Autumn 2012 – Week 8 Anime Review

This week: anime-original characters in Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai!, memories as a storytelling device in Shin Sekai Yori, the persistent use of humor in Medaka Box Abnormal, and a duplication of colors in K.

Autumn 2012 – Week 7 Anime Review

This week: Speedwagon is a grave-robber in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, the magnificent world-building in Psycho-Pass, why friendship episodes are better than romance episodes for Little Busters!, and issues with the education system in Shin Sekai Yori.

Dog Days’ (S2) – 13 (Finale)

The second season of Dog Days has concluded peacefully without any interruption or harm by any form of plot whatsoever.  The season was left to be carefree, directionless, and virtually an entire season of filler and character set-up that was never delivered nor resolved.  However, with several hints dropped during the finale, as well as embedded gracefully throughout the season, it appears that yet another sequel of Dog Days is within the minds of the creators and producers.  Should that be the case, then one can’t help but wonder what possibly could happen in a sequel to follow this season.  It feels like the series has already run out of ideas considering the lack of focus, structure, and planning that occurred in this season.  What can Dog Days do to make its next season worthwhile?

Dog Days’ (S2) – 12

Considering the inflated cast of Dog Days’, one that currently has well over two dozen characters present and interacting with each other, it becoming increasingly difficult and surprisingly noticeable for the anime to appropriately budget the screentime for these characters.  As a result, characters are being swapped, flipped, mixed, and traded in this anime in order to make sure everyone’s favorite characters, at a minimum, appears, if not fortunate enough to play some capacity in whatever episode of Dog Days’.  Trying to accommodate every character does have its advantages but it has also instigated some setbacks for the show, too.

Dog Days’ (S2) – 9

Fraudulent and insufferable, notorious and unforgivable, the most infamous and loathed thing of anything anime (or if not, well within the Top 3) is something I’ve come to dub Shounen Fight Syndrome.  Shounen Fight Syndrome (SFS) is perhaps the worst offender when it comes to anime, a collection of mismanaged, inferior, and pathetic clichés bundled together for an unsatisfying, worthless conclusion.  Based on lethargic writing and devaluing its character, SFS has plagued numerous anime within the fighting genre and Dog Days’ is no exception.  With nearly a textbook-definition of SFS in this episode, now’s the ideal time to cover a topic I feel passionate and enraged about.

Dog Days’ (S2) – 8

Although the realm of Flonyard appears to be incredibly peaceful, exceptionally pleasant, and irrefutably safe, it’s essentially a world plagued with horrifying demons, merciless highway bandits, and innumerable crimes and destruction.  Even with respect to the lighthearted, friendly, and optimistic themes that Dog Days’ constantly upholds, Flonyard is beleaguered with threats and menaces.  While a world perfect for fun and adventures to any traveling hero or super-solider, it must be entirely the opposite for the citizens who inhabit these lands and call Flonyard home.

Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita – 5

Humanity has declined.  Which means, at some time prior, humanity was at its zenith, the pinnacle of success and accomplishment and advancement.  But what was this time like for mankind?  Was the climax of humanity something parallel to our current societies or something more?  Well, given the expedition into the ruins of a former mankind, we’re able to understand a little more about the peak of mankind and the setting of Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita.