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!

Shin Sekai Yori: From the New World

This show takes place a thousand years into the future. Humanity has declined, and is now living in a post-apocalyptic world. So even though the show takes place in the future, to the eye it looks like the past. The main hook of the show is a bunch of schoolkids learning special powers and saving the world or something or other.

But holy crap. The opening sequence to this show was absolutely wicked. I didn’t really know what was going on at the time, but the show really grabbed my attention from the start. The show is really interesting but also pretty creepy and freaky. The show doesn’t really divulge where it plans on taking the story and the characters, so it really makes me curious about what’s going to unfold in the rest of the show.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J-Vw9WfQs4']

Who should watch this show: People who like shows about little kid mages with a creepy kind of atmosphere.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Pretty good. This show definitely intrigued me.

Code:Breaker

Code:Breaker is adapted from a story by the guy who made Samurai Deeper KYO. The story isn’t really revealed, but the main guy has some sort of otherworldly powers that he’s been using to set people on fire. The main girl gets mixed up in things somehow, and the episode ends with a bunch of other guys (who I assume have otherworldly powers as well) saying stuff about how things are starting up (so it’s begun, etc).

The opening song for the show is pretty cool, but other that that the show didn’t really grab me. The animation style is pretty bland in my opinion. The overall feel was kind of mysterious, but there was little humor or action to speak of, at least not until the very end. It gets kind of intriguing around the halfway point, but the first half was nothing special at all. The second half piqued my interest a bit, but I don’t think it was enough to save the show for me.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcqBr0ogREQ']

Who should watch this show: People who like a bit of supernatural mystery and strange powers.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Pretty bad. Probably won’t continue with this one unless people tell me it turns out super awesome.

BTOOOM!

BTOOOM! is the name of a videogame which the main character is really good at. The hook here is that he and a number of other players get trapped in some real-life survival challenge on an island and forced to play out a live version of the game. Seems kind of like a mix between Battle Royale and that Hollywood movie Gamer that I never saw.

This show was pretty cool. It had a pretty strong start and a nice opening as well. The animation is really pretty which is definitely a plus. There’s a lot of confusion right from the get go, like why they’re on this island and who put them there to kill each other, so it’s very intriguing. This anime seems pretty cool, I’m not exactly sure where it’s going, but I’m looking forward to finding out.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGEd0_bBnM4']

Who should watch this show: People who like real life video game type things and Battle Royale type motifs.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Good. This show really stuck with me even after watching a bunch of other shows so I’m excited for the next episode.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

The show sells itself as a romantic comedy with “a fresh new angle.” The two main characters are a high school girl and a high school boy who is one of the most ridiculous characters in any anime I’ve ever seen. Weird romance and lots of laughs ensue.

This show is so funny. I was laughing out loud a ton during it. The animation is really nice and I like the characters’ wacky personalities so far. This show is really awesome and I can’t wait to see more of it. It’s definitely a contender for funniest show of the season, mostly due to the main guy’s character.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c54vbtaPrnY']

Who should watch this show: People who like super off the wall characters stuck in a romantic comedy.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Oh yes. Definitely going to watch more of this one. No idea where the story is going, but it’s too funny not to watch.

Zetsuen no Tempest

This show has a dystopian setting full of fantasy and world-saving. It seems to be about modern day mages and one of the main characters is on a journey of revenge with his powers. The show is packed with action and emotion.

The animation in this one is really nice (is it just me, or does this season have some really good looking shows?). The action is pretty cool and the show seems like it could have a lot of potential. It’s hard to tell though, because I’m not really sure where the story is going, but it sure is intriguing.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooJ21b7UnnY']

Who should watch this show: People who like magic and revenge and stuff.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Pretty good. I’m really interested in seeing what happens next so I plan on checking out a few more episodes at the very least.

Psycho Pass

This show is kind of like a cop show with a bunch of ex-criminals bent on stopping crime in a futuristic world. People have different colored passes that correspond to how much of a threat to the world they are and the police force is out to capture and rehabilitate.

Again, the animation here is pretty impressive. I was really expecting it to be kind of cool, but the episode just wasn’t all that exciting. There’s lots of neon signs and cool lighting and colors to look at, but I just couldn’t get excited about the show or the characters in it. I feel like it’s wasted potential and watching it was actually a bit frustrating.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0UAjpJuKcs']

Who should watch this show: People who like futuristic cop shows with pretty colors.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Bad. I just didn’t really care for this one.

Kamisama Hajimemashita

This show is about a girl who was just abandoned by her debt-dodging dad and finds herself homeless. That is until she takes up a strange man’s offer to live in his house. It turns out that his house is a shrine, and living in it involves taking over his job as the local earth deity.

Kamisama Hajimemashita was done by the same people who worked on Fruits Basket and the animation style similarities are very apparent. The character faces and varied expressions are great. The show seems pretty interesting with deities and spirits and demons and all that, but I don’t really feel as though it’s the kind of show I’d want to follow. It’s not necessarily a bad show, I just don’t feel like it’s something I’d really be interested in seeing to the end.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiHkqyObm0M']

Who should watch this show: People who like female leads and bad-boy fox demon love interests.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Not good. This show just isn’t my style.

K

This show is kind of vague about its premise, but it has something to do with characters who have some sort of otherworldly powers and there seems to be a side trying to keep order and one side tearing things up and making some trouble. There’s something about the reincarnation of colored kings and some other stuff I can’t really remember, but that’s not really important.

The important part is that this show looks absolutely amazing. I really cannot remember the last time I saw a show this pretty. It also has a really nice selection of music which really adds a lot to the atmosphere of the show. The special effects for the characters’ powers are pretty cool and the action is really nice. It’s a very pretty show and an absolute joy to behold.

You can really tell that this show has some high production values. It’s easily the best looking show this season. This show has tons of style and looks very very promising. I’m not really sure exactly what’s going on yet or where the show is going to go, but the first episode definitely hooked me enough to see what happens next.

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

Who should watch this show: People who like pretty colors great music and awesome shows.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Definitely going to. This show is just oozing potential.

Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai!

The story in this one involves chuunibyou (middle-school syndrome), which is basically when kids are still immature and play out fantasies rather than act like young adults. The show centers around a guy (trying to conquer his chuunibyou) and a girl (still very much in her chuunibyou) and their lives at school. I’m not really sure what else there is to the story yet, but that’s the basic premise.

I really like the feel of the show. It’s very happy and lighthearted. If Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is the funniest show of the season, Chuunibyou is a close second. The animation uses brown lines to outline everything instead of black which gives all the characters a really interesting look. The show’s pretty great so far and I really enjoyed this first episode. I’m not exactly sure where the story will be going, but it’s definitely good enough so far for me to watch some more episodes.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDCvY6ZqQIg']

Who should watch this show: People who like great humor and goofy comedy.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Great. I really like this show and plan on following it for a while.

Shows That Could Have Been Much Better

Busou Shinki: Seems kind of dumb right from the get go. Show is about miniature customizable female robots that people fight against one another. Seems like a really strange one here. I don’t like it. I lasted just over 5 minutes before I couldn’t take anymore. I’ll pass on this one.

Girls und Panzer: This show seems to center around school girls and military tanks. The first couple of minutes were not very impressive at all and I found myself not really interested in watching any more of it. I watched it for about 7 minutes before I had to stop. It just doesn’t really seem like my thing. Not very funny or interesting or anything.

Little Busters!: Starts off pretty generic and not really exciting. Has something to do with school kids fighting stuff. I got pretty bored after about 7 minutes so I shut it off.

Robotics;Notes: The show starts out pretty average. It doesn’t really ramp up in excitement from there. The animation is solid and the robots are kind of cool, but overall it’s not too impressive. I highly doubt I’ll be watching any more of this one.

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!).

Bottom Line: This season of anime is like, super fantastic. I can’t even say what my favorite show was. So many great new shows. But if I had to pick a top 3, they would be Chuunibyou, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, and K.

So tell me, which show is your favorite from the season? Any shows I missed that you think deserve some recognition? Let me know down in the comments!

Shinryaku! Ika Musume (Season 2)

Squid Girl invades once again in the second season of this hit gag comedy. Ika Musume is a powerful humanoid squid with squiddy hair who is determined to take over the entire planet by any means possible, but in reality does absolutely nothing about it. The family that took her in runs a noodle shop on the beach and puts up with her zany antics in exchange for her help around the restaurant de geso.

This show is awesome. I knew I was going to like it before the episode even started. The opening song is just so catchy! Squid Girl is a very unique character and the show is very funny. Story is not very important in this series and is mainly composed of self contained plots in each episode, but this is forgivable as it is a comedy. I’ve not seen season one, but after watching this episode, I’m looking forward to checking it out. Ika Musume is squidding awesome de geso.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMrKn2sjivQ']

Who should watch this show: People who like squid jokes and quality anime humor de geso.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: 100% de geso. I’ll be getting my hands on season one as soon as possible de geso.

Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon

In the distant future, humans have descended from the skies and down to Earth once again. In order to return to the skies, people have created a history book called Testament, and they follow its contents to reproduce events in history. However, the book only goes to the year 1648, which somehow means that the world will end then. People have mixed emotions as each nation of the world goes on reproducing history while exploring ways to open their future. But now the world has reached 1648 – the end of its fate.

Does this sound confusing and stupid to you? Well it is. I wanted to stop watching this show after five minutes. I had the feeling that it wasn’t going anywhere. I was right. The whole first episode explains little to nothing about the story and all that happens is one long extended chase scene that has no relevance to the story. That’s it. At the end, the main character shows up and has himself a little monologue, but that’s all.

Then, while the credits are rolling, a narrator tries to garner further interest by telling a brief and garbled history of the world. This description was near unintelligible (as I’m sure you gathered from the summary above). I don’t care about this show at all. The soundtrack was pretty good, but other than that – this show bites.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxd_CVbu1pg']

Who should watch this show: People who like silliness and mild fan-service.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Zero.

Mobile Suit Gundam AGE

Faced with a mysterious “Unknown Enemy” that boasts overwhelming alien strength, a new Gundam arises, evolving itself through battle. Gundam AGE promises to be an epic Gundam saga spanning 100 years and three generations. Unusually for the franchise, it’s not just Sunrise that will be handling the show’s production, but the folks over at Level-5 will also be contributing a great deal.

Unfortunately, AGE seems to have prompted criticism from many fans for appearing “too kiddy” and lacking the gritty edginess that many regarded as critical to the series. As you can tell from the amount of dislikes on the video below, a lot (A LOT) of people are hating on this show. Hard.

While it may not be as “mature” as some of the other Gundams before it, I certainly wouldn’t describe it as “kiddy.” I was pleasantly surprised, actually. I had always wanted to get into Gundam before because the art style and the Gundams always looked so cool, but I couldn’t deal with all the thick dialogue and politics and government mumbo jumbo etc etc. I just couldn’t get into it.

AGE, however, doesn’t seem to be bogged down with all that thick story and seems like a much more digestible vision of the Gundam universe. The artistic direction may not be for everyone (I liked it), but the show definitely has promise and I think it deserves a chance. So forget any preconceived notions you have about this show and just give it a shot. It’s worth it.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11DecXqdN7o']

Who should watch this show: Anyone who liked other Gundams but didn’t like the heavy story.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: I plan to watch the next couple episodes for sure, but there’s a good chance I’ll get distracted by the other shows I like more.

Working!! (Season 2)

The colorful employees of the Wagnaria restaurant return for a second serving of comedy in season two of Working!! These characters include the ridiculously tiny and hard-working Poplar, the violently androphobic Mahiru, the fetish-for-tiny-things and main character Sota, and their lazy manager Kyoko.

This show is pretty average. It’s a pretty generic comedy, so there’s not much story to speak of. The two guys working the back of the restaurant (Sato and Soma) are consistently funny, but all the other characters are pretty hit or miss. It might have something to do with my not seeing a single episode of the first season, but oh well. The show’s definitely not a bad one, it’s just not really my style.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk-gI0k9sSI&feature=related']

Who should watch this show: People who like comedies involving tiny things and restaurants.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: I’d definitely watch it if a friend asked me to, but I’m not going to go out of my way to watch another episode.

Mirai Nikki

Social outcast Yukiteru Amano uses his cell phone to record a diary that he shares with his imaginary pal Deus Ex Machina. One day, Deus forces Yuki into a deadly game where each player’s phone shows their diary entries from the future, telling the future as they would have recorded it. And to top it all off, the only way to win the game is to murder the other contestants. Whoever wins gets to take over Deus Ex Machina’s post as the Lord of Time and Space. Pretty high stakes here, folks.

I feel like this show is going to end up being similar to shows like Liar Game and the like with all the deceit, cunning moves, and treachery. Plus it’s about a game that people got roped into and are now fighting for their lives. This is not necessarily a bad thing, I mean, I enjoyed Liar Game – I’m just not sure how long Mirai Nikki will be able to hold my interest when it’s up against much better shows this season. To be honest, my laptop ran out of juice about halfway through the episode and I didn’t really care (I finished it up a few days after).

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52P0DM-JDMg']

Who should watch this show: Anyone who thinks the premise sound interesting or likes thrilling, suspenseful anime.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: It’s kind of hard to tell exactly where the show is going just after the first episode. They throw a lot at you all at once. I’ll probably watch at least one more episode before I make up my mind.

Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai

In the city of Kawakami, second-year high school student Yamato has learned the value of a strong fighting spirit. He remains close to his friends, a solid group of four boys and three girls, but at the beginning of the new semester, two new girls join them, and things begin to change. Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai is a wonky action comedy that pulls no punches.

Okay, so this show is a lot better than I was expecting it to be. Keep in mind, however, I was expecting it to be terrible. It’s really funny, but the premise is absolutely ridiculous. I’m not really sure where to expect the story to go from here, but it’s definitely more than your average action comedy. I mean, the entire first episode is composed of two armies of high school kids beating the crap out of each other in the wilderness to resolve a class conflict. You don’t see that every day.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ka25zgGdWI']

Who should watch this show: People who like completely ridiculous ADHD anime comedy and action.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: I think I’ll watch another episode or two to see where things go with the story, but I’m not sure I can see myself sticking with this series until the end. Plus there are much better shows this season for me to occupy my time with.

Persona 4 The Animation

This show was better than I expected, but still pretty average. P4 is based on the Playstation 2 game, Persona 4. The story takes place in the fictional Japanese village of Inaba. Tha main character arrives in the village to live with his uncle because his parents are involved in a lot of work overseas. However he soon finds himself smack in the middle of a string of murders (not to mention climbing out of TVs and summoning otherworldly creatures) and must find the real culprit in order to clear his name.

I’m almost always wary of anime based on video games, but I really enjoyed Persona 3 (never got around to P4, sadly) so I figured I’d give this one a shot. I really liked the music in P3 and the tunes in P4 certainly do not disappoint. The animation itself is nothing special, however. And like I said before, the show was better than expected, but still pretty average. Nothing too amazing here.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym4dgw6cRTI']

Who should watch this show: Anyone who liked the Persona video games.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: I’ll watch one more episode I think. I can’t really see the series getting any better than average.

Ben-To

This show is goofy. Like really goofy. Saving money on a half-price bento box is serious business here. Ben-To is one of those shows with a premise so insane and “only in anime” that you’ve just got to watch it, even if just for a single episode. In Japanese programming it’s not unusual for the financially strapped protagonist to pinch pennies and take advantage of the half priced bento boxes to scrape by. Well, in Ben-To that theme is taken to a whole new level. Bento-battles. I’m not kidding. Supermarkets are now war-zones.

To me, this show is just about as wonky as Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai (but I’m pretty sure I like Ben-To more). It’s unexpectedly entertaining in spite of the ridiculous premise. The timing of some of the jokes is just so perfect and unexpected. I was laughing out loud a lot during this show. The action however was a little disappointing. This is unfortunate considering how the show’s main focus is fighting, even if it is over bentos.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSsDkFMKN2M']

Who should watch this show: People who like hilarious, ridiculous, easy-to-watch anime.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: I’ll probably watch at least one or two more episodes. The story obviously isn’t going to wow me, but the show is pretty hilarious (and I like it more than Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai).

Guilty Crown

Awesome. This show has so much potential. Guilty Crown is from the director of Death Note, the screenwriter of Code Geass, and the studio who brought us Ghost in the Shell. Talk about an all-star team.

In the year 2029, Japan is part of the GHQ multinational organization, which was formed after the outbreak of a terrifying disease. Everything changes for the high school student Shu when he inadvertently gets involved with a resistance group and obtains strange powers. It’s an alternate future, and Japan has been conquered and robbed of national identity by a monolithic, warlike organization. A disaffected youth encounters a mysterious girl, and later involves himself in freeing the country because he has “The Power of Kings.” Okay, so yeah, it sounds a lot like Code Geass, I know – but Code Geass was incredible, so, I’m not complaining.

The animation is fantastic, the action is brilliant, and the music is superb. This show definitely has what it takes to be my stand out favorite of the season. It’s been a while since I’ve been this hyped up about an anime (the last one was Code Geass and before that Death Note – so hopefully Guilty Crown’s team doesn’t let me down here) and I can’t wait for the next episode to air. I am very, very excited.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfspu4r9P3A']

Who should watch this show: Everyone. But mostly those who liked Death Note, Code Geass, and/or Ghost in the Shell.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Most definitely. I’m really pumped about this series.

So what anime are you most looking forward to this season? Think I got it wrong with one of my reviews above? If you want my opinion on one of the shows I didn’t include in this post, feel free to inquire in the comments below!

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