On to Part 2!
What I Watched: Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko
What I Expected: Another odd slice of life with supernatural undertones
What I Got: One of the more effective stories about growing up
This was a pleasant surprise. I was half-expecting another bipolar slice of life shows like Natsu no Arashi. Half the time it was slapstick comedy, the other half was heart-wrenching drama about WWII. Thankfully, they chose to focus on the characters, rather than get bogged down in the alien subplot. We got an effective male lead, surrounded by several cute, odd girls. There was little brooding or darkness, and the stories were nicely done. We did get SHAFTed again like with Bakemonogatari, in that we won’t get the ending episode 13 until the BluRay is released in December. It did end on a satisfying note, with Makoto burying a bad sports memory with a minor triumph. For me, this was the best series of the Spring, and proved Shinbo can pull it back enough to tell a story without resorting to all his usual tricks. Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko gets 4 out of 5 stars.
What I Watched: Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi
What I Expected: Generic eroge adaptation #65793492
What I Got: A charming little inoffensive show
There was literally nothing going for this show when it debuted. It was an adaptation of an adult game (strike one), populated by generic harem archetypes (strike two), with a lame male lead who doesn’t seem to possess a sex drive. (SWING and a miss!) However, the show skillfully avoided all the usual pitfalls to present a mostly pleasant story about a city boy who returns to the country town where he spent some time making girls fall in love with him accidentally. The girls weren’t annoying, and the episodic stories were mostly upbeat. In other words, this was a pretty good guilty pleasure. Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi gets 2 1/2 stars out of 5.
What I Watched: Gosick
What I Expected: Goth Loli Sherlock Holmes
What I Got: An uneven detective series that pulled it together for the ending
This series took its time getting to the main plot in the second half. For most of the first half, it was a gory mystery of the week a la Detective Conan. It wasn’t until the Case of the Blue Rose and the onset of a World War that it really came into it’s own. It probably didn’t need 24 episodes to get to its destination, and I mark it down a bit for that. However, it did manage an excellent ending. Gosick gets 3 1/2 stars out of 5.
What I Watched: Dororon Enma-kun Meramera
What I Expected: Old school hijinks from the master, Go Nagai
What I Got: A delirious, un-PC romp full of joy and energy
A remake of an early 70s series by Go Nagai, this show went about its business running roughshod over anything and everything. Voiced by some classic voices (Kappei Yamaguchi, Mamiko Noto, Ayako Kawasumi) Enma-kun was a blast of fresh air in a world that has too many harem series and childish drama. While the limits of good taste might not have always been observed, everything was done in service to the joke. That kind of dedication made it a fun ride every week. Dororon Enma-kun Meramera gets 3 1/2 stars out of 5.
What I Watched: Battle Girls: Time Paradox
What I Expected: Another lazy, genderbent version of warlords being cute a la Koihime Musou
What I Got: Not nearly enough fanservice to justify its existence
I thought the entire point of series like these was to show scandalously dressed buxom fighters getting clothes ripped off in battle. I’m not sure there was even one scene that could be considered heavy fanservice in the entire series. Shows like these have two choices: play it serious (Ikkitousen), or play it for laughs (Koihime Musou). Battle Girls tried to split the difference, and wound up being kind of bland. Even the climax was kind of cheesy. It was well-acted, with Megumi Toyoguchi getting props as Oda Nobunaga. I also liked the live-action previews at the end. Ultimately, this show will share the fate of shows like Hyakka Rouran Samurai Girls—they will be instantly forgotten. Battle Girls: Time Paradox gets 2 out of 5 stars.
Whew! That was a packed season, and one of the best in recent memory. No show scored lower than a 2, and I finished most of them. Summer season has already started and the new shows are rolling in. As usual, I’ll try and watch as many of them as I can and give first impressions next time.
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