Hyouka/Black★Rock Shooter/Aria the Natural/Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!

I have a lot of stuff to review today!  I've been traveling a bit so I've had some time to watch a few shows.  Between that, Dark Souls, and the Rewrite patch, I've been pretty busy.  Anyway, here goes:

Recently finished Hyouka.
Genre: Mystery, School, Slice of Life

I give it a 7/10.  I skipped this show when it aired but decided to check it out while waiting for Chuunibyou to air every week.

Story: Hotarou is your stereotypical Japanese high schooler whose only want in life is peace and quiet.  His logical mind is adept at problem-solving, and he excels at schoolwork without effort.  Early in the series, he's talked into joining the Classics Club by his classmate Chitanda, whose intense curiosity and zealous personality often rope Hotarou into solving mundane mysteries around the school.

I wasn't impressed with the overall story as a whole, but taken in pieces I thought each individual arc was good.  It wanders terribly, with Hotarou solving many mysteries, and arrives finally at the ending arc.  There was a small saving grace, however.  There's a very realistic part in the last few episodes that so totally shattered the stereotypical conclusion of this genre that I was pretty much speechless.  I was left with a melancholy feeling, but I can see where Hotarou was coming from.

Animation:  Hyouka is animated by Kyoto Animation, so a high bar of expectation is automatically set.  The anime rises to the challenge, and the backgrounds, setting, and animation are all done very well.  Where you would expect a simple head turn to comprise a few frames from any other studio, KyoAni takes the time to bring a character's emotions to life.  A shy glance is highlighted by a slight head dip and a nervous blink, complete with brushing stray bangs behind the ear, whearas a studio like J.C. would pull a three-frame head turn with no noticeable transition.  Chitanda's sparkling eyes are especially captivating.

I watch anime not just for the storyline and cute girls, but mainly for what animation can bring to the table that traditional filming can't.  KyoAni is probably the most consistent studio for excellent animation, and I love them for it.

Characters:  Hotarou is basically a more modern take of an old-school detective similar to Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot.  The lazy/bored protagonist is so overdone in anime, however.  Chitanda is a decent take on the genki-girl stereotype, and she and Hotarou click pretty well.  I was more interested in Mayaka and Satoshi's relationship, however.  The interaction between these two couples is at least interesting.  I think most viewers will be able to relate to Satoshi pretty well.

Soundtrack:  Hyouka has a great score with some classical tracks.  The OP/EDs are typical J-POP.

I would recommend Hyouka to anyone who likes mystery stories.  If you liked this anime you'd probably like Gosick and Puppet Master Sakon.  I would not recommend this series to anyone who prefers action anime.

Also recently finished Black★Rock Shooter.
Genre: Action, School, Drama

I give it a 7/10.  This is basically an extended TV version of the OVA that came out in 2010.

Story:  The story in Black★Rock Shooter is fairly interesting.  Mato is an upbeat, cheerful high school girl who makes friends wherever she goes.  However, there exists another world where the emotions of the characters manifest into beings whose only goal is to fight to protect the feelings of their real-world counterpart.  Mato's careless cheerfulness and overall friendliness to everyone ends up being more hurtful than helpful.

Animation:  Black★Rock Shooter has some great action scenes.  Aniplex did a decent job animating the 8 episode series, however there's a wealth of sloppy lines and "QUALITY" in the mundane scenes (characters interacting in the real world, mostly).  They seemed to be going for gothic designs mixed with a modern setting.  The character designs are awesome, especially the girls residing in the other world.  Almost all of the animation effort was put toward the other world's story. There's a lot of CG in this, and it's done well enough.

Characters:  This anime relies quite a bit on character interaction, so character personalities play a huge part in Black★Rock Shooter.  Being that personalities play such a big part of this anime, I can't really think of any way to describe the characters without spoiling it.

Soundtrack:  The opening is "Black★Rock Shooter" by Supercell.  This is the Miku song that the original illustrations were based on.  I thought it was a cool addition to make this the opening.  It's so appropriate, since you can hardly think of Black★Rock Shooter without thinking Miku.  The ED is "Bokura no Ashiato," again by Supercell.  The OST is largely forgettable.

 I would recommend Black★Rock Shooter to anyone who likes action anime.  Though short, I think you get your time's worth.  If you like Black★Rock Shooter, I'd recommend something like C3.  I don't really know, I actually don't watch many anime like this.

 Also recently rewatched Aria the Natural.
 Genre: Slice of Life

I give it an 8/10.  This is the second season of Aria.

Story:  Aria the Natural is the real meat of the Aria trilogy.  Again, the story follows Akari as she struggles to become a gondoleer.  You will see a lot more of the mysteries of Aqua during this season.  You'll also see the characters forming closer bonds.  The events of Aria the Natural remind me of those times, many years ago, where I still look back and say "remember how we were back then?" or laugh and say "That's how we were.."  It has a nostalgic feel that I think is common for people when thinking of the simpler days of youth.

Animation:  Natural is well animated for a 26 episode show.  You will see pretty much the same quality of work that went into Aria the Animation.   Characater designs remain unchanged, save for one significant event that happens to Aika halfway through the season.  There remains almost no fanservice to speak of.

Characters:  We don't have any new characters in this season.

Soundtrack:  The soundtrack is again composed by the same group that did Animation, and is something very special.  There are many loan themes from the first season, but there is a whole new score to enjoy also.  Again, Choro Club hits a grand slam with the sound of Aria the Natural.

I would recommend Aria the Natural to anyone who has seen the first season.  Again, if you really like chill, relaxing shows, this is for you.  If you liked this show, I'd recommend the same anime I suggested last time, and Sora no Woto also.

Also finished Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!
Genre: Comedy, Romance, School

I give it an 8/10.  Chuuni is the newest anime from KyoAni, and I really enjoyed it.

Story:  In middle school, Yuuta suffered from chuunibyou syndrome, a condition that many of us developed in our youth.  He believed he was the Dark Flame Master, a being born of dark, awesome edginess such that anyone would be jealous.  He commanded a dark power strong enough to destroy a human.  Of course, it was all in his mind, and being a chuuni became less and less "cool" as he matured.  Eventually Yuuta was forced to transfer to escape the reputation of his eccentric behavior

On his first day at his new school, his slate wiped clean, Yuuta meets a girl wearing an eyepatch, Rikka, who claims to wield the power of the Tyrant Eye.  Thus begins Yuuta's journey back into the realm of all things chuuni, whether he likes it or not.  At its core, however, Chuunibyou is about something completely different, but to get into that is spoilerland. 

Animation:  As expected of KyoAni, the animation is excellent.  Read my description of Hyouka to understand my appreciation of this studio.  The Chuuni fights between Rikka and Dekomori (among others) in particular are hilarious works of art.  The character designs are equally good, although very similar to Hyouka.  I have a sneaking suspicion that they share the main designer.

Characters:  The characters in this anime are definitely eccentric.  You could change your opinion of at least one of them by the time the anime is over.  The characters are more complex than they seem at first glance.

Soundtrack:  The OP, "Sparkling Daydream" by ZAQ is pretty good, but I liked the ED "INSIDE IDENTITY" by Black Raison d'être (basically the female cast) more.  The anime has a decent OST that gets the job done.

I would recommend Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! to anyone that likes comedies, or anyone who likes extremely well-animated shows.  If you liked this show you'd definitely find a similar anime in Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko (per Myanimelist), but Chuuni blows that show out of the water. 

Aria the Animation

Finished re-watching Aria the Animation.

I give it an 8/10.  I recently ordered the whole Aria trilogy on DVD from Right Stuf.  I got them all in from Amazon last week and I've been watching them.  Being that Aria the Origination is one of my top five favorite anime of all time, with the Aria trilogy probably being my favorite anime saga, I could no longer rely on my old, shitty .avi TV rips from 2005.  I had to step it up.  Although I'm not a fan of 4:3, this was the norm back then, and it can't be helped.  Still, the DVD versions are much cleaner.  I probably won't have any new anime to review for a while, so I'll review one of my favorites for you guys.

Story: Set on Mars (now called Aqua) in the distant future, Aria is the story of a girl, Akari, who is training to become an undine (gondolier) in the city of Neo-Venezia.  Akari is an employee of Aria Company, under the tutelage of the only other employee, the "Great Water Fairy" Alicia.  Alicia has a very laid-back and friendly approach to training.

Classy Ladies.

What I like about the story in Aria is that it's not over the top.  There's no fighting to speak of, hell there really isn't even any action.  Nearly every episode is about Akari and her friends struggling to become gondoliers, and along the way finding the little heartwarming moments that make an ordinary person's life magical ("No sappy lines allowed!!" ~Aika).  People in the future are no different from those living today.  They have the same worries as we do, the same troubles.  Being that Akari is such a positive, kind person, the everyday story makes it possible to see the world through her eyes, and it has a surprisingly warm effect.  The show has a good-natured humor that's very soothing.

Another thing I liked about the story is that we only see a small portion of Aqua, and much is left to the imagination.  Considered a paradise in the future, we see little hints dropped here and there that Aqua was a hell of a problem for people who terraformed it in the past.  Some episodes reflect on the blood, sweat, and tears that went into their paradise world.  Also, we're left to wonder what's happened to Earth (now called Manhome).  We get hints that something has changed it permanently, and it's unclear whether or not it's for the good.  At one point a tourist says something to the effect of "There are no gardens on Manhome."  I liked this ambiguous aspect of the details, because it promotes speculation.

Animation: Aria is animated very well for the time period.  I liked the character designs, which are very conservative.  There's no fanservice in this show to speak of, all of the characters are high-class ladies.  The settings, backdrops, and architecture in the anime are simply stunning, and add a lot to the atmosphere.  Some of the settings were story centerpieces, and all of them work very well.  There's a nice mix of old Venice and a few high-tech installations to remind you it's the future (a giant weather-generating island in the sky), and they mesh very well to bring Neo-Venezia to life.

Characters:  The characters in Aria are all wholesome individuals.  There's no treachery underfoot or bodies being discovered in the alleys.   The characters are simple, normal people.  This is one of the things I love about Aria.  You won't find anyone with super powers, insane killers, teen mecha pilots (well one guy drives an airspeeder and delivers packages..), mutants, or Gods.  Everyone has a believable character which is easy to relate to, and thus it's easier to get into the story.  The most strange characters you'll see are the cats.  You'll understand when you get there.

Voice Acting:  The voice work in Aria is good.  There aren't any scenes that get hammed-up, so there really isn't much to mention.  All of the cast give a good performance. 

Soundtrack:  Without a doubt my favorite album for any genre, including "normal" music.  The soundtrack is phenomenal.  Takeshi Senoo and Choro Club's score is something that has to be experienced, and fits so well with the anime that nothing else even comes close.  The addition of this wonderful music makes everyday moments in the anime especially moving, to the point of tears in some cases.  Eui Makino sings the opening song "Undine" and Round Table featuring Nino sings the ending song "Rainbow."  Both are great.  The song posted is a good example of the high standard that this anime has in the score department.  The song gets even better when Athena sings it in the second season.  Kawai Eri, who gives her singing voice to Athena, deserves special mention.  Such an amazing voice.

In the end, I would recommend Aria the Animation to anyone who likes slice of life anime.  The younger crowd might not like Aria because of its slow pace, but I found it charming.  If you liked Aria then you'd probably like Sketchbook ~full colors~. The atmosphere is similar, but Sketchbook isn't even on the same level.  You may also like Ikoku Meiro no Croisee, another slice of life in a "classic" setting which has a fantastic soundtrack.  I can't wait to get to Origination!

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka OF THE DEAD / Boku ha Tomodachi ga Sukunai OVA

Wow, been a while since I last updated, been playing a lot of Dark Souls and watching the current anime season, so I haven't been watching a lot of stuff that can be completed quickly.  While we're on the subject of this season, I'd suggest checking out Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!, Girls und Panzer, and Little Busters!  Anyway.

Recently finished Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? OF THE DEAD.

I give it a 5/10.  This is the second season of the Kore wa Zombie series, and continues the story where the first season left off.  Again, our zombie hero Ayumu fights off evil as a "masou shoujo," leading to a bunch of crossdressing jokes and LOL misunderstandings by his classmates, all the while surrounded by his growing harem of beautiful girls from the underworld.

Story:  There really isn't much of a story going on in the second season.  Every episode is filler.  The story wanders and before you know it, the final bad guy shows up but isn't confronted, leaving the show open for another season.  You'd think the show would end in a showdown, but ends up in a completely different direction and it's just a mess.  Kore wa Zombie was never something that would be applauded for its gripping, logical storyline, but this season took it a bit too far.  There isn't any point to it other than fanservice and jokes.  I was pretty much watching every episode just to get to the short Eu scenes after the credit roll.

Animation:  Like the first season, OF THE DEAD is animated by Studio DEEN.  It didn't hit me until I saw Kyouko's crazyface, which looks exactly like Sonozaki Shion's from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.  With DEEN, you shouldn't expect anything breathtaking, and OF THE DEAD is no exception.  The animation is pretty sloppy and is only barely passable.

Characters:  OF THE DEAD's characters run the gamut from necromancer to zombie to vampire ninja.  There's a huge female cast and there's at least a couple characters that anyone watching the show would enjoy.  One of the reasons I kept watching was because I liked specific characters more than I liked the storyline.  To say that Kore wa Zombie is character driven is an understatement.

SHE KNOWS.

Voice Acting:  The acting in this show is pretty good.

Soundtrack:  The score is okay, but nothing to get excited over.  The OP "*** Passionate" by Nomizu Iori (Haruna) and ED "Koi no Beginner Nan Desu (T_T)" by Yamaguchi Rie (Taeko) are both awesome, and their single albums are pretty good.  I really enjoyed their singles from the first season, which I still prefer to these, but they're both very catchy.

I would recommend Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? OF THE DEAD to anyone who saw and enjoyed the first season and doesn't mind fully character-driven anime.  I'd also recommend it to anyone who likes breast fanservice or masochists (Saraphim got a LOT of screen time, it seemed).  Personally, I stayed for Eu and Sarasvati, so take what you will from that.  If you liked this anime you'd probably like Highschool of the Dead, another zombie anime that focuses on action and a lot of fanservice.

I also finished the Boku ha Tomodachi ga Sukunai OVA.

I give it a 7/10.  This is the 13th episode of the anime, and I think this episode shipped with the blu-rays or something.  The Neighbor's Club is at it again, and a bunch of outcasts that have difficulty making friends with normal people somehow form a semblance of a relationship with each other.

Story:  From what I can tell (I haven't read the light novel), this episode follows an unaired chapter from the manga.  The characters create a "relay novel," that is, a short story where everyone takes turns writing a story.  After one page, the author switches to the next character, and so on.  Based on what we know of the character's personalities, we know that this can't end well, but it'll end up funny for sure, and it is.  This was one of my favorite chapters from the manga, so I was glad to see it animated.  It fits well as an OVA and doesn't interfere with the rest of the story.

Poor Meat.

Animation:  AIC did a good job animating this show, but there's something that bugs me about it.  I think the outlines are done a bit heavy, but that's just personal preference.  I love the detail they put into lips, you don't see that often.  The colors are vibrant and every episode of this show is a visual treat.  Being that this is an OVA, you'd think that there would be more put into it as far as animation, but I didn't notice a difference between this and the TV series.

Characters:  I like all of the characters in this show.  None of them can relate to a normal person by any means.  In their efforts to find someone to share their lives with, they find each other.  I especially like Yozora and Sena, although I doubt Yozora and Meat will ever be candid enough with each other that they'd outwardly admit that they're slowly becoming close friends.

Meat confirmed for foot fetish.  Why is it always FEET?

Voice Acting:  The voice acting is pretty standard overall, but Rika's seiyuu, Fuken Misato, is amazing.  I don't know how she does her scenes without passing out.  Her nonsensical, frantically escalating description of Gundam doujins is... something that has to be seen and heard.  How did she voice Yin from Darker than Black?  It's totally different!  Also, a personal favorite, Hanazawa Kana, returns as Kodaka's chuuni little sister Kobato.

Soundtrack:  The soundtrack is decent.  The OP and ED are both annoying, but somehow grow on you, especially the OP "Zannenkei Rinjinbu (Hoshi Futatsu Han)."  Both it and the ED "Kimi wa Tomodachi" are sung by the cast members.

I would recommend Boku ha Tomodachi ga Sukunai to anyone who likes comedies.  There's a LOT of video game, eroge, and anime references in this show too, so if you like that kind of stuff you'd like this anime for sure.  If you like this anime I'd recommend Seitokai no Ichizon, which has the same feel.