Tuesday, October 23, 2012

2012 Fall Anime - Final Watch List

Yeah I know I never posted the second part of "First Impression", I really got lazy here. But here is the watch list!
Three weeks into the season, I think I have enough information to finalize the list. The stats is based on the first three episodes (two in the case of Robotics;Notes and Psycho-Pass). It really hasn't changed all that much from what I planned from the start. Some of these shows I will follow on a weekly basis, others I will probably marathon once they are finished. The rating is relative rather than absolute. This season is pretty strong on the whole, so the competition is quite fierce.

Psycho-Pass
Rating: 9/10
Keywords: futuristic, technologically advanced world, police and guns, criminals, criminals hunting criminals, right vs. wrong, psychological, psychopath meter (in other words, psychopathic mentality can be quantified, a little too convenient for my taste, but I sense there are problems associated with it, which are already apparent in the first episode), fluid animation  (few studio are capable of combining CG seamlessly with traditional animation, and Production I.G is at the top of the ladder, truly breathtaking stuff), solid directing, interesting cast, hope won't turn as depressing as Fate/Zero
Interest Level: High

Zetsuen no Tempest
Rating: 8/10
Keywords: dramatic, Shakespeare, mysterious, magical powers, kickass actions, fluid animation, world on the verge of collapsing, interesting character dynamic, Bones to the core (did I mention world on the verge of collapsing? You can't get more Bones than that...lol)
Interest Level: High

Magi
Rating: 7.5/10
Keywords: exotic settings, magic, adventure, very likable characters, fast-paced plot, very shonen
Interest Level: Medium ~ High

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
Rating: 8.5/10
keywords: stylish, quirky, things that actually make me laugh (hooray), refreshing, interesting characters, great directing, Brains Base is at it again
Interest Level: High

Btooom!
Rating: 8/10
Keywords: dark, twisted, battle royale, violent, psychologically intense, inner demons, survival of the fittest, geeky (smart) dialogues
Interest Level: High (with a degree of discomfort because of the content, but it could still be very good)

Shinsekai Yori
Rating: 9/10
Keywords: post-apocalypse, suspense, suspense and suspense (this show really knows how to crank up the suspense, the atmosphere is creepy despite little to nothing is actually happening in the big picture), supernatural, unspeakable secrets, great character development, excellent pacing, top pick of the season for now
Interest Level: High

K
Rating: 6/10
Keywords: polished animation but too much CG for comfort, style over substance, flashy by inconsistent, messy directing, fanservice, fantasy, bishies with swords in blue uniform, eye candies, a stellar cast of seiyuu, oh and finally CUTE CLEANING ROBOTS, no really, they are awesome
Interest Level: Low ~ Medium

Robotics Notes
Rating: 8/10
Keywords: slow start, light hearted, great character dynamic (very down to earth), school club, carefree, chasing dreams, subtle and warm, main character has Elephant and Mouse Syndrome (say what? but it's rather intriguing to say the least, finally we have a syndrom other than "spirit perception".)
Interest Level: High

Code:Breaker
Rating: 7/10
Keywords: generic shonen, main dude has a stone heart oh so cold, boring/irritating female lead too naive for her own good, supernatural (fire power, ice power.....like oh so original..but on the whole it's a pretty violent show, more than I thought it would be)
Interest Level: Medium

Suki-tte Ii na yo
Rating: 7.5/10
Keywords: Shojo, romantic tragedy (not quite, but it's not a happy go lucky either, it's just a show wanting to be taken seriously and I'll give it the benefit of the doubt), self-esteem issues, socially awkward girl meets popular boy, good directing, very artsy in style, surprisingly well adapted 
Interest Level: Low ~ Medium 

From highest score to lowest 
Shinsekai Yori
Psycho-Pass
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
Zetsuen no Tempest
Robotics;Notes
Btooom!
Magi
Suki-tte Ii na yo
Code:Breaker
K

Well, that's it. Someone shoot me now. This season is very packed and I suspect most of these shows, with the exception of K, is going to be more than one cour. I haven't had a season this busy in ages. The lineup is above average in terms of quality and potential, so much so that I have trouble deciding what to drop. Maybe I won't end up dropping any at all (again, someone shoot me). Right now, K is in the red zone, one more episode and I'll decide. So rest assured that even if none of these shows turn out to be masterpieces, the season as a whole should be decent and enjoyable. Oh right, Chuunibyou and Little Busters!.....what can I say, I'm not particularly into those types of shows in the first place, but I'll see at the end of the season whether I'll give them a try.

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