Currently Watching (Summer 2012 Edition)

[tytan88]

Hyouka(through episode 12)

This was easily my favorite show of the spring. A well crafted story is like an easy chair, easy to get into and stay into. even when you are tired, it still draws you in. Score:10

Acchi Kocchi(finished)

This was my second favorite and one I will watch again and again. Working on fixing computers for customers can stress you out, but this is a great anime for the end of the day to wind down on. Score:10

Haiyore! Nyaruko-san(episode 5)

this is one I wished I had the time to get back to. It was really good, but I was pressed for time and it just couldn't hold my attention the way the first 2 did. Score: 7

Medaka Box(episode 1)

I had read through the entire manga, but I was surprised how poorly the manga translated to anime. I couldn't get past the first episode. Score: 3

Tsuritama(episode 4)

This is one I will definitely get back to. I started it and like the story but didn't have the time to finish it. I like how it is progressing tho. Score:7

Sankarea(episode 4)

I could not get into this one. I am not much of a horror fan, and the Zombie take in anime and video games has never gotten my interest. It seemed like a decent enough story, but it muddled around too much to hold my interest. Score: 5


Hopefully over the next month I will have some more time to watch some anime. I started on Tari Tari, will try Campione and am going to watch Saki Achiga-hen among others. Now that I have things sorted out at home I can settle in for some fun!

[something]

Originally Posted by tytan88

Hyouka(finished)

But it's only half over. =P

[tytan88]

Originally Posted by something

But it's only half over. =P

Whups! I forgot about that......I so glad its two cour! corrected!

[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.

[HitokiriShadow]

Here's some (hopefully brief) thoughts on the first episodes of the new shows I've seen so far this season.

---Outstanding---
Kokoro Connect
I had high hopes but also trepidation due to the premise. It was absolute fantastic, far surpassing my highest hopes. I absolutely love Iori.

Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita
God this was weird.... and really damn good. "Watashi" gets about 90% of the dialogue, and oh, what wonderfully intelligent and often biting commentary it is. And you gotta love a girl who gleefully manipulates innocent (and kinda dumb) village girls in order to dodge taking responsibility.

Sword Art Online
Excellent first episode, introducing us to the game world naturally while establishing the main character's personality, and then gets to the crux of the plot, giving the show dramatic weight and a clear sense of direction. The main guy is pretty solid and the dialogue was good. The execution was flawless. I didn't even care that we didn't see the main girl at all, but I cannot wait to meet her next time.

Tari Tari
To be honest, this one probably belongs in the next category but it gets a moderate boost for being P.A. works and the expectations and hopes they bring and me just really, really liking this kind of show. Konatsu is a lot of fun, and Sawa is pretty good to. Wakana is.... kind of a grouch and isn't particularly likable or fun yet. The guys are decent enough so far. It's off to a solid start.




---Good---
Ummmmm.... I actually don't have anything to put here yet. Everything I've watched so far either really impressed me or was just okay-ish (or much worse). One or two of the above will probably fall to here, some of the "Decent" shows will rise to here and the sequels will most likely end up here.




---Decent---
Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate
Well, this sure is a visual novel adaptation. And it has a good chance of being the first one I actually finish in a while. The female cast is pretty large and they're fairly fun. The random "skit" in the middle of the street was particularly amusing. It has some interesting plot elements and a darker edge than I was expecting. Main guy is okay, nothing worth noting for good or bad yet.

Yuru Yuri♪♪
It's.... more Yuru Yuri.

Muv-Luv: Total Eclipse
Hard to say much about this yet. It was heavy on establishing tone and setting. Next episode is going to be a blood bath and its pretty clear that almost all of the characters seen in this episode (most of which didn't even get their names said) are going to get slaughtered next time.

Kono Naka Ni Hitori, Imouto ga Iru!
A disappointment. It's pleasantly okay and I like the two girls well enough, but I was hoping for something a lot better. Oh well.


Campione!
Kind of a mess and really should have taken at least two episodes to get to that scene at the end. But that end scene was pretty damn impressive despite the episode's heavy narrative flaws. And I love Erica. Also need more Arianna, who had like two lines, but her drunk line was hilarious. Narratively, it belongs in the crap pile, but it makes the grade because of Erica (and Arianna, to a lesser extent) and the good possibility of becoming much better now that it hit that end-scene and slows down to take its time.




---It.... exists---
UtaKoi
Um, yeah, it exists. It's kind of interesting for what the show is, and the first half was kind of cute. Might keep watching if I'm bored enough in the middle of the week.




---Bad---
Dakara Boku wa, H ga Dekinai
The first four minutes were utterly vile and I looooooathe the main character. But something very bizarre happened: I actually kind of liked the last few minutes. I really like Risara, seeing her beat the shit out of the main character repeatedly was.... cathartic in a way, and when one particular thing happened, it kind of clicked. I honestly feel guilty for enjoying this at all, but I did and I want to watch at least one more episode and see how things play out and I how I feel about it.

Binbougami ga
I like the main girl's incredibly self-centered personality. Sadly, the Binbougami does nothing for me. I guess I'll watch another episode, but I expect to drop it after that.

Hagure Yuusha no Aestetica
Main guy has an obnoxiously cocky personality and does something that really bothers me. The girl basically has no personality and I have no reason to expect the show to do anything remotely interesting with her. She's there to be protected, rescued, and show her tits. Beyond that, the show is just horribly generic and dull. Nothing about the show is the slightest bit interesting. I might give the second episode a shot, but that's iffy.





---Dropped---
Chitose Get You [3 minutes]
The last few seconds were cute. Other than that.... eh.

La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia
Proof that female leads can be just as generic and suffer the same problems as generic, self-insert male leads. She basically has no personality. Even being voiced by Noto Mamiko doesn't help, especially since she has like five lines the entire episode. The rest are guys and... whatever, I just didn't care.

[something]

Not gonna do my usual format until I see first episodes of everything, but here's a very quick first impression of what I have seen so far and have coming up. It's more or less ordered best to worst within Watched and most to least anticipated in Not Yet Watched.

Watched: Import Worthy
　01) Yuru Yuri♪♪
　02) Kokoro Connect
　03) Dog Days'
　04) Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita

Watched: Will Continue, High Expectations
　05) Natsuyuki Rendezvous
　06) Sword Art Online

Watched: Will Continue, Medium Expectations
　07) Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate
　08) Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imouto ga Iru!
　09) Muv-Luv Total Eclipse

Watched: Will Continue, Low Expectations
　10) Tari Tari
　11) Arcana Famiglia
　12) Chouyaku Hyakunin Isshu Uta Koi
　13) Chitose Get You!

Watched: Drops or Likely Drops
　14) Campione

Not Yet Watched: High Expectations
　01) Rinne no Lagrange S2
　02) Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon S2
　03) Joshiraku

Not Yet Watched: Medium Expectations
　04) Ebiten: Kouritsu Ebisugawa Koukou Tenmon-bu
　05) Moyashimon Returns
　06) Hakuouki: Reimeiroku
　07) Oda Nobuna no Yabou

Not Yet Watched: Low Expectations
　08) Binbougami ga!
　09) Dakara Boku wa H ga Dekinai
　10) Hagure Yuusha no Aestetica

Whether some Not Yet Watched shows actually get watched depends very heavily on 1) whether my schedule fills up completely before I get to them and 2) what fansub groups do the ones that aren't on CR. For example, if nobody offers an alternative to gg-type groups, I'll just pass entirely on Moyashimon and Binbougami.

I already feel like my imports are locked in with the top 4 Watched + Rinne no Lagrange S2. There's a very tangible gap for me between the top class and the ones below, although Natsuyuki and SAO show major promise and could step in if Kokoro or Jintai really stumble. Or if I decide to import more than 5.

[HitokiriShadow]

Originally Posted by something

Not Yet Watched: Low Expectations
　08) Binbougami ga!
　09) Dakara Boku wa H ga Dekinai
　10) Hagure Yuusha no Aestetica

I'm curious what you'll think of H ga Dekinai, so I hope you'll at least get around to that one.

For example, if nobody offers an alternative to gg-type groups, I'll just pass entirely on Moyashimon and Binbougami.

Some of gg's subs are okay (they were fine for what I watched of Jormungand, for example) but Binbougami.... someone really liked the word "fuck" in that one. They used it at least 10 times, for more than one character. And I'm pretty sure they completely got one line wrong, and its extra sad because its one said multiple times and most of it is the goddamn title. How the fuck does "Kono binbougami ga...!" (screamed in anger) translate to "You thief?" Especially when the person in question didn't steal anything? Anyway, I don't know that I care enough to watch more of that show even if another group does it, so I definitely won't if gg is the only option.

I remember liking Moyashimon well enough when I saw it years ago, but I'm just not sure I really care anymore.

[something]

Originally Posted by HitokiriShadow

I'm curious what you'll think of H ga Dekinai, so I hope you'll at least get around to that one.

This is the one where the uncensored version comes first, and the censored later, right? That's sure backwards, but in a good way. It doesn't look like CR even has a tentative air date listed on the series page, so I most certainly won't be waiting just to get a censored version.

[HitokiriShadow]

Originally Posted by something

This is the one where the uncensored version comes first, and the censored later, right?

Yeah, I think the AT-X version is the first one out. At any rate, the first subbed version out was uncensored. It's kind of weird, but I'm sure not going to complain.

[superdry]

Originally Posted by HitokiriShadow

Some of gg's subs are okay (they were fine for what I watched of Jormungand, for example) but Binbougami.... someone really liked the word "fuck" in that one. They used it at least 10 times, for more than one character. And I'm pretty sure they completely got one line wrong, and its extra sad because its one said multiple times and most of it is the goddamn title. How the fuck does "Kono binbougami ga...!" (screamed in anger) translate to "You thief?" Especially when the person in question didn't steal anything? Anyway, I don't know that I care enough to watch more of that show even if another group does it, so I definitely won't if gg is the only option.

gg is being a little liberal with the translation/editing depending on the phrase. The example you gave is one of those liberal translation or edits (the translator has some tl notes on their website, not that everyone will read it though). I personally think the addition of fuck in phrases when the binbougami is pissed off makes sense.

I don't know how ggish the subs will continue to be since the editor does most its work for commie.