Since there's been a lack of notable news this week (just Sentai Filmworks picking up Samurai Jam -Bakumatsu Rock- and Bladedance of the Elementalers), I thought I'd use this post to go through all of my first impressions on the new anime of the season (outside of the YamaHanaBara trio).
Safe (definitely following)
First of all, there's Free! Eternal Summer and Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei!, which are both sequels and both following well with their previous iterations, which I enjoyed. So they're both in for sure. And I have already talked about Yama no Susume Second Season, Hanayamata, and Barakamon in my last post and how they are looking to be my top 3 for the season. Beyond that...
Locodol (2 eps.): This show is honestly a bit of a breath of fresh air for idol shows for me. Rather than focusing on all the singing and dancing and personal achievement aspects of the industry, it takes a more intimate focus on helping the local residents and the town itself, creating a charming show that works quite well for me.
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun: Absolutely hilarious comedy, with the bundle of fun that is Chiyo Sakura making it an instant keeper. Definitely my top pick for a raw comedy.
Blue Spring Ride: I have read some of the manga some time ago, so I have an idea of what to expect, which is the main reason why I'm keeping with this one. All the shoujo drama is handled well enough and the show does look like it'll explore some good themes, too.
Sailor Moon Crystal: I have read some of the Sailor Moon manga, so I'm not going into this completely new to the series. (I have yet to see any of the first anime, though.) Anyway, it's all fun and enjoyable like the manga, so it's a lock.
Alive (continuing for now)
For the record, I have 4 open slots left on my final watchlist, as well as 2 wild card slots that I can optionally give out.
Sabagebu! -Survival Game Club-: This show has a great, fourth-wall-breaking sense of humor and some crazy, unconventional characters, plus some solid survival game action. It's all fun, though I'd like to see another episode to make sure it can keep this up for more than one episode. Status: Alive and kicking. Will very likely end up safe.
Terror in Resonance: For an intense, psychological thriller with some disturbing events within, this show does what it needs to to get my interest, focusing on the characters involved and hinting at their various histories and motivations. It should be a worthwhile watch, though I'd like to see another episode before committing. Status: Alive and healthy. Good candidate for another slot.
Invaders of the Rokujyoma!?: A stupid-fun show with few aspirations for greatness. It remains alive largely because it did very little to actually turn me off (unlike the shows below it), and I don't mind having a nice, brainless show on my watchlist (they make great dinner viewings). Status: Alive and okay. May make it to safety simply because others self-destruct.
Glasslip: (2 eps.) It sure looks pretty, but this P.A. Works show's premise has two things I'm generally not a fan of: love triangle drama and a "seeing the future" plot element. The execution is pretty good, but will that be enough for this show to secure one of the last slots on my list? Status: Alive and fighting hard for its life.
Sword Art Online II: (2 eps.) I came out of the first season of SAO neither loving the show nor absolutely hating it. I disliked many things about it but there were parts that were admittedly enjoyable. The second season doesn't start with too much to it (though the battle in ep. 2 was enjoyable), but I am hearing that this arc fixes a lot of the problems with the first two arcs, and if it can do that and maintain what was good about the first two seasons, it might just snipe out an open or wild card slot. Status: Alive but crippled. Lying in wait and seeing if it can take out a weaker show.
Tokyo ESP: It's worth comparing this to Terror in Resonance, since they both start with rather disturbing terrorist attacks, but honestly, this show does it all wrong. Too much violence just to appeal to the crowd that likes that kind of stuff, and not nearly enough world-building or character-building to go with it. That said, it seems to be an in media res start, and maybe the actual start of the story is more compelling, hence it does get another episode. But that episode will be judged harshly. Status: Barely alive. Needs a new breath of life to make it.
Persona4 the Golden Animation: This is my first experience with anything Persona4-related, and I'm thinking maybe it shouldn't be. It wasn't that hard to follow, and intriguing enough in its own way; I just feel that right now this is more of a New Game+ run, and it'd be weird to go through that without having gone through the first run-through (i.e. the first Persona4 The Animation) beforehand. One more episode to see if that really is the case. Status: Alive but seriously crippled. May be withdrawn to allow to fight in better shape.
Dead (dropped)
Rail Wars!: Couldn't even make it halfway in. Lack of interest in any of the characters or the story and an excess of bouncing chests lead to an early casualty for this show.
There's not much left for me to try out; only Bladedance of the Elementalers, as well as Jinsei if Crunchyroll picks it up within 3 episodes.
All in all, it looks to be a great summer season.
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