![[gg]_Valvrave_the_Liberator_-_12_[F9F3F5C5].mkv_snapshot_18.48_[2013.07.01_18.28.48]](https://tldranimu.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/gg_Valvrave_the_Liberator_-_12_F9F3F5C5.mkv_snapshot_18.48_2013.07.01_18.28.48.jpg)
I’m back, considerably less employed but still keeping it real. As it turns out, I’m not NOSCOPEXXPROXD at web design, which wasn’t terribly surprising, so I’m back out on the streets getting back into desktop support while I work on stuff for web development. But that’s not what you’re here for, you’re here for the end of the season animes, and I completely slacked on it. BECAUSE REASONS. But I’m roaring back, and without further delay, let’s get into the final reviews for a handful of shows I’ve finished so far.
“Oh man, my dreams for this show are coming true. A week late.” –twitter.com/tldranimu
For those of you who ignored the fact the beginning of the show pretty much stole it’s existence from SEED and other Sunrise shows, you have to excuse my skepticism to wanting to like this show early on, but dear me, it drew me in, and it made me its bitch.
Valvrave is the guilty pleasure that Guilty Crown could not satisfy, and it came in the form of GARuto. Here is a dude who despite being wishy-washy in the beginning, took a hold of Unit 01 and owned face in it. Then he proceeded to try to own Shouko with mixed results. When that wasn’t enough, he went straight to proposing to Saki, after pretty much giving her the Vampire D (huehue) in the forest the night of Shouko’s declaration of Prime Minster candidate. The mecha action was great, plenty of fun, plenty of explosions, plenty of good stuff.
On the flip-side, the pacing was so slow. Getting our six heroes into their units took the entire length of the first season, and while I usually don’t like to rush into things, I felt that if they were going to stretch the mystery of who gets to be the next pilot out, they could have done some slightly more interesting things each episode. Instead, it was a constant Dorssian presence, again, channeling Gundam with space-chases.
The ending leaves a very Code Geass taste in my mouth, and I’m not sure how to feel about that. The Valvrave system, the immortality, we’re being led to believe this is another supernatural power at work, and there is an implied timeskip in the works, so it’s very likely the second season is going to end with someone getting their martyrdom secured. Still, I’m pretty hyped for the second season, and we only have to slug out the Summer season, as it comes this Fall. So at least we’re not waiting another year.
Title: Kakumeki Valvrave
Sub Group I Watched: gg
Episodes: 12
Rating (1-10): 8
Favorite Character: Akira Renbokouji
Least Favorite Character: Satomi Renbokouji
SHIPPING: GARuto x Shouko
Favorite Valvrave: Inuzuka’s unit.
Second Season Predictions: GARuto suddenly has a brother Rolo and L-Elf becomes Schnitzel, and initiates the CHECKMATE. TL Note: Checkmate means you have won at Chess.
“I might be the only one who says this, but Gargantia was my best of season. Everything it did hit every button of mine, easily.” –twitter.com/tldranimu
Anime of the season. Don’t even give a shit what you think. End of sentence.
Naw. Honestly, this show just did everything for me. Started out with mecha action, fell into a “different” world, interesting characters, sense of exploration and innovation, wrapped up the plot with who Ledo and the Alliance were fighting all alone, and then tied the whole package up with a lesson for humanity, without sacrificing Ledo’s expansion as a character. It was full of that sense of adventure you get from so few shows, and what made science fiction on television fun, like Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and more. It’s the sort of thing lacking from new Trek films, it’s all flash and no substance made to woo viewers. But really, the animation did it for me, this was really one of IG’s better looking shows, and it stayed consistant throughout the show, nothing skimped. Also, I really liked the ED, Sora to Kimi no Message, so that was also a plus.
I would really love to see more of this show, but I also like where it ended up. They could not make more and I would be okay with it. Instead, I will see how the manga they are putting out based on it will run, and once it exhausts the main story and if it continues past that, what they plan to do. It will be interesting.
Title: Suisei no Gargantia
Sub Group I Watched: UTW-Vivid
Episodes: 13
Rating (1-10): 9
Favorite Character: Bellows
Least Favorite Character: Pinion
Bellows: Best girl. Prove me wrong.
y u no Ridget? Because Bellows.
How about Amy? Sure. =D
“Maou-sama was probably my number two for the season. Loved it. Even Emi. Gotta give scrunchy-face her props.” –twitter.com/tldranimu
This season has been really good with shows that have reasonable plots and characters and aren’t just out to make a grab at obvious demographics. Maou-sama was some seriously funny stuff wrapped in a “This is a story. It is made of angels, demons, and OTHER WORLDS.” type of story. I sort of imagine it as what would happen if you took most of the characters from Zero no Tsukaima and plunked them into Tokyo, but without Saito. They’d all have to become residents, get jobs? Might be good? It’s the season I always wished would happen but never did. So yeah, this kind of did it for me, and Chiho was just too damn cute for her own good.
Title: Hataraku Maou-sama
Sub Group I Watched: Commie
Episodes: 13
Rating (1-10): 8
Favorite Character: Chiho Sasaki
Least Favorite Character: Hanzou “Urushihara
Bitch Emi Face: I make fun of it, but really, Emi wasn’t a bad character. She just thinks she is Batman. Understandable.
Chiho Tits: Really, it’s like they’re trying to imply eating at McDonalds will give you a serious rack.
Second Season? I do hope this show gets another season, because even if it’s just like the first, it’s just so much fun.
“Only for a moment, and the moment’s gone.”
I kinda thought this show would present itself as a generic romcom with fairly hollow characters, but shit man, not only did they etch out awesome characters in Azuki and Tsukiko, they molded this whole story involving everyone ten years prior with supernatural stony cats and emotionless banter. Surprisingly, I liked it, and I liked it beyond liking the cute girls doing cute things. That’s kind of interesting really. Unfortunately I can’t think of any other words to write for this. Might edit this later.
Title: Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko
Sub Group I Watched: gg
Episodes: 12
Rating (1-10): 8
Favorite Character: Tsukiko Tsutsukakushi
Least Favorite Character: Emanuela “Emi” Pollarola
SHIPPING: Youto x Azusa
STEEL: Certainly not COMMANDANT Steel, eh?
Second Season? Probably not. It was good, but not THAT good.
“The friend zone is like Hotel California. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” –twitter.com/tldranimu
Ah, Ore no Imouto. After a season that focused mostly on Kuroneko and her plan to incite wincest between the Kousaka kids, the last episodes became a very clear girl-war over our mostly oblivious main character who frankly deserves to be shot for having any of these girls going after him. But for the very last episode to pretty much explain the last two seasons we’ve watched of this?
Oh man.
As it turns out, she idolized him as kids, but when he decided to take it easy, she got buttmad and blamed Manami for twisting him, and the best part is, she trolls back. It’s hilarious. So all of this was one big elaborate years-long crusade of hers to be relevant to her brother again? Incredible.
Honestly, the thing with this show, is that it’s good when it tries to move forward with characters and plot lines, but then it spends episodes like the second-to-last spinning its wheels on harem shit and really just sort of makes you want to yell at your screen. Ayase? Get her the fuck off there. It’s cute that she liked him the entire time and tsundere-moded hard, but she’s Kirino Blue, and just terrible. Every girl on the show has a personality flaw. I guess that is better than they all being perfect, but still, Kousaka is also a piece of stupid, so it’s not like the prize they’re getting is any better. I liked this show when it was just exploring Kirino’s otaku world and less the “chase after Kousaka” shit.
Title: Ore no Imouto S2
Sub Group I Watched: Horrible
Episodes: 13
Rating (1-10): 7
Favorite Character: Ruri “Kuroneko” Gokou
Least Favorite Character: Kirino Kousaka
SHIPPING: Saori x Manami
Extra Episodes? I’m banking on them again, since I doubt this story is over.
Third Season? I really rather hope not. I doubt this gravy train has ended, but I kinda wish it’d stay put.
That’s the first chunk of reviews for the day, but several more to finish up on this week. Almost everything with the new season begins this week, so I’m quickly clearing up my schedule to tackle the new season. Chart to be updated soon.
2 Comments