Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya
The first episode was actually not as bad as I thought it would be. Don't get your hopes up though, because I thought it was gonna be pretty bad. I'd assumed that the entire show was basically going to be a super-moe Fate entry, but that's only partly accurate. The other part is some really well animated mahou shoujo action sequences with cool effects and everything. So it entertained me in that way. As far as it being a good show overall, however... nope, sorry, not convinced. But kudos to silver link for adapting over the visuals well
Gin no Saji
Ah, this nice little hard-to-describe-why-I-like-it manga got an equally hard-to-describe why-I-like-it show. Arakawa just has a skill for imbuing charm into her characters, and that carried over into the anime amazingly. It wasn't a particularly eventful episode, just the story of a city kid learning about country life (and other life lessons, yada yada); but it was funny, honest, and heartfelt. Which is saying something when the episode features chicken decapitation. It's a slow and simple-minded drama about country life, friendship, and all that jazz. If you're looking for something with a slower and less adrenaline-pumped pace, this is a good one to check out.
Neptune: The Animation
You know, this was actually amazing. All of the characters are diverse and well characterized. The video game references were surprisingly clever, and I even found myself laughing quite a few times. The episode opens on an alliance between the four leaders competing for shares (again, video game industry based). Shortly thereafter, we see the futility of their alliance, and how each is required to look out for themselves, even as they help each other out of particularly desperate situations. It's a great look into the politics of such alliances, even though it uses the gaming industry as its starting point. To top it all off, the animation is killer too. The quality looked more like an OVA than a TV show, and the choreography of the fight scenes was fantastic. Also, of course I'm lying, the show was shit.
Gatchaman Crowds
Yes, I love seeing Nakamura's visual style return in this series (it's particularly reminiscent of Kuuchuu Blank, though without the more experimental parts). Above all else, this seems like a show that knows how to have fun. There is some potential for social media commentary based on the title and the frequent referencing of such media, but the show is mostly just a blast. The characters are archetypal, but not without their charm. It feels really similar to Tiger & Bunny in that regard. I do hope Hajime gets turned down a notch though. I'm all for perky characters, but she's a bit much right now (though her
transformation sequence was perfect, thanks in no small part to Iwasaki's backing music). Also similar to T&B is the great use of CGI. It's used specifically, so it isn't jarring; and the shading is excellent, so it doesn't clash with the rest of the visuals. If you want a show that's fun, check this one out. T&B fans should check it out too, even though it obviously doesn't have superhero trope subversion (yet), or the more American flair. By the by, the villain? Totally going to be awesome. I can just tell.
Kimi no Iru Machi
A GONZO series that could be good? I must have traveled back to the early 00s. I am not prepared for this. Okay, anyway, yeah, the first episode wasn't that bad. If you're thinking to yourself, "Doesn't this look kinda like Casshern Sins?" yeah, it's the same director. And the character designer worked as an animation director on both that show and Saint Seiya Omega, so it's not a coincidence. Anyway, while the story presented doesn't stand out for originality, it does have solid execution. It sets the story of a kid moving to the city, where he meets and starts to form bonds with the people who first talk to him. It's nothing new, but it does a great job of connecting you with the characters with good dialog and a nice talking point with his accent. Then, at the end of the episode, they tease his ulterior motive for coming to the town, a motive that makes him seem like some sort of crazy stalker. So yeah, color me interested.
