Summer 2013 Anime Part II

As the name implies, this is the first continuation of yesterday's post, checking out the anime coming up this summer.  And whereas yesterday I was talking about shows that I was definitely going to watch, today I'm going to be looking at shows that I'm on the fence about, the maybes.

Again, the chart can also be found at http://www.alafista.com/2013/04/25/summer-2013-anime-lineup/

At the top of my maybe list is Chou Jigen Game Neptunia The Animation, the adapatation of the Playstation 3 game.  I haven't played the game myself, but I have friends who did, and they seemed to like it, so it might be worth a look.

Second might be the Danganronpa yadda yadda yadda, another adaptation of a game with a pretty interesting premise, though the weird devil-bear mascot kind of throws me.

I'm also on the fence about Fantasista Doll. which looks like it might be a magical-girl Sekirei type affair.  Could be good, but I withhold my judgement.

Lastly, I'm feeling maybe about Kin-iro Mosaic.  Reading the premise, it's not 100% my shtick, but I was at least a little intrigued when I read it, so it may make a good watch.

Summer 2013 Anime Part I

With the Spring anime season drawing to a close, I thought maybe we could look ahead to the future.  I looked up the Summer 2013 anime schedule and figured I'd post it, list the show(s) I was planning on investigating, and provide the lineup for people who haven't checked it yet.

This will be part I of a three part Lineup analysis, focusing on shows in the upcoming season that I'm DEFINITELY going to watch.

I found this chart at http://www.alafista.com/2013/04/25/summer-2013-anime-lineup/ and if this chart can be trusted, there are a couple shows that I'd be willing to check out, though nothing I'm really thrilled about as of yet.  A lot of the shows I can't even watch because they're continuations of ones I didn't watch in the first place.

Honestly, the show I'm most geared up to see is Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi, which I think translates to "The God of Lost Sunday" or "The Sunday when God Disappeared" (really not my best work >__<;;).  Whatever, it has something to do with God not existing and Sunday.  It's got an interesting premise, and from what I can get from the thumbnail, it's got a pretty solid art style, and I think Madhouse did a show in the past that I really enjoyed...though the name escapes me.

Secondly, I'd be down with watching Tokuei Sochi Dantai Stella Jo-Gakuin Koutou-ka C3-Bu which I'm not even going to attempt to translate.  For starters, it's directed by GAINAX, out lord and savior.  Second, the premise reminds me a bit of K-On!, a series that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Lastly, I think I'm going to watch the two shows directed by Brains Base: Blood Lad and Brothers Conflict.  They came at the suggestion of my fiancee, who has never steered me wrong before.  Furthermore, the aforementioned director is also shared with Durarara!! and Baccano! both shows I have yet to finish, but get a solid recommendation nonetheless.

Also, I'm going to be continuing Attack on Titan and Suisei no Gargantia, which I'm fairly certain are going to be continuing into Summer.

A Sign of Things to Come

I honestly don't know how you didn't see something like this coming...


Now that I've got your attention, let's talk.

Wind has reached me that, in preparation for Pacific Rim (that movie by Guillermo del Toro about giant robots vs. monsters...you may have heard a thing or two about it), the Alamo Drafthouse (the single greatest movie theater I have ever encountered) is going to be running lots of Robots/monster flicks.  One such film they're going to be running on July 9th in Winchester (check drafthouse.com for showings near you) is Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone.

I'll wait while you clean up the mess you just made ;)

So, for those of you who don't know (what's wrong with you), Evangelion 1.0 is, as the name implies, the first "rebuild" of the 1995 anime CLASSIC Neon Genesis Evangelion by Hideaki Anno.  Evangelion is regarded by many (myself included) as one of the most important, controversial, and straight-up kickass series' to ever come out of anime (a point to its credit, people are STILL talking about it today.  Some intense shit, let me tell you) with hundreds of fan-theories spiraling out the yin-yang.

Anyways, Eva 1.0 is the 2007 film, dolled up for modern animation and just as full of angst as we all remember.  The movie sticks pretty faithfully to the first 6 episodes of the anime with a few minute (BUT INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT) divergences.

Right, you get the idea.  The Alamo is running Eva and I am losing my shit about it.

On a side note, I found this hilarious set of Unit 01 themed bike shorts.  I need these >__>  I don't even ride a bike

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/02/10/neon-genesis-evangelion-biker-shorts/

In addition to the shorts being hilariously amazing, the article was pretty funny as well, ending on "I'm pretty sure the Absolute Terror Field I'd generate in this getup could withstand a non-nuclear explosion."

Well, joke's on you, buddy, 'cause I'm wielding the Lance of Longinus...if you know what I mean.

You know...like...the lance punches through...AT fields?  Get it?

Like...well...you know...

I'm saying I'm gonna rape a guy in these shorts.

God's in His Heaven

All's Right With the World

Something Something Danger Zone

Why?  Why do subbing groups feel it necessary to translate the words to songs?  Openings and endings are okay, because there's not really anything else important going on at the time, but I really hate it when important dialogue gets lost because the scene in question is set over music.  Sure, maybe it's just the quality of my video player that I can't get both lines of subtitles, but...just whyyyyyyy?

The worst part about it, is that scenes are typically set over music when they're IMPORTANT, or at least when something big is happening, and nothing kills the atmosphere more than not knowing what the hell is going on.

Exempli gratia, I was watching the [spoiler spoiler] section in episode 10 of Devil Survivor 2 and things were getting real intense, and a song starts to play in the background.  I got no beef with this, it usually works pretty well (like...in English dubs or when subbed properly), but then the lyrics to the song come up where dialogue should be.  So Hibiki's talking and "I murmur to a city drenched in red" comes up.  I pause for a second, then I'm like "that's not what he said >__>"

So, to all the subbing groups.  Just...stop it.  You're killing me here

The Spiderweb of Strings That is This Post

Let's hit the ground running on this one and talk about Devil Survivor 2: The Animation.  For once, a show wherein the entire title is in English.

So Devil Survivor 2: The Animation is, as the name implies, the anime adaptation of the DS title Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 by Atlus.  You might be looking at this and saying to yourself, "But this is the second installment, shouldn't we start with the first Devil Survivor?"  Well, that's a great question, but the answer is "no" because there is no anime adaptation of the first Devil Survivor.  Weird, huh?  Coincidentally, I happen to be working my way through the game as well as the anime.

The characters in the Devil Survivor series are designed by Suzuhito Yasuda, creator and illustrator of Yozakura Quartet and the illustrator of the Durarara! light novels (a series I have yet to finish, though I have friends who swear by it).

Durarara! 

Yozakura Quartet

If the above images weren't enough to convince you, you'll just have to take my word for it.  Short of that, Wiki it.

However, as I was watching the series, I noticed that the look of the show reminded me more of Persona 4: The Animation, which in turn had a different artistic look from the game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 which was illustrated by Shigenori Soejima.

The difference between this...

and this.

Upon closer inspection, I discovered that both series have the same director, Seiji Kishi, which is neat.

But I digress...a bunch.

Devil Survivor 2 follows Hibiki Kuze, a high school student.  His friend Daichi introduces him to a website called Nicaea, which will send you videos showing you how your friends will die.  Shortly after, they get caught up in a giant disaster that rocks Japan, with demons springing out of people's cell phones and running amok.  However, those with strong enough wills can tame these demons and are known as "Summoners".  The 13 episode show will follow Hibiki (and friends) and they use their unique abilities to get through the ordeal that they've landed themselves in...as they "survive" if you will.

What I like about the plot of the Devil Survivor games (the first one featured all of Tokyo being quarantined from the rest of the world) is that they evoke the same feelings as a zombie apocalypse.  They feature a lot about how society can easily fall apart in the face of calamity.  People in the game/show exhibit feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness, while others take advantage of the situation to loot and exploit others.  Kind of what I get the feeling that movie The Purge is going to be about.

Regardless, I'm having a good time watching Devil Survivor 2: The Animation as I also work my way through the game.  I wouldn't say it's as good as Gargantia or Attack on Titan, but it gets a solid nomination from me, especially for people that enjoyed Persona 4: The Animation, or are fans of the game...though I doubt those people would need my recommendation.

Thanks for reading :D

So There's This Show About Giants Destroying the Earth...

"So there's this new show about giants destroying the earth and it's fuckin' bangin'"

This was literally what a good friend of mine posted on my Facebook the day after my first post two weeks ago.  I had read online about such a show, called "Shingeki no Kyoujin" or "Giant's Advance" (literal translation).  However, everything I've seen about this show translates it as "Attack on Titan", and as far as I know that's the official translation...so we'll run with it.

Attack on Titan is a newish show from the Spring 2013 season, the adaptation of the manga written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama, getting into its eighth episode.  Chances are good that you've heard something about this from your friends or other people who keep up with current anime, 'cause I certainly have.  Almost directly after my friend's post on my wall, I noticed a lot more of my friends were posting about it.

"More Attack on Titan.."

"What material to make Mikasa's and Eran's jackets out of..."

Anyways, I decided that today I would spend some downtime picking up the first episode for a first impression or what have you and, well, the first episode quickly became the second episode.

What I'm trying to say is this show is fuckin' bangin'.

The first episode wastes no time hooking its audience, almost immediately after the show starts we get our first titan, looming over a population of petrified humans.

This is literally the first minute of the first episode.  That is not to say, however, that there's no exposition.  After this sequence, with audience securely on board (at least, I was at this point), we meet our apparent hero, Eran Jaeger and his far more badass adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman.  They're maybe thirteen or fourteen, living in Shiganshima, a walled city that stands as a part of humanity's last bastion again the people-eating titans, a race of giants (little taller than an two or three-story building).  With the wall well taller than the average titan could reach and thicker than they could break, the people live in relative peace, or at least they had for 100 years.

We learn about this group called the Scouting Legion, men that go outside the wall, trying reclaim some lands in the name of humanity (kind of like the Night's Watch in the Song of Fire and Ice series), and combat the titans using kickass grappling hooks.  Eran dreams of joining the Scouting Legion, but the view is negatively received by friends and family (we are lead to assume that joining the Legion almost certainly leads to an early grave).  Anyhow, it's a normal day when a bolt of lightning comes down outside the town and a gianter  titan rises up over the wall, bringing the episode right back where it started.

So this super titan smashes a hole in the wall and that's when the shit hits the fan.  Titans flood into the city, smashing buildings and snatching up villagers.  The episode ends with Eran and Mikasa having to watch their mother get devoured.  Pretty intense stuff, sent more than a few shudders down my spine.

 Episode 2 definitely cooled down some, with some scenes of titanic rampage, but focused more on the evacuation of Shiganshima and of Eran's reaction to his entire life falling to pieces at the hands of the titans.

Some time passes, and a bit of monologuing reveals that more and more people have been sent out to try to reclaim some of what was lost with no real success.  Episode 2 ends with Eran, Mikasa, and their friend Armin as recruits in the Scouting Legion.

I'll be honest, I had some reservations about this show at first.  I got a few looks at the not-skinless titans and I they reminded me of the Akira-era art style, which I wasn't really thrilled with.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the art style really worked well with the setting and pace of the show.  The animation looked really smooth and I'm looking forward to seeing it put to good use for some intense acrobatic tomfoolery with grappling hooks.

Long story short - So there's this new show about giants destroying the earth and it's fuckin' bangin'!