First thoughts on Isekai Shokudou:

Shokugeki no Soma has the foodgasm game down dead to rights. Any attempt to imitate them in the present would be detrimental.The entrees in this series aren’t the main focus. Nor is the food portrayed in an overly gratuitous manner. All the dishes are very ordinary, though the establishment’s otherworldly patrons would consider it gourmet. So what does Isekai Shokudou offer its viewers who’ve likely had their fill of food anime already? The key word is: Atmosphere.The series primarily focuses on the experience of dining in its setting. Nekoya’s western themed sensibilities are often juxtaposed against the wild fantasy world just right outside its doorstep. The result is a relaxing show highly suited for weekly watching and a unique use of the isekai setting we have not seen before.

For my other Summer 2017 anime posts, click here.

Hibiki’s first transformation in AXZ MY DAUGHTERU HAS RETURNED

First thoughts on Kakegurui:

People like to describe this anime as Show A + Show B and there’s about five series I can name to fill in those blanks, so here I go. Kakegurui is about a highschool of elite students whose extracurricular comprises of high-stakes gambling.  The sadistic and well-endowed female students are the top gamesmen and their excitement for gambling is usually portrayed in a sexual manner. The show handles its premise with such a serious tone that it pushes itself into the realm of absurdist comedy. And so what you basically have here Kaiji + Prison School + Shokugeki no Soma.  Sounds fun, right?

The show itself has, for lack of a better work, edgy flair to it. There’s loads of red and black color schemes, oppressive lighting, and lens flares. Games are presented in a theatrical manner and filled with ultra-dramatic eyeshots and close-ups you won’t find anywhere outside of Monogatari. Morbidly sexual framing is pervasive throughout the first episode and the OP (storyboarded by none other than Yuri on Ice’s Sayo Yamamoto). And all of that comes together for an experience that can only be described as scarousing (borrowing from Futurama).

For my other Summer 2017 anime posts, click here.

Spring 2017 Hype: Shingeki no Bahamut - Virgin Soul

The second season of Shingeki no Bahamut. Confirmed to be two cours. New story. New main character. Same world.

For my other Spring 2017 anime posts, click here.

Spring 2017 Hype: Boku no Hero Academia S2

On top of having Bones’ top animation talent that wasn’t available during the first season, this next season is likely to be a 2-cour.

For my other Spring 2017 anime posts, click here.

Final thoughts on Konosuba S2:

The mileage I've gotton out of Konosuba's comedy varies quite a bit. While every episode did manage to get at least one good chuckle out of me, I do find some of Megumin's gags to be meanspirited and Darkness’ to be rather repetitive. The same can apply to Kazuma who often bounces between being the enemy of all women or an earnest samaritan (with the OVA being the most ridiculous out of character moment for him). Aqua in particular was the most consistently lovable between her wonderfully animated reactions and downright pettiness. I feel the show really shined best when it remembered it’s a parody of isekai/videogame stories. But in the end that all connects back to what I did really enjoy about the series which is a seeing a party of friends beings massive pricks to eachother and how much of that was communicated through its visuals.

For my other Winter 2017 anime posts, click here.

Final thoughts on Sword Art Online - Ordinal Scale:

I’ll just jump right into this while the movie is still fresh in my mind. Much of it is negative but I had some fun with it too. Ordinal Scale’s plot is poor to say the least. The premise that an alternate reality game now exists with people in real life physically acting out videogame actions is fairly flimsy already. But then top it off with some good ol’ pseudoscience and well... it becomes surprisingly difficult to “just turn your brain off”.

The movie is centered around Kirito and Asuna’s relationship and where it goes from here on out. By framing this arc through flashbacks and present-day conversations about their future, this is actually one of the more coherent narratives in the SAO franchise. Asuna in particular finally steps up to a more active role in their relationship and even if I still find him dull as ever, Kirito is forced to realize he cannot be complacent in their everyday life. As for the rest of the characters, many of them are still sidelined the same as always. Klein in particular got shafted so hard again it might as well be a running gag.

The villains are barely worth mentioning. I will say as absurd as their ambitions are, they still have the most reasonable motivations for their actions out of all the villains in the series. The new idol character, Yuuno is a walking/talking plot device from start to finish. If you’re experienced with anime movies, you’ll know what I’m talking about. These are your standard inconsequential movie plot characters who will never appear again. (Hilariously enough, the film asks you to not forget the unnamed SAO players at the end.) The movie dragged much more than I expected as nearly all the scenes between battles were filled with enormous amounts of expository dialogue and plain storyboarding.

Here’s where the fun part is. Ordinal Scale is undoubtedly one of the biggest visual spectacles I’ve seen in the past years. It features some of the best choreographed and flashiest animation out of the whole franchise. The production staff was just stacked with fresh talent never seen in the TV series and it’s insane to watch. At times I found myself taken in by the stunning background art. Battles being animated in 1s and 2s (i.e. a crazy high # of frames) is just rarely seen. Effects animation, background animation, blisteringly fast cuts and camerawork, there’s so much fun animation to gawk at. The final battle in particular felt like A-1 had jammed an entire season’s worth of frames into it. I really couldn’t help but ride the hype coming from it. Because let’s be honest, you don’t need emotional investment to enjoy a fireworks show and this movie has one of the biggest performances anime can offer.

For my other Winter 2017 anime posts, click here.

I’m back on Twitter

Follow me for even more thoughts on anime I’m currently watching. Check out the twitters I’m following for a wealth of informative anime-related content. I’ve followed basically anyone who talks about technical aspects of production, various anime staff, and official studio accounts. Shoutout to @sugoichappy for getting me on this train.

https://twitter.com/Vetrocision

First thoughts on Kirakira☆Precure A La Mode:

A new year means a new Precure! This first episode was slightly stronger than last year’s rather lukewarm Mahoutsukai. The show has sense of style in its visuals and humor that lends it a charming personality. I hope the villains have bigger plans than just ruining pastries but they did setup a decent emotional and thematic core for the cures so far.

For my other Winter 2017 anime posts, click here.

First thoughts on Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon:

Of the three major in-house directors at Kyoto Animation, Yasuhiro Takemoto is my favorite. His resume is colored with shows like Full Metal Panic, Lucky Star, Disappearance, Hyouka, and AmaBuri. He just seems to be able to direct any genre well. But his specialty as you may have noticed is comedy. KyoAni is actually being uncharacteristically non-flashy with their animation for this series and that brings its own kind of charm. Many of the gags only require simplistic linework and good edits. Of course all of it is still high-quality as you’d expect from the studio with the best project management.

If the artstyle didn’t already give it away, Maid Dragon is an adaptation of another manga by the author of I Can’t Understand what my Husband is Saying, Cool-kyou Shinja. There are some familiar aspects such as the jaded adult female main character and the touching moments that sneak up on you in the midst of the humor. One of the more surprising aspects of this show is just how knowledgeable it is with dragon lore and mythology. It even goes as far as to integrate them into the hysterics.

For my other Winter 2017 anime posts, click here.

First thoughts on ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka:

Ahh the police genre, how I’ve missed you. Police series generally feature two sides I’d like to call the chill and the thrill. The chill comes from the investigative stage of the plot where the cool, experienced main character prods the world and characters around them. In doing so, we the audience get to lay back and experience the series’ worldbuilding through inquisitive eyes. The thrill is the mystery and pursuit of... well, the bad guys. Episode 1 was fairly chill though. Establishes the setting and the characters without too much exposition, sets up an interesting protagonist, and sucks you in with nice serving of jazz. Ono Natsume’s artstyle transposed into animation looks really fucking cool. I can’t really find a better way to say that at the moment. It works in favor of the animation as this series will be dialogue-heavy but at the same time, the character animation will feel all the more expressive when it comes in short bursts.

For my other Winter 2017 anime posts, click here.

First thoughts on Little Witch Academia (TV):

It’s finally here! Studio TRIGGER’s long-awaited original series finally received the TV slot it deserves. Director Yoh Yoshinari and his team of veterans and trainees appear to be hell-bent on making this anime the star of the season (and the year even). Episode 1 is completely overflowing in high-quality animation. Little Witch Academia (TV) has made liberal use of animation techniques and directing rarely employed in even the best of anime due it their challenging nature. (Character animation, perspective shots, and body smears)

It looks like the show wants to delve deeper into the mechanics of the magical world. Based on the way this first episode and the OVAs were handled, LWA(TV) intends to fill the school days of our trio of witches with multi-fared adventures. And as usual, pit them against some pretty unusual monsters. Though it was low-key, there are already mysteries being introduced like how and why did the Shiny Rod appear before Akko and what are the implications of her being able to keep it throughout the whole show? There are so many avenues to explore with the world and its characters that could only be teased in the OVAs. It feels like any direction they choose to take with the story will be successful.

For my other Winter 2017 anime posts, click here.

First thoughts on Demi-chan wa Kataritai (Interviews with Monster Girls):

 Director Ryou Andou is a very new industry face (GATE. Love Live Sunshine OP). And as I’ve always emphasized in the past, new directors are constantly bringing new ideas to anime production. In this episode, he makes uses of some really clever editing and transitions which keeps the conversations fairly engaging. The most interesting example was when Takahashi-sensei bumps into Hikari a 2nd time and the screen horizontally flips and in doing so, reverses Hikari’s position in the shot and in the conversation between the two of them. There is also some comedic moments that uses a increase in animation frame count to accentuate the awkwardness of Sakie-sensei evading contact with other people.

Demi-chan (Interviews with Monster Girls) turned out to be a surprisingly chill and mature story about a teacher counseling his demihuman students about their personal anxieties. It's almost the complete opposite of Monster Musume Not that I have any problems with MonMusu. The show does not focus on fetishization or fanservice but rather makes a genuine shot at building these characters to be likeable and entertaining to listen to. For my other Winter 2017 anime posts, click here.

First thoughts on Akiba’s Trip the Animation:

Only in anime can you find shows that revel in their absurdity as much as this. What an absolute blast of a way to start 2017 off. If you’re unfamiliar with the series, Akiba’s Trip is a game series that takes place in Akihabara. The goal of the game is to defeat nefarious supernatural villains by beating their clothes off. And the anime is certainly keeping in the spirit of the game. This first episode was filled with a bounty of hand-to-hand fight scenes and wacky, high-speed animation. From even smallest, silly little frames, I could really feel how much fun the animators had in making this show. Production-wise, they are off to a good start as well. Episode 1 had 18 key animators and only 1 animation director (For those who don’t know, fewer ADs is usually a very good sign). So it looks like they’ll be able to keep this level of quality for awhile. I’m generally not the type of person that seeks out ecchi series but I’m definitely sticking around for this one and I’ve seen many others echo the same sentiment. Did I mention the OP is catchy as hell?

For my other Winter 2017 anime posts, click here.

Vetro’s Top 10 Anime of Fall 2016:

Top sequels/2nd-cours/Spinoffs:

Links to streams if available.

* Only available in select regions on Amazon Prime Video at this time

For my other Fall 2016 anime posts, click here.

Final thoughts on Flip Flappers:

One of my favorite things about watching FliFla was the dozen+ articles and write-ups spawned in the wake of its clever symbolism and thematic depth. Despite starting off filled with abstractions and mysteries, the series managed to construct a coherent narrative that anyone could enjoy even if the deeper aspects flew over their heads (as it did to mine sometimes).

At it’s heart FliFla offers a warm and beautiful coming-of-age narrative about self-identity and companionship. The worlds and adventures are designed to challenge Cocona and Papika’s perception of themselves and grow in doing so. The dimensions of Pure Illusion are meant to influence and ensnare its visitors. Of course, that means the natural counter is to come at it with a strong sense of self. Flip Flappers is very forward about its themes of identity.

Both of Cocona and Papika’s respective arcs are centered around love. Cocona spent much of her life simply going with the flow of things as represented by her dream of literally being carried down a river on a boat. As a middle school student about to take her highschool entrance exams, she spends much of the series uncertain about her future. Her lack of parental figures has led to a lack proper guidance and love. Her grandmother gives her kindness but remained distant from Cocona’s struggles and Yayaka was reluctant to reveal the depth of her feelings. Consequently, Cocona finds herself incapable of trusting her own choices. Unlike the myriad similar scenes in other school anime, Cocona looks at herself in the mirror every morning and never smiles. She doesn’t like who she sees. Papika, on the other hand, is on a quest for love but she doesn’t know why. She is drawn to Cocona and remarks several times that she “love, love, loves” her. But in what context? Again, she doesn’t know and that leaves Cocona quite confused. Familial love? Platonic love? Romantic love?

Through the worlds they visit, the two of them steadily break out of their chrysali to find the answers they seek. It’s a journey about self-discovery, sexual awakening, and self-actualization. Supplemented with fun visuals and generous serving of action animation, the series immerses the viewer within this journey and leaves us wishing it would never end. Stealthily concealing its roots as a Precure-inspired, Evangelion-inspired, psychological sakuga fest, Flip Flappers is a fantasy passionately told in a way unique to anime.

Every season I have always made an effort to stick up for the underrated or underwatched that make the effort to stand out yet struggle to draw attention. One of anime’s greatest strengths as a medium is that it seeks out specific kinds of audiences and is capable of telling a story in the best possible way that audience can enjoy it. The tragedy therein lies when an anime that is genuinely quality goes unnoticed. Like that of a skilled performer in an empty auditorium, Flip Flappers endured that fate for nearly half the season but managed to reel in its audience just in time for the finale. Although that audience was small, in this medium, numbers aren’t what matter. What matters is finding a work worth loving.

For my other Fall 2016 anime posts, click here.

Winter 2017 Hype: Little Witch Academia (TV)

LWA is one of the biggest success stories in anime this decade.

Act 1: Trigger, the reborn phoenix of Gainax, a veteran animator turned creator-director, a new generation of animators ready to tackle the industry, and topped with a lovely government grant.

Act 2: After the resounding international success of the movie, Trigger’s domestic and international fandom throw $600,000+ at them to produce a sequel. The sequel is met with an even larger, post-Kill la Kill fanbase.

Act 3: And here it is, the TV series. Trigger does the impossible. Bucking all industry trends and spawning a show of their own 100% vision. AND IT’S A SPLIT-COUR (24-26 episodes).

For my other Winter 2017 anime posts, click here.

Winter 2017 Hype: Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon

Super cute cool PV aside. This is my favorite KyoAni director, Yasuhiro Takemoto (FMP, Disappearance, Hyouka, Amagi Brilliant Park) adaptating a manga from the author of I Can’t Understand What my Husband is Saying. What a combo. Hurry for more monster girls.

For my other Winter 2017 anime posts, click here.

Final thoughts on Hibike! Euphonium 2:

This season was something of a mixed bag. Kumiko’s role as the first-person narrator heavily shifts to her conveniently being in the right place at the right time to eavesdrop on every development in the ongoing drama. Hazuki and Sapphire are barely relevant anymore despite being main characters in the first season. The first three episodes were a closed arc involving Mizore, a character who was rarely if ever mentioned in the previous season. Her troubles seem so far removed from the Kumiko’s conflicts that it really felt like an awkward detour (especially with the yuribait imagery smack dab in the middle of the resolution). And while I can understand skipping over the nationals performance due to having played the same piece twice in the series already, I still couldn’t help feeling underwhelmed as much of the series had built up to it.

While my feelings on Hibike’s second season aren’t as high as the first, I almost forgot how good KyoAni can stick a landing. I’m referring to the two major character arcs, Kumiko and Asuka’s. The most well done part of this season was how it explored both their motivations and backgrounds for taking up the euphonium. Their reasons for pursuing music and struggling with it are very similar as they stem from familial bonds. The more Kumiko and Asuka interacted, the more they came to realize this. Seeing their development and relationship deepen with every conversation in such an interconnected way was a really satisfying experience.

For my other Fall 2016 anime posts, click here.