Anime Review: Starry Sky Episode 1
Anime Review:
Starry Sky Episode 1
What this is about: I am reviewing every single subtitled anime show during the Winter of 2011. For more information about me and my reviews, click here.
About the series: Starry Sky is a 26-episode, 11-minute-long weekly webcast series based on an otome video game, the first episode released in December 2010. Tsukiko has just entered a recently integrated high school, where she is the only girl in the entire school. She meets up with several different boys, representing the signs of the zodiac, and form different romantic relationships. More info from Wikipedia.
Click on the thumbnails below to view the picture in full size in a new window:
ep.1 tl;dr review: One girl, one school, twelve pretty boys; it's a bishounen orgy, ya'll!
Episode 1 Summary: When he was a little boy, Yoh meets a young girl named Tsukiko while star-gazing. Many years later, Yoh's father has been asked to speak at an American university, and asks Yoh to come along. But Yoh has a feeling that he must return to Japan to take care of unfinished business, enrolling in the exclusive Seigatsu Academy. The high school has recently become integrated, but it is integrated in name only, since there is only one girl enrolled. As he is introduced to his classmates, he comes face-to-face with Tsukiko, once again.
My Thoughts: I already knew before going into this series that it was not for me, simply because of the basic concept: a reverse harem anime, where one girl ends up romantically entangled by several guys. The anime show is based on a popular "otome game" -- a term I never heard before, so I had to look it up. An "otome game" is essentially a type of dating simulation, which is aimed at a romantically-starved female audience, where the player chooses different story paths for the female lead characters forms relationships with different men.
Starry Sky (the anime) is basically the female equivalent of last year's Amagami SS series. Where Amagami SS involved a male lead character jumping from one romantic entanglement to another every couple of episodes (mirroring the Amagami dating simulation game), Starry Sky is similar, only with the genders swapped and with a larger cast. For Tsukiko's potential love interests, the pretty boys represent the twelve celestial constellations (plus a thirteenth "extra" constellation). At 26 episodes, that is two episodes per guy, or only 22 minutes per relationship. Moving along at a pretty fast clip, don't you think?
Being that I am not some lovelorn girl lusting after a gaggle of boys, this series is very clearly not aimed at me. But I must say, the producers know their audience, with the screen just chock-a-block with bishounen pretty-boy goodness, all glittery and long-limbed and fashion-conscious with saucer-sized doe eyes. The story itself is an absolute mess, jumping from the past to present, then a really long flash-back, then back to the present. The first episode is all set-up, where the female lead character is not even introduced until the final minute.
To be honest, I have a hard time really judging whether Starry Sky is a decent example of the genre. All I know is that it definitely NOT for me. Let the girlie anime fans squeal all they want, I can live without this.
My pre-viewing expectations: Icky reverse harem
How did the show meet my expectations? Exactly as a I thought, only worse
The verdict:
- Even Iceland says No.
For more information:
For the first round, the goal is for 65-75% of all first episodes to receive a passing grade:
Shows from the Winter 2011 Season receiving a thumbs-up: Dragon Crisis, Fractale, Is This a Zombie?, Houkago no Pleiades, Hourou Musuko, Yumekui Merry (with reservations), Gosick
Shows from the Winter 2011 Season receiving a thumbs-down: Rio: Rainbow Gate, Nichijou OVA, Cardfight Vanguard, Oh My Goddess: Itsumo Futari de OVA, Morita-san wa Mukuchi OVA, Starry Sky
What's Up Next (not necessarily in this order): Kimi ni Todoke Second Season, Infinite Stratos, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, Wolverine, Freezing, I Don't Like You At All Big Brother, Mitsudomoe Zouryouchuu, Beelzebub, Level E, Suite Precure, Supernatural, .hack//Quantum, Tailenders, Isshoni Bathing, DD Hokuto no Ken, Drawer Hobs, Ojii-san no Lamp, Kizuna Ichigeki, Bannou Yasai Ninninman, Epic of Zektbach
Starry Sky Episode 1
What this is about: I am reviewing every single subtitled anime show during the Winter of 2011. For more information about me and my reviews, click here.
About the series: Starry Sky is a 26-episode, 11-minute-long weekly webcast series based on an otome video game, the first episode released in December 2010. Tsukiko has just entered a recently integrated high school, where she is the only girl in the entire school. She meets up with several different boys, representing the signs of the zodiac, and form different romantic relationships. More info from Wikipedia.
Click on the thumbnails below to view the picture in full size in a new window:
ep.1 tl;dr review: One girl, one school, twelve pretty boys; it's a bishounen orgy, ya'll!
Episode 1 Summary: When he was a little boy, Yoh meets a young girl named Tsukiko while star-gazing. Many years later, Yoh's father has been asked to speak at an American university, and asks Yoh to come along. But Yoh has a feeling that he must return to Japan to take care of unfinished business, enrolling in the exclusive Seigatsu Academy. The high school has recently become integrated, but it is integrated in name only, since there is only one girl enrolled. As he is introduced to his classmates, he comes face-to-face with Tsukiko, once again.
My Thoughts: I already knew before going into this series that it was not for me, simply because of the basic concept: a reverse harem anime, where one girl ends up romantically entangled by several guys. The anime show is based on a popular "otome game" -- a term I never heard before, so I had to look it up. An "otome game" is essentially a type of dating simulation, which is aimed at a romantically-starved female audience, where the player chooses different story paths for the female lead characters forms relationships with different men.
Starry Sky (the anime) is basically the female equivalent of last year's Amagami SS series. Where Amagami SS involved a male lead character jumping from one romantic entanglement to another every couple of episodes (mirroring the Amagami dating simulation game), Starry Sky is similar, only with the genders swapped and with a larger cast. For Tsukiko's potential love interests, the pretty boys represent the twelve celestial constellations (plus a thirteenth "extra" constellation). At 26 episodes, that is two episodes per guy, or only 22 minutes per relationship. Moving along at a pretty fast clip, don't you think?
Being that I am not some lovelorn girl lusting after a gaggle of boys, this series is very clearly not aimed at me. But I must say, the producers know their audience, with the screen just chock-a-block with bishounen pretty-boy goodness, all glittery and long-limbed and fashion-conscious with saucer-sized doe eyes. The story itself is an absolute mess, jumping from the past to present, then a really long flash-back, then back to the present. The first episode is all set-up, where the female lead character is not even introduced until the final minute.
To be honest, I have a hard time really judging whether Starry Sky is a decent example of the genre. All I know is that it definitely NOT for me. Let the girlie anime fans squeal all they want, I can live without this.
My pre-viewing expectations: Icky reverse harem
How did the show meet my expectations? Exactly as a I thought, only worse
The verdict:
- Even Iceland says No.
For more information:
- MyAnimeList Entry: http://myanimelist.net/anime/7705/Starry%E2%98%86Sky
- Anime News Network Entry: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=11891
- AniDB Entry: http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=7240
- Ending theme video, introducing the characters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHtPlL2vvcM
- "I’m not the target audience for this series and I’m well aware of that. Despite that, I actually had a decent time with this premiere." - Otaku Review
- "Other than horrible animation, the episode overall was an alright start. Nothing special honestly. It felt like a slice of life series more than romance/shoujo but hey it's just me." - Mimiko's Random Blog
- "This whole thing was so underwhelming that it was overwhelming, and if Deen did anything right it was only making the episodes 10 or so minutes long because I probably would have fallen asleep before it ended otherwise. Grade: 1.5/5." - Moeronpan
- "It is full of bishie-ness and marshmallows, candies, ice cream all of the sweet things and of course….Stars. All in all, love the story for a teenager like me. Grade: 4 Marshmallows." - Cursing the Dark Past
- "My gut is telling me not to waste time; my otome heart says eitherwise." - Azure's Anime Blog
- "Starry Sky is like a soap opera, you know it’s tacky and overdone, yet you guiltily keep watching because of the romance and cute guys. Grade: 3.5/5." - Strawberry Death Kiss
- "I guess I don’t have to say that the result was ridiculously cheesy. The voice acting also was typical bishie schlock, so stay away from this one. Gah, even Neo Angelique was better than this. Potential: 0%." - Star Crossed Anime Blog
- "The main relationship already feels very cliche and stereotypical, not to mention, production values were mostly terrible, and even the music felt a half-assed. Grade: 5.5/10." - Emory Anime Club
- "Well that was a thrill ride, wasn’t it? *sarcasm* But in all seriousness I didn’t care that it wasn’t all that exciting. Because this is where I become a shallow bishiwhore and just blindly follow the rest of the drooling fandom. IT’S SO GOD DAMN PRETTEH." - Metanorn
- "Starry Sky is very honest and sweet, and I like the way it's animated." - Japanator Review
- "It is just one super boring teen romance that takes forever to get no were. what killed it was how slow the episode progressed. Grade: 0 stars." - Anime Den
For the first round, the goal is for 65-75% of all first episodes to receive a passing grade:
Shows from the Winter 2011 Season receiving a thumbs-up: Dragon Crisis, Fractale, Is This a Zombie?, Houkago no Pleiades, Hourou Musuko, Yumekui Merry (with reservations), Gosick
Shows from the Winter 2011 Season receiving a thumbs-down: Rio: Rainbow Gate, Nichijou OVA, Cardfight Vanguard, Oh My Goddess: Itsumo Futari de OVA, Morita-san wa Mukuchi OVA, Starry Sky
What's Up Next (not necessarily in this order): Kimi ni Todoke Second Season, Infinite Stratos, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, Wolverine, Freezing, I Don't Like You At All Big Brother, Mitsudomoe Zouryouchuu, Beelzebub, Level E, Suite Precure, Supernatural, .hack//Quantum, Tailenders, Isshoni Bathing, DD Hokuto no Ken, Drawer Hobs, Ojii-san no Lamp, Kizuna Ichigeki, Bannou Yasai Ninninman, Epic of Zektbach