Finale! Winter Season 2015 has reached its final week and all the final episodes are now over. Here is the final weekly review for the season before we get to a final overview.
As far as finals go, we had a good bit of everything. Clichéd finals, satisfying finals, decent finals, weak finals... clichéd and weak finals... Personally I am glad the season is over with the exception of three anime (and only one exclusive to this season) I don't think I will really miss anything here but let's get into it. This review is a little late since I had to wait for Yuri Kuma to finish. Sometime tomorrow or Wednesday, you will also get my final thoughts and ratings.
Go Princess Precure: Okay, some neat interaction here. Haruka showed that she might not know much stuff but she can be competent and learn while pursuing her dream. So many heroines in this situation are stuck with just trying their best, getting and accepting help from their friends. As such this approach was nice. Also a different side of Kirara, which was also rather neat. I continue to have my doubts/fears about her and Minami being a tad too perfect though.
Absolute Duo: Okay, honestly. I said nothing could save that show at this point. And I was right, of course. But gosh, that ending was even weaker than the execution up to this point. So, we get K back, all powered-up, spouting nonsense which still is not explained to us and getting worked up because Tor and Julie keep protecting each other. We got a lackluster fight where Tor and Julie didn't even strike the final blow together but Tor did it alone with Julie's sword... Absolute Duo... Yeah, right. But the worst thing about this whole thing was that all the important details like K's motivation (which just further underlined his role as most clichéd stock villain ever) and Julie's weird power were explained afterwards, almost like an appendix to the story. THAT is what you carefully build up to and reveal as the story progresses, not slap in on afterwards like: Oh hey, and in case you were wondering about the reasons why everything is happening, let me sum it up here. Oh, and Tor's past and his avenger status... You don't need to know that. WHERE HAVE THESE PEOPLE LEARNED STORYTELLING?! For a plot to be a plot, you need to have causality (something I learned in my very first course in German Literature at university). Well, sorry, but if there is causality in this anime and therefore a justification for plot, then it's so paper-thin that a flick of a finger could probably snap it. AD is definitely at the forefront of most disappointing harem anime when applying a ratio of promise and final execution... Bunny-sensei saved the last bit of grace in this episode, being the only cool one at this point.
Yuri Kuma Arashi: First Hawk and now Lulu? What is it with all the cool support characters getting killed now! I frankly feel everyone of ANN's reviewers has been hit by the "let's overrate everything spectacularly" virus in the last week or so.... A+?!
Shinmai Maou no Testament: And Maria is the lucky winner... maybe. Seriously this was as action-less as last week. Frankly I am disappointed. There was no climax. I barely felt any of the supposed danger they were in. And Mio still didn't do a single thing! In fact, out of everyone, former enemy Zest was blowing up the most stuff (which mostly amounted to creating holes)! Action-wise this has really degenerated into the weakest of my three harem anime and that despite some good early prospects. With action so lame and the censor hurting both the extreme ecchiness as a pull factor as well as the latter affecting development of plot and characters without actually getting to the see the ecchiness itself... I honestly can't see how this got popular enough for a second season. I'll leave a final rating for later but it probably won't go above decent. I find it utterly funny (in a ridiculous way) how both Wednesdays shows now get a second season despite being the ones wasting the most potential this season (next to Rolling Girls, Absolute Duo moved beyond wasting potential) but everyone their own, I guess.
Kantai Collection: And... It was Option A (or maybe B, whatever you label them). Basically there were two ways how this could end. The cheesy end where Bucky saves the day and everyone survives (totally disregarding the fact that is supposed to be a war battle...) or we'd have the one or other tragic death (Akagi) which would have all the hardcore fans raging. Regardless of which... neither would have saved the show from its performance which was often stuck on the verge of going for something past appeal to the game's fans but never quite managing to bring up the courage to go beyond that border and much less remain there for long. This ending was so cheesy, even me who usually doesn't mind them would have wished for something with a bit more emotional impact. The once again confusing allusions to "some power" from Akagi and co. were also more confusing than helpful. This already had me puzzling about Fourth Wall references last episode but its altogether too vague and more irritating than some grand statement. If KanColle fans are okay with this, good for you, as a non-player the only thing I pulled from this is the impressive ending theme which went on my playlist. Whatever the sequel is, I probably won't bother.
Assassination Classroom: So, I can't say I didn't see this coming. The progression of assassins had to lead to this frankly. After an A.I. like Ritsu, the next step being an assassin of the same (or similar) genes as Koro-sensei only makes sense. Personally I wouldn't call this episode a problem because it got serious all of a sudden. It was a tad abrupt, yes, but also highlighted the growth of Class E as they come to the realization that it should be them succeeding in the assassination and not an outsider. It depends on what the second half of the show will bring now. It's true that this anime is at its best applying its own brand of humor but as time goes by we will need more clarification and revelations. This episode may serve to push the true history of Koro-sensei a little further into the open.
Fairy Tail: ... ..... .......... AAAAAAAAAH! ... Ok, had to let that out. You see, I am not someone who likes horror stuff because it doesn't do anything for me. THAT was scarier than any horror flick, however! One Ichiya is bad enough. Everyone turning into walking Ichiya zombies... THIS is a true apocalyptic nightmare! And after this satisfying end to an aggravating half a year of fillers we are back to the main story... FINALLY.
Rolling Girls: Somewhat better than I expected. It was a nice wrap-up for everything. In fact it was fairly in tune with the anime, being all over the place and wanting to convey more than it reasonably could in such a small amount of time (and yes, this is a form of sarcasm ^_^). I might have liked this as a more fleshed out two coeur. So... to be fair... it was pretty bad. Maybe it was that I already found the entirety of this last arc destroying what little appeal the show had to me and as such my expectations were so low that I didn't this ending that horrible... After reading ANN's reviews I can actually see why it is bad. But then again, I already thought the grade for last episode was over the top. Like this I doubt I'll remember it much aside from the pretty colors a few months from now. Go back to school and learn how write a proper storyboard, please.
Dog Days: Pretty slow end. I know I said in the beginning how you know what to expect from Dog Days by now and can just enjoy it. But I feel we may have hit a point where leisure adventures are just not enough anymore. IF there is a fourth season (and somehow I feel there will be), then it really needs something a little extra special. This season felt somewhat boring as a whole.
Log Horizon: *cries huge anime-style tears* Oh gosh, I am SO going to MISS this. I don't even want to start debating whether we will get a Season 3 or not. One thing is certain, it will not be as fast as Season 2 came around at least. And that's the best case scenario. This episode was nearly perfect as a final, however. In fact, I'd much rather give this an A than last week because it managed to provide a wonderful setting for both an open end (let's hope not though) or the next installment. For once even the action was amazing. Everyone got something to do, even the animation was nice for once. Even Akatsuki got to do something (*gasp* once in a blue moon), in fact she got to be part of finishing the boss! And the dialogue between Shiroe and Kanami culminated nicely in the ultimate solution to the basic problem that this season has been setting up all along. Or at least the best possible solution. I will truly miss Log Horizon, it has redefined my experience of VMMORPG anime just as the numerous ones in the last years were getting somewhat tiresome. Please be back. Even if it takes another year (not likely) or two. As long as we get more, I'll be very happy about it.
One Piece: Not a whole lot happened, yet that was not bad. This episode was about many things coming together and showing the effect the Straw Hat's actions all throughout this arc had on characters. Despite the lack of story progression this was a good episode that showed off some emotions and direct results of what the character's have achieved. I'm far more down with a slower episode like this than what we have seen most of the Punk Hazard arc.
Seiken Tsukai no World Break: A worthy final. A wonderful wrap that joined Moroha and his main two together. And I am glad it was those two being the ones to give the final push. The series has been pushing the advancement of this triangle for awhile, despite the inclusion of other girls and this was the right way to go about it. Despite the somewhat sloppy art, best harem of the season, slipping past Testament because of the censor and the action bits.
Nanatsu no Taizai: The final fight was... a tad disappointing. The anime was running on a lot of steam these last episodes, perhaps it was a bit too much and not much more was left. I saw that final move coming a mile away (leaves you to wonder why Hendrickson didn't). What annoyed me was the way Hawk was "revived". It was never explained what happened. After the heroic sacrifice last episode, this feels a tad like a cop-out at this point. The second half of the episode made a nice wrap though and set things up for the next arc... which we will hopefully be getting soon! Despite the lack of oomph behind the conclusion of the final battle, Nanatsu no Taizai still remains as one of my most fun installments of this specific brand of series, making much more than just serious competition for Fairy Tail.
Maria, the Virgin Witch: I admit it was a decent finish. Answers were given, Maria retained her resolve and did not back down from Michael. A lot of things, however, were just somewhat ridiculous. Bernard's characters has somewhat eroded and makes rather little sense at the end and the way Maria was just accepted into the village after the stone throwing from before also felt somewhat off. Still, there could have been worse ways to end a series and it makes for a very satisfying finished product that can be wrapped with a pretty ribbon and put away without leaving any big questions unanswered. My definite winner of the season.
And to close out the season once more for Monday (today)...
Go Princess Precure: Gosh, the yuri undertones. ^_^ Personally I think I'd be voting for Kirara/HaruHaru... But really so far this is the first Precure... like ever that I don't really get any definite yuri vibes for despite the definite present undertone in this episode. Not much to say here. A nice episode.
Yuri Kuma Arashi: I'd like to be frank here... Knowing Utena at least I was surprised by the incredible bluntness of the ending. And if I think about it, the series has gone from being utterly incomprehensible at first to becoming extremely blunt with its symbolism. Once you understand the basic principle, you get... well, most of the rest. That being said I am not sure what to make of this ending considering I was expecting something a little different from an Ikuhara show. I found the eventual solution – Kureha turning into a bear! – to be rather good though. I'll leave the detailed analysis to other experts who are more into the material.
><
And last but not least my thoughts on the movie for Happiness Charge Precure. Honestly, I am not sure how to categorize this. I found the story altogether... boring. It moved too fast at first and was incredible predictable. Granted most Precure movies are like that but honestly I usually always could enjoy myself with them. This one didn't really touch me.
I think my biggest problem with it may have very well been that much like the season finale the movie focused so much on Lovely to a point of giving her ANOTHER form (denying us the rightful Innocent Purification!). There is something about being too much. Only Hime got a bit of a side story in this one and gosh, was she a riot. If not for her antics I don't know what I would have done.
By now we are used to the Miracle Light gimmick and it wasn't THAT badly timed as with the Doki Doki movie. Could have been better but I liked the funny moment where the light was actually BLOCKED in the first attempt.
The animation looked great too and I wasn't even watching in HD.
I cannot really say I liked this too much. It wasn't necessarily bad but the excessive Lovely focus once again ruined a good bit of the experience. I was a tad disappointed considering I expected just a little more out of this one considering the strong final third of the actual series.
No comments:
Post a Comment