Sunday, April 14, 2013

First Impressions: Photo Kano (1/12)





Kazuya, a mild-mannered high school sophomore coming to the end of a very average summer break, receives a digital single lens reflex camera as a gift. His nerdy fascination with its design soon turns to wonder when he realizes this little gadget could really give his social life a shot in the arm!








Episode One: Encounter

So.....what to say about this weird show.....besides the fact that it's designed for perverts to watch. Even though I'm a girl and dislike fanservice, I still found this to be a little interesting. I like the comedy and the photography aspect of the show, and the characters seem interesting and relatable.


So the main guy acquires a camera handed down from his father, and begins to take pictures of everything, and everyone, around him. Girls are asking to get their pictures taking, and he happily obliges. Besides the fact that the show is heavily fanserviced, I still enjoyed his pictures and the photography aspect of the anime. I've always had an interest in photography, but have never really obliged it. The president of the Photography Club stalks Maeda and invites him to join their club of perverts, where they share a room with the Photo Club, which consists of three girls that take real photography. After being pressured to join both clubs, Maeda chooses the pervs, of course.


This has potential to be a good comedy for me, but I don't think its anything special. An average anime for the season. But I'll keep watching and see how it develops.

Animation: 6/10
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 6/10
The Episode: 6/10

Uta no Prince Sama 2000% (2/13)





After settling down at the master course, a new character arrives! Cecil, a prince from the desert. He claims to love Haruka and says he doesn't want to become an idol?! His senior, Camus makes him compete against the members of STARISH in a battle of fundamentals. Who shall win?



Cecil's Song





Episode Two: Reincarnation of Love

This episode was even better than the first one! I was completely in love with this entire episode, and I think I'm in love with Cecil! This was his first real debut episode, and the song for the episode was his! He is introduced as a prince from a desert country, but it is suggested by the song (spoilers) that he is in fact Kukuru the cat from the first season, and Haruka's love and singing transformed him into a human?! (spoilers).


The only weird part about the episode was that Cecil keeps professing his love for Haruka, which I think is rushing it a little. He doesn't want to be an idol, he just wants to be with her and sing her songs. I think he's probably going to develop into my favorite male character in this harem, and I hope they end up together at the end of the 13th episode.


The episode got even more interesting with STARISH competing against Cecil in a card contest. Camus, Cecil's senior, tries to get him to listen even though he has no interest in learning about being an idol. In the end after Cecil loses the contest, he agrees to study to become an idol. My least favorite part about this master course thing is that there isn't allowed to be romantic relationships (but nobody should follow those rules).


So overall I'm loving this, and can't wait until the next episode releases! This is my favorite of the season so far.

This Episode: 10/10

Majestic Prince (2/24)





Since becoming heroes after their spectacular performance at Udina base, Team Rabbits is called upon to set up the satellites as they show off for the news crews, but will they accomplish this seemingly easy mission?




Episode Two: Heroes Are Born

So compared to the first episode, I feel like this one lost the momentum that I first felt when watching the series. I can't expect there to be an epic battle every episode, or for Team Rabbits to pwn everything every episode, but I can at least expect them to not look stupid can't I? I sure hope so.


This time I actually got to watch the episode in HD thanks to my Crunchyroll membership that I just renewed. It greatly improved my thoughts on the art/animation of the series. Besides the unique character designs, I think that the art is pretty well done. I still don't like those two dumb ones on the end (well technically the blonde guy is super smart, but he seems stupid anyways). I wish they'd just get rid of those two and be a team of the awesome three, haha.


A few parts pulled my heartstrings, like the picture above when the people they saved came up and thanked them. I still believe this show has alot of potential either way. Theres 22 episodes left, and lots of places they could take this plot. I really hope it keeps me interested, because it seems to be a great one. 


Last but not least, I must comment that I love the soundtrack for this series. The opening is pretty good, as well as the ending, and the other music seems not too bad also. Hopefully they get a new opening thats even better for the second cour.

This Episode: 7/10

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Series Review: Kokoro Connect





The five members of the Cultural Research Club - Taichi Yaegashi, Iori Nagase, Himeko Inaba, Yui Kiriyama, and Yoshifumi Aoki - encounter a bizarre phenomenon one day when Aoki and Yui switch bodies without warning. The same begins to happen to the other club members, throwing their daily lives into disarray.

At first the five students find some amusement amidst the confusion, but this unwarranted connection also exposes the painful scars hidden within their hearts. As their calm lives are shattered, the relationships between the five students also begin to change...








So this was a Summer 2012 anime, and it literally took me a year to finish it. For some reason I would get into it, then quit watching after a few episodes, but I finally finished! This review includes both the original 13 episodes, and the 4 "specials" that aired later on. 


So to start off with, Kokoro Connect is an anime about some kind of alien studying five high school kids in the Cultural Research Club. Strange phenomena are happening to these five friends, and the entire anime series follows their lives as they try to get through these hard times. I found this anime to be very emotional, stressing, and fast paced most of the time. There were a few parts that were boring and I wanted to change shows, but I kept coming back to finish the series, and in the end am happy I did.


The art for this anime is average to say the least, while I really loved the characters. They had their times where they got annoying or I was mad at them, but in the end I still like them alot. The plot was unique and different, but not that amazing if you really look at it. I loved the humor in the show, but hated the parts that were a little too high strung. 


I would say I'm pleased with the ending, and the couples that seemed to come out of it. Pretty good anime, the 2012 Summer season had alot of great anime in my opinion.

Animation: 6/10
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

First Impression: Mushibugyo (1/?)





The action story is set in Edo-era Tokyo in the early 1700s. The eighth shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune ordered boxes to be installed so commoners can submit their thoughts. After hearing their voices, the shogun creates a new magistrate unit—Mushibugyou—to protect the people in the heart of the city. Each member is a specialist with unique fighting skills. 








Episode One: Here comes Tsukishima Jinbei!

Out of the shows I've watched so far this season, I think this has to be the most original. It also hits home a little bit because my house has been getting exterminated for bugs, and this is exactly what I'd like to do to them in real life. This wasn't that great though, compared to the other animes so far. 


The story revolves around Jinbee, a samurai who comes to Tokyo to join the Insect Magistrate's Office in the stead of his hurt father. We discover that his fathers injury was Jinbee's fault, but to not tell spoilers I will let you see how it's his fault for yourself. So Jinbee arrives in Tokyo and meets Oharu, a nice big-boobed girl (of course). He encounters a large spider while talking to her, and the head of the IMO appears. In the end Oharu is taken, and Jinbee runs to her rescue, where he is outnumbered by spiders, but the Mushibugyou group appears and in the end Jinbee is a part of the exterminators.


I found this to be original, but a little boring at some parts. I like the characters alot though, as they are all unique in their own ways. I think this anime has some good potential, but will end up being average. The action was good, but I didn't like how the main character kept getting fired up so easily, it kind of made it lose it's awesomeness in my opinion. Other than that I will keep watching and updating!

Animation: 6/10
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 7/10
The Episode: 7/10

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Series Review: Amnesia





This story takes place in a fictional town, in a fictional country, in a fictional world. One morning, a young lady awakens to find that she has lost all her memories prior to that morning. Her life, her relationships, her very name—all gone. All that's left is a cell phone with numbers and names she doesn't recognize and Orion, a young boy that only she appears to be able to see. With Orion's guidance, she struggles to make sense of herself, a boyfriend she doesn't know and the thousand and one little things that make up a daily life. But with no memories left, the only alternative is to forge new ones, even if that means leaving old loves behind. 








One of my favorite animes in the Winter season! I loved every guy in this harem, and fell in love with all the music involved in this show. I must say that at first it was confusing and I was frustrated, but by the end after everything was explained, it felt amazing. It was beautiful, with the art and the eyes of everyone being so colorful. I can say the heroine was a little annoying at first, with her too stupid to live personality, but otherwise it was perfect!


I couldn't even tell you who my favorite guy is. My top three are Shin, Toma and Ukyou. Shin was the bad boy (my favorite), Toma was the protective needy sexy one (yum), and Ukyou was so cute and sweet it melted my heart. 


I wish there was a possibility for a second season, but I guess not. After having her memories taken from her for some reason, the heroine is thrown from world to world. With a cute fairy named Orion helping her she tries to make sense of it all. And in each world she is dating a new guy, but which one does she end up with?


Dark secrets, confusing clues, and romance. This anime has it all, if you can get past the stupid heroine that is.

Animation: 7/10
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

First Impression: Majestic Prince (1/24)






In the latter half of 21st century, humans leave the Earth and begin to live in space. In order to adapt to the environment in space and deal with the hostile aliens in Jupiter, genetically engineered children called "Princes" are artificially raised and trained to be pilots of armed robots "AHSMB (Advanced High Standard Multipurpose Battle Device). This is a story about one of the teenage "Princes", Hitachi O Izuru, who studies in an academic city Grandzehle. 








Episode One: Sortie

I've never watched much Gundam Seed, but based off of others's comments, this seems to be the 2013 version of it. Originally I wasn't going to watch this anime, since the premise didn't really interest me. I'm not really into mecha anime, and the animation didn't look that great. Well I randomly decided to give it a try, and was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed it greatly. 


The characters themselves are all unique, with lots of comedy thrown in. The art style is definitely different than what I'm used to, but refreshingly so. This team of the worst students ends up being sent to the front lines of an alien invasion, and actually ends up proving themselves, surprisingly. They are called nothing other than Team Rabbits (lame name, I agree), but they definitely keep you entertained.


Hmm, things I didn't like would be the girl and guy on each end above. They both seemed annoying. I also felt that it was a little cheesy throughout the episode, and wasn't really that great until the action scene at the end. This is like the only two cour show so far this season, and I feel as if it should be one cour, while a great anime like Suisei no Gargantia should get 2 cour. But hey, that's just my opinion.


Another plus to this anime is the mecha designs it has. I really liked them compared to the few other mecha shows I have seen. This show does have the potential to be good, but still not a favorite so far in the season. The opening etc. was okay but not that mindblowing. I will keep watching to see how I feel later on. This is still a good show, just not in my top ten.

Animation: 6/10
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 7/10
The Episode: 7/10