neko's thinkbox

Ch-ch-check it out!

Well this being my ‘official’ first post, hopefully it isn’t terrible. :3 Maybe this “# Weeks In…” could be a regular occurrence, like a check-up at the doctor’s office.
So here are just a few impressions of this season’s shows so far. After 5 weeks lets see how they are coming along!
Pictures, spoilers, and more after the jump.

To be honest I can’t keep up with tons of shows weekly, so before each season I get a good idea of the shows I would like to watch and then test out the waters. If I like it I’ll keep watching, if not then it is no biggie. Usually after 5 episodes the chosen ones(series) are…chosen?
As of writing this some shows have only aired and been subbed for 4 or 5 episodes. This isn’t a problem because this post is just to see how these six shows are doing, not to explain every single detail in the first five or so episodes. There is not an episode specific entry for each series in this post.

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!

Cross Game

Ko The stare of death.

Ko and Wakaba Cutest couple ever?

Aoba Aoba or Ko? No one knows!

Babe Ruth? Babe Ruth?

Cross Game is a love-story baseball anime based on the manga of the same name by, Mitsuru Adachi. Adachi is also known for his other romantic baseball manga series Touch and H2. The story follows the main character Ko, whose father owns a sporting good store. Ko’s neighbors are the Tsukishima family. The Tsukishima family runs a coffee/food/dining place called Clover with a batting cage. Ko, being the nice neighbor he is, hits balls at the bating cage. Which of course leads to Ko becoming amazingly good at baseball. However, there is much more to the story than this. The first episode serves as a prologue to the entire series, showing all of the main characters in their elementary school years. By the end of the first episode Ko’s “girlfriend” and neighbor Wakaba Tsukishima dies from an accident at swimming camp. Now I understand that it is unlikely elementary school students would fall into a serious love, but through one episode the relationship formed between Wakaba and Ko is clear. The first episode ends with an extended ending, setting a dreary melancholy mood. Luckily (I guess) the rest of the series isn’t filled with this kind of sadness. It is a romantic comedy about the relationship between Ko and Aoba (Wakaba’s sister, 1 year younger than both Wakaba and Ko). The real catcher is Ko and Aoba have identical hair styles and Aoba dresses like a guy; I can never tell who’s who! Between the baseball, which doesn’t overwhelm the series, and the romance I feel that the series is very well balanced. The animation quality is high and suites the characters well. I am definitely watching this series no matter how long its run is.
Quick note: the opening song Summer Rain by, Kobukuro is fabulous.

Due to Cross Game’s potential long length please don’t expect weekly posts.

Dragonball Kai

Goku in HD Goku in HD

Some brotherly loving Some brotherly loving

Your neighborhood Namekian Piccolo! Your neighborhood Namekian Piccolo!

ROFLing ROFLing

Dragonball Kai is a remake of the Dragonball Z series in high definition for its 20th anniversary. The story hasn’t deviated from the original yet and I doubt it will, but the length of the series as far as I understand has not yet been determined. A few sources claim it will just end with the Frieza saga, but my guess is as good as theirs. The series did head downhill post-Frieza anyways. Within the first five episodes, Raditz is dead, Goku is dead and on snakeway, and Gohan cries every five minutes. The Z warriors are training for Vegeta and Nappa’s arrival in one year. Gohan is training with Piccolo and turns into the Oozaru. Goku is almost at King Kai’s place to start his training too. And as always Piccolo is a complete badass. I am really enjoying how quickly the show is going, it isn’t wasting anytime getting to the good parts!Some most of the footage is reused from the original show, with a few new scenes added or redone. The new OP and ED animations look fantastic with catchy and enjoyable songs. However, the redone segments in the actual show lack quality and detail. The animation quality of the opening and ending truly show how great the show would look if redone entirely. The light reflection on Raditz’s scouter is missing and other trite details. The show is not truly in high-def, I still feel that the Dragonball franchise is a hit or miss for people. I grew up on Dragonball and Dragonball Z, watching the episodes as they premiered on Toonami. It was action packed with enjoyable characters. So for me Dragonball Kai is great, who doesn’t love rewatching shows they grew up on and loved, but in higher quality?

Due to Dragonball Kai’s potential long length please don’t expect weekly posts.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Ed just doesn’t get a break Ed just doesn’t get a break

Uglier than your mother? I doubt it. Uglier than your mother? I doubt it.

Ed, Al, and the ever loving Mustang Ed, Al, and the ever loving Mustang

It’s nice to be back! It’s nice to be back!

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood after five episodes is a quick rehash of the first 13 or so episodes of the first Fullmetal Alchemist series. This rehash excludes the first episode of FMA:B, where the characters are introduced in an action packed episode with a new baddie. FMA:B is suppose to follow the manga story much closer than the first one did, and not stray off into unknown territory. With a few detail changes to quicken the pace like Edward already being a certified State Alchemist when Ed and Al are studying at Tucker’s estate, skipping the entire Bald and Majihal episodes of the original, and lastly shortening Liore’s story arc into one episode (which I loved by the way, maybe because I have seen the original Liore episodes so many times that I am sick of them). Episode 04 and 05 really picked up the action introducing the Scar in a similar way to the first series, by killing every State Alchemist and soldier on guard duty that day. After 5 episodes it is hard to tell how the rest of Brotherhood will go; I’ve read the manga a few volumes ahead of the current point in the series and it gets very, very good. The potential is there, I just hope it is taken full advantage of. I noticed some subtle differences in the art style of the characters, it seems to be following the facial structures and shapes of the manga. This doesn’t bother me, but is just a little observation. Just like the previous Fullmetal Alchemist series, the OP and ED songs continue the trend of being quality songs. The number of episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has yet to be determined at this point, as far as I know. Regardless of the length the series could be, I was a big fan of the first series and am enjoying this remake/follow-up immensely, so I’ll keep watching for sure.

Expect weekly posts for new episodes from here on out for Fullmetal Alchemist, regardless of the series length, starting with Episode 06.

Eden of the East

Takizawa and Saki Takizawa and Saki

It’s just a hobby, I swear! It’s just a hobby, I swear!

Selecao IV Selecao IV

Best character intro ever? I think so. Best character intro ever? I think so.

Eden of the East has to be the most intriguing and my personal favorite show so far of the season. The character styles, especially for the female lead, Saki Morimi, who has an oddly shaped but cute face. The show starts off when the male lead, Akira Takizawa, has his memories erased and meets Saki in front of the White House in Washington D.C. butt naked. It is truly an odd start to and even odder series. Takizawa is a Selecao, a “messiah” who is thrown into a game. The 12 players are given 10 billion yen in credit on their cellphones to try and fix a broken Japan. One of the twelve players is the Supporter. The Supporter must kill any Selecao who is out of line, wasting money, or fails to fix Japan. At the end of the game only one Selecao can win, the one to first fix Japan. By the end of the first four episodes Selecao IV and V are dead. IV killed by his wife and V by the Supporter. The story only keeps getting better and better every episode. This summary isn’t in depth and is missing many details like Juiz and the other Selecao. However, I only know as much as the show has revealed so far. I can only wait to see what happens. If you want to know, watch the damn show. ;) On the downside, as I see it, Eden of the East is only scheduled for 11 episodes. This seems awfully short for something that seems awfully good. I just hope everything story wise wraps up nicely and it isn’t rushed. Summing it up, Eden of the East has a lot going for it, the storyline is good so far, the characters are likable, and it looks gorgeous.

Expect weekly posts for new episodes from here on out for Eden of the East, starting with Episode 05.

K-On!

A beach episode? No way! A beach episode? No way!

Is this Death Note or K-On!? Is this Death Note or K-On!?

‘That’s an 8-beat!’ ‘That’s an 8-beat!’

All day, everyday. All day, everyday.

K-On! is probably one of the most, if not the most, blogged shows of the season. So I will not go into depth about it. I have no obsession with Mio or Yui or Mugi or Ritsu. I just enjoy the show, the comedy, and the music. The only thing that bothers me is how much cake and candy the four girls eat. Over 40% of the show is spent eating. It is all the girls think about, while working or during club meetings. Yet none of them put on an ounce of weight. >_>
Expect weekly posts for new episodes from here on out for K-On!, starting with Episode 06.

Valkyria Chronicles

Welkin Welkin

Alicia Alicia

What’s an anime show without shirtless guys? What’s an anime show without shirtless guys?

Tank! Tank!

Valkyria Chronicles is a planned 26 episode series based on the strategy-RPG game of the same name by Sega for the PS3. I have not had the chance to play the full game, only the demo. The demo was a short experience and focused mostly on combat, which seemed like a strong point of the game. The anime focuses on the story, as I’d imagine the full game does, of Squad 7. The two main characters are Welkin and Alicia, both pictured above. Alicia finds Welkin drawing fish, accuses him of being a spy, and arrests him on the spot. Alicia lives in and works for Bruhl’s town guard, and as she is arresting Welkin, Bruhl is attacked. Welkin and Alicia use Welkin’s famous father’s tank to defend the town against the evil Imperial army’s attack. This then leads to Welkin and Alicia joining the militia to fight the war against the Imperials. Welkin is appointed Lieutenant of Squad 7 where he must earn the respect of his fellow squad members.
In order to make the show look more like the game, which is cel-shaded, shadows have lines going through them, giving the characters a different look. I particularly like this little detail. It gives the show a similar feeling to the game.

I can’t see myself blogging Valkyria Chronicles, by no means is it not a good show, it just isn’t something I enjoyed writing about. Who knows though, things could change.

That’s it for my first post, I hope you enjoyed it.^^
Now that you’ve all read my thoughts on this season’s shows, let me know what you think!
Please feel to free leave your criticism, thoughts, and anything else in a comment or more.

~Brett