First Impressions of Spring Anime Batch 5

I was going to do 2 more posts for impressions but I decided to put them all together in one post. If you like to read what I thought about the other current airing anime this spring you can go HERE and follow the other links to get to everything. All Impressions are based on the first 2 episodes of the series.

Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei AKA The Tatami Galaxy

We follow Watashi as he remembers all the odd interesting times he had while he was in school. His goal was to find love and make lots and lots of friends. Each episode is a new adventure with 3 characters that are intertwined somehow by fate. I haven't quite grasped exactly what is going on with that yet but I'm interested to find out.

 

Aside from the super fast talking this anime is pretty interesting. It has unique animation that makes me think of Kuuchuu Buranko but I like this one a whole lot more because the theme is more suited to what I'm interested in. The OP and ED are nice and interesting. They complement the animation that goes with them very well. I'll look forward to more short adventures with Watashi as the series goes on.

Senkou no Night Raid

We're in China! Some people are sent in from Japan to carry out missions. It started off a little slow but once the girl started talking to her partners telepathicly my interest jumped in a whole lot more. Her partners have super powers of their own which is also quite interesting. So far it's just been mission after mission with some twists and turns in it along with a little bit of background. The characters I find are quite colourful and it gives off a Baccano! feel which is ok by me.

Animation is nice and clean. The images I find to be very pretty. I like the old feel it gives off for the time period as well. Then again 1919 is easy enough to pull off time period wise. Old cars and classy hats. The OP and ED for each episode are the same and with each different episode a different song is played. At least that's what it is like so far. (I sneaked and watched episode 3 and it is different so my theory is correct so far)

Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin

WOW! The very first episode wasn't anything amazing but it was amazing. Everything about it just clicked in a smooth way. It was subtle but very powerful telling what was going on. We meet 6 boys who are sent to prison. They are greeted with a strange doctor that pretends to be their "friend" but violates them in his sickly perverted own way. I don't like how they make the prison keeper look like a Nazi SS office. Like seriously, is that REALLY needed >.< Or maybe it's just the way I see him... Then again it is set right after WW2. They get tossed into a cell where we meet the last boy. He's a tough badass with a sharp tongue. After a fight between the boys they quickly learn that in there, they are the only ones that they can trust. They bond over a cigarette.

 

The OP I find to be too harsh at the beginning but once the metal screaming stops it settles into a fitting sound for the series. The ED is much better at giving off a feeling that the series brings. I love the animation. The stop and talk pictures I have always enjoyed. Simoun was another anime that did this very well and had a positive effect on me.

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Anime that have a Season 2 airing! Really short little blurbs about these ones because hey, why not?

Hetalia: World Series - It's Hetalia! I love it. Slower than it's other seasons at the moment but It'll get there. I can't wait for the movie coming out in about another month.

Shin Koihime Musou: Otome Tairan - Clearly only watching this because I have seen every other series attached to it. (actually not true I actually an enjoying it XD) Of course I NEED my romance of the three kingdoms fix as well. No matter how bazaar it is. XD So far it's matched up fine with all the other series it is related to.

Ookiku Furikabutte: Natsu no Taikai-hen - I found season 1 to be a little more interesting. I find it's moving really slow and that I don't care as much what happens. Still enjoyable though. Surprising since I don't like baseball anime too much but Ookiku Furikabutte is just somehow unique with it's characters that it keeps me entertained.

K-On!! - Really... Not going to bother with saying how much I find it boring. Oops just did.

Not watching Major... seriously one baseball anime is enough for me and catching up with 5 seasons while I *could* do it if I wanted to... I really don't want to. Ikkitousen I'm highly interested in but I haven't seen all the other seasons yet and probably won't get around to them in quite some time.

Just thought that I'd mention that I've officially dropped Kiss x Sis. Episode 3 was too much for me. I'll never understand why people like to see drooling like that in their anime. Hell I've seen hentai that does this kind of plot better. Less drool.

Working!! and SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors are the winners for episodic blogging for me this season! I know I'm behind but I'll catch up in no time

365 Days of Anime Characters: Day 48/365 Akiyama Mio

Day 48/365

From the anime K-On!, Akiyama Mio ends up being the bass guitarist/backup singer for their school band called After School Tea Time. She just wanted to join a book club at first but was forced into the light music club by her childhood friend and the club's new president, Ritsu. She is left-handed and also writes most of their songs.

Why I like her: She is the only one that didn't tick me off to the extreme. I suppose because she was the odd one being left handed and all. And that she basically did everything. Including stepping in to sing when Yui would forget lyrics. I think if it wasn't for her the other girls would have given up.

Why I hate her: Among a cast I hated for the most part she stood out. So no, I do not hate her. She was the only one that seemed to get anything done in the band... I looked forward to scenes with her in it.

Overall: For a moe blob I will admit she's a cutey. This picture proves it. If the band was made up only of her that might have made the show better. XD (For me at least, as I know there are a LOT of K-On! fans out there for whatever reason )

D-ON! – Detroit Metal City & K-ON!

A must see if you are a fan of either show.

Review of 2009 Anime Part 3 ~Spring~

Spring held quite a big batch of anime that started up and I didn't get around to watching the majority of them till fall because I was quite busy with well... life. There were only three direct sequels to other anime and I was lucky to have watched two out of three. Sorry Hayate the Combat Butler!! you'll be watched at a later date.

There are 7 shows that started that I didn't watch. All within my rules but Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-Hen perhaps. I have no excuse for not picking this up other than I simply forgot about it. But to be fair it probably would be better if I watched the Mazinger Z series before this one but I could totally be wrong about that and it wouldn't matter at all. Dragon Ball Kai (still airing) I didn't have the heart to start up as frankly I don't want to really intrude on the memories I had while watching the original as a kid. It probably would be better marathoned anyway so I'll wait till it's completed to decide if I want to pick it up or not.

Two shows I just plain couldn't watch because no one picked them up. Gokujou!! Mecha Mote Iinchou (still airing) some episodes are floating around out there but not enough for me to really bother with. Souten Kouro is one I REALLY wish someone would finish. There are 12 episodes out there but I really don't want to start them as I feel I'm going to love this show and having only 12 of the episodes will drive me crazy. There are too many other anime out there that I had started but ended up being dropped and no one picked it up ever again or the episodes come out at a really slow pace. I'd really rather just wait and get it as it comes out and watch it all in one swoop.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (still airing) is the big one that everyone is talking about from Spring. (Aside from the moe blob K-On!) It was the only anime I picked up and followed since it started airing from spring. I'm still not sure how I feel about it because it took me 19 episodes before I really started to get into it. I've been trying to leave behind the fondness of the first series alone and look at this new one with fresh eyes but it has been quite difficult to do so. I have been enjoying it quite a lot though despite my confusion. I'll save judgment till it finishes.

Other ones that are still airing are, Higepiyo, the cute random adventures about a boy and his... bearded chick. lol Quite hilarious at times and very entertaining at 5 minute episodes. Hanasakeru Seishounen is about a girl whose father made a game out of which man she will marry, sounded ok at first but suddenly it takes a very VERY political stand and almost ignores this first plot. And then there's Cross Game... It's about baseball... enough said, bleh.

Best show for spring for me, (not counting still airing) would be Ristorante Paradiso. Slice of life with a food theme. It is a very adult feeling anime with the tones of the drama and even the animation. I loved all the characters and enjoyed seeing the interactions. Some of the situations that occurred were quite nail biting and made me watch every single episode in a row even though I knew I should have went to bed. (thank goodness it was only 11 eps.) There really isn't enough good things I can say about this anime.

Worst show for spring for me, would be Slap Up Party: Arad Senki. I don't even know where to start with this one. Firstly I suppose I don't blame the only sub group that was doing it just kinda stopped. Oddly enough some other group picked it up recently and I'm STILL watching this show even though I hate it so much... Gluten for punishment.. or perhaps just want to see this goal of mine through. You can decide. Just don't watch this anime.

Here’s my big list of Best to Worst shows of spring 2009:

1. Ristorante Paradiso 10/10
2. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (still airing) 9/10
3. Shangri-La 9/10
4. Eden of the East 9/10
5. Guin Saga 9/10
6. Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ 8/10
7. Sengoku Basara 8/10
8. Pandora Hearts 8/10
9. Queen's Blade: Rurou no Senshi 4/10
10. Natsu no Arashi! 8/10
11. Higepiyo (still airing) 7/10
12. Hatsukoi Limited 7/10
13. 07-Ghost7/10
14. Basquash! 6/10
15. Valkyria Chronicles 6/10
16. Saki 6/10
17. Tears to Tiara 5/10
18. Asura Cryin' 4/10
19. Hanasakeru Seishounen (still airing) 5/10
20. K-On! 4/10
21. Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica Crimson S 4/10
22. Cross Game (still airing) 5/10
23. Tayutama -Kiss on my Deity- 2/10
24. Slap Up Party: Arad Senki 1/10

Surprise enjoyment: Natsu no Arashi! I went into this show thinking it would be just like Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. In a way it kinda is but without all the "despair" and much more hilarious IMO. How can you go wrong with time travel!

Surprise fail: Saki. I for some reason was expecting a lot more than what I got. I suppose Hikaru no Go set the bar too high. And since I'm not a moe chaser, it held no interest for me. Sure there were intense scenes where the pieces were put down in an exciting dramatic way, but there was too much down time and the all girl cast didn't appeal to me at all even though I tried really hard to like them.

Guilty pleasure: Queen's Blade: Rurou no Senshi. Boobies. A lot of em. Fighting each other and they loose their clothing.... Hilarious and entertaining. Just don't watch it expecting an awesome plot... because in all honesty, it's just boobs you'll get.

Honorable mentions: Guin Saga. I'm not sure why people don't like this anime more. It's pretty epic and has a dude with a leopard head! What's not to like! Think 12 Kingdoms epic! My only beef with it is that it should be longer. I hope more gets made. Shangri-La. Everyone seems to have a hate on for this anime because of how confusing it was. I didn't think it was confusing at all to be honest. Sure it was a little jumbled at times and did some wacky things, but overall it was a very very good watch. Basquash!. Still not sure what to make of this one. The ecchi mixed with the weirdness of the characters and mecha basketball... I think someone was like "HEY guys! Lets add as many genres in one anime as we can and see what happens, k?" From music, to space, to romance. This anime had it all.

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