UlasanAnime.com – This article delves into the anime season of Summer 2015, examining various series and their potential hooks, narrative approaches, and overall appeal. The author expresses initial thoughts on shows like GATE and Overlord, questioning their “Mary-Sue” status while highlighting the political undertones in GATE.
The piece then shifts to Gangsta, with the author admitting to missing its initial hook. They ponder if the show’s appeal lies in its crime and violence, sex, or gritty atmosphere, or perhaps the unique dogtag system. The author speculates that if Gangsta aims to insult actual criminals and gangsters, it might be an acceptable premise. However, without a compelling reason to continue watching after the first episode, the author questions its longevity, drawing a parallel to Cowboy Bebop and suggesting that those who enjoyed Bebop for its critical acclaim might find Gangsta appealing.
A discussion on “boob voice” leads to Mamiko Noto’s involvement in another MMORPG anime, Overlord. The author expresses enjoyment of her role and declares Overlord as their favorite show of the season for reasons they can’t fully articulate, likening it to Log Horizon. While acknowledging that Overlord might not appeal to those who enjoyed Log Horizon for its shipping and focus on a little assassin character, the author notes strong similarities in narrative approach and setting. They believe Overlord surpasses Log Horizon in world-building aspects.
The article then touches upon School Alive, praising its “wonderful pilot” for embodying a fan fiction concept about Bottle Fairies and split personalities. However, the author expresses mild disappointment that it doesn’t delve deeper into this idea and admits to being indifferent towards zombies and clinically “crazy” anime characters. Despite this, they find the show entertaining and acknowledge the perennial issue of not having enough time to watch everything desired in a season.
Similarly, Prison School is mentioned, with the author admitting they haven’t gotten around to watching it, suggesting their time might have been better spent on eroge or something similar, perhaps not too dissimilar to keeping up with “Wife Is the Student Council President,” albeit more time-consuming.
Looking ahead, the author expresses significant hype for Hackadoll, calling it their most anticipated upcoming show. They find other shows in the same anime blocks to be “pretty okay,” benefiting from the 8-minute format, including Wooser, although they note some recent Wooser episodes felt too long. The author also anticipates potential cameos in Hackadoll, given its premise of IP discovery, similar to how Gamers or Animate might create their own shows. They highlight the Hackadoll namas as a must-watch for fans of WUG seiyuus and Ueda Reina, hinting at the cameo potential.
The author mentions hearing positive reviews for a Hayamin anime involving Red Riding Hood, drawing a parallel to the positive reception of Oremonogatari, and expresses a desire for more detailed explanations of their relevance.
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Rokka is currently being watched, though the author finds it “not that good” and “off-putting” with each episode. Despite this, they enjoy the plot due to the show’s choppy pacing. The author notes that Rokka takes its time during “unusual” moments, which contributes to the off-putting feeling, likening it to knowing a cliffhanger is coming but the show fumbles the timing. They consider dropping it but want to give the new characters a chance to impress, finding only the main male character of interest. Pikasha’s lead female role is deemed well-deserved, but the precarious princess is expected to gain prominence later.
In contrast, Million Doll faces the opposite problem: a concept and story that appeal to the author, with a perfect level of meta-ness, but a lacking execution. They had hoped for better animation to remember the characters’ names within five episodes, but given the short length, they offer some leniency. The recent streaming of episode 5.5 on Crunchyroll is highlighted, allowing viewers to see Yuiton’s full-length legs with English subtitles. The author questions the necessity of specific segments during the fan meeting, particularly the one pointing out Yuiton’s Osaka origin, but concedes it works.
This leads into a discussion of Sore ga Seiyuu, which is a mandatory watch for the author. They express disappointment that it’s compared to Shirobako, stating the two are fundamentally different, though both offer glamorized/deglamorized views of the industry. The author appreciates the drama introduced this week and finds it amusing to see Kugyuu and Hocchan in their animated forms, especially considering Horie’s various recent roles. However, they caution that Sore ga Seiyuu is unlikely to be enjoyable for those who aren’t deeply invested in seiyuu culture, as it focuses more on a voice actress’s internal thoughts than the workings of an animation project, making it more personal and potentially less compelling unless a prior connection exists.
[Here’s an aside. Take Yoshimura Haruka as an example. She’s still a “newbie seiyuu” in the technical sense, soon to graduate out of that bracket. It seems that she shares some of these exact anxieties our protagonists share, if you read this interview. Even the way she name dropped Pe and Nu, or her coleads from Shirobako… Also, thank goodness for IDOLM@STER, right?]
The author finds great seiyuu performances consistently enjoyable, particularly in Monster Musume, which they believe has little else to redeem it. They state that the voice acting is carrying the show, with a potential exception for its political undertones. The author posits that if Monster Musume is viewed as a harem with fantastical creatures, it shares a concept with other IPs like Bakemonogatari, which merges a young girl’s plight with eastern phantoms. They further elaborate on the trope of a normal, quiet guy whose life is disrupted by over-excited young women, comparing it to Cat Planet Cuties but with monster fetishes. The author proposes this could be termed a “gaijin harem,” referencing immigration issues and questioning how a typical Japanese individual navigates these foreign “intruders” who, despite good intentions, are overwhelming.
The author believes Monmusu doesn’t warrant extensive discussion, let alone faint praise for its thematic exploration of parallels with Western notions of liberty and romance. They suggest Charlotte might deserve such analysis, but admit their judgment is clouded by personal biases. Nevertheless, they acknowledge Charlotte as a great show with characters that align with Maeda Jun’s known style, praising PA Works’ execution thus far. They concede that it’s too early to pass definitive judgment, despite the story hints already present.
Classroom Crisis is highlighted as another original title the author enjoys this season, capable of being either very good or mediocre, but unlikely to be bad. While finding it a bit boring, the author embraces this “ossan” type of boredom and praises Cobalt as their favorite song of the season. They also appreciate the underlying social commentary, even if it’s somewhat misguided.
Shimoseka is noted for its social interest and seiyuu appeal, with the story also being somewhat intriguing. The author feels it’s not fully exploiting its premise and questions its school setting, which might align its peculiar elements with other stories in similar environments. However, they are open to being proven wrong, acknowledging its potential for fun based on its perverted jokes.
The author mentions trying the first episodes of several other shows and dropping them, including Aoharu x Machinegun, Actually I, and Ushio & Tora (praising its first episode as reminiscent of a version seen over 15 years ago). They found nothing compelling enough to continue watching. Aoharu x Machinegun was particularly difficult as it wasn’t their preferred genre. The author also notes they would likely be watching Symphogear if they could be bothered to resume watching shows from years ago, jokingly suggesting more praise might change their mind.
Regarding sequels, the author is thoroughly enjoying Non Non Biyori, calling its current iteration “brilliant.” In contrast, Working season 3 is found to be sleep-inducing, prompting the author to track their sleep incidents per show this season:
[Title]: [Ep count that I fell asleep on]/[Ep count watched]
Working!!!: 4/5
Monmusu: 2/6
Classroom Crisis: 0/6
Gate: 0/6
Non Non: 0/6
Rokka: 1/5
Gatchaman S2: 1/3
Charlotte: 0/6
Shimoseka: 1/3
Sore ga Seiyuu: 0/6
Overlord: 0/6
IMAS CG: LOL/Every episode twice
The author believes they fell asleep during an episode of Wakaba Girl as well, having intentionally ignored the short-form series. They attribute their sleepiness during Working to its A/B episode format, where the slower parts induce sleep, and they might wake up for the better segments. The author suggests watching it when not tired or experiencing a “food coma.” Positively, they find Working to be disarmingly funny and relaxing, while negatively, they see it as a repetitive and stale gag formula that has run its course.
The author has mixed feelings about Gatchaman Crowds Insight and will reserve judgment until they are more caught up, but it remains on their to-watch list.
They are still up-to-date with Food Wars and Baseball A.
The author confirms they are watching IM@S CG, finding it to be good lately, unsure if this is due to the episodes’ quality or the lingering influence of the 10th anniversary event, likely a combination of both.
Finally, the author notes that their Teekyuu backlog is continuously growing, and they are perfectly content with this situation.
