I recently wrote up a short list of series airing in the Spring, but there are a few other titles airing this year that I'm really looking forward to. A few of them are guaranteed watches, unless they end up on platforms I can't watch them on, though I'm certain that at least 1 of them is going to make it onto Crunchyroll.

Source

With March approaching it's final days, the Spring season is upon us! This year's bounty is quite varied, ranging from Asterisk Wars to Ushio to Tora 2 (there weren't any series past "U").

Anyways, I've made of a list, separated into "Will Watch / Looking forwards to", and "Check this out maybe". My choices aren't exactly inspired, but they definitely line up with my traditional picks. Who knows? It's always fun when something not on your list ends up surprising.

I'm a little worried, as my "will watch list" is probably not going to end up on Crunchyroll, the service I have a subscription to. My best bet is to hope for stuff to end up on Daisuki.

Edit: I actually planned to talk about Macross Delta, but I highly doubt that there's going to be any legal way of watching it. Harmony Gold has a strangle hold on the "Macross / Robotech" series outside of Japan, making it very difficult for any company to do anything with the series. So thanks for that, Harmony Gold. You haven't done anything with the series in a decade. Let it go already!


Planning to Watch:

• flying witch
• Kumamiko - Girl Meets Bear
• Kiznaiver

Planning to Check Out

• BAKUON!!
• Koutetsujou no Kabaneri (if possible)
• Joker Game
• Sakamoto desu ga. (Haven't you heard? I'm (i Sakamoto)
• Twin Star Exorcists

I initially had a poor outlook of this season. I ran down the list, and was only interested in one or two things. Turns out that the season has brought more of a bounty than I expected, and I'm here to share what I've found.

In this post I cover. Bolded titles are what I'd consider the more universally anticipated series.

• Beautiful Bones: Sakurako's Investigations
• Chivalry of a Failed Knight
• UTAWARERUMONO - False Faces
• Heavy Object
• Yuru Yuri 3
• Is the Order a Rabbit? 2
• GARO: Crimson Moon
• Owarimonogatari
• GUNDAM: Iron Blooded Orphans
• ONE PUNCH MAN

Beautiful Bones: Sakurako's Investigation (2 episodes)

A new "mystery" series centered around a high school boy and an eccentric osteologist. The first episode sets up the premise to be something like an anime version of Bones, being an episodic forensic investigative series. That would actually have been pretty cool, but that's not what it is. While the series features the crime and forensics, the real story is the "mystery" behind the titular, Sakurako. The crime scenes the pair run into are basically just a vehicle to explore Sakurako's character - her past, motives, and how she views her younger friend.

The forensic aspect of the series is woefully undervalued, with the crime scene usually being revealed and "solved" in one big expository scene. It doesn't give you clues or hints as to what may have happened until it's time for Sakurako to solve the crime, which is a real shame for fans of mystery.

For the time being, I'm remaining cautiously optimistic about this series. I don't think that everything should become a procedural drama, like we see on network TV (Bones, CSI, all those Chinese cop dramas), but this is certainly one that could have bridged that kind of thing into anime.




Chivalry of a Failed Knight (3 Episodes)

Continuing in a long line of series with comically similar plots, Chivalry of Failed Knight begins very much the same way. The one differentiating factor for this one is that it's not actually a harem series. It might have all the building blocks for one, and even goes so far as to bill itself as one, but signs are beginning to show development between the main two characters. Prior knowledge of the series also helps.

This series is really fighting an uphill battle to distance itself from the slew of mediocre, similar series. I don't expect it to subvert the genre it very clearly is, but I hope that it does something to make itself stand out from the crowd.

I can't recommend this one at the moment, but I'll stick to it for a bit longer.



Utawarerumono: False Faces / うたわれるもの 偽りの仮面  (3 episodes)

The sort-of sequel to the now ancient 2006 anime. The big draw for this one are the characters. The rapport between the newly named Haku and his guardian, Kuon is by far the most entertaining aspect of the series. Haku's lazy and witty sarcasm is pitted against Kuon's almost mischievous, go-getter personality compliment and clash to produce some amazingly entertaining dialogue.

While I've forgotten the entirety of the first season, I do find that this new season looks fabulous. It doesn't have a Madhouse or UFOtable budget thrown at it, but the washes of verdant forests capped with a bit of snow and fog, and the vibrant colour palette make this series pleasing to the eyes.

I'm remaining optimistic about this one. The first 3 episodes have been fun, and the story's only just gotten started.



Heavy Object (3 episodes)

A utilitarian take on the mecha series, where the mechs in question are huge, bulky and about as sexy as a kettle. This is a series where suspending your disbelief will greatly enhance your experience, because hiding under a pile of steel won't protect you from a thermonuclear explosion happening maybe 500 meters away/ It's also really, really heavy on both exposition and dialogue - even when they're in a tense, time restricted situation, the series finds a way to have the characters talk through the scenes. A big knock against the series is absolutely out of place-ness of the boob jokes. Episode 1 had Qwenthar, our main hero, deciding whether touching a girl's boobs is too much of a risk, even if her life is at stake. Episode 2 has him quipping about her size when she conveniently falls on top of him while running from a giant killing machine that just decimated their base. 

Every episode always presents something that breaks the whole situation, which could really hurt the series in the long run, but should it keep the boob jokes to an inivisible minimum, I think this one should be an enjoyable run.


YuruYuri 3 (3 episodes)

Have you watched the first 2 seasons? Did you like them? Well, this season really is just more of the same thing. You'll know if you want more. Each season the cast expands, with this one seemingly featuring a bit more of the outer generations (younger siblings and older siblings).



Is the Order a Rabbit? /  ご注文はうさぎですか? (1 episode)

Did you enjoy the heart palpitation inducing cute of the first season? Well, here's the second season, delivering very much the same dose of sugary sweetness. Keep your insulin handy, because this series is sure to deliver even more cute, sweet moe hijinks straight into your eye holes.



Garo: Crimson Moon / 紅蓮ノ月 (3 episodes)

Garo, but in the Japan of long past. It's also possibly the first Garo series to star a non-Makai knight as it's protagonist. Centered around the main duo, Senmei and her pseudo-adopted son, Raikou, the Makai Alchemist and fledgling successor of the Golden Armour fight off the Horrors (demons) plaguing the land. I'm hoping that Senmei is done justice. So far she's been the focus. but as Raikou comes into his own as a character, I'm hoping he doesn't end up outshining her. Its interesting to note that in the promotional materials, Raikou is front and center, rather than the billed protagonist, Senmei. It also doesn't look nearly as good as the first season, so be prepared for a possible disappointment.

The CG armour still bugs me. It's not done particularly well (from my viewer perspective), and just looks kind of bad.

I wouldn't recommend this one just yet. We'll have to see how it pans out.


Owarimonogatari /  終物語 (3 episodes)

Monogatari is back with another season centered entirely around Koyomi as he begins the transition from high school to post secondary, perhaps also symbolic of the transition to adulthood. It's been a reflective first few episodes, with the story delving into his forgotten past, giving light to what's shaped him into the self-sacrificing person we saw in the first season. Joining us on the mystery tour of Koyomi is Oshino Ougi, the niece to Koyomi's advisor, and the second major character for the series. She creeps me out, with her oversized sleeves, pitch black eyes, and how she somehow always knows everything. For all we know, she could very well be another apparition haunting Koyomi, forcing him to remember where's he's been and how he's gotten to where he is now.

You'll need to be up to date with the previous Monogatari series for this one, but if you are, I definitely recommend it.


Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans (3 episodes)

Holy crap. This entry into the long and storied Gundam franchise might be the most gripping one of recent entries. With Mari Okada at the helm of the story, this series has made it very clear that it's striking out in a different direction than Gundam typical takes. It's gritty. It's dark. It's intense. It's made for some real good anime time.

I also like the fact that the series opens by posing almost the same initial plot as A-1's questionable Aldnoah Zero. I'm sure it's just coincidental, but the similarities of the set up can't be missed.

A strong recommendation from me, even if you're not a big fan of other Gundam series.



One Punch Man (3 episodes)

This one is the other heavy hitter this season. Highly anticipated since it was announced, this series delivered one hell of a first episdoe, breaking out all the big guns. Gloriously animated long fight scenes coupled with the comedic dead pan delivery of Saitama's disappointment in his sheer over-powering strength. The quality from episode to episode is fairly stable, though, if you're paying attention, the first extended fight scene was animated better than any of the scenes to date.

If you were looking for an action series, you might be mildly disappointed as they often end quickly, and are accompanied by the "usual" Saitama, and not "serious" Saitama.

I'd strongly recommend this one to anyone looking for a fun series to watch.

Title: Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
Developer: ATLUS
System: 3DS
Release Date (US/NA): 25/11/14

Yet another game in the Etrian Odyssey series, though this time, things get shaken up a whole lot.

Persona Q is a cross over between two of ATLUS titles: the memorable casts and core of Persona 3 and 4, with the frame and structuring of Etrian Odyssey. On previous installments of Backlog Gaming I finished EO4 and EOU1, and following those up with another similar game was sure to be an exercise in burn out. At least, that's what I thought. I was pleasantly surprised to find how different Persona Q feels from the Etrian Odyssey games. While the surface of the game is very similar, the fact that the game still uses core Persona systems in battle is enough to drastically change the feel of the game. I found the battle system to be familiar to the point where the skills characters learn are largely the same as in their original games. It's certainly best to go into this with Persona experience. While it largely is a stand alone title, the characters aren't given introductions, relying on the player's to have prior knowledge of their stories and personalities. It's a great title to sink hours into, Persona veteran or not.


Persona Q plays similarly to other games in the Etrian Odyssey series. You explore dungeons while mapping your progress, making note of points of interest, and avoiding the FOEs - powerful boss monsters that roam the labyrinth. The battle system works similarly, but has been changed in places to accommodate Persona's more unique traits. Scoring critical hits or striking enemy weaknesses can inflict the "Down" status, which leaves them incapacitated for the turn, but also "boosts" the character, giving their next move free SP usage. Get enough characters in the boosted state, and you'll be able to pull off an "All-Out Attack", a powerful physical attack that hits all enemies with the entire party. It's a fun inclusion from the Persona series, as it builds on the way you approach battles. Finishing battles with these scores you bonus EXP, making them worthwhile to employ, not to mention really fun to watch. In addition to All Out Attacks, individual characters in boosted states can sometimes trigger "Co-Op Attacks", which, despite its name, is a solo attack that has different effects with each character. Some hit one enemy, while others may pierce lines.

Another addition the EO formula are the Navigators. Fuuka and Rise serve their original roles, providing aid from outside the labyrinth. In Persona Q, there are Navigator specific skills that can be learned with personas to help in battle, using Etrian Odyssey's battle meter as cost. There are battle skills that heal or buff the party, and field skills that effect your exploration. For example, Fuuka is my battle navigator, and has a skill that uses 2 meter bars to increase hit and evasion rates for the party, while Rise has a field skill that restores a bit of HP with each step in the labyrinth. These helpful abilities make the exploration a bit easier, especially when the shadows start hitting harder.

The 20 person playable cast from both games (P3 & P4) bring back their old personalities and quirks, though some have had their more identifiable traits exaggerated. For example, Akihiko's jock personality has been boosted through the roof, giving him a protein seeking quirk that seems out of character from his Persona 3 personality. Aside from some things, most of the characters remain close to their original selves, though in a much more upbeat and comical setting, even more so than that of  Persona 4. Also, let it be known that Teddie is easily the most annoying character in the game.

Picking and choosing your favourites is generally a perfectly fine way of playing the game, though certain characters are a cut above the rest. For obvious reasons, the protagonists (P3/P4) are both more or less some of the best characters, stat-wise. Unfortunately, if you're a fan of Teddie, not only will you be disappointed at his PQ realization, but also that he isn't very good as a fighter either. He learns healing and ice, but won't learn particularly useful healing skills, and is far too slow to be an effective healer. His attack and defense rule him out as an effective front liner, leaving him few viable options. Aside from Teddie, all other characters are more or less viable for your party, so mix and match characters to your hearts content!

EO4 and EOU1 had systems in place to allow characters to learn a wider range of skills, the subclass and grimoire systems respectively, Persona Q has something in place too. The Sub-Persona system functions much like the Grimoire system of EOU1 (possibly EO1), in that it gives them skills based on the Persona. All characters are able to equip sub-personas, which are gained in the typical Persona fashion, and can be fused using the services of the Velvet Room. In addition to skills, sub-personas also provide a much needed boost to both HP and SP; a bonus only applied in battle. If you only use SP or HP within the boosted amount your character's regular SP amount is untouched. The bonus is applied next battle, and you're back up the full boosted amount. This makes the game much easier in a sense, compared to the Etrian Odyssey games where SP and HP don't recover as easily.

The last thing that I really liked about PQ were the character interactions. Strewn throughout the labyrinth are points that trigger dialogue scenes, often humourous skits revolving around the theme of the floor or the recent in game events. Seeing how the two casts interact is super fun, and you start to realize that the casts are far more similar than they seem. They kind of share the same archetypal characters, and those become more apparent once you see them mingling together. Prime examples are seen in Shinjiro and Kanji, who fill the "misunderstood brute", as well as in Junpei and Yosuke, who serve as the "main character's friend". In some ways it's kind of cool, seeing these two casts. They're similar in age and roles, but thrust into such different circumstances which shape their personalities in their respective games.

Persona Q is a solid title, delivering all the dungeon exploration you want from an Etrian Odyssey game, while delivering a familiar, uniquely Persona experience. Full of humour, a dash of mystery and absolutely made for fans of the Persona series, this is a game I strongly recommend giving a try. Also, please note that, in typical Etrian Odyssey fashion, the game will be difficult. 

For those of you who haven't read it yet, here's the preview I wrote for this one.

For those of you who have read it, I am a freaking genius. The episode went pretty much as I described it would in the preview. After that first episode, I've got high hopes for this one. Spoilers abound, so if you haven't watched it yet, I suggest you don't read the rest.



I'll admit that I began to expect the worst when I saw Taroumaru and Miki. Did they skip all of the earlier Act 1 just to focus on the slice of life stuff in the latter parts? Are they altering the story? All of my worries quickly were put to rest and things started to make sense. The way the side characters are drawn and the way shots are carefully framed up all helped inform to viewers "in the know" that there's more to the scenes that they're showing. For example, when Yuki is talking to the class, everybody is generally a silhouette, but when Miki shows up, the shot is only outside the class or from. When Sakura (the pink haired teacher) showed up, she's only shown from Yuki perspective, and when she happens to be in a shot from a different angle, her face is shaded out, which looks suspiciously different from the rest of the characters.

That ending was perfect. Yuki talking to her classmates, Miki watching her from the doorway. Shot framed behind Miki, giving the viewers a glance into the "new reality".  Having it right at the end meant that non-"know" viewers had the wrong idea of the series, and tosses the hook right at the end. It was a fun, obnoxiously bright episode, but I hope they don't wear this slice of life part down too much. Yuki's air-headed, uber-moe nature makes her a prime character to becoming a massive annoyance. Too moe. She's too much for me.

Another thing I'm a tad worried about is the idea that they may have played all their cards too soon. Some of the characters in this first episode don't show up for a while, and showing them gives fans a resounding "we'll cover that". I'm just hoping they don't rush things through to try and get to those characters as soon as possible. A rush job could really put a stopper on the impact this series could have.

Title: GATE(ゲート) 自衛隊 彼の地にて、斯く戦えり (Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri), Thus the JSDF fought there.

The Summer Season is upon us! Kicking off a long a storied tradition here on the blog is Gakkou Gurashi!


Title: がっこうぐらし！(Gakkou Gurashi!), Living at School!
Production: Lerche (script by Nitroplus)
Airs: 09/07/15 (July 9th)
Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life, Horror

Spoilers ahead in my discussion of the series. I know a bit about it, and I really think it can be a really good series, so long as there's a balance in all of this series' parts.



It follows a general trend that I've noticed for this season. I worry about the adaptation. The adaptation of this and a few other series will make or break them - potentially differentiating a great series from a mediocre one. For this one, the make or break topic is balance. What makes this series so interesting is the juxtaposition of it's cutesy facade, and it's underlying zombie apocalypse survival story. The cute exterior is a pretty face - it lures you in, makes you like the characters, pick favourites. Then it switches gears, puts those same Manga Time Kirara-esque characters into life or death situations against zombies, which really need to be horrid and grotesque. The bigger the dichotomy between the two halves, the more impact they'll have, as neither half is strong enough to stand on it's own. The cute school life itself bellies are darker side, which needs to be taken care of carefully.

Another issue with this series is pacing. The key visual above gives us some information to work with. The main one is that teddy bear situated front and centre. It's there from the beginning of the series, but starts playing a larger role in the second act - which I honestly would prefer the anime not get to. As interesting as it is, the first act can easily be made into a 12 episode series. The split between the first and second half also works absolutely perfectly for a season finale, should they decide to use it. Rearrange a few scenes from the manga and you could have a classic Hollywood ending - and a really good one at that. The cast would be driving off into the vast world, leaving their old home behind. Fade to black. Next scene has a hazmat suit-clad team opening a briefcase full of materials they've sent out or left behind. Leaves it open ended, but is also a satisfying end. Going back to the topic of balance, a rushed, super dense adaptation would certainly emphasize one half over the other, and like I've said before, would result something less than what it could be.

I think of this series having as much emotional impact as Madoka could have. Now, before you start rolling your eyes going "Madoka is an overrated series", hear me out. They work in almost the same ways, using preconceived notions of what this kind of series is. For Madoka, the magical girl genre is synonymous with happy, cute, fun and whimsical. In the 3rd episode, Madoka took a decidedly dark turn with Mami, and progressively went further and further down that path. Gakkou Gurashi is the same. It's being advertised as a fun and cute series. Staff comments echo this, all of the promotional art out so far just reinforces this idea. They're playing this to their advantage. My hope is that they save the big shock for the end of first episode, or at least for the first half of it. Play it off as a generic school story, and drop that curtain so hard it blows everybody away. This series has the potential to be that and it all depends on how it's adapted.

In summary, Gakkou Gurashi's success depends on the directorial decisions in the adaptation. Do they try to appeal to the otaku crowd by playing up the SoL (Slice of Life) elements, playing up the non-existant fanservice? Do they rush through the first act to adapt parts later in the story (such as setting the full cast up)? Do they structure the series to have maximum impact - even if it means filling out episodes to delay the bomb drop? Is that filler going to do any of the above? Time will only tell, and for this one, I'm hoping that any PV they release plays up the SoL, but hinting at something darker. Please don't lay down all you cards before the rest of the cards are dealt. 

He was the boy who loved the Earth below
She, the girl who loved the skies above
He is the man searching the heavens
And she is the woman gazing down upon the Earth.

A heart breaking tale of those left behind, left clinging to fading memories. A heart breaking tale of those who have passed on, left watching over their loved ones from afar. This is the Gift of the Magi, and it's a one way ticket to Feels Town, so all aboard the Tears Express.

I really recommend this, even though it's only started a few months ago. Really, really strong first few chapters.


Title: マギの贈り物 (Magi no Okurimono), The Gift of the Magi
Author: Yoshizuki Kumichi
Genre: Seinen, Drama, Romance, Supernatural
Serialized in: Shueisha Grand Jump Premium
Status: Ongoing

Series Description: Five years ago, Hokazono Akari died in an accident. Now 23 years old, her boyfriend and childhood friend Shiki Daichi still hasn't found closure. While he chases after memories of her on the earth below, she uses every tool at her disposal in heaven above to force him to forget.

Thoughts: It's an absolutely beautiful story that tears at the heart strings. The alternating scenes between Daichi remembering Akari on Earth, and the Akari up in the heavens tearing up creates a touching, and heart rending story layout. The more she tries to make him forget, he recalls memories from further back, which is used to explore the reason for Daichi's fixation on Akari. Flashbacks are the main machine for exploring the story behind the two, but they also reveal a lot about Daichi's character. 

Daichi has a love for geology. As a child, he loved collecting rocks. Akari pursues astronomy, loving the stars and the constellations they form. There's a lot to this Earth-Heaven relation between the two. For Akari, Daichi is the ground beneath her. He's always been there supporting her, even if she didn't notice. For Daichi, Akari shines as brightly as the stars - she's smart, popular and at times, he's felt that she was as unattainable as an actual star in the sky. Daichi as a rock also has a flip meaning. He feels like he's a stone, stuck on the ground while Akari soars over head. Comparing himself to her, he's uninteresting and dull.

That's where the meteorite that Daichi gives Akari when he asks her out. It's both a star and a rock. It's a star (Akari) that's fallen down to the Earth (Daichi), and now that they're going out, represents a union of the sky and Earth. Now it's back up in the sky.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but all the metaphors just jumped out at me as I was reading this.

For this series, the best ending would be the horribly sad ending. It'd be Daichi finally moving on with his life. He's spent 5 years chasing memories of Akari and hasn't lived his own life since. Akari's reaction will be soul crushingly mixed. She'll finally have peace of mind, knowing that Daichi will be okay, but at the same time, absolutely heart broken. If I'm right, this ending might just cause another Great Flood, but out of tears. A 'happy' end of Daichi dying and being reunited would be a cop out end. The story is building Akari's anguish, and to have it all for naught would really ruin the story.