SUMMER 2015 Overall Review

Alright peeps! 
It's almost the end of SUMMER 2015 so here are our roundups~~
Sorry, getting kind of lazy so no pictures for this post. Also, I'm only posting stuff that I either completed or dropped. Tedwin will post those that he completed/dropped later on. 


For TNa:
**Anything I didn't write here means I have yet to complete them**

Aoharu x Kikanjuu
     Great series! Loved it until the very end, though the whole series seem rushed. I guess, it's a build up for season two...... they ARE going to make second season right? Because the way this anime ended is not very satisfying! They NEED another season! 
Rating = S

Charlotte
    Loved all the main characters! Episodes 1-6 was fabulous, the rest ehhhh, not so much. Great twist in the mid-season and everything after that was pretty much a down hill ride. It was rushed, characters appear out of no where, cliches plot and wtf moments - like, seriously Yuu's power is just too convenient for the whole story, making it less believable. Well, at least they gave us a conclusive ending.....kinda.  
Rating - B

Gakkou Gurashi!
     Definitely the gem of this season. Super great deconstruction series, yet it still maintain its light-heart and girly features till the very end. The FEELS is real in this series, it was such a close call at the end - I almost cried. Great psychological ride and twist near the end. There are times where I get upset, like, "OMG, snap out of it!" but we have to remember that this is also a "cute girls, doing cute things" theme too. Not your typical real-life zombie flick, so don't expect too much logic in this one. Anyway, we can't wait for season 2. I mean, they BETTER come out with a season two! :< For any of you who haven't watch this anime yet, go watch it now. 
Rating - S

Gangsta.
      Interesting artwork and story, however, they took foreverrr to build up the story. It got so boring mid-season, that I almost stop paying attention. The ending is a real cliff hanger and it was an abrupt end; nothing was explained & nothing got resolved. Fighting scenes are nicely done, but there wasn't much even though this was suppose to be full of action. Is this anime the type where we're suppose to read between the lines? If so, I failed to do so completely lol. Based on the build up, it seems like we will most likely have a season two....I think.
Rating - C

God Eater
     Okay, this is a weird one. Really slow release due to its unique animation style; needs a lot of time to make it I'm guessing (so far 9/13 episodes). Tedwin loves the animation style, I think it's okay - looks amazing on a HD screen though. Typical shounen story-line; boy gain unique, awesome power to fight monsters, boy want to save everyone. Characters are okay, I don't particular like or hate any of them. They are doing a pretty good job promoting the game this way. Action scenes are beautifully done and the use of slow-motion was point-on. Somehow.... they stop releasing after episode 9??
Rating - B

Overlord
     Another 2nd season build up.... like, they should stop doing this thing where they take the whole 13 episodes series to build up season two. The build up should only be like the last few episodes -.- *sigh* Anyway, this series was....eh, interesting in its own rights. Not much to say about it.
Rating - C

Chaos Dragon
      Dropped. I'm sorry, I couldn't.... 

Classroom Crisis 
      Dropped. I was this >----< close to finishing it.... then they HAD to pull that "lost-memory" & "mistaken identity" crap on top of that stupid love triangle, and I was like, "Nope! I'm out." Sorry, if you want to know more, Tedwin actually finished it and he thought it was okay. Go ask him.  

Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace
     *SIGH* I was utterly disappointed. It was so good in the beginning, slowed down a bit and then it was interesting again with the cop guy. Then.....everything went down hill. I barely pulled through with the last three episodes. 
Rating - D  
 
 Ushio no Tora
      Great remake! Followed the manga really close, so hopefully they won't mess it up. It really bring back memories to see this kind of 90's style anime. Love every second of it! Although, it's not completed yet, but I'll still put it here. Action, comedy, adventure, curses, shounen, lovable Tora - what else can you ask for? 
Rating - S

 

 

Summer 2015 First Impression

 

 Mamoru & Sierra in Until Death Do Us Part

     Yoshha!! And, we're back in action!!

 ..........again.

Ahahaha....ha. *Ahem* Sorry for the long hiatus. 

ANYWAAYYY! Let's move on to the real important matter: The Summer 2015 First Impressions! >Yaayyy!!<

The Summer series are in their mid-season episodes now so we thought we do some first impression rants on some of the series at hand. I prefer to do first impressions after I have watch at least 4 episodes of any series. You know, to give it some time to expand a little. Can't go judging on 1 episode alone (I mean, you could, but isn't it a bit bias?)~

Well, without further ado, let's move on to the review!


First up, we have.......!!!

Aoharu x Kikanjuu (Aoharu x Machinegun)

Ahhhh!!! The bishies <33

"The story follows high school student Hotaru Tachibana, a girl disguised as a boy. Through strange circumstances she finds herself drawn into the world of survival games by a host, Masamune Matsuoka. The two form a team with ero-manga artist Tooru Yukimura and aim to be the best in Japan." - ANN

 

This is the second survival game club theme anime series I've had the pleasure of watching. The first being, Sabagebu! I was hook on the whole BB guns survival game thing so I'm very excited for Aoharu x Kikanjuu. The gender-bender is a bonus, so yeah *thumbs up *

So far, the anime has a very nice mix of slap-stick comedy and action sequences. It's still a bit rough and short but it will do. The female lead, which is also the MC, is very likable and strong. You'll grow an attachment to her even though her speech is a bit annoying sometimes. 

Episode 1 reminds me of a certain old fav....
Ouran High School Host Club, anyone? 
 

See what I mean?

Day 8: How To Enjoy and Appreciate Anime and Manga

How to Enjoy and Appreciate Anime/Manga

T-Na

First off, let me state here that I'm a changed person. All the anime/manga sins listed below are things that I USED to do. I am still in the process of adjusting...so no hating.

This isn't just something I used to do to anime, but also for drama, movies, manga, novels....so yep; everything and anything. I know, I'm such a horrible person....

SIN #1. Looking up SPOILERS

Alright, this is how I judge/look at an anime/movie/novels/manga before:

-I read Title and Synopsis

-I check out the characters if there's a picture; like how do they look?

-I head straight to Wikipedia → Romance involved? Who gonna end up with who?

-I will then watch 1^st episode.

And according to Ted, that is a big “no-no”. Quoting him, “That is the WORST thing you can do to a series and to yourself.” I, personally, don't mind spoilers. Even so, I still have to agree with Ted. Not only did I eliminate all the surprises, but in doing so, I also destroyed the experience.  I did mention before in another post, that I still get surprise or emotional even when I know what's going to happen next. However, that level of surprise is not the same as, if I were to watch/read without knowing. I have to thank Yuki Yuna wa Yusha de aru for letting me experience that “magical” element of being in the dark. I went into that series without reading anything except for the title (yea, I was too lazy). But thanks to that, I came to appreciates no-spoilers.

Day 7: Manga Series that Deserve an Anime Adaptation

T-Na

Nothing makes me so overjoy than knowing that my favorite manga is going to have an anime/life-action adaption. It doesn't matter if I've already re-read it like 20x, I can still sit and watch it without skipping anything. It's just something about seeing and hearing your favorite characters come alive on screen is so magical. I honestly won't mind fillers at all (unless it's an action type like Bleach or Naruto) because fillers are something new and I appreciate a few side stories if it mean more screen time for my favorite characters. Surprisingly, many of my favorite manga are already made into anime. For example:

Akatsuki no Yona

Nanatsu no Taizai

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso

Terra Formars

Tokyo Ghoul

Ansatsu Kyoushitsu

Skip Beat!

There are only a few manga left that I'm still waiting for anime adaption.

1. Oresama Teacher -- This is hilarious! It's from the creator of Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun. I love the mangaka's sense of humor. It's kind of idiotic but funny regardless. All the characters are wacky and adorable. Not sure if I would consider this a reverse-harem, though there is 1 girl surrounded by many hotshots

Oresama Teacher - Ridiculously funny

~Kurosaki Mafuyu was a juvenile delinquent and head of her gang before her subsequent arrest got her expelled from high school. Now that she’s transferred to a new high school, she’s determined to become an “ultra-shiny, super feminine high-school student.” But with a new friend like Hayasaka-kun and a homeroom teacher like Saeki Takaomi (who may be more than he seems), will Mafuyu really be able to live a girly-girl high-school life!?~(Source: MangaUpdates)

Day 6: No Time, No Worries...Short Series to Save the Day

Tedwin

Don't you hate it when you come home from busy day without a lot of time on your hand...especially when you want to read manga or watch anime to relax. Often time...some series are way too long...or just releases too slow...you just want something simple and that can finished quickly and be satisfying. I'm going to cover short completed anime series for you guys here. I'm going to tackle different genres to change things up. Keep it fresh and exciting!!! Enjoy


Detroit Metal City, 12 mins,12 episodes. It is super short but super awesome. It is one of the funniest anime ever....I mean EVER. Heavy death metal + misunderstood situations = numerous comedic events. The heavy metal music isn't that bad too, I find it quite catchy. RAPE RAPE RAPE....!!!!

Krauser: It was an accident, I promised....not >:D

~Led by phallus-waiving terrorist-from-hell Johannes Krauser II (guitar/vocals,) and given pulsing, throbbing life by indestructible drummer Camus and bassist Alexander Jagi, Detroit Metal City is the hottest ticket on the concert circuit! There's just one catch. That "hottest ticket" is just a meal ticket, and beneath the makeup, these ultimate head-bangers are hired doppelgangers who don't even LIKE what they do! Jaggi is actually Wada, who wants to play glam rock; Camus is Nishida, an anime fan with an appalling weakness for curry and NSFW videos; and Krauser is... oh the shame... street-singing Soichi Negishi, whose dreams of singing happy pop hits seem hopelessly doomed by the success of his rage-fueled alter ego! Worse, he can't even tell anyone who Krauser is. Not even the girl he likes, who HATES DMC! Will rage against the corporate machine consume Negishi's tortured soul? Is there life after death metal? What it's like to put your head in a jet engine and turn up the volume?~ (Source: Sentai Filmworks)

Day 5: Favorite Male/Female Anime Character Type?

Tedwin

If only there were a universal way to make characters suitable for both guys and gals, things will be much simpler. I'm sure you guys notice the conspicuous difference in the type of product made for each gender. To make things simple, Shounen or Seinen for males while Shoujo or Josei for females. Each genre has their own types of stock characters. I've read and view from all 4 genres I mentioned above. So it is quite hard to get a male/female character out of one genre and call it the favorite of all because it won't be applicable elsewhere in different genre. So, I will probably be quite bias on my favorite because I relate more to Shounen and Seinen.

My favorite type of protagonist is the zero to hero type. They are the one that is weak either physically/mentally or someone without any known skills/talents. Usually that character has some sort of inner strength/potential that isn't realized yet or will be acquired it through some challenges. The protagonist will later improved it through more hard work and it become their main strength or extra visible trait that ppl will acknowledge them for.  

[Psycho-Pass] Akane Tsunemori went from naïve newbie to strong detective at the end 

Day 4: Favorite Anime Production Studio?

Tedwin

T-Na is coming up with some hard questions…things I never really considered before. I just watched anime…I don’t really follow certain studios because many times…it is a hit or fail depending on their project and timing.

Thinking about it, generally the anime studio's releases will either be original work or adaptation from a source. Often time, the source material is manga, if not light novel or rarely video games or tv dramas.

A lot of times, the anime product will be well received if the source material is popular or if the original work is well-done. But it all depends the studio...they have to be true to the source material and have great knowledge on the trends to produce an original series. In addition, many time...the audience forgets that an anime studio is also a company where a lot different ppl are involved in the project. Thus, to produce quality work, the studio needs total cooperation from everyone involved and proper time management. I already touched base briefly on this in the introduction of the previous post.

OK...so lets think of a way to grade an Anime Production Studio then:

Day 3: What to Look For in an Anime?

Tedwin

Anime is awesome…..what can I say. However, not all animes are created equal. I say it really comes down to the directing and the team’s collaboration in the production...of course, all done in a timely manner. Please watch Shirobako to learn what I mean, they do a good job illustrating how an anime is produced….and the outcome matters. And DONUTS!!! YUM

~ Aoi will never forget how she felt the day her high school animation club's labor of love was shown at the cultural festival. The sense of awe and the feeling of accomplishment that came with completing their very first project are exactly what encouraged Aoi and her club mates to enter the animation industry in the first place. But two years later Aoi has graduated, and now that she works as a production assistant for a big-name animation studio, the daunting reality of her job has somewhat diminished her enthusiasm. Despite the long hours and the punishing schedule, Aoi still hopes to fulfill the promise she and her club friends Ema, Shizuka, Misa, and Midori made: to one day reunite and make a real animated feature of their own as professionals! (Source: Sentai Filmworks)

Day 2: What to Rewatch???

Tedwin

I tend to rewatched anime only with ppl who haven’t seen the series before. It typically happens when I give them a recommendation LOL. However, there are times that the current anime season just don’t have anything good or lack the right amount so one will feel the need to revisit some the good ones that made you a committed lover haha. Unfortunately, I do not like to rewatch series that I recently seen no matter how amazing it was…probably because it is still fresh in my head. So the list that I made below will be series 3-4 yrs beyond the date of this post.

I pick such series because it just have this amazing story plot that grabs the viewer by collar and it just pulls one in. It can a sad emotional tear jerking or just an intriguing plot. It has the right thrills, action/battles, psychological mindfuck, and character development to keep things exciting for the long run. Of course, we need some cutesy LOL and awesome soundtrack to support the visuals….can never goes wrong there you know. So here you go guys….enjoy…..you can tell me in the comments below what you would rewatch if you have nothing else to feed your anime hungered belly?

Simple Series

Fate/Zero

Angel Beats

Day 1. How You Got Converted?

Tedwin

To the folks reading, I have no idea which anime series really converted me to an anime lover. I’m sure it’s through a series of circumstances that happened in my life that made me into a huge anime fan.  In the very beginning, I didn’t even know I was watching cartoons called anime. These early animes series like Dragon Ball Z, Sailormoon, and Pokemon were just cartoons I looked forward to watching every day. I am sure it is the different drawing styles, action scene, music, and continuum storyline that were so attractive and lacking in western cartoons. Next thing you know, I wake up every Saturday morning just to get my filled of my favorite cartoons…which are anime series. Nostalgic memories of Digimon which I believed were way better than Pokemon, Yugioh which also got me so addicted to the card game,  etc. Only thing that really pisses me off is reshowing the same thing over and over again….like give me new episodes jeez. When I had cable for a bit….Toonami introduced me to various other anime with teen themes and they are mainly 90s anime like Tenchi, Rurouni Kenshin, Cowboy Bebop. At the time I didn’t know but one can see the major differences in animation quality compared to early 2000s anime and especially to the most current anime …but I didn’t care cause anime is hard to come by. 

8 Days Blog Challenge AKA "Get Off Your Ass, First Timer"

Tedwin

Sorry for the long delay, we have gotten lazy. For our comeback, we are gonna do a 8 days challenge each with a different topic of discussion or anime series post. Wish us luck :D 

If you would like us to talk about something, please mention below in the comments. Thx! 


T-Na

Heeeyyy! Guess who's back >again<?! *Nervous laughs* 
We are back and to keep ourselves from slacking off, we decided to do a 8 days Challenge :D Something to keep our blog looking busy. In the mean time, we will start writing about some of the anime we finished watching over the break. 
Alright, let's go!