2008-07-06, 01:37
|
Link #1 |
|
♪~ Daydreaming ~♪
 Graphic Designer Administrator
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Italy
|
Summer 2008 Anime Review Thread: Post Your Opinion and Grade
Like we've done in previous seasons, list any Summer 2008 anime that you've seen, talk about why you like (or dislike) it, and give it a grade. Summer 2008 refers to anime which begun airing in June, July and August (also at the end of May).
For a reference of which anime are airing in the above said timespan, you may refer to this thread: Summer 2008: Your Expectations and Anticipated Series Use this format: Title: Title of anime i.e. Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto - Natsu no Sora Rating: A+ - F scale, i.e. D+ or C or B- Episodes Viewed: Episodes you have seen. i.e. 1 - 3 (Mini-Review goes here. i.e. Insert your comment here)
__________________
|
|
|
|
2008-07-06, 16:01
|
Link #2 |
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
|
Let's begin?
Title: Telepathy Shoujo Ran Rating: 8/10 Episodes Viewed: 2 Was expecting this to be another typical shojo anime, but was quite surprised - the story is far better than I thought. Title: UltraViolet: Code 044 Rating: 6/10 Episodes Viewed: 1 Lots of censored nudity and some action. Would've looked better without the 'censored' part. Title: Slayers REVOLUTION Rating: 6/10 Episodes Viewed: 1 Too much rehash. Might get better later on. Title: Birdy the Mighty Decode Rating: 6/10 Episodes Viewed: 1 Action was good, but the whole episode was about Birdy and she's a very stereotypical anime superhero girl. Let's hope the other part of the combo will prove himself better. Title: Chocolate Underground Rating: 4/10 Episodes Viewed: 3 While watching this, I was substituting "cocaine" for "chocolate" to try and understand those people better. And it's just not funny. |
|
|
|
|
2008-07-08, 03:24
|
Link #3 |
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
|
Title: Kaiba
Rating: 1010 Episodes Viewed: 1-9 out of 13 I can't work out why this anime doesn't yet have huge leechers on here other than that it is not yet well known... Awesome futuristic/romance/scifi anime about a world where memories and bodies can be traded. |
|
|
|
|
2008-07-11, 05:24
|
Link #4 |
|
eyewitness
Join Date: Jan 2007
|
Here is an unfounded, very early review because I like to embarrass myself.
 If I can find the time there will be a more solid one later on.At the moment I count 32 non-H anime at anidb starting from June to August. For completeness, lets just say that I won't watch Spoiler for Won't interest you.:
To the main part ... Crotch Witches TV (1 ep, probability that I will finish this: 0 percent) I didn't want to watch it but morbid curiosity drew me in. Magical propeller boots that can only be used by fat, hairy, sweaty men. No wait, it was half-naked preteen girls. Well, in any case: dropped. Which probably means that I won't rise to the level of true otakuhood for another year.  Sekirei (1 ep, probability that I will finish this: 0 percent) Harem, ecchi, girl falls from the sky. You get the picture. Nothing unexpected in the first episode. Ergo dropped. Ultraviolet: Code 044 (1 ep raw, probability that I will finish this: 0-10 percent) A very bad anime in the very bad tradition of the very bad OVAs from around 1990. Thanks to Mr. Prophet for pointing that out so clearly. The show didn't even find a subber up to now. Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora (1 ep, 10-20 percent) Highly irritating realistic background stills clash with simple character design. This one simple doesn't give me an anime feel. Koihime Musou (1 ep, 30-40 percent) In their private little war against China, Japanese animators fuck around with Romance of the Three Kingdoms once more. I think fighting eroge-style bishoujo are funny. And not in a good way. Seiyou Kottou Yougashiten: Antique (1 ep, 40-50 percent) Flaming homosexuals in my noitamina? Visually, it's not so different from Mahou Tsukai but in a much less irritating way (it still looks very cheap). Maybe, maybe not. World Destruction: (1 ep, 50-60 percent) It's actually about as stupid as Koihime Musou so I'm not really sure by myself why I'd rather watch this one than the other. Still forgettable. Natsume Yuujinchou: (1 ep, 70-80 percent) Boy is able to see youkai. Generic anime is generic but not necessarily in a bad way. Probably won't become as good as xxxHolic and not as boring as Mokke. Tetsuwan Birdy Decode: (1 ep, 70-80 percent) More generic stuff. Female alien headhunter anyone? Chocolate Underground (4 ep, 80-90 percent) It's not good. It's actually quite bad. Realizing the idea in 13 x 5 min episodes is wasted potential. On the other hand, there are only 45 more minutes to come so I will most likely finish this. Telepathy Shoujo Ran: (2 eps, 80-90 percent) For younger viewers but very charming so far. I'll stick with this barring unexpected plot twists that ruin it. Hidamari Sketch x 365 (1 ep, 90-100 percent) It's Hidamari Sketch again. What else is there to say? Its very unlikely that they screw it up so badly that I'll drop it. Slayers Revolution (2 eps, 90-100 percent) It's Slayers again. What else, etc. See above. Looking forward to check out: School Rumble: San Gakki, Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo, Mission-E, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu, Mugen no Juunin, Detroit Metal City. What remains are two movies, Gake no ue no Ponyo and The Sky Crawlers, which I will watch when I get my hands on them. Same for Takane no Jitensha, a TV special.
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
2008-07-15, 03:21
|
Link #5 |
|
NEET
Join Date: Jun 2008
 |
Shows that are coming out haven't been too spectacular, so it's highly probable that I'm going to use this opportunity to catch up on a lot of old shows. Aside from maybe a show or two to emerge after this that can catch my interest, there's nothing much to cheer for.
Dropped: Sekirei Rating: 2/10 Seen: 1 Comments: I really liked this show a lot more back when it was called Tenjho Tenge. Unfortunately, TenTen was a piece of crap, which means it took a remarkable effort to make Sekirei even worse by attempting a serious plot and failing terribly. Strike Witches Rating: 3/10 Seen: 1 Comments: I've complained about this show enough already. It's a fanservice show. In fact, it's not even a good fanservice show. Just give me some Nanoha ripoff next time because shit show is shit. Maybe: Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu Rating: 6/10 Seen: 1 Comments: It's about a girl trying to appear normal and doing her damnedest to make sure no one finds out she's actually a hardcore otaku. I've seen slapstick rom coms done before, but I'm willing to give this one a shot since the first episode did manage to amuse me if nothing else. Some of the side characters could get annoying though, so I'm not ready to fully commit on this one. Natsume Yuujinchou Rating: 6/10 Seen: 1 Comments: Actually decent premise even if the first episode just doesn't quite grab at you. I'm seeing a lot of similarities between this show and Mokke (which people have described as Mushishi-lite). Mokke, however, was a bit boring, and this show could fall down that path. I'll cautiously stick with this one. Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto Natsu no Sora Rating: 5/10 Seen: 1 Comments: This slice of life show even tests my patience, which says quite a bit actually. The first episode doesn't quite grab my attention, but like Natsume, this series does have a fair amount of potential. I'll keep on struggling with this one until I can decide whether to drop it or keep up with it. Keepers: Hidamari Sketch x365 Rating: 8/10 Seen: 2 Comments: Still the best show out right now. Shinbo shows us that he knows how to make a decent slice-of-life comedy and keep it interesting. I could see myself picking up World Destruction and Detroit Metal City as a last hope sort of deal. Don't know how the Slayers fans are eating up the new season, but I'll leave them to that since I'm not too interested in Slayers at the moment.
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
2008-07-15, 09:03
|
Link #6 | |
|
The polyphony
Join Date: Mar 2008
|
Quote:
 Aren't they just the cutest? little anime girls.. Jesus christ  onto my review!Natsume Yuujinchou Seen: 1 Comments: They did a great job with the first ep, exceeded my expectations, will be sticking with this one.The manga is great so far, all they have to do is follow it up to the later episodes and finish it off with a nice open ended fin! Blade of the Immortal Seen: 1 Comments: Lol!!! Bee train, Train wreck etc.Will probably wait till its all over before watching again. Everything else: Dropped!/don't care didn't download! Last edited by Dingo; 2008-07-15 at 22:18. |
|
|
|
|
|
2008-07-16, 23:16
|
Link #7 |
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: In line to confess his sins.
Age: 36
|
First impressions, first impressions...
This seems like a rather weak season to me, but I've been proven wrong before, and hopefully that'll be the case this time as well. I'll just state my general impression about the series and refrain from any numerical ratings, as I'm not comfortable with them at his point. Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians Episodes viewed: 3 Meh. I sort of enjoyed the first season for what it was, the second provoked quite a few more facepalms, and the third seems just down-right bad. So far I'm very unimpressed, even though I started watching this with rather low expectations. Sekirei Episodes viewed: 2 Huge breasts. Now that that's out of the way, I've seen much worse. It's not great, but it's entertaining and has a pretty compelling male lead and a cute cast of females. It'll probably turn out to be nothing out of the ordinary, but as far as ecchitainment goes, it's pretty decent. Chocolate Underground Episodes viewed: 4 It's neither good, nor bad; it just is. 5 minute episodes of complete neutrality. I don't even know if I enjoy it or not, it's watchable, and given its incredibly short run I'll stick with it to the end. Zero no Tsukaima: Princess no Rondo Episodes viewed: 1 More Zero no Tsukaima. I'm very pleased. My pick for the season, as I've really enjoyed the previous seasons. Nothing much to say here, more of the same, which I find very good. Birdy the Mighty Decode Episodes viewed: 2 Surprisingly fun! A female intergalactic headhunter? Sign me up. Oh, and she shares the body of a high-school boy. Hello weird humor! Great entertainment value so far. World Destruction Episodes Viewed: 1 There was a lot to like about this series. The animation and art was, as expected from I.G., great. I'm liking the story and the characters, though I could really do without talking teddy bears and weird anthropomorphic animals. Maybe they'll grow on me. Seems like one of the better shows this season, so I'll try not to let trivialities get in the way of my enjoying it. Koihime Musou Episodes Viewed: 1 Shoot me, but I love this. The humor was genuinely funny, the female lead was likable and there are no annoying males around. (yet?) Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu Episodes viewed: 1 I've seen a few female otaku pop up in anime recently, Nagi (Hayate no Gotoku) and Penguin (Penguin Musume Heart) being examples that immediately spring to mind, but both of those were quite open about their obsessive hobbies. This is a different spin, with a popular girl hiding her shameful otaku side instead of overenthusiastically embracing it. I don't know about this one yet, I got mediocre vibes from the first episode, but I do see potential for something more. Could go either way. Natsume Yuujinchou Episodes viewed: 2 I think Slice of Life hit the nail on the head with his estimation. It's definitely not as good as xxxHolic, but far from as unappealing as Mokke, where I never got past the first episode. Overall, it's pretty average, but there's nothing in particular that I feel inclined to voice a complaint about. Blade of the Immortal Episodes viewed: 1 Going in to this with no knowledge of the manga, I still felt disappointed. The animations and art were far from spectacular, and thought the story might be decent, it came across as a bit cheesy. I'm not completely discouraged, though, I'm keeping my hopes up. The opening was pretty neat, so hopefully this'll pick up somewhere along the line. Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto Natsu no Sora Episodes viewed: less than 1 This really didn't appeal to me. At the risk of sound overly blunt, if I wanted real-life nature, I'd watch a documentary. The only thing I've decided on dropping this far. Stuff that I haven't checked out at all: Hidamari Sketch: Haven't seen the first season yet. Slayers: Having not seen any of the previous seasons, and having a horrible impression of the series as a whole from the little that I have seen, I'll probably just pass on this one. Strike Witches: Nah...
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
2008-07-21, 05:02
|
Link #8 | |
|
eyewitness
Join Date: Jan 2007
|
Quote:
In brief, the latecomers don't live up to the frontrunners ... Takane no Jitensha (1 ep, probability that I will finish this: 100 percent ...) ... because it's only one episode long, duh. They put way too much morals into 24 minutes. Not so great. Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo or Ryoko's Case Files(2 eps, probability that I will finish this: 0 percent) It's no secret that I prefer female leads in male-oriented anime. Male leads tend to be designed as potential self-inserts which makes them at best boring, and at worst downright despisable if they appeal to the darker parts of the human psyche. Now, Ryoko is a remarkable because despite being a woman she fits well into the worse category. Ergo dropped. Mugen no Juunin or Blade of the Immortal (1 ep, 0 percent) I found this on the tracks after the bee train had run it over and it was no nice view. I don't know how the story looks in manga form but a catch line like "To end his eternal suffering, he must slay one thousand enemies!" is either incredible bad PR or hints at brainless hack'n'slash. Not that it matters anymore. Dropped. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (1 ep, 30-40 percent) Actually I had thought it would be worse but I see Haruka's Moeness go on my nerves rather sooner than later. Bonen no Xamdou (1 ep, 70-80 percent) The surprise entry. It's not the climax of anime history the some people already make it but it deserves all the praise it gets for the visuals. If the substance can live up to the style is something only time will tell. At worst I see it it turning out to be another Darker Than Black which I finished too, so ... Meanwhile, I dropped Romance of the Three Lolidoms (Koihime Musou). Still no subs in sight for Ultraviolet which isn't really a big loss. Same for Mission E. Music anime don't go well with me so I have no high hopes for Detroit Metal City. Where is my School Rumble III?
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008-08-06, 15:32
|
Link #9 |
|
You got to envy this guy.
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Florida
Age: 36
 |
Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu
Episodes Seen: 1 Grade: F / DROPPED Thoughts: I could only last about 10 minutes before I decided this wasn't worth finishing. It was boring as all get out. Sekirei Episodes Seen: 1 Grade: D / DROPPED Thoughts: It looked as though it had a hint of plot, but I'm not going to risk disappointment. I liked the animation and character designs however, so I figured it was worth something higher than an F. World Destruction Episodes Seen: 1 Grade: C+ / DROPPED Thoughts: I had high expectations, which were shot down very shortly after watching ep.1. It was entertaining, but just didn't work for me. The animation was alright. Natsume Yuujin-Cho Episodes Seen: 1 Grade: B Thoughts: I liked it. I'll watch more whenever I get the chance. I liked the animation, it wasn't as dark and dreary as BrainsBase' other works(which I hated), so it was refreshing. I liked the OP/ED. Characters designs are probably the most appealing of the season. Birdy the Mighty: Decode Episodes Seen: 1 Grade: A Thoughts: I like sci-fi. I like cute girls. Birdy is all that. Despite what some may call "generic", I think its really good considering what choices one has this season. Very appealing character designs and animation. Bonen no Xamdou Episodes Seen: 1 Grade: A+ Thoughts: That was freaking amazing. This is probably my favorite, if not best work BONES has ever done. It was watchable, standable and kept me intrigued. I also blame the catchy OP song, which is always a plus. It reminds me of Miyazaki meets Last Exile to some extent. That's all for now, headache approaching. Bring on the epic Fall season! |
|
|
|
|
2008-08-06, 15:50
|
Link #11 |
|
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
|
Shamelessly borrowing Slice_of_Life's format since its so nicely organized :P
Strike Witches TV (4 ep, probability of finishing: 50 percent) I keep wanting this to be fun to watch... but honestly I'm getting damned tired of what is really lame crotch shot after crotch shot. No subtlety at all... I prefer subtle fanservice? I still like the refs to WW2 icons but this is rapidly ending up in the "not finished, unlikely to" bucket. If this had arrived before the Sky Girls series, I might be more charitable. The character design is fun and its the usual "bonding in wartime" kind of story.Sekirei (1 ep, probability of finishing: 0 percent) I... seen... this format ... too... many... times.... for gods sakes do SOMETHING DIFFERENT! Dropped. Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora (1 ep, 10 percent) The main thing keeping me watching is that its like a soothing travelogue of Japan ..... the plot and characters are not memorable to me. Hidamari Sketch x 365 (4 ep, 90-100 percent) I feel happy when after each episode. 'nuff said. Other than that, continuing with Soul Eater, Wagaya no Oinara-sama, and finishing up a mess of 3/4+ series from the last two seasons. There's supposedly a few OVAs of interest: Lucky*Star, Negima, Strawberry Marshmallow - but unsure of their release dates.
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
2008-08-10, 12:12
|
Link #12 |
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Reading, England
|
Title: Natsume no Youujinchou
Rating: B Episodes Viewed: 1-3 Wasn't especially drawn to the premise of this, but having seen the episode I am finding this a very entertaining watch. It is similar to 'Mokke' in its world of spirits, but has yet to take its social/psychological commentary approach. The characters are interesting and what I find especially interesting is the origin of the Book of Friends, and how Reiko's reaction to isolation had negative consequences. The stories are touching as well, and along with the solid animation and soundtrack, I think this is a 'keeper'. Title: Telepathy Girl Ran Rating: C Episodes Viewed: 1-3 Not too sure about this one. On the one hand, I've fallen in love with the animation style, and usually find the cute, simple 'magical girl' plots a neat bit of entertainment. On the other hand, it might end up a bit too simplistic for my liking. So far, I'm sticking with it because I love Ran's relationship with her family. I'm just hoping the writers will pay more attention to Midori and Rui. Also, as unlikely as it sounds, I would love to see if Midori's initial assessment of the boy is right. Most likely, though, at that point she was using Rui as the perfect target to hurt Ran. Am also enjoying Xam'd, but don't think I've seen enough of it to judge yet. Other than: "ooh, pretty colours and the OP rocks." |
|
|
|
|
2008-08-16, 14:47
|
Link #13 |
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Austin, Tx
Age: 35
|
Watching:
Title: Birdy the Mighty: Decode Rating: B- Episodes Viewed: 6 Comments: The pacing is a lot different than what I imagined but its still entertaining. Birdy is a likable character and overall its a solid production (the OP is pretty good too!). Title: Zero no Tsukaima: Princess no Rondo Rating: C- Episodes Viewed: 6 Comments: This season is A LOT better than season two, but that's not saying much. I'm not a big fan of the series and don't particularly enjoy the overload of fan service (no a big fan of echhi series). However, after committing two seasons to Zero no Tsukaima, you better believe I'm going to finish this one no matter how bad it gets. Plan to Watch: Title: Bonen no Xamdou Rating: N/A Episodes Viewed: 0 Comments: If it wasn't for the price of this series on the PlayStation Network, I would definitely be watching it right now. I'm a big fan of BONES; I really liked Eureka Seven, Darker Than Black, and Soul Eater. I've also heard great things about Xam'd, and will probably pull the trigger and start renting it on the PSN very soon. Dropped: Title: World Destruction Rating: D+ Episodes Viewed: 4 Comments: I sat through four episodes to see where World Destruction was going and just wasn't feeling it. The characters are okay, but it just felt too generic and the episodes began to really bore me out. Title: Sekirei Rating: D+ Episodes viewed: 1 Comments: I was expecting an action-packed series but instead got an echhi series. As I mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of the genre; so I dropped it. Last edited by rimaa; 2008-08-18 at 13:06. Reason: Correction: Bones did not do Blood+ thanks WanderingKnight |
|
|
|
|
2008-08-22, 18:17
|
Link #15 |
|
El Nino
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: England, U.K.
Age: 31
|
title: to love ru
grade: A seen: 20 eps comment: this was the first anime i had ever watched which contained ecchi, fanservice. obviously i was intruiged, i never expected it in something which basically a cartoon. apart from that, this is the funniest anime iv seen so far. the only i could find wrong with it was the fact that the authors have seem to have run out of ideas, so the latest eps have not been up to standard. |
|
|
|
|
2008-08-22, 18:30
|
Link #16 |
|
El Nino
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: England, U.K.
Age: 31
|
sorry for double posting, im using a psp. it limits the text in a reply box.
title: rosario + vampire grade: A+ seen:12 eps comment: i want to keep this short, this is one of the best animes i have ever watched. it has everything you want in a anime; comedy, action, fighting, fanservice  , ecchi, romance, a brilliant plot. this definatly a case of "quality, not quantity".
|
|
|
|
|
2008-08-23, 22:23
|
Link #17 |
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: In line to confess his sins.
Age: 36
|
Neither of those aired this summer, Leo. Consult the first post in this thread for a complete list of the animes airing this summer.
A small addition to my earlier list: Bounen no Xamd Episodes Viewed: 6 Woah. This is really something. Fantastic visuals, intriguing setting, catchy music and compelling story. This hit me out of the clear blue sky, an amazing series so far. They've set the bar sky-high now.
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
2008-09-03, 04:08
|
Link #20 |
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Neo-Venezia...I wish!
|
Title: Slayers Revolution
Rating: B Episodes viewed: 9 Good old Slayers action so far, and the art is easier on the eyes, probably because of technology! They're taking us on lots of hilarious detours as usual and can't wait to see the goal! Title: Zero no Tsukaima 3 Rating: E Episodes viewed: 2 (dropped) I honestly only watched this to see how they'll fix the Tiffania loophole they created (vs the novels) at the end of last season. Same director as season 2 and well, same old heavy on fanservice and lack of substance.
__________________
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
