Anime Spring Season 2008 Anime

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]Since DigitalBoy isn't around to make these anymore I guess I'll give it a shot. I've started on the new spring season anime and thought I'd post up my impressions. I'm also curious what others are watching this season.


[b]Top Picks[/b]

[u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=8518]Kurenai[/url][/u]
I think this is going to be my favorite of the season. The little-girl-gets-dropped-on-a-teenager schtick isn't anything new but, unlike the other similar series I've seen, Kurenai isn't cutesy and doesn't try to be. In fact, it's a little dark and I'm loving its art and animation. The cuteness comes naturally from Murasaki simply being the [url=http://img329.imageshack.us/my.php?image=murasaki1ms1.jpg][u]little girl[/u][/url] she is.

[u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=8746]The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk[/url][/u]
It looks like Gonzo pulled a Haruhi on this one so don't judge Tower of Druaga on the first episode alone. Ep1 is a totally [url=http://img501.imageshack.us/my.php?image=druagataboobv1.jpg][u]absurd mockery[/u][/url] of fantasy RPGs/anime but ep2 reverses course and turns serious. The RPG-esque swords & sorcery setting always interests me so if the series can strike a good balance with its humor I think I'm going to like it a lot.

[u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9193]Itazura na Kiss[/url][/u]
I gotta get my seasonal dose of (non-perverted) high school romantic comedy, you know? This one fills the hole left by Kimikiss and I'm already liking Itazura na Kiss more after seeing two episodes. I have a hard time explaining specifics but it has sort of the same feeling as Lovely Complex, which I enjoyed quite a bit. It also doesn't hurt that I really like Kotoko's [url=http://img256.imageshack.us/my.php?image=itakisskotokoiu3.jpg][u]character design[/u][/url].

[u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9163]Nijuu Mensou no Musume[/url][/u]
Hirano Aya voices the main character so it has to be good. ... Okay, so there are other reasons I picked this up. It's about an infamous thief (think Lupin III only not so wacky) who kidnaps eleven-year-old girl Chizuko, though she actually goes willingly to join his group. Ep1 was basically just character introduction, so nothing too spectacular, but they'd have to totally botch this setup for me to stop watching.


[b]Good[/b]

[u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9091]To Love-Ru -Trouble-[/url][/u]
If you can stand the excessive jiggling and general ecchi theme, this one looks like it should be really funny. Ep1 had plenty of mindless fun and, hey, I happen to have a thing for pink-haired, green-eyed anime girls.

[u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=8586]Macross Frontier[/url][/u]
So I don't really like mecha. I don't hate it but it doesn't interest me. Except when the mecha transform into fighter jets—apparently that makes it okay. I've had some interest in the Macross universe for a while now but never got into the older series, so I decided to give Macross Frontier a shot. I liked what I saw in ep1 and I plan on sticking with this one.

[u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9070]Soul Eater[/url][/u]
I'm usually not very interested in the big shounen action shows but this one was pretty amusing. There's just something about a young girl swinging around a scythe bigger than she is. The art for this show is crazy, with the [url=http://img329.imageshack.us/my.php?image=souleatersunpn5.jpg][u]laughing sun[/u][/url] being especially great. And I liked the OP theme enough to rip the TV size version out of the episode and encode my own mp3 of it.

[u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9236]Kyouran Kazoku Nikki[/url][/u]
I've not seen such a load of weird, random, fast-talking crap since watching Excel Saga. I'm not even sure how else to describe this show. But as long as it keeps that up it'll be great for turning my brain off and laughing at.


[b]Mediocre[/b]

[u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9234]Chi's Sweet Home[/url][/u]
It's hard to rank this one due to the show simply being three minute bursts of kitten super cuteness. I get the feeling it would lose its charm fast if too many episodes were watched in a row but one or two at a time isn't bad.

[u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=8988]Allison & Lillia[/url][/u]
Just as there's no plot summary of this on ANN yet, ep1 told me little about what the show is going to be like, other than that war and flying are involved. Allison, the blond pilot girl, looks like a fun character but beyond that it seems up in the air (lol get it?). It looks interesting so if they can pull a decent story out of it I'll keep watching.

[u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9029]Amatsuki[/url][/u]
It's a fantasy series where two high school kids from the present (future?) get transported to Tokugawa era Edo and a female samurai saves their *****. That's about all I could gather from the first episode but it's directed by the same guy as Rurouni Kenshin and looks like it could be good.

[strike][u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9000]Kanokon[/url][/u][/strike] (dropped)
OMG the furriness. While watching ep1 part of my mind rebelled at the thought of liking this show yet there were enough amusing bits that I have to give it at least a couple more episodes. I want to see more of the [url=http://img265.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kanokontwinsel7.jpg][u]twins[/u][/url].

I finally realized I have much better ways to spend my time than to watch this show.


[b]Boring[/b]

[strike][u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=8774]Wagaya no Oinari-sama[/url][/u][/strike] (dropped)
The first episode of this was slow and uninteresting. The fox deity was slightly amusing but no comparison to Spice and Wolf's Horo. It sounds like it's setting up for a monster of the week plot already. I don't think I can watch this one for the ears and tail alone.

[strike][u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=8769]S.A (Special A)[/url][/u][/strike] (dropped)
The best thing this show has going for it, in my eyes, is that one of the characters has a [url=http://img396.imageshack.us/my.php?image=specialaslothjm5.jpg][u]pet sloth[/u][/url]. That's [i]awesome.[/i] However, everything else bored me. The setting is generic as ever, the characters didn't interest me, and I didn't like the character designs at all. Unless ep2 somehow manages to impress me, or the sloth gets more screen time, I doubt I'll keep watching.

[strike][u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9069]Blassreiter[/url][/u][/strike] (dropped)
I probably wouldn't have bothered with this in the first place if it weren't one of the series being streamed legally, since it didn't look like something I'd be interested in. And I was right, it's really not my thing.[/color]

[The Spectacular Professor]

[quote name='Desbreko'][color=#4B0082][u][url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=8769]S.A (Special A)[/url][/u]
The best thing this show has going for it, in my eyes, is that one of the characters has a [url=http://img396.imageshack.us/my.php?image=specialaslothjm5.jpg][u]pet sloth[/u][/url]. That's [i]awesome.[/i] However, everything else bored me. The setting is generic as ever, the characters didn't interest me, and I didn't like the character designs at all. Unless ep2 somehow manages to impress me, or the sloth gets more screen time, I doubt I'll keep watching.[/color][/QUOTE]

It seems ironic that the only thing you don't find boring about the show is a sloth (Haven't seen it myself, just thought it was funny.)

I'll have to check some of this stuff out one of these days.

[Meggido]

I'm waiting for episode 2 of Special A to make my final decision. On stuff you haven't mentioned though two big sequels out are [B]Code Geass R2[/B] and [B]xxxHOLiC: kei[/B]. R2 basically picks up a year after the first season ended, with Zero proclaimed dead and Lelouch living a normal high schooler life with his brother Rollo. Not much is answered in the first ep however ep 2 tells a different story.

[B]xxxHOLiC: kei[/B], on the other hand continues with the manga (but like the first series doesn't have the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle link). However at this stage the events are less episodic and a lot more linear in fashion. Starts off with what I think is one of the best arcs of the manga.

The Other one I'm watching that hasn't been mentioned is [B]Vampire Knight[/B]. I'm not sure what to say my impressions are of this yet, but it is supposedly one of the big anime of the season. Simply it's a shoujo anime which I don't usually have much interest in (well maybe not true), about a school where there is a day class that is full of humans and a night class full of vampires. I read a good portion of the manga after the first ep and it looks like it could be a promising series.

[Fasteriskhead]

I already posted most of my thoughts on my world [URL=http://www.theotaku.com/worlds/fasteriskhead/view/8499/anime_short_list%2C_spring_%2708/][U]here[/U][/URL]. To this list I would also add Golgo 13, because... well, do I even need to say why? It's [I]Golgo 13[/I] people, Lawful Neutral personified. He's practically an institution. Duke Togo is like a freelance James Bond with no moral qualms, an even more overclocked sex drive, no witticisms (or much other speech for that matter), and the ability to snipe God if someone paid him enough for it. Screw ninjas and vampires, give me cigar-chomping international super-assassins any day.

So far my highest expectations lay with Kurenai (which should be good), Kanokon (which should be enjoyable, trashy fun), and Code Geass part the second (which should be ridiculous beyond words). And depending on when they hit the streets, I also hold a lot of hope for Junjo Romantica (DON'T YOU JUDGE ME) and the new Macross. Let the season commence!

[Dagger]

[b]xxxHOLiC Kei[/b] - I'll watch the good parts.

[b]Soul Eater[/b] - Shounen action with an awesome heroine. Bones seems to be pulling out all the stops animation-wise.

[b]Nabari no Ou[/b] - Modern-day ninjas, great fight scene animation (although the character designs are kind of awkward body-wise), very likable characters. Am amused by the protagonist's fake-moe act. Somehow I got a similar vibe from Nabari no Ou, Kurenai and Amatsuki (even though all three are totally different, haha), and I liked this the best.

[b]Blassreiter[/b] - I will suffer through all kinds of CG hell for the sake of Urobuchi Gen. But I really do think that the story is going to go some interesting places. Not many anime give their main character maybe 5 total seconds of screentime in the first and second episodes combined...

[b]Junjou Romantica[/b] - The thing about this series is that the manga-ka is at her best when portraying characters already in relationships. So she tends to throw couples together really fast--and that's already evident in the first episode, which covers more ground than in 20 frenetic minutes than most romance series do in their entire runs. :animeswea

However, Junjou is a lot more self-aware than most other BL and GL anime out there. What got me to give the manga another chance--and what, I think, saves the first episode of the anime--is the self-parodying scene about Usami's upbringing. The serious parts will catch up later on, as they did in the manga.

~Dagger~

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]I watched ep2 of S.A just now?and then promptly deleted it as I decided to drop the series. On one hand, the episode managed to make me chuckle a couple times compared to a flat zero from ep1 but, on the other, the student council president annoyed the crap out of me. Kei being a stubborn idiot over Hikari didn't help things either.

Also, the squirrel was not nearly so awesome as the sloth. :animesigh[/color]

[mangamaniack21]

Some anime's that i've found are worth watching in the spring (found them online, they seem to be pretty good picks as i was reccomended half of them).

Shuffle!- this one is pretty interesting, and i found that the art quality is amazing. another harem series, but i can get into it because it has god and demons in it :catgirl:. horray for fantasy ^_^.

Katekyo Hitman Reborn- i really like this one for all of the mafia references and humor that it includes. enough violence to keep me happy, and some crazy plot twists as well. my friend reccomended this one to me, and it has been worth my while so far.

MegaMan NT Warrior Axess- this is one of my favorite anime of all time!! i just love sci-fi that deals with the internet and has some crazy humor to boot! a great watch, even if it is supposed to be for kids ^^;.

[Meggido]

[quote name='Desbreko'][color=#4B0082]I watched ep2 of S.A just now—and then promptly deleted it as I decided to drop the series. [/color][/QUOTE]

Lol I basically did the exact same thing.I mean I've been watching a lot of romance anime recently and the ones that annoy me are the ones where the relationship is primarily based on the characters dislike for each other. I can just see every ep of Special A being more situations for competitions until they get close enough to reveal their feelings to each other.

I mentioned before the three main ones I'm watching but I didn't mention that I'm also watching [B]Kanokon[/B]. No matter how little Ecchi I usually watch this anime can't help but make me laugh out loud.

Continuing from Last season I still have [B]Mnemosyne[/B] (damn one ep a month, and [B]Persona: Trinity SOul[/B] (starting to get interesting again).

[Desbreko]

[quote name='mangamaniack21']Some anime's that i've found are worth watching in the spring (found them online, they seem to be pretty good picks as i was reccomended half of them).[/QUOTE][color=#4B0082]Er, this is a thread for talking about anime airing in Japan during the current spring season, not anime that you'd watch in the spring.

By the way, ANN has a [url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2008-04-08][u]similar article[/u][/url] up with impressions of new series. They've covered most of what's airing this season by now so it's also a good place to hunt down new shows you might be interested in.

I picked up [b]Amatsuki[/b] yesterday. Not sure yet if I'm going to stick with it but ep1 was okay. It's been added to my list in the first post.[/color]

[Japan]

Since I am one of the official spokeswoman for DB (Not really) And low and behold he had this in his blog after Desbroko made this thread, I will make Digitalboy's input and undying wisdom known to all.

[CENTER]----------------------------------------------------[/CENTER]

w00t! It?s time for Spring season impressions! Despite my bitching that I almost never manage to keep up with the current season, I?ve been doing better than ever this season! There have been a few shows with some real potential and only 2 that I dropped after 1 episode (although there are a couple I just straight-up haven?t checked out, such as the harems, shoujo, and lol GONZO)

My list takes place in the order of awesomeness at which I hold the shows currently. (note that Code Geass R2 is exempt from the list since I already did my impression, and having another season to go on is cheating.

1. Kyouran Kazuko Nikki

This was fun, funny, and energetic. I can already tell these characters are going to be fun and endearing and it definitely takes the cake in the writing department this season. I like comedy that talks fast, makes you laugh, and quickly traps you in it?s plot and this show does it perfectly. This could potentially be some A-grade stuff. Also, it?s apparently a light-novel adaption which is usually a good thing.

2. Soul Eater

I have a secret. I am actually a fan of shounen action - when done right. And this is that, plus it?s BONES. From all the BONES I?ve seen, I?ve only been failed once (Kurau) and so far Soul Eater is continuing BONES? winning streak. The battles are intense and well-directed, the characters are likeable, and most importantly they get to the point. When it comes to shounen action, there are usually only a handfull of pitfalls that prevent my enjoyment, and when a show like this dodges them all, I?m in for the ride.

3. Kure-nai

The season?s resident holy **** high-budget show. After 2 episodes it hasn?t shown us any semblance of what exactly is going to happen, but it?s been damn-fine entertainment. Any combination of great animation and writing gets my praise, especially when it has a super-adorable little girl and her fun oniisan.

4. Zettai Karen Children

This would?ve been number 3 if the second episode hadn?t sucked HARD. Seriously, it was horrible. The first ep had great entertainment factor, fun, some potentially cool characters, and good pacing, plus felt very reminiscent of Hayate (being the same studio and all) but ep 2 was plain godawful. The show had better pull back up to at least ep 1 level if I?m to keep watching.

5. Golgo 13

This show doesn?t exactly seem like it would be my kind of show, but it is somehow. Possibly because it?s the most manly thin I?ve seen since Cobra and I guess I need something like that every once in a while. Golgo is just ****ing insanely badass. He ****s *******, puts holes in people?s heads, scares the **** out of everyone who?s heard of him, and always keeps the same straight face. A real man.

6. Kamen no Maid Guy

The pacing and animation were both totally horrible in the first episode, and there weren?t any really good jokes but I laugheed like a ****ing madman. Maid Guy is just perfect. He?s so ****ing evil it?s rediculous. I just love it. It?s one of those inexplainable awesomenesses.

7. Allison to Lillia

This show seems like it would be something I?d get into, I just really haven?t yet. It?s a lot like Nadia so far, which was very much in the same boat with me - the second ep was pretty consistently entertaining though so I?ll keep with it probably till the end.

DROPPED

Vampire Knight (halfway through ep one) Wagaya no Oinari-sama (after ep 1). Both were pretty uninspired and cliche.

[Desbreko]

[color=#4B0082]*rearranges my main list* Yay for updates.

After watching ep3, Kanokon is still walking the line between "keep" and "drop." There was more face palming and sighs at the absurd amount of ecchiness but, damnit, the show makes me laugh. I'm developing a love/hate relationship with this series.

I have ep3 of Allison & Lillia but I've been lazy and haven't watched it yet.

Also finally picked up Macross Frontier ep1 and added it to my list.[/color]

[pbfrontmanvdp]

[B]Vampire Night[/B] - Personally I think its the only good anime that has been released thus far for the spring line-up. The characters are very interesting and whats great about his vampire anime is there is not a lot of meaningless action going on. Has a high quality story line (up to episode 6 I have seen so far) and doesn't seem like it will slow down anytime soon, actually it just keeps getting better. Plus the opening and ending songs are amazing, especially the ending one called Still Doll; just brings out the mysteriousness of the anime.

The only other TV seriest I have been interested in as well is [B]Tower of Druaga[/B], but it just seems to be a little bit too random at times. Plus I have no clue how far up the tower the main characters have climbed (currently watched episode 7), so I hope the anime gives a little update every now and than on that detail of the series.

As far as OVA's, which I usually never bother watching, the 6 episodes of [B]Mnemosyne[/B] have been pretty packed full of action so far. There have only been 4 episodes, but for this type of OVA it has been quite enjoyable. The story line is a bit shaky at times, but I'll watch the last two episodes and write a little bit more about it later.