Currently Watching (Summer 2012 Edition)

[Buckeye]

It's July, which means it's time for a brand new season of anime shows. The spring season had some very great shows, and the offerings for the summer season look pretty solid as well. So with that, here is the brand new thread to discuss what you are currently watching.

The link to the Spring 2012 Edition

Summer Anime Chart

Note
- change the title of your post to reflect the contents.
- do not use the Post Reply button; instead, click quote on the post you wish to reply to, or on this post if you're starting a new subthread.
- edit down the quoted section to the relevant bits, nobody needs to read someone's epic list of watched stuff twice.
- be nice to one another

Also, I'd like to add the following. The Currently Watching Thread is mainly meant for a general overview of how you're currently feeling about shows. It is not supposed to be a replacement for actual discussion threads. Try to keep heavier discussion (if possible) in the more specific discussion threads.

In addition, try to be careful of spoilers here. It's one thing if it's properly tagged and such. However, I don't want people to have to worry about someone randomly posting "Wow, X died in episode 17 of Y". Just a randomly made up example.

[Buckeye]

So with a new season, it is time I lay out my course of action for the season. Here is on my to-do list for this season:

• Infinite Stratos
• Princess Jellyfish
• K-On! Season 2
• Special A
• Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt
• Casshern Sins
• Rideback
• Squid Girl season 2
• Mushishi
• Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVAs
• FLCL
• Deadman Wonderman (from episode 7)
• Bleach (from episode 251)
• Pokemon Black and White (from episode 61)

As far as simulcasts go, I will be watching these since they are continuing:

• Accel World
• Eureka 7 AO
• Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere season 2

I will be trying these shows out:

• Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse
• Sword Art Online
• Natsuyuki Rendezvous
• Aesthetica of the Rogue Hero
• Kokoro Connect
• Dog Days'
• Arcana Famiglia
• Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita
• Uta Koi
• Tari Tari
• Ambitions of Oda Nobuna

Right now, I am looking at eight simulcasts to follow, give or take a couple since I will have much more time during the summer to watch anime. This season is pretty loaded with titles that catch my interest. Up first is Infinite Stratos.

[Buckeye]

Originally Posted by Buckeye

Right now, I am looking at eight simulcasts to follow, give or take a couple since I will have much more time during the summer to watch anime. This season is pretty loaded with titles that catch my interest. Up first is Infinite Stratos.

I finished watching Infinite Stratos. Pretty much, this show is your average harem show. Ichika is a pretty incompetent guy who pretty much acts the same way the guy in the middle of a harem does. It was at least fun to watch, especially the dub with all the European characters speaking with accents. From what I looked up regarding the manga, it appears that a lot of the good parts about the manga does not carry over into the anime.

Princess Jellyfish is the next show on deck.

[Buckeye]

Originally Posted by Buckeye

Princess Jellyfish is the next show on deck.

I just finished watching Princess Jellyfish tonight after being sidetracked by all those new shows that I have been checking out. It's a great show, and the craziness that goes on at Amamizu-kan with the sorority and Kuronosuke is really fun to watch. And the opening with all those pop culture references is great as well. Despite all the wacky things that happen there, it manages to build up a nice story.

Next up, I will be watching the first half of the second season of K-On!!. The next regular series that I am going to start watching and complete is H2O: Footprints in the Sand. I also am planning to watch the Hidamari Sketch x SP and the Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVAs as well.

[stardf29]

Hey guys, I'm alive! Right, now to go over my impressions of the shows this season so far, but first, some of the other shows I watched and finished this week...

Shows finished this week

AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day: I had only watched one episode of this show about when it first came out, wanting to see the rest but never quite getting around to doing so as it was a bit of a busy time. I did pre-order the NISA copy soon after it was licensed, and now that I actually got it, I went ahead and watched through the Blu-rays.

It was a thoroughly amazing show. It had an advantage going in in that I love shows about childhood friends, and that angle was definitely covered well throughout. The main theme of (not) moving on after the death of someone close was also done very well, incorporating not just the friends but also family. The characters are great; Anaru in particular is one of the most well-rounded and well-developed characters I have ever seen.

I could go into a whole bunch of specific praises about this show... To summarize, though, it is currently my 2nd favorite anime, under Clannad + After Story, and quite honestly, the two are really just about tied. (It's hard to compare a 48-episode visual novel adaptation to an 11-episode anime original...) Completely and totally deserving of a 10/10.

School Rumble Second Semester: For the record, the first series was a very solid 9/10, most enjoyable when the comedy was at its most ridiculous. There were several moments in the second semester when I felt that the show had lost the sense of comedy that made the first season so enjoyable... thankfully, it usually wasn't too long before it would get right back to form, and when it decides to be hilarious, it can still be hilarious. This show is still worthy of a 9/10.

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Summer 2012 Shows

Outstanding

Humanity Has Declined (Ep. 3): I absolutely fell in love with the show over the first two episodes. Random wackiness, social satire, snarky Mai Nakahara... it's just a total blast to watch. Latest episode was less wackiness, more satire, though still funny as I find everything about the hardcore fujoshi culture to be absurdly amusing and the show played on that well (thanks to even more snarky Mai Nakahara). And, of course, that last scene. Can't wait to see what goes on from here. Why is this only 1 cour?

Kokoro Connect (Ep. 3): Shaping up to be yet another great interpersonal character drama, thanks to the body-swapping being treated seriously and not just as a tool for laughs. Though there are definitely laughs to be had, I am really liking how the show is showing the different parts of the main cast, and how the swaps are starting to expose those parts to the others. It's definitely going to be a fierce battle between this and Jintai above to see which one gets to be the top show of the season, and I'm going to love every moment of it.

Excellent

Moyashimon Returns (Ep. 3): First of all, thank you, Crunchyroll, for finally picking this one up! Must have been a bit more of an ordeal than normal, considering they still have yet to get the HD streams working, and I hope they get the first season. Anyways, episode 1 had all the classic Moyashimon flavor of educational microbial hijinks, episode 2 had more of the character side that was strong in the first series, and episode 3 seemed to have found a good balance between the two and has brought this show to a complete brew.

Tari Tari (Ep. 3): Episode 3 was much better pacing-wise than the one before, and is starting to incorporate the guys in a good manner, so this one is shaping up to be yet another great show. It helps that it is a music show, and I seem to have quite the love for music shows.

Natsuyuki Rendevous (Ep. 3): Ah, the other flower-themed noitaminA show about the ghost of a dead person that only one person can see! It definitely is interesting watching this after AnoHana, because while the ghost element is there in both stories and the theme of "moving on after a loved one's death" is there as well, beyond that, the two shows almost can't be more different! The ghosts themselves are radically different, as Atsushi has no tangibility (though he does have some kind of power), is seen by the person he least wants to see him, and is quite the jerk. (He and Hazuki do play off each other quite well, though.) Putting aside comparisons to AnoHana, though, the show does handle the drama well and having the story be about adults still makes this show fairly refreshing. I'm still enjoying it, for sure.

Good

Joshiraku (Ep. 2): I'm definitely getting Lucky Star vibes from this show (minus most of the otaku elements), and that is not a bad thing at all. The girls are cute (though I wish their names were easier to remember), the conversations are funny, Kukuru (the dark-haired girl) reminds us who wrote this, and the references and meta-elements are also there... it really is too bad this show seems to be so overlooked.

Sword Art Online (Ep. 3): Well, the latest episode felt more like a sidestory (an important one for character reasons, perhaps, but still a sidestory), so I'm waiting for the show to really get going with the main plot. As it is, it's pretty much on the lower end of Good.

Satisfactory

Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate (Ep. 3): Lots of setup with different characters and no answers in sight? Yep, this is a visual novel adaptation, all right. Whether it can jump up a level, and if so, how far, depends on how well this show does in taking those setups to their ends.

The Ambition of Oda Nobuna (Ep. 2): Picked up this one after dropping Nakaimo. It's an interesting play on history, and what having someone who knows history can do if they get sent to the past, and what happens as that history starts to change... and in the middle of that, girls of varying-degrees-but-overall-high-levels of awesomeness overriding the usual cast. Still not particularly stand-out, but a good enough show that I'll keep with it for now.

Fail (dropped)

Nakaimo (Ep. 2): Eh, it's just not doing enough to really interest me. That, and they really are playing up the ecchi elements, which just isn't to my taste. So it is dropped.

[stardf29]

New shows finished this week

Yuru Yuri: So I figured I'd test my yuri goggles since I haven't used them in a while. (Yes, they do work.) Anyways, what to say about this show? It was funny, I enjoyed it, and looked forward to watching more of it. The characters are overall pretty good. Chitose is my favorite, with her crazy yuri fantasies. A bit of a tsundere-overload between Ayano, Sakurako and Himawari, though they're interesting enough regardless. I feel bad for poor Akari, though... I know what it's like to be the one among a group of friends who oftentimes gets ignored or feels like he/she has a lack of presence there. Anyways... a rating? 8/10, I guess. Nothing stuck out too much to me, but it was a fun show that didn't take itself very seriously and I enjoyed marathoning it over the week.

Sora no Manimani: This show got me interested in astronomy again. It's hard to name shows that have had that kind of effect on me, so this vastly underrated show already has that to its advantage. And I think that is this show's greatest strength; there's a passion for astronomy contained within that comes out so strongly that it's hard not to get swept away with it. Past that there's a solid cast and some nice character moments all around, which help round out this show. I'll give it a 9/10. I'd love for this show to be licensed, though the chance of that happening is *cough* astronomically low.

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Summer 2012 Shows
No comments unless something made me really like or dislike a show or some other important circumstance arises.

Outstanding

Humanity Has Declined (Ep. 4)
Kokoro Connect (Ep.4)

Excellent

Moyashimon Returns (Ep. 4)
Tari Tari (Ep. 4)
Natsuyuki Rendevous (Ep. 4)

Good

Yuru Yuri♪♪ (Ep. 4) - What, you thought I'd watch all of the first season of this show and not catch myself up with the second season? Same thing I said about the first season applies here, really. That, and I'm waiting for Akane to speak.

Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate (Ep. 4) - Dang, this show is growing on me. I think the unusual school system and look into the student council election process is really helping to distinguish this one as a VN adaptation, and makes it more interesting to watch overall. Though the character aspects typical of a VN adaptation are there, too, if still only in setup mode right now.

Sword Art Online (Ep. 4)

Joshiraku (Ep. 2) - Yeah, lack of new subbed episodes for this one is a big problem. Because of this, I'm putting this show on hold and it will not be followed any more this season. When all the episodes for this are out, I'll put it on the queue to be watched through all at once.

Satisfactory

The Ambition of Oda Nobuna (Ep. 3)

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Next week I'll be plowing my way through Dog Days, including catching up with the second season.

[Buckeye]

Originally Posted by Buckeye

I also am planning to watch the Hidamari Sketch x SP and the Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVAs as well.

These last few weeks have been really busy, both in terms of my real life as well as my larger-than-usual simulcast slate that is just about finalized (it becomes official once I make it to episode 5 which is not the case for one show at this time). Anyway, I will soon begin watching R1-release shows once again. In the meantime, I finished watching Hidamari Sketch x SP. This OVA pretty much picks up where the third season left off and is a real treat to watch. Having Nori and Nazuna in it certainly helps things as they are the reason why the third season in the best.

Next show that I am finishing up is Deadman Wonderland. I am currently through 10 episodes and will watch the last two pretty soon.

[Buckeye]

Originally Posted by Buckeye

Next show that I am finishing up is Deadman Wonderland. I am currently through 10 episodes and will watch the last two pretty soon.

I just finished up with Deadman Wonderland, and while it looked like it was going to be something special, I was very disappointed with the anime. From what I understand, the manga is far more complete and that the anime did not get into the more interesting parts of the manga. In any case, the way the show progressed, 12 episodes was just not enough episodes to do everything. And of course, there was a lot of bloodshed considering that is the source of the Deadman's power. But at least it is better than a rushed ending, which was also on the table. This show could definitely use a second season.

Next up, I am watching The World God Only Knows II, and I am currently halfway through the series.

[Buckeye]

So after watching almost everything that is on my to-watch list, here are some some first impressions of the shows, as well as how likely I am going to continue them. At this point, I will not make a final decision on my summer slate.

Watching

• Accel World - This series is continuing from the spring, and I just love this show. The characters are great, while the story about a virtual reality fighting game and a high-tech world is great stuff.
• Eureka 7 AO - Another show that is continuing from the spring, this show is pretty good at the start. It has hit some rough spots with the last few episodes, but I am expecting things to become quite good once it gets serious again.
• Horzion in the Middle of Nowhere II - The long-awaited second season starts out with a bang, as the fights were a visual treat in this show. If you can get through the first nine episodes that is loaded with confusing info-dump, then you are in for a nice show. I also like the girls in this show, which is another thing that's going for it.
• Sword Art Online - Based on the first episodes alone, this show is the best of the season so far. It starts out like .hack, but quickly distinguishes itself by becoming serious business right off the bat. Having enjoyed Accel World and .hack, this show is definitely for me.

Likely To Continue Watching

• Kokoro Connect - I like the body-swapping stuff, and the animation is definitely nice. It feels like a KyoAni production (reason being that the character designer is the same as Sora no Woto, whose characters look like those from K-On!, another KyoAni production), and it definitely is looking like a winner.
• Dog Days' - If there is any show that needs a second season, this would be it. The characters are the real draw in this show and the concept of wars being a sporting event (rather than an act of hostility) just sounds fun. The characters are cute, and the first episode brings great promise now that more Earthlings have entered Flonyard.
• Natsuyuki Rendezvous - This show provides my quarterly josei fix as the first episode sets a really good tone for this show about how a one-sided obstacle is preventing romance from blooming.

Could Go Either Way

• Campione! - Although the first episode moved way too fast and got right into the thick of things without firmly establishing a foundation, it was a very nice first episode, and Erica is definitely someone I like as a character. This show has a lot of promise, but whether or not it delivers will be what I will be watching for.
• Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse - The first two episodes are a prologue to the real story that develops Yui as a character. So far, it looks like a great story is developing, but the real test begins with the next episode. Hard to say at this point.
• Ambition of Oda Nobuna - Compared to other gender-bending history shows, I am liking this one better. It helps that the characters look better than the other such incarnations. It looks like this show could develop into something special.
• Jinrui wa Suitaishimashita - This show is just weird all-around. In a pastel world, there is the nameless heroine going around trying to be a go-between for the humans and fairies. Along the way, headless chickens and bread loafs that bleed carrot juice just make this show think what in the world I just watched. All that stuff, however, is well done in the first two episodes.

Likely Putting On Hold

• La Storia de Arcana Famiglia - The first episode was decent while the second was dumb fun. At least the boys look great, and the female lead is voiced by Mamiko Noto. But all in all, I find the show way too generic and something without much to distinguish itself.
• Tari Tari - It starts off well with a new club forming as a method of protest. It is fun, but at the same time my slate is already loaded and this will probably get lost in the crowd.

Still Need To Watch

• Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero - I am still waiting for Funimation to put up the streams.
• Binbougami ga! - Like Aesthetica, not yet available for streaming on Funimation.
• Uta Koi - I will get to this show, but right now is not a high priority.

[Buckeye]

Now that I have watched at least five episodes of every show that I plan on watching for the simulcast season, here is what I will be watching:

• Accel World - This show was flying high with great characters, nice animation, and an efficient plot. But things are going downhill with the current arc that I am watching right now since it is dragging on longer than it should. In any case, I love this show, and Kuroyukihime is a huge reason for it. But at the same time, I feel that this show is not using her enough. Given what I have watched so far, there better be a second season coming since there is just so much left to tell in this story that I don't think can be told in only five more episodes.
• Eureka 7 AO - While trying to meet expectations of the original series is going to be tough, this show still does a good job of telling a story. It starts fast before the show gets into the monster-of-the-week format, which was really boring for me to watch. But once things get serious again, this series finally gets going again. And much like the original series, it looks like the real enemy behind all this tension is not going to come out until late in the series much like it was in the original series.
• Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere II - It took awhile for this show to get a foundation established as there was lots of info dumping and way too much inaction at the beginning. But once the show gets going, it gets really nice. The battles are what make the show what it is, and Sunrise has produced another great action show. In this season, there is a lot more action, and while there is still info dumping, it is done in more manageable chunks. Even if I don't understand everything, watching the events unfold is still great to watch. And of course, the girls are why I love this show.
• Kokoro Connect - This show has KyoAni written all over it even though it is not produced by them. It starts off with a bunch of misfit students forming a club where they switch bodies and try and cope with life wit the possibility that they may become someone else at any time. Then the situation turns from switching bodies to doing involuntary actions based on one's thoughts, and that has gotten the students to really reflect on life. It's a great show altogether.
• Dog Days' - This show is all about the cute characters, and while the first season used the most convenient plotline possible while trying to do too much at once, this season does a better job at pacing. So far, this show has been really enjoyable. Having Becky and Nanami make the trip into Flonyard has certainly made a positive impact on this show.
• Sword Art Online - So far, this is the best show of the season so far, though Kokoro Connect isn't far behind. It follows a similar formula with the .hack series, but unlike .hack the story moves very fast. With that setup, it allows us to get a more complete picture of life playing the VG and the fact that these players will die in real life if their virtual characters die.
• Natsuyuki Rendezvous - Here is this season's featured josei title, and it's another solid show. The layout of this show follows the less is more approach as there are only four characters in this show, and that allows lots of development to happen. So far, it's all good as it involves figuring out how someone socially awkward will tie the knot with someone who has given up on love ever since her husband died, and the fact that he is still around as a spirit only the guy can see.
• Campione! - It's another harem show that is about as good as many other harems. But this show at least brings something new to the table and that is magical battles. The guy in the center of it all is a good lead, while the battles are nice. While the first episode was nice, it would have been even better if it took two episodes to play out rather than one as I felt that it was rushed. It falls into several pitfalls that make a harem so problematic, but at least there is less of that in this show. Pretty decent show to watch.
• Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse - Not too sure what to think about this show. It starts off with a history lesson involving Yui before getting to the main storyline. Then it starts the real story with a bunch of training exercises. The last two episodes were really lacking, while the episodes before those shows some good character development. When things get serious, that's when I will know if the show hits its mark or not.
• Ambition of Oda Nobuna - While I usually do not think highly of shows that take Japanese history and gender-bend it, this show is pretty entertaining. The character designs are much better than those shows and it has a solid story going for it. The characters are likable, and seeing history from a gamer's perspective is certainly interesting.

And here are the shows that I'm dropping, at least for the time being:

• Humanity Has Declined - The first episode was just full of weirdness. But the second episode is where the show hits its mark. It's very entertaining and in a great way. But sadly, this is the last show that got dropped mostly due to the fact that my summer slate is already filled up past capacity, but it is something I might revisit later.
• Tari Tari - Here is another show that was one of the last to be dropped. It has what I like in an anime, but at the same time, I feel like I have been there and done that.
• Binbougami ga - The beginning was rather enjoyable with all the craziness that is happening. But at the same time, the humor falls flat and it seems like the plug was pulled on the storyline.
• Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero - When the main protagonist is such a douchebag, you know that something is wrong with this show. Lots of fan service, and the male is someone who I absolutely can't stand with his perverseness and everything. It could have had a solid story, but this show fails to capitalize on that.
• Arcana Famiglia - Pretty generic setup for this show where there is a girl in the center of it all with a group of good-looking guys that can fight. The first two episodes were solid entertainment, but at the same time it was pretty dull and linear.
• Utakoi - This show was rather confusing and complicated. I just don't feel like tackling something like this at the moment.
• So, I Can't Play H? - Perhaps, this is the dumbest show of the year. At least Lisara and Quele are great characters that are worth watching this show for. But at the same time, the male lead is just terrible. To be an all-out pervert and then all of the sudden he can't be one just made this show really dumb.
• Chitose Get You - It's a bunch of shorts, and it was pretty dull.