Hanasaku Iroha 12/26 Episode Edition

Quickly typing this off the top of my head because I like fulfilling 'personal stupid requests'. Here's my two-cents on the recent happenings in P.A. Works' on-going original anime.

The only reason I picked up this anime was because I was browsing through some anime blogs for others' first impressions and I saw a screencap with this amazing picture. The beginning was not so bad and I'd hoped it would improve. Sadly though, I feel as if it's turned into a generic romantic comedy. I guess there's not much you could expect from the slice of life genre. I mean how much do 'realistic' situations vary? To be quite honest, I don't think I've seen enough of this genre to call this generic. (I tend to go for shounen/seinen anime. Why? I'm not quite sure myself.)

Ohana's naivety is starting to get old now. It's almost midway and if what I think should happen actually happens, then she should've learnt something by now. However, she's still as childish as ever. It's not only her though. This show feels as if it’s lacking in character development which I feel is kind of an important aspect in this type of show. Otherwise you're just telling a pointless story. The only character in which I’ve seen some change is Minko. After 12 episodes, I think there are a few plot elements that take too long to resolve such as the issue between Ohana and Ko. The romance is also incredibly predictable. 

The melodrama is starting to feel repetitive and it doesn't have the same effect as it did at the beginning. In the foreseeable future, I don't see this show going anywhere but hey, I might be wrong. I seems like quite an average show with no lasting impact. There's still a long way to go though, so I guess we'll see.

07/05/11 Weekly Wrap-Up

Shameless shipping. They're so cute.

I thought I'd start doing this due to my lack of time to regularly write reviews, and because I feel like writing about random things. I'm far from impressed with my progress at school despite the fact that people keep telling me I'm doing fine but I've been doing a whole load of retail therapy. On Tuesday, I did a bulk order from Book Depository. I might actually post my manga collection after I get my books. Maybe. SUMMER LIST WILL BE UPDATED SOON.... MAYBE.

Pending Reviews:

• Seikon no Qwaser
• Fortune Arterial: Red Promise
• Clannad: After Story
• Moshidora

SPRING ANIME RANKINGS v2

1. Hidan no Aria +3 : I thought it just couldn't get any better. How wrong was I.
2. Ano Hana -1 : Aria took over. This show is still amazing though.
3. Hanasaku Iroha = : The art is beautiful and the story is developing quite nicely.
4. Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko -2 : Where the story is going, I have no idea, but this show makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
5. Deadman Wonderland = : It was really boring this week. I have it on a 6/10 at the moment, and that's really saying something about the anime this season.
6. Ao no Exorcist +2 : It was interesting this week. I actually didn't yawn at all while watching this week. There was actually some element of surprise. There was also guns.
7. Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai +8 : I think I'm starting to piece things together in my head. This anime is quite funny. I think I was just being to harsh previously.
8. Steins;Gate +2 : Somewhat predictable revelation but execution wasn't too bad. Character interaction is nice.
9. Astarotte no Omocha +5 : Latest episode was kind of nice... after I got over how annoying Lotte was. 
10. C -1 : So incredibly boring. The story isn't making much sense. It's so vague. The animation is so bad, my eyes burn. 
11. Dog Days = : Nice battle scenes. Other than that, it was boring. The singing at the end was nice.
12. Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL : I just started this week. It's pretty generic and childish.
13. A-Channel -6 : The same jokes are being used over and over. It's not funny anymore.
14. Sket Dance = : Episodic. Not funny.
15. Hoshizora e Kakaru Hoshi -2 : Cliché. Really bad harem. Retains interest but little in terms of development.
16. Sekaiichi Hatsukoi -8 : So you finish with one couple and just move onto the next? The romance is basically like rape... I just sit there cringing for 20 minutes. Not to mention, I don't really understand the connection between the couples?

Ratings changed drastically after one week. The first four are pretty solid, but after that, they're not fantastic.


Anime completed this week: Clannad: After Story, Moshidora

Best of the week: Hidan no Aria episode 4

Worst of the week: Sekaiichi Hatsukoi episode 5

Song of the week: Hidan no Aria OP - Scarlet Ballet by May'n

I actually really didn't like this song at first, but I actually really like it now. It's grown on me. Not to mention this amazing piano transcription. I'm going to learn it but even though I'm classically trained in piano, I'm not sure if my fingers can handle it after not playing for so long.

Most memorable moment:

Girls with guns.

It seems as if this whole post is about Hidan no Aria... I love this show, so what can I say.

On another note:

Spring 2011 Anime Rankings

To begin my April wrap-up, I give you my two cents on the current season of anime. This season was a definite improvement from the last. As with any other forms of media, how you view it is all really a matter of taste. It's virtually impossible to comment on anything subjectively, so here's my take on spring 2011.

1. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (AnoHana)
Never have I seen a more touching story in my life. It's quite emotional. I was initially very skeptical about the sort of anime this was going to be and was never planning on watching it at all. The characters are also very easy to relate to. I feel a potential masterpiece in the making here but there's still a long way to go. Have I mentioned long title is long? Well it is.




2. Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko
Too cute for words. It's absolutely adorable and I really have nothing to complain about except maybe the fact that the plot is very well disguised. Everyone is comparing it to Shaft's previous production, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, which I found insanely boring in the 2 episodes that I have seen. So far, this show is in many ways superior. I also love the OP. It's so cute.



3. Hanasaku Iroha
It's an absolute work of art. Visually, it's the best so far this season. I'm not all for the melodrama though. It doesn't stand out too well but themes wise, I'm really liking this. Reality is harsh. This series still has a long way to go though and I guess I'd like to see a little more originality but it's a solid #3 so far.

4. Hidan no Aria
Now who doesn't love tsundere lolis with weapons? Seriously though I'm loving this show. It reminds me very much of Shakugan no Shana which is one of my all time favourite light novel/ manga/ anime. So far, it's one of the better ones this season. Excuse the language but SHIT'S GOING DOWN NEXT EP.

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5. Moshidora
It's a little dry at times but it's starting to pick up after 3 episodes. I don't really know how it stacks up to other sport anime considering this is the first I've ever seen. It's quite interesting though.

6. Deadman Wonderland
The set up is a bit unbelievable but I'm still interested in the story nonetheless. Even though you kind of know what's going to happen in your mind, you still feel that suspense while watching it and I like that. I even spoiled the story for myself and am still curious to see how it all connects. Well I didn't spoil it per se but I did look up who The Red Man was.

7. A-Channel
It's a little like Lucky Star.... just not as funny. The gags get a little bland at times but all in all it's not a terrible show. Yet.

8. Sekaiichi Hatsukoi
Honestly, I don't mind shounen-ai or yaoi but this makes me cringe a little while watching. The drama, however, is no different than that which you would find in a typical male x female romance so it's not terrible. It's more awkward than dramatic sometimes...

9. Ao no Exorcist

Another disappointment. It was probably over-hyped. It's so predictable but the visuals are definitely a plus. Also, the ending theme is absolutely terrible but I probably dislike k-pop too much.

10. C
The art is weird, it's boring and the male protagonist is a wimp. I'll be ecstatic if the plot gets somewhere. I really will because right now I'm disappointed in something that was so highly anticipated.

11. Steins;Gate
The concept of time and time travel is really the only reason I keep trying to watch this show every week. Frankly though, it's so mind-boggling. Not to mention all those references I don't understand.

12. Dog Days
This show is kind of amusing at the most. It seems very childish. I'm not entirely sure if I'm watching this too superficially. I really don't know if there's anything more.

13. Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi
Your typical harem + shota boy + notions of incest. What am I watching? I feels as if I'm watching Shuffle all over again. I didn't like Shuffle but there are striking similarities character-wise.

14. SKET Dance
I don't know how the title has anything to do with anything in the story. There isn't even really a story. It's a very episodic show and it reminds me of those Saturday morning cartoons with your local team of 'superheroes'. It's really not a fantastic show.

15. Astarotte no Omocha
It's a little twisted to say the least. Visually, it looks very princess-y. It's also currently missing any form of plot development.

16. Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai
It's extremely disjointed. There were way to many characters introduced in the first couple of episodes and I don't remember any of their names. There isn't any sort of plot here either. Biggest disappointment of the century.

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1-4: These shows really stack up this season and are something I would encourage others to pick up. This season is a lot better than the previous, that's for sure.

5-6: The good kind. Not fantastic but better than average.

7-13: My average kind of show. I see a lot more of these as I start to watch a lot more and stray away from shows I know I'll like.

14-16: Why am I even watching this? I just want to expand my horizons. Seriously.

Moshidora First Impressions

Ignoring the fact that I forgot to include this in my previews for the spring season, it was actually the first anime that caught my eye and was added to my spring list. Honestly, I really have no idea why. After a while I started to doubt why I even decided I would watch it, because sport related anime aren't my thing, and even considered not picking it up at one point. Eventually, I decided otherwise because it was already on my list and I did say I would watch everything I add to my list. I feel obligated to.

Moshidora was surprisingly refreshing. It's really something different. It just has this nice relaxing effect and it's rather interesting. It is aimed at older men and women (business people) but really, I think anyone could enjoy this. It's not absolutely perfect in any way, shape, or form, but it's one of the better ones this season. It's not your average anime that's aimed at pleasing the fans. The art isn't too flashy or anything but this episode is a nice start to the series. The first episode is really worth a try. 8/10

Hanasaku Iroha First Impression

I think I'm utterly in love with the art. It has the most beatiful, intricate, detailed art I have ever seen. It's absolutely amazing. I can't even express how much I like this. I was honestly that breathtaking.

Hanasaku Iroha was produced by P.A. Works as part of their 10th anniversary so it was apparently very anticipated but it really didn't catch my eye at all initially. I was just surfing the net, reading a couple of reviews about various anime when I came across screen shots from this show. I was so surprised. The art looked so beautiful that I had to watch it immediately... and that's when I fell in love.

The art aside, the story is actually a really nice coming-of-age drama which I actually found quite enjoyable. 

I'm hesitant in giving this a 10 so it'll be a 9/10 for the first 3 episodes but it's really something that I think everyone should watch.

Ao no Exorcist First Impression

It seems as if I'm the only one who didn't really find that this episode lived up to their expectations. It was one of my most anticipated for the spring season and it just really didn't impress me at all. It's a shame really. To put it simply, I just didn't feel that vibe from this episode (which is apparently non-cannon anyway). I got quite bored while watching this and paused several times to do other things. While the story is interesting and is a nice change from your typical shounen, the episode itself failed to capture my attention. I didn't find it awesome, epic or intense at all. Even during parts that had really good background music, it seemed so lifeless and emotionless to me. The way the events panned out, some of it was really predictable except the part where Rin is the son of Satan. Some of the events really should've triggered some sort of reaction inside me but I felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was a big disappointment but I didn't hate it. I just hope it gets better. 6/10

The ED is also terrible. K-POP? SERIOUSLY? (Yes I'm mad.)

Deadman Wonderland First Impression

I was hesitant in picking this up. It wasn't something that appealed to me at the first glance like it did for many others nor have I seen the manga. In the end, I decided I would give it a go because of all the hype it received. Of course keeping in mind the fact that nothing with a lot of hype has ever really impressed me, namely Code Geass, Death Note, Gintama, Clannad, and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

Firstly, if you don't like or can't handle graphic violence, just don't watch this. Personally, I find this level of gore pretty disgusting and for me the censoring just made me imagine things that were probably 10 times worse that what it actually was. I find this sort of horror gross and scary but that's the whole point isn't it? Although if you enjoy watching this sort of graphic violence, you're a sadist or you have issues and you really need help.

The premise is pretty sadistic - prisoners who are subject to punishment for the viewer's enjoyment. It's original and interesting though. I'd like to see where it goes. The way the boy ended up in there is pretty unbelievable. What kind of normal person would believe that a 14 year old boy is capable of taking on 29 of his classmates? I don't think anyone would be able to decapitate 29 others unless they were superhuman or something.

For a 12 episode series, I think they should've explained a few more things in the first episode rather than leaving it for the next few. That way they might actually get more story in. I don't know. I was way to curious and felt as if they left me hanging a little too far off the edge so I looked up all the missing details like what the death sentence was and the significance of the collar and candy. This episode earns a 7/10.

AnoHana First Impression

Also goes by the name Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai.

Yes, a long title may be long but there is no denying that this first episode was amazing. It was far from what I was expecting but in a good way of course. The OP, the ED, the art, the story.. everything was so beautiful. I think we can expect a lot of tears during the course of this anime. It's been a while since I felt something so real while watching an anime in terms of emotion. (Madlax has it) It was real, fresh and had no fanservice. I absolutely loved it and it joins my top 3 so far this season along with Hidan no Aria and Denpa Onna no Seishun Otoko. I'm expecting great things out of this series and I'll be very disappointed if it doesn't deliver in the end. 10/10 Highly recommend this.

Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL First Impression

I was expecting a lot out of this and in the end I was pretty disappointed in it. It kinda of reminded me of GX but I'm afraid I don't think this will ever live up to the greatness that was GX (in my eyes anyway).

Things that disappointed me:

• It seemed so childish compared to it's successors Duel Monsters, GX and 5Ds. Maybe it's because Yuma is 13 compared to Yugi, Judai and Yusei who were 16, 15 and 18 respectively or maybe it was something else.
• The D-Gazers make me think of the scouter devices in Dragon Ball Z.
• The character designs are horrific.
• Preparation for the duel seems very mahou shoujo-esque.
• Yuma can't duel. I mean I don't mind that he's losing. It makes it more realistic if the main character doesn't win all the time but what kind of duelist lays a trap card face down and TELLS THEIR OPPONENT?!
• Exceed Summon. I don't get it. I think my brain just stopped at Synchro Summon but that actually made sense.

What I did like:

• The backgrounds were beautiful.
• New duelling systems. It's pretty cool how you see the duel in some alternate dimension or something.

As an avid Yu-Gi-Oh! fan, I'm extremely disappointed but I'll keep watching to see where it goes. 6/10 right now.

Hidan no Aria First Impression

I absolutely LOVED it. I love J.C Staff, I love Kugimiya's tsundere voice and I love guns. This wins the best of the season for me hands down. I can't even express how much I love this in words so I'll just do it in numbers. I give this episode a massive 10/10.

[C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control First Impression

This was certainly not what I was expecting at all. I'm really liking the concept of selling your future for money and am quite interested in seeing how the financial world will potentially corrupt this down-to-earth 19 year old. This episode doesn't really give any indication of where the story is going so I have no idea what to think in terms of how potentially good it may or may not be. Being a massive Yu-Gi-Oh! fan I'm not into the whole Yu-Gi-Oh!-esque card battling thing I'm seeing here. I do however find the art quite interesting. 7/10 for this episode.

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko First Impression

Now I'm not really one for the whole moe thing and the OP & ED were absolutely terrible but for a show that I wasn't really anticipating, it did not disappoint. It was fun, cute and extremely enjoyable. The art was really nice. It's the best part of this anime so far for me. It was a really good first episode in terms of introducing the story and characters. Best start for the spring season yet (although there's still a few I've yet to watch). For this episode I give a 9/10. Why not 10 you ask? Well see for yourself.

Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi First Impression

Beware of bias.

Honestly, I think I've seen enough of fanservice for a lifetime and when I saw the one moment on fanservice in the entire episodes I just snapped. Seriously, NOBODY WANTS TO SEE CLOSE-UP PINK PANTIES WITH LOVE HEARTS ON THEM. Not to mention and glowing to make it even more in your face. That kind of just made me annoyed for the rest of the episode so I didn't really enjoy it as much as I probably would've if I didn't spend the earlier part of the day watching Seikon no Qwaser.

Pardon the rant.

In all seriousness, this episode was nothing more than your average formulaic start to a harem. I have nothing against harems and the minimal fanservice in the first episode leaves me a little more satisfied than with Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai. The characters are all pretty much out of the book but they're decent except the male lead. But then again, who likes the male lead.. ever?

I'll keep watching in the hope of finding a decent harem like Kanon. At least I'm hoping this will be better than Shuffle and Clannad. Dearly hoping. I give this episode a 6/10 which by the way is much more than I scored it in my head last night.

Astarotte no Omocha First Impression

10 year olds giving oral sex? What is this madness? This concept of a succubus is pretty strange. The story seems to be about a girl who is coming of age and has to form a male harem and have oral sex with them to survive. It sounds like trash but it's quite funny and entertaining to watch. Lots of lolis and breats present. Truly a seinen anime. I'll probably keep watching because it seems like one of those mindless fun ones. Who knows, I might actually end up enjoying it. 6/10

Sekaiichi Hatsukoi First Impression

Honestly, it wasn't a fantastic first episode. It felt a little all over the place but it was more of a 'let's get straight down to business' beginning. I have high hopes for this anime although I've never seen a yaoi anime before. I don't have much to say considering this episode was pretty average. 6/10

Sket Dance First Impression

I was never planning to watch this initially but then I was told the humour was like Gintama and it was like GOSICK so I decided to give it a go. Honestly, I'm not impressed. At all. The characters was boring, the art was strange and seriously, the mystery wasn't even a mystery. It wasn't funny or attention grabbing at all. I honestly struggled to get through the episode. All in all, it seems like a failed attempt at a highschool detective type anime and it doesn't compare to Ginatama or GOSICK at all.

I'm extremely disappointed with this adding to the list of not so great anime this spring season. I'll give it another 2-3 episodes and decide. 4/10 for this episode.

A Channel First Impression

So from reading the synopsis, anyone would think this is simply a rip off of Lucky Star and if anyone has seen Lucky Star, you'd know it's a really good anime. I had my doubts about how good A Channel would be but I'm pleasantly surprised. It's actually really funny. The characters are simply adorable and it's quite enjoyable to watch. It's a very nice slice of life anime and very cute.

I'll most likely be following this to the end and the first episode definitely does get my recommendation. 8/10

Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai First Impression

I have one word for this: notsureifsrs.jpg

Under the Innocent Sky - Not really innocent. Derp.

It was like 100% the complete opposite of what I was expecting. Seriously. Those pretty girls were so deceiving.

No really this first episode was pretty much awkward panty shots, fail censoring and more awkward panty shots. For a harem, the first episode was pretty odd. They shoved like a million characters in your face and I hardly remember any of their names. The episode went from ecchi - ecchi - ecchi - random stuff - ecchi - random stuff - shove in some random attempt at establishing the plot right in the last 2 minutes. It was funny, I'll give it that. It was really, really funny.

"You have a monster in the pocket of your pants. Dora thinks you want to put that monster in my kitty."

I will keep watching this for the nice art and because it's funny but this episode was truly terrible. Barely a 3/10 because it made me actually laugh out loud.

Steins;Gate First Impression

I don't really have much to say besides the fact they pretty much threw you in the deep end right from the get go and it was all like "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? I'M SO CONFUSED." until the end of the episode. That doesn't mean I thought it was bad. Oh no, it was great. Very entertaining. It was just a little fast paced for my liking.

What I'm really liking at the moment is the originality. Microwaves that allow you to send texts back in time may sound a little far-fetched by it certainly is very original and who doesn't like original? I really wouldn't admit to that if I were you. The characters are also quite likeable. I haven't seen a single one out of the stereotype book just yet which is great.

Overall, this show is off to a really good start in my opinion. 7/10 for this episode simply because I was wondering if I was watching the right show for the entire 20 or so minutes.

Dog Days First Impression

Looks very childish. It's very cute though. The story is literally dogs vs. cats. It was pretty much eyebrow raising from the start. I'm not even sure who it's aimed at any more. I mean it airs at 11:30 at night and the story is simply ridiculous. I did however really like the music and the animation. That was wonderful and really major plus points for me. Although for something from the creator of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, I certainly did expect more.

So here's the deal. We have this fantasy world called Fronyard and a country called the Republic of Biscotti and this place in inhabited by dog people and cat people. If someone told me this, I wouldn't even think twice about not watching this. Honestly, it sounds like such a joke. But then again, consider the airing time. OTAKU HOUR?! WHAT? Frankly, this is so strange it just might work.

The characters are nothing memorable as yet but at least the 'hero' isn't entirely useless, right?

Only time will tell how this will turn out and I will give it a chance. Since it was good music, animation,art and entertainment wise, 7/10 for the first episode.