Final Thoughts: Summer 2015

Final Thoughts: Summer 2015

The people I fight with!

There are times I am really conflicted at the end of the anime season, especially ones like this. I am always happy to see so many great shows come to a satisfying conclusion, but I also almost always want most of the shows to continue on and just stay for a little bit longer. And when a season like this has so many shows ending the feeling is doubled. Only two shows are following us into the new season, with so many more coming to a close, some after an entire year. So before we get to those shows, let’s look at the ones that are going to stick around. 

Lets get started.

Cardfight Vanguard G- The current story arc in Vanguard is honestly interesting from a franchise perspective. Each season mixes to some extent the everyday life of playing card games with the mystical, usually creating a decent balance. The only season so far that fully goes against this is the last one, which focused solely on the magical world as a whole. This season has slowly put in new mystical stance, more combining the real, average world with the insane Vanguard planet (which has oni football teams and robot wrestlers). But the way there doing it is kind of boring. The whole plot hinges on the current villain wanting to recreate a really great card with the powers of imagination, which he siphons off of children. Like, that is ridiculous even for Vanguard standards, and that show had the world almost taken over and destroyed by card games. To be fair though, the villain this time does ride horses up and down buildings and is kind of cool. It makes up for him literally stealing children’s imagination by brainwashing them. The problem with this arc is what comes after. I am guessing that the next big arc will be a return to form, with a tournament of some kind, which will be good. I wouldn’t mind a decent, long form tournament where we get to watch our heroes fight a strange variety of decks. I should mention that I believe this season of Cardfight is technically ending and another one is going to start right after, but from what I can tell it is going to be a direct continuation of the this season, so nothing earth shattering should happen. If it does I’ll keep you informed.

Dragon Ball Super- Dragon Ball Super is strange to say the least. It is me being confronted with the nostalgia of my youth, and it’s strange. This series looks like someone took all the facts of a show I loved as a child and made something similar, but not quite. It’s off by a bit for some reason. Maybe the action just doesn’t fit. Maybe the comedy just seems a bit too on the nose or just not funny. Maybe the slice of life bits feel a bit a bit out of place. I can’t put my finger down on what feels different. Well, that’s not completely true. I honestly think the big problem is that I am watching a Japanese version of a show I grew up with in English. I watched Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z in English before I ever even knew what anime was. Weirdly, in my mind it is an American show. So when I see the characters in their original Japanese selves it doesn’t work for me. King Kai is a totally different character all because of his voice actor. It sounds like a boring, overly calm guy, and that completely changes the character. It sounds like he doesn’t care what happens to the characters. It’s just strange. But I can’t also hate the show. While off putting it isn’t a bad kid’s anime. It’s fun and funny and it’s great to watch. It is over ridiculous and action packed, and still Dragon Ball on some very important level. After the current arc I have no clue where the show will go, but I am excited to find out. I know I will keep watching it into the future.

Sometimes I feel like Vangoro with regards to Dragon Ball Super

And now for the shows that are ending this season, these are my final thoughts on the 2015 summer anime season.

Lets begin the binge.

Aoharu X Machinegun- I am surprised how much I became invested in this show. And it was almost entirely because of the gay plot between all the handsome men. I was sure that the main character’s dilemma would be more about her gender, in that she had to hide the fact she was a woman the entire time. And while that is important to the character, her entire story line is about her trying to tell her friends what her gender is, that becomes almost a subplot to the story about handsome men trying to fight against their past torments. And that’s a great story, but it’s not what I was expecting. Another thing I was not expecting is that it ends without her telling them the truth. Like, I was fully expecting this to come to light at some point, but the last episode just ends without her teammates knowing. She says she will tell them, but she just doesn’t. But beyond that plot problem, the show is really fun. The action is really well done, over dramatic and really fun. The villains are surprisingly well done. The main villain feels like a genuine person. He is an asshole and a sadist, but also not a complete monster. He like seeing people in pain and kicking them when there down, but he’s also not going out of his way to cause pain. He could have been the one to reveal the main characters secret to her team, but chooses not to because it’s her secret. He will torture her about it, but won’t sell her out. I also like how the main characters are not heroes. They can be just as bad as the villains, and I like that. It feels human. I really like this show and the cute gay men in it, and I really wouldn’t mind a second season. In the very least, I want the main character to tell her secret. I need that problem solved.

Baby Steps 2^nd Season- This show keeps on impressing me with how well it is done. The main characters growth throughout the series is perfectly paced and his worries and determination is amazing to watch. The second season ends on bit of a sad note with the main character losing his last match in a tournament, only reaching top 4, and still having to face the final big tournament ahead. I have read ahead in the manga so I know where he is in life, and I honestly can’t wait to watch it. I can’t say much else about the show that I haven’t said before. I can only heap praises on the show, and be very eager to watch the next season, which I would assume would be the last season.

Dempa Kyoushi- This show is still annoying to me. Its otaku pandering is just so obvious and blatant that I can’t even find amusement from its references. The main character is so perfect that nothing fazes him, but also he just looks and sounds bored the entire time, which really hurts the feel of the show. I understand that’s his purpose, but it just doesn’t add anything to the show. If he felt like a more engaging character I would like him better. To be honest, the last moments of the last episode were inspirational in a nice way. The whole idea is that one should work to living an amusing life that makes oneself fulfilled and happy. It’s a personal freedom argument, and I can’t help but agree. Better to live a life you want then one that slowly kills you from the inside out. But that little blip of brightness doesn’t really overshadow the show as a whole from being average at best, and boring and trite at worse.

Look how adorable this perverted nerd is!

Durarara X2 Ten- Durarara has a large problem to it. It’s something that’s always been present in the show but in the first season it had it under wraps, well at least as best it could. But this three part second season has been really exasperating the problem. The problem is that the show can’t contain its story. It just keeps adding layer after layer to it, making the plot more and more complicated as it goes on. It doesn’t end a storyline, just temporary stop it so it can be incorporated into something else later. Nothing ends. It just goes on and on and on. It would be ok if it could manage all the diverging storylines, but it honestly can’t. The show is eventually going to fall apart under its own weight, and that’s really sad. I really liked the original Durarara, but they are just making it bloated and confusing. I’m hoping the third part of the second season will work to fix this problem, but I’m honestly not expecting much anymore. I’ll still watch it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s slowly becoming to finish the series and not enjoy it.

Gangsta- In a strange way Gangsta is starting to face the same problem that Durarara is going through. They keep adding to the story, expanding it and by extension bloating it. And I can’t say these expansions are being carefully done. They just add more and more, different factions, new people with powers that weren’t really explained, new terminology that the audience wasn’t familiar with. It really changes how the show felt in the beginning. It was small, three characters in a crazy world where they kick ass and do odd jobs. It was Gintama but more violent and less comedic. But they kept adding people who would end up going on their own story. Or in some cases just killing them off just when they were becoming interesting. And then there’s the last episode. It ends just like any other episode, with a cliff hanger where one of the main characters are dying and terrorists are trying to raise the city and destroy it, but then it just ends. There is no conclusion or pay off. My only assumption is that the show must be getting a second season, but that’s not a good way to end a series no matter what. It just leaves you hanging and not even in a good way like a well done cliffhanger should. I’m really disappointed with the end of this series, and I hope a second season will help repair the damages. But I should add that outside of those problems the show isn’t bad. I like the characters and the world they live in is interesting and I would love for them to properly build it. The problem is how they are going about it is all.

Jitsu wa Watashi wa- I might have mentioned I read the manga for this series, so it was interesting to compare and contrast the two. And while it’s not the closest adaptation, they totally got everything that was important down perfectly. The relationships between the characters are perfectly done. While at the end of the day the show is a love triangle, it is a well done love triangle for what it’s worth. I like the main character and his love interests growing romance from just haring a secret and a one sided crush to both characters falling for each other. The manga does a good job of growing that romance in natural way and I think the anime does as well a job as it could. Let’s be honest fair, I am a large fan of the manga and as long as the show didn’t drag the original material into the trash I was going to like it. And it is a very well done adaptation. If the show was going on for longer, I would have preferred the adaptation to be a bit more faithful with some plot elements, like the talking glasses showing up later as opposed to so early on, but for 13 episodes it’s really well done. I might actually go back and reread the manga now. If you like cheesy romances with some silly comedy this show is perfect for you.

Soul reason we need a second season. More of Youko's dad.

Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou- I stand by that this series has fantastic comedy in it. I also stand by that it has horrible fan service. And that I kind of love it and hate it at the same time. This series is a very faithful adaptation of the manga, sticking close to the source material for the most part. What it cut out was understandable to be cut because of the amount of episodes. And most of what was cut were little side stories that were fun, but didn’t do much. For instance there is a chapter where the girls go to a newly opened gym made specifically for monster girls. I do like though how they included that character from that little chapter into the background of some scenes towards the end. I can’t really say much about Monster Musume. It’s a typical fanservicey harem anime with the twist being the women are monster girls. If I had never heard of the manga before the show existed I would have never watched this series, but I’m kind of glad I did. Every so often you have to indulge in something kind of awful, and just have fun with it. It is a guilty pleasure of mine through and through. I even hope the mange gets enough chapters out to warrant a second season one day.

Ninja Slayer From Animation- Every time I think I have this show figured out it does something insane and unpredictable. I think the show is a crazy action show and then they have a heart touching moment between a dying ninja who passes on his teachings before he dies. One moment I think there making jokes about communism and the next they’re making a political or social commentary on the famous Japanese student protests. In the second to last episode they had a clip show of moments that were never in the show. I assume they are random story elements that couldn’t fit in but they still wanted to add, like the awesome Tengu Yakuza dude or the hacker lady fighting in a mascot costume. This show constantly would throw new things at its audience, changing the way the stories were told or changing the angle of the story unexpectedly. Thinking back, while the show was hilarious for its animations style and sticking to its code of bad 90’s ovas that Americans liked, it really did have a lot of heart. There was a soul to the series all its own. Maybe it had a ninja soul all to itself. To be honest, there is still one more episode left to talk about, the last episode isn’t out yet and I’ll probably be posting this before it comes out unless I get lazy. But no matter what I enjoyed this show. From the overly silly to the overly heartfelt, Ninja Slayer is another amazing addition to the Studio Trigger library. Watch it and enjoy.

You couldn't tell this is from Monster Musume right off the bat. Except for maybe the eye.

Non Non Biyori Repeat- Every season can use a show like this. It is something to relax to and give you a sense of calmness and peace. Non Non Biyori once again creates a funny little show that is as relaxing as its funny. Life in rural Japan is made to be incredibly interesting. The girls are all well-developed characters, each being a blast to watch interact. I can’t stress how good the comedy can be in this show either. Watching them play a game of knocking rulers off a table is made to be an intense sport of both mental and physical achievement. Watching Renge, the youngest character, bash into her sister like a character from Jojo’s Bizarre adventure never stops being funny. And between the highs of comedy are moments of real relaxation and calm. This show remains a great thing to watch after a long day of stress and one is desperately in need of relaxation. It is a great little comedy.

Ore Monogatari- This is one of the best romance anime I’ve seen in a long time. The central conceit of Ore Monogatari is to create a realistic romance from start to finish, and I would argue they do. They tackle the theme from a lot of different angles, including one sided loves that will never be resolved to the completely natural feeling of jealousy. That one they really do treat maturely and rationally. Sometimes you can’t help but feel that way and that’s fine, what’s important is how you act with that feeling. One of the plot threads I was really scared for the show to do is the story of someone trying to break up the main couple. And then they do it twice and both times it is well done. The first one was a girl who falls for Takeo and knows he’s taken but can’t help but love him. At no point is she seen as a villain or someone cruel. She is a person who fell in love, and it’s tragic she can’t be with him but that doesn’t mean she can’t still like him. The second version is the arc that ends the show, with another man falling for Takeo’s girlfriend. This time we get to see the question of if you are meant to be with the person you love. It’s a question those in love sometimes go through, it’s natural to think it. Ore Monogatari treats romance and love with the respect and realism it deserves to be treated with. I can’t say whether or not it will get a second season but if it does I know I will happily watch it.

Best joke of the season. Hands down.

Rokka no Yuusha- What started off as a big action anime really found its place as a great mystery anime. I was really expecting that the story would be these 7 people having to work together while not knowing who they can and cannot trust, and instead it turned into a sort of closed room mystery about who the 7^th Brave is. The characters are stuck in a small area with a limited amount of information, and not even the audience knows who to trust, outside of our main character, the strongest man in the world. And the reveal of who the actual villain is this whole time is a decent one. It had me guessing until the last seconds of the mystery. One could defiantly argue that this isn’t a well put together mystery, it definitely uses some bad mystery practices and doesn’t give the audience all the information, which in turn forces the twist ending. But the atmosphere and the buildup is so perfectly done that I am not bothered by it at all. It is a great mystery. What I am bothered by is with the last few minutes of the show. They pull another twist so awful I couldn’t help but laugh. After finding out who the 7^th Brave is and knowing that, for better or for worse, the 6 people here are people they can trust, a woman walks up. A woman who claims to be a brave, and even has the symbol on her body. So after all this, another person claiming to be a Brave appears. It’s honestly so dumbfounding of a twist in the last moments of the last episode I was just impressed. This show is a surprisingly good ride. I personally liked how it began and while it wasn’t what I was expecting, it still turned out great.

Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai- This might be my favorite show ending this season. It was an amazing political and social commentary on the idea of purity in society and the idea of getting rid of anything considered lewd or sexual to “protect the children”. But how we need those things or else we end up raising people who don’t know how to deal with sexual feeling and instead of expressing those feelings positively they are bottled up until people deal with them poorly. It also is a commentary on sexual education, where without it and by preaching only purity you lead to people who can’t tell love from lust and don’t even know how to have children, much less take care of themselves properly. It keeps that social commentary all through the show and that really helps the show. It gives a great backdrop to the show, and allows it to be as silly as it wants while also being political. And this show is very silly. I personally love the brand of humor this show employs. It’s simple and stupid and I really like it. One of my favorite moments in the show is an episode where they try to rediscover old and illegal sex toy technology. They make all natural lube and at even small vibrators, but the best part is during the ending theme of the show they show a real person making a sex toy out of all natural and edible materials and at the very end it tells the audience to garnish with berries, making the joke that they are in the world of the show the whole time. It’s a silly little joke but it works so well. I really loved this show. Every episode was great and I wouldn’t mind more of it. If they make more of this show I know I would love to watch every episode.

Sometimes a seal is just a seal. And sometimes its not.

Shokugeki no Souma- I’ve loved this anime from start to finish. It is a very good adaptation of its source material, mostly very faithful though with some additions and subtractions that I understand. They cut out a fun little section where we see Tadokoro play ping pong and it turns out she is both amazing and intense at it, like she is the main character of her own sports anime. It is fun but I can understand them cutting it for the adaptation, and they could add it in some other time. My only real complaint is where they ended it. They are in the middle of a big tournament, one of the big arcs in the manga, and end it only after round one. I would have guessed they would end it after the tournament, which has a clear ending scene which would have been perfect to end the show on. But where they end it is ok, just not optimal. The manga is still going on at this point and I hope they get far enough ahead that they decide to adapt more of it. I’m pretty sure they will, but on the off chance they don’t the shows ending really hurts the series for me. But other than its ending point this is a really great series. It knows when to ramp up the drama but still have an air of comedy the whole time. And as a plus it inspired me to try out a few new dishes. This is a fun show that desperately needs a second season.

Tribe Cool Crew- Arguably this is the show I am most sad to be saying goodbye to this season. It has been with me for an entire year. There’s something amazing about long anime like this. One or two cour series are fine, and you can tell a really great story with them, but something about a show that lasts for a year changes that. It adds something to the show. The characters stop being things you see on a screen and start being people you look forward to seeing every week. Their hopes and dreams become your hopes and dreams. And when you finally see them accomplish their goal you can’t help but cry along with them. This goes double for a show like Tribe Cool Crew, which didn’t get a ton of attention online. It became like my own private little show. Just me and my dance crew. That’s not to say I don’t want people watching this show. It’s amazing. It starts as something so small and grows and grows, but at the same time its core message, and even the dreams of the characters remain the same. In a lot of anime, and just fiction in general, a character will start their journey with a goal in mind, but something or other happens and there goal changes. That’s just how stories are written, and that is fine. But there is something satisfying about seeing the characters original goal met. Seeing the characters dance with Jey in the last episode is beautiful. It’s what they’ve been working towards since day one. Every episode, every step they’ve taken has been towards that singular goal. And they reached it. They reached it with determination and smiles and awesome dance moves. It was a satisfying conclusion. The shows core message was that the world can be changed with dance. Peace can be brought about through positive self-expression. I think it’s a lofty goal and as a theme is it ever present, even if not obvious. Every conflict is solved with dance, but not in a cheesy fighting way. It’s by bringing people together and enjoying dance. Dance can be anything, as long as it’s bring people together and creating peace. I know few people are going to watch this show. It looks cheesy and for kids and the motion capture animation looks off sometimes, Kumo’s face never looked right throughout the entire series, but if you stop because of those things then it’s your loss. This is a fantastic show that deserves to be watched. It has a great message, great characters, a great sound track, and is just plain fun. It might even make you want to dance a bit.

God I'm going to miss this show. Galaxy walk away my friends.

Wakaba Girl- This might be one of the best micro series about moe girls being friends and not doing anything. That doesn’t sound like a lot of praise but I really mean it. I enjoyed this show. It was cute and nice and the girls were actually interesting to watch. Each one had a full personality and weren’t just really cutesy archetypes. I’m a fan of these types of shows, for better or worse, but this one might be the top of the tier of them. It wasn’t just queer-bating with lesbians, it wasn’t just archetypes that have been done a million times, and it was something cute, fun, and simple. It is one of the best micro series I’ve seen in a while. But not the best.

Wakako-Zake- This is arguably the best micro series I’ve seen in a while. For such a simple premise it was amazing to watch. The food all looked great. The emotions and the thoughts of the main character as she drank and relaxed all hit home perfectly. It was small and simple and perfectly timed.

Always good after a long day of work. Both the alcohol and the anime.

And that was the summer 2015 anime season. I’m really sad to be seeing Tribe Cool Crew go, and Wakako-Zake is one of the best micro-series I’ve see in a while. There are a ton of shows leaving us, so let’s look forward to all the shows joining us next season. So until next time, keep on watching.

Excuse me I need to cry for a little while.