Summer Season 2016 : First Impressions & Discussion

[Manimal]

Summer's here and the time is right for racing, dancing and fi-wait I used this joke last year. Um...bust out the ice cream? Sure, anyway I am here once again, in shorts, to do first impression reviews for this Summer's selection of new anime! The season has officially started today by way of early broadcast and it's time to jam. Everyone is welcome to post their own reviews, maybe even the guys who started this will join.... ...This thread is a discussion for the whole season as it airs, so it's not limited to first impressions although it's in the title.

http://anichart.net/summer

SO LET'S JAM! I'll edit this post as the reviews come in.

First Impressions
Masou Gakuen HxH
ReLIFE
Love Live! Sunshine!!
Rewrite
Orange
Bananya
Amaama to Inazuma
New Game!
This Art Club Has a Problem!
Onara Gorou
Amanchu!
Ange Vierge
Handa-Kun

Reviews
ReLIFE
New Game!
Masou Gakeun HxH
Amanchu!
Love Live! Sunshine!!
Ange Vierge
Orange

Wrap Up

[Manimal]

Masou Gakuen HxH




Genres : Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Romance, School, Sci-Fi
Studio : Production IMS
Source : Light Novel

Plot Summary
Hida Kizuna possesses the HHG (Heart Hybrid Gear) ability, but it is not strong enough to make him particularly important. His older sister calls him to transfer to a strategic defense school, where many of the students (many of which are large-breasted girls) use their HHG abilities to fight invaders from another world while wearing extremely skimpy pilot outfits. Kizuna's fighting ability doesn't measure up, but his sister has another plan—apparently having erotic experiences with Kizuna will allow the girls to replenish their energy or power-up. It looks like his new school life is going to be full of embarrassment

(Source: MangaHelpers)

Review

Spoiler

Plot

Masou Gakuen HxH is our super ecchi show of the season, it's about a world where this power, Heart Hybrid Gear, is in people...it's like a mecha suit or something. Our hero can don the suit but he lacks power...he does however have the ability to power up the HHG girls and he does it...by sexually arousing them. So he has these "moments" with the girls which power them up to fight some generic cannon fodder mechs.


Look I'm going to be fully honest here, I know it's a bit awkward to say, but this episode has really great ecchi, and it's not just silly stuff either that we see all the time. The protagonist has to fully please the girls to activate their powers, so in the last scene he's rubbing this girl, gently caressing her body and stuff, and it's really a well done scene. This is due to the direction and camera angles, and the score helps add to it as well. A show like this should be judged on how it does what it's meant to do. As an ecchi I thought that part was extraordinary. I think this show is going to give us some amazing ecchi and you know what, that's cool. The point of the show is to deliver these kind of scenes and this first episode has showcased this rather well. It's a very good erotic moment more so then the usual. I don't watch that many shows like this actually but I was rather impressed with how this scene was handled.


For everything else...one thing that really made me jump up is the school is based in...SCRAMBLE CITY! I'm not even kidding this is straight up Scramble City. For those who don't know Scramble City is a big fortress thing in the orignal Transformers, it's featured in an OVA and the 1986 movie. It's basically a fully automated city where the buildings transform and guns come out and stuff. Straight up that's where this show is set in. You see turrets come up from the ground and panels move to reveal guns. Any minute now Optimus Prime could be landing, Stan Bush playing in the background whilst he plows down the cannon fodder to...sexually please high school girls? Okay maybe these worlds don't mesh together very well. Oh ya Kiss Players...let's forget about that and move on.

The story is nothing really, it's just there so the ecchi makes sense. The whole thing is built around giving the guy a reason to touch the girls and it rolls with it. Like Bikini Warriors it lays it's ballsack on the table and delivers what you expect. When I order a pizza I expect a pizza. So when I cue up an ecchi I expect ecchi. Maybe sometimes a few extra flavours will be thrown on top to spice it up, but I ain't eating a pizza because I expect high class food. I know what I'm in for and am happy when it's delivered and it's just what I expected and wanted. I don't expect to order Pizza and get fricking snails and whatever rich people eat. I expect a greasy, messy, pizza.

Characters/Art/Sound

Kizuna is the self insert male lead, he is no one special and as he seen in this first episode, he's never even touched a girl before. But he's super gentle and just a real nice guy. Aine...okay so she starts to take off her school uniform when the robots attack and she strips down to this super revealing one piece. Then she calls Kizuna a perv. Yes...it's that kind of anime. Right after Kizuna powers her up what do you think she does? Punches him. Naturally. Yurishia is the blonde girl with MASSIVE baps. Pretty silly, she seems like the playful one. Hayuru is the girl who pretends she doesn't enjoy it and shuns all things sexual. So ya, the cast is what you expect in a show like this. Kizuna also has a mean big sister.

The art is average at best, the close up shots looked good, and the camera angles, fantastic. But the mechs where done in 2002 level CGI and the overall art style is just kind of boring. The action scenes where quick and mostly full of explosions...oh my God. Another Transformers parrell! Boobs and explosions...the ever classic formula. Voice acting was so-so. The version I saw is some pre-release cut so it's censored. I do believe it will be uncensored in the main broadcasting and man...that'll be something to see. It was funny how they censored in here though, with robot hands and stuff like that. Atleast they where being creative.

The guy has a shiny and defined butt plate. Just felt like pointing that out.


Iori Nomizu's OP is awesome! It's a fun keyboard-y tune, with a good melody. I always tend to like Iori and this is a good one!

Overall

Overall Masou Gakuen HxH is something you only watch for the ecchi, and from the looks of things, this is going to be a good show for that. If you like that stuff, check it out. Seriously the second ecchi moment in this episode was actually quite good. You can tell right away by looking at this show what it will be, it's no surprise. But I didn't think it was bad, I have certainly seen much worse shows like this. I like that it's set in Scramble City as well. I like the simple pleasures in life so I will keep with this show because I like brainless ecchi that's done well, and this episode was fine. I know it's not fine art and the show knows it's not fine art, we're all good. It's not pretending to be something on a higher level, it's just Masou Gauken HxH.

I can see this show getting bad later on, and I don't know what to expect really, the whole Kizuna pleases the girls can only last so long. But just going off this one episode, I did enjoy it because it gave me what I expected and even went beyond that a tiny bit. I do hope it stays at this level because it could be a good watch. I'm not into these types of shows normally, I haven't watched more then 3 episodes of High School DxD, I couldn't get into Monster Musume, and there are just not many I've watched in the super ecchi harem genre. But I feel like this first episode of Masou Gakuen actually got me interested and wanting more.

I have dismissed many shows for looking like ecchi trash before, in fact I even thought this would be some kind of garbage harem stuff. But you know, it took me by surprise so I won't be so easy to write things off like that from now on. But this is only first impressions, we'll see what it turns into later.

Will I Be Watching The Next Episode?
Yes. I think it will be good for an ecchi show. I don't expect anything else.


Recommendation
For those who like mindless ecchi fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8fZeaUHsjw

[Manimal]

ReLIFE




Genres : Romance, School, Slice of Life
Studio : TMS Entertainment
Source : Web Manga

Plot Summary
The story follows Kaizaki Arata, a 27-year-old jobless man, who fails at every job interview he had after quitting his last company. His life changes after he met Yoake Ryou of the ReLife Research Institute, who offered him a drug that can change his appearance to 17-years-old and to become a subject in an experiment for one year. Thus, he begins his life as a high school student once more.

(Source: MU)


Review

Spoiler

Plot

ReLIFE has been released in full on Crunchyroll. I still will be looking at episode 1 for the First Impressions.

ReLIFE is the tale of Kaizaki Arata, a 27 year old loser who's living the NEET life. He hasn't had a job in forever and his Mom is putting her foot down, telling him she'll pay his rent no more. When Kaizaki goes out drinking with the boys he pretends he has a job, only to return to his dark apartment. Life is not going his way, but one day he meets a mysterous man in the streets who gives him a pill which will turn him...17 AGAIN! ZAC EFRON! Kaizaki takes the pill in a drunken fit and basically turns 17 the next morning. He does not time travel, but rather he goes to high school, in the 3rd year, and takes the year again, in hopes he can do it right this time and get his life on track.

So ya we have the whole going back to high school element, but the whole deal is not to pick up girls and be cool. It's to get Kaizaki's life in order, and on a better path, effective erasing his past mistakes. Can you imagine redoing a part of your life which the knowledge you have now? Hindsight and all that jazz. I did like this episode, the beginning was super fast though. We get the basic idea that Kaizaki is a NEET loser, but in no time at all he meets the pill guy and goes back to high school. The stuff in school was pretty amusing, we got to meet the other characters who where likeable. There where some comedic antics and a bit with him and the teacher. It would be awkard for sure, this 27 year old guy with 17 year olds. But he acts normally. The teacher finds his smokes in his bag, which of course leads to some antics. I think it will be fun to see how Kaizaki acts around these students. I have a feeling this show could hit some soft spots, I got that vibe from his scene with the teacher. It's certainly not a pure comedy. I mean it's about a NEET who is given a chance to redo his life from 17.


Characters/Art/Sound

Kaizaki is a likeable character, I don't know what it is about him but I think he's a good lead. He's actually pretty upbeat in spite of his situation. We meet some girls in his new class, not too much to say about them from episode 1. Chizuru is interesting and An seems to have some secrets. It would be interesting to learn more about Rena. I think this episode did a good job setting up the story and telling you a bit about the characters. There is a lot of potential for more development later on. So from episode 1 it's a good group.

Art wise the show is kind of meh. The designs are fine, very simple and grounded with enough flairs from charcater to character. The colours in this show are super simple and seem to follow a grey and blue scheme, like the ReLIFE pill itself. The soundtrack is what I really liked about this episode. It's jazzy and funky. A lot of piano led pieces that remind me of The Peanuts. I did quite like the score and the voice acting was good. An is voiced Reina Ueda who did Hane in Bakuon last season. She's great, I liked her as Hane a lot. Her voice for An is more natural and less...airhead-like. The OP song is so-so but I like the ED fine.

Overall

Overall the first episode of ReLIFE was good. It was fast paced in the beginning but I think it's a promising set-up with a lot of potential to get a little serious and set up good characters. Since the whole show is out it's weird to talk about episode 1 when I could just binge it all, but I didn't feel like it tonight. I'll say from the first episode ReLIFE is off to a good start, I bet there will be more fun antics ahead.

Will I Be Watching The Next Episode?
Yes

Recommendation
Fans of school based stories, I guess?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f06QZCVUHg

[Manimal]

Love Live! Sunshine!!




Genres : Music, School, Slice of Life
Studio : Sunrise
Source : Original

Plot Summary
Uranohoshi Girls' High School, a private school in the seaside neighborhood of Uchiura at Numazu city, Shizuoka prefecture.

A small high school in a corner of Suruga Bay, it is home to nine teens, led by second-year student Chika Takami, driven by one seriously big dream: To become the next generation of bright, sparkling "school idols"!

As long as we don't give up, any dream can come true... All we have to do now is keep pushing hard for fame and glory!

Now their "School Idol Project" begins to make their dreams come true!

(Source: Official site)

Review

Spoiler

Plot

My temperatures rising, fever is high. Love Live Sunshine is finally here and I feel fine.

Sunshine follows the story of the new generation of school idols, Aqours. In the original Love Live, a seriously passionate student, Honaka, gathered 8 friends and formed an idol group to advertise their school which was in danger of closing. In Sunshine Chika is the seriously passionate girl who doesn't know what to do with her life. When she sees a video of Muse performing "START DASH" it suddenly all clicks in her head. Seeing these normal girls "shine" on stage like that inspires her to gather her own group of 9 and form a school idol unit of her own.

I've been into Love Live since the end of 2014 so I missed the show when it was airing. I was super excited to hear about the new group since it could be something I could follow from the very beginning. The original group Muse was created in 2010, and Aqours first single hit October 2015. I was a supporter straight from the first song, and I've loved everything from them so far. Safe to say my hype is high for this show. So how did Sunshine's premiere do?

Beautifully.


I was in from the beginning so I didn't need to be sold on anything about this show, but this first episode was just as good as I hoped it would be. We meet Chika right away when she comes across a video of Muse. She's then standing outside her school's gate with her best friend You, trying to get people interested. She meets Hanamaru, Ruby and Yoshiko, the first years, and later the uptight student council president Dia, WHO FORBIDS IDOLS! We also get a brief intro to Kanan who is busy at her parents diving shop. This show takes place on a seaside fishing town, so it's even MORE of an underdog story then the original. What this episode does best is showcase the appeal of Love Live.

When Chika meets Riko at a dock after the red haired transfer student attempts to jump into the sea, Chika shows her Muse. Riko is surprised to see 9 normal girls, expecting a big celebrity group. That's what's great about Love Live, it's these normal girls who become homemade idols. While I do like The Idol Master, it's the homegrown aspect of Love Live that clicks with me. In Sunshine the idea is that even these girls from some small fishing town can become stars. It's a very nice concept and this show does a great job introducing everything.


I like how Muse was used in this first episode. We only see them in archive footage and pictures, which is how I hope it stays. I do feel cameos this early into the show would cheapen the new cast, so if anything that is something that should be saved for later seasons. I got legit goosebumps when "START DASH" played. I do like the idea of this show, that Muse has such a great reach and everything. People will compare Sunshine to the old series and call it a copy or what have you. It's certainly similar but that's what you would hope for. It's the same basic idea with a new cast, setting and dynamic. It's showing how Muse passes the torch onto a new generation. and from this episode I like the new girls already.

Characters/Art/Sound

Chika is similar to Honk in her extreme passion. She's just found out what she wants to do and now she wants to spread the word of Muse to everyone. The main characters in idol shows tend to be similar but a straight, normal character like this is needed. Everyone will see Chika's passion and want to join in to support her. She's relentless in her vision and won't rest until the group is together. Her passion cause her best friend You to agree to join, becoming the second member. You has always wanted to do something with Chika and now seeing her friend so passionate about something, she wants to support her. Hanamaru, Ruby and Yoshiko where only shown briefly but I already love Yoshiko. She's a complete nutcase. She dives down from a tree, almost breaking her legs and tries to go into this chuuni monologue about how she's a fallen angel, though this is ruined when Hanamaru recognises her from Kindergarten, bursting her bubble. Hanamaru says "zura" at the end of all her sentences and is friends with Ruby, a super shy girl who flips out when Chika touches her hand.


Dia is similar to Eli in her role as student council president but it's shown that she has a hidden passion for idols herself, being aware of the rules of the Love Live competition. She's mean to Chika but an opposing force is what is needed to kick things off. Riko is interesting, I thought she would be similar to Umi but instead she seems to be just a really kind person, who maybe has a bit of a hidden wild side. Kanan to is interesting, we don't get to know too much about her in this episode. The relationships between characters where shown very clearly, we learn who's friends with who, and where everyone is.


The art was excellent, this thing moved so well and a lot was put into the individual body language of the characters. It's such a lively and bubbly episode. Their expressions are great as well, Yoshiko does atleast 10 screenshot worthy expressions in under 1 minute. You can tell a lot about the characters from how they pose themselves in this episode. The backgrounds and lighting are very nice and the seaside setting was showcased rather well. I feel this art is a big step up from the orignal Love Live, if Sunshine can keep this level of animation up, it's golden. The characters are so perfectly cute, it's down to a science.


The opening song "Jumping Heart" is great and a high energy anthem. The ending song sang by Chika, You and Riko titled "Hand In Hand" is completely awesome and idol fun at it's best. With a super infectious chorus. Voice acting was awesome, Yoshiko's deep voice is so good and Ruby is not as annoying as you would think. In terms of art and sound this episode was rocking it.

Overall

Overall the first episode of Love Live! Sunshine!! was completely excellent and I loved every second of it. I am super jazzed to watch more and listen to new songs from Aqours. The whole Love Live project is great and I like that we are getting a whole new group. Muse will always be there in archive, the future of Aqours is looking to be bright. I will still be slightly wary to make big statements this early, but I really felt like this episode delivered and it showed great promise. Sunrise, Lantis, they all know everyone has high hopes for Aqours. Love Live is a huge franchise, it's grown a great deal since I've got into it. It's not hard to see why. The original is a well made show, the songs are great, the mobile game is free and available worldwide, and now that the original has been dubbed it can reach an even greater audience.

Love Live is not for everybody but I do feel it's on a much higher level then other cute girl anime shows, so much so that you can't compare it to anything else. It's about something, striving towards a dream, coming up from a small place to hit big highs, it has a story and development. It's an idea I feel can hit home with a lot of people. Sunshine's first episode was awesome and I'm glad to see my initial hype has payed off. Sunshine is the anime of 2016 for me. We'll see where it all goes from here! All abroad the Doki Doki Sunshine express, it's kicked into full gear now!

Will I Be Watching The Next Episode?
YES


Recommendation
For those who like nice light hearted stories

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAxm_GSM7L4

[Manimal]

Rewrite




Genres : Action, Comedy, Romance, School
Studio : 8bit
Source : Visual Novel

Plot Summary
Kazamatsuri, a modern, well-developed city renowned for its burgeoning greenery and rich Japanese culture, is home to Kotarou Tennouji, a high schooler least privy to the place's shared values. Content to fill his pockets with frivolity, the proud and nosey boy whiles away his time pestering the self-proclaimed delinquent Haruhiko, and indulging in his amorous feelings toward the oddball Kotori.

Equipped with the superhuman ability to permanently rewrite any part of his body to multiply his strength or speed, Kotarou is naturally drawn to the supernatural. One special meeting with the lone member and president of the Occult Research Club, the "Witch" Akane Senri, leads to Kotarou reviving the Occult Club by recruiting Kotori and three other members: the clumsy transfer student Chihaya, the strict class representative Lucia, and the unassuming Shizuru. As Kotarou unveils hidden secrets of each member of the Occult Club through their shared adventures, he will inevitably encounter a fate that only he might be able to rewrite.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Review

Spoiler

Plot

I had initial interest in Rewrite on the bias of it being a Key Visual Novel I've known about for a while. But when the first PV came out I kind of lost all hope. Seeing the choice of studio, 8bit, and the art deflated my hype balloon. However I still wanted to give it a chance which is what I have done.

This is a long episode, it's a double and man I thought it would never end! So much happened in this episode and nothing was explained yet. It's set in a fancy high school in a world facing some kind of eco problem with trees. We see one abandoned city that has been overgrown by green. One night our hero, Kotarou takes a walk when he meets a mysterious girl by a tree, who kills him. Expect not because he wakes up the next morning and shrugs it off, going off to school where we meet his classmates. Holy, I think we met the whole cast here, in classic visual novel fashion Kotarou has a brief moment with some of the girls. His childhood friend Kotori, a new girl Chihaya, a strange eye patch girl who tries to blow a whistle, and some fancy high class girl who wears white gloves. He also meets the only other male character shown so far, Yoshino, a big tough guy who he is friends with I guess?

After the character introductions Kotarou seeks to find the schools' witch to figure out the meaning behind his weird dreams of the mysterious girl. He goes to school one night where he meets the mystery girl again, who takes him to this weird other dimension where he meets two chibis and a giant octopus creature what is going on with this show.

I believe the purpose of this episode was to overload the viewer and make you interested in figuring out what's going on. Being a double episode there was a lot packed into here, but it didn't feel rushed. Kotarou got to have a moment with most of the girls and the ending scene in the other dimension was quite lengthy. I was very unsure about things at first but when it got to the interaction parts it started to feel a lot like class Key. The wacky characters and weird situations reminds me of Little Busters. I started to enjoy the episode from that point and even the last part was kind of interesting. Again it throws a ton at you right away, and it's really kind of strange as well. The guy appears to have some kind of power called Accelerator. It's never mentioned until he tries to activate it which makes you go "wait huh?". Key stories always have some fantasy elements but this show really goes into all of that. There is a lot left to the imagination with this episode, and I'm sure later on it'll click together.

Characters/Art/Sound

The cast seems to be in classic Key style. Very over the top personalities and a bit of a blank slate male lead. I do enjoy hearing them all talk together and it was funny when Chihaya freaked out and lifted her desk with one hand. There is a lot of very anime things that happen in this episode, from all the blank faces to random effects like a student igniting in flames to show...passion or something.

The art is a weak point in this show. I do not like the flat colours and I feel the overall look is out dated and slightly dull. The designs are as over the top as Key tends to be, with all these fancy hair designs. The art just doesn't look the greatest, however the directing and everything else is not bad. Voicing acting was normal, though I didn't really like the chibis voices. The CGI was pretty low grade but the actual fight scene at the end was kind of cool. The animation is pretty smooth though, there are a couple of really great looking sequences with a lot of character packed into them. It's just the art and colours that make it look kinda dull.

Overall

Overall the first episode of Rewrite was interesting and better then I figured it would be. It's jammed packed but not rushed thanks to it's double length. It took a bit to win me over but once it set into place I was able to get into it. Although I don't much like the way the designs translated to animation I can overlook the art in this show as I feel the story could be strong. It's Key after all, who knows what kind of twists we'll have in this show. I am interesting in seeing what the overall theme is and figuring out the story. So Rewrite has me in. Despite the initial red flags I think this could be a good one.

Will I Be Watching The Next Episode?
I am interested

Recommendation
For fans of Key stories or fantasy heavy school based stuff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJEofi_eJ-A

[Manimal]

Orange




Genres : Drama, Romance, School, Sci-Fi, Shoujo
Studio : Telecom Animation Film
Source : Manga

Plot Summary
One day, Naho Takamiya receives a letter written to herself from ten years in the future. As Naho reads on, the letter recites the exact events of the day, including the transfer of a new student into her class named Kakeru Naruse.

The Naho from ten years later repeatedly states that she has many regrets, and she wants to fix these by making sure the Naho from the past can make the right decisions—especially regarding Kakeru. What's more shocking is that she discovers that ten years later, Kakeru will no longer be with them. Future Naho asks her to watch over him closely.

(Source: Day of the River)

Review

Spoiler

Plot

So Orange is a popular shoujo manga that received a film adaption last year. Now this summer we have the anime version. I've not read the manga or anything but from this episode I just know that it's going to be a feels fest.

In this show it begins with a group of friends, now in their late 20s, digging up a time capsule. We see the main character Naho expressing her regrets of the past as they look at their old letters and pictures. We then cut back to see everyone at 16. Naho leaves home one day to discover a letter addressed to her from her. In class she opens it up to discover it's from herself 10 years into the future. The letter contains diary entries of her coming days detailing future mistakes and how to avoid them. Things begin to line up with the letter as a new transfer student comes in and joins Naho and her friend's group. They walk home, have fun, and in no time the new student Kakeru gets friendly with them. But then we learn there will be trouble ahead...

Oh man, I can see where this story is going to go and...jeez. This episode makes it very clear Kakeru is troubled, but he doesn't let anyone know it. The scenes from the future are quite ominous. We got to meet Naho and her group in this episode and I think it was a good premiere. The idea is interesting, especially how Naho has to follow her instructions from her older self. She already goes against the first one telling her to not invite Kakeru into the group, so something big is going to happen later. I can smell the drama cooking.

Interesting that we have this and ReLIFE in one season. They are both super different though. ReLIFE is about a guy turning 17 again and going to high school in the modern day. It's also a much different tone as it's a lot more...anime like. Orange is about the same basic concept of someone looking back to their high school days and trying to fix past regrets. Two different shows but at their core a similar idea.

Characters/Art/Sound

The cast didn't quite pop yet but they are a likeable bunch. Very grounded characters. Naho is pretty normal and Kakeru is a quiet guy, but acts nice. He is clearly hiding some darkness though. Azusa is really energetic and the other 3 characters where not detailed too much yet. They seem to be a good group though, they all had a fine dynamic together and Kakeru was able to slip in pretty fast.

The art in this show looks pretty good. The designs are nice, I feel sometimes the characters look like dolls because of their eyes but it's a good detailed style. One thing that was real neat is Azusa's makeup. I have never seen this in an anime before...she has eyeliner on to make it look like her eyelashes are winged, like a normal anime girl, but it's a different shade from her eyelashes so it creates a much more realistic look. Holy mouths, these characters have oddly noteworthy teeth. The designs are good, all the characters are distinct and have their own set of quirks. Naho does look like she has doll eyes though, her and Kakeru both. Everyone else looks normal. But no the art is good, backgrounds very nice. The lighting and shading was also on point and the animation for Azusa was smooth.

For voice acting KanaHana plays Naho and kills it, as always. Takako is voiced by a new comer, Rika Kinugawa. This is her third role, she is also doing the main guy's sister in Masou Gakuen this season. I recognised Azusa's voice and found out she is played by Natsumi Takamori who did Miyano in Tanaka-kun and crazy cat lady Miku in Cinderella Girls. Kakeru, done by Seiichirou Yamash!ta voiced the male lead Bunta in Girls Beyond The Wasteland. The soundtrack in this episode was okay, there was this slamming fast country piece with a rip roaring, country picking, guitar lead. The OP and ED are nothing special.

Overall

Overall the first episode of Orange was not bad. I want to see more and I am interested in what it's set-up. I don't feel it was the most compelling first episode, even though it has a good idea and the character dynamics where set-up pretty well, it was kind of missing a spark. However that is not to say it was a bad episode, I did like it, the art is nice and I like the character animation. I know this is going to end up as an emotional show, it's going to get out of hand isn't it...

Will I Be Watching The Next Episode?
I'm in

Recommendation
If you want something that might get real

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnFHe2WQdYw

[Manimal]

Bananya




Genres : Tragety
Studio : TMS Entertainment
Source : Original

Plot Summary
Bananya is a mysterious cat who hides inside a banana. Bananya lives undercover inside a real banana, and no-one has ever seen the part covered by banana skin...

When nobody is around, Bananya secretly plays and creates mischief. Bananya likes to play and eat sweet things. Bananya's dream is to become a stylish chocolate banana.

(Source: TMS Entertainment)

Review

Spoiler

Bana
Nya
Bana
Nya
Bana
Nya

I'm hypnotised. Bananya is a the tale which details a hidden secret of all bananas. It's about a normal bunch of bana-oh my God it's a cat. In a banana. So the narrator starts describing this empty kitchen and he's like "oh look at these yummy bananas...oh my God it's moving..." he pretends to play ignorant, pretending he is not aware of the contents of that banana. He's all "oh what is it", but he's laughing. Deep down inside he's yucking it up, because he knows what's inside and you're an idiot. What do you think it's a bunch of spiders? Morons, all of us. But he knows the secret of bananas that no one knows. Then what happens next but a cat pops out of the banana. But just the top of the cat so it's like half cat half banana. The narrator describes it like it's the most amazing thing on Earth, he's like "just look, would you look at it, look, guys look at it, it's so cute look at it, oh would you just look at it". The banana cat hops around, the narrator tries to say it's name but it keeps going "nya" so it's now named Bananya. It has a dream. To become a chocolate covered banana. Dream on young one, dream on.

Welcome to the club Banaya.

Will I Be Watching The Next Episode?
Real talk this one was pretty amusing, it's so silly and actually the narrator made it all seem very funny, so ya.

Recommendation
People who like good things

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj3QEI1wTXQ

[Manimal]

In Summary : ReLIFE

First Impressions


Whaaaaat!??! We haven't even completed the first week of the Summer 2016 anime season and I'm already doing a complete series review? Well yes, ReLIFE was given to us all at once. All 13 episodes where released at once for streaming, Netflix style. While I see pros and cons about this I can saw I'm glad the show was given to us this way. There was a certain excitement about getting all of a new show at once, I watched it over a couple of days and while I like to take shows week by week, this is a show that is best watched this way. Sometimes when a show is broken up week by week, and you're watching a ton of stuff, you miss a lot of things and find it hard to get into a variety of different moods every week. Sometimes you'll be in the Flying Witch mood but you gotta watch Kabaneri, then you want some cool action and you're watching Sansha Sanyou! The mood goes all over with seasonal anime! But it's also a fun journey, and there is something to talk about each week. You look back at the end of it and go "that was quite an adventure". So there are pros and cons to this, if you wait till a season is over and go to watch the shows then you miss out on the excitement of a new show! But all this said how did ReLIFE turn out?

ReLIFE is the story about a 27 year old, Kaizaki. He's had trouble adapting to the grown up world and after a traumatic experience at his first job he quits. With an ugly mark on his resume he finds it hard to get a job. Going from a major company to a convenience store, Kaizaki isn't too happy. One night after drinking with his friends he meets with Yoake, a man who claims to be an agent of a company called ReLIFE. He offers Kaizaki a pill to make him 17 again for one year, sending him back to high school to attempt to fix his life. He will be monitored by Yoake, and the results recorded as part of the ReLIFE experiment. Kaizaki takes it and goes back to high school. However...it's not time travel. He has the appearance of a 17 year old but he is still 27 inside. He is in the modern day, interacting with current high school students. Hi-jinks ensue.


So ya in this show Kaizaki goes back to high school and quickly makes some new friends. This show is about how Kaizaki impacts other's lives, it is focused on the other characters and their problems. Kaizaki uses his wisdom to help and other times things just happen naturally as a result of the people he's inspired. There are a few things in this show that he isn't even involved in, the show creates a really excellent and developed cast of characters. The cast is great in this show. Kaizaki himself is really friendly but pitifully bad at school work. Hishiro is a piece of work. She's really awkward and has no idea how to talk to people. She appears to be somewhat emotionless and detached. She's a loner but she has a desire to change herself, she tries but is just super dense. Unlike other seemingly emotionless loner characters like Yukino Yukino*censored*a, Hishiro wants to better herself which makes her very likeable and fun. She tries hard to be friendly but she is horrific at understanding people. She literally Googles things like "friends are acting weird", "feeling weird pang in heart". and everytime she tries to smile it's terrifying. I absolutely loved Hishiro, she was near impossible to dislike because she tries so hard but sucks at communicating so much. But she develops with the help of Kaizaki and her own desire. There is more to her then "dense loner". Back to Yukino, I found her character COMPLETELY unlikable until the second season of Snafu where we finally saw some more emotion. Hishiro could've been like Yukino but she isn't rude and judgement, she tries. I want to give her a big hug and push her other pigtail forward because that slightly bothered me.


Rena got SO much focus! I was surprised and delighted by the depth of her character. She goes through 3 big events, 2 of which are quite dramatic and touch on the same type of issues. Normally in a show like this the supporting characters have their arc and become useless after. Kotomi was utterly useless in Clannad after he arc. But in ReLIFE the cast are all main characters, so they all have purpose. Kaizaki and Hishiro served as support characters, first Kaizaki helps Rena then due to Kaizaki's influence, Hishiro is able to help Rena with her next ordeal. Rena has a desire to be better but she feels nothing she does is right. She is surrounded by people that are better then her. She develops a lot of self loathing traits, but her friends are there to pick her up. This leads to some drama, but I thought it was very good drama. Rena is a high school girl, so all her yelling and stuff made sense. I like how after the first issue with Hishiro being a better student then her, she still didn't fully learn from it as her next issue with her best friend Honoka was built around the same type of self worth idea. This is realistic, Rena didn't go through the first thing and suddenly completely change her personality. She still had a lot of lingering feelings. The character development was very good in this show, I was actually surprised how deep and fleshed out the cast was in 13 episodes. I did not expect this at all. I mean look at how much I typed about Hishiro and Rena!

The cast in this show was awesome and the voice acting was quite good. The soundtrack was a piano jazz score, sometimes it felt off for sad scenes, but it was a nice touch. One really neat thing is each episode featured a different ED song BUT they are all old songs. So this means a fitting tune is picked for each episode, creating somewhat of a playlist for Kaizaki's life. The idea is that the songs are playing on his CD player, I believe all the songs are from when he was in high school. I could be wrong but there are some decade old tracks on here. The one that I knew was Mika Nakashima's "Yuki no Hana" from her awesome Love album. When it started playing I was like "I know that piano...is this...it's Mika!" There is also a PUFFY song and that classic fireworks song which Hatsune Miku sang in Watamote. That was cool, having different EDs.

The art is pretty simple, very very simple. The directing as well is pretty straight forward with little to no stylistic frills. There is however alot of foreshadowing and subtle bits, so I don't think that's a bad thing. I unfortunately found out a big spoiler. It kind of hindered my experience but I didn't let it get to me. Knowing the spoiler made me realise how well it was foreshadowed though. So the art wasn't bad, very simple but I didn't mind too much. The story and characters drove it.


Overall ReLIFE was a great show with very well developed characters. It's about how Kaizaki influences their lives and makes an impact. It's not 17 Again style antics, he goes back to high school not just to help himself but also others. Realising his impact on others also increases his own self esteem. I like the themes this show covered and I think it did a very good job covering them. There was a few good laughs and it handled the more dramatic stuff pretty well I thought. It was a good watch and we need a second season. NOW. I know I can read the manga but man...it ends after the first term. There is still half a story left! We'll see if it's popular enough to get a season 2! I hope so because it was a good show!

I hope to see more shows released in this Netflix style model. It's easy to lose track of airing shows and sometimes it's hard to get into the mood when you watch a lot of shows. It's nice to watch new anime when it's still new so not having to wait 3 months for completion is nice as well. ReLIFE was perfect for this type of release, I was thinking about waiting 13 weeks to watch the last episode and it's like...this is such a better way to do things. It helps you keep focus and the mood while the show is still fresh. I wonder if it was an experiment? I see a lot of possibility with this format.
 

[Manimal]

Amaama to Inazuma




Genres : Comedy, Slice of Life
Studio : TMS Entertainment
Source : Manga

Plot Summary
Kouhei Inuzuka is a teacher who has been caring for his little daughter on his own since his wife's death. He's no good at cooking, so he and his daughter Tsumugi have been eating packaged meals from the convenience store. A series of events lead him one evening to a restaurant run by the mother of one of his students, Kotori. Her mother isn't there, but Kotori does her best to feed them both. It turns out Kotori is often alone since her parents are divorced and her mother is frequently not around. The three of them begin to meet and cook tasty food together.

(Source: MangaHelpers)

Review

Spoiler

Plot

This is the story of father and daughter. Kouhei is a school teacher who recently lost his wife 6 months ago. He has a young daughter, Tsumugi, whom he feeds bento everyday. The two of them have a loving relationship but Kouhei is always busy and never gets to eat with his daughter. One day after a series of events he comes home to Tsumugi drooling over the cooking channel. Kouhei takes her to a restaurant where they meet Kotori, a high school girl whom Kouhei is an assistant teacher for. Kotori's Mom owns the shop but is out leaving Kotori to try make rice for Kouhei and Tsumugi. Through seeing Kotori's efforts and being reminded of his wife, Kouhei vows to cook for Tsumugi from now on. Kotori then requests to join them...

So from this episode we can tell one thing, it's fricking adorable dude holy. Tsumugi is like this creature of ridiculous cuteness, she is an energetic kid, still very young. Kouhei is a busy Dad but this episode shows the love he has for his daughter. I thought it depicted that very well, especially how Tsumugi doesn't like to eat bento all the time. This isn't vocalised but shown by the fact that she barely eats everything. Another thing we can tell from this show, feels. In this episode Tsumugi asks if her Mom will come back to cook meat for her, showing the young girl was not told of her Mother's death or doesn't understand it. Kouhei also breaks down when Kotori cooks for them, seeing his daughter so excited over food again reminds him of his wife. Putting effort into meals where Kouhei had been giving Tsumugi cheap food. I thought the way they met Kotori was kind of weird, and her whole character is odd, so a few things felt a bit off to me, but I think this show has a lot of potential. I don't think it will be overly emotional, as it has a light tone, despite a couple of scenes. Just for the love of all that is good...NO FLOWER FIELD SCENE! NO! MY SOUL CAN'T DO ANOTHER FLOWER FIELD SCENE. But Tsumugi is different from Ushio anyway, it's not like that.

Characters/Art/Sound

Kouhei is doing his best to get by, still coping with the death of his wife. He tries hard to be a good dad, which is something that is shown in this episode. It was quite a moment in the restaurant when he saw his daughter excited over food again. Tsumugi is great. It's rare to see kids portrayed so well in anime, but Tsumugi isn't some annoying brat. She's just a young, curious and excitable child. Kotori is pretty weird, but I like that. When Kouhei and Tsumugi meet her at the flower viewing, she is crying over how good her food tastes but also that her Mom didn't come with her. At the restaurant she has this face of infinite humiliation. I guess her Mom isn't around very often and she doubts her own abilities to cook. She gets really happy to see Tsumugi enjoy her cooking, which prompts her to offer help for Kouhei. I liked Kotori, she's cute as well, but in a different sense then Tsumugi.

There is one red flag for me, but I don't think it'll be an issue. This teacher/student relationship here. Having Kotori come over to cook, making her like some kind of new mom or something...From the looks of this episode I don't think it'll be bad, there was nothing creepy or "Christine Sixteen" about it. I think it will be fine and focus more on Kotori and Tsumugi, and how cooking for someone who appreciates it will give Kotori more confidence. Watch as Kouhei hooks up with Kotori's Mom (who we don't see in this episode). If Kotori develops slight feelings for Kouhei I think it would still be okay so long as nothing happens, which nothing will. But I think it's alright and maybe even more realistic if hanging out at their house makes her feel...something. I just hope nothing weird happens.

Now the voice acting, man oh man. Rina Endou, who played Hina in Barakamon, is back for Tsumugi. She's 10 and did a better job then most adults who have ever voiced kids. Real kids can hit a tone no adult voice actors can, so it's always great to see a kid be voiced by a kid. She does a really good job, not just for a kid, but for anyone! Kotori is voiced by Saori Hayami, who is one of the Queen's of soft voices. Previously she's done Yukino in Snafu and Shirashi in Yamada-kun. The art in this show is nice but the animation was choppy at times. Some of the sequences weren't very smooth and looked as if they where missing some inbetween frames. The OP is pretty good and fits well.

Overall

Overall the first episode of Amaama to Inazuma shows promise. I feel the relationship between father and daughter will be strong, I like how food was used as a way of bringing people together in this show. Kotori's introduction was kind of weird, and her whole character seems overly embarrassed about everything, but that might give her some room to grow as she cooks for Tsumugi. I'm curious what direction this show will take, if it'll get more serious or more adorable. Either way this was a decent first episode!

Will I Be Watching The Next Episode?
Sure

Recommendation
If you want a story to warm the heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUL_3hdFSEE

[Manimal]

New Game!




Genres : Comedy, Slice of Life
Studio : Doga Kobo
Source : 4-koma manga

Plot Summary
The main character Suzukaze Aoba graduates from high school and joins a game company. The person who made the game that Aoba loved as a grade-schooler just happens to be Aoba's senior at the company. The story follows girls who work and aspire at the Eaglejump company.

(Source: ANN)

Review

Spoiler

Plot

New Game! is the exciting story about Aoba Suzukaze, a girl fresh out of high school who has just been hired at Eagle Jump, a video game company. She works in the graphics department and we see her first day in this episode as she meets...a bunch of very weird girls. She finds out her boss was the character designer for her favourite chidlhood game Faires Story and...now Aoba's going to work on the 3rd Fairies Story game.

So this episode was not bad. It's a cute girls show by Doga Kobo so at this point one should know what to expect. Although it's about a video game company that isn't like the big focus here or atleast a super depth focus. I don't think we'll be discovering any exciting industry secrets. It's not Shirobako, it's something else. I don't mind this myself because I knew what it was going to be. In this episode we see Aoba's first day, she goes through some of the awkwardness of a new job and gets settled in with her team. It was kind of funny how Aoba tries so hard to be a working woman, she's just out of high school and looks like a middle schooler but she's doing things like drinking black coffee because it's mature. This episode is just some comedic hijinks, she comes in and finds her boss sleeping, pant-less, treating us to a very unexpected and nice booty shot. When she talks to her boss, Yagami, for the first time a huge heart appears on the screen and all these effects flash. So...um...yuri bait? Is that what this show is going to be? Dude I'm so down.

Aoba's first day adventures where relatable sometimes, but it's all played up pretty cutesty. I like how the boss just chucks her a manual to read for training. Some of the employees where unsure about her at first but through showing her willingness to learn and energy, they come to like her. She's the youngest employee there but she sets in pretty quickly. All the employees are pretty weird and she's just kind like "um what" as she watches their antics. Aoba kind of expects everyone to be mature and cool, so she dresses up in a suit and tries to act formal, but meanwhile everyone is laid back and wacky. But they all do their work. I didn't think this was a bad episode but once it started I was just kind like "oh okay". It's lots of Aoba apologising to people

Characters/Art/Sound

Aoba is fresh out of high school and ready to work. It portrays that brief spark at the start of one's employment history very well. She is excited to learn and naturally is quite awkward on her first day. Getting spooked all the time and apologising to everyone. I didn't mind her too much. Yagami is great, she's really playful and mischievous, always smiling. She works super hard and lives off Red Bull. She often sleeps at the office as well. The other characters where alright, Hajime is pretty weird, she manages the poses for games and is often failing a lightsaber around. Hifumi is super duper shy and the other girls have not had enough screen time. I like how details there office spaces where, showing the different aspects of the cast.

Yagami is the only character I feel is interesting right off the bat, but I do feel Aoba was portrayed pretty well. I didn't feel much of a spark with the character's chemistry but I also didn't think it's a bad group. The art is good, very glossy eyes and shiny colours. There where a couple of nice looking scenes here and the hair animation was awesome. It's a fun looking show and I like the designs. The different characters wear all kinds of clothes. For voice acting Yoko Hikasa did awesome as Yagami, but really when isn't Yoko awesome? I still can only hear Mio from her. Eri Kitamura plays Shizuku. I didn't know it was her, Eri's a big name and I like some of her songs. Aoba is voiced by Yuuki Takada, her second anime role. The OP for the show is pretty good, my favourite so far. It has a lot of life.

Overall

Overall the first episode of New Game! was alright. The character dynamics didn't really hit off all that well in this episode though. Again New Game might not be big on the game development part and as a cute girls show, the designs are nice but for me the cast did not grab me too much from this first episode, but they could get better later. But I did like how it showed Aoba's first day. There are some good things here to make for an entertaining light watch. I don't expect very much out of this show but I think it will be good for some fluffy enjoyment.

Will I Be Watching The Next Episode?
Ya

Recommendation
If you like things that are fluffy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hXJamFm8fY

[Manimal]

This Art Club Has a Problem!




Genres : Comedy, Romance, School
Studio : feel.
Source : Manga

Plot Summary
Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! focuses on an art club in a certain middle school, and its members: Subaru Uchimaki, who is a genius at drawing faces, but only wants to draw the perfect 2D wife; Colette, a rich troublemaker who never stops making mischief; and the club president, who sleeps through sessions and collects sleeping aids. Mizuki Usami is the only person in the club who wants to do art club-like activities, and constantly struggles to do so.

(Source: ANN)

Review

Spoiler

Plot

Kono Bitjustsubu...This Art Club Has a...This Show Needs a Short Form Title Please is the story of an art club who has a problem. Mizuki is our heroine, she draws apple all day while one of the other members, Uchimaki, has a dream of creating the ultimate 2D waifu, so he does that all day. Then the club president sleeps and...that's everyone we met in this episode. It's a episodic show with comedic antics and maybe a touch of romance. The episode is divided into two parts and...it was okay.

I was looking forward to this show on the basis of it being an art club series, and for the first bit I was enjoying the quiet slow humour and setting. Mizuki just draws apples all day and gets mad at Uchimaki. He is not interested in 3D girls and only draws anime girls all day with the dream of making the ultimate waifu. I don't really find characters like that funny anymore, there was a few okay bits when he was trying to get Mizuki to pose, but his whole joke of the ultimate waifu is pretty dry at this point. One funny thing is the blonde girl was hiding in the locker the whole episode, but we never heard her and only saw her in brief flashes. You could miss her if you didn't look closely. I think Mizuki and Uchimaki had okay chemistry, the boys mess with her and she gets angry. There is a hint of romance in this episode, as Mizuki clearly likes Uchimaki and he likes her to, but hides behind his 2D world.

I thought the way this was put into the episode felt weird. They are walking home when Uchimaki says he's going to leave the art club, he claims Mizuki won't be lonely and then she starts crying. I thought that was not a fitting scene this early into the show and it felt off to me. I did like how Uchimaki uses Mizuki as a model but draws compeltetly different things. But when Mizuki is gone he draws her from photos. The only thing is we don't see Mizuki's reaction to this, he gives her the drawing, after spending hours shading her upper lip, but we only see a comic of her reaction in the bumper. We don't really know why Mizuki likes Uchimaki, she has an attitude of thinking anime art doesn't belong in an art club, and Uchimaki personifies the classic otaku, yet she likes him. This episode was not what I thought the show would be, though I don't know what I was expecting. I'm sure when the other characters come in it will get more into a groove, as this episode was really just about Mizuki and Uchimaki.

Characters/Art/Sound

Mizuki is the normal student who just wants to make normal art, but unfortunately she is surrounded by weirdos. She gets mad a lot but she's not like a tsundere. She was ready to confess in this first episode! Uchimaki is completely unlikable, expect for the one part where he draws Mizuki, he comes off as a jerk and a cardboard cutout of the otaku archetype. There was nothing interesting about him and he really didn't pop in anyway. He felt like a wooden board. I can understand it if we're seeing Mizuki's point of view though, not getting in this guys head or understanding his feelings. I dunno.

The art is very nice, the lighting is awesome and due to great directing, the scenes are set very well. Some of the character animations looked super, especially when Mizuki walked over the canvas after posing for Uchimaki. The scene is set in a calm tone due to the light coming in from the sunset and her head moves and bobs from side to side. Very fluid movement. The OP song, Nana Mizuki "STARTING NOW!" is pretty good. A rocking tune with an unexpected chorus. The ED is good also.

Overall

Overall the first episode of Kono Art Club Long Title was okay. I liked some of the humour but the characters where not popping right off the bat and I found the sudden tone change at the end to be random. The art is nice and I do want to watch more, but I didn't think a whole lot about this episode. I like the laid back tone and chill club setting, I do hope I can enjoy the next episodes more.

Will I Be Watching The Next Episode?
Yes I'll try some more, I don't think I was in the mood for this one today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSf_i1SUFhM

[Manimal]

Onara Gorou




Genres : Comedy
Studio : ILCA
Source : Original

Plot Summary
Onara Gorou follows the everyday life of Gorou, the "most admirable of farts," as he solves problems in ways that only a fart can.

(Source: ANN)

Review

Spoiler

All of us will die one day, it is an undeniable fact we can not avoid. However we should hope that something we do in our time here which can leave an impact on the world, something to leave a record to say we are here, something to inspire future generations and unsure our legacy lives on.

Not everyone gets to be remembered forever, and not every work will be carried on from generation to generation, but for those lucky few that live on in the classrooms, in the libraries, and in the hands of children, we will always remember them. Today we are going to be discuss a piece of art that is destined to live on, like those works. This is a short called, Onara Gorou also know as...Fart Gorou.


Okay this isn't going to be a sarcastic review but such an introduction is needed for this legend in the making. Onara Gorou is the story of the friendliest and wisest of farts. In this first episode we meet a group of punks, trying to piss off a group of teachers. But just like rubber to glue, everything they say bounces off the teachers. Threatening to skip class? Not that bad. Blonde hair and ear piercings? Whatever, blonde is natural and atleast their whole bodies aren't pierced. Smoking? Whatever. But Onara Gorou won't stand for this behaviour. A voice calls out and we see a happy middle aged man sitting on the ground, looking casual when suddenly a massive fart cloud bursts from his anus and that's the form of the wisest fart ever. He explains the origin of farts and helps the punks get their lives together.

So this episode was funny, it was a good work into absurd-ism. The animation is akin to Inferno Cop (though it has more movement) as it's mostly talking pictures. Kind of like a video manga. But it's funny, with all the random shots and super detailed faces. The most amazing part is the man connected to Onara Gorou just sits in silence the whole time with a dull look on his face. The fart cloud itself has the look of a man who's seen it all, walked the plains for ages, and gained a lot of knowledge.


The best part of this episode, I actually burst out laughing at how bad this was, when Onara Gorou is about to pass he closes his eyes says "I must now defart". Sometimes a bad pun is all you need. I knew this show was going to be a good laugh at how crazy it is, but that joke let me know how amazing it's going to be. I'm not joking either, this was funny and I like the low quality animation. I like these shorts that do weird things, compared to last season when the shorts (sans Space Patrol Luluco) where dry and boring as can be, we have some weirdo ones this season. First the legend of Bananya and now the wisest of all farts.

At the end there is a live action video of an idol group singing about farts. In the corner is a CGI Onara Gorou who dances with them as they sing lyrics like "Fart! It's about to come out (hey hey). Fart! Your futures on the line!" The path to being a top idol is a hard one. They say fart jokes are the lowest form of humour but Onara Gorou is nothing but class. It's about a fart spreading wisdom and enlightening those around him. This is going to be a fun bizardo short. I like that.

For now I shall defart, see you in the next review.

Will I Be Watching The Next Episode?
This is a modern masterpiece in the making so ya.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qErgKKcDfy8

[Manimal]

Amanchu!




Genres : Comedy, School, Shounen, Slice of Life
Studio : J.C.Staff
Source : Manga

Plot Summary
Hikari Kohinata is a cheerful 15-year-old girl who lives near the ocean and she spends much of her time diving as a result. On her first day of high school, she meets a teacher who also likes scuba diving. There's also a 16-year-old classmate, Futaba, who gets dragged along in Hikari's maelstrom as soon as they meet at school. Most of the manga so far details the relationship between the two girls, which quickly seems to move into romantic two girl friendship-territory.

(Source: MAL)

Review

Spoiler

Plot

I really wanted to bust out here saying how awesome this first episode and how this show will fill the void left by Flying Witch. But honestly all I can say is this was okay episode that showed bit of promise.

Amanchu is about a girl who comes to some seaside fishing town for her first year of highschool. It is there she meets a weirdo, Hikari, who befriends her and gets her into scuba diving. In this episode we see Futuba look at the ocean and then we see her first day of school. It's a slow moving and relaxed show but I gotta get this out of the way. I really dislike when shows use cartoony faces and chibis in them. What is this 2004? Nothing ruins the mood more then some stupid goofy Cookie Monster ass face, especially in a show with art as nice as Amanchu. Seriously we have these beautiful character designs, lovely colours and a great setting and it's all comprised by the characters randomly turning into chibis. This bothered me so much I could not even enjoy this episode because I was too busy thinking how good it would be if Hikari's face didn't turn into this hideous Yotsuba thing every 2 second. I dropped Your Lie In April from the first episode because it did this same thing. Kimi ni Todoke as well, Sawako is literally the prettiest anime girl ever, but every two seconds she turns into a chibi. I just despise chibis in shows like this. Nothing kills a nice vibe more then the characters randomly changing. This isn't Umaru-chan, I don't want to see this bull sh!t.

Ahem, that aside this episode set up...not very much. It was slow and we didn't see Futuba get into diving yet. We just got a brief introduction and a scene of her meeting Hikari. The ocean scene was nice, and it looked good. I found this episode passed by quickly, which is surprising considering hardly a thing happened. I don't mind that though, the soundtrack, directing and overall tone reminded me of Sketchbook Full Colours, from the first episode it's not as much Flying Witch as I figured it might be, since it's a slow moving slice of life from J.C. Staff, but I think the tone was nice.

It was just the stupid chibi faces that ruined everything. It's so petty to complain about but it bothered me so much. You'd see these amazing looking shots followed up by horrible, low detail, 2nd grader art level, faces.

Characters/Art/Sound

Futuba is a shy girl, she's left home to start a new, and is unsure about this new place. Hikari is a complete spaz and a total freak of nature. She loves diving and walking around with a whisle...she's weird. I didn't like Hikari very much, she felt like this weird addition, especially with her off colour green hair in an over wise grounded show. Nothing about the dynamic between the two interested me, and neither character really popped, though I like Futuba and am interested in learning more about her. The art is wonderful, it's a very nice show and the character designs are gorgeous, well Futuba's is. She looks amazing. It's this neat shoujo style we don't see too often. The colours are nice and it sets the tone well right off the bat. I like the soundtrack and both the OP and ED are good.

If this show didn't have chibis it'd be much better. I couldn't get over that in this first episode, I just hate when beautiful characters turn into these weird out of place monsters. It breaks the tone, this did not feel grounded to me, the chibis ruined that element.

Overall

Overall the first episode of Amanchu! was not as good as I hoped. Although the art is very nice I can't get over the chibis and am unsure if I'll enjoy the show. I really wanted to say I loved this episode but it was just mediocre. The art looked so good, and there where some frames here that where wonderful, but the negatives nearly outway the positives. I want to like this show, and I hope it gets better. I don't know why but these last three shows, New Game, Kono Bijitsu and Amanchu have let me down. I wonderful if the first episode of Love Live Sunshine and the whole of ReLIFE have set the bar too high this season? I hope I'm just not in the mood and will come to like these shows later.

Will I Be Watching The Next Episode?
Yes, but I don't have very high hopes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR2eZahdxdU

[Manimal]

Episode 2 of Love Live Sunshine was SO GOOD!!!

I can't believe how much is going into this show, it's beautiful. The way the characters interact is so perfect, Chika and You are amazing together. This episode was Chika convincing Riko to join and it was done so well. Especially when we learn Dia is actually a big school idol fan. It was hilarious when she was grilling Chika. I love how Muse is being referenced in this show, it works well creating this kind of legend. This episode was just perfect, especially when Chika lures Ruby out from behind a tree with a lollipop, not a single frame was wasted.

I do hope Sunshine can keep up this high quality because the first two episodes are so good they're making everything else this season look bad to me. It's not just like it's good because I'm hyped, it's such a quality production!

[Manimal]

Ange Vierge




Genres : Adventure, Fantasy, Magic, School
Studio : Silver Link.
Source : Card game

Plot Summary
The story of the card game follows what happens when "Hairou" portals suddenly open, fusing three different worlds together. As a result, various mysterious "Exceed" powers are awakened in teenaged girls. An academy for these so-called "Progress" girls is built on the isolated Seiran Island in the Pacific.

(Source: ANN)

Review

Spoiler

Okay this was a very unusual first episode.

So Ange Vierge is based off a card game where girls fight to save the world from...World End. There's like 5 universes or something and they gotta fight things and...they're naked for more then half of this episode. So they have a battle against cannon fodder in the beginning and then there's a bath scene. I was like "okay a bath scene, pretty expected". Then they move to a different bath and everyone is still naked. Then they go to other places and everyone is still naked. It gets 17 minutes in and everyone is stilled naked. Nudist-o Beach. But see it's not like...lewd or exciting...they just all happen to be in a state of undress. Everything is censored and there's none of the typical things like boob grabbing or embarrassment. They literally could've been clothed for most of it and it'd be the same. There weren't any real suggestive angles or anything, they where just in the nude. Okay...whatever, I'm not complaining I just found it weird how straight up in episode 1 we have this long sequence. Maybe it shows the girl's bond together...or maybe it shows that they know no one really cares what the story is and everyone is just in it for the cute girls. Ya maybe that.

But again it wasn't lewd at all and there where no suggestions of yuri. I mean it'd be a different story without the light beams but even then...they just happened to be naked. It's funny, when I watch the first episodes I think what I'm going to type in my reviews. As the OP started I thought to type "there isn't really anything racy outside of a bit of cleavage and midriff" then the bath scene happened and I ctrl-z'ed my mental typewriter.

Oh ya they fight penis shaped ships. Forgot to mention that.


For the girls themselves they all have special elements they control in battle, Saya wields literally a light saber, Almaria has blood powers...and stuff. There's like this emotionless robot girl and some loli angels...Saya is pretty serious she gets really upset in this episode, over nothing at all. In the last part they have some kind of practice battle. The fights where not too bad actually. The art and animation are okay, I think the artstyle is so-so. It's not bad but it doesn't do much to pop. Though the character designs are good and Almaria is super fine on the eyes. There's not much to say about this first episode, it was just weird how long they where naked and how not lewd it was. Ecchi is not even a label for this show, or shoujo ai for that matter. I'm thinking it might take the story and characters seriously, but after this episode I don't really know. For my enjoyment I think it was okay. It didn't bore me but I'm not foaming at the mouth for more episodes. I was just kinda like "ya okay".

The OP was not bad and there are many good voice actresses in the cast like Yumi Hara as Almaria. Perfect for her since Almaria is similar to Takane Shijou. We also have Saori Hayami, Minako Kotobuki (Mugi!), Aki Toyosaki (Yui), Rie Takahashi (EX-PLU-OOO-SION!), and even Kana Hana. Good cast for sure.

Overall

Overall the first episode of Ange Vierge was pretty unusual but not too too bad. I don't know how good it'll end up being, or if it's something even worth watching. I can't even say check it out for the ecchi. It's pretty much PG rated compared to the first episode of Masou Gakuen HxH. There wasn't even a butt shot. See I can't stop talking about the bath scene because it really stuck out as an oddity to me. The characters and story where introduced in a strange fashion. Again, I enjoyed the episode and I'd like to see more, but I'm not expecting much.

Will I Be Watching The Next Episode?
Ya, but I don't expect a whole lot out of it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RGQSBGaJS8