Winter 2016 Final Thoughts

- WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS -

I ended up picking a few more entries this season, so this post won't look as pathetic as the first impressions one. As you can tell I'm terrible at introductions. Get ready for the second installment of a wild and crazy ride.

MyAnimeList
Winter 2016 First Impressions

This Season:
Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2
Ansatsu Kyoushitsu 2
Boku Dake ga Inai Machi
God Eater
Haikyuu!! 2
KonoSuba
Musaigen no Phantom World

Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2 (12)

I Rate: 7.7/10.0
One Sentence: Good concluding season that ties everything together nicely and ensures a happy ending for our friends at the castle.

By no means was there anything great in Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2, but as with the first season, there was an above average showing from the second. The atmosphere, feelings, and environments carry on, leading to a second performance that seems a tad bit washed out, but still enjoyable.

The story consists of events that challenge our main characters, Zen and Shirayuki, as individuals and also as romantic partners. If there is anything bad to say about this anime, it is that the story isn't nearly as impactful or profound as it should have been. As a viewer and one with common knowledge, it is evident that a romantic relationship between a prince and a commoner is discouraged. I believe that this "challenge" that Zen and Shirayuki face was shown rather poorly. At times it felt like it was simply the meanderings of the group and less Zen and Shirayuki trying to find a way to make themselves suitable for the other.

We see a surprising amount of growth in our castle friends group, especially in Obi. There are hints of some sort of attraction towards Shirayuki, and I think that the anime really could have gone somewhere with that (instead that specific dynamic between Obi and Shirayuki was rather abruptly cut off). It would have been intriguing if Obi was introduced as some sort of dark horse to the relationship between Zen and Shirayuki, but the producers most likely did not want to stir trouble. Kiki and Mitsuhide sit back as kinda-kinda-not side characters but both of them do get a brief highlight. And finally we have our new couple, Zen and Shirayuki, who have overcome their obstacles and can now happily live out their lives together. Raji, the prince of the neighbouring region gets some good screentime as well. The characters do seem flat throughout the 12 episodes, as they all play certain archetypes, but are likable nonetheless.

As expected, the animation remains of the same quality, consistent and pretty, and the theme songs are both fitting for Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2. There are some really sparkly and nice scenes, but overall just solid animation.

I did enjoy Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2, but I'm just hounding on the aspects of the anime where it did fall since it is the second season. I expected something different but instead got the same (which isn't bad) stuff as the first season. If you enjoyed the first season immensely give the second a try, but there isn't anything huge that happens, just a nice way to end off the series.

Best Girl: Shirayuki (not saying much since the only other relevant girl was Kiki, but yeah)


Ansatsu Kyoushitsu 2 (14/25, ongoing)

I Rate: 8.0/10.0
One Sentence: Class 3-E returns for a second season, where a lot of twists and turns happen and we're inching closer and closer to the full story of Koro Sensei.

I'm glad that I ended up watching this second season because it's actually pretty good and not nearly as repetitive as I anticipated. I remember reading somewhere that this season would adapt the manga's ending, so I'm looking forward to what the ending will bring.

The story is picking up more than ever, especially in the most recent episode, where Koro Sensei prepares to tell the class the whole picture of how he came to be and why he is the teacher of 3-E. While the previous episodes had avoided confronting this and instead focused on the adventures and tribulations the class of assassins would go through, it's good to see the story going somewhere decisive and relevant. That being said, the events that have happened are still exciting and great to watch, and the story can only get better with the latest developments.

When it comes to the characters there's no shortage of them, however Ansatsu Kyoushitsu 2 finds a way to make room for all of them and keep them all in the picture, even if they are pushed out by the main cast. I'm particularly enjoying the usage of characters with niche skills for specific events, as that adds some importance and individualism to each of the students. An (rather poor) example of this is the recent plot twist where Kayano turns out to be a villain and is another tentacle wielder after Koro Sensei's life. The purpose of this development was to find a way to progress the plot, and what a better way than to turn one of the students against everybody

The art remains nice to look at, although nothing superb. The OP is catchy (much like the first season) and the ED is a more sombre and mellow track (much like the first season if I recall correctly), both of which are good to listen to.

Ansatsu Kyoushitsu 2 is a really great thing to pick up if you have watched the first season and enjoyed it (although that was my case and I still neglected to), and I recommend you try out the first season if you're new to Ansatsu Kyoushitsu. Excited to see where this is going, and I hope that the conclusion will do service to the series.

Best Girl: Ritsu is still pretty cool, even though she has a lot less screentime


Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (12)

I Rate: 8.8/10.0
One Sentence: A sort of dark horse mystery anime that kept viewers on edge with its suspenseful story telling, twists and turns, and its grim and dark setting.

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (aka Erased) was this absolutely bonkers new anime that took the winter season by storm and has easily made itself a contender for best anime of the year. However the unfortunate problem with any anime that garners this much attention and popularity is that it receives abnormally high ratings, and draws in "haters" who attempt to deconstruct the hype. It is natural to have opposing sides in order to create balance, so for those who give Erased a 10.0/10.0, there are those who give Erased a 4.0/10.0 or a 5.0/10.0.

In my conceited mind, I like to think that I sit somewhere along the middle of the two sides. Erased was easily the best showing that the winter season had to offer, and the amount of discussion and popularity it had is a bit of evidence. Personally I loved Erased, and I think that it is one of the more prominent anime to have come out in the last while.

Let us start with the story that Erased provides us with. The main character is Satoru Fujinuma, a 29 year old manga artist/pizza delivery boy. He experiences a unique phenomenon that he calls "Revival" that zips him back in time before an accident of some sort. Lo and behold, his mother is killed one night and it turns out that to prevent this incident he must travel back 18 years, all the way to his childhood, right when a string of abductions are to occur. A large portion of the anime is spent with a highlight on saving his classmate, Kayo Hinazuki (one of the flaws in Erased), and after a short and hasty conclusion to the two other children who would be abducted, Satoru is faced with the abductor. When all is said and done, Satoru goes into a coma and wakes up whatever amount of years later, only to face the abductor and defeat him in a final showdown. Erased ends fuzzy and with happiness on the horizon. The praise that the series gets is from the way that the story is presented and the twists in development. Every episode left us with a cliffhanger and that alone was enough to make us want more. Without a doubt, there is an interesting plot present, and while the pacing could have been much better, it was not detrimental to the success of the series.

When we take a look at the characters, we can see there's a good amount of depth to each of them. Obviously the concept of having 29 year old Satoru acting as a child is something that isn't very typical, so it does give a bit of a unique view. For the rest of the characters, there aren't really any outstanding ones besides Satoru's mom, Kayo, Yashiro, and Kenya (which is obvious with the screentime that they get). In my eyes the character department is above average, but nothing spectacular.

The animation and soundtrack are two highlights of the show. Atmosphere and mood were wonderfully and masterfully done, and definitely worthy of applause. There are scenes that truly send a shiver down your spine. In my opinion the art style is great, and A-1 Pictures have done an amazing job with the pieces of music that they used.

Unfortunately due to a large amount of hype, Erased gets a lot of bad rap, however when you ignore that and watch the anime for yourself, you can see that it truly is something worthwhile and special.

Best Girl: AFTER THAT AMAZING SHOW OF DEDICATION AND PURE LOVE FOR HER SON, COULD WE PLEASE HAVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR MS. FUJINUMA


God Eater (13)

I Rate: 7.5/10.0
One Sentence: If the first nine episodes were as good as the last four God Eater would have been amazing, but I wouldn't be saying this if they were.

God Eater is a bag of mixed marbles (is that how you say it?) There was the rare episode that was done exceptionally well, but asides from that the anime doesn't reach the mark. Props to ufotable for the surge of quality in the episodes after the show's break, but that will never erase what happened in the first nine episodes.

I'll be straightforward with you; I don't remember what happened in the first nine episodes. All I can say is that the plot doesn't stick out like a sore thumb, nor is it mindblowingly great. You can expect the plot to follow something along the lines of a typical shounen anime. The main character starts out relatively weak and then for some reason or another (in God Eater's case, it was a conveniently overpowered weapon) gets massive and ripped to defeat some "unbeatable" raid boss, at his own expense. There's a few cool little things here and there, but overall nothing special.

The characters are all either badasses or the comm guy or the tech guy who's always sitting at HQ spewing lines like, "CAAAAAAAAP'N, HE'S GONE OFF THE RADAR." There really isn't anything noteworthy here. There's a tiny bit of development, but hey, what else are you going to expect from an action show?

At the very beginning I had a hard time even looking at God Eater, because of its unorthodox art style and animation, but by the time I finished episode thirteen I had come to love and appreciate it. In terms of my personal taste, the style felt very clean and appropriate for the show. The animation was also good, although that is to be said for many action anime.

Best Girl: IROHA UTSUGI FOR #2 ONEE-CHAN OF THE YEAR WHAT'S UP WITH ALL THESE CAPS


Haikyuu!! 2 (25)

I Rate: 8.5/10.0
One Sentence: HOLY MOLY WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH A THIRD INSTALLMENT FOLKS, THE VOLLEYBALL TRAIN AIN'T STOPPING HERE CHOO CHOO.

Honestly there's isn't anything else to say except that Haikyuu!! might have somehow gotten even better since the first season. The quality has been consistent throughout both seasons and there is never a boring episode. As with the first season, I also thoroughly enjoyed this season and it was my absolute pleasure to have an opportunity to continue my ride on the Haikyuu!! hype train.

There really isn't too much speculation when it comes to something like Haikyuu!! 2 and how it will end. About halfway through the season it was evident that the Karasuno squad just had to win, (after their crushing defeat handed to them by Aoba Josai in the first season) and that the next challengers would be Shiratowizawa. Because of this I find it difficult to claim that the predictability of Haikyuu!! 2 is a factor that takes away from the quality of the anime. Asides from the actual events that transpire, there's a very good amount of backstory for a lot of the characters.

As said, loads of character development present, all while still keeping the practices and games and "actual volleyball" there and relevant. If my memory serves right, I said something about some side characters getting shafted to the side in the first season. The awesome part is that this season takes care to give each of the players a spotlight, even going as far as to introduce a new (well, not really new, but nobody knew him back in season one) Karasuno player and giving detailed stories on players on other teams.

The art, animation, and music remain spectacular, with fluid, masterful animation and songs that get you hyped up and ready to go. There's a lot of attention to the little things and you come to appreciate those details. Loads of breathtaking animation that is absolutely perfect for the fast paced nature of Haikyuu!! 2.

It's been a wild ride with Haikyuu!! 2 and a third installment is in the works, so the hype train will continue. I don't remember seeing if it was officially said to be a movie or another episodic season, but nonetheless, I know that sometime in the future I'll be able to once again enjoy the fantastic sports anime of Haikyuu!!

Best Girl: Hitoka stole the spotlight this time around, but really both managers are amazing


KonoSuba (10)

I Rate: 7.8/10.0
One Sentence: Unexpectedly hilarious and awesome for something that looked like a generic SAO or DanMachi.

It wasn't until KonoSuba was just about wrapping up its short season that I finally decided to sit myself down and watch at least an episode of what was I had naively labelled as another generic fantasy/adventure anime. But I am so glad that I did.

KonoSuba had me in fits of absolute laughter, episode by episode there was always something humorous around the corner. The story, while definitely not anything spectacular, is loose, but provides firm ground for other aspects of the anime. Essentially what happens is our MC, Kazuma, dies and is transported to a limbo of sorts. He is greeted by Aqua, the goddess in charge of this space, and she recruits him to be reborn in a fantasy world, your typical MMORPG, while also granting Kazuma the ability to take any single one thing with him to this world. After being mocked and teased, Kazuma seizes his chance and chooses Aqua herself as the one thing he wishes to take, and as you can guess, hilarity ensues. The events that transpire through those oh so short 10 episodes have the perfect balance of comedy and touching moments, and that was huge towards my personal enjoyment.

Now for the characters. All of them are hysterical in their own little ways, and their personal quirks make them stand out as original characters. I thought that Studio DEEN did a great job twisting the archetypes of a MMORPG party and in that way the characters are actually interesting to watch. As such, the run down of the KonoSuba party is

• Kazuma, the leader who tries to keep his party together and functional to no avail
• Aqua, the archpriest who can really do nothing except pull out all the stops when needed
• Megumin, the archwizard who deals only in explosive magic and only has enough energy for one huge explosive attack before passing out, and
• Darkness, the masochistic crusader who hits literally nothing but is willing to tank everything

The colours and art are bright and cheery, fitting for the lighthearted theme that KonoSuba encapsulates. I rather enjoyed the art style and the soundtrack is nothing impressive, but definitely gets the job done.

One of the best parts of the anime is the way that meta commentary and criticism on the world (symbolizing the fantasy/adventure genre) in cleverly incorporated. Studio DEEN utilizes the fact that Kazuma comes from another world to use him for this purpose, and this makes it all the more funny. I would recommend KonoSuba to any anime fan in a heartbeat.

Best Girl: all of them are great in their own way, but the award goes to Aqua-sama


Musaigen no Phantom World (13)

I Rate: 6.9/10.0
One Sentence: Dumbest thing to come out of KyoAni in a while, but somehow manages to claw its way to decency in the very last part of the season.

So pretty much the only reason why I planned to watch Musaigen no Phantom World was because it was a coveted KyoAni production, but I learned the hard way that coming from a renowned studio does little to the actual quality of the anime. I'll try to keep my thoughts short on this (but that should be easy seeing as I'd rather spend less time writing about it anyways).

The anime works with episodic plots, and the only time the story bridges through more than one episode is in the last two installments of the season. This is to be expected, and really does not hinder the show in any way. What does make Musaigen no Phantom World a forgettable watch is the content and the way that it is presented. There was a disgusting amount of fan service in the first episode alone (however it's worthwhile to mention that it was toned down quite a bit). The whole thing with Mai having to grope herself in an erotic manner to withdraw power from her body was also a turn off. Basically there is no profound story of any sort. However to give credit where it is due, the last two episodes were much higher in quality compared to the episodes before it. I enjoyed the Enigma arc.

Characters are straight from a cookie cutter and believe me when I say that nobody is interesting in the slightest. Everybody has experienced a tragedy of some sort and that is where they gain the motivation and power to fight (although if I am to be fair, that is every character in their simplest form). They were pretty looking though, which brings us to our next topic.

Art and animation (we'll ignore soundtrack since there wasn't anything prominent) are excellent, as expected of KyoAni. The colours seemed a tad bit off to me, but besides that everything else was top notch. All of the characters were drawn really well and looked great in general. That's... that's it.

Next time you're searching for an anime to watch and stumble across Musaigen no Phantom World, I would definitely choose to skip it. There is nothing that you haven't seen or experienced before, and it is easily forgotten.

Best Girl: Reina (only because she is voiced by the same VA who did Ayase)