2013 Spring Season - First Impression Summary Post II Valvrave & Maou-sama

Valvrave

Holy cow, that was a pretty epic premiere, and epic in the sense that it reminds me a lot of Code Geass with tragedy and drama rolled into one. Out of all the mecha offerings we have this season, without a doubt this one packed the most punch for me. Sure as hell, I'm pretty lost to where the show is headed especially after that gripping cliffhanger, but this is where I don't mind being lost because it generates the kind of anticipatory excitement I revel in. Our MC, a pacifist at the beginning of the episode experiences a change of heart with the loss of his loved one, and it's a pretty dramatic transformation alright, from not wanting to fight to piloting a dangerous weapon ruthlessly killing people who are not even directly responsible for Shoko's death. Though it's a bit of a overshort to say Haruto is changed for good and now sees his world in black and white. His reckless behaviours is a manifestation of rage fuelled by an irrational thirst for revenge, but once that simmers down, I have a feeling he'll find himself in a moral dilemma sooner or later being who he is deep within. So far, the main antagonist seems like a pretty cynical guy with little regard for human lives – at least the life of those who interfere with his objective – but I wouldn't so readily label him as evil or anything so definitive, I believe there is more to him than meets the eye. There are so many intriguing possibilities to be had here and so far so good, the opening of Valvrave lived up to expectation. My only gripe is the CG, it's a bit of a letdown for Sunrise to rely on CG when they themselves pioneered hand drawn mecha. 

Verdict: Watching 

Hataraku Maou-sama

Thank goodness I didn't condemn this show to my anime graveyard, for it gave us the best non-sci-fi premiere of the season. It opened with a battle so intense that I thought I picked up the wrong show, but when the comedy hit, I was practically rolling on the floor. It was pretty hilarious watching our main dudes awkwardly navigating their new found world. It's a shame that they adjusted to the human way of living faster than I anticipated, which means no more goofy mistakes that we can laugh at. That is not to say the story won't go down the drain from here, and to be honest, with the initial setup pretty much out of the way, I'm a little worried how much steam is left in the show. But regardless, Maou-sama boasts a great opening that certainly exceeded my expectations in the comedy department. 

Verdict: Tentative