Young adult high school series can often fall flat, but so far this one is hitting all the right notes.
Rule of Three Review: Sound! Euphonium – Episodes 2-3
Reviews
Rule of Three Review, Doga Kobo Digest: Plastic Memories, Mikagura School Suite – Episodes 2-3
Sometimes execution just isn’t enough.
Studio Doga Kobo is trying their damnedest with both of these shows, filling them with expressive faces, lots of motion both in terms of animation and shot selection, and energetic vocal performances. And that would probably be enough to sell me on both these series—if only the writing were even a little bit better. One of these series fritters its fascinating premise away on cliche interactions, while the other juggles a large, likable cast but struggles with a generic premise and shallow conflicts. And man, are they both trying real hard to be funny and doing a realmediocre job at it.
So yeah, this digest post ain’t the most positive thing I’ve written, but you’re welcome to hit the jump for specifics on what worked, what didn’t, and whether either of these shows will get a chance to prove themselves next week.
Rule of Three Review: Show by Rock!! – Episodes 2-3
The ending theme was right: I am indeed having a nice MUSIC!!
I described Show by Rock!! as “utter nonsense” in my premiere review, and remarked on Twitter that it was “so dumb and I loved it,” but after a couple extra episodes, I’m reevaluating my opinion somewhat. SbR isn’t dumb. It’s silly. “Dumb” implies a lack of intent; it suggests that something is amusing without that being the creators’ goal. “Silly,” on the other hand, means that the creators know exactly what they’re doing and are enjoying the heck out of themselves. And I’d say SbR firmly falls into the second category.
Rule of Three Review, Fantasy Digest: Seraph of the End, The Heroic Legend of Arslan – Episodes 2-3
Sometimes it’s not just what you say, but how you say it.
Both of these shows are firmly on my bubble, and no one is more surprised than me. I’d expectedArslan to be a season lock and Seraph to lose my interest, but neither’s been the case. More surprising still, if you asked me to rank one ahead of the other, I’d have to admit that thanks to solid some direction, animation, and acting, Seraph is doing a better job of winning me over thanArslan.
I know, you guys. It’s weird. This season is weird.
Rule of Three Review: Blood Blockade Battlefront – Episodes 2-3
Big, Bombastic, Beautiful.
BBB is a first-class example of how a talented director, composer, and animation studio can take solid source material and crank it up to about 11. We likely would have had this frenetic world along with its enigmatic supernatural beings, its underground organization that oozes cool, and its affable but troubled protagonist regardless of the creative team, and it probably would have been fun in any competent director’s hands. But what BONES, Matsumoto, and her team have created here is more than just fun: It’s a visual and aural feast, taking Nightow’s often blank canvas and splashing it with color, depth, and imagery.
Panning the Stream: Sequels and Carryovers Edition (Spring 2015)
Absence makes the heart grow fonder?
It’s been a long premiere week and I’m quite sleepy, so I won’t spend too much time on these, but, as usual, I wanted to pop in and let you know where I stand on sequels this season. Most of the deluge this spring are for shows where I never saw the early seasons, so no “panning” posts there, but there are a trio that I am watching, at least. Hit the jump to get reacquainted!
Panning the Stream: Blood Blockade Battlefront, PUNCH LINE, Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches
I’ll give Spring Premiere Week this much: It sure didn’t end on a boring note.
As if to make up for a few of my previous posts, this one has three whole meet-n-greets, and two of them surprised even me. Has my brain overloaded from a long week of watching and writing about premieres, thus seriously hampering my judgment? Or is there actually something worthwhile in each show of this batch? Well, they’re only premieres, and I am pretty exhausted, so the jury’s prob’ly still out on that one. But you’re welcome to hit the jump and decide for yourself.
Panning the Stream: Mikagura School Suite, Triage X, Wish Upon the Pleiades, Etotama
Must’ve been a hard winter, given how puny this spring crop looks.
We’re getting dangerously close to the end of the licensed spring premieres, and pickins remain slim. It’s not even that most of them are terrible (although Triage X very much is)—they’re just run-of-the-mill, safe, and uninspired. Still, we’ve got one that’s a little off the beaten path, so we can talk about that in some detail, at least. Hit the jump for some light potential and a trio of “no, thank you”s.
Panning the Stream: Sound! Euphonium, My Love Story!!, RIN-NE
How to improve your spring anime? Just add cherry blossoms!
Two full meet ‘n’ greets in this one, huzzah! One was exactly what I expected, while the other was something of a pleasant surprise (although we’ll see if it can hold up over multiple episodes). Also, apparently if you throw an exclamation point (or two) into your title, good things happen. Take note, aspiring writers. Then hit the jump for some sweet music, some sweet cakes, and a little bit o’ bland.
Panning the Stream: Plastic Memories, The Disappearance of Yuki Nagato, Re-Kan!, Gunslinger Stratos
This… could stand to go a little better.
I’m to the point where I’m marking anything that didn’t send me running for the hills as a “bubble candidate,” because my watch list is looking pretty darn slim at the moment. I’m not sure if I just came to expect more ambition from my anime after this past winter or if these shows are just that weak or what, but it’s slim pickings, and once again I’m left with only one series that warranted a full meet-n-greet. Hit the jump to say hello to girls who see ghosts, girls who shoot guns, girls who are robots, and girls who should be robots but aren’t anymore, those cheaters.
The Josei Next Door 