Well the new season is upon us, but unlike previous seasons I am not embracing it as hard as I could be. Summer is a tricky season for things real and imaginary. As much as I’d love for things not to break at work, they do, which diverts my time away from this, but to make matters worse, Saimoe 2012 will be on us in less than a week. A separate blog is up for keeping track this year, so bookmark https://saimoe.tldranimu.net now and all that. Now to wrap up a few more Spring shows, and highlight four new Summer shows.
I have to admit, I was skeptical that I’d like this show at first, because it just seemed like a RUCKY STAR clone without any real soul, but Acchi Kocchi managed to melt away my hipster to reveal a very well-made show for those who like this sort of thing. Perhaps it is because I’ve been a betafag all my life, but watching a show where Io pretty much just controls everything felt good somehow. But even outside of that, the show was genuinely funny at times. Fuck you if this sounds gay, but I actually liked this show. Haters gonna hate.
Title: Acchi Kocchi
Sub Group I Watched: Commie
Episodes: 12
Rating (1-10): 8
Favorite Character: Io
Least Favorite Character: Kyouya
Y U NO Tsumiki? Why should I? Io was a boss.
Chocolate Frog: If anyone cosplays Mayoi, they should make this. Seriously.
Saimoe Underdog Status: I’d love to say they have a shot this year given how popular Lucky Star was in the past, but with so much other competition, they’re going to have to have the luck of the draw.
Let me get one thing out of the way first. The manga to this show is just better, and I’m not saying this because I am a mangafag or being hipster, it’s just that it simply is a better experience all around. However, for an adaptation, this show is spot on for what it represents, and that is something to hold on to in an age where the fuck everything sideways with a spoon. Nazo no Kanojo X is a terribly fun show if you can get past the drool and some common cliches, and if anything I find Oka to be more fun to watch than Urabe often, but if you’re looking for a slightly different school romance show, this is your ticket.
Title: Nazo no Kanojo X
Sub Group I Watched: Horrible
Episodes: 13
Rating (1-10): 9
Favorite Character: Ayuko Oka
Least Favorite Character: Aika Hayakawa
Have you ever tasted drool? I don’t think so, not directly anyway.
Mysterious Girlfriend: If only. My previous was a bitch.
Saimoe Underdog Status: I doubt anyone will really have a shot, but if anyone does, it’d be Urabe or Oka.
If you asked me what the best show was this season, I’d would not tell you it was Sakamichi no Apollon but it came damn close. It didn’t do anything fancy, didn’t shoot laser beams out of nowhere, didn’t settle for fork gimmicks, but it put on a damn good performance and made me want to listen to some jazz again at work. The story is a bit simplistic, but I thought it went exceptionally well for a short story. Honestly, I would have been okay with more music. Jazz is a genre that I don’t listen to often, but enjoy when I do.
Title: Sakamichi no Apollon
Sub Group I Watched: Commie, Horrible
Episodes: 12
Rating (1-10): 7
Favorite Character: Sentarou Kawabuchi
Least Favorite Character: Seiji Matsuoka
Part Political: There was a scene where they were playing in a bar and an American gave them shit for playing “black people music”. I thought that was interesting not just because they were reflecting the time and tone of America from Japan, but that many celebrated jazz musicians were black. Frankly it makes no difference to me, the music sounds good, I’m in.
Beta Status Confirmed: You’d think I’d identify more with Kaoru given his appearance in the show, but frankly, I always wished I had Sentarou’s resolve growing up. Funny that.
Saimoe Underdog Status: Nah.
Well look who is back, if it ain’t Akarin and Company? Yuru Yuri ♪♪ is back for a second season, and better late than never. The format is roughly the same, cute girls doing cute things, and as if that wasn’t enough, they spend the first episode showing you just how much Akarin pines for everyone to treat her like she is the greatest girl ever. Poor Akarin. I expect more lack of presence and Chitose nose-bleeds as usual this season.
TLDR Watch This: cute girls doing cute things, TOSHINOU KYOUKO COME OVER AND FUCK ME, and Akarin’s lack of presence
TLDR Don’t Watch This: if you don’t like this sort of banter, really.
Sub Group: Commie
First Rating: 8
Strange foreign country? Check. Magic? Check. Cute girl? Check. Horribly cliche story that sounds like someone smashed Aria and some generic wimpy-kid-becomes-a-hero show and gave them all duck faces? Campione! everyone, have a seat. This will either be a trainwreck or passable, but hey, we’ve found diamonds in the rough before. Rarely. Okay, shut up for a couple weeks before you bitch.
TLDR Watch This: you like your ladies in red
TLDR Don’t Watch This: you started reciting UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS towards the end of the episode.
Sub Group: Horrible
First Rating: 7
So we heard you like cliche harem dating-sim shows, so we gave you Kono Naka ni Hitori Imōto ga Iru! (I will call this Kono Naka from now on) and burned all the other character’s flags so you can choose your sister while you choose your sister. Seriously, I don’t expect this show to be anything more than an animated dating sim, but it might be good for cheap entertainment, so everyone hop aboard the Fail Express and sing along with me. Or don’t. That’s a silly idea. Silly indeed.
TLDR Watch This: you actually got along with your sister or like the harem thing
TLDR Don’t Watch This: you hate Japan’s obsession with little sisters because you don’t have a good relationship with yours
Sub Group: UTW
First Rating: 7
I always know that in any given season, if you see SubDESU subbing a show, chances are there will be uncensored tits, and as it turns out, Hagure Yuusha no Estetica delivers the goods this season with fresh pink-hair pinky bits. But don’t let that slow you down from this amazing fucking story about alternate worlds where you fight monsters and demon kings and save princesses and maids from almost certain doom before you return home to a world that is aware of these dimensions and sticks you in special school for magic users. It’s the shit, seriously. Totally did not rip off the last seven shows to explore this concept. But look, tits! ¬_¬
TLDR Watch This: magic and tits
TLDR Don’t Watch This: you actually like whiny betafag male protags
Sub Group: SubDESU
First Rating: 7
Yeah, the Summer season draw does seem weak, but it’s partially on purpose. However once the fireworks die out and Saimoe is over, I’ll try to go back and catch up on some other shows that might be better, so drop me a comment or tweet with something you think will be awesome and I’ll add it to the bucket list. In the meantime, check out the Saimoe preview coverage late tonight or tomorrow as I start to ramp that up for the upcoming tournement. As always, stay frosty. You know, because it’s hot out? Yep.
I am the bone of my sword