Reviewing Summer 2014 : Ao Haru Ride

When I was watching the second-last episode of Ao Haru Ride, I had my sister watch a part with me. She cried.

 This anime is cool. It doesn't take anything over-the-top, but it's one of those anime that hits you back home. See, there's nothing extraordinary in the surface, but if you dig through Ao Haru Ride, it warms your heart. 

It's lovely, and the emotions are on-point, so it won't set you off. I think there's more to explore with the characters, so I'm crossing my fingers for a second season.

Reviewing Summer 2014 : Haikyu!!

Well, I kept insisting that I was typing the anime's name right. But now it makes sense why people call it Haikyu!! instead of Haikyuu!! There's no repeating character in the logo (except the exclamation marks, of course).

Now on to less boring talk, I'd like to say the praise and fame this anime has gained is well-deserved.

 Sorry for the minor spoiler, but I couldn't help it. I tend to overlook sports anime when it's time for a new anime season, but this spring, I think I made an awesome decision! This is probably due to the fact that I had watched the first season of Free! previously, which is semi-sports anime, and also because the manga seemed really popular.

Haikyu!!is a fine adaptation of work. I love that you can distinguish the characters from each other, not just from their appearances but also their personality. The way the team interacts and converses with each other is believable and it adds to the exaggerated animation.

It is compelling and really fun to watch. I sometimes wish that I didn't need to wait a week for each episode. The Karasuno Volleyball Team fires me up, and I just get anxious rooting for this fictional yet plausible team! Haikyu!! also presents different kinds of perspectives and it doesn't just focus on the winners. There are teams that are much underdog than Karasuno is, and how their emotions and responses show is very moving, and it gives out thought-provoking ideas (not ones that are too deep, mind you).

The relationship between each of the opposing teams is portrayed without leaning on one side. What I mean is that, although Aoba Johsai is better than Karasuno, the coaches and players take each other seriously, and no signs of hostility was needed. Why? Doesn't it get old when the rival team is being always real cocky (exaggerated, too) to their opposing underdog theme? Uh-huh, me too.

This animated series is robust, and Production I.G.'s animation and direction is top-notch. The movement and fluidity of the characters rev up the in-series hype alone, and even though there are animation sequences that are re-used, it's not much of a problem. The great script and well-done story compensates, and it portrays ideas carefully. 
 
 A highly recommended series in my books, and it may change the way you see sports anime, too. I'm really hoping to see a second season come to works, and now I'm actually thinking of reading the manga.

 

Reviewing Summer 2014 : Free! Eternal Summer

I got a bit wary of a sequel for Free!. First, because I thought it may be a cash grab that will falter in quality from it predecessor. Second? Well even though I enjoyed the first season, it wasn't a remarkable series. So I was thinking, "I wonder what's in store for the boys?".

Let me start that Eternal Summer is whole lot better than Free!. Although, I still recommended watching both seasons to get the whole, awesome experience. I think it's extraordinary, what Free! became, the big hype of the sexy swimming boys PV last spring had purpose. 

The character development from the first season was a quite minimal for the Iwatobi Swim Club, it was Rin really that had a lot of progress. That's what I dug about this second season, the writer took advantage of the characters' potentials and gave them conflicts and obstacles that show their flaws and ability to cope. Free! Eternal Summer has a more realistic touch, dealing with the third-year characters' decisions after they graduate high school, and how it will affect the people around them. For one, Haruka Nanase (who I am a BIG FAN of) gets pitted so much more and finally shows his vulnerabilities.

The series had some more diversity in settings and the stunning artwork and animation boosted it's cause. Animation quality didn't get better than the first season's but that's because the animation is already excellent. Eternal Summer broadened Free!'s horizons and gave its drama more depth. All in all and back to back, the whole Free! anime series is a fantastic piece of work and it provides its target audience (that is not often catered a lot of anime options) content that is worth thinking of.

You know, though it's a little detail, I loved that they changed their swimsuit designs! Highly recommended if you want to watch a fun and vibrant anime, and if you don't mind shirtless men.

Reviewing Summer 2014 : Glasslip

Wow, I remember writing last July that I was worried about the love hexagon whatever that thing is. It was just so unoriginal. Glasslip proved me wrong though, that the multiple love triangles are something to be worried about. I thought I was getting a girl having glass art-making adventures, but Glasslip also proved me wrong on that part. It was all about the future fragments, and I thought it would all make sense in the end, but AGAIN, this anime proved me wrong. 

Guys, trust the hate on this anime, it is terrible! Visuals can be striking sometimes, but the character design and animation doesn't shine. Stunning backgrounds can't validate this as a good anime. Realistic small talk doesn't cut the incoherent story slack. Don't watch it, by episode 8, I finally realized it was a waste of time to hope for it's realization of potential. I finished it anyway because I found Glasslip stupidly funny when the anime is intentionally serious. It is a clustercrap of clustercraps.

Also, since we're on this topic, who the heck decided on Hina's school swimsuit design? My gosh.