Meta Team’s Top 3 Summer’13 Anime

(」・ω・)」Let’s not forget SUMMAAAHHH (/・ω・)/!

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Is it me or time is just zooming by? Even when most of the team has been pretty busy covering majority of the Fall shows, it’s time to reprise one of our not so old top 3 to 5 list. Though, it’s been almost a year since we last did it, it’s never too late to give a last goodbye to a good Summer season, which was better than some of its predecessors. I had been traveling most of Summer but still found time to catch up to my top three shows, which were a joy to follow for different reasons given below.
summer13top3-kyo[ Uchouten Kazoku ] When you rack your brains to find the meaning of life, different people come to different conclusions. There are days that are mundane, while some are low to very exciting. However, sometimes the mundane days spent walking slowly to your favourite destination to even just lazying around your hobby or family become a highlighted memory later. While watching this anime, I had the same feeling of watching something general but it was not your soon-to-be-forgotten general, rather something special that would remain. At some points I almost felt like Yasaburou and wanted to get out of trouble as soon as possible. Not to mention, the very interesting Shimogamo family kept me entertained with their antics; same with the idiot brothers who always bungled royally and still outdid themselves one trick after another. In the end even after many events, Benten still maintained her mysterious aura, Tengu sensei his pride, while Yasaburou couldn’t see Kaisei. A lot of things changed but still remained the same, that is the charm of this story that kept me glued till the end.

[ Shingeki no Kyojin ] The most looked-forward to series of this year, which kept pace with its bloating fandom. Sure, there were a lot of static images and somewhat derpiness at times but Wit Studio and Production I.G somehow kept pace with the fan expectations. I have to say, as a manga reader, most of the action scenes came out more than brilliant, animated. The story has nothing new but characters dying right, left and center is something new compared to the shoujo/moe fluffiness that anime has become more than branded with. For a supernatural/horror fan, this story has been a treat in both animanga form. I also liked the fact that the staff took their time in hiding some easily spotted hints intelligently rather than just foolishly adapting everything off the manga as it is. Season two would be a while but hey, seeing Eren beat the shit out of Annie was the highlight for me. xD

[ Gin no Saji ] This was so far from my version of life that every episode fascinated me to no end. Of course, there’s still a long way to go to have a farm-based school in Japan but the idea is unique if not new. Also, a friendly MC is always welcome who is humble and full of faults rather than being perfect. The journey with Hachiken was great as he learned to make friends and eat the animals that he so lovingly raised. The question about the circle of life and how you should repay your debts however small and big really touched me. This was very slice of lifeish, almost reminded me how calm Space Brothers is and this too gives off the same air of happy-at-its-own-pace rather than break-necking plot. A good story with lovable character made me follow this till the end and look forward to the second season this Winter.

honorable-mentions: Servant x Service // Prisma Illya // Railgun S // Free!

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Whenever we make these lists, I like to try and predict what each writer’s top 3 are. I’d like to think that by now I have a good idea what my colleagues tastes are like. However, not everyone is so easy to pin and I find myself completely baffled by certain choices that seemingly go against what I think they would like. Some of you guys are still total mysteries to me…I suppose that’s what makes these things interesting for me, because one day I’ll be able to recommend appropriate anime with a 99% accuracy rate!
[ Shingeki no Kyojin ] More thrilling than any Hollywood blockbuster from recent memory with the benefit of having Yuki Kaji screaming in almost every episode, Shingeki no Kyojin was the eyecatcher of Summer. No, it was literally eye-catching. The visuals were stunning and every single fight scene made my jaw pop open as I gurgled an unintelligible “ajskljdledhkzniudhgiosdnio” to my laptop screen. Boasting both thrills and beauty, each episode managed to top the last in terms of excitement (and sometimes budget). It’s been a while since I’ve seen an action series that was so damn good. Another thing that makes this show so great is how humanity basically sucks at everything, so despair is knocking on their door every episode. They’re helpless, they screw up all the time, and tons of them die in every battle. It’s hopeless. This isn’t a series about triumph and “yay yay rah rah goooo heroes!”. It’s about small victories that are immediately ruined by giant red babies kicking down buildings and scarfing down side characters. You don’t have time to catch your breath for Shingeki no Kyojin, and all the twists and turns kept my eyes glued to the screen the entire time. Hands down, this is my number 1.

[ Uchouten Kazoku ] Uchouten Kazoku did a lot of the things I wish Gatchaman Crowds had done. The story-telling and world-building was just so tight. Every event either told us interesting lore about the world or gave us important insight to the various family members. The plot was never really anything too ambitious (it’s technically about an election) so there was all this time to really endear us to this family of furry raccoon-dogs. I was won over instantly. I not only love tanooki (there is a tanooki plushie I bought in Japan behind my computer right now) but the whole family was just so lovable. The best part though is how they all interact. I’m going to miss seeing the antics of these guys. Benten will be especially missed because wow…they really translated that charming mystique about her really well, to the point where even I’m kind of enchanted by her ways.

[ Gatchaman Crowds ] Gatchaman Crowds tackles many issues. Social media, heroes, connecting with others and alien invasion. Although perhaps Kenji Nakamura bit off a bit more than he could chew, he did his best to convey some really neat messages about how society works when given social media…and magical powers. The concept was inherently interesting, so I’m not too put off by the messy execution. Furthermore, this show was just plain fun. It had bounce to it. Hajime gave the show so much life and colour, and the funky OST made even the most mundane things seem riveting. At one point all the milk in the school isn’t safe to drink and the students run around to tell other students. This isn’t all that amazing, but the GATCHAMAAAAAAN song adds some real pizzazz.

honorable-mentions: Free! // Illya // Stella // Watamote

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Summer was a mix bag of all things magical girl with the likes of Genei, Fantasista Doll, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya, Senki Zesshou Symphogear G and Choujigen Game Neptune: The Animation, which I kind of count as magical girl because of the transformations! Besides those shows we had the second half of Railgun S, Attack on Titan and Majestic prince which was a surprise hit for me.
[ Railgun S ] Misaka and friends returned this season to give my saturday nights some much needed excitement! I mean sure we had to sit through a boring recap filled with Accelerator, the MISAKA sisters and Touma; however, it still managed to be very entertaining especially with the touch ups in animation. Besides those iconic characters from the Index verse, we also met lots of brand new faces starting off with Misaki, Shinobu, Febri, Janie, ITEM, STUDY and a surprise from Mitsuko who proved to be a great side character, but I have to always hand it to Saten for proving she can hold her own against an enemy without any special powers! I can’t wait till we get a third season of Railgun…
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[ Majestic Prince ] It’s no secret that I love giant robot anime on Metanorn and after Valvrave and Gargantia wrapped up, we were left with twelve more episodes of Majestic Prince. I will admit to being a hater at the beginning because of a certain character designer that worked on both seasons of Gundam SEED, but after those first few episodes I found myself addicted to the character interaction and the drama building up around the main characters especially near the end of the series. Action wise the CGI was quite impressive. Compared to Valvrave and Gargantia I would easily rank it number one and there are rumors of a second season in the works. I really hope that comes true because Majestic Prince deserves more love.
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[ Love Lab ] This series was so freaking hilarious for me even though I found myself laughing more with Watamote on a weekly basis but the comedy found in Love Lab was in the slapstick moments with Riko hitting Maki? Damn whenever those two girls are in the same scene I just can’t help but laugh. Also it helps that I am a huge fan of the character designer who worked on both seasons of Yuru Yuri and speaking of Yuri for a moment Love Lab is NOT a yuri series because all of the girls want boyfriends even though they attend an all girl school. Besides having lots of great comedic moments, the drama buildup of Maki discovering that Riko lied to her about having romance experience was handled nicely and in the end FRIENDSHIP wins! I hope we get another season of Love Lab.
honorable-mentions: C3Bu // Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou // Fantasista doll // Attack on Titan // Kiniro Mosaic

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Summer was an okay season, save whatever the hell that Gatchaman ending was and that stupid Going Home Club crap anime. It’s not filled with sensational shows a plenty, but it had a nice amount of shows that all anime fans had just enough shows to enjoy watching.
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[ Uchouten Kazoku ] This is a worthy candidate for Anime of the Year. It was a very well-written family story (quite truly an Eccentric Family) that rode a steady stream of quality storytelling throughout; there really wasn’t a dull moment in the 13-episode series. P.A. Works did what most expect from them with art and animation, though I enjoyed that they took a step away from the style that was seen in shows like Tari Tari or Red Data Girl with Uchouten.
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[ Highschool DxD New ] It doesn’t surprise me any that I’d put DxD New on my Top 3 considering how much I enjoyed season 1; it does surprise how much I feel DxD New is a legitimate top 3 anime. The story took a step up with Kiba and the holy swords and threw in some major players while retaining the high ecchi quotient DxD fans like myself know and love. Highway, Fosh & I discussed more on this series on Ep. 35 of MetaVerse.
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[ Railgun S ] While I wasn’t very high on the first Railgun series, I had hopes for Railgun S and it impressed me all the way through, enough so that I can say this is my favorite of the 4 Raildex seasons. While we had already seen Touma vs. Accelerator before, seeing Misaka deal with the issue herself for the first half of the series made for really great anime and gave chances to J.C. Staff to show off its prowess in action animation. ITEM was a nice mercenary-like addition with Level 5 Meltdowner, and even the anime-original arc with Febri grew on me with each passing episode and had a very entertaining finale. The “S” may be for sisters, but I’ll use it for “solid” to describe this season of Railgun.
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honorable-mentions: Servant x Service // Attack on Titan // The World God Only Knows: Goddess Arc

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The only thing I remember about summer is how busy I was with work and other things, so I can barely remember what was airing in summer. Though that was partially due to the amount of anime that didn’t exactly fit my taste, but I guess there was some great stuff too.
[ Servant x Service ] The reason why I like Servant x Service is because it’s fun. The characters are enjoyable, and the interactions they have never fail to make me laugh. This anime always brightened my days with its humoric aspect, and I always ended up in a good mood after I watched it. Though it’s nothing complicated, it managed to bring me joy throughout the summer. It’s simple, but I simply loved it.
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[ Free! ] BL and that’s it. Okay, there’s actually more to Free than its yaoi vibe. It has that magical friendship the boys formed at the end of the episode. With so many anime focusing on action and romance, having an anime that focuses on sport fused with friendship is definitely not common, and Free! took the spotlight with that. There is also the bishies and their hot damn sexy abs to freshen the eyes, not to mention all the lovey-doey gestures the boys did… Aw hell, I take back what I said. This anime is all about BL and that’s it.
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[ Shingeki no Kyojin ] Now that I think about it, there are so many things I hate about this anime. But mainly the two main characters who happened to have black hair. The male character is too emotional to the point where it pisses me off, and the female character is just an egoistic girl who will always mess things up. Seriously, they suck. Thankfully, the other characters are fine. Though the story is not mushy, the amount of pessimism in this anime never fails to depress me. Every time I finished watching an episode, I feel like a failed human being for not being able to protect this world from human-look-alike giants and climb walls with extremely illogically thin wires. The only reason I like this anime is because it’s full of blood and death, and I happen to like the mixture of those two in anime. But not the depression.
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honorable-mentions: Gatchaman Crowds // Gin no Saji

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It’s probably not a good thing that my first reaction to this list was “…what even aired during the summer?”, but then I went back and remembered that there were a lot of shows that I enjoyed watching. Actually, I think this is the first time I’ve bothered keeping up with so many shows while they air. It was quite a struggle for me to try and figure out what my #2 and #3 top choices were here.
[ Rozen Maiden ] This choice is an equal balance of bias (I admit to having 6 year old Rozen Maiden posters in my room) and the fact that DEEN completely shocked me with this. I was expecting absolute crap regarding the animation, but instead, DEEN nailed the atmosphere. Yes, there was derp, but I was super impressed with how nice the end result turned out overall. The story itself was really nicely put together as well. At first the idea of having unwound Jun’s daily life drag out for episodes on end (while cramming all of the action scenes together) seemed like the exact opposite of what I wanted to see, but Rozen Maiden made it work perfectly. It’s always amazing when something I think will ruin a show for me becomes a winning quality. …The ending was really off for a number of reasons and I’m worried about what would happen if they made another season of this in the future continuing on from this point, but for the most part, this was really nice to watch.

[ Free! ] My reasons for putting this at number 2? …It was a dorama-filled swimming anime by KyoAni (with BL intonations). What else do you want from me? Okay fine, I guess I’ll elaborate. I don’t think anyone was expecting much (or at least I wasn’t) depth or real storyline after that first , uh, fabulous teaser that KyoAni put out originally for this series. Really, that’s all they needed to make the series successful for the fujoshi fandom. However, Free! went beyond that and amazingly had a pretty solid plot and characters. This wasn’t only good because of the animation, but the story was actually interesting to watch too, and there was a lot more universal appeal than I first thought this would have had. I mean, just look at all of the male viewers this managed to keep. Admittedly, I wasn’t so fond of the ending (other than Rei being the greatest character of the show), but by that point, I just wanted Rin to get his act together. Which he did. So this anime was pretty good.

[ Gatchaman Crowds ] Say what you want about the ending (…or the fact that the plot didn’t seem to be very organized, or the fact that very few characters were actually developed), I rather enjoyed this series. Hajime’s enthusiasm was contagious, the animation style was always interesting to see, and it brought up some interesting points and themes. …Some of which seemed really loaded (“Social media is great, guys. Look at it saving the world and stuff”), but they were interesting nonetheless. Seeing Rui struggle throughout the anime (and then eventually come to a conclusion) was really satisfying to watch as well. Oh, and the OST was really catchy. Though I should have expected as much from Iwasaki Taku (aka the guy who also composed the “Her name is Koko, she is loco. I say oh no.” song … and the rest of the Jormungand OST).

honorable-mentions: Uchouten Kazoku // Hakkenden S2 // Servant X Service // Shingeki no “ EVERYONE YOU LOVE IS DEAD” Kyojin // Prisma Illya // Danganronpa

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Because I still have yet to finish Genshiken Nidaime and Uchouten Kazoku (which I barely started and am already in love with), I thought that the criteria for my Top 3 list of summer shows should be based on what I looked forward to the most every week during the summer. And for once, it was more than just one show.~
[ Free! ] Am I going to say that an anime about swimming boys was my favorite out of an entire summer season? Hell yeah I am. While I meant to watch Free! for laughs because of cheesy the premise sounded, I ended up enjoying the entire series. I mean, yes we had our typical fanservice shots, and some over-dramaticized parts, but there was not one moment where I thought “I might not like this show after all.” The ending to Free! is what actually sealed the deal for me because of how well put together it was. It was this wonderful emotional roller coaster ride that ended with their friendship with Rin repaired and Rei truly fitting in as a teammate and friend. They were all such loveable and enjoyable characters, and I don’t think I’ve had this much fun with an anime in a while.

[ Love Lab ] Love Lab turned out to be a surprise favorite of mine. Initially I was going to drop the series, but the more hilarious situations the girls ended up in, the more I couldn’t wait to watch another episode. It had a fun, laid-back atmosphere to help contrast the more serious shows I was watching during the season. Even the problems they encountered, like Sayo getting caught with her boyfriend and of course Riko’s lie about having a lot of dating experience, had the right amount of seriousness and comedy to not throw off the overall tone of the show. I also loved that it didn’t entirely focus on the girls, but gave some screen time to their siblings and other people around them as well, who turned out to be just as entertaining as the girls themselves. Overall it was a great comedy series that I actually wouldn’t mind re-watching.

[ Danganronpa ] I had been interested in Dangan Ronpa for a while (thanks to a girl I met at a concert), but I lacked the motivation to actually get the game, get the English patch, etc, etc., so when the anime was announced I was pretty excited. It turned out to be quite the dark, enjoyable ride (at least from the perspective of person who’s never played the game). Crime shows typically get boring quickly, but Dangan Ronpa managed to make each murder intriguing and complicated enough so that it wasn’t easy to pick out the culprit. The added mystery of figuring out how they came to this school also kept the show from falling flat, even when it was agonizing waiting for more clues and for them to piece everything together. Of course, Dangan Ronpa’s uniquely styled characters, setting, and trial sequence made the show not only more visually-appealing, but more enticing to continue watching. Hopefully they’ll animate Super Dangan Ronpa 2, so I continue to lazily follow this awesome series.

honorable-mentions: Attack on Titan // Gatchaman Crowds

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This has been one amazing season of anime. For the first time, I can honestly say that there was at least one show coming out each day of the week that I was genuinely looking forward to. Now, not all shows managed to keep their quality throughout the entire run, but the ones that did will surely stay with me as some of the best all year.
[ Uchouten Kazoku ] It’s rare to see a show get its storytelling just so right. The second anime adaptation of a Tomihiko Morimi novel after 2010’s Masaaki Yuasa masterpiece Tatami Galaxy, this show showed off its pedigree with a fun, imaginative ride that had us falling in love with the eponymous eccentric family of tanuki. The first act set up all the characters and their lives, culminating in an unforgettable fireworks battle between a flying ship and a flying tea room above Kyoto, and the final act perfectly knocked everything down in a desperate battle for survival and family. All along, PA Works’s well established animation skills were on display with Koji Kumeta’s quirky character designs, and the best OP/ED combination of the season (especially if you’re a Mighty Mighty Bosstones fan!).

[ Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya ] One of the surprises of the season, I initially dropped it after 1 episode, only to pick it up several weeks later when I saw shots of Archer!Illya. What looked at first like a lighthearted magical girl show quickly became a high octane action fest with some of the most impressive melee combat seen in anime. Director Shin Oonuma is known mainly as that guy who is almost but not quite like Shinbo, and who knew he had such action skills up his sleeve? As a Type-Moon fan, I’m comfortable saying that this is by far the best TV anime adaptation of a Type-Moon work so far. I can’t wait to see what else Oonuma will pull out for the second season.

[ Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C³-Bu ] This was an even bigger surprise than Prisma Illya. A show about an airsoft club at an obscenely rich girl’s high school, it eschewed most of the typical high school club show tropes for a heartfelt character study on the young and immature newbie main character Yura. We got to see her slowly discovering her inner confidence through airsoft – with a bit of magical realism thrown in – before losing her way in her drive to succeed and finally finding it again. It ultimately didn’t do everything that it had the potential to do, but C3-bu was still a fun ride that pulled on the heartstrings. Gainax hasn’t been quite the same since Imaishi’s departure, but this was surely their best work in years.
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honorable-mentions: Servant x Service // Watamote // The World God Only Knows: Goddesses Arc // A Certain Scientific Railgun S

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A summer season where I watched the most anime I’ve watched, but there were definitely some shows that came to the top.
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summer13top3-highway [ Rozen Maiden ] I don’t know what possessed me to watch Rozen Maiden when it aired. A show about some kid and some dolls. Of course, I knew nothing about the series or the franchise when this series started, and the first episode was so hectic but there was something about it. I know that first episode pushed a lot of people away, but for me it was what drew me into the whole thing. Shinku was a perfect character for the show – haughty, self-absorbed, perfect posture, and yet, there was that caring depth that I thought I could see even in that first episode. The changed feel from the second episode on was great also, and I always felt like Deen was right on top of the show. The pace was deliberate, the feel was spot on. You got that Unwound Jun was waiting for something that wasn’t coming, and even though he didn’t realize it right away when it was Shinku, at the end he understood. And for her part, Shinku knew what Jun needed, and helped guide him that way with the smallest of touches.

[ Uchouten Kazoku ] In the early part of the season, I called Uchouten Kazoku a “Masterclass on Storytelling” and it continued to be that until the end. Always showing us the story, even in flashbacks, it brought us into its own conversation. It wasn’t lecturing us. It wasn’t just showing us. It was *including* us. We were around the tables when things were remembered. We learned more details as stories were retold with different people present. We became friends with Yasaburou, learned Yaichirou’s strengths and weaknesses, met Yajirou and Kaisei and felt their pain as each finally opened up about Souichirou’s fateful night. We reveled in the manifestations of the Shimogamo idiot blood, with aerial fireworks battles, threatening Maneki-neko, the back and forth of the Fake Eizan Electric Railway. And the work done by PA Works was astounding. A departure from their hyper-realistic style (which I love), they brought out a beauty in Kyoto that was at once real and enhanced, almost like an HDR photo. Colors popped, the action was interesting, the characters were fun to look at (the ears, tho, ehhh I guess it’s a style thing). The style definitely fit the story, and added to make the whole much better.

  [ Highschool DxD New ] It’s rare that an ecchi show is good enough to hold its own with well-written comedies like we had this season, but to me, DxD is the one that pulls it off. A good shounen-esque plot, but without the glacial pacing of most shounen stories, combined with the best ecchi in anime, makes for an easily watchable show with a lot of visual interest. Add in the acting of Kaji Yuki in this role that I think is the best for him and the great character designs and you have a show that pleases from start to finish. One thing I think is special about DxD is the personal growth of Issei throughout the whole series. He wants to grow, he wants to advance, and he actually does, as he turns from dope who does the wrong thing to guy who does the right thing. On the way, one girl after another falls in love with him, but in a rarity for a harem show, there actually feels like a reason for it. This series just holds up well, and I really recommend it to anyone, even those who go “Oh, it’s got boobs, it can’t be good.” This is the exception.

honorable-mentions: Servant x Service // Love Lab // Gin no Saji

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 Summer was hot. And so were the shows. I’m just kidding, my summer was unseasonably cool. And then fall was unseasonably warm. But you don’t care about that. So let’s talk about anime instead.
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[ Love Lab ] Hands down, without a doubt, no questions about it, best show of the season. My only regret was not being the one to blog it. But sometimes that’s fine. It means you get to enjoy the show at your leisure. What’s so great about Love Lab, you ask? The answer can only be: everything. I haven’t watched a show that made me honestly laugh so hard in a long time. When I say honestly laugh, I mean laughing at the comedy in the show and not at the show itself. The last time I had a good, hearty laugh was probably when I watched Nichibros. Comedy aside, there’s the more serious, budding relationship between the diverse student council members. To those who call it yuri, go watch an actual yuri show. While a little cliche at moments, Love Lab pulls this developing camaraderie off with surprising prowess for a seemingly simple gag-comedy. And on the note of gag-comedy, that’s not to say the show was completely devoid of wordplay either. Really, an easy pick for a quality feel-good show.

[ Rozen Maiden ] This was the show that broke my Rozen Maiden virginity. Maybe that language is a tad bit unsettling. But hey, that fits right in with this show. Not having any prior knowledge of anything Rozen Maiden, I must say that this alternate take did a fine job of introducing me to the universe. The first episode certainly was intimidating, but after that, the pacing slowed wayyyyyy down to a very comfortable gait. Perhaps too slow, some might say. But those people have probably taken too many energy drinks or are part of the new hyperactive generation. Anyway, mysterious and unsettling are two good words to describe the show. It takes its time drawing you into the intrigue of the dolls and the “deathmatch” that they are pitched into. And all the way through, there’s a fittingly gloomy backdrop and atmosphere, accomplished very much with the use of bgm. If you’re looking for a more somber and sober show, this is it.

[ Prisma Illya ] My first experience of Prisma Illya was when I stumbled across the manga online. I read it a bit, and wasn’t impressed in the least. So when I heard it was being turned into an anime, I rolled my eyes with much vigor. And then I watched the actual product. And this time I was impressed. I don’t know what happened there; maybe something was lost in translation when I attempted my initial reading stint. But that doesn’t matter any more, because the show has me solidly sold. Amongst magical girl parodies, this one takes the cake by having sassy wands that dupe little girls into becoming powerpuff lolis. Who needs to deconstruct the genre (I swear people drop that word like a bomb without even know what it really means) when you can simply make it better with fevered bouts of in-your-face smackdowns and a dash of crass humor?

honorable-mentions: Servant x Service // Watamote // Uchouten Kazoku

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fall13-verdantly Confession: I only watched three shows this summer, and thanks to some relationship drama, I haven’t finished two of them and the third hasn’t finished airing yet which means it doesn’t count as a summer show.  Long story short, I’m not sure how qualified I am to have a say here, so please take what I say with a boulder-sized grain of salt.  Without further ado, here’s what my rankings would be based on about at least 50% completion on these two (yes that’s right, two) shows.
summer13top3-verdantly [ Shingeki no Kyojin ] Since everyone and their mother (and supposedly even some grandmothers) was watching this series, I gave in to peer pressure and for once, it turned out to be the right decision.  The most common thought I had while watching Shingeki no Kyojin was “Less talking, more doing.”  Shingeki was very fortunate to have such a compelling storyline because most of the dialogue and characters were very dull and uninspiring to me.  Many of the characters may be fan-favorites, but I didn’t find all that much depth or originality to their personalities, save for a few (like Potato Girl).  I just wanted to fast-forward through nearly every long dialogue in the show because they were all just rehashes of a thousand other speeches seen in anime and were completely devoid of new insights or new takes on the subject.  I wanted “more doing” because the main appeals to Shingeki for me were the cliffhangers, the general direction of the storyline, and the setting itself.   Even if there weren’t anything else good about the series, I would still tune in each week to discover more about a world filled to the brim with mysteries which made it hard to predict at times where the story would turn next.  Come to think of it, maybe more shows should abide by the “Less talking, more doing” rule…

[ Free! ] I watched this because I was sorta forced to… but I found it surprisingly better than expected.  Having swam competitively in the past, this series did hold some appeal to me with its swimming aspect.  Additionally, the journey of building a team from scratch to take on the best gave Free! an underdog storyline that works decently well in nearly any show to keep viewers interested.  Plus, the animation is sublime, as is expected from KyoAni, and the music wasn’t half bad either, which made the constant fangirling I had to hear throughout every episode much easier to endure.
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Summer was… not a fulfilling season for me. Mostly because I was really swamped with schoolwork, projects and exams and had no proper time to watch my animu, but also because I couldn’t really find shows I liked enough to spend what little free time I had left watching. Those I did watch though, I liked a lot.
[ Shingeki no Kyojin ] I know lots of people are saying that this is the mainstream anime (or Sword Art Online 2013 lol) of the year which was made to attract casual and hardcore anime fans alike, I still think it managed to do accomplish the most important thing – keep me interested and excited for the next episode every single week. Yes, there are obvious plot holes and gaps which were left unexplained, but for me, it never failed to evoke some form of emotion in me (god, nearing the end of this show I was so emotionally affected after every episode I had to force myself to stop until my exams ended, otherwise I couldn’t have studied at all), whether it be UTTER DESPAIR or omg Levi y u so cool!1111, SnK really managed to make its way into my head and really make me come to appreciate its setting even if it’s all blood and gore and desperation as well as compel me to care for the characters even despite the fact that 80% of them are probably going to die off in the future. And that in itself, is a feat worth acknowledging.
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[ Free! ] made me remember the relationships of my past. Every scene whispered memories that I had long tucked away. It shared my secrets with me like an old friend that I hadn’t seen for a while. The success of this series lies in its strong characters that drive the plot forward. Very close attention was paid to subtle aspects of the three leads to make them very relatable. Leaving this series felt like I was saying goodbye to some very old friends.
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[ Rozen Maiden ] I’m rather new to the Rozen Maiden world, and even though I didn’t know a thing when I first started watching this show, I feel like I can really appreciate it and see why everybody loves it so much now. Perhaps the pacing was really off sometimes (ok, most of the time – after the first episode I was falling asleep after every episode) and maybe Jun is a really annoying slob of a main character, but you can’t deny that the idea of the 7 Rozen Maiden sisters and their world of magical sparkles and KILLING EACH OTHER TO BECOME THE ONE really draws you in. That, coupled with beautiful animation and adorable dolls made for quite an enjoyable experience. (I still really don’t like Jun though.)
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summer13top5

Just as usual, we conducted a team poll of Top 5 anime that ended airing in Summer season of 2013. Yep, the reason you don’t see Monogatari in there. Along with the top five above, which are not surprising if you flit across our individual list, the latter five were: Railgun S, Love Lab, Prisma Ily, Gatchaman and Highschool DxD. These are our team choice and now it’s your turn to tell us your own top seven of Summer and reason for selection. Click it up, ja ne~

Your Top 7 Summer Anime 2013? (Which finished airing last season)

View Results

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About

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!
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78 Responses to “Meta Team’s Top 3 Summer’13 Anime”

  1. tatsuya says:

    why so random ..zz

    • Foshizzel says:

      Random post or do you mean something else? If its the post well our writers are in different timezones so it takes a while to create these top 3 of the season posts xD

      • BlackBriar says:

        Good thing this post is centered on the Summer season animes and Summer 2013 was stronger than those of the previous years. If it were on the Fall season’s set of animes, I’d have trouble picking out and classifying the favorites at this moment. That one is always the most strenuous. There are too many interesting shows floating around right now.

  2. skylion says:

    Uchouten Kazoku
    Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya
    Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S

    It was pretty easy to pick my top three. The Eccentric Family was brilliant on all levels and as Jrow says, an easy contender for AOTY. Probably one of the best written shows this year. Fun, believable, characterizations, interesting motivations and a level of viewpoints that just simmer like a fresh nabe. Hold the tanuki, please.

    It was because of Prism Ilya, that I put extra effort, despite 50+ hour work weeks and other numerous commitments, into finishing Fate/Zero. Now I know that really wasn’t needed to “get” Ilya, but I felt I needed to have the culture down. I’m glad I did, as it became a favorite, and Prism Ilya makes it there, too. The Installs that both Ilya and Miyu undertook as Archer and Saber were intense!

    Railgun S. I do loves me some Academy City. And thou it has some derpy repeated stuff, I found that I enjoyed it and looked forward to the next episode very much. ITEM has become one of my favorite teams, and all the promise that it holds in the LN volumes will be true to the show as well.

    Best Mentions. Servant X Service, Kiniro Mosaic, and The Sunday Without God.

    • Foshizzel says:

      I fell off the wagon early with Uchouten around episode four I think? I should go back and finish that series off! It seemed to be the hit of the summer season.

      FK YA Prism-illya! I wasn’t sure how that series would go down because I was fully expecting the normal take on magical girls fighting the boss of the week every time, but it was a fun ride and I can’t wait for season two <3

      Oooooooh yesssssssssssssssss! Railgun fTW! I wish we had more episodes and I agree 1000% that Item was one of the best team reveals of the season, but I have high hopes for a season three in the future or even a Railgun movie? Either way I can't wait! That and we kinda have to sit around waiting for Index s3 announcements...

      Servant x Service = LOVEEEED
      Kiniro Mosaic = SO FREAKING CUTE
      Sunday without god = Ai why so dumb

      • skylion says:

        Endymion was a weird show; so I kinda hope they don’t do a cameo laden derpy Railgun film. Oh, who am I kidding, do it, do it JC.

        I’ve read the Prism Ilya manga, and it is a unique take on the magical girl genre, with all the usual trappings. Silver Link is boss, bring on 2wei!

        Yeah, Ai was the special kind of MC, wasn’t she?

        • d-LaN says:

          I’m kinda wondering, will they adapt the Liberal Arts City arc as a movie or for Railgun S3?

          • Foshizzel says:

            I want the sports arc! I am reading the manga and things are getting CRAZY with Misaka, Touma and another lvl5? YES I love the progress so far.

            Liberal Arts City I don’t think I am familiar with that arc yet, but do you know when it happens in the novel? Currently I am in 15 with GROUP, ITEM and BLOCK doing their thing.

            • skylion says:

              Liberal Arts would make a great movie. I want the series to focus the manga, as Fosh says, The Sports Arc.

              And then in Index, skip all those parts and get to important things. Like the Birdways…

            • d-LaN says:

              @Fosh Its one of those BD special LNs and the TL is up at B-T. Its abt Misaka and co going to field trip to an man made Island in… California i think?

              @skylion I just ask that the anime team do justice Acqua badass-ness.

    • Kyokai says:

      I’m glad you took the time to finish Fate/Zero finally. Nasuverse is filled with a lot of depth and even in case of different stories, the number of characters and what they can do is never fully explained so you are kept guessing. For me, Illya was an entertaining series. It became more so when rather than just using the magical girl transformation, the girls took the visage of servants. That was definitely the best part and now I can’t wait to see Gilgamesh in second season because as I heard, it gets fiercer, which is all good. :3

      • skylion says:

        I don’t know if I will dip another toe into the rest of the Nasuverse; but I do have an interest in the Garden of Sinner films….As it stands Fate/Zero started of rather slow and ponderous to me, and it quickly started to take shape just before they went into the season break. After that I devoured them. It was The Butcher at his best.

        I’ve read all the available manga for Prism Ilya, and they do quite well in taking a ton of scratched and dented magical girl tropes and do a fine repair and polish on them. As Silver Link is quickly becoming one of my favorite studios, I await the next season with relish.

        Oh, the Gilgamesh Install blows everything away…

        • Kyokai says:

          Well, the actual nasuverse is bloodier than Butcher’s take but he did a job well done so no criticism for him. I just wish the ufotable FSN adaptation that has been confirmed picks up Fate/stay night with its full glory, something DEEN completely failed at.

          • skylion says:

            I did watch the first two episode of FSN. Wow. Just utter blech. Yes. Ufotable to the rescue.

      • skylion says:

        Ach, Spammy ate that reply…

  3. skylion says:

    Oh, I didn’t put Genshiken Nadiame down as a Best Mention.

    • Foshizzel says:

      One of these days ill check out Genshiken! I just didn’t want to watch the newest season without having some past season experience~

      • skylion says:

        I dl’d and watched like the first two episode of the first series….and it felt so disconnected to me. That’s personal. I thought the new show did a good job on carving it’s own turf, with nods to the past. As it is, I could pick the past relationships out of context; the show did rather oversell those things. It’s a great show, watch it with little regard for the previous…

        • Highway says:

          I watched more than half of the first season (before Nidaime started airing), and the third season is definitely better (at least for me). I’m a bit interested in the development of Sasahara and Ogiue’s relationship, which I’m guessing was second season, but that’s really the only thing I think I’m missing out on.

          I do think that maybe Nidaime put a little too much spotlight on Hato, and could have used more of the other first year girls, instead of making them so single-note.

          And I have to say that that show was perhaps the most difficult to understand the nuances, with kuuki yomenai being such a major factor in how the relationships and explanations work.

          • skylion says:

            I have to defend the Hato angle, as so much was set up with her. If they do another season, I think that will pay off nicely.

  4. Joojoobees says:

    I’m glad to see so much love for Uchouten Kazoku; it really stood out as an excellent series in many ways.

    As for me:
    1. Uchouten Kazoku
    2. Gin no Sagi
    3. Rozen Maiden

    Honorable Mention: Genshiken Nidaime, Servant x Service

    • Highway says:

      All five there were ones I enjoyed. And Uchouten Kazoku definitely did stand out for being a very different sort of show. Definitely worthy of acclaim.

    • Kyokai says:

      While doing Summer preview, I was almost scared how P.A Works will handle Uchouten Kazoku due to HanaIro slowness but they ended up adapting it very well.

  5. MgMaster says:

    Good to see that Love Lab was pretty well received here.It’s a shame I didn’t know of this site back then as it wasn’t blogged on either of the two anime blogs I like to read.It was definitely a fun show and it’d be nice if it gets a 2nd season.

    • Highway says:

      Love Lab was fun to cover, even if it was a challenge to write about sometimes without just saying what happened. I’d like to see more of the show also, because we were just getting to the point where the girls were interacting with people outside of the school.

  6. Liza says:

    My top three have to be ServantXService, Gin no Saji and I guess a three way-tie between Rozen Maiden and Danganronpa and Free.

    I didn’t watch that many summer anime looking back on it. Or I never finished a bunch. I still need to finish Prism Ilya, Majestic Prince and AoT is sitting at episode 13, probably never to be finished as the fandom was really getting to me with spoilers everywhere to the point that I just did not care anymore.

    My honorable mention goes to Watamote because at least Tomoko can be popular on the internet. XD

    • Foshizzel says:

      Nice choices for your top 3! I loved Servant x Service and Danganronpa for “guess the murderer” of the week.

      YESSSS finish Majestic Prince! I had a blast with that mecha and same for Prisma illya <3

      OMG WATAMOTE FTW~

    • Kyokai says:

      I still think Gin no Saji deserved more love because it was a unique SoL show. I just fell in love with Hachiken’s character in the end, being voiced by Ryohei Kimura was a plus.

      • skylion says:

        My parents grew up in rural South Eastern Kentucky. I showed them a few spots in the show, especially the Road Kill episode. As I predicted, both of them laughed along with the characters when the truck hit the bear. For the record, their favorite anime is Hanasaku Iroha. My Dad love Manager-san.

  7. Murazrai says:

    Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live is still airing as of now.

    • Foshizzel says:

      That is another series I never got into but I hear it is kind of fun and its like Aikatsu right?

      • Murazrai says:

        It is similar with Aikatsu in terms of the genre, but it has more character drama and dark moments. I consider both as very good little girls’ idol anime, though.

        • Foshizzel says:

          Aikatsu has some interesting characters like the “vampire” cosplayer and a few others! I guess ill add Pretty Rhythm to my “watch eventually” list haha

      • Liza says:

        My sister is currently watching it and she says she likes it a lot. She really loves all idol shows though. XD

    • Kyokai says:

      Good catch, removed from the poll.

  8. BlackBriar says:

    These choices are never easy and clear cut to make. Why do they make us suffer so?

    My top 3 Summer Animes are:
    Shingeki no Kyojin
    Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S
    Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya

    Shingeki no Kyojin: How could I not give this series its props? It’s not every day there’s a series that keeps on edge with every episode in its arsenal. Death, despair and so much feels! There are so much things talk about that it can’t be summed up in a few words but its strong points are in its world building, character developments and the frightening, relentless ability to hit you with unbelievable situations that there’s no way you can’t feel emotional.

    Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S: More of the full throttle electric tsundere is always a pleasure. The Sisters arc was the best because it’s where Misaka is at her most vulnerable, she analyzes the aspects of her life and you see what she does to protect those she cares about even when there are times her enemies are out of her league.

    Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya: Still a novice to Type Moon, I find Silver Link did well with a magical girl show that wasn’t cliché. Though Ufotable didn’t have a hand in it, the animation was flawless and characters were likable even when some were completely haughty. I’m looking at you Luvia. Plus, if I had to name the best fight in the series, it’s the one between Illya and Saber.

    Honorable Mentions: Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi, Mushibugyou, Danganronpa, Senki Zesshou Symphogear G, Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou, High School DxD New, Gatchaman Crowds, Love Lab, Servant x Service, Gin no Saji, Uchouten Kazoku.

    • Kyokai says:

      Illya was originally making my top 3 as well but then Uchouten and Gin no Saji happened. Overall a good season of Summer.

      • BlackBriar says:

        Were you bribed with ridiculous amounts of Electric Brandy from the Ebisugawas and bacon from Hachiken to betray your loyalty to Type Moon? I’m ashamed of you, Kyokai. 😉

        • skylion says:

          The mental image of Kyo hoarding and lording it up on Electric Brandy and Pork Bowl Bacon is one that will not leave me for at least….wow…a few more moments.

          • Kyokai says:

            Oh you two! 0__0

            Sadly, I don’t drink and eat bacon, rather I was won over with the content of the two shows.

            And technically Illya is not a Type-Moon/Nasu creation rather based on a doujin mangaka’s take on an AU, which they approved later. 😛

    • Namika says:

      After watching Code Geass, I thought that nothing could grip my heart tighter and top it’s epicness, but then Shingeki no Kyojin happened. (almost) everything about that show is amazing!

  9. akagami says:

    FFXIV has taken over my spare time >.<

    I'm still finishing up some Winter/Spring shows, ahhh….

    But have to say Servant x Service surprised me. I initially dropped it, only to pick it back up due to one of the bloggers I follow, and have been finding it lots of fun to watch.

    • Highway says:

      You don’t have to say that it wasn’t me who convinced you to restart ServantxService. I’ll be glad to continue in the delusion that it was. 🙂

      It was definitely a very close 4th to HS DxD New for me, but unfortunately it wasn’t “Top 4 Summer Shows”. If it had ended with Lucy and Yutaka definitely a couple, it might have moved up.

  10. fragb85 says:

    The comments of Prisma Illya surprises me, because it seems like this is something new for Metanorn.

    Primsa Illya is awesome no doubt and it will certainly be even more awesome when the inevitable second season comes. But it just follows the trend that Pretty Cure and ESEPCIALLY Nanoha have already established years before Prisma did: Make Magical Girls AWESOME!. There’s even a PrismaxNanoha crossover manga, you might want to look into that.

    I’m a little bummed that there’s barely a nod to Symphogear G. It was doing the same thing as Illya was doing, displaying badass Magical Girls.

    • BlackBriar says:

      Yeah, it really is a shame Symphogear G hardly got a mention. The second season outdid the first with flying colors and had a lot more action. I’d put that anime right alongside Prisma Illya.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Yeah Prisma illya is quite interesting! I had no idea how fun it would end up being! Yeah Nanoha/PreCure has some awesome artwork and epic battles in the later episodes like Heartcatch’s final two episodes?! They are awesome~

      I love me some Symphogear G! That was a ton of fun xD

      • skylion says:

        Smyhogear was good derpy fun, but I can’t say it was a favorite.

        • Foshizzel says:

          I feel the same with Symphogear and Valvrave I like them but they are not the “best thing ever created” they certainly have issues of their own.

    • Kyokai says:

      Prisma Illya and other related works of Type-Moon are definitely not new for Meta. ^^

  11. Kyokai says:

    Just a friendly recommendation for the people who liked Uchouten Kazoku, watch Yojouhan Shinwa Takei (Tatami Galaxy). It’s from the same writer and Madhouse along with Masaaki Yuasa (that kickheart dude), did a pretty good job of it.

    • lvlln says:

      I can’t second this emphatically enough. Tatami Galaxy is one of my all time favorites, with some extremely tight writing. A wonderful concept executed very well by Yuasa and Madhouse, even better than PA Works’s work.

  12. skylion says:

    Will someone please keep Spammy from humping my metaphorical leg?

  13. Di Gi Kazune says:

    I would list as the top 3:
    1. Priya
    2. Genei Taiyou
    3. #3 is a lie!

    Because those are the only things I have watched. Gen’ei Taiyou is so very underrated…

    Since people want to rank their top anime, to put this forward: WOULD you buy the discs for the #1 on your top list?

    /me goes back to listing Prisma Illya OST 2 – Shoujo Shinka!

  14. Rakkyo says:

    My serious top 3 list:
    1. Kiniro Mosaic
    2. Kiniro Mosaic
    3. Kiniro Mosaic

    My not-so-serious top 3:
    1. Love Lab
    2. Gin no Saji
    3. Railgun S

    I also see another vote for RKB on the poll. Who was it? FESS UP!
    (I am in no way implying that second vote is mine. Nope. Not at all.)

  15. d-LaN says:

    So many shows tht I backlogged halfway/early and didn’t bothered are all being mentioned >_>

    These are top 3 that I liked the most that I watched to completion and in no particular order.

    -Railgun S (Screw the canonfags, the finale was awesome)
    -Neptunia The Animation (Did I mention tht I’m a huge fan of the series?)
    -Gatchaman Crowds (Not so awesome finale, but overall entertaining enough to get on top 3)

    Honorable mention

    Danganronpa: Not the best adaptation, but it is way more faithfull than DeSu2: TA and I liked it. (DeSu2: TA was OK, but its…. not so good as an adaptation)

    Free: Not done yet (stopped at EP9), but I like the characters and sexy water.

    Rozen Maiden: I admit, the show can be ZZZZZZ at time or I just have no idea wht the characters are talking abt at times. Still I like the dolls enough to keep going on until Fall season starts.

    Prisma Ilya: This got backlogged at like, EP2 lol. But I like wht I see of it and the impression are good.

    KamiInai: No one does dem pretty colors like Madhouse. I’m not tht bothered by Ai either so its a plus. (Then again, I backlogged it at EP3)

    MJP: Shame that Fall happened and I’m so close to the end. The mecha porn is awesome and the plot just get better as it goes. Now can some1 just translate the side story manga?

    C3 Bu: Would’ve prefer Girls und Guns but w/e, C3: The Line is OK as well.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Great list there d-LaN even though I did not like anything about Gatchaman minus the OST and some of the characters.

      Free was a surprise for me and I would love to see another season of that.

      MJP! I WANT ANOTHER SEASON <3 <3 <3

      • d-LaN says:

        Well, look forward for the who-knows-when-its-coming-out MJP game at the very least.

        Lol @ gangsta goldfish avatar.

    • Kyokai says:

      Out of your list, definitely finish Prisma Illya and why no Gin no Saji? I think you’ll like it.

      • d-LaN says:

        Its one of those “check it out later” shows and then forgotten due to IRL busy-ness.

        Will def finish PI…. until I can find a way to get the non-Nico ones and a computer tht can watch it. Ain’t watching that on college com yo.

  16. belatkuro says:

    My top 3 would be:

    1. Prisma Illya: Was there any doubt I wouldn’t pick this? As a TM fan, I totally enjoyed it. The character design was weird(Shirou’s hair!!) but I got over it. As an adaptation it was nearly perfect in all regards. And let’s not forget about the highlight of the show which is the Saber Alter vs Archer Illya, complete with a new EMIYA remix. 10 episodes looked short but it was enough considering the length of the first series. Plus a second season announced which is awesome as the second series is where things really roll. If I’d make an analogy, this season is just the Fate route which laid the foundation of stuff. 2wei is pretty much UBW route.
    Shame that the overall reception of this was pretty weak but it’s really more than meets the eye. Waiting for the second season and I would fangasm so hard if by chance the F/SN adaptation by ufotable would air in the same season as 2wei. Tall order but here’s hoping.

    2. Shingeki – The most talked about show this year.
    A pretty great show and adaptation, pacing issues and still shots aside. The 3DMG movements and the OST are my favorite aspects of this. The characters are also great most of the time(*coughErencough*). I would love a second season of this as much as anyone but it would be a few years before we get one as there’s not much material available.

    3. Gin no Saji – A show that I believe was judged from the beginning because of its author. Some, if not most, brushed this off because it wasn’t FMA. Well they sure missed out on a great story here. Farm life has never been this entertaining, informative and inspirational. Arakawa knows what she is doing and her love shows a lot in here. I especially loved the episode where Hachiken first rode a horse. The impact of that scene was just great. Glad that it’s a split cour and I’m certainly going to watch it next season.

    Honorable Mentions:
    Uchouten Kazoku: Admittedly the second show out of all the PA Works shows that I really liked. The art and animation was so unlike their usual works but it was a breath of fresh air nonetheless. And the characters are all likeable, even those twin brothers. I plan to watch Tatami Galaxy next as I heard it’s from the same author as this one. So yeah.

    Highschool DxD: Delicious PLOT and BACKSTORY along with a solid plot and backstory. What more could you want. It was a good adaptation with decent pacing and great characters. Season 3 when? Also, oppai.

    Railgun S: Just a special mention really. This would have been top 3 for me if not for that godawful Cloverfield aka Silent Party arc. The Sisters arc was perfect in every ways and one of the best Raildex adaptations but then Nagai Space had to bullshit the second half. Just…ugh. Water under the bridge now.
    A season 3 would be nice if Nagai would stick to the source material. Fortunately, the next arc is pretty long and there’s not much opportunity to sneak in fillers so if he’ll stick to the source then I would be a happy camper. Of course this is the director who loves Saten to death so….

    • Namika says:

      Everyone is complaining about the still shots in Titans. But I found that rather interesting, and it didn’t annoy me at all.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Great list! I feel your pain on Railgun S and I will agree they did waste a lot of time on that filler arc with Febri and the sisters stuff is fine because I know tons of people that avoid Index and have no idea who the sisters are so it works for those fans of only Railgun. For the next season I want at least 1-2 “cannon” stories and maybe one filler or how about no filler at all? YES PLEASE and Saten is a very likeable character she has her moments.

      DXD New I just finished and DAAAYUM the final three episodes were so good~

    • Kyokai says:

      I’ll look forward to the Illya S2 just because of Gilgamesh! xD

  17. Namika says:

    Shingeki no Kyojin – because no matter what, this anime was incredible. And to me, if an anime grips my heart so much and makes me cry it means something. Though it’s kinda sad that people call it overhyped or mainstream. Well, it may be kinda mainstream, because even my mom watched it 😀 But it definitely lived up to the hype it got.
    Free! – I didn’t expect this show to be so good. But it was! Not just because of the bishies and BL-ish tone. The atmosphere of Free is so unique and splendid, and the characters are very loveable. There was nothing that could be changed or done better. I need more *^*
    Gin no Saji – I waited until this anime ended and then marathoned it. Oh the glory~ I loved it to bits. Hachiken was so cute and loveable, and the show was overall very endearing, lighthearted, but at the same time it was very meaningful. As expected of Hiromu Arakawa. Can’t wait for the 2nd season~ <3

    • Foshizzel says:

      Titans is fantastic! I can’t wait to see if Toonami grabs that whenever it gets dubbed and I pray that Funimation gives us an awesome dub! Seriously AoT needs a quality dub not some garbage one, but I know most hardcore anime fans will not give a dub a chance in hell…

      FREEEEEEE! I was shocked at how much I enjoyed that and I have to give KyoAni a high five for making it enjoyable for us males even though the homo-vibes were off the scale in that series ahahah

      MOAR FARM ADVENTURES SOON!

      • Namika says:

        I think (and hope) FUNimation will treat this anime seriously. FMA, Soul Eater, Ouran Host Club, Code Geass… all of those dubs were great. So I’m in high hopes..

        NOOOO, I swear, those homo vibes are much more apparant in Kuroko no Basket than in Free 😀 Yeah, the tone was clearly BL, but not as obvious and straightforward, as you would expect.

        YES!

    • Kyokai says:

      – Titans eating humans that we like is depressing yet I still became used to it.

      – Free! is all about water porn. Yep, it’s a thing!

      – Hachiken’s an amazing straight man. xD

      • Namika says:

        Yup, it is. But even that didn’t stop us from loving this show 😀

        Water porn. Well said, Kyokai-san. Sexy water

        He’s a wonderful, straight homo sapiens.

  18. Riktol says:

    Wall of text below:
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