Air Gear is the “other” big shounen anime out this season. With intellectual plot points involving engine-powered rollerskates, does this anime break the shounen mold?
Month: April 2006
The .hack anime series and I have always been on pretty rough terms. Back when .hack//SIGN was released, I started watching it, but grew tired of the slow and confusing plot. I dropped it after a few episodes. When .hack//DUSK came out, I liked the new art style (chibi), but the plot was still pretty dumb. I saw it through thanks to Round Table’s awesome OP! So how does .hack//ROOTS fare?
In my Spring anime preview, I figured that the Joshikosei anime would be sorta like a mature version of Azumanga Daioh. I guess it all depends on what your idea of “mature” is…
Admittedly, I didn’t know much about Simoun before I watched it. The cryptic animenfo description led me to believe this was just another “all female pilot” anime. Doesn’t anyone find it weird that high school age (and younger) girls are found to be the most fit to pilot war machines? Anyway, here’s what I thought of the first episode of Simoun:
I reviewed the first chaper of the Ouran High School Host Club manga a while back, so I was already familiar with the story. Back then, I gave the manga an above average score for the cool character designs. So how does the anime version of Ouran High School Host Club do?
Man, I have no time anymore! What with me getting ready for school, putting on shoes, and having toast in my mouth all the time like a good student…
Here’s a few quick impressions on the anime I’ve watched so far this season, and I’ll put full things when I have time:
Gakuen Heaven:
This is a really gay show. Not that there’s anything wrong with that… Actually, the show is just bad. Forget the whole premise. Replace the guys with girls, and the show would still be bad to me. On second thought… I did like Strawberry Panic…
Utawarerumono:
This show has a masked amnesiac guy stuck in a villiage in peril. And a cute cute dog-eared girl! The animation looks really good (dog girl is really really cute!) so I might keep watching this. I noticed some totally inappropriate CG right at the end for the wolf. I have no idea why they put that in. OP and ED sound pretty good.
NANA:
This one is pretty cool looking. Punk Nana is cool, and other Nana is cute! With their powers combined, they form Captain N(ana)! The animation is cool, especially when Nana gets SDified. I’ll keep watching this anime.
Air Gear:
I’m split on this anime. On one hand, the characters look really cool (the girl ones). Meganekko is especially cute! On the other hand, it’s just so stupid! The dialogue is dumb, and the premise is also just mind numbing! But pretty girls! Really, I’m torn here like Natalie Imbruglia
Ouran Host Club:
This is an awesome anime. Perhaps the anime of the season. The characters are interesting; the animation looks great. They really did a good job adapting this anime from the manga. I like this show a lot. I might just buy the manga too. And yeah, it’s labeled shoujo, but I think it’s an “anyone” anime.
Disgaea:
Hmm… I dunno. I’m kinda scared that the story has been totally changed from the game (and the promo!). Still, the characters are nice and chibi, and the voicework was good. I’ll keep watching this anime anyway, since I’m a major fanboy.
xxxHOLiC:
This one looks really cool too. I think the characters are suffering from super long extremities (not THAT extremity; arms and legs!), but other than that, they look good. The premise is pretty wacky, but already I’m interested in the story. Hopefully the anime doesn’t become all about the little black rabbit thing. In other news, does every anime NEED to have a lesbian vibe? I think so!
Whilst watching the Wannabe Fansubs version of School Rumble Ni Gakki, I noticed an “ad” for the group. After the episode, a short video promoting the Wannabe Fansubs website and forums showed up. While this particular plug didn’t feel obtrusive at all to me, it did make me wonder about the possibility for fansub groups to stick other ads in their work.
Certainly the time and money it takes to release a fansub is not trivial. I believe most groups get by with generous donations from the anime-viewing community. But what if groups decided to stick ads in their releases? Would you keep watching? I don’t think I’d mind too much, especially if they were necessary for the group to remain operational.
I know it’s a touchy subject, and I’m certainly not suggesting anime fansubs actually start having ads. I think it’s an interesting topic ethics-wise, and marketing-wise. Here’s my thoughts:
Reasons that fansubs will eventually have ads:
- Viewers really won’t mind (and can fast forward them anyway)
- Subbers need the money to create subs (mostly to pay translators)
Reasons that fansubs will never have ads:
- Viewers would really mind
- Fansubs are illegal anyway; this would increase tensions between anime companies and fansub groups even more!
- No legitimate company would advertise on an anime fansub
Like I said, this is totally a “what if” situation I’m proposing. I have a feeling that the backlash associated with a fansub group putting ads in their release would be monumental. I just wanted to know what other people thought of the idea. I’d also like to note that this is in no way an attack at Wannabe Fansubs. In fact, I really dig their work. Go to wannabefansubs.net and their forums!
Strawberry Panic might very well be the yuriest anime in existence. And I don’t even know if “yuriest” is a word! Is the yuri factor enough to make this anime the hit of the Spring 2006 season?
Being a huge fan of the original School Rumble anime, I was really looking forward to the second season. To gear up for it, I even bought the import manga (which I can barely read)! So does School Rumble Ni Gakki suffer from the sophomore jinx, or does it continue the awesomeness of the first season?
The most notable thing about Soul Link is that it’s based off of a game made by the same company that created Shuffle! Does this single fact make Soul Link worthy of having its own anime? Should we really be expecting Shuffle! in space?