In Like A Lion, Out Like an Anime Lamb (Winter 2015 Conclusion)

Yep, the Winter 2015 anime season is over and of course…I cried.

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! LOVED the last episode. Loved the whole series. I guess all that “Love Making!” really worked because I have nothing but love for this show. I laughed til I cried… Whereas with:

Death Parade I just plain cried at the end. I knew I was going to; hell, the second-to-last episode had me in tears, so I was pretty sure the finale would be a doozy. I felt this was just a really incredible show and I’ve been trying to convince everyone to watch it. Unlike:

Aldnoah Zero that I kept watching even while asking myself, “Why am I still watching this?” But I thought it would surprise me at the end and I’d be glad I stuck with it. Spoiler: I was wrong. The best thing about this show was finally being done with it and getting to remove it from my queue. Kind of like:

Saekano – How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend- which I had high hopes for after the first episode but ultimately could have been titled “How to Raise a Boring Anime.” And yes, I’m totally positive a ton of other people have beat me to that joke. So, anyway…

Kancolle is over, and that’s okay with me. It was cute but I see there is mention of a second season…and hell, I might even watch because I’m a glutton for punishment, as seen by my love of:

Durarara WHAT THE EFF I HAVE TO WAIT NOW TIL JULY OR WHATEVER?! FUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKK! Yes, I was so tempted to throw something, because I was unprepared for hiatus and ghdasklfjekal;fejklafjkld. But it was all great and now I have something to look forward to when Summer Season rolls around.

Log Horizon is this finally over?

Ace of the Diamond “Chris-senpai!!” That’s all I have to say. Okay, no, I guess I have a bit more to add, and that’s when Chris first shows up again in the series, with his serene face and Eijun’s expectant face, so full of relief at seeing him, all I could think of was this fic. Warning: BL-ish. If you’re uncomfortable with dudes liking each other, you might not read it. Or hell, read it anyway, furiosity is an amazing writer. Speaking of sports and boys hugging:

Yowamushi Pedal is over! I liked this anime but at the same time was glad to see it reach a conclusion. And the second half of the last episode was just perfect. Also perfect, I thought, was:

Yurikuma Arashi I liked this show a lot more than I thought I would. Heck, I loved it. I love saying “gau gau” and yelling, “Kuma SHOCK!” But I really enjoyed the storytelling and the style and the ending was fab. I felt like the final words of the show should’ve been Life Sexy saying, “Shabadadoo” but hey, I got one last “Shabadadoo” near the end and that was good enough for me. Feel kinda weird saying this but when you look past the craziness to what the show was actually about, it’s actually kind of meaningful.

Samurai Warriors I know this anime is based on games and I know enough of Japanese history to assume how this whole thing would end. However…I still cried. I couldn’t help it. I was fine until the very end and then… KIYOMASA!!!! Okay, so “KIYOMASA!!!” was several episodes ago but I still enjoy yelling it at random.

Akatsuki no Yona Of course, just as things were picking up, BOOM, the show is over. Having read (some of) the manga I was wondering how far they were going to go…and I guess now I have my answer! Maybe we’ll get a season two? Regardless, I got to see Hak animated and hear Jae Ha’s voice, so I’m happy.

Now, a quick look at what we have to look forward to:

Fairy Tail TARTAROS ARC! AAAAHHHHH!

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure DIO!!!! ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!

Kuroko no Basuke TEIKO ARC! *SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTS*

and perhaps my *most anticipated* anime of the Spring 2015 Season:

GINTAMA GINTAMA GINTAMA GINTAMA GINTAMA GINTAMA GINTAMA ANPAN ANPAN ANPAN ANPAN ANPAN ANPAN ANPAN ANPAN ANPAN ANPAN ANPAN ANPAN ANPAN ANPANANPANANPANANPANANPANANPANANPANANPANANPAN

…Until next time!

Fall 2014 First Impressions

**UPDATED 10/7**

Akatsuki no Yona (Episode 1): So glad to see this animated. So glad to see Hak (hehe). Though I have to admit, I actually had to *stop* reading the manga and go watch “Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood” a couple months ago because I kept reading Hak’s lines with Roy Mustang’s English voice in my head. But don’t let the array of beautiful dudes fool you; “Yona” is about action, betrayal, growth, and struggle so there’s something for everyone.

***

The links should take you to whatever service I’m using to watch, in case you want to watch too. Now, let’s crack open Fall 2014!

Gugure! Kokkuri-San (Episode 1): Ever since I saw the character previews on Crunchyroll News, I knew I *had* to watch this show. I’m a sucker for fox ears and a sucker for Daisuke Ono, so Daisuke Ono’s voice with fox ears had to be an unbeatable combination. About halfway through, I thought, “I like it, but it’s not quite as good as I thought…” but by the end of the first episode I’d changed to, “Nope, this is show is just as amazing as I thought it would be!” and then the ending theme escalated it to, “OMG WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!”

I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying (Episode 1): I was already laughing by the twenty-second mark. The most laugh-filled three and a half minutes of my life? Okay, maybe not *quite* but still really promising.

DENKI-GAI (Episode 1): Felt like “Wagnaria!!” + “Genshiken” + “The Comic Artist & His Assistants” = freakin’ great.

Terraformars (Episodes 1-2): I’ve read the first volume of the manga and expected the anime to get off to a more exciting start. I was a bit disappointed.

Log Horizon (Season 2, Episode 1): As you may or may not recall, I was kind of bored with “Log Horizon” by the end of season one. I feel like this first episode gets back to what made the first season so interesting; I’m glad it’s back.

World Trigger (Episode 1): As a fan of the manga I was really excited about this show. It’s off to a good start, I think.

The Fruit of Grisaia (Episode 1): Halfway through I’m still wondering, “Why am I watching this?” Though I assumed so, I was glad to learn it’s based on a visual novel because several shots made me wonder, “Am I watching anime or playing a dating sim?” Though that whole thing about the curse of being tsundere might have sold me on this show, at least for a bit longer.

Wolf Girl and Black Prince (Episode 1): I’ve been looking forward to this one and have read some of the manga. Even knowing what to expect I laughed out loud several times.

Rage of Bahamut (Episode 1): Horses across rooftops, sure, why not. And then somehow the Lady Amalthea fell from the sky–oops, wrong show 😉 Anyway, “Rage of Bahamut” has more of a “movie” feel to it which I really liked; it feels more “substantial” (whether it really is substantial or not remains to be seen, I guess). Or maybe that’s just a Geneon quality.

Orenchi no Furo Jijo (Episode 1): HAHAHAHA I wish this show was longer than 4 minutes. This could be the best thing ever! Well, for people who like dudes and bathtubs, anyway.

When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace (Episode 1): Despite the super generic character designs I was intrigued by the premise…and it was totally worth it. I laughed til I cried.

Laughing Under the Clouds/Donten ni Warau (Episode 1): After reading some of the manga I was really looking forward to seeing this animated. It actually exceeded my expectations; I can’t wait for more.

Yowapeda (Season 2, Episode 1): YOWAPEDA’S BACK! *flail around excitedly* Yes, the opening theme gave me goosebumps. So excited to see Yowapeda again!

As you can see, I’ve just included impressions rather than also including summaries; I figure most of you know what these shows are about and are watching them too..? I didn’t want to just repeat what everyone knows, unless summaries would be helpful?

3-23-2014

Everything is escalating as many series are coming to an end and that includes perhaps my favorite non-Kuroko episode of the week:

Samurai Flamenco Episode 21: I started this blog because, apparently, everything I need to know, I learned from anime. There are a lot of life lessons and inspiration…and also some cynical, not-so-inspirational lessons. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a funk or indecisive about something and I’ll watch an episode of anime or read manga and OMG IT’S LIKE IT’S SPEAKING JUST TO ME! HOW DID IT KNOW?! Perhaps I’m just mentally ill and projecting but I find a lot of answers through anime. I have no goal of being a hero, but oddly enough, this episode really resonated with me this week. Unlike…

Log Horizon Episode 25: This is the last episode of the season, I believe (?) but it’s already been announced that we’ll get a season two. A few episodes ago I couldn’t get enough Log Horizon, but by the end of Episode 25 I wasn’t sure I really cared about a season 2. I’m sure I’m just being moody and felt let down by the generic ending/stopping point, much like:

Inari Kon Kon Episode 10: Another final episode (right?) which bummed me out. Though I don’t know what I expected, I think I wanted more of this show and it pretty much ended exactly as I thought it would. I don’t know why I should feel let down by my prediction coming true–I mean, at least it wasn’t a horrible devastating ending. And I guess not every ending can be like:

Noragami Episode 12: I loved Noragami from the beginning and it just kept getting better and better. I suppose I’m a hypocrite because this ending could be considered pretty generic, but I actually felt pretty satisfied when it was all over. Now I’m really looking forward to the manga.

Hozuki no Reitetsu Episode 11: All I could think was, “I love this show. It’s so soothing. I’m going to be so sad when it’s over.” I can’t say that about:

World Conquest Zvezda Plot Episode 11: Not particularly excited about this show anymore. It still has some good one-liners and I hope the finale brings everything together and conquers us all! Unlike:

Witch Craft Works Episode 11: I am looking forward to the final episode…because I’m pretty tired of this show. I thought it had potential but at this point, where action and excitement should be at its peak, I just think, “I shouldn’t have picked this one up. But now I have to see how it ends.” I don’t mean to dis the anime as a whole–there are some people who still love it. Witch Craft Works and I just aren’t seeing eye-to-eye anymore, much like everyone in:

Nagi no Asukara Episode 24: I swear, this show should have just been titled “Feelings & Tears” or something similar. We are nearing the end, though (I think?) and things seem (jinx?) to be falling into place a bit. I actually really liked this episode, maybe because things are starting to come together somewhat. Which could also be said for:

Hamatora Episode 11: Call me sick, but one thing I’ve enjoyed about Hamatora is its ability to make me laugh out loud in surprise at sudden blood splatter explosions. And Moral is simply a wonderful villain. I loved his over-coffee exchange with Nice in this episode. Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and philosophical and get some shit done! Which you won’t find in:

Nobunaga the Fool Episode 11: I saw a tweet today about how purely DUMB this show is. At this point…I can’t really argue. But I enjoy it anyway. It has kind of devolved into an incoherent mess (okay, okay, maybe it was always an incoherent mess) but they say trainwrecks are fun to watch, too, right? At least it doesn’t resort to tentacles like:

Nobunagun Episode 12: Yes, I know this is my second week of transitioning from Nobunaga the Fool to Nobunagun by talking about tentacles. But if the tentacles weren’t bad enough, why the blushing?! Wouldn’t an appalled, creeped-out face be more appropriate? Yeah, okay, you have a giant squid monster, but I think NOT resorting to tentacle probing would be the edgier thing to do. My dislike of tentacles aside, this episode was actually pretty exciting (NOT BECAUSE OF THE TENTACLES!). And who would have ever thought I’d say something like, “Aw, that Jack the Ripper is such a sweet guy.” Hey, didn’t Nobunagun originate with an incident in Taiwan? Because that’s where our new character is from in:

Ace of the Diamond Episode 24: Holy crap, I can’t believe it’s been 24 episodes already! I hope it goes on forever. We get a look at another team’s ace–a precision, errrr, “clockwork” pitcher from Taiwan. At first he seems like a frigid asshole, but thanks to a bit of backstory, we realize not only does he look hot in glasses, but he’s actually a caring person who is just PASSIONATE ABOUT BASEBALL. And we all know that being passionate about sports makes *the best* anime…why, yes, we see this in:

Kuroko’s Basketball Episode 49: Sigh. I. Love. This. Show. Dai suki. Once again, I sat there thinking, “This show is amazing.” I can’t remember if I cried this episode or not, but I do remember laughing out loud at that brilliant scene between Himuro and Murasakibara. What a shit Murasakibara is, he is such a fantastic character. And I love “Zone eyes.” I love Aomine’s jacket. I love Teppei saying unintentionally heart-catching things. I love it all. And I love how a simple thing like Murasakibara asking for a hair tie signals the intense shit that’s about to come…next episode, of course. Oh shit, I got so worked up thinking about Kuroko’s Basketball that I forgot to mention:

Silver Spoon Episode 10: This is such a solid anime. This episode wasn’t as painful as the previous couple (thank goodness) and finally, we get to see a bit more of Mikage and she’s more likeable as a result. I also really liked how her relationship with Hachiken is progressing so–a friend of mine would use the word “organically”, which makes me giggle since this is an anime about farming. So yes, their relationship is progressing “organically” and it’s endearing while still maintaining sufficient tension.

What I Watched 3-9-2014

Inari Kon Kon Episode 8: YES! This is the impulsive-yet-awkward-hug episode we’ve been waiting for! Or that *I’ve* been waiting for, at least.

Noragami Episode 10: Really love this show. It makes my eyes happy. And we’re kind of getting a weird crossover in circumstances with Inari Kon Kon and gods getting too close to humans and Nagi Asu with important things forgotten… speaking of:

Nagi no Asukara Episode 22: I might have said this already, but I vote for a spinoff featuring just Uroko-sama. Yes, I do want to see what happens to these poor kids, but he is my favorite character. Manaka…is my least favorite. I wasn’t that torn up about this episode’s revelation; if you want heartbreak, you should watch…

Samurai Flamenco Episode 19: GOTO-SANNNNNNN! Seriously, though, didn’t we all kind of expect something like this? I am so loving this series. I think it’s just brilliant. Though I did have an awkward moment where I thought, “If he weren’t adorable Goto-san, I’d think he was creepy. Instead I just want to hug him.” Maybe one of those impulsive-yet-awkward hugs from Inari Kon Kon..? But anyway, speaking of expected revelations, we finally got a couple in:

The Pilot’s Love Song Episode 10: Nina Viento! I should really have a softer heard for poor Kal-el but maybe he shouldn’t have rushed into things so quickly, hmm? Ignacio stole the show this episode. Time for the tsundere to shine! This episode probably should have made me a lot sadder than it did, since everyone’s lives are being torn apart and everything, but I never got attached enough to the characters. But in regard to characters I *am* attached to…

Silver Spoon Episode 8: KOMABAAAA! This was a rough week for adorable anime tough guys I’m fond of. This episode of Silver Spoon was almost uncomfortably realistic. So it was nothing like:

Nobunaga the Fool Episode 9: I’m back to just loving this show. Yes, it’s totally ridiculous. I mean, really ridiculous. I think I laughed out loud when Nobunaga said, “Open your eyes and look! Look at me! Look at how great a man I am!” So yes, readers, go look, now, at what a great man he is and watch this series! If you want to open your eyes and look at more great mean, watch:

Kuroko’s Basketball Episode 47: I just can’t get enough of this show. Love love love. And just when, once in a blue moon, I think, “Maybe this show isn’t as good as I think and I’m overreacting, maybe this show is a bit silly-” something happens on screen and I go back to thinking it’s the best thing ever. Also, whenever Aomine wears that poofy jacket, I just want to hug him. I also want to hug someone from:

Ace of the Diamond Episode 22: Although I find a lot of the characters endearing, I think I’m developing an unhealthy crush on Miyuki. He’s just so cool! This episode was so great and so sporty! Sporty and manly, much like:

Yowapeda Episode 21: If you want SPORTY and MANLY and manly tears and manly battles and manly words, this was the episode for you! I love a good flashback and buildup of rivalry. I realize I may sound like I love everyone and am a total horndog for athletic boys, but I’m restrained compared to:

Log Horizon Episode 23: Everyone is in love with Shiroe! Sheesh! Is this an MMORPG or a harem anime? I kid, I kid. I mean, yes, everyone is in love with Shiroe, but at least at the end of this episode we see a hint of more serious, battle-y strategy-y things to come.

 

 

Roundup 3-1-2014

Log Horizon Episode 22: I cannot believe it’s Episode 22 already! It doesn’t feel like it to me; I want more!

Hamatora Episode 7-8: Episode 7 was one of those “OMG!” episodes and so then episode 8…was just silly. I enjoyed them both. This series continues to impress me.

Samurai Flamenco Episode 18: Speaking of impress…I love Samurai Flamenco! This series is one of my favorites right now and I wish everyone watched it. I can’t help it; I love Goto-san…and, y’know, everything else about the show.

Nagi no Asukara Episode 21: This show is driving me crazy but I have to see how it ends!

Yowapeda Episode 20: This episode focused almost entirely on another team but I kind of enjoy that. One of the things that makes a great sports anime (and Kuroko’s Basketball does this very well also) is giving depth to the other teams and fleshing out the characters. Caring about/learning about the opponents just makes everything better.

Ace of the Diamond Episode 21: OMG SPORTS ANIME IS SO GREAT! It’s funny because I don’t particularly look forward to Ace of the Diamond every week but by the end of each episode, I think, “This is so good!”

Inari Kon Kon Episode 7: Really loving this series and episode seven was great. I hope more people give it a try…after episode 1 I wasn’t so sure this would be a keeper but it continues to improve.

Kuroko’s Basketball Episode 46: I love this show so much.

 

What I Watched Today 2-8-2014

Samurai Flamenco Episode 16: I loooove this show! I laughed out loud at the reconciliation of MMM and then minutes later almost teared up at the final scene. I’ve come to expect surprises in every episode now–can this keep up?

Hamatora Episode 5: Still enjoying this show. Is it just me or did the massage therapist guy remind anyone else of Kondo from Gintama? This episode was totally ridiculous and fun…and then ends with some super serious shit!

Log Horizon Episode 19: This show makes me want to wear glasses again…though I doubt it looks as cool when I push up my glasses and I don’t think mine ever do that wicked glow. Glasses jokes aside, this episode was super-serious and action packed. And -spoiler alert- we find out the truth about Rudy… (though didn’t we all already figure this out?)

Kuroko’s Basketball Episode 43: As this show is one of my favorites, I try to save it for last but didn’t have the willpower today. OMG Kuroko’s Basketball!!! Yes, I cried at the end (just like last week). I can’t get enough of this show. We finally conclude the Seirin vs Touou game in this episode and it was wonderful and exhausting and reminded me of how much I used to love watching (real-life) basketball…only I somewhat sadly realized I now much prefer watching animated basketball. It is just so. good.

Nagi no Asukara Episode 18: Going from the high-energy awesomeness of Kuroko’s Basketball to the watery angsty melodrama of Nagi no Asukara…  Everything seemed a bit sloooowww as the kids meandered around Shioshishio, but Uroko-sama always piques my interest. I think I could watch a whole series just about him. This episode was a little boring but, of course, enough happened in the last few minutes to keep me waiting for the next episode.

Silver Spoon Episode 5: Why is Komaba so cute?! Okay, maybe that has nothing to do with this episode. Yes, I laughed out loud at the paint job on the sled-that was truly great. Watching this, I thought, “This is season-appropriate…this particular episode has a bit more romance to it so it feels like a Valentine’s Episode.” But then we got an ending that made me go, “WTF, Silver Spoon? Seriously?” So yeah, enjoy your wait for episode 6!

Witch Craft Works Episode 5: Was a bit wary after Episode 4 but Episode 5 picked up the pace and the humor once again and now I’m back to really enjoying this show. Takamiya-kun’s mother is hilarious.

World Conquest Zvezda Plot Episode 5: This show is funnier than it should be. Tentacle monsters make me nervous but I really enjoy this show in spite of myself.

What I Watched…Lately 2-2-14

Space Dandy Episode 5: So we went from pure goofy last week to sweet this week. It was so unexpectedly sweet that it actually made me kind of uncomfortable, but I suppose that’s a good thing.

Nobunagun Episode 5: What the heck is this anime? Nothing like a little inexplicable random french-kissing.

Samurai Flamenco Episode 15: I can’t help but fall for weird stereotypes and Mister Justice is hilarious. This series is amazing and there’s something about the style that I never get tired of just looking at it.

Log Horizon Episode 18: Honestly I thought this series would start to get boring but it continues to up the ante. I had to laugh out loud at the reception of Lenessia’s speech; it was a reminder that the Adventurers are really still just MMORPGers at heart, looking for a quest from a beautiful princess.

Kuroko’s Basketball Episode 42: I love this show so much. For the first half I was so excited I thought I might actually puke and by the end of the episode I had tears in my eyes. …Why don’t we have this in English JUMP again?

Nagi no Asukara Episode 17: Oh, the drama! The more I watch, the more I realize this really isn’t my kind of show; the angst is almost overwhelming. But it’s enjoyable in its own way and I have to see it through and find out how it all ends. Something else that occurred to me this episode–it’s been a little too nice not having Manaka around. I think Sayu is my favorite character.

Yowapeda Episodes 15 & 16: I like to watch Yowamushi Pedal while on the exercise bike but due to recent events that never happened so I had an extra episode to watch. There is something (so far) pure and wonderful about this series and it makes me feel somewhat refreshed and hopeful after watching it. I’m really enjoying the character development.

Ace of the Diamond Episode 17: Gah, this show is so good! Though this episode made me feel like I should have been a much better catcher back in my sports days >_< Every time I watch, I can’t get over how great the characters are.

Silver Spoon Episode 4: Gotta love delusional princess-types with ringlets! Having been on (and then off) horses many times, this episode was a little hard to watch; I was too worried someone was going to get hurt. I keep cheering for Hachiken, though, to gain some confidence.

Witch Craft Works Episode 4: Unfortunately I felt this episode was a bit predictable and not all that exciting. But hey, unless you’re Space Dandy or something, not every episode is gonna be great. Whatever happened to those girls’ pet llama, anyway?

World Conquest Zvezda Plot Episode 4: Continuing a trend I’ve been seeing this season (ignore what I just said about Witch Craft Works) of Episode 4 being THE episode where a lot of series are opening up, this Episode 4 gives us some character history and fleshes things out a bit. I was glad to see Natasha become a more interesting character, though I don’t think it was explained why she doesn’t wear more clothes…

Hozuki no Reitetsu Episode 4: I really love this anime. There’s something so relaxing and satisfying about it. Plus I laugh out loud at least once per episode. To me, it just has the feeling of something very well-constructed.

Magical Warfare Episode 4: Okay, so, I didn’t really pay attention to episodes 1-3 and so now I don’t have a firm idea of what is going on. But that said, I still enjoyed episode four and think the show has potential. I don’t expect anything deep or mind-blowing so I just think it’ll be fun to watch. Plus I love Glasses Guy’s voice…perhaps he’s just the adult version of Imayoshi from Kuroko’s Basketball?

Hamatora Episode 4: I’m really starting to love this show! By keeping my expectations relatively low, I get happily surprised every episode. And I love the bad guy; he is soooo bad and that makes him so good! He is just such a great “bad guy”…right now, he is what makes the show truly intriguing.

Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha Episode 3: This episode really kicked it up a notch for me…maybe because I’m fascinated by the brother? (Well, both brothers now, but for different reasons.) Inari is actually the least-interesting character as far as I’m concerned but I’m starting to think there’s a lot to love about this anime–such as a goddess who plays otome games.