Wednesday 20 April 2016

Anime Spotlight : Spring 2016's Promising New Anime!

With almost all of the new shows having aired. It's time to list the 5 most promising Anime from the Spring 2016 season. This season has been off to a shaky start with some terrible/average shows. But luckily there are quite a few gems. Grab your popcorn and let's get to it!

Kiznaiver

Synopsis : The Kizuna System is an incomplete system for the implementation of world peace that connects people through wounds. Those connected to this system are called Kiznaivers, and when one is wounded, the system divides and transmits the wound among the other Kiznaivers.

 In Sugomori City, a Japanese city built on reclaimed land and with decreasing population, Sonozaki Noriko tells her classmate Agata Katsuhira: "You have been selected to be a Kiznaiver." Thus, he becomes connected to classmates whose lives and personalities completely differ from his.
PV : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8gZgQNhhUw
AniDB : https://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=11692
Thoughts : Kiznaiver is the new Anime from Studio Trigger, which means we can expect a lot of over the top scenes and usually quite a few unexpected plot twists. Kiznaiver also has a very cool Opening by Boom Boom Sattelites. Hopefully this show doesn't disappoint.

Big Order

Synopsis : The story centers on an introverted high school student named Eiji Hoshimiya who has a huge secret — he wished for the destruction of the world when he was younger. After the disaster happens, certain people acquire special powers called Orders, and what Order Users can do with their power depends on their wishes. 10 years after the Great Destruction, Eiji struggles to come to terms with his immense power.
PV : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJBwQr0Zyno
AniDB : https://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=11086
Thoughts : Big Order's first episode came as a nice surprise. Also possible Yandere girl! Big Order has a pretty interesting premise for the most part. and the first episode was well executed. Looking forward to more.

Sakamoto Desu ga?

Synopsis : The story follows the daily life of the "coolest" high school student, Sakamoto. As soon as he transfers to his new school, he attracts the attention of not just his class but the whole student body, and his jealous classmates' attempts to bully him repeatedly backfire and instead make Sakamoto look cooler.
Thoughts : Sakamoto Desu ga?'s first episode has me in stitches! A promising comedy with a lot of stupidly absurd scenes that are brilliantly executed.

Re: Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

Synopsis : Natsuki Subaru is an ordinary high school student who is lost in an alternate world, where he is rescued by a beautiful, silver-haired girl. He stays near her to return the favour, but the destiny she is burdened with is more than Subaru can imagine. Enemies attack one by one, and both of them are killed. He then finds out he has the power to rewind death, back to the time he first came to this world. But only he remembers what has happened since.
Thoughts : Re: Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu feels like the love child of KonoSuba and All You need is Kill. A funny, gory, fantasy setting anime with some edge of your seat scenes. I look forward to a new episode each week.

Flying Witch

Synopsis : The comical story follows the 15-year-old witch Kowata Makoto and the other boys and girls in her daily life. With her black cat Chito, the somewhat aimless girl moved from Yokohama to live with her second cousin at Aomori in verdant northern Japan.
Thoughts : Flying Witch, for me, had a great first episode that left me smiling through out. The setting is great, the characters are funny, heck it might even be as enjoyable as Aria for me.

These are a few of the shows I found most promising from the Spring 2016 Anime Season. There are other notable mentions as well. And chances are big that the Top 5 shows at the end of the season will be different. With one exclusion. Gundam Unicorn. I already know it's going to be great as it seems to be just a TV version of the brilliant OVA. Great music as well. The other shows to keep an eye on are, in no particular order.

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
Sousei no Onmyouji
Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta
Kuromukuro
Mayoiga
Haifuri
Boku no Hero Acadmia
Macross Delta

 What shows this season are you following? Feel free to comment below. Tweet me on Twitter. Message me on Facebook or whichever. Always fun to hear what other people think of anime.
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Sunday 3 April 2016

Anime Spotlight : Best Anime from Winter 2016

The Winter 2016 Anime season has ended which means it's time again to choose which of the Anime that ended this season was the best. As you probably know by now, this includes Anime that started in previous season's but only ended now as well. Generally Winter 2016 had some really good shows, and some down right terrible ones too. But let's see which made the grade!


Boku dake ga Inai Machi

Synopsis : Fujinuma Satoru is a struggling manga artist who has the ability to turn back time and prevent deaths. When his mother is killed he turns back time to solve the mystery, but ends up back in elementary school, just before the disappearance of his classmate Hinazuki Kayo.
Thoughts : Boku dake ga Inai Machi, also known as ERASED, was generally good throughout it's running. It had an interesting premise, even though the mystery was a bit easy to figure out, it still kept me entertained. Strong emotions pulse through the veins of ERASED as you follow Satoru's hard battle to change the past so he can save his future. 

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar

Synopsis : When Haruhiro awakens, he's in the dark. He doesn't know where he is, why he is here, and where he came from. Around him there are several men and women who have the same circumstances. Haruhiro and his companions find themselves in a game-like world called Grimgar and must form a party, cooperate, and learn new skills to survive the harsh environment together.
Thoughts : While KonoSuba was easily the funnier of the "stuck in a fantasy world" anime this season. Grimgar had the far bigger impact. Both emotionally and visually. Even though Grimgar features some fanservice, it's not over the top. The choice of music really matched the dark theme of Grimgar well. And with the battles always being life and death, the last few episodes were quite rough.

Haikyuu!! Second Season

Synopsis : The Continuation of the hugely popular volleyball anime, Haikyuu!! This time the Karusano Volleyball team goes out to prove they aren't flightless birds anymore.
Thoughts : The Second season of Haikyuu!! started off just as strong as the first one ended. The high quality of animation is also back. A lot of new characters are introduced which soon become familiar faces. If you aren't a fan of sports anime in general, you could do far worse than use Haikyuu!! as your Introduction into the genre.

Durarara!!x2 Ketsu

Synopsis : Half a year after the turmoil that rocked the entire city of Ikebukuro - Peace has once again returned to the city and people are living each day normally. The high school students enjoy their days of youth as the strongest and most dangerous man of Ikebukuro works diligently. The informant plots (or plans) a new scheme and the headless rider is pursued by the cops as she rides through the night... But soon this normal will be cut short by the abnormal. Slowly but surely, the unknown will seize the city and face an all new storm.
Thoughts : Durarara!!x2 finally comes to a close with Ketsu. A great big cast of unique characters big enough to fill a theater with outstanding animation and music. Some really great dark humor and a tinge of romance. Makes for an unforgettable Anime experience in Durarara!!x2 Ketsu.

Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri (2016)

Synopsis : A gate appears in Tokyo's Ginza district sometime in the 21st century. From the gate pour out monsters, knights from middle-age Europe and other fantasy-like beings, and they kill many citizens of Tokyo. This event is known as the Ginza Incident. The government sends a small group of soldiers from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to the alternate world beyond the gate. Led by otaku soldier Itami Youji, they find that the villages in the world are being attacked by a dragon. An elf girl who is a survivor from the dragon's rampage joins the group in their travels across the dangerous new world.
Thoughts : Those of you who know me, know I loved the first season of GATE : And so the SDF fought. The second season of GATE for me was even better than the first. Building more on the characters introduced in the first season of GATE, while also expanding the world and it's lore/history. I won't lie. I want more GATE.

There are a few special mentions this season, like KonoSuba for it's comedy, Dimension W for it's OP and action scenes. Koukaku no Pandora for being a VERY pleasant surprise. And others like Heavy Object, Akagami no Shiroyuki 2 and lastly. The end of Ace of Diamond 2.

I'm sure I'm missing out a few shows here, which were your Top 5 Anime for Winter 2016? As Always sound off in the comment section below and let your thoughts be known!
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