Saturday (6 shows)
The Asterisk War Season 2-I'm Just Here to Finish it...
Synopsis: Ayato is the strongest fighter as he teams up with Julis to win the Fiesta as the strongest fighting team. Ayato also is trying to find the secret of what happened to his sister long ago.
Positive: The quality of the animation got better and the music is definitely is still good.
Negative: Just the same as the first season, generic, boring, unoriginal, and that one maid girl that showed up has he most annoyed voice ever.... that reason seems petty but it really is awful
If you want to see or read a better and more well thought out review of this show I suggest Digibro's why the asterisk war sucks video series. I think sometimes he can be a bit pretentious and jerkish in his review but I have to say I agree with almost everything about what he said with the first season of that show. The second season does not get any better. The main character is overpowered and will probably kick everyone's ass, the princess chick will fall in love with him, his childhood friend will lose and support him, and the cute loli with a big chest will be moe bait for everyone. I will say though, the music in this show is fairly good. The ending was better in the first season but I really like the opening and ending of this series. And the fighting animation got better from the first season. But it is not like you're getting anything different, Predictable and generic. There just aren't any surprises nor are there cool moments. And the maid, cute... sure.... BUT THAT VOICE. Its like dragging your nails across your chalkboard. To be honest I do not have much else to say about this show... You get what you see and it is not that great.
Grade/Summary: D- (Music is cool and the animation got better, but the story is unoriginal, the characters have little depth to them, and everything is predictable).
Ace Attorney-The Wild Battle of a Court Room
Synopsis: Naruhodou is a young man that has dreamed of being a defense attorney. After the first trail he learns all about the pressure and challenges of the court room. He teams up with Mayoi, a young energetic girl, to help defend the weak and bring about justice.
Positive: Even though I have never played the game, I can tell where the references are and it is nice to have those moments for the fan. Some of the wacky moments are fun and the courtroom battles can be awesome at times. Mayoi is also a cutie
Negative: The animation can be very sloppy. And I know it is the future and a tv show, but the way the law works and how things progress within the show is ridiculous and just dumb. The flow of the show is pretty choppy too.
I have never played the games so I came into this show with no really idea of what to expect. I understood the wild nature of the game but even knowing that, the show seemed too crazy even for me. What I mean is the way people are convicted is just too... unrealistic. Characters will just be considered guilty and the criminal with the smallest amount of evidence. I think in the first case one person accuses Naruhodou for committing the crime and everyone goes with it and now he has to defend himself. There was no real evidence. Someone just pointed his finger at him and now he is he crook. I understand that maybe this isn't suppose to be super realistic but it just seems dumb. The moments in the court room are hectic and crazy in a good and bad way. There are cool hype moments, especially when someone yells "Objection!" but it is so wild that I can not get completely into it. Kids jump into the middle of the room, Mayoi turning into the spirit of her dead sister so that she can help Naruhodou win the trail, and the comic relief moments for what are murder trials just seem... disrespectful? These moments just take out all the wind and hype of these tense moments. The animation is also pretty bad at times especially the CG animated audience in the court room, but it is getting better. After watching 6 episodes I have to admit I am interested in playing the game... but it is not like the anime has made me crazy for the franchise.
Grade/Summary: D+ (Below average animation and weird moments that ruin the flow of the show, Ace Attorney does not shine as bright as it could have despite some cool and hype moments).
High School Fleet-War Can Be Cute
Synopsis: Misaki and her best friend Moka thrive to join the Blue Mermaids (a naval army that consist of girls). They are put as captains on different ships for their training exercise as Misaki tries to learn how to lead and communicate with her crew members. Although things get dark when Misaki's ship is attack and labeled as a traitor while Moka is in a mysterious danger.
Positive: The mix of moe and tense moments is actually perfect in this show. The show is cute and laid back but provide some serious moments that keep you interested. The characters have some depth to them and the supporting cast all have quirks that make them interesting and the you really sense the comradery of the group. The animation is good and the knowledge of ships is impressive.. this show is really cute did I mention that.
Negative: Kind of episodic and the show's pace is pretty slow to me. The show keeps you in the dark with what the secret and suspense will be but I think the pay off in the end will not be as great as it could be.
When I first looked at this show in the anime charts, I thought it would just be some moe cute show. I thought about watching it but I skipped it because I did not think much about. I thought there wasn't anything to the show. My friend told me it was good so I decided to watch... and boy this show is pretty sweet. Just like you would think from the cover, the show is cute. The girls are adorable and they do not even need to use fan service bait which is always appreciated. But how it mixes the tense moments with the cute is amazing and that is where this show shines. How tense and serious the show got with the danger the characters are in with how they were label as traitors was a nice surprise. This was not just some moe show, there was actually some substance to the show. The characters also have nice personalities and goals that make you care. Misaki wants to be a good leader and struggles with that. The assistant to the captain, Mashiro, tries to understand how Misaki can act the way she does and why she isn't a stronger captain as she believes she should be the captain. And all the characters have their unique personalities that make all of them likable. The only problem I really have is the episodic nature it has lately and the main overarching story is moving slowly. Things are progressing but I think it is a bit slow. I also do not think the ending will be as grand as it could be with this story, but it is not really fair to say that because I do not know what will happen. Anyways, this show has been one of the best surprises of the season and a really interesting story that keeps you guessing and hooked.
Grade/Summary: A-(Great mix of moe and tension with a cast full of unique personalities and depth, makes for a surprisingly good show even if the story moves just a little too slow for my liking).
Tanaka-Kun is Always Listless-How the Mundane Can Be Fun
Synopsis: Tanaka is a high school student who is just always tired and lazy. He does not want to do much of anything and is always looking to avoid any tiring tasks. He meets a variety of students that makes his lazy and tiring live a little more interesting.
Positive: The anime is actually pretty funny. Sweet and cute moments that are hilarious or heartwarming. The animation is clean and nice. The energetic characters full of personalities are a good contrast to Tanaka-Kun lazy and boring character. Miyano is adorable and Shiraishi is cute as well.
Negative: The slow pace, while intended, can be boring to others and make the show hard to get into.
I may be bias because Non Non Biyori is my favorite anime and this anime has the same director but man this show is legit funny. Tanaka lazy personality fits well if the other characters. Everyone around him are bubbly that it works really well with Tanaka. The funniest thing about the show is Tanaka's best friend Oota and how he enables his laziness while he tries to stop it. He literally carries Tanaka around the school over his shoulder because he is so lazy. Their bromance is adorable. Miyano is so damn cute, as evidenced by the video and picture above. She is like a little cute ball of fun and Shiraishi is also really adorable... actually all the characters are cute. I also appreciate how the characters are smart and can read between the lines. There is a scene where Shiraishi wants to get Tanaka's number but she is too shy. Miyano looks like she does not understand and tell everyone to share numbers and exchange emails. Shiraishi is happy about getting her crush's number but then she gets a text from Miyano saying that she wishes her luck and hope she progresses with Tanaka. It was refreshing to see that the characters were smart and understood the situation and not just dense with no idea... it felt natural and realistic. Just like in Non Non Biyori, the use of silence and pause is great for the comedic timing and the relaxing atmosphere of the show is wonderful and puts the viewer in the relaxing mood. I get it can be boring but if given a real shot, the anime will prove that there is a lot more layers to the show and that it is a lot funnier than people might think from seeing the poster for the show.
Grade/Summary: A+ (While the pace is slow, that is the point of Tanaka-Kun... A slow pace with wacky and fun characters that make for a funny and sweet show with stellar animation).
Kiznaiver-The Strength of Friendship Put to The Test
Synopsis: Sonosaki (blue hair girl) tells Katsuhira (white haired guy) that he and six other classmates are a part of the Kiznaiver program that connects him with the selected classmates as they start to feel each others pain both physically and emotionally. How will they connect and work through their situation.
Positive: The animation is amazing. The basic premise is actually pretty interesting a bit interesting. The characters are interesting and their interactions and mysterious past are intriguing.
Negative: I think there is not much depth to the story. While the mystery of the show is interesting, I think it also makes the show confusing in terms of what it's goals and end game is. This will sound lame but there is just something missing in this show...
One of the more hyped up anime, Kiznaiver has probably the most interesting premise from all the other shows. 7 high school students sharing their pains both physical and emotional, there is a lot of potential in terms of story right there. In a story like this you need to have interesting characters and I have to say that most of them are. Katsuhira is kind of boring (but that is the point as he has no emotions really) but Chidori (Katsuhira childhood friend) is getting a lot of good development. The interactions between the cast is also funny at times, The way they learn each other's secrets and how simple and ridiculous they are makes for fun interactions. The progress of the story is good as well as I can make predictions about the ending. But at the same time I can't tell what the purpose of the show is. That can be good because it is not boring and predictable but I don't... I do not know if this is making sense but I just can't see the end game and what this show will be about. Like what is the purpose of the show? They connect and bond and become close and great friends... but what I do not see is why I should particularly care about that. The characters are interesting and Chidori has depth but the rest have no layers.... It is just hard to really care about what will happen at the end. There is just something missing in this anime... I like it but it is just missing something that makes it great.
Grade/Summary: B (Fun character interactions and wonderful animation, but with a story and cast that feel shallow, I do not see how memorable the anime will be by the time of the ending).
Flying Witch-How Slice of Life Can Cleanse The Soul
Synopsis: Makoto is a professional witch who moves into a small town to go to school and live a normal life. But nothing is normal for Makoto and her witch powers as her little cousin, Chinatsu, learns about her powers and meets a bunch of Makoto witch friends. Chinatsu, Makoto and her family live their normal lives with the presence of magic and witches.
Positive: The tone of the show is incredibly relaxing and wonderful. The soundtrack is light and matches the show's tone perfectly. The character's are amazing and their interactions feel natural and are funny to watch. Adorable characters and amazing animation.
Negative: Might be too comfy and relaxing. For most, I think you have to be in the right mood/mindset to watch this show.
I love slice of life. I will admit the bias here but this show does it so well. I watch this show after a short Saturday work shift and it is just amazing and makes me feel comfy and relaxed. It therapeutic to my soul. First of all the characters are cute and amazing. Makoto is such a sweet and nice girl. The way she tries to practice her magic and how she always gets lost is adorable but her cousin Chinatsu, steals the show. I love how natural and realistic her character is. She does not just stay in the background, you will see her laying down on Makoto, interacts with other things in the background, and just feels alive when she is not involved in the conversation. The way she just pops out and acts like a realistic 12-15 year old. She steals the show with her adorableness. The interactions between the characters are great. The first episode where Chinatsu learns Makoto is a witch is a great example of great interactions. Watch as she learns her witch powers. Besides the awesome and light music that was just so realistic. Instead of bursting out and screaming she is just shocked and wondering "what the hell is going on." Makoto also does not just freak out and realize what happen. She is getting used to the normal city, she does not burst out as well, she is just acting normal and wondering what she did that was weird. Plus that face... fucking priceless. The best part about that is later in the episode Makoto flies with Chinatsu and like a kid probably would, she starts to get excited and tries to tell her brother that Makoto is awesome and that she flew and it was great. The realism in the show is great.... well witch powers aren't realistic but the reaction is. Speaking of reactions, the reaction face game in this show is on point, especially Chinatsu. I just LOVE this show. It is so relaxing and heals the heart. From the upbeat opening, to the relaxing show, to the sweet and catchy ending, to the wonderful characters (chinatsu's mother is great too and her brother.... and everyone is awesome!) this is a much watch. It probably is not for everyone but boy is this one great anime.... especially Chinatsu (I could probably write a whole post on why she is awesome and give examples that could take up this whole post).
Grade/Summary: S (While not for everyone, Flying Witch has a relaxing tone with wonderful and funny characters that come alive and eases all the troubles in your soul. A great soundtrack, crisp animation, and moments that are just so cute and funny, Flying Witch is a must in the spring season).
Well I am almost done, just Sunday shows so thanks for reading!
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