Hana-saku Iroha, Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi, Kami-sama no Memo Chou

[pianocello]

I would like to hear some opinions on these anime. Thanks.

[Fencedude]

Hanasaku Iroha is a very, very pretty show. Its about Matsumae Ohana, who for various reasons finds herself working at her grandmother's inn, known as Kissuiso. She learns about her dreams, the people around her, etc etc. Quite good, though I don't know if I'd recommend it to you specifically.

Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi is...uneven. Its very much a ZEXCS show, which means that it could have been done better by basically any other studio. But its got plenty of service, and the makings of a decent plot, and the characters are fun. To compare with other recent ZEXCS shows, its not as good as Kore wa Zombie Desu ka, but probably better than 11eyes.

[HitokiriShadow]

Hanasaku Iroha is really good, though I don't know if it would do much for you. Give it at least two episodes, don't let one scene in episode one tick you off and make you not want to watch more. If you aren't enjoying it by episode ~5, there's no point in continuing. Yuri is almost non-existent. There's a tiny bit of yuri fanservice in episode 3 or 4 and you can read into Nako's friendship with a girl that appears briefly in about two episodes very late in the series, but that's it.

Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi isn't very good. I'm getting some enjoyment out of it, but there's really nothing about it I can recommend. It has an awesome ED (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zksKOhsfiW4&feature=related), but for some fucking stupid reason, the show only wants to use it once every 3 or 4 episodes, and uses two utterly forgettable EDs for the majority of the episodes.

Kami-sama no Memo Chou is fantastic..... if you only watch the first episode. It rapidly goes downhill and by the time you hit episode 6, you're left wondering what show you were watching in episode 1, because it obviously isn't the same one you've been watching in episodes 2+. I really can't describe how spectacularly the show self-destructs.

The male lead is the same one you've seen in hundreds of shows before, but with even less personality than usual, literally has no reason to be with the group or for the main girl to be showing any interest in him, and his requirements for swearing brotherhood with someone are A) has a penis and B) has known them for more than 60 seconds. The show spends four fucking episodes on the main guy and these two other guys the main guy has sworn brotherhood to, none of which have had the slightest bit of character development, and it gets increasingly stupid in every episode.

Meanwhile, by the time that godawful arc ends, the main girl has gotten approximately zero development of any sort. And you still have no idea why she decided to bring the bland, personality void of a lead into her group, particularly when she has several other males in her group, and they at least have some sort of skills to put into their "NEET Detective Agency".

Few shows piss me off as much as this one did.

[HitokiriShadow]

Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi is...uneven. Its very much a ZEXCS show, which means that it could have been done better by basically any other studio. But its got plenty of service, and the makings of a decent plot, and the characters are fun. To compare with other recent ZEXCS shows, its not as good as Kore wa Zombie Desu ka, but probably better than 11eyes.

Definitely better than 11eyes, though Itsuka Tenma is unlikely to give us the awesome "ending" 11eyes had.

Also, I just want to zero in on that "makings of decent plot" part. Key word is "makings". It has some interesting plot elements, but doesn't handle them well. The show has a major problem with making sense. Not usually in the "I have no idea what the hell is going on" sense (though occasionally that too), but in the sense that it has a real problem telling the story. It feels like in the process of adapting the light novels, it left some important lines or even scenes on the cutting room floor at times.

[Fencedude]

Few shows piss me off as much as this one did.

Out of curiosity, did you spoil yourself on what happens next?

It almost made me want to pick it back up. But then I decided that no, it didn't.

Alice is the most criminally underused character of the season, by far.

[HitokiriShadow]

Few shows piss me off as much as this one did.

Out of curiosity, did you spoil yourself on what happens next?

It almost made me want to pick it back up. But then I decided that no, it didn't.

Alice is the most criminally underused character of the season, by far.

When it came time to watch episode 9, I skimmed comments on the very next episode and saw that it was just them playing baseball. The show needed to grab me with a good story at least half as good as the first episode to keep me going, I was really not in the mood for that kind of fluff after the show wasted so much time and I so desperately needed character development or a good plot, so it killed what little interest I had left.

Then yesterday I decided to skim a few comments on the last episode. I don't know what involvement Alice had it in it, I just saw that it focused on Ayaka and had something to do with some guy making a weird drug that resulted in the death of everyone that used it. I would have been interested in watching that.... two months ago. Wasn't enough to bring me back after all that crap.

[EmperorBrandon]

To compare with other recent ZEXCS shows, its not as good as Kore wa Zombie Desu ka, but probably better than 11eyes.

Neither of them had animation production by ZEXCS. KoreZom was Deen, and 11eyes was Dogakobo. Most recent ZEXCS series would be Oniichan no koto... (long title), Fortune Arterial (in collaboration with Feel), and Denyuden.

[Fencedude]

To compare with other recent ZEXCS shows, its not as good as Kore wa Zombie Desu ka, but probably better than 11eyes.

Neither of them had animation production by ZEXCS. KoreZom was Deen, and 11eyes was Dogakobo. Most recent ZEXCS series would be Oniichan no koto... (long title), Fortune Arterial (in collaboration with Feel), and Denyuden.

Seriously? Damn, I need to go brush up on my studios.

Though thinking back, I knew that KoreZom was Deen, don't know why I suddenly thought it was by Zexcs (except maybe how both "end"), but I really would have sworn that 11eyes was ZEXCS. But Dogakobo? For real? Thats...odd.

[Sly05]

Honestly, I don't think you missed much. The characters in Kami-sama no Memo Chou were so criminally underdeveloped that any emotional impact the final arc was going for pretty much fell flat. The Fourth and his blood brother got more character development than the rest of the cast combined.

[Nork22]

Hanasaku Iroha - Fun slice of life show featuring young girls working in a Ryokan. Has romance, school life, family drama and a stork. Beautiful artwork by Kishida Mel and also a great promo to go and visit the countryside of Japan.

Kami-sama no Memo-chou - Great promise but ended up very underwhelming. Has plenty of fun moments, nothing real notable.

[EmperorBrandon]

but I really would have sworn that 11eyes was ZEXCS. But Dogakobo? For real? Thats...odd.

Galge adaptations for Marvelous Entertainment makes up the vast majority of what Dogakobo has done as far as TV animation production is concerned (Myself;Yourself, Koihime Musou series, 11eyes, Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi).