Lilac's Impressions: Summer 2012 (Week 2)

Oh man.... What have I gotten myself into?

Alright... Time to get started on, well, EVERYTHING!! We have 7 new shows to watch and 5 others to watch more of. So, without further a due, let’s start with our 7 new shows and their first episodes!

Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate

Episode 1

O_O

Only a minute in and there’s a deal making and a hit and run.... What did I just get into here? Oh wait... High school antics.... Ok then..... I will admit, that Senkyo to Chocolate has some potential in it. I like the whole dirty world of a high school election. It just seems so different to. However, deciding on wether or not to show fan service and  give us stereotypical characters doesn’t make things better. That’s what’s bringing the show down right now. I will admit, cause this is based off a visual novel, they play that up as a silly game of theirs from time to time in the first episode, and it gave me a little laugh or two. But we shall see what comes next in the second episode. If it’s more hijinks then I’d like, then this series will be set out to dry.

Joshiraku

Episode 1

Ladies and gentlemen, we have one our comedies of the season. As far as I can tell, Joshiraku is a dialogue heavy show, with no action, and with almost no 4th wall to even speak of. In the first few minutes of the series, alone, they group of girls talk about what do they do normally and wondering why people are making this manga into an anime, and it’s genuinely funny. The series is also really nicely animated for something of this genre. So, for now, This one’s staying on my watch list. Because it’s adorable, funny, and so full of puns.

Dakara Boku wa, H ga Dekinai

Episode 1

Who knew be horny could be a major energy source? And who knew there would be so much damn fan service? Oh wait.... I did..... I gotta admit, the idea of this kind of did interest me, at first. And the main character, Ryosuke, is a class A horny pervert. His rants about women can be either enjoyable or, since, ya know, I’m a lady, down right insulting at times. Then there’s Lisara and all her erotic bits as well. There are some good and some bad points, and I think the bad outweighs the good. I’m a girl, so this kind of thing isn’t for me. I’m done watching this series.... It just makes me feel so dirty, and I hate that feeling.....

Red threads? Seriously?

Kono Naka ni Hitori, Im outo ga Iru!

Episode 1

Awwwww a little girl talks to her older brother for the first time... And she tells him she’s going to marry him..... Wait what? Ok, no one can deny that when you hear something like that you start thinking incest. But, luckily, that isn’t what the series is about. Shugo’s father, a major business head, passes away. In order to truly become the head of the company, Shugo needs to find a lifelong partner by the end of his high school career. The only problem is, not only is he becoming popular among all the girls at school, but his little sister is among them. And he has no clue who she is. It’s a cute series, so far, but I can’t help but be a little miffed about all the girls throwing themselves at him (Konoe and Kannagi in particular). And the random bath scene towards the end of the episode makes me truly hope that this series is not full of useless fan service. But, for the time being, we’ll see where this series takes us.

Sword Art Online

Episode 1

This series is probably the only other series I initially was excited for, besides Natsuyuki. Right now, I’m liking what I’m seeing. We get the basic idea about the how popular the game is while in the real world, and then we find out about some basic functions and are introduced to two major characters. And then the game creator drops a bomb on everyone telling them they can’t log out or escape the game unless they beat it. If they die in the game, or if someone from the outside tries to force them out, then the player’s brain gets fried. The visuals are stunning, the story is interesting (even though we’ve probably seen it before), and the characters are fun. I can’t wait to see what’s in store, and, again, I hope I’m not disappointed.

Kokoro Connect

Episode 1

Well then, here’s another interestingly pleasant surprise. You would think, right away, that this is going to be K-On type hijinks, but, so far, there isn’t really a lot of hijinks to complain about. The first episode gives us an introduction to our five main characters and into the main plot of the story; the whole body switching thing. It doesn’t give off a lot of fan service, as you would expect it to do, but it does give the reaction a boy would give if he suddenly switched into a girl’s body. “Wait I have boobs?!” Now begins the questions of how are they switching bodies? Why is it just them switching bodies? I’m hoping I’ll get some semblance of answers in the next episode. But if they high school antics become too much, Kokoro Connect is out.

Oda Nobuna no Yabou

Episode 1

So. Much. Action. There’s just way too much going on in the first episode that my head is kind of spinning. We learn about characters, the waring states, etc. But it gets right down to business and stays in business throughout the entire first episode. And then the all important question comes up, “HOW THE F*** DID THAT GUY TIME TRAVEL?!?!” I just hope they give some sort of good reasoning for this because if it’s half assed then it’s going to be the biggest problem I have with this series. Otherwise then that, though, it’s going to get one more episode from me before I send it packing.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, for the episode 2s for this week!

Tari Tari

Episode 2

This episode makes me feel kinda warm and fuzzy and miss those days in high school when I sang in Chorus. The episode brings the new choir group together as they work towards the upcoming joint recital. And, now that the recital is over, my only concern now is, where is this show going? The main reason this new choir club was formed was for the sake of one character wanting to make up for her mistake at the recital last year (Which we do get to see in this episode, by the way). We at least know this much, the club’s advisor, the school’s principal, is out of commission so the Vice Principal will be taking over. Who knows what kind of problems the club will have when this strict woman takes charge. But, for now, Tari Tari is still on my good list. The next episode is going to be crucial though in deciding wether or not I will watch more after episode 3.

Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita

Episode 2

Well since we got the real big WTF moment out of the way, am I ready to drop this series after watching episode 2? I’m going to say no, because it actually is growing on me (in a sick and twisted sort of way...). There’s still more weird moments in the series, like the hair suddenly becoming it’s own being by the end of the episode, but, hey, we all knew something was up with that hair from the start. And, at least, it helps that the series looks really pretty. Maybe I’m making excuses to watch the 3 episode, but we’ll see.

Arcana Famiglia

Episode 2

And this is why I hate pandering. That’s really what the second episode was. You just don’t go from a plot/exposition filled first episode into a filler episode. It just don’t work that way. It gives off the sense of terrible pacing and forced exposition doesn’t help it’s case either. I will admit, I liked the second episode better then the first, however it doesn’t completely make up for the crappy first episode. Alright, Arcana, you win. You get one more episode out of me. If you pull an epic fail on me next week, we’re over.

Chouyaku Hyakunin Isshu: Uta Koi

Episode 2

The more and more I watch Chouyaku, the more I fall in love with it. Maybe it’s because of the poetry and the links to the anthology. Or maybe it’s just the romance we see in every episode. And, as far as I can tell, they’re going to link everything to the preceding episode somehow. In this case the linked the kid Emperor we met at the end of the first half of episode one to the man trying to elope with a woman. Then they made the Emperor the lead character of this episode. I’m liking the style, the execution, and the stories that are coming out of this. Keep this up Chouyaku!

Natsuyuki Rendezvous

Episode 2

A flower shop. Such a perfect setting for a romance series. Because it, pretty much, help the love in the series bloom into something really wonderful. And currently, it’s slowly blooming. Though the dead husband in the way kinda is holding back out main male from getting the girl of his dreams to love him. But, hey, a love like this that takes time to develop is actually something that I wanna see. This by far, is my favorite series of the summer! It’s full of romance, flowers, overly attached ghosts. There is no doubt in my mind that I’m going to be continuing this series after three episodes. It would have to do a lot to disappoint me right now.... It better not.... I WANT MY ROMANCE DAMNIT!!

That's it for this week. Next week, we give the final verdict for five series and then talk more about the rest! Until next time, otaku on my friends!