Month: October 2013

Yowamushi Pedal

(39 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Bike racing !

Characters

Sakamichi, our protagonist, is a complete nerd. He hoped to finally find some soulmates in high school, but it turns out the anime club has already been dissolved, and it’s going to be an uphill struggle to reopen it. His other notable quality : he enjoys riding his bike to school (including the 20+ % slope leading to it), and making casual trips to Akihabara. That’s 45km. On a bicycle.

Imaizumi, his “rival” of sorts. Well, not exactly. For him, biking is Serious Business : he has an intense daily training routine, a top-class bike, and is a major contender in nationwide competitions (he lost last year’s major race to That Guy). He hasn’t even bothered joining his new high school’s biking club yet, but that’s just a formality. Anyway, he’s baffled by this reckless kid who’s cheerfully climbing dangerous slopes without any care for his own safety (Sakamichi falls over A LOT during this first episode).

Kanzaki, a girl from the next class over. She’s obsessed with biking (which might be related to her family owning a bike parts shop, and her brother being the former biking club president), and imposes herself as the biking club’s new “manager” (you know, the traditional “girl” position in sports clubs that involves no managing whatsoever). Sakamichi has caught her eye ; cue misunderstandings about her interest in his biking trips to Akihabara. (She comes in tow with a sarcastic best friend who’s dismissive of the geek.)

We see a few of the senior members of the biking club, who all have their own quirks. Do note that our hero has yet to set foot anywhere near their clubhouse, let alone join them.

Production Values

As you’d expect, most of the budget is spent on lovingly animating the bikes. Actually, it does look quite good, and there’s some nice attention to body language.

Overall Impression

Well, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before, but it is quite fun. There’s some good comic timing, and I kinda like all the characters. Also, the bizarrely limited planned length makes me hope it’ll be paced to tell a proper story within it (which is always a hazard with shounen sports series).

I’d be an hypocrite to give a second chance to a –ing baseball series, and not to this. Gods know I enjoyed watching it more.

via [In Which I Review] New anime, Fall 2013 – Page 11.

Silver Fox (Gingitsune)

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Slice-of-life story about a young shrine-maiden-to-be, and the fox spirit living in the shrine.

Characters

Makoto, our high-school heroine. She’s been the heir to the shrine since she was 4, when her mother met an untimely death. She’s nice, but a bit awkward ; her willingness to help anyone she’s just met also means she has a hard time not being always late.

Gintarou, the fox spirit, has lived in the shrine for generations ; but while the 14 previous shrine maidens worshipped and feared him, Makoto has grown up to view him as a friend. There are often tensions, especially when she abuses his divination powers for the littlest cause, but they always make up in the end.
For the record, he’s not the shrine’s god ; he works as an intermediary with them. Also, this is a role that’s usually performed by pairs of spirits ; his partner left a while ago, which is bound to be a plot point later on.

Makoto’s father married into the family, so while he’s the current priest, he can’t see Gintarou. But he loves and trusts his daughter, even if he’s often powerless to help her handle her gift and responsibilities.

Ikegami is a classmate of Makoto’s who latches on her divination “powers” to fix her relationship with her boyfriend. While she’s not quite happy with the initial results, in the end it all works out.

Production Values

Quite nice ; Gintarou’s body language is animated with lots of care. It’s a very pleasant-looking show.

Overall Impression

A nice, relaxed fantasy slice-of-life show that’s very pleasant to watch. It’s not doing much of interest yet (the core plot for this episode involves finding a lost cat), but we’re obviously still in the setup stage, and there are many threads introduced here that sound intriguing.

This one definitely deserves some more attention.

via [In Which I Review] New anime, Fall 2013 – Page 10.

Glasses Club ! (Meganebu!)

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

High-school boys doing cute things. While wearing glasses.

Characters

There’s the goofball leader (who wants to build X-ray glasses), the cute short guy, the aloof slightly antagonistic one… oh, fuck it, they all meld together after a while.

Production Values

There are many attempts to spruce this up with dynamic, Silver Link-ish abstract effects. Frankly, it doesn’t look half bad.

Overall Impression

Forget about baseball : this is what puts me to sleep. It’s not just about not being part of the intended audience (how many shows are adapted from a female-targeted drama CD ?), I have about the same reaction to half the similar shows with girls instead. There’s just something about this genre that sometimes makes it hard for me to concentrate on it.

There may be some decent jokes in there ; I don’t know, I missed half of it, and I have no intention of trying to watch it again.

via [In Which I Review] New anime, Fall 2013 – Page 10.

I Wanna Be The Strongest In The World ! (Sekai de Ichiban Tsuyoku Naritai!)

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Female Pro-Wrestling !

Characters

Sakura, our heroine, is the incontested MVP of her… idol group ? As a publicity stunt, her agency sends her to participate in a pro-wrestling class. (She was basically the only one willing to do it.)

Erena, her self-proclaimed rival, tags along to participate too, as she doesn’t want to be left behind. She has a tendency to get in way over her head, biting way more than she can chew. In this case, this means challenging…

Rio, an actual pro-wrestler, who doesn’t hide her contempt towards those idol bimbos. A natural heel, she makes a point of thoroughly humiliating Erena. Which provokes Sakura into defending her pal’s honour, challenging Rio in an actual wrestling match. Rio finds it all very interesting… as does the audience : ticket sales for the match go through the roof.

To drive home how IMPORTANT all of this is, there’s an actual news reporter following this event, with enough pull to have the front page changed when Sakura, thoroughly beaten by Rio (as if there was any suspense about that, training montage notwithstanding), proclaims that not only does she want a rematch, but she’s going to become an actual pro-wrestler, for real.

Production Values

Warning : all the fights are filmed like porn. Insistant shots focusing on the wrestlers’ lovingly-rendered crotches (or their boobs, if the camera has no other choice), ample moaning… I’m not kidding, this is NSFW. (But then, what are you doing watching anime at work ?)

Overall Impression

You know, the silly premise is kinda fun : ridiculous, sure, but sold by over-the-top performances. Unfortunately, the fights are completely unwatcheable, which puts a complete crimp on me enjoying this.

I’m not going to bother with this one.

via [In Which I Review] New anime, Fall 2013 – Page 10.

Ace of Diamond

What’s it about ?

High-school baseball.

Characters

Eijun, our protagonist, is still technically in his last year of middle school, but he’s already being scouted Seidou High School, a Tokyo school that’s been recruiting the most promising baseball players all over the country. Since he sucks at exams and his violent outburst during his team’s final match is bound to get him blacklisted from most high schools, it’s not like he has many other options ; his family can’t believe his luck. But since he’s an arrogant little fuck who really needs to be taken a peg or two down, he’s still looking this gift horse in the mouth.

Miss Takashima, the Seidou recruiter, is plenty weird herself. Under her outward appearance of professionalism, she has a core determination to recruit someone she sees as a prodigy, and won’t take no for an answer. Since this is a shounen sports series, she’s most probably right.

Azuma, Seidou’s star batter, rubs Eijun the wrong way when our hero (?) comes visiting a training session (at Miss Takashima’s insistance). You can see his point, as the guy is a massive asshole who bullies his younger pitchers. Cue showdown after Eijun calls him on his bullshit (and throws in some fat jokes, for good measure).

Miyuki, one of the younger catchers, volunteers to catch Eijun’s balls against Azuma, because he finds the new loudmouth interesting (and he’s not afraid of challenging the bully). You can clearly see the cool-rebel-who’s-not-actually-a-rebel checkboxes being ticked.

Eijun’s pals at his middle school (including his not-girlfriend) get quite some screentime, but if the OP sequence is any indication, both he and the show will quickly forget about them, however much he may be protesting he wants to stay with them and not move to Tokyo. Yeah, right.

Production Values

It’s a shounen sports series that’s probably going to run forever : of course it doesn’t look to great, even in this showcase first episode.

Overall Impression

Darn, baseball. Must not fall asleep watching the most boring sports ever… Oh, wait, they hardly play any baseball in this, instead focusing on the melodrama. Fine by me.

This show must be doing something right. I originally had no interest in watching any of it beyond the token preview, but it hooked me enough to make me want to check out next episode’s resolution to the showdown. Admittedly, most of the suspense resides on whether Eijun is worth the hype (something even he doesn’t really believe) ; while crushing Azuma would certainly be satisfying in the short term, I don’t think this is where the series is really going. At least, I hope so, as Eijun is such an irritating little git that I wouldn’t be able to stand everything going his way just because he’s that good. (Also, it’s going to be quite hard to properly justify him moving to Tokyo and leaving all his friends behind.)

You get one more episode. Don’t waste it.

via [In Which I Review] New anime, Fall 2013 – Page 9.

White Album 2

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of a dating sim, because there must be at least one each season.

Don’t let the title fool you : this is a free-standing series, nearly completely unrelated to the 2009 White Album anime or the game it spawned from (aside from a few token elements making it clear they’re set in the same universe).

Characters

Kitahara, our high-school protagonist. Last remaining member of the Light Music Club, after the diva vocalist quit in a huff and the other members just stopped coming. Being the backup guitarist, he was content with just practicing separate from everyone else, but he’s ready to call it a day. While he does have a bit more personality than his ilk, that’s mostly because he’s a sanctimonous git. His “friends” keep him around because he does help around and gets stuff done, but I don’t get the impression anyone’s really close to him.

Ogiso has been the winner of the School Idol Contest for the last two years, but frankly she never wanted to participate, and this time around she finally finds the nerve to tell the SIC Committee about it. Having no clue how to deal with her (losing her would put a crimp on the Contest’s appeal), they call on Kitahara, who’s not even a member anymore this year, but has enough presence that you can understand why she mistakes him for the Committee Chairman. Anyway, to everyone’s consternation, he lets her go.

Our third main character is the mysterious piano player who’s playing together with Kitahara despite being in the next room. It’s perfectly obvious to the viewer that she’s the dark-haired girl who’s always sleeping in his class, but he doesn’t know that. Anyway, one day someone on the roof joins in, singing the song they’re playing… and of course it’s Ogiso.

There’d be a lot more suspense about where this is going if the first episode didn’t open with a flash-forward showing the three of them performing at the School Fair (with dark-hair playing the bass, for some reason), and having an awkward love triangle.

Production Values

Well, they’re certainly not trying to disguise this story’s origins, what with the numerous shots in classic VN perspective. Perfectly alright, though, and it does have some decent music. No OP/ED sequences at all.

Overall Impression

This certainly won’t rock your world. Everything about it is generic and instantly forgettable. It’s mildly pleasant to watch, but that’s it.

I’m not sure I’ll bother with another episode.

via [In Which I Review] New anime, Fall 2013 – Page 7.

Log Horizon

(25 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Players trapped in a MMORPG world. Which is on the verge of becoming its own subgenre.

Characters

Shiroe, our protagonist. Technically a mage, although his core role in the party is the strategist : the guy who keeps his cool, stays at the top fo things, and finds the best tactics for everyone. Which is a lot harder when you’re busy fighting monsters in the flesh and have trouble focusing on the menus.

Naotsugu, his mandatory perverted best friend. A fighter. Not too bright. The comic relief of the group. He’s damn happy to find his old pal : he hadn’t played the game for two years, and certainly wasn’t expecting this. (Not that anyone was expecting this, instead of the announced “update”.)

Akatsuki, the assassin. Unfortunately, while Shiroe just about gets by now having the body of a character a foot taller than he used to be, she just can’t deal now having a male body twice her former size. (Hey, it’s a fantasy game. You don’t have to play what you are.) The good news is that she remembered Shiroe had a (very rare) shape-changing potion that solves the problem. Since she insists on repaying him, they have her join their party. (She seems to be a hardcore roleplayer who takes the “lone ninja” thing seriously, however impractical that may be in these circumstances.)

Marielle, leader of the Crescent Moon Alliance. Cutesy and teasing… but clearly an old friend of Shiroe’s. They go and see her because of course networking for information is the thing to do at this point, but our heroes aren’t joining ; they don’t do guilds. (Cue talk of Shiroe leading the most badass non-guild group some time back, before they disbanded.)

They’re some dude with the head of a cat lurking in the shadows. Presumably he’s important.

Production Values

Not bad, although we’re far from the highest budget in the season.

The OP features some mightily old-school rapping. You’ve been warned.

Overall Impression

Let’s start with the elephant in the room : how does this compare to Sword Art Online ? Well, of course it looks nowhere as good. But it already feels like a better show on all other levels : it takes more time to explore the novelty of the setting, and gets some good jokes out of it. It’s got decent comedic pacing. The characters have more personality and charisma, and the leads already have some good chemistry. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to feature any of the creepy NTR that made that other show so painful to watch.

Now, let’s be clear : this isn’t a masterpiece. But it’s a perfectly pleasant show, and that’s all I’m asking from it.

via [In Which I Review] New anime, Fall 2013 – Page 6.

Outbreak Company

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

The ultimate otaku-pandering fantasy.

Characters

Shinichi, our protagonist, is your stereotypical otaku, including all the nastier aspects (the lewd proclivities lurking behind the Nice Guy façade, the lolicon tastes, the tendacy to spout cliché quotes, the inability to have normal social interactions for more than a token amount of time…). One day, he finds an ad for an otaku-targeted job, including a 200-step otaku-culture quizz, and can’t believe his luck.

Mr Matoba, the interviewer, is all sugar but quite evasive about what the job actually is about. Well, at least until he drugs Shinichi’s coffee and has him transported to a high-fantasy world. Which the JSDF has found recently and is trying to establish good relations with. This includes setting up an otaku-culture export company, as apparently that’s what the locals are most interested in. Unfortunately, somehow previous attempts by government representatives have failed, which is where Shinichi comes in : he’s to be the new manager of this company.

Myusel, the half-elf maid, is one of the perks of the job. She fits just about every stereotype you’d expect : submissive, shy, a bit clumsy… Frankly, it’s all a bit awkward.

Koganuma is a deadpan JSDF soldier who’s there to make sure he doesn’t get into too much trouble, and provide some more exposition. (Include the fact she’s a F-cup.)

Eldant III, ruler of the kingdom, summons our protagonist the very next day, which is frankly a bit too early in his acclimatisation process. So of course he immediately perpetrates the blunder of calling her a “little girl” to her face. She’ll have you know she’s 16, for starters. (Also, there are hundreds of her knights in the room. Oops.)

Production Values

Perfectly okay. The character designs (as well as the setting as a whole) is more than a bit on the generic side, but then that’s the point.

Overall Impression

I’m conflicted about this one. On the one hand, it does have a good central joke at its center, and makes a good job of following through on it. It’s a very silly premise, but there’s certainly been some thought applied to make it work ; Matoba & Koganuma make it clear that this is a dangerous situation that could go wrong horribly quickly. They’re taking it very seriously, and humouring Shinichi’s quirks when they’re inoffensive enough. It’s relatively well-paced, and it’s got some good jokes.

On the other hand, this is still a massive bit of otaku-pandering, with a very annoying main character. (It could do without Myusel, too.) It kinda rubs me the wrong way, to be honest.

There’s a good chance I’ll give up on this very quickly.

via [In Which I Review] New anime, Fall 2013 – Page 6.

Strike the Blood

(24 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Urban fantasy, set in a man-made island city in the middle of the Pacific, built as a refuge for vampires, half-demons and various other nearly extinct supernatural species.

Characters

Kojou, our protagonist. Up until three months ago, he was just a normal high-schooler ; now he’s “The Fourth Progenitor”, a super-powerful vampire. He’d rather do without that, mind you ; the random brutal cravings for blood are quite annoying, and he’d rather live just a normal life.

The previous Fourth Progenitor only appears in thoroughly unclear flashbacks ; the only thing he can clearly remember is that she gave her powers (and then faded away) without him providing much consent.

Yukina, a middle-schooler in the same school complex who just transferred in ; she’s very obviously stalking him. After the token confrontation, we learn that she’s a reasonably powerful mage from some governmental agency, who consider Kojou as about equal to a nuke and sent her to investigate him. She does eventually agree he’s a decent guy ; she’s still going to keep close to him forever, just in case.

There’s a couple of asshole thugs (whose predator behaviour border on paedophilia) who serve as our cannon fodder of the week. Presumably they get taken out in the stinger by the small kid and her bodyguard who look like serious business.

(Kojou has a couple of “normal” friends, but I have doubts we’re going to see much of them from now on. Instead, the OP sequence playing at the end shows off many other girls.)

Production Values

There’s some good directing at work here, especially with the creative use of colour and degenerative artefacts to provide atmosphere (as you’d expect from a Silver Link co-production). Nice score, too.

It’s a shame it has to be applied to a script that requires Yukina’s panties to be showed off repeatedly over the course of the episode.

Overall Impression

Oh, dear. There are some semi-interesting ideas here, as well as a protagonist with more personality than the usual bland everyman, and a strong build up to the atmosphere. But it’s wasted on a script that constantly undercuts itself with very annoying “fanservice” events and generic romantic comedy hijinks. I really get the impression that even the director doesn’t have much interest in those elements, and only includes them as some obligation to the producers and the source material (a series of light novels, of course). It’s all very perfunctory, and would be a much stronger show if omitted.

I fear another Index : some decent worldbuilding and characters ruined by contrived and joyless irritants. I’m giving it at least another episode to see whether it cuts down on the crap, but I’m not too hopeful.

via [In Which I Review] New anime, Fall 2013 – Page 6.

I couldn’t become a hero, so I reluctantly decided to get a job (Yuusha ni Narenakatta Ore wa Shibushibu Shuushoku wo Ketsui Shimashita)

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Oh, a Devil is a Part-Timer clone !

Characters

Raul, our protagonist. He used to be the swordsman leader of a team of wannabe heroes on their way to defeat the forces of evil… but then the Demon Lord got beaten by someone else, the country cancelled their whole hero project because of budget cuts (it’s not like they needed it anymore), and thus he had to find a new career in retail. It’s not quite working out, despite his best efforts.

Nova’s boobs and crotch assist him (clumsily) in his job. I’m not quite sure whether they’re the same characters as the boobs and crotch of the other fighter on his team in the prologue, but the camera spends as much attention on them.

Firo is an antagonistic kid who shows up one day and demands to be hired (and, being homeless, a place to stay). Despite being the heir of the Demon Lord. Incredibly, the manager accepts, to Raul’s bemusement. Cue the usual “fish out of water” jokes. Eventually Raul and Firo find some common ground, what with being relics of a war nobody cares for anymore ; by the episode’s end, they’re more or less friends. (Also, you can see the “twist” coming from a mile away.)

Production Values

It’s almost rythmical : Boobs, crotch, ass. Boobs, crotch, ass. Repeat ad nauseum. Otherwise, it’s just about average-looking.

Overall Impression

There are glimmers of an interesting premise here ; unfortunately, I’ve already seen much of these ideas explored much better in The Devil is a Part-timer. So what we’re left with is a cut-price version of that show, with much more fanservice, less interesting characters, and less clever writing.

I won’t bother with this one.

via [In Which I Review] New anime, Fall 2013 – Page 6.