Summer 2013 anime

Tek7

Tek7

CGA President, Tribe of Judah Founder & President
Staff member
I'm still waiting for something as amazing for Madoka Magica.

And based on the first glances of the next season of anime, I'm going to be waiting a while longer. -_-

/animecurmudgeon

Anyway, this thread is for discussing summer 2013 anime series, most of which start airing in the next 7-10 days in Japan.
 
Well I am planning to watch:
Free!
Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East (Season 2)
The World God Only Knows (Season 3)

and will be continuing:
A Certain Scientific Railgun
Attack on Titan
Oreimo 2 (they are releasing three OVAs this season to follow-up last season)

This summer definitely seems to be a rather light season, for sure, but there have DEFINITELY been some great anime since Madoka. The World God Only Knows has been a particular favorite of mine (so I am extremely excited for the third season to start soon), and this past (spring) season saw the release of Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet and Yuyushiki (both series I gave 9/10s, which is what I rated Madoka).

Last season had a lot of good stuff, but not much in the way of "great" stuff (out of the 16 I watched, I only gave two 9/10s and no 10/10s).

EDIT: Forgot about Oreimo
 
The first season of Oreimo kept the squicky elements at arm's length and featured some moments that I felt really nailed the awkward tensions we often encounter in relationships (as opposed to the bromances common in shounen and the "he hits me because he loves me" stupidity common to many shoujo series).

The second season of Oreimo was mostly doujinshi fodder. I understand the anime writers are working from established source material (light novels) so I can't fairly level this criticism at them exclusively, but it felt as though the stories shifted from exploring complex relationships in an often humorous way to straight up fan service.

I'll take another look at Suisei no Gargantia and The World God Only Knows, but Gargantia looked generic at first glance and the first episode of TWGOK turned me off because I'd already grown tired of the "highly intelligent but socially inept male lead gradually gets drawn into meaningful relationships" trope and, judging solely by the first episode, had seen it done better elsewhere. But I've read enough recommendations of TWGOK now to give it another try.

As for Yuyushiki, well, I think our polar opposite opinions on Nichojou made it clear that we have different tastes in comedy. I still feel like nothing has topped Lucky Star or K-On! when it comes to slice of life comedy. (Azumanga Dai-oh was a lot of fun, too, but had a slower start than either of my favorites.) Still, I might give the first episode of Yuyushiki another shot. :) (I still don't think Nichijou was funny, though. Sorry.)

There are so many reasons why Madoka Magica is one of my all-time favorite series, so I think it'll be difficult to find something I like as much for a long while. Still, just when I start to think that I've already seen the best of what anime has to offer, a new series will come out, capture my attention, and feature one of those moments where I say, "THIS is why I watch anime."
 
Tek: Apparently we have quite different tastes, despite a lot of overlap (I still don't get how I like Nichijou because I think it's similar to Lucky Star and K-On but you hate it because it's totally different. I feel like it can't be both similar and different simultaneously).

Kendrik: I looked up an image of that. I have no idea what I'm looking at.
 
Japesland said:
Tek: Apparently we have quite different tastes, despite a lot of overlap (I still don't get how I like Nichijou because I think it's similar to Lucky Star and K-On but you hate it because it's totally different. I feel like it can't be both similar and different simultaneously).
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I watched the first 20 episodes of Nichijou and I think I laughed maybe twice. I knew Azumanga Dai-oh was slow to start (I watched the first episode of AD thinking, "Why is this series so popular? It's not that funny") but I remember laughing so hard I almost cried by the time the series ended.

As for "the same but different": Lucky Star and K-On! were more grounded in reality and the characters were very likable. Silly, but still realistic. Nichijou was more...out there, which usually appeals to me. But I kept waiting for the series to get funny and, in 20 episodes, it never did (IMO).

Japesland said:
Kendrik: I looked up an image of that. I have no idea what I'm looking at.
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Fist of the North Star. It's a classic shounen (i.e. pre-Naruto :p) series.

Neirai the Forgiven said:
Tek: I don't think you'll find that TWGOK is quite like that in the long run. But I could be wrong.
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Based on all the hype that surrounds TWGOK, I have to believe the main character develops, but with so many new series each season, I usually decide to stick with a series or drop halfway through the first episode (and, in recent seasons, often in the first 3-5 minutes). IIRC, I watched the whole first episode of TWGOK, but didn't see anything all that different about it.

I'll often revisit a series or track down a series I somehow overlooked if people on the CGA Forums recommend it, though, so don't hesitate to keep the recommendations coming!
 
I read all of Hokuto No Ken and now have both of the Ken's Rage games. I may or may not be a fan of the series. That DD Hokuto No Ken takes characters and cliches from the series and puts it into an absurd and humorous semi-slice of life makes it an instant win for me. :D

Anyway. Will be checking in for more recommendations. That's just the only series I'm watching at the moment. :P
 
Japesland said:
Blaaargh, I don't think I can talk anime with Tek :P
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Sure you can! We agree on much, much more than we disagree on. :) After all, we can agree that Madoka Magica and AnoHana were amazing...

Neirai the Forgiven said:
Just mention Shakagan no Shana*. It'll work out.


*Disclaimer: The first season.
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SnS season 1 is indeed awesome. I enjoyed season 2 (though not as much, IIRC) and season 3 just had me scratching my head throughout.
 
So how about Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin? I'm enjoying the show, though I'm not sure where it will go. I do believe they missed some opportunity to take it to another deeper level of story, but it's still a good watch.
 
Joshinator said:
So how about Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin? I'm enjoying the show, though I'm not sure where it will go. I do believe they missed some opportunity to take it to another deeper level of story, but it's still a good watch.
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I like it, but I am greatly fatigued by its current fanbase. Feels like Sword Art Online all over again...
 
I ended up loving SAO, much to my surprise based on first impressions. I know nothing of its fanbase.
 
Kendrik said:
I ended up loving SAO, much to my surprise based on first impressions. I know nothing of its fanbase.
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As with most popular anime it simply gets overhyped. I gave the series a 7/10. Good but not great. However, while it was airing I saw nothing but SAO fan art everywhere.
 
I'm liking Attack on Titan a lot. The visual style and frenetic combat is exciting to me. While I do admit there's some pacing issues half-way through the current season, I'm still excited every week to see what happens next. There's also something about the spoken Japanese that I like, just rock solid voice acting. And that intro is epic in many ways.

And though it's not a 2013 anime, I'm slowly but surely making my way through Shippuden. Only on season 2 but I dig the new storylines compared to the original Naruto. I rarely watch anime for a Japanese major but I can see the appeal of the Naruto series. I just dig the fights mostly. :p
 
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Sorry. Stumbled across that and couldn't resist posting. :P

I'll try to get back on topic now.
 
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Watching the first episode of Watamote is easily one of the most uncomfortable viewing experiences I've had in a while. You know all those "dorky and socially awkward girl is actually a beautiful popular girl with thick glasses and frumpy clothes" movies, where the female lead is teased by stereotypical characters but turns heads when she shows up at the prom with a makeover? Watamote tears all those crutches away and challenges the viewer to see the life of an unpopular and unattractive high school girl from her (admittedly warped) perspective. There's no easy out here. There's no cathartic moment when the former nerd-girl dances with the captain of the football team, who, as it turns out, is actually a really nice guy.

This is a dark comedy that, for me, hit a little too close to home to be as funny as it was tragic. As silly as it sounds, it made me want to reach out to girls in similar situations and tell them that God loves them, that God sees them as so precious that He sent His Son to suffer and die for them, and that they don't have to live bound by societal norms or tortured by their inability to meet those norms.

Maybe I found myself identifying with the main character too closely to offer a subjective view; I wasn't exactly one of the popular kids in high school. But even though it was uncomfortable to watch, I plan on watching the second episode--and possibly the remainder of the series--because it shows a perspective and story that I haven't seen covered in anime before (with the possible exception of the tragicomedy Welcome to the NHK, which, aside from a few weaknesses, I hold in high regard for similar reasons).

Just know what you're getting in to when you watch it. Watamote ain't a kittens, sunshine, and smiling moe girls anime.

EDIT: Not that there's anything wrong with smiling moe girls anime. I'm still a huge fan of K-On!!

EDIT#2: Uchouten Kazoku is a new series with a mischievous shapeshifting tanuki (raccoon dog) lead character. It also offers something (a little) different. I'm a sucker for Japanese mythology, folktales, and mischievous shapeshifting animals of Japanese legend (i.e. Spice and Wolf), so I'm in. It won't be everybody's cup o' tea, but just the fact that it's not your usual IMA FIRIN MAH LAZER shounen and "he hits me because he loves me" shoujo warrants a closer look.
 
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I've been watching Watamote myself. It pains me to ask, Tek, but were you even as close to solipsistic as she is? I'm mostly kidding.
Good show so far, though.
 
Tek7 said:
Watching the first episode of Watamote is easily one of the most uncomfortable viewing experiences I've had in a while. You know all those "dorky and socially awkward girl is actually a beautiful popular girl with thick glasses and frumpy clothes" movies, where the female lead is teased by stereotypical characters but turns heads when she shows up at the prom with a makeover? Watamote tears all those crutches away and challenges the viewer to see the life of an unpopular and unattractive high school girl from her (admittedly warped) perspective.
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Curious, looking, yup you are right she is still not an actual fat and ugly main character, carry on.
 
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