*I’ve decided to split this into two parts so that the post isn’t monstrously large (I only do those for “Final Thoughts” posts ;D) since I’m “First Impression”ing more than I thought I was*
Since I would like for this blog to be considered a somewhat reputable blog, I’ve decided that I should join all the other cool kids and blog stuff as it airs….Just Kidding! I’ve actually tried to do that before but I fell behind and then forgot and then it looked really weird, so I’ve decided I’ll go half-way with these first impression posts(maybe if I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll be like a normal person and do the weekly gig). I’ll probably do half-way posts too. Enjoy!
Since I’ve started watching anime, especally after I watched Nodame Cantabile, I’ve always had a soft spot for josei anime, and I tend to like them a lot. So when I saw Natsuyuki Rendezvous on the list for upcoming shows, I added it to my list and I have been anxiously awaiting it. As my first show of the summer, I have to say it was 100% worth the wait.
The one thing that I really liked about this episode is that Ryuusuke told Rokka that he is in love with her. While her reaction wasn’t exactly the most promising and she didn’t really bring it up again after he confirmed it, I’m glad that he did tell her because now she at least knows how he feels about her. The thing with romances, that I’ve tended to notice as I watch more of them, especially with shorter ones, is that it takes forever for one of the two to confess, so seeing that tidbit get done with really pleases me. This show has a lot of pleasing aspects about going form the animation with is really great to the characters which have a very genuine feel to them. By genuine, I mean that when Rokka was talking about her husband while walking with Ryuusuke, she didn’t get over the top depressed talking about him,but you could tell that she missed him and my heart sunk a little listening to her. Although nothing too heavy or depressing, I felt like there was a certain melancholy tone to the show after Ryuusuke realized he could see Atsushi. I actually feel really bad for Atsushi and Rokka. Atsushi died early and is stuck watching his wife live her life while he obviously still cares a great deal for her, and, I get the feeling, feels really bad about dying early, and then we have Rokka who just misses her husband. Although, I guess I should have guessed that this series would have a sort of sad tone surrounding it considering that Atsushi is hanging around. One other thing I noticed is how down to earth all the characters are. They aren’t over the top but they aren’t boring either. They have a really down to earth quality about them that I really appreciate. One last odd thing that I liked about the show is how well the dialogue flows in this show.
This episode leaves me with nothing but high hopes for the rest of the show, and I can’t wait to see how it will continue.
Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse:
Going into this show, I wasn’t expecting much. I didn’t really understand the synopsis and the fan service outfits don’t really do anything for me. After watching the first episode, I have to say, I’m surprised. It’s actually not that bad, although I am still not a fan of those suits.
While there isn’t a whole of action going on in the first episode, the general situation is introduced and it looks pretty grim. I think a strong case could be made that a losing war is being fought and the chances of winning are getting slimmer and slimmer. Although a lot of the episode was pretty calm, there was a lot of hinting that this situation probably wouldn’t last and the end of the episode definitely showed a change in tone. As for the characters, they aren’t exactly the most interesting, but I think that, given time, they can develop into some interesting people. I’m pleasantly surprised and will try my hardest to keep up with it and see where it goes. Hopefully it will take advantage of its potential to be an interesting action series.
Jinrui Wa Suitai Shimashita:
Looking at the promotional art and the synopsis of the show, I thought I would be in for a cute, mindless little show about fairies and humans. Well, I kind of got something like that, but I also got something else too.
I’m actually not quite sure what to make of this show. It is a cutesy little show, that’s for sure, with the character designs and backgrounds having a childish cuteness to them. The actual premise of the show, though, actually isn’t that happy. Humans are declining due to a drop in birth rates, there are food shortages, and the future of humans doesn’t look all that promising. Another thing that I was sort of surprised by were the fairies. While they sure are cute little suckers, they do give off a kind of creepy feeling. I mean they have those wide open smiling mouths that never change regardless of whether they are feeling sad or happy. It’s also sort of unnerving how nonchalant they were when Watashi mentioned that the human race was probably on its last legs and they were like “Good luck!”. Probably the most unnerving thing out of the whole episode was the bread scene which was strangely disturbing to see.
While I think I understand that this is supposed to be funny, I only really found myself laughing once or twice throughout the show. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it though. Regardless of whether the humor strikes a chord with me or not, the show is definitely not what I was initially expecting. I’m interested to see what else this show can do in terms of humor and how it spins it, since there was a lot of creativity going on when it came to the jokes, especially the bread one. Despite the fact that the bread thing creeped me out, I do hope to see more stuff along those lines because I thought that it was unexpected and neat, and, most importantly, funny, in a strange sort of way.
Arcana Famiglia:
And here we have the first show that I will not be actively trying to keep up with.
I’ve never really had a taste for reverse harems. I haven’t watched a lot so I don’t really have any great like or dislike of them. Going into Arcana Famiglia, I didn’t really have any high expectations for this show because I didn’t really figure that it was going to be too amazing. Well, I was pretty straight on when it came to that. I found myself pretty bored throughout the whole episode and spent half of it wondering if her attendant or the blonde guy would end up winning the stupid contest in the end (I’m personally rooting for the attendant). While I think that the idea of the cards is creative, I think that the characters bring it down and leave me not really caring about the show a whole bunch. The girl was a change up from the typical female character I guess since she could actually do something if she wanted, but I she was pretty stereotypical, along with the rest of the cast.
In the end, I have no burning desire to continue this show and probably won’t unless it a) has an actual romantic ending that wasn’t randomly pulled out someone’s butt and 2) actually makes its characters interesting. So in other words, I didn’t really care for this show at all and will only pick it back up on the off chance that it turns interesting.
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And so part one is concluded. I hope you guys enjoyed and I’ll try to wrap up these first impressions in part two. Thanks for reading~
Amateur Rambling 