Normally I don’t doubt the titles I choose to
review. And while im glad some people
have liked my reviews thus far of Love Hina, I know that some might be
scratching their heads over it. Well, as
hard as it is to believe, while action/scifi/mecha/fantasy Anime is always my
go to for the medium, it’s not all my Anime collection is comprised of. Sometimes I like to step out of the comfort
zone a bit, enjoy a look at titles others wouldn’t think I’d touch with a ten
foot poll. And sometimes, just
sometimes, I run into one that I really, really like. Well, I managed to choose five of them for
everyone to know about. Kind of like
Love Hina, not ashamed to say I like these titles…I still love my s*** blowing
up Anime titles a little more but still.
#5-Fate/Kaleid
Liner Prisma Illya
If you’ll recall this was one of the earliest titles I
covered over in First Impression Fridays.
Well I continued on and, I actually really liked this series. It quickly became a sunnier version of Madoka
Magica for me. While it did get a little
more series in the second half of the first season, it never lost it’s comedic
timing, especially when it came to some fun moments with Illya and Miyu. And wow, they managed to carry over Fate/Stay
Night penchant for bad ass battle scenes.
Who would’ve thought id be impressed by Illya dawning an Archer outfit
and turning into a deadly swordswoman?
Plus, of course, my waifu, Rin, always had some of the best moments (of
course I started watching this series for her).
I blew threw the first season pretty quick and am not sorry I did. Keep an eye out for my First Impressions of
the second season, Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya 2wei, in a couple of weeks on
First Impression Friday.
#4-Ouran High
School Host Club
A show about a Host Club...whose members also include a
cross dressing girl that everyone thinks is a boy? In truth, if I hadn’t made it passed the
first episode, I probably wouldn’t have carried on. The initial premise is a little hard to
swallow, don’t ask why. But the bonds
between these characters makes the series a worth while watch. And it’s also pretty freaking funny at
times. It does take a dip into the more
serious side towards the end that hurts it a little. I still had a fun time watching the escapades
of these guys, especially the deadly little time bomb that is Honinozuka if his
stuff bunny, Usa Chan, gets coffee on him.
But I totally credit this guilty pleasure to Vic Minogna, who left such
a strong impression at his live panel at Otakon 2013. His being such an incredible voice actor and
general human being, convinced me to add this title to my collection well after
I watched it all on Netflix.
#3-Free
Yep, don’t think I need to say much more about this one
that I haven’t already. The girls have
their reasons to like it. I have the
bonds of brotherhood, the memories of swimming, and just some generally well
written story arcs and great characters to enjoy. And those theme songs kick ass as well. For more about how much I ended up enjoying
this surprise hit, you can check out my reviews of both Free! and Free! Eternal
Summer, down below.
Free!-The Complete First Season
Free! Eternal Summer-The Complete Second Season
#2-K-On
I first found out about this one back at Otakon
2011. It’s cutesy animation and focus on
an all girls rock band should have turned me off. But then the music started playing. And then I started watching for the character
interactions, even if they weren’t playing music more than half the time. THEN I became fans of the core voice
actresses for the English Dub, having seen them in concert and met them in
person for autographs. K-On is a special
series. The feel good vibe is undeniable
and the music is just so…gahhh cant think of the best words to describe
it. This is a rainy day Anime, one to
put in when you’ve hit rock bottom. Let
the music fill your ears and let it tell you what it always tells me…everything
is going to be ok. FUWA FUWA TIME!!!
#1-Escaflowne The
Movie
This isn’t a great movie.
It takes everything that made Escaflowne so enjoyable: the mecha, the
decently executed love story, the world wind fantasy adventure, and tosses most
of it out the window. Instead we get a
Christopher Nolan style reboot with all the characters darker, edgier and more
violent (or depressed) than anyone wants them to be. So why, oh why, do I like this one when most
Escaflowne fans deem this the bastard offspring of their beloved series? Well…I’m not the biggest Escaflowne fan to
begin with, that’s a start. And also,
when I saw first this movie, I had only had a minor understanding of things
based on what I saw from the heavily edited Fox Kids broadcast. I mean yeah, the movie has pacing problems
and is pretty much trying to pack 26 episodes of content into a two hour
flick. But it’s still gorgeous, has one
of the best musical scores in any Anime and I think the action (what little
there is) isn’t bad at all, especially the centerpiece Escaflowne battle between
Van and Dilandeu. Say what you will of
me, but I’ll pop this one in to fall asleep to anyday.
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