New Rec: Kids on the Slope (Sakamichi no Apollon)

Now normally, I don't go near slice-of-life 'josei' anime with a ten foot pole, but as this particular show reunites director Shinichirō Watanabe and composer Yoko Kanno, who haven't worked together since Cowboy Bebop, I had to check it out.

It's only two episodes in, but from what I've seen so far, it's got a very honest emotional feel to it. And the music (apart from the bad OP) is fucking excellent.

I'm mainly reccing this for the art direction, style, and music, not the slice-of-life plot.

 

To be honest, even the slice-of-life episodes of Cowboy Bebop were well done, so I'll probably at the very least give this anime a shot. It's probably going in my backlog, though, since I still need to get around to watching FLCL and The Big O, as well as Community. All three of which I'll do once I catch up on Supernatural.

 

Another was pretty great.

So far I'm enjoying Sakamichi. It might end up being the best of the season. Also, Dusk Maiden is pretty amusing; although the people who keep comparing it to Another are dumb. Another was pretty much a straight forward horror story where Dusk Maiden is more of a comedy with some horror elements.

Jorgumand or whatever is also pretty good so far through 3 episodes. It's been awhile since I watched a gun anime...I think the last one I saw was Black Lagoon, and that was years ago.

 

Mmmm... Jormungand is okay. Koko is no Revy though.

 

Well, yeah. She's more like Balalaika than Revy.

 

At the moment I think Sankarea is the best show this season. It starts as a weird pseudo-Zombie comedy, but soon you realise it's a serious drama with some comedy elements.

Jormungand is great in its own way. There really is no reason to compare it with Black Lagoon and Koko with Revy. Jormungand seems to lack a complex storyline though, so far.

My often twisted and weird humor made me watch Mysterious Girlfriend X (yeah, the same humor that makes me skim through fanfiction.net and post the worst parts on irc). The male character puts his finger in a puddle of girl's drool and tastes it. That turns into a daily routine of her sucking on one of her fingers and then him licking her drool off said finger. I can't... I don't... I... just... I really felt violated afterwards.

 

I know right? The spit licking isn't really all that skeevy, but it's delivered in a way that just makes it feel... wrong. Probably due to the constant macabre carnival music playing in the background.

 

I must say the manga of mysterious girlfriend X is better I watched one episode of the anime and didn't like it even though I like the manga.

 

/me stares at Seraphim.

I had a look at the manga as well. Yes, I am that curious. And I felt as bad afterwards.

/me still stares at Seraphim.

 

Your avatar is fitting.

 

I don't care I like it. maybe it's just me the only thing I dislike about it is that it updates so slowly.

But back on topic I enjoyed tsuritama quite a bit every new epsiode makes me laugh at how silly it is.

 

Just finished episode twelve of Stein's Gate... Jesus, it's like the author just spent the first eleven episodes thoughtfully hefting a giant handful of shit before he pitched it at the fan.

 

So I just got around to watching the new Lupin anime and holy shit it's fucking awesome. When I was watching the opening of the first episode wide eyed, I knew it was going to be great.

My Lupin knowledge is pretty spotty as I've only seen a few of the movies and some random episodes from the old series, but I found myself greatly enjoying the new one. Prior knowledge is not really necessary as the series is for the most part episodic so far, with only one or two plots spanning more than a single episode.

I love the noirish style and the shading/lines in the backround. Also, I like a lot of the changes they've made to the characters. It feels much more...I don't know, "gritty" maybe? Or sleazy.

Also, tits. Lots of tits.

 

One thing I haven't seen anyone mention from this season is Accel World.

It's not, critically speaking, anything special, but its a fun, lighthearted action done in a style I haven't seen much recently. I'd liken it quite similar to Air Gear.

Pretty much imagine a fat and cowardly, but smart and logical main character fighting in a virtual reality game. Just like Air Gear, it has a clear goal of him going up levels to take on the 'kings' of the game.

Also watched all of Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou (also known as Nichibros). I usually find straight up slice of life as extremely boring and not as funny as it should be, usually preferring something with a real plot. But after some of my mates pretty much forced me to watch it, I actually realized it's fucking hilarious.

Essentially a bunch of shorts about several high school kids just getting up to shit. Doesn't really sound that interesting from that, but unlike a lot of anime humour it's actually funny.

Only seen two eps of Jormungand and am a bit disappointed. I loved Black Lagoon, and I loved the live action movie Lord of War. So far it seems a bit forced, but apparently the plot does pick up. So we'll see how it goes from here.

Also watching Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? Of the Dead. So far kinda dull compared to season 1 and the humour seems forced, with no real plot in the background (like season 1 had). Might have to drop it.

 

Nichibros is worth it just for the Literary Girl scenes.

 

Trailer for Eva 3.0 Q (Starts at 1:06)
A lot of Asuka and EVA-02 but it's to be expected, what with 00 destroyed and 01 suspended, and Shinji's status still unknown.
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Edit: Lutris got it in the Rebuild thread, so go there.

 

Just finished watching Usagi Drop. It was just full of cute moments which made me really enjoy it despite it being nothing like the anime's I usually watch so it was a nice change for once. Also I loved the watercolour style animation aswell, an excellent short anime (only 11 episodes) definitely recommend it.

 

Sword Art Online isn't half bad. The premise gained my interest enough that I started reading the light novels.(Just finished the volume 2, and it's good.)

Only the first episode was released yet(or at least I only managed to find the first one), but it seems to follow the light novel with surprising accuracy and it's a good thing.

Edit: wiki page

 

The setup is so incredibly contrived that I can't really believe just how well executed the first episode is. I didn't expect to want to watch more, but now I want to see how the story will get to its inevitable conclusion.

 

You know, this reminds me a lot of Tower of Druaga, for some reason. No idea why.