| | So! I felt inspired this morning as I was perusing the latest anime season upon us. Normally, I don't see much that I'm interested in. This upcoming season looks less promising than the spring/summer, which is good, because hopefully I'll be more engrossed with a job soon.
Last season, the "spring/summer" season, had a few neat shows, only one of which I plan on keeping.
Sora no Manimani was a wonderful slice-of-life anime about two kids who grew up together who got split apart, then happen to reunite when boy returns to his old hometown for his junior year of HS. Anyway, it's a different bit, because the girl has always had a passion for astronomy, and through that love she's brought others to enjoy what is her passion, and the characters around her start to appreciate things they never did before. Very nice, campy, and stunning in animation. That, and one of the characters reminds me sooooo much of me 6 years ago, all down to how she met her crush (relating to her beautiful, curly hair and having a complex with it, too).
Bakemonogatari is from a light novel series, as opposed to a manga, and thus includes a thicker plotline than standard manga carry. Haruhi Suzumiya no Yuuutsu had this same difference in plot, too. It dealt with the occult in a kool way--a former vampire who was healed by a drifter ends up connecting to other people with paranormal afflictions and goes about solving strange cases. Also, a nice plus, there's a lot of folklore study and kanji readings that make your smart brain happy, and with very peculiar shots/scene transitions that make the primal brain want to shake your smart brains hand quite firmly. However, the ED seems like it would best fit Sora because it's relating love to Altair and Vega, Japan's favorite star-crossed lovers... literally. I'm keeping this one.
Needless? It was shounen gore, ecchi, slash-and-hack, and really odd, non-sequitr OP/EDs. Had to do with a wonderful post-war dynamic including several odd characters and funny dialogue. You've got a touch of "master race" development (semi spoiler, sorry) and reminded me so much of Bakuretsu Hunters because of how unrelated the characters were before coming together in a band of merry men. Not keeping, but wonderful primal brain candy. Good palate cleanser from the sweet Sora.
I must be a cruel person, but I love the idea of seeing what COULD happen when the big one hits Tokyo like in Tokyo Magnitude 11.0. It interests me to see what psychological damage, internal injuries, and the overall scope of life being worthwhile has to do. Luckily, unlike Evangelion, you're not drowing in a sea of characters with psychoses; just a few characters here. It helps that abingdon boys school does the OP, and the monotone OP scenes of mangled Tokyo shocks you. Also, that research was involved, with an original plot and set of characters, is neat as well and a welcomed plus.
But what I do anticipate in the Fall/Winter season?
Kimi ni Todoke sounds a lot like Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge or... The Wallflower but without the harem. A hot guy at school starts talking to her, even the kids play-on-name and call her Sadako. So, it sounds like it'll be a nice romcom.
First Squad sounds FANTASTIC. Why? Okay, so, Russian authors x Japan anime studio get together and make an EPIC sounding anime. I'll just quote from Wikipedia:
Set during the opening days of World War II on the Eastern Front. Its main cast are a group of Soviet teenagers with extraordinary abilities; the teenagers have been drafted to form a special unit to fight the invading German army. They are opposed by a Schutzstaffel (SS) officer who is attempting to raise from the dead a supernatural army of crusaders from the 12th-century Order of the Sacred Cross and enlist them in the Nazi cause.
*pause, let's it sink in* I KNOW RIGHT?! THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!
Not only does it satisfy my fetish with maritime history, it's a joint project, and I LOVE it when Japan reaches out and does a collab with some country NOT Asian.
That's it. Which is good. Because I'm following some old shows I can DVR.
... oh God, yes, I'm sorry, still watching Heroes like the absolute dope I am. Lie To Me is still wonderful and delicious and wow, Tim Roth has a tattoo on his inner right forearm. Seeeeexxxxxy.
Still Talk Soup, Web Soup, and Tosh.0 because I can see that stuff without somehow giving my PC or DVR a virus somehow.
The Office is great and I'm glad it got saved in the US; I like that Jim and Pam are getting married, too, and that NBC is celebrating the fact.
Chuck will eventually be back, too. Doing what, who knows, but I love Zach Levi, so I look forward to the 13 episode miniseason.
I'm picking up very few new shows since networks like killing them before they catch fire well.
Community is nice. I like Joel McHale in this role. No one else really interests me, though, character-wise.
FlashForward is quite interesting. I like the hints of Lost in it, and how the universes are probably related in a certain way. John Cho's character, I like how they are already warning his fans he's gonna vanish from the show because he will be working on Star Trek 2. Very thoughtful. And I hope to see Greg Grunberg in it, too, instead of his thinner and more creative counterpart, Seth MacFarlane.
I'm becoming distressingly more connected to TV and video sources. I still love my Conebone, and I'm falling deeper and deeper in love with Craig, but unfortunately, my time to spend with Colbert clashes tuners if I tape Kimmel while watching Conezy, and since I can't fashion WHICH rerun I want my DirecTV DVR to record, I'm stuck not getting to watch it much at all. :( |
