Behind The Nihon Review

Spring has a reputation as one of the big two seasons, and in some ways this Spring is cashing in on that, and in others it is not. With such a wide swath of shows released, it’s inevitable that there will be something decent to watch — and through a few weeks, there is a solid number of watchable shows. However, so far none of those shows has leaped out as Something That Absolutely Needs to Be Watched (unless, like me, you went nuts for Kaiji’s first season). Of course, it took a few episodes for winter’s must watch shows — Madoka Magica, Hourou Musuko and Level E — to really get going, so there’s plenty of hope for the series that have flashed a bit of potential. Or more bondage and wet T-shirts would be nice, too.
Introduction by: Shinmaru

Hanasaku Iroha

Kylaran’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 3
Initial impression: B+
With a fantastic cast of voice actresses and astounding animation, Hanasaku Iroha is definitely one anime to follow this season. Considering the “camera” for most anime tends to remain static, HanaIro‘s animators embued force and energy into still pictures and ultimately brought the anime’s world and its characters alive. With excellent cinematography and a pleasant blend of occasional 3D animation, this series is a visual treat. The only problem is that three episodes in, we haven’t really gotten to the meat of the story; doubts still remain as to whether it will contain much content at all. Oh, and the music is hit-and-miss, especially with the insert songs.

Eternal‘s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 3
Initial impression: A-
This is looking good – and I mean that literally because it’s visually stunning. P.A. Works is living up to their reputation by accompanying quality animation and colouring with a camera that actually cares about its surroundings. You can get a glimpse of the show’s direction in the OP: the reflection of Ohana and Minko in the puddles as they’re running, the close up of their hands, etc. Bonus points for effective BGM. It acts more like a high-budget KyoAni production than a generic TV anime, which is fortunate because it’s far from generic. The plot doesn’t appeal to me on a personal level (I’m not a working adult and the challenges of work seem boring to me, to say the least), but it’s a refreshing change from the usual stories that one associates with the genre, even if it winds up being thematically the same coming-of-age tale we’ve seen in countless other shows. The hints toward a romance are enough to keep me going.

C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control

Shinmaru’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: C+
Not a whole hell of a lot happens in this initial episode that makes much sense (not that this is a bad thing), but there are flashes of an interesting series. The opening and premise indicate a political slant to the show, which could be interesting or hilarious considering that card games are the rule of the day (or so it seems). But the pedigree of the Noitamina time slot and director Nakamura Kenji’s previous work (Mononoke, Kuuchuu Buranko, the best part of Ayakashi) along with an interesting visual style in parts have me on board for now.

Akira’s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: B
Just what is C actually about? The first episode raises a million questions, but answers none of them. The show seems to be going in two directions: on one hand, C could become a very interesting critique about the value of money and its role in modern society; on the other hand, the show seems to feature ridiculous card-battle games, much in the vein of Yu-Gi-Oh!. If the show can downplay its magical and fantasy elements, and focus more heavily on its serious themes, C might be a winner.

Deadman Wonderland

AC’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: B+
From the onset, the show is making it clear that they’re not holding their punches with the bloody violence, which renders itself more of an action series with gore rather than a horror one. The pace is fast, the story is riveting, the concept is interesting and the presentation is awesome. I’m not sure where the show will develop from here, but in the meantime I’m mostly fixated on the action. It has the potential to be a disastrous show, but I’ll be optimistic and hope that Manglobe has something amazing up its sleeve.

Shinmaru’s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: B-
This doesn’t have an entirely original premise (the innocent presumed guilty + survival in a hellish prison), but the execution in the first episode is solid, and the story could venture down some interesting paths. At the very least, Deadman Wonderland isn’t afraid to be gruesome, although the censorship in the first episode takes some of the sting out of that. With a clear conspiracy set-up and an interesting setting (a privately owned prison that doubles as a theme park), the series has the elements to be a decent thriller.

X-Men

AC’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 3
Initial impression: B-
This show is not crap. I repeat: this show is not crap. I was surprised to see that the show started off on a right note, unlike Wolverine and Iron Man. The art is decent, the dark ambiance complements the story, the characters look cool, and their characterization closely follows their original Western counterparts. The only issue is that the show is playing it safe, and chooses not to push boundaries with the presentation. I just hope that it doesn’t eventually nosedive into the shitty pool, and the Marvel-Madhouse collaboration finally has something to show for.

Nichijou

Kylaran’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B-
Nichijou is a mixed bag. Some of the gags are quite hilarious, but at times, they seem to be inaccessible without a fair amount of knowledge about Japanese culture. Different types of humor are utilized in the anime, ranging from straight gags and puns to manzai-style boke/tsukkomi to hyperbole in the art; only the later are consistently funny (Everyone loves a high school girl going Super Saiyan!). Personally, the characters in the show seem far too childish to be high school students, but this can be overlooked since it’s a gag manga. I just don’t see how the students in this show lead very normal (nichijou) lives at all.

Akira’s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 3
Initial impression: C
It’s obvious that the minds behind Lucky Star had to be behind Nichijou. Each episode is filled with small vignettes, and there’s no plot to speak of. Fluid animation and wacky, slapstick humor distract viewers from the lack of plot and substance, but I doubt that this formula will be successful for much longer. Each episode is less funny than the last, and it won’t be long until this show becomes mere drudgery unless the creators can come up with new, fresh jokes every episode – a task made infinitely harder by the show’s absolute lack of substance.

Kaiji S2

Shinmaru’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B
So far, more of the same from the first season: Kaiji is in a crippling amount of debt, gets thrown into a horrific situation and tries to get out through the power of gambling. The show’s about where I’d expect it to be, too, given the notoriously slow pace of the original season — Kaiji’s just now getting down to gambling and feeling the rush he so sorely missed. And along with him are the overwrought visual metaphors, the overexcited narrator, and the veneer of scum and filth permeating every second of every episode. It’s worth noting that the second season seems relatively easy to pick up for those who haven’t watched the first.

Sorrow-kun’s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: B
It’s only early days, but Kaiji S2 is already showing glimpses of the tension, nous and scathing philosophy that made the first season so special. The self-proclaimed anti-moe anime, from a production standpoint, nothing has changed between Kaiji and its sequel: the characters all look wretched and ugly, and the artstyle, stroked with variously thickened black lines, works perfectly for the show’s atmosphere. If there’s an early theme cropping up in this series, it’s about temptation and addiction, two things which are often associated with gambling, and that weren’t explicitly explored in the first season. Also, the ED sequence is as simultaneously funny and scary as an Aphex Twin music video clip.

Fireball Charming

Shinmaru’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B
“Charming” is an apt adjective for this series. The original series impressed me due to the infectious wit of its two lead robots and the snappy, Marx Brothers-esque pace of the show’s dialogue, and this second season has offered more of the same thus far, with the added bonus of a nice boost in animation quality. My Empress Drossel has never before looked so fine! The chemistry between Drossel and Gedächtnis is still great, too; they bounce off each other so well that they wring the maximum potential from every joke.

AC’s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B
I don’t really what to think about this show: it’s highly unconventional, and I still haven’t grasped the whole idea of the show even until now. The computer graphics are wonderful and the dialogue between Drossel and Gedächtnis is sharp and witty. The relationship between the two robots is quite interesting too, since it’s shown only through their conversations and body language. This quirky show has something right going on, but I can’t quite put my finger on it… maybe it’s the striking diva poses Drossel loves to do.

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko

Akira’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: B
Yet more insanity from everyone’s favorite avant-garde animation studio, Shaft. Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko definitely makes little to no sense at present, and I immediately thought of Arakawa Under the Bridge, mostly because both shows feature heroines who claim that they are aliens. Much of the dialogue featured in the first episode makes little sense, and the humor certainly has an absurdist or random bent to. The show needs to adequately explain its setting and the nuances and intricacies of its plot, or else it’ll be another light-novel flop. Originality of concept certainly isn’t on Denpa Onna‘s strong suit, so it’ll need all the help it can get in order to make it interesting and compelling.

Sorrow-kun’s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: B+
Shinbo Akiyuki is one of the most famous and prolific directors in anime right now, and his track record, particularly with comedy, is enviable. It’s hard to know what to make of Denpa Onna at its outset, but I can’t deny its demented energy, starting with the OP song, which might lack technical prowess, but is a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. The characters are eccentric oddballs, and the comedy is a mixture of repartee, awkwardness, references and over-the-top slapstick. In other words, Shinbo is at home. And boy, does Denpa Onna look good as well. If there’s one thing I don’t think Shaft does consistently well, it’s animation. Perhaps Denpa Onna is a sign that they’re turning a corner on that front.

Steins;Gate

Kylaran’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B
Everything so far from this anime has been interesting: the art is manipulated to suit the mood, Hitchcock-like camerawork fully emphasizes the psychological effects of the story’s mind-bending twists, and the main character is hilarious despite the massive amounts of dialogue. Although the narrative seems promisingly filled with potentially intelligent discussion regarding everyone’s favorite scientific theories (quantum mechanics, time travel, possible worlds), I’m hesitant to give the show more than what it deserves at the moment. Especially if we consider that its predecessor, CHaos;HEAd, had quite the failure of an ending.

Shinmaru’s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: C+
Not terribly interesting for me so far, but I think that’s because, for now, the show’s taking a slow burn approach to the story. As long as it pays off down the road, that’s cool with me, since I’m a sucker for the type of story Steins;Gate is telling. I’d like the characters to be more engaging, though. Okabe — sorry, Hououin Kyouma! — is the only one who stands out so far, and that’s mainly because he is a hilarious dork. But there’s plenty of time to rectify that.

Dog Days

Kylaran’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 3
Initial impression: C+
Considering half the characters and places in this show are named after foods, I’m not surprised that the story and animation are average. Recognizable and respected voice actresses have so far done an excellent job putting as much stuffing into these empty, substance-lacking characters, but in the end talent can only do so much to make up for a lack of narrative meat. The only thing that prevents me from hating on this show is that it quite effectively uses cute drawings to alleviate the boredom of narrative exposition (explaining the rules of the battles, etc.). Doesn’t seem to be good, but not necessarily bad.

Tiger & Bunny

Shinmaru’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 3
Initial impression: B-
Pretty fun so far, even if some of the praise is slightly overblown. I’m digging the world where superheroes are an ingrained part of society to the point where commercialism has sucked them into its gaping maw. The COPS-style show about superheroes saving people around the city and gaining points as if they’re in a game show is amusing as well. The combo of Wild Tiger and Barnaby is well worn (the past-his-prime old timer and the up-and-comer) but always fun when written well. I just hope the show kicks into a higher gear soon and doesn’t cycle through every rescue scenario in the book beforehand.

AC’s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 3
Initial impression: B-
I’ll cut to the chase: the show hasn’t really impressed me. It has an interesting concept and a unique Western comic flavor, but it’s too underwhelming for a series that involved superheroes with amazing powers. More importantly, there is no chemistry between the titular odd couple. Putting aside the clichéd character pairing, the show hasn’t been realizing its potential because there’s nothing interesting to see from the two, and the rest of the characters don’t seem to contribute anything to the show. I just want more character chemistry… and less real-life sponsor logos.

A-Channel

Kylaran’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: C-
In all honesty, this show must be one of the worst of the season. While it may seem to field advanced visuals, much of the 3D animation in A-Channel is used far too often and done in a way that clashes with the arguably more 2D style that the characters are drawn in. Not only that, but after two episodes, I’m still left unsure about Tohru’s gender (granted, she/he wears a skirt), and whether or not she/he has a developmental disorder because of her/his unhealthy obsession with Run. Even worse, Run’s friends seem relatively generic, yet it seems like they’ll be important to the story. The original manga might be a comedy, but this series needs to stop relying on the novelty of 3D animation in Japanese cartoons and make itself clear that it’s a comedy.

Astarotte no Omocha!

AC’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: C+
From the onset, the plot seems to be pure rubbish: A young succubus in the Kugimiya loli-tsundere form (again) must basically consume semen in order to maintain her body and appearance. I was expecting a frantic and retarded comedy with over-the-top fanservice and clichéd gags, but it turns out to be nothing like it. All the characters are likable (albeit dull), the pace is slow and the story is even sentimental occasionally. The only problem now is that it’s too boring; it’s good that it’s not obnoxious but it’s not that good either.

Maria+Holic Alive

Akira’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B
The second season of Maria Holic is exactly the same as the first. There have been slight updates to the visual style of the show, but the humor and the gags remain the same. Kanako still nosebleeds at her every fantasy, Maria’s still sadistic, and the humor is still random and absurd. Surprisingly, the jokes don’t seem any staler this time around. I loved the first season, so this second season promises much of the same. If you hated Maria Holic the first time around, this certainly won’t change your mind.

Eternal’s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: B+
I’m far more fond of Shaft’s dramas than their comedies but Maria Holic is still an entertaining take on the traditional Marimite-esque yuri setting. The first episode is nearly identical to the first season so there aren’t any surprises in store. One problem that will probably plague the series is the issue of stale jokes (the premise is amusing but is it really that amusing?), but at the very least it’s a mental exercise to keep up with Shinbo. As long as he doesn’t go overboard in trying to disorient us the show will probably wind up like the last season: a watchable, if repetitive parody with clever direction.

SKET Dance

AC’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: C+
Basically, this is what happens when Ookami-san gets a complete shounen-comedy makeover. It literally cuts to the chase by getting over with the simplistic storyline and rapid-firing the “boke-tsukkomi” style gags. Execution and delivery is always the key to good comedy, but unfortunately this show isn’t doing it right: the gags are hasty to the point that the humor doesn’t even have the chance in sink in with the audience. Furthermore, the main characters are all stereotypical and I get the feeling that this is yet another never-ending shounen series.

Hidan no Aria

Eternal’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: C+
By now we know what to expect from J.C. Staff‘s light novel adaptations, and the show follows the formula to a tee. This could be for better or worse but for me it was the latter. The first episode consists entirely of a couple of mediocre action scenes performed by a cut-and-paste Kugimiya Rie loli and a male protagonist who could switch places with Index‘s Touma for a day without anyone noticing. It loses points for breaking the fourth wall within the first minute — drawing attention to the fact that your show is unoriginal makes it only slightly less unoriginal. Altogether the production values seem decent but I don’t recommend it unless you enjoy uninspired light novels or are a diehard fan of KugiRie’s voice.

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai

Sorrow-kun’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: B
There’s potential here, but if I were to compare it with the anime it reminded me of, its first episode doesn’t scrub up. The first episode reveals a death that still haunts the male lead’s past, which took me back to anime like Cross Game and Bokura ga Ita, both of which rank high among my favourites. It’s a harsh comparison, but what these two stories showed, right from the start and in a sympathetic way, was the impact those deaths had, either directly, through a display of mourning, or indirectly, through a subtly incongruous demeanour. All I saw from Ano Hana’s main character, Jinta, was an individual unable to control his own delusion. I’m confident it will be good, but I need a reason to care about the characters first.

Akira’s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: A-
Easily my favorite show this season, even over Hanasaku Iroha. I haven’t seen an A-1 show animated this beautifully since Kannagi. On top of its incredibly high production values, Ano Hana has a fairly interesting premise. While its concept isn’t the most original one in the world, the storytelling and pacing in the first episode was just right. Despite the subject matter, I found the first episode not overly sentimental or melodramatic. As long as Ano Hana can continue to resist melodrama and move the plot along at a reasonable pace while fully exploring the relationships between the main cast, it’ll be a sure winner.

Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai

AC’s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: C+
The first episode already lost me, and that doesn’t bode well with me. It’s interesting to see three different protagonists in three different stories running in parallel. However, I sense some weird Yosuga no Sora-like vibes from this series, particularly when sexual implications are all over the place, especially in the dialogue. The visuals are great and the characters are all pretty (despite all the girls’ faces looking the same), but my gut feeling tells me that this is going to end up being something mediocre at best, or trashy at worst.

Sorrow-kun’s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: C-
I should start by pointing out my dislike of Nishimata Aoi’s character designs… there’s nothing grounded about them, so they all just look like fapping fodder. It doesn’t help that all the girls have pretty much the same face (except the crepe dealer), and they all have virtually the same personality too (except the crepe dealer). I still don’t know what this is, other than an unfocused mess. Is it a satire, as is claimed? Then what’s it satirizing? Harem anime clichés? Awkward social situations? Inflated male sexuality and deluded self-importance? The male characters are loud, dumb and annoying, and the female characters have bland personalities… well, except the crepe dealer.