Phi Brain, Brave 10, Another Final Impressions

Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle
In retrospect, it really is like Yu-Gi-Oh! with puzzles. That's not to say it was bad at all. It got really boring in the middle but it picked up in the last 5 or so episodes. In short, I liked it enough for me to want to pick up season 2. Although, you can tell how much of an impression it left by how much I have to say here...

Another
Sometimes it was good, other times it was bad. I don't think I liked the ending very much and overall I never got the appeal of this series. It did look amazing but it was just boring. It felt like a waste of time for me.






Brave 10
Not going to lie, I loved this series. I will never turn down reverse harem. EVER. I like the generic characters and I liked the silly plot. It was the only show I looked forward to every week and I would watch it again if I had the time. It was totally awesome.

Black Rock Shooter Final Impressions

I didn't feel it was a particularly amazing way to end a long awaited series but I did feel like it did it's job. It didn't end with a bang but everything was tied together nicely in the end. It was that kind of typical predictable happy ending but not the kind that makes you want to head-desk because it was that corny. It was okay. I liked it. I found myself smiling a little to myself at the end... That was a bit weird but other than that no problems with the ending in my book. Overall, I found the series interesting enough. It was a bit melodramatic but it was a good expansion of the OVA so if you liked that, I'd recommend this. The art was the best part. Review soon~

Inu x Boku SS First Impression

I see a light. What is it? IS THAT HOPE? I think it is.

The first episode is not a masterpiece. It's not even close to being close to a masterpiece but it's by far better than what I've seen so far (except Another). The main character was like a tsundere except she acknowledges her 'tsuntsun' side and wants to change it. Can't say I've ever the name for this archetype before but it's apparently 'tsunshun'. In any case, the premise of this series is unbelievably silly. She's moving away to live in isolation because she wasn't to learn how to better interact with people. Where is the logic in that?

I already feel like this series is not for everyone. The key to enjoying it is probably in being able to relate to Ririchiyo and the idea of wanting to change for the better, and I can, so I have a feeling I'll enjoy this show despite how.... strange.... it sounds.

Ano Nattsu de Matteru First Impression

This is the 3rd last premier that I'll be watching this season and frankly I am thoroughly disappointed. It was boring. It felt extremely uninspired. I've read that it's exactly like Onegai Teacher which I personally haven't seen. I'm really not entirely sure what is stopping me from enjoying this but I was really bored during the episode. The art bothered me sometimes. I can't say I really like the characters or their interactions. Sadly, I didn't like the premier as much as I'd hope too but I'll keep going in hopes of something better.

Aquarion EVOL First Impression

Someone tell me why I watched this? I'm not even sure why I thought for a moment that I would actually like and enjoy this. As far as I could gather, since it's set 12000 years after it's prequel, there was really no need to watch the previous series for any sort of understanding about what was happening. I understood perfectly. That doesn't mean I liked it though. Over all I found the whole concept really silly with the Type-F, Type-M and forbidden Union etc etc. I didn't really like the characters. The mecha looked out of place with the background sometimes. I don't know... I just really wasn't feeling it unfortunately so I won't be continuing this series at all. ~dropped~

Another First Impression

I really love horror. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was so scared and creeped out it wasn't even funny. I watched this in broad daylight but I was still too scared to watch it in full screen most of the time. It seemed like a fairly standard introductory episode. It introduced a lot of characters, had a little back story but for the most part, it raised a lot of suspicion and questions for me. The art is great. The scenery is beautifully detailed making this anime really nice to look at. It's really no surprise coming from PA Works though. What I really loved about this episode was the atmosphere created by the eerie music that played during casual conversation as well as the random cut scenes of the dolls. There were a lot of subtle hints regarding Mei's death and I'm definitely interested in continuing to see what happened as well as it's relation to Kouichi. Hopefully this show delivers and doesn't disappoint.

Brave 10 First Impressions

For lack of a better term, I thought this was kind of ~fun~. It was really kind of amusing and entertaining. It reminded me a lot of Basilisk (which I haven't finished) especially with the mentions of the Iga and Kouga clans.  I don't love it but I do like it and will probably be sticking around for the remainder of the 12 episodes. It definitely is the better of the 3 premiers I've seen so far. I really liked the art. The OP and ED sounded really odd but I never really pay them much attention. The story so far hasn't left as much of an impression as the characters but everything seems very average..... Average, but I liked it.

Mouretsu Pirates First Impression

This is the first space opera I'm watching so I didn't really know what I should expect coming into it. I really wasn't feeling it at the start and the temptation to stop half way was great. The slow pacing is indicative of the 26 episode length. The episode just introduced a few of the seemingly large cast of characters. Nothing really stood out for me in this episode at all. I haven't latched onto any of the characters or any sort of potential plot line yet. All the action begins in the next episode so it's really too soon to tell if I'll like this or not. The last 30 seconds were enough to keep me coming back and I'll definitely be sticking around for a while because of familiar VA Hanazawa Kana (Angel Beats, DRRR, Haganai, IS).

Kill Me Baby First Impression

Well I kicked off Winter 2012 anime with the anime adaptation of 4-koma manga "Kill Me Baby". There really isn't much to say about anything. It's very ~average~. There isn't anything fancy in terms of art or animation. It's all fairly simple. There doesn't seem to be any sort of ongoing story but this episode was funny. For a while. I got tired of the humour mid-way into the episode. You'd probably enjoy it if you're into this kind of genre but I'm more of an action or heavy drama kinda girl. The characters were great but they really weren't enough to rescue pulling the same gag a hundred times in one episode. It wasn't downright terrible, just mediocre. I'll stick around for a few more episodes I suppose but whether I stay until the end will definitely depend on how long this series runs for. Any more than 12 episodes and I'm out.

Ano Matsu de Matteru「PREVIEW」

Title: Ano Matsu de Matteru
Type: TV Series
Epsiodes: 12
Producer: J.C. Staff
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Airing: January 10, 2012

Synopsis:
The anime will be an adolescent romantic comedy. The three main characters are the two girls Ichika Takatsuki and Remon Yamano, and the boy Kaito Kirishima.

PV


Thoughts
I didn't notice this until I was on fansubwiki but romantic comedy, J.C. Staff, Tomatsu Haruka, director of AnoHana? Why wouldn't I watch this? J.C.Staff hasn't been to impressive with their recent works but I've really liked a few of their older works so I'm definitely giving this a chance.

Kyousogiga Impressions

I'm not going to do a full review because frankly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around what went on in those 20 or so minutes. Yeah, I'm not even going to pretend I had a single idea what was happening. There were many similarities to Alice in Wonderland in Kyousogiga, such as having to find the 'rabbit' to return home and the whole accidentally ending up in another world thing with 'Mirror Kyoto'.

The way the story was told was very haphazard making it difficult to understand and it's hard to explain what was happening without giving away the whole thing. You'd be better off watching it yourself. I think somewhere along the way the producers assumed it would be easy enough to figure out everything you need to know while trying to understand what was going on.

Despite not understanding what was going on, I still found it to be an enjoyable watch. It was crazy, weird and wild and it would be really nice to see more to it, if only to tie up all the loose ends and make clear what was happening. The characters were quirky and interesting. Visually, it was stunning. I really loved the artwork and animation. The soundtrack wasn't particularly memorable at all. It was also really nice to see Kugimiya Rie in a role besides the type-casted 'tsundere loli'.

Overall, it's really not a waste of time to watch. If worse comes to worst, you'll end up thinking "WTF did I just watch?" but you definitely won't be alone if that happens.

Kill Me Baby「PREVIEW」

Title: Kill Me Baby
Type: TV Series
Episodes: Unknown
Producer: J.C. Staff
Genre: Comedy
Airing: January 6, 2012

Synopsis
The story follows the comedic life of a typical school girl Yasuna and her assassin classmate Sonya. Sonya’s attempt to fit in often fails when her natural assassin instincts kick in and Yasuna’s attempt to be more friendly with Sonya often gets her hurt or intimidated.

PV 


Thoughts:
I'm a huge fan of J.C. Staff for their work on Shakugan no Shana... not that that has anything to do with this. This looks really cute. The PV had me laughing out loud so if the entire series is funny, it would be a nice change of pace for me because I like to watch a lot of heavy drama all the time. Looking forward to some fun times unless the series drags on for too long. It won't be enjoyable anymore if it does.

Black★Rock Shooter 2012「PREVIEW」

Title: Black★Rock Shooter
Type: TV Series
Episodes: 8
Producer: Sanzigen, Ordet
Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy
Airing: January 2012

Synopsis:
Kuroi Mato just got into junior high school, and on the first day, someone catches her eye; her classmate Takanashi Yomi. The two meet.The innocent and naive Mato. The mature Yomi. Seemingly opposites, but the time they spend together only strengthens a growing friendship. But as they go into their second year at the school, they get placed in separate classes, and they begin to grow apart. But somewhere simultaneously… In another world, a young girl, blue fire residing in her eyes, Black Rock Shooter faces another young girl; this one holding a jet-black scythe, Dead Master, and a battle to the death begins to unfold.

PV


Thoughts:
I watched the 50 minute OVA back in February and frankly I had absolutely no idea what was going on. Obviously in a particularly moment I did but as a whole I didn't really understand how the events in the two worlds were connected. I'm not entirely sure if it's the quality of the video but the visuals in the OVA look better than the upcoming TV series. I'm hoping that this 8 episode series will not end with more questions than answers like the OVA. I also hope to see more of Black Rock Shooter's twin tails!

Brave 10 「PREVIEW」

Title: Brave 10
Type: TV Series
Epsiodes: 12
Producer: Studio Sakimakura
Genre: Action, Adventure, Historical
Airing: January 8, 2012

Synopsis:
A year before the battle of Sekigahara that ended the Sengoku Period, the ninja Saizou Kirigakure meets the miko Nami Isa as she's attacked by assassins. Her shrine was destroyed by Tokugawa Ieyasu for siding with Yukimura Sanada. Meanwhile, Sanada has been gathering ten warriors known as Sanada's Brave 10, who have the power to change history. As they gather one by one, Nami's own mysterious power awakens.

PV


Thoughts
In my opinion, there are two ways this could possibly go down: It could be totally epic or it'll be a completely lame failure. Of course I'm hoping for the epic possibility and from the looks of the teaser, the battles look pretty awesome. The plot doesn't sound half bad either but I suppose we'll see.

Mouretsu Pirates「PREVIEW」

Title: Mouretsu Pirates
Type: TV Series
Episodes: 26
Producer: Satelight
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space
Airing: January 8, 2012

Synopsis:
The story centers around a spirited high school girl named Marika. She keeps herself busy with the space yacht club and her part-time job at a high-class retro café. One day, two men suddenly appear and claim to be subordinates of her dead father. They demand that she assume command of the space pirate ship Benten Maru. A privateer ship's compact was made during a war of independence a century ago, and according to that compact, the ship must be inherited by the captain's next direct descendant. Marika finds herself embarking on a new life as a space pirate.

PV
The only one I could find was this one, filmed off a TV screen in a store...



Thoughts:
As usual,  it was the image that caught my attention and I was set on watching it before I even knew what it was about. The trailer looks fairly interesting but I don't know what to expect seeing as I've never seen a space opera (Macross, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star) before. I don't have much to say other than 'I want to watch it', so I guess we'll see.

Inu x Boku SS「PREVIEW」

Title: Inu x Boku SS
Type: TV Series
Episodes: Unknown
Producer: Aniplex, David Animation
Genre: Mystery, Supernatural
Airing: January 12, 2012

Synopsis:
The Shirakiin house's daughter, Shirakiin Riricho, who has a complex about being unable to live independently and unprotected, feels the need to move out and live on her own under the condition of residing in the mansion named "Ayakashi Kan." In this mansion, only those who have cleared a very strict examination could reside in it, and for each resident, they are accompanied with one agent of the Secret Service (S.S.). Although Riricho has rejected the company of the S.S., while residing in the mansion she finds out that the agent dedicated to protecting her is actually the Fox Spirit whom she previously rescued.

PV


Thoughts:
I wasn't planning on watching this at first. I didn't even really notice it but one day I was just looking at the chart and the picture was just screaming out to me. Not literally, of course. The art style reminds me of Kuroshitsuji, as does the pairing, but instead of a boy, we have a girl. To be honest, I'm watching for the visuals. The synopsis sounds kind of silly. But heck, why not? From the looks of it, there may be a lot of bishounen (well, there's definitely at least one) and who knows, having not read the manga, I may well be surprised.

Another「PREVIEW」

Title: Another
Type: TV Series
Episodes: 12
Producer: P.A. Works
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Airing: January 9, 2011

Synopsis:
26 years ago, in a third-year classroom of a middle school, there was a student named Misaki. As an honors student who was also good at sports, the charming girl was popular with her classmates. When she suddenly died, her classmates decided to carry on as if she was still alive until graduation. Then, in the spring of 1998, a boy named Sakakibara Kouichi transfers to that classroom, and he grows suspicious of the fearful atmosphere in that classroom. In particular, there is a beautiful, aloof girl named Mei Misaki who wears an eyepatch and is always alone drawing pictures.

PV


Thoughts:
I love this sort of horror. I get really scared while I watch it but I definitely enjoy watching it. I was really afraid while watching the PV and that was during the day. Hopefully it doesn't fall short on the predictability side of it and manages to remain suspenseful. It's being done by P.A. works who also did Hanasaku Iroha and Angel Beats so for sure it's going to look good. I haven't seen any good horror lately so hopefully this is it.

Kyousogiga「PREVIEW」

Title: Kyousogiga
Type: ONA
Episodes: 1
Producer: Toei Animation
Genre: Supernatural
Airing: Premium screenings on December 1st and 4th. Online streaming on December 10th.

About:
In a world where humans and spirits have been thrown together in chaos, three forces vie for power. Just what are the steadily increasing Reality Count and Collapse of Negentropy? Having escaped from the Labyrinth of the Jabberwock, the beautiful Koto pursues the shadow of the “Black Rabbit”. Set in a Kyoto where time stands still, the story of the various people who pursue the Black Rabbit unfolds.

Story:
It’s Kyoto, and yet it is not.
A microcosm of peculiar origins, “Mirror Kyoto”.
A small incident causes a young girl, Koto, to wander into this world.
She runs into a mysterious monk, gets chased around by a tech-obsessed girl, and heartily enjoys her chaotic and colorful new life, but meanwhile, out of sight, a certain plan is being set into motion…
In this mysterious city where spirits and humans have been thrown together, the festivities are about to begin!

Source; official site, evetaku

PV


Thoughts:
Honestly, I have no idea what to make of the 'about' or the 'story'. It doesn't really make sense and I've also read that people who have seen it said it was difficult to understand. It does look really pretty though and somewhat reminds me of Alice in Wonderland at some points in the PV. I don't really know what to say, I mean it's apparently less than 30 minutes long. Well... one of the characters does look a lot like Yuuko from xxxHoliC. It's also a collaboration between Toei and Banpresto if that means anything to anyone? It means absolutely nothing to me. I'm just interested in a pretty looking anime. Rie Kugimiya is the VA for the main girl, Koto. Make what you want of that. That's all.

Winter 2011-2012 Anime Chart

Click through for full image.

Source; neregate

What I'm watching:
☆ Kyousogiga (Apparently only 30 min long though)
☆ Another
☆ Inu x Boku SS
☆ Mouretsu Pirates
☆ Brave 10
☆ Black Rock Shooter
☆ Kill Me Baby

OVAs/Specials:
Infinite Stratos, Hidan no Aria, Holy Knight, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, Gyo, Usagi Drop