So in my autumn anime watchlist, I mentioned a total of 5 shows. I now have added one more to the mix, so that makes it 6. I will be covering 3 in this first part, and quite frankly, I doubt if I will be bothering to look at any more. For these three, note that I have not watched any subs except for the last one, and I have zero Japanese skills so I consider it quite a marvel I can even understand and follow the dialogue. Here goes. By the way image at top of Horo because I could find no suitable image of autumn in my HD, strangely I remember there being at least two but oh well.

The 4 girls of Hyakko. From left to right, Torako, Suzume, Ayumi and Tatsuki.

Hyakko

Summary

The first episode talked about a group of 4 girls, namely the first one, Ayumi, getting lost in her new school, which is seriously big. She walks around in circles, talking in a monologue to herself until she finds another girl, Iizuka. Iizuka sort of leads her on a wild goose chase, finally admitting she is also lost, and both keep wandering about the same school grounds. They then finally take a chance and walk outside the main school compound (actually just the external part but still within the fence) and chance upon a girl jumping from a second-storey classroom window, seemingly spraining her leg after her nice landing. A fellow schoolmate jumps from the same window after the theatrics, and the sprain is miraculously healed.

Torako and Suzume, the two new additions, then decide to bring Iizuka and Ayumi on a surefire solution: to go through their old middle school and then elementary school compounds. However it still fails in the end, and while trying to debate over whether they should smash a window to get into a certain place, Torako and Iizuka struggle and break it, getting spotted by a teacher in the process. Torako knocks him out with a single punch to the solar plexus, and much hilarity ensues the next day when it is revealed they are all in the same class, and the teacher is their homeroom teacher. Such begins the friendship of these 4 girls.
 

Impressions

The first episode had me laughing quite a bit. Some people thought it boring at the start when Ayumi kept going around the compound, but that was ok, since it was setting her up for meeting Iizuka and then later Torako and Suzume. I wonder how their slice of life comedy will develop, but I am definitely finishing this for the laughs sure to come. So far the first episode was indeed not bad.
 

Seiyuu

Ownage, seriously. Screw Hirano Aya, she is not fit to be put on the same level with the rest. Orikasa Fumiko voices Torako and Neya Michiko voices Iizuka, two very strong veterans right there. The supporting cast is also strong, with Fujiwara Keiji, Horie Yui and Kuwashima Houko. Both Fujiwara and Hocchan are also in another one I am keeping watch on in fall, as supporting cast as well, in Shikabane Hime: Aka, not covered in this post. Neya just made it recently to my ranks of seiyuu listings, thanks to her role in Soul Eater as Arachne. Looking back on her other roles which I know of, the other recent one was Ghost Hound of last fall, and Last Exile long ago as Delphine.
 

OP/ED

I disliked both, quite seriously. Not to mention ED is by that girl. So no.
 

Verdict

This series will be finished. I need more comedy, and it will be great to see how these 4 different girls shape up together as their friendship develops.
 

Yarisakura Hime of Yozakura Quartet, hottest girl in the show for me, surpassing even the nekomimi Ao. No idea why but I dislike Ao’s design a little.

Yozakura Quartet

Summary

In a city where youkai (spirits) live alongside humans, a group of 3 girls (all youkai, it seems) and one male (human, but with some powers) try to keep the order and the existing “peace” between youkai and humans. The first episode rattles on for like 3 minutes explaining the whole situation and I was unable to catch most of it, so the background is hazy for me. Otherwise, the action was fine in the first episode, showing what each of the quartet is capable of.

Hime herself is the strongest, she stops bullets with one hand and flicks them back too (LOLWUT?). Ao is a “mindreader”, but quite frankly I am wondering if that is the case. It seems more like she can connect to others via another dimension, or know of things using her ears (hence the nekomimi). Kotoha is a conjurer, a sort of magician that can bring up things on the spot, and she did quite a few WTF conjuring too in the first episode. Akina himself appears to be the weakest, but Hime mentions that his power is necessary to help keep the peace.

The first episode only deals with two youkai, one who seemingly hurt the other, but actually was protecting her though he was a criminal, and the second girl being a youkai that hates humans. She will appear again in the next episode.
 

Impressions

I was expecting comedy, and I got too little of it. Then again it might turn on more in the later episodes. The youkai girl may just turn out to be something more important later on. Oh and Hime is hawt. First episode was still slightly disappointing after the sypnosis hype though.
 

Seiyuu

Ironically, there is not a lot going for Y-Quartet in terms of seiyuu. Fukuen Misato plays Hime, her recent role would probably include Soul Eater’s Elka Frogg. I suppose she finally is making a rather big name for herself, and yes, she was the voice of Yin from Darker than Black. Sawashiro Miyuki is voicing Kotoha, and if not for Hashihime, I would not have known about how strong she is compared to other seiyuu of her age, so you can expect some goodness from Kotoha there. Perhaps another winning point for many fans of Vocaloid’s Hatsune Miku would be Fujita Saki, who provided the backdrop for Miku’s now-famous voice. She voices Ao, the nekomimi.

Other voices worthy of note are in the supporting cast. Tanaka Rie herself is in this show, Daisuke Ono for once drops from his normal hilarious roles, becoming a serious sidekick and direct subordinate in the family to Hime herself, and Tomatsu Haruka plays someone directly related by blood (not shown yet, but from the name it seems so) to Daisuke. This show is mostly about newer seiyuu, but still, good enough that you can expect performances well done.
 

OP/ED

The OP, JUST TUNE by savage genius, is pretty ok, but it does sound like a song that might catch on. Pop tune, more like. The ED, Nagareboshi by ROUND TABLE featuring Nino (LOL IF HER NAME WERE SPANISH BLEACH FOLKS WOULD INSTANTLY CATCH THE JOKE HERE) is even better, quite a nice song with a smooth rhythm for me. I will be getting both.
 

Verdict

I am likely finishing this one as well. It has nothing in it to make me go “LOLWUT?” or turn me off, whilst still keeping its integrity and I hope to see more of action and humor in the next episodes to come. Only 13 episodes too, like Hyakko, so no problem there.
 

Kizaki Emi, naked. The only thing worth getting a screenshot of in the entire first episode.

Kurogane no Linebarrels (Linebarrels of Iron)

Summary

I refuse to give a summary, because after first 10 minutes plus, it turns into generic mecha WTF lol he gains superpowers, a new mecha, and a hot girl to boot. Why do these things not happen to me? So other than that, yea, the only thing that was worthy of mention was at the end when Emi told him he was already dead. The only interesting thing, in fact. This show is going to be hereafter only called Balls of Iron for me.
 

Impressions

LOLWIT?
 

Seiyuu

Surprisingly strong cast, considering it is a Gonzo production. The main weakling, Kouichi, is voiced by the same guy who voiced the same weakling in Minami-ke (Fujioka), his name is Kakihara Tetsuya. I believe his voice is used wrongly, seriously. Then again Kouichi is a weak delusional fuck.

Noto Mamiko is the one saving grace, playing as Kizaki Emi, where main characters are concerned anyway. For some strange reason Hirano Aya is also in this show. The likes of Sawashiro Miyuki, Fukugayma Jun, Ueda Kana, Kugimiya Rie, Ohara Sayaka and Nakata Jouji (especially the last two) make this show actually something to look forward to in terms of seiyuu. It has, however, almost nothing else going for it.
 

OP/ED

OP is by Ali Project. OMG THE FAIL. Just listening to it at the sponsor gratitude part made me sick. The ED is however, damn nice. Sung by Sakamoto Maaya, Ame ga furu is definitely a piece I am going to pick up.
 

Verdict

2 more episodes, but I can already see that I am dropping this show because of iron I have balls of steel. Brass. Whatever. Better than iron…because if iron means Kouichi then Gonzo should just burn in hell. Even Blassreiter was way better, containing bikes, sci-fi mayhem, and action, with Amanda. Where are you going, Gonzo? To Congo?
 

Part 2 of the impressions will come after this week, but first I am debating whether or not to watch Casshern Sins’ raw. Then again I heard it was nothing much, so I might just go for the raw.
 

Fall anime impressions part 1,
Panther

Related posts:

1. Autumn Anime Impressions Part 2
2. Hyakko – Final Impressions
3. Summer Anime Impressions
4. 2008 In Retrospect – Anime Part 2
5. Spring Anime OP/ED Impressions