Spring 2013 Mid-Season Report

I'm not going to lie; this is a very good season all around.

I spoke too soon last season when I said it was unlikely we'd see much to rival the best of last year, because here we have quite the list of hits, sleeper or otherwise.

Disclaimer: This list, like any, represents a very subjective view of one writer's personal picks this season. There are no carryovers included, so Chihayafuru is not on the list.

The A-List Candidates:

Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge

I was very very skeptical with this series at the start of the season; it didn't seem that anything good could come out of a premise as bizarre and frankly questionable as this one. Yet from the first episode, confusing and as weird as promised though it was, I found myself strangely captivated with the horrible beauty of Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge. Though it's not a perfect series, it is a wonderfully engaging one, and I enjoy everything from the soundtrack, the gorgeous art, the atmospheric mystique and wonder, and especially the characters, who are far more than they seem to be at first glance. I highly recommend this for anyone looking to watch something different and who can stomach depictions of fetishes, the disturbing, and the visceral nature of it all.

Suisei no Gargantia

If it were not for the slip-ups of episodes 5 and 6, Suisei no Gargantia would be at the top of my list for the Spring season. For the most part this is an intelligent and thoughtful work of the kind Urobuchi Gen has always excelled at, but instead of carrying through with his signature Butcher style, he's toned it down to really get at the meat of the dilemma in question. Ledo's predicament as a "fish out of water", as my RC senpai put it, is beautifully written and poignant, and as per usual with Gen works, not easily solved. Though the crass nature of the fanservice (among a generally disappointing set of events) knocked it down from first place for me, I still really love Gargantia and look forward to seeing it every week.

Hataraku Maou-sama!

Like Dansai, I did not quite expect this series to be as great as it is. I certainly thought that the idea of Satan working at MgRonald's was amusing, but never did I imagine Hataraku Maou-sama! to excel in basically every capacity otherwise. The seiyuu are top notch, the music is great, the art is very clean and pleasant, the humor is spot on and hilarious, the characters are genuinely interesting and immersive, the plot unexpectedly epic... There's just not enough praise I can laud on the whole affair without sounding like a rehash of my episodic posts.

Shingeki no Kyoujin

I know this is most people's pick of the season, and I can see why. This is an epic of, well, giant, proportions, and there's not a moment without something crazy and shocking happening on screen. While I definitely enjoy this series highly, my one little issue is with the flatness of the characters. They're not completely to my distaste, or even without characterization, but I can't help but feel like we're dealing with generally interchangeable people. I especially dislike the lead, who preaches far too self-righteously and doesn't work very well for me. Despite all of this, the series is really quite great; the art is good, the music appropriate, and the plot as close to a blockbuster action flick as anime ever gets. I'd be a liar if I said the character issues significantly detracted from that overall appeal.

RDG: Red Data Girl

Red Data Girl is not a hit in any sense of the word. This is a work that revels in the subtle, like a flower slowly revealing the grand, elegant majesty of its petals over time. It can also be rather confusing to follow when lacking the proper background in Shinto religious beliefs and practices, but there's no denying that, atmospherically, this is a breathtaking series. From the art to the gentle characterization to the surreal mysticism surrounding the events, this about as close to a work of the classical definition of art as a series gets.

The Follow Ups:

Kakumeiki Valvrave

Insane? Undoubtedly. Trainwreck? Quite likely. A complete disregard for the kind of subtlety RDG prizes? Absolutely. Good anime? In my eyes, very much so. I quite enjoyed Code Geass, the spiritual predecessor of Valvrave, and the similarities between that series and the latter are not exactly hard to see. Valvrave oozes references to Sunrise and mecha in general, and it does it with as much flair and craziness as it damn feels like doing. Yet boisterous though it is, I have to say I really like this series. It's fun and entertaining, even if it makes about as much sense as chocolate syrup on pasta, and sometimes, that's all that matters.

The Good:

Aku no Hana

I know this makes people uncomfortable, and that the art rubs some the wrong way, but personally, I find Aku no Hana quite beautiful in a twisted way. The rotoscoping isn't nice by normal anime standards with big eyes and pretty, stylized designs, but I don't think it's an ugly choice either. This is a stark series, and the realism goes a long way in helping establish just how wrong and scary this whole affair can be. Masochism and sadism are at the core of the relationship between the leads, and it's never really pleasant to watch, but somehow, it's definitely not worth all the hate and distaste it got at the beginning of the run.

Karneval

Remember what I said about Valvrave being insane and relying on style? Pretty much the same logic goes into Karneval, which is about as flamboyant as an anime can get while retaining substance. Not a whole lot makes sense about this world or its inner workings, nor are the characters quite as deep as I imagine the manga makes them out to be, but there's definitely something to be said about the power of good entertainment, good and simple. Between the pretty character designs and backgrounds, the fantastical setting and action, and the twirling madness that is the plot, this series is every bit as fun to watch as the carnivals it's named for.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatteiru

This is not a beautiful work of art or otherwise particularly adept at being great, but Yahari manages to be a special experience regardless. There's a really sharp bit of realism within all the snarkiness and romcom basics, and it's not always entirely pleasant to think about. Regardless, I feel that this series can often have a good message, and the main character, jerk though he can be, has some sadly true insights on life. The take on teenage society is almost too meta for an anime, but though it's not entirely free of other conventions, I still find this series hugely enjoyable to mull over (and the protagonist is exactly what I was like in my high school days too!).

The Good I've Not Had Time to Keep Up With:

Devil Survivor 2: The Animation

I've avoided staying too current with Devil Survivor because I own the game and have yet to finish playing it, but from what I've seen, it's a pretty great adaptation. Game adaptations are usually not the best anime, but this one is quite good, and I look forward to finishing it once I get through the game.

Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko

I wish I had more time to watch more anime, because I really enjoyed the premiere of Henneko. This is not usually my kind of show (well, at least not the kind I rave about), but it's a good series regardless. It's ecchi, it's silly, it's crazy, and just the sort of snack material I'd love to have more time for.

Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san

This anime is pretty funny; and it's so short that there's no reason I shouldn't keep up, but I unfortunately just haven't been able to. The humor is a bit... risque, and more than a little absurd, but points all around for Muromi-san, for being endearingly bizarre and fun.

Arata Kangatari

This is another adaptation I'm not following, mostly because I don't have time and am already familiar with the source material. I can't speak for how good an adaptation it is because of it, but I do guarantee an interesting story if it's at all faithful to Watase Yuu's original plot.

The Alright:

Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince

There's nothing really wrong with Majestic Prince, but the first few episodes I saw didn't particularly do much for me, even as a mecha fan. Perhaps it was the art or the presence of one particularly annoying female character, but for now I don't really have the impetus to keep up with this series.

The "I-Don't-Really-Know-Why-I'm-Still-Watching-These":

Date A Live

I mean, I'm technically not still watching this, but it's still on my list of things I mean to get back to, so... I've heard it gets better, which I hope is true, because I was not impressed with the premiere or the follow up.