First Impressions: Summer 2016

Alright, last season was a little lacking so hopefully we have lots of fun stuff lined up for the Summer 2016 anime block.



Ground rules

1. I will TRY to give every show on Crunchyroll, Funimation and Daisuki a chance but that doesn't mean i am obligated to watch a full episode. If i stop early i will give a time stamp and reason for stopping.

2. No shows that are under 20 minutes in length, i don't like waiting a whole week for a 3 min gag. there are some exceptions it's rare.

3. No shows with Brother, Sister, Father or Mother in the title... too often it goes into incest... which i really do not like.

4. If the show is a second season of a show i didn't watch before i'm not going to talk about it here.

5. No card game shows, i may give them a chance but they really aren't my thing.

6. All opinions are my own and based solely on what i have seen. I tend to go into these shows completely blind. If i don't enjoy the show after 1 episode or even quit out of an episode early i'm not saying the show is bad... just that i didn't enjoy it.


First off, we have a few returning shows.

Ace Attorney

If only the animation would get better *sighs*

Re:Zero

.... it's good....
i feel like i just wanna curl up and cry but yeah... this show is so good... better then the other show that has a fairy named puck... 

Now for the new stuff... or at least newer stuff.

Berserk

I remember when i first saw the original anime over a decade ago. It was so incredibly different from any show i had ever seen. i loved every second of it.
This seems to be a retelling/continuation that is closer to the source then the original anime... I mean Puck is there.
However there is one thing i really really dislike about this.
I hate those ugly CG models... and that is the show... the entire series is just this hideous CG that doesn't flow well and looks stiff and i just wish it were animated like the old one.... maybe I'll get used to this but what will probably end up happening is I'll let a few episodes build up so i can just blast through the show.
Anyways the show is good, i can't stand the look.

New Shows

First Love Monster

Man it's hard being adored by all and having your birth give you automatic power and praise... no way to know who your true friends are... best to leave for the big city (at least i assume so since Tokyo is mentioned a lot) and live away from your parents influence... and maybe even fall in love with a tall Albisian.... who happens to be in 'primari school' (5th grade) i mean they all look like.. 18 (as far as anime standards go) but... yeah.
so... this show is.... odd.... i mean i think I'm enjoying it but it is very silly
*gets to a bit where these adult sounds characters are talking like little kids* well... this is some stuff i never imagined I'd hear Kyon say.... also what was kinda cute and funny got old REALLY fast
 *get to the 18 min mark* and i'm out... thanks for playing... don't waste your time with this show... i mean unless you enjoy listening to older Voice actors talk about their junk in the form of kids are are supposed to be in primary school.

momokuri

I have been presented with a conundrum... this first episode is listed as 23:42.... but it's episodes 1-2....
so... is this a short show or not?!
... I'll watch it for now i guess...
so it's about a girl who falls in love at first sight with an adorable boy and practically stalks him *2 seconds later* ok ACTUALLY stalks him... and characters call her out on this at least. anyways she asks him out and he agrees (not knowing about all the stalking)... and i guess it's about them growing closer over time? I really can't get past the fact that she is an obsessive stalker... maybe the show is cute but yeah pass.

Sweetness & Lightning

I hope this just ends up being an adorable slice of life show about a dad and his daughter.
i can't have a repeat of usagi drop... i can't do that again... I will forever regret reading the manga for that...
ah this is so refreshing so far... you don't tend to see shows about parents who suddenly have to learn how to take care of a small child by themselves... i have a feeling this will probably break my heart but i am loving it so far...
plus her hair is so floofy i just wanna draw it
But yeah super sweet and i look forward to continuing this through the season.

The Morse Mononokean

Not going into this blind, i already read a chunk of the manga on crunchyroll and loved it... really looking forward to the show.
It's about a kid who finds himself possessed by something that must be a yokai and in trying to get it exercised he ends up incurring a huge debt... the only way to pay it off? work for the Mononokean and exercise yokai.
this show is going to be a nice buffer till natsume yuujinchou go gets here next season~

Taboo Tattoo

Morel of the story: don't be nice.
So this kid helps an old man by stopping some thugs from beating him up. as thanks the old man hands the boy a stone, almost instantly a tattoo appears on his hand and things in his world begin to change.
suddenly the American army is interested in him and he's been dragged into the underworld against his will.
It's a neat concept so far... may give this a few episodes before i decide... it's not bad... i just have a feeling it's nothing special either.

Orange

Another show I'm not going into blind, I've read a lot of the manga on crunchyroll.
this is a show about regret, choices and possibility of time travel.
If you could send information to your past self to change certain decisions... would you? would past you follow the instructions? would it have changed anything?
I already know this is going to be one of my tops this season... i know ti's going to make me cry... here's hoping the anime lives up to all my expectations.
The only issue i have with the style is that it leans a little too realistic at times making smiles look awkward in my opinion... or adding lines that make the characters look older... but the animation is stunning and i'm really looking forward to watching more.

The Highschool Life of a Fundanshi

so is that like a.... male version of a fujoshi (which i believe is a term used for women who REALLY like BL)
yep... anyways it's a short show so i wont be watching.

NEW GAME!

my moe senses are tingling...
she looks like a child... not that i can comment cause.. .well I'm still constantly offered child discounts... it actually starts to hurt after a while...
anyways that does seem to be the gimmick of the show, this girl who looks like a child is finally stepping into the world of adult and working at a game company.
I wonder if she'll have to lower her voice and act a million times more confident just in order to be taken seriously..... not that i know that from experience or anything!
oh man... trying to drink coffee cause that is the adult thing to do... but coffee is so gross... tea is a million times better...
also i don't care where you work or if it's all female... pants/skirts are not optional... also looks at that cintiq... what is the the 22hd? no wait only a 13.5? so tiny~ but it doesn't; looks like it takes up as much space as the 24...
I'm getting distracted...
wait it's not even a cintiq it's just an intuous?... ok sorry back on topic
also instantly having a chat system between employees seems like the best idea ever... i wish my work had that between departments...
anyways... i think this show is cute... although much like shirobako... it reminds me a lot of work... but seriously a show where it seems like all the game devs are female.. that is not a bad thing to have exist. i may watch more... i may not... either way i enjoyed it.

OZMAFIA!!

Short show.... but based on what i saw i can't even begin to describe what it's about... other then people have diamond shaped hair shines.

Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! LOVE!

: D
this show is so over the top as silly.... i loved every second of it.... I'm so happy this show got a second season.
not going to be everyone cup of tea but if you want a magical boy show where they spend an abnormally long time in a public bath... with the most shojo transformation sequence you can think of... then you need to watch this show
if you are a subscriber to crunchyroll you can watch the first season... if not you can totally jump into season two... it doesn't seem to matter too much.

This Art Club Has a Problem!

oh man... not even 3 mins in and the term Waifu has been dropped....
also if i had to describe a prevailing style for this decade this show would pretty much be a prime example... it's like a light Kyoani.
ok... so... I'm an artist... i went to college for it and yes there is a certain bias toward people who do anime style art as being untalented or hiding behind a style... that is why i did strictly realism (or as much as i can cause there is always a bit of cartoonishness to my stuff) and you know what? it was absolutely miserable.
it wasn't till halfway through my second year where i finally let the shit i did outside of school slip into the stuff i did for school
i was happier
my grades improved (for as much as grades matter in an art setting)
and i learned the most important lesson i could at the time... i don't do this shit for other people... i do it for me.
so, even though i am pretty sure this is not what the show is actually about, if the show is about ragging on the nerd for drawing shit that makes him happy... I'm not going to be able to stomach this show cause forcing yourself to do art a certain way "cause that is what is expected" is bullshit.
i know the show will be about getting the girl to loosen up... but that is not much better... if she likes doing still life or realism then that is fine too! just... UGH... there is no right way to art.
but yeah that isn't what the show is about... it's about a girl and her crush on the boy who's in the same club and obsessed with 2d girls
will i watch? probably not... at least not week to week... maybe a near end of season marathon? it's just too moe for me. also... yeah i obviously have opinions about the setting that may get in the way of my enjoyment...

Amanchu!

I'm not sure about this one... it has one of the most interesting art styles I've seen in a while.
however i have little to no interest in Scubadiving and that seems like it'll be the main focus.
plus one of the characters is just such a Genki gal that i seriously want to punch her... i apparently can't stand characters like that...
but yeah animation is very good... who knows maybe I'll watch more... if that one girl tones it down a notch.

91 Days

It's a show about the mob (in what i assume is supposed to be a town like new york? i don't think an actual location was given... in the end all that matters is there are mobs and it's prohibition time)
This first episode doesn't give much of the overall plot but we know this much, on Angelo's birthday his family is murdered by the mob, he escapes and after 7 years returns to town. With his friend they try to sell some high quality moonshine to make a quick buck without getting involved with the mob... since it's hard to get involved with the people you want to take revenge on.
even with so little explicit plot i think it's show is going to be really good. It is stunning to look at and feels a lot like a film... a move that is completely on purpose when you notice the credit scroll in the episode is completely in English. (even though NA films haven't had credits at the start of films for like... 15 years... but this is set sometime in the past so i guess they are going for more that kind of style)
anyways point is this was good and i will be watching more.

Hitorinoshita - The Outcast

so this show is about.... uh... something... probably
actually it's kind of amazing for a show with so much exposition to be able to say absolutely something... that takes some skill.
so there is a grave for the Zhang family, it gets dug up the next day police investigate... and a girl claims to be a unknown granddaughter oh the zhang family... but the id is fake... and then the grandson appears... then zombies (or this shows equivalent to them)... then lightning... then he goes to school and the not granddaughter is there and....then it ends.
based on the intro I'm guessing it's about a group of people with supernatural powers fighting stuff but this first episode was absolutely atrocious and i will not be watching further to find out.

DAYS

... oh man I've been putting this off... i don't like sports anime... and out of all the sports soccer is probably my least fav cause the first time i played i twisted my ankle really badly.
the animation seems extremely smooth... but i do have a few questions... why is the pacing so odd... why the sudden interest in this bubbly kid ... it's like "and suddenly soccer" and I'm supposed to care because...
also I'm sorry... the way that kid hits his head at the end... he'd be dead... or at least paralysed.
like I'm sure the relationship between blond dude and blushy will be explained but right now... it all just seems odd and improbable. as far as a first episode goes this doesn't make me want to watch more. i thought the synopsis on MAL would help but nope "kid with no talents meets soccer genius... kid is dragged into the world of soccer"
so yeah this is a pass unless i hear something really good in the future.

B-PROJECT

I don't know how it is in the idol world but this is painful to watch cause there is just so much etiquette being thrown out the window.
like visibly being starstruck in the film industry is such a taboo... i can't imagine that being any different for music groups... no to mention this isn't even a huge popular group yet...
like... in my industry people go through courses to learn set etiquette...  which boils down to "speak only if spoken to, don't be starstruck, be courteous, treat everyone like a human being" and both of these groups are failing on all accounts.
again this is a show that feels like were being dumped in on episode 3 not episode 1
i can't care for all these pretty boys if all i know about them is their name and group... it's just not possible... so you lost a gig? why should i even remotely care?
the show seems fine... but it also seems just an excuse for eye candy... which is fine but i prefer just a tad more plot.

Mob Psycho 100

just going off looks... i am not going to enjoy this... but who knows it could surprise me...
ugh the art is just so.... so ugly... oh for crying out loud another show that has a stupid chin as a joke...
this show was already reminding me about a certain other show everyone loves that i do not... this is just making it worse.
yeah i can't deal with this... it's not funny (at least not to me) and it's just so ugly to look at... pass
*looks at top of crunchyroll pages*
"from the creator of one punch man..."
well that explains it...

Servamp

well i'm curious about the show... but man this intro song sucks
for a guy who hates troublesome things he takes on a lot himself lol but still it's already gotten a few chuckles from me.
OK... that was fun... so this kid pick up a stray cat... that happens to be a vampire (oops) and because he gave (or knew?) the vampires name he accidental makes a contract with him that will last 24 hours... it'll be cancelled as long as the vampire doesn't drink the persons blood... but you know we have to have at least a cour of this so... yeah.
my own gripe is the constant "tell me this in simple terms" and "how troublesome" the characters keep saying... i hope they town it down in the next few episodes... but yeah this was funny and a bit bloody but i think it'll be good. plus a hikkikomori (sp?) vampire just makes me laugh a lot.

Takes if Zestiria the X

.... i haven't played the game yet so i'm holding off on this... i will say it looks really good.

Handa-kun

... i have a feeling that these shows that focus on one character just... don't do it for me... plus it's just a show based on misunderstandings and sorry but.... man it's frustrating to watch. maybe when it focuses on the show it actually is instead of the show within a show it'll be better? but yeah just... not enjoyable for me.

Puzzle & Dragons X

maybe i should change my no card game rule to "no blatant marketing for children"
I'm not saying all shows like this are terrible... just i don't have a lot of tolerance for a show trying to sell me something for 22 mins-- is that... UVERworld? it is! sorry distracted cause UVERworld makes some really pretty music... back on track.
The style is nice.. looks like your standard kids show... almost has a pokemon or yokai watch feel to the style.
so... the puzzle part of the title is extremely loose but considering the source is a game they didn't do the worst job of getting that across... granted when he did a 5 combo i nearly spit out my drink.
so it's not bad... probably not continuing because it's an anime based on a match 3 game and that is just a bit too silly for me.

Alderamin of the Sky

Oh it's a military show? i thought it was fantasy... I'll still give it a chance but i know it's probably not going to be for me.
for nearly 10 minutes of pure exposition... that wasn't unbearable... it was nothing special but it gives you a sense of these characters. still need a reason to care but hey there is still half the episode to have that.
Military chess.... isn't that a bit... redundant?
So yeah as far as first episodes go... not bad at all... it took a while to get interesting but one you have that reason to care it's all good.
it may not hold my attention for the whole season but I'll give it a few more episodes.

Hybrid X Hearts Magias Academy Ataraxia

Congrats show with possibly the worst title I've ever seen (yes, worse then "Is it wrong to pick up girls in a dungeon" because 1. i can remember that title and 2. that show is actually really good)... you've one the coveted "fastest show to ditch ever" at 1 second.
literally this opens with breasts... but not just that... glowing breasts.... but if that is not enough then you can tell they used to be covered but now the clothing is in taters and just to add a cherry on top they are dewy with sweat... at least i hope that is sweat.
anyways that was enough for me to say "not for me"
not saying it's bad I'm just saying if you have to open with tits to keep your audiences attention that you are probably not very good. Granted if you want ecchi then this is probably all you ever hoped for. it got a chuckle out of me at least.

Ange Vierge

this is a personal gripe but i hate when eyelashes are the same colour as the eyes... that is not how that works...
also... wow so much moe.... and so many characters with no explanation... and yet there is also a ton of exposition... how do you manage to say so much without saying anything at all... HOW.
... this is based off a game isn't it
*reads article from 2014* Card game Ange Vierge to be adapted.
called it... also two years for something that looks like this?
ugh... sorry i can't do i... it's just far too much moe for me to handle. again, not saying it's bad just... ok actually no this one looks pretty bad but if you like utterly adorable designs drawn rather poorly this might be right up your alley.

This Boy Suffers from Crystallisation

... what?
WHAT....
i am... i don't... what?
uh... so... the boy suffers from crystallisation... and his teacher likes it? like.. really likes it.... REALLY likes it...
and uh... the art is... interesting but not in a good way... it's like... 1 frame of animation for every couple of seconds... maybe a lip flap occasionally...
honestly this is just not good... pass.

Rewrite

1. ok... right off the bat show... you are making it hard to watch... this shit flying into the sun better mean something or i will be upset
2. i have been saying this for a while but Key/Visual arts peaked with Clannad... and nothing they have done (spin off or based off a game) has come even remotely close...
the last Key/vis arts show i watched was charlotte where i nearly dropped the whole show cause it made me so mad over a throwaway line.
this one i may not be able to sit through cause at just over a min and a half I'm about to have a panic attack.
Oh man Ryou from Clannad got mean...
47 mins.... and not one damn thing was explained. shit happened (kinda) characters appeared (kinda) and i can't be bothers to even remotely give a fuck... the show tries to be all the genres... while not committing to a single one...
the music was good but the animation was some of the worst i have seen this season... a season that includes Ace Attorney.... i am baffled.
if i do watch this show it'll be a end of the season marathon... waiting week to week for this jumbled garbage? no I'm good...

Regalia: The Three Scared Stars

Ever wanted Moe Mechs that don't seem to focus on fanservice? this is probably a show for you.
as far as a first episode there wasn't enough plot to get me to care... i don't see a reason to continue but the show doesn't seem bad at all... just extremely cutesy with a dash of mechs.
but yeah it's a little disappointing that i can't discuss plot because besides girl is older sister despite looking like a child... girl is also mech...
but out of all the moe this season... not the worst.

Cheer Boys

First off i'm just going to say it's refreshing to see a show that takes place in college as opposed to high school for once... and the characters don't look stupidly young... the look young enough to be in college fresh out of high school and yeah... very very refreshing. also shoulder injuries... man do i know that feeling. i will say i don't really see how a shoulder injury that stopped someone from playing judo would still allow them to cheer.. the shit those athletes do takes a lot of stamina and control and i can imagine it would be really hard on a bum shoulder.
But yeah for a sports anime this was super cute and sweet and i think I'll end up watching more. in the first episode we got to learn a lot about the characters without too much exposition (and little to no narration i don't think I've ever seen a sports anime without narration) and yeah... it's also extremely nice to see a show do such nice reference animation without full on rotoscoping or using cg models.
SO yeah i enjoyed that.

Time Travel Girl

Shaft? no... WAO World... i am unfamiliar with them... wait why are there bishonen historical figures... what is this...
are they trying to... teach people stuff? oh this can only end one way... who knows maybe it'll be fine but... well i doubt it'll be a bill and teds excellent adventure.
oh man... already this is so painful
oh yeah i totally buy that someone who has seen some one trying to deal with cardiac arrest once could imitate...
also, if you suddenly appeared in 1600s i think they wouldn't be so open to you... i think they might try to kill you... i mean that would make for a more interesting story... cause stuff that has the sole purpose of trying to educate is at worst pandering and at best boring.
granted this is boring AND pandering so what do i know.
and even more insulting then that the episode leaves on a cliffhanger... and that is still not enough to get me to care.

Planetarian

I... am worried about this one... but giving all the shows a chance so... lets do this.
Ok so i was worried about this cause... space... but in the end it's just about a robot running a planetarium after the world has essentially ended-- This is.... Key/Visual arts? but *looks at Rewrite to double check* so.... they have two?
Mmkay that changes the conversation a bit.
cause this was actually really good. well animated and without too much dialogue it perfectly conveys the story it's going to tell.
in fact that this has such a good first episode in half the time that rewrite did... man it just makes rewrite look even worse.
will i continue this show? based on this first episode... yeah... it feels like a bit of return to form from when they peaked with clannad.
it doesn't have any goofy speech patterns (which after rewrite is such a plus)
and it's rare to see a show that pretty much only has two characters... I'm curious to see how it pans out... even though i know there is only one way for this to end and it's gunna hurt.
*watches a second episode* that felt... short
it's is a 13 min show? aww that sucks...
I'd rather have a 6-7 episode season then short episodes... still this will be an exception to the no short shows rule.. half length isn't too bad to wait week to week
so this thing conveys more story in 1/4th the time of rewrite... .WOW just... baffles with how terrible Rewrite continues to be.

Scar-red Rider XechS

oh man... watching this right after Planetarian was a mistake... there is so much exposition, the animation is bland, the character design might be ok... it's so poorly done it's impossible to tell.
Oh man... this is so dull 12:48 and I'm bailing... i have better things to do with my time.

Dangenronpa 3

this confuses me cause... the game isn't out yet? and there was no anime for the second one?
Is this... instead of a game? (if so then 1. wow I'm surprised and 2. man i liked that game... it was no zero escape but it was still good) or is this... supplemental to a game? i just don't know what Spike Chunsoft are doing with this....
a friend of mine says there is a game.. who knows with all this...
ok these character introductions are perfect.
 So episode one of the despair arc was fantastic...
you know whats not fantastic? the order in which funimation has places these
see there are two arcs... or two cours running simultaneously
The despair arc can be see as ep 1-12
the future are looks like it's 13-25
the way funimation has this set up is on the same page... yes i get it same show but please split them up.... seeing a page that says
episode 1, episode 13, episode 14 just looks clumsy and unlike crunchyroll they have a shitty video layout... maybe funimation now is better but i haven't really figured out what that is and if my subscription counts towards it.
now if you have played the games I'm betting you can watch both simultaniously and be fine.... but this is not a show i would recommend without playing the dangen ronpa games (at least 1 and 2... no idea about the spin off as i haven't played that myself)
part of me wishes that these weren't simultaneous... i wish it was just done in order... but that is just me i guess...
so if this is the conclusion to their story.... will the game be about [major spoilers]
i knew i was gunna love this... i just am confused why it exists... or why it's coming out before the 3rd game?
but yeah... enjoying... will look 'forward' to more despair

Tsukiuta

more male idol shows
but hey at least the 3d models look better then they did in love live's first season.
i just... there are so many of these kinds of shows... it's so hard to even remotely care.
and just... so many characters and i just can't be bothered to learn any of their names...
that all begin said... once it was just a few of them is was really cute... and the 3d models work really well
and the song is pretty good
still probably not going to continue... since there was no real plot... but yeah not terrible... just nothing there to make me go back for more. it just seems to be an episodic character focused show... which is fine but not the kind of thing i end to go for.

The Disastrous life of Saiki K. 

This might be the last show i have to watch.... And it's short so i wont be... uh... oh no... Is that Hiroshi Kamiya...
...
..
.
ok lets give this 4 mins a shot.
so is being Psychic a blessing or a curse... thats the question this comedy anime proposes.
... who cares as long as i get to hear Hirsoshi Kamiya be super snarky...
is the show good? well it's only 5 mins long so... not really... but at least it seems to be a bit more fun then some other short shows i've seen?
*notices there are a lot more episodes up in the 2 weeks it's been up* ok so there are specials... that are 5 mins... and episodes that are full length compilations of the specials... and honestly so far this is kinda fun (ended up watching 4 specials and enough of the episode to see it was just the same thing) just a very strange setup. i'll be watching the episode versions instead of specials since i prefer that setup.

Qualidea Code

Looks like i missed one... ok lets see.
oh man a lone wolf story involving war... most original idea ever.
i'msure this wont get people close to him killed cause he was stubborn.
i'm sure all this exposition will save everyone from a terrible fate.
well at least this shows the fault in a ranking based system.
however as far as first episodes go doesn't give me enough reason to continue, doesn't seem like a bad show but i'm just so done with the military school anime.

alright a quick check of the summer 2016 anime list and then final thoughts

Battery - an anime about baseball that no one has picked up. the promotional art looks pretty but not a fan of sports anime so not too upset it's not being streamed.

and that is it... everything else was either picked up or a sequel.
not sure what changed between last season and this one but yay... lots of anime to watch.

Overall i'm really excited for this season.

Shows i am going to stick with. 

Crunchyroll
Re:Zero
91 Days
Sweetness and Lightning
Berserk (maybe)
The Morose Mononokean
Alderamin on the Sky (maybe)
Orange

Crunchyroll and Funimation
Cute High Eart Defense Club LOVE! LOVE!

Funimation
Servamp
Planetarian
Cheer Boys
Danganronpa 3 (both arcs)


So much better then Spring 2016, and while i may not stick with everything it's nice to have such a large variety~

so what are your favourites so far? what show made you drop it so fast you regret giving it the few seconds of your life? feel free to discuss it in the comments or over on twitter!