Spring 2014: General Impressions Thread - Post your Opinion and Grade....

[Flower]

Well, with the exception of M3, most all of the new anime offerings this season have had at least one ep air, so....

Let's talk about the current anime season, Spring 2014. ^^

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 and why.

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, Deens, Ufotables, Sparkles, etc. Or maybe you don't believe in grades. Your explanations are far more important then what you actually gave out.

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.

[Top Sergeant]

Name of Series: Knights of Sidonia
Episodes Watched: 1
Rating: Gunner's Mate
Comments: Good take on a multi-generational ship, at least so far. It has at least one social aspect which I haven't encountered in a story before. The setups in the opening episode all seem promising. One hope I have (that I always have) is that the anime will depict what I think as a believable military structure. So far, nearly every anime hasn't, so we'll see.
Status (Keep/drop/stall): Keep at this time

[Flower]

Well, thought I would update the thread with my current impressions of the season.

Spoiler for Initial Spring 2014 Impressions in greater detail to save space....:

A List: Mushi-shi S2; Gochuumon wa Usagi Desuka; Isshukan Friends.

Without a doubt the king in this category is Mushi-shi Season Two. Before the season began these three were my most anticipated series, and I am very grateful that they all delivered. The beginning of Isshukan was a little rushed for my taste, but once that was out of the way the series has been a very effective adaptation of the manga source. Gochuumon will no doubt make me bedridden from moe overdose - it is in the same vein as the delightful Kiniro Mosaic, weaker in some aspects comparison wise, but even more devastatingly adorable in others.

****

B List: Soredemo Sekai; Atelier Escha and Logy; Ping Pong; Sidonia no Kishi.

Ping Pong and Sidonia no Kishi are probably my biggest surprises of the season so far. Sidonia is a pretty good sci fi series (and with mecha - kinda still scratching my head about my liking it even though there are mecha present as the latter are not my cup of tea AT ALL) but of all the B entries this is the one closest to the C cusp; Ping Pong, for all it's bizarre yet ruthlessly faithful to the manga source visuals is an amazing piece of work thus far. Soredemo was on my radar, but I did not expect it to be as good as it is (the manga source is even better in my opinion); and Atelier, my biggest question mark before the season began, turned out to be exactly the sort of series I was hoping for.

****

Note: Between the excellent entries on the A and B List this is a very strong season for me thus far - heads and tails above last season....

****

C List: Puchim@s S2; Happiness Charge PreCure; Mahouka; Soul Eater Not; Hitsugi no Chaika; Black Bullet; Captain Earth.

Without a doubt the biggest surprise for me in this category is Soul Eater Not - it was nowhere near my radar before the season began, but turned out to be something that is just my type of series. Reading the available manga chapters has only furthered my interest to see what will be done with it. The other (mild) surprise is Chaika - I was uncertain about it but it has turned out to be a pretty good fantasy series.

****

Carryovers: Nisekoi (C Ranking); Hunter x Hunter (B Ranking)

Alas, the OP2 of Nisekoi is several levels less than OP1, even with the same singers, composer and animation studio. Makes me scratch my head to be honest.

****

Still on trial: Dragonar Academy; Kanojo ga Flag o Oraretara.

If Dragonar makes the cut it will be a "guilty pleasure" series for me. Kanojo ga Flag is frenetically all over the map and I cannot really get a read on what is going on in the series yet.

****

Dropped: Majin Bone; Blade x Soul; Nadenka Velonica; Keroro; JoJo S2; Fairy Tail S2; Daimedaler; Kindaichi shounen; Haikyuu; Love Live S2; Mangaka to Assistant-san; Mahou Shoujo Taisen; Akuma no Riddle; Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san.; Kamigami no Asobi; Gokukoku Brynhilde; Kiniro la corda - Blue Sky; No Game No Life; Nanana's Buried Treasure; Mekaku City Actors.

In many ways the biggest disappointment for me this season is Nanana's Buried Treasure. Nanana turned out to be a very unappealing main character and plot driver - so much so that it made me toss it over my left shoulder after the second episode. No Game No Life, for all its lovely visuals came across as oddly (even unnervingly) hollow - and in the negative sense of the word.

****

Will watch later on: Selector infected Wixoss; Date a Live 2; Bokura Kawaisou; Baby Steps.

This is a category for those series that I kinda liked, but did not make the final cut for me to follow on a weekly basis. I may (or may not) steamroll them later on.

****

Still not Aired: M3 ~Sono Kuroki Hagane~

[GDiddy]

Honestly, not a lot has appealed to me this season:

AList:

Mushishi Zhou: (3 episodes)

Hands down, the best series this season. At least for me.

Insufficent Direction(2 episodes)

This might not have mecha, boobs or a bunch of cute gods, but this show makes me smile too. And I started to read the manga since YAY CR put it on there.

=====


Mekkaku City Actors(3 episodes)

The cast seems likable enough and I like the art. I haven't read any novels/manga/heard the songs, but I think I get the gist of this story so far. At least it doesn't leave me going 'HUH' like the Monogaratari series did.

====

GUILTY PLEASURE: Kamigami no Asobi(3 episodes)

I was already sold on its premise on the whole gods thing anyway*loves mythology* but this turned out to be far more entertaining in three episodes so far than other series of this ilk. Also, I love Yui.

[DevilHighDxD]

Name: The Irregular at Magic High School
Episode: 1-3
Rating: No comment
Comment: Will be so much better if Miyuki doesn't existed...
Status: Will continue to follow unless the main character's brother-sister relationship is taken to an whole new level like it almost today episode.

Name: Captain Earth
Episode: 1-3
Rating: No comment
Comment: Sexy/cute tan-skinned heroine and a so far enjoyable not too much angst mecha anime's Protag, what else can I say more? Oh and Salty Dog glasses dude need to be shot.
Status: Likely my favorite anime of the year unless there a unredeemable screw up, which is very unlikely. Follow!

Special mention to Date A Live 2, it so ridiculous bad that I like it!

[Utsuro no Hako]

Name of Series: WIXOSS
Episodes Watched: 3
Rating: lulz
Comments: It's an Okada trainwreck in all it's bloody beauty. Half the people in the discussion thread are more sympathetic to the erstwhile villain than the alleged heroine.
Status: Keep

Name of Series: Mahouka
Episodes Watched: 3
Rating: lulz
Comments: This may be the worst series I've ever seen. Twenty minutes of every episode is spent on exposition, which not only makes no sense, but requires explanation from novel readers about what's actually going on. And it still makes no sense.
Status: Dropped

Name of Series: Captain Earth
Episodes Watched: 2
Rating: **
Comments: I like the characters but I can't stand this style of mecha show.
Status: Drop

Name of Series: Kindaichi
Episodes Watched: 3
Rating: **
Comments: I'm not a fan of Japanese-style mysteries, nor of the way the girl so far has had no role other than damsel in distress. But I'm so used to watching Space Bros. on Saturdays that I keep watching this out of inertia.
Status: Haven't stopped yet.

Name of Series: Kawai Complex
Episodes Watched: 3
Rating: ***
Comments: Not a great series, but we haven't had many decent comedy series recently, so I'll take what I can get.
Status: Keep

Name of Series: That sumo wrestling show
Episodes Watched: 1
Rating: **
Comments: Crunchyroll put up Ashita no Joe a couple weeks before this premiered. Since they have the same plot, I'm sticking with AnJ.
Status: Drop

Name of Series: Baby Steps
Episodes Watched: 2
Rating: ****
Comments: Perfect adaptation of one of the best sports series around.
Status: Keep

Name of Series: Haikyuu
Episodes Watched: 2
Rating: ***
Comments: I'm not normally a fan of Jump series, but so far so good on this.
Status: Keep

Name of Series: Even So It's a Beautiful World
Episodes Watched: 3
Rating: ****
Comments: High fantasy, shoujo romance, musical numbers. I'm sold.
Status: Keep

Name of Series: Mekaku City Actors
Episodes Watched: 2
Rating: **
Comments: I'm sure Shinbo has seen all of Ikuhara's work, but I'm not sure he understands it.
Status: Fence.

[Traece]

It's week two now, and that means that the shows that quickly moved past their introductory phases, and the couple of shows that already have a third episode, can have some pretty solid opinions attached to them. I'll comment on some of the shows that I feel confident talking about right now.

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei (3 Episodes)
Flawed, but definitely worth watching.
Mahouka is this season's [superpower/technologicalwhatever/Idon'teven] academy show.

Spoiler for Explanation, with very mild specifics:

Mahouka, as many people will point out, is the (almost literally) perfect example of Gary Sue (Mary Sue's brother, considering the sibling relationship in this show. More on that later). Because of that, I give this show a lot of crap. However, I do like Mahouka for a lot of reasons that are mainly due to the setting and the cool and confident nature of Gary- Er, the MC. In Mahouka's defense, the Gary Sue vibes are so strong that it's almost a punchline in their favor. He's so much better than everyone else that it's almost comedic, because his excellence is handled so non-chalantly. The fight scenes, as a result, are absolutely hilarious. They're also pretty interesting, and as many source material viewers have reported, Mahouka's explanations are quite technical (above and beyond the anime's level of technical exposition). The siblings though... Well, I'll talk about that when we get to No Game No Life.

Mahouka is shaping up to be an interesting show. I wish that the characters were a bit more independent of the MC so that they could really bloom all their own, but it remains to be scene whether or not that'll happen. At this moment, it feels very restricted.

No Game No Life (2 Episodes)
Compelling, with super-gratuitous HDR. Actually my top pick this season, thus far.

Spoiler for Explanations, with some specifics:

No Game No Life is a show that I'm quite pleased with. It wasn't on my original list, and I absolutely regret that fact. What sets NGNL apart from many other anime is the main character siblings. The brother and sister have a unique relationship that seems almost foreign in the wake of shows like OreImo, where any incestuous implications are more a joke. Though it's possible that they could become more serious, they presently treat this as a gag. The other interesting thing is that neither of the siblings is inept or incapable. They're like villain siblings that are always in sync and super-capable of advanced teamwork, and both are capable of great feats while each having their own strengths. Their view on life is also highly appropriate to the setting. Because of their relationship with each other and the world they've been thrust into, NGNL has really piqued my interests this season. The premise itself is quite interesting as well, and really tailors to the characters rather than the characters being forced to tailor to it. This departure from the normal MC displacement scenario is more unique, and makes NGNL quite interesting.

For the love of all things though, they really need to turn down the HDR stylings. THEY'VE GONE TOO FAR!

Black Bullet (2 Episodes)
My number two pick behind NGNL. This season's action show with very dark elements.

Spoiler for Very short, non-specific explanation:

I've not much to say about Black Bullet. I have an overall positive appreciation for the show. I like what I've seen, and I think a lot of others have as well. I think the show has been balanced nicely, and that it has entertaining action sequences. I also like the loli MC-obsessed sidekick which is rare, because I normally hate those characters quite a lot.

Anyone who likes shows with action, that can withstand gore, should watch Black Bullet.

Mushishi Season 2 (2 Episodes)
Thus far, Mushishi S2 is as good as Mushishi S1. If you liked the first season, watch this. No need for explanations beyond that.

Those are my shows that I'm highly confident about, so now let's talk about my on-the-fences and why they are.

Mekaku City Actors (2 Episodes)
Meh. Definitely read my explanation for this one, but I will say that you should absolutely watch to the third episode before you consider dropping this show.

Spoiler for Explanation, with specifics:

Episode 3 looks to be the episode that shifts into actual plot. This show was highly anticipated, but really hasn't lived up to even a fraction of those expectations. It didn't help that the second episode was about 15 minutes of time wasted on really driving home the very obvious troubles of one girl. There's really no excuse for wasting that much screen time on reiteration, and it being a SHAFT production doesn't mean that it was 20 minutes of fancy anime magic. I like the portrayal of Mekaku City Actors, I like the characters, and I like what seems to be the intention of this story. The plot should've started on episode 2 though, not in the final ten seconds of episode 2. It was OK for a single episode to be solely focused on one character (who had better be pivotal or I'll change my mind on this). Two was pushing it.

Right now, I'm very unimpressed with Mekaku City Actors. I'm reserving my judgements for the third episode. If episode one gives you a bad taste then, and I never thought I would ever actually say this, consider skipping most of episode 2 if you find yourself unable to prevail.

Captain Earth (2 Episodes)
Interesting ideas, but it's all a bit iffy.

Spoiler for Explanation, with few specifics:

I'm not going to say too much about Captain Earth. There are aspects of this show that I like. Bones is a great studio that has made some shows that I really like, but I'm not quite sure this will be one of them. I like the mecha aspect of this show, and the very real-world approach to space they use. The mecha building sequence was also pretty great (though I'm not sure I needed to see the entire sequence TWICE). The characters and the story, in my opinion, bring it down a bit. So Captain Earth really gives me this off vibe. It's good, but it's also kinda weird.

Maybe it would help if I saw the third episode, but I haven't quite gotten to it. I guess I decided to talk about Captain Earth instead? It could be worth a watch if you're a mecha fan, or a fan of Bones. It could be worth a watch for the average person as well, but I'm not confident about that by any metric.

Knights of Sidonia (1 Episode)
I'll keep this extremely short, since, as with Captain Earth, I'm an episode behind:

Sidonia is this season's all-CG-all-the-time action show. It has a very appealing premise, and many interesting aspects to it. The action sequences are handled very well, and some of the CG scenes are done well enough that it's not jarring.

In short, Sidonia's CG is good enough that if you're like me and you really can't stand CG shows, you might be able to push through on love for the written materials.

With all of that having been said, I'm actually quite pleased with Spring 2014. No Game No Life, Black Bullet, and Mahouka have kept me really entertained and have given me plenty of things to talk about. Mushishi is the same old Mushishi, which is good.

[Dawnstorm]

The list, in the order of how much I look forward to the shows each week:

Isshuukan Friends: Lovely art and great art direction. A quiet story well presented. Good characters with appropriate depth. This promises to be one of two masterpieces this season.

Mushishi Zoku Shou: Do I really need to talk about Mushishi? A quietly relentless show that covers the full spectrum of emotion, with stories that end as they do. Subdued colours and a soundtrack based mostly on silence and chromatic percussion. If you liked the first season, you'll like this. I loved the first season, and I love this. It's better experienced than talked about.

Escha to Logy no Atelier: This show has a special place in my heart. It's not that good, but it's everything I hoped for. I'm a fan of the Atelier series of games: a fantasy/slice of life role playing game series (at least in its incarnatiion on the PS3). I'm also a fan of Sudio Gokumi, who convinced me they know what they're doing with A Channel and cashed in on the faith I had in them with Crime Edge. To top it off, Gokumi and the Atelier series are a match made in moe heaven. I'd like to say that if you didn't like the first episode you won't like the show. But there is a story, and who knows what Gokumi will make of it? They have what it takes to make it more compelling than the game (whose appeal and focus has traditionally not been the story).

Ping Pong: Ugly art but great animation. And above all, very interesting characters. Both of the episodes I've seen followed the same pattern: ugh, that's so ugly --> what, it's over already? This is a good season for sports fans; I'm not one, but this series has me hooked.

Hitsugi no Chaika: I'm enjoying this more than I thought I would. I knew the story was written by the original creator of both Scrapped Princess (which I quite enjoyed) and Outbreak Company (which I enjoyed quite a bit less). Luckily, this show takes a lot more after the former (with it's considerable similarities in the set-up). Competetent but not over-powered protagonist, a multi-faction story, and very likely something hidden going on in the background. The execution looks competent, for all I can tell (which is not much). The fights seem to be excellent - with style differences counting for something. Love it.

No game No Life: The surprise of the season, so far. I get grass-is-always-greener-over-there vibes from the show, though I might be fooling myself. It's very stylish and fun to look at, although the colour combinations are sometimes a bit much too take (pink and teal are not a combo I like). I'm not yet sure where this will go. The show does have some elements I hope it won't milk (mostly of the mild ecchi tease variety).

Black Bullet: If you want a subtle show, look elsewhere. This show is a run-of-the-mill post-apocalyptic SF show, with a villain that doesn't impress me as much as he seems to impress most. It's extra cruel to little girls to garner sympathy in the most manipulative ways imaginable. And yet... it works on me. I'm totally taken in. Don't ask me why. This should be a lot lower down my list than it is.

Kamigami no Asobi: It's a reverse harem and thus goes against my sexual orientation. But dear gods, this is hilarious. The animation, character designs and voice acting make this show. There's obvious self-irony in the execution, making it easy to enjoy. Also, Yui is one of the better protagonists in a reverse harem. That really helps.

Gokoku no Brynhidlr: This falls into the same category as Black Bullet. From the mangaka of Elfen Lied, this pushes very similar buttons but somehow works less on me than that show. Plotwise it sometimes doesn't make too much sense, and the execution is funny in a way that could be unintentional or not (it's hard to tell). What do you say to a show where characters start to bleed on cue?

Kanojo ga Flag wo Oraretara: Awful harem antics, too fast-paced and unattractive character designs put this show lower on my list than it should be. I'm actually curious about the story, the humour sometimes works really well, and for a show with this many characters, the show never feels crowded and I have no trouble telling who is who. A very mixed bag.

Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?: Cute girls doing cute things cutely is a genre I like, but this one seems too... harmless? I'd liken it to Kiniro Mosaic the most. It's not really a top contender in the genre: none of the characters stand out to me, and the characters make the show. But because the characters make the show, it's entirely possible that I'll grow to like the show better over time, as the cast grows on me. The setting is really pretty, though. The female angora rabbit grandpa is no Momoneko sama (Tamayura), though. I'm getting Dera vibes... (Tamako Market)

Mekaku City Actors: Shaft is being shafty. Shinbou is being Shinbou. What else can I say about this. I like shaft best when they reign in their stylistic excesses. I like the style, but it often collapses under its own weight. It's why I like Bakemonogatari less than I coud, for example. Same here. Some of it is generally interested, but I find it hard to pick out those bits. They're not effective because the style exhausts me. Could be a lot higher if it weren't for that. I actually like the general set up; I'm curious where this is going, and I feel the show does have a plan. I'm fine with the characters, too.

Ryuugajo Nanan no Maizoukin: A show with little in the way of flaws or strengths, it's nevertheless fairly entertaining to watch. It's biggest draw for me are the pretty character designs, which I like a lot. Mildly entertaining, but very consistently so.

Haikyuu!!: Not a fan of sports anime, so I wasn't going to watch this. I picked up the first episode... and was hooked from start to finish. Don't ask me what this show has that others don't. It's a posterbook example of a sports show. Well made, but in a very familiar groove. And yet I'm watching it.

Mahouka Kouko no Rettosei: I feel about this a lot like I feel about Nanana: neither particularly good, nor particularly bad, and pretty consistent in quality. Nothing else to say.

Akuma no Riddle: This is just silly. I do sort of like our protagonists, but almost everyone else is totally forgettable and bland. I'm also mildly curious as to where this will go. Unfortunately, the answer is most likely: nowhere in animeformat. I'll watch it, and then I'll shrug and forget it.

Selector Infected WIXOSS: Looks like an Okada train wreck. Even after years of playing Magic: the Gathering, I don't understand the game. On the other hand, the characters aren't exactly compelling. The show must have something, because I'm latently fond of it (it feels as strange as it probably sounds).

Bokura ga Minna Kawaisou: Funny on occasion. The only thing that stands out is the art style (and colouring), and I can't make up my mind whether I like it or don't.

Soredomo Sekai wa Utsukushii: After a promising start it turned around became... a lot more Disney-like than I'd want it, too. Including the singing. (I don't mind the concept, just the pop-song execution.) It has its ups and downs, so I may like it better again later on. A bit disappointed right now, though.

Captain Earth: Entertaining enough, so far. I was tired of the robot-transformation scene after seeing it once; that's a new record. On the plus side, I like the character designs. Everything else is genre standard.

Inugami san to Nekoyama san: A yuri short. Slightly charming, a bit funny, and never long.

Mangaka san to Assistant san: See Inugami/Nekoyama Swap them around, if you like.

Blade and Soul: How much time does a soul-less mercenary take to apply lipstick in the morning? As far as I can tell, that question is the key to unlocking this rather dull show.

Seikoku no Dragonar: There is always one show that is so bad I can't bring myself to drop it, while at the same wondering why I'm watching this, and not, say, Baby Steps. Anime and I... the mysteries it creates. The character designs are awful. The characters are awful. People said it's getting better when the story picks up. The story is picking up, but it doesn't seem to be getting better. Fans of the show can relax: I won't show up in their thread.

Not many carryovers this season. My favourite, without a doubt, is Tonari no Seki kun. Hunter X Hunter follows, and then Nisekoi and Nobunaga the Fool.

All in all, the best shows this season beat anything last season has to offer, but those shows feel like outliers in an otherwise pretty lacklustre season. If I liked sports shows, or if I liked the "shounen spirit", I'd probably like this season a bit better. Alas...

[IceHism]

Must Watch list


Name of Series: Mahouka
Episodes Watched: 3
Rating: 99/10
Comments: I read the light novel, no more needs to be said. All the stuff that goes unexplained or is cut from the show or why certain things happen, i already know all of it. I'm here to see how things are animated. Not disappointed.


Name of Series: No Game No life
Episodes Watched: 2
Rating:
Comments: That one comedy show i watch every season because it stands out among all the others. Even then, genius guy + genius girl outsmarting everyone at games is the main main focus that i enjoy. Animation is good and the shading used on the art fits the show and just screams different. The relationship between Sora and Shirou is not taken seriously which is fitting for what this series is trying to accomplish.


Name of Series: Sidonia no Kishi
Episodes Watched: 2
Rating:
Comments: That CGI + animation is top class this season. Very good Gauna and Mecha design. Story has many unusual concepts in it like genetic engineering, human photosynthesis, and etc. so the plot is interesting so far. Only thing unfavorable is that the MC is basically the bastard child of Ikari Shinji and Kaname Madoka.


Not must watch, but i watch it because i have hopes anyways list

Name of Series: Black Bullet
Episodes Watched: 2
Rating:
Comments: I don't have anything to say about it but it can get interesting. Villian is badass though.

Name of Series: Gokukoku no Brynhildr
Episodes Watched: 3
Rating:
Comments: From the creator of Elfen lied. That means tons of blood and psychological horror. Hopefully it is executed better than Elfen Lied though. Wouldn't be from the creator of elfen lied without dumb mechanics like death suppressants. Can get interesting later.

Name of Series: Akuma no riddle
Episodes Watched: 3
Rating:
Comments: Anime is too cute in general. I like the character designs. Character personality is pretty cliche though.

Ping pong
Episodes watched: 2
Comments: I don't know why i'm watching this. It can get kind of intense but i'm no big fan of sports anime so lets see how this does.

Name of Series: Mekaku City Actors
Episodes Watched: 2
Rating:
Comments: I'm currently reading the light novel along with watching the anime to see what it is like.

Name of Series: M3 sono......(?)
Episodes Watched: 1
Rating:
Comments: more old school and not aesthetically designed robots?? The technology doesn't look promising either.

Dropped list

Name of Series: Captain Earth
Episodes Watched: 2
Rating:
Comments: Super Robots...as in the genre.

Name of Series: Break Blade
Episodes Watched: 2
Rating:
Comments: Characters are okay but the technology just puts me off.

Name of Series: Blade & Soul
Episodes Watched: 1
Rating:
Comments: Unintentional Comedy, korean mmorpg.

I'm not giving a chance list

Any anime that has a main genre of comedy is a NO.
Any anime that has any of these genres but have nothing to balance it out: Ecchi, Harem, Sports, Slice of life, shoujo
Any anime that is too light hearted.

That should cover all the names i didn't mention.

Name of Series: Selector Infected WIXOSS
Comments: Unintentional comedy




Forced to watch list

Name of Series: Mushishi Zoku Shou
Episodes Watched: 3
Rating:
Comments: I'm trying to understand the hype so I'm making myself watch it till the end. So far, it has good storytelling but that's all i see so far. Current impression: boring as everything else has been mediocre.

[Haak]

All of these are in order of preference.

Excellent
Mushishi

Very Good
Ping Pong
Isshukan Friends

Borderline: Captain Earth

Good
Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou
Soredemo Sekai Wa Utsukushi
M3 - Sono Kuroki Hagane
Gokukoku no Brynhildr
Baby Steps
Hitsugi no Chiaki

Borderline: Black Bullet

On the Fence
WIXOSS
Knights of Sidonia
Nanana's Buried Treasure
Mekaku City Actors

Already Dropped
Mahouka (After Episode 2)
Blade & Soul (After Episode 1)

[monir]

With 4-5 episodes in for most Spring 2014 series, Sidonia no Kishi is easily the best new show by a large margin. Mushishi is my most favorite but since it's a sequel, Sidonia is the best new show. I haven't seen such a good sci-fi that has engaged me in this way since Cowboy Bebop. One of the biggest flaw in space related show is the science whether it's anime or movies. So far Sidonia got the space physics to an acceptable level without those wtf moment. Not only that, the story is actually quite decent.

Ping Pong is very good too with the best opening episode among the Spring 2014 series. It has waned a bit in my opinion but it is still very good with its distinct style of art, animation, and superb background music. For the sports aspect of things, I am enjoying Baby Steps more than Ping Pong. Haikyu is pretty good too.

Mushishi, oh dear god, I love this show. I just love it. This, to me, is once in a decade type of series. The blending of nature with the supernatural along with gorgeous emphasis of the color green and the slow pace of life....... I'm not talented enough to write down what kind of emotion this show manages to evoke in me every time I watch an episode..........

Weirdly enough, this season is also accommodating several stories dystopic in nature. I have counted 4 of them. Generally I can't stand that topic barring certain exception where audience are asked to utilize the gray matter (Psycho Pass, Madoka Magica.) None of this series require their audience to any such. In fact, the enjoyment goes out the window because ones head got in the way. That said, episode 5 of Blade and Soul was pretty decent for successfully demonstrating with a bit of overacting (and yelling) about the ever present conflict of how good or bad is defined, and how subjective everyone of those definition of good and evil can be.

No Game No Life is a series that I'm surprisingly enjoying for it's sheer simplistic nature of storytelling. The super cute Imouto-maskot helps tremendously, but it is still all about playing games and the consequence of absolute winning is the player gets to be a god. Awesome!

Few other series that I'm enjoying for the sheer stupidity are Kanojo ga Flag o Oraretara, Mangka-san to Assistant, Seikoku no Dragonar, Fuuun Ishin Dai Shougun, and Daimidaler.

Mahouka Koukou could have been enjoyable if I could figure out once and for all exactly what the heck is this story about. Is it about the imouto wanting to bang her bad ass onichan? I don't think I really care as long as the show starts to clue me in about a story. I still don't understand what Mekakucity Actors is all about......

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii seems to have a good plot, but it can be boring to sit through even a 20-min episode. Episode 4 was brutal.

Gochuumon wa Usagi Desuka, Soul Eater Not, and Escha & Logy no Atelier are good watch when you have nothing else to do.

Anyway, this season has been satisfying with it various options to pick from with plenty of new show. It made me forget about the mediocre Winter season.

[Kmos]

All the new shows this season, kept or put on hold:
Of the new shows I'm watching this season I'm really liking Sidonia no Kishi most of all, 8/10 Rating.

Black Bullet, No Game No Life, Hitsugi no Chaika, Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin, Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei are all enjoyable watches so far, 7/10 Rating. Mahouka is the better of this lot and look ma no loli.

Jojo needs to be seen cause it's Jojo and it's a must see drama.

Of the sports anime this season (Abarenbou Kishii, Ping Pong, Haikyuu, Baby Steps) I preferred Haikyuu until seeing the latest episode. I didn't think it was going to turn into the team slapstick comedy. I'd pick Ping Pong next best but I don't like the anime format for it and highly favor the quiet roughness of the manga form. Abarenbou Kishii next and Baby Steps last. These four are all in the 6-7 of 10 rating range.

Penguin Empire is some silly ecchi mecha show. Everyone needs some silly stuff sometimes even if it's not that hilarious. 6/10.

A decent short to follow, Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san has some good, cute yuri comedic offerings. 7/10.

I'm putting off on watching Break Blade and M3 til later when I find more time. I've seen the Break Blade movies and a couple episodes of the tv series. I didn't notice any differences so I'll watch it at a later time. M3 started later than the rest so I'll start it later when I have a chance.

Dropped/Dropping:
Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii's kind of a shota-like romcom fantasy of a high order? to me. At times it looks like great fantasy and then stepping back it's sort of ehh Not sure how else to see it honestly.

Captain Earth has the telltale signs I saw in the last Bones mecha show that had high hopes, AO. Feels like a trap I needed to get out of early on.

[xl_Legit_lx]

Name of Series: Knights of Sidonia
Episodes Watched: 5 (up to latest released episode)
Rating: 3.75/5
Comments: Good series with good fight scenes. It's 3D CGI, so if you're not into it you might not like it, then again if you enjoy the fight scenes it might not matter. In my opinion, it's a beautiful anime and it's got that movie-quality feel. The story is good, and well it's sort of has that Gantz feeling of "everyone has death flags", but the main character needs development but there are a variety of characters that are cool and if you enjoy Mecha anime this is for you.
Status (Keep/drop/stall): Keep

Name of Series: Break Blade
Episodes Watched: Up to Date
Rating: 4/5
Comments: If you watched the movies and read the manga like me, then it's a treat. For any mecha anime fans this is a must watch (if you did not watch the original movie releases). New scenes and all of that, the story is great, the trials and tribulations between friends and one person trying to keep them together. The romance is there too, in very interesting triangle where everyone knows whats happening (although they aren't always honest with their feelings, unless you read the manga). Must watch.
Status (Keep/drop/stall): Keep

Name of Series: Nisekoi
Episodes Watched: Up to date (18 episodes)
Rating: 3.5/5
Comments: I know this one is a continuation from last season, but I thought I would just say that this anime is great, and it's premise is pretty original for a romantic comedy. The twists and turns in this anime that starts off as a love triangle, goes haywire. It may get frustrating at times with how reserved they are, but the comedy is decent and it's a fun anime to watch, but I can see it going for another season, if not then I forsee a bad ending with only 20 episodes confirmed (up to 18 already).
Status (Keep/drop/stall): Keep

Name of Series: JoJo Bizzare Adventure
Episodes Watched: 1 Episode
Rating: 2.75/5
Comments: I went in, thinking that with all the hype and praise I would enjoy this anime, never having heard of the (way popular) franchise. The first episode was sort of like a black comedy, with some feelings I got from Beezlebub (which I loved). I just think, maybe if I want to watch it some more, it may grow on me but overall I think it's a bit overrated from just the brand it's associated with. It's pretty much a parody of the action-genre of anime, and it does a good job and laughing at itself, and the characters but I'm having a hard time liking the main character.
Status (Keep/drop/stall): Stall

[all_flying]

Name of Series: Dragonar Academy
Episodes Watched: 2... or maybe 3?
Rating & comment:

[itisjustme]

Amazing

Mushishi S2 : True to the first season, one of the rare animes I would call more art than storytelling: the beautiful drawings, the melancholic mood, the different emotions it manages to create in a subdued and almost poetic way, the creation of its own mythos. The one thing I could hold against it is that it doesn't stay long on my mind due to its episodic nature.

Great

Ping Pong : Weird character design but I like the background art and the animation, very different from the usual sport anime whether in tone, themes or even goal, I think. I was ready to put it in the Amazing section after 2 episodes but then it turned slightly darker and they started being cheap with the animation during games.

No Game No Life : Great energy, good fun, some stellar voice acting, interesting theme, (too?) many otaku references. Started okay but turned better after somewhat tuning down the pointless fanservice and Steph's screentime in favor of Jibril and meatier games.

Good

Haikyu!! : The animation is good but the comedy translates a little worse into anime format (like almost always). Nothing incredibly original but lovable characters. Still one of my favorite current sports series.

Hitsugi no Chaika : From the same director and author as Scrapped Princess, and while not as strong as SP you can see the similarities. Usually action packed, the downside is the hurried pace. The art is average but the fighting animations are good. Mostly lighthearted for now but with hints of deeper mysteries and plot.

Watching if bored

Baby Steps : I love the manga but the adaptation is lackluster. The animation feels pretty cheap and there's a disturbing lack of dramatization that doesn't do it justice.

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei : Fans here are really touchy about this one so I'll only say it's pretty controversial.

Dropped for now but might pick up again once it's complete

Knights of Sidonia : Looks interesting but the character design and action are a little bland, while the art and atmosphere just said cold to me.

Break Blade : The first episode looked almost entirely recycled from the movies. Will watch if there's new material.

The World Is Still Beautiful : Shoujo, not entirely my thing.

Dropped probably for good

One Week Friends : Possibly great for those who like these kind of things but the sweetness overload with a shade of melodrama isn't my cup of tea at all.

Brynhildr in the Darkness : The creepiness, and mostly the connection to Elfen Lied made me uncomfortable.

Captain Earth : Typical super robot show.

Black Bullet : Stereotypical, from story to art to characters. Heavy handed presentation,
bratty loli with the annoying voice as female lead, no thanks.

[Lou0wnZ]

A-LIST
Mushishi, Ping Pong the Animation.

Mushishi is a masterpiece, Ping Pong the Animation is surprisingly deep and complex for a sports series.

B+ LIST
No Game no Life, Haikyuu, Sidonia no Kishi, Jojo part 3.

NGNL is entertaining as hell, Haikyuu is a nice sports series and Sidonia was enjoyable because of its interesting and beautiful world and its story. Really loving Jojo part 3 more than I expected.

B- LIST
Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou and Mahouka.

Finally got into Mahouka. Bokura was a nice SoL.

CARRY-ONS

Mahouka, Jojo part 3 and Haikyuu.

Dropped
Baby Steps, Black Bullet, Soredemo, Captain Earth.

I thought Soredemo was fine, but not worth my time, and the premise was ridiculous. Captain Earth had jaw-dropping animation but a ridiculous MC. Hated it thoughtout the whole episode. Black Bullet was ludicrous, also ridden with shitty LN cliches. BS was nothing I hoped for in an adaptation.

Still gotta watch
Isshukan Friends.

Isshukan Friends is so my kinda thing that I wonder why I haven`t watched it yet. It's the only anime left for me in this season that I want to watch.

Might pick up again later
Hitsugi no Chaika.

Heard from a few trusted bloggers that the first season was good.

Thoughts
Wow! What an amazing season of anime! 2 series on my A-LIST and 7 on my B-LIST, and I still haven`t watched 1 I`m insterested in.

[Preciize]

Name of Series: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei
Episodes Watched: 9
Rating: 4/5
Comments: It's been entertaining and interesting to me so far. It does feel a bit rushed and unclear at times but nonetheless I'm still enjoying it. I'll probably take a look at the LN later on.
Status (Keep/drop/stall): Keep

Name of Series: Black Bullet
Episodes Watched: 9
Rating: 4/5
Comments: My favorite series of this season so far, love the OP and ED. Really interesting, not to mention much more serious and dark than what I usually watch, so it's a bit refreshing. It makes the few comedic and light-hearted scenes a lot more enjoyable. Will definitely pick up the LN after the series end and follow the story through.
Status (Keep/drop/stall): Keep

Name of Series: Date A Live II
Episodes Watched: 8
Rating: 3/5
Comments: Biggest reason I decided to watch this was because I liked the first season of this series. This season started out slow and then picked up. The last couple episodes will be interesting so looking forward to that.
Status (Keep/drop/stall): Keep

Will probably pick up No Game No Live and another series since I'm caught up with all of the above three.

[SuitUp]

So far this season is turning out pretty good for me:

Amazing
Baby Steps: One of the best sports anime I have ever seen (shares the spot with Chihayafuru and Cross Game), even though the art was a bit sketchy at the begginig and the budget clearly it's a bit on the short side, it actually benefits from the style, and it's paced amazingly well, my only complaint it's that only airs once a week.
Haikyuu!: Enjoyable sports adaptation, really liked the angle on the rivalry/friendship of the protagonist, and the animation it's really good.
Isshukan Friends: The feels, oh God, the feels.

Average but Enjoyable
Bokura wa Minna Kawaiiso: I was afraid it was gonna be too much like Sakurasou, but ended up very enjoyable, mainly because the pretty art and Ricchan's cuteness, even though the rest of the cast it's pretty one dimensional.

Watching because literally I have nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon:
Brynhildr in the Darkness: Concept on paper sounds genuinely creepy, execution? Not so much, it gets to the point where for times the focus is so much on the harem that you forget that this girls are supposed to be but shadows of what a human is... I'm watching still to root for one of the girls.

Dropped for Good
Ping Pong: Can't stand the art, it was an inmediate turn off.
No Game No Life: I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and to quote Ennis's Punisher "Tried, didn't like it".

[Flower]

Okay! Spring 2014 season is for all purposes essentially done, so I thought I would post my final impressions:

TL;DR…

Spring 2014 Final Review

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[Kmos]

Sidonia no Kishi: This was the best anime of the season. Great OP and ED, great action, great setting, interesting alien species, alright animation, and I liked most of the story.

Black Bullet: Not knowing the source material and skimming forums here I saw mention of this being a bad or lacking adaptation. It didn't matter much to me as I found it to be very entertaining. I'm noting this to myself to read the source material.
Hitsugi no Chaika: This is turning out to be a nice surprise for me. I'm intrigued by the Chaikas and their role. Great to hear it's continuing on.

No Game No Life and Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin: Both are game world like setting. Not really my thing, but each good in their own sense. I'm more interested in the characters of Nanana than NGNL. NGNL is pretty flashy but somewhat empty, kinda CCG cards with a completed checklist. Both were a good watches though.
Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: What I thought was a good series turned somewhat boring. Glancing at forums, I again saw bad adaptation or whatever. I might check out the source material when the anime finishes but from what I've seen so far I might not.

JoJo: I miss the thrills of over dramatic acting. I had to check if this was called the Polnareff show sometimes. The Joesters are acting too cool but I will continue to watch, because Jojo.

Haikyuu and Baby Steps: Both good sports anime. Still prefer Haikyuu over the 4 sports anime this season but none of them went onto being something I'd wait with anticipation.
Abarenbou Kishii: Nice slow, oldie but sorta goodie show. Still watching.
Ping Pong: I like the action scenes and the ball tricks animated here, but that's the one thing it holds over the manga to me. The manga wasn't amazing but I stayed up to read it all in one go. Seeing the anime makes me hope folks pay more attention to the sport and hopefully write more ping pong manga/LN/animes.

Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san: I enjoyed it for its cute, yuri comedy short.
Penguin Empire: Was what it was, silly ecchi show. Pretty forgettable and bad at some points.


Break Blade: Still haven't gotten around to watching beyond the initial 2? 3? episodes...
M3: Watched a few episodes, wasn't something I remembered to catch so I guess I dropped it.