[S2013] Shingeki no Kyojin Ep. 1

English Title: Attack on Titan
Season: Spring 2013
Type: Manga Adaptation
Projected Episodes: 25

I've noticed more and more than when a manga gets released state side, an anime adaption isn't far off. This season alone we've seen Aku no Hana, and Shingeki no Kyojin; which each had only about 2-3 volumes of the manga released in English before the anime adaptations were announced. We also got an adaptation of Devil Survivor 2 (don't let that 2 confuse you, it's just an indicator the second Devil Survivor is getting an adaptation instead of the first much like how Persona 3 got adapted and not the first 2). I think the same thing also happened with High School of the Dead when it came out (manga was released state side, then an anime adaptation was announced). Oh, and I've also noticed the reverse. When an anime comes out if the manga hasn't been released state side you might see it after the season ends (see I don't Like my Big Brother At All). Maybe this is a sign that the whole online movement of offering anime for free legally has been allowing more manga that otherwise would be really hard to sell to be released with English translations... ok I'm starting to ramble. Back to the matter at hand which is the intital impressions of episode one of Attack on Titan (I'm using the English title from here on because it makes more sense to me).

There isn't too much to say about this episode other than it sets up the main character... well kind of. All I can really gather is he was an angry little boy who really wants to join something life threatening and become a hero; but his reasons aren't really shown- well his first reason isn't shown but another reason is given to him in the episode. He clearly has a reason at the start of the episode, so giving him another reason just seems a bit like overkill but that is a story problem, not an anime problem because this is based on already existing material.

Attack on Titan is well animated (which is to be expected simply because Production IG is on the bill and I have yet to see a bad series from them), with a good soundtrack and a pretty decent start (even though it was a bit overkill for a first episode). Go watch it now so that if your friends start talking about this one which I can guarantee anyone watching this season will, you'll be in the know.

[check out the other S2013 impressions]

[Spring 2013][Anime] Initial Impressions

~NEW UPDATED~


 ~Past~

[S2013] Aku no Hana Ep.1

English Title: Flowers of Evil
Season: Spring 2013
Type: Manga Adaptation
Projected Episodes: 13

Generally, I've seen (and read) that most fans of the Aku no Hana manga despise this anime for only one reason- the rotoscoping approach. Rotoscoping is a film process where live footage is traced over frame by frame for use in both live film and animation. Normally this is used for studying movement rather than just for an animation purpose, yet Zecxs decided to use this process to adapt a really creepy manga... was this a good idea? I'd have to say yes as well as no.

Yes: because despite disliking the first episode to no end when I watched for the first time, I went back a few days later and actually enjoyed the episode more. From there I reread the first volume of the manga then re-watched the episode for a 3rd time... and I was thoroughly creeped out. There is a reason this manga is being released in the states by Vertical- it is not meant for the "normal" manga market. People who read Naruto and One Piece are not reading this (well some are, but those people are also reading things like Lychee Light Club, Elfen Lied and even Solanin). This manga is aimed at a market who likes to be creeped out while exploring the human psyche, rotoscoping seems to help with this aim. Now, I can't say that if this was purely animation I wouldn't be as creeped out at the end of the episode (there's a part where a poem piece is read in a really creepy voice... I can't say much more without spoiling the episode) but I have seen another anime that had some rotoscoping- Trapeze. The upside is, that anime combined rotoscoping and pure animation so I do have a good "what if" basis that I can consider.


Here's a pic from Trapeze. You may notice something different between this and the pic from Aku no Hana- there's way more color which lets the viewer know this is anime. This leads me to why I also think that rotoscoping could be bad for Aku no Hana in the long run.


No: simply because (using Trapeze as some research base) rotoscoping an entire show can wear down on the eyes, and also makes this not so much anime but an anime wannabe. I am going to watch a few more episodes before completely dropping this show, but at this point I am skeptical about liking it after having to watch the horrible animation. Trapeze had some color and a much more fluid look... but Aku no Hana is just awkward to look at. There are moments where faces are empty, then all of a sudden eyes appear followed by teeth. Basically, this technique of animation is very inconstant. I think Trapeze was actually traced over, which Aku no Hana is made by throwing love footage into a program- so Xecxs is cheating.

I can't say I love this anime... yet. I am a fan of the manga and like many other fans felt I had been slapped and raped with a banana (in the visual sense) because of the animation approach... yet this approach also seems to work after rewatching an episode more than once but that can also be a downfall. I don't want to have to watch an episode of anime more than once to be ok with it. Well see where the anime version of Aku no Hana goes.

Oh, you want to know if I liked the episode. Honestly, I actually don't but I can see this turning into a series I can like more. Zecxs animated one of the anime that got me into watching anime that has not received an English language release- Mushi Uta. While that series is disliked by most mainstream anime fans, I for one am not mainstream. I like anime that's different and makes me think. The Aku no Hana manga already does that, now I just have to wait and see if this adaptation helps to make me think as well as enjoy a story.

Spring 2013 Anime

Usually I'd try and make a much nicer post but there is a really good chart so instead of making a full post I'm just going to post links to the websites of the anime series' premiering Spring 2013 (if there are any... seems a lot of these don't have official sites for the anime versions).

Watch:
My Sister Can't be This Cute 2 (Otaku) [ANN]
Maji Tantei Nougami Nuero 2 (Detective) [ANN]
Blue Friend (Tragic/ Dark Past/ Angst) [Baka-Updates Manga]
Baby Princess 3D (Slice of Life) [Wiki]
Usotsuki Mi-kun to Kowareta Ma-chan: Totteoki no Uso (Tragic/Mental Illness) [Baka-Updates Manga]

Maybe: 
Riko to Haru to Onsen to Iruka (Slice of Life) [Baka-Updates Manga]
Kettama! - Shuukyuu Raiotto Girls  (Sports) [Baka-Updates Manga]
Bokura wa Piacere (Slice of Life?) [VNDB]
Aorio (Slice of Life/ Romance) [VNDB]
Cure Girl (Slice of Life/ Romance) [VNDB]
Ryuusei no Rockman STORM (Tech)

Need to watch Previous Season(s) first:
Kuroko no Basuke- Winter Cup (Sports)[Wikia]
Area no Kishi- Forward Championship (Sports) [MAL]
Seikirei- Final Engagement (Battle Royale) [Wiki]
Kaichou wa Maid-sama 2 (Slice of Life?) [Wiki]

Skip:
Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke O (Yuri) [VNDB]
Nobara no Mori no Otometachi  (Yuri/ Shoujo-Ai) [Baka-Updates Manga]
Girl Friends (Yuri) [Wiki]
Imouto no Katachi (Sister Love) [VNDB]