Lilac's Impressions: Spring 2014 Week 1 (pt 1)

Here we go once again! It’s time to get our anime on with a fresh new season filled with shows! This season, I’m starting out with 24 brand new series! That means second seasons, sequels, prequels, spin offs, and shorts do not count and will not be covered here. But I may give you some insight into the other series I’ll be watching later on so stay tuned! Let’s start Week 1 with the first 12 shows on my radar!

Baby Steps
Episode 1

Sports anime and I have been having a pretty good relationship these past several months. Free! kind of kicked this off for me last summer and now Ace of Diamond and Yowapeda are still ongoing (even though I am way behind). This season we have a couple more Sports anime to get through, and Baby Steps is the first one! This is reminding me a bit of Prince of Tennis except we have a newbie tennis player as out main character instead of a genius one. It has similar energy and fun moments to it, and the first episode is off to a pretty good start. For me, though, I kind of felt a little bored with this one with some of the gags being played a little too much. I’ll let Baby Steps slide into the next week, but just barely. I need this one to pick up a bit if I’m going to keep it this season.






Brynhildr in the Darkness
Episode 1

Many of my most anticipated anime that I created the recent Lilac 10 video for are actually in this half of the week. So I am curious to see how the tone will be set by the ones I really want to see good from. And Brynhildr is a good way to start! Right off the bat, I have to say I love the opening theme! It takes a darker, spacey turn instead of opting for a generic JPop tune, so already this series has my attention! As for the first episode, it gave us enough backstory to start off with but didn’t overwhelm me. Plus with this transfer student and the moments of mistaken identity, they were nice moments too. Though the homeroom incident was probably the funniest of those moments. Brynhildr is off to an amazing start and there is not way I’m dropping it right now! Aliens, witches, fortune tellers? Bring it on!!



Captain Earth
Episode 1

Here’s the first of two new Bones series I’m covering this season! We’ll see Coffin Princess Chaika during the second half of the week and, if you’ve watched the latest Lilac 10, I am watching Soul Eater Not! It just won’t be covered during Impressions. But how about Captain Earth? As the first Bones series I’ve seen this season, it’s a good start to their spring lineup. It’s not extremely strong, mind you, but it’s not a terrible start. The reason why I say this is because the first episode throws a lot of information at us in the span of 20 minutes. From three or four flashbacks to background of the bad guys and our first ride into space there’s so much going on and it brings the show down a little bit. However, the beautiful animation, the music, and the likable main character have made up for this so far. However, if the compacted information keeps this up the other benefits may suffer as well. For the time being, Captain Earth is blasting off into Week 2. I’m interested to see if we can have more of our good old Studio Bones back. Space Dandy and Noragami were just the beginning! Now let’s see what Captain Earth can do!



Daimidaler: Prince VS. Penguin Empire
Episode 1

Why? WHY DOES THIS EXSIST?!?!?! This is the worst series I’ve seen thus far this season. First you give us penguin dicks, they call them front tails but no, they’re dicks, and then you gave the most perverted main character I have seen in a long time. Add to it that his powers come from being a pervert, and oh my god! I really hate this show. I really really hate this show. It not only gave me something that cannot be unseen, but it’s the first series I think I ever really raged over since the day I started doing this series for the blog. No way in hell is Daimidaler going to Week 2! No way no how! FUNimation, I am pissed that you even nabbed this one over so many other good ones this season has! What the hell?!?!? You and I are not off to a good start this season, FUNi.


Haikyu!!
Episode 1

I think it’s time for the second Sports anime I’m covering this season, Haikyu!! This time we have some volleyball to play with. I think this is the first volleyball series I’ve seen in anime so this ought to be interesting. And, honestly, it really is! The first episode took the time to play out the match that brought our two major characters together up until the first day of high school when they find out they are attending the same school. I’m finding this show rather charming and endearing, and it’s only been one episode! Our two major characters have been fun so far as well, with the spunky short stuff being the one the episode follows the most. But I’m pretty sure we’ll get much more time with the proclaimed “King of the Court” throughout the series. Not only that, the friendship the series will more than likely explore will be a lot of fun to see grow. As of right now, if I had to pick one Sports anime to follow, Haikyu would be it. But we’ll see what Week 2 has in store for both Baby Steps and Haikyu!!


The Irregular at Magic High School
Episode 1

Here we are. Another Madhouse series with magic involved. Last season, Magical Warfare was one I didn’t keep past Week 1 and I’ve heard since then that it’s pretty bad. We’re gonna try this whole Madhouse/Magic pairing again and see what happens. First and foremost I think I just had Code Geass flashbacks with, what looks to be, the opening theme. I didn’t know there would be a Suzaku look a like! That’s going to be weird for me. Other than that, the first episode isn’t terrible, but it’s not fantastic either. If you watch my recent Lilac 10 video, you’ll recall that I was worried about potential incest in the show, and that is still now a concern thanks to some moments in the series. But, right now, it’s being drowned out by the world that’s been created and our main character Tatsuya. It’s obvious that he’s on some sort of mission, but for what we aren’t sure of right now. I’m hoping we can have that figured out fairly soon. Irregular at Magic High School is nearing borderline dropped right now, but since this is one I really want to see grow into something amazing then it’s staying for another week. Tatsuya, let’s see what you can do!


The Kawai Complex Guide to 
Manors and Hostel Behavior
Episode 1

When I was looking at Kawai Complex, this kind of seemed like a typical romantic comedy and I wasn’t really going to like it. Oddly enough, I really enjoyed it! First of all, it looks absolutely beautiful! Brains Base has a wonderful animated work on their hands with this one. As for the story, it’s been really easy to get into and so far we’ve been introduced to nearly all of the cast living in Kawai Complex. There are some moments, mostly with our resident roommate pervert Shiro, that are really annoying but I’m loving it all the same. Hell, I wouldn’t mind living there since there is such a wonderful defense system for the girl’s half of the complex. There is no doubt in my mind to let Kawai Complex sail into Week 2! This may possibly be my lovely spring RomCom, but, as always, we’ll see!


La Corda D’Oro ~Blue Sky~
Episode 1

A series that has classical music involved? Sure I’ll give it a try! ....At least that’s what I said when I saw Blue Sky listed anyways. I get the feeling that it’s going for a sort of proper, professional feel, and I’m glad there hasn’t been much in the way of romances right now. But I feel like it’s falling a little flat to me. I’m not a fan of the characters and the story, so far, is kinda of generic. Honestly, I’m trying to find things I liked and didn’t like about this show, so the number one problem I have with this show is that it’s rather forgettable. There’s almost nothing there to keep my interest and make it pass into Week 2. Because of this, Blue Sky’s run with me ends here. It’ll be an interesting show to marathon later on down the road, but it’s not one I’m willing to keep up with each week.






Riddle Story of Devil
Episode 1

MORE YRUI ANIME!!! WHEEEEE!!! Oddly enough, so far this series isn’t half bad! Granted, as of right now, it’s not legally streaming so I had to turn to crappy quality and fan subs but still. From what I can gather so far we have seven assassins who all want to kill their target while in this class. And, obviously, the target is a girl named Haru who wants to be everyone’s friend and graduate school. There actually hasn’t been a lot of the Yuri part of the series just yet which is really nice because it looks like the relationship is going to go through development rather than just magically happen. As for the other assassins, holy crap can they be scary and I like it! I guess you can sum my experience with the first episode as this is awesome, can I has more? Though, now I am curious as to Haru and her story and what she means by she hopes Tokaku doesn’t hate her if she finds out her past. Riddle Story is, for sure, headed into Week 2!


Selector Infected WIXOSS
Episode 1

In the latest Lilac 10, I said that out of everything being offered this season Selector Infected is my most anticipated new anime series of this season. And, right now, I am not disappointed. We have a card game where the last Selector standing can make any wish they have come true. Now that is an interesting premise for a show but it’s also something that’s been done before. What is making this stand out for me, though, are some of the visuals we see, particularly the darker ones. This series does have a psychological genre attached to it and I am glad it’s working on delivering it. But, overall, as a first episode Selector Infected is on the right track and does what it needs to so the viewer can get a basic understanding of the world and the game these girls are going to be playing throughout the series. I see no issues right now, so Selector Infected WIXOSS is headed for Week 2!


Weaving of Fates
Episode 1

Those first two minutes...... What on earth was that? I think there’s only one way to describe it....... MAN SERVICE!!!!! OMG MAN SERVICE!!!!!! All kidding aside, this series so far is your typical reverse harem complete with flowers to help introduce our male characters! I thought I was going to be mad and annoyed with this one, but for some reason I can’t be! Maybe it’s because I love mythology, or because this series got a few little laughs out of me. Something that helps is Yui, so far, isn’t a helpless heroine. She’s a swordsman that isn’t too afraid to tell someone no. Hell, if I were asked to do something by Zeus then I would say yes and then go change my pants. I’m willing to give Weaving of Fates another episode, maybe two if it keeps going at a nice pace. We’ll have to wait and see!


The World is Still Beautiful
Episode 1

Well, this one is a pleasant surprise! The first episode is more of an introduction and time to spend with Nike, and that’s a great way to start the series. Now that she’s made it to the capital and has found out her husband to be is a boy it can only get more interesting from there! So far, I’m liking everything about this series though I am a little concerned with how they plan on handling the relationship between Nike and the Sun King. All things considered this is kind of pedophilia even though they may not have something like that in this world, or Nike is also under 18. But, no matter, because The World is Still Beautiful is on the road to Week 2. This next episode is going to be interesting.


Those are the first 12 series out of my 24! Come back Thursday to check out more of the new anime I’m covering this season! Until then, otaku on my friends!