Fall 2014 Anime Season

[Morcombe]

the chart

SPOILER: Click to show

and let the new season begin, will I complete something this time? who knows.

[Kyubey]

Started less this season than I did with other seasons, mostly for time reasons. Still, I did watch things. Here's what I saw:

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
Confessions of a terrible anime fan: this is the first thing related to the Fate/stay night franchise I've ever seen. Yeah, I haven't even watched Fate/Zero, which I hear is supposed to be the good one. Anyways, since I guess this is a reboot of some kind (it felt like a reboot, anyway) it's as good a place to pick up as any, and I had no difficulty in following what was going on. The first thing I feel compelled to say about this is that it's, like, really pretty, you guys. I love the feel of this show. The backgrounds, especially, are look spectacular, and clearly had a lot of thought and care behind them. The fight choreography has gotten a lot of attention as well, and for good reason. It's fast, it has good flow, it's exciting, it's fun all around. Can't say as much for the story, but it's not bad, with most of the problems coming from way too much exposition. Often the plot slams on the brakes just so characters can just explain details of the setting to one another, regardless of whether or not they already know said details. This sometimes happens after the element they're explaining has already been explained. The characters are really hit and miss as well. That goes with the territory in the intro episodes to a fantasy action show, however, so there's no way of telling if this will hold true for the rest of it. The story seems to be following two pairs of characters, but only one of them is interesting, and I'm already starting to hate the supposed everyman-audience-stand-in-guy. Still, the clear effort behind this anime has my attention, so unless something truly awful happens, I'll stick with it.

Mushi-shi
Just because a story has a calm, relaxing tone, and establishes a peaceful atmosphere, does not mean that there's no true point to it. And just because a show is episodic, doesn't mean that the individual stories can't build off one another. Mushi-shi continues to demonstrate that in the brilliant way that it does, with its underlying theme of how everything is, ultimately connected, and even if something seems strange and wrong, that doesn't mean it's without its own place. What more can I say about this anime, it really speaks for itself. Oh, and that opening theme is still really, really, depressing. In the best possible way.

Psycho-Pass
Our pal Urobuchi isn't the writer for the second season of this show, but thankfully, the harsh, cold, edgy world of Japan's future hasn't changed a bit. The new writer stays true to Urobuchi's style, but adds his own elements to the table, and thus the second season really feels like a work all its own, rather than just a companion to the original. There's a lot of new characters and ideas thrown in right off the bat this time around, and honestly, it can be rather hard to keep track of everything. Certain character designs look really similar to one another, adding to the confusion, and since the writer jumps right into the meat of the story right off the bat, following the plot got a bit challenging when I was still trying to remember who everyone was. Still, shows like this are meant to be a bit challenging, and the newcomers are interesting enough to justify their inclusion. Whether the remaining cast is enough to carry the show now that the genuinely amazing villain of the first season is gone is anyone's guess, however. I will say that it's been great seeing how Akane has grown as a person since we last saw her, and she's tying the ensemble together really well. Whether season two will hold up to the first has yet to be seen, but either way, there are few series on the market today that are willing to go as far as Psycho-Pass does, and for that alone, it's worth tuning in every week.

Ronja the Robber's Daughter
This series hasn't been officially subbed by anyone, for some reason, but I couldn't resist seeking it out anyway, so yeah. This latest venture, ostensibly by Studio Ghibli but with the bulk of the animation work done elsewhere, is animated almost entirely with CG, making it kind of unique for a televised anime series. So, how does this bold, new direction fare? Wind Waker. It looks like Wind Waker. Keep in mind that's not all bad, and actually since the first time I played that game I wondered what a show animated in that style would look like, but there are some clear issues with how it looks, namely that the character animation isn't that great, and I can't help but think it might have benefited from a more classic-style look. As for the story, there's not a whole lot of weight behind it, but I think it's a good direction for Goro Miyazaki. I could definitely feel the affection between Ronja and her family, and there's a sense of wonder about the (beautifully drawn) forest they inhabit. It manages to capture the feeling of a children's story come to life, and it's just a nice place to be, really. This sort of children's literature adaptation is the exact sort of thing that Goro's dad used to work on back in the 70's, before he became such an influence, and so in a way, it's kind of like like we're getting a fresh start, for both Goro as a director, and the new generation of Ghibli. The animation style may be unconventional, but when I watch this, I can't help but feel nostalgic.

Your Lie in April
Speaking of Ghibli, did this show just reference Laputa? Hey, they did! That's totally the trumpet song from Laputa! That aside, this seems to be a fairly conventional middle-school romance anime, the kind that's made for people who probably aren't me. The characters are dull, the story is dull, the conflict is nonexistent... there's not a whole lot of value. Still, much as I'd like to, I can't say there's nothing at all worth mentioning. There are hints that the story will eventually head in a deeper direction than what the first episode has suggested, and the soundtrack, fitting for a show with music as one of its stronger themes, is just excellent. Not to mention the homages it pays to the classics, like the one I mentioned above. Still, no matter what coat of paint you put on it, a dumb school romance anime is still a dumb school romance anime, so unless it starts picking up more attention later on, I'm gonna go ahead and say this is DROPPED for now.

There's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it! I maaaay watch another new series if I hear any good things, but right now, I'm happy with the ones I'm currently watching. There's not a lot worth mentioning, but the quality of what's there more than makes up for it.

[Kyubey]

Season's done and over with, but before we move on to what wonderful new series 2015 has to offer us (haha) let's reflect on this previous season. I didn't pick up a whole lot but I stuck with much more than I normally do. So without further ado...

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
With every second I spent watching this series, I was blown away by the sheer amount of work put into it. It's clear that the studio that created this really wanted this to be a big thing. And in scale and imagery at least, it certainly is that. The plot is an epic fantasy struggle, centered around one of the most well known of the old classic Hero Journeys, the quest for the Holy Grail, but in a way that's unmistakably anime. At the same time, it also has much more of a grounding in real life than most other shows of its kind, putting a lot of time into the personal, relationship-heavy moments that most action fantasies tend to skim over, set against beautifully-drawn backgrounds. Unfortunately, the characters themselves, each of them a clearly cut archetype that should be well known to any anime fan, aren't quite strong enough to make those moments believable, and while the action part of the story does have a much more clear direction, likewise there's not a whole lot of material that's fresh or interesting enough to carry the slow parts. Twists and developments are practically telegraphed to the audience, the structure is simplistic despite efforts to give the impression of being complex, and the villains are ridiculously one-note and uninteresting. The main character, at least, the one who's designed to be the surrogate for the viewer, is a complete tool, and his constant foolishness became insufferable far too quickly. His love interest, by contrast, is a far more compelling figure, and the anime as a whole would be vastly improved by giving her a greater share of the spotlight and development. I suppose if there's one thing that makes it all worth it, it's the tone and style. The series, once it gets to its big moments, does all it can to give a grand, epic feel, with huge attacks, bigger mysteries, and monologues that cross the pretentious line and keep on racing to the land of the comical. It's these moments, I think, that really save the show, and make it something worth watching. The stakes always feel important, every development has an impact, and almost nothing is static. Just when I think they can't go bigger, they find a new way to surprise me, while never going to extremes that betray the trust of the audience. While at no point was I particularly impressed on a critical or intellectual level, I was always invested on some level, and had a blast trying to guess the identities of each Heroic Spirit. It's far from being the best show of the year, but I'm entertained, and I'm certainly looking forward to it coming back in April.

Mushi-shi
While many Mushi-shi stories are similar to each other, none of them are ever stale, and each one builds off the ones that came before it in some way. This time, more than in any previous season, I really had a strong feeling for how dark the story was. The series is never afraid to have its characters explore some deep places, and it doesn't shy away from the full consequences of their actions. As strange and unnatural as the Mushi seem, they are used as a tool by the writer to explore subjects that are very real. Everything that happens to the characters in each episode, while certainly helped along by the supernatural, are nevertheless a result of their own deeds and choices. Fantasy should not be escape, a simple trip to another world with no risks or challenges for the reader. That's not where good fiction, of any kind, comes from. Fantasy, like any other kind of story, should be a mirror to our own world, a different perspective in which we look at ourselves. Fantastical works have the unique ability to reveal hidden truths by distorting the lens through which we see them, and Mushi-shi takes advantage of that masterfully. The elements may be unreal, but the meaning behind it certainly isn't. The scenery's pretty to look at, and the situations are absolutely compelling even on a surface level, but that's not what makes Mushi-shi a classic. The writing, episodic it may be, does that well enough on its own.

Psycho-Pass 2
While I greatly enjoyed the first Psycho-Pass series, as the sequel continued on it slowly dawned on me that it was less a continuation of the original, and more resembled a filler arc. It has the same concepts as the original series, the same setting, many of the same characters, but it expands on nothing, and only serves to cheapen what was already there. The new characters are silly, the old ones are ignored, and none of them are used to their full potential, the ideas are overblown repetitions of Urobuchi’s concepts, and the plot gets more lazy as it gets more convoluted. At the end of it, I couldn’t help but feel that the story wasn’t too far from where it started from. The core idea of this season, “can a seemingly perfect system be judged by its own standards,” seems decent on the surface, if not for the fact that the system, right from the beginning, is established as imperfect. The protagonist’s actions go beyond idealistic, running into the realm of the arbitrary, and make no sense when compared with her choices in season one. The villain is as awful as he is weird, an attempted repeat of the first antagonist, but nowhere near the charisma or the complexity. The developments just get more cartoonish as they go along, and while this is something that Psycho-Pass was always guilty of, Urobuchi’s developments at least made sense given the themes and tone of the story, the same most certainly can’t be said about season two, which I struggled to wrap my head around in the worst possible way. This series, like its predecessor, takes on a very dark outlook, often using violent and extreme images, but in the original, the focus wasn’t so much on the violence itself as it was the cold, pitiless reactions to it from the setting itself. This sequel seemed to miss that point entirely, showing bloodshed and all manner of gruesome things without any clear indication as to why it’s needed. This installment in the wider Psycho-Pass narrative only serves to cheapen everything that made the first one so interesting, while wasting all the possibilities that the conclusion of the first season provided. Perhaps there is some fun to be found in the dystopian mystery and the melodramatic deaths, but if it ever tried to be more than fun, it failed horribly. Basically, it’s the Curse of the Sacred Sword of Psycho-Pass.

Ronja the Robber’s Daughter
To be entirely honest, I've fallen a bit behind on this one, mainly because of time, but that does not mean this is a poor show. Based on a children's novel, it doesn't exactly do very much, and keeps its focus pretty well centered around appealing to the younger demographic, but it feels much closer to the children's anime of the 70's and 80's than anything modern. It's that honest, simplistic, but still energetic sensibilities that give the series its charm. I haven't quite gotten used to the CG style yet, and the motions do often look a bit clunky, but the intricately detailed forest environment, complete with all manner of whimsical fantasy creatures, more than makes up for it. I appreciate that the child characters actually behave like children, albeit children who grew up in an exceptional environment, and yet they aren't irritating either. The parents, meanwhile, completely stole the show, with the father having this hammy, dynamic energy that's cranked to eleven at all times, while the mother is capable of standing up with the other great Tough Ghibli Moms. What I also found notable is that this is quite possibly the scariest series of the season, and I'm not even kidding. While much of the focus is on making the forest look like a vibrant and wonderful place, it doesn't shy away from the dangers either, and some of the creatures succeed in being truly creepy and threatening, with the atmosphere seriously reflecting this. Still, most of the series is carefree and lighthearted, so if you're looking for something slow and laid-back, with a strong emphasis for setting, of if you just wanna see a well made kid's anime, check this one out.

And that's it! I'll probably watch a bit less next season, to focus on writing OIO reviews, but what I do watch, I'll be sure to talk about in the Winter thread. See ya then!

[Morcombe]

I managed to finish 5 shows so far yay and keep up with 4 series continuing into winter lol

Show 1
When Supernatural Battles become common place............except they dont lol the main characters are intentionally left in the dark about the battle after they get super powers and just go about doing everyday stuff.
good comedy show though made me laugh but was disappointed the only real battle was in episode 12.

Show 2
Gonna be the Twin Tail
Hilarious parody of a super hero show mainly Super Sentai/Power Rangers. the bad guys are so ridiculously stupid.

Show 3
Trinity Seven. It's your typical ecchi harem action show, but that's the kind of stuff I like so yay. Hope to see season 2 and will buy the manga when Yen Pres release it.

Show 4
Amagi Brilliant Park.
Fun comedy show where a high school kid becomes manager of a magical amusement park that needs to meet a quota of 500,000 visitors over a year but thurs only 3 months to go and thur about 200,000 short can he save the park!

Show 5
I Can't Understand What my Husband is saying
a simple short anime that shows the life of a newly married couple, its a fun little show to kill 5 minutes. second season in 2015 too so will probablyw atch it.



lept up to date with
Seven Deadly sins
A-1 are rushing through it to adapt the first part of the manga in one season so it's pacing is bad and several things have been cut, it even looks like teh armour giant arc might be skipped. stupid from a-1 considering the huge manga sales boosta nd tv rating of 4.0+ every week i was hoping this would become a long runner or at least be extended to a year so as to adapt everything at a good pace. (They've covered 43 chapters in 12 episodes (they skipped chapters 17, 27 and 28) and that includes the extra length Ban special chapter)

Yowamushi Pedal Grand Road is just as good as season 1

Yona of the Dawn is pretty good adventure story about a dethroned princess and her bodyguards search for dragon descendants.

and World Trigger which Toei anamition are killing with a very slow pace, dragged out scenes just like one piece and just overall poor animation quality, no idea why this is a 50 episode series as it's just gonna make the pacing even worse probably since thuv got 38 episodes left and only about 40ish chapters till the end of the first major arc i think.



I'm half way through Lord Marksman and Vadis, Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis and Yuki Yuna is a Hero but wether I actually finish them or not is another story lol, I hope I do.

[mainy]

Your Lie in April

Never thought id be on here again but i started watching Your Lie in April/ Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso and man. This anime for me is now one of my all time favourite animes for making me get feels. A series such as Anohana was an anime that brought me to full on blubbering but only once, Your lie in april has broke me down multiple times. the heart retching story of Arima Kousie i cannot get enough off. It doesn't have the best start but once you start getting deeper into the story it gets so dark and so soul destroying that if you didn't feel something from watching it, i do not think you have a soul.

Even if you ignore all that, the soundtrack MY GOD THE SOUNDTRACK IS HEAVEN. so much great music is a constant in this anime that if your a fan of classical music you, like me, will have the soundtrack looping on youtube.

Character wise i generally have no issues, i like the main lead, supporting characters i enjoy watching, just the odd character here or there i wish it would go into more detail with but only so much you can do with 20 mins so i understand that.

A gem of this anime is the animation itself, every so often when an instrument is being played or something big is bout to go down there is these slices of such beautiful animation that is just fantastic. i love how its conventional with most but out of nowhere it just hits you with these really beautiful and smooth animation gems.

Yeah im obsessed with this anime to the point im counting the days until the next episode airs and i just felt like this gave me something to pop back on here for, so yeah lol

Parasyte

Parasyte/kiseijuu is another anime Im greatly enjoying due to how well just messed up and cruel it is. i dont have much to say about it apart from its dark, bloody mindless violence with snippet or humour and feels and its awesome. One thing is though it has the weirdest sound effects, you'll understand what i mean if you just watch the first episode. i dont know whose idea it was to make those sound effect but its just plain weird.