Well, at least it's over now.
The series was never massively remarkable imo, but while S1 felt solid enough (despite the whole MC-can-do-anything-even-though-he's-a-highschool-kid-compared-to-trained-military-professionals-who-just-die-like-lemmings thing), S2 just felt wholly unremarkable. The end of S1 set up what could have been a quite interesting sequel but in my opinion they went for the most obvious (and boring) route.
I enjoyed the orbital battles but aside from that, well, "meh" describes it best I think.
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 wish I could say I enjoyed this series more, but sadly I ended up underwhelmed. Perhaps I was expecting too much from it. With Production I.G. doing another Shoujo and a very similar art style to Kimi ni Todoke, I was hoping for something close to that, but this fell far short.
Most of the cast were okay but I thought it was very clunky and somewhat unconvincing how their friendships were established. Very little was done to flesh some of them out either, although I suppose that can be difficult with only 12 episodes.
My main problem was with the main couple though. Whilst I didn't mind Futaba after she eventually grew a spine and started realising that she didn't have to live a "fake" lifestyle, for the vast majority of the series I absolutely couldn't stand Kou. I understand that the intention was to show that he had changed in the years they had been apart and had become a distant and aloof person, but they went way too far in my few and a lot of the time he was just being a total asshole, at times being outright abuse to Futaba. Of course later on it's revealed as to why he ended up this way but I still don't think it justified even half of his dickish behaviour. He got better towards the end but for a lot of the series he was just a total prick and it made it very hard for me to enjoy the series.
Quite a let down overall.
This series was certainly an interesting watch. From the synopsis alone you may be forgiven for assuming this could turn into another raunchy high school love comedy, but nothing could be further from the truth. This series is dark and twisted, and a brilliant watch because of it. The main character is a thoroughly unlikeable, cowardly (and pretentious) wimp, which may sound like a turn-off for watching the series, but stick with it, because the series basically revolves around him being tormented by the messed up girl, Nakamura.
What I really liked was that this series took scenarios that, in other series, would be played for comedy, only here they're not funny and cause a great deal of angst and torment for all involved.
Another thing that sets this series aside from most other anime is the style of animation which uses rotoscoping. This style sadly was enough to make a lot of snobs turn their noses up at the series without ever giving it a chance. Personally I have no problem with the animation style and in fact wish more series would do this. (Trapeze is the only other example I can think of off the top of my head http://trakt.tv/show/trapeze)
It's a shame that the series hasn't done too well in sales because that means we probably won't get a second season. This really is unfortunate, because whilst stuff definitely does happen in this series, by the end you are definitely left with the impression that things are only going to get more twisted and messed up and that we've only started down the path of depravity (and in fact, the last episode makes this very clear). This series is adapted from a Manga though, so if you do really like what you see you can read that to find out what happens next.
Much as I wish I could rate the series higher, there are a few things stopping me from giving it a better score. The animation quality is sadly somewhat lacking. There are lots of crowd shots where nobody is moving at all, which is all the more frustrating because if anything, it should be easier to animate crowds in this style. Some scenes were drawn out a big too long to the point where you just want something to happen already (a good example would be the walk home after the infamous "classroom" scene. Yes building atmosphere is fine and everything but 5+ minutes of just walking? Come on...). And even though there's a lot of schadenfreude to be had from watching Kasuga suffer at the hands of Nakamura, he is still pretty insufferable and cringeworthy to watch at times.
In spite of all it's flaws however, this is still a very interesting and different show that I would definitely recommend. Just be aware that if you want to know what happens next, you'll probably have to read the manga.
So far I'm enjoying this series. It isn't without its problems (and is probably hyped more than it deserves), but I am still finding it genuinely enjoyable and at times unexpected. The combat scenes generally are fast, well animated and exciting. I also love the soundtrack. Some of the songs are really good (composed by the same guy who did the Guilty Crown one, I believe). Also, Mikasa is badass.
Things I'm not enjoying: Whilst the combat scenes look epic, the rest is fairly lacking. The backgrounds are especially bad, there is a LOT of copypasta, and I normally don't notice stuff like this. Seriously, look at any of the scenes with crowds or lots of buildings and you will see some VERY obvious copypaste. Spending so much time/money on the combat scenes has obviously affected the budget elsewhere in other ways too. There are a lot of still images when people are talking etc. Fairly standard in anime anyway I guess, but it's just a lot more noticeable here when compared to the aforementioned action scenes. And of course, there's the angst, which I could do with much less of. It's one thing to establish that mankind is on the losing side, but sometimes it really goes overboard with the "waaah waaah, we're done for" scenes. Finally, Eren is an annoying protagonist. He seems to have two modes: Angsty and Angry.
In spite of all this, as I said, I'm still enjoying this series. It's just not quite as amazing as it perhaps could be.
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...
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.
10 episodes in so far and this show has definitely grown on me. I wasn't totally sold (but was intrigued) by the first couple of episodes and it has built itself up at a good pace since then. There's a nice mixture of story-of-the-week but with an overall narrative going which I think works really well here and gives you time to learn more about Dororo and Hyakkimaru and see them develop.
And wow, I was not expecting the show to be quite so gory or deal with such harsh themes either. Then again, I'm not massively familiar with most of Tezuka Osamu's work (for my sins), other than knowing he was the author of Astro Boy and is considered by some to be the father of manga/anime.
This has been an enjoyable watch so far. No way near as raunchy as the title may lead you to believe and actually some quite cute/charming moments. I like the banter between main guy and bunny girl and it'll be interesting to see where things go now he's confessed to her.
Whilst I am enjoying some aspects of it so far, there are a few warning signs. The premise is quite silly for a start, and I get the impression the series may think it's smarter than it actually is. Plus a lot of the supporting cast (who haven't been introduced yet) may derail things a bit if they decide it's their turn to hog the spotlight now. Still, I'm on board for now.
Well, that's left me hooked and wanting more. What a great show.
So sweet. My heart melted. I hope things get better for Hina now!
Aw man, this always ends too soon :(
Another hilarious outing by our lovable idiots. I do hope we get more of this in the future as it's definitely one of the best and funniest of it's type out there. It's the kind of show where it feels like everyone involved in creating it is having a blast. It has also (along with Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju) improved my opinion of Studio DEEN massively, to the point where I might not actually assume a series is doomed if it ends up being animated by them (Like S2 of Cool-headed Hoozuki later this year, another comedy anime I really enjoyed).
Pity about the distractingly large amount of QUALITY in this episode :(
Decent enough ending, but I have to be honest, I ended up disappointed in this series overall. I didn't really like the direction it took in the second half and we ended up with a lot of one-dimensional and silly characters by the end.
Pretty much everyone in the cast at one point or another annoyed me with their illogical or silly decisions. It often felt like nobody was actually trying to keep themselves alive.
I feel kinda bad because it seems like everyone else really liked this episode, but I personally thought it was one of the weakest, possibly THE weakest this season. With the exception of the final scene, not a lot actually happened. Obviously I get that there are points where characters have to talk things over or set off from A to B, but it felt like most of the episode was that.
As for the final scene - honestly I love Hodor. He's a great character and I was sad to see him die. But rather than being moved and emotional at the final scene, I just found it cheesy. "Hold the Door". Really? I get what they were trying to do but that was just stupid.
A promising start. Like @deanzel I thought it started off pretty generic but it certainly ramped up and got interesting and a lot better. I also appreciated it being a double-length episode to take the time to establish things. Of the characters introduced thus far, they all seemed pretty likable. Having just seen Erased last season, it's interesting to see another series handling time travel again so soon, and no doubt it will draw comparisons to that series. And like Erased, it has the potential to handle the premise and mechanics well, or badly. Shame there's a fair amount of dodgy CG to be seen but hopefully the quality of the story will be enough to excuse that.
Still, a good first episode. Here's hoping it stays good. White Fox as a studio do have the potential to do very well when they're on point.
Always happy to have more Nobume in my Gintama. I do think it's a shame that they "chickened out" with her backstory so it turned out she didn't kill Isaburo's wife and child. I think their relationship would have been more interesting if she still had and he "accepted" her even so.
I always liked Isaburo's character so whilst it wasn't unexpected, it was sad to see him sacrifice himself in the end.
Well that was very silly, but very fun. Despite looking like it'd be the usual otaku pandering LN fantasy nonsense, it was self-aware enough to take the piss out of itself and the genre. Not a masterpiece by any means, but definitely entertaining. Glad we're getting a second season. Bravo DEEN!
I certainly hope there will be another season of this, since that episode wasn't a last episode at all and everything is still up in the air.
A value lesson from all this - do NOT fuck with Hotel Moscow.
I really liked this series. Considering that this was a random pick up and I had zero expectations, I was very pleasantly surprised. As a 4-koma series, comedy is the name of the game and what you get is a never ending stream of gags and silly situations and the vast majority worked for me. This is probably the funniest series I've seen since Daily Lives of High School Boys, another unexpectedly great and amusing series.
If you want a fun series with likeable characters that is relentlessly funny and makes some playful jabs at the Shoujo genre, I'd definitely recommend this one.
Re-watching this recent reminded me of what a little gem this series is. It's charming, funny and moving. Tsukimi is lovely and I like that she actually does look "plain" rather than us just being told she is (because generic anime art style makes it hard to tell who's supposed to be attractive and who's supposed to be ugly).
I believe this series falls under the "Josei" (older girls/ladies) category and I'm sure a lot of women can probably relate to some of the issues Tsukimi has to deal with. But speaking as a Male who was probably not the primary target audience, I still really enjoyed this show and most of the characters.
It's just a shame it's only 11 episodes long, because as has been said before, it ends a little abruptly and could have easily continued for another cour.
I really enjoyed this series. It reminds me of Sakurasou (http://trakt.tv/show/the-pet-girl-of-sakurasou) but I enjoyed this one more. Visually it reminds me of a Makoto Shinkai film (http://trakt.tv/movie/5-centimeters-per-second-2007) and that's a good thing!
In terms of the humour and the characters, I really enjoyed both. Kawai is adorable and Mayumi/Sayaka make for some very funny and likeable support characters.
It's a shame this was only 12 episodes long. The final episode isn't terrible but it could easily have continued for another cour. Hopefully we'll get a second season at some point!
For me, Monogatari Second Season (aka Season 3) has done a great job of rescuing the series and removing the bad taste left by Nisemonogatari (Not everyone hates it, but most would admit it is the weakest material by far when compared to the rest).
I liked how the arcs shown were not done in chronological order and that we had different narrators for most of the arcs. Seeing events unfold from other characters' perspectives kept things interesting. Most of the arcs were very good, I wasn't as big a fan for Nadeko's arc but that has more to do with not really liking the character than what happened.
This second season has restored my faith in the series and I am really looking forward to SHAFT animating the remaining material now.
It's time to get C O M F Y
We'd better not have to wait another 13 years to find out what happens next!
Pretty decent conclusion overall.
I'm not sure why but this series never fully wowed me, despite it being impressively directed an animated I'd say I never got "fully" into it.
That said I still think it was a pretty good series and don't regret my time watching it. The soundtrack and a lot of the character designs were especially impressive.
Last few episodes have been really sweet seeing Rei desperate to help Hina, but so heartbreaking too. I just want to give her a hug and tell her it's all going to be okay!
Hopefully now that she's pissed she'll be going on the offensive and those vile girls will get their comeuppance
Another weird and wonderful entry from Masaaki Yuasa. This shares characters and a visual style with the series "The Tatami Galaxy" (https://trakt.tv/shows/the-tatami-galaxy) so if you're a fan of that series you will definitely enjoy, and know what to expect with this one - although the film works just fine as a stand-alone piece if you haven't seen it (although you really shoud!).
Whilst I still think I prefer Tatami Galaxy more this is still a very fun and enjoyable romp, following the unnamed girl with the black hair through the crazy nightlife of Kyoto. Lots of drinking, trippy visuals and hilarious moments as we go deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole.
Interestingly unlike Tatami Galaxy which almost exclusively followed the male protagonist's POV, here we spend a lot of time with the girl (voiced perfectly by Kana Hanazawa <3) and not so much with "Senpai", which is fine by me as she is joy to be around and is definitely the focal point of the story.
If you're a fan of Masaaki Yuasa's work this is definitely worth a look. Possibly not the easiest entry point into his works but not as bad as Tatami Galaxy and its infamous rapid-fire speech right out of the gate.
The insert song at the end of the episode is just great!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPxSS1zHWwQ
