Winter 2013 Review

Thank Hylia for Fall carryovers.

It's a few weeks late, but here's the overall review for the Winter season. Quick reminder; only series that ended in the Winter will be reviewed, which means that running series like Chihayafuru 2 are not on the list.

Like any review, this is just one writer's opinion on what was enjoyable to watch this season.

The A-List:

Shinsekai Yori

From the very first episode, I knew I'd stumbled onto something special with Shinsekai Yori. Though nothing of much note occurs in the first couple of episodes, the atmospheric buildup is exhilarating and beautiful enough that I found myself hooked effortlessly. With every haunting minute it became more and more apparent to me that this was not a lightweight series for the sake of mindless enjoyment, and for me, that was a wonderful thing. This is a series that asks you to think about yourself and about the limits of the human animal, and it isn't afraid to be as bleak as it needs to to get its point across. It's a story about growing up, about lies and fear and survival, about love and friendship and the unfairness of what it means to be alive. If I sound flowery, I mean to be. This is a gorgeous work of art, and though not the easiest watch, it's by far one of my favorite series in a long time.

Zetsuen no Tempest

I had a strange relationship with Zetsuen for most of its run. Though I knew I enjoyed it, I tended to forget about it every week until I noticed that it had gone up subbed. Over time, however, things started to change. As the series got more and more grandiose and fantastic, I found it rising to the top of my most anticipated shows, and without fail, it continued to awe and entertain at an impressive level. The series' strength comes not from originality or a flawless story, but rather from the sheer power of presentation. In Zetsuen no Tempest, Bones found the perfect outlet for it's trademark flair, and I damn well think it resulted in one of their best works overall. From Aika quoting Shakespeare at every opportunity to the surprisingly well-executed and over-the-top twists and turns, everything about this series screams out operatic, and I love how unabashedly it embraces that quality in itself.

The Runner-Ups:

Psycho-Pass

Urobuchi works are really difficult to separate from their author. Unlike most anime, Urobuchi's shows have always been about providing a window into a particular problem or philosophical outlook rather than about making art for art's sake. Instead of having his work boast themes, his themes boast anime, and Psycho-Pass, while the best match for his ideals so far, is no exception. Much of the setting and developments of the series borrow heavily from past sci-fi narratives, but while that is of concern to some, what truly bogs the series down is the lack of properly empathetic characters. For the most part, everyone acts as a mouthpiece for some idea Urobuchi wants to get across, and not one character other than Makishima seems to have an inherent compelling quality to them. Despite this problem, however, Psycho-Pass is still a great series, and one of the best to air in the last two seasons.

Bakuman 3

Bakuman is one of the few shounen manga adaptations that I followed until the end. Though it's hard to see objectively how an anime on a manga about manga could possibly be that entertaining, there's so much going on in this series that there's almost never a boring moment. It's very much a shounen battle manga without the convention of the actual battles, and somehow the premise, fairytale-driven though it is, manages to be suspenseful, gripping, and emotional as few shounen battles actually ever become. It isn't a perfect series by any means (and I particularly dislike the short end of the stick that Kaya always receives), but it's definitely an enjoyable experience that I'm likely to revisit sometime later, one I personally preferred over the manga.

Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo

I by no means find Sakurasou to be amazing or perfect. It's a heavily flawed experience that relies on forced drama and the idiot trope to get its point across far too often. It doesn't have proper closure on its main pairing despite having it everywhere else, and its story can occasionally get overwhelmingly frustrating. Yet, though I know in my head that it wasn't the best series, my heart really likes this show. I've always considered J.C.Staff to excel at romcom group dynamics, and that is certainly the case here. There are good messages to take away from this series, whether it be about friendships, growing up, self-esteem, and what it means to be both an artist and an individual. And best of all, it's funny; sometimes a good laugh is worth a lot more than any fancy analyst is willing to tell you, and that's certainly the case here.

Little Busters!

Little Busters! is another perfect example of how J.C.Staff is good at what they do when they go about doing it. Despite all the issues raised by the anime adaptation of the well-beloved visual novel, I found the series to be one of my favorites this season. It's deceivingly simple and straightforward, but more than anything, the group dynamic again simply works here. Friendship as it's portrayed in this series is a truly wonderful thing, and more than anything it really brings home the emotional drama related to all Key works. Whatever you think of the VN, the anime experience on it's own is definitely pleasant and engaging, and I for one am very excited to continue onto Refrain, whenever that airs.

Kotoura-san

Of all the Winter series, this is the only non-carryover that made it into the top ranks, and for good reason. Kotoura-san suffered from a one-cour format and also from the issues that arose within the characters and drama. There is a lot of one-dimensionality to Haruka and her psychology, and that unfortunately weakens some of the series' better points. However, while it does avoid some good material in favor of not alienating a more familiar fanbase, the series nevertheless retains a certain charm about it, particularly through it's amazingly good male lead. There's a feel-good quality to the relationship between Manabe and Kotoura, and it's a great pairing with some real emotional depth involved. It's just a shame that this aspect was often placed on the backseat in favor of unnecessary drama.

The Rest:

Maoyū Maō Yūsha

I really liked Maoyuu, truly. It was a fun series that didn't require too much effort to enjoy, and I loved the RPG aesthetic and watercolor-esque backgrounds it utilized. Yet, that attachment became less and less defined the closer the series got to its finale. There was too much plot crammed into every episode, and nothing ever had a real sense that it knew where it was going. Even the nice romance between Maou and Yuusha eventually turned into an ugly love triangle without a clear goal, and unfortunately the truly good portions were always overshadowed by some new development that tracked mud over the advances. I have a feeling that this is an effect of adaptation, and I can see, quite wistfully, how great a series this had the promise to be. However, because of its poor execution and adaptive choices, Maou ended on a rather sour note compared to the genuine fun I had during its premiere.

Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru

I have to make the quick point that series in this category aren't necessarily here because I hate them. They're here because this is where they rank in the lineup, and while I may not have too favorable of an impression, it takes A LOT to make me hate a series. That being said, Oreshura falls squarely into my "meh" category. It has some good things going in its favor; mainly, the main heroine, Masuzu, and her somewhat twisted take on the heroine role, as well as some truly interesting atmospheric use of uncomfortable material. However, this is comfortably a harem series through and through, and most irksome is the fact that it slithered its way out of declaring an actual winner rather than denying the possibility in the first place. It wasn't horrible at all, but it wasn't anything too out of the ordinary either, which is unfortunate considering the potential surrounding some of the less played-up aspects.

Amnesia

Remember how I said that the stuff on this list isn't necessarily here because I hate it? For the most part that's true for Amnesia, which was unimpressive but not particularly horrible for most of it's run. But then episode 9 happened, and because of it, I really only have one thing to say about the series, Kaori Nazuka or not:

CAGE.

That is all. Good day.