Konnichi what’s up~
I haven’t posted about seasonal anime for a while, but now’s as good a time as any since I’m finally watching more than one or two seasonal shows again, haha.
Anyways, you know the drill. This list will be in alphabetical order and I’ll just rattle off a few thoughts I have for each series.
Eizouken ni wa Te wo Dasu na!
I’m a nostalgic fool and sometimes think of simpler times, such as Saturday mornings spent watching cartoons. Eizouken, which revolves around three highschool girls producing anime, is really good at stirring up such sentimental sensations with its flights of fancy and OST, which instills a sense of adventure and freedom. There’s something about anime about anime (like Shirobako) that really excites me. I get to thinking about possibilities while learning about an industry I’m utterly fascinated about!
With that being said, I’m feeling a bit worried that this current arc will drag out until the series ends, which would make sense given that the girls are taking on an even larger project. Still, Eizouken manages to retain viewer interest by switching things up – episode 7 was primarily about Mizusaki and the viewers really got to know about her values and her beliefs through the cold open and her honest dialogue with Asakusa and Kanamori. In my opinion, it’ll be nice if we got some insight into Kanamori before the series concludes. For now, I’m still looking forward to the weekend so I can see where Eizouken goes next.
Heya Camp
The sequel to Yuru Camp, but alas it’s only a short form with 3 minutes per episode. Still, it manages to squeeze in the comfy moments by primarily focusing on food while the Outdoor Activities Club goes on a stamp rally. I’m all for it since a gaijin like me got to learn about houtou, but we’re not getting enough Rin!
Ah, well, it can’t be helped since she never joined the OAC… It’s a simple watch I can enjoy while it’s still cold and I do like the ED song quite a bit.
Infinite Dendrogram
Dropped. Kind of boring and definitely caters to some sort of heterosexual male power fantasy. Not my jam.
Itai no wa Iya nano de Bougyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu
I just caught up on this one and it’s a lot of fun! A girl who just maxes out on defense and gets insanely strong in a short period of time is just funny for a variety of reasons, such as exposing how buggy and untested the virtual reality game they’re all playing really is. The said VIT specialist, Maple, is also quite silly and she’s a nice girl and all, but Sally is really really really cool.
BOFURI really makes playing MMORPGS seem exciting, whereas it’s not quite as fun in real life due to rampant bots, report abuse, misguided mods, etc. Either way, I’m hooked.
Koisuru Asteroid
A Kirara anime revolving around girls in a Earth Science club (which consists of an Astronomy club and a Geology Research club merged together due to a lack of members in both). It doesn’t feature a Kirara jump in the OP (but does include a dark haired girl with twin tails per tradition).
At any rate, I like how the series is good at giving each of the girls focus. Definitely shaping up to be a good soft yuri series with multiple ships PLUS additional girls are apparently going to join if we go by the ED so yippee.
Magia Record
Hmmm. The atmosphere is good and all, but there are too many magical girls, yeah? I guess it’s because this takes place in a different prefecture and probably a different timeline in regards to Madoka.
Still, I’m having fun watching this series even though it definitely hits different compared to the original.
Nanabun no Nijyuuni
A bunch of troubled girls form an idol group and are forced to obey every order that an omniscient wall spits out. I’m not sure how to feel about this one. There is a bunch of potential yuri ships but the mysteriousness of Wall-san is off-putting to me. It just seems so random…
Well, if the current trend continues we’ll be exploring each of the girl’s backstories which I’m still interested in. Reika is the best by the way.
Oshi ga Budoukan Ittekuretara Shinu
Wow, this series is really funny!!! True, it does brings some of the less pleasant tendencies of the idol and entertainment industry directly into the spotlight (namely popularity over everything and popularity being determined by fans who are willing to inve$t), but damn if this series doesn’t have a blast with it. Amusingly enough, the Eri x Maina ship will probably remain troubled due to miscommunication whereas the other yuri ships will flourish. Idols Staning other idols is just….a mind-blowing concept to me but it totally makes sense.
Humourous anime is like my kryptonite, man, since it distracts me from real life and this one is really putting in some amazing work in that department. Who’s your favourite girl in Cham Jam, by the way? I think Eri has the right idea by Staning Maina.
Runway de Waratte
It certainly started strong…but this anime adaptation is taking a lot of shortcuts in order to rush through arcs and it hurts my heart to see it.
Still, I guess I’m going to continue to watch this while grumbling about how it’s not doing the manga justice.
Somali to Mori no Kamisama
Every couple of seasons, a series revolving around a single dad raising a daughter pops up. Almost without fail, they make me fuzzy and warm. This one is no exception.
I really love this show even though it’s also very dark and gruesome. Scott of Mechanical Anime Reviews described episode 6 as being something straight out of Made in Abyss, for instance, and he’s totally right.
I really love Uzoi, I might add. Sorry to all the Somali Stans for including a picture of a character who’s going to disappear from the story by the next episode, but Uzoi is a great character.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T
As an FYI, it’ll make no sense jumping into this series if you haven’t watched Railgun and Railgun S. Honestly, I’ve finally realized Railgun is better written than Index after that terrible Index S3 so there’s that.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I like Railgun even though I know it’s a somewhat controversial series.
And there you have it, folks.
Arigathanks for reading.
The Lily Garden 
@Budokan: One of the nice things about acknowledging the creepier aspects of the business is that you can show that most of the fans are actually respectful. The system’s messed up, but it’s not without its merit, and the way out isn’t… obvious. As for Cham Jam: probably Maki for me. When it comes to life-after-idoldom, she makes me worry the least.
I think 22/7 is actually a horror show. If only 22/7 knew.
Eizouken is great, Bofuri and Somali are cute shows, and the Madoka spin off is very pretty, which is enough for me (they should have done something like this instead of Rebellion).
Runway is a mixed bag: now I like it, now I don’t. Ikuto’s family interactions are consistently highlights in the episodes they occur in.
Favourite show of the season: Hanako-kun.
I only just realised that you’re blogging again. Good to hear from you again.
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Fair enough about Budokan. Most of the fans /are/ respectful. I’m just a bit frustrated about the contractual purity aspect that Sorane got hit with, I guess. Maki does seem like she’ll be able to handle herself the best once she retires!
Well, the girls in Nanabun no Nijyuuni do seem to have terrible lives so I think you’re onto something here!
I agree with you on Eizouken, Bofuri, and Somali. I haven’t watched Rebellion so I can’t comment on that. I think people either hated Rebellion and want more stuff like Magia Record or they loved Rebellion and reject Magia Record.
Definitely on the same page with Runway. The scenes with Ikuto’s family are consistently great!
I’ll have to look into that one! In/Spectre seems pretty good, too.
Thanks, Dawnstorm. It’s very on-and-off, unfortunately haha.
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I dispise that idol-purity aspect, contractual or not. I don’t remember it being contractual here (as in: nobody from management seemed to investigate), but a combination of fan expectations and subtle peer pressure. That’s actually worse, since it’s harder to fight. The sort of fiction idols sell shouldn’t spill over into private life, period. The thing is, even I proclaim it categorically like that, it’s not… easy to follow through. People can’t help how they feel, and long-term discouragement can’t be hostile if it’s to work. It’s… difficult.
In/Spectre really is quite good. I expected little; it’s the pleasant surprise of the season.
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“we’re not getting enough Rin”
Indeed. If Heya Camp can be said to have a flaw, it’s this. Otherwise it’s just good.
Also, yes, Maina Best Girl!
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Mmmm which is surprising given how it’s so much shorter. Short form anime can be strong too!!
YEAH MAINA GO MAINA I’M GLAD YOU AGREE DEREK
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What can I say, I like the shy quiet types… Even married one. (Of course few people cross her twice – underneath that shy quiet exterior is the Infinity Gauntlet.)
Have you ever watched “I can’t understand what my husband is saying”? The first season is practically a textbook example of what a short can accomplish. Not to take anything away from Heya Camp, but it works because it can rely on the main series. (And a fandom that will gladly lap up oceans of More Of The Same. Myself included in that of course.)
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Oh, dear…………
No, I haven’t, but I’ve been meaning to! You’re definitely right about how Heya Camp is using the strength of the original, but I also agree with the appeal of More Of The Same. It’s quite comforting!
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