Akazora

I didn't think there was going to be anything particularly good about this summer season, but forced myself to pick up things I wouldn't otherwise have watched, because hey why not? It's summer break and I might as well go all out! Somehow, I found myself pleasantly surprised by... everything I watched. Usually I have clearly defined "good first impressions" and "bad first impressions", but everything that's come out so far seems to be of relatively equal quality for now. By the end of the season I'll be able to more easily list them in order from good to bad, but for now I'm not comfortable with doing that so I'll just list them alphabetically. Charlotte - Jun Maeda and Key and PA Works have joined forced once again to give us the Angel Beats 2.0 we were all hoping for in the form of Charlotte! From the theme song singers to the animation to the character designs to the unmistakable form of storytelling to the humor, Angel Beats and Charlotte are so almost unbelievably similar. Right off the bat, I must say that if you enjoyed Angel Beats you'll love Charlotte. For everyone else, this is an anime you might want to give a chance. It's pretty funny and the animation is clean. The plot and characters aren't too unique quite just yet (though the MC almost seems like a Lelouch parody), but given this is an anime original show it has potential to break barriers given some time. This is a safe bet for people who are looking for a slice of life with a bit of a darker twist. Let's see if Jun Maeda can live up to his own hype. Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei Herz! - Silver Link must be borrowing money from ufotable, because their animation of this series is just getting better and better. The third season of this mahou shoujou Fate spin-off looks even better than the second, which was already a huge step up from the quality of the first. This gets off to a nice, light-hearted start, and while the loli yuri undertones oh who am I kidding: straight up loli yuri themes, may turn off those easily ticked by fan service, everything else about the series is pretty good. The characters are brighter, bubbly versions of all your favorite (and potentially least favorite) Fate characters, the music is decent, and the humor is solid. With the improved animation, I have high hopes for the future action scenes, no doubt. Check this series out (starting with the first season of course, not this one) if you're caught up with the Fate series anime and want to watch an alternate universe of Fuyuki City without the Fifth Grail War. Gakkou Gurashi! - I cannot say what makes this show bad or good without spoiling. Therefore, if you're reading this and want to try your luck, go into this show blind. Do not look up a synopsis, do not Google any images, and do not read reviews, or else you will be spoiled. Just go to where ever you usually watch anime, find this series, and watch the first episode. It's only 24 minutes of your time. If you don't like it, fine, just drop it. But if you like what you see after the episode finishes, then you'll be in for quite the ride. Gangsta. - It is what it sounds like: an anime about gangsters. If you're a bit sick of the moe blobs and bubbly slice of life, then this show may be for you. An edgy seinen with Black Lagoon vibes, the animation is decent and the art is stylish. The music isn't too shabby, and the themes are on the dark side. There are some hints of supernatural-ish aspects in the future episodes, and for now it's standard rule of cool fun. Worth a shot. Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri - I know I said most of my first impressions were at about the same level, but if there's any weak link in the chain then it's this one. While far from the worst anime I've seen, it feels like it might go down the path of SAO or Aldnoah.Zero. The animation is clean and the premise is mildly interesting, but it has a very high potential to turn into a fan servicey harem. For a "military" anime, the military and political tactics are kind of shallow, so don't expect awesome mind games or anything. Might be a good show for someone new to the field of anime, but experienced watchers should tread carefully. God Eater - The prescreening and first episode was canceled and delayed respectively, so could ufotable not have Unlimited Budget Works after all? Regardless of how much they're struggling, the first episode looking good enough. The art is very different from what you'd expect from an anime, but it's something I could get used to. The slow mo scenes and interesting transitions are stylish, too. From the looks of it, I wouldn't expect UBW level fight scenes, but that doesn't mean they're bad either. The plot and characters aren't anything special for now, but there's potential here. Prison School - As someone who considered reading the manga, I was quite pleased to see this get an anime adaptation. I have trouble keeping up with manga, unlike with anime which I'm always on top of. It was all that I expected and more. Or rather, I didn't know what I was expecting to find, but whatever it was, it was good. While it might seem like blatant ecchi, it understands how ridiculous it is and embraces it. Over the top and funny, the anime throws unbelievable scenarios at your face. Unapologetic, this parody-like anime is perfect for those who are looking for an R-rated laugh. Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace - It isn't very often we get an mystery anime, especially not one with detectives in it. Maybe DCW will appreciate this show? To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Edogawa Ranpo's death, this anime presents a detective show heavily influenced by Ranpo's works. Dark, twisted, sexual, and unnerving, this show isn't about your every day locked room murder mystery. Ranpo himself was fond of having bisexual or homosexual themes in his stories, and that's reflected and portrayed correctly by the MC in Game of Laplace, who is a boy that is frankly so feminine it makes Nagisa Shiota look manly. If you're in the mood for mystery and want to watch an artistic and symbolic take on the genre, then this show is for you. Rokka no Yuusha - If you're looking to go on an adventure, this is might be the anime you're looking for. A tale of six chosen heroes that must slay a demon, the tried and true premise contains enough twists down the line that make this show one to keep an eye on. With an interesting art style, superb action sequences, and a unique fantasy world, Rokka no Yuusha is rearing to be the Bahatmut Genesis of this season. As long as it maintains its quality and ends well, this pretty-much-for-everyone show may end up being the sleeper hit of the summer. Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai - Do you like dirty jokes? How would you feel if dirty and sexual words were banned? This comedic ecchi show explores that crazy premise. Filled with more dirty jokes than you'd expect to find in a television series, this show will either make you realize you aren't such a pervert after all (or that maybe you're more of a pervert than you thought). All in good fun, if you want to watch Sex Joke: The Animation but have something against Seitokai Yakuindomo, this is definitely something to check out. Ushio to Tora - Do you feel that all modern anime suck and that you wished you could go back to the old days? Or are you feeling a bit nostalgic and want to go back to the 90s? If so, then Ushio to Tora is the anime for you. Based off of the manga of the same name, the 90s vibe will hit you like a ton of bricks. If you don't believe me, then just watch the opening. If that isn't the old-school-iest thing you've watched today, then I don't know what decade you're living in. It keeps the atmosphere of the original in the same way Hellsing Ultimate and Monster stayed true to their manga counterparts. While the characters and premise are "cliche", if you take into consideration the first chapter is 25 years old this anime isn't all too shabby. Check it out for a blast to the past. Working!!! - It's so rare for there to be a third season of any anime, so it's nice that Working got one. While not my favorite slice of life, the second season grew on me and I've anticipated the third one since. If you enjoyed the first two seasons, you're going to like this one as well. Picking up right where it left off, the animation is familiar and the pacing and characters are consistent. The opening is still bubbly and best character Maya Matsumoto is still not speaking (until the last episode, most likely). I don't think is series is going to be spectacular, but it'll be a fun a relaxing watch at least. -- Edit: Added in initial impressions for Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei Herz!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrLWo2QOsH4 The AMV that used this song was amazing. Too bad there are copyright issues and it can't be uploaded to YouTube.

Row row row your boat Gently down the stream~ Merrily merrily merrily merrily Life is but a dream~~~ (inb4 the stream is the river Styx and this thread becomes 3deep5me)

The first will always be my favorite. Completely mind blowing reading this as a kid.

Disappointed it wasn't Bonfires, not going to lie.

^continued...

(Nobody's posted here in nearly 2 months, so I think this double post is justified.) The spring season has come and gone (kind of...) so I might as well post my final thoughts on all the series I'd watched. Everything is listed from favorite to least favorite. 1. Kekkai Sensen - What a bloody masterpiece. The characters are great, the humor is fresh, the animation is clean, the art is nice, and most of all the music is amazing. This is a rule of cool anime with a style and atmosphere that is hard to match, and has become one of my favorite anime of all time. The references to American pop culture from the 90s and 80s are crazy. There was an allusion that flashed across the screen in less than a second, and it referenced a movie so old and so obscure I wouldn't have noticed it if someone on reddit didn't point it out. That's how intricate this series is. There is so much care and thought put into every little scene, and the directing is top notch. The last episode has actually been delayed, because they made it too long to fit in a standard 30 minute broadcast window, which has caused some trouble for the television station. The fact that they'd rather delay an uncut, above and beyond finale instead of quickly air a rushed and incomplete version, not giving a damn about how angry the station would be, goes to show just how dedicated these people are to making a quality series, instead of one to just earn them a paycheck. These guys deserve a medal, and I anticipate the release of episode 12, whenever that may be. Kekkai Sensen is episodic, which may turn off some people, but I'd still recommend it over most anime I've watched. AOTY right here. 2. Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works Season 2 - Sighhh, you had one job Miura and ufotable. All you had to do was continue doing what you did right the first season, and this would have been a golden series. Unfortunately, the second season of UBW was plagued with poorly directly and animated scenes, making the original source material look worse than it should be. Some parts got really predictable, and none of the plot twists hit me like they should have. The good parts were great, don't get me wrong, but the bad parts were... just really bad. A bit of a disappointment, but all in all it's still one of the better anime you can choose to watch. If you haven't already, I recommend watching Fate/Zero before jumping into UBW. 3. Ore Monogatari!! - This series isn't even over as it carries into the summer season, but I feel like I've seen enough to talk about it and fairly rank it against the spring season. This shoujo anime that dares to be different by having a character like Takeo is really good. It's funny, easy to relate to, over the top, and just a lot of cute fun. I'm not always for romance, but the characters are so unique and dynamic that it's hard not to like them. Madhouse did an amazing job animating this series, and though some moments may look a little off, the lighting and color makes up for it. If you're sick and tired of the standard rom-coms that have saturated the anime industry, give this series a chance. It's definitely something you've never seen before and worth a shot. 4. Plastic Memories - Anime originals are always hit or miss, and luckily this series was more good than bad. Though it's arguably pretty predictable, I was still moved by it enough to enjoy the ride. Some may say the humor ruins the melancholy atmosphere, but personally I thought it added more to the series than the humor in Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso did. The animation is clean and consistent, and while no single character stood out the ensemble as the whole made up for it. Will this futuristic world of robot humans give you feels? Maybe. Check it out if you're in the mood for it. 5. Punch Line - The underrated and misunderstood anime written by the man behind the Zero Escape series, this anime was a mix of both good and bad. The animation didn't always hold up and the characters weren't easy to relate to and the humor wasn't always the greatest, but the series is intricate and dark and deeper than it seems on face value. Beneath the fanservice and panty shots lies a story with a lot of thought put into it. Not nearly as much as a Zero Escape game, but still more than you average ecchi series. For those willing to analyze and think more while watching a series, give this one a shot. Otherwise, I'd recommend you ignore this and move on. 6. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu - Almost forgot, but this was a leftover from the winter season. AssClass ended up being an alright anime. It was shounen and predictable, but it's easy to like and follow and definitely isn't a bad anime. The premise is interesting, the art and lighting is superb, and the music isn't half bad. Only a few characters are anything special, but they carry the anime fine. Good if you're looking for a shounen, but if you seek something a bit more groundbreaking than this isn't the show for you. 7. Nisekoi: - Goddamnit Nisekoi, I expected more from you. I knew there wasn't going to be any plot, since that's all manga readers complain about, but gees even the mindless slice of life humor isn't nearly as good as the first season's. Apart from an amazing episode 10 and 11 (seriously, episode 10 especially got me more emotional than I'd like to admit), every other episode fell far below my expectations. If you watched the first season, it doesn't hurt to watch the second, I guess. Just don't expect it to be as good as the first, and you might be pleasantly surprised. 8. Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku - Really digging the improved animation, but not really keen on the art and character design change. I was never a huge fan of Oregairu, but since I had seen the first season and since there didn't see to a be an amazing line up this spring I gave it a shot. As expected, I didn't really like this series that much. The apparently deep and complex dialogue was clumsy and forced, the characters weren't likable at all (fine, maybe I'm a bit salty Saika Tostuka got almost no screen time), and for the most part each episode was snooze fest. The tension and dramatic parts felt poorly executed and I couldn't really care less about the internal struggles of the characters. If this had just stayed a fun, light-hearted rom-com, I would have liked it more. It tried to be more than it was, and fell flat on its face. 9. Owari no Seraph - Another anime trying to ride on the success of Naked Giants: The Animation, Owari no Seraph is bad. Honestly, there are no redeeming factors. Sawano only worked on a few tracks so the OST isn't even that great. Wit Studio must be running out of money or something, because the animation for the most part was just really poor. The directing is bad, the characters are corny and easy to hate, the plot is terrible, and I've accidentally nodded off more times during this series than I usually do in an average week of physics class (and my teacher was godawful). I'll still be watching the second season when it comes out, because (like Aldnoah.Zero) I'm willing to give the conclusion a chance even if I have very little faith in it. 10. Triage X - This anime is trash and never redeemed itself. It's just gratuitous fanservice that guys don't even like, since breasts the size of watermelons that are suspended by invisible strings are as good of a turn on as watching a laggy video buffer. I only watched it because I expected a spiritual successor to Highschool of the Dead, which, even with the excess of fanservice, was at least well animated and directed. Triage X had poor animation and weak directing, and the plot was so forgettable, I can't remember anything past the initial premise on MAL. How did it end? I dunno, don't ask me, I wasn't paying attention. Don't watch this, please. You'd be better off literally watching garbage rot. And that's it for the spring season! I'll be watching more summer anime than spring anime, only because it's summer break and I have more time. I've seen most first episodes, and would really like to post my initial impressions as soon as possible, so if a kind soul could just post something mildly on topic after reading this that would be awesome! -- EDIT: Almost forgot I watched Assassination Classroom. Added it to the list.

It's nice, but Orlando in the summer is unbearably hot. I'd recommend visiting during winter break, if you can help it. As soon as I post my final thoughts on the spring anime in the Anime-This-Season thread, I'll write an initial impression review of the new summer anime which can also work as recommendations. (after I post my quick reviews about the spring anime, I'm going to need someone to post something so I can write up my summer impressions without double posting)

Yuuupp, we have a lot of catching up to do, hahah. My next response is going to be unbelievably long, so sorry in advance... Kyuu randomly posting like it ain't nobody's business. (Jesus Christ man, deactivate stealth mode already.) OMM: Can somebody post something in this thread, even if it's kinda spammy? I need to post my spring season final thoughts as well as summer season initial impressions.

Dear not so anonymous, Your profile picture has finally been fixed. Thank you, my OCD was killing me. -Me

"All You Are" -- Memtrix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSxzzDE38t8

"Once Upon a Time" -- Kamelot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm4Bdwn6Eas

Awesome, let me know when you do!

I posted a while ago that I was vacationing to Disney World, but it seems that OMM went unnoticed by most. So yeah. it's been about two weeks but I'm pretty much back. Need to catch up on my animu, though. OMM: Marathoning all these episode ones of summer anime is so satisfying. It's so good to be back home!

It's hard to show footage or a trailer of this movie without spoiling what makes it so great. It's only an hour and a half, so I recommend you just torrent it and watch it when you have the chance.

You were gone for nearly an entire month and this is what you post. (and it looks like you've disappeared again) it's just a phase rite???

Ironically enough, I just saw those two movies myself. My family was checking out Downtown Disney and we decided to buy some tickets for Jurassic World at the AMC they have there. We usually don't go to the movies, but my sister's position at Disney got us some discounts, so.... And then we movie hopped on over to Inside Out, haha. Jurassic World I watched all the Jurassic Park movies as a kid, and I guess they were alright. I'm not a huge fan of Jurassic, but this is the first movie in 14 years so of course I'm going to it give it a shot. All in all, it was okay. I wish I could say it was horrific and gruesome and heart-pounding, but since it's rated PG-13, there's only so much gore and graphic horror you can expect from this series. I was never really invested in the plot or the fake the science (really bad fake science at that), but just went along with it anyway. Not nearly as many characters died as I had hoped would, but that's the case with all Jurassic movies. The characters were flat and predictable, with no standout actors or anything. The humor was fine; it's not a comedy of course, so don't expect anything more than a smile here or there. The ending may bother some people, and it didn't really sit well with me either, but ehhh it was an average movie so whatever. There's not much else to say without spoiling. Watch it if you've seen the other Jurassic movies, otherwise you're better off seeing something this summer. Inside Out To be blunt, this is one of my favorite movies of all time and definitely the best Pixar movie ever made. I've even updated my "about me" page to reflect that. It's been years since I've had that weak-legged feeling after watching a movie, yet Inside Out reminded me just why I love movies so much in the first place. I remember watching the teaser of this movie and thinking hey, this might be pretty good. School and college apps got me all worked up and busy, so when summer rolled around and I finally had time to my own, I was so preoccupied with my hobbies that I completely forgot this movie had come out. I hadn't seen reviews about it and there didn't seem to be that much hype around it, so I came in with zero expectations. Goodness, was I surprised. First of all, the little short Pixar always airs before theatrical screenings, in this case titled "Lava", was superb. It got my in a feelsy mood that carried over into the actual movie. The animation was as good as you'd expect from Pixar, so there's not much to say there. However, the storytelling was fantastic. The characters were lovable. I'm not one to laugh very easily during movies, but this movie had spot-on gags that had me chuckling right along with the rest of the movie-goers. Everything was so unique and well put together. In a world where there exists only standard Hollywood fare and many times cheesy Disney sing-alongs, this movie dared to have a edge that many other movies shy away from. Perfect for the whole family and not just kids, Inside Out teaches a universal and relatable message. Unique concepts can fall flat if not executed correctly, but that definitely was not the case here. This is an amazing movie, and if you have some time and money to spare this summer, I recommend you check it out over any other.

*elegantly sidesteps this post* Have a piece of the real OTP right here: -- OMM1: The new trailer for the live action Shingeki no Kyojin movies was interesting. There's a lot of negativity regarding how cheesy it looks, but Battle Royale had some weird moments and yet it became a cult classic. I'll check it out once it's officially licensed or fansubbed. OMM2: Why is Pokemon-Amie so underrated?? People rarely talk about it, but it's surprisingly complex, cute, addictive, and all around fun. Wish I had started utilizing it earlier and not right before Victory Road... OMM3: For those that don't know, I'll be vacationing at Disney World from tomorrow to July 6th-7th. I'll still try my best to stop by DCW as often as I can.

If you're not a fan of anime in general then there's no need to force yourself. Check if out if you have time and if you're really curious, but unfortunately anime follows Sturgeon's law so you're going to have to do some digging to find quality work to your tastes. And FLCL was awesome. It's considered by many to be a classic and it's aged really well.

Why did you have to remind me of our one true savior, Jesus Tatsuya Onii-sama???? (there's even a circlejerk subreddit for him, that's how bad it is)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCQCV7Qkt7g Grinding for customs in Classic Mode has completely ruined this song for me, even though it's a fantastic mashup of Smash themes from all games.

I think someone posted a gif of part of the dance on a forum, and naturally the source was linked not too long afterwards, haha. Ah crap, I almost forgot XC was on the New 3DS. Damn, it's like the only New 3DS exclusive game, too. But I was too poor to afford that so I settled for a 2DS... Would the extra $100 spent have been worth it? Maybe, I guess, but then I'd also have to buy XC 3D which is another $40. That and the time it takes to complete the game is pretty insane. Aghh, I'll just focus on what I have to get done first before I worry about that, hahah. I remember posting Destroyed Skyworld a long while back in the Last Song You Listened To thread and saying it reminded me of Fate/Zero, and you commented on that but since you hadn't gotten into Fate yet you couldn't also relate. Haha, it's good that you can relate now! Ohhhh, Route 10 was my favorite, too! It was such a short route but the music was fantastic. And nostalgia already?? Kenzi, you're growing up too fast! These games are only 4 years old (okay that's actually quite a bit of time the more I think about it....) Your comment on Valedictory Elegy reminded me of those comments people used to make years ago on YouTube videos with epic music. "This song makes eating a sandwich epic!!" Man, good ol' YouTube. Ah geez, you're giving me too much credit for just posting links to video game soundtracks, haha. Though, I suppose you're still welcome! I know, I'm crying, too. Thank goodness Garchomp isn't part of my team, because he would have ruined the sparkly color squad's flow. (hory shet they look so good lined up like that) I can RNG abuse a shiny for you if you want..... It just needs to be 3rd or 4th gen....... -- OMM: Unlocked all the custom moves I needed, and now I'm so sick of anything related to Smash for Wii U I'm probably just going to play Mario Kart 8 today. Still haven't tried my hand at 200cc nor have I checked out those new tracks.