winifred65 - 2017-01-08 12:06:14

A good anime, simple, great but i don’t think i will remember it long. but the story and metaphore are great if you want to see a little bit deeper than just the skin of this

cordia85 - 2016-10-03 20:41:08

Oh boy. An anime based on a card game. Now that kind of show hasn't disappointed me at all (*cough* Shingeki no Bahamut *cough* Puzzles and Dragons *cough*). To be perfectly frank, I don't think these anime are quite in my strike zone, but I guess I could try this one. I mean, I love a bit of idol drama and I've watched the first season of Free!, so I couldn't be any better prepared for this, right?

Episode 1

Turns out that handing out balloons for a while gets you dragged into a van and scouted as an idol. Red-haired kid's got it rough though, that scout's really got that "I'm secretly a homo" air about him. Gotta congratulate him on the phone slip though, I didn't think that's how he'd get him to come. [Oh god that sounds awful reading it back]

So yeah, this seems like the introductory episode, we've seen it all before, all the main characters getting!!!!! their!!!!! fancy!!!!! names!!!!! on!!!!! the!!!!! screen!!!!! so we're sure to never forget their names aaand they've already slipped my mind, how unfortunate. Rival indentified, training regimens, et cetera, the story's development is pretty average so far. Music is hardly memorable, and for an idol anime that's utterly disappointing - sound effects really didn't hit the mark with me either. Characters are pretty much archetypal and I'm not very interested in them. Animation is... par, I guess, I'll manage - but god is CG, like, normal for idol anime now? It's a shame, my favourite dance sequences from the IDOLM@STER anime weren't 3D animated. Overall, it wasn't absolutely terrible, but it's not really good enough for me to say for certain I'm enjoying it. Welp, we'll just have to see how this goes.

Initial rating spread: Story [5] Animation [6] Sound [5] Character [4] Enjoyment [5] Overall [5]

Episode 2

Wow, a whole minute dedicated to preview. Ain't that some sweet budget-cutting trick. Probably splurged all over their 3D CG anyway (grumble grumble).

... Wait his sibling's a guy? In elementary school?

WHAT NO YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO ME

Turns out poor red kid's entire class wants him to get autographs, not give them. Bummer. Seems like they're pushing Sankishi to be the final boss kind of thing? Spooky men at the window too. I swear to god Mikami's everywhere. "He won't change no matter what you say to him..." wow, solid flag right there, even bigger than wanting to become a halibut. Can't get over the transformation, or, uh... 're-clothing' sequences, but then again I'm a straight guy so I expected it to be awkward from the start. Do these dance moves really suit men though? I can't see it, personally. And ending on a scandal - what a terrifying cliffhanger. He has a girlfriend. Absolute disaster.

I hope they haven't settled the episode structure with this second episode, because Ange Vierge (Yuri Bathtub Time would be a more fitting name to be honest) did a similar kind of setup and it got pretty boring pretty fast. Most of my opinions on the aspects of the review remain the same, but the difference between red dude's off-stage and on-stage persona is starting to get to me. Hope and pray that I make it through this anime alive.

Rating spread by Ep2: Story [5] Animation [6] Sound [4] Character [4] Enjoyment [5] Overall [5]

Episode 3

I honestly have no idea how I considered red-hair's sibling a girl now. Maybe it was the parka + short hair combo (see my 10/10 avatar). We got a nice bit of life advice this episode: always dip your biscotti in your coffee. That might be the only thing I take away from this anime at the end of it all. Anyhow, today's episode was about a detective (or four) trying to solve the mystery behind mopey blue-hair's song '2032', which they sung last episode and apparently completely botched the meaning up. It's a fairly simple mystery (one that's easily solved at least as early as the first 'flashback'), but then again for an idol anime no-one would expect a Hyouka-esque conundrum to turn up out of the blue.

OH WELL PLAYED YOU JUST TRIP UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAVEMENT NO-ONE'S EVER DONE THAT BEFORE IN SUCH AN EMOTION-FUELED SCENE OH THE EMOTIONS ARE SO INTENSE I MIGHT FALL OVER MYSELF. The make-up session after that had the same sort of generic feel to it. Episode finished once again on a concert, singing exactly the same song as last episode, and I mean exactly, right down to using the same vocalists. Great variety there. And of course we have to finish on just happening to walk right by a certain person without even noticing each other god anime y u do dis.

I liked the use of OST a little more than the first two episodes, but add to it a next-episode repeat of a song by the third episode, and it's not enough for me to bump up my sound rating (I felt some of the voice acting fell a little flat too). I'm undecided on slapping a mark off Animation since most of it is mediocre at best (which I'd put at 5 for 'average'), but they did put some effort into 3D which I might give them credit for (albeit annoying frame-limited animation against the smooth-changing camera angles really grinds my gears sometimes). Character might be something I bump up if I see a lot more development across the next few episodes of the other members of red-hair's boy harem, but for now it sticks at 4. Time to wait for next week to see what more melodrama they can come up with. Hype hype

Rating spread by Ep3: Story [5] Animation [6] Sound [4] Character [4] Enjoyment [5] Overall [5]

Episode 4

Oh hurrah, a new unit has been formed! Rip green-hair and pretty-boy, I'm sure their time will come soon. Maybe. In any case, that name reveal came as a surprise until I remembered they refer to green lights as "blue lights". Personally, I think it's super cliche and mundane, but I doubt even God knows what the audiences in the anime look for in a name, maybe it's an absolute zinger. At least, that's how the idols seem to be treating it.

Blonde hair likes to be half-naked, it seems. The fanservice is burning my eyes. He's still got it out for newbie-kun too, and christ that schedule is a killer. Does this kid know the meaning of restraint? ... Oh he didn't go to high school. Well that explains a lot.

PRACTISING AT 3AM WHAT THE FUCK BRO

Today's drama is brought to you by blondie and newbie, who have a lovely little fight because a certain someone doesn't quite know the steps perfectly  days before the concert. And then they make up because... well I'm not entirely sure myself. Blondie just blurted out his life story and everything was dandy once again. Another short sparkle-sound-filled montage and we reach the concert. I think the choreography for this song has been the best suited for a male idol anime that they've shown. Also jumping through flaming hoops. Can't get much manlier than that, right?

There's still some awkward usage of the OST, and it hits my immersion pretty badly. I just can't get into this anime, but I've got to get through it for the sake of this, uh... review. For now, no changes to my rating spread, but I might raise the Character rating depending on next week's episode.

Rating spread by Ep4: Story [5] Animation [6] Sound [4] Character [4] Enjoyment [5] Overall [5]

Episode 5

Flower crowns, the ultimate enemy of masculinity, and they're wearing it like it's nothing. I guess that means they've gone beyond the ultimate, right? Cool, that means this show is over, the end goal has been reached, we can all go home now. That's what I'd like to say, but there's 20 more minutes of this to trawl through. Good luck, me.

Right, this week is going to be the 'I wanna be leadeeeer' drama episode, god help me if they drag this plot idea on for two. Their next job is much less a heartthrob and more on the level of a stroke... ugh. No I'm not excited. No I don't want to be the plastic bottle to your lid. I might have been more willing had you been a different gender but now I'm just done.

No no no I really want to skip this oh god I really do, the cringe is absolutely overwhelming. Also, why are the commercials so sudden?! This isn't the Land of Freedom! THERE'RE NO BURGERS IN THOSE BENTOS! JAPAN PLS

The killer smile is back and it's as plot-convenient as ever. The best show ever continues with more deadly lines like 'I'm pretty sure I'll be looking at you more than the movie'. Oh yes how romantic, the pheromones are pouring out in greater and greater quantities. I couldn't be any more turned on (than a light switch in a planetarium). The amount of fucking dates I've been on as audience-kun is wearing me down so much. This farm is a good change of pace. Of course, red-hair's going to screw up so hard you could probably fit a whole 3 eggplants in there by the time this is over OH NEVERMIND CHERRY TOMATOES ARE MY SHIT GIMME THAT SWEET!!!!!! SWEET!!!!!! FRUITY!!!!!! GOODNESS!!!!!!

Today's performance... well, the song was another good choice and I'd probably enjoy listening to the full version by itself, but the choreography looked pretty awful and blue-hair's singing voice did not suit him at all. And we end on the spookiest of all spooky endings, a new rival character. Wooooaaaaaaahhhhh so puuuuuumped...

I'm glad they didn't go with making the MC the leader of the group, but the story in general is still pretty cliche. The animation is same old, same old. Too many sparkles in such stupidly obvious places. The use of the OST was less jarring than other episodes, but it still doesn't sit right with me. Character rating stays the same, but I'm pulling my enjoyment rating down a notch. I hate myself for taking on this task.

Rating spread by Ep5: Story [5] Animation [6] Sound [4] Character [4] Enjoyment [4] Overall [5]

Episode 6

Hello and welcome back to your weekly Hell Festival! Come try our delectable shitty pancakes, cooked with love by our top dog, the great director-kun or something I don't fucking remember what his job is... or his name, for that matter. The suave eat-it-raw suit guy keeps talking about these waves that 'Tra-Sig' are creating, but I've seen no effect yet apart from last week's last scene. I imagine we're gonna get more info on that this episode.

THEY HAVE THE SAME FACE!!! *skips OP*

Okay, so this guy is either homo as hell or an absolute jerk. I'm going with the latter because RIP energy drink :c Does red-hair even read his schedule? If he didn't have this group of friends around him he'd've been fucked over so many times already. "What's your problem?" I'm sure that the brother's problem is that you took his fucking ice cream. Jesus Christ.

That casual wig adjust oh my god, my sides have been split for probably the first time this show. Why did I break there? God knows. And red-hair gets his comeuppance by having to read out an email of exactly what he did to his poor, innocent brother. Guilt trips are fun. And the radio show is going down the drain. Yippee! Depressing radio shows make for great entertainment.

OH MY GOD IT'S NOT TRAFFIC SIGNAL PERFORMING THIS TIME, FUCKING FINALLY! Those outfits are hideous though, and I didn't really like the song either. Ah well. And at last it looks like we might finish off the drama circle with green-hair.

All jokes aside, I thought this was a better episode than what came previously. I'm gonna knock the character rating up by one, partly for the brotherly love. Mostly for the brotherly flamethrower.

Rating spread by Ep6: Story [5] Animation [6] Sound [4] Character [5] Enjoyment [4] Overall [5]

Episode 7

I can't even be bothered this week to provide a running commentary. 'Best rocker' wants to become an idol for no fucking reason whatsoever, wants to enter the big competition but gets told to fuck off, asks a guy who's always getting beat up to join him, is refused, but gets him in anyway, and enters this preliminary competition. Beyond the ultimate guy says best rocker might be the one to go beyond the ultimate. He fucking wins. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT BULLSHIT WITH THE CHEERS?! I DON'T GET THIS SHIT. I DON'T GET ANY OF THIS SHIT. I DON'T WANT TO WATCH THIS. WHAT IS THIS SHITTY DRAMA. NOW THAT THEIR TOUCHING BEGINNING HAS BEEN COVERED THE WRITERS CAN TURN THEM INTO SHITFACES YESSSS

Enjoyment down, Story down. Putting Animation down too because I've realised this is an idol anime and should actually look nice. Hideous.

Rating spread by Ep7: Story [4] Animation [5] Sound [4] Character [5] Enjoyment [3] Overall [4]

Episode 8

I don't want to...

Anyway here have some random quotes I've picked up as I watch

GO BEYOND THE ULTIMATE

I CAN TOTALLY DO IT

CATCH YOUR EAR

MAX MAX MAX

BATS ARE FOR PLAYING BASEBALL WITH