  Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukanai gets 4 stars out of 5.

What I Watched:  C³ – Cube x Cursed x Curious

What I Expected:  Magical girlfriend series with some supernatural fighting

What I Got:  An incomplete horror dramedy

In the West, we have some difficulty combining the horror genre with comedy.  The Evil Dead series is the only one I can think of that wasn’t a funny movie poking fun at horror, or a horror movie with funny elements.  In Japan, they’ve taken it as a challenge to get it right. C³ is the latest attempt.  It’s an odd concept to begin with:  cursed weapons taking on human form.  It started as a monster-of-the-week show, then tried to jam a plot in at the end.  The fighting was surprisingly gory, yet they then tried to pivot back into wacky harem land.  I can’t say it succeeded, but it certainly was a game effort.  It’s set up for a season two, and I would probably watch it.  C³ – Cube x Cursed x Curious gets 2 stars out of 5.

What I Watched:  Mashiro-iro Symphony

What I Expected:  Eroge adaptation #7612938750

What I Got:  An slice-of-life that started strong, then petered out into drama slop

Makers of eroge must curse To Heart.  That groundbreaking show was the guiding light of how to turn an eroge into a watchable series.  Every attempt after has failed, even the follow-up To Heart 2.  Mashiro-iro Symphony started promising, but then took a love triangle route at the end to squash any momentum the characters had built.  I do give them props for actually choosing a girl, but it was a bit too polite in how it handled it all.  The characters had potential, but it was drown in angst.  Mashiro-iro Symphony gets 1 1/2 stars out of 5.

What I Watched:  Maken-Ki

What I Expected:  Ikkitousen + harem comedy

What I Got:  A surprisingly UNsexy, plotless mess

Let’s count up the sins, shall we?  Ugly character designs?  Check.  Tsundere childhood friend beating up the male lead?  Check.  Unremarkable boy with “special hidden power”?  Check.  No real plot to speak of?  Check.  I could go on and on, but that would just depress me.  I suppose I kept watching this expecting it would become a guilty pleasure.  But that only happens when the producers don’t take themselves or their show seriously.  There’s no wacky here.  Even the battle in the pool against Team Venus was a poorly choreographed mess.  Most series that leave the door open at the end intrigue me.  This one just made me relieved that I wasn’t going to have to watch a sequel.  Maken-Ki gets 1/2 star out of 5.

Part 2 is on the way!