Anime Spring 2013 mid season impressions
I am actually watching quite a list this season (for me, at least!) Listed in the order they air (Monday first). The question now is if I will be able to keep up. This is around the time when I start falling behind. XD;
Before this season started, I had my eye on Arata Kangatari and Karneval. I ended up not following Karneval (perhaps I'll catch up at a later date...), and Arata Kangatari is only so-so. I don't know how I ended up watching all these other series... and three mecha? What in the world... (I don't even like mecha all that much! But perhaps my tastes are changing.) I'm also belatedly watching Uta no Prince-sama and No. 6.
Monday
Arata Kangatari
5 episodes in. Two different Aratas end up changing places. One ends up in the mystical world of Amawakuni while the other ends up in present day Japan.
I was really looking forward to this adaptation because it's a straightforward shounen adventure. The adaptation is not bad, but it's not all that exciting either. It doesn't bring anything new (and doesn't make the visuals look nicer in the transition). I was hoping this would be a long series, but it is only slated for 12 episodes... which means not a lot is going to be accomplished! The manga is quite a long one, so I am unsure what can be done for it in 12 episodes.
Thursday
Hataraku Maou-sama!
6 episodes in. Maou, the Demon King, loses his powers and ends up in modern day Japan to recuperate. In order to get by, he works at MgRonald's as a part-timer.
The humor in this series. XDDD!! There's also a good mix of action and plot. I like Maou, Alsiel, and Emi quite a lot. Alsiel is especially amusing. I'll probably give the light novels this is based on a read sometime. Tried to see if my bookstore carried it or not... but unfortunately, they don't. (I found myself some Chinese translations though. They'll be much easier for me to understand than Japanese, haha). It amused me that the series didn't get an actual opening until episode 5, and an actual ending until episode 6... (That's like, halfway through the series already...) I wonder if production went into producing the first 5 minutes of episode 1 instead, haha...
Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince
6 episodes in. Five teenage pilots, genetically modified with memories erased, known for their constant failures, are sent out to the front lines.
I randomly started watching this. Despite the somewhat weird designs the characters sport, I find the characters to be charming. I am rooting for Team Rabbit to make a name for themselves and to find a meaning for their existence. Aiba Hiroki voices Izuru, so in any case, I shall watch this series to hear his voice. XD
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru
5 episodes in. Cynical Hikigaya joins a club to help people and gains some acquaintances who are not exactly friends.
I started watching this because of Saika. Hahaha, he is really cute. XD; Hikigaya turned out to be quite an amusing protagonist. His view on life is as cynical as it can get. I'm fairly amused by his outlook. I don't care much for either of the girls, so even though the series has the words "Love Comedy" in its name, I hope it doesn't spend too much time on that. unless we get more teasing hints about Hikigaya x Saika hahaha
Devil Survivor 2
6 episodes in. 13 Septentriones in all, 7 days to survive them using demons summoned from cell phones to defeat them.
Having cell phones play such a central part really reminds me of The World Ends With You, and DS2 is based off of a video game. Watching this anime really makes me want to play the game! I've been watching DS2 a few days late for the past two weeks though, so this might be a sign that I'll be lagging behind with this series... (It doesn't help that I'm watching 4 series on Thursday, and I usually have to sleep earlier on Thursdays given my work schedule on Fridays! I leave this one last out of the 4 series I watch on Thursday). The new character Jungo is quite cute though. I hope he sticks around, haha.
Friday
Chihayafuru season 2
18 episodes in. Karuta sports anime with a shoujo touch, but it might as well be shounen.
It seems like the rest of the series will probably all take place at the Omi Jingu, seeing the high school tournament through. I'm fascinated despite having already read the manga and knowing the results for these matches. Each episode feels so short, goodness. I cannot wait until we get to the revelation about Taichi's playing style!! I dearly hope we'll get a 3rd season one day dedicated to the next tournament.
Kakumeiki Valvrave
5 episodes in. Lord of the Flies-esque body swapping space vampire mecha anime.
I don't even know. Just what the heck is this series? XD; But I decided to give it a try because of the body-swapping, though so far, it's only happened twice (and only once with a more lasting impact). Episode 5 was also quite out there while L-elf just lurked around. Did everyone just forget about him or what? I am loving both the opening and ending songs a lot though. "Boku ja na-i, boku ja na-i, boku ja na-i~" To me, this can either me, "I didn't do it" or "I'm not me." I like interpreting it the second way (with Haruto body-swapping with other people).
Saturday
Uchuu Kyoudai
57 episodes in. Two brothers both dream of becoming astronauts. The younger brother succeeds first. The older brother eventually follows in his footsteps.
After switching time slots, Uchuu Kyoudai had three weeks of recaps. That was agonizing! But now, the show is back, and there are no more recaps. XD; The current arc is a training arc. It doesn't feel as intense as the arc where Mutta was getting tested for astronaut selection, but I am enjoying how this arc is connecting with the story of Brian Jay. He certainly seems larger than life! This series is all about brothers. :)
Ore no Imouto wa Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai.
6 episodes in. Younger sister and older brother who have fallen apart start rebuilding their relationship when the older brother discovers that his sister is an otaku who is into eroge.
I finally watched the true ending, which provided a much better background for where this second season starts. I ended up enjoying the true ending quite a lot (making games! after g2n and my venture into making an otome game, this spoke to me quite a lot, haha). This second season, though, has been strange... I feel like events are being animated out of order, or at least, not incorporated very well. Episode 3, which featured Saori, felt like it was completely slotted in. Couldn't that flashback have been incorporated better? =/ Episode 5 and 6 felt better though, like more of a coherent story. I hope Kyousuke ends up with anyone but Kirino...
Sunday
Shingeki no Kyojin
5 episodes in. Man-eating titans have nearly caused humans to go extinct. Only a small number of humans have survived, walling themselves in a city behind extremely high walls. However, after a long period of peace, titans manage to break down the wall.
First episode already managed to make me cry. D: This is a very intense series. Very dramatic and serious. I put watching the series off since I didn't think I would want to watch humans getting eaten while I was eating dinner, which is when I watch most of my anime. ^^;; I played catch up the other day when I wasn't eating. XD;; I watched parodies of the opening song before I watched the actual opening, and now I can't unsee all those parodies, hahaha. The opening is really catchy and epic!
Suisei no Gargantia
5 episodes in. A teenage soldier who has only known fighting in outer space gets swallowed by a wormhole and ends up on Earth, a planet thought to be lost. It is now covered by water. Humans live on large fleets and scavenge for lost scraps in the depths of the ocean.
Ledo~. I am enjoying seeing him adapt and respond to life on Earth a whole lot. I just love that the focus isn't on outer space, that it's on daily life on the Gargantian fleet. Learning the customs, the language, how different life is in outer space at the forefront of battle versus life in relative peace... Fish out of water scenario at its best. ;) I just hope the rest of the series will still be dedicated to Ledo learning his way around and/or finding a place for himself rather than on battles. I like this peace. The opening song is quite a hopeful one. Very upbeat. Chamber is also very awesome.
Randomly (and belatedly) watching on my Tuesdays and Wednesdays when I don't have any other anime to watch:
Uta no Prince-sama
6 episodes in. Protagonist joins a prestigious performing arts school in order to be a composer. There, she meets several idols to be.
I've always wanted to watch this. XD;; Now that there's even a second season, I thought it was about time! I have yet to finish watching though, despite the series being quite short. It's very episodic, with each episode focusing on a different guy. There doesn't seem to be much of an overarching plot, so I find the series a little difficult to marathon. XD; I do like hearing the character songs though (Taniyama Kishou's singing is amazing~). Each episode feels like promotion for the character songs. XD
No. 6
6 episodes in. After a devastating war, No. 6 is one of the six remaining city-states created by the Babylon Treaty. It seems to be a safe haven where everything is provided for the people, but things are not what they seem.
I've seen pics of Sion around, featuring his white hair and his original appearance. He sure looked plain in the beginning. :O The series has been fairly mysterious so far, and Nezumi has been really charismatic. It's only 11 episodes long, huh? Only 5 episodes left then! I hope the series wraps up well!
Here's how I would rank each series!
Arata Kangatari: So-so
Hataraku Maou-sama: :DDDDDDDDDD
Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince: Strangely amusing
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru: Pretty amusing
Devil Survivor 2: So-so
Chihayafuru season 2: Why isn't it next week yet
Kakumeiki Valvrave: What in the world is going on.
Uchuu Kyoudai: :)
Ore no Imouto wa Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai: Okay.
Shingeki no Kyoujin: adjf;adfas
Suisei no Gargantia: *_____*
Uta no Prince-sama: So-so.
No. 6: Quite fascinating.
Before this season started, I had my eye on Arata Kangatari and Karneval. I ended up not following Karneval (perhaps I'll catch up at a later date...), and Arata Kangatari is only so-so. I don't know how I ended up watching all these other series... and three mecha? What in the world... (I don't even like mecha all that much! But perhaps my tastes are changing.) I'm also belatedly watching Uta no Prince-sama and No. 6.
Monday
Arata Kangatari
5 episodes in. Two different Aratas end up changing places. One ends up in the mystical world of Amawakuni while the other ends up in present day Japan.
I was really looking forward to this adaptation because it's a straightforward shounen adventure. The adaptation is not bad, but it's not all that exciting either. It doesn't bring anything new (and doesn't make the visuals look nicer in the transition). I was hoping this would be a long series, but it is only slated for 12 episodes... which means not a lot is going to be accomplished! The manga is quite a long one, so I am unsure what can be done for it in 12 episodes.
Thursday
Hataraku Maou-sama!
6 episodes in. Maou, the Demon King, loses his powers and ends up in modern day Japan to recuperate. In order to get by, he works at MgRonald's as a part-timer.
The humor in this series. XDDD!! There's also a good mix of action and plot. I like Maou, Alsiel, and Emi quite a lot. Alsiel is especially amusing. I'll probably give the light novels this is based on a read sometime. Tried to see if my bookstore carried it or not... but unfortunately, they don't. (I found myself some Chinese translations though. They'll be much easier for me to understand than Japanese, haha). It amused me that the series didn't get an actual opening until episode 5, and an actual ending until episode 6... (That's like, halfway through the series already...) I wonder if production went into producing the first 5 minutes of episode 1 instead, haha...
Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince
6 episodes in. Five teenage pilots, genetically modified with memories erased, known for their constant failures, are sent out to the front lines.
I randomly started watching this. Despite the somewhat weird designs the characters sport, I find the characters to be charming. I am rooting for Team Rabbit to make a name for themselves and to find a meaning for their existence. Aiba Hiroki voices Izuru, so in any case, I shall watch this series to hear his voice. XD
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru
5 episodes in. Cynical Hikigaya joins a club to help people and gains some acquaintances who are not exactly friends.
I started watching this because of Saika. Hahaha, he is really cute. XD; Hikigaya turned out to be quite an amusing protagonist. His view on life is as cynical as it can get. I'm fairly amused by his outlook. I don't care much for either of the girls, so even though the series has the words "Love Comedy" in its name, I hope it doesn't spend too much time on that. unless we get more teasing hints about Hikigaya x Saika hahaha
Devil Survivor 2
6 episodes in. 13 Septentriones in all, 7 days to survive them using demons summoned from cell phones to defeat them.
Having cell phones play such a central part really reminds me of The World Ends With You, and DS2 is based off of a video game. Watching this anime really makes me want to play the game! I've been watching DS2 a few days late for the past two weeks though, so this might be a sign that I'll be lagging behind with this series... (It doesn't help that I'm watching 4 series on Thursday, and I usually have to sleep earlier on Thursdays given my work schedule on Fridays! I leave this one last out of the 4 series I watch on Thursday). The new character Jungo is quite cute though. I hope he sticks around, haha.
Friday
Chihayafuru season 2
18 episodes in. Karuta sports anime with a shoujo touch, but it might as well be shounen.
It seems like the rest of the series will probably all take place at the Omi Jingu, seeing the high school tournament through. I'm fascinated despite having already read the manga and knowing the results for these matches. Each episode feels so short, goodness. I cannot wait until we get to the revelation about Taichi's playing style!! I dearly hope we'll get a 3rd season one day dedicated to the next tournament.
Kakumeiki Valvrave
5 episodes in. Lord of the Flies-esque body swapping space vampire mecha anime.
I don't even know. Just what the heck is this series? XD; But I decided to give it a try because of the body-swapping, though so far, it's only happened twice (and only once with a more lasting impact). Episode 5 was also quite out there while L-elf just lurked around. Did everyone just forget about him or what? I am loving both the opening and ending songs a lot though. "Boku ja na-i, boku ja na-i, boku ja na-i~" To me, this can either me, "I didn't do it" or "I'm not me." I like interpreting it the second way (with Haruto body-swapping with other people).
Saturday
Uchuu Kyoudai
57 episodes in. Two brothers both dream of becoming astronauts. The younger brother succeeds first. The older brother eventually follows in his footsteps.
After switching time slots, Uchuu Kyoudai had three weeks of recaps. That was agonizing! But now, the show is back, and there are no more recaps. XD; The current arc is a training arc. It doesn't feel as intense as the arc where Mutta was getting tested for astronaut selection, but I am enjoying how this arc is connecting with the story of Brian Jay. He certainly seems larger than life! This series is all about brothers. :)
Ore no Imouto wa Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai.
6 episodes in. Younger sister and older brother who have fallen apart start rebuilding their relationship when the older brother discovers that his sister is an otaku who is into eroge.
I finally watched the true ending, which provided a much better background for where this second season starts. I ended up enjoying the true ending quite a lot (making games! after g2n and my venture into making an otome game, this spoke to me quite a lot, haha). This second season, though, has been strange... I feel like events are being animated out of order, or at least, not incorporated very well. Episode 3, which featured Saori, felt like it was completely slotted in. Couldn't that flashback have been incorporated better? =/ Episode 5 and 6 felt better though, like more of a coherent story. I hope Kyousuke ends up with anyone but Kirino...
Sunday
Shingeki no Kyojin
5 episodes in. Man-eating titans have nearly caused humans to go extinct. Only a small number of humans have survived, walling themselves in a city behind extremely high walls. However, after a long period of peace, titans manage to break down the wall.
First episode already managed to make me cry. D: This is a very intense series. Very dramatic and serious. I put watching the series off since I didn't think I would want to watch humans getting eaten while I was eating dinner, which is when I watch most of my anime. ^^;; I played catch up the other day when I wasn't eating. XD;; I watched parodies of the opening song before I watched the actual opening, and now I can't unsee all those parodies, hahaha. The opening is really catchy and epic!
Suisei no Gargantia
5 episodes in. A teenage soldier who has only known fighting in outer space gets swallowed by a wormhole and ends up on Earth, a planet thought to be lost. It is now covered by water. Humans live on large fleets and scavenge for lost scraps in the depths of the ocean.
Ledo~. I am enjoying seeing him adapt and respond to life on Earth a whole lot. I just love that the focus isn't on outer space, that it's on daily life on the Gargantian fleet. Learning the customs, the language, how different life is in outer space at the forefront of battle versus life in relative peace... Fish out of water scenario at its best. ;) I just hope the rest of the series will still be dedicated to Ledo learning his way around and/or finding a place for himself rather than on battles. I like this peace. The opening song is quite a hopeful one. Very upbeat. Chamber is also very awesome.
Randomly (and belatedly) watching on my Tuesdays and Wednesdays when I don't have any other anime to watch:
Uta no Prince-sama
6 episodes in. Protagonist joins a prestigious performing arts school in order to be a composer. There, she meets several idols to be.
I've always wanted to watch this. XD;; Now that there's even a second season, I thought it was about time! I have yet to finish watching though, despite the series being quite short. It's very episodic, with each episode focusing on a different guy. There doesn't seem to be much of an overarching plot, so I find the series a little difficult to marathon. XD; I do like hearing the character songs though (Taniyama Kishou's singing is amazing~). Each episode feels like promotion for the character songs. XD
No. 6
6 episodes in. After a devastating war, No. 6 is one of the six remaining city-states created by the Babylon Treaty. It seems to be a safe haven where everything is provided for the people, but things are not what they seem.
I've seen pics of Sion around, featuring his white hair and his original appearance. He sure looked plain in the beginning. :O The series has been fairly mysterious so far, and Nezumi has been really charismatic. It's only 11 episodes long, huh? Only 5 episodes left then! I hope the series wraps up well!
Here's how I would rank each series!
Arata Kangatari: So-so
Hataraku Maou-sama: :DDDDDDDDDD
Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince: Strangely amusing
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru: Pretty amusing
Devil Survivor 2: So-so
Chihayafuru season 2: Why isn't it next week yet
Kakumeiki Valvrave: What in the world is going on.
Uchuu Kyoudai: :)
Ore no Imouto wa Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai: Okay.
Shingeki no Kyoujin: adjf;adfas
Suisei no Gargantia: *_____*
Uta no Prince-sama: So-so.
No. 6: Quite fascinating.