I know last post I said I was gonna have a couple of editorials before my spring first impressions, but seeing as how I’ve watched two episodes of all but one of my spring anime picks, I decided to get this post out now =) Compared to the winter season, there are a lot more shows I’m interested in this spring!…
Plastic Memories
Episodes 1-2 so far
Though not a series I was originally gonna watch, after reading about the premise of Plastic Memories, it sounded like one I would like – it made me reminiscent of one of my old favorite manga/anime series, Chobits, plus I tend to like “robots with human emotions” stories in general. Two episodes later, and I’m quite enjoying it. The concept of the Giftia, how they function in human society, and how the SA Corp does their job in terms of dealing with Giftia owners, is very interesting. With this kind of premise, the series is very open to all kinds of emotional stories involving the various kinds of relationships between the Giftia and their owners, and between the main characters of course…which is unfortunately what I feel is the weaker part of the show. I just find the main cast to be very archetypical: Tsukasa is the typical overly nice-guy protagonist, Michiru is a typical tsundere, Isla is the typical clumsy cutie with a sad side, and Kazuki is the typical older tough girl who likes to drink. But I still find them fairly likable even if I’ve seen their personalities many times before, and we still have plenty of episodes to go for them to develop. Overall, even though I’m pretty sure I know what direction the show will be going, I look forward to seeing what happens on the way there!
Hibike! Euphonium
Episodes 1-2 so far
It’s been many years since I really loved a KyoAni show, but I still like the majority of the ones I watch, so I naturally was gonna watch this one as well. I can’t say the first episode really grabbed me: it wasn’t particularly funny, cute, or dramatic…it was just kinda nice and pretty, with a basic school club scenario. Nothing about the main girls struck me either, and I even had trouble recalling anything about them when I watched episode 2. However, I found myself enjoying episode 2 a lot more. I like how it took the time to really show how the first meeting of this club goes, with the senior members introducing each instrument, the teacher having them decide on a club goal, and the new members figuring out what instrument they want to use. I really felt like I was there, which is something KyoAni is good at. The main girls are growing on me a bit more too, though I’m still finding them a bit bland. The side characters like Asuka, Aoi, and the teacher Taki, seem more interesting, which is still a plus. I doubt it’ll become a favorite or anything, but I think I’ll like Euphonium enough to keep watching.
Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works 2
Episodes 1-2 so far
I didn’t review the first season of Fate/Stay Night UBW from fall because I wanted to wait until this second season finishes and review the whole thing then. But I loved the first season, and the currently airing second season is continuing the epic story. With the original Fate/Stay Night anime from 2006, the UBW movie, two seasons of Fate/Zero, and the first season of the UBW anime series, the Fate franchise has been going strong for many years, so by now most people know if it’s something they’d like and are only watching the second season of UBW if they already watched and enjoyed the first. As for how this season has started, I was kinda shocked that Archer turned against Rin so suddenly, with little remorse…I was just starting to like the guy! But at the same time I understand why he did as far as being a Servant. I’m also glad to see Illya being more than just a cutesy yandere and taking action against someone other than Shiro and Rin. And poor Saber is gonna have major back pain from being in that position for who knows how many days.
I know that the Fate series aren’t for everyone as they’re very dialogue-heavy and have drawn-on scenes, with story and characters built more through talking rather than doing, which isn’t surprising since they’re based on visual novels. It’s a style that could turn off some people who want more action and adventure in such a fantasy-laden setting, which is understandable. But for me and others who love the Fate series, this is what makes it unique and compelling. So yeah, if you liked any previous Fate works, I’m sure you’d like the UBW TV series.
Nisekoi:
Episode 1 so far
The second season of Nisekoi started airing a little later than the others, so only one episode is out so far. I hadn’t watched Nisekoi since the first season aired last summer, so I decided to watch the three OVA episodes to refresh my memory of the series again. Like the other summer ’14 anime, I never got around to reviewing Nisekoi since my blog was on hiatus at the time. Since I’m watching the second season, obviously I liked it, but I did have issues with it, mainly that by the latter part of the series, it was just so utterly predictable! I literally found myself correctly predicting every upcoming joke, every silly misunderstanding, every comical plot twist…it was getting ridiculous. And as I recently watched the OVA episodes and this first episode of season 2, I got a bit frustrated that after all this time, Raku still can’t just pick one of the girls! It seems like he and Chitoge are sort of being a real couple, but he’s still smitten with Onodera and nothing has really changed as far as any of their relationships…in my head I’m thinking, “Just admit your freakin’ feelings already!” And looking at this new season opening, there’s going to be another new girl! Why?! Things are already chaotic enough with the ones we have! But I know the comedic premise of the show does revolve around the hapless harem element, so if Raku suddenly went steady with one of the girls, the show wouldn’t be the same anymore, so I can kinda understand why they drag on all the love-triangle shenanigans even though it gets to be unrealistic after a while. But as I said, if I’m watching the second season, I must have liked Nisekoi more than not, which I did. When I wasn’t accurately predicting all the jokes, which was some of the time, they were very funny. The characters in general, though I get frustrated with their emotional constipation sometimes, are entertaining and fun. And as always, Shaft’s animation is very energetic and appealing to watch. Like with Fate/Stay Night UBW, if you liked the first season of Nisekoi, you’ll probably like this second season too.
The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan
Episodes 1-2 so far
Even though I’m a big Haruhi fan, I wasn’t sure I wanted to watch this series since I have little interest in the spin-off stories. But I decided to anyway and found myself enjoying it, not so much for the writing or premise or anything like that, but because I had missed these characters a lot and I was happy to see them again! XD Even though they look different, they still have the same personalities (well, besides Yuki of course) and the same seiyuu. For those who don’t know, Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan is based on a spin-off manga of the same name that basically takes place in the alternate world from the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya story in the canon series. It revolves around the daily lives of the alternate versions of the characters in that world, mostly Yuki and Kyon in the literature club, with the former trying to cope with her feelings for the latter. It has a lot of cute, and occasionally funny, moments, but I can’t imagine many people liking it unless they like the main Haruhi series…or if they like cute, slow-paced, slice-of-life anime. Besides its relationship to the popular series and having familiar characters, it doesn’t excel at anything in terms of story, direction, humor, etc,. It’s not a new Haruhi season, but it’s still awesome to see beloved characters again, even if it is in a different setting XD
Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic
Episodes 1-2 so far
After watching the first season of Kiniro Mosaic in 2013, I thought it was a good edition to the “cute girls doing cute things” type of anime, and this second season is more of the same. Again, you’d only like it if you like this anime trope and if you liked the first season. There’s nothing much else to say about it other than “cute” and sometimes “funny” if the quirks of the characters tickle your funny bone. I did like how episode 2 focused on the teacher, Kuzehashi-sensei, and her issue with unintentionally intimidating students – it was a perfectly cute and funny situation at the same time, and introducing new characters this season is a good idea to keep the show fresh. After all, there’s only so many jokes you can make with Shino gushing over Alice and Yoko embarrassing Aya before it gets too old. Kiniro Mosaic is a very easy-going, adorable show with easily digestible stories and cuteness all around. Again, I’m sure everyone knows if that’s something they’d like or not XD
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In addition to these, I also watched the first episode of Kyokai no Rinne. It’s based on the most recent manga by famous manga-ka Rumiko Takahashi (creator of Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, and several other older, long-running series). I had read the first eleven chapters when it came out back in 2009 and thought it was just “okay.” It was just too similar to Inuyasha, which I had recently finished, and I had little motivation to continue. I mostly checked out the first episode out of curiosity and don’t feel like continuing it. It took a long time for me to love Inuyasha – I didn’t really start liking it until the manga chapters hit the 100s – so even though that may be the same case with Kyokai no Rinne, I just don’t have the time and patience to find out.
In its place, I might check out one more spring series I’m a little interested in, Ore Monogatari!!. I’ll have to see how I’m feeling.
Anyway, hope you guys are enjoying the anime you picked this season. There are a lot of good ones, and good sequels! =D
We are starting with the same shows, and I like them as well. Plastic Memories is my favorite so far. The whole “what will happen when robots have emotions” theme is one of my favorites. And so far the show is going well. I agree the characters are a bit standard, but I find them pretty likeable, and they fit pretty well.
On Euphonium, the show is ok so far, but… I don’t know… The show does not look as good as other KyoAni shows. The animation is not as fluid, the drawings do not look as clean… I don’t know. I guess I’ve been spoiled by other KyoAni shows looking sooo good, that it’s a bit surprising, Also, that red/white spot they put on the girls cheekbones, what’s up with that? Looks a bit weird. Anyway, minor quirks, the show is looking ok so far.
Fate is pretty much the continuation of the last season. Looking good so far. Not much extra to say I guess.
Nisekoi is also pretty much of the same. The intro has a lot of new characters shown. I just hope they are supporting characters, and not more girls for the Harem, but… Well, we’ll see.
The new Nagato Yuki show… Hum… It’s ok so far, I think it’s a pretty standard slice-of-life show… But I just can’t get it out of my head that we are talking Haruhi here… I know Asakura is an alien interface capable of KILLING anyone that gets in Yuki’s way, so in the back of my mind I’m always expecting something strange to happen… Which it probably won’t. I’m also missing a lot of Kyon’s internal (and sarcastic) dialogues. It’s not a bad show so far, and it could probably have done well with a regular cast. I just can’t get it out of my head that Haruhi and aliens are there, so something is bound to happen… Or not…
I can’t believe how much I missed Kiniro Mosaic. Sure, it’s a pretty regular affair, but I was smiling all the way through the first 2 episodes. I like the characters, and their interactions, and even the new teacher fits pretty well. It’s just a fun show, and will be quite enjoyable :)
I’m also watching Nanoha ViVid, and a few more, but there are no others really worth mentioning. I think you picked the best ones already. This looks like it will be a great season!
Glad we’re liking all the same shows =)
Hmm, I haven’t noticed any difference in Euphonium’s animation compared to other KyoAni shows…guess that’s just me. As for their “rosy” cheeks, I think it’s just part of cute-ifying the character designs even more. I personally didn’t even notice it until you pointed it out and then I had to go and look at the Euphonium picture I have in this post and I was like, “Oh, that’s what he means” XD
Yeah, the Yuki-chan anime just feels so standard compared to how unpredictable and unique the regular Haruhi series was. I too am secretly wishing something will happen that will bring a connection to the main series, but I’m sure that won’t happen. We just have to take it for what it is XD
I recently rewatched Kyōkai no Kanata, and Hyouka, so I guess I’m comparing it against those two. And those 2 look really amazing :)
“I get frustrated with their emotional constipation sometimes”
Pretty much this when I watch Nisekoi, and (un)fortunately, this probably will continue for a long while until the manga ends for real, since the premise of Nisekoi is pretty much set on Raku’s indecision so like you said, Nisekoi wouldn’t be Nisekoi without it. It’s still frustrating to watch though, but people still returns to it for some odd reason (myself included).
I still haven’t watch UBW as I plan to marathon it only when a lot of episodes are aired, I should probably get to Kiniro soon since I enjoyed the first season. Still not sure if I want to pick up the Haruhi spin-off. Though I would love to hear Kyon’s melancholic monologues again, lol… if the story is told from his perspective.
Yeah, I know other people who have these same issues with Nisekoi and yet they keep watching it; it must be doing something right! All the jokes involving Raku’s indecisiveness and ever growing harem get old fast…maybe people keep coming back to it in the hopes that something will progress in the plot, and there has been some progress since the beginning of course, but yes, the main story has to remain stagnant until the series is ready to end for good, which unfortunately makes it seem dragged on.
There’s no Kyon monologues in Disappearance of Yuki-chan, so you may be disappointed =0
I watched Maria the Virgin Witch and liked it quite a bit! I wasn’t in love with it but there was indeed a lot that I thought was very good. I really enjoyed Ezekiel’s character development. I’d love to cosplay Maria.
So far, The Heroic Legend of Arslan and Nanoha ViVid are my favorite series this spring. Blood Blockade Battlefront and Punchline have proved to be very entertaining thus far, but nothing too great from either show yet.
Glad you enjoyed watching Maria =D I’m sure there’ll be some nice cosplay of her at conventions this summer.
Well, I’ve already mentioned my thoughts on most of these. With everything bar weird shorts with airdates of May or “?”, the season seems to have properly begun.
I have to say I thought Hibike! Euphonium was really good compared to Kyoto Animation’s output, well, since Hyouka. It’s definitely one of the better shows for me this season. Puru Purun Charm to Asobou I think is now my favourite, followed by Plastic Memories, then UBW and Migakura just because I like it, then Hibike! Euphonium, Ore Monogatari!! and Arslan Senki. Last season only had four shows I thought had this much promise – YKA, Death Parade, Maria and Yoru no Yatterman, and the latter two, especially Yoru no Yatterman, weren’t quire as good as I was expecting in the end.
Should be a good season!
As soon as Euphonium was revealed, everyone started comparing it to K-ON because of the similar theme of “girls in a high school music club.” But from what I’ve seen of the show, it’s more focused on character drama while K-ON’s appeal was the girls’ cuteness and comedic antics. Euphonium seems less comedic, which is fine by me. As I said, I enjoyed the second episode more than the first, so I hope it keeps getting better =)
The comparison does suggest, but I agree that they’re clearly different shows, and that seemed pretty clear to me when the show was announced. Anyway, yeah, I look forward to following it.
So far, I’m currently watching Nanoha Vivid, Fate/stay night UBW, Hibike! Euphonium, Nisekoi 2 and Danmachi and I have to say that the spring season is a very enjoyable one. However, I admit that I wasn’t really that impressed with Yuki-chan since I found the first episode rather boring, although there were a few enjoyable moments that I ended up putting on hold for the time being. I might come back to it once it finish airing.
But of course, Nisekoi wouldn’t be Nisekoi if Raku is not too dense in regard to his ever growing harem, but eventually it’s going to conclude when the author feels like it.
Yeah, I think Yuki-chan would only appeal to people who are big fans of the original Haruhi series…it’s cute and a little funny, but not too much, so I can see how it could be boring. But I will say that once Haruhi was introduced in episode 3, things are getting more lively ;)