Besides watching "classic" anime series I never got around to watching, I watch a few new ones every season to stay up-to-date.
Last Winter 2012 season, I chose 5 series to watch: Kamisama Hajimemashita, Sukitte Ii na yo, Zetsuen no Tempest, Pyscho Pass, and K-Project. Of the 5 series, I only finished Kamisama Hajimemashita, which only had 13 episodes, and was not renewed for this Spring 2013 season.
For the Spring, 2013 season, I decided to watch 2 new series, alongside Hunter X Hunter (2011), Psycho Pass and Zetsuen no Tempest : Amnesia and Maoyuu Maou Yuusha. Sometimes I decide which series to watched based purely on the quality of the art and animation. If the character design and animation are good, I then read up on it to find out what the general story is about. I try to watch a few episodes before I decide whether or not I will see it through to the end.
Completed anime series I'm also trying to watch are Inuyasha and the original Hunter X Hunter, as a basis for comparison to the 2011 one. These two series are both fairly long, but I'm in no hurry to finish it, so I watch it at my leisure.
Spring 2013
Last Winter 2012 season, I chose 5 series to watch: Kamisama Hajimemashita, Sukitte Ii na yo, Zetsuen no Tempest, Pyscho Pass, and K-Project. Of the 5 series, I only finished Kamisama Hajimemashita, which only had 13 episodes, and was not renewed for this Spring 2013 season.
For the Spring, 2013 season, I decided to watch 2 new series, alongside Hunter X Hunter (2011), Psycho Pass and Zetsuen no Tempest : Amnesia and Maoyuu Maou Yuusha. Sometimes I decide which series to watched based purely on the quality of the art and animation. If the character design and animation are good, I then read up on it to find out what the general story is about. I try to watch a few episodes before I decide whether or not I will see it through to the end.
Completed anime series I'm also trying to watch are Inuyasha and the original Hunter X Hunter, as a basis for comparison to the 2011 one. These two series are both fairly long, but I'm in no hurry to finish it, so I watch it at my leisure.
Spring 2013
1. Amnesia - Currently on its 4 episode, Amnesia is based on a video game, or visual novel, which is similar to a video game. A visual novel, is, essentially, an interactive fiction novel that you access and "play" on a gaming console. Amnesia was released in 2011 for the PSP. In the game, and anime, the main character, a girl who works in a maid cosplay cafe, has lost her memory, and with the help of a supernatural being, Orion, tries to recover them by interacting with the different, mostly male, characters.
Amnesia seems like your average harem-type anime, and though the male characters look like the typical bishounen-types, the overall animation and character design is quite unique.
After watching the 3rd episode, I still can't decide whether or not I want to continue watching this. I really don't know where this anime is headed. I'm hoping the story evolves into something darker and more complex, and isn't just about the main character trying to figure out which of the 4 or 5 guys is really her boyfriend!
Amnesia seems like your average harem-type anime, and though the male characters look like the typical bishounen-types, the overall animation and character design is quite unique.
After watching the 3rd episode, I still can't decide whether or not I want to continue watching this. I really don't know where this anime is headed. I'm hoping the story evolves into something darker and more complex, and isn't just about the main character trying to figure out which of the 4 or 5 guys is really her boyfriend!
2. Maoyu Maou Yuusha (Archenemy and Hero), currently on its 5th episode, is about how the Demon King and the Hero join forces to stop the existing war between demons and humans. The Demon King and the Hero, both with something to gain, ally themselves with different sectors of society, such as merchants, the church, and the working-class, to introduce new agricultural and farming methods to eradicate hunger and poverty, thereby eventually stopping the war.
Maoyu Maou Yuusha tackles not just the political and economic relationships between rulers of the human world, but also the significance and importance of the war for both humans and demons. It seems like a complex, historical, war epic, that can go on forever, with art slightly reminiscent of Romeo X Juliet.
Despite its political undertones, there is a lighter side to this anime, in the form of the budding romance between the Demon King and the Hero. A somewhat strange contract is formed between the Demon King and the Hero at the start of the anime, and it seems certain that it will evolve into a full-blown romantic relationship as the anime progresses.
Maoyu Maou Yuusha tackles not just the political and economic relationships between rulers of the human world, but also the significance and importance of the war for both humans and demons. It seems like a complex, historical, war epic, that can go on forever, with art slightly reminiscent of Romeo X Juliet.
Despite its political undertones, there is a lighter side to this anime, in the form of the budding romance between the Demon King and the Hero. A somewhat strange contract is formed between the Demon King and the Hero at the start of the anime, and it seems certain that it will evolve into a full-blown romantic relationship as the anime progresses.
3. Hunter X Hunter (2011) - At the start of 2013, I watched this series from the 1st episode to the most recent - #62 at the time. I never saw the old Hunter X Hunter series, but I've heard that compared to the original series, this one is a lot closer to the manga story line. I like Hunter X Hunter because, although it is quite long (65 and counting), the general story line is paced well and is not dragging.
Hunter X Hunter also has a lot of very likable (and cute) characters. It's the type of anime where even the evil characters are likable (not being very evil), and the most annoying characters are not so annoying. I like this anime because it's funny, upbeat and the characters are optimistic and fun-loving. Despite being a bit violent, Hunter X Hunter teaches positive values such as hard work, dedication, and perseverance.
Hunter X Hunter also has a lot of very likable (and cute) characters. It's the type of anime where even the evil characters are likable (not being very evil), and the most annoying characters are not so annoying. I like this anime because it's funny, upbeat and the characters are optimistic and fun-loving. Despite being a bit violent, Hunter X Hunter teaches positive values such as hard work, dedication, and perseverance.
Winter 2012:
1. Psycho Pass - I didn't get very far with this anime. I think I stopped at episode 5 or 6. This story takes place in the future, where the police can determine a person's mental stability and chances of committing a crime based on their Psycho-Pass meter - a machine which is installed in everyone's bodies. The police use former criminals, or individuals with exceptionally high Psycho-Pass readings to aide them in finding criminals (potential criminals) and to stop crime before they happen.
This anime series has a very interesting premise, and has the right mix of violence, mystery and gore, and the art is not bad as well. This is currently on its second season, with 15 episodes.
This anime series has a very interesting premise, and has the right mix of violence, mystery and gore, and the art is not bad as well. This is currently on its second season, with 15 episodes.
2. Zetsuen no Tempest - I only really watched the first episode of this, but I found it a bit interesting, and weird. With just one episode, I really don't know what it is about, but I think I will give it another shot.
Now on its second season, it is on its 14th episode to date.
Now on its second season, it is on its 14th episode to date.
3. K Project - This anime started off strong - it had great graphics and an interesting premise. But, after a while, the story seemed to veer off in another direction. I honestly don't know what it's really about.
This stopped at 13 episodes last season and I think it will be continued later this season. I stopped watching this at episode 5, I think.
This stopped at 13 episodes last season and I think it will be continued later this season. I stopped watching this at episode 5, I think.
4. Sukitte Ii Na Yo - This series ended with 13 episodes, and I'm not sure if it will be extended for another season. It's based on a shoujo manga about a high school girl, Tachibana Mei, and her recent experiences with love and frienship. I stopped watching this anime after episode 5 or 6 because the main character, Mei Tachibana really annoyed me. She is a very insecure and insipid, high school girl, who, for some reason, gets herself a very popular, but equally insecure and insipid boyfriend, Yamato Kurosawa. Mei is supposedly your average girl next door - not even that. She is the type of girl that goes through life as if she were invisible. Yamato, on the other hand, is handsome, rich, easily mistaken for a model. How a guy like that can be attracted to a girl like Mei is beyond me (other than that's what the writer decided would happen).
I watched half of this anime despite the fact that I was annoyed with all the characters. I guess I just wanted to know what would happen. Mei and Yamato are not, for me, very likable characters. I think the two main characters are pretty bland and boring and lack any real personality or depth. Maybe I should finish the whole series before I make any final judgement, in case the characters develop something resembling a personality towards the end, but, I highly doubt it.
I watched half of this anime despite the fact that I was annoyed with all the characters. I guess I just wanted to know what would happen. Mei and Yamato are not, for me, very likable characters. I think the two main characters are pretty bland and boring and lack any real personality or depth. Maybe I should finish the whole series before I make any final judgement, in case the characters develop something resembling a personality towards the end, but, I highly doubt it.
Other Series:
1. Inuyasha - I've always wanted to watch this, because it's by the creator of one of my favorite manga/anime series, Ranma 1/2. I've been putting it off because it has over 100 episodes, and I try to stay away from very long anime series. However, I told myself that I would finally watch it this year.
So far, I've cleared 12 episodes, but it's not as interesting as I hoped. The two main characters, Inuyasha and Kagome are your typical tsundere couple - with Inuyasha pretending to be a power-hungry half-demon who will stop at nothing to get the pieces of the shattered sacred jewel and Kagome, an annoying, nagging, high school girl who claims that her type of boy is the complete opposite of Inuyasha. They will get together, of course, before the end of the anime, because...that's just how animes are (though I have a nagging feeling that Inuyasha likes Kagome only because she is the reincarnation of Kikiyo, because seriously, how can anyone like Kagome?).
It is similar to Ranma 1/2 as far as animation and character design, but, at this point, I think Ranma 1/2 is more interesting, and a lot funnier.
So far, I've cleared 12 episodes, but it's not as interesting as I hoped. The two main characters, Inuyasha and Kagome are your typical tsundere couple - with Inuyasha pretending to be a power-hungry half-demon who will stop at nothing to get the pieces of the shattered sacred jewel and Kagome, an annoying, nagging, high school girl who claims that her type of boy is the complete opposite of Inuyasha. They will get together, of course, before the end of the anime, because...that's just how animes are (though I have a nagging feeling that Inuyasha likes Kagome only because she is the reincarnation of Kikiyo, because seriously, how can anyone like Kagome?).
It is similar to Ranma 1/2 as far as animation and character design, but, at this point, I think Ranma 1/2 is more interesting, and a lot funnier.
2. Hunter X Hunter - I'm a bit curious about the original series, even though I've already seen most of the new one. I've watched 2 episode so far, and I've noticed subtle differences in character design and flow of the story line. I need to watch more before I can decide which I like better. I hope that I won't get bored with this one because I've already seen the new one.