Accel World and Tari Tari

Even though there's so much to write about, I'm still too lazy to write or do anything at all. FUCK

Accel World

I have mixed feelings about this show. It immediately hooked me right from episode 1, establishing the futuristic setting, technology, and the characters. I knew that this was going to be fun, and it was. The main character didn't annoy me at all, unlike a lot of people. The story had very cliche elements but handled them in a good way, except for certain parts that I'll get into later. What I also found interesting is that the female characters where portrayed as being much stronger and smarter than everybody else yet still retaining their feminine qualities. The animation was also really good for some of the more pivotal fight scenes. I also liked the soundtrack a lot. A fusion of cool techno with synths or, my personal favorite, generically awesome guitar riffs. There were other styles in there too but it was still good. The mecha designs should be mentioned as well since they were pretty cool looking, especially Black Lotus.

One thing I really have to mention is the second half of the series. While the first half was great and exciting every step of the way, the second half took a huge downward plunge. The plot followed a single arc while before, it was going at a good pace knocking down multiple arcs. It focused too much on a single antagonist, who wasn't all that interesting to begin with. It followed a lot of the typical shonen writing and had very uninteresting plot development. There was a mini filler arc smashed in between too. I was one of the people that liked it but, at the time, I wanted it to be over quickly so we can get back to the main story. Of course, the main plot ended up being more of the current arc with no end in sight. It made me appreciate the filler all the more. The way everything ended was a bit shoddy too. There was some major development for three of the main characters but the way things happened made me feel like it was pointless, even though it wasn't, based solely on how it happened.

Infinite amounts of jelly.

I'm not sure if I'd like it the same way on a rewatch but I at least know that the first half is worth it. There were many sci-fi aspects that really appealed to me in this. The overall tone and plot had a somewhat mainstream feel to it but at least I, technically, enjoyed most of it. I hope that they adapt the rest of the novels.

Tari Tari
Another of the, somehow, many anime original productions that PA Works has done. A slice of life, high school, coming of age story with music as the main theme. As always, I really enjoyed the production values put into PA Works shows. Not necessarily the animation but just the overall look of everything. There were a lot of problems with this show, though. Being an original production, the story is completely made up as they go along. This always invites some of the same problems that plague such works. An example would be the characters and how they become friends without much development to do so in the first place. I remember watching one of the later episodes one day and thinking, "Wait, since when were you guys good friends?" I take it as a negative sign but I could also be the one at fault since I consume a lot of anime so who knows? The characters felt somewhat flat as well. That could be attributed to its short length and not enough time to flesh them out, even though they did get ample amount of development. There were little arcs that focused on each character, which at the end of those arcs had them overcome their dilemma. I'd say it was how rushed everything was, which made it seem cheap to me. The choir bits and various other songs were also kinda cheesy but that's just me.
This show was obviously made in order to sell. Sell what you ask? Anything and everything from merchandise to Blu Ray/DVDs. I wouldn't really rewatch this since it's done in my mind. I did enjoy it but it wasn't anything special to begin with, that's not to say that it's bad either. Giving it a watch isn't a bad thing at all. There were a lot of comparisons to Hanasaku Iroha since it was the same studio, character designer, and they're both anime original. I'd say that Hanasaku Iroha was my favorite between the two since I liked it more despite Tari Tari having a plot that was better put together. There are a lot of variables in place when it comes to storytelling and enjoyment.

By the time this is posted, more shows that I was following would already be finished. My opinions on those will come in the next post. I also left out Gundam AGE since I couldn't finish it in time. It became a bit mediocre but I'll get to my opinions on that later.

Moyashimon Returns, Hyouka, and Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita

With Summer finally ending, anime series are bound to follow. This post is going to start off the wave of opinions that you'll see in the coming weeks. So let's dig in.

Moyashimon Returns

This was a great series and a good sequel to season 1. The story starts right where the last season left off. Making alcohol for the sake of science and agriculture university antics. Each episode flowed nicely into the next, which made it feel like the entire season was one big arc.

A complaint I had in the beginning was that the character designs were changed from the original. I'm not really sure what happened here since it apparently has the same studio and director behind it. Different staff? It's not like the character designs got any better, so why change it? I also noticed how they spent way too much time in France. This was definitely where the main conflict was but it kinda felt like it dragged too long. It could also be that most of the cast wasn't even in France. At least we got introduced to a new character, the hot blond pictured above. Next to the trap.

I should also address the sour reception that this season had. I liked it. If you're looking for science, go read a textbook. I will admit, there wasn't as much microbe and fermentation science involved within the season. But it was to make room for the character development and the events that were established in season 1.

Uwahh~

Hyouka

Easily a favorite from the season. I was a fan of it from the start. Slice of life adventures of mundane mysteries and a cast of characters that the fandom will forever keep shipping. I'm definitely going to give this a rewatch this since it's really that good. In fact, I rewatched a few of the early episodes already.

However, I do have some complaints. I'll start with a shallow one, I really can't stand Satoshi. I don't think it's the character itself, it's the character in combination with the voice actor. I know that the voice actor has done better roles with different voices but I hate it when he falls into this type cast. So annoying. Then there's Oreki's voice actor who, quite frankly, could've been replaced with someone else who specializes in that category. I know his voice actor can act really well but this role really isn't meant for him. I know some people will argue against me since they're SO used to these voices that they couldn't imagine anything different. Keep in mind that I really like this show. Holy shit.

The best part of the series was definitely the culture festival arc. Because of this, the rest of the episodes felt semi-inferior in comparison. The final episode had an okay resolution but I kinda feel like the imagined Oreki confession wasn't needed and actually made it worse. I won't go into detail but you can look up interpretations of the final scene elsewhere. It already makes sense to me. I can keep going on about this show but we would have to speak personally for this to happen. Overall, if you like slice of life as well as KyoAni then you'll like this. Amazing and worth a rewatch

Maybe this will convince people to watch it.

 Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita

I'm very glad that I picked this up on a whim. It was really good, might even be another favorite of the season. They really captured the style of the manga perfectly by using similar techniques in the art/animation. The comedy was good with a dash of dark and the pacing was well done in a different way. Of course, there were times when I wasn't really excited to watch it but that quickly goes away once I start watching it.

My favorite arcs would have to be the manga arc and the school arc. These are the two that stick out in my mind when looking back at the series. The show is very quirky and I wouldn't be surprised if it goes overlooked as time goes on. I'm pretty sure fans of ABe would enjoy this one. The best way to know if you like it is by watching it. I should also mention that the opening was performed by nano.RIPE and the ending by Itou Masumi. Two of my favorite performers in anime music that I enjoy. A rewatch is definitely happening and I really hope we get a second season.

:D

Note: Yes, I know about some people closing their blogs and it's really sad to see. It's all about comments, if you really enjoyed this then you wouldn't close it. I hope they don't close forever. I know I don't comment much so sorry.

Gundam and puzzle games

This post is here later than usual, as it always is, but I'm here writing it anyway. It's not like a lot of people read my blog. baka

I don't care what anyone says, Yamada clones are the best.

I decided to pick up Gundam AGE, now that it's ending soon and that new PSP game based on it looks cool. Mostly for the video game. I don't care how shitty the game is, I just want to play it. I've only completed Flit's Frito arc and it's been pretty enjoyable, so far. People complaining just don't know how to have fun. It's doing a few things differently, the most notable difference being the 3 generation story arcs in one series. Common problems are inevitable, like pacing and shallow characters. The show itself feels like it's trying to play it safe in the worst way possible. It tries to appeal to the older fans and at the same time gain new fans but it feels like its true potential isn't realized. It does feel a bit lighter and the characters don't feel very fleshed out, only the minimum for plot progression. It also feels like it's for younger audiences, but this was intentional from the beginning. I also have to note a specific plot point that I'm pretty sure everybody knows already. *spoiler* Yurin dies. Didn't like that, even though the characters weren't strong to begin with.*spoiler* These are only my thoughts so far. I still have the rest to watch but I am looking forward to finishing it.

I've been playing a lot of video games recently. It's happening again ;_; Mostly,  SNES/SFC games. During this time period, I blindly pick games at random and start playing. Through this process, I found an interesting game. Super Soukoban, a puzzle game about pushing crates. hmm.... It's really, entertaining? I'm not sure, because I never felt a sense of satisfaction when clearing a puzzle. You're always sent to the next screen after clearing a puzzle, which is an even more convoluted mess than the last. Of course, it's not a bad game. Here's a challenge for all readers. Actually TRY OUT this game and tell me what YOU think.

It's still Summer. I hate it, but at least it isn't as bad as previous ones. I got quite a bit done during this time and it also felt like time flew by quickly. I still hate it, though.