Summer 2011 anime update ~
Or what has caught my interest this season...
Ikoku Meiro no Croisée
I can't even tell you how CUTE this show it. It's cute. Seriously cute. And not that gag-me cute but aww, how sweet. A little Japanese girl named Yune finds herself in Victorian-era Paris helping a blacksmith run his shop. It incredibly adorable and a very prettily animated slice-of-life show with decent seiyuu (including some French!) though the supposed 'language barrier' seems to be pretty non-existent. How a young Japanese girl can know French so fluently before she even lands seems a bit far-fetched but I'm willing to overlook it because I like this show so much (it sort of pretended that there was a small language barrier but by episode two that was gone). I just hope that blonde chick doesn't become a stereo-typical hime-sama/princess which was make this show far les enjoyable as this show has so little clichés that I hope it stays that way.
Usagi Drop
Another slice-of-life show. We follow thirty-year-old bachelor Daikichi as he goes home for his grandfather's funeral to find his grandfather's illegitimate six-year-old named Rin whose mother left her and no one in his family wants to take on the job. So Daikichi does. This is another brilliantly animated show with pretty muted colors and good characterization. While the premise may seem kinda 'meh' it is actually very sweet and Daikichi has to figure out the life of a single parent (to his aunt!!) very quickly as he is thrown into that role. I'm happy that it doesn't seem to be like Aishiteru ze Baby which I got bored with rather quickly. Definitely going to keep up on this show.
Blood-C
Another attempt at the Blood+-universe. I hear there's even a live action movie coming out next year. I picked this up because it fair screams CLAMP, especially after looking at the character designs hoping against all hope for something X/1999-like but.... little by little my hopes are being dashed. The main character, when she is not fighting evil youma (youkai?) is an absolutely happy bubble-head (in that Himawari from xxxholic-kind of way - I can only hope like Himawari she shows some sort of depth, even if for Himawari it was only at the end of the anime).
Saya (name sound familiar?) is a kind and clumsy girl who lives at a shrine with her father and learns the way of the sword while using it to kill evil-looking creatures. The episodes are really slow but the animation is top-notch and the seiyuu are good as well. I'm fearful though with all the attention on this show it will become another Star Driver which started off fantastic and then... never went anywhere. Here's hoping that CLAMP can pull something brilliant out of their creative brains for this new bit of Blood franchise. I'll watch it for now but if I continue getting bored episode by episode I'm gonna drop it.
No. 6
Shion is an incredibly smart young boy living in the best part of a utopian world called No. 6 where he in on course for a bright future. However, he helps a young fugitive escape from No. 6 leading to Shion's downfall and subsequent move into the slums. I really loved the first episode and I'm generally enjoying the next two but I'm a little iffy on the plot-line, starting from the main character's near-death experience due to some sort of wasp (sorry, small spoiler. You'll live). I'm liking the relationship between Shion and Nozomi (no, I'm not talking about anything yaoi, ok? This is not Loveless) and I'm curious to see what this near-future sci-fi world entails. Curiosity piqued, I'm gonna keep watching to see what happens.
Dantalian no Shoka
A young man inherits his grandfather's estate and all of his rare and valuable books but he also finds a young girl named Dalian that he apparently needs to care for as well. But there is more to her than meets the eye and Huey makes a contract with Dalian to save themselves from fantastical creatures trying to kill them that came out of a book. Thus far Dalian doesn't seem like a tsudere so I'm hoping that this show is good, especially because its coming from GAINAX. Have I mentioned there's a tie in with Baby the Stars Shine Bright / Alice and the Pirates because there is. *shakes head sadly and sighs* Well, whatever. We'll see where this show goes...
Kami-sama no Memou-chou
Hrrrm.... I'm not sure what to say about this show. Our lead boy ends up helping out a group of people who seem to be unemployed but watching out for a young loli-looking detective who happens to be a genius. Seems a bit uninspired but I'll give it a chance before dropping it completely.
Mawaru Penguindrum
We follow the story of two high school brothers who watch over their terminally-ill sister until she dies. However, she gets resurrected by some random spirit in a penguin-shaped hat that was bought for her at her last outing to the aquarium. Now there are three chubby penguins following them around that no one else can see while they search for something called the Penguin Drum, though no one knows exactly what that is.
I seem to have a love-hate relationship with this show. After one episode I dropped it completely but was convinced to give it another shot. The animation and detail in this show is absolutely stunning, the music is well done, and the seiyuu seem to do a good job as well but... I dunno. It's not resonating with me. I keep finding myself rolling my eyes but after watching the second episode I'll give the third a shot to see if I'll continue on with this or not...
Sacred Seven
I got 5 minutes into this show and suddenly... Sebastian from Kuroshitsuji?! Ok, not actually but seriously that butler-dude looks to be an exact clone but with glasses (like that other butler from season 2)!! And all that CEO loli-girl's helpers are female in maid costumes and her purse has a talking brick on it. Ugh, this looks to be pretty painful to watch. I'll finish this first episode but I don't think I'll bother with a second one.
Nyanpire the Animation
Ok, I admit I only grabbed the first episode because it sounds so awful and campy that it might be good. Maaaybe..? A cute vampire cat that looks like it belongs in the Sanrio-verse. Hrm. Haven't watched it yet (and I'm a little afraid to) but I kinda had to see what this was all about.
Right, now back to your regularly schedule program. I'm off to being sick again and trying not to cough out a lung or something. Maybe time for more tea... If there is anything else new out there that I need to catch just drop me a comment. I'm always up for new things to watch.
Ikoku Meiro no Croisée
I can't even tell you how CUTE this show it. It's cute. Seriously cute. And not that gag-me cute but aww, how sweet. A little Japanese girl named Yune finds herself in Victorian-era Paris helping a blacksmith run his shop. It incredibly adorable and a very prettily animated slice-of-life show with decent seiyuu (including some French!) though the supposed 'language barrier' seems to be pretty non-existent. How a young Japanese girl can know French so fluently before she even lands seems a bit far-fetched but I'm willing to overlook it because I like this show so much (it sort of pretended that there was a small language barrier but by episode two that was gone). I just hope that blonde chick doesn't become a stereo-typical hime-sama/princess which was make this show far les enjoyable as this show has so little clichés that I hope it stays that way.
Usagi Drop
Another slice-of-life show. We follow thirty-year-old bachelor Daikichi as he goes home for his grandfather's funeral to find his grandfather's illegitimate six-year-old named Rin whose mother left her and no one in his family wants to take on the job. So Daikichi does. This is another brilliantly animated show with pretty muted colors and good characterization. While the premise may seem kinda 'meh' it is actually very sweet and Daikichi has to figure out the life of a single parent (to his aunt!!) very quickly as he is thrown into that role. I'm happy that it doesn't seem to be like Aishiteru ze Baby which I got bored with rather quickly. Definitely going to keep up on this show.
Blood-C
Another attempt at the Blood+-universe. I hear there's even a live action movie coming out next year. I picked this up because it fair screams CLAMP, especially after looking at the character designs hoping against all hope for something X/1999-like but.... little by little my hopes are being dashed. The main character, when she is not fighting evil youma (youkai?) is an absolutely happy bubble-head (in that Himawari from xxxholic-kind of way - I can only hope like Himawari she shows some sort of depth, even if for Himawari it was only at the end of the anime).
Saya (name sound familiar?) is a kind and clumsy girl who lives at a shrine with her father and learns the way of the sword while using it to kill evil-looking creatures. The episodes are really slow but the animation is top-notch and the seiyuu are good as well. I'm fearful though with all the attention on this show it will become another Star Driver which started off fantastic and then... never went anywhere. Here's hoping that CLAMP can pull something brilliant out of their creative brains for this new bit of Blood franchise. I'll watch it for now but if I continue getting bored episode by episode I'm gonna drop it.
No. 6
Shion is an incredibly smart young boy living in the best part of a utopian world called No. 6 where he in on course for a bright future. However, he helps a young fugitive escape from No. 6 leading to Shion's downfall and subsequent move into the slums. I really loved the first episode and I'm generally enjoying the next two but I'm a little iffy on the plot-line, starting from the main character's near-death experience due to some sort of wasp (sorry, small spoiler. You'll live). I'm liking the relationship between Shion and Nozomi (no, I'm not talking about anything yaoi, ok? This is not Loveless) and I'm curious to see what this near-future sci-fi world entails. Curiosity piqued, I'm gonna keep watching to see what happens.
Dantalian no Shoka
A young man inherits his grandfather's estate and all of his rare and valuable books but he also finds a young girl named Dalian that he apparently needs to care for as well. But there is more to her than meets the eye and Huey makes a contract with Dalian to save themselves from fantastical creatures trying to kill them that came out of a book. Thus far Dalian doesn't seem like a tsudere so I'm hoping that this show is good, especially because its coming from GAINAX. Have I mentioned there's a tie in with Baby the Stars Shine Bright / Alice and the Pirates because there is. *shakes head sadly and sighs* Well, whatever. We'll see where this show goes...
Kami-sama no Memou-chou
Hrrrm.... I'm not sure what to say about this show. Our lead boy ends up helping out a group of people who seem to be unemployed but watching out for a young loli-looking detective who happens to be a genius. Seems a bit uninspired but I'll give it a chance before dropping it completely.
Mawaru Penguindrum
We follow the story of two high school brothers who watch over their terminally-ill sister until she dies. However, she gets resurrected by some random spirit in a penguin-shaped hat that was bought for her at her last outing to the aquarium. Now there are three chubby penguins following them around that no one else can see while they search for something called the Penguin Drum, though no one knows exactly what that is.
I seem to have a love-hate relationship with this show. After one episode I dropped it completely but was convinced to give it another shot. The animation and detail in this show is absolutely stunning, the music is well done, and the seiyuu seem to do a good job as well but... I dunno. It's not resonating with me. I keep finding myself rolling my eyes but after watching the second episode I'll give the third a shot to see if I'll continue on with this or not...
Sacred Seven
I got 5 minutes into this show and suddenly... Sebastian from Kuroshitsuji?! Ok, not actually but seriously that butler-dude looks to be an exact clone but with glasses (like that other butler from season 2)!! And all that CEO loli-girl's helpers are female in maid costumes and her purse has a talking brick on it. Ugh, this looks to be pretty painful to watch. I'll finish this first episode but I don't think I'll bother with a second one.
Nyanpire the Animation
Ok, I admit I only grabbed the first episode because it sounds so awful and campy that it might be good. Maaaybe..? A cute vampire cat that looks like it belongs in the Sanrio-verse. Hrm. Haven't watched it yet (and I'm a little afraid to) but I kinda had to see what this was all about.
Right, now back to your regularly schedule program. I'm off to being sick again and trying not to cough out a lung or something. Maybe time for more tea... If there is anything else new out there that I need to catch just drop me a comment. I'm always up for new things to watch.