My Summer 2014 Final Impressions

Summer has finally come to an end. And with it, a new beginning: fall 2014. But this post isn't about fall. That's for another day. Today, we come together to mourn the loss of a truly great anime series: Free!. It will truly be missed, along with a few other anime shows this season, but they will not be missed as much. . . . OH MY GOD, SUMMER'S OVER. ;___; MY BABIES ARE GONE—THEY'RE GONE!—ALL OF THEM. I CALL FOR A MOVIE. I CALL FOR A VISUAL NOVEL. I CALL FOR SOMETHING. FANGIRLS UNITE!

Okay, okay. But in all seriousness, it is bittersweet to say good-bye to a show I've been following for two years. It's bittersweet to say good-bye to the spring anime as well as the summer. But as a Chinese philosopher once said: "New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings." Let us hope that this painful ending is the start of a new beginning. So let's begin with my final thoughts of the summer season for 2014!

Barakamon

Want to be reminded of the fun summer days of your childhood? Do you just want a fun slice of life to watch on a relaxing day? Well say no more! Barakamon provides the perfect entertainment to remind you of sweet summer days. With its humorous cast, colorful animation, wonderful music, and entertaining lives of the characters, you'll find yourself with a show that leaves a smile on your face!

Barakamon was a show I just needed. I needed a show that was slow, but not so slow it dragged; but also one that was episodic, but not so episodic the characters had no development. Barakamon was the perfect slice of life from the summer season. Characters were definitely the highlight of the series. While most characters didn't really get "development" per say, our main protagonist, Handa-sensei (or just "Sensei"), received a lot of development.

In the beginning, while Handa had a strong passion for calligraphy, he was a hot-tempered, impatient man who had the guts to punch an old man—who not only had a cane, but was also the director of the calligraphy contest—and refused to apologize for his actions afterward. As such, his father sent him away to an island in the Kanto region, where the town is so rural you know everybody. In just one episode, Handa quickly realizes that staying in such a small town is not really a bad thing, as everyone quickly develops a liking toward him. And as the series goes on, Handa grows closer to everyone in the town and finds inspiration multiple times for his calligraphy. Handa is probably one of the few characters this season that received the most, and best, character development. From episode one onward he grew and changed—gradually, but surely.

But just because our main protagonist got more development than the rest of the cast doesn't mean he's the only good one there. Barakamon has a relatively small cast with many memorable characters, who, while you don't really remember their names, you remember each of their quirky personalities. I don't think there was a single character I truly despised in this anime save for one, which is Handa's mother; but she really doesn't have much to do in the story till the end, so I'm not too bothered by her.

What can I say? The music is great, the story is great, the artwork is great. This is a summer show you should watch, regardless of what time of year it is.

Captain Earth

Captain Earth was an anime that started off with a lot of potential, but ultimately failed to achieve that greatness. While on a personal enjoyment level I actually enjoyed this anime, from a critical standpoint Captain Earth fails to be something truly fantastic. The biggest problems Captain Earth faced were an unfocused plot and undeveloped characters. However, it definitely did do good in the animation and music department.

So, story . . . It's a mess. I was very confused as I watched Captain Earth. I'd question why the characters were where they were, try to figure out what a specific term meant—just trying to place all the pieces of the puzzle. I think a lot of the problems root from the confusing terms used in this universe and lack of explanation. You have words like Livlaster and Kiltgang, amongst others. Maybe if these terms were better explained and explored then maybe I would've been able to follow the story better. But those aren't the only looming problems in the plot. There are a lot of plot holes, questions that aren't answered by the end of the anime. What purpose did so-and-so have in the story? Where did that character go? WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING? To figure out the story is like putting a kindergartner in a rocket science class and expecting him pass the test. It's just not possible.

Characters are a hit or miss. Our main cast of characters received ample development—well put-together backstories, likable personalities, the whole shebang—while the supporting cast just . . . faded away. I'm serious. By the last episode, there is no appearance, no mention, no nothing from them. And it's a shame, honestly: I think they had potential to be complex, but the anime decided to put them on the back burner and forget all about them. The villains are also underwhelming—while they did receive backstory like the main cast, they were also kinda sidelined. And again, this is a shame because they had so, so much potential.

But I will give credit where credit is do: the music and animation are just amazing. I loved the OST to Captain Earth, my favorite song being "Flower of Dreams" (夢幻の華), sung by the seiyuu of Hana, Ai Kayano. Just take a moment to listen to it—it's simply beautiful.

While you're at it, check out the first opening of Captain Earth—IT'S AWESOME.

In short, Captain Earth had potential, but ultimately failed to be what it could've been. If it had gotten a rewrite or two, maybe—maybe then—it would've been a lot better.

DRAMAtical Murder

Did anyone like this show? I mean seriously? I'm friends with someone on the Hummingbird community who has played the visual novel and enjoyed it, but finds the anime to be utter garbage. And I definitely agree. Where's the story? The characters? The music? An explanation?

I wasn't even expecting much from this show anyway, so don't think I'm all that disappointed. I mean, it would've been nice if this show was actually good, but after watching episode one I could tell it was never going to satisfy me. Regardless of that, I was "interested" in what would happen next. What I mean by "interested" is that I was kinda wondering where the story might go, but then I really didn't particularly care.

This may all stem from the characters. The characters are just dull—may they be main characters or not, they have little to no personality and I honestly could've cared less what happened to them. If you couldn't write a good story, then at the very least create interesting characters. Sadly, that was not to be. (Although I will admit I rather liked Clear: he was just adorable.)

Next problem: music. The thing is, the writers could've easily incorporated the visual novel's music into the anime. Yeah, the same studio who did the game is doing the anime, so there shouldn't be any copyright issues, right? Just copy and paste. From what I've heard, the music is pretty decent. Having a soundtrack to listen to in the background would've been nice and could've made the atmosphere better, and maybe even the "story." *cough, cough*

So uninteresting and uninspiring, don't waste your time and just skip it.

Free! Eternal Summer

Let me be honest with you: my love for Free! runs deep. I began watching this series when the first season, Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, came out. It was one of the first few series I devotedly watched while it was currently airing. As such, Free! has a special place in my heart. Despite my fangirling earlier (and in other posts), Free! had a great story (that didn't really appear until the second-half), fun characters, great animation, and awesome music. With that being said, Free! Eternal Summer was just that but five times better in greatness. Maybe it's just me being bias as a fan, but . . . bleh.

Our same lovable characters are back and, to my and others' surprises, experienced development. Yeah, that was actually pretty shocking. I mean, two or three of them got some backstory, but the others just didn't have much (or even any). So it was to my great pleasure a character that previously had no development got some much needed backstory to further make his character interesting. Thank you, Free! Eternal Summer.

KyotoAni knew what they were doing when they decided to step up their game in the animation department, because whoa. Great stuff there, KyotoAni. I just keep getting more and more impressed with the ascending quality of animation. The music is also great, with some old but great soundtracks making a comeback and some new ones being added. The new OP and ED are just catchy as hell and very enjoyable to listen to/watch. Definitely looking forward to the full OST.

   

With all this being said, KYOTOANI, MAKE A FREAKING VISUAL NOVEL, MOVIE, SOMETHING. THE FEELS ARE REEEAAALLLL!!!!!! watch Free! Iwatobi Swim Club if you haven't already—with an open mind. If you've seen the first season but not this one yet . . . what the hell are you doing? Watch this NOOOOWWWW.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

A common reaction I see to Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is often life: OMG!! THIS IS THE FUNNIEST SHOW OF SUMMER 2014!!! I'M DYING FROM LAUGHTER!!!! OMFG!!!!!!!! My reaction is a very different one: Haha, that was a good joke. Hahaha, that was funny. Ugh. Sakura. What a bland and stupid heroine. As you can see, I have very parallel opinions on Nozaki-kun.

I'm not saying this is bad by any means—it's actually a pretty decent show—but I have a hard time understanding why some people think this show is different from any other shoujo show that pokes fun at its own characters and plot lines. I've seen this premise a bajillion times, and Nozaki-kun isn't doing anything different. I've seen stereotypes get poked fun at, and I'm starting to believe that making fun of a cliché is starting to become a cliché itself in anime.

It also doesn't help to have the blandest, most annoying heroine I've seen in a while. Sakura is a cardboard cutout with no personality or depth and is completely outshone by every single character in the show. That is not to say the other characters even have any depth—'cause they honestly don't—but the reason why I like them much more than Sakura is because they have something called personality quirks. Using another show as an example, Free! doesn't have the most complex characters. In fact, I could compare them to the ones here (not including Sakura, of course). While we've seen their personalities before, they offer their own little set of quirks that sets them apart from each other. Haru, in particular, starts off as a very blank slate, but we gradually learn about his little quirks that thereby makes him more three-dimensional (such as his bizarre urge to take off his clothes and swim when he sees any body of water and artistic ability).

With that being said, Sakura offers nothing to the show—nothing whatsoever. You could literally remove Sakura from the show and nothing would be affected. That is how important she is to the show, that being not at all. She is probably the reason why I enjoy the opening song a lot more than the ending song, the latter of which features just her and none of the other characters.

 

I really wanted to like Nozaki-kun as much as everyone else did. I wanted to laugh so hard from the jokes that my stomach hurt, that I started crying, that my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. But sadly, no, that wish was not to be as I only really giggle or at most laugh for one minute after hearing a (decent) joke. While it was good while it lasted, I and many others will soon be forgetting this show like many others from the previous seasons, this season, and seasons to come.

Haikyuu!!

Haikyuu!!, to put it simply, is just awesome. Animation is awesome, characters are awesome, music is awesome, everything is awesome. I'm not really a fan of sports anime, but Haikyuu!! drew me in right from the start. The characters were so well-developed they were realistic. There was not one single character I did not like from here. Not a one. Every episode, no matter how big or small their role was, a character received development. That's how important the characters are to the anime—which is probably why I gave this show such a high rating. The characters are most definitely, without a doubt, the heart and soul of this anime.

That's not to say the animation isn't up to par. The animation, done by Production I.G., was just wonderful and fit the series to a T. Upping their game from Kuroko's Basketball, Production I.G. did a fantastic job of portraying the sport of volleyball and how spikes, blocks, and whatnot are done. Speaking of those moves, I'm impressed by how much I've learned about volleyball from this show. True I don't really remember the position names, but if I heard them I would know what exactly they did in the game.

The music was another positive for Haikyuu!!. The OST was pleasant to listen to, and I recommend you give it a listen too. While I wasn't the biggest fan of the second opening to Haikyuu!!, it did start to grow on me a little by the end. The first opening, however, is by far my favorite of the songs in Haikyuu!!. If you ever find it, listen to it and fall in love with the catchy melody.

Again, even if you don't like sports anime, give Haikyuu!! a go. It might be a pleasant surprise.

Re: Hamatora

Re: Hamatora is just one of those second seasons where you truly and honestly believe there won't be any answers for the whole series, but then—boom!—sorry, never mind, we were just kidding. Here ya go: answers! Okay, Hamatora, I'm grateful that you at least gave us very good answers for our questions, but did you really have to save it till the end? Really?

The main problem the second season of Hamatora has, and even its first season, is its lack of focus. STOP IT WITH THE POINTLESS FILLER SHIT AND GET ON WITH THE STORY. I'm sorry, but if you have time to put in filler episodes, you have time to move along with the plot and/or develop characters. I don't mind there being one or even two pointless episodes, but Hamatora has a habit of doing more than that. Just, please, STOP IT. However, when Re: Hamatora decided it wasn't time to troll its viewers, it was very interesting. I liked seeing how things unfolded—interesting twists, shocking character backgrounds—and it probably would've been more entertaining if it got rid of all the filler crap and just focused on the plot.

Characters are still relatively the same, but the development we get this season was just fantastic. Yeah, most of the characters were still underdeveloped, but Nice, Hajime, and Art all received the most backstory, which was just awesome. The few villains in this story was pretty dull, but since Art was a villain I guess we can just say he was the most interesting (but that's kinda cheating, since he was already interesting in season one).

Like season one, Re: Hamatora has a kick-ass opening. Just . . . watch the awesomeness here:

OST is forgettable, but there were a few nice jazzy tunes that sounded nice. Animation-wise, Hamatora stepped up their game due to switching animation studios. I liked the change: there were more details and production quality was overall better.

If you watched the first season of Hamatora, watch this, regardless if you liked or hated it. It will finally give you some closure to your questions, even if it does have filler bullcrap.

Terror in Resonance

The second I had heard about this anime and its premise, I was instantly hooked and added it to my to-watch list. Terrorism is a big no-no topic here in the U.S. Just saying the word is taboo enough. What's ironic is that the cover of Terror in Resonance has two buildings in the background on fire, as if from an explosion. Anybody who's anybody knows that it's very similar to the Twin Tower Buildings during 9/11.

Unlike 9/11, however, our two main protagonists—our antiheroes—always ensure that no one gets killed during their attacks. The question is why? Why do they go so far to save civilians? After all, they were the ones who planted the bomb in the first place. The answer is, unfortunately, something I cannot say due to spoilers. But I promise you, you will discover an interesting, and rather bittersweet, revelation. That's not the only plot twist, however. . . .

Terror in Resonance loves to give its viewers intricate, and sometimes shocking, reveals, leaving you waiting to see what happens next. However, while this works in the show's favor, I also believe it to be a flaw. I believe, in order to get the full effect of Terror in Resonance, you had to watch the show while it was still airing. That's not to say you shouldn't watch it now, but it would've added to the fun if you had been pulled along on the ride. It was especially interesting that episode nine aired on, whaddya know, 9/11.

But if I am honest . . . I would've preferred this show taking a different route than it did. I don't know, the whole antihero thing is interesting and all, but I would've liked to see straight-up terrorism from the two main characters. You know, blowing up buildings, terrorizing Japan and the world. Things like that. Of course, that doesn't make for much of a story and would probably get repetitive by episode three, but that's just my two cents. I think it would've been very interesting to see the mind of a teenager as a terrorist. That whole psychological shebang.

The characters, I'll be honest, aren't the most three-dimensional I've seen. Like, they're interesting, but I have a hard time feeling an emotional connection to them. Maybe if we had learned their backstory and reasons for their actions earlier on it would be different; however, that is not the case in this show, as we do learn all about them, but that was really more toward the end of the series. But then, it's better we get something rather than nothing at all.

The high points of Terror in Resonance is definitely, definitely the animation and soundtrack. Oh my goodness, yes. Just check out this one track by Yoko Kanno (this is my personal favorite):

 

And I bet you decided to listen to the whole OST, right? I adored the detailed, fluid animation provided by MAPPA (a pretty new studio), and the soundtrack by the famous Yoko Kanno is to die for. Even if a person didn't enjoy the story or characters, I am 99.9% sure they'd agree with me the animation and soundtrack are the best things this show has to offer.

For what we get, though, Terror in Resonance was a very, very entertaining watch that kept you on the edge of your seat wanting more. And the ending will certainly satisfy you as it was very realistic and expected from episode one, but didn't hit home until you saw it.


And there we have it, everybody! The summer season has officially wrapped up, and it's time for the fall season to shine! We have a whole list of shows waiting to get on air, each one being a little ball of so much potential. I've realized I've only really made posts about my impressions of seasons and what I plan to watch, but I plan to change that by doing more series reviews and episode discussions. Also be expecting some food for thoughts in the near future! Join me on my next post where I discuss my to-watch list for fall 2014. And with that, take care, otakus!

My Summer 2014 Mid-Season Impressions

So. I've been chillin' since summer break ended. How 'bout you? Watching anime, maybe? Kinda like me? Like, taking a "break" from a show just for a little bit and next thing you know you're three episodes behind from the latest episode, thereby leading to taking a long ass time to play catch-up? No? Well, *cough, cough* anyway . . .

It's that time of season where I write my mid-season impressions of anime shows I have been watching, dropped/put on-hold, and even began watching! I have excluded shows that have carried over from the spring 2014 season (as I will be discussing them in my final impressions post), as well as Sailor Moon Crystal (due to its biweekly release). Now let's begin with the shows I am watching currently!

Barakamon

Although I was initially interested by Barakamon early on when the chart was first released, for one reason or another I did not pick it up. However, by the time episode two rolled around, I heard people praising it left and right and decided, "Why the hell not?" so I began watching it. And thanks to that, now I realize why so many people were praising it: it's a freaking good show. In fact, it's one of the hidden gems of this season.

Barakamon is a heartwarming, funny slice of life show that reminds me so much of what summer was like during my childhood. It reminds me of the times when I'd go out and play with my friends all over the neighborhood, or just run around without a care in the world. Barakamon's main focus isn't summer itself, but rather family and friends. Handa, the main protagonist, and Naru, the little girl in the picture, act a lot like brother and sister, or even father and daughter. Though they poke fun at each other most of the time, you can tell they really do care for each other.

Unlike another comedy show this season (which I will mention later), Barakamon manages to get a good, genuine laugh out of me. May it be from WTF moments or downright hilarious scenes, Barakamon always successfully lifts my mood and makes me feel like I'm hanging out with my friends and just joking around with them. This and the characters in the show are Barakamon's strong points, and it always helps to have good animation, a nice OP and ED, and a beautiful OST.

I definitely recommend this show. You laugh with the characters, you feel down when the characters are sad, and you can't help but smile when you see them happy. Barakamon is definitely a feel good show that depicts summer perfectly.

DRAMAtical Murder

If there's one show I'm not really enjoying this summer and have not dropped yet, it'd be DRAMAtical Murder. Sorry fans of the game, but I really don't get this anime. I can't really speak much for it, because it's really all over the place. I can't really formulate what the plot is, nor the characters and their personalities. Animation goes from okay to bad from episode to episode, and there is literally no music (either that, or they're so bad I can't even remember if music was playing). The opening and ending songs are so bland and so forgettable I can't recall the melody.

There is literally nothing good about this anime. So why am I still watching this? Your guess is as good as mine. I think it may have something to do with me being interested in the potential this show may have and present. People who have played the games seem to understand it a bit more, but tell me it's too complicated (and of course spoiler-y) to explain to a person who hasn't played the game.

You know, hearing so much about the game and its "mysterious" plot actually makes me want to go play it. And I just might . . . in a moment.

So bottom line is basically: don't watch this show if you haven't played the game. There's not much context to it, and I think it was made with the purpose of pleasing the fans of the game.

Free! Eternal Summer

I still say this show is going to be the best of the season—that is all. I don't think there's any more I can add to Free! that I haven't said already: Free! Eternal Summer is a worthy and awesome successor to last summer's Free! Iwatobi Swim Club. It has my beautiful swimming boys again, more bromance moments (even stronger than before), freaking kick-ass OP and ED, and wonderful animation. Now if there is one thing I have to say that's changed from last season is that there is more swimming involved and actual character development for a character that very much needed developing from the previous season.

If there was one thing season one was lacking, it was character development. Sure, Haru and Rin developed quite a lot by the end of the season and surprisingly Rei as well, along with Makoto, who got a little bit of development, albeit a bit trite and rushed; but the one character that did not get any sort of development was Nagisa. Nagisa is the absolutely kawaii shota member of the Iwatobi Swim Team, and although he had a well-developed and likable personality we didn't know much about him otherwise. In Eternal Summer, however . . . boy, things are a lot different here as we dive into (hehe. Get it?) learning more about Nagisa's backstory, which was just wonderful to watch.

Now that that has been stated, time for me to go fangirl some more about Free!. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

I didn't have high standards going into Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, but I didn't place my settings that low, either. When I look at a synopsis and see that manga is involved, I instantly wonder if this'll be just another copy of other anime out there focusing on manga, with a side element of a romance that makes you say, "Just get on with it already!" and jokes that are so repetitive you facepalm yourself so many times you start to get a bruise.

Now with that being said, Nozaki-kun has thankfully amused me in some respects, but it's a hit-or-miss in a certain area. Before going into the negatives, however, let's focus on the positives. Opening and ending songs are definitely enjoyable. I lean more toward the opening song, though, due to its upbeat and jazzy nature, but the ending song is undeniably cute and catchy.

Animation is also well-done, and I especially like the segments that show scenes from the manga. (So much so I actually want the fictional manga to be adapted into an anime.) But otherwise, the animation is pretty so-so: doesn't really stand out amongst a few other shows airing this season, but it's definitely not the worst.

Now the hit-and-miss with Nozaki-kun is its comedy. I like comedy—a lot. I enjoy mindless comedy, witty comedy, childish comedy—all that jazz, I enjoy. However, with Nozaki-kun, I really don't understand why some people find all the jokes to be laugh-out-loud funny, when in reality only a few are really that hilarious. Reason being why the comedy doesn't tickle me as much as other people probably has something to do with the characters—which lead me to my next point.

While it has many positives, Nozaki-kun suffers from underdeveloped characters. No, scratch that. It suffers from an underdeveloped character. Who's that character? Sakura, the main heroine. Now wait. She's not "boring," in fact she can be rather funny and whatnot with her reactions to the ridiculous, albeit hilarious, situations of the side characters. But there's not much more to her other than that: She doesn't have any notable personality quirks like the other characters, nor does she really do anything that makes her stand out. And it's a real shame too, because those oddities are what make the side cast so funny and likable. I just feel that every time Sakura appears on screen, my big smile from the joke before kinda fades away, like just seeing her saps away any humor left in me.

But despite its fault, by the time this anime is over, I will be hoping for two things: 1) Character development, especially for Sakura, because she really lacks any sort of personality. 2) A proper confession from Sakura to Nozaki or vice-versa. No, I do not want this anime to end with a "read the manga" ending, or a "to be continued in season 2!" either. I want a good and proper ending to a pretty good anime—a confession, since it's a romcom. If I don't get one and/or the other, it will really affect the final score I give to Nozaki-kun.

Re: Hamatora

I've said this already in my first impressions post, but I'll say it here again: If I were to discuss what I really think of this second season to Hamatora The Animation, then I'd be delving into deep, deep spoiler territory. But for those who are somewhat interested in starting this series or continuing to the second season, then yes, I would say watch it.

Re: Hamatora is darker than its first season: more blood, more death, all those little moments of joy from season one. Another thing I'd like to give kudos to is its improved animation. From what I read, the second season is being animated by a different studio than season one. Regardless of this change in production, I must say the animation is more detailed and a little sharper. Alongside the pleasant animation is a kick-ass opening and nice ending song. The opening is just as good as season one's—I'd even go as far as to say it's better—and the ending's a lot more memorable than season one.

ALERT: RANT INCOMING

Now there's one thing I like to complain about (a non-spoiler thing), so allow me to go into a "rant," namely to the haters watching season two: If you didn't like season one, then why the fuck did you decide to watch season two? Instead of bitching and moaning about how awful it is, how about you just watch whatever the hell you want to watch? There is only one show this season that I'm currently watching and not really enjoying, but you don't see me going on and on about how shitty it is, do you? So how about instead of complaining, you go watch what you want to watch. That's all.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU MADE IT PAST THE RANT! PLEASE ENJOY THE REST OF THE POST.

Now that that's out of the way . . . I recommend everyone giving the Hamatora series a chance, no matter what kind of hate it gets. As with all anime, watch at least a couple episodes before deciding if it's shit or not. Give a chance, and if it doesn't do it for you then that's fine. At the very least, you actually watched the show and have a genuine opinion on it rather than not watch the show and ignorantly judge it.

Terror in Resonance

Terror in Resonance is just the show I—and apparently a lot of other people—needed. It's an intelligent series, meaning it's not going to lead you around by the hand and spoon-feed you information. Why not? Because it knows you're a freaking intelligent human being and can think for yourself. I love it when a show treats you like a smart person, because I don't like it when it feels like it's babying me.

What makes Terror in Resonance stick out this anime season is the maturity and seriousness of its content. Terrorism, especially in the United States, is considered a pretty taboo topic, especially after 9/11. So when a show like Terror in Resonance comes along, with the "heroes" being the terrorists, our interests our instantly perked because we like talking about the forbidden things. And how interesting would it be to delve into the psyche of a terrorist? A very interesting, and stable, concept on its own.

Now what exactly would be the best thing about Terror in Resonance? As much as I want to say the characters—because they are all very fascinating individuals—I cannot, unfortunately, due to not knowing much about them and their motives at this point of the show, so I can't choose that. Story? Mm. I want to do the same for that too, but I don't think I'll be able to see a coherent story until the show is over, so that's a no too.

Then that leaves us with two things: sound and animation. Ooh, this is a hard one. In fact, it's too difficult for me to decide that I'll just go with both. Animation and sound are definitely the high points of this show and the summer season. If you ever get the chance, listen to the full OST and you will understand how atmospheric and emotional these soundtracks can be—I'm sure you'll love it just as much as I have. The animation fits the show to a T. Everything has detail: from reflections, to backgrounds, and even the tiniest, insignificant thing have impeccable detail. Character designs, especially the character Five's, are just wonderful to look at.

This show is most definitely worth the watch, and I'll say those of you with high standards will definitely have those standards fulfilled by this show.

Now it's time for the anime I have dropped. . . . Sigh. Might as well put this here again:

WARNING: RANT INCOMING . . . AGAIN.

Glasslip

What a freaking disappointment. I was expecting a nice slice of life with beautiful animation and glass-making with some cute romance on the side. And who knew? Maybe I could've learned a thing or two about it from this show because making glass in itself is a very fascinating process to see, and knowing that P.A. Works was the animation studio behind this made me all the more excited to watch it. But what was the end result? Melodrama, forced romance, and more melodrama from a very unlikable group of teenagers. I hate having to keep dragging in another P.A. Works' show, Nagi no Asukara, into the mix, but I just have to in this case!

The six main characters in Glasslip are supposed to be very close to graduating high school—seventeen as it is in Japan. The five main characters in Nagi-Asu are just fourteen years old (meaning they're still in middle school), but they act far more mature and kinder than all of the leads combined in Glasslip. While the characters of Nagi-Asu grow and mature, the characters of Glasslip seem to stay the same and even go downhill into very unlikable territory.

I don't know. Whenever I think of P.A. Works I think three things: 1) beautiful and topnotch animation, 2) love triangles (or polygons in some cases), and 3) a friendly, slice of life atmosphere. Glasslip has all but one. Care to guess what that one is? In fact, I don't even know why Glasslip is listed as a "slice of life." If you've seen episode two (don't worry; it's not even that big a spoiler), then you know this show suddenly became a bizarre and crappy sci-fi. Get this: the main heroine and the new kid, "David" (as everyone—and I mean "everyone" as in the whole anime community—calls him) can see the future through glass. . . . Glass. . . . Let that sink in for a moment. . . . Just . . . what the hell . . .?

I wouldn't mind so much about the random sci-fi element thrown in there if the characters were more likable. The way they act reminds me so much of the characters in Golden Time: they're indecisive, rash, and mean-spirited. The second David appears on screen everybody in the group save for one or two act so cold to him. And for what reason? None. No reason whatsoever. Okay, granted one thought David was a threat to his and the main heroine's "relationship" (or lack thereof), so he was just acting like a jealous twerp. But that does not excuse his or any of the other character's treatment toward David.

However, not all the characters in the show are bad. On the contrary, the side characters are far more interesting than the main six. Sadly, though, they only receive a few seconds of screen time every episode, a minute at most. The animation is also worth praising, but you can tell P.A. Works spent a lot of their budget on Nagi-Asu (but they shouldn't regret it: that show looked freaking amazing). I like the opening and ending songs of Glasslip, though the ending song was catchier. The opening felt very mellow and liberating, but considering the content of the show it did not fit at all. The ending is cute, but the chibi style really threw me off and the first time I heard the song I thought how strange the singer sounded.

My recommendation? Skip this and just watch a good and real slice of life/romance/drama anime. That'd be more worth your time than this piece of crap.

Rail Wars!

Yet another disappointment from this anime season (though not as much as Glasslip after seeing a certain PV). Rail Wars! could've been something great. I mean, let's start with the title: Rail Wars!. Think about that for a second. What do you think when you hear that? Well for me, I think of some sort of major conflict involving railways—and trains! Now let's talk about that: trains. Motherflippin' anime can't even focus on that: Instead, it'd rather focus on plot. No, not plot plot, but plot. Still don't understand? Lemme explain . . . through images from the anime:

SO. MUCH. FREAKING. PLOT.

Was it really necessary for me to put all those images? Yes, 'cause that way you'll understand the severity of the situation and realize how it gets worse and worse and worse. . . . (Check this link out to see more plot-related images.)

Hooray for bouncy boobies, yay for ass shots . . . OH MY JESUS CHRIST, ANIME, GET A FUCKING GRIP! Okay, so you want to put in giant tits? Fine. Want fat asses taking over two-thirds of the screen? Fine. But do not take out anything related to trains when the anime is supposed to be about trains—at all!!!

So now that my rage has settled down (not . . .) let's move on. If you want to watch this anime, okay, go ahead. But don't be expecting any kind of development, may it be character or story progression.

Let's talk about the other thing that made Rail Wars! sound awesome: the synopsis. Do you really think it's about a battle between terrorists and security guards on a train? HELL NO, IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT. I mean, it would've been awesome and amazing for an anime to be about that, but Rail Wars! isn't focused on that. It has bigger things to worry about, like—I don't know—fan service!

All I can tell you about this show is that it's awful and you should not watch it. A definite skip.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU MADE IT PAST THE RANT . . . AGAIN! YOU DESERVE A COOKIE! *hands you cookie*

And now, I bid you all farewell for the moment. I hope you all enjoyed reading my mid-season impressions of the summer 2014 season. Though I've had a couple disappointments, most of the shows airing this season have been very impressive, and I have a feeling summer 2014 is going to be winning the "Season of the Year" award. Like, look at how much variety there is: action, adventure, comedy, romance, drama, slice of life. There are so many anime shows to choose from that it's near impossible for you to not find one and enjoy it from beginning to end. And with that, take care, otakus!

My Summer 2014 First Impressions

Every anime of summer 2014 has its first episode out, so now it's time for me to do a first impressions post. I know that much of the anime listed here has had its first episode out ages ago and it's now on its second episode, but I was waiting for the rest of the shows airing this season to catch up. So today, I will be writing my impressions of each anime series based on its first episode. I will explain what I think of the show thus far and give my predictions for it (whether or not it'll get better or worse). Now let's begin!

DRAMAtical Murder

Originally based on a BL game, DRAMAtical Murder follows Aoba, the blue-haired guy in the picture above. As a person who hasn't played the visual novel, I'm not exactly sure what the plot is, but what I do know is that this show, if it's following the VN properly, does not focus on the game Rhyme. Instead, it delves into more psychological themes, which I am interested in. However, compared to another psychological show I'm watching this season (Terror in Resonance), DRAMAtical Murder is not that interesting. The animation is dull, but is made up for by being colorful (though the background in this one scene was just awful: I can only assume the studio spent its budget on the CGI rabbits).

However, I'm willing to give this show the benefit of the doubt (or rather, the three-episode rule) to prove itself that it'll provide entertainment, because that's what I'm looking for this season: fun. As it's summer, I want to be entertained through this ridiculously hot season, and I won't bother with shows that don't amuse me. But since the VN players liked the first episode well enough, I'll continue watching this and hope for the best.

Predictions: According to the visual novel fans, if this show follows the source material well, then the show should be good. I can only hope they're right.

Free! Eternal Summer

Okay, this instantly the best anime of this season! (Just kidding . . . or am I?) Free! Eternal Summer is a worthy successor of its first season, Free! Iwatobi Swim Club. It has the hilarious fanservice, occasional camp moments, even more beautiful animation, fantastic OP and ED, awesome relays, and the same, good ol' cast from season one. What I'm really enjoying about this second season (other than the even better animation) is how sporty it's become. There are a lot more relays in the first two episodes than the first four in season one. So if you watched season one or want to watch it because you want a good sports show, then I'll say that going through season one to get to season two is totally worth it.

Now I can't say much else, because spoilers, but I'll say this: Free! is a very entertaining series that has heartfelt and heart-pounding moments, and its second season is on an entirely different level from season one. If you judge the series just by its first episode, then you'll be missing out on something truly amazing. 

Predictions: Said it once and I'll say it again: this will be and is the best anime of this season—no contest. I'll go as far as saying this will be even greater than its predecessor. (But this is just the word of a fangirl. That is all.)

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

We all need romance in our lives because we're all forever alone, and Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun can provide you with that and comedy. Although only two characters have been introduced so far (one more being introduced near the end), they are a very likable and comedic duo. If the series does progress their romance, then I think this could become one of my favorites.

In the music department, oh my God, the opening is fantastic. Catchy and colorful, it really reminded me of Space Dandy's opening. Don't remember the ending that much, but I think I enjoyed it.

Predictions: While comedy, animation, and characters are all good, I'm wondering if the heroine will ever confess her feelings to the guy. I really hope this show doesn't end with no confession or "read the manga" ending, or else I'll have to classify it with other, typical shoujo shows.

Glasslip

Glasslip was one of only a couple shows I was most anticipating for this summer season. So how'd it hold up? Well . . . it only barely does. Going into Glasslip, I was expecting just a good ol' slice of life show with some romance, but I was surprised to learn it's going to have sci-fi elements (believe it or not, the main character and her love interest, "David," can see the future through glass—I'm not kidding). To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed. I wanted this to be a show about making glass, which is a pretty unique concept on its own, but ultimately I can tell it's not going to be this way.

I'd forgive it if the characters were more likable, but they're not that interesting. On the other hand, the supporting characters provide much more entertainment than the main cast—and they're only on screen for a few seconds or a minute at most! The main cast is pretty unlikable because they're mean without reason. When "David," the new transfer student, comes to them at their table they're instantly cold and aggressive to him—for no damn reason. These group of "friends" don't even seem like friends—in fact, when one of the girls was talking about confessing, she was afraid she was going to have to "leave the group." Um . . . does a true group of friend make one of their friends leave if they confess to one of their own? I was actually thinking for a second that they were actually a cult or something, not friends.

But then, this is P.A. Works. Slice of life with sci-fi/fantasy elements and freaking complicated love triangles. They're known for making such beautiful anime, so I'm all the more disappointed that Glasslip doesn't live up to its predecessor, Nagi no Asukara. Sigh. At least the visuals are pretty and the OP and ED are nice to listen to.

Predictions: If the plot actually starts and character development occurs, this show might actually be half good. But based on the first episode alone, I know it won't be as good as Nagi no Asukara, now or later.

Persona 4: The Golden Animation

As someone who hasn't played the game nor watched the original Persona 4 anime, the first episode of P4GA was interesting enough for me to continue watching the show. While the animation looks to be average, the whole fighting scene was pretty good, even if there was plenty of CGI usage. Although it's a bit fast-paced for my liking, I think it'll slow down at some parts to explain (hopefully).

As for the characters, the main protagonist is probably the best. I like his gentleman-like and kind personality, and even his comedic moments. I heard in the original anime he lacked a personality, probably because this is based off a game, so I'm glad he has one—and a good one at that. The other characters are a bit lackluster, but Marie is the most interesting. She's an adorable tsundere, so I look forward to more development.

Predictions: Once the plot becomes clear and the pace is slower, I think P4GA will become a great show.

Rail Wars!

Can I just begin by saying how much I hate fanservice? Oh, there are some good ones out there, like Free! Iwatobi Swim Club; but the purpose of those "fanservice" moments were just for comedic sake and were never in your face. But Rail Wars! on the other hand loves to shove the boobies and pantie shots in your face with the force of a train (pun not intended). I wouldn't have a problem with the occasional pantie or booby shot if it wasn't every five minutes (like Noragami, which is able to present "fanservice" without it being in your face). But—sigh—moving on . . .

From the story— Wait. Who am I kidding? What story is there even? But I know I should wait till at least episode three for the plot to appear before judging, so I'll wait. . . . I'll be patient. . . .

Now, from the first paragraph you probably assumed that I thought the fanservice was the worst aspect of the show, but sadly it's not. The characters are the worst: They are just awful and bland. The main lead character is like every other bland, boring, perverted, one-dimensional protagonist in an anime, and the other supporting characters are just as clichéd: you got the big-titted, pretty, nice girl; man-hating, hot-headed, bitchy girl; a guy with an unidentifiable personality; and completely forgettable side characters. Seriously. I don't remember a one.

In the animation department, Rail Wars! is pretty good. Nice, smooth animation, but not the best of the best. Also, CGI trains? No. Just no.

Predictions: Whenever it decides to move on from the fanservice, I think we'll actually have a story to work with. In the meantime, I hope it works on its characters, because they all desperately need a personality ASAP. If it doesn't get better by the time episode three rolls around, consider this a drop.

Re: Hamatora

As Re: Hamatora is the second season of a show from the winter season, Hamatora The Animation, I can't say much about this show without going into spoiler territory. However, I will say that the animation has improved greatly from the previous season (most likely due to being animated by a different studio). Yet there are two flaws with this season premiere: the transitions—while unique, are very annoying since they appear every time the scene changes—and a "plot twist" revealed near the end—which I find to be both a positive and negative thing.

I'll probably make a post of what I thought of the first episode of Re: Hamatora so I won't be spoiling anything to anyone. But in short, I look forward to seeing what more Re: Hamatora will be revealing to the viewers of its previous season.

Predictions: I am hoping from the bottom of my heart that Re: Hamatora will answer every and all questions from the first season. If it does, I'll be good. If not, I will be majorly disappointed with this series and it will fall flat on its face. But as a fan, I have a small glimmer of hope inside me that there's going to be a massive revelation (or at least I hope there will be). Here's to learning answers sometime in the future.

Sailor Moon Crystal

I've said this once and I'll say it again: I am not a Sailor Moon fan. I was not a fan of the original anime or manga, so my opinion of this show isn't that of a fan but of a person who's new to the series. So as a newcomer, how does this show hold up? Well, pretty darn good, actually. Sure there's some things here and there, but I can live with it. I can't say much about the story because, well. Everyone knows about it. I mean, Sailor Moon is one of the most well-known anime shows out there. A lot of people were introduced to anime because of it, but I wasn't one of those people (probably because I was born in the very late '90s ['99 baby!]).

Anyway, animation is pretty 50-50 for me. While I like the style (as it's very reminiscent of the '90s style of anime [plus those backgrounds: very early anime, but I like it]), the CGI is very off-putting. I mean, Toei Animation, Sailor Moon, as I said before, is one of the most well-known anime out there—ever. So can't you at least find it in your budget to make the transformation scene in 2-D—or at the very least, good 3-D? But whatever. I think I can overlook it.

As for characters, once again, as someone who isn't a fan, I think they're pretty basic. I mean, I'm sure this series will delve into their backstories and develop their personalities, so I'll be patient until then. The voice acting is also good, and I think it fits every character pretty well (though Usagi's voice can be very annoying at times).

Predictions: If this show slowly gets more interesting (and I get used to Usagi's freaking annoying voice), I might consider watching the original Sailor Moon—and I mean all of it.

Terror in Resonance

Terror in Resonance has the best premiere of this season as a new series. It had very fluid and clean animation (so beautiful, in fact, that I teared up a little during the snowmobile scene at the beginning [or that could've been because I had just taken my contacts out, who knows?]), a dark and gritty setting, and intriguing characters. Nine and Twelve, the two main characters and terrorists, are who I'm most interested in, as we saw some flashbacks of them escaping from an institution of sorts (which, I assume, is where they were probably used in experiments), so I'm really interested in them. But I'm also curious about the lead female character, Lisa, and her backstory.

I found the whole terrorist thing pretty cool, and I was just waiting for Nine and Twelve's plan to kick in. And when the building fell down? Just wonderful (though I'm a bit hesitant to call it that because all I could think of was 9/11 during that scene [but I'm sure everyone else thought the same]).

Also, can we all just agree that Twelve is Nagisa from Free! if he were a yandere?

The resemblance . . . it's uncanny. . . . shiver

Predictions: With awesome anti-heroes, impressive animation, and a good OP and ED, Terror in Resonance will be an amazing and memorable series if it keeps up its dark themes and proves to have an amazing story.

And now, I bid you all farewell for the moment. I hope you all enjoyed reading this post and that you became interested in at least one. This summer season is just amazing, because there's such a variety of shows to watch. You want yaoi? You got yaoi! Want action and adventure? You got it! There has to be at least one show out there that captures your interest and holds it. And quite a few of these shows I've listed have for me. Now let us hope this season, and the ones that come afterward, will only get better and better! And with that, take care, otakus!

My Summer 2014 Anime To-Watch List

Notice: Ronia the Robber's Daughter has been announced to be released this fall, so I removed it from this list. But expect to see it in my next "To-Watch List"!

Oops. Has it really been that long since I last posted something? Oopsie. Apologies to everyone who reads my blogs and reviews and are upset with not getting a review in so long. But now with the school year finally over, I can focus a lot more on my blogging. Now in this short but sweet post, I'll be listing and talking about the upcoming shows for the summer 2014 season. I'll have the title, picture, and my expectations of the show listed as well.

Black Butler: Book of Circus

What can I say? I'm a big Black Butler fan! Although I agree with most people that season 2 was nothing compared to season 1, it's still Black Butler, and therefore I must watch it. Though, I don't have any plans on watching this till Funimation dubs it (because I just love Sebastian's voice in English).

That's for you, Michael Tatum, and your angelic demonic voice of Sebastian!

DRAMAtical Murder

I'll be honest. I have no flippin' clue what this show's about—like, at all. Even after reading the synopsis I have no clue what it's about. Ah well. So lucky for it I have little to no expectations and the bar's set pretty low for it. All it has to do is be half decent and it's all set. (Note: I went searching for a promotional image for this anime and . . . let's just say you got some pretty erotic images there, Google. Originally, I heard it was a yaoi eroge game, but I didn't know if it was true. So in that case, if the show's going to be a yaoi, I want to know straight up [not that I have anything against yaoi anime, by the way].)






Now, what you've all been waiting for . . .

Free! Eternal Summer

Why yes. I did use all those GIFs for Free! Eternal Summer. Whatcha gonna do about it? Joking aside, I have been looking forward to Free! for a long time—more specifically, since last summer. Although it had a weak story and also, sad to say, weak characters, Free! was a very entertaining show and one I highly enjoyed. So when I watch Free!, may this summer truly feel like an "eternal summer."

That's right. I was paying attention to you, end card. Don't think I ever forgot. ;)

Something I've been wondering about for the longest time was why Free! hasn't been turned into a visual novel yet? KyotoAni, take advantage of this money-making machine! MAKE A VISUAL NOVEL—NOW! . . . Um, please. :) So. Yeah. If you haven't been able to tell already, I'm very much looking forward to seeing my babies again watching Free! again. (By the way, if you're wondering, I'd choose Haru's route in a heartbeat.)

. . . . . . . .

Just one more GIF, please?

Glasslip

From the animation studio that brought you Nagi no Asukara . . . comes another amazing, beautiful anime show . . . Glasslip. Or so I hope. Nagi-Asu was a wonderful and impressive show from the fall 2013 season, and it quickly became one of my most favorite anime series ever. However, I have a feeling that, despite being animated by the same studio, Glasslip will be a very different show. Nagi-Asu was a slice of life show with fantasy elements, while Glasslip here will be a slice of life but with no fantasy elements. I really hope we don't have to go through the same complicated love triangle B.S. like we did in Nagi, and I really hope the main heroine isn't annoying. If so, I'll be a very disappointed fan, and the result might be:

Hint: Pretty bad.

Rail Wars!

Another show I have no clue about but am moderately looking forward to. I mean, have you ever heard about a character who wants to work with railways? I'm already sold on the idea. Looking at the synopsis of the show, it piqued my interest: A kid who wants to work in some elite railway with a group of interesting people (such as with a person who hates men) while some sort of terrorist group wants to take over said elite railway. Who wouldn't get interested after hearing that? Plus, the genre at the moment is simply "action," and seeing what I'm currently watching for spring season, an action anime would be very good right now.

UPDATE: So another PV came out—

—and goddammit, Japan, why does this show have to have fan service? Like, my God, it seemed like it was going to be awesome until you decided to add boobs with the boob physics of High School of the Dead. Sigh. But I'll still watch this show. Probably. Maybe. I don't know?

Re: Hamatora

OH MY GOD. AFTER THAT ENDING—THAT FREAKING ENDING—FROM LAST SEASON, I NEED TO SEE THIS RIGHT NOW. *takes a deep breath* Okay. Now that I got that out of my chest: Re: Hamatora is the second season of winter 2014 anime Hamatora The Animation. So after the ending of last season (no worries; no spoilers), I was desperate to see how things would play out in the next season. After that awful cliffhanger (awful as in awesome, mind you), I knew that there'd be a second season.

Yet, I was shocked at how much shit this show was dealing with because the ending and overall show pissed off some people. I mean, I somewhat understand why the ending might've pissed off a few people, but I didn't expect so much hate for it. People often complain about how boring this show is, but I actually found the premise rather interesting and the idea of people having awesome powers fascinating.

So . . . I guess this show is a guilty pleasure for me then? But I honestly don't give two shits if people hate this show; I'm watching the hell out of this when it airs.

Sailor Moon: Crystal

I'll be honest, I'm not a Sailor Moon fan. No, not because I didn't like the original. It's just I didn't watch it. Or actually, I did watch a few episodes, but I got so bored I dropped it eventually. (Yes, I tried both the English dub [shame on me] and the Japanese, but neither succeeded in catching my interest.) Looking at the trailer, though, I saw a chance at being hooked onto this show, so I took it. Who knows? Maybe I'll be more drawn to the original after seeing this reboot.

And now, I bid you all farewell for the moment. I hope you all enjoyed reading this post and found new shows you want to watch for the summer 2014 season. And with that, take care, otakus!