Well, I finished my round of first episode watching for the current anime season, and I’m pleasantly surprised. Some of the shows I watched did not sound very good from other blogger reviews, and some of them have been overhyped, but I haven’t chosen anything to drop yet. I even added something to my list unexpectedly yesterday, which is interesting because I generally try to keep the number of anime I keep up with low, so I won’t be as likely to get sick of it or lazy about watching it.
I already talked about Sora no Woto, and will not be repeating my impressions, except to say that I plan to watch it for a while more. The following reviews will be of varying lengths.
Anyway, reviews ho!
Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu
I’ve decided to start the round of impressions posts off with the one I added at random. I only chose to look at it because of Hideyoshi, who is a very cute trap. Honestly, he’s not a convincing trap, nor does he try to be one, but I’ll forgive him for it. I haven’t seen a decent trap in a while anyway, which is sad.
Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu was a show that really surprised me. I didn’t look to see what it was about, nor did I look at the genre, but then I started watching it, and it was actually fun! I didn’t have an expectation for it, but I didn’t expect it to be fun either.
It’s basically about a class full of dumb kids (class 2-F) at a very strange school. Why is this school strange?
a) The rooms are either luxirious (2-A) or falling apart (2-F)
b) It allows for Exam Summon Battles (or something like that, but I don’t remember the name), in which one class may fight another. The prize is possession of their room.
Yes, these are real battles. Students summon chibi versions of themselves, whose attack/hit points come from the scores on their last test. Class F holds an ESB against Class E during the first day of school, so their hit points are based on the placement exam, which got them into their class in the first place. Class F is bound to lose to class E! But luckily, they have Himeji Mizuki, who should have been on Class A but was ill on the day of the placement exam. I won’t give all of the details from that point on, but it’s fun.
I don’t have a lot more to say about the characters. I think they’re going to be interesting idiots, as we often see in anime, but I’m still excited to watch them. Basically, this episode surprised me, this show will likely end up as my favorite, and I recommend anyone else try it out as well.
Durarara!!
This show was one that everyone was talking about as being a great show before it aired, and generally continuing to praise it after it aired. Personally, I think it’s had a little more praise than it’s due.
I can’t compare it to Baccano! as everyone seems to want to, but I can tell you why I was excited about it. Basically, because Suzuhito Yasuda did the illustrations for its light novel. I love Suzuhito Yasuda’s manga, Yozakura Quartet, and I like his artwork, so I was hoping that some of his greatness could rub off on this show (if that’s not too bizarre).
I was a little disappointed. Basically, the story is about a boy, Mikado, who moves to Ikebukuro to be with his friend Masaomi. The entire first episode consists of them walking through the city, and Masaomi telling Mikado about all the people and groups in the town he will need to avoid. There is actually a pretty small number of them, and it could have been covered easily in about five minutes. But no, it manages to last the entire time. However, the explanation was cut with two things.
The first were a couple of conversations taking place in a chat on some computer somewhere. I found them to make the episode a little bit confusing and annoying, mainly because
a) I wanted to know who these random people were, and I didn’t
b) I couldn’t keep track of or remember anyone’s name, so I was worried the entire time that I could be missing something crucial just for not being able to recall a name. I don’t, however, think I did. I sure hope not, anyway.
The second was the plot device to introduce us to the Black Rider, a headless girl who rides a black motorcycle. OooOOoooO~ But, silliness aside, I think she was introduced rather well. She killed everyone involved in some sort of kidnapping scheme, then rode off. Where Mikado then proceeded to see her riding down the road. His first urban legend! Masaomi seemed excited, but I personally wasn’t.
Anyway, that’s enough summary.
Looking at the characters…I’m kind of worried about Mikado. For one, I can’t remember his name, and I have Wikipedia opened in another tab for every time I forget it. He’s a very plain boy; quiet and non-assertive. That sort of character doesn’t usually bother me very much, but with Mikado, it was just too much. His voice reminded me of Italy from Axis Powers Hetalia at first, which definitely doesn’t suit him. It got better though.
Masaomi was a very happy guy, and he is currently carrying Mikado. The rest of the characters were just kind of shoved into the episode, and I don’t have an opinion on them. Hopefully, they will be expanded upon. I mean, my current favorite is Simon, and that’s just not how it’s supposed to be.
Overall, I’m a little unhappy with this series. I was definitely expecting more, but I suppose it’ll pick up in time. I’ll watch for a few more episodes, but if it continues to be this dull and forgettable, I plan to drop it.
(Also, I’m refraining from mentioning how some of the characters look like they walked out of Yozakura Quartet. I mean, Touka? Akina? What are you doing in Durarara!!?!)
Ookami Kakushi
My first thought on this show was Ryukishi07 x Peach-Pit? Yes! My thoughts after watching the first episode? Hmm.
I’m sure the show will be entertaining, but I’m not so sure that it will be all that great. So far there has been a bell motif that is very much overdone, irritating and cliched characters, and predictable points of “eeriness”.
Characters in this series could really have been done better. I think Ammy over at We Love Maids covers it well, and in a much more condensed manner than I would have managed. Of course, I will say a couple of things.
Isuzu is a character that should never have been born. When she was thought up, she should have been dismissed. I do not like her, will not like her, and cannot stand to watch her. I wish she would get killed, but she’s too central for that. Irritating, clingy girls are not my cup of tea.
However, Nemuru is a little bit better. She’s the exact opposite of Isuzu; a quiet, evil, loner type of girl. I won’t say she’s a better developed character (not yet anyway), but at least she doesn’t irritate me.
And since I’m ranting, I do dare to say that the wheelchair girl, Mana,’s obstinance was annoying too. You can’t wheel down a step that high and expect to be safe every time. Seriously.
The glasses girl was so boring I forgot both her name and her existence.
And the characters weren’t even that cute. I mean, I’m used to seeing Ryukishi07’s characters as not cute, but generally charming, however, these were not. The Grim Reaper type character was, but I’m not sure she counts right now. I just expected more out of Peach-Pit designs.
But I’ll move on.
The episode itself was a pretty basic beginning episode. New guy comes into town, new guy is shown around town by cute (sort of) girls, a couple of hints to the rest of the series are presented (New Town vs. Old Town rivalry, a killing after which the person is said to have “moved away”, etc.), and other pretty basic things. It wasn’t extremely enjoyable to watch, but I didn’t hate it either.
I think I’ll end up watching a couple more episodes and see how this goes. I just can’t get into the Ryukishi07 animes (though I’ve been enjoying the Higurashi manga version), I suppose. I finished Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, but I never finished Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai. Which was the more important one, it seems. And I didn’t finish Umineko either.
—
To sum it all up, I love Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu, Durarara!! needs to improve or I’ll be dropping it, and Ookami Kakushi is on the border. Weird Winter season, and I wonder how it’ll turn out.
(P.S. I used all non-official art so that you readers could have a break and see something new.)
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If I am not wrong, Peach-Pit only drew for the game, and not the anime. From a few screenshots which I saw of the anime, it doesn’t look at all like her drawings. Zombie-Loan’s anime characters looked more like Peach-Pit’s but her art in her mangas are still a few steps higher.
P.S. I thought Beatrice was rather cute. :\
Of course they only drew for the game. But I believe they helped with some character designs.
The anime art doesn’t look like their style, of course, since they didn’t draw it, but you can see the Peach-Pit influence in places, in my opinion.
“I wanted to know who these random people were, and I didn’t”
–> The Tanaka Tarou one is Mikado (it can be guessed on the voice and the info he’s been saying). As for the other chatters, my guess is that they’re also part of the main cast, but I dunno which is which. Figuring out who they are is what I’ll find fun as I watch more of it xD
“I’m kind of worried about Mikado……he’s a very plain boy; quiet and non-assertive. That sort of character doesn’t usually bother me very much, but with Mikado, it was just too much. ”
—> Narita’s (the orig author) characters that seem ordinary turn out to be very different from what they seem to be. So I guess we can expect more from Mikado =)
“I was definitely expecting more, but I suppose it’ll pick up in time. ”
–> It’s just an introductory episode so not much exciting scenes can’t be helped I guess. Hehe
Even introductory episodes are allowed to be interesting. :P
Yeah, but what I had in mind is what the majority would find interesting (which I assume would be something that doesn’t have much talking between the characters, and stuff like that). And by exciting scenes it would be the action stuff. . . .lots of action stuff. Ah well, that’s what I just think. I’m not saying I’m oh-so-right ^^;
For me, DRRR!!’s first episode was interesting. Ah well, opinions differ~
I think talking in anime is fine, when the subject is at least interesting. This first episode didn’t bore me per se, but it didn’t keep my attention. And I’m worried that the rest of the series may go somewhat the same way. I don’t enjoy being so distracted from a show that it takes three hours to watch, but that is what often happens to me. It’s an issue I’m looking at for Drrr!!
Durararararara has a good first episode because it sets up so many things and the different characters that we will be introduced to later. I had no trouble remembering most of their names though after just one rewatch (raw then sub) as I can largely remember due to seiyuu or other references.
The chatroom is going to be a good setup for later on – I was comparing it to Chaos;Head the whole time. Setton and the other guy is likely to be Orihaya Izaya (the dangerous one) and the scientist in league with headless rider. His name is in the OP animation but yeah I never cared to remember since he will be introduced next episode.
Otherwise this first episode was definitely a good start for a 24-episode series. Long way to go, a lot of chances and potential to explore. And yes, WTF, some characters walked right out of Y-Quartet there.
Well, I don’t blame Suzuhito for recycling character designs. He does complain about being unoriginal in his manga. I think he’ll get better at that sort of thing in the future, and I’ll try to ignore it for now. (Except for calling that glasses girl in the promotional image Touka.)
Personally, I think with 24 episodes to go, they could have skipped some of he pointless introduction for later, made it a little more believable, and we as viewers wouldn’t have lost much.
This is the problem with the shows that try to introduce a LOT of characters in the beginning. Remember Baccano’s first episode? It was confusing as hell! But then it turned out to be awesome. I have faith that Durarara will be the same.
No, I didn’t watch Baccano. :P
And anyway, I wouldn’t expect one show to be a certain way just because another one was.
I felt the same way in that Durarara was below my expectations, but considering the expectations were fairly high to begin with, it’s still a strong show. I liked Yozakura Quartet’s character designs, but didn’t bother to go through the mess of a show (still working on reading the manga for it though). I’m looking forward to Durarara bringing Quartet’s designs to a high quality show plot-wise.
There was a lot of setup, which similar to mefloraine, lost my attention. I tended to drift away from the show until there were action/fight sequences. There were some nice touches throughout the episode though that I’ll mention in my impressions (when I get around to it). Overall a show to keep an eye on, although I like Sora no Woto more when taking in the whole season’s shows so far.
Well, Yozakura’s plot (manga) is fine…the anime is just terrible. I’m doing my best not to compare the series while I watch this, because I don’t want to think of them together.
Oh wow, Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu is likely to end up as your favorite? I should finish watching it then. I flipped through it and saw some of the stuff like the summonings, and then closed the episode to watch later. >_<
Yeah, it is. Which shocked me (and still does), but if it does what all good anime does and improves after the first episode, I am almost certain to like it the most. It’s just plain fun!
Hmm…I would think flipping through it would kind of ruin the fun a little bit…because the best part, for me, was being shocked by the summonings and whatnot (and by how much I liked it in general). Though, I guess reading the review would ruin that too…
…but I still recommend reading my reviews. :D