Saturday, 3 October 2020

Anime Spotlight : Summer 2020


 The summer 2020 anime season was a bit of a weird one, mostly due to COVID-19, and all the shows that got postponed from the previous season basically airing in summer. Which means that you will see some shows that started in Spring on this post. But such is life and it's taken me a while to decide which of the shows that finished in the summer 2020 season I enjoyed most, and a fair bit of brandy...


Fruits Basket 2nd Season

Synopsis : Nearly a year has now passed since Tooru started living with Yuki, Kyou, and Shigure, and some things have definitely changed in that time. Motoko, the president of the Prince Yuki Fan Club, has noticed Yuki smiling more readily, and she isn't sure how she feels about that – or, for that matter, herself, as she also realizes the ugly obsessiveness of her love for Yuki. Yuki, meanwhile, encounters two individuals who have been chosen to be his chief subordinates on the Student Council: the standoffish Machi and the all-too-gregarious Manabe, both of whom are, in Yuki's own words, "Zodiac-level weird." Summer break is also approaching.
Thoughts : The second season of Fruits Basket 2019 was more than just emotional, you could say at times it did get a bit much. But it still is a beautiful adaptation of the manga, can't wait for the final season next year.

Appare Ranman!

Synopsis : After a certain mishap, the brilliant but socially inept engineer Sorano Appare and the shrewd but cowardly samurai Isshiki Kosame find themselves drifting on a boat from Japan to America. Broke, the two decide to compete in the Trans-America Wild Race to win the prize and return to Japan. The two battle crazy rivals, outlaws, and the great outdoors itself as they race through the wild West from the starting line in Los Angeles to the finish line in New York — in the steam-powered car they built.
Thoughts : Jokingly referred to as the Wacky Races Anime, Appare Ranman! is a very fun anime, that at times can be quite dark, but it was a joy to watch from start to finish.

Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai!

Synopsis : Sakurai Shin'ichi's one wish is for a little peace and quiet. But Uzaki Hana–his boisterous, well-endowed underclassman–has other plans. All she wants is to hang out and poke fun at him. With the help of her chipper charm and peppy persistence, this might just be the start of a beautiful relationship!
Thoughts : Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai! was an extremely fun anime, where one finds oneself, much like the characters in the show, wanting to see how their relationship develops.

Shokugeki no Souma: Gou no Sara

Synopsis : Yukihira Souma has been helping out his family diner, honing his skills. With his father's recommendation, he decides to enroll into "Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute", a school for the most elites of the culinary world. During his time there, he has grown so much as a chef through studying hard with friends and competing against rivals in shokugeki battles.

Souma has now moved up a grade and he has finally grasped what he has always hoped for; the first seat at the Totsuki Ten Masters Council.

In the meantime, an invitation to a world-class cooking competition known as "BLUE" arrives to Totsuki. "BLUE" is one of the most authentic gastronomic tournaments for young chefs seeking fame. However, there's been a change to this year's system and themes are all out of ordinary!
Thoughts : The final season of Food Wars, based on one of the least liked arcs from fans of the manga series, to me was a good closer to a fun shounen battle series. And they did change the end up slightly ;)

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T

Synopsis : An enormous city with a population of 2.3 million spreads out over western Tokyo. In this metropolis, known as "Academy City" due to roughly 80% of the population being students, the development of supernatural abilities - anomalous phenomena which turn the world's natural laws on their ear - was taking place. Students who underwent the unique curriculum and attained esper abilities were subjected to a System Scan, a physical examination which scored them into one of six rankings, from the powerless Level 0 to the super-powered Level 5.

There are seven individuals who are considered to have reached this pinnacle super-powered level. One of them is Misaka Mikoto.

Nicknamed "Railgun" thanks to her status as the highest-ranked user of "Electromaster," the ability to freely control electricity, Mikoto is a 14-year-old who attends the prestigious all-girl Tokiwadai Middle School. One of her underclassmen is Shirai Kuroko, a member of the disciplinary organization Judgment. Uiharu Kazari is her colleague, who aspires to be a proper lady, and the urban-legend-loving Saten Ruiko is their friend.

The Daihasei Festival, an event held once a year, loomed large over the peaceful, run-of-the-mill, ever-so-slightly unusual daily life enjoyed by the girls. It was an athletic festival held over the span of seven days, which pitted esper schools against each other in fierce competition. A portion of Academy City was opened up to the public for the duration of the festival, and everyone was in high spirits during the lead-up to the event, which would be telecast for the whole world to see. But they were completely unaware of what was in motion behind the city's festive scenes...
Thoughts : Who doesn't like more Railgun? Heathens that's who. The latest Railgun season did a fantastic job of bringing to life, once again the characters and stories that happen in and around academy city, though it could have used more Misaka x Touma...

That's it for the 5 anime that ended with Summer 2020 that I enjoyed most, there was of course quite a few other good, and bad, anime. So to find out about the rest of the season. Read on.

Monster Musume no Oishasan : Do you like cute monster girls blushing? A bit of lewding? And harem anime? Welp this has you covered.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru Kan : All said, this was a great way to tie up all the drama in the franchise, and depending on who you liked the most. Possibly not the ideal ending ;)

UMAYON : A super cute short series based on the girls from Uma Musume

Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha : A silly, fun fantasy anime about a massively overpowered main character and his love for family and friends

Dokyuu Hentai HxEros : Ever wanted to watch Power Rangers, and thought...this should have been lewder and a harem, this is perfect for you then.

Peter Grill to Kenja no Jikan : Staying on the same lewd trend as Dokyuu Hentai HxEros, Peter Grill takes things, or rather gets taken on a significantly wilder ride with his "unwanted" harem.

Lapis ReLiGHTs : Lapis ReLiGHTs is an idol anime, but you'd be surprised to find that out as most of the time you'd think it's a cute slice of life anime with witches.

Houkago Teibou Nisshi : Speaking of cute slice of life anime, this fishing anime was quite educational and full of adorable moments :D

Ahiru no Sora : Ahiro no Sora on the other hand, was far from a happy show, even though the anime was a far less depressing adaptation of the manga, and honestly all the better for it. It's still a sports anime with some real feels.

The God of High school : Started off strong but quickly turned into confusing mess, which just got worse as it went along, sure the fights were done well but...yeah

No Guns Life s2 : The second season of No Guns Life was sooo good, dark, gritty with a mix of comedy sprinkled lightly when needed.

Fugou Keiji Balance - UNLIMITED : If you need a fun "buddy cop" show, just with a impossibly rich character. This is for you. As with most police anime it does get pretty dark though.

Deca-Dence : Say what you want about this anime, for the most part, you'll probably have no idea what's really going on. And that's fine, stick around till the end and you'll be well rewarded.

 That wraps up my thoughts on the anime I watched from the Summer 2020 anime season, all in all I wouldn't say it was a fantastic season, but there was still fun to be had.




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Thursday, 2 July 2020

Anime Spotlight Spring 2020

COVID-19 has caused quite a lot of chaos in everyone's lives, and even the anime industry wasn't safe from the pandemic. A significant amount of anime have been delayed and postponed which means that quite a bit of anime I started in Spring 2020 will only end in Summer 2020...possibly.
Luckily Spring 2020 still had some really good shows! Here is my top 5 and afterwards my thoughts on the rest that I watched till completion.

Kakushigoto

Synopsis :  Gotou Kakushi is an artist who draws a somewhat vulgar manga, and tries to hide it for the sake of his daughter, Hime.
Thoughts : I absolutely adored Kakushigoto, From the author of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Kumeta Kouji, it was filled really good gags, great characters, a bit of a strange harem and also some really serious topics and feels. Kakushigoto is well worth your time if for some strange reason you didn't watch it.

Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei Shiteshimatta...

Synopsis : After hitting her head particularly hard one day, Duke Claes' daughter, Catarina, suddenly recalls all the memories of her past life: that of a teenage Japanese girl. Just before her untimely death, this girl recalls playing an otome game... that is exactly like the world she's living in now! She is now Catarina Claes, the antagonist of the otome game, who nastily hounded the protagonist until the end. Knowing all the possible outcomes of the game, she realizes that every single possible route ends with Catarina being murdered or exiled! In order to avoid these Catastrophic Bad Ends, she has to use her knowledge of the game and her own wiles, starting with breaking off this engagement with the prince... Will Catarina survive while making her way through this world, where bad flags trip at every turn? Find out in this reverse-harem rom-com, led by everybody's favorite villainess!
Thoughts : Hamefura is Isekai done right but also a really good reverse harem anime. There is nothing to hate about this anime and a second season has been announced too!

Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan o Erande Iraremasen (2020)

Synopsis : With her baptism ceremony complete, Myne begins work in the temple as an apprentice shrine maiden. Awaiting within is what she always wanted: a room full of books! But her new life isn't quite the dream she was hoping for; she's surrounded by nobles who scorn her commoner origins, and even her own servants are causing her trouble. On top of that, she has to constantly battle the weakness of her own body. But with her love for books burning in her heart, she gives her all to her new apprentice duties.
Thoughts : I was a huge fan of the first season of Honzuki, and with the second season's focus a bit more on magic and the growth of the characters especially Myne and Luts it was quite a joy to watch.

Nami yo Kiite Kure

Synopsis : The stage is Sapporo, Hokkaido. One night, our heroine, Koda Minare, spills her heartbroken woes to a radio station worker she meets while out drinking one night. The next day, she hears a recording of her pitiful grumbling being played live over the air. Minare storms into the station in a rage, only to then be duped by the station director into doing an impromptu talk show explaining her harsh dialogue. With just one recording, the many eccentric facets of Minare's life begin to pull every which direction as she falls ever deeper into the world of radio.
Thoughts : Wave, Listen to me!'s protagonist, Koda Minare is best described as chaotic, but her voice is so gosh darn good, and it's such a joy listening to her talking. This anime has a ton of good scenes with a good mix of serious and funny mostly all due to Minare...

Arte

Synopsis : Firenze, early 16th century. The birthplace of the renaissance era, where art is thriving. In one small corner of this vast city, one sheltered girl's journey begins. She dreams of becoming an artist, an impossible career for a girl born into a noble family. In those days, art was an exclusively male profession, with woman facing strong discrimination. In spite of these challenges, Arte perseveres with hard work and a positive attitude!
Thoughts : Arte has that person trying their best, against all odds, for their dreams vibe that I love. My only gripe with Arte is IT'S TOO SHORT!!!

That's my top 5 anime from the Spring 2020 anime season that I have completed watching. The release of Brand New Animal I'm watching hasn't been completed yet otherwise it would have taken Arte's spot. But onto the rest of the completed anime I watched this past season.

Listeners : Listeners at times felt like a LSD fueled trip filled with early rock as well as late 80's/Early 90's alternative rock references and mecha. And not in a good way..

Dorohedoro : Speaking of trips, Dorohedoro was pretty darn crazy, but in a good way. If you want something completely different and will take you by surprise. This is for you

Plunderer : This is one of those anime I had high hopes for due to it being from the Soro no Otoshimono author, but sadly those hopes were dashed on the rocks of mediocrity. It did have some good scenes though.

Tamayomi : This anime would have been so much better if it didn't have atrocious animation. The opening is pretty fun and as far as a sports anime goes it's not bad at all...if only it didn't look like it was animated by blind people.

Yesterday wo Utatte : This is one of those anime that the closer I got the the end, the faster I wanted it to end. Initially the romance dynamic was okay but things got more than just a bit tedious in the latter half.

Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai deshou! : One of those isekai anime that doesn't promise you the world, but does give you a fair bit of fun throughout.

Tower of God : The "Big" anime this past season and the first animated Webtoon, which hopefully opens the doors for better Webtoon's to get anime adaptations. Tower of God had really iffy animation at times and the Opening was awful to say the least. Yet the anime itself was still a decent watch and the mystery of the tower keeps one interested.

Gleipnir : This is one of those anime that initially I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much, and at the end I felt it ended too soon :( 

Princess Connect! Re Dive : One of the most useless Protagonists this season, but luckily the anime's focus is more on the cute girls than mr useless :D

Tsugumomo S2 : The second season of Tsugumomo initially started off as the same kind of lewd fun show the first season was, but nearing the end it got really rough. Seems like there is going to be a third season though.

That wraps up my Spring 2020 anime season, How was this pandemic fueled anime season for you?
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Sunday, 5 April 2020

Anime Spotlight : Winter 2020 Anime Season The Best and the Rest

The Winter(or Summer for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere) 2020 Anime Season was filled with some good anime that would cater for anyone's preferences. There was obviously some really bad shows as well, but in this dire times I'd rather focus on the positives. It was pretty hard choosing my five best shows this season, especially with the leftovers that ended.

Runway de Waratte

Synopsis : Fujito Chiyuki has a dream: to become a Paris Collection model. The problem is, she's too short to be a model, and everyone around her tells her so! But no matter what they say, she won't give up. Her classmate, a poor student named Tsumura Ikuto, also has a dream: to become a fashion designer. One day Chiyuki tells him that it's "probably impossible" for him, causing him to consider giving it up ... ?! This is the story of two individuals wholeheartedly chasing after their dreams in spite of all the negativity that comes after them!
Thoughts : Initially I was like, eh an anime about fashion models and designers? But turns out I did myself a huge favor by giving it a shot as it was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, I kinda wish there was more though.

Dia no Ace: Act II

Synopsis : Second-year Sawamura Eijun finally makes his first appearance at the spring invitational! He wants to restore Seido's reputation as a first-rate team and make them national champions! The Seido baseball team's new run is about to begin!
Thoughts : Ace of Diamond is a popular long running baseball anime for good reason, animation is crisp, the cast is great, especially the new additions and they definitely know how to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Chihayafuru 3

Synopsis : They may have just won their most coveted karuta tournament, but members of the Mizusawa karuta team still have a long way to go. Each member chases their dreams, and with a win under their collective belt, those dreams are closer in reach than ever. Ayase Chihaya is determined to challenge Wakamiya Shinobu and win the title of Queen, and Mashima Taichi is ready to take on Wataya Arata now that he's made it into the most elite of karuta players — but an unexpected revelation will deal these karuta players a hand none of them saw coming.
Thoughts : The third season of Chihayafuru was EASILY the Best anime this of this season, and a very strong contender for Anime of the Year, Also the only anime this season with really strong feels.

Eizouken ni wa Te o Dasuna!

Synopsis : Asakusa Midori wants to create an anime, but she's too disheartened to make that first step by herself. But by pure chance, she meets Mizusaki Tsubame, an up-and-coming socialite secretly dreaming of becoming an animator. Together with Midori's money-loving best friend Kanamori Sayaka, the energetic trio slowly work towards making their "ultimate world" a reality!
Thoughts : Eizouken ni wa Te o Dasuna! was a very pleasant surprise, I'll admit the first episode was kinda iffy for me but quickly this turned into an anime I was looking forward too each week. I love how it sheds light on anime creation and didn't need to rely on cute girls to do it in a fun way either.

Somali to Mori no Kamisama

Synopsis : The world is ruled by spirits, goblins and all manner of strange creatures. Human beings are persecuted, to the very point of extinction. One day, a golem and a lone human girl meet. This is a record of the pair; one a member of a ruined race, the other a watchman of the forest. It tells of their travels together, and of the bond between father and daughter.
AniDB :
Thoughts : Somali is adorable, the show and the character, I love the out of the norm setting and world building in the anime, It kinda reminds me of Made in Abyss, but it's not a "rip-off" by any means.

That wraps up the 5 anime I enjoyed most this season, Now on to the rest of the anime I watched.
Boku no Hero Academy 4 : The fourth season of the Plus Ultra popular shounen anime had some really good arcs, and ended on a bittersweet note for me.

Haikyuu!! To The Top : The story of the volleyball team from Karusano continues, I generally enjoyed the season but 13 episodes was not nearly enough.

Re Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu - Director's Cut : If you haven't seen Re Zero yet this is a perfect chance to do it, as it does include some extra scenes not in the original TV airing. And they finally did the ending right in the last episode.

Isekai Quartet 2 : If you loved the first season the second season is a no brainer, loved the addition of new characters and the gags worked pretty well. Also a third season is announced.

Majutsushi Orphen Hagure Tabi : When a reboot is done well, it really is a plus for everyone. This is a perfect chance for people new ot the franchise to get into it.

Ishuzoku Reviewers : Yes it's Ultra LEWD, so don't say I didn't warn ya ;) Was generally a fun show though. Nothing fantastic though.

Mugen no Juunin - Immortal : The Blade of the Immortal series had some really cool fights in it, but the story falls apart in more than a few places as the pacing wasn't very coherent.

Kabukicho Sherlock : This was on interesting take on Sherlock Holmes filled with Yakuza, Rakugo, cross dressing and some really disturbing murders.

Nanabun no Nijyuuni : A different take on Idol anime from the norm, just a shame things started getting a bit out of place in the end.

Kyokou Suiri : In/Spectre's first episode blew me away, was pretty sure this would be a contender for anime of the season for me, and yet. It fell just a bit short. But was still really good.

Koisuru Asteroid : Cute girls doing earth sciences, It's fun, has great characters and it's educational to boot!

Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga : Say what you want, this show was great for a few laughs :D

Oshi ga Budoukan Ittekuretara Shinu : This anime about idols and their fans was great. Good laughs in most episodes and some slightly worrying times too. Also Maina is the cutest.

Itai no wa Iya nano de Bougyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu : Bofuri was a lot of fun, it's not always when a show with an Overpowered MC can pull it off but, with the way they did it in this anime with Maple's weird ideas was pretty good.

Murenase! Seton Gakuen : A super fun anime about the strangest "pack" of animals you'll ever see. 

Heya Camp : If you loved Yuru Camp and have a few minutes free, this is well worth your time.

ID INVADED : One of the more intriguing detective/crime anime that's been out in a while. Kinda gave me vibes of The Cell and Paprika do a degree. 

Azur Lane : The last two episodes of this anime was delayed to improve the animation, I shudder to think how bad it would have been as it wasn't any good. Rather watch Kancolle if you want ship girls.

Fate Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front Babylonia : The latest in the Fate Grand Order series had some good fight scenes, but other than that it wasn't really good.

Darwin's Game : A cool premise, good characters, lots of action and scheming, all of this around a weird mobile game that can make you rich, if you survive....

Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei shitemita : Who doesn't love a quirky romcom with socially awkward but good looking  STEM students?

Radiant S2 : The second season of Radiant was an improvement over the first, and we got to see Seth grow significantly as a character.

PSYCHO-PASS 3 - First Inspector : Technically this wasn't "part" of the season, but it was only three episodes and a continuation of Psycho-Pass 3, and a great end of the whole Fox saga.

As a bonus I'll also add my views on the following movies.

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! Kurenai Densetsu : This movie had a bit of a slow start but it quickly took everything I enjoyed about Konosuba and made it a bit better. It's a lot of fun and well worth your time.

Gekijouban Hibike! Euphonium - Chikai no Finale : Are you a fan of Hibike Euphonium? Then this film that is a sequel to the second season is for you, the Liz and the Blue Bird tie in was also very nice.

Violet Evergarden Gaiden - Eien to Jidou Shuki Ningyou : I adored this side story movie, and now I want the Violet Evergarden movie anymore. It really felt like a gift from KyoAni to Violet Evergarden fans.

That concludes my seasonal wrap up write up of the Winter 2020 anime Season. Did you enjoy the season? 
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Friday, 31 January 2020

Anime Spotlight : The Best Anime of the 2010 to 2019 Decade

Despite there being a significant of bad Anime seasons in the last decade, there has really been an absurd amount of great Anime as well. Which always makes lists like these quite difficult. So I had to set a few rules for myself, this list will only contain series, and only one title per year. At the end of my list I'll also share what was the most popular anime based from other communities. Here we go~ btw the titles are links to Promo Videos on the anime ;)

2010 : Katanagatari


2011 : Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica


2012 : Space Brothers


2013 : Silver Spoon


2014 :  Ping Pong the Animation


2015 : One Punch Man


2016 : Boku dake ga Inai Machi


2017 : Made in Abyss 


2018 : Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho


2019 : Carole & Tuesday


Obviously not everyone is going to agree with my choices but hey, life would be boring if we all liked the same things :D. Now if you were curious what people in other communities liked stick around.



The people on AnimeBytes chose with a Poll
 01. Steins;Gate (2011) 
    02. Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica (2011) 
 03. MADE IN ABYSS (2017) 
    04. Fate Series 
 04. Hunter X Hunter (2011) 
 06. Ping Pong THE ANIMATION (2014) 
 07. Shinsekai yori (2012) 
 08. Monogatari Series
 08. The Tatami Galaxy (2010) 
 10. Attack on Titan (2013) 


The Top 10 rated anime on AniDB.net in the last decade are
01 . Mushishi Zoku Shou (2014) - Rating 9.60
02 . Gintama (2015) - Rating 9.59
03. Stein's;Gate (2011) - Rating 9.41
04. 3-gatsu no Lion (2017) - Rating 9.40
05. Gintama` (2011)  - Rating 9.37
06. Gintama` (2012) - Rating 9.34
07. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi Hen (2017) - Rating 9.29
08. Usagi Drop (2011) - Rating 9.19
09. Gintama: The Battle on Rakuyo (2017) - Rating 9.18
10. Made in Abyss (2017) - Rating 9.17
They really seem to like Gintama on there.
 

And lastly the Top 10 Rated anime from MyAnimeList from the last decade are.
01. Fullmetal Alchemist : Brotherhood
02. Stein's;Gate
03. Hunter X Hunter
04. Attack on Titan Season 3
05. Gintama (2015)
06. March Comes in like a Lion Season 2
07. Gintama (2012)
08. Gintama (2013)
09. Gintama (2017)
10. Haikyuu!!: Karasuno Koukou vs. Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou

Gintama sure comes up a lot on the sites where there is a rating system, but some curious overlap here and there. What are you thoughts on last decade's anime? Which was your Top 10?
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