Winter 2013 General Impressions Thread: Post Your Opinion and Grade...

[Flower]

Originally Posted by Archon_Wing

Well, Fall has come up with quite a few titles of interest, so once again I summon the denizens of Animesuki to share their initial thoughts and impressions on this season and to update them if anything interesting changes.

Initially, I had planned to create an initial and final impressions thread for each season, but they got mixed up last time. So whatever, anything regarding any show that is airing this fall can be discussed and updated; when the time comes you can update with your final thoughts as well.

The intention of the thread is mostly to discuss what's hot and new, but any thoughts on carryovers from previous seasons may be brought up, but do make sure you are talking about the most recent episodes (don't come here to rant about Naruto fillers from last year, for example)

Because it is still early, it may be a good idea to express grades in terms of keep/drop/stall if you're unwilling to give a rating at this point, or something like that. I'm more interested in which new shows are your priorities.

Previous formats went something like this, but obviously you are free to express your thoughts however you want; Your rating can be in terms of letter grades, numerical ratings, facepalms, Minkofaces etc. Or maybe you don't believe in grades.

Name of Series:
Episodes Watched:
Rating:
Comments:
Status (Keep/drop/stall):

Also, I would ask that any specifics be kept in spoiler tags, please.

Nobody will arrest you for violating any formats or anything so post whatever thoughts and try not to comment on other people too much.

Well - I know it is kinda early for me to post a thread like this, but I wanted to do it while it was on my mind. ^_^

That being said, even though it is a very early list:

A List: Kotoura-san; Shinseki Yori

B List: Tamako Market; Yama no Susume; Puchimas "Petit Idolm@ster"

C List: Boku no Imouto wa "Oosaka Okan"; De Capo III

Carryovers: Shinseki Yori; Little Busters!; Robotics Notes; Magi; Saki Achiga Hen

Still deciding: Long Live! School Idol Project; Zettai Karen Children - the Unlimited; Maoyuu Maou Yuusha; Senran Kagura

Still to try out: Miname-Ke Tadaima; Amnesia; Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru; Cuticle Tantei Inaba; Gdgd Fairies S2; Vividred Operation; Sasami-san @ Ganbaranai; Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?; Chihayafuru S2

Dropped: Ai Mai Me; Mangirl

Older Series still being subbed: Hyouge Mono (thanks Doremi!)

[GDiddy]

The only series that have impressed me from the first episode so far are Tamako Market, Maoyuu and Bakumatsu Roman. Hakkenden was okay...but it was also confusing as hell.

Otherwise, the only series I"m seriously excited for is Hetaila: The Beautiful World..though I'm probaly the only one who is on here

Everything else that I'm still watching is just holdovers from previous seasons (Uchyuu Kyoudai, Sakurasou, Psycho Pass, Robotics; Notes)

[NoemiChan]

Update!

A List: Shinseki Yori; Amnesia; De Capo III; Maoyuu Maou Yuusha; ;Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?

B List:; Sen Kagura; Love Live Project, Robotic Notes; Psycho Pass; Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru; Sasami-san At Ganbaranai

C List: Boku no Imouto wa "Oosaka Okan";

Carryovers: Shinseki Yori; Little Busters!; Psycho Pass

Possible Dropping: Tamako Market, Vivid Red Operation

Dropped: Ai Mai Me; Mangirl, Miname-Ke Tadaima; Inaba; Zettai Karen Children - the UnlimitedG; Cuticle Tantei dgd Fairies S2; ; Chihayafuru S2

[MisaoFan]

Series that I keep watching :

Spoiler for List:

Love Live! : The show heavily reminded me of Sengoku Collection due to its down to earth atmosphere (except replace female warlords with idols), and it has great visuals. I will like to see how the story will progress though.

GJ-bu : Much more solid than I thought, looks like it's going to be a fun ride in a astounding way.

Vivid Red Operation : The show was awesome on its own, the story was good enough, the animation was more than decent, so I'll keep watching.

Problem Children are Coming from Another World, Aren't They ? : It's funny and awesome on its own, with its silly adventure plot and amusing characters, coupled with magnificient visuals and semi-retro music.

Series that I stalled/dropped before deciding it was good enough :

Spoiler for List:

D.C III : Da Capo III : Not bad at all, and it was fascinating. However, I wasn't a fan of D.C, but I'll save it for later saying I already watched a spinoff OVA called Time Paladin Sakura.

Maoyuu Mao Yuusha : Pretty decent as a high fantasy title, no matter how many complaints it'll gets. I'll see if it keeps better until the end.

Cuticle Detective Inaba : Extremely funny and ridiculous in a good way. The characters are entertaining and I had good laughs when they failed to do anything. I hope it keeps getting better that way.

OreShura : Was better than expected. It was above average due to its awesome JoJo references and okay pacing. Will keep hearing on how good it will turn out.

Hakkenden -Tōhō Hakken Ibun- : An above average shoujo action show disguised (in a good way) as shounen, with excellent visuals and animation, and the story was decent.

Senran Kagura : Much better than I expected. It delivered a fun action story, awesome visuals and a decent amount of fanservice.

Amnesia : Another shoujo show of the season. Again, it has enticing visuals and has above average storyline. Just like many other shows, I'll keep hearing on how good it will turn out until the end.

The Unlimited -Kyōsuke Hyobu- : Awesome action show of the season despite being a Zettai Karen Children spinoff. The animation was superb on its own, and the story will push over the badassery lines in a good way.

Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman : Nostalgia show of the season thanks to its amusing storyline and fun characters. Truly one of the many hidden gems.

Tamako Market : KyoAni delivered a superb job making a hilarious comedy show with supernatural undertones and has lighthearted story to offer.

Sasami-san@Ganbaranai : The visuals and its animation are sublime, but the story somehow confuses me. Despite this, the atmosphere keeps shining to deliver a good amount of ridiculousness !

[Kotohono]

All First Impressions for ep 1 of all series for me this season (and there is a LOT most in quite a while especially considering carry over ):

S* List: Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next, Seitokai no Ichizon Lv.2, AKB0048 Next Stage, Chihayafuru Season 2

A List: Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru, Vividred Operation

B List: Love Live! School Idol Project, Tamako Market, Mangirl, Yama no Susume, Sasami-san@Ganbaranai

C List: Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, Ai Mai Me, Puchimas!

D* list: Boku no Imouto wa "Osaka Okan"

Carryovers: Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo, Shin Sekai Yori, Psycho-Pass, Robotics;Notes, Little Busters!, Saki Achiga Hen, Girls und Panzer

Still deciding: Mangirl, Yama no Susume, Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, Ai Mai Me, Puchimas!

Still to try out: Chihayafuru Season 2, Sasami-san @ Ganbaranai, ???

*S List: Sequels I almost certain to not drop .
*D List: Dropped before finish one ep .

[Marcus H.]

D* list: Boku no Imouto wa "Osaka Okan"

Oh wow. That was certainly something.

[totoum]

General public message:

People should be watching Kotoura-san,it had no hype going into the season because nobody knew the source material and AIC isn't a prestigious studio but it has already won some people over.

[Sphire]

A list: Kotoura-san (rarely does a single episode catch my attention as much as this one did), Minami-ke Tadaima, Seitokai no Ichizon LV 2 (even though I already watched it last season)

B list: Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, Long Live! School Idol PRoject

Carry over shows I'm definitely watching: Magi, Bakuman 3, Robotics;Notes, Polar Bear CAfe

All those above are stuff I'll definitely continue watching for a while.

C List: GJ Club, OreShura, Da Capo 3, Sasami-san*Gambaranai

D list: Amnesia

Carry over shows I may continue: Shinsekai Yori, Psycho PAss

Utter trash I dropped even before the episode could finish: Tamako Market (KyoAni getting free passes? smh)

That's all for now.

[mistress_kisara]

For me:
Will continue: Amnesia, Chihayafuru 2, Maoyuu Maou Yusha, Cuticle Tantei Inaba, Tamako Market, Hakkenden, ZKC: The Unlimited + Fall shows (ZnT, Psycho-Pass, Magi, Little Busters)

Might not continue: Sasami-san@Ganbaranai (Man, I usually continue shows I start but this just gave me a reason to drop it )

[Write]

I never understand the logic of absorbing everything then separating it all after the fact, so I try to commit to shows I know I'll enjoy.

From what I've tested out so far, I'm sticking with Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT, Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo (continuing), and Tamako Market.

Pretty much a group of feel-good shows to end my week with/take my mind off school. There's potential for Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru and Sasami-san@Ganbaranai which I'll check out later on.

[Athena]

The ones I really like: Sakurasou, Robotic;Notes, Shinsekai Yori
The ones I favor: Zetusen, Little Busters!, Sasami-San@whatever, Seizon
The ones I'll be following: Haganai, Ore no Kanojo, Maoyuu and Da Capo.

[Kmos]

It's early for me to say if I'd drop any of the Winter launched shows I tried.
Cuticle Tantei - 6/10 - The comedy is all over the place and not as funny as it wants to be most of the time. I might continue watching for the Don Valentino and crew bits though.
Maoyuu Maou Yuusha - 7/10 - Looks good and interesting, I'll continue to watch some.
Ishida to Asakura - 7/10 - It's a two min. comedy short, pretty weird but funny. Keeping, worth the two minutes.
Senyuu - 7/10 - Another comedy short, rpg like. Less than five minutes and funny, I'll keep.
Vividred Operation - 7/10 - Looks like a decent typical start, will continue to watch a few more. *Dropped*
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai 2 - 7/10 - I read some of the manga and the first season was enjoyable. Going to continue watching this one cause it's all new material for me.
Kotoura-san -8/10 - Yep, this one was a surprise for me, didn't even have this on my list to watch. Very good start. I might continue or not depending on future episodes though.
Mondai-ji-tachi 7/10 - Decent, game world like setting, interest may wane later.

I've yet to watch The Unlimted and Senran Kagura the other animes on my list to check out. None of the winter shows seem impressive, luckily there's a slew of shows that carried over from the Fall I'll be watching.
Edit in: Watched them.
The Unlimited - 8/10 - Nice action-y anime from villians' POV.
Senran Kagura - 6/10 - fanservice anime with shinobi girls in school setting, not really my thing. Dropping most likely. *Dropped*

My take on the best new shows this winter season are Ishida to Asakura and Senyuu, two short animes of 2 mins and under 5mins., after sampling majority of them.

[Lord of Fire]

Highly enjoyable:
- Haganai NEXT. So far, it's even sillier than previous season, which I think is a good thing. I hope Sena won't become the only character with a lot of exposition in this season, though.
- GJ-Bu. The formula is simple and has been done before in other SoL shows, yet all the characters are likable and so far, I found their antics hilarious.
- Sasami-san@Ganbaranai. It's utterly weird and from what I've read, there is actually a deeper meaning to it all.
- Vividred Operation. This show is pretty much everything what I expected and more, and it's not just because the girls are sporting some nice behinds.

Quite enjoyable:
- Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo?. First episode was quite interesting. Black Rabbit was more silly than serious, which is also interesting (although hints are there that she may not be as wimpy as she's made to appear).
- Boku no Imouto wa "Osaka Okan". I'm actually surprised at how much I'm still enjoying this. it's obviously stereotyping Osakans, but I'm liking it anyway.

Somewhat disappointing:
- Tamako Market. The girls are cute, the bird is funny and the show looks nice, but for some reason, the first episode wasn't as impressive as I hoped.
- Yama no Susume. It's cute and still somewhat entertaining, but it's way too short.

Very disappointing and dropped:
- Ai Mai Mii. Too short and not funny.
- Mangirl. Too short and only sporadically funny.

Carryovers:
- Sakurasou
- Psycho-Pass.
- Little Busters!

Yet to watch:
- Chihayafuru S2
- Saki: Achiga-hen Specials
- Nekomonogatari

[Dawnstorm]

This must be one of the strangest seasons I've encountered since I started following current anime (in 2009). Almost all the best shows are carry-overs:

The SF-trinity: Shin Sekai Yori, Robotics;Notes, and Psycho Pass are all very good. Of those, I enjoy Psycho Pass the least, Robotics;Notes has me the most curious, and Shin Sekai Yori has me the most involved. But all three are very good, as if they wanted to make up for lack-lustre 2011 SF (with the exception of Steins;Gate). I'm very happy with those shows.

Then there's Sakurasou, which ranges from decent to brilliant. It's a bit uneven, but the good episodes are very good. I'm happy to see it continue.

Magi is a better-than-expected fantasy adventure, a bit naive maybe, and a bit too declarative about its themes, but highly entertaining. Then there's the comedy carry-overs: Ixion Saga DT (which was an utter surprise), and Shirokuma Café (which is now in its fourth season, and which I'm going to miss, even if the novelty has worn off).

And then I'm still watching both Little Busters (which I find fairly entertaining, but nothing special), and Zetsuen no Tempest (which I find funny, but I can't figure out if that's intentional or not).

This means: 9 carry-over shows I'm following (not counting the on-and-off Kuro Majo san ga Toru, which confuses me as to running time). And of those 9 I'm enjoying 7 more than avarage. That's got to be a record.

So what about new shows? Of the new shows I'm enjoying three are continuations of earlier series: Haganai, Chihayafuru, and Minami Ke. The series that lives up best to my expetations is Hagani 2, but then it's also my least favourite of the two. Chihayafuru will probably get going soon (at least I hope so; the first episode didn't really capture me like the first season did), and Minami Ke has the feeling I hoped it would have, even if it's not that funny yet. (A bit like season 3, which also took it's time to get going.) They're all shows I'm looking forward to this season.

So, 7 two-cours I really enjoy, + 3 continuations I'm looking forward to. That makes 10 pretty good shows, which isn't bad for a season. But I want new stuff, too. Where does that leave new shows? With very few exceptions: in the ditch. That's where.

So the exceptions?

1. Kotoura-san. Like everyone else, I've been caught totally off guard. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this is an adaption from a four-koma. Really? Is this true? If so, the kudos to the anime. They're doing an exceptional job. What I like most about this show is how seriously they take their characters. All of them. Even the bit players. The show's using telepathy to show up politeness and insecurity, and it's not villainising the "mob". I can understand the exhausted teachers, for example: you can see them trying to do their job. It's the little things like this: for example, pay attention to the shifting alliances in the club in episode 2; it's done unobtrusively, but it's entirely plausible that a club would work like that. That must be one of the best interaction portrayals I've seen since Steins;Gate.

2. GJ Bu. Unexceptional but well done and enjoyable. Episode 1 has the best anime spider I have ever seen. I'm not exaggerating.

3. Sasami-san@Ganbaranai. Cautiously optimistic about that one. I'll probably have to read up on Japanese mythology to get it all. Tsukuyomi? Amaterasu? Yamato no Orochi? Will Susano-o show up? I wish Shaft would discipline itself a bit with the weird style breaks. I don't see the point here (it fit better in Bakemonogatari.)

Apart from that? Yama no Susume is cute, but it's not fit to be a short, as it needs time to develope its atmosphere. When you get into the mood its over. Not a good fit for the format, sadly. Still, if you liked Tamayura, watch this. It has the same feel (though not nearly as good, and in a suboptimal format).

There are a lot of shorts this season: Ai Mai Mi and Mangirl I find interchangable, and I get confused as to which is which. It'll get better, I'm sure, since the shows aren't all that similar. Ai Mai Mi is the retro-gaming-style one. That's what I've got so far. Senyuu is actually fun; maybe I'll get to like it better as it continues.

Mondaji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo? looks mildly interesting. If they play it well, it can be quite enjoyable, but I'm not expecting to really get into it, even if they play it to its full potential. Same with Tamako Market, which is better than expected, but still not that good. I find that bird annoying.

I'm also watching Maoyuu Mao Yuusha, which I find mildly interesting, and Cuticle Detective Inaba, which I find mildly funny.

Not sure if I'm sticking with Amnesia and Hakkenden. Both have things that interest me, within a swamp of stuff that doesn't.

Stuff I dropped quite quickly includes: Ishida to Asakura (actually funny, but the art and overly male attitude turn me off), Puchimas, Vivid Red Operation (sledge- hammer-ecchi beginning)and Love Live (generic cute).

I may one day pick up AKB0048, since I heard good things about the first season. But not right now.

So all in all, the season feels uncannily familiar, since most of the shows I'm enjoying are carry-overs or continuations of a franchise. I've never felt like this before about a season. It feels worse than it actually is. I'm confused.

[Kanon]

Great:

Chihayafuru season 2 - I'm enjoying this sequel just as much as the first season, which I absolutely loved.

Good:

Amnesia - Rather intriguing plot. Better than I thought it would be.

Boku wa tomodachi ga sukunai next - Exactly the same as the first season, which I liked quite a bit.

Minami-ke Taidaima - More of the same, so good.

Love Live! - the first real idol anime I watch, and I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

Sasami-san@Ganbaranai - I have a soft spot for Shaft and for shows that are eccentric, so naturally, this was a must watch. May move up to great depending on what they have in store for us.

Tamako Market - Very cute and charming show, with the right amount of quirkiness. A relaxing watch.

Vividred Operation - I had very low expectations for this one, but this is turning out to be surprisingly good. An entertaining mix of magical girl and mecha anime.

Yama no musume - Very sweet slice of life show, a shame each episode is only three minutes long. This could have been great if it had been a full-fledged series.

Fine:

Maoyuu Maou Yuusha - I want to like this show, but unfortunately, I don't find it very compelling. It desperately needs stronger characters. Still a decent watch.

Senran Kagura - Only watching for the tits and asses. Plot is pretty ridiculous.

Meh:

Mangirl - Not very funny and way too short to be engaging in any way. I only keep watching because it only takes up three minutes of my time.

Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru - Only watching for Masuzu's trolling and the Jojo references.

As expected, this season is weaker than fall. I haven't been able to find any new gems in it.

[Rosalena]

Winter is one of the weakest seasons in recent memory for me. Frankly, I'm sick of all of these light novel adaptations. I recognize the appeal they hold for production committees: built-in audience = easy money. It seems like more and more are being made each season and I'm tired of--especially the ones with ridiculously long titles (thank you, OreImo). I'm also tired of all the ecchi nonsense, but that's a rant for another thread.

I'm the type of person who can easily spot which shows are going to please/displease me in advance. Such skill naturally comes with the territory, I think. With the exception of those people who are dead-set on watching anything and everything that falls under the umbrella term "anime," I think people naturally grow adept at quickly identifying what interests/intrigues/disgusts/enrages/etc them.

Having said that I am only following two shows for this season: Sasami-san@Ganbaranai and Vividred Operation. Neither show is exempt from the possibility of being dropped although I daresay the latter has a higher chance of that than the former.

In addition to those two I am also continuing Psycho-Pass and Shinsekai Yori.

[ion475]

Well...

Top of the crop:
Kotoura-san: Okay, not every episode will contain that first 10 mins of 1st episode. 2nd episode is still good. So hopefully this don't go downhill...
Haganai NEXT: Much like the LN, the part where S2 comes from IS better, and it shows. Better art compare to first season also.

Average:
Tamako Market: It's funny, yes. But I really doubt I would have watch this if it's not a Kyoani work. I guess Chuunikoi and Hyouka sets standard way too high.
Oreshura: On my "average" list for being nothing special, I guess.
Yama no Susume: Only average b/c it's way too short...
GJ-bu: SeiZon without the neta, Haganai without the quirkiness. I guess it's slice of life, aka nothing goes on...

Too early to tell:
Sasami-san: It's one episode. The golden 3 episode rule still applied...

Will start sooner or later:
Vividred Operation: Sure this is not Strike Witches?

Holdover:
Sakurasou: Similar to Season 1, it's still extremely inconsistent, especially with the execution. Oh well, what do I expect from J.C. Staff and how they certainly do NOT know how to shorten a story without start butchering the whole story.
Little Busters: Consistently average is the only thing I'll say.

There is of course Minami-ke. I guess I'll just watch S1 then move to this season...

Final thought: Most of my rating are still a little bit early. I'm still sad that Kotoura-san gets zero hype in AS. Definitely the Dark Horse this season, as much as it's not as crazy as the Garupan rise from nowhere to outselling Chuunikoi.

[ujiuji]

Well now the Winter season is over, it's actually sunny outside, some final thoughts.

Boku no Imouto wa Osaka Okan - For some reason I nearly always like characters from Osaka. Amusing and endearing.

Yama no Susume - Fairly good, although some of it did feel like an advert for outdoor goods.I might have dropped it if the episodes had been any longer. The musings in the last episode represented the best apect of the show for me.

Mangirl - Some laughs and a few insights into the industry. I mostly watched it for Aki.

Ai-Mai-Mi - A small, concentrated dose of wtf each week.

Ishida & Asakura - Not as bizarre as Ai-Mai-Mi but getting there, especially in the last episode. At least one good laugh guarenteed per episode. As pure comedy probably the best of the shorts.

Dokidoki Precure - Not really feeling this one. I like Rikka and the villains but I have a feeling this may be one Precure series too many for me. I'll stick with it for the moment as I remember being unimpressed with Heartcatch at this stage and that turned into a decent show. Also I have a, possibly misguided, faith that Toei has the ability to make a really good magical girl series again. The repeated references to "The Happy Prince" gives me hope it has something up its sleeve.

Chihayafuru 2 - It doesn't need me to point out that this is one of the best shows out there at the moment.

Tamako Market - we parted amicably after four episodes. I was hoping there would be more about the market folk and less about the kids but it was not to be.

Straight Title: Robot Anime - It took me a few episodes to get the humour in this, which is largely about the robots' inability to understand comedy even when they are doing or saying things that ought to be funny. It clicked eventually and I now look forward to it each week with some impatience. I could always "enjoy the cuteness of robots" from the start which is what kept me watching.

gdgd fairies - One of my two favourite shows of the season, along with Chihayafuru. A wonderful advertisement for cheap-looking ugly CGI. Honestly, if the animation had been of a higher quality, I don't think it would have been as funny. I also suspect that a more realistic look would have seen our adorable heroines take a fairly steep tumble down the uncanny valley. That's my experience with a lot of 3D CGI anyway. They mixed up the formula a bit this season which I liked. The news conference at the beginning of the series, the hot springs episode and the camping episode were my favourites.


Overall a pretty good season. I like short shows and I like comedy & it gave me a fair dose of both.

[creb]

Watchable (aka I find enjoyable), in order of watchability:

Shin Sekai Yuri
Psycho Pass
Zetsuen no Tempest

Mildy regret watching:

Robotics;Notes

Brain Fluff:

Lots of shows (Ixion, Minami-Ke, etc)

All in all, if number of shows I enjoyed are an indicator, was a stronger than normal season.

[Kirarakim]

Honestly I thought winter was one of the worst seasons in awhile. I ended up dropping every new series from the season I watched with the exception of Chihayafuru 2 that was the one new worthwhile series for me and it isn't even really new.

But luckily there were a lot of good carryovers from the fall and previous seasons

Magi Enjoyable but I wouldn't buy it

Ixion Saga Enjoyable, it knew exactly what it wanted to be (a complete farce) and delivered on that until the end. I think some episodes in the middle were sort of weak but overall if you just want something entertaining and silly I would recommend this. Good for a watch but I would not buy

Psycho Pass Very entertaining but somewhat disappointing in the end. This was one of my most anticipated series week to week and I definitely enjoyed watching it. Unfortunately it just didn't deliver for me in the end. I don't regret watching this but I probably would not buy it (well unless the US somehow licensed it with the seiyuu interviews)

Shirokuma Cafe Probably my favorite comedy since Azumanga Daioh. This was one of my favorite series for 50 consecutive weeks. I don't think it will ever be licensed but if it was I would definitely buy it.

Shin Sekai Yori Like Psycho Pass this was one of my most anticipated series weekly. However while I was disappointed in Psychopass in the end this completely delivered for me. I think you can really see the difference when you have a novel (not light novel) as the source material This was one of my favorite series of the year and it is a definite purchase.

Finally besides Chihayafuru I am still following the excellent Uchuu Kyoudai.