April ‘06 Preliminary Roundup
My eyes, much like Michael’s, have rotted away from excessive anime exposure these past few weeks, and it’s not looking like it’s going to end soon; because I’m incredibly fickle, I’m sure I’ll drop most of these shows, but at current count I have 14 shows I want to keep up with for the next few months, real world commitments permitting (and believe me, they will take MASSIVE priority in a few weeks).
This is my third April season of blogging; while I’m starting off with more shows than then (14 compared to 9; I can’t remember everything that started in April 2004 so I’m not comparing there) I’m not sure whether that’ll transfer into me keeping up with roughly the same ratio (last year I dropped 4 shows, although I do intend to someday finish Trinity Blood, Speed Grapher and Tsubasa).
So, without further ado, here’s a small round-up of things as they stand this season; I’ve left out comments on shows I blogged but dropped immediately, as I have nothing more to say about them; check the One Shot Wonders category for them (I think that consists of Gakuen Heaven, Utawarerumono, Yoshinaga-san’Chi no Gargoyle, Gintama, MagiPoka, Air Gear and Haruhi (although I’m going to try Haruhi again subtitled to see if I find it funny…)).
Favourites
Jyu-Oh-Sei - reaction from Teh Intarweb has been surprisingly mixed on Jyu-Oh-Sei from what I can tell, but I really, truly loved the first episode and can’t wait to catch the rest; this is still my favourite of the new shows despite only one episode airing. And yes, even despite the awful OP song.
Ergo Proxy - this doesn’t really count as April, but I don’t care - even with a slightly rocky start, Ergo has really hit its stride now and I’m totally hooked on the show. NEED EPISODE 8 NOW PLEASE.
Nishi no Yoki Majo - okay, so the animation isn’t great, it’s really talky and the plot isn’t overly “exciting” per se, but the artwork and music are magnificent and the characters are eminently well-written. Besides, it fulfils my “underlooked show” quota rather nicely!
Ouran High School Host Club - while I don’t find Ouran overly funny, it’s amazingly well directed and animated, and I’m content to bask in the sheer opulence of the show; furthermore, the angsty shoujo moments are done really well, and I like angsty shoujo moments!
Best of the Rest
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni - USO DA!!!! Were it not for the awful “fun” hijinks and the crap character designs this would easily be a favourite; it’s one of the creepiest anime I’ve seen in a while, and I really want to know what the hell is going on. I just hate the everyday life segments…
Nana - yadda yadda yadda, everyone loves Nana (isn’t that actually one of the slogans for the manga?). Not one of my top shows because… well, I don’t really have a reason per se, I just wouldn’t count it as a favourite, although I like it a lot so far; I think I’ll have to see more of Nana O to really judge the series (and hope that Nana K gets some kind of a character beyond being hopelessly flighty).
The Third - I’ve only seen one episode, and it’s fairly generic (sorry, KT!) but the first episode was very solid and pleasant, basically; if the quality keeps up I think it could be a fun little show.
Yume Tsukai - I realise it’s not what those who read the manga wanted, and it’s a pretty standard show really, but there’s something about the execution of Yume Tsukai that’s really enjoyable; I think it still captures a rather quirky, slightly offputting atmosphere, and it’s got some interesting (if toned down) lead characters. I flicked through episode 2 earlier and was still encouraged by what I saw, but I’m reserving judgement until I’ve actually watched it at some point…
Not That Good, But I’ll Watch It Anyway For Now
Kiba - okay, so episode 3 was crap, but I’ll give it a bit longer; great animation and music, however, can only take me so far…
Simoun - the whole thing’s rather daft and overly melodramatic, but I love fantasy melodrama, it’s occasionally quite powerful and I want to know where the show is going.
Glass no Kantai - Garakan has SO much potential ruined by absymal animation and some bizarre script choices; buried beneath the cookie-cutter pirate crew and off-model faces is some genuinely interesting stuff, it’s just whether I can stick with it long enough to reveal it all is the question.
Zegapain - yeah, I know, it’s a very cliche mecha show; but it’s pretty and relatively well written. Plus Akino Arai’s siren call beckons me to watch it each week; I cannot disoeby…
XXXHolic - I will make myself like XXXHolic despite my disappointment with it so far; perhaps I just have unrealistic expectations. Having rewatched half of episode 1 in widescreen makes a MASSIVE difference, to my slight surprise; maybe I should just wait for the widescreen broadcasts?
Didn’t Blog, But Did Watch:
Black Lagoon - to steal a quote from someone else, it’s Jerry Bruckheimer: The Anime! Blood, guns, whores, and a pre-license; not conducive to me watching.
Digimon Savers - disappointing, very disappointing. Secret Digimon policing and naff new character designs? Bah. Where’s the mystery, where’s the decent animation, where are the INTERESTING CHARACTERS? Stupid show.
Disgaea - badly animated and not very interesting fantasy “gag” show; I didn’t find it funny and had virtually nothing to say.
Inukami! - it’s so over-the-top it’s actually fairly amusing, and the action sequences are well animated, but you won’t catch me talking about the series anywhere…
.hack//Roots - it’s so beautiful! But somehow more boring than Sign was! Too many RPG stereotypes in this new series, coupled with the loss of good Kajiura music, means it’s not really worth my time; none of the characters are as interesting as the Sign crew were from the first episode, and it’s too slow for me to watch raw, frankly.
Kirarin Revolution - terribly animated pre-teen shoujo fluff with some of the worst acting ever from its Morning Musume lead seiyuu; the only saving grace being the remarkably intelligent and vaguely cute mascot. If I were a six year old girl I’d probably love this show, but since I fail both the age and gender requirements I think I’ll pass.
Didn’t Watch A Whole Episode:
Soul Link - ugh, awful fanservice-tastic sci-fi drama thing with abysmal animation and nothing going for it at all.
Joshikousei - pants, pants and more pants. Did I mention the pants? And the PUBIC HAIR? Crass and unfunny.
Strawberry Panic - bad animation and unsubtle, boring yuri schoolgirls put me off immediately.
Shoujo Changgeum no Yume - low-budget, fairly dull family show about a girl who cooks really well and some random ninja stuff. Didn’t look very exciting, so I switched off.
Love Gechu Miracle Seiyuu Doodah - I switched off after the OP because I could tell I’d hate the show; snap judgement yes, but apparently my suspicions were well-founded. Besides, I can’t even remember the show’s name!
Spider Riders - I realised I was just watching things because I could at this point; it actually looks okay for a shounen kid’s show, though.
Gun Musashi - I don’t care for Monkey Punch anyway, and the sub-Flash animation of this cliched show only put the nail in teh coffin.
Princess Princess - boring, badly animated “comedy” with soporific piano music; I’d have fallen asleep if I watched the whole thing.
Ray - this actually looks really good, but I haven’t had a chance to watch it and doubt I will…
Himawari! - nothing really grabbed me about this show; it’s nicely animated but I can’t watch ninja shows without Naruto-related trauma flashbacks these days and I didn’t find the premise or the execution especially thrilling. Turned off halfway through.
Hime-sama Goyoujin - the art direction of this show is shit (although it’s not badly animated; watch it and you might understand what I mean) and I didn’t find it funny or interesting.
Sasami Mahou Shoujo Club - LET THE TENCHI FRANCHISE DIE. Please.
TOKKO - I watched until it said “Manga Ent.” in the credits then couldn’t be bothered; generic ultraviolence plotlines don’t do much for me and I’ve got enough going as it is.
Akubi Girl, Poka Poka Rascal no Mori, The Frogman Show, Zenmai Zamurai, Mimika, Yoshimune and Sarugechu - I’ve either seen screengrabs or nothing at all for these, and can’t be arsed to watch them.
And of course, no sequels; while I might take a gander at Tsubasa Season 2, I won’t blog it and won’t be desperate to keep up with it.
April 17th, 2006 at 12:53 am
I would truely suggest trying Haruhi again, it’s definitely in my top 3 this season.
April 17th, 2006 at 1:53 am
Strawberry Panic is my guilty (?) pleasure in this season… thanks mostly to its animation and unsubtlety. The animation, combined with the character designs makes it look as if the anime was made in the early ’90s, which has an irresistible nostalgic draw for me; and while it’s unsubtle, it’s also not the fanservice-fest it could’ve been (no panty shot, breast-grabbing or other “hijinks” typical of dansei-muke yuri). Actually, I find it rather stylish in its irreverent, light-hearted Marimite/Oniisama he crossover kind of way (though I’m pretty sure it won’t ever get close to Marimite, much less to the beauty that’s Oniisama he).
By the way, I still don’t understand why Ergo Proxy is so popular (aside of the hype). No matter how I look at it, it’s pretty much the same as every other existentialist cyberpunk story out there, only with less subtlety (”cogito”? “Real”? give me a break). In terms of anime, it’s certainly no GITS:SAC (which I loved). But, well, to everyone his/her own, I guess.
April 17th, 2006 at 3:41 am
I also thought Ray looked pretty good until I saw the first episode. I guess Monster tricked me into thinking that all anime drama involving a doctor will be bursting with story depth and character development. Unfortunately, Ray let me down very quickly; fanservice, nurses who do karate, a bad-ass doctor with a beard and eye-patch who has super strength, etcetera. I know that might sound really campy and wonderful, but the show actually takes itself seriously.
April 17th, 2006 at 4:24 am
Might I ask where you got the raw for the widescreen version of xxxHolic? I am quite interested in seeing what difference the widescreen makes.
April 17th, 2006 at 10:21 am
kuromitsu, it’s funny, I’ve only ever seen a couple of episodes of GitS SAC (the first one and the one with the berserk tank chasing his mother or whatever it was? Probably the second episode!) and it didn’t do very much for me either time. I certainly didn’t enjoy the first GitS film.
I think I find the characters in GitS to either be mouthpieces for Oshii’s philosophy (in the film) or just too cold and unlikeable (in the series) aside from, ironically, the Tachikomas. This might sound a bit rich given all the philosophical terms bandied around in Ergo Proxy, but for some reason it feels slightly more natural (and remember, Dai Sato wrote both shows!). And there’s no competition between Kusanagi and Real for me; Real is much more…well… real, in my opinion. I know that’s kinda the point with Kusanagi, but I didn’t find her an interesting or likeable character so found it difficult to warm to the world of GitS, and that’s to say nothing of Bateau and co.
Ergo Proxy immediately starts you off with unexplained mysteries that aren’t about finding criminals or anything; it’s a “what’s going on?” kind of show, whereas GitS comes across as a police procedural (I realise the Laughing Man arc is more interesting, and at some point I’d quite like to see the episode in the “chat room” in particular, but the “stand alone” stuff wasn’t doing very much for me; I don’t have a problem with episodic stories and certainly don’t have a problem with police procedurals, but I like them better in live-action and in English ^_^)
I realise my opinions aren’t overly informed, but as you say, different strokes for different folks, and personally I find Ergo more interesting than GitS.
April 18th, 2006 at 2:52 am
From the shows that I have watched subbed so far I find myself agreeing with most of your comments. However I am quite dissapointed that you Utawarerumono after only 1 ep. So far this has been one of the more refreshing shows of the new season and displays great potential with an epic fantasy storyline, strong production and soundtrack, and some of the cutest characters of Spring 2006. From what I’ve heard the game that this is based on, had a great story and only minimal “H-game” elements (which probably won’t play a factor in the anime).
So I can highly recommend giving Utawarerumono (another) try. Several other blogs (including Random Curiosity) and forums I’ve visited have an overall positive reaction to the series. Like you said “mileage may vary” so this may not be everyone’s favourite of the season (although so far it has been mine), however it should certainly rank way above any of those shows listed in the “Not That Good, But I’ll Watch It Anyway For Now”.
April 18th, 2006 at 4:07 am
I couldn’t get through the first episode of ‘Ray’ - It’s absolutely horrible. The music is bad, the illustration is uneven, and the bad script makes it completely unwatchable.
Other than that, I’m sure it will be a fine anime for someone else.
I kind of liked ‘Black Lagoon’. But I like buckets ‘o blood with scanty plot sometimes. It can be fun.
April 18th, 2006 at 10:34 am
Apok - I don’t like “cute” characters. Not in an anime sense.
Small kittens are cute. Teddy bears are cute. Squeaky dog-girls with cookie-cutter anime personalities are not cute; maybe I’m just too cynical for my own good, but Eruru is the Girl Who Wakes You Up (therefore fulfilling the osananajimi role in Hakuoro’s harem) and Aruru is the Painfully Shy One (who will no doubt open up and become receptive to Hakuoro’s sex0rring but with a lot of saying “dame!” along the way). I also immediately dislike shows with male protagonists that are clearly there for the purposes of a horny otaku projecting their own personality onto them; sure, Hakuoro presumably has some kind of nifty back story as to why he has that mask glued to his face, but otherwise he is bland and passive because he never needed to really have much of a personality in the original game, and I can’t STAND that character archetype.
Utawarerumono was nowhere near as bad as Soul Link, to give another H-game example, and I don’t deny that H-games can produce decent shows on occasion; I loved Tsukihime and greatly enjoyed Air for instance. But both those shows had atmosphere by the bucketload to compensate for their frequent H-game derived weaknesses; for Tsukihime there was the endless bickering between Akiha and Arcueid, for instance, and Air’s female characters would have driven me up the wall were it not for the gorgeous production and Yukito. Utawarerumono, on the other hand, was just “okay” - nothing really grabbed me about the characters or plot, the OP came across too much like a game, and the production values were merely average.
I’m glad that lots of people are enjoying Utawarerumono, but you may or may not have noticed that I don’t tend to have the same tastes in anime as an awful lot of people out there; I STILL don’t like Haruhi, for instance, and I did rewatch the second episode yesterday with subtitles and still didn’t find it funny…
April 18th, 2006 at 12:13 pm
I didn’t find Haruhi ENTIRELY entertaining - it’s still not as funny as Ouran, but as a *show*, cliched or unoriginal as it may seem, it’s so well produced that I can’t turn my eyes away from it. And no it’s not Kyoani-fanboyism (I couldn’t be bothered with FMP 2 and 3, and Munto), it’s just that it’s really one of the best examples of standard anime done REALLY well that I can’t help but watch it.
The one huge thing that’s saving the show - and actually letting me not mind the silly bits like a. Noizi Ito’s wanpata designs b. the somewhat unneeded fondling c. the dempa, I think, is Kyon’s monologues, and his seiyuu. I actually like his character design, too. I wish the girls would be drawn like that too!
So far I find GitS:SAC and Ergo Proxy at about the same level; they both have flaws and things that make up for it which come to about the same in my eyes. But I highly recommend watching the Chat! Chat! Chat! episode, BluWacky - it was indeed one of the eps written by Dai Sato, and there’s 2ch… It’s interesting just to see that bit, perhaps.
I do hope Juuousei gets a bit better though.
April 18th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
Oh c’mon! Where’s the love for Inukami!? It’s the most “what the hell are the writers’ on?” show I’ve seen so far this year. I realize guys are uncomfortable with the so-called “gayness” of some of the stories, but I’m just basking in the whacked-out Benny Hill on acid-ness of it. Show me the funny!
April 18th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
BluWacky > Just to clarify about what I meant with the cuteness factor. I’m not at all one of those people who goes crazy over anime girls or anything like that and I also have no interest whatsoever in hentai or mindless fan-service harem animes. However I did find the scene in ep 2 with Aruru and tiger cub absolutely adorable in the same the same innocent way I would find a kitten or teddy bear cute. I’m really not seeing any hentai or sexual elements present in Utawarerumono, unless you mean the tail touching scene which to me was more comical/cute than anything else. So I’m just wondering if you were too harsh in judging the series in that regard.
To be fair quite a few people I chatted with found the first ep to be just “OK” and were only truly drawn by the second. It may therefore be worth it to hold off judgement until watching two eps. If it doesn’t spark someone’s interest by then, I guess it’s just not their genre. For me in general I tend to enjoy the fantasy genre alot. Scrapped Princess and Lodoss War were some other ones that I enjoyed like this.
Anyway not trying to push this series onto anyone, since we all have our own tastes. I do believe Utawarerumono is quite unique among the current crop this season and certainly deserves more attention. Sleeper hit of the season imo.
April 19th, 2006 at 2:27 am
hey there,
I’m wondering which show that image above this post is from?
Thanks,
Glyn :)
April 19th, 2006 at 8:30 am
Glyn - the image is from Witch Hunter Robin, one of my recent favourite series (despite it not really being that awesome). The character is Michael Lee.
(this image is my standard “something’s gone wrong with the site” picture, actually, but I couldn’t think of anything else I had to accurately convey the square eyes I’ve developed over the past couple of weeks…)
May 1st, 2006 at 9:49 am
Ya~ Welcome back! :)