While I'm definitely enjoying the glorious camp-fests that are Keijo!!!!!!!! Hip Whip Girl and Tiger Mask W respectively, I'll admit they both come off as hard recommendations to more casual viewers. It's pretty much a requirement that you have a specific taste/appreciation for cheesy programs (or something of that nature) in order to get the most out of your watching experience with either of those series.
This isn't the case with the next four that I'm about to go over. Each of these are so good, they could be easily be seen as a gate-way show that would not only reinvigorate the most cynical of anime fan, but also potentially turn a non-anime fan into an outright otaku.
Drifters
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| The titular Drifters |
When Shimazu Toyohisa made his last stand at the Battle of Sekigahara in the year 1600, many thought he died, including himself. His death will have to wait though, because right when he was moments away from his demise, Shimazu is transported to a realm beyond the boundaries of our world. A realm of swords and sorcery, where people from all across Earth's history are fighting for complete and total dominance.
After joining up with other "drifters" such as Oda Nobunaga, and Nasu no Yoichi, Shimazu learns that this new world he's found himself in is currently ruled by powerful magic users known only as The Ends. With little to aid them (beyond their wits and their skills) the Drifters set out to reclaim the land from The Ends, and maybe find a way back home.
Based off the manga of the same name (from Hellsing creator Kota Hirano) Drifters takes place in your proto-typical high-fantasy setting replete with elves, dwarves, hobbits, giants, and dragons. The big twist here is that notable historical figures are using this setting as their arena for the ultimate death battle, and while this premise isn't exactly new to the realm of fiction, it's without a doubt done here with the metric-ton of style Kota Hirano is known for.
I've always considered myself a fan of Kota Hirano's "unique" artistry (as I'm a sucker for his use of spotting blacks, obtuse angles, and maniacal expressions) but I know his work really isn't for everyone. With this adaptation of Drifters though I think his usual artistic quirks have evolved to come off as far more attractive and accessible than ever before.
Leaning more towards Hirano's strengths in costume design and evocative angles, Drifters is perhaps one of the most stylish shows to arrive this year, if not the last five. Utilizing a winning combination of browns, reds, blues, blacks, and whites, the selective colors make for a pleasing palette that compliments the semi-angular character models. In more ways than one, this is a show that manages to be beautiful despite its graphic nature, provided you don't mind seeing the occasional (and somewhat artfully crafted) decapitation scene.
That's right folks, while Hirano's character designs may have been dialed back to make them more alluring, there has been absolutely zero compromise to his penchant for violence. Drifters is absolutely unapologetic with its use of gore, and is (if anything else) a resplendent cacophony of carnal carnage. I truly do mean this when I say that few creators out there today can find ways to mutilate a body quite like Hirano can. Make no mistake, this anime is not for those with a weak stomach, but for those who can handle it (or like me) actually find a certain appeal to Hirano's almost melodic use of barbaric acts, you really can't go wrong here.
Long have we waited for a hard-hitting show (discounting the sister series Hellsing Ultimate) like Drifters to come along and deliver the goods. For the most part I would say it does so in spades when it comes to its fight scenes, but there are the occasional dips with the animation. It's most notably in the use of several still frames during otherwise savage sequences. While they're without a doubt stylish, they do remove a degree of energy from the conflicts. Still though, there is copious amounts of blood getting spilled, along with countless severed limbs littering the fields as our cast of history's most notoriously gruesome fighters and warlords duke it out for supremacy.
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| Filled with stylish action scenes to the hilt. |
Thankfully Drifters isn't so shallow as to simply be nothing more than a festival of blood and guts. Drifters does have a pretty good (albeit dark at times) sense of humor coupled with some fairly endearing characters. This tends to work in contrast to a majority of the intense imagery, as well as giving viewers something to chew on until the next big action set piece. The chemistry between the three primary leads is totally fun to watch, and it's been incredibly interesting (as a history buff) to witness such a large cast of historical figures interact on the whole. Getting to see the likes of Hannibal Barca and Scipio Africanus teamed up with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is an absolute hoot to say the least, and I'm looking forward to which other famous (or infamous) players will eventually come into the war. I'm putting my money down now that the identity of The Black King (the leader of The Ends) is an evil, authoritative, magic-wielding, Jesus Christ.
It may be a long-shot, but I know for a fact Hirano loves to work in religious mythology and commentary wherever he can.
Overall I've been immensely enjoying Drifters. For those who may not be aware of Kota Hirano's stylings, I would say this is a great place to start. The first arc of the series shows a tremendous amount of promise, and even though I haven't read too much of the source material myself, many fan-reactions I've seen seem to indicate that the anime has been extremely faithful as of this writing. Only time will tell if Drifters can maintain its current quality and momentum, but if anything else, at least we have these cool as hell set of four episodes.
Occultic;Nine
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| One of the best mystery shows in a while. |
Set in modern day Japan, seventeen year old high-school student,Yuta Gamon, operates the occult summary blog site "Chojo Kagaku Kirikiri Basara". When an oppurtunity to interview the renowned supernatural specialist Professor Hashigami presents itself, Yuta jumps at the chance. Any kind of material involving Hashigami would be sure to increase Yuta's site traffic, but when he arrives for the interview he finds the Professor dead on the floor.
While Yuta desperately tries to make some kind of sense with his situation, he's unaware that his website has become a potential resource for a far greater mystery that's bordering on the impossible. Now all the incongruities of nine individuals, from nine different walks of life will come together to solve the case, and perhaps even turn common sense on its head.
Yet another bit of personal trivia that should come as no surprise to anyone reading this, is that I'm a pretty big fan of mystery stories. I wouldn't go so far as to declare it my favorite genre (as that is a three-way tie between action, fantasy, and sci-fi) but it's easily a genre I can get lost in for an extended period of time. Provided the mystery on hand, and the respective roles involved, are interesting enough to hold my attention til the end.
As far as I'm concerned, so far Occultic;Nine has all the necessary components for a solid mystery story. I've yet to be remotely disappointed by the cast, and every episode in the narrative feels like a substantial piece to the puzzle presented. If you're anything like me, you'll find yourself turning over ideas, predictions, and theories by the time the credits roll.
Unfortunately I may be one of the few reviewers out here on the web who actually has a positive outlook about Occultic;Nine, as a vast majority of the early impressions/episode reviews I've seen have been outright condemning the show. What are they so upset about? Apparently Occultic;Nine completely falls apart at the seams because its creators dared to feature *GASP!* a well endowed female character among the other dramatis personae who bounces on the odd occasion, which apparently offends a lot of people's delicate sensibilities.
OH GOD! WHERE DID WE GO SO VERY HORRIBLY WRONG! WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!
Seriously? That's the big complaint here? A character with a large bust somehow undoes what is easily one of the most beautifully animated and intriguing shows of the season? I comprehend how the character Ryoka (and her bewbs) can be a tad on the ridiculous side. Is it potentially pandering to the young adult male crowd who are looking for the next piece of waifu fap material? Sure, I'll concede to that notion, but she's merely a fraction of Occultic;Nine's considerably robust and impressive cast. While I could go into all the details available regarding the characters, and what makes them so significant, I don't want to spoil some of the solid reveals that have happened.
I absolutely refuse to go into that sort of territory, as Occultic;Nine is definitely not the kind of narrative you want spoiled for you. Figuring out the answers and discovering the truths behind every quandary is essentially half the fun of the experience. If anything else, try to understand that this is a show that (much like Drifters) is meant for a mature audience to enjoy, and isn't afraid to be provocative.
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| Regardless of fanservice, it can't be denied that this looks good. |
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| Never mind that it's also a stunning study in yellow. |
Another common gripe I've seen is that the show moves by at too quick a pace, or doesn't parse out enough information to "make you care" about anything. I'm going to have to strongly disagree with my peers here, as I feel Occultic;Nine more than imparts the imperative particulars to move the plot and characters forward. As long as you're paying close attention, Occultic;Nine blossoms into a very compelling mystery, that I (putting my own predilections aside) would be remiss in saying is perhaps one of the best ones to come along in a while.
The animation on display here is leagues above the other show's I've covered on the list, and is probably the most visually impressive show of the season, if not the whole year. Granted, this is coming from a guy who isn't bothered by bodacious bazongas, and is also on board with its fantastic use of its study in yellow. Regardless of one's personal stance on mammoth mammary matters, I don't think most will deny the sumptuously gorgeous work that studio A-1 Pictures has done. In fact, Occultic;Nine may be one of the best looking shows to have ever come out of the studio's entire history, which is really saying something when one considers their body of work over the last decade.
Overall Occultic;Nine is a visual marvel, that's also sporting one hell of a sufficiently killer soundtrack. Despite the criticisms my contemporaries have levied against it, I'm going to say that this show is more than worthy of your time. If you're in the mood for an engaging mystery with credible characters (and if you can tolerate the odd off jubbly jiggle) Occultic;Nine has got you covered.
Izetta: The Last Witch
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| Eat your heart out Bullet Witch, Izetta is in town! |
The year is 1940 and the Germanian Empire has set its conquering eye upon the small principality nation of Eylstadt. Ortfine' Fredericka von Eylstadt, daughter of King Rudolph III, and the crown queen of Eylstadt doesn't have the resources, or the military strength to combat the large-scale war effort of the Germanian Empire. Only through using a secret weapon can Queen Fine' hope to save her nation from a bloody demise.
That secret weapon is none other than the last of the white witches Izetta. Armed with powerful spells, and an anti-tank rifle as her flying broom, Izetta takes to the skies in hopes of turning the tide of battle. Can Izetta and Fine' do the impossible and beat back the seemingly unstoppable Germanian forces?
Laying my cards on the table here, this could easily switch places with the program I ultimately chose as my show of the season. Izetta: The Last Witch has so many positive factors going in its favor that if someone where to tell me they felt this was not only the best the autumn bunch had to offer, but was also the best show of the year, I wouldn't really be hard pressed to argue with them.
It's only a few technicalities I think Izetta stumbles upon ever so slightly that honestly hold it back from total perfection. Despite it's radical/inspired premise, and it's vigorous cast of characters, this series does unfortunately wrap itself up a tad too much in heavy melodrama. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a weighty character drama, but there are a few times throughout the series so far that they lay it on a bit thick for my tastes.
The animation, while taken as a whole is outright awe-inspiring with it's fluidity and pure kinetic motions, does have some gaps and hiccups. Be it a character going off model for a scene, blatant CGI, or the stilted/awkward bit of movement, it's noticeable when these things occur, and it drags down what is otherwise a pristine-almost polished to perfection show.
Thankfully it doesn't take much to look past those slight hurdles, as there is a compelling fantasy war story to be had, and it's a completely original IP to cap it off. Despite existing in a climate currently and predominately ruled by high-budget adaptations, Izetta manages to be captivating without needing the pretense of an already established story in order to garner an audience. Much like my other top choice for the autumn season, just knowing that Izetta: The Last Witch stands independently as its own thing adds a ton of bonus points in my eyes. We so desperately need to get more original shows like this on the anime scene.
Overall, Izetta: The Last Witch comes highly recommended. Irrespective of technical foibles, this is unarguably one of the true standouts of not just the season, but of 2016-period. There is already enough interesting, quality material here to justify the making of a second season in my opinion, and we're not even half-way through this season yet. Here's hoping Izetta doesn't just end well, but ends spectacularly.
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| Absolutely phenomenal animation where it counts! |
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| German tanks mean nothing to the red witch Izetta! |
Now for my top pick of the autumn season...
Flip Flappers
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| Don't let the title fool you, this show is badass! |
In the not too distant future, Cocona is the ideal role-model high-school student. She's popular, gets good grades, shows up early to class everyday, and even exercises critical thinking like an adult wherever she can. There's just one problem for Cocona, she always seems to be hesitant to embrace new opportunities, which has made deciding what she wants to do with her life (once she's done with school) exceedingly difficult.
Matters get even more complicated for her though when a mysterious girl named Papika suddenly appears, fearlessly searching for a wish granting crystal called "The Shard of Mimi." Claiming to be from a place called "Pure Illusion" Papika brings Cocona on a journey that's sure to change her outlook on life forever.
Flip Flappers has almost everything I'm looking for in a quality show. The animation is topnotch, the score is catchy as hell, the acting is superb, and the main premise is wholly familiar, while still being refreshingly creative. I emphatically encourage anyone who's reading this entry to stop what they're doing and watch this show.
Words almost fail to articulate how stupendous I think this series is. In a lot of ways Flip Flappers is a not only a modern testament to the levels of beauty we can manifest in animation today, but also stands as a love letter to the power of a child's imagination.
I can see many a viewer finding themselves waxing nostalgic of their personal imaginary childhood adventures from years past, just by completing the first episode alone. Every frame of Flip Flappers has been filled to the brim with bright, whimsical colors, paired with some jaw dropping, downright astounding animation sequences that immediately tap into the greater recesses of one's creative cortex. This is seriously some Studio Ghibli levels of inspirational material here. I think it's safe to say that many aspiring creators who are watching Flip Flappers this very instant will be referencing this show years from now when they themselves are the storytellers inspiring a new generation.
It truly isn't often in this day and age that we get to witness an anime of this caliber come across the airwaves. Not since the likes of 2013's insanely incredible Kill la Kill (or to some extent spring 2016's Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) have I seen a show that isn't based off of an already established IP in some way, get the big-budget treatment. Among today's anime landscape, these gems are a rarity, and seeing so much effort being put into an "unproven" product is certainly something the industry could use more of.
My biggest hope is that Flip Flappers will prove successful across the board, and it will embolden other studios to start taking on more original stories. It's not that I don't like seeing adaptations anymore (in fact, we're living in a time where we're getting some of the best ones to ever be made) but really I just want to see more creative/inspired shows. Far too often I feel we get the same stories regurgitated at us time and again, which is exactly why I fell out of regular television watching practically a decade ago. Most of these works lack passion, they lack vision, and ultimately they lack identity. What I want is to see the message being conveyed in Flip Flappers to be taken to heart. Don't be hesitant or afraid to embrace new ideas. Let your imaginations soar, and most importantly, just take a chance.
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| This is truly a masterstroke in animation. |
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| There's never a dull moment in Flip Flappers. |
And that about does it for the Autumn Season Anime- Early Impressions! I can only hope that my quick overview of each of the shows has been informative in helping you make a decision on what to watch as the leaves change color and we all get pumpkin flavored stuff.
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