To commemorate all the posting we’ve done, I thought it would be appropriate for us to go in and curate our own list of our favorite posts. We all like different posts here, so you’ll get a motley assortment of articles that are worth reading. In this year’s edition, we’ll take a look at favorites from myself (Koichi), Aya, Mami, Viet, and JohnD. Let’s hop right to it!

Koichi’s Favorite Posts Of 2013

It was so hard to choose my favorite posts. I have about twenty more that I wanted to include, but since I limited everyone to five I thought it would be bad if I was the only one cheating. I would have put up posts like “Facing Facts: The Secret Behind Hello Kitty’s Blank Face“, “The Kikokushijo Dilemma: Growing Up Abroad As A Japanese Kid“, “Oh, So You Mean You’re Not Japanese?“, or any one of the “dating series” posts / anime roundups. There was a ton to choose from, but here are the ones that stood out to me or were special to me this year.

• Tofugu’s New Body Pillow Dating Site: DatingMakura
  For April Fools this year we released a dating site that allowed people to chat with body pillows (you know, to find your One True Threadcount™. We had a ton of fun building this, writing the chat conversations, and taking the pictures. It’s still up and running, so if you’d like try out DatingMakura.com you can!
• Not Just For Vegetarians- Japanese Soybean Foods
  Many people don’t realize how many ways a soybean can be used. I thought this was a nice and educational post for those who thought soybeans only could be turned into tofu. I even learned a thing or two about this fantastic bean.
• The Difficulty Of Names
  Mami joined us in 2013. She started as a researcher and then started writing. Her perspective is a great one because she’s born and raised in Japan. This post was the start of many great posts by Mami, which is why this one in particular is my favorite!
• The Wildly Complicated Life Of The Japanese Particle ね
  I was so impressed by how this post took something that seems not that complicated (the particle ね), teaches people how complicated it really is (it’s very, very complicated) and then breaks that down into something that’s not all that complicated anymore. Basically, it’s a tough topic that’s been explained really well, and all Japanese learners ought to read this, whether you’re beginner or advanced.
• What I Learned About Learning Japanese From Spending 3 Weeks In Taiwan
  It’s been a while since I’ve started learning a new language. This article goes over my attempt to learn some Mandarin (before a trip to Taiwan). It was so educational to re-experience the things people experience when learning a new language, and I talk about how I’ll be applying that over to our Japanese resources as well.

Aya’s Favorite Posts Of 2013

Aya is the Tofugu Artist. She illustrates all the illustrations you see at the top of pretty much every post. It was fun to go through this year’s posts to see how not only our writing progressed, but how her art progressed too! Here are Aya’s favorite posts of the year – maybe you too will agree.

• Using Japanese Sign Language to Improve Your Spoken Japanese
  It was my first time encountering JSL and I thought that it was such a well-written and researched topic. I also had a great time drawing the Hiragana JSL chart. So many hands to draw yo.
• What It’s Like Dating A Japanese Guy
  I loved reading and working on the dating article series posted in Tofugu (if you haven’t read them, you definitely should), but this one was my favorite. I had heaps of fun working on the spot illustrations for this post!
• The Traditional Colors of Japan: Making Modern History
  It was interesting to read about the Japanese color system and how much meaning a color held when it was used on a piece of clothing, like a kimono. It’s pretty cool that Japanese fashion companies are trying to revive traditional colors through modern fashion design. The Japanese color chart was so fun to look at and read too!
• “Oh So You Mean You’re Not Japanese?”
  When I first read the article, I was like, ‘The feels! For some reason, I KNOW IT.’. Although I’ve never lived in Japan, this question always seemed to pop up whenever I meet a Japanese person. The confusion and surprise that followed amused me at first, but after getting asked 32948324* times by a lot of people (*not exact number), it gets a bit tiring. Reading about living in Japan from a non-Japanese Asian’s perspective was something I’ve been waiting to read more about and I thought that Austin did a great job writing about the experiences and problems he faced.
• Dating A Foreigner (From A Japanese Perspective)
  Two things: Samurai + Matt Cain = YES.

Mami’s Favorite Posts of 2013

Mami of course joined us partway through the year. She’s been helping with some secret projects, doing audio, research, and even writing on Tofugu. Here are her favorite posts of the year:

• I Went To The Real-Life Spirited Away
  Great article from real experience. I’ve never been to Taiwan, though it’s very close to Japan, and have always wanted to visit. This article made me feel as though I was already there and really made me want to actually go there more than ever, at the same time. I was also impressed that Koichi found Uncle Haku. That was my favorite picture among all the other incredible ones taken.
• Sorry for Saying Thank You: The Many Uses Of Sumimasen
  Sumimasen, but I wasn’t very good at explaining the various usages of sumimasen until I read this article. This article explains “sumimasen” really well and I’d like to be sumimasen for saying thank you.
• Visiting Japanese Schools, Or How To Be A Rock Star in Japan
  I enjoyed reading how John became a rock star in Japan :P
• 10 Horrifying Insects That Will Make You Reconsider Ever Visiting Japan
  This article creeped me out to the point that I almost don’t want to go back to Japan to see my family (:o;) Just in the time that it took to read it, I set a new personal record for how many Ewww’s could be said in one year.
• The Kikokushijo Dilemma: Growing Up Abroad As A Japanese Kid
  A very interesting article from the perspective of a real kikokushijo with the accompanying wall paper that Aya made (The Fugu Robot) – This is also one of my favorites.

Viet’s Favorite Posts Of 2013

Viet doesn’t write a ton these days, but when he did he would get really into it and come up with something extremely educational. So, it’s only natural that the posts he chose tended to have some kind of deeper meaning or history.

• The Ainu: Reviving the Indigenous Spirit of Japan
  I’ve actually written a piece about the Ainu a long time ago. I enjoyed Sarah’s piece since it had a broader scope. People who are interested in Japan should be informed that it isn’t a ~100% homogeneous nation.
• A Short History Of Japanese Sign Language
  I’ve always had a faint interested in ASL. Coupled that with me being somewhat of a history buff, this was a great read.
• The Japanese Art Of Making The Strangest Faces [Hengao]
  Just look at the faces. QED.
• The CIA’s 1971 Secret Report On The Senkaku Islands Dispute
  I love learning the little island disputes that is happening out there. Couldn’t they just do a Lost and move the island?
• How To Avoid (Or Even Find) A Stigmatized Property In Japan
  I like the post header art. So mystery. So intrigue.

John’s Favorite Posts Of 2013

John has been writing with us for a long time. You may remember him from “Mondays,” where he would post every Monday. He also is the one who writes the anime roundups, as well as the infamous “John’s __________” posts. Here are “John’s ______ posts of the year”:

• “Gaijin”
  Gaijin is a complicated word that can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Hashi did a really great job of exploring the word and its uses and just about everything you ever wanted to know or wondered about is somewhere in this post. The discussions it inspired in the comments are great too. Plus I just really miss our pal Hashi.
• These Words Are English, But You Won’t Understand Them
  All these loan words Koichi selected for this post are really useful and interesting. Some of them are funnier than others, but this post is a great example of edutainment.
• Keanu Reeves and the 47 Ronin
  While the movie didn’t quite live up to the hype, the story of the real 47 Ronin is awesome. This tale truly exemplifies the spirit of Japan. If you don’t know the story behind the 47 Ronin, do yourself a favor and read about it!
• The 7 Odd Things I’ve Missed About Japan / The Things I Do Not Miss About Japan
  These two posts kind of go hand in hand, but they’re a great introduction to some of the great (and not so great things) about being in Japan. Whether you’re traveling there for the first time or just looking for some nostalgia, these posts are great.
• My Japanese Education
  Having Mami on the team has been awesome. This post of hers was really interesting and informative. It was great to have a detailed and personal explanation of how all that learning nonsense works over there in Japan. Mami’s had a lot of great posts since this one, but this remains one of my favorites.

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Those were our favorites! What were yours?

Thank you all for such a wonderful year. We have a lot planned for 2014, so slap those suspenders a few times and look out the window, because neat things are afoot.

In this post I want to take a look at the kanji that best represented Japan in 2013, starting with #1 and working my way down. There were actually way more than seven “top” kanji, but I thought things started getting a bit shaky so I stopped there. Alright, let’s start with the best. You already know what it is!

#1 輪 (Rin/Wa/Ring)

The kanji 輪 (りん・ring) received 9,518 votes making it this year’s kanji winner. There are a couple of reasons why it was chosen:

1. The five rings of the Olympic Games. Tokyo won the bid for the 2020 Olympics this year, so there’ll be a lot of rings all over the place for the next six years.
2. The hope for “circle/ring of support” expansion for those in recovery areas after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

So who chose this kanji to be Japan’s number one kanji of 2013? The award itself is actually put out by the Japanese Kanji Proficiency Society every year and has been going on for the last 19 years. Does the name of the society sound familiar? It should. They’re the ones who created the world’s most terrifying and ultimate kanji test: Kanji Kentei.

They don’t really make the decision, though. People send in votes on what they think the best kanji for the year is. That means there are runner-up kanji to look at. To me, this is a great way to look back on the year to see what happened… not only news, but emotions as well. Since one kanji can mean multiple things to different people based on context, it’s a fun way to take a trip through tiiimmmmmeeee~!

#2 楽 (Raku)

Although this kanji typically refers to concepts such as “ease” or “fun” or “enjoyment,” this time the kanji 楽 is referring to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, the Japanese baseball team that won the Nippon Professional Baseball League Championship, besting the evil Yomiuri Giants. It probably also helped that this was their first championship. If only the Mariners could take note. *sigh*

They also had ace Masahiro Tanaka on their team, who went an incredible 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA. He came in to close the final game of the championship series after pitching 160 pitches in a loss the day before. In case you’re not a baseball fan, I can tell you now… that’s nuts. So, a combination of Tanaka’s exploits along with being winners of the NPB Championship garnered enough votes for 楽 to come in 2nd place.

#3 倍 (Bai/Times)

If you read our post on the Japanese memes of 2013, you may notice something familiar… Meme #3, “__bai gaeshi da!” This comes from a very popular 2013 TV drama, Hanzawa Naoki. The main character (Hanzawa Naoki) works at the Tokyo Chuo Bank and climbs his way up the corporate ladder. On the way, he meets up with corruption, scandal, and nasty people. People do bad things to him… but, he has a way to deal with it. Anything that someone does to him he returns X amount of times.

yararetara yarikaesu, __baigaeshi da!
If I am wronged, I will return it X times!

This is a tagline all throughout the show. The amount of times he threatens to return the punishment goes up and up. 2x. 5x. 10x. 100x. The guy is nuts, to say the least, though this show did really, really well in Japan, which may explain how the kanji 倍 (which is a multiplier, i.e. 2x, 5x, and 10x) made it to third place.

I can’t imagine what this kanji will do next year for being wronged by only receiving third place.

#4 東 (Tou/Higashi/East)

A lot has happened in the “East” part of Japan. Tokyo (東京, the Eastern Capital) was chosen to host the 2020 Olympics. Also, the Touhoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (Touhoku means northeast) won the NPB championships. It was all about East Japan this year. None of that west Japan garbage. Eww. Gross.

#5 風 (Fuu/Kaze/Wind)

The kanji 風, aka “wind,” was voted into the #5 slot due to the large number of typhoons the country / world experienced. There were 31 total storms, 13 typhoons, and 5 super typhoons this year (worldwide). It was an unusually bad typhoon season, which I guess is why “wind” is on people’s minds this year.

#6 決 (Ketsu/Decision)

Wow, can’t stop thinking about the Olympics, can you people? The kanji 決 (decision) comes from the decision that Tokyo would host the 2020 Olympics. It also comes from making it into the World Cup, Mt. Fuji becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and various other decisions being made in or about Japan. If you ask me, voting for this kanji is a cop out, because seriously, there are always decisions being made.

#7 今 (Ima)

Another kanji that came from 2013′s best Japanese memes, 今 (ima/now) comes from 今でしょう and refers to Osamu Hayashi, a teacher who was in a commercial for Toshin High School, which is a cram school focused on preparing students for university entrance exams. In the commercial, Toshin High School shows actual teachers teaching. Osamu Hayashi struck a cord with all of Japan due to his catchphrase:

itsu yaru ka? Ima deshou!
When will you do it? Right now!

This got turned into all kinds of other things, including a commercial for Toyota.

It’s also a good message for people, I think. The idea is to get people off their lazy butts to go do something they should be doing. It’s a good message for any year’s kanji, I think.

Your Kanji Of 2013?

I feel like everybody has their own special kanji of 2013. Imagine you’re your own kanji-using country and inside of you is an entire Japanese Kanji Proficiency Society with a ton of blood vessels, organs, molecules, cells, and so on who vote for their kanji of the year, based off your own life and experiences. What would your kanji of 2013 be? I’ve made a list of Tofugu’s Kanji of the year.

#1 鰐 (Alligator)

WaniKani‘s 1 year anniversary took place at some point, and we finished the main 50 levels. A lot of new features have come to WaniKani too, including client-side reviews (which means near-instant answer validation), vacation mode, new lessons, custom notes, and so much more has been added. There’s a long way to go, but this was the year of the Crabigator for sure.

#2 蟹 (Crab)

Because you can’t have a Crabigator without the crab.

#3 豚 (Pig)

The Tofugu team went to the Philippines to meet up with another member of the Tofugu team, Aya (our incredible illustrator). We ate a ton of lechon, which is made from pig.

#4 熊 (Bear)

2013 introduced the EtoEto Bear, possibly also known as Kumaman, which is the mascot of a product we haven’t quite released yet. There was a crappy little test version of the site where we could get some feedback and try things out, but I think we’ll see 熊 rise in the ranks of Tofugu’s Kanji Of The Year awards in 2014 when he reveals his full form… which could get gross, considering his lack of pants. For now, you see him in a lot of post illustrations.

#5 所 (Place)

We got a place! Or, an office, but I couldn’t really think of a good kanji for “office.” Moving out of my apartment and into an actual place was one of the nicest things we did this year. Plus, giant whiteboard walls and a mural. Hard to beat that.

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There you go, kind of boring but we’ll take what we can get. Now think about your own personal kanji of the year. What kanji best represents your year and why? Post the kanji, its meaning, and an explanation in the comments below.

Bonus Wallpapers!

[2560 x 1600] [1280 x 800]

Sources:

• 2013 Kanji Of The Year: “Rin” Takes The Ring
• Kanji Of The Year
• 2013 年「今年の漢字 年「今年の漢字®」第 1 位は 「輪」

Strike the Blood

The show is about a high school kid who’s also a powerful vampire. The world in Strike the Blood is a world of magic and demons. They don’t live in secret though, so that’s pretty interesting. The main characters all live on a man-made island crafted by the government to contain and research these demon creatures.

The show has some really nice colors and an attractive art style to boot. The music is pretty pleasant as well. I was surprised with the first episode of this show – it was definitely better than expected. It’s interesting on its own but it also reveals just enough mystery to keep you guessing and curious about what’s to come. It seems very well done and I’m looking forward to seeing more and figuring out what’s going on.

Who should watch this show: People who like cool, new age vampires and demons.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Very good. I liked this first episode.

Strike the Blood (Second Opinion by Koichi)

Vampires, demons, and other fantastical beings live on a man-made island that was built to protect and research them. One particular Vampire, The Fourth Primogenitor, appears on the island but… he’s just a regular high school student. Or is he? I don’t ask that to be mysterious, I have no idea. So far I feel like there’s potential for this series to get good.

The groundwork has been laid and I like how they don’t really try to explain why all these creatures live here. I don’t think I’ll keep watching this one, but I can see why a lot of people would like it. Not your normal “Let’s get those Twilight fans watching!” series, so it’s not bad.

VERDICT: 3 Coke cans of blood.

Kyoukai no Kanata

The opening sequence to this episode was a huge surprise. I thought the show looked cool just from the animation but then I was just like, what? I was under the impression that this was just a normal high school type anime, but I was very wrong it seems. Anyway, the show has spirit warriors and youmu. The spirit warriors are responsible for containing and defeating youmu, but the main spirit warrior girl is having issues with hunting and battling them.

The main character is half youmu and as a result, he is immortal. The other main character is the last of a spirit warrior clan with the ability to control blood and form it into weapons. The show is pretty entertaining and the interactions between the two main characters are often hilarious. I feel like Strike the Blood piqued my initial interests more, but since this show was funnier, I imagine I’ll be more entertained with it as the show progresses.

Who should watch this show: Those who enjoy humorous anime with an otherworldly twist.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Great. This show really stuck out to me and I look forward to seeing more.

Sekai de Ichiban Tsuyoku Naritai!

The story centers on two girls from an idol group, similar to AKB48. These two members end up getting involved in a pro wrestling league for women. So basically the show is filled with busty girls in revealing bikinis rolling around in a ring together. The main girl ends up converting to an idol to being a full-time pro wrestler in order to beat the girl who humiliated her and her idols friends.

Do not, I repeat – do not watch this show with anyone you would be embarrassed around. The gratuitous shots and noises are abundantly frequent in this show. It’s ridiculous and the story just seems like an excuse to have these pro wrestling girls wiggle their ample jigglies about.

Who should watch this show: Those who like boobs. And gratuitous moaning. And jiggly wigglies.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: No. No more of this please.

Meganebu!

This is a very colorful show with a striking style that immediately stands out. It’s magnificent. The show is about a handful of guys in a glasses club. They are very passionate about glasses and are striving to create a genuine pair of x-ray glasses (in the first episode at least). The things they do don’t sound that exciting when described, but the animation style and the timing of everything really makes this show stand out.

You really have to see this show to fully experience it. The trailer does not do it justice at all. I haven’t seen a show quite like this in a long time. It’s incredibly unique and highly stylized. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much during an anime. I really like all the transitions and visual representations that occur during the show. I’m not really sure where the story is going to go here, but it’s so funny that I don’t really care.

Who should watch this show: People who like glasses and the hilarious antics of those who wear them.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Fantastic. This show is hilarious.

Log Horizon

This show takes place in a MMO, kind of like Sword Art Online I guess. Actually, yeah – it’s a lot like that since the characters in the game are stuck there and unable to log out. A small party is formed and the characters try and figure out what’s going on.

The show is a little silly and kind of funny, but I didn’t find myself caring much about what was going on in the show. See Koichi’s thoughts down below for more details. This show just didn’t stick out to me at all.

Who should watch this show: Someone who really, really likes shows along the lines of Sword Art Online.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Bad. I didn’t feel this show was anything special.

Log Horizon (Second Opinion by Koichi)

A bunch of people are stuck inside of an MMORPG. That’s like every WoW players’ dream, right? And, before you say “omg, this is just Sword Art Online” let me stop you there… Okay, fine, the basic premise is the same, and I have no idea where the story is going to go after the first episode, but I can say there’s definitely a difference.

SAO was about relationships and romance. Log Horizon seems to be more about action. If you loved SAO you may or may not like Log Horizon. If you didn’t like SAO you might like Log Horizon a lot more. The world in this one feels a lot more mysterious and has a lot more potential for exploration which makes it more interesting to me, though just barely not enough to keep me watching.

VERDICT: LEEEROOOOOOY JENKINS.

Yozakura Quartet – Hana no Uta

This is a show about youkai. There are youkai, half-youkai, magic, and otherworldly things. The main characters are using their abilities to keep the town safe from those who would do it harm.

The show gets off to a pretty slow start and doesn’t get much better from there. It has pretty colors and all, but the show itself is just not that gripping. There’s some neat things going on, like “Powerspeak” to create and control the size of objects, etc, but it’s just not enough. I’m not really sure where they’ll be taking the story in this one, but I don’t really care.

Who should watch this show: Anyone who really likes youkai and magic and action.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Bad. This first episode was really boring to me.

Gundam Build Fighters

This is not your traditional Gundam show. It’s more like Yu-Gi-Oh, but with Gundam models. There are no real Gundams, just model Gundams that fight each other in a VR arena. The better put together the model is, the better it will perform, but you still need a skilled “player” to control it. The main kid is really good at making models, but pretty terrible at “piloting” them. But then he runs into a mysterious boy who can.

This show is a little silly. It reminds me too much of a kids show (which it no doubt it), and I don’t really care or relate to any of the characters. The mysterious kid who pilots the Gundam really well is kinda cool, but other than that, the show was kind of boring for me.

Who should watch this show: Kids, or those who really love all things Gundam. Or those who wish to feel like a kid.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Not so great. I couldn’t get into this at all.

Nagi no Asukara

In this show there are sea dwellers and surface dwellers and the sea people start attending school on land. When this happens, there is some conflict and racism, and everyone is uncomfortable and no one is happy. The physics and underwater stuff makes no sense at all and no effort is really made to explain how all this silly business works.

Well, the show does have some really pretty colors to look at – other than that, the show is really drab. It didn’t grab me at all. I’m not really sure what to make of it and I don’t know what to expect from the story either. It was a fairly lousy viewing experience.

Who should watch this show: Those who can suspend their disbelief and enjoy the lives of sea people.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Not good. I don’t get this show at all.

Kill La Kill

Remember how I said Meganebu! was unlike anything I’d seen before? Scratch that. Kill La Kill is unlike anything I’ve seen before. It grabs you right from the start and does not let go. Koichi does a good rundown of the story below, but the story isn’t even that important in my opinion. It’s just acting as the glue holding all the absolutely ridiculous and over the top hilarity you’ll be experiencing in this show. It’s marvelous.

Who should watch this show: Anyone who likes anime. Seriously. This show is crazy.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Absolutely. No Doubt.

Kill la kill (Second Opinion by Koichi)

Things start out like every single anime ever made. There’s some kind of school/academy. Then there’s a transfer student (of course, the hero of the story). Then, above mentioned transfer student reveals she is searching for the other half of a giant pair of scissors that was left behind by her father’s murderer, does battle with members of the academy (who are wearing special “Goku suits” that give them powers), and… well, you’ll have to watch and see yourself, won’t you?

Kill La Kill is quite possibly the most ridiculous show I’ve seen in a while and I can’t tell if it’s trying to parody other anime or not, though that ends up making it a bit fresh in my opinion. I’ll be watching episode two as soon as I finish writing this paragraph.

Unexpected things happen over and over again in quick succession, like someone spamming the jab button on Mortal Kombat. WAWAWAWAWAAACHA!

VERDICT: 12,000 Johnny Cages.

Recap

I didn’t end up abandoning any shows after mere minutes this season but there were a handful of shows that I thought looked interesting but I just didn’t have room for in this post. Some of these I’m just going to wait and see what the rest of the internet thinks before I get into them, but I’m very interested in hearing more about the shows I didn’t get around to.

And as usual, there were also a handful of sequels that I never watched the original for (sorry!).

Last Season’s Recap: I didn’t end up following any shows from the last season. None of them were strong enough in my opinion.

This Season’s Bottom Line: This season is looking pretty awesome. Kill La Kill and Meganebu! are definitely my two top picks and I’m really excited about both of them. After that, Strike the Blood and Kyoukai no Kanata seem the most interesting I think. I’m excited to hear more about any potential gems I missed though.

So tell me, how do you think this season compares to the last one? Any new shows look good to you? What’s your favorite one so far? Any good ones I missed? Share your thoughts down in the comments!

Love Lab

This is a slice of life show about girls practicing romance with, on, and for each other. The show takes place at an all-girls school with most of them showing some amount of infatuation towards one another. The main character attempts to show a classmate how to act around boys. She shows her things like how to meet boys and how to hold hands by playing the part of a potential mate in practice.

This show is definitely a weird one. It’s entertaining enough, but it really doesn’t seem like my kind of show. I can see how other people would enjoy it though. Slice of life shows usually don’t do it for me, and Love Lab is no exception.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHtyjyJnRro']

Who should watch this show: People who like awkward high school girl-girl romance interactions.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Not good. I can’t see any reason I would want to continue this one.

Danganronpa

This show is based on a game of the same name. The game is sort of a Persona/Ace Attorney hybrid as I understand it. Like a murder mystery type thing with day/night cycles. Anyway, the main characters are all trapped in a high school and the only way they are allowed to leave is if they kill one of the others gathered there. There is no time limit, so they can all live together in the high school for the rest of their lives if they wish.

This show has some pretty interesting character designs. I like that. The premise is pretty interesting too. It reminds me of Battle Royale in a way, only it’s confined to a high school and there is no time limit. I have the feeling it’s going to be kind of like the drama Liar Game. Good, but a bit too drawn out for my liking. It’s hard to tell at this point. This first episode was basically just setting the scene for everything, so I feel like it deserves having another episode watched before I pass full judgment.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al9e3NuNgi0']

Who should watch this show: People who like murder/survival/mystery shows and interesting, diverse characters.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Pretty good. The first episode definitely intrigued me.

Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi

God has forsaken humanity and the world he left behind is one without birth or death. There are beings called Gravekeepers who are tasked with laying people to rest once they have finished living their lives and the only way to attain eternal rest is through a Gravekeeper.

The premise of this show is pretty interesting. I like religious alternate-reality type things so this speaks to my interests. However, I’m not really a fan of the characters so far, at least not the main girl. The main guy might end up being kind of cool though. I feel like the show might eventually blossom into something worthwhile, but the first episode here isn’t very strong.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsl6wUiRXm8']

Who should watch this show: People who like religious alternate-reality type things.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Average. I feel like a lot was left unsaid in the first episode so this show probably deserves another episode or two.

Silver Spoon

The reason most people are excited about this one despite its premise is the fact that it’s based on a manga by the same person that did Fullmetal Alchemist. This is your standard high school anime setup, only the high school is a farm school. As far as I know, there aren’t many (if any) anime shows centering around livestock like this one.

The characters themselves are all okay enough, the premise of the show just doesn’t really interest me. If you have any interest in farming or livestock type stuff though, you’ll probably find this show more interesting than I did. I could never get into Fullmetal Alchemist, but this show has pretty much nothing in common with it from what I can tell.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eMOcbGRFPs']

Who should watch this show: People who like livestock. And farms and stuff.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Not good. If it starts getting a lot of attention later I might come back around to it but right now I have no desire to watch any more.

Free!

This show is probably the most anticipated one this season. At least it’s the one I’ve heard the most buzz about, anyway. It seems to be mostly geared towards girls as all the main characters are high school swim club pretty boys, and they can also at times be a bit too affectionate towards one another.

The animation and the sound effects and music are pretty great in this one. I usually don’t take much notice of the music in shows, but the soundtrack playing through most of this show was actually quite pleasant to listen to. The characters are all funny and likable, but I’m not entirely sure where to expect the story to go or develop. The show is definitely well done and I’ll probably watch another but I’m not too sure if I’ll want to see it all the way through. It’s really a very well done and polished anime.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuLQDwtBDgc']

Who should watch this show: People who like pretty boys, cool music, or swimming.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Pretty good. I know this show is geared towards girls, but the production values are just so good in this one that I might end up following it anyway.

Uchouten Kazoku

The main characters in this show are all shape shifting creatures (tengu and tanuki). They coexist with humans and occasionally eat one another. Compared to the other shows this season, this one seems to have a decent amount of uniqueness to it.

That being said, this show is a little odd. The animation is a little goofy and I don’t like how some of the character’s ears and noses look, but overall the show isn’t too terribly exciting. I highly doubt I’ll be watching any more of this one. I don’t know where the story is going but I also really don’t care. Some parts of this first episode were pretty amusing, but the in-between parts were pretty dull.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zi12pqs7ok']

Who should watch this show: People who like tengus, tanukis, and transformation!
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Not so good. I might come back to it if people start gushing over it, but right now it’s not doing anything for me.

Servant x Service

This show is about civil service office workers and the show seems to take place almost exclusively there. The main character’s reason for working there is to seek revenge on the civil servant who allowed her parents to bestow such a ridiculously long name upon her.

Everything about the show seems pretty average and not all that interesting. The show wasn’t bad enough for me to want to shut it off, but I definitely do not plan on watching any more of it. Even though I work in an office, I felt like I couldn’t relate to this show at all. It’s not good.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WQzmAk6Zi4']

Who should watch this show: People who like sub-par office comedy involving civil servants.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Bad. This show interests me not.

Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou

This show stars a domineering lady author and one of her obsessive fans who happened to be reincarnated as a dog. She abuses him with a pair of scissors. It’s unclear from the first episode where they plan on going with the story, but the show seems pretty shallow overall from my first impressions.

This show is about a dog that used to be a human. It’s also about books. The show is pretty goofy, but it has its amusing moments. The best parts probably are the ones involving the dog and his wacky expressions. His counterpart is a strange girl who is capable of reading his thoughts for whatever reason. The dog is kind of funny but I don’t really care about the show as a whole.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKqWbteqErA']

Who should watch this show: People who like abusive scissor wielding women and human souls trapped in wiener dogs.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Bad. One episode was enough for me, thanks.

Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou

The show centers around some tarot card fortune tellers. The main character is really into it but her cousin is not at all so they have kind of a strained relationship. It’s all about magical girls and the sort of stuff that magical girls find themselves getting into.

There’s a lot of supernatural stuff going on in this show. I feel like the show could be cool, but the way everything is executed is not that cool at all. Everything just seems kinda cheesy. I dunno, it’s just not for me. I don’t really care about any of the characters either.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxEhiSGKtkI']

Who should watch this show: People who like magical girls and tarot cards.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Bad. This show left no impression on me. Very forgettable.

Kiniro Mosaic

The first episode takes place mainly in London, so the main character speaks Japanese and the girl in the homestay family she is staying with hardly speaks any. This makes for some pretty entertaining situations. It looks like the rest of this show will be taking place exclusively in Japan, so the hilarious English situations will probably be much less from here on.

I like the music in this one. It’s very soothing and pleasant. The show is hilariously over dramatic at times and takes cutesy to the max. Also, the English dialogue in the show is not authentic sounding at all. It’s highly entertaining in the “so bad it’s good” kind of way. This is the kind of show I would watch with a friend to laugh at, but it’s not a show I would want to continue on my own. I also have no idea what to expect from the story. Probably not much.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHMqhcYnmQc']

Who should watch this show: People who like lolis and Brits in Japan.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Average. I would be willing to watch and laugh at this show with someone else, but I won’t be watching it solo.

Below Average Shows and a Recap

Hyperdimension Neptunia: Jiggly boob overload right here. This show seems a bit too juvenile for my tastes. I couldn’t find the strength to watch more than 5 minutes or so.

Gifuu Doudou!!: I’m not a fan of the art style at all in this one. It reminds me of older style animations. I gave up after about 5 minutes or so because nothing in the show appealed to me. Sorry.

And as usual, there were also a handful of shows that I just didn’t check out and a handful of sequels that I never watched the original for (sorry!).

Last Season’s Recap: As predicted, Suisei no Gargantia and Shingeki no Kyojin were the ones to watch for me. I’m not current on either one at the moment (mostly due to them not being quite as awesome as I was hoping for), but I do still plan on seeing them all the way through eventually.

This Season’s Bottom Line: Free! and Danganronpa stand out the most to me, I think. And then maybe Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi and Kiniro Mosaic. Free! is definitely the most polished and best looking anime out of the bunch in my opinion, but overall I feel like this season is pretty weak. Too bad.

So tell me, how do you think this season compares to the last one? Any new shows look good to you? What’s your favorite one so far? If you’re a guy, how do you feel about Free? Share your thoughts down in the comments!

Suisei no Gargantia

Just from glancing over the shows, I thought this one looked like it could have the most promise. The show takes place in the future, in space. Humanity is in a war against an alien race and the main character gets transported to a strange and distant land during one of these space battles. Confusion ensues, and only good things can happen from there.

This show seems incredibly promising and the visuals are fantastic. I know I say a lot that I think I might actually finish a series, but this time I like, really, really mean it. I want to watch the rest of this series, like right now. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGZokL-tAbM']

Who should watch this show: People who like awesome anime shows that combine action, humor, mechs, and sweet animation.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Crazy good. If I had access to the whole series right now I’d be watching and finishing it today.

Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san

All the characters are drawn with blue outlines in this show. It’s kind of unique I guess. This show only has half-length episodes though for whatever reason. The show is about mermaids and it’s kind of funny, but also kind of stupid. The first episode is all about a fisherman who catches a mermaid and they banter back and forth about silly things. It seems like it’s just a string of gags with no real story going on. Maybe that’s why the episodes are only half length.

I wasn’t a big fan of this one but I can see how some people would get enjoyment out of it. It’s just a bit too goofy for me. I can handle goofy, but I need more of a story to hold things together. There’s very little story to speak of in this anime.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTqBiRLqYXs']

Who should watch this show: People who like mermaids and goofy banter.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Bad. One episode was enough.

Arata Kangatari

The animation in this show has kind of a soft, glowy look to it. I’m not sure how much I like that. The show’s about a high school kid who gets made fun of and bullied all the time. He somehow gets transported to another world where the monarchy gets overthrown by 12 rude dudes and the main guy somehow ends up getting blamed for it. He swaps places with someone from this other world and looks like the other guy to everyone there.

The end of the episode gives a little hope, but overall this show doesn’t really interest me. If it gets rave reviews I’ll continue watching it, but otherwise I’ll pass. I felt like it could be cool, but the way everything unfolded just wasn’t that interesting. It’s not bad, just really average.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQNoI-LsoRU']

Who should watch this show: People who like magic and strife and soft animation.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Pretty bad. Unless this anime blows up and starts getting tons of praise I doubt I’ll watch any more of it.

Karneval

The show is a bit freaky in the beginning with what happens with the characters. It’s hard to tell exactly what the show is about from the onset, but the first bad guy they encounter is really creepy. I’m not sure what the story is or where it’s going, but some people are like monsters and some people have magic powers and they’re all trying to do stuff and things.

I had higher hopes for this show, but it moved along pretty slowly. The animation is nice though, and I like the look of the characters. The show gets a little bit more interesting near the end, but not quite enough to redeem itself. I don’t really know where the story is going but I don’t really care that much either.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7LxjCdr4PY']

Who should watch this show: People who like shows about magic and monsters and prettyboys.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Okay. I might watch another episode just to see if they reveal where the story is going because I don’t feel like they revealed enough in this first episode.

Shingeki no Kyojin

In the show, humans are living inside a gigantic wall that serves to keep out a giant race of humanoids. The giants haven’t gotten inside the walls for some hundred years, so all the townspeople have developed a false sense of security. And then gigantic, super giants come and unexpectedly invade the town, tearing down the walls.

This first episode is pretty heavy. There’s definitely potential here, and the first episode sets up quite the scene. I’m excited to see where this one goes. I really like the animation in this show, it uses lots of thick lines. The action sequences are epic and the production values are great. I seriously got chills from watching the trailer.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKzmOh4SuBc']

Who should watch this show: People who like epic shows with lots of emotion, action, and style.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Great. I’m not as excited about this one as I am about Suisei no Gargantia, but this show is definitely second in line.

Hataraku Maou-sama!

The story starts back in fantasy medieval times with some knights fighting against the forces of Satan. Satan loses the battle and is forced to retreat into a portal transporting him and a follower into a modern world where they have no idea what’s going on and can’t really use their magic. This makes for a pretty hilarious and interesting premise because they have to learn the language, rent a living space, and get jobs to pay for things.

This show might end up being kind of cool. The first episode is good, but not great. Time will tell on this one, but after a few more episodes it might end up blossoming into something worthwhile. The show definitely had me laughing at parts, but I’m not sure how strong of a story will develop from this first episode.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKaTbXFaRcA']

Who should watch this show: People who like shows about demons trying to adjust to modern day society and the hilarity that ensues.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Pretty good. I think this one’s coming in third place after Shingeki no Kyojin. This show deserves at least one more episode.

DATE A LIVE

This show starts off with 14 year old panty shots. Promising. The premise of the show is fairly normal high school anime fare except that there are things called space quakes which are basically spherical earthquakes taking place in the atmosphere/earth. But that all changes when a bodacious babe shows up in purple sci-fi fantasy armor. Plot twist! Then some other nonsense happens.

I couldn’t care about this show at all. It was not interesting to me whatsoever. I was okay with it for the first half but when the purple sci-fi fantasy armor girl showed up I was all like, “this is stupid, I’ve had enough.” This show is nothing special.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA66EZPxgVk']

Who should watch this show: People who like space quakes and babes from outer space.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Bad. One episode was enough for me.

Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince

This one here is another space/mecha show. The show’s main characters are a team of five pilots known as the Failure Five because they’re so bad and can’t work as a team. Then for some reason they get selected to go into actual combat and deal with the reality of fighting for real.

This show seems really cheesy and kind of juvenile. I’m not really a big fan of the animation style either. This show’s just not that interesting compared to Suisei no Gargantia which is a much better space/mecha show. To be honest it’s just not that interesting in general. I just wasn’t able to care about what was going on.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlZRHDbYYko']

Who should watch this show: People who like sub-par shows about mechs and rooting for the underdogs.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: So bad. Suisei no Gargantia is way better so I’ll be getting my mech fix from that.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru

This one right here is a high school show. The main character really isn’t a big fan of high school and doesn’t have a girlfriend or any friends either. His teacher puts him in a “Volunteers Club” in an attempt to rehabilitate him. There he talks to one of the most popular girls in the school. They banter back and forth until another girl joins them and then more banter ensues.

The dialogue between all the characters is interesting and occasionally funny, but overall not a whole lot happens. Most all of the first episode takes place in one room. Overall it is of average entertainment and hilarity. I might watch one or two more episodes but I doubt I’ll see this one through to the end. I can see how others would enjoy it though.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsIG2ZYW3tc']

Who should watch this show: People who like shows about awkward high schoolers.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Average. I might watch one or two more episodes but probably not.

Shows that Were Less Than Impressive and a Recap

Surprisingly enough I didn’t shut off any shows within the first 5-10 minutes of watching them this season. This is the first season that’s ever happened. Overall this season had a lot of average shows but two of the ones I watched seemed like they could blossom into amazing shows so that alone makes this season a good one for me.

To recap from last season, I didn’t end up watching any of the shows all the way through. I watched like the first 5 episodes of Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, but I felt like the show wasn’t going anywhere so I gave it up. Nothing else from last season really held my interest either.

Bottom Line: Suisei no Gargantia seems like it could be a fantastic show. I can’t remember the last time I was this excited after a first episode so I’m really hoping the show doesn’t let me down. I’m trying to not get too excited so I don’t over-hype the show in my head, but I really think it could end up being a series I really, really enjoy. Guess we’ll just have to find out. You should at least check out the first episode though. It’s choice.

You should also check out Shingeki no Kyojin as well. Probably. It has promise.

So tell me, what shows look the best from this season? Any favorites that I didn’t review? What ended up being your favorite show from last season? Let us know in the comments!