Fall 2012 First Thoughts
I ask you, has there ever been so much hype, for so many shows, in a single season thus far in history? You have hyped shows based on acclaimed novels, such as Shinsekai Yori. You have hyped shows based on popular manga, such as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Magi; hyped shows based on preseasonal controversy, such as Little Busters!, Chuunibyou, and To-Love-Ru: Darkness. You have hyped shows based on previous works by creative minds, such as Urobouchi Gen’s Psycho-Pass; hyped shows based on previous existing series, with sequels for Hayate no Gotoku and Seitokai no Ichizon. Try as I might, I cannot recall another season that had such an amazing load of shows that have already created such high expectations.
In the end, though, hype is hype. As is usually said in reply to someone promotes themselves, “put up or shut up.” Here, we at The Nihon Review take a preliminary gander at the current season to see just how much “putting up” is being “put forth”.
Introduction by: TypicalIdiotFan
Hayate no Gotoku! Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
Shinmaru‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: C-
Depending on who you ask, Hayate no Gotoku! has degenerated as it’s been passed from studio to studio. Manglobe’s first contribution to the series, the horrid Heaven Is a Place on Earth movie, was not an auspicious start. This new TV anime — with an original storyline penned by manga author Hata Kenjiro — is not looking great, either. The first episode features a whole one or two laughs more than the movie (which had none), and the story is a boring retread of the original series’ first episode with hints of a melodramatic plotline charting the course of this story. Thankfully, episode 2 focuses more on comedy and silliness. Please let that be the path this show takes.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
TypicalIdiotFan‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: C-
Before viewing these two episodes, the only things I knew about JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure were things lampooned by the fans (y’know, “ZA WURUDO”, “MUDAMUDA”, and “WRYYY!”). Without context to frame that bullshit into, I took it to mean the viewer wasn’t supposed to take JoJo seriously. Well, I was right, but I was also wrong. JoJo is definitely a laugh riot, but unintentionally so. It’s about as throwback a throwback can be to the campier, muscle-bulging, and violent times of shounen battle manga. Dated can have nostalgic value if you either read the manga or liked that kind of shit in the first place, but that rules me out.
Shinmaru‘s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B+
Definitely the show of the season thus far. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is incredibly silly and revels in it by playing its tone totally straight and to the hilt; it’s as if the show is winking at the audience without winking at all. Nobody could take a show seriously that has 12-year-olds who look like hulking, steroid-riddled pro wrestlers, and yet the simple plot of JoJo’s has been gripping so far. What helps is that everything is so distinct: the characters are simple but incredibly well-defined, and what David Production lacks in budget (aside from the superbly lavish OP), it makes up for with eye-popping color, silly details (visual onomatopoeias are a common occurrence) and delicious visual melodrama (how could anyone not immediately tell Dio Brando is evil with those eyes of his?). I’m all in on this show.
Shinsekai Yori
Shadowmage‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial Impression: B
The trouble with judging a thriller anime is that you never quite know what cards the show is holding until the very end. It makes any preliminary judgment seem a tad premature and may lead to hilarity when criticisms fall apart or praises whither. What the first few episodes of Shinsekai Yori have going for it is a solid grasp of atmosphere and a cast of characters that are reasonably likable. While I have no insights on what the future may hold, the present state of the show is absorbing enough for me to enjoy on what is ostensibly a show about psychic schoolchildren but with a festering darkness lurking just around the corner.
Kylaran‘s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 4
Initial Impression: B+
Though the animation seemed to exacerbate the completely unintelligible storytelling in the first three episodes, by the fourth episode things start coming together. Old images from the earlier episodes are explained, and the action starts building up to reveal a show that has plenty in store for viewers despite its somewhat slow pace in introducing us to all of the characters. However, it’s obvious that something sinister is festering underneath the innocent demeanor of the anime’s teenage protagonists; the main character Saki is shaping up to be quite an interesting psychological study. If you want to keep your eye out with a creepy, atmospheric thriller, this is a series you should be keeping track of.
Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai
Kylaran‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 3
Initial Impression: A-
Chuuni is the perfect balance of the insane, the moetic, and the beautiful. With absolutely stunning animation from the powerhouse studio Kyoto Animation, a delightful sense of humor that hasn’t gotten old in 3 episodes, and the potential to drive some pointed commentary about what it’s like to grow up, this show is a must watch among the comedy pieces of this season. Although the story has the possibility of devolving into a mindless harem pre-teen drama, my bets are in favor of KyoAni delivering a great show, like a race car driver who knows just went to maintain speed, shift gears, slow down, and accelerate when necessary.
Reckoner‘s Second Opinion
Episodes Seen: 3
Initial impression: C
Expecting anything but a light hearted romp here would be foolish. The very premise of Chuunibyou demands a light hearted approach as it is predicated on having fun with the extreme delusions of young people undergoing the so called “8th grader syndrome.” This essentially being the time of your life when you thought you had special powers unlike others and pretended you were some sort of superhero, monster, time traveler, or you name it. So far I have found Chuunibyou somewhat enjoyable and cute, especially with the usual KyoAni flourish, but I have large concerns about how fresh this concept can stay in the long term.
Little Busters!
TypicalIdiotFan‘s First Thoughts
Episodes Seen: 3
Initial impression: C
I am having a very difficult time getting into this, and I have loved every previous Key story that has come my way. Like those previous offerings, Little Busters! is taking its sweet time to get going; unlike those previous offerings, the opening expositions are not interesting at all. If I had to put my finger on what the difference really is, I might have to point it at JC Staff, rather than Kyoto Animation, doing the visuals. It isn’t that JC Staff is giving us shitt visuals, it’s just that Kyoto Animation does theirs so well. Thus, even during the boring bits of Kanon or Clannad, at least there was scenery porn to “ooh” and “ahh” at.
BTOOOM!
AC‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 3
Initial impression: C
A lot of people have drawn comparisons between BTOOOM! and Battle Royale, and I can understand why. The two basically share the same setup but that’s where the similarity ends: while Battle Royale is more psychological, BTOOOM! is more action-oriented. So far, the series has been too mild and underwhelming: there’s just not giving enough shock value for a story based on stranded people fighting each other for their own survival. As a self-confessed Madhouse fan, I’m just wondering if this is simply the studio being inconsistent with its productions again, since it can produce something amazing on one occasion and then inane on another.
Kylaran‘s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 3
Initial impression: C+
BTOOOM! has some serious issues with the amount of information it tells without showing. While the first episode looked promising with some of the mystery behind the main character’s kidnapping underlining a ton of action, each successive episode has failed to even keep me interested. The main reason is because the show seems to simply dump background information through flashbacks and dialogue without really giving the pacing much thought. Perhaps the only thing that the series has going for itself is good artwork.
Lychee DE Light Club
Shinmaru‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: C
There was a ripple of hype for this series from fans of the manga before the season. Although I enjoyed the manga’s twisted plot, black humor and grotesque art, I learned early that this would be a series of comedy shorts and thus scaled back my expectations appropriately. This isn’t totally bad; a couple of the jokes are amusing, and some of the interplay between characters is OK. However, I’m not sure what makes this different than any other comedy short series. The characters, setting and tone of the manga are used to a nominal amount. There’s not much this show does that couldn’t be done in a generic short series with generic characters. Maybe they wouldn’t have a robot to use? At any rate, this has fallen expectedly flat. It’s a shame.
Zetsuen no Tempest
AC‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B
It’s good to see that, for one, this show is visually great. The production values are top-notch, the characters are fetching, the action sequences are beautifully animated and the music is absorbing. The only concern is the story, where there is a chance of it becoming run-of-the-mill. There is still potential for it to be riveting, especially when there is an interesting setup involving two friends with contrasting opinions and personalities. If I can sum it up, It is the kind of action series that BONES is commonly known for, one that looks good on the outside but with a questionable content on the inside.
Shinmaru‘s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B-
I probably like this a bit more than I should. It takes itself a bit too seriously (quoting Hamlet and then pointing out that it is quoting Hamlet, just so you know), and it has the type of plot where I could see it being shockingly good or utterly crap, and it wouldn’t surprise me. Anything that has the potential for cool battles has my eye, though, and there’s just enough intrigue with the characters to sucker me in. Plus, Sawashiro Miyuki as a super confident sorceress who is all about getting shit done even though she’s been abandoned on a deserted island? Yes. I am all for this.
Robotics;Notes
Shadowmage‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: B+
In contrast to the normal high school girls doing cute things trope, Robotic;Notes explores high school students trying to build themselves a giant robot. Hell yeah! Something I actually care about. Though not entirely original, the characters stand out a tad stronger than usual and there’s a nice uplifting tone about the show. What’s icing on the cake is that the show is not just the misadventures of robotics geeks, there’s an underlying conspiracy to it all.
Reckoner‘s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B
As the spiritual successor of Steins;Gate, it is not surprising, but worth mentioning that Robotic;Notes seems to have a very similar story structure . Except instead of revolving around the misadventures of building a time machine, this story revolves around building a giant robot. The story’s beginning is also filled with a familiar dosage of entertaining and quirky character interactions. The main difference here, however, is that I feel Robotic;Notes will be best understood by lovers of mecha. Understanding what the hell is so awesome about a giant robot makes it much easier to enjoy the show. Regardless, it is still quite a pleasure to watch.
Magi
AC‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B+
There is just something very charming about Magi. It feels like the first few episodes of One Piece, where one would get the feeling that he is in for a story about an unforgettable adventure with a simplistic yet resounding overarching message on friendship and compassion. It may look like an atypical shounen action, but it has a lot of heart in the story and the characters are very likable. Whether or not it eventually becomes just like One Piece is anybody’s guess, but so far this is one series I enjoy watching a lot this season.
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (My Little Monster)
TypicalIdiotFan‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 3
Initial impression: C
As a beneficiary of low expectations, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun has at least kept me entertained. On the other hand, in terms of directing, pacing, plot, characters, dialogue, music, or story, so far it has been crap. The first episode moves with all the vigor of a spazzed out teenage girl getting to meet Justin Beiber, with the second one not being much better. Far too many things have already happened that could have been better spaced out. This is especially obvious when episode three slows down to a crawl. But, really, it is funny. There’s an awful lot of weirdness that takes an abnormal mind, such as mine, to appreciate, but appreciate it I do, warts and all.
Shinmaru‘s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 3
Initial impression: B
I didn’t much like the first episode of this. I could definitely see the charm and polish, but my god, Haru was such an annoying little shit — and not the type of annoying where I want to see him better himself. No, it’s more the type that makes me think nothing but, “Wow, [insert character name here], you really are an irritating little fuck, aren’t you?” Thankfully, the show presents Haru’s lack of social grace in ways that are actually funny in subsequent episodes. Introducing more characters for Haru and Shizuku to bounce off works wonders, as well, and makes their personality shifts much more natural and charming. After a bumpy beginning, I’m enjoying the energy and fun now. I just hope there’s more of the rooster.
「K」
Shadowmage‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: C+
If aliens ever destroy the Earth, and in the final moments I must choose the one anime that best reflects the state of the medium as a whole, it be「K」. This show is probably the largest mish mash of tropes I have ever seen. I’m not insulting it; I am in awe at how this show manages to locate, extract and distill all of the core elements would of every popular anime in existence and put it into one show. I’m willing to bet if you take the rate of tropes to time and you will break the goddamn universe.
AC‘s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 3
Initial impression: C
Basically,「K」is like a peacock that haughtily flaunts its drop-dead fabulous feathers. Presenting itself more like a high-budgeted animated PV than a conventional anime series, it is nothing more than a juvenile title that panders to viewers with a flamboyant and flawless cast, from the bishies for the girls to the lolis for the guys. The story seems to be very average at the moment, and thus I can’t help but feel that this is just a superficial title that gives maximum attention on looking good and minimum attention on the writing aspect.
Jormungand Perfect Order
Reckoner‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B
Continuing right where it left off with season 1, Jormungand Perfect Order continues to be an enjoyable action thriller with larger-than-life characters. While the first season seemed much more focused on seemingly random encounters in the violent and crazy world that is arms dealing, the second season is really starting to put the puzzle pieces together. There is a semblance of a grand narrative here forming before our eyes that I can only describe as masterful. I do not know exactly where we are heading towards, but I sure as hell am anticipating just what is store for us in the second half of this show.
Psycho-Pass
Shadowmage’s‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: B-
Psycho-Pass is Blade Runner meets Minority Report where a group of cops must stop criminals in a dystopic future using a computer system that predicts crime. It’s a fairly cliched premise, but it’s one that is rare in this day and age of the anime medium. Though the visuals are done by Production I.G. the animation often lacks visceral fight scenes to give the show the extra pop that could have sold the entire show. What the show does have going for it is the fact that it’s penned by Gen Urobuchi, and if there’s one man who can eek out the unconventional twist from the ordinary, it’s him.
TypicalIdiotFan‘s Second Opinion
Episodes seen: 1
Initial impression: B
Solid first episode all around showing us both the important setting details and how they relate to the characters and plot. Basically Minority Report without the preaching, thus far, and a slightly more optimistic view of futuristic law and order than, say, Blade Runner or some Orwellian nightmare. While what is to come is too vague for me to predict at the moment, I know that Urobochi Gen is going to torment the hell out of our heroine newbie cop. I mean, she’s a sniveling mess after only one episode; by the last one I expect her to be psychotic.
Sukitte Ii na yo
Reckoner‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: B
Unlike Tonari this season, Sukitte is a much more serious natured shojo in the line of something like Bokura ga Ita. Angst is just seething under the surface and you just know that the romantic relationship here is going to be a bumpy road. For someone like me who hates the innocence spam of shows like Kimi ni Todoke, Sukitte carries a refreshingly realistic tone and feel. It sends the message that romance is not just rainbows and unicorns, which personally makes for a much more fulfilling watch. So far I would say there is a lot to be positive about here.
Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne
Kylaran‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: D-
There is absolutely nothing cute about the main little sister. Absolutely nothing. Her character design does not instill an urging in my groin, and her voice bleeds my ears like nails on a chalkboard. Worst of all, her reactions are so predictable that it’s not even a source of comedy. And if that wasn’t enough, there are three other less intolerable but still insipid females vying for the main character’s attention. Let’s just toss this series into the unending abyss in which fellow little sister anime like DaCapo go and be done with it.
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
Reckoner‘s First Thoughts
Episodes seen: 2
Initial impression: D
Can the producers at JC Staff tell me exactly why this project looks like it has an equal, if not better, budget than Little Busters this season? Probably not, but this series does look pretty at least. Too bad the rest of this project is pretty worthless. It is merely the latest otaku fantasy pandering bullshit you can find anywhere. We are expected to buy into a story about a girl is so clueless about life that a guy has to take care of her basic daily needs. Let’s not forget she’s totally hot because they got to make this sex doll marketable. I am not amused. Fuck this shit.
I assume that Sakurasou has a much better budget than Little Busters! because the Little Busters! material is quite bad. I am not suggesting that Sakurasou isn’t also bad, but that since Little Busters! already has a built-in fanbase, the studio can get away with trying to make easy money with it.
@Vance
Well here’s the thing… with all the prehype rage about JC staff doing Little Busters, you’d think that they would be afraid of a fan back lash and would devote their full attention that project. Instead it feels like they sent a good chunk of their $$ to this piece of shit.
Yeah they probably will get away with it for the reason you said, and Pet will probably also sell well because it hits the right buttons for certain otaku, but it’s still aggravating.
I don’t think “clitche” is be the best way to describe Psycho Pass. Sure, it may be derivative of other works in the sci-fi genre, but if you were to talk about clitched premises I would immediately think Guilty Crown.
Didn’t get a chance to write about it, but I’m loving Chuunibyou a lot more than expected — probably my second favorite of the season behind JoJo. The physical comedy is on target, and KyoAni is playing with the visuals nicely to deliver laughs (love the perspective twist after the big fight scene in the latest episode).
Has it become site policy to rarely give anything above a B, or do we TRULY no longer enjoy most of the anime we watch?
Great call on Chuunibyou, though. I’m enjoying it immensely myself.
@Akira
I can’t speak for others, but at least in my case it was because the two anime I valued the most this season I wasn’t giving impressions on. I love Shinsekai Yori to bits, and really like like Psycho;pass. Would have given both an A and A- respectively.
Not Chuuni though, oh dear no no no no… The concept is long from fresh and I feel is explored in a much more interesting and amusing way in Haruhi. Chuuni just isn’t as funny, and is already starting to feel a bit repetitive. I don’t think it has a long lifespan as a comedy and it’s going to get old REALLY fast.
If anything, I think Chuunibyou works one way or another because of mostly Kyoto Animation. The studio seems to know how to work its magic on just about all the titles it has worked on, giving them some sort of flair. The visuals, the bombastic fights, the moe designs… most of my credit goes to KyoAni.
And, just a random thought, but concerning a past topic on the whole ruckus over Little Busters not being produced by KyoAni, my gut feeling tells me that perhaps the studio saw little potential in the series. Not necessarily about it being too busy or anything; they just don’t see anything special in it. I’m just sayin’.
Personally I would like to think there is a lot more to this season than Chuunibyou and whatever Kyoto Animation is doing so I’m just going to comment on some of the other stuff instead. Needless to say though I agree mostly with Reckoner on that matter that it’s fun and quirky but really nothing all that special and outstanding in a season as varied and overall well-produced as this (the majority of the industry should get a pat on the back IMO and not just the usual suspects) and it’s somewhere in the middle of the pack of what I consider a season that is an embarrassment of riches and variety like none we’ve seen in quite some time.
Right now I think I’m liking Shin Sekai Yori, Robotic;Notes, Psycho Pass and Zetsuen no Tempest the most in about that order.
Shin Sekai Yori is definitely the most far removed from other anime in no small part because it takes place in such a far future and arguably foreign setting compared to contemporary times yet in some ways things have regressed and part of the mystery of the show up until very recently has been trying to figure out precisely why things have regressed and are the way they are now. I liken it’s overall concept to classic science fiction, the kind of stuff we got before Star Trek took over and space opera kind of took over as the dominant stylization within the vast domain of science fiction. If there’s one draw back to it it’s that it’s been overwhelmingly focused on exposition at the expense of any serious character development so far and we’ve been forced to go on the fact that the cast is currently comprised mostly of children to illicit the requisite sympathy factor as they continue on their journey of discovery.
Robotic;Notes seems to be something of a tipping point for many and I wholeheartedly agree that whether you “get it” or not will have a lot to do with how well you can relate to the concept of building a giant robot in a club versus say a club that is about cute girls doing cute things and eating cake and where nothing threatening, tense or unpleasant ever happens period. As a gunpla builder and long time enthusiast of the mecha aesthetic this struck a chord with me right away and I really do have to appreciate that somebody bothered to think of a different demographic other than the straight up moe crowd when it comes to the latest entry in an admittedly worn concept like the school club one. Also helps that I like the cast right off the bat and it only looks like more are going to be added to it.
Pyscho-Pass is yet another that is intriguing to me right off the bat simply because of how foreign the setting is, but fortunately the concept of the series is one that leads to intrigue as well. What is the true nature of the Psycho-Pass system and why was something that seems so easy to break put in place to begin with. Why is Akane so easily able to maintain her Psycho-Pass, and how come her immediate superior is apparently on the absolute tipping point of what the system considers a desirable. He claims it’s because of his job and having to no about criminals and how they work, but doesn’t that make him a potentially dangerous element too being so close to the borderline? There’s many questions and more certainly to be raised and answered that are sure to keep me coming back to this one. I think it helps that this shows current runs straight through my field of social sciences such that the interest level is immediately there just based on the concept itself.
Zetsuen no Tempest is probably the biggest surprise to me. After a few very disappointing series by Bones in a row this one looks to be off to about the best start of any in a while, and yet I’m still quite apprehensive as to whether it will still good or start meandering in random directions the second there’s a setting change which has been the cue for just about every recent Bones show I’ve seen to start tanking. There’s no sign of it now so I will be bravely venturing forward into the 4th episode hoping for the best. Should things fall through yet again though at least I’ll have that ever listenable OST to add to my playlist. Good lord is that soundtrack ever good.
@Erif
When I said that Psycho Pass was cliched, I meant in the context of the dystopic sci fi domain in general, not just anime. If were to ignore all the Western productions I’ve seen covering the same elements that Psycho Pass hits, then it is undoubtedly one of the most original anime this year.
@Akira
Give me an introduction that’s engaging, solidly presented and filled with potential and I’ll give it an “A”.
@Kaioshin Sama
Since I didn’t get to write on Zetsuen no Tempest I’ll comment here:
I completely agree with you that it’s a surprise; it could be a sleeper hit if it manages to keeps its pretentious side under check and just let lose with its cool story and enjoyable setting. The characters have a lot of room to grow, and I love how the romantic action is already in the past before the story has even really gotten started.
@Akira, Shadowmage
While I don’t consider Chuuni to be the most poignant nor most eloquent series on the table this season even, I think we need to get over our inability to look past the moe elements at a simply well done anime. And holy fuck, this anime is well done. Like, I’m not sure how you can even argue against its excellent production values without sounding like a moe-hater.
@Kylaran: I think that’s kind of been the problem with Bones anime in general of late. They tend to get caught up in their own narrative regardless of content such that things start to either stagnate or give the feeling of meandering and losing focus and before we all know it the show is a few episodes from it’s finale and forced to wrap things in an unsatisfactory often nonsensical manner.
Regarding Chuuni one last time, this may be a controversial opinion but allow me to express it in two stages. First yes, I wholeheartedly agree that often is the time when a well produced series isn’t given what I feel ought to be it’s due simply because it contains elements that one does not care for and is instead made the subject of pure scorn while the merits of the production go without acknowledgement. That’s actually something of an unfortunate and depressing reality in todays heavily demographically divided anime fandom and something I can only hope will change over time….however, and this is my second point, if I’m being quite honest when it comes to Kyoani and their productions I think that they get an equal amount of leeway if not far more so than most high level productions to such a degree that it tends to gloss over their shortcomings as they do flack for being “that moeblob studio” such that it more than counterbalances any dismissive tendencies towards the moe concept that they may receive. Their productions are in my 15 or so years of experience in shooting the shit about anime (spanning five decades in copyright years) with people arguably the least hard done by when it comes to knee jerk criticisms as any that I’ve ever seen and frankly I’m still not quite sure why they are the beneficiaries of such an approach. If anything it looks like there’s usually a larger push to embrace whatever the latest work of Kyoani such that I think their merits and the broadness of their appeal is overstated rather than understated in most cases as opposed to their strengths going unacknowledged.
Personally both the knee jerk criticism and the instant adoration and exception to criticism are approaches I would prefer to avoid as much as possible when it comes to discussing entertainment because I think both will ultimately lead one towards failing to see the bigger picture. Taking Chuuni again, I think it’s possible to acknowledge the high production values and still not be completely head over heels in love with it and also not be a moe hater all in the same reaction and that it’s possible to have at least some issues with it’s presentation and that’s sort of been my approach. It looks great (so do a lot of other shows this season though IMO), but it’s not exactly gripping me the way some other shows are this season cause it’s kind of a little too familiar in concept and execution by comparison.
Shit needs to suck less. Okay, less TIF-like answer: there’s a profound difference between how much I enjoy something and how much I realize that I’m enjoying something that’s terrible. I gave Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun a C because of how much I’m enjoying it. Otherwise, it’s fucking garbage. Believe me, objectivity can be a fucking bitch sometimes, but I never forget to throw in my own subjective feelings on a show. After all, if you’re not enjoying it, don’t watch it (unless you’re us, who watch bad shit so you don’t have to).
Just to throw it out here, I also enjoyed Aoi Sekai no Chushin de’s first episode for the train-wreck that it is. And, for some fucking reason, I’m finding myself enjoying Total Eclipse more than I ever thought I would. It’s still fucking garbage, but enjoyable garbage. Like being a bum and finding half a bowl of mushroom ravioli in the garbage. Yeah, it’s cold; yeah, it’s been in the trash, but it’s still fucking mushroom ravioli.
@Kaiowhin Sama
First of all, I don’t disagree with your points. I actually almost never watch KyoAni simply because I can’t stand moeblob shows; by my reasoning, if KyoAni is capable of producing a strong show that keeps me gripped, then I think that by all means deserves the praise it gets.
In fact, I haven’t watched a full KyoAni series since… maybe Haruhi. And the main reason is because I couldn’t get into any of them, precisely because I thought the vast majority of the shows were high production value but low worth in all areas. Don’t get me wrong here, because I’m not giving the show an A- simply because it’s KyoAni. If anything, I’m tend to avoid overly cute anime and look for the heavier stuff.
That said, I think part of the brilliance of Chuuni is the way the comedic scenes are paced. It’s really hard to time comedy, and bad pacing can also destroy a decent original script, which in this case hasn’t happened. That, I think is an area KyoAni has always been strong in (the comedic areas), but very few people talk about these more subtle aspects of their studio’s strengths.
On the other hand, there are shows like Tempest and Shinsekai Yori that make you realize it’s not trying to be your run-of-the-mill show from the very beginning, and in that case, our viewer expectations are somewhat raised. Thus, for me, Chuuni has little to prove and has gone above and beyond my initial expectations (hence making it something I look forward to every week) while neither Tempest nor Shinsekai have. Hence, as a quick snapshot of this season, I decided to give Chuuni one of the highest scores of the entire article.
Thanks for reading and commenting
@Kylaran: Hey thank you for the considered response and mutual respect. Truthfully I expect to get a ton of hate whenever I make these posts but I’m glad we’re able to meet on this level. While I can’t say I assign the same value to exceeding lower expectations I definitely do understand the reasoning behind everything you said so yeah again thanks for the gentlemanly discourse.
If you ask me though people rarely talk about the strengths (subtle or obvious) of studios besides Kyoani and maybe Ghibli when it comes to discussion and impressions. David Production being a rare example here when it came to the Jojo impressions. Just something I’ve noticed over time that I thought I’d point out as food for thought as it’s kind of a shame.
@Kaioshin Sama
Unfortunately I haven’t watched any of the shows David Production in recent years, so I can’t comment there, but I definitely agree with you that it’s hard for most people to look objectively at the big successful studios and produce a judgment. Even as reviewers and critics, there are some studios or genres that we tend to be biased towards.
And you can be sure no one on this website will hate you for simply disagreeing
@Akira
Personally, I think a B is a good score! I don’t give anything a B unless I’m legit enjoying it. An A would go to something that impressed me on a huge level in the early episodes … like, maybe Level E’s first arc would have got an A from me? I dunno. Something like that!
tl;dr a B is my way of saying, “Hey, this is cool — check it out!”