Whilst the author of that article does state:



I think it's his next line that really takes the cake:



Now i've not actually completed Death Note, only having watched the first few episodes, so maybe i'm just plain wrong here. But from what i recall and hear, the series is more lauded for its "psychological" aspects, it's more of a thinking man's anime and it's interesting trying to see the two.... leads coming up with various strategies to expose each other.

In no way would i have ever thought that "The Ring" was a valid comparison, nor would i have classed Death Note in the "Horror" genre.

Talk about lack of respect for the original material...

Watched the recap episode "0" last week, and just finished ep. 1.

I was amused by the use of the word "refrigerator".

Otherwise, I'm starting to hope this goes off in a new direction and there are strong hints that it might. Back when she was scary, she was more interesting. Now she's just kinda wet, in an overly analytical and incredibly painful to watch kind of way. I had to take 3 "time-outs" in 20 minutes to stop myself from slapping her!

I'm still hooked. Just wish episodes 2 - 10 were out already

Desho?

Umm, yeah, anwyays.



So i've watched through quite a few of the series i mentioned last time, some of them 2 episodes just to confirm the feel of them.

Anyhow, a basic summary of my thoughts:

Dragon Crisis - The first episode wasn't really amazing, nor did it really take my attention. It's one of those opening episodes that tries to make you continue watching by not giving you a full picture of what's happening, instead of properly setting the scene and drawing you in with it's own character/good points. I don't really have anything against that type of opening, since their are shows that do it rather well (more about that later), but just that this leaves quite a few questions and since it didn't really hit it off, i'm not so bothered if they're left unanswered. I'll give it one more episode since it did hint there were much better things to come and the fact that Horie Yui still hasn't appeared, it was also very light on the action front so i'm hoping that will be addressed in the next episode... otherwise i could really end up dropping it .

And as a side note, whilst i'm a fan of most of Kugimiya Rie's roles (Shana, Nagi, Taiga etc.), this one is seriously grating. I get the fact that every role of hers is pretty much the same quintessential Tsundere, but this role is just a joke now, for the majority of the scenes that she's in she has a one word vocabulary ("Ryuuji") and even though she starts to learn more words at the end, hearing the constant spam of "Ryuuji" gets seriously annoying.

Fractale - It only aired a couple of days ago (unlike most of the other shows which started over a week ago) so i haven't managed to check it out yet. From the screencaps it looks... interesting but maybe not my thing, however i'll try to leave my opinion open before i watch the first episode. One thing that quite a few others have complained about however is that the promo art is very different from the anime draw style which is a bit disappointing. The Promo Art was a rather Pastel, almost hand coloured look, whereas the actual anime has a much more bolder palette in a more typical anime style, although the outlines are very thin, similar to those anime which try to give off a feel of an "older" world (that's best how i can describe it anyways).

Freezing! - Okay, i admit that i've passed up on this, from the screen caps and blog from a site that i normally frequent, it seems that they've essentially just gone down the overtly Action/Ecchi route, which i'm sure will draw in more viewers, but it's not really what i liked about the manga in the first place. They've also skimped on quite a few things from the manga it seems (such as the suits of armor when they "power up") which imo just kinda feels like they aren't properly respecting the source material.

Gosick - When a mystery/psychological anime fails to get you intrigued or held in suspense, i feel like they're doing something wrong. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case here with the very first "case"/"situation" being amazingly obvious (for the most part at least, not so much the motive, but that's because they told you subsequent information, rather than finding it out). It's one of those "go along for the ride" type animes, instead of putting you in the seat/shoes of the main character. I don't really think i'll be following this much longer ;>.

IS: Infinite Stratos - Hmmm...this would probably be the one show this season that gave me what i expected, it doesn't really stand out in any way, but it delivers a very consistent quality. Overall i don't really see this going anywhere in terms of plot yet, but that's not really a bad thing, since quite a few shows have been ruined trying to inject a plot line which ultimately ended up short.

Kore Wa Zombie Desu - I originally didn't put my thoughts on this since i didn't think i'd be watching it. It's a light hearted comedy about some guy who gets turned into a Zombie (not the lumbering time, just more like he's been raised from the dead). If it wasn't for me reading that this was supposed to be hilarious, i doubt i'd have paid it much attention. It definitely had me laughing quite a bit with its slapstick humour and overall odd/wtf moments, it's definitely not going to be the best show of the season, but it may be one of the funniest. I'd probably recommend this for you JJ, i can see you getting a few laughs out of it (i think).

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica - And here we get to the sheep anime... now there's a reason why most Magical Girl animes aren't really enjoyed by quite a few anime fans, they're often seen as kid shows or cutesy cutesy. Whilst there have been quite a few in the genre that transcended this status to become quite popular mainstream (Cardcaptor Sakura and Sailor Moon come to mind), i still would class these as being enjoyed for "what they are", i.e. as a show primarily aimed at younger audiences. As such, there's a reason why in general i've avoided such shows, since i either like shows that make me laugh, or are somewhat serious to appeal to an older audience.

Which is exactly why i was completely surprised by this (or wasn't i, since i had expectations from Shaft?). Anyhow, this definitely falls into the latter category of having a serious undertone to it which makes it much more appealing to watch, at the same time it still manages to inject small amounts of humour here and there so as not to get boring, or to bog you down. It sounds silly, but whilst i started watching the episode from a slightly skeptical point of view, my opinion of the show drastically increased the minute the OP started, the music is very "light" and not "boppy" like quite a few Mahou Shoujo shows. Also it's got a very sombre tone to it which gives off a rather "mature" vibe, it reminds me a lot of the True Tears OP, which contained a good mix of drama and light hearted-ness. And last but not least, when you start your OP with your protagonist alone and crying, with an artistic backdrop, it really just pushed all the buttons for me (which actually makes me sound like a bad person :S), that is in terms of what i was looking for in order to differentiate it from the other animes. Anyhow, best OP of the season IMO .

The production of the show is also top notch, the pastel-like shading effect works very well and i've even noticed the soundtrack in quite a few scenes (which for me, is often the hallmark of a very good show). One thing that irks me however, is that they've taken the a lot of the "abstract" art direction for some of the scenes, specifically for another dimension, which is very akin to Bakemonogatari's random photo's in scenes; i remember getting the same vibe from another show (which could also/very likely be Shaft's, but i can't think of it atm). Personally, i'm not a fan since it clashes heavily with the more traditional animation... in fact the best way i can describe it would be similar to a stop motion Collage (except it's obviously animated, and smooth... but it still looks like a 6th Grade collage).

But despite how much i hate that, it really does pale in comparison to how impressed i am with the show... so yeah JJ, if you haven't guessed already, i really like this and i think you should watch it . Let's just hope that they keep up with the quality.

So with that mini-roundup done, how has anyone been finding any shows of this season? (i also throw this question out, but i always feel like i'm asking this to an empty hall, except JJ lol).

I heard that the first two ep's of Mitsudomoe were right back on track and enjoyable to watch, it's a shame that the setting didn't click with me, since i'd have really loved to have enjoyed the silly humour that i keep hearing people rave on about ;>.

Wow, thanks for a brilliant review. I spent the weekend with my "freaky animé friends" so I've had the benefit of their wisdom on this season too. It's a shame you're soo far away, there's rarely more than 4 of us at a get together and new blood is always relished. I don't know if you go to any of the cons? I've only been to a couple because I generally find them a little tedious. Some of my friends go to about 10 events every year, including some in Japan. Half of Hello Project actually know them by sight

Anyway:

Fractale I saw last night. I'd been drinking. My reaction was an initial "WTF?". That is a common reaction, probably more so if you're sober
However, I love the way it's heading. I think I'm already a fan of this. Absolutely definitely worth watching.

Gosick I also saw last night. I didn't think it would be my thing, but for me it was rescued by Yuuki Aoi's performance of the loli detective. She does loli so damned well. In fact, she's the lead in practically all my favourites for this last year! Seriously: http://myanimelist.net/people/6686/Aoi_Yuuki

Kore Wa Zombie Desu was another drunken viewing with friends. It made me laugh, and I actually like the plot. Despite the end result being yet another harem of freaks and weirdos, it's a twist I've never seen before.

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica was always one I had to watch. I'm impressed so far. Note theYuuki loli again

I'm off to catch up with a few others now; I'll update when I've digested them.

Lol, no problem, thought it might be rather long . Where exactly are you based? I remember seeing the location in Okenbi's lift thread but i don't exactly remember it ... i just know that it's definitely not behind my sofa lol . Also my location hasn't actually been updated since i left Uni (which was in Durham), i'm now back at home which is closer to Oxford.

What conventions would you be on about ? =X. I don't really know anything about the "Western" side of anime per se, i.e. any big groups, meetups etc. TBH this is actually the only place where i regularly voice my opinion on anime since i've not really found anywhere else that i've liked. Most other places either are too big, such that your opinion is either pretty much overlooked, or there a lot of people whose attitude to anime is "lol boobies, *insert generic action/ecchi series here* is easily the best show of the season".



I shall check it out then... still haven't looked into it.



She does do a very good job, the portrayal is also rather nice, with the Pipe and the rolling around when she's bored.



It's definitely very weird... i tried to look up what a "Masou" Shoujo was, but alas no luck.

The Transformation Scene also took me off guard and was slightly disturbing as well , i don't particularly like gender benders or traps .



Lmao, i didn't notice the connection, she's been in quite a few things i've seen, such as Kure-nai, where i would never have pictured it was the same person.



I'll look forward to the update .

AICN Anime - Miyazaki Shorts Get Rare New York Screening, Star Blazers on TV, New Digitial Distribution and More

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AICN Anime - A Look at What's Coming, Gundam, Hard Sci-Fi, X-men and More

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Another Season seems to have passed by rather quickly and i seem to have dropped quite a few shows from my initial outset having limited myself to Kore wa Zombie Desu and IS: Infinite Stratos just because both were rather lighthearted Action/Comedies which were easy to watch. I still read over the summaries of each new Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica and it does sound pretty mindblowing and high quality, it's just that all the themes seem rather "heavy" and i haven't felt like putting myself through that recently .

Anyhow, new Season Preview here and another set of shows to think about watching but ultimately not .

A Channel - It reminds me of Lucky Star, enough said... But anyways, it does look very similar in terms since it's slice of life and adapted from a 4 Panel Manga. Ultimate it's comedy, slice of life and looks interesting.

Ao no Exorcist - Every season needs a Shounen Action show that seems to be of reasonably high quality and this seems to be it.

C - Drama/Sci-fi/Thriller, sounds interesting.

Hidan no Aria - In addition to a Shounen Action show every season, you also need some sort of Action/Comedy show made by J.C. Staff which is voiced by Kugimiya Rie and this is it. Also features that guy who plays Ryuuji in Toradora! from it as well so a return to that cast. Anyhow, this'll most likely be good.

Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai 2 - Continuation of "The World God Only Knows" series which was a season ago. As said, i follow the manga, and whilst i didn't find the anime to be a particularly good adaptation, it was watchable and i'll watch a random episode here and there.

I've been rather behind since I got sucked into Minecraft

I've not finished the first season of "The World God Only Knows" yet! I'll put that on my list to catch up on. I've been watching things about 8 episodes at a time the last week or so...

Madoka is totally brilliant, but yes it's quite heavy. I'm enjoying IS a fair bit, but I've not gotten past the second episode of Zombie desu. Maybe this weekend!

Damn, just realised I never replied to this.

I'm in Northampton. I have a few very good friends in Oxford where I lived for years, but the guys I normally meet up with on an animé theme now live in west London.

Our last "event" attendance was an animé driven mini-rave in a London club last month. It was quite amusing; with about 40 people many in cosplay jigging about to AKB48 and OST AMVs. There was a DJ, but he was mostly just talking to people. It was very cool - I'll post when the next one is. Cost £6 on the door, but drinks were expensive. I have video, but it's bad. Keep meaning to see if anyone else got decent photos because some of the girls looked seriously great; there were some semi-pro dancers with twin tails and stuff

Then there's London Expo. I've been twice, and I think it's a bit boring really. Most of the fun comes from the after parties which I've never managed to stay for because of the cost of hotels. Worth going to once. There's SciFi stuff there too, and my highlight was seeing Nicole de Boer from DS9. The lowlight was seeing the fat American dub actress for Natuto. Seriously, she practically got stoned on stage...

AmeCon is another which most of my mates have been to, but I've never made it because I've not managed to get time off work...

Then there's Hyper Japan which I only know about from friends, specifically this one who did a review. Note the phrase "Suddenly cosplayers, thousands of them."

So i managed to force myself to sit down and watch the entire season of Puella Magi Madoka Magica and i do agree that it was both best show of the season and redfines the genre.

What i want to rate it however, is currently being deliberated... i think it's at least a 9, but i'm not sure whether or not it deserves a 10. I think i just expected slightly too much from it with regards to all the hype and praise it got, so ultimately it fell slightly short of my "i thought this would actually move me" attitude.

I watched the final two episodes last night, having been made to wait just so they could do the Jesus thing on Good Friday... which annoyed me rather!

I'm also debating my score. As a whole, much like you, it didn't really move me as much as I thought it should. I think it's an original story, has three really good characters and good art. It should be a 9 but the characters are only "good" rather than "great". They're a bit... flat.

I'm down to just Gosic now; I've not picked up any new shows yet except Seikon no Qwaser II which I shan't talk about

Mami, Homura and Hitomi?

Madoka - Found to be a little lacking in personality, she was always more the "follow along" instead of carving her own niche up until the final episode.
Sayaka - Found her to be slightly grating half way through.
Kyouko - Was good, liked the depth of her character but then i think she exited too early before she could develop properly.

But i do agree that whilst it was a great blend of storytelling, art and soundtrack etc., it was just missing the emotional impact that makes a show truly great.



I wasn't taken by the first episode of Gosick, intriguing, but didn't really hook me in.

As for Seikon, i won't judge yo- no wait, i lied, i'm judging you already .

As for this season, i've only watched 1 episode of each and so far:

Hidan no Aria - Seems like this is a classic J.C. Staff production like Shana, Toradora etc. easy to watch, nice blend of comedy, romance and action. A solid 8 show.

A Channel - It's like Lucky Star, but without all the over-the-top personalities that made it great (basically no Konata or Kagami). It's got some nice humour but it didn't wow me, i think i'll be an 8 but it's more of an average 8.

Ao no Exorcist - Seems like it's a solid Shounen Action show, it's not quite picked up yet so i can't really decide whether or not it's a 7 or an 8.

Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi - I think this could be my sleeper of the season, it's a rather traditional Harem Romantic Comedy that's solid all round. Production wise it's probably a 7 although if it stays as funny and develops more then i could give it an 8.