Some quick first impressions: Shuffle! Memories, Manabi Straight and Hidamari Sketch
We now turn to the shows focusing on cute schoolgirls. It’s never been my favourite genre, and these three didn’t really change this opinion.
Shuffle! Memories
For all the Shuffle-fans who were looking forward to this episode, don’t get your hopes up too high. This first episode was basically a recap episode, in which Rin introduced the different characters yet again. We see fragments of everything which didn’t have anything to do with the main story from the first season, with your occasional fanservice. Seriously, I almost fell asleep while watching this. To this day, I still wonder why I managed to watch Shuffle! till the end. Okay, the latter half was decent, though the first half was just pure garbage. Really, if the next episode doesn’t have anything decent, I’m never going to touch it, no matter how good the rest of the series might end up being.
Manabi Straight
Whoa, this anime definitely has energy. It takes place in an all-girl-school, and it focuses on five girls who probably are going to bring some kind of revolution with the almost limitless amount of energy they have. Especially the main character. So far, it’s been quite fun, though it has its flaws. I’m especially getting a bit worried when the first episode already starts off with a pool-episode. Also, this anime is supposed to play in 2035, but apart from the flying skateboard, I didn’t see any differences with 2007. Still, those are just minor details. I think I’m going to keep watching this, as long as it doesn’t degrade into a pure slice-of-life series (I want to see some challenges for Manabi). The graphics are also quite interesting. It seems that this show has been granted with a considerable budget in this department, and it fully utilizes that. The animation looks great, and the creators also decided to try out some new things in the graphical department. So far, these really work, apart from one detail. The cat-like mouth of one of the characters just doesn’t work. Also, one final point, the insert song was more annoying than it was interesting. Unlike a show as Red Garden, it hurt the show more than it contributed.
Hidamari Sketch
Ah, a slice-of-life series. Not exactly my favourite genre, and indeed, the first episode wasn’t bad or anything, but it really bored me to tears. If this were a comedy, it would have been a great one, though instead of that, the show keeps a slow pacing and at times it inserts a small joke, which in the end, isn’t that funny. Miyo could have been an interesting character, but this show is just too slow to bring out the full potential of the character. It tries being cute and funny at a very small pacing, which just doesn’t work for me. It’s ironic that the OP was the best thing of the entire anime. Unless you’re a slice-of-life fan, I wouldn’t recommend this one.
Well, most of ufotable’s anime had fantastic first episodes only to be disappointing later… (@ Manabi)
Comment by kacpy — January 12, 2007 @ 15:04
I took a small look at Ufotable’s other shows, and I see what you mean. Could the geniuses behind Coyote Ragtime Show and Shinobuden really be able to finish this one properly?
Comment by psgels — January 12, 2007 @ 17:40
Hidamari Sketch was so hilarious, I laughed few times so much my stomach hurt. =)
Manabi on other hand was totally boring, I didn’t even bother to watch all of it.
Comment by Anga — January 12, 2007 @ 17:43
Heh, with me, it’s the opposite. Manabi Straight was watchable, though Hidamari Sketch felt very boring to me. :P
Comment by psgels — January 12, 2007 @ 18:20
I stopped watching Shuffle! at the 6th episode. Have I missed something in the second half?
Comment by Immelman — January 12, 2007 @ 19:14
Well, once Shuffle started focusing on Kaede I actually enjoyed watching it. If I recall correctly, these were episodes 18 till 21. Apart from that, you didn’t really miss anything.
Comment by psgels — January 12, 2007 @ 21:46