First Episode Review for: Mashiro-Iro Symphony

Summary : A brother and sister start at a school that has only just started admitting boys (that’s a common theme this season) , and with a group of new friends they face the horrors that school life can bring (such as the “help injured animals” club not having enough members)

Animation : Soft cell animation, very nicely done, a real treat for the eyes, the girls in the series are perhaps so perfectly ‘anime’ as to reinforce every stereotype a western viewer would have heard about them (indeed the eyes are so huge, other features are a mere suggestion at times)

Plot Potential: Not sure there is much, it is very slow moving as the is a lot of slow-mo head flicks, hair flicks, skirt flicks etc which tend to get in the way,

Characters: With perhaps the most ridiculous cat/pom pom thing i have ever seen, it’s a cute overload

Music: Soft tinkling piano

Reminds me of: An 80’s clamp anime with all the drama removed

Overall: Quite frankly not even the showiest western vampire series have anything on this when it comes to the world being populated only be beautiful people with long hair, but its a pleasant background to have on and reminds me strangly of having a tropical aquarium tank in the flat (yes yes i know)

Disclaimer: These are mini reviews of anime’s that are fresh out in Japan and are not licensed in the UK, buy them once they have been licensed or at the very least buy the merchandise, remember if the anime makers make a loss, THEY WILL STOP MAKING ANIME!!

Old Comments

elior(02/12/2011 23:49:37 GMT)

oh i understend you watched only episode 1 so you dont know how this anime unpredictble heartwarming and have nice atmosphere right?

Mark Myers(03/12/2011 15:46:07 GMT)

Fair point, the reviews are here so people can keep up with that new animes that come out ( i used to have a devil of a time find out out which ones had just been released) so i often miss the point on anime that grow as the episodes progress, i will take your advise and revisit this one

Mashiro(23/12/2011 08:43:41 GMT)

Having Just watched the 12th episode, weird for a guy to admit this, but its my favourite show now.

But that’s coming from someone that has to read the subtitles.

Mark Myers(25/12/2011 23:17:03 GMT)

@mashiro its funny, an anime series can just take you like that, and suddenly your addicted to it

First Episode Review for: Bakuman S2

Summary : This Continues from the first series of Bakuman where 2 high schoolers fight to be manga artists and make their dream of a published Manga come true, at the end of the last series they were serialised and this series continues on from that point

Animation : Quite reasonable, simplified and stylised faces but the human movement is good and pleasant to watch

Plot Potential: Well, other people like it enough for a second series, but dealing with work stress does not rock my boat as a plot line.

Characters: Quite eccentric and stereo typed, and not as deep as i would expect

Music: Nothing Special

Reminds me of: The first series (naturally) Bakuman and is you want an exciting alternative Death Note

Overall: Even though this is done by the same people as Death Note the subject matter kills it for me, i spend my life working to tight deadlines so watching other people do it on a cartoons holds few thrills, but there is no denying that its a qualty cartoon

Disclaimer: These are mini reviews of anime’s that are fresh out in Japan and are not licensed in the UK, buy them once they have been licensed or at the very least buy the merchandise, remember if the anime makers make a loss, THEY WILL STOP MAKING ANIME!!

First Episode Review for: Maken-Ki

Summary : A lad joins an all female school from being at an all boys school, only to discover the existing female students fight it out with super powers on a regular basis.

Animation : Good quality.

Plot Potential: Looks like a standard school Harem anime.

Characters: Fan service strikes, and strikes hard.

Music: Nothing of note.

Reminds me of: Too many to mention, but i suppose Hyakka Ryoran Samurai Girls

Overall: This is a good fun background anime, and will be watched each week as its so low stress,

Disclaimer: These are mini reviews of anime’s that are fresh out in Japan and are not licensed in the UK, buy them once they have been licensed or at the very least buy the merchandise, remember if the anime makers make a loss, THEY WILL STOP MAKING ANIME!!

First Episode Review for: UN-GO

Summary : A brilliant but non-political private detective solves cases that conflict with the ruling elite in a post-war country with the help of his very demonic-looking sidekick

Animation : Clear with highly detailed backgrounds, nice movement, a pleasure to watch.

Plot Potential: Great plot potential, all sorts going on, both on a individual episode basis and from what looks like a series length plot

Characters: Really amazing! Enough strong characters to fill 3 series, even the 1 episode disposable characters have depth.

Music: Fab, both start up and ending tunes are good and there is even a good song linked to plot lines.

Reminds me of: Umineko no Naku Koro ni and Code Geass but in a police drama setting

Overall: Really really enjoyed this, can’t believe I missed the first few episodes

Disclaimer: These are mini reviews of anime that are fresh out in Japan and are not licensed in the UK, buy them once they have been licensed or at the very least buy the merchandise, remember if the anime makers make a loss, THEY WILL STOP MAKING ANIME!!

First Episode Review for: Boku Ha Tomodachi Ga Sukunai

Summary : A transfer student unfairly branded a delinquent and rabble rouser, accidentally makes friends with the schools “perfect student” (so perfect that she has no friends as no one will go near her), they form a club to help others get over the same problems and make “real friends”

Animation : A bit flat but nothing that detracts from watching

Plot Potential: This is a very Japanese anime (even more so than normal) in that the characters actions are driven by forces that we bailey think about in our lives

Characters: Initially very standard characters but given a depth due to the plot, visually nothing original.

Music: Funky opening theme and pleasant bouncy music during, good ending to boot (The end animation sequence is ace)

Reminds me of: A much lighter version of Usagi Drop

Overall: I will be watching as long as the plot holds, lets hope it grows nicely (I dread the traditional No. 7 “bath house” episode)

Disclaimer: These are mini reviews of anime’s that are fresh out in Japan and are not licensed in the UK, buy them once they have been licensed or at the very least buy the merchandise, remember if the anime makers make a loss, THEY WILL STOP MAKING ANIME!!