Spring 2015 Anime Season

more like damning in this case.

If there's going to be a legit TV series then I'm willing to forgive but after this I want nothing to do with Trigger's bullshit again.

Dear god... Ninja Slayer. That was the nuttiest Stylistic Suck I've seen since Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff.

The way it cuts between crappy cutout animation and actual animation that's actually even crappier in an entirely different fashion, with horrible color choices and Unmoving Plaid all over the place... Cheap slapstick with random explosions and fire hoses of blood. This is like if a colorblind 10-year-old Power Rangers fanatic made an "anime," and the anime fairy blessed it with voice acting and occasional glimpses of quality. So, basically the best worst thing ever.

Apparently the source material of Ninja Slayer is a light novel, written by Japanese men pretending to be westerners pretending to be Japanese.

I wasn't interested in Ninja Slayer at all. But then I saw the commotion and checked it out. Laughed my ass off . The scene with the cops kicking the drunk guy was pure gold.

I know, right? that army of cops just erupting out of nowhere was just too much.

I'd pretty much hoped a while back that the show would be like this and I'm glad to see it didn't disappoint.

Show By Rock!!: I am totally hooked on this. Decent character designs and impressive made-for-the-anime soundtrack are enough for me. Bonus points for well done 3DCG.

Found an update on the Lupin III series: http://www.cinematoday.jp/page/N0072597

The first episode will be broadcast some time in May, and the Japanese release (NTV, naturally) will be at an unspecified time in the fall.

Show by rock is really charming. It may be the most underrated anime of the season.

So I finally got a chance to watch the pilot of Ninja Slayer and all I got to say is this: "What the hell was that, Trigger?" I know it's meant to be in a similar style as Inferno Cop, but at least the latter was a collection of 2-4 minute shorts. Also, I get that it's supposed to be a satire on how the West views Japanese culture, but a lot of the jokes just didn't work. As for the production itself, well, the effort they put in (or didn't put in) is just sad, especially seeing what they could do with Kill la Kill. Didn't think for a second that I was actually gonna favor Punch Line (which is by no means a good series btw) over this. And to think I was hyped up for this trainwreck... Dropped

edited 20th Apr '15 10:05:06 PM by sanfranman91

Apparently, the web series is different from the actual TV series, so there's something.

We're three episodes in and my watchlist has settled on this:

Re-Kan: Episode 3 largely dropped the comedy for equal parts heartwarming and yuri. This worked fairly well, and it should take care of my moeshit needs for the season (farewell, KinMoza)

Seraph: The most solid thing I'm watching, with no real major weaknesses. ...It also lacks major strengths, with pretty much everything it does well being done better by something else. While I'm not likely to drop it, I'm not sure I'll watch S2 unless it comes up with a hook

Kekkai Sensen: It is among the most visually accomplished media you will ever see. Music isn't bad, either. That said, it has some coherence issues

Mikagura: Best comedy. Also striking for being non-typical in a lot of ways— it does some odd things with the tropes it uses. Feels kind of like a webcomic

Euphonium: The individual parts are all good, but I'm not sure they all go together. Like, it sort of bounces between quirky Slice of Life and realistic drama. Jarring when the two sides are together. Also KyoAni is changing their style up a bit for this, which is good to see

Pleiades: I have no idea what it's trying to do, which is what makes it interesting. Pretty, though

A rather better and more interesting season than I was expecting. Gayer, too

Drops:

• Seraph of the End: There's slow beginnings and then there's... this.
• Gunslinger Stratos had a good premise, but so far it has done nothing interesting with it and ep. 3 was boring.
• Dan Machi has pacing so terrible that too little and too much happens in a given episode.
• Food Wars is just umconfortable. I can't do this :/.
• Denpa Kyoshi is shit
• Show by Rock: Moe. Urgh.
• Sound! Euphonium: Bleh.

Keeps:

• Plastic Memories has proven that it can be hilarious and moving.
• Punchline has the right energy and its comedy is pretty good. There's also some characterization moments that make everything worth it.
• The Heroic Legend of Arslan is just excellent.
• Blood Blockade Battlefront is so fucking cool. Like, really.
• RIN-NE: The jokes connect with me well enough to keep an interest.
• I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying is too cute for words.
• Teekyu! 4 and Takamiya Nasuno Desu: Why am I still watching this?

I think you might eventually regret dropping Euphonium. It's starting off slow, but I have a feeling that it'll get really good in a few episodes.

"It'll get good later" has never really been a stellar recommendation. That said i've not even tried watching it so I wouldn't really know one way or another.

Particularly when we're not sure it'll happen. Euphonium is honestly the series I'm most worried about turning into a trainwreck

I'd say Euphonium's already good; it's got the Kyoani power behind its visuals and its writing is quite solid. It's got potential, but yeah, as Hylarn said, could potentially crash and burn.

TRIAGE X: I just watched the first episode but wow, this show is hardcore. The amount of tits and explosions could put Transformers to shame. I kinda enjoying it though. Crime fighting nurses are awesome.

most of the time when someone says a show takes a little while to get going, the parts before shit hits the fan are still reasonably enjoyable.

no idea if euphonium is just a slow burn or w/e, havent been watching it.

edited 23rd Apr '15 10:31:46 AM by wehrmacht

You know, Yona of the Dawn was slowburn and even then it had strong characterization since the beginning. So did Steins;Gate. The girls in Euphonium don't strike me as any different than any other kyoani moeblobs.

There are shows that have a non-indicative prologue. Red Data Girl, for example, started with three episodes that consisted of unlikable people doing unlikable things for unclear reasons - and then it had a setting change, and became a much more interesting and charming show with an intriguing epic-myth arc.

And I'm not putting my money on that. Moe is just not my thing.

Euphonium is not that moe.

It's refreshingly realistic.

And "I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying" Isn't Moe?

I don't think our friend here is a fan of slow pacing or low-key character interaction

nyaa

I do and have enjoyed many anime with those two characteristics. Like Mushishi or Yona. The difference being that Euphonium's characters failed to connect with me.

Moe is in the eyes of the beholder, so that isnt really the correct term to use. Hell some people consider Jo Jos Bizarre Adventure to be the most Moe thing ever made...