Japanese TV is divided into quarterly seasons, and this January brought us a new one. Kicking off with Rio Rainbow Gate on the 4th, to the most recent Fractale on the 14th, at least 17 new anime shows have premiered so far this month.
So, what are you watching?
 |
| If you had one wish, what would you wish for? |
Through two and a half weeks, here are my impressions on the new shows (in the order of the premiere date):
Rio Rainbow Gate: Pass. Uninteresting characters, uninteresting artwork, nothing for me to care about.
Kimi ni Todoke 2nd season: Couldn't get around the artwork to watch the first season. If you liked the first, you'll probably be watching the second.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The artwork is a bit funky here too, but the characterization and storytelling are drawing me in. First impression was that it could be an interesting deconstruction of the magical girl genre; after three episodes, it certainly is heading in that direction.
Infinite Stratos: Just pure fun. Slapstick, fanservice, big robot-like machines, high-budget fight scenes, and one boy in an all-girl's school. What more could you want?
Dream Eater Merry: I'm a little torn. This is based on a light novel series, but the story seems a bit dragged out. The characters are on the bland side, and after three episodes there's a lot of fighting but we don't know what for. It's on probation for me.
Wolverine: Pass. If I'm going to watch this, I'll watch it in the "original" English.
Gosick: Interesting, but it took three episodes for the characters to flesh out even a little bit. Based on a mystery novel series. I'll probably keep watching it.
Card Fight! Vanguard: Pass. A show designed to sell a card game.
Freezing: On the one hand, girl-on-girl action, boobies. nudity. On the other hand, the voice acting (led by a miscast Mamiko Noto) and bland storytelling. It's on probation.
Oniichan no koto nanka zenzen suki ja nain dakara ne!: Guilty pleasure. Lots of slapstick and fanservice, odd and ill-proportioned character designs, and very little redeeming value, but still I watch and laugh. The ending theme is kinda catchy, too.
Mitsudomoe Zouryouchuu: I gave up on the first season when it became clear it was going to keep beating the same drum over and over again, and I found myself just not caring.
Beelzebub: As far as I can tell, it's Urusei Yatsura if Ataru were a delinquent and Lum were a baby boy. Pass.
Kore ha Zombie desu ka?: I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. Now I'm looking forward to see which veteran seiyuu gets to voice the Eucliwood in Ayumu's delusions each week.
Dragon Crisis!: If you weren't paying full attention, you might think this was ToraDora! all over again, what with Rie Kugimiya yelling "Ryuuji!" all the time. The story is taking a little while to unfold, but the characters are interesting enough for me to keep watching for the time being.
Level E: Too much sparkling, pass. I know people who love it; just not my thing.
Fractale: Another show where I wasn't sure quite what to expect. I haven't quite hit the "pleasantly surprised" mark on this yet, though. Two episodes has got me wanting more, though.
Wandering Son: I had heard good things about the storytelling of the original manga, but the atmosphere also really fits what I remember of junior high school in Japan. I'll have to be prepared for as much heartache as heartwarming on this one, though.
Not mentioned here are Starry Sky and Haiyoru! Nyaruani, which both started in December; for Starry Sky, see Level E. Nyaruani is pretty much a gag show that's 4 1/2 minutes an episode with half of that being the ending animation.
So what do you think of this January's new shows?
No comments:
Post a Comment