Summer 2016 Preview Guide

Summer 2016 Preview Guide
Written by ClayDragon & Shiggins 

It's summer! And what better way to celebrate than by going on holiday, doing some sunbathing, and making the most out of life? Just kidding! We're sitting inside watching anime instead. And since the summer run of new shows has just started, we've written down our reactions to the first episodes of some of the more interesting shows. We haven't watched every new series (we're only human, after all), but hopefully this article will give you some idea of what shows to watch.

NOTE: If you've already read/seen the source material for any of these shows, please, please refrain from posting spoilers in the comments section.

91 Days (Written by: ClayDragon)

Set in the Prohibition era, 91 Days tells the story of Angelo Lakuza, a young man whose family was killed by the Mafia seven years ago. In order to get revenge on the family behind the murders, Angelo attempts to join them and destroy them from the inside. To this end, he enlists the help of one of his old friends, now a bootlegger selling alcohol. Angelo eventually ends up on close terms with the family's eldest son, and in the next 91 days, he will enact his revenge.

Just your everyday, upstanding, moral protagonist.

91 Days immediately calls to mind Baccano!, as the setting, time period and aesthetic are all very similar. However, this show is a lot more serious, focusing more on revenge and gritty crime drama. Whilst the tone of 91 Days might be a bit too moody for some people, the animation, soundtrack and revenge-driven story make this show worth sticking around for. Let's just hope the rest of the series continues in the vein of the first episode.

*insert smooth jazz music*

Verdict: 4/5

Alderamin on the Sky (Written by: ClayDragon)

Watching a new series based solely on who's animating it can be a risky venture. On one hand, Shiggins watched Kiznaiver purely because it was animated by the folks behind Kill la Kill, and that seems to have paid off quite nicely. On the other hand, I watched Alderamin on the Sky since it was done by Madhouse (I mean, have you seen One-Punch Man?), and it was a bit of a disappointment. Basically, five young soldiers and one princess are stranded behind enemy lines in a low fantasy world, and have to get back to safety.

If the author of this series seriously thought this was a good name to give one of the main characters, I'm going to find him and slap him.

Whilst this premise definitely has potential, it does have its share of shortcomings. None of the characters are particularly likeable, with the main character in particular being an unfunny perverted creep. The animation is nothing special either; there's none of the effort or love that was put into One-Punch Man. Finally, the first episode is mostly talking, and there's virtually no tension. If the dialogue was good, then it would be a bit more excusable, but it's just exposition and poorly-written drivel. Unless the series steps up soon, it'll just be another forgettable light novel adaptation.

This is NOT what you do to a girl you just met.

Verdict: 2/5


Amanchu! (Written by: ClayDragon)

Scuba diving has always held my interest somewhat, despite the fact that my nearest beach is so cold you'd be more likely to get cryogenically frozen than have a relaxing time swimming with fish. So I was somewhat excited to hear about Amanchu!, an anime series about two girls - Hikari and Futaba - going scuba diving. I figured that it would mostly be pretty underwater scenes and a laid-back atmosphere, and I was right. It's just a shame almost everything else went wrong.

Firstly, their faces aren't that funny.
Secondly, the cat is ugly as sin.
Thirdly, those school uniforms are a crime against fashion.

Don't get me wrong, the backgrounds and water effects are very pretty. But almost every character's face looks subtly off, and Hikari's super-deformed 'funny' face looks downright bizarre. Hikari's issues don't stop there, as she's one of the most irritatingly grating characters I've seen, coming off as an artificial and forced 'quirky genki girl'. Futabi is more relatable, but the fact that the first episode drags terribly means that we don't know that much about her. Unless Hikari's personality gets fixed quickly (which is doubtful), this will be one of the first shows that I'll drop this season, pretty visuals or not.

THANK YOU.

Verdict: 1.5/5

Bananya (Written by: ClayDragon)

It's about a cat in a banana skin, having adventures whilst being narrated by an elderly Japanese man with a soothing voice. What more do you want?

I need 20.

Verdict: Nya/5

Berserk (2016) (Written by: Shiggins)

Oh Berserk, what did they do to you?! Like everyone else, I was genuinely excited about the return of Berserk. I wasn't sure if they were continuing from the recent movies/original series, or doing an FMA: Brotherhood style reboot, so it was quite exciting to see they were continuing on and progressing the parts of the story that hadn't been animated yet... too bad they choose to fucking ruin it.

WHY would you introduce Puck into this story?! He's almost as adorable as Guts, his humour is crazy and actually pretty funny, and having him in this is like having Navi from OoT in Bloodborne!

Guts is a great antihero and the setting of "Nightmare Fantasy", as I've so eloquently titled it, looks great. Dark, with plenty of monsters, bright knights and tons of gore. Guts is searching for his ex-ally Griffith to avenge the murder of his comrades and the rape of his lover. In fact, this should be the perfect first episode, but two major elements ruin it - Puck and the animation. Most of the episode is animated with 3D CG, which is both distracting and cringe-inducing. Everyone looks out of place and unreal. The sad truth is that these elements make it difficult to recommend the series right now. If they stuck to regular animation, this episode would look utterly amazing. Instead, it's doomed to look dated. And for this colossal mistake, I don't know if it's worth investing in right now.

Wow. Even Mario looks ugly because of this animation...

Verdict: 2.5/5

Cute High Earth Defence Club LOVE LOVE! (Written by: Shiggins)

Why am I watching this?! No, let me fix that... WHY AM I WATCHING THIS AGAIN?! For those who don't know, this is the second season of the crossdressing "Magical Boy" anime that debuted in 2015, and has somehow managed to scrape out a sequel series despite the first one being very mediocre. It's cute, as the title implies, but nothing about it sticks with you. So when I put on season 2, mostly to see if any changes had actually come about, I was disappointed again. Given that this series follows a group of bishonens constantly fighting monsters in Sailor Moon-style outfits and using the power of love to defeat, it's surprisingly boring. Also, the villain is a green hedgehog and the main guide is a pink wombat who uses a corpse as a host.

"I'm not gay, I like boobs. I'm not gay, I like boobs. I'm not gay, I like boobs. I'm not boobs, I like gay..."

Season 2 is starting the exact same way, to quite a tragic degree. Everything feels almost on repeat. There's another green animal villain working alongside humans, There's another bath scene, another weird monster and another love-attack. I also doubt I'll manage to keep my eye on this repetitive love-fest, since I barely got through the first season, and if the second season is just "more of the same", it's little incentive to continue. Then again, bums. So... there's that.

Oooh, I am BEGGING for these two to be the next Hikaru and Kaoru.

Verdict: 2/5

Danganronpa 3: The End of Kibougamine Gakuen - Mirai-hen (Written by: Shiggins)

The series used red blood! It's over! Go home, everyone! Fuck it, who cares... Actually, a MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT here because if you have not completed the Dangan Ronpa 2 video game, then DO NOT watch this, or even read this entry in the article. However, for those of you who have enjoyed the Dangan Ronpa series like myself, this is a definite treat. And unlike with the first season, there's way more freedom due to not being restricted by being a straight adaptation of a video game. Therefore, everything feels immensely focused, instead of a rushed job.

He's heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere.... mate.

In the span of one episode, we get exactly what we've been hoping for all this time; The return of Monokuma, which raises tons of questions. A horrific murder, as another game of kill-to-survive begins, and a group of eccentric characters who all have basic skills that can be utilised in impressive ways as the story unfolds. The chaotic world they live in is disturbing but beautiful, just like the story itself, and seeing old favourites make a return, even some as cameos, is just a delight. This could honestly be the perfect ending to the Dangan Ronpa story... Oh, I hope they don't fuck this one up.

Goddamn, I love 2016.

Verdict: 5/5


Danganronpa 3: The End of Kibougamine Gakuen - Zetsubou-hen (Written by: Shiggins)

Yes, there is another Danganronpa 3 anime you have to watch! Yes, it's amazing and yes, you aren't allowed to watch this one either until you finish the first two games! In fact, this one is even more complicated because you can't watch episode 1 of this anime until you watch episode 1 of the other anime as well. So you'll have to watch Episode 1, then Episode 1, then Episode 2, then Episode 2. Isn't that super-fun?!

The opening and ending are both quite lovely actually, although debatable in how much they belong in this series.

Peculiarly though, this anime is a prequel to both the second video game, and the other Dangan Ronpa anime. It's about the characters from Dangan Ronpa 2, before the events of the game and how they interacted with each other. Of course, this raises a few questions already but what's even more confusing is the first three minutes... It's really hard to discuss this anime, so all I'll say is that it's about a new teacher going from pupil-to-pupil to get them to attend classes and become friends with each other. And as a fan, this is delightful for me. I finally get to see Komaeda, Nanami, Tanaka and Owari in animated form, and they manage to pull off utterly hilarious performances. Some of them, like Sonia, even poke fun at how you see them in the video game, which just makes things so much better. Unlike the other DR3 anime, this one seems much more focused on comedy. Which, if you know your Danganronpa history, could potentially make the ending all the more tragic.

Nanami is so fucking cute! I want one so fucking much!

Verdict: 4.5/5

Masou Gakuen HxH (Written by: Shiggins)

So I was at that stage where I was tired after work and wanted to take one last stab at checking out the new anime of the season. I saw the title of this anime, which made me think of Hunter X Hunter, and I got really happy because I love Hunter X Hunter. In retrospect, I should have looked at the anime instead of watching it, because what came my way was nothing short of perverted.

I was going to put a robot-suit gif here but... let's be honest, it's pointless to pretend this is anything but those tits.

This anime is about a male protagonist who has moved to a new school and discovers girls need their robot suits to be powered up by him groping, squeezing and whatnot until their arousal charges up the suits. From the creep factor that he does this to an unconscious girl because his sister told him, to the uncomfortable bouncing of bosoms that must break the backs of the women in this series, nothing about this feels decent. Kill la Kill, as I'm fond of saying, has tons of fanservice but still manages to provide both story and characterisation without needing to depend on it. It's a similar case with Bakemonogatari and Negima. This series is like a porn game. It clearly wasn't made for the story, and it clearly wasn't made for me to watch. So I won't. Because Kill la Kill is awesome.

AHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, I am sure that this "armour" is utterly perfect for battle!

Verdict: 1/5

Mob Psycho 100 (Written by: ClayDragon)

One-Punch Man was insanely popular, so it was only a matter of time before the series' creator ONE's other manga, Mob Psycho 100, got an anime too. It features the titular Mob, an incredibly powerful psychic who can exorcise ghosts and demons with ease. However, Mob doesn't particularly care for his powers, and would prefer to live a normal school life (is this sounding familiar yet?). He's joined by his boss Reigen, a phony psychic who takes the credit for Mob's work whilst leading Mob to believe that he's even more powerful than his young apprentice.

How anyone could even think about claiming they're more powerful than this guy is a mystery.

To be honest, I'm not too sure how I feel about Mob Psycho 100. The jokes are very much hit-or miss, and Mob as a character seems a bit too much like a blank slate. Nevertheless, Reigen is amusing to watch, and it'll be interesting to see how his and Mob's dynamic plays out. The other notable aspect is the animation - Bones have done an excellent job when it comes to any action, even something as simple as hand gestures. But the character's faces are drawn in ONE's signature style, making most people look like Saitama's super-deformed face with a wig. It's early days yet for Mob Psycho 100, but the way things are going it looks like One-Punch Man will still be considered ONE's magnum opus.

The question is: who would win in a fight between Saitama and Mob?

Verdict: 3.5/5

The Morose Mononokean (Written by: ClayDragon)

First things first: The fluffy yokai that stars in the first episode of this show is adorable, and must be made into a plush toy right now. Aside from that though, The Morose Mononokean is fairly standard as these types of show go. New high school student Hanae Ashiya winds up with said fuzzy yokai on his back that constantly drains his stamina, forcing him to go to Abeno, an exorcist in his class at school. So far, the show looks like it'll be a yokai-of-the-week gig, with Ashiya and Abeno butting heads whilst they exorcise the yokai.

It's so fluffy, I'm gonna die!

Aside from the fuzzball, the main thing about the first episode that made it particularly memorable was the rather emotional resolution. The last couple of minutes are more heartfelt than I was expecting, and they'll resonate especially strongly with people who own pets. If the show can maintain a balance between exorcising yokai and the more emotional moments, then it could be an enjoyable, if somewhat typical, supernatural anime.

Me trying to do sports.

Verdict: 2.5/5

orange (Written by: ClayDragon)

I'm a bit wary when it comes to time-travel romance stories. Steins;Gate did an excellent job of it, but I tend to think of that as the exception to the rule. orange also neatly slots into this genre, but in a completely different way. One day, high school student Naho receives a letter from herself ten years in the future, which lays out a number of important events and gives instructions for 16-year old Naho to follow so she won't end up with a life of regrets. One such instruction is to keep an eye on a new transfer student, Kakeru, with the implication that he'll end up being a large part of her life, before dying at some point in the future.

I hope they answer the question of how the letter got sent back in time in the first place.

Normally I wouldn't go in for this type of show, but the time-travel aspect pulled me in (who wouldn't like to send a cheat sheet back to their past selves?). Having said that, I'm glad I gave this show a chance, as it's well-directed and the characters seem like real people for the most part. My only gripe is that Naho and Kakeru seem a little bland, but it's early days yet. It does look as though orange won't be all smiles and sunshine though, so I could be embarking on a 13-episode long feels trip. Time will tell.

Certainly nothing tragic likely to happen here, no siree.

Verdict: 4/5

Planetarian (Written by: ClayDragon)

Great. Just one episode in and I can already tell I'm probably going to end up crying like a baby when this miniseries is over. Planetarian is set in a post-apocalyptic future where a once-populous city has been abandoned and left to rot. The main protagonist, a man known only as 'Junker', enters the city in an attempt to find supplies, and ends up running into a reactivated robot girl called Hoshino who was once designed to serve customers at a shopping centre. Due to the years spent asleep, Hoshino has developed some faults, and as such is completely unaware of the state of the city. Therefore, she treats Junker like an ordinary customer, much to his displeasure.

"Right. Yes. Ha ha."

There's something inherently tragic about a machine that's still trying to do its job years after it has been forgotten (I still haven't got over xkcd's comic about the Spirit Rover), and Hoshino's slight awareness of her condition makes it even worse. It's almost as if she knows something is wrong - like when she gives Junker a bouquet made of scrap metal - but her programming won't allow her to make the mental leap. As far as character interactions go, it's fairly standard stuff, and I won't be surprised if Junker has a dead wife or child somewhere in his backstory. Even so, the emotional aspect of Planetarian is spot on, and the so-called 'sarcophagus city' looks amazing. Here's hoping it stays that way.

A cute attempt to pull at our heartstrings. And it's working.

Verdict: 4.5/5

ReLIFE (Written by: ClayDragon)

If you were offered the chance to go through high school again, would you do it? Arata Kaizaki, an unemployed college graduate, is given this choice by a man from a company called ReLIFE. Arata is given a pill which will change his appearance to that of a high-schooler, and in exchange for acting as a guinea pig for the pill's effects, the company will cover his living expenses for a year, and potentially offer him a job at the end. So Arata goes back to school, and promptly makes a complete mess of it.

Well, at least he remembered his bag, I guess.

Whilst school comedies are pretty much everywhere now, ReLIFE definitely stands out. Arata is a unique protagonist in that he doesn't really remember how to act like a high school student, and keeps forgetting that he isn't an adult any more (nonchalantly admitting to the teacher that he owns a pack of cigarettes, for example). So far, the relatable characters, engaging premise and funny moments are enough to keep me hooked, and if the first episode is indicative of the quality of the rest of the series, this could easily be one of the best shows of the season.

(Side note: All of ReLIFE's episodes are available online right now, since the show was streamed in its entirety before the first episode was broadcast. In keeping with the nature of this list though, I've only watched the first episode.)

Damn cold-callers!

Verdict: 4.5/5

Saiko Kusuo no Psi Nan (Written by: ClayDragon)

Also known as The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., this show can be watched in two ways. You can either watch small, five-minute long segments broadcast daily, or you can watch the weekly broadcast which places all five segments together like a normal anime episode. That being said, I don't know if I can really recommend watching it at all. The basic premise of the show is that Saiki is an incredibly powerful psychic who tries to keep his powers hidden from others whilst he lives a normal life, but every other character in the show is an absolute idiot.

Who uses a spoon to eat curry? Use a knife and fork, you savage!

This could still make the series funny, but the problem is that the jokes and dialogue are just rapid-fire - there's no pause so you can process what just happened, and Saiki's internal monologue tends to make this even worse. The humour is very hit-and-miss too, as the only part that made me laugh was towards the end when Saiki is trying to avoid a female classmate. Even then, it was more the actions and body language that were funny, as opposed to any actual joke. The animation, opening and ending are all mediocre as well, so there was nothing really memorable about this show. It's a shame, but I wouldn't blame you if you decided to give this one a miss.

No glitzy life for Saiki, I'm afraid.

Verdict: 1/5

Servamp (Written by: Shiggins)

Why don't more anime do the gothic-supernatural feel? It's so perfect for anime, I'm shocked we don't see it as much as possible. In this charming story, we get a very Soul Eater-esque tone as a boy named Mashiro adopts a cat and names it Kuro, only to discover the cat turns into a vampire when out of the light and has accidently signed a contract with Mashiro. So it's got a bit of Black Butler to it, albeit a far more reluctant one.

Kitty can scratch.

The eccentricities of the series shines through wonderfully, with almost everyone looking unique and wacky. The protagonist sadly is another sufferer of "generic syndrome", but Kuro and the villain of this episode easily make up for it by being utterly wacky and wonderful. Kuro is like the lovechild of Gintoki and Shikamaru, even down to the phrase "troublesome", and he practically carries this show. For him alone, I am going to have a lot of fun with this series. The opening and ending are both enjoyable and avoid the usual blandness I am so exhausted with, the dark tones remind me of Soul Eater which I love, and the characters are all actually tons of fun. This could be a contender for "anime of the season" actually...

Kitty can be adorable and win my damn heart.

Verdict: 4.5/5

Sweetness & Lightning (Written by: ClayDragon)

I mentioned in my Flying Witch review that I had become more open to the happy slice-of-life genre as of late, so I decided to give Sweetness & Lightning a try. And going by the first episode alone, this wasn't a mistake. Kouhei is a high school teacher who has to bring up his young daughter Tsumugi on his own after his wife died, but due to his job he doesn't get to spend as much time with Tsumugi as he'd like. After meeting one of his students in a restaurant, Kouhei decides to learn how to cook so he can make his daughter happy.

D'aww.

Sweetness & Lightning hits all of the right notes from the beginning. Kouhei's struggles to balance his work and family life are all too believable, and Tsumugi is utterly adorable, without ever seeming annoying or artificial. My only concern with this show is how the relationship between Kouhei and his student Kotori will develop. If it ends up being platonic or Kotori seeing Kouhei as a surrogate father, then that's fine by me. If, however, their relationship takes a more romantic turn, that will set off some alarm bells. For the moment though, Sweetness & Lightning is looking to be one of the most charming anime of the season.

I mean, look at her! She's adorable!

Verdict: 4.5/5

Taboo Tattoo (Written by: Shiggins)

Every season has an anime like this, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. A series that's somewhat funny, well-animated, has a few likeable if cliche characters, and seems to be planning to stick to an enjoyable but light episodic adventure formula. Last season had Bungou Stray Dogs. This time, it's Taboo Tattoo. The "hook" of this anime are the tattoos that seem to be the representation of superpowers when stuck onto a body. (Yes, stuck. Not... needle'd). The main protagonist is likeable, if a bit typical of anime in general, as are all the other characters who fit each trope.

I feel like I've seen this poster a million times, but on the covers of 80 other anime.

You have the Mysterious New Girl, the Big-Boobed Best Girl, the Strict Father Figure, the Dead Parent... My prediction is we're coming up to a "Best Bro Comic Relief" soon, if that's not already fulfilled by Glasses With Rules man. To be honest though, the series is better than I make it sound. We've seen these tropes before, but they at least are endearing to make the roles feel somewhat interesting again. The highlight though is the action, as the Mysterious New Girl has a fight with the protagonist halfway through that's just fantastic. Whoever was in charge of direction of this series made a clever decision by adding in tracking shots, which I regard as one of the best ways to make an action sequence epic. The angles and animation manage to keep up with these shots, and that's exactly why I'm planning to continue this one.

Well... That is indeed a lettuce being headbutted. In fairness, that is definitely unique to this anime so... congratulations there.

Verdict: 4/5

Tales of Zestiria the X (Written by: ClayDragon)

Ufotable, you've done it again. After making the gorgeous Fate/Zero and Unlimited Blade Works, they've continued their winning streak with Tales of Zestiria the X (not counting the somewhat-less-gorgeous God Eater). This series is great to look at, with sprawling shots of the city, fluid fight scenes, and lots of destruction. I didn't really know what was going on most of the time, but at least it was pretty to look at.

I'm getting Lancer flashbacks.

The problem with the first episode is that it's mainly setting up the story. A princess investigates a mysterious black fog, and then everything goes to pieces very rapidly. And, from the credits shown at the end, it looks as though the princess is a secondary character, and the main hero hasn't been introduced yet. It's rather hard to judge a series based on a prequel episode, but the animation is great and the characters (the few that survive, anyway) seem interesting. The dialogue is a bit laughable at times - "The mist is becoming more eerie...and more sinister." was one of my personal favourites. That being said, regardless of the direction this series takes in the future, at least it'll look amazing.

Does this guy remind anyone else of Kefka Palazzo?

Verdict: 3/5

And that's it! Keep in mind that this is only a rough preview guide - some of the shows we thought highly of could turn out to be utter train wrecks, and the shows we disliked could end up being amazing further down the line. What shows do you guys plan on following this season? Let us know in the comments below!

"4.5/5? Yay!"

Thanks for reading!

ClayDragon:









 ClayDragon has finished studying Physics at university, and understands about as much as he did when he started. The main method of contacting him is his Gmail account at claydragon.on@gmail.com. He has an ask.fm account at ask.fm/ClayDragon. When not playing games or reading, he can be found with his head in his hands whilst trying in vain to figure out what to do with his life. T minus 27 days until No Man's Sky...

Shiggins:[Admin]   .

Shiggins enjoys many strange forms of communication, especially those including cosplayers or presents or videos. However, until that wonderful day comes when people care enough to give him things for being him, you can contact him on his Skype; shigginsishere. He can also respond to you if you contact him through GMails at shigginsishere@gmail.com, and you can find out about him or ask him stuff on ask.fm/shigginsishere.