As the simuldub season comes to a close and there are days where nothing comes out, the lull between this and next season had me watching some random series. I was in the mood for some more lighthearted fun. I thought I'd put out some random reviews of series. I get a kick out of the reviews for some of these slice of life romantic comedy type shows, as the reviewers seem to know nothing about anime outside of action series. They review it from a western culture and politically correct point of view... and little extreme at that. I'm here to present it as an actual anime fan and watcher. Unlike the Simuldub reviews, I won't be giving these scores, I'll just be posting what they are about, and my random feelings on each series. You can expect minor spoilers at times, because let's face it.. most of these genres always end the same. I'm not reviewing game changing, pinnacle series that will be remembered 15 years from now.
Classroom of the Elite
I actually just finished this one yesterday in one sitting. The premise is a government run school hand picks its student body based on potential to be future leaders. The high school boasts a 100% university acceptance and employment after graduation rate. The story revolves around Kiyotaka Ayanokouj, a mysterious unmotivated student that seems to have boundless potential from smarts to psychical abilities, and Suzune Horikita a typical trope ice queen that's out to prove her older brother (who is student council president) that she isn't a disgrace to the family name. Each class room is ranked A-D, and can swap places based on test scores. Test scores for each class serve as the monetary system of the school. The better each class does, the more points allotted to each student within. The focus is to teach these students how to deal with the unpredictability of adult life. Test scores don't seem the be the main focal point of gaining points, as social merits like behavior and being responsible also factor in to gaining points. Ayanokouj and Horikita try to ascend their lowly class D to the top with C-A scheming to keep them down along with their own aspirations of moving up or keeping everyone else down.
Overall I thought the series was enjoyable. It was very cut throat, and the way they went about plot resolutions was fairly cerebral even if it was predictable at times. The fanservice was light, and the comedy was limited and dry at times... but most of the high school tropes were there or attempted. Ayanokouj was your typical aloof closet prodigy. Although it was a nice twist where they have you thinking deep down he is a kind soul trying to help Horikita and anyone else, only to eventually hint that hes just a douche using everyone. For the main protagonist, this is quite different. The season ended on that note. Most of it was class D trying to stay afloat, then they pull a major upset. But they never really ascend to be class C. Ayanokouj and Horikita resort to underhanded methods to get there way in unconventional corrupt ways by realistic school standards as they learn the rules and how different this campus was compared to a traditional one. I could see people finding none of these characters likeable. But its a nice dog eat dog story.
Masamune-kun's Revenge
This one is a slice of life romantic comedy where Masamune Makabe is haunted by his past of being fat, and ultimately rejected by his crush Aki Adagaki when they were just kids. Makabe becomes a health nut and work out junky to be skinny and fit. He does this with the goal to make Aki fall for him just to dump her in the most brutal way possible. Coincidentally, Makabe years later transfers to the school that Aki just so happens to attend. She has become known as the Cruel Princess for turning down every guy that asks her out in savage fashion, branding them with nicknames that stick. This is one of the series that got a terrible review because apparently all the girls are portrayed as cruel and the boys as the victim. I actually find this stupid because there are series that are actually like that, and others that flip the genders. But in this one, everyone is a schemer.. I mean Makabe's whole plan is douchey.
From the start you can tell there is something more going on with this backstory. I really enjoyed this one. I go into all of these expecting the cliche tropes, this one didn't disappoint. It has all your love triangle, walking in during undressing, blush face, almost kissed mishaps. They do a good job of building the tension throughout the series between Aki and Makabe. Aki doesn't know Makabe is her childhood friend, who she thinks abandoned her one day back then. That is the twist in the story as they both have separate accounts of events. About half way through its easy to tell what really happened, but they even throw in another wrench that makes little sense at present time. I had a good amount of laugh out loud moments. They really do a nice job of sprinkling in Makabe's health nut life style when it comes to junk food, as everyone is always trying to tempt him with it. Unfortunately the series ends with a lot of loose ends. Since I pretty much figured how it ends, in typical fashion with Aki and Makabe eventually getting together. I read the spoilers and confirmed it. I'll still watch season 2 when it comes out next year.
The Testament of Sister New Devil
Oh boy, where to begin. This one revolves around Basara Tojo, and expelled member of a hero clan that saves the world from demons. His dad is the most powerful fighter ever known and the demon lord himself fears him. Basara caused himself and his dad to get banned from the hero clan because of his uncontrollable power that killed many in an incident where he took on a powerful demon. One day two girls become apart of his family through marriage, but in actuality it was a ruse as Mio Naruse, daughter of a past demon king and her succubus accomplice Maria Naruse attempt to use the Tojo house as a staging ground to hide from the hero clan that deems her dangerous. Mio is a target of both the hero clan and the demons for her sleeping power handed down from her father. Thinking they deceived Basara and his father, they learn that they were dealing with former hero clan warriors, who knew all along and were instead going to protect them from both sides.
I spent way to much time on describing the plot. This is a full blown hentai without insertion. Like WTF? If you took out all the lewd titty sucking and fondling you might have a decent anime, but good lord... I use Highschool DxD as my benchmark for lewd fan service anime, but its tame compared to this. They don't go for innuendo, they just do it. Stay away from this one.
My First Girlfriend is a Gal
I won't spend as much time on this plot. Basically it's a high school harem drama comedy. Typical loser Junichi Hashiba asks out super hottie Yakana Yame when he is inadvertently forced to through his scheming perv friends. She says yes, and he deals with the typical shenanigans with other girls trying to get him to be unfaithful, and Yakana's overly protective childhood friend always giving him a hard time because she is also in love with her secretly. Although Yakana dresses provocatively, shes deep down a really conservative girl when it comes to sexuality.
Ok this one is more of the traditional fan service I'm use too. hair covering nips, and what not. The dub was kind of tarnished by Yakana's valley girl accent voice acting. But on a whole the story was actually quite charming. They could have done without the excessive day dream fantasy sequences Junichi would have that never would come to fruition, but hey, thats the genre I guess. I got a ton of laughs out of it so it worked for me. I guess I can relate to this anime because I reminds me of a somewhat similar situation I went through in my younger years.
RE:ZERO -Staring Life in Another World-
I guess this has become its own genre since SAO. This one is an interesting take on it. Subaru Natsuki leaves a convenient store, when he blinks he's all of the sudden in a strange new world. When he dies, he returns to a checkpoint like in a game and has to start over. He befriends Emilia who is a powerful spirit magic wielder and also an heir to a empty throne along with 4 other candidates. As he gains the trust of her household, he dies many times trying to uncover a potential plot against her.
I found this to be enjoyable, even if Subaru is pretty annoying. The animation is really nice, and the action is good. The dying aspect is used often, reminding me of the repeat scenarios of the first season of Westworld. He dies brutally, and even though he knows he'll just resapwn he definitely never wants it to happen to the point it almost drives him mad. Each time he must learn from the last and avoid being killed by someone or by a mistake. He did reset purposefully once. The series ends on a bombshell cliffhanger, and although I'd like to see another season or two, I can see the dying and redoing getting redundant after a while. Sometimes when they do it, it's really disheartening when you think he is making some progress towards his side goals, only to have it taken away. They do a decent job of skipping through all the daily events if he has to do the same scenarios more than once.