×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
Summer Season 2011: Final Weeks / Postmortem


Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4  Next

Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Anime
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter
Exempt from Grammar Rules


Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 4609
Location: Gainesville, FL
PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:55 pm Reply with quote
This thread is an attempt at a “master thread” for the season. One thread to talk about the season as a whole from preview (ideally in the future) to postmortem and only the subtitle will change. I’ll index the different sections as I change the title as well as link to threads for the shows that members create dedicated threads for.

Sections (hot-linked as they happen):
Preview (see directly below)
First Impressions (approximately weeks 1-4, starts with the second post)
Midpoint (approximately weeks 5-8)
Final Weeks (approximately weeks 9-13)
Postmortem
____________________________________________________________________
Preview:

Next week I plan to open a very early Fall Season Preview thread which will be the beginning of that season’s master thread, one which will index the different charts and resources in this section of the thread as they become available. Since this

Summer Preview Thread (normally this wouldn’t be here as this thread would include the preview talk)

Neregate Chart

ANN’s List of Summer Season 2011 TV Anime in Japan

____________________________________________________________________
Index of shows with Forum threads:

I don’t want to step on the territory of the dedicated threads or the official Season Preview thread but those only go so far, two weeks for example. I guess this might be a little dead until the Preview talkback is through but I hope it eventually catches on.
I do personally think this could be a way to lessen or replace current season chatter in the “What are You Watching” thread.

ANN’s Summer Season Preview and Talkback thread


New Shows :
(or sequel seasons)

Baka to Test to Shōkanjū / Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts

Blood-C

A Dark Rabbit Has Seven Lives

The IDOLM@STER

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée / La Croisée dans un labyrinth étranger

Kamisama Dolls

Kamisama No Memo-cho

Mawaru Penguindrum

The Mystic Archives of Dantalian

Natsume Yuujinchou San

No. 6

Nurarihyon no Mago: Sennen Makyō

R-15

Sacred Seven

Usagi Drop

YuruYuri

Continuing:

Beelzebub

Blue Exorcist/ Ao no Exorcist

Hanasaku Iroha

Hyouge Mono

Nichijou/My Ordinary Life

Steins;Gate

Tiger and Bunny

(If I missed any or you would like me to link to long-running series' threads, send me the link and I'll add them)


Last edited by Spastic Minnow on Sun Sep 25, 2011 8:41 pm; edited 14 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter
Exempt from Grammar Rules


Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 4609
Location: Gainesville, FL
PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:56 pm Reply with quote
And I’ll make a few very brief comments on the shows I’ve seen so far to start it off. If they have a dedicated thread I’ll mostly talk about them there but something should go here.

Sacred Seven: Could be a fun little heroes and monsters show, I doubt we’ll see much depth in it though.

Kamisama No Memo-cho: I dug the first episode, it stays true to its genre conventions without being a slave to them, a weakness I saw in the similar Gosick

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée: Very interesting, unique setting, likable characters, don’t know where it will go but I like what I see so far.

Ro-Kyu-Bu! I watched it today and I’ve almost forgot about it. Looks like Softenni without even a hint of the absurdity of that show. A moe/loli/sports show… I might check out another episode, might not.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
rojse



Joined: 08 Sep 2010
Posts: 234
PostPosted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 1:47 am Reply with quote
My first impression was that there is a dearth lack of shows involving giant robots in this season.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
EmbraceMe



Joined: 17 Dec 2010
Posts: 2013
Location: Growing old and jaded.
PostPosted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 2:27 pm Reply with quote
I've only watched... 3 or 4 shows so far and they are:

Yuyuyuri
Kamisama No Memocho
Kamisama Dolls
Ikoku Meiro No Croisee

I'm a bit mixed on the summer season, Kamisama No Memochoa and Ikoku Meiro No Croisee seem to be the most interesting shows so far and there doesn't seem to be much that appeals to me. I have about 2 to 4 shows that have gained my interest but they haven't aired yet.

Overall, it seems like a decent season so far. If I don't like most of the shows, I'll go catch up on Natsume which I have yet to watch. Or I could just finish my backlog.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter
Exempt from Grammar Rules


Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 4609
Location: Gainesville, FL
PostPosted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 10:29 am Reply with quote
As expected, the Preview thread is the main place to talk about these (and I recommend doing so) but I want keep this on the front page and in people's minds, so here are some more quick reactions.

Kaitō Tenshi Twin Angel-
Helped by negative reviews, I didn't last into five minutes of the show. It didn't look good.

Kamisama Dolls-
I can't watch a show with a psycho villain this season- he could have the best back story imaginable- he acts like a typical sneering psycho anime villain and I've enough of those.

Mayo Chiki!-
I predict this will get a "good" rating from me at the end of the year, full of the type of characters and cliches I enjoy but nothing special.

Morita-san wa Mukuchi-
I don't think the short run-time is ideal for first time viewer, I think I'll enjoy this because I watched the OVA and had a proper introduction to what the character is all about.

Natsume Yūjin-Chō San-
More of the same from the previous seasons, which is exactly what I wanted. Looks great, nice BGM, relaxing while still being intriguing.

No. 6-
I think I can enjoy this, I get a slight Fractale feeling from it, I hope it can deliver on its ambiguous intro better than that show did.

Usagi Drop-
Damn me for seeing the manga spoiler for the end, but I'll enjoy the sweetness while it lasts and judge the ending if they get that far. I suspect they won't get there in an 11 ep. show.

Yuruyuri-
The 4th wall breaking section of this show suggests it could have some tricks up its sleeve aside from its "cute (yuri-lite) girls in school" set-up
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Mylene



Joined: 07 Feb 2006
Posts: 2792
Location: Indiana
PostPosted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:38 pm Reply with quote
I've only watched 1 new show thus far, but will probably check out a couple more as well (disappointed that 3 of the shows I'm interested in didn't get picked up by a legal streaming site).

Bunny Drop was not at all a disappointment, which was a relief given how much I love the Yen Press release of the manga. Like just about everyone else I was recently spoiled on the ending (I clicked on a spoiler because the person didn't indicate that it was a spoiler for the end), but I've decided to push that aside and just watch. Surprisingly, my husband also watched the episode, and he didn't lose interest. Instead, he watched the entire thing, and began asking me questions about how the manga played out, where the focus was, etc. It's pretty cool when a family drama can pull in someone who isn't even remotely interested in family dramas. I think it speaks well to the quality of the storytelling, although I do see the points that Carlo made in his preview guide review.

I'd start a discussion thread for the series, but I think it'd consist of everyone talking about the ending of the manga! (Yes, I know I'm guilty of it too.)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Unicorn_Blade



Joined: 18 Jul 2010
Posts: 1153
Location: UK
PostPosted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 4:33 pm Reply with quote
This is going to be the first season where I will be watching more than one series- I was initially only interested on No.6, but things are looking good for a few other series.

I am continuing Stein's Gate that just reached a new level of awesomeness. I really want to know what is going to happen next.

I had a good feeling about No.6 and the first episode did not disappoint me. Lovely art, possibly a very good plot, possibly very interesting characters. We will see where it all goes.

Blood-C: what I disliked about it is the lack of consequence- Saya keeps on tripping over her own feet every 5 minutes, somehow manages to fight a statue with freaking claws without all the silliness- was that "My oh my, I'm so clumsy" really necessary?

I will definitely be checking out Ikoku Meiro No Croisee and Usagi Drop once I finish what I am currently watching.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
SethMosrite



Joined: 27 Nov 2010
Posts: 173
Location: Boston, MA
PostPosted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 2:43 am Reply with quote
Quick impressions on just the new shows.

These are the ones I'll be continuing:
Kamisama No Memo-cho I like the gritty, ripped-from-the-headlines mystery, but the girl is more annoying than Victorique and not as cute.
Sacred Seven Big dumb action show. I'll still watch it.
Ikoku Meiro no Croisee Very little plot but nice to look at and has heart.
YuruYuri Jokes mostly miss and there's no yuri but cute enough to give it another episode.
Usagi Drop Quietly nailed the tension and drama of the family dynamic. Definite keeper.
No. 6 I love sci-fi and this was a promising start. BL undercurrents?
Blood-C Best premier episode so far, violent and beautiful.
Kamisama Dolls An interesting premise with adult characters, this one has sleeper hit written all over it.
Mayo Chiki! Horribly cliched, but holding out hope for a fun fan service romp.

I will not be continuing with these:
Uta no Prince-sama Watched about 5 minutes, not my thing.
IDOLM@STER same as above.
Kaito Tenshi Twin Angel Made it through but it's dumb as hell.
Ryo-kyu-bu! Take Bamboo Blade and make it about basketball in elementary school but also make it horrible and creepy.

I'll update when I watch the other premiers.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
Teriyaki Terrier



Joined: 26 Mar 2008
Posts: 5689
PostPosted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 12:53 pm Reply with quote
My impressions of Summer anime 2011? For the first time since I started watching anime a decade ago, this is be the first time ever I am not watching a brand new series.

I am not into moe at all and although I occasionally watch slice of life shows, I like them to have substance and a plot like Genshiken.

And to be honest, although I have watched several sci fi shows and robot themed shows, those can be hit or miss as well.

I would have watched Usagi Drop, but because of the way the manga ends, there is no way I'll watch the anime.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:09 pm Reply with quote
rojse wrote:
My first impression was that there is a dearth lack of shows involving giant robots in this season.


It's okay, we have the maids. Laughing
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter
Exempt from Grammar Rules


Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 4609
Location: Gainesville, FL
PostPosted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:49 pm Reply with quote
@Teriyaki Terrier

I think you may be judging hastily, there are definitely some shows with unique features you may be missing out on. Not all of them may pan out but it seems early to discount the entire season. True even the most unique feature some cliche character or set-up but the best also promise something a bit different.

Kamisama No Memo-cho features a girl that dresses in Goth Lolita when she goes out but it looks to be decent mystery show that may deal with real-world issues and a cast that's more akin Durarara than some other overused cast archetypes. That first case was genuinely touchingly tragic.

Ikoku Meiro No Croisee okay, the girl is a bit super-kawaii, but this is definitely not a typical slice of life. Period France, a focus on a culture clash, a feel good show about a girl far from home but unlike Aria it certainly isn't going to be a cute girls show, there's only one girl.

Mawaru Penguindrum- I really can't see that its possible to judge this without watching an episode. the end suggests it may play with taboos which you might not appreciate if you're boycotting Usagi Drop but it's certainly not a show you can neatly categorize into a niche.

No. 6 Okay, there is a problem here for me, it's an 11 episode series of a 9 volume novel series- no way it will end completely satisfactorily in one season, and no guarantee of it continuing, but it has some promise to be a "hit" sci-fi series.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Scormio





PostPosted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:01 pm Reply with quote
My opinions on the shows I've seen:

Ro-Kyu-Bu! - Come for the loli's, stay for the (surprisingly good, so far) story.

Yuruyuri - A funny semi-yuri show that doesn't take itself too seriously, and is funnier for it.

Usagi Drop - This show is just good. Good story, interesting characters, and I really liked the art style. Plus, Rin is cute x 10.
Back to top
Yttrbio



Joined: 09 Jun 2011
Posts: 3652
PostPosted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:23 pm Reply with quote
Careful, in-depth analysis:

Kami-sama no Memo-cho - Aww... so cute

Kami-sama Dolls - Awwww... so cute!

Ikoku Meiro no Croise - Awwwwww... sooo cuuuute!!

Usagi Drop - Awwwwwwwwwww... SOOOO CUUUUUUUTE!!!!

I think I'm going to go look at pictures of kittens now.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
silencer226



Joined: 24 Apr 2010
Posts: 302
PostPosted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:30 pm Reply with quote
Kamisama no Memocho-I liked the first episode, it seems like its going to be a promising show, I honestly didn't expect much and was surprised when I noticed it wasn't going to be just a 20 minute episode, which I think really helped me get into it.

Kamisama Dolls- Um... gonna have to rewatch it, but I think I'll enjoy this...

Baka to Test to Shōkanjū Ni! -Um... feels like I watched a tacked on last minute episode from season 1 *shrugs*.

Blood-C- I couldn't even take the first minute serious... thus I didn't bother.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
the Rancorous



Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 2248
Location: Hunting the Dragon in Gransys
PostPosted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:48 pm Reply with quote
First Impressions:

Yuru Yuri - Looks like it'll be fun-fun-silly-willy. Cute characters that have thus far not been annoying and light yuri elements to boot.

Kamisama Dolls - Seems like standard action/thriller show. I'll stick with it for now.

Sacred Seven - Wait a second........ what happened? Confused It reminds me of Demonbane; big, powerful organization that controls the city ran by a young girl with a Battle-Butler and a legion of Battle-Maids fighting monsters with random dude turned superhero. Looks like a fun roller-coaster ride, but the first episode moved so fast I nearly passed out from the G-force!

Twin Angel - No, I will not suffer myself this show, I will not suffer myself this show, I will not suffer myself this show, I will not suffer myself this show, If I write this enough, it might come true!

Blood-C - Good grief, this episode pissed me off! I find it completely stupid how they make Saya trip and fall all the time, be a complete ditz, but yet she's not only the school's star athlete, but a highly skilled warrior, too? Where's the sense?!?! They so poorly mixed the night-and-day elements together that the battle at the end felt completely out of place from the rest of the episode.

Ikoku Meiro No Croisee - I have absolutely no idea where this one is going to go, but it was pretty and nicely written, so I'll stick around for a while.

A Dark Rabbit has Seven Lives - got about 5-7 minutes in, and realized that I'm not going to watch a single full episode of this. Bye bye.

R-15 - whatever happened to the days when harem-ish shows introduced each of the girls slowly, one-by-one over several episodes and limited the number of them to about 4-6 total? It worked so much better that way. Now it seems that they bloat the cast up to as many as they can think of and then try and cram as many of the girls into the intro as they can and hope we viewers have photo-graphic memories or something.

Haven't gotten to any of the other new shows yet. As for continuing shows from Spring, I'll just list the ones I'm continuing; Hanasaku Iroha, Blue Exorcist (of course!), Sket Dance, My Ordinary Life, and Beelzebub.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Anime All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Page 1 of 4

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group