First impressions of most of the new anime (in alphabetical order). My early favorites in red. For more details (and my pre-season expectations), check this preview post written three weeks ago.Amagami SS -- The same kind of shounen/seinen romantic comedy as KimiKiss. Sharp portraits of interesting characters, some of whom are in love. Shippers ahoy!Asobi ni Iku yo! -- Charming little cat-eared-alien-in-the-hero's-bed comedy, with some nice performances, a good look, a minimum of silliness, and strong intrigue in the background.Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail -- More of the world-weariness and choreographed violence of the original series. Highly enjoyable, despite or because of the otaku-pandering of a killing machine in a maid's outfit. The first episode of a five-episode OVA.Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu -- An promising fantasy quest tale. The first episode felt slow, but there was clearly something there, and episode two got moving. Highschool of the Dead -- With its combination of horror, gore, and pantsu, it has earned sudden popularity both in Japan and abroad. The characters seemed insubstantial to me, as if there was no actual thinking going on inside them, but there is no denying the power of the great production values, the speedy pace, the horrific situations -- and the pantsu and gore.Kure-nai OVA -- Disappointing. Had none of the human depth of the original series, just a modicum of action, reintroduction of the characters, good voice-acting, and a bit of swimsuit fanservice. I did like the new character designs, which are closer to the original novel illustrations.Kuroshitsuji 2 -- Was season one as enjoyable as this? I gave up on that after a couple of episodes, but this time the arcane plot and characters, and a bit of 18th-century cruelty, kept my attention fixed. May become a favorite -- although episode 2 wasn't as enjoyable as episode 1.Mitsudomoe -- I liked what I read of the manga, but this left me cold. All I saw was nastiness, not humor or charm. But others liked it. Maybe I just don't like the style of the staff, which also made Minami-ke. It seems crass and slow to me. Sense of humor is a subtle thing.Nurarihyon no Mago -- The story and direction seemed a bit awkward, but we got the set-up and some good characters and voices. Hirano Aya and Horie Yui were both good. Excellent ED by Hirano, Horie, and Maeda Ai.Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi -- Enjoyable simple comedy with good animation and looong legs. But not something I will keep on with.Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin -- This looks like a surprise hit for the Anime no Chikara series. Funny and well-animated, with a desperate underlying plot involving time-travel, interesting monsters, and the end of the world. Good work from Hikasa Youko and Takagaki Ayahi, and from Koyasu Takehito in a bit part. Outstanding singing by Ayahi in the ED.Seitokai Yakuindomo -- I loved this, and thought it animated very well the dry, absurd, somewhat raunchy humor of the comic strip. Some other people didn't see any humor here at all. Humor is indeed a subtle thing. Hikasa Youko, Yahagi Sayuri, and Asanuma Shintarou are all good.Sekirei - Pure Engagement -- More of the same things that made the original series a hit: mammary moe, some good harem comedy, and the promise of dramatic fights.Shiki -- Low-key but promising start. Brightened up a bit from the manga, but without losing the look. Confusing, with its many characters -- but less confusing than the manga. Excellent visual direction. Excellent OP and ED.Shukufuku no Campanella -- So sweet it could be made of cotton candy. A fantasy city populated entirely by nice people, many of them pretty young girls. Moe to the max. I enjoyed episodes one and two.Strike Witches 2 -- I didn't quite..make it...through....all of.....episode one, zzzzz. Nice pantsu, but this show doesn't do it for me. If you liked season one, you will like season two.There's nothing here I think is awful. Though nothing seems outstanding so far, just about every show is watchable, depending on your genre preferences.
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