2010 Anime in Review - A Certain Basaka's Perspective [Complete]

By Basaka. 27/12/10, 07:28 am

The post below is just my opinion. If you disagree, Feel free to provide reasons as to why this show should be better/worse. Just saying "Lol you gave this a score of x? I wouldn't even give it y, your taste sucks" is just trolling, and makes you like an even bigger idiot. (I know you guys are all nice people and all, but sometimes people go overboard defending their favourite anime)

-START HERE-

Basically, it's the end of another year. This thread is mainly for me to give short reviews on different anime that aired over this year, and how much I recommend them/rated them according to my anime tastes. If mine is totally different from yours, it might still be worth a read to see how different people's thought processes are. Here we go then!

WINTER 2010 (Season of random)

Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu (Bakatest)
Score: 6/10
Adapted from a light novel series. I happened to read it before the anime was announced, so boy was I excited when they announced the animation adaptation! However, the show itself was pretty... lacking. They cut the most hilarious bits from the novel, and turned Hideyoshi in a walking fanservice trap character. They at least had reasons for doing that in the novels, and it was funny how they used his trapness as part of their schemes. Not everything was bad though, as they had great parodies littered throughout the series, and had great voice acting, especially Hiro Shimono's loser voice as Akihisa.
The animation in the series is well... what you would expect of Shinbo's student. The usual mix of frame juxtaposition and achieving maximum results off the minimum amount of frames used. Also, Shouko for best character this year. /insane moment

Dance in the Vampire Bund
Score: 7/10
I don't care what everyone says, I loved episode 1. Fantastic way to start the series, imho. That aside, the selling point of this show for me was the scriptwriting. The interaction between Mina and Akira reflected the discrepancies between Mina's thoughts and Akira's, and also gave a good insight to the burden Mina had to carry, and the sacrifices she had to make. The rest of the show was pretty so-so. SHAFT ran into a problem with animators, so half the scenes weren't even finished. Pity. Probably wouldn't recommend this unless you're a diehard lolicon (with a vampire fetish perferred).

Durarara!!!
Score: 7/10
This show was better than Baccano! in the sense that they spent more time developing the characters for this show, making them more likable or more hateable. However, it lacked a lot of the explosiveness and excitement of Baccano!. I had this show on a 8 most of the way through, for great plot, animation and voice acting, but the last few episodes felt really weak compared to the rest of the show. It was more like emo teenagers not talking about their problems, hurr. This made me drop the show down to a 7. DRRR! Had pretty good production quality, though, as you would expect from Brains Base. Still a solid show to boot, and recommendable.

Hanamaru Youchien
Score: 7/10
This show was the surprise hit in winter. The comedy was extremely well written, and the show progressed in a heart-warming way (I mean, I got sold by the website promising "Iyashi"). All 3 girls have great personality and charm, and Yamamoto-sensei just make you all soft and mellow <3. Music was pretty fitting for the show. The animation was handled by GAINAX, so we had a pretty solidly animated show. It is also probably one of the most normally animated shows done by them. However, the animation in the main show isn't particularly exciting. Solid, yes, exciting, no. However, the ED sequences are where the animators shine. This show is one I'd recommend to watch.

Hidamari Sketch Hoshimittsu
Score: 8/10
It is often said that Hidamari is used by Shinbo to test out new animation techniques for his other shows. I am very inclined to agree, as some of the animation techniques used in Hidamari Sketch is just whacky and refreshing, turning the everyday lives of the 4 residents (6 in this series!) into a fun-filled affair. Being a slice-of-life show, it relies on the personalities of the characters to drive it. The show does a fantastic job with that aspect, and can pull off some razor sharp dialogue. The voices are also perfectly fitting, as many can attest to. Afterall, the show IS after your Nutbladder.

Katanagatari
Score: 8/10
Based on the light novel series of NisiOisiN, creator of Bakemonogatari and others (I recommend THIS for a better look at that man). Done as 12x45 minute episode series throughout the course of a year, covering one light novel per episode. NisiOisiN is a very unique author, and the series reflect that, with animation styles changing between episodes, making it feel more like a omnibus rather than a proper series. As per NisiOisiN tradition, the show is driven more by dialogue than fighting. Good dialogue, to boot. You know they succeed when you don't get bored by them standing around and talking. They also like taking the liberty to troll you everywhere, from the soundtrack to the ending. It's a fantastic piece of work, and free CHEERIOS for whoever watch it.

Ookamikakushi
Score: 6/10
This show was directed terribly, pretty much. Tried to mash 30 hours of RYUKISHI07 reading into a 12 episode series. We all saw what happened to that with Umineko. Plot ended up a mess, and confusing due to the route merging, and the characters weren't as as likeable or hateable as they could have been. Saving grace for this show is the soundtrack, especially the ED, which had Nanri Yuuka singing probably her best song since she left FICTIONJUNCTION. The composer for the ED could probably give Kajiyuki a run for her money. I'd say screw the anime and just read the thing on the PSP.

Spring 2010 (Season of AWESOME)

Angel Beats!
Score: 7/10
This show was probably one of the most anticipated shows of 2010, with Maeda Jun (main scenario writer of key games) doing the script, directed by Kishi Seiji (Sunred, Seto no Hanayome), and animated by P.A. works. However, the only good episodes were 1, for the fantastic setting up, then ep 9-13 for the truly emotional scenes. Some may argue that it should have been 24 episodes, and some would argue that it is meaningful backstory, but the episodes in between just seemed like filler episodes to me. It's like Maeda wrote the beginning and the end then went "Whoops I need stuff in between!". The animation was hit or miss too. P.A are fantastic at action scenes (look at them blowing stuff up in ep 2!), but at times you get poorly cell-shaded characters climbing a ladder (look at ep 2 again). The soundtrack was fine, but I did not like most of the insert songs. The OP wasn't Lia's best, but the ED was beautiful. At least the show had a fantastic ending, which brought the score up.

Arakawa Under the Bridge
Score: 6/10
The first episode or two made me laugh quite a bit... but that was about it. The animation was still pretty crazy, as per Shinbo style, but he's been repeating that same animation style, and that type of humour a few times too many for me to really like it. tl;dr NEEDS MORE BAKEMONOGATARI. At least the cast is great (mostly). Kamiya Hiroshi is his usual silly self, Fujikei as the kappa was tech, and Sugita as the star was pretty SUGOI. However, Sakamoto Maaya still sounds the same as Escaflowne, and I never know how Omigawa Chiaki can get anime roles.

Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
score: 6/10
This show fell into "generic shoujo" after a few episodes. Some episodes were downright hilarious and comedic, but the show ended up relying too much on "guy-saves-girl" episodes, and felt repetitive. Characters also fitted under normal Shoujo protagonist stereotypes. Nothing to complain about animation, as J.C. Staff generally does a good show, and music is decent. If you like shoujo, it might be worth checking out.

Rainbow
Score: 8/10
No, there are no unicorns in this show. Rainbow is set in the 1950s, and focuses on 7 youngsters in a youth centre. It's dark, it's violent, it's bloody, but at the end of the day, they cling onto hope and proceed down the roads they wanted to be on. This show deals with both sides of humanity - from the evil, to the good, and also deals with abuse (both physical and sexual) that was rampant back in those days. If you can stomach this show, do give it a try.

Sairai-ya Goyou
Score: 8/10
Summing this up, this is a slice of life show about Samurai. The show takes it slow, very slow. However, within the tranquility lies a whirlpool of emotions. Sarai-ya is driven forwards by incredible writing and character developments. Each person the main character meets have more than what meets the eye, and contrasts with the main character's straightforward, simple personality. The soundtrack serves to accompany the mood, and you soon find yourself a part of the show (or you've fallen alseep dreaming about it). Highly recommended from me.

Working!!
Score: 8/10
The comedy in this hits. Hard. I just kept laughing, and laughing. The comedy was really well done, and the cast was largely great (I preferred some of the Drama CD cast, such as Minagawa Junko as Kyouko, and Nakahara Mai as Inami), and delivered a powerful performance. Fukuyama Jun as Souta means you cannot hate him, Nakata Jouji turns anything into gold, Asumi Kana as Poplar tugged on everyone's soft sides, and Hirohashi Ryou as Yamada was better than the icing on the cake. In fact, the show truly got fantastic after Yamada's apparence, as she acted as the Boke AND the tsukkomi, bringing up most of the comedic situations. The OP and ED are strangely addicting (SOME WAN WAN WAN) and the show just leave you with a face full of smiles after. One of the storngest comedies I have seen in a long time, and would score much higher if not for...

Yojohan Shinwa Taikei
Score: 9/10
Possible the best show I have seen all year, personally. Basically, the protagonist (simply called "watashi (I)"), wants a "perfect campus life", and end up failing. The episode consists of him narrating his failures, and wishing to relive his life. Each episode is the exploration into a new realm of animation techniques, and interesting twists and turns in his life. "Watashi"'s pessimistic, bitter narration brings the viewers closer to his character, and you end up living his life during the 24 minute episodes. The music was also pretty awesome, the characters colourful, and the voice acting wonderful (I mean when you have Nobuyuki (Gai Shishio, Viral) acting as your "Johnny"...). Probably the best show I have seen this year (with maybe one other in contention).

Summer 2010 (Season of fail)

Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu
Score: 7/10
Upon first impression, this show was nothing but a badly adapted RPG game. However, episode 3 was the episode that set the show in momentum. It went from goofing around to BLOOD! MURDER! LELOUCH! GEASS ON STEROIDS!, and continued the momentum until the final episodes. However, the ending was a big letdown, and one of the main reasons I could not rate it higher. Production values for this anime was pretty high, good OP/EDs, and some great voice acting. This is one show that definitely would a second season, as the story seemed to have even more depth, and was unfortunately cut short before they can all be realised.

Black Rock Shooter
Score: 5/10
This, I remember, was an OVA a lot of people looked forwards to. Well... at least the studio tried. The juxtaposition between real life and the BRS world felt discontinued, and became a nuisance. How they connected the two at the end also felt rushed, and more like a Deux Ex Machina rather than an adaquate explanation. The animation, although good at times, felt a bit jerky and unnatural. However, the colour scheme and contrast in the BRS world was very well done, even though the school settings seemed... pretty dull. At least Ryo (the composer) made the show more enjoyable.

Nurarihyon no Mago
Score: 7/10
For a Shounen, this was pretty well made. There were still parts that seemed to drag on, but not so long that you want to punch the scriptwriter (Sup, Index). The directing, sound, production values, animation etc. were all solid, and the show itself was fairly enjoyable, with a mix of comedy, plot and action. A bonus if you like Youkai. The show (or manga if you read it) presents interesting ideas as well, such as the Hyakkiyakou being part of Youkai factions, and the concept of "osore". A good show to try out.

Sekimatsu Occult Gakuen
Score: 5/10
Watch episodes 1 and 2. Then the last episode (made my jaws drop. HARD.). The rest was pretty terrible. At least half of them are just acting as filler episodes. The soundtrack wasn't well used either. Also, I never imagined to see a show with it's plot twisting faster than Code Geass R2's did. Hurr. I guess at least Maya had the best animated face this year.

Strike Witches 2
Score: 6/10
Same with SW1, except more panties, better dogfight animation, and more amazing beams of light which won't be present in the DVD (watch the TV version, it's more hilarious!). Pretty much the same as season one, except they are in Italy, and the Neuroi gets upgraded to v2.0. Ishida Youko still gives a nice OP, and Itou Shizuka making a cameo was pretty cool (also omfg an actual skirt in this show! Horrifying!). Still, wasn't as... good as season one, I guess the freshness of the premise was largely lost. Still, if you could make it through S1, you can make it through this. Or stay away at all costs.

Fall 2010

Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai
Score: 8/10
This show was much better than what I expected. The premise made it sound like a random harem, but the content was delicately handled to avoid such a thing from happening. The dialogue is witty, each character has their own colour (mostly, anyway) and filled with humour. Various references were also littered throughout. The animation is what you would expect from manglobe (good job), and the soundtrack was pretty enjoyable. A solid piece of production, and worth a watch.

Kuragehime
Score: 8/10
The premise sounded awesome, and so did the show. The show had a really high quality of humour, and writing to carry it along. It also had a strong showing in the character developments, espeically Tsukimi, and some of the side characters. The OP animation was probably one of the best OP animations this year. The animation was pretty solid, and the soundtrack was pretty interesting too. Voice acting in this show was really good, and the driver was hilarious. A show that deserves a good second season, and one worth a watch.

MM!
score: 5/10
This show... is pretty terrible. It had plot for a few episodes then turned into random filler that all tried to do the same thing. Nothing really stands out in this show except for Fukuyama Jun's Maso laugh, but that's Fukuyama for you. There was one or two funny moments, but it was a drag to finish otherwise. Unless you REALLY like seiyuu, or S&M, don't watch it.

Otome Youkai Zakuro
Score: 8/10
This show almost had a 9/10. However, half of the first episode involved girls blushing at bishounen and not doing anything interesting. Despite that, the opener and closer of that episode showed great potential, and it was realised. The show had one of the best plot, pacing, humour and voice acting this fall, or maybe even this year. The animation was weak in some episodes, but they more than made up for it in the final episode. All the characters were interesting, and their interactions skillfully handled by the scriptwriters. Youkai is only a bonus. Would do business with it again.

Shinryaku! Ika-musume!
Score: 8/10
SHINRYAKU SHINRYAKU SHINRYAKU SHIN- *ahem*
A "supersonic-tentacled, ink-barfing cutie come from the sea to subjugate humanity one beach-comber at a time" character is always the correct play. Comedy is solid, well-written, and the characters are eccentric enough to keep people laughing throughout. It's just a load of fun, and it's over before you realise it. It's great comedy, and it should be worth a watch ~de geso.

Tamayura
Score: 9/10
Four-episode OVA series. It's relaxing, it's funny, it's touching and it has heart. Beautifully handled by one of the most experienced and critically acclaimed anime director, and supported by a backbone of brilliant staff. each 20-minute episode is a new piece of treasure - the simple beauty of everyday life you have forgotten is awakened. The animation is beautiful, especially the scenery, with a nicely inserted soundtrack, voice acting and scriptwriting. The girls carry their own charm - blessed with a drop of SatoJun magic. Do want a full series. The OP and ED for this show was fantastic as well, with Sakamoto Maaya singing a cover of the Kiki's Delievery Service song, and Nakajima Megumi bringing us a soothing ED.

(One of the Tamayura radio episodes had the seiyuus asking the director about a character he liked - the director mentioned a character from an old anime. The seiyuus were "Oh, I remember watching that when I was little!", only to have the director go "Yeah, I was the director". Lol.)