Tag: manga adaptation

Spring 2011 capsules

I won’t bother profiling Suzy’s Zoo Daisuki! Witzy in detail. It’s a 2-minute-long preschooler’s cartoon where animals and teddy bears act cutely for the little children. Even the all-star voice cast (Mai Nakahara as the duck main character ! Maaya Sakomoto as the narrator !) can’t make me care.

via [In which I review] New anime, Spring 2011 – Page 4.

I watched the first episode of Maria†Holic Alive. To my complete lack of surprise, it has exactly the same problems as the first season : (1) Kanako is very, very annoying ; (2) Mariya is barely a dick at all, despite it being a key part of the purpoted premise ; and (3) it’s just not very funny.

Now, this show is proof that SHAFT can animate the crap out of any old shit and make it visually interesting, but it clearly falls short of being actually any good. A well-polished turd is still a turd. I really should have known better than entertaining the thought that this sequel’d show any improvement.

I’m starting to reconsider checking out every single short kiddy show that gets subbed. Happy Kappi clocks in under six minutes, barely managing to outline its premise (grade school girl finds a plush toy that turns out to be a prince from a fantasy world, and has magic powers. Wacky hijinks ensue). It’s very cheap-looking, too.

via [In which I review] New anime, Spring 2011 – Page 7.

Yesterday was the premiere of The World God Only Knows, Season Two. It’s basically more of the same, although on the upper range of the series : the jokes mostly work, and there’s some very good use of Keima’s genre savvy for comedic effect. The romance’s still as terrible as ever, but it’s not too annoying in this first episode.

via [In which I review] New anime, Spring 2011 – Page 9.

Blue Exorcist (Ao no Exorcist)

(25 episodes)

What’s it about ?

A middle school dropout discovers he’s the son of Satan. You’ll have to wait the second episode to see how he decides to become an Exorcist, though.

Characters

Jin, our protagonist. He spends most of the episode trying to hold a job… and failing miserably , because he’s quite clumsy. It doesn’t help that he’s got super-strength, some blue fire powers, and can now suddenly see the flurry of demons and sprites wreaking havoc on the real world. Also, his white knight personality tends to lead him into fights with local bullies (which he usually wins, but still).

Yukio, his “twin brother”, although given they barely look alike and the whole “son of Satan” thing, I’m not sure I trust that. Anyway, he’s basically perfect : calm, studious, and just getting a scholarship to a prestigious high school. Jin doesn’t like being constantly compared to him, but they do love each other.

Father Fujimoto, their legal guardian, and head Exorcist of the local church. He’s awesome personified, at least when he isn’t being lecherous. He did know about Jin’s ancestry, but tried to give him a normal life. Jin’s powers awakening rule that choice out, though.

We see quite a few other characters : the church’s apprentices, the various co-workers at Jin’s job, the local bullies… all of them are quite one-note, though.

Production Values

There’s something about the character designs and the animation that feels a bit cheap to me, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Anyway, it looks quite ugly and lacking in atmosphere. The pacing’s quite a bit wonky, too – the last few scenes all felt like the episode should have stopped there.

Overall Impression

Oh, sweet. A series I can drop immediately without any remorse.

There’s not much to like, here. Most of the episode is devoted to Jin’s work hijinks, which is just boring. It fails to make me care about the main plot, and Jin’s a brat I can live without. The whole thing reeks of clichés and well-worn plot devices. And it just doesn’t look very good.

via [In which I review] New anime, Spring 2011 – Page 13.

Hyouge Mono

(39 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Japan’s Warring States era from the perspective of an tea-obsessed esthete.

Characters

Sasuke Furuta, our main character. He’s technically an elite messenger/diplomat for Nobunaga Oda, although he doesn’t really get to display any skill at it in this episode. On the contrary, he easily gets distracted by irrelevant stuff around him (such as other attendees at a meeting’s poor fashion sense), leading to him not paying attention when important people are talking to him.

Nobunaga Oda, the warlord. This series depicts him as quite a bit of a thug, to be honest. I think he tolerates Sasuke because he thinks he’s funny.

Hideyoshi Hashiba, one of Oda’s major vassals and all-around snake. He completely bungles Sasuke’s mission by barging in with his soldiers at the least opportune moment. I can’t exactly see why he’d do that, apart to mess with him.

Our mission of the week involves Sasuke trying to arrange a rebel vassal’s reddition and pardon in exchange of a prized teapot the rebel owns (since he’s an esthete who’d probably like owning the teapot too, this may have been a test on Sasuke’s loyalties). I’d probably take the dude more seriously if he wasn’t wearing that terrible wig that just makes him look ridiculous.

Production Values

Fairly good ; this looks like a decent feudal Japan drama (if you don’t pay attention to what’s actually happening).

Overal Impression

Well, this is certainly a thing. A very weird and homoerotic thing. (The OP and ED being love songs don’t help.) The historical figures in this are barely more in character than in Sengoku Otome. I’m probably missing a lot of references due to knowing fuck all about feudal Japan. And still…

I found this absolutely hilarious. The disconnect between the “serious” artstyle and the characters’ ridiculous behaviour works perfectly. I’m not sure if the joke can sustain itself for 39 (!) episodes, but so far it’s a riot.

via [In which I review] New anime, Spring 2011 – Page 12.

Deadman Wonderland

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

In the near future, over the ruins of a cataclysm-destroyed Tokyo lies Deadman Wonderland, the first private prison/attraction park combo. Come with your whole family to see the inmates getting humiliated in deadly attractions ! Oh, and they’d better play along, as their locked collars are programmed to kill them if they don’t eat candy for three days.

Characters

Ganta, our poor middle-schooler protagonist. His class got massacred by “the Red Man”, who left him as the lone survivor. Of course, he was immediately designated as a scapegoat, got the death sentence, and got sent to Deadman Wonderland in the meanwhile. The (presumably fake) footage of him incriminating himself while talking to his public counsel probably didn’t help. For some reason, the Red Man injected a glowing red stone into his chest, which gives Ganta superpowers in a pinch. He’s gonna need them.

Tamaki, Ganta’s public counsel AND the warden of Deadman Wonderland. Now there’s an obvious conflict of interest that suggests he’s got enough clout to get away with it. This smiling snake makes for a lovely villain to hate. He makes arrangements for Ganta to have an “accident” as soon as possible, which seems like overkill given the poor kid’s death sentence and his complete lack of popularity among the other inmates. This is because he seems to actually know quite a lot about the Red Man, and is quite curious about Ganta’s survival.

Makina, the hardass, sadistic security officer at Deadman Wonderland. She made me wince a bit by loudly claiming a G cup.

Shiro, the weird albino girl who makes a beeline for Ganta. I’m not even sure she’s actually an inmate, what with her wearing a different collar from anyone else (though to be fair, we don’t really see any other female inmates yet). Getting around in a supposedly max security facility seems to hold no problems for her, and she’s quite the martial artist (although a shovel to the back of the head still puts her down). She’s voiced by Kana Hanazawa in her cheerful mode, which is actually an inspired choice for a character who’s obviously completely bonkers.

At the end of the episode we get flashes of various other inmates that’s probably be important later on.

Production Values

Quite good. The opening massacre scene is marred by some censoring that makes portions of it completely impenetrable, but after that it’s golden. In particular, the action sequences are quite impressive.

Overall Impression

Hey, this is pretty good ! The premise is obviously completely insane and outrageous, but this first episode makes a good job of selling it as an interesting starting point our protagonist must fight against. It’s very well-paced indeed, speeding through the trial to make it seem even more of a joke, and presenting lots of exposition without it feeling too clunky.

Now, I of course have some reservations about a 12-episode adaptation of a still-ongoing manga, especially given how plot-driven this story seems. Is it going to find a satisfying endpoint, or are they gonna strand us with a cliffhanger for a second season ? Time will tell. But so far, so good.

via [In which I review] New anime, Spring 2011 – Page 12.

Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal

What’s it about ?

A loser boy’s adventures into the world of EXTREME trading-card gaming, with fight scenes in a fancy holographic parallel world and an ethereal guide to advise him.

Characters

Yuma, our middle school protagonist with improbable hair. He has a strong tendency to get into challenges way over his head, which makes him a bit of a laughing-stock considering how often he fails. He wears a weird “key” pendant about which he has bizarre dreams about metaphorically unlocking his potential or something.

Mizuki, his generic love interest who generically supports him despite his repeated failures.

Tetsuo, his fat “friend” who’s a bit of a jerk but doesn’t seem that bad a guy (“It’s n-n-not as if I l-like you or anything, Yuma !”). Admire his 1337 skateboard, yo !

Kamishiro, a cackling pointy-haired bully (who never walks around without his yes-men posse) who has just punked Tetsuo out of his deck. Yuma can’t resist challenging him, of course.

Production Values

Alright for what it is, I suppose.

Overall Impression

My knowledge of the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise is limited to the Abridged series, but this looks so close to the formula (minus the Egyptian-themed weirdness) that I can’t help yawning.

As a toyetic show for kids, I guess it’s alright (it’s at least more competent and engaging than last season’s Cardfight Vanguard), but I have absolutely no interest in this.

via [In which I review] New anime, Spring 2011 – Page 10.

Toriko

What’s it about ?

The greatest hunter/”meal ingredient gatherer” is on a quest to track down every ingredient ever, selecting the best for the perfect meal.

Characters

Toriko, our huge, barrel-chested, impossible-proportions protagonist. The opening theme tune suggests he’s stronger the more he eats, and given all he devours in this episode alone, I can believe it.

Komatsu, our viewpoint character, a cook from a famous restaurant who commissions Toriko to seek out rare ingredients for them. He’s mostly there to provide exposition.

And… that’s it so far, aside from the various beasties they encounter on their trip, and a few villains mysteriously plotting in their lair (although that’s got no impact on the plot so far).

Production Values

Standard Sunday-morning-shounen fare (i.e. barely adequate) with very generic character designs.

Overall Impression

Was there supposed to be any kind of hook here ? This “first” episode leaves me with no reason whatsoever to keep watching : it’s ugly, the characters are annoying, and mostly I just don’t care. The jokes about Toriko mangling proverbs weren’t funny when Sailor Venus did that shtick two decades ago, and the whole thing is very boring.

Exactly as bad as I had expected.

via [In which I review] New anime, Spring 2011 – Page 9.

Astarotte’s Toy! (Lotte no Omocha!)

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

The incumbent succubus princess is now 10 year old and should really get around to gathering a harem, or so her handler says. Since she has no wish to do so, she tries to finagle about it by demanding that her first gigolo be a Man (Men’s world has been sealed away from their world for millennia), but she underestimated her handler’s persistence…

Characters

Princess Astarotte (aka “Lotte”), our very, very annoying main character. Played by Rie Kugimiya, of course. She’s attended by a little squad of maids and various other helpers. The most prominent of which being…

Judith, her teacher/handler, who’s very dedicated to raising her charge as a proper succubus. Hence why she decides to single-handedly reopen the portal to Men’s world… and actually succeeds.

Naoya, the first dude Judith bumps into, and who just happens to be ideal boytoy material (of course he does !), so she immediately snags him up. The OP suggests his relationship with Lotte will be a lot more genuine than just “source of lifeseed for Lotte to suck”, although to be honest she’s got much more chemistry there with his little sister. (Also, some of the dialogue suggests he’s much older than Lotte. Eek.)

Production Values

Nothing special.

You know you’re in for a classy show when the second scene has a generic exposition lecture happen with all the female cast bathing for no real reason, and Lotte’s tail hiding various naughty bits Austin Powers-style. Later on, Lotte gets quite a few random panty shots.

Overall Impression

When in another forum I stated how my mind boggled at the premise (“A loli that needs to suck semen to survive !”), I was assured that the manga it came from wasn’t that bad and very tongue-in-cheek. Well, while this isn’t as skeevy as it could be, it’s still pretty bad and exploitative. And it’s not like “Lotte discovering True Love” is a “twist” I have any interest in.

Bottom line : it isn’t funny, and none of the characters are interesting. Avoid.

via [In which I review] New anime, Spring 2011 – Page 8.

Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san

(?? half-length episodes)

What’s it about ?

A detective agency routinely summons a demon to solve their clients’ problems. But since he never stops long enough to hear his orders, hilarity ensues.

Characters

Azazel, the titular demon. A rude womanizer… who’s less than two feet tall. He would really like to get out of this contract, but he’s consistently outwitted by…

Akutabe, the head of the detective agency who summoned Azazel. A complete jerk, but he’s so marvellously deadpan !

Sakuma, Akutabe’s part-time assistant. Our point-of-view character, as Akutabe judges she’s just got enough experience to learn how the agency really works. She spends most of the episode bemused by the whole thing, but then you’d be too.

Our client of the week is a classic ugly cheated wife. The various “solutions” offered to her problems get more and more bizarre as the episode goes.

Production Values

Low but adequate, I guess. It does the job.

Overall Impression

This is very low-brow humour indeed, but it works. It’s got very good comedic timing, the character play well off each other, and I liked the punchline. Stupid but fun.

via [In which I review] New anime, Spring 2011 – Page 8.

Softenni

(12 episodes)

What’s it about ?

Slice of life comedy about a middle school female tennis club. Also, panties.

Characters

Asuna, who is very enthusiastic about the club, but a bit of a slob. She has a very dirty mind that will interpret anything as sexually suggestive. (Also, she’s a walking panty shot.)

Kotone, who hasn’t been stated to be the club president but might as well be. Very bossy and sarcastic. (Voiced by Eri Kitamura, of course…)

Chitose, the upperclassman for whom this is the last chance as entering a tournament before graduating… but that’s a tall ordeal, considering she’s completely crap at tennis. Also, she eats a lot, although most of it seems to go to her upper figure, if you see what I mean (and I think you do).

Kurusu, the dark-skinned prodigy with a bit of a sadistic streak. Has a weird tendency to show up wearing a random big mask over her head.

Mr Mishimagi, the coach/teacher advising the club. Mostly there as a straight man for Asuna’s bizarre trains of thought.

The credits suggests a fifth girl will be joining the cast soon.

Production Values

Not very good, and the show’s bizarre obsession with showing panties every other shot is more than a bit distracting. There are some very puzzling bits of censorship, with random sexy shots heavily censored despite the nearly exact same thing being displayed in full ten seconds later. The mind boggles.

Overall Impression

Oh dear. Well, I wasn’t expecting much from XEBEC, but this is a mediocre slice of life series made nearly unwatchable by obstructive fanservice.

Although, considering it isn’t very funny to begin with, I’m perfectly content with giving it a pass.

via [In which I review] New anime, Spring 2011 – Page 7.

Abnormal Physiology Seminar (Hen Zemi)

(13 half-length episodes)

What’s it about ?

Slice of life about very special college course where the students hand reports about their fetishistic experiments.

Characters

Matsutaka, our somewhat prude-ish heroine, who isn’t enthusiastic at all about this course. If you’re wondering why she’s attending, that’s because it’s a way to get closer to…

Komugi, who looks and acts like a nice guy but is actually quite an irritating jerk under the deadpan façade (but since he’s voiced by Akira Ishida, you can’t quite bring yourself to hate him…). Totally unashamed about his fetishes and what the Hen Zemi does.

Pr Meshiya, the teacher/researcher in charge of the Hen Zemi. A complete creep, and one wonders how he gets away with this with the faculty.

Mizukoshi, the nymphomaniac best student. She’s into really extreme stuff (seriously, her report in this episode ? Ewwww !). Beware her slobber whenever someone talks dirty in front of her.

We get to see a few more students attending the course : the peeping tom who camps with his camera under the stairs, the ecchi manga artist and his innocent-looking sadistic girlfriend…

Production Values

Adequate. I actually quite like the stylized artstyle : it gives everyone (apart from the teacher) a look of complete innocence that contrasts very well with what they’re talking about.

Overall Impression

Quite fun, actually. I appreciate the directness of the approach, and thankfully all the people involved are consenting adults (Matsutaka can quit whenever she wants…). There’s quite a lot of mileage in the sheer weirdness of those fetishes.

But it clearly won’t be to everyone’s tastes. Some of the fetishes described here are bound to squick you out. Also, and that’s a bit more problematic, not all of the jokes are that funny. Moreover, I worry that the short format won’t give the series the time to properly gel. Still, if you have any interest in the subject matter, it mostly works.

There’s been a couple of OVA out ; they seem to have been some sort of pilot or something. It’s basically more of the same, but they aren’t necessary at all to understand this first episode (which introduces all the key players properly).

via [In which I review] New anime, Spring 2011 – Page 7.