The Bones Party – Noragami, Space Dandy First Impression

Noragami

Great first episode to what I foresee to be a likeable show. I'm kind of glad they cut out the first chapter, because it is essentially a one-shot with no real significance and the pacing will have to be airtight if they are going to make do with one cour. But by taking it out, coherency did suffer, however minimal. The girl who got bullied by her classmate called up Yato when she saw his message on the wall of the toilet stall, but this tidbit is extremely glossed over in the anime, which could leave some scratching their heads. The animation and the sound track are both flawless, and I'm enjoying the heck out of the OP/ED. It is some real stylish stuff. Overall, it didn't blow me away, but it's a solid package that maintains my interest. By the record, Bones does well with adaptions, so I'm looking forward to see this one unfold.

Space Dandy

This is definitely Bones' more high-profile offering going into season. Did the first episode live up to the hype? Well, I'll be honest, my feelings are somewhat mixed. The plot itself so far has been nonsensical, but I do expect that to change for the the better over the next few weeks. I can't say the same thing about the humor though and I'm going to be real worried if the rest of the show is banking on it to succeed. The prowess of the script writers is yet to shine through, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The highlight here is the colorful, over-the-top, and wonderfully dynamic animation. The animators were clearly given a heck lot of freedom to do what they wanted with it. The music is also fantastic and does everything in its power to set the mood. Whatever it is, I can assure you my excitement has not gone down a single notch as I have plenty of faith in the talents involved in this thing. If nothing else, this opening is as crazy, absurd, and silly as it promised, so it did its job in that regard.

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 

2013 Spring Season - First Impression Summary Post

I don't even know why I'm doing this when I'm not an episodic blogger..>.<..and I also don't plan to keep up on a weekly basis, marathon is a better way for me to get the most out of anime. I hate having my momentum disrupted. But ahh, I just felt like ranting, so that's what I did.

2012 Fall Season - First Episode Impression Part I

For detailed season preview click here 

With the new season in full swing, I thought I would do a "first episode impression" post to get started. I will only be previewing series I'm absolutely interested for, that's about 7-8 show if I get around to put together my thought. Here is Part I. 

Zetsuen no Tempest

Synopsis: 

"Mahiro Fuwa, a teenager whose family was mysteriously murdered a year ago, is contacted by Hakase Kusaribe, a young woman who stands against her clan since they left her stranded on a deserted island. As the two decide to help each other, Hakase's quest to oppose her clan brings to light that the Kusaribe clan intends to awaken the "Tree of Zetsuen" whose power can bring chaos upon the entire world."

My Thought: 

That was definitely a great opening, better than what I had in mind. Besides depicting the first chapter of the manga, Bones introduced a couple of original scenes that really enhanced the overall feel of the characters. The pacing is fast, but not incoherent, demonstrating solid directing from beginning to end. The highlight of the episode is probably not the plot, as it's still in its initial stage, appearing somewhat generic and perhaps a little over the top in the drama department,  the animation and music is what took my breath away. With beautifully choreographed action sequences, which exude both energy and grace, Bones once again flaunts its expertise and confidence in the domain. Similarly, the landscapes are equally crafted with detail. The orchestral soundtrack in the background compliments the scenes perfectly, setting the kind of atmosphere that's essential for successful story telling. Given the premise, I could not have asked for a better execution for an opening episode.

Interest Level: High