Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince

New anime for the Spring of 2013! Let's discuss it here: what are your first impressions about it? The trailers are all quite promising for now, and the characters look interesting. This has the potential to be a great show!

It's going to start very soon...

... The title makes it sounds like some sort of Star Driver spinoff or something. ._.

In before somebody complains about Hirai, the art is actually improved over the manga.

Here's the manga for comparison◊. Anti-clockwise starting from the full body character: Izuru, Tamaki, Toshikazu, Ataru, Kei.

Minor Rant: Can't you Westerners just accept the naming structure that Japan uses? I mean, everybody's required to put their family name first on school exams and government papers anyway, so why can't you just adapt to it? Because it's so hard to research their names when everybody's switching formats between websites.

Because there are Japanese people who put their names in western order when romanizing. Although I don't know if that's the standard or anything.

edited 4th Apr '13 7:27:18 AM by SimplyWhatever

I can understand this wiki's reasons for using western naming order. Western naming order is the only order expected in western works, and site-wide conventions keep things simple.

I assume it would be much the same for other places that cover both western and eastern works.

No judgements on which is the "best".

The first episode is out.

This will be my first series to follow now for Spring.

Hopefully Simon doesn't go Keel Lorenz on us because that smug smile near the end combined with the Visor is very suspicious.

edited 4th Apr '13 12:00:04 PM by Demongodofchaos2

Nice character animation, guys.◊

Not bad for a first episode. Though I kinda get the feeling that Cerebus Syndrome will kick in sooner or later. The Urgals sure look like they're a bunch of heartless bastards.

Still, I have fair expectations for this series. I mean, it's not like it can do much worse than Gundam AGE, Eureka Seven AO or Prince Of Darkness, right?

Trope page started by yours truly.

edited 4th Apr '13 1:02:28 PM by LilyNadesico2

I like how they didn't even bother to explain why they picked the academy's most dysfunctional team of incompetent screwups for a vitally important live-combat mission.

Also, was it just me, or did the characters' mouths seem to constantly be in danger of falling off their chins?

Generally, though, I disliked how little weight everything seemed to have. Oh no! The Ragtag Bunch of Misfits can't function as a team, and have been dumped in the middle of a battlefield with no way to... no, wait, they're an excellent team now and they curbstomp everything. Oh no! The evacuation didn't work out and now our heroes have to face impossible odds to save innocent li... no, wait, they steamrolled those guys as well. It just all felt kind of hollow.

edited 4th Apr '13 1:54:29 PM by Iaculus

Well, they did say that, individually, they had a lot of potential. Sure, it was a little strangehow they managed to work together, but I guess that in the heat of the moment, where they were fighting to stay alive, they kind of had to swallow their pride and be a team. As for the rest, well... I dare say custom units are more powerful than simple grunt units. The Urgals never had to face such power before, and were caught off guard.

I like it. Yes there are some stuff that doesn't make sense (hopefully only for now) mentioned by tropers above, but hey these teenagers seems to be spirited, quite badass and noone of them accidentaly fallen into the cockpit! And that is almost miracle! Jokes were funny, characters weren't annoying for whole first episode, And Miyuki Sawashiro showed that having three or four roles per season as usualy doesn't affect her performence at all.

It still might be bad, but I belive I will stick with it until end at least.

edited 4th Apr '13 3:20:22 PM by Tenzen12

Miyuki Sawashiro can do no wrong.

They probably sortied them because they were just going to be a distraction. They were likely expected to die.

Fortunately Izuru (if you follow the background fluff) is basically the setting's version of a Coordinator so instead of death badassery followed.

In newest type mechas? Really?

edited 4th Apr '13 6:13:53 PM by Tenzen12

Who knows? Maybe it'll be explained next ep?

I liked this. I did find it funny how badly the two fanservice shots were integrated though.

Explanation of the mechs and what they are capable o-BOOBS

All the mechs launching and looking really coo-ASS

And I think the weird looks of the animation are because Kazuo Hirai's (did I get that right) designs don't really seem that great for cartoony expressiveness.

The art style reminds me of old series (maybe?)and it was entreteining to watch so I will probably watch this, even though I found the first episode kind of predictable.

It appears that the only new thing is the "use of DNA to make the mecha work better" part so maybe they wanted to test it. I agree that the mission was expected to be a suicidal one, either that or the commander is Genre Savvy enough to know that a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits in a Super Prototype always works.

edited 4th Apr '13 10:02:56 PM by Joaqs

Hirai was the character designer for Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny, Linebarrels Of Iron, Heroic Age and Fafner In The Azure. All mecha series for some reason and they all look the same.

edited 4th Apr '13 10:16:31 PM by Zendervai

I can think of no better pedigree than Gundam Seed Destiny.

As well as Infinite Ryvius and Scryed. Dude's got one of the most recognizable art styles in anime. Not a fan personally. His noses just weird me out.

...Sarcasm?

edited 4th Apr '13 10:35:34 PM by Ruthek

Quite.

I didn't mind the character designs on Infinite Ryvius, though. If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have guessed they were the same.

, That explains why I recognized the style, thanks.

Why thank you :P

To be honest, I expected at least three of the kids to die before the end of the first episode. All with all that build up, you would think there would be more difficult beyound "Take this missile-pod-gun-thingie! Kick ass!".

I will also admit that I tend to avoid stories that fall into the "Humanity is getting steamrolled by evil aliens! Nothing works! Except this new awesome robot we just made!" cliche. Can't we have humanity loosing due to something different? Like logistcs?

edited 5th Apr '13 5:15:04 AM by minusmagniaxe