Spring 2012: First Impressions and Rambles

So far this season, I've started seven new anime: Kids on the Slope, Accel World, Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals, Kuroko's Basketball, Zetman, Space Brothers, and Tsuritama. Some of them look better than others.

Least exciting new anime on my watching list:


I'm watching the Naruto spin-off, listed on Crunchryoll as Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals, because of some sort of twisted obligation I feel. The same twisted obligation that keeps me watching Naruto Shippuden even when the fillers and flashbacks seem endless.

In truth, Rock Lee is one of my least favorite good guy characters in Naruto. He's annoying. Worse, he's apprentice to the Master of Obnoxious, Guy-sensei.

When I first saw the chibi-style show dedicated to Rock Lee, I thought it would be a bunch of five minute shorts. Nope. These are full episodes.

Yeah, I might drop that one, no matter how much I like Naruto.

Most exciting new anime on my watching list:

Putting the above anime aside, this season does hold promise. Kids on the Slope, aka Sakamichi no Apollon, looks pretty good. I love Kawabuchi Sentarou. He's strong, has a taste for music, beats up bullies, looks out for the main character, just rescued a damsel in distress... *enter Annalyn's distant starry eyes here*

Sentarou, Ritsuko, and Kaoru (Kids on the Slope)

What? No, of course he's not my new 2D crush! He's younger than me! Besides, it's completely insensible to have a crush on an anime character. Not as insensible to have a crush on a real life actor, of course, but still.

Okay, focusing back in...

Anway, Kids on the Slope is about a high school student who just transferred for the umpteenth time: Nishimi Kaoru. He plays piano, makes friends with jazz drummer/delinquent Kawabuchi Sentarou, develops a crush on Kawabuchi's cute childhood friend, etc.

Basically, I like piano, and Nishimi plays piano. I like strong and loyal characters, and Kawabuchi is strong and loyal. I like a good plot, and Kids on the Slope looks like it may have a good plot. So I'm looking forward to this anime.

Five other Spring anime on my watching list:

Kuroko's Basketball:
(1) It's a sports anime.
(2) The main character, Kuroko, seems really cool.
(3) As of the second episode, it's way better than Dear Boys, despite some similar themes.
(4) I'm going to love this one.

Accel World:
(1) First impression: reminds me of World God Only Knows. A main character obsessed with games. Cool. I like shows about otaku.
(2) Oh dear. An overprotective childhood friend. Kill me now.
(3) A "perfect" female student council president taking interest in the deadbeat main character. Wow. That's new. Not.
(4) Eh, this looks enjoyable anyway. Sign me up for the season!

Zetman:
(1) Seems dark and action filled.
(2) Uh oh. Please don't let there be too much drama between childhood friends.
(3) Cool action. I really like the main character. The lady who too him in, too.
(4) Um... a lot of this conflict looks familiar. I've seen it in plenty of vigilante/action/etc. shows and movies.
(5) It's completely unrealistic for him to turn into that. This is supposed to be sci-fi, not fantasy.
(6) Eh, this could be good anyway. I'll watch and hope there is more fighting, less drama.

Space Brothers:
(1) Hey, this is pretty good...
(2) Go, big brother, go! As an older sibling myself, I identify with the main character wanting to stay ahead of his brother.
(3) It's not too late to follow your dreams. I believe in you, Mutta!
(4) Eh, predictable romance. Oh well. Hope it won't take away from achieve-dreams-in-space and brother angles.
(5) I'm really, really going to like this one.

Tsuritama:
(1) The colors... O.o
(2) Oh no. The poor main character, Sanada Yuki. Sympathetic viewer syndrome activating! Must detach myself before I feel too much of his embarrassment!
(3) Wow, Sanada. That nervous face is grotesque. Um... okay, I'll deal with it.
(4) Um... an alien with a magic squirt gun? Okaaaay....
(5) Is that an Indian prince with a duck? Um... alright.
(6) I like the serious guy with the glasses - the "Fishing Prince." He's cool.
(7) This should be entertaining. Strange, but entertaining. Sign me up for the season!

I also tried Medaka Box, but there was a very annoying amount of fanservice in it. I dropped it after the first episode.

So, those are the initial seven Spring 2012 anime on my watching list. I'll likely add more. What about you? Do you have any first impressions or rambling about this season's anime?

Naruto Shippuden - "Assemble! Allied Shinobi Forces!"

Naruto Shippuden is becoming quite intense! The most recent episode (ep 256, "Assemble! Allied Shinobi Forces!") made me want to squeal in eagerness. The five allied shinobi (ninja) villages are on the eve of battle with the Akatsuki, and this episode highlights that. Several things excite me.

First of all, Naruto's classmates look really good in their vests. They're only about seventeen years old (I think that's right by now), but they're so grown up! I remember back when Sakura was an annoying little girl who needed to get a life beyond making googly eyes at Sasuke. Now, she's mature, responsible, a team player, and a valuable medical ninja who can punch like Toriko when she needs to.

And Ino? I remember when she was no more than a shallow girl who fought over Sasuke with Sakura. She can still be a little shallow now and then, but she's a team player, too. I actually like her now... even if she does need to buy longer shirts.

Choji? Well, he still eats a lot. But he's grown up to become a strong ninja.

Shikamaru? He's mature, strategic, invaluable, wise, cool... wait, he was always like that. But he doesn't complain as much now, which I'm sure his friends appreciate.

I could go on, but I won't. The point is that I've watched these characters grow up quite a bit, and it's good to see them become adults. Seeing them in their official vests gives me a sense of pride, even though I'm only an observer to their growth. At the same time, I feel sad for them. They are still young. Conflict with the Akatsuki cut their childhood short. Their classmate went rogue. And now, they stand on the brink of war, not as behind-the-scenes helpers, but as key fighters and even leaders. I hope they all survive.

Another thing that occurs to me: Naruto is going to be so ticked when he finds out they kept this from him. I mean, I suppose he could understand. After all, he needs the skills Bee can teach him, and the war would be lost if he were captured. But I still doubt he'll like the fact that his friends were in danger while he hid.

Further, personally, when I saw his friends all dressed and lined up for war, I thought that he should be with them. He belongs alongside them... yet as jinchuuriki of the Nine-Taled Fox, he's always been separate. I suppose this is just another example of how alone his life can be.

Gaara, now a former jinchuuriki, has also felt alone. When he became Kazekage, he gained the support of his village. He still feels his difference deeply, but he works through it. Now, he is commander-in-chief of the allied forces! Wow! He's young and a former outcast, so this is pretty impressive. This decision might have aired months ago, but the only appointment I really remember in the allied forces is the Raikage as supreme leader.

Both the shinobi army and the opposing Akatsuki forces are impressive.

On the one hand, we have the five shinobi villages. They've put aside their differences and come together to face the Akatsuki threat as one. They boast a force of 80,000 ninja, including all my favorites from the Leaf.

On the other hand, we have the Akatsuki, headed by the seemingly invincible Uchiha Madara with Kabuto by his side. Kabuto is no longer a simple teenage spy for Orochimaru. Nuh-uh. He's a full grown snakey mad scientist, and his nasty skills have supplied Madara with a very intimidating army.

First, there's the re-animation thing. They've taken dead Akatsuki members - from Deidara to Nagato - dead kage, dead former jinchuuriki, and various other dead ninja, many of whom I recognize as not only skilled ninja, but good people. All of these guys, and a good portion of their abilities, are on stand by to be re-animated and used in battle by Kabuto. Yikes.

Then, there's Zetzu. He's not just a really weird, split personality, black and white guy who's part of the Akatsuki. There are a zillion (I forget exactly how many) white Zetzu underground, waiting for battle against the the Allied Shinobi Force. All courtesy of Kabuto.

Madara and Kabuto, with a zillion white Zetzu following

... and then there is Uchiha Sasuke, who just hates the Leaf village and wants to destroy it. He's sitting in a cave waiting for his eyes to finish becoming even more deadly. I still hold a small hope, dwindling as it may be, that he'll get his head on straight and become a good guy again. And stop being so easily manipulated.

Sasuke aside, things are really heating up. I'm excited to see more... especially now that Naruto has finished his fake "S-ranked" animal sorting mission and is back to training. Unfortunately, it looks like next week's episode won't be quite so exciting. The preview looked suspiciously flashback filled.

Oh well. I'm too excited about the coming war to let a few flashbacks steal my thunder.