[Spring 2015] Season of Nostalgia

[GeneD]

Dropped Plastic Memories because I couldn't care enough to make myself watch the 4th episode.

Owari no Seraph has been rather a disappointment, considering everything since the first episode (I've seen up to ep 4) has been a rehash of the same freaking plot/themes. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: The school/make friends nonsense is just so not what I wanted to see. And MC-kun seems like the culmination of every annoying shounen hero trope ever.

Nagato Yuki-chan no Shoushitsu ep 3: The take-over by appearance of Haruhi made this much more enjoyable. I'm surprised, I didn't think it would make such a difference to me. Also Koizumi <3 Still hate the character designs though and the ponytail bit was forced.

Ore Monogatari!! ep 4: This is pretty much vying with Kekkai Sensen for favourite show so far. It makes me grin like an idiot. Those Japanese sweets deserved every single shoujo bubble and sparkle. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Random disasters are random.

Kekkai Sensen ep 4: I can't get over the directing, it's so brilliant. I loved the whole sequence at the party, especially that characters are off doing hilarious things in the background. I ended up having to watch it a few times to catch everything going on while also reading subtitles. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: I was a little disappointed in the vampires "human" design. I wanna see more unusual monsters/creatures, I did like their red wing auras though.

[skreyola]

Plastic Memories ep. 5 Gasp! That cliffhanger! This series may be SPOILER: Highlight text to read: going in a completely different direction than we expected, though I can't imagine how it could go on without Isla!

[KazeShiki]

On Euphonium, the teacher is just horribly portrayed. He has them decide what to do with a vote based on zero discussion then doesn't do anything for awhile then just says they suck and then later starts giving them instructions, all while having a face that makes me angry for irrational reasons. I don't have any problems with any of these individually but when combined, it makes his character inconsistent and more of a walking plot device.

Dropped Plastic Memories because I couldn't care enough to make myself watch the 4th episode.

FWIW, ep3 was easily the worst episode so far, but it also hasn't gotten significantly better that I'd demand you continue. On episode 5 SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Despite the cliffhanger, I'm almost certain Isla is only shown to be out of commission due to the physical injuries she sustained. I highly doubt she got her memories erased from the gun. Props if they prove me wrong though.

Danmachi is still surprisingly not terrible. It's definitely nothing special, but it somehow manages to have all the cliches of a shounen anime without it feeling overly exaggerated.

Sidonia, excellent sci-fi if you can get past the CG.

[skreyola]

Kaze: I agree on the props. I think there's another possibility, though: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: She may be out because she's been suspended for the way she handled the situation. That would certainly be more interesting than the most probably outcome, which you described accurately, I think. But still, it'd be very intriguing if they went the way they pointed our thoughts with that cliffhanger.

[skreyola]

Yamada-kun ep. 3 - Dropped without finishing episode. I found myself wandering away during commercials and not hurrying back or resetting the stream to the break position. I just don't care about any of these characters, or the business with the student council, which was the only thing that kept my interest past the second episode, so... Yeah.

Arslan Senki ep. 1 - Hmm... kind of a slow start, but I can see the wheels turning. The boy prince is kind of inert. Gonna watch another.

[MangaRocks!]

Sound! Euphonium episode 4:

On Euphonium, the teacher is just horribly portrayed. He has them decide what to do with a vote based on zero discussion then doesn't do anything for awhile then just says they suck and then later starts giving them instructions, all while having a face that makes me angry for irrational reasons. I don't have any problems with any of these individually but when combined, it makes his character inconsistent and more of a walking plot device.

...Oh dear. I don't see it that way at all. I guess I'll explain it this way-- much as any/all of us might have wished for the mechanics of this setup to be different, the simple facts are these: *Taki-sensei is NOT teaching a music class (here), he is NOT grading anything (here), and to be quite frank he is NOT actually obligated to 'teach' them anything whatsoever (here-- outside of his own classroom, whatever one that happens to be). Because this is NOT, in any way, a class. It is merely an after-school club, and he is merely the adviser of it (and a first-time adviser, at that!). Again, from what I can gather, in Japan it is supposed to be the responsibility of the student senpai to teach the basics to those who don't yet know them, and no matter what country you're in it is ALL of the students' responsibility to get some darn discipline (though in this case especially the senpai). Turns out that their attitudes stank, their discipline/practice was nonexistent, and their respect was dismal; so, at first, Taki gave them a (very well-deserved) verbal slap (and warning/ultimatum) to try and wake them up. It is only when Taki sees that even after the wake-up-call-attempt they are simply not going to cooperate unless forcibly driven to that he starts really pushing and training them himself (which he actually has no specific obligation to do, BTW, so I applaud him for that)-- all of which is perfectly appropriate in this setting.* In context, all of this combined with the students' attitudes (particularly those of the third-years, the senpai, who were *supposed* to be shouldering the bulk of the responsibility originally) makes everything make perfect sense (at least to me ). (Also: What, pray tell, is wrong with Taki's face? He's quite good-looking to me, LOL. ) *Ahem*-- anyway, now that we have all of that cleared up , let's get on to the actual episode...

...And man, was it satisfying! After that truly anger-inducing bit in the previous ep. (though I actually mean that in a good way-- I am impressed that the show made me feel that), I was very much hoping that these kids would get some much-needed discipline pounded into their stubborn heads, and man, did this episode deliver on that beautifully. I was smiling throughout the entirety of each of the (multiple! ) sequences where Taki was very, very politely, but also very, very *firmly* putting each section through their paces (actually quite literally at one point, LOL). When one girl broke down crying at this and another complained in response that there is merit in just having fun, he also explained that they all (nearly unanimously) *chose* to be driven harder than they would have for merely just sitting around and having fun (the latter of which they weren't even going to be doing regardless, though, *precisely because* of their lack of discipline in the first place!), so really they're getting not only exactly what they deserve (and, quite frankly, really need!), but also what they asked for. (Did I mention this was satisfying? ) Also: I noticed that most of the students in the bass section have had a better attitude overall, and they were treated accordingly (as they also discovered later, LOL), so that was nice, too. (I also really liked the addition of the little detail with the overtone and harmonics. ) So, in other words, I wholeheartedly agree with Kousaka: "Taki-sensei is awesome!" Oh, and speaking of Kousaka, Kumiko's little breakthrough with her, as well as the drive that was sparked from that to even ask the one apathetic senpai in the bass section to play properly, was also quite nice. And then, best of all, everything payed off just as beautifully at the end of the ep. as it did at the start-- I was downright beaming at the band's performance (which was imperfect, yes, but finally *united* into something that actually sounded-- and felt!-- good regardless), and at the gentle (and finally-deserved) praise and spark of inspiration Taki gave them in response. (Have I mentioned I loved this episode?) Can't wait for next week!



And Blood Blockade Battlefront, a.k.a. Kekkai Sensen, episode 4:

I can't get over the directing, it's so brilliant. I loved the whole sequence at the party, especially that characters are off doing hilarious things in the background. I ended up having to watch it a few times to catch everything going on while also reading subtitles.

^ This! I'm also adoring the direction, and oh man, the background stuff was indeed hilarious. (Especially once that cursed specialist showed up-- ROTFL!! ) On a more serious note, though , wow-- the plot points revealed in this episode were both more-than-slightly terrifying and also *really* interesting. The terrifying part being SPOILER: Highlight text to read: that the 'vampires' and their (nearly-a-thousand-strong!) Elders could pretty much wipe out humanity single-handedly whenever they please , and the really interesting part being SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the implications about where the Libra members' blood-powers come from, considering the fact that said blood was apparently *designed* to be the only thing that can possibly even *seal* the 'vampire' Elders, no less harm/destroy the mere turned-'vampires.' And then that whole second-to-last scene with Leo's little narration... wow. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Also, the very last scene with White's brother (apparently dubbed 'The King Of Despair') was quite interesting, as well... there were some very interesting hints on who/what he might be there. Very much looking forward to more!

[Mullet Death]

俺物語 (My Story) is so great that words fail me. I also like Yamada-kun and the 7 Witches because I liked the manga, and SNAFU has its charms, but I think it's safe to say this is my favorite of the season. I want nothing but happiness for the three main characters here.

[skreyola]

Euphonium ep. 4 - Why couldn't sensei have been like that from the beginning? It's better, but there's still something vaguely unsatisfying about this whole show. I figured out the problem I have accepting the explanation that it's a club and he has no real responsibility: He's conducting. He's not standing aside and observing while a student conducts; he's standing in a role of leadership, and then he's not leading. Or he wasn't, until the fourth episode.
Other clubs I've seen in anime, the students really are doing things on their own, but this one, the advisor is conducting. That implies some things he wasn't fulfilling until now.
Anyway, I'm not very happy with this show, but I'm not ready to drop it, though I'm probably not far from it.

[MangaRocks!]

Welp, they finally announced the details on Digimon tri. (Including a trailer!) However, not only is this not going to be a Spring or even a Summer show, it's going to be a long time before we'll be able to see it over here by any means, because it's going to be a series of 6 theatrical films-- the first of which will be in theaters in Japan at the end of November. Although, on a positive note, that does mean that at the very least this will have a halfway decent budget (that trailer certainly looked good enough ). So I guess I'll just have to put my nostalgia-excitedness on hold 'till next year...

[skreyola]

Ore Monogatari! ep. 4 - That was sweet. Takeo is a hero. Sun-kun knows how to push his friend's buttons. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: This town needs an insurance adjuster. It's dangerous!!! But can they talk about anything besides food? It's not as bad as Graffiti Girl, but their relationship is paved with sugar.

[skreyola]

Urawa no Usagi ep. 4 - Wut?
This show makes no sense and isn't even funny or interesting. Dropped.

...Pleiades ep. 4 - Kind of cute. Kind of fun. Kind of sweet. What would you do if your daughter SPOILER: Highlight text to read: said she was going to the moon after school?

[KazeShiki]

Kaze: I agree on the props. I think there's another possibility, though: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: She may be out because she's been suspended for the way she handled the situation. That would certainly be more interesting than the most probably outcome, which you described accurately, I think. But still, it'd be very intriguing if they went the way they pointed our thoughts with that cliffhanger.

Ehh it's a possibility, but I wouldn't like that very much. It just feels too anticlimactic that way (though it's almost bound to be in some regard). I wouldn't mind that being part of the reason though, and now that you mention it, it will probably be addressed in some regard.

@MangaRocks: well I can't say you're wrong but also don't see you being right. It's a problem of his character having so little explanation. I guess different people will perceive his character differently to fill in the gaping hole of no one actually knows, but for now, I am attributing it to bad writing.

Digimon - I basically already lost all my hopes when it got obviously delayed from spring season, so I kinda just laughed at the announcement while crying on the inside. I will keep my expectations as low as possible, and if on the off chance the movies do end up decent/good, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Oregairu6 - haha I love this show. It's like, most of the characters annoyed me this episode, but the beauty of it is the MC is being annoyed just as much and giving commentary that reflects your own thoughts.

[skreyola]

Plastic Memories ep. 6 - Well, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: it was neither a let down nor the most interesting possibility. It'll be interesting to see where this goes in the next month and change.

[skreyola]

Arslan Senki ep. 4 - I am loving this show. It is full of surprises, wit, and wisdom. My only complaint is that it only comes out one episode per week. I would probably binge watch this, if I could.

[ClaecElric4God]

I hear you, skreyola. I'm tempted to put it aside for now and wait till it finishes so I can watch it all at once.

[WorldsTraveler]

Regarding Arslan Senki: I generally love ‘royalty on the run’ stories. I watch and read a lot of them. But is anyone else… bored with the series so far? To me, it’s like the standard formula is there but nothing stands out as special. I’m not sure if it’s a problem with the adaption or if the original story is just not to my liking. I’ll drop for now, but I’d like to know if it improves in the future.

[skreyola]

While Arslan isn't the typical hero (he's an unpolished warrior, naive statesman, and budding diplomat), I can see great potential in him, and I haven't been bored at all. I wish they wouldn't rely so much on CG (and you can tell when they use it), but I guess I just haven't seen any awesome royalty-on-the-run stories (though Yona was pretty good).

Euphonium ep. 5 - That wasn't bad, but I'm still not impressed.

[KazeShiki]

Since people are enjoying Arslan, I'll throw out the obligatory watch Legend of the Galactic Heroes if you haven't already (or re-watch it) since you know, being written by the same author, they are very similar in tone and grandiose storytelling. That said, I can see why people would feel bored with Arslan so far. It and LoGH both have the problem of taking awhile to set up the stage for what eventually becomes an epic tale. I wouldn't even call it a problem per se, but in a world where most anime have 13 episodes to tell a story, some may see it as "nothing special" after these several episodes. However, what I think most people who enjoy it would agree with, is that it is setting the groundwork for many intricate plot and character developments, and this type of careful writing leads to something really great.

[ClaecElric4God]

I'm surprised that people are bored with Arslan. Maybe I'm just too forgiving, but I'm enjoying it so far. I haven't found it slow at all.

[WorldsTraveler]

I second the recommendation for Legend of the Galactic Heroes! It’s cunning and fascinating for a space opera/military story. The buildup of events is excellent. I liked seeing the pieces fall into place one at a time.

Back to Arslan, it’s the basic plot I have trouble with. It’s so… average? There are no interesting deviations yet. It’s not intriguing me like Moribito, Yona, or Scrapped Princess did. It’s just a classic epic fantasy with no variations in the basic construct, if that makes sense? There’s little sense of mystery or unpredictability. (Admittedly, I have been reading the fantasy genre for years, so it could be just me.)

Like I said, I'm open to picking it back up if/when it gets interesting. Or I might read the manga instead.

[MangaRocks!]

Sound! Euphonium episode 5:

@MangaRocks: well I can't say you're wrong but also don't see you being right. It's a problem of his character having so little explanation. I guess different people will perceive his character differently to fill in the gaping hole of no one actually knows, but for now, I am attributing it to bad writing.

^ Heh, fair enough. I guess we'll just agree to disagree on this, then.

As for this ep.: There were some great lines here-- like "I guess you don't necessarily like the things you're good at" (for truth), and "At times like these the male members are really useful" (for humor-- LOL! ). It was also neat to see a bit of their marching training. As for their parade performance: Yeah, you could definitely tell the difference between them and the band before them, but I think they did a great job for their level. And, of course, there was the little bit of growth on Kumiko's part + her friendship with Kousaka appearing to be quite patched up now, even despite that accidentally-slipped-out almost-identical comment. Looking forward to more!



And Blood Blockade Battlefront, a.k.a. Kekkai Sensen, episode 5:

Heh, Leo finally got back at Zapp a bit... before almost getting killed, LOL. Anyway: Ah, so there are SPOILER: Highlight text to read: 13 'Kings' in all; that's an interesting little fact. But this ep. was basically all about love (in quite a few different forms, both good and terrible), and it was as excellently-done as all the episodes before it. Indeed, I really kinda... *ahem*... loved the fact that they were able to take something so outright horrifying SPOILER: Highlight text to read: (the poor guys'... uh... combination *shiver*) and incorporated it in with such humor (while still somehow not glossing over how awful it was). I was also amused that the antagonist of the ep. wasn't interested in Leo at all, for any reason, even his eyes; she apparently just wanted someone to talk/brag to, LOL. And I loved how everyone worked together as one, utilizing all their different strengths/powers, to defeat her, too. Speaking of which: Oh my gosh, that scene with SPOILER: Highlight text to read: her destroyed tank-thing flying over-- and thus apparently raining death-by-debris down upon-- the city, all while that slow song + Leo's calm-sounding narration was playing, was priceless. And even *better* was the *conclusion* of that whole scene, with SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Leo being caught in a net and the random alien passersby clapping in the background, bwahaha!! Finally, as for the ending: The entire sequence from Sonic basically telling Leo to go talk to White (by planting himself on the steps of the hospital and making Leo come back) to Leo's SPOILER: Highlight text to read: power-walk in to him asking White out to a movie to them escaping/power-walking back out, etc. was hilarious; and then, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: at the movie, White's reaction to the comedy was... quite surprising (and, eventually, quite sweet ). Also: Still can't get enough of that ED. <3 So, basically, this show is now one of my favorite things and even though we're not quite halfway through it yet I already wish there was more than the announced amount of ep.'s because I'm going to miss it like crazy once it's over (despite the fact that I'm totally going to snap up the manga ASAP).

[skreyola]

Since people are enjoying Arslan, I'll throw out the obligatory watch Legend of the Galactic Heroes if you haven't already (or re-watch it) since you know, being written by the same author, they are very similar in tone and grandiose storytelling. That said, I can see why people would feel bored with Arslan so far. It and LoGH both have the problem of taking awhile to set up the stage for what eventually becomes an epic tale. I wouldn't even call it a problem per se, but in a world where most anime have 13 episodes to tell a story, some may see it as "nothing special" after these several episodes. However, what I think most people who enjoy it would agree with, is that it is setting the groundwork for many intricate plot and character developments, and this type of careful writing leads to something really great.

That's very interesting, because I seem to recall having tried to start LoGH and finding it boring, which I don't for Arslan. I'm not sure if I'm wrong about having looked at the other one, or if I need to give it a(nother) shot.
But I agree that Arslan is taking time to set up some important things that will happen later on.

[KazeShiki]

That's very interesting, because I seem to recall having tried to start LoGH and finding it boring, which I don't for Arslan. I'm not sure if I'm wrong about having looked at the other one, or if I need to give it a(nother) shot.
But I agree that Arslan is taking time to set up some important things that will happen later on.

That may be because LoGH gives off a stronger illusion of nothing happening. In Arslan's case, while slow, it starts with a sudden invasion and depicts specific events of the characters thrown into chaos. You want to know what's going to happen next and how this problem will be solved. In LoGH's case, it starts in the middle of a loooong intergalactic war. The scale is much larger; there's nothing happening with high stakes because the war, to be blunt, is viewed by many (as in, the actual characters) as a natural, everyday thing that they are unaffected by and is more or less at a standstill. This probably takes away from an immediate feel of tension before you start developing attachment to the characters - the characters who break this standstill and turn that everyday war into something that affects all the citizens.

[skreyola]

That's a very good point about the way Arslan introduces the conflict, but I think I'm actually confusing LoGH with another show, Legend of the Legendary Heroes. Maybe I should try to find LoGH.

...wakaranai... ep. 6 - All I have to say is that I loved the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: shinkansen tray at the sushi shop.

[skreyola]

Dungeon... ep. 6 - I'm sad that this is looking a little more like a harem, but I could be wrong. Bell might SPOILER: Highlight text to read: loyally devote himself to Lili. But then, his infatuation from episode 1 seems to be infatuated with him, as well, so that complicates things. Not sure why he didn't take Lili under his wing as he'd planned before. She needs to be kept out of the way until she can buy her freedom. It looks like the next episode will get very interesting, though, with someone having an excuse to do something someone wants to do anyway.

[skreyola]

Plastic Memories ep. 7 - That was kind of nice, but also kind of disappointing. Not quite sure why.

[skreyola]

This is not the season of nostalgia. This is the season of "Hey-Yama-no-Susume-and-Tonari-no-Seki-kun-were-great-shows,-so-let's-all-put-out-short-anime," except, nobody's bothering to do a great job like those shows did. Instead, it looks like they're breaking up what should have been movies into bite-sized chunks that don't work well on their own, and they're not bothing to write sympathetic characters or meaningful plots or anything. Bleagh.
So, in other news, I will not be picking up Ameiro Cocoa.

[MomentOfInertia]

Updates, Yes it looks like I've overextended.

1.Blood Blockade Battlefront/Kekkai Sensen, #-5:
Watch. This. Show.

2.I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying 2nd Season/Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken 2nd Season, #-6:
Continues to deliver.

3.RIN-NE,#-5 :
It's a pretty good show ... kind of thing.

4.Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?/Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru noha Machigatteiru darouka, DanMachi ,#-6:
It's growing on me. Still more fanservice than I'd like.

----

The Heroic Legend of Arslan/Arslan Senki,#1 :
Haven't gotten a chance to watch any more than the first ep.

[MangaRocks!]

Sound! Euphonium episode 6:

I'm glad Taki is doing auditions for the competition positions, since that is precisely how it should be. (Also, LOL at that sly little dig at the seniors' sense of entitlement and pride! ) Also, LOL at Hazuki's little visions of what might happen if she didn't try her best to pass the audition, as well as the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: "Tubacabra: The Dismembering" bit. (Plus: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: "It looks more like the tuba's carrying you." "You said that out loud!" ) And the other tuba players' (de?)motivation was also quite amusing. Interestingly, though, that lead into a really insightful bit of discussion on how bad it feels when you think you aren't playing as well as you could, that you might get sick of it if you don't find a reason to keep on trying, that sometimes you might lose your motivation/the big picture if you only play and practice alone, and that there's something really moving and fulfilling and just truly special about playing with other people (all of which I can attest to being accurate). <3 And then that ending... holy crap, the moment when Hazuki SPOILER: Highlight text to read: tripped and very nearly had the tuba crash into the pavement with her on top of it was heart-stopping -- because aside from, say, the fear of failing to perform well in front of an audience/judges/your teacher/etc. (which I even struggle with myself sometimes), the thought of dropping (and thus damaging) your (very expensive and very well-loved) instrument is like one of the most terrifying things for a musician (...I mean, unless you're like some rich rockstar and can afford to smash up guitars or something, of course ). Nice save by her (apparent) crush, though (and that is a pairing I was not at all expecting, but I will certainly welcome it {if anything actually comes of it, I mean }). Looking forward to seeing how the auditions play out!



And Blood Blockade Battlefront, a.k.a. Kekkai Sensen, episode 6:

...OH MAN. Talk about the (emotional) floor dropping out from under you... SPOILER: Highlight text to read: This ep. started out with a fair amount of humor and sweetness (I mean, at least on Leo's part; definitely not on the part of others), but then holy crap, did it get real serious, real fast. The fact that the onlookers just say that 'someone should stop' the attacker but don't do anything themselves, except watch... with some of them making excuses to soothe their consciences, besides... was pretty disturbingly realistic. And then the whole thing afterwards, once the guy with the mask realized what they could do with the spores, was just plain brutal. On the bright side, at least they forgot about everything, too, and will thus most likely meet a horrible fate via their loan shark because they can't even remember they had a hard deadline, LOL. Also, the end was quite sweet again. Finally: What the heck? So White's brother has a split personality or something? Interesting... In other words:

Watch. This. Show.

[skreyola]

Euphonium ep. 6 - This episode was good enough to earn another stay of execution for the show. Kudos for auditions. But I'm wondering why not start with that kind of leadership, if you're going to do it later.