Author Topic: Fall Season 2011  (Read 4220 times)

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Offline CheshireStray

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Fall Season 2011
« on: October 04, 2011, 11:15:00 am »
Best season in ages. I feel almost unready for this somehow.

Anyway, since no one had made a thread yet, and usually I only come around these parts to post the seasonal roundup, I figured I'd just bite the bullet and make it myself. As usual, everything will get edited in as it airs, blah blah blah.

EDIT: It's all here now. Mostly just first episode impressions, but they left me thoroughly impressed.


Busou Shinki Moon Angel: Another simple little five minute show essentially advertising some original character designs by a figure company. It isn't the typical crappy flash animation I've come to expect from this sort of thing, and honestly I only have fight minutes to go off of, but might be a nice use of five minutes a week.

HunterXHunter: Remake of the original, seems to be handled pretty well so far. Lots of people excited to see this being back in production again.

Chihayafuru: The younger sister of a fashion model is a lazy schoolgirl who always says the first thing that comes to mind. As an elementary schooler, she was inspired to pick up a certain card game by the awkward transfer student who left a mark on her, and ever since she's been working on her skills. However, in high school, nobody wants to play it with her, and everyone she grew up with has definitely moved on to become different people. Seems like an interesting character drama, and the game might not be half bad to watch.

Guilty Crown: Schoolboy gets a superpower, everything is set up to be basically another Code Geass, so it's damn generic and really a bit silly from the outside. Really great animation, though, and a heavenly Supercell soundtrack. Top notch fight scenes.

UN-GO: Transforming cross dressing shota panda detectives reenacting Meiji-era mystery novels. Bones is pulling something weird again, and I like it. I like it a lot.

Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon: I'm not sure how this one will turn out. On one hand, Sunrise put massive honking mammaries on some of the cast members in a desperate attempt to fling some fanservice at us, it's all over the place in a odd feeling way, the cast is extremely thinly spread, and the central plot is something as dumb as a future society trying to recreate various past moments as they rebuild civilization on earth as we know it. On the other hand, the action was solid, the characters might amount to something, the protagonist was hilarious and somehow likable, and the visuals are really cool, with dazzling combat merging with a colorful world filled with digital virtual reality mixed in liberally. Impossible to tell at this point how it'll go. Could be great, could be complete tripe.

Persona 4: The Animation: Episode 1 was nice, if a bit oddly paced. Not really easy to tell at this point if it'll be a great show overall, but fans will enjoy seeing it so faithfully adapted.

Ika Musume S2: More delicious squid puns de geso~

Fate/Zero: What's this, a Nasuverse work not animated by a studio guaranteed to coat it in filth and CG dragons? And one that Nasu barely had the influence to taint with asspull upon asspull? The first lengthened episode didn't disappoint in adapting the novels, and it's really great to see some of it animated so far. Some of the exposition dialogue was poorly animated (just how long can Tokiomi Tohsaka walk in circles? A long time, let me tell you), but I'll just have faith and assume that's ufotable saving budget for the fightan scenes.

Kimi to Boku: Cute boys doing cute things at last. I'll watch this until the cows come home.

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukinai: I didn't much care for the source material of Boku wa Tomodachi, but I appreciated what it was doing. The anime seems to be coming off to me better, with the characters much more vibrant and fun to watch in full animation. Some fun, lighthearted ecchi-ish antics with a club of losers doing whatever it takes to make "real" friends.

Tamayura ~hitotose~: A relaxing little show about young photographers. Kind of slow even for a slice of life, but it's got some nice animation and music and atmosphere, so if you can sit back, chill out, and not let yourself get too bored, you might dig this.

Mirai Nikki: Despite how terribly the manga ended, I'm finding a bit of joy in seeing this animated. Some bad CG spread liberally, but nothing deal breaking.

C^3: A GIRL FELL OUT OF THE SKY INTO HIS LIFE... Okay, so she was delivered by airmail this time. A teenage boy living on his own while his parents work overseas receives a strange package from his father, who's fond of sending him strange antiques. The package itself IS the contents, a massive heavy strange cube, which he immediately disregards and tosses in the basement. The cube turns into a girl, who is some kind of cursed being who happens to be an adorable girl for now, who's tired of hurting everyone around her with her unavoidable curse. However, this kid is super special for no apparent reason and is immune to curses, so she's just going to chill out at his place for now. Lots of stereotypes in this one, but it wasn't painful to watch or anything. I've heard it seriously changes gears in episode 2 and gets some high octane grimdark action, but for now it's a simple watch.

Ben-To: Fight Club, but taking place in supermarkets. Some guy tries to grab a bento lunch right after a half price sticker goes on it, and ends up almost mauled to death, which is where he discovers the world of the Wolves, a society dedicated to the honor of fighting to the death over half priced lunches. It's as silly as it sounds, and a lot of fun.

Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle: Seems to be some standard kiddie fare, but with the twist being that the main character is some kind of puzzle solving genius. He gets invited to some kind of underground labyrinth where he's to engage in some life or death puzzle solving (serious business, for real), where he finds a magic armband that lets him use all of his brain to solve some crazy complex nigh impossible puzzles. Slated for 24 episodes, so I hope the guys behind it know what they're doing, but the first episode was good fun enough.

Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam: More Last Exile, and this first episode is already feeling better than the last series, even though I loved the previous Last Exile. A great sequel so far. More high soaring, airshipping, tactical battling fun.

Working'!!: More hilarious quirky hijinks? I was drooling back when they jokingly announced this, but when a second season became a reality, rapturous joy ensued.
« Last Edit: October 19, 2011, 08:58:33 am by CheshireStray »

Offline Wuntvor

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Re: Fall Season 2011
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2011, 02:29:49 pm »
I just copied this from my weekly notice for Anime Friday.  I am to lazy to link them all again, but you can find out more by going here.

Shinryaku!? Ika Musume – She’s back!  Everyones favorite Squid Girl is back for another season of crazy fun, and she is better than ever!

Bakuman – Is continuing for another season!  The team now has assistants.  I really enjoy watching this series.  I have also commented on the interesting parallel between this series and my wifes current real life job.  Bakuman is about two male high school students who are creating a manga about a detective for Shonen Jump.  One of them writes the story the other does the art.  They have three assistants, two guys and a girl.  One of the guys is knowledgeable about how the manga business operates and guides everyone.  The other guy and the girl handle some inking and shading.
My wife is currently the only female on a team of 5 working on the 80 year old, syndicated, detective comic strip, Dick Tracy, currently be published by Tribune Media Services.  Writer Mike Curtis and artist Joe Staton are creating it, and My wife Shelley does the inks and letters.  Shane Fisher colors the Sunday strip.  They also get advice and reference material from Jim Doherty.  Do you see the parallels?

C³ - Cube x Cursed x Curious - A school battle action & love comedy with ecchi elements. Yachi Haruaki is a high school boy and naturally resistant to curses. His father, Honatsu, sends him cursed instruments called "Worse" to try to break this. One day, Haruaki receives a black cube from Honatsu. During the night, he encounters a naked silver haired girl stealing rice crackers. She is the human-form of the black cube, an instrument of torture called "Fear in Cube". Haruaki and the girl 'Fear' fight together against other 'Worse' instruments and their owners using Fear's 32 mechanisms of torture.
I found the first episode to be rather cute and not at all dark.  I have a feeling things are going to change though as this show starts to progress.

Fate/Zero – This is the prequel to the popular anime Fate/Stay Night. I think many of the questions that were never answered in that anime may finally be addressed in this one.

Hunter x Hunter (2011) – A re-make of the popular 1999 anime of the same name.
 
Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon – (Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere) - Set in a distant land, Japan is divided into feudal territories, yet conquered by outside countries, the city Musashi that will ignite the flame of battle is being targeted and has no choice but to keep its people safe by entering this war, with the fate of the world resting on its hands, the students of Musashi may hold the key to victory.
This show has a bit of everything, and I do mean everything, in it.  

Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!! (Fall in Love with Me for Real!! ~ Majikoi ~ Oh! Samurai Girls!) - Kawakami City is famous for its strong dedication to its samurai ancestors. A healthy fighting spirit is always valued and it's even an important factor for success at school. Yamato, a second year student from Kawakami Highchool is always with his close friends (4 boys and 3 girls). They have all known each other since they were young and have done many things together. While they have many other friends, this group of seven is a close-knit, inseparable group. They even have a secret base where they meet. With the new semester, they welcome two girls into their group and shortly after things begin to change...
This anime is set in the same setting as Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de: They Are My Noble Masters, and it is just as wacky!

Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle - The anime revolves around a high school boy named Kaito who fights battles via puzzles with a mysterious intelligence group known as POG.
I found the first episode very interesting.  This one is worth following for a while.

Tamayura: Hitotose - In her final year of middle school, Fu Sawatari is a student who had previously locked away her feelings following the death of her father. She returns home one day to find her sister, Kou, had taken out all the old photos their father had taken. Fu comes to understand the warmth of these photos and takes an interest in photography, asking to use her father's old camera. After taking a few photos, mainly with her friend Chihiro Miyoshi, she sends some to a famous photographer who responds with positive feedback and a train ticket with no destination. After deciding that she'd like to go to high school in Takehara, where she grew up before her father died, the whole family decides to move there. After saying her goodbyes to Chihiro, Fu travels to Takehara where she meets with her childhood friend, Kaoru Hanawa.
The crazy picture taking fanatic is back!  Find out why she became that way in this prequel to the popular four episode OVA we watched about a year ago.

Kimi to Boku - The story revolves around four teens - the good-looking twins Asaba Yuuta and Yuuki, the effeminate Matsuoka Shun, and the class head Tsukahara Kaname - who have known each other since early childhood. While they are not necessarily good or bad friends, they continue to hang out well into high school. The half-Japanese transfer student Tachibana Chizuru joins the circle of friends in this comedy about the everyday life of adolescence.
The animation style is similar to Usagi Drop and the story is as slow paced.  I am going to watch this for awhile and see where it is heading.

Chihayafuru - After her sister becomes a top model, 6th-year grade-schooler Ayase Chihaya too dreams of becoming one. However, transfer student Wataya Arata admonishes her to seek her own dream. Thus, she takes up karuta, a Japanese card game, competitively. Together with Arata and Mashima Taichi, Chihaya's childhood friend, they have great fun playing each other, but separate after graduation.
4 years later, Chihaya returns to town. Although Arata no longer plays the game, she believes that they will eventually reunite as long as she continues karuta. Together with Taichi, she establishes the Zuisawa High-school Karuta Club.

For some reason this reminds me of Saki.  It has a similar feeling to it.

Maken-ki! - The series centers around Ooyama Takeru, a young normal yet perverted minded guy, who enrolls into Tenbi Gakuen, which was once an all-girls school now turned into a co-ed school. Unbeknownst to him, the only students admitted are those who are able to control a source of energy found in all living things called Element, and furthermore can use magical artifacts called Maken, which give the users specific and varied abilities.
On the first day, he meets again after three years, Amaya Haruko, his childhood friend, Kushiya Inaho, a weird big busted girl who declares she's his fiancé, and Himegami Kodama, a blonde oujo who wants to kill him. After a whim by the school principle Rokujou Minori, he and the three girls end up living in the same room. Furthermore, after being persuaded by Haruko, Takeru decides to join the Maken-ki, a special force unit under the school student council, whose responsibility is to mediate duels between students in the school. However, he later finds out that no Maken is acceptable for him. How will his life continue in this school, where the students get into duels that showcase their magic and combat power, which he seemingly does not have.

This series can be summed up in one word. ECCHI!  It looks like a harem anime with magic mixed in.  I thought of the anime Freezing after watching the first episode.

Mashiro-iro Symphony: The Color of Lovers - Shingo's school is decided to be joined with a girls' school. As a selected student, Shingo temporarily transfers to the girls' school until they officially consolidate. He meets various unique girls there, but all girls dislike male students. To remove their misunderstanding, Shingo works hard and...
The first episode is the main character running around looking for his sister who got lost coming home from the market.  Sort of lame, but I still like how the episode ended.  I'll keep watching.

Morita-san wa Mukuchi. 2 – Another season of 5 minute gags,

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai - The story revolves around Hasegawa Kodaka, a half-Japanese/half-British transfer student whose delinquent-like blonde hair scares people, and a seemingly perpetually sullen girl named Mikazuki Yozora. The two decide to form Rinjinbu, a club for people with hardly any friends.
The OAV was bizarre.  I am having Haruhi flashbacks.  This is definitely based off of that show, with a bit of Toradora mixed in.

Persona 4 The Animation - When Narukami Yuu's family moves to the rural country town of Inaba, he's expecting a lot more peace and quiet than he's been used to in the big city. Instead, the peace has been shattered and the only quiet is the quiet of the grave, as a rash of mysterious murders and kidnappings sweep the countryside. With the police stymied, Yuu finds himself joining with a group of eight other teenagers in a desperate bid to solve the mystery. A mystery that is somehow connected to both the local weather patterns and a strange video game world which Yuu, his friends and the enigmatic killer can all enter. And where each must wield a unique weapon and learn to use amazing powers if they wish to survive. Journey beyond the Velvet Room as the hit PlayStation 2™ game becomes a spectacular anime in Persona 4 the Animation!
I know some of you have been waiting for this one!
« Last Edit: October 07, 2011, 12:29:52 pm by Wuntvor »
(\,@/)  Quote from -  Rock & Rule
(=','=)  Stretch: MOK! Don't let him get us!  He'll put a heck on me!
 //_\\   Dizzy:    Hexx, Stretch.  Hexx.
  d b    Stretch: Aw!  Two of them!  That's even worse!

Offline CheshireStray

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Re: Fall Season 2011
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2011, 11:55:20 pm »

Fate/Zero – This is the prequel to the popular anime Fate/Stay Night. I think many of the questions that were never answered in that anime may finally be addressed in this one.


Just so you know, F/Z wont be answering many, if any, questions that people might have had after just viewing the F/SN television anime. Since the F/SN anime just covered the Fate route of the original Visual Novel, there were indeed a ton of questions left unanswered, but they're basically answers to be found by reading the VN itself.

If anything, assuming the F/Z anime follows the light novels well enough (which it seems to be doing so far) it'll severely confuse the folks who haven't at least read the F/SN Visual Novel. Lots of terminology used with the assumption that people know what they're talking about, lots of actions that shout out to the events of the next War, and of course, tons of spoilers for people who haven't read the original work before the prequel. Heck, I tried to read the Fate/Zero novels before finishing the last route of Fate/Stay Night, and within a single chapter I had ruined no less than four reveals from that route I skipped.

Offline RemSaverem

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Re: Fall Season 2011
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2011, 03:22:20 am »
I <3 Squid Girl. Bakumen sounds interesting, and especially if it starts kids towards making their own manga/doujin, more power to it. & Yes, I see the parallel you were making with Shelley's world.
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Offline Wuntvor

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Re: Fall Season 2011
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2011, 10:23:48 pm »
More from my Anime Friday notice for this week

Last Exile: Gin`yoku no Fam - * A new story with new characters set in the Last Exile universe.
The descendants of the planet's evacuees have returned to a rejuvenated environment, now free from the pollution that drove them out so long ago. However, they now face a constant and ever-increasing conflict with the planet's neglected inhabitants.
On the eve of signing a historical peace treaty with Luscinia of the Ades Federation, princesses Millia and Lily of the Turan Kingdom are lured into a trap and attacked by Luscinia, ruthlessly provoking war. Left for dead, the princesses are intercepted by The Vespa, a Vanship piloted by our titular heroine, Fam Fan Fan - a member of the Sky Pirates.

I now have a RAW of the Making of video with interviews of the three main Seiyuus (VAs), Toyosaki Aki, Yuuki Aoi, and Kayano Ai as well as some of the main people at Gonzo.  The first episode should be out by next Friday.

Shakugan no Shana III (Final) – More Shana for those who like the series.  This should be the ending since it is called Final.

Ben-Tou - The story revolves around a poor high school student named Satou You. Satou goes to the supermarket one day and discovers a bento (boxed meal) on sale at half price. Just as he reaches to grab it, he ends up on the floor unconscious. Satou has just entered the fierce, no-holds-barred supermarket survival battle for half-price bento.
The series is seriously messed up.  I don’t think any supermarket would allow these people to come back if they ever caught this stuff happening in the store.

Mirai Nikki (2011) - Yukiteru always rejected any offers to go with friends and just keeps writing a diary on his cell phone. He has what he believes is an imaginary friend called Deus Ex Machina. However, one day Deus asks him to play a survival game along with eleven others. The winner becomes the next Deus Ex Machina. In order to win, the contestants must use their diaries of the future to eliminate one another. For Yukiteru to survive, he must team up with another diary holder, a girl named Yuno.
I haven’t watched this one yet.  I sampled bits of it, and it just didn’t interest me.  Looks dark and emo.

Chibi Devi! - The story follows a middle school girl who discovers a devil baby on her bed one day.
I enjoyed this show a lot, I just wish it had been longer than 5 minutes!  Reminds me of Daa Daa Daa!
(\,@/)  Quote from -  Rock & Rule
(=','=)  Stretch: MOK! Don't let him get us!  He'll put a heck on me!
 //_\\   Dizzy:    Hexx, Stretch.  Hexx.
  d b    Stretch: Aw!  Two of them!  That's even worse!

Offline YouLikeRice

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Re: Fall Season 2011
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2011, 11:27:05 pm »
Ha ha, glad I'm not the only one that checks out every single show this season. Well, except for Sekaiichi. >_>

But I actually found this season to be a little lacking than last Fall season. A step up from the previous Summer season, but eh. Whatevs.

My personally favorite show of the season would have to be BokuTomo or as most people call it Haganai. I just find the writing to be so snappy and the dialogue to be hilarious. And no one wants to talk about Gundam AGE? ;_; FRITOOOOOOOO.