Not sure if this is just a coincidence that this girl looks like Tsukiko from Henneko.
OK, so since it's the end of the year (And the first year of me stop being everybody's best friend anime fan) this is where it all closes off. First, my thoughts on this season, then we close off 2013 with my Top and Bottom of the year. So let me start off with this Fall season. This lame-ass Fall season!
SEASONAL THOUGHTS: What the hell happened? I thought Winter was weak. This season was worse than that. Usually a season would have at least four or five 1-cour TV shows worth watching. This season only had three. Holy crap, I should have suspected something when Summer season turned out goodI blame it on Infinite Stratos.
NOTE: This is still a work in progress since I wanted to get this out before 2013 is over, even though I haven't finished watching all of these shows. Once I finish them, this will be updated. Yeah, blame this bad Fall season for my lack of motivation.
It's a damn shame that Akihito's mom is the only decent character in this show. So long as she doesn't go down the Miley Cyrus route with her shaking of the booty.
BEYOND THE BOUNDARY (KYOUKAI NO KANATA)
Straight to the point: Beyond the Boundary, or as I call it: "Glasses Fetish the Anime" (because that's exactly what it is), sucks balls! I didn't have a very positive opinion on Kyoto Animation because of their tendency to focus more on moeblob and pandering rather than story, always recycling the same autistic female character design who always have that awful high-pitched moe voice that sounds about as cute as nails on a chalkboard. And guess what? This show does nothing but reinforce my opinion due to those same issues. The show is so focused on dumbass Mirai and her ridiculously huge red glasses and Akihito's blatantly obvious glasses fetish that it doesn't even bother to make the story or characters interesting at all. I don't care how great their production values are, which they are. If you can't make anything else at least decent, that's a very big problem. Maybe I shouldn't expect KyoAni to make anything actually interesting from now on[SCORE: 4]
"But we were supposed to be going to the zoo next. This school trip is ruined!"
COPPELION
It's official: Studio GoHands suck at writing story. I mean, only they could take concepts that seem pretty cool such as genetically-engineered humans and a post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland setting and make it seem completely dull. I never cared about anything that happened in the story or any of the characters. You'd have to be pretty lousy to fuck up even that. It has some pretty half-assed production values. It's like they enjoy using blue filters to cover up how lousy it is. It's pretty clear that half-assing everything is GoHands's forte nowadays. Better than K, though.[SCORE: 5]
How the fuck do you forget your birthday? That should be the last thing you ever forget.
INFINITE STRATOS 2
Looking for a harem anime with interesting and likable characters, even the slightest hint of any kind of plot, and harem antics that are actually pretty funny? Well, if you're looking for any one of those, or all of them, in Infinite Stratos, then I suggest you keep looking, kiddo. You won't find any of that here. Matter of fact, you won't find anything good here. Infinite Stratos has no idea of plot (even when it tries to have one), the most blandest and one-dimensional harem caricatures and the most stale, predictable, unfunny harem antics in a harem anime ever. I mean, I don't expect the antics to be fresh, but it shouldn't be trite and overdone like the way Infinite Stratos does it. The only decent thing is the IS parts, which, unfortunately, is never the real focus. And speaking of focus, this show has NO focus whatsoever. There's only one plot point and it goes absolutely nowhere. This show never deserved any kind of continuation because it's nothing more than a complete waste of time. Japan needs to make a note to give continuations to actually decent anime and not to plotless bullshit like Infinite Pandering to your Cocks. Fuck you, Infinite Stratos!! [SCORE: 1.5]
I always knew that Pokemon The Origins was for the hardcore crowd.
POK MON: THE ORIGIN
Pok mon: The Origin may very well be the anime Pok mon fans deserve. A true adaptation of the video games that follows the story with some plot points expanded upon. Obviously, they wouldn't cover all of the story in the span of four episodes, but they actually explained it without relying on "We're only gonna tell you this apparently important detail," unlike a certain other anime*cough*Sword Art Online* Although I was kinda iffy on the reveal of Mega Charizard X. It didn't hinder it much, but felt like it kinda killed the nostalgia factor by bring in a Generation VI game mechanic in a game based on Generation I. Still, it was well worth the watch, even for the nostalgia. [SCORE: 8]
Hey, Ragna. I think your Azure Grimoire is broken. The jinx didn't get erased
BLAZBLUE: ALTER MEMORY
While I was watching this, I watched this on the hope that it would have a chance of redemption, even if it was even a tiny sliver. I did not want to give up on BlazBlue. I tried to be patient, but patience isn't my strongest suit. Really, what could've been something decent gets messed up due to piss-poor narrative. This isn't the best starting point for anyone trying to get introduced into BlazBlue, like myself. Way to screw with my expectations, ya prick. [SCORE: 4.5]
Maybe it's Mably.
FREEZING VIBRATION
I know my memory of Freezing fails me at times. Because all I rememer of this show are boobs, girls fighting and stripping, and aliens lifted straight outta Neon Genesis Evangelion. That aside, Freezing as a whole is the kind of show that I shouldn't like. The fanservice is over-the-top and ridiculous, Perhaps it's a guilty pleasure to me. [SCORE: 7]
"So what do you think, Haruto? All I need is a title. I was thinking along the lines of No Possible Scenario to Save Lieselotte Make L-Elf Something Something."
VALVRAVE THE LIBERATOR (KAKUMEIKI VALVRAVE)
So after the rather Guilty Crown-level laughable trainwreck first season this past Spring, Sunrise apparently decided to stop playing around and go the The Empire Strikes Back route with Valvrave. I mean with a serious thing such as deflowerment (Read: rape), you can't go back. Whether the more serious writing worked or not, I'm not sure. The pacing seemed rather shaky at times and a lot of stuff happens too frequently and you end up missing a few details. Better than the previous first season, but only by a margin. Then again, compared to everything else this season[SCORE: 7.5]
Sakura sure is enjoying certain Ass-pects of this exercise regime.
WANNA BE THE STRONGEST IN THE WORLD! (SEKAI DE ICHIBAN TSUYOKU NARITAI!)
There's only so much I can take of a girl erotically screaming in pain until I can't take any more. By the way, you should always wear headphones when watching this show so no one will think you're watching some kind of porno. That aside, this makes me wonder what they were really focusing on here: The wrestling or the fanservice shots. Because let's be honest: Sneaking in fanservice shots during wrestling matches is what the show's really about. It got better around the second half, much to my surprise. At least it's wasn't as bad as Master of Martial Hearts. Very few anime can be that worse. [SCORE: 6]
OK, you got me a third time, Kyousougiga. But could you at least tell me why you're going to use Mars as a wrecking ball?
KYOUSOUGIGA (TV)
Compared to the previous years' ONAs, the TV series of Kyousougiga has a better narrative, which makes it a lot more coherent and more exciting to watch. I do like how it expands more on them and make sense of them. If I recall correctly, Episode 2 of the 2012 series was a part of an episode. It's the kind of good storytelling that makes Kyousougiga the only good show of the Fall. Now there's only one episode that bugs me: Why was this only 10 episodes? C'mon, Toei. Gimme more of this. [SCORE: 8.5]
BEST/WORST OF THE SEASON
* BEST TV ANIME OF THIS SEASON: Kyousougiga (TV)
* BEST TV ANIME OF THIS SEASON Runner-Up: Valvrave 2nd Season, I supposeI don't know.
* BEST NON-TV ANIME: Pok mon: The Origin
* BEST TV ANIME SO FAR: Kill la Kill
* LEAST FAVORITE TV ANIME: Wanna be the Strongest in the World!
* LEAST FAVORITE TV ANIME SO FAR: Log Horizon
* WORST TV ANIME OF THIS SEASON: Infinite Stratos 2
* WORST TV ANIME RUNNER-UPS: Beyond the Boundary, BlazBlue
FAVORITE OPENING/ENDING THEMES
* "Tooku Made" by angela (Coppelion ED)
* "Just One Life" by SPYAIR (Samurai Flamenco OP1)
* "Kakumei Dualism" by Nana Mizuki and T.M. Revolution (Valvrave OP2)
* "Shissou Ginga" by TEPPAN (Kyousougiga ED)
* "AVENGE WORLD" by Konomi Suzuki (Freezing Vibration OP)
NEXT SEASON PREVIEW: Thank God almighty I'm done with this season. While Samurai Flamenco, Log Horizon, Kill la Kill, Phi Brain 3 and Gundam Build Fighters move forward into 2014, we also have to look forward to the new Sailor Moon (I think soI don't even know.), Space Dandy, the second part of Silver Spoon. pupa, Wake Up, Girls!, Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha, and a few other surprises. I hope it's better than this season, although I won't get my hopes up.
Well thenLet's wrap this year up, shall we?
2013 YEAR IN REVIEW
SEASONAL ANIME REVIEWS FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR
*(Updated Photo Kano, Added Kick-Heart)
*(Added Ghost in the Shell: Arise)
BEST CHARACTERS [MALE]
* Kento (AMNESIA)
* Shougo Makishima (Psycho-Pass)
* Inferno Cop (Inferno Cop)
* Demon King Satan/Sadao Maou (The Devil is a Part-Timer)
* Jungo Torii (Devil Survivor 2)
* Hachiman Hikigaya (My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU)
* Levi (Attack on Titan)
* Erwin Smith (Attack on Titan)
* Chamber K6821 (Gargantia)
* Genjuurou Kazanari (Symphogear G)
* Dr. Ver/John Wayne Vercingetorix (Symphogear G)
* Berg Katze (Gatchaman Crowds)
* Nyanta (Log Horizon)
* Aikuro Mikisugi (Kill la Kill)
BEST CHARACTERS [FEMALE]
* Ikaruga (Senran Kagura)
* Rika Shigumi (Haganai NEXT)
* Akane Tsunemori (Psycho-Pass)
* Kona Furugoori/Frau Koujiro (Robotics;Notes)
* Airi Ban (Devil Survivor 2)
* Ruri Gokou/Kuroneko/Kamineko (Oreimo 2)
* Manami Tamura (Oreimo 2)
* Sawa Nakamura (Flowers of Evil)
* Sucy Manbavaran (Little Witch Academia)
* Yukino Yukinoshita (My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU)
* Sasha Blause (Attack on Titan)
* Hajime Ichinose (Gatchaman Crowds)
* Utsu-tsu (Gatchaman Crowds)
* Hanji Zoe (Attack on Titan)
* Chris Yukine (Symphogear G)
* Miku Kohinata (Symphogear G)
* Tomoko Kuroki (Watamote)
* Kyouko Kirigiri (Danganronpa)
* Akatsuki (Log Horizon)
* Mari Maya/Flamenco Diamond (Samurai Flamenco)
* Mako Mankanshoku (Kill la Kill)
* Chifuyu Orimura (Infinite Stratos 2)
BEST CHARACTERS [GENDER UNKNOWN]
* Ange Kuroki (Majestic Prince)
* Logicoma (Ghost in the Shell: Arise)
WORST CHARACTERS [MALE]
* Touma (AMNESIA)
* Youto Yokodera (Henneko)
* Kyousuke Kousaka (Oreimo 2)
* Yamato Hotsuin (Devil Survivor 2)
* Eren Jaeger (Attack on Titan)
* Akihito Kanbara (Beyond the Boundary)
WORST CHARACTERS [FEMALE]
* Kirino Kousaka (Oreimo 2)
* Mirai Kuriyama (Beyond the Boundary)
* Laura Bodewig (Infinite Stratos 2)
* Houki Shinonono (Infinite Stratos 2)
* Cecelia Alcott (Infinite Stratos 2)
* Lingyin Huang (Infinite Stratos 2)
TOP 5 TV ANIME OF 2013
HONORABLE MENTIONS: There are very few of these but I have to give it to Symphogear G (This particularly for being an even better sequel than the first), Gargantia, Watamote, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, Haganai NEXT, and I guess Attack on Titan. Also, Kill la Kill deserves a mention for being a strong contender for Top 2014 Anime.
* 5. (TIE) Gatchaman Crowds, Kyousougiga (TV)
* 4. Robotics;Notes
* 3. From the New World
* 2. Psycho-Pass
BEST ANIME OF THE YEAR: Inferno Cop
Nah, I'm just shitting with you
BEST ANIME OF THE YEAR: Flowers of Evil
How is it that the one show everyone bitched about becasue it did something no anime would ever do turned out to be way better than even Attack on Titan, the one show almost everyone claimed as their AOTY (some before it even aired)? Sucks, huh? Really, the reason I chose this is because it took a dare and done something no other anime would even do. What, you got a problem with that? *points upward*
BOTTOM 5 TV ANIME OF 2013
DISHONORABLE MENTIONS: Well, the entire Fall season with the exception of Kill la Kill, Samurai Flamenco, Kyousougiga, and Valvrave, I'd have to give it to Day Break Illusion for being a boring, dumbed-down version of Madoka Magica and only barely making the list.
* 5. BlazBlue: Alter Memory
* 4. (TIE) Beyond the Boundary, Photo Kano
* 3. Henneko
* 2. Infinite Stratos 2
WORST ANIME OF THE YEAR: Oreimo 2 + Specials
Like I mentioned before. I bailed out of Oreimo because I knew it would hit the bottom of the barrel, which it did. If I knew it would be this bad, I would never even have bothered with this. All of Season 2 was one big middle finger to everything at least good about the show, and reduces it to nothing more than absolute filth of the worst degree. Incest is bad, this show is bad, this ending is bad, Tsukasa Fushimi is a hack, and anyone who says otherwise deserves a brick to the face. Fuck you, Oreimo, and good riddance!
And that just about wraps it for 2013.
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