7/11/2008

Upcoming for Summer 2008

More reviews of the summer 2008 anime season! Anime News Network usually does this, but they haven't started yet. I assume because they've been busy with Anime Expo. I'd post about that myself, but I get all my news from them anyway, so it's easier to just go there. Though I will say the English cast for Ouran High School Host Club was announced; some of it looks good, and some of it looks dreadful (Vic Mignogna as Tamaki? I don't want Tamaki to sound like Edward Elric :( ). I'll be buying it of course (it's one of my favorites), but I'm perfectly happy with the Japanese voices.

So here's what's coming up. The rest of my reviews of the Samurai Champloo DVDs. I'm almost finished watching them, so the rest of the summaries will come soon. Then I'll be starting Last Exile.

These are the new shows I will be looking at this season, so expect reviews/summaries of them over the next few weeks as I get to them:

Chocolate Underground from Production I.G.
Natsume Yuujinchou (from the people who brought us the wonderful Kure-nai, Brains Base)
Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora (Things that Are Important to a Mage)
World Destruction
Koihime Musou
Telepathy Shojo Ran from TMS Entertainment (who did the charming Itazura na Kiss)
Sekirei

And of course I've already looked at Strike Witches and Antique Bakery.
Posted by at
Labels: , ,

11 comments:

ArmoredFoe said...

Im excited, I really do enjoy reading your stuff :)

July 11, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Kris said...

Aw thanks. :) I was thinking of pimping the reviews over at dannychoo, but I'm not sure.

July 11, 2008 at 11:16 AM
xJAYMANx said...

Gahhh, I'm already too far behind on my dozen shows as it is, lol. Gotta... stay... away... from... more... =.=;

July 11, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Kris said...

Haha, I hear ya. I'm playing catch up right now, too. But I won't likely watch ALL of those. I like to watch the first episode or two of everything, then I whittle it down to what I think is worth spending the time on. I'll probably end up watching half (or less) of what I check out.
That and the Chocolate Underground thing is a series of little 4 minute animations; I'm going to have to look into that a bit more to find out what it is, exactly.

July 11, 2008 at 12:42 PM
xJAYMANx said...

Hmmm, I could never *honestly* write reviews like that, lol.

Isn't that kinda like reading the first chapter of book, writing a review based on that, then moving onto the next book? Then only finishing those that grabbed me in the first chapter?

I'd always be wondering what I missed in the books I too quickly gave up on, hehe. ^_^;

July 11, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Kris said...

Probably. But honestly, if it's not worth spending the time on, I have so many other shows I could be watching instead, you know? And the review at this point is mostly just a "Hey, this is what it's about, this seems to be the sort of show it will be." I try to be as objective and unbiased as possible. If I really ~really~ just hate something though, it will be noticeable.

It takes more of an investment to spend several months waiting out a show than to force myself to read a book that may not turn out so great. And if a book is just BAD, well I don't think I'm really missing out. Like I said, there's too much that's actually really great to spend time watching something I'm not going to enjoy.

For review purposes, I would hope that what I say would either grab your interest or (in a way) disgust you immediately. Either you like shows about school girls or you don't. You like ninja shows or you don't. If you like little girls flying around in robotic boots and blowing things up, then you'll like Strike Witches. And that's what I try to convey, or what I hope I am.

July 11, 2008 at 3:44 PM
xJAYMANx said...

Yeah, overall, I agree. In this light, the review is more of a heads up of what's coming, not a full review of the full work.

I guess my only point is that the first 1-2 episodes may or may not be the *true* reflection of the entire series. Beyond that, the rest is up to the reader or viewer.

July 11, 2008 at 4:00 PM
ArmoredFoe said...

wow, I missed out on alot. I agree, im the same way though. I usually watch only the first 2 or 3 eps also and then if it doesnt catch my interst, I'll move on to the next. As Kris said, if its worth it I'll finish the series. Well everything pretty much as been said as for what Im thinking so not sense in repeating it.

July 12, 2008 at 2:25 AM
xJAYMANx said...

Don't worry, u didn't miss much, lol. Just the first 1-2 episodes~ oops, I mean comments, in this string and you're good, lol... But here's something u would've missed...

My previous *cut off* used to be about 3-4 episodes a couple years ago, but now it's around 7-8 episodes, before I allow myself to give up. This is a long-enough period for me to get to know the characters and decide if I still like them, and which works well for *gentler* slice-of-life shows that don't necessarily *grab* me in the first 1-2 episodes: "Someday's Dreamers", "Haibane Renmei", "Strawberry Marshmallow", any of the "To Heart" or "Da Capo" series, etc...

Grating examples: But back then, after 4 episodes of "Samurai Champloo" and 8 of "Fullmetal Alchemist", I couldn't take the opening music anymore and gave up. Unfortunately, this outweighed any attachment to the story or characters... =_=;

July 12, 2008 at 5:13 AM
ArmoredFoe said...

oh man, I love the opening theme to Champloo. Its crazy off the wall Japanese hip-hop. As Ive said before, Im not really a fan of rap or anything but Im a sucker for Samurai stuff and the lyrics are just cool. "way of the samurai"

July 12, 2008 at 4:30 PM
Kris said...

I understand, and I actually agree. When I'm sitting down to watch something, I try to give it 5 episodes or so. I almost dropped Lucky Star immediately (I hated the first episode), but I forced myself through some more, and ended up enjoying it for the most part (not one of my favorites, but it had some sweet moments).

I managed 2-3 discs of Someday's Dreamers before I just couldn't take it anymore. But I somehow managed to force my way through all of Negima (I really shouldn't have).

But for most shows, I can usually tell within the first episode or two whether I'll have any interest in it. Though I completely agree that you can't gleam much off of just that. So while I applaud the distribution companies for putting up free previews of the first episode of a new series they 're releasing to hook you, you can't tell much of anything from just that. That's a good example there. Because a lot of shows don't reveal much at all in the first episode.

Still, if it's a ninja show or a magical girl show, and you like ninjas or magical girls, you know you'll have some sort of (initial) interest. Which is the basic purpose of these "new anime" reviews. Once they're over, I may write a more well rounded review of the series as a whole, for the ones I watched all the way through.

July 12, 2008 at 7:14 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)