Spring 2013 – Week 3 Anime Review

This week: thinking ahead on how the weather could be used as a means of conflict in Suisei no Gargantia, weighing in on two fascinating story mechanics in Kakumeiki Valvrave, the fantastic use of voices in Chihayafuru 2, and examining the personalities of Emi in Hataraku Maou-sama! and Misaka in To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S.

Magi – 7

The setting of an anime is visually expressed through the various architectures and environments.  Magi has featured a number of diverse physical settings thus far and has done well communicating these to us through its use of dazzling and detailed backgrounds and sceneries.

Dog Days’ (S2) – 7

Though I have been singing the praises of Dog Days’ since about the start of this second season, it’s time to mention some of the negatives of this series seeing as they’re often ignored or overlooked in recent posts.  And while the anime has been a step up of the first season in many key components, there are still some aspects of the original series that outclassed this sequel in additional to other questionable differences.  Here, we’ll look at some of the areas where Dog Days’ is inferior or subpar to first season or general subjects where there’s room for improvement and growth.

Moyashimon Returns – 6

As with any massive social gathering where its members share some similar attributes, a herd mentality develops.  Such a phenomenon develops because certain actions, behaviors, and ideas cause other, more impressionable members, to be influenced into acting, behaving, or thinking in a certain way.  Provided that Sawaki, Yuuki, and Oikawa are freshmen entering into this bizarre college, their fresh and untainted perspective allows for an examination and critique into herd mentalities among these seemingly psychopathic young adults at a simple agricultural university.

Moyashimon Returns – 4

The results of intoxication are a diverse variety.  Every person responds to alcoholic beverages differently with the consequences ranging from a jovial drunken ruckus, to an impatient, irrational hot-head, to even a quiet, sedating stupor.  The portrayal of drunkenness in media recognizes these states but goes a step further and casts them through various lenses to illustrate it as either positive, negative, humorous, or however it wants us to interpret this inebriated behavior.  Given the content and characters in Moyashimon Returns, examples of intoxication have been used and reused time and time again for numerous purposes and with extensively different outcomes.  How do these states of drunkenness and their portrayals figure into the grand plan of Moyashimon Returns?

Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita – 3

The fairies of Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita are arguably the most distinguished and memorable component of the anime.  Without them, the anime would suffer significant damage to its supposedly-dystopian fantasy realm, remove all instances of this overwhelming magic, and shift attention from these adorable, smiling creatures to the army of cute, moe girls that seemingly overpopulate the Earth as well.  So considering their impact on the anime and how they influence every aspect, we hardly know anything about these miniature beings.  Perhaps now is an ideal time to sort out what we know, and what we’d like to know, as see what new information we can draw from this mishmash of knowledge.

Spring 2012 – Week 6 Anime Review

This week: a change of perspective in Mouretsu Pirates, a question about the transformation process in Zetman, an imperfection of Medaka in Medaka Box, and some concern over anatomy in Kore wa Zombie desu ka? OF THE DEAD.