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Directed By: Toshiya Shinohara
Produced By: P.A. Works
Script from: Mari Okada
AN EXTREMELY COMPACT REVIEW

Story: essentially a coming of age Soap Opera with a Demigod and Conflict between surface and sea people thrown in the mix

Art: P.A. Works are always on their A-Game (HOLY ish Shioshishio is gorgeous!!)

Sound: I know what water sounds like now
...
Character: For a large cast, ALMOST every character is developed well (Japanese people and their feelings man.)

Enjoyment: I would've had a better time if someone didn't cry every 3 minutes.
Viewing Recommended: YES

Final Statement:
"Go home Sayu, no one gives a s**t about your feelings."

2012 Series directed by Tsutomu Mizushima
Produced by P.A. Works
Review from my POV (w/personal biases)
Mild (Sp)oilers

PRO/What I Liked:
+ The overall atmosphere of this show is setup right from the get go. From the eerie speech in the beginning of the first episode (and every other episode for that matter) to the built tension leading to a climactic-heavy ending for almost every episode, it does a good job of being legitimately "horrifying"
+ In typical P.A. Works fashion, they know how to make a show look pretty.
+ (personal) The pacing of the plot might seem a bit sluggish at first I'll admit. For me though, I thought it ... was a good way to build tension.
+ Some of the more light-hearted characters (Teshigawara, Mochizuki, etc.) gave you room to breathe, giving you moments of light humor and diversity.
+THE BLOOD. OH JESUS!!!! :P

CONS/What I didnt like so much:
- Mei Misaki pushes the doll-like personality too hard at crucial times especially when she is faced with intense danger.
- The ending theme is very misleading
- There were some scenes that featured a grim occurrence, yet was followed by a scene where I felt the characters seemed too laid back for my taste.
- (Sp) I felt a certain plot device involving an eye could've been handled better.

Final Note: I've never have been a huge fan of horror. I consider myself quite the opposite, yet i decided to give this one a chance. I ended having alot of fun with this show. It's plot might not be the best i've seen nor is it the tightest, but the tense pacing and the blood curdling animations help this show move foward in the right direction, even if it does stray a bit from its projected goal.

2011 Series directed by Atushi Nishigori
Produced by A-1 Pictures
Based on the Namco Bandai video game iDOLM@STER 2
Review from my POV (w/personal biases)
(Sp)oiler-Lite

PROS/What I liked....ALOT!!
+ As always with A-1 Pictures, the animation and overall design of the show is great and really appealing to look at. From the backgrounds to the fluidity of the idols' movements on stage, this series is shown with alot of love.
+ Both Openings are very addicting. AAaaand they have a different ending theme for every episode? Whaaaaat?! Sweeeet :P
+ Each idol character is likeable, diverse and worth rooting for as they become more and more popular as a collective group.
+ Every ... idol (and then some) gets a whole episode to themselves at minimum. Almost no one is left out.
+ It works to the show's strength that the main antagonist be a complete asshole.
+ Surprisingly, this show had range. The last few episodes can get a little deep yo.
+ NO EXCESSIVE FAN SERVICE (cept for one instance)

CONS/What I didnt like so much
- At first, the dudes from Jupiter were a bit too naive for my taste, especially the main dude.
- (Sp) Haruka has that random SSBB type tripping that happens outta nowhere.
- (Sp) the beach episode seemed a bit too fanservice-y
- There were a few scenes where I expected full animation, yet they were presented with still frames. Still frames are my #1 pet peeve.

Final Note:
To my very own surprise, I was very pleased to know that this show is genuinely fun and heartwarming. It doesn't over saturate the viewer with excessive cuteness and gratuitous booty angles. This is one of those shows where you will end up smiling after every episode.

I Recommend this to:
Slice-of-life fans
people who like a diverse cast
and most of all, Dudes (maybe i liked this so much was cause it's about a bunch of idol girls who are Kawaii AF) idk

2011 Slice of Life Series
Co-produced by A-1 Pictures and Aniplex
Licensed by NIS America
Review from my POV (w/personal biases)
(Sp)oiler level: Medium (will take viewing S1 into account)

PROS/What I liked:
+ The background art got a noticeable face lift and the small faded coloring of the characters and lighting felt appealing. More fining detail was put into this show.
+ There were a FEW moments here and there that gave me a genuine laugh with it's deeply present situational humor (The frailness of Izumi Takanashi was hilarious)

... CONS/What I loathe:
- Again, no plot which isnt the problem. What is is that the arcs they show are kinda all over the place.
- None of these characters grow like at all (no pun intended) and most of these characters become one note/flat (Sp) Taneshima is still too kawaii, Yachiyo is still a ditzy chick, and Kyoko won't stop with the parfaits.
- (Sp) Sato and Soma still dont get proper exposition.
- New characters are introduced and just add to the chaos
- (Sp) Takanashi's personality becomes a one note joke. We get it, our main character likes small things.
- Yamada, why do you exist? no exposition, annoying AF, and you take half the F*ckin screen time. It's like Mater from Cars 2 or Jar Jar from The Phantom Menace. So irrelevant.

Final Note:
Having enjoyed the 1st season, I came into this show expecting more of the same with about the same amount of quality or even a little more...........but nah, it turns out to be the exact opposite.

Recommends to:
People who deeply love the 1st season of this show

2010 Series Directed by Yoshimasa Hiraike
Co Produced by Aniplex and A-1 Pictures
Licensed by NIS America
Review from my POV (w/personal biases)
(Sp)oiler Lite

PROS/What I Liked:
+ The show gives a variety of characters, ranging from colorful-extreme when it comes to behavior and personality. Almost no one is normal
+ The situational humor really appealed to me
+ Visual gags and reaction shots play out well in certain context.
... + The important roles get the some exposition.

CONS/What I disliked:
- Not a strong plot. This is a Slice-of-Life show after all
- It's cuteness can get overindulgent
- These characters aren't necessarily "flat", but they are just 2-Dimensional for the most part. Example (Sp) Inami never stops punching or Kyoko wont stop being excessively lazy , etc.
- (Sp) The last minute introduction of Maya Matsumoto caught me off guard and I still don't get why Yamada even exists. Not enough info about her and overall found her unappealing.
- No real resolution. It kinda just ends. (I'm not taking S2 into account)

Final Note:
Lighthearted is a good word to describe this show. This isn't a bad show by any means, but it doesn't try to aim for being great either.

Recommends:
Fans of the Slice-of Life Genre
People that like characters that look Kawaii as F***!!!

2012 Series directed by Tomohiko Ito
Produced by A-1 Pictures
Review from my POV (w/ personal biases)
(Sp)oiler level: Meduim

PROS/what I liked:
+ That 1st Theme song is pretty FN cool. LiSA knows how to pump a show up.
+ The animation for the most part was consistent with it's smooth flow (hair waving, action sequences, running, etc.)
+ (personal) the concept may be old (Main dude plays VRMMO. Dude and everyone else is trapped in it. Beat the game to be free and stuff) but it would be my first time being used in an anime.
+ The first 2 episodes made this show looked very promising............
...
CONS/what I disliked/hated:
- ....... The rest of the series (23 ep) ranges from "meh" to borderline "unwatchable"
- (Sp) this show would feel more cohesive if level 40+ Kirito cared a bit more about completing the SAO mission. but nah, he just dicks around the lower levels, slowly making his own harem as the episodes go by.
- Romance element was too "Tween-y" for me.
- (Sp) "Mama" "Papa"? WTF is this? Can i please have an A.I. w/o feelings?
- ALO arc loses the danger from the 1st half. At this point, the whole story is 100% emotional driven (which isn't good cause i don't like ANYONE at this point)
- Leafa/Sugu's whole existence is irrelevant to Kirito's ALO mission and becomes a waste of time
- The fanservice in here is insulting.
- (Sp) the last scene of the show involving Kirito's avatar makes almost no sense.

Final Note:
Trust me, this shit's overhyped. The 1st Arc's concept is cool, only to be shitted on with feelings and the 2nd Arc is............. i dont even know.

Consider a must see? - no

2012 Film overseen by Masashi Kishimoto
Directed by Hayato Date
6th Shippuuden Movie & 9th Naruto movie overall.
Review from my POV (w/personal biases)
(Sp)oiler Lite.

PROS/What I Liked about the Film:
+ On paper, this seemed to me like a very appealing premise. Main villain constructs new technique to use on Naruto, where he (and Sakura) are put in what essentially is Topsy-Turvy Town/OppositeVille/A "reversed" Konoha so to speak. like a badass "what if?" episode
+ Speaking of reversed everything, I personally thought that some of the humor worked well for some characters (Sp) Energetic Kakashi and "old man" Guy," Don Draper" Sasuke and "Flowers of Evil" Rock Lee, etc.
+ 1 ... or 2 aesthetically appealing action scenes, particularly in the climax.

CONS/What I didn't like:
- The "reversed" effect is treated as a gimmick. Superficial at best.
- Other supporting characters didn't bode so well with me (Sp) Hinata is excessively aggressive for no apparent reason. Some of the "cool" characters are turned into dweebs.
- For a movie, it feels like a bottle episode. There's only 3 set pieces.
- The theme of "Family" feels more forced than natural
- (Sp) (personal) "Menma"? WTF is this, AnoHana? Cmon man, use a better name.

Final Note:
Although it had a good concept, it was executed poorly. Ultimately, this feels like above average filler with a budget.

Recommends to:
Those who like the Bizzaro world concept
Fans of Naruto.

1st Film from the Tiger & Bunny property
2012 Anime produced by Sunrise and licensed by Viz Media
Review from my POV (w/ personal biases)
I've seen the TV series and will include comparisons between Film and Series.

PROS:
+ Its storytelling is much more cohesive, which gives a more movie-like feel.
+ There's a good balance of screen time for the all other heroes (with the exception of one)
+ They use that extra screen time to further explain some of the heroes and their respective abilities (although short, there's a significant scene involving Rock Bison)
+ Last 3rd of the movie was all new material.
+ The design of the new villain ... looked pretty cool

CONS:
- The new villain felt 2-Dimensional and was only being used as an obstacle for the heroes to conquer.
- Origami Cyclone is probably the only one that didn't get enough screen time and yet he's the most different from his "TV" counterpart. (why the hell did he get so emo?)
- Kotetsu is still too much of a pushover and Barnaby is still a jackass at first.

Final Note:
New material and a more balanced plot might pull viewers of the 2011 Anime Series back into the city of Stern Bild while also attracting new viewers for simply its wonderful premise. I mean, who wouldn't want to watch a Super Hero Game show?

Recommends to:
Fans of the show
Those looking for a drama involving Super heroes.

2012 Film Directed by Mamoru Hosoda
Co-Produced by Studio Chizu and Madhouse
Licensed by Funimation Entertainment
Review from my POV (w/personal biases)
(Sp)oiler "Lite"

PROS:
+ A very appealing concept: Mom raises children who are wolf/human hybrids and emphasizes on the struggle and social problems that the whole family has to go through.It's an out of the ordinary Fantasy element mixed in with a very alluring Slice-of-Life/Coming-of-Age Formula.
+ I felt that the Hana was amazing. (Sp) She's basically wonder woman cause she can do anything :P
+ The 2 children are very diverse from the get go, and continues to diversify with a steady pace of character development as the film goes ... along.
+ The animation AND art is pristine (Some designs were from Yoshiyuki Sadamoto :D)

CONS:
- (personal...somewhat) It can get a bit predictable. within 20 min of the movie I called on one specific conflict, revolving around the development between both children.
- I felt a sense of miscommunication towards the end.
- (personal) Hana and Ookami "do" it, while Ookami is still in Wolf form...... this really ain't a CON. Idk, it just seemed weird to me :P

Final Note: It's a really heartfelt film throughout and (just like Pixar's "UP") manages to tell a better love story within 10-15 minutes than the whole Twilight Saga.

Recommends to: Those who like Hosoda's previous works
Those who like pretty set pieces
Those looking for a family film.

2nd Season of Baka and Test - Summon The Beasts
2011 Anime produced by Silver Link and Licensed by Funimation
Review from my POV (w/personal biases)
Viewed in the English DUB (2013)
DO NOT WATCH if you haven't seen S1.
(Sp)oiler-ish

Pros:
+ The humor is stronger and with more variety than the previous season. It doesnt get as stale.
+ The Art design was very appealing (SO MANY COLORS!!!)
... + I didn't have any problem with any of the performances (except one). Even the supporting cast was great. Trina Nishimura and Todd Haberkorn both have small but enjoyable parts. Plus I like how Brina Palencia practically has half an episode to herself :P
+ Haunted House arc.
(Personal) + I really dug the amplified romantic element :3
(Sp)+ That one joke with Minami summoning during the Haunted House arc almost killed me

Cons:
- There's almost little to no cohesive plot in this season. Ultimately, it just feels like a filler season.
- The sequencing and format of episodes. Some episodes were split in two, some episodes have arcs(The peeking one dragged a bit for me personally), episodes of Exposition were introduced, and the everything about it all felt scrambled.
- The Backstory episodes completely felt out of place. (Sp) Not a fan of the German accent.
- Moments of serious tone can take you out of it sometimes.
- Sadly, Summoner Test Wars are used as a gimmick......... once again
(personal) - Akihisa Yoshi, GAWD YOU ARE SO DENSE!!! Making male otaku rage!

Final Note: Don't consider this season of Baka and Test as one that would focus on plot, but one that focuses on amplifying it's already present humor. In that sense, it succeeds in vibrant colors.

Recommends: To those who really enjoyed the humor of the first Season.