Fall 2013 Anime Season Thread

[Cream Soda]

Why is Jojo'z Biazarre adventure not on that list?

[Cantih]

I didn't watch it.

[Elcura]

I didn't watch it.

Fix that.

[Pharaun]

Why is Jojo'z Biazarre adventure not on that list?

I didn't watch it.

You done fucked up, Jojo is awesome.

[Seravi Edalborez]

Galilei Donna - Dropped after four episodes
Yes it's beautiful, yes the setting is interesting, but there's just something about it that makes having to watch it a chore.
Anime is not a chore, so, dropped.

Has a plot about nothing, drama pops up that is inconsequential, and an ending so ridiculously stupid for the serious-ish tone the series is trying to set. Is the setting dark or fluffy? I can't tell because it flipflops every episode, then cops out on serious-ness when it involves the main characters.

The opening was the only good part of this show.

[Elcura]

The opening was the only good part of this show.

Yup. Hard to watch this shit, because enthusiasm dips sharply after OP ends.

[Cantih]

Ok, one last necro here now that I've finally cleared my live action backlog and have finished the fall portion of my anime backlog. (now on to winter!)

Kill la Kill
Broadcast deadlines! Budget walls! There is no doubt that Trigger is Gainax, heart and soul. The trick of these guys is making something greater than the sum of it's parts. The famous Gainax titles take good parts and make something HOLYSHIT! Kill la Kill takes standard parts, and made something great. Thus the bit of reaction that "Well, KlK is ok, but it's not exactly the best thing ever, huh?"

So, it's not quite Eva/FLCL/TTGL/PSG tier, but it is just only an inch below, which is damn fine for a studio that had to claw it's way out of what's looking like a corpse. (I'll reserve final judgement on Gainax until after the Eva film team is done and back on TV output, but stuff like Mahou Shoujo Taisen is not a healthy indicator.)


Log Horizon
There are some weak episodes and characters (though I defend that those characters are consistent and provide verisimilitude, they have a reason to be there and be that way. It's just that, yeah, they're annoying.) The back half of the season does drag a little, especially if you want MMO ACTION instead of the politics of people. And to be fair, the execution of the politics so far is a little weaker than it was in Maoyuu, though there is more material to juggle this time around, whereas in Maoyuu that's all it really needed to do. But all in all it's a damn fine series even if it doesn't quite make show of the season. But Kill La Kill takes the win because it just kept going up and up, while Log Horizon hit a high plateau, but a plateau nonetheless.


Tokyo Ravens
It's a pretty standard shounen series, competently done. Not bad, but not groundbreaking. The only real issue is the use of 3D (well, and the "all the girls want him" thing, but it's nowhere as bad as Strike the Blood). Regarding that. The bane of any anime production is budget, and as long as 3D work delivers a cost savings, it's gonna be used. It's not going away, so get used to it. Now by all means, if the 3D work looks shitty, bitch like all fuck. Let word filter to the studios that techniques need improvement. But if you start disregarding shows because of 3D use, well, a number of years from now, you're gonna not have much anime left on your plate. Anyways, the finale feels a little scrunched, but I'm not familiar with the source material, and it looks like the show was right up against what the author had outputed, so I'll give it a pass.
The first OP is sexy as hell though.


Nagi no Asukara
So it's not as good as Uchouten Kazoku, because teen bullshit. But it's better than similar cases because; one, banking on people caring whether or not "nothing happens" isn't the sole thing the show has going on, and two, at least the teen bullshit is executed far better than is the norm. The show does have a message it's pushing, but unlike say, Earth Maiden Arjuna, it isn't constantly beating you over the goddamn head with it. (In fact, it pmuch lets it rest after halfway.) The focus is on the characters in a situation, rather than the characters in a situation, if the distinction means anything to you.

But the main flaw is in the two leads. Oblivious, naive, and stupid. (And in the case of Hikari, so angry.) It may be accurate for many teens, but making them the leads, instead of being the B-couple that are "those dumb friends you have" and can still push the plot, is a ding against.

Spoiler: show

The world is on the verge of crisis, and we're depending on Wilting-Unassertive-Girl and Lash-Out-Boy? Welp, we're fucked.
Granted, we see the B-Team is about as bad later on, but at least they wrap their shit up quicker.

So another writing pass could have tightened up the show and maybe given it a fighting chance for a high spot in any other season, but even then, Fall 2013? Unlikely.
But jesus fuck PA Works is pretty, hell I'm considering giving Glasslip a chance just because of it.


Strike The Blood
It does have an okay setting, though it is taking cues from A Certain Series. It just has WoD in it's DNA instead of Marvel. The animation is respectable, but nothing special. But while the setting is interesting, the characters are just too damn stereotypical. With Nobunagun, the characters need work but are salvageable. Here, the lot of them just needs to be thrown the fuck out. It's a bog standard harem cast bolted on to something that deserves better.

Ultimately, it's still more serviceable than Machine Doll though. At least this has vampire tropes as some kind of excuse for shoehorning in fanservice. But it's a bait & switch with how it's so light in the first half, then ramps way the hell up in the back half.
Also a small thing, while the translation is accurate, actually going through with calling it the "Lion King" Organization is... yeah.


So to amend and complete my earlier post

Season Winner
Fall: Kill la Kill

Year Winner: Kill la Kill

Don't cry, Shingeki may still have a shot whenever it comes back.

[Correction]

Summer: Uchoten Kazoku (bring on the bullets motherfuckers)

The fuck you flinching for. This was the best looking and most original show of the entire season and nobody gives it credit because they get all starry eyed by KLK's flashiness.

[Elcura]

Been meaning to look up Uchoten Kazoku, but I haven't found or seen a batch of it so I guess I'll need to look harder.

[Vaspinne]

Honestly, I didn't even catch a bit of Uchoten Kazoku. I heard absolutely nothing about it on these boards, but if it's legitimately a good series worth looking into, then I wouldn't mind catching an episode or two and seeing it for myself

[Cantih]

The fuck you flinching for.

Well by giving it summer, I didn't give summer to Monogatari.
You understand how this may result in some intent to separate me from my blood.

[Correction]

Honestly, I didn't even catch a bit of Uchoten Kazoku. I heard absolutely nothing about it on these boards, but if it's legitimately a good series worth looking into, then I wouldn't mind catching an episode or two and seeing it for myself

It's still better than anything released in 2014 so far.

[Silenka]

Ah, I had to look under Uchouten Kazoku to find it on trackers. Looks like loligeddon did a couple batches.

[Cantih]

MAL says Vivid is the best sub for it, personally I just watched on Crunchy.

[Vaspinne]

It's still better than anything released in 2014 so far.

That is a bold statement lol. I'll have to check it out as there are a handful of shows I've really enjoyed this season and last.

[Deadgye]

The opening was the only good part of this show.

I had fun when I realized the show was actually just a set up for super funtime loli adventures. I'm weak to cute characters like her.

[Correction]

That is a bold statement lol. I'll have to check it out as there are a handful of shows I've really enjoyed this season and last.

Do you like scenery porn?
http://i.minus.com/jAPEvXn5jPm94.png
http://i.minus.com/jE8GLB9TCcoUm.png

http://i.minus.com/iwvrcuGm79eYA.png

Good scene composition?
http://i.minus.com/jfsz5vCLJbso0.png
http://i.minus.com/iKVMCMwoG9gbc.jpg

Supernatural elements set in contemporary city life?
Dramatic tension between well-developed characters?
A show that actually pays off on the setup?

Then watch this show. Did I mention the scenery porn?


Here's a blog of someone in Japan viewing an 'art of' exhibition, including storyboards. The art in this show is second to none.

I was going to make a thread about this show when I finished watching it but it slipped my mind and by then people had moved on to winter season shows.

[Vaspinne]

I did watch episode 1 last night and it was incredibly obvious how visually stunning it was. The story hasn't really drawn me in, but it's only been 1 episode. I'll definitely try to watch a couple more when I have the chance

[Elcura]

Found the Vivid batch, so I'll check it out eventually. Though I may have random episodes on my computer somewhere. Looking forward to it, looks amazing so I hope the animation is up to par.