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 Spring 2014 Final Impressions

Notice: This post was previously published on July 1. However, due to my stupidity, it got deleted. But thankfully, I found a cached copy of it and managed to re-publish it. I hope this clears up any confusion you may have had. Now enjoy my post!

With spring 2014 drawing to a close, and the summer season right around the corner, it's time I do an impressions post. Yes, of all the shows I have watched for this season (not including the ones I've dropped and/or put on-hold [I may or may not talk about them in a future post]). I'll be quickly discussing the show for a little bit, and I may perhaps write a more in-depth review for it sometime in the future. Now, let's begin!

Captain Earth

Although only halfway completed, Captain Earth has proven to us how beautiful BONES can animate its shows and enchanting space can be. Sure this show can be really slow at times, but I like its slow pace because I believe it's introducing everything and most of the characters for its first half before focusing more on the story and action in the second half. After all, it's going to be 25 episodes long, so it's only natural it's a little slow in the beginning. It just shows that the creators are taking their time setting everything up before going full-blown in the second half.

However, if the show is like this for the rest of the series, then I'll have to say I'm disappointed. But for now, I'm fine with the slow pace, as the writers are developing the main characters and introducing side characters (mainly villains). And I have a feeling that some of the "villains" will soon be on our heroes' side. For now, I can only wait and hope that this show will become what I think it can.

Rating: 3.5/5 or 7/10

Chaika – The Coffin Princess

Compared to the other shows I have watched/am watching this season, Chaika is one of two shows that is set in a fantasy setting (the other being The World is Still Beautiful). And as such, world-building is essential for its overall score. Chaika, while it's world-building isn't as well-done as Still Beautiful, has a great cast of characters and entertaining action. As it's rated R, Chaika has blood and gore, and it'll come as a big surprise for the unsuspecting viewer (example: me). For instance, in the very first episode you see a unicorn (not the beautiful kind you're used to, folks) get killed by the two leads. And yes, there was a lot of blood involved, which absolutely caught me off-guard.

If this series was to have only one season, then I'd say Chaika was disappointing. However, since season two is coming in the fall and with the way the show ended, then I recommend Chaika for its engaging story and characters, along with its animation, which is, while simple, effective.

Rating: 4/5 or 7/10

Haikyuu!!

A show that has the energy of Kuroko's Basketball and the fun of Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, Haikyuu!! provides solid entertainment and amazing characters. I'm amazed at how Haikyuu!! can make its characters, both main and supporting, so three-dimensional and realistic, yet at the same time move the plot forward at a pace not too slow nor too fast. I'll tell you now, it takes real talent to be able to do both things at the same time. Not only that, but Haikyuu!! has very solid animation: it's very smooth and crisp throughout, and I haven't noticed any scenes where the animation isn't up to par. As such, if Haikyuu!!'s second half is just as good as its first, I'll be one very pleased fan.

Rating: 4/5 or 8/10

Kamigami no Asobi

A reverse-harem with gods? Sign me up! Kamigami has a unique concept: a normal high school girl is transported to an alternate world where she has to teach Greek, Japanese, and Norse gods about humans or else she won't be able to "graduate" and return to her own world. Although different from the norm, many people expected Kamigami to be like Diabolik Lovers and Amnesia (shows renowned for having awful characters and crappy stories). The first episode seemed like a joke to most people, what with the magical boy transformation at the beginning and flowers blooming every time a guy was introduced.

However, the show was quick to prove viewers wrong with its surprisingly complex characters and interesting storylines. And gradually, the plot began to shift toward darker territory, with having a more grim atmosphere and serious moments. What I like and appreciate about Kamigami is that the guys' lives don't revolve around the heroine and that they actually have quirks and personalities, similar to Uta-Pri. So I ask you, like Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, to not judge this show based on its first episode and continue watching, because it gets better—trust me.

Rating: 4/5 or 7/10

One Week Friends.

Hm . . . A romance show about a girl's memories of the past week be gone on every Monday? Prepare for the feeeeels, people! Okay, okay, just kidding everyone. While many claim One Week Friends. will make you feel them "feels," it often seems like it's trying too hard to make the viewer feel all teary-eyed and emotional, when really it isn't necessary. I do feel the weight of the memory loss thing, but you don't need to shove it down my throat, all right? Regardless, what I really admire and adore about this show is its art style: it's simple, it's cute, and perfect for this kind of show.

The characters are also very well-done. The two main characters are very likable (the main girl being innocent and adorable, and the boy being quirky and cute), and the rest of the cast are just as likable, maybe even more so. What I love about this show is the relations between characters. All of the characters connect to each other in some way, and that's what makes them all the more three-dimensional.

However, there is one more negative to this show. Another thing that bothers me about One Week Friends. was its ending, which was pretty . . . "meh." I mean, maybe it's just right for some people, but for people like me I think it could've been better and more satisfying. For one, the romance isn't really satisfying. Without spoiling too much, it feels like we go back to square one again. The characters deal with the events that occurred throughout the show as if it never happened, which feels like a punch to the gut. If you want a show that has heart-warming moments, One Week Friends. is for you. However, be aware that it might leave you unsatisfied in the end.

Rating: 3.5/5 or 6/10

The World is Still Beautiful

A show that came as a surprise to me, The World is Still Beautiful is a wonderful addition to the shoujo genre. Set in an alternate fantasy world, Still Beautiful has politics, romance, comedy, and a taste of action. Alongside it is fluid animation and a wonderful opening and ending song. Still Beautiful is unique, not because of the height difference between the main male and female character, but due to its charming atmosphere. There's something about this show that feels so charming it draws you in, and you find that half an hour goes by in a flash. Maybe it's because of its likable cast of characters, good pacing, or unique setting, but Still Beautiful has something that most shoujo anime don't: balance.

It knows when to show a romantic moment between the two leads, crank open the drama, have a comedic moment, or bring out the action while bringing along the story and developing the characters. There's a little bit of everything for everyone to enjoy in this show, and I'm pretty certain it won't leave you disappointed.

Yet, despite its positives, Still Beautiful leaves a lot to be desired. I feel that, if the show was longer, the writers could've gone deeper and darker, flesh out the characters more, pace the romance better, and expand the world. But for what you get, Still Beautiful is truly a beautiful show that's very much worth your time.

Rating: 3.5/5 or 7/10

And now, I bid you all farewell for the moment. I hope you all enjoyed reading this post and that it caused you to rethink about the shows from this season. But most of all, I hope it makes you look forward to the summer season more than ever before. And with that, take care, otakus!