Spring 2011 Anime

Maria†Holic Alive! (2) -- Same SHAFT goodness (with even more Mucha-esque goodness to boot). The OP and ED songs aren't as good as previous season though.

Tiger & BUnny (3-4) -- A good solid show that is starting to really flesh out some of the characters

A Channel (2-3) -- An OK show so far. Not great, but nice enough when one want to turn off their brain. The highlight so far is the creepy little stalker girl getting a stalker of her own.

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko (1-2) -- Pleasent enough so far, and I'm interested in what they will make of the other potentially "odd" girls they've introduced to far.

Hanasaku Iroha (3-4) -- Decent drama without the moé, fanservice, or giant robots

Nichijou (3-4) -- Probably one of my favorites for the season. The surreal aspect makes it like a cross between AzuDai and Pani Poni Dash ... with lots of schrooms, man...lots of schrooms...

Hen Zemi (2) -- Big improvement over episode one. Definitly fits into the "so inappropriate its funny" genre of humor. Also...dat face ]Very NSFW]:[i]

Spoiler:

With 3-4 episodes under the belt, these three shows have not made the cut and are being dropped:

Steins;Gate - The premise could be interesting, but the entire cast just turns me off. Rintarō Okabe is a retard. Mayuri Shiina has a voice like nails on a chalkboard and her head is as empty as a vacuum chamber. Kurisu Makise has hope, but she's flawed, as well. I'll follow along on Wikipedia, since I do want to see how it turns out.

Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi - As noted, I find all the girls to be way too moe and the theme is silly comedic. Neither is a fatal flaw, mind you, but I've just seen plenty of these types of show over the past couple of seasons and they never stick with me when they're done, so rather then spend six hours watching it just to delete it, I'll save myself the time now.

Ore-tachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai - This show makes no sense to me. I find myself zoning out time and time again.

Hanasaku - I was attracted first by the art, but the story proved to be quite good, the characters really have charisma. An overall good anime.

AnoHana - This will probably be the best this season, it's just my type, it remembers me of Kanon (in Summer), so far I like how the characters were introduced and can't wait to learn more about them. The only thing that makes me sad is that this will probably have a sad end... I mean,

Spoiler:

Kaiji Season 2 - IT'S KAIJI SECOND SEASON ZAWA ZAWA ZAWA!!! Really watch this if you haven't already, I don't know why but this show is just awesome.

KamiNomi 2 - The same thing from the first season, now with Haqua!

I've also watched the first episode of Nichijou and A Channel, but since I have some older stuff to watch I'll just delay them a little.

NeverSleep wrote:Kaiji Season 2 - IT'S KAIJI SECOND SEASON ZAWA ZAWA ZAWA!!! Really watch this if you haven't already, I don't know why but this show is just awesome.

The new zawas are scary as hell.

In the latest episode of Ore no Imouto



This isn't what it looks like

I liked the season of Ore no Imouto a lot, but I am absolutely loving the OVA's. Its probably because Kuroneko is so magnificent and got disappointingly little face time during the season.

theprodigalson wrote:I liked the season of Ore no Imouto a lot, but I am absolutely loving the OVA's. Its probably because Kuroneko is so magnificent and got disappointingly little face time during the season.

Today a spinoff Kuroneko manga was announced,I can only hope that an anime version of that will be anounced one day.

I didn't know they web-streamed two more Oreimo episodes, so downloading now.

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutach wa Mada Shiranai - 03

Yes, this show is a winner.

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko - 03

I arguably shouldn't like this show, but I do want to see how it turns out.

And that looks like my schedule for this season is set, with seven shows.

About Ano Hana episode 3....

Spoiler:

Anyway, I'll keep following it, but I sort of want it to pick up a bit and some of the drama/sad bits seem a little trope-y and forced. I mean, Kodomo no Jikan was much sadder and it belongs to a much...different genre.

About Denpa Onna...

Spoiler:

I'm really starting to like it, it's weird and quirky inexplicable, but can weave that seamlessly with a dramatic story about a girl's trauma (in a much more subtle and entertaining way than Ano Hana). Or maybe she is an alien, who knows? Still good.

Highschool of the Dead OVA 1: Pretty much a complete fanservice episode. Basically, all of the cast ends up on deserted island, gets high off burning hydarangea leaves, and has some rather.... ecchi hallucinations.... Nothing really of too much note here.

Wait there's a HSOTD OVA? Damnit, why do I have to be out of the loop so often!?

Is it me-ow or moe? You make the call!

(Whichever it is, it will likely have to appear in my sig.)

Spoiler:

Also, I know they call them "eye catches", but madre de dio! And this is on public television, mind you!

Warning: Not recommended for display on public computers.

Spoiler:

I was WONDERING why Crunchyroll didn't show the eyecatch for that episode

What's the problem? There's no nipples showing; it's perfectly fine for public viewing.

Didn't know where to post this, so I'll post this here anyways since it is somehow related.

K-ON, Volume 5, Chapter 2 (manga) - A chapter focused on Azusa, Jun and Ui, Sawako and a new girl, Sumire, appears too. Sumire was trying to steal the cupboard from the music room with the teasets inside, then they try recruiting her to the club, after she leaves Sawako tells them that if they don't manage to get four members the club will be disbanded, the same cute antics everybody wanted to see.

The second Koe de Oshigoto OVA is now out.

How something so wrong can also be so right...

Though its from 1999, my friends and I have found Trouble Chocolate.
It is hilarious to every means an anime can be.

Kiskaloo wrote:The second Koe de Oshigoto OVA is now out.

How something so wrong can also be so right...

tried to download it but no go,is it just me or is anyone else have trouble connecting to megaupload?

Kiskaloo wrote:The second Koe de Oshigoto OVA is now out.

How something so wrong can also be so right...

The picture I'm about to post is used a lot,but I've never used it before because I wanted to save it for when I truly needed it,now is the time.

Me the whole time while watchin this:

Is K ON! having a new Spring 2011 series? It's perty good.

Kiskaloo wrote:The second Koe de Oshigoto OVA is now out.

How something so wrong can also be so right...

Needs a full anime series IMO. Definitely more amusing than most ecchi out there.

Mid-season update for the shows I am watching:

Hanasaku Iroha - The jewel in the crown for this season, IMO.

Nichijou [Everyday Life] - Even zanier than Azumanga Daioh.

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko - Unlike any SHAFT show I have ever seen, which is probably why I like it. Meme Tōwa is also the hottest 40-year old woman in anime.

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutach wa Mada Shiranai - I like this show, but I really should be loving it.

Hidan no Aria - A very schizophrenic show. The fight scenes are pretty amazing, but then it becomes your "silly moe comedy" with Aria's antics. Also requires huge suspension of disbelief. A "watch once" show for me.

Stein's Gate - Also a "watch once" show. Really interesting plot, but ruined by terrible characters.

X-Men - Solid competence.

Astarotte's Toy - Starting to lose interest, but since I am halfway through, I shall stick it out.

One thing I have found very refreshing this season is that none of the eight shows I am watching has fan service.

Kiskaloo wrote:One thing I have found very refreshing this season is that none of the eight shows I am watching has fan service.

Uh...
http://kurogane.animeblogger.net/2011/05/08/hanasaku-iroha-06/
http://kurogane.animeblogger.net/2011/05/13/denpa-onna-05/
https://i.imgur.com/UkDqN.jpg

That doesn't even include the "Nako in wet shirt" pan from HanaSaku 03... And then there's the "parachute" scene in Aria the Scarlett Ammo, although that was more "WTF" than "HNG".

0utf0xZer0 wrote:That doesn't even include the "Nako in wet shirt" pan from HanaSaku 03

Just because I never get tired of looking at it



And even if you already put a link,I never get tired of this one either



Sometimes less is more,you don't see a lot of flesh but I felt more "served" by the chinese dresses scene in Hanasaku Iroha than I did while watching 90% of other fanservice scenes in anime that have the girls almost naked.

Kiskaloo wrote:One thing I have found very refreshing this season is that none of the eight shows I am watching has fan service.

the first three are for the fanservice shots ,next is how to get into your rolled up futon

0utf0xZer0 wrote:
Uh...

That doesn't even include the "Nako in wet shirt" pan from HanaSaku 03... And then there's the "parachute" scene in Aria the Scarlett Ammo, although that was more "WTF" than "HNG".

Puh-leeze..

I'm talking close-up camel toe. Girls whose every movement exposes their panties. Breasts the size of watermelons that exert their own zero-gravity fields so they bounce like a 1976 Lincoln with worn shocks. Cleavage deeper than the Mariana Trench.

Compared to last season's shows like Oniichan no Koto Nanka Zenzen Suki Janain Dakara ne or Seikon no Qwasar, the shows I am watching this season are downright chaste. That one handmaiden in Astarotte's Toy does have "massive milk jugs", but then I think she actually uses them to provide milk, so they at least have a purpose other than to defy Newton's Laws of Motion.

Kiskaloo wrote:
Puh-leeze..

I'm talking close-up camel toe. Girls whose every movement exposes their panties. Breasts the size of watermelons that exert their own zero-gravity fields so they bounce like a 1976 Lincoln with worn shocks. Cleavage deeper than the Mariana Trench.

You're confusing echi and fanservice,the two are not the same thing.

Totoum wrote:You're confusing echi and fanservice,the two are not the same thing.

Alright, then there is no ecchi (or at least orders of magnitude less).

Whatever it's called, it's nice to actually be able to see a show because the screen is not covered in blinding white light, steam/fog or "censor pets".

Denpa Onna is probably my favorite comedy of the season. It's not very often a show actually makes me laugh out loud a few times during the show itself. It has a decent mix of the crazy silliness, interesting themes, and cute characters. My only problem is that it's getting dangerously close to being a full-on harem show. My hope is that it will stay platonic with the only overtly sexual character being Meme. Seems like a good counter-balance to a show like Ano Hana.

Nichijou just has the silliness and the characters, but I couldn't care less. I seem to love it more with every episode, though at times it feels just a bit too jumpy and random at times.

Hanasaku Iroha started off good, but it's like they're confused as to where they want to go with the series now that the exposition is over. Hopefully it will pick up and quit with the filler episodes that don't go anywhere or mean much.

Then there's Ano Hana. I keep trading off in my mind between "sort of genius" and "way too melodramatic/serious". It does seem to be a show that hits you in ways you don't expect, though. I mean, I've consumed plenty of anime/manga that is indelibly sad, but there's something different about it in that regard. In some ways I just want it to hurry up and get to the point, but it's got me watching the next episode every week so I guess it's doing its job. I just hope they don't completely fuck up the ending.

I can't see how Ano Holy God This Goes On Forever will end in anything other than a heartwarming reconciliation. Through the efforts of Menma's ghost the "Super Peace Busters" will resolve their lingering regrets and turn to the future united again as good friends. Fulfilled, Menma will ascend to the next life. Maybe Youmi and Anjou's daughter will have Menma's eyes.

Still, as predictable as it is I'm greatly enjoying the show. It looks lovely, it has a gentle spirit of artful melancholy, and it doesn't exaggerate - Yukiatsu's cross-dressing could have been an absolute disastrous absurdity, but amazingly it managed to carry it off without seeming utterly ridiculous.

I can't decide which line to use for describing Hana-Saku Iroha 7... "I'd marry Tomoe" or "I'd "get some" from Tomoe too." I guess the appeal of the former is that its a bit classier.

But damn, best "Christmas Cake" character ever?

(Also, I can't help but wonder if they were making a homage to Fumoffu's hot spring episode.)

Panty & Stocking in Sanitary Box (OVA)

Watching Madoka at my sister's request since her friend recommended it (this friend has recommended quite a few animes she's hated, K-ON comes to mind). My sister is extremely picky with her animes and asked me to watch it first.

I'm at episode 5 right now and I fail to see why this anime has gotten the praises it has. To me it feels like a magical girl anime that happens to have violence tacked on to it. Such a chore watching it.

It feels like Kannazuki no Miko, except it had a potentially interesting story with a completely unneeded element that detracted from the experience. In that anime's case the mechas felt totally out of place and tacked on.

I felt much the same, Nuke, but around Episode 10 it gets really good.

Kiskaloo wrote:I felt much the same, Nuke, but around Episode 10 it gets really good.

which is a bit bad as its only 12 episodes long

Awinnell wrote:

Kiskaloo wrote:I felt much the same, Nuke, but around Episode 10 it gets really good.

which is a bit bad as its only 12 episodes long

True, but better to go out with a bang than a whimper.

Animax is now running ads for the fourth Marvel project - Blade - arriving in July.

Hope it's as cool as the first movie.

I'd prefer it to be more like the third movie, Blade Trinity. Man, that was awesome. At the very least, it should rival the film trilogy minus Blade 2 because that one just sucked.

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko : just watched episode 8,the best thing about this episode is that it stars Meme all the way through

Awinnell wrote:Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko : just watched episode 8,the best thing about this episode is that it stars Meme all the way through

Episode 8 was also a strong one for Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutach wa Mada Shiranai.

So....finally finished Madoka.

Last two episodes weren't enough to make up for the rest of the series. The show could have been longer to flesh out the characters/story. Seriously it felt like because of the time travel plot device they had the characters complain about stuff over and over again.

6/10 just because the music was solid and for some reason the last two eps actually had my attention minus that SODEEP farm animal speech from Kubey/QB/Qubeley/Whatever it is.

Some of the shows I have been watching are starting to wrap up, so...

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutach wa Mada Shiranai
Grade: A

I have not had my emotions so thoroughly ass-kicked since the end of Air. The final two episodes were knives in the kidney, but they took a "B" show and made it an "A" and put it on the short-list for my "Best of 2011" awards at the end of the year.

---

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko
Grade: A-

As noted earlier, animated unlike any SHAFT show before, which probably helped me stick with it. The story was as crazy and the characters as weird as most SHAFT productions, but while this normally would turn me off, this time it did not. Yes, Meme Touwa is awesome and I'd watch the show just for her, but I liked the rest of the cast, as well.

I do think that all the "rosy cheeks" we saw will become a new anime trope repeated in future shows.

---

X-Men
Grade: A-

The best of the Marvel comic adaptions to date. The fourth and final one, Blade, should be starting within a couple of weeks.

---

Hidan no Aria
Grade: B

The action scenes were really good, but outside of that, it struck me as your average moe comedy. I like moe comedies, but this one didn't stand exceptionally out, IMO.

---

Astarotte's Toy
Grade: B-

Started well and then kind of slid backwards, but considering my first opinion of the show when I read the synopsis...


A number of other shows are going 26 episodes, so here is my mid-season opinion:


Hanasaku Iroha
Grade: A

Thoroughly enjoying this show and I don't expect my opinion to falter with another set of 13 episodes to go.

---

Steins;Gate
Grade: B+

The show is getting better as the characters get less annoying.

---

Nichijou
Grade: A-

My final grade will likely trend towards a B+ with another dozen episodes as while the show is very much in the spirit of wacky comedies like Azumanga Daioh and Ichigo Marshmallow, it is also a bit formulaic and therefore dull after 26 servings.

The most relevant happenings of this season:

- They confirmed a new Saki anime. No date specified

- Shakugan no Shana, 3rd season confirmed, in this year fall.

From the animes of this season... I've only completed AnoHana and Hanasaku, both were very good but nothing Earth shattering. After finishing my mission of marathoning all Pre.cure and Sailor Moon episodes I'll check Nichijou and Channel A

NeverSleep wrote:After finishing my mission of marathoning all Pre.cure and Sailor Moon episodes

You should use the buddy system for that mission, I think.

Just ripped through Madoka in a marathon session (well... half-marathon, being as short as it was...)

Very impressed with it, even though I made the mistake of starting whilst sleep-deprived, making the first episode EXTRA-trippy...

I was very impressed by it, overall... Madoka did start to grate after awhile, until I took into account that, because she's had an easy life up to this point, when everything starts to fall apart around her, she's not been inoculated to the harshness of real life, so she has no way to deal with it

Spoiler:

Music: Fantastic. Kalafina is magnificent.

Art: I'm not really familiar with SHAFT like the rest of y'all, so I went into this without the leeriness that y'all were demonstrating towards it... I rather liked it, although the jump-cuts could get a little disorienting - but then again, they seemed to hold off on those mostly until the Witch fights.

Characters: They had depth to them - even the one whose appearance was oh-FAR-too-brief... Madoka herself takes some getting used to, but ultimately, I was very pleased with how she turned out. I'm not afraid to admit it - manly tears were shed.

All in all, very enjoyable, and they were able to wrap it up before the whole concept got too hackneyed. Will have to watch again and see what's unwrapped next time.

Officer_Charon wrote:Art: ...I rather liked it, although the jump-cuts could get a little disorienting...

I expect SHAFT animation is really popular with kids who suffer from ADD.

Okay, for those watching Hana-Saku Iroha... do you think that Enishi (Ohana's uncle) and Tomoe (the head waitress) will hook up by the end? I've noticed most episodes, even fillerish ones, seem to advance the plot in some way, so I can't help but think Tomoe's decision not to attend the marriage meeting is going to be plot relevant somehow. They did give her a full episode of her own, after all. And she'd certainly be perfect for whipping him into shape.

That would be cool.

I like the new second half OP animation for both Hanasaku Iroha and Nichijou.

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko ,was down for 13 episodes but the Earthquake/Tsunami put all the TV schedules out, amongst other things it did that day,so ep 13 is DVD/Blu-ray only

Awinnell wrote:Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko ,was down for 13 episodes but the Earthquake/Tsunami put all the TV schedules out, amongst other things it did that day,so ep 13 is DVD/Blu-ray only

I don't believe it had anything to do with the earthquake. I was under the impression there was always going to be an extra OVA episode and the broadcast was always going to be 12.

Anyway, Denpa Onna was probably my second favorite anime this season. I'll have to give Ano Hana the 1 spot, if I don't I fear I'll make Menma cry.

Schoolgirl Nano for the win....

While it ended in Summer, it started in Fall so...

Steins;Gate: B-

The second half was better than the first, but I still feel this show didn't need 24 episodes, especially with how they did the end. Instead, 13 episodes (and maybe two OAVs for side-stories / back-story) likely would have been more than enough to tell the story.

I see they have announced a movie.

Nichijou - B+

Azumanga Daioh dialed to 11.

Favorite Characters: Mai Minakami because she's like an evil version of Claes and Nano Shinonome because like Admiral Akbar said, you can't repel cuteness of that magnitude.

And last, but certainly not least:

Hanasaku Iroha - A

What a brilliant and charming show. Definitely one of my favorites of 2011.

And kudos to P.A. Works - in terms of background art, their work is some of the best I have ever seen in a television series.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is how you do a Blu-ray menu:



(From the Volume 7 blu-ray of Denpa Onna)

0utf0xZer0 wrote:Really looking forward to Hanasaku Iroha, which is by the writer Mari Okada/studio PA Works team that brough us True Tears...

Speaking of True Tears, I ended up watching all 13 episodes back to back over the weekend. A really good show.