I think we might have a winner for this anime season's prestigious "most dumb and needlessly lengthy title" award!
Well, I guess that answers the question of whether they were going to keep "that" scene PG. I suppose it's slightly better than bad the bad CG dragon.
An enjoyable 13 episode romp through a silly theme park with fantasy elements thrown in.
The series looks great and holds up to KyoAni's usual high quality of animation for the most part, although a couple of episodes do seem to suffer some "still frame" budget issues (which they may or may not fix in the BD releases). The comedy usually works well and the plot never gets too serious to not retain the light hearted enjoyment factor. Most of the characters are likeable and play off each other well.
This is probably KyoAni's most "fanservicey" show in recent years, although still very tame compared to some out there. Whilst it's obviously aiming primarily for the male demographic, I don't see why others couldn't enjoy it too. And hey, if you are a hetero male, all the better, as there are lots of cute girls to gawk at (Sento best).
A fun experience overall with all but a couple of episodes hitting their mark and hitting it well. Definitely one of KyoAni's best shows in recent memory.
I am cautiously hopeful for this one. I like feel and the art style shown in the PV (http://youtu.be/Sk39zsayK_0) and being in the noitaminA block will hopefully mean something a little bit different. The plot doesn't sound massively original but it has the potential to do some interesting things.
I'm just hoping A-1 Pictures don't screw this one up like they have with a lot of other series recently.
Mmmh. I didn't hate this one, and I quite liked the softer art style, but overall I was a little underwhelmed by it. It was cute and charming at times but the melodramatic parts were just annoying and Hase really needed to man up, especially towards the end.
Not a terrible series, but pretty forgettable. Which is amusing considering the subject matter :P
Yay, third season confirmed!
Season 2 got a bit crazy towards the end, but I guess most people don't watch it for the plot anyway :P
Wonder what crazy crap they'll pull in S3!
The best way I can describe the series for me personally is "mixed bag", and that's exactly what Space Dandy is. Every episode is standalone and very different in style and tone, which can be a good thing as you never know what to expect next, but also a bad thing if they very quite a lot in quality.
For me, I really didn't like some of the earlier episodes, and that very nearly put me off the entire series as a result. Fortunately, most of the later episodes are pretty decent, and a couple are even what I'd call excellent (still a couple of stinkers, mind).
Overall, the series (so far, I'm aware there is a second season coming) gets a hard earned 7 from me. I can't say I'd recommend it entirely as I really didn't like or outright hated some episodes, but there are some pretty good ones in there that are still worth checking out (and hell, if you wanted, you could just cherry pick the good ones and ignore the rest, as each episode is fairly standalone anyway). The animation quality is pretty good and there are some pretty cool looking action scenes (bravo, Bones) and the soundtrack is pretty cool too and for the episodes that worked for me, they were very well done.
One last thing - For me the weakest part of the series (and probably why some episode don't just "not work", but outright fall flat on their faces for me) is the main characters. Dandy especially. I don't find him to be an interesting character, nor does there appear to be much dimension to him. All the interesting things that make the series worth a watch just kind of happen around him. QT and Meow at least get some character development, so far Dandy just kind of walks into things and they happen through no skill or involvement of his own.
I expect my opinion will be much the same by the end of season 2, but we'll see!
It's described as a side story but it really felt like 3 side stories, 2 of them may as well have been completely unrelated. It was nice to see another Kara no Kyoukai movie but it felt a bit underwhelming and disappointing overall.
I did enjoy this series and visually it is probably the most gorgeous work by KyoAni to date (and that's saying something!), but sadly there were a few things preventing me from rating it higher.
I'm not a big mystery fan, perhaps if I was then I would have appreciated some of the mysteries they solved a little more. That's not to say most of them weren't somewhat interesting, but I wouldn't say I was massively engaged in them and I certainly wouldn't want to watch most of them again. I did like the 4 main characters which is why I wish I could have seen them develop a bit more alongside all the mystery solving and shenanigans. This is probably why Gosick (http://trakt.tv/show/gosick) rated higher with me personally, because whilst it also had mysteries to be solved, enough time was also spent developing the characters and their relationships.
Overall I found the series to be a visual treat and a worthwhile watch, but lacking in areas important to me and leaving me with a slight sense of unfulfilment at the end. It's not a series I can see myself ever watching a second time.
Having finally finished my slow burn of this series all I can do is agree with other comments here. This series offers a sense of tranquillity when watching that I have rarely seen anywhere else. You just get absorbed into sometimes dreamlike atmosphere of it all. Each episode is somewhat self-contained and you really never know how it will end. Some end on a happy note, some on a sorrowful one, some are more ambiguous or bitersweet.
The message throughout is very much that Mushi are not malevolent or evil, they are just like forces of nature, and can be harmful or helpful to humans. Each story is more about how people deal with these things, with Ginko travelling around and helping where he can.
With a second season just around the corner all I can really do is repeat other people's recommendations - if you haven't already, watch this series.
Based on the title/subject matter, I wasn't particularly interested, until I saw that this will be by the guy who brought us Tekkonkinkreet (http://trakt.tv/movie/tekkonkinkreet-2007) and will be directed by the guy who, amongst other things, brought us The Tatami Galaxy (http://trakt.tv/show/the-tatami-galaxy).
This will also air in the noitaminA time slot, which admittedly isn't always a measure of quality, but normally does promise at least something a bit different!
I sense potential here!
And here is a trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmZVuMDlw-w
Yeah, I love this series. I've always been a fan of Key anyway and I remember being so stoked when I heard about this new project. For what it's worth this ranks in my top 3 Key works (along with Clannad and Rewrite, the latter of which sadly doesn't have an anime adaption(yet...?))
If you've seen other Key works like Clannad, Kanon or Air, you probably already know that they tend to enjoy mixing comedy with tragedy, often whiplashing you between the two very quickly. Whilst these elements are certainly present in Angel Beats, and whilst the pasts of some of these characters are still pretty horrible and tragic, I don't think the series generally wallows in it as much as other Key works perhaps did.
The series has a nice mix of action, comedy, music and drama and it works really well. It also has TONNES of characters (A trait it shares with Little Busters I guess) which sadly, due to the series only being 13 episodes long, don't all have time to be developed to their full. Still, they are all a fun and silly bunch generally, and watching their antics is very enjoyable indeed.
Finally some good news for anyone who wanted more. Key have finally announced that an Angel Beats Visual Novel will be released in 2014. By the looks of it, it will be released in separate chapters (or beats), but hopefully this will give people a chance to learn more about the characters that didn't get much screen time in the anime (well, assuming it ever gets translated :D)
http://key.visualarts.gr.jp/angelbeats/index.html
This is one of the first anime series I ever watched and holds a special place in my heart. Objectively speaking this probably isn't the best series or adaption of source material (The Manga is definitely better and offers a more definitive ending), but I still think it's quite enjoyable. A lot of people don't like Naru but I do. She was my first tunsdere, I think :P
This is a bad series for bad people. Anyone who watches it should be ashamed :D
Those who liked the tone and feel of Fate/Zero should try Kara no Kyoukai/The Garden of Sinners. Also animated by studio ufotable and "kinda" set in the same verse as Fate, it's a series of movies about mages, vampires and stuff. It was considered the precursor to Tsukihime (again set in the same verse as Fate) which also has an anime adaption (or not, depending on who you ask :P)
More people should be watching this. Best anime of the season imo.
It's even been picked up by Crunchyroll so there's no excuse now!
A surprisingly engaging and emotional drama. Despite appearances, this really isn't just another standard "high school romance" and I would recommend giving it a few episodes before deciding if it's for you or not. The story is a little "soap opera"-ey but I still found myself caring for all the characters involved and hoping for a happy resolution. I won't spoil how the series ends, but personally I was satisfied.
This was a series I found very polarising personally. There were times when I sympathised with Tomoko and times when I cringed with embarrassment on her behalf. I'm not sure I've seen any other anime that invokes "cringe humour" so well.
Overall I liked it, although it was a bit trying at times. I liked the random art shifts and some of the BGM. And the wonderful Imae-san with her late entrance in eps 11 and 12. I hope she and Tomoko become friends.
My favourite ComixWave film since 5cm per second. Visually beautiful and conveys a great mood and message too.
Awesome series. Some people accuse it of getting stale and repetitive but I never found that to be the case. A great mixture of dark humour, unusual art style (of which studio SHAFT is well known for) and social commentary - some of it only really applies to Japanese/Otaku culture but there are still a lot of things that ring true no matter where you live.
S2 has been a step up so far, mainly due to the AB cast and their constant attempts to disrupt things :D
Also there is just something quite funny and cathartic about Key making fun of so many iconic scenes that were heartbreaking back in the day.
Definitely a "for fans" series. If you're a huge Key fanatic (like I am), you'll probably find humour in this one. It's almost entirely "in-jokes" for Key series, so if you don't know that many (or any) then I doubt you'll get much out of this.
Still, at a breezy 4 minutes per episode, it's not like it's a huge time sink either way.
Oh, and a second season is on the way, with the Angel Beats cast joining in on the silliness :D
I was pretty bewildered watching the last 2 episodes of this. Felt like someone slammed on the accelerator and skipped through a whole season of content in 2 episodes. Very jarring after seemingly taking its time until then.
I haven't read the manga but I daresay it skipped/glossed over a hell of a lot in those last 2 episodes. Hard to call the ending satisfying after that...
Season 2 is coming July 2021!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sro80JOeFNw&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=KyoaniChannel
Welcome back KyoAni :)
It's great to finally see LH come back, although it is definitely a slow start here. A little distracting that some of the character VAs have changed too (although maybe not a huge surprise after the gap between seasons).
The OP isn't great sadly, I mean they couldn't get away with just doing Database a third time but it would have been nice if they had got another Man with a Mission song instead. Oh well.
It's time to get C O M F Y
Nyanpassu!
I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that this is back. Pure relaxation, direct dopamine.
The fact that this and Yuru Camp are airing in the same season is an absolute treat. My only concern is whether I can ration these episodes for when I truly need a pick-me-up, which given the state of the world at the moment, is often.
I normally give these edgelord shows a wide berth but I decided to amuse myself watching the first 2 episodes of this one. Somewhat entertaining with how ridiculous it gets. Someone used the term "soft hentai" to describe shows like this, which I'd definitely agree with. Certainly blurring the lines and testing the limits of what can be broadcast on TV (I mean, AT-X is cable but even they presumably have some limits and won't show full on porn).
Not sure if I'll keep watching and if I do it'll just be to see if they keep this level of edginess going. Fingers crossed they do!
Delighted to hear that this is getting a Season 3. I couldn't help but catch up with the manga and based on that, things are only going to get better!
Damn, they're really going out of their way to set up that Yui won't win this. As an ardent member of #TeamYui, this hurts a lot. I can only hope they might subvert things near the end, but probably not :(
Anyway, it was still nice to see a lot of Yui this episode. She's so sweet.
