 |
ANIME WATCHING |      |
| » CATEGORY: Daily Blog | BY:
tgbob « |
|
| » POSTED ON: 8/2/2011 1:37:00 AM | MOOD:
tired « |
1) Fireball Charming
YOSH! More Fireball! Only with new costumes, a new-look mansion, and a ton of extra characters that aren't invisible maids! The pace of this one seems a little bit more rushed than the first series, and they seem to do a little bit worse job at hinting at an underlying plot. They make mention of the same human invasion thing, but you don't really get to see any real results of said invasion, and no real series conclusion/cliffhanger like in the first series. So, in that regards, it's kind of disappointing, but then again, it's still Fireball. I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as the original. The first series was something so spectacular, though, that whatever sequel that was made would probably always fall short of expectation. But something tells me they could have come a lot closer than what they did.
Score: 6/10
2) Idolm@ster
Ok, I want you to take a deep breath, and imagine the following... Take one part "Working!" work-environment anime, one part "K-On!" silly fun music-loving characters, and mix it with a generous helping of Morning Musume... Yes, the one with my favourite Japanese idol, Yaguchi Mari... This series is pretty much what you would get. The premise is such... new producer (known only as Producer-san) is hired on to talent firm to find work for, and promote, the firm's collection of female idol-wannabes. It's not a great series by any means, but it has a few interesting aspects that are keeping me somewhat interested. One thing is that I've started making a game out of matching the characters in the series to their real-life counterparts in Morning Musume. Yes, I've already identified which one is Marippe, as well as Ai Kago and Nozomi Tsuji (the twins... so easy to identify). One thing that bothers me is that Producer looks way too much like the teacher from Kodomo no Jikan... if one of the younger idols starts hitting on him mercilessly, I may have to turn away out of fear of further scarring. But I doubt it will go that route. This show looks like it's going to be straddling the line between G and PG rating, so four episodes in, it's pointless clean cute fun, kind of like "Working!" and "K-On!".
Score: 5/10
3) Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai
Pant pant pant... That title is WAY too long!!! This one BETTER be good after having to get that ridiculously long title down on paper! Luckily, it appears that not only will it be good, it will be great! The premise is as follows: A highschool-aged boy named Jinta keeps seeing the ghost of his former friend, Menma. These two, and four other kids, used to play together when they were young, but since Menma's death, they have grown apart. Now, Menma is saying she might be back in order to have a wish she wished back when they were kids fulfilled, but she can't remember what that wish was. So, it's up to Jinta to reunite the estranged gang and try to figure out Menma's wish, so she can finally rest in peace.
The characters are some of the most interesting I've seen in a long time. They are by no means one-dimensional, except for Poppo, who is just one big jolly guy and hasn't been fully developed from what I've seen so far (only three episodes in). But Poppo is endearing in his own ways, and when the group does get together, there is a really interesting group dynamic, especially considering how they used to be the best of friends, and now, a couple look like they are ready to rip out each others' throats. Also, there is a nice dose of pop-culture embedded within the series. I especially liked where two former friends made amends by playing a marathon session of Pokemon! One other thing that impressed me right off the bat was the differences between the younger and older versions of the characters. For once, the younger cast does not simply look like chibi-versions of their older selves! They are somewhat recognizable between the two ages, but you can totally see how the older versions have matured from the time they were kids.
Overall, really enjoying this series so far. I'm thinking that this one may end as a tear-jerker, but I've still yet to get to any overly emotional parts. If this series can do what Clannad AS did (make me cry), it will probably shoot up to be one of my favourites of all time. Here's hoping for a solid conclusion!
Score: 9/10
4) Mayo Chiki
Ok, I'm not sure why I'm watching this one. There is a nice dynamic between the two main characters, which I'll just refer to as "boy" and "butler", but other than that, the show is just one big mess of love-triangle cross-dressing fan-service. Here is my messed-up premise for said show:
- Boy gets beat up by Sister
- Boy gets beat up by Mother
- Boy left emotionally scarred by women beating him up, therefore he gets nosebleeds whenever women touch him.
- Classmates think Boy is gay, because he won't touch women.
- Rich Girl owns Butler
- Classmates think Butler is a boy.
- Girls think Butler is hot boy.
- Boys think Rich Girl is hot girl.
- Rich Girl amused by Boy
- Butler gets jealous, and attacks Boy
- Boy finds out Butler is really a girl (nosebleed)
- Rich Girl teases Boy into not revealing Butler's secret (nosebleed)
- Classmates think Boy and Butler gay for each other
- Rich Girl claims to be Boy's girlfriend
- Sister thinks Butler is a boy and falls in love with Butler
- Butler likes Boy, making everybody confused/jealous/both.
So, so confused... but for some reason, like a trainwreck, I just can't look away...
Score: 4/10
Well, that's all for now. I'll try to hunt down some other stuff for review!
-- TG
 |
 |
OPINIONS: 5 PEOPLE APPROVED