Thursday, August 18, 2016
Sekai no Owari (End of the World) Concert at the Roxy Theater
I had a great time at the Sekai no Owari concert at The Roxy Theater yesterday. They were using the name End of the World for this show which is pretty much their name but translated to English. It’s their first live in LA (maybe even in the US). I’ve always like their music. I love the happy yet whimsical an d unique sound of their songs. I was amazed that they did their whole set list in English. They were dressed in suits and formal dress. The atmosphere was mello and chill. There was a sense of a classic theme to this concert. The venue fit maybe 300-400 people but very intimate. It was awesome seeing them so close ^o^.
The crowds were good. I saw a lot of people of various ages. There were a few kids too. Kudos to Fukase for sounding just as great singing in English as his Japanese. The rest of the group were great too. I wish I can see Saori more but I was more toward Nakajin side and DJ Love was in the middle. I came a little later so I couldn’t get too close on the stage.
They sang songs like Anti-Hero, Dragon Night, Starlight Parade, SOS, Mr. Heartache, and a few more. All the performances were fun and people were jumping with all the upbeat songs too. It was probably a 45 min set. I was kind of sad that they didn’t have encore performance. They came out a bit later after the last song to say goodbye again. I think the rest of the time was for VIP ticket holders meet and greet sessions. I wish they would have sing their Japanese songs too. It’s probably tough to do all the songs in English. Maybe their next concert out here will have both languages.
Overall Sekai no Owari (End of the World) concert was a great introduction live concert for the people in the US. I’ve enjoy listening to their songs for a few years now and it was a treat for a fan like me to see them this close. I know that they do really elaborate concert in Japan so I’ve hoping they’ll gain more fans in the US and have a spectacular concert here in the future.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Spring 2016 Anime Impression
Spring is a usually a good season for anime. We are a little over half way through the season right now. Here's some of my impression on Spring 2016 anime:
Boku no Hero Academia
watched: ep 1-6
It's a super hero anime show. A teenage boy who has no power name Izuku who will inherit the greatest super power of all. This is his story. Studio Bones really did a great job with this show. It's a manga turned anime so I'm hoping they stick to the manga. The character design is great. I like the comic book feel this show has. I want to keep rooting for Izuku. It's going pretty well.
Verdict: Will continue watching
Bungou Stray Dogs
watched: ep 1-6
I adored this show. The character design and animation is top notch. There are corny/funny humor in this shows plus a little bit of quirky characters, which is makes it fun and exciting. It kind of reminds me of Getbackers but with literature characters(many of the characters are named after literature characters).
Verdict: Will definitely keep watch watching
Endride
watched: ep 1-3
I wanted to give this show a chance because it has this whole boy warped into a fantasy world premise. The character design is pretty good. However, after watching a few episodes, I feel like the story is very average and I think the animation could have been better. It got awesome OP and ED though.
Verdict: Maybe pick up later
Big Order
watched: ep 1
I watched one episode and I don't know. I'm not into having the main female lead being a psycho who tries to kill you. The manga artist previous series Mirai Nikki had that and that really creeps me out. The animation is OK and the character design kind of look the same as Mirai Nikki.
Verdict: Probably not
High School Fleet
watched: ep 1
Cute girls controlling war ship and this one crew just got screwed really bad. It reminds me of CanKolle but a little different. The animation is good. The character is generic stereotypes. I might have to watch more to see if what happen and if there will be character development.
Verdict: Maybe
Mayoiga
watched: ep 1-3
There are a lot of characters in this show. A lot of them want to escape the world and go live in this lost village. I think the characters are just yelling and screaming a little bit too much. I'm still awaiting for some horror, murder, and mystery to happen. The hard part is to make use of that whole lot of characters. I'm hoping it'll be a mix of Higurashi and Another but not sure if I can bear the yelling and screaming in this show.
Verdict: Will try to continue
Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge
watched: 1-5
I'll pick this fluffy show up because it's cute. This is the show where all the supporting character shines because Tanaka is so listless.
Verdict: Pick up
Shounen Maid
warched: 1-5
I'll also pick this fluffy show up because it's cute. This slice of life show is heart warming at time and funny at other times.
Verdict: Pick up
Sakamoto Desu Ga?
I'll pick up this show because Sakamoto is too cool for school \(^o^)/ The over the top stuff that Sakamoto do is priceless.
Verdict: Pick up
JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Diamond wa Kudakenai
watched: ep 1-5
I know Jojo is popular and I'm gonna try to catch up by watching its previous arc. I decided to this Arc on a whim and I actually really like it. I think it's because the setting of this show is in high school and the bright color background really attracts me to it. I like Jousuke and his pals. The comedy in this show is great. Can't wait to see more action scenes. This season Jojo just looks fun and I'm hoping to see more.
Verdict: Pick up
Gyakuten Saiban: Sono "Shinjitsu", Igi Ari! (Ace Attorney Phoenix Wright)
watched: ep 1-3
I've played Ace Attorney a few years back and was really happy it got an animated series. The story follows the game but not as detailed as the game. The animation is OK. I like its opening song a lot. It's hard for me because being a fan of the game I wanted more. It ended up being OK so I'll continue watching it.
Verdict: Will watched
Joker Game
watched: ep 1-6
I like stories about spies and espionage. This shows gives me all the stuff I wanted in a spy anime. Production I.G. animation is excellent and the character design is really good. I like its ending theme too. The setting is before World War II I think and this spy agency train men in Japan to send them out overseas. Each episodes has different spy's stories. I'm hoping we can see a bigger arc where all the guys are involved but I have a feeling we won't. Really want to see what happens next.
Verdict: Pick up
Kiznaiver
watched: ep 1-6
After 6 episodes, I'm still not really entirely sure what they are fighting for. Studio Trigger did a great job with the animation and character design in this show. The premise is about the teens sharing pain. The bad guys is about to appear I think and there must be some sort of mystery behind our main character not feeling any emotion. There are still a lot of unanswered questions. I'm curious to see what happen next.
Verdict: Will continue
Kotetsujou no Kabaneri
watched: ep 1-4
There's a lot of resemblance of this show with various other shows. It's like if Attack on Titan was set in steampunk Edo era and the titans got swapped with zombies. The animation and the character designs are amazing. It has excellent OP and ED theme. I'm hoping to see a little more development in the story. I really like Mumei. She's a badass.
Verdict: Will continue
Macross Δ (Delta)
watched: ep 1-3
There were a lot of characters introduced in this show in its first episode. I'm liking the bad guys of this show right now. The music in Macross Δ is awesome as always but I'm hoping to see more development in our lead characters. It might be because I missed the Macross Frontier characters that I'm expecting a lot from Macross Delta's main characters. Also with the Walküre, I'm hoping lots of beautiful songs will come out.
Verdict: Pick up
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
watched: ep 1-6
I'm surprise at how good this show has become. I feel so sorry for the main character, Subaru, because he has to die so many times. This show is about a normal teenage boy coming out of a convenient store and gets warped into an alternate fantasy world but luck is not on his side and he gets kill. But every time he dies, he comes back to restart that day again. I was thinking it might be like Boku Machi (Reverse) but in the fantasy world but it's not. I think it's a really good light novel adaptation so far. I like the characters and the animation is very well done. Can't wait to see more.
Verdict: Pick up
Boku no Hero Academia
watched: ep 1-6
It's a super hero anime show. A teenage boy who has no power name Izuku who will inherit the greatest super power of all. This is his story. Studio Bones really did a great job with this show. It's a manga turned anime so I'm hoping they stick to the manga. The character design is great. I like the comic book feel this show has. I want to keep rooting for Izuku. It's going pretty well.
Verdict: Will continue watching
Bungou Stray Dogs
watched: ep 1-6
I adored this show. The character design and animation is top notch. There are corny/funny humor in this shows plus a little bit of quirky characters, which is makes it fun and exciting. It kind of reminds me of Getbackers but with literature characters(many of the characters are named after literature characters).
Verdict: Will definitely keep watch watching
Endride
watched: ep 1-3
I wanted to give this show a chance because it has this whole boy warped into a fantasy world premise. The character design is pretty good. However, after watching a few episodes, I feel like the story is very average and I think the animation could have been better. It got awesome OP and ED though.
Verdict: Maybe pick up later
Big Order
watched: ep 1
I watched one episode and I don't know. I'm not into having the main female lead being a psycho who tries to kill you. The manga artist previous series Mirai Nikki had that and that really creeps me out. The animation is OK and the character design kind of look the same as Mirai Nikki.
Verdict: Probably not
High School Fleet
watched: ep 1
Cute girls controlling war ship and this one crew just got screwed really bad. It reminds me of CanKolle but a little different. The animation is good. The character is generic stereotypes. I might have to watch more to see if what happen and if there will be character development.
Verdict: Maybe
Mayoiga
watched: ep 1-3
There are a lot of characters in this show. A lot of them want to escape the world and go live in this lost village. I think the characters are just yelling and screaming a little bit too much. I'm still awaiting for some horror, murder, and mystery to happen. The hard part is to make use of that whole lot of characters. I'm hoping it'll be a mix of Higurashi and Another but not sure if I can bear the yelling and screaming in this show.
Verdict: Will try to continue
Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge
watched: 1-5
I'll pick this fluffy show up because it's cute. This is the show where all the supporting character shines because Tanaka is so listless.
Verdict: Pick up
Shounen Maid
warched: 1-5
I'll also pick this fluffy show up because it's cute. This slice of life show is heart warming at time and funny at other times.
Verdict: Pick up
Sakamoto Desu Ga?
I'll pick up this show because Sakamoto is too cool for school \(^o^)/ The over the top stuff that Sakamoto do is priceless.
Verdict: Pick up
JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Diamond wa Kudakenai
watched: ep 1-5
I know Jojo is popular and I'm gonna try to catch up by watching its previous arc. I decided to this Arc on a whim and I actually really like it. I think it's because the setting of this show is in high school and the bright color background really attracts me to it. I like Jousuke and his pals. The comedy in this show is great. Can't wait to see more action scenes. This season Jojo just looks fun and I'm hoping to see more.
Verdict: Pick up
Gyakuten Saiban: Sono "Shinjitsu", Igi Ari! (Ace Attorney Phoenix Wright)
watched: ep 1-3
I've played Ace Attorney a few years back and was really happy it got an animated series. The story follows the game but not as detailed as the game. The animation is OK. I like its opening song a lot. It's hard for me because being a fan of the game I wanted more. It ended up being OK so I'll continue watching it.
Verdict: Will watched
Joker Game
watched: ep 1-6
I like stories about spies and espionage. This shows gives me all the stuff I wanted in a spy anime. Production I.G. animation is excellent and the character design is really good. I like its ending theme too. The setting is before World War II I think and this spy agency train men in Japan to send them out overseas. Each episodes has different spy's stories. I'm hoping we can see a bigger arc where all the guys are involved but I have a feeling we won't. Really want to see what happens next.
Verdict: Pick up
Kiznaiver
watched: ep 1-6
After 6 episodes, I'm still not really entirely sure what they are fighting for. Studio Trigger did a great job with the animation and character design in this show. The premise is about the teens sharing pain. The bad guys is about to appear I think and there must be some sort of mystery behind our main character not feeling any emotion. There are still a lot of unanswered questions. I'm curious to see what happen next.
Verdict: Will continue
Kotetsujou no Kabaneri
watched: ep 1-4
There's a lot of resemblance of this show with various other shows. It's like if Attack on Titan was set in steampunk Edo era and the titans got swapped with zombies. The animation and the character designs are amazing. It has excellent OP and ED theme. I'm hoping to see a little more development in the story. I really like Mumei. She's a badass.
Verdict: Will continue
Macross Δ (Delta)
watched: ep 1-3
There were a lot of characters introduced in this show in its first episode. I'm liking the bad guys of this show right now. The music in Macross Δ is awesome as always but I'm hoping to see more development in our lead characters. It might be because I missed the Macross Frontier characters that I'm expecting a lot from Macross Delta's main characters. Also with the Walküre, I'm hoping lots of beautiful songs will come out.
Verdict: Pick up
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
watched: ep 1-6
I'm surprise at how good this show has become. I feel so sorry for the main character, Subaru, because he has to die so many times. This show is about a normal teenage boy coming out of a convenient store and gets warped into an alternate fantasy world but luck is not on his side and he gets kill. But every time he dies, he comes back to restart that day again. I was thinking it might be like Boku Machi (Reverse) but in the fantasy world but it's not. I think it's a really good light novel adaptation so far. I like the characters and the animation is very well done. Can't wait to see more.
Verdict: Pick up
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Winter 2016 Anime Impressions
Winter 2016 anime started in January and a bunch of shows premiere. Winter is a low key season. This year's not too bad. More shows come out during spring and fall. Not sure what to watch this season? I've sampled a bunch of them and here's my honest first impression.
Tabi Machi Late Show
Watched: ep1-4
Looks to be short stories about relationships in each episodes. I was scared it's gonna be a show about cooking anime but from episode 2 on it was different.
Verdict: Will keep watching.
Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desukara
Watched: ep1-2
What is this short anime??? That creature that grant her power is too pervy. The girl transforming into bathing suit is not for me. That's not a magical girl at all. I'm definitely not the target audience for this show.
Verdict: Drop
Ooyasan wa shinshunki
Watched: ep1-3
Short episode of a guy moving into an apartment with the young middle school girl as his landlord. Slice of life probably. The episodes are so short to see what's going to happen in the story. It's ok.
Verdict: Maybe.
Yami Shibai Season 3
watched: ep1-3
I marathon season 1 & 2 with my friends a few years ago. They are just short spooky and creepy Japanese scary stories. This season starts off creepy. I'm watching for the spookiness and not the animation. Not bad.
Verdict: Will keep watching.
Oshiete! Galko-chan
watched: ep1-2
The topic the girl talk about in this anime becomes more personal and raunchy. Not my cup of tea.
Verdict: Drop
Sekkou Boys
watched: ep1-3
Can statues become male pop idol groups. This short episodes anime is strange and silly. I'm curious how the statue will project their emotions since they can't really change facial expressions. You get the see idol life and it's not bad.
Verdict: Will keep watching
Nijiiro Days
Watched: ep1-3
This manga to anime is pretty fun. See the typical shoujo but reverse it with the main characters being guys. I like how each guy have their own love interest. Can't wait to see more.
Verdict: Will pick up
Prince of Stride
Watched: 1-4
Otome Game turned anime. It's a sport anime with bishounen( definitely a plus). They are running track and field + par kor. It's always nice to see lots of bishies. The story is interesting. I like the animation and chara design. I'm hoping to see the character develope. I doubt it'll have a love story cuz most of the otome shows tend to not have a main guy.
Verdicted: Pick up.
Norn 9 + Nonet
Watched: ep 1
I was actually playing Norn 9 games a few week before this started. There's a lot of cliques in this show since it's an otome game turn anime. I'm hoping they pick out the good story arc from the game to turn to anime. Character design is not as pretty as the game. The seiyuu casts are amazing. The animation is not bad. I'll probably check out a few episodes of this and if it's not good I'll go finish the game.
Verdict: Will try
Hai to Gensou no Grimar
Watched: ep 1-4
Teenagers being brought to MMORPG world and having amnesia. They learn the gritty life of survival. It shows that the enemies that they fought have feelings too. Survival of the fittest in an MMORPG world. O wow. Looks like ep 4 on might be a darker show than I thought it was ..>o<.. This LN adaptation is interesting and another take to similar shows like Sword Art Online and Log Horizon. Verdict: Will pick up Kokaku no Pandora
Watched: ep1-2
Robot girl fighting with another robot girl and possible shoujo-ai. The animation is ok. There's quite a bit of fan service. I seriously don't like what the main girl has to do to transform. By the end of ep 2, I just don't want to see it anymore. I'm definitely the target audience for this show.
Verdict: Drop
Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut
Watched: ep1
I sum this show up to Knight + mecha + fan service. The character design is nice. The animation is good. The show does feel like other fantasy shows. I don't like how the main girl show the guy her mark at the end of ep 1. A normal person would not do that. Maybe.
Verdict: Maybe
Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R
Watched: ep1
I felt like I've seen these type of magical shows before. Wasn't there a nurse witch anime in the past too? I guess this is the remake or something. This one is just ok. The animation is ok. The character is ok. It's really too generic for me.
Verdict: Drop
Schwarzesmarken
Watched: ep1
This was suppose to be a prequel to Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse I think. I can totally tell by the girl's metallic outfit lol. The first ep just show chara intro and possible bad guys. The main guy in this anime is not a likable character and complains a bit. I'm hoping his character develope. The girls in the show are good so far. I thought the monsters they were fighting were generic but their mecha were cool. There will be more death and blood in this show.
Verdict: Will try
Divine Gate
Watched: ep1-3
I don't really know the focus of this show will be about. The animation is unique. Sometimes the drawings look good and sometime it doesn't. I got this feeling where this show is going to be sad. There're so many characters in this show to keep up. All I know is they want to reach the divine gate and they all have superpowers. I might check out a few more episodes to see if it's worth it.
Verdict: Probably
Dimension W
Watched: ep1-4
A guy who's stuck in the past and a mysterious robot girl that's very human like meet as duo and they continue to find illegal coil. The main character look like he's a trained soldier and likes to do things with less technology. I think there's some psycho trauma he's dealing with. His sidekick robot girl is cool too. I'm curioius to see the crazy shenanigans they'll get into. The animation is pretty as well as the character design.
Verdict: Pick up
Bubuki Buranki
Watched: ep1-3
It's like 2.5D animation. Sometime the character's expression is really weird. The premise is interesting. I'd love to see the bubuki fighting more. I just wonder where the main chara's sister went?
Verdict: Will continue
Dangashi Kashi
Watched: ep1-2 (1.5?)
It's a manga turn anime. It's a show that talks about Japanese snacks. The premise sounds really interesting and the animation is good. The first episode was a good intro to the Japanese snack world. But half way into episode 2 I just felt it was dragging. Maybe I was watching it late at night. Will try to pick it up again.
Verdict: 50/50 Maybe
Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Erased)
Watched: ep1-3
I heard about this manga. The story involve time traveling and fixing the wrong. I'm curious to see if the main character can actually save the girl. First ep totally got me wanting to watch more. Suspense + thriller + murder mystery = totally my type of show. Love the animation and chara design. Asian Kung Fu Generation is doing the OP theme too. Lots of potential.
Verdict: Definitely will pick up
Haruchika
Watched: ep1-4
I thought this might be a mix of Sound Euphornium and Hyouka but it turned out to be more mystery solving like Hyouka. The lead two chara will most likely not end up with each other. It's episodic where a lot of the cases are solve at the end of each episode. The flow of the story is good. The animation is really pretty. Character design is good. I wonder if this will be a 13 ep series since there are a few more characters who hasn't show up with and will the short length be enough for this show. Really like the mystery in this show.
Verdict: Definitely will pick up
I think it's definitely Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Erased) and Haruchika that top my favorite anime in winter 2016 so far. Each episode leaves me with enough feeling of wanting to see the next one. What's your favorite this season so far? Any cool one that I missed?
Tabi Machi Late Show
Watched: ep1-4
Looks to be short stories about relationships in each episodes. I was scared it's gonna be a show about cooking anime but from episode 2 on it was different.
Verdict: Will keep watching.
Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desukara
Watched: ep1-2
What is this short anime??? That creature that grant her power is too pervy. The girl transforming into bathing suit is not for me. That's not a magical girl at all. I'm definitely not the target audience for this show.
Verdict: Drop
Ooyasan wa shinshunki
Watched: ep1-3
Short episode of a guy moving into an apartment with the young middle school girl as his landlord. Slice of life probably. The episodes are so short to see what's going to happen in the story. It's ok.
Verdict: Maybe.
Yami Shibai Season 3
watched: ep1-3
I marathon season 1 & 2 with my friends a few years ago. They are just short spooky and creepy Japanese scary stories. This season starts off creepy. I'm watching for the spookiness and not the animation. Not bad.
Verdict: Will keep watching.
Oshiete! Galko-chan
watched: ep1-2
The topic the girl talk about in this anime becomes more personal and raunchy. Not my cup of tea.
Verdict: Drop
Sekkou Boys
watched: ep1-3
Can statues become male pop idol groups. This short episodes anime is strange and silly. I'm curious how the statue will project their emotions since they can't really change facial expressions. You get the see idol life and it's not bad.
Verdict: Will keep watching
Nijiiro Days
Watched: ep1-3
This manga to anime is pretty fun. See the typical shoujo but reverse it with the main characters being guys. I like how each guy have their own love interest. Can't wait to see more.
Verdict: Will pick up
Prince of Stride
Watched: 1-4
Otome Game turned anime. It's a sport anime with bishounen( definitely a plus). They are running track and field + par kor. It's always nice to see lots of bishies. The story is interesting. I like the animation and chara design. I'm hoping to see the character develope. I doubt it'll have a love story cuz most of the otome shows tend to not have a main guy.
Verdicted: Pick up.
Norn 9 + Nonet
Watched: ep 1
I was actually playing Norn 9 games a few week before this started. There's a lot of cliques in this show since it's an otome game turn anime. I'm hoping they pick out the good story arc from the game to turn to anime. Character design is not as pretty as the game. The seiyuu casts are amazing. The animation is not bad. I'll probably check out a few episodes of this and if it's not good I'll go finish the game.
Verdict: Will try
Hai to Gensou no Grimar
Watched: ep 1-4
Teenagers being brought to MMORPG world and having amnesia. They learn the gritty life of survival. It shows that the enemies that they fought have feelings too. Survival of the fittest in an MMORPG world. O wow. Looks like ep 4 on might be a darker show than I thought it was ..>o<.. This LN adaptation is interesting and another take to similar shows like Sword Art Online and Log Horizon. Verdict: Will pick up Kokaku no Pandora
Watched: ep1-2
Robot girl fighting with another robot girl and possible shoujo-ai. The animation is ok. There's quite a bit of fan service. I seriously don't like what the main girl has to do to transform. By the end of ep 2, I just don't want to see it anymore. I'm definitely the target audience for this show.
Verdict: Drop
Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut
Watched: ep1
I sum this show up to Knight + mecha + fan service. The character design is nice. The animation is good. The show does feel like other fantasy shows. I don't like how the main girl show the guy her mark at the end of ep 1. A normal person would not do that. Maybe.
Verdict: Maybe
Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R
Watched: ep1
I felt like I've seen these type of magical shows before. Wasn't there a nurse witch anime in the past too? I guess this is the remake or something. This one is just ok. The animation is ok. The character is ok. It's really too generic for me.
Verdict: Drop
Schwarzesmarken
Watched: ep1
This was suppose to be a prequel to Muv Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse I think. I can totally tell by the girl's metallic outfit lol. The first ep just show chara intro and possible bad guys. The main guy in this anime is not a likable character and complains a bit. I'm hoping his character develope. The girls in the show are good so far. I thought the monsters they were fighting were generic but their mecha were cool. There will be more death and blood in this show.
Verdict: Will try
Divine Gate
Watched: ep1-3
I don't really know the focus of this show will be about. The animation is unique. Sometimes the drawings look good and sometime it doesn't. I got this feeling where this show is going to be sad. There're so many characters in this show to keep up. All I know is they want to reach the divine gate and they all have superpowers. I might check out a few more episodes to see if it's worth it.
Verdict: Probably
Dimension W
Watched: ep1-4
A guy who's stuck in the past and a mysterious robot girl that's very human like meet as duo and they continue to find illegal coil. The main character look like he's a trained soldier and likes to do things with less technology. I think there's some psycho trauma he's dealing with. His sidekick robot girl is cool too. I'm curioius to see the crazy shenanigans they'll get into. The animation is pretty as well as the character design.
Verdict: Pick up
Bubuki Buranki
Watched: ep1-3
It's like 2.5D animation. Sometime the character's expression is really weird. The premise is interesting. I'd love to see the bubuki fighting more. I just wonder where the main chara's sister went?
Verdict: Will continue
Dangashi Kashi
Watched: ep1-2 (1.5?)
It's a manga turn anime. It's a show that talks about Japanese snacks. The premise sounds really interesting and the animation is good. The first episode was a good intro to the Japanese snack world. But half way into episode 2 I just felt it was dragging. Maybe I was watching it late at night. Will try to pick it up again.
Verdict: 50/50 Maybe
Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Erased)
Watched: ep1-3
I heard about this manga. The story involve time traveling and fixing the wrong. I'm curious to see if the main character can actually save the girl. First ep totally got me wanting to watch more. Suspense + thriller + murder mystery = totally my type of show. Love the animation and chara design. Asian Kung Fu Generation is doing the OP theme too. Lots of potential.
Verdict: Definitely will pick up
Haruchika
Watched: ep1-4
I thought this might be a mix of Sound Euphornium and Hyouka but it turned out to be more mystery solving like Hyouka. The lead two chara will most likely not end up with each other. It's episodic where a lot of the cases are solve at the end of each episode. The flow of the story is good. The animation is really pretty. Character design is good. I wonder if this will be a 13 ep series since there are a few more characters who hasn't show up with and will the short length be enough for this show. Really like the mystery in this show.
Verdict: Definitely will pick up
I think it's definitely Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Erased) and Haruchika that top my favorite anime in winter 2016 so far. Each episode leaves me with enough feeling of wanting to see the next one. What's your favorite this season so far? Any cool one that I missed?
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Favorite Anime of 2015
Hope everyone had a Happy New Year. It's now 2016 and the end of January. \(^0^)/ That means it's time to look back at some of my favorite anime of 2015. Last year, there were eclectic mixture of anime that came out. I felt like I've watched a lot of darker and more realistic shows last year than I've ever had before. In addition, there were tons of light novels turned anime too. I was surprise that there were even shows that have were similar in premise to each other and premiere on the same season ToT.
The basics:
Please note that I did not get to watch every new anime that came out in 2015 and the shows that started in 2014 but ends in 2015 will count in this post. What I like and how I interpret each shows may be different than others so there is no right and wrong.
Since I didn't have a post for my favorite anime of 2014, here's a recap...
Best Fantasy --> It's a tie. Akame ga Kill & Hitsugi no Chaiga + Hitsugi no Chaiga: Avenging Battle
Best Game Adaptation- Shingeki no Bahamut Genesis
Best Light Novel Adaptation- Amagi Brilliant Park
Best Psycho Thriller- Terror of Resonance
Best Sport Anime- Haikyuu!!
Honorable mention: Free! Eternal Summer and Yowamushi Pedal + Yowamushi Pedal Grand Road
Best Visual Novel Adaptation- Fate/stay night: Unlimited Bladework season 1
Best Comedy- Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun & Barakamon
Best Horror/Thriller- Tokyo Ghoul
Best Anime of 2014- Barakamon - I love this anime. This show made me smile and feel happy inside. A slice of life with a touch of comedy.
Favorite characters of 2014-It's a tie between Naru Kotoishi from Barakamon and Chaika from Hitsugi no Chaika.
Now let's begin with my...
***** Favorite Anime of 2015*****
Best Light novel adaptation
Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka (Danmachi for short...such a long title)
I really like this show. At first I thought it's going be another harlem anime in MMORPG world but it's better than I expected. Bell, the main character, is not arrogant, good hearted, and is just really lucky with the ladies unconsciously(who are mostly stronger than him). He just wants to be stronger and protect the people he loves. His goddess, Hestia, is adorable and helpful too. This show setting is in a typical fantasy RPG world. It reminds me of Sword Art Online or Log Horizon but with no players. The story moves at a good pace. Bell's character development was handled well. The animation grew on me and some episode I found was very artistic. The action scenes were good. The fan service in this show did not distract me from the story. Also, the supporting characters in this show are fun and entertaining. It's not a happy go lucky show. Bell has to deal with betrayal and escape death each time he goes to the dungeon. It's exciting to see how Bell handle the problems that arises. I'm hoping for a season 2 in the future.If you are looking for a nice RPG type show Danmachi is great for you.
Best Sci-fi
Kiseiiju (Parasite the maximum)
This anime actually started in Oct 2014 and ended in Mar 2015. The main character, Shintaro, and Miki(the parasyte alien in his hand)had a great relationship. The parasites they fought were ugly and scary. This show can actually be consider a horror anime since there were quite a bit of gruesome deaths. The pacing of the story was slow but it picked up really quick later. The action scenes were awesome. Their symbiosis change both Shintaro and Miki little by little. Miki was becoming more human like as Shintaro was becoming less. There are lots of layers within this show. Overall, Kiseiiju is a show that makes you think about our society and let us appreciate our everyday lives.
Honorable mention: Ghost in the Shell Alternative Architecture
Best Action/ manga adaptation
Kekkai Sensou (Blood Battlefront Blockade)
The feel of this show reminds me of Cowboy Bebop but with a Trigun twist. It was adapted from the creator of Trigun and I think the story is really intriguing. I love the sountrack in this show. Its jazzy/blues background made the show even better. The opening and ending theme were amazing and the insert songs were nice too. The animation is top notch. The casts were amazing. I enjoy the whole alternate New York City with people with crazy powers, aliens, and cool creatures in it. The fight scenes got better as each episode progress. Even though we had to wait 3 months just to see the last episode, it was well worth it. I wish they would dive into more of each character's back story. Hoping for another season in the future. I highly recommend this show to everyone.
Favorite Anime Episode of 2015 --> Kekkai Sensou episode 6 "Remember you Remember Me"
It's a touching episode. Some tears may be shed and it all started with an alien just wanting a burger ^o^
Best Music/Drama Anime
Shigatsu Kimi no Uso (Your Lies in April)
This show started in Oct 2014 and ends in March 2015 so I'll put this in the 2015 category. The music is fantastic. The animation is beautiful. The story is really good..>o<.. The relationships between the four main characters are well done. These teens have their own problems to tackle and they ways they do that is really realistic. There was the feels that I get that reminds me of when I watched Ano Hana with a Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on a Slope) twist ..>o<...Watch it till the end and you will know who and what lies were said in April. It's been a while since I've watch a show like this. Best Horror/thriller
Tokyo Ghoul √A
I really like the darker shows this year and Tokyo Ghoul really show the grittiness of it. I wish the series was longer. The characters are complex. It's hard to figure out who's right and wrong. The ghoul just need to survive but they have to eat human flesh. Human have to kill ghoul so that they can survive. Lots of twist in this half. So many unanswered questions. Lots of death. I'll be watching it's OVA while I awaits Tokyo Ghoul:RE anime.
Best Mystery/thriller
Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru (Beautiful Bones - Sakurako's Investigation)
A really good murder mystery anime with heart and somewhat despair. There was a depth to the story. Sakurako and Shoutarou's chemistry was great. She's a bit strange and he complimented her. The character design and the animation of this show is good. The premise of the show was interesting and well written. The second episode got me a bit teary too. Each case they solve has variety of layers to it. It's not the usual ..who'd done it.. kind of murder mystery. Also, sometimes, the truth of the murder hurt. The anime shows a grey area. In the end, there were still some unanswered questions left in the show so I'm hoping for a possibly second season in the future.
Honorable mention: Subete Ga F Ni Naru (The Perfect Insider) & Ranppo Kitan: The Game of Laplace
Other mystery reccommendation: Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin, Un-Go, Kami-sama no Memochou, and Hyouka
Best Shoujo/Historical
Akatasuki no Youna
This show came out in Oct 2014 and ended in Mar 2015. I adore its manga and the anime did a great job with it too. The character design it top notch and the fighting scenes are excellent. Youna's character develope and matures as she learns that the outside world is not what she thought it would be. Her four dragons guys and Huk are loveable characters. Too bad it just ended too fast. I wish they would have just continue on with the rest of the story but we'll have to wait for a season 2.
Best Historical/Action
Arslan Senki (Heroic Legend of Arsland)
Based on a fantasy novel with the same name, Arslan Senki is an epic story about a young prince trying to claim his kingdom back. With the help of his interesting friends, he journeys to become a great king. This sums up what Arsland is about but there is so much more. There is more crazy family drama and treacherous story going on and I really enjoy it. The character design is done by my favorite manga artist Hiromu Arakawa(Full Metal Alchemist). The animation is really well done. I like the fight scenes too. The war scenes were ok. I adored prince Arslan. He's a kind prince with a big heart. The supporting characters are interesting and I love how the story continues on. Can't wait to see what happen next.
Best Comedy
One Punch Man
It's the little anime that can...Little premise..Little story..but lots of laugh. It's silly to think a show about a guy who became a super hero and can kill any enemy with one punch would be this good. The silliness is what makes this show funny. The bald headed superhero, Saitama, is awesome. Saitama and Genose are a great combo. I don't know how many time Saitama city has been mess up by unatural and natural disasters but he just kept saving it. The bad guys appeared to be strong and powerful and it's funny to see how Saitama beats them. One Punch Man is animated by Madhouse and they did a fine job with this. Madhouse did a great job with its animation and action sequences. For a 12 episodes anime, One Punch Man is a fantastic show.
Best Anime of the Year
I have to give it to 2 shows: Death Parade and Fate/stay night: Unlimited Bladeworks season 2
Death Parade
Death Parade is just an amazing show. It premiere early in 2015 and I just can't get it out of my mind. This shows pushes the limit of human morality. Life or death situation will happen with just a few choices. Each characters that come to the bar had mysterious past. They are not always as innocent as they seem. As the guests play the game, they are remembering horrible truths that happened to them. It's a unique show. The animation is excellent and the characters are amazing. The story is well thought out. It's dark and brutal so probably not good for young audiences. I've also watched the OVA Death Billiard, which came out before the series and it's really good too. I highly recommend Death Parade. It's refreshing to see something that's different and still really good.
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Bladeworks -->this also won the Best Visual Novel Adaptation too
I wish it was longer but I'll have to finish playing the FSN Visual Novel to get more details. The Fate series is one of my favorite show and it's great to see UBW Arc being brought to anime form. It's the last half of the Unlimited Bladworks arc. The ending of UBW was great. The Holy Grail war concluded and you see the life after a bit. This arc has more focus on Shiro and Rin and it was done beautifully. Their character development and their chemistry makes you believe that they care for each other. The truth of Archer which has been hinted throughout the first half was revealed. There were lots of dialogue in the this half but it never dragged the show down. You get to see Illyasviel and Berserker in action ..>o<..Lancer redeemed himself and is a better character than I thought he would be. The animation was amazing. The battle scenes was top notch. I love this show ♥♥♥. Highly recommend it.
That is all of my favorite anime of last year. I still have a ton of back log to watch for last year. Overall, 2015 was a decent year for anime. What were your favorites of last year? Let's look forward to another good year of anime in 2016.
The basics:
Please note that I did not get to watch every new anime that came out in 2015 and the shows that started in 2014 but ends in 2015 will count in this post. What I like and how I interpret each shows may be different than others so there is no right and wrong.
Since I didn't have a post for my favorite anime of 2014, here's a recap...
Best Fantasy --> It's a tie. Akame ga Kill & Hitsugi no Chaiga + Hitsugi no Chaiga: Avenging Battle
Best Game Adaptation- Shingeki no Bahamut Genesis
Best Light Novel Adaptation- Amagi Brilliant Park
Best Psycho Thriller- Terror of Resonance
Best Sport Anime- Haikyuu!!
Honorable mention: Free! Eternal Summer and Yowamushi Pedal + Yowamushi Pedal Grand Road
Best Visual Novel Adaptation- Fate/stay night: Unlimited Bladework season 1
Best Comedy- Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun & Barakamon
Best Horror/Thriller- Tokyo Ghoul
Best Anime of 2014- Barakamon - I love this anime. This show made me smile and feel happy inside. A slice of life with a touch of comedy.
Favorite characters of 2014-It's a tie between Naru Kotoishi from Barakamon and Chaika from Hitsugi no Chaika.
Now let's begin with my...
***** Favorite Anime of 2015*****
Best Light novel adaptation
Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka (Danmachi for short...such a long title)
I really like this show. At first I thought it's going be another harlem anime in MMORPG world but it's better than I expected. Bell, the main character, is not arrogant, good hearted, and is just really lucky with the ladies unconsciously(who are mostly stronger than him). He just wants to be stronger and protect the people he loves. His goddess, Hestia, is adorable and helpful too. This show setting is in a typical fantasy RPG world. It reminds me of Sword Art Online or Log Horizon but with no players. The story moves at a good pace. Bell's character development was handled well. The animation grew on me and some episode I found was very artistic. The action scenes were good. The fan service in this show did not distract me from the story. Also, the supporting characters in this show are fun and entertaining. It's not a happy go lucky show. Bell has to deal with betrayal and escape death each time he goes to the dungeon. It's exciting to see how Bell handle the problems that arises. I'm hoping for a season 2 in the future.If you are looking for a nice RPG type show Danmachi is great for you.
Best Sci-fi
Kiseiiju (Parasite the maximum)
This anime actually started in Oct 2014 and ended in Mar 2015. The main character, Shintaro, and Miki(the parasyte alien in his hand)had a great relationship. The parasites they fought were ugly and scary. This show can actually be consider a horror anime since there were quite a bit of gruesome deaths. The pacing of the story was slow but it picked up really quick later. The action scenes were awesome. Their symbiosis change both Shintaro and Miki little by little. Miki was becoming more human like as Shintaro was becoming less. There are lots of layers within this show. Overall, Kiseiiju is a show that makes you think about our society and let us appreciate our everyday lives.
Honorable mention: Ghost in the Shell Alternative Architecture
Best Action/ manga adaptation
Kekkai Sensou (Blood Battlefront Blockade)
The feel of this show reminds me of Cowboy Bebop but with a Trigun twist. It was adapted from the creator of Trigun and I think the story is really intriguing. I love the sountrack in this show. Its jazzy/blues background made the show even better. The opening and ending theme were amazing and the insert songs were nice too. The animation is top notch. The casts were amazing. I enjoy the whole alternate New York City with people with crazy powers, aliens, and cool creatures in it. The fight scenes got better as each episode progress. Even though we had to wait 3 months just to see the last episode, it was well worth it. I wish they would dive into more of each character's back story. Hoping for another season in the future. I highly recommend this show to everyone.
Favorite Anime Episode of 2015 --> Kekkai Sensou episode 6 "Remember you Remember Me"
It's a touching episode. Some tears may be shed and it all started with an alien just wanting a burger ^o^
Best Music/Drama Anime
Shigatsu Kimi no Uso (Your Lies in April)
This show started in Oct 2014 and ends in March 2015 so I'll put this in the 2015 category. The music is fantastic. The animation is beautiful. The story is really good..>o<.. The relationships between the four main characters are well done. These teens have their own problems to tackle and they ways they do that is really realistic. There was the feels that I get that reminds me of when I watched Ano Hana with a Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on a Slope) twist ..>o<...Watch it till the end and you will know who and what lies were said in April. It's been a while since I've watch a show like this. Best Horror/thriller
Tokyo Ghoul √A
I really like the darker shows this year and Tokyo Ghoul really show the grittiness of it. I wish the series was longer. The characters are complex. It's hard to figure out who's right and wrong. The ghoul just need to survive but they have to eat human flesh. Human have to kill ghoul so that they can survive. Lots of twist in this half. So many unanswered questions. Lots of death. I'll be watching it's OVA while I awaits Tokyo Ghoul:RE anime.
Best Mystery/thriller
Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru (Beautiful Bones - Sakurako's Investigation)
A really good murder mystery anime with heart and somewhat despair. There was a depth to the story. Sakurako and Shoutarou's chemistry was great. She's a bit strange and he complimented her. The character design and the animation of this show is good. The premise of the show was interesting and well written. The second episode got me a bit teary too. Each case they solve has variety of layers to it. It's not the usual ..who'd done it.. kind of murder mystery. Also, sometimes, the truth of the murder hurt. The anime shows a grey area. In the end, there were still some unanswered questions left in the show so I'm hoping for a possibly second season in the future.
Honorable mention: Subete Ga F Ni Naru (The Perfect Insider) & Ranppo Kitan: The Game of Laplace
Other mystery reccommendation: Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin, Un-Go, Kami-sama no Memochou, and Hyouka
Best Shoujo/Historical
Akatasuki no Youna
This show came out in Oct 2014 and ended in Mar 2015. I adore its manga and the anime did a great job with it too. The character design it top notch and the fighting scenes are excellent. Youna's character develope and matures as she learns that the outside world is not what she thought it would be. Her four dragons guys and Huk are loveable characters. Too bad it just ended too fast. I wish they would have just continue on with the rest of the story but we'll have to wait for a season 2.
Best Historical/Action
Arslan Senki (Heroic Legend of Arsland)
Based on a fantasy novel with the same name, Arslan Senki is an epic story about a young prince trying to claim his kingdom back. With the help of his interesting friends, he journeys to become a great king. This sums up what Arsland is about but there is so much more. There is more crazy family drama and treacherous story going on and I really enjoy it. The character design is done by my favorite manga artist Hiromu Arakawa(Full Metal Alchemist). The animation is really well done. I like the fight scenes too. The war scenes were ok. I adored prince Arslan. He's a kind prince with a big heart. The supporting characters are interesting and I love how the story continues on. Can't wait to see what happen next.
Best Comedy
One Punch Man
It's the little anime that can...Little premise..Little story..but lots of laugh. It's silly to think a show about a guy who became a super hero and can kill any enemy with one punch would be this good. The silliness is what makes this show funny. The bald headed superhero, Saitama, is awesome. Saitama and Genose are a great combo. I don't know how many time Saitama city has been mess up by unatural and natural disasters but he just kept saving it. The bad guys appeared to be strong and powerful and it's funny to see how Saitama beats them. One Punch Man is animated by Madhouse and they did a fine job with this. Madhouse did a great job with its animation and action sequences. For a 12 episodes anime, One Punch Man is a fantastic show.
Best Anime of the Year
I have to give it to 2 shows: Death Parade and Fate/stay night: Unlimited Bladeworks season 2
Death Parade
Death Parade is just an amazing show. It premiere early in 2015 and I just can't get it out of my mind. This shows pushes the limit of human morality. Life or death situation will happen with just a few choices. Each characters that come to the bar had mysterious past. They are not always as innocent as they seem. As the guests play the game, they are remembering horrible truths that happened to them. It's a unique show. The animation is excellent and the characters are amazing. The story is well thought out. It's dark and brutal so probably not good for young audiences. I've also watched the OVA Death Billiard, which came out before the series and it's really good too. I highly recommend Death Parade. It's refreshing to see something that's different and still really good.
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Bladeworks -->this also won the Best Visual Novel Adaptation too
I wish it was longer but I'll have to finish playing the FSN Visual Novel to get more details. The Fate series is one of my favorite show and it's great to see UBW Arc being brought to anime form. It's the last half of the Unlimited Bladworks arc. The ending of UBW was great. The Holy Grail war concluded and you see the life after a bit. This arc has more focus on Shiro and Rin and it was done beautifully. Their character development and their chemistry makes you believe that they care for each other. The truth of Archer which has been hinted throughout the first half was revealed. There were lots of dialogue in the this half but it never dragged the show down. You get to see Illyasviel and Berserker in action ..>o<..Lancer redeemed himself and is a better character than I thought he would be. The animation was amazing. The battle scenes was top notch. I love this show ♥♥♥. Highly recommend it.
That is all of my favorite anime of last year. I still have a ton of back log to watch for last year. Overall, 2015 was a decent year for anime. What were your favorites of last year? Let's look forward to another good year of anime in 2016.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)