Jul16
Our last goodbye to the Spring Anime Season 2012
(」・ω・)」うー！(／・ω・)／にゃー！(」・ω・)」うー！(／・ω・)／にゃー
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Hello my dears. Before the Summer season could actually swamp us with more work, I thought to get our team top 5 list out. For me, Spring was busy as hell so I could only remain caught up with very few titles compared to my usual 15+ list. Though, if you know my taste, you can easily predict my top three even without looking at the list. Though, I still have a long list of honourable mentions. |
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{ Fate/Zero 2 } Do I really have to say whi I loved this so much? I reviewed it and this was the first time I successfully crossed the threshold between episodic and editorial. Quite a personal accomplishment if I say so myself. Having the breadth of Type-Moon/Nasuverse knowledge really helped me in getting this giant project off my shoulder. This was a treat for us TM fanatics, who love it when Ufotable adapts one of the stories so faithfully. The job was so well done that this would clearly become benchmark for the many fantasy/supernatural series to come. I highly enjoyed this tragic trip of the downfall of many favourite characters yet, the sliver of hope that was left behind (not only story-wise but news-wise of more projects green-lit), will be keeping me elated for at least a few seasons more. |
| { Tsuritama } As much as I was disappointed with noitaminA due to Sakamichi no Apollon, Tsuritama stopped my eye-rolling with its fresh peppiness. I mean, who would have thought fishing would be so interesting or in a way so technical? Not to mention, such crazy characters who would hit it off so well with their crazy chemistry. Now people would have to take gay fishing seriously because it has become a damn phenomenon! Just like the OP dance moves, which I can already see getting performed at different conventions. I highly enjoyed the rollercoaster ride of discovering an alien that caused instant bursts of haino haino dance. The fish-theme maintained throughout the series was enjoyeable till the introduction of Takahiro Sakurai voiced characters, who was perfectly gay. Oh yeah~ So, I’ll leave you with DUCK-U! |
| { Jormungand } I know I’m cheating with this but damn, the first cour is gone and there’s a season break for the next part. From episode one, Koko the loco has kept me entertained along with her motley crew of gangsta bodyguards who are more than just fun. Of course, I have my own favourites in Valmet, Lehm and Jonah but then there’s a Hatano Wataru voiced ass-fiend and a supposed spy in their mix? The one season wait is too long when I was having so much fun with their dark humour and sarcasm. Also, you should definitely get your hands on the Original Soundtrack because it is AWESOME; filled with cool sauce of fusion music that would make you break for a dance. Naah really, try it out. It’s pretty peppy and addictive. |
honorable-mentions: Mysterious Girlfriend X \\ Kimi to Boku 2 \\ Korewa Zombie 2 \\ Acchi Kocchi \\
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It was incredibly hard to choose just three titles. Three is such a small number! The season was busting at the seams with great anime, and I just wanted to list all of them! Oh, if only I was overflowing with this much affection for everything at the end of every season. My top 3 really are only separated by a hair’s width of preference (if preference was measured in length, that is) so things are fairly equal. |
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{ Fate/Zero 2 } Not only is this a feast for the eyes, but Fate/Zero delivers pretty much everything needed to make a great anime. That’s not to say it didn’t deliver in areas that make a not-so-great anime, but those parts are really just minor nitpicks. I never really got why the Fate/Stay Night universe was so popular until I started watching Fate/Zero. I felt like everything was explained much better and that the characters were 10x more interesting. Rider and Waver were the stars of the show, although I must admit I took quite the shining to Kiritsugu and Gilgamesh after a brief period of time. I didn’t even notice their existence in Stay/Night. Overall, this was just a great series for action and interesting dialogues. I could sit and listen to these guys talk about what it means to be a true king for hours. |
| { Tsuritama } I LIKE IT BECAUSE IT’S GAYYYYY!!! Haha, just kidding (no, I’m not kidding, don’t listen to me). There’s just something magical about Tsuritama and the way it makes me feel. I get so damn happy watching this show! The scientific term for this would be that I have “feels” for this show. So many feels. Kenji Nakamura is probably my favourite director, and I love how he brings vibrant colours and an upbeat tempo to almost everything he touches. Tsuritama looks the way it makes me feel – spritely and bubbly inside. It’s a bit silly and spends a lot of time on regular fishing, but that just adds to the charm. It makes fishing interesting, and that’s enough of a feat for it to steal the number 2 spot on this list. |
| { Sakamichi no Apollon } Originally, I was going to put Phi Brain here…but then I realized it wasn’t over yet. DARN! Sakamichi no Apollon is still great, although it doesn’t match up to the masterpiece that is Phi Brain. Much like Tsuritama, Sakamichi no Apollon fills me with awe and wonder whenever I get to see Kaoru and Sentaro play jazz together. I was even digging the drama and the romance for a bit. The romance portion became a bit too much towards the end, but that still doesn’t erase the time I spent wriggling in my seat during those jam sessions. Those were fantastic, and no amount of lame confessions and lovey-doveyness can take that away. |
| honorable-mentions: Jormungand \\ Kuroko no Basuke |
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What excuse do I have this season for watching only three shows regularly?! The typical ‘College work and procrastination are annoying pains in my life and kept me from catching up on show’ excuse of course! In all seriousness, Spring season brought out some really great shows that I’ve been eagerly waiting to marathon to celebrate completing summer school. As for the three shows that I managed to catch up to, well, here’s my ranking for them! |
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{ Kimi to Boku 2. } LIKE THIS IS A SURPRISE. Anyway, Kimi to Boku sure showed its haters that it can be one entertaining show as this second season completely overtook the first one in comedy and drama. All the problems that plagued its first season were ultimately fixed, delivering some of the greatest episodes in the series. However, despite the changes, it kept its laid-back, calming, and innocent(ish) atmosphere that had me falling for the show in the first place. It was also interesting to watch the boys themselves change, slowly becoming more mature with each incident. They all showed different sides to themselves this season in subtle, and not so subtle, ways. I found myself falling more for the boys than I had before because of this. It was great to see even the other side characters, especially Masaki, changing as well. The main highlight for me this season was the continuation (and ultimate finale) of the Chizuru-Masaki dorama. Every episode with these two as the feature had me grossly sobbing and left me with so many FEELS I didn’t know what to do with myself. I’m incredibly sad to see this end (I’ve even shed a days worth of tears after marathoning the last three episodes), but I will make my peace with it and spend my days praying for the anime or manga to be licensed here in the States.~ |
| { AKB0048 } Maybe my love for this show stems from my obsession with idol groups and their busy, somewhat mysterious lives, either way, I have found myself eagerly awaiting this show more than anything else new this past Spring. At first it was the pure ridiculousness of the plot that had me checking this out to have some good laughs, but as the series progressed and more serious elements were introduced (and some good ol’ drama I can may sassy comments about on twitter), a genuine concern for the show grew! Surprisingly, the more serious elements, such as the mysterious center nova position and the whole succession procedure for AKB, are quite interesting and leave you anxiously waiting for more secrets to revealed through the AGONIZINGLY SLOW leaks of information throughout the episodes. I honestly love everything about this show: the cheesiness, the sparkly eyes with glowing hearts in them, the overly intense space battles against the DES and cute, chipper idol girls, and the 77th generation girls themselves. I don’t even mind the fanservice-y episodes! AKB0048 is definitely an unexpected winner for me.~ |
| { Shirokuma Cafe } This is definitely one quirky show, filling my time with puns and animals interacting in the human world, doing (somewhat) normal things. The whole idea of these animals driving cars, working at zoos, using smart phones, etc. is just too good to resist! Not to mention it makes for some great comedy. There have been some instances though where I’ve gotten bored of the show, but it always manages to reel me back in next episode with another odd adventure. The characters are quite entertaining and definitely have a lot of personality, more than I expected from an anime about talking animals. Of course, Panda is my favorite of the animals because he is ultimately my spirit animal as we have some of the same mannerisms. Grizzly and Polar Bear however are a close second; these two, whether together or going solo, are pretty damn awesome in their own way. Shirokuma Cafe is a great addition to my week with its puns, quirky comedy, and calming atmosphere that truly resembles that of a cafe. Everyone should take at least one stop here.~ |
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Well the spring anime season is now officially over and we have to say a final goodbye to this amazing season! I just have to say this season was filled with so many great shows for me personally so yeah this list was a bit difficult to work through…anyway I found a few things that made me laugh and of course one of them carried over from a previous season. |
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{ Aquarion EVOL } What is there to really hate about this series? Combining mechs, fanservice, crazy plots and oddball characters, mecha battles and of course love triangles! YES if any of those things catch your attention you should check out Aquarion EVOL because it truly has a bit of everything thrown in. I only wish it could have been longer! I demand more Zessica don’t you agree Jrow!? So yes Aquarion EVOL has kept me tuned in and addicted to every crazy episode every week, but anyway I loved it and the ending was perfect in my books. |
| { Haiyoru! Nyaruko-San } UH NYA UH NYA UH NYA! LETS NYA! Those lyrics right there made me laugh and grin every week because that damn opening song played in my head for days and days after the first episode. Go check youtube for all the strange and random remixes of that song, but there is even a special version by Wakamoto! Other than the addictive opening Nyaruko-san is filled with some of the best characters like the yuri obsessed fangirl Kuuko? And everyones favorite trap Hastur; however Nyaruko-san steals the series because she is always hyper doing something random then again we have to say thanks to Kana, Asumi’s amazng voicing work of course, but now we have to keep our fingers crossed and wait for a second season to get announced. |
| { Natsuiro Kiseki } When I first saw this series on the original spring list I did not think I was going to watch until I heard all of the buzz from Twitter and through a few of my online friends, but after I saw the first two episodes I was instantly hooked! So what grabbed my attention in this anime? I guess you could blame a certain green haired character aka Yuka because that character kept me wanting to watch more, but we really could not have a successful series without Natsumi, Saki and Rinko to share in the fun experiences with the wishing rock! There were moments when I thought I was watching Smile Precure because we had everything from flying, body swapping, clones of characters, invisible curses, time travel and Natsumi and Saki ended up getting stuck together? Yep there really were all kinds of wishes getting granted. So besides the supernatural theme with the whole wish thing the girls also wanted to become idols; however Saki was forced to move away ripping the “group” apart. So yeah if any of that sounds like fun you should at least check out a few episodes for yourself. |
honorable-mentions: Kore wa Zombie S2 \\ Jormungand \\ Fate/Zero \\ Sankarea
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Honestly, I’m glad Spring is done with. What a long season with too many good shows. I have myself to blame for that much, but this season was relentless with quality anime on a daily basis. I’m still wondering if Mine Fujiko fished out a zombie Nirvash or if Mutta got to taste Koko’s drool. I’m so confused right now… |
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{ Fate/Zero 2 } We got movie-quality animation for 25 weeks straight. Granted that Fate/Zero isn’t a sakuga powerhouse like Precure, but the artistic design and superior animation quality in fight sequences make F/Z stand out to me as one of anime’s best series of the 21st century. Fate/Zero’s 2nd half was masterful. It provided the needed development for Kiritsugu to understand his character and it provided lots of death. Made me sympathetic even towards the most heinous of them all, Ryuunosoke. The ending was appropirately filled with mixed feelings from the cast. Now, let’s let Ufotable know we’d pay top dollar for an F/SN remake! |
| { Tsuritama } While I was fawning over Apollon’s drum animation months before it’d debuted, I paid no mind to Tsuritama. This is my first Kenji Nakamura series, and damn I’m now a fan of his artistic stylings (gotta check out Mononoke or Kuucho Buranko sometime). Watching the bonds form between our fishermen heroes was really fun in the first half plus, but throughout the series that thought lingered… they’re going to save the world? How? I thought the show was able to handle the transition from training Yuki to Yuki being a boss fisherman and save the planet real well. |
| { Mysterious Girlfriend X } How Akira and Urabe’s relationship developed was very unique. I’m not talking about just the drool, but the weekly stories and how it progressed in a uncommon manner. It wasn’t about Akira rounding the bases; it was a slow process to discover more about each other. Akira ultimately gets the W because he has the image of Urabe naked burned into his mind and now bolder things are on the horizon for them. The ending was a nice stopping point and I’m satisfied with how it wrapped that part of the story up. Soundtrack was so fitting for the series and the little sci-fi collectibles were fun to spot. |
| honorable-mentions: Sakamichi no Apollon \\ Aquarion EVOL \\ more info Show ▼
Pains me not to add Apollon. Fantastic soundtrack and a great return to directing for Watanabe-san. Aquarion ranks right up there with Fate/Zero for, wait for it… most appropriate ending.
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It’s this time already. Time flies so fast (not really)… Such a waste that spring season ended already. As spring ends, so do the great anime it bought *sigh* No really, last season was great. I watched SO MUCH ANIME last season. Imagine how hard it was to choose my top three. I made up my mind (after so many minutes), but I’m not even satisfied with this list. I want to put more! But I guess I can’t do that since the limit is three *sigh* |
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{ Tsuritama } I hate fishing. I think it’s a boring sport since I was never the one who actually fish. When I saw the announcement of this anime, I was prepared to hate it, and I did. The first few episodes did not impress me at all… Until episode four. By that time, I was just hooked (see what I did there?) with this anime. I DON’T KNOW HOW. Maybe it’s because how refreshing Tsuritama is. There’s nothing complex and deep about the story. So simple, yet it was done well. The colorful animation adds to the charm of Tsuritama, and the characters are so likeable. Thanks to Tsuritama too, I don’t hate fishing as much as before. I think I’m cool with fishing now. |
| { Fate/Zero 2 } Of course this will be in my list. It left me struck with awe, and came back with something more than I expected. Of course, there are some little things here and there I wish they could add, but I’m satisfied with the continuation. The second part was definitely nerve-wracking and full of action, but that’s what I love about it. And really, nobody can resist the charm of Emiya Kiritsugu. Even until now, SO MUCH FEELS FOR HIM. I’m just waiting for the (confirmed!) Heaven’s Feel now. |
| { Jormungand } Plot-wise, sometimes I think it’s ridiculous. The action is just too unrealistic at times (most of the time), and the lots of the characters are abnormal in lots of way. Seriously, when I watch this, I’ll be all like “This… Is just stupid.” But that’s why I love it! All the over-the-top actions, the weirdos, the cliché stories, I enjoyed all of them. It’s ridiculous, but it’s also fun! And that’s [fun] the whole point right? Besides, who can resist Koko and that awesome song of hers? |
| honorable-mentions: Acchi Kocchi \\ more info Show ▼
Not the best anime for this season. Average animation, repetitive story, no plot whatsoever… But it’s enjoyable. It definitely is. Very unrealistic, but that’s what makes this anime great. If I want to escape reality into some happy fluffy world, I’ll definitely watch this anime. Io x Tsumiki FTW!
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Spring definitely wore me out. My top 3 for spring were easy, but the rest of the list… wasn’t. Everything was too good. I just can’t get excited about the shows other than my top 3. I throughly enjoyed the spring season, don’t get me wrong, but I can’t really say that I feel the same excitement while talking about this season as compared to say, winter (I know, something’s wrong with me). |
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{ Jormungand } This was just do over the top, I couldn’t help but love it. Despite the storyline (and the action) being all over the place, the main characters in Koko’s team always proved fun to watch. Jormungand always moved at neck breaking speeds and skimmed over small details, but Koko always made that seem okay. Sure, this is also my #1 because I enjoy action no matter how solid the storyline is (and Jonah has somehow turned me into a shotacon), but I’m sure this would have been just as fun without those factors. |
| { Tsuritama } I came out of a Kuuchuu Buranko marathon to… this (all thanks to OC’s persuasion). I wasn’t very impressed by the first episode, but that quickly changed as the season went on. It actually made fishing interesting for one, and before I knew it, I was really attached to all of the characters and the weirdness that went on in the episodes. So much so that when the plotline suddenly shifted to serious mode near the end (something I had been wanting in that first episode), it felt… wrong somehow. Tsuritama was all about friendship, trust and a whole bunch of other extremely cheesy things. However, it managed to present it in an EXTREMELY over the top way and somehow didn’t make you want to roll your eyes about it. |
| { Fate/Zero 2 } I’m sure many people have said this before me, but Fate/Stay Night was NOTHING compared to Fate/Zero. I came into this (er, the first season of this) expecting a bit more than Fate/Stay(but not much) and did it ever go above and beyond my expectations. Unlike the first part of F/Z, which established the characters, this one went straight into the action and didn’t stop until the last episode. I imagine it’s hard to keep pacing like that for so long, but F/Z made it work. The characters were all amazing, the storyline was amazing and this was one of the greatest action anime I’ve seen in a long time. This would undoubtedly be #1 if I wasn’t so attached to Jonah and gay fishing. |
| honorable-mentions: Tasogare Otome X Amnesia \\ Sakamichi no Apollon |
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I was dreading this day because I knew how difficult it would be to pick only three shows from this amazing season. (Also dreading this day because it means Spring is over!) All the shows I had watched this season ended up being time well spent (except for maybe Shining Hearts …) and there are also some shows I didn’t watch that I hope to marathon soon, like Amnesia, Hyouka, and MGX. So, after much deliberation, here are my personal favorites and don’t forget to share yours as well!~ |
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{ Fate/Zero 2 } I was late to the F/Z party, but when I finally got around to watching both season one and two this spring I was captivated from the very first minute. I went in not all too familiar with the background behind the series or the important plot points like servants and command spells, but thanks to a little reading I was caught up and fully, or maybe partially at first, immersed in the crazy world that is Fate. The amazing art and animation is only a bonus to the incredibly entertaining and involving story, so I’m glad I finally got around to watching this … even if I was a little late. |
| { Natsuiro Kiseki } Yep, the show with the magic rock is on my list. Don’t let the gimmick fool you though, Natsuiro Kiseki is a whole lot more than just the antics of some girls voiced by Sphere who get into strange situations because of their unintended wishes … well, actually that’s a lot of what the show is, BUT there’s method to this madness! Within these strange situations the four main girls learn what it means to be friends, even when there’s distance between them physically or emotionally. It’s a bit melodramatic at times, mostly in the first 2-3 episodes, but when the dust between the two conflicting characters settles the show gets a whole lot more entertaining. Sometimes the show will throw twists at you that you might never have seen coming thanks to the magic of the rock, and the surprise can be very humorous to watch play out. |
| { AKB0048 / Saki: Achiga-hen } I couldn’t decide, so this is now the moe bracket. Saki and AKB are two wildly different shows, but I enjoy them equally for one major reason: the pure entertainment they consistently give me! Saki is over the top with its power-based mahjong gameplay and intense strategic throwdowns, while AKB has high-energy pop music and all the DORAMA you could ever ask for. I wouldn’t say either of them are breakthroughs story-wise, but both of these anime have enough unique aspects to make them fun week after week. Such as Saki’s character driven matches that bend reality and push the competitors to their limits, or AKB’s incredibly beautiful performances and stunning background art. These aren’t shows I would necessarily recommend, since they seem to have a niche fanbase, but for anyone interested in the concepts involved (or j-pop/mahjong in general) I wholeheartedly think you’ll love watching! |
| honorable-mentions: Tsuritama // Sankarea // Shirokuma Cafe |
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As someone who believes in progress, I think that anime in general has been getting better over time. So I guess the high number of good shows in Spring 2012 didn’t really surprise me. Early on, it looked like almost every show had a chance to be great, and in the end, plenty delivered and most that didn’t still ended up good. And as is often the case, there was one or two that was way ahead of the pack. |
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{ Tsuritama } got everything right. It had an unusual and pleasant colorful art style that was animated beautifully, an epic soundtrack with an addictive opening theme to go with it, and an excellent story executed wonderfully with memorable characters. The show was very natural in how it ramped up the tension, and the character relationships built in the early fishing-with-friends episodes were exploited fully in the later saving-the-world episodes. My favorite show in each of the past 2 years was from the Noitamina slot, and so far, 2012 doesn’t look to be different. |
| { Mysterious Girlfriend X } probably came as a surprise to many people. The manga isn’t huge, and the synopsis and the studio animating it gave the impression that it would be a very different show compared to what it actually was. This was one of the best romantic comedies I’ve ever seen, consistently making me laugh out loud while it told the story of a first love in a unique and charming way. The cinematography shone at times with its occasional use of long takes and colored lighting. And as I wrote before, Mikoto Urabe is a cutie pie. I usually think one season is enough for TV shows, but with less than half of the manga contents animated, this is one I’d like to see come back for more. |
| { Fate/Zero 2 } was a technical masterpiece that did a wonderful job closing out the story that began 2 seasons prior. While the show had many main characters, this season firmly established Kiritsugu Emiya as the protagonist, as we were shown his journey from innocent country boy to magus killer. The show did disappoint in some areas such as Waver’s story, but when the action got rolling, this show was without equal. Ufotable is proving to be quite the studio, and I look forward to more action coming from it in the future. |
| honorable-mentions: Haiyore! Nyaruko-san \\ Jormungand \\ Sankarea \\ more info Show ▼
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Haiyore! Nyaruko-san, a hilarious showcase of Kana Asumi’s energy. By the same studio, Upotte!! provided some pleasant fanservice and great gun battles. Jormungand wasn’t quite as good with its gun battles, but it delivered when it counted, and Koko was loco. Sankarea was a visual spectacle, taking the best of Shinbo’s style and leaving out the crazy.
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As a previous trend, we did another team poll of our Top 5 anime that ended airing in Spring season of 2012 and this time more than ever, our result came out pretty harmonious. Our honourable mentions to make a top 10 includes: Natsuiro no Kiseki, AKB0048, Kimi to Boku 2, Aquarion EVOL and Haiyore! Nyaruko san. So, now that we are done, how about you tell us your own top seven and reason for choosing so. Till next time, ja ne~
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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 7 comments
“Originally, I was going to put Phi Brain here…but then I realized it wasn’t over yet.” I WAS GONNA SAY
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I WILL NEVER BETRAY PHI BRAIN! I will work my hardest to make this Metanorn’s number 1 pick for next season
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Let’s gather the other Phi Brain cult members and make this goal a reality. BB reporting here, ma’am.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 338 comments
I distinctly remember this comment after Phi Brain S1 mmmrmmmm…. Or something about making Kaito the #1 top villain…..
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
HELL YA PHI BRAIN!! WOOOOOOO!
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Don’t worry, there’s enough Phi Brain watchers here to make it to Summers’ list. :3
POWUH: iLurker with 12 comments
Koko she is Loco… I will fanboy for Jormungand all day.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Woooooooo! Koko! She was a lot of fun
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Sou dayo ne? You don’t mess with Koko… that “Dragon” got his ass handed back to him. Loved how she wiped out his entourage.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Koko is a badass. What ever you, don’t try to seal any weapons deals with drugs or you’re dead where you stand. I’d ship her Index’s Accelerator.
4 reasons that it needs more love:
1. It’s exciting.
2. The action is fantastic.
3. the characters are unpredictable.
4. It’s not cliche.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I must confess that I didn’t watch most of the ones that were discussed in this post. Fate/Zero, Aquarion EVOL, Saki because I haven’t seen their precursors, Tsuritama because I didn’t know about it until halfway through (and honestly was not interested due to the repeated ‘gay fishing’ remarks, which I now know were mostly jokes, but it was enough to keep me from starting), Jormungand because it just doesn’t seem to appeal genre-wise. But I’ll gladly rank the ones I did watch. 🙂
1. Mysterious Girlfriend X (By a country mile) – Everything about this show resonated so much with me, stylistically and story-wise. The older look, the well-regulated emotions, the small but oh-so-meaningful gestures and actions, the individuality of romance and attraction, and even the incorporation of actions that most people would call ‘fetishes’ or ‘perversions’ but in such a way that they are not creepy or degrading but are affirming and strengthening.
2. Tasogare Otome x Amnesia – With some gorgeous settings, mystery and intrigue, past horrors, and even some silliness, another well done romance show that explored personalities and emotions in a deeper manner than most get to. The ending was done right… and then it was done righter, even if it made us go “Hey! No fair making us all cry and then be happy!” Also locked down the two best songs of the season.
3. Natsuiro Kiseki – Turned into a really good story about friends dealing with the impeding ‘loss’ of one of their number, and having fun and moving along.
4.Acchi Kocchi – Sooooo cute. Somewhat disappointing at the non-committal ending, but cute action and sweet romance.
5.Haiyore! Nyarlko-San – Just a fun show, but I missed out on a lot of the references
6. Sakamichi no Apollon – The Jazz sequences were tremendous, but the rest of the story jerked around too much, especially in the second half of the season.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 25 comments
As someone who has also never seen the original Aquarion, it is not affecting my enjoyment of EVOL at all. The original Aquarion is apparently shit, anyway.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think I watched 3 episodes of it on Netflix dubbed. That pretty much cooled any desire I might have had to watch EVOL as well. Giant robots and only giant robots aren’t all my thing anyway. But now I’ll go watch Rinne no Lagrange…
Thanks for the encouragement, tho. Maybe I’ll add it to the backlog now…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I strongly recommend you watch Rinne no Lagrange. If you’re not there for the mecha, be there for the ever increasing yuri atmosphere between the three girls.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Oh, I’m all over that show, ready to watch the latest tonight. I’m so glad I caught up on that before the season started. 🙂
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
YES! Watch EVOL! For great justice!
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I wouldn’t say it was shit, but I only saw the movie… which I can’t remember at all, so it was forgettable. Watchable, but not memorable. But I loved the music, bless4!
A very talented group who are all siblings. ^^
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
High five for Tasogare Otome x Amnesia, Highway, and the fierce conversations in each post concerning theories on Yuuko’s condition!! Excellent mix of drama, fantasy, and romance. It would be an impossible thought that anyone would dislike it.
The first episode was interesting but the rest was perfect and nothing was ever dull about it. SILVER LINK deserves an award for the series’s flawless visuals and for best OP and ED in any anime. Choir Jail and Calendrier (French for Calendar. Strange title, though) for the win!! It so well done that I easily forgave the trolling end. I agree on “Hey! No fair making us all cry and then be happy!”.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
EVOL IS AWESOME! I miss it so much T_____T
3. Natsuiro Kiseki: Oooooh those characters were awesome! I liked the insane adventures of Yuka <3 <3 <3
5. Haiyore! Nyaruko-san: FREAKING CRAZY! I loved that and Nyaruko's voice actress did a awesome job with that character.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san!! Best reference anime ever!!
Yeah, Nyaruko’s voice actress, Kana Asumi does well playing crazy characters. Haiyore! Nyaruko-san is the anime where I first learned her name. The other roles I now know she played was Jormungand’s Liliane and Mayo Chiki’s Nakuru.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
lol, again I only know different ones from BB, like Popura Taneshima and Miya Tachibana (Nishishishishi!)
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Nishishishishi! < YES
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I thought Miyu’s Nishishishishi was really cute and addictive until I met Mayushii and her Tutturu! Now I’m in Mayushii’s camp, hands down.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
No Fate/Zero?! D:
What is this, I don’t even!
POWUH: iLurker with 16 comments
I would not have expected Tsuritama to be my favourite of the season before it started, but it really knew how to pull together something unique.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yeah that was a fun series even if it wasn’t in my top 5 I still managed to have fun with Tsuritama.
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
I didn’t see that one coming either. Such a pleasant surprise.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Goodbye, Spring. Until we meet again next year.
Ahh!! Why three choices?! The small amounts are always the hardest to choose when there’s a bunch of good shows. And just like Kyokai, I have a long list of Honorable Mentions.
My top 3:
Jormungand: Her name is Koko. She is loco. I say “Oh, no!”. The sadistic, manipulating, dominatrix-like towards men and women, albino and possible shotacon arms dealer was obviously the best thing about the show. Need I say more?
Fate/Zero: Bring on more Type Moon stuff.
Tasogare Otome x Amnesia: One of the best supernatural romances to date. I loved every minute of it. But seriously, how can a human and ghost have a relationship or even take it further?
Honorable Mentions: Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Of the Dead, Haiyore! Nyaruko-san, Accel World, Sankarea, Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle 2, Hyouka, Nazo no Kanojo X, AKB0048.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
If the human and the ghost can touch each other, how is it different from so many other regular relationships?
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
LOL. It’s easy. One is dead and the other isn’t. Well, there’s the case with Sankarea which pretty much follows the same path. And if you go into my favorite genre, a vampire is supposed to be “undead” as well. Such things are proof that these are far from regular relationships.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
It certainly was a season of supernatural girlfriends with Yuuko and Rea in the mix <3
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
It certainly was. Supernatural for the win thanks to Yuuko and Rea!! I guess the guys had trouble finding regular, everyday girlfriends and found it more interesting to delve into the supernatural and date monster girls which usually turn out to be their predators by nature. Or maybe like Chihiro, they never wanted a normal girl to begin with. I wonder what species you or anybody else would date if they weren’t human.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
One will never age and the other will grow old and pass away. And will end in sorrow for the un-aging party.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
That is the ultimate price and drawback for immortality when it comes to dating a human because they risk losing them to the passage of time.
“No matter what bonds you forge with others, time will tear them apart”.
Oshino Shinobu…
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Well vampires can cheat and turn their partners immortal. I recall from some of my fantasy novels, it was recommended for those long-lived who had relationships with humans to live their lives in chunks rather than as one long continuous life, otherwise the pain of losing loved ones over and over would eventually overwhelm you.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
True. Gaining immortality by being bitten and/or drinking vampire blood is quite a cheat. What can top that? LOL. That’s why they beat zombies and ghosts.
“It was recommended for those long-lived who had relationships with humans to live their lives in chunks rather than as one long continuous life, otherwise the pain of losing loved ones over and over would eventually overwhelm you”. Nice reference. I guess that’s why some would sleep for a number of decades or even centuries so as to stay detached from the world and ease the pain.
In spite of all the lore that makes vampires fearsome like bloodlust, inhuman strength and speed, mind control and persuasion (basically existing as a dangerous, invulnerable and powerful being), thanks to their immortality, they are lonely figures. That’s why they tend to become possessive of their lovers because they want someone to be theirs for all eternity.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yeah we wanted to be cool with just three fufufu just kidding! That is just how we roll~
Hooray honorable mentions! I don’t blame you for putting Kore wa zombie of the dead down there…I hated the fact they cut things off with only 10 freaking episodes!? WHAT THE HELL! WHY!?!
Wooooooooot! Nyaruko san! <3
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I bet if you could, you’d pack a lot more names in. Three alone just doesn’t do it justice.
Ah, yes. I hated what happened to Kore wa Zombie: Of the Dead as well. I’m still mourning over that unexpected cut. Hopefully another season will fix this injustice to all fans. An OVA will not cut it this time.
Yes, Nyaruko-san!! It’s right out there with Kore wa Zombie. There are a ton of laughs to be found here, mainly through the countless amounts of references in the show. Even the lack of story wasn’t a big problem. In fact, it was easily overlooked. I’d recommend it to anyone. The best parts were Mahiro and Yoriko’s skills of using forks as weapons and Kuko’s yuri advances.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I agree with you and BB on Kore wa zombie, it was way too short. The ending made no sense whatsoever, felt rushed and they had to wrap it up quickly so they threw something together D=.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
There should a law against cutting a good anime so short. It was a dreadfully anticlimactic ending. It was basically screaming “To be continued”. Talk about getting a slap to the face.
POWUH: iLurker with 14 comments
For me, it’s Tsuritama, Fate/Zero, and then either Kimi to Boku or Acchi Kocchi… A bit hard to decide for the third one. Great season for anime, and from the looks of things summer will be just as great, if not greater (IMO). There’s been lots of rather refreshing, unique anime lately.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Wooo! I actually liked Tsuritama/Kimi to Boku/Acchi Kocchi! Those were some interesting shows, but I have no idea why I liked Kimi to boku….why is it addictive? I guess the characters were kind of fun to watch.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 25 comments
I’m nine episodes into Aquarion EVOL, and it is already more enjoyable than anything else I watched in the spring season.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Wooooo! Have fun Shin I am so jelly…I should rewatch the series again one day! YES!
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 338 comments
I think Tsuritama impressed everyone, I know it impressed me! I had no idea what the series was going to include but it is save to say ENDO-SHIMA-DON!!! Is officially stuck in everyone’s head. I will be the geek and admit after 5 episodes I had the dance down pat!!! I’m really going to miss this show, its one of those unique gems for me, like Tales of Memories, Natsume or Jyu Oh Sei that really makes you smile and ‘feel all the things’. Bye bye Haru~~~~
Fate / Zero was just a roller-coaster ride of awesome! Those fight scenes and that animation!! I think my favorite is still the garden scene with Alexander, Gilgamesh and Saber sitting around talking about what makes a king. OH and that kick ass motorcycle scene, and of course the death of…. I can’t say it!!! ;___;
*Hugs Hoshi* Thanks for mentioning Kimi to Boku!!! Thou the last few episodes were a little dull, this season really played on Chizuru and Mary, poor poor Chizuru. I really wanted them to get some absolution or get together XD All I can hope for it a third season! *starts praying*
I would like to mention Kuroko no Baskue, even though its not finished and Spacre Brothers!! I’m not a huge sports anime fan, I think the only one I did watch was beyblade if that even counts. But this!! THIS!! is golden, mostly for the bromance, but also the unique characters. I really like the each Generation of Miracles player has distinct character traits and abilities. I’m very impressed that the actual games don’t consisted of a pattern. You really do not know what’s going to happen!
Space Brothers is awesome, its heartwarming and really makes you think about what a ‘dream in life’ really is. If you haven’t checked it out, you should.
Great post guys!! Here is too Spring!! *raises glass*
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Woooo Wooooooooo! Tsuritama! Fun stuff
Kimi to Boku is great I loved that series, but is there a third season!? Go JC Staff! Yeah I liked the while Mary and Chizuru thing they were building up in this season, but I was like ah well Mary has her eyes for another.
Thank!
POWUH: 800-899 and Self-proclaimed Manga Queen with 874 comments
~*hugs back* YES! IT’S SO HARD TO FIND FANS OF KIMI TO BOKU ;~; I actually loved the last few episodes. I cried on the last two, hahaha. I so badly want a third season just so I can get more Chizuru-Masaki! That ending looked pretty solid though so I doubt, but we can still PRAY.
POWUH: iLurker with 4 comments
What, no Mouretsu Pirates?
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I know I know…I was going to list it but I don’t think it was one of the shows on our list
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Totally didn’t remember. I’ve added it now.
POWUH: iLurker with 1 comments
Why can’t i see mouretsu pirates on the poll on either the top 3 spring and the top 3 winter? Where is the love for marika-chan 🙁
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Awwww yeah I feel your pain T___T
POWUH: 400-499 with 489 comments
Ohhh yes ur pain will be long lived :.(
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Added to the list. >>;
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Spring season was kinda dead for me, which was good since it allowed me to finish up the winter shows. My top three shows that began airing in spring are:
1) Jormungand – crazy fun like Black Lagoon was, but without Rock (I never liked that wallflower). Though he did grow some near the end.
2) Accel World – Kuroyukihime <(^.^)(^.^)>
3) Haiyore! Nyaruko-san – I love a good comedy. Not sure how I like the whole lovecraft universe, but I can appreciate a good comedy.
If I exclude shows still airing, then I would add Acchi Kocchi. It’s a sweet tasting comedy. Io is godlike.
Aquarion Evol was fun to watch, but overall it was… ok. Saw this comment that made me go lol… it’s so true!
“The True Story of Aquarion is about two gay space angels who got NTRed by a flying dog and a human woman and were only reunited after 24000 years.”
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
“The True Story of Aquarion is about two gay space angels who got NTRed by a flying dog and a human woman and were only reunited after 24000 years.” < LOLOLOLOL BEST EVER
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Actually I take that back, I’ll swap out Nyaruko for Evol… because while it wasn’t great, I got some good cringe-worthy moments out of it. You know, the kind you get in high school when you see something so cheesy yet gutsy that you have to watch.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Also, I noticed a lot of people listed Tsuritama. Is it really that good? It looked way too weird so I skipped it.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 338 comments
The weirdness is what made it awesome!! and it is only 12 episodes so you don’t have to invest too much time into it. But you should, it was pretty awesome. Then again I don’t know you’re anime taste XD you might hate it.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Weird anime is usually a miss for me. FLCL was ok. Others like Arakawa Under the Bridge, Mawaru Penguin Drum, and Kyouran Kazoku Nikki were all dropped shows for me.
That and I dislike fishing.
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
Tsuritama isn’t weird in any way similar to FLCL or Penguindrum. It’s got a distinctive art style that looks just a little different from regular anime and very different a few times. And interest in fishing is not at all related to what you’ll get out of the show, since the themes it explores are universal and transcend fishing.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
I hate fishing.
I love Tsuritama.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I agree. It didn’t look interesting to me at all but people sure are talking about it. Is the anime really that good?
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Now that I’ve cleared out Hanasaku Iroha, I might go ahead and watch Tsuritama, considering the response it’s had here. Probably a good idea to break up PAWorks stuff anyway (I was thinking about True Tears next, and am watching Tari Tari now).
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’m joining the party late here, but…YES…Tsuritama is good. One of the best airing shows of the season. Trust me, no one who watched it and liked it went into it because they loved fishing.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 304 comments
Everyone should watch Tsuritama! Everyone, I say!
Seriously though, it really was THAT good.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
So I watched the first episode, and it’s definitely weird. Not a Da Fuq type weird, rather kind of relaxing. The first half I was scratching my head, but the second half piqued my interest enough that I’ll check out another episode or two and see where it goes.
And that watergun o.O
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Aaaargh! Fargin’ Enoshima Haino Haino Dance! Get out of my head!!!!!
*co-workers keep looking over with “what the hell are you doing?” expressions…*
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
@fosh – Evol needed more Zessica. Although it was written in stone, I kinda wish Zessica got her guy. Even if Amata is a weakling (he actually looked like something resembling a man when he declared to Mikono.) Don’t like Mikono-type characters.
But Zessica’s final outfit was… good to see even if she is taming up a bit, she still adds some spunk.
Also, LOL, was thinking of Zessica’s dress and was reading your last sentence and read:
“and the ending was perfect in my boobs”.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
YES! MORE Zessica please and I agree I wanted her to end up with SOMEONE maybe she will hook up with Kagura? They seemed great together in the final episode.
I know right? What was the deal with her 2nd freaking outfit? That was basically black electronic tape on her chest right? Ahahahahah
LOL!! Indeed “perfect in my boobs” that is the best line ever to describe Aquarion EVOL <3
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 207 comments
Agghhh considering the fact I didn’t watch too many anime’s this season it’s really hard to choose any! DX
But I do have to say Sakamichi no Apollon was a really great anime for the season. Great style and tone that comes with that show 🙂
POWUH: Occasional (51-75) with 68 comments
My top three for this season are Fate/Zero, Acchi Kocchi and Nyarlko.
So that makes one depressing as hell, one moe slice-of-life, and one crazy ass comedy.
Talk about diversity… XD
POWUH: Novice (36-50) and KoujiSeo Fanatic with 47 comments
Fosh for President.
Fate/Zero is largely overrated for their budget and reputaton. I expected something phenominal, and all I got was something good.
Natsuiro Kiseki was the show of the season for me, along with Tsuritama.
Third show I want to say is Aquarian EVOL because it was a lot more than I expected it to be and it just overall was fantastic. Easy.
Fosh for President.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Wooooooooooo! FREE MECHA ANIME FOR EVERYONE!
Nice choices -high five-
YES EVOL <3 <3 <3 I miss you everyday
Wooooot!
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 243 comments
I can’t vote in the poll due to a glaring lack of The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, which is my number 2 show. Tsuritama is number 1, obviously. I’m not entirely sure what to award my bronze to, though. There were a lot of shows that I enjoyed, but there wasn’t really a third show that stood so clearly head and shoulders above the others. Maybe Fate/zero, but to be honest the better part of that aired last year. You know what, let’s give it to Jormungand, Koko is loco and all that.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Ack! Fujiko Mine added as well.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
I’m in a depression. HOW COULD I MISS SO MUCH GOOD SHOWS??? TT^TT I can marathon them now, but….. it’s just…. not the same :'(
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 304 comments
AJKSRkjadsfn98ef fhe8fuHFU!!!!! TSURITAMA, I LOVE YOU!!! KFM(EFme8ffn98U#!!!!!!! HARUUUU, NATSUKIII, AKIRAAAAA, YUKIIII!!!!! YOU GUYS ARE SO AMAZING! kND(*HWDN(!YbUH!!!!!!1one11!!!
*ahem* I think you can tell what my favorite of the season was.
Anyway, I’m quite proud of myself. I usually pick up a bunch of anime at the start of a season and end up only finishing one or two. This time I’ve kept up with most of the ones I started. I guess that just shows how great this season was.
My #1 anime for this season is, of course, Tsuritama. It’s been a long while since I’ve had so much fun watching an anime. The characters were charming and a blast to watch, the art was bright and colorful, and the whole thing was just wonderfully over-the-top. It’s seriously been a long time since I’ve watched an anime that has made me laugh out loud, made me go back and rewatch all the fun little quirks in each episode, and left me sitting at my computer screen with a stupid grin on my face. Each episode just kept getting better and better! I was hooked! (Yea, I know I used that pun before.) Man, I fangirled so hard over this anime; it really makes me sad to know I won’t be able to look forward to a new episode each Thursday anymore. Oh well, guess it’s time to rewatch!
My #2 anime is, surprisingly, Mysterious Girlfriend X. I thought I was going to put Apollon in my #2 spot, but honestly, I think I enjoyed this more. I think people were expecting more mindless fanservice and instead got a very sweet tale of first love. Really, this was a great romance! It’s so unique. A little gross, but unique. It’s not often that a couple in an anime and manga start going in the beginning of the series, so it was nice to be able to watch how Akira and Urabe’s relationship progressed. And they had such great chemistry, too. And after watching all these moe moe lolis with voices that sound like nails being scratched on a chalkboard, Urabe is a breath of fresh air.
And anime #3 goes to Sakamichi no Apollon! I actually kind of want to put Uchuu Kyoudai here, but it’s not finished yet. >.< Anyway, I think as Apollon progressed, the drama became a bit too much for me. Nonetheless, it's still in my top anime of the season. Watching Sen and Kaoru's friendship unfold was a real treat. And those jam sessions were amazing! I think I'm actually interesting in jazz now.
Overall, this was a really great season!
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Woooooooooooooooo fishing! I liked that even though at first I saw four dudes together on the cover art, but hey Akira kept me going because of his fantastic voice actor! Damn I watch a lot of anime just to hear him right Anaaga? xD
POWUH: iLurker with 4 comments
[…] always, we compiled a team poll of Top 5 anime that ended airing in Summer season of 2012 and this time we […]