Rss

  • youtube

Archives for : Comedy

Hayate the Combat Butler: Cuties-Season 4 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 25, 2015
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hayate-the-Combat-Butler-Cutiesreview provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Hayate the Combat Butler: Cuties-Season 4

Director: Kenjiro Hata

Studio: Manglobe

Author: Shinichi Inotsume

U.S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U.S. Release Date: June 23, 2015

Format and Length: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Harem, Parody

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: C+

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Amagami SS and Hayate the Combat Butler: Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

Synopsis:

Hayate and Nagi are back for Hayate the Combat Butler: Cuties and Hayate is back to saving the day. He nurses everyone through an illness, retrieves an embarrassing video before it hits the internet, and returns stolen money; and that is just normal day-to-day life for Hayate. However, as awesome and competent as Hayate may seem, there is actually one thing he is not particularly good at-noticing when pretty girls are attracted to him. But that will not stop the young ladies from trying to catch his eye, even as the art of domestic service becomes inexplicably intertwined with the martial arts?

Commentary:

Hayate the Combat Butler: Cuties was a great series up until the last two episodes. The first ten episodes each focused on one or two of the main girls of the series, a-la Amagami SS. I thought this was a good thing as it led to character background being given and character development as they worked through whatever problem was in the episode. The last two episodes really belonged with the previous season, Hayate the Combat Butler: Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, as it was an alternate ending to that series. Yes, it did also add to Hayate the Combat Butler: Cuties plot but it also took away from the story as a whole.

In some of the character specific episodes we are also introduced to some new characters but they are not well introduced so unless you have read the manga you will probably be lost. If there is a Season 5 I hope they give those characters some background. Each character specific episode can stand alone except for the first as it reintroduces everyone in case you have forgotten anyone. Hayate the Combat Butler: Cuties had a lot of funny moments that will have you laughing and there was also some romance but it was only from the girls as Hayate is still clueless. I think my favorite episode was the Maria one because we finally learn about her past and find out that she is very young but very smart.

The animation was very cute and drawn well. The voice actors were spot on as always and I could not imagine anyone else voicing these characters. The opening and closing songs were J-Pop like and were catchy. There was a bit of fan-service but nothing over the top. Also there was a couple of episodes with Hayate cross-dressing so be warned.

Extras:

Hayate the Combat Butler: Cuties included clean opening and closing animations and Sentai Filmworks trailers as special features. This series was released with only one language option, Japanese with English Subtitles.

Overall Grade: C+

Hayate the Combat Butler: Cuties is a cute series and would have a higher grade if the last two episodes were not included in this season. Overall, I recommend this season over Hayate the Combat Butler: Can’t Take My Eyes Off You because you get to know the characters better.

The Familiar of Zero F (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 18, 2015
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The-Familiar-of-Zero-F-Season-4review by Katie and Andrew

Title: The Familiar of Zero F (Season 4)

Director: Yoshiaki Iwasaki

Studio: J.C. Staff

Author: Noboru Hamaguchi

U.S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U.S. Release Date: May 12, 2015 and July 14, 2015

Format and Length: Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Harem, Action, Romance

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: B

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: The Familiar of Zero and The Familiar of Zero: Knight of the Twin Moons
Synopsis:
The Familiar of Zero F concludes the story. Are Saito and Louise ready to take their relationship to the next level? Sadly, that answer will have to wait yet again as they must save Halkeginia once again. However, this time the mission requires them to use Louise’s Void Magic along with the other Void Mages they have found. Betrayals, reversals, and the inevitable side trip to the hot springs lie ahead as the evil forces plot away and dysfunctional relationships get even more dysfunctional. You could say they put the “fun” in dysfunctional. Plus many things go Boom for only vaguely justifiable reasons!

Commentary:

I absolutely loved that there was a conclusion to this series. It does not leave anything open to questions and gives you the conclusion that you want if you love rom-coms. Louise finally matures enough to see that Saito loves her above all the other girls and she finally stops being so insecure. We also get the token Hot Springs episode. Lots of fan-service to be had and Louise does things that made me cry but then you see why she did them. But some things did not make sense, such as how Saito can be the familiar of two mages or how he can steal a fighter jet in 2 seconds flat and get back to Halkeginia. All the characters come back for the final season to save Halkeginia from destruction and we even meet the “Pope.” Henrietta finally began acting like a queen near the end of the series and she also matured. The battle scenes were well done and the music went with the scenes perfectly. The opening and closing songs were okay but I really liked the ones from the first season the best. The voice actors did an amazing job and made the series enjoyable.

Overall Grade: B
Overall, I have enjoyed watching the entire The Familiar of Zero series. However, I felt the fan-service was overdone. I also thought the disciplining of Saito was over-the-top but I also know that is how Louise is. I still recommend this series for anyone looking for a good Fantasy series with some rom-com added in.

Soul Eater NOT! (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 15, 2015
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , ,

Soul Eater NotTitle: Soul Eater NOT!

Director: Masakazu Hashimoto

Studio: Bones

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: June 30th, 2015

Format: DVD / Blu-ray / 12 Episodes / 300 Minutes

Genre: Comedy, Supernatural, Slice of Life, Shonen

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

When 14-year-old Tsugumi discovers her ability to transform into a weapon, she decides to enroll at Death Weapon Meister Academy, or DWMA. There, she hones her skills, and practices with other weapons and the meisters who wield them.

With the help of Maka and the others Tsugumi, Meme and Anya will discover the importance of friendship and the how to appreciate each other for who they really are.

Commentary:

If you are looking for another Soul Eater, well all I can say in NOT!. Soul Eater NOT! may be placed in the same world and have some of the same general feel it is not the same type of series at all. Where Soul Eater is all about the action and bizarreness of the world they live in, Soul Eater Not is all about these 3 girls. After a few episodes I looked over and mentioned to a friend watching the series with me and said this feels like Soul Eater meets K-On!

Now I’m not saying it doesn’t have some of the classic Soul Eater flavor. It still has plenty of the strange characters and colorful world known as Death City and the DWMA. As you move through the series you get to see most of the old favorites and try to guess when the series takes place. I am convinced that it is after the original series, but there are things that make you stop and think maybe not. I’ll leave that up to you.

Overall Garde: B+

Being a huge fan of Soul Eater I was looking forward to Soul Eater NOT! and at first I was a little disappointed, but as the series wound though its paces I came to appreciate it for what it is. I do have a weak spot for slice of life stories and think that series that explore friendship and self awareness tend to get deeper in character development that just the action series. Now Soul Eater Not really didn’t have the time to get into solid character development, but it did give us several fun and easy to connect with characters and the 3 girls were all very much likable and very sympathetic.

I have a feeling that there will be plenty of Soul Eater fans that will pass on this fun little series just because it is more of a slice of life rather than action adventure. I hope everyone gives Soul Eater NOT! a try I believe they will enjoy it.

 

Please Teacher! (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : June 8, 2015
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Please Teacher!review provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Please Teacher!

Director: Yasunori Ide

Studio: Daume

Author: Yosuke Kuroda

U.S. Distributor: Nozomi Entertainment , Lucky Penny

U.S. Release Date: June 2, 2015

Format and Length: DVD / 13 Episodes / 325 Minutes

Genre: Drama, Science Fiction, Comedy, Romance

Industry Age Rating: 16 and up

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Waiting in the Summer, Please Twins and To-LOVE- Ru

“This is a priority one.”

Synopsis:

Kei Kusanagi isn’t your typical 15-year-old high school student. He is actually an 18-year-old with a rare disorder that puts him into what he calls, a “standstill”! When he was younger, this disorder left him in a deep coma which stunted his growth for three years. So he must make up the time that he lost to his “standstill”. Mizuho Kazami isn’t your typical teacher, either. She’s actually an alien sent by the Galaxy Federation to observe the Earth! As the sole human being with knowledge of Ms. Kazumi’s secret, Kei must marry her?! Between homework, dating, and a gorgeous wife – going to school has never been quite this fun! Will Kei have more “standstills”? Will Kei and Mizuho’s marriage last? You will have to watch Please Teacher! and find out.

Commentary:

Please Teacher! has to be one of the best rom-coms I have seen. Yes, the premise if the story is one of the silliest I have seen in a while; however, what develops out of this turns into a very touching romance as Kei and Mizuho both develop their love and feelings for one another. It was also refreshing to see that all the female characters were not in love with the same guy. Plus, the supporting characters also have romances of their own and those create interest in the plot line. The plot was also well done and did not seem rushed or slow. Twelve episodes plus the OVA is the perfect length for this series. Also, the alien aspect of the series and the real reason for Mizuho being on earth is just a small sub-plot so do not let that keep you from watching Please Teacher!.

Speaking of the characters, there was some amazing character development in Please Teacher! Almost each and every character in the series changed and grew in some way. Kei eventually learns that he must move forward instead of coming to a “standstill”. I really believe that without his marriage to Mizuho he never would have learned that lesson. After his three year “standstill”, Kei moves in with his aunt, Konoha, and his uncle, Minoru. Minoru is the town’s doctor and also faces the wrath of Konoha whenever he acts like a dirty old man. Those moments had me laughing.

Kei also had a few friends at school. They were Koishi Herikawa, Hyosuke Magumo, Kaede Misumi, Ichigo Morino, and Matagu Shidou. Hyosuke and Kaede were especially cute together and they could really have their own series. Koishi Herikawa loves Kei but eventually accepts that he loves someone else and moves on. If Mizuho was not in the picture, I believe they would have made a cute couple. However, I believe that Masami Yamada was introduced for a reason but nothing is ever said or done. Ichigo Morino has her own secret in the series and when it is made known it will probably surprise you. Matagu is the typical perverted teenage male character and sadly they do not really expand past that.

I also really loved Maho, Mizuho’s little sister. Maho is very close to her big sister and initially refuses to accept the fact that Kei is married to her. She follows Kei around town and tries to catch him cheating or doing something stupid. Eventually, Maho accepts the relationship between Kei and Mizuho and becomes one of their biggest cheerleaders. Then there is Hatsuho Kazami, Mizuho’s mother. She is a real piece of work as she is a very sensual, self-assured, and bold but subtly assertive woman. She makes Kei and Mizuho’s lives interesting to say the least. As you can tell, there are some amazing characters in Please Teacher! and it is difficult to choose a favorite.

As for the OVA, that is where all the fan-service for the entire series lives. It also gives you the conclusion you were wondering about after the last episode. Hatsuho interferes once again with Kei and Mizuho’s relationship, however this time it might actually be helpful. Needless to say, that is where the fan-service is and you will either have you use your imagination or watch the OVA.

The animation looked great for the age of the series, but I wish it had been in widescreen format instead of 4×3. However, I am ecstatic that Nozomi/Lucky Penny is picking up these older series and I cannot wait to see what they are releasing next. The voice actors were good and I really enjoyed the Japanese voice actors the most. The opening and closing songs were catchy and reminded me of other series that came out at the same time.

Extras:

Please Teacher! includes clean opening and closing animations, Marie Love Theater, Promotional videos, Music Clips, Commercials, Episode 13 preview, and Nozomi/Lucky Penny previews as special features. Please Teacher! has English and Japanese with English subtitles as language options.

Overall Grade: A-

Please Teacher! is a well done rom-com. I was pleased that it had a conclusion and it was also a sweet series. I recommend watching Please Teacher! if you enjoy the rom-com genre as it is the best of both worlds.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Limited Edition DVD/BD

Posted by :Patches On : June 1, 2015
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyperdimension Neptunia Limited Edition

review provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Hyperdimension Neptunia Limited Edition DVD/BD

Director: Masahiro Mukai

Studio: David Production

Author: Shogo Yasukawa

U.S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U.S. Release Date: June 9, 2015

Format and Length: Blu-ray Combo Pac / 13 Episodes / 325 Minutes

Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Parody, Sci-Fi, Supernatural

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: C+

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Leviathan: The Last Defense and K-On!

Synopsis:

Welcome to Gamindustri, a fantastical world where all your favorite video game consoles come to life right before your eyes! Neptune and her fellow Goddesses rule the four kingdoms of Lastation, Leanbox, Lowee, and Planeptune. For many long years, these countries fought each other over Shares, the source of the Goddess power within Gamindustri. However, fearful that the conflict would pointlessly erode their countries’ strength, the Goddesses signed a Friendship Treaty forbidding them from taking Shares by force. But, their royal duties often take a backseat to their obsession with gaming.

When their button-smashing shenanigans are interrupted by rampaging monsters, hacker attacks, and killer vegetables, the goddesses must transform into stronger, sexier versions of themselves and fight for their right to game! The bosses get tougher as the game goes on, and the girls will have to work together in order to defeat a bewitching goddess of piracy, an anonymous master hacker, and an evil CPU hell-bent on destroying everything in her path – using any cheat code necessary!

Commentary:

First things first, Hyperdimension Neptunia is based off a series of video games. That being said, it does fall into the usual problems that this genre of animes usually have; little to no plot, no character development, and a sense of humor you will not understand unless you are a fan of the games. However, this is also another cute girls doing cute things and kicking butt series so if you can look past the major issues it is enjoyable. I would not say there was a plot per say, instead they used battles to move the episodes along. That did get tiring after a while and I could only watch a few episodes at a time because of that.

While there was not character development or background given the characters were the best part of Hyperdimension Neptunia. You would not have had the awesome battle scenes without them and as this series has an all female cast there was also fan-service. However, the fan-service was not overdone. Neptune has a funny but sarcastic personality that may annoy you at first but it will grow on you. She also seems to be the most immature character of the series. Noire is the token tsundere princess who tries to hide her true personality. Blanc and Vert basically squabble over silly things that seem stupid. Those are the main CPU characters. Then they introduce the CPU candidates, or little sisters of the main characters. Those girls are learning to transform into their full CPU characters. I really wish there had been some character development as the characters were really cute but I did not fully understand them as I have never played the games.

The animation looked good. The characters were well drawn and the battle scenes were interesting to say the least. The background animation was beautiful and added depth to the scenes. The voice actors did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. The opening and closing songs were catchy and I found myself singing along after a few episodes. All in all, Hyperdimension Neptunia is a cute series.
Extras:

Hyperdimension Neptunia Limited Edition DVD/BD includes a transform collection, clean opening and closing animation, Blu-ray/DVD commercials, commercials, promotional videos, U.S. trailer, and Funimation Entertainment trailers as special features. Hyperdimension Neptunia Limited Edition DVD/BD was released with English and Japanese with English Subtitles as language options. The English option was actually enjoyable and as usual the Japanese with English Subtitles was amazing. Both were well done.

Overall Grade: C+

Hyperdimension Neptunia is a cute series and if you can get past the issues then I think you will enjoy it. It is a cute girls doing cute things and kicking butt series as well but it is hard to understand if you have not played the games for some background information.

Nobunagun (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : May 23, 2015
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , ,

NobunagunTitle: Nobunagun the Complete Series

Director: Nobuhiro Kondo

Music By: Yutaka Shinya

Studio: Bridge

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Rlease Date: June 2nd, 2015

Format: DVD/Blu-ray/13 Episodes/ 325 Minutes

Genre: Sci Fi, Comedy, Action, Adventure

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

Sio Ogura is a shy misfit who’d rather talk about tanks than gossip about girl stuff. She’s plagued by reoccurring dreams of ancient battle scenes, and her only friend is a kindhearted popular girl named Asao. But Sio’s life takes an explosive turn when a school field trip is interrupted by an outbreak of Evolutionary Invaders: hideous alien creatures hell-bent on nuking the planet. During a daring attempt to rescue Asao, Sio discovers that she’s an E-Gene Holder: the reincarnation of a historical figure capable of summoning special weaponry. Possessed by the spirit of legendary warrior Oda Nobunaga, Sio joins forces with the reincarnated versions of Jack the Ripper, Galileo, and Geronimo for a high octane alien shooting spree. Survival is a longshot, but in the battle to save humanity, Sio’s the girl with the biggest gun!

Commentary:

Having another Nobunaga anime coming out this year worried me especially when there is a use of other historical figures. In the case of Nobunagun I was surprised that it was both funny and action packed. I expected it to be fast and full of action, but really didn’t expect the entertaining fun aspect. I also think that the writing and English dub makes a difference. Not being able to hear the different nationalities accents would make it feel like all the characters are from Japan. I’m not sure that would have given them the same feel and ended up leaving them a little flat. Of course the main character doesn’t have a Japanese accent and that is a bit odd.

The art style also helps set the atmosphere for the series. It is hard edged and colorful which go really well with the plot line. There are also some overlays early on, that caught me off guard, that take on a very post modern visual language that helps define the mood and feelings of the characters. It doesn’t necessarily translate well or continue through the series, but it does crop up later on as a reminder of the simpler aspects to the story in the first episode. It speaks to what the artistic staff wanted to accomplish and the fact that they didn’t have as much free reign as they may have wanted.

Overall Grade: B+

I enjoyed Nobunagun for what it was. A straight up Sci Fi alien battle anime with a mix of historical characters for flair. I loved the way they married Nobunaga with a simple shy high school girl and ended up having a crazy gun wielding teen age girl with complexes.

I’m not sure how well this anime will be received because of the strange concept and also some of the animation takes you off in a odd direction. It does move fast and give you a plenty of action to fill any concept voids.

Plenty of people will enjoy this series, but I think some will be left scratching their heads wondering what is going on. I also think it could have worked on the comedic relief. There was way to much weight on just a few characters and their some what silly complexes that gave some relief but the writing just didn’t hit home.

If you are looking for an action packed series that has fun with historical figures then you should check Nobunagun, but watch out for the tentacles.

 

 

Wanna Be the Strongest in the World (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : May 17, 2015
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , ,

Wanna Be the Strongest in the WorldTitle: Wanna Be the Strongest in the World complete series

Director: Rion Kujo

Studio: Arms

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: June 2nd, 2015

Format: DVD / Blu-ray / 300 minutes / 12 Episodes

Genre: Echii (serious fan service), Sports (not really), Comedy

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: C-

Synopsis:

The eye-popping world of women’s professional wrestling is sweaty, sadistic, and savagely sexy. Famous Japanese pop idol Sakura Hagiwara is better suited for the dance floor than the wrestling ring, but this ravishing songstress is about to put her body to the ultimate test.

When she and fellow idol Elena are assigned to pose as wrestlers for a very special show, a vicious lady brawler by the name of Rio decides to teach the girls a lesson they won’t soon forget. Rio unleashes a flurry of ferocious of attacks on Elena, contorting her divine female form into an array of very naughty positions. Shocked by the blush-inducing beating taken by her friend, Sakura vows to get her heavenly curves ready to rumble and redeem the good name of idols everywhere by becoming a bona fide diva of the pro-wrestling world!

Commentary:

It has been some time since I sat through a series of this caliber, but Wanna Be the Strongest in the World should be called Boobies on Parade. There are plenty of series out there that try to blend a story with fan service and may of them succeed. In the case of of Wanna Be the Strongest in the World the plot is so simple it just tells you from the very beginning that it will be all about showing the exaggerated female form off.

Now I don’t have anything against wrestling or even pop idols. I just take issue with anime that is only in the game to show off their sexual body parts. There is also the typical attempt to make the female anatomy unbelievably over inflated and this too ends up turning me off. As someone who was educated as an artist I love the human form but the way it is depicted in WannaBe the Strongest in the World just makes me sad.

Overall Grade: C-

As a reviewer I have to take into consideration who the audience in mind is and that is why I did not fail this series completely. I understand the intent and the specialized demographic that Wanna Be the Strongest in the World is going after and that is why I gave it a C- rather than a D- or an F. In fact I would think that the fans that they are making this for will most likely give it an A for the level of echii/Fan Service that is provided.

I wish I could have at least enjoyed the plot line of the series but it was just too mean spirited and misogynistic for me. That is the world of anime and it covers plenty of genres and I can appreciate it for what it is. I know this series will be liked by its fan base.

Haikyu!! (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : May 16, 2015
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Haikyu!!Title: Haikyu!! collection 1

Director: Susumu Mitsunaka

Studio: Production I.G.

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: June 2nd, 2015

Format: Blu-ray / 13 espisodes / 325 minutes

Genre: Sports, Comedy, Drama, Slice of Life, High School

Age Rating: TV 14 (really it should be PG)

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

Shoyo Hinata isn’t a large guy, but he’s got huge ambitions. Ever since seeing a small player score in a National Championship, he’s been determined to become the next big thing in High School Volleyball. Unfortunately, the one time he was able to pull enough players together to form a team in junior high, they were completely trashed in their first and only match against a team led by up-and-coming setter Tobio Kageyama.

Now, enrolled at the same high school where his idol once played, Shoyo’s finally going to get his shot to join and play with a top team. There’s just one problem: Tobio Kageyama’s decided to attend the same school, and he’s already considered one of the best players in the game. Can a kid out of nowhere hold his own against the King of the Court? Or could the rivalry and competition actually be the best thing for both of them?

Commentary:

The number of sports anime that are being released in the U.S. has managed to hit an all time high and Haikyu!! is a pleasant addition. The story is simple and and the outcome is easy to guess, but the way it is coming together is pleasing and fun to watch. Shoyo reminds me a lot of a Naruto on the volleyball court. He is the little engine that can and with his desire to be on the court he manages to infect everyone around him. On the other hand Tobio is rather talented and arrogant but once these two are forced to be toghter they discover that they balance each other out and a natural team is born.

My only issue with Haikyu!! is that it falls into the trap that most sports anime fall into. This is another down and out team that has a bigger heart than talent and it comes down to the fact that they must rely on each other to make it happen. The first 13 episodes take us to that point were they discover that they still have a long way to go and set us up for a big comeback as the rest of the series develops.

Overall Grade: B+

The great thing about Haikyu!! is that you get a blending of characters that make up the team and how they manage to work out the problems they face. I also like the fact that Shoyo has that never say die attitude but is only a little annoying. Most of the time you want him to succeed.

Although I do like the series there are other sports anime out there that make the action even more powerful, but Haikyu!!manages to keep you rooting for these wannabe super stars. I am looking forward to the second half of the series to see if they end up in the finals at the high school tournament.

 

Student Council’s Discretion Level 2: The Complete Second Season (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : May 12, 2015
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Student Council’s Discretion Level 2: The Complete Second Seasonreview provided by Katie

Title: Student Council’s Discretion Level 2: The Complete Second Season

Director: Kenichi Imaizumi

Studio: AIC

Author: Reiko Yoshida

U.S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U.S. Release Date: May 26, 2015

Format and Length: Blu-ray / 10 Episodes + 1 OVA / 275 Minutes

Genre: Comedy, Parody, School, Harem

Industry Age Rating: 14 and up

Overall Personal Rating: C+

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Student Council’s Discretion

Synopsis:

Sure, sometimes you have to think outside the box, but Hekiyo Academy’s Student Council may go a step further and rewrite their entire universe! At least, that’s what could happen as the second season gets underway and the Council decides that their anime might need a little spicing up. Should they introduce new characters? Add a boy’s-love subplot? Or should they just continue to do what worked previously and spend most of their time chattering between themselves while working towards odd goals that might turn out to have been a little misguided in retrospect?
The answer is “yes” to all of the above and more: class barriers and the fourth wall come tumbling down as a supporting character literally takes up the challenge of moving up to main character status. The plot thickens with the mystery of a missing cake. The boundaries of love between step-siblings get pushed just a few steps beyond what’s socially comfortable and of course there just has to be a hot springs episode. Join 5 student council members in search of an author as the storyline runs amok!

Commentary:

The second season of Student Council’s Discretion continues where the first season left off… No, not really. It’s still a bit crazy and episodic, but that’s about it. In Student Council’s Discretion Level 2: The Complete Second Season, it changes a bit. They still have the standard banter over the white table, in a large room that seems filled with junk. Mafuyu still fantasizes about BL and video games too much. Chizuru is still an evil dominatrix and is overprotective and manipulating of Kurimu, Minatsu still kicks butt, and Kurimu is still the grade school high school girl. And of course Ken Sugisaki is still the pervert who wants a harem. It’s still as random, story less and episodic as ever. What makes this season different? It’s not the same pointlessness of its predecessor, but rather it now focuses more on the developing relationships of everyone else to Sugisaki.

Uncharacteristically, the new season begins on a more serious note, the background story of our male protagonist. This back story was necessary to understand the warped ways of our perverted hero, and how he got to be the hentai loving, harem craving, will do anything for a girl, kind of guy. Mainly the story does focus more on him at this point forwards. Not to say that the other characters are neglected and forgotten. They continue to develop well, and more importantly, their relationships also blossom. Some fans will be happy to see this, others will not. It depends all on the focus you want the story to take. The comedy is there still, but is seemed to fall a little flat at times. A few of the downfalls includes how slow this season starts. When you have so few episodes, it’s not a good thing to take half of them to get back on a roll again, and it never quite reached the level of the first season. Another thing that was missing was the countless number of references and parodies of other animes, found in the original, were very much lacking in the second season. Most of the time they seemed to just parody themselves instead. One of the things that made the first season so endearing was the well played parodies. Also there are a lot more ‘serious moments’, when all joking is cast aside for some serious development. These dramatic interludes are a change from the norm, but I’m not sure yet how well received they will be. I think they had a hard time changing gears from funny to serious, and sometimes the drama just was not executed well. The first season relied more on comedy and character dynamics to entertain, and it worked quite well. Student Council’s Discretion Level 2: The Complete Second Season failed to find this same dynamic, injecting drama into a place that it’s hard to make work right. Even with the addition of new characters, it was unable to recapture its previous glory. That being said, if you are a fan of the first season, this one is worth watching. Just don’t expect the same level of entertainment you got from the first season.

There were some changes for the better. The animation was crisper and more detailed this time around. Yet again though, your scenery is mostly limited to the council room, and school. If you are good at picking up on voice actors, you will notice that a couple of cast changes from the first season. Another thing they did do that caught my interest was the ever changing ending animations. I do get tired of the same old closing credits that recycle thru nearly all series. I often find myself hitting that skip button to get passed it after the second or third time, unless the music was something special, which more time than not, it won’t be. The different ending themes helped to keep my interest enough that I did not skip them.

Extras:

Student Council’s Discretion Level 2: The Complete Second Season includes clean opening and closing animations and Sentai Filmworks trailers as special features. Student Council’s Discretion Level 2: The Complete Second Season has Japanese with English Subtitles as the only language option.

Overall Grade: C+

All in all, Student Council’s Discretion Level 2 is a cute series and if you enjoyed the first season then I recommend this one.

D-Frag!: The Complete Series (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : April 29, 2015
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , ,

D-Frag!Title: D-Frag!: The Complete Series

Director: Seiki Sugawara

Written By: Tomoya Haruno (Original Story), Makoto Ueze (Anime)

Studio: Brain’s Base

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: April 28th, 2015

Format: DVD/Blu-ray/ 12 Episodes/ 300 minutes

Genre: Comedy, Harem, Seinen

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

Kazama is a wannabe delinquent on a mission to rule the school, but a run-in with the cray cray cuties of the Game Creation Club derails his plan for power. Instead of conquering Fujou Academy with his fists, Kazama is plunged into a hilariously-twisted world where pain is the name of the game.

Ruled by the adorable underground boss Roka, the Game Creation Club is comprised of pretty psychopaths who enjoy snacking, setting things on fire, burying adversaries up to their necks, and tazing the ???? out of anyone who stands in their way! As Roka vies for ultimate control of the school club scene, Kazama scrambles to maintain his sanity and survive the whacked out games these girls play. There’s no escaping the Game Creation Club!

Commentary:

D-Frag! started off with a real dud for me. I was thinking how painful it will be to sit through 12 episodes of some rather base humor that looked to be going nowhere. It wasn’t funny, it was sad the way they introduced the characters and it felt like a bad derivative of some many other comedy anime that I just cringed. Although after the first few episodes I began to see the writing begin to come together and provide a few solid laughs and hit home on some rather quirky personalities that are always present in large group settings. Even if I do feel like they tended to go for the hyper caricature of a couple main personalities. Things did manage to come together and I thought the comedy is what saved the series.

Of course the plot was all over the place and tended to meander in the woods from time to time. I had a feeling that the writing was more concerned with the punchlines rather than have a plot that took us somewhere. I know that it is a honest genre option to stick with absurdity when it comes to following a plot line, but in the case of D-Frag! I don’t think it was intentional.

Overall Grade: B+

There is plenty to praise about D-Frag! and the animation itself was very nice. Brain’s Base proved why they are getting more and more work over the last 13 years. It is clear and clean with a color pallet to match the tone of the series. It would have been very easy to lean toward a fan service profile with the series but they didn’t. Of course there is the obligatory young lady who is well endowed, but it was the exception rather than the rule and because it wasn’t the focus to the story it help make some of the humor more viable.

D-Frag! gave me grave concern at the beginning thinking that it was another silly series that missed the boat when it could have been a very funny series, but instead it ended up making laugh out loud enough to praise it for the simplicity of where it takes us. I would have like to see the plot be a little bit tighter, but the laughs took me where I really needed to go.

If you are looking for a series that is all about the funny and doesn’t seem to need to turn to mean spirited pranks to make it funny, then I can say with certainty that you will enjoy D-Frag!