Jun29
Summer Anime Catalogue 2012
Welcome to METANORN’s Summer Anime Catalogue of 2012!
If you like what we do, please support us in the Quarterfinals of 2nd Aniblog Tourney & enjoy the read~
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Oi Summer! You are filled with goddamn heat and humidity. Go away, already! Still, this time I’m getting lots of rain so it’s kinda bearable now. Shows wise, I’m almost amazed with the number of action, adventure, fantasy and sci-fi shows. They are literally taking over with giant mechas and tech concepts, which is fine by me. Though, everyone needs their own RomCom, SoL and Supernatural fix. I’m kinda disappointed with the low number of latter and even variety in comedies but it’s okay as I always have pending Gintama episodes to fall back on. I hope to be dazzled by noitaminA Rendezvous and promising Josei. Let’s see how this season goes~ | |
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Where has time gone? All I remember from spring is work. Oh and yeah I took a vacation so I had summer early. But man, that feels like so long ago. But yay, summer is finally here! Oh my friend the sun, how I have missed you so so much. Even though I only see you for a few moments of the day due to work, I still do my best to remember how you look like. *Ahem*. Man, this summer is going to be very busy for me. I’m unsure if you’ll see me around much (more than usual hah) but I’ll try to get something in. As for the anime season in general, I’m not really looking forward to much this anime season. I dunno why but nothing really had me going. There’s a few bishies that I have my eye on and a few shows/movies that I’m anticipating, but that’s probably it. Oh well. | |
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Summer may mean that school is out, but if anything I’m actually more busy right now than I would be during the school year thanks to my BRIGHT IDEA to tackle studying for medical school entrance exams, volunteering at a hospital and working part-time at my dojo. In a way, it’s a bit of a good thing that the summer season has so few shows that have peaked my interest. I wouldn’t have time to watch everything if this was a repeat of the spring season! Of course, there’s no need to be completely pessimistic as there are always at least a handful of good shows. Maybe we’ll even come across some pleasant surprises! | |
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Summer has always had this negative atmosphere for me, simply because of the unbearable, occasionally suffocating heat that likes to stick around for three to four months down here in So Cal. Because of my excessive grumpiness due to this HEAT, I’ve come to strongly dislike a majority of the shows this summer season. Nothing really sparks for me personally, but hey, who knows? I’ve been greatly surprised in the past! Hopefully a good majority of these shows turn out be quite enjoyable so I can have an excuse to stay inside all day with the air conditioner, my best summer friend~. | |
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Time to put away Aquarion EVOL and Haiyore Nyaruko-san! for now and kick back for summer time which means random thunderstorms, rain and lots of random hurricane warnings for the Floridians out there…ah well at least I have plenty of anime saved up to watch during those boring times. So readers! What anime series in the summer season has you completely excited? For me personally I can say there are a few that certainly look interesting and of course a few series on this list that look completely dull and boring. I predict this will be the season of Sword Art Online or possibly Rinne no Lagrange season two! HELL YES BRING ON THE ACTION <3 | |
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Guys, it’s time for all of us to go Have A Summah! We gotta reach out to our favorite DL and streaming sites and grab those summah animes! You can feel it in your fingers and from the glow of your monitor. Whether you like summah anime or not, it’s an undeniable season that can’t be skipped. What’s that? You don’t wanna have a summah? Bad anime? You watch some bad anime, so what, overcome them. Mock them as much as you can, watch them for the lulz, and Have A Summah! | |
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Summer sucks, literally and figuratively. First the sun will be hotter than usual. Why do I need a hotter sun again? Is sun even necessary in this hot country (actually, yes)? Second, I have to pack up for a new term because my college will be in another city. Leaving all those artbooks and little figurines I bought is going to make me cry and fall into depression. How will I be able to live without my lesbian doujin under my bed? Third, summer anime usually sucks. Why would I want to watch some misleading pedophilia by SILVER LINK? Who cares if someone loses his sexual desire? Why is DEEN animating dead people again? Because they’re hot LIKE SUMMER? Gosh, looking at the list of summer anime is making me depressed already. Thankfully there will be some decent stuff that will save me from the heat of summer, like Natsuyuki Rendezvous. Maybe I won’t be dying from this year’s summer heat. | |
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Summer anime is finally here! …Unfortunately, that means my summer vacation is half over and I now have to compete for space with high school students if I go anywhere. OTL IN LESS DEPRESSING NEWS, there are quite a few shows that I’m looking forward to this season (and this is the crap season)! If you haven’t heard me fangirl enough, I’m extremely excited about Arcana Famiglia coming out (No. You’re not going to hear me shut up about it until it reaches its last episode and then it all starts again if there’s a season 2). Unfortunately (or fortunately?) Hiiro is on hiatus, so this won’t be THE season of otome games turned anime, but on the plus side, Lagrange will be fantastic. Will the rest of the season be as fabulous? That remains to be seen. | |
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This year so far has been amazing, and even though the upcoming season doesn’t look as if it’ll live up to winter or spring, there are a few shows I’m very excited to watch! ´▽｀ PA Works is making a return with Tari Tari, some fun new romcoms like KoiChoco are airing, and of course there are plenty of awesome sequels like Lagrange, Horizon, and Yuru Yuri! It seems as though there will be plenty of diversity this summer, so at least there’s a little for everyone. Bring on Summer!~ | |
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Spring season’s rather large number of good shows put a hold to my plans to reduce the number of shows I watch, but perhaps I can do that for the Summer season. Not many people seem to be excited about it, and I can’t say I am either, though that’s how I usually approach new seasons. It’s almost impossible to predict how shows will turn out based merely on premise and even the production staff (did anyone see this season’s Sankarea coming?), so I try get a feel for the buzz and give almost everything a shot. No sequels for shows I’ve watched, though I’m in the process of watching Moyashimon so that I can watch season 2 as it airs. |
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Sorry for the delayed review but as you can clearly see, all of us have been quite busy with our fourth anniversary and then Aniblog Tourney, the Quarterfinals of which starts today. We hope you support us with your vote, and enjoy our upcoming Summer first impressions starting 2nd July.
Alright, then! LET’s GO NYAAAAAA~ |
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About Team Meta
We are the deadly team of Metanorn. When together, we usually come up with long, informative reviews and commentary. After all, we take fangirling seriously!
POWUH: iLurker with 1 comments
[…] Metanorn – previews of every title with perspectives from multiple members of the team. […]
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Tari Tari: First Impression.
ENO. SHIMA. DON! No, not really, but Enoshima has had it’s pastel colours of Tsuirtama retired for the much more realistic look of Tari Tari. Wow, you can always count on P.A. Works. The scenery chews the scenery. If loved the world of Hanasaka Iroha, then you will love Tari Tari’s Enoshima. Nothing is done in half measures; the backgrounds just POP!
Characters: The writing staff is pulling some neat tricks. Practically nothing is done by any sort of explainy exposition. You have to be paying attention to piece all of the characters traits together.
Hanasaku Iroha 2?: Many dismissed it as just this, and many are probably fine with it. It’s not this. It’s close, but not even close enough. Some of the basic character elements are there, but they move away from that rather quickly and these five mains come alive in their own way.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I just watched this as well, and am pretty impressed. Really drawn into the story very quickly, you really pick up the characters quickly (and I have not seen Hanasaku Iroha so it’s not that) yet feel there’s more to see from them. But none of them feel like a complete enigma or wall. The only character mixup I had was a bit of Okita and Sakai blending together, and that’s mostly because dark hair and not enough talking.
Great use of weaving the character paths around to get everyone introduced and into the story. And everyone felt realistic, from Tanaka’s impatience to get out of showing the new guy around, to Miyamoto’s “What I wish I WOULD have done!”
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Miyamoto’s screaming into that wash basin was just made of pure win and gold. I had to take the time to compose myself, the laughter was that intense.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Watching that later looks rather hhnngggg! But I heard that is pretty much what it turned out to be right? Cute girls doing cute things while having fantastic artwork!
Now I remember Hanasaku Iroha got a lot of hate due to a certain bondage themed episode…seriously that episode killed the series for a lot of ani-bloggers! So let’s hope something good happens with Tari Tari!
Personally I don’t mind my moe show having cue things happen, but some plot would be nice!
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I dunno, seemed a bit edgier than anything I’d describe as ‘cute girls doing cute things’. It seemed more along the plot-driven spectrum than even something like Natsuiro Kiseki. It definitely wasn’t like a K-On! type of show.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yeah I just saw it and you are right I guess it really wasn’t a cute girls doing cute things series, but just based on first episode thoughts anyway! That said I enjoyed it because I found the headphone girl to be fun and hyper-ish the usual character that draws me into any series.
Right this could be more Natsuiro and less K-ON! Like! I just hope they stay away from random fanservice in a series like this because good god can that kill a series…Mouretsu pirates did a classy job avoiding mindless fanservice keeping it entertaining for the most part.
I say that because PA Works did it with Hanasaku Iroha and that turned off a lot of fans at the start with episode three due to mindless fanservice.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I don’t usually mind even mindless fanservice, although there have been some shows that I wonder why they hired the all-gnome camera crew (seriously guys, not every shot has to be upskirt), or start expecting Rias Gremory to say “Uh, cameraman, my eyes are up *here*”. It just gets a bit distracting when you start thinking about the camera work instead of the show.
I totally didn’t get any kind of impression like that from Tari Tari, tho. We’ll see how it goes, but I’m definitely excited about it.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
It was never the bondage. It was that the bondage was so clumsy, and that that character was a near complete boob. So many missed to point of that bit of funny. And oh, how Ohana just had to be helpful about the knots. I lol’d. I continue to lol.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 24 comments
Gonna watch the following for sure:
Sword Art Online
Las Storia Della Arcana Famiglia
Campione
Also, I just watched the preair of Campione. The ending feels so rushed D: and it won’t make sense unless you’ve read the novels.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
You know what I actually enjoyed Las Storia Della Arcana Famiglia! That first episode did a knock out job showcasing the characters and this is from JC Staff!? Yes I am a bit of a fanboy to that studio for Index and Shana mostly…anyway yes I will watch a few more episodes of that.
Oh yes I felt the same way about Campione ending feeling a bit rushed! I assume it was due to the PV episode? I remember Rinne no Lagrange did the same thing with their pre-air episode.
Oooooh? Campione is based off light novels? That is nice I like that show so far because the whole old gods thing seems like it could be somewhat Fate/Zero like in a few ways if done right! I do look forward to higher quality episodes in the future.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 24 comments
Gonna watch it partly because it’s J.C. Staff too haha. I’m not one of those haters XD. They do good animation, it’s just that their pacing shitty. Plus they like including stuff not from the source material.
Also, yeah Campione is based off a light novel. What I like about the anime is that they started the anime showing how the MC became a Campione. The novels start with Kusanagi Godou as a Campione already >.<.
I've downloaded Arcana Familgia. I'll go watch it later :D.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 24 comments
Partially watching this because of J.C. Staff as well XD. I really like how do lighting and effects.
Also, Campione is indeed based off light novels. What I like is that they started the anime on how Godou (MC) became Campione, instead of jumping to the arc first shown in the novels.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I watched Arcana Famiglia, and it could be good, but it’s more of a ‘depending’ kind of show. I worry that it’s got too many characters. Maybe it’s just cause it had a lot of crowded scenes with extras standing around, but it felt like Character Explosion, and every single one of them has some special ability and I know some of you guys like Tarot, but maybe it’s starting to get a little overused. We’ll have to see.
I’ll definitely watch some more, but it could really turn into a swamp of confusion.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Loads and loads of characters is alright in and off itself. I have the same complaint as you. It doesn’t look like the show is taking any pains in design or vocal quality to differentiate the parts. Yes, the all like different, but in the rush they blend in together a bit to much, and sound far to similar.
But, that just means we get to pay more attention to
The Princesses’ Hot Legs.Female Lead.POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I pretty much got the ending; didn’t feel rushed at all. In fact, it felt as if they got to the point without fidgeting around. If there is a bigger layer that the ending avoided, from the source material, then I’m not seeing it, since I didn’t even know of the source.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Adding more first thoughts on shows, I watched Muv-Luv Alternative, and right now it’s just not clicking for me. This might sound weird given what the show is, but the character art and design is just too flat. The backgrounds are really nice, but the people almost felt like 2D cutouts stuck in a diorama, especially the girls. And boy is the setup bleak. I guess that’s the way the story is opening, but it’s a real downer.
I think I’m going to try to stick it out through at least episode 3 (since the opening story should be over by then) and see if it gets even a little cheerier. Not expecting happiness, but “we’re getting thoroughly destroyed” isn’t a story arc I’m really keen on.
POWUH: 1000-1099 and Pirate King with 1048 comments
I felt the same way about the characters. The only time the anime might bother to put some quality into them is during skin-tight suit scenes. Boring designs and mediocre art.
As for the direction of the story, the preview makes it sound like some gruesome shit is gonna go down with a girl screaming her lungs out. I’m not much for that kind of story. I’m also being much more cutthroat about the Summer season which is why I don’t care if it gets better, I just flat out will not continue Muv Luv.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Yeah, you may be convincing me to agree with you about continuing. That time is likely a lot better spent on Rinne no Lagrange if you want cute girls in cute outfits piloting robots.
Even the skin tight suits were really disappointing. There was just too much other bulky metallic stuff they were wearing, plus for most of the time they had them on in the show, they were wearing super-bulky shapeless winter coats.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Uta Koi: I’ve you were deeply interested in the poems behind Chihayafuru, then this show is up your alley; features the same character and program designers. Plus SOUL’d OUT with Diggy-Mo does the ED, highly groovin’. Also, if you dig romance, watch it.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Animations has put me off. >>
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Junri or MANKIND IS DOOOOOOOMED:
Behind the pastels, the cheerful characters, and the ever so blissful fay folk, this is one hell of a screwed up story. I’m not talking about the chicken. Or the bread. But they are F’ED up. I’m talking about what isn’t being said in the show; that “mankind is declining” isn’t even close to saying the horrors that must have occurred before the program even opens.
There was one line and one scene which nails that horror. “They must have done so much for convenience”, and the scene in which our MC tried out the suspect fairy food,and says, “how much trouble it took to make something that looks like anchovies”.
The questions I have are, when did the mechanisms that make our world convenient, that make it possible to make the junk food that many depend on, break down all-together? Can I farm? Could I do it without any sort of modern power source? Can I hunt? With archery gear? No? Crap. I’m screwed.
There is an old saying that an old fart like me pays attention to: “Civilization is just two missed meals away from complete collapse”.
Yeah, Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita is a scary place. Why are they trying to make it look like a fairy tale?
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Yeah, that show left me with that “What the heck am I watching?” feeling. It’s this nice looking soft colorful world and they’re talking about it being so, so, so bleak. And you’re thinking why don’t they farm anything? How can the world be so green and lush and you guys are starving? Whaaaa?
I might watch another episode, made more likely if I can skip that mindbending opening song / sequence. NO MORE DANCE! AIEEEEE!
POWUH: iLurker with 3 comments
Sorry I’m late! I was on a trip! But now that I’m back…
I don’t have as much anime picked out this season as I usually do, but here is my list:
Jinrui wa Suita Shimashita
Muv Luv Alternative Total Eclipse
Sword Art Online
Joshiraku
Tari Tari
Binbougami Ga
Chouyaki Hyakunin Isshu: Uta Koi
Natsuyuki Rendezvous
Arve Rezzle Kikaijikake no Yousei-Tachi
The Code Geass OVA
Corpse Party: Missing Footage
The Hyouka OVA
Nazo no Kanojo X OVA
Guskou Budori no Genki
Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki (it has a Hosada Mamoru sticker on it; it’s an automatic watch)
There are a few I might pick up though if I hear good things about them.
POWUH: iLurker with 2 comments
[…] other day! As there are times like these (after effects of formatting fixing html bugs from our Summer Catalogue), after which some R&R is needed. Though, I’m back, refreshed along with updates and the […]
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I don’t think anyone has mentioned Joshiraku yet. Cute girls doing random things; most of them having to do with Japanese puns and do-dads of that culture you would have to be born into to get.
Vale over at GG is giving this series the “old college try”. I think the effort is worth it’s weight in gold, even if it falls short, and by Vale’s own admittance, the efforts have.
But, I have to admit, I’m addicted to watching it already. It’s like, there is something I am just on the verge of getting. I understand just enough about the culture to understand that something funny is happening, but I cannot put a finger on it. That, in an off itself, is enough to make my curiosity jump up and down like a hyper-active child.
I’m in.