Spring 2013 Review

Well no one can say that one wasn't fun.

I wonder if I will ever manage to finish anything on time... In any case, friendly reminder that only series that finished in the Spring are up for review, so Shingeki no Kyoujin isn't included this time.

Like any subjective piece of writing, this is just my personal opinion on what was most enjoyable this season.

The A-List Candidates:

Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge

Weirdo, sicko pervert or not, I refuse to lie about my love for this series. I understand very well that it's not for everyone, and that it can verge on the bizarre and uncomfortable, but for all the creepiness and sensuality, Dansai really shines when it comes to atmospheric presence. There's something hauntingly beautiful about every scene, no matter how violent or otherwise unsavory the content, and everything is executed in a very unique but captivating manner. The characters are all strange, but none the less compelling for it, and while the premise and presentation are rather bizarre as a whole, it is completely worth the watch. I doubt I'll ever find another series about fetishes that will catch my attention in quite the same way.

Hataraku Maou-sama!

This is, without a doubt, one of the best comedies I've had the pleasure of watching in recent memory. Everything about Hataraku is wonderful, from it's hilarious premise (who doesn't want to watch a show about a demon lord working at MgRonald's for Hylia's sake??) to it's utterly wonderful acting, there's nothing at all I dislike about this show. This is an anime based on great execution and style, and it delivers that to every last loving detail, whether it's in the facial expressions, the music, the comedic timing, or the acting itself. If there's anything I'm upset about it's how vague the possibility is for a second season; I can only keep my fingers crossed for more, or I will be sad to have seen the last of Maou, Emi, and the rest.

Chihayafuru 2

After a season that's been dubbed torturous by Enzo-senpai at RC, I can easily empathize as to why Chihayafuru fans everywhere are ready to despair. While we may not get any more anime for a very long time, if at all, however, this was another wonderful season in the series. It's not quite as character driven as the first, true, but I personally found the drama and tension thick and utterly captivating this season, and more than once it brought me to utter tears just through the sheer power of watching Karuta matches and what those matches stand for. I don't think this season would have felt as powerful without the first, but nonetheless it's a gorgeous experience, unique to the sort of series Chihayafuru is, and until we get that OVA, I'm going to miss this series terribly.

Kakumeiki Valvrave

Why is Valvrave suddenly in the top ranks if I've professed how ridiculous it is all season? Because it's utterly and completely crazy, and I love it for that. Honestly I love it for a lot of reasons, and in others it drives me nuts, but more important than anything, I had a lot of fun with this show. It was weird, it was bizarre, it made no sense and it was so over-the-top it nearly redefined "over-the-top" for me, but nevertheless, it was a damned great anime. If you like mecha, explosions, utterly impossible weirdness, and a good laugh on top of that, Valvrave is probably your series. And yes, even after the infamous episode 10, I still really enjoyed it, and Hylia be damned I will cosplay Haruto at AX next year and I will be more than happy to do so. May Nayru have mercy on my soul as I wait for the second season.

The Runner-Ups:

Suisei no Gargantia

As much as I loved this series at the beginning, I found myself a little disappointed in its direction by the end. It's not that I necessarily think it lower a show than, say, Valvrave, but I feel like in some ways, Gargantia betrayed itself somewhat. It was a beautiful show, a truly elegant sort of experience, but it didn't really build on itself as well as it could have in the second half, and a lot of the gorgeous characterization and philosophical depth felt rather stifled at some point. I'm sure there are lots of fans who liked the show better with more of a Butcher twist, but I'm not one of those fans, and honestly my favorite portions of the series were the more reflective ones. Still, I really enjoyed the series and I much prefer it over any other of Urobuchi's works so far.

RDG: Red Data Girl

The only reason I'm putting RDG down here is because as much as I love it, it's just not quite up to the mettle of the shows I liked most this season. This is an odd one, a hugely beautiful adaptation with way too much material to cover. On top of that, the material is very esoteric in that no one without a good knowledge of Shugendo and Shinto would understand much of what goes on plot wise. Atmospherically this is one of the most beautiful shows I have seen in a long time, and the subtlety of the character reactions only makes it more gorgeous to watch, but even so, it's a cryptic show with and odd mythos, and I couldn't begin to decipher the ending if I tried. Nevertheless it is a wonderful experience, and I plan to read the novels soon.

The Rest:

Karneval

Karneval was one of my breather shows this season; it was a fun and amusing ride, and though it was complex sometimes, I felt that the stylishness and whimsicality really did a lot for it as a whole. This is definitely true when it comes to the tone and characters, though I personally found the first more compelling than the second, and more than once that flair saved the show from pure mediocrity. I have a feeling that this is an effect of adaptation, however, and seeing how the series had a hugely abrupt end, it probably means that the manga is quite a bit more than the anime makes it look, though it was nevertheless a popular show among manga readers.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatteiru

Yahari is not down here because it is the worst show of the season. In fact, far from it, this is one of the most compelling shows this Spring, though different people have different reasons for why they find it so. Yahari is down here because of all the shows I watched this season, it simply ranks in this place. In fact, despite this, Hachiman remains one of my favorite characters from all of these series, and there's quite a lot to mark this show as separate from the romcom anime it's pretending to be. There's a lot of pessimism in this show, but personally I prefer that to the usually optimistic outlook of the genre; sometimes real life really isn't all fun and games, nor is there any real way to make it so, and I admire that Oregairu doesn't back away from portraying that.