Summer 2016 Anime

Scared Rider Xechs: Seems like an interesting series about a music themed Sentai team with the main character having some performance issues. The first episode wasn't anything too spectacular but the setting and character design seemed cool even if the characters themselves aren't really anything special yet.

So Masou Gakuen Hx H has been dropped by TVQ Kyushu for being too hot for TV.

The first episode of Servamp is out. I will give my opinion on it after I watch it....

I haven't seen the first episode of it, but I'm not really surprised this happened given how pornographic everyone here said it was. Gonna see it uncensored tomorrow and see if I feel entertained enough to follow it.

edited 5th Jul '16 2:20:58 PM by VeryMelon

Puzzle & Dragons X is more or less Monster Strike reformulated for 30 minute episodes. That said, it's a shame that it doesn't get covered by most anime sites, even ANN just because it is a kids' anime (but I do not consider it as one, though). Kickass battle scenes and badass monster designs right off the bat certainly helps.

Hmmm so Servamp was also better then I expected. There is some comedy but nothing too obnoxious. There is some massive Mood Whiplash near the end of the episode when a vampire masquerading as a fun loving magician attacks the protagonist's friend on a busy street. Said vampire is some pink haired guy who seems to have a personality partially inspired by The Joker.

The action seems okay although I haven't seen much of it. I am not seeing any melodrama yet either which is nice. Haven't seen much of the protagonist and antagonist to for much of an opinion on them. Something interesting I did see is this concept of making blood contracts with vampires....

So, Servamp. If nothing else, it looks neat. All of the characters, including the leads, are distinctly one-note. Constant mood whiplash. Action is terrible. I can see why someone might like this, but it's not doing it for me

Hopefully the action picks up. That is one of the things I had a bit of an issue with but I will give it a pass for now as it's just the first episode.

The only other problems I have other then that is the opening song doesn't sound right to me (it's metalcore that doesn't gel well I think), that pink haired antagonist has a really annoying voice, and the protagonist is very standard, and thus a bit cliche so far (literally the only thing that differentiates him from most standard All-Loving Hero is the fact he knows how to cook and take care of himself and others).

Still, not bad at the very least.....

I'd call Sacred Rider Xechs incoherent if it weren't for the fact that everything was so predictable. It's an interesting example of narrative compression: It's obvious how the plot of the first episode is going to play out, so they spend more time on the atmosphere than anything else.

Couldn't wait for the New Game! subs (they're out now), so I watched it raw. Setting aside the fact that I did read the manga, it's not actually that hard for me to follow the dialogue for the most part without subs so I think I'll stick to the raws. It'll help me practise my listening skills for Japanese, plus there's a shitstorm going on over at the fansub's site regarding translation choices so I want to stay out of it.

Also, the CR subs are very liberal at points, so that's a strike against it as far as I'm concerned.

Back to the show itself: Standard introductory episode. Not much new for me since I'm a manga reader (apart from two characters being introduced much earlier), but even if I weren't there isn't very much to talk about in this show honestly. It's slice-of-life + comedy + CGDCT, so yeah. Don't expect an in-depth look into game development in this show, though there might be more details than there were in the manga if the anime team decides to add them.

I'd call Sacred Rider Xechs incoherent if it weren't for the fact that everything was so predictable.

Indeed. I watched it back to back with Masou Gakuen Hx H and the borderline porn one was actually more coherent, though only because it stuck to the standard "only boy in magic school" introductory episode plot so rigidly. Both shows parasite on their viewers' familiarity with dozens of other such shows, but Xechs took it to the extreme by not having a plot at all, just a collection of semi-connected scenes.

Masou Gakuen H x H...did not bore me. That's all I was hoping for. Because really, I can count on my hand the amount of "good" Light Novel harem series I've ever seen. The best they can get is "not good, but somewhere between average and above-average", which at least means I can find the ones that don't bore me to tears entertaining in some aspects.

What I'm saying is, I basically found a replacement for Berserk this season. Only other shows I still plan on watching are Food Wars 2 and Active Raid 2.

edited 6th Jul '16 12:35:04 PM by VeryMelon

Mahou Shoujo? Naria☆Girls not being streamed?

Crunchyroll has Naria Girls.

But no date, ugh.

Orange Episode 1: Didn't know Kana Hana was voicing the main female lead, so what can I say, SCORE. As for the show itself, pretty much played out as classic shojo, with the letter lending the series a sense of mystique and impending doom. A good watch marred slightly by the occasional weird bits of directing.

Love Live Episode 1: Ended up watching it. The new girls seem likable enough, with who I assume is the core trio being distinct enough from Muse. Speaking of Muse, I won't lie, it was the references to Muse that reeled me in. Hearing Start Dash again was nice, and learning that one of the girls is 1) from Otonokizaka Academy and 2) doesn't know what school idols are, piqued my curiosity enough to cause me to tune in for the next episode.

Taboo Tattoo Episode 1: I like how the art style makes the characters look like they have meat on their bones. Story's pretty generic but it's clear it's not taking itself too seriously. I also like how dynamic the fights were. Glad they knew what parts to burn the money on. Power system caught my interest for being essentially the same as the power system of one of my personal WIP.

Amaama to Inazuma Episode 1: Hit the feels which is exactly what I wanted from it when I heard the premise. Just... seeing the kid so happy from eating freshly cooked rice after all those convenience store meals. I could be cynical and point out how transparent it was, but for what it's worth, it made me care.

edited 7th Jul '16 9:26:45 AM by fillerdude

Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars: Ageless yuri lolis fighting in magic mecha, this seems interesting. The action was good and I love the mecha designs. Interesting twist that the non-blood relation little sister/love interest was the Empress.

edited 7th Jul '16 9:24:38 AM by SebastianGray

Liked this one as well. Surprisingly effective at introducing the setting, like the relationship between the two sisters, decent fight scenes, this looks like the light action series of the season.

Regalia's getting a "no thanks" from me.

Ooh, Regalia is actually pretty good. Interesting plot, likable characters, solid action, strikingly gay. Definite watch

91 Day's first episode should be released tomorrow from what I have read....

Regalia Episode 1: I suppose it's competent, though also lacking somewhat in overall impact. Which is rather odd considering the episode had several points of interest, enough to offset minor nitpicks. Though it does seem like the show would have done better evoking a suspense/thriller vibe instead of jumping straight into a fight scene. Who knows, though, maybe it still has a bunch of cards left to play.

Planetarian Episode 1: This was good! Yumemi hits an excellent balance between clueless girl and uncanny robot. Wondering if the post-apocalypse survival aspect will be shown in future episodes, though I honestly don't mind if they don't. Being talk-y and introspective seems like it will suit this show, and it'll be a nice break from the usual sci-fi/action hybrid you see in anime.

Prisma Illya 3rei Episode 1: Wastes no time introducing the strong mean baddies and jumping into the parallel world plot. Awesome. Bring out the magical fireworks.

edited 8th Jul '16 9:10:51 AM by fillerdude

Hmmmm...just watched 91 Days First Episode, it's pretty good so far....

Planetarian was great. Both super sad and very endearing. I want to see where this is going.

I too liked Regalia. The mech design is very ZONE of the Enders esque, with the main mech looking like Jehuty with Ryuko coloring.

edited 8th Jul '16 4:49:54 PM by Demongodofchaos2