Winter 2011 Anime First Impressions (Part 2)

This continues the earlier Winter 2011 anime written a week ago. This covers anime that has been aired and watched since the last entry of that post. Here, there are anime that I'm more likely to drop, looking at the content.

There was some tiny text below the title indicating a caution or warning should part of the video and/or audio (especially parts like opening, ending, and insert songs) be uploaded to places like YouTube or NicoNico Douga. What's the difference a caution and a warning? Here are some tips bases on what I've come across and actual experience, and it's related to what companies are listed in the credits and, more confusingly, be removed under the parent company of one of the listed companies or the little known full name. (Note to those who can't read Japanese: The name might be listed as plain-text Katakana/Kanji instead of the logo or romanised name, and don't expect the subs to translate that since they usually only bother with the music that's being played as it's happening.)

(By the way, I'm watching Hourou Musuko ep1 and Mahou Shojo Madoka Magika ep2 as I'm typing the first and second entry of this post)

Is this a Zombie? (これはゾンビですか？)
Caution: Kadokawa is listed in the credits
Episode 1: はい、魔装少女です (Yes, It's A Girl's Magical Clothes)
Aired on 11 January, watched on 12 January


This looks like an earlier version of the opening, because the opening animation in episode 1 is different. The music remains the same though.

It's already the beginning of the episode and the protagonist already reveals that he is a zombie, with the people around him not even realizing that. To prove that he can't die, he jumps in front of a truck to save a kitten who was crossing the road with its parent. It causes shock and confusion to witness since he is flung into the air, far away from the accident site.

Well this started when he was killed accidentally for being in a middle of a fight. Next thing he knows, he's caught in the middle of an another and was sawed into pieces. The girl who was fighting tried to fix him, but somehow mistakenly transfers her powers to him that makes her powerless. When another monster appears, he has no choice but, with the transferred powers, turn into a "magic girl". But those powers did not transform his body that gave the following impression on seeing: a pervert.

The other trailers gave me a completely different impression of the anime. How it turned out is on the negative side of shock. The character design of the main character is boring and, in the "magic girl" mode, disgusting. If I'm looking for a more serious magic girl anime in this season, that would be Madoka. I'm sticking with this for a while though, because of the interesting opening and ending, the potential to improve, and characters that have yet to appear being shown.

I Don't Like You At All, Big Brother! (お兄ちゃんのことなんかぜんぜん好きじゃないんだからねっ!!)
Aired 9 January, watched 14 January

Since the very first time I saw the character design, I have already felt my dislike towards this anime. Even when compared with Kore ha Zombie Desuka? above, the glaring main negative point is the character design: long, thin necks, odd body proportions. You might think that this is a sister-brother love like the the Autumn 2010's OreImo, but this is below average for me.

When I watched this, more glaring negative points is the opening and the first part of the first episode, though there are some serious stuff in the second half. In fact, I've even had my doubts about watching this that there's even almost a week's delay between it being aired and actually watching it.


Wandering Son (放浪息子)
Warning: Aniplex and Enterbrain are listed in the credits
Aired & Watched 14 Jan
Episode 1: おんなのこって なんでできてる？ ～Roses are red, violets are blue～ (Why are Girls Able To Do It? - Roses are red, violets are blue)



This anime has the obvious watercolor-like look that oddly matches nicely, almost like a still motion and blacks are not complete blacks. However, the watercolor look seems to last throughout the whole episode, including the opening and ending credits.

This anime is about a boy and girl who are in middle school who wants to become the other gender due to circumstances. If you are looking for fanservice like that of Sora no Otoshimono or anything other than a lot of dialogue, this is not what you are looking for as it's on the opposite end of that scale. The degree of seriousness is there.

There are some scenes designs that can appear otherwise. Take the above image for example: by just looking at it, is it a dormitory or a bedroom? Well, here are the things that are telling me this:

1. The two girls are in uniforms
2. A double decked bed
3. Hallway is barely visible, and the parts that could be seen is bare
4. The boy knocked the door

There's a manga of it, but I had not read that yet. I've found a general summary of it though:

Shuicihi Nitori appears to be a shy and quiet preteen boy, when he transfers to a new school he quickly makes friends with the tomboyish Yoshino Takatsuki who sits next to him. It soon becomes apparent that both Shucihi and Yoshino are more than simply a sensitive boy and masculine girl, they both are transgendered. Together they decide to take the first steps toward becoming the people they want to be.

Wait, what? Transgendered?! Anyways, it looks like there aren't any new anime of interest until March or April, not including OVAs and movies, so that's all for now.