Wolf Rants: Some Anime Winter 2012 reviews

Okay so here are my quick reviews for most of Winter 2012s anime series. Yeah, I ain’t reviewing all the series that came out or ended this season either because I didn’t watch them or I just don’t feel like making one for ‘em. BTW, I’ve already given Nisemonogatari its own review but I just copy-pasted it here just in case.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Review [7/10]

Like many others, I initially associated Ano Natsu de Matteru with Ano Hi Mita Hana no Name o Bokutachi wa Shinranai, because of the immediate name and character design similarities. I pegged this show as my romantic comedy fix of season since I didn't really count Amagami SS+. I've never seen Onegai Teacher, so I knew I wouldn't make any connections if there were any. Looking at the director, I felt I could expect something similar to Ano Hana or Toradora, two of his more famous works. However, I didn't go in having high expectations, because this is J.C. Staff we're talking about. Onto the spoiler-free review.

Story:
Given the genre, I didn't give it much scrutiny for this category. This was your basic country boy meets alien girl, and they fall in love schtick. The romance part of the plot unfolded very well. You have your standard misunderstandings, but not only are they cleared up, the relationship status doesn't revert back to zero. The characters, one by one, express their feelings in an orderly manner, creating a well structured love polygon. Where they stumble, however, is when the sci-fi subplot kicks in. It wasn't poorly done, but it felt a tad bit rushed and had a plot hole near the end. Nonetheless, I didn't care too much about the sci-fi aspect because the romance was done well.

Characters:
The main couple, Kaito and Ichika, were very bland characters. Neither possessed any personality traits that made them particularly stand out, and the two seem to just fall in love because of circumstance. The supporting cast was much more complex. Kanna was endearing and played her role in the love polygon very well. She was just someone you couldn't help but root for. Tetsurou and Mio both had inner conflicts regarding whether they should make decisions to benefit themselves or their friends. Remon was just plain fun to watch. Other supporting characters that only showed up for an episode or two played their part well. Main couple aside, they did a very nice job with the characters.

Art/Animation:
The first thing I noticed as far as art goes is character designs. Tanaka Masayoshi's character designs are distinct and easily recognizable, notably from shows such as Ano Hana, Tora Dora, and High School of the Dead. His designs have a very smooth aesthetic feel to them. As for color, I found the palette they used to be a bit dull. Being a romance anime, there wasn't very much animation of note. Though during the small amount of sci-fi scenes, the animation was done well.

Sound:
This was probably one of my favorite aspects of the show. They used some excellent scores to evoke various emotions throughout the show. The key part, however, was that their musical timing on when to play those scores was impeccable. Another song of note was definitely the ending song, Vidro Moyou by Nagi Yanagi.

Overall:
I more or less had fun keeping up with this show every monday. Ano Natsu brings nothing new to the genre, but the romantic aspect of the show was well executed. Everything was well put together, aside from a bit of a stumble near the end. The show made me care about the characters, and that is good enough for me as far as romance anime goes. I found it to be a satisfying watch, but it definitely wasn't memorable. I wouldn't recommend it as a must-watch, but it's definitely better than a lot other romantic comedies out there. A solid 7/10.

-Bern

Ano Natsu de Matteru 12 - Finale

After an enjoyable three month ride, the Ano Natsu train has finally arrived at its final destination. The finale ended up being more of the same, with some romance, some drama, and some comedy. I didn't really mind as long as we got some form of a happy end, after all, isn't that why we watch these kinds of shows in the first place? Overall, the ending was less than perfect, but I found it to be surprisingly satisfying.

Hahaha, I burst out laughing at this part. I guess those of us who speculated that Remon's part of the Men in Black were right on the mark. They definitely dropped enough hints to push us in that direction. A little bit I liked was that Nanami's husband is part of the MIB as well. No wonder he's rarely home to keep his wife happy.

It turns out that the evidence that there was indeed alien contact with Earth was a sign on a tree, but the tree has already been destroyed, probably by natural causes. Though I haven't watched Onegai Teacher, the voice in the stored memories seems to be Mizuho, and the name scratched on the tree is Mizuho. This confirms that the show takes place in the same universe, but some time after it. With no evidence, Ichika really has no choice but to be taken home.

This was something that I really hoped would be in the show at the end of the series: the crew being able to watch end product of all the movies as well as the various candid scenes that Remon shot. Being able to see their various reactions to what they all went through that summer was nice. Again, the ED placement was nice as well.

I'm pretty sure this should be translated as "Special Advisor" rather than "Special Visit"

Because there is no longer evidence of alien contact in the past, the MIB seems to be working on researching the alien technology. What I'm sure they were going for is that if they advanced their technology, they will no longer be classified as a Class F civilization, and thus alien contact will be allowed. My small gripe about this is the fact that they're probably using the drones that they destroyed and Rinon's help to replicate one of their space ships. I'm pretty sure the reason Ichika's sister came to Earth was that one of the drones went missing. How could they possibly leave a couple of the drones and Rinon unaccounted for?

Then again, I don't care so much about the plot in a romance anime. At the end, it is implied that Ichika eventually came back to Earth, so I'm sure MIB was successful. This ending sort of reminded me of the ending of another JC staff work, Toradora: have the main girl leave, but show up during the final seconds of the final episode. I'm sure a lot of people were hoping for a bit more closure, me included, but I felt that the ending stands well on what it is right now. Another small gripe that I had was that they could have been more explicit about Tetsurou and Mio getting together, even though they gave a slight hint near the end. Overall, an acceptable ending to an enjoyable watch.

-Bern

Ano Natsu de Matteru 11 - Against the Universe

A bit of a late post because of some procrastination and being busier than expected, but we're nearing the finale at the penultimate episode of the season. With the arrival of Ichika's sister the previous episode, they are going to address the issue of Ichika leaving at long last. Reserving the final two episodes to resolve the problem is quite fitting as any less time would feel rushed, and any more would likely result in some random filler.

I literally burst out laughing when I saw the pair take Rinon hostage. Ichika seems to be the character with the least resolve. She always requires some external force, or character for that matter, to push her to do what she really wants to do. She gives up too easily because she fears the consequences, and not wanting to bring any trouble to anyone else. I would say that it's selfless to a fault. You really have to be selfish sometimes to get the best outcome.

After Ichika's sister explains to them that alien contact with Earth is illegal because Earth is classified as a Class-F civilization, the gang tries a long-shot, last-ditch effort in an attempt to get through a loophole. After several logical leaps, they come to the conclusion that if they find evidence that aliens have made contact with Earth before at Ichika's envisioned place in the past, they would somehow no longer be classified as a Class-F civilization. Surely enough, they find the place but it becomes a race against time because the kidnap pods make their unwelcome return.

Just who is she exactly? She's portrayed as a rather omnipotent character with access to all kinds of crazy gadgets. I wonder how she convinced Ichika's sister to help them out. Though Ichika's sister seemed sympathetic to their cause, I wouldn't outright rule out that Remon has some sort of leverage over the aliens. Maybe she is Men in Black after all.

The perfect time to ask someone out would be amidst the action, because you won't know how everything will turn out. Now that the already obvious Mio and Tetsurou pairing is finally confirmed, Kanna is playing her role nobly as well. Being good friends that they are, the three of them put themselves at risk to divert the pods away from the main couple. Like the rest of the series, Ano Natsu has really excelled in musical timing during these kinds of scenes.

Director Nagai sure loves his cliffhangers. Judging by the preview, however, it seems to suggest that Ichika will be leaving, but coming back to Earth in the future. Then there's the issue of what the title exactly translates to. I've seen it as "Waiting in the Summer," and "We'll Be Waiting for You That Summer." If we take the latter to be true, the finale may end in a bittersweet note, but hinting hope for the future, which sort of reminds me of Anaru and Jintan's relationship at the end of Ano Hana. Nevertheless, it was a great episode, and I'm looking forward to the finale next week.

-Bern

Ano Natsu de Matteru 10 - Putting It All Out There

Hahaha, Lemon sure knows how to give a good laugh whenever we need one. After ending the episode on a rather happy note, this episode picks up right where we were left off. Kai and Ichika do all the cheesy and cutesy things that all couples are supposed to do: huddle up in close physical proximity, blush unapologetically, and get interrupted by an ageless condom dispenser. Though there were some rather melancholy moments during this week's installment, I think the overall tone of the episode was on the positive side because things are well on their way to being resolved, as far as relationships go.

Tetsurou, after being confronted by Mio, finally puts away his "manly glasses" mask in front of Kanna, reveals his motivations, vents his frustrations, and ultimately confesses to the girl he loves. Despite only seeing their size difference as teens, I think many of you would agree that it's not hard to imagine Kanna protecting Tetsurou from all the bullies when they were kids. Knowing your confession won't bear any fruit, but doing it anyway is a good way to break free from any chains restraining you from any future endeavors in romance.

This is another great scene of the episode right here. The parallels here are obvious: Tetsurou plays Kanna's role from the previous week, and Mio plays Tetsurou's role from the previous week. The idea of bravery was nicely touched upon. It certainly does take a good amount of courage to let your feelings be known, and to put yourself in a vulnerable position. Despite the risk of hurting yourself, you throw everything into the open because love is the grandest of the grand.

I think her scream here epitomizes the episode's message, if it wasn't hammered home already. All that pent up emotion bottled up since Kanna and Kai first met, since Mio was first introduced to Tetsurou, and since Tetsurou and Kanna were growing up together side by side, all of that went into a single scream. And to finally cap it off was the final confession. Despite knowing the outcome, she found release in it, and was proud that she was finally able to let her feelings be known. Now that every confession that needed to be made has been made, the pieces will naturally fall where they may.

The only wildcard left in the equation is whether or not Ichika will leave Earth. For some odd reason, Ichika's sister reminded me of Kai's sister, who we haven't seen since second episode. We've already seen Ichika stressing that what she's concerned about is the present, but as the film begins run short, so does her time to make the decision. Does the ED sequence really indicate that Ichika will leave? As much as it'd interesting for her leave, it pains me to not see a happy ending to what has been an enjoyable ride thus far.

-Bern

Ano Natsu de Matteru 09 - The Fifth Time

Another week, another great episode of Ano Natsu de Matteru, and I would argue that this week's installment was possibly the best of the series so far. Picking up right where we were left off last week, Ichika comes clean about her extraterrestrial identity and gives the crew a basic rundown of what happened and why she's here. As expected, they were surprised, but didn't really care about the fact that she's an alien.

As we're shown Ichika avoiding Kai once again, we get to see a little more of Kanna's side of things. I really liked the hints and observations she makes of Kai sprinkled throughout the episode. Another example of missed opportunity that seems to be a theme for the show. Kanna has know him for a relatively long time, but chose not to act. You'll never know when a red-headed alien will crash land and snatch your beloved away.

I would say that she's wise beyond her years, but I don't think that would be appropriate because she could be a thousand years old for all we know. I remember writing in first couple episodes that Remon and Tetsurou will probably be the catalysts for the relationships to move forward. In hindsight, I would definitely add both Kanna and Mio into the mix. They all play a part into moulding the main couple.

This scene was absolutely beautiful. The perfect combination of buildup, music, and voice acting. Everything she said hit the nail on its head. From her observations, she was seeing the little things that Kai does for Ichika, and was tired of watching her dance around the topic. Kanna has long already realized that there is no chance that Kai will return her love, so she basically makes a self-sacrifice. Putting the happiness of the one you love before your own happiness is really what love is all about. I couldn't help but tear up a little bit.

After a fierce attempt of putting a mask in front of Ichika, her emotions just overwhelms her. It wasn't even a rejection; she gave up because she wanted what was best for Kai. Unfortunately for Tetsurou, Kanna was so focused on everything revolving around Kai, she never realized his feelings for her. There's nothing Tetsurou could do but lend her a shoulder to cry on.

But what about Mio? Is she crying because she feels sad for Kanna accepting defeat? Is she crying because Tetsurou's comforting of Kanna spells her own heartbreak? Maybe it's both. She'll probably be more of a focus in the next episode.

As bittersweet romance suggests, once the bitter part is over, in comes the sweet. Heeding Kanna's advice, Ichika finally addresses the elephant in the room. Their love is obviously mutual, so they finally decide to put it into words. It was a really good transition from sad emotions to a much fluffier tone to end the episode on a happy note. Now that the main couple has been established, all that's left to resolve is the remaining love triangle, and the issue of whether or not Ichika leaves. Only three more episodes left!

-Bern

Ano Natsu de Matteru 08 - How to Pass the Test of Courage

I wonder what other things are written in Remon's "Secret Notebook." After basking in the rays on an Okinawan beach, the crew finds themselves back home to work on the editing process of the film. But what kind of summer would it be without a summer festival? Remon continues to troll the cast as well as the audience, revealing that she is much older than she lets believe. Since Tetsurou's sister has another petty argument with her husband, Remon continues to be the catalyst of the show by enlisting her help for the test of courage.

No, not really. At least Pearz doesn't think it looks good. I've never been too fond the trope of girls cutting their hair because they've "changed." If she's trying to grab more of Tetsurou attention by looking a little more like Kanna, I'd tell her that Manly Glasses has already taken more notice of her. Kanna also notices a change in Kai's character. Perhaps realizing that her time is running out, she chooses to make her move this episode. But was she successful? I bet you can already guess.

This section is going to random personal aside, so skip it if you're not interested. You've probably wondered if all the cliches like fish-scooping for Japanese festivals or haunted houses for Cultural festivals are actually true. I can't say anything for Cultural festivals, but I had personal experience with the Bon Festival, which is held in August. Because I literally grew up one block away from the Japanese Buddhist Church in Oakland, I was lucky enough to go to a couple when I was younger. They did, in fact, have bazaars with stalls of food, fish-scooping games, traditional Japanese dancing in kimonos. I actually found a a couple youtube clips, of said festival from 2010. I can even see where I used to live in that clip! Anyway, that's just my random personal experience tangent.

Remon's plan to advance relationships worked with resounding success, for Mio and Tetsurou at least. These two have gotten more and more screen time of them alone together. I think I can safely say they'll get paired together by the end of the show. Unfortunately for Kanna, she gets shafted once again. When Kai ran to Ichika's scream, you can see the heartbreak on her face. She really has no chance.

Cue the emergency beacon that has been foreshadowed since Arisawa's ass plastered Rinon onto the floorboards a couple episodes back. For something that's supposed to rescue her, it's incredibly aggressive. Props to Kai for manning up once again, confessing again, and dying to save the one he loves. Now that's how you pass the test of courage! Except for you know, the dying part.

But never fear, because the super-anti-entropic-heal-everything-luminescent-medicine back from the first episode is here! I wonder if she had to kiss him this time as well. Ichika is extremely apologetic, and rightfully so, because she's the reason he keeps dying. I'm sure the question that has been hanging on a lot people's minds is that whether or not Kai will need Ichika's alien technology to remain healthy and alive. This sets up a rather big revelation because the attempted kidnap by the emergency beacon really let the cat out of the bag. Even Remon seemed a little surprised. What kind of questions will they ask her? Given what I've seen with the characters, they probably just want some explanations, and wouldn't care less about the fact she's an alien. The issue is whether or not she decides to leave. Only 4 more episodes left!

Also, be sure to check out the full ED single called Vidro Moyou by Nagi Yanagi; it's a pretty good song.

-Bern

Ano Natsu de Matteru 07 - Snail's Pace

We're slowly but steadily getting near our ending. This show certainly excels at meshing both a mellow feeling and melodrama, thus I hereby coin the term mellowdrama. Every episode, I want to say "Wow, nothing happens!" But, in fact, something significant happens almost every episode, but it just doesn't move the plot along very much. We get much of the same in this week's installment, ranging from on-the-spot confessions to soothing guitar pieces.

Last week, I said that Kinoshita's feelings must be genuine because her reaction to Kai's rejection. Boy, did I read her situation wrong. I guess I took Kai's intuition that something was bothering her too lightly. Though it turns out that I was right about them being written out of the picture this episode. Certainly, it isn't hard to see that Kinoshita and Arisawa are both plot devices to move the stagnant relationships forward, for Kai and Ichika, and Tetsurou and Mio respectively.

This was perhaps my favorite scene in the episode. Mio repeatedly thanks Tetsurou for not exposing her secret (no pun intended), but in Arisawa's aggressive pursuit of her man, she accuses Mio of being a exhibitionist pervert. In response, Mio breaks down divulges her insecurities about her family's "free" at-home practices and how she's happy to have made so many friends. Tetsurou, being the good friend that he is, tells her that she could tell them anything that's on her mind because they're friends. She does just that and declares her love for him right on the spot. Though the confession is still hanging in limbo as of right now, Tetsurou had a rather serious face on when Mio said she didn't need an answer right away. I think Tetsurou will end with Mio over Kanna.

As Arisawa indirectly helps the Tetsurou/Mio relationship move ahead, Kinoshita directly tries to bring Kai and Ichika together. After just blatantly ignoring Kai's confession and helping him study instead a couple of episodes ago, Kinoshita helps her realize that the feelings are indeed mutual. Prior to this episode, I would have said that Ichika is the sole character holding the show back, but she is showing that she can make some moves too. Again, Kai may be a bland protagonist, but you definitely cannot fault him for knowing what he wants and going after it.

Unfortunately for Kanna, Kai and Ichika are getting ever-closer and her hopes are slowly getting dashed. Once again, she is being left out of the loop and stuck being troll fodder for Remon. However, the preview hints that she's going to make her move at the festival next episode. I'm interested in how Kai is going to respond because he already knows she loves him. I also like how they've been dropping hints about the finale for the past two weeks via Rinon and the spaceship. It's only a matter of time before they revisit Kai's spaceship crash injuries. The only prediction I can make for next week is that Tetsurou and Mio get a little closer. Though Kai rejected Kinoshita quite firmly, I think it'll be a different story with Kanna, so I'm not sure what will happen. Until next week~

-Bern

Ano Natsu de Matteru 06 - The Expanding Polygon

Sorry for the late post; I've been on the busier side of things. Last week, Tetsurou dropped the bomb on Kaito by telling him that Kanna is in love him, with Ichika overhearing their conversation to boot. So how exactly does this move along anyone's relationship? It really goes nowhere. Kai will go on pretending that he doesn't know until things really hit the fan because he doesn't really want ruin the status quo friendship that they currently have. Ichika, on the other hand, gets something extra to think about when time comes for her to make a decision on whether or not she'll stay on Earth.

So where do we go if the Kanna bomb doesn't blow up? They conveniently get a free vacation trip to Okinawa where our two studly male leads rake in some booty at the beach, expanding on the already rather complex love polygon. Kinoshita is Kai's self-proclaimed fiancee who went to elementary school together with him. Arisawa, Kinoshita's friend, has taken quite a liking the tall, dark, and handsome Tetsurou. Being the catalyst she is, Remon swoops in and makes them actresses for the movie, much to the chagrin of the other female regulars.

Kinoshita and Arisawa don't waste time playing around because they get to their men quicker than Jeremy Lin drives into the paint. Seeing that Arisawa in attack mode rouses Mio's inner linebacking skills to plant Arisawa flat on the pink space animal. Now revealed to go full-time commando, I really hope Mio doesn't let this opportunity get past her. A recurring theme so far in the show is that everyone chooses not to act. They probably think this way because they're teenagers, which means they have plenty of time to do it. Remon says it best when she says that everyone should be more true to their feelings. Life is something very spontaneous and anything can happen at any moment, so you might lose your chance if you don't act.

Kinoshita, probably being the more serious of the two lasses, gets straight to point and confesses to Kai. In response, he remains firm in his stance that he already has someone he likes. I felt pure emotion when I saw tears run down her cheeks because it really confirms that her love is genuine. Hats off to Kai for giving her a straight answer, unlike a certain red-haired-glasses-wearing alien. My question for that scene is whether or not Ichika purposely interrupts them when Kinoshita is about to make another move. Despite thinking that it'll be impossible between the two of them, she sure goes out of her way to stop anyone else from getting close to him. Love is a hell of drug.

Doesn't Remon seem kind of lonely in that scene? Despite their bold attacks, I think the spotlights on Kinoshita and Arisawa will be short-lived. I expect them to finish up this "beach arc" and write off the two Okinawa babes in the next episode. The real question is how Ichika and Kai will deal with their newest development, and how Tetsurou and Mio will handle their own ordeal. It sucks to be Kanna because she always seems to be left in the dark. Though Japan really seems to like Kanna the most because she has spawned more fanart. Unfortunately, her prospects of getting the guy are slim to none. Looking forward to the next episode.

-Bern

Ano Natsu de Matteru 05 - The Third Wheel

She knows everything! I wouldn't say that this week's installment was a step up from the previous episode, but I definitely prefer the exploration of characters' interiors over misunderstandings. I don't know how Remon always knows what buttons to push, but I don't think we'll ever find out. The improv script is pretty useful tool; Ichika's lines definitely reflects reality.

Of course, the tease is that the other characters won't catch on that she is, in fact, an alien. The whole setting of the movie opens up room for Ichika to ask Kai a not-so-hypothetical question: "What would you do if you found out I was an alien?" To answer her distress from two episodes back, she finds solace  that he'd be fine with it.

Without a doubt, the star of the episode was Kanna. I labeled her as the third wheel because she spent most the episode just observing Ichika and Kai happily conversing with each other. There were a lot of close up shots of her looking over at the two. On the rainy day with filming stopped, she actively goes out of her way to Kai's house, only to see more of the same from their filming session. In her frustration, she pulls out the touchy question about asking how long Ichika's going to stay.

The appeal of the show isn't something brilliantly original and avant-garde, but rather showcasing the intricacy and difficulties of adolescent romance. The depiction of the characters and how they act are incredibly human. It's easy for one to critique how certain characters shouldn't have wasted opportunities, but if one were placed in the same situation, I'm sure it's more of a dilemma. In addition, we get invested in the characters because they are good people. Despite her impulsive inquisition, Kanna is wracked with guilt over asking such a question and resolves to no longer interfere. Tetsurou, rather than pursuing his own love, is actively supporting Kanna with her's. This anime really is full of suffering.

Should I be expecting this kind of ending every other episode? Way to get the ball rolling, Tetsurou. I think he really sees that it's now or never for Kanna. If she continues sit on the sidelines, she'll just be watching Ichika and Kai deepen their connection. I think it's pretty selfless of him to do that because the consequence of Kanna finding out may or may not be severe. Needless to say, I hope they really don't just ignore something this big like in earlier episodes. I wonder when Mio will make her move? Obligatory beach episode next week.

-Bern