Buddy Complex mid season review

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Hime has the same face I have while watching Buddy Complex.

Yes I have not forgotten about Buddy Complex because it is a lot of fun, but is it the best new mecha? Not really I certainly have plenty of issues with this series and I figured instead of a written post I went ahead and did a video review instead so I hope you enjoy listening.

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Extra buddies

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Aoba-“Save the girl or go fishing?  Maybe both?”

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Aoba wants to play shirts vs skins with Hina.

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Bro complex is saved!

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The Hanazawa virus is strong in this one.

Preview

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See you for the final impressions!

About

Is huge anime fan from Florida! who loves to watch anime and also enjoys drawing and collecting pictures, my favorite genre of anime has to be Mecha, there is just something awesome about giant robots beating the crap out of each other! Other than that type of show, I love a good comedy or action series :D
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19 Responses to “Buddy Complex mid season review”

  1. Qwert says:

    I stopped watching this show somewhere around episode 5. The whole endeavor just seemed so… meh…

    The characters had no personality and no oomph to them. It was all “I’m Dio! I’m brooding and serious but also deep!” and “I’m Aoba! Hina! Hina! Hina!”

    I don’t know if it has gotten any better but there was only so much coupling and proposing between those guys that I could take before having to back off.

    • Sumairii says:

      As of episode 8, I still wouldn’t make Buddy Complex out to be a priority if you’re pressed for time. The show in general fails to capture my attention in spite of time travelling and giant mechas. Which is actually a first. I didn’t think it would be possible to make a show involving time travel boring. Though to be fair, the depiction of time travel here has been limited to the premiere and after that only occasionally mentioned briefly in passing.

    • Foshizzel says:

      @Qwert: Yeah the real plot seems to focus on the bad guys trying to steal the coupling mecha which is basically the same plot used in a few Gundam series.

      Yeah Dio and Aoba are boring while all the side characters seem to be better…

      LOL yeah the gimic of the whole coupling/proposing does get old very fast.

      @Sum: The time travel themes haven’t even been used since episode one and I don’t think they will ever explain why Hina “died” when she sent Aoba to the future let alone what kind of time travel theory Buddy Complex is using! I mean at least in Steins;Gate we were given some clues as to the idea they went with.

  2. Jackpot2121 says:

    It’s actually not that bad if you try looking at it from a different perspective. So many people keep comparing Buddy Complex to Gundam Seed or Valvrave, but they fail to look at the individual aspects of the series. Not every character needs some unique personality to notice them, but I have to disagree that Aoba has no personality. He’s upbeat, optimistic, and always looks out for others.

    • Sumairii says:

      I agree Buddy Complex isn’t exactly a bad show. However, without resorting to comparisons, it is poorly executed despite having a premise that looks to have much potential on paper.

      The characters are flat at best; bland at worst. And the mildly fascinating coupling system devolved into a dumb gimmick with the sole purpose of forcing a partnership upon Aoba and Dio, when so much more could have been explored about the concept.

    • Foshizzel says:

      True I don’t think Buddy Complex is bad and yes there are several comparisons to Gundam and Valvrave because this is coming from the same studio that produces those series, but I was hoping that this series would explore the time travel a bit more…

      As for Aoba himself I can see the upbeat and optimistic side of him but at the same time he does come off as boring and dull for me at least.

      • d-LaN says:

        There just no way to win for a mecha anime MC, isn’t it? XD Though if Heavy Object is ever animated, I think Quenser should be likeable…. Or not considering Kamijou Touma hatedom…

  3. d-LaN says:

    I’m pretty surprise at the negative reaction here. Pretty much in most forums its generally agreed that while its not exactly original the tropes are still executed pretty well (if we ignore the comparison whining and Sunrise bashing). Aoba a pretty like-able protagonist IMO and I for one can’t wait to see him/Hina NTR Bizon.

    http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/864/2803/original.jpg
    BTW, there a manga adaptation of the mobile game spin-off titled “BC: Senjou no Coupling” that takes place in a coupling pilot training academy. MC is Haku Ichijo and the blonde is Chloe.

    Haku accidentally started up a Valiancer while checking it out and a mysterious female pilot helped him by coupling with him. (NICE COUPLING get!) Chloe for some reason is jelly about it and she wants him to be his buddy. Meanwhile a female researcher noticed that he has some sort of ability with “that child”. (Not sure its mysterious female pilot or Aoba)

  4. zztop says:

    I’d say Buddy Complex is more like the anti-Valvrave. It’s very reasonable, and down to earth, which is both its strength and weakness.

    The plot is progressing reasonably(still awaiting answers on time travel), everyone in both armies acts(reasonably) appropriately for their positions in wartime,no out-of place conspiracies, the characters behave fairly down to earth in their given situations and Aoba’s a nice guy character.
    No insane, illogical twists and out-of-character personality changes like Valvrave.(ie. Shoko in Valvrave Season 2.)

    That said, this reasonableness is also its greatest liability. There’s no unexpected revelations and surprises that make you want to watch week-after-week, no profound or sudden character developments, no intriuging conspiracies, and Aoba’s nice guyness could be seen as boring.
    The fact that Buddy came up just after Valvrave would invite many comparisons in regards to both of them, and previous Gundam shows since Buddy uses the same basic storytelling formula as its predecessors.

    • BlackBriar says:

      I’d say Buddy Complex is more like the anti-Valvrave. It’s very reasonable, and down to earth, which is both its strength and weakness.

      I can agree with that. You can’t have the cake and eat it, too.

  5. BlackBriar says:

    As a whole, Buddy Complex is an all right but average show. Not one I’d be eagerly awaiting for the next episode. It’s probably bad luck that it came up right after Valvrave because by comparison, there’s no energy and unpredictability to the story that incites a lot of excitement.

    One of the good things is that the lead isn’t a weak minded individual. He’s upbeat, optimistic and focused even facing the revelation about the changes in history but that’s about it. That alone isn’t enough to carry the entire series.

  6. Mexu2d says:

    Buddy Complex is awesome. If he gave Hina the hair-clip then she went back in time with the hair-clip he gave her, and then she left it behind only for Watase to recieve and give it to her. Then where did the hair-clip come from. Is it a time paradox? If it is, it could be the key to getting him back home.
    XD

    • Highway says:

      It’s not a time paradox, just a simple loop. Aoba gives the clip to Hina, she later goes back in time, gives the clip to Aoba in the past, and then he has it to give to her when he goes to the future.

      • Mexu2d says:

        you make it sound simple………….. XD!!!! Another reason why time travel gives me a headache. Though if that’s the case why give him a hair-clip anyway? Why not some device that can prove he’s from the past and guide him to getting back to the past. A hair-clip is kind of redundant…. :C
        O well, sometimes common sense and anime don’t come in the same sentence.

    • d-LaN says:

      There a speculation that the hair clip belongs to the previous owner of the mech Aoba piloting. Just that he gave it to Hina thinking its her’s and Hina went back into the past wearing it.

      • Mexu2d says:

        AAAAAAAAAARGH, it’s like when you eat a really cold ice-cream. if it is from the previous owner than is the previous owner dead, maybe it’s that person they kind of mentioned but never elaborated about.
        I know this is redundant but couldn’t it of been a cuter hairclip.

  7. Highway says:

    Maybe it helps that I haven’t really watched any of those other mech series, so I never compare it to things I haven’t seen. I think Buddy Complex is ok, although it does have some things that annoy me. First is that nobody can figure out the timeline and explain it to Aoba.

    “Look, it’s really simple. Hina you met in your past is the future of the Hina here, and she’ll go back in time sometime later than now. So right now, she doesn’t know who you are at all, because that’s in her future. So quit expecting her to know anything.”

    It’s a simple time loop, people!

    Second, how is the “Alliance” still unconquered? They have zilch in the way of response to any attack by Zogilia. The best they can do is surrender and not get killed. So the whole show is the Cygnus (which design I really like) just trying to run away to somewhere new.

    I like the show, but am starting to realize that it’s just not getting anything done plot arc wise.

    • akagami says:

      I don’t think the rest of the cast has really figured out what the connection is between Aoba and Hina – not to mention they don’t really believe he is from the past in the first place.

  8. akagami says:

    Hm, I have a different opinion from most of you (except Mexu2d). I’ve been really enjoying the show so far and it’s definitely one of my favorite this season.

    Overall it’s been a very enjoyable ride so far, unlike some of the other shows this season that I’ve found either a) to be inconsistent, sometimes good, sometimes bad, or b) just disappointing.

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