Spring Premiere Wrapup and Mongolian Buffet

April 15th, 2011

 

Still raining here! …It’s always raining here…

There’s a limited amount of time in the day, and since I tend to watch things within an hour or two of airing instead of waiting half the day for such pleasantries as subtitles or things in resolutions larger than my laptop’s screen, I vastly prefer to watch things more or less with the broadcast schedule. Here’s the quick list of all the shows that premiered along with a short blurb designed to reduce a 24 minute episode to a quarter second bullet point designed to infuriate the weak-minded along with my current tentative schedule for the season at the end of it. Each one is linked to my initial post on it should you want more information. The only shows left to air are Deadman Wonderland on Saturday, but it’s Manglobe who has yet to successfully adapt anything, and Blue Exorcist at around 2am Sundays my time… which is A-1, who has made a business out of starting shows strong then fiddling as they burn to ashes by episode 4.

And a friendly reminder, most shows are going to be bad, make no mistake about it, but even bad shows can be worth watching… or even more fun to write about than boringly average to decent shows, and not every good show is to everybody’s taste. I do find it highly amusing during the start/end of seasons that people are able to seamlessly transition from condemning a majority of shows for not following the source while getting excited about other shows for the same reason. And that’s not even getting into the pseudo-battered wife syndrome when it comes to certain studios always making strong first episodes before pitching the entire thing into a pit.

Anything that I am 100% certain I’m going to cover for at least another week gets a little crown, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stick with it past the next episode or two. Likewise, just because I’m not looking forward to something just yet doesn’t mean that I won’t pick it up.  I tend to watch at least part of the second episode of most things, I just don’t write anything if I’ve lost all interest and turned it off after 5 minutes. If you’ve got any input, flames, or desperate begging, go wild.

MONDAY

Gintama

 

I’M NOT GOING TO PICK YOU UP 200 EPISODES IN. PLEASE STOP SHOUTING AT ME NOW.

The Qwaser of Stigmata II

 

Hasn’t gotten any less shameless with age… or better made for that matter either.

Sengoku Maidens

 

 50% saltine, 50% Nilla wafer. Neither is much to get excited about.

The World God Only Knows II

 

 Hasn’t improved in its time off either, and it was aggressively average with awful pacing to begin with.

TUESDAY

Steins;Gate

 

A potentially interesting plot doesn’t make up for emotionless direction and poor production.

Ultimate Survivor Kaiji II

 

Needs more holographic space robot laser sharks to be a real gambling show.

WEDNESDAY

Sex Ed For 30 Year Olds

 

 More amusing than it has any right to be, there’s also no competition so standards for the day are a tad low.

THURSDAY

Sket Dance

 

Just plain average to weak all around due to trying to do it all but not actually trying hard at any of it.

A-Channel

 

 Desperate attempt to emulate K-On/Lucky Star… but with an extra insert song/montage every episode!

Aria The Scarlet Ammo

 

 Yet Another Kugimiya Rie JC Staff ‘Action’ Showtm

[C]

 

 Tries to avoid being cliche by adding finances and clowns to the standard otherworld fighting formula. Doesn’t quite succeed.

A Delusional Girl and a Young Man

 

 Cheapness on this scale would not be forgiven from any other studio. And the writer/characters aren’t interesting either.

Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera

 

Complete 80s chaos, but that cuts both for and against it and its already losing a lot of the chaos in favor of dull T&A.

Maria†Holic Alive

 

Hasn’t gotten any funnier since its break either, even setting aside Shinbo’s indiscriminate direction OCD.

Softenni

 

Solid slapstick comedy, although needs to stick to the comedy and drop all these unpleasant romance and drama angles.

Tea For Universe, Tea For Life

 

How does Bee Train even stay in business?

We Still Don’t Know the Name of That Flower We Saw That Day

 

95% melodrama, 5% emotionally stunted whining, simmer in A-1’s studio for a week or two, et voila!

FRIDAY

Abnormal Physiology Seminar

 

 Lost everything that made the OVAs stomach turning… and even notable at all.

GOSICK

 

Tossing in the towel. After 12 episodes, I hate most of the cast and the writing is a complete joke.

World’s Greatest First Love

   

Guinea pigs are very cute pets that make a lot of strange noises.

X-Men

 

Madhouse still hasn’t figured out the super part of superhero shows.

You’ve Been Summoned, Azazel

 

 Juvenile to the extreme plus the usual shouting and overreaction to the slightest attempt at humor.

SATURDAY

Dog Days

 

Still not quite sure what to make of it or where it’s going, but 7Arcs knows how to do action and knows how to have fun.

Everyday Life

 

Very dull characters ruin what could have been interesting style and presentation. Some decent moments, but mostly not.

Tiger & Bunny

   

Extremely commercialized CG show about the evils of commercialism plus the usual Sunrise homoerotic undertones overtones.

Toriko

 

Nothing quite says Jump action like bad stills and more time spent posing that actually moving.

SUNDAY

Asatalotte’s Toy

 

Spending half of the first episode giving a lecture is a very very bad start.

Hanasaku Iroha

 

Winner of the seasonal "I Don’t Care For It, But I Won’t Think Less of You For Watching It" award.

Under the Innocent Sky

 

Less spastic than it would seem, but the split format between characters is hurting the comedy more than helping it so far.

A Bridge to the Starry Sky

 

The landlady is the only part of this that doesn’t scream "generic half-assed porn game adaptation #428."

Wrapup:

As you can see, Thursdays are entirely too full of stuff. There are multiple shows there that I wouldn’t mind covering on slower days just to fill the time, but with everything all on one day… ugh. I guess we’ll see how things go. My schedule is tentatively looking like:

Monday: Probably Sengoku Maidens, maybe TWGOK
Tuesday: Maybe Steins;Gate for lack of anything else to do
Wednesday: Sex Ed
Thursday: Softenni, and one or more of [C], Enma, and/or Aria
Friday: Bleh
Saturday: Dog Days, maybe TaigaBun
Sunday: Innocent Sky, maybe Starry to make fun of since it airs in the evenings

Well, it’s looking better than last season with its two days of total zilch and one day of… Rio… so that’s already more promising than last season. Maybe everything won’t self-destruct into garbage like last season too, although with Seven Arcs in the mix, you know that at least it will always have one (and only one!) awesome episode a month. So that’s that. Have at you!

Posted in Premiere Wrapup | 27 Comments »

27 Shouts From the Peanut Gallery

  • EXM says:

    Aroduc, not to question your tastes or anything, but out of all the shows on Thursday, you’re choosing the trashy XEBEC show? On top of that you’re you’re actually blogging Sex Ed for 30 years old?

    While the season is better than the last one over all, the shows you’re blogging this season are all in the lower tier with regards to productions and quality (except for Saturday shows). If you’re not going to do anything, pick up C. At the very least, it’ll be more fun to mock than Aria (which I bet you won’t be able to blog without whining about Rie if you choose to blog).

    • Chen says:

      I’d take trashy XEBEC show over pompous Shaft show any day of the week.

      • Anonymous says:

        Shhh… Ignore him man, he’s prolly another one of those new Shitbo fanboys who got lured in by Magically Crappy Madoka. That, or just another moe shit sucker who loves crap like A-Channel…

        My assumption stems from the fact that besides those 3 afore mentioned shows, and the ones that Erodick himself picked, the rest is pretty much trash, especilly Sket Dance.

  • miklokus says:

    you forgot blue alchemist and deadman wonder land

  • Anonymous says:

    This season turned out being pretty underwhelming, especially after the hype people were giving it.

    • Kaisos says:

      I dunno, I’m enjoying everything I’ve seen so far. It’s certainly much better than last summer.

  • Nanaya says:

    Always raining? …Do you live in Chico by any chance?

  • Jack says:

    Hoping you’ll pick up “Sengoku Maidens” out of boredom, but I’m thinking it’ll be a chatty version of “Koihime†Musō”.

    Somehow, us “Gosick” fans will have to figure out a way to slip in a review of episode 13 in the comment section. ;-)

    • Aroduc says:

      I glanced at it and saw that Kazuya went wandering around with Avril while Victorique was bored. So… yeah.

  • amyable says:

    Since Thursdays are so busy and Fridays…aren’t, have you considered doing the writeups for some of the Thursday shows (e.g., C or Denpa) on the next day? Just a thought.

  • Anise_Punter says:

    I cannot believe I’m typing this, but I’m kind of hoping that you keep up with Sengoku Maidens. Definitely a pleasant surprise through two episodes.

  • Forte says:

    You’re putting Sengoku Maidens as a possibility over TWGOK!?
    B-b-but… Haqua…

  • chad001 says:

    Solid lineup. I must question Sengoku Maiden, but to each their own I guess, everything else seems solid. And I can see why TWGOK might not appeal to you, as it’s more directed towards those who can see romantic cliches forma mile away, but aren’t TOO bothered by them, that it ruins the feel. Much of the parody and jokes are lost if you’ve just grown sick of cliches and romances and harems in general.

  • Fhoenix says:

    Choose C, dammit, choose C)

  • wat says:

    god this blogger is handsome

  • U.Renko says:

    Yup, this season sucks

  • ahelo says:

    What the hell? The shows you liked are either fanservice, eroge adaptation rehashes and XEBEC shows.

    Weird taste but unique in a way I guess. Maybe you should just quit watching anime and go watch porn or something.

  • Yue says:

    I am satisfied having bought TWOGK books instead of investing in Dvds. It’s like GTO manga volumes my colleague has, where the manga is far worth it than the anime adaptation.

    Still, I’d like to TWOGK season 2 get reviewed by Aroduc to see if the director learned from previous pitfalls. (sigh) If only they focus on LOVE and faster pacing then it’ll be a more enjoyable rollercoaster ride. ~_~

  • aya natsume says:

    will be looking forward to blogs about steins;gate…hope you don’t chnage your mind in picking it up… :)

  • lubczyk says:

    I would think that a show like C: The Money and Soul, et cetera would be right up your alley Aroduc. There’s so much to make fun of.

    Yeah, I have to echo the Xebec show being really bad and worthless sentiment.

  • Wayu says:

    It’s pretty late to jump into an anime 200 episodes in, yeah, but I’ve been following Gintama since I have since the first episode. I can say that its ending and opening sequences are much better than others I’ve seen. The songs are good as well. Not amazing but good. Try checking out those, peeps that haven’t seen Gintama.

    That and they’re focusing on some badass black man for some reason for an antagonist.

    Asides from that, though, the only other show that’s maaaaaaaaaybe got my interest is Sengoku and Soft (the latter because I haven’t seen it yet).

    -Wayu

  • DjSinae says:

    Still thank you for the resume and i’m mostly sure your right about most of the shows..

    Can’t believe so much good shows in the past 10 years and now this crap…

    at least there’s always 4-5 shows worth watching every season but we are a long way from masterpieces..

    You didn’t talk about deadman wonderland, ex no exorcist??