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Dec 30, 2009
Short summary:
Not as good as the first season, but still worth watching.
Long summary:
Season 1 of Natsu no Arashi!, if I had to describe it in one sentence, was a captivating mixture of drama, romance, comedy, and some action with a quirky "retro but modern" feel. Akinaichuu manages to retain all these things to varying degrees, but unfortunately ends up falling a bit short of matching season 1.
Story: (6 - Fair)
The concept of Arashi and Hajime traveling back in time to the World War II era to save people was a big part of Season 1. However, for most of the first portion of Akinaichuu, this
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concept seems to have been replaced in favor of mostly pure comedic episodes, and only late in the season do we start feeling the spirit of season 1 again. The comedy episodes, while well written and definitely in line with the witty humor of the series, are essentially stand alones and thus end up feeling almost like fillers.
However, within these fillers are a few indications (such as the concept of predetermined destiny) that build towards the final arc near the end of the series, which I found to be a great finisher that made me remember why I like Natsu no Arashi so much. If the whole season had been like that final arc, this season would have been that much better.
Art: (8 - Very Good)
Season 2 managed to keep that "old fashioned yet modern countryside" feel of the art in season 1, which is a good example of "If it isn't broken, don't fix it"
Sound: (7 - Good)
The VAs of the series voice their characters just as fittingly as they did in season 1. The opening and ending songs were good as well, with last season's opening doing a better job of that "retro yet modern" feel, but this season's ending better than last's in achieving that feel.
Character: (8 - Very Good)
All the characters are back, and don't suffer from any (unintentionally) awkward character changes. All of them get a chance to make us laugh (which they do quite well), and various relationships, like that between Jun and Hajime, are further explored in funny yet insightful ways, without neglecting the main relationship of Arashi and Hajime.
Overall: (7 - Good)
Akinaichuu managed to keep a lot of what was so entertaining about season 1, but the lack of an encompassing plot made it harder for the series to be engaging until near the final arc of the season. Nevertheless, I still had a good time laughing at the antics of the characters I've grown very fond of, and anyone that enjoyed season 1 would likely enjoy this season as well.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 23, 2009
Short summary:
It'll be hard to find anything likable about Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: Purezza , unless you really loved the characters from the Season 1 (and I mean really loved, and I still probably wouldn't recommend it).
Long summary:
In season 1, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu was about a boy, Yuuto, that meets a girl, Haruka, who is a very rich but kind girl that has a secret - she loves anime. In order to learn more about her, he begins to learn about various aspects of anime as he builds a relationship with her. This made season 1 a delightful little romance/comedy, which was
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rather fun and charming. However, the same cannot be said about Purezza. In fact, the reason I just recapped season 1 was because there is essentially nothing to talk about regarding season 2's plot.
Story: (3) Poor
The first two episodes of Season 2 talk about anime topics to some degree, but from then on the practice of integrating anime concepts into the episodes disappears. Haruka's anime secret is a non-concept this entire season. For that matter, Haruka herself isn't even really present for half the season. However, in exchange, we get increased fanservice. Yay.
Season 2 instead has essentially 10 episodes of filler, where various returning supporting characters interact with Yuuto, and a couple new minor characters are introduced. The episodes themselves have very little in common with each other. The two episode "dramatic arc" near the end of the season has the most semblance of a plot, but unfortunately the story is fueled by Yuuto and Haruka's cluelessness, making it difficult to accept the arc seriously (and is immediately followed by a hot springs episode, which is the season finale).
Art: (6) Fair
The art is similar to that of season 1's, in that characters are generally drawn pretty well and there's nothing painful to look at, but at the same time nothing particularly stands out about the animation.
Sound: (4) Decent
The opening song is appropriate for the anime, and is catchy enough where I didn't get tired of hearing it after two times. The ending has a fun song sung by the VA cast, and fits the mood of the anime.
The quality of the voice acting is excellent, as there are some fantastic VAs involved in the series. My issue is that they were all underused - partially because of too much spread out attention on all the characters, but mostly because there just weren't enough interesting scenes to utilize talents. A prime example of this is the participation of Rie Kugimiya. She voices a fitting tsundere character in episode 3, but otherwise voices the character of Alice, which other than like 3 lines, says nothing but one word repeatedly for all her appearances.
Character: (4) Decent
Most of the characters from season 1 are back, which is a good thing. However, this is overshadowed by the fact that in Purezza the characters seem to have actually devolved. Both Haruka and Yuuto have become timid, awkward versions of their former selves, and their relationship seems to have been reset as well. (At the end of season 1 they very likely kissed, and yet by the beginning of season 2 not only were they not dating, but they couldn't even hold hands properly).
The supporting character suffer from similar fates. For example, the maids and Haruka's parents, who all played big parts last season, are barely present this season, and when they do appear they don't do anything new. It's almost like the characters traded character growth in exchange for the ability to lose their clothing more often instead.
Conclusion (Overall (4)):
I was looking forward to Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: Purezza, because season 1 was funny and delightful. However, the lack of plot in Purezza, combined with character devolution, was just too rough to handle. Even though I watched the anime all the way through and tried my best to like it, I simply can't bring myself to recommend Purezza.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Dec 18, 2009
Brief Summary: Rating: 7 (Good)
A consistent Rom/Com harem with a solid love triangle, fueled by a quirky premise.
Long Summary:
Nyan Koi! is about a boy, Kousaka Junpei, that becomes cursed and can now talk to cats, and has to grant the requests of a hundred cats or else he'll turn into a cat himself. Naturally, he's allergic to cats, and even more naturally, he can't tell anyone about the curse or else it'll make the curse even worse. This hinders his plans at pursuing the girl of his dreams, and causes other girls to enter his life.
This may sound like a typical Rom/Com harem, where
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a nondescript high school boy gains a power/gets put in a weird situation and suddenly girls start randomly falling in love with him. While Nyan Koi! doesn't do anything particularly significant in straying from this formula, the character relationships and comedy do make Nyan Koi! a lot more enjoyable than many of its mediocre peers.
Story: 7 (Good)
The story is a mixture of romantic and comedic moments, as Junpei struggles to rid himself of the cat curse by interacting with cats as he deals with all the girls around him. The anime doesn't waste much time in setting up the cat curse, and does a good job of never straying from the curse as the central concept.
The comedy and romance are both presented at a good pace, despite its short 12 episode length, and the story makes sure to give time to all major supporting characters as well. A couple things come out of the blue (such as the real professions of the twins), but in general the story stays consistent to its themes and isn't overbearing on either the comedy nor the romance aspects.
Art: 7 (Good)
The art in Nyan Koi! is appropriate for an anime airing in Fall 2009, with clear, distinctive character designs and detailed backgrounds. In particular, the cat designs were good, because it was not difficult to see a cat once and be able to identify that same cat later on in the series, which really helped make the cats become good supporting characters.
Sound: 7 (Good)
The opening and ending songs matched the lighthearted feel of the anime, and the soundtrack as a whole, while nothing special, fit appropriately. The VAs were all solid as well.
Characters: 8 (Very Good)
I felt the characters in Nyan Koi! are what makes the series better than many other Rom/Com harems, because in general the more important characters have good, sensible core inspirations and motivations (core being a key word) that don't solely stem from the cat curse. However, the characters manage to avoid being predictable by being willing to alter their perspectives in situations that warrant it, instead of being totally clueless or stubborn in their beliefs.
None of the characters are unbearably offensive or annoying, but still manage to have interesting enough traits to create a lot of funny moments. The members of the love triangle still suffer from some level of denseness, as usual, but it's a tolerable level.
More importantly, Junpei, while relatively nondescript like most male leads, manages to avoid being unusually clumsy, stupid, dense, perverted, heroic, etc. Furthermore, most of the situations he gets into are because of his unluckiness, rather than numbskullness or pervsion on his part (exceptions do apply). This allowed me to enjoy the anime more, since I didn't have to constantly question the intelligence/motivations of the main character.
Conclusion: Rating: 7 (Good)
Nyan Koi! isn't a must watch, but if you're a fan of the genre, it's worth checking out. It's lighthearted and amusing, and while you won't be struck by a feeling of awe after watching, you likely won't be disappointed either.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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