Winter 2017 Anime

Round 2 of the roundup:

• Gabriel Dropout: Cute and funny, as it should be, but also not particularly memorable in any capacity. The Dogakobo oomph is kind of missing too. I do adore the angelic demon and the sadistic angel.
• Kuzu no Honkai: Not my cup of tea, but there's no denying this is expertly directed. Poignant panel-style cuts and brushwork stills all help paint a very intimate atmosphere, appropriate for a "love story" that, unusually for an anime, pays attention to the "ugly" sides of teenage love and sexuality, like, say using physical lust for romantic fulfillment. I also found the sound design fantastic, with ebbs and flows that suit the mood of the scenes they play in; the OP is incredible, and Hanabi's voice actress nails her snarky character.
• Tiger Mask: I'd call it over-the-top but then it is pro-wrestling. And the wrestling action is pretty damn good; I'm fond of the titular character's acrobatic special attacks. There's unusually quite a few episodes that don't completely revolve around wrestling, but they aren't bad and in fact can be very amusing.
• Tales of Zestiria: Sure, Sorey is the chosen one, but honestly? Alicia and Rose fit the roles of main characters really well too, and they have far more interesting character arcs. Still, all in all, this is a by-the-numbers fantasy RPG story propped up by ufotable's shiny and sleek animation work. Oh, and the final episode is actually still a month away, for some reason.

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@ Handle The easy recs are Demi-chan wa Kataritai, KonoSuba and Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. All are superbly written and animated.

Since you like Trigger, definitely check out Little Witch Academia. For genuine emotion (specifically, the ugly side) check out Kuzu no Honkai. Maid Dragon has a fair bit of mellowness as well, more than you'd expect from the cutesy designs, and Youjo Senki is a competent alternate-history WW 1 story (plus magic).

edited 1st Apr '17 6:50:38 AM by fillerdude

I was never conquered by the Little Witch Academia shorts. They're objectively fantastic, but there's absolutely nothing there that hooks me. It's very SOL, despite the fireworks, and the characters aren't compelling enough to carry the show. I get a feeling somewhat like when watching Overwatch shorts: it all feels shallow and lacking weight.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Round 3 of the roundup:

• Youjo Senki: A solid rendition of alternate history WW 1 with magic. The writers did their research here. I was a bit doubtful of the premise at first, but Tanya's feud with Being X more than justifies the reincarnation/isekai themes. I just assume the loli thing was merely to add salt to the wound. Speaking of Tanya, what a delightfully merciless protagonist. The show strikes a nice balance of letting Tanya be an ass and doling out karmic retribution. The female character designs are offputting, but otherwise the animation is good, with some inspired cuts here and there.
• Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Masterful storytelling. This is most exemplified in the numerous rakugo performances peppered throughout the show— the animation and direction really breathe life into them, with closeups on beads of sweat as the tension builds up, and the plays on light as the mood shifts from macabre to merry, and the shifting of feet as a story reaches its close, and how these plays tie into the goings on of the actors' lives. There are even very bold moves such as deliberately making some of these performances boring to highlight inexperience, and this is something I would have never let pass if the rest of the show hadn't been high-quality. Outside of these one-man plays, you have the struggles of an old master of a dying art struggling with survivor's guilt, and how his wish to die alone is turned on its head as he somehow ends up with a family of sorts. It's heartfelt, tragic, and inspiring like the best stories are, and 2017 will be a truly outstanding year if there is even just one more show that can equal it.

ACCA is a case of Fridge Logic ruining an otherwise upbeat ending. All of that struggle was for a few mumbled empty words with no actual change? The more I think about it, the more it feels like a barely-concealed Downer Ending.

edited 2nd Apr '17 9:46:51 PM by HighVelocityPointyThings

Agreed on Rakugo Shinjuu. That it ended on the happiest note it possibly could was kinda incredible. On top of artistic expression, and survivor's guilt, it was alsoa story about love that couldn't be broken, even if you tried. Kikuhiko was almost hellbent on dying miserable and alone. He actively tries to ostracize himself from Kontasu, Yotaro, and everyone else by being such a cold ass. Yet despite his efforts, he still surrounded himself with people who love him, and who love him back. Him, Miyokichi, and Sukeroku basically could not have "parted" on more miserable terms, yet you get like an entire penultimate episode with them making amends in the afterlife. In a sense, he was kind of cornered into living a satisfying, and fufiling life filled, and dying peacefully, which is real sweet, and a little funny.

"Curry killed the pussy hoping that I could kill the hate in you" - Curry, D. "TABOO | TA13OO." TA13OO, PH, 2018

Starting Konosuba a tad late. I must say it has the best first episode I've seen in a while. Hilarious and sweet all the way through, with just enough mean humour. <3

Flippé de participer à ce grand souper, je veux juste m'occuper de taper mon propre tempo.

I somewhat regret never starting up a thread for it. Didn't think it would gain much audience traction, yet here we are.

Man, I already feel like marathoning both seasons of KonoSuba again. Such a fun show.

It's the most popular anime people complain about not being popular enough, it's great.

@lynedith: Konosuba is money.

To people who also want to support the series, but are forced to legally acquire it it; the light novels are available digitally on a site called Bookwalker. less than ten dollars for the first volume.

edited 3rd Apr '17 5:41:14 AM by mrsunshinesprinkles

"Curry killed the pussy hoping that I could kill the hate in you" - Curry, D. "TABOO | TA13OO." TA13OO, PH, 2018

3 episodes in… yep, it's great alright. Not sure how those cabages didn't end up burned to a crisp by Megumin's EKUSUPUROOOJON though. Also, Centorea, what are you doing here? >.>

Also that ending theme is pure honey.

Flippé de participer à ce grand souper, je veux juste m'occuper de taper mon propre tempo.