First Thoughts: Usagi Drop

The first time I heard about  Usagi Drop (Bunny Drop) was when it was mentioned in one of DraconisMarch’s YouTube videos. It looked like something I would adore, so I checked it out.

Now, whenever I watch anime, I always have the Sticky Notes feature open on my computer so I can write my thoughts as I watch. Then later, I can write reviews or first impressions off of my notes.

With Usagi Drop…I completely forgot about the Sticky Notes. I was enjoying myself so much I didn’t want to pause the video to write.

I’ve only seen the first episode and I’m already enchanted with this anime.

It’s a shame it isn’t more popular. I’ve been wanting to find an anime like this and Usagi Drop more than satisfies. The art and animation are both terrific, while both Rin and Daikichi look like very promising and interesting characters.

I will most definitely be writing a review on this anime in the future. 🙂

Reaction: Ao Haru Ride – Episode 2

Well, considering my thoughts from the first episode, I really wasn’t looking forward to this week’s. Like, at all. But since I have a 2-episode anime rule, I (reluctantly) checked it out. 

And, I was pleasantly surprised.

While it was certainly still lacking, it was FAR better than the first episode. Mostly because they introduced this girl:

When I saw her in episode one, I immediately thought “she’s probably going to be some stupid love rival.” And I’m SO glad I was wrong! She’s definitely my favorite character so far.

Well, there really wasn’t much to say about this episode other than the fact it was actually not that bad. It’s certainly picked up from the first episode, that’s for sure. But I’m still not buying into the romance at all.

While I’m a sucker for romance, I’m not interested in that aspect of this anime. (I know it’s the main point, but sheesh). I’m far more interested in the side characters than the actual shoujo plot. 

With that said, this episode has given me some hope that Ao Haru Ride may not be AS bad as I originally presumed. I’m sure it’ll still be a generic shoujo, but it might actually be somewhat enjoyable. 

And on that note, I’ll be taking a look of at episode 3 next time. 🙂

Angel Beats!

WARNING! SOME MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

(But if you still want to know the good and bad, scroll down until you see “pros” and “cons”. No spoilers there.)

• Characters: 2.5  /3
• Story: 1.5  /3
• Enjoyment: 1.5  /2
• Art: 1  /1
• Animation: 1  /1

Overall Score: 7.5/10

One word to describe Angel Beats!: (இ﹏இ`｡) -tries not to cry-

Angel Beats…oh, Angel Beats….

I recently finished this with a friend of mine and I promised myself I wouldn’t cry. Ha. Yeah. I tried.

And failed.

I planned to watch Angel Beats! years ago but never got around to it until now. While I was expecting this to be more of a serious anime than anything else, it was surprisingly light and hilarious at times.

My favorite thing about this anime were definitely the characters. They were all so fun and interesting. (Except Yui. I can’t stand characters like her.) As much as I tried not to be swayed by emotions when watching Angel Beats!, I couldn’t help it. Now mind you, it takes a LOT for me to become connected with characters. If someone dies a horrible death, but they had only showed up for one or two episodes, I couldn’t care less. I don’t feel anything.

And yet my favorite character in the series was Masami Iwasawa!

The person who did her singing voice did a phenomenal job, I could hear all the emotion she put into her song.

For an anime to make me feel something for a character who hardly stuck around is rare. And there were numerous parts where I couldn’t help get teared up even when I tried my best not to. Whether those tears were from joy or (more often) sadness.

Especially the ending where I absolutely BROKE. I mean, what a twist it was…

Now, as much as I love the characters in this anime, the story isn’t a strong point.

While I yes, the concept is clever and it’s overall a very enjoyable experience, there are quite a few things left unexplained. Such as how the Angel Player software worked and why the manual for it was in English (when the school is Japanese based). Also, the character relationships seemed rushed and came out of nowhere. Such as Yui and Hinata’s sudden love for one another. That one really took me by surprise considering they never hinted at their feelings at all. (No, beating each other up constantly doesn’t count!)

The mood also changed constantly. One second it’s ridiculous moments that make you fall out of your seat laughing, then the next scenes are heart-wrenching and powerful. While this sort of formula worked in Samurai Champloo, it just wasn’t executed as well as it could’ve been for Angel Beats!. Many times the drama felt rather rushed and too sudden.

That being said, the beautiful story itself definitely makes up for it. I was never able to tell where the story was headed next. Some of the twists absolutely caught me off guard. There was something Angel Beats! had that just made it so darn enjoyable. I don’t think I was ever bored with this anime even once.

I believe that the best kind of stories are ones that can make you feel something. Stories that push their audience to experience not just enjoy. And this is exactly what Angel Beats! did for me. 

The art and animation were also factors I absolutely fawned over. I can’t recall a single moment when the art was ever lacking, and the animation was always very well done.

---

So to sum it up:

Pros: The characters are all lovable and it’s just…a great anime overall! The concept is original, clever, and WILL make you feel. I’m pretty sure even a rock would tear up at some point. The art and animation are both strong and well done. Also, the soundtrack is an absolute masterpiece. The use of piano just makes my mouth drool. Angel Beats! also gets some MAJOR points in my book for not having any shallow pandering or perverse aspects whatsoever.

Cons: Some parts of the story aren’t executed very well and can seem rather rushed. Especially certain relationships between characters. The moods change quickly and there are some parts of the story that just aren’t explained very well (or at all).

Worth watching? Definitely! Regardless of the cons mentioned, they’re all pretty subtle and the pros make up for it all. As mentioned before, I believe the best stories are ones that can make their audience feel something. If you watch Angel Beats!, you can try to escape the emotions it forces you to feel, but that’s nearly impossible. The story is beautiful, it’s engaging, it’s powerful…yet it’s also hilarious, fun, and ridiculous at times. Angel Beats! is definitely a memorable anime that I feel everyone should at least check out.

 

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica

• Characters: 2  /3
• Story: 3  /3
• Enjoyment: 1  /2
• Art: 1  /1
• Animation: 1  /1

Overall Score: 8/10

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica in one word: Unique

Oh boy. How do I even properly describe this anime? The fact that I pulled an all-nighter to finished the whole thing should mean something.

MSMM is centered around a young girl named Madoka who one day has a very strange, magical  encounter. With the offer of one miracle in exchange for becoming a magical girl who will risk her life fighting witches, her destiny will unfold.

I…honestly don’t know how to start this. I’m at a complete loss for words. MSMM most definitely lives up to its grand reputation. It’s one of the most unique and original anime I’ve seen.

The characters are all very complex and just…different from the norm. They weren’t cliched and were all so well written. What I found interesting was that Madoka doesn’t even heavily come into play into the story until the very end. The majority of the anime showcases the amazing supporting characters.

The story is what kept me completely hooked. Original, captivating, clever, interesting, elaborate – these are just a few words I can think of to describe MSMM. What starts off seeming like another generic magic girl anime takes a nosedive into something entirely new. I was never able to tell what was going to happen next, every twist caught me off guard.

I’ve never really been a fan of the magical girl genre, so MSMM’s dark twist on it made it SUCH a great watch.

Any scene that was suppose to pull at your heartstrings never seemed overly dramatic whatsoever. I even got chills in some scenes.

 (e.g. This)

The dialogue never came off as overused in any way whatsoever. I didn’t scratch my head or facepalm once. I mock anime that take their pretentious speeches so seriously, but this was NEVER the case with MSMM! There were no loose ends in sight. The story is thorough and explained in ways that made absolute sense.

And the twists they pulled always caught me off guard! Homura’s entire story was like nothing I’ve seen before.

Something I found incredible was the fact the art and animation only got BETTER as the series progressed. Especially during the fighting scenes and whenever they encountered a witch. Speaking of witches, the realms they entered were absolutely stunning. The art was so strange and different, I loved it.

The soundtrack always set the mood very well and the opening song is going on my Ipod.

The only complaint I have about MSMM are the yuri undertones. (Though this is just a personal preference.)

---

So to sum it up:

Pros: It’s just different in every category! It’s unique, it’s thrilling, it’s clever, the story and characters are all far from cliche. It takes the magic girl anime genre and puts an entirely different spin on it. The story was balanced yet it pushed everything to the edge without ever being “too much”. Also, the typical transformation scenes are always completely clean and there’s very, very little fanservice in the entire thing. I was at the edge of my seat and captivated till the end.

Cons: Some obvious yuri undertones. (But I guess this can be a pro if you’re into that.)

Worth watching? Definitely. Why? Because of everything listed in the “pros” section. MSMM is so memorable and will be the first thing I think of if anyone ever mentions “magical girls”.