Aznchau4ever's Animextravaganza

[nin10mode]

Well, I know what I'm doing all Spring Break.

[*Emelia K. Fletcher]

Mental note: all anime with "Nichijou" in the name are must-watch comedies to me.

[Chaukai]

Oh, is it time already for a First Glance at the Spring Anime? Honestly, this season's line-up is a pretty awesome line-up, but also one that has just been really packed. With my exams coming up, I've been having trouble keeping up with the stream of anime, (especially during the weekends, it seems this week that the subbers have just been getting everything out at a fast pace,) but after three episodes, I present to you, the First Glance!

So before I go through everything, I'd like to ask you a question. Most likely, this small little text in the middle of everything will be pretty much skipped, but for those of you who are actually reading my articles, (bless your souls. Not to be mean of everyone else, read what you want and skip what you don't, I don't take offense,) here's my question.

Is there anything I can do to better this thread, in general or specifically, such as the Season Parade?

The question I ask is because of this: My format for how I do these has been changing everytime I do these, as I can't decide what works best, so please, please tell me what you think works best.

Season Parade!


Accel World

Genre?: Action
Summary (As far as I've seen): Set in the future, the younger people have these little things on the side of their necks that pretty much makes the person a computer. They can access a UI and access their files and install games into them and such. Haru is this short, fat little guy who is pretty much a social outcast and a crybaby. But then he meets this lady person in an MMORPG, and she teaches him something called accelerating. Accelerating is the ability to speed up the mind so that time seems to "stop". But in order to use the power of accelerating, you need to fight in a dueling game.
What I think of it: It isn't bad in any case, but when it hit episode four, I called ♥♥♥♥ on it. I'm not going to spoil anything, but honestly, I was kind of looking more forward to everything except what they focused in on. The story is going all over the place without going back and hitting the major points points that they created. Perhaps in the next few episodes, it'll all start to come together. I don't know. It's not a bad show, it's actualyl very good, but if it keeps progressing at the rate it is now, it's not going to look pretty.
Suggest for: Actiony people!

Acchi Kocchi

Genre?: Slice of Life
Summary (As far as I've seen): This girl likes this guy and they have friends and they go through their life. Slice of life to the max. And then, gratuitous amounts of moe.
What I think of it: My heart can not handle the amount of moe presented within this anime. There's so much cute things going on that I'm just blown away by the fact that anyone could possibly condense so much moe into one show. It's very relaxed, and the humor can be funny, although for the most part it's pretty weak.
Suggest for: Moe lovers around the world.

Fate/Zero Season 2

Genre?: Action, Fantasy
Summary (As far as I've seen): The sequel to the first season of Fate/Zero starts off with a spectacular and epic bang. While the first season focused on the build up and the characters, we really get to see everyone in full-blooded action, and trust me, it gets pretty damn bloody. It starts off right where we left off and just doesn't stop, with an awesome plotline involving many backstabbing as well as epic explosions and ♥♥♥♥.
What I think of it: Oh. My. ♥♥♥♥. God. This is how you start off a season. Maybe it was just the anticipation of waiting an entire season but my word I could not ask for a better way to start the season. Each episode presents just the right amount of occurences to keep a person entertained, while still pacing the show and not allowing too many mysteries to be revealed. I'll admit parts were predictable, but that was partly because it is a prequel, although what happened to Lancer was definitely inevitable. Even then, this show not only stands superior to its predecessor, but transcends it and makes the show spectacular on its own merits. I would actually be interested to see how a person who has never seen Fate/Stay Night sees Fate/Zero. This show is fantastic in all rights, without trying too hard to wow us.
Suggest for: Anybody who loved Urobochi Gen's works.

Haiyore! Nyaruko-san (The Crawling Nyarlko)

Genre?: Mythical, Comedy
Summary (As far as I've seen): [7:17:59 PM] BRNDN CNLS: ....
[7:18:31 PM] BRNDN CNLS: She's a teenage embodiment of Nyarlathotep. NYARLATHOTEP.
[7:19:05 PM] BRNDN CNLS: Yes, she's from the Cthulhu Mythos, but she's not Cthulhu herself. >:<
What I think of it: It has a lot of moments where it's pretty funny, especially the whole Space CQC thing. Although there's not much plot to it, it's good for a laugh or two with it's strange premise and crazy antics. I also really enjoy the seiyuu for Nyaruko, she does a good job being... Robust.
Suggest for: People who feel like a random anime.

Hyou-ka:You Can't Escape

Genre?: Slice of Life, Mystery?
Summary (As far as I've seen): Honestly I really can't say anything. I've been so busy with exams and all that I've only been able to see the first episode. Basically Main character doesn't want to do anything, just wants to be invisible, and then he is told to join the Classics Club by his sister, who says the Classics Club is dying. Thinking that this was a perfect chance to go to a place and be by himself, he goes to the clubroom, where he meets a girl and they talk about mysteries of the school and ♥♥♥♥.
What I think of it: Visually, the anime is gorgeous, but that's to be expected of KyoAni. Dialogue wise, they are very good at speaking philosophy in a different way, although sometimes I do feel as if a lot of it is lost. Like I said before, I've only seen the first episode, so I don't really know what to expect, but I do see potential good in it.
Suggest for: KyoAni lovers?

Jormungand

Genre?: Action, Modern, Gangs
Summary (As far as I've seen): This lady named Koko is the leader of a arms dealing group, and she basically goes around and talks with her clients and then there are people who don't like her so boom bang and explosions everywhere. Also she was able to find a child soldier who is pretty much a badass at killing but not much else. And then they also meet this guy who is buff as ♥♥♥♥ and this girl who is ♥♥♥♥ insane and they have a hit on Koko or something like that and want to kill her, but Koko's group is all full of awesome people who are like, no, and shoot back.
What I think of it: The episodes, for the most part, are fairly contained, although with the introduction of the ♥♥♥♥ insane girl, I can feel some sort of overlying antagonist within the show. The show is fun and entertaining to watch, but you really have to throw any sort of logic you have about guns and explosives out the window. They really are unrealistic in how they approach things, while still trying to keep a believable premise. Koko is definitely a plus for the show though, as she is a bit loony herself, but still enough of a leader that everyone follows her. It's very interesting, although as far as plot, there's not much progression yet.
Suggest for: Gang war lovers, gun fight lovers

Kimi to Boku Season 2 (You and I)

Genre?: Slice of Life
Summary (As far as I've seen): It kicks off where we left off last season by showing a whole lot of... Nothing. Well, something, of course, but if you were expecting some spectacular change from the first to the second season, you're kind of crazy. They enter their second year in high school, (I think,) and they pretty much do the same thing they have been doing. But... A subtle change I have noticed from the last season to the first. They have been making a bit more mature decisions, while still maintaining their character.
What I think of it: I think the second season has a lot of potential to grow. If they do not focus too much on the slice of life, but more on the growing up, I think this season could be very well done. While most of the episodes have just been them enjoying themselves, I've realized that when they want to make a good, strong episode, with good conflicts and solutions, they can do very well, as seen in the episode starring Masaki and Chizuru. Please make more of these episodes, with more drama, and I think this show will be one of the better of the season.
Suggest for: People who enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere. Watch season 1 first, of course!

Kore wa Zombie desu ka? Of the Dead (Is it a Zombie? Of the Dead)

Genre?: Comedy, Ecchi
Summary (As far as I've seen): So I really don't know how to summarize what I've seen so far with this season, so I'll summarize the first season. Basically Ayumu was murdered in the first season and was brought back to life as a zombie by the Necromancer, Eucliwood Hellscythe. Then he met Haruna, and accidentally stole her powers of a Masou Shoujo. Then he met more awesome girls, and now they live in a house. And then this season is just a continuation of that.
What I think of it: So far, it's pretty funny, but without much of the surprise factor that season one held. Really, a lot of things from this season are in the range of what they usually do. Nevertheless, the show still holds its characters as its pride, being awesomely funny and interesting without falling too far into the usual characters.
Suggest for: If you liked season 1.

Medaka Box

Genre?: Slice of Life, Comedy
Summary (As far as I've seen): Medaka is the new president of the student council. Being the ambitious person she is, she decides to make a request box. The show is about how she fulfills people's requests with the help of the MC, Mr. Yellow hair.
What I think of it: What's fun about this show is how Medaka acts towards situations. She seems to know exactly how things will play out, and the way she acts is very different. While the characters aren't entirely original, I'd say that they're interesting enough to watch. The actual tasks themselves haven't been extremely interesting, but it seems like the Student Council is going to become a big group of interesting people.
Suggest for: People who like High School animes

Natsuiro Kiseki (A Summer-Colored Miracle)

Genre?: Slice of Life, Fantasy
Summary (As far as I've seen): About four girls who use a magical rock at a shrine to make wishes. They kinda screw around with the rock but in the end, usually they do good deeds or something.
What I think of it: It's not bad. The reason why I didn't write much about the summary is that it's not much to summarize. It's a fine show but there's nothing extremely fantastic about it.
Suggest for: People who like slice of life

Nazo no Kanojo X (Mysterious Girlfriend X)

Genre?: Romance, ♥♥♥♥ Weird
Summary (As far as I've seen): When I call an anime weird, it's probably pretty damn weird. Okay, maybe not EXTREMELY weird but pretty damn weird. Basically how it goes is there's this new girl at school named Urabe something or the other. During lunch or after school, she seems to immediately fall asleep on her desk. One day after school, the MC sees her fallen asleep, and wakes her up. When she wakes up she's left a small puddle of drool from sleeping on her desk. After she leaves, the MC decides to stick a finger in that puddle and stick his finger in his mouth. Yum. And then he falls in love with Urabe. It's a bit more complicated than that but for now, it's a fair enough summarization.
What I think of it: One of the better animes of this season, perhaps not for the character designs nor the animation, which are both fairly bland, but for original plot. If anything, there should always be a strive for originality, and this show definitely has it. Urabe is a very interesting character, which makes up for pretty much the entire rest of the crew, which is actually fairly plain. The interesting part is how her saliva functions, which is that if the saliva tastes sweet to a person, it means they have a very close connection. They also share the emotions and physical state of Urabe after intaking the saliva. This becomes important when someone else other than the MC has this occur to her. Very interesting.
Suggest for: People who want something new.

Sakamichi no Appollon (Kids on the Slope)

Genre?: Music, Slice of Life, Romance
Summary (As far as I've seen): MC is a new guy at school. First day, he goes to the roof and finds Sentarou, the biggest and toughest guy in the school. Stuff happens stuff happens, basically he gets invited to hang out after school. Er, more like forced, but what happens is he finds that Sentarou is a fan of Jazz, and plays the drums. The MC plays the piano, but never played for jazz, and they have good times. Oh and also MC falls in love with Sentarou's childhood friend, and Sentarou falls in love with some other lady. Yeah. Probably should mention that.
What I think of it: Another of the better shows of the season. It has a nice atmosphere that changes from relaxed music to events and drama. I do hope they focus a bit more on the jazzy side of everything, but if not, the plot will make up for it. The love story seems a bit quick-paced though, so I'm not really sure what the rest of the episodes will be about.
Suggest for: A slice of life about a delinquent and a normal guy.

Sankarea

Genre?: Zombie, School Life, Romance
Summary (As far as I've seen): Guy likes Zombies. Girl likes guy. Girl has ♥♥♥♥ up family. Girl kills herself. Girl becomes zombie. That's pretty much a quick summarization of what happens. The rest seems to be pretty easy to follow. Sanka Rea is a girl of a prestigious family who has a really messed up dad, and basically kills herself because of him. Then she's a zombie. The MC likes zombies. Like. Really LIKES zombies. It's kinda weird how much he likes zombies but yeah. That's pretty much it.
What I think of it: A fair amount of fanservice occurs within the show, but besides that, the show is progressing at a fairly good rate. The characters are nice and all, and Sanka is a very nice lady. This was one of the shows I was looking forward to this season and I haven't been disappointed so far. It's pretty good.
Suggest for: Zombie lovers.

Sengoku Collection

Genre?: Erm... Fantasy?
Summary (As far as I've seen): So imagine this. All the major historic warlords of Japan were actually females. And those females were somehow teleported to present day Tokyo. Oda Nobunaga pretty much is going around trying to get back to her time, by taking the special treasure of all the other important leaders, who seem to not care about going back and want to stay and do modern day things. And yeah. I guess that's it.
What I think of it: First. Wtf Japan. Why. A very fanservicey show, that pretty much has some sort of overlying plot that was explained in the first episode but nobody gives a ♥♥♥♥ about. That's pretty much what the show is. Basically so far, each episode has focused in on one of the leaders and what they are doing. Tokugawa Ieyasu is now an adorable loli idol, and Masamune Date is now a freelance vigilante who wants revenge on the druglords for manipulating her. Okay, the last one was actually kinda fitting, Masamune Date would totally do that. The show doesn't seem to really have a purpose though, and is very weak. Eh. It's still watchable though, so if you're bored and feel like something, try it.
Suggest for: Those who are entertained by historic events that aren't really historic events.

Shining Hearts: Shiawase no Pan

Genre?: Vidya Game, Fantasy
Summary (As far as I've seen): This is an adaptation of a game, where this guy runs a bread store with three lovely ladies and they do good deeds for everyone and kiss babies and ♥♥♥♥. It's all nice and ♥♥♥♥. Like seriously, everyone is just so nice.
What I think of it: Seeing this as an anime, it kinda actually makes me want to play the game. It makes me wonder how the hell the game works. It's very boring, honestly, for me, but it's not because nothing happens, it's just because everyone is so nice that is makes me want to puke. Nothing really goes on, and even when there is some sort of problem, they all get through it with smiles and stuff.
Suggest for: People who like Vidya game adaptations?

Tasogare Otome x Amnesia (Dusk Maiden of Amnesia)

Genre?: Fantasy, Supernatural, Ghoooosts!
Summary (As far as I've seen): This girl named Yuuko died a while back. For the longest time, nobody could see her, communicate with her, although Yuuko still seemed tangible, as she can touch things and such. Then this guy named Teiichi comes in, the first person to be able to see her. They communicate, and go through the old school building which she lived in, figuring out various supernatural events that were to have said to occur.
What I think of it: I actually really enjoy this anime. Yuuko is a very fun character, and Teiichi isn't a complete idiot. It gets fairly gratuitous with the fanservice sometimes though. The problem I've been having with the show is that, it seems as if there is a plot that is progressing, but it wasn't really explained at all, so all I see is a series of events that leads to something that I have no idea about. For the most part though, it's still coherent, even if the overlying plot is completely unknown to us. It's fun to see Yuuko do what she does.
Suggest for: Supernatural lovers.

Tsuritama

Genre?: Aliens? Fishing? Is fishing a genre?
Summary (As far as I've seen): MC has to move to a new place. There he meets Haru, this weird guy who I'm pretty sure is an alien. Haru really wants to go fish, but neither of them know what the ♥♥♥♥ they're doing. So they get their classmate, Natsuki, a pro at fishing, to teach them.
What I think of it: It's a rough summarization, as I didn't even dive into the characters themselves. The MC is probably equally as strange as Haru, for different reasons. He seems to get very nervous and self-conscious about everything he does, so Haru is sort of the opposite, oblivious to everything except for what he is doing. I'm guessing this show is going to be about how they learn from each other and mature and also fish the ♥♥♥♥ out of things. I don't know. A lot of water motifs going on.
Suggest for: If you like abstract shows.

Uchuu Kyoudai (Space Brothers)

Genre?: SPAAACE! No, but really, Adult life.
Summary (As far as I've seen): MC's brother is going on a trip to the moon. MC and brother as children have always wanted to go to moon after seeing a UFO when they were kids. MC failed to become an astronaut. The anime starts with the MC being invited to do the testing to become an astronaut, and him going through all the interviews and such and meeting people. That's pretty much how far it's gotten.
What I think of it: It's interesting, the variety of shows we have going this season. Uchuu Kyoudai is the only show so far that gave me any sort of feels. While the main character seems like a doofus sometimes, that's because he kinda is. The show has fine storytelling, and doesn't give too much drama at one time. While we can't really see how the plot will progress, there is a hint of a romance sparked. Will the MC ever become an astronaut? Only time will tell! I've been enjoying it, although not as much as some others, because the show hasn't really progressed to much in the beginning.
Suggest for: If you want something more about adults.

Upotte!!

Genre?: School Life, Guns
Summary (As far as I've seen): Yes. Guns is now a genre. You may have seen some animes where girls wield guns like they're nothing. No. Upotte brings it a step farther by stating boldly that the girls ARE guns. Yeah. How the ♥♥♥♥ does that work? You have to watch the show. Basically, in Upotte, each girl represents a different model of SMG, and they also use that SMG in order to... shoot? I guess. I mean, basically the girls are just allowed to have firefights whenever they want, and so they proceed to shoot up the school. Probably not the best wording, but yeah.
What I think of it: It's fun because I know next to nothing about guns, and so I really don't know how accurate this show is. They actually get fairly in-depth with the details about the guns, and each aspect of the SMG will tell a different thing about how the school system and the girls function. It's very strange, but as far as I've watched, it's actually kind of fun to watch.
Suggest for: Erm. Gun lovers? Kind of? I don't know anymore. I'm done, everyone go home.

[Avo]

Holy ♥♥♥♥, Chau. How do you manage to watch all this anime at the same time?

[Chaukai]

Oh hello. It's not the end of the season yet, so what could I be presenting? Well, today, I have a new segment for you, something I'd like to call:

MyTops

Basically, I'll be listing my Top 10 things and why they are such, so for this time, I bring you...

Top 10 OPs of 2011

So yes, yes, pretty straightforward. So, why don't we start? But first, let's bring up...

Honorable Mentions
Fly Away by Togashi Misuzu (Maken-Ki!)
Scarlet Ballet by May'n (Hidan no Aria)
Zannenkei Rinjin-Bu by Tomodachi Tsukuri-tai (Haganai)
My Dearest by supercell (Guilty Crown)
Hyadain no Kakakata☆Kataomoi-C by Hyadain (Nichijou)
Hyadain no Joujou Yuujou by Hyadain (Nichijou)

The honorable mentions are songs that I enjoy, but just didn't make it to the cut. I'll say that both of Hyadain's songs could have possibly been on the list, but the reason I decided not to pick them was because I did not watch the anime, nor did I hear them from the anime, therefore I don't really consider them OPs per se. Togashi Misuzu is an amazing singer, and the Fly Away single also comes with an amazing song called Ai no Uta, check it out. Scarlet Ballet was a very unique song and very May'n-esque, so try it if you want to hear some gunshots and sword swipes incorporated into song. Zannenkei Rinjin-Bu is just a fun song in general. Supercell's My Dearest is pretty impressive seeing as a 12-year-old sang the song, which really doesn't show in the song at all.


10. Ready!! by 765 PRO (The Idolm@ster)
My first exposure to the Idolm@ster franchise was not from the anime, but the anime was one of the main reasons I fell in love with the franchise. The dance that goes with this song is just fantastic, and it really is the moment that defines all our beloved idols. This song is a great addition to the Idolm@ster music line-up, and is just a fun song overall.

9. Ma-ka-se-te Tonight by Nomizu Iori (Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka?)
There are various reasons why Kore wa Zombie Desu ka was such an interesting watch. The OP was not a let down. I remember hearing this song a while after the show had finished, and I just had all these feels and memories from this show. This is a great song, with great memories behind it.

8. Brain Diver by May'n (Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle)
It's almost depressing to say that the only reason I watched this show near the end was because of this amazing OP. Honestly, May'n didn't get enough credit for this OP when it came out, because of the show it was for. Brain Diver was an awesome song and the OP animation was pretty good for it, but sadly the show did not live up to the song. Great song, great for rocking out, awesome in general.

7. Shirushi by Kitamura Eri (Cubed x Cursed x Curious)
One of the best animated shows of the season, C3 came strong in the music. Kitamura Eri does an amazing job with this song, and the animations for it can only be described as beautiful at the least. Of course, I love anything Kitamura Eri sings, but seriously, C3 just did some quality OPs, Shirushi was great overall and had some interesting use of instruments. For those who like this song, they should try Kitsune no Yomeiri ri by Kagamine Rin. It has much of the same feel to it.

6. Hana no Iro by NANO.RIPE (Hana-saku Iroha)
Nano.ripe has always been interesting to me. When you think about her voice, it's actually a very annoying tone and would seem to be used to be cute, nothing more. But listening to many of her songs, Nano.ripe actually gives a different impression, she hits home with this song. Oh, Hanasaku Iroha, when OP1 went away, I was very very sad. Hana no Iro was a fantastic song, something that I did not expect myself to like so much. The very calm sections of the song seem to hit me the most, giving me this sort of relaxed feel before being pushed into this quick and powerful chorus. Maybe, (this is just random speculations here,) the song was supposed to show Ohana's life and movements through the different uses of pacing and tone of the song? The lyrics also give some powerful definitions of Ohana, a very fitting song.

5. Kuusou Mesorogiwi by Teikoku Yousei (Mirai Nikki)
If you guys didn't see this coming, shame on you. I'd just like to mention how awesome this OP was. If there's one thing the animators did right, it was this OP. The fact that they didn't remove the two Yuno's from OP1 to OP2 was something that I actually liked, as it was a sort of hint at something greater while not giving away too much. I don't really need to say much about this song, just kind of bathe in its awesomeness.

4. Boys come back to Me by Etsuko Yakushimaru ft. Metro Orchestra (Mawaru Penguindrum)
Please listen to this song. Please. If you noticed, the link I posted for this song is different for the rest. This song is the full length version, instead of the TV edit. The reason I did it for this specific song is because the full version really brings out the true potential of this song. I'll be honest and say that the TV edit didn't impress me that much, but the full version showed me just how wrong I was. Yakushimaru Etsuko is a great singer, and the Metro Orchestra did phenomenal in this song. It gives the full impact of the show in a simple song, giving the motifs of time, fate, and despair. Whether or not you like the show, that's a different story, this OP was one of the greatest songs, with 6 minutes of overwhelming and breathtaking beauty. IF you're going to ignore all the giant blocks of text I write for each song except one, please, let it be this one.

Top 3 are hidden!: show

3. Endless Story by Tamura Yukari (Cubed x Cursed x Curious)
As I had previously stated, C3 came on strong with the music. In comparison to Hanasaku Iroha, I was fine when they changed the OP from this one to Shirushi, just because both were fantastic. Tamura Yukari really shows off her voice in this one, and the animations are amazing, showing the movements of Fear without revealing the entire thing. It gives the Fear's dance a hint of mysteriousness to it, which I enjoyed, as it's sort of a, you're given part of it, and have to imagine the rest. Brilliant, amazing, best OP of its season? I would say most definitely.

We're getting closer to #1!: show

2. Connect by ClariS (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
(I couldn't find a regular TV size version on Youtube x.x)

I'm guessing about half of you expected this song to be #1, correct? Well, it's not, but being #2, it definitely holds a place in my anime heart. For those of you who have watched the show, this song really does carry a lot of weight behind it. The moment you first hear it, you may like it, and enjoy how nice and happy it is. But this show really represents Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica as a show. The view of this song, when looking at the lyrics, drastically changes as you start to progress on to the show. This song is as if Homura's was trying to speak to Madoka's soul. It's an amazing song, and ClariS has a lot more potential to be something big. While they didn't debut themselves here, ClariS is relatively new to the music market, and I think that this was an amazing way to get themselves remembered, because this is on of the OPs that's just going to always be remembered.

IF that was #2 then, #1 must be...: show

1. Hacking to the Gate by Kanae Itou (Steins;Gate)
(Again, couldn't find a TV size)

Maybe it's because the OVA came out months after the series had ended, but when this song played during the OVA, I just lost it. Amazing. What a way to end the show. The song just had such an impact, and hit hard, that this... This was the end. Okabe had "hacked the gate". He had defeated time itself. This song was like a promise in episode one that was finally fulfilled. It was amazingly done. Perhaps I don't necessarily order things by how good they are, no, I wouldn't say Hacking to the Gate was the catchiest or the most rhythmic. No, this song was the best song because it carried so much weight, and just hit oh so heavily when the show ended. Excellent work.

Please tell me if any of the links break!

[SuperMIC]

sora wa takaku kaze wa utau




'nuf said

[Suyo]

I'll say that both of Hyadain's songs could have possibly been on the list, but the reason I decided not to pick them was because I did not watch the anime, nor did I hear them from the anime, therefore I don't really consider them OPs per se.

but the reason I decided not to pick them was because I did not watch the anime, nor did I hear them from the anime

I did not watch the anime

You are missing something awesome.

[Chaukai]

I have it on my external, and I'll probably get around to it eventually lol.