Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso - First Impression

First of all, this anime is GORGEOUS might be the prettiest I have ever seen if I hadn't just watched Nagi no Asukara.  The story seems neat its about a kid who was a piano prodigy and he cant hear the piano because of the death of his mother.  Everything changes when the fire nation attac- I mean a beautiful girl comes and makes his whole life colorful!  Sounds corny but so far everything about the show is just a piece of art.  I look forward to watching more.  I would recommend it as one of my top picks for fall 2014!

cheers,
Ryan

Nagi No Asukara- Nobody Loves Who They're Supposed To

Plot Summary from ANN: Plot Summary: Long ago, humanity lived in the sea. But the humans who longed for the land left the sea behind. They cast aside the special raiment they'd been given by the sea god that let them live in the ocean. The thinking of the sea humans and the land humans became as separate as the places they lived, and as countless time passed, they forgot they were once one people. This will change as the land-dwelling human Tsumugu Kihara befriends four students who live in a village at the bottom of the sea.

What this summary doesn't tell you is that all of the characters will fall in love with the wrong people and drive you absolutely insane.  My friend who recommended Nagi No Asukara to me said he loved it so much because he loved all of the characters.  That was not the case for me,  The only characters I can honestly say I liked were Hikari and Tsumugu.  They weren't boring like Kaname or stupid like Manaka.  The animation is gorgeous in this show and I would recommend this anime to people solely based on that. I mean c'mon

Like this show is beautiful

My biggest complaint about this show is although the story is good i just feel like it was too slow.  It might of just reminded me of my terrible experience watching Glasslip which is also by P.A. Works.. All and all I would give Nagi No Asukara a 8 out of 10.  Not my favorite, but i don't regret watching it at all.  Think I am going to watch either Noragami or Nisekoi next..will keep you guys posted!

Cheers,
Ryan

Amagi Brilliant Park- At A Glance

The idea of Amagi Brilliant Park is pretty neat. A guy who is trying to find himself again throwing his all into a new project.  The catch is that project is restoring a theme park that is down on its luck and that theme park is also connected to a magical realm.  So far the show seems watchable the main character is a dick which is pretty funny.  The two main female characters seem 2D at the moment but there is plenty of time for them to develop.  Ill try to keep updating you guys on my thoughts on the Fall 2014 shows.

Cheers,
 Ryan

P.S. Ill cover the shows that are being more hyped up, but for now im just trying to mention the stuff that might go under your radar.

Nanatsu no Taizai- At A Glance

Since the fall 2014 season anime list was announced I have been excited about quite a few shows and I have to say that Nanatsu no Taizai was not one of them.  To be honest the main reason I decided to check out the first episode is because my roommate begged me to.  I have to say I was not disappointed.  I wont go into spoilers, but the first episode is really slow and then BANG it gets pretty crazy.  Anyway there is not too much to say other than that.  

Cheers,

Ryan

p.s. the main character really likes boobs.

Zankyou no Terror- A Masterpiece Finally Finished (SPOILER)

I just watched the final episode of Zankyou No Terror and I have to say I am currently blown away at how right the ending felt.  However sad it was i could not have seen the show ending any other way.  From the very beginning i got the impression that Nine and Twelves mission would end their lives.  With Shibizaki to make sure the world knew their story the two main characters died happily.
              The only criticism I have for the show is that Five's character was completely over tuned and we never learn exactly why she hates Nine so much.  I think it is because they didn't help her escape the institution but i'm not sure.   The biggest criticism for the show I have seen is that Lisa never really served a purpose or that she was always useless.  I would have to disagree by saying that she made both Nine and Twelve feel needed and as a result gave more substance to their existences.   They had never been needed by anyone but each other and her presence was something they had never felt before.  That is why Twelve is smiling as he falls to the ground after being shot.

Haikyuu! - My Final Thoughts

Plot Summary from ANN: Shōyō Hinata began playing volleyball after seeing the "small giants" who played the sport when he was in elementary school. He suffers a crushing defeat in his first and last tournament in middle school at the hands of his rival Tobio Kageyama. So, Hinata joins Kurasuno High School's volleyball team, vowing revenge against Kageyama. However, Kageyama is also on Kurasuno's team. The former rivals form a legendary combo with Hinata's mobility and Kageyama's precision ball-handling. Together, they take on the local tournaments and vow to meet Kurasuno's fated rival school in the nationals.

Backstory
When I first read this description back what seemed like it was about go guys that didn’t get a long that magically start to get along and do well blah, blah, blah.  I actually had no intention of watching this anime.  The only reason I started watching was because I wanted to get my girlfriend interested in anime and I thought she would like a sports anime.  In the end she thought it was lame and I was hooked almost as soon as the first volleyball was hit. I guess what immediately drew me to the anime was the stylized art and how the animation changes at certain points to emphasize the intensity.

Story

Overall I think the story isn’t anything crazy.  It’s about how a boy who wants nothing more to play volleyball starts his high school volleyball career in a way he never imagined.  With his nemesis.  I don’t want to talk too much about the characters in this section because I will more lately.  As the show progresses the team plays more challenging opponents, sometimes they lose and sometimes they win.  One of my favorite things about Haikyuu! Is that the team often failed and that was okay because it always led to some revelation about the characters.  The two main characters go from disliking each other to realizing that if they learn to rely on each other they can reach higher heights than if they were alone.  This aspect is kind of cool, nothing that I didn’t see coming though. The ONLY thing this story is missing (and maybe it’s just me) I thought it would have been cool to have a cute romance between one of the players and some girl.  Just to see how she put up with his dedication to volleyball, nothing too serious though.  I’m just a romantic I guess.  My favorite motif in the show is how Kurasuno is known as the flightless ravens (they all wear black) and as the season ends they all realize they moved past this label.

Art

I LOVE the shows art style because one second its characters talking and another second the anime changes and I forget I’m watching a sports anime. A character will be going up for a spike and suddenly they are using all of their life force to hit the ball.  It may not be for everyone but I certainly thought it was cool.  Another thing I was a fan of was how all these goofy faces were used to portray Hinata’s insecurities and emotions.  Although that type of thing is commonplace in anime it made me laugh out loud quite a few times.

Characters

Definitely the strongest part of the show was the characters.  Not only the development was cool but just how they interacted I almost felt like I could see myself hanging out with them.

Hinata Shootout- He’s the main character and the orange haired kid that is the face of the show.  He’s super dorky and passionate when it comes to volleyball.  He starts off the series wanting to make it to nationals with no idea on how he can make the dream come true. He is short for a spiker and is worried that he will never be able to see “passed the wall” which is the opposing team’s blockers.  As the show progresses he learns that with his team behind him anything is possible all he has to do is trust them.

Kageyama Tobio- During his time in middle school he came into possession of the nickname “the king of the court” at first Hinata believes this is because Tobio is such a skilled setter.  It is soon revealed that the title is a taunt used by his teammates because they believed he acted like a dictator.  “King of the court” becomes a symbol of the cold loneliness Kageyama felt in middle school.  As the season progresses he comes to realize that he is no longer alone on the court and the result is beautiful.

Secondary Characters- Every character on Kurasuno’s team is really interesting and they all have hilarious quirks.  Whether it’s being obsessed with the team’s cute manager or being hating guys “that get all worked up about the things they’re passionate about.”  As Tobio comes to know the team he learns to bring out the best in all of them. I wish I could talk about them in depth, but I’m afraid of making this review too long.

In Conclusion:

I would rate Haikyuu!!’s art and animation as a solid 9 because it was good most of the time and outstanding when it needed to be.  My favorite scene in the show is when Karasuno’s ace finally spikes for the first time since his return and the ball flattens when it hits the ground.  That scene is what I think of whenever I think of this show.

The story I would rate a 9.5 because although it isn’t anything unfamiliar to a sports anime it had me guessing the whole way and I love how everything unfolded. 

Voice acting I am just going to give a 10 because I don’t really care about that.

Characters are definitely a 10/10 enough said.

Haikyuu!! Final rating I’m going to put at a 9.5 because I loved every second of it and I’m sad it’s over! L Anyway that wraps up my first review hope you all enjoyed!

Cheers,

Ryan

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood: Parts 2&3

                                       

                                     This show just gets better and better.  There are so many things left to learn and I can barely hold myself back from going on a spoiling-spree.  My roommate and I watched about eleven episodes this past sunday because why not?  As the show has progressed i have come to realize that everything the show discusses is for a reason.  Even things that characters bring up in passing seem to have a purpose.  Thats a trait that not many shows have and its kind of awesome.  It always has me thinking of how different places, people or ideas can be interconnected.

I have a new favorite character and no its not Gluttony.  Riza Hawkeye has stolen my heart and will not give it back haha.  I just like her unwavering loyalty to Mustang and I think that makes them a really neat pair.  Shes also good with guns...