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The Summer 2014 Anime Preview Guide


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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18137
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:26 am Reply with quote
No, Nobunaga Concerto is still coming on a delayed steaming start. It's due up on Crunchyroll a bit less than 23 hours from now.

Unless Jinsei or Minarai Diva get picked up or Funi actually lists Barakamon (and I'm not holding my breath on any of those at this point), NC will be the last one.
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Trypticon



Joined: 25 May 2013
Posts: 80
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 4:17 am Reply with quote
ob1foru wrote:
Zac Bertschy has to be the worst "previewer" I've ever read.


He's not entitled to your attention so if you dislike his reviews; don't read them.

It's what I do with critics that have completely incompatible tastes with me and review styles and I'm not fond of; and I find it generally works out well for me.
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ikillchicken



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Posts: 7272
Location: Vancouver
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:11 am Reply with quote
Still waiting on this season's complete wild card, Nobunaga Concerto, and maybe Barakamon but otherwise, here's my recap:

Good:

Space Dandy. Still awesome. Still kinda inconsistent. Episode 1 was fantastic. Top 5 episode in the series. Episode 2 was weaker though, at least as a whole. The surfing sequence at the end was pretty sweet with all kinds of stuff bursting in and out of the river of time. Took too long to get where it was going though.

Terror in Tokyo. Just an extremely well put together show. Really gripping stuff. Dodged my main point of concern going in by not having the characters immediately mass murder a bunch of random people, thus condemning them to the role of protagonists I don't even want to watch because I have too much contempt for them. Excited to see where the show goes from here.

Tokyo ESP. This is looking like it could be a majorly pleasant surprise. The in media res start totally worked for me. Love the whole X-Men vibe.

Tokyo Ghoul. Very pleased with this show too. Some nice horror elements. It would be up there with the sure things but censorship. Thus, I'm probably gonna wait. Definitely something to watch eventually though.

Average:

Aldnoah.Zero. Still hanging on, but so far this it is pretty aggressively mediocre, trending towards bad, show. If this is the Buchi part then I have low expectations for the latter 2/3rds after he hands the writing duties off to someone else. Boring main character, a complete lack of subtlety combined with a humorless tone, and some shaky world building. Polished execution but little else to like.

Sub-Par:

Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun: Have not actually gotten to the second episode yet. Might not. Didn't hate it but didn't do much for me. There was a little actual humor and not just people loudly over-reacting so that's something. Not sure I actually want to see more though either.

Sailor Moon Crystal: Sorry but this show just does nothing for me. The main character acts like a child. The art design bores me. The premise seems silly. Best wishes to people who enjoy it but it isn't for me.

Argevollen: Yup. This is certainly a mecha show. It does little to nothing to demonstrate any capacity or ambition to be remotely notable.

Perishable:

Sabagebu: The main reason I dropped this is simple: It's pretty boring. Not really funny. Just didn't do anything for me. It's interesting though. I think I've also found the point at which these kinds of shows start to make me uncomfortable. It's the point at which they start adding blood and wounds. Understand, this is coming from someone who thought C3-Bu was fine (well...it sucked, but it was fine conceptually). I have no issue whatsoever with kids playing with fake guns. As a kid, I did exactly the same thing. You know what though? I don't particularly want to see them actually shoot each other. Not even if it's just a fantasy. As soon as said kids start getting blood gushing bullet holes in em it kinda starts to feel creepy to me. So yeah, this is a pass on multiple levels.

Agame ga Kill: A very polished, actually rather well executed show. Too bad the underlying material is mind numbingly dumb. This show makes Aldnoah look like a masterpiece of subtlety by comparison. The epitome of brainless, juvenile nihilism for its own sake.

Rail Wars: Surprisingly light on otaku bullshit. Disappointingly heavy on overbearing idiocy. If a show is self-aware about it, there's something to be said for having kinda dumb characters who make dubious decisions. But this show takes that principle and takes a big steaming dump all over it.

Dramatical Murder: I find I'm usually able to enjoy an episode or two of these pseudo-BL shows. I'm pretty sure that's almost entirely because I'm laughing at them rather than with them. It always fizzles out after that time though.

Bakumatsu Rock: Yeah, this one just bored me. It kinda undermines your premise when your radical new rock music rebelling against the generic soulless mass produced junk sounds basically indistinguishable from said soulless junk.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:51 am Reply with quote
ikillchicken wrote:
Sailor Moon Crystal: Sorry but this show just does nothing for me. The main character acts like a child. The art design bores me. The premise seems silly. Best wishes to people who enjoy it but it isn't for me.


The premise only seems silly because we're watching it in 2014. Two decades ago this was the shizz yo.

I wasn't blown away by the first episode either, but I'm going to keep watching. Once the Sailor Senshi are all together and the main plot picks up it should get a lot more interesting.

As for Usagi being childish, I like to think of it as her simply having a lot of room to grow. We know that in time she does indeed become competent, so it's not like she'll be annoying forever. The other characters can help carry the story in the meantime.

Finally, as the episodes come out not weekly but rather fortnightly, watching the show is an easy commitment to make. Finding twenty-five minutes every second Sunday will be a piece of cake.
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darkchibi07



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 5459
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 8:40 am Reply with quote
Hmm, has there been a title like Sabagebu recently where it's aimed towards male otaku despite being serialized in a shoujo magazine? I know this happens quite a bit for titles serialized in shounen magazines when aimed towards fangirls (for example pick your recent sports shows).
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jymmy



Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Posts: 1244
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 9:37 am Reply with quote
Key wrote:
No, Nobunaga Concerto is still coming on a delayed steaming start. It's due up on Crunchyroll a bit less than 23 hours from now.

Oh right... that. I tried watching that; I couldn't make it very far in. Good luck to the previewers.
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Ali07



Joined: 01 Jun 2014
Posts: 3333
Location: Victoria, Australia
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 10:28 am Reply with quote
Saw some episode 2s today:

Gekkan Shojo Nozaki-kun's….Mikorin has to be one of the funniest tsun-like characters I've ever seen. Laughing

Bahahaha, and spoiler[basing a shojo manga's herione on Mikorin] is so perfect. Definitely not something I saw coming!

Seo will be an interesting addition. Hopefully, used sparingly.

I think that this series is going to end up being my favourite of this season. It'd have to suffer a massive drop off, or another series would have to do something huge, to get knocked off the perch it finds itself on. Laughing

Blue Spring Ride's was good. I do wonder if the time skip went past stuff from the manga to get to the point it did. The show is kind of going down the track I thought it would after seeing the 1st episode.

I'm enjoying it. Hope that we get some more flash backs as the season goes on, but I have a feeling that we may not due to what Futaba says near the end of this episode.

Shirogane no Ishi: Argevollen, need to see episode 3 before I drop it. Nothing is really grabbing me at the moment, but I give most shows 3 episodes. If I'm not interested in anything after the first hour of storytelling, I never will be invested.

Which brings me to Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance's 1st episode. While nothing is really grabbing me when it comes to Argevollen, I don't dislike anything about it. Can't say that for Blade Dance.

See, the reason I said most shows above is because stuff like Blade Dance comes along (like Tokyo Ghoul before it) and gives me a first episode where everything was so predictable…one episode is enough for me.

If I'm able to figure what is coming easily, more often than not, I won't be sticking around. As with Tokyo Ghoul, I felt like I was being hit over the head with what was coming next...and there was nothing in there that I liked, I'd be punishing myself if I continued to watch Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance.
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DmonHiro





PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:04 pm Reply with quote
Since everyone is giving their opinions, here are mine. Take them at face value.

Glasslip: I'm at least intrigued by the new kid who can talk to the future. I don't have high hopes, since it's doing the exact same stupid chicken metaphor that True Tears did.

Shirogane No Ishi Argevollen: Has the potential to be a decent mecha. Also has the potential to be the next Break Blade. That is not a good thing.

Tokyo Ghoul: Got the horror aspect of turning into a monster that east humans right. It was very well paced, and quite creepy. Kana-tan as a sadistic psycho is always nice. I just hope it doesn't turn into a battle shounen.

Locodol Yattemita: It's cute, and happy. The animation is on the low side, but it's acceptable. Will try another episode, I just hope they don't sing in each one. The eye-catches, however, are very.... interesting.

Rail Wars!: It's Servant X Servant with more ecchi and more action. I enjoyed the heck out of it. It's not deep and not sophisticated, and they apparently have a doorway to Narnia where they keep the old trains (seriously, it was snowing in there), but I'm game for some action and boobs.

Sailor Moon Crystal: As a 28-year old man who grew up with Sailor Moon, I am obligated to watch this. The fact that I enjoy it very much is just a bonus.

Shounen Hollywood: Dropped for being gay. The producers hair alone is a reason to drop it, but even the designs are kind of ugly. Maybe women like that type of design, but to me, the men look and act as they would have if they were women.

Aldnoah.Zero: Urobutcher, mecha and the soundtrack from Attack On Titan. Sold on that alone. The space nazis are a nice tough as well, though I hope they're not just evil for the hell of it.

Barakamon: It's so goddamn cute and so goddam sweet. If you're only allowed one show per season, pick this one. It will make you feel good inside. Haru is great. She acts just like a real child.

Akame Ga Kill!: Well, I've read the manga. It's decent, but I have major problems with the antagonists: they are evil. That's pretty much all we know about the empire: they are evil and love to torture people. I just want more from an evil empire then "We're so evil".

Gekka Shoujo Nozaki-kun: If I have to compare it with something, it would be Ouran. It just gives me the same vibes. That is, of course a good thigh, and it's quite funny.

Sabegebu!: A cross between C3-bu and Softenni. C3-bu was HORRIBLE when it went all emo, and thankfully this show does not have that problem. It's just pure comedy. How much you will enjoy it will vary greatly.

Hanayamata: Not only does this show look beautiful, but it somehow injects dopamine in the back of your neck. It's just so happy and cute.

Love Stage: Dropped for being gay. I mean it literally this time. I am not interested in a comedy about two homosexual men unless said comedy is actually FUNNY. However, not one funny moment was present in the episode.

Jinsei: Runner up in the worst animation division for me. The show just looks cheap. It's also nothing special, so I don't know if I'll be watching more of this. It's decent, but I have nothing good to say about it. It just exists...

Momo Kyun Sword: Ecchi comedy of the season. Except there's not much ecchi in it. The story and characters are bland and unoriginal. Maybe one more episode... maybe.

Zankyou No Terror: HELL YEAH. This is how you do a first episode. I'm very interested in this show. That happy kid (I forgot his name) is really creepy. You don't know if he's going to play along with you are stab you in the eye.

Nubunaga Concerto: The winner of the worst animation division. It looks awful. It's also another anime about a time-slip to feudal Japan, and of course, Nobunaga. At least the other ones looked better. This one is just bad.

Invaders of the Rokujyouma!!: A combination of Nanana and Topple Her Flag from last season. I don't have much to say about it, because it took the whole episode just to introduce everyone. Well see how the next one goes.

Tokyo ESP: If you've watched Ga-Rei ZERO, you saw the callbacks: those characters, that soundtrack. Looks really good, and the powers are very varied and interesting. I can't wait for next episode to see how all this stuff began. Yes, this show starts in media res.

Seirei Tsukai No Blade Dance: Combine Dragonar and IS and you get this. Gonna be honest here, I'm just watching it for the fanservice. I can pretty much tell how the plot is going to go, so jus give me the pretty girls and I'll be on my way.

Fate Kaleid Liner 2wei!: I absolutely loved season 1 and season 2 is AWESOME. I cannot wait for certain battles. This show is a 10 in my book. I have nothing bad to say about it, except that it only comes out once a week. I adore it. I bought the manga from Japan, that's how much I love it.

Free! - Eternal Summer: They upped the fanservice in this season, but I'm OK with it. It does not take away from the show, and I'm very interested in how the new characters will interact with the old.

Kuroshitsuji - Book Of Circus: The first episode did not win any points for being exactly the same as the one two years ago. Still, now season 2 is out of canon, and thank God for that because it was ABYSMAL. Plus, Sebastian with a flame-thrower is always a good thing.

Persona 4 - The Golden Animation: Surprise! It's not a remake. It's basically New Game+ from the PS2 game, with the events and characters from Golden. Yuu is maxed out in stats and EXP, meaning he can take all the awesome choices, and kick all kinds of ass with a level 99 Izanagi (MaZiodyne, Miriad Arows, etc).

RE;_Hamatora: I did not even like the first season. The characters are just so bland.

Space Dandy - Season 2: Well, it's not really season 2. It's just the second half of Space Dandy. Nothing has changed, and thank Dandy for that.

Sword Art Online II: Dear lord, it's WORSE then the first season. Also, Kirito is now a girl in this new game. Godlike OST, horrible directing and pacing. The plot is also pathetic. I haven't even read the novels and I already know how the masked guy is killing people.

tl;dr: Top 3: Kaleid Prisma 2wei, Barakamon, Zankyou No Terror.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:15 pm Reply with quote
ikillchicken wrote:
Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun: Have not actually gotten to the second episode yet. Might not.

I agree with you on the first ep, but do give the second one a go. If you still don't like it, bail, but I thought it was hilarious, to my surprise after how bland the first ep was.

ikillchicken wrote:
It kinda undermines your premise when your radical new rock music rebelling against the generic soulless mass produced junk sounds basically indistinguishable from said soulless junk.

QFT. I'm starting to get really tired of group seiyuu-tailored theme songs in general (some of which I think I might like if they were arranged and sung by professional bands), and this one just adds insult to injury with putting it all front and center in the plot.
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danilo07



Joined: 25 Dec 2011
Posts: 1580
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:57 pm Reply with quote
Somebody should create Akame ga Kill! AMV with Linkin Park music in background, perhaps that creation would be a little too perfect for this world.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 4:19 pm Reply with quote
^
Mate, you're dating yourself there.
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TarsTarkas



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5821
Location: Virginia, United States
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 5:22 pm Reply with quote
DmonHiro wrote:

Sword Art Online II: Dear lord, it's WORSE then the first season. Also, Kirito is now a girl in this new game. Godlike OST, horrible directing and pacing. The plot is also pathetic. I haven't even read the novels and I already know how the masked guy is killing people. 3: Kaleid Prisma 2wei, Barakamon, Zankyou No Terror.


Nothing wrong with having a female avatar. Use them in several games like Diablo and Torchlight. Godlike OST sounds pretty good.
I watched the first episode and it was all right, but shows don't live or die for me by just the first episode, unless they are truly horrible
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dtm42



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PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:39 am Reply with quote
Watched the first episode of Nobunaga Concerto, and those character designs are . . . unsettling to say the least. Not the worst I've seen, but that's not saying much since there have been some shockers (Kingdom comes to mind). I might get used to them - just like I did with Arpeggio - but that's not guaranteed.

As for the show itself, the pacing is shockingly fast and there isn't enough "getting-used-to-the-time-period" scenes; time travel does not make one an expert horse rider in just a few days. But I do like the street smarts of the MC and the show does have a good (if subtle) sense of humour.
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dudebro



Joined: 14 Jul 2014
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:16 am Reply with quote
At first we were like:
Hope Chapman wrote:
Then there's the worst problem: I don't like the hyperviolence played for laughs, at least not in execution. In theory, the blood-spattering mayhem Sabegebu! indulges at the end could be very funny. Plenty of anime do harsh or bloody slapstick well, from Great Teacher Onizuka to School Rumble, but it doesn't work here. It just comes across as tasteless and off-putting due to poor timing and framing.

Sabegebu! is cheap-looking, obnoxious, and the jokes that don't land crash down miserably with tryhard tastelessness.

Rating: 2

Rebecca Silverman wrote:
The premise of this show makes me very uncomfortable – real or not, I am not a fan of shooting guns at another person.

The (fake) violence is also a little more graphic than one might expect, with the girls playing their game in a room designed to look like a bombed out cityscape and plenty of bullets flying. That the narrator tells us they are fake is minimally reassuring – if you didn't like the last survival game anime, you probably won't like this one either, even though it is significantly lighter fare. Adding to this is blocky artwork and some scenes of intense bullying played for laughs (thanks, narrator!), so while it does have a few things going for it, Sabagebu! mostly just left me feeling vaguely icky and uncomfortable.

Rating: 2


But then we were like:
Hope Chapman wrote:
I kept gasping and laughing with discomfort throughout the first episode, and if Tokyo Ghoul keeps up that fervor, it could be one of the most fun anime this summer. Well, if you like your fun coated in warm, gooey, fleshy bits.

Rating: 4

Rebecca Silverman wrote:
It does rely a little too heavily on an air of mystery and “ooo, spooky,” but generally speaking, Tokyo Ghoul's first episode gets the job done and looks to have distinct horror promise.

Rating: 4

Airsoft is apparently now more offensive than eating people.
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Princess_Irene
ANN Reviewer


Joined: 16 Dec 2008
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:27 am Reply with quote
You could read it that way. Or you could interpret it as Hope and I both find fantasy violence less unsettling than realistic violence. I can't speak for her, but that is absolutely the case for me.
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