First Thoughts – Akagami no Shirayuki-hime

Akagami no Shirayuki-hime or Snow White with the Red Hair is a new anime produced by Studio Bones (YES ❤ ) about a female herbalist named Shirayuki with rare red hair. And just like her rare hair color, shoujo anime nowadays are also become more and more rare. Especially GOOD shoujo at that. Thankfully, this anime has given me some hope.

All I can say from the first episode, is that it’s cute. There’s a very distinct fairy tale-ness to this which I adore. I’ve yet to find a good Snow White based story and this would be the first. The characters, the dialogue…I’ve seen it all before but I still like it. Why? Because it’s a fairy tale. It’s impossible for me to grow tired of them. The stories I memorized as a child, the various versions and adaptions I discovered growing up…Akagami no Shirayuki-hime fits in that category and I’m loving it so far. That’s not to say the first episode is too predictable. I was guessing different things that could happen within it and I was wrong everytime -which is great.

And the characters! A big YES to that. If red-haired heroines become a trend I have absolutely no problems with that. I love how Shirayuki embodies both spirit and courage, yet is still gentle.

One of the very first shots is of her reaching for beautiful flowers when suddenly the camera pans over and she’s actually grabbing a type of herb to use in her medicine. I thought that was so clever and already revealed so much about her character!

Although I’m somewhat of a fanatic when it comes to fairy tales (Blame Disney ❤ ) I still didn’t see the small twists here and there in the first episode. It’s clever, cute, and personally, I’m enjoying it so much it’s practically sinful. I cannot WAIT to see more of such a charming anime!

First Thoughts: Yona of the Dawn

I haven’t done reviews lately simply because nothing has caught my attention. And by nothing, I mean absolutely NOTHING. That is, until I happened to see a trailer for Yona of the Dawn on my Facebook newsfeed.

Has anyone realized the difference between harems and reverse harems? One thing, reverse harems seem to focus just as heavily on story as romantic interaction. Whereas in harems, no one gives a crap about story and just want to see fanservice. (These speculations come from my own personal experiences, mind you. Though I’d love to see someone prove me wrong.)

So far, Yona of the Dawn looks just as promising as what I saw in the trailer. Obviously they’re geared toward female audience members so I’m biased. While all the basic storytelling components are rather mediocre, there’s still something entertaining about it. Perhaps I’m just happy to at last find a new anime that doesn’t look like garbage.

Let’s talk art. I can’t say I like it, honestly. The hard blush characters have and the overall moe/shoujo style has never impressed me. The character designs are…fence-sittingly generic. What I mean is, I feel like I’ve seen Hak’s design thousands of times..

Yet Yona is a heroine I could easily recognize.

As for the animation…I’m once again, still on the fence. They’ve hardly used still frames (10 points to Griffindor) but there’s nothing impressive about the animation. Hopefully we’ll get some good action scenes later though (here’s hoping~)

Voice acting…define “acting”. I’ve yet to see the dub, but I’ll probably switch over to it simply because Yona’s voice gives me a headache. Her voice doesn’t sound natural at all, as if her seiyuu is trying to be 8 years old. But I see potential with this show, so I’m hopeful actual acting will occur later.

The score fits the anime, but it isn’t memorable. It does remind me of the score used for the Soul Calibur games, however, so +100 points for nostalgia.

Now let’s talk about plot. Here’s the reason I’m continuing this show. While the first episode was predictable and they do have a couple drops of exposition, I have high hopes for Yona’s character. I’m excited to see her development from a helpless princess to the determined and fierce girl shown in the banner art. I want to know what trials she’ll go through to become stronger. Unfortunately, exposition is still exposition. Characters say things that are out of place and obviously directed to the audience. There’s only been a small amount of it so far, however, and I’m guessing it’s because they wanted to jump straight into the story within the limited time of the pilot episode. It’s irksome, but I have a feeling this will not continue. The good thing is, what exposition they use are only little things like “I can’t wait to see my cousin who is 3 years older than me!”. No one says things like that, but it’s tolerable to be used here because it’s not some reveal that will impact the story.

Overall, I’m just happy to finally find a series that has caught my interest. Yona of the Dawn looks promising and hopefully it’ll continue that way.

First (And Final) Thoughts: One Week Friends

I recently read the description of Isshuukan Friends (One Week Friends) and immediately went to check out the first episode. I was expecting a heart-warming slice of life anime with fun and sweet moments.

What I got was pretty much the opposite.

First off, the premise of the show sounded very interesting. A girl who can’t make friends because every Monday she forgets any memory she has of being with someone she wants to be close to. And a boy who still wants to be her friend even though he knows this. It could easily become a very sweet, memorable (ha ha) romance. Or just a wonderful tale about friendship.

Instead we get forgettable characters (with even MORE forgettable designs), unnatural and forced dialogue, and events so unrealistic it hurts. (Every anime should have a sense of realism to SOME degree, and should ESPECIALLY be realistic when said anime is a Slice of Life!) Often times, characters say things that are obviously directed towards the viewers which causes the flow of dialogue to come off theatrical.

Character relationships were very unnatural and everything just felt kind of like a big jumbled mess.

I couldn’t believe how shallow the main guy, Hase, was. The only thing he likes about the girl is the fact she’s pretty. If that’s the core of his feelings, I don’t want a romance.

The art isn’t anything to praise either. It looks nice, but there’s nothing that really makes it stand out. Which is ironic considering how gorgeous the manga covers are.

The animation isn’t a strong point either. Character movements are choppy in pretty much…er…every scene. Just look at this:

I think the absolute worst part of this anime is how badly they throw things out of proportion. They act as if her Monday memory loss is the end of the world. And I don’t understand WHY Fujimiya, the main girl, has to keep it a secret in the first place. They don’t even bother to tell you the reason why she forgets everything on Mondays. Or why it’s only selective memory loss. (Even if they explain this later, it still won’t make sense as to why it’s only certain types of memories.) She’s able to remember her family members, just not friends.

What?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that impossible? I’ve never heard of anything like that.

And if she KNOWS that she forgets on Monday, why doesn’t she just keep a diary? A daily log so she remembers people and what she did that day? There. I just solved the idiotic excuse for melodrama using logic.

It could be hard and tiring to keep up a diary like that, but if she REALLY wants friends like they make it sound, it’s not that big a deal.

Like I said, this anime is just a mess. I’m disappointed, Isshuukan Friends, I really am.

But…I have a two episode anime rule, so I will be looking at the next episode. Though, since you could solve the “problem” (Fujimiya’s memory loss) in this anime using simple logic, it’s overall nothing but forced drama with idiots that can’t think.

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EDIT:

Well, in episode 2, they took my advice and got Fujimiya a diary. However, it’s really not interesting enough to, well, keep me interested.

Dropped.

First (and Final) Thoughts: Akame ga Kill

Spoiler warning, but I don’t recommend even wasting the time to watch this anime. Read on to learn why~

So, I read about Akame ga Kill some time last month and had absolutely no interest in watching it. The only reason I watched the first episode was because I was at a friend’s house and he had the grand idea of putting it on.

My initial disinterest remains strong.

The characters are very generic and I couldn’t help but think about Power Rangers whenever they showed up. While the art and animation is good, it’s wasted on such a boring series. The “twist” that occurred in the first episode really wasn’t a twist at all. Just some more sadistic villains with no motivation to do what they do. I’m sick of the whole “I’m better than you, so I can do what I want” excuse for a legit form of motivation, too. And the death of his best friend was a very dry, emotionless scene. I can’t feel bad for characters that were only mentioned and never seen. That’s not how it works.

Also, every girl in the series looks like they can be in a harem. Shallow pandering, anyone? It’s only the first episode and they’ve given plenty of boob shots. Oy.

The episode slowed down for a few scenes too which tempted me to skip….a lot.

The only relatively good things I found were (as mentioned above) the art, animation, and also the ending theme.

To sum it up, the episode was an utter borefest. There was nothing that caught my attention, nothing that got my heart racing, generic characters galore, and the story is neither interesting nor well-written.

I have a two-episode anime rule, but since my friend made me watch it out of my own volition and I had no initiative to look it up from the start, I’m going to screw the rule this time.

Dropping this series like a hot potato feels great.

First Thoughts: Nobunaga Conerto

And the first episode has finally been subbed! Whoo!

Well, the first time I read the description of Nobunaga Concerto, it sounded like it would be pretty good already. And lo and behold, it is! (At least, the first episode was).

Funny, interesting, and very enjoyable! Even though the “idiot protagonist” trope is way overused, I’m a sucker for it every time. The main character, Saburo, is just so enjoyable to watch and has a lot of room for development.

Also, I’m not familiar with Japanese history in the least, so I love how they gave a short description when introducing new characters. The background art is also beautiful and well drawn.

Something I love about Nobunaga Concerto is that it seems to take on an older anime kind of look. The style somewhat reminded me of Prince of Tennis so it’s hard to believe it came out just recently.

One of my favorite things about this entire anime is the ending song. My favorite band of all time is a Japanese rock band named “One Ok Rock”. The lead singer of One Ok Rock has a little brother who has his own band called “My First Story”. The brothers both have a similar voice, so I immediately realized My First Story was singing the ending song. It was a personally awesome surprise. 🙂

But there were also a couple things I wasn’t very fond of.

For one, the animation style is…different. It kind of seems like as if they used 3D models for the characters rather than actually drawing. The character movements can come off rather stiff.

Also, I found it unbelievable how Saburo isn’t very surprised with traveling back in time. He goes along with his new situation very easily like it isn’t a big deal. Also, there’s a chase scene where he has to ride a horse which I was confused with. I’ve never ridden a horse myself, but I doubt it’s as easy as Saburo makes it look.

None of the characters seem to ask questions about him either. Even when he brought out his modern day school bag and took out items from his own time.

Overall, the first episode was fun and interesting. Even with some aspects that weren’t executed well at all. It’s given enough to convince me to keep watching, which is sufficient.

I’ll be taking a look at episode 2 next time. 🙂

First Thoughts: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica

I feel really late having just started this show now, but hey. Better late than never, eh? I recently finished the first episode of Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica and was pleasantly surprised.

The whole “magical girl” genre has never really appealed to me, but since this anime got some outstanding reviews, I decided to finally check it out. From the first episode, this Mahou Shoujo seems like your average magical girl anime. If I wasn’t aware that it gets much darker and psychologically intense later on, I would’ve dropped it.

However, I DO know that it starts to pick up around episode 3, so I’ll try my best to stay with it.

From the first episode I wasn’t surprised by the yuri tendencies but I would rather do without them. The opening is actually a favorite of mine because I adore the song. The art is great and the animation is solid. I can see hints here and there that this series is going to take a dark turn soon and I can’t wait for it. Also, there’s something different about the characters that I can’t quite put a finger on. They haven’t done or said anything that takes them away from their character tropes, but there’s something unique about all the characters introduced so far. I can’t explain it…

I don’t really have much to say for right now only that I hope this anime lives up to its reviews….

In the mean time, I’ll do my best to continue watching and possibly write a review of my own in the future ^^

First Thoughts: Zankyou no Terror

So I just finished the first episode of Zankyou no Terror (Terror in Resonance) and uh…whoa. I have to admit that the first time I read the description of this anime, I wasn’t very interested. But I figured, why not? And checked it out.

What I found certainly wasn’t what I wasn’t expecting. What caught my eye in practically the first few seconds of the anime was the vividly beautiful animation. The movements are so smooth and eye-popping, I have to say it’s the best part of this anime. The art is spectacular as well. Cinematic eye candy~

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However, I’m not a fan of quite a few things. Let’s start off with characters.

The characters in this show are all rather dry and/or cliche so far, but hey. It’s the first episode after all. (I still have hope they’ll develop into deeper and more interesting characters as the story progresses.)

When I see hisami, (Twelve) all I can see is a mix of Suzaku Kururugi and hatchin Morenos ( .3.) 

Boy, are there cliches. The happy-go-lucky guy with a secretly dark personality, the stoic, glasses-wearing, calculating, anti-social guy, and the quiet, submissive girl. Characters I’ve seen in many, many, many other anime.

He got the seat next to the window in the back? Didn’t see that coming.

Meeting on the rooftop during lunchtime? When does that ever happen to protagonists?

Well, regardless of all these overused cliches, Zankyou no Terror brings something entirely new to the table. Terrorists. Wait, what?

That’s right, the protagonists are terrorists! No doubt they’re going to bring up some dark past to justify it, but I’m still a sucker for anti-heroes.

I’m not so sure how to feel about Lisa quite yet. (Well, obviously. Its the first episode.) Ultimately, I feel like she was incorporated into this rather forcefully. There was something off about her even being there in the first place, but whatever. That’s just how I feel right now. Her character can head off in any direction and I hope she takes a “flying leap” into some strong development.

The soundtrack is definitely far from being a favorite of mine. I have this weird quirk where I have to listen to the opening and ending of an anime at least once, completely. But with Zankyou no Terror, I was tempted to just skip. Which is what I’ll be doing from now on. 

Regardless of everything I’ve mentioned, it doesn’t really take away from the anime. Sure, the characters aren’t very strong, but this is just the first episode. Also, there wasn’t any fan service to be seen, which I’m pleasantly surprised to find. The story and concept is very interesting to me which is what’s keeping me to looking forward to more. 

All in all, Zankyou no Terror is definitely something I’ll be checking out every week and hopefully be writing a review about in the future. 🙂

And the “Highlight of the Episode” award goes to…

Art and Animation!

I’ll be looking at episode 2 next week.

First Thoughts: Great Teacher Onizuka

With all the new anime being released, it’s nice to step away and return to the classics. I recently finished the first episode of GTO and was pleasantly surprised. I remember a few years ago when I tried to pick up this series but couldn’t stand the art. It’s weird how your taste can completely change over time.

TEACHER BANZAI!

The story centers around Eikichi Onizuka, a 22-year old, ex-gang member who strives to become a great teacher through practically any means necessary. All the way from torturing his own students in order to get their attention. GTO brings up the topic of the borderline between students and teachers and the need to break down that wall. (With a sledgehammer if necessary…)

Onizuka is definitely…what I wasn’t expecting. Which is both good and bad. He’s wonderfully flawed in many ways (which is a good thing) and his determination and methods of getting his points across are entertaining as heck. While I couldn’t stand how utterly perverted he was, I’ll admit that I did chuckle at a couple scenes here and there. (Teacher banzai!)

The first episode definitely had me hooked. This goes to show that age doesn’t always deter from a well-written tale. While the 45 minute long episode made me fearful of what was to come, I was happy to find the episodes after are all in the normal 23-minute long time frame. I’ve never been a fan of long episodes because I find it harder to stay interested. But even with 45 minutes, GTO had me interested till the very end.

I also LOOOOOOOOOVEEED the twist in the first episode with the class he got! I should’ve seen it coming, but it actually took me pleasantly by surprise. It was great.

So right off the bat, the first episode was enough to keep me interested. Onizuka seems to be a memorable, fun character and I’m a sucker for delinquent anime. The only flaw I’m finding is all the suggestive dialogue. While the fan service isn’t bad, (especially since the art is old fashioned) it’s the mature themes that come into play that can make you feel rather…awkward.

Other than that, I’m hoping to finish GTO to the end and hopefully write a review some day.