Unlike the spring ’11 season where it took me a while to decide what to watch, this summer I feel like I’ve decided on too many to watch XD Here are my opinions on what I’ve seen as of now…
Ikoku Meiro no Croisée
Episodes 1-2 so far
Many fans have said that this series has a feel that’s similar to Aria. I can definitely agree with that. Like Aria, Ikoku Meiro is a pure and gentle slice-of-life story with a historical theme. It takes place in France in the 1800s and centers around a Japanese girl named Yune who’s brought over from Japan to help out at the ironworks shop of a young man named Claude and his grandfather Oscar. From what I’ve gathered from the first two episodes, the series focuses on daily life stories involving the cultural differences between Yune and Claude – Yune trying to become more accustomed to a life in France and Claude trying to understand her Japanese customs. Yune’s cuteness is off the charts and the general aesthetics of the series are gorgeous; pretty music and very detailed designs of the French architecture. There’s even some French narration at the beginning of the episodes to set the mood XD I can safely describe this series as a historical slice-of-life story with a little humor and drama here and there, but like Aria, not too much to take away from the show’s gentleness. If you like this kind of cute, gentle, pretty anime where “nothing happens” and yet you still enjoy it, give Croisee a try =)
Kami-sama no Memochou
Episode 1 so far
Premiering with an extended first episode (about 46 minutes), KamiMemo looks like it has potential. Like how Croisee has been compared to Aria, KamiMemo has been compared to Gosick. Both revolve around a hapless nice guy who unintentionally discovers this strange detective girl who’s extremely intelligent with solving mysteries but emotionally childish in other respects (like tearing up because she broke her chopsticks). A few things did turn me off about the first episode though, such as introducing too many characters at once (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if they’re developed later on), and I felt that mixing the two stories – the compensated dating mystery and the general introduction to the series with Narumi getting acquainted with the NEET group – made the pacing of the long first episode kind of choppy. I would have liked it better if one episode was character/story introduction and another was the dating mystery. But mostly I failed to feel any attachment to the characters at all. I’m willing to give KamiMemo more time though. I did find the dialogue well written, and if the characters become more likable and the mysteries are interesting, I’ll keep watching it.
Usagi Drop
Episodes 1-2 so far
Another Noitamina series, this one looks to be very promising indeed. Similar to Wandering Son in terms of being a character-driven slice-of-life story with an unusual pastel color scheme, Usagi Drop is about a 30-year old bachelor named Daikichi who’s suddenly left to take care of his deceased grandfather’s illegitimate child, Rin (who acts very much like a real child and not a typical cutesy, “genki” girl). Going by the first two episodes, the main focus of the series is the growing relationship between Daikichi and Rin. Like similar anime, the true enjoyment of it comes from how well this relationship is developed and conveyed. And in the case of Usagi Drop, it’s been brilliant. By the second episode, I was already caring so much about their relationship. The pacing is good, the cute moments shared between Daikichi and Rin are precious, and the show takes itself seriously all the time with nothing seeming out of place. All I can describe it as is cute, sweet, and well written. If this show can keep up the quality of the first two episodes, it may become my favorite of the season =)
No.6
Episodes 1-2 so far
Two episodes in and No.6 just seems like an overall good quality sci-fi show. Well written script, likable characters, pretty animation, and a fascinating setting that’s reminiscent of the Fractale world (but thankfully No.6 is looking to be much better than Fractale). The relationship between the two main characters, Sion and Rat (Nezumi), even has a bit of a yaoi feel going on. I can’t predict how the series will end or how things will progress, and that suspense is another good point. There’s action, drama, mystery – No.6 seems like it will be a great show for its genre if it can keep up the quality and end on a good note in its short eleven episode run.
Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu Ni!
Episode 1 so far
The sequel to the first season of Baka Test, this second installment looks like it’ll be more of the hilarious hijinks of the first. Obviously you should only watch it if you enjoyed the humor of this comedy/sci-fi series the first time around =D
Mawaru Penguindrum
Episodes 1-2 so far
Probably the most well-received series as of now, I think what got a lot of fans to watch Penguindrum is the fact that it’s directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara, the mind behind the Utena anime (and Sailor Moon R and S). The unique use of symbolism, on-screen text, and quirky if not bizarre scene designs and transitions are a big part of what made Utena stand out as an “artistic” anime. And so far, Penguindrum looks like it will go the same route. Despite its silly sounding premise – alien penguins resurrect the dead sister of two twin boys in exchange for them finding their “Penguindrum” – like all good anime, Penguindrum treats its story seriously. Utena had a silly sounding premise too, yet managed to make a unique, thought-provoking work of creativity out of it. Penguindrum’s themes of fate and sibling bonds are intermixed with the comical antics of the penguins. Whether the mix will work or not, only time will tell. Hopefully Ikuhara-san can make another great series all these years later =)
———-
I’ve been debating whether I have enough time to start watching Blood-C, Kamisama Dolls, and/or The Idolm@ster. I think I’m gonna pass on Blood-C for now since I haven’t heard anything great about it (and I’ve already seen Blood+). I might replace Kami-sama no Memochou with Kamisama Dolls if the former doesn’t start to grow on me (one Kamisama anime for another XD) And Idolm@ster I might pick up later if I hear good things about it.
Anyway, hope you’re all enjoying whatever summer anime you’ve decided to watch =D
I’m watching all the ones you’re watching except for Kami-sama no Memochou and Baka Test.
I seriously bow down to Ikuhara. I’m so glad he’s finally returned!
Blood-C has certainly started off very slowly. I’m still determined to see it through and hopefully it’ll improve. (Blood-C and Blood+ aren’t related.)
Debating about whether or not to drop Ikoku. It’s adorable, but boring. :|
Kamisama Dolls has had a very good start and I think you should check it out.
Thanks for the input. I know Blood-C isn’t related to Blood+ but is more of a retelling, right? I like CLAMP and Production I.G. but I don’t think I have time for another show right now. I may check it out later if I hear good things about it.
Yeah, Ikoku Meiro could definitely be boring if you’re not into that pure slice-of-life feeling. Like Aria, that kind of entertainment just isn’t for everyone.
Kamisama Dolls is still a maybe =)
Ikoku Meiro: While it provides a similar iyashi-kei feel as Aria–which I love–its setup does provide wonderful opportunities for gentle cultural clashes that will add a different element to the show; however, I’m hoping that as it progresses they will flesh out Yune’s character further.
Kami-sama no Memochou: After the reviews of the 1st 2 episodes at The Untold Story of Altair & Vega I’m willing to give it a try. It looks like it may be one of the better series to come out of J.C. Staff since Toradora! (another of my personal favorites).
Usagi Drop: Unless they depict the ending this looks to could be my favorite series of the season as well! I couldn’t wait for the anime to start so I read the manga, and so far they’ve done a wonderful job animating it! My only complaint is that Reina was too bratty in the 1st episode. But that scene w\ Rin blowing out the incense, or the scene in the 2nd episode when she was bouncing on her futon? Or the scene between her & Daikichi at the funeral? Wonderful . . .
No.6: A great setup. If you’re going for the slow reveal & keeping a tight rein on information this is how to do it. The reaction of some anime fans to the slight yaoi element, however, has been disappointing. . . .
Mawaru Penguindrum: I find it’s silly sounding premise is very palatable due to its fairy tale quality. I’m really looking forward to this despite some stuff in the 2nd episode that didn’t quite agree with me. (Your post also reminds me that I need to see Revolutionary Girl Utena. . . . )
Switch Baka to Test (not my type of humor) with Natsume Yujincho San (loved the first 2 seasons) and your list is the same as mine. I’ll probably give the The Mystic Archives of Dantalian a shot when it comes out, though. So far, I’ve really enjoyed the summer season!
Sorry about the long response, and I hope you’re enjoying the new season as well!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on all the shows =D I agree with what you’ve said about Ikoku Meiro and Usagi Drop. I’ve heard that some people don’t want to watch the Usagi Drop anime because they’ve read the manga…but you’re saying it’s been a good adaptation so far? Then I wonder why these people don’t want to watch it.
That’s funny about No.6 because I already prepared myself for yaoi stuff just by reading a synopsis of the series XD So I wasn’t surprised at all.
Usagi drop is too sweet. It’s just so damn mesmerizing for such a slow paced show. The first episode was so depressing seeing Rin being shunned like she was after feeling so alone with her father passing. Daikichi’s epic cup slam felt soo good. I was like “FUCK, YEAH! Tell them off!”. The second episode was much more happy. It will be enjoyable to watch Daikichi and Rin grow as a family. The post credit scene in ep 2 priceless, “It’s SWEAT!”
I’ve been watching both Kamisama series, dolls and memochou. Though I have some misgivings about each series, overall, they both seem to have a decent stories worth seeing through to a conclusion. Ugg, the climax of Kamimemo ep 1 was depressing. I’m sure that show will leave me feeling melancholy if they continue with those types of endings. As for Kamisama Dolls, the story really hasn’t gotten started yet so I can’t tell how good it will be. LOL, I do find it funny that the seiyuu that plays Accelerator in “To Aru Majetsu no Index” is going up against a rival who looks and acts very much like an Accelerator clone.
Mayo Chiki is my guilty pleasure of the season. I do enjoy some ecchi now and then. Mayo Chiki seems to be the best ecchi story I’ve seen in awhile. The plot is very much like Girls Bravo in that the main character has an irrational response to being touched by women. Though in this case, if he isn’t thinking about them in a sexual way he doesn’t seem to have the reaction. Usually with most ecchi’s I watch I really only watch them for the laughs. With Mayo Chiki, I do seem to like the story a bit. So I won’t feel like I’ll need to drop it half way through if it gets stupid like Onii-chan and Softenni did.
I’ve been thinking about watching no.6 though I may just marathon it at the end of the season.
I’m still continuing with Hanasaku Iroha also. It’s such a good show.
I share your sentiment about Usagi Drop. Just such a sweet, touching show ^^
I’m going to watch KamiMemou ep 2 tonight and that may decide whether I continue it or replace it with the other Kami-sama =P
Ecchi is not my taste at all and I can usually tell which shows are ecchi just by reading about them/seeing promo art. So I avoid shows like Mayo Chiki…but I did watch one ecchi show a while back – Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu – which had a decent story but went way downhill in season 2.
I’m still watching Hanasaku Iroha too =)
Yune is soooo cute you just want to hug her! The show is worth watching just for that. It also helps that the setting in france and cultural clashes that you mentioned, are also very well set (the cheese part was funny! and instructional as well. I was not aware Japanese did not consume many dairy products in the past). Liking it :)
Usagi drop is looking pretty good too. The artwork is very nice, and the theme and situations are pretty down to earth. Rin is also pretty cute, but in a natural kind of way. I haven’t seen the 2nd episode yet, but it looks pretty good :)
I’ve only seen ep. 1 of N0. 6. I found it the pretty standard so far, nothing that really grabbed me yet. But I will watch some more to see what happens.
Bakatest… Hum, I watched the 1st season, and it was ok-ish, but did not find it incredibly funny, so I’ll pass on the OVAs.
Penguindrum? I was going to pass that one, but you mention some pretty interesting things there. I’ll check it out, and also Utena.
I’m watching Kamisama Dolls, and Blood C. Kamisama Dolls looks pretty good so far. First 2 eps. focused on character introduction, and a little info about the “gods”. So it’s looking ok so far. I have not seen blood+, so I find Blood C to be pretty interesting. It also helps that I like Clamp character design, and they all pretty much fall right in that standard. I’ve only seen ep1. so far, but I’ll keep watching those.
Thanks for the info and the recommendations as well. I’ll look into those other anime.
Yes, Yune is cute enough without her cuteness going overboard and becoming sickening XD And actually, even today dairy is not usually part of average Japanese meals (the majority of Asians are lactose intolerant).
The story starts moving pretty quickly in ep 2 of No.6 so give it more time =)
Oh, those series sound good! I hope they are!
bye.
–End–
They are so far ;)
Don’t do it! You can’t watch all of it! You can’t! You just can’t!
…Well you could, but…^^
Ikoku Meiro No Croisee: I have yet to watch the second ep, but I have watched the first and…I was not impressed. Everything about it felt off for some reason. I wonder how the second ep will turn out for me…
Kami-Sama No Memochou: I actually liked it a lot. I was also worried about the appearance of so many characters (even though it was basically two eps in one), but I thought they all appeared in a timely manner. You’re right about the script writing–it’s definitely written well (good use of foreshadowing the key to the mystery). It seems like it’ll be a series that’ll get better each week.
Usagi Drop: So far, can’t really complain. Nothing really sticks out in terms of a flaw!
No. 6: I was unusually excited yet disappointed when I watched the first ep because I felt it was nothing but talk (more like a prologue to the real story), but felt like the next episodes after that would be great. I was right!
Mawaru Penguindrum: Look, I made the Penguin my avatar. It has forced me to watch not only for the story, it’s logic, and it’s looks, but because it has brainwashed me. I said that aloud, did I?
You should be able to tell by ep 2 if Ikoku Meiro is a series for you. This kind of show is an acquired taste so you may not like it any better in the second episode.
I agree with you about No.6. In episode 1 I was thinking, “Why are they so much younger than how they look in the promo art?” until episode 2 jumps ahead four years later and I’m like “Oooh” ^^,,, I can’t predict how the story will go and that’s another thing I like about the show. It’s only gonna be eleven episodes though so I hope it doesn’t end up suffering from poor pacing and/or an abrupt conclusion.
Heh, looks like you’ve been brainwashed by the alien penguins too XD I hope Penguindrum does indeed live up to all the hype.
I didn’t like the yaoi atmosphere of No 6, but the show in general was excellent; if only Nezumi was a girl everything would be ok.
Baka to test: Watching for sure!
The perverted side of me says that I must watch ecchi this season, so Yuru yuri is on my list, and maybe mayo chiki.
Uta no prince-sama: loved it, it’s like Ouran + Nodame cantabile + idols, and i liked ouran and nodame. The Idolm@aster sounds good too.
Penguindrum: why it’s so popular? It’s like the last season, when all the world where in love with ano hana and i was like “Meh”, Madoka is better!
– Good season so far
(Maybe it’s not perfect english, but you get Idea the :P)
The yaoi in No.6 doesn’t bother me since I suspected it would happen after reading what the show is about. So far it feels like a logical part of the story and not something out of place just for the sake of appealing to yaoi fans. So I’m fine with it.
I think Ikuhara’s directing is a big part of Penguindrum’s appeal. So far its looking to be another Madoka and AnoHana for its season. Hopefully it won’t disappoint in the end.
Ah, you said the magic word about No. 6 – it starts with “y” and ends with “i,” and is four letters long… ;) Actually, I was already considering it and may add it if I can find time in my schedule.
If you like the brothers theme in Penguindrum, you might check out Blue Exorcist, still going from spring season – I’m on episode 10 (catching up) and it has a really good developing relationship between two twin brothers. :)
I was thinking of recommending No.6 to you but now you already know XD I hope you can find time for it ’cause I think you’d enjoy it (even if it didn’t have yaoi).
I thought Blue Exorcist was going to be another long-running shonen series, which is why I didn’t watch it when it started airing. But seeing as how it’s only going for a 25 episode run right now, I might give it a try later on if people don’t seem too dissatisfied with the ending ;)
I’m watching all of the same series you are except for Baka Test(still haven’t gotten around to seeing season 1 >_>). Blood C is not what I would call the best. I excepted a lot from it since it’s both Clamp and the Blood series rolled into one but so far the plot has been bland and unoriginal for right now.
I’m really liking Kamisama Dolls so far. It has an interesting premise behind it and good characters(heck, this is more like the Blood series than Blood C).
Idolmaster is a fun show but I think that’s because I’m familiar with the games behind it(my sister is a huge fan of the series and she tells me stuff about the characters and such). It’s fun to see the characters from the game in an animated story that I can understand(since the games are Japanese only). Of course what I really want to see is Project Jupiter more than anything else.
Yeah, I heard those kinds of things about Blood-C, which deterred me from getting as I excited about it as I thought I would be. If I hear that it gets a lot better I might watch it at a later date.
Idolm@ster sounds like an acquired taste but a taste I may have =) I don’t have time for anymore right now but maybe another time.
Out of the summer anime, I am only watching Ikoku Meiro no Croisèe and its pretty good slice of life. Yune was simply cute, but hopefully she adjusts eventually. Otherwise, I am not sold on the other shows and considering the fact that I am on vacation in 5 days, the only way I can watch is download them off IRC… Otherwise, I have Hanasaku Iroha and Nichijou to keep me occupied along with the backlog of Anime I need to complete.
As for The Idolm@ster, I probably watch that for enjoyment and not blog it (only write a final review) if I get around to watching it… Too bad Namco refuses to release that game to the Americas, it looked pretty fun. :/
I’m still watching and enjoying Iroha and Nichijou too =) And hopefully Idolm@ster will become a good game-to-anime adaptation than other ones I’ve heard about.
Have a great time on your vacation~
I’m quite surprised how well Mawaru Penguindrum is being received, although less surprised than when I noticed how many people loved Angel Beats!. How well the show is going to do is indeed still up in the air, but judging from the first two episodes the show seems just isn’t my thing.
The pseudo philosophical talk about fate just comes off as an attempt to sound as if the plot has a great thought behind it, while on hindsight it’s just two brothers doing funky stuff being ordered around by a stripper manipulator in a hat. Talking about stripping, the show is way too perverse for its own good. On top of that, barely anything was known about the anime till the day it aired. You would almost agree on the Tokyo Youth Healthy Development Ordinance when such a show airs without any labels.
But if I read stuff like this about Mawaru Penguindrum I can’t help but think I’m in the minority here. Just like I didn’t understand why people like Angel Beats!, I also don’t get what people see in this show. Though contrary to Angel Beats!, this show only has 2 episodes, so it might still turn out to be something nice.
If there’s a well respected name behind the series (Jun Maeda for Angel Beats! and Kuniko Ikuhara for Penguindrum), fans will flock to it. I’m one of the people who loved Angel Beats! (not like, love!), probably more so than most of the people who were praising it when it was airing. But for Mawaru Penguindrum, I agree with you that the talk about fate in the series does seem a bit out of place with the comical hijinks going on in the rest of the show. It’s too early to say for sure though and it could all tie in nicely in the end. For anime like Angel Beats! and Penguindrum, quality comes from how it blends together things that otaku love rather than tell an extremely, coherent well written story. You either let yourself go for this kind of appeal or you don’t. Just personal taste I guess.
this is crazy, it’s my first time watching good summer show(well, my first summer season watching also.)
And yeah, no.6 was very different, Kamisama no Memo-chou was out of the ordinary. Kamisama dolls was also unexpected, Usagi drop is beautiful and Mawau Penguindrum snatched me out of the blue.
IdolM@ster is a bit different.
But, I haven’t watched Ikoku Meiro no Croisée.
Well, so many things to go this summer and so many shows to decide by myself.
I wish I could find more time.
No matter if Penguindrum works, at the very least it’ll be interesting to see how it unfolds. As far as shows this summer go, I’d say it’s the one with the most potential with what they’ve presented thus far.
As for IkoMeiro, I’ll have to agree that the mood is similar to that of Aria, but it just doesn’t seem as invested in the setting past a superficial level.
I’m prettymuch in agreement with you on the ones I’m watching…which is everything you are on here with the exception of Baka to Test Ni, since I haven’t watched the original season as of yet.
My favorite at this point is probably Dantalian no Shoka—that may or may not be me telling you to watch it, haha. Behind that it’s likely Penguindrum because man…those penguins. Teehee.
There’s a reason why some people who have read the manga of Usagi Drops do not want to watch the anime.
The reason is that something happens in the future which changes our perceptions of the beginnings of the show in a way. But I don’t think it’s too much of a problem. Besides, it’s likely that this season won’t go as far.
The only other shows I’m picking up this season are KamiMemo and Ikoku (putting Penguindrum on hold for now).
The second ep of KamiMemo was a let down. Too short, slow, nothing much happened; we were spoiled by the 60 minute 1st ep. I wish all the episodes could be that length. But I’ll still give it another episode or two.
Ikoku- can’t complain except for the awkward juxtaposition of the French and Japanese language, which [the French narrator] doesn’t really add any additional cultural element to the series and only serves to make us confused.
I don’t know if it’ll be your cup of tea, but Yuru Yuri might just be the cutest show of this season (compared to Croisée being the most moe). Highly recommended.
I just don’t personally get the same vibe from Kami-Sama No Memochou that I did from Gosick. The only thing I see that they really have in common is a small [perhaps bordering on loli], smart girl who solves mysteries.. the atmospheres are very different and Kami-Sama seems more focused on the actual mystery whereas Gosick focused more on the alternative history and characters.
I would say that Dantalian no Shoka reminds me more of Gosick. Has a very similar atmosphere, but with the fact that the stuff in Dantalian is more supernatural rather than explainable.
My current list so far for this season is as follows
Dantalian no Shoka
Kami-Sama No Memochou
R-15
Usagi Drop
Along with the continuing
Stein’s:Gate
Hanasaku Iroha
Nichijou.
I am intrigued by the ones that you are watching and may pick them up as well. I plan on marathoning a few series with Ultimatemegax soon.