Summer 2014 Last Impressions Part 1

Part 1 of quick last impression notes and classes of Summer 2014 anime. (Any anime that isn’t in this list is either dropped or had not been watched at all.) I know that this post is a little too late.

Aldnoah.Zero

I’d been expecting good mecha out of this, but I didn’t like the mecha at all. Although the premise was interesting enough and the material was entertaining, I just couldn’t bring myself to like the characters or enjoy it very much. Also, Inaho is closer to inhuman than just stoic, though he is a really smart character (the smartest in the series). I already saw spoilers around but watching the ending itself was entirely a different thing. That was the only instant I felt something while watching the series. At least, the last episode was highly intriguing that it’s worth keeping. I’m kinda looking forward to the next season. Verdict: C

Ao Haru Ride

Futaba is the protagonist, but Kou is the central character. The series revolved around him, glorifying his character, primarily thanks to Futaba’s infatuation towards Kou. Since the focus was more on justifying Kou’s present actions and past, all the other aspects of the story–side characters’ relationships and interactions, the friendship game, the love rivalry, and the whole romance thing between the main characters–felt forced, unnatural, and weren’t executed in a convincing manner. The whole thing is, thus, not to my liking, leading me to the question “How did I even get to like the source material and even get crazy over the first developments?“. I guess I still love the manga despite my dislike toward the anime. Meh. The OVA was so much better. Oh, at least the OP was very good, too. Verdict: C+

Barakamon

My high expectations were not met 100%, but this show proved to be one of the best offers in this season. I had already written an appreciation post for this anime, and I’m happy that my enjoyment didn’t go down as more episodes came out. Aaah, I’m so contented with how this series went. Verdict: S (could have been an A+ but I chose S because I love it so much)

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

The best comedy and animation of Summer 2014! Gosh, I just love the character interactions from their over-the-top characterizations. It was pleasant ride, quite literally! Also, Kashima = best guy/girl. Verdict: A

Glasslip

Uh, this didn’t make sense to me. K bye. Verdict: C- (I’d really like to put this in class D if possible, but D is reserved for dropped shows. 😦 )

Sabagebu!

A show going against the commonly used tropes and intentionally making fun of itself, Sabagebu! never failed to make me laugh till my stomach hurt. Having low expectations on this season’s one of the most obscure shows has helped me enjoy the show and what it was trying to be for the audience. The setting is actually pretty simple, and the show blatantly ignores realism, which just works best for its intentions. Friendship? Glory? Selflessness? Wait till Momoka shoves them down with an evil smile. This is truly the comedy show for those who’re looking for something different from the usual formula. And why of course, you don’t have to take this anime too seriously, just as the anime itself didn’t take itself too seriously. Verdict: A-

Tokyo Ghoul

I fairly enjoyed this show but the bad censorship just ruins it. Uh, it wasn’t as bloody as I expected though . Verdict: C

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 Left-Overs 

Akame ga Kill! (until episode 13)

Engrish at its best

I love the manga, but I’m quite disappointed with the pacing of the anime. It started off too slow, then pickup up the pace a little higher, then gets slow again. Plus, the anime is too faithful to the manga that it often ruins the darker mood in the material. I’ve had high expectations for the music, too, but some tracks were not suitable for some of the scenes. Most of the OST didn’t have enough ‘kick’ in them to produce the desired effect I’ve played out in my mind when I was reading the covered chapters of the manga. And I’d have to mention the voice acting isn’t that superb, particularly for Najenda and Esdeath. Verdict: C

Sword Art Online II (until episode 13)

Kiritrap–I have to say that his avatar’s appearance made the series more watchable for me

Though I hate the whole series and am not afraid to declare my ill feelings towards it, the second season is surprisingly well paced. The chronology of events didn’t put me off, though I still don’t like the story that much. And, gosh, that Asada-san scene. It was a pain to watch (this is an understatement), thus I had to endure half of episode 13. -_- Verdict: C