Glorio Spring 2012 Anime Impressions Guide Part 1 of 3

The new season is here and what better way to have some fun with it than writing a massive guide with some friends? That is what we have for you today! Because this blog is going to be massive without help of the section no one reads anyway I'm going to get right to the point, Anime!

As mentioned above I know that everyone who reads a guide like this pours over every word and would never want to skip around and just look at the bits that interest them, for the sake of being complete I'm going to include an index anyway. Due to the limitations of the tools for cbloging here I can't actually fill this index with links, I can however provide a quick reference to the order the shows will appear in this blog below.

Part 1
Ozma
Space Bros
Scarlet Fragment
Zetman
Accel World
Kickoff to the Galaxy!!
Queen's Blade Rebellion
Saint Seiya Omega
Kore wa Zombie desu ka? Of the Dead
Medaka Box
Lupin the Third: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna
Sengoku Collection
Natsuiro Kiseki
Sankarea

Part 2
Acchi Kocchi
Fate/Zero Second Part
Moe Moe Assault Rifles!!
Kuroko's Basket Ball
Mysterious Girlfriend X
Saki: Side-A
Dusk Maiden of Amnesia
Moe Moe Nyarlathotep
Jormungand
Tsuritama
Eureka Seven AO
Kids on the Slope
Shining Hearts: Bread of Happiness

Part 3
Hyouka: You Can(not) Escape
AKB0048


Ozma
Original story animated by LandQ Studios



Premise
In a future where earth's environment has been decimated by the sun, a band of human traders pick up a beautiful woman on the run from the government. They help her evade capture by submerging their ship in the sand and running away from the government's army of clone soldiers.

Lifesong's Thoughts
The first thing that comes to mind when starting this show up is how nice the old school art style looks in beautiful HD, the second is how old school and dated the characters feel. I LOVE the captain she is exactly what I was hoping for when I started up Space Pirates last season. The rest of the cast are about as boring as the animals that come to mind when you see them.

The main character is a chimpanzee who wants to become a man like his brother. Then you have the childhood friend who is the kitten character around to look pretty and crush on the main character. Last of all the mysterious woman they picked up who I will now call Penguin Rei, because she doesn't really have much personality, she does however, remind me of a penguin.

Lifesong's Verdict? Hard To Appreciate
I like the look of this anime, the old school art style is really neat to see with some modern animation, the rest is kind of lost on me. The captain is my kind of woman, the rest of the cast are boring and wind up feeling stupid for all their heroics. It's worth pointing out that part of my issue with the cast is that Ozma only has 6 episodes and so this anime comes across more like a movie extended out over the time slot than a TV anime. I will watch the rest of this thanks to it's short duration but I can't really get excited for or recommend it.


Irothtin's Thoughts
Does every single anime start with a nubile young woman appearing in front of the main character? The only real variance seems to be whether they show up naked or not. In this case, she's being chased by an indiscriminate organization, but the bossman is wearing a mask, so they are obviously EEEEEVIL.

Irothtin's Verdict? Leiji Matsumoto Fans Only
Everything about this show feels dated, or I suppose "nostalgic" if you're into that sort of thing. I'm not. If you really liked Captain Harlock and just NEED to get more of Leiji Matsumoto's character designs, or really need your desert punk fix, then this is the show for you.

Marlin's Thoughts
The thing I hate most about sci fi shows is when they have technology that could only be known by people within that universe. Yell about random terms that don’t even exist and you’ve found the quickest way to bore me to death. This is basically how you can describe the first episode of OZMA. I actually was excited at the prospect of some kind of sand whale, if only from the fact that I thought it might be drawing from real biology or in a vain hope that the beast would be on a campaign of vengeance for a pilfered accordion. Unfortunately, the real deal is very boring looking, which is pretty much the same I can say for the rest of the cast. Don’t watch it.

Marlin's Verdict? Only For The Most Devoted Fans
As I said, the sci-fi babble gets nauseatingly obfuscating. The art wasn’t even that good, which isn’t a good plus for Leiji fans. At one point you could just see things appearing into the picture as if summoned out of nowhere. I’d skip this show if I were you.


Space Bros
Manga adaptation animated by A-1 Pictures



Premise
Two brothers have an experience with a UFO as children and vow to become astronauts. One of them succeeds, the other builds cars until the fateful day his supervisor insults the space fairing brother. After headbutting his manager like a Krogan, he is off to join his younger brother and uphold the vow they both made as kids.

Lifesong's Thoughts
Space Bro's strikes a balance somewhere between serious and seriously silly, the opening looks like something that would fit better in a show about hippies doing drugs than a serious space show and I am never quite sure what kind of mood the show is going for. As for the show itself I find it interesting but I'm not hooked.

Lifesong's Verdict? Trying Too Hard
Space Bro's relies too much on the viewers inherit fascination with space and tries to play off that instead of building up a sense of wonder itself. All the flashbacks and family dynamics are hard to care about with an epic adventure being held out in front of our faces, just out of reach. I can see strong potential here but so far I'm not incredibly impressed.

Gee-Man's Thoughts
Space Bros appeals to humanity’s natural desire to achieve greater things in life. The main character’s dreams of going to space and his position as an older brother resonated with me quite a bit, due to my own status as an older brother and as a guy who’s been fascinated by space ever since childhood. Throughout the whole thing, the show stays relatively lighthearted and silly. But in the end, you still want to root for the immensely likable main character all the same. Also, I can’t get enough of the utterly fun and trippy opening.

Gee-Man's Verdict? Potential To Become Something Special
The show isn’t perfect, and it does have some pacing issues here and there in the first two episodes, but overall, the likable cast and the themes of the show have kept me interested all the way through. The main character is so charismatic in his own dopey way that you can’t help but want to watch his journey and hope for his success. If the anime keeps this up, I can see it becoming something truly special.

Irothtin's Thoughts
A sappy "follow your dreams" adventure, which hits all the notes you'd expect. It's more subdued than a typical shonen "To Be A Master" story, which clearly aims it towards an older audience and probably makes the show better in the long run.

Irothtin's Verdict? Alright
Not amazing. The thing is that the whole "I could have been somebody" and "follow your dreams" concepts are so obviously universally relatable, and the show really throws it into your face - it works, but the concept is also a bit tired. If you're not as much of a cynic, then you'll probably enjoy it.

Marlin's Thoughts
As the youngest of three sons, I have plenty of experience being a brother of a brother. I don’t know if it’s just some kind of cultural difference or what, but this seemed like the most unrealistic depiction of brothers I’ve ever seen. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the show, the characters were funny and it appeals to every boy who even for a second had a dream of going into space. However, my experience with bigger brothers is they are not exactly there to be better than you, or even to get along with you. At all. I suppose maybe a two child brotherhood has different circumstances that I never got to experience, but

Marlin's Verdict? Has Potential
Like a certain intelligence core, I do love space, so I will be looking forward to more. As it is a show about brothers I want to see how brothers really act, especially when they are in direct competition as astronauts.


Scarlet Fragment
Visual novel/otome game animated by Studio DEEN



Premise
Ghosts are just gods that no one worships anymore and the descendants of Tamayori hime have the power to seal them away. This story takes place as the torch is passed on to a new girl with the blood of Tamayori hime, but she will not have seal them alone! The Shugogo family are sworn to protect the Tamayori hime and so together with the help of 5 boys from the Shugogo family the ghosts must be sealed once again.

Irothtin's Thoughts
Circumstances conspire to surround a plain girl with a harem of hot guys. So, the basic expected plot of an otome game.

Irothtin's Verdict? Target Audience Only
Chances are you know whether you'll like this or not. I personally have little reason to watch a show about a girl wooing a bunch of pretty boys.

Lifesong's Thoughts
Could they make this more boring? This show has all the elements of a good story presented in such a bland fashion that I doubt even the target audience will be excited for this.

Lifesong's Verdict? Boredom Incarnate
I believe that just about anything can be turned into a good story if the execution is right. This show is a signature example of execution done wrong, taking bits and pieces of something that by all rights should be interesting and insuring that It is not. If you are simply watching this for the boys you can do better, maybe try Fairy Tail or Fate/Zero.

Marlin's Thoughts
Incredibly boring. I suppose this show isn’t really aimed at my demo, though.

Marlin's Verdict? Yaoi Fangirls Only
Idno.

Zetman
Manga adaptation animated by TMS Entertainment



Premise
Monsters were created for the sake of an underground arena where high society gamblers come and make bets on fights between the beasts. One day something went wrong and the monsters became self aware killing all the gamblers instead of fighting each other. One of the scientists responsible ran away with a super human child during the chaos and raised him in secret, This is that boy's story.

Lifesong's Thoughts
Everyone's a bastard except the prostitute who has a heart of gold. This show is dark and gritty for the sake of being dark and gritty. The contrast between the pure innocent homeless and the corrupt filthy rich just makes me laugh, at and not with. The fight scenes are pretty at least.

Lifesong's Verdict? Dark Super Hero Garbage
I don't really like super heroes to begin with so I am a bit biased but this show just didn't have anything for me.

Irothtin's Thoughts
When cockfights between genetically altered monsters go wrong, thirteen of them escape, thus setting up an obvious eventual Gotta Kill 'Em All plot. The main kid has super powers, is homeless in a supposedly heart-warming way, has his grandpa killed by said monsters, wants revenge and to figure out what is going on, et cetera. And he can transform into a superhero to kill them.

Also, as a child, he somehow did not understand the concepts of "death" or "hope", but he did understand how to extort money from a a hostess being accosted by thugs.

Irothtin's Verdict? Inoffensive
The animation was pretty good, I guess. Otherwise there isn't much making this stand out to me as exceptionally good or bad.

Marlin's Thoughts
It’s definitely an interesting super-hero story. I know little about the original story but it’s definitely got a kind of grungy style like Deadman Wonderland and I like it. Albeit, I find it weird how this kid is ten or so already and still hasn’t been taught basic human realities. I do like that they’re starting off early to give us some perspective as to how he grew up. His justice loving friend is over the top, but he’s likeable in that non-pompous rich guy way.

Marlin's Verdict? Superheroy
I can see this show going either way. I'm hoping the show isn't going to be the mc repeatedly being shocked by the realities of the dark side of humanity or something. I'll give it a few more episodes at least.

Accel World
Light novel adaptation animated by Sunrise



Premise
Even in a future where people can directly network through their body's and install programs on themselves, bullying is still a problem. One kid who is lacking in self-esteem wishes he could just disappear into virtual reality. His wish is granted when a pretty girl at school gives him a program that can accelerate his mind. Of course this power comes with a cost and he must duel to replenish the ability. And just what does this pretty girl want from him in the first place? He will have to fight to find out.

Irothtin's Thoughts
Like I said, practically every anime starts with the main character meeting a pretty young woman. The catch this time is that her motives for recruiting him are clearly suspect, but the protagonist is too down on himself to bother questioning her about it. Apart from that mildly interesting driving question, the hypertime and virtual reality elements are a cool idea.

Irothtin's Verdict? Not Bad But Not Amazing
I don't have any glaring problems to point out, but I can't think of anything particularly amazing either. If you really like the premise or really connect with the protagonist or something, you could probably do worse.

Jel's Thoughts
So the main character is the annoying fat kid with low self-esteem that has the same voice as Shu Ouma? DROPPED. Seriously though, once I got past that initial hurdle I found a lot to like in Accel World. The technology and just-believable-enough virtual future setting were probably the highlight for me. Kuroyukihime is going to win a lot fans with her cool demeanor and at the end of the day Haru ends up being less obnoxious than your average loser turned hero. I also found the dynamic between Haru and his other two friends intriguing; if they can pull off an actual non-romantic friendship triangle I will be impressed.

Even with those strong points though, I'm not sure Accel World is for me personally. I'm kind of out-of-love with action oriented shows these days and even less in love with under confident protagonists. Those things may get more appealing as the show realizes whatever grander purpose it seems to have in mind, but I'm not sure I'll be sticking around for the ride.

Jel's Verdict? Time Casualty
I did enjoy Accel World and if I had unlimited amounts of time I'd probably continue watching. The cool tech and premise along with some potentially interesting relationships are worth checking out for yourself, but personally I'm going to hold off for now. If some of the other shows vying for my attention don't pan out I'll gladly revisit it.

Lifesong's Thoughts
This anime did everything right for me. Accel World is like this crazy awesome mix of Summer Wars and Persona. The future tech they use had all my nerd senses firing and as a long time MMO gamer the virtual reality stuff hit all the right notes. The tech here is just really cool, it makes me think this is what .Hack would have been if it had lived up to it's potential.

As much as I loved the world this story takes place in the thing that has really pulled me in is the cast of interesting characters. I am usually okay with the low self-esteem character type so long as something interesting happens around him or her but rarely do I find that character interesting of their own right, this kid lacks sense esteem but he's sharp and that has my attention. The bits of wit from the main heroine here are another strong selling point. If the wit shown in the first two episodes holds up and we get some good development from the cast this could well become my favorite thing of the spring season.

Lifesong's Verdict? One To Watch
If you couldn't tell from my above bit I am pretty hyped. I would say that Accel World is a definite must watch for anyone who loves other world and or virtual reality stories.

Timmy's Thoughts
Fat ugly kid in a thin kid school is where this one kicks off complete with all the bullying and feeling of self worthlessness that comes with it. There is also the girl who likes him to boot who, naturally, he is a dick to as can't seem to think that someone might actually care about him. Pretty standard emo stuff to be found here. The big hook to draw you in to this show is the alternate digital world remiss of the Matrix. Summer Wars boasts a similar idea and I imagine that show's tech would look quite similar to this given a good few years. I enjoyed this idea of a digital world when I saw it then and I found this iteration interesting as well.

Timmy's Verdict? Make Time For This One
This time around things are quite different, however, when he manages to get the attention of the class president who hooks him up with a program that does, in short, some crazy ass shit. Big things are in store for this little piggy as he has joined a world where people have to duke it out to be able to continue to possess the awesome abilities that he has gained. In her dept for making him a somebody he has opted to do the presidents bidding, whatever that may be. This one has loads of potential and is quite pretty too. Well worth a watch.

Dragonzigg's Thoughts
This is exactly the kind of thing that I like to see - an interesting, clever premise with plenty of room for expansion, a compelling lead character who's something a bit different than your vanilla Shonen protagonist, and some excellent bright and colorful animation. While the whole 'virtual world' thing is not entirely new the implementation here is pretty smart, especially with the real world aspect that the first episode highlights.

If I have a concern it's that the show does tend slightly towards one of my least favorite tropes, massive info-dump conversations. But there's enough cool ideas and smart presentation to overcome that for the most part.

Dragonzigg's Verdict? Switch On
Definitely a highlight of the season so far, a smart, modern and cool looking slice of action adventure. Definitely one worth taking a look at.

Marlin's Thoughts
Man, I really was surprised here. I came in knowing nothing of the show but I was immediately put off by the weird style the mc was drawn in. I suppose it’s more meant to be a symbolic representation since he’s the only one that looks that way. I am a sucker for AR type shows and this ended up being no different. The acceptance by the super popular girl is still kinda cliché but I loved how the AR systems work and I’d love to see how this can go in the future.

Marlin's Verdict? Surprise of The Season
I’m not a naturally pessimistic person about anime in general but this is definitely the show that impressed me the most with its first episode. While the mc’s design is still weird to me, I’m digging the setting and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.


Kickoff to the Galaxy!!
Novel adaptation animated by TYO Animations



Premise
A young boy is on a soccer team but it disbands because it does not have enough players. He runs into a professional soccer player and is inspired to rebuild the team.

Lifesong's Thoughts
The episode is over already? How am I supposed to write up a premise after an episode where NOTHING happens? I'll be doing good if I can make it more than one sentence.. There is more plot in your average episode of K-On!

Lifesong's Verdict? ZZZZzzzzZZZZzzzz
I won't pretend to like sports anime, it's never been my thing, usually I can appreciate it at least a little bit, this? no. This is just a complete snooze-fest. I can't see Kickoff being worth anyone's time. Like Soccer more than I do? Re-watch an old match, I expect you will enjoy it more than this.

Irothtin's Thoughts
Typical sports story. These all tend to start and the same way and end the same way. Spoiler: They win at the end. By one point.

There are also sixth graders who don't really act like sixth graders, but that's in everything I guess.

Irothtin's Verdict? Boring
Go watch Shaolin Soccer instead. Or something else that won't make you fall asleep.

Marlin's Thoughts
I am not going to watch any more of a soccer show for sixth graders than I need to.

Marlin's Verdict? Are You Under 12?
Seriously, it’s pretty clear that it looks like a show for children.


Queen's Blade Rebellion
Anime original animated by ARMS



Premise
BOOOOOOBS! PANTIES! An elf loli with a giant robot elf maid! Also some fighting for good measure.

Lifesong's Thoughts
Introducing characters tits and panties first? Classy.

Hey this pirate actually has a cool des.. wow she lost her top quick! Oh it's all good, she is wearing starfish underneath.

An elf loli with a giant robot elf maid? I will never get tired of saying that.

Oh god the gladiator has a goblin taskmaster? His face is tattooed on her ass? I couldn't make this up if I tried.

Why is the goblin sexually stimulating his gladiator with an electric whip, won't the monster just eat both of them? Seems like bad timing for that sort of play.

OH GOD this chick wears a strap-on as part of her design? Is she hitting on that old man? Wow... mind = blown.

A new chick in armor that completely exposes all her critical spots appears!

Wait who the hell could possibly believe someone with a rack like THAT to be a man? Seriously, and did she just summon a horse with her tits?.. Oh... It's a magical mountain scaling Skyrim horse, makes sense now.

Is this nun lifting her skirt to god while praying? I don't even...

Lifesong's Verdict? One Classy Anime
How do you rate a show that is bad on purpose, where the entire appeal is how bad it can be while making ridiculously costumed women fight each other? The best way I can think to put it is that Queen's Blade Rebellion is a masterpiece of filth. I won't be following, but I have no doubt this will please it's target audience.

Irothtin's Thoughts
This show is like being thrown into a pool of horseshit and being forced to eat it.

Irothtin's Verdict? Keep Your Pants On
If you really must masturbate to anime bitches, surely you can do better than this.

Timmy's Thoughts
it's one of those shows where girls duke it out and tend to lose their clothing in the process. Also panty-shots galore. So, is it good?

Timmy's Verdict? So Bad It's Watchable
Really that is what it amounts to. The show hardly takes itself seriously and the second you even think of caring about any of the characters it quickly washes that thought away by reminding you exactly what show you are watching. The only reason to watch this one is to see just how far they are willing go to to shove the characters crotches and chests in your face. Best example so far would have to be the transparent horse. If you are looking for something to mock while you watch and have a good laugh, this is it. If you are simply looking for fap material you can do much, much better.

Marlin's Thoughts
Well, I was thoroughly confused. It almost seemed like we missed an episode or something. Although, when I’m talking about a Queens Blade show and trying to debate its story telling merits I suppose I’m missing the point. Tits were jubbly and the Crunchyroll stream was using that super annoying censorglare, but I wasn’t gonna keep on this even if that wasn’t a factor.

Marlin's Verdict? There Were Boobs
What a shocker.


Saint Seiya Omega
Original story animated by Toei Animation



Premise
Athena is the protector of the universe, together with her saints wielding the power of cosmos they defend the earth and keep the peace. With the revival of mars drawing near it is time for an new saint to be born and take his place as a defender of Athena and the Universe!

Dragonzigg's Thoughts
If you're nostalgic for the old days, this seems to be the season for you. While Lupin III has received the biggest slice of attention, the rebirth of Saint Seiya is a big draw for old skool action fans too. And there's reason to be cautiously optimistic, as this first episode delivers a good, solid dose of shonen adventure.

The show wisely appears to be a near total reboot - aside from a few brief appearances by Seiya and some clumsily handled exposition, there's not too much to tie it back to it's predecessor. But that's not necessarily a problem - new protagonist Koga is a stereotypical reluctant young hero but is not overly offensive either, big bad Mars looks bad-ass and there's an intriguing plot being set up here. With a solid voice cast and some strong, flashy 80's looking art, there's plenty of potential for a rollicking adventure to ensue.

Dragonzigg's Verdict? Shows Promise
We're hardly talking a super original setup here, but Saint Seiya is delivering a good solid blast of action with a pleasingly throwback style. Lots will hinge on how well the plot develops, but it's a good start.

Irothtin's Thoughts
I know next to nothing about Saint Seiya, but even I can appreciate that the OP is a remix of the original anime's OP, and that they brought back the original director. This appears to be a sequel of sorts, starting off with the typical So-Last-Season loss that seems to happen with all shonen anime. And of course, a new guy who has more or less the same personality and the same hair as the old hero succeeds him, like in all sequel shonen anime.

Irothtin's Verdict? Typical Shonen
If you like that sort of stuff, or were really into Saint Seiya, then knock yourself out.

Lifesong's Thoughts
As someone with no past Saint Saiya experience, I went into this blind not sure what to expect. What I got was a whole lot of cheese mixed with some 90's style angst, pulling off a what if a 90's anime were remade with modern visuals feel very well. This show won't break any new ground but that's not what it's about.

Lifesong's Verdict? Let Your Cosmos Burn!
This show was a lot of fun, nothing spectacular but it didn't need to be. Personally I don't know how long I will watch this but I've had enough fun so far to tag along for a bit.

Marlin's Thoughts
I remember watching the old show on Toonami so I was excited to see more. Shonen shows are usually hit or miss with me but I can see me keeping with this one for nostalgia’s sake.

Marlin's Verdict? Cautious Optimism
While I remember little of the original show I watched as a teen, this still hit that nostalgia sweet spot the right way, I definitely am going to keep with it.


Kore wa Zombie desu ka? Of the Dead
Continuation of a light novel adaptation animated by Studio DEEN



Premise
More antics with everyone's favorite boy turned zombie turned magical girl. The cast is back and has an addition in the form of a new magical girl! Where will the show go from here? Only time can tell, but I'm sure it will be one crazy ride.

Lifesong's Thoughts
We are dropped off back into the show with an introduction and a reminder of who everyone is and what our protagonist's woes are. Largely more of the same from the last season, lots of silliness and cross dressing antics ensue. I see that our protagonist's magical girl killer has returned if only the in OP giving us some hints as to where the plot might be going.

Lifesong's Verdict? Can't Get Enough
This show is just as trashy and awesome as I remember it being while still having that extra touch of sincerity below the surface, I hope it never changes. I loved this show last time around and it looks to be pointed in a good direction for this season. I am very much looking forward to seeing how this all plays out.

Dragonzigg's Thoughts
The appeal of DEEN's subversive zomcom has always been the sheer wackiness it can bring to bear and this first episode wastes no time in doling out the ghost zombies who vomit rainbows, creepy raper squids and fountains of blood. Zombie remains the anime equivalent of junk food - it's made out of spare parts and probably isn't great for you but it's so gloriously trashy you can't help but be swept along in the bare faced silliness of it all. There's an art to constructing highly watchable rubbish and Zombie nails it perfectly.

Dragonzigg's Verdict? Highly Entertaining
It'll probably have to learn some new tricks along the way if it's going to keep the momentum up, but this first episode reminds us all exactly why we loved Zombie so much.

Gee-Man's Thoughts
What can I say? It’s the second season of one of the most absurdly entertaining shows of the previous year. Within the first episode, we’re treated to rapist squids, ridiculous amounts of blood, and more cross dressing. The show plays fast and loose and nothing is taken particularly seriously, both by the viewer and the cast itself.

Gee-Man's Verdict? You Know What You Want
If you were a fan of the first season, you know exactly what you’re getting into. If you thought the first season was too crazy or stupid, then you definitely won’t like what the second season offers.

Marlin's Thoughts
Another enjoyable episode for KoreWa. I do wish that more happened they would lay off all the crossdressing close-ups but apparently you buy in for some of the deviant humor and you’re in for the whole pot. Anyway, the jokes were funny and that’s all that really matters with me for this show anyway.

Marlin's Verdict? More Of A Good Thing
You wanted more Korean Zombie Desk Car? It’s here for you, in all its glorious depravity.


Medaka Box
Manga adaptation animated by Gainax



Premise
This is the story of a girl who believes in redemption. She is brilliant and easily succeeds at anything she tries, ranking number 1 for the nation in academics. She is also the student council president and solves problems for the students left for her to handle in her suggestion box. However what this girl has in skill she lacks in common sense which is where her childhood friend comes in. Can he help make her dreams come true? Or will he just be in her way?

Jel's Thoughts
I yawned through the first half of the first episode as I watched the entire animation budget getting blown on the Gainax Bounce™, but they won me back in the second as we got to know the main characters a little better. While their dialogue wasn't anywhere as sharp as anything in the -monogatari series, it did have that Nisio Isin give-and-take flavor to it and that is a good thing. But I guess what really appeals to me is this show just seems to have swagger. Medaka is basically perfect and Zenkichi is no slouch himself. I could see that turning some people off, but personally I'm all for confident and capable main characters for a change.

Oh yeah, and if anyone questions Aki Toyosaki's acting range, show them this and then slap them.

Jel's Verdict? Optimistic
While the production values were average and the premise kind of thin at the start, I can't help but think Medaka Box will pay off in the long run. Nisio Isin excels at crafting dialogue and relationships and I am willing to put up with some pretentiousness and bouncy fan service for a chance at that.

Irothtin's Thoughts
If Haruhi were a billion times as pretentious as it already is, and had a dozen times the amount of tits, then you'd have this show. When you have to spend time in the show itself saying why you should like the main characters, then maybe you should rethink your writing.

Irothtin's Verdict? Pretentious As Fuck
But it's written by the -monogatari guy so it'll probably be way popular anyway. Enjoy.

Dragonzigg's Thoughts
I came into this with low expectations and yet somehow it still managed to severely disappoint me. The hook here is nothing special - we've seen this sort of 'energetic girl cleans up the school' plot dozens of times, so the show has to rely on good characters to carry it.

No luck there - the titular Medaka is an overbearing busybody with huge breasts, which the show won't let you forget by putting them front and center in every shot possible. She's impossibly perfect at everything and therefore boring as sin. Her childhood friend Zekichi couldn't be a bigger Kyon clone if he tried and the obligatory token loli Shiranui is a lazy amalgamation of all the loli characters we've ever seen.

Character design is passable but hardly outstanding, the art is well short of Gainax's best efforts and the fact that there's two panty shots in the opening credits speaks volumes to the audience they're going for. It's not all bad - Aki Toyosaki delivers a great vocal performance as Medaka - but I think it says a lot I enjoyed the (numerous) Gurren Lagann references more than the show itself

Dragonzigg's Verdict? Disposable
There's nothing really appallingly bad about Medaka Box, but there's very little good about it either. It's dull, predictable, assembly line anime that's made to be gobbled up by fanboys. I predict it will be a colossal hit.

Lifesong's Thoughts
I've loved the monogatari and katanagatari stories by the same author so going into this I was hoping for more or of the same. The dialog is there but feels watered down. In both of his other stories the characters instantly jump out at as you as something interesting, here I just felt like the nonsense was turned way up and the charm and wit way down.

I hate to be the one who points out artwork as something that detracts from a show but I'm going to do it anyway. Even more so than how pretentious Medaka's character is her design really makes me have a hard time liking her. My mind is playing tricks on me telling me she is really some 30 year old woman from a nearby trailer park who can't properly dress herself, she is completely spilling out of her outfit in a way that sure happens in anime all the time but doesn't look consistent with the rest of the artwork. It bothers me, greatly.

Lifesong's Verdict? Undecided
Not the most meaningful verdict I know, but the best I can give. I will likely watch the first 6 episodes before I really know if I like this show or not.

Timmy's Thoughts
Hot, well endowed, generally perfect in every way except for the fact she is dense as all hell girl gets voted as class president and childhood friend gets dragged along for the ride. As far as I can tell, this is Ganiax's verson of Haruhi. Medaka seems to think she is gods gift to humanity and uses the Student Counsel as a front for solving people problems. The problems themselves are rather boring and normal but somehow she finds a horribly over the top method of fixing them.

Timmy's Verdict? Not Bad But Hardly Perfect
The way she solves stuff varies from slightly entertaining to head scratching. How she deduced the culpret of a shoe slashing for instance made little if any sense what so ever. This one however does have Gainax's style written all over it, not to mention lots of ganiaxing for good measure, so if that is your thing this is watchable. If not you may want to consider watching something else. It's allright enough for me to keep at it but if I find myself with a lack of time this one is first on the cutting board.

Marlin's Thoughts
Iro once described this story to me as “There’s a girl with huge tits and she’s perfect at everything.” The man is prone to hyperbole quite often so you can understand my skepticism, but he was spot on. The huge tits don’t even look good. It looks more like she’s wearing a suit that gives her big tits or something they just look unnatural.

Marlin's Verdict? Iro Was Right Again
I cannot see the appeal of this show. Its characters are very unrelatable and its scenarios are very blasé. I wouldn’t encourage more of it.


Lupin the Third: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna
Manga adaptation animated by TMS Entertainment



Premise
What could be more thrilling than stealing something away from someone else? But what is left for the thief who has already done it all? This time hes after a woman, but not just any woman, a mighty fine woman!

Jel's Thoughts
I can guarantee Lupin will be unlike any other anime you watch this year. Whether that is a good or bad thing depends on what you're looking for. There's no doubt it is oozing with style but I don't know if it will ever evolve beyond the Heist of the Week format. I'm sure it will also spark plenty of Old vs. New debates, but I'm not even touching that one.

Jel's Verdict? Style Over Substance
Lupin is super cool and entertaining to watch but if you prefer anime with FEELINGS than this probably won't hold you attention in the long run.

Lifesong's Thoughts
Talk about a blast from the past, did the porno jazz ever stop? I have mixed feelings about this anime. On the one hand I feel like it's utter garbage, on the other it has a sense of style that I can't outright dismiss and I do love the voice acting here by Miyuki Sawashiro. My biggest complaint would be how appalled I am every time this anime attempts to be sexy, which is quite a lot. Maybe it's just too old school for my taste?

Lifesong's Verdict? I Don't Really Like Porno Jazz Spy Games
I won't call this bad, I don't want to upset the old timers who I imagine this is specifically aimed at, but this is just not my thing. If I want cheesy sleazy spy games Bond is the only one for me.

Dragonzigg's Thoughts
From the opening shots you know you're in for something special here, as we fly through a crazy, distinctly James Bondian opening sequence full loving shots of naked ladies in silhouette. And from there we're thrown straight into the scratchy, noirish world of Lupin, as he and his opponent Fujiko Mine trade barbs, banter and bullets while competing to see who can spirit away the treasure belonging to a disgusting lecherous old priest-cum-drug dealer.

Fujiko runs around topless for half the episode and generally uses her hyper-sexualised wiles to get her way, while Lupin smokes, shoots and generally is awesome, culminating in an insane breakout that might be the best action sequence this year. Darker and edgier than the goofy recent iterations of Lupin, this nevertheless retains a sly sense of humor and an eye for silliness that makes it tremendous fun to watch. It's incredible to look at too, drawn in a smoky, thick lined style and backed with the perfect soundtrack of pulpy jazz.

Dragonzigg's Verdict? Style AND Substance
The first anime to bear the Lupin name in years is outstanding, a wonderful adventure full of verve, humor and action, sexy women and sly men. Essential viewing.

Irothtin's Thoughts
The first shot we get is of her naked boobs, so uh, that's a thing.

Actually, much of this show can be summed up with boobs. And jazz. And style. And more boobs.

Irothtin's Verdict? Stylish Shallow Fun
I'm definitely going to keep watching. I really enjoy the general style of this show, though it's clearly not something with an important overarching plot or thought-provoking themes. If this is just all witty repartee between Lupin and Fujiko with a new thievery scheme each episode and a backdrop of jazz, I am perfectly fine with that.

And while I like a sexy lady as much as the next guy, I do hope they tone it way down.

Aqua's Thoughts
Hold your horses, because we are in for one hell of a ride. No marriage in the anime world has been more effective than the one of Takeshi Koike and the middle-aged Lupin III franchise since Shinichiro Watanabe teamed up with Yoko Kanno. The eye-poppingly gorgeous animation that graced Koike’s Redline does not even try to give the impression of being present in this series, but the toned-down budget hardly hurts. The Lupin III team finds original ways around budget issues that would make Shaft jealous. Koike’s edgy; hand drawn style creates a stylish experience that is Smokin’, Slick and Sexy beyond the very prominent breasts that grace your screen every other minute. An SSS rating, and an R one too. Speaking of which…

Aqua's Verdict? Rated R For Radical!
Behold, ladies and gentlemen! Did fanservice hater numero uno Aquagaze just tell you to get off your ass and watch an anime that has more nipples in it than Ouran High School host Club has sparkles? Yes, he did. Chop, chop, off you go. If you miss this, all hope of you ever being cool is all gone.

Oh, and about Shinichiro Watanabe? Yeah, he did the music direction for this show. It shows.

Gee-Man's Thoughts
Without a doubt, this is the most stylish anime of the season. The visuals, the music, everything just oozes with flare and style. Takeshi Koike, the famed director of RedLine returns and while he may not have the 7 years and ridiculous budget he had with the sci-fi racing movie, he still manages to evoke visuals that you won’t find anywhere else. Throw in Shinichiro Watanabe’s music direction and you have something really special.

Gee-Man's Verdict? Style, Substance, Sound; It Has It All
While certainly not the most thought provoking anime of the season, it’s definitely the best looking and having seen the second episode, you’re definitely in for a wild ride through the Lupin universe. Bond-inspired plots, shootouts, and a great cast of classically charismatic characters make this new take on Lupin the Third a good one.

Timmy's Thoughts
It may be a surprise to some but this is my first experience with the Lupin franchise. So did I find it enjoyable?

Timmy's Verdict? Oh Hell Yes!
The best way I can describe this show is that it is some crazy Bondish anime that everything that is great about that show; the sexy girls, absurd escapes, cool style, crazy gunfights, whacky gadgets, and ramps it up to absurd levels. Lupin, for instance, seems to have a knack for attaching rockets to things and making his great escape riding on top. As awesome as that is there is also some fantastic storytelling here.

The one off characters the second episode introduced were great and the way their story was told was fabulous. It may or may not have been the best self contained episode of anything I have watched in quite some time. The show also oozes style all over the place and I dare say the nudity actually fits and was rather inoffensive. The franchise has been around for quite awhile and it doesn't surprise me that the target audience is someone old enough to not mind a tit or two. This one looks to be among the best this season so if you haven't started it yet you should probably do so.

Marlin's Thoughts
Well, I wasn’t expecting this to be so risqué. I suppose I should have looked at more art for it. Speaking of which, it is gorgeous, I love this style with all its muted tones and sharp angles. Lupin the Third was another show I greatly enjoyed on Adult Swim so it’s reassuring to see it come out in good form.
Verdict: The Redline award for being animated by those people who did Redline

Marlin's Verdict? The Redline Award
Animated by those people who did Redline, It’s an absolutely gorgeous show. The style oozes class and I can’t wait to see where they take us with the rest of the story of our beloved femme fatale.


Sengoku Collection
Social network game adaptation animated by Brains Base



Premise
Girls from a parallel universe's sengoku period earth come to modern day Tokyo and experience Japan. Among them is Nobunoga who must collect the sacred treasures from the other girls visiting Japan in order to return to her own time.

Jel's Thoughts
A girl fell from the sky and now she's in my bath..." - Generic Male Protagonist. I don't have much more to say than that. If I had to dig for positives, the character designs are kind of nice and the OP and ED were OK.

Jel's Verdict? Not Worth It
Don't let the prospect of moe Nobunaga fool you, there's nothing to see here that hasn't been done better a million times before. Not overwhelmingly bad or offensive, just a waste of time.

Irothtin's Thoughts
Did you know that all the Sengoku Period warlords were teenage girls with colorful hair wearing entirely non-period clothes? Me neither. And then the miko with animal ears showed up and I pretty much entirely stopped caring in any way, shape, or form.

Irothtin's Verdict? Total Shit
This is tying Queen's Blade as perhaps the worst thing this season. Why, Brain's Base? Can't we get more Baccano or Durarara?

Lifesong's Thoughts
Looks like it is my role to be the contrarian here. First off I want to point out that this kind of thing inherently appeals to me, I have a figure of Hitler turned pop Idol looking down over my room as I write this to prove that point. So how did I feel about Sengoku Collection?

Lifesong's Verdict? Lightweight Fluff
It was alright, funny at times stupid at others and occasionally cute as well, nothing to write home about. Since this is on crunchyroll I could see myself watching the rest of it, but it's not something I will be going wild over.

Marlin's Thoughts
Nothing happened. Also, didn’t we already have a show about Oda Nobunaga being a chesty woman?

Marlin's Verdict? Boring
I guess Nobunaga’s character design wasn’t that bad? I still say don’t watch it.


Natsuiro Kiseki
Anime original animated by Sunrise



Premise
Four girls made a wish upon a rock to become idols as kids, now in middle school the girls have begun to drift apart and one of them is preparing to move away. They make another wish upon the rock before she leaves. Will they be able to rediscover their friendship and dreams? Or will they be forced to give them up?

Jel's Thoughts
With nothing to go on other than some connection to singing-seiyuu group Sphere and a dreadfully boring trailer, my expectations were super low for this. So I was pleasantly surprised when it was actually kind of good. Barely a few minutes in they were already pulling out the DRAMA and although it is silly middle-school girl friendship drama it's still played pretty serious. I was expecting an easy, lighthearted Slice of Life show and while there will no doubt be some of that, they've already set a different tone. Add some solid production values on the art, top notch voice talent and a surprising sense of purpose and there just might be something here.

Jel's Verdict? Sleeper Hit
K-ON! if it took itself seriously, with the art style of A Certain Scientific Railgun? Sounds pretty cool to me. I just hope people don't completely write it off as a vehicle to sell Sphere records the way I almost did. Not sure if this will amount to anything special in the long run but I'll be watching.

Lifesong's Thoughts
I wasn't expecting this to be a drama so when it turned out to be one I was surprised to say the least. The vibe this show gives off is laid back but serious and I can see some potential. This is no Iroha but it's a decent lead in to the troubles these middle school girls face, or at least I felt that way until toward the end when the girls all make a wish at the magical friendship rock... I'm really not sure where this is going but I want this to be good and that is more than I could say for it before tuning in.

Lifesong's Verdict? I Believe I Can Fly!
I think there must have been some drugs involved in the last 5 minutes of this anime. Maybe a scene was skipped where they all smoked something funny and it was cut? As of the starting point for this anime I am having a really hard time taking it seriously. I'll stick it out for a few more episodes but I don't have much faith.

Irothtin's Thoughts
Generic schoolgirl series. I guess the hook is that they're all based off idol singers? That doesn't save it from sucking. There are some attempts at drama, but it's all predictable and boring as well.

Irothtin's Verdict? K-On But Idols
Alternatively, "Really Fucking Boring"

Dragonzigg's Thoughts
I don't really have much to say about this, because it's as bland as hell. There's very little new, interesting or challenging here, just the same slice-of-life formula you've seen before. I suppose the spin here is that they're trying to be dramatic rather than humourous, but humour is pretty much all these types of shows have going for them, and without it this is just a drery, monotone drudge only enlivened by the fantastically dumb twist at the end. It looks OK and the voice acting is solid (Aki Toyosaki seems to be the only one actually enjoying herself), but really there''s nothing to keep you here.

Dragonzigg's Verdict? Can't Get Off The Ground
This one was a total non starter for me. It's occasionally pretty and I suppose if you're a seiyuu nutter there might be something for you, but really this isn't good enough, or indeed bad enough, for anyone to bother wasting time on it.

Aqua's Thoughts
Cute girls being insufferably optimistic about everything and eating cake whilst doing their darndest best to convince everyone but themselves of their latent homosexuality is so 2010. Girls being utterly terrible bitches to each other, getting hysterical over the tiniest details and cranking up the angst so high even Shinji Ikari would get ill is hot right now, if Natsuiro Kiseki is to be believed. I cannot believe Mari Okada, the screenwriter who gave us entirely realistic and credible observations on actual human behavior such as Anohana and Black Rock Shooter has got nothing to do with this show.

In short, the drama in Natsuiro Kiseki is overwrought. It was rush, pointless and all over the place. Before you throw drama at the viewers, you have to make sure that people care about the characters. This is where NatsuKise fails miserably. The only character in the cast who is even remotely likeable is the peppy Yuka – an amazing performance by chameleon Haruka Tomatsu- and she doesn’t seem to be breaking down anytime soon. And don’t even get me started on Saki.

Yet, there is still hope. If anything, the show is pretty, and when it is not being obnoxiously angst-ridden, it actually gives off the same vibe relaxing slice-of-life shows like Tamayura specialize in. On an Aquagaze, this has the same effect as a good glass of wine on a terrace during sunset has on… normal people. This first episode felt rushed, as if the writers tried to create and resolve a conflict within a single episode in order to introduce the characters. This was clearly not a fantastic idea, but this first episode was simply not enough to base a real verdict on. Nevertheless, I wasted another three paragraphs on a show about four middle school girls doing things middle school girls apparently do.

Aqua's Verdict? Your Obnoxious Teenage Sister: The Anime
That is exactly what this anime is. If your obnoxious teenage sister could fly.

Oh yeah, I did mention that whole flying thing, didn't I?

Marlin's Thoughts
Yeah this was another show I couldn’t get through. No interest whatsoever to watch budding idols and their teen problems.

Marlin's Verdict? ADHD Award For Fastest Quit Time
It just could not hold my attention at all, skip it.

Sankarea
Manga adaptation animated by Studio DEEN



Premise
This is the story of a young boy who has an unhealthy obsession with zombies, who would even go so far as to say that he can only love a cute girl if she is dead. While trying to resurect his dead cat with an old spell book he found, he meets a girl with family problems who wishes she could die and be reborn.

Irothtin's Thoughts
We follow the adventures of a necrophiliac whose hair is the same shape no matter where it's viewed from. I guess it was a niche not yet filled by creepy fanservice anime, though I can't know for sure. At the very least it isn't really a creepy fanservice show itself, merely a romantic comedy.

I bet he wouldn't find her as cute if she turned into a Boomer or Spitter.

Irothtin's Verdict? Demented
I guess if you're a big zombie fan or want a really odd hook for your romance anime, you'll like this. It is a pretty weird idea, which may make it seem more interesting than it actually is.

Lifesong's Thoughts
The only thing I really knew about this going in was "DEEN" and so my expectation's were suitably sized. The main character is one serious creeper but it's easy to get pulled in and feel bad for him when he losses his cat. He spends most of the first episode trying to revive his cat even though he doesn't think it's what the cat would really want, giving the show an interesting moral flair right off the bat.

The dynamics between the characters are also pretty interesting interesting if only for how unique they are. The main character is a demented necrophiliac and the heroine is a girl from a rich family with big scars forced onto her. I think we have a winner here.

Lifesong's Verdict? Can DEEN Have Two Hits In One Season?
DEEN seems to be hitting a stride with zombies, I am okay with this as they have managed to bring something interesting to the table so far. This is one to watch this season.

Jel's Thoughts
Look, we're all sick of adding zombies to everything at this point, right? I think at best it doesn't add anything and at worst it detracts from what could be a solid romance at the heart of Sankarea. Maybe it would be boring if she was just a regular rich girl and he wasn't a necrophiliac, but I still feel like I would enjoy it more if that were the case. There does seem to be a dark edge looming underneath the surface, like Rea's relationship with her father, but that may just be me reading into things.

Jel's Verdict? R.I.P.
A solid production all around (loved the OP and ED) but the Zombie angle is just not doing anything for me. Mildly intrigued but not enough to keep going.

Gee-Man's Thoughts
It seems like one of the themes of this season is “weird romances.” Sankarea seems to be shaping up to be one of them. Following the main character with an unhealthy obsession with the undead, it looks like he’ll end up with a zombie girlfriend within the next few episodes. I’m still honestly not sure how to feel about the whole premise, but I’m a sucker for romances with weird twists.

Gee-Man's Verdict? It’s Definitely…Something
What that something is will be revealed in the next few episodes. The main character’s hair is rather ridiculous and I still have a hard time suspending my belief long enough to accept a main character who is romantically attracted to zombies, but its audacity is enough to catch my interest. However, with Mysterious Girlfriend X and Dusk Maiden of Amnesia also airing this season, it’ll have some stiff competition for “Best weird romance of the season.” And yes, that is now a thing.

His cousin is pretty darn awesome though.

Marlin's Thoughts
The main character is absolutely demented but the premise in general is interesting. I’d love to see how it takes the idea of zombies. The main character being a total necro is still really unsettling but it seems that that is the point. Definitely looking forward to more.

Marlin's Verdict? Frankenstein’s Bride Award for Excellence
I’ll admit, I’m mostly hooked on this show for the entirely strange behavior of its protagonist and how it might pan out in the long run.