Fall 2015 Anime Season Preview, Part 1

Hey, I'm back.  If for somewhat briefly.  Who knows?  My presence here is as transient as the glimmer of sun off of a loli's shiny shoulders, or the faint glimpse you get of the fanservice shot before the camera pans away.  

What I'm saying is, I'm busy.  I may or may not really write much on here anymore, unless I'm suddenly hit by a strong bolt of inspiration.  However, I will try to get out a few thoughts on the coming season, if only because I want to look at and be amused by my tragically incorrect predictions.  Just call me Nostradanimus.

This season seems to be going for a lot more in terms of gender equality.  Apparently the higher-ups finally realized perverted girls exist after Free exploded.  The standard of quality in these girly fanservice shows is still pretty low, but, to be fair, it's not too high for the guys either.

I’m just going to skip over the sequels that I have nothing to say about.  Sound good?  Yeah, I thought so.

Dawnleaf Watches Le Fruit de la Grisaia: Episode 1 – OF COURSE

Dawnleaf Watches Wolf Girl and Black Prince: Episodes 1-2 – Don't watch this

So, I figured that this might be like your typical shoujo, but with some teeth (which shoujo needs, so I watched it willingly).  It certainly is that, but it’s also quite unpleasant to watch. 

Dawnleaf Watches Karen Senki: Episode 1 – Cue Slow Motion

AAAAAH GET IT AWAY FROM ME

Dawnleaf Watches DENKI-GAI: Episode 1 – We all live in a doujin world

Dawnleaf Watches Locodol: Episode 1 – I tried watching it

Ah, Studio Feel.  I can see that you’re mediocre, as usual.  Now, I have a few questions for you, because I’m a bit confused about this show’s use of logic.  Feel free to answer them if you’d like…

Dawnleaf Watches GLASSLIP: Episode 1 - GLASSBORED

“…check out my cock.”

Dawnleaf Watches Samurai Jam-Bakumatsu Rock: Episode 1 – Needs More Guitar-Wank

Man, the guys in the intro are shitty at lip-syncing.  They just stand motionless with their mouths open.  I assume that they’re really going “AAAAARGH” and we just can’t hear it.

Summer 2014 Anime Season Preview

Ahhh… It’s been a long time since I did one of these posts, all you Russian spambots who read this.  In fact, it feels like it was exactly one year ago.  Time really flies, doesn't it?

This season is going to be a big one, especially considering all the high-profile sequels coming out.  New Black Butler, new Free… the internet will be a veritable swarm of fujoshi.  There’s also a new Sword Art Online, but we don’t talk about that in these circles.

(also, I’m not talking about everything, because I don’t have a lot to say about every new show.  I mean, what to say about the new Sailor Moon? “Um… new Sailor Moon, watch it if you like the original.”  That’s pretty weak.)

Dawnleaf Watches Mahou Shoujo Taisen (Magica Wars): Episode 1 – Gainax, This Was Your Last Chance

…And you screwed it up.  I highly doubt that that five-girls-in-a-tea-club-SOL-comedy will end up being good (and I know that nobody else has any expectations for it), so this really was Gainax’s last chance.  Think about it.  When did they last make anything good?  Panty & Stocking was fairly well-received, but it was an extremely love-it-or-hate-it affair.  That was three and a half years ago.   What have they done since then, in terms of TV series?  Nothing.  Three and a half years is a long time to not make anything notable. 

Dawnleaf Watches selector infected WIXOSS: Episode 1 – Pronounced “WicRoss”

It was either this or Blade and Soul, and I decided to go for the one where the characters are actually wearing clothes, even if they are a bunch of moe schoolgirls.  And Blade and Soul’s PV makes me think of Ikki Tousen just a little, and thinking of Ikki Tousen gives me an irresistible compulsion to close out of whatever browser window I’m on and cry.

Dawnleaf Watches The World Is Still Beautiful: Episode 1 – Breaking Hiatus Just In Time for SPRING BREAK

You see, the promo art is desperately trying to get guys to watch this, because it’s almost an upskirt shot.

Dawnleaf Watches Unbreakable Machine Doll: Episode 1 – Close Call

Hey, y’all?  Remember Pokémon?  Of course you do, you’re lying if you say that you don’t remember that anime, because you have all seen at least snippets of it.  Well, my best snappy one-sentence summary of Unbreakable Machine Doll is that it’s Pokémon aimed at the teenage male demographic.  Yes, we’ve got those proxy battle and creatures with fun designs, but we’ve also got a developing harem and a fanservice doll.  Literally.

Dawnleaf Watches Beyond the Boundary: Episode 1 – Boy Meets Girl

“Don’t worry; it’s only a flesh wound!”

Now, I read the summary of this originally and my mind started going “Bakemonogatai ripoff alert”, but I kindly told it to shut up because Kyoto Animation would never make something like Bakemongatari.  And I was actually right.

Dawnleaf Watches Coppelion: Episode 1 - Of Magic Skirts and Thick Outlines

For me, one of the hardest parts of blogging like this is when I come across an anime like Coppelion.  Because, well, my reaction to it is very difficult to articulate.   Because me just saying “THEANIMATIONTHEANIMATIONTHEANIMATION” over and over in a post would just be boring, but that’s really how I feel.  So, I guess the easiest place for me to start is trying to describe dat animation.

Dawnleaf Watches Diabolik Lovers: Episode 1 – Let’s Be Friends

Herm… Okay, my opinion on this anime is going to be rather difficult to formulate.  So let’s just start with the technicals, so I can get my thoughts straight.

Dawnleaf Watches Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist: Episode 2 – MAGICAL GIRL TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE

I definitely see that this anime’s trying for some of that Black Butler camp.  However, no one will ever be as fabulous as Grell.  It made me snigger like a fifth grader, though.  I mean, about halfway through the episode, there’s an honest-to-goodness transformation sequence, with the declaration of title, silly clothes, and rainbow background.  It was positively glorious.

Dawnleaf Watches Sunday Without God: Episode 3 – Who’s Your Daddy?

I still can’t say that I like this anime, but some stuff happened this episode that rectified some of the problems I brought up in the last episode.  Mostly, the ones related to that ass Hampnie Hambart (I know that he has another name now, but I can’t remember it, so I’ll keep calling him his hilarious alias).

Dawnleaf Watches Sunday Without God: Episode 2 – Do Gravekeepers Dream of Zombie Sheep?

Please forgive me for my two week hiatus.  I was on vacation, and I figured that I really needed a break from this whole Vampire Knight business, anyway.   All right, on to the anime Sunday Without God, which doesn’t have vampires in it but does have a white-haired pretty-boy with a gun and undeads degenerating into animalistic creatures who run on instinct.  Aaaargh…

Dawnleaf Watches Vampire Knight: Episode 6 – Looks Like We Have a Badass Over Here

I think that Yagari the vampire hunter wasn’t originally supposed to be in this anime.  He wandered in from some other show’s set, and the writers figured that they’d stick him in somewhere.  However, I’m extremely thankful for this mistake.  Because he taught me something I never would have thought of otherwise: shoujo anime need more grizzled, badass vampire hunters with deep voices.  In fact, all anime do.