One-Time Intro: Right, I never particularly was good at introductions. I’m just here to give you a short review on what might be worth on watching this season in terms of shows.
It was to be expected that anime will become more popular in the coming years, since the internet is expanding like an obese child locked in an fully equipped candy factory. As such the new people coming into contact with Anime culture and animation will keep coming. These people will most likely bump into the new releases, rather than the older ones and hopefully will end up here, or somewhere asking for some advice on what to watch.
My reviews generally target newer people to the industry, but also people that are generally busy – such as myself and need an idea on what should be watched. Then again this is not Kurogane’s Anime blog, which is damn hard to follow in my opinion, since the people there are open to everything and analyze everything – each chapter – which is fine, for a debate blog, but not for a reference on what to watch. I won’t use a grading system, but I’ll tell you what you should basically expect from the series overall.
Tokyo Ravens First Chapter Intro
That being said – let me start a review on the recently released Tokyo Ravens. Right of the bat we go into flashback world to establish foreboding elements. Then he wakes up, quite literally, perfectly establishing current situation. Christ, people, wouldn’t want anyone surprised by something. He might gasp and express some real human emotion. Also, just once I wanna be in the skin of one of those expandable rent-a-cop that say “FREEZE, you are under arrest”. I wonder how their brain works. “Pssst, Betty, she did not freeze. What do we do now?”
Probably the only action scene in the whole episode.
Next we start of by questioning if it’s a sci-fi or that the character is on an acid trip. Based on the next few minutes of video, we find it’s both. Sadly the first episode is all about establishing the current situation. It’s like blending the manga and giving a whole serving, of this is what hit the fan.
Totally bro. That cloud is eating the sun.
The anime finally establishes itself as an Action series somewhere in the last 3 minutes of animation. And that actually lasted for about one minute tops. And then again some bizarre situations ensue. At moments like this, I imagine that the people drawing the series just went on a strike and decided if they don’t finish in the next hour they commit suicide.
I love it when your mouth leaves your face. That chocolate was like super-glue.
Now typically, when you have her establish herself as a bad guy (well – when you give her some many fucked up attributes that “The Voices” come into play) – when she declares not holding back against his girlfriend and armed with a Mecha?!… I expect that tragedy that makes characters grow is ensured – Fullmetal Alchemist or something.
I’ve seen this setting in porn before. It’s hard to explain otherwise, but I have high hopes for ep. 2 of this.
I literally got up, blinked in fascination, as if Azano Kouhei realized: “Shit, how about something more that glittery tears happens, and we put an important character through a psychological trauma that requires more than the intellect of a 12 years old to surpass.” But no, he’s rubbing his hand like a catholic priest in a kindergarten, waiting for the next cliche to jump on.
That face! No bugs here. Just overloaded personalty. That choco-banana was roofied.
Currently it seems like the main character is just faffing about on purpose – which seems that more forced since it does not want to seem on purpose. The female love interest distances herself from her feelings so much that she’s a step from psychotic. Which funnily enough the others characters acknowledge and are describing as mysterious. Trust me fellas, we call that something else. Shrieks have a field trip with these ones.
The dog established itself by far as the best character. Just look at it!
I am trying hard not to judge something sci-fi that floppily tries to establish itself in current reality like some weak Harry Potter fantasy. But when the dude already shares chromosomes with Abe-no-Seimei, I want to see the blond blue-eyed girl that ancestor shagged Merlin. For a dose of originality I hope she has a moustache.
Seriously, just make an anime only with the dog – I’ll watch it.
Conclusion: Established Sci-fi. Action series – requires a few more episodes to even discuss. Worth watching… only if you are bored.
Recommendations: for new comers this will get you established probably with every cliché these types of anime throw at you. Go ahead and watch it. You will most likely enjoy it. For people like me… well that is what I had -> key for. Forwarding fast enough. People that are busy and can’t watch more than 2-3 anime a week, and usually need the weekend to keep up – this anime should be a mid-range priority. Watch some cool stuff like Monogatari or a RomCom you like.
Trivia: I did not add a picture of the love interest. Watch it for yourselves.
