Rail Wars! by Studio Passione
What's it about?: Rail Wars! takes place in an alternate Japan where the rail system was never privatized. The main character Naoto Takayama is a huge train nerd who wants to work for the Japanese National Railway but ends up assigned on a trainee station security squad.
Thoughts: I never expected this show to be so good, and everyone I've spoken to who sat down to watch it has agreed. Studio Passione hasn't had many high profile hits of their own before so this wasn't one I was keeping an eye on. If you think an anime about trains sounds boring then don't worry, that's just a setting, this show is full of exciting scenarios from a bomb disposal in the 2nd episode to a race against time to transport organs for transplant across a disused rail line.
The characters are nothing particularly innovative, they don't really stray from the common cast of the likeable but mild-mannered main character, the hot-head girl, the moeblob and the strong male friend. That doesn't really matter too much however when you have voice talent from the likes of Jun Fukuyama and Yui Horie who are some of the most consistently solid voice actors in Japan. You're forgiven for thinking Takayama is like so many other main protagonists when the guy playing him basically wrote the book on the role.
I originally thought hot-headed Aoi Sakurai was somewhat brash but I quickly warmed up to her personality. This is a pretty good feat for a show like this as I usually dislike characters so quick-tempered, so I'll chalk that one up for a win for Rail Wars!
How's the OST?: The ending theme is so good it has a place on my iPod that only has room for 4GB of music.
Reminded me of: Not a lot actually! Besides the typical characterization of the show, the setting is fairly original for an anime and it gives the show it's own feel.
No Game No Life by Madhouse
What's it about?: After beating an anonymous person in online chess, inseperable siblings Sora and Shiro are transported from their lives as recluses to a world where everything is settled with games of any variety.
Thoughts: Fairly good show all in all. It's the kind of anime that for the 20 or so minutes you watch an episode, you're completely engrossed. The main duo are ridiculously smart and every other character in the show are designed to show how smart these siblings are. The mind games are fun to follow and the animation of a few of them in particular are awesome to boot.
It's not over by the end of the run, and with a second season on the way I'll most probably tune in for it. This is one of those shows that will come together over time, as it's about a war between races of a world based on fair play, with each race representing a chess piece to unite for a final game against the god of that world. The humour is fairly good, but the mind games that come into play during each "fair" game is what will keep you watching.
How's the OST?: Some fun ambient beats, the kind you'd expect in a respite town in a JRPG.
Reminded me of: Btooom! also by Madhouse. Another show about a recluse forced to take part in games that concentrate on a lot of mind games.
Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de by Trigger
What's it about?: A chuunibyou guy and the rest of his school literature club suddenly find that they have real superpowers. However, rather than use their powers for good or evil, they assimilate them into their everyday lives and go on as normal.
Thoughts: It was hard picking this up without instantly comparing it to Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! (or Chuu2), but after the first episode it begins to set itself apart. Being like Chuu2 isn't a bad thing in the slightest, but as opposed to that show, these characters do actually have powers, making this more of a fantasy show rather than romance.
To those unfamiliar with the term, chuunibyou is Japanese slang for a syndrome where youths become obsessed with being seen as cool by means of appearing edgy, mysterious and dangerous. It's a super interesting and very real thing perpetuated by JRPG characters. All you have to do to see people like this in real life is log onto Final Fantasy XIV and count the amount of people wearing Best Man's Suits or Bohemian's Coats, or how many people have a variation of the name "Sephirefka Demonhell" or whatever (something that the creators of that game are hilariously aware of).
Inou-Battle parodies this much like Chuu2 does and makes it both hilarious and cringy. Cringy in a way because it reminds me of a time where I too thought characters like Sasuke Uchiha and Vincent Valentine were the epitomy of cool. The show's ability to take itself so lightly is what makes it an easy going light-hearted affair and something that's great to watch to unwind.
How's the OST?: Good. Standard fair stuff.
Reminded me of: Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! localised as Chuunibyou, Love & Other Delusions! Both that and Inou-Battle are great light viewing.
Amagi Brilliant Park by Kyoto Animation
What's it about?: Self-obsessive narcissist Kanie Seiya is asked on what he believes to be a date, only to in fact have his arm twisted into becoming the new manager of an amusement park facing financial difficulty. The amusement park is actually home to a bunch of fairies who are sustained by the happiness brought to humans by the park, so Kanie must turn things around before the place goes bankrupt.
Thoughts: Ok, so I thought I was being super witty likening Kanie, Sento and Latifah to Kanye West, 50 Cent and Queen Latifah, but apparently their names are genuinely meant to be references. I had a whole joke planned too.
Just like Kanye, Amagi's Kanie loves himself more than anything. Though this sounds annoying, like the guy he's based off this just makes him hilarious to watch and ends up making him very likeable. This is probably the funniest show of the year and is currently brightening my week giving me something to look forward to on Fridays. Amagi Brilliant Park itself really wants to be Disney's Magic Kingdom and it's used satirically quite often.
Having been a fan of KyoAni's works for some time, their shows are usually where I come to first each season. Amagi Brilliant Park doesn't disappoint, and KyoAni have even used parts of their back catalogue as humour for this show.
Also, having looked it up, there are also some very minor characters called Takuya Kurisu and Aisu Kyubu, references to Chris Tucker and Ice Cube respectively.
How's the OST?: It's hard not to join in at the start of the opening everytime you hear "LOOK AT THE SKY, IT'S MAGIC HOUR".
Reminded me of: Hyouka, both are by KyoAni, both involve an intellectual guy given tasks to do by a girl they can't find it in them to refuse.
Sword Art Online II by A-1 Pictures
What's it about?: Following on from having escaped Aincrad Online and then rescued Asuna from Alfheim Online, the surviving main characters from Aincrad play together in the new Alfheim game engine. However, as Kirito has made a name for himself from the Aincrad incident, he is given an assignment from the government to investigate a case of a player in a game called Gun Gale Online whose victims inside the game wind up dead in real life.
Thoughts: It's common knowledge I love this show. The first half of season 1 was the most I've been emotionally invested in a show in a very long time and as the decline of the second half happened we were all somewhat worried how this second season would turn out. Thankfully, it's all been pretty good so far with the risk of death within the series returning and the show ramping up the tension withing the Phantom Bullet arc. The second half of this current series is also very Asuna-heavy, something that fans of the character were worried wouldn't happen and that she would take a huge backseat to new characters of each arc.
The new addition to Kirito's group of friends is a great character too. Sinon goes through a lot of development and we see the Phantom Bullet arc shared between her point of view in the real world and Kazuto's.
SAO retains those badass moments that made the first season such a hit whilst delving deaper into the real lives of each character.
How's the OST?: Sadly, Crossing Field and Overfly prove too catchy to top, though the opening and endings are still good.
Reminded me of: Sword Art Online Season 1 Like the first show, it's premise of life and death in a virtual reality is very similar to the .hack// series.
Amongst things I've watched that were not from 2014, I also watched a little of Aldnoah.Zero, Tokyo Ghoul and Akame Ga Kill, but couldn't keep an interest past the first few episodes of the latter two whilst the former fizzled out for me around episode 6. However all in all, there has been some good hits from this year for sure and I hope 2015 will bring even more.
