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!

Sankarea

Sankarea is a zombie moe adolescent romantic comedy based on a manga. You with me so far? Good. So a boy who is obsessed with zombies and the occult happens upon getting involved with a girl who ends up becoming the living dead. What will happen?!!?

I think this anime would seem pretty average if not for the whole undead romantic interest thing. There’s nothing bad about the show, it just doesn’t seem as interesting as some of the other shows this season. If it sounds appealing to you though, it might be worth a shot. Who knows, it might turn out to be pretty good eventually.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H2jEpeTNyg']

Who should watch this show: People who like romantic comedy shows centering around moe zombies.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Not bad, but not good either. Maybe if the shows I like better so far end up not panning out so well I’ll come back to this one.

Sakamichi no Apollon

This anime has some real promise just by looking at the team behind it. Sakamichi no Apollon is set in the 1960s and tells the tale of a high school jazz band. It’s directed by the same guy who did Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, has its music done by Yoko Kanno, and is based on a Shogakukan Award-winning manga. What could go wrong?

Initially, this show (along with Space Bros) was the one I was looking forward to the most this season. I just recently started teaching myself piano as well as getting myself into jazz music, so this show really spoke to my interests right from the get go. The music is wonderful and the animation is no slouch either. Even though the story doesn’t seem that complicated just yet, the characters and everything are all presented very well. I’m excited to see how things develop.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzY6Y-AHEaw']

Who should watch this show: People who like jazz music and slice of life type animes about high school bands.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Pretty good, I’d say. I can definitely see myself watching another episode but I’m not sure if I’ll watch it until the end. The story will have to stay pretty strong throughout.

Nazo no Kanojo X

Nazo no Kanojo is directed by the same guy doing Space Brothers this season, but boy are these shows different. This show is about a sexually frustrated teenage boy and the weird obsession he develops with a new student in his class. He ends up becoming addicted to her saliva, and convenient for him – her mouth overflows with it whenever she gets really happy so she is more than willing to spit on her finger and let him suck it off. Weird, right? I know.

Normally I wouldn’t watch a show like this all the way to the end but this show was just too weird to shut off. There were way too many wtf moments that just kept me glued to the screen. Not because I was enjoying it, but because I was overcome with appalled horror. I’m kind of terrified where this show will go with its odd sexual themes, but I’m pretty sure I don’t want to find out. Maybe somebody could just tell me what happens so I don’t actually have to watch any more of it.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot26N18bBHk']

Who should watch this show: People who like sexually weird and more than slightly off romantic comedy anime.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Nope, this is just too out there for me. I don’t want anymore.

Space Brothers

At last, the show we’ve all been waiting for. The show about a pug in a space suit. Space Bros takes place in the year 2025 with NASA and JAXA going to the moon on a type of practice run for the eventual colonization of Mars. It tells the tale of two brothers and their ambition to live out their dreams of going into space.

The show is definitely one of the funniest this season. I found myself laughing out loud quite a bit. But it’s like a feel-good kind of laughter and everything seems very natural. You can definitely tell it’s adapted from a highly successful manga series. I like it a lot and it makes me happy to watch. Space Bros seems very professional compared to the other animes this season, kind of like movie quality production I feel. I really like it a lot. This one definitely lives up to expectations in my opinion.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDrlh6VtglU']

Who should watch this show: People who like high quality anime involving space, ambition, dreams, and humor.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Oh, yeah – for sure. This show is fantastic. I can’t wait to watch more.

Zetman

Zetman is the token full on action anime of the season. It seems kind of like a superhero-ish anime with the main character being a 10 year old orphan with strange superpowers. It’s bloody, violent, fast paced, and serious with lots of crazy happenings around every corner.

Unfortunately the story doesn’t really appeal to me. The action is fine, but there are just a lot of unanswered questions so far that I don’t really feel like investing the time into finding out. The action is fine, but the great lack of comedy here kind of kills it for me. Zetman just isn’t my kind of anime. I feel like it could be cool eventually, but the first episode just didn’t grab me.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9P4UPbLHu4']

Who should watch this show: People who like serious action shows with violent kid heroes.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: I’m not going to watch anymore of this. It’s just not my bag.

Tsuritama

What’s that you say? A show about fishing? Yup. That’s Tsuritama. This show revolves around the leisurely sport, but also highlights an alien and a goose as main characters. Sound intriguing to you?

Tsuritama is definitely one of the goofier shows this season, but it kind of works. The colors are brilliant and very pretty, making the show a joy to behold. The show is funny, kind of weird, and I have absolutely no idea where they are going with it. Fishing and saving the world? I can’t think of a better combination for an anime.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDc7GFWzHtM']

Who should watch this show: People who like fishing, weird alien characters, or saving the world.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Probably. If I still want more anime after watching the shows I like better, I’ll probably come back around to this one eventually.

Jormungand

As the other action oriented anime this season, Jormungand is about guns, arms dealers, ladies with guns, action, guns, violence, and children with guns. Oh, and guns. The show has a heavy focus on gun-play and soldier type stuff but the story does not get developed very much in the first episode. The main character is a battle hardened child who ends up getting involved with a team of mercenaries and their arms dealing leader. What’s up with all the violent children this season?

As far as I’m concerned, Jormungand is a better action anime than Zetman is. I don’t really know where the story is headed, but the characters are pretty interesting and if you really like action anime, this show will probably suit you just fine. The action, animation, sound effects, and music are all great, but the lack of a gripping story lets me down here.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5FD2a9ddS4']

Who should watch this show: People who like guns, guns, and more guns.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: Doubtful. If I’m craving more action this anime season, I’ll turn to this show first though.

Accel World

Accel World does something you will very rarely see in an anime. And that is making the main character a bit of a fatty. The main character in Accel World is chubby and depressed, but soon he finds himself involved in some crazy stuff beyond his wildest dreams. The story is set way in the future and there are a lot of cool futuristic gadgets and tech to be seen here. It’s pretty cool.

But, holy crap – this show really surprised me. It’s awesome. I wasn’t expecting much from this show, but it really blew me away. The colors and animation are gorgeous, and I really enjoyed the soundtrack as well. It has a really interesting concept behind it and all the future tech is really, really cool. The end of the first episode was a crazy cliffhanger and I’m really excited to see where this show is going.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHOiqv3Xw1o']

Who should watch this show: People who like futuristic animes that are funny, exciting, and awesome.
Likelihood of me watching another episode: No doubt I’ll be watching more of this one – I might even watch them all! It’s great!

Shows That Are Really Bad And You Shouldn’t Watch

Upotte!!: This show (pictured above) is wretched. I didn’t like it right from the start. It seems very stupid and it tries to be funny, but it most definitely far from funny at all. It’s kind of inappropriate at times and no one should watch this. It’s bad. Shut if off before the 10 minute mark.

Saint Seiya Omega: I never got into the original Saint Seiya, so I didn’t have high hopes here. There were animation errors within the first 5 minutes and I shut it off within the first 10. It is dumb and boring.

Natsuiro Kiseki: It’s a really dumb slice of life girls type anime. It’s not funny and at the end of the episode they all wish they can fly and then they can fly. It’s silly. Skip it.

Ozma: I guess this show isn’t terrible, I just didn’t like it. The animation and visual style seems really dated and it just seems really boring. I couldn’t bring myself to care about it.

I also didn’t check out a handful of other anime shows this season because they didn’t really seem interesting to me and there were also a handful of sequels that I didn’t check out either.

But the bottom line this season is: Accel World and Space Brothers are awesome. Watch them. Oh and Sakamichi no Apollon might end up being pretty cool too, only time will tell.

So tell me, what are your favorite anime shows this season? Think I should check out a show I didn’t review above? Have you seen Accel World or Space Bros? How do you like them? Let me know in the comments!