×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
The Best and Worst Anime of Summer 2017


Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7  Next

Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
DmonHiro





PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 10:33 am Reply with quote
Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul..... While it's not technically as bad as some of the shows this season it is the most disappointing. It had potential.
Back to top
Gemnist



Joined: 10 Feb 2016
Posts: 1754
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 10:36 am Reply with quote
Yeesh, what polarizing results. What one might consider the best is considered the worst by another. That's normal, but this much is just WOW.

DmonHiro wrote:
Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul..... While it's not technically as bad as some of the shows this season it is the most disappointing. It had potential.


Huh, what happened there? I never watched it, but when it launched I heard people call it a masterpiece.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Angel M Cazares



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
Posts: 5406
Location: Iscandar
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 10:41 am Reply with quote
I wish this article was published until the shows finished airing, but here are my projections.

Best: Made in Abyss - The premise is intriguing and the two leads are charming, but the best things are its atmosphere, pacing and visuals.

Runner-up and my favorite: Princess Principal - Who knew that combining steam punk, spies and cute girls will work this well.

Worst: Classroom of the Elite - It started kind of promising, but it turned into pretentious crap.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
Hiroki not Takuya



Joined: 17 Apr 2012
Posts: 2501
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 10:48 am Reply with quote
I'm a little surprised that Princess Principal was rated so highly, I dropped it at Ep3 and thought it was a little too much to be believable (dull too). My favorite was Isekai SmartPhone just because it is dumb fun but the top spot goes to 18if for being innovative
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
danpmss



Joined: 30 May 2015
Posts: 762
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:02 am Reply with quote
Gemnist wrote:
Yeesh, what polarizing results. What one might consider the best is considered the worst by another. That's normal, but this much is just WOW.

DmonHiro wrote:
Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul..... While it's not technically as bad as some of the shows this season it is the most disappointing. It had potential.


Huh, what happened there? I never watched it, but when it launched I heard people call it a masterpiece.


Apparently the very last couple of episodes were overall polarizing (more inclined to the negative side), the rest of the show was pretty well received in all places I visited talking about it, however (including in here).

I'm at episode 12 so far, so I don't quite know how bad it was, but so far so good for me, so I'm bracing myself to it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ChibiKangaroo



Joined: 01 Feb 2010
Posts: 2941
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:13 am Reply with quote
I have not watched any of Princess Principal yet. I will probably check it out soon given the high praise it has gotten from reviewers.

However, I think Made in Abyss is already cemented as my top anime of the season and probably top anime of the year at this point. I was left speechless, literally by the first episode. It was beautiful and captivating, and the characters are amazing. Plus, it has such enchanting music. I could watch the show just for the music and scenery porn. Anime like this only come around every so often. The last time was From the New World. Before that, maybe Madoka. It's a must watch for any serious anime fan.

My runner up would have been Rage of Bahamut Virgin Soul if that show hadn't tanked with the Charioce love story. I can't say it's the worst though. That honor is reserved for Isekai Smartphone. RoB was fantastic when it was focused on this ridiculously fun character of Nina the goofy, cute naive girl who had a habit of accidentally transforming into a godzilla sized red dragon and crushing her enemies. That contrast between cute, spunky innocence and rampaging death machine was quite literally a blast, and they should have kept the story focused on using that in new and exciting ways while advancing the plot. Instead, they sidelined Nina and shifted the focus to Charioce, the most unlikable mysterious antagonist I have seen for a while. That just killed it.

RoB could have learned a lot from Knights and Magic. These two shows have a lot in common at the start. Both begin by introducing an amazingly endearing, innocent and spunky main character who has ridiculously over the top special talents. At first I questioned whether Knights and Magic could really have its main character basically carry the whole show just with his talents and cheery enthusiasm. I was wrong to question it. Somehow it works. The show doesn't really need any other developed characters, and indeed most of them are soulless shells. The show succeeds purely by making you like Ernie so much and watch him gleefully achieve progressively more amazing feats in his new world. If they had suddenly sidelined him like RoB did with Nina, the show would completely collapse too. However, just due to the excellence that is Ernie I have to say that Knights and Magic is my runner up. Maybe if I end up loving Princess Principal, I'll change that, but that's where I am right now.


Last edited by ChibiKangaroo on Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:22 am; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Zzshcl



Joined: 21 Dec 2016
Posts: 106
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:13 am Reply with quote
I cant believe someone picked ballroom e youkoso as the worst when there are like 10 shows worse than that one

In my opinion it would be

BEST - Gamers

RUNNER UP - Shoukoku no Altair

WORST - The smartphone anime
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Joshua Zarate



Joined: 12 Jan 2017
Posts: 2061
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:15 am Reply with quote
Hiroki not Takuya wrote:
I'm a little surprised that Princess Principal was rated so highly, I dropped it at Ep3 and thought it was a little too much to be believable (dull too).


Princess Principal was hardly dull at all during its entire run, but I can somewhat understand it being a bit too much. I'll admit that I was skeptical as well, but the show really came around as it continued. I recommend that you give it a second chance. Who knows? You may have a good time with it.

Anyway, I'm personally a little surprised that Made in Abyss wasn't more reviewers' number one, but I can understand not having time in one's schedule to watch it as a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why it wasn't there. Although, in contrast to Mr. Theron Martin, I personally don't believe that the pacing did more harm than good, but eh. What can you do?

Since I've already covered much of the screen with my post, I'll keep my list for this topic not too long.

1. Made in Abyss

2. Princess Principal

As for worst, I'll typically put the show that I had the least enjoyment with and (although, it does have some good things in it) for me this season, it was The Reflection.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
Blatch
Thread Killer



Joined: 26 Sep 2013
Posts: 348
Location: Northeast U.S.
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:17 am Reply with quote
While I don't watch enough simulcasts every season to be the judge of which ones are the best and worse, there was one that I do think is worthy of the latter distinction... but it's not available for legal streaming. And thank goodness for that. Twisted Evil
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Tenebrae



Joined: 26 Apr 2008
Posts: 485
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:34 am Reply with quote
Well, I'm having really hard time deciding the best two from my four top picks of the season: Gamers!, Made in Abyss, New Game!! and Princess Principal. Abyss might edge out into top due to the fantastic amount of worldbuilding that's gone into it. I'm obviously leaving out shows that started the previous season and I assume Kakegurui doesn't count since it is, uh, not available.

There's probably worse shows this season, but I can only speak of those I did check out, and of those Knight's & Magic is clear winner. A Gary Stu wish-fulfillment show if there was one, that reads like a bad fanfic.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:42 am Reply with quote
Put me in the camp surprised at princess principal success, I watched episode 1 and half of episode 2. It just came off as a show that played by the rule of cool, except it acted like it was a smart spy thriller. So you had stupid people doing stupid thing and the show acted like it incredibly smart (let's capture this guy we think is a spy and pointlessly reveal to him our most sensitive information instead of fake one, GENIUS!).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
FackuIkari



Joined: 31 Dec 2013
Posts: 411
Location: Argentina
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:54 am Reply with quote
Gemnist wrote:
Yeesh, what polarizing results. What one might consider the best is considered the worst by another. That's normal, but this much is just WOW.

DmonHiro wrote:
Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul..... While it's not technically as bad as some of the shows this season it is the most disappointing. It had potential.


Huh, what happened there? I never watched it, but when it launched I heard people call it a masterpiece.


The first half was awesome and then it just became a mess, which is sad, it was doing really well

BEST: GAMERS!

RUNNER UP!: MADE IN ABYSS

WORST: HAJIMETE NO GAL / VATICAN KISEKI CHOUSAKAN
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Key
Moderator


Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18137
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:57 am Reply with quote
Total tallies for the nine reviewers shown are as follows:

Made in Abyss - 4 (2 1st)
Princess Principal - 3 (2 1st)
A Centaur's Life - 2 (both 1st)
New Game!! - 2 (both 1st)
Gamers! - 2
Elegant Yokai Apartment Life - 1 (1st but also one worst)
Tsuredure Children - 1
Classroom of the Elite - 1(but also one worst)
Clean Freak Aoyama-kun - 1 (but 2 worst)

One show that's rated as both a best and worst? Can't recall that happening before.

Hiroki not Takuya wrote:
I'm a little surprised that Princess Principal was rated so highly, I dropped it at Ep3 and thought it was a little too much to be believable (dull too).

PP is the surprise quality show of the season because it takes a while for the full extent of its quality to become apparent. I didn't start considering it as a candidate for the season's best until the Dorothy-focused episode (#6), and it also has situations like how episode 2 comes off much more impressively after you've seen episode 8. (Seriously, I recommend to anyone rewatching ep 2 after you've seen ep 8.)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
NonsenseUser



Joined: 22 Sep 2008
Posts: 51
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:58 am Reply with quote
For me, the best show was definitely Tsuredure Children. It was the one show this season I consistently looked forward to every week (well, that and My Hero Academia) and it was just so fun following all the adorable, charmingly dorky couples this season. I would very much welcome more of this.

Runner up is a tough one. I think I had more fun with Princess Principal but from a technical perspective, I would say Made in Abyss is the better show. The early episodes of Abyss didn't really do much for me personally (though they were clearly very well done). That being said, it's gotten me hooked in the last few episodes so I'm glad I stuck with it. As far as Princess Principal goes, that was just good, fun, entertainment. There was some clunky dialogue and a stinker episode or two, but all in all, it was a great time.

Worst show is pretty easy for me this season. Of the shows that I actually more than one episode, Love and Lies takes the cake. I think I can safely say the main couple had the single worst romantic backstory I've ever seen and yet even then, I stuck with it for a few more episodes before the sheer stupidity of the world and it's rules finally overwhelmed me.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
yuna49



Joined: 27 Aug 2008
Posts: 3804
PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:59 am Reply with quote
I was glad to see Sakura Quest mentioned at least once in these lists. One thing I liked about it was its reliance on actual events to instill a sense of realism. The episode with the iPads is based on an actual program by IBM, Apple, and the Japan Post to help seniors stay connected and informed. Municipal consolidation, which comes up late in the show, is another real policy of the Japanese government.

Then we have the cast. I can't decide between Maki and Sanae as my favorite, but all five of them had distinctive personalities and skills. Yoshino might seem a bit of a light-weight, but I thought she grew substantially over the course of the story and found the end very fitting. There's a scene about two-thirds of the way through the second season where the five young ladies are trying to convince the town elders to adopt one of their suggestions. The five of them together were so winning, persuasive, and just downright lovely that I couldn't imagine anyone standing up against them.

Like some of the reviewers, my top two shows were Made in Abyss and Princess Principal. I'm hoping someone will come up with the money to finance another season of the latter. Studio 3Hz has scored two winners in my book over the past year or so, PP and Flip Flappers. Since neither show has done well in Japan, I worry about the future for such a small but talented studio. From what I understand about the manga version of Abyss, its story remains unfinished at this date. We'll see how much closure we get in the final, hour-long episode this Friday. My guess is that Abyss will need at least another season to reach its completion.

I liked the first half of Re:Creators but thought it became mired in overly complex and somewhat pretentious discussions down the stretch. Some people hated the ending because spoiler[Altair wasn't destroyed], but that wasn't my complaint. As I wrote in the series thread, it sometimes felt as though Hiroe Rei simply made sure to cover all his genre bases by having a large cast of "creations." I thought many of them added little to the story's development.

I've read a number of complaints about this season overall, but for me it's been one of the better seasons in memory. Along with the shows I listed I've been watching Bahamut (about which I generally agree with its critics) and Ballroom. I wouldn't place it at the bottom of my list, but I do share some of the criticisms Gabriella raised. My biggest complaint is the objectification of the female characters in this show. Everything I have read about competitive ballroom dancing during this show stresses the partnership between the dancers. In Ballroom, the ladies are largely just for show and objects of conflict among the male characters.

I'd probably rank Vatican Miracle Examiner at the bottom of my list, followed closely by the two "yokai" shows, Restaurant and Apartment. I watched a few episodes of each of these and dropped them due to boredom.

It's rare that I can find five series to watch in a given season, so for me, Summer, 2017, was among the best. The fall, with its profusion of sequels, doesn't seem likely to compete.


Last edited by yuna49 on Wed Sep 27, 2017 12:06 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7  Next
Page 1 of 7

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group