Tag: humour

Spring 2016 Capsules

Don’t bother with Ragnastrike Angels (if you can even find it). It’s a glorified 30-second commercial for the mobile game, and it’s over before you even realize it.

 

With three minutes of runtime, Pan de Peace! (the pun, it hurts !) at least manages to provide a more decent bite of content. It’s yet another adaptation of a 4-panel manga starring four girls with vague lesbian overtones, with the gimmick being that they’re all crazy about bread. Perfectly inoffensive, but nothing particularly distinctive or interesting either ; it’s comfort food, basically. And since I’m on a diet, I’m gonna skip it.

 

Oh, and just in case, the new JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series, Diamond is Unbreakable starts off very promisingly. The colour design is even more striking than before somehow, too. And with only 39ish episodes planned, there’s a good chance it’s going to be less bloated than Stardust Crusaders.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 2

 

As previously mentioned, I won’t be doing a full review of the first episode of Macross Delta, as I already covered a preview of it three months ago. Let’s just say that it’s still as charming, and there are few more minutes of stuff happening at the end. (Since the actual first episode is somehow shorter than the preview, I presume they cut several minutes of fluff earlier on ; none of it is really missed.)

 

And for completeness’ sake, Sailor Moon Crystal is back, now covering the manga’s “Infinity” arc. On the one hand, given the popularity of the first anime version of it, it’s a no-brainer. On the other hand, the manga version (followed to the letter here) unfolds quite differently, and not always for the better. (The “reversion” stuff in this chapter is particularly silly pseudo-science.) And well, the usual flaws of Crystal are still present, especially the lack of atmosphere.

But who cares ? I bought the whole manga despite not liking it much ; I can certainly watch through this for completionism’s sake. (Especially as “Infinity” isn’t too bad as manga arcs go.)

 

Shounen Ashibe: Go! Go! Goma-chan is a short kids’ show about a boy (Ashibe) and his pet seal (Goma), adapted from a 4-panel manga series that already got two TV series in the early 90s. To say that it’s very dated indeed is an understatement ; most of the jokes and caricatures seem lifted straight out of the 70s or earlier. Otherwise, it’s perfectly inoffensive, but I’m way too old to be in the target audience.

Onigiri adapts a MMORPG as a series of shorts. Interestingly, it chooses to take the piss out of this fanservice-ladden cliché-fest, mocking thoroughly how male characters aren’t voiced, or having the main characters’ account be suspended because of tool tampering (as I was indeed wondering about the machine-gun and flamethrower whipped out by one of them in this med-fan setting…). To my surprise, most of the jokes are actually funny and delivered with good comedic timing, so I could see myself keeping watching it for a while.

Bishoujo Yuugi Unit Crane Game Girls is a baffling series of shorts, featuring three random girls being assembled so that they can save the world, but with their handlers telling them they’re going to be idols and playing crane games. The joke is in dire need of a punchline, and doesn’t work at all ; and it isn’t helped by fugly Flash-like animation. Skip.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 3

 

Nope, not doing a full review of Tonkatsu DJ Agetarou. It looks awful and is barely animated, the premise is silly (being a DJ is just like cooking Tonkatsu !), and it quickly got on my nerves. I’ll pass.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 5

Three Leaves, Three Colors (Sansha Sanyou)

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of a gag 4-panel manga series.

Characters

Yoko, our point-of-view character, comes from a family that used to be affluent, but recently fell into hard times. She still has a lot of “rich girl” mannerisms, but not the wealth nor the confidence to back it up. She desperately wants to fit in with “commoners”, but her social anxiety got the better of her and she got off the wrong foot with her class. Which is why she’s now spending her lunch breaks in a discrete hidden spot in the school gardens. (Mostly eating bread crumbs, because those are hella cheap.)

Two students from another class, Futaba, an energetic “black hole” who seems to be eating her own weight everyday, and Teru, the class rep adept of social-fu who hides a surprisingly devious nature behind her prim and proper attitude, happen to stumble upon her, and start socializing. Yoko is both baffled and delighted at first, but then gets anxious. What if I say something wrong and they stop being my friends ?

Yamaji used to be an (adult) servant of Yoko’s family for three minutes before they bankrupted, and has taken pity on her. Which means that he’s constantly stalking her and doing stuff like giving her the nearly-expired food he’s gathered in one of his many part-time jobs. On the one hand : dude, you’re creepy. On the other hand, your heart is in the right place, and the show treating you as an annoying but inoffensive joke has some charm.

So far, the three friends are mostly talking about food. Whether it’s the show’s main theme, or merely an ice breaker, remains to be seen.

Production Values

Bright and shiny, as it should be.

What did I think of it ?

Coming in, it sounded like the big selling point was that the show featured three girls instead of the usual four. As it turns out, it’s got a surprisingly effective character study of Yoko’s social anxiety that hit very close to home, as well as many good jokes (such as Futaba one day coming with a whole loaf of bread to eat) and some intriguing character beats (I want to know more about Teru’s hidden depths).

This is very fun indeed, and I’m definitely sticking around for more.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 5

Flying Witch

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of a manga series about a teenage witch attending high school.

Characters

Makoto, our heroine, is of the very low-key kind of witch. Also, she’s has a terrible sense of orientation, and easily gets lost. Technically the Land of Witches consider her an adult by 15, but her parents insisted she finish high school, just in case. So she comes to move in with…

Kei, her cousin she hasn’t seen for years. He leaves deep in the country (which is apparently a popular place for witches), and goes to the same high school she’ll attend.

Chinatsu, Kei’s kid sister, is initially very distrustful of Makoto. It all changes after a few donuts and a broomstick ride.

Nao, Kei’s not-girlfriend, is completely weirded out by the newcomer, having never been exposed to witches before. (“Oops, we’re not supposed to talk about it beyond us and our families !”)

Production Values

Quite nice looking, overall.

What did I think of it ?

So charming ! This is endearing from beginning to end, and it’s really hard to dislike someone as genuinely nice as Makoto. The show also has great comedic timing, like when Chinatsu keeps screaming in joy in the background after the broomstick ride for minutes on end.

I’m definitely watching more of this.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 5

Tanaka-kun is Always Listless (Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge)

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of a gag web-manga.

Characters

Tanaka, our lead character, keeps falling asleep in class. Or at least, he tries to ; most of the time he gets into an uncomfortable position that allows him little sleep. Apparently there’s a whole art to sleeping while sitting at a desk.

Oota, his best friend, is our straight man. I’m amazed by his patience.

Production Values

Okay enough, I guess.

What did I think of it ?

I’m not sure the intended reaction was to put me to sleep, but it’s nicely ironic.

The joke’s just not strong enough to carry an episode, let alone a whole series. Tanaka’s anemic delivery doesn’t help, and the show does little to keep it visually interesting.

I have no wish to watch any more of this.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 5

Shounen Maid

(13 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of a slice-of-life manga series.

Characters

Chihiro is a poor 10-year-old kid whose mother has just died. He thought she was his only family, but it seems she was merely estranged for her family (obviously for having him). Which is why, a few days later, his rich uncle comes to pick him up…

Madoka, his mother’s younger brother, is delighted to bring his nephew to his own big house, and THANK GODS this is way less creepy than it sounds. He just seems lonely, and had much affection and respect for his sister. Interestingly, while he clearly doesn’t need to, he does have a job as a costume designer.

Shinozaki, Madoka’s secretary, handles a lot of duties for his slob of a boss. He draws the line at cleaning more than the study where they work, though. The rest of the huge mansion is a complete mess.

Since Chihiro is defiant of Madoka, and doesn’t want to feel indebted to a family his mother clearly wanted nothing to do with, they come to an arrangement : Chihiro will handle domestic duties in exchange for room and board. Also, Madoka got him to wear a custom-designed maid outfit, because he though it’d be funny and Chihiro didn’t protest too much.

Production Values

Thankfully, no fanservice whatsoever.

What did I think of it ?

The synopsis was rather worrying, but this seems to be an inoffensive little comedy about parenting (although one’s not quite sure who’s a parent to whom). The manga certainly doesn’t seem to have raised warning flags, and further episodes look like they’re going to add in age-appropriate love interests for both of our leads.

On the other hand, while it’s pleasant enough, there’s nothing particularly remarkable about it. In a busy season where there are tons of average slice-of-life comedies, I may have to cut this one within a week or two to make my schedule more sensible.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 5

Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto (Sakamoto desu ga?)

(13 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of a gag manga series.

Characters

Sakamoto, our lead character, is awesome. Whatever you throw at this otherwise ordinary highschool student, he’ll not only take it in stride, but also look cool while dealing with it. And he’ll never get angry against whoever caused it ; he’s way above such petty shit.

And, er, that’s pretty much it. The episode is split between the tale of three delinquents in his class trying to bully him (hahaha, nope), and the one of the handsome teenage model getting jealous that all the girls think that Sakamoto is cooler than him. (Also, some other random assorted segments to pad things out, like Sakamoto saving a bird during a storm.)

Production Values

Now this has studio Deen putting some effort into it ; it certainly succeeds into making Sakamoto looking like the coolest dude ever. The jazzy score helps a lot in that regard.

What did I think of it ?

Well, it’s not a bad joke. On the other hand, that one joke is all the show has ; can it sustain itself for a full season ? I have some doubts. It runs the risk of getting old very quickly, unless it finds some new crazy stuff for Sakamoto to do.

But hey, I’m willing to give it at least another episode to see where it goes.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 5

And you thought there is never a girl online? (Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta?)

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of a light novel series about… well, it’s one of those where the whole premise is spelled out in the title.

Characters

Nishimura, our male lead, is one of those open nerds who has no issue with spending most of his free time on MMORPGs, and in particular Legendary Age, a med-fan dungeon crawler where he plays a tank knight under the alias of “Rusian”. After getting badly burned a year ago, he’s convinced himself there’s no real girls online.

Ako is the incompetent healer of his regular party, and after insisting for months she finally got him to marry her in-game. The joke is that she is an actual girl (that’s even her real name) ; that weird shy girl in his class who’s basically Watamote‘s Tomoko if she played MMORPG, complete with the utter lack of social skills, and the simmering hatred for “normies” lurking under the surface.

“Apricot”, the party’s black mage leader, is one of those players who spends tons of cash at the in-game store to buy tons of showy stuff. You know the type. Anyway, they suggest an offline meet… and she’s also a high school girl ; most specifically, the student council president.

As for “Schwein”, the party’s other fighter, they turn out to be Segawa, Nishimura’s twin-tailed tsundere classmate (he’s never seen the “dere” part), and doing up to now a great job of passing as a normie. Also, she didn’t know her handle meant “Pig” in German.

Production Values

Perfectly okay, if a bit fanservice-y in some character designs (I hope Ako invested in a strong enough bra).

What did I think of it ?

On the one hand, the joke is nearly perfectly executed. Clearly the writers get the kind of hardcore MMORPG it’s portraying, and it show in all the little cute details. It’s got good comedic timing, the characters have decent chemistry together, and overall it’s a fun joke.

But… laying out the central gag took the whole episode, and there’s little sense of where it can go after that. How do you proceed from there ?

Oh, well, this first episode was good enough that I’m willing to try out a few others to see what’s next. So, mission accomplished !

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 3

Anne Happy

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of a comedy manga series about a class of unlucky high-school girls.

Characters

“Hanako” Anne, who gives her name to the series, has a strong habit of endangering herself recklessly to get close to animals… who usually hate and bite her. She’s more than a bit air-headed.

Our actual point-of-view character, though, is “Hibari”, who serves as a straight (wo)man for most of the jokes here. Frankly, the show’s definition of “unlucky” seems rather wide to include her, since in this case it seems based on a bizarre and embarrassing fetish of hers.

Botan, on the other hand, has the true misfortune of a ridiculously fragile health. (Shaking her hand may break her bones.) At least her doctor parents had the good sense of teaching her enough self-first-aid to just barely get by.

Interestingly, the main gimmick of the series is that school gathered all those unlucky students on purpose, and instead of a normal curriculum, they will teach them how to overcome their bad luck and be happy.

Production Values

Bright and colourful and pastel backgrounds, which helps make Botan’s numerous injuries amusing rather than horrifying.

What did I think of it ?

The first episode is far from a home run, but there’s the nugget of a decent joke here. With a few more students to round out the cast, and the school providing a narrative structure for the show, it may turn out quite funny. Or maybe it’ll crash and burn soon because it has no clue where it’s going.

I’m willing to give it a second episode to see whether it finds its feet.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 3

Bungo Stray Dogs

(12 episodes, with a second half already scheduled for this Fall)

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of a manga series about quirky super-powered private detectives.

Characters

Atsushi, our point-of-view character, doesn’t actually belong to the special detective agency. He’s a starving orphan who’s been kicked out of his orphanage and has been desperately looking for food for the last few days. Eventually he runs into…

Dazai, one of the members of the agency, whose gimmick is that he keeps trying to commit suicide. Er, yeah. (His actual super-power : suppressing other people’s powers.) The case of the week involves him tracking down an escaped tiger who’s been wreaking havoc for a couple of weeks. By a nice coincidence, Atsushi is pretty sure the tiger is stalking him, so Dazai’s all too happy to feed him to get him on board.

Kunikuda is basically Dazai’s minder : the straight man who keeps him on track while complaining a lot about it.

Three other members of the agency show up as backup at the end, although they’re mostly glorified cameos so far. The gimmick is that they’re all named for famous mystery authors, which I only noticed once Edogawa Rampo was name-checked.

Production Values

Now this is effective colour design, quietly reinforcing the important elements without drawing attention to itself. I’m less enthusiastic about the comedy bits having the characters looking way sketchier ; it kinda breaks the mood.

On the other hand, Taku Iwasaki’s score seems on form.

What did I think of it ?

Uh. I expected to like this more, but it’s not quite gelling yet. The case of the week is beyond obvious, and there seems to be a competition between characters as to who’s going to be the most obnoxious. (Dazai easily wins, with Mamoru Miyano chewing many acres of scenery.)

Still, there are enough promising bits on display here that I’m willing to give it time to find its feet for a few episodes.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 3

Bakuon!! (“Bike Club”)

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of a manga series of Cute Girls Doing Cute Things… er, with motorbikes.

(There’s also a recently-released OVA where they visit hot springs, but 95% of the screentime is devoted to the road trip, because of course it is.)

Characters

Hane, the naive newcomer who had no interest in motorbikes before entering high school, and thus can be explained everything. It doesn’t take much to convince her : it sure would be more convenient than her bicycle to climb the huge slope to school, and the show is all about motorbikes being cool as heck. Also, she’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer. (With their parents abroad, it’s her little sister who handles the finances.)

Onsa, on the other hand, is an old hand at this ; she even chose the school deliberately because its rules allowed coming to school by motorbike. The show gives her a running gag of going off in long, rambling and passionate speeches about her passion, only for her to get quickly ignored by her friends. I’m not sure it really works, although the payoff at the end of the episode is cute.

Both of them (at Onsa’s impetus), join the school’s ill-defined Bike Club, with only the one member left before they come in. The joke is that she keeps her helmet on at all times and never talks (onscreen).

Rin is another classmate whom Hane meets at driving school ; she’s a Suzuki fangirl, and seems affluant enough to wear a bike suit.

Production Values

Okay enough. It’s clear that most of the care went to depicting the bikes as lushly as possible.

What did I think of it ?

While the central idea is cute, such a show lives and dies on the execution of its jokes. Unfortunately, there’s quite some misses here (Onsa’s whole shtick, in particular). Other could get old quickly, like having Hane’s bike being voiced by Kikuko Inoue with a very dirty mouth. (What is it with slife-of-life gag series this season being unexpectedly raunchy ?)

Still, there are enough decent jokes here to make me give it a second episode to find its feet. We’ll see how it goes from there.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 3