[Summer 2013] Swimming Anime

[MomentOfInertia]

CR puts Episodes up for free one week after posting them for paid members.

In this case ep 1 will be up for free viewing on the 18h.

[mechana2015]

Ep 1 is already up for free on CR.

[MomentOfInertia]

...Sorry I must have been looking at the wrong show. Thanks for catching that.

[mechana2015]

Actually I misread, and thought you meant Free. Silver spoon does unlock on the 17th/18th for free. Free already has it's first ep up.

[MomentOfInertia]

Hah. I actually had free capitalized there for a second before I fixed it. This might be a long season eh?

[mechana2015]

FREE for free... yeah it might be.

*insert Braveheart gif of blue dude yelling freedom here*

[Vii]

First episodes -

Sunday Without God: No clue where this is going. None. Hamburger Hamlet is a cool dude, though, so I'll try another episode.

Dangan Ronpa: Well that was dull. The premise is forced, but mildly intriguing. Everything else is bland. The characters in particular all annoy me to some degree. Had to force myself to finish the episode. Dropped.

Free!: asdfghjkl lolz. Watching of course.

The Eccentric Family: Can't really tell where this is going either, but I enjoyed it. Will keep watching.

Silver Spoon: Very much like the manga. Yeesss. OP is too romcom-ish, but eh. Definitely watching.

Gatchaman Crowds: Very promising. Really enjoyed it. Definitely gonna stick with this one.

C3-bu: I think I'd rather go play airsoft myself than watch a bunch of girls be moe about it. Dropped because it's not my thing.

Blood Lad: Looks pretty. I like the colorful palette and the animation is pretty good. Dunno if I care for the story at all. Characters are fairly amusing. Might try another episode.

Watamote: Eh. It was alright. Probably won't continue watching though.


First Episodes Ranking -

Gatchaman Crowds = Free > Eccentric Family = Silver Spoon > Blood Lad = Sunday Sans God > Watamote > C3-bu > Danganronpa

[MangaRocks!]

The Eccentric Family episode 2:

LOL, all of them really *are* eccentric. They all really care about each other, though, which is sweet.

As much as I'm enjoying this show so far, I do have to say that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the Tanuki hot-pot thing *is* a tad disturbing -- I mean, good grief, the flashback of the rest of the family all sobbing in animal form once they found out that the dad had gotten cooked just about broke my heart right then and there...! That said, this is a really unique, (mostly ) quite funny, also quite interesting, and very entertaining series so far (with great visuals and music besides!), and I'm very much looking forward to episode 3!

[GeneD]

Silver Spoon: OP is too romcom-ish, but eh.

I totally agree with this.

Kiniro Mosaic 2: While I can't point out particular problems with this, I don't see myself watching it much longer. Maybe 1 more episode grace.

The Eccentric Family 2: Giant lion with a bowl haircut... That was new.

Danganronpa 2: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: If they find the wrong person guilty everyone but the actual guilty person is killed, so of course we can assume that's not going to happen because that would be the end of the show. Can anyone tell me if the blood is bright pink because it's some kind of censor or just the style of the show?
The premise reminds me a lot of a game we played at school (without the actual death obviously XP). We all sat in a circle and in one version everyone closed their eyes and the murderer (chosen beforehand by someone not in the game) would decide who to kill and then everyone "wakes up" and tries to find someone guilty. There's also a werewolves + villagers one I play with my family. In another version everyone's eyes stayed open and the murderer killed by winking at people. Playing that again might be more fun than watching any more of this anime but I'll give it a 3rd episode since the first 2 were mostly setup.

[Vii]

The premise reminds me a lot of a game we played at school (without the actual death obviously XP). We all sat in a circle and in one version everyone closed their eyes and the murderer (chosen beforehand by someone not in the game) would decide who to kill and then everyone "wakes up" and tries to find someone guilty. There's also a werewolves + villagers one I play with my family. In another version everyone's eyes stayed open and the murderer killed by winking at people.

Oooh, I used to play that at camp. I'm totally blanking on the name for it.

[KazeShiki]

@GeneD because it's like that in the game. Also, is mafia the game you are thinking of? Versions sound a little different but the premise is similar.

Silver Spoon - pretty good first ep. Very similar to the manga so can't really go wrong. Moe pigs in opening is win.

Symphogear G ep2 - they just keep giving me new Nana songs, how can I complain?

Neptunia - haha this is entertaining. nothing but silly fun and some really good seiyuu.

Gatchaman - wow that was unexpectedly good. I don't like the main girl though.

Monogatari ep2 - uhhh well aside from the fanservice that made me bitter, it was a good ep. contrast between the same question but different meaning is so good.

[GeneD]

@KazeShiki yes I believe it was mafia (of werewolf), the one with "day" and "night" periods. The other one seems to have been this: Wink Murder, we played it with a detective not random accusations, but the detective was part of the circle not sitting in the centre and the other players could take part in the debate too. All of this if I remember correctly of course. ^__^

WATAMOTE 2: Spent most of the episode going "Ag shame". Yandere Boy cd was funny though. On hold until I decide if I have time for it or should just drop it.

Senyuu 2 ep 2: "A real man's fist can undo any brainwashing!"

[MangaRocks!]

Gatchaman Crowds episode 2:

LOL! Alright, I'm really starting to warm up to this now-- this episode was adorable.

And while Hajime's personality is indeed, amusingly enough, almost insanely bright on the surface , I like the fact that there's actually some layers there (as shown rather well in this episode). And she's actually quite smart/insightful about certain things, too. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Also, that whole sequence when she walked across to the leader-dude (over apparent thin air...! ) and sat and talked with him was pretty cool. (I wonder what she was going to ask him... well, I'm sure we'll find out. ) As was the part where she actually calmed the cute little alien cube thing down-- I'm really glad her intuition was correct there.

As for the end of the ep.: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Uh, wow. Super-creepy, weird, doppelgänger-ing, chaos-loving... uh... person(?)/alien(?)/whatever(?) is...... yeah.

And ah, now the creator of that social network has been revealed, and she looks pretty interesting. (Also, I look forward to finding out what's up with her Gatchaman notebook...) As for the social network itself, I'm not quite sure about it yet-- I mean, it seems like a really awesome, really helpful, and possibly downright life-saving service, and yet I've seen way too much sci-fi to not be at least a little suspicious, LOL. Guess we'll see...

(Oh, and on a somewhat irrelevant note, I have no idea if romance is going to play any part in the plot at all {...and judging by the tone of the show so far, I'm thinking that if it is, it probably won't be much ... although, O.D. sure looked like he was shipping them as well, LOL }, but regardless, I'm totally shipping Hajime x Sugane now. )

[skreyola]

Silver Spoon is on crunchyroll, but unless you have a paid membership I think you'll have to wait a little bit to watch it. I could be wrong though, and I don't know how long the wait is. I'm really looking forward to it though, finally an anime focused on rural Japan

Thank you for the information. Sorry for the slow response; I was disconnected from the network last week.

[goldenspines]

Senyuu 2 ep 2: "A real man's fist can undo any brainwashing!"

Still the best show of the season.

Anyway, a little late in updating here, but there's still a lot to watch. O_O

My thoughts on Monogatari s2 ep. 2 are about the same as KazeShiki's. I had forgotten how long this segment was or maybe I'm just too anxious to SPOILER: Highlight text to read: see how they show Araragi's parents. But either way, fanservice aside, it's very much monogatari style, so can't complain.
Gahara gives a stab towards Hat and his salad dressing-less ways, as well.

Eccentric Family ep 2: Still excellent in the visuals and story telling.

Kin'iro Mosaic ep 2: I still find this amusing because my experience adjusting to Japanese culture was about this awkward and dorky.

Blood Lad ep 2: This is still interesting for the most part. I'm on edge because as much as I like vampires in stories, a lot of them fall short of being a compelling character. I'm also hoping this won't become a fight of the week shounen series, but who knows.
Next episode we meet the werewolf, so this may be the deciding factor!

Sunday w/o god ep. 2: Screwy theology, but what did you expect from the title? XD; This one is a curious one, though. Not sure if I'll totally pursue it (since I have a billion other things to watch), but it is sort of intriguing.

Stella C3 ep 3: This is a very good show. You all should be watching it. Someone finally got the girls and gun anime right.

DanganRonpa ep. 3: It's still okay ish...but it's just not keeping me as interested. I can imagine that fans of the game would like it a lot more.

Gatchaman Crowds ep. 2: While the main girl still annoys me somewhat, I think part of her personality is growing on me enough to keep watching. The way she talks is hilarious, too.

[KazeShiki]

I'm really liking this season overall.

Silver Spoon ep2 - I don't think I'll ever have anything to say since it's following the manga so closely. Excellent.

Neptunia ep2 - more fan service than I would've liked but all the mario world jokes in Nintendo land were fun. I want to see what they do for Sony.

Gatchaman ep2 - Hajime grew on me a lot this episode. Befriending enemies without befriending action~

Genshiken ep3 - traps are scary @_@ loving all these monogatari references lol

Monogatari ep3 - my hopes of Shiogi-chan cameo are crushed. oh well, at least got mastermind Tsukihi and wandering Shinobu. I guess they'll do 2 more eps to wrap it up? I like this pace.

Eccentric Family - wooooow Noto has impressed me so much with Benten. stealing the show so hard. I would never have chosen her to do such a character but she's doing the most perfect job. Wow Noto, just wow.

[GeneD]

Dropped KINMOZA and WATAMOTE because I don't have time for everything I started and those interest me the least.

Servant x Service ep 3: I was on the verge of dropping this too, but then ep 3 was actually pretty enjoyable. I wonder if the first few episodes are all going to focus primarily on one character each, since that's what 2 and 3 did, mostly.

Danganronpa ep 3: Biggest revelation: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the large muscular person is a girl. I did not realise that.
SPOILER: Highlight text to read: I think it's the style of it, but the "punishment" for the murderer disturbs me much more than the other deaths have, just like the opening scene of the first episode. I'm glad the trial didn't drag on for more than one episode though. It's a good thing everyone fits into their neat little stereotypes so that an ironically fitting death could be planned for each one. I found it randomly funny that the first culprit is the guy with the blood splatter pattern on his clothes... Maybe since it wasn't pink they didn't realise it was blood. XP

Gatchaman ep 2: Hajime rules. That phone app reminded me of the one in Eden of the East.

Blood Lad ep 2: Well it was better than the first episode.

The Eccentric Family 3: Benten is equal parts fascinating and terrifying. I hope the plot starts moving forwards a little more soon though.

[MangaRocks!]

Silver Spoon ep2 - I don't think I'll ever have anything to say since it's following the manga so closely. Excellent.

See, now *this* is what I want to hear! Let's hope it stays that way-- if it does, then I'll give it a watch.



The Eccentric Family episode 3:

Benten is equal parts fascinating and terrifying.

^ My thoughts exactly. I really want to know what's up with her.

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: While we're on the subject of Benten: That flashback bit with the mountain was also quite interesting-- so their dad tricked the Tengu with a downright incredible transformation (which they were apparently rather displeased by ), and Benten apparently has other connections there aside from just the old teacher... hmm...

Also intriguing is the fact that the main character is/was actually engaged (though it was arranged by his dad) to Kaisei-- but he has never actually *seen* her. That's just asking for a twist later on (...I mean, unless it's a clever little red herring, of course)...

Anyway, yeah, this was a bit slower and more random episode, but I didn't mind at all-- the Tanuki family was as great as always , the visuals/music/atmosphere/etc. were also as great as usual, and that scene at the end with the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: flying tea-room was pretty nice, as well. So yeah, still quite liking this.

[MangaRocks!]

Gatchaman Crowds episode 3:

I liked all the discussion in the beginning about the "MESS" (and poor Pai's reaction to finally realizing SPOILER: Highlight text to read: that everything they'd done until then was basically all pointless, LOL).

And then, yeah, since I'm pretty sure that was creepy-weird-doppelganger-alien(?)-dude(?)-- okay, I'm just going to call him/it the "real bad guy" now -- talking to the creator of GALAX (...who, on a sidenote, I'm now actually pretty certain is a guy... ), and plus there was that mention of the "Crowds" power that he(?) gave 100 users (and was very hesitant to have activated... basically, it was a last resort), I guess being a little suspicious about the system was the correct reaction. (Even though it *does* seem to only have been helpful and even life-saving so far...)

Also, this sounds a bit weird in writing , but apparently stopping people from drinking bad milk is actually... well, kinda exciting. (And LOL at Sugane and the broom. ) Also, as much as Hajime is a fan of the GALAX system, she made a very good point that they can't only rely on it.

And yikes, the end there ... you know, it's going to be really satisfying when the Gatchaman finally take that real bad guy out. (I mean, in the finale, of course. ) In the meantime, nice double cliffhanger!

[MangaRocks!]

(Gah-- waited until today because I was trying not to triple-post , but oh well... )

The Eccentric Family episode 4:

LOL, this episode. It had the great art/atmosphere/etc. as usual, the characters being amusing as usual , some nice background on the two opposing groups of Tengu and why the Tanuki's dad got involved, and that hilarious + awesome sky battle.

Looking forward to next week, as always!

[blkmage]

by the way, the only shows I've been keeping up with while I'm in Asia are Free, Monogatari, and Love Lab

y'all should give Love Lab a shot

[GeneD]

Blood Lad ep 3 + 4: Ep 4 had some pretty interesting info on Staz's background and I'm looking forward to find out more about his family.

The Eccentric Family ep 4: Shame they just can't catch a break can they. I'm not actually clear on if the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: fugitive thing at the end was a joke or where the actual story is going now.

Servant x Service ep 4: I'd never have thought this starting out but Hasebe is the best character and the drawing point of this show. How much he features in an episode pretty much determines how much I like it. My prediction of the show focus from last time was incorrect though.

Catchaman Growds ep 3: All I know is that milk is serious business.

Danganronpa ep 4: The guy with the alarming red eyes concerns me, it looks like he's constantly on something.

Senyuu ep 5: Was that a little Jojo's in there or do my eyes deceive me?

[MangaRocks!]

Gatchaman Crowds episode 4:

Man, I was on the edge of my seat during that rescue. And yikes-- the main baddie alien was already plenty nuts, but it looks like it(?) has gone completely unhinged now. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Those three murdering sprees ... all those poor people...

And holy crap, I'm still trying to understand how that thing could be a Gatchaman... as well as having the ability to grab notes out from inside people, which I thought only that boss dude had. And it sounds like O.D. and Utsutsu might not be (entirely) human (anymore), either...

Also, speaking of those two, it was nice to see a little development and explanation there with Utsutsu, and I'm also quite intrigued as to why using O.D.'s powers would be disastrous. Oh, and I feel pretty bad for Rui right now, too. And between the stuff with Jou and that paper bird going up in flames-- noooo, death flags, death flags everywhere.

In other words: Looks like things just got real-- and there's still two-thirds of the series left! Looking forward to seeing how things go from here.

(P.S: Also, not sure if I mentioned this yet, but I'm loving the soundtrack, too.)

[GeneD]

Silver Spoon ep PIZZA! : This show is so relaxing to watch, even if it's not something I am eager to jump into immediately when it airs, like I am with some of the other shows this season. Seeing these early stages of the story again, I'm reminded how much I can related to Hachiken.

Danganronpa ep 5: Ugh this show is dumb, why am I still watching? SPOILER: Highlight text to read: I really hoped Library Girl was the culprit since she's so annoying but nope she's just got a serious tongue issue for some inexplicable reason.

Gatchaman Crowds ep 4: I'm glad Utsu-tsu got some other lines to say since I was getting tired of her being dreamy and useless all the time... okay she's still dreamy and useless but at least that's not all she is I guess. Jou was cool this episode and looks fine in a ponytail, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: but yeah, burning origami birds are seldom a good sign.

I think the bad guy's modus operandi of make people destroy themselves is quite interesting, even if he is technically cheating. I'm glad they didn't keep Rui in the dark about his true intentions for long though, I kinda feel like maybe he gave Rui tools to fight him as a kind of challenge to himself... or he's just nuts, but I hope that's not only the case.

Another thing that I like about this show is that the (apparent) main guy and girl, Hajime and Sugane, aren't automatically involved in everything that goes down, sometimes for as simple a reason as well, they just weren't in the area. It makes the show more realistic, which is a feat considering how outlanding a lot of it is.

I think this show's very likely going to have a significant amount of re-watch value when it's all said and done.

[blkmage]

In Monogatari news, Tsubasa Tiger is probably the best arc since the first season with a fantastic final episode.

[MangaRocks!]

^ Oh yeah, after Crunchyroll announced their delaycast of it a while back (which is only just finally starting in like a day or two) I had forgotten to check back with Daisuki to see if their player had improved and if the stream was still available for the free users. But thanks for the reminder-- because of it, I remembered to go and check Daisuki's site, and the answer was yes on both counts , so I went ahead and watched the whole arc today. And yeah, I have to agree; the ending to this arc was *very* satisfying, and really provided some fantastic character growth for Hanekawa. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: I'll admit that I teared up a little in the finale. (In a good way, though. )



Also, The Eccentric Family episode 5:

Oh my gosh that spit-take line.

As for the stuff with the Friday Fellows: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: It is *SO* unnerving to hear Benten and the others (who-- aside from Benten, of course -- otherwise seem like pretty normal people) talk so nonchalantly about eating Tanuki and etc. as if they're just another animal, when in that universe they are most definitely *not*-- and they all know it. *shiver* Plus, this series has such a lighthearted, whimsical tone most of the time that it just feels... bizarre. (Though I'm certain that feeling is on purpose.)

Oh my gosh, though, that fight over the food and the 'entertainment' was really funny. And I was really surprised that it was one of the Fellows who saved the Tanuki's mother, and moreover was actually really sweet to her... and then he says he loves Tanuki, yet still eats them... out of 'love'... I mean, even one of the other Fellows said it was bizarre. And then that whole fascinating yet equally strange sequence with Benten and Yasaburo afterwards...

So much to dig into here-- can't wait for next week!

[GeneD]

The Eccentric Family ep 5: I don't know man, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the nonchalance and casualness that surround the Tanuki hotpot issue is breaking my suspension of disbelief a lot. For example I just can't understand why they would have anything to do with Benten, not just the family but Tanuki in general. I can't remember about the fan, but she got the flying tea-room from the old tengu and learned to fly from him, but there's no other clue really as to what makes her significant, unless I missed/forgot something. It's frustrating me and I can't relate to any of the characters really.

Servant x Service ep 5: The Hasebe family are the best.

Blood Lad ep 5: I am enjoying this much more than I thought I would based on my first ep impressions. I like the pacing, things move along quite quickly without feeling rushed. It's turned into somewhat of a quest (do favour for person X to get something for person Y to get something for person Z etc.) plot structure, which isn't a bad thing so far.

[MangaRocks!]

@GeneD: About what you mentioned about The Eccentric Family, I think this post that I came across might help to shed a little light on some of that. (It certainly helped me to understand it a bit better, at any rate. )

[GeneD]

Thanks MangaRocks that post does have a lot of good points and I'll definitely keep it in mind when watching further. I did actually realise from ep 5 that the shape-shifting power does have a lot of limitations.

[LastLfan]

I'm intersested in watching dog and scissors. Does anyone know if its any good?