[Winter 2016] Season of Snow

[KazeShiki]

A new year...of anime.

「冬の夜ミク」/ 「Lococo:p」

Much like the threads before it, this is a thread I created stole from blkmage for the discussion of new anime that will be airing on TV in Japan in the Winter 2016 season. Anime typically gets released and runs for a number of seasons. The year is divided up into four seasons: January to March is winter, April to June is spring, July to September is summer, and October to December is fall. Each season is approximately 13 weeks.

Here, we can talk about what shows look interesting, what we plan to watch, and generally get giddy and excited for things that we've been anticipating for a while.

---
Active Raid: Kidou Kyoushuushitsu Dai Hakkei
http://activeraid.net/
Original

Cute police girls (and guys) fight crime with exoskeletons.


Ajin
http://www.ajin.net/
Manga

There are special humans who can't die. The MC is a highschooler which means his life is about to be changed forever.


Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2
http://www.clarines-kingdom.com/
Sequel

Season 2 of adorable Hayamin-hime and her prince charming.


Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (TV) 2
http://www.ansatsu-anime.com/
Sequel

Season 2 of the world's deadliest teacher.


Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm
http://aokana-anime.com/
Visual Novel

Cute girls play a sport involving flying with brooms shoes.


Boku Dake ga Inai Machi
http://bokumachi-anime.com/
Manga

Time traveler MC prevents accidents, but one day his ability sends him back to childhood.


Bubuki Buranki
http://bbkbrnk.com/
Original

Girl with swords.


Dagashi Kashi
http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/dagashi/
Manga

To become a manga author or run a sweets shop?


Dimension W
http://dimension-w.net/
Manga

The world's energy crisis is solved thanks to the W dimension! Almost.


Divine Gate
http://www.marv.jp/special/divinegate/
Game

Children are sent to reach a magical gate.


Durarara!!x2 Ketsu
http://www.durarara.com/
Sequel

The continuation of adventures in Ikebukuro.


Fairy Tail Zero
http://www.fairytail-tv.com/contents/special/zero/
Manga

Fairy Tail, before there was Fairy Tail.


Ganbare! Lulu Lolo 3rd Season
http://www9.nhk.or.jp/anime/lululolo/
Sequel

Twin bears work hard.


Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri 2
http://gate-anime.com/
Sequel

Sequel to politics of a fantasy harem.


Hai to Gensou no Grimgar
http://grimgar.com/
Light Novel

A group of people awake in a strange land with no memories.


Haruchika: Haruta to Chika wa Seishun Suru
http://haruchika-anime.jp/
Light Novel

Hibike Euphonium but not.


Kizumonogatari I - Tekketsu-hen
http://www.kizumonogatari-movie.com/
Prequel

Yes, I'm breaking my own rules because I can. Kizumonogatari movie is actually happening, kind of. Maybe another decade until the trilogy is done.


Kono Danshi, Mahou ga Oshigoto Desu.
http://www.konodan.com/wizard
Other

A guy falls in love with another guy.


Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!
http://konosuba.com/
Light Novel

A guy dies but some girl brings him to a new world instead.


Koukaku no Pandora
http://www.k-pandora.com/
Manga

Two cyborg girls meet in a world where cyborgs are normal.


Luck & Logic
http://luckandlogic-animation.com/
Original

A guy who lacks "Logic" gets it from a cute girl.


Macross Δ
http://macross.jp/
Sequel

The Macross series continues.


Mahou Shoujo Nante Mouiidesukara.
http://www.mouiidesukara.com/
Manga

A young girl becomes a magical girl.


Mahou Tsukai Precure!
http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/mahotsukai_precure/
Original

The new Precure anime.


Musaigen no Phantom World
http://phantom-world.com/
Light Novel

High school students fight phantoms.


Nijiiro Days
http://rainbow-days.tv/
Manga

Slice of life with high school guys.


Norn9 Norun + Nonetto
http://norn9-nonet.com/
Visual Novel

A child is warped to the past upon hearing a mysterious song.


Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R
http://www.ntv.co.jp/komugir/
Original

An aspiring idol girl becomes a magical girl.


Ojisan to Marshmallow
http://www.dreamcreation.co.jp/ojimasyu/
Manga
**This anime is a short

A man loves marshmallows.


Ooya-san wa Shishunki!
http://www.ooyasan-anime.com/
Manga

A guy moves out and finds his landlord to be a small girl.


Oshiete! Gyaruko-chan
http://galko.jp/
Manga

Three very different girls are friends.


Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation
http://phantasystar.sega.jp/psportal/ps ... animation/
Game

Original story based on the Phantasy Star Online game


Prince of Stride: Alternative
http://pos-a.jp/
Visual Novel

Prince of Tennis. Except they play stride instead.


Reikenzan: Hoshikuzu-tachi no Utage
http://www.reikenzan.net/
Other

A man with a once-in-a-thousand years soul tries to become a sage.


Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut
http://saijaku.jp/
Light Novel

A former prince attends a girls only school.


Schwarzesmarken
http://www.schwarzesmarken-anime.jp/
Light Novel

Humanity's hopeless war against being eaten by space monsters.


Sekkou Boys
http://sekkoboys.com/
Original
**This anime is a short

Stone figures attempt to become idols.


Shoujo-tachi wa Kouya wo Mezasu
http://shokomeza.com/
Visual Novel

A guy gets recruited to write a bishoujo game.


Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
http://rakugo-shinju-anime.jp/
Manga

A man is released from prison on good behavior.


Sushi Police
http://sushi-police.com/
Original
**This anime is a short

A world police force eliminates bad tasting sushi. Why is this not a thing in real life?


Teekyuu 7
http://te-kyu.com/
Sequel
**This anime is a short

Girls play tennis part 7.


Yami Shibai 3
http://35shoutai.jp/
Light Novel
**This anime is a short

Mysterious legends and rumors continue.

[Rusty Claymore]

It's not a re-hashed premise it's somebodies precious first "this kind of series". It's not a re-hashed premise it's somebodies precious first "this kind of series". It's not a re-hashed premise it's somebodies precious first "this kind of series".

...please let more than 2 shows be interesting this time! TT_TT

[MangaRocks!]

First things first:

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi

SUPER EXCITED! The manga is dark, intense, and extremely well-done-- so if this is adapted right, it's going to be an absolutely *fantastic* (and suspenseful) anime! ...My one concern is that I have no idea where it can possibly 'end.' Seriously, there's no good stopping point-- anywhere they do, there's going to be a cliffhanger. For example: Let's say that they're going to have either 11 or 22 episodes (it's in the noitaminA block, hence those assumed numbers ). If they manage 2 chapters per episode, at the end of 11 episodes they should be around a point that might be... okay to 'pause' at-- there's some relief about *one* thing around there-- but even that is just the beginning, in terms of what the MC has to do, so it's still going to be like... "BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO/WITH X," etc. If they have 22 ep.'s and manage 2 chapters per ep., that gets it past one particular, very-critical event (as well as past where the manga translations are at now), but given what's still going on there I doubt even that would be any 'better' of a 'pause.' And an anime-original 'ending' would be absolutely awful (seriously, there's no way the anime producers can wrap it up with any sort of original ending and have it be satisfying). So, yeah, I'm pretty wary of what they have planned for the 'ending' of the anime (and holy crap they had seriously better not mess that up *shakes fist*), but otherwise this could be pretty darn amazing, so I'm choosing to be *very* optimistic for now.



As for the rest of what I'll be watching:

Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2, Durarara!!x2 Ketsu, and Kizumonogatari I - Tekketsu-hen, all for very obvious reasons.

And I'll also (conditionally) check out Haruchika: Haruta to Chika wa Seishun Suru - Its official synopsis sounds a little like a cross between a very light Hyouka and Sound! Euphonium, which (in theory) should be great. Unfortunately, I've also heard that SPOILER: Highlight text to read: both the girl and the boy MC's have a 'crush' on their (male) teacher, so I'm hoping that isn't emphasized very much, because regardless of how 'successful' those SPOILER: Highlight text to read: crushes are (I'm betting not at all), I still really don't need any sort of SPOILER: Highlight text to read: shounen-ai element thrown into a sweet light-mystery music series, thanks.



...Seriously, though. A Boku Dake... anime.

[skreyola]

I think, this season, I will not decide ahead of time what to watch. Nothing I saw in skimming through was a title I'm looking forward to, so I will probably do what I did in the fall: start watching things as they come up on the streaming services, then decide a couple of episodes in what to keep watching.
I hope some of it's worth the time.

[KazeShiki]

So here's an odd development: Koyomimonogatari will be airing this season as well...except not as a TV anime but as an app on iOS and Android. Whether this can/will be picked up for subs is questionable.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... y-9/.96314

[John_Smith]

Anime I'm looking forwarded to:

Assassination Classroom
More of kids trying to kill their unkillable yellow octopus teacher, why not?
Dimension W
The trailer looks mostly awesome, though I'm hesitant because of the fan service.
Boku dake ga Inai Machi (Erased)
I was already planning to watch it, but Manga Rocks' raving for it has me excited.
Hai to Gensou no Grimgar
Another SAO rip off? Of course I'm in.
Divine Gate
uh...I have nothing to say. It looks like it could be good.

Keeping my eye on:
Ajin
Snow White of the Red Hair (I have yet to decide if I'll continue watching)
Norn9 Norun + Nonetto
Myriad Colors Phantom World (I want this to be good, but I'm going to let someone else test the waters first)
Phantasy Star Online 2 (I have my doubts, but know knows)

This is a ton of anime. Normally I have four I look forwarded to at most.

[KazeShiki]

SUPER EXCITED! The manga is dark, intense, and extremely well-done-- so if this is adapted right, it's going to be an absolutely *fantastic* (and suspenseful) anime! ...My one concern is that I have no idea where it can possibly 'end.'

I admit, I was very wary when you said this because endings are very important, especially for this type of show (as opposed to like, a slice of life) but looks like they're doing what they did with Shigatsu http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-b ... nga/.97329

[Rusty Claymore]

I'm going to resort to a time honored method of deciding what to watch: Add everything to my queue without doing any research. Time will tell. >_<

[MomentOfInertia]

I'm going to go with the wait a week or two and see what looks good on CR method myself.

Except for Drrr!! that I'm definitely watching.

[skreyola]

Hulu has:
Girls Beyond the Wasteland
Norn9
Hulu+ has:
Haruchika
Prince of Stride: Alternative
CR has:
Myriad Colors Phantom World
Erased
Ojisan and Marshmallow
Oshiete! Gyaruko-chan
Sekko Boys
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
...so far...

Girls Beyond the Wasteland ep. 1 - Interesting show. Lots of good character exposition in the first part. Some funny moments. The premise and the chemistry between these two kind of reminds me of OreImo. I think this might be a very good show, but it's too early to tell. The bits where they reference yuri make me a little leery... 4/5

[John_Smith]

So, ANN’s reviewers just ripped over half my secondary list to shreds (plus Divine Gate). Eh, this is why it was a secondary list.
Meanwhile, Erased and Assassination Classroom are unsurprisingly receiving lots of love.

[skreyola]

Saturday:

Hulu+ has added:
Divine Gate
Pandora in the Crimson Shell
Luck & Logic
CR has added:
Phantasy Star Online 2
BBK/BRNK
Nurse Witch Komugi R

Norn9 ep. 1 - I felt lost for most of this episode. So many characters, so much weirdness, so much playboy antics from Kakeru. I'm kind of curious what her ability is, but I'm not sure I really care enough to watch another episode to find out. 2/5

[MangaRocks!]

Aaaaand start!

As usual, will be waiting until the Funi shows come up for free; here are my Crunchy shows so far:



Boku Dake ga Inai Machi, a.k.a. ERASED (which is an interesting translation, LOL, but whatever ), episode 1:

...Okay, so while very often the source (in this case, the manga) is better, I have no problem at all giving those rare adaptations that are equal to or even better than their source the praise that they're due. This, however, is apparently not one of those adaptations. Suffice it to say, I have very mixed feelings on this first ep.

At first, I thought it was *perfect*-- the voice acting, the first few scenes, etc. However, I then quickly realized: "Oh dear... so they are cramming as many chapters as possible into each episode, then?" (Which I suppose is understandable, since there's apparently only going to be 12 episodes {although, granted, that *is* one ep. more than noitaminA 1-cours usually do... Still, why in the world is this not a 2-cours show?! }), but overall this first ep. did feel more than a tad rushed (instead of atmospheric, which is what it should have felt like). And I also have to note that I'm fairly annoyed that they glossed over many of the explanatory/logical/plot/character-development details (particularly Airi's!), cut down all of the 'revivals' to just one repeat where there should often be more than one (to show that the MC is forcibly stuck inside the loop until he 'fixes' it), skipped a nicely foreshadowy scene with the police, entirely cut a great little section with the MC and Airi where another event required a 'revival,' *and*-- most especially!-- that they changed the whole end of the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: mother-murder sequence: They had the MC pass the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: killer on the stairs (no no no, the SPOILER: Highlight text to read: killer is way more careful than that!), they omitted the MC's desperate, SPOILER: Highlight text to read: attempted-but-failed-anyway 'revival' after SPOILER: Highlight text to read: finding his mother's body, they skipped the rather shouty argument between them earlier that led the neighbor to assume it was him, *and* they had the neighbor/police show up right there with no explanation (it's supposed to be the neighbor looking out the window at him SPOILER: Highlight text to read: running after the killer during his attempted 'revival,' not coming over, and SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the killer calling the police from the mom's cell phone, framing the MC, not the police somehow instantly teleporting there ). I mean, I realize that they wanted to squeeze the 'hook' of SPOILER: Highlight text to read: his mom's murder and his subsequent 'revival'-back-to-his-childhood into the opening ep., but I really wish they would've just used two episodes to get there instead, because they cut and changed a lot of stuff that would've been much better for the characters/story overall left in/as it was. On the other hand, this:

I admit, I was very wary when you said this because endings are very important, especially for this type of show (as opposed to like, a slice of life) but looks like they're doing what they did with Shigatsu http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-b ... nga/.97329

...gives me hope that the ending, at least, won't be a disaster; and I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy any part of the ep., because there certainly were parts that I did. However, this first ep. could definitely have been done better, and I really hope that they chill out on the pacing and let this show breathe from now on (for multiple reasons).



Durarara!!x2 Ketsu episode 1:

Thoughts on this in the dedicated thread, as always!

[ClaecElric4God]

There's something wrong with me. I've finding that more and more, my decision to watch an anime or not is based on how attractive the MC is. I need to fix my life.
All that aside, I don't have time for anime so I don't know why I'm even talking about it.

[skreyola]

Sunday & Monday:

Hulu+ has added:
Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut
CR has added:
Ooya-san wa Shishunki
Schwarzes Marken
Yamishibai
Mahou Shoujo Nante Mouiidesukara
AOKANA

And I shouldn't have started those other two shows, because it'll be a week before I can watch any of these, and I wouldn't notice the waiting so much if it weren't between shows I've started and shows I can't.

[GeneD]

Watching

Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2
Ansatsu Kyoushitsu 2
Boku Dake ga Inai Machi: I marathoned all the existing manga chapters in 2 days so yeah... Unfortunate to hear about the rushed pacing though.
Durarara!!x2 Ketsu
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: I read about this (or rather the manga I think) recently and it seems interesting. They style reminds me of Baccano.

Maybe

Ajin: The style's a bit off-putting. I read the manga but it's not the best thing ever.
Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm: (flying shoe thing): I'm sure this will be terrible but something about the PV makes me want to give it a shot.
Dagashi Kashi: The manga's on my to-read list but I can't actually remember why so eh, might as well give the anime a try first.
Dimension W: It looks cool but I have no idea what it's about or where it's going.
Hai to Gensou no Grimgar: I like the background art a lot.

[skreyola]

Tue & Wed...

Hulu+ has added:
Dagashi Kashi
CR has added:
KONOSUBA

HaruChika ep. 1 - In spite of the weirdness at the end (though I'm still not sure if that's a misunderstanding on her part), this was a very enjoyable episode. I dare say I think I'm going to enjoy this show a lot more than I did Hibike! Euphonium. I hate to compare them, especially based on one episode, but the similarities and differences just popped out at me. 4/5

[John_Smith]

So much anime! (Arguably a good problem to have)


Apparently I decided to become all legit and get a foundation account.

But first let’s start with Erased, because I watched it first:

It was good. I felt like I was watching an anime film. In fact, it reminded me of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. It set up the suspense/mystery and I’m already puzzling over it. Kind of happy I haven't read the manga because most of pacing problems go over my head.
A bunch of unorganized thoughts:
SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Why have Airi be a high schooler? The author set up a character specifically so that she can’t be around in 1988, despite her having such a high focus in the first chapter/episode. And why make a point about Satoru leaving the book behind? I thought we’ve be in 1988 from here on out, but now I’m wondering if this ends up being the anime version of the butterfly effect. Airi may find herself erased from existence a few times. Funny thing, I haven’t even thought about what the title (English or Japanese) means until right now.

Second thought: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: The episode showed two revivals, both of which resulted in something bad happening to him (first he get’s head by car in exchange for saving a boy from getting hit; second, his mother dies in exchange of a girl getting kidnapped.) Satoru mentions that it never results in any positive for him. (The anime makes it seem like he helps people anyway ‘just because.’) If we look at this from a karma point of view, this might bode well (eventually he’ll have helped so many people by taking their bad karma, that good karma will come his way at the end). Or, things will just keeping going bad for him.

Third thought: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Didn’t the killer stab the mother from behind? Yet when Satoru finds her, the knife is in the front. Also, he picked up the note, though never appeared to read it.

Fourth thought: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: In the past he initially defended Yuuki. But now that he knows that Yuuki was arrested, Yuuki will likely be his number one suspect.

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Final thought:
“My adorable son’s head hit a moving vehicle. The least I can do is watch over him.”
Less than five seconds later…
“…I’d get bored having to look at your face everyday.”
This sounds extraordinarily like something my own mother would say.

not the police somehow instantly teleporting there ).

Aren’t you aware? Japanese authorities are on the cutting edge of technology.



On to the funimation shows:

Grimgar:
I want to take back my ‘rip-off’ comment. In reality, while I do think this show is attempting to ride the waves of SAO’s popularity, that doesn’t mean the writers aren't trying to create something unique.
And of unique, this show has a set up I haven’t seen before: Going off of episode one, it seems like a slice of life in a MMORPG setting. Which sounds awesome, right? It does to me.
The problem is, (going from the first episode) it’s a unoriginal slice of life in a generic MMORPG setting. This is the closest show to my chopping block.

I love how I call it a rip off, take it back, and then criticize it some more…

Dimension W:
The bad: It didn’t do anything I haven’t seen before.
The good: Everything it wants to be it does really well. There’s still a ton of potential for this series.


Divine Gate:
This was the show I was least certain of, but now am the most intrigued by.
First of all:
Kana Asumi. I didn’t expect to hear that voice, but when I hear it, it’s hard to miss. I don’t think it’s possible for her to portray a character I don’t find hilarious. In fact, this character didn’t even do anything funny, but I was still laughing.
Divine Gate has a lot going on, and I love its art style, and this is enough for me to forgive any awkward execution. The shows I love the most tend to have developed mythologies, which this has. And it seems like it hasn’t even delved that deep yet.

Assassination Classroom
This episode gave the feeling of, ‘Things are going to get awesome, so let’s just have fun right now now.’ It worked for me.


My secondary list:
Snow White of the Red Hair
I’m leaning towards watching it, but till after it’s done airing.
Myriad Colors Phantom World
From what I’ve heard, the first episode was filled with garbage (read: fan service galore). But I’m still paying attention to see if it will pull off a turn around.
Ajin
It’s hard to judge something that hasn’t aired yet.


There’s no way I’m going to be able to do this for each episode… I wrote so much for Erased, I lost any will to write more for the others.

[MangaRocks!]

not the police somehow instantly teleporting there ).

Aren’t you aware? Japanese authorities are on the cutting edge of technology.

LOL.

Anyway, I can't respond to most of those comments because spoilers , but this one I can:

Second thought: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: The episode showed two revivals, both of which resulted in something bad happening to him (first he get’s head by car in exchange for saving a boy from getting hit; second, his mother dies in exchange of a girl getting kidnapped.) Satoru mentions that it never results in any positive for him. (The anime makes it seem like he helps people anyway ‘just because.’) If we look at this from a karma point of view, this might bode well (eventually he’ll have helped so many people by taking their bad karma, that good karma will come his way at the end). Or, things will just keeping going bad for him.

See, this is what I meant about the first episode cutting things that should have been left in for explanation -- in the manga, it's both shown and explained that he is forcibly trapped in each 'revival' time loop, repeating that little slice of time over and over until he 'fixes' whatever needs to be 'fixed.' (The anime only showed one loop per 'revival,' but it's almost always at least several repeats before he figures out what's wrong and how to stop it.) He doesn't do it because he'd like to; he does it because he has to, or he'll be forever stuck in that little repeating slice of time. He has no choice in the matter. (Not to say that he *wouldn't* help anyway, it's just that he has the highest possible incentive to do so, LOL. Also, there's a difference between being willing to do something and being forced to regardless of that will by an unknown power...)

[skreyola]

Oji-san to Marshmallow ep. 1 - I laughed out loud several times in those three minutes. This show is hilarious. *ahem* But that girl is straight-up sexually harassing her coworker. This show is like Ore Monogatari mixed in a blender with I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying. I laughed so many times, I have to give this episode 5/5

Girls Beyond the Wasteland ep. 2 - That was pretty fun. A few rough spots and a few things I could do without, but so far, it looks like this will be worth watching. 4/5

Norn9 ep.... nah, I couldn't summon enough interest to watch another episode. Unless people rave about this on this thread in later weeks, I probably won't watch any more of it.

[John_Smith]

Erased episode 2:
So the first one reminded me of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, now this reminded me of The Lovely Bones. These are both awesome movies, so this is a good thing.

SPOILER: Highlight text to read: When the episode started, I thought to myself, ‘You’re a twenty-nine-year-old, you’ve been doing this revival thing your whole life, even if gong back this far is new, you ought to be a little more composed.’ Then I remembered his mom had just died, and I was more considerate. And once he saw his mother was fine, he really quickly gained the determination I expected him to have.

“Are you a baka?”
I should have seen it coming. I didn’t. I laughed. That’s the way to start a conversation.

So Airi and Hinazuki’s relationship with Satoru are reversed. Airi was trying to break through Satoru’s barrier, while Satoru is currently trying to break down Hinazuki’s. My second crazy theory is that Airi is supposed to be Hinazuki’s reincarnation (which doesn’t necessarily contradict with my crazy theory about how Airi might get wiped from existence).

So Hinazuki ‘wanted,’ to disappear. But did her wish really come true? Things might seem they kept rolling without her, but again… stepping on butterflies. If Satoru is anything to go by, then their class only buried what happened, it still left a mark.

Did last episode give us a huge clue as to who the killer is by showing he glowing red eyes, or was that just artistic license? I didn’t pay attention to the character’s eye color this episode, but next time I will.

[skreyola]

Myriad Colors ep. 1 - Well, this show looks like it would be a lot of fun, but I'm already over my fanservice threshold with Heavy Object, and its premise is more compelling than this one's. So, I won't be picking this show up, but if fanservice doesn't bother you, it's probably worth a watch. Not only was there a lot of fanservice, it was really forced: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: She grabs her breasts to get metal from her lungs? Why not her ribcage underneath? Answer: not ecchi enough. So, for this episode: Bonus points for the optical illusions and the use of a major character in explaining them; Avoiding the cliches hand-to-chest fall; Very creative use of the setting's mechanics and not having abilities useful in all situations. Points off for: tortured unrealistic fanservice; Subverting the subversion to something worse; Striped eyes; Explaining the conceit too many times. 3/5

Active Raid ep. 1 - Interesting premise. The pacing is a bit frenetic. And it looks like there's going to be a lot of gratuitous underwear shots. 3/5

Oshiete! Gyaruko-chan ep. 1 - I didn't watch the whole thing. It's extremely awkward and somewhat sexually explicit. 1/5

Sekko Boys ep. 1 - That was lame. I enjoyed Gyaruko-chan more than this. 0/5

Tabimachi Late Show ep. 1 - I think I enjoyed watching this more than I enjoyed anything else I saw tonight. Unfortunately, since they couldn't afford to hire any in-betweeners, I wish they'd made the drawings less crisp to show the motions better. 3.5/5 (This show doesn't appear to be in the lineup that started the thread.)

Rakugo ep. 1 - This show was awesome! Really long, but I enjoyed it a lot. The people smoke like chimneys, but the story is very intriguing. I wouldn't necessarily have expected this from a show about something like forensics, but I really enjoyed this. 5/5

[EventualDay]

I'm really excited for winter but a lot of the shows are hit or miss so far. Initial thoughts:

ERASED and Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuku, though I haven't started either of them yet, I plan to keep because of the sheer amount of hype. I think these are easily going to be the most talked-about shows of the season (and hopefully the most unique and best-produced).

Dimension W I liked much better than I was expecting to. The actual explanations for this supposed "new dimension" and how it provides energy are kind of shoddy, but I after I watched the episode I couldn't stop thinking about it. Also, I like having a main character who's a little older (and has a beard... <3). So I'm pretty sure I'll also be watching this.

Prince of Stride was cool although it took a little bit of time to get used to the color palette. Everything is so highly saturated! I like that it's running plus parkour. I don't think it looks like anything special in the long run, but it has the same vibe as Free!, so I'll give it a shot.

Grimgar also seems like it could end up being nothing but pleasantly mediocre, but I think it does a few things well--namely, I like the way the characters are coping with their new situation because it seems so realistic (totally different from the way Overlord handled things a few seasons ago). And like GeneD, I also really like the background art.




This is already five shows, which is a lot. But I'm still on the fence about
Four Rhythm - the concept is fascinating, but there was like no drama/tension in this at all
Bubuki Buranki - basically already dropped this, but would be willing to change my mind
Divine Gate - not really sure how to engage with this yet (but I really like that opening, that song at the end of the first episode)
Norn 9 - world-building is a plus, but literally nothing happens in the first episode
Nijiiro Days - love the manga but the quality of animation is sub-par




I tried the first episode of maybe seven other shows or so (like most of the shorts on Crunchyroll, Phantom World, etc.), but dropped them for similar reasons everyone else is giving.

[MangaRocks!]

So, thanks to hearing good things , I've decided to read the Nijiiro Days manga, and Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuku and Dimension W are really starting to pique my interest now, too. I may end up adding those two to my Winter Season lineup if this keeps up.



(Still waiting for Akagami no Shirayuki-hime S2's first ep. to get put up for free, which should be happening this next week. )



Boku Dake ga Inai Machi, a.k.a. ERASED, episode 2:

...Well, to its credit, the pacing was *much* better this time-- indeed, I don't think there's anything I found fault with in this ep. Consider me much more pleased. (Now let's see how they do with the rest of it... )



HaruChika episode 1:

Hmm... Well, this is way, *way* less realistic than Sound! Euphonium (though, granted, the two shows set out to do two very different things in the first place, so I guess there's not much use comparing them), with a lot more humor/snappy dialogue and a little (very light) mystery to compensate for its lack of any real focus on the actual band/music/performers' feelings and attitudes/etc. itself/themselves. And speaking of comparisons, the 'mystery' was kind-of a mess, and *way* less coherent and interesting than the fantastic Hyouka, which did light-mystery superbly... Plus, unfortunately, the whole Haruta-having-a-crush-on- SPOILER: Highlight text to read: his-male-teacher thing that I'd heard about beforehand was quite true... and it's not even just a crush-- SPOILER: Highlight text to read: he's 100% going to go after him, and is completely open(ly gay ) about it , which is annoying for multiple reasons SPOILER: Highlight text to read: (first, y'know, being that there's any sort of shounen-ai in this at all; and second being that even Chika's crush on the teacher {no less Haruta's } will clearly never be reciprocated, and I really dislike forever-unrequited relationships in the first place, especially when-- in this case-- poor Chika might even be *doubly* out of luck if she ever gets a crush on Haruta too, considering his obvious... uh... preferences ). Ugh. So, yeah... I'll still give this the standard 3-ep. test, but I'm already inclined to just drop it (especially when there are still several other shows I might be ending up adding to my watch list that are nearly guaranteed to be objectively better, no less more enjoyable )...



Koyomimonogatari ONA episode 1:

Yep, this is indeed being subbed! Loved seeing SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Oshino again (as, chronologically, this particular short story is set very early on). And while this little diversion (seemingly) didn't have anything to do with anything (well, I mean, aside from hinting that Araragi's 'thoughtless actions' might have actually ended up SPOILER: Highlight text to read: creating oddities ), we got to see SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Oshino and the ending was quite amusing, so I didn't mind a bit. Looking forward to the rest of these short stories!



And Durarara!!x2 Ketsu episode 2:

Thoughts on this in the dedicated thread, as usual!

[skreyola]

Bubuki/Buranki ep. 1 - Um... I'm not sure if I enjoyed that or not. It was kind of all over the place, in terms of mood, and some of the mystery was awkwardly introduced. And I'm not sure I care about any of these characters, so far. 3/5

[John_Smith]

Divine Gate episode two:

This is may end up being my favorite of the season. The show definitely has my favorite opening. ...I think Sylph is pretending to be a weathervane at 1:03.

So since I want everyone to watch the series and enjoy it with me if it turns out as good as it could be (or join me in weeping if it doesn’t) I’ll lay out the basic plot as I see it:
There’s six different elements that certain individuals can manipulate (so yes, like Avatar, but six, and in a futuristic setting with robot sentries (take that, Erased teleporting police!)). Also there’s a color for each element since that’s cool:
Green= wind
Blue= water
Red=fire
White=?
Purple=?
Yellow=?
They haven’t revealed the last three yet. It’s set up so that there’s a main character for each element. Of the three they’ve introduced, each one’s personality reflects the element they can manipulate, and each appears to have something in their past that’s tearing them up inside, which is ultimately their motivation for trying to find the the Divine Gate and supposedly have their wishes granted.

The only thing bogging down the show is 1) they haven’t finished explaining all of the details within the world(s) which can resort in some confusion and 2) there’s some execution problems.

Assassination Classroom episode 24:
Well, I suppose a plot relevant reason to depict lingerie and discuss general lewdness is better than a non-plot relevant one. Between that and the way how it was split into parts with no linear connection, I wasn’t really a fan of this episode. The best part about it was most definitely SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the cliffhanger.
That, and I think the show is trying give more attention to some of the lesser known students.

Grimgar episode two:
I don’t know what this series is doing. I feel like it’s going to explode into serious plot all of a sudden.
This episode was SPOILER: Highlight text to read: five minutes of action followed by twenty minutes of quiet contemplation with sprinkles of goofing off. << I'm not certain that even counts as a spoiler. I guess what I interpreted as 'slice of life,' is the series' attempt at a realistic spin on the MMORPG anime. This has captured my interest for another episode, more out of puzzlement than enjoyment.

And like GeneD, I also really like the background art.

I’ll agree with both of you. The best part of the series is its art.


Dimension W episode two:
The first episode was good, this one was better. Now that we’ve got some background on the MC and and have a little more explanation on can happen when SPOILER: Highlight text to read: using dimension w can go terribly wrong.

[skreyola]

Komugi-chan R ep. 1 - That was.... odd. I'm not sure if I'm watching an extra-silly MG show or a weird send-up of MG shows and idol shows in general. 3/5

Ooya-san wa shishunki ep. 1 - That was great. Loved the ending. If not for the jiggly bits, I'd have given this episode five stars. 4/5

Schwarzesmarken ep. 1 - Wow. That was dark, and a bit weird. Not sure how much I'm going to like this, or if I'll keep watching it, but I guess I'll give it another episode or two to see if it grabs me. 3.75/5

[Rusty Claymore]

Anyone got a report on Dagashi Kashi yet? I really wanted to check this one out, but Funi wants you to subscribe. I can't justify another paid subscription for one show. If it's good though, I'll look into it, as their wording sounded like you can have a free subscription.

[MangaRocks!]

@Rusty Claymore: While I unfortunately can't give you any advice about the show itself or its content (as I'm not planning on watching it ATM), as for viewing it, the free airing of its first episode is already available on Hulu.

[skreyola]

Dagashi Kashi ep. 1 - As requested: It's rather wacky, but it looks like it might be great fun, if you're into that sort of thing. Kind of reminds me of Working! There is one set of scenes with undetailed nudity, but it doesn't feel fanservice-y because it reveals a lot about one of the main characters. Too much wacky, so I won't be picking this one up. 3/5

Yamishibai ep. 1 - Ghost stories. Storyboarded show. Seeing a lot of that this season. Ugh. 1/5

AOKANA ep. 1 - Great ending, and the game was kind of neat, but it's hard to even take the premise seriously when the society hasn't adapted to the flight of school girls by replacing skirts with something more sensible. 3/5

This just hasn't been a great season, from what I've seen so far.

Okay, I watched one more.
ERASED ep. 1 - or, The Butterfly Effect in Japan. That was horrifying, but it was artfully crafted. This is a show I might pick up. 4.5/5