[1st episode]Dantalian no Shoka

After a few adventures involving getting lost in a city at 4am (who are you supposed to ask for the way at this hour?), meeting new friends and finding a metal vocalist moe (Yeah moe and yes it was a man, the females were both badass and sexy as hell but I digress), here is the last installment of the Summer 2011 1st episodes serie!

So Dantalian no Shoka is about yet another loli, needing yet another human to support her. Their goal is to seal dangerous books away this time.

So far we've seen two characters, the loli, Dalian, and the guy which name I don't remember yet. Loli is a bit of a tsundere, well she reminds me of Kuroneko, except she tries to act cute. At the same time, she's supposed to be some kind of demon, so I can understand she's not too used to live in the company of humans. Still, she has her good moments but also her bad in which she pisses me off.
The guy is surprinsingly badass. I thought he'd be yet another weak protagonist but he's fucking badass. I like him.

The OP and ED are not bad, I won't listen to them anymore afterwards but they're not too bad.
The music is lovely though, I've been impressed.
As for the seiyuu, strangely enough I do love Ono Daisuke as the guy, but Sawashiro Miyuki as the loli is still hard for me to bear. I'm not a fan of her "cute" roles. Not at all.

The plot is a bit generic, it's still two people teaming up to fight evil and so far, there hasn't been anything special, but it's pretty, not really Gainax like but pretty.
It won't be the most awesome anime of the season but still interesting enough for me to watch despite being overloaded.

And since I'm done the wrap-up post is coming tomorrow. Hopefully. Because right now I just finished watching Tiger&Bunny and my head is going crazy with theories. And it was sad too (then again, I'm being oversensitive with this anime)
*sobs* Yuri

[1st episode]Mawaru Penguindrum

Here you go, I was pretty sure I wouldn't fall in my usual trap of starting to randomly follow anime I wasn't interested in at all considering how many of them I'm already watching, but I was obviously wrong.

Started to watch Mawaru Penguindrum, read a few summaries here and there and still can't tell exactly what I did watch.
Just know it involves penguins and twins (?) and a miraculously revived little girl and yet another glorious transformation sequence.

I have nothing against the boys, they're normal? Not special at least, which I think is the point.
The girl(s) on the other hand are something else, the little sister is kind of a brat but I understand why she is, and she's not exactly an annoying brat either so it's ok. The penguin master on the other hand is pretty funny, another kind of brat who likes to control everything and randomly screams random stuff in the middle of an hospital or during dinner.
And then come the penguins, I like the penguins. Wonder whether or not it's linked to Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.

I kinda liked the OP and the ED, strangely enough, other than that nothing special to note on this section.

And now comes the hardest part of this anime, the plot, why? Because as I said I still don't know what the hell I just watched.

So I reserve my opinion for later. I laughed though so it'll probably stay on my watch list.

[1st episodeS]Is the idol business a trend in animes?

All of that to say that since I'm incredibly lazy (I already didn't see the point of reviewing the first episodes of the continuations, or, do you want me to?) and since it happens, fact oh so rare, that we have TWO animes dealing with the same topic this season I decided I should just do a common first impression post for the both of them.

So The Idolm@aster and Uta Prince-sama etc (come on, give me SHORT titles) both have to do with the process of creating idols. The only difference is in the target, the first is adapted from a galge, thus full of girls, the second is adapted from an otome game, thus full of pretty boys.

To be honest, both of them are so full of characters I can't even remember them.
The way of introducing them in both is good though, UtaPri goes slowly and little by little, Idolm@ster went through the interview route, which would be good, if characters weren't so numerous.
All in all nothing to say, being adapted from games there's a character for each stereotype.

Strangely enough I prefer the music of The Idolm@aster over the one for UtaPri, which is weird, considering my usual fangirlism for male seiyuu, but it would seem Mamo-chan has just forgotten how to sing. Never thought that voice acting would be the thing I'd complain about the most for that anime, never.
I expected that kind of music and voice acting for The Idolm@aster so no surprise but I'm really disappointed by the songs in UtaPri, it's to the point it almost hurt my ears.
Special mention for troll!principal Norio Wakamoto in Utapri and Hochuu Ohtsuka in the Idolm@aster, no one told me, I almost choked on my coffee.

And the plot, well, the plot is simple, let's take everyone to idoldom!
Can't do any simpler than that, well UtaPri is a a bit more complicated, being told from the point of view of a girl and all, plus being set in a school, there obviously will be drama.

I'm not convinced, by any of them.
The Idolm@ster will have to do something for me to remember the characters and UtaPri will have to prove itself to be a bit more interesting than just being pretty. (at least it is pretty ^^)

[1st episode]No. 6

Here, let's continue with this season's Noitamina shows.
But before I wanted to share a bit of knowledge, a few days ago I finished an old Noitamina show, Paradise Kiss, I started on a whim, thinking it'll be very shoujoish and I've never seen more porn in a shoujo in my whole life. And I loved it. Kinda want to start watching Nana now ...

Well apparently No. 6 is a post apocalyptic sci fi (?) anime, probably revolving around the unlikely "friendship" of an escaped prisonner and a member of the intellectual elite of No. 6, the name of the area he's living in, sadly (or not so sadly since it makes up for more plot) that area and way of life are not as perfect as they seem to be.
(Understand that said inmates are probably used for things that Human Rights Watch would definitely not be happy about)

As usual, the characters, to be honest, I don't quite understand pretty boy number 1 (the smart one), it's night time, there's a typhoon raging outside and suddenly a boy he doesn't know, an inmate escapee, is threatenning to kills him and he doesn't care. No, instead he goes all "How do you do that?"
There's a limit to curiosity. And I know for sure that even I who's known to be hardly shocked by anything, would be dead scared.
Pretty boy number 2 on the other is a bit more interesting, at least he interests me, or better said, what he knows interests me.
As for their relationship, well, it's already a close one, as in, very close. And they've known each other for no more than 3 hours. Aaaw youngsters these days.

Nothing to comment on anything but my ears have been pleased by Kaji Yuki's performance, I wasn't sure I'd like him considering that usually it's either love or hate when it comes to him, but I'm satisfied.

For now the plot is left in the fog, we can suppose it'll be about Pretty Boy number 2 continuing to escape and Pretty Boy number 1 tagging along while discovering the secrets of No. 6.
Pretty much like Fractale, just without girls and it does seem a bit simpler.

Not an outstanding show but definitely interesting enough for me to continue watchning.

[1st episode]Usagi Drop

I have something to tell you first, Blogger decided to change their settings, result, I am lost so I apologize if the post comes out weird.
Plus, it's not even in the right language anymore either, where the hell can I switch?
To sum up the situation : ZETSUBOUSHITAAAA!
Forgive me, since Kamiya Hiroshi is only in one show this season I need to create occasions for me to hear him, even if it's only in my head.

Well, before I started to ramble on pointless stuff I was trying to sum up Usagi Drop, one of this season's Noitamina show.
Daikichi, a 30 years old bachelor, comes home when his grand father dies, where he learns that said grand father has a 7 or something years old daughter. Obviously no one wants to take her home so he's pissed off and decides he would take care of her.

Characters are sweet, oooh so sweet, well, at least the two mains, because to be honest the other little girl is a brat and I understand Daikichi's desire to strangle her. The other characters don't appear much, just enough to be sure you don't like them. 

In the end, it's all done on purpose and it just makes things even cuter and more beautiful. Daikichi and Rin have no one else but each other. 

Didn't like the OP, nor the ED, as usual. 

And as for the seiyuu, I don't think I've recognized any voice and I think it's a good thing, it's easier to create emotions in people that way. 

The plot seems to be simple, Daikichi and Rin learning to live together as a parent and a child. 

Him doesn't seem to have much experience in living with someone, let alone to truly care for anything but his job. 

She has been abandonned by her own mother and her father was 79 years old, not exactly the right age to take care efficiently of a young child. 

That's what makes everything much more interesting. It's rare to see a father in anime, it's even rarer to see a father alive and taking care of his children. (Because honestly, isn't the dead father figure quite the trend lately? Not that it means there isn't any of them alive, say in AnoHana or Tiger&Bunny, but a lot of them are still dead or dies in the course of the show)

And you know what? It's beautiful and heartwarming. 

[1st episode]Nyanpire

That one will probably be done fast.

Summary is easy : a cat has been transformed into a vampire and one episode lasts for more or less 5min, with the ED included and there's no plot.

The ED is ridiculous though. TOTALLY ridiculous and it hurts my ears.

But it's so adorable.
And so creepy.
I genuinely liked it. I don't even know what came through my head.
It's pretty girly though, but seeing that cat surrounded by all this pink desperately looking for blood and actually sucking some from a dead fish makes it totally bearable.

I must be strange but this was amusing.

[1st episode]Kami-sama Dolls

Am I really the only person on the internet who's not watching BakaTest season 2?
Because no really, I feel lonely.

Anyway, topic of the day is Kami-sama Dolls, remember? The thing I said I wasn't too sure of watching because the girl on the picture just looked like a loli in a miko outfit and if it's just that then I won't like it? Looks like there's more to it. Like a bloody corpse in an elevator. And a silver haired villain. And people controlling Dolls who are Gods. But more importantly bloody corpseS.

So that Loli Miko (to be honest I only remember one name in that anime so you'll have to bear with me) is a very nice little sister, a bit too nice, and a bit too immature for the task she's been given, and a bit annoying too. Well, at least she doesn't hate her big brother (a.k.a. Main Character). Apparently Main Character did something he can't forgive himself for in the past and then tried to somehow escape from it. That's usually a kind of character I dislike but he seems to have balls when it comes to protect his sister so I'll let him get away with it from now. Then there's Love Interest who is, as the name I gave her probably told you, a typical love interest so not too much interesting for now.
Then comes villain, Aki, who apparently wants revenge and it apparently means killing, a lot. So I'm looking forward to what he'll do, he does seem a bit crazy but he also doesn't seem like much of a bad guy, I like him. (Obviously)

OP and ED are forgettable. I don't remember much of the music, but that's a good thing. Except for the themes of the Dolls, these are wonderfully creepy.
Seiyuu, well, I don't remember much of the cast except for Nobuhiko Okamoto who sounds just like Rin and should definitely stop singing, especially Linda Linda because first, I love that song, and second, Mamoru Miyano sings it better.

The plot on the other hand seems like a mix of Shi Ki and Higurashi, having to do with mysteries and secrets in a secluded village. I like the fact it's, for once, not set IN the village but in Tokyo, will probably make things more complicated but so much more interesting.
Looking forward to the second episode!

[1st episode]Sacred Seven

Rejoice! No rant on Uta no Prince-sama today!

Instead, let's rant about Sacred Seven, also known as the new Sunrise thing airing at 2:30am (Japanese time of course) right after Tiger&Bunny. (And yeah I remember the hours at which air my favorite anime, Japanese time,  my time, Finnish time (which isn't that hard to be honest), Singapore time and Kiko's time, who lives, somewhere in the US)
Anyway, so Sacred Seven, it's Sunrise, so the mandatory mechas are there, and a boy whose needed by some secret organization to save the world. And there are maids. A lot of them.

I have no real problem with the characters, to be honest I even like the main guy. Well ok he's the only one I really like. No wait, I like the talking stone. The upbeat classmate is pissing me off. Her friends are pissing me off even more. The probably main girl is the kind of girl who can't do anything only orders and then let others get hurt. And the other guy is plain and has basically no personnality.

Despite being not interested I originally intended to watch because FictionJunction sings the OP and let's face it, when it comes to Kajiura Yuki I'm an hopeless fangirl. Result? I don't like it, yet. I didn't like Magia either, I probably will come to like it later on, if I keep on watching the anime.
Liked the ED on the other hand.
The rest? Forgettable.

As for the story which could be the redeeming point, well, as I said in the summary it's the basic "boy needed to save the world" kind of setting. I don't really have anything against it, it's a typical shonen setting, I have watched enough of them to be able to bear it. The problem is that I don't see anything else beside that, maybe how he'll come to, finally, have friends and contorl himself? But if it's just that then it'll be boring.

So, did I like it? No.
Will I continue to watch it? Yes.
Why? Because last time I hated a first episode it turned out to be the first episodes of Madoka and Tiger&Bunny, both of which I've grown to like a lot. So will give Sacred Seven another chance. Only for next episode though, because even if I want to believe in Sunrise (except when it comes to character death) the level of boring I can stand has a limit.

[1st episode]Ikoku Meiro no Croisée

I am truly thankful that anime exist, if it wasn't for them, I'd hate summer even more than I do now. Thanks to the excitement I manage, if only slightly, to ignore the always present huge sunburn I have on my face. We're at the point that even smiling hurts. So yeah, spending yesterday afternoon only checking new animes was a bliss, even though I couldn't smile.

Today's first impression is about Ikoku Meiro no Croisée, also known as La Croisée dans un Labyrinthe étranger, which could translate as ... I have actually no idea how to translate it, it doesn't make much sense in French, well, it has basically to do with crossing paths in a foreign place.
Which does fit since the story is about a young Japanese girl and the owner of the store she now works at, in France.

I don't particulary know what to say about the characters, Yune is adorable but doesn't talk much, she's the stereotype of the quiet Japanese woman who works well in the house, which would bother me considering how strong this stereotype is at my own home, except it goes with the era it's set in, so I can't really complain.
And I'm sure the other main character, Claude, is a bit pissed off and while he appreciates her efforts, I think/hope he will help her to break free from the stereotype.
Because that's what the anime is based on, the relationship these two will develop, coming from two different cultures how will they get along. Despite being set in the 1800's it's still a very contemporary topic.

Didn't like the OP nor the ED, didn't notice the music much, seiyuu, well, nothing really noticeable either (aside for the fact there's going to be Yuuki Aoi later on)
Actually, I started this for the very reason to hear butchered French and innacuracies.
I got my innacuracie(s). The Galeries du Roi are in Brussel, not in Paris, but I'm willing to forgive this, it's a fiction after all.
But they seemed to have hired a French to read the titles and summaries, I'm almost disappointed, I don't particulary want to find that kind of monotonous voice used in documentaries or in other supposedly educationnal material in my anime.
Well at least I didn't cringe at the French (I did cringe at the English though, because yeah guys, Galerie du Roy translates as the King's gallery)

As for the plot, well, it seems to focus mainly on the relationships between characters, at least so far, I suppose there is going to be some plot, I just can't tell what kind for now.

In the end I will keep on following, not because I'm that much interested but because it's adorable and so damn pretty. I'd honestly watch this just for the background illustrations. And for Yune's kimono. Sooo pretty.

Tomorrow, unless I can finally rant on Uta no Prince-sama  I will rant on Sacred Seven.
Since I didn't want to cause more troubles we bought the school *wink*

[1st episode]Kami-sama no Memochou

Hey, first edition of the infamous First episodes impressions serie of posts. Which eventually made me realize as I was updating my MAL account that I have so few shows actually finishing that even if I only follow half of my list, I'll be dead.
Not that I would really mind dying by anime excess though.

Anyway, Kami-sama no Memo-chou, or the story of a NEET detective and her newly hired assistant, who doesn't really like to interact with other people and a nice group of (mostly NEET) friends.
Together they help the great detective, Alice, resolving the mysteries she's hired (or not) to solve.

First, and as usual, the characters, starting by the main NEET and borderline Hikkikomori, Alice. Why do all female hikkikomori look nearly the same is a mystery (doesn't she remind me of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei's Kiri Komori?), she obsess over plushies, really hard, is a bit clingy, likes dark rooms, is a bit scary when she goes in Sunako mode, is deadly smart and likes throwing philosophical lines all over the place.
I like her.
I like the main character a bit less, well, he'll grow, I guess that will be one of the point of the anime later on, though he already DID grow. Now he works, he talks with people, he actually involves himself with things, even if he doesn't want to.
All of that in one episode.
We didn't get to see much of the side characters aside from the upbeat classmate but they seem quite interesting and I'm looking forward to know more about them.

OP and ED? Forgettable.
Music, perfect, it's Iwasaki Taku.
Seiyuu? Perfect too, at least so far.

Overall impression on the plot? I don't really know yet, I can kinda suspect they'll, at one point or another, start to look for the missing brother upbdeat classmate doesn't want to talk about, but I'm afraid it'll turn to be small mysteries after small mysteries.
On the other hand it's better than I thought, that detective/assistant thing is a bit overdone and I really was afraid I'd get bored by the time I'd watch this. I'm not. I liked the 20's setting of Gosick, I like the fact that Kami-sama no Memo-chou is set in our era.
Because yeah, they're a bit similar, now let's hope Narumi won't turn like Kujou, but yeah if you liked Gosick you should check.
Though the mysteries are more, much more, well, violent? Twisted? Well, definitely not as refined as the ones in Gosick.