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I won’t use any arbitrary numbers for the duration of this review. Senran Kagura is a series I picked up from a trailer I watched for Senran Kagura: Burst and let me tell you, I was just so fascinated. A fighting game where we pit scantily clad high school girls against one another and fight to destroy the other girls’ clothing? Count me in. WHY AREN’T MORE DEVS DOING THIS!? Then I realized there was an anime and manga series that fleshes out the legend of this mysterious series’ origins. Then it donned on me that this is not something I’d enjoy. I’m really at ... a loss for words with this one, because it wasn’t anything I didn’t expect. In fact it was so within my expectations I can’t give it a bad rating (not that it matters), because, let’s be honest, people eat up ecchi material regardless of the content or context. Criticizing this series for being ecchi isn’t really fair, because it is unapologetic and forward with the idea, it only really starts to dip in quality when it expects you to care about the characters and the story(?) that was going on, but I’m not a prude. I can accept panty shots, jiggle joggers and high pitched peeping as staples of the anime industry when it’s lacking in substance otherwise. That’s fine. In all seriousness, Senran Kagura wasn’t bad, it was just normal, which I think is part of what disturbs me about it. That we’re so used to this style of storytelling that it doesn’t faze us anymore, but that’s a story for another day.

As far as animation and other technical aspects of the show, it wasn’t terrible. It was fluid and appropriate albeit you can tell when parts were rushed. I’d venture to say that the series could have benefitted from more expansion of the plot and less booby bounces, or the opposite where there was less story and ONLY BOOBY BOUNCES. The finished product looks more like a mess when the finale comes around as a result, but maybe that’s what OVAs are for. Or maybe I’m expecting too much out of my anime these days.

I’m not going to use arbitrary numbers since that’s not going to help you understand what I just watched. Well, this is it. The end of this week long journey. Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (or Oreimo [or My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute])’s final 3 episodes. Everyone lost their god damned minds, but in the end logic and reason prevailed in this tale of weird situations and awkward misunderstandings. I was near the end of my rope when I thought all hope was lost, but in the end it wrapped up the series the best way it could. Setting ... aside the “what if”s, “should have”s, or “if only”s it ended up in a much different place than I expected.

Art’s the same, sound’s the same, done. I feel like the potential was wasted and the story is less effective as a result, but despite what you may have read in other reviews I believe that asspull at the end justified all the craziness of these 3 episodes. I feel like the series should have ended on the note at the end of the second season, because that would have avoided me throwing my arms up and screaming “everyone’s an idiot!” but who cares. I certainly don’t at this point, because some crazy shit goes down for the finale. If nothing else, watch it for that. Luckily the characters in the show were very aware of how unnatural the Kousaka siblings’ relationship was (even they did) so that’s a healthy dose of sanity I’d been craving. Maybe if I rewatch it, it won’t be as bad the second time around. All I all, as a final sum up: this show made me laugh, smile, get emotional and occasionally pull my hair out. I don’t regret a thing.

What I thought were undertones were blatant expressions of affection. Not my cup of tea (I usually drink a robust Irish Breakfast), but if you’re into that whole “siblings can be lovers” thing, go right ahead.

I’m avoiding arbitrary numbers since that isn’t helpful in explaining what I just watched. I started myself down a path I’m not too upset about, because I feel like the reward was every bit as satisfying as the ride itself. Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (or Oreimo [or My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute]) is a series full of misconceptions and misdirection which would explain why people write it off as dumb, fetish-y, siscon garbage and they’d be right to anyone who accepts an opinion as fact before watching a series. Now I’m not saying that Oreimo’s second season does ... any better to provide us with less incestuous undertones (I’ve just been on roll with this incest shit lately), because it actually makes our impression of the Kousaka household worse (until a certain point).

When series change studios between seasons (look at that alliteration huehuehue) there’s a certain level of difference that’s acceptable before it feels like a totally different show, but as far as artistic style is concerned there wasn’t too drastic a difference between AIC and A-1’s Oreimo so it gets a thumbs up in my book. Soundtrack remains the same, ClariS still handles the opening song (which is stupid catchy, by the way). You get much of the same with this season, but a little different. I see why this series is classified as harem (pardon my ignorance for not having read the light novel) and that was something that I just kind of suffered through to get to the end. This season hits lower points than the first, but it comes back way stronger than the first season ever did and honestly adds justification to all of Kirino and Kyousuke’s quirks. While there may still be indecent undertones the siblings’ love for one another (whether you take that to mean romantic or otherwise is on you) comes through and is a sweet little ending to this adventure.

It’s better at points than the first season and worse at others, but it’s not bad. There’s more harem stuff and some characters get ignored, but there’s also more emotional stake in the characters and that makes it worth it to me. You’ve stuck it out this long, might as well finish.

I’m not going to use arbitrary numbers since that’s not going to help you understand what I just watched. These episodes are the true ending of Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (or Oreimo [or My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute]), so it goes without saying that you need to watch the first season of the show in order to understand them. Now it’s hard for me to quantify this series on a scale of whether I like it or don’t like it (I really like it), because it’s just so damn charming and I get the feeling it shouldn’t be. ... This 4 episode ending carries on the endearing nature of the show, but adds a little more spice to a few of the side characters (mainly Kuroneko) since this is the alternate route where Kirino actually leaves Japan for track and field training. There’s also a bunch of new characters (some you may be more familiar with than you realize) which opens up a whole new dialogue. I can’t help but be oddly smitten by this strange grouping of characters and story points and I feel like anyone would be too provided you’re not here for incestuous diddling. Spoilers.

I’m simple and I like my romances much the same (I’m not here for romance, I promise). These episodes that make up the “True Route” are very characteristic of your high school romance, but they still capture that spirit of comradery and rivalry that remained constant throughout all of Oreimo. It’s just a continuation of the series so anything that I said regarding art, sound and any other technical aspects remains the same. It’s still colorful and has a great soundtrack, moving on. This isn’t like the first ending to the series which was really sweet (because the siblings finally got along). Instead it’s a little more bitter which is alright, because a series like this can’t be too sweet for too long. They’re worth the watch since it’s a totally different ending to the series and it’s cool to see this story about visual novels (most of the eroge presented are VNs as far as I can tell) be treated like one.

ALSO, make sure you watch these if you’re continuing on to season 2. OTHERWISE the beginning will spoil all the new characters/events that take place.

I’m avoiding arbitrary numbers since that isn’t helpful in explaining what I just watched. I’m sure we’ve all seen it, pictures of an orange haired, blue-eyed girl with rosy cheeks with the obligatory “worst girl” stamped to it. And that’s fine, we’re all entitled to our tastes (unfounded though they may be), because that’s what makes this community what it is for better or for worse. Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (or Oreimo [or My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute]) is a series I was just so curious about due to the amount of “Kirino is a shit” posts I’d ... seen all over the internet. Now granted that type of curiosity led me to Boku no Pico in the past, so needless to say I walked into this a little more wary than usual (take that for what it is). What I got was way more than I ever expected and I can honestly say I enjoyed the series. It was fun, colorful and funny and it still felt very personable. I’m avoiding the word ‘intimate’ since it’d be easy to mistake my meaning due to the nature of the show.

Now I’ll get to it, it’s a comedy and comedies are usually done up to the max (pushes the bounds of reality, suspend your disbelief) so that you’ll laugh and oh boy is there laughter to be had. It’s a show based on misconceptions and preconceived notions and seeks to challenge those expectations which makes for good comedy and drama (which was unexpected). For those of you who have read a synopsis of the show, watch it before making judgements, because a lot of the love and character of the show is beneath layers of (I guess this show is classified as harem?) what appear to be clichés. It’s easy to love due to the art and soundtrack, but the characterization (good god I love these characters) and plot are spectacular as well. The series has earned itself a reputation for having a “bad tsundere” as a protagonist, but I feel like that’s unfair especially coming from people who’ve never seen it. Draw your own conclusions, but at least watch it.

I’m not saying it’s a timeless gem of a series, but it’s definitely worth a watch since it’s so short and while it may have ridiculous elements to it, it’s still endearing.

I’m going to avoid arbitrary numbers, because they only distract you from understanding what I’m saying. Suisei no Gargantia (Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet is too damn long) is a series I wish I’d have picked up during its season. You like mechs? It’s got that. You like skimpily dressed underage girls? It’s got that too. You like the open sea? Well, you're in luck! On the surface I couldn’t seem to find any redeeming qualities about it and I put it down for a couple months. CG in mecha anime is something I’ve grown to hate (having grown up watching mecha anime) and it ... was no different this time, but I sort of became desensitized to it so it stopped mattering after 5 or so episodes, but some of you may view it as unforgivable. One amazing thing about the series is its ability to tell such a big story in such a short amount of time, so major props there Gen Urobuchi, you surprised me with another one of your works.

Gargantia is far from perfect, but it handles its human (and not so human) characters really well (some of them) and its action is ok (when it’s all CG) and despite the flaws it still manages to be charming. The history and mythos of the story is handled in such a way that you don’t really know everything and you’re learning as you go along, which is nice. You get to experience the discoveries with the people involved. The characters don’t feel like cut and paste clichés (despite what I initially thought) and they actually grow as a result of the events in series. Overall it’s an alright watch for 13 episodes. Something to pick up in your spare time if you’re between series.

I will say though, the CG may turn off any of you purists out there. If that’s enough to scare you off it’s not worth it.

I’m going to avoid arbitrary numbers since that doesn’t help you understand what I watched or what I’m trying to say. Genocyber is a series I picked up from a list of anime (I don’t remember where) and usually when I go digging for obscure series I’m met with mixed feelings. Often times this digging will lead to hidden gems that I get a chance to appreciate now that I’m an adult. Genocyber isn’t really a hidden gem so much as it’s a fossilized turd. And by that I mean it aged poorly and I’m not too sure if there was any meaning buried in ... the tremendous amount of gutting and violence. It can get bloody at times.

I found that there were moments that were legitimately uncomfortable for me to sit through, due to filming, audio engineering, etc. That’s something I will add to its credit, is that it still has the capacity to make me uneasy at times, despite it aging like a bottle of coke in my dresser drawer. Perhaps you might find a deeper meaning in it than I did, but it honestly confused me. No character survives from beginning to end of the series, most characters are unceremoniously killed offscreen (and shown to you later), the plot feels weighed down by the attempted shock value (which is still there at times) and it’s hard to get attached to something with such a broad idea and/or lore surrounding it when I never get that chance to immerse myself. Take it for what it is and watch it to form your own opinion.

I’m not going to use any arbitrary numbers because that won’t provide an accurate representation of what I just watched. One thing I’d advise before ever picking this title up is be sure you watched the original Rurouni Kenshin series prior. If you don’t you might be completely undone before you get to some of the juicier bits of this two part series. For everyone whose unaware of the story surrounding the New Kyoto Arc in Kenshin these films(?) are hard to follow and don’t convey enough of what made the original run of the arc so satisfying.

Now I’m not going to waste time arguing ... what was done better in the original versus this adaptation, I’ll just get straight to it, it’s fast. The beginning of this series plunges you into the action of the story (with exposition, oh boy) and doesn’t really take its time to explain why the characters are all jumbled around, why Kenshin abandoned his friends, whose dead, whose not and that’s because it had to sum up the 30+ episodes that made up Rurouni Kenshin’s major arc in (give or take) 90 minutes. The soundtrack captures our wandering spirit (with a tinge of that sweet violin) just like the good ol’ Kenshin and Studio Deen’s fight choreography is great when Shishio and Kenshin finally get to have it out in [undisclosed location to avoid spoilers this time], so watch it for that even if it’s brief (the other fights are good too). Like any good fight scene though, context is necessary to drive emotions home and these films(?) don’t have time to provide context. Or at least not enough to make everything that’s happening feel justified.

Who am I recommending this to? People who watched (and/or loved) Rurouni Kenshin, because they’re the only ones who’ll get the whole picture. It’d be a pretty confusing watch otherwise.

I’m not going to use any arbitrary numbers because that won’t provide an accurate representation of what I just watched. Did you ever watch Boku no Pico and think to yourself: “this would be better with girls and superpowers.” Well, here you go; here’s Kuttsukiboshi in its entire implied sexual deviancy. This was probably the weirdest sexual adventure I went on due to the gratuitous amount of “Did you just say/do that..?” moments I felt during the course of this two episode odyssey (and because my roommate was sitting behind me). Now I’m not saying this to make fun of the series, because it’s not ... the worst thing I’ve ever watched, but it can be confusing when the narrative jumps from an affectionate couple to an incestuous affair to detaining and sexually exploiting a frustrated young woman.

If that piques your fancy then you’re in luck, because that’s exactly what you’ll get in a concise, ecchi sprint of a series. Giving credit where credit is due, Naoya Ishikawa for directing, animating and writing the entirety of this OVA did well in terms of character design and movement (as well as one person would have been able to do with such a large project for an individual) so take it for what it is. It’s not your high-budget seasonal anime generic big boobed loli yuri fetish pandering smut (just wait ‘til next season), but it’s a good little piece to enjoy (or not) if you’re in between series. The sex is mostly censored, but you can paint the picture using the actions and noises during/after.

Also, spoilers if I forgot to mention that. It’s hard not to talk about something so short without at least spoiling some elements of the story.

For starters I'm going to avoid throwing in arbitrary numbers, because that won't help in explaining what it was I just watched. Now for those of you out there that are veteran anime consumers you're probably aware of common themes and cliches that often get used within anime as a medium of artistic expression. I will say that Rolling Girls does an incredible job at utilizing these as both a means to progress the story, but also as a way to incorporate humor into what I can call the most artistically sound anime of 2015 (thus far and in my own personal opinion so don't ... quote me on that). Also, I have a summed up version of the review at the end if you don't feel like trudging through a bunch of rambling.

On to the review! Rolling Girls is a 12 episode series adapted and animated by Wit Studio whose previous works consist primarily of their adaptation of Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan). Whether you are or are not a fan of Attack on Titan one thing can be universally agreed upon regarding the anime and that is that the animation is spectacular. The visuals are both aesthetically pleasing and fluid when in motion and Rolling Girls continues Wit Studio's impressive reputation despite appearing to be a dinky side project when compared to its larger predecessor. There are plenty of animated series out there that utilize lazy animation techniques to progress the series and meet deadlines for episode releases, but I never once saw that in Rolling Girls. There was a genuine sense of care and devotion put into making this work a visually pleasing experience (which may have something to do with the low episode count allowing for an evenly spaced out budget). From the traditionally animated characters and fight choreography to the CGI vehicles to the watercolor backdrops, everything blends together in a harmonious blend of bouncy colors and movement that's juicy eye candy from start to finish. It's hard to combine three styles of artistic expression (traditional animation, CGI, and watercolor) and most series fail to even combine two with a level of proficiency that doesn't make your eyes want to vomit from the jarring mess that becomes the modern anime landscape. Yet the combination of these three elements paints a picture of a series that benefits from having all of its resources in order and is an enjoyable rainbow water fountain all throughout. And if you don't like drawn out explanations of how a series looks I can sum it up in this sentence: The art style is both beautiful and fun.

Movement and pacing are another piece of this puzzle that should be addressed as much of the series is on the move. Like I said previously, the art style is a unique blend of three types of visual representation. Despite any prejudice you may harbor towards CGI being used in a two-dimensional animation this is a cut above the norm. The CGI doesn't feel out of place or even unnatural. The pacing of the show matches the movement of the characters (I'll elaborate) in that there are moments of absolute chaos and blistering speed and hype that make your jaw drop. These moments are followed up with moments of peace and tranquility and heartfelt actions. It's kind of like being on a soul searching road trip with a group of you best pals which, spoiler alert, is what the series actually follows, a road trip with a group of good friends. From beginning (and I mean RIGHT at the beginning) to end the series will barrage you with high octane ass-kicking fests involving punches that explode into fireworks. The choreography is crisp and purposeful which makes for an engaging and interesting group of fight scenes despite the ridiculous overtones of the show. These lead into the series cooling down at points allowing you to breathe and get a sense for the character personalities.

The thing that pulls this whole series together as an artistic piece of work is the characters. I'm not going to go into too much detail about specific characters, but I will say that the cast of the show is both refreshing and familiar. There are personalities within these animated avatars despite initial impressions and assumptions. It can seem like another moe-blob girly anime dedicated to cute girls doing cute things, but it really isn't. The intimate moments between the characters that offset the wild and explosive nature of the show feel honest and meaningful. A usual expectation for a series like this is that it'll just be goofy and over-the-top and not provide any emotional stake in the cast, but even the side characters have their own petty dreams and wishes that come to light and it feels very human. And that's the main thing that sticks out to me is despite the initial cliches that make up the series opening, there is something fundamentally human about the adventure and that's a beauty all on its own.

The lore of the series is something of an enigma. It seems unnecessary and complex for a series about super powered girls punching each other, but over time it gets easier to understand. The less time and effort that gets put into trying to understand immediately transitions into feeling like you're strapped into a rocket flying at top speed. Over time the plot presents itself more and more and the overall world that it takes place in becomes clear. Even without that clarity the series is still a joy, but it helps that it makes itself easy to understand over time. It's also worth mentioning that going back though the series you tend to pick up on the subtle hints that lead to the finale which leads back into what I said about the series feeling like there was genuine care put into it. It feels very planned and purposeful even if it doesn't present itself as such.

I'll say my peace about the technical aspects of the series (acting, direction, humor, etc) and then I think I'll be done with this review because it's taking me entirely too long to write this. The voice acting (both sub and dub) is spot on and the delivery (while seeming forced at times) gets the point and character identity across. If I can deviate and speak about personal preference, I preferred what I'd seen of the dub more than the sub simply because the humor came across in a more relaxed and casual way. Again, this is just a preference thing since humor and line delivery is subjective to each individual person's taste. There were parts that were skimmed over it seemed, but I understand the need to be more concise with the events as the series is only 12 episodes long. The soundtrack is something else I didn't manage to fit in here, because I was focused on the visual representation as opposed to the audible, but it is a definite compliment to the series as a whole. It is able to capture the excitement and comradery that defines this experience.

In short Rolling Girls is a wonderful gem of artistic expression, genuine fun and is at its core an anime. It feels like everything a good anime should be both with its colorful nature and smooth action. Given a recent string of disappointing anime series I was pretty cynical going in and didn't expect much, but was blown away every step of the way even when I thought my expectations couldn't get any higher. I'd recommend it as a starter anime for anyone new to the scene because it highlights a lot of qualities that anime can offer and even veteran watchers could get a kick out of it. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but has the ability to be meaningful regardless. I won't call it a masterpiece, but it is a series that will get better with age as it definitely stands out among its fellow series this year.