Fall Anime Review V

Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!
Rating system notes:
Worth Watching = 5 stars
Hm hm= 4 stars
Huh = 3 stars
Meh = 2 stars
Ugh = 1 star
Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate

Tsurune:

Rating: Hm hm

The one thing I really enjoy about Japanese sports anime is that it really tries to teach you about the sport.  With the mainly Japanese based sports, you learn a lot about the culture surrounding the sport as well.  This anime is about archery, which, in Japan, is very different from the US.  That alone would make this one worthwhile to watch for me, but I really like the animation as well.  It's crisp in places and soft in others, giving it a nostalgic feel.  I felt I could really relate to the main character, and followed him into a misunderstanding in the second episode.  Of the other characters, the girls are not there to fawn over the boys or supply unnecessary fan service, and in general the cast isn't too stereotypical.  You can follow the story because you're not anticipating everything they do.  I'll enjoy seeing more of this one.

Fall Anime Review VI

Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!

Rating system notes:

Worth Watching = 5 stars

Hm hm= 4 stars

Huh = 3 stars

Meh = 2 stars

Ugh = 1 star

Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate


Voice of Fox: Rating: Hm hm

Nice plot.  Good enough to accept any niggling inconsistencies.  I can say with a fair amount of certainty that the two main characters are going to be a favorite with the BL fan fic segment.  The creators seem to be encouraging that line of thinking with their thorny-vine entangled interlude.  But it doesn't interfere at all with the quality of the anime, so I'm inclined to ignore it.  Enough mystery with the back-story to keep it interesting.  Why can't the excessively hot main character not sing onstage again?  Because if that's supposed to be a scar, it seems a lot more of a fashion choice than an accident.  Not feeling terribly sympathetic to his 'plight'; know too many people with actual disabilities who are out there taking names and kicking cat-person tail.  Admire him for holding down several jobs, been there kid, hang in.  But why doesn't the ghost singing pay more?  Bet you the two-faced prince isn't doing more than his lip-syncing gig.  The ending had some really good foreshadowing though, so the next episode is much anticipated.  Also can't wait to meet the ancillary characters. 

Fall Anime Rundown V

Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!

Rating system notes:

Worth Watching = 5 stars

Hm hm= 4 stars

Huh = 3 stars

Meh = 2 stars

Ugh = 1 star

Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate

Merc StoriA: The Apathetic Boy and the Girl in the Bottle: Rating: Hm hm

Unique enough plot line to keep me interested. Animation is good, though the backgrounds are very well done. The boy has magical powers, and instead of having a glowing concentric circle with indecipherable runes appear whenever he does magic, he has a glowing flat flower with indecipherable runes. Which I guess is better, if not terribly original. Magical girl never gets an undressed transformation scene--or at least, she hasn't yet, so that's a plus in my opinion. But she's small and fun, with an engaging personality. No fan service with other characters either (again, a plus in my book). There's a mystery with the contents of her jar. Didn't start out having any, but ended up with several, one of which looks like Mom's ring. Main character is trying to leave town. Pretty sure he's on this journey to find his dad, who's very late coming home, though it doesn't really say. Maybe he knows dad is dead and he's going for a different reason. Should be fun finding out. And along the way, they'll probably meet enough monsters for an RPG. Which I'm equally sure will come soon, if it hasn't already. The un-introduced characters in the end credits all seem to be female, and remarkably similar to Strawberry Shortcake characters. Hope it doesn't turn into harem anime. Still, writing is well done. Looking forward to watching more.

FALL ANIME RUNDOWN IV

Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!

Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!!

Rating system notes:

Worth Watching = 5 stars

Hm hm= 4 stars

Huh = 3 stars

Meh = 2 stars

Ugh = 1 star

Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate

Conception: Rating: Huh

Light hentai.  Was really hoping for a serious slice of life on how young women deal with pregnancy when she confessed...then the alien abduction happened and, well, it turned into harem hentai.  Main character thinks she's pregnant, only to be told, 'Oh no, it just looks like pregnancy when you come into your magical priestess powers.  Now we want you to become pregnant.'  No hope that the birth will be at all realistic, either, apparently they 'pop' out painlessly--at least for the priestess.  Main male character is not at all upset about being tied to a bed in his underwear.  Is this male privilege?  He feels no fear because, of course, no one could possibly hurt a big strong man like him?  Because I'd be seriously scared and freaked out, and definitely trying to get away.  They both accept the situation in an unreasonably quick time.  And what's with the floating shackled tanuki?  He was like, the definition of sexual harassment.  I haven't met the other harem girls yet, so I'm not sure if they'll be trope-y or not.  Animation was ok.  Costume design seemed cool from credits.  If you can suspend your disbelief of the whole situation, I guess you could enjoy the highly edited sex scenes.  


My Sister, My Writer: Rating: Huh

Imoto, but not terrible.  Blatant fan service with breasts.  Starts out with a lot less trope-y characters than it ends up with.  I was kinda hoping they'd stay that way.  Brother is, of course, oblivious.  Sister is secretly in love with him, which you don't find out till halfway through. Parents are, of course, absent.  Liked the way her toes moved up at the end of the confession scene.  And the way she kicked her bed at the end.  Very realistic.  Plot is a bit predictable.  Brother is going to get found out by red haired classmate after a tense deception where he gets totally stressed out about living a lie to protect his sister.  He will have several embarrassing moments during the course of this, though, which should prove amusing.  Not bad if you're into this genre.

Fall Anime Rundown III

Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!!

Rating system notes: 

Worth Watching = 5 stars

Hm hm= 4 stars

Huh = 3 stars

Meh = 2 stars

Ugh = 1 star

Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate

Bakumatsu: Rating: Huh

I have reasonably high hopes for this one.  I had a bad moment during the opening credits, thinking 'Hey, this is a period piece, they should stick to period costumes', but they totally solved that by transporting the characters to an alternate universe/history.  Now they can do what they want to all the pretty boys in the cast.  Innuendo was intentional.  As I'm fairly certain most of the costume designs were intended to entice.  Liked the patterned reflections on their hair, though, that was a nice touch.  Disappointed by the ship scene.  Ships didn't behave as ships do in stormy waters, instead looking as rock-solid as land.  Instant Deux ex Machina at the end, there.  Expect more fight scenes.  The two they had were a bit short, but the first was plotted very nicely.  Should be interesting to see what happens in the next couple episodes.  Might be a candidate for a higher rating.


Space Battleship Tiramisu: Rating: Hm hm

Funny.  Just 7 minutes of funny.  Also, not a new one, I'll have to look up the previous seasons.  


UzaMaid: Rating: Hm hm

Surprisingly unpredictable.  Not a fan of lollicon, but the animation was really well done.  I really loved the way the characters moved.  Very realistic.  Especially the run down the stairs by the main character.  The movements of the character and the 'camera' were perfectly choreographed to set the mood of total panic.  And they weren't at all trope-y.  Some of their actions were so unexpected, they surprised a laugh out of me.  And, although I looked at the parent with disbelief for letting someone like that anywhere near his child, I also knew the scenario wouldn't work if he wasn't completely clueless.  


Himote House: Rating: Meh

Clearly computer generated.  I'm not sure they even bothered trying to hide it.  It probably sounded like a design decision, but it turned out looking a bit creepy with the way they move and the total lack of expression.  Their pupil-less eyes weird me out.  And why does each girl have a different theme song, none of which seem to relate to the action or the plot?  And why would you feel the need to make sounds like clothes rustling and feet walking so loud?  It distracted me from what the characters were saying, which takes a lot, since I was mostly reading what they were saying.  Which brings me to the voice of the oldest sister.  I'm not a voice actor, but it sounded a lot like she had something in her mouth while she was talking.  Or possibly a speech impediment, since it was so slow.  If that's the case, they should let everyone know so we can applaud them for their inclusion.  Then there's the panty scene.  Why do we need to talk about our underthings for so long, and especially why would we ever feel the need to show people we've only just met our underthings, and then comment excessively on them?  Overall, it feels like badly animated doujinshi.  Then they have powers.  So...not a slice of life...maybe.  The only really good part was at the very end, when they were being silly and talking.  That part was very sleep-over-ish, and the voice actresses made it sound natural, even though the animation was stiff.

Fall 2018 anime rundown Part 2

Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!!

Rating system notes: 

Worth Watching = 5 stars

Hm hm= 4 stars

Huh = 3 stars

Meh = 2 stars

Ugh = 1 star

Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate

https://www.crunchyroll.com/that-time-i-got-reincarnated-as-a-slime: Rating: Worth Watching

Funny and original, not your typical 'Hey, I'm in a magical game world and I'm an All Powerful Manly Man' harem anime.  The slime was gleefully carefree, the tsundere dragon made me laugh, and the end credits promise more original characters.  Seamless blend of computer generated and drawn scenes.  Liked the decision to change the main characters' voice during the reincarnation sequence.  




Jingai-san no Yome: Rating: Huh (translation: yeah, watch it but some curious items may eventually bench it from the roster)

Only 3 minutes long.  It should be interesting to see what kind of world this kid lives in that 1) High schoolers can get married, 2) They don't get a say in the marriage, and 3) Weird creatures just come and pick out people to marry at a high school the way they might at a marriage broker...  Still hung up on the high schooler bit, but it bears watching.  Interesting style, liked the hair of the characters, waiting for more.





Run With The Wind: Rating: Huh 

Not your average sport anime.  For one thing, it's not set in high school.  The characters have essentially been tricked into the club, which promises to be an interesting plot, and at least one of them is a criminal with a mysterious past.  Cinematography is really good, especially since a lot of scenes happen at night.  






Xuan Yuan Sword Luminary: Rating: Meh

Typical magical world, with conquering nation modeled after ancient China.  Some mecha, or 'construct' action.  Large cast, with characters on both sides.  The plot moved way too fast.  I hardly even know the characters, and I can't even remember their names, but they've already 'moved up in the world'.  It seemed like they chose to condense a much longer saga, but it just didn't work.  I can't feel anything for any of them because I didn't spend any time getting to know them.  Artwork was wonderful, though.  I feel bad for the people who worked on it, since the plot people kinda messed it up.  If you think you can get past the initial confusion, be my guest.







Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai: Rating: Worth Watching

Surprisingly intelligent, given the prominence of the bunny girl and little sister.  Actually made me think of existence in the philosophical sense.  I liked the idea that what others do and how others see us can effect us physically and externally as well as emotionally and internally.  Light on the philosophy, though.  More on the human interactions and day to day living.  Also, the cat twitched its ear very realistically.  And they chose a calico, which has to be harder to draw.  I can imagine them saying, 'Now, how far down did the black part go on her shoulder again?'.  







DErideD- Derrida who leaps through time: Rating: Worth Watching

Dystopian future witnessed by the person who was one of the main causes of it.  Promises to be intriguing.  His entry into the time capsule was a bit improbable, but I'm willing to suspend my disbelief if they explain it later.  And it looks like they will, since there's a lot of unfinished business already.  Computer generation isn't too pushy, and the snow was nicely done.  Not all round, but fat, irregular, flakes, with the nearer ones out of focus.  It was a nice detail, and gave the right ambiance to the scene.  

Fall Anime RoundUp Part 1

Welcome to a new section written by my wife Raspberry!!

Rating system notes: 

Worth Watching = 5 stars

Hm hm= 4 stars

Huh = 3 stars

Meh = 2 stars

Ugh = 1 star

Zettai ni Arimasen = Not if you gave me a million dollars tax free covered in chocolate

Ms Vampire Who Lives in My Neighborhood: Rating: Huh

The characters were a little too girly for my taste, though I'm sure there are people like that. Bit tired of the constant middle/high school kids. That said, at least they don't forget that there are parents in the world, though these parents should be looked into by social services for some of their parenting decisions. And it certainly had funny moments if you could get past the weird sexual innuendos. If you didn't expect that from the title, though, then you should have. Animation is standard. Not bad, but not great either. You can watch it. I probably won't.

Zombie Land Saga: Rating: Zettai ni Arimasen

I didn't watch it (duh).

Hinomaru Sumo: Rating: Hm hm

Not my usual taste, but this sports anime isn't bad, despite a distinct lack of pants for the main characters. Bit of a cross-over with tough-guy prove yourself high school anime and sports anime. And the main character has some added mystery to his past which I'll admit to wanting to know more about. Animation isn't bad, lots of muscles, but it is sports anime. I might appreciate details more if I knew more about sumo, but it looks like this anime would be happy to teach me. I had no idea there was a height requirement before watching, for example.

Goblin Slayer: Rating: Ugh

The only good thing about this was the animation. Reasonably decent quality. Unfortunately, that meant we saw way too much of the rape and murders. Sadly, it could have been good since the plot was well thought out. They didn't need to include so much ugliness. Not watching it again.

SSSS. Gridman: Rating: Worth Watching

The animation is beautiful. All the stills with crumpled green tape and realistically messy homes. And the way the main female character moves with her friends when we first see them in the classroom. Very lifelike. Sadly, it is also a mecha, but I'm willing to overlook that as it's so well done. Plot pulls you in, action happens with sufficient build up, and there's enough mystery to make you want to watch more, with an interesting twist at the end. Best overall so far this season. They're not all out yet, though, so we'll see.

Radiant: Rating: Huh

Decent animation. Enough backstory to make the current plot interesting. Liked the world, islands floating in the air. Also, the elephant cows were just funny. Really enjoyed the main female character. Found her lack of one arm to be an encouraging sign of increasing diversity in anime. She's formidable, but not all powerful. Main male character was predictably stupid, but as he's a teenager, this is not too far off base. Bears further watching.

Between the Sea and Sky: Rating: Meh

I feel like it could be better, but right now it's not really worth it. The plot is interesting, though I think they could've gone with a more scientific solution. The fish all disappear and for some reason we decide to fish in space, making large planet-like fisheries with huge fish in them, which have to be subdued using magical deities who you download on your phone as apps. Which is an odd mix of science and magic, that I felt unnecessary. It could have been done entirely with scientific solutions, but that's not what bothers me most. It's the characters who could be better. They're obviously all trope-y fan service girls. The male characters are all there as foils to ruin the girls' chances at space fishing. The intention of the creators is clearly to both infantilize and sexualize the girls--who I can't even call women, they're so girly. It's most noticeable in the space uniform design choice. The girls have differently colored, bright suits, which accentuate their breasts, while the men all have the same pale colored suits. When we see the men, we see them at angles that emphasize their faces, while the girls all get angles where we can see things like legs and breasts. The creative directors seem to want to please everyone and in the end I'm afraid they'll please no one.

Double Decker Doug & Kirill: Rating: Hm hm

Interesting setting, futuristic city with drug addict problems and really great costume design. Starts out serious, but ends up being irreverent and funny. Main character is relate-able, not too perfect and not too inexpert. Just flawed enough to make you laugh. Liked the animation. You can tell they put a lot of effort into character design and matched personalities with plot, posture and presentation. Not my usual fare, but promises to be interesting and satisfying to watch.

Skull-face bookseller Honda-san: Rating: Hm hm

Slice of life at a bookstore. I liked the animation style, it seemed particularly well suited to an anime about manga. Made me feel like I was watching a four panel comic. Also, they never explained the skeleton and no one reacted to it at all. It made it strangely more interesting. Like there might be a back story. But I actually wouldn't mind if there isn't one, if that makes sense. Not much plot, but you don't really expect it from a slice of life anime.

Anima Yell: Rating: Huh

Plot is predictable, characters are trope-y, and all girls. I'm not sure there was even a male in the background, yet no one has mentioned this is an all-girls school, so what gives? At least there aren't any panty shots, which, considering how much cheerleaders tend to throw each other around, is pretty hard to do. And the main character seems earnest in her desire to help others, even if this impulse is taken to extremes.

Ulysses, Jeanne d'Arc and the Alchemist Knight: Rating: Huh

Based loosely on French history, the main characters are fairly predictable personalities who don't adhere to period costumes. Despite that, the plot is all right, with magic thrown in to make it less historically expected. Not that many people know French history in such detail that it would be glaringly obvious if they went that far off-script... But there's a nice twist at the end, and the Surprisingly Useful French Lesson is, well, surprisingly useful.

Dakaichi, I'm being harassed by the sexiest man of the year: Rating: Huh

BL, if you didn't get that from the title. Not my favorite genre. I don't have anything against homosexuality, but some BL borders on molester. This crosses that line in their first encounter, but their second establishes them both as willing. I would find this too much to overcome in a live-action, but for anime it seems more normal to suspend my disbelief. Animation is very clean, plot is well laid out, if a bit predictable. Other characters don't make much of a dent, it's definitely about the two main. Not bad, for BL.