tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613521805313303422024-03-05T07:25:51.372+00:00Raindrops and DaydreamsA personal blog which documents a UK-based Sengoku Basara freak's ongoing quest to become even more immersed in anime, manga and games.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.comBlogger686125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-1541828295114750132017-10-23T17:05:00.001+01:002017-10-23T17:05:30.099+01:00Streaming: Autumn 2017 anime first impressionsWhew. There are <i>a lot</i> of heavy-hitting sequels this season, and also quite a few cases of series changing streaming services in between seasons, so putting this first impressions post has taken absolutely ages. <i>Shoukoku No Altair, Ballroom He Youkoso </i>are both continuing from the Summer season and on top of that my schedule is already pre-filled with a staggering number of follow-ups to beloved titles, which means that anything brand new has a harder job than usual to get my attention. I also decided to try out a HIDIVE subscription since it isn't all that pricey and they snagged a couple of titles I wanted to see; the lack of apps is still disappointing. I can't get the service running on any of my usual devices at all. Please hurry up with a solution, HIDIVE, or stop enforcing exclusivity!<br />
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I don't have much time to moan about the state of streaming in the UK this time, partly because I want to go and clear <i>New Danganronpa V3</i> as soon as I finish this post and partly because actually, we're in a very fortunate position now. Animax UK is as good as dead, Viewster gave up on simulcasting, and the US anime distributors finally remembered that we exist. If HIDIVE sorted out the app issue and Netflix would just stop blocking legal simulcasting from titles which would otherwise have appeared on Crunchyroll, everything would be close to perfect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1D1u_OlhtdqMpO51yl9Btw62wWRavwU99tgLZ95hCTenEdGS1oIszfsJtnLzpKcJtcDPFjMPW24eZ9m2zPaB3_LRmYln1agAHqtSH6srxqjvl7S4ceYJRNsdJiupXyEI5MO2MV0LGRE/s1600/sangatsus22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1D1u_OlhtdqMpO51yl9Btw62wWRavwU99tgLZ95hCTenEdGS1oIszfsJtnLzpKcJtcDPFjMPW24eZ9m2zPaB3_LRmYln1agAHqtSH6srxqjvl7S4ceYJRNsdJiupXyEI5MO2MV0LGRE/s320/sangatsus22.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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So with all of that said and done, I'll move on to the first impressions of all of the new anime content!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-gataris">Anime-gataris</a><br />
Minoa is a carefree girl who doesn't excel at any sports and doesn't belong to a club. What she does have, however, is a barely-remembered snippet from a long-forgotten anime show stuck in her head. One day, while trying to figure out which anime the scene came from, she attracts the attention of a glamorous classmate and somehow ends up teaming up with her to revive the school's abandoned anime club. Minoa doesn't know anything about anime, however her new friend is curious about the show she's trying to remember and more than willing to train a new fan to appreciate the medium. It's a good-looking, entertaining show but I'm not sure; it feels sort of... pointless? How many identical shows about girls reviving school clubs can we handle before fans move on to something more interesting? Genre fans will probably find it charming enough.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEYwM58TC-LVbjXOzQN3WO0L4nYIMFJTsvZdRMqRsEtoOc2cjWdmtrHT7bn47peavIeiCyLIzGyyHdvnyXnXBJf2mPxK1Z20MELmTS5CTAy7AfSYu_FFFz6CenzjMK5ohD8qQRdZWyMU/s1600/animegataris.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEYwM58TC-LVbjXOzQN3WO0L4nYIMFJTsvZdRMqRsEtoOc2cjWdmtrHT7bn47peavIeiCyLIzGyyHdvnyXnXBJf2mPxK1Z20MELmTS5CTAy7AfSYu_FFFz6CenzjMK5ohD8qQRdZWyMU/s320/animegataris.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wonder what kind of anime she'll end up liking most</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/black-clover">Black Clover</a><br />
Well. That was generic. I have a friend who has been reading <i>Black Clover</i> for a while in the English version of <i>Shounen Jump</i>, and he has been chuckling every week about how it feels like a massive rip-off of every other popular shounen title from the last decade or so. And it's true, it does. A pair of twins are raised in a church in a land of magic, only for one to end up smooth and competent while the other struggles with everything, unable to use magic at all. The runt of the duo, Asta, pins all of his hopes on the annual ceremony where grimoires are handed out to aspiring wizards, except in the end he's passed over and ends up feeling even worse than he did in the first place. In just one episode the series retreads ideas and themes from <i>Ao No Exorcist, One Piece, Boku No Hero Academia, Naruto</i> and countless other titles, whilst adding absolutely nothing of value to the mix itself to give it a reason to exist. Nothing. The characters aren't even very likeable. If you're a hardcore shounen fan and can overlook the chronic lack of inspiration in the setting, it's decently animated and will probably scratch that hot-blooded shounen itch just fine. But when there are so many better titles this season vying for attention, <i>Black Clover</i> simply cannot compete.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0v9G4iE-dClGDkwnxYelmuZzJZMll6kETTx6kDl2JLNJHHDaiTmA0BKSG3LfDj5zje61_VsZXxn2W618yWHpijjN_y6KKRUxlpyYKeidgd-VES7GAcLIIPqHzwDyeS90eQjLudMgpN8/s1600/blackclover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0v9G4iE-dClGDkwnxYelmuZzJZMll6kETTx6kDl2JLNJHHDaiTmA0BKSG3LfDj5zje61_VsZXxn2W618yWHpijjN_y6KKRUxlpyYKeidgd-VES7GAcLIIPqHzwDyeS90eQjLudMgpN8/s320/blackclover.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main character sucks so here's his pretty brother instead</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/blend-s">Blend S</a><br />
<i>Blend S</i> starts off a little like this year's <i>Sakura Quest</i>, with our cute heroine Maika struggling to find a job. She has been doing well with the initial applications, yet she keeps failing during the interview phase because her prospective employers notice that she has a mean glint in her eyes, putting them off every time. All of this changes when she accidentally attracts a peculiar foreign man who begs her to work for him at his cafe. The cafe's gimmick is that each of its cute waitresses has a specific personality flaw to delight its geeky customer base, and Maika will fill the niche of a sadistic waitress perfectly - so long as she can suppress her gentle side in front of the customers! The humour comes from the gap between Maika's true nature and comical skits showing her abusing the overjoyed guys who come to visit the cafe, and of course the other waitresses have similarly strange specialities. There's nothing new here; even the concept isn't especially original given that cafes with deliberately rude serving staff already exist in Japan. It's not going to go down in history as a groundbreaking show. If, however, you want a silly anime comedy about cute girls working together, this will certainly scratch that itch nicely.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSsc_3KzvUYAf1gOfjbt8cqKdzPWbUwyUTJ4fAF3AJA1x1p_xY9xyDgTSFdmGvQIw4J3t_nAsNg85c5XQKESTpVxmvYn9ZxMaD6m9ZLSt-x-yILLZRIEU8nbYeJDN2BiuIc-8tV67Vcg/s1600/blend-s.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSsc_3KzvUYAf1gOfjbt8cqKdzPWbUwyUTJ4fAF3AJA1x1p_xY9xyDgTSFdmGvQIw4J3t_nAsNg85c5XQKESTpVxmvYn9ZxMaD6m9ZLSt-x-yILLZRIEU8nbYeJDN2BiuIc-8tV67Vcg/s320/blend-s.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did like her powder blue hair bobbles</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/my-girlfriend-is-shobitch">Boku No Kanojo Ga Majime Sugiru Sho-bitch Na Ken (My Girlfriend Is Shobitch)</a><br />
The official English title for this series doesn't really make any sense until you go back to the source material's name before it was toned down for the mainstream: <i>Boku No Kanojo Ga Majime Sugiru Shojo Bitch Na Ken ('My Girlfriend Is An Overly Serious Virgin Bitch')</i>. Ok, then. Haruka is a typically boring high school boy with typically boring high school boy fantasies and no interest in either his overly affectionate childhood friend or his overly affectionate little sister, until one day when his life becomes more complicated after he asks the girl he likes out. And she says yes. It doesn't take very long before Haruka begins to realise that something isn't quite right about his new girlfriend. She's deeply obsessed with sex, but not in a fun way. Instead, she's constantly (and I do mean <i>constantly</i>) asking inappropriate questions, making inappropriate suggestions or offering to do inappropriate things, with absolutely no consideration for the time or place. Her desperation to be a good girlfriend and keep her partner satisfied goes way beyond unhealthy and straight into creepy territory. The crummy animation and the camera's fixation on filming up girls' skirts at every opportunity doesn't help. It's like a sexed up version of <i>AHO-GIRL</i> with more pandering and no charm. And I bet nothing ever actually happens beyond the never-ending teasing. Bleh.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikajOZjByCItdMVylZJAdEV3amBCsx8KdfG4iwUHv7YiC_xqABAmC2BEhyphenhyphen5sGYHMcDjbZgkKKvyn8mifSguqqix2C7im3DwwKV1GCUCapdqqVm9OjySyyRRjEB310ia2daqXeG3G0VexU/s1600/shobitch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="1600" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikajOZjByCItdMVylZJAdEV3amBCsx8KdfG4iwUHv7YiC_xqABAmC2BEhyphenhyphen5sGYHMcDjbZgkKKvyn8mifSguqqix2C7im3DwwKV1GCUCapdqqVm9OjySyyRRjEB310ia2daqXeG3G0VexU/s320/shobitch.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's not even particularly cute!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/code-realize-guardian-of-rebirth">Code:Realize ~Sousei No Himegimi~ (Code:Realize ~Guardian Of Rebirth~)</a><br />
I played the US release of the first <i>Code: Realize</i> game very heavily when it made its way over as I was so happy to see it receiving an official translation, and even though I already know the story it was exciting to see this anime adaptation appearing in the list! It's an otome game, of course, but it has a much stronger plot than more lascivious titles in the genre as well as a very quirky setting. Arsène Lupin, gentleman thief, rescues a mysterious woman from the British army and whisks her away to a safe house filled with other handsome men with conspicuously important names from works of literature. In spite of some missing memories, the girl, Cardia, actually has a personality and some rather worrying physical issues, making her a thousand times more interesting than the usual 'meek, pliable schoolgirl who is instantly attractive to everyone for no reason' archetype. With the government on their tails, the unlikely allies will have to piece together Cardia's past quickly so that they can make informed decisions about how to resolve their situation.<br />
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My only complaints so far are that the artwork is very weak compared to the beautiful illustrations in the game, which can't be helped, and that they're hurtling through the plot very, very quickly. My favourite characters are missing out on development and some of the important world building is being skipped entirely. There are also a few spoilers for later developments even in the very first episode. Not a problem for those who have played the game, but potentially alienating for newcomers who won't realise that the original story was presented much more competently. Even though I suspect there's very little new content here, I'm going to watch this weekly just to hear the excellent voice acting and revisit the <i>Code: Realize</i> world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ut2ha2H_P_B_PJY5FL79TiACWMq-pn_GTPkUrW4jW7NVtiy_HWgqPT242eDIuVo_ADrEfXmfezxn4L595_GuOeNKaK4k_BFTZx7d8RqCnrIat0GX3OuKiX-tdDGjMLtpS62de3TZPvc/s1600/coderealizeanime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ut2ha2H_P_B_PJY5FL79TiACWMq-pn_GTPkUrW4jW7NVtiy_HWgqPT242eDIuVo_ADrEfXmfezxn4L595_GuOeNKaK4k_BFTZx7d8RqCnrIat0GX3OuKiX-tdDGjMLtpS62de3TZPvc/s320/coderealizeanime.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I appreciated Fran even if he had scarcely any screen time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/dies-irae">Dies Irae</a><br />
What did I just watch? It was like a normal generic fantasy adventure story, except all of the characters are Nazis from World War II; some are even directly based on real people. The main plot seems to revolve around ethnic cleansing. Perhaps this could be an interesting, risk-taking exploration of a deplorable regime... or perhaps they just pulled out a bunch of evil-looking people, then gave them cool powers and dumped them into a typically stupid fantasy show. Guess which it is? The description of this visual novel adaptation on Crunchyroll made it sound like a by-the-numbers high school fantasy show, so I'm guessing that after the 'episode zero' introduction that I watched there's going to be a significant time skip and all of the soldiers who act like smug teenagers will be replaced by smug teenagers who act like soldiers, and then the annoying youths from the present will clash with all of these horrible characters from the prequel episode to save the future. Ugh. There doesn't seem to be much point in continuing. Perhaps the 'story' in the first episode makes more sense to those who have already played the original games since the lurching script won't be so much of a problem for them.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVZFncGTBi22MQYOe5fvcVpsPuPFv6xAOS6PlhOOpDiHwhEYryZizbUlHmnAj1xNFygzZpZVQwjL3aaTxSWRX8MRTrroZOpgiNi0y8Or-i__pwlNK2a-kJWmw6KFH4Tx0iI-GGg10_cM/s1600/diesirae.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVZFncGTBi22MQYOe5fvcVpsPuPFv6xAOS6PlhOOpDiHwhEYryZizbUlHmnAj1xNFygzZpZVQwjL3aaTxSWRX8MRTrroZOpgiNi0y8Or-i__pwlNK2a-kJWmw6KFH4Tx0iI-GGg10_cM/s320/diesirae.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It occasionally looked nice in between the terrible parts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/dynamic-chord">Dynamic Chord</a><br />
This latest male idol anime is up against <i>The iDOLM@STER Side M</i> this season, which would terrify most competitors. <i>Dynamic Chord</i>, however, manages to establish its own identity, and it's not competing for the same audience at all. The sixteen (!) male leads are members of four distinct rock groups with their own individual images and sounds, and they are already well established stars by the time that the story begins (mirroring the real world, as they've been reasonably popular based on their game and CD outings for a few years now). The first episode introduces two of the bands, KYOHSO and rêve parfait, with the former having some trouble with their highly strung vocalist. The brief scenes pushing the story along are interspersed with a large number of music videos and live show clips, and here I should mention that the music is much better than usual for a modern band-themed series. The insert song <i>Against the Rules</i> by apple-polisher, which is possibly the dumbest-sounding group name ever, is actually rather good, and I was mildly surprised that they didn't add a subtitle with the title and group name each time a clip played so that new viewers could rush out and buy the music - there are so many songs and boys being thrown at the audience in the first episode that it's genuinely quite difficult to keep track! Where <i>Dynamic Chord</i> struggles most is the animation. 'Minimal' would be a very generous way to describe it; the characters hardly move at all and the camera simply pans across still images whenever possible. The character artwork is highly detailed and distinctive which takes some of the sting out of the lazy animation since it does look very good in still pictures, While I would hesitate to recommend <i>Dynamic Chord</i> to most anime fans, if you enjoy the music and voice cast it's still worth watching so long as you have a HIDIVE account and can justify the extra expense. I'll probably check it out again when the home video version rolls around.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytOPN7-OQjxK7V4-_kSfI4ULaIgVT7WFxduJI7tza4XvbXumYrtrDjFQuBDTSmkKgk-DXNrL7c_rDuJpLt_trugYWLQtheRDOvPoUWVTiHCoZG6GJGknQWM4oeG1a5HV6IkY4uA7_GPQ/s1600/dynamicchord.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1600" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytOPN7-OQjxK7V4-_kSfI4ULaIgVT7WFxduJI7tza4XvbXumYrtrDjFQuBDTSmkKgk-DXNrL7c_rDuJpLt_trugYWLQtheRDOvPoUWVTiHCoZG6GJGknQWM4oeG1a5HV6IkY4uA7_GPQ/s320/dynamicchord.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Professional bands are way cooler than high schoolers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/evil-or-live">EVIL OR LIVE</a><br />
Another Chinese-influenced anime joins the roster this season, and they're definitely getting better in terms of quality. I didn't like <i>EVIL OR LIVE</i> in particular - it's a weird (if topical) dramatisation of wayward teens being imprisoned against their will in a punishment camp which functions like a school to prevent them from becoming worthless, ungrateful members of society. Our hero is a melodramatic jerk who indulged too much in his gaming addiction until his parents, allegedly, booked him into this camp to have some sense beaten back into him. It's all very depressing until he meets a mysterious stranger who seems to wield a lot of power over the guards compared to the rest of their fellow prisoners. The animation is average, which actually means it's one of the better shows of this kind to date and the plot certainly has some potential depending on the direction they choose. One confusing element of the show is that the lead's name has been localised into Japanese (Hibiki) whereas most of the other cast members keep the Chinese pronunciations of their names. It doesn't seem to be a plot point at all, so it's rather jarring; the cultural context of the show is very clearly Chinese right from the peculiar opening montage. I think, as usual, that I'd rather have watched this with Chinese voice acting instead of the haphazardly-localised Japanese version.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3bf4AwnWP2Gzsrr2bYSFspRaQ5NubsmgNtsDjYAWPSiMXuEvA7_o2pdH7fczdVJjtuCKTe65k-mh6I3eJjaCJqaZptDLaeCyNLM3VdIwDyyPFOIcHJYeRmqgSvZGlRnE-2byyiFybfo/s1600/evilorlive.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3bf4AwnWP2Gzsrr2bYSFspRaQ5NubsmgNtsDjYAWPSiMXuEvA7_o2pdH7fczdVJjtuCKTe65k-mh6I3eJjaCJqaZptDLaeCyNLM3VdIwDyyPFOIcHJYeRmqgSvZGlRnE-2byyiFybfo/s320/evilorlive.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No idea why it's letterboxed or why he groped the other dude</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/gintama">Gintama (Porori-hen)</a><br />
It's back again! Rather than having a straightforward name from a specific manga arc, this season of <i>Gintama</i> is titled <i>Porori-hen</i>, marking a departure from the heartbreaking drama and action of the serious story arcs which have dampened the <i>Gintama</i> comedy in recent years. It seems that the animators are winding back the clock and adapting a few of the sillier storylines which had never made it to the animated version before now. Hurrah! I like serious <i>Gintama</i>, but the series is in its element when it's being rude, shocking and funny. This should be good. I'm not sure that I can handle both <i>Gintama </i>and <i>Osomatsu-san</i> on consecutive days this season.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ME_TrhBwQ0kUHKPZ9_FDVC81hoZH0hoyATnm9cL-fmqhWFlsW6k-KKWRr-G0KkxuiCkdUooNeUcNnjSnJ1Au8XaTkbz08pk5-58FzvDGbkXi1KbQFem0HpM2Gktykigqtiyo1ztI6aY/s1600/gintamaporori.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ME_TrhBwQ0kUHKPZ9_FDVC81hoZH0hoyATnm9cL-fmqhWFlsW6k-KKWRr-G0KkxuiCkdUooNeUcNnjSnJ1Au8XaTkbz08pk5-58FzvDGbkXi1KbQFem0HpM2Gktykigqtiyo1ztI6aY/s320/gintamaporori.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first few minutes confirmed the shift back to comedy</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/hozukis-coolheadedness-2">Hoozuki No Reitetsu (Hozuki's Coolheadedness) season 2</a><br />
In any other season the return of <i>Hoozuki No Reitetsu</i> would be cause for celebration. Here though, it's competing with both <i>Gintama</i> and <i>Osomatsu-san</i> in the comedy niche and that's a very tough battle to take on. The first episode was a strong one, unexpectedly delving into Hoozuki's backstory before he became one of the most influential workers in Hell and also introducing a major figure from Japanese mythology, who seemed fun in her own way. I think there's enough room for three ridiculous comedy shows in my heart this season after all.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQSTgje5VMFCviuYbt8f2Da1gShDY0nORbcTpa8zxrpPQCvfuLlBBtNTcxyySM9La1bAzFsBHPmQtzCDK_3blCPnGlT7WCRgqA-QrrL7R3uFuBwd9tpkIhbX083Osts6XaI0MiFEP_Oc/s1600/hoozukis2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1600" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQSTgje5VMFCviuYbt8f2Da1gShDY0nORbcTpa8zxrpPQCvfuLlBBtNTcxyySM9La1bAzFsBHPmQtzCDK_3blCPnGlT7WCRgqA-QrrL7R3uFuBwd9tpkIhbX083Osts6XaI0MiFEP_Oc/s320/hoozukis2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singlehandedly justifying my HIDIVE subscription</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/land-of-the-lustrous">Houseki No Kuni (Land Of The Lustrous)</a><br />
I'm not quite sure what to make of <i>Houseki No Kuni</i>. The first episode wasn't all that interesting, plot-wise; a bunch of humanoid gemstones in tight black outfits and tiny hotpants live under the care of a stern-looking monk, where they have to fight quite brutally whenever invaders appear to try to capture them for their beauty. The heroine, Phosphophyllite, really wants to join in and fight too, but their master has forbidden it because she's too frail to be able to handle the strain of physical combat. Instead, she's given a job chronicling the gems' lonely world. To accomplish this, she approaches another outcast with the dangerous power to cause harm to friend and foe alike.<br />
<br />
Most of the first episode involved Phos running around addressing every individual gem by name in a rather stilted way so that the audience could be introduced to as many of the characters as possible right from the start. The story is light, and nothing that hasn't been done before, but where <i>Houseki No Kuni</i> stands out is that it employs CG animation in a very striking, creative way. In general, I hate CG animation. It singlehandedly ruined the otherwise-decent <i>Berserk</i> continuation, and it never succeeds in conveying human emotions the way drawn artwork can. <i>Houseki No Kuni</i> acknowledges those drawbacks and embraces them; each of them gems is rendered with beautiful, dazzling signature colours which make the most of the medium, glistening and shining throughout every scene. The designs are otherwise very simple and cartoonish, with no attempt to make the exaggerated computer-animated expressions look natural - instead, overblown reactions are part of the style. And it works. It sounds simple yet it's all rather beautiful, to the point where I'm almost tempted to keep watching for the visuals alone. While there's no way I'll have space for it in my schedule from what I've seen so far, it's possible that I may well come back to it later if feedback from other fans is good.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_lGX36ZHovW8tD-TWrFSBWBcOND45bEHUe24BQRMMxO-kYBRTeP6_bsN10e9XFjYRgxpVi9HyFE1nBzuJmmOdz063lr4X3dvyanNHYV1AbOhAIpNm7R2Ot8RJI-lzQbSYNCUKVW_klo/s1600/housekinokuni.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_lGX36ZHovW8tD-TWrFSBWBcOND45bEHUe24BQRMMxO-kYBRTeP6_bsN10e9XFjYRgxpVi9HyFE1nBzuJmmOdz063lr4X3dvyanNHYV1AbOhAIpNm7R2Ot8RJI-lzQbSYNCUKVW_klo/s320/housekinokuni.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whoever did the gem effects needs to be given more work</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/a-sisters-all-you-need">Imouto Sae Ireba Ii. (A Sister's All You Need)</a><br />
The title was enough to concern me and the first couple of minutes almost made me switch off right away; this series is surely the absolute pinnacle of the unhealthy obsession with sexualising precocious younger sisters that's been a hallmark of anime for the last decade. After running through pretty much every single little sister fetish point in the book, the series mercifully dials everything back and sets out its plot, which is a fairly average story of a light novel writer struggling to balance his lust for younger sister characters with his reasonable successful career. He has a group of friends who know about his job and also his obsession, and strangely he also has a little sister of his own, who seems to pass as his little brother, taking care of everything to make the lead's life easier. I think the most shocking thing about this pandering drivel is that somehow, in spite of the constant lewd remarks and desperate fan service, it wasn't actually that bad. I'm still dropping it though.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIY-K_OLCoPWu78Af2D64LA0KRddJAqUof1MYY3M824tTPvk3SoxOVwspSGymuw2dHgAsyBKcp4ghnpm7hQWu_-2SWYB0BsfMWRdIZ1p_L8Y5rbUC8C4nyTWTPVKT-cLEEfXEQb81zpj8/s1600/imoutosaeireba.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIY-K_OLCoPWu78Af2D64LA0KRddJAqUof1MYY3M824tTPvk3SoxOVwspSGymuw2dHgAsyBKcp4ghnpm7hQWu_-2SWYB0BsfMWRdIZ1p_L8Y5rbUC8C4nyTWTPVKT-cLEEfXEQb81zpj8/s320/imoutosaeireba.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I suspect that the foul-mouthed silver-haired girl is popular</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076CPM911/">Inuyashiki: Last Hero</a><br />
As one of the few anime fans who never bothered with <i>Gantz</i>, I was hoping that <i>Inuyashiki</i> wouldn't appeal to me - the creepy smile of the old man on the manga cover has always made me write it off as something too highbrow for my simplistic tastes. Unfortunately, <i>Inuyashiki</i> is excellent and I really enjoyed the first episode, so skipping it is no longer an option. The titular Inuyashiki Ichirou is an old salaryman, with a kind heart and a completely unappreciative family, who is involved in a strange accident one day. He appears to come out of it unharmed, except that his body is no longer that of a dying cancer sufferer. Instead, he's become some kind of humanoid robot equipped with futuristic weaponry and various other electronic augmentations. Being a decent guy, Ichirou casts aside his timid personality and uses his new powers to stand up for a homeless man during an assault. The exhilaration from this encounter gives him a new reason to live right as he thought that his life was soon to be coming to an end. I was drawn in the moment the exciting, retro sci-fi opening started playing and even the obvious CG-aided animation didn't put me off - the CG comes into its own in the second half of the episode when Ichirou starts transforming, but looks weaker at the start during the character-driven segments. <i>Inuyashiki</i> succeeds at everything it sets out to do. The sad moments are genuinely heart-wrenching, the action is exciting and the resolution to Ichirou's first run-in with some street thugs is pleasantly sensible.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jyGaNyfmfBdcGLeV2_DSFYLEtQ6RTfbM1MBqNwHPMESfW5-Krfp27KyvlDMFvb6kn0pNx77IEhyxY19DCWk1h5oLrzI7alJ5wj5WcdSyEcFmYuvPqpoXBPrASxi4s0ZYXHtRTgkWqbk/s1600/inuyasiki.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jyGaNyfmfBdcGLeV2_DSFYLEtQ6RTfbM1MBqNwHPMESfW5-Krfp27KyvlDMFvb6kn0pNx77IEhyxY19DCWk1h5oLrzI7alJ5wj5WcdSyEcFmYuvPqpoXBPrASxi4s0ZYXHtRTgkWqbk/s320/inuyasiki.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hero's relationship with his adopted dog is awesome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/just-because">Just Because!</a><br />
A transfer student joins the senior year at a high school in an area where he used to live, and his arrival stirs up complicated feelings in the other students. Some of them are old acquaintances while others view him as an opportunity for a new friend in their final year together. There's a lot of minor drama about school matters such as club closures and sports, and relatively little to latch onto in terms of ongoing plot. So far, <i>Just Because!</i> is sort of like <i>Orange</i>, except without the time travel, emotion or strong characterisation. The soft colour palette highlights the attractive artwork and the animation is reasonably good throughout the first episode. This doesn't change the fact that nothing really happens, though.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-M0bOc9pgSYbEhrgy5pfMm1Q8-1rKU6WazI8j50Nhh2lsDAe9V2JYoNYCWDexbe04t823RnCXN3AFnWXMA_5r52JTQtDVm0Gtf3JhRvVaHizv8bKYDh5Zhsl7s2tm94N7dOcYXJvfeQ/s1600/justbecause.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1600" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-M0bOc9pgSYbEhrgy5pfMm1Q8-1rKU6WazI8j50Nhh2lsDAe9V2JYoNYCWDexbe04t823RnCXN3AFnWXMA_5r52JTQtDVm0Gtf3JhRvVaHizv8bKYDh5Zhsl7s2tm94N7dOcYXJvfeQ/s320/justbecause.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't pick a good picture to show off the pretty designs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/juni-taisenzodiac-war">Juuni Taisen: Zodiac War</a><br />
Did someone commission nisiOisin to write a version of <i>Fate</i> without all of the references and baggage that an actual <i>Fate</i> series involves these days? <i>Juuni Taisen</i> is currently enjoying a major promotional push to celebrate this anime adaptation, and the first episode was certainly attention-grabbing. Twelve eccentric characters representing the animals of the zodiac have been gathered together for the latest in a series of grisly battles to the death, with the eventual winner being offered the chance to make a wish (as well as being permitted to survive). Murder, treachery, psychotic scantily-clad combat bunny-butlers; there's something for everything in this bloodthirsty celebration of violence. Whether it will actually go anywhere is yet to be seen, but consider my interest piqued.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8vntbsbvzYgqC_pYf6Q6Mm4eUbLAKiRPy_LzfYTHv8ajZnq8C_6xIpvVw1TXLR57lsvd0owIQW2d_yfagqSZnZYmaXbpF3_ngR70_QH7LCltxmOfCl_d1fblWpv5daz_4WPNPhKlOYY/s1600/juunitaisen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8vntbsbvzYgqC_pYf6Q6Mm4eUbLAKiRPy_LzfYTHv8ajZnq8C_6xIpvVw1TXLR57lsvd0owIQW2d_yfagqSZnZYmaXbpF3_ngR70_QH7LCltxmOfCl_d1fblWpv5daz_4WPNPhKlOYY/s320/juunitaisen.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Weird half-naked bunny guy is surely too fun to survive long</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/blood-blockade-battlefront">Kekkai Sensen & Beyond (Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond)</a><br />
I didn't have a great time streaming the first <i>Kekkai Sensen</i> on an ad-riddled service, especially since its infamous delays exacerbated the difficulty in accessing each episode on time, so it's great to see the sequel showing up on Crunchyroll. The first episode was a simple enough romp with mild-mannered hero Leonardo being swept up in a sudden fluffy of crazy action, supported (occasionally) by his powerful friends and colleagues at Libra, who receive brief reintroductions along the way. There's a great opening too; while I am not a huge fan of Unison Square Garden overall the theme song worked really well. If the staff can keep the stylish action consistent for the rest of the season this should be a fun ride.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjNGtMgJQ83rJP4igJgZBRZabNb_AGAcMWoFRCLxxpMVtTnp1W0fVQq0Bsh-DSpM4bGPqTwSE9fF1tYBYMXgz1slAZBFVpoSNVjm4lEXmVMC42o-cdKIzFm-bHWFWIlwOVZWpwElFPVo/s1600/kekkaisensens2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjNGtMgJQ83rJP4igJgZBRZabNb_AGAcMWoFRCLxxpMVtTnp1W0fVQq0Bsh-DSpM4bGPqTwSE9fF1tYBYMXgz1slAZBFVpoSNVjm4lEXmVMC42o-cdKIzFm-bHWFWIlwOVZWpwElFPVo/s320/kekkaisensens2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zapp's rubber-faced antics made a welcome return</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/kinos-journey-the-beautiful-world-the-animated-series">Kino No Tabi: The Beautiful World (Kino's Journey: The Beautiful World)</a><br />
The anime industry continues to revive classics from the past with this unexpected return to the <i>Kino No Tabi</i> series. The original anime adaptation was very enjoyable, so I was sad to see that its stylised artwork had given way to more generic, modern designs. It's not as though there's anything wrong with the new art - it's perfectly attractive and the jarring CG is used sparingly - but somehow making Kino cuter and more feminine slightly shifts the focus away from the true star of the series: its stories. Thankfully, it looks as though the formula is the same as always; Kino travels to a new land in order to witness its unique quirks then quietly moves on with only her vehicle for company. With so many of the tales from the source material still unavailable outside Japan it feels like a missed opportunity to see them remaking popular stories from the previous adaptation in between the new content. But it is what it is. I'd be a fool to miss out.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtr0HlHuyQiHLcsXUTE-VrY2_ckNCkn5RS3OrTX8SF7uIgi0VbXjup37Jj_2OS-X8gfzBvtfZE3gg5XiedS3g8HILEXMO66Saa1RytVVPpZHFzoa1fZgYIMMFHDfJBoI-1aewge5lZIg/s1600/kinonotabi2017.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtr0HlHuyQiHLcsXUTE-VrY2_ckNCkn5RS3OrTX8SF7uIgi0VbXjup37Jj_2OS-X8gfzBvtfZE3gg5XiedS3g8HILEXMO66Saa1RytVVPpZHFzoa1fZgYIMMFHDfJBoI-1aewge5lZIg/s320/kinonotabi2017.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I do miss watching anime with more daring design work</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/konohana-kitan">Konohana Kitan</a><br />
Potentially invaluable as a cure for insomnia, <i>Konohana Kitan</i> is the tale of a young fox-girl who starts working at a large inn (complete with hot springs) and has to learn the ropes from her new colleagues to avoid upsetting any of their customers. Not all of the regulars are happy to meet this shy, bumbling new addition to their team and Yuzu will have to work hard to impress them! It's a total snooze-fest if you aren't attracted to the moe aesthetic and gentle pace; all that happens in the first episode is that Yuzu causes a non-problem and one of her snippy coworkers shares in the responsibility, except that it doesn't matter anyway because the customer involved is an extremely relaxed guy. The social aspects of the setting could have been interesting, except that there is no reference to anything seedy going on with this inn which apparently employs a bunch of underaged girls as live-in workers. The fox-girl element could have been interesting except that it appears to be wholly irrelevant; it's not mentioned anywhere in the plot and seems to be a simple excuse to add fluffy ears, tiny fangs and tails to the entire all-female regular cast. There are regular bathing scenes in between the cuteness to keep the intended audience interested. It's not for me.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6l-CmsEyWW0fEmzKAO3Y0Y9kRgsSiIs4uZLKXy-gBbb3rwLGgVHSsKAwjCj1cgCjIK6h4-mw0FlAVYoKuujxTX1PRZkoI0bRVmxR4Aq1q-t1Yt63_CTHCbGvIPEB_b0FdRYNJKg9B-EQ/s1600/konohanakitan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6l-CmsEyWW0fEmzKAO3Y0Y9kRgsSiIs4uZLKXy-gBbb3rwLGgVHSsKAwjCj1cgCjIK6h4-mw0FlAVYoKuujxTX1PRZkoI0bRVmxR4Aq1q-t1Yt63_CTHCbGvIPEB_b0FdRYNJKg9B-EQ/s320/konohanakitan.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuzu-chan isn't as bad as I make out, just dull</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-ancient-magus-bride">Mahou Tsukai No Yome (The Ancient Magus' Bride)</a><br />
I watched one of the three OAV episodes which came out a while ago for this series, and felt a little lost. So I skipped the rest and waited for this TV adaptation which starts the series from the beginning, and things now make a lot more sense than they did before. Would it be best to go back and finish the other OAVs now and potentially spoil the unfolding plot, or wait until after the television version finishes its run?<br />
<br />
Our skull-faced hero, Elias, is a mysterious mage who spots Chise's potential and buys her at auction (!) when she's at her lowest ebb, mistreated and abandoned by everyone she knew. It turns out that Chise has a special power to attract (and even interact with) spirits that other people cannot normally see. Elias takes her home and explains that he's going to train her in magic, while Chise, still clearly traumatised, attempts to process all of these unexpected revelations. They even explained the 'bride' thing at last; apparently Elias is hoping to make Chise his wife at a later date, and he goes right ahead and admits this to her face. I'm glad that he's not rushing into that side of things as it would make him seem rather abusive, but it's an interesting plot point and one that I hope will be explored later when poor Chise has regained her confidence and matured a little more. It's interesting enough to keep watching and the details in the scenes set in the UK are commendable. If I manage to get all of the anime I'm watching this season under control I'll definitely go back and finish the OAVs too at some point.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAODZEQaoaKkOJ4hAMAURupn-i-1ZjIOQQmbuUS2qhZYbKFVQkDDbfJShl9JUwdQVHOYdAV_-ecrstYQr7_IYQpLB0ACJhAOvVavUWpMZUC2Ge2Nb6xIxrhSfdJTb5yFP6QsuvT9m24kg/s1600/houtukainoyometv.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAODZEQaoaKkOJ4hAMAURupn-i-1ZjIOQQmbuUS2qhZYbKFVQkDDbfJShl9JUwdQVHOYdAV_-ecrstYQr7_IYQpLB0ACJhAOvVavUWpMZUC2Ge2Nb6xIxrhSfdJTb5yFP6QsuvT9m24kg/s320/houtukainoyometv.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The obvious screenshot most bloggers will have chosen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/march-comes-in-like-a-lion">March Comes In Like A Lion (3-gatsu No Lion) season 2</a><br />
A low key return to this wonderful series ostensibly about competitive <i>shougi,</i> which delves deep into matters of the human heart whenever it's not focusing on intense battles of wits. The first episode was a reintroduction to Rei's circle of friends and acquaintances with some teasing about the opponents he's likely to be facing in future episodes, and once again I'm sold. The genuine emotional resonance underpinning Rei's everyday encounters with other people make <i>March Comes In Like A Lion</i> a very special show.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlApDFI7sIjkfawJVBJBCV3NHy5qSi4VnY0jy_Z54C9Q7mym5MdzUKtbAx2oiq6GGiLKrZIgux4OS2lNFLtSR6QTsnZITHVlWOGPA2ilSlAq6R1MseYtx1ZggNESFtDfLQghdWJhemHyk/s1600/marchs2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlApDFI7sIjkfawJVBJBCV3NHy5qSi4VnY0jy_Z54C9Q7mym5MdzUKtbAx2oiq6GGiLKrZIgux4OS2lNFLtSR6QTsnZITHVlWOGPA2ilSlAq6R1MseYtx1ZggNESFtDfLQghdWJhemHyk/s320/marchs2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rei's school friends deserved to be in a picture this time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/recovery-of-an-mmo-junkie">Netojuu No Susume (Recovery Of An MMO Junkie)</a><br />
The implications of the official English title (above) are rather different to those of the original, and more literal, English title, <i>Recommendation Of The Wonderful Virtual Life</i>. But I'm not sure which is closest to the truth, as there was neither recovery nor recommendation in the first episode of this new series. Moriko is having a hard time and has made the decision to become a 'voluntary NEET' and sit around at home playing games. Her previous MMO has ceased service, so she tries out a new one and becomes addicted almost right away. Her generically handsome male character encounters a pretty, friendly healer girl while struggling with a quest, and before long Moriko has joined this girl's guild and made friends with her buddies. In fact, it's not long before traces of affection make themselves known in spite of their guild's strict 'no romance' policy. There are hints that Moriko might be closer to real world friendship than she realises, but nothing firm has been revealed so far. It's nice to see an older female lead in this kind of show rather than the typical wimpy teenagers who usually star. I'm curious, if nothing else.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr14rcwLa8oeKicwwFPnbUWFy4XW4411BDgYHTd7a-3uzChikR5Fj6_u_A-4KSNOGKmJJMuZpnqH6vM08QaV9a1Mf80cy0ajz3Kt9Md6FqfySClzRx_Sdt1d11_nq3iOwLyezXSS_5FbQ/s1600/netoju.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr14rcwLa8oeKicwwFPnbUWFy4XW4411BDgYHTd7a-3uzChikR5Fj6_u_A-4KSNOGKmJJMuZpnqH6vM08QaV9a1Mf80cy0ajz3Kt9Md6FqfySClzRx_Sdt1d11_nq3iOwLyezXSS_5FbQ/s320/netoju.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is strongly hinted that 'Lily' is really a boy, which would fit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/love-is-like-a-cocktail">Osake Ha Fuufu Ni Natte Kara (Love Is Like A Cocktail)</a><br />
It feels as though this should be a companion series to <i>Wakakozake</i>. Our heroine is a capable office worker by day, then in the evenings she goes home and lets down her hair (literally) by indulging in some alcohol. With its short three-minute episodes there's not much time for an actual plot, though they do squeeze in recipes for the cocktails they show which is a nice touch for viewers who share the lead's taste in drinks. I was briefly confused at why she had a pet bartender living in her house but it seems that he is, in fact, her husband, and having him make interesting cocktails for her seems to be one of the ways this couple bonds. As a non-drinker I'd rate this as charming yet skippable; cocktail fans will get a lot more mileage out of the show's offerings.
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mZcE0Hh8hnPmVxQcqDYH8M-Hkpo1vVFvmYt37_d7OTq1pqEMfg8zSu4i40Fnz0i8JLbcrzQlEHu5CgmVWCNlK5cow90SttXxqY2M1n6_RWVVQNzX6TNCje68kC_6yS0gkZBbqth8JzU/s1600/osakefuufu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mZcE0Hh8hnPmVxQcqDYH8M-Hkpo1vVFvmYt37_d7OTq1pqEMfg8zSu4i40Fnz0i8JLbcrzQlEHu5CgmVWCNlK5cow90SttXxqY2M1n6_RWVVQNzX6TNCje68kC_6yS0gkZBbqth8JzU/s320/osakefuufu.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Perhaps I'm supposed to find her tipsiness cute!
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/onyankopon">Onyankopon</a><br />
Pure nightmare fuel. Onyankopon seems to be the name of a god in African mythology, and of course the syllables in that name happens to sound like some kind of cute mascot character to Japanese ears. Cue <i>Onyankopon</i>, a terrifying three-minute CG series about a magical feline who rushes around with a gaggle of animal followers, solving problems for indecisive schoolgirls by making them sing and dance. It's probably amazing if you can handle the garish hyperactivity, but for me the scene where the girls kept saying everything would be cute in an increasingly crazed tone of voice just made me want to run away from the screen.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIlKG8suNvaiuMCQpuWoc_wjzlNGg6HH-ghZ4FmBSn55Wg5C4QNjTiPkZLXakfJuI5VIAKMw08lZyr5BsIS6WsG3Le_dA5xozyQq-IwtxLvXluZVnFSHYmT1Z1moijpSfjHH0l7jyQDM/s1600/onyankopon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIlKG8suNvaiuMCQpuWoc_wjzlNGg6HH-ghZ4FmBSn55Wg5C4QNjTiPkZLXakfJuI5VIAKMw08lZyr5BsIS6WsG3Le_dA5xozyQq-IwtxLvXluZVnFSHYmT1Z1moijpSfjHH0l7jyQDM/s320/onyankopon.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Their eyes stare right through me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/mr-osomatsu">Osomatsu-san season 2</a><br />
They're back! I'm so excited about the new season of this wacky comedy reboot that it's probably impossible for it to live up to my expectations, and the staff are clearly aware of this. So aware, in fact, that most of the first episode parodied the ridiculous <i>Osomatsu-san</i> fever which swept Japan last year with painful accuracy. While there were only a few scenes set in the 'real' present day with the characters as we know them from the first series, it's clear that this sequel intends to retain as much of its momentum as possible and it's safely earned its spot on my schedule.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30ZAv5hh93th9krc3xKHIEE2EHgSmeSnBGjbHa6igDKzdp_G2fEvp6lVvDKbN4br4BOYYezEDpZDYbnFyJOpI97m3U0wJJBfnqi_-qlPhv-VJjbY8vzOxgDrr4dBpWNKkQVOaBFoKTKk/s1600/osomatsusans2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30ZAv5hh93th9krc3xKHIEE2EHgSmeSnBGjbHa6igDKzdp_G2fEvp6lVvDKbN4br4BOYYezEDpZDYbnFyJOpI97m3U0wJJBfnqi_-qlPhv-VJjbY8vzOxgDrr4dBpWNKkQVOaBFoKTKk/s320/osomatsusans2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't wait to see these losers every week!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/kings-game">Ousama Game: The Animation (King's Game: The Animation)</a><br />
Nobuaki is the sole survivor of a brutal classroom killing game, and he's just moved to a new school in a rural area to put his past behind him. Unfortunately, the mysterious entity which set up the previous killing game has followed him to his new home, and it doesn't take long before his new classmates are caught up in a brand new version of this ominous 'King's Game', forced to perform humiliating, dangerous or just plain weird tasks according to the anonymous instructions being sent to the students' mobile phones. If they don't comply, they die. Nobuaki isn't a great lead, mostly because he's clearly still deeply traumatised and yells most of his lines in a hysterical tone; it's supposed to make things tense, I guess. In actuality, it makes him seem crazy and most of the interesting drama is wasted on shouting matches between the loudest kids. The premise is completely different but this reminds me a little of <i>Mayoiga</i> (which was likewise an interesting concept sabotaged by less-than-competent execution). The first episode failed to meet my expectations so I'll be waiting for more opinions from later episodes before revisiting this series. There's potential there if the pacing and characterisation issues sort themselves out.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUS4nY0AAw3dDHq_cWBCDNiHfzuT2VjWkil9Tssf5xDq7z5C7fnoaVCBKe3z-XKr3mED24Z74mpinjKFM1eQ-zsl1w_huwNMI98VVh18FVFTMAxoIQYfhSNEMBEDBl5ki7BLxKzdCyXo/s1600/ousamagame.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUS4nY0AAw3dDHq_cWBCDNiHfzuT2VjWkil9Tssf5xDq7z5C7fnoaVCBKe3z-XKr3mED24Z74mpinjKFM1eQ-zsl1w_huwNMI98VVh18FVFTMAxoIQYfhSNEMBEDBl5ki7BLxKzdCyXo/s320/ousamagame.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">None of the kids acted naturally even before the game began...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/sengoku-night-blood">Sengoku Night Blood</a><br />
A normal girl is flung back in time (?) to an alternate version of the Sengoku period, except that the famous warriors from history are now gorgeous werewolves and vampires rather than grizzled men. After meeting Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his vampiric entourage on the battlefield, it's discovered that her blood has a mysterious power to empower the warriors. I'm probably the last person who can make fun of the premise given that I enjoy otome games and have an obsession with one of the most unashamedly ridiculous Sengoku-themed titles in recent memory, but man, <i>Sengoku Night Blood</i> is dumb.<br />
<br />
It's based on a mobile game so there's a colossal cast of lookalike bishounen warriors for the player to choose from. The originals are drawn by an assortment of famous illustrators for the genre but here most of the characters look similar, except with different clothes and hair colours. Furthermore, the main character makes the lead from <i>Amnesia</i> seem spunky - it hurts me to say that as an <i>Amnesia</i> fan - in that she's just sort of <i>there</i>, with no real personality or dialogue worth remembering. She's not even drawn on model very often since the staff clearly spent all of their time on the guys and finished up her scenes as an afterthought. The artwork for the guys is pretty, but that's the only positive aspect of the show that I can recall; the fighting feels like casual sparring, there's no chance of a decent romance with so many eligible partners bulking out the cast and the supernatural elements feel tacked-on in order to try to increase the game's appeal. It's not even fun to play 'spot the warlord' because none of them really stand out; Kenshin is pretty, Masamune has an eyepatch, Kanbee looks like the little brother of the one from <i>Sengoku Musou</i> etc. Mitsunari's entire reason to exist seems to be to keep adjusting his spectacles. I'll pass on this; sometimes even when they make a show incorporating elements from all of my favourite things, the results can still be sort of terrible.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbNX9GEoAKqrhj5MHBeDN9LBdMvJ_hpTAyI4VsnR0RuupQEVAEpjr3LSpXyxyZHQsD6gXY2i2PD1sOXWzNyXj4m5F6HgDfsEpCGvlU-23qmsx2clFkIUEVrS1SaMI3LiL72KSN_3Tiv8/s1600/sengokunightblood.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbNX9GEoAKqrhj5MHBeDN9LBdMvJ_hpTAyI4VsnR0RuupQEVAEpjr3LSpXyxyZHQsD6gXY2i2PD1sOXWzNyXj4m5F6HgDfsEpCGvlU-23qmsx2clFkIUEVrS1SaMI3LiL72KSN_3Tiv8/s320/sengokunightblood.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kousaka Masanobu, apparently (?!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/food-wars-shokugeki-no-soma">Shokugeki No Soma: San No Sara (Food Wars! The Third Plate)</a><br />
Yep, this is <i>Shokugeki No Soma</i>. The first episode was a gentle reintroduction to the series with nothing much happening other than some gentle backstory leading up to Souma's next confrontation, which is looking to be a direct confrontation with one of the infamous Elite Ten. Speaking of the Elite Ten, they were apparently properly introduced to the anime in an OAV which was never made available in the west, so the first half of this episode felt like a weird recap of an arc I've never actually seen. Mildly annoying; I suppose they presume anyone who missed the bonus episode will at least have read the manga. Still, I'm obviously going to continue watching <i>Shokugeki No Soma</i> as I enjoy the hot-blooded cooking and the good characters are fun enough to help me forget how irritating Erina can be; perhaps she'll finally stop being such a jerk this season!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-ezFIXXzeESwexgvkImGAYXjy1kr-XcDzlrTG6YV48nF4BcVaHLuphiw4AOteiwGutg15iac9b2UsYboR61sMKLF1jQ8dV7Lvkx8olGCyLF_kG1iSr5RC9nR2HAf5ZxYxJQizoVTbxM/s1600/shokugekis3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-ezFIXXzeESwexgvkImGAYXjy1kr-XcDzlrTG6YV48nF4BcVaHLuphiw4AOteiwGutg15iac9b2UsYboR61sMKLF1jQ8dV7Lvkx8olGCyLF_kG1iSr5RC9nR2HAf5ZxYxJQizoVTbxM/s320/shokugekis3.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was going to use a picture of food but he'll do</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/girls-last-tour">Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou (Girl's Last Tour)</a><br />
Chito and Yuuri are a pair of girls who we first encounter driving through a dark tunnel on some kind of military vehicle, squabbling and getting on one another's nerves. When they finally emerge, they end up exploring an old battlefield full of ruined equipment and desperately foraging for leftover food to eat. It appears that the girls are survivors of some kind of dreadful war which has wiped everyone (?) else out and left them alone in a freezing wasteland with little to do other than continue their journey and chat along the way. The exaggerated art style is difficult to ignore and not to my taste at all, but the real problem here is that nothing happens; it has the same pacing as a slice of life moe show except that the setting is considerably more bleak. There's a vein of political comedy mixed in too, so blunt that I doubt it's going to do anything to change anyone's mind if they happen to disagree with the fairly obvious sentiment that war isn't a good idea. This is not for me. Slow pacing works brilliantly for some people while boring others half to death.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZ6qJGhIGXeKJxWW9VgIRYgnrgns6c-gG-GM3YyTR9ab9k2j2JalSqVzT8T2QUzH2-NOkoXkuY_3wzM3y_q_RZLPsY7MHe_Yv4hZiFUZ1i-dqNuEywcTlFHc-Iro2sxTGluEdJ6EgegQ/s1600/girlslasttour.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="1600" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZ6qJGhIGXeKJxWW9VgIRYgnrgns6c-gG-GM3YyTR9ab9k2j2JalSqVzT8T2QUzH2-NOkoXkuY_3wzM3y_q_RZLPsY7MHe_Yv4hZiFUZ1i-dqNuEywcTlFHc-Iro2sxTGluEdJ6EgegQ/s320/girlslasttour.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The frequent CG animation emphasised the weird designs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/taisho-mebiusline-chicchaisan">Taishou Mebiusline Chicchaisan</a><br />
<i>Taishou Mebiusline</i> is an adult BL game with an interesting setting involving folklore, Japanese history, fantasy and a bunch of attractive guys. <i>Taishou Mebiusline Chicchaisan</i>, however, is a series of anime shorts where all of the characters are shrunk down into cute, parody versions of themselves (strangely, other background characters appear to remain full-sized). It's harmless so far, but as with all of these mini spin-offs of existing material, they're not all that great if the audience has no experience of the characters to help them appreciate the comedy of making everyone cute. It's ok, just pointless. Can we have an adaptation of <i>Taishou Mebiusline</i> first, please?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGicqPhIGzIeFW9Jsyel94-dbfwTKn_tgTATaqpQB1izGpJ3EstfaEFHxF_WGD-gkIdJVoa9e-_NM-KfBir_1VR2e_QDcNoPI3XXzhzBICBKrkRe9hRAyGdZvtYLZ2bFEo-uac51oO_HY/s1600/taishouchicchaisan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGicqPhIGzIeFW9Jsyel94-dbfwTKn_tgTATaqpQB1izGpJ3EstfaEFHxF_WGD-gkIdJVoa9e-_NM-KfBir_1VR2e_QDcNoPI3XXzhzBICBKrkRe9hRAyGdZvtYLZ2bFEo-uac51oO_HY/s320/taishouchicchaisan.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He is annoyed because he is small now</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-idolmster-side-m">The iDOLM@STER Side M</a><br />
A strong return to form for <i>The iDOLM@STER</i> series after the <i>Cinderella Girls</i> spin-off which never really appealed to me. The first extended episode follows Jupiter, the rival boyband from <i>The iDOLM@STER 2</i> who have been down on their luck ever since the events in that game. It's wall-to-wall Jupiter fan service, with three performances and lots of catching up in between the concert scenes; great for me, since I enjoyed the game and quite liked Jupiter back at the time! Jupiter aside, this new anime adaptation is actually based on the <i>Side M</i> mobile game I've never played, so once the series gets going I suspect that it will end up much the same as the first <i>The iDOLM@STER</i> anime series except with guys. So as long as there are some interesting characters amongst the bloated cast of fresh-faced idols it might be worth watching - except that this season is so jam-packed with sequels that it's impossible to justify a series in which I'm not already heavily invested. Since I already know Jupiter the first episode didn't tell me too much and I had to watch the second too, which was a high quality, by-the-numbers story of some unlikely allies banding together to form a new idol group under the fledgling agency we met in the Jupiter story. It's one I'd like to come back to one day if I ever have time.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcwzw8yJBm-7peSh14BZtuNxdkwKP-IbR-RwKTagbQfynFtoRbAzva3OngMLpc8GQQO78TOtVnTp6oSewQcGKZxmN6HjFkVwQ_1dqS-Hks2TCA8MHMXR_d9M_Wn53arEK3dOLYbTvyDg/s1600/jupiterimas.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcwzw8yJBm-7peSh14BZtuNxdkwKP-IbR-RwKTagbQfynFtoRbAzva3OngMLpc8GQQO78TOtVnTp6oSewQcGKZxmN6HjFkVwQ_1dqS-Hks2TCA8MHMXR_d9M_Wn53arEK3dOLYbTvyDg/s320/jupiterimas.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">The new boys aren't going to be as cool, are they?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/twocar">TwoCar</a><br />
<i>TwoCar</i> is a series all about cute pairs of doe-eyed girls competing in sidecar racing, a sport I have only heard about tangentially despite my region being important enough to feature in the very first episode (the Isle of Man's famous race is, apparently, prestigious enough to serve as a key plot point here). On one hand, the sport as it's portrayed seems suitably dangerous and exciting to justify having an anime made about it; one girl drives the bike at speed while the other clings to it in various risky positions in order to optimise the vehicle's balance and give them an advantage in a race situation. Obviously, this requires a lot of trust and teamwork; I imagine that the risk of serious injury is significant. There's a lot of potential in <i>TwoCar</i>, which made its first episode rather disappointing. Instead of the hot-blooded partnerships that could have kept my attention, the teammates seem to spend all of their time bickering and fussing, and everything about the characters felt formulaic at best. The rival pairs were even worse, with little to make each duo stand out except one gimmicky trope per team. If you like motorsports or cute girls, it may be best to ignore everything I just wrote and watch it anyway. Personally, I'll pass.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSHIlcguKqkP6_Kc4yCVLiSps2rDrsBRkBNSEI6Ifor2KJVptnNK7RQfWWUrudSKK8nTKnLaYwjnK5CawoWJumSQmPNmHCVTwL4jdIahhlwkmNNYf_vjwQlT5CBJUGjKI30KHQV0FDKo/s1600/twocar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSHIlcguKqkP6_Kc4yCVLiSps2rDrsBRkBNSEI6Ifor2KJVptnNK7RQfWWUrudSKK8nTKnLaYwjnK5CawoWJumSQmPNmHCVTwL4jdIahhlwkmNNYf_vjwQlT5CBJUGjKI30KHQV0FDKo/s320/twocar.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gothic lolita fashionista bike racers, because why not?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/urahara">Urahara</a><br />
The first episode of <i>Urahara</i> is like an insipid version of <i>Paradise Kiss</i> with a splash of <i>Uchuu Patrol Luluco</i>, as three youngsters blissfully witter about their plans to sell clothing in a pop-up store in Harajuku for what feels like hours, until all of sudden aliens invade Japan. The trio meet a strange young girl with a talking tempura scarf, who gives them all magical girl power-ups and sends them off to battle armed with gear resembling edible fashion. It's based on the web comic <i><a href="http://harajuku-crisis-team.tumblr.com/">PARK Harajuku: Crisis Team!</a></i> and the main reason to watch is probably the zany, colourful artwork, which is certainly very appealing. The premise itself is only average, though it could easily become one of those strange titles which captivate an unexpected audience and gain a following anyway. The Harajuku fashion movement doesn't really do much for me so I'll give this one a miss for now.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzS6RFcl-WoMSOXQ_IL3dZmc1vW5Uz8vLAedm8NQtR6s4nhMoTvCjrk9j_GEUzwp48xhNWcu5Fqmgayp6jZUjkw3a9vljnwGe-06JMMNt7k4Quc0oYOPLC9BQ-UYD7kKvxfIBwmxYAZ2g/s1600/uraharapark.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzS6RFcl-WoMSOXQ_IL3dZmc1vW5Uz8vLAedm8NQtR6s4nhMoTvCjrk9j_GEUzwp48xhNWcu5Fqmgayp6jZUjkw3a9vljnwGe-06JMMNt7k4Quc0oYOPLC9BQ-UYD7kKvxfIBwmxYAZ2g/s320/uraharapark.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I liked how they got scouters in their magical girl costumes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
--<br />
<br />
Here are the sequels and spin-offs for shows I don't follow. There are loads of these too; it really is a season of sequels!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/rainy-cocoa">Ameiro Cocoa (Rainy Cocoa) Series: Ame-Con!!</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/cardfight-vanguard-g">Cardfight!! Vanguard G Z</a><br />
<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/classicaloid-2">ClassicaLoid season 2</a><br />
<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/himouto-umaru-chan-r">Himouto! Umaru-chan R</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/love-rice">Love Kome: We Love Rice season 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/love-live-sunshine">Love Live! Sunshine!! season 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-idolmster-cinderella-girls-theater">The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Gekijou (Cinderella Girls Theater) season 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/time-bokan-24">Time Bokan: Gyakushuu No San Akunin (Time Bokan 24 season 2)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/tsukipro-the-animation">TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION</a><br />
<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/uq-holder">UQ Holder! ~Mahou Sensei Negima! 2~</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/wake-up-girls">Wake Up, Girls! Shinshou (New Chapter)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sumi-Washio/dp/B076624FTG/">Yuuki Yuuna Ha Yuusha De Aru: Washio Sumi/Yuusha no Shou (Yuki Yuna Is A Hero)</a><br />
<br />
<b>Region locked English simulcast titles</b><b> (unavailable here):</b><br />
<br />
<i>GARO -Vanishing Line-</i><br />
<i>Infini-T Force</i><br />
<i>Kujira No Kora Ha Sajou Ni Utau (</i><i>Children Of The Whales)</i><br />
<br />
Thanks as always go to Netflix for cutting some anime out of the legal simulcast market entirely. I tried out their free trial to watch <i>Hikari No Otousan</i> last month and concluded that a subscription was a total waste of money; almost £8 per month to watch a load of old content they cannot supply on time and their catalogue is a pale shadow of the US service. Bleh. I wish they'd put their niche stuff on other services from time to time.<br />
<br />
The big shock for me is that Funimation only licensed <i>GARO -Vanishing Line-</i> for the US. For some reason, availability of the wider <i>GARO</i> series is very poor in the UK but given how heavily it's being pushed with even the live action show making it to the US, I was sad that the latest spin-off ended up as the sole major title of the season where the UK was forgotten.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
The usual guesses for my top three shows this season are probably better informed than usual since so many are sequels:<br />
<br />
<i>1. Osomatsu-san</i><br />
<i>2. March Comes In Like A Lion</i><br />
<i>3. Inuyashiki</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1joGXCq4nsHcSVJ3rAzrXjbTsrV0YBEziCKbFQ59Jw28kwh7LinFFBxAUmlkijH2zQXBscT9sRA7Lihpxf9pS22jiIIP_vcbCNB4fICGpjUSHYOZlydf0ONc2wmjZ1R8cgM8prnYSlhk/s1600/housekinokuni2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="1600" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1joGXCq4nsHcSVJ3rAzrXjbTsrV0YBEziCKbFQ59Jw28kwh7LinFFBxAUmlkijH2zQXBscT9sRA7Lihpxf9pS22jiIIP_vcbCNB4fICGpjUSHYOZlydf0ONc2wmjZ1R8cgM8prnYSlhk/s320/housekinokuni2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Crunchyroll did its usual trick of leaving one unannounced show on its lineup page for weeks to make me delay my first impressions, only for it to end up being <i>RWBY volume 5</i>. I won't be tricked again, Crunchyroll!<br />
<br />
Here's how my current schedule looks:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Monday: </b><i>Osomatsu-san</i><br />
<b>Tuesday:</b> <i>Juuni Taisen, Shokugeki No Soma</i><br />
<b>Wednesday: </b>Nothing!<br />
<b>Thursday: </b>Nothing!<br />
<b>Friday:</b><i> Inuyashiki, Kino No Tabi, </i><i>Shoukoku No Altair</i><br />
<b>Saturday: </b><i>Code: Realize, Hoozuki No Reitetsu, Kekkai Sensen, Mahoutsukai No Yome, March Comes In Like A Lion, Welcome To The Ballroom</i><br />
<b>Sunday: </b><i>Gintama</i><br />
<br />
Thank goodness for the two-day gap in the middle of the week where I can catch up on the weekend episodes. I'll need it. I'm also grateful that this season had more than its fair share of shockingly bad titles (<i>Ousama Game, Dies Irae, EVIL or LIVE</i>) as whittling down the list of candidates was very tricky this time.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-87311721186776174112017-10-21T15:26:00.000+01:002017-10-21T15:26:13.344+01:00Streaming: Summer 2017 anime final impressionsAnother season has come and gone. Summer 2017 wasn't the strongest season of anime I've followed; in fact, it was rather weak overall, which is probably for the best as there are suddenly plenty of interesting games I want to play! I'm currently working through <i>New Danganronpa V3</i> and the mobile port of <i>Gyakuten Saiban 6</i> (or <i>Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice</i>, to use its long-winded localised name). Both are fantastic and titles I have been looking forward to for a long time, so it's going to be tough going to tear myself away and watch all of the first episodes for the upcoming season in between gaming sessions!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3nBANcpAmwLECqVoLnjGO1AuFy3JwiVVgK1e1l5COpdOcb4NX9lDgKTscx7ydAR_9iIvLBxd5vLWcHQr80VYwgW0GPHDaHNKfLk9gVkq40EoE-2qlTu6mJ3-9Kaynnq_pkycSQYE1S8/s1600/heroacas2b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3nBANcpAmwLECqVoLnjGO1AuFy3JwiVVgK1e1l5COpdOcb4NX9lDgKTscx7ydAR_9iIvLBxd5vLWcHQr80VYwgW0GPHDaHNKfLk9gVkq40EoE-2qlTu6mJ3-9Kaynnq_pkycSQYE1S8/s320/heroacas2b.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
A final impressions post requires the usual completely arbitrary top three, and accordingly here it is.<br />
<br />
<i>1. Tsuredure Children</i><br />
<i>2. Owarimonogatari second season</i><br />
<i>3. Saiyuuki Reload Blast</i><br />
<br />
<i>Tsuredure Children</i> was simply the best. I looked forward to it every week despite it being different to my usual favourites in every conceivable way. <i>Owarimonogatari</i> was its usual self and worthy of a spot despite having a short run. And <i>Saiyuuki</i> was sort of average except I needed a third series for the list and it felt good to revisit the past every week.<br />
<br />
One notable omission from the full list below is <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/my-first-girlfriend-is-a-gal">Hajimete No Gal (My First Girlfriend Is A Gal)</a>, which I finally dropped two thirds of the way through the season for being persisently mediocre after all. I had hoped for something better; instead, it got worse, and there wasn't even any worthwhile fan service to make the plot feel less awful. I also discovered later on that all of the creepy child molester jokes were actually <i>added</i> for the anime, a fact that is probably going to haunt me for life. I'm not easily offended but they weren't even slightly funny and just added an awkward atmosphere to something which wasn't good enough to rise above the poor taste; what on earth was the team thinking?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Shows which started late in the season</b><br />
<br />
There were quite a few one-shots and late starters this time.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/blade-runner-black-out-2022">Blade Runner Black Out 2022</a><br />
I haven't been following the <i>Blade Runner</i> sequel news at all, so I went into this promotional short with a lot of ignorance. Fortunately, it explained the scenario very quickly and set to work showing a short adventure set a few years before the events of the new film. I'm assuming that it's skippable if you only want to see the movie itself, but if you are excited about the <i>Blade Runner</i> universe this animation helps flesh out some of the history leading up to whatever happens in <i>Blade Runner 2049</i>. The story is simple; it doesn't have enough time to be more complicated yet even with its short runtime there's still an impressive amount of world building. The artwork is decent (if not all that attractive whenever the cast are off-screen - lots of atmosphere and special effects, not so much of the very nice character artwork). The thing that kept throwing me was the English voice acting, though; it was rather cartoony, which felt out of place in such a serious, gritty animation. I'm not sure why the tone felt so wrong. In any case, <i>Blade Runner Black Out 2022</i> is a neat little diversion which probably won't stick in my mind all that long despite the impressive names in the credits. Perhaps I'll revisit it if I ever get around to watching the film to which it's attached.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXmVfapUiiEn1NCStLhSjBdx3qZ3B0m-XiqikTDNmGwglWtC_-ImLaA4p027I-o6bbFBa5tZI7h0CQseXbqN_sEhjT6w8Znd_hz_e7VEGiqNWhOJe_HCs1RjNjV_fQmc4zAHMLcNtG9Q/s1600/bladerunnerblackout2022.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="1600" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXmVfapUiiEn1NCStLhSjBdx3qZ3B0m-XiqikTDNmGwglWtC_-ImLaA4p027I-o6bbFBa5tZI7h0CQseXbqN_sEhjT6w8Znd_hz_e7VEGiqNWhOJe_HCs1RjNjV_fQmc4zAHMLcNtG9Q/s320/bladerunnerblackout2022.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If only the whole thing had been pretty shots like this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/children-of-ether">Children Of Ether</a><br />
An interesting pilot episode from an international team, <i>Children Of Ether</i> is Crunchyroll's first attempt to start creating its own original anime content. There are quite a few respectable names attached to the project which is headlined by animator <a href="http://leseanthomas.tumblr.com/">LeSean Thomas</a>, and the animation is reminiscent of the <i>Avatar</i> and <i>Legend Of Korra </i>series - that's a good thing. We're introduced to a young woman, Rhonda, who is on the run in a dangerous environment for some reason. She meets a few strange people on her way, and gradually we begin to unravel a few details from her past which explain why she's making her journey. Even though a film with such a short run time doesn't offer much scope to develop its plot, it's already clear that the creators have a lot of ideas prepared to flesh out the <i>Children Of Ether</i> universe. The other interesting element for me is the voice acting as I seldom hear English-language dubbing these days. It was variable, though I did think that Camille Winbush did a particularly good job as female lead Rhonda, giving her an appealingly rough voice that didn't sound anything like the dizzy affected style popular in most English anime dubs. As for everyone else, the voice acting style reminded me strongly of <i>Legend Of Korra</i> too, which is strange as I don't see any significant crossover in the list of actors. I liked the pilot episode. If it returns, which seems likely, I might well pick it up.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGHvjjwd6ctVYvSxz5xaQwGzkBA0OuuVfmoRCzVmrsRkJeRy61q0ZQ1VY8mHS8cxhUWprUtrUJmra9i_T312W6CnWseyHS3RcI74WRM-_Z6G8_UGmODPyeeMh8Hj1bYlAiwDc0hJ7tTk/s1600/childrenofether.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGHvjjwd6ctVYvSxz5xaQwGzkBA0OuuVfmoRCzVmrsRkJeRy61q0ZQ1VY8mHS8cxhUWprUtrUJmra9i_T312W6CnWseyHS3RcI74WRM-_Z6G8_UGmODPyeeMh8Hj1bYlAiwDc0hJ7tTk/s320/childrenofether.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare example of an anime-inspired art style that works</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80178543">Hikari No Otousan (</a><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80178543">Final Fantasy XIV: </a><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80178543">Dad Of Light)</a><br />
This isn't even anime, and I can only apologise for the poor picture, yet I wanted to record it here nonetheless. <i>Dad Of Light</i> is a unique project based on a blog written by 'Maidy', a real-life Japanese <i>Final Fantasy XIV</i> player who described his adventures in the game's world of Eorzea while he was engaged in a secret project. He had managed to get his emotionally distant father hooked on the popular MMORPG to try to improve their relationship, then sneakily set things up so the two of them could adventure together, with Maidy recording every pitfall along the way until they cleared what was then the hardest battle in the game. The story became popular and eventually, an eight-episode Japanese television drama adaptation followed. Since I enjoy both J-drama and <i>Final Fantasy XIV</i>, I subscribed to Netflix's free trial for the sole purpose of watching the show; once again they had swiped exclusive streaming rights and arranged a delayed release as a so-called 'Netflix Original'. In fairness to Netflix, it was unlikely that anyone else was ever going to license this one and I didn't pay a single penny to marathon it. If schmaltzy Japanese drama isn't for you or you think <i>Final Fantasy</i> sucks, you'll hate it, because <i>Dad Of Light</i> is as cheesy as a soap and works as a glorified advertisement for the game. If you're not in one of those two camps, it's a cute, sappy story which will probably put a smile on your face through its human portrayal of the two socially awkward men learning from one another even as adults. The use of in-game background music for the various dramatic moments in the scenes from Maidy's home and office was a hilarious touch. I liked it a lot.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xlCg1rgXEuyVFSg2aJO5HvH3ROrgcTwk5TV30JGW369IRHHavi-WxPLSFLbHxWN7-nqvp6duFQl_lZB_Qq8SSQfh39KiiJdYISN_rbe629kAely0aZH8fiH2VqF-3MpyzFC1Ow4K_Zw/s1600/hikarinootousan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="1364" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xlCg1rgXEuyVFSg2aJO5HvH3ROrgcTwk5TV30JGW369IRHHavi-WxPLSFLbHxWN7-nqvp6duFQl_lZB_Qq8SSQfh39KiiJdYISN_rbe629kAely0aZH8fiH2VqF-3MpyzFC1Ow4K_Zw/s320/hikarinootousan.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Netflix does not want me to take screenshots</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/owarimonogatari">Owarimonogatari (second season)</a><br />
The seven-part follow-up to <i>Owarimonogatari</i> abruptly appeared on Crunchyroll without much fanfare partway through the season, bundling the separate parts of each arc into a total of three extended episodes. I was warned not to watch it without having seen the parts of the series I've missed (namely <i>Koyomimonogatari</i> and the third <i>Kizumonogatari</i> film) but as neither was going to be available legally in English for months I just went ahead and watched out of sequence anyway. Great distribution work, Aniplex!<br />
<br />
As usual, each of the short arcs in this batch of <i>Monogatari</i> stories focuses on an individual character, with Koyomi's ongoing story pinning all of the different story threads together. In the course of these episodes, he travels all the way to the afterlife (meeting an old friend along the way), spends some time with his challenging girlfriend, and then ultimately resolves one of the major mysteries of the series. I always enjoy arcs which feature the creepy, androgynous Ougi so as expected<i> Owarimonogatari</i>'s second season was a real treat for me, and easily one of the better anime titles in this quiet summer selection. Now I just need to get my hand on the two missing parts of the series to catch up on any cues I might have missed!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73XEdK3q0g3UY-j5zw151PHroxxhlvyzQ4gnwqGPguvy0ec1NzPR64D9klZVVXNrUIxVHQwfhZkqlFcDQi-2mgNlfESp2AJCl3r7rwtZIPKuOYxa5xKhNDTBHMAnub0Ll5O7RDuKnSgs/s1600/owarimonogataris2end.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73XEdK3q0g3UY-j5zw151PHroxxhlvyzQ4gnwqGPguvy0ec1NzPR64D9klZVVXNrUIxVHQwfhZkqlFcDQi-2mgNlfESp2AJCl3r7rwtZIPKuOYxa5xKhNDTBHMAnub0Ll5O7RDuKnSgs/s320/owarimonogataris2end.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her design pulls me right in every time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Shows I completed</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/my-hero-academia">Boku No Hero Academia (My Hero Academia season 2)</a><br />
It feels as though this second season of <i>Boku No Hero Academia</i> has been running forever! After some non-serious antics the show took a swerve into more emotional territory partway through, then went back to more school adventures with the increasingly-capable trainee heroes before teasing some more villainous plotting for a future arc. I feel as though the storyline has settled into its rhythm now and the characters have really come to life, with great scenes from almost everyone (even my dorky favourite, Aoyama, had a few brief moments). The anime adaptation is colourful, shiny and, when needed, rather impressive visually; some of the battle scenes earlier in the season had me on the edge of my seat. Although it's probably never going to be one of my all-time favourites, I enjoy <i>Boku No Hero Academia</i> and I'm ready for the next season when it arrives. Though I don't like Bakugo. Or Mineta. Mineta sucks.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZuRHtyAh04IfXt1lwPCHe0ECAgR8rzWEVM4mOr3wNlgx6YTYRDWxIQB_0bERA4Sgusl5HHZjttk8Bgqv8hmbtN1Lkm2K0e-pEFJIsMWMqGRIoFCbZ9rErzSm9r6jTAbCQEf1HQz8TkM/s1600/heroacas2a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZuRHtyAh04IfXt1lwPCHe0ECAgR8rzWEVM4mOr3wNlgx6YTYRDWxIQB_0bERA4Sgusl5HHZjttk8Bgqv8hmbtN1Lkm2K0e-pEFJIsMWMqGRIoFCbZ9rErzSm9r6jTAbCQEf1HQz8TkM/s320/heroacas2a.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare shounen series with decent female characters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/hell-girl-fourth-twilight">Jigoku Shoujo: Yoi No Togi (Hell Girl: Fourth Twilight)</a><br />
The first couple of seasons of <i>Jigoku Shoujo</i> really touched my heart back in the day, so I had impossibly high hopes for this revival. It was disappointing that it was only six episodes long before turning into a highlight reel of episodes from previous seasons, and it was also a pity that the original cast took a back seat to a short story about a brand new character, who was yet another naïve child with a dark past. I think that both Kikuri and Yamawaro each had more lines than Wanyuudou, Ichimoku Ren and Hone Onna combined, and even Ai herself was sidelined a few times. The main story was good, yet the conclusion makes it difficult to believe that any future continuations will return to the formulaic perfection of the series' early episodes. Still, this abbreviated fourth season wasn't bad, even though it was far from the best the series has to offer.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KrMY9_t1Knj5ofsJfMz8NmzuznlOEJesa0lAToPYIebzlb09jebdrD_bDkJyYXz8BuVv90rhuzgelG98gLUjfYVOe0BE6cBBri7AEfgzRQI9gH6wzL-rRaYx5DnRdwMQbg3tCKuwq_Y/s1600/jigokushoujos4end.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KrMY9_t1Knj5ofsJfMz8NmzuznlOEJesa0lAToPYIebzlb09jebdrD_bDkJyYXz8BuVv90rhuzgelG98gLUjfYVOe0BE6cBBri7AEfgzRQI9gH6wzL-rRaYx5DnRdwMQbg3tCKuwq_Y/s320/jigokushoujos4end.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nobody can beat Ai at being the ultimate Hell Girl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/ninja-girl-samurai-master"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/ninja-girl-samurai-master">Nobunaga No Shinobi (Ninja Girl & Samurai Master)</a><br />
The second season of this irreverent historical chronicle of Oda Nobunaga's life abruptly ended right at an important part in the story, with the Azai and Oda clans preparing to give everything in a decisive clash. Is it finished for good? <i>Nobunaga No Shinobi</i> may only have had three-minute episodes but as historical comedy goes it was one of the better efforts. I'll miss its jokes every Friday night. There's going to be a third season one day, right?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlGMjL_v6Df5eNwE0q7KhbMA5cWJS0mHM8QcTWkYZ0Yy_aFBJg8aqKr32lRo-omrX6N6ThJKYmCsmYcEoSd71Qb4UUZJ41dWJNXYcyaYUy1liWROtvRPL1KMV_BWjmK9kkQOfxAeMNSs/s1600/nobunaganosinobiisekanegasaki.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlGMjL_v6Df5eNwE0q7KhbMA5cWJS0mHM8QcTWkYZ0Yy_aFBJg8aqKr32lRo-omrX6N6ThJKYmCsmYcEoSd71Qb4UUZJ41dWJNXYcyaYUy1liWROtvRPL1KMV_BWjmK9kkQOfxAeMNSs/s320/nobunaganosinobiisekanegasaki.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who wouldn't be rooting for these guys after watching?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Re-CREATORS/dp/B06Y5HSYLT">Re:Creators</a><br />
This was a wild ride. Back when I started <i>Re:Creators</i> mid-season it was being hailed as something truly fantastic. A lot of people subsequently complained that the series fell apart later on, and having caught up I can agree that it felt a lot less tightly plotted after the halfway mark. There was a lot of surprisingly abrupt character death and the revelations came so thick and fast that they lost all meaning very swiftly. My biggest disappointment, however, was that some of the minor characters were woefully underused. I would have loved to see less focus on the creators and more interactions with the various creations. It felt as though Altair's plans were underdeveloped and her stranger decisions could have made more sense with a lot more time allocated to fleshing out the complicated character relationships. Still, even though it was never a perfect series, it managed to be entertaining throughout (and that entire episode of product placement for Oedo Onsen Monogatari made me chuckle). Not bad.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjflCVrKk2EKVymUCrZ4EwXxoONSI2rR1Tpvxe0s8JBlcq9PA5SClKq9d_oC3INHtiekfrQ-IbqcZO5750vQu8A7D7N28gYNDyBfaoR7_K1EGjzNToDFNrghJiqtS3_ZCN4FZWlMV4AU/s1600/recreatorsed2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjflCVrKk2EKVymUCrZ4EwXxoONSI2rR1Tpvxe0s8JBlcq9PA5SClKq9d_oC3INHtiekfrQ-IbqcZO5750vQu8A7D7N28gYNDyBfaoR7_K1EGjzNToDFNrghJiqtS3_ZCN4FZWlMV4AU/s320/recreatorsed2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two pictures this time because I couldn't decide</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If they ever make any spin-offs, I would definitely watch the two series that Magane and Yuuya originally came from. Both certainly looked interesting!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE9jcgZM2ZuXH08cAxR8xk_HN8MSZ2roQcSv6eQSXBBBU5tl7WpOBOgUpU_HisgsqahaE8MFXqfhJobrSZ6lQ4wpMwLX5SBsjNtBaRp-CtXV9ALjOZe4maHYcdCwhFNtOgV-_1hQrRnc/s1600/recreatorsed1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE9jcgZM2ZuXH08cAxR8xk_HN8MSZ2roQcSv6eQSXBBBU5tl7WpOBOgUpU_HisgsqahaE8MFXqfhJobrSZ6lQ4wpMwLX5SBsjNtBaRp-CtXV9ALjOZe4maHYcdCwhFNtOgV-_1hQrRnc/s320/recreatorsed1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuuya's relationship with his creator was also very funny</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/saiyuki-reload-blast">Saiyuuki Reload Blast</a><br />
Following this belated sequel to the meandering <i>Gensoumaden Saiyuuki</i> series was never going to be a bad thing. At worst, it was a whole season knowing I'd be hearing Ishida Akira's voice in every episode, and at best it might actually be watchable in its own right. Now that it's over, I can safely say that it was a decent enough return to form for a series which has always known how to have fun with its stupid, excessively gritty premise. Our grumpy team of heroes finally (!) make it to 'the West' this time around and actually progress the plot very slightly, which is a rare treat for a series which managed to drag their road trip out for so many episodes previously. For some reason they decided to cover the Nataku backstory again (my memory is hazy, but didn't we already see most of this in <i>Saiyuuki Gaiden</i>?) which reduced the amount of new content substantially, but the fluffy character development episodes at the start of <i>Saiyuuki Reload Blast</i> combined with the dramatic climax more than made up for the repetition. In addition, the animation was reasonable and the gag scenes geniunely funny. I enjoyed it. Bonus points for there not being a single wimpy harem lead in sight - the women in <i>Saiyuuki</i> are far too tough to put up with anything like that.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_68VxXWArN0djFZ0u39LPucKE4u3bskZTua0-qjxMmzreJvRNG0bMQWME-uX1e3dbUpMoouAQYRcGDe1_PBnrgGDjEodFONhiYmfT_RcY4-OPavJ0cwhuRsNf1vhKr67rWXE420sthU/s1600/saiyuukirbed1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_68VxXWArN0djFZ0u39LPucKE4u3bskZTua0-qjxMmzreJvRNG0bMQWME-uX1e3dbUpMoouAQYRcGDe1_PBnrgGDjEodFONhiYmfT_RcY4-OPavJ0cwhuRsNf1vhKr67rWXE420sthU/s320/saiyuukirbed1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You're still the best, Hakkai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/sakura-quest">Sakura Quest</a><br />
Strangely, the innocuous slice of life story <i>Sakura Quest</i> has been one of the most divisive shows I've followed in a while. Everyone seems to have an opinion on it and for many, that opinion is that it's the most boring series around. It's true that very little happens; every few episodes, one of the characters will stumble upon a minor drama in their dwindling rural town and everyone will eventually have to draw on the power of the local community to find a solution. The struggle ends up tightening the bonds between the five heroines working to increase Manoyama's draw as a tourist hotspot... and that's all that happens. But it doesn't bother me. I wasn't expecting anything more from the first episode, so it's difficult to get annoyed that <i>Sakura Quest</i> never reaches for anything greater over the course of its run.<br />
<br />
I suspect that the series works better if you have some familiarity with the tiny tourist groups and local campaigns scattered across Japan - my time travelling around sleepy castle towns hunting for<i> Sengoku Basara</i> tie-ins has clearly paid off! The passion that the cast felt for their jobs rang true; I've met people out there with that kind of enthusiasm and know that it's based on a real way of life, however silly all of the 'Chupacabra Kingdom' hijinks were. If there was one criticism it would be that the series could probably have worked better with half the number of episodes, which would have forced everything to progress more quickly and perhaps made a point that more viewers could appreciate before the constant scenes of repetitive bickering with the local trade association wore them down enough to drop the show. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5P88cvSmurdOtXmyrmD_isbDsUB-7cq9UZeCyDKUTf1SmJArwBJ2NHAUNb63xdgqNHtf6MpsaHG_C_5_obbfIZPr0bmPbtYkUA57qE_nHMLdgzEdLTVLwVZKoj0IniWMKH8PqtcO3Nk/s1600/sakuraquestfinale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5P88cvSmurdOtXmyrmD_isbDsUB-7cq9UZeCyDKUTf1SmJArwBJ2NHAUNb63xdgqNHtf6MpsaHG_C_5_obbfIZPr0bmPbtYkUA57qE_nHMLdgzEdLTVLwVZKoj0IniWMKH8PqtcO3Nk/s320/sakuraquestfinale.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Incidentally, Shiori was my favourite of the girls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/tsuredure-children">Tsuredure Children</a><br />
For an understated skit show based around romantic high school mistakes, <i>Tsuredure Children</i> was utterly superb. I liked most of the characters - possibly all of them - and that's quite impressive given how many goofy schoolkids were jostling for my attention as they fell into every single possible pitfall of young courtship over the course of the series. They all deserve to find happiness! Its stablemate (of sorts), <i>Aho Girl</i>, never managed to win me over though I did end up watching most of it in the background each week while preparing dinner. It simply could not compare. <i>Tsuredure Children</i> is everything I usually hate about modern anime, except done <b>really, really well</b>. I love it! I don't think there's been a high school romantic comedy as good as this since <i>Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun</i>, and that's very high praise from me.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw5Bm8CZKNUSVqKpaYuCoJcEGteUxZT_tqoTSkaa_IAbteosYlRMIVFagxPOELqPL21J5i8q6gh8DtH74ykFkA5KBObFjKqObu4JnilfLsHfdFjsde0uI1j884JkXD8pV02hl_IrmfvE/s1600/turedurechildrenfinale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw5Bm8CZKNUSVqKpaYuCoJcEGteUxZT_tqoTSkaa_IAbteosYlRMIVFagxPOELqPL21J5i8q6gh8DtH74ykFkA5KBObFjKqObu4JnilfLsHfdFjsde0uI1j884JkXD8pV02hl_IrmfvE/s320/turedurechildrenfinale.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still coming to terms with the fact that it's over</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
--<br />
<br />
I'm going into the Autumn season with only two continuing simulcasts (<i>Shoukoku No Altair</i> and<i> Ballroom He Youkoso</i>). This is a good thing, as there are at least half a dozen sequels appearing which I will want to follow even before adding some fresh blood to the mix. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBN7aDQP6yae4GdGA9fswlTuy4e1mXcuoDyYF5w1SrdcaQYKXKnie5gp_SStmMQ1W2f56RofI2iNby0PSk5CjjomNXCI4hUDYobcFFMq1Hk0nTM4jR-6VxVhrYpcTjReEGWVBXraBwX8/s1600/saiyuukirbed2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBN7aDQP6yae4GdGA9fswlTuy4e1mXcuoDyYF5w1SrdcaQYKXKnie5gp_SStmMQ1W2f56RofI2iNby0PSk5CjjomNXCI4hUDYobcFFMq1Hk0nTM4jR-6VxVhrYpcTjReEGWVBXraBwX8/s320/saiyuukirbed2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It's going to be busy, so I'd better hurry up and finish my games!Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-57733922847384224212017-07-24T02:03:00.000+01:002017-07-24T02:03:29.168+01:00Streaming: Summer 2017 anime first impressionsWow. <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/lineup">Crunchyroll</a> nearly completely wiped out when it came to licensing high quality titles this season; if I wasn't already subscribed for a year I'd have seriously considered taking a break if they hadn't snagged <i>Jigoku Shoujo</i>. It's not a strong season to begin with - the majority of titles are 'ok' rather than 'unmissable' - but it's the first where Crunchyroll's dominance in the UK has started to show major cracks. The main culprits are <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_rot_p_n_ways_to_watch_1?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A3280626031%2Ck%3Aanime%2Cp_n_ways_to_watch%3A7448662031&bbn=3280626031&keywords=anime&ie=UTF8">Amazon Prime</a>, who have grabbed some high quality titles once again, and Sentai's new venture <a href="https://www.hidive.com/">HIDIVE</a>. Netflix are also sitting on the sidelines, singlehandedly justifying piracy for many viewers by withholding all international access for anything they touch and treating the anime community like a mindless cash cow. Screw Netflix. <br />
<br />
Amazon's anime push is nothing new for this season, but Sentai's relaunch is actively frustrating. To draw attention to their homegrown service they have stopped allowing other anime sites to show their content, which means that none of their shows can be viewed on half my devices and there are no apps whatsoever since the new site is still in beta. In addition, the billing/trial system is poorly described and confusing. Even though their support team is friendly and responsive, by now we've all gone through this many times before with overly ambitious new site launches in legal streaming and it's never fun. <br />
<br />
Manga Entertainment's Jerome accidentally hit the nail on the head in one of his characteristic Twitter rants recently when he <a href="https://twitter.com/AskJeromeMaz/status/884795971972075524">said</a>, <i>"Isn't that weird? Usually consumers see monopolisation as a bad thing,
but anime fans r screaming out for 1 source for everything."</i> <br />
<br />
In my mind, there's a simple explanation. Competition <i>is</i> important. The ideal anime streaming market would have sites like Crunchyroll, Netflix, Amazon, Funimation and HIDIVE all streaming every show, worldwide, with subtitles in multiple languages. If Netflix wants to push this stupid enforced 'box set' marathon model, let them do so. If HIDIVE think they are best positioned for providing a unified streaming-and-physical service to the US and English-majority regions, let them. If Crunchyroll think a completely free service on a delay is worth more to fans on a budget while Viewster think fans deserve day-and-date with adverts, fine. The customers can pick which site they find easiest to use, and everyone has legal access to as much anime as possible. The best sites will get the most customers and the anime industry will get feedback on what works best, without all of the lies, exaggerations and excuses.<br />
<br />
What we have now <i>is not</i> competition. It's the opposite. As a fan, I don't want to watch some random shounen anime on my platform of choice, so I have to follow the shows I want to watch to the platforms where they end up even if it destroys my viewing experience, as it can easily do when a service is poorly run (Animax UK, I'm talking about you). Fans can't afford to subscribe to half a dozen different platforms to watch half a dozen different shows. Fans can't afford new computers just to have something which works to stream through a certain badly-written website. Fans can't afford to spend hours each week trying to piece together the puzzle of working out which site has the show they want to see for their region (if anyone has it at all) and which language options are available where. It's even worse for casual or new fans, who have no real investment in the industry to encourage them to put up with all of this disorganisation. <br />
<br />
Piracy is <i>flourishing</i> because of this baffling parody of the spirit of competition, where the services with the most money grab all of the best shows and lock them away from potential viewers. For most of these sites the distributors aren't being paid based on the number of viewers, they're being paid based on how exclusive their contract is. Distributors like Jerome are incentivised to give exclusivity contracts to each service (or not stream at all, thanks Jerome), and thus we end up in a situation where almost every single title this season is exclusive to one streaming service in the UK. The services don't even specialise in anime genres, so one season you'll have to go to Amazon Prime for your mature, female-orientated entertainment and the next that stuff will be on Crunchyroll instead and Amazon Prime only has action fantasy shows. The cheapest way to subscribe is via annual subscription, but to subscribe to each and every streaming site costs several times more than most fans' anime budgets. Ironically, this current interpration of 'competition' is probably crippling the spending power of Jerome's own physical anime buyers more than he realises.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlYlQMDoDmdu6sRZvXHDwzNaXsu1_ESDmzHMgJrQ1qFRjLxabmxUXpjbU7eMF9c6xZ5M15BKOuHrXnfb9aaTt1PLjztaL88FXE4S1PUfxH7Np9m3aQ79nR4dU7dtEGy1sJeHEl7lHsNY/s1600/turedurechildren1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlYlQMDoDmdu6sRZvXHDwzNaXsu1_ESDmzHMgJrQ1qFRjLxabmxUXpjbU7eMF9c6xZ5M15BKOuHrXnfb9aaTt1PLjztaL88FXE4S1PUfxH7Np9m3aQ79nR4dU7dtEGy1sJeHEl7lHsNY/s320/turedurechildren1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In short, anime streaming is still a huge mess and
the distributors are completely to blame. But as I love anime and hate
piracy, I'm forced to put up with it and can't do anything about it other than complain.<br />
<br />
So let's switch topics and talk about
my first impressions of this latest batch of anime. On top of the titles I liked from the selection below, I'm still streaming <i>Boku No Hero Academia, Nobunaga No Shinobi</i> and <i>Sakura Quest</i> from previous seasons. Crunchyroll's lineup page still has a blank slot which I'm guessing will be filled later in the season too.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/18if">18if</a><br />
A surreal adventure based on a smartphone game, about a world where girls are falling into mysterious comas in what's being called 'Sleeping Beauty Syndrome'. One night, when Haruto goes to sleep, he's pulled into a dream world which turns out to have been created by one of these girls, now a gigantic, sadistic virtual 'witch' who toys with others for her personal amusement. After meeting a humanoid cat who claims to be a researcher, our hero is warned that death in the dream world will lead to death in the real world too; a warning which is subsequently ignored as Haruto has his arm torn off and endures a bloody decapitation with no permanent ill effects. It doesn't even slow him down at all as he gives the witch a scolding for being so selfish in the climax of the show. While the hero is rather irritating, <i>18if</i> would be watchable if every episode had a different female seiyuu revelling in the role of the villain - Endou Aya certainly has a lot of fun in the first outing. As for why the disease only affects pretty girls? I'm pretty sure it's because the witch's clothes vanished as soon as Haruto told her off and saved her from the dream. There's a very distinct target audience in mind here, isn't there?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLm-_Rv6hQ5oJXGt5_KZcgwepjKIjasfDqT57L7r2wvHozbTsIih2eS2ApQ63S06ru99rvCFFl4yO8sZKUP2od6hUr0BkKG7gWudiaIxqJcKvcslCtG56m6NdjkvDITpv617Bqrwu340/s1600/18ifanime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLm-_Rv6hQ5oJXGt5_KZcgwepjKIjasfDqT57L7r2wvHozbTsIih2eS2ApQ63S06ru99rvCFFl4yO8sZKUP2od6hUr0BkKG7gWudiaIxqJcKvcslCtG56m6NdjkvDITpv617Bqrwu340/s320/18ifanime.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koyasu's smug cat-man is the best sidekick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/action-heroine-cheer-fruits">Action Heroine Cheer Fruits</a><br />
Mikan is a sweet (and rubber-faced) girl who is devastated when a nationally-famous 'local hero' cancels a show her younger sister was looking forward to. She persuades another of the hero's fans to help her stage a special version of the show with themselves in the star roles, and in doing so attracts the attention of the school council's president who wants them to use their passion to help promote <i>their</i> local area! It feels a bit like <i>LocoDol</i> and a bit like <i>Sakura Quest</i>, but <i>Action Heroine Cheer Fruits</i> is surprisingly good in spite of being packed to the gills with squeaky schoolgirls, proving that it can, in fact, be done. The characters are entertaining to watch and the animation is pretty good, with a lot of care put into making the hero show segments as spirited as their real world equivalents. I like it. If it was on another streaming platform I might continue; as it is I'll wait for the home video version.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKixJ1avLThzBLUn0zxyEaiXX_Ebs_SiCXdDDb2_bYk-YvfsaVCcDfrxd8g8yHO1nL1sICJ66T34jDbPyq9NSCvggG-PKHiorx_J81XCupF62z76A_j_24-CpZDmd1aKV_VkeQ58eJyQ/s1600/actionheroinecheerfruits.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="869" data-original-width="1600" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKixJ1avLThzBLUn0zxyEaiXX_Ebs_SiCXdDDb2_bYk-YvfsaVCcDfrxd8g8yHO1nL1sICJ66T34jDbPyq9NSCvggG-PKHiorx_J81XCupF62z76A_j_24-CpZDmd1aKV_VkeQ58eJyQ/s320/actionheroinecheerfruits.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mikan makes the funniest faces</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/aho-girl">Aho-Girl</a><br />
An unapologetically dumb comedy about a less-than-intelligent girl who spends her entire life harassing her violent male friend and fantasising about eating bananas. If she was replaced by a talking monkey, the show would remain identical. I think this might work for people who haven't already seen the same jokes a thousand times before, or for people who find pretty schoolgirls making silly faces and eating bananas the height of entertainment. In my case I felt the fun angela opening theme was wasted on this nonsense. My friend took a shine to it after we watched the first episode together - and that friend will be watching the rest without me!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyl94UXIgVAxvCpeioBrbvkG0CmcDxruHu6x2sfN4vdLU1aEw-QtufdHI98HAUy4R-MYEoaaEsQtLteehvE5CI2nHsHmcBEdNOU0qvmW2B3V_dHIpw55pJimFmrv_9pUG3yl7bwvYu59g/s1600/ahogirl.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyl94UXIgVAxvCpeioBrbvkG0CmcDxruHu6x2sfN4vdLU1aEw-QtufdHI98HAUy4R-MYEoaaEsQtLteehvE5CI2nHsHmcBEdNOU0qvmW2B3V_dHIpw55pJimFmrv_9pUG3yl7bwvYu59g/s320/ahogirl.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make it stop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heat-1-Welcome-Ogasawara-Dance-Studio/dp/B073R4KHGN/">Ballroom He Youkoso (Welcome To The Ballroom)</a><br />
Thank goodness, something that's genuinely good. I'm not at all keen on ballroom dancing but <i>Welcome To The Ballroom</i> is so tightly-directed that the first episode was a joy to watch, especially after some of the other clunkers I had to sit through before I got here. Wimpy schoolboy Tatara blunders into the world of ballroom dancing quite by accident when he (involuntarily) visits a local dance studio, and he quickly becomes impressed by the star dancer who teaches there. One thing leads to another and before he knows it, Tatara is begging to learn to dance himself. And as it's the first thing he's ever been passionate about, it turns out that he's a very eager learner. Production I.G. have mobilised key members of the excellent <i>Haikyuu!!</i> anime for this project which has given the animation a solid, distinctive look which immediately stands out. I'm not sure I'd watch this in a busier season but in this weak one, <i>Welcome To The Ballroom</i> is a breath of fresh air.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJNidGgp29eAxpBW-dzSCXTq-_IG9OkVskW6TvbRf8TcAkkszvlIvaDJxVwOQH6TfN79F3RfEc0AAbjqRXbzu8CDPS7d_O1I8vewB7vuqj7-z2J3vI1O0Np5m-GhEahpzlYaPIBuWspo/s1600/ballroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJNidGgp29eAxpBW-dzSCXTq-_IG9OkVskW6TvbRf8TcAkkszvlIvaDJxVwOQH6TfN79F3RfEc0AAbjqRXbzu8CDPS7d_O1I8vewB7vuqj7-z2J3vI1O0Np5m-GhEahpzlYaPIBuWspo/s320/ballroom.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm interested to see how graceful this goofy kid becomes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/battle-girl-high-school">Battle Girl High School</a><br />
Possibly deserving of the dubious honour of being the most generic title of the season, <i>Battle Girl High School</i> is based on a mobile phone game and involves a huge cast of flushed schoolgirls who are, for some reason, humanity's last hope against mysterious invaders of some kind. It's nothing but one-liners and prettily-dressed saucer-eyed girls. If you weren't sick of this kind of series the first dozen times it was rehashed, and you're interested in the girls from the mobile game, this might be tolerable. Maybe.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6NqEMi3VZdor_lUTLp3Fn1OaajgshkMpqtQQx9NxMfWissOJ4vU1LU90ZYZa8hQgRMu92WtE7BQoLOJReuMxffQrtgfY6rm4DhQ3zNH8I8enej3dWeSyHGnW3qHenqmI2XMV25_eWgE/s1600/battlegirlhighschool.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1600" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6NqEMi3VZdor_lUTLp3Fn1OaajgshkMpqtQQx9NxMfWissOJ4vU1LU90ZYZa8hQgRMu92WtE7BQoLOJReuMxffQrtgfY6rm4DhQ3zNH8I8enej3dWeSyHGnW3qHenqmI2XMV25_eWgE/s320/battlegirlhighschool.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I already forgot her name even though I just watched it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/a-centaurs-life">Centaur No Nayami (A Centaur's Life)</a><br />
Hime is a centaur girl who attends high school with a throng of other weird and wonderful humanoid creatures such as angels, demons and satyrs. That's pretty much it. <i>Centaur No Nayami</i> is a slow-paced, lighthearted comedy about Hime's daily school life, with most of the jokes revolving around her size; being a centaur, she's quite big compared to her classmates and more than a little insecure about it. Yet at the same time she's a daydreamer who doesn't seem to think too hard about things. I found the show as dull as dishwater, those who like this kind of fluffy, idealised, girly humour might smile at the novelty value of a heroine with four legs and a tail. It's not a bad series, just not something that works for me.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5ef8wGJXa5nvvfwOVqfqXKl2vz1XlAS33LCY7Xk4NtL6-W7xx3hJdYTiP33isXZFsHMs71Rcc_Fc6Jcx555-TIGFrz21bdcizJ7KBbTTAhYWUIcZkz36VQPesdfvBpsmafHPjfYAZ6c/s1600/centaurnonayami.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5ef8wGJXa5nvvfwOVqfqXKl2vz1XlAS33LCY7Xk4NtL6-W7xx3hJdYTiP33isXZFsHMs71Rcc_Fc6Jcx555-TIGFrz21bdcizJ7KBbTTAhYWUIcZkz36VQPesdfvBpsmafHPjfYAZ6c/s320/centaurnonayami.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting changed for PE must take her a long time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073QD6GNW/">Dive!!</a><br />
It's inevitable that <i>Dive!!</i> will be compared to KyoAni's successful <i>Free!</i>, with both series being about watersports, struggling clubs, background shots of refreshing-looking water, and a close-knit male cast with members who spend most of their screen time dressed in nothing but swimwear. The important difference is that <i>Free!</i> was actually enjoyable to watch for those outside its target audience. <i>Dive!!</i> panders so desperately to its intended viewers that it feels very awkward, with the leering camera angles (deliberately cut to make the guys appear naked most of the time) being the most obvious example. But aside from being generic and cringe-inducing, the biggest issue I have with <i>Dive!</i> is that the guys aren't hot. They're skinny, dithery little teenagers being sexualised as much as possible in an effort to sell merchandise, rather than the more nuanced, damaged, interesting guys who stand a chance of capturing my imagination. If you <i>really</i> like sports shows and can tune all of the pandering out, this is watchable as a cheap-looking diving show. However, there are far better titles out there in both the sports and female-orientated fan service categories. I shan't be giving this any more of my time.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SWFykvjmsdGzew16rbArnVYXBed52m6Fr-EHQMEECGxKo8W5LahC9l8VkN0tAMbIHmXSMgqdhoZk01eefkKyVD8yuN5Utj97AZSGCu4RcboJf_rcQwlPLDNLGkIvMR76aPj7Ih5MRfM/s1600/diveanime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SWFykvjmsdGzew16rbArnVYXBed52m6Fr-EHQMEECGxKo8W5LahC9l8VkN0tAMbIHmXSMgqdhoZk01eefkKyVD8yuN5Utj97AZSGCu4RcboJf_rcQwlPLDNLGkIvMR76aPj7Ih5MRfM/s320/diveanime.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They look like children...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/fox-spirit-matchmaker">Fox Spirit Matchmaker (Enmusubi No Youko-chan)</a><br />
The dreamy Chinese opening song was rather lovely. This is yet another from Tencent's apparently endless backlog of Chinese webcomic adaptations, and it's one of the better efforts I've seen so far. The story is rather jumbled; a young fox spirit with no talent escapes her mentor and flees into the arms of a powerful young monk in an ill-fitting suit. The two of them are destined to be married yet don't know their partners, and as they unwittingly struggle against the arrangements the bond between them (presumably) grows stronger all on its own. Throw in a complicated mountain of world building involving the various fox spirit clans along with an urgent need to fill in our hero's back story, and there's far too much going on in this first episode for anything to come together. The art is variable too; while petite fox maiden Suusu is always as cute as a button, everyone else periodically suffers from off model artwork and much simpler designs. I think the main problem is that I'm outside the target market for <i>Fox Spirit Matchmaker</i> and a younger viewer would forgive the unpolished feel much more readily. I hope it finds its audience.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfahfRKS0JMZfpPYcTdMW6Ph4RyFNBIYIuo4Kk10e2Qhtvnkp1H4iScwwdihub6ry__PsjhAYmf_znNDtkIrs18Ft7Elv3uA97ZUL9K4YEVo_Gta38P2gRaEUyHWK8gCH-DUWEtjEyf6g/s1600/foxspiritmatchmaker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfahfRKS0JMZfpPYcTdMW6Ph4RyFNBIYIuo4Kk10e2Qhtvnkp1H4iScwwdihub6ry__PsjhAYmf_znNDtkIrs18Ft7Elv3uA97ZUL9K4YEVo_Gta38P2gRaEUyHWK8gCH-DUWEtjEyf6g/s320/foxspiritmatchmaker.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A million times better than the usual harems at least</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/gamers">Gamers!</a><br />
The description of <i>Gamers!</i> is about as generic as they come; a nerdy boy called Keita gets asked to join the gaming club by the hottest girl in school when he's out buying a batch of dating sims. The club's other members are a strange bunch, from the bad-tempered hardcore FPS player to a spacey fighting game addict (the sight of her in a perpetual state of undress whenever she's alone with the angry guy make it seem as though there's a seedy subplot going on in the background). Just as it looks as though Keita is about to embark upon the high school life of his dreams, however, he backs out and declines the invitation. The reason is that all of the other members seem to be gifted, hardcore or both when it comes to games, and he just can't keep up in their highly competitive environment. I'm sure that the gaming club will manage to get their claws into Keita in the following episodes, and while 'boring guy joins a school club' has never been my favourite anime genre, the humour in this is reasonably well done. Will it be this generation's gamer-focused successor to <i>Genshiken, </i>or just another pandering school life comedy? There's potential.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFbpEsieROA3Ox_xpV1EWrvDVCJv-EUNowIdSVG2r_vhR1ssYmWb8n-ijzBuLUDmIapJcOtqZr7ZZIFuvqOatBzJPY8sElukTZHXI45AcCPQwEB4HgzBFsviiwuRYxbVCMTG-5KfNpnE/s1600/gamersanime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFbpEsieROA3Ox_xpV1EWrvDVCJv-EUNowIdSVG2r_vhR1ssYmWb8n-ijzBuLUDmIapJcOtqZr7ZZIFuvqOatBzJPY8sElukTZHXI45AcCPQwEB4HgzBFsviiwuRYxbVCMTG-5KfNpnE/s320/gamersanime.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wonder whether she actually does anything later</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/my-first-girlfriend-is-a-gal">Hajimete No Gal (My First Girlfriend Is A Gal)</a><br />
A very, very trashy show about a weak-willed schoolboy who allows his equally lame friends to push him into asking an assertive female classmate out in the hope that she'll be promiscuous enough to take his virginity without any effort on his part. Unexpectedly, the first part of the plan actually works - the tanned, uninhibited 'gal' they target takes pity on the young loser and decides to give him a chance. The humour is mostly from the male characters, who are unsympathetic losers with no redeeming qualities, completely oblivious to their own pathetic natures. There are also a lot of leering shots of the girl's underwear, except they're hidden by tasteful (not really) decorations to avoid things becoming even slightly risque. It reminds me of a cheap, less sophisticated version of <i>Prison School</i> without the social commentary so far. As it turns out, however, I'm quite a trashy person. I'll keep watching for a few more episodes to see where things go.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufxJ1tRjrWBgeFKfWTK2t4DD6Z4lFKUrJt6kRy5NK4R9DZWd11XiUBkP7SuIQUScedklLb0ewYPpfhrh12Y640pSTc4giOlrr5vGyYSFeReshQzo7Z9A_7vre6WrjLk4ny2K5e_XGng0/s1600/hajimetenogal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufxJ1tRjrWBgeFKfWTK2t4DD6Z4lFKUrJt6kRy5NK4R9DZWd11XiUBkP7SuIQUScedklLb0ewYPpfhrh12Y640pSTc4giOlrr5vGyYSFeReshQzo7Z9A_7vre6WrjLk4ny2K5e_XGng0/s320/hajimetenogal.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gals really don't have a great reputation in anime, do they?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/hitorijime-my-hero">Hitorijime My Hero</a><br />
Masahiro is a troubled guy whose single mother is an escort and her work issues affect his home life on a regular basis. He ends up falling in with a gang of tough guys to run away from his problems at home, until a chance encounter with a friendly boy his age helps him turn his life around just in time to avoid the wrath of his new friend's older brother, who acts as a vigilante to keep thugs off the streets in his spare time. Things get awkward, however, when Masahiro's old buddies come looking for him just as his friend's brother appears at the boys' school as a new teacher! I had no idea that this was going to be a BL series until the opening credits started, and it's a <i>lot</i> more subtle about it than some other recent titles so far. The central couple (presumably Masahiro and his teacher, from the way that the narrative is going) has the potential to be plausible and so far the story isn't too silly, which I like. Another one for my potential home video list, assuming that it doesn't nosedive into the gutter too far later on.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbONMlSBzlHOKDaNTQVQQpXX8MZ1YL41DTOQ1w4qcypn00ZAxITKh6GAHicypt4ZuJqtQPSwlPLC64adwfIQhXTkPMc0fcm9VtFt3sev2PCpFk9y9ZRmS05ik2Y0t8pEEllD0AbRqk1c/s1600/hitorijimemyhero.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1600" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbONMlSBzlHOKDaNTQVQQpXX8MZ1YL41DTOQ1w4qcypn00ZAxITKh6GAHicypt4ZuJqtQPSwlPLC64adwfIQhXTkPMc0fcm9VtFt3sev2PCpFk9y9ZRmS05ik2Y0t8pEEllD0AbRqk1c/s320/hitorijimemyhero.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The designs are pretty good too, modern and grown-up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/in-another-world-with-my-smartphone">Isekai Ha Smartphone To Tomo Ni (In Another World With My Smartphone)</a><br />
A fairly generic romp about Touya, a calm teenaged boy who dies accidentally and meets God. It turns out that God feels so guilty about Touya's death that he decides to reincarnate him in a fantasy world armed with superhuman capabilities and a (magically assisted) smartphone. Touya can't interact with his previous world directly from beyond the grave, but with his smartphone's access to the Internet's repository of knowledge and GPS mapping he's very well-equipped for fumbling through the rocky introduction to his new life, and it's not long before he's making friends, going out on quests and sharing exotic knowledge from 'back home' with the local bounty hunters and townspeople. Even though it's obviously going to end up as a silly harem show and I'm not going to keep watching, <i>IseSma</i> isn't actually all that bad. It knows the premise is utterly stupid and doesn't bother apologising for it; there's a levity to Touya's reactions to the ridiculous situation which makes it funnier than most light novel shows. And hey, he even made it through the whole first episode without groping or falling into any of the girls!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWPvpW2yhVNBJkRWxw0TzLXmWBmsN-TlgrC8vcZZHvqSXgb-tGb6iWJ2UllxRdPR37elQNJ_TVgmt5MOsdwQOrd4yJe5iO5MNdAKql0nbSIA1bQ5bnAJdkXGcXQ_fXsjbAyMKMpCn_K0/s1600/isekaismaho.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWPvpW2yhVNBJkRWxw0TzLXmWBmsN-TlgrC8vcZZHvqSXgb-tGb6iWJ2UllxRdPR37elQNJ_TVgmt5MOsdwQOrd4yJe5iO5MNdAKql0nbSIA1bQ5bnAJdkXGcXQ_fXsjbAyMKMpCn_K0/s320/isekaismaho.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can tell everything about these girls from one picture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/restaurant-to-another-world">Isekai Shokudou (Restaurant To Another World)</a><br />
Is there something wrong with me? I found this strange show about a magical restaurant which opens to a fantasy world oddly dull. Even the very attractive female dragon couldn't save it. The humour of the series is in the interactions between the diverse selection of diners who congregate at this human-run eatery once a week, but the pace is more like that of a 'healing' anime rather than the hot-blooded bickering I was expecting, and the laughs weren't flowing at all. It's getting good reviews elsewhere, so I'm going to assume it's just not my cup of tea.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jCbCAmFzm5O0AS-DYipuGBcJswoc0iOIisYMBG1mndE3GP1clqpAuzh4Z2ZhcYaMfuIYz8FpoeOl_rTDHQ3_VasHFvzXPQsRokI7OCLgaJoofLwe6Kk24l7q2ZMZ8U2MxZUuIjGbxJA/s1600/isekaishokudou.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="953" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jCbCAmFzm5O0AS-DYipuGBcJswoc0iOIisYMBG1mndE3GP1clqpAuzh4Z2ZhcYaMfuIYz8FpoeOl_rTDHQ3_VasHFvzXPQsRokI7OCLgaJoofLwe6Kk24l7q2ZMZ8U2MxZUuIjGbxJA/s320/isekaishokudou.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only memorable scene in the first episode</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/hell-girl-fourth-twilight">Jigoku Shoujo: Yoi No Togi (Hell Girl: Fourth Twilight)</a><br />
I've been looking forward to more <i>Jigoku Shoujo</i> for years! It seems that this belated sequel is only going to include a handful of brand new episodes, though, and in all honesty the first wasn't the greatest I've seen from the series. Still, I'm sticking with it. <i>Jigoku Shoujo</i> is one of my all-time favourites; Noto Mamiko singing beautiful, fragile songs and calmly telling bitter people to die while their worlds collapse around them is a winning formula. Cruelty wrapped up in traditional Japanese imagery; it's powerful storytelling. If there's any room for complaint, I did like the series' formula better before the newer characters arrived in season three, and regrettably they're still hanging around in this fourth outing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee7ZfRedrhTYtbLtwlt4VNcoa1NfL_h1M-hHSwL5iAYDkWe0K9j2Rmefc4ekyGgp-VE2rEPH0cQjF3_Sc-VkV2km6xPaBvQW-hm50dCdy7YjmEH854boRpCi0zWrMH5CBQ5UOJd7k7z4/s1600/jigokushoujos4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee7ZfRedrhTYtbLtwlt4VNcoa1NfL_h1M-hHSwL5iAYDkWe0K9j2Rmefc4ekyGgp-VE2rEPH0cQjF3_Sc-VkV2km6xPaBvQW-hm50dCdy7YjmEH854boRpCi0zWrMH5CBQ5UOJd7k7z4/s320/jigokushoujos4.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They don't make creepy anime girls like Ai any more</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/chronos-ruler">Jikan No Shihaisha (Chronos Ruler)</a><br />
An action show about a pair of 'Chronos Rulers' who use time magic to fight time demons and pontificate about human regrets. From the fluidly-animated introduction showing a handsome guy waving a katana around with clock imagery everywhere, it felt quite a lot like <i>Katsugeki! Touken Ranbu</i>, a comparison which probably won't do <i>Jikan No Shihaisha</i> any favours when it's competing for attention this season. In the first episode we're introduced to Koyuki, an orphaned schoolgirl who is still feeling the pain of losing her brother to an accident for which she was to blame, and this leads her to try turning back time to undo her past mistakes. Unfortunately, this attracts the attention of monstrous time demons, and Koyuki is only saved because she's recently made friends with a pair of heroes who can defeat the enemy in a flashy, CG-aided battle. These two bickering young men have a few secrets between them, however, and their ongoing war against the demons has left a few marks on their lives as well. It's yet another show which isn't bad at all, without being compelling enough to tempt me into watching further.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySpp2sOp8l5kX_OHecPbVgtSsKZNTyAb09H8_PyWL6DF6IebleFJ1-Hh6CcSDH_BOp_JNU2oYRqNixH88bzPL00BxHHgc0OZZLECQkwTjX4EYyF0T6JhXDcMC0hXoGt-_ckDXCyUsm9k/s1600/chronosruler.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySpp2sOp8l5kX_OHecPbVgtSsKZNTyAb09H8_PyWL6DF6IebleFJ1-Hh6CcSDH_BOp_JNU2oYRqNixH88bzPL00BxHHgc0OZZLECQkwTjX4EYyF0T6JhXDcMC0hXoGt-_ckDXCyUsm9k/s320/chronosruler.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a BL series, the screenshot was an accident</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/katsugeki-touken-ranbu">Katsugeki! Touken Ranbu</a><br />
The second adaptation of the phenomenally popular Nitsuplus/DMM <i>Touken Ranbu</i> browser game has now arrived, and this time it's a dark fantasy action series rather than the fluffy hijinks we saw in <i>Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru. </i>Going by the first episode, studio ufotable have turned in a lavishly-animated project full of dashing swordsmen and special effects, following the adventures of a few select warriors as they battle with time-travelling armies intent on shaping Japanese history in their own image. I like it a lot more than I did <i>Hanamaru</i>, and I don't feel quite as alienated by my lack of familiarity with the original game this time around. It even looks as though some characters that even I recognise will be showing up on a regular basis. Having said that, <i>Katsugeki! Touken Ranbu</i> is not really connecting with me in terms of story. Whether I continue will depend on how many other titles get my attention this summer.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEu4UsdQCwWgGpHXzdkQCrlM9xtEZvJlxW5XRuU-uYPw4UUqI3bvCEV7qhwdRGL7eKwxGAVObKxFOB0B_AGout80u9-iJ23tZsfNe0btlboKg0gGtbxzuqxAIr1cNAUYeX9RDLdEfGjRU/s1600/katsugekitourabu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="1600" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEu4UsdQCwWgGpHXzdkQCrlM9xtEZvJlxW5XRuU-uYPw4UUqI3bvCEV7qhwdRGL7eKwxGAVObKxFOB0B_AGout80u9-iJ23tZsfNe0btlboKg0gGtbxzuqxAIr1cNAUYeX9RDLdEfGjRU/s320/katsugekitourabu.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visually, it strongly resembles <i>Tales of Zestiria The X</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/clean-freak-aoyama-kun">Keppeki Danshi! Aoyama-kun (Clean Freak! Aoyama-kun)</a><br />
Aoyama-kun is an ace footballer who has just joined his school's club, and one of the regulars cannot stand his aloof personality. The reason for his attitude, it turns out is that Aoyama absolutely <i>detests</i> dirt. Getting muddy during a game of football is his worst nightmare, and he hates touching his teammates in case their filth rubs off on him. He's often late because he's cleaning things until they sparkle and loses track of time. Rather than being a sports series, this is a comedy all the way, except that it only has one central joke and recycles this in various ways throughout its full-length episodes. I have to say, I relate more to the angry guy who can't understand Aoyama's fussiness. Having a complex is a real problem, but having picked one of the messiest school sports around the guy seems to twist his fear of grime to suit himself with no consideration for anyone else. It's impossible to be that harsh on it since it's obviously just a silly premise to set up various comedic situations, but I can say that I don't think this show is for me. Even if it did teach me two real-world football terms I'd never heard before in the very first episode.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZM9rrvx3D53NF23LK7_GNf-uGQbAMryG6HunmUy9HWBCHj6rAg7JXKul5dKHpAU-bi6zZycQo8Z_PTZ4UHhleSKdLQcYLg2ZF5JuZ1lthfkT-dCo3SyWcJPVvH5UkUTxq7S9MQzLaho/s1600/aoyamakun.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZM9rrvx3D53NF23LK7_GNf-uGQbAMryG6HunmUy9HWBCHj6rAg7JXKul5dKHpAU-bi6zZycQo8Z_PTZ4UHhleSKdLQcYLg2ZF5JuZ1lthfkT-dCo3SyWcJPVvH5UkUTxq7S9MQzLaho/s320/aoyamakun.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apologies to Aoyama for choosing a shot where he's dirty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/knights-magic">Knight's And Magic</a><br />
There's no attempt to hide the wish fulfilment in this nicely animated yet generic fantasy show. Our hero is the reincarnation of a well-liked, talented programmer with a passion for Gunpla models who ends up dying suddenly in his prime, his soul full of regrets. In his next life, he takes the form of Ernesti, a young mage-in-training from another world who longs to pilot one of the ancient mobile suits his father works with. Years pass, and Ernesti begins to draw from the knowledge of his past life as inspiration. He persuades a blacksmith to make him a flashy magic wand shaped like a gun, and longs to build his very own upgraded mobile suit one day. The main problem with this show is easy to identify: Ernesti is so perfect that it's embarrassing to watch!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngf46mfF6mYiOVPnKGQ3Q5Fh9YdCFxJFxMuqA3hH5pJBVq4V-xrjmhUxzbhbDZ2uIDZJz9wBQi2ah9Pvh1TFoe-8kz5tW1INnLYx6xSKWMabmrKrivnJ_ftC0eIkdlmgJsKhAP0PSUso/s1600/knightsandmagic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngf46mfF6mYiOVPnKGQ3Q5Fh9YdCFxJFxMuqA3hH5pJBVq4V-xrjmhUxzbhbDZ2uIDZJz9wBQi2ah9Pvh1TFoe-8kz5tW1INnLYx6xSKWMabmrKrivnJ_ftC0eIkdlmgJsKhAP0PSUso/s320/knightsandmagic.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another mediocre show with amazingly pretty designs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/love-and-lies">Koi To Uso (Love & Lies)</a><br />
Yukari is just about to turn sixteen when he decides to confess to his first love. To his delight, she reveals that she loves him too and the pair of them share a tender kiss, swept away by their surging emotions. Moments later, however, a pair of government officials show up and tell Yukari that he has to marry a girl he's never met before. This is the beginning of the end in Yukari's mind because in this future version of Japan, romance is strictly controlled and all couples are specifically set up by the government. Arranged marriages are not just normal, they're mandatory, and while the teens who have yet to be matched naturally have misgivings, the older generations seem pleased with the system's success. The scenario is novel and there's a lot of potential for some great romantic tension. My only reservation is that the presentation so far reminds me of <i>ReLIFE</i>; an interesting idea stifled by the need to present it in a family friendly, tidy way to avoid alienating the target audience. I'd be surprised if the darkest social commentary makes it through to this show, yet it may still be a fun watch for the love triangle alone.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9UlUsXhDwqWHke0ZtP7sAhK3zZmdEUysa6QzGcLhNdpo04G7dlhQovzQrLi_q9w8iGkOlVZU7SFSI6zuWDMDH-1rBCqTAfcJH1LvwnrOrChmWOGd9Z1W0PQqMsg3SjKl4ezBrrJb1CQ/s1600/koitouso.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="1600" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9UlUsXhDwqWHke0ZtP7sAhK3zZmdEUysa6QzGcLhNdpo04G7dlhQovzQrLi_q9w8iGkOlVZU7SFSI6zuWDMDH-1rBCqTAfcJH1LvwnrOrChmWOGd9Z1W0PQqMsg3SjKl4ezBrrJb1CQ/s320/koitouso.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The art style just makes me want to watch <i>Kuzu No Honkai</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/convenience-store-boy-friends">Konbini Kareshi (Convenience Store Boy Friends)</a><br />
An insipid high school romance title about a local convenience store and the relationships which (presumably) bloom amongst the boys and girls who shop there. Despite the convenience store angle, the first episode had nothing to do with the place other than a slightly unnatural fixation on showing the characters visiting it every few minutes while the two handsome male staff members shuffle around politely in the background. The character designs aren't all that great - the girls look much cuter than the guys - and nobody really has any kind of chemistry with anyone else. And does it bother anyone else that the leads never actually pay for anything? People who block up the aisles reading all of the magazines for free are the worst!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10zixN4_AiDvzMLhjjKK2HN-ewitXuyqCPDoh4R-tGB0DqZ1-R56WNNCMzRKapsGqM-wRBST_r8qYs8PMr5Ra7meNiszXGbBoGd4KlFYc6KgAq_EVzvga9qCe75jo-1nzMiwJNIndts0/s1600/konbinikaresi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10zixN4_AiDvzMLhjjKK2HN-ewitXuyqCPDoh4R-tGB0DqZ1-R56WNNCMzRKapsGqM-wRBST_r8qYs8PMr5Ra7meNiszXGbBoGd4KlFYc6KgAq_EVzvga9qCe75jo-1nzMiwJNIndts0/s320/konbinikaresi.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry guys, I think I came away shipping these two instead</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/made-in-abyss">Made In Abyss</a><br />
I've had my eye on this for a while as my friends are big fans of the artist whose work this is based on; Tsukushi Akito (aka Doorbeetle) has been producing highly detailed artwork in an unusual style for a while now. <i>Made In Abyss</i> is, I believe, his first commercial manga project, and it seems as though Tsukushi's talent for illustration has carried over well to his storytelling. A little orphan girl with big ambitions stumbles upon a mysterious robotic boy one day while she's out working; there's a vast, potentially-bottomless cavern near her home which explorers and child labourers alike have been investigating for many years now. Is this kind-natured robot boy the key to unlocking the cave's mysteries? The childlike character designs are set against intricate backgrounds and the underlying premise is interesting enough to keep a viewer watching. Though it's not something I'm willing to endure HIDIVE's beta website to watch this season, I might be back one day when it's more easily viewable.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillCaRkx2YiH4zoAtGOGxYxhSlBiD6RhMe6Dr8Q_QQFePTxV_bibsf6R5p6AaahwtHpMTPKDKnMX79FT9dDlxY5b74XW97S9VNh4rwsQSV9ZbHnqISRDyx-8KDtxj389b4JIIaIOiKMeU/s1600/madeinabyss.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillCaRkx2YiH4zoAtGOGxYxhSlBiD6RhMe6Dr8Q_QQFePTxV_bibsf6R5p6AaahwtHpMTPKDKnMX79FT9dDlxY5b74XW97S9VNh4rwsQSV9ZbHnqISRDyx-8KDtxj389b4JIIaIOiKMeU/s320/madeinabyss.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The visuals certainly aren't boring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/magical-circle-guru-guru">Mahoujin Guru Guru (Magical Circle Guru-Guru)</a><br />
Once upon a time, I was at a local Japanese market in London and chanced upon a VHS tape of an episode of the original <i>Mahoujin Guru Guru </i>recorded from television. My Japanese wasn't so good back then so I couldn't understand it at all, but it had a lovely mystical feel... and now, years later, I'm actually watching it! This new <i>Mahoujin Guru Guru</i> series is actually a remake of the original start to the series, which will apparently diverge from the source material later on. It's a parody of the classic console RPGs every Japanese geek grew up with, and the animation style embraces this whenever possible with liberal use of pixel art to emphasise how silly and stereotypical the setting is supposed to be. Nike is a sarcastic boy whose pushy parents decide he needs to become an adventuring Hero and save the kingdom, so they send him off to meet the local crone on his way to starting his new career. The old lady introduces him to Kukuri, a silly young girl with a talent for conjuring peculiar creatures using special magic. The two of them team up and it's not long before they're on their way to save the world via every possible fantasy trope. It's silly, old fashioned and good, harmless fun. I like it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Y5bkqqCLiOAJPuYXaXmr5x40MBfb6YeXajGKSnlDuhDzk5ld-Kxx-rsjOpgORWH8j5HDPeohTn4chYN-cANtdx0oWSjPgITfDSjJ7rgfM2QbpexwyDQaHZAxIO1XaDjApEikJVdQUx0/s1600/ahoujinguruguru.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Y5bkqqCLiOAJPuYXaXmr5x40MBfb6YeXajGKSnlDuhDzk5ld-Kxx-rsjOpgORWH8j5HDPeohTn4chYN-cANtdx0oWSjPgITfDSjJ7rgfM2QbpexwyDQaHZAxIO1XaDjApEikJVdQUx0/s320/ahoujinguruguru.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They certainly recaptured the classic aesthetic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-irresponsible-galaxy-tylor">Musekinin Galaxy Tylor (The Irresponsible Galaxy Tylor)</a><br />
Following in the spiritual footsteps of <i>Ai Tenchi Muyou!</i>, we now have another much-loved older series brought back as a series of cheaply-animated shorts which abandon the main storyline in favour of silliness. It's the fourth remake or reimagining of an older title this season this season! Banjou Ueki Tylor (he carries a banjo...) is a happy-go-lucky boy with a robotic companion - who seems to be the exact same character as QT from <i>Space Dandy</i> in personality and function. One day, Tylor meets up with a red-headed girl with an attitude, and from there the comedy begins. Supposedly. I don't know how this show actually managed to become boring when the episode was less than four minutes long; it's almost impressive. Where did the atmosphere from the previous <i>Tylor</i> series go?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxox4su244B-NAa9FTeEaOSHFA2NKXpVyWMDse_c-Z_22yKbCa9ADAjrPDMPDDeqa19FHQQxDHPXhyn9Jr6mB8kVe6x4IT3DYyffIWo0cK2CrnIbb5xZDy0fKLd6xWYlrmPLkAJI88ek/s1600/galaxytylor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxox4su244B-NAa9FTeEaOSHFA2NKXpVyWMDse_c-Z_22yKbCa9ADAjrPDMPDDeqa19FHQQxDHPXhyn9Jr6mB8kVe6x4IT3DYyffIWo0cK2CrnIbb5xZDy0fKLd6xWYlrmPLkAJI88ek/s320/galaxytylor.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I miss the original cast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/fastest-finger-first">Nanamaru Sanbatsu (7O3X Fastest Finger First)</a><br />
I had never heard the expression 'quiz bowl' before, but it seems to be the correct translation of the activity our wishy-washy hero's future school club revolves around. The group enjoys battling to answer tricky trivia questions competitively, using buzzers like those you'd find in a television panel quiz. It's an interesting choice of topic and in many ways <i>Nanamaru Sanbatsu</i> reminds me a little of a less stupid take on <i>Phi Brain</i>; despite the cookie cutter plot it's also quite fun to try to answer the questions before the people on the screen! If it wasn't for the characters being on the obnoxious side (what kind of library-loving student eats lunch sprawled on the floor leaning against the bookcases?!) and the unwholesome fixation the lead has on girls' underwear, this show could be worth a watch. Unfortunately, when I start seeing repetitive tropes creeping in already during the very first episode it doesn't bode well for the rest of a show's run.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcm4nElyq82TMAOUIDMNXx-mjxdWasVBs6FQr6flrnEnv-jenc2_bqTOIqxlcsulflPYt6ebCHcivw9kcAGLWQOEhxmQ8mD8kfQnFO4UhAtkR6qLZ7l4voIJk2UZd1dMlhiZSwYARfMQ/s1600/fastestfingerfirst.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcm4nElyq82TMAOUIDMNXx-mjxdWasVBs6FQr6flrnEnv-jenc2_bqTOIqxlcsulflPYt6ebCHcivw9kcAGLWQOEhxmQ8mD8kfQnFO4UhAtkR6qLZ7l4voIJk2UZd1dMlhiZSwYARfMQ/s320/fastestfingerfirst.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get away from those books, you barbarian!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/netsuzou-trap-ntr-">Netsuzou Trap -NTR-</a><br />
I wanted to like this! The plot sounds quite creative; two girls go on a double date but find out they prefer one another's company to spending time with their boyfriends. Cue the fan service. The manga was licensed a while ago and whenever I see the stylish cover artwork it catches my eye. Unfortunately, the pacing in this version of the story is a jumble, the pretty artwork doesn't translate to very high quality animation and the ten-minute episodes are far too short to develop the scenario or characters properly. So far, it's nothing more than a titillating parade of 'sexy' stolen kisses interspersed with the more innocent of the girls frantically questioning herself and it's not really doing anything for me at all. What a shame.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs33YooR2Apw7yPQ05oEZo9i4ZRy9INM2phj6bb2AJU1BeEcjiraGeq932KCxNkBXNH57u8u4KAyiwZ_j7YUTNkjXvcD67r9bmWvMvUmMebFV7-e5opPnBNbOCEtza-J8NZbAbwin-C9c/s1600/netsuzoutrap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs33YooR2Apw7yPQ05oEZo9i4ZRy9INM2phj6bb2AJU1BeEcjiraGeq932KCxNkBXNH57u8u4KAyiwZ_j7YUTNkjXvcD67r9bmWvMvUmMebFV7-e5opPnBNbOCEtza-J8NZbAbwin-C9c/s320/netsuzoutrap.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the characters are on model, they look nice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/nora-princess-and-stray-cat">Nora To Oujo To Noraneko Heart (Nora, Princess, And Stray Cat)</a><br />
Calling this series of shorts animated is something of an exaggeration; it hardly moves! In exchange, the designs are lovely and colourful, barely giving any hint as to the show's seedy origins as an adult video game. Nora's life takes a weird turn when he is suddenly transformed into a cute black cat by a mysterious girl, and he finds himself surrounded by gorgeous young women who find his new form adorable, funny or both. There's not much more to it so far - it's a gag show - so whether you like it will depend on your tolerance for humour and cute girls. It's ok.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVu6kaFfVPm4xZ5OLGBj6cV_3h_CvmFK9YID2plLzpp6w4Z5JcPKxeN8KhjexAQK17taAUlFFS9fHjx-VWZBEFYGS6GS7Km_bbVV7-RCMye2IfKsRMgGK3yL6b3FWqvLRDN02INO_Cp8E/s1600/noraoujonoranekoheart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVu6kaFfVPm4xZ5OLGBj6cV_3h_CvmFK9YID2plLzpp6w4Z5JcPKxeN8KhjexAQK17taAUlFFS9fHjx-VWZBEFYGS6GS7Km_bbVV7-RCMye2IfKsRMgGK3yL6b3FWqvLRDN02INO_Cp8E/s320/noraoujonoranekoheart.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The art is rather inconsistent, but overall quite nice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/princess-principal">Princess Principal</a><br />
<i>Joker Game</i> this is not. A crack team of doe-eyed schoolgirl secret agents get involved in a political plot while aiding a defector, but thanks to their well-oiled teamwork and individual skills for driving, snooping and, uh, flying around excitingly with a magical futuristic device, they save the day in a bittersweet way. <i>Princess Principal</i> features some absolutely sublime music and its solid production values are evident right from the stylish opening sequence. There's also the novelty of it being set in an alternate London after some kind of Victorian-era civil war, though it's so sugary in between the action scenes that it would probably take a very different type of viewer to fully appreciate what the series has to offer.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSmNlR_XNXI-xLdDR8LARapl4h4ggODaqFFEhyDvw0ftPyKeZffgiyztGpviQLVrNFcW2P204XTyZj-jMFWAbVQWpBDie5hjByvPdJb_CVTyBT2wc8LZ4O3ojU4cOB3o7QQHtoPF4EKY/s1600/princessprincipal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1600" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSmNlR_XNXI-xLdDR8LARapl4h4ggODaqFFEhyDvw0ftPyKeZffgiyztGpviQLVrNFcW2P204XTyZj-jMFWAbVQWpBDie5hjByvPdJb_CVTyBT2wc8LZ4O3ojU4cOB3o7QQHtoPF4EKY/s320/princessprincipal.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princesses evidently make the best spies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Re-CREATORS/dp/B06Y5HSYLT">Re:Creators</a><br />
Actually a spring 2017 show, I only got the chance to start <i>Re:Creators</i> recently when Amazon slashed the price of a Prime subscription and tempted me into giving their video service a proper trial. It's had some positive buzz and I was lucky enough to hear the theme song performed live by Sawano Hiroyuki a while back, which whet my episode for seeing it in its proper context. Souta is an anime fan who is relaxing at home, looking forward to seeing the next episode of an anime adaptation he's been enjoying. Relatable. As he waits for the anime to air, he fiddles with his tablet and is unexpectedly transported into the middle of a dramatic battle - featuring a beautiful redhead called Selesia, who happens to be the lead character from the series he was about to watch! When Souta returns to his room as abruptly as he left, the heroine is pulled back along with him. She's baffled when Souta shows her that her life story is documented in his light novels and magazines, and even more shocked when the girl with whom she'd been fighting suddenly materialises in Souta's world to try to cause them harm. It seems that to those who live in anime, manga and games, the writers who create the original stories in our world are effectively deities with power over life and death. The first episode of <i>Re:Creators</i> walks a fine line between feeling like yet another cheesy fantasy light novel and something much more ambitious. This is somewhat intentional when the series which gave birth to Selesia is obviously meant to evoke comparisons with various popular anime titles, and I want to believe it's done with a certain level of self awareness. In any case, I'm interested. The setting lends itself to having a great many characters arriving later on, and if they get the balance right this could be a fun watch.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96DyNuDkcB9vqzVLCwP_eWo3prrWyBFdpi_nwJbg1pf0vbHfYb1rVxQjCj5Gr2nwxnD19q3-jgb1sHXuQ_trERgVHGUsQCcsqL7tGXjYWgWmaax94dalBoukBGTvLBHFRZQRqmEgBB5k/s1600/recreators.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96DyNuDkcB9vqzVLCwP_eWo3prrWyBFdpi_nwJbg1pf0vbHfYb1rVxQjCj5Gr2nwxnD19q3-jgb1sHXuQ_trERgVHGUsQCcsqL7tGXjYWgWmaax94dalBoukBGTvLBHFRZQRqmEgBB5k/s320/recreators.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wonder how many people will recognise them in the flesh?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/saiyuki-reload-blast">Saiyuuki Reload Blast</a><br />
I never thought I'd see the day when <i>Saiyuuki</i> would return with a new animated television series. Previous adaptations eventually hit some real lows in terms of animation quality and storytelling, on par with the worst filler episodes of certain long-running shounen action series, and I wasn't exactly upset when the main characters' journey to the west ended prematurely. While there's nothing much new here aside from improved animation quality, this sequel actually benefits from its dated feel. There isn't a single wimpy high school boy to be found. The <i>Saiyuuki</i> leads are gangly, ugly, bad-tempered and flawed and in a season stuffed full of losers and idols, this group of shameless thugs stands out in a good way. Give me more flowing blood and overpowered demons squabbling. I never knew how much I missed it.<br />
<br />
So far little has happened in terms of story; Hakkai keeps mentioning that they're almost at their destination but I don't believe him. The <i>Saiyuuki</i> crew is going to be driving towards India in their jeep for the rest of time. I should also mention that the <i>Ura-Sai</i> short skits at the end of each episode are rather funny.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha427gOSQOzwpc56coXtp2fxCvDanOaxmG05Mww5GgeUNurX09h-asKywiM7UizUGtREXRK3oxrbsB85kojrCxvNfEflTf7Oy4WHHsiOhknBUznraGorxjvydM97VeDCcoITU4SyI1-bA/s1600/saiyuukireloadblast1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha427gOSQOzwpc56coXtp2fxCvDanOaxmG05Mww5GgeUNurX09h-asKywiM7UizUGtREXRK3oxrbsB85kojrCxvNfEflTf7Oy4WHHsiOhknBUznraGorxjvydM97VeDCcoITU4SyI1-bA/s320/saiyuukireloadblast1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a sad world where <i>Saiyuuki</i> is the grittiest thing around</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Golden-Eagle-General/dp/B073RQP39P/">Shoukoku No Altair (Altair: A Record of Battles)</a><br />
I can't work out whether this series is trying to be historically accurate or not, since the tone is quite cartoony at times then veers closer to more serious political machinations. It's based on historical events from the Turkish Ottoman empire and surrounding nations, here thinly disguised as a generic fantasy setting by remixing some of the location names. Our hero is a teen with some kind of as-yet-undisclosed dark past. He's recently achieved the distinction of being recognised as a pasha, which means having direct involvement with government affairs, and he's already discovering that the people in power aren't necessarily as wise and noble as they ought to be. I love the clothing and designs, and historical fantasy is always one of my favourite genres, but there's something off about the storytelling; the plot darts back and forth with major revelations made far too obvious in advance. My friend said that it felt more like a <i>doujin</i> anime than a commercial series. Still, I don't dislike it and Mahmut Pasha has an awesome eagle companion, so I might keep watching anyway. Even if it does mostly remind me how much I want them to make more <i>Arslan Senki</i>. I hope <i>Shoukoku No Altair</i> will find its own identity in the coming episodes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVncLeI5PmNtOQatSolXQ92QgVu4GN1XxiHK0Jq8ELVtgVw24I0HBSeRqnoYkuqO-aFfmx-Uh7CE93KTITS00i2F_i01CHpyBv6v5QUGHMzeqbQb4OV5Cjk0JJxQRYHX9ire9sJfrd1HM/s1600/altairanime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVncLeI5PmNtOQatSolXQ92QgVu4GN1XxiHK0Jq8ELVtgVw24I0HBSeRqnoYkuqO-aFfmx-Uh7CE93KTITS00i2F_i01CHpyBv6v5QUGHMzeqbQb4OV5Cjk0JJxQRYHX9ire9sJfrd1HM/s320/altairanime.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most androgynous male lead of the season, easily</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/angels-3piece">Tenshi No 3P! (Angel's 3Piece!)</a><br />
Kyou is a shut-in musician who never goes to school, preferring to laze around in his room and upload his homemade music to video sharing sites. One day, he receives some fan mail out of the blue and ends up meeting his secret admirer in person. This fan turns out to be one of a group of three precocious young girls who have set up a professional-level three-piece band in the basement of a church. Somehow. Despite being musical geniuses, the girls need some help - so after showing Kyou what they can do with their instruments, they beg and cajole him into assisting them with preparations for an upcoming concert. The music side of the show is ok but the seedy leering over underaged girls really isn't, and it really doesn't help that the designs make everyone look as though they belong in an eroge.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIKkBStEcWSVeHLwHI3Z3864i3RaCuY5DDpcCM9BdMJ6VzRdrMWJKMnRQD_c8IQJsBXHX-WK4CKSOLWApQbat9LFYgAQ1ak0i5h-6Zta-sPMjxvO6qM5Sk2aEsmz4hOf2zA-yyIQPGYY/s1600/tenshi3piece.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIKkBStEcWSVeHLwHI3Z3864i3RaCuY5DDpcCM9BdMJ6VzRdrMWJKMnRQD_c8IQJsBXHX-WK4CKSOLWApQbat9LFYgAQ1ak0i5h-6Zta-sPMjxvO6qM5Sk2aEsmz4hOf2zA-yyIQPGYY/s320/tenshi3piece.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-reflection">THE REFLECTION</a><br />
A much-hyped collaboration between some major western names (Stan Lee and Trevor Horn) and a Japanese production team, in the form of a classic superhero show. Even though the glut of terrible Hollywood superhero films have spoiled my happy memories of the genre, it didn't make the results of this collaboration any less disappointing. <i>The Reflection</i> utilises an unusual art style reminiscent of old fashioned comic book artwork - flat colours, uneven, inky lines and relatively simple character designs. Unfortunately, there's so little going on in this first episode that the simplistic visuals end up being the only thing there is to focus on most of the time, and they're not exactly appealing to look at. The music feels trendy and out of place, and the cookie-cutter plot about a mysterious event which awakened superpowers in various individuals is nothing we haven't seen before at this point. <i>Tiger & Bunny</i> or <i>Boku No Hero Academia</i> do the whole superhero schtick far better than this half-hearted effort. <i>The Reflection</i> is clearly too artistic for an ordinary viewer like myself to understand.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-X8MG7WkjJIc_TKfuyJ74uaNvWg9iYGwTU_UJuvDWRIjjX8WJxewZnwrSJfnTM_hbc-fHUonqaYjCvvO9aYVQpenqKa4YF1zN6fxcDnFW5IDihSGxhvgAiEawkpPyoXGm709miVddec/s1600/thereflection.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-X8MG7WkjJIc_TKfuyJ74uaNvWg9iYGwTU_UJuvDWRIjjX8WJxewZnwrSJfnTM_hbc-fHUonqaYjCvvO9aYVQpenqKa4YF1zN6fxcDnFW5IDihSGxhvgAiEawkpPyoXGm709miVddec/s320/thereflection.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There really weren't any attractive frames to screenshot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/tsuredure-children">Tsuredure Children</a><br />
One of the surprise hits of the summer for me. <i>Tsuredure Children</i> is a romantic school comedy which eschews the usual formulaic love triangles and will-they-won't-they confession antics, instead taking the form of a series of short vignettes focusing on a variety of potential couples. The gags are genuinely funny (and occasionally rather rude), but the pacing is where it really comes together; each episode is half-length and divided up into individual skits, which prevents any of the situations outstaying its welcome. And the characters are actually likeable, despite being crazy - I'm rooting for all of them! The voice actors do a particularly good job of delivering the jokes, with Hanazawa Kana's cheeky character being a highlight, and I also like the shady student council president who could easily have been brought in straight from an otome game. It <i>is</i> still possible to make a decent, fluffy high school romance series after all!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxODz1iC1Vnmx-GrYLDTUv7veBdtqVQbf7vAPB9QRCQjxPzzZV0bbS8pUTgcxD-OQohUMHJHQ4PZJ6D0jiIHBHdlN2IHRQH0o0pva7u815i49TdmJ22KBGDdx_xNBdD0GYA-QdfYeand0/s1600/turedurechildren2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxODz1iC1Vnmx-GrYLDTUv7veBdtqVQbf7vAPB9QRCQjxPzzZV0bbS8pUTgcxD-OQohUMHJHQ4PZJ6D0jiIHBHdlN2IHRQH0o0pva7u815i49TdmJ22KBGDdx_xNBdD0GYA-QdfYeand0/s320/turedurechildren2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love her</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.hidive.com/tv/vatican-miracle-examiner">Vatican Kiseki Chousakan (Vatican Miracle Examiner)</a><br />
Full points to this series for having a relatively unusual premise. Josef and Robert are a pair of officials from the Vatican, charged with verifying claims of miracles in Catholic churches the world over. Their first case takes them south of the USA where a nun is insisting that she has conceived a child while still a virgin, a highly contentious claim to make. There are also indications that devil-worshipping and sinister rituals are taking place at the Church in that region so a full investigation is required. It's not a <i>great</i> series - Josef fills the audience in with exposition by constantly telling Robert what their jobs are, which feels stilted at best - but it's dark and bloody, and there isn't a single blushing schoolgirl anywhere in sight. Wretchedly the first episode didn't resolve the mystery of the virgin conception at all so I'm very tempted to keep watching, even though the show is exclusive to HIDIVE and it doesn't work on many of my devices.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4w_51RUUPJ41Qqia6uK0G24d6OK_fDf5mBkHMQdE93dP0mo53ORAOgrBb8DXJnrOOpyh6QrzDqtBeErqzW_UlGaWKEO0jAyiwyzOyfSi7vfAW8egDYK1QytUgggB1r7Ta9HZWXJ4aY4/s1600/vaticankiseki.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="1600" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4w_51RUUPJ41Qqia6uK0G24d6OK_fDf5mBkHMQdE93dP0mo53ORAOgrBb8DXJnrOOpyh6QrzDqtBeErqzW_UlGaWKEO0jAyiwyzOyfSi7vfAW8egDYK1QytUgggB1r7Ta9HZWXJ4aY4/s320/vaticankiseki.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to resist a good fantasy mystery romp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/elegant-yokai-apartment-life">Youkai Apartment No Yuuga Na Nichijou (Elegant Yokai Apartment Life)</a><br />
Yuushi is ecstatic when he manages to get into a high school with a dormitory, and subsequently crushed when that dormitory burns down. He'd been looking forward to living independently at last after burdening his adoptive family for years following the death of his parents. A hasty search for alternative accommodation leads him to a shady haunted house, where he's made to feel very welcome by a young female lodger and famous author. As events unfold, however, Yuushi soon discovers that the apartment is a gathering spot for an assortment of youkai - and his new female friend happens to be an exorcist who takes care of the troublesome ones. An excellent voice cast can't hide the fact that this is a fluffy, fairly pointless series, but supernatural comedies are a popular genre and it's perfectly watchable.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4owJSoilvEJloUjIXu3-D2gEGRrAGeviYxpTLlxVhO9ELN-eS8MJeGdAMem0PMl6Rzf3UUe-lmYoRtYFTlv-sgt6ewUgdaaXhRorrxQQEdANPvCFpf53fxR1wlf9EEzQUwOQnw7HxM5Q/s1600/youkaiapartment.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4owJSoilvEJloUjIXu3-D2gEGRrAGeviYxpTLlxVhO9ELN-eS8MJeGdAMem0PMl6Rzf3UUe-lmYoRtYFTlv-sgt6ewUgdaaXhRorrxQQEdANPvCFpf53fxR1wlf9EEzQUwOQnw7HxM5Q/s320/youkaiapartment.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ishida Akira was born to play suspicious-looking guys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/classroom-of-the-elite">Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi No Kyoushitsu He (Classroom Of The Elite)</a><br />
A sarcastic loser with no hobbies enters a special boarding school for privileged children, and what nasty pieces of work most of the students are! They're all introduced as selfish jerks aside from one sweet girl who initially seems completely out of her depth. Upon arriving at their classroom, the kids are given a generous monthly allowance which they're allowed to spend on anything they like, so naturally most of them immediately squander it on entertainment and eagerly look forward to the next payment. Except that payment never arrives. It turns out that while the school staff pretended to ignore their bad behaviour, each and every incident during the students' first month of lessons was meticulously recorded and their allowance was adjusted accordingly. They now have to learn to work together to avoid suffering the effects of their own selfishness, which comes as a dreadful shock to this bunch of spoilt brats. My main problem with this show is that it requires the cast to be awful right from the start in order for the main plot twist to have any impact, and when you hate every single one of the stuck-up teens on the screen it's difficult to care about continuing to watch. Interesting premise with a flawed execution. At least the art is rather pretty.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SDt3ZiuiwrBcVatMie28WdN4l4XYieXczoBCouCfNGyoZ1QDBNjsi9A7H4vCPu15mnBS9bOvPYf9TYfsFmV-avlv6tufVeRXma-K8PJC7KVr1GX3z7_quK8MvdtO7L1xrTUxMHpp3ig/s1600/youkosoeliteclassroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SDt3ZiuiwrBcVatMie28WdN4l4XYieXczoBCouCfNGyoZ1QDBNjsi9A7H4vCPu15mnBS9bOvPYf9TYfsFmV-avlv6tufVeRXma-K8PJC7KVr1GX3z7_quK8MvdtO7L1xrTUxMHpp3ig/s320/youkosoeliteclassroom.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two-tone eyes are the best thing about this show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
--<br />
<br />
Here's the usual list of sequels to shows I don't follow which I'm not going to try watching partway through:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/hina-logic-from-luck-logic">Hina Logic - from Luck & Logic</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/new-game">New Game!!</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/teekyu">Teekyuu season 9</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/yamishibai-japanese-ghost-stories">Yamishibai</a><br />
<br />
Not a very long list this time around.<br />
<br />
<b>Region locked English simulcast titles</b><b> (unavailable here):</b><br />
<br />
<i>Clione No Akari (Lights Of The Clione)</i><br />
<i>Fate/Apocrypha</i><br />
<i>Kakegurui </i><br />
<i>Ikemen Sengoku: Toki Wo Kakeru Ga Koi Ha Hajimaranai</i><br />
<br />
<i>Fate/Apocrypha</i> is trapped in Netflix's anime-hating prison this season, condemned to miss the entire season and reappear later on as a delaycast when nobody cares any more. The localised title for <i>Ikemen Sengoku</i> is apparently <i>Ikemen Sengoku: Bromances Across Time</i> which is sort of cool; shame we won't be getting it. A disproportionate number of historical shows always seem to be locked to North America only which is odd considering what a niche it must be. Of course, there are still shows like <i>Senki Zesshou Symphogear AXZ</i> which never appear anywhere. Perhaps one day anime distribution will stop being such a mess. <br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
The usual guesses for my top three shows this season:<br />
<br />
<i>1. Tsuredure Children</i><br />
<i>2. Jigoku Shoujo</i><br />
<i>3. Saiyuuki Reload Blast</i><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC1JSDR76pxQTEeXBgSK9xu1BV3rVBOex7KE4DYdsWkhVwsFDhyPOJeXXpwspBCxdAYmTswffYn9Sf79fLSBwZ8-AHrWYBOUn3zsmyEwDprO44HLEE6n4DiFuk9MJcnN6jLTU6yCjO1E/s1600/saiyuukireloadblast2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC1JSDR76pxQTEeXBgSK9xu1BV3rVBOex7KE4DYdsWkhVwsFDhyPOJeXXpwspBCxdAYmTswffYn9Sf79fLSBwZ8-AHrWYBOUn3zsmyEwDprO44HLEE6n4DiFuk9MJcnN6jLTU6yCjO1E/s320/saiyuukireloadblast2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I've been sitting on this post for a while trying to get HIDIVE working and there's still a slot on Crunchyroll's lineup page which is blank; I'm going to guess that it will be a certain popular title which doesn't air for several weeks. There's no point in holding back any longer with no news, so here's my current schedule:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Monday: </b><i>Tsuredure Children</i><br />
<b>Tuesday: </b><b> </b>Nothing!<br />
<b>Wednesday: </b><i>Hajimete No Gal, Saiyuuki Reload Blast, Sakura Quest</i><br />
<b>Thursday: </b>Nothing!<br />
<b>Friday: </b><i>Jigoku Shoujo, Nobunaga No Shinobi</i><br />
<b>Saturday: </b><i>Boku No Hero Academia, Re:Creators, Shoukoku No Altair, Welcome To The Ballroom</i><br />
<b>Sunday: </b><b> </b>Nothing!<br />
<i><br />
Hajimete No Gal</i> might end up being dropped as it's sort of terrible. We'll see.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-44003601198724812632017-07-23T13:26:00.000+01:002017-07-23T13:27:28.623+01:00Streaming: Spring 2017 anime final impressionsTime is passing by too fast for me. It's difficult to keep up, yet despite some travel I managed to complete all of the shows I was watching in the spring anime season. It looks as though <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/">Crunchyroll</a> has lost its monopoly on content at this point, with me finally subscribing to another platform ready for summer to avoid some of the blocks on exclusives the industry seems obsessed with inflicting upon us. What a pain.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrd4U33p9ozN54stlrahm54TtSOcBKMgBDsgt0wRp0c2YDsQg13Y_6Z9Zj0HBE4iTkXxZm_x4QnKSl3VQfBq31F9UFbtYwOThhfcASJ4Wx40nMpQi_O1ZH7V_3p3oFl8ClvuJoum_w6Wg/s1600/shingekis2end2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrd4U33p9ozN54stlrahm54TtSOcBKMgBDsgt0wRp0c2YDsQg13Y_6Z9Zj0HBE4iTkXxZm_x4QnKSl3VQfBq31F9UFbtYwOThhfcASJ4Wx40nMpQi_O1ZH7V_3p3oFl8ClvuJoum_w6Wg/s320/shingekis2end2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I'll talk about it more in my summer 2017 post, but I ended up picking up <i>Re:Creators</i> right at the end of the season after finally gaining access to it. Everything else is largely unchanged from my first impressions post so here is my top three:<br />
<br />
<i>1. Uchouten Kazoku</i><br />
<i>2. Shingeki No Kyojin</i><br />
<i>3. Berserk</i><br />
<br />
Not a big change there, except that somehow <i>Berserk</i>'s terrible animation trounced <i>SukaSuka</i>'s melodramatic romance in the final ranking. It wasn't the most life-changing season. All three of those shows are sequels!<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/berserk">Berserk (season 2)</a><br />
This whole season was all-new <i>Berserk</i> content since I haven't picked up the manga. The series has such a strong atmosphere that I'm persisting with this adaptation even though the clunky CG animation does absolutely nothing for me. It seems as though the staff have tried to improve the overall presentation this time around, with a noticeable increase in key moments being hand drawn rather than relying on the lifeless computer-animated facial expressions alone. The show would look so good with a more traditional style...<br />
<br />
However, there's not much point in fixating on the visuals and lamenting my inability to take a single flattering screenshot of Serpico for the sample image below. This season advanced the storyline quite significantly, and even though the finale was a low key episode which mostly served to flesh out young witch Shierke's character, I find myself hoping that we'll be getting more <i>Berserk</i> anime in the near future. It's tempting to switch to the manga - except that its constant postponements make me feel that it may be better to wait until the story is closer to completion.<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Best ending song of the season. I didn't really think much of it at first but somewhere along the way I became hooked. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONi5us8EKuPcALh13ID7KitUXdBeT-iCxnGqQzhV7vyoUKpNDLX8M7nxmBcGWiWiNJxf7x4PgSubI83ON9Uvw37KEKU1De5_ssT-Zmh1IooTyvsd6riO_6nIfzjpTpBUeKmydxYJl_Jo/s1600/berserks2final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONi5us8EKuPcALh13ID7KitUXdBeT-iCxnGqQzhV7vyoUKpNDLX8M7nxmBcGWiWiNJxf7x4PgSubI83ON9Uvw37KEKU1De5_ssT-Zmh1IooTyvsd6riO_6nIfzjpTpBUeKmydxYJl_Jo/s320/berserks2final.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No ropey-looking CG animated screenshot this time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/kenka-bancho-otome-girl-beats-boys-">Kenka Banchou Otome: Girl Beats Boys</a><br />
As expected, this spin-off of a spin-off was a fun diversion and little more. Our heroine managed to triumph over all kinds of silly situations and earn the respect of thugs from all walks of life in her rough all-boys school, despite being flung into that environment with no warning just a few episodes earlier. It suffered from the same cringe-inducing awkwardness that afflicts all series of this type, in that I couldn't help worrying about what would happen when she finally revealed she was lying to everyone many years in the future, but realistic psychological drama isn't what <i>Kenka Banchou Otome</i> is about. The artwork was pleasant and the guys who flocked to the lead's side were all likeable in a dumb, straightforward kind of way. I enjoyed it. Probably one of the better fluffy otome game adaptations of its type in recent years.<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Most ridiculous climax, in the form of a bunch of hyper-masculine guys baying for their tough leader to strip naked and show them his masculine credentials. Ok then.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEwIkkNL7bLWKIDsL7nWCg4Kbnppdwe7SXUQkJorXmX0CGNNjorvuaDImsENIPtjm9wdMRbYDLvwAIdSTfnt7NOcpwEU8vBgrIk5WtjiqQh30pvCF0wrXlfXEDY1hoid2q3SpnHLNdfg/s1600/kenkabanchouotomoeend.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEwIkkNL7bLWKIDsL7nWCg4Kbnppdwe7SXUQkJorXmX0CGNNjorvuaDImsENIPtjm9wdMRbYDLvwAIdSTfnt7NOcpwEU8vBgrIk5WtjiqQh30pvCF0wrXlfXEDY1hoid2q3SpnHLNdfg/s320/kenkabanchouotomoeend.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorky idol thug was my favourite thug</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-royal-tutor">Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine (The Royal Tutor)</a><br />
Nowhere near as dark as I hoped it would get, but a pleasant watch nonetheless. <i>Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine</i> is rather more like <i>Ouran Koukou Host Club</i> than the decadent tale of politics and dark histories for which I was probably longing. Setting aside my unreasonable cravings for sinister storylines, the ending did feel a little weak; they had to go with an anime-original resolution since there wasn't enough material to tie everything up neatly otherwise, which meant the ongoing mystery of Haine's past was wrapped up more simply than I'd expected and the dark machinations of the attractive antagonist were never resolved. Still, as a short series focusing on Haine's bond with the four princes, it certainly did the job and provided a weekly dose of fluffy, inspirational camaraderie. The hedonist Licht was probably my favourite of the main characters. He definitely seemed to be the brightest, underneath his cheeky exterior.<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Most amusing use of silly chibi transformations for comic relief. In every episode.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvk58Q_lHDT_VYZucnuhWYN8HM647ZbOvsJnxIVe7o0cIX3FgdgtjnES19Ut361bWqdRQugpNOgPo90XitFGDPvpFPgE2n7dyrjCes7USQc1UG-b-oYk5-Dh8DUbZ7X-wKkY7maBewV08/s1600/haineending2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="891" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvk58Q_lHDT_VYZucnuhWYN8HM647ZbOvsJnxIVe7o0cIX3FgdgtjnES19Ut361bWqdRQugpNOgPo90XitFGDPvpFPgE2n7dyrjCes7USQc1UG-b-oYk5-Dh8DUbZ7X-wKkY7maBewV08/s320/haineending2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evil vassal guy was very pretty even though he was useless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/kado-the-right-answer">Seikaisuru Kado (KADO: The Right Answer)</a><br />
The wonky CG improved a lot over the course of this quirky series, to the point where I didn't notice it by the end. That might have been helped by the fact that the plot was absolutely bonkers. What started as a mundane disaster show about government negotiation reminiscent of something you might see in <i>Master Keaton</i> or <i>Yuugo: Koushounin (Yugo The Negotiator)</i> ended up taking many twists and turns over its single-cour run, incorporating magical girls, betrayals, philosophy, conspiracies, aliens from another dimension, made-up science and more magical girls. It attempted to raise philosophical questions on free will, traditionalism and global cooperation, peppered its dialogue with nonsense technobabble and kept bringing back the annoying scientist who could barely put a single coherent sentence together. It should have been a complete mess, but somehow it more-or-less worked. I didn't like any of the characters, thought the ending was stupid and couldn't handle the way it struggled to decide whether it was aimed at an older or younger audience, yet I watched every episode and winced through some of the cheesier one-liners at the end perfectly happily. An oddity. Even though it's not going on my top ten list any time soon, I'm happy that studios are able to experiment with this kind of show now and again.<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Best hairstyle of the season, entirely thanksk to Saraka's fashionably-styled locks.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXHjG-bBtSgv_fspEZiefDdMYZN57MglF2TSOMEEtbUuhTjb8migPJgkjLv73VbpnUMUGlfu0FTiSRyzKusTwT1TATixSOAEknYKaSYIe8QrG2SCHPnJrvCdlJEEDABQoH-_ze5ETseI/s1600/kadofinale2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXHjG-bBtSgv_fspEZiefDdMYZN57MglF2TSOMEEtbUuhTjb8migPJgkjLv73VbpnUMUGlfu0FTiSRyzKusTwT1TATixSOAEknYKaSYIe8QrG2SCHPnJrvCdlJEEDABQoH-_ze5ETseI/s320/kadofinale2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One day I'll remember the name Yaha-kui zaShinina</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/attack-on-titan">Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack On Titan season 2)</a><br />
No surprises here in the story since I've already read the manga in its Crunchyroll serialisation, but the dramatic tension seeing everything animated was definitely an improvement! It's also synced up well with the current chapters in the manga run, with the anime refreshing my memory of some earlier events at a perfect time for their effects to be felt later on in the continuity. The biggest surprise is probably how much actually happened; I thought that this season would progress the story much farther than it did even though no time was wasted in this grisly tale of man-eating titans and their prey.<i> Shingeki No Kyojin</i> fever is definitely subdued compared to the way fans raved about it during the first season's airing, yet overall I feel that this adaptation has been handled well. Hopefully future seasons will keep building momentum instead of leaving fans to subsist on terrible live action movies and other spin-offs rather than continuing the plot.<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Highest body count; my favourites are all still hanging on but pretty much anyone else who appeared this season ended up as titan food sooner or later.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL88kctOXseHKOpyOGTVC8_eTbtZyFGo_os8QxuraP5NnNdbRq5ExX8_RdrG9mAVbnmseazJuyd681yD3ty2tnNAozoAAzFfobzGKf671gMm5IAckh7-oN0DZc-etf7sL4ltmLkvBJl24/s1600/shingekis2end.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL88kctOXseHKOpyOGTVC8_eTbtZyFGo_os8QxuraP5NnNdbRq5ExX8_RdrG9mAVbnmseazJuyd681yD3ty2tnNAozoAAzFfobzGKf671gMm5IAckh7-oN0DZc-etf7sL4ltmLkvBJl24/s320/shingekis2end.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry Levi, maybe you'll get more to do in season three.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/worldend-what-do-you-do-at-the-end-of-the-world-are-you-busy-will-you-save-us">SukaSuka:
Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasuka? Isogashii Desuka? Sukutte Moratte Ii
Desuka? (WorldEnd: What Do You Do At The End Of The World? Are You Busy?
Will You Save Us?)</a><br />
<i>SukaSuka</i> didn't end up going in the direction I was hoping at all, and it probably incorporated more of the standard light novel fantasy tropes than I'd have liked. However, I enjoyed it. There was a deep-rooted humanity to hero Willem and his efforts to protect the naïve squad of 'Leprechauns' which rose above the usual bland heroics we see every season from this type of show. The central relationship between Willem and Ctholly built up quite quickly, with the wartime setting and high pressure lifestyle of the leads contributing to their whirlwind romance. Perhaps it would have made more of a mark if the series had run twice as long, allowing enough time for the usually-interesting setting to be explored further and the flashbacks to Willem's old life to develop more. I still feel as though I have a lot of questions about minor characters and background details which were mentioned once without ever being explained in full. Heck, in the process of writing this short description I noticed that Grick the borgle (a green-skinned oni race) is meant to be 15 years old; huh? I thought he was closer to my age! <i>SukaSuka</i> could definitely do with further adaptations, presuming that the novels contain additional content, or at the very least I'll be interested to see what else the original creator comes up with in future.<br />
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Bonus award: Worst title of the season. I will never remember what this show was called.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BOsFVsRzvVCjmzEAsrsMdaVqGBp8I7WqjOZKCOVe4RYlPP7pRleK7oWOPNNhpt2Eljedbra_MHpk4bPyJ-jjX8abF0jeJXHahUwJyKJiwn0HhbHAy7suKQIL-EmLSjzwHPN6x1rBxCg/s1600/sukasukafinale2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BOsFVsRzvVCjmzEAsrsMdaVqGBp8I7WqjOZKCOVe4RYlPP7pRleK7oWOPNNhpt2Eljedbra_MHpk4bPyJ-jjX8abF0jeJXHahUwJyKJiwn0HhbHAy7suKQIL-EmLSjzwHPN6x1rBxCg/s320/sukasukafinale2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two characters who deserved way, way more screen time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-eccentric-family-2">Uchouten Kazoku 2 (The Eccentric Family season 2)</a><br />
A wonderful sequel which successfully recaptured the charm of its predecessor. <i>Uchouten Kazoku</i> has everything; laughs, drama, fantasy, action, and even a dash of romance this time around! Yajirou finally gets a (slightly) bigger role as well, which I appreciated since he's one of my favourite foolish tanuki brothers. It's crazy that this series can be so addictive when it's about nothing more serious than a bunch of tanuki and tengu bickering with one another, yet it has just enough twists and turns in the plot to make it compelling viewing whether the story revolves around actual peril or just another one of Yasaburou's ridiculous schemes. The exaggerated visual style also works very well for me. I hope that it receives a western release even with the previous licensor (NISA) currently out of the picture when it comes to anime. It would be a great shame for this sequel to linger unlicensed when it deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.<br />
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Bonus award: Best couple, for Yasaburou and Kaisei. Or at least they will be when they finally get together once and for all. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEUNCMQZdmGxcNm_mb49kNgta6S5-tKcv-neCMEUcnulL0Z1YC1ooFIx7KwHg0KVtXLoM3fTIiWoyTIZD3oizGMhTlH9w2iEEBIKca-WH6Vyn-8Ue554dtwDJqeHxusVo8U5O8R4JIko/s1600/uchoutens2finale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEUNCMQZdmGxcNm_mb49kNgta6S5-tKcv-neCMEUcnulL0Z1YC1ooFIx7KwHg0KVtXLoM3fTIiWoyTIZD3oizGMhTlH9w2iEEBIKca-WH6Vyn-8Ue554dtwDJqeHxusVo8U5O8R4JIko/s320/uchoutens2finale.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the most exciting screenshot without context I'm afraid</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-laughing-salesman">Warau Salesman NEW (The Laughing Salesman)</a><br />
There's no real change in how I feel about <i>Warau Salesman NEW</i> because nothing really changed over the course of its run; every week, without fail, the salesman would pay a visit to normal people who objectively had nothing wrong with their lives. And with a little gentle prodding, he'd turn their everyday minor complaints into triggers for the ultimate in life-ruining decisions. It's a simple formula yet there's so much social commentary to be found beneath the sadistic surface that I could probably write a full post analysing the show without getting bored. Many of the plots deliberately updated the classic feel of the series to make them more relevant to the modern world, with the salesman even intruding on the Internet in the final episode. I'm really in the mood for more <i>Jigoku Shoujo</i> now, which is very convenient given its long-awaited return next season!<br />
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Bonus award: Best opening. The music, the creepy, surreal, referential visuals - I love it all. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-aEksOvFKF6oU8km2LYSTBr_zVdVJYvqduCVixPC97oBZHYNSP2HFLNJCU2fxb94qhvxs34qXfPTxprJvZ2JK0EfOA1V29EtN7mYxvdekC6YRe4Wk98xpMFjnl4QVYFdpvnYpvN97yY/s1600/warausalesmannewfinale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-aEksOvFKF6oU8km2LYSTBr_zVdVJYvqduCVixPC97oBZHYNSP2HFLNJCU2fxb94qhvxs34qXfPTxprJvZ2JK0EfOA1V29EtN7mYxvdekC6YRe4Wk98xpMFjnl4QVYFdpvnYpvN97yY/s320/warausalesmannewfinale.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rich source of creepy avatar pictures for years to come</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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--<br />
<br />
Ok, time to embark on the summer season! On top of my three continuing simulcasts (<i>Nobunaga No Shinobi, Boku No Hero Academia, Sakura Quest</i>), there's at least one sequel that I know I'm going to love, and I'm sure there will be plenty of other gems to discover once I've waded through Crunchyroll's listings.<br />
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I had better get to work!Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-86734328053880254142017-05-29T15:09:00.000+01:002017-05-29T16:42:53.289+01:00Event report: Basara Club Fan Meeting 2017 SpringIt's been a while since this blog featured something like this, hasn't it?<br />
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Since real life didn't allow me to attend the previous <i>Basara Matsuri</i> and stage play events, I leapt at the opportunity to apply for tickets to this weekend's <i>Basara Club Fan Meeting 2017 Spring</i> events when the timing ended up coinciding with some travel I'd already arranged. The <i>Sengoku Basara</i> fandom is in a huge lull right now in Japan - even more so than it was prior to the announcement of <i>Sengoku Basara 4</i> - and it's been a little sad seeing how few signs there are of the series' influence while travelling around the country over the past two weeks. <i>Sengoku Basara</i> merchandise has vanished from most stores, the anime discs are in bargain bins and we just had the news that <i>Sengoku Basara Dokugan,</i> the only serialised manga currently running (not counting the <i>Retsuden </i>one-shots in <i>Dengeki Maoh</i>) is to end in a couple of weeks. If not for this summer's <i>Zangeki Sengoku Basara: Odawara Seibatsu ('Odawara Subjugation') </i><a href="http://www.basara-st.com/">stage play</a> which has just started its major advertising push, I'd be ready to declare the series officially dead.<br />
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So it was with a little anxiety that I bought my tickets and turned up at the venue, half-worrying that I might be the only person there! Thankfully, that wasn't the case. The hardcore fans are still eager to celebrate the crazy action of <i>Sengoku Basara</i> even during this period of deathly quiet.<br />
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First of all, to avoid any dashing of hopes I want to make it clear that these fan gatherings are just for fun. The gaming media isn't present and there are no major announcements, so this post won't secretly reveal any news about <i>Sengoku Basara 5</i> right at the end (sadly). If you still want to read more anyway, please go ahead!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The <i>Basara Club Fan Meeting 2017 Spring</i> events were both held at Tokyo's Nissho Hall on Sunday 28th May 2017. Each ran for 90 minutes and involved four guests. I went to both (in for a penny, in for a pound!) so there are some comments about each of the shows separately below.<br />
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Security was quite tight, not so much because of global concerns right now but instead to prevent the growing problem of exclusive event tickets being resold on the black market for ridiculous profit. A last minute announcement demanded that all attendees bring their official fan club membership card along with them - thank heavens I'd packed mine in advance when I travelled out to Japan, or I would have had to miss out! The Nissho Hall is a small venue (742 seats at full capacity) so compared to the thousands of people who attend <i>Basara Matsuri</i> festivals this was a tiny, intimate gathering. By luck, I even had seats quite near the front of the hall both times.<br />
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I arrived later than usual since there's not much to do around the hall on a quiet Sunday in the business district other than wait around in the nearby Starbucks, and by the time I entered the merchandise queue Hayami's army of fans had already bought all of the Mitsuhide and Tenkai merchandise on offer. Even the strict purchase limits and stifling heat of the merchandise queue couldn't discourage them. I was impressed.<br />
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I was handed a set of commemorative badges on entry then took a look at the usual floral displays which always decorate the entrance hall for this kind of event. The Honnouji replica flowerpot was probably the most impressive. Please forgive anything I remember in the wrong order as I was <i>rather excited</i> all afternoon and it's all jumbling together the longer I take to write it all down!<br />
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<b>Afternoon show (14:00): </b><br />
Morita Masakazu (Maeda Keiji's voice actor)<br />
Hayami Shou (Tenkai/Akechi Mitsuhide's voice actor)<br />
Shiramata Atsushi (Chousokabe Motochika in the stage play)<br />
Nakao Kenya (Tokugawa Ieyasu in the stage play)<br />
Kobayashi 'KobaP' Hiroyuki (series producer)<br />
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The show kicked off with the usual warning read by the two seiyuu guests in character, where Tenkai had to explain away Kingo's absence to a very spirited Keiji. Morita and Hayami seemed to have trouble dropping character from time to time even after the introduction was long over; the two of them were clearly having a lot of fun playing characters who don't usually have a great number of opportunities to interact one-on-one.<br />
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KobaP introduced everyone as normal then the five of them sat down to chat about various topics. Nakao is a relatively new stage play cast member so everyone was interested in getting to know him better, and at some point it came out that it was recently his birthday. One of the more memorable moments involved Hayami saying they should sing Happy Birthday to him then trying to force Morita to do it instead when everyone played along. Hayami ended up singing on his own, however, and hearing Mitsuhide's dark, silken voice joyfully wishing someone else a happy birthday in song live was certainly an experience to remember. Other topics of conversation included the health benefits of tomato juice first thing in the morning and how the stage play actors train to try to replicate their characters' muscular physiques. They even demonstrated an exercise that Magoichi's actress does, since everyone in the entire audience seemed to be female.<br />
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At one point, Morita was warning everyone to perform maintenance on their air conditioners given how hot it was going to be this summer in various parts of Japan and KobaP turned to ask the audience where they were from with a show of hands. After covering east and west Japan, he jokingly asked whether anyone was from somewhere else and I nervously raised mine as the lady to my left (who had been chatting with me prior to the show) gestured frantically to get their attention. Morita was amazed and demanded to know where I was from, then made fun of how my country's summer would probably be a lot less scorching. He would refer back to this later in the show to compound my embarrassment further. Being stared at by KobaP and the other guests (not to mention the rest of the audience) was quite nerve-wracking.<br />
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The first performance segment featured a dialogue between Mitsuhide (not Tenkai, this time) and Keiji, with the former acting as though he didn't recognise the vagabond and getting him quite riled up. It was very nostalgic, with a strong <i>Sengoku Basara 2</i> feel. Afterwards, the voice actors were asked to read out lines suggested by fans. These were completely silly, like people wanting Morita to wish them a happy birthday as Keiji and do various impersonations, and all of Hayami's were plain weird; Mitsuhide had to coyly ask Nobunaga whether he'd noticed that he was using a new type of shampoo, then in another he was made to request that people call him 'Micchan'.<br />
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The stage play actors weren't expected to read lines from a script like the veteran seiyuu, and instead they had to improvise two short performances together. The first asked them to play a scene from an imaginary cop drama where an experienced police detective (Motochika) has been involved in a stakeout for four days with his rookie partner (Ieyasu). They were given the first and last lines from the script and a pair of <i>Sengoku Basara</i> lines they had to somehow insert into the story they made up, then the rest was up to them, except they weren't given any time to plan the scene out in advance so they had to keep giving one another cues in the hope that their partner understood. At one point there was an instruction that they had to switch to performing in the style of a stage musical for a few lines which made things really silly.<br />
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The second scenario for the stage actors was Motochika acting as a bus tour guide while Ieyasu was a student on the bus. They'd settled into their roles better by this point (though Shiramata inexplicably insisted that his tour guide was a woman called 'Motochiko' and affected a falsetto voice whenever he remembered this detail). They cracked jokes about the (imaginary) characters sharing the bus with them, which allowed Motochika to tell Ieyasu off for bickering with Mitsunari.<br />
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Shiramata had some previous event experience with these improvisations but Nakao, still being new to the series, was clearly very nervous at first. They were both very entertaining to watch!<br />
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KobaP apologised for having no real news to discuss, explaining that he was working on <i>Biohazard</i> at the moment but not going into any more detail than that. The next segment was a series of mini games with a little audience participation!<br />
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Prior to the start of the show, everyone entering the venue had been given a sticker to place on the board in my picture. The question was which character was hiding the most secrets, with the only options being characters whose actors were appearing at today's events.<br />
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I took the picture before the doors closed so those weren't the final results, but they give a good idea of the trends. The fans suggested that Ieyasu was hiding the most secrets, followed by Tenkai and then Keiji. When it came to the game, the actors were given the names of the eight characters and had to work out which order the fans at the venue had ranked them in on that board. If they got all three right, all of the fans would receive an exclusive postcard after the show. To make it slightly easier the guests were allowed to get help from the audience who would cheer and groan according to their actions.<br />
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After some giggling about the very idea of Yukimura being able to keep any secrets at all, they removed some characters from the list entirely to try to figure out the top three. Hayami was confused at both Tenkai and Mitsuhide being options (surely they are the same person?) but he deduced that Tenkai must be hiding more because he is Mitsuhide <i>with a mask</i>, so he went on the list correctly. Ieyasu was worked out from the frantic gesturing of the audience alone, and seemed to confuse the cast - I suppose he <i>did</i> keep most of the details about what happened with Hideyoshi to himself. It was Keiji's shock inclusion which lost the game in the end, however. Morita simply couldn't believe it was true, and nobody else could believe that Mitsuhide ended up outside the top three even though his alter ego was there.<br />
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Fortunately, a second mini game offered the cast members a chance to salvage the postcards for the fans. This was a simple task where a box was wheeled onto the stage and each actor had to (simultaneously) insert their hands and identify what was inside from the way it felt. The audience could see inside the box right from the start, so it was funny watching the four men grasping around, especially because Hayami immediately grabbed Nakao's hand on purpose to startle him. They worked out the first item (a burdock root) very quickly, then the second round got sillier. The item inside was shaved ice, but the women at the front of the hall started making shocked faces and signalling warnings to the actors when they saw it wheeled on - which only served to alarm them. When Hayami tentatively reached in he was so surprised by the cold ice that he reacted as though he'd received an electric shock, which made everyone even more anxious. Eventually they managed to get over their fear and Morita quickly worked out what it was and also what flavour (strawberry), taking the time to flick clumps of ice at Shiramata inside the box before answering and ending the confusion.<br />
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It was fun to watch. The actors are all likeable, crazy people who can make even simple playground games entertaining.<br />
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--<br />
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After a prize draw for some signed goods and farewell messages, the first performance ended and everyone was ushered out past the merchandise table, where many items had completely sold out. The (rather expensive) oversized 'favourite character' badges and cloth bags were the only things that were still obtainable.<br />
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<b>Evening show (18:00):</b><br />
Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura's voice actor)<br />
Miki Shinichirou (Gotou Matabee's voice actor)<br />
Mashima Shuuto (Date Masamune in the stage play)<br />
Matsumura Ryuunosuke (Sanada Yukimura in the stage play)<br />
Kobayashi Hiroyuki (series producer)<br />
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The format of the evening show was almost identical except with a completely different cast accompanying KobaP. The venue's rules were read out by Hoshi as an unusually-serious Yukimura, with Matabee grumbling <i>over</i> every word he said in a ridiculous way. Everyone was laughing helplessly as poor Yukimura kept battling on to get through the list in spite of the interference.<br />
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Hoshi went on to steal the show several times during the discussion segment, poking fun at how demanding he was on LINE when he was feeling glum and praising Naotora as the lead of this year's Taiga drama. Mashima was very nervous and Matsumura seemed to want to look after him, referring to him by his nickname 'Shooty' and praising their working relationship as part of the stage play team.<br />
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The highly enjoyable live seiyuu performance was an updated version of an event-exclusive dialogue that had only been performed once before, with Yukimura confronting Matabee when he tries to use him as bait for Masamune. Hardly anyone had heard the original (including myself) so for us it was new!<br />
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Next, the stage actors' skits were utterly hilarious this time since it transpires that Mashima and Matsumura have great chemistry together. The first had a very delicate Mashima pretending to be a doctor with Yukimura as his patient, and they managed to cram all of the challenges into the three minutes. Mashima really went all out when the genre switched to 'musical-style' and started singing all of his lines without hesitation! Matsumura then took the role of a female shop assistant for the second skit with Mashima as his customer. The 'Basara-style' line that Mashima had to deliver was 'It's One-Eyed Dragon!' so he went in speaking English right from the start while Matsumura stammered trying to keep up with the crazy customer. It was a very Masamune-like performance! Mashima delivered the required line several times in a booming voice and when KobaP asked the audience whose performance was the best, Mashima won by a landslide. Not bad for a first timer.<br />
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--<br />
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KobaP was more talkative in this session, suggesting that fans buy the latest volume of <i>Dengeki Maoh</i> to check out the new manga chapter then quietly saying that he wasn't able to share his next plans for the series with everyone yet but wished he could. Eh, he really does have plans? I want to know more! With <i>Touken Ranbu</i> having decimated the series' fandom, it was starting to get worrying.<br />
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(I'm going to guess that they've decided to let the game series lie undisturbed until the stage play is well underway to avoid splitting everyone's attention between both and give YamamotoD more time to work on things. So in that case, perhaps we won't hear any real news until summer at the very earliest?)<br />
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The mini games played out similarly to the afternoon session, except this time the fans were asked to name which character they wanted to have as their boss. Everyone knew that Masamune and Aniki were the top two, but there was a lot of debate over who was highest in the final ranking (Motochika) and the audience ended up misleading the actors! There were a lot of apologies and fortunately the guests turned things around in the second challenge, which tasked them with building a very tall replicate of Osaka Castle in the middle of the stage - a little like the game <i>Jenga</i>.<br />
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Everyone earned their postcard rewards once again, some fans won extra signed goods presented by the actors and then it was time for farewells. Hoshi's final speech took so long that everyone else sat down at the back of the stage and made affectionate gestures for him to hurry up for the last half; it's so good to see how friendly the seiyuu and stage actors are and how much everyone loves celebrating the series alongside its fans.<br />
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--<br />
<br />
That's all for now! I have a plane to catch back home but it's been an amazing trip; I went to T.M.Revolution's mind-blowing arena show at the start so it feels as though the series is still lingering if you know where to look. I like all of his music, but the <i>Sengoku Basara</i> medley he performed towards the end of the show really got my blood pumping! Coincidentally Nishikawa turned up again as a surprise guest at a different concert I attended last night too, though there it was for a <i>Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed</i> and <i>Rurouni Kenshin </i>encore.<br />
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There was no TMR to enjoy at the fan meeting, but it was just as great in its own way as any other <i>Sengoku Basara</i> event I've attended over the years.<br />
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And of course, I ended up coming away with a little merchandise of my own in spite of my country's currency being so unreliable these days.<br />
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Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-713500737433141292017-05-07T03:04:00.000+01:002017-05-07T03:04:02.384+01:00Streaming: Spring 2017 anime first impressionsWhat on earth happened to anime streaming this season? Right as we had finally settled into a wonderful era of <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/lineup">Crunchyroll</a> getting UK simulcast rights for almost everything on offer, Amazon Prime and Netflix have both stepped up their plans to grab exclusive licenses with bizarre global strategies; in Amazon's case, they've started licensing some titles for the US only which has left other English-speaking regions in the dust. It's as though we've gone back in time several years! The situation is worsened by UK licensor Manga Entertainment continuing to sit on its own licenses instead of putting them on some kind of simulcasting service. Their <a href="https://twitter.com/AskJeromeMaz/status/849676571996827649">decisionmakers don't like Crunchyroll</a> or dub-only outlet Funimation Now, but in the absence of any viable alternative Manga Entertainment continue to license shows and provoke the pirates by squatting on the digital rights for the UK. And so I don't buy from Manga.<br />
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I'm desperately hoping that this mess is just a temporarily blip on the path to progress, though it's not exactly unusual for the anime industry to shoot itself in the foot and prevent those who want to from watching and supporting their favourite titles. Global streaming is always such a mess.<br />
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All of my ongoing shows have finished other than <i>Nobunaga No Shinobi,</i> which has a second season continuing straight on from the previous one. So will anything new be joining it in my weekly viewing schedule? Let's see.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/100-teacher-pascal">100% Pascal-sensei (100% Teacher Pascal)</a><br />
A cheap-looking comedy show aimed at a younger audience, where a strange new teacher arrives in a regular Japanese classroom and unleashes endless chaos in the vein of <i>Gintama</i> or <i>Assassination Classroom (Ansatsu Kyoushitsu)</i>. This strange teacher looks like a penguin wearing a yellow dog (?) costume, can't write his own name and doesn't seem interested in following any kind of coherent lesson plan. Instead, he argues with his own students and takes them on oddly self-indulgent adventures. It might be funny if you're a kid; for me every joke fell flat. The ending sequence is a fun dance sequence featuring a cheerful Indian man yelling phrases nonsensically over the singing, which is more than a little questionable in context - it's clear that he's standing in for the 'weird' teacher, and there are far better ways to celebrate India's rich culture and the efforts of the immigrant community in Japan than by lowering it to the same level of humour as this terribly mediocre pantomime of a series.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5yObUhcTlrsOu36AK4xwt6qisi8MOIYCFCzN1xAJZZmC7kT247zess4pyF1tjhd3O6v5RWzZFJ14dzth0enZlifw01anxUA0xCD_rF8Gb9kOSpRr-cOpvzDRnS3utUvVn6EEiosZ4yg/s1600/100pcpascalsensei.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5yObUhcTlrsOu36AK4xwt6qisi8MOIYCFCzN1xAJZZmC7kT247zess4pyF1tjhd3O6v5RWzZFJ14dzth0enZlifw01anxUA0xCD_rF8Gb9kOSpRr-cOpvzDRnS3utUvVn6EEiosZ4yg/s320/100pcpascalsensei.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably not the next classic for today's younger viewers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/alice-zoroku">Alice & Zouroku</a><br />
A mysterious blonde girl with a passion for fancy clothing is on the run from a powerful underground laboratory, and to aid her escape she teams up with a surly old man. He's a kindly florist, but he's used to dealing with all kinds of clients from regular people to members of the yakuza, and his grounded attitude helps the runaway evade her captives well enough that she becomes attached to him very quickly. The first episode felt like a real slog, partly because it was a double-length episode but mostly because the pacing was strangely lethargic. There was no shortage of action - car chases, battles between little girls with superpowers and a little everyday violence - but for some reason there was no sense of urgency. The music was mellow and the animation didn't feel very kinetic.<br />
<br />
An odd one. Not unwatchable, yet at the same time not a show I'm going to hurry to return to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6IXQ2yEX7h-tDiBkKwOKjcnl1G_DMfhXkjMnRycIC4ZABPf7sVl5CGq_7_89RjnGyFx4JvG0FGt42aOVU6E1d7-VDNory8YidOAJQL2y-SDMVtTTPWC2fJY1jKBcJA8LjvTA_Jzelt8/s1600/aliceandzoroku.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6IXQ2yEX7h-tDiBkKwOKjcnl1G_DMfhXkjMnRycIC4ZABPf7sVl5CGq_7_89RjnGyFx4JvG0FGt42aOVU6E1d7-VDNory8YidOAJQL2y-SDMVtTTPWC2fJY1jKBcJA8LjvTA_Jzelt8/s320/aliceandzoroku.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least she's not a schoolgirl, I guess</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/berserk">Berserk (season 2)</a><br />
The second season of the new CG-animated <i>Berserk</i> anime is here, and I'm feeling a lot less disappointed about its visual shortcomings this time around. The CG still looks horrible, but the plot has come together after the confusion of catching up without reading the manga. At the time of writing I'm two episodes in and they have already provided plenty of horror, anguish, tension, background story and inappropriate sexual themes, along with the return of a fan favourite character whose prior disappearance still has more than a few questions attached to it.<br />
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The more cutesy shows there are about girls falling over and blushing, the more I need something like <i>Berserk</i> to add some balance to the world. Thank goodness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfq03IHQEa3XvZUH5NxP4VB7pSt2zj1-th3_EElkzBICtiz3j0EdTAWB6DTfLGjaRw6lbfxW6ADLRhz-4e9NTczxNo1kUdOcUEGiJ2_ocHcbznpVJM3xc-1cTz0nbcKlRpP4SfNzKdOkA/s1600/berserk2s2ep2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfq03IHQEa3XvZUH5NxP4VB7pSt2zj1-th3_EElkzBICtiz3j0EdTAWB6DTfLGjaRw6lbfxW6ADLRhz-4e9NTczxNo1kUdOcUEGiJ2_ocHcbznpVJM3xc-1cTz0nbcKlRpP4SfNzKdOkA/s320/berserk2s2ep2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serpico is still upstaging everyone else in the show</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/my-hero-academia">Boku No Hero Academia (My Hero Academia season 2)</a><br />
The series has moved to Crunchyroll this time around which means I no longer have to wade through the Funimation Now interface to watch it! <i>Boku No Hero Academia</i> launched straight back into a ridiculous new storyline for its new season, this time focusing on a superpowered athletics event rather than a battle between good and evil. It's a good way to reintroduce the cast and let the wounds from the previous series' climax heal, and I'm excited to see where the story goes from here. There's really not much more to say until the plot gets going; the series isn't out to bring much new to its genre but it's doing what it's trying to do as well as it can, and sometimes that's enough.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJokzlq57eEmQs6I3MszdyV1qCnsZEnR3WQxd2RbUq1Cq3jGFGVzQAX0cTJRYQ9BRTPeGn7HkYjhBiSWdxAIWzNrMExoFmAnPMCiRwXuYdsZHZ8qu8OHBH8OfZYLjP6CXGIwXUY00msM/s1600/bokuheros2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJokzlq57eEmQs6I3MszdyV1qCnsZEnR3WQxd2RbUq1Cq3jGFGVzQAX0cTJRYQ9BRTPeGn7HkYjhBiSWdxAIWzNrMExoFmAnPMCiRwXuYdsZHZ8qu8OHBH8OfZYLjP6CXGIwXUY00msM/s320/bokuheros2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This grumpy new guy seems interesting</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/boruto-naruto-next-generations">Boruto: Naruto Next Generations</a><br />
I was planning on skipping <i>Boruto</i> as it's technically a sequel to a show I don't follow, until some friends visited and wanted to check an episode out. I watched most of the first <i>Naruto</i> series then jumped ship before <i>Shippuuden </i>after realising it wasn't ever going to rock my world, so as a non-fan it's an interesting opening story. <i>Boruto</i> deliberately retraces some of the highlights of the earliest <i>Naruto</i> stories but from a different perspective, as Naruto's perky son (the titular Boruto himself) gears up for his first day at the same ninja academy which taught his parents. Some things have changed (technology has - very slightly - advanced since the previous generation of ninja) while other things remain very much as they were before. To the surprise of nobody, Naruto hasn't ended up as the most fantastic parent and his son resents his constant absence in his life. He also looks down on ninjutsu, despite demonstrating easy mastery of techniques far beyond what Naruto was capable of at this point in the previous series. The first episode is a self-contained adventure which introduces the lead and setting without explaining any of the many, many references scattered throughout the story for existing fans to appreciate. No doubt they will all come into play later on in the story.<br />
<br />
I won't be following <i>Boruto</i> any further, but I did grin when my recovering <i>Naruto</i>-addict friend confessed that he was sorely tempted to continue straight into episode two to find out what happened. Those pining for some classic <i>Naruto</i> action should feel right at home with its successor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OqN3vFOAeiE_raiwKpAoV2uoZ1R22JhurlVwkpTeSumpDVpFi5UEsL9ZmTXqlq5dK3zxqnvCc2e6Cslwgx-f7GDr0ohPseaTiabUTWTPbwnVDzGJ3UU32FhWpG4TwNIpufTV7wNzwyA/s1600/boruto.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OqN3vFOAeiE_raiwKpAoV2uoZ1R22JhurlVwkpTeSumpDVpFi5UEsL9ZmTXqlq5dK3zxqnvCc2e6Cslwgx-f7GDr0ohPseaTiabUTWTPbwnVDzGJ3UU32FhWpG4TwNIpufTV7wNzwyA/s320/boruto.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every bit as likeable as his dad (or not)</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/clockwork-planet">Clockwork Planet</a><br />
In spite of the beautiful key artwork I had a feeling that <i>Clockwork Planet</i> wasn't going to end up on my viewing list and its first episode did a good job of highlighting the reasons why. The setting is unusual; after the world was destroyed, a mysterious genius somehow rebuilt the planet - and many of the things on it - using clockwork. While the steampunk aesthetic has never really grabbed me, I'll give the show credit for trying something different. Our hero, Naoto, is a strange little boy who wants to become some kind of clockwork engineer, except that he has no real skill for repairing his collection of mechanical clocks. Or so he thought, until one day a mysterious clockwork-powered girl crashes through his roof. Naoto manages to repair her by picking up on the unpleasant sound of one of her internal workings being misaligned, and his servile new friend, identifying herself as RyuZU, bonds with him almost immediately. There were many shades of <i>Chobits</i> in the early parts of the episode.<br />
<br />
However, thereafter followed a fair number of 'sexy' moments which didn't really work - the tiny, androgynous lead has his fingers sucked in a scene which is deliberately designed to titillate the viewer, before (nearly) being taken to a love hotel by RyuZU, and then later he ends up on her lap for a rest. The problem is that there's no real lead-up or atmosphere before these sudden escalations and it all feels chaotically thrown together. And since it's the kind of show that it is, the viewer knows in the back of their mind that nothing will ever happen in that department anyway. There's a tiny young girl running around trying to follow RyuZU as well and various conspiracies and mysteries to unravel - I'm going to drop out here, because this is just going to end up as a regular fan service-heavy harem series with an action theme, and I don't have a good track record with those.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-FVM-iG4syt24dnyhtio3tYpwTodwIXv-eMpybLa3P6Ih9U9TXRLBfVzKkUVOTy_c_5SjoS7JIf0wuXJtAqrh8RH1_5sxAVmW1IyH8yZegsKpwNlAgk08wREjMm1pV05zH1JzMbHX24/s1600/clockworkplanet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-FVM-iG4syt24dnyhtio3tYpwTodwIXv-eMpybLa3P6Ih9U9TXRLBfVzKkUVOTy_c_5SjoS7JIf0wuXJtAqrh8RH1_5sxAVmW1IyH8yZegsKpwNlAgk08wREjMm1pV05zH1JzMbHX24/s320/clockworkplanet.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why do people always put their robots in sexy dresses?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/eromanga-sensei">Eromanga-sensei</a><br />
I liked <i>OreImo (Ore No Imouto Ga Konna Ni Kawaii Wake Ga Nai). </i>At least, I liked the first half of it. By the end of the second season I was desperate for it to finish and hated almost every character in the show, so I approached the creator's current series <i>Eromanga-sensei</i> with a fair amount of caution. Masamune is a guy who has acquired a shut-in stepsister he hasn't ever seen since she came to live with him a year ago and locked herself away in her bedroom. I'm a little hazy on the rest of the details; I <i>believe</i> that the reason they're living together in the first place is that each sibling lost a parent, then their two remaining parents married and merged the families, and then they, too, passed away all within the space of a year. Their school-aged children are coping remarkably well under the circumstances. Masamune has become a published writer of fantasy light novels, while Sagiri secretly draws erotic illustrations (based on her own poses!) and posts them online - in fact, they've both been so successful in their respective fields that Sagiri has been hired to draw the artwork for Masamune's books, with neither aware of the true identities which lie behind their pen names until partway through the first episode! Masamune is shocked when he finally learns that the illustrator who has been drawing all of his sexy female fighters is none other than his adorable little sister, and this revelation paves the way for the two of them to finally start bonding as siblings and professionals. Or does it? I'm never going to find out because the last thing I need from this writer is more awkward blushing little sisters being looked after by their goody-goody older brothers. It's well made, for what it is.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZWSJgUMEUxDoIYi3Jo9n5e8xoFB26Fo2sobPVFp2iUQ6sZog5eLj_q0MhvaEfwFrdYYrIvJeh3LNOk9ReYTZSmnpjgSNmct-CaV8BzmKZFa0PMDcpWIihjQf5z0jbXQnaxUMtCoBTvI/s1600/eromangasensei.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZWSJgUMEUxDoIYi3Jo9n5e8xoFB26Fo2sobPVFp2iUQ6sZog5eLj_q0MhvaEfwFrdYYrIvJeh3LNOk9ReYTZSmnpjgSNmct-CaV8BzmKZFa0PMDcpWIihjQf5z0jbXQnaxUMtCoBTvI/s320/eromangasensei.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How had they never crossed paths, living together all year?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.theanimenetwork.com/Watch-Anime/Frame-Arms-Girl">Frame Arms Girl</a><br />
This season's sole exclusive on The Anime Network, again making my question why they persist with this strategy - it's simply not logical to pay a full subscription for one show! The first episode was free though which is something more services should offer. I checked it out.<br />
<br />
<i>Frame Arms Girl</i> is a glorified full-length advertisement for a range of posable models released by Kotobukiya in Japan. It's probably the most blatant case of product placement I've seen to date; the happy-go-lucky heroine receives an unexpected delivery by drone one day and opens the box to find a scantily-clad figurine inside. The model's name is Gourai and she instructs the lead to build her armoured equipment using techniques familiar to plastic model collectors across the globe, before launching into combat with two other similar girls - who have also arrived out of the blue via mail order boxes. The heroine's cheerful acceptance of all of this nonsense is ridiculous, but it pales in comparison with the spectacle of having a trio of tiny, strangely sexy models strutting around with guns, flashing their panties at the screen whenever the camera angles permit it (which is often). The animation is weird and floaty due to copious use of CG techniques and the plot is non-existent, so really the only people who are likely to fully appreciate this show are those who love panties or those who love collectable plastic bishoujo models.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2JjkQyZCh9ks0evR90Zfauy1pOMuQKbEt1HzOjBSwVJzHyuhd1QZscITyzxT_fD97bXlusp_HIrnQhpopg8WXX1RpN2BXMBZDEzRg34rbxkZFOLrrBdcjJkyO8eHC8NrdJpUFb0iccw/s1600/framearmsgirlzzz.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2JjkQyZCh9ks0evR90Zfauy1pOMuQKbEt1HzOjBSwVJzHyuhd1QZscITyzxT_fD97bXlusp_HIrnQhpopg8WXX1RpN2BXMBZDEzRg34rbxkZFOLrrBdcjJkyO8eHC8NrdJpUFb0iccw/s320/framearmsgirlzzz.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finding a scene without a panty shot was a wasted effort</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/anonymous-noise">Fukumenkei Noise (Anonymous Noise)</a><br />
Anime Limited managed to grab the UK rights for one of Amazon's US-only
exclusives and handed them over to Crunchyroll for simulcasting, so I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to even get to see <i>Fukumenkei Noise</i> when all of the other corporate entities are desperately preventing anyone from lawfully watching anime in this country.<br />
<br />
The female audience isn't getting much attention this season so <i>Fukumenkei Noise</i> is here to try to offer some balance. Adapted from a <i>shoujo </i>manga, it tells the story of a withdrawn schoolgirl, Nino, who loves to sing and desperately hopes to be able to reach out to two boys she used to know by the power of her voice. As it turns out, both of these boys attend her new high school and one of them, Yuzu, recognises Nino after she starts loudly singing along during one of his music club's stage performances. When the band's regular vocalist disappears in the melodrama which follows this chance reunion, Nino takes to the stage in her place and lets loose with a bone-chilling rendition of a song Yuzu wrote. Hayami Saori's incredible vocal performance takes the fairly ordinary - and perhaps excessively dramatic - second half of the episode to a completely different level; I was not expecting Nino to be capable of this kind of complexity after the grating 'la la la' singing from earlier on. The jury is still out on the writing quality (why didn't anyone care what happened to the original vocalist?) but there's definitely potential in this music-themed high school drama series.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7_EBfPEVs-MDadnMB9QLqOSG2swgX3lDi25MCSIDn9zLn05Pf4-3i7VKyJF2xYXiZ0DIgh3XnbmbXivco80BS6dRpMlNdJhB6bVpXDWh86g_TMHdYc8POc5Ws1ggpKGQ3086-nDLI9E/s1600/anonnoise.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7_EBfPEVs-MDadnMB9QLqOSG2swgX3lDi25MCSIDn9zLn05Pf4-3i7VKyJF2xYXiZ0DIgh3XnbmbXivco80BS6dRpMlNdJhB6bVpXDWh86g_TMHdYc8POc5Ws1ggpKGQ3086-nDLI9E/s320/anonnoise.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I might drop the show but I'm definitely buying the song...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/hinako-note">Hinako Note</a><br />
Unlike the butt-kicking Hinako in <i>Kenka Banchou Otome, </i>the one in <i>Hinako Note</i> is a dithery, delicate young girl who has travelled to Tokyo in the hope of conquering the chronic shyness which has held her back whenever she tries to interact with people back home in the countryside. She's even pushing herself right to the limit and joining the drama club at her new school! Fortunately, upon arriving at her new accommodation she's befriended by a bunch of supportive new friends, each of whom have their own eccentricities. It's like a less intelligent version of <i>Princess Jellyfish (Kuragehime) </i>with more blushing and squealing. If you like cute girls, this is the show of the season. It gave me cavities.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhUoyt5dYkiYY5YTziZjcoKMSXSK8O4YFH7rB6oxeXicL6_9aLZT8MsQO5yfmXc1xHmSCT58r9yuWshFvQE6KywOrvGTgkrATQkPn1mEuGxfudhOLxy-w7bK73JIBWHW-lhtMLKsOEV0/s1600/hinakonote.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhUoyt5dYkiYY5YTziZjcoKMSXSK8O4YFH7rB6oxeXicL6_9aLZT8MsQO5yfmXc1xHmSCT58r9yuWshFvQE6KywOrvGTgkrATQkPn1mEuGxfudhOLxy-w7bK73JIBWHW-lhtMLKsOEV0/s320/hinakonote.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helpless girls are not my favourite anime trope</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/kenka-bancho-otome-girl-beats-boys-">Kenka Banchou Otome: Girl Beats Boys</a><br />
The goofy anime adaptation of a goofy <i>otome</i> game and manga based on a completely unromantic series of goofy action brawler games, <i>Kenka Banchou Otome</i> knows it doesn't have to waste any time being sensible. The heroine has joined a rough new all-boys school in disguise as her twin brother(?), who seems to have quite a reputation amongst the local thugs which make up the entire student body. Right from the start we're treated to the sight of an endless parade of fist fights in the background as Hinako tries to acclimatise to her new environment - and it seems she's no slouch when it comes to combat, either. There's plenty of potential for wacky comedy and inappropriate romantic heartthrobs, so why does the series only have 8-minute episodes? I feel robbed!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CkqG3fdmdH_m2-XC4AnZJid3SG8WfP1zhExFJJSo-BeDSCTkooOMPLAeuCO5c6b1dnVvsoX0w4iabgEGc-ihRuWLOJoJSmjUc2mr-iie7JAHJ-Xzzzk4LTw9vZB9jPPl1SXdTjmORf4/s1600/kenkabanchouotome.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CkqG3fdmdH_m2-XC4AnZJid3SG8WfP1zhExFJJSo-BeDSCTkooOMPLAeuCO5c6b1dnVvsoX0w4iabgEGc-ihRuWLOJoJSmjUc2mr-iie7JAHJ-Xzzzk4LTw9vZB9jPPl1SXdTjmORf4/s320/kenkabanchouotome.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The game is on my shelf waiting to be played already...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/love-rice">Love Kome: We Love Rice</a><br />
A trashy short series about boys who are actually anthropomorphised varieties of rice. The humour is as forced as the pun in the title ('<i>kome</i>' is both the word for rice and an abbreviation of 'comedy') and the artwork is all over the place. As inherently crazy as a series about rice boys is, by now we've had countries, swords, battleships, hardware and more as the <i>gijinka </i>craze shows no sign of slowing down. The genre's shock value has long been exhausted, and I'm not all that interested in obscure strains of rice in the first place.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfs-YCVTreOGzDvdxeSi1_O6YECqiDHu1ENZ1na66Aed9sE2VWvSLMSxT3haBHG7Ab2QGWQdJ5TjaZ4O6VZjQh2zQLcK-Tmd936VyUQmXOSJEWIPQ3QSrf7tfoV82uOUeZ_UkzgJwbNgQ/s1600/rabukome.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfs-YCVTreOGzDvdxeSi1_O6YECqiDHu1ENZ1na66Aed9sE2VWvSLMSxT3haBHG7Ab2QGWQdJ5TjaZ4O6VZjQh2zQLcK-Tmd936VyUQmXOSJEWIPQ3QSrf7tfoV82uOUeZ_UkzgJwbNgQ/s320/rabukome.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He looks as though he belongs in a trading card anime</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/makeruna-aku-no-gundan">Makeruna!! Aku No Gundan!</a><br />
A less charming alternative to the sublime (and sorely missed) <i>Keroro Gunsou</i>, <i>Makeruna!! Aku No Gundan!</i> is the story of a bunch of invading aliens who reach Earth and realise very quickly that conquering another planet can be harder than it looks. It's a short series and very cartoony, the kind of fare that's perfect filler on Crunchyroll for those spare moments when you just want to watch something short, silly and colourful.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3yzwNfJnmfUBFZUFH0hlg1Qf03TA-IwRCqruUv3RpD5Fgx0HQRmsYmAYZDizZCF9sO-EaR4tMawTvS5auqzmnjGIOuhDBK1fiUG8C5mBCPSwSd38dWCuB2nN_h01L-ruSC8erp9WY60/s1600/makeruna.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3yzwNfJnmfUBFZUFH0hlg1Qf03TA-IwRCqruUv3RpD5Fgx0HQRmsYmAYZDizZCF9sO-EaR4tMawTvS5auqzmnjGIOuhDBK1fiUG8C5mBCPSwSd38dWCuB2nN_h01L-ruSC8erp9WY60/s320/makeruna.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the most photogenic character of the season</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-royal-tutor">Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine (The Royal Tutor)</a><br />
An interesting series plainly courting a female audience, featuring a mysterious new teacher who comes to the royal palace in order to tutor its four uncontrollable princes. Actually it sounds a lot like <i>Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi To Akashic Records </i>from that description, except, well, it doesn't suck. None of the princes initially wants to learn and Haine has his work cut out convincing them he's up to the job; contrary to appearances, the diminutive educator speaks and acts like an even-mannered adult around all of the lanky, handsome blonde teenagers he's been tasked with training. The humour is quirky, poking fun at social situations and blending the gags with a vein of genuine understanding which elevates the show above other comedies about groups of sheltered royalty behaving badly.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qNoZoDIhMhAq4YzaXaZOa1yhiR0cnHnKJ1Z5tAjV2q3aK3mls2boDmFMPGWOCkEcdtspRrpmhdE08f4l1kb73aW2FVBgYyhyphenhyphenZ2BeyR9hphEmqvmDiOU81-PdtUQT4hg43QFoYLftEZQ/s1600/haineep1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qNoZoDIhMhAq4YzaXaZOa1yhiR0cnHnKJ1Z5tAjV2q3aK3mls2boDmFMPGWOCkEcdtspRrpmhdE08f4l1kb73aW2FVBgYyhyphenhyphenZ2BeyR9hphEmqvmDiOU81-PdtUQT4hg43QFoYLftEZQ/s320/haineep1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An actual grown up, not a precocious kid for once</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/pripri-chi-chan">PriPri Chi-chan!!</a><br />
The better of the two childish 12-minute anime titles this season (the other being <i>100% Pascal-sensei</i>), <i>PriPri Chi-chan!!</i> follows the adventures of a greedy yellow blob-creature which tunnels up to the surface from its underground home in order to eat cakes. This mission accomplished, 'Chi-chan' finds itself too plump to return the way it came and ends up getting stuck in modern Japan. Fortunately, a sweet-natured schoolgirl rescues the hapless glutton and takes it home with her, setting things up for a fun comedy show aimed at a younger audience.<br />
<br />
The best thing about this show is the adorable dance sequence during the ending credits. Chi-chan is far too annoying as a character for me to keep watching the series, but if I was a lot younger I'd definitely love every minute of this silly parade of cuteness.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWEJDyYisEk07yrn0uNHxqJ_fn3JSttPh3B51gQHyTXpKvjLfOREQ1KvNUkQOZLqJZHejU7234K-KIxneyi8mzFSJ-aMWh0EhFxgqTrEKenleMg5fbn538xZ-vXfPCGX500Cfn84nrBY/s1600/priprichichan2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWEJDyYisEk07yrn0uNHxqJ_fn3JSttPh3B51gQHyTXpKvjLfOREQ1KvNUkQOZLqJZHejU7234K-KIxneyi8mzFSJ-aMWh0EhFxgqTrEKenleMg5fbn538xZ-vXfPCGX500Cfn84nrBY/s320/priprichichan2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every single frame is screenshot-worthy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/love-tyrant">Renai Boukun (Love Tyrant)</a><br />
<i>Renai Boukun</i> is almost good. With inspiration from <i>Death Note</i> and any number of school romantic comedies, it's the story of an average guy who ends up in a weird love polygon thanks to a meddling cupid and her magical matchmaking book. The heroine, Guri, is cute as a button in her decidedly non-cupid-like costume, and there are clearly some good ideas behind the many sight gags and plot twists that greet the hapless hero as he tries to navigate the sudden changes in his love life.<br />
<br />
However, for me the execution of all of these ideas fell completely flat. The punchlines can be seen coming from miles away and Guri is the only character with any depth at all, which is not saying much when her only unique traits are her interest in BL and lack of respect for social niceties. I'm not sure how much of this is a problem with the original material or something to do with the adaptation, which feels uninspired all around. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpkDj0Ez5kmwIKzoWBrLqHaGVxcb0miuJdHrAjE_pZMTGnTj8bX9l-RWLj3ykoXmnL47Z8hkm7RytcVkoEY2arzhZ8sX5VQsdvEH630I-0ZODjqigsg379pUQBrppkW8vS1HXdTnmWhI/s1600/renaiboukun.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpkDj0Ez5kmwIKzoWBrLqHaGVxcb0miuJdHrAjE_pZMTGnTj8bX9l-RWLj3ykoXmnL47Z8hkm7RytcVkoEY2arzhZ8sX5VQsdvEH630I-0ZODjqigsg379pUQBrppkW8vS1HXdTnmWhI/s320/renaiboukun.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Average show, adorable lead</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/akashic-records-of-bastard-magical-instructor">Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi To Akashic Records (Akashic Records Of Bastard Magic Instructor)</a><br />
What a pile of mediocrity. Yet another 'magical academy' title about prissy schoolgirls meeting a guy who is nothing like anyone they have encountered before. In this case, he's their substitute teacher and despite a reasonably interesting introduction scene which made him appear to have an actual personality, it swiftly transpires that he's a worthless waste of space who keeps winding the students up with his lack of effort. Of course, there's going to be more to him than that; there are hints that he has some kind of secret and links to an influential mage who arranged the teaching job for him in the first place. What follows are the usual tropes of the genre, like the teacher walking in on all of the female students changing and getting beaten up (hilarious!) and being challenged to a duel by the stroppy female lead (my sides were splitting!). You can almost set your watch by all of the standard events which have to happen in the first episode of every show of this type. I don't understand why the girls' school uniforms are so infeasibly sexualised, either. It's completely distracting. The show is one for light novel fans who cannot get enough of seeing the same scenarios played out over and over again. It's not for me.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBs9maCdyFxDo5tYkaIt6hAWmMqisjJlcCqmWFzVZ5GeoN_tsAtXgJ5DW0qghrVf51EKUou_Z6tsPy9jqZR7f3X9IQac_y9BxkCujk5TA9yigu5Nts3nbCC-UKrVAwr4duUZ6YSOV9SAw/s1600/akasicbastard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBs9maCdyFxDo5tYkaIt6hAWmMqisjJlcCqmWFzVZ5GeoN_tsAtXgJ5DW0qghrVf51EKUou_Z6tsPy9jqZR7f3X9IQac_y9BxkCujk5TA9yigu5Nts3nbCC-UKrVAwr4duUZ6YSOV9SAw/s320/akasicbastard.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course, the boys just wear boring uniforms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/room-mate">Room Mate</a><br />
I panned <i>OneRoom</i>, the questionable show where the viewer is addressed as though they're actually inside the anime leering at its cast of young girls at all times, and now it's back with a new series aimed at female viewers. The concept this time is that you're a girl who is coming to live with three young men (one of whom appears to be a massive exhibitionist) as their accommodation manager, or indeed their <i>room mate</i>. It's probably the trashiest show of the season, mostly due to its short four-minute episodes giving absolutely no build up before the clothes start coming off. I'll pass. I like more plot with my pandering.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xRcpWCRUZomZrFJYkvKlINrsLneIMn-AwfnnLj7COwc_uyCwhKvaePz2dX14lOIqkqxS90YORLH6Qo0LxxgocroIqNpDvzBPZdiICx3xLYpoOats8GNbibs6b7oo-CLQaxiVKqHhNzU/s1600/roommateanime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xRcpWCRUZomZrFJYkvKlINrsLneIMn-AwfnnLj7COwc_uyCwhKvaePz2dX14lOIqkqxS90YORLH6Qo0LxxgocroIqNpDvzBPZdiICx3xLYpoOats8GNbibs6b7oo-CLQaxiVKqHhNzU/s320/roommateanime.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two minutes into the show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/sakura-quest">Sakura Quest</a><br />
It's <i>Shirobako</i> meets <i>Locodol</i>, and while I wasn't sure I wanted to watch something so similar so soon, <i>Sakura Quest</i> has a great deal of heart. I'll give it a try. The story begins with our heroine, Yoshino, struggling to find employment and afraid that she might have to leave the big city to go back home to her family. However, she ends up accepting a strange job promoting an obscure countryside town due to a mix-up, and it's in this town where she meets a bunch of eccentric locals who are desperate to do anything they can to put their beloved region back on the map. From the description I can see that Yoshino is going to find a few allies to help her (only a couple of the other girls have been introduced so far), creating yet another of these formulaic - yet sweet - stories about groups of young women working together and finding their places in the world. I do like how P.A.Works include a variety of characters in these shows; the older generation are portrayed just as sympathetically as the more photogenic female leads. Anyone who has ever observed working life in Japan will instantly warm to the gentle observational humour which shines through in the various character interactions; it's a very genuine, earnest style of storytelling which soothes the heart.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuQEnywKnSHB-apVfJq5yCbmZmCrxrClAiQhPDuudr7YCdzrUzXoxFo4V-M7uBGHjIdTGZQ1jfQOYKjPg0ZzogWDgVHRARmPm5ZlkJz5hMn_6K79F1vNkQjwMf4_8NVLNKtuOpm3Kk8U/s1600/sakuraquest.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuQEnywKnSHB-apVfJq5yCbmZmCrxrClAiQhPDuudr7YCdzrUzXoxFo4V-M7uBGHjIdTGZQ1jfQOYKjPg0ZzogWDgVHRARmPm5ZlkJz5hMn_6K79F1vNkQjwMf4_8NVLNKtuOpm3Kk8U/s320/sakuraquest.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the brightest lead of the season, but very relatable</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/kado-the-right-answer">Seikaisuru Kado (KADO: The Right Answer)</a><br />
Yet another series marred by its reliance on dodgy CG animation, <i>Seikaisuru Kado</i> at least blends it with a more traditional aesthetic wherever possible. The reasons for the CG are the special effects, which are abundant - it's a story about a gigantic alien cube suddenly appearing at Haneda Airport, so the exotic technologies need to look as unusual as possible by swirling and glowing in patterns which wouldn't be practical to animate any other way. It's just a shame that this carries over to the character artwork too during those scenes, as the designs are reasonably nice otherwise.<br />
<br />
The plot is still a mystery to me, but we're introduced to a maverick government negotiator early on and when he's engulfed by the cube it becomes clear that the overarching storyline is going to involve first contact between the cube's attractive white-haired owner(?) and a bunch of Japanese politicians. It sounds boring, and I suppose it is, but for some reason this ugly-looking, strangely-written show is addictive in its own way. It's not very grown up in its execution, yet at the same time it dispenses with a lot of the usual anime silliness and tries to take its subject matter seriously. I'll check out a few more episodes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHgDnZsgn9sVl7n-iRrbwot5ntA46vPdmDD-S6FCadeRLFlnHhirEcHSSqLLLq_7H-jbG5drv7J9NKE7h09V8aJEZwbGgB2O9uHsx75s2znR2EVe_RGt9bl0sbty34yyMhFZei_8hJn8/s1600/seikankado.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHgDnZsgn9sVl7n-iRrbwot5ntA46vPdmDD-S6FCadeRLFlnHhirEcHSSqLLLq_7H-jbG5drv7J9NKE7h09V8aJEZwbGgB2O9uHsx75s2znR2EVe_RGt9bl0sbty34yyMhFZei_8hJn8/s320/seikankado.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hyperactive Science Lady is a bit grating</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-world-yamizukan">Sekai No Yamizukan (The World Yamizukan)</a><br />
A barely-animated collection of horror-themed shorts in the same vein as <i>Yamishibai</i>, except this time the inspiration is classic sci-fi horror of a type that was popular several decades ago in the west. It's an interesting idea, if not something that's to my personal taste. I wonder whether it will find its audience tucked away on Crunchyroll, though?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjof3uWHIRqXP-iUuL6xmn0itWOFCFgJ3MnN4L1qdpS-ELISoMi8U2Dzc8TPCojSijNjV_lzXnHmHLMdj8nfwbTWnXghHtbJmFkHrz8ITtTviRBeGWTpfFGD9TswUQ5nV49hbqDOQnHI94/s1600/yamizukan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjof3uWHIRqXP-iUuL6xmn0itWOFCFgJ3MnN4L1qdpS-ELISoMi8U2Dzc8TPCojSijNjV_lzXnHmHLMdj8nfwbTWnXghHtbJmFkHrz8ITtTviRBeGWTpfFGD9TswUQ5nV49hbqDOQnHI94/s320/yamizukan.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stills are nicely drawn and stylised</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/seven-mortal-sins">Sin: Nanatsu No Taizai (Seven Mortal Sins)</a><br />
A very pretty-looking fan service show about a bunch of demons with implausibly voluptuous figures vying to hold the ranks of the 'seven deadly sins' (sorry, 'mortal' sins according to the official English title). Not to be confused with the similarly-titled action adventure series based on a shounen manga, <i>Sin: Nanatsu No Taizai</i> follows the fall of the proud angel Lucifer, who ends up in hell at the start of the first episode. She quickly attracts a very amorous new friend and the pair of them pick a fight with Wrath and Vanity in turn, with every fight seeming to involve someone losing their clothes in some improbable way. Or at least I think that's what happens - the censorship in this broadcast version is downright obnoxious! Huge magical circles appear to cover any trace of bottoms or breasts whenever they escape the confines of their clothing, which happens quite often, meaning that it's often hard to tell what's going on until the action cuts to a close-up of someone's face. This renders the series almost unwatchable in its current form. It's a shame; <i>Sin</i> promises to be a lushly-animated feast of demonic fan service and all of the women are confident with strong personalities, which I strongly prefer over the simpering childlike characters which are so popular in fantasy romance stories. One for a future Blu-ray revisit, perhaps.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuyFLH8ojdIXLFrS5ty_qzYuw4rv6gIPOaViAsYIEjjXZKTgI_Rp9bJ6Ai3Z23ONCxx6InfkYqZn070tWwBihJRF4NH2d4eXFEbFeLYZ9DKfKUDjh3J4VI82pIsxKb73_Ii1x-kmWm68/s1600/sevendeadlysinscr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuyFLH8ojdIXLFrS5ty_qzYuw4rv6gIPOaViAsYIEjjXZKTgI_Rp9bJ6Ai3Z23ONCxx6InfkYqZn070tWwBihJRF4NH2d4eXFEbFeLYZ9DKfKUDjh3J4VI82pIsxKb73_Ii1x-kmWm68/s320/sevendeadlysinscr.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C'mon Crunchyroll, get a less censored version!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/attack-on-titan">Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack On Titan season 2)</a><br />
It's been a while since the first season of <i>Shingeki No Kyojin</i> aired and entranced a whole generation of newer fans, and now it's finally back with the next instalment of the increasingly complicated story! I watched the first adaptation fresh and enjoyed it - even the parts with ropey animation - but because it's been so long since it aired I picked up the manga on Crunchyroll's service in the interim. This means that the second season is now treading through familiar territory without the same power to shock that it had in the past, so I'm curious to see whether it will be as popular with the wider audience the second time around. The good news is that the current arc is pretty exciting, so as long as the animation is handled well we should be in for some fun twists and turns. So far, the first episode has held up well with a brutal climax; even knowing what was coming didn't make it any easier to watch.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQ8jnO98Wflqf7850SycYL8SMYP20KDTvFGNkVDNgA1PpqIit6qr7TeVkQoaPBWkq4H6M4hqe7djnYAb_JGx8GPDxVPY5VNXhhwPIUKJU13Xj34baYwFZTcceqVeuVqy1R8NjoEyjUqk/s1600/shingekis2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQ8jnO98Wflqf7850SycYL8SMYP20KDTvFGNkVDNgA1PpqIit6qr7TeVkQoaPBWkq4H6M4hqe7djnYAb_JGx8GPDxVPY5VNXhhwPIUKJU13Xj34baYwFZTcceqVeuVqy1R8NjoEyjUqk/s320/shingekis2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of screen time for my favourite Scouts this season, yay!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/worldend-what-do-you-do-at-the-end-of-the-world-are-you-busy-will-you-save-us">SukaSuka: Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasuka? Isogashii Desuka? Sukutte Moratte Ii Desuka? (WorldEnd: What Do You Do At The End Of The World? Are You Busy? Will You Save Us?)</a><br />
What a stupid title. I was all geared up to make fun of this fantasy light novel adaptation because it seemed impossible to imagine that it was actually going to be worth watching from the moe-looking artwork... and then it turned out to be good. Well. Colour me surprised. I'm not entirely sure what's going on yet, but our hero is apparently the last surviving human in a fantasy world populated by beastmen of all different types. He meets a mysterious blue-haired girl then takes a job guarding some mysterious weapons, only to find that these weapons resemble children. Humanoid children. And the strange girl from earlier is one of them. There are a lot of scenes with foreshadowing (as well as flashbacks to a time before humanity's near-extinction where the hero seems to have been a father or carer) and all of these scenes raise far more questions than they answer at the moment. I may well have to keep watching to find out what's really going on. Even though there's just one surly guy and a bunch of cute girls, the children are portrayed charmingly and nobody is annoying. Nobody walks in on anyone else changing, and nobody beats anyone else up for no reason. Why can't all light novel shows be this intelligent?<br />
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Going to have to abbreviate the title in my sidebar though or it will stretch my blog layout.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZPzgHeoq_kEKQbKaAf2SUegoaFzmuG5SY4uj15HiRYA4_aWqIS56LsCjV1ODSebx1Snc81fP08cXM6ZytEVX0UJ4S3OHcyOc1Hvx6kjU16HpGEbv69RunEeIJbPJZLlr4zATUWP8xcM/s1600/sukasuka.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZPzgHeoq_kEKQbKaAf2SUegoaFzmuG5SY4uj15HiRYA4_aWqIS56LsCjV1ODSebx1Snc81fP08cXM6ZytEVX0UJ4S3OHcyOc1Hvx6kjU16HpGEbv69RunEeIJbPJZLlr4zATUWP8xcM/s320/sukasuka.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The female troll who wants to eat the lead is awesome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-silver-guardian">The Silver Guardian (Gin No Guardian)</a><br />
Another entry in the apparently limitless parade of action shows sourced from Chinese webcomics, <i>The Silver Guardian</i> is sadly as generic as it is possible to be. Our hero is a genius gamer who ends up being sucked inside a game world, where he fights endless armies of enemies alongside his mildly-irritating cat companion. Back in the real world, there's a perfect girl who seems fond of the lead, but the connection between them isn't fully fleshed out yet. I'm not sure whether it gets better later on; the first episode really didn't make me want to keep watching in spite of the animation (which is better than average for one of these webcomic adaptations). The whole thing feels uninspired, like the creators just smushed together a bunch of popular elements from light novel fantasy shows and dressed them up in a magical glowing scarf. Chinese culture is so rich and appealing - why are we just getting an endless stream of copycat anime from that part of the world instead of some truly unique projects?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRo2WAEstUq819LjXbDuWXZcYqSN-G56bK2_NeoTKS1ZDkJiukMX6tOEVWlbz1MQu67nzhgj2TPjtsNH0YnsRpm3P23vV3QmrZSpOnv0EroNfa78vTz88jVip0X9CAbQYjGHe45Hr_Nd8/s1600/silverguardian.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRo2WAEstUq819LjXbDuWXZcYqSN-G56bK2_NeoTKS1ZDkJiukMX6tOEVWlbz1MQu67nzhgj2TPjtsNH0YnsRpm3P23vV3QmrZSpOnv0EroNfa78vTz88jVip0X9CAbQYjGHe45Hr_Nd8/s320/silverguardian.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish these Chinese adaptations were a bit more... Chinese</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/tsugumomo">Tsugumomo</a><br />
Ugh, within the first few minutes the male lead, Kazuya, accidentally groped his female classmate's breasts then accidentally stared at her underwear. A series with such generic-looking character designs really shouldn't start in such a generic way if it wants to stand out next to all of the shows with more defined identities.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqdZbTdSjS-CNaToC_IXJPPapJkfykD8lGP70rsUfW0q-c2p-CxtqL1SP2i-UZckttWrXLuGyRdcljW3NazG7bZYc3UjHIZbK44atkYEyBA7hctxQ3a60sAuwSZMIu_moEUU3zu60p58/s1600/tsugumomo1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqdZbTdSjS-CNaToC_IXJPPapJkfykD8lGP70rsUfW0q-c2p-CxtqL1SP2i-UZckttWrXLuGyRdcljW3NazG7bZYc3UjHIZbK44atkYEyBA7hctxQ3a60sAuwSZMIu_moEUU3zu60p58/s320/tsugumomo1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If I wasn't writing an article I'd have stopped watching here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In any case, the dull-as-dishwater lead finds his life getting a little more interesting after he goes up onto the school roof to sulk - he's attacked by a wig and ends up falling off the roof, only to be saved by a gorgeous girl who is actually a manifestation of his mother's precious obi he carries around with him everywhere he goes. The girl fights off the hostile wig and ends up living with Kazuya, with all of the usual tropes such as him walking in on her in the shower and sleeping in his bed. The only vaguely interesting element is that the obi-girl has a very high-and-mighty personality, and even that's done better with Shinobu in the <i>Monogatari</i> series. Not a keeper.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7fLOEsdyxfPk1igWZriMEK920pA1Y8l_65GlOEpQtgF0kcWfb9M5NrmJJ1J027rWMEsK9K6RPCrbBr25rF8rMe2hczgKj1kaTlIGMMganYP8fiJgzg2ZioE4FB6CliYxwzhh9G7bCWw/s1600/tsugumomo2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7fLOEsdyxfPk1igWZriMEK920pA1Y8l_65GlOEpQtgF0kcWfb9M5NrmJJ1J027rWMEsK9K6RPCrbBr25rF8rMe2hczgKj1kaTlIGMMganYP8fiJgzg2ZioE4FB6CliYxwzhh9G7bCWw/s320/tsugumomo2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another cute girl trapped in a weak series</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/tsukigakirei">Tsukigakirei</a><br />
I feel like such a jerk. <i>Tsukigakirei</i>'s artwork is gorgeous, with highly detailed backgrounds, unique designs and pretty colours in abundance (aside from the outdoor scenes where they use CG-animated schoolchildren instead of stills or properly animated artwork, which looks terrible). The plot is a delicate coming-of-age tale which seems to feature three schoolboys and three schoolgirls, all of whom intermingle in touching ways as they start to experience their first tastes of love. Except it's really, really boring. The backgrounds were much more interesting than the blushing, stammering characters, whose tentative brushes with romance almost put me to sleep - the main drama in the first episode is that one of the girls needs to get contact details from one of the boys for a school club project, and she's too shy to ask him. At one point, the two of them independently visit a restaurant with their families and... the families talk to one another, causing huge amounts of embarrassment all around. That's what passes for excitement in <i>Tsukigakirei</i>, and unfortunately it's all rather underwhelming for me. The hardcore slice of life fans might find more to enjoy here.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTg7DWKubL3SgwR7bDHrIMIjEGWoLUauofBSJc5BRyUKTIBuq8Y-fC2bn5c4CWQ4VRaWatt_ozqNGsga2IdXBIfH8Zgg3vmffNbIi9_YTzt8pmzsa5cITzQJ5w6dWUVzmNLVlVNpF-c4/s1600/tsukigakirei.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTg7DWKubL3SgwR7bDHrIMIjEGWoLUauofBSJc5BRyUKTIBuq8Y-fC2bn5c4CWQ4VRaWatt_ozqNGsga2IdXBIfH8Zgg3vmffNbIi9_YTzt8pmzsa5cITzQJ5w6dWUVzmNLVlVNpF-c4/s320/tsukigakirei.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely style, with relatively little substance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-eccentric-family-2">Uchouten Kazoku 2 (The Eccentric Family season 2)</a><br />
I loved the first series of <i>Uchouten Kazoku</i>! This was easily my most-awaited sequel even in this season packed with high profile sequels. Episode one threw me straight back into the whimsical, colourful, political world of Kyoto's modern-day tanuki population. The writing is witty, the animation is charming and the characters - both new and old - are interestingly complicated. The story is still following self-professed fool Yasaburou; this time, his mentor's arrogant son has appeared on the scene and it looks as though Yasaburou and his brothers will be dragged into another strange adventure just when things seemed to be getting back to 'normal' for them. I look forward to discovering what's happening next, because with a series like this I'll never be able to guess in advance.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6T_OA9AJIO93tCQGAQRuT4xvFZT_hBSySkhQPa7kKJ2CzA3EOqGfHI0CKX-8gwu-yupiwbmcJWtrVMSv7QMfyq3PSVeSzGVC2GAxIXphRMVEI4ACEhAuyXZ1a4dqx-73K0Def72Fq254/s1600/uchoutenkazukos2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6T_OA9AJIO93tCQGAQRuT4xvFZT_hBSySkhQPa7kKJ2CzA3EOqGfHI0CKX-8gwu-yupiwbmcJWtrVMSv7QMfyq3PSVeSzGVC2GAxIXphRMVEI4ACEhAuyXZ1a4dqx-73K0Def72Fq254/s320/uchoutenkazukos2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful in a completely different way to <i>Tsukigakirei</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-laughing-salesman">Warau Salesman NEW (The Laughing Salesman)</a><br />
A throwback to an earlier era. The Laughing Salesman of the title is a creepy drifter who offers people irresistible solutions to their everyday problems - solutions which always come with some kind of catch. And of course, his victims never fail to go against his strange warnings, and invariably end up suffering as a result of their own greed while their tormentor chides them. It comes across as a more mean-spirited cousin to <i>Jigoku Shoujo</i>, and while I strongly prefer that show I'm going to give <i>Warau Salesman</i> a chance for a few more episodes. The music is great and the social commentary is just as relevant today even if the dated trappings make it appear otherwise at first. From a western perspective, it could be argued that the Salesman's main goal is to chastise those who try to put themselves before more traditional social harmony, which is a fascinating reversal of the message we're fed in media made in the US or Europe. In any case, cruel morality plays are a weakness of mine.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uRV38obVlJy-rvpmOnFWa-_BTkgXVlaf0ITmB_5sOkskH4jmTySySS8v45aUQXPxSPyTre931AJ2-XEUdzpebhb7od_wXL9iFovh7Wsdc9IVn5l5He7NswooUOhukEoPtN5_NCIFz9E/s1600/warausalesman.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uRV38obVlJy-rvpmOnFWa-_BTkgXVlaf0ITmB_5sOkskH4jmTySySS8v45aUQXPxSPyTre931AJ2-XEUdzpebhb7od_wXL9iFovh7Wsdc9IVn5l5He7NswooUOhukEoPtN5_NCIFz9E/s320/warausalesman.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I also can't get enough of old fashioned manga art styles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
--<br />
<br />
I'm following a lot of sequels and spin-offs this season. There are also a few for shows I don't follow which I skipped for obvious reasons:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fan-Service-Love-Pure-heart/dp/B06Y1QSS43/">Saenai Heroine No Sodatekata ♭ (Saekano: How To Raise A Boring Girlfriend. Flat)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/bono-bono">BONO BONO second season</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/folktales-from-japan">Furusato Saisei Nippon No Mukashi Banashi (Folktales From Japan season 2)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/future-card-buddyfight">Future Card Buddyfight X</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/granblue-fantasy-the-animation">Granblue Fantasy: The Animation</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/twin-angels-break">Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel Break</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/monster-strike">Monster Strike The Anime: Season 2</a><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Dragon/dp/B06Y44697M/">Shingeki No Bahamut: Virgin Soul (Rage Of Bahamut: Virgin Soul)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/shonen-ashibe-go-go-goma-chan">Shounen Ashibe GO! GO! Goma-chan season 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/starmyu-season-2">Starmyu season 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-idolmster-cinderella-girls-theater">The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Theater</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/world-fool-news">World Fool News Part II</a><br />
<br />
Several are victims of their earlier seasons being unavailable in the UK when they first aired, but the rest are just not interesting to me. The sequel to <i>Saekano</i> has moved to Amazon Prime which will doubtless upset its fans.
<br />
<br />
<b>Region locked English simulcast titles</b><b> (unavailable here):</b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Atom: The Beginning</i><br />
<i>BLAME!</i><br />
<i>Busou Shoujo Machiavellianism (Armed Girl's Machiavellism)</i><br />
<i>Dungeon Ni Deai Wo Motomeru No Ha Machigatteiru Darou Ka: Sword Oratoria (Sword Oratoria: Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? On the Side)</i><br />
<i>ID-0</i><br />
<i>Kabukibu! </i><br />
<i>Natsume Yuujinchou Roku (Natsume's Book Of Friends season 6)</i><br />
<i>Re:Creators</i><br />
<i>Rin-ne season 3</i><br />
<i>Sakurada Reset (Sagrada Reset)</i><br />
<i>Zero Kara Hajimeru Mahou No Sho (Grimoire Of Zero)</i><br />
<br />
I still haven't seen any <i>Rin-ne</i> despite my love of Takahashi Rumiko shows due to its dreadful global distribution, and the continued absence of <i>Natsume Yuujinchou</i> is frustrating. <i>BLAME!</i> and <i>ID-0</i> are supposedly going to be available as delaycasts at some point after they air, but I'm not paying a full Netflix subscription just to find out the details so as far as I'm concerned they're unlicensed in the UK. The same goes for <i>Re:Creators </i>on Amazon Prime. The bulk of the shows in the list are victims of Amazon's new US-centric licensing model, though. Thanks, Amazon.<br />
<br />
The second season of the ONA version of <i>Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt</i> is supposedly available somewhere, too, except I couldn't find it on the GundamInfo YouTube channel or Daisuki when I looked and their region locking is always scattershot. Nobody seems interested in promoting the series if it is, in fact, available somewhere and as the first season was only average I decided I had better things to do than hunt the sequel down. At least when shows are on Crunchyroll I can find them without going on a scavenger hunt first!<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
I'm going to guess that my top three will look something like this when the end of the season rolls around:<br />
<br />
<i>1. Uchouten Kazoku</i><br />
<i>2. Shingeki No Kyojin</i><br />
<i>3. SukaSuka</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMg3QQVBZrkrX-MPIfHXv-yiRh5jIhJoKNjvubirF9dC4xD_xdxXw-6TCUQHqaLe89AjzzWx-AQ3RYqwelGIkWJDk25mKho3V6HGGG2aTpl6wF8emgJFhfJZm02YzQ0DL2hyphenhyphenqBIpoHl4/s1600/uchoutenkazokus2a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMg3QQVBZrkrX-MPIfHXv-yiRh5jIhJoKNjvubirF9dC4xD_xdxXw-6TCUQHqaLe89AjzzWx-AQ3RYqwelGIkWJDk25mKho3V6HGGG2aTpl6wF8emgJFhfJZm02YzQ0DL2hyphenhyphenqBIpoHl4/s320/uchoutenkazokus2a.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Assuming there are no late entries from Amazon's region-locked haul, my spring 2017 streaming schedule looks like this:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Monday: </b><i>Warau Salesman</i><br />
<b>Tuesday: </b><i>Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine, SukaSuka</i><br />
<b>Wednesday: </b><i>Kenka Banchou Otome, Sakura Quest</i><br />
<b>Thursday: </b>Nothing!<br />
<b>Friday: </b><i>Berserk, </i><i>Nobunaga No Shinobi, </i><i>Seikaisuru Kado</i><br />
<b>Saturday: </b><i>Boku No Hero Academia, Shingeki No Kyojin</i><br />
<b>Sunday: </b><i>Uchouten Kazoku</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
It's not too busy, and the break on Thursday should help me avoid getting too far behind. I have quite a lot of work to take care of once again this season, though, so it's possible I'll end up backlogged and having to drop a few of the borderline shows!Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-21657343702070642212017-05-07T02:47:00.002+01:002017-05-07T02:50:02.471+01:00Streaming: Winter 2017 anime final impressionsAnother busy season for me outside of this poor blog, which is limping along on these anime roundups alone these days. I've only been keeping up on the shows which aired on <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/">Crunchyroll</a> which was rather convenient and economical. It feels as though this era may be over moving into the spring season, sadly, as it's absolutely loaded with service-specific exclusives; even losing just one must-see title in winter to Amazon Prime was a shame.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImOA-_pE3CGaN8OSKggrRmd86TQRNMI2Ap4V2kkXAcWaLqs6ai7t3tOU5XHgIx5jZ9NzGWrlXj3X9DO39LsPXhTBbIzaFXYKj3uQr9x_wHrwG-BDfWFLD6dSKSvt96a77Y3ygycfIrk4/s1600/marginal4end.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImOA-_pE3CGaN8OSKggrRmd86TQRNMI2Ap4V2kkXAcWaLqs6ai7t3tOU5XHgIx5jZ9NzGWrlXj3X9DO39LsPXhTBbIzaFXYKj3uQr9x_wHrwG-BDfWFLD6dSKSvt96a77Y3ygycfIrk4/s320/marginal4end.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I dropped <i>Fuuka</i> partway through its run after realising that it was never going to become the alternate version of <i>NANA</i> I was hoping for, and from all accounts it seems that I dodged a bullet there. I also dropped <i>Ao No Exorcist</i> for no reason in particular. It was too confusing trying to stitch the canonical events from the previous adaptation together.<br />
<br />
So let's go with this for my top three:<br />
<br />
<i>1. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu</i><br />
<i>2. </i><i>ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept</i><br />
<i>3. </i><i>MARGINAL #4</i><br />
<br />
The other reason for my lateness in posting these final impressions (and consequently, my first impressions for spring) is a little silly. I loved my top show so much that I was afraid to finish it for quite a few weeks, and ended up trapped in an extended winter much longer than I planned. Several of the shows - most notably <i>Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu</i> and <i>Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans - </i>were such emotional rollercoasters that they left me in tatters. I hope the current season will be kinder.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Shows which started late in the season</b><br />
<br />
There were two titles which missed the deadline for my 'first impressions' post so I'll quickly summarise those here. I didn't like either, so I only tried out one episode each.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/bang-dream">BanG Dream!</a><br />
Despite its unfortunate title, <i>BanG Dream!</i> is the latest in a long line of attempts to topple <i>THE iDOLM@STER</i> and <i>Love Live</i> from their dominant positions in the multimedia idol market. It's a lucrative niche, and Bushiroad have obviously poured quite a lot of money into this project, which only makes it all the more a pity that <i>BanG Dream!</i> is so chronically underwhelming. Kasumi is a scatterbrained young girl just starting out in high school who dreams of chasing a beautiful sound she heard in the past. This eventually leads to her finding (and taking!) an abandoned guitar and joining up with other girls at her school, presumably to form a band if the opening sequence played at the end of the first episode is anything to go by. Taking cues from <i>K-On!</i> and other big hits, the lead isn't the brightest of people and her flakey personality means that others are naturally attracted to her in order to help her perform the most basic of tasks. I'll stick with better idol shows, personally.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAnsZfYrfVUfPJJGR2jHK0I_GTIaWakEbVpdZqDsNDN1v1WTdA9d_I4newFs8CoXQGCxpZg7cMcezMhvBeETacIw87cisrHvOIoynaeBAr2fsiIt34zvbi0NT8ICti7HkDVPWXzERnJ4/s1600/bangdream.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAnsZfYrfVUfPJJGR2jHK0I_GTIaWakEbVpdZqDsNDN1v1WTdA9d_I4newFs8CoXQGCxpZg7cMcezMhvBeETacIw87cisrHvOIoynaeBAr2fsiIt34zvbi0NT8ICti7HkDVPWXzERnJ4/s320/bangdream.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice visuals, shame about the show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/granblue-fantasy-the-animation">GRANBLUE FANTASY: The Animation</a><br />
A yawn-worthy adaptation of an insanely popular mobile game. The beautiful artwork from the game had me curious, but aside from an attempt at 'scratchy' outlines there's not much visual appeal in the animated version's designs. The plot is also as generic as they come, with a good-hearted youngster and his aggravating talking animal companion encountering a mysterious blue-haired girl and a heap of trouble. It's probably a lot more interesting if you're already familiar with the characters; since I'm not, the best thing about it is that the lead is called Gran, a fact that made me smile every time anyone called his name and stopped me falling asleep.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-iOjYrKQZaC5E9VxZ1i972QwbYHLT4iWISZ8sLjU1WP6fvOFl8y81ybc1Jfk_CPR_jl_XSTgNyc5rpOnuozbLnFFq55UsN1f4LJgR-6ppxd7IqD4bMZ3wJJj6ZBa8QUNLjUiLLhym7KM/s1600/granblueep1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-iOjYrKQZaC5E9VxZ1i972QwbYHLT4iWISZ8sLjU1WP6fvOFl8y81ybc1Jfk_CPR_jl_XSTgNyc5rpOnuozbLnFFq55UsN1f4LJgR-6ppxd7IqD4bMZ3wJJj6ZBa8QUNLjUiLLhym7KM/s320/granblueep1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A series about the cool female knight would have been better</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Shows I completed</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/acca-13-territory-inspection-dept">ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsuka (ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept.)</a><br />
It took <i>ACCA</i> ages to get going; I still couldn't work out what it was supposed to be about halfway through its run! However, something about it really got under my skin; so much so that I started actively looking forward to Tuesdays just so that I could watch the next instalment. Was it the catchy opening, the deadpan facial expressions or the bright colours? What started out as a mysterious, atmospheric tale of office politics eventually evolved into a fascinating web of political shenanigans and episodic studies of humanity. I don't begrudge <i>ACCA</i> its slow start. Some things are better for having extra time to develop.<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Best opening song of the season.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49QsHPjwklw6-DYZtGkNOQRcPPdtTwt-OBpzU3sjSRLe8Lg9bNvkvfLoRdhrBwLaVPvaRNcBE8HLtrEHSeh6ET-0d_h8ZFIHy24yLq7YzfY5dP3SvzCFWHwEVDpUplDnhIfwHue2wzn0/s1600/accamauve.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49QsHPjwklw6-DYZtGkNOQRcPPdtTwt-OBpzU3sjSRLe8Lg9bNvkvfLoRdhrBwLaVPvaRNcBE8HLtrEHSeh6ET-0d_h8ZFIHy24yLq7YzfY5dP3SvzCFWHwEVDpUplDnhIfwHue2wzn0/s320/accamauve.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best badass woman in uniform of the season, too</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/all-out">ALL OUT!</a><br />
From the lascivious comments about the show's promotional images (and the art style itself, which heavily favours depicting tight, muscular bodies over attractive faces) I was expecting this to be more of a fan service show, of sorts. It wasn't, at all. <i>ALL OUT!</i> is a straightforward sports show about a mediocre school rugby team pulling itself up from nowhere and starting to make progress towards their dreams. There's a little drama sandwiched between the rugby games, yet the formula is very simple; don't expect any superhuman rugby elites or groundbreaking plot twists. The hero's big-hearted stupidity is painful to watch. Still, without standing out in any way, <i>ALL OUT!</i> fills its niche. The matches are exciting and the team gradually grows together over the course of the show.<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Most mystifying character designs (I still don't understand some of the facial quirks or the captain's hairstyle).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAa08GyBGpyjeM1R9TfddPre2GGxKa6gFkzBSsvizpTUGSurNceuTGPCcwrxotdELG4h94bdp7OdxuqFWI1sS5MZGNgCEtvP8Au5yaFkr1Px0tXusIs1nwQtuT6Rd4KGhQcgc__InFEU/s1600/alloutfinale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAa08GyBGpyjeM1R9TfddPre2GGxKa6gFkzBSsvizpTUGSurNceuTGPCcwrxotdELG4h94bdp7OdxuqFWI1sS5MZGNgCEtvP8Au5yaFkr1Px0tXusIs1nwQtuT6Rd4KGhQcgc__InFEU/s320/alloutfinale.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worst anime hairstyle ever?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/chiruran-12">Chiruran 1/2</a><br />
I followed this every week, yet in the end there's not much to say about this series of fluffy short episodes about the famous Shinsengumi. Nothing much really happened; the famous warriors simply lounged around and made jokes about one another, making <i>Chiruran 1/2</i> a pleasantly pointless comedy diversion which will pass forgotten into the past very quickly. So, when are we getting an anime of the original <i>Chiruran Shinsengumi Requiem</i> manga these shorts are based on, then?<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Eh, it was so mediocre that nothing springs to mind!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7P0HyQb5IEp93AboqyOTWtlbSV1wH8YpFBR9AzUjl96PqarBV216ZUCPPeMDfM1Xo2mlHtvMMRYn5aqUABoAZ99lOL221AUtUmLQ4Q99n6_VOfvQMBOpyP9a4DtvD08TAqC6JxfzFM30/s1600/chiruranending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7P0HyQb5IEp93AboqyOTWtlbSV1wH8YpFBR9AzUjl96PqarBV216ZUCPPeMDfM1Xo2mlHtvMMRYn5aqUABoAZ99lOL221AUtUmLQ4Q99n6_VOfvQMBOpyP9a4DtvD08TAqC6JxfzFM30/s320/chiruranending.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creating spin-offs without the source material sucks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/gintama">Gintama.</a><br />
This season of <i>Gintama</i> was extremely light on laughs, instead telling the story of the 'Rakuyou' battle, an intergalatic clash between samurai, space pirates and overpowered superhuman aliens which saw copious amounts of blood spilled on all fronts. The <i>Gintama</i> story overall is in its final acts, and seeing things slowly drawing closer to the end in anime form is a bittersweet feeling - sadly, the manga is still unavailable in English after being unceremoniously 'paused' many years ago. The main stars of this season are Kagura's family as the full truth about her past finally comes to light (and it's much weirder than I thought). They even made Kamui likeable at last. While I have no complaints about the storytelling or animation quality, it's a shame to be reminded that the carefree days of <i>Gintama</i> at its peak are long gone now. The hilarious gags would be out of place amidst all of this destruction and sorrow.<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Lewdest jokes of the season.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieU53LFInD6ZvqH5uzrrCMVDgVHwcQdEkY0knfUup5Z5ldQpAjyO6BFyd8UnDKT9i5qoahfuhsCI6ZsY_uiwDN5WeXIQwWWwIvYjLuYYRuHlpRmF7f7e4IwQQz9ygHPVMvteYhKIQJiGk/s1600/gintamas5ending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieU53LFInD6ZvqH5uzrrCMVDgVHwcQdEkY0knfUup5Z5ldQpAjyO6BFyd8UnDKT9i5qoahfuhsCI6ZsY_uiwDN5WeXIQwWWwIvYjLuYYRuHlpRmF7f7e4IwQQz9ygHPVMvteYhKIQJiGk/s320/gintamas5ending.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can such a silly character be so sweet?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/mobile-suit-gundam-iron-blooded-orphans">Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekketsu No Orphans (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans)</a><br />
This series destroyed me. I was always petrified of spoilers because I was watching on Crunchyroll's one-week delay instead of viewing on Daisuki, yet I somehow managed to get through without having anything ruined. In exchange, the series' writers were out to cause me anguish in a different way. I had to pause the last episode three times and come back later because I was too stressed to keep watching everything crashing down around these stubborn fighters I'd grown so attached to over fifty episodes of bloody combat. What a brutal, brutal show.<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Most heartbreaking anime of the season.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gaYy9RAB32i0tvAHwu2f2eWjirnc8Sxahy7krnb2eJ81wNGf4zyB9dlKsnP1hixWiKrFGgGQkyLStsgz4ThdpFB4uR_m6bt5o-PpSFS38PN8YHiJC6mWtTZAIXITGhRISLXOjfA588g/s1600/tekketsus2end.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gaYy9RAB32i0tvAHwu2f2eWjirnc8Sxahy7krnb2eJ81wNGf4zyB9dlKsnP1hixWiKrFGgGQkyLStsgz4ThdpFB4uR_m6bt5o-PpSFS38PN8YHiJC6mWtTZAIXITGhRISLXOjfA588g/s320/tekketsus2end.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have nothing to add, everything is too depressing :(</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/miss-kobayashis-dragon-maid">Kobayashi-san Chi No Maid Dragon (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid)</a><br />
A very uneven comedy show with gorgeous designs and animation, and some moments of absolute genius. When <i>Kobayashi-san Chi No Maid Dragon</i> was good, it was excellent. However, this may be a controversial opinion but I think the series would have been much better if every single plot element involving the young dragon Kanna had been absent. I appreciate that some of her moments were supposed to develop the relationship between Tooru and Kobayashi-san since they were acting as her joint carers, but the majority of her screen time was pandering nonsense and hearing her slowly, deliberately speaking each of her lines actively bored me. The teasing about her relationship with the other kid at her school was often more awkward than cute, much like the running joke about the underage boy being shocked by all of the sexual harassment one of the dragons kept forcing upon him. The show is what it is and if the manga is the same way then censoring it wouldn't have been right, but the reliance on these tired, annoying moments really hurt what was otherwise one of the best harem comedies in ages. At least Tooru, Kobayashi-san and Fafnir were all pretty great. I know that Kanna has her fans but personally, I just can't see past the pandering. Not finding helplessness cute is a character flaw of mine.<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Most infectious ending song of the season.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDx1x6cCgE1I0MmyFO0psnsYkKGa2As_DEZGsVrGq_1EaY0FquWl40vDLa9_Yh9uf7ezcYFiSrAAwBNtmks3zaXPCKLwFK8cudLgg7j8QmbVb8V5i149dk7K7mRVb18FAJWr3CIiT2P_E/s1600/fafnirsan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDx1x6cCgE1I0MmyFO0psnsYkKGa2As_DEZGsVrGq_1EaY0FquWl40vDLa9_Yh9uf7ezcYFiSrAAwBNtmks3zaXPCKLwFK8cudLgg7j8QmbVb8V5i149dk7K7mRVb18FAJWr3CIiT2P_E/s320/fafnirsan.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fafnir is me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/marginal-4-the-animation">Marginal #4: Kiss Kara Tsukuru Big Bang (MARGINAL #4 The Animation)</a><br />
<i>Marginal #4</i> isn't a great anime. It isn't my favourite otome game adaptation, or even my favourite Rejet game adaptation. But in a series full of so many heavy, complicated, emotional titles, <i>Marginal #4</i>'s completely brainless boyband antics provided a welcome breath of fresh air each week. I wasn't a huge fan of the lead, Atom, but the rest of his buddies were ok and the brief glimpses we got of the other two bands in their agency's stable were wonderful. The music was decent too. And absolutely nobody died or had an emotional breakdown!<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Best non-serious storylines of the series (a whole episode about pants, which didn't suck?)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVzAfNk30E9JKv9F29OaWYDuWIAQEpDgVjPTdhhiPCyOa-vusXm_E341x9BxYjZnIu0ZonjodOdQZfT2cBU41rLepKBLgCGOjyYHMEngOpBhpzDVz42nkZ9Bkc8t9a2U7GNtMnJQy8IE/s1600/marginal4end2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVzAfNk30E9JKv9F29OaWYDuWIAQEpDgVjPTdhhiPCyOa-vusXm_E341x9BxYjZnIu0ZonjodOdQZfT2cBU41rLepKBLgCGOjyYHMEngOpBhpzDVz42nkZ9Bkc8t9a2U7GNtMnJQy8IE/s320/marginal4end2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mild worry is about as complex as this show's writing gets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/march-comes-in-like-a-lion">March Comes In Like A Lion (3-gatsu No Lion)</a><br />
The first of two very similar titles in this list, <i>March Comes In Like A Lion</i> is a show about shougi - except that it isn't. Shougi is constantly present, and the viewer will definitely come away knowing a lot more about the game if they pay even passing attention to the events on the screen, but what the series is really trying to explore is something much more universal. It's a study in psychology told through the perspective of a listless boy genius who constantly feels slightly out of sync with the unusual life he's leading as a young professional shougi player. Young Rei is surrounded by people with strong personalities who pull him in many different directions; whether they're dazzling, quiet, sullen, rude, warm or cold, his introspective eyes see right into their souls the more time he spends with them. His own emotional immaturity is handled sympathetically, and I found it easy to relate to his situation even though I've never been a talented young prodigy with a complicated web of friends and acquaintances. The sequel will go straight onto my viewing list; this is a high quality work which reminds me exactly why I love anime.<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Best animated cats of the season, even if they're only in a few scenes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6FWVwKievZoPuEJ1JzJG1x28wsa1AuFG9Q3h9px8mt7rKj1QUneCai8HWfQ_sLYHE7KOu224MOhCddCgPSKuTjwy-1qIGSsVkdxzsSX5uonUUym_GKAStftsflhbah6kV6TRzWRvNus/s1600/sangatsuending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6FWVwKievZoPuEJ1JzJG1x28wsa1AuFG9Q3h9px8mt7rKj1QUneCai8HWfQ_sLYHE7KOu224MOhCddCgPSKuTjwy-1qIGSsVkdxzsSX5uonUUym_GKAStftsflhbah6kV6TRzWRvNus/s320/sangatsuending.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how you make a schoolboy lead relatable</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/showa-genroku-rakugo-shinju">Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen (Descending Stories)</a><br />
This was deeply painful to watch for all of the right reasons. I didn't want it to end so much that I delayed posting these impressions a month longer than I'd planned just to give myself enough time to watch the last couple of episodes. It's a direct continuation of the previous <i>Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu</i> series, which skips its way through time to tell the story of the latter parts of Yakumo's life, from his time spent training Yotarou through to his difficult twilight years. Yakumo has always been a challenging character to understand and as he ages, he becomes more and more attracted to death; just as Yotarou desperately wants to keep rakugo thriving, Yakumo wants to pull everything down with him and bask in the misery of self destruction. You rarely see any kind of story told through the eyes of an elderly person, let alone one who has been bitterly battling what we would now class as clinical depression for most of his life. The direction is just as good as the script. I often felt as though I could smell the incense sticks burning on the rakugo stage as the characters performed, or feel the heat of the candles as they flickered along with the stories. The voice acting is so good that I would go as far as saying that this series will be impossible to dub; if it's ever done, I hope that the studios hire exceptionally talented, well-rounded actors, because every one of the main characters has to be capable of pulling off a huge variety of tones and emotions in scenes deliberately framed around the sound of their voices alone.<br />
<br />
I feel as though I could probably write a huge post on the beautiful symmetry of the story all on its own. So I'll keep it short: <i>Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu</i> is sublime. Highly, highly recommended.<br />
<br />
Bonus award: Most likely title this season to be considered a genuine classic for decades to come.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeg_oFRt2EG0JKmuOXVPhD3gWSW48x0S-Y2CPOUsAYKM5hhXJXZ4_J5ocaQr5m87jZ16dgJvLqFizZDcV-pxN3EoEoPiyjLL7mMWMYrkKyiHovIkW5k-AdmGXd2R9y83f3AC-jq43P80/s1600/rakugos2ed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeg_oFRt2EG0JKmuOXVPhD3gWSW48x0S-Y2CPOUsAYKM5hhXJXZ4_J5ocaQr5m87jZ16dgJvLqFizZDcV-pxN3EoEoPiyjLL7mMWMYrkKyiHovIkW5k-AdmGXd2R9y83f3AC-jq43P80/s320/rakugos2ed.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I missed him almost as much as Yakumo did</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/super-lovers">Super Lovers 2</a><br />
A whole season of fluffy, melodramatic nonsense. This is pure, shameless trash, and if that's what you're looking for to scratch your BL cravings then it is guaranteed to do the job. The relationship between Haru and Ren has settled down a little since the first season, and the two of them are coexisting (mostly) happily and helping out with their cafe while their family members support their constant, ridiculous dramas. There's a very awkward subplot early on about Ren asking about sex at school which feels uncomfortably out of place even though it is played for laughs, but overall the strangeness of the main couple's relationship isn't a big deal for me. What is a big deal for me, however, is how silly some of the bad decisions the characters made often become. I wanted to throw something at the screen during one particular scene when Ren, upset that Haru still isn't willing to treat him like an adult in bed, decides that the best way to resolve the situation is to go off and sleep with another relative instead. And this (ostensibly straight) relative just goes along with it. It's dumb. It's annoying. A little more tender character development as seen in the first series wouldn't have gone amiss but the fault is mine; I knew what I was getting into when I started <i>Super Lovers 2</i> and I kept watching in spite of it all.<br />
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Bonus award: Most awkwardly melodramatic romantic misunderstanding (almost every episode).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-hZ3AjHcY4uKuDf5zzaPQb8Pv6piIklIbRHuvepQC3JnS51XbeHS1udn9hZsMu_dRELlUL1YRq3_c9P60ndALX_XvVxh8oMY1KYy6PmzVRwrRmKiQJXplcx_jTsY4YW14tsj31Gk7fc/s1600/superlovers2ending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-hZ3AjHcY4uKuDf5zzaPQb8Pv6piIklIbRHuvepQC3JnS51XbeHS1udn9hZsMu_dRELlUL1YRq3_c9P60ndALX_XvVxh8oMY1KYy6PmzVRwrRmKiQJXplcx_jTsY4YW14tsj31Gk7fc/s320/superlovers2ending.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't know why I keep watching this show, really I don't</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
--<br />
<br />
That's all for now! I took so long finishing <i>Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu</i> that I have already prepared all of my first impressions for <i>next</i> season, so I'll be posting that right away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaAJcbN-3EC6BpTQX1ljcNjkoR5hxfEh8DJHDTOZ0nmR76IXEx7fcUxG3Z5BxqWW1aJsgfLNTi5JYiK1VkVQH5x7CNAnK40jFlv8QcYeCrCF3HcSMqc-BZiqeUWZO72iQ7VhGchMA7o4/s1600/accaprince.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaAJcbN-3EC6BpTQX1ljcNjkoR5hxfEh8DJHDTOZ0nmR76IXEx7fcUxG3Z5BxqWW1aJsgfLNTi5JYiK1VkVQH5x7CNAnK40jFlv8QcYeCrCF3HcSMqc-BZiqeUWZO72iQ7VhGchMA7o4/s320/accaprince.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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There's only one show continuing (and it's a silly one) so there will be a clean slate of new content to look forward to in spring. While I loved this winter full of dark, introspective titles, it would be a lie to say I'm not looking forward to a less intense experience for the next couple of months. Onwards and upwards!Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-89960358646407283872017-02-04T21:33:00.001+00:002017-02-04T21:33:42.656+00:00News roundup: Catching up on Sengoku Basara news right before this weekend's Basara MatsuriWow, it's been a long time since I wrote one of these! The <i>Sengoku Basara</i> series has been reasonably quiet over the last few months, so I've been catching up on real life (and playing lots of <i>Final Fantasy XIV</i>). Thank you all very much for the notes/corrections/suggestions on my <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> guide; I'll update that very soon but the comments section has a lot of great information from the community. I also need to update it to reflect the changes to the <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20161122032/">DLC pricing</a>, and the expanded availability of the mascot costumes for Benmaru and Bontenmaru which are now available for purchase.<br />
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I'm going to make this news roundup less detailed than my old ones since there's a lot to get through.<br />
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<b><u>Announcements are expected tomorrow at the latest <i>Basara Matsuri</i> event</u></b><br />
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I never got around to announcing it at all but the big <a href="http://basara-matsuri.com/"><i>Basara Matsuri 2017 ~Mononofu Katari~</i></a> celebration is taking place this Sunday 5th February 2017 at the Maihama Amphitheater in Chiba! There will be two separate events on the same day, one at 14:00 and the other at 18:00. Tickets cost between ¥7,200 and ¥8,200 each depending on the seat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHjF-FJwtJ88DCeFHn5KTHJtsqsNjrMuKaeU3IvMRyw0wUXJFhRIYBRqNV8ayAkahHhtaVmyahohZ6TpWnQaoERT0JpAN3ie9HnIw0iCwzA0IcALZ6e0IqlfiWBJeVLIxlsIx_4KoxCM/s1600/mononofumtr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHjF-FJwtJ88DCeFHn5KTHJtsqsNjrMuKaeU3IvMRyw0wUXJFhRIYBRqNV8ayAkahHhtaVmyahohZ6TpWnQaoERT0JpAN3ie9HnIw0iCwzA0IcALZ6e0IqlfiWBJeVLIxlsIx_4KoxCM/s320/mononofumtr.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The theme of this event, which was originally revealed several months ago, is loosely a celebration of the Yukimura collaborations we had throughout 2016. <i>Mononofu</i> is a fairly specific word for a brave warrior which has a very strong association with the historical Sanada Yukimura in Japan, so he's the star attraction this time. I bet Nakai Kazuya (Date Masamune) turns up as a secret guest at the end though; it happens so often now that it's no longer really a surprise! The main attraction is being advertised as live voice performances by the star-studded seiyuu cast including a special story created just for the event, and we can also expect some brand new information from KobaP.<br />
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Sadly I can't attend in person this year - which is upsetting as Noto-san will be there and I would have loved to see her - so I won't be writing up a detailed report, but any announcements made at the event should receive full press coverage (and of course, attendees will be updating on social media). Given the silence since the last game was released and the lack of information from the <a href="http://basara-club.jp/fanmeeting2016w/index.html">fan meeting events</a> late last year, I'm excited (and more than a little nervous) to learn where the series will be going in future. <br />
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The guest list is great, as always:<br />
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Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura)<br />
Morita Masakazu (Maeda Keiji)<br />
Seki Tomokazu (Ishida Mitsunari)<br />
Miki Shinichirou (Gotou Matabee)<br />
Okiayu Ryoutarou (Toyotomi Hideyoshi)<br />
Okamoto Nobuhiko (Shibata Katsuie)<br />
Oohara Sayaka (Saika Magoichi)<br />
Kobayashi 'KobaP' Hiroyuki (series producer)<br />
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Afternoon show only:<br />
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Ookawa Tooru (Tokugawa Ieyasu)<br />
Genda Tesshou (Takeda Shingen)<br />
Hayami Shou (Akechi Mitsunari)<br />
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Evening only:<br />
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Ishino Ryuuzou (Chousokabe Motochika)<br />
Nakahara Shigeru (Mouri Motonari)<br />
Kuroda Kanbee (Koyama Rikiya)<br />
Noto Mamiko (Oichi)<br />
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As usual, there's exclusive <a href="http://basara-matsuri.com/goods/detail.php?id=1000905">merchandise</a> available at the venue for fans to scramble to obtain.<br />
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Event pamphlet (¥2,800):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEjruZCx-69dN5siPNlVOO8D0f3BbXegwkllIuuWVB3bLSpM4wDqsxBKpcOgp0ih3NnwYozvWijOdU21lbFrRP0IMt0QHhcCTv5FrC5ax0aw4WeW3wbxZMMI5PzGqF7OwRPN1WovuGU8/s1600/mononofugoods1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEjruZCx-69dN5siPNlVOO8D0f3BbXegwkllIuuWVB3bLSpM4wDqsxBKpcOgp0ih3NnwYozvWijOdU21lbFrRP0IMt0QHhcCTv5FrC5ax0aw4WeW3wbxZMMI5PzGqF7OwRPN1WovuGU8/s320/mononofugoods1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Seven double-sided oversized <i>uchiwa</i> fans (¥700 each):<br />
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Two batches of seven tradable <i>kanji</i> acrylic charms (¥500 each), separated into 'heaven' and 'brave' sets to help fans increase the chance of getting the charm they want:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXPkBXwrz-gjZHPqPRJ3siXmi51LENlhiGyqikDVt0XPLc-Aum0OqL6VMEhaOYf6iPZ3O9tq_aCf6waVCIeeFPY6UD1fLsVhScV6tSJRt5fLMf3N-toz8V9RxQXLO_Jk-n76p6fJrlfk/s1600/mononofucharms2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXPkBXwrz-gjZHPqPRJ3siXmi51LENlhiGyqikDVt0XPLc-Aum0OqL6VMEhaOYf6iPZ3O9tq_aCf6waVCIeeFPY6UD1fLsVhScV6tSJRt5fLMf3N-toz8V9RxQXLO_Jk-n76p6fJrlfk/s320/mononofucharms2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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A muffler towel (¥2,000):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoH7rPhDVW03xEmR92XXsbVIOyZIBUH-PAM6sZInk6TJANR2abX8P9P-v3iNwNtJSXBF9wcuZxSZyMmG0m3j2hdWHg4exfInoNIrzXtyQ4KOCVom8vdmDA6kp8nF4C5NUp-GkLm5MIUaw/s1600/mononofugoods4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoH7rPhDVW03xEmR92XXsbVIOyZIBUH-PAM6sZInk6TJANR2abX8P9P-v3iNwNtJSXBF9wcuZxSZyMmG0m3j2hdWHg4exfInoNIrzXtyQ4KOCVom8vdmDA6kp8nF4C5NUp-GkLm5MIUaw/s320/mononofugoods4.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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A denim tote bag (¥3,000):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7TGFAiF3um1k6aUVNjXg4lZTSou5AGzJS7n1MbEzhirh7bnPYg3jjshUZ0fRV7xItiDEknTggmEhjW4H5K3oreKrYX5BxHchUNXYiIxWDOflvgqr32C0YZxBpGZFyROn32JOpkCJyxE/s1600/mononofugoods5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7TGFAiF3um1k6aUVNjXg4lZTSou5AGzJS7n1MbEzhirh7bnPYg3jjshUZ0fRV7xItiDEknTggmEhjW4H5K3oreKrYX5BxHchUNXYiIxWDOflvgqr32C0YZxBpGZFyROn32JOpkCJyxE/s1600/mononofugoods5.png" /></a></div>
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And an IC card case (¥1,500):<br />
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They have also announced the details for the <a href="http://basara-matsuri.com/news/detail.php?id=1045748">home video</a> version of the event, and I was delighted to see that there will be a Blu-ray option!<br />
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The Blu-ray version will cost ¥7,800 while the double DVD set will be ¥6,800 before tax.<br />
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Both versions will be released on 26th May 2017 and the first press bonus will be a booklet. Those who preorder at the event venue will receive an A3 poster as an extra incentive:<br />
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<b><u>Reports from the newest <i>Sengoku Basara</i> stage play</u></b><br />
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The absence of the usual stage play guests at <i>Basara Matsuri</i> has a very simple explanation: the new <a href="http://www.basara-st.com/">stage play</a> has just begun its run. <i>Zangeki Sengoku Basara: The Battle Of Sekigahara</i> is being performed from 3rd February to 12th February 2017 in Tokyo then moving to Osaka for the shows from 17th February to 19th February 2017.<br />
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There are a number of special treats lined up for attendees, such as a live performance of the series' anniversary theme song by band SOLIDEMO after Sunday's show and cast appearances from seiyuu Miki Shinichirou (Matabee), Ishino Ryuuzou (Motochika) and Ookawa Tooru (Ieyasu) on certain dates.<br />
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The cast of the current stage play is as follows (bold names are new to the roles):<br />
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<b>Nakao Kenya (Tokugawa Ieyasu)</b><br />
<b>Okino Kouji (Ishida Mitsunari)</b><br />
<b>Mashima Shuuto (Date Masamune)</b><br />
Matsumura Ryuunosuke (Sanada Yukimura)<br />
Shiina Taizou (Sarutobi Sasuke)<br />
Shiramata Atsushi (Chousokabe Motochika)<br />
Sueno Takuma (Fuuma Kotarou)<br />
<b>Ooyama Masashi (Ootani Yoshitsugu)</b><br />
<b>Kawamura Yui (Ii Naotora)</b><br />
Mamoru Asana (Saika Magoichi)<br />
Shiozaki 'IRE' Airu (Gotou Matabee)<br />
<b>Itou Yuuichi (Kuroda Kanbee)</b><br />
Matsuda Kenji (Matsunaga Hisahide)<br />
Video footage appearance only: Inoue Masahiro (Katakura Kojuurou)<br />
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I'm interested in the new actors, especially since most of the leads have been replaced, but I'm also interested to see how well Naotora survives the transition to live action. It's good to see her appearing at last.<br />
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There are also some special appearances by characters who aren't part of the main play for a few of the shows, where they'll have extra scenes exclusive to those performances! Kotani Yoshikazu (Mouri Motonari), Inoue Masahiro (Katakura Kojuurou), Saitou Shuusuke (Shima Sakon), Nakayama Yuuki from SOLIDEMO (Hisahiko) and Yamaguchi Tomoya from SOLIDEMO (Takezou) will appear on certain dates, and in some cases they'll come back on stage for an 'after talk' chat after the finale. I hope that these extra scenes make it to the DVD so everyone can enjoy them.<br />
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In the meantime, we will have to make do with the early reports from news sites such as <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20170203130/">4Gamer</a>, <a href="https://www.famitsu.com/news/201702/03126213.html">Famitsu</a>, <a href="http://www.gamer.ne.jp/news/201702040011/">Gamer</a>, <a href="https://ilip.jp/I0001413">iLIP</a> and <a href="http://natalie.mu/stage/news/219528">Stage Natalie</a>, as well as this <a href="http://www.pixivision.net/en/a/2164">illustrated version</a>.<br />
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A new stage play means new merchandise, and this one is no different in that respect. As well as a <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20170126007/">food and drink tie-in</a> at the Karaoke Pasela store in Shinjuku, fans who go to see a live performance can purchase the following goods at the venue.<br />
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The official pamphlet (¥2,000):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGbpIv_Qx1MjVbqHBYTlO9n-7jAWVDR5fJeDe1sBW2g-DgjVXUol0OHjbC6z7SGq0l4L4FqT-qDTqOQrqRWArz8gasEMA8RwVkBFiYoIPJbW9OhyphenhyphenIX5TIFDlFeoZaosIDBxWSbiAwfHU/s1600/zangekigoods11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGbpIv_Qx1MjVbqHBYTlO9n-7jAWVDR5fJeDe1sBW2g-DgjVXUol0OHjbC6z7SGq0l4L4FqT-qDTqOQrqRWArz8gasEMA8RwVkBFiYoIPJbW9OhyphenhyphenIX5TIFDlFeoZaosIDBxWSbiAwfHU/s320/zangekigoods11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A set of two A4 clear files (Eastern Army and Western Army versions) with all of the other characters on the reverse (¥1,000):<br />
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Thirteen sets of three large cast photographs (¥500 per set):<br />
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One of thirteen blind-packaged 54mm badges (¥300 each):<br />
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A B2 poster with the main visual for the play (¥800):<br />
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Or you can simply buy the 'complete set' bundle for a cool ¥10,000...<br />
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On the topic of the stage plays, Lumi noted that fans are no longer being forced to order the DVD versions through the Japan-only Ace Store, as Amazon Japan now lists <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01MQI8N2U/">Butai Sengoku Basara 4</a></i> for direct purchase. This is a much more convenient (and less costly) way for fans outside Japan to support the stage play series. Let's hope that the new play DVDs will eventually begin arriving on Amazon in a timely manner!<br />
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<u><b>Brighten up your home with three new <i>Sengoku Basara 4</i> wall scrolls</b></u><br />
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Three new B2 tapestries (wall scrolls) will be released on 27th March 2017 with illustrations by <i>Sengoku Basara 4</i> manga artist Yoshihara Motoki. The designs were originally sold as exclusives in three Japanese regions but have now been made widely available within Japan on the <a href="http://dengekiya.com/shop/b/bS1400119/">Dengekiya</a> store and Amazon Japan: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01N9ST332/">Masamune/Kojuurou</a> (Sendai), <a href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01N351EKN/">Yukimura/Sasuke</a> (Nagano) and <a href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01MTA6IK1/">Mitsunari/Sakon</a> (Kinki).<br />
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<u><b>The <i>Sengoku Basara Retsuden Series</i> returns - in manga form</b></u><br />
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The <i>Sengoku Basara</i> series will be returning to monthly manga anthology magazine <i>Dengeki Maoh</i> this spring with a series of <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/basara/info/books/2745">three all-new <i>Sengoku Basara Retsuden </i>manga</a> focusing on specific characters from the <i>Sengoku Basara</i> universe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaWRv-iHrz9PUpYyqThwlwKjZZ2zN6CnhHXih81ApDK5y2yONrs6duVlw5lka4nIMjawlv9eM_vs2LI8v37TXCNwlN_hRK5aZ7TC55xqNZt3nMc_kYTFrHg3jj57A2redgxYfNepCI-E/s1600/2017springdengekimaoh.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaWRv-iHrz9PUpYyqThwlwKjZZ2zN6CnhHXih81ApDK5y2yONrs6duVlw5lka4nIMjawlv9eM_vs2LI8v37TXCNwlN_hRK5aZ7TC55xqNZt3nMc_kYTFrHg3jj57A2redgxYfNepCI-E/s320/2017springdengekimaoh.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first of the new stories will be drawn by <i>Sengoku Basara 4</i> artist Yoshihara Motoki, and it will be about Date Masamune. It will be followed by a story about Ishida Mitsunari from <i>Sengoku Basara 3 -ROAR OF DRAGON-</i> artist Ooga Asagi, then finally there will be a story focusing on Matsunaga Hisahide from frequent collaborator Tsutsumi Yoshisada. All three artists have worked on the series in the past so it's good to see them returning with this new project. In addition, Capcom's Yamamoto Makoto will be overseeing all three of the new manga so we can expect to see his input in the brand new stories.<br />
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<b><u>The second volume of <i>Sengoku Basara DOKUGAN</i> can now be preordered</u></b><br />
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The alternate universe <i>Sengoku Basara DOKUGAN</i> manga is already up to its second collected volume, which will be <a href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4253141420/">released</a> on 17th March 2017 under Akita's Young Champion Comics label for ¥562 before tax. It will be widely available from all good import bookstores as usual.<br />
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Speaking of <i>Sengoku Basara DOKUGAN</i>, I never had the chance to show off the cover artwork for the first volume which went on sale last October! Here it is.
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<u><b>Boost your <i>Sengoku Basara</i> music collection with a new compilation CD</b></u><br />
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The <i>Sengoku Basara Complete Best 2011-2016</i> CD is a <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/basara/info/movie/2490">limited edition</a> release which <a href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01LY8LSQ6/">came out</a> (<a href="http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=MED-CD2-23419">AmiAmi</a>) on 30th November 2016 for ¥3,000 before tax. The CD will only remain in print until March 2017.<br />
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The track list features the most recent opening and ending theme songs from the series, gathered together for the first time:<br />
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1. FLAGS (T.M.Revolution) - from <i>Sengoku Basara -The Last Party-</i><br />
2. The party must go on (T.M.Revolution) - from <i>Sengoku Basara -The Last Party-</i><br />
3. Chikai (Do As Infinity) - from <i>Sengoku Basara Chronicle Heroes</i><br />
4. UTAGE (T.M.Revolution) - from <i>Sengoku Basara 3 Utage</i><br />
5. Tasogare (Do As Infinity) - from <i>Sengoku Basara 3 Utage</i><br />
6. WE aRE (abingdon boys school) - from <i>Sengoku Basara HD Collection</i><br />
7. Count ZERO (T.M.Revolution) - from <i>Sengoku Basara 4</i><br />
8. Runners high (SCANDAL) - from <i>Sengoku Basara 4</i><br />
9. DOUBLE-DEAL (T.M.Revolution) - from <i>Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi</i><br />
10. Heavenly Blue (Ishikawa Chiaki) - from <i>Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi</i><br />
11. Hokkyokusei ~ Polaris (Ishikawa Chiaki) - from <i>Sengoku Basara Judge End</i><br />
12. Committed RED (T.M.Revolution) - from <i>Sengoku Basara Sanada Yukimura-den</i><br />
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<b><u>A few other miscellaneous merchandise announcements</u></b><br />
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To avoid my computer exploding from including too many images in this post, I'll recap some of the more commonplace new merchandise more briefly. There have been several new types of merchandise released in Japan over the winter, ranging from <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/basara/info/goods/2532">metal straps</a> to paid in-app decorations for ubiquitous transport planning app <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/basara/info/goods/2501">NAVITIME</a>. The <i><a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20160928036/">Capcom x B-Side Label</a></i> sticker collaboration continued with additional designs for Yukimura, Masamune, Benmaru, Bontenmaru, Masayuki and Nobuyuki.<br />
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There was also a batch of <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/basara/info/goods/2552">goods</a> including five magnets (¥300 each), a clear bookmark set (¥500) and a 2017 A5 desktop calendar (¥1,000) with art from the latest game:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN93OwzuprSdgmXbAzpZnljH1AVYP58HMAm7kwxy3PrLrsEMDVgvH7PgG57dPsZxgbeMAc9wfGyX_zlHPqvJ8nEkko7q3f2LmpjO-OxBQZPYb9xGdjHESgWEASRFSHu5sUrG5zIuDU-C4/s1600/ykmrdn2017calendar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN93OwzuprSdgmXbAzpZnljH1AVYP58HMAm7kwxy3PrLrsEMDVgvH7PgG57dPsZxgbeMAc9wfGyX_zlHPqvJ8nEkko7q3f2LmpjO-OxBQZPYb9xGdjHESgWEASRFSHu5sUrG5zIuDU-C4/s320/ykmrdn2017calendar.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's odd that Naotora is included in the magnet and bookmark roster as one of the main characters, partly because merchandise for female <i>Sengoku Basara</i> characters is rare in general and partly because she has very little to do with the game the merchandise relates to in the first place! A preemptive sign that there were plans to boost her popularity to tie in with this year's <i>taiga</i> drama in Japan?<br />
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The <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20160927050/">Capcom Cafe</a> has updated its menu to add new dishes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilP72s7exKrX_9xaSm8sbHrkbeVN9Wxm1mpZGGT_y7cm2nHfTvd_yrLHsrLSoHmELR3EGIBsaUpuGw4EZsfu8JwlcpdNoR40j2bF_pFWBAs1-OIlpZunuk__LSOGy5KWF2JYrYVdx4EOk/s1600/2017capcomcafe0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilP72s7exKrX_9xaSm8sbHrkbeVN9Wxm1mpZGGT_y7cm2nHfTvd_yrLHsrLSoHmELR3EGIBsaUpuGw4EZsfu8JwlcpdNoR40j2bF_pFWBAs1-OIlpZunuk__LSOGy5KWF2JYrYVdx4EOk/s320/2017capcomcafe0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Like this amazing beef stew...<br />
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...and at the same time, the cafe has updated its merchandise list with a whole host of new items incorporating the <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> cast:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzka3H-qUaVEx8Gasz8FJMsuHZeFKRbzv91Z-q4ZNMeeBs_Ii-cgFkLArJV73xvKKlBVLIfM8rxzB_IYv9COv4tmEN-p29MuX9yV-mh0ggdQCNmCz0inxmQhfFoZiVcFsbMfuiw4gys0/s1600/2017capcomcafe2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzka3H-qUaVEx8Gasz8FJMsuHZeFKRbzv91Z-q4ZNMeeBs_Ii-cgFkLArJV73xvKKlBVLIfM8rxzB_IYv9COv4tmEN-p29MuX9yV-mh0ggdQCNmCz0inxmQhfFoZiVcFsbMfuiw4gys0/s320/2017capcomcafe2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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From January 2017, fans in Japan can visit <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/basara/info/goods/2677">amusement arcades</a> to try to win one of six 15cm <i>nesoberi </i>mascot plushies from Banpresto based on Masamune, Yukimura, Ieyasu, Mitsunari, Motochika and Motonari:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj62CdQQ5Q4rXhZAzgoSd8eXCqSS0KVDpnGVeiogjLuIbFUW9ZnOP2KcG2FUGHjRFYSrAFs3DHWpdoaJ9DkaRhASMmJDDeYK6qBBgBHNrD4_y9McR4PQv1Eqs9WYnez6ZWA8fk79FhD3Y/s1600/nesoberimascot1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj62CdQQ5Q4rXhZAzgoSd8eXCqSS0KVDpnGVeiogjLuIbFUW9ZnOP2KcG2FUGHjRFYSrAFs3DHWpdoaJ9DkaRhASMmJDDeYK6qBBgBHNrD4_y9McR4PQv1Eqs9WYnez6ZWA8fk79FhD3Y/s320/nesoberimascot1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lastly, Japan-only official merchandise store e-Capcom has also been offering a unique ¥2,130 <a href="http://www.e-capcom.com/basara2017/">calendar</a> which collects some of the quirky illustrations that Itou Ryuu has been creating for the <i>Sengoku Basara</i> LINE account. The account has continued to send strange new pictures to its subscribers on a regular basis, so it would be nice to see them all collected into an art book eventually. Until then, this calendar is the only way to have a high quality physical copy of those illustrations. Preorders close on 8th February 2017 with delivery estimated for 10th March 2017. The calendar starts in April and runs for twelve months, so including the cover there are thirteen images included in total. For those of us who can't afford the calendar via a deputy service, following the official LINE account is a free alternative with images like this appearing on a regular basis.<br />
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<b><u>A few autumn/winter event updates, many of which have now ended</u></b><br />
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While I wasn't updating, we've had collaborations with <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20160920025/">Hacka Doll</a>, and mobile game <i><a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/275/G027501/20161207096/">Senran No Samurai Kingdom</a></i>. We have had a <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20160901061/">Yukimura-themed tour running alongside the promotions at the Tokyo Game Show</a>, and the Sweets Paradise <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20161104050/">Sanada Cafe</a> relocated for another campaign.<br />
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The <a href="http://info.balitower.jp/2016/09/basara.html?_ga=1.154309496.171992347.1486240957">Bali Tower hotel</a> in Tennouji (Osaka) is letting guests stay in special <i>Sengoku Basara</i> Yukimura or Masamune themed rooms up until 28th February 2017, and gorgeous <a href="http://priroll.jp/products/list.php?category_id=586">Christmas cupcakes and macarons</a> were made available across Japan by mail order through <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/298/G029812/20161129037/">Priroll</a>.<br />
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Meanwhile, there is currently a major real world <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/basara/info/tieup/2696">campaign</a> heavily featuring Ii Naotora (along with Ieyasu) to capitalise on the increased interest she's expected to be receiving in Japan throughout 2017. The main purpose of the campaign is promote tourism in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, a region with strong historical ties to the Sengoku period. A <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/news/html/e160920a.html">full announcement</a> is available in English already courtesy of Capcom and the <a href="http://www.hamamatsu-daisuki.net/naotora/basara/index.html">Japanese website</a> for the promotion shows off the various attractions, from the standees used in the stamp rally to the stunning <i>Sengoku Basara</i> train decorations. The free <i>Sengoku Hamamatsu Stamp Rally</i> smartphone application is available for <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/id1181781074?l=ja&ls=1&mt=8">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.tokaiis.sengoku">Android</a> devices and lets visitors unlock digital wallpapers and frames. You can also earn exclusive merchandise by travelling around the Hamamatsu area.<br />
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Visiting 15 locations earns you an oversized badge:<br />
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While visiting 30 (!) locations earns acrylic key holders or labels:<br />
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There are also additional benefits to travelling around the Shizuoka area, with the <i>Tenryuu Hamanako Railroad x Sengoku Basara</i> <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20161025074/">campaign</a> offering exclusive Naotora-themed ticket designs, smartphone cases and collectable model trains for its customers to buy.<br />
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I would love to get my hands on that little train!<br />
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<b><u>Still waiting to see <i>Judge End</i>? It's now available in English on Blu-Ray and DVD</u></b><br />
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Funimation have finally <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZVE6A6/">released</a> (<a href="http://www.rightstufanime.com/Sengoku-Basara-Season-3-Blu-ray-DVD">RightStuf link</a>) the 2014 spin-off anime <i>Sengoku Basara: Judge End</i> under its official US title <i>Sengoku Basara: End Of Judgement</i> on 27th December 2016. It's a DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack priced at $64.98 SRP; with online discounts it can usually be found around the $40 mark before shipping.<br />
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There are no special editions this time around, though the first press comes with an o-card (a thin cardboard slipcase). Special features include an episode 3 commentary, textless songs, and trailers. The series is presented with a choice of the original Japanese audio with English subtitles, or the brand new English dub (which is being discussed <a href="http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Sengoku-Basara-End-of-Judgement/">here</a>; thank you to Mewshuji as always for spreading the word!)<br />
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I doubt a UK license is imminent - Manga UK reported that the previous Production I.G. anime sold poorly here and they actively avoid licensing titles popular with women (!), so it all depends on whether Funimation and Anime Limited decide to relaunch the series in the UK themselves. Given that <i>Judge End</i> isn't all that popular even amongst fans, I decided not to wait and picked up a copy of the US set for my collection. I'll try to write a comparison with the Japanese discs when there is time.<br />
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To accompany the release of <i>Judge End</i>, Funimation has also rereleased the previous anime at a rock bottom price in its S.A.V.E. range. You can get both seasons of the Production I.G. anime <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LWXVH00/">television series</a> (including the OAV episodes and extras) bundled together on Blu-Ray and DVD for under $25 which is an amazing deal. The rerelease of the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LWXVMDV/">movie</a> is priced similarly. S.A.V.E. releases usually come towards the end of a product's life cycle before the series goes out of print entirely, so if you have been waiting before picking up a copy of the anime this rerelease might be your last chance.<br />
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--<br />
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Whew, writing all of this took so long that it's already <i>Basara Matsuri</i> day in Japan! I'm praying that we get some good news.
Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-1167739578355717432017-01-13T01:49:00.005+00:002017-01-13T01:49:55.803+00:00Streaming: Winter 2017 anime first impressionsIt feels so good to be back on schedule after a truly exhausting six months. This season was looking like a light one for a while, being comprised almost entirely of fluffy moe shows about giggly schoolgirls and a bunch of sequels. Somehow, though, I've ended up stuffing my schedule with a whole bunch of titles; it remains to be seen how many cling on for the whole season!<br />
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Now that <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/lineup">Crunchyroll</a> has devoured most of its competitors in the UK streaming scene, it looked as though they would be making a clean sweep of most of the worthwhile licenses this season - <a href="http://www.theanimenetwork.com/">The Anime Network</a>, Amazon Prime, Daisuki and Netflix have grabbed a few titles yet almost everything else is coming through Crunchyroll directly. The service really does represent incredible value for money for a fan in the UK these days.<br />
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Still, things are always unpredictable in the world of anime licensing. Right before I finished mopping up the last few first episodes to finish this post, Amazon <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-01-12/amazon-u.s-launches-anime-strike-paid-streaming-service/.110924">announced</a> that they would be entering the anime streaming business properly with a dedicated anime service named Anime Strike! At first glance it seemed like a pretty good deal; the Amazon exclusives each season are annoying, but for less than $5 fans could subscribe to have full access to the simulcasts and also the rest of Amazon's rather impressive digital anime catalogue. If anyone was going to rise up and become a true rival to Crunchyroll, perhaps Anime Strike would be the first to succeed!<br />
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Upon closer inspection, however, Anime Strike is a really, really bad deal. You have to pay $4.99 per month, which is comparable to Crunchyroll's subscription fee. And on top of that, you have to pay the $99 per year for an Amazon Prime account, making the true cost of Anime Strike more than $13 per month - around twice the price of a Crunchyroll subscription if you're signing up for anime alone and don't need the other Prime features. Meanwhile, Crunchyroll offers a free ad-supported service for those who can't afford to pay, along with more languages, more regions, scheduled simulcasts on a proper timetable <i>and more content</i>. The icing on the cake is that Amazon's Prime Video player is nowhere near as good as Crunchyroll's unless you're using it on Amazon hardware, while the market leader supports a huge range of devices to stream the anime you're paying for onto your consoles, phones and tablets. Paying twice as much for a tiny fraction of the content (Amazon Prime has two simulcasts compared to Crunchyroll's sixty this season) isn't appealing at all, and it feels as though doing so would send the message that Amazon's tactic of grabbing the worldwide streaming rights for new titles straight from Japan and releasing them only to a small subset of regions is acceptable. It's not acceptable. It encourages people to pirate anime.<br />
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Thankfully Anime Strike is US-exclusive at the moment (hello, region locking!) and if the online reactions are representative of Prime customers' feelings on the matter it doesn't look as though it's going to be a roaring success over there. Perhaps it will be rethought before daring to step outside its home turf to be steadfastly ignored by the rest of the anime-viewing world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ik5WTWtM_Ac__TZ8NRSCHr8lmeRgtqJLcuedxNv2diPDOjHz7xej-bmpZ5_D8a89ENbBm2oxnI8wj70nN3xW8Ek_HGGS4HCmNDNHUSKLYiW_EbNhTHpxd6AdkJp_3iEPmr8BXP7BUZs/s1600/marginal4c.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ik5WTWtM_Ac__TZ8NRSCHr8lmeRgtqJLcuedxNv2diPDOjHz7xej-bmpZ5_D8a89ENbBm2oxnI8wj70nN3xW8Ek_HGGS4HCmNDNHUSKLYiW_EbNhTHpxd6AdkJp_3iEPmr8BXP7BUZs/s320/marginal4c.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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With my commentary on that brand new drama over, I'll move on to my first impressions! The ongoing titles I'm still following are <i>ALL OUT!, March Comes In Like A Lion, Nobunaga No Shinobi</i> and <i>Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans</i>. Everything else is new.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/acca-13-territory-inspection-dept">ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsuka (ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept.)</a><br />
I had no idea what to expect from <i>ACCA</i>, and coming out of the first episode I'm not even sure what it's about. But it had a great opening and somehow, despite the intentional lack of focus in the plot, it was really interesting! So far, we've been introduced to an unenthusiastic-looking man named Jean who is an inspector for a bureaucratic office which overseas the thirteen local governments running his country. Jean is soft-spoken and detached, but his eye for detail and natural discretion make him the perfect weapon against shady people undermining the agency's work. Is the story going to go anywhere from here? That's not clear yet; at the moment <i>ACCA</i> could be one of the most addictive spy dramas since <i>Joker Game</i> or an offbeat slice of life story charting the staff members' daily cake purchases. To my shame I didn't even notice creator Ono Natsume's distinctive style at work at all until the episode was long over. One of the most intriguing debut titles of the season.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiaUvHiBa38VauqPnVD9RKlXw3xAto2VPS-lgrf7SMbrfGufNHAJAWE5kXcR9IzajtyxFieCPeZBcW4kyT-jI3Zt9b37NI46h4ZzTMgkGuzdvsIlMAVB7-G9YgVDZ_AL_Dh0vR3uoEoI/s1600/acca.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiaUvHiBa38VauqPnVD9RKlXw3xAto2VPS-lgrf7SMbrfGufNHAJAWE5kXcR9IzajtyxFieCPeZBcW4kyT-jI3Zt9b37NI46h4ZzTMgkGuzdvsIlMAVB7-G9YgVDZ_AL_Dh0vR3uoEoI/s320/acca.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The uncute artwork is greatly appreciated</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/akibas-trip-the-animation">Akiba's Trip The Animation</a><br />
I already have some familiarity with the tongue-in-cheek silliness of the <i>Akiba's Trip</i> game series, which has a relatively straightforward plot about a nerd tasked with the job of stripping a bunch of hot girls (and not-so-hot guys) in combat to save the streets of the Akihabara electronics district from an invasion by photosensitive vampire-zombies. By tearing their clothes off in broad daylight, it exposes them to the sun, effectively exorcising them. The games take this to ridiculous lengths, having the hero able to strip nubile young women down to their underwear with a single tug of their outer garments and chaining attacks for more aggressive combat-stripping; the first episode of the anime felt almost subdued in comparison! It's absolute trash, of course, but not unwatchable (and with so many series this season shamelessly aimed solely at the male otaku audience, that's higher praise than it should be). The first episode of this show was also notable for incorporating the most awkward-looking kiss scene I have ever seen, animated or otherwise. Decent, even though I'm still unsure whether I'll be continuing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNiUoO6ObMfqLhzTrW4Gu0XBOhVm_DWHFxWyElUi5kkxI_stVlmBgyurU-ZXqUNHTikgOjs1PVSNSGM09Hc7QUuCi9X5i96_kZ3fY3m7RpdvSoVpiOLVDbfYGjPw4G8eZ4FzaJVNPIoo/s1600/akibastrip.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNiUoO6ObMfqLhzTrW4Gu0XBOhVm_DWHFxWyElUi5kkxI_stVlmBgyurU-ZXqUNHTikgOjs1PVSNSGM09Hc7QUuCi9X5i96_kZ3fY3m7RpdvSoVpiOLVDbfYGjPw4G8eZ4FzaJVNPIoo/s320/akibastrip.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cool two-tone glowing hair aesthetic is appreciated</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/blue-exorcist">Ao No Exorcist: Kyouto Fujouou-hen (Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga)</a><br />
Also available on <a href="http://www.daisuki.net/gb/en/anime/detail.BlueExorcistKyotoSaga.html">Daisuki</a>. I don't think we ever got a proper simulcast of the original <i>Ao No Exorcist</i> in the UK so this sequel going up without the earlier episodes is annoying, especially as it makes it harder to flick back to the end of the first season and catch up. Fortunately, I watched it all on DVD at some point and vaguely remember what happened. The first episode of this sequel jumped straight into a mission and I can't quite figure out how all of the continuity works (didn't the first season end with anime-original content?) but it seems to be a follow-up to its predecessor, with Rin training under Shura and Yukio still being strangely useless for someone so naturally superior. It turns out that Rin's former friends are a little upset by the revelation that he's the son of Satan, so after the drab introductory mission there are a batch of flashbacks to bring new viewers up to speed and explain why everyone is annoyed that they're being asked to work together in this latest campaign. Never mind all of that, though; I'm upset that the new character designs have changed the way that Izumo's eyebrows look! They used to be much cuter.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWfGTgyoYWsxM210bJTm2jFRmcYQOMT6cIt4_yMGSGotBHpH2Q0MBk3muMitfPY15nxm05D_webMrZfF4XcHQsx9T3Vt1uR79YtWqz_qjIFRgmEjTvXRjXbE64zkickJv34u-zGinjH0/s1600/aoexkyouto.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWfGTgyoYWsxM210bJTm2jFRmcYQOMT6cIt4_yMGSGotBHpH2Q0MBk3muMitfPY15nxm05D_webMrZfF4XcHQsx9T3Vt1uR79YtWqz_qjIFRgmEjTvXRjXbE64zkickJv34u-zGinjH0/s320/aoexkyouto.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't have an eyebrow obsession, honest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/chain-chronicle-the-light-of-haecceitas-">Chain Chronicle -Haecceitas No Hikari-</a><br />
I accidentally deleted my thoughts on this when I was setting this post up, which is annoying as it was quite forgettable and I can't remember exactly what I said. But I don't want to watch it again. <i>Chain Chronicle -Haecceitas No Hikari-</i> is a long one-shot story initially split across four episodes for streaming, and the animation is pretty good! Before viewing, all I knew about <i>Chain Chronicle</i> was that it was a mobile game with the curious distinction of being in <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2013-11-10/akira-ishida-voices-46-characters-in-new-smartphone-game-chain-chronicle">the news</a> a while ago for having one of my all-time favourite voice actors, Ishida Akira, playing no fewer than 46 individual characters. That kind of fact sticks in a person's mind. Unfortunately, fantasy stories based on mobile games are a dime a dozen and the pretty animation cannot hide the fact that the world building is a bit flat, even though I liked the lead character's atypical personality. Not one I'll be continuing to follow now that the full television series has also arrived.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQWso_FNw57d0t8yOYXsURToviPrHDmmavA5cj98LoCsINNBQB_HqFO5E_ZAW_su5Jrr1EFzvdOXRb_vVla4XpwYQ8b2UG9T7RWsXsdm6c2MXvENzGCMMENcSaYd0skS5Ji5g59cUHa8/s1600/chainchronicle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQWso_FNw57d0t8yOYXsURToviPrHDmmavA5cj98LoCsINNBQB_HqFO5E_ZAW_su5Jrr1EFzvdOXRb_vVla4XpwYQ8b2UG9T7RWsXsdm6c2MXvENzGCMMENcSaYd0skS5Ji5g59cUHa8/s320/chainchronicle.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She seemed fun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/chaoschild">ChäoS;Child</a><br />
I have never forgiven <i>ChäoS;HEAd</i> for being the most disappointing anime viewing experience I have had since my only access to the medium was via expensive dubbed VHS tapes back in the 90s, so it's unclear why I thought watching the first episode of its successor might be a good idea. <i>ChäoS;Child</i> starts out by reminding me how much I hated the earlier series; the first episode rapidly recaps some of the key events, and if I'm honest, the entirety of <i>ChäoS;HEAd</i> works better as a twenty-minute recap sequence than an actual show in its own right (my apologies go to fans of the original games as they were probably far less annoying). In spite of the improvements to the animation and pacing, it was still nothing special. The second part of the first episode moves onto the new content, skipping forward a few years and introducing a new cast of characters to replace the old one. While I'm not going to continue further, the new lead seems a lot better than the last fellow and this series might be a lot more watchable if you like twisted supernatural mysteries with cute girls and the occasional splash of gore.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bzbyxrpplS5pX7jtzmsr9RkFLXwlI5U4huTG8NBEHBrfZxLHw_nqKM1N_jqeoGGCftlpvECQZGUvCm7dovfVQjQRKru0fmg2EIMqwJlNaeNe57Wd4SyRZSsuhPGywhdzpVOXkET-v8Y/s1600/chaoschild.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bzbyxrpplS5pX7jtzmsr9RkFLXwlI5U4huTG8NBEHBrfZxLHw_nqKM1N_jqeoGGCftlpvECQZGUvCm7dovfVQjQRKru0fmg2EIMqwJlNaeNe57Wd4SyRZSsuhPGywhdzpVOXkET-v8Y/s320/chaoschild.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Admittedly, it doesn't take much to improve on <i style="text-align: start;">ChäoS;HEAd</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/chiruran-12">Chiruran 1/2</a><br />
I thought this short comedy series was awesome at first, until I realised that it was a spin-off based on an even-more-awesome-looking manga called <i>Chiruran Shinsengumi Requiem</i>. So we're getting the silly spin-off without the original material, which is a bit vexing. It invariably makes it harder for me to get a feel for the characters (other recent offenders have included <i>OZMAFIA!! </i>and last season's <i>Touken Ranbu</i> spin-off). In any case, after suffering through a bunch of cute shows about dippy girls in school clubs, a hyper gag series about the officers of the Shinsengumi was a good antidote. I'll probably keep watching simply because I lap up anything about the Bakumatsu period and two-minute episodes aren't a massive time investment.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqeNqfSv3CFZUy8CAU8nIfE54SxdBYSwWHOt3yOmBu7pdwRX6J7DO0wh8zsyWlP7T0b40eJBf-VSp_IfDpiBKX_DeuDENSySTjdZREHyVz2sjKVw0brZNkRft6fQJP0dw_ZIKLp3YHvE/s1600/tirurannibunnoiti.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqeNqfSv3CFZUy8CAU8nIfE54SxdBYSwWHOt3yOmBu7pdwRX6J7DO0wh8zsyWlP7T0b40eJBf-VSp_IfDpiBKX_DeuDENSySTjdZREHyVz2sjKVw0brZNkRft6fQJP0dw_ZIKLp3YHvE/s320/tirurannibunnoiti.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jokes may be funnier if you know the original manga</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/ai-mai-mi-surgical-friends">Choboraunyopomi Gekijou Dai San Maku: Ai-Mai-Mi- ~Surgical Friends~</a><br />
<div>
This is the third season of <i>Ai-Mai-Mi-</i> but the first that I've seen available on Crunchyroll, so right from the start I felt a little lost (it seems one of the other seasons is <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/ai-mai-mi">here</a>). It's one of many, many titles this season about cute, blushing little girls in a school club. The theme this time is a club for drawing manga, but it's really just a hyper slapstick comedy with episodes three-and-a-half minutes in length. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PWTsTMyS3nBSiOQfS3bK0S3I_K86DTiFs_ch_OLKkiWt-BDJllYTv1UWAENaYvRhHLbJQjIZRGOTVmk0KrcoWUopjkIg3xyzMzr27P9Z6QggI1ItRLcPU2qVfTO02VOsQbLbMVV5rEw/s1600/aimaimiis3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PWTsTMyS3nBSiOQfS3bK0S3I_K86DTiFs_ch_OLKkiWt-BDJllYTv1UWAENaYvRhHLbJQjIZRGOTVmk0KrcoWUopjkIg3xyzMzr27P9Z6QggI1ItRLcPU2qVfTO02VOsQbLbMVV5rEw/s320/aimaimiis3.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute girls with blushes everywhere</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/interviews-with-monster-girls">Demi-chan Ha Kataritai (Interviews With Monster Girls)</a><br />
A strange show about a hulking biology teacher who is desperate to learn about 'demis' - demi-humans who live ordinary lives despite sharing traits with various supernatural monsters. He ends up meeting three such girls almost all at once when he discovers a vampire, dullahan and <i>yukionna</i> are students at his school, and to make things even more incredible the new teacher they've hired is a (very anxious) succubus. Rather than immediately setting himself up as the centre of a harem or discriminating against them for humour, however, the teacher invites the students to tell him about their everyday lives in his office during their breaks so that he can understand them better. That's it. It's a little sad to say but the fact that he doesn't immediately start checking out their underwear or asking lewd questions is a relief after some of the other shows of this type! Instead, the monster girls' unique problems are treated almost like disabilities which affect their daily lives but not their desires to socialise and find their place in the world. In spite of the art style - the girls are all as cute as buttons while the guys are plain and boring - it's reasonably harmless, and if it wasn't for the fact that I'm confident nothing is ever going to happen aside from the laid back interviews it could have made my viewing list. If the same creator made a spin-off series focusing on more adult drama between the teachers and the difficulties a succubus has in the modern world, I'd check it out.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1uWVe2uugQJH2AOxTxvZqQKOt34EvNz7wuQDcLjWhiNwVuIpb4WI3a8xOyy1EZYLqNkPfjAiMcj4eoxMMZiyEIExk9fCuAaFpmtl7KV5j72sbg44hboWV95IOJH3zM31wLxZz3Asnic/s1600/demichan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1uWVe2uugQJH2AOxTxvZqQKOt34EvNz7wuQDcLjWhiNwVuIpb4WI3a8xOyy1EZYLqNkPfjAiMcj4eoxMMZiyEIExk9fCuAaFpmtl7KV5j72sbg44hboWV95IOJH3zM31wLxZz3Asnic/s320/demichan.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vampire girl, weird hairstyle and all</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/eldlive">ēlDLIVE</a><br />
Chuuta is an ordinary boy with a strange problem: he can hear a voice in his head which has conversations with him. One day, he's spirited away onto a mysterious spaceship populated by aliens and a cavalier man with an eyepatch, who tries to persuade him to join the ēlDLIVE space police force. His habit of shouting at himself confuses everyone about him but his otherworldly encounter is the trigger to him learning what's behind his 'imaginary' friend; a peculiar space-creature is living inside him as a symbiont, and when it pops out and makes itself known the space police are even more excited than before! Chuuta's problems are clearly only just beginning. This odd show feels like a blend of <i>Level E, Katekyou Hitman Reborn, Kiseijuu</i> and <i>Uchuu Patrol Luluco, </i>however it has done a better job of getting me interested than <i>Reborn</i> (they share a creator). It's not essential viewing yet it will probably entertain.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWOmXKLFDjCfd0LSnQ7c30AtJrMe0Ei7J6h6O0z7kHU-WQnX8jQuvE69zF_wWzGGJn5D4tREh1LOK8_HqdOtyKwcHyAsaBBjVva15D-obHpJmsje5r7W8W-BElC4AaTwhuXeqzNsr_7Y/s1600/eidlive.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWOmXKLFDjCfd0LSnQ7c30AtJrMe0Ei7J6h6O0z7kHU-WQnX8jQuvE69zF_wWzGGJn5D4tREh1LOK8_HqdOtyKwcHyAsaBBjVva15D-obHpJmsje5r7W8W-BElC4AaTwhuXeqzNsr_7Y/s320/eidlive.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If this guy wasn't such a dork he would be quite cool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/fategrand-order-first-order">Fate/Grand Order -First Order-</a><br />
Also available on <a href="http://www.daisuki.net/gb/en/anime/detail.FateGrandOrder.html">Daisuki</a>, this lengthy standalone movie is based on <i>Fate/Grand Order</i>, some kind of online mobile game based on the <i>Fate</i> mythos. I'm not sure what the game is like but in this anime the plot takes the form of a whole bunch of copy-pasted light novel technobabble as a bunch of generic-looking men and women are trained to unlock their master potential to save the world from its imminent destruction. Add a dollop of pseudoscience magic to let the bland lead and his newly-acquired 'demi-servant' Shielder visit unfamiliar alternate versions of a pivotal moment in the <i>Fate</i> timeline, and the stage is set for this parade of fan service for those who can recognise all of the cameos and references. Things start out with a Lancer version of <i>Fate/Stay Night</i>'s Rider, then a very chilled-out Caster version of Lancer appears. The hackneyed story thankfully became more clear gradually over the course of the film.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHkfc3-CkKx6VPgVdncoChttQzmtpo7ZQUxU36rP-sZ_YNBWV9DLS06-n6C0CEcX6dNc7lkYwuZAgdn_GJ7WUkF-uOFGdtTKbKbXnhhiFdyEy4mm7faXfv05YXwlA8cnAYwiKCzYulP4/s1600/fategrandorderfirstorder.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHkfc3-CkKx6VPgVdncoChttQzmtpo7ZQUxU36rP-sZ_YNBWV9DLS06-n6C0CEcX6dNc7lkYwuZAgdn_GJ7WUkF-uOFGdtTKbKbXnhhiFdyEy4mm7faXfv05YXwlA8cnAYwiKCzYulP4/s320/fategrandorderfirstorder.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An unlikely character steals the show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In any case, I've gradually realised that the only thing I like about non-<i>Fate/Zero</i> versions of <i>Fate</i> is Gilgamesh, and unfortunately he's not even in this. Tsk. If not for Lancer-I-mean-Caster's gratuitous exhibitionism I might have fallen asleep.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-215kOvvrlAlagzcD292VPhVcLvHjRmdGG3IM6ABZhdsN3pkD94wwCaZp9V-CJLc_hLPbqG0yIvXQ4w56gQDMTsAORMaTr5CGeWEZOURCy0pJ__UZnvNizWDHfRnpkT5oMyy4QS6zy8M/s1600/fategrandorderlancercaster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-215kOvvrlAlagzcD292VPhVcLvHjRmdGG3IM6ABZhdsN3pkD94wwCaZp9V-CJLc_hLPbqG0yIvXQ4w56gQDMTsAORMaTr5CGeWEZOURCy0pJ__UZnvNizWDHfRnpkT5oMyy4QS6zy8M/s320/fategrandorderlancercaster.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh my</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/fuuka">Fuuka</a><br />
This could go either way for me; the constant panty shots and youthful feel aren't to my taste, the lead's tetchy girlfriend Akitsuki Fuuka is annoying and a lot of the scenes are downright stupid (I don't understand how anyone could fail to see the person they're waiting for at a tiny location like the Hachiko statue). However, even though there are problems the core storyline is interesting. And I like shows about music. It's like a tackier version of <i>NANA</i>, except <i>NANA</i> is still incomplete whereas this series actually exists. It was also a pleasant surprise to see the lead's handsome male friend casually admit to being gay right after his first appearance; it's not something you see every day in anime without it being used as comic relief. Hayami Saori is playing one of the main characters too. Maybe I'll keep watching a little longer.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtFJBK6BG_w_gViRKPXNG9qS7GPVM6vduTNYPTDS35KCHcprTZlo_3SEJw429M-Kyy0of7HcEVPv1DhS4d88MlwaRHzxezZ1fTWwcm579WXRSG_UE2VESCH4Y473jzdUT5_smm8zlkkA/s1600/fuukaep1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtFJBK6BG_w_gViRKPXNG9qS7GPVM6vduTNYPTDS35KCHcprTZlo_3SEJw429M-Kyy0of7HcEVPv1DhS4d88MlwaRHzxezZ1fTWwcm579WXRSG_UE2VESCH4Y473jzdUT5_smm8zlkkA/s320/fuukaep1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm under the impression that things get more intense later</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/gabriel-dropout">Gabriel DropOut</a><br />
Gabriel is one of many fledgling angels sent down to the human world to go to school and learn more about people. It's all going well at first, until she finds that someone has inexplicably set up a laptop in her bedroom with an MMORPG running on it and created an account for her. She sees another player calling for help and immediately makes herself a character and speeds to his aid, quickly becoming intoxicated with the excitement of being able to help people so easily. It doesn't take long before she's addicted and her sweet, angelic personality has become corrupted and self-centred. The rest of the series follows Gabriel and her friends, a group which so far includes a deliberately sadistic angel, a too-helpful demon, and another demon who desperately wants to be villainous even though she's terrible at it. Thus the stage is set for this silly, fluffy comedy with a heavenly feel. Oh, and of course everyone in the entire show is a cute, blushing girl. The one question I have is who set the game up in Gabriel's room in the first place?! Why isn't this explained? It's bothering me!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRVGTBTJzEIAG6Pjmq1Jcaktl9w7mLy3X5k81_diH0YOuHbXl6LIeUgRzPG5rYt7O43Iod6732V_SZIzBc30sIBowEf4Q7z1u_MqnHGVNa3dTEFREhD8meZLeYyeoHMmp3j2jpTrwzxM/s1600/gabrieldropout.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRVGTBTJzEIAG6Pjmq1Jcaktl9w7mLy3X5k81_diH0YOuHbXl6LIeUgRzPG5rYt7O43Iod6732V_SZIzBc30sIBowEf4Q7z1u_MqnHGVNa3dTEFREhD8meZLeYyeoHMmp3j2jpTrwzxM/s320/gabrieldropout.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure that pairing angels and demons up was smart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/gintama">Gintama.</a><br />
<i>Gintama</i> is back again! It's moved to a late night slot at last so hopefully it won't offend quite as many flustered Japanese parents this time around, but after a few light gags the plot has gone straight back towards the serious storyline it was following at the end of last year's batch of episodes. With the manga heading towards its finale and not too far ahead of the content they're animating now, will we ever get to see any more absurd <i>Gintama</i> comedy arcs again or is it going to be grim, emotional combat all the way until the ending? I don't know whether I can bear to see it finish.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-l_jUvNRiz0MZURyoDau4hedWUgt4vFMJRVk_w3I7Ip9mNg4fTB72BOCHSU3h4aBaIq771F2tnu6d4uSzMI9lCLeHiYzpmSiWCUvyE_MW__zVEqfNso_BG_6qovZ8KLUlU-oFSHg5Ec/s1600/gintamarakuyou.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-l_jUvNRiz0MZURyoDau4hedWUgt4vFMJRVk_w3I7Ip9mNg4fTB72BOCHSU3h4aBaIq771F2tnu6d4uSzMI9lCLeHiYzpmSiWCUvyE_MW__zVEqfNso_BG_6qovZ8KLUlU-oFSHg5Ec/s320/gintamarakuyou.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please please please run some comedy episodes too</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/hand-shakers">Hand Shakers</a><br />
What a mess. The snazzy animation with copious CG-enhanced special effects can't really cover up the fact that this series doesn't really seem to have any reason to exist, being the same kind of weak pseudo-sci-fi school action nonsense we've seen playing out a thousand times before. An unremarkable schoolboy ends up forced to hold hands with a passive, pale girl who will die(!) if he lets go. Opening up with a woman being molested by a bunch of elaborately-rendered chains squeezing her thighs and breasts really didn't start things off on a positive footing, but Morikubo Shoutarou's bewitching voice in a bit part almost made up for it. The music playing inappropriately calmly on top of the action reminded me a lot of <i>K</i>, except that this title was even more unintelligible and didn't even have a cool angela theme song. I'm also mildly concerned that the exaggerated bouncing breasts wielded by one of the female characters might be a calculated attempt to hypnotise viewers. I'll be amazed if the staff manage to pull something coherent out of this disjointed chaos.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvL-8G_NurzwvynBrcQ62IPTULaTiYLTDxVGp8zHuOqKbZGFjx0I7dXjGArhBVk4zBy15pyG8O6g-EoYW1Is9jVrMpWh_2DyHkywZDmN4fCoC2wUXjwyQrOqJ7JlKcGa7mKAlNdQKqmcY/s1600/handshakers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvL-8G_NurzwvynBrcQ62IPTULaTiYLTDxVGp8zHuOqKbZGFjx0I7dXjGArhBVk4zBy15pyG8O6g-EoYW1Is9jVrMpWh_2DyHkywZDmN4fCoC2wUXjwyQrOqJ7JlKcGa7mKAlNdQKqmcY/s320/handshakers.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't decide whether the wildly inconsistent art is good</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/idol-incidents">Idol Jihen (Idol Incidents)</a><br />
Bizarre. In this series, Japan's solution to the myriad problems of national government is to form new political parties fronted by a bunch of amateur teenaged idols. The idea is that their peppy personalities will win over a public tired of the entrenched establishment. Hey, this sounds awkwardly close to reality in several countries. <i>Idol Incidents</i> could have been a clever commentary on the flaws of a modern society where people are dissatisfied with conventional solutions without knowing exactly what should be replacing them to create a fairer world. Except it isn't; it's just annoying (and I say this as someone who <i>likes</i> idol shows). The lead has no idea what she's doing and doesn't even care so long as it involves vapid smiles and increasing her popularity, and because she acts more like a cutesy hamster than a real teenager she's surrounded by starry-eyed supporters who never question her lack of drive. One for idol otaku only, I fear.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-BbiHFDfPPwddTWUO9ZY92zly4XEhwr4ml2FwH9XRwq_JmjDug4gHDVXqhKxKI_ndTGgcTueE0ENcKdsHVhOG2pZGp_0Cqzwd_9GbBDmDE2oIr32aV1UUE1QVH5V4sDSOtOjJBNRkMI/s1600/idolincidents.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-BbiHFDfPPwddTWUO9ZY92zly4XEhwr4ml2FwH9XRwq_JmjDug4gHDVXqhKxKI_ndTGgcTueE0ENcKdsHVhOG2pZGp_0Cqzwd_9GbBDmDE2oIr32aV1UUE1QVH5V4sDSOtOjJBNRkMI/s320/idolincidents.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm a mean person who takes unflattering pictures of idols</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/kemono-friends">Kemono Friends</a><br />
A little girl somehow ends up wandering around in a safari park populated by weird CG animal girls. A serval takes her under her wing and shows her around, introducing her to some of the other residents and beautiful sights. The biggest surprise about <i>Kemono Friends</i> is that it has full-length episodes; the premise convinced me that it was a mini-series in advance and I was astounded that they had spun this tiny plot out into full 24-minute stories. The worst part is that it isn't even that bad. The animation is floaty and cheap, and being shown around by a dithery and self-confessed klutz of a feline did start to grate by the halfway point, but it's so harmless it's difficult to care enough to dislike it. The skinny, cute hippo girl was a missed opportunity in character design though.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWPRzhFynP4Fgd1GYnSo-O6cS9ABUPYzWFax26i7AxuTQePgEgGjjyaRe9rFoIog4DW62iF5DveAp7Hl1IafDJSWRaBMPI8nRbouEoc-jG8oMx-kx0VzEVtQ21Ghh4C_ejZGRRIkRTf4/s1600/kemonofriends.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWPRzhFynP4Fgd1GYnSo-O6cS9ABUPYzWFax26i7AxuTQePgEgGjjyaRe9rFoIog4DW62iF5DveAp7Hl1IafDJSWRaBMPI8nRbouEoc-jG8oMx-kx0VzEVtQ21Ghh4C_ejZGRRIkRTf4/s320/kemonofriends.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild cats are well known for their clumsiness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/miss-kobayashis-dragon-maid">Kobayashi-san Chi No Maid Dragon (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid)</a><br />
I should hate this. Maids are rarely good characters. However, the razor-sharp humour is pitched absolutely perfectly here, turning an ordinary-sounding story abount an office worker who meets a servile dragon into a lively, punchy comedy show. The 'dragon maid' of the title is Tooru, an emotional dragon who decides to move in with 'Kobayashi-san' and help her around the house after a chance meeting. To accomplish this, she transforms into a (sort of) human maid and invites herself to visit one day. Tooru is also fiercely possessive of her master, openly confessing that she wants her <i>in that way</i> and brazenly revealing her true form to her rivals, imaginary or otherwise. Whether it can sustain the energetic gags for a full run is yet to be seen, but the first episode was certainly entertaining enough to win it a place in my schedule.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwNlaJn9V-1YmuZNA_3ii4sHdVFjQLjW7QSYYQ1BE6M13DA81grw98PbZZ8tIpbxghCrJ1vPKVgQv3wXMD14ScFdzUI42w6rq_0jbciBZ2nAW6M4cu27dCiezKk69VnrBCvpsTfqrukU/s1600/kobayashisanti.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwNlaJn9V-1YmuZNA_3ii4sHdVFjQLjW7QSYYQ1BE6M13DA81grw98PbZZ8tIpbxghCrJ1vPKVgQv3wXMD14ScFdzUI42w6rq_0jbciBZ2nAW6M4cu27dCiezKk69VnrBCvpsTfqrukU/s320/kobayashisanti.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe maids aren't so bad after all...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/koro-sensei-quest">Koro-sensei Quest!</a><br />
It feels as though I've missed the boat with the <i>Assassination Classroom</i> series; I read the first couple of chapters of the manga a long time ago then the anime was locked away to Animax who failed to stream half of it properly at all, so I've yet to see the main story animated and don't know many of the characters besides Koro-sensei himself. <i>Koro-sensei Quest!</i> is the animated adaptation of a lighthearted spin-off series which is very close to the original except reimagined in a fantasy setting (and very slightly more hyper). The first episode was packed with parodies and silliness, but I found it hard to get too involved without knowing who anyone was. One to come back to if I ever get around to watching the original show properly.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKamIquNDUX4Rkdz4ZufYfuk6sr1coRasw0HLZs1vBZBoab6PqXtImkUidvSVt6MB5smNW1XROMiRN0guWdeDewxDRJ8mKs_rzxZKJA1atHpaSYqcSa_bRq2N9DEjlIP_QjD8qFoiAE0/s1600/korosenseiq.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKamIquNDUX4Rkdz4ZufYfuk6sr1coRasw0HLZs1vBZBoab6PqXtImkUidvSVt6MB5smNW1XROMiRN0guWdeDewxDRJ8mKs_rzxZKJA1atHpaSYqcSa_bRq2N9DEjlIP_QjD8qFoiAE0/s320/korosenseiq.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koro-sensei is as cute-looking as ever</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-a-Wish/dp/B01MR4PURT/">Kuzu No Honkai (Scum's Wish)</a><br />
The first of two anime simulcasts which are exclusive to Amazon Prime subscribers (and soon, Amazon Prime subscribers who are forced to pay an additional premium subscription just to watch anime). It's a pity, because the first episode of <i>Kuzu No Honkai</i> rather impressed me. Hanabi is crushed when the older man she's long harboured feelings for ends up falling in love with someone else. Meanwhile, her fellow student Mugi is in love with the other woman and nursing the exact same feelings of loneliness as Hanabi. The two teens meet up and share their secrets, then end up pursuing a damaged and unhealthy physical relationship in an attempt to fill the voids inside their hearts. It's easy for anyone who has ever had (or imagined having) a bad relationship to relate to their awkward emotional problems. I might have to switch to the manga on Crunchyroll to find out what happens next.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYgz1K0I5uiqPrUkCEWnj-5LGYjVjUVBuKD4qBZ377Q3xP4mdnf0s7qEUJrfjXsEAo1po0vAa9lMzrcGhsfhv3utMc5sXORMcaaWjMum4FwGyaMuzNQUSnZMg43cDirxvv8MDGOhi5Pg/s1600/kuzunohonkai.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYgz1K0I5uiqPrUkCEWnj-5LGYjVjUVBuKD4qBZ377Q3xP4mdnf0s7qEUJrfjXsEAo1po0vAa9lMzrcGhsfhv3utMc5sXORMcaaWjMum4FwGyaMuzNQUSnZMg43cDirxvv8MDGOhi5Pg/s320/kuzunohonkai.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The scratchy art really stands out in this colourful season</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/marginal-4-the-animation">Marginal #4: Kiss Kara Tsukuru Big Bang (MARGINAL #4 The Animation)</a><br />
This game and music series has had a lot of pushing from Rejet in Japan so I'm glad it's finally been animated to allow me to get into it with minimal effort or expense. Opening with a CG-aided concert scene of the type that is now almost ubiquitous for idol titles, we're quickly introduced to the quirkily-named L, R, Atom and Rui, four members of the brand new boy band MARGINAL #4. In a peculiar subversion of the usual plot contrivances of idol shows, rather than joining a club at their school and working their way up to becoming famous, they start off famous <i>then</i> make a club at their school just so that they can chill out in a private room. The humour is cheeky and fresh, and the music isn't bad. I can see myself sticking with this all season, even though the other music group in the series were robbed and didn't get to sing a single song in the first episode. I want more LAGRANGE POINT!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHxGBthDZobHubDQZxrKqWxCcO3Rm-Vd1HeODX18i-S0JHvdajaH618Phce0-PCN2AWa3PxhOOOMrCdwt265D44xTr_3K831foTvgTryYJ80BQLyz7g7SjVIGXBw-4XXAYV5JNabCits/s1600/marginal4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHxGBthDZobHubDQZxrKqWxCcO3Rm-Vd1HeODX18i-S0JHvdajaH618Phce0-PCN2AWa3PxhOOOMrCdwt265D44xTr_3K831foTvgTryYJ80BQLyz7g7SjVIGXBw-4XXAYV5JNabCits/s320/marginal4.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shy is a cool name, isn't it?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/masamune-kuns-revenge">Masamune-kun No Revenge</a><br />
The titular Masamune is a popularity-obsessed transfer student with a complex about how he looks after a traumatic past experience with a girl who made fun of his chunky figure. He's turned his life around and successfully made his debut as an attractive hunk, but before he can celebrate his success properly he has the misfortune of running into the girl who was cruel to him all those years ago, Aki. To make matters worse, she's infamous at his school for crushing the spirit of every guy around her in the coldest way possible whenever they approach her. Things take a surprising turn when Masamune discovers that Aki is secretly a huge glutton and thus begins an awkward romantic comedy about an unnaturally mean tsundere, her creepy servile friend and our hero, who is mostly irritating and already working on a twisted revenge plan. I do like the way his inner monologues poke fun at how well he's adjusting to being handsome at last; it adds a bit of levity to the awkward scenes of Aki being an out-of-control jerk with no redeeming qualities other than her nice hair.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dKX0xerjHKk46rJa3k3OqzK-RMrLJqH7foBllbIIeA6ezibFBUW7xjUCnH2MalUzcK_xUO9NBobTqVD5PnQefzPlhkU18fZgZAKSPiEhyHCnxURZnBBx8nnYRskHPMydMWeAg5He1ZA/s1600/meangirlfrommasamunekunnorevenge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dKX0xerjHKk46rJa3k3OqzK-RMrLJqH7foBllbIIeA6ezibFBUW7xjUCnH2MalUzcK_xUO9NBobTqVD5PnQefzPlhkU18fZgZAKSPiEhyHCnxURZnBBx8nnYRskHPMydMWeAg5He1ZA/s320/meangirlfrommasamunekunnorevenge.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In other news, Masamune's friend is called Kojuurou</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/minami-kamakura-high-school-girls-cycling-club">Minami Kamakura Koukou Joshi Jitenshabu (Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club)</a><br />
I knew I wouldn't continue with this from the title and key art alone. The viewing was just a formality so these low, low expectations allowed me to be impressed with the gorgeous background art on display in almost every scene, packed with blooming cherry blossom trees and colourful Kamakura scenery. There's a great opening song from AOP, too. I suppose I should say a little about the show even though its plot is very similar to that of last season's <i>Long Riders!</i> so far. Hiromi is an absolute idiot who feels dejected when she realises that riding a bicycle is harder than she thought, requiring you to actually <i>turn the pedals</i> to go forwards. Ugh. Rather than giving up and walking to her new school like a normal person, she continues forcing a gorgeous new friend to help her figure out how to use her bike then makes that same friend walk alongside her to school, a trip which feels far longer than any commute should thanks to Hiromi's dawdling. Somehow they get there before nightfall in spite of all of the difficulties. It doesn't take a crystal ball to work out that our heroine is going to end up joining the school's cycling club and making a lot of cute, bike-crazy friends. I moan but this was actually one of the better first episodes I watched and if I'd been into the genre I'd probably have been able to tolerate the lead long enough to get to the better characters who will undoubtedly be introduced in future stories. The awkward live action segment at the end of the episode was even better than the anime part.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDe5UIYBLWUom9YR2akwo5Xb4QS-StW0ADZcsOh6lbgv60L7MAMD4nEk1l2NZtisT0odiqJ9qgeCWTI3W3iIlbn3yBsTZSQpqPgpdLO1itc0lnmQI8QTaHfglD2b-9p-WpvLoN9i4wwgI/s1600/minamikamakurabikeclub.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDe5UIYBLWUom9YR2akwo5Xb4QS-StW0ADZcsOh6lbgv60L7MAMD4nEk1l2NZtisT0odiqJ9qgeCWTI3W3iIlbn3yBsTZSQpqPgpdLO1itc0lnmQI8QTaHfglD2b-9p-WpvLoN9i4wwgI/s320/minamikamakurabikeclub.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duhh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/forest-fairy-five">Mori No Yousei: Kinoko No Musume (FOREST FAIRY FIVE)</a><br />
A horrific CG animation about a mystical 'fairy world' which exists alongside our own and is filled with 'anime-chans', who are cutesy little girls, I mean fairies. And at the same time they're also mushrooms. The narrator (who is, to be fair, trying his best to play along with the insanity) drifts aimlessly around a psychedelic technicolour fairy forest for ten minutes straight, interviewing these wobbly-looking animated monstrosities. I have nightmares like this show.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0682Z1eUJg4gTsN8fooAhakegJzZgJRFq9JThxkBZ0Er2bVJs-7etfJxyR9j143F8KHXBRADy6BFjjPv0SryBaPxB0L6rLSGwFRPJ3mFA5QRFbgpefkBCgYMs71AY1uzBxcjwW4G8rQ/s1600/forestfairyfive.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0682Z1eUJg4gTsN8fooAhakegJzZgJRFq9JThxkBZ0Er2bVJs-7etfJxyR9j143F8KHXBRADy6BFjjPv0SryBaPxB0L6rLSGwFRPJ3mFA5QRFbgpefkBCgYMs71AY1uzBxcjwW4G8rQ/s320/forestfairyfive.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried to find a decent-looking scene but there weren't any</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/nyanko-days">Nyanko Days</a><br />
A short series about a shy girl reliant on her three cute cats, who act as her best friends. For some reason though, they're not really cats at all but tiny little catgirls. The first episode was so short that I had to watch it twice in a row to absorb everything properly. It's ok, but wouldn't it be even cuter with actual cats?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqF6hNw37DTXxT8HS-SWiGCTfJZFx3XpGA77svgtB-AgmsFjiiLPm7zoqmai5k-rBOnwvENeYAnRAf69f4hQN0fzKuvOKDVGOseYMPy8FAlnpCy1EsdogYVBG2C_DKIK6bHnX_X7EhVy8/s1600/nyankodays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqF6hNw37DTXxT8HS-SWiGCTfJZFx3XpGA77svgtB-AgmsFjiiLPm7zoqmai5k-rBOnwvENeYAnRAf69f4hQN0fzKuvOKDVGOseYMPy8FAlnpCy1EsdogYVBG2C_DKIK6bHnX_X7EhVy8/s320/nyankodays.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fans of sweet girls must be in heaven this winter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/oneroom">OneRoom</a><br />
Another of those strange short shows which places the viewer in first person mode and has characters address them directly. The first episode has you meeting a (very young-looking) female student who has taken it upon herself to welcome you and check you're settling in. Apparently, sisters will be involved later on. Although the art is lovely, I can live without slow camera pans up and down young girls' chests and thighs while they witter pleasantly in the background. It made me feel like a weirdo.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStT_IP0FRkqNNr8fxmzz2DFSmd7RBvedxPzvRF3aDE4eJZoDpqvr7xj3kxU-3ruL-WHLL-lHWe_O265YbyVlgpAtwcpLNfM6BgHtFbt0STDRNbAraPn1qyAJ7v8lYbrqXVo_mpqvUjho/s1600/oneroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStT_IP0FRkqNNr8fxmzz2DFSmd7RBvedxPzvRF3aDE4eJZoDpqvr7xj3kxU-3ruL-WHLL-lHWe_O265YbyVlgpAtwcpLNfM6BgHtFbt0STDRNbAraPn1qyAJ7v8lYbrqXVo_mpqvUjho/s320/oneroom.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kantoku artwork is the main draw here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tanbei-of-Chigashira/dp/B01NAR4PEZ/">Onihei</a><br />
I don't usually watch the shows Amazon Prime Video holds to ransom but I activated my Prime trial subscription temporarily over Christmas which meant I still had access to their video service just in time to catch the first episodes of <i>Onihei</i> and <i>Kuzu No Honkai</i> this time around. It was a bittersweet feeling since I knew I wasn't going to be paying out a Prime subscription fee to continue even if the first episodes were good, which made me feel emotionally detached from the whole experience. I'm not familiar with the original material beyond the <i>Gintama</i> character so it's impossible to comment on how closely this anime adaptation follows the <i>Onihei</i> mythos, but the first episode spent very little time on Hasegawa Heizou himself and instead told a story about other people with him lurking ominously in the background. It felt a lot like a live action drama with its muted palette and cold story. Not convinced so far. If it was available on Crunchyroll I'd give it a few episodes to win me over.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfdqy4Jj3C8TFhvbDUkiHem67jp1zRyjOHm5CiA_nuyj_2ZgFbugHiekADuEZE9t6AWAvZQFFXcujKFWEwYyJF-BBaaNSu_XWmeoOzWRhOnVsrACYsVwo3K0LJhHqzJ8ISHDkPr8lZOc/s1600/onihei.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfdqy4Jj3C8TFhvbDUkiHem67jp1zRyjOHm5CiA_nuyj_2ZgFbugHiekADuEZE9t6AWAvZQFFXcujKFWEwYyJF-BBaaNSu_XWmeoOzWRhOnVsrACYsVwo3K0LJhHqzJ8ISHDkPr8lZOc/s320/onihei.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Didn't really live up to the outstanding key artwork</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/piacevole">Piacevole! My Italian Dining (Piace: Watashi No Italian)</a><br />
A slightly dim young girl signs up to work at a rustic Italian restaurant she's never been to before, and gets a crash course in Italian cuisine from the surly young acting manager and friends there. If this was about a more exotic (to me) style of cooking it might be more interesting, but the general dizzy cuteness of it all is a little overwhelming. <i>Food Wars</i> this ain't.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6aol1D7TEF3T4vghMkVl0wECszTDeV4tpHh0knANmHWc0nejUYq1K0p2H3k5l6bHWYP0wVeTQ7HofzCqRE2eIwyqSwDjkiQHI7z0RpyDFgSroCMBo1wuS5McZ2i9AfVlvjJQNn47i0U/s1600/piacevole.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6aol1D7TEF3T4vghMkVl0wECszTDeV4tpHh0knANmHWc0nejUYq1K0p2H3k5l6bHWYP0wVeTQ7HofzCqRE2eIwyqSwDjkiQHI7z0RpyDFgSroCMBo1wuS5McZ2i9AfVlvjJQNn47i0U/s320/piacevole.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How come this is hardsubbed, Crunchyroll?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/schoolgirl-strikers">Schoolgirl Strikers: Animation Channel</a><br />
<i>Schoolgirl Strikers</i> is generic even in a season stuffed to bursting point with identical-looking shows about blushing girls in school clubs. Our five leads are short-skirted schoolgirls who end up being recruited to a special squad trained to fight weird monsters most people can't see in a parallel reality. These teams of all-female fighters dress up for combat - in gear such as bikinis or maid uniforms, of course. The weird thing is that it's quite well-made; the art is decent and it has a good vocal cast. You can almost smell the desperation when a shower scene is inserted less than two minutes into the first episode and the camera continues to cling to breasts and butts throughout. It feels as though it's trying to appeal to two different crowds at once, and needless to say I'm a member of neither. Dropped.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInFYyxWnO-7KA8Sbfff33y90VftQIgTpENJHT8NL1P0Hz4y6zQCvS-GMVqPiqQe7uwY9y3TyzyKUchiT4GTHEXZ4Qhx6iSekqxfveXNGImMCriN7kITp678GtUbHZjS2egSDPBSxWbkA/s1600/schoolgirlstrikers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInFYyxWnO-7KA8Sbfff33y90VftQIgTpENJHT8NL1P0Hz4y6zQCvS-GMVqPiqQe7uwY9y3TyzyKUchiT4GTHEXZ4Qhx6iSekqxfveXNGImMCriN7kITp678GtUbHZjS2egSDPBSxWbkA/s320/schoolgirlstrikers.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schoolgirl fetishists need their fun too, I guess</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/showa-genroku-rakugo-shinju">Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen (Descending Stories)</a><br />
Now this is how you do a sequel! The lead gave a recap of the previous season <i>in character and in the medium of rakugo</i> right at the start, so when it was time for the curtain to rise and the story to begin I felt as though the months between the seasons had melted away. The lengthy flashback to Yakumo's youth has well and truly come to an end, and this season looks as though it will be focusing on Yotarou - now the third generation Sukeroku - and his ongoing exploits in a world where the sun is gradually setting on the traditional art of rakugo storytelling. This also means more of Konatsu, whose understandable frustrations left many questions unanswered at the end of the previous arc. The saddest part is seeing Yakumo growing progressively older and more frail with every performance. It's very unlikely that <i>Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu </i>won't be in my top three at the end of the season. It's just perfect. Easily the strongest first episode of the season.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVALL6heWUnyoS3T-oX3Jjk1IR67qJJUP-wny7E09ErJIm0E28rVeGpNwGHIFZeRyUSR-5xGGQIHlEnyDicleacP9xEi7haBF62jfpT6y9i0y5fU-zb2JJy5qHobZ4Aw_l-IBnjHagx8/s1600/rakugosinjuus2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVALL6heWUnyoS3T-oX3Jjk1IR67qJJUP-wny7E09ErJIm0E28rVeGpNwGHIFZeRyUSR-5xGGQIHlEnyDicleacP9xEi7haBF62jfpT6y9i0y5fU-zb2JJy5qHobZ4Aw_l-IBnjHagx8/s320/rakugosinjuus2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please live forever, along with your rakugo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/spiritpact">Spiritpact</a><br />
Another one of the growing number of series with Chinese roots, <i>Spiritpact</i> is the Japanese version of an existing series which has apparently already aired in Chinese. I wasn't really sure what to expect; there hasn't been much hype for it and all I'd heard anyone say before it arrived on Crunchyroll was that it was a supernatural BL action show. Which sounded sort of awesome. The first thing I noticed after the very pleasant opening song was that it's very obvious that the Japanese audio isn't the original soundtrack. Japan has an active dubbing industry (like many European countries) and I'm used to seeing foreign content dubbed into Japanese on television when I travel, but here the pacing of the dialogue felt very awkward. I don't think it was that the acting was bad, necessarily, but the actors were really having to speed through their lines to fit them to the animation and what may have sounded perfectly natural in the original Chinese comes across as flat and rushed in this version. It would be nice to have both audio tracks available on Crunchyroll for comparison.<br />
<br />
In any case, the plot starts out with a simple setup where our (rather irritating) hero Keika has a run-in with an evil spirit and meets a mysterious, handsome stranger - then immediately gets hits by a truck and dies. A convenient side effect of this is that now he's a ghost, he looks much younger than he used to be because he's gone back to resemble the way he looked when he was happiest in life (hmm). Keika is still trying to process all of this new information when the aforementioned stranger asks him to stay in the human world permanently and assist him as his spirit familiar. Keika resists at first, but the two of them naturally end up teaming up and presumably their relationship will gradually develop over time. While the animation is very cheap, the staff have done a good job disguising this for the most part and the ending sequence teases some cool-looking characters. It's got promise.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwHceGRriPyhKqgIctAGKRACqWYVfwHLkERza2cszlGZSVX6KRPXvv4PwZ_OmdTKvbk7SIuwR9xKOC8H2cu_fKp7WsrmGcqHh13YGsF0DjQy2U2gkNIL1ukDLc94O3BR-kDkFO3e0SF8/s1600/spiritpact.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwHceGRriPyhKqgIctAGKRACqWYVfwHLkERza2cszlGZSVX6KRPXvv4PwZ_OmdTKvbk7SIuwR9xKOC8H2cu_fKp7WsrmGcqHh13YGsF0DjQy2U2gkNIL1ukDLc94O3BR-kDkFO3e0SF8/s320/spiritpact.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The surly exorcist guy has zero personality but looks cool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/super-lovers">Super Lovers 2</a><br />
The BL show with a central romantic pairing so questionable that it caused the Crunchyroll marketing team to criticise their own service for licensing it is back for a second season! I don't honestly like <i>Super Lovers</i> all that much; it lacks sincerity and I'm really not that interested in young characters. But it's goofy and melodramatic so I keep watching it anyway. I wonder what's going to happen this season?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RnAGq0pl8RYOaa2r2hFQZXjlTxYYgvQAvxQpJ1FhPysRqkP0Hs8bbeg7g8MnX_EAhR650PH5BON3jz5vwRRkhyphenhyphen6kf4n9tRXZazfcToHRXT9RSCvslJ5O3iZv7s4NVmSqlNeuXF2cEv4/s1600/superlovers2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RnAGq0pl8RYOaa2r2hFQZXjlTxYYgvQAvxQpJ1FhPysRqkP0Hs8bbeg7g8MnX_EAhR650PH5BON3jz5vwRRkhyphenhyphen6kf4n9tRXZazfcToHRXT9RSCvslJ5O3iZv7s4NVmSqlNeuXF2cEv4/s320/superlovers2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be good to Ren, Haru</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.theanimenetwork.com/Watch-Anime/Urara-Meirocho">Urara Meirochou</a><br />
<div>
I almost missed out on seeing <i>Urara Meirochou</i> entirely as it's this season's unlucky title to find itself selected as an exclusive on The Anime Network. Even though the first episode could still be watched for free, its absence from the big hitters like Crunchyroll made it easy to overlook and The Anime Network didn't even bother putting it on its own front page. Our heroine is Chiya, a happy-go-lucky (and slightly feral) girl from the mountains who has just turned fifteen and travelled to Meirochou, a town populated by 'urara' fortune tellers, in response to a mysterious invitation. The main gag is that Chiya thinks she has to lift up her top to show everyone her belly and lower breasts whenever she apologises for something; as she keeps screwing up, her midriff is frequently on display, and this upsets the conservative local police chief. In spite of The Anime Network's attempts to kill it, <i>Urara Meirochou</i> has been attracting quite a few positive reviews so I'm just going to conclude I'm entirely immune to cute girls unless they're proven to have brains. It's just too silly for me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5bHsz-KXUXj_mh2CBmI91bN1LNLMR0ZYilijRYICdjxVqwlM0N16zPRDuMyPt5Bn5j8WNrkgq4_UNy0owx89KG6PXF7NhhbUnYn0svUmb6AWNd4w-czw-t8zAeG4KFwRWHg4FE_dgzU/s1600/urarameirochou.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5bHsz-KXUXj_mh2CBmI91bN1LNLMR0ZYilijRYICdjxVqwlM0N16zPRDuMyPt5Bn5j8WNrkgq4_UNy0owx89KG6PXF7NhhbUnYn0svUmb6AWNd4w-czw-t8zAeG4KFwRWHg4FE_dgzU/s320/urarameirochou.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In fairness none of the others are quite as dumb as Chiya</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/saga-of-tanya-the-evil">Youjo Senki (Saga Of Tanya The Evil)</a><br />
What a weird, weird series. I've never heard of the <i>Youjo Senki</i> light novel series before; it seems to have its fans. In an alternate universe's answer to warring 20th century Europe, there's a tiny girl fighting in the military who takes obedience and tactics very seriously. She also happens to be a rather savage mage who can fly through the sky and decimate enemy squads in spite of her tiny frame. It all sounds a lot like <i>Shuumatsu No Izetta</i> which I dropped a couple of months ago, except that the beautiful colours and elegant princesses have been traded in for earthy tones and dirt-smeared faces, and almost every single line in the first episode's script is intended to emphasise how terrifying and amazing and incredible and small Tanya is, which ended up grating on me. If she's awesome, please show her doing more awesome things rather than ramming the narrative down my throat at every opportunity; it felt like being at a recital run by her private fan club. There are no characters of note thus far other than Tanya herself and the useless, buxom soldier who interacts with her to highlight how uncannily hungry for combat the pint-sized bombshell can be, and I can only assume the main audience is the healthy demographic of military otaku in love with fantasy stories about girls on the battlefield. It's a shame that I didn't like it because along with <i>Onihei </i>it had the best key art of the season.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQMAETG9dItowVO5xd45cvKi0I1K7M7ulfJU4BsdtLVl7YKlrMb8ZViMc5OuS6cN4EoePVoRwSNmWcbpLn_SDLpF2PW8bE5nxApcZRfaTKTIUQzMgwryMb_4JRoXJMDYnWSftg70qb9o/s1600/youjosenki.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQMAETG9dItowVO5xd45cvKi0I1K7M7ulfJU4BsdtLVl7YKlrMb8ZViMc5OuS6cN4EoePVoRwSNmWcbpLn_SDLpF2PW8bE5nxApcZRfaTKTIUQzMgwryMb_4JRoXJMDYnWSftg70qb9o/s320/youjosenki.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only nice-looking scene in the first episode</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
--<br />
<br />
I'm following a lot of sequels and spin-offs this season. There are also a few for shows I don't follow which I skipped for obvious reasons:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/konosuba-gods-blessing-on-this-wonderful-world">Kono Subarashii Sekai Ni Shukufuku Wo! 2 (KonoSuba - God's Blessing On This Wonderful World 2!)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/rewrite">Rewrite season 2 (Moon-hen/Terra-hen)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.daisuki.net/gb/en/anime/detail.TalesofZestiriatheX.html">Tales of Zestiria The X season 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/yamishibai-japanese-ghost-stories">Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories season 4</a><br />
<div>
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/yowamushi-pedal-new-generation">Yowamushi Pedal New Generation</a><br />
<br /></div>
I would like to watch <i>Yowamushi Pedal</i> but there's still no stream or physical release of any kind for any of the earlier content if you're in the UK so anyone wanting to watch the latest arc is coming in blind. Another well-planned distribution strategy from the anime industry.<br />
<br />
<b>Region locked English simulcast titles</b><b> (unavailable here):</b><br />
<br />
<i>Seiren</i><br />
<br />
Only one title available in the US has been region locked completely which has to be some kind of record for the UK, especially as it doesn't look like something I would have enjoyed anyway. A special award goes to <i>Little Witch Academia,</i> which is this season's unlucky title locked away by Netflix's usual disastrous licensing strategy. Nobody's allowed to watch it legally until next season when they'll release it bilingually long after everyone has stopped caring. No thanks.<br />
<br />
There's also <i>BanG Dream!</i> which might be available to the UK and might not. Sentai haven't been clear about The Anime Network's strategy outside of their home turf and I can't be bothered to delay my impressions post for two weeks to find out whether we've been left out yet again.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
I'm going to guess that my top three will look something like this when the end of the season rolls around:<br />
<br />
<i>1. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu</i><br />
<i>2. MARGINAL #4</i><br />
<i>3. </i><i>ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept</i><br />
<br />
<i>Kuzu No Honkai</i> would be fighting for a position on the list if there was a chance that I could actually continue watching it. Thanks for nothing once again, Amazon!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6fijCoy4yp35misd7COBzydu_zfgQBCdycKW2w46KueujnzK9ab8jzK71zKtSoolLD5Hg61-J0JEQEh6whPemDSvb2dEzRdp0-GGDbtfLnKy1Vhcl4K5LCPQD6L5M3BPD07Pj8zNTK8/s1600/marginal4b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6fijCoy4yp35misd7COBzydu_zfgQBCdycKW2w46KueujnzK9ab8jzK71zKtSoolLD5Hg61-J0JEQEh6whPemDSvb2dEzRdp0-GGDbtfLnKy1Vhcl4K5LCPQD6L5M3BPD07Pj8zNTK8/s320/marginal4b.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As it stands, my winter streaming schedule currently looks like this:<br />
<br />
<b>Monday: </b><i>Chiruran 1/2</i><br />
<b>Tuesday:</b><i> ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept, Nobunaga No Shinobi</i><br />
<i> </i><b>Wednesday: </b><i>Kobayashi-san Chi No Maid Dragon</i><br />
<b>Thursday:</b><i> ALL OUT!!, MARGINAL #4, Super Lovers 2</i><br />
<b>Friday:</b><i> Ao No Exorcist, Fuuka, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu</i><br />
<i> </i><b>Saturday:</b><i> March Comes In Like A Lion</i><br />
<b>Sunday: </b><i>Gintama, Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans</i>Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-71270548898579162322016-12-31T22:29:00.003+00:002016-12-31T22:29:41.208+00:00Streaming: Autumn 2016 anime final impressionsI've been trying to take it easy this season since I came in so late that it was tough to get caught up on everything. Still, there were quite a few good shows which prevented me from watching as little as possible and easing myself in gently. It helped that I was able to watch absolutely everything I wanted on <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/">Crunchyroll</a> alone (for once), avoiding the hassle of juggling half a dozen different streaming services with their own unique annoyances.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxv46UrRW0irjcgypQ3Axhx-yySE8v0rmExipcQCiYIqp_bYmhqmhNVaEE2wpAYEIwp9dneEJmnLOhl9mI-wxNnCFE-TClBTsku5jH7tZPkphiZ3bWk-C04xRjCT0TZpqa-Fb2aoRHgss/s1600/jjbas4ed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxv46UrRW0irjcgypQ3Axhx-yySE8v0rmExipcQCiYIqp_bYmhqmhNVaEE2wpAYEIwp9dneEJmnLOhl9mI-wxNnCFE-TClBTsku5jH7tZPkphiZ3bWk-C04xRjCT0TZpqa-Fb2aoRHgss/s320/jjbas4ed.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Although they started out reasonably strong I ended up dropping <i>Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru</i> and <i>Magic-kyun! Renaissance </i>due to time constraints; neither really succeeded in keeping my attention. And I wonder what happened to the promised <i>Watashi Ga Motete Dousunda (Kiss Him, Not Me)</i> simulcast? It never turned up. UK license-holders Anime Limited say the signed paperwork was turned over to Crunchyroll but the show remained region locked away from the UK right until the end. A pity.<br />
<br />
It's difficult to rank individual shows for this post-season ranking. There were a lot of titles I enjoyed but my favourites changed week by week!<br />
<br />
<i>1. </i><i>JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</i><br />
<i>2. </i><i>Yuuri!!! On Ice</i><br />
<i>3. </i><i>Drifters</i><br />
<br />
<i>Yuuri!!! On Ice</i> was amazing, a real surprise bursting with idealism and elegance. On the other hand, this year's long-running <i>JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</i> saga somehow kept things bonkers from start to finish and was like nothing else I've watched all year. Then there was <i>Drifters</i>, which I'd been looking forward to for ages and found even better than the manga. They're all completely different shows and incomparable, so the ranking is even more meaningless than usual.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/bungo-stray-dogs">Bungou Stray Dogs season 2</a><br />
After reestablishing the series' setting with an interesting arc about the spooky Port Mafia, <i>Bungou Stray Dogs</i> went straight back to covering our heroes' present day exploits as part of an increasingly intense three-way conflict between the Armed Detective Agency, the Port Mafia and the Guild. The introductory arc helped explain Dazai's dark past and motivations, and the cruel Guild members made for interesting adversaries who forced the other two organisations to set their personal grievances aside on more than one occasion for the greater good. I never really appreciated it happening, but lead character Atsushi himself has also grown a great deal over the course of the series. <i>Bungou Stray Dogs</i> managed to impress me more with its second season and I'd happily lap up another batch of episodes in future.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlPwSlf7YV4655oyJKeCdte5LEVvgyRnw5y3l2Ao91R11vpUPI-Pxpvy9vsJ-2ZNWQYorSJ3t2imrZMds80Px2_e4IbCVEHFWymdLHrZMVeqQZDRuVIfhjc3gwQO-5ftMMYMrSQnxDAY/s1600/bungoustraydogss2ending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlPwSlf7YV4655oyJKeCdte5LEVvgyRnw5y3l2Ao91R11vpUPI-Pxpvy9vsJ-2ZNWQYorSJ3t2imrZMds80Px2_e4IbCVEHFWymdLHrZMVeqQZDRuVIfhjc3gwQO-5ftMMYMrSQnxDAY/s320/bungoustraydogss2ending.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still unsure whether I prefer him when he's serious or silly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/drifters">Drifters</a><br />
It was always inevitable that <i>Drifters</i> was going to be unfinished without running far longer than its allotted twelve episodes, so I'm not surprised or disappointed that it left the sweeping battle between Toyohisa's growing army and the forces of evil unresolved. I love the (equally-unfinished) manga and this adaptation was just great, from the thumping opening theme to the heroic end title sequence, satisfying my love of history, action and geeky jokes all in one go. This series makes all of the other 'historical warriors coming together to fight' titles seem weak in comparison. Roll on season two.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKIJdfnXP1Ul3Eedn_TQ-EqMRcg8koVv1-EJKmkpG4tnShqontsMekkIwZkCyrYc7afnOZDZvWnwlr6d05GHGyyiV04RZHunGRkRqqCzfF5GGjUlutyv-dwIB-2Qe68stIdhMrJe1te0/s1600/driftersending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKIJdfnXP1Ul3Eedn_TQ-EqMRcg8koVv1-EJKmkpG4tnShqontsMekkIwZkCyrYc7afnOZDZvWnwlr6d05GHGyyiV04RZHunGRkRqqCzfF5GGjUlutyv-dwIB-2Qe68stIdhMrJe1te0/s320/driftersending.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singlehandedly making the Shimazu clan seem badass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/gakuen-handsome">Gakuen Handsome</a><br />
I don't have much to add to my first impressions post. <i>Gakuen Handsome</i> is stupid and looks terrible. That's deliberate, since this is a parody of BL harem games. There wasn't enough content in this short series to bother with a coherent plot, but the deadpan humour was a funny diversion and the episodes weren't long enough to outstay their welcome. A decent comedy which is very much a product of its time.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSkmgeCMhmSLyWDIfBMcvucXQW9aA32_qn852SUPG1LzjN2BJO_jeXgeITlBe2n35EiDeDo71kdzQ6Cwfp0Hgyeb6WXaP966tUdk4gPE_grE4RwhBRQeyXQ7i8iUvqYburj4-QggqEPc/s1600/gakuenhandsomeend.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSkmgeCMhmSLyWDIfBMcvucXQW9aA32_qn852SUPG1LzjN2BJO_jeXgeITlBe2n35EiDeDo71kdzQ6Cwfp0Hgyeb6WXaP966tUdk4gPE_grE4RwhBRQeyXQ7i8iUvqYburj4-QggqEPc/s320/gakuenhandsomeend.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The feisty little sister was the only sensible one</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/haikyu">Haikyuu!! season 3</a><br />
The first show I was following to finish its run after just ten episodes, <i>Haikyuu!!</i> pulled out all the stops and reminded me why I liked the series so much. This season tells the story of a single volleyball match against a powerhouse school nobody was really expecting our heroes to be able to beat, and it does so beautifully, with every character on both teams getting a few moments to shine as the gruelling battle wages onwards. Even the cold Tsukishima finally opens up more to his teammates and comes off all the better for it. I support the underdogs at Karasuno along with the majority of viewers, but I think the best part of this arc was that I also liked the villains: Tendou Satori's stupid facial expressions could fuel the entire Internet in reaction images for decades to come.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2zDTHjRAPmPhPmTWQHrTPRhnU-haRLSOyv4fkwDTjOvtwKmJJRJddJTRKF0P2lLLE5_sUDbPdxMxxspXOifCUDC0ilHPROrbfz2jNlLQEOmmMm27Fe3e_XKhVx90qPGeozFxyRVhRPM/s1600/haikyuus3ending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2zDTHjRAPmPhPmTWQHrTPRhnU-haRLSOyv4fkwDTjOvtwKmJJRJddJTRKF0P2lLLE5_sUDbPdxMxxspXOifCUDC0ilHPROrbfz2jNlLQEOmmMm27Fe3e_XKhVx90qPGeozFxyRVhRPM/s320/haikyuus3ending.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New favourite <i>Haikyuu!! </i>character (for now?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/jojos-bizarre-adventure">JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable (JoJo No Kimyou Na Bouken)</a><br />
It ended! The latest series of <i>JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</i> really wormed its way into my life. It had a completely different feel to the earlier outings, with the high stakes questing replaced by a series of small town adventures which felt more like an episodic detective show some of the time. The creator's vivid imagination kept things interesting (and exceptionally dramatic) even during the most outwardly-mundane storylines, and as with every new <i>JoJo</i> series there were several characters I found particularly fun to watch, namely Okuyasu and Rohan. Jousuke himself was great too, and having his special power be more useful for healing than destruction was a clever twist; rather than overpowering his enemies like Joutarou he was forced to outsmart them by using his talents in unusual ways instead. There's still more than enough manga to adapt, so where's the confirmation that the next series is on the way?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3W9WcnkK_QhS8YqYy-XB7I9svNet3RRgPVTmWv2bVl0xa6MCc6wSQAqyFkMTc-8BXoI3upoytMm-0ZJLOh_wXKDLqlHHOG8y0zt4UcpAOoJPoAZ3Nrl-uPQkb0GHkFIhkRjojTpLuZw/s1600/rohannnnn.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3W9WcnkK_QhS8YqYy-XB7I9svNet3RRgPVTmWv2bVl0xa6MCc6wSQAqyFkMTc-8BXoI3upoytMm-0ZJLOh_wXKDLqlHHOG8y0zt4UcpAOoJPoAZ3Nrl-uPQkb0GHkFIhkRjojTpLuZw/s320/rohannnnn.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/keijo">Keijo!!!!!!!!</a><br />
How did I watch this all the way through? <i>Keijo!!!!!!!!</i> is unashamedly the most trashy show of the season (if not the entire year). I don't like any of the characters, or the art, and the 'sport' of <i>keijo</i> around which the plot revolves is utterly stupid. The athletes themselves seemed just as disinterested, being constantly surprised whenever some new rule or event is mentioned despite supposedly loving the sport and studying it every day. But there's something addictive about the series' singleminded pursuit of entertainment over common sense, and the enthusiasm that the staff (and localisation team) had for making butt-related puns is worthy of respect in its own twisted way. Although I would not recommend this to anyone else, it was a fun watch as a guilty pleasure.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTWfcriQ_rrIvOgSvFp7TG4ckGJtQDGeH0PZpNLeZbQnIcAg6XjcmdDOGtGzuN3ZoInaSHqRAKXya5QftXPQi5ZiodWG5rwW2TPzayNkqkYaTGLHnLY181AW1jYJZ-wIZKb7QzF-hu8U/s1600/keijofinale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTWfcriQ_rrIvOgSvFp7TG4ckGJtQDGeH0PZpNLeZbQnIcAg6XjcmdDOGtGzuN3ZoInaSHqRAKXya5QftXPQi5ZiodWG5rwW2TPzayNkqkYaTGLHnLY181AW1jYJZ-wIZKb7QzF-hu8U/s320/keijofinale.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just don't ask me to name any of them</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/uta-no-prince-sama">Uta No Prince-sama Maji Love Legend Star</a><br />
This season of <i>UtaPri</i> starts out just as any other; the ST☆RISH boys are each forced to team up with one of their counterparts from HE★VENS to create a series of duets, which just so happens to mean each episode can focus on one new character along with one of the older ones to give everyone a decent amount of character development (the four guys from QUARTET NIGHT get their own short story early on, too). Of course, each generic-sounding duet has a story behind it, which usually involves the HE★VENS members being obnoxious and disruptive while the familiar cast try to learn to work with them. Surprisingly, the plot takes a darker turn towards the end and develops a few of the veterans (and the relationships between the boys) more than I expected; the leader of HE★VENS finally gets some proper screen time as well to make his priorities clearer to the viewer. I enjoyed <i>Legend Star</i> and the big climax at a major concert was pure bliss. I'll be looking forward to the next <i>UtaPri</i> adaptation, as always!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpuOyVuLkMqNqfJ-QTJsfsQ0GRj9vKruLmB-mkGostW_M74hJZpR5HkBxSIojXuedmOuEPD1ov-OSnr8twAPx1442HM1Y_kwkN1TMfjznOMkuiYQhPwaMivHkksPs1rm8NdSYMcdnLvg/s1600/utaprilegendstared.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpuOyVuLkMqNqfJ-QTJsfsQ0GRj9vKruLmB-mkGostW_M74hJZpR5HkBxSIojXuedmOuEPD1ov-OSnr8twAPx1442HM1Y_kwkN1TMfjznOMkuiYQhPwaMivHkksPs1rm8NdSYMcdnLvg/s320/utaprilegendstared.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ST<span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">☆</span>RISH forever, indeed!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/yuri-on-ice">Yuuri!!! On Ice</a><br />
I took <i>Yuuri!!! On Ice</i> to be a skating show first and foremost at the start, never even dreaming that the cute romance plot was ever going to be developed properly in the background without compromising the sporting action. Honestly, I was expecting it to take the form of cheesy fan service to add a dash of levity to the intense competitions in between. Wow. I was wrong. It's rare that a sport-themed title manages to drastically escalate the drama both on and off the pitch (erm, rink), and it expertly tied both sides of its story together throughout every episode. The finale was a magical celebration of sequins, passion and feelings, and if they're really working on a sequel it cannot come soon enough. I loved every single character by the end, even J.J. whose stifling overconfidence initially annoyed the heck out of me. Great show.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpj51dIni4MIqnE3vUT198iWcwSh7lW14aLpHSDX6ui3f6PYZvN7D-lc8lPi9hi3_viyuXfuJLHNRcnb9Ac7UZ2A0vxswkaz58BV5DNJx5mSzRp2uCdwE0kKu2VUO2yVyqa1mc0z2O_6M/s1600/yuurioniceend.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpj51dIni4MIqnE3vUT198iWcwSh7lW14aLpHSDX6ui3f6PYZvN7D-lc8lPi9hi3_viyuXfuJLHNRcnb9Ac7UZ2A0vxswkaz58BV5DNJx5mSzRp2uCdwE0kKu2VUO2yVyqa1mc0z2O_6M/s320/yuurioniceend.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most human characters of the season? Yep.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
--<br />
<br />
And we're done! It's the end of 2016 and the end of the Autumn 2016 anime season, at least for me.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tP-hsC0ZGpMuU-6YC4g8GStXsbgsq2tdbzYJTuz4ZxEzdnmSWsE9zw3QOKJrEhde75-Jxy-rvkmc3MEBH6-CXcq2JGXhA8PmY304zD7VSrKW05-PMNDJWAOqmP4ywqZEJaZPAAzPMCc/s1600/sangatsunolion.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tP-hsC0ZGpMuU-6YC4g8GStXsbgsq2tdbzYJTuz4ZxEzdnmSWsE9zw3QOKJrEhde75-Jxy-rvkmc3MEBH6-CXcq2JGXhA8PmY304zD7VSrKW05-PMNDJWAOqmP4ywqZEJaZPAAzPMCc/s320/sangatsunolion.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the best scenes of the season from an ongoing show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>ALL OUT!, March Comes In Like A Lion, Nobunaga No Shinobi</i> and <i>Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans</i> are continuing into the Winter 2016 season, so even without adding any new shows I have quite a few titles on my plate. I hope I can catch up on my real life a bit more for a few days!<br />
<br />
Happy New Year!Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-71601480220830427112016-12-01T11:21:00.001+00:002016-12-01T11:21:27.260+00:00Streaming: Autumn 2016 anime first impressionsI've finally caught up with the start of the current anime season, less than a month before it's scheduled to end. Taking back control of my life is a slow process! Everything changed once again this season, as <a href="https://funimationnow.uk/">Funimation</a> have turned their new service into a dub-focused portal while letting <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/lineup">Crunchyroll</a> have the rights to their subtitled anime. It saves me some money as I no longer require two subscriptions. Meanwhile, however, <a href="http://www.theanimenetwork.com/">The Anime Network</a> has made another attempt to lock content to their own home-grown service to tempt people away from the market leaders, but it's a poor value proposition with only one exclusive show streaming to the UK. No thanks. I'll stick with Crunchyroll and pass on that one show. Animax UK have no acquisitions at all (hurrah!) but <a href="https://www.daisuki.net/">Daisuki</a> and Amazon Prime have a couple. I've also had the good fortune to be able to see a few films in the cinema across the UK recently, including <i>Your Name. (Kimi No Na Ha.), La Tortue Rouge</i> and the first two parts of <i>Kizumonogatari</i>. All were great.<br />
<br />
The excellent <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/jojos-bizarre-adventure">JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</a> was my only ongoing commitment so I would normally have avoided picking up too much this season, except that a whole bunch of titles I was previously following have returned with sequels. So there hasn't been all that much room for completely new shows in my weekly schedule.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6Te6G-INvjhtS6eODdq_cdD7YSCX-xv9okF5MzYhNHLfv-GUQNa2FdF-XyZES-ZDtpVhGMv5wIGgPkwgFmeGGzartBuAiWtZAgFLZQETYXAQPXpKiJwKffVEYnoeZyL1OU4l_okiHys/s1600/girlishnumber2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6Te6G-INvjhtS6eODdq_cdD7YSCX-xv9okF5MzYhNHLfv-GUQNa2FdF-XyZES-ZDtpVhGMv5wIGgPkwgFmeGGzartBuAiWtZAgFLZQETYXAQPXpKiJwKffVEYnoeZyL1OU4l_okiHys/s320/girlishnumber2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So without further ado - I need to start work on my final impressions post soon - here's the current rundown of UK simulcasts!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/all-out">ALL OUT!!</a><br />
One of several sport-themed anime airing this season, <i>ALL OUT!!</i> stands out for its artwork which places a much more detailed emphasis than usual on the players' varied physiques. I actually really like the designs; they're far from 'pretty' but they have a feeling of weight and power to them which contrasts with the skinny boys we usually see in shows about team sports. The focus is rugby this time so for once I actually know the basic rules of the game they'll be playing. Our hero Gion is a short newcomer who ends up joining the school rugby club after he tags along with a gentle giant they're trying to enroll, and because he's completely new to the sport everything is explained clearly by the more experienced players. His enthusiastic, somewhat violent personality is a good fit for rugby and while I'm not expecting anything groundbreaking I'm sure the series will be a fun watch if I can manage to get caught up.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSLVguh37SqdWajqJUfT3fxz2a4GnTg0USy4ySyURdFfeVKyTCOF_DVobzwBY_ZjvSCcMvWXLLSW97gWIjIY4xyCe8ZQponeIXW94BWbIlBn-R0ctpSbZeT25Bq5AYlAmL1WaoWoEZDk/s1600/allout.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSLVguh37SqdWajqJUfT3fxz2a4GnTg0USy4ySyURdFfeVKyTCOF_DVobzwBY_ZjvSCcMvWXLLSW97gWIjIY4xyCe8ZQponeIXW94BWbIlBn-R0ctpSbZeT25Bq5AYlAmL1WaoWoEZDk/s320/allout.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry about the boring screenshot, but nice muscles!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/aooni-the-blue-monster">Ao Oni The Animation</a><br />
A series of horror-themed comedy shorts about a bunch of colourful teens(?) who end up in an old house with a spooky blue <i>oni</i> with a taste for human flesh. It's simple and harmless, yet not something I'd watch regularly.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOsqBhk73Zw_cEmmVP4syzwxvplEJE2a0xaQXOwcdw7DWkYeDUitqCftfa6Y5Mfq6nEc65DFV9DvgzVmcnZ3e2RqK_110o_ZPflk_8qsvNZANuMsxIPMVIkQIk-DoPuHMe7iz9aEbsV8/s1600/aooni.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOsqBhk73Zw_cEmmVP4syzwxvplEJE2a0xaQXOwcdw7DWkYeDUitqCftfa6Y5Mfq6nEc65DFV9DvgzVmcnZ3e2RqK_110o_ZPflk_8qsvNZANuMsxIPMVIkQIk-DoPuHMe7iz9aEbsV8/s320/aooni.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice designs, mediocre show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/miss-bernard-said">Bernard-jou Iwaku. (Miss Bernard said.)</a><br />
If the literary references in <i>Bungou Stray Dogs</i> aren't enough for you, <i>Bernard-jou Iwaku</i> offers another dose, this time in the form of a short comedy series about a young poseur calling herself Miss Bernard who swans around the school library pretending to know everything about a bunch of books she's never even read. The titular character is probably completely unlikeable to anyone who has ever cared about books in any way, but if you want to load up on trivia about authors, genres and international novel adaptations it's a decent comedy show. The long-haired science fiction fangirl is clearly the best character.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlByMBFGg0BdjlZZcbW2niblRQOLp2ygEohPOsiWEP02W9gEOcxfvCy7qR_UDh2HuxichnA637mwzYCPbeBBQRwhmaz57mxQAW2tExIjpIbVgcqfYX2vlxMGIyyenc5hkiNBSEbpvwH4/s1600/bernardjou.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlByMBFGg0BdjlZZcbW2niblRQOLp2ygEohPOsiWEP02W9gEOcxfvCy7qR_UDh2HuxichnA637mwzYCPbeBBQRwhmaz57mxQAW2tExIjpIbVgcqfYX2vlxMGIyyenc5hkiNBSEbpvwH4/s320/bernardjou.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can the lead be so annoying?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/bloodivores">Bloodivores</a><br />
Originating as a Chinese webcomic, <i>Bloodivores</i> tells the story of a world where some people have been transformed into 'bloodivores' (effectively vampires) due to a mishap with a drug used to treat the outbreak of a mysterious disease. These bloodivores are regarded as dangerous but otherwise participate in society as normal. The hero, Mi Liu, is a half-human, half-bloodivore who has apparently had huge expectations piled on his shoulders from an early age as the celebrated 'Child of Peace' who links the two groups together - so of course he goes completely off the rails and ends up involved in a crime which gets him locked away with a death sentence. He's also an annoying know-it-all. Mi Liu realises very quickly that something is wrong with his conviction but lacks the power to investigate further, and his (so-far awesome) evil dad is no help at all. <i>Bloodivores</i> is ok. There are some good ideas but it doesn't really stand out in any way.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24TzhbabdkqWBmsqveDnlAPN6HGa2U6_MYWGkTKLQ4zMuSIt65TdwSE0mJ8OGfW25aqdk2iIDR3BjSeWLmF833m8c4rXoeDbnUhR6waysYItJeANEntX4N2K8lALO373iJJDzU-ogijw/s1600/bloodivorres.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24TzhbabdkqWBmsqveDnlAPN6HGa2U6_MYWGkTKLQ4zMuSIt65TdwSE0mJ8OGfW25aqdk2iIDR3BjSeWLmF833m8c4rXoeDbnUhR6waysYItJeANEntX4N2K8lALO373iJJDzU-ogijw/s320/bloodivorres.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The social elements are more interesting than the main plot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/bungo-stray-dogs">Bungou Stray Dogs season 2</a><br />
It's back! And right from the start it launched into a multi-part flashback story to ease viewers back in with an important event from Dazai's shady past with the Port Mafia. The plot was nothing special but I found this flashback arc very interesting for answering a lot of the questions I had about how Dazai ended up working for the good guys in the present; he's a fantastic character who deserves every bit of exposure he gets. And the series is prettier than ever. Definitely one for my regular viewing schedule once again.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUeoy8WSMBJLRZJMrqvQMronLbm46i0uIx8Lef_Mc3rthGadhcCc3xc9ANt7QDsZeCABelR8byHdmjm5U7Rfl_NNQoy8OzQnCPb4cOIpL4OABEKWnG9Ry56DmdjGhaVsiC2j-i_Gsz1E/s1600/bungousds2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUeoy8WSMBJLRZJMrqvQMronLbm46i0uIx8Lef_Mc3rthGadhcCc3xc9ANt7QDsZeCABelR8byHdmjm5U7Rfl_NNQoy8OzQnCPb4cOIpL4OABEKWnG9Ry56DmdjGhaVsiC2j-i_Gsz1E/s320/bungousds2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nice designs don't come across so well in stills</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/cheating-craft">Cheating Craft</a><br />
After the most laboured introduction of any series I've seen in a while, <i>Cheating Craft</i> finally gets to its point halfway through the first episode and explains that it's a melodramatic action series about a highly competitive academic exam with stakes so high that it can change the course of a person's life. People go to insane lengths to pass and this has ended up creating a situation where half of the test-takers are 'learning types' - people who study and strive to do their best on their own merits - while the other half are 'cheating types', intent on copying answers from their more studious counterparts. For reasons which make very little sense it's become the custom for people to take the test in pairs, with the cheater secretly protecting their designated learner from attacks while they answer all of the questions to guarantee both participants pass. The lengthy explanation which ended with a complete story reset was unnecessary because the concept is very simple. It's also an awful lot like the <i>chuunin</i> arc in a certain well-known <i>shounen</i> action series that was popular a few years ago. As in it's almost exactly the same only with fewer ninja and no likeable characters. What's the point?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx_AMEi4Kx3AciY14oEO-b7W4kiDBZgAe-3mdnscQCeLt8mxsUQor3qb4LPoQV9NlXNqCasmodeptnkHWRZoK0twRwN5eRpgA015MVnJzRGBlZa9IkGSZzf1PzbJZLvIQQ_NTHsKLQ2s/s1600/cheatincrafft.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx_AMEi4Kx3AciY14oEO-b7W4kiDBZgAe-3mdnscQCeLt8mxsUQor3qb4LPoQV9NlXNqCasmodeptnkHWRZoK0twRwN5eRpgA015MVnJzRGBlZa9IkGSZzf1PzbJZLvIQQ_NTHsKLQ2s/s320/cheatincrafft.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks ok, but where's the heart?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/classicaloid">ClassicaLoid</a><br />
There's a lot of interesting design and inspiration to be found in <i>ClassicaLoid</i>, a quirky show about famous composers living in modern day Japan. Beethoven is the star of the show, reimagined as a <i>gyouza</i>-loving eccentric prone to burst into moments of reality-bending musical rapture whenever the impulse takes him. Somehow, though, the presentation isn't clicking with me and the <i>gyouza</i> thing feels more forced than comical. If I have some time later on I might come back and give it a second chance.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTce0LIZtAY1jQB3udOu7AOTPX8Am9jDuj01N3l175kIt4LiuntkcjeuASA0ZTcW2dGhC2nSwPuVSuIbTuTKG-uHZPC-fFOk1Ri_tDWleoIupw9F-5y75WcIzb7aYcZTIaBJpHiZcrJdA/s1600/classicaloid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTce0LIZtAY1jQB3udOu7AOTPX8Am9jDuj01N3l175kIt4LiuntkcjeuASA0ZTcW2dGhC2nSwPuVSuIbTuTKG-uHZPC-fFOk1Ri_tDWleoIupw9F-5y75WcIzb7aYcZTIaBJpHiZcrJdA/s320/classicaloid.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a massive fan of the designs but it's gorgeous anyway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/dream-festival">Dream Festival (Dorifesu!!!!!!)</a><br />
You have to feel sorry for <i>DoriFesu</i>. It's a successful series in its own right, but as things turned out its anime adaptation aired in the same season as the latest <i>UtaPri</i> and the production team have effectively sent it out to die. There was never any chance of it looking good next to the behemoth of the genre even if the songs are better (a potentially controversial opinion). Anyway, I decided to give it a shot in case it somehow ended up even more ridiculous than the other big male idol show of the moment as there might have been enough room in my heart for both. Kanade is a good-looking normal guy who gets scouted by a famous idol producer attracted to his eagerness to please his audience, and of course he ends up going along with the invitation and persuaded to join a brand new boy band. Things soon end up getting weird though as it turns out that idols are working towards acquiring magical trading cards from their fans' praise, which power them up into special costumes via mildly risque transformation sequences with wobbly CG animation. They stay in CG form for the dance sequences, which are on par with <i>Love Live</i>'s. Ultimately though it was the card thing that killed it for me; that and the fact that none of the guys were edgy enough to appear interesting. I know the anime is meant to promote the card-collecting app it came from but it would be nice if the references were a little more subtle...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyG4BsLt_S7v3xs_z1y1vE5_nYCacSRLGvHbiARarjX7dSrV70zxBZ81jyZl0YDHyKtTAiwA1mmebyC_ouj8kUG7IZILa-z8IwJBIZHfvFGwrlWGuzSpA_GaGclwDOLQ_kWTNbxi7-4g/s1600/dorifesu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyG4BsLt_S7v3xs_z1y1vE5_nYCacSRLGvHbiARarjX7dSrV70zxBZ81jyZl0YDHyKtTAiwA1mmebyC_ouj8kUG7IZILa-z8IwJBIZHfvFGwrlWGuzSpA_GaGclwDOLQ_kWTNbxi7-4g/s320/dorifesu.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice music</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/drifters">Drifters</a><br />
I've been a fan of the <i>Drifters</i> manga for some time and with its glacial release schedule combined with the intense enthusiasm of the Japanese fans desperate for more, it's been tough waiting for an anime adaptation! Fortunately, this new television series seems to have been worth the wait. <i>Drifters</i> is a bloody, gritty action series about a world where heroes and villains from all different countries and periods are thrown together to battle to the death. There are major factions with their own goals who try to support the warriors and make them collaborate, but ultimately most of the main characters are so fiercely independent that it's often difficult to say who's really leading who.<br />
<br />
Our hero is Shimazu Toyohisa, a samurai from Satsuma who is whisked away from a glorious death in the Battle of Sekigahara and brought to this alternate world. He ends up teaming up with Oda Nobunaga and Nasu No Yoichi - Toyohisa giving Nobunaga an update on everything that happened since his death helps break the ice - and the three of them soon get to work organising rebellions and turning the world's status quo on its head.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqi7HV3wIsjY8pYvgZN_2xE-64l03ONNY_GDIaI8wKAIk0i__u2N6QZNoP8Kma3d7xX6as8jMivL1KPOFBYE9Pn7155Q7kpVE32VlYZ10vIF6czQZwVSqVO3ooT7FUFjGSNA6c1HVXts/s1600/drifters3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqi7HV3wIsjY8pYvgZN_2xE-64l03ONNY_GDIaI8wKAIk0i__u2N6QZNoP8Kma3d7xX6as8jMivL1KPOFBYE9Pn7155Q7kpVE32VlYZ10vIF6czQZwVSqVO3ooT7FUFjGSNA6c1HVXts/s320/drifters3.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the crazy way the Shimazu clan is portrayed here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There's a lot to like, from the comedy to the (actually very interesting) battle strategies, and the studio has clearly put a lot of effort into being true to creator Hirano Kouta's exaggerated artwork while keeping the animation quality high. This is a very appealing production. The voice acting makes the comical moments even funnier than they were in the manga; the natural chemistry between the leads is rewarding to watch on screen.<br />
<br />
I managed to see the first episode a few months ago at this year's Japan Expo, where original creator Hirano Kouta came on stage to answer questions and observe the French audience's reactions. He's adorable! Needless to say, I loved it, and it was therefore my first confirmed autumn show well in advance. I wouldn't miss it for the world.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDdo7vd1DN2u3xKBZysJsl_LDpNNqkpolUxj7MdxLNJOVkwGF3ilou69tmI-IPN22Ce-VRy1ngpDMYvw7IN49gVUvmKt0UJn00Cgr6ALea4tEur-TZCg5V-lEv-7tI_AByjH2nq6Hmwk/s1600/drifters1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDdo7vd1DN2u3xKBZysJsl_LDpNNqkpolUxj7MdxLNJOVkwGF3ilou69tmI-IPN22Ce-VRy1ngpDMYvw7IN49gVUvmKt0UJn00Cgr6ALea4tEur-TZCg5V-lEv-7tI_AByjH2nq6Hmwk/s320/drifters1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The art isn't 'pretty', but it's always entertaining to look at</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/flip-flappers">FLIP FLAPPERS</a><br />
I keep seeing stills from <i>FLIP FLAPPERS</i> which make me regret my decision to drop it because it looks absolutely stunning; it's visually inventive, colourful and dainty. The problem is that even after watching the first episode I struggled to find anything to latch onto. The characters weren't interesting to me, the initial story was pure fluff and the underlying science fiction plot (?) was too vague. However, I can certainly see why people are praising it; if I was able to sit back and let the lovely animation of these two sweet girls wash over me I'd have a lot more fun with its eccentric storytelling. Probably one to watch for yourself before forming an opinion. I'll be keeping an eye on reactions to see where it goes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ryeXGUIXh2gggKk5aLe03H3VhQ4Kky4KBgR4mSQzLk11wRQBb_VaY6_IVTPWttrDac03zAX_KWnwPw4PMrXdvVQkpqXhG4tc-yZEL2yxwfVxRhAYTTkZXurVkVw84jgUszJL9Y_kK5c/s1600/flipflappers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ryeXGUIXh2gggKk5aLe03H3VhQ4Kky4KBgR4mSQzLk11wRQBb_VaY6_IVTPWttrDac03zAX_KWnwPw4PMrXdvVQkpqXhG4tc-yZEL2yxwfVxRhAYTTkZXurVkVw84jgUszJL9Y_kK5c/s320/flipflappers.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better than most shows about cute girls cavorting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/gakuen-handsome">Gakuen Handsome</a><br />
The infamous parody game has somehow managed to be animated in this series of terrible-looking shorts, which have the enviable quality of being more effective the worse the characters are drawn. I wonder how hard the animators had to restrain themselves to keep the characters intentionally off-model and crazy in every scene? In any case, for those who don't know <i>Gakuen Handsome</i> is a deliberately-silly approach to a BL harem scenario, with our hero stumbling across a selection of 'attractive' young men intent on charming their way into his pants. These guys all have exaggeratedly pointed chins to mark them out as <i>bishounen</i>, lest the viewer get confused, and the result is a funny diversion that will likely appeal just as much to people who hate BL romance games as it does to those who have played enough <i>Gakuen Heaven</i> to appreciate the humour. I'm sort of looking forward to meeting someone who misses the joke and uses it as a complaint about how female-orientated fan service is low quality. It's going to happen.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmKvWnKomxwGdDb6IsPi0ArupGzFT-fHGhW-qb4eczd7cjVPg-ulwA4Hc0S0zRMumb9KG_t83IGabZsuMTPlS_EEwJSim8jfVYfpOjM2wwvyegkNiZkpRuYyGNGW291P08h-gSYqR6KA/s1600/gakuenhandsome.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmKvWnKomxwGdDb6IsPi0ArupGzFT-fHGhW-qb4eczd7cjVPg-ulwA4Hc0S0zRMumb9KG_t83IGabZsuMTPlS_EEwJSim8jfVYfpOjM2wwvyegkNiZkpRuYyGNGW291P08h-gSYqR6KA/s320/gakuenhandsome.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a cutie. Not.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/girlish-number">Girlish Number</a><br />
I'm ashamed to say that I misjudged <i>Girlish Number</i>, the latest in a long tradition of idol-style shows with key art which makes them look much more terrible than they are. There's nothing particularly creative going on here, but it's easy on the eyes, self aware and - so far at least - perfectly watchable, even if everyone looks and acts like school girls rather than the fully grown professionals we're supposed to believe they are. It also has Nakai Kazuya playing a creepy producer which automatically makes everything better. Our heroine is a moderately popular new voice actress who is getting increasingly frustrated that her career isn't going in the direction she'd imagined, until one day she's given an offer she can't refuse. It feels a lot like a poor man's blend of <i>THE iDOLM@STER</i> and <i>Shirobako</i>, but it's not bad. I enjoyed the first episode.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdNsnlx8htLFYaG_sSYWEyztBobpcj783QdFceUBPkb4VyUF_MuQvAH7HejSjqA8yO-GkpPzgPhM21ymealc1SDIIwvUg4AZkmFN7SZp8zXMeaoAVNPPAQLloUkbXXp95E8AFLHpaySg/s1600/girlishnumber.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdNsnlx8htLFYaG_sSYWEyztBobpcj783QdFceUBPkb4VyUF_MuQvAH7HejSjqA8yO-GkpPzgPhM21ymealc1SDIIwvUg4AZkmFN7SZp8zXMeaoAVNPPAQLloUkbXXp95E8AFLHpaySg/s320/girlishnumber.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multicolour hair remains the best thing about digital painting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/hagane-orchestra">Hagane Orchestra</a><br />
<i>Hagane Orchestra</i> is probably the most self aware anime comedy I've ever seen. It opens up with the bold declaration that it's a glorified advertisement for a smartphone game then goes on to have all of the cutesy characters argue about the best way to promote it. I have no interest in the original game at all but these irreverent shorts are certainly funny enough to make it stand out. They're better than a lot of serious, full-length fantasy anime.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvKV5xu8CkvDMQniSb7RNLR-hbGiLJ1gxMOJYEP-8-z97HE7n1_LuViT1qeVI4WxvDOMFNVPGxnQTQ3_0_OnINUGXXMVAmeR_iE9m0WYdCIQNeCOVP7HfWFeG61cnRZVp4Xm-MTOhon4/s1600/haganeorchestra.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvKV5xu8CkvDMQniSb7RNLR-hbGiLJ1gxMOJYEP-8-z97HE7n1_LuViT1qeVI4WxvDOMFNVPGxnQTQ3_0_OnINUGXXMVAmeR_iE9m0WYdCIQNeCOVP7HfWFeG61cnRZVp4Xm-MTOhon4/s320/haganeorchestra.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who cares about the fourth wall?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/haikyu">Haikyuu!! season 3</a><br />
The hot-blooded volleyball guys are back once more for another helping of tears, sweat and scowling. This time, they're battling against the powerful Shiratorizawa Gakuen for a place in a major tournament. The spectre of Shiratorizawa has been looming over Hinata for some time now, as we were introduced to star player Ushijima quite a while ago, so it's going to be interesting to see how the team fare against the strong players on his team. The animation quality is still high and I've managed to avoid any spoilers so I'll be tuning in yet again to find out what happens!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGeTnaDlYx9kxmjntx9k9UW1s4iBuau-NT-9xluqhcBOFAiWJMU6sFmCEWlzVmjgo42m84WSi5-EsX4weEtKi8po1sfUebLOBkYcH8pH7nEaTRjgNPYERFCkhgxQA29EINWcEgK7PcR10/s1600/hqseason3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGeTnaDlYx9kxmjntx9k9UW1s4iBuau-NT-9xluqhcBOFAiWJMU6sFmCEWlzVmjgo42m84WSi5-EsX4weEtKi8po1sfUebLOBkYcH8pH7nEaTRjgNPYERFCkhgxQA29EINWcEgK7PcR10/s320/hqseason3.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you like <i>Haikyuu!!</i> this is more of the same</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/heybot">HEYBOT!</a><br />
Sometimes, shows aimed at kids are still just as entertaining for adults. And sometimes, they're like <i>HEYBOT!</i> which is nothing but jokes about screws and toilet humour from beginning to end. Screws. It's almost impossible to take a screenshot without a screw or two hidden in it somewhere; even the lead's eyebrows are shaped like the things. If I was about seven this would probably be hilarious, but as it is it's doing absolutely nothing for me. <i>HEYBOT!</i> requires a different kind of sense of humour, evidently.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ODmq2HP0tZefprpUpkf4e_2JhSmwWaHYO9sNjF377KcTJ9mpGsgBe9kE1YnXtgdZixRMgMgUH95rMGY63tivr2OrS6bIJY5DcoNoXHJrZKs-Cu1rpLcWYryOPBj5lxGs5dprGbWJQwA/s1600/heybot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ODmq2HP0tZefprpUpkf4e_2JhSmwWaHYO9sNjF377KcTJ9mpGsgBe9kE1YnXtgdZixRMgMgUH95rMGY63tivr2OrS6bIJY5DcoNoXHJrZKs-Cu1rpLcWYryOPBj5lxGs5dprGbWJQwA/s320/heybot.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Least charming show of the season?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/kaiju-girls">Kaijuu Girls: Ultra Kaijuu Gijinka Keikaku</a><br />
The <i>kaijuu</i> genre has been enjoying a mainstream resurgence in recent years with big hits like <i>Godzilla</i> and <i>Pacific Rim</i> drawing fans to its strange world of city-destroying monsters. It was only natural, then, that someone decided to make a comedy reimagining monsters as cute girls who suddenly discover they can transform. <i>Kaijuu Girls</i> isn't pretending to be anything other than a lighthearted dose of silliness, though fans of the genre will probably get a little more out of it than I did.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTix65uUV3f2ddl2wErumEaUHGFFddvu3WIUxluJUHpECdyI79PE9CMe-9XFDTipxx7w05rhTAg-_P6Tn5DwiYf4ey3NZtydpGCIQA0-j4lFszbjISpG_T0rPCHZdownu5HGVjYRE9AZw/s1600/kaijuugirls.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTix65uUV3f2ddl2wErumEaUHGFFddvu3WIUxluJUHpECdyI79PE9CMe-9XFDTipxx7w05rhTAg-_P6Tn5DwiYf4ey3NZtydpGCIQA0-j4lFszbjISpG_T0rPCHZdownu5HGVjYRE9AZw/s320/kaijuugirls.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ditz on the right is the most fun to watch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/keijo">Keijo!!!!!!!!</a><br />
The dumbest thing I've seen in a while, yet not entirely lacking in entertainment value even for those who aren't especially attracted to dizzy-looking schoolgirls attacking one another with their butts. This is fortunate because there's nothing else of note going on here; our two plucky leads have enrolled in a school devoted to training up the next generation of superstars in the women's sport of butt combat (it's ostensibly about hip motions, but let's not pretend that anyone's here for anything other than the lovingly-animated bottoms). The two girls started out in judo and gymnastics respectively before switching disciplines in search of fame, fun and cute swimsuits, and now they have to fight against the odds against countless other hopefuls with shapely rears in order to prove they have what it takes. This is a terrible, terrible series, and absolutely perfect for watching when you just want to sit back and laugh at increasingly ridiculous situations which make no sense at all. While I doubt I'll keep up with the simulcast I might be in the market for a cheap Blu-ray set one day.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvew8yxUiJ-QTjNVzeeySnOcBSON19P6dBrucq098gmdN2npNP45Dmqm69bE7vJ56Qp2IjFeeQqvoGleqdS5A3iXDRNLAFWFxR6qTAY6GHQGPi3p5jEWK3RQhoo26pIOg-dNw7OhEGyc/s1600/keijo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvew8yxUiJ-QTjNVzeeySnOcBSON19P6dBrucq098gmdN2npNP45Dmqm69bE7vJ56Qp2IjFeeQqvoGleqdS5A3iXDRNLAFWFxR6qTAY6GHQGPi3p5jEWK3RQhoo26pIOg-dNw7OhEGyc/s320/keijo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You cannot make this stuff up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/kiitaros-yokai-picture-diary">Kiitarou Shounen No Youkai Enikki (Kiitaro's Yokai Picture Diary)</a><br />
A short series about the <i>youkai</i> encounters of a petulant young boy and his <i>zashiki-warashi</i> friend. While it looks great, it doesn't really have much to it and better shows about Japanese monsters aren't exactly rare; if I wasn't in the UK I'd be watching the latest season of <i>Natsume Yuujinchou</i> instead.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQM8Jb20r7qO4jXrTlvBs74FimszbgUC3GKYxoC6XOr8Rc4engu25EMaoALEKftGclixzhkMjS8TOdeTvVyfzu38JPt-4yKJ-mzlnxZ9sMSB-yf0c1Jss29_39UDJz0ZLQ6c3zWrxSItA/s1600/kiitarouyoukai.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQM8Jb20r7qO4jXrTlvBs74FimszbgUC3GKYxoC6XOr8Rc4engu25EMaoALEKftGclixzhkMjS8TOdeTvVyfzu38JPt-4yKJ-mzlnxZ9sMSB-yf0c1Jss29_39UDJz0ZLQ6c3zWrxSItA/s320/kiitarouyoukai.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun but there's nothing to make it stand out from the crowd</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.daisuki.net/gb/en/anime/detail.LongRiders.html">Long Riders!</a><br />
I don't really enjoy watching anime on Daisuki because of the ads, so I'm lucky that the only exclusives they picked up this season were a pair of cutesy 'cute girls join a school club' slice of life shows. <i>Long Riders!</i> is about a young girl who is suddenly swept away when she spots a bike she likes, and immediately goes out to buy one for herself and makes friends with other cyclists at her school when she meets them on the road. She's a novice cyclist and it's only thanks to her friends that she survives her first few excursions intact. It reminded me a lot of <i>Bakuon!!</i> only without the strange anthropomorphised motorcycles. Not essential viewing for those who don't care about blushing girls (or realistically-drawn bicycles, I guess), but it's ok.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCudRToVgyQkhyeG6y6HN7vkIGxUtv_k9ClJ6NvnkBV5lBvnIQuzZqhOF5mCnDmek_OJFaXS9YI7n_783Ru_qrKtOIpNIFeOiFlW2hXKzhMz0FdDiTYtlGggfEYqQSpuLzgsif7aVE_c/s1600/longriders.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCudRToVgyQkhyeG6y6HN7vkIGxUtv_k9ClJ6NvnkBV5lBvnIQuzZqhOF5mCnDmek_OJFaXS9YI7n_783Ru_qrKtOIpNIFeOiFlW2hXKzhMz0FdDiTYtlGggfEYqQSpuLzgsif7aVE_c/s320/longriders.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dizzy girls with competent friends are way too popular</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/magic-kyun-renaissance">Magic-kyun! Renaissance</a><br />
Another female-orientated title with broad similarities to <i>Uta No Prince-sama</i>, apparently daring to challenge the dominant series head on. Kohana is a cute, good-natured girl who has transferred into a very strange school which collects all kinds of handsome 'artists' who weave magic and give off visible sparkles when they're creating new work. It's daft, and it knows it. The silliness makes it oddly watchable.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf046WxVJwhVq-NPmIsu1ChQoMoHAjPMP0Uqb2JcS4fonuNERV0R9QEN3jJcIAAIu9m-YmfZBNI76PYomcuCyQii3q75CmglCE3sPVUcDWPS1lDlgSnJuWp9pnXPhtks84wo5NoABTw3Q/s1600/magickyun.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf046WxVJwhVq-NPmIsu1ChQoMoHAjPMP0Uqb2JcS4fonuNERV0R9QEN3jJcIAAIu9m-YmfZBNI76PYomcuCyQii3q75CmglCE3sPVUcDWPS1lDlgSnJuWp9pnXPhtks84wo5NoABTw3Q/s320/magickyun.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better than <i>DoriFesu</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It has the problem that Kohana and her female roommate are both significantly cuter than any of the bland male love interests the viewer is supposed to find appealing - the plot revolves around a male and female student being chosen as the stars of the school festival - but it's not a bad way to spend some time nonetheless. There's also some mysterious backstory about Kohana's dead mother, whose reputation still lingers at the school years after she left. In any case, I hope the two girls end up together.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TJPkQrB9RT1T_792cBt3pyogMmEtas1WCmM_3DOkwtN9mLIB8hej30XxtOPrQaC3GLEytcL1-ufLNfBZd4aIOpY0Zcqj8wIePQHQV-p8tLZuG4BqnZjpz5qkpo-jyLjJFs-sCo83MK0/s1600/magickyunladies.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TJPkQrB9RT1T_792cBt3pyogMmEtas1WCmM_3DOkwtN9mLIB8hej30XxtOPrQaC3GLEytcL1-ufLNfBZd4aIOpY0Zcqj8wIePQHQV-p8tLZuG4BqnZjpz5qkpo-jyLjJFs-sCo83MK0/s320/magickyunladies.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who could care about the guys when these two are so cute?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/magical-girl-raising-project">Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku (Magical Girl Raising Project)</a><br />
This series really, really wants to be <i>Puella Magi Madoka Magica</i>. A popular mobile game (which is implausibly more popular with cute doe-eyed schoolgirls than the genre's main audience of male otaku) offers its players the opportunity to be selected as real-life magical girls by a creepy mascot vaguely resembling <i>Danganronpa</i>'s Monokuma. Young Koyuki is consequently thrilled when she's given the ability to transform into the heroine Snow White, and even happier when she meets the other magical girls and finds common ground with some of them. However, there are currently too many heroines in Koyuki's region so the decision has been made to thin their ranks by having them compete against one another to help the most people - <i>or die</i>. It's ultimately a contrived mash of great ideas which have already been done better in other shows, but if you like the concept and don't mind the lack of originality I think it will be a worthwhile watch. I can already see some death flags so I'm going to step away rather than waiting to see it all playing out.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNolNSVzESeggLb78-CncLZuNArvY4Yl0aP3Xubk9hD12rAJ6AHmWD8taiLrKDNlzO8yHd56cjvo9jdl7EANSPCCIP2m2bTo4kl3jaESXO6En5tYycOWocN1SG_t3w_ivUIg6uuW4Y1w/s1600/mahoushoujoikuseikeikaku.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNolNSVzESeggLb78-CncLZuNArvY4Yl0aP3Xubk9hD12rAJ6AHmWD8taiLrKDNlzO8yHd56cjvo9jdl7EANSPCCIP2m2bTo4kl3jaESXO6En5tYycOWocN1SG_t3w_ivUIg6uuW4Y1w/s320/mahoushoujoikuseikeikaku.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm unlikely to become a fan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/march-comes-in-like-a-lion">March Comes In Like A Lion (3-gatsu No Lion)</a><br />
The scratchy, untidy artwork is the perfect accompaniment to this tangled story about a young professional shougi player and his adoptive 'family', a group of three sisters (and their extended family members) who take care of him from time to time. Some people have complained that the subject matter is too difficult to understand since they don't know how to play shougi but to me that's irrelevant; this is a simple story about humanity told in a complicated way, mirroring the often-silly, often-depressing struggles of human life. Having seen the first two episodes at the time of writing, I'm still not really sure where it's going to go from here (if anywhere) but I'm interested enough to keep watching nonetheless. The animation is capably handled by Shaft; titles about human relationships often receive low budget, serviceable adaptations so I'm pleased to see that <i>March Comes In Like A Lion </i>is an exception. And rightly so, given its pedigree. I've heard nothing but praise for the manga so my expectations are high!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcL0ewr4peoaNZklmDIvRA_D-U11_9CTvKQYunjHgcSva7TutWf5g8GHqCCHcseJ4y1r2fOR5_uJy_8S_b529iwHKMM-9OtQESTHWWWd_38xJzb3QkHc_kg1NYCurIso_wea29mA3yts/s1600/marchcomesinlikealion.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcL0ewr4peoaNZklmDIvRA_D-U11_9CTvKQYunjHgcSva7TutWf5g8GHqCCHcseJ4y1r2fOR5_uJy_8S_b529iwHKMM-9OtQESTHWWWd_38xJzb3QkHc_kg1NYCurIso_wea29mA3yts/s320/marchcomesinlikealion.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emotion first, shougi second</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/mobile-suit-gundam-iron-blooded-orphans">Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekketsu No Orphans) season 2</a><br />
<i>Gundam</i> fans have it good at the moment; <i>the Origin</i> OAVs are absolutely superb and <i>Iron-Blooded Orphans </i>is back on the air. It took a little while for me to remember all of the happenings from the previous season - I spent most of the first episode in a confused whirl - but the show is still great and my favourite television outing since <i>00</i>. Tekkadan have come an awfully long way from their humble beginnings and I can't help but feel desperately worried for them, as a major betrayal or upset of some kind seems almost inevitable. But every time I start to think that they might have lost their edge, Orga or Mikazuki do something cool and make me want to root for them all over again. I'm watching the delayed stream on Crunchyroll since it works with more of my devices than the speedier Daisuki broadcast.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNeBKJogWDGI6dPJn2UfUhRznR3Qxj_xP5CfmeyA0_j455Iav6BOpeUvwEE1LuT2aGkJLYMHsa1u8p9rqJs2YgT8eaXVcqnGcXRxCArx7NIajqsH-k15eU7Zn8KXEg6uBLk2WgYSzs_o/s1600/tekketsus2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpNeBKJogWDGI6dPJn2UfUhRznR3Qxj_xP5CfmeyA0_j455Iav6BOpeUvwEE1LuT2aGkJLYMHsa1u8p9rqJs2YgT8eaXVcqnGcXRxCArx7NIajqsH-k15eU7Zn8KXEg6uBLk2WgYSzs_o/s320/tekketsus2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entire series still rides on Mikazuki's shoulders</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/monster-hunter-stories-ride-on">Monster Hunter Stories: Ride On</a><br />
A lot of Capcom titles are receiving anime tie-ins lately! I would have liked to watch a full <i>Monster Hunter</i> anime but this is a kids show in the same vein as <i>Pocket Monster</i>; our heroes are wandering around making bonds with monster hatchlings and learning to ride them. It's probably great if you're either a kid or a big fan of <i>MonHun</i>, but as I'm neither it's all a little beyond me. Still, it's a million times more watchable than <i>HEYBOT!</i> in spite of the weird CG monsters and creepy-looking airou mascot.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2QhFA5NeNZXGXvHxMw3bTul2L_a13zFcboQsXae8Q4_BiaCY_iFNyjI18h6N3uy_W2auTMsdm6rh7WaVkfW78ekoc4C32BqyMoudDkf2ENh54pv58oXMYcWEG8EYoURWW6E5YlX0hO4/s1600/monhunstories.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2QhFA5NeNZXGXvHxMw3bTul2L_a13zFcboQsXae8Q4_BiaCY_iFNyjI18h6N3uy_W2auTMsdm6rh7WaVkfW78ekoc4C32BqyMoudDkf2ENh54pv58oXMYcWEG8EYoURWW6E5YlX0hO4/s320/monhunstories.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want to say the CG looks bad, but it's strangely acceptable</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/nanbaka">NANBAKA</a><br />
A strangely retro comedy about a group of four prisoners who are notorious for being able to break out of any facility in which they're incarcerated, thanks to their unique individual talents for lawbreaking. They've finally ended up stuck in a real fortress of a prison staffed by a bunch of crazy guards who seem to have a peculiar affection for the quartet of escape-addicts, and so far it's a high energy romp showing them trying to escape and gradually dripfeeding a little information about their backgrounds. Something about the whimsical pacing and insane character designs gives <i>NANBAKA</i> a 90s anime feel, except that there are sparkles, dazzling colours and gradients everywhere to remind the viewer that the animators have packed it full of modern techniques to guarantee that it's as visually interesting as possible in spite of the bland prison decor. I don't dislike the show, though I'm not convinced that the core plot will be able to retain my interest for very long in a season loaded with more interesting fare.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhufZH3EMf-62iOIveJaAV_Icq9w9e1p6V3mv-6pLy7qiwJFxmY4lNZsOsicbmTzARE2Wqn_7SKRnpkDu9G8WYmx3NGRC6CzNcWKXyNICpTx5Wh5dHaGcYJN9BxOzsQNG2DLLXVHdUrs/s1600/nanbaka.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhufZH3EMf-62iOIveJaAV_Icq9w9e1p6V3mv-6pLy7qiwJFxmY4lNZsOsicbmTzARE2Wqn_7SKRnpkDu9G8WYmx3NGRC6CzNcWKXyNICpTx5Wh5dHaGcYJN9BxOzsQNG2DLLXVHdUrs/s320/nanbaka.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The colour designers worked really hard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/nazotokine">Nazotokine</a><br />
A cheap-looking anime about a hot otaku businesswoman who gets sucked into a magical dimension and needs to solve simple puzzles to escape. She also has to transform into a magical girl wearing a skin-tight bodysuit for some reason or the solution won't trigger. I thought this must be based on a mobile phone game of some variety but it seems to be an original project, and now I'm confused about the target audience; the puzzles are too simple to be satisfying for adults but the pandering elements make me question whether it's for the youth crowd, and it certainly seems to be a late night show. Kudos to Crunchyroll for not bothering to translate the trivia quizzes during the end credits which actually make up the bulk of the puzzle-solving content of the entire show by runtime. I feel as though this was a bit of a waste, especially because I had to watch the first two episodes together to get the full plot.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1-2MQiCql0NjxjtB55K-IMTBDcsvJF_uib7Pwbtuwxo6hnmABC_F8cmXHzlItzRRIaHGCp4a8hqZDYo1E4heUZzHYCW2-3eyvTlG2u2zYlt_DRlmaWmgsN806stLrbRl0YVWfJrTYvc/s1600/nazotokine.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1-2MQiCql0NjxjtB55K-IMTBDcsvJF_uib7Pwbtuwxo6hnmABC_F8cmXHzlItzRRIaHGCp4a8hqZDYo1E4heUZzHYCW2-3eyvTlG2u2zYlt_DRlmaWmgsN806stLrbRl0YVWfJrTYvc/s320/nazotokine.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture reminds me how bad the dialogue was</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/ninja-girl-samurai-master">Nobunaga No Shinobi (Ninja Girl & Samurai Master)</a><br />
The second decent show this season starring Oda Nobunaga. This time it's a cute story about a young Iga ninja who meets the famous warlord in her youth and vows to serve him one day. It's charmingly animated for a comical series of shorts and makes a fun contrast with the grittiness of <i>Drifters</i>, portraying Nobunaga as a wise (and uncharacteristically reasonable) leader who takes young Chidori's naïve personality in his stride. It's cute and full of gags about famous Sengoku-era figures and culture. What's not to like?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWm7kE7Fx6SqDRJQl-TlF51z4p4mGwgLGxLZSAM-48sg97ahYd_O38g423QDdQtJOyvcudxWNiZ_sLmTew3qgBeKifOE4Kyi3ZIVjEQR1ZlgTcB9sT0R5n8EFPJmQp2hoI6ieBkZqA1zw/s1600/nobunaganosinobi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWm7kE7Fx6SqDRJQl-TlF51z4p4mGwgLGxLZSAM-48sg97ahYd_O38g423QDdQtJOyvcudxWNiZ_sLmTew3qgBeKifOE4Kyi3ZIVjEQR1ZlgTcB9sT0R5n8EFPJmQp2hoI6ieBkZqA1zw/s320/nobunaganosinobi.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imagine if this got licensed in the west one day... ha ha ha</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/nyanbo">Nyanbo-!</a><br />
I've never sat down and read <i>Yotsubato!</i> but I feel sorry for its fans that it has had so many mainstream tie-ins without a single trace of a proper anime adaptation having surfaced. <i>Nyanbo-!</i> is a mixture of computer animation and actual photography and it's genuinely stunning; some very artistic staff members have obviously put the visuals together. The main characters are a group of tiny catlike aliens who resemble the Danbo robot from <i>Yotsubato!</i> and wander around getting into trouble. They even encounter real cats, who are (mostly) seamlessly merged into the animation through green screening. If you are desperate to see Yotsuba's world animated in any form this is the show for you, and even if you're not it's still sort of cute for the cat cameos and pretty CG animation.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBq0ysw29VoTvvjxbvD_kc_3tq85QXOcZqbCU9a8FJAfihP8zZsUW-KFcC7yNAgbNZgjzOdtymocJenJ9JgPcxBCMU72wCndBSfPTKSN3ZcFjl4_EnmvwssnFNLcDtsz3TwW2tAaGHCY/s1600/nyanbo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBq0ysw29VoTvvjxbvD_kc_3tq85QXOcZqbCU9a8FJAfihP8zZsUW-KFcC7yNAgbNZgjzOdtymocJenJ9JgPcxBCMU72wCndBSfPTKSN3ZcFjl4_EnmvwssnFNLcDtsz3TwW2tAaGHCY/s320/nyanbo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's dumb but cute as a button</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/occulticnine">Occultic;Nine</a><br />
The mind behind several other famous titles punctuated by a lone semicolon is back for another offbeat multimedia project about otaku culture. <i>Chaos;Head</i> has the distinction of being one of the worst anime titles I can remember watching, while <i>Steins;Gate</i> was significantly better (though nowhere near good enough for me to consider it a favourite). <i>Occultic;Nine </i>starts out by introducing its hero, Yuuta, who is trying to earn money by curating a referral blog which summarises news and articles about the occult. The first episode then parades several other eccentric-looking youngsters before the viewer, and it seems that they're all going to be connected in different ways. The stakes were raised in the last few seconds of the first episode by the discovery of a bloody corpse so it looks as though the plot will be heating up quite swiftly from now on. I'm not entirely sure where this is going yet, and all of the otaku references are more overwhelming than fun - <i>Steins;Gate</i> handled that side of things a lot less hyperactively. Perhaps it's best if I wait to see what other viewers think rather than risking another clunker like <i>Chaos;Head</i>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoxlUTTm_YLSzutyzXj-53S0rhk9Ga7-HeVhLUdAQx1MJz58Tr5xBRAnqc1Defm4zo3kl08eHIf-7J_PLFgODWN58HbJMGQGndTNvL-gcJaaWOfZN3UeeOMzDpX2xTXzJHG1LuIzYm44/s1600/occulticnine.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoxlUTTm_YLSzutyzXj-53S0rhk9Ga7-HeVhLUdAQx1MJz58Tr5xBRAnqc1Defm4zo3kl08eHIf-7J_PLFgODWN58HbJMGQGndTNvL-gcJaaWOfZN3UeeOMzDpX2xTXzJHG1LuIzYm44/s320/occulticnine.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extra points for a character voiced by Noto Mamiko</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/persona5-the-animation-the-day-breakers-">Persona 5 The Animation -The Day Breakers-</a><br />
I haven't played a <i>Persona</i> game in years and was tempted to skip this prequel anime since it's designed to hype the newest game, which I'll probably never play because <i>Persona</i> titles are always handled horribly overseas and I'm still annoyed about the dub-only anime release and region-locked game incidents half a decade ago. However, I watched it anyway just in case it could change my mind. The animation is stylish and, as always, the chilled out soundtrack stands out from the crowd - this isn't a low quality cash-in adaptation. The plot, however, reminded me a little of the meandering fist bumping nonsense of <i>Final Fantasy XV Brotherhood</i>. It's a simple 'detective club' setup where a bunch of attractive teens are teaming up to go up against a gang of thieves, and with this being <i>Persona</i> there are some funky supernatural sequences as soon as everything has been established. It didn't change my mind about the upcoming game, but I did enjoy the time I spent watching the show.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtHhGpadNhRVdjuv_MzBYqrOIVBKdR9SrcgQ8AsGnzArtAdyq5KL2wl410gB0vTdoSV1p_cP9zglyYxIOJLGGrcZh-eETFqxwDN08oz-P65bKMFn3NIoPDGE7N3mLuFe9j7tUQiI90P8/s1600/p5daybreakers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtHhGpadNhRVdjuv_MzBYqrOIVBKdR9SrcgQ8AsGnzArtAdyq5KL2wl410gB0vTdoSV1p_cP9zglyYxIOJLGGrcZh-eETFqxwDN08oz-P65bKMFn3NIoPDGE7N3mLuFe9j7tUQiI90P8/s320/p5daybreakers.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice design work!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/sengokuchojyugiga">Sengoku Choujuu Giga</a><br />
I should like this. It's a series of skits about famous Sengoku-era warriors reimagined as animals (representing their real-life traits or reputations in various ways) and animated in an old-fashioned style reminiscent of the <i>Choujuu Jinbutsu Giga</i>. As projects go it's difficult to imagine anything more interesting, but it's not working for me. The experimental animation is fantastic for screenshots but because it's completely flat and simplistic it's actually a little hard to follow during action scenes, reminding me more of a cheap newspaper comic strip than a beautiful classical work of art. I think it would have worked better with a more traditional spin on the idea, like the stylish art in <i>Kanashimi No Belladonna</i>. And then there's the voice acting. Rather than going with the usual anime style of expressive voice work, <i>Sengoku Choujuu Giga</i> uses a very casual, relaxed script which I just don't like. I might come back to it later when I'm in the right mood. There's potential there.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeFOhalm3YteALAy4CY2GaXyR604crLWOuon2cdU2tCMocvn7X5zFrS2MNpKhzN-_xsE4MERWaBU3zCQ7driTMdwLz5pwDD3VeRKAa5KEP9VP-tWxS96nSL6XWsG3cxbTZCSrSwy7tuc/s1600/sengokuchoujuugiga.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeFOhalm3YteALAy4CY2GaXyR604crLWOuon2cdU2tCMocvn7X5zFrS2MNpKhzN-_xsE4MERWaBU3zCQ7driTMdwLz5pwDD3VeRKAa5KEP9VP-tWxS96nSL6XWsG3cxbTZCSrSwy7tuc/s320/sengokuchoujuugiga.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least it's fun spotting the parodies of the real people</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/scorching-ping-pong-girls">Shakunetsu No Takkyuu Musume (Scorching Ping Pong Girls)</a><br />
I am way outside the target demographic for this series. It's a standard school club series about a bunch of really, really dizzy girls who all act half their supposed ages. They're very passionate about table tennis and seem to have the drive to go far - which is cool. However, this is very much a series for fans of shows about 'cute girls doing cute things', not fans of table tennis. Despite the young-looking designs they don't hold back on pandering to the intended audience at all (the series' peculiar focus on breasts is difficult to overlook). One for anime fans only.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmqdRy4dS5XhQ5-HwLSzUVLbvMavcMlYextjR0o42TTkQjcBMv7sFIJAm7aKhorqua2-ilhVKWUfmqNYM92mbjWKJjo85IWZYRoxIo6k6i63bbnzhFLQN7_lYdKp_2OkRg5OkCR3k24U/s1600/scorchingpingpong.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmqdRy4dS5XhQ5-HwLSzUVLbvMavcMlYextjR0o42TTkQjcBMv7sFIJAm7aKhorqua2-ilhVKWUfmqNYM92mbjWKJjo85IWZYRoxIo6k6i63bbnzhFLQN7_lYdKp_2OkRg5OkCR3k24U/s320/scorchingpingpong.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is it with the perpetual blushing in moe shows?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/izetta-the-last-witch">Shuumatsu No Izetta (Izetta: The Last Witch)</a><br />
From the stunning key artwork I assumed this was going to be some kind of awesome historical fantasy about two girls with a shoujo feel. I was wrong, and as it happens I'm actually not sure whether I like it or not. Finé is a beautiful, independent, slightly-too-perfect blonde princess who has set out on a dangerous journey to try to protect her tiny nation from the threat of invasion from Germania, a country which has instigated a major war with the nearby regions (such as Britannia). She runs into some enemy soldiers in the very first episode and ends up encountering a mysterious witch named Izetta, who was being held prisoner by the Germanians to prevent her from using her incredible powers against them. What's the connection between the two girls, and how will Finé save her home from the impending threat of military suppression? I strongly suspect the two answers are linked.<br />
<br />
For some reason, despite the entire plot being openly based on the events of World War II most of the country names and details are changed just enough to make it annoying to follow what's going on. I suspect this is because they want to incorporate fantasy elements which deviate from reality, without bothering to craft an actual fantasy world around them or explain anything properly. The series has a floaty, cinematic feel, and I've heard a lot of mixed impressions about how it develops. Everyone looks a lot like extras from <i>Sword Art Online</i> too which is a little disconcerting. I'll stick with it for a while and see whether it manages to pull the promising elements together, or whether it completely falls apart.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVDKcAxBidJ9YeQAfc861HIhg4_G6yLSB-JZqDCSGC8DWyGwucoFNmpFzxXMp0FDcmMuqCKXp702z_DKWgrHntg-CA3TfzcWUGMgaz0H1hjR0d3xuGelgOGtIV9xJPEzW9McHKsPB_Y4/s1600/izetta.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVDKcAxBidJ9YeQAfc861HIhg4_G6yLSB-JZqDCSGC8DWyGwucoFNmpFzxXMp0FDcmMuqCKXp702z_DKWgrHntg-CA3TfzcWUGMgaz0H1hjR0d3xuGelgOGtIV9xJPEzW9McHKsPB_Y4/s320/izetta.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's so incredible that she somehow became annoying</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/soul-buster">Soul Buster</a><br />
There really is a lot of Chinese-influenced anime coming out this year! The generically-titled <i>Soul Buster </i>is a weird mishmash of anime tropes which land our wimpy male lead in a maelstrom of magical cards, talking beasts and summonable warriors of legend. It's based on the famous <i>Romance of the Three Kingdoms</i> mythos, though as the translation uses the Japanese names for everything I don't recognise a lot of the references I probably should from my time with the <i>Sangoku Musou</i> games. All of the scenes have a weird textured filter inexplicably overlaid over the animation which is probably supposed to be artistic but doesn't quite work. It just makes it look as though they're trying to hide cheap animation. <i>Soul Buster</i> should be much cooler than it is - the <i>Three Kingdoms</i> references are automatically interesting yet I can't help but feel that this is going to be a shallow <i>Fate/stay night</i> wannabe with half-length episodes rather than the epic fantasy adventure I'd really like to see.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BoGvaYMT1jQkBl5lAWRBVo_7m0Y6htNWUbqGlS2QhZ_-KAHKCf9iB8GdGZJdW_w483RlImFSaGoQZTm5nDcRuzzTOA0CMmojiyCyRSsJ15g6CQlkG5SC7bIiwxDvYLX-TSTZ8Md-HNg/s1600/soulbustermehhh.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BoGvaYMT1jQkBl5lAWRBVo_7m0Y6htNWUbqGlS2QhZ_-KAHKCf9iB8GdGZJdW_w483RlImFSaGoQZTm5nDcRuzzTOA0CMmojiyCyRSsJ15g6CQlkG5SC7bIiwxDvYLX-TSTZ8Md-HNg/s320/soulbustermehhh.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perhaps more ambitious than it deserved to be</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.theanimenetwork.com/Watch-Anime/Matoi-the-Sacred-Slayer">Soushin Shoujo Matoi (Matoi the Sacred Slayer)</a><br />
The Anime Network's lone exclusive simulcast in the UK this season. I watched the first episode via their ad-supported free service since it would have been awfully extravagant to subscribe for a single mediocre-looking magical girl show, and I'm glad that I trusted my intuition. The episode started off with a wobbly action sequence loaded with really wonky English then switched focus to the heroine's daily life as a shrine maiden. Her mundane routine is brought to an abrupt end when she becomes the unexpected recipient of the powers that were supposed to pass down to her friend, and suddenly she's forced to transform into a magical girl and protect those in need. There's nothing wrong with <i>Soujin Shoujo Matoi</i>, it's just sort of... average. It's a shame that there doesn't seem to be more to it; the visuals are appealing and Matoi's spunky shrine maiden friend is cool.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZm-NZo0HQdvDg4-HEGDf0YevrQ07cvO-B2aJ-077N9VtD-Sv2CdhCebLjLceR-gNiBA7p_f6KRhTcer84Quygrh9Id-BHBdn9qRqq-2UOvIve5uu6e-RWg-KytAEqHKo4IaeIOykLyjg/s1600/sousinshoujomatoi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZm-NZo0HQdvDg4-HEGDf0YevrQ07cvO-B2aJ-077N9VtD-Sv2CdhCebLjLceR-gNiBA7p_f6KRhTcer84Quygrh9Id-BHBdn9qRqq-2UOvIve5uu6e-RWg-KytAEqHKo4IaeIOykLyjg/s320/sousinshoujomatoi.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls look so cute compared to the guys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.daisuki.net/gb/en/anime/detail.MAGICOFSTELLA.html">Stella No Mahou (Magic Of Stella)</a><br />
Cute girls in a school club, this time busily creating their own indie games. It's interchangeable with any number of other titles of this type; one for those who find simpering girls talking to one another in an affectedly slow, cutesy way adorable. Anyone hoping for an insightful look into game creation would be better served elsewhere as this is fluffy and light on any actual details.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaAIso5VZ5JOGK3UVBA_ABEdMgNffXLSknUOYxygKL8KOjZCrBFt4Oh3yz0KNDVrzEKGbvXvq8LjVzcdjF6ATfY28zb8PQtPzY1ARHyS5z7UESh4i6GbDCtZlSjWCdVErnUZWRd2GzVI/s1600/stellamahou.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaAIso5VZ5JOGK3UVBA_ABEdMgNffXLSknUOYxygKL8KOjZCrBFt4Oh3yz0KNDVrzEKGbvXvq8LjVzcdjF6ATfY28zb8PQtPzY1ARHyS5z7UESh4i6GbDCtZlSjWCdVErnUZWRd2GzVI/s320/stellamahou.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zzz...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-ancient-magus-bride">The Ancient Magus' Bride: Those Awaiting A Star (Mahou Tsukai No Yome)</a><br />
A disclaimer first of all; I've never read the original manga and so this animated prequel was very difficult to follow. From what I gather, Chise is a young girl who escapes a life of hardship and misery by moving in with a tall man named Elias who has a skull instead of a face. He treats her tenderly and teaches her about the world of magic, and by the time the story starts she seems to be used to her daily life. Personally, I'm more interested in the things I <i>don't</i> know at this point - why is Chise a 'bride' according to the title, and what's the story behind Elias? The episodes are being released on Crunchyroll infrequently (they were originally bonus OAVs, I believe) so I guess I'll have to wait and see.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii754qDoPIfVh_bCUpGzldcRNTgYMp04VYrzmBZQoMvlAY066PnL4jTYqxP6OPe1iHHisEo6SMOe_od5VWXDek1Mq-4BAXk8PrsMMXjlZ36HNx0yn_wM7jciGfHes37i4QiWsAZ-3zhSw/s1600/mahoutukainoyome.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii754qDoPIfVh_bCUpGzldcRNTgYMp04VYrzmBZQoMvlAY066PnL4jTYqxP6OPe1iHHisEo6SMOe_od5VWXDek1Mq-4BAXk8PrsMMXjlZ36HNx0yn_wM7jciGfHes37i4QiWsAZ-3zhSw/s320/mahoutukainoyome.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm interested to see how the romance develops...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/time-bokan-24">Time Bokan 24</a><br />
The latest in a long parade of updated reimaginings of classic anime titles, <i>Time Bokan 24 </i>is the spiritual successor to <i>Time Bokan</i>, a famous 70s time-travelling adventure from Tatsunoko I've never watched. The auspiciously-named Tokio is an ordinary boy who ends up going on expeditions to the past to discover the truth of history, which is, of course, a lot sillier than the version we're taught in the present. The team has to help famous figures of the past with various ridiculous problems and also fend off attacks from a trio of villains who are hoping to bend history to suit themselves, so each episode focuses on a particular snapshot of the past to keep things fresh. <i>Time Bokan 24</i> is squarely aimed at younger viewers but has enough zaniness and flair to succeed with nostalgic older fans as well; I found the first episode reasonably entertaining in spite of my age and lack of familiarity with the original. Awesome opening song, too.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwvSNp9zem1FXHHcJBkn3EgXFIHp0Pok-tP1YxkgiWN76AHTYAxV3XgGNw1GnaW6WS6WYYEh0lNx5dOHVeCvqUNqLROsNa8WHB9UTITU5plMzf6J7zlzXo9KiKZt8EpuGkO_6ZOf2t9c/s1600/timebokan24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwvSNp9zem1FXHHcJBkn3EgXFIHp0Pok-tP1YxkgiWN76AHTYAxV3XgGNw1GnaW6WS6WYYEh0lNx5dOHVeCvqUNqLROsNa8WHB9UTITU5plMzf6J7zlzXo9KiKZt8EpuGkO_6ZOf2t9c/s320/timebokan24.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love classic villains in all of their gaudy fashion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/to-be-hero">To Be HERO</a><br />
A bewildering comedy from the same studio as <i>Cheating Craft</i>. Like its stablemate, <i>To Be HERO</i> has a Chinese pedigree and while I'm not really enjoying these titles it's good to see input from farther afield working its way into more and more anime productions. <i>To Be HERO</i> is apparently doing quite well with the international audience and having it up on Crunchyroll alongside the big hitters is a great way to let fans choose what they want to see. The plot is extremely odd. A good-looking divorcee toilet salesman with a feisty daughter has a strange encounter after falling into his toilet one day, and ends up becoming an ugly superhero who can save lives but no longer express his true feelings in words (instead, he just says crass, perverted things and upsets his daughter). There is a great deal of toilet humour, as might be guessed from the summary, and a distinct lack of elegance anywhere in sight. It's probably the better show of the two its studio has produced purely in terms of its originality, but I think I'll pass on seeing any more. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG35M46r6hRiHXGQQkZUAU8JSvoPpwE2MCRTh7NJRT6HutJPQt1DPq1MLz99099nAAxERhXQVz-h3GIOB6mE8jSnX5_T44sndp16IjLd0DHFLOLxL2-e1d9SjHZxpprSKoynEDQxUWcCA/s1600/tobehero.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG35M46r6hRiHXGQQkZUAU8JSvoPpwE2MCRTh7NJRT6HutJPQt1DPq1MLz99099nAAxERhXQVz-h3GIOB6mE8jSnX5_T44sndp16IjLd0DHFLOLxL2-e1d9SjHZxpprSKoynEDQxUWcCA/s320/tobehero.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He wasn't all that great even before he transformed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/touken-ranbu-hanamaru">Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru</a><br />
I'm very slightly biased against <i>Tourabu</i> as it's completely gutted several of my favourite fandoms with its overwhelming popularity, just like the <i>KanColle</i> phenomenon did elsewhere a few years ago. While the <i>KanColle</i> anime sort of sucked, however, this adaptation works a lot better. The 'plot' of <i>Tourabu</i> is that a multitude of famous Japanese swords have been turned into handsome men whose elaborate designs incorporate characteristics of the weapons and the people famous for wielding them, for whom they seem to retain a powerful loyalty. The game version brought in popular character designers and voice actors to ensure that the roster was visually diverse and extremely appealing to its target audience, but as far as I know there's relatively little plot - which has worked strongly in its favour and allowed the fanbase to pick up the slack. This anime adaptation (there's already another on the way next year courtesy of ufotable!) keeps things light so far, introducing the main characters and teasing the rarer ones in a lengthy parade of introductions. I'm honestly not sure whether or not I like it from the first episode alone. I guess I'll watch a couple more, since I would genuinely like a proper introduction to the series without resorting to playing the original browser game.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnd_i0YExUOqmNm-sk7zn9XUB-jY1nSTf7gTAD4ZFlrVup0qibH26KQjfao8656osqfNd5uvezIdAqOwSusPmYjN3ToDeMXRSWsspCJZ-UImD7gMDPs-DnkqE7lhSzIJD2aXn0kpNI2ZE/s1600/tourabuhanamaru.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnd_i0YExUOqmNm-sk7zn9XUB-jY1nSTf7gTAD4ZFlrVup0qibH26KQjfao8656osqfNd5uvezIdAqOwSusPmYjN3ToDeMXRSWsspCJZ-UImD7gMDPs-DnkqE7lhSzIJD2aXn0kpNI2ZE/s320/tourabuhanamaru.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kashuu Kiyomitsu and Yamato No Kami Yasusada</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/trickster">Trickster: Edogawa Ranpo 'Shounen Tanteidan' Yori</a><br />
Why is this series so boring?! I actually fell asleep watching the first episode and had to start it over again another day. It's not that nothing happens - it's an action-packed blend of a ton of viewer-friendly elements like hot-blooded rival boys, half-naked techie girls, surreal owl sidekicks and elements from the works of Edogawa Ranpo, whose stories seem to be inspiring more anime titles every day. The animation is decent, and the designs look a lot better in action than they do in the key art (sorry, Peach-Pit). It even has a decent cast and an opening song by Gackt! But in spite of the obvious effort to make <i>Trickster</i> into the next big thing, it's doing absolutely nothing for me. It's trying so hard to stand out that it makes the formulaic aspects of the series even more obvious, somehow; I like my mysteries more mysterious and my action shows more action-packed. Decidedly average. I'll come back to it if I'm having any trouble sleeping over the next few weeks.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfI6ZnhEVPowJvQdQsOF8JqHIL-lXjeO9u1nxZH2FRV-8MWiD1wStr4Y1_viaCqwxgtUFILYFesgk-o4_VnwEfjmp1FhmM13TlDdqK_mnFNF3WsE3ObOeivrqnGId2kHBs8NTrETbQ_Ew/s1600/tricksteranime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfI6ZnhEVPowJvQdQsOF8JqHIL-lXjeO9u1nxZH2FRV-8MWiD1wStr4Y1_viaCqwxgtUFILYFesgk-o4_VnwEfjmp1FhmM13TlDdqK_mnFNF3WsE3ObOeivrqnGId2kHBs8NTrETbQ_Ew/s320/tricksteranime.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time I've noticed those trendy ball-chairs in use like this</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/pocos-udon-world">Udon No Kuni No Kiniro Kemari (Poco's Udon World)</a><br />
A rather lovely, slow-paced series about a young man returning to Kagawa from the capital after his father passes away. Souta has mixed feelings about returning to the run-down <i>sanuki udon</i> restaurant his father used to run; part of the reason he left to chase an urban lifestyle because he was made to feel ashamed of the family business back when he was growing up. While he's trying to get his emotions straight and sort out his father's unfinished business, he stumbles upon a few unexpected discoveries: a notebook with his father's udon recipes and a tiny, taciturn child who doesn't seem to belong to anyone. The latter turns out to be a magical tanuki called Poko (or Poco, if you prefer). I won't have time to follow it this season but I might come back to <i>Udon No Kuni No Kiniro Kemari</i> one day in future; it's a little like a blend of <i>Usagi Drop</i> and <i>Amaama To Inazuma</i> so far accompanied by a dash of magic. While it seems very predictable, it's the kind of timeless human drama which never gets dull.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsqHaFK6aGSgdRIkcPTEtfepFzbLcxyGARfg6BjMhyn1UOOaWoBUrlKqYGLVQ54xrfsX2oE8vWTFjOwcF_bmHQDs3OG-NrWHDo5noyOVRG98XhQA01c_nOniB5M9-nawPQ0LtSaphnvE/s1600/kagawaudon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsqHaFK6aGSgdRIkcPTEtfepFzbLcxyGARfg6BjMhyn1UOOaWoBUrlKqYGLVQ54xrfsX2oE8vWTFjOwcF_bmHQDs3OG-NrWHDo5noyOVRG98XhQA01c_nOniB5M9-nawPQ0LtSaphnvE/s320/kagawaudon.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice artwork, too</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/uta-no-prince-sama">Uta No Prince-sama Maji Love Legend Star</a><br />
It's a fourth season of <i>UtaPri</i>. I think most people will know whether or not they like the absurd boy band antics by now, as this outing is riddled with the exact same high quality, cheesy, meandering silliness as its predecessors. With the addition of HE★VENS we now have three groups of eligible boys obsessed with Haruka and her songwriting talents, and the first episode is mostly a parade of all eighteen (!) hot guys (along with their agency presidents) each speaking single lines in turn as they're reintroduced for the viewers. The plot is, so far, mostly a repeat of the previous season - but that doesn't really matter any more. It's fun, and the insane car/lorry/copter chase scene halfway through the episode showed that the staff have no plans to take the show too seriously this time around either. As for HE★VENS themselves, I'm still unconvinced. They seem to stand out less than the ST☆RISH and QUARTET NIGHT boys and exist primarily as foils to our heroes. I just can't seem to get attached to any of the members the way I have to the Shining Agency singers!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5yjC5AynTgaRqBuaed6ro3GdxjyjgQtWJ8OBFqOylvzEBhwUIAnfITMrorkV-0IKYoLzH2eKhww9eFNoj-k3aDAqU1mTCETCGeoJRRF7vt_wsF9cTDRYZITGyPbgfSGAbQBsQx6kMQw/s1600/utapris4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5yjC5AynTgaRqBuaed6ro3GdxjyjgQtWJ8OBFqOylvzEBhwUIAnfITMrorkV-0IKYoLzH2eKhww9eFNoj-k3aDAqU1mTCETCGeoJRRF7vt_wsF9cTDRYZITGyPbgfSGAbQBsQx6kMQw/s320/utapris4.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best boy forever</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/yuri-on-ice">Yuuri!!! On Ice</a><br />
Yuuri is a professional Japanese ice skater who has fallen on hard times early in his career and returned to his hometown to figure out what he wants to do with his life. Yuri is a proud up-and-coming Russian skater with ties to Yuuri's idol Victor, a charismatic and internationally-celebrated champion. The three young men meet as a result of Yuuri's skating activities and his life is utterly turned around as a result as he heads into what will probably be his last season as a competitive skater, and his first as a confident young man. A lot of people seem to be judging <i>Yuuri!!! On Ice</i> as a female-orientated pure fan service show but to do so is selling it short; Victor is fascinating, the emotions are running wild and the designs are beautiful, but the real stars are the lovingly-animated ice skating scenes, which convey a real sense of weight and risk to the characters' dramatic moves. For me, it works on several levels. I've only watched ice skating once in my life; I was in Japan during the height of Hanyu Yuzuru fever and somehow ended up watching a televised competition. This has the same sense of grace that the real performances incorporated, and I'm looking forward to learning more about the skating world as Yuuri struggles to overcome his difficulties. If the show has the guts to continue to develop the blossoming relationship between its leads as far as it deserves to go, it could become a classic.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2e6LPuYr5ue94l3rinY1zqQSWGKbh2G4wpF3HendAjZq-MU0ppmgT07MacpQz_fXzEhC8z7n-coUEaZSkh4yqc5g-gH7GXpQod5hwykxdj-GZKXuCsFvD7KIMS4zDi1MpdzFtNDv9S5c/s1600/yuurionice.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2e6LPuYr5ue94l3rinY1zqQSWGKbh2G4wpF3HendAjZq-MU0ppmgT07MacpQz_fXzEhC8z7n-coUEaZSkh4yqc5g-gH7GXpQod5hwykxdj-GZKXuCsFvD7KIMS4zDi1MpdzFtNDv9S5c/s320/yuurionice.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well worth watching for the delightful skating scenes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/ive-always-liked-you">Zutto Mae Kara Suki Deshita: Kokuhaku Jikkou Iinkai (I've Always Liked You -Confess Your Love Committee-)</a><br />
Last but not least, Crunchyroll also picked up this standalone animated film based on material by Honey Works, a group best known for their Vocaloid projects, of all things. The plot is a melting pot of the usual romantic teen angst, with a bunch of teens trying and failing to be honest about their feelings for one another in the most self-destructively frustrating ways. With its pleasant visuals, earnest characters and completely inoffensive dialogue, it will make a decent afternoon's viewing if you can't get enough of shoujo-style romances which make you want to scream at the screen as the various boys and girls torture themselves worrying about whether the objects of their affections like them back instead of simply asking them directly. There are also a few cheeky references to the original creators which are cute, even though the concert scene halfway through is rather lacking in excitement.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd82-QB3SZaMPgowTvpxK3Og7mz72VJMw0aMJgRXToEeUJtkfron0VF2jbATObyPXp2aWSaLQaIFn9BTPqbU1ZilSENmx3Znub1TG826gp33lIejhsBjW5iohV8uvkV-9VlhLvJ3_52DI/s1600/ivealwayslikedyou.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd82-QB3SZaMPgowTvpxK3Og7mz72VJMw0aMJgRXToEeUJtkfron0VF2jbATObyPXp2aWSaLQaIFn9BTPqbU1ZilSENmx3Znub1TG826gp33lIejhsBjW5iohV8uvkV-9VlhLvJ3_52DI/s320/ivealwayslikedyou.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Misleading screenshot time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
--<br />
<br />
Then there are a lot of sequels and spin-offs for shows I don't follow:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-de-training-ex">Anime De Training! XX</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/crane-game-girls">Bishoujo Yuugi Unit Crane Game Girls Galaxy (Crane Game Girls season 2)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/brave-witches">Brave Witches: World Witches Series</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/bbkbrnk">Bubuki Buranki Hoshi No Kyojin (BBKBRNK The Gentle Giants Of The Galaxy)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/cardfight-vanguard-g">Cardfight!! Vanguard G NEXT</a><br />
<a href="http://www.daisuki.net/contents/dragonball_s.html">Dragon Ball Super</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/sound-euphonium">Hibike! Euphonium (Sound! Euphonium) season 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/lostorage-incited-wixoss">Lostorage Incited WIXOSS</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/mahou-shoujo-nante-mouiidesukara">Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desukara season 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/my-wife-is-the-student-council-president">Oku-sama Ga Seitokaichou!+! (My Wife Is The Student Council President!+!)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/show-by-rock">Show By Rock!! season 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/teekyu">Teekyuu season 8</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/wwwwagnaria">WWW.WAGNARIA</a><br />
<br />
There are also some missing sequels such as the second seasons of <i>Ajin, Juuni-sai: Chicchana Mune No Tokimeki</i> and <i>Ameiro Cocoa: Rainy Color Waikiki.</i> None are huge disappointments for their absence, but it's still worth noting.<br />
<br />
And here are the legal English-subtitled streams that people in the UK have no access to because we're not as important as people who happen to live in America:<br />
<br />
<b>Region locked English simulcast titles</b><b> (unavailable here)</b><br />
<br />
<i>3-nen D-gumi Garasu No Kamen (The Glass Mask Year 3 Class D)</i><br />
<i>Natsume Yuujinchou (Natsume's Book Of Friends) season 5</i><br />
<i>Tiger Mask W</i><br />
<i>Watashi Ga Motete Dousunda (Kiss Him, Not Me)</i><br />
<br />
The pettiness of locking certain seasons of <i>Natsume Yuujinchou</i> annoys me, and the loss of the current <i>Dragon Ball</i> (announced for the US to great fanfare) was a huge insult to European fans until the Daisuki stream came to the rescue for the latter. It's still hard to understand why fans in the US can choose to watch on either Daisuki or Crunchyroll while everyone else is forced to use the platform with more restrictive app support. In addition, <i>Chi's Sweet Adventure, Furu Wo Amu (The Great Passage)</i> and <i>ViVid Strike!</i> are all locked away to Amazon Prime members. So I won't be watching those, either. <i>Watashi Ga Motete Dousunda</i> is supposedly on its way to the UK courtesy of an early license by Anime Limited so when the simulcast arrives I'll add it to my list. I'm not sure it can be counted as a simulcast when it still hasn't appeared so late into the season. It's even slower than me.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
The traditional guesses for the most enjoyable
autumn shows, with the caveat that I'm cheating since the season is
already half over by now:<br />
<br />
<i>1. Drifters</i><br />
<i>2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</i><br />
<i>3. Yuuri!!! On Ice</i><br />
<br />
This
list will probably be rearranged by the end of the season since I'm
actually really enjoying quite a few shows, but at this moment it's
probably <i>Drifters</i> which has captured my imagination most fully. And rightly so, given how long I've been waiting for this adaptation!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQrfeWbz84Mt6qiTo4YU08ZFHZL5RTTALede9Mo5nuNCDuBTaw3FHOGb_hiZyhD-zaXQZ7YgNRKBVg1PQDSq3OYJ-A2L4qVnZipQ3sa-f_EM3JfeAyU4YqyV02oLKibWLWecB-kRC2dI/s1600/drifters2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQrfeWbz84Mt6qiTo4YU08ZFHZL5RTTALede9Mo5nuNCDuBTaw3FHOGb_hiZyhD-zaXQZ7YgNRKBVg1PQDSq3OYJ-A2L4qVnZipQ3sa-f_EM3JfeAyU4YqyV02oLKibWLWecB-kRC2dI/s320/drifters2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
My schedule currently looks like this:<br />
<br />
<b>Monday: </b><i>Gakuen Handsome</i><br />
<b>Tuesday:</b><i> Nobunaga No Shinobi</i><br />
<i> </i><b>Wednesday: </b><i>Yuuri!!! On Ice</i><br />
<b>Thursday:</b><i> ALL OUT!!, Keijo!!!!!!!!</i><br />
<b>Friday:</b><i> </i><i>Bungou Stray Dogs, Drifters, </i><i>Haikyuu!!, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</i><br />
<i> </i><b>Saturday:</b><i> March Comes In Like A Lion, Uta No Prince-sama</i><br />
<b>Sunday: </b><i>Magic-kyun! Renaissance, </i><i>Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans, Tourabu Hanamaru</i>Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-69578885587789909662016-11-12T12:00:00.000+00:002016-11-12T12:00:01.612+00:00Streaming: Summer 2016 anime final impressionsDid the season end already?! Between my packed schedule, real life stresses (I'm never moving house again) and keeping a close eye on <i>Sengoku Basara</i> news (which I badly need to write up into a news post), I feel as though it only just began. It doesn't help that I've been forced offline for a very long time due to problems with my Internet connection. I even ended up dropping <i>Love Live! Sunshine</i> two thirds of the way through simply because I was getting too backlogged - it was too much like the previous series only with less likeable girls and I wasn't enjoying it. Without my sudden and inexplicable addiction to <i>Mystic Messenger</i> the last couple of months would have been rather dull.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7dGDt-T-bbXZBgkTTz_iqyBuVh0LgWWfIRFj508Fs7KApjGtnqZvGFhPFR2davHqKy8vyTYNE6HRhXe0J6IB0-FMh9iiXPSVOvW63TP_AkoSXIUPi-usjqseqVdfbVMC35_1mD87HTc/s1600/arslans2end.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7dGDt-T-bbXZBgkTTz_iqyBuVh0LgWWfIRFj508Fs7KApjGtnqZvGFhPFR2davHqKy8vyTYNE6HRhXe0J6IB0-FMh9iiXPSVOvW63TP_AkoSXIUPi-usjqseqVdfbVMC35_1mD87HTc/s320/arslans2end.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real world politics are depressing right now so here's Arslan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Thankfully, <a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/">Funimation Now</a> and <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/">Crunchyroll</a> made catching up relatively easy since both services have <b>schedules</b> and <b>episode tracking</b>, features which I've asked for countless times on lesser streaming sites without any success. I closed my Funimation Now account at the end of the season since they're switching to focusing on dubs and the site isn't really functional for me without a quality selection option or an app for any of my devices, but it was still a better experience than Animax or Viewster.<br />
<br />
First and foremost, the post-season ranking.<br />
<br />
<i>1. Arslan Senki</i><br />
<i>2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</i><br />
<i>3. Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu Love! Love!</i><br />
<br />
My prediction wasn't too far out except that the sequel to <i>Binan Koukou</i> was even better than its first season and I'd apparently underestimated quite how much I loved <i>Arslan Senki</i>. <i>Danganronpa 3</i> was good fun too, but the annoyance of Funimation's new website made it a nuisance to watch. I'll give it another spin on Blu-ray in future to accompany the next game release.<br />
<br />
As I want to get caught up on the already-half-finished autumn season straight away, my comments may be shorter than usual.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/91-days">91 Days</a><br />
<i>91 Days</i> never quite managed to meet my expectations after a very strong first episode; the story wasn't quite tight enough and I found my attention wandering partway through. Things did pick up again enormously towards the end, but the focus on paying tribute to classic gangster films (most of which I've never seen) hurt it a little. All in all it was a decent watch, if not the second coming of <i>Baccano!</i> which I'd secretly been hoping for. The lasagne episode made me feel physically queasy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KQ1KTNEI4PAdCDkqGgUBWODkIZM5VUNJZ07VfNgx6UmR2T0f6hSBf7N9VRQ7x65eYwz6rmVOpa_tqSNFdj6W1rnqRTlqkBcPEi4nV7ei_klhn2nxq9IYOotWHETw2kjSjZQQ_WNLqHE/s1600/91dayslasep.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KQ1KTNEI4PAdCDkqGgUBWODkIZM5VUNJZ07VfNgx6UmR2T0f6hSBf7N9VRQ7x65eYwz6rmVOpa_tqSNFdj6W1rnqRTlqkBcPEi4nV7ei_klhn2nxq9IYOotWHETw2kjSjZQQ_WNLqHE/s320/91dayslasep.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every good shot I took was dark, sorry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/sweetness-lightning">Amaama To Inazuma (Sweetness And Lightning)</a><br />
Almost at the exact opposite of the scale to <i>91 Days</i>, the final episode of <i>Amaama To Inazuma</i> was just as lovely as the first. Each episode explored human friendship and familial bonds through a different Japanese dish, and it even showed viewers how to get the most out of preparing the food - strangely interesting in this modern era where traditional skills are rapidly being lost rather than handed down from parent to child. My favourite moment in the whole series was Tsumugi's shark song. Her voice actress did a particularly good job throughout the show and I hope she gets more work in future; she managed to capture the sweet naiveté of a friendly young girl perfectly. It's difficult to imagine anyone with human feelings failing to find Tsumugi utterly adorable. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwqUTrxh1Fps5XhAnLawoZXZHDuIVDmUXqP77bxmKWBVph9aZ2cj9dt4jooxlYVgWZKpHIrNmD_b8lgUjgfuH7dIQT7eE-3fYPckdTiimsv7KYcCwMJHMTeo3fmjJi_z9h0Oy12J5RKg/s1600/sweetnessandlightningend.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwqUTrxh1Fps5XhAnLawoZXZHDuIVDmUXqP77bxmKWBVph9aZ2cj9dt4jooxlYVgWZKpHIrNmD_b8lgUjgfuH7dIQT7eE-3fYPckdTiimsv7KYcCwMJHMTeo3fmjJi_z9h0Oy12J5RKg/s320/sweetnessandlightningend.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally managed to get a shot of this cutie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/the-heroic-legend-of-arslan/">Arslan Senki: Fuujin Ranbu (The Heroic Legend Of Arslan season 2)</a><br />
A great follow-up to a show I thoroughly enjoyed, but did it have to run for just eight episodes? And did it have to end on that huge cliffhanger? I'm not satisfied to leave things there!<br />
<br />
Even though most of <i>Fuujin Ranbu</i> was dedicated to a self-contained storyline, enough happened in the background to turn the political situation on its head in several different locations across Arslan's world. It's more obvious than ever that anime viewers will need to hope for future adaptations in order to find resolution for the existing plot, let alone any new problems which spring forth as the story develops further. In the meantime, I'll look forward to another beautiful UK release (I don't get to say that very often) from Universal to match their special edition of season one. <i>Arslan Senki</i> has proven itself to be a very satisfying watch - in spite of the abrupt ending.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcofq02ouBAoLJUCn8NhR4FMEQM7eqU0A5CMFB6UfgylPQ7kibXzcIRI0lNQdFrE0kCNDsOCsmSkaCsfXsYlAhaVmDdk-JtwR0F5qNudrZwrSFYa89ZLtD_XBfUXt-6RuzOuomPj569Y/s1600/arslans2end2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcofq02ouBAoLJUCn8NhR4FMEQM7eqU0A5CMFB6UfgylPQ7kibXzcIRI0lNQdFrE0kCNDsOCsmSkaCsfXsYlAhaVmDdk-JtwR0F5qNudrZwrSFYa89ZLtD_XBfUXt-6RuzOuomPj569Y/s320/arslans2end2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arslan has the best companions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/cute-high-earth-defense-club-love">Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu LOVE! LOVE! (Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! LOVE!)</a><br />
I didn't think it was possible but I loved this sequel to <i>Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu LOVE!</i> even more than the original! The main reason for this was the new villains, a pair of twin boys who also happened to be intergalactic idol singers with petulant streaks a mile long. At the start of the show they're typical enemies sending monsters to fight the heroes and hiding away in the background themselves, but after a few episodes the cracks in their flawless idol façades began to show and they stopped being able to hide their ridiculousness. This culminated in an episode where they have second thoughts about one of their plans and have to try to persuade the heroes to transform and deal with the threat without blowing their own cover, only to have the heroes constantly reject their invitations, introducing a layer of uncomfortably realistic social awkwardness to the whole thing that could only be part of a Japanese anime script. I was laughing so hard during this particular episode that I had to keep pausing the stream to give myself time to stop giggling before the next round of jokes! I'm not sure how great the show is for anyone who didn't start out surrounded by wonderful magical girl shows - the comedy relies on knowledge of the genre to a certain extent - but for me the humour is absolutely spot on. A great sequel to a great show. What more could I want?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-euso8sIk0dAgJEPcwmmnsDVDWmYVEL7IhdBQ42OPgkA7NkORx14s1Kp9uF-l1nygs89aJknr5z5-THSLsxMJIlXYm0BAuBg9Ip9uZbhWBYjAX4OFQAo-3zle1qJLsR4ia6MEwhaj-U/s1600/boueibus2end.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-euso8sIk0dAgJEPcwmmnsDVDWmYVEL7IhdBQ42OPgkA7NkORx14s1Kp9uF-l1nygs89aJknr5z5-THSLsxMJIlXYm0BAuBg9Ip9uZbhWBYjAX4OFQAo-3zle1qJLsR4ia6MEwhaj-U/s320/boueibus2end.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comedy villains are wonderful</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/berserk">Berserk</a><br />
I never got used to the 3D CG artwork in this new series of <i>Berserk</i>. It looks ugly. However, once the plot got going and it became evident that there were some likeable new characters to be found amongst all of the monsters, religious zealots and cannon fodder - I really like Serpico - it become much more watchable and there were moments when I could almost pretend that I wasn't watching an awkwardly-animated puppet show. Which is ironic given that I did actually watch a puppet show this season and those characters were considerably more lifelike than these dead-eyed CG models. This remains a huge disappointment for those of us who had long been hoping for a traditionally-animated <i>Berserk</i> series to cover the rest of the manga material, but ultimately the core plot is still interesting. I'll stick around for the second season when it comes along,<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKiYL5wMqpWFAlyit4VMZqeQgqr4Wmz-NiZkbYY6ZLwCl-MAzwWG4m_b5_yYK2DkShDA7bBkq2dOOTSU-cnKa702ya6yomaA_VfEmLL8JemVTToSgHhjFBbzOlz6oIipshBLpvWwDwQg/s1600/berserkcgep12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKiYL5wMqpWFAlyit4VMZqeQgqr4Wmz-NiZkbYY6ZLwCl-MAzwWG4m_b5_yYK2DkShDA7bBkq2dOOTSU-cnKa702ya6yomaA_VfEmLL8JemVTToSgHhjFBbzOlz6oIipshBLpvWwDwQg/s320/berserkcgep12.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish this guy could be happy one day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/cheer-boys/">Cheer Danshi!! (Cheer Boys!!)</a><br />
I wanted to like you, <i>Cheer Danshi!!</i>, but you just didn't stand out. A run-of-the-mill female-orientated sports series focusing on cheerleading - which I will admit is more of a sport than I thought when I first started watching - it never quite captured my imagination the way its more bombastic cousins in the genre have in the past. It was just too squeaky-clean and, well, <i>cheerful</i>. And most of the plot twists were obvious a mile away. Still, it's not a bad thing to see a bunch of misfits find friends and a shared interest and if I'd been less frantic all season it would probably have been a fun way to unwind. An average series.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPqkE0bBBA4W-afIdKEU7KHTv6GhlRwQ7-hiN5a3kOhV2g_CwyQ2GU-E1zidEvwnXR0QT7Ltd3WHjTsi4F-cIIL_pK_8qQkRb2QIE4JMLFlWSmhkzVZG7Q-1fsCY8-CMpITGLoswYcsw/s1600/cheerboysfinale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPqkE0bBBA4W-afIdKEU7KHTv6GhlRwQ7-hiN5a3kOhV2g_CwyQ2GU-E1zidEvwnXR0QT7Ltd3WHjTsi4F-cIIL_pK_8qQkRb2QIE4JMLFlWSmhkzVZG7Q-1fsCY8-CMpITGLoswYcsw/s320/cheerboysfinale.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wanted more of these moments</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/danganronpa-3-the-end-of-hopes-peak-high-school/">Danganronpa 3: The End Of Hope's Peak High School - Mirai-hen (Future Arc) and Zetsubou-hen (Despair Arc)</a><br />
There was also a single episode <i>Hope Arc</i> but I'll keep things as simple as I can. This new <i>Danganronpa</i> anime was crazy. I loved the way it alternated between 'future' and 'despair' episodes, because at first <i>Future Arc</i> was very dry. Like the games, it took a while to get to the point and the new characters' endless melodrama made it difficult to warm to them. The dull, more 'realistic' visuals didn't help. In contrast, <i>Despair Arc</i> was full of over-the-top silliness from the younger versions of the cast from the second game. They needed no introduction for existing fans, which made the early episodes interesting right from the beginning. I would quite happily sign up to watch a full-length television series of Tanaka Gundham shouting at everyone with Sonia swooning in the background and Nagito smiling creepily at the camera. No plot necessary.<br />
<br />
With that said, I was actually surprised that the anime took the time to explain almost all of the lingering mysteries from both of the original games; it was a very pleasant surprise. The new story from <i>Future Arc</i> - which also related to <i>Despair Arc</i> in the end - wasn't the strongest, yet overall the mix of backstory and new content was satisfying. Now I have to wait patiently for the next game. I love <i>Danganronpa</i>!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCFXyZsSj5QQD1_phwGl-4kMEPXAZbfrRfoHZB0MROJowiRac_MEsTlffCOGWKRKT25L1oDKuLKeapN8_R7t8s5VLL8CmYxDTCn6MMBVMbu5grUs3VHXRKdRU5tqxqQY22IA-edPBCF8/s1600/danganronpa3despaired2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCFXyZsSj5QQD1_phwGl-4kMEPXAZbfrRfoHZB0MROJowiRac_MEsTlffCOGWKRKT25L1oDKuLKeapN8_R7t8s5VLL8CmYxDTCn6MMBVMbu5grUs3VHXRKdRU5tqxqQY22IA-edPBCF8/s320/danganronpa3despaired2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Characters so bonkers that everyone else seems boring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-highschool-life-of-a-fudanshi">Fudanshi Koukou Seikatsu (The Highschool Life Of A Fudanshi)</a><br />
The laughs were ultimately few and far between but this comedy about a perpetually-flabbergasted male BL fan was still worth my time for the handful of genuinely clever jokes. Even though I'm sure I will have completely forgotten about it in a couple of years. Crunchyroll's strategy of licensing everything they can is a real blessing when it comes to shorts which would otherwise never get a chance at a simulcast over here.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikM2bQzPANRmCreAjh6Twkc5KVDMXCI6m9P2Ff9WNusMN1SqOEc9vZCIqwKokXv_zrJsy30J52jFaa8jy0Q4YrO92GRb_lDjT19rZKQcfPylM7cC9jS-IC4xVjcQIQ_EXoiRgZUVDEoEE/s1600/fudansiending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikM2bQzPANRmCreAjh6Twkc5KVDMXCI6m9P2Ff9WNusMN1SqOEc9vZCIqwKokXv_zrJsy30J52jFaa8jy0Q4YrO92GRb_lDjT19rZKQcfPylM7cC9jS-IC4xVjcQIQ_EXoiRgZUVDEoEE/s320/fudansiending.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture cracks me up and I don't know why</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/ace-attorney">Gyakuten Saiban: Sono 'Shinjitsu', Igi Ari! (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney)</a><br />
I have heard nothing positive about this cheap-looking show, which is either a retread of familiar ground (if you've played any of the <i>Gyakuten Saiban</i> games) or a bewildering parade of nonsense (if you haven't played them). With its unremarkable animation, lack of coherent backstory and major spoilers for the game, this is probably one for the hardcore fans only. However, since it's been a while since I played through the first few games I've really enjoyed the trip down memory lane with the familiar old cast. It turns out that I'd forgotten most of the solutions to the mysteries which helped keep the suspense higher than it might have been, and it was nice to hear the Japanese story (which characterises some of the supporting cast quite differently from the localised script by necessity). It's difficult to imagine recommending the <i>Gyakuten Saiban</i> to anybody but I liked it nonetheless.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkf_rgI3g91FTLf4B4o5_QvHx19AbzWWQtGF4VA7DkZsbdbN0cM67SwoApUA-vnfwPn_5Q4opWRx-byDFKnccncyYEabVjDJzHdzCDavDnAZ0ggJ_kK7N-uhasYzCyvrEeVGkbeMOZ0k0/s1600/gyakutensaibanendings2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkf_rgI3g91FTLf4B4o5_QvHx19AbzWWQtGF4VA7DkZsbdbN0cM67SwoApUA-vnfwPn_5Q4opWRx-byDFKnccncyYEabVjDJzHdzCDavDnAZ0ggJ_kK7N-uhasYzCyvrEeVGkbeMOZ0k0/s320/gyakutensaibanendings2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The opening sequences were the best/funniest parts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/orange">Orange</a><br />
I'm proud of myself for finishing the anime version of <i>Orange</i> after wimping out partway through the phenomenal manga, which I'd love to buy if/when I ever have money again. Since I was too afraid to finish it, I'm not sure whether the anime adaptation sticks tightly to the same plot or diverges at the end. What I do know is that I enjoyed the end and it avoided some of the more awkward possibilities for resolving the surprisingly complicated plot. I was satisfied by how things turned out.<br />
<br />
Regret is a difficult emotion for me. In fact, I'd say it's one of the most terribly sad emotions in the entire spectrum and <i>Orange</i> captures that tortured feeling so accurately that it's been painful for me to get through the series from start to finish - definitely a sign of a very well-written story. It's a real emotional rollercoaster, with the purity of the friends' desperation to protect one another clashing with the darkness that poor Kakeru has locked up inside him, and suddenly losing someone you care about is a scenario that has played out hundreds of thousands of times in social groups all over the world. It's hard not to become emotionally invested. Ropey animation or not, I love this series and I'd definitely pick up a home video release if someone brought it to the US (or UK) one day. It deserves to break out and be seen by non-anime fans too.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCcmI9NPb6J92BdN6REfPS-5_kRE5DDeEj3BVMyoSK0bpICIzM60VaH4W1DkjauNZg1UEWVbG4KEfBHOW1yi802KBWruTXCHAEjMlSwFMw2hlBRn9Wk-gifVo0M2sOZ8XjKvZW5pseOA/s1600/orangelastep.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCcmI9NPb6J92BdN6REfPS-5_kRE5DDeEj3BVMyoSK0bpICIzM60VaH4W1DkjauNZg1UEWVbG4KEfBHOW1yi802KBWruTXCHAEjMlSwFMw2hlBRn9Wk-gifVo0M2sOZ8XjKvZW5pseOA/s320/orangelastep.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">;_;</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/ozmafia">OZMAFIA!!</a><br />
I watched this whole series and came out without any real thoughts. If it hadn't been so short, it would have ended up dropped like <i>Love Live! Sunshine</i> because it really did feel pointless. At least the designs were pretty?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWl-EIHiC5Zri1zsVDZZ63Gfg6_rWrVbMQcS7-kEjn2XvneeNrFL93qc2O07kUqVajeCb3yNXbpMgDBxicDGs0Nl87k-tAGQ_Dbm7TMvm4-a78PrpV3YnG0apwnM6lhcM3hITgmNk0deY/s1600/ozmafiaending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWl-EIHiC5Zri1zsVDZZ63Gfg6_rWrVbMQcS7-kEjn2XvneeNrFL93qc2O07kUqVajeCb3yNXbpMgDBxicDGs0Nl87k-tAGQ_Dbm7TMvm4-a78PrpV3YnG0apwnM6lhcM3hITgmNk0deY/s320/ozmafiaending.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing happened! Nothing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/food-wars-shokugeki-no-soma">Shokugeki No Soma (Food Wars! The Second Plate)</a><br />
A very satisfying self-contained season of ecstasy-inducing cookery battles. I'd much rather <i>The Second Plate</i> had been a full two-cour season like its predecessor since I gather that there's still a lot of material to cover from the manga, but the staff managed to keep the plot tight; the first few episodes resolve the tournament from the previous season while the last few concentrate on the 'stagiare' work experience all of the students have to do as part of their training. This was probably my favourite arc of the two since we got to see Souma having to learn on his feet in unfamiliar situations without his usual cheerleaders around him. The episodes about French cuisine were particularly interesting since Souma knew even less than I do about it, and had to display a much more humble attitude than we're used to seeing from him on his home turf. However, I imagine that fans of the wider cast were probably disappointed that they didn't get to do much in these episodes. I'm lucky that this is one of those rare series where I actually really like the lead character!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvBl7C_sh3GRhqffQHYp2P6AtHeERmKFVRxq_4tEVDTpAOlpZS2-m4PzHXZEinLzgDG3cnkqYExL0P2UfIoDSaMDCZQavzeN5fxLd279rjOk3IRVm98Wr3M0Xf_hXNN8b8yxRRJSrvfo/s1600/foodwarss2ending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvBl7C_sh3GRhqffQHYp2P6AtHeERmKFVRxq_4tEVDTpAOlpZS2-m4PzHXZEinLzgDG3cnkqYExL0P2UfIoDSaMDCZQavzeN5fxLd279rjOk3IRVm98Wr3M0Xf_hXNN8b8yxRRJSrvfo/s320/foodwarss2ending.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's with the short-running sequels to great shows?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/thunderbolt-fantasy">Thunderbolt Fantasy: Touriken Yuuki</a><br />
Somehow, I ended up watching the whole show despite not really liking puppet theatre and finding the Chinese/Japanese name mismatches annoying. It was just so passionately exciting at all times. The utterly generic anime/Asian fantasy plot about some strangers gathering a party together to go and stop an evil bad guy from running off with a magical sword has never been told in such a gorgeous way before. It was also surprisingly bloody. Someone needs to put this out on Blu-ray in the west and get it on Adult Swim or something.<br />
<br />
Screaming Phoenix Killer has to be one of the best titles any person can hope to aspire to. Instant favourite character. Sigh.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjb_ae8Jm8U-oEwDyK8hpbUL7Xdf0MAnRTYnSxPp58oOVPpfBeKvDDFwqy-ecrOkt9QisuFjeLlAC3z4YWghyphenhyphendzilc_Dp23fEROdfYnYvBgXhyNSBfuDl6FACnO-F4_QGNEP2ECD9o_4/s1600/screamingphoenixkiller.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjb_ae8Jm8U-oEwDyK8hpbUL7Xdf0MAnRTYnSxPp58oOVPpfBeKvDDFwqy-ecrOkt9QisuFjeLlAC3z4YWghyphenhyphendzilc_Dp23fEROdfYnYvBgXhyNSBfuDl6FACnO-F4_QGNEP2ECD9o_4/s320/screamingphoenixkiller.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beauty of these puppets is mindblowing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
--<br />
<br />
That's all for summer; it was a decent season and the UK coverage was better than ever. If not for my real life problems, I'd have had an easy time keeping up with everything I wanted to watch thanks to the dream combination of Funimation and Crunchyroll - which looks set to become even better from now on.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bXAxyaf2O9iw0sbirYcjDFc6uWl0Cjk_81LQCAUzgSJCjgQxJMvsvjPioumpS0PrgkZgvHgJXcYPq5TmsXCA2YFZlT_fBS9QFZ_qfFN00fFbGUtmnSefgtuoBGJwJ8K_mhrfFxA-nK8/s1600/rohanasmaaa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bXAxyaf2O9iw0sbirYcjDFc6uWl0Cjk_81LQCAUzgSJCjgQxJMvsvjPioumpS0PrgkZgvHgJXcYPq5TmsXCA2YFZlT_fBS9QFZ_qfFN00fFbGUtmnSefgtuoBGJwJ8K_mhrfFxA-nK8/s320/rohanasmaaa.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best thing about the current <i>JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/jojos-bizarre-adventure">JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</a> is the only show continuing into the autumn season, which has already started. It looks as though I have a lot of catching up to do!Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-29673400233793038552016-08-22T22:39:00.001+01:002016-08-22T22:39:23.788+01:00News roundup: Release week has arrived, and with it come lots of new videos<b><u>More <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> videos appear as release day approaches</u></b><br />
<br />
We're being treated to a steady flow of new updates now, with even more on the way. The most interesting so far has been this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUdCXo8Ba1s">Game Maniacs</a> broadcast with KobaP since it isn't shy about revealing a few previously-unseen interface elements. Thanks go to OneSanitarium for flagging it up this morning.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tUdCXo8Ba1s?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
Then there's the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coYMviQKYS4">T.M.Revolution version</a> of the second promotional video, which technically isn't new. Still, I'm not going to pass up an excuse to embed some T.M.Revolution on my blog.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/coYMviQKYS4?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
<b><u>Other recent <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> news</u></b><br />
<br />
For the benefit of those not on Twitter, I've been keeping my <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/06/yukimuraden.html">Reference Materials</a> post relatively up to date with new information from the trophy list to the menu interfaces. Please check there if you have any questions about the game as I think everything I know is included in that post. I'll be updating several times after the game's release so hopefully there won't be long to wait before everything important is translated. Here's the game's main menu composited from a few different screenshots (thank you again to OneSanitarium for helping with one picture I was missing!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzgFe_rn-fAwS-qzgwV-J4pE3lyRg822dwUYUQLF4x0yWXCIgYrKjJhAe3LmpNv_WoHxdBvGL08AzwXIiLFUSRoFP1A6Ofkoq4HUwGDuOQY2i4N1eZ11E0PvugsR7NhKnrq1lHcxCROU/s1600/yukimuradenmodeselect.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzgFe_rn-fAwS-qzgwV-J4pE3lyRg822dwUYUQLF4x0yWXCIgYrKjJhAe3LmpNv_WoHxdBvGL08AzwXIiLFUSRoFP1A6Ofkoq4HUwGDuOQY2i4N1eZ11E0PvugsR7NhKnrq1lHcxCROU/s320/yukimuradenmodeselect.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We heard a few days ago that there would be a pair of broadcasts on Nico Nico Live on <a href="http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv272968994">23rd</a> and <a href="http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv272969452">30th</a>
August 2016 at 19:00 Japan time, hosted by Nico Nico
personalities Edosan" and Fumiichi, and Furukawa Mirin of DEMPAGUMI.inc. The links for both broadcasts are now live so the timeshifts can be reserved if you have a Nico Nico account. I don't expect any new information to be revealed at this point other than a mission here and there, but it's always possible.<br />
<br />
The <a href="https://twitter.com/BASARA_CAPCOM/status/767345587750440960">Twitter reveal</a> of the sixth special weapon based on a regional food speciality came along as expected, showing off Masayuki's special weapon <i>Zeppin Kougyo</i> which is a fancy arrangement of <i>ayu</i> (sweetfish). I wonder how these food-themed weapons are obtained?<br />
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Other updates have included <a href="https://twitter.com/BASARA_CAPCOM/status/767557092655849473">formal confirmation of free mode</a> once you've cleared the game's main story stages and a bunch of <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20160822054/">screenshots from the opening sequence</a> which have been released to the Japanese gaming press. There's also one last(?) major <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/topics/challenge.html">Twitter campaign</a> which is offering merchandise for participating in social media activities.<br />
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Speaking of the opening, it's a little unusual that we haven't heard anything about an ending theme at this point. Could it be an instrumental, or a remix of the opening song?<br />
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<b><u>In Japan and not sure about whether to buy <i>Yukimura-den</i>? Visit a game store!</u></b><br />
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Games shops across Japan will also be running a series of in-store demo events <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/topics/shopExpAs.html">next weekend</a>. Those who try the game out will receive a special <i>Sengoku Basara</i> clear file as a memento.<br />
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<u><b>The fourth (and final) <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> study video</b></u><br />
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Capcom TV's silly series of clips showing Gor☆geous learning about the new game from NonakaP is now officially over with the release of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AujjbZFXHA">fourth video</a>:<br />
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<b><u>More promotional activities take place in conjunction with <i>Sanada Juuyuushi</i></u></b><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84w8ZtPJpEU">Here's</a> a short message from actor Nakamura Kankuro VI to promote the tie-in with the upcoming <i>Sanada Juuyuushi ('Sanada Ten Braves')</i> movie. The collaboration also featured in the <a href="http://www.famitsu.com/news/201608/22113828.html">news</a> today thanks to a joint press conference about the game and movie.<br />
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<b><u>The <i>Sengoku Basara DOKUGAN</i> manga will be released in collected form soon</u></b><br />
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The first volume of the manga is <a href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4253141412">scheduled</a> for release on 20th October 2016 under the <i>Young Champion Comics</i> label. The price is <a href="http://akitashoten.co.jp/comics/4253141412">officially</a> ¥562 before tax, and it should start appearing on other import sites very soon.<br />
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<b><u>More <i>Sengoku Basara</i> exploration with a special one-day tour</u></b><br />
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A special <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den Release Date Memorial 'Sanada Pilgrimage Day Trip Tour'</i> will <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/topics/tour.html">take place</a> on 15th October 2016, taking fans around the Ueda area and ending with a presentation by series producer Kobayashi Hiroyuki. Some special illustrations have been revealed showing Yukimura and Sasuke enjoying <i>konetsuke mochi</i> and hot springs; these pictures will appear on keychains, stickers, badges and other goodies available to those on the tour. Cute!<br />
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Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-38614358009462538522016-08-18T14:50:00.001+01:002016-08-19T07:41:25.304+01:00News roundup: The final Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den live broadcast<b><u>Recap from the fourth <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den </i>live stream</u></b><br />
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I took the day off work today to watch the stream on time for once, so without further preamble here's what I noticed after watching it twice in a row.<br />
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After speeding through the usual introductions and greetings, they played a short video message from Nishikawa Takanori (T.M.Revolution) then launched straight into a recap of the game information.<br />
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They made a big deal of the ability to replay the audio from the story in the game's gallery, which is admittedly a very cool feature.<br />
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Ayana's cool Yukimura t-shirt did not go unnoticed.<br />
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The first gameplay demonstration was from chapter eight of the game's story mode (Edit: Oops, fixed a typo - thanks AZ Shibakusa!). You start out playing as Yukimura but can use Sanada Blood (L2) to control the Sanadamaru fortress at any time. You hold L2 down to aim to Sanadamaru then release the button to fire the cannons. Cancelling by pressing L2 again is possible up until the weapon fires. A blue gauge around the Sanadamaru's portrait helps judge its current status; as with smaller cannons in the series, if you fire too often the weapon will overheat and need to cool down.<br />
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The first objective is to destroy four cannons, then it changes to having to destroy all eleven of the cannons. <br />
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The first boss is Gotou Matabee. In the stream, he showed up partway through the mission to destroy all the cannons and it seems that he can be ignored at this point. This is totally not simply an excuse to post a picture of Matabee.<br />
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Once the cannons are down, Sasuke appears and Yukimura launches him into the air for the minigame where he flies around destroying supply crates.<br />
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It doesn't look as hectic as it sounded from the early descriptions. KobaP called an end to the demonstration before the minigame finished so what happens afterwards will remain a surprise.<br />
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Ayana expressed her initial worries about whether Sasuke was even going to appear in the game, saying that the Sasuke fans were really concerned for a while! It seems that she's a genuine fan.<br />
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Next, they took a break from the gameplay and recapped the DLC <i>oni</i> costumes which were revealed earlier today along with some of the other past DLC announcements. Ayana picked up the controller for the next gameplay demonstration, and while she was very nervous she took control of Yukimura in his <i>oni</i> costume for a run through the Tenmokuzan stage. It was her very first time playing the game - let alone live on camera - but she did a decent job. It's sort of fun that you can give all of the characters coordinating outfits for the cutscenes.<br />
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Since they've demonstrated that stage several times before there wasn't much that I noticed to comment on. The next demonstration was with Benmaru on the very first chapter of the game. Both of the kids were in their mascot DLC outfits so it was hard to see what was going on around their portly bodies. They showed a fairly generous portion of the stage. The interface indicated that Benmaru's Yukimura-kun DLC costume was his third outfit so it doesn't look as though he has any more alternate costumes as part of the base game.<br />
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The first announcement in the news bulletin segment was that their LINE followers would be sent another new smartphone wallpaper illustration drawn by mangaka Itou Ryuu. It's a fun one, showing Keiji and Yoshiteru dressed up to party at a festival.<br />
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The next new reveal (I'm skipping the new items we already know) was about a collaboration with <a href="http://www.kiwa-group.co.jp/news/news.php?id=157">Kiwa Corporation</a> restaurants in Japan. Over a hundred branches will be offering a themed <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> menu from 1st September through to 31st October 2016. Choose from a selection of four different set meals based on Yukimura, Masamune, Nobuyuki and Masayuki, and receive ramen, fried rice, a <i>Sengoku Basara</i> coaster, a bottle of Japanese-style 'cider' with a <i>Sengoku Basara</i> label and a fortune cookie, all for ¥1,380 before tax. You will also receive a fortune cookie if you present your LINE account in the restaurant to show them that you're following the official <i>Sengoku Basara</i> account there.<br />
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Fancy-looking <i>Sengoku Basara</i> <i>masu</i> boxes will be available from <a href="http://urakita.ocnk.net/product-list/27">Urakita</a> on 18th August 2016. A single box will cost ¥1,650 before tax with mini boxes available for just ¥850 before tax. There's a very wide selection of character designs on offer.<br />
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In addition, a range of designer <i>Sengoku Basara x Laundry</i> t-shirts is <a href="http://www.laundry038.com/">coming</a> next week, priced at ¥4,200 before tax per shirt.<br />
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And Sweet Workshop Priroll will be adding printed <i>Sengoku Basara</i> macarons (¥1,852) and cupcakes (¥2,000) to their <a href="http://priroll.jp/products/list.php?category_id=587">range</a> of character-themed desserts from 18th August 2016. The treats come with stickers.<br />
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Some samples of the cakes and macarons were available in the studio. Yummy.<br />
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There will be a pair of broadcasts on Nico Nico Live on 23rd August/30th August 2016 at 19:00 Japan time. The shows will be hosted by Nico Nico personalities Edosan" and Fumiichi, and Furukawa Mirin of DEMPAGUMI.inc. All of the presenters have helped promote <i>Sengoku Basara</i> previously.<br />
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They showed a video clip of the <i>Yukimura-den</i> trains currently running in Japan as part of the news bulletins. Ayana sounded tremendously excited when Sasuke's picture passed by the camera.<br />
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The final part of the broadcast was a live quiz for the viewers, with signed posters and merchandise from the Chara Pop stores on offer. They asked for the name of the fortress at Osaka Castle (Sanadamaru) and laughed at some of the joke answers people made (Mori Ranmaru?!), then they asked for the name of the new game. Again, there were some silly answers (Akechi Mitsuhide-den, Musou-den, Ninja Guy-den, Mori Ranmaru-den... what's with all of the Ranmaru gags?)<br />
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After a few 'final' messages the conversation shifted to how the game is being released in Chinese as well for the very first time. NonakaP described the trouble that fans in countries such as Taiwan have experienced, playing the games entirely in Japanese even though they had an official release over there. They mentioned that as well as the launch events in Tokyo (attended by KobaP) and Osaka (attended by NonakaP), there was actually going to be a third event on release day. Series director YamamotoD will be travelling to Taipei to meet the Taiwanese fans!<br />
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With a final cryptic hint from KobaP that there'd be more to reveal right up to the game's release next week, the show wrapped up. Fans speculated whether the opening might be revealed online, whether there'd be another episode of the live stream, or whether it might be something completely different.<br />
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Personally I think the most disappointing (and therefore most likely) answer is that it will be the promotional video KobaP mentioned before, showcasing the six food-themed weapons they've been teasing at events week by week.<br />
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That's all from the live stream, but I've been thinking back on what we know about the game and I'm now even more convinced that Free Mode is hidden somewhere. The shot of Keiji on Masamune's stage in one of the promotional videos doesn't match up to <i>anything</i> else we've seen, and the simplest explanation is that once you've played through the main story or completed some other task, you can swap out the characters you control on story stages thereafter. One other possible hint is that the Tegata Missions are always worded in a general way - instructions like 'defeat Hideyoshi' or 'defend the gate' - which means there won't be any gameplay problems with slotting other characters into the free mode stages, with the exception of the character-specific minigames like Sasuke's aerial sabotage mission. The mid-stage dialogue would obviously need addressing but given how little work would be needed to allow free character selection on story stages I'm almost entirely convinced that we'll get it. Let's see.<br />
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<b><u>Notes from this morning's official website update</u></b><br />
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The new information collected the new details revealed in <i>Weekly Famitsu</i>, with the advantage of much better pictures. I've made a small amendment to my previous post as the confusing magazine layout led to a mistake in the stage descriptions.<br />
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We also got a brand new <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Waj_IkKQAkM">promotional video</a> showing the game's paid DLC costumes in action. The voiceover confirms that the removable heads for the Bontenmaru/Benmaru outfits are for cutscenes (there won't be any in-game headless mascot action). The <i>oni</i> costumes are loosely connected to the idea of the underworld; it's already been announced that the hardest difficulty level is named after the Sanzu River so there's an existing connection there.<br />
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Here's a gratuitous picture of the (non-DLC) alternate costumes too, just because a picture was available:<br />
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The last update was another tweak to <i>The Action Of Sanada Yukimura-den</i> <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/topics/interview.html">'making of' video</a> section, with two new clips and interviews featuring director Tanaka Toshihiro and Sonomura Kensuke.<br />
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The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLTsGfwqyO8">third part</a> focuses on the fastidious details in the action scenes. Yukimura's new Heavenly Wings mode gave the team some interesting challenges:<br />
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The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry67km85ru8">fourth clip</a> is similar, except it concentrates on the story scenes:<br />
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<b><u>Japanese search engine 'goo' helps advertise the new game</u></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goo.ne.jp/">goo</a> is a popular Japanese search engine and to promote the new game's release next week, it's currently displaying a <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> <a href="http://www.famitsu.com/news/201608/18113539.html">theme</a> on its front page.<br />
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As well as the visuals, there's a large box on the front page which collects interviews, videos and articles about the game to help visitors learn more. It's an interesting way to spread awareness about <i>Yukimura-den</i>.<br />
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<b><u>Ashigaru-kun visits the Rokumonsen Cafe</u></b><br />
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The <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/bsr/?p=4783">latest</a> in Ashigaru-kun's series of photo reports has been posted on the Tokusei Kawaraban site and it's all about a visit to the new Rokumonsen Cafe in Akihabara.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-62820972791262249122016-08-17T17:53:00.000+01:002016-08-18T11:21:46.916+01:00News roundup: Weekly Famitsu article summary and a few more Sengoku Basara updatesAs promised, here's the second half of the day's news!<br />
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<b><u>A summary of the latest <i>Weekly Famitsu</i> article</u></b><br />
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Today's <i>Weekly Famitsu</i> feature is much longer than usual, with a recap of all of the previous news and only a few new details scattered throughout.<br />
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<b>Costumes</b><br />
<ul>
<li>The <i>oni</i> costumes we saw yesterday are confirmed to be paid DLC for the Sanada clan members: Sanada Yukimura (Red Oni Ver.), Sanada Masayuki (Green Oni Ver.) and Sanada Nobuyuki (Blue Oni Ver.). They're supposed to give the characters a mystical feel, and the weapon graphics change along with the costumes.</li>
<li>All of the playable characters have alternate outfits (as well as the story outfits we've seen so far). They're all recolours rather than true second costumes, but they're reasonably fun.</li>
<li>Yukimura's alternate outfit is a camouflage-coloured version of his classic outfit, Sasuke-style.</li>
<li>Masayuki has a white costume with a bright red rose.</li>
<li>Nobuyuki's is dark grey/black with some red trim. It looks good.</li>
<li>Masamune has a black and crimson version of his new white costume with gold trim.</li>
<li>Benmaru is dressed in yellow with red/blue details, a little like his father's standard outfit.</li>
<li>Bontenmaru is wearing a crazy blue/white/pink marbled recolour of his standard costume. </li>
</ul>
<b>Story (this section obviously contains mild spoilers)</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Chapter 9 is titled Osaka Summer Siege: Azure-Crimson Chance Encounter, and it's the duo's fated battle in their classic outfits.</li>
<li>Chapter 10 is simply called Osaka Summer Siege: Sanada Yukimura, and it seems that Tokugawa Ieyasu is the final boss. Yukimura is wearing his Phoenix costume.</li>
<li>The Setting Sail From Setouchi 'Secret Backstory' stage was also featured for the first time. It's set between chapter 8 and chapter 9 as I guessed, and the player takes control of Yukimura for an intrusion in a fight between Motonari and Motochika. It looks like a proper stage with objectives (Akatsukimaru even shows up) rather than a simple duel. (Edit: My mistake, these shots are from chapter 9. The side story is a fight with Motochika).</li>
<li>They're still keeping a few of the Secret Backstories hidden even though some were visible in a screenshot already.</li>
</ul>
<b>Other observations</b><br />
<ul>
<li>It seems extremely likely that each of the four adult characters only has one (R2?) special move in this game, since the text makes a big deal out of Yukimura earning his Fuurinkazan move over the course of the story and explicitly omits the two child characters when describing the new specials. Oh well.</li>
<li>The text also implies that Monsen Coins are only used for levelling up and buying Styles.</li>
<li>There's an interview with Nishikawa Takanori (T.M.Revolution) in which he makes song recommendations from the DLC music packs you can buy for the game. He suggested <i>Madan ~Der Freischütz~</i> for playing a character with a gun like Magoichi, but wasn't so sure about <i>HOT LIMIT</i> or <i>HIGH PRESSURE</i>. </li>
</ul>
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By the way, the reason that I haven't been talking about the game's placement in the usual <i>Weekly Famitsu</i> ranking of upcoming games all this time is that it hasn't been appearing, so I'm not expecting it to sell spectacularly well. <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> is very much a spin-off rather than part of the main series, after all.<br />
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<b><u>Report from Capcom TV episode #49</u></b><br />
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There's not much to say about today's Capcom TV, as expected. They kindly put the <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> segment near the start this time so producer NonakaP appeared with Ashigaru-kun early in the show.<br />
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To demonstrate the game they started from the very first chapter so we got to see the stage playing out. It has already been described several times and shown in clips so there weren't any surprises, but I confirmed a few of the mission objectives for my <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/06/yukimuraden.html">Reference Materials</a> master post. They also showed off the Secret Backstory: Bontenmaru's Daily Life mission which is a straightforward duel against Kojuurou.<br />
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Finally, NonakaP took Yukimura through a few of the Sanada Trials and showed us the Style selection screen long enough for me to note down some more stats from some of the Styles available. I believe I now have most of the details of every basic Style in the game - it looks as though each character has 15: 13 basic, one elemental, and one personal Style. I'll update my Reference Materials later with the full chart (which is actually going to have to be two separate charts as the amount of data is a little overwhelming).<br />
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Today's smartphone wallpaper giveaway on LINE used the keyword 観てね! which unlocks this fetching CG artwork of Yukimura against the sky.<br />
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<b><u>More behind-the-scenes clips from <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i></u></b><br />
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Going back to catching up on news from the past few days, the official website updated with a <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/topics/interview.html">new section</a> for another entry in <i>The Action Of Sanada Yukimura-den</i> behind-the-scenes documentary series. The second tab on the page focuses on story cutscenes from the game, and features a pair of video clips showing the game's rarely-seen director Tanaka Toshihiro talking to Sonomura Kensuke, who directs the cutscenes.<br />
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The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4lbR631gi4">first clip</a> is mostly a straightforward interview, introducing their roles and how the cutscenes transition from paper to CG. The problems of dealing with the series' outlandish weapons when real actors are involved were mentioned once more.<br />
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The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4AZ2PZShZk">second clip</a> is a little more playful, focusing on the video storyboards and motion capture process. The staff act out the scenes from the game for the camera which is cute. My favourite part was the scene with Katsuie and Toshiie...<br />
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<b><u>Travel around real-life Sanada territory to earn <i>Sengoku Basara</i> goodies</u></b><br />
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A <i>Shinshuu Ueda x Sengoku Basara</i> <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20160815009/">tourism tie-in event</a> will be held from 20th August to 4th December 2016. The free <i>Shinshuu Ueda: Sanada Historical Pilgrimage ~Sengoku Basara Stamp-Gathering Journey~</i> campaign will encourage visitors to the Nagano region to pick up a stamp card and collect stamps at various tourist attractions, then complete a questionnaire. Naturally, there are some special rewards available to entice fans of the series.<br />
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Six different exclusive battle flags:<br />
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An exclusive clear file:<br />
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Six different 'ema' cards:<br />
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The official website for the new campaign is <a href="http://www.ueda-cb.gr.jp/event/basara2016/">here</a>. If you're in the Shinshuu Ueda area, it sounds like a fun activity!Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-31874510875618089362016-08-17T11:45:00.000+01:002016-08-17T11:45:01.849+01:00News roundup: The first of two big updates today, featuring oni costumes, video links and more<u><b>What to expect in the week before the release of <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i></b></u><br />
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With the new game coming out in just over one week, we're going to be on the receiving end of a lot of news updates for the next few days. Here's what we have to look forward to at the moment. I'll post again once <i>Weekly Famitsu</i> has been released later in the early hours of Thursday morning, and hopefully at some point the Japanese version of the game will finally appear for preorder on the PlayStation store.<br />
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<b>Wednesday 17th August:</b> The latest episode (#49) of Capcom TV will air at 20:00 on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nYX_dd1_oU">YouTube</a>, <a href="http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv272258917">Nico Nico</a> and <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/capcom_channel">Twitch</a>, and they've promised to include a summary of the game's features and story. The game's producer, Nonaka Daizou, is scheduled to appear as well. Since this is the last episode before the game is released, Capcom TV will also be releasing their final <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> tie-in <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/topics/capcomtv.html">wallpaper</a> for the LINE messaging service during the show.<br />
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<b>Thursday 18th August: </b><i>Weekly Famitsu</i> magazine will publish a special feature on the new game to celebrate its upcoming release, revealing details from the game's climactic ninth and tenth story chapters. The latest <a href="http://www.famitsu.com/news/201608/16112529.html">preview article</a> also promises plenty of brand new information, including an interview with musician T.M.Revolution and details of some new (<i>oni</i>-style?) DLC costumes:<br />
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<b>Thursday 18th August: </b>The game's <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/">official website</a> will update. Going by the usual pattern it will include some of the reveals from <i>Weekly Famitsu</i>, a few hours after the magazine goes on sale. We can also expect updates from the various Japanese gaming websites over the course of the day, and a video of Masayuki's (R2?) special move will appear on the <a href="https://twitter.com/BASARA_CAPCOM">official Twitter account</a> as part of a <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/topics/movietweetSecond.html">retweet campaign</a>.<br />
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<b>Thursday 18th August: </b>The fourth (and final) <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> live broadcast will air on Nico Nico Live at 20:00 Japan time, with Saaya acting as host. She'll be accompanied by series producer Kobayashi Hiroyuki (KobaP), the game's producer Nonaka Daizou and an actress named Ayana. The description promises the latest information plus extra-special prizes in the live quiz segment. The link to watch (or timeshift) the stream is <a href="http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv270323535">here</a>.<br />
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<b>Friday 19th August:</b> The final Capcom TV spin-off 'study' video with Gor☆geous and NonakaP will be posted <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/CapcomChannel/videos">online</a>, and the final video in the current retweet campaign will show off Nobuyuki's (R2?) special move on Twitter.<br />
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<b>Saturday 20th August: </b>There will be an in-store presentation <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/tentou16summer">event</a> with KobaP at the main EDION store in Hiroshima. It's likely that another new special weapon will be revealed - presumably Masayuki's - and then posted on the official Twitter account one day later. There's one more of these events to come two days after the game's release, but there are unlikely to be any more new announcements at that time.<br />
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<u><b>Another two special (joke?) weapons are posted on Twitter</b></u><br />
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Keeping up with the established pattern, the series' official Twitter account shared pictures of two new weapons after recent in-store events. There's apparently some kind of special promotional video featuring all of these weapons which was shown to attendees and has yet to appear online.<br />
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Yukimura's <a href="https://twitter.com/BASARA_CAPCOM/status/762272108093120513">special weapon</a> is <i>Octopus Campaign</i>, a pair of oversized <i>takoyaki</i> (balls made from octopus and batter). It's a regional speciality which represents the Osaka region, and as they're usually served piping hot they make an appropriate weapon for a person like Yukimura in more than one way.<br />
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Bontenmaru's <a href="https://twitter.com/BASARA_CAPCOM/status/764793819787169792">special weapon</a> is <i>Zunda</i>, a gigantic <i>zundamochi.</i> This is a sweet snack made from a rice cake smothered in a tasty mashed soybean topping, and its association with Masamune's real-life homeland is famous across Japan. A very appropriate weapon, especially since you can buy all manner of <i>zunda</i>-flavoured <i>Sengoku Basara </i>merchandise...<br />
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<u><b>The next episodes in Capcom TV's <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura</i> miniseries</b></u><br />
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Capcom TV's space pirate Gor☆geous returned <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/08/news-roundup-we-can-expect-lot-of-news.html">as promised</a> with the second and third episodes of his miniseries, showing him learning about <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> along with his viewers. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saEwiyXnS2Y">Episode two</a> featured NonakaP coaching Gor☆geous in the game's story mode, introducing the game mechanics for Yukimura, Masayuki and Nobuyuki and explaining each of the characters.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-zJdwZbQaY">Episode 3</a> showed off the game's third chapter which we haven't seen so much in the past, and NonakaP tried to explain how the game's characters and situations take inspiration from real Japanese history. After starting off with the now-familiar Sanada clan members, Gor☆geous was also introduced to Date Masamune and the Sanadamaru fortress. After they saw Yukimura firing himself out of a gigantic cannon a message flashed up on screen reminding viewers that the game's version of the Sanadamaru wasn't entirely realistic.<br />
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There's only one more episode left in the series and it comes out this week. Will Gor☆geous be able to prove to NonakaP that he's been paying attention to his lessons?<br />
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<b><u>Some more upcoming Japanese events have been announced</u></b><br />
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Since <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> is coming out so soon, initial details have been revealed about <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/topics/release.html">release day events</a> to be held at 10:00 on 25th August 2016 in the TSUTAYA (Shibuya, Tokyo), and Joshin Denki Disc Pier (Nipponbashi branch, Osaka). KobaP will attend the event in Tokyo while NonakaP will be present in Osaka. Customers who bring their preorder receipts can enter a prize draw to win goods such as scripts and autograph boards signed by the series' voice actors. For those who can't be at the event in person, games retailer WonderGOO is also running a prize draw for its customers via Twitter.<br />
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Later on in the year, there will be a pair of <a href="http://basara-club.jp/fanmeeting2016w/">fan club gatherings</a> in Tokyo and Osaka. The <i>Basara Club Fan Meeting 2016 Winter</i> events will be held at Tokyo's Nissho Hall on Sunday 27th November 2016, and then the Osaka Business Park Enkei Hall on Saturday 10th December 2016. All tickets cost ¥5,000 and they'll be offered to fan club members via lottery. Naturally, a few special guests have been announced.<br />
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<b>Tokyo afternoon show (14:00):</b> Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura's voice actor), Irino Miyu (Yamanaka Shikanosuke's voice actor), Shiramata Atsushi (Chousokabe Motochika in the stage play), Kotani Yoshikazu (Mouri Motonari in the stage play), Kobayashi Hiroyuki (series producer)<br />
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<b>Tokyo evening show (18:00):</b> Koyama Rikiya (Kuroda Kanbee's voice actor), Miki Shinichirou (Gotou Matabee's voice actor), Shiina Taizou (Sarutobi Sasuke/Mori Ranmaru in the stage play), Karahashi Mitsuru (Oda Nobunaga in the stage play), Kobayashi Hiroyuki (series producer)<br />
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<b>Osaka afternoon show (14:00): </b>Ishino Ryuuzou (Chousokabe Motochika's voice actor), Nakahara Shigeru (Mouri Motonari's voice actor), Matsumura Ryuunosuke (Sanada Yukimura in the stage play), Sakurada Kousei (Azai Nagamasa in the stage play), Kobayashi Hiroyuki (series producer)<br />
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<b>Osaka evening show (18:00):</b> Morita Masakazu (Maeda Keiji's voice actor), Hayami Shou (Akechi Mitsuhide/Tenkai's voice actor), Saitou Shuusuke (Shima Sakon in the stage play), Shiozaki 'IRE' Airu (Gotou Matabee in the stage play), Kobayashi Hiroyuki (series producer)<br />
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<u><b>A few updates about the next <i>Sengoku Basara</i> stage play</b></u><br />
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There still hasn't been much news since <i>Zangeki Sengoku Basara: The Battle Of Sekigahara</i> was <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/07/news-roundup-capcom-tv-features-sanada.html">officially announced</a>, but we do know a few more <a href="http://www.basara-st.com/">details</a> now. There will be four leads this time: Ieyasu, Mitsunari, Masamune and Yukimura, and they're using the artwork from <i>Sengoku Basara 3</i> as the official illustration on the website. Further cast information will be revealed in late August when the first tickets are scheduled to go on sale. The play will run from 3rd February to 12th February 2017 in Tokyo then move to Osaka for the shows from 17th February to 19th February 2017.<br />
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<u><b>Cover art for the final Kodansha BOX novel rerelease</b></u><br />
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The fourth and final Kodansha BOX two-in-one edition, <i>Sengoku Basara 3: Ishida Mitsunari No Shou/Tokugawa Ieyasu No Shou ('Ishida Mitsunari Chapter/Tokugawa Ieyasu Chapter')</i>, has now been released, and consequently the new cover artwork is available. I wonder whether there will be any more new novels in future?<br />
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<b><u>Post your letters in style this summer with <i>Sengoku Basara</i> stamps</u></b><br />
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If you happen to be in Japan at the moment, the Japan Post <a href="http://www.shop.post.japanpost.jp/shop/g/gCS5949955742">online shop</a> and selected post offices in the Shin-Etsu and Kinki regions are now selling sheets of <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> <a href="http://dengekionline.com/elem/000/001/341/1341250/">postage stamps</a>. 3,000 of the ¥1,500 stamp sheets will be made available in total, and each sheet contains ten individual ¥82 stamps. The offer closes at the end of March 2017. More information can be found on the official Japan Post <a href="http://www.post.japanpost.jp/notification/pressrelease/2016/06_shinetsu/0808_01_01.pdf">press release</a>.<br />
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<u><b><i>Sengoku Basara</i> and <i>Sanada Juuyuushi</i> team up to create the Rokumonsen Cafe</b></u><br />
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More details of the promotional tie-in between the <i>Sanada Juuyuushi</i> <i>('Sanada Ten Braves') </i>movie and <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> have now been released <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/07/news-roundup-capcom-tv-features-sanada.html">as promised</a>.<br />
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The Pasela Resorts entertainment chain opened a pair of special '<a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/topics/pasela.html">Rokumonsen Cafes</a>' in its Akihabara Denkimachi (Tokyo) and Tennouji (Osaka) branches on 15th August 2016. The cafes will only be open until 30th September 2016, but in that time they'll be offering a generous selection of food and drink themed around Sanada Yukimura.<br />
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Since two different series are involved, some of the dishes are based on the <i>Sengoku Basara</i> version of Yukimura and others focus on the film. There's something for everyone - so long as they like the Sanada clan, I guess. Ordering from the <i>Sanada Juuyuushi</i> menu will get you a postcard with a promotional shot from the film, while the <i>Sengoku Basara</i> rewards one of six randomly-allocated postcards featuring one of the game's main characters.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-1QrLMhCbU4JYmPMoRh3nwXXWes9okUUi84jisk2mzCHfiNKLAwGchRw08lXEHdNFlfVgKHz7ZYL-m8vk7oFnxw7KH2fbWseu-1-o5mVd9C9uzyNx_1vkMiPl_VVAYwTojRp6bdPzeM/s1600/rokumonsencafepostcards.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-1QrLMhCbU4JYmPMoRh3nwXXWes9okUUi84jisk2mzCHfiNKLAwGchRw08lXEHdNFlfVgKHz7ZYL-m8vk7oFnxw7KH2fbWseu-1-o5mVd9C9uzyNx_1vkMiPl_VVAYwTojRp6bdPzeM/s320/rokumonsencafepostcards.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fans are encouraged to follow the official accounts for both series on Twitter and tweet their impressions of the food with the #六文銭茶屋 hashtag during their visit. Doing so will earn them the reward of a randomly-chosen badge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnO4BIXZ2jn2BG2gtkusD9Nd2lswLE5w6xl-5_-Ll9YYwyySMJkmZTNxKlBthc8DO0JIucXI8CtlhkEN2buS03ajsXgChcvoIRPOVM6BKdLFboQzILq1fXY0lAMNjOCeELX-c4SEHbDI/s1600/rokumonsencafetwitter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnO4BIXZ2jn2BG2gtkusD9Nd2lswLE5w6xl-5_-Ll9YYwyySMJkmZTNxKlBthc8DO0JIucXI8CtlhkEN2buS03ajsXgChcvoIRPOVM6BKdLFboQzILq1fXY0lAMNjOCeELX-c4SEHbDI/s320/rokumonsencafetwitter.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you'd rather go to a Pasela venue for some karaoke with friends, there's also a themed menu available in eight branches (almost all of which are in Tokyo). You can request food and drink such as these luxurious ¥1,280 honey toast desserts:<br />
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If you order from the menu, you'll be given a commemorative postcard!<br />
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Last but not least, visiting the Pasela-run Capcom Bar in Shinjuku is also rewarding Yukimura fans, with special badges on offer for those who order from the <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> menu before 30th September.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgs7rDGcOiveEnZlkqubk7r3xZ2bqVzHzPa9je1VOHtjrzx96_lHHSxLuRYIrHowf7Ltr2IAkUjDmR6g3xqHS51kN1c1a1R4at5KiDUMQUvivFQN5FlsaWWfDH5GPgTgV-Cr9jgkpMzE/s1600/rokumonsencafebarca.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgs7rDGcOiveEnZlkqubk7r3xZ2bqVzHzPa9je1VOHtjrzx96_lHHSxLuRYIrHowf7Ltr2IAkUjDmR6g3xqHS51kN1c1a1R4at5KiDUMQUvivFQN5FlsaWWfDH5GPgTgV-Cr9jgkpMzE/s320/rokumonsencafebarca.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The menu itself is interesting, of course. The meat dishes below are themed on the Odawara Campaign and Tenmokuzan stages respectively, while the drinks represent Masayuki and Nobuyuki.<br />
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On the subject of food, national grilled meat chain <a href="http://www.j-horumon.com/info/basara.html">Jonetsu Horumon</a> is running a 'Summer Siege' campaign until 20th September 2016. Four special themed dishes will be offered which each come with <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> flags.<br />
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Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-69222223075651324332016-08-04T08:24:00.001+01:002016-08-04T08:24:05.012+01:00A few new Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den videos appearThe <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/">official website</a> has now updated but they haven't yet added the information I needed to complete my <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/08/news-roundup-details-about-sanada.html">previous post</a> (namely higher resolution pictures of the game's menus). Instead, there's a short new <a href="https://youtu.be/bFd_5lEgTH8">video</a> showing the comical store-exclusive costumes for Benmaru (Yukimura-kun) and Bontenmaru (Masamune-kun). <b>These will be available as paid DLC at a later date.</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bFd_5lEgTH8?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center>
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There are also three new videos which complete YamamotoD's <i>The Action Of Sanada Yukimura-den</i> behind-the-scenes documentary series. The first shows <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_dk-cy7eQk">Sanada Nobuyuki</a>:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M_dk-cy7eQk?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center>
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The second focuses on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoGkRprYP4A">Sanada Masayuki</a>:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CoGkRprYP4A?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center>
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And last but not least, there's a video about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q9AEnNq2qU">Benmaru and Bontenmaru</a>:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5q9AEnNq2qU?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center>
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You can read about these documentaries in <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/08/news-roundup-we-can-expect-lot-of-news.html">this post</a> from earlier in the week.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-49595425242278952912016-08-03T17:38:00.001+01:002016-08-03T17:38:20.502+01:00News roundup: Details about Sanada Yukimura-den modes, story and music DLC from the latest Weekly Famitsu<b><u>Translated <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> details from <i>Weekly Famitsu</i></u></b><br />
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The new issue of <i>Weekly Famitsu</i> is now out in Japan so here's the usual summary of what it contains. We can expect a big <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/">official website</a> update in a few hours with more content - and hopefully larger pictures.<br />
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The main image shows the Sanadamaru, which was a fortification built to defend the south side of Osaka Castle against the Tokugawa forces. In chapter eight of the main <i>Sanada Yukimura's Life Story</i> mode, Yukimura is using the Sanadamaru to protect Osaka Castle with his life, if necessary. This chapter is based on events associated with the Osaka Winter Siege.<br />
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The Tegata mission for the first part of this chapter requests that the player destroys four Tokugawa gun batteries at Sasayama. The Sanada Blood panel shows that you can switch between controlling Yukimura himself and manning the Sanadamaru. To raise your Bushin level quickly, you'll want to lure the Tokugawa soldiers into the red areas and then bombard them using the fortress cannon.<br />
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Then there's another section to the stage, which involves controlling Sasuke as he flies through the sky, racing the clock to intercept thirty batches of enemy supplies being dropped from above. There are also bombs and aerial enemies which Sasuke has to avoid, and he has to control his height as well as his position. It looks... challenging.<br />
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<b>Modes</b><br />
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They're starting to show off some (tiny) pictures from the game's menu now. I can see the following:<br />
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Secret Backstories<br />
Sanada Trials<br />
Gallery<br />
Manual<br />
Settings<br />
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There's one panel I can't read because it's too small, but it's probably Sanada Yukimura's Life Story mode as it would be weird not to have that. Unless there are other unlockable modes I'm guessing this is the full list.<br />
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As well as being able to play the Secret Backstory chapters as stages in their own right, you can go into the Gallery and read the script with the voices playing alongside it - in case you miss anything in the heat of battle. The screenshot of this menu implies that there are a total of 15 Secret Backstories to unlock. Three of the previously-shown ones are given introductions, then the last three are new reveals with nothing but titles to work with (and I'm afraid the picture is too small to fully confirm these until the website updates). The final Secret Backstory still hasn't been shown at all.<br />
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<b>Secret Backstories</b><br />
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<b>Secret Backstory:</b> Kanbee-san And Matabee<br />
<b>Characters:</b> Gotou Matabee<br />
<b>Description:</b> Matabee harbours a deep grudge against anyone who wounds his pride. After being humiliated by his loss to Date Masamune in the Odawara Campaign, the shock causes him to lose himself. Then when his lord, Kuroda Kanbee, attempts to console him, Matabee simply leaves. Matabee's defeat affects his master too, and the fact that he also abandoned Kanbee becomes impossible to forget...<br />
<b>Objectives:</b> Keep on tearing through the meddlesome Kuroda army!<br />
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(Raindrops' note: I already know the Tegata Mission objective for this one since it was shown in a screenshot elsewhere.)<br />
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<b>Secret Backstory: </b>To The Heavens, Cuckoo...<br />
<b>Characters: </b>Tokugawa Ieyasu<br />
<b>Description:</b> While close to unifying the country, Oda Nobunaga departed this world in the Incident at Honnouji, brought about by Akechi Mitsuhide. After Nobunaga's death, Toyotomi Hideyoshi acomplished his goal of unifying the land in the name of strength. However, there was someone flying a flag of revolution, who wanted to create an era of bonds. That man's name was Tokugawa Ieyasu! The two men's fists are now certain to clash.<br />
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In short, it sounds like a one-on-one deathmatch between Hideyoshi and Ieyasu.<br />
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<b>Secret Backstory: </b>The Night Before Sekigahara<br />
<b>Characters: </b>Ishida Mitsunari<br />
<b>Description:</b> The Eastern Army helmed by Tokugawa Ieyasu would heroically clash with Ishida Mitsunari's Western Army in the Battle of Sekigahara. The night before that fight, somewhere between dreams and reality, Ieyasu and Mitsunari talk things over with fists and blade. The two used to be companions but now they walked opposing paths. What kind of secret backstory will this tale reveal!?<br />
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Again, another one-on-one deathmatch which has been long requested by fans.<br />
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<b>Secret Backstory: </b>Kudoyama Punishment<br />
<b>Description:</b> The script shows that this is an encounter between Ieyasu and Nobuyuki at Ieyasu's castle. They are apparently discussing Nobuyuki's father and brother, and what to do about them after they stood in opposition to Ieyasu's army...<br />
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<b>Secret Backstory: </b>The Sanadamaru ___ <br />
(Raindrops' note: Sorry, text too small.)<br />
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<b>Secret Backstory: </b>Setting Sail From Setouchi<br />
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<b>DLC Information</b><br />
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There will be some T.M.Revolution music packs available as paid DLC when <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> is released.<br />
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The first features seven tracks from T.M.Revolution's recent <i>2020-T.M.Revolution ALL TIME BEST</i> compilation album. It will include <i>HIGH PRESSURE, Aoi Hekireki ~JOG edit~, Burnin' X'mas, Madan ~Der Freischütz~, WHITE BREATH, HOT LIMIT </i>and<i> WILD RUSH</i>.<br />
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The second pack will feature eight themes from the series, namely <i>crosswise, SWORD SUMMIT, The party must go on, Count ZERO, Naked arms, FLAGS, UTAGE</i> and<i> DOUBLE-DEAL</i>.<br />
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(Raindrops' note: Ok, I'm totally up for playing the game with <i>Madan ~Der Freischütz~</i> blaring in the background. It had one of the best music videos ever.)<br />
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The only information about DLC costumes was a half-page section confirming that the Masamune-kun and Yukimura-kun costumes for Bontenmaru and Benmaru will be available later as paid DLC if people miss out on the store-exclusive preorder versions. We've known that for ages!<br />
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<i>Weekly Famitsu</i> promises a big round-up of all of the <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> news in the next issue, which will be timed a week before the game's release (and on the same day as the next Capcom broadcast). It should be good.<br />
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<u><b>Capcom TV shows off the new Sanada Blood mechanic and some gameplay with Katsuie</b></u><br />
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Today's episode of Capcom TV (#48) wasn't the most exciting, mostly because they were showing content that has already been revealed. NonakaP was unavailable again so mascot Ashigaru-kun explained the Sanada Blood character swapping mechanic then gave a short demonstration.<br />
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There was plenty of time to see how Sanada Blood works on this stage; Nobuyuki guards the east of the castle and Masayuki the west, and you simply swap between them to ensure that the enemy attackers can't do enough damage to release the bridges. After that, they showed Katsuie's secret backstory stage (again) and ran through some of the Sanada Trials as Tadakatsu and Magoichi.<br />
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The LINE keyword for this episode was 水曜20時 which unlocks a wallpaper of Yukimura and Sasuke.<br />
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Unrelatedly, the official <i>Sengoku Basara</i> Twitter account posted a timely design sketch showing <a href="https://twitter.com/BASARA_CAPCOM/status/760762210842845184">how Bontenmaru's scarf works</a>. I never even realised it had three 'ends' until the interview a few days ago, and now it seems it's even more complicated than I thought!Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-10162041504240089802016-08-03T01:19:00.004+01:002016-08-04T23:09:28.383+01:00News roundup: We can expect a lot of news this week; here's what's been announced so far<b><u>There will be another batch of <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> news this week</u></b><br />
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The <a href="http://www.famitsu.com/news/201608/02112301.html">preview bulletin</a> for <i>Weekly Famitsu</i> magazine confirms that this Thursday's issue will include another article about the upcoming game. We can expect new details about chapter eight, which is confirmed to be the Osaka Winter Siege, and the secret backstory chapters related to it. We'll find out more about the 'Sanadamaru' fortress and its incredible destructive power, and Sarutobi Sasuke will also be involved. Finally, we're promised additional DLC information.<br />
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<b><u>PSN preorders are coming (or already here, if you can read Chinese)</u></b><br />
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The Chinese version of <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> is already available for preorder from the Asian PlayStation Stores. It's RM190 in the <a href="https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-my/games/sengoku-basara-sanada-yukimura-den-pre-order/cid=HP0102-CUSA04918_00-ASIAPLACEHOLDER0">Malaysian</a> store and HK$368 in <a href="https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-hk/games/sengoku-basara-sanada-yukimura-den-pre-order/cid=HP0102-CUSA04918_00-ASIAPLACEHOLDER0">Hong Kong</a>. Preloading will commence up to two days before the release date on 25th August 2016. Customers who preorder will receive a PS4 custom theme and the 'White Cross' preorder-exclusive costume for Yukimura.<br />
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I expect to see the Japanese version appearing on the store later this week combined with press releases from various gaming websites.<br />
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Capcom's marketing team have been ensuring the game pops up in all kinds of unexpected places lately, from a feature about what modern businessmen can learn from the Sanada clan on <a href="http://www.lifehacker.jp/2016/07/160727_capcom_basara_sanada_family.html">Lifehacker Japan</a> to a candid article about what makes the Sanada men so popular with women on <a href="http://rocketnews24.com/2016/07/26/776384/">Rocket News</a>.<br />
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<b><u>A playable PS3 demo of <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> is coming to PlayStation Plus in Japan</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
It's been <a href="http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2016/08/02/67706.html">reported</a> that a 15-minute PS3 trial version of the game will be included in the newest batch of PlayStation Plus benefits from 3rd August until 6th September 2016. The trial will apparently run from the game's release date through to 6th December 2016. I was a lot more excited about it until I clicked the link and read all of those extra details...<br />
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<b><u>Based in Japan? Capcom is looking for a small group of reviewers to test the game</u></b><br />
<br />
As with <i>Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi</i>, Capcom has posted an <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/?p=1158">offer</a> for fan reviewers. From all of those who sign up before 8th August 2016, thirty people will be selected to receive an advance copy of <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> on the understanding that they'll test it ahead of the release date and send their detailed impressions back to Capcom. The three best feedback reports will earn the reviewers a mention on My Capcom and priority for future review campaigns.<br />
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(Bend the rules and pick me, Capcom, pick me! I wish I could participate, hahaha.)<br />
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<u><b>Two more special (joke?) weapons are revealed</b></u><br />
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The past two weekend in-store events have revealed new weapon skins. Last week's <a href="https://twitter.com/BASARA_CAPCOM/status/757198766801682432">was</a> <i>Oushuu Speciality: Beef Skewers</i>, which transforms his six blades into chunks of seasoned meat. Beef tongue in particular is very famously associated with Masamune's homeland of Sendai.<br />
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And more recently, Nobuyuki's special weapon <i>Doyou No Ushi</i> was <a href="https://twitter.com/BASARA_CAPCOM/status/759735423178379264">shown</a>. It's shaped like grilled eel because in the real world, it's auspicious to eat eel on the day of the ox, Doyou No Ushi.<br />
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<u><b>A store-exclusive <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> fan and towel is announced</b></u><br />
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Used book specialist Furuhon Ichiba will be making some <a href="http://www.furu1online.net/site/sp/goods_basara.html">additional merchandise</a> available alongside <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> when it's released in a few weeks.<br />
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Their exclusive <i>Sanada Yukimura-den </i>paper and bamboo <i>sensu</i> fan will cost ¥1,080:<br />
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The exclusive <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> cotton towel is illustrated with a <i>sumi-e</i> effect. It will also cost ¥1,080:<br />
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<u><b>Final cover artwork for the upcoming radio CD</b></u><br />
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The coloured version of the cover illustration for the new <i>DJCD: Sengoku Basara -Nekketsu! Yose Raji-</i> release I mentioned <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/07/news-roundup-capcom-tv-features-sanada.html">previously</a> has now been added to various shop listings. It's certainly cute!<br />
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<u><b>The <i>Sengoku Basara: DOKUGAN</i> manga unmasks its version of Uesugi Kenshin</b></u><br />
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The latest chapter of <i>Sengoku Basara: DOKUGAN</i> led to a <a href="https://twitter.com/sinn_00625/status/758641305010343938">few</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HiroKobaP/status/757892539961663488">tweets</a> which revealed that the Uesugi clan made their post-apocalyptic fantasy debut in chapter seven of the crazy new manga. Even more interestingly, the artist chose to depict Kenshin without any headwear (and actually using kanji). I can't wait to pick the manga up in due course and find out exactly what's been going on.<br />
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<u><b>The Capcom Bar revives a special Yukimura-themed menu for ten days only</b></u><br />
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Visitors to the Capcom Bar in Tokyo will be able to enjoy a <a href="http://www.gamer.ne.jp/news/201607290061/">Yukimura-themed menu</a> until 10th August 2016! If you've ever wanted to have an entire meal made of nothing but Yukimura-related food items, this could be your best chance.<br />
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(I'm kidding, there's tons of Yukimura-related food in Japan. Though not much of it gives you <i>Sengoku Basara</i> badges for each item you order!)<br />
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<u><b>Learn more about the new game with Capcom TV's Gor☆geous</b></u><br />
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The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nePhnM6NMLI">first episode</a> of a new web series featuring Capcom TV's space pirate Gor☆geous was posted recently. The purpose of the show is for the presenter to learn about <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> and share his discoveries with viewers. The first episode is about Gor☆geous being approached by NonakaP out of the blue and being dragged off to try the game out. He's made to play through the first ten Sanada Trials missions as Yukimura under the producer's watchful eye as a challenge - and fails.<br />
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Episode 2 (released on 5th August 2016) will cover the Sanada family's fighting styles, Episode 3 (10th August 2016) will examine the game's references to real-life history, and Episode 4 (19th August 2016) will force Gor☆geous to show NonakaP the results of his studies as the finale of the series.<br />
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Speaking of Capcom TV, the <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/cptv/">next episode</a> (3rd August 2016 at 20:00 Japan time) will be including more footage from <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i>. They plan to feature the 'Sanada Blood' character-swapping mechanic and show Katsuie's secret backstory chapter from the main story.<br />
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<u><b>Check out how the game's moves are created in a series of mini documentaries</b></u><br />
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Series director Yamamoto Makoto has suddenly burst back onto the scene in a big way after being absent for a while, and he's the face of a new series of behind-the-scenes documentaries titled <i>The Action Of Sanada Yukimura-den</i>. YamamotoD is accompanied by motion capture actor Koga Wataru, and the two of them discuss the challenges of creating the game's outlandish moves with human actors. Koga is a veteran, having collaborated on the series with YamamotoD ever since <i>Sengoku Basara 2 Eiyuu Gaiden (HEROES)</i>.<br />
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There's an interview page to go with the videos <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/topics/interview/action.html">here</a> - you can scroll through the videos with the left/right arrows to see some more pictures. Text is available for seven clips even though only three have been posted so far, so I guess we can expect accompanying videos about Nobuyuki, Masayuki, Benmaru and Bontenmaru before too long.<br />
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Here are a few miscellaneous notes I jotted down:<br />
<ul>
<li>Koga is a fan of the games. Every time he's told about something new they plan to do, he's both fascinated and worried about how difficult it's going to be to put the motion together. </li>
<li>When they're coming up with new movesets, Koga tries out the weapon ideas YamamotoD comes up with then later they have to select a suitable actor to perform the motion capture and bring out the character's personality properly.</li>
<li>Tanaka Hiroto performs the motion capture for both Masamune and Bontenmaru. This game is actually his debut, though despite being young he's already claimed the accolade of Best Stuntman in the Japan Action Awards for his work in <i>GARO -GOLD STORM- Shou</i>.</li>
<li>They talked about how tough it was paring the roster down to the tiny all-male group of six main characters (they sounded sad about it).</li>
<li>If there had been any female leads they'd have relied on the actress who provides the motion capture for the female characters in the series, Hosokawa Toni.</li>
<li>Yukimura's motion capture actor, Sugihara Akira, yells a lot during his performances. </li>
<li>Since the equipment only records the actors who are wearing the motion capture devices, they use helpers (who are effectively invisible) to hold the actors up in some of the more outlandish poses.</li>
<li>This is the fourth set of Masamune's six claws they have built. The stunt weapons take a lot of punishment in the studio.</li>
<li>YamamotoD praised Sakon's motion actor Kambe Yutaka for his skill at pulling off Sakon's spins.</li>
<li>Since Rikyuu's moves have a dancelike quality, Koga picked out a dancer who had also worked as a stuntman to perform his motion capture.</li>
<li>When it comes to refining the characters' gestures in motion, they've incorporated a few things they noticed in the stage play series into the games.</li>
<li>Masamune will be present at Osaka in <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i>.</li>
<li>It's implied that the Sanada Trials are unlockable since the interview mentions that the classic versions of Yukimura and Masamune become available over the course of play, but it might just be a poor choice of words.</li>
<li>The reason that Nobuyuki's spear resembles a ladder is that some of the armour the real-life Sanada clan members used bore a ladder emblem (like the one on Masayuki's clothing). YamamotoD wanted to have Nobuyuki wielding a spear like the other Sanada clan members, but he also wanted to incorporate the ladder idea.</li>
<li>As well as wanting a hairstyle that fit his image as a 'lion', Nobuyuki's hair is split in two bunches to represent the his two lives; the life he led with his brother and father, and the one he chose when he parted ways with them. (Raindrops' note: That's what YamamotoD said, don't look at me like I'm crazy.)</li>
<li>Nobuyuki's motion is provided by Wada Keiichi, who handles quite a few of the more 'powerful' characters.</li>
<li>YamamotoD has heard that the real-life Masayuki wasn't as great a person as historical accounts claim - some people considered him a fraud. He was brilliant tactically yet he had the reputation of being sneaky. Obviously this contributed to his portrayal as a flashy magician in <i>Sengoku Basara</i>.</li>
<li>Kawana Motoki does the motion capture for Masayuki, and also Matabee. They joked that he seemed to work on very 'unique' characters, though he also gets to act cool when providing the motion data for Kenshin.</li>
<li>Bontenmaru's scarf has three trailing ends rather than the usual two to help convey the sensation of twirling. The reason there are three ends is specifically that the team thought someone like Masamune would be discontent with a normal scarf with only two ends.</li>
<li>Benmaru's voice is noticeably more boyish than Bontenmaru's. Voice actor Nakai Kazuya originally tried to use a higher pitched voice for Bontenmaru; they deliberately asked him to lower it to give the impression that Bontenmaru was a little more grown up than Benmaru. The motion capture was planned the same way.</li>
</ul>
The first clip is a general overview of how they <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxOGHHBuDiw">create the motion capture and moves for the game</a>.<br />
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There are some production sketches detailing Yukimura's new moves on screen at one point, and they confirm that in the story he'll be using the Hinokaku ('Scarlet Horns') outfit for chapters two through to seven, the Kurenai ('Crimson') outfit for chapters eight and nine, and the flashy Fushichou ('Phoenix') outfit for chapter ten along with the avant-title and ending sequences. So Yukimura will have the three costumes we've already seen as his standard outfits. The video also shows that the controls are similar to previous games as expected (e.g. Basara moves triggered with Circle).<br />
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There are also clips dedicated to creating the look and moves of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQWfiwgvgos">Sanada Yukimura</a> (Sugihara Akira), who does an admirable job of attempting all of those aerial moves without actually being able to fly like Yukimura:<br />
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As well as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gzBvJB0NzE">Date Masamune</a> (Tanaka Hiroto), who had the challenge of manipulating all of those swords for the motion capture sessions:<br />
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This is a rare opportunity to see behind-the-scenes content from the <i>Sengoku Basara</i> games!<br />
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--<br />
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I'll be posting after Capcom TV and <i>Weekly Famitsu</i> reveal the latest tidbits tomorrow at some point. And at some point, I'll catch up on all of the comments! Sorry for the delay!Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-16142852093572168442016-07-24T21:54:00.002+01:002016-07-24T21:54:43.375+01:00Streaming: Summer 2016 anime first impressionsThis season is crazy; between <a href="https://funimationnow.uk/">Funimation</a> and <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/lineup">Crunchyroll</a> viewers in the UK have been utterly spoilt for choice! Even though my money is worth less than it was last season thanks to
political upheaval, I feel I'm getting a lot of value for money from my
Funimation Now and Crunchyroll subscriptions. <a href="http://www.theanimenetwork.com/">The Anime Network</a> and Animax UK haven't really done anything noteworthy but <a href="https://www.daisuki.net/">Daisuki</a> have grabbed a few of Funimation's titles on a delay to provide an alternative for those in other regions, and Amazon are showing a single series for those who already have a Prime account or consider one show worth the cost of a subscription. I was in Paris for Japan Expo at the start of the season so it's taken me longer than usual to get caught up on all of the new first episodes.<br />
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In addition to the embarrassment of riches provided by the two main streaming services this season, <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/ace-attorney">Gyakuten Saiban (Ace Attorney)</a> and <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/jojos-bizarre-adventure">JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</a> are both continuing from spring. It was tough to pare the available titles down to a shortlist to fit my
schedule and some may still be dropped later on to accommodate the
realities of working life. <br />
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Here's my slightly belated rundown of the simulcasts available to fans in the UK this summer!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/91-days">91 Days</a><br />
An awesome, dark show about a young man out for revenge against the mobsters who executed his family and forced him to flee his home several years ago. The setting revisits the romanticised Prohibition period similar to that portrayed in the excellent <i>Baccano!!</i> - there's gunplay and trickery to keep the plot moving along, and the character designs are looking great so far. Both of the first two episodes have managed to keep the suspense high as young Avilio gambles his life on the chance of being able to carry out his long overdue revenge. I'm in. I can't wait to see where <i>91 Days</i> is going.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjik6TMoTUF7-s4DSyqsQ1Jf4B9m0CYiM_oE2IvbwqihLZ2nwjtMemJSGlfeWg5d1QTjTpSzCN_y-qkkkFc_gmo68gUGNPwX8xmTPNoRBABTTAmTYuJGwSBtiGCyW-H7Mbv6edrfzyvQfU/s1600/91days.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjik6TMoTUF7-s4DSyqsQ1Jf4B9m0CYiM_oE2IvbwqihLZ2nwjtMemJSGlfeWg5d1QTjTpSzCN_y-qkkkFc_gmo68gUGNPwX8xmTPNoRBABTTAmTYuJGwSBtiGCyW-H7Mbv6edrfzyvQfU/s320/91days.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The moment I knew this show was going to be good</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/sweetness-lightning">Amaama To Inazuma (Sweetness And Lightning)</a><br />
Kouhei is a recently bereaved father taking care of his adorable daughter Tsumugi while holding down a teaching job. He doesn't have an easy time of things as a single parent and when he realises that his habit of buying ready-made meals and letting Tsumugi eat on her own is robbing her of the chance to experience nourishing home-cooked meals with her family, he's racked with guilt. If the setup sounds like <i>Usagi Drop</i> that's because there are a lot of surface similarities between the two titles. However, while <i>Usagi Drop</i> focused on the underlying mystery and the bond between its father-daughter duo, <i>Amaama To Inazuma</i> takes a step back and looks at how those around Kouhei can enrich his relationship with his daughter (and one of his students) passively by sharing food and encouragement. It helps that Tsumugi is cute as a button - who wouldn't want to drop everything to make her smile? It's cute and I'm going to keep watching.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhtUOJHKYE3FOA0yI4lmw4tWGadNp6amr85F6P3u3t21gtm-o74shs8jcn52HcQGd3dytY_okHoSWqf4nmONZXhSBzU0KW9T_ktZdXS1xZB-wRplRa-wK3HsPmQ71VmwXu_WU9Zcp4Tw/s1600/amaamato.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhtUOJHKYE3FOA0yI4lmw4tWGadNp6amr85F6P3u3t21gtm-o74shs8jcn52HcQGd3dytY_okHoSWqf4nmONZXhSBzU0KW9T_ktZdXS1xZB-wRplRa-wK3HsPmQ71VmwXu_WU9Zcp4Tw/s320/amaamato.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wanted a picture of Tsumugi but this shot was too lovely</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/amanchu">Amanchu!</a><br />
I first started to suspect Amano Kozue was behind <i>Amanchu!</i> from the soothing atmosphere, figure-hugging school uniforms and glacial pace (even the opening sequence felt as though it lasted an eternity). The design of the strange mascot character sealed the deal.<br />
<br />
<i>Amanchu!</i> is about Futaba, a shy young girl who starts attending a new school where she meets the zany Hikari ('Pikari'), who loves diving and acting like an absolute nutcase. Although the two girls have completely different personalities, Futaba can't help respecting Pikari's zest for life and it seems clear already that they're going to form a firm friendship over the course of the series. It's charming, lovely stuff - while being deeply boring if slow paced <i>iyashikei</i> titles aren't your thing. I think its target audience will be satisfied with <i>Amanchu!</i> even if it's probably not for me.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoL1dRoGgWWnH6Aj3NfwRifvJaDv36pNznR6ZJgR-rVxEv6r3pd4-D97rV4-br704RZKHrcslg4lfn5lk2kyoITEc-9nHxgC3tjC-n8aGX3Fmd5_q2pkb_O9cT65aeSTaeCd7BqrJPkk/s1600/amanchu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCoL1dRoGgWWnH6Aj3NfwRifvJaDv36pNznR6ZJgR-rVxEv6r3pd4-D97rV4-br704RZKHrcslg4lfn5lk2kyoITEc-9nHxgC3tjC-n8aGX3Fmd5_q2pkb_O9cT65aeSTaeCd7BqrJPkk/s320/amanchu.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not my kind of show but Pikari is great</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/ange-vierge">Ange Vierge</a><br />
<i>Ange Vierge</i> makes no secret of the fact that it's based on a mobile game about collecting cards, with in-universe references to card hierarchies and an insane amount of dithery bishoujo being paraded past the viewer right from the very beginning (naked, no less). It's fun to compare it with the nudity in the first episode of <i>Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu LOVE! LOVE!</i> as <i>Ange Vierge</i> required a significant amount of censoring to make it onto television, while the other show kept things clean and cheerful. In any case, there's some kind of <i>Strike Witches-</i>style plot about the girls having to fly around fighting in teams; however, there was so much jargon being thrown around with the clunky, unnatural script that I found it hard to follow what was going on. It was really noticeable when characters keep stiltedly mentioning one another's names and statistics to drill the details into the viewer's mind and it took me out of the show. Another thing which took me out of the show was that it sort of sucked anyway, so I don't think I'll be watching subsequent episodes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lfuwrrtgj3kVQ3ABrco26ymn8SWMuu_hqXRmgJXJZguElxynBFEvrq8L50Ykozn7s-sGhdg957fmivcNI990zCZ7ezCn2X3ePyk4MySmClk2-j7f9j9WrO43pDkpboEaU5C4-QQpmlw/s1600/angevierge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lfuwrrtgj3kVQ3ABrco26ymn8SWMuu_hqXRmgJXJZguElxynBFEvrq8L50Ykozn7s-sGhdg957fmivcNI990zCZ7ezCn2X3ePyk4MySmClk2-j7f9j9WrO43pDkpboEaU5C4-QQpmlw/s320/angevierge.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I couldn't tell you a single character's name</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/the-heroic-legend-of-arslan/">Arslan Senki: Fuujin Ranbu (The Heroic Legend Of Arslan season 2)</a><br />
A late addition to Funimation Now's UK-ready simulcasts for the season courtesy of Universal, I was delighted to be able to delete my rant about being unable to watch the second part of the <i>Arslan Senki</i> television adaptation. It was one of my very favourites back when the first season aired and it's been back in my mind more recently since the UK Blu-ray release is imminent. The new series opens up with a quick introduction to the main characters from the previous series in the heat of a savage battle, and as soon as the beautiful Aoi Eir opening theme kicked in I felt all of my memories from earlier episodes flooding back. There were already several major revelations in the first episode; it seems that there are only eight planned for this season so I'm going to try to savour every single one.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPQ3cPvBrfdi9it87bEKQTTlOhhgOl9pxE3mWNCuBDAiSKURvJRNdYvPP5ndQmWHitMyvGX-xZQ5sF3dmEQ3jspDpTVDyXeLy97w6gGP8KC_E1OF8e05JklE52Vh97z2xiPMYYSfTiYw/s1600/arslanfrs2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpPQ3cPvBrfdi9it87bEKQTTlOhhgOl9pxE3mWNCuBDAiSKURvJRNdYvPP5ndQmWHitMyvGX-xZQ5sF3dmEQ3jspDpTVDyXeLy97w6gGP8KC_E1OF8e05JklE52Vh97z2xiPMYYSfTiYw/s320/arslanfrs2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first episode had a very effective opening sequence</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/bananya">Bananya</a><br />
A one-note series of shorts about a secret feline banana which drifts around chirping 'nya!' when nobody is around to see it revealing itself from inside the banana skin. That's it. There's really not much else to say about the series when it's blatantly nothing more than an excuse to make people smile at the absurdity of it all; it's not doing it for me but I'm sure there are other viewers who will shed tears with laughter at the spectacle of mewling fruit wandering around a deserted house. I'm grateful to Crunchyroll for enabling this kind of show to make it to an overseas audience because it wouldn't have had a chance a decade ago, and that would have been a great loss for GIF creators all over the world.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1keEoB7WFVbtkVDm5P_GZRO7a6F8Jfw3ymsJ5V1ggb_tfx2YDG3iWgeLTHqBLgGgRO1TRAhlnHGJn03EAjlJnmowJCrJ_b6fXJX-6GChJ35wLW3BrnO3mrVAMtI8durQr4Hasty9JAGU/s1600/bananya.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1keEoB7WFVbtkVDm5P_GZRO7a6F8Jfw3ymsJ5V1ggb_tfx2YDG3iWgeLTHqBLgGgRO1TRAhlnHGJn03EAjlJnmowJCrJ_b6fXJX-6GChJ35wLW3BrnO3mrVAMtI8durQr4Hasty9JAGU/s320/bananya.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bana...nya!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/cute-high-earth-defense-club-love">Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu LOVE! LOVE! (Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! LOVE!)</a><br />
This series will also be airing on <a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/cute-high-earth-defense-club-love/">Funimation Now</a> on a short delay. I liked the original <i>Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu LOVE!</i> enough to buy the unwieldy Ponycan USA Blu-ray sets, so naturally I was champing at the bit when the sequel was announced. Thankfully it's available as a simulcast so I don't have to wait longer than necessary to get reacquainted with the onsen-loving schoolboys of this ridiculous magical girl parody show.<br />
<br />
So far, so good. This sequel has successfully recaptured the silliness of the original without getting too caught up in reintroductions. For some reason the guys were stark naked for most of the first episode too until the action started; I think they're going to be providing a light hearted dose of fun every week throughout its run.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6L_2z5GwLrsP1-6ujwGnq2YAKUi9se2G66b3bIDLn7zclcQvcMUHIC7FCN37dibIOQjM8DqUMTKM8BDPk0qWOgabMuL31YMRVAxMiFuCVcg5MyqqIin6hx22cq1cUEJhR0h348X2lxg/s1600/binankoukoulovelove.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6L_2z5GwLrsP1-6ujwGnq2YAKUi9se2G66b3bIDLn7zclcQvcMUHIC7FCN37dibIOQjM8DqUMTKM8BDPk0qWOgabMuL31YMRVAxMiFuCVcg5MyqqIin6hx22cq1cUEJhR0h348X2lxg/s320/binankoukoulovelove.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But can it justify the cost of Ponycan USA's BDs again?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/berserk">Berserk</a><br />
Disappointing. However good an adaptation of the manga this may be, it's hampered by the CG art style - which is, to its credit, reasonably well done. Unfortunately, when it comes to anime well done 3D CG is still worse than all but the very poorest 2D and I'm really struggling to get into this and relate to the characters the way I should.<br />
<br />
The problem with this kind of animation style is that I don't see it as having value; I wouldn't even think of importing discs of a show like this because I don't like watching it. I know that sounds weird coming from a fan of 3D games, and it's unfair to the artists who worked hard on every shot. <i>JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</i> gets a free pass here because it keeps the CG use to appropriate moments (like the opening sequences) and overloads my senses with colours and interesting textures to distract me from the medium's drawbacks. With its dull colour palette, slow pans across dark environments and slow burning plot, <i>Berserk</i> immediately draws attention to the medium and exposes its weaknesses.<br />
<br />
In any case, I'll keep watching for a few more episodes in the hope it grows on me. The second episode was a big improvement (perhaps I just like Serpico).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HKOVfh5YXJnb7uz6U5Mb2rtZvaCVwTwpQXTB1Tria30Fe8lpqF0vyLRfK-esQuUHxCMl62O52L59ARVMY_Y_sFjug9BkILA_dcXvYRjPgYyPP0r6vkOuzLoiub3CkettA8U4G45K4S8/s1600/berserk2016.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HKOVfh5YXJnb7uz6U5Mb2rtZvaCVwTwpQXTB1Tria30Fe8lpqF0vyLRfK-esQuUHxCMl62O52L59ARVMY_Y_sFjug9BkILA_dcXvYRjPgYyPP0r6vkOuzLoiub3CkettA8U4G45K4S8/s320/berserk2016.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The sketchy pencil textures look nice. They really tried...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/cheer-boys/">Cheer Danshi!! (Cheer Boys!!)</a><br />
A sports series with a twist. Haruki is a student from a family full of judo lovers. Although he's not bad at judo himself, he doesn't have the personality to be as good at it as his sister and is secretly relieved when an injury puts an end to his chances of competing at a high level. Haruki's best friend, Kazuma, then quits the judo club and decides to form a male-only cheerleading club instead so he can stay at his buddy's side. According to Kazuma, what Haruki lacks in judo potential is more than made up for by his enthusiastic personality which will make him perfectly suited to cheerleading!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDvsQgm_Bqx70NfIwF6GTunpHwoVx-PGZ5WfBDKOPZuTerskQwCWxgxL5lNVIhRfjRneYbQaw9F46vNoQ98TfgSe-A896IThSNeIfyUCsp_Fle1fz3KuGfM15MvkyMp-azDCs3F2UN6w/s1600/cheerdansi1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDvsQgm_Bqx70NfIwF6GTunpHwoVx-PGZ5WfBDKOPZuTerskQwCWxgxL5lNVIhRfjRneYbQaw9F46vNoQ98TfgSe-A896IThSNeIfyUCsp_Fle1fz3KuGfM15MvkyMp-azDCs3F2UN6w/s320/cheerdansi1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The designs are nice, a little dated but appealing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The series isn't especially innovative but it's fun and sometimes that's enough. It reminds me of a mix between <i>Free!</i> and <i>Prince Of Stride</i>. In a good way.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxBg7Qh7GDELg0hjUPG8x17gKno715uGmC8bpmckRdJnyaOcS335k6QfaKtieHwGy5rVpUerzm2fkoaFDeehbtT5qnIxav7dN8vqNu7VkQJKvJo74KOKIMW2WSCs9XBnYYl59jfKP3Lk/s1600/cheerdansi2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxBg7Qh7GDELg0hjUPG8x17gKno715uGmC8bpmckRdJnyaOcS335k6QfaKtieHwGy5rVpUerzm2fkoaFDeehbtT5qnIxav7dN8vqNu7VkQJKvJo74KOKIMW2WSCs9XBnYYl59jfKP3Lk/s320/cheerdansi2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The comical moments work well too</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/danganronpa-3-the-end-of-hopes-peak-high-school/">Danganronpa 3: The End Of Hope's Peak High School - Mirai-hen (Future Arc)</a><br />
Do I group these two <i>Danganronpa 3</i> series together as one? They're airing one episode of <i>Mirai-hen</i> each Monday with an episode of <i>Zetsubou-hen</i> each Thursday, so they're technically two separate anime titles. However, it seems pretty likely that the plot is going to overlap as they're based on the same timeline. <i>Mirai-hen </i>follows on from the events of the first two <i>Danganronpa</i> games (with a few shots from <i>Danganronpa Another Episode: Zettai Zetsubou Shoujo</i> to boot) so it's best avoided unless you're already familiar with the series. It <b>will</b> completely spoil the second game, which has never been animated.<br />
<br />
With that said, <i>Mirai-hen</i> follows the 'good guys' of the Future Foundation and introduces a whole host of new Ultimates to the series' already-large cast before dropping them into a situation which is sure to get long time fans interested. As with any <i>Danganronpa</i> title there are two mysteries to unravel - the immediate puzzle introduced in the episode and the overarching plot, which is always absolute nonsense until later on when there's better information to work with. While I'd have loved to have seen a proper adaptation of the second game, this is much more interesting as I have no idea what's going to happen next. Exciting.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0XmMnkT3Nx2SSYPPi8a2Lsi-YF9xfp9r1tvxxludxHO1B5hE88Ny0Uwi0Tlld2qd1f4dhLAJkpjGVILDyXLThQuxPD8HpzJnWi4jRExU5v9JXE2cMneuUPWTTHoPQnGQ7TgoCeS-ggI/s1600/danganronpa3mirai.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0XmMnkT3Nx2SSYPPi8a2Lsi-YF9xfp9r1tvxxludxHO1B5hE88Ny0Uwi0Tlld2qd1f4dhLAJkpjGVILDyXLThQuxPD8HpzJnWi4jRExU5v9JXE2cMneuUPWTTHoPQnGQ7TgoCeS-ggI/s320/danganronpa3mirai.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole episode was dark! Super dark!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/danganronpa-3-the-end-of-hopes-peak-high-school/">Danganronpa 3: The End Of Hope's Peak High School - Zetsubou-hen (Despair Arc)</a><br />
The other half of the <i>Danganronpa 3</i> anime is a flashback to an earlier period referenced in the games yet never really explored. As with <i>Mirai-hen</i>, there are a huge number of spoilers for the games and it's not recommended as a replacement for playing them so there's not much more I want to say about the plot. I found this even more exciting than <i>Mirai-hen</i> since it explains some of the backstory for the new content as well as being a parade of fan service for those of us who are already attached to the whimsical <i>Super Danganronpa 2</i> characters. It's made clear from the very first episode that watching both series together is the best way to fill in all of the gaps in the plot, so that's what I'm going to be doing.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VsbZH6CTQEafN667A3V84C_CcnUkrMKRkxoySf6NL1aktYh9gJPo9k7C4hOvj-u5EmQU0It9TzCv2A-5qQL3RPar4DsSyMmhvWQ0EtSUMyzPvlVdgkqg4peejsZjZKRAVyTfQ0u50C4/s1600/danganronpa3b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VsbZH6CTQEafN667A3V84C_CcnUkrMKRkxoySf6NL1aktYh9gJPo9k7C4hOvj-u5EmQU0It9TzCv2A-5qQL3RPar4DsSyMmhvWQ0EtSUMyzPvlVdgkqg4peejsZjZKRAVyTfQ0u50C4/s320/danganronpa3b.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice hairstyle, Gundham</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/days">Days</a><br />
Shy young Tsukushi is a good kid who steps in to play in a futsal (indoor football) match when his new classmate's team is short on members. Even though he's extraordinarily clumsy, he does his best to keep up with the more experienced players, proving to the entire team that there are no limits to his determination. Tsukushi's resolve is soon tested again when he tries to join the competitive football team at school and is forced through a trial aimed at trained athletes rather than amateurs. Throughout all of his struggles, the young hero ends up catching the eye of self-assured blond Jin, who decides to watch over the new recruit and learn from his attitude. There's a charm to Tsukushi's good natured personality which makes the show easy to watch and if my packed schedule had been able to accommodate it I'd definitely have continued with <i>Days</i>; unfortunately I had to drop it after the third episode to claim some free time back.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibh7Jmo8NlYknYQWuQnmSnOj4mh1QKIW4sLtcbybX5_q6_B0A85NaexVxMt6lsUQOhgwgaPoLHYg_FSLR0W6HiPquwAggN6T1R3AtbC_c4ikIdHWdQf-VlDxBiJX3bX6vzPhlECnpQZDs/s1600/daystukusi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibh7Jmo8NlYknYQWuQnmSnOj4mh1QKIW4sLtcbybX5_q6_B0A85NaexVxMt6lsUQOhgwgaPoLHYg_FSLR0W6HiPquwAggN6T1R3AtbC_c4ikIdHWdQf-VlDxBiJX3bX6vzPhlECnpQZDs/s320/daystukusi.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tsukushi is a sweetie, and even worse at football than I am!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-highschool-life-of-a-fudanshi">Fudanshi Koukou Seikatsu (The Highschool Life Of A Fudanshi)</a><br />
This is a series of three-and-a-half minute episodes about the daily life of a normal high school boy with an unusual hobby: boys' love manga. He simply happens to enjoy the genre, and feels mildly aggrieved when others assume he must be gay to enjoy reading stories about boys making out, or question his motives for various other reasons. This is the setup for a gag series about the struggles poor Sakaguchi faces as he tries to keep indulging himself and faces the consequences of being in an often-misunderstood corner of what is already a rather niche part of fandom. It's entertaining enough so far and not exactly difficult to keep up with, so I'll check out the next few episodes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCwdqKpT04875jiaAmYJeu9rGjippEfJ16QtIlhz_1TDHhNO1F8T3Nt7uhmqcAQyQhIT1BIIkgn84GTFSFYHbLMOUSjmGJ4TD_wBzF5rAYmlPs863oUBOJ5A2GQ9RKQFRggUaHwPdOqE/s1600/fudansiseikatu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCwdqKpT04875jiaAmYJeu9rGjippEfJ16QtIlhz_1TDHhNO1F8T3Nt7uhmqcAQyQhIT1BIIkgn84GTFSFYHbLMOUSjmGJ4TD_wBzF5rAYmlPs863oUBOJ5A2GQ9RKQFRggUaHwPdOqE/s320/fudansiseikatu.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah, being young enough to be shy about your purchases</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/the-morose-mononokean">Fukigen Na Mononokean (The Morose Mononokean)</a><br />
A surprisingly ordinary series about a high school boy, Hanae, unexpectedly possessed by a cute, fluffy youkai which unfortunately makes him too ill to attend lessons. In his desperation he applies for an exorcism, a decision which leads him to the aloof youkai specialist Haruitsuki - who turns out to be another student in Hanae's class. From the next episode preview it looks as though the two will end up working together to investigate more cases of youkai around the school.<br />
<br />
There's nothing wrong with <i>Fukigen Na Mononokean</i> but I feel as though I've seen this show a dozen times before. <i>Natsume No Yuujinchou</i> did the episodic tales about youkai and their place in the modern world, while <i>xxxHolic</i> was a better story about an unfortunate student teaming up with an experienced specialist in the supernatural. I'll pass for now.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnSHvLEdBILIdAo27SuYxhSeziNxO1QE4WIlwnylfvVM5Rv8bJoDT2myJWqiGtZD4gYYv9N0vNVWVo3iq0bcjxuU4k3KVe3dR2ftYRLrFyRK8ynu_pCTfkr9yrBzxW-89jlS7jvll6KE/s1600/mononokean.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnSHvLEdBILIdAo27SuYxhSeziNxO1QE4WIlwnylfvVM5Rv8bJoDT2myJWqiGtZD4gYYv9N0vNVWVo3iq0bcjxuU4k3KVe3dR2ftYRLrFyRK8ynu_pCTfkr9yrBzxW-89jlS7jvll6KE/s320/mononokean.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haruitsuki is pretty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/handa-kun/">Handa-kun</a><br />
I was going to skip this <i>Barakamon</i> prequel as I haven't yet had the chance to watch or read the original, but I decided to give it one episode for now and return to it later. The first half of the episode was nothing more than in-jokes about how much everyone loved Handa-kun, which fell rather flat for a viewer who had never seen him before.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRrD3sZUZYkx0M07mkHQHc6YzexU8KpF6gTdZrgLOnIKv2VMcxcIpse4JKwdJkI8tUsHV3gYtrXxkSlTVJnr5MUknpk9K31EaZGy18480rl4_xOtdpHgjPjCObZrlCuvh28wPwmXum0M/s1600/handakun2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRrD3sZUZYkx0M07mkHQHc6YzexU8KpF6gTdZrgLOnIKv2VMcxcIpse4JKwdJkI8tUsHV3gYtrXxkSlTVJnr5MUknpk9K31EaZGy18480rl4_xOtdpHgjPjCObZrlCuvh28wPwmXum0M/s320/handakun2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Japan Expo reference was unexpected and well-timed!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Things picked up in the second half when the titular Handa-kun finally showed up and took over as the main character. Completely oblivious to his own popularity, he used his calligraphy and singleminded personality to deal with his latest challenge: a love letter from a classmate. It's a straightforward comedy series and reasonably fun, so perhaps I'll return to it after getting the chance to watch <i>Barakamon</i> properly.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8Zgd0z0fNMqhRu0PkLRDedmSvIoao6_jNJP0jaUiCtY8BtN-eHXyQs630Ed-JwsT71mCkysCtm7srxA2l8QIWGtNmAnQrLKZWMpLqkworjtVmJdCJLAoPO-9hC6dtkDvfweGAk-yqLI/s1600/handakun.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8Zgd0z0fNMqhRu0PkLRDedmSvIoao6_jNJP0jaUiCtY8BtN-eHXyQs630Ed-JwsT71mCkysCtm7srxA2l8QIWGtNmAnQrLKZWMpLqkworjtVmJdCJLAoPO-9hC6dtkDvfweGAk-yqLI/s320/handakun.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's so uncool that it's funny</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/first-love-monster/">Hatsukoi Monster (First Love Monster)</a><br />
A peculiar shoujo romantic comedy about a teen girl who moves away from home and immediately falls in love with a mysterious stranger who saves her life. The twist is that he - along with most of the other hot guys in the series, it seems - is actually significantly younger than he looks and still goes to primary school. And of course the two leads live in the same apartment complex. There's nothing seedy about the way Kaho acts but the core premise of the series is inherently questionable, and I'm not really feeling the characters; an early joke relies on the 'cuteness' of a bunch of adult-looking ten-year-old boys talking about their crotches, which is a very awkward and unnecessary reversal of the annoying trope of underaged girls groping one another in male-orientated shows. Ugh. <i>Hatsukoi Monster</i> is a rare example of me dropping a shoujo title from the very first episode; it can probably be enjoyed as parody if you're able to distance yourself from the inherent creepiness of the whole thing.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSudTZkJgVcyWRPN2WHXbMdDaOkTWQtLnWjVZtgcX9j0DrzD96A9MAewg8gTBDwasOKi8EWusr6lOe7JwMvBfOwlANj0tbSAgkRZwgghAE1HkHRSBc5F5HPlD36gBnaEuGzC8ntcuz_5s/s1600/hatsukoimonster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSudTZkJgVcyWRPN2WHXbMdDaOkTWQtLnWjVZtgcX9j0DrzD96A9MAewg8gTBDwasOKi8EWusr6lOe7JwMvBfOwlANj0tbSAgkRZwgghAE1HkHRSBc5F5HPlD36gBnaEuGzC8ntcuz_5s/s320/hatsukoimonster.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry Kaho, your series bothers me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/hitorinoshita-the-outcast">Hitorinoshita - The Outcast</a><br />
An unusual project which adapts a Chinese webcomic into a full-length supernatural anime. The first episode drops the viewer right into the middle of a story about the mysterious Zhang family. Our hero is Zhang Chulan, a spunky young man who has travelled back to the country to visit his grandfather's grave. Once there, he discovers that the grave has been tampered with and a mysterious girl is wandering around telling people that she's his sister - a sister he never knew he had. He decides to visit the graveyard at night and ends up embroiled in a tale of rampaging zombies. It's meatier than I expected for a webcomic-based show; if it wasn't for the fact that I'm not interested in zombie titles I might have continued watching.<br />
<br />
It seems like an appropriate moment to mention that following English subtitles for series with Chinese-language content always feels confusing when the dialogue uses Japanese pronunciations which have little resemblance to the clumsy romanised Chinese names (<i>Thunderbolt Fantasy</i> suffers from the same issue, and it's always a problem in Sangoku-era content). As much as I like Japanese voice acting, having the Chinese dub as an option would have been interesting.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5He7gXjcfAeq23xf2zQr2F2xJLcB6i8ssBYiN0pULOj8hXfyMLqHHQpgIGDoV88c3wpVHZhXxD-eBkB5tA2QKBwumO3ivL3omwo7ea5g_kYdYrv_3To_F1eVf8OMWi0ptAirnBZNTIE/s1600/hitorinositatheoutcast.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5He7gXjcfAeq23xf2zQr2F2xJLcB6i8ssBYiN0pULOj8hXfyMLqHHQpgIGDoV88c3wpVHZhXxD-eBkB5tA2QKBwumO3ivL3omwo7ea5g_kYdYrv_3To_F1eVf8OMWi0ptAirnBZNTIE/s320/hitorinositatheoutcast.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's pretty, and a little creepy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/this-art-club-has-a-problem">Kono Bijutsubu Ni Ha Mondai Ga Aru! (This Art Club Has A Problem!)</a><br />
I feel I've seen this kind of show far too much lately and it's hurting my ability to be objective. <i>KonoBi</i> is a sweet, rather formulaic series about a school art club dominated by a meddling female lead and a spacey guy who is amazing at painting fictional girls he's in love with. Naturally, there are also various other crazy people around to stir up trouble, but the main story in the first episode is about Usami's frustrations with her buddy's singleminded devotion to his non-existent babes when he should be putting his effort into traditional art. It comes across as a blend of <i>K-On!</i> and <i>Tonari No Seki-kun</i>. Since it's obviously not the kind of series which is going to lend itself to groundbreaking drama or action I won't be watching further. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the show, it's just that it's not the kind of anime I find interesting.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJjJ0bJddOd8FNs5XdpL1WzqAcGNN32Pny7rXUk8LcWVuXWUM7Ly08tpKynYpQfa3ObmpdwYkKQCJUI7PiZ2cOMJQ7MimXkCOHEKL6YJnWn7tSrEIJz28T6V1kJxVscvecumHE49wkBA/s1600/konobiep1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJjJ0bJddOd8FNs5XdpL1WzqAcGNN32Pny7rXUk8LcWVuXWUM7Ly08tpKynYpQfa3ObmpdwYkKQCJUI7PiZ2cOMJQ7MimXkCOHEKL6YJnWn7tSrEIJz28T6V1kJxVscvecumHE49wkBA/s320/konobiep1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The understated art is clean and attractive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/love-live-sunshine">Love Live! Sunshine!!</a><br />
There was disappointment when the latest <i>Love Live!</i> was announced to be region locked on Funimation's service, followed by relief when UK distributor Anime Limited revealed that it would be available from Crunchyroll here instead. And now it's here. In the <i>Sunshine</i> timeline, μ's are already an established idol group gathering fans from all over Japan and the stage has shifted to a quiet coastal town, where a new legend is presumably about to begin. A chipper girl single-mindedly begs new friends and old to team up with her and start an idol group in a local school. The starlets she admires from the city are her inspiration but she faces numerous challenges as she heads towards her objective, from struggling to write original music to getting permission for setting up an official school idol group from the prim student council president.<br />
<br />
In other words, the plot is <i>very</i> similar to the original <i>Love Live!</i> except that everyone has slightly different names and looks. So far nobody is standing out as much as Nozomi, the coolest girl from the previous series, but I'll keep watching for a while longer; it took a while for <i>Love Live!</i> to grow on me and I'm sure its sequel will be the same way.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JIiI6ujbhkMq8h0EcnJM5Z_qOCjCldPKmtr1Yn8jcPiUmg2pAcrJmue90hr2vjq3F3w7juytZkMekSDU2slpiE0q_W0lTCicURhvdCiY9KAHV7tKl_VpdwDdn0bsLdPJYkZkl8Z_oXw/s1600/lovelivesunshine.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JIiI6ujbhkMq8h0EcnJM5Z_qOCjCldPKmtr1Yn8jcPiUmg2pAcrJmue90hr2vjq3F3w7juytZkMekSDU2slpiE0q_W0lTCicURhvdCiY9KAHV7tKl_VpdwDdn0bsLdPJYkZkl8Z_oXw/s320/lovelivesunshine.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An early candidate for weirdest girl in the group has emerged</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/mahou-shoujo-naria-girls">Mahou Shoujo? Naria☆Girls</a><br />
Flitting between barely-animated CG characters posing awkwardly and badly-animated CG characters wriggling around unnaturally, the first eight-minute episode felt as though it lasted for a lifetime. With designs borrowing from <i>Puella Magi Madoka Magica</i>, character animation borrowing from <i>RWBY</i> and a script borrowing from, uh, <i>JK-MESHI</i>, it is difficult to see the appeal of the series for anyone who isn't into schoolgirls chatting about nothing sandwiched between strangely-eroticised magical girl transformations. Please make it stop.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcKAWpZZ3FyhAAZR_yKS_PntDDBpZrqhVNIXLloSiKucjZ25JM_zJPF8fm5LDosJdnbTz5qbVo34o8BYnHJx-AO_2TXSN3L5xT-byv4sIt1j_8ooiNU-NpCoE-ZjzOdErkkwtOitF9T4/s1600/nariagirls.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcKAWpZZ3FyhAAZR_yKS_PntDDBpZrqhVNIXLloSiKucjZ25JM_zJPF8fm5LDosJdnbTz5qbVo34o8BYnHJx-AO_2TXSN3L5xT-byv4sIt1j_8ooiNU-NpCoE-ZjzOdErkkwtOitF9T4/s320/nariagirls.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/hybrid-x-heart-magias-academy-ataraxia">Masou Gakuen HxH (Hybrid x Heart Magias Academy Ataraxia)</a><br />
I thought it had been a while since I last watched an outrageously over-the-top fan service show, and now thankfully <i>Masou Gakuen HxH</i> has come along to break the dry spell. This is absolutely braindead stuff and it knows it. Kizuna is a typically unremarkable male lead clad in a full body pilot suit with a pecular role: he has to 'Climax Hybrid' with the babes at his military academy on a regular basis in order to help them keep their combat stats at peak levels. There are no prizes for working out what the act of 'Climax Hybrid' involves. In many ways this is no different to all of the hundreds of similar light novel shows I always complain about, except it's so unashamedly dumb and unafraid of taking the bonkers premise as far as it can that I can respect it for what it is. It's way better than seeing angry redheads angrily slapping guys who trip and fall into their bosoms as a greeting. I would actually keep watching this weekly if not for the fact that it's heavily censored - better to wait for a Blu-ray edition.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjf3hS2VxBxuAxqHK3jnwlYqzeFMEYS97pIjlvufw9nBDTXIomAZxcX0qYNp2b-8kG2eDIjNwjgP19w1OTDU3TDP3J3FNtntXsqBrVi3MGVE7UmsUIOK8CT_PBqw9TROBbi9Q47DhFQMU/s1600/masougakuenhxh.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjf3hS2VxBxuAxqHK3jnwlYqzeFMEYS97pIjlvufw9nBDTXIomAZxcX0qYNp2b-8kG2eDIjNwjgP19w1OTDU3TDP3J3FNtntXsqBrVi3MGVE7UmsUIOK8CT_PBqw9TROBbi9Q47DhFQMU/s320/masougakuenhxh.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I somehow managed to take a screenshot with no boobs in it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/mob-psycho-100">Mob Psycho 100</a><br />
The <i>One Punch Man</i> fever has died down a little since its anime run ended but creator ONE's zany webcomics are back with an adaptation of <i>Mob Psycho 100</i>. The plot is typically simple so far - a conman is using young 'Mob' to make money by having him perform exorcisms in the name of 'training' under his tutelage. Unlike his so-called master Mob is a powerful psychic, and there's a conspicuous countdown scattered throughout the show which seems to imply that his powers are building up to something.<br />
<br />
None of that is all that important though. The unique selling point of <i>Mob Psycho 100</i> is that it has a crazy, experimental art style which resembles the wilder episodes of <i>Space Dandy</i> mixed with simplistic, charming designs (even if everyone does look like <i>One Punch Man</i>'s Saitama dressed in an assortment of wigs - including the women). I think there's a lot of potential for this to find an audience, but it was a little <i>too</i> wild for me.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7btsgfZZaHSigyPyvIFkOR7sdW219NfFxZoOo77air5utn281MulnWaUtrsMr3d-I9gR7jG-vnnL_YKBNH5Hg4uO2vYtpShYQhiso_Xi681nElmxgHMBpN5z21thxfEfNAIfbJkeQyc/s1600/mobpsycho.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7btsgfZZaHSigyPyvIFkOR7sdW219NfFxZoOo77air5utn281MulnWaUtrsMr3d-I9gR7jG-vnnL_YKBNH5Hg4uO2vYtpShYQhiso_Xi681nElmxgHMBpN5z21thxfEfNAIfbJkeQyc/s320/mobpsycho.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The art style offers plenty of screenshot opportunities</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/momokuri">MomoKuri</a><br />
An ONA made up of 24 half-length episodes, bundled up in pairs to fit into a typical anime slot to air this season. The series begins with Kurihara Yuki asks blushing schoolboy Momotsuki Shinya out; much to her delight, he accepts. From this cute-looking setup a series of flashbacks reveal how Yuki is <i>a little</i> excessively enthusiastic about her new crush and this sets the tone for the comedy antics which follow. It's cute and even though the subject matter is potentially disturbing, it's not entirely inaccurate in its depiction of the stalkerlike habits young girls adopt when the objects of their affections are involved.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZUtS5e185gNP4iNevskw1zt8Ct_82H1NR62rJ5rdn_ZM8oTeOOnZSJbvRCl0lL4BR4sYo9_drBFH8D4Nu4MA_FeblRJ2QRN6MfuLyp2KErWoEH1ZCTo7JDzRS1g141BPZ_W3l1Xaa-s/s1600/momokuri.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZUtS5e185gNP4iNevskw1zt8Ct_82H1NR62rJ5rdn_ZM8oTeOOnZSJbvRCl0lL4BR4sYo9_drBFH8D4Nu4MA_FeblRJ2QRN6MfuLyp2KErWoEH1ZCTo7JDzRS1g141BPZ_W3l1Xaa-s/s320/momokuri.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">She's sweet when she's not going over the top crazy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/alderamin-on-the-sky">Nejimaki Seirei Senki: Tenkyou No Alderamin (Alderamin On The Sky)</a><br />
Ikta is a surly youth more interested in lusting after women than assisting with the ongoing war between his homeland and its neighbour, but fate has other plans for his strategic talents. As he (reluctantly) travels out to start his military career, he finds himself shipwrecked along with a ragtag group of friends and a mysterious princess. It's the usual jumble of fantasy light novel tropes: an abrasive lead with an unusual talent, a spirited redheaded girl in skimpy clothes and daft dialogue. The character interactions and visuals are above average, but I'm not convinced that <i>Tenkyou No Alderamin</i> will rise above its genre and capture my interest when I'm so burned out on fantasy light novels in general. If the season was less busy I might give it a couple more episodes, however, because there are signs of some more worthwhile elements shining beneath the exceptionally generic premise. It's probably one of the better light novel adaptations I've seen lately.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2ODZuDONlRl71qbrhWAFh-9AochL3N9i7vXBoNt4uoMuR3x64o9CdkuaGI-FuBfet-d5lUQbdOMO00ufiSZ18Bf8CTPZ0K1v4xIDCGdafeon-WyX4bfU03JhGM-aa5jira4FGdMYkZg/s1600/alderaminonthesky.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2ODZuDONlRl71qbrhWAFh-9AochL3N9i7vXBoNt4uoMuR3x64o9CdkuaGI-FuBfet-d5lUQbdOMO00ufiSZ18Bf8CTPZ0K1v4xIDCGdafeon-WyX4bfU03JhGM-aa5jira4FGdMYkZg/s320/alderaminonthesky.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dialogue writing at its finest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/new-game">NEW GAME!</a><br />
Young Aoba has just finished high school and landed a job at Eagle Jump, a small game company apparently entirely staffed by gorgeous young women. Her coworkers patiently teach her the ropes as she settles in and tries to get used to office life. Everyone is constantly blushing and the camera knows its target audience well, playing up the (very light) fan service whenever it can. It's more <i>K-On! </i>than <i>Shirobako</i> as glimpses into the world of video game development go; even though it's pleasant and easy to watch, I don't think there are going to be many industry secrets to discover in <i>NEW GAME!</i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1v1Ru9u8id_mmAnkVQeMc6HR7PpiswBbNq1zr5oySr5XYNb_gred4enP3amw1TR0myEUGASNS7aFI-0EmsgjV67TMjbG5CY1OtmhZ9B19qkHenS34TWxCBVk6c7FKZLKF7ZUtvNmXEX0/s1600/newgameanime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1v1Ru9u8id_mmAnkVQeMc6HR7PpiswBbNq1zr5oySr5XYNb_gred4enP3amw1TR0myEUGASNS7aFI-0EmsgjV67TMjbG5CY1OtmhZ9B19qkHenS34TWxCBVk6c7FKZLKF7ZUtvNmXEX0/s320/newgameanime.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a big fan of cutesy girls but I do like her beautiful design</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/orange">Orange</a><br />
I've already read half of the (incredible) manga - which is <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/comics/manga/orange/volumes">also available on Crunchyroll</a> - so when I heard an anime adaptation was coming it felt like a good excuse to finish the story that way. I somehow managed to wait instead of hurtling through the remaining chapters of the original work. Or perhaps I was afraid to finish. The story has a wonderfully simple setup: one day, schoolgirl Naho receives a letter from her future self. The letter explains that she's been living her life regretting some of the choices she made back in her high school days, and sets out a plan for her younger self to change the way things turn out.<br />
<br />
Regret is one of the most potent emotions and rather than focusing on the mystery of the time travelling letter, <i>Orange</i> delves into the reasons for Naho's future sadness, exploring her relationships with her close-knit group of friends. Why does Naho feel so melancholy ten years from now? Should she follow the instructions in the letter, even when they contradict her emotions or seem trivial? And what's going on with Kakeru, anyway?<br />
<br />
The anime adaptation replaces the beautiful artwork from the original manga (which was far too stylised to survive the transition to television anime intact) with a capable voice cast and musical cues, offering a different perspective on the same material which makes it worth watching even knowing exactly how things will turn out in these early episodes. I like it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuhUT0Gj9ep870jEIT-TczgjyXOpuFbiJYs59YxFI9D950l5XtsrW0Pt1AKzinRHhv4As_vOYG5ZYhAW_oFrtkpftM3StXGR5zglQFQLAM53Nthq2liAH664hm4yUegrXHb358BH_fvA/s1600/orangestart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuhUT0Gj9ep870jEIT-TczgjyXOpuFbiJYs59YxFI9D950l5XtsrW0Pt1AKzinRHhv4As_vOYG5ZYhAW_oFrtkpftM3StXGR5zglQFQLAM53Nthq2liAH664hm4yUegrXHb358BH_fvA/s320/orangestart.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A more relatable tale of high school angst than any <i>moe </i>show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/ozmafia">OZMAFIA!!</a><br />
This is complete fluff; a series of mini episodes which parade a bunch of attractively-designed characters in front of the viewer with some jokes which probably make more sense to people who have played the <i>OZMAFIA!!</i> game (now available in English). The plot, such as it is, involves a new student enrolling at a weird school and meeting the colourful characters who are already there. That's it. If it didn't look so stylish I'd definitely give it a miss.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuTRKM9zL7pjECEIk_CGlteTkkYrOq_-6K9KW_-skF-Nw47otcLJR2ww0i6fMU_ED6VKGhbiJQ7RO1ZJyOrfyGO48X_TicxpCFK9Pj80hJH1E286vxV4pSVcjId2s9aN9hGYZ1Tic1xs/s1600/OZMAFIA.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuTRKM9zL7pjECEIk_CGlteTkkYrOq_-6K9KW_-skF-Nw47otcLJR2ww0i6fMU_ED6VKGhbiJQ7RO1ZJyOrfyGO48X_TicxpCFK9Pj80hJH1E286vxV4pSVcjId2s9aN9hGYZ1Tic1xs/s320/OZMAFIA.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's pretty and short, the only reason I'm still watching</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/planetarian/">Planetarian ~Chiisana Hoshi No Yume~</a><br />
This show made me feel like such a jerk because I could only appreciate it as a comedy, and I'm not sure that was the creators' intention. Yumemi is a robot created to guide those who come to visit her inner city planetarium. By the time the story proper begins, something catastrophic has apparently happened to humanity over the last few decades and the planetarium has been completely abandoned, along with most of the sprawling urban landscape around it. One day, a young scavenger ends up stumbling across the lonely forgotten robot, who forces him to accept her hospitality even though he has far more important things to worry about, such as staying alive and avoiding the attack robots stationed nearby. The result is tonally odd; I found myself wanting to laugh at the young man's aggressive behaviour towards the oblivious android, which is probably because I didn't really care about her or feel emotionally involved. Watchers are probably supposed to put a little more effort into emphasising with the cute little thing than I did.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8ovR3FOf-4jmN_njpCsBwEF-Jfo1OxMA7c2xSsNnJfoFkL-RqqxAMhdeEhrIz9J25elndAO_HvXIe7Joy7sPcivGewUeGFMmRs6UdvGbyrGPr2lqtPT-W5bXzkAbPMbpHBqujhGmLnQ/s1600/planetarian.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8ovR3FOf-4jmN_njpCsBwEF-Jfo1OxMA7c2xSsNnJfoFkL-RqqxAMhdeEhrIz9J25elndAO_HvXIe7Joy7sPcivGewUeGFMmRs6UdvGbyrGPr2lqtPT-W5bXzkAbPMbpHBqujhGmLnQ/s320/planetarian.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perhaps a better series if the viewer has a heart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/puzzledragons-x/">Puzzle & Dragons Cross (Puzzle & Dragons X)</a><br />
Some kid shows are watchable even though I'm well past the intended target age group. <i>Puzzle & Dragons Cross</i> is not. The monstrously popular game has been translated into an exceptionally generic fantasy series, with its appealing art style not quite compensating for the bewildering parade of tropes masquerading as a plot. One for the young at heart or fans of the original game only. I will admit that it has a very good ending theme.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3j6gXJyHpZQBbhMhxjnoMa7Q_yWSHy2oPkJqj8C7P-d2Mh6bfWmseNT3VEXmUKf22WLXsrIyrgb63Gk2SzvmyaKgcPxYJ47bFFJ3JnsMZo4VOZ36-rhsrp44k-1ykrdGymvgJhbzdrQk/s1600/pazudoraanime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3j6gXJyHpZQBbhMhxjnoMa7Q_yWSHy2oPkJqj8C7P-d2Mh6bfWmseNT3VEXmUKf22WLXsrIyrgb63Gk2SzvmyaKgcPxYJ47bFFJ3JnsMZo4VOZ36-rhsrp44k-1ykrdGymvgJhbzdrQk/s320/pazudoraanime.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dragons are cool, more anime should involve dragons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/qualidea-code">Qualidea Code</a><br />
Not content with being a regular fantasy light novel adaptation, <i>Qualidea Code</i> is a series with a whole bunch of light novel tie-ins written by different light novel writers in order to plumb heretofore unknown levels of light novel fantasy tropes and combine them into a single series. The first episode is mostly banter between a sulky teen boy and his devoted childhood friend, a dizzy beauty who follows him around irritatingly. The viewer is soon introduced to the overarching scenario: a bunch of immature teens have been put into cold sleep and given unique special powers, or 'Worlds'. Now that they've awakened they have to use these gifts to protect Japan from the imaginatively-named 'Unknown'. In fairness some of the action sequences are pretty cool and <i>Qualidea Code</i> manages to avoid a lot of the things which annoy me about the genre but I can't help thinking it's probably going to annoy me within a few episodes when the fresh ideas start running dry. I also wanted to strangle the male lead every time he opened his mouth; dropping the show seemed like a good idea for my sanity.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNkMZloGO8deTohGonFy55jjxgKLYP4qjSoWowOAsSf72yE3EmBkl9xv91_zyQP2vZ6Zhcj6TbCBRbfa9E_N13dF-5dOT-LByzMJUdPR1RnNSrMFtVnwtJp8OhtSejhGk47ZfAeJC1Xg/s1600/qualideacode.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNkMZloGO8deTohGonFy55jjxgKLYP4qjSoWowOAsSf72yE3EmBkl9xv91_zyQP2vZ6Zhcj6TbCBRbfa9E_N13dF-5dOT-LByzMJUdPR1RnNSrMFtVnwtJp8OhtSejhGk47ZfAeJC1Xg/s320/qualideacode.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Arrogant, rude and not especially attractive - no thanks?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/regalia-the-three-sacred-stars/">Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars</a><br />
The first episode of <i>Regalia</i> was all over the place; it started out looking like a very slow-paced slice of life series about some doe-eyed sisters, before a new character suddenly showed up and things swiftly escalated. Moments later, a foreign guy showed up and summoned a combat robot, forcing the girls to join together and repel him. It turns out that while they aren't actually related, both girls have their own special statuses: one's a combat machine and the other is secretly an empress. Squarely aimed at those who will cherish the frequent outbursts of tender sisterly emotions, this really isn't aimed at me at all.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMt_znFcKwmaNJnvcTWNtDEij13CrM4IB6RKm64LCCBVeAyt8w4fEy6Vw3sbqUJENKBkXRKGYVODRDm9M4sfsTE3ntW921lWcaIgUex9QoHukxRSTIVX5mn0t0-o_VdvERNz5MSWQnes/s1600/regaliazzz.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMt_znFcKwmaNJnvcTWNtDEij13CrM4IB6RKm64LCCBVeAyt8w4fEy6Vw3sbqUJENKBkXRKGYVODRDm9M4sfsTE3ntW921lWcaIgUex9QoHukxRSTIVX5mn0t0-o_VdvERNz5MSWQnes/s320/regaliazzz.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If I'm honest I could tell I wouldn't like it from the designs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/relife">ReLIFE</a><br />
<i>ReLIFE</i> started off unusually by having all thirteen episodes available right from the start of the season for some viewers (such as those with Crunchyroll Premium subscriptions) while others had to wait and watch the show week by week. This arrangement mirrored the Japanese format where the series could be watched through an app before the telephone broadcast began. It was strange, and means I can go right ahead and treat my first impressions post as my final impressions too.<br />
<br />
The plot is simple by modern anime standards: Arata is a completely unlikeable guy at his wits' end, having left his job and found himself mostly unemployable. Racked with shame, he becomes a shut-in who keeps up the charade of being a salaryman, then subsequently has another crisis when his parents tell him that they won't be supporting his lifestyle any longer. Just when it seems that there's nowhere left for Arata to turn, a mysterious stranger offers him the chance to return to his teenage years and go back to high school for a year. If he can handle this assignment, he can turn his life around - and high school can't be that hard for a full-grown man to breeze through, right?<br />
<br />
Obviously Arata has more trouble fitting in with people ten years younger than him than he expected, leading to drama, comedy and off-colour jokes about how excited he is to be around a bunch of high school girls. He's overconfident and brash despite the mess he's in and it's down to his fellow students to teach him some important life lessons he failed to learn the first time around. I should note that the show gradually reveals a few more nuances which make Arata less obnoxious by showing that his main flaw is simply insecurity rather than raw arrogance. It's fortunate that the whole series was available in one go as I might have dropped it before getting to the later episodes and that would have been a shame; the main romance story between two of the lead's classmates was great.<br />
<br />
It took me a while to decide who <i>ReLIFE</i> was aimed at because it's too idealistic and simple to ring true for older fans while clearly being aimed at an audience with a rose-tinted view of their high school days. Perhaps the ideal audience is young adults in their late teens and early twenties, afraid of becoming the older version of Arata but still fresh enough to easily relate to the younger characters without the weird subtext I read into everything? In any case, I ended up watching the entire series at the start of the season, and it was a decent enough experience. Part of the reason I kept watching was because <i>ReLIFE</i> uses a different classic Japanese pop song as the ending theme for each episode. There were some great hits in there such as <i>HOT LIMIT</i> and <i>Natsu Matsuri</i>!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPbNEGwN-SbIcQWH-uaEYoW1wf0DeymyVlqMX7XaH_2oOPy9dhgQgjosc5CMhX4NwuFRkYk-Qex4pymFzve8Xe37o9dSulXxZ_UocMugeXnhH3fcMhqfaLKAwpGiV3MjbH5pwBJk8h3M/s1600/relifeanime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPbNEGwN-SbIcQWH-uaEYoW1wf0DeymyVlqMX7XaH_2oOPy9dhgQgjosc5CMhX4NwuFRkYk-Qex4pymFzve8Xe37o9dSulXxZ_UocMugeXnhH3fcMhqfaLKAwpGiV3MjbH5pwBJk8h3M/s320/relifeanime.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main character is dull so here's Ooga-kun instead</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/rewrite">Rewrite</a><br />
A fairly ordinary Key adaptation about Kotarou, an ordinary schoolboy with some kind of special power which lets him increase his physical prowess in tight situations. He comes into contact with a typical bevy of cute girls and mysterious, nightmarish things happen involving a creepy girl festooned with red ribbons. The first episode was a double bill yet I still have no idea what's going on.<br />
<br />
I feel the problem with <i>Rewrite</i> is that it eases the viewer in as though it's a visual novel, spending more than half an hour on boring introductions and scene-setting instead of establishing a hook to pull newcomers in or explaining its core premise properly. This makes sense for a game - you already bought it anyway, so you probably know what to expect and don't mind sitting through the typical panty flashes and emotionally-charged high school antics until the good stuff begins. For a television anime, however, it would make more sense to rearrange the story to make it compelling right from the outset. I was quite bored by the time the supernatural hijinks got going and it never really succeeded in recapturing my attention thereafter.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TMzw-8w31GtkugjXfKAiU-d3FZG82ciZa0ZWwIaupXj9WPavuCsbIcdv1bSvalRoYD30Be_DwaCWFJW328P8p1T1jqv-KeDaBY4VDLGIkPlDwZRuFkqNxcemD1UEauFcUEH5rhg-LnQ/s1600/rewrite.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TMzw-8w31GtkugjXfKAiU-d3FZG82ciZa0ZWwIaupXj9WPavuCsbIcdv1bSvalRoYD30Be_DwaCWFJW328P8p1T1jqv-KeDaBY4VDLGIkPlDwZRuFkqNxcemD1UEauFcUEH5rhg-LnQ/s320/rewrite.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Nobody wanted to see your knickers anyway, girl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_202793184"></span>Saiki Kusuo No Ψnan (The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K.)<span id="goog_202793185"></span></a><br />
Yet another show with a strange release pattern; in this case a bunch of four-minute shorts which are compiled into a full-length episode each weekend. Funimation seems to be trying to match the same format so I checked out the first mini-episode as soon as it was available. Saiki Kusuo is a gifted psychic who was able to perform miraculous feats from an early age. With this being a comedy, however, he's just trying to get through everyday life rather than fighting crime or saving the world from invaders. The style of the humour is reminiscent of <i>Gintama</i> but the plot is much simpler, lending itself well to the four-minute format. It's watchable, without really making me desperate to keep following to find out what happens next.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCDDh0fpBPEwXqXg3qxhyh7LDQ66_IAh44I_-lmF97DhOPlsF5NPH_jFnN6NM7xiXuuL7-anot57ItDJ5FuIC5Dv5cew2Orm9BABJliEfLSo8TklmBxcRwBn1sq6h8YyE2jVk8JM9uWw/s1600/saikikusuo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCDDh0fpBPEwXqXg3qxhyh7LDQ66_IAh44I_-lmF97DhOPlsF5NPH_jFnN6NM7xiXuuL7-anot57ItDJ5FuIC5Dv5cew2Orm9BABJliEfLSo8TklmBxcRwBn1sq6h8YyE2jVk8JM9uWw/s320/saikikusuo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lime green shades and magenta hair; psychic fashion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/scar-red-rider-xechs/">Sca-red Rider XechS</a><br />
The latest entry in a long tradition of titles based on a school for pouty teens who can combine with their monstrous familiars and do battle with invaders, except this time it's based on an old PS2 romance game for ladies and the lead is a rather annoying bossy blonde girl. The character designs are tall, skinny and full of potential for sulky, pensive facial expressions. The show is set in the Ryuukyuu islands which gives it an interesting backdrop of Okinawa-style folk music during the quieter scenes, and there's more musical fun in the form of the male leads' rock band aspirations - but the main draw is the combat and potential for budding romance between the leads. It's really the same old repetitive nonsense I've seen played out dozens of times before but it takes itself way too seriously at times which just makes it painful - those with a higher tolerance for brooding teens with guitars will probably find it absolutely hilarious. It reminds me of a blend between <i>Strike Witches, Macross Frontier, Star Driver</i> and <i>Weiß Kreuz</i>, which is in itself a rather impressive feat.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUdG_3c7dtNgpeR9_oqSD3T6ffRsVM3YOnBCLPiGeK5tdduTwL9J9xGmclbj4QREnpQxh4SGqNkco3zZyIcH7Ri3xfGc-aTHCBOEWrD_xbvDn-4VCuOHKy44YyaGoDDI9yuvB_9BfCgU/s1600/scarredriderxechs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUdG_3c7dtNgpeR9_oqSD3T6ffRsVM3YOnBCLPiGeK5tdduTwL9J9xGmclbj4QREnpQxh4SGqNkco3zZyIcH7Ri3xfGc-aTHCBOEWrD_xbvDn-4VCuOHKy44YyaGoDDI9yuvB_9BfCgU/s320/scarredriderxechs.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unimpressed dude is unimpressed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/servamp/">Servamp</a><br />
One day, schoolboy Mahiru comes across a stray cat and takes it home to save its life. This simple act of kindness turns out to have life-changing consequences when the little black cat he names Kuro transforms, revealing his true identity as a gloomy shut-in vampire. One thing leads to another and Mahiru finds himself in a contract with his lazy 'servamp' pet to fight against the more dangerous vampires threatening humanity. If I wasn't watching so many shows already I might give <i>Servamp</i> a chance, it's reasonably entertaining and the colourful designs are fantastic. One to reevaluate during a quieter period!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCaibb5UuFzhwoZkFHxNvCryfd4iHhgl2ObWg31C5OFpNiBR72mTS_OrfV4X4HUcfwShm2ipp1mp12pDZMSphZmhL9NdKZVengXAaMAWpuPN_aVlfvLZf6kU0Yl-h6uOImIzOHPBpXec/s1600/servamp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCaibb5UuFzhwoZkFHxNvCryfd4iHhgl2ObWg31C5OFpNiBR72mTS_OrfV4X4HUcfwShm2ipp1mp12pDZMSphZmhL9NdKZVengXAaMAWpuPN_aVlfvLZf6kU0Yl-h6uOImIzOHPBpXec/s320/servamp.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kuro looks so cool...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/food-wars-shokugeki-no-soma">Shokugeki No Soma (Food Wars! The Second Plate)</a><br />
One of my favourite <i>Shounen Jump</i> titles has returned with a second season of fan service and sumptuous recipes. It drops the viewer right back in the action - the first season ended after the first round of a major tournament, and this one starts off with the first match in the quarter-finals which follow. I love watching Yukihira triumphing in his quest to raise the problem of honest, quintessentially Japanese dishes as he battles all of the elite chefs training at his school; sign me up for more!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXy9x1UMO5zG03b_pAMnIDuf_Mvi-nbi_h8CYw6b4YJX5l3E9oyAa0xGS0b2dFunwU_dEHIZ0U46EpHFFXKjmzLLTA_c7eZtgfY0wQ4NFRApsmFG365FreMrwqD0Zlmfge5ASHKAqo6Q/s1600/shokugekis2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXy9x1UMO5zG03b_pAMnIDuf_Mvi-nbi_h8CYw6b4YJX5l3E9oyAa0xGS0b2dFunwU_dEHIZ0U46EpHFFXKjmzLLTA_c7eZtgfY0wQ4NFRApsmFG365FreMrwqD0Zlmfge5ASHKAqo6Q/s320/shokugekis2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Welcome back, Soma-kun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/taboo-tattoo">Taboo Tattoo</a><br />
<i>Taboo Tattoo</i> is set in a world not dissimilar to modern Japan, except that a small number of people possess magical tattoos which grant them extraordinary powers. Ordinary schoolboy Akatsuka Seigi finds himself the recipient of one of these special tattoos one day after a chance encounter with a strange old man, and suddenly he's being pursued by strange superpowered schoolgirls wanting to know why he's in possession of one of this secret weapon. The fan service is subtler than usual but all the signs point to this being an excuse for our hero to do battle with hot angry girls and the underlying high school fantasy plot simply doesn't interest me, even though it's quite well done. The coolest thing about this entire series is the way that the hero is known as 'Akatsuka Justice' based on a trendy reading of his given name. How awesome.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTPey0ebCU1z77lv9AaCnQ7ofWerzLyHkxKip0x4ThrnoI75LX82vqychleYHX9QQOP7NVG4Cc0zt_FWHi1UNwkj36YXfILCvkKLYrPwRZOlyzSw_PVjUUBkLNC5p0xY1WE-h7tDyI3k/s1600/tabootattoo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTPey0ebCU1z77lv9AaCnQ7ofWerzLyHkxKip0x4ThrnoI75LX82vqychleYHX9QQOP7NVG4Cc0zt_FWHi1UNwkj36YXfILCvkKLYrPwRZOlyzSw_PVjUUBkLNC5p0xY1WE-h7tDyI3k/s320/tabootattoo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hero, reenacting one of the oldest tropes in the book</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/tales-of-zestiria-the-x/">Tales Of Zestiria The X</a><br />
Ooh, they made an anime based on <i>Tales of Zestiria</i>, the game which had a crossover campaign with <i>Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi</i> not too long ago. If ever there was a justification for watching an anime adaptation of a game title I've never played that's a great one. The first episode focused on Naotora - I mean Alisha - as she charged around fighting cool battles for reasons I didn't really understand. I thought Sorey was the main character? Some proper context as an introduction would have been nice.<br />
<br />
I watched the older <i>Tales Of Vesperia: The First Strike</i> movie without knowing the plot of the game it was based on and found it perfectly enjoyable, yet <i>Tales Of Zestiria The X</i> has me lost. Really nice visuals, though. The opening is beautiful.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQByxMf_lIqVcG_q92OjXJwNkar0Yvzzvcj7QntALzaeVcro0Ge5jDx7RPVfP9QK5PWIhw9osjyRw1RpjrMqN4ueL9jqxC4-k-VPRsDxY_EX4vgEp3wpa0prakldE1ggvKjEF5Tj4mfM/s1600/taleszxanime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQByxMf_lIqVcG_q92OjXJwNkar0Yvzzvcj7QntALzaeVcro0Ge5jDx7RPVfP9QK5PWIhw9osjyRw1RpjrMqN4ueL9jqxC4-k-VPRsDxY_EX4vgEp3wpa0prakldE1ggvKjEF5Tj4mfM/s320/taleszxanime.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If only the story was as arresting as the artwork</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/thunderbolt-fantasy">Thunderbolt Fantasy: Touriken Yuuki</a><br />
I was lucky enough to see the actual puppets used in <i>Thunderbolt Fantasy</i> back at last winter's Wonder Festival event, so when I heard that Crunchyroll would actually be simulcasting the show I had to give it a try in spite of it not actually qualifying as anime. An excellent voice cast, some star names on the staff and a T.M.Revolution theme song; if anything could give me an interesting first experience with the Taiwanese puppet magic of PILI, this was it.<br />
<br />
<i>Thunderbolt Fantasy</i> is a fairly ordinary story about mystical warriors in a dazzling Asian fantasy land. The plot isn't anything to write home about so far, yet the show is easy to watch because of its stunning wooden puppets. They're incredible; far more expressive than most CG (sorry, <i>Berserk</i>) and far more detailed-looking than the average anime, yet they're somehow able to perform complicated physical acrobatics with a blend of traditional and technology-aided wizardry. The result is a surreal experience which is part martial arts film, part anime and part supermarionation.<br />
<br />
Crunchyroll has also made an 'episode zero' documentary available which offers a fascinating look behind the scenes to see how the crazy special effects were actually created during filming. Whether you love it or hate it, you owe it to yourself to give <i>Thunderbolt Fantasy</i> a look just to see this unique art form captured on film.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXm4u9DoagVXtFRJn2ILOzng_kVbvvQUUKwth5QFSlB8P4kKG00sN_YWa_IOXALOArVu7LOE2B83xMaifMD5eBmudvcDON2p1Gm85sUaadB23DpRue1b7rpe1sf-4eHP5kki13t0_BsM4/s1600/thunderboltfantasy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXm4u9DoagVXtFRJn2ILOzng_kVbvvQUUKwth5QFSlB8P4kKG00sN_YWa_IOXALOArVu7LOE2B83xMaifMD5eBmudvcDON2p1Gm85sUaadB23DpRue1b7rpe1sf-4eHP5kki13t0_BsM4/s320/thunderboltfantasy.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wouldn't it be awesome to see this on Adult Swim?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/time-travel-girl/">Time Travel Shoujo: Mari Waka To 8nin No Kagakushatachi (Time Travel Girl)</a><br />
Another series about young girls and time travel! Mari is a slightly dithery high schooler whose father supposedly mysteriously disappeared on a long research trip some time ago. I suspect that this plot point will be addressed before too long as Mari herself soon ends up pulled into the world of one of her father's books, which throws her back in time to Victorian England. There she meets famous astronomer William Gilbert, who manages to teach the heroine a few things about the scientific process despite her futuristic origins. From the title I'm guessing that Mari will be meeting a few more famous scientists before the end of its run and even though I'm a bit old for the series it's quite charming in its efforts to encourage the audience to learn a few facts as they watch. Not bad.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNI041eSg0qoDzDl229xbetsqWXPQ3mvumJ2VdPjlxhxuh_EiJ4w_S_H56AkOruq5BwYqP8qrQMWhbE6Z4NqAb4otdFVfiOJW6qmcFJf1aMi-jj9mJno5DtjBA6WIdpAyGH3vexS3jVU/s1600/timetravelgirlep1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNI041eSg0qoDzDl229xbetsqWXPQ3mvumJ2VdPjlxhxuh_EiJ4w_S_H56AkOruq5BwYqP8qrQMWhbE6Z4NqAb4otdFVfiOJW6qmcFJf1aMi-jj9mJno5DtjBA6WIdpAyGH3vexS3jVU/s320/timetravelgirlep1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want a magical time travel book too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/tsukiuta-the-animation/">Tsukiuta. The Animation</a><br />
I've been aware of the <i>Tsukiuta.</i> phenomenon for a while without ever taking the time to check it out for myself. This anime adaptation consequently presented a good excuse to take a closer look. The series is about two six-man boy bands, with each member representing one of the months of the year and getting a single episode to introduce themselves properly. The first episode focused on Kakeru, a gentle, kindly blond idol. Too ill to attend an event in person, one of Kakeru's fans sends her younger brother so that she can at least get the exclusive event merchandise and make the most out of her wasted ticket. The bewildered boy somehow ends up mixing with the stars backstage and becoming a fan of the group himself. I wasn't too impressed with the episode overall; the pacing was slow and the entire thing lacked any sense of excitement. And although the music was good, the CG dance scenes left me with mixed feelings too.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YWCQoRSMkic00EWF65hFEpFcRzSu-sh5fcfFVdEjjF5m1Lpg2_3UyHvfOhLlt4ZHuZT2gusFJ7u5SVkpdxzsxpG-hwW-nYQLOhWjNk2Br1P_vl80jFAB1OAkRvAgNHeXn8hnoVaNDBA/s1600/tukiutaanime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YWCQoRSMkic00EWF65hFEpFcRzSu-sh5fcfFVdEjjF5m1Lpg2_3UyHvfOhLlt4ZHuZT2gusFJ7u5SVkpdxzsxpG-hwW-nYQLOhWjNk2Br1P_vl80jFAB1OAkRvAgNHeXn8hnoVaNDBA/s320/tukiutaanime.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The designs are nice, if perhaps a little ovely conventional</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
--<br />
<br />
Then there are the usual sequels and spin-offs for shows I don't follow:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/active-raid">Active Raid Second: Kidou Kyoushuushitsu Daihakkei</a><br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/dgray-man/">D.Gray-man HALLOW</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/fatekaleid-liner-prisma-illya">Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 3rei!!</a><br />
<a href="https://www.funimationnow.uk/shows/show-by-rock/">Show By Rock!! Short!!</a><br />
<br />
The long-delayed sequel to <i>D.Gray-man </i>would have made my list if I was up to date on the original series. Unfortunately years of neglect from localisation companies has meant that I'm way behind with no way to realistically catch up before the season is over.<br />
<br />
And here are the legal English-subtitled streams that people in the UK have no access to because we're not as important as people who happen to live in America:<br />
<br />
<b>Region locked English simulcast titles</b><b> (unavailable here)</b><br />
<br />
<i>B-Project: Kodou * Ambitious</i><br />
<br />
I was heartbroken about <i>Arslan</i> at first but thankfully it finally popped up on Funimation's site, so it's only <i>B-Project</i> we're locked out from completely. It could have been a lot worse!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01IE9A92W/">Battery</a>, this season's Amazon Prime exclusive, also gets a mention here. It's technically available even though I'm still not interested in subscribing to Amazon Prime to watch one random show per season, but when I logged in through my work account the subtitles wouldn't work in any browser I tried and I was too frustrated to keep fiddling with it. So I'm skipping the show for reasons beyond my control.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFTFAWatkkH-atFFcJiq-6HOAvypU7Rwq-DOB4yV3rCe2bGXqnXoxoXdmwsFEM8F0KFiZaZ6a1HZjcJ8WbsdOlxYlgWSmNEk35HCnyC7cyQq4FeKWr0QpGmh-jlxghFrmsrfnvSItcA0/s1600/orange2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFTFAWatkkH-atFFcJiq-6HOAvypU7Rwq-DOB4yV3rCe2bGXqnXoxoXdmwsFEM8F0KFiZaZ6a1HZjcJ8WbsdOlxYlgWSmNEk35HCnyC7cyQq4FeKWr0QpGmh-jlxghFrmsrfnvSItcA0/s320/orange2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Here are my guesses for the most enjoyable spring shows:<br />
<br />
<i>1. Danganronpa 3</i><br />
<i>2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</i><br />
<i>3. Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu Love! Love!</i><br />
<br />
A massive bias towards the <i>Danganronpa</i> series is skewing the rankings here but I'm loving the new double-dose of weekly despair and it will take a lot for it to drop down in the list. <i>JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</i> has gone from strength to strength and Rohan is even more amazing to watch than Okuyasu. Third place will be a tight battle; <i>Shokugeki No Soma</i> and <i>Arslan Senki </i>could easily pull ahead and topple <i>Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu</i> once they've all had a few more weeks to settle into their stories.<br />
<br />
My schedule currently looks like this:<br />
<br />
<b>Monday: </b><i>Amaama To Inazuma, Danganronpa 3</i><br />
<b>Tuesday:</b><i> </i><i>Cheer Boys!!, Fudanshi Koukou Seikatsu, Servamp</i><br />
<i> </i><b>Wednesday: </b><i>OZMAFIA!!</i><br />
<b>Thursday: </b><i>Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu Love! Love!, Danganronpa 3</i><i><br /></i><b>Friday:</b><i> 91 Days, Berserk, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure</i><i>, Thunderbolt Fantasy</i><br />
<i> </i><b>Saturday:</b><i> Gyakuten Saiban, Love Live!, Shokugeki No Soma</i><br />
<b>Sunday: </b><i>Arslan Senki, Orange</i>Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-4258590683390191982016-07-22T02:34:00.000+01:002016-07-22T14:23:42.190+01:00News roundup: The third official Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den broadcast was todayI was at work when the special hour-long <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den </i>broadcast aired earlier today, so I checked out the timeshifted version in the evening.<br />
<br />
Host Saaya started the broadcast off by introducing series producer Kobayashi Hiroyuki (KobaP) and series director Yamamoto Makoto (YamamotoD). It's been a really long time since YamamotoD appeared to help promote the series! I've missed him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ESE-uLpVJCxolLEuPKJy-cw9Q0tjJsHIP7geqo5sSJiehfAZxkeqW7gRYhej80i6bPxMAqia5U8Ypklwcc111908jm4skOF51mWrRcSQO9WpSO_V3mj6xxDWV9N6WWRjaYPQUclotEA/s1600/yukimuradenbroadcast30.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ESE-uLpVJCxolLEuPKJy-cw9Q0tjJsHIP7geqo5sSJiehfAZxkeqW7gRYhej80i6bPxMAqia5U8Ypklwcc111908jm4skOF51mWrRcSQO9WpSO_V3mj6xxDWV9N6WWRjaYPQUclotEA/s320/yukimuradenbroadcast30.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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After the staff introductions, seiyuu Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura) was welcomed into the studio. KobaP kicked things off by wishing the <i>Sengoku Basara</i> series a happy anniversary; the broadcast fell on the eleventh anniversary of the first game's release. Don't miss the tribute illustrations from <i>Sengoku Basara</i> mangaka <a href="https://twitter.com/ykmryu/status/756070383007084544">Itou Ryuu</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/YoshiharaMotoki/status/755811515383500801">Yoshihara Motoki</a>.<br />
<br />
The first topic of conversation was the brand new <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOnw6TEToO0&feature=youtu.be">promotional video</a> which had been released for <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> a few hours earlier.<br />
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<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uOnw6TEToO0?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
The video confirmed a bunch of small details about the game which I've added to my guide, but it also confirmed that there are two sets of Six Coin Challenges in each chapter heads: (red) and tails (gold). Here are the challenges from Chapter 5.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Six Coin Challenges (Red):</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Reach SUPER FEVER status (??? Monsen Coins)</li>
<li>Defeat 25 mounted soldiers (??? Monsen Coins)</li>
<li>Defeat Hideyoshi before you defeat Mitsunari (??? Monsen Coins)</li>
<li>Defeat Matabee with a Basara technique (??? Monsen Coins)</li>
<li>Defeat 20 enemies while in Bushin Telepathy mode (??? Monsen Coins)</li>
<li>Clear Chapter 5 (??? Monsen Coins)</li>
</ol>
<b>Six Coin Challenges (Gold):</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Raise your Bushin Level to six (??? Monsen Coins)</li>
<li>Reach SUPER FEVER status three times (??? Monsen Coins)</li>
<li>Defeat 20 enemies while in Bushin Telepathy mode (??? Monsen Coins)</li>
<li>Successfully parry bosses seven times (??? Monsen Coins)</li>
<li>Defeat Hideyoshi with a parry (??? Monsen Coins)</li>
<li>Defeat Mitsunari without taking damage (??? Monsen Coins)</li>
</ol>
Furthermore, Personal Styles are teased for each character (including the non-story characters) and it looks as though the new versions of Yukimura and Masamune have separate Personal Styles to the old versions.<br />
<br />
(Raindrops' note: While OneSanitarium <a href="http://s13.zetaboards.com/koeiwarriors/single/?p=10343326&t=7479690">crushed</a> my hopeful speculation about the other character costumes being available in modes<b> such as</b> survival mode by pointing out that they could just mean the hidden backstory stages, I choose to remain optimistic as the wording! Furthermore, the scene with Keiji attacking Hideyoshi and Mitsunari around 2:35 in the new video looks <i>a lot</i> like part of Masamune's story from Chapter 5 - and it's definitely not part of the Sanada Trials because the interface is wrong. Some kind of Free Mode? Don't let me down, Capcom!)<br />
<br />
KobaP then rapidly summarised the <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/07/the-latest-sengoku-basara-sanada.html">latest updates</a> from <i>Weekly Famitsu</i>.<br />
<br />
In any case, they didn't waste any more time before launching straight into the first gameplay demonstration. YamamotoD took control of Masayuki and Nobuyuki on The First Ueda Conflict: Tokugawa Invasion stage while KobaP explained what was going on. Hoshi chipped in with his own reactions periodically. The audio balance made it quite difficult to hear KobaP's commentary over the dialogue from the game, which is a shame as they were saying some interesting things in the background.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lbDsOFOcYFDBQpW1mC0AkA2tqmOeRC3qgvsJzLuldIrmdjPBLK5xVkIR6ttnd58uIsIIzsiGSasyQ_Hf_r6zAvKPxcYOKRwkew4hAw5B6zSnLdCbNG72fQa_M6C03NVHPIo17W86t0w/s1600/yukimuradenbroadcast309.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lbDsOFOcYFDBQpW1mC0AkA2tqmOeRC3qgvsJzLuldIrmdjPBLK5xVkIR6ttnd58uIsIIzsiGSasyQ_Hf_r6zAvKPxcYOKRwkew4hAw5B6zSnLdCbNG72fQa_M6C03NVHPIo17W86t0w/s320/yukimuradenbroadcast309.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The pop-up screen explains that the main objective is to defend the bridge system. There are four large contraptions which look like rollers, and enemy occupation chiefs will rush them. The vertical bar in the centre of the mini map represents the bridge system's current durability; if it runs out the bridges will fall and grant the invaders access to Ueda Castle.
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The chapter started off with a powerful cutscene with an aerial Ieyasu challenging the Sanada clan from a position high in the sky atop Tadakatsu. Masayuki and Nobuyuki defended for a while, then the action abruptly shifted to the other 'minigame' where Yukimura has to race towards the castle on horseback.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDut-JSPLnmAr5RNZqHjDCDb79Ombq-8OJR5T5G7y_7lyl-Enihu3Y1ngEaGTv8RMRqL12pS6k_Mi5Mc22uQUm5IcFOA9x_Rq0gR2Gjj7Md9ThL4NpwNYDVymm6TfNfKtKbg821718TB0/s1600/yukimuradenbroadcast311.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDut-JSPLnmAr5RNZqHjDCDb79Ombq-8OJR5T5G7y_7lyl-Enihu3Y1ngEaGTv8RMRqL12pS6k_Mi5Mc22uQUm5IcFOA9x_Rq0gR2Gjj7Md9ThL4NpwNYDVymm6TfNfKtKbg821718TB0/s320/yukimuradenbroadcast311.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm guessing this is the same way that Sasuke's stage will fit into the The Second Ueda Conflict: The Path To Sekigahara chapter later on; it will cut to show what Sasuke is up to then switch back to the main conflict. I'm going to have to figure out a good way to summarise the objectives in my guide.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTH_TzSLzkc3DxZuUT3dbrgLjQrX1RDISgkOC5l4gndOCH6mbMIUExnNjkrAzMz85ljuSD5CJ66bFroHmJgkSi2P9c7iQGxANK0CTCgkyX2N3mUdcMpvQ8RgIn5ckvJC-ML9KVUZdtR8/s1600/yukimuradenbroadcast310.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTH_TzSLzkc3DxZuUT3dbrgLjQrX1RDISgkOC5l4gndOCH6mbMIUExnNjkrAzMz85ljuSD5CJ66bFroHmJgkSi2P9c7iQGxANK0CTCgkyX2N3mUdcMpvQ8RgIn5ckvJC-ML9KVUZdtR8/s320/yukimuradenbroadcast310.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The controls are simple with X serving as the Jump button. You can see the little 'speed MAX' symbol in the middle of the screenshot (sorry about the quality). This appears when you gather the 'acceleration carrots'. I don't think the controls will present anyone with any problems even with a language barrier.<br />
<br />
Once Yukimura reached his goal, the action switched back to the team of defenders at the castle. YamamotoD put both of the new characters through their paces well and made them look fun, especially Masayuki (who hadn't shown us so much of his gameplay to date).<br />
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As usual, they ended the demonstration before the end of the stage and went through some more background details about the game. There are apparently more than ten secret backstory chapters, and both their difficulty and mechanics vary depending on the stage in question. The next gameplay demonstration was Shibata Katsuie's hidden backstory. YamamotoD kindly lost immediately to allow me to translate the Game Over screen...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZ2kCbG4IkFnRy38iCLDkK_I8NPi6zfwevfeBp-iylOVHDcaVvj8BZ2oGx-J3phfgtGJlh7Hp-oNncdhvJ2PTFrj5G38QrUbkto4zsNZvOmXGV9ZA80QmnC6Kur2aErWnt_vVB4rOeEI/s1600/ykmrdenbsrgameoverscreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZ2kCbG4IkFnRy38iCLDkK_I8NPi6zfwevfeBp-iylOVHDcaVvj8BZ2oGx-J3phfgtGJlh7Hp-oNncdhvJ2PTFrj5G38QrUbkto4zsNZvOmXGV9ZA80QmnC6Kur2aErWnt_vVB4rOeEI/s320/ykmrdenbsrgameoverscreen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The reason he lost was that he had a strange combination of Bushin abilities equipped, presumably to make things more challenging and demonstrate some of the options the system offers. He did much better on the second attempt.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfg2qaqT1bDvYu7wT8WWP2syew4gttANG94Pb6j93qVuPb5xMGzF6zvh3nurScGtSSqLuLoZ_xNtWP_hw82QtIRxFek4ZChnW3hea9mIAX6HOeMuDNzuMzfuJnW1wWfCjaOHDokm-Z5Y/s1600/yukimuradenbroadcast313.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfg2qaqT1bDvYu7wT8WWP2syew4gttANG94Pb6j93qVuPb5xMGzF6zvh3nurScGtSSqLuLoZ_xNtWP_hw82QtIRxFek4ZChnW3hea9mIAX6HOeMuDNzuMzfuJnW1wWfCjaOHDokm-Z5Y/s320/yukimuradenbroadcast313.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was weird seeing Katsuie all fired up and full of life in this story. I'm much more used to the miserable version.<br />
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The next gameplay demonstration was Katakura Kojuurou in Sanada Trials mode. This gives me a good excuse for a gratuitous picture of Kojuurou.<br />
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They let Saaya pick some slightly later stages for once instead of running through the first few. A team of Kanbee and Matabee took YamamotoD down on the thirteenth stage. On his next attempt he got past the two 'bee's then lost to Yukimura a couple of stages later. The boss fights seem reasonably punishing and they will probably require players to master the Bushin system if they don't want a hard time.<br />
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Hoshi took over the controller after YamamotoD wiped out and chose Yukimura (of course) for a quick run through the very first trial. Hoshi is always great because he's not amazing at the game but clearly really enjoys playing it anyway (like me?)<br />
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Here's the current list of Sanada Trial stage objectives from the various demonstrations we've seen so far. More than 30% done! If only all guides were this easy to write.<br />
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<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #ccc; font-family: arial,sans,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; table-layout: fixed;"><colgroup><col width="25"></col><col width="75"></col><col width="236"></col><col width="254"></col><col width="53"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"#"}" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">#</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"JP"}" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">JP</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Opponent"}" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Opponent</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Objectives"}" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Objectives</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Reward"}" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Reward</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":1}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">1</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e00\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第一戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Masayuki"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Masayuki</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Successfully perform a 'desertion' dodge"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Successfully perform a 'desertion' dodge</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":2}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">2</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e8c\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第二戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Successfully perform a 300-hit combo"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Successfully perform a 300-hit combo</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":3}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">3</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e09\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第三戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Defeat 15 soldiers using a Basara move"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Defeat 15 soldiers using a Basara move</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":4}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">4</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u56db\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第四戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Win without taking damage"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Win without taking damage</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":5}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">5</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e94\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第五戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Successfully perform a 'desertion' dodge"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Successfully perform a 'desertion' dodge</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":6}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">6</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u516d\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第六戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers (cavalry)"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers (cavalry)</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Win without taking damage"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Win without taking damage</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":7}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">7</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e03\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第七戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Sakon"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Sakon</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Successfully perform a parry"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Successfully perform a parry</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":8}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">8</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u516b\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第八戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers (formations)"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers (formations)</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Defeat 15 soldiers using a Basara move"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Defeat 15 soldiers using a Basara move</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":9}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">9</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e5d\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第九戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Successfully perform a 300-hit combo"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Successfully perform a 300-hit combo</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":10}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">10</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u5341\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第十戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Mitsunari, Yoshitsugu"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Mitsunari, Yoshitsugu</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Defeat the boss using a Basara move"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Defeat the boss using a Basara move</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":11}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">11</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u5341\u4e00\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第十一戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Successfully perform a 300-hit combo"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Successfully perform a 300-hit combo</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":12}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">12</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u5341\u4e8c\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第十二戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Win without taking damage"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Win without taking damage</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":13}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">13</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u5341\u4e09\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第十三戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Kanbee, Matabee"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Kanbee, Matabee</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Successfully perform a parry"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Successfully perform a parry</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":14}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">14</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u5341\u56db\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第十四戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Successfully perform a 500-hit combo"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Successfully perform a 500-hit combo</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":15}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">15</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u5341\u4e94\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第十五戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Yukimura"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Yukimura</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Successfully perform a parry"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Successfully perform a parry</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":16}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">16</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u5341\u516d\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第十六戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Win without taking damage"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Win without taking damage</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":17}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">17</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u5341\u4e03\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第十七戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":18}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">18</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u5341\u516b\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第十八戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Defeat 15 soldiers using a Basara move"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Defeat 15 soldiers using a Basara move</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":19}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">19</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u5341\u4e5d\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第十九戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":20}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">20</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e8c\u5341\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第二十戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":21}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">21</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e8c\u5341\u4e00\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第二十一戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":22}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">22</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e8c\u5341\u4e8c\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第二十二戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Successfully perform a 500-hit combo"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Successfully perform a 500-hit combo</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":23}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">23</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e8c\u5341\u4e09\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第二十三戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":24}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">24</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e8c\u5341\u56db\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第二十四戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":25}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">25</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e8c\u5341\u4e94\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第二十五戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":26}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">26</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e8c\u5341\u516d\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第二十六戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":27}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">27</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e8c\u5341\u4e03\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第二十七戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":28}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">28</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e8c\u5341\u516b\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第二十八戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":29}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">29</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e8c\u5341\u4e5d\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第二十九戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":30}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">30</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e09\u5341\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第三十戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":31}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">31</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e09\u5341\u4e00\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第三十一戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":32}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">32</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e09\u5341\u4e8c\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第三十二戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":33}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">33</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e09\u5341\u4e09\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第三十三戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":34}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">34</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e09\u5341\u56db\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第三十四戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":35}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">35</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e09\u5341\u4e94\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第三十五戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":36}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">36</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e09\u5341\u516d\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第三十六戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":37}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">37</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e09\u5341\u4e03\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第三十七戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":38}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">38</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e09\u5341\u516b\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第三十八戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":39}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">39</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e09\u5341\u4e5d\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第三十九戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":40}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">40</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u56db\u5341\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第四十戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":41}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">41</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u56db\u5341\u4e00\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第四十一戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Soldiers"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Soldiers</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Successfully perform a parry"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Successfully perform a parry</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":42}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">42</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u56db\u5341\u4e8c\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第四十二戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":43}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">43</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u56db\u5341\u4e09\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第四十三戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":44}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">44</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u56db\u5341\u56db\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第四十四戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":45}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">45</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u56db\u5341\u4e94\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第四十五戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":46}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">46</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u56db\u5341\u516d\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第四十六戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":47}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">47</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u56db\u5341\u4e03\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第四十七戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":48}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">48</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u56db\u5341\u516b\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第四十八戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":49}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">49</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u56db\u5341\u4e5d\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第四十九戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Akatsukimaru (Rising Sun) - 2 versions"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Akatsukimaru (Rising Sun) - 2 versions</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Win without taking damage"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Win without taking damage</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":50}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">50</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e94\u5341\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第五十戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":51}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">51</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e94\u5341\u4e00\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第五十一戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":52}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">52</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e94\u5341\u4e8c\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第五十二戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Benmaru, Bontenmaru"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Benmaru, Bontenmaru</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Win without taking damage"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Win without taking damage</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":53}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">53</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e94\u5341\u4e09\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第五十三戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":54}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">54</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e94\u5341\u56db\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第五十四戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":55}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">55</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e94\u5341\u4e94\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第五十五戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":56}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">56</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e94\u5341\u516d\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第五十六戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":57}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">57</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e94\u5341\u4e03\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第五十七戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":58}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">58</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e94\u5341\u516b\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第五十八戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":59}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">59</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u4e94\u5341\u4e5d\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第五十九戦</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Takeda Shingen"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Takeda Shingen</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Win without taking damage"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Win without taking damage</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":60}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">60</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"\u7b2c\u516d\u5341\u6226"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">第六十戦</td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"-"}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">-</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Bonus"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Bonus</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Daruma dolls"}" style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Daruma dolls</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Earn bonuses by defeating coloured dolls"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Earn bonuses by defeating coloured dolls</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"-"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">-</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;"><td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"></td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"???"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">???</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Masayuki, Nobuyuki, Yukimura"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Masayuki, Nobuyuki, Yukimura</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Successfully perform a 'desertion' dodge"}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Successfully perform a 'desertion' dodge</td><td data-sheets-value="{"1":3,"3":300}" style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;">300</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It was then time to run through a bunch of general <i>Sengoku Basara</i> news announcements, most of which I'd already covered in previous posts on this blog.<br />
<br />
The special Capcom TV LINE keywords are now being collected over at the official website <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/topics/capcomtv.html">here</a>, so you can catch up on any smartphone wallpapers you missed that way. A new LINE picture was released for the broadcast, too; Itou Ryuu has drawn a very summery illustration of Chousokabe Motochika and Mouri Motonari.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzEskv9OTL3jNiW8_0utMW_E2UVKizmuCMAggZd4Cafb3e7JtiJ6OWNZjpKhFhlXX_iVXQLOh1d_nuNYzP7wMGzo916D2fvXHXPnUNeJu-BMfuLGTuiVW_1sw-yqiETay7ITNDR0DCo0/s1600/motomotolineitouryuu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzEskv9OTL3jNiW8_0utMW_E2UVKizmuCMAggZd4Cafb3e7JtiJ6OWNZjpKhFhlXX_iVXQLOh1d_nuNYzP7wMGzo916D2fvXHXPnUNeJu-BMfuLGTuiVW_1sw-yqiETay7ITNDR0DCo0/s320/motomotolineitouryuu.png" width="178" /></a></div>
<br />
After this weekend's in-store preview event in the Sofmap store in central Sendai, there's going to be another on Saturday 30th July 2016 at a GEO store in Nagoya.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjdiiPvTyJY457mhykCKwEFXHMeHZRpyfV-2MUeqMy8A3PtFZYPmsto1rE81L16eTNlJhfPKLQ4PDMIevkLkuYGp_5GsN1OxTpGQ-U7N2ilfVjayTHA8Ad126ex38X8nuch2LaYMJEQE/s1600/yukimuradenbroadcast317.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjdiiPvTyJY457mhykCKwEFXHMeHZRpyfV-2MUeqMy8A3PtFZYPmsto1rE81L16eTNlJhfPKLQ4PDMIevkLkuYGp_5GsN1OxTpGQ-U7N2ilfVjayTHA8Ad126ex38X8nuch2LaYMJEQE/s320/yukimuradenbroadcast317.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den Official Complete Guide: Ultimate Tome Of Secrets</i> will be released on 25th August 2016 via Futabasha. It will contain all of the usual spoilers and gameplay information for those who want to blow the game's secrets wide open right after it's released, along with the game's script, CG artwork and design illustrations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXjYLOq3umT6p0MWiKgem9_ivoyTSRR1dsi7_LSzltJCfUL68HIk4ReKIfyhMdq5sTrJxiuJ6CWBSofX-Qe840y82aRikSoxVNWqA2exay0Xf-TdDePKIp3bENuKF_ZDQIQaEpBUx7To/s1600/yukimuradenbroadcast318.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXjYLOq3umT6p0MWiKgem9_ivoyTSRR1dsi7_LSzltJCfUL68HIk4ReKIfyhMdq5sTrJxiuJ6CWBSofX-Qe840y82aRikSoxVNWqA2exay0Xf-TdDePKIp3bENuKF_ZDQIQaEpBUx7To/s320/yukimuradenbroadcast318.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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There was a <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/04/news-roundup-new-gameplay-video-plus.html">reminder</a> about the special free talk show with KobaP and Hoshi at the Sanada Juuyuushi Garden Place on 30th July 2016.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1fq81ifOUPJdYWlzhC-eLc5JPqE702nRo3LP6_fWcmUmO3Weovxk6qjcs1kNC97_mMXHyh8rTz61MBMfxfaugFyCG99XRRLIgDAl3n_5mm7QrMURE6ltjv75cspIjPOhhqbI5D98GY8/s1600/yukimuradenbroadcast319.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1fq81ifOUPJdYWlzhC-eLc5JPqE702nRo3LP6_fWcmUmO3Weovxk6qjcs1kNC97_mMXHyh8rTz61MBMfxfaugFyCG99XRRLIgDAl3n_5mm7QrMURE6ltjv75cspIjPOhhqbI5D98GY8/s320/yukimuradenbroadcast319.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The final segment was an interactive quiz for the viewers with prizes on the line. The questions were super-easy and referred back to gameplay terms which had already been mentioned during the show. I wish I could have participated; it's the main drawback of watching on a time delay!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKVl2U2gSGD3bwVrDROK9ucnAD1y0ICfHxu_4Udjhh5_Zcd4WznqYIB9NQe67ExXwJDUHY5NTrf_oy7rXAmE_APUdzogH64lLzH2KPETHYZDuWlZ0qBYIQll8MASA7Ajls1tH_P6SQYo/s1600/yukimuradenbroadcast320.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKVl2U2gSGD3bwVrDROK9ucnAD1y0ICfHxu_4Udjhh5_Zcd4WznqYIB9NQe67ExXwJDUHY5NTrf_oy7rXAmE_APUdzogH64lLzH2KPETHYZDuWlZ0qBYIQll8MASA7Ajls1tH_P6SQYo/s320/yukimuradenbroadcast320.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And that was all! I am adding the new gameplay information to my <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/06/yukimuraden.html">reference materials</a> post as usual.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-73220318988886987622016-07-20T17:26:00.001+01:002016-07-21T14:03:45.750+01:00The latest Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den news from Weekly Famitsu magazineThe 4th August 2016 issue of <i>Weekly Famitsu</i> is now out in Japan, and here's a summary of the latest <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> information from within its pages.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Story Mode</u></b><br />
<br />
The article opened up with a summary of the next few chapters of story mode.<br />
<br />
<b>Chapter 6 - The Second Ueda Conflict: The Path To Sekigahara</b><br />
<b>Characters: </b>Yukimura, Masayuki<br />
<b>Objectives: </b>Control both Yukimura and Masayuki, and defend the Sanada water well!<br />
<b>Description: </b>After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the confrontation between Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu divides the whole country in two for the Battle of Sekigahara. While Yukimura and his father Masayuki support the Western Army led by Mitsunari, Nobuyuki stands in their way as a warrior of Ieyasu's Eastern Army. As both sides press on, they ask themselves about the true 'Path of the Sanada'.<br />
<br />
Notes on the page explain that you have to use both characters strategically. For the benefit of those who don't already know, the Sanada well is a famous landmark in Ueda Castle which is said to have a secret passage hidden within it.<br />
<br /><b>Characters: </b>Sarutobi Sasuke<br />
<b>Objectives: </b>Take control of Sasuke and intercept the Tokugawa Army!<br />
<b>Description: </b>Right in the middle of battle with Ieyasu's troops, Kuroda Kanbee loses his way on the battlefield...<br />
<br />
There's some kind of shooting game mechanic where Sasuke has to fire shuriken and exploding kunai at the invaders to defend the well.<br />
<br />
<b>Chapter 7 - Kudoyama Imprisonment</b><br />
<b>Characters: </b>Yukimura<br />
<b>Objectives: </b>???<br />
<b>Description: </b>At Kudoyama, Yukimura and Masayuki clash in a life and death battle. But why would Yukimura be confronting his revered father? Furthermore, there's even a scene where the Sanada Clan's dead former lord Takeda Shingen exchanges blows with Yukimura. What's the true nature of this 'Shingen'? The circumstances behind the usual <i>Sengoku Basara</i> punching match are cause for concern.<br />
<br />
There isn't much information about this chapter, sorry! I expect the gaming press will fill in the gaps over the next few days.
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<br />
<b><u>Moveset Information</u></b><br />
<br />
Yukimura's moveset gets stronger as he grows up and progresses through the story. We've seen his special move 風林火山 ('Fuurinkazan') in screenshots - I've been calling it his R2 move because that seems likely - and for the first time it's actually referenced in this article, which says it's one of several of these special moves in the game. When Yukimura uses Fuurinkazan he performs a flurry of chained attacks then finishes up with a Shingen-style uppercut.<br />
<br />
The information is placed right next to the screenshot of Shingen on the page, so it's possible Yukimura learns the move at a set point in the story. However, he's also shown as already having it equipped in the Chapter 6 screenshots. Perhaps it's entirely based on character level as usual.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Six Coin Challenges</u></b><br />
<br />
We've seen these popping up in screenshots quite a few times now and they're finally explained in this article. Each stage in the main story mode contains six special optional objectives called Six Coin Challenges, and completing them awards the Monsen Coins you need to power up your characters<i>.</i> Completing all of the challenges also unlocks the ultimate difficulty level.<br />
<br />
A screenshot shows the six challenges in Chapter 3 of the story (I'm guessing this screen appears at the end of a stage):<br />
<br />
Reach FEVER status (900 Monsen Coins)<br />
Defeat Fuuma Kotarou with a Basara technique (900 Monsen Coins)<br />
Defeat five fake Eiraku Tsuuhou (??? Monsen Coins)<br />
Defeat Eiraku Tsuuhou in Bushin Denshin (Telepathy) mode (??? Monsen Coins)<br />
Collect 1,000 Monsen Coins (??? Monsen Coins)<br />
Clear Chapter 3 (900 Monsen Coins)<br />
<br />
In context the Eiraku Tsuuhou refers to the flags you're supposed to capture in this stage since they have coins on them. I'll start recording the challenges in my <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/06/yukimuraden.html">reference materials</a> post later tonight.<br />
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<b><u>Rainbow Chance</u></b><br />
<br />
There are special enemy NPCs with large rainbow-coloured fans on their back called the 'Seven Rainbows'. If you attack them, a 'Rainbow Chance' challenge will pop up with a special objective such as getting a certain combo, defeating enemies, dodging attacks or performing parries. If you manage to complete the challenge within the time limit you'll be rewarded with a substantial number of Monsen Coins. It's well worth looking out for the Seven Rainbows when you're trying to gather coins.<br />
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<b><u>Difficulty Levels</u></b><br />
<br />
The standard difficulty levels you can select are Standard and Hard. However, once you have completed all of the Six Coin Challenges on all of the chapters, you unlock a brand new ultimate difficulty level: Sanzu River. When you select this, enemy attack power increases and their attacks drain your Bushin level - which in turn lowers your combat power.<br />
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<b><u>Save Data Import</u></b><br />
<br />
If you import your <i>Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi</i> save data when you start the game, you'll receive a reward as usual. This time, the reward is pretty simple; simply having a <i>Sumeragi</i> save file will give you a flat bonus of 5,000 Monsen Coins when you start <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> for the first time.<br />
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<b><u>Collaboration Costumes</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
This is sneaky as they promised several collaboration costumes but the article only actually 'reveals' the NJPW Gotou Hirooki Ver outfit for Masamune which was shown <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/07/news-roundup-catching-up-on-sanada.html">earlier in the week</a>. As previously explained, that new costume is going to be paid DLC for <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i>.<br />
<br />
The rest of the section about costumes explains that a bunch of the DLC costumes from <i>Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi</i> will be returning for the new game and they'll be included right from the start. The list includes all of the <i>Biohazard (Resident Evil), Street Fighter IV, Devil May Cry</i> and <i>Monster Hunter</i> costumes, Muneshige's Jumbo Xavi-kun outfit and the seven preorder costumes from <i>Sengoku Basara 4.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
It was also explained that the costumes will be available in modes <b>such as</b> survival mode (Sanada Trials). Unless they only mean that Yukimura and Masamune can wear their costumes in story mode, this implies to me that there will be additional modes where the old characters can be used too - probably even better news than everything else in the entire article!Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-72075516120810298592016-07-20T14:45:00.001+01:002016-07-20T14:46:03.296+01:00News roundup: Capcom TV features Sanada Trials mode, and we'll have a batch of news later todayThere's going to be a batch of <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den </i>information in tomorrow's <i>Weekly Famitsu</i> as well so I'll be updating a little later with a translation of that. The <a href="http://www.famitsu.com/news/201607/19111031.html">preview</a> promises that it will include details about the story from Chapter 6 onwards (Sasuke will appear), new gameplay elements will be explained (the 'Six Circle Challenge' and 'Rainbow Bonus' mechanics, plus details of the new highest 'Sanzu River' difficulty level) and there will also be a few tie-in costumes to reveal.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Today's Capcom TV featured some live demonstrations of the Sanada Trials mode</b></u><br />
<br />
Episode 47 of <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/cptv/">Capcom TV</a> aired today and it included the coverage of Sanada Trials mode as expected. Like before, they filled the entire show with content about other games so it was a long time before the <i>Sengoku Basara</i> content appeared.<br />
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It would seem that NonakaP is busy promoting the game elsewhere in Asia at the moment, so Ashigaru-kun appeared instead and joined the Capcom TV presenters.<br />
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<br />
I had my reservations about how well 'Ashigaru-kun' was going to be able to play when the mysterious shadowy figure controlling him was handed the controller.<br />
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In any case, the demonstration started out with a powered-up Yukimura in his 'Phoenix' outfit, which looked pretty great in action. They ran through the first few stages we've already seen, giving everyone an introduction to the Sanada Trials 'survival' mode.<br />
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It was then time to make things more interesting and they switched to Fuuma Kotarou so the various hosts could try out some challenges. They only got up to the sixth stage before dropping out so it was all content we'd seen before, then they repeated with Ashigaru-kun controlling Sanada Nobuyuki. He did a lot better.<br />
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Here's the results screen in Sanada Trials mode. It's laid out very similarly to the story mode results screen I translated the other day. The only difference is that the Six Circle Challenges (these don't exist in Sanada Trials mode) have been replaced with bonuses for optional objectives completed on each stage, and a bonus for the total number of consecutive trials you beat in that run.<br />
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This week's special keyword for LINE is 2周年 and it unlocks a wallpaper of Masamune with Kojuurou.<br />
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I'm expecting that tomorrow's dedicated <i>Sengoku Basara</i> broadcast will be a lot better. I'll be at work so I'll post a catch-up in the evening once I've had a chance to watch the timeshifted version.<br />
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As a bonus (and because it doesn't really need its own news article), the official <i>Sengoku Basara</i> Twitter account posted a behind-the-scenes <a href="https://twitter.com/BASARA_CAPCOM/status/755537818391162880">design sketch</a> earlier showing the concepts for his new Hinokaku costume from the game. They were trying to convey the image of a young Yukimura growing up.<br />
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The official Twitter and LINE accounts have been quite active recently; it's good to see the information flowing!<br />
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<u><b><i>Zangeki Sengoku Basara: The Battle Of Sekigahara</i> is announced</b></u><br />
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<i>Zangeki Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi: Honnouji No Hen </i>finished its run at the start of this week and the next play in the series was immediately revealed. The new stage play will run in Tokyo (Tennouzu's The Galaxy Theatre) and Osaka (Umeda Arts Theater: Theater DramaCity) in February 2017, and tickets will cost ¥7,900 each. Further details and cast information will be announced in August.<br />
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The announcement was accompanied by a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUAg4LUBlLM">video</a> featuring scenes from the latest play.<br />
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The stage play series has already covered Sekigahara from a number of angles but this is the first time that it will receive the more action-packed 'Zangeki' treatment. The actors for Masamune, Mitsunari and Ieyasu have all graduated, so this might offer an interesting new spin on the familiar story. Furthermore, it seems likely that Kingo will return but will he get a new Tenkai? If so, Tenkai will need to be recast as Taniguchi Masashi graduated along with Date Masamune's Shiono Akihisa at the end of <i>Zangeki Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi: Honnouji No Hen</i>.<br />
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Yorikojun is being credited with composition and production again, with the games’ scenario writer Matsuno Izuru assisting with the story. <i>Sengoku Basara</i> creators KobaP and YamamotoD are credited with planning and supervision as usual.<br />
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<u><b>A CD release is confirmed for the most recent <i>Sengoku Basara</i> radio show</b></u><br />
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Those of us locked out by the region restriction on the <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2015/12/news-roundup-catching-up-on-various.html">web radio</a> broadcast of <i>Sengoku Basara -Nekketsu! Yose Raji!- ('Sengoku Basara: Hot-blooded! Variety Theatre Radio!') </i>can rejoice as <a href="https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01IPYD9DC">listings</a> (<a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/FFCT-79">CD Japan</a>) have started appearing for a ¥2,500 <i>DJCD: Sengoku Basara -Nekketsu! Yose Raji- </i>disc release from <a href="http://www.fwinc.co.jp/basara_CD/djcd/">Frontier Works</a>. The release date will be 24th August 2016 to coincide with the new game. Seiyuu Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura) hosts the show, and the featured guests will be Nakai Kazuya (Date Masamune) and Morikawa Toshiyuki (Katakura Kojuurou). Unfortunately, the episodes which were broadcast online don't seem to be receiving a CD release at this time.<br />
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Customers who reserve the CD at <a href="http://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/pn/%E3%80%90DJCD%E3%80%91%E6%88%A6%E5%9B%BDBASARA-%E7%86%B1%E8%A1%80%21%E5%AF%84%E5%B8%AD%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B8%21-/pd/1411029/">Animate</a> will be able to enter a draw to buy ¥3,800 tickets to one of two special events at Tokyo's Yamano Hall on 14th August 2016. Hoshi Souichirou will be accompanied by Seki Tomokazu (Ishida Mitsunari) and Okiayu Ryoutarou (Toyotomi Hideyoshi) for the afternoon event, and by Nakahara Shigeru (Mouri Motonari) and Ishino Ryuuzou (Chousokabe Motochika) in the evening.<br />
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The special events will even have their own exclusive merchandise: three acrylic key holders for ¥700 each, and a set of badges for ¥1,500.<br />
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<b><u>The movie <i>Sanada Juuyuushi </i>will be promoted alongside the new <i>Sengoku Basara</i> game</u></b><br />
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It's been <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/?p=35189">announced</a> that there will be a promotional tie-in between <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> and the upcoming <a href="http://sanada10braves.jp/">movie</a> <i>Sanada Juuyuushi ('Sanada Ten Braves')</i>, Tsutsumi Yukihiko's retelling of the story of the ninja team which supposedly worked for Yukimura as the Sanada Ten Braves. The movie isn't out until September so there will be a Twitter campaign over the summer and a collaboration with the huge Pasela Resorts entertainment chain offering themed food and drink. More details will be confirmed at a later date.<br />
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<u><b>Activities are planned in Japanese amusement arcades to celebrate the game's release</b></u><br />
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We've had replicas of swords based on those wielded by Masamune and Mitsunari, and now it's Yukimura's turn to have his distinctive spears show up as a prize in game centres across Japan. The replica 'Sanada Yukimura Juumonji Spears' will start <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/?p=35315">appearing</a> in participating amusement arcades from mid-August 2016. They're based on Yukimura's main weapon <i>Shura ('Scarlet Carnage')</i> and they're approximately 140cm long!<br />
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In addition, Capcom has <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/?p=35329">announced</a> that fourteen winners will be selected from a photo contest which asks participants to find a <i>Sengoku Basara</i> standee panel in one of seven locations, follow the <a href="https://twitter.com/capcom_amuse">Capcom Amusement</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/chara_cap">Chara Cap Official</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/capcom_cafe">Capcom Cafe</a> accounts on Twitter, then Tweet a picture using the #幸村伝等身大パネル hashtag. The contest runs between 22nd July and 28th August 2016, and participants will be notified by DM if they've won one of the 'Sanada Yukimura Juumonji Spear' prizes.<br />
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A second competition is offering scratchcards for customers who visit one of 33 participating arcades across Japan. Spending more than ¥1,000 on tokens earns two scratchcards, while spending ¥500 on prize machines earns one. The scratchcards award prizes such as Twispa drink carbonation machines and <i>umaibou</i> snacks.<br />
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<u><b>Yet another in-store preview event is announced, this time in Sendai</b></u><br />
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Fans in the Touhoku region aren't being left out in the recent batches of demonstration events as KobaP will be giving a <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/tentou16summertest">presentation</a> right in the heart of Sendai this coming Saturday (23rd July 2016). Attendees will have the chance to try the game out, and those who preorder while they're in the store will qualify for a special promotional poster.<br />
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Fans who try <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> will be given some stickers to commemorate the occasion; the rewards are different for those who choose to try <i>Monster Hunter Stories</i> or <i>BIOHAZARD 7 resident evil</i> instead (hey, I have that notepad and pen set...)<br />
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The game's opening movie will be played in Japanese game stores from early August, and fans who visit the preview event may get a sneak peek.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-53171609792485798402016-07-18T00:19:00.002+01:002016-07-18T00:21:38.526+01:00News roundup: Catching up on Sanada Yukimura-den news, wrestling, regional events and merchandise<u><b>Members of the press were invited to try out <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i></b></u><br />
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The special in-store demonstration/talk event in the Shibuya LABI branch of Yamada Denki took place yesterday but the media were given a sneak peak a week early, which means we already have <a href="http://dengekionline.com/elem/000/001/320/1320902/">some</a> <a href="http://www.famitsu.com/news/201607/15110739.html">official</a> <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20160713081/">reports</a> about the content Capcom were subsequently showing to customers at the event. Here's what I noticed from the summaries of KobaP's presentation at the press event.<br />
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<li>Between each chapter, Genda Tesshou (Takeda Shingen's voice actor) narrates the story. Even people who don't know much about Japanese history will find it easy to follow what's happening.</li>
<li>The dialogue between characters during each stage is new; the recordings haven't been recycled from previous games.</li>
<li>We already knew this but just to clarify, the new versions of Sanada Yukimura and Date Masamune are effectively completely new characters with new move sets, remade from the ground up. </li>
<li>The opening movie was shown; it was described vaguely as showing off the Sanada clan warriors and Masamune while T.M.Revolution's <i>Committed RED</i> played. The reporters teased that they weren't allowed to give too much away just yet and fans should keep an eye out for the opening for themselves at the Japanese demonstration events. </li>
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The demo gameplay all took place on the Tenmokuzan stage (chapter two) which we've seen before. This gave the attendees the opportunity to try Yukimura, Masayuki and Nobuyuki. The 4Gamer report included some helpful screenshots such as the result screen once you clear a chapter which I've gone ahead and translated:
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It's possible to view the main story dialogue through this log screen, so even if you get caught up in the combat you can still catch up on what the characters were saying later on. Unfortunately it doesn't look as though there's an option to replay the lines; a feature which is increasingly common in visual novels:<br />
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The graphics for the Sword Clash mechanic have been updated to match the rest of the interface changes:
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Finally, after the public event the official <i>Sengoku Basara</i> Twitter account posted a picture of one of Benmaru's special weapons from the game called 信州うさぎ <i>('Shinshuu Rabbit')</i>. Shinshuu is a part of Japan closely tied to the Sanada clan and famous for its delicious apples, and in Japan it's common to see slices of applies carved to resemble cute bunnies to make them appealing to children. Naturally, the spear is shaped like a carved apple slice with its handle a wooden toothpick. While there's no information about how the weapon is obtained, it seems likely that it's either a joke weapon or some kind of bonus item.<br />
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There's also an <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/bsr/?p=4673">Ashigaru-kun report</a> from the <i>Famitsu Presents Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den Summer Early Access Gathering</i> event a couple of weeks ago. No new information, but there are a few pictures which show the venue and given a good experience of the atmosphere.<br />
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<u><b>Masamune is the latest <i>Sengoku Basara</i> character to don a wrestling costume</b></u><br />
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A new section has appeared on the official <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> website to list the game's planned <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/dlc/">DLC</a>. The first (and so far, only) DLC reveal was <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/?p=35085">announced</a> this week, and it's the costume the <i>Sengoku Basara</i> team originally designed for wrestler Gotou Hirooki, the 'Daredevil Of Chaos'. Date Masamune will be wearing the 'NJPW Gotou Hirooki Ver.' outfit in <i>Yukimura-den</i> as an optional paid extra available through PSN.<br />
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The 'Thunder God' costume originally debuted in the real world <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2015/07/news-roundup-more-collaborations.html">a year ago</a> during the first New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) collaboration for <i>Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi, </i>and I was half expecting it to appear as paid DLC for that game back at the time. It's good to see it making it back to the game series since the costume looks pretty cool.<br />
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An official <i>Gotou Hirooki x Sengoku Basara</i> t-shirt is also available for ¥3,000 to celebrate the collaboration.<br />
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And of course, it wouldn't be a Capcom announcement without a little teasing. Gotou has a new crimson 'Red Thunder God' costume designed by the <i>Sengoku Basara</i> team - how long will it be before this one makes it into one of the games? And who will wear it?<br />
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<u><b>A roundup of the latest promotional videos for the new game</b></u><br />
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A new <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0AZ0FfcPek">video</a> was released last week showing Benmaru and Bontenmaru in action. It's officially known as the third gameplay clip for those keeping track, since the Sanada Trials clip has a different title.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a0AZ0FfcPek?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></center>
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In addition, fans who follow the <a href="http://twitter.com/basara_capcom">official Twitter account</a> and <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara_yukimuraden/topics/movietweet.html">share</a> the recent gameplay clips highlighting the leads' moves and Basara techniques using the #幸村伝アクション動画 hashtag before 25th July will be entered into a prize draw to win <i>Sengoku Basara</i> merchandise.<br />
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Next week offers two chances for live clips from the game, with <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/cptv/">Capcom TV</a> promising a feature about the game on Wednesday 20th July 2016 and the third hour-long official <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> broadcast <a href="http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv267405266">scheduled</a> for Thursday 21st July 2016. Both shows start at 20:00 Japan time on their respective dates.<br />
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Capcom TV is going to highlight the Sanada Trials gameplay demonstration it failed to deliver in the previous episode, while the guests for the Thursday broadcast will be Saaya (host), KobaP (series producer), Yamamoto Makoto (series director) and veteran seiyuu Hoshi Souichirou (Sanada Yukimura). It sounds as though it will be a great episode; we haven't heard from YamamotoD in ages so it will be good to see him standing in for NonakaP!<br />
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<u><b>Capcom promotes historical tourism, in the Wakayama region this time</b></u><br />
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Another regional <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/basara/info/event/2174">tie-in event</a> has been announced, this time in Wakayama to tie in with the flurry of interest in the real Sanada Yukimura this year. The <i>Sengoku Basara x Sengoku Wakayama Stamp Rally</i> will run from 1st August until 2nd October 2016 and offers visitors a few fun activities to keep them occupied.<br />
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First and foremost is the titular stamp rally, which instruct participants to collect (or print) a pamphlet first so that they can display their progress. They must then travel around various sites in Wakayama to mark their pamphlet with unique stamps which can be found nearby.<br />
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When you have collected enough stamps, you can bring your completed stamp sheet to Wakayama Marina City Porto Europe to exchange it for unique <i>Sengoku Basara</i> prizes. The first 1,000 visitors to find all five of the stamps will receive a set of two badges plus a set of three postcards. The first 5,000 participants to find between two and four of the five stamp locations will just receive the postcards.<br />
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To make things more fun, standees of Yukimura, Sasuke, Masayuki, Nobuyuki, Masamune, Kojuurou, Ieyasu, Tadakatsu and Magoichi will be placed in train stations and popular locations to invite visitors to take commemorative photographs and mark the occasion.<br />
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JR West is offering a special <i>Sengoku Basara Wakayama Free Pass</i> ticket for ¥2,400 (concession price ¥1,200) to give people two consecutive days to explore the region on the JR Wakayama and JR Kishigawa lines, and on Wakayama buses. This offer will run for the full duration of the event.<br />
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Yutaka Transport is also getting in on the act by having some of its taxicabs decorated with <i>Sengoku Basara</i> livery from 11th July 2016, to accompany the existing <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/04/news-roundup-new-gameplay-video-plus.html">Nankai Electric Railway tie-in</a> which is still running until the end of August. Sanada fans will be spoilt for choice!<br />
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More details will be posted on the official Wakayama tourism website <a href="http://www.wakayama-kanko.or.jp/sanadamaru/basara/">here</a>. After translating the page I realised it was also posted on the <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/news/html/e160713.html">Capcom Investor Relations page</a> in English already so there's more information there too.<br />
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<u><b>Participation information for Kofu City's summer stamp rally</b></u><br />
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Meanwhile, Kofu City's successful <i>Sengoku Basara</i>-themed stamp rally is <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20160711010/">returning</a> between 23rd July and 30th September 2016 and a few more details have been added to the event page. Participants have to scan the QR codes posted at 15 locations around Kofu City in order to collect digital stamps and wallpapers. Three stamps will earn you a <i>KOFU x Sengoku Basara</i> memo pad, eight will award a clear file and twelve stamps is enough to obtain the prize of a lunch tote bag.<br />
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The official brochure can be downloaded from the city's tourism website <a href="http://www.city.kofu.yamanashi.jp/welcome/event/stamprally.html">here</a>, or you can find a physical copy at various local government buildings. Visitors will also be able to use their collected stamps to earn special discounts at various local shops and restaurants.<br />
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<u><b>Capcom confirms another batch of <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> merchandise</b></u><br />
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Remember <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/06/news-roundup-some-mysterious-sengoku.html">this mysterious merchandise</a>? Sasuke fans can celebrate as the mysterious final design for the acrylic keychains has been confirmed to include him. Even though I was wrong with my guess from the silhouette in that previous post, it's good to see that he wasn't overlooked!<br />
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The same is true for the illustration boards; Sasuke has joined the character list.<br />
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These items are also joined by two new sets of merchandise. The <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> <a href="http://www.e-capcom.com/ec/srDispProductListProductLink/doProductLink/1/1/A10006088/10/10/srDispProductList/">Metal Strap Collection</a> costs ¥5,500 before tax and includes ten different strap designs. The Yukimura and Masamune straps have their 'Phoenix' and 'White Cross' costumes on the larger part with Benmaru and Bontenmaru on the small tags respectively. Everyone else has their clan crest on the smaller tag.<br />
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And a new batch of Capcom x B-Side Label stickers will be released on 29th September 2016. The <a href="http://www.e-capcom.com/ec/srDispProductDetailCsLink/doColorSizeLink/1/1/A10006070/27/10/srDispProductDetail/1">Phoenix</a>, <a href="http://www.e-capcom.com/ec/srDispProductDetailCsLink/doColorSizeLink/1/1/A10006070/28/10/srDispProductDetail/1">White Cross</a>, <a href="http://www.e-capcom.com/ec/srDispProductDetailCsLink/doColorSizeLink/1/1/A10006070/29/10/srDispProductDetail/1">Masayuki</a>, <a href="http://www.e-capcom.com/ec/srDispProductDetailCsLink/doColorSizeLink/1/1/A10006070/30/10/srDispProductDetail/1">Nobuyuki</a> and <a href="http://www.e-capcom.com/ec/srDispProductDetailCsLink/doColorSizeLink/1/1/A10006070/31/10/srDispProductDetail/1">Childhood</a> designs are ¥400 each before tax, or you can purchase a set of <a href="http://www.e-capcom.com/ec/srDispProductListProductLink/doProductLink/1/1/A10006070/11/10/srDispProductList/">all five</a> for ¥2,000.<br />
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<u><b>Namco post the details of more adorable <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> merchandise</b></u><br />
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Namco's <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den x Namco Event Shop 'Chara Pop Store'</i> in Chiba and Osaka's Abeno district (originally mentioned <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/06/news-roundup-surprise-character-reveal.html">back in June</a>) finally posted the <a href="http://www.namco.co.jp/chara_shop/basara_yukimuraden/">full details</a> of their exclusive merchandise after teasing pictures on Twitter for weeks. Regrettably, the images are quite small.<br />
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There are regional-exclusive mini pennants with different designs for the Tokyo and Osaka shops (¥800 each), wooden <i>uchiwa</i> fans (¥750 each), battle flag pen and stand sets (¥1,300 each), magnet and board sets (¥2,400 each), acrylic charms (¥450 each) and wooden charm straps (¥700 each)...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1rG7rES4VFDXeZ2vJiq2HIoBmyL8p5PNVK0wamL1vLn0ioLeuiBYS_gNaoZO1-6tNm0CFsu9buD3Ec7ppibqu10uiiVqzQKOn10DraJNOnz1a5avK1d4-6T-82HUZqWPiJm5OD3sA94/s1600/charapop0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1rG7rES4VFDXeZ2vJiq2HIoBmyL8p5PNVK0wamL1vLn0ioLeuiBYS_gNaoZO1-6tNm0CFsu9buD3Ec7ppibqu10uiiVqzQKOn10DraJNOnz1a5avK1d4-6T-82HUZqWPiJm5OD3sA94/s320/charapop0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Plus ticket holders (¥1,600 each), 'Chara Pop' stands (¥980 each) and fabric badges (¥550 each).<br />
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In addition, the shops will host lucky dips which cost ¥450 to enter. If you're lucky you'll win the top prize of a canvas pouch:<br />
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The second place prizes are oversized acrylic key holders:<br />
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Next come a range of magnetic clips:<br />
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And nobody will go away empty handed, because everyone else wins a collectible <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> card.<br />
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<u><b>The next two-in-one novel rerelease is confirmed</b></u><br />
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The third Kodansha BOX two-in-one edition rerelease, <i>Sengoku Basara 3: Chousokabe Motochika No Shou/Mouri Motonari No Shou ('Chousokabe Motochika Chapter/Mouri Motonari Chapter')</i>, has now been released so we have the full cover artwork.<br />
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There are also a couple of <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/basara/info/books/2148">preview illustrations</a> to enjoy.<br />
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As expected, the fourth and final omnibus rerelease <a href="http://www.mangaoh.co.jp/catalog/450489/">will be</a> <i>Sengoku Basara 3: Ishida Mitsunari No Shou/Tokugawa Ieyasu No Shou ('Ishida Mitsunari Chapter/Tokugawa Ieyasu Chapter')</i> which will finish the series off on 10th August 2016. I hope we get some new novels soon! I imagine that there will be an announcement for the first collected volume of the <i>Sengoku Basara: DOKUGAN </i>manga in the next few weeks since it's already up to <a href="https://twitter.com/nekomin7/status/752714781191081984">chapter six</a>.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16381673934103256374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361352180531330342.post-21814515235896225672016-07-06T15:28:00.001+01:002016-07-06T15:28:16.346+01:00News roundup: Capcom TV featured Yukimura-den again today, and the latest stage play news<b><u><i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i> was on Capcom TV again today</u></b>
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The <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/cptv/">Capcom TV</a> team got together with producer NonakaP to demonstrate some Date Masamune gameplay and also show off the new game's Sanada Trials mode. The <i>Sengoku Basara </i>segment didn't start until the show had been going for a couple of hours, but finally NonakaP showed up and charmed the presenters with his strange impersonations of the series' mascot character, Ashigaru-kun.<br />
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NonakaP then picked up his controller and started off with a Date Masamune gameplay demonstration on the Odawara stage we saw in the last official live broadcast. The other hosts were getting really fired up just watching; the Mad Drive/Rampaging Dragon mechanic got everyone excited as Masamune charged around with a glittering aura tearing through everything in his path.<br />
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I noticed at one point that a red <i>tsuzura</i> chest gave a small amount of both HP and Basara when it was broken. I should pay more attention to the chests since they've obviously been rebalanced to accommodate the new Bushin system.<br />
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The LINE keyword for this week's episode was つながる ('connected') and the reward was a picture of Yukimura and Masamune with their younger counterparts.<br />
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I was quite disappointed as I was expecting some footage from the Sanada Trials mode (not that it really needs it) but the show ended right after the Odawara stage demonstration and news bulletins. NonakaP was cheated!<br />
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If you missed the show, the highlights should appear in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/CapcomChannel/videos">Capcom Channel</a> YouTube archive in a few days.<br />
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<u><b>Report from the game's recent <i>Famitsu Presents </i>preview event</b></u><br />
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Another recent event was the <i>Famitsu Presents Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den Summer Early Access Gathering</i> in Tokyo, where a handful of lucky fans were able to play the game and listen to a presentation from KobaP. Capcom TV included a very brief video clip from the event during its news coverage this week, but Famitsu already published a much more detailed <a href="http://www.famitsu.com/news/201607/03109966.html">report</a> from the event floor. It seems that the players were still protected from learning too much about the plot by having the demonstrations end before pivotal moments but they got a good chance to try out the characters' move sets, and the reporter said they flowed really well. The stage presentation yielded a few tiny scraps of information.<br />
<ul>
<li>The difficulty in the Secret Backstory stages will be higher than in the main story stages.</li>
<li>You can't select your character in the Secret Backstory stages.</li>
<li>The PS3 and PS4 versions of the game will have the same number of enemies, but you'll be able to see more of them at a distance on PS4.</li>
<li>Going back to the difficulty level, the main story is tuned so that you can get through it even if you aren't that great, though you might lose to bosses a few times. The Secret Backstories are trickier and because of this KobaP thinks the overall difficulty is higher than with previous <i>Sengoku Basara</i> games. </li>
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Another demo event will take place in Osaka this weekend with NonakaP, so perhaps there will be more reports after that.<br />
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Furthermore, on 16th July 2016 there will be a special <a href="https://twitter.com/MYCAPCOM/status/750599470241476616">in-store event</a> in the Shibuya LABI branch of Yamada Denki, which promises to feature both <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den </i>and <i>Monster Hunter Stories</i> with live gameplay and other content. Additional details will be announced soon. I wouldn't be surprised to see KobaP or NonakaP showing up there for another presentation.<br />
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<b><u>About to read Chinese? The official website has now been fully translated</u></b><br />
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The official <a href="http://www.capcomasia.com.hk/basara_yukimuraden/">Chinese-language</a> website for <i>Sanada Yukimura-den</i> launched last week courtesy of Capcom Asia. There are also subtitled Chinese versions of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0duQb26Mn8">first</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGlwGv4rSOM">two</a> promotional videos so fans can check out the translation.<br />
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<u><b>Pick up some <i>Sengoku Basara</i> goodies on PSN at a discount this summer</b></u><br />
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A <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/328/G032818/20160630039/">sale</a> is currently running on the Japanese PlayStation Store to promote the new game's release in August and highlight the release of the original <i>Sengoku Basara</i> in the PS2 Archives collection. From now until 24th August 2016, you can purchase <a href="https://store.playstation.com/#!/ja-jp/cid=PN.CH.JP-PN.CH.MIXED.JP-CATEGORY00000213">special bundles</a> of the old game plus a custom theme and avatar for all forty individual characters from <i>Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi</i> for ¥500 per character instead of the standard price of ¥1,029, or grab the bundle with all forty custom themes and avatars for just ¥1,059 instead of ¥3,069 with the <i>Sengoku Basara 1059 Set</i> (1059 can be pronounced 'Sengoku' in Japanese).<br />
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<u><b>Animate offers a small bonus to its email newsletter subscribers</b></u><br />
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Every month, fans who opt in to receive Animate's email newsletter receive a smart phone lock screen image as a gift. July's bonus image is <i>Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-den</i>, so if you want to apply you can send a blank email to the email address posted at the top of <a href="https://www.animate.co.jp/special/27583/">this page</a> and click the confirmation link in the reply they send. Your membership should be processed within 3-4 days.<br />
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<u><b><i>Zangeki Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi: Honnouji No Hen </i>begins its run</b></u><br />
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The new, more combat-heavy <i>Zangeki Sengoku Basara 4 Sumeragi: Honnouji No Hen</i> stage play started its limited run last Friday and so far reviews have been positive. To celebrate the opening of the show the <a href="http://www.basara-st.com/">official website</a> changed its front page to incorporate this image of the entire cast flying through the air together.
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Early reports from the dress rehearsal (with pictures) can be found at <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/288/G028872/20160702002/">4Gamer,</a> <a href="http://dengekionline.com/elem/000/001/309/1309703/">Dengeki</a>, <a href="http://www.famitsu.com/news/201607/01109873.html">Famitsu</a>, <a href="http://www.gamer.ne.jp/news/201607020011/">Gamer</a> and <a href="http://spice.eplus.jp/articles/65036">Spice</a>, as well as all over Twitter. One surprise which wasn't revealed until right before the play began its run is that the <a href="http://www.raindropsanddaydreams.co.uk/2016/04/news-roundup-new-gameplay-video-plus.html">cast</a> had a secret guest <a href="https://twitter.com/HonjoJrHigh/status/749492431444291584">showing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/shiramata0322/status/749564496792809473">up</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MAAAAAAAASAHIRO/status/749490900691132420">on</a> 3rd July: Miyashita Yuuya (Kobayakawa Hideaki).<br />
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The reason for Miyashita's appearance was that <a href="https://twitter.com/show_ism/status/750317960296689664">Taniguchi Masashi</a>, who has been playing Akechi Mitsuhide (and Tenkai) in the stage play series even since it began back in 2009, will be graduating from the series when <i>Honnouji No Hen</i> finishes its run. This is the very last chance to see him in the role. The stage play's versions of Kingo and Tenkai had excellent chemistry and quite a few fans are sad that they'll never be appearing on the same billing again in future.<br />
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It wouldn't be a <i>Sengoku Basara</i> stage play without at least a little exclusive merchandise, and <i>Honnouji No Hen</i> has the <a href="http://www.4gamer.net/games/288/G028872/20160628055/">following</a> on offer to lighten the wallets of its attendees.<br />
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The official 40-page full colour A4 pamphlet (programme) for ¥2,000:<br />
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A commemorative t-shirt available in a choice of black, red or navy colours, for ¥2,500:<br />
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Thirteen different three-piece sets of photographs of the characters for ¥500 per set:<br />
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And thirteen different blind-packaged tin badges for ¥300 each:<br />
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Additional bundles of photographs will also be available at the venue; details were not available at the time the press release was issued.<br />
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The listing for the <a href="https://basara4-honnouji.stores.jp/">official DVD recording</a> has also gone live. Unfortunately it's another Japan-only Ace Shop exclusive. The cover artwork is cool (though I can't help but think a slightly more flattering image of Nobunaga could have been chosen).<br />
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The double DVD set costs ¥7,000 plus ¥600 for domestic shipping, including tax. It include the full stage play (approximately 160 minutes) plus around two hours of extras, including content such as cast interviews, footage from the 'after talk' shows. As usual, no English subtitles are listed. The release date is tentatively planned for late October 2016. A booklet is included with the first press edition, and those who make their reservation at the stage play venue will also receive a bonus photograph along with their DVD.<br />
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To finish off the stage play news, like before the Roppongi branch of the Pasela Resorts karaoke and entertainment chain is <a href="http://info.paselabo.tv/2016/06/basarast.html">running</a> a special <i>Sengoku Basara</i> <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/game/content/basara/info/tieup/2101">menu</a> until 10th July 2016 to give stage play visitors the chance to dine (or sing) in style a short walk from the theatre.<br />
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Some of the dishes are recycled from previous events but I'm very curious about Uesugi Kenshin's Chilled Salt Lemon Pasta and Akechi Mitsuhide's 'paradox float' drink.<br />
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