My Initial Thoughts on the Summer 2016 Anime Season

It’s that time of the year again. A new season of anime has started up and I think it is time to tell you watch my thoughts are on the first episode of everything that I have seen so far. If you are here to come looking for descriptions on shows then you are looking at the wrong post, if this is the case then I suggest you check out my What Will I Watch? Summer 2016 Anime Season post. Instead, what you will find in this post is what my thoughts are on the shows and whether or not if I will be continuing it for here on out.

For those who haven’t known me for very long. All you need to know is that for every season of anime I always plan to watch a small select few older series alongside the season weekly and you can find those shows at the bottom of this post.

Best Opening Theme Song: Hanada-kun
Best Opening Theme Animation: Mob Psycho 100

Best Ending Theme Song: Orange.
Best Ending Theme Animation: Mob Psycho 100

Best Visuals: Tales of Zestiria the X
Best Artstyle: Mob Psycho 100

Favorite Male Character: Reigen from Mob Psycho 100
Favorite Female Character: Naho from Orange.

Biggest Surprise of the Season: Thunderbolt Fantasy
Biggest Disappointment of the Season: Days (TV)

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91 Days
YES! Yes yes yes yes yes!  So far from the first episode, 91 Days has been everything I hoped and dreamed it would be. It focuses heavily the back hand deals of bootlegging and selling alcohol during the Prohibition Era. Mix this in with dealing with a revenge story in hopes of chasing (and being chased) by the mafia. Guns a blazin’, bar fights, murders committed by the mafia… what is there not to love? The opening theme is awesome and the ending theme is pretty chill but will be forgotten by the time that the fall anime season starts. Also this show needs an English Dub asap. Be sure to check back after the end of the show and there just might be a full series review.

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Amanchu
Ahhhhh, isn’t the ocean so peaceful? Guess what people! This show is as well. I am already in love with the setting of this story and the two main females seem to have great chemistry with one another… welp… not gunna lie, I would be completely fine if this show turned into a yuri. Aside from that, the art and animation is beautiful. The direction of the series is on point. And the soundtrack perfectly reflects the series and the sort of feel that it trying to go for. Overall, this is the start of a really great slice of life and just might be the reason for me to give Aria the Natural another chance. Comedy bits are constant but I honestly don’t have any problems with them. The opening and ending themes are peaceful and relaxing, yet they feel quite forgettable. This show should be watched by everyone.

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Bananya
This thing is just so freaking adorable. I really have nothing else to say, except how this thing is really really cute.

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Battery
Very promising start to a relaxing sports anime; a sort of feeling that I don’t think I’ve felt since watching Chihayafuru (highly recommend that series btw). Looking forward to seeing where this slow and relaxing baseball series is heading. So far I am really digging the two main characters. Battery is by far the best sports anime to come out this year thus far. Good opening and ending theme, they remind me somewhat of Grimgar’s themes.

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Days (TV)
Pretty underwhelming first episode if you ask me. I am a huge fanboy of all of Studio MAPPA’s previous works, but this one just seems so generic and unlike something that they would make. I will keep on watching in hopes that it gets better, but this is just one of the worst starts to a sports anime that I have seen in awhile. Also, the opening and ending themes of the show are generic and forgettable. I am still debating if I want to place this series on hold or even drop it.

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Food Wars: The Second Plate
There really isn’t much to say about this show except for how I absolutely love it. Souma is fantastic and the dishes that they make on the show all look incredible. This is simply the second season to one of my favorite shows of last year and I am so glad to see it make its triumphant return. I’m hoping to make a full review of this show once it is completed. As for the opening, I am not in love with it but it really isn’t bad.

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Mob Psycho 100
The artstyle of this series really needs to be applauded because I feel as if it is the most unique and interesting looking show I have ever seen. I love seeing Studio Bones stick with the original art style of ONE’s web comic that this anime is based off of. They took it and ran with it and made it just absolutely gorgeous to look at. Also, that opening tho…. this is all I can say about it. I love the idea of having Mob’s master Reigen being a phony who isn’t an actual psychic in which Mob has no idea about it. Dude just can’t learn from his own mistakes which I found hilarious. The action scenes were great and the comedy bits are constant but also funny. I hope that this show doesn’t go to shit tho like One Punch Man where that show’s comedy got stale after like two episodes into the series. Will be looking forward to seeing more.

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Orange.
I am so so glad to see this fantastic manga get the anime treatment that it deserves. Yup, I am a manga reader. And, I could not be any more proud of this adaptation than I already am. Without spoiling anything, this first episode faithfully adapted the first chapter and would like to say to everyone who is on the edge about watching this show all I have to say is DO IT. We are in for one hell of a feels ride, and I couldn’t be any more ready. Be ready to look out for a review of this series because it is definitely going to be coming your way. As for the opening and ending themes… they are perfection.

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Planetarian
Not that special or memorable of a start of a show but, it was one that I could see potential in. I expect the show to be only five or so episodes. If I were to take a guess, based off the fact how it is an anime adaptation based off a visual novel made by Key… chances are that the guy will eventually end up falling in love with the robot girl and helping her fix the telescope/projection device, then on the last episode we will see some sort of mechanical failure in the robot girl in which she will ultimately end up passing away. Yup… Plastic Memories all over again, except hopefully they can get it right and not feel way to forced like that show did. Will be looking forward to seeing more of this show whenever the episodes come out.

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ReLIFE
Decent first episode I guess… I found it pretty funny at times and don’t have any glaring issues with the show. However, unlike most people I am still debating if I want to marathon the show or not because I feel as if I could spend that time marathoning something even better. As for the opening and all of it’s endings, I find them pretty generic and forgettable.

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Sweetness & Lightning

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Tales of Zestiria the X
I’d be lying if I said that I was truly looking forward to this show. Luckily I was gratefully surprised. If you saw me on twitter, then you would realize how this show just blew me away. I really need to applaud Studio Ufotable for putting so much work and passion into this project, the art and anime are visually stunning. I am not lying by saying this… ToZ is by far the best looking tv anime that I have ever seen, watching the show for just the art/animation is more than enough reason to watch this show. As for the opening, it is really great… but… White Light is still a better opening, as of right now the ending theme is not yet revealed.

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The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
This is a One Punch Man wannabee anime short that is just horribly animated and don’t see the point of watching it at all. Dropped.

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The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm Dance
IT IS BACK!!! Oh how I miss this series and it’s action packed sequences and it’s characters and story. I am so glad to see the return of one of my favorite anime from 2015. Even if it is for only eight more weeks, I am still glad to see it back. I plan to make a review of this when it is entirely finished, so be sure to look out for that I guess. As for the opening and ending themes, they both fit well with the series and the previous themes before them so no complaints there.

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The Highschool Life of a Fudanshi
So glad this series is an anime short and not a full length series because if it was, I would not have been willing to watch all twelve episodes. Yes, this series is weird but it is also fairly funny. I plan to continue watching just for some quick laugh, but if I do not find the next episode funny then I will drop the show.

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Thunderbolt Fantasy
Personally I was really impressed by the choreography of the puppet’s movements as well as the amount of detail put into the costumes and props used. The music of the thing was also top notch, but that is to be expected because Sawano. Also the action fight scenes were epic regarding the limitations that they had which was being puppets. The special effects were cool and added to the emersion. Also I was really impressed by seeing blood come out of puppet’s mouths which I honestly don’t know how that was done unless if they have some sort of contraption inside of the puppet that releases the blood. Also was impressed to see how violent Gen Urobuchi and his team were willing to go in order to include a decapitation in the first episode. Overall, this show is a really big hidden gem that needs to be given the chance by everyone before being written off as some sort of garbage.

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Berserk (1997)
Before I mention my thoughts on it, I had to say that I chose to watch this instead of the new 2016 version because: A) I haven’t seen it before, B) There is no terrible cgi to be seen anywhere. Yes, this show has aged really poorly but I have to question one thing… who thought it was a good idea to give this animation studio one of the biggest child friendly franchises ever created: Pokemon? Aside from that, I found the action off the walls crazy… I still have no idea what I just watched from that first episode. But as for the second episode, that is more of the start that I was expecting to see. Being introduced to Griffith and Casca, which I feel will be two very important characters throughout the series. I am currently aware that the show has a really bad ending, yet I have not been spoiled on it so that is a plus. As for the opening and ending theme… average average average… but the insert song “forces”, oh boy is that song awesome. And yes, the English dub of this series is hilariously bad.

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Michiko to Hatchin (2008)
If any of you were to follow me on twitter, you would know that recently I took a trip to Guatemala. After watching the first two episodes of this show I was instantly taken aback and was able to pinpoint all the similarities between them and how much detail and accuracy that this show has put into the show to make it as culturally realistic as possible, this in which is something that I applaud the the show for doing. Aside from that, I was really impressed by both the English dub and the fun Black Lagoon road chase type vibe that I got by it. I am so glad that I decided to watch this show and am thrilled to see what is to come. Expect an anime review from me of this show eventually. And as for the opening and ending themes: I would have to say that the opening is pretty good but I could see it getting old quickly; the ending theme is really great and will most certainly be on my Top 50 Favorite Anime Ending Themes, when I eventually come around towards making that list.

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Moribito ~Guardian of the Spirit~ (2008)
I have a feeling that Balsa will quickly become one of my favorite female characters in anime… I’m just gunna leave it at that. I am getting a big feeling that this first two episodes will be setting up the stage for a grand adventure through the this series’s world and will contain a bunch of conflict that the main characters will need to overcome. It gives me the same type of feeling that I got from Arslan Senki and Akatsuki no Yona, which is exactly what I was hoping to get. I am really excited to see where this is going. Also the opening theme to this show… holy shit it was amazing. If only I made my Top 50 Favorite Anime Openings a little bit later and you would have seen this OP be mentioned in the top 10. As for the ending theme, it isn’t that memorable. Look forward to seeing a full series review of this series because it is a huge possibility of happening.

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For those of you who have been able to read through all my nonsensical opinions. I thank and applaud you for doing so. And for those who just scroll to the very bottom just for the sake of it, then shame on you. Anyways, these are my quick thoughts on the new Summer 2016 season of anime and you probably won’t be seeing another seasonal related blog post of mine until thirteen weeks from now and you can see me make this list all over again… so that will be fun I guess.