Fall 2011 Anime Review - Part I

Now that I’ve washed the Blood-C out of my mouth and finals are over, I have time for what I really love: Skyrim. Well, before Skyrim I suppose I can give my review so far of the Fall 2011 anime season. In two parts! Because I’m lazy and haven’t finished yet because of work and life and stuff.

I have to say, this season has some shockingly good shows. This is the first time that I’ve gone out of my way to punish myself into watching all the shows that I can, but even when I was watching four or five last season and the one before that, it didn’t have as many stand out shows as this season does. But maybe that’s just because I wasn’t watching them all.

Regardless, I’ve listed them all out alphabetically (by their Japanese names) and put a plot summary courtesy of Anime News Network as with my previous reviews of shows. Except Horizon’s summary was from Wikipedia. But that’s moot. I’ve also assigned them a letter grade, because screw number grades. Here it is, the Fall 2011 anime review.

Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere

Plot Summary: In the far future, humans abandon a devastated Earth and traveled to outer space. However, due to unknown phenomenon that prevents them from traveling into space, humanity returns to Earth only to find it inhospitable except for Japan. To accommodate the entire human population, pocket dimensions are created around Japan to house in the populace. In order to find a way to return to outer space, the humans began reenacting human history according to the Holy book Testament. But in the year 1413 of the Testament Era, the nations of the pocket dimensions invade and conquer Japan, dividing the territory into feudal fiefdoms and forcing the original inhabitants of Japan to leave. It is now the year 1648 of the Testament Era, the refugees of Japan now live in the city ship Musashi, where it constantly travels around Japan while being watched by the Testament Union, the authority that runs the re-enactment of history. However, rumors of an apocalypse and war begins to spread when the Testament stops revealing what happens next after 1648. Taking advantage of this situation, Tori Aoi, head of Musashi Ariadust Academy's Supreme Federation and President of the student council, leads his fellow classmates to use this opportunity to regain their homeland.

I have to say that, out of all the shows this anime season, this probably has one of the most creative plots and worlds. I mean, they’re living through history again to figure out where they went wrong saving the earth? I don’t actually know what’s going on there because it’s addressed once in the first episode at the beginning.

The point of the show is really the conflict between Tori (and his friends) and Testament Union. And if it weren’t for the shows insistence on a fanservice show every other frame, it might actually be interesting. Because instead of figuring out how to display these females, they’d be writing plots and characters and stuff.

Really, there’s a laundry list of characters and I only know Tori. None of the others are given enough time to really show who they are. And unlike every other anime, their names are rarely addressed (it’s a thing in Japan to use the third person a lot apparently).

The good in this show does not outweigh the bad though. I keep watching every week because I’m wondering if I’ll understand more of what’s going on. Turns out, I don’t. But there are some pretty entertaining and exciting fight scenes. So watch it for that excitement if it pleases the crowd. Otherwise, it’s another one to throw out.

Maken-ki!

Plot Summary: Takeru Ohyama, a young normal yet perverted minded guy, got accepted and now goes to a school that, unknown to him, was where combat and magic is used. On the first day, he meets Haruko Amaya, his childhood friend, Inaho Kushiya, a girl who says she’s his fiance, and Kodama Himegami, a blonde who wants to kill him. Finding out that there are many girls there that just don’t like him, he is told that everyone there uses a special magic ability while using an item or weapon called a Maken. Later, he finds that no Maken is acceptable for him and doesn’t know what to do, since in this school the students get into duels that showcase their magic and combat power, of which he seemingly has none.

Ugh. Eleven episodes of this was eleven too long. But I watched them all anyway.

My big problem with this isn’t that nothing really changed by the end. My big problem was that you learned basically everything about the main character in the last episode. Since no one is going to watch this and spoilers don’t really matter (plus it’s good to know this when you start off watching), the main character, Takeru, watched his mother be defeated/killed (it’s never really clear in the anime) and now he wants to fight everyone to protect everyone and stop fighting.

Again, ugh.

If you want eleven episodes of relatively entertaining fanservice-y stuff, go ahead and watch it. If you want to use your time to do something productive, watch anything but this.

Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle

Plot Summary: Kaito Daimon is a brilliant 16-year-old teenager who loves to solve puzzles. He acquires an enigmatic item called the Armband of Orpheus that allows him to fully utilize his brain, but that consequentially drains him completely. Currently attending Root Academy as an honor student, he is invited by the school principal to confront a secret organization named POG. They create deadly Sage Puzzles to protect invaluable treasures and challenge the select few individuals capable of facing them. Given the title of Einstein, Kaito battles against the mysterious group in order to keep a promise he made as a kid while at the same time he heads towards the ultimate test: the Divine Puzzle.

Phi Brain is most definitely the funnest show in this anime season. I mean, it’s about solving puzzles. And if you love puzzles, you’ll likely find yourself liking this show.

It does have some downfalls. Like the fact that everything has to be shrouded in mystery until later episodes. But I’ve gotten over that in order to enjoy more puzzle solving.

Oh, and it does have some really dumb lines. Like Kaito’s catch phrase seems to be “Puzzle time, start” (puzzle time hajimaruyo or however that’s actually spelled in phonetics).

But despite this, it’s really, really fun. It’s not exciting murder-y goodness like in Future Dairy. It’s not amazing character-y stuff like in Chihayafuru. It’s just fun. If you’re looking for something that’ll make you think a little, but not too much, check out Phi Brain.

Un-Go

Plot Summary: With the help of his strange assistant Inga, “defeated detective” Shinjūrō Yūki solves crimes in a near future Japan still suffering from the ravages of war. Problem is, the credit always ends up going to super detective Rinroku Kaishō.

Un-Go is another detective/mystery type show. And, as such, I’ll be inclined to like it because I’m a sucker for mysteries. But the first few episodes, while exciting and enticing mysteries, kind of have a cop out of Inga, the detective’s assistant, being all fantasy monster-y and asking her one question which the victim must always answer.

Despite that, I did enjoy the first group of episodes quite a bit. And in the final four or five episodes, it stopped doing that and really got into mysteries.

What really bugged me about this show was Kaishō Rinroku, the main character’s basically antagonist. But of course he doesn’t serve as a traditional antagonist. He just solves all the mysteries and then doesn’t receive the credit due because Rinroku takes all the credit.

Grr I say, grr.

But the first couple episodes are skippable if you don’t want to sit through some detective-y stuff that really just sets up who all the characters are. Despite those first couple episodes, it’s worth the watch, I think.

Its big shortcoming is that it’s only eleven episodes. Maken-ki doesn’t deserve its eleven episodes. Maybe one OVA. So give ten of those episodes to Un-Go and let me watch more. The show would have served well from two big, overarching plots.

Fairy Tail

Plot Summary: Lucy is a 17-year-old girl, who wants to be a full-fledged mage. One day when visiting Harujion Town, she meets Natsu, a young man who gets sick easily by any type of transportation. But Natsu isn’t just any ordinary kid, he’s a member of one of the world’s most infamous mage guilds: Fairy Tail.

This is actually from the Fall 2009 anime season, but it’s kept me entertained through 109 episodes and it’s going strong, so let’s review it anyway.

People talk about the Big 3 in shonen manga/anime. One Piece, Naruto, and BLEACH. I think we should be adding one more to that list: Fairy Tail. I picked up Fairy Tail on a whim when it first came out and was unimpressed with everything before Galuna Island. But then Reitei Lyon shows up and I’m like, “Oh this is good.” Then Phantom Lord attacks and I’m like, “Oh this is really good.”

It does have some of the stupid (super ugh) anime-y things that are typical in the shonen shows. But with a shonen, that’s what you’re going to get. You either get over it or you don’t.

But Fairy Tail is a show that keeps on escalating, and keeps my interest. One Piece is the only other of the Big 3 that’s done that for me. When it comes to “generic” shonen, go One Piece and Fairy Tail.

Star Driver

Plot Summary: On the remote Southern Cross island, a secret organization named Kiraboshi plans to reactivate giant mobile suits that have been sealed for ages. Known as cybodies, they can only be controlled by pilots identified as star drivers. To unleash their full power, the mysterious group must break the seals of the four shrine maidens that reside in the isle. Recently arrived outsider, Takuto Tsunashi, vows to stop Kiraboshi in order to protect Wako Agemaki, girl who saved his life and one of the four maidens. Wako is a lively young lady who has already been betrothed to Sugata Shindou, a rich and talented childhood friend. Despite being very close to Agemaki, Sugata quietly disapproves this engagement since it was forced on to them due to a family tradition. The melancholic couple becomes a radiant trio as Takuto becomes not only their friend, but protector of the seals since he is none other than the Ginga Bishonen, gifted star driver of Tauburn, the 22nd cybody.

This is actually from the Fall 2010 anime season, but I’m watching it week to week now, so let’s review it anyway.

Star Driver’s big weakness is that it’s a pretty episodic show that, as of episode 21, still hasn’t answered a lot of the questions I have. It feels like the writers came up with one big reveal and they’re saving it for the second to last episode. Of course, the last episode will be a big fight scene with lots of dialogue between the characters while fighting.

Despite this, Star Driver is a pretty good mecha show that keeps me wanting to watch to see the cool fights in zero time and to hear Wako or Marino sing. That is one thing it does really well. Its soundtrack is one of the best I’ve heard in anime. It’s catchy, it’s pretty, and it’s pleasing to the ears.

Its 25 episodes long, so a little long for my tastes. But if you want 25 episodes of fun, check it out. Because despite its clear weaknesses, it keeps me entertained from week to week.