Blood Blockade Battlefront

Aka Kekkai Sensen
*grins* it's been a while.

Okay so at the end of Spring 2015 i was expecting most of my shows to end... this one didn't.... it had episode 11 and then just never seemed to upload the final episode...
all this time i had thought "gee... there is no way they can finish this jumble they call a plot in 23 minutes"

Apparently they had the same thought... and so they delayed the episode claiming they were goingto mkae a longer one and had to work with time slots and whatnot.
about two weeks ago they announced it would finally Air on Oct 3rd.... a week later Funimation finally posted it.

and the part that kills me about all this is i'm not even terribly fond of the show.

See i started writing these things solely because i have a tendancy to avoid completing things.
I'll play right up to a final boss and then walk away
i'll read 7/8th of a book then switch to something new.
and with anime i'll tend to watch till episode 11 then just stop or forget about it.

So to combat this i started writing these with one condition.
I could only talk about things i actually finished (except the first impressions ones but those are once a season) Unless i planned to drop the series entirely and never pick it up again.
This show isn't bad enough to warrent being dropped... at 11 episodes it's mediocre at best but i was still curious to see if a final episode could pull it all together... so i had to stop myself from talkign abotu it and forming a set in stone opinion.
but then it took 3 months to air and yeah i definitely have a pretty solid opinion.  However that could change with the final episode.... but i'm not holding my breath.

The final episode doens't even have the intro song...
I am unimpressed.

I was going to save this for later but now is a good time, i mostly watched the show cause the intro song is really good.
Bump Of Chicken is just an incredibly talented band and the main singers voice is just such a joy to listen to.

I have said in the past that i forgive a lot for good music... this show is probably the epitome of that point...
now the show isn't bad... i just don't care... about anything... the characters, the plots, the little stories.
It reminds me so much of Cowboy Bebop but only it's trying so hard it's painful to sit through.
It's all these little stories that are simply connected by the fact that it's happening to the characters but unlike Bebop i'm never presented a reason to care and so i never do.
The most interesting characters are Black and White and even then... their story gets so rediculous that it ruins any good their origin story provided.
and i have said from day one that if i don't care about the characters i wont really care about anythign else.

okay lets get back to watching episode 12 and hoping the wait was worth it.
well took them 30 mins but at least they are playing the song that is also the name of the episode
also past the 30 min mark the animation takes a nose dive for a few minutes...
SO thats it...
and in the end... nothing is explained... nothing happens and it all reeks of trying way too damn hard.
i'm sure the manga is better since i know it has a lot of fans... but this show was a rushed mess that in the end accomplishes nothing...

It's not terrible... but it's not worth your time since nothing is accomplished at all at any point.
IN FACT, the very last moment of this show pretty much spit in the face for anything the show HAD tried to accomplish....

So yeah in the end the mediocre at best show that was trying way too hard from day one was exactly what i expected... i'm going to go listen to Hello, World and Karma for a bit and then go back to watching first episodes of the new season.

and if you like the idea of crazy characters in a crazy world and their little stories that manage to weave into a single interesting narrative... watch Cowboy Bebop (i mean if you haven't already) since that is obviously what this show was trying to be from the start.

Gangsta.

. . . It can't end there... there has to be a season 2

Ok putting that ending aside i'm going to be completely honest.

When i first saw the art for this show i figured i wouldn't like it...
shows with more realistic proportions and dark and gritty themes tend to get boring and predictable really fast for me... not to mention the amount of drugs and smoking and prostitutes... it's just not the type of show i tend to enjoy.
Still i really am trying to give everything a fair chance... so i started watching it and i was stunned.
First off, the intro song is really good and while not wholly indicative of what the show is going to be like it gets the basic point across.

Second, when the main character Worwick began to speak i knew instantly who it was... It's the first time i've had such a strong sense of recognition towards Junichi Suwabe so that was kind of exciting... i like being able to pick new voices (especially when it's a voice actor that for years i've been trying to recognize)

This, the other character Nicholas spends most of the episode completely silent and the reveal for why was absolutely beautiful. Never have i seen a character who has that trait be treated so well in any medium let alone Anime.

The animation is lovely... the music is Dubsteppy (which i tend to hate but it really works in this) The story is well told and well revealed since a lot of the show focuses on events in the past affecting their current world setup.

That ending was cruel... mostly becuase season 2 hasn't been officially announced yet... i seriously hope it gets announced soon... cause yeah... i yelled when the end credits started...
the ending song is really good too...

So yeah if i had to pick a show that i would be least likely to enjoy it would be this... and it's right up there for being my fav show this season... right along with Snow White with the Red Hair, My LOVE Story!! and Durarara!! X2.2
so yeah i guess my taste is a little all over the place this season...

and i actually think this is the final show i'll end up completing for Sumer 2015... i have dropped quite a few titles (overlord, Ushio and Tora, actually i am, and Rinne) all for pretty much the same reason... really really boring or every episode was just the same thing.
So i think this means i'm not continuing anything into Winter 2015...well other then the stuff thats getting a season 2 after taking a break... Noragami, Haikyuu and Seraph of the end come to mind.

So yeah thank you for putting up with these over the past few days... You can watch Gangsta on Funimation (and i think on Crunchyroll if you not in North America? not entirely sure about that)

Edit: . . . what do you mean Manglobe is bankrupt?
. . . okay so here's hoping bones picks this show up for Season 2.... wow i am so sad about this news.

Wagnaria!!!

And here i was so sure that this would be the conclusion to the whole show... looks like we (eventually) get a 1 hour special....

Um... much Like durarara this is hard to describe...
a group of people who work at a family restaurant do stuff.... it's quite funny and heartwarming and if you don't mind slice of life it's just an enjoyable watch.
But i can't stress this enough... it takes a long time for anything even resembling a plot to happen... i kinda love that about the show but it may be too slow for some.
and i gotta admit... when we do (eventually) get the 1 hour special i'll probably be a little sad... i'm always sad when fun shows end...

so yeah give it a watch, i believe it's all on crunchyroll and NISA has the license to the DVDs of the first two seasons if you want to purchase it.

Charlotte

Imagine suddenly waking up one day to find that you have supernatural powers... do you use it for good? or abuse it for self gain.
Yu Otasaka can take over anyone... but only for 5 seconds... such an incomplete ability only gets used for minor things like Cheating on a test so his crush will like him.
However a small girl, who also has an ability, catches him in the act of cheating and essentially blackmails him into never using his powers again... he also has to help with the student council who are actually a task force for finding others with abilities and stopping them from using it.

I expected this to be right up my alley... i love supernatural setting in current day and it's something Key/Visual Arts has been shown to do really well with Clannad and Kanon.
And i did enjoy it but....
I'm left pondering and thats never a good sign.
i'm pretty sure there are two reasons for this...

1. the show is a little rushed... most of the plot happening in the last few episodes... the last episode alone could have easily been an entire season...

2. Theres a point a little past midpoint in the show where i almost stopped watching. It hit a bit too close to home and after that point all i could feel was Anxiety mixed with utter rage from one line from a character who's face we don't even see.

I don't even know if i like the show cause whenever i think about the overall i focus on that line and how furious i felt.

I want to say i enjoyed most of it... in the end i am willing to bet that Clannad is better in pretty much every way.

But as i said i'm extremely torn because it has it's good moments and it's bad moments... and in the end it should have been 26 episodes... not 13...
he shouldn't have been told a certain plot twist so boldly... he should have figure it out over time... the entire final episode really should have been more focus since things happen at breakneck speed that it becomes entirely exposition.
and it should have worked harder to connect you to the story then doing extreme things seemingly out of nowhere in order to get some tears.
Was it to the point of being manipulative? I'm not entirely sure.... much like Nitroplus Key/Visual Arts runs on peoples sadness...
maybe i just feel like one company is doing a better job of earning those reactions then the other...

that or maybe Clannad really was just their best title and in my mind i still compare everything to it and nothing that they have done since has even remotely measured up.
Well at least they had PA Works do the animation this time... they did a great job.

So yeah sorry that i can't say for sure if I enjoyed it... but i don't think it's bad.... just maybe not as good as some other stuff.

Unrelated side note: Who the hell discards a White Dragon 6 turns from the end when someone is in Richi and no other white dragons have been discarded? he could have discarded it WAY sooner based on what his previous discards were like.... there was no reason to hold onto that, even if he drew it the turn before he should have discarded it then considering what the rest of his hand looked like!

Sorry it just.... bugged me...

Durarara!!x2 Ten

Or as i call it... Durarara!! 2.2

*looks at the plot* you know what? not even going to try...
If you enjoy Non-linear Story Telling go watch all of season one and then enjoy season 2.1 and 2.2 (and in january 2.3)
If you do not like Non-linear story telling watch season one until a pretty major reveal... then continue watching and enjoy season 2.1 and 2.2 (and in January 2.3)

All i will say is that this season had a lot of reaction from me... lots of laughter... lots of yelling out in horror... and lots of grinning from ear to ear.

Great characters, interesting animation and a plot that is both insane and difficult to describe and yet fairly easy to follow... i can't wait till Winter 2016 for the 'conclusion' of season 2.
maybe we will finally find out why Izaya loves humans so much...

Also while you are at it... read the light novel, the one volume currently out in english only follows one specific arc but it adds even more detail then they show managed and it's just an enjoyable read.

However this is not the only show that finishes today... i'm going to make some tea, try and break this low-grade fever and then watch charlotte... saving Working!!! for last since if i know anything about Key/Visual arts.... i'm gunna be a puddle of tears by the end of charlotte.

School-Live!!

Aka Gakkou Gurashi.

My fav thing about this show was when a friend of mine asked. "whats it about" i simply said "watch this episode... no questions till the episode is done"
She live-skyped me through the whole episode and it was glorious.

This is a show where it is ESSENTIAL to go in blind... Easily one of the best takes on the Meo Girls in a Club doing 'stuff' genre.
However it is Nitroplus... those lovely folks that brought us titles like
Aldnoah Zero
Steins;Gate
Gargantia.... *suddenly remembers season 2 got cancelled... has a little cry*
and of course... Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
SO yeah moe high school funtimes + nitroplus = a whole lot of crying.

Now i know the plot has gotten out for this one cause it is fairly unique... still if you haven't heard about it or seen anything go here: http://www.crunchyroll.com/school-live/episode-1-beginning-682347 and after you finish the episode keep a few things in mind.
1. can't stress this enough, Nitroplus run on people's tears...
2. Think about all the characters... and the fact that the show is trying to break your heart

I can't say anymore without major spoilers.

Is it clannad levels of sad? uh... depends on the person and what they can handle.


Is the show for everyone? no... I personally can't stand overly Moe/bubbly crap and they lay it on pretty thick in some places... however even though i Despise the Moe Girls in a Club Genre i really liked this.
Fav of the season? no.. it's really good and I'm glad i watched it but I'll probably never watch it again... it's very much a show based on experience... on that note if they did a season 2 I would watch... i don't think they will.

now I'm going to spend the rest of the night being extremely sad about no Gargantia Season 2....
Like it's been months since they announced it was canned and I'm still pouty about it.
oh well Gargantia will always be able to give me the joy of going "ah... you stopped on ep7" and watching the colour drain from peoples face and then calling them out on why they should watch the rest before basing their opinion on one scene.
Good times....

But yeah if you do know the main plot to School-live!! and haven't watched it... maybe give it a watch later when you have nothing else and just marathon it... it's best to go in blind but you can still go in knowing more then the show wants you to and have a good time.

Well as good a time as Nitroplus will let you.... evil evil wonderful company.

Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing

But i'll probably call it Last Exile 2 or just Fam.

Story time.
I really enjoyed Last exile, so when i came across Last Exile 2 on funimation's website a few years ago i was really excited.
I didn't even make it 5 minutes into the episode... it has a girl in her underwear sleepwalk off a airship for no reason other then cutesy moe crap.
I was heartbroken... those first few minutes spit so hard in the face of everything that was amazing about season 1.
I stopped watching and just forgot it existed.
last Holiday sale season rightstuff had last exile 2 for a good price, i was still unsure but my friend reassured me that it was actually a pretty good show.
Same friend who recommended School days so i took his recommendation with a grain of salt but he mentioned something about liking how the war was handled.
So i gave it a shot... bought it and then put it to the bottom of my rightstuff pile.

Quickly i better describe the plot before i got off on tangents.

Fam and Gizelle are sky pirates, they capture federation airships (skyfish) in a way of asserting their power and stopping the federation from abusing their power.
By chance they come across the Silvius, a mysterious skyfish that is unlike any other in the land... after trying to catch it they end up it's captors and make a deal with the captain Tatiana to capture 1 skyfish for every year Fam has been alive... 
She works diligently towards this goal since it could be a step towards holding another grand race between all the nations. 

I'm leaving out a lot but i found explaining all the different elements to the plot just make it feel like it makes no sense

So now considering i have seen the entire series do i have anything to say?
Yeah.... to the person who decided to have the first 5 minutes be moe crap.... F*ck you
Those first 5 minutes are supposed to hook you and not only is it an insult to the previous season it's also not indicative of how the rest of the show is.
I adored this season, it's really well done... i prefer the style in season 1 but the war element is handled extremely well not to mention that when characters can't communicate because of different languages they are ACTUALLY speaking a different language.

However something did happen in the final episode that changed my overall feeling of the show.

In Season 2 Clause and Lavie are barely seen... once in a clip show episode and at the very end.
I found it a bit strange to not have them as the main characters again but hey... they wanted to do something new...
However in the final episode it's revealed WHY they can't be the main characters this time... and it litterally made me sob.
In that moment of "what did i miss?" i realized something...
I don't even remotely care about Fam or Gizei's story... it has little to no bearing on the plot and they kind of just show up at important events... granted clause had this problem to but they did a better job of explaining it in my opinion.
I loved Clause and Lavie's story... i cared about them personally more then the overall story. Fam is much more about the overall world and story and thats fine but i could feel how much i missed the characters building from season 1.
Not even starting to mention that seeing them like that had a lot of other implications that were simply heartbreaking.

Still even if i didn't care about Fam or Gizei at all i still loved the show, it was nice to see Dio and Alvis' new design was adorable (even if she had no real reason to be there)... I do wish it was about Clause an Lavie... ending with the thing thats revealed in season two... but hey in tend years if they ever did a season 3 maybe it'll be addressed then... they left it as open for a sequel as the first season was....


Side Note i only listened to the dub for about 10 seconds.... a note to directors... never make your voice actors put on fake accents... those 10 seconds were easily the most painful i have heard in a while and you know you would have gotten a better performance out of the talent if they didn't have to do it OR hire people who actually have the accent

So yeah if you get the chance watch ALL of last exile... it's a really good series.