Summer 2013 Anime Impressions

Not a great season by far, but at least Silver Spoon and Uchoten Kazoku managed to wiggle its way in and provide me some comfort. As my workload has ramped up, I won’t be able to watch as many anime as I used to, and of course all the conventions are taking its toll on me. Oh well, at least the tanukis, pigs, and dogs will suffice for now.

At least better than last season as with Wanko it has become more and more difficult to find time to watch sub par series. It is one thing to spend the time on something enjoyable, but a few hours a week on what is mostly garbage is kind of hard to deal with. Thankfully there were a few shows that were well worth it this season. Although I cannot guarantee we will keep it up much longer if at all due to time, I would like to apologize for the delay of this post, mostly my fault this time since things kept coming up to take over the time i allocated to writing.

Here’s a chart, so follow along. And of course, a summer preview from Random Curiosity for more information on this season.

Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou (07/01 Mon)

I hate to say it, but this show is really as generic as it comes. The only redeeming factor is my love for dogs, and seeing the main protagonist as a dog. Well, at least it’s cute.. so it’s not bad of a watch considering what I’m watching it for. If I didn’t find things adorable, I would probably have cut 90% of anime off the list by now.

WATCHING

This is probably the dumbest idea for a show I have ever had the misfortune of bearing witness to. I saw the beginning and the end, and as such I can say with certainty that I feel nothing but pity for anyone who had the misfortune of watching through the entirety of a show so bad the creators should be ashamed and start the show with a warning apologizing for any loss of brain cells or loss of mental health.

DROPPED

Free (07/03 Wed)

Five young, sweaty, and muscular boys embark on a journey fan service and man-love. As far as man-loving shows go, I found it more watchable than its counterparts. It’s still sad I hate Kimi to Boku so much… can’t believe a show with guys showing off their abs in half the episodes could top it. As far as moe-blob shows go, I’d say they did a great job with the show since it’s no different from other KyoAni shows. However, this isn’t exactly my cup of tea and I have no interest in any of the characters. And… I don’t think I can take seeing more highly detailed muscles.

DROPPED 

Rozen Maden (07/04 Thu)

I’m surprised they went this route with the story, and I do find it interesting after such a huge time gap since its last anime release. Although a lot darker in this incarnation, it’s a bit nice seeing an adult protagonist this time. And throwing in alternate worlds, and timelines into the mix, it’s not all about tea parties this time around. Still, I can’t get enough of the dolls and their daily life… just take a look at that screenshot above XD;;

WATCHING –  Waiting for Suiseiseki to meet the new “chibi-ningen”.. desudesudesu…

Servant Service (07/04 Thu)

Not really bad, yet also not really any good. Unfortunately Servant x Service was unable to achieve the same humor that made Working a good show. I just cannot find the same level of attachment to the characters or the story, on top of which the jokes fail to be funny or even just fun. Aside from background noise I cannot find much value in spending the time to watch this show when almost anything else would be better, or even more entertaining despite being worse.

DROPPED

Kiniro Mosaic (07/06 Sat)

2D > real life. Life needs to be more fluffy and cute. They’ve managed to make 2D British girls into a real threat, but then again, they just seem like Japanese girls with blonde hair :3 There are shows that manage to be cute or moe, but there are shows that represent the genre itself. Just like Yuruyuri, this level of moe overload is something that can’t be ignored.

WATCHING

Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou (07/06 Sat)

 

The main thing that really irked me is the standard monster of the week formula. I don’t really care how it builds up, but I just find it way too predictable for my liking. At least I ended with a good laugh as I witnessed the scene depicted in the screen cap. Or maybe I should say horrified. But it’s my first time seeing a group of children being wheeled in one cart like that.

DROPPED

Fate kaleid liner Prisma Illya (07/06 Sat)

Don’t expect much of this series other than a normal magical girl show with an infusion of elements from the Fate Stay Night universe. But as Ruby put it best, “little girls make the best magical girls.” It’s hard to make an argument against that… but overall for those who are looking for a dose of cute magical girls and some type moon fun with their favorite characters, this alternate universe should satisfy some of the fanbase… but as the tone is different from those set in the actual mainstay series, this will probably insult the fans that have no interest in seeing their favorite series being lumped with something cute.

WATCHING

Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi (07/06 Sat)

All I can say is that this story really ends in three episodes. Afterwards, the protagonist becomes a huge magnet for hugs. She’s so cute that everyone happens to find her adorable. While the world is suffering from the effects of what had happened, it eventually becomes a story of a naive girl that wants to save the world through the power of cuteness.I have no problem with series that happen to be cute if that’s what the anime is fully aiming for. However, when it ruins a premise that’s supposed to be something of a more serious nature, I just can’t get over how it transitions to such a terrible state.

DROPPED

Uchoten Kazoku (07/07 Sun)

I’m a bit glad that there’s finally a series that I can generally recommend to other people. There’s no moe, lolis, or generic characters that you’ll find in everyday anime. There’s an actual story that involves supernatural creatures, lore, and is full of Japanese culture. Now this is the stuff that I think of when I refer to anime, and it’s great to see this popup in this disappointment of a season. As much as I enjoy cute moe shows, I can actually feel my brain rotting as I watch those :3 Come on, animation industry, take an example from this, I like to actually feel like an adult once in awhile, when I watch my anime. Then again… I felt more of an adult at age 6, when I started watching anime… compared to the feelings and thoughts I have watching the current anime.

WATCHING

I would say this has been the pleasant surprise of this season, managing to be both entertaining and intriguing at the same time. While it may not win any awards there is something subtly endearing about the setting and protagonist. In addition the studio has done rather well at pacing the series, providing entertainment while doling out small bits of information about the setting, characters, and their past. What the series manages to achieve is a steady flow of development where there is never a state where nothing is happening but also never a time when it feels overwhelming or rushed. Hardly something to call one of the best shows of all time, it is nevertheless such a nice feeling to have a show that is simply good without some glaring flaw to take away from it.

WATCHING

Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui (07/08 Mon)

No anime comes close to being as dark and awkward as this anime, as it depicts social anxiety at its worst. Our heroine is possibly the most realistic character to appear this season, and you can’t help but feel for her as she fails in life. Life isn’t as fluffy as K-ON and this anime just pounds into you what horrors reality has in store for those who are socially inept. I just wonder how this series will end..

WATCHING

 

Gin no Saji (07/2013)

This is probably my favorite anime of the season as it showcases how different and fun a 2D agricultural school could be! What i want from my anime is something different, and this definitely hits the spot as I watch Hachiken Yuugo slowly grow from his experiences at his new school. The anime itself manages to make farming interesting, and the amount of detail and knowledge that they’re dishing out in each episode helps creates an immersive world. I never expected that the creator of Full Metal Alchemist could switch from a battle manga to something like this, but then again some mangaka continue to surprise me with how they churn out new works different from their previous ones.

WATCHING

Being the series I looked forward to most, it comes as no surprise to me that I enjoy this show the most this season. Always nice to see some new subject matter beyond the generic high school based slice of life or harem romance anime that have taken up a huge part of every recent season. Not to say Silver Spoon is completely devoid of any romance themes but they certainly are not central when compared to developing the characters and settings. While the idea of moving a city boy character to a rural country or farm setting itself is nothing new, they have done a good job with background information to add that little bit of glue to hold the setting together. A real pity more series and creators don’t put as much research into series, it would have made many a setting more convincing. Regardless of whether looking for comedy or a relaxed story about a style of life most people could never imagine, Silver Spoon manages to deliver a slice of life series that while it may embellish things actually does try to reflect life.

WATCHING

 

Danganropa (07/2013)

I simply can’t take this seriously enough with how stupid the characters are. The murderers are obvious enough to figure out, and you just can’t believe that they would pull off plans with such a huge amount of flaws. Sure, they’re high school students, but I kind of expected more from these “super duper students”. If they’re the cream of the crop, why do it feel like they chose from such a small pool  of students. And as usual, it gets annoying to see them accuse the wrong people so easily.. you think they would be more careful since they’ll all die if they’re wrong.

DROPPED