Tag: manga adaptation

Big Order

(10 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of manga series by the same people who brought you Future Diary.

Characters

Daisy is a weird fairy/hallucination who goes around and turns random people into Orders, which basically means that they get super-powers based on whatever they were wishing for at the time. She seems to be mostly doing this for shits and giggles, as she expects to be entertained by whatever interesting things the Orders will do with their powers. And in that regard, she’s been rather disappointed by…

Eiji, our teenage protagonist, who somehow got powers so incredible that he basically wrecked the world by accident when he got them. Ten years later, the scars are still visible all around, and he’s trying to keep as low a profile as possible. Other compelling reason to never ever use his powers again : his little sister is in the hospital because of his past outburst (and his inner monologue makes it sound like she’s barely got six months to live).

Rin is the pretty new transfer student into Eiji’s class, but of course that’s just a front, because it wouldn’t be a Sakae Esuno story without a sadistic redhead stalking the protagonist and being very creepy indeed. She’s an assassin nominally working for a secret council of weirdoes supposedly running what’s left of the world, and tasked with tracking Eiji down. Of course, since her parents died in the catastrophe, she quickly ditches her recon job and goes straight for the kill. Also, she’s an Order with regenerative powers, so she’s basically immortal.

Eiji spends most of the episode whining and panicking, but Rin straight out stabbing his little sister is the straw that broke the camel back. Together with Daisy putting a big range limiter on his ability (so that he can use it without risk of wrecking the whole world), this spurs him into fighting back. Especially as Daisy clarifies that his power isn’t actually to break stuff. He’s really a reality warper, able to bend the world (and people) around him to his will. (With a range now limited to at best the size of a building.) See, his wish as a kid was patterned after his favourite cartoon character, who was about conquering the world for its own good. So hey, Eiji might as well go and conquer the world… starting with the council of assholes who went after him. And Rin is his first draftee, whether she wants it or not.

Production Values

On the one hand, this is very raw looking indeed ; studio Asread isn’t known for producing polished shows, and this is the case here too. On the other hand, there are some great visuals for the initial catastrophic event, with the world just getting broken and fractured in a very unsettling way.

What did I think of it ?

This was certainly a very rough start. The episode spends most of its runtime being miserable and without much direction, spending more effort on histrionics than coherent storytelling. But it all comes together with the final reveal, which gives its protagonist a much-needed agenda, interesting powers that he’s already using creatively (lol at Rin healing Eiji’s little sister without even noticing it for a while – “Wait, why the heck am I doing this ?”), and dynamics with his supporting cast that promise to be fascinating.

This show is of course very derivative of something like, say, Death Note, but there’s enough energy and ideas here to keep it fresh. I’m willing to watch where it goes for a while.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 6

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

Age 12 (Juuni-sai : Chicchana Mune no Tokimeki)

(12 episodes would be ideal, of course)

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of a romance manga series about the love lives of kids, well, aged 12.
(Quite a number of OVAs were released over the last couple of years by a different studio ; from what I can gather this adaptation is restarting from scratch.)

Characters

Hanabi, our female lead for this episode, is your average sixth-grader. Helpful to her friends, not fond of the boys in her class being gross, and not afraid to call them on their bullshit.

Takao, the nice-looking boy that half the girls in her class have their eyes on, wasn’t even on her radar. It’s obvious he doesn’t crave the attention either (given how much time he spends alone on the rooftop), and it turns out he’s a rather decent guy. Neither of them have much of a clue how to proceed beyond the awkward first kiss, though.

Aoi is one of Hanabi’s best friends. Bigger and probably slightly older, she’s starting to struggle with the way the female body changes at this age. When her first period isn’t crippling her, though, she’s actually rather outspoken and ready to call out the boys on being assholes.

Hiyama is the informal leader of the “bad boys” of the class, and as such gets an earful from Aoi when some of them start flipping girls’ skirts. Actually, he quite likes her, but he’s so awkward about it that his warning of “be careful, my friends say they’re going to target you next” becomes a context-less “don’t ever wear skirts again !”.

Kokoa is your standard-issue bully : all sweet and smiles in front of Takao, but the venomous ringleader of most of the girls otherwise. Takao doesn’t fall for it when Hanabi comes into her crosshairs, though.

While the first episode is mostly about Hanabi & Takao, I get the impression that the show will alternate focus between them and Aoi & Hiyama.

Production Values

Very shojo indeed, including the inevitable romance bubbles. Doesn’t look half-bad, though. And thankfully, no fanservice whatsoever.

What did I think of it ?

Wait, this is the show no simulcaster is touching with a 10-foot pole ? The mind boggles.

This is your standard romantic comedy, except that instead of the usual high-school bullshit, you get grade-school bullshit, and the characters feel more genuine about not having much clue about all this love and sexuality thing. Frankly, it feels very refreshing, and the portrayal doesn’t feel exploitative in the least.

I’m liking this a lot, and it’s a shame nobody is picking it up.

Source: [In Which I Review] New anime, Spring 2016 – Page 4

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

Super Lovers

(10 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Adaptation of a shojo manga series about a teenager connecting with his new adopted young brother.

Characters

Haru, our protagonist, has come to his mother’s house in the Canadian countryside to spend the summer. Well, originally it was because she pulled yet another stunt, claiming to be at death’s door (haha, no), but he might as well stay for a bit.

Mom is an eccentric author, and it’s not hard to see why there was a divorce with Haru’s father and he got remarried. She’s really annoying, but has just enough charisma to pull it off. And her latest great idea was to adopt…

Ren, a kid who’s borderline feral and spends much of his time with the family dogs. Neither him nor Haru like each other much at first glance, but then they’ve got a whole summer (and series) to get closer.

Production Values

Studio Deen surprised us last summer with a couple of really great-looking shows. Not so much here : it looks okay, but very much in line with their average for this kind of low budget show.

What did I think of it ?

On face value, this is perfectly watchable ; and as long as the show doesn’t go beyond that summer, it should be alright. But the source manga has a reputation similar to Usagi Drop : after a time skip, it turns into a Boys’ Love series. And, er, no, just no.

It could turn out to be inoffensive after all given its short length, but the show isn’t compelling enough as it is for me to be willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. I’ll be skipping it, thank you.

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