Winter 2011 anime: impression

[RRW]

Spoiler for Version 4:

Spoiler for Version 4:

Discuses what is your impression of Winter 2011

[Ushima]

So far I've seen the first episode of: infinite strados and freezing. They look promising. Hope they turn out good.

[Kitsune]

Kodomo no jikan OVA, Kimi ni Todoke 2nd season & Mitsudomoe 2n season will be my late-but-the-best christmas presents ^^

[Zeroryoko1974]

Freezing, Gosick, Dragon Crisis, and Zombie are all pretty good after one episode. Albeit unoriginal. Infinite Stratos is unoriginal, and unineteresting, but at least it's well animated. First ep of Wolverine was pretty good. First ep of Mitsudomoe 2 was a Gachi Ranger episode, so I don't count it as an episode. To me it never happened, and I await the first episode of the 2nd season. Rio was so silly and dumb, but it has hot chicks so it may get another episode out of me. Beelzebub was pretty cool, will continue to watch it to oogle Hilda. Out of the shows I have seen so far this winter, Gosick and Beelzebub were my favorites. Dream Eater Merry or whatever it's called is good. The main female n

[Tsuyukusa]

Well, here's what I've seen so far...

Yumekui Merry: This one is my favorite so far. Merry's design is excellent and (thankfully) isn't degraded by overbearing fanservice. I have very, very high expectations for this series.

Gosick: Not bad, but I don't usually like mysteries.

Is This a Zombie?: I'm on the fence about this one. It's funny, but the amount of fanservice is a little irritating.

Dragon Crisis: I wasn't particularly drawn in, I thought it was a little bland. I realize Rose is supposed to be cute and endearing, but she annoyed me to no end. I'll give it another episode, but I'm probably going to drop it.

Beezlebub: I decided to check it out on a whim. I didn't think it was funny, just obnoxious. Definitely dropping.

Infinite Stratos: The artwork is nice, but I'm a little bored of the 'one male surrounded by a million billion females' thing.

Fractale: The first episode was excellent. This and Yumekui Merry are my Must Watch anime of the season.

[GuidoHunter_Toki]

The only one that has really caught my attention enough to keep watching is Yumekui Merry.

An interesting show and the design/animation is an extra plus.

[Master_Yoma]

So far so good a few good anime but dont know if there going to keep it up

[capture]

GoSick: I like Mystery-type anime, settings are quite nice, animations and bg are really excellent, VA's are not bad either. [High Priority]

Madoka Magika: This is so serious but in a good way, action-scenes are splendid and I really liked them, on par with Nanoha IMO but too early to say it I think. [High Priority]

Infinite Stratos: While I'm watching this, a reminiscence of Soukou no Strain enter me, maybe because of the mecha, don't like the plot in here. [dropped]

Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka: Funny, it's really funny, action scenes are nice too. [Normal Priority]

Yumekui Merry: This is really good, nice plot, characters, though animation isn't eye-candy though [Normal Priority]

Others: maybe if I have some time to spend...

[SilverSyko]

Nothing "OMGWANNAWATCH" for me from these. A few look intriguing but I'm not very enthusiastic to try watching them.

These include:

Gosick
Kore wa Zombie desu ka?
Yumekui Merry


Only one I'm watching right now is Onii-chan no Koto, but that's mostly cause I read the manga. It's nothing fascinating but it hasn't done anything that makes me wanna drop it.

[Simon]

Hourou Musuko is gorgeousness and gorgosity. People who like to have everything explained in nice neat packages will likely find the first episode frustrating, but even if you're one of them it's worth watching for the visuals alone. (And I'm sure everything will be explained in due course. Probably.)

[Nihokon]

Gosick is the only anime that picks up my interest so far.

[Zeroryoko1974]

The trap reverse trap show was kind of interesting. Not real exciting, but interesting.

[Sciel]

Infinite Stratos - Was disappointed with the first episode but the second episode i felt was pretty good . Sure everyone will keep saying the whole premise of the show is cliched, we've seen this before, harem incoming, etc but personally i don't mind it all that much. Mecha? Check! Cute Girls? Check!Picked up

Kore wa Zombie desu ka? - I thought the first episode was pretty awesome and lulzworthy . Especially the ending. Picked up

GoSick - First episode was decent. Will watch a few more before deciding. Neutral

Madoka Magika - I don't really care for Mahou Shoujo shows much and this is no exception . The production values are pretty good but i dislike the character designs a lot . Dropped

Dragon Crisis - Thought the first episode for pretty bland and boring . The whole thing gave me Index vibes which i dislike greatly . Will give it one more episode. Likely to be dropped

Beezlebub - Probably the worst opening episode of the season. I didn't care for the whole premise much . Dropped

Freezing - The premise is interesting and the first episode was somewhat interesting if you can look past 20 minutes of tits. I've heard good things about the manga so i guess i'll watch this. Picked Up

Merry - After two episodes i still don't have much of an opinion of it besides it having pretty damn good animation / nice character designs . Neutral

[Guardian Enzo]

Spoiler for Long:

The best of the best (will definitely blog):


Hourou Musuko - A+. Without question the best premiere of the season. Sublimely beautiful to look at, full of heartfelt emotion and complexity. This won't always be easy to watch but it will certainly be moving and involving. This show is why I love anime, and why Noitamina is a great service to the industry and the fans. This one has a chance to be truly great.

Fractale - A-. Yep, Noitamina wins again. Not as brilliant as Hourou but Yamakan has delivered a fascinating, lush, Ghibli-esque first episode that promises to be a high-class production in all aspects. Maybe this season's Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin - a quality production obviously made by smart, talented and funny people. I hope it doesn't wander off course in the middle the way that A-1 Pictures show did.

Mitsudomoe Zouyouchuu - A-. Sure, this could be a straight "A" - but though the all-Gachi premiere was a brilliant idea, I just need to make sure the magic is still there when the focus returns to the main characters. In a comedy-starved season, thank heaven for Mitsudomoe.

Level E - A-. Here was our first sleeper of the season. Based on a "Jump" manga that ended in 1997, part "Starman" and part "Men in Black". It's old-school, funny, smart, and not a tsundere or loli in sight.


Solid beginnings, with potential:


Gosick - B+. It didn't grab me until the second half, but when it did, it connected. BONES looks to have captured the gorgeous look and feel of the source material, and could have an excellent series on their hands if the pacing and plotting hold up to the visuals.

Dragon Crisis - B. Sure, the plot is a bit of a mess and KugiRie and Hiro-Hiro are just too on the money. But it's the best looking DEEN series ever and it has a real flair to it.

Infinite Stratos - B-. This one is a giant ball of cliche, but it's a lot of cliche we haven't seen much lately - good sci-fi, battle school, etc. What saves this for me so far is that it doesn't take itself at all seriously (unlike, for example, Star Driver).

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica - B-. This was hugely anticipated, but didn't quite grab me. I like the "pancake faces" and the potential for a twisted take on the Mahou Shoujo genre and Shinbo is always interesting, so I'll give it time to click,

Yumekui Merry - B-. Not a bad start here - elements of "Pandora Hearts" in the premise and a fairly interesting visual style. Of all the shows that fell into the massive middle of the pack this season, this one may have the most upside potential based on the premiere.


Hanging on by a thread:


Kimi ni Todoke 2nd Season - C+. Not much reason to belabor the point here - this one will probably never really grab me. If you loved the first season you'll do fine because I see no decline in quality - I just find the lead characters and the story's risk-averse style relatively uninteresting.

Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka - C+. As long as this doesn't turn into a "Princess Resurrection" deal where the jokes are all in the main character getting maimed every week, it has humor potential.

Oniichan no Koto Nanka Zenzen Suki ja Nai n da kara ne!! - C. Yeah, we really didn't need another incest comedy but it wasn't terrible - and they popped the incest balloon in the premiere anyway.

Beelzebub - C. Yet another Shounen Jump title that supposedly gets really good after about 50 episodes, but unless it improves I won't make it anywhere near that long. There's potential in the premise but most of the humor in the premiere fell flat due to poor timing.

Freezing - C-. This was one I thought had sleeper potential, but the premiere suffered from terrible exposition and some really awkward dialogue. Right now it looks like nothing more than fan-service and gore for its own sake.

Rio: Rainbow Gate - C-. It's banal and sexist and lazily written, but at least this show knows what it is - and you get exactly what you expect from it. If you want mindless service, this is your one-stop shop and it isn't terribly offensive.

[MeoTwister5]

Hourou Musuko (1 episode) - A
Despite some of my qualms with the choice to skip a gigantic amount of material, they managed to start it at a good point in the story and succeeded in showing a great amount preparation and care for what they decided to work with, even transposing a lot of the themes and content of the skipped parts into more original scenes that was the fantastic last five minutes of episode one. Sure I may never see the first 33 chapters animated, but I think AIC intends to do the lost content justice in their own way.

Fractale (1 episode) - B+
If Ghibli made a TV series, this would be it. Strip away the hype and Yamakan's penchant for drama and you still have a very solid setting with a very solid story.

Kimi ni Todoke S2 (2 episodes) - B+
The continuation of a simple straightforward and unpretentious high school romance. No melodrama and no overbearing emotions in a genre where extremes are being done to set one apart from another. Also bubbles.

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (2 episodes) - B-
This would probably what Nanoha would have been on LSD, or at least while they fight. Stock magical girl show with darker elements and Shaft/Shinbo's penchant for the bizarre.

Infinite Stratos (2 episodes) - C
I'm not watching this for the story or depth if you have to ask. Cute girls in mecha, at least I don't have to see a panty shot every 5 seconds like in Strike Witches.

[klare]

this might be the season that i will be watching the least series at a time, so far i have checked out:

Infinite Stratos: dropped after 1 eps, may try it again in BD version (most shows look better in BD)

Madoka: seems interesting and will continue

Gosick: like the chars and have confidence in Bones

Beelzebub: so far the jokes are still fresh, will continue but not a must-watch for me

Level E: may be the best show of the season in my opinion, only bad thing is i have read the manga and know what will happen all the way...

Fractale: as a Ghibli fan, this show is satisfying, hope it gets better with more of the world settings shown

[FlavorOfLife]

Level E - Very funny first episode. Highly watchable

Zombie - Also very funny first episode. Highly watchable

Madoka - Again slow first but hints of a non standard magical girl anime from ep 2. Highly Watchable

Gosick - Slow first ep but kicking into gear from episode 2. Watchable

Fractale - Interesting, may be a social commentary. Watchable

Mitsudomoe - Very funny first episode but the last season could not sustain my interest. Watchable for now

Beelzebub - Standard shonen jokes. Watchable for now

Merry - Still slow to kick off after 2 eps. Unsure

Dragon Crisis - Slow first episode. Unsure

Freezing - Story direction uncertain as yet. Could go either way. Unsure but negative for now

Rio - Really bad. Still could be recovered. Unsure but negative for now