Final Thoughts: Anime of Spring 2017

- WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS -

I like how I changed the spelling of everybody's names since the first impressions post.

MyAnimeList
First Impressions: Anime of Spring 2017

Shortcuts:
Eromanga-sensei
Re:Creators
Renai Boukun
Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat

Eromanga-sensei (12)

I Rate: 7.3
One Sentence: Did it... end?

I didn't think Eromanga-sensei would actually revolve around sibling love, and thankfully it didn't. I would argue that it actually has less to do with that particular theme and instead focuses on being a comedy. Sure, the very premise of the show generated a lot of buzz around it, but there is little to actually say on the note of Masamune and Sagiri's relationship.

I thought the art was pretty nice, and the music was pretty catchy. In terms of plot progression, it's basically all done in the first few episodes, as the characters in Eromanga-sensei never face any meaningful conflicts later on.

So why did I rate this anime relatively high?

It was just... funny. Similar to the way Mayoiga was funny. Reading episode discussions was always a blast every week, and the show did have some legitimately funny scenes. Where Eromanga-sensei lacks in depth of characters/story, it makes up with some really "memey" and hilarious moments.

Basically go in, don't expect a thoughtful and constructive piece of work, and you will have a blast (granted, you need a sense of humour beforehand).

Best Girl: Tomoe is pretty cool and relatively pure


Re:Creators* (6/22, dropped)

I Rate: 6.8
One Sentence: By the time I reached episode 6 the show had failed to live up to my expectations, and the already uninteresting events and interactions seem forced.

While Re:Creators had one of the most promising starts to the spring season, I found myself becoming less and less interested as the anime continued to air. For what I was hoping would be a highlight of the season, I am sorely disappointed.

The largest gripe that I have with Re:Creators is the poor execution of not only plot development but also character development. I can honestly say that through the six episodes that I did watch, I do not remember any significant events occurring that actually did something to further the story.

As I had noted in my initial impressions of this show, I felt that the characters were quite lacking in unique personalities. There were no reasons given for me to support or sympathize with any of the characters, and the fact that there is are so many characters makes it even more difficult to do so. Many, if not all, of the characters are not enjoyable to watch. Alice is an extremely stubborn and headstrong individual, and it makes me cringe (for lack of a better word) to see her actions and decisions unfold. Perhaps this is just a personal preference of mine, but I believe the characters are what makes Re:Creators mediocre.

Despite this, I do think that (for the right person) Re:Creators can be an intriguing show. For those more geared towards spectacular and awesome action scenes with less interest in characters, maybe this show has something for you.

Best Girl: Selesia is the only bearable one (asides from Metorea)


Renai Boukun (12)

I Rate: 7.2
One Sentence: Despite how unusual and unappealing Renai Boukun seems, it still managed to make me laugh and kinda look forward to each episode.

Renai Boukun was weird. For me, most of its value is derived from my enjoyment of the show. However there are others who look for other aspects and, in the case of Renai Boukun, may be disappointed.

There is nothing outstanding about Renai Boukun. You can check off your list of the holy anime pillars and find that the show is quite average in all categories, premise excluded. The animation, characters, and music are all decent. In terms of the premise, I'll give studio EMT² the benefit of the doubt that they did not delve deeper into character development/backstories because of the 12 episode season.

I dunno, I think that's all.

Best Girl: still Akane


Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records (12)

I Rate: 7.4
One Sentence: Sleeper hit of the season - much better than anticipated but still confined by its tropes and genre.

For the whole season I waited for a nickname to be given to Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records, and at long last I came across one on MAL just when the anime ended. On the bright side I can at least use it for this post.

At first glance and nothing but that, RokuAka seems like your run of the mill anime about a magic academy with a fantasy setting.

It is.

I feel that RokuAka really shone from episodes 2 - 6, but it never went back to peak form for the rest of the series. After the two mini arcs that were featured in that range, the show reverts back to very predictable and "industry standard" conflicts and events, which is a shame because I genuinely enjoyed the first half of the anime.

All the characters except Glenn and Celica are boring, and Celica hardly counts because I can count the number of things I know about her on one hand. I thought Glenn was pretty cool because RokuAka hinted at a very dark and grim backstory, but that is never fully explored.

I'd say skip it honestly.

Best Girl: Rumia still best, despite her 5/10 rating


Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat (11)

I Rate: 7.9
One Sentence: Really enjoyed this season for what it had to offer in actual developments and there is a significant conflict for once.

Man I'm just biased but I really like Saekano in general. The clean and vibrant art style is right up my alley and I'm pretty attached to the characters. I thought that the second season was quite fitting and stuff actually happens.

The art, music, characters are all the same, and for good reason. The show found great success in its first season and it managed to address its main flaw in the second season - the lack of meaningful plot events. In Saekano Flat we see each of the characters experience realistic conflicts, not only with the other characters, but within themselves. We most vividly see this with Eriri, who found her artistic peak but is never able to return to form again because of how lenient Aki is.

All in all, I really enjoyed this season of Saekano, and while a third season doesn't seem likely, I can only hope. If you thought the first season was any good, I highly recommend Saekano Flat. And if you haven't watched the first season, give it a try!

Best Girl: Katou cements herself as disputable best girl

I'm done!

Sorry for the late post

I guess I'll never be able to adhere to a strict schedule of posting, but at the very least I can make some updates on how my life has been going! A lot of stuff has happened in the past bit, from my graduation ceremony to getting some new job opportunities, so let's dive right in.

I'm done!

Five years have come and gone and now that I'm standing at the end of my high school life there are all these emotions and feelings that swell up inside me, and it makes me happy that I managed to make the best of my time. Of course there are loads of things things that I regret immensely, but I think that's a valuable part of the experience.

I had my graduation ceremony last week and it came and went in the blink of an eye. When you're watching from the bleachers as a part of the audience, it's a lot of waiting for a familiar name or the mention of some absurd amount of scholarship/entrance award money. However when you're the actual person walking across the stage, time can't seem to go by slow enough.

Anyhow, I don't know how many times I've said this, but the graduation ceremony was absolutely surreal. I hardly remember much of it and I kinda just went through it in a dazed fashion.

Job stuff

I've come to realization that I'm a lot less wealthy than I initially believed myself to be. At one point I was spending left and right because I never believed that number in my bank account would dip to a worrying amount (and it hasn't, for the record), but now, well, let's just say impulse purchases have become much less impulsive.

So after several attempts of looking for a job, I have finally come across two: one at the restaurant my aunt works at, and one at a bubble tea shop. The latter option definitely sounds appealing to me because I just like bubble tea and I feel somewhat sick of working as a waiter, but apparently the first option comes with better pay. As of now I plan to try out being a waiter one more time and then it that doesn't jive well with me I'll see if working at the bubble tea shop suits my tastes better.

C'est tout

Thank you kindly for spending time on this blog today! I'll see you in the next one, but until then take care and enjoy the awesome weather.

First Impressions: Anime of Spring 2017

- WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS -

We back in it.

MyAnimeList
Final Thoughts: Anime of Spring 2017

Zoom Zoom Guys:
Eromanga-sensei
Re:Creators
Renai Boukun
Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat

Eromanga-sensei (1/?)

I Rate: 7.4
One Sentence: Like a better OreImo (the MC is a Kyousuke clone).

You know what, this isn't half bad. Despite the weak willed main character, obvious loli pandering, and uncanny similarities to OreImo, I think Eromanga-sensei could go somewhere. Granted, I think it's more probable that it won't, but I found myself enjoying the first episode more than I thought I would.

Let's begin with the art. I like the clean and conservative style that the show uses, and the animation seems to be of good quality as well. There wasn't anything that I noticed in particular about the soundtrack, but some say that no news is good news. The characters are pretty shallow and I don't have high hopes that they'll have massive development later on, but Sagiri can be funny sometimes.

Yeah I don't know why I gave this such a high score. That's alright.

Best Girl: the girl who literally shut herself in her room for one year


Re:Creators (1/22)

I Rate: 8.1
One Sentence: Art from UBW, music from Aldnoah.Zero, and a story line that makes me feel like I've been playing too much FE: Heroes come together to make a great pilot.

The premise in Re:Creators is a little spin-off of what we've been seeing a lot lately: main character is suddenly transported to a random world and is forced to adapt and resolve some sort of conflict. Instead our main character, Souta, bears witness to characters from his favourite anime coming to life in his world. Re:Creators starts off with my favourite pilot of the season. We get a little taste of everything, from some incredible animation in several fight scenes to an epic and fitting soundtrack.

The one part where I felt the anime falter in was its characters. Celestia undergoes a very drastic change in a matter of minutes, and for no apparent reason. It's also quite bizarre to see how quickly the anime characters adapt to their new world, seeing as they can recognize and express a desire to purchase what should be foreign goods and snacks.

All in all, I'm hoping that the longer season for Re:Creators will help remedy some the lack of depth and development in characters. The story is certainly interesting and all the other elements for a strong show are present, now it's time to sit and have faith.

Best Girl: Celestia for reasons other than her costume


Renai Boukun (1/12)

I Rate: 7.2
One Sentence: Story is fun and the gag humour works occasionally, but Renai Boukun is easily forgotten.

Renai Boukun is a comedy that is definitely out there. From the first episode alone we're greeted with the Love Note, a not-so-angelic angel, a yandere who can duel wield kukris (I'm not sure what they are), and a step-sister with incestual feelings towards the yandere.

If the characters each represented a television they would all be flatscreens.

No comment on the music. I kinda dislike the art, but maybe it'll take some getting used to. It just doesn't look very clean and I am definitely not a fan of the eyes. To be honest, I don't like the character designs in general. I don't particularly like the VAs either. There's a lot of stuff I don't like basically.

Watch it if you want to see if it will make you laugh, but I don't think you'll feel like you get those 5 hours of your life back after you finish it all. Who knows though, maybe I'll be wrong and it'll blow my socks off.

Best Girl: Akane - she's pretty crazy, but then again everybody else is


Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records (1/12)

I Rate: 7.3
One Sentence: Meta comedy won't save the overdone and boring "single guy in a magic school full of skimpily dressed female students."

While I think it's kinda neat that Glenn is a somewhat of a "bad" main character, I don't think that can save what Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records is at its fundamentals. From what I've seen in the first episode (and the school uniforms themselves), there isn't a whole lot going for it. Actually, it can be funny sometimes.

The art is pretty standard, and so is the music. As for the characters... well, you get what you came for, asides from Glenn. You have your "ojou-sama" from a super prestigious family that has ties with the academy, then you have the sidekick, who tends to be one of the better and more likable personalities later on, and then you have some sort of mysterious older lady who is some sort of magic god but doesn't get a whole lot of mention besides being the reason why this strange and improbable situation even exists. Anyhoo. Yeah.

As of the time of this posting (the show is on its third week), ratings on MAL are pretty high so maybe something great happens in the next episode.

Best Girl: Lumia cause Sistine sure isn't getting it


Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat (1/11)

I Rate: 8.3
One Sentence: Man I'm so glad this got a second season.

If you were a fan of the first season of Saekano, the second season is a must watch. The pilot gives a very refreshing change of pace, and the majority of the episode is dedicated to learning the backstory of the intense rivalry between Utaha and Eriri. I'm excited to see if the anime takes a more serious approach with the relationships between the characters, but in the end I think that's a tall task for 11 episodes.

The very clean and vibrant art style returns for this season, and the opening is my favourite for this season. The characters are all your specific archetypes, but in my humble opinion, they're done exceptionally well and have grown past their cookie cutter stage.

Alrighty time to wrap up this post and go watch the second episode of Saekano Flat, I can't put it off any longer. Goodbye, and see you next time!

Best Girl: KAAAAASUUUUMIGAOOOOOOOKA UTAHA (but actually, she got a lot of time with Tomoya for the fan service episode)

Real(ish) Talk

Buckle up because this is going to be some of the worst writing you've ever read

First of all, it's pretty surreal that I'm actually writing a post a day after I put one up. I'm not sure what's gotten into me, but guess it's best to ride out the wave and go with the flow. Anyways, slap on this song that I've been listening to the past two weeks and let's gooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

Assumptions

Let us dip back to last Sunday afternoon. Every Sunday I work a full day (nine hours) at a sushi restaurant, and while it can be tiring and affect me negatively, it's good for the most part. Anyways, enough about that.

Our place, like many others, run a special, where you can choose any three items and get a miso soup with it for around $10. A group comes in with three adults and four kids, and the waitress I was working with tends to them. I don't know what I do for the next few minutes or so, but she has taken their order and asks me to help her prep and serve miso soup to that table.

She asks me to prep five full bowls and two bowls that are half full. When I ask her why the two bowls are to be half full, she responds that they are for the kids. Anyways, I'm left to my task and also thoughts about whether what I am doing aligns with my moral compass. It's humiliating, but from this one thing I started thinking negatively of my workplace.

With the whole thing still not sitting well with me, I run to the computer, where the Point of Sale (POS) system and all the orders are, and see that there are only five lunch specials on the order. It turns out that the two small miso soups had been requested by the customer, and as far as I'm aware, the waitress hadn't charged her for it.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say, maybe there's something profound like, "Even the slightest doubt can ruin a perfect track record," or even, "Assuming isn't good for you dude," but I don't know. Take what you will from this little anecdote. To me I discovered how much impact and change can be caused by an assumption.

Don't stop (not that you can)

I've been looking back at my posts (to get ready for my Student-Led Presentation, which is tomorrow!) and I have to say, there's not a whole lot keeping me from razing everything down to the floor. There's a lot of embarrassing content, but hey, it was me who wrote it.

In a serious light though, I think that one goal that I need to become a better and stronger person is to be able to fully embrace the more cringey parts of my past. Sometimes I try to write posts with the intention to make it as cringe-proof as possible, but maybe that's not what I'm supposed to do.

Maybe it's just some wonderfully beautiful way of living life. Maybe it's about the struggle, and maybe when I feel embarrassed about other posts, it's a good thing because I feel motivated to one up myself. So yeah, don't stop doing what you're doing. Quite possibly you're already doing that, and I'm just the weak one. Embrace as much of yourself as you can, take it, and own it.

Maybe I'm just dumb and this all has no meaning to you.

Thank you for reading.

Updates (Part 72?)

Wait, what? There's another post this soon??@@>#?
I don't know why, but this morning I just felt like writing up a high quality blog post for my dearest readers. But yeah, I'm pretty much going off an impulse here, so the writing is going to be horrendous (as usual).

Anyways, it's nice to have you back! Much like a random teenage boy writing a post for a blog that he has kept running for several years for whatever reason, I will write a post for my blog that I have kept running for several years for whatever reason.

It's coming (Anime of Winter)!
I stated in Summer 2016 Final Thoughts that I was considering to stop the anime reviews for a bit, at least until everything calmed down a bit. Now things are much more certain, in terms of school, uni, and extracurriculars. I've been accepted to both of the places I applied, so now all that's left is for me to enjoy the last few months of high school and try my best to keep my marks up.

With that said, you can expect an overview of the upcoming winter anime coming up in the next week or two (the second season of Saekano isn't airing until a week from now, so it'll probably be two weeks until the post).

Spring Break
It's been a week since spring break but I gotta say, it was a fantastic way for me to kinda "reset" and approach the rest of the school year with a fresh breath. I got to lounge around home all day, I went out a few times, and I just had a really nice, carefree break.

Students' Council was also planning our event, Striker, during the break, and that ended today, so it really does feel like I've dropped off quite a bit of baggage.

That's All!
I'm going to try for a post tomorrow, but knowing me there's a good chance it won't be up. Tomorrow is going to be a pretty good day for me, since I'm off on a French field trip for more than half the day, I get to come back to a relaxing fourth block, and then there's ultimate practice. Pray for no rain.